Homeworld Corebook [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

A TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING ODYSSEY

COREBOOK

CREDITS

CREDITS Developed from the original 2d20 System design by Jay Little and Star Trek Adventures 2d20 System by Nathan Dowdell. Lead Designers Virginia Page, Samantha Webb

Writers Jason Brick, Oz Mills, Mike Ptak ‘NorseHound’, Martin Cirulis, Virginia Page, Nathan Dowdell, Samantha Webb

Ar t Dir ectors Katya Thomas, Kris Aubin

Cover Ar tist Aaron Kambeitz

Graphic Designers Jen McCleary, Robert Denton

Editors Keith Garret, Virginia Page, Ben Maunder

Interior Ar twork Ar tists Carlos Cabrera, Ariel Orea, Boris Martsev, Paolo Puggioni, Chaim Garcia, JB Casacop, Szymon Dmitruk, Nikita Vasilchuk, Gilles Augustijnen (KONTROL)

Pr oofr eader Ben Maunder

Pr oject Managers Virginia Page, Ben Maunder

Pr oduction Manager Peter Grochulski

Modiphius Entertainment Chief Cr eative Of ficer Chris Birch

Chief Operations Of ficer Rita Birch

Managing Dir ector Cameron Dicks

Head of Pr oduct Samantha Webb

Head of Development Sophie Williams

Head of Cr eative Services Jon Webb

Cr eative Coor dinator Kieran Street

F inancial Contr oller Luc Woolfenden

Logistics and Pr oduction Manager Peter Grochulski

Ar t Dir ectors Kris Aubin, Rocío Martín Pérez

Studio Coor dinator Rocio Martín Pérez

Photog rapher Fátima Martín Pérez

Lead 3D Designer Jonathan La Trobe-Lewis

Senior 3D Designers Colin Grayson, Christopher Peacey, Domingo Díaz Fermín

3D Designers Ben de Bosdari, Joana Abbott, Sean Bullough

Lead Graphic Designer Michal E. Cross

Graphic Designers Christopher Webb, Leigh Woosey, Mark Whittington, Stephanie Toro Gurumendi

Audio and V ideo Pr oducer Steve Daldry

Editor Bryce Johnston

Development Coor dinator Jason Enos

Developers Ethan Heywood, Jono Green

2d20 Developer Nathan Dowdell

QA Testers Dominic Westerland, Nathan Perry, Samantha Laydon Assist ant Pr oject Managers Haralampos Tsakiris

Senior Pr oject Manager Gavin Dady

Pr oject Managers Ben Maunder, Chris Shepperson, Daniel Lade, James Barry Factory Manager Martin Jones

Lead Pr oduction Operative Anthony Mrris

Operations Manager John Wilson Senior Pr oduction Operatives Drew Cox, Warwick Voyzey

Pr oduction Operatives Joshua Froud-Silverstone, Louis Paul Hartle, Jake Pink, Miles Turner, Thomas Bull

Tool Makers Alex Taylor, Luke Gill, David Hextall

Customer Service and Accounts Manager Lloyd Gyan

Events Manager Gregoire Boisbelaud

Community Manager April Hill

Translations and Publishing Manager Matt Timm

Distribution and Key Accounts Manager Gary Moore

Marketing Manager Ben O’Brien

Marketing Coor dinator Shaun Hocking

Customer Suppor t Repr esent ative Chris Dann

Webstor e Manager Apinya Ramakomud

Bookkeeper Valya Mkrtchyan

Editor, Gearbox Meredith Hershey

Gearbox Licensing Team Erica Stead, Mikayla Jackson, Barbara Radziwon, Matt Costa, Sean Haran

Special Thanks Dr. Jonathan Cohen, Jeff Skal, Joel Watson, Randy Pitchford, Meredith Hershey, Nathaniel Wattenmaker, Christine Marten, Dante Silva, Brian Burleson, Rob Cunningham, and The Blackbird Interactive Team Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 39 Harwood Rd, London SW6 4QP, United Kingdom [email protected]

www.modiphius.com Modiphius Entertainment Product Number: MUH052361 ISBN: 978-1-912743-99-5

© 2019 Gearbox. Published by Gearbox Publishing. Homeworld, Gearbox & the Gearbox Publishing logos are registered trademarks, and theHomeworld logo is a trademark of Gearbox Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The 2d20 system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 2020. All 2d20 system text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal. Any trademarked names are used in a fictional manner; no infringement is intended. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described in an historical context. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd.

Foreword by Martin Cirulis ............................ 1

Intr oduction.. ............................ 2

Come Aboard the Mothership.................... 2 Your Journey.......................................................2 What Is in This Book?..........................................2 What You Need to Play.......................................3

The Universe of Homeworld ...................... 4 The People...........................................................4 The Ships.............................................................5 Chapter 1:

Cor e Rules................................ Rules ................................ 6 Characters...........................................................6 Dice......................................................................6 Scenes.................................................................6 Truths...................................................................7

Attributes, Skills, and Focuses................... 8 Attributes.............................................................8 Skills....................................................................8 Focuses...............................................................9

Tests........................................................ 9

Truths..................................................... 34 Defining Aspects................................................34

Starting Points......................................... 37 Step One: Kiith Background...................... 39 Kiith Naabal........................................................39 Kiith Soban.........................................................40 Kiith S’jet............................................................41 Kiith Paktu..........................................................42 Kiith Manaan......................................................43 Kiith Somtaaw....................................................44

Step Two: Environment............................. 46 The Capital City of Tiir.......................................46 The Southern Lands Along the Majiirian Sea ���46 The Khontala Mountains...................................47 Wandering Settlements.....................................47

Step Three: Upbringing............................ 48 Artistic and Open...............................................48 Diplomacy and Politics......................................49 Nomadic or Rural...............................................49 Technology and Science ...................................50 Travel and Trade.................................................51

Attempting a Test...............................................9 Complications...................................................11 Assistance.........................................................13 Opposed Tests..................................................13

Step Four: Profession............................... 52

Momentum, Threat and Fortune............... 15

Step Five: Career..................................... 54

Momentum........................................................15 Threat.................................................................16 Fortune .............................................................17

Junior Officer......................................................54 Experienced Officer............................................54 Veteran Officer...................................................55

Chapter 2:

Action and Combat . . ............. 19 Action Scenes......................................... 19 Range & Distance..............................................19 Action Order......................................................20 Making an Attack..............................................21 Action in Zero-G................................................22 Action in Vacuum..............................................23 Stress, Injury, & Recovery.................................24

Social Conflict........................................ 27 Social Tools.......................................................27 Chapter 3:

Character Cr eation . . ........ 32 Characters in Homeworld......................... 32 Attributes, Skills, and Focuses................. 32 Attributes...........................................................32 Skills..................................................................33 Focuses.............................................................33

Talents................................................... 33

Command and Military Track............................52 Engineering and Technical Track......................52 Research and Exploration Track.......................53

Step Six: Career Events............................ 56 Experimental Technology .................................57 Loss of a Friend..................................................57 Admired by Another Kiith...................................57 Experimental Test Flight....................................58 Unexpected Command......................................58 Serious Injury.....................................................58 Conflict with a Hostile Group............................59 Mentored for Your Talent...................................59 Medical Crisis.....................................................60 Abandoned Your Principles...............................60 Stuck by Your Ideals..........................................60 Invented a New Battle Strategy........................60 Technological Advancement.............................61 Commendation...................................................61 Prevented a Resource Shortage.......................61 Devastating Accident.........................................62

Step Seven: Finishing Touches................. 63 Attributes............................................................63 Skills...................................................................63

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

Defining Aspects................................................63 Maximum Stress and Challenge Dice...............64 Final Stats Check...............................................64 Role.....................................................................65 Rank....................................................................67 Personal Details.................................................68 Equipment..........................................................69 Example Character:............................................70

General Talents........................................ 71 Combat Talents........................................ 74 Command Talents.................................... 74 Engineering Talents.................................. 75 Exploration Talents .................................. 75 Flight Talents........................................... 76 Medical Talents........................................ 77 Challenge Dice...................................................78 Using a Supporting Character...........................80 Creating a Supporting Character......................81 Resource Units...................................................83 Buying Advancements.......................................83 Gaining Resource Units.....................................83 Other Ways to Gain RUs....................................84 Chapter 4:

Weapons and Equipment.... Equipment .... 85 Weapons................................................. 85 Anatomy of a Wapon.........................................85 Weapon Types and Range.................................85 Effects.................................................................87 Qualities..............................................................87

Weapons of Homeworld............................ 89 Weapons and Cultures.......................................89 Melee..................................................................90 Ranged................................................................93 Explosive Weapons............................................95

Equipment and Gear................................. 97 Anatomy of Equipment and Gear......................97 Standard Equipment .........................................97 Other Equipment................................................99 Chapter 5:

Ship Combat . . ....................... 101 Starship Statistics.................................. 101 Ship Attributes.................................................101 Scale.................................................................101 Hull Points........................................................102 Special Functions............................................102 Fuel...................................................................102

Weapon Stress Rating.....................................106 Range................................................................106 Kinetic Weapons..............................................106 Beam Weapons................................................106 Explosive Weapons..........................................106 Effects...............................................................107

Ship Combat.......................................... 107 Environment and Zones...................................107 Distances..........................................................108 Rounds and Turns............................................108 Making an Attack.............................................108 Breaches...........................................................109 Repairing Damage............................................110 Ship Combat Momentum Spends...................110

Large-scale and Simplifed Fleet Combat.111 Fighters................................................. 112 Corvettes............................................... 116 Frigates................................................. 121 Super Capital Ships................................ 126 Non-Combat Ships................................. 129 Motherships.......................................... 133 The Kushan Mothership..................................133 The Kadeshi Mothership.................................137 The Bentusi Exchange.....................................140 The Taiidan Imperial Flagship.........................143

Other..................................................... 145 Mysterious Ships and Derelicts............... 148 Building Ships........................................ 151 Ready-Made.....................................................151 Quick Creation .................................................151 Ship Construction............................................152 Step One: Select a Chassis.............................153 Step Two: Assign Attribute Points..................154 Step Three: Spend Points on Upgrades..........154 Step Four: Assign Derived Stats......................156

Special Functions................................... 156 Class 1..............................................................156 Class 2..............................................................157 Class 3..............................................................158

Installable and Strange Technology......... 160 Gravity Well Technology .................................160 Hyperspace Technology..................................161 Strange Technology ........................................162 Progenitor Technology....................................163 Buying Advancements.....................................164 Chapter 6:

Operating a Ship.................................... 103

Historical Briefing............... Briefing ............... 165

Commanding Officer Actions..........................103 Helm Actions....................................................103 Sensor Techician Actions................................104 Tactical Actions...............................................105 Communications Actions................................105 Other Actions...................................................105

Overview............................................... 165

Ship Weapons ....................................... 106

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The First Time..................................................165 The Fall of Hiigara............................................165 The Exile...........................................................166 Early Settlement & Heresy Wars.....................166 The Age of Reason...........................................167 Khar-Toba Era...................................................167

A Brief History of the Kushan.................. 169 Pre-Exile............................................................170 Exile..................................................................171 The Age of Reason...........................................175 Pre-Exodus.......................................................177 Exodus..............................................................180 Key Battles of the Homeworld War.................180 Post-Exodus.....................................................183

Locations ............................................. 185 Hiigara..............................................................185 The Angel Moon...............................................186 Kharak...............................................................186 Khar-Toba.........................................................187 Inner Rim..........................................................187 Outer Rim..........................................................188 The Great Wastelands.....................................188 The Great Nebula.............................................188 Karos Graveyard...............................................189 Galactic Council Center...................................189 Taiidan..............................................................190

Artifacts................................................ 192 The Guidestone................................................192 Hyperspace Core..............................................193 Planet-Killers....................................................194 The Unbound....................................................194 Star-Metal Scrolls............................................194 Chalice of Life...................................................195 The Burning Spear...........................................196 Sword of Caaliburnous....................................196 Chapter 7:

Kiithid Society Briefing...... Briefing ...... 198 Organization.....................................................198 History of the Kiith...........................................198

Kiith Gaalsien........................................ 199 The Religion of Kah’a.......................................199 Gaalsien Culture...............................................200 Gaalsien History...............................................200 Story Seeds......................................................201

Kiith Paktu............................................. 201 The Distant Kiithid...........................................201 Paktu Culture....................................................201 Paktu History....................................................202 Story Seeds......................................................202

Kiith Soban............................................ 203 Taking the Red.................................................203 Soban Culture...................................................204 Soban History...................................................204 Story Seeds......................................................205

Kiith S’jet............................................... 206

S’jet History......................................................207 Story Seeds......................................................209

Kiith Naabal........................................... 209 Building Civilization.........................................209 Naabal Culture..................................................209 Naabal History.................................................210 Story Seeds......................................................211

Kiith Manaan......................................... 211 The Travelers....................................................211 Manaan Culture................................................212 Manaan History................................................213 Story Seeds......................................................214

Kiith Somtaaw........................................ 214 The Great Miners..............................................214 Somtaaw History.............................................215 Somtaaw Culture.............................................215 Story Seeds......................................................216

Kiith Siidim............................................ 216 The Chosen Ones.............................................216 Siidim Culture...................................................217 Siidim History...................................................217 Story Seeds......................................................218

Kiith Hraal............................................. 218 The Assembly Line...........................................218 Hraal Culture....................................................219 Hraal History....................................................219 Story Seeds......................................................219

Kiith Kaalel............................................ 220 The Shadow Walkers.......................................220 Kaalel Culture...................................................220 Kaalel History...................................................221 Story Seeds......................................................221

Minor and Vassal Kiith............................ 222 Kiith Sagald......................................................222 Kiith Tambuur...................................................222 Kiith Ferriil........................................................222 Kiith LiirHra.......................................................223 Kiith Jaraci.......................................................224

Alliances Form....................................... 225 The Daiamid.....................................................225 The Northern Coalition....................................225 Kiith Paktu and the Southern Coalition..........226 Post-Guidestone Discovery.............................227

Modern Era Alliances............................. 229 Kiith Paktu........................................................229 Kiith Soban.......................................................229 Kiith S’jet..........................................................230 Kiith Naabal......................................................230 Kiith Manaan....................................................231 Kiith Somtaaw..................................................232 Kiith Siidim.......................................................232 Kiith Hraal.........................................................233 Kiith Kaalel.......................................................233

Serving the Truth..............................................206 S’jet Culture......................................................207

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CONTENTS

Destruction and Exodus..................................167 Landfall.............................................................167 Period of New Wars.........................................167 Futures Yet Undreamt......................................168

Chapter 8:

CONTENTS

Galactic Community.......... Community .......... 234

Experience and Promotion...................... 275 Challenging Values..........................................275

Taiidan.................................................. 234

Running Combat.................................... 277

Imperial History................................................235 Political Leadership.........................................237 The Taiidani......................................................238 Additional Locations........................................239 Adventure Seeds..............................................239

Crafting the Game.................................. 280

Turanic Raiders ..................................... 241 History..............................................................241 Political Leadership.........................................242 Additional Locations........................................244 Adventure Seeds..............................................244

Kadesh.................................................. 245 History..............................................................245 Political Leadership.........................................247 The Kadeshi......................................................247 Nebula Locations.............................................248 Adventure Seeds..............................................249

Bentusi.................................................. 250 History..............................................................250 The Bentusi......................................................252 Unbound...........................................................253 Bentus...............................................................253 Adventure Seeds..............................................254

Galactic Council .................................... 256 History..............................................................256 The Council.......................................................256 Additional Locations........................................257 Adventure Seeds..............................................258

Progenitors ........................................... 260 Adventure Seeds..............................................260 Chapter 9:

Gamemastering.. ................ 263 Running Homeworld............................... 263 Leading the Adventure.....................................263 Styles of Play....................................................265

Managing the Rules............................... 266 Tests.................................................................266 Momentum.......................................................266 Truths................................................................266 Truths and Defining Aspects...........................267 Threat................................................................267 Opposed Tests.................................................268 Extended Tests.................................................269 Challenges........................................................271

Player Characters.................................. 273 Command and Military Track..........................273 Engineering and Technical Track....................274 Medical and Research Track...........................274

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Combat Encounters.........................................277 Combat in Space..............................................278 Scenes and Encounters...................................280 Mission Design.................................................281 Campaign Design.............................................281 Chapter 10:

Non-Player Characters.... Characters .... 282 Kinds of NPC......................................... 282 Creating NPCs....................................... 283 Creating Minor NPCs.......................................283 Creating Notable NPCs....................................285 Creating Major NPCs.......................................287

NPC Roles............................................. 293 Bureaucrat........................................................293 Explorer.............................................................293 Mercenary.........................................................293 Merchant..........................................................294 Noble.................................................................294 Refugee............................................................294 Rogue................................................................294 Scavenger.........................................................294

Using and Running NPCs........................ 295 Adversaries.......................................................295 Allies.................................................................295 Neutral Parties.................................................296

Kushan Fleet Personnel.......................... 299 Somtaaw Mechanic (Minor NPC)....................299 Naabal Wing Commander (Minor NPC)..........300 Soban Bodyguard (Minor NPC).......................300 Paktu Pilot (Minor NPC)...................................301 Manaan Captain (Notable NPC)......................301 Paktu Operative (Notable NPC).......................302 S’jet Medical Officer (Notable NPC)................302 Captain Sanja Naabal (Major NPC).................303 Admiral Pash Paktu (Major NPC)....................304 Karan S’jet, Neuroscientist (Major NPC).........305 Fleet Command (Major NPC)..........................306

The Taiidan Military............................... 307 Taiidan Fighter Pilot (Minor NPC)...................308 Taiidan Navigator (Minor NPC).......................308 Taiidan Security Officer (Minor NPC)..............309

Turanic Raiders...................................... 313 The Kadeshi........................................... 317 Bentusi Traders..................................... 320

Unlimited Potential Whenever I have been asked by fans or reporters about my thoughts on the Homeworld Universe, that is the phrase that leaps to mind first. From the game itself to the effect it had on the careers of the people connected to it, Homeworld was an explosion of creativity whose shockwaves are still being felt. As witnessed by this RPG in your hands right now.   Homeworld was the game that turned Relic from a dream to a world class developer in one fell swoop. It marked my own transition from gaming journalist to gaming writer and designer. It begat Homeworld: Cataclysm, a side story project that helped start another developer, Barking Dog studios, and members of that team eventually came together to form the development studio I now head up, Kerberos Productions. Recently, Blackbird Interactive, (founded by key members of the original Relic team) continues to carry the Homeworld flag forward into new territory with their excellent Deserts of Kharak series. And now Modiphius has taken Homeworld into a whole new realm with this amazing RPG package. Not bad for one, passionate little computer game. Like I said...Unlimited Potential It has been 20 years now since I was first asked to write the final script for Homeworld and then, when that was done, the real hard work began on the background materials. Relic had laid out the historical details of an epic mystery buried in the sands of an alien world, but they wanted a bit more flesh around its bones and so, myself and my partner at the time, Arinn Dembo, set out to create a culture for that desperate world of exiles. Within a few short weeks, the people of Kharak gained identities based on extended family groups known as Kiith. Story points now became events that shook society. Alliances and grudges that would stand for centuries formed from timeline references. Tragedies and triumphs now set the stage for the death of a world and

a crusade to regain a long lost Homeworld; which was finally named Hiigara in tribute to all peoples forced from their homelands. This process was repeated once again with the development of Homeworld: Cataclysm which added more history, more Kiithid and detailed how the survivors of Kharak were adjusting to the shattering of their culture and the political fallout from their crusade. All this work was a joy to do but it also left a nagging feeling behind. While it was great to hear fans talking about how much they loved the manuals it was also a reminder of how much of that material just couldn’t make it into the computer games themselves. It all had that bittersweet taste of untapped potential. But now, thanks to Modiphius, all that has changed! As you can see, they have created a massive RPG based on the original Homeworld computer game and source material, and I could not be happier about it. Finally, all that potential can be tapped by a new generation to tell new stories and get to know the Homeworld Universe in a deep and personal way. This is your chance to try your own answers to questions we posed so many years ago. In this tome you will encounter all of humanity’s oldest flaws...Greed, Fear, Hate, Xenophobia, Cowardice, and Tyranny. But striding alongside these shadows you will find all that is best in us...Courage, Strength, Genius, Understanding, Freedom, and Mercy. And all this against a backdrop of Machiavellian Politics and a Galaxy of Mystery where the past rarely stays in its place and being quick of mind is as important as being quick on your feet. What lays before you are endless stories from dozens of creative people over 20 years. In other words... Unlimited Potential. Enjoy! —Martin E. Cirulis, July/2019 Writer/Story Designer Homeworld Writer/Designer Homeworld: Cataclysm

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FOREWORD

Foreword by Martin Cirulis 

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION Come Aboard the Mothership Welcome to Homeworld: Revelations, a roleplaying game based on the 1999 real-time strategy videogame Homeworld. The original videogame showed you the Exodus, the incredible journey that an exiled people undertook to reclaim their home, Hiigara. After the burning of their exile planet, a punishment for the crime of engineering long jump hyperdrive technology, each mission of the game took you one step closer to the goal, forcing you to battle hostile enemy ships and command your fleet to get back home. Homeworld was ultimately about the journey of a people to make it back to their true home, a story of strategy, loss, battle, hardship, reclamation, self-discovery, and above all, hope.

Your Journey

What Is in This Book?

Homeworld is the story of a journey. In the video game, we see this journey from the view of the Kushan fleet and their epic battles against the Taiidan and other aggressors as they seek to reclaim their homeworld, Hiigara. This book will give you everything you need to play the personal journey of the people on those ships, to explore their lives, discoveries, hardship and loss, cultures and histories. The stories and campaigns you can create will explore what else is out there to be discovered, with new exciting locations and artifacts, or revisiting familiar favorites, the potential for exploration is unlimited. Some mysteries were never uncovered; who or what was responsible for a mysterious ship that took control of any others that passed too close? How did the Karos Graveyard come to be the home of innumerable derelicts and what was the purpose of the strange little ship that dragged others away to a forgotten corner of the graveyard?

Chapter 1: Core Rules

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This chapter explains the core rules of the Homeworld 2d20 System that all players and gamemasters need to know.

Chapter 2: Action and Combat

This chapter explains the rules behind action scenes and combat as well as the tools for social conflict.

Chapter 3: Character Creation

Character creation takes you through the lifepath, to help you create your own unique character for Homeworld as well as showing you how to advance your characters over time.

Chapter 4: Weapons and Equipment

Here you will find lists of equipment and gear that player characters have access to, along with their rules for using them in play.

Chapter 5: Ship Combat

Find detailed information on the ships of Homeworld. This includes stat blocks for the ships encountered in the game, as well as rules for ship-to-ship combat.

This chapter gives an overview of the history of Homeworld all the way from pre-exile Hiigara, right up until the reclamation of Hiigara at the end of the Exodus and includes new locations, secrets, and artifacts for you to discover.

Chapter 7: Kiithid Society Briefing

Here you will find detailed information on all the major Kiith and the vassal clans within them. Learn about their alliances and politics and be inspired with adventure ideas for using these Kiith in your games.

Chapter 8: Galactic Community

A chapter looking at the story and lore behind the other factions of the Homeworld universe. A wealth of information and campaign ideas including the Taiidan, Bentusi, Galactic Council, and more.

Chapter 9: Gamemastering

A chapter dedicated to giving gamemasters advice on how to run games within the Homeworld universe using its themes and lore as well as optional and expanded rules based on those in the core rules chapter to enhance Homeworld campaigns.

Chapter 10: Non-Player Characters

This chapter will detail how to create and use non-player characters, as well as providing a large collection of pre-made non-player characters for you to use in your campaigns.

What You Need to Play To begin your journey, it is recommended that you have the following:

Players

Every game needs a group of players. One takes on the role of the gamemaster and the other players take on the role of the player characters. The players work together to face the challenges the gamemaster places

before them, advancing the story, while describing how their players act and respond to the world around them. Usually, you want to have between three and six players. You can play with less or more than that, but these present their own challenges.

The Game Master

One of the players within the group takes on the role of the gamemaster. This player does not have a player character and instead, they are the host of the game. They set up the encounters and scenes and know which direction the story takes. Gamemasters play all the non-player characters that the player characters can interact with, non-player characters might be allies, adversaries, or even supporting characters.

Characters

Every player (except the gamemaster) creates a player character. Chapter 3: Character Creation takes players through the steps needed to create their own player character. You can choose your Kiith background, the nature and location of your upbringing, as well as your current career within the Kushan fleet. You also get a chance to create a selection of supporting characters, who you can control when your player character is not involved in the action.

Dice

Homeworld uses two types of dice. The first is a d20, which is a twenty-sided die and can be found in most hobby and gaming stores. In this book, the abbreviation ‘d20’ is used when referring to this die. The second type is a d6, or six-sided dice. When this type of dice are called for, they are referred to as challenge dice. Modiphius Entertainment sells custom Homeworld challenge dice, with unique logos to represent their results. If you do not have access to these, you can use regular d6s and consult the table on p.6 to see the equivalent challenge dice results.

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INTRODUCTION

Chapter 6: Historical Briefing

INTRODUCTION

It is recommended to have at least 5d20s and 6d6s or challenge dice. Players and gamemaster can share or roll dice multiple times if there are not enough of one type.

or campaign. It is also useful to have note paper, to record notes about in-game events, or those of other characters and can help the gamemaster to keep track of the story.

Paper and Pencils

Tokens, Beads or Chips

All players who have a player character will need a character sheet to record their players attributes and statistics on. You can download a character sheet from www. modiphius.net or you can choose to use some plain paper to record your character. It is recommended that you use pencil on your character sheets, making it easy to change aspects of your character during a game

It is recommended to gather some tokens, beads, or chips (such as poker chips) for use during play. These are used to track Threat and Momentum for the gamemaster and players. You can choose to write down these totals if you wish, but the visual aspect of Momentum or Threat building and diminishing can add a unique experience to the game.

The Universe of Homeworld Some of you reading may already be familiar with Homeworld, its people, factions, histories, and technology. For those who are not, this section describes in broad strokes the core elements that set the Homeworld universe apart from many other Sci-Fi games and RPGs. More information on the themes and tone of Homeworld and how to use them in your games can be found in Chapter 9: Gamemastering, while a deeper dive into the histories and people of the universe can be found in Chapter 6:Historical Briefing and Chapter 7:Kiithid Society Briefing.

The People The Homeworld video game introduced us to the Kushan, a people made up of various clans called Kiith, who were returning to their true home world and discovering the history of their people on the journey known as the Exodus. The Kushan had a vast history that was mostly lost to them. Exiled to the planet Kharak, they had lost all knowledge of their true ancestry until a ship was discovered in the sands of their desert planet. Many years later, they would take to the stars to test the hyperdrive they discovered and would pay the price for it, the burning of their planet. Leaving them a ship bound people, they fought a war to get back to their home

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world, Hiigara, against the Taiidan who had destroyed Kharak. Though unified in their cause, the Kushan people are made up of different Kiith, each one distinct in its place in Kushan society; each one renowned for a particular industry, and each individual member an individual in their own right. They are people struggling for survival, a people trying to reclaim what was lost. While many other people and factions exist, and Homeworld’s universe is as diverse as our own, it is key to note that everyone is ‘human’, to some degree or another. There are no ‘jellyfish aliens’, no big bad monsters to fight except those humans create, or those that humans become. Even the most

The Ships Perhaps the most recognizable aspect of Homeworld is its ships. The look and feel of ships within Homeworld were inspired by ‘70s spaceships and starships. Rather than having the sleek, clean lines that we are so used to with modern sci-fi, Homeworld’s ships are angular, more industrial looking, with panels and bold patterns. Interiors have a more unified space, fewer corridor umbilicals and instead rooms that allow you to pass from one to the other, lit with

technology and screens. Ships are built for purpose, whether that be combat, supporting a colony or collecting resources. Vessels in this universe don’t have shields or endless arrays of weaponry, instead relying on armor, a limited number of weapons, and the skill of their pilots and tactical officers in battle. Space battles are devastating and involve navies with a vast array of ships. From single person fighter craft to super capital ships with crews in the hundreds. Ships can hyperjump, entering a secondary type of space that allows travel over huge distances. Some are even able to Far Jump, crossing hundreds of thousands of lightyears in the space of days or weeks. Whole navies can move from one system to the next in little more than the blink of an eye. From ships designed for war and piracy, to those whose occupants are biologically bound into their ship’s systems and those that have mysterious origins controlled by AI, the ships of this universe are truly unique.

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INTRODUCTION

mysterious beings, like the Bentusi, who are bound into their ships at the very core, were perhaps once human, or human-like. The Taiidan, the enemies of the Kushan, are ‘human’ just the same as they are. This is what makes Homeworld unique, the challenges you face, the evils you try to fight, the mysteries you uncover, are all based in the nature of humanity and what it creates, what it was and what it could be.

Chapter 1

CORE RULES CHAPTER 1: CORE RULES

The following section covers the core rules of Homeworld: Revelations, which will be used throughout the rest of the game. Every player should have a basic understanding of these concepts during play.

Characters There are two types of character in Homeworld, player characters who are controlled by the players, also referred to as PCs, and non-player characters controlled by the gamemaster, referred to as NPCs.

Dice Homeworld uses two types of dice. The first is a twenty-sided die, called a d20, used to decide the outcome of a character’s action. In most circumstances, more than one d20 will be rolled at once. This is known as the dice pool. The d20s are used for resolving tests, two or more will be required. This is noted as Xd20, where X is the number of dice to be rolled. So, 2d20 means that two twenty-sided dice should be rolled. The second type is a d6, or six-sided die. When these dice are called for, they are referred to as Challenge Dice and are noted

6

D6 Result

Challenge Dice Result

1

1

2

2

3

0

4

0

5

1, plus effect

6

1, plus effect

as X in the text, where X is the number of Challenge Dice you must roll. If you do not have access to these specially marked Challenge Dice (available from Modiphius’s Webstore), you can use regular d6s and consult the table below for the results.

Scenes Just like the events of a TV show or movie, gameplay in Homeworld is structured in scenes. Each scene covers a period of time, during which you attempt to achieve a goal, overcome a problem, or engage in some significant activities. Some scenes contain more structure than others: an example of this would be action scenes, where the scene is split into rounds and turns and you can perform a limited number of actions in a set order. This will be explained later in Chapter 2: Combat and Action. Scenes are the interesting parts of the story, and tend to skip past the less interesting parts. Different groups may feel differently about what is or isn’t interesting, so it’s up to you and your group to decide what to play out and what to skip. The gamemaster is the one responsible for setting the scene and reacting to what the players choose to do within it. When the scene has concluded, or nothing else can be done in that place, the gamemaster moves on to the next one.

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Truths

Truths are described as: An advantage. The truth is beneficial. Advantages can make an activity possible that wasn’t possible before, reduce the difficulty of a test (see Tests p.9), or cancel out a complication (p.11).

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Truths describe something significant about a scene, person, place, environment, or object. You don’t have to think of them in too much detail as a player, but it’s good to be aware of how they affect the game. Truths don’t have any specific duration; they remain in play until they are no longer true, either because the scene changes or you find a way to overcome them. Truths are important because they help the gamemaster determine what is and what isn’t possible. There are numerous ways that advantages and complications can be added or created in a scene by players and the gamemaster, which are described further on in this chapter. Characters also have truths, and these can act as either advantages or complications depending on circumstance. These are discussed in Chapter 3: Character Creation.

A complication. The truth is problematic. Complications can make previously possible tests impossible, increase the difficulty of a test, or cancel out an advantage. A threatening circumstance. The truth adds Threat to the Threat pool to represent something or someone within a scene that poses a risk beyond normal situations.

Example When describing the scene, the gamemaster tells the players they are standing in a darkened corridor of a wrecked ship. There appears to be water leaking from somewhere overhead and electrical cables are sparking in the pools of water on the floor. In this description, the darkness and the electrical cables in the water are truths in the form of a complication and threatening circumstance. The darkness acts as a complication, increasing the difficulty of the test to navigate the corridor by 2. The sparking electrical cables in the water increase the danger in the area for the players far outside the normal hazards they might encounter on a wrecked ship, enough to add 2 points of Threat to the pool and acting as a threatening circumstance. One of the players then decides to boost the brightness on their wrist computer to use as a makeshift flashlight. The small amount of light is only enough to benefit them trying to navigate the area, but this acts as an advantage for the player, reducing the difficulty of their test to navigate the hallway by 1.

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Attributes, Skills, and Focuses CHAPTER 1: CORE RULES

Attributes, skills and focuses are the main three spects of a character that you will use to make tests in Homeworld.

Attributes

Your character has six attributes—Agility, Brawn, Coordination, Insight, Reason, and Will—which encompass their innate capabilities. These attributes have scores that range from 7 to 12. This will become more important later on in Chapter 3: Character Creation but they are mentioned here for the purposes of describing tests. • Agility is your character’s speed, balance, and movement. Agile characters are quick and can move with precision. • Brawn is your character’s physical fortitude and endurance, as well as their ability to be forceful. It also encompasses their health and physical conditioning. Brawny characters are strong and hardy. • Coordination is your character’s fine motor skills, accuracy, and sense of time and rhythm. Coordinated characters are good shots and excel at sleight of hand and other delicate, precise tasks. • Insight is your character’s perception, instincts, and ability to comprehend the world around them. Insightful characters are observant and shrewd, and are often said to be wise. • Reason is your character’s ability to apply logic, intellect, and learned facts to a situation. Reasoned characters tend to be rational or contemplative, and are often driven by a need to learn or understand.

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• Will is your character’s sense of self, their mental strength, and their self-discipline. Strong-willed characters tend to be single-minded, even stubborn, and have forceful personalities.

Skills

Your character also has six skills—Combat, Command, Engineering, Exploration, Flight, and Medical—which cover their training and expertise. These skills have scores that range from 1 to 5. • Combat is your character’s skill in hand-to-hand combat and their ability to use weapons, both melee and ranged. It also covers tactical knowledge and the practice and understanding of ship combat. • Command is your character’s skill in interpersonal interactions including leadership, negotiation, and motivating and coordinating others. It also helps them to resist coercion and can help others resist fear or panic. • Engineering is your character’s skill in using, repairing, or building technology. This covers the understanding of systems and build of ships, weapons, and other small devices and non-electrical mechanical items. • Exploration is your character’s skill in scientific research and study as well as history, archaeology, and their ability as an explorer.

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Focuses Your character also has a number of focuses. These represent specialist training, practical experience, or knowledge of specific fields. Focuses do not have a rating of their own, but can be applied to relevant skill tests to improve the chances of success.

Tests There are situations when your character will attempt to do something and their success would be in doubt, or failure and complications would be interesting. Tests are usually called for by the gamemaster, either to decide whether your character succeeds or fails at what they want to do, to avoid a hazard, or just to see how well they do something. Each test has a number of possible outcomes that can affect the scene or the characters.

Attempting a Test

A test involves your character’s attributes and skills, and requires you to roll two or more d20s. How to attempt a test is described as follows: 1. The gamemaster chooses which attribute and skill are appropriate for the test being attempted. Add together your character’s attribute and skill. This is the target number for the test. The target number is the number you must roll equal to or under with each d20. 2. The gamemaster then sets the difficulty of the test. This is a number from 0 (easy) to 5 (almost impossible). The difficulty is the number of successes the player must roll on their d20s to pass the test. 3. You take two d20s, and may choose to purchase extra d20s (see Momentum and Threat, p.15). Once additional dice have been purchased—if any—you roll your dice pool. 4. Each d20 that rolls equal to or less than the target number scores 1 success. a. If there is an applicable focus, each die that rolls under the value of the skill scores 2 successes. b. Each die that rolls a 1 scores 2 successes.

c. Each die that rolls a 20 causes a complication— something in the situation that might make things harder for the character (see Complications, p.11). 5. If the number of successes is equal to or exceeds the difficulty of the test, then the test has been passed and the character has achieved what they wanted to do. a. They might be able to do even better. Any extra successes beyond the difficulty threshold generate Momentum (see Momentum, p.15). 6. The gamemaster describes the outcome of the test, based on it being passed or failed, and players may use Momentum spends if they wish. Complications from rolling any 20s are then resolved. Note that you may never roll more than 5d20 on any test, regardless of where the additional dice come from, such as Momentum spends or talents. The combination of attributes and skills used for the test are normally decided by the gamemaster. Sometimes the rules will call for a specific pairing, and you can suggest combinations, but the gamemaster has the final say.

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• Flight is your character’s skill at piloting and using the systems of a ship. • Medical is your character’s skill at diagnosing and treating those who are ill or injured. It covers the knowledge of trauma and treatments both mental and physical.

Example CHAPTER 1: CORE RULES

Dianna’s character Kaiia wants to try to fix a broken keypad which opens the doors to a ship’s engine room. The gamemaster decides that to do this Dianna will need to make a difficulty 3 test using Coordination + Engineering. Kaiia’s Coordination has a score of 10, and her Engineering has a score of 4, giving her a target number of 14. Kaiia also has a focus called “Ship Repairs” representing her expertise in the repair and upkeep of ships. Dianna decides not to purchase any additional dice and then rolls 2d20. The first die scores an 8 and the second scores a 3. The first die is under the target number, so scores one success. The second die is under the target number, but it is also under the value of the skill Dianna used on the test. As a focus that applies, this die scores 2 successes instead of 1. With 3 successes, Dianna has met the difficulty of the test, which means she’s passed and Kaiia manages to repair the broken keypad.

Setting Test Difficulty

When the gamemaster asks for a test to be made, they set a difficulty for the test. Most tests will have a base difficulty of 1, though harder tests can go as high as 5 or more. On top of the base difficulty, the gamemaster should take into account any other factors such as truths which may increase or decrease difficulty. The gamemaster will always tell you the difficulty of the tests you attempt—your character is able to evaluate how difficult an activity is. This allows you to determine what you need to do to have the best chance of success.

Difficulty Zero Tests

Certain circumstances can reduce the difficulty of a test to as low as 0. Sometimes a

test may be so simple that it does not require dice to be rolled in order to succeed. These are difficulty zero tests. If a test is difficulty 0, it can be passed automatically. However, because no roll is made, it generates no Momentum—even bonus Momentum from talents, particularly advantageous situations, etc.—and the character cannot spend any Momentum on the test either. The gamemaster can ask you to roll for a difficulty zero test; this is only done when it is important how well your character does something that they cannot fail at. When the gamemaster asks for a difficulty zero test in this instance, the test automatically succeeds and any dice which roll under the target number generate momentum. When doing this, complications from rolling a 20 can still occur.

Example Ashad’s character Miir wants to try to search through fleet intelligence files to look for information on a person he’s investigating. The gamemaster decides that as Miir has access to these files, the test would be difficulty 0, meaning no roll is needed. However, the gamemaster wants to see how much information Miir can find in the time that he has, and so asks Ashad to roll for the difficulty 0 test. Ashad rolls 3 successes, and because the difficulty is 0 this generates 3 points of Momentum. The gamemaster decides that 3 successes mean that Miir manages to find all of the information available on the person he’s investigating within the time he has, and he even has some Momentum that can be used later on when looking through it all.

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Complications

Success at Cost

Some tests can’t be failed outright but there is a chance that problems will occur. In a situation like this, the gamemaster can allow you to succeed at cost, either telling you this

Complication Range

Complications Occur On.. . .

1

20

2

19-10

3

18-20

4

17-20

5

16-20

Complication Range

A test can be made riskier without raising the difficulty. This is done by increasing the complication range of a test, making it more likely that complications will occur. A test has a base complication range of 1,

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When attempting a test, each d20 that rolls a 20 creates a complication, which comes into play once the test has been resolved. Each 20 rolled can only produce a single complication. As described on page 7, complications are truths that have a negative effect. You can pass a test and still suffer a complication, as they represent inconvenient problems your character has to now deal with. The normal effect of a complication is to increase the difficulty of related tests by 1, or to make it so that a test that is normally possible cannot be attempted. If you don’t want your character to suffer a complication, or the gamemaster doesn’t want to put one into play, it can be paid off by adding 2 points of Threat to the Threat pool (see Threat, p.16).

meaning that complications happen on a roll of 20. Increasing the complication range by 1 means that complications occur for each d20 that rolls a 19 or 20 on that test. Each time this range is increased by one, it lowers the number needed to roll to suffer a complication. The complication range of a test can never be more than 5.

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before you attempt the test or providing this option after a failed test. When you succeed at cost, a failed test results in a successful outcome but your character suffers an immediate complication—this is in addition to any complications from rolling a 20 (if any dice were rolled for the test). Athough the

test has been successful, no Momentum can be spent to improve its outcome. In some cases, the “cost” you have to face can be greater, causing your character to suffer multiple complications when succeeding at cost, though this should be made clear when the option to succeed at cost is given.

Example Nita and Jerome’s characters are trying to jury-rig the engine of their salvage corvette, needing to escape a Taiidan base before they are found in the docking bay. They fail the test to do so, but the gamemaster offers to let them succeed at cost. The gamemaster tells them they can turn their failure into a success by suffering a complication. The engine of the ship will only be able to run so long on the jury-rigged repairs they have made and is likely to fail not long after they leave the base. Deciding that escaping the base and trying to get help is better than being caught, Nita and Jerome accept the complication, and the gamemaster describes how they manage to succeed on the test.

Improving the Odds Homeworld provides several ways for you to improve your chances of success, by buying up to 3 extra d20s to roll on a test. Extra dice allow you to score more successes to hit higher difficulties or to generate more Momentum. • Momentum. Spending points allows you to buy additional dice. • Threat. You can buy d20s by adding to the gamemaster’s Threat pool (p.16) instead of spending Momentum. The cost is the same as if you were spending Momentum. • Fortune. When acting in line with your character’s truths, you can spend Fortune to re-roll dice, introduce a new element to the scene, or buy a critical success. • Talents. Some talents (p.71) grant bonus d20s or other ways to improve your chances in specific circumstances. Dice gained this way count towards the number of bonus d20s that can be purchased, and count as the first d20 bought when calculating cost. When buying bonus d20s for non-player characters, there are fewer options— the gamemaster may only spend points of Threat to buy d20s.

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Assistance

Example The player characters, Feiiah, Taureaan, and Riian, are trying to wire a piece of advanced ancient technology into their ship’s computer system. Riian, the engineer, is making the test to install the technology, making a Coordination + Engineering test at difficulty 4. Feiiah and Taureaan can assist on this test. Feiiah is the pilot and knows the ship’s systems well, so is assisting using Reason + Flight, and Taureaan is a researcher specializing in ancient technology and so uses Reason + Exploration to assist. As long as Riian’s player rolls at least one success, any successes that the assisting players roll will be added to Riian’s. Riaan’s player rolls 2d20 and gets 2 successes. Feiiah and Taureaan’s players each roll 1d20 and both get 1 success. With 4 successes in total, the crew manage to attach the ancient technology to their ship.

Opposed Tests On occasion, your character is likely to find themselves trying to beat an opponent or some other active resistance. These situations call for an opposed test. In an opposed test, an active character is attempting to do something, and a reactive character is trying to resist or avoid the active character’s attempts. Both characters attempt a test normally, with a base difficulty of 1, which may be adjusted based on circumstance. This means characters may have a different difficulty for their respective tests. The outcome of the opposed test depends on both characters’ results. The character who is successful performs the action they were attempting.

• If both characters succeed. Compare the amount of Momentum generated on each roll. The side with more Momentum passes the opposing test and gets the result they wanted. The losing side does not keep any Momentum they generate. • If there is a tie. The active character breaks the tie and passes the test. • If both characters fail. Neither side achieves their goal.

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Characters can work together when trying to pass a skill test. Whoever is making the test is the leader and the others involved are assistants. The gamemaster has the final say on how many, if any, players are allowed to assist depending on the circumstances. The leader makes the test as normal and each assistant rolls 1d20 using their character’s attribute + skill combination. As long as the leader scores at least one success,

the successes of the assistants are added toward passing the test. Any complications rolled by the assistants also come into play. When you assist you do not have to use the same attribute and skill combination as the leader, but you should describe what your character is doing to help. You cannot roll more than 1d20 or spend Momentum to improve your roll when assisting. In combat, assisting takes up your character’s turn.

Example CHAPTER 1: CORE RULES

Niaah is in a struggle with a Turanic raider who has boarded her ship to try to steal a weapon she has been working on. The raider has grabbed the weapon but Niaah also grabbed it and is attempting to pull it out of their hands. Niaah is the active character here, and is making a test with Brawn + Combat at difficulty 1 to try to take back the weapon. The Turanic raider is trying to resist Niaah by making an opposed Brawn + Combat test at difficulty 1. Niaah rolls 3 successes and the Turanic raider rolls 2 successes. Both characters pass their tests but Niaah has more success than the raider, meaning she wins the opposed test. As Niaah rolled more successes than she needed, she generates 2 Momentum.

Extended Tests Extended tests are used when you need a series of tests in order to succeed, such as fixing a complicated piece of technology, or when you need to complete something over time such as conducting research. Rules for extended tests can be found in Chapter 9: Gamemastering. They work much the same as making a normal test, with a few extra steps.

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CHAPTER 1

Momentum, Threat, and Fortune Momentum Momentum is generated any time you score more successes than needed to pass a test. Each extra success generates 1 point of Momentum. You never start an adventure with Momentum; it only comes from action, but it can be saved between scenes or sessions. Momentum can be spent immediately when you earn it, or saved for later in a Momentum pool. Some situations or talents grant bonus Momentum on specific tests or in certain circumstances. This is added to any Momentum generated on a successful test. Sometimes it is specified that bonus Momentum can only be spent in a specific way. Bonus Momentum cannot be saved—it must be used or it is lost.

Spending Momentum

Momentum is spent to improve the outcome of a successful test, or improve the odds of a test before you roll. Most uses for Momentum can only be spent once on any given test, or once in any given round in combat, but some spends (such as Ask A Question) can be used as often as you like. Gamemasters should use their discretion to decide what spends can be repeated on a test. Gamemasters should encourage players to be creative in how they spend Momentum, allowing them to develop the narrative outcomes of successful skill tests. The following options are always available.

• Purchase d20s. Get up to 3 extra d20s before rolling the dice pool. The first d20 costs 1 Momentum, the second costs 2, and the third costs 3. • Create Truth. After a successful skill test, you can spend 2 points of Momentum to introduce an advantage or complication to the scene. This must relate to the test you made and is subject to gamemaster approval. A truth created in this way can never increase or decrease the difficulty of a skill test by more than 1. • Ask a Question. For 1 point of Momentum you can ask the gamemaster a question related to the current scene or the test you just made. The gamemaster must answer truthfully, but can be as vague as they wish. • Inflict Extra Stress. Spend up to 3 Momentum to inflict extra stress after a successful attack. Each point of Momentum spent inflicts one stress (see Stress, Injury, and Recovery, p.24). • Additional Minor Actions. For 1 point of Momentum your character can take an additional minor action in combat. • Additional Skill Test. By spending 3 points of Momentum, you can immediately attempt a second skill test, or take a second major action in your turn. The difficulty of the test is increased by 1. • Talent. Some talents require you to pay for their effects with Momentum (see Talents, p.71). • Keep the Initiative. In combat you can spend 2 Momentum after your turn ends to pass the next turn on to a character you are allied with, instead of handing play over to the enemy.

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Momentum, Threat and Fortune are ways to increase the odds of success, change the scene, and use your character’s beliefs to influence your roleplaying.

Saving Momentum

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You can save Momentum if you don’t want to spend it immediately. This saved Momentum is called the Momentum pool. It can never contain more than 6 Momentum and can be added to and spent by any player. You can use Momentum from the pool any time it is required. Momentum from the pool can be combined with Momentum from a successful test to pay for Momentum spends. Momentum does not have to be spent all at once. It can never be wasted, nor can it be used on a failed test. At the end of each scene, one point of Momentum is lost from the pool; it cannot be saved forever.

Threat The gamemaster makes use of Threat to present challenges for you. This can be through effects like changing something in a scene or spending it like Momentum for non-player characters. You can, in some circumstances, give the gamemaster Threat instead of spending Momentum. The gamemaster starts each session with 2 points of Threat per player. This collection of Threat is called the Threat pool, and the growing and diminishing of this pool mimics the rise and fall of tension. There is no cap to the Threat pool. Threat, like Momentum, can be spent and gained in a number of ways depending on what the gamemaster deems appropriate. Anything you can do with Momentum, a gamemaster can do with the equivalent amount of Threat. Gamemasters should be creative in how they spend Threat, and in what they allow you to pay for with Threat, but the following options for spending and generating Threat are always available:

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• Momentum. Whenever you use a Momentum spend, you can choose to give the gamemaster Threat in place of spending Momentum, or a combination of the two. For abstract uses not detailed in the rules, gamemasters must decide if Threat can be paid to accomplish what you wish to do. • Complications. When your character suffers a complication on a test, it can be avoided by adding 2 Threat to the pool. A non-player character must spend 2 Threat to avoid a complication. Gamemasters can also spend 2 Threat to introduce a complication. • Threatening Circumstances. Some environments, non-player characters, or objects introduce the threatening circumstance truth (see p.7). • Non-Player Character Momentum. Each extra success an NPC rolls generates Threat for the gamemaster and is added to the Threat pool. Gamemasters can spend Threat for their NPCs in the same way you spend Momentum. • Reinforcements. The gamemaster may bring in additional NPCs during a scene. Minor NPCs cost 1 Threat, while Notable NPCs cost 2 (see Chapter 9: Gamemastering for information on types of NPC). Ship reinforcements cost Threat equal to their Scale. More about how gamemasters can use Threat can be found in Chapter 9: Gamemastering.

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Why Should I Give the GM Threat?

Fortune Your character starts a session with 1 Fortune point. You can never have more than 3 Fortune points at any time and you can only spend 1 Fortune point per scene. Fortune is used alongside your character’s defining aspects. These are a few key statements that define your characters personality, physicality, thoughts, and feelings towards the world. More about these can be found in Chapter 3: Character Creation, p.34. Fortune can be gained in three ways: • Accepting a Complication. One of your character’s defining aspects may have the potential to cause a significant complication in the scene for you or another character. The gamemaster may offer you a point of Fortune in exchange for having your defining aspect cause this complication. • Challenging a Defining Aspect. When you challenge a defining aspect (see p.34), you immediately gain a Fortune point but must cross off the defining aspect, making it unusable in the future. At the end of the session, you should create a new defining aspect, showing how your character’s ideals or thoughts have changed.

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You might be wondering, why do I want to give my gamemaster Threat? Isn’t that something they use to help the bad guys or cause terrible things to happen to my character? The short answer to this is kind of. Threat is a way for the gamemaster to create difficult situations, introduce new perils, and sometimes help NPCs who aren’t on your side. However, it is also the way that your gamemaster keeps the game interesting and exciting. Without Threat, they can’t raise the tension in the game as effectively and they can’t make things challenging in an exciting way to push your characters to their full potential. Think of it this way: as the player you have control of how exciting an adventure you have when playing Homeworld. When you give your gamemaster Threat, and the more willingly you give it, the more thrilling and interesting the game becomes as they challenge you and your character.

• Good Roleplaying. The gamemaster can choose to award Fortune to you for good roleplaying, a clever or inventive idea, or as a reward for doing something extraordinary in the game.

Spending Fortune

Fortune points can be spent whenever one of your character’s defining aspects might help in a situation. You invoke the defining aspect, explaining how it might help you, and then you can choose one of the following Fortune spends: • Buy a Critical Success. A Fortune point may be spent during a test to set a single d20 in a pool to a result of 1 (generating 2 successes). This option must be selected before you roll any dice on that skill test, but can be after the purchase of d20s using Momentum. • Re-roll a Dice Pool. A Fortune point may be spent to re-roll any number of d20s in your character’s dice pool. This option may be selected after the dice have been rolled.

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• Make It Happen. You immediately create a truth that applies to the current scene or introduce a new story element. It must relate to the test you have made, or the defining aspect you invoke, though it may represent something happening in a flashback, or it may be assumed to have always been true but only now become relevant. This may be used before or after you make a test.

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Example Eleanor’s character, Illia, has the defining aspect “I’ve already lost too many friends to this war.” During a combat scene, a good friend of Illia’s is shot by a Taiidan officer while they are boarding a Taiidan ship. Illia wants to attempt to stabilize her friend to prevent her from dying. Eleanor decides to invoke her character’s defining aspect, saying that it represents her character’s determination to save her friend after already losing so many others. The gamemaster agrees that the defining aspect makes sense for the situation and allows Eleanor to spend a point of Fortune. Eleanor decides to use the Buy a Critical Success Fortune spend, which buys her one die that has already rolled a 1. With two successes already from her Fortune spend, Eleanor makes the test to stabilize the dying character, generating another success. With 3 successes, she has passed the test and Illia can keep her friend alive.

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Chapter 2

ACTION AND COMBAT Action Scenes These are scenes in which your characters are under pressure or in conflict. Sometimes a scene will become an action scene through the decisions of the characters in your group, and other times an action scene can become a regular scene for the same reasons. There’s no need to state when a scene is an action scene or not—it is only used to determine when your character’s actions need to be presented in a structured order with rounds and turns.

Range & Distance Zones

In battle, knowing where you are is important. Rather than track everything in precise distances, Homeworld resolves this using zones. Zones are the way in which the location of a scene is divided, and they determine how close or far away things or people are from the characters present in the scene. Zones have no fixed size, and the gamemaster decides how many zones a location has. For example, the length of a corridor might consist of two zones, each of the small crew bunk rooms off it a zone each, while the atrium at the end of the corridor is separated into three zones. Gamemasters who desire concrete values rather than abstract ranges can choose to set specific sizes and shapes for individual zones, essentially using them as a large grid.

Individual zones can have truths defined when the gamemaster first describes them. This may be as simple as providing cover, or imposing difficult terrain, but the gamemaster can devise objects that can be interacted with, hazards to overcome, or even terrain that changes under specific circumstances, such as when spending Threat.

Distances

Movement and ranged attacks rely on knowing the distance you are from your target. In combat, the placement of zones determines this distance. To keep things simple, range is measured in four categories and one state: • The state of Reach is when an object or character is within arm’s length. When you are in Reach you can attack in close combat or perform actions where you need to touch a target or subject of your action. When in Close range you can freely move into and out of reach of a character or object. • Close range is defined as the zone a subject is within at the time. • Medium range is defined as any zone adjacent to the subject’s current zone. Medium range is a distance of 1 zone. • Long range is a distance of 2 zones. • Extreme range is a distance of 3 or more zones

CHAPTER CHAPTER1 2

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CHAPTER 2: COMBAT & ACTION

This chapter focuses on how physical combat and social conflict is played out and resolved in Homeworld: Revelations.

Action Order

CHAPTER 2: COMBAT & ACTION

In action scenes the characters’ actions and decisions are split into rounds and turns. During a round, each character in the scene takes a single turn. During a turn, a character can take a minor action and a major action. At the start of an action scene, the gamemaster determines a single character to take the first turn. This depends on which character is most likely to act first, though it is usually a player character. In a situation where an NPC would not normally act first, the gamemaster can allow them to by spending 1 point of Threat. After a character has completed their turn, the player hands the action to the opposing side, who will choose a character to act next. No character may take more than one turn in a round. This continues until everyone in the scene has taken their turns, and then a new round starts. Sometimes one side’s characters will have all taken their turns while the other still has characters who are waiting to act. In this case, all remaining characters who have not yet acted take their turn before the round ends.

Major Actions

You can take a single major action each turn. Under some circumstances you can attempt a second test, but you can never attempt more than two tests in a round. The following major actions are common to conflicts. • Assist. You aid another character with their test (see Assistance, p.13). • Attack. You make an attack (see Making an Attack, p.21). • Pass. You choose not to attempt a test. If you take no minor actions this turn, then you do not count as having taken a turn, and may act later in the round instead. • Ready. You declare that you are waiting for a specific situation or event to occur before attempting a test. Once

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this triggering event or situation occurs, you interrupt play and make your test. You must declare the triggering event when you choose this action. You can still perform minor actions during your turn as normal. • Sprint. You make an Agility + Combat test with a difficulty of 2. If you succeed, you move anywhere within Long range (2 zones). Sprint can be taken while within Reach of an enemy. • Stabilize. You attempt to stabilize an injured character within Reach. This is a Reason + Medical test; success means that the injured character is stabilized and will not die at the end of the scene, but they remain incapacitated (see Stress, Injury, and Recovery, p.24). • Skill Test. You attempt some other action that requires a skill test, such as using equipment, attempting to create a truth, or moving through difficult terrain.

Minor Actions

Minor actions are activities you can undertake that do not count as a test, and do not require dice to be rolled. You can take one minor action per turn, and a second minor action at the cost of 1 Momentum. There are many different things you can do as a minor action; gamemasters can judge what can or cannot be done, but the following are the most common: • Aim. You may re-roll a single d20 when making an attack before the start of your next turn. • Draw Item. You may pick up an item within Reach, or draw a weapon or other item carried on your person or stowed in your gear. If the item does not require a test to use, it can be used immediately, allowing you to draw and use the item with a single minor action. • Move. You move to any point within Medium range (1 zone), as long as it

CHAPTER CHAPTER2 1

Making an Attack The process for making an attack is as follows: 1. Choose the weapon you want to attack with, and a target within range. 2. Make a skill test, determined by the type of attack: a. Melee: Opposed Brawn + Combat test, with a difficulty of 1. b. Ranged: Coordination + Combat test, difficulty 2. The difficulty increases by +1 for each zone outside of the weapon’s range, nearer or farther. The complication

range of the attack increases by +1 for each creature within Reach of your target; a complication causes one of those other creatures to be hit by the attack instead. 3. If the attack is successful, then you inflict stress, rolling Challenge Dice equal to the weapon’s stress rating plus your character’s Combat skill. 4. A number of stress is subtracted equal to your target’s armor rating, before stress is applied to the target. If after subtracting stress equal to your target’s armor any of the following occur, the target receives an injury: a. 5 or more stress is inflicted in one attack. b. The attack inflicts enough stress to bring the target to their maximum stress. c. Your target is already at their maximum stress and suffers further stress. d. A combination of these conditions can occur from a single attack, resulting in multiple injuries.

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does not require a test to be made. You may also stand or drop prone as part of this movement. If there are one or more enemies within Reach of you, or if you have performed the Sprint major action this round, this minor action cannot be performed. • Prepare. You prepare for, or spend time setting up, a major action. Some tests require this minor action to be taken before the test can be attempted.

Movement & Terrain

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If the area or zone that you are moving through is free from obstructions or hazards, then usually no test is required to move. Zones or areas that have hazards, dangers, or difficult terrain may require a test in order to pass through them. In combat, this would use your major action to attempt the test. Examples include: corridors blocked with debris, narrow pathways with a risk of falling, unstable surfaces, and moving in zero gravity. Sometimes, failure on a test to move through hazardous or difficult terrain can inflict stress on your character. A table with guidelines on the stress ratings of common hazards can be found in Chapter 9: Gamemastering, p.263.

Prone When a character is prone, the following rules apply: • The difficulty of ranged attacks against them are increased by 1, unless the attacker is within Reach. • The difficulty of melee attacks against them are reduced by 1, as are ranged attacks made within Reach. • They cannot take the Sprint action. • Ranged attacks against a prone foe have their difficulty increased by 1, unless the foe is within Reach. • Melee attacks and ranged attacks within Reach have their difficulty decreased by 1 against Prone foes within Reach.

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Example Jasmin’s character, Kalana, is attempting to attack a Taiidan officer. She decides to use her blade, meeting him in melee combat. Jasmin must make a Brawn + Combat test with a difficulty of 1, opposed by the Taiidan officer’s Brawn + Combat, also with a difficulty of 1. Jasmin rolls a success and the Taiidan officer fails his test, meaning Kalana passes the opposed test.

Action in Zero-G More properly known as micro-gravity, zero-G environments can be tricky to traverse, especially in stressful situations. This is most evident in the way that such environments alter how characters move. • Prone: Characters in Zero-G cannot drop prone or stand. A character knocked prone by an attack or other effect will instead drift and spin in place and increases the Difficulty of their next skill test by +2 as they struggle to reorient themselves. • Direction of Movement: There is no up or down in a Zero-G environment; characters can move in any direction they wish. Similarly, this also means that characters cannot fall in the conventional sense. • Propulsion: A character in a Zero-G environment cannot move themselves without having something solid and stable to push off from, or some other way of propelling themselves. To push off from an object, a character must be within Reach of it. A character may move to a point not within Reach of a solid object, but that may leave them stranded and unable to move further. • Self-Propulsion: Some armour, environment suits, and similar gear may allow a character to move in Zero-G without “pushing off” something.

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Action in Vacuum Fighting in the cold vacuum of space can be risky, as a breached suit can end a soldier’s life as easily as a bullet. Vacuum is a hazardous terrain. Each round that a character exposed to vacuum must attempt an immediate Brawn + Medical test with a difficulty of 1. Failing this test inflicts 5 Vicious 1 damage, ignoring all resistance. Each successive turn the character is exposed to vacuum, the difficulty of the test increases by one. A character can avoid these penalties if they wear a space suit (or armour equipped to serve as a space suit) or the Immune to Vacuum special rule. However, while being innately immune to the effects of hard vacuum is an infallible solution to the problem of combat in such an inhospitable environment, a space suit can fail. Whenever a character is hit by an attack while wearing a space suit, roll 1 , or 2 if the weapon has the Vicious X effect. If an Effect is rolled, the suit is ruptured and is considered to have failed. A failed space suit loses one of its limited uses at the end of each combat round until the damage is repaired; if the space suit’s oxygen runs out, the character suffers the normal effects of vacuum. Patching a damaged space suit is relatively straightforward: suits come with patch kits that allow them to be resealed easily in an emergency. It takes a major action and a Coordination + Engineering test with a difficulty of 1, at which point the rupture is closed. It is worth noting, however, that characters cannot easily receive medical attention for their while wearing a space suit: the suit prevents access to the patient’s wounds.

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• Minor Action Movement: These actions are unchanged. However, a character must have some means of propelling themselves to make such a move. • Major Action Movement: A character may move as a major action, but this differs from normal movement. The character chooses a direction and a distance (the number of zones the character wishes to travel); the distance is the difficulty of an Agility + Flight test. If this test fails, the character still moves the distance chosen, in the direction chosen, but they don’t manage to control their movement properly. The character may end up disoriented as if they had been knocked prone, they may overshoot and travel too far, or they may collide with a solid object, suffering 2 stress per zone moved. • Attacks: A character fighting in Zero-G increases the difficulty and complication range of melee and ranged attacks by 1 each. Enemies can attack from a greater range of directions, and the force of a melee attack, or the recoil of a firearm, can be difficult to control. • Other Actions: If an action involves moving a heavy object, the difficulty is reduced by 2, but the complication range increases by 2. • Zero-G Training: When a character makes a Combat or Exploration skill test in Zero-G they use their Flight score if it is lower: characters unfamiliar with moving in zero-G tend to be more limited. A character with the Zero-Gravity Training talent (p.75) ignores the difficulty and complication range increases for operating in Zero-G.

Stress, Injury, & Recovery

take by 2. Types of armor can be found in Chapter 4: Weapons and Equipment, p.85.

CHAPTER 2: COMBAT & ACTION

When successful in making an attack or when suffering the effects of a hazard, Challenge Dice are rolled equal to the weapon or hazard’s stress rating. If a character is the one inflicting stress, you also add additional Challenge Dice equal their Combat skill. You add up all the results of the Challenge Dice to determine how much stress is inflicted. If an effect is rolled and the weapon has a combat effect listed in its description, that effect is triggered (see Chapter 4: Weapons and Equipment, p.85). If you do not have access to specially marked Challenge Dice, you can use regular d6s and consult the table below for the results.

D6 Result

Challenge Dice Result

1

1

2

2

3

0

4

0

5

1, plus effect

6

1, plus effect

Your character has a maximum stress, equal to their Brawn + Combat. Each time your character suffers stress it brings them closer to this maximum. Your character loses all their stress at the start of a new scene, providing they have had time to catch their breath or rest. Some items and objects can give you resistance to stress. Items such as body armor do this by having an armor rating. Each point of armor rating reduces any stress inflicted by 1. For example, if you are wearing body armor with a rating of 2, you reduce any stress you

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Kalana’s blade has a stress rating of 2 and she has a Combat skill of 3, meaning she rolls a total of 5 . Rolling a total of 5 points of stress, and with the Taiidan officer not wearing any armor, Kalana inflicts all 5 points of stress, which is enough to cause an injury.

Injuries

If your character suffers too much stress, they receive an injury, as shown below. You can receive more than one injury at once if two or more of the conditions are met. The ways in which you can receive an injury are as follows: • If after subtracting stress equal to your target’s armor any of the following occur, the target receives an injury. • 5 or more stress is inflicted in one attack. • The attack inflicts enough stress to bring the target to their maximum stress. • Your target is already at their maximum stress and suffers further stress.

Stress

Armor

Example

Injuries have the potential to take you out of the action, putting your character in a critical condition. • If your character receives two injuries, they are incapacitated and can no longer act in the scene but will recover at the end of it. • If your character receives a third injury, they are in a critical condition: if they are not stabilized they will die at the end of the scene. They will also die if they receive any further stress.

CHAPTER CHAPTER2 1

Recovery

Injuries are much harder to treat than stress. They don’t go away at the start of a new scene; instead, they require a test to treat and cannot be treated during combat. If you attempt to treat an injury you must make a Reason + Medical test with a difficulty of 2. If the character being treated is in critical condition add 1 to the difficulty. This difficulty can be increased or decreased, depending on the situation your character is in or equipment they have available to them. If you roll a complication when trying to treat an injury, the gamemaster might ask you to create a defining aspect reflecting some lasting damage or effect the injury has. The gamemaster will only call for this if the effects of the injury or the circumstances around how it was received would be interesting or important. See p.34 for more information on defining aspects.

Avoiding Injury

Once per scene your character can avoid taking an injury. They still suffer stress and any other effects the attack inflicts, but the injury is avoided. You can do this by paying 2 Momentum or Threat, or by taking a complication. Either you or the gamemaster should narrate how your character avoids the injury, especially if you choose to suffer a complication.

Example Alvin’s character, Maatia, is trying to treat an injury he received when he fell from a height while exploring some ancient Hiigaran ruins. He makes a Reason + Medical test, with a difficulty of 2. Alvin rolls 2 successes and a complication. He manages to heal the injury, but because of the complication the gamemaster also asks Alvin to create a defining aspect relating to the injury, thinking that as the group are still exploring the ruins this would be interesting. Alvin creates the defining aspect “I have a newfound fear of heights,” representing how the injury brought on a phobia of heights for Maatia, possibly something that will affect him as he explores more of the ruins.

Cover

Ducking behind some form of cover can make you harder to hit. It’s up to the gamemaster how much the difficulty of an attack increases from a piece of cover, based on the material and how much of it obscures you from an enemy’s line of sight. Hiding behind a console gives you a good amount of cover, but might still leave you partially exposed, increasing the difficulty to attack by 1. In some cases, gamemasters may allow cover to increase your armor. Carrying a dislodged metal panel in front of you like a shield for example, might increase your armor by 1 instead of making you harder to hit. Your opponent might still throw a grenade in your direction, but the panel will help take some of the stress from the attack. The gamemaster as the final decision on if cover makes you harder to hit or increases your armor. More guidance and a table for common types of cover can be found in Chapter 9: Gamemastering.

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Some environmental effects also come with a risk of inflicting stress and injury, such as falling from great heights, being set on fire, exposure to hostile environments, engineering accidents, and a range of other hazards. Chapter 9: Gamemastering has more advice on hazards and environmental effects.

Combat Momentum Spends

CHAPTER 2: COMBAT & ACTION

Momentum can be especially key in conflicts and combat. Listed below are some of the most common spends used in action scenes. You are encouraged as a player to be creative in how you spend Momentum, and the gamemaster should feel empowered to allow Momentum to be spent in ways other than listed below if they feel it is reasonable. • Purchase d20s. Purchase up to 3 extra d20s before rolling the dice pool. The first d20 costs 1 Momentum, the second costs 2, and the third costs 3. • Inflict Extra Stress. Spend up to 3 Momentum to inflict extra stress after

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a successful attack. Each point of Momentum spent inflicts one stress. (See Stress, Injury, and Recovery p.24.) • Additional Minor Actions. For 1 point of Momentum your character can take an additional minor action in combat. • Additional Skill Test. By spending 3 points of Momentum, you can immediately attempt a second skill test, or take a second major action in your turn. The difficulty of the test is increased by 1. • Keep the Initiative. In combat you can spend 2 Momentum after your turn ends to pass the next turn on to a character you are allied with, instead of handing play over to the enemy.

CHAPTER CHAPTER2 1

Social Conflict Not all conflict is physical in nature. Some fights are fought and won with words alone.

The tests made for social conflict are the same as any other test: it has a difficulty, can be opposed, and can be affected by circumstances and truths. If a test is failed your character does not get the outcome they want, and they are prevented from trying again without some change of circumstances or altering the request. If the test succeeds, then your character receives the outcome they desire. Like all tests the attribute + skill combination is driven by context. The combination used and what is and is not possible changes in each situation. It may be useful to break up a goal into smaller, more reasonable objectives, each with their own distinct test, rather than making a single test to achieve your goal.

Social Tools Social tools are the methods by which your character can alter the context and circumstances of a social conflict. The main way of doing this is by using truths. During a social conflict, each side may have different goals, meaning that each side will engage in their own tests to further those goals. Even in something as seemingly one-directional as an interrogation, the interrogator will be trying to get information, while the interrogated party may have a goal all of their own, such as trying to prove their innocence.

Deception

Effective deception requires skill, cunning, and an understanding of who is being lied to. It can be used by itself to make a request seem more reasonable, or to attempt to lie about someone or something to your benefit. Used in conjunction with other tools, it can create an even more significant impact, such as using it with evidence to present false proof of someone’s guilt, with intimidation to make a threat and hide that you don’t have the means to back it up, or with bribes to turn a negotiation to your benefit. When deceiving someone, you attempt to convince them of some fact or facts that are untrue. If you succeed in a test to deceive someone, that person gains a truth representing the lie they now believe to be true. Deception is always an opposed test, with your difficulty based on how believable the lie is to the target, and the target’s difficulty being determined by their suspicion of the lie or your character. If the target discovers that they were deceived, they will hesitate to trust your character in the future, and may even seek recompense or retribution. Complications suffered while lying may reveal flaws in a deception, making the target suspicious.

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At the heart of social conflict is a desire or objective, which takes the form of a request: one side wants something that the other side can help them obtain. At its simplest, it comes down to one character asking another a question, or a character presenting another with a choice or consequence.

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Example Attribute + Skill Combinations: • Lying about your scientific knowledge: Will + Exploration • Pretending not to know about something: Reason + Command • Discern if someone is lying about the condition of a ship: Reason + Flight • Work out if someone is lying about their combat capabilities: Insight + Combat

Example Dariuus is trying to convince a Turanic raider captain that he has defected from the Kushan fleet. This a ruse in order to infiltrate the raider’s ship, and so requires Dariuus to deceive the raider. Dariuus makes a Will + Command test with a difficulty of 4, opposed by the Turanic raider making an Insight + Command test with a difficulty of 1. The raider’s test is easier, as they are suspicious of the “defecting” Kushan character. Dariuus passes his test with 5 successes, and the Turanic raider passes with only 1 success. Using the rules for resolving opposed tests, Daruis is the winner, convincing the raider that he is honest in what he says. The raider gains the truth “Cautiously Believes the Kushan Defector,” representing her believing Dariuus.

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Evidence

Evidence gives proof of (or credibility to) your claims. Providing evidence is usually a straightforward affair, but convincing someone that the evidence is legitimate may be difficult, particularly if that person expects deception, which may increase the difficulty of the test. Evidence may come in the form of physical proof, such as letters, notes, objects, etc, or it may come in the form of testimony from a witness, or the recreation of an event or phenomenon that can be shown to someone. Evidence can be used in conjunction with any of the other social tools; providing proof of your ability to carry out a threat can be vital when intimidating, giving evidence of your ability to pay during negotiations can smooth things along, and even deception can benefit from the right forged documentation if it helps make the lie more believable. Examples of Evidence: • Witness testimony • Letter or log with incriminating or exonerating information • Forensic proof that someone was present in an area • Forged documents and fake IDs Each piece of evidence acts as a truth, raising or lowering the difficulty of the associated test. Some evidence might be crucial enough to lower or raise the difficulty by 2 or more, where as evidence that can be easily disputed or is less trustworthy in nature may only raise or lower the difficulty by 1.

CHAPTER CHAPTER2 1

Example

Intimidation

Social Conflict in Combat Social conflict and combat are not mutually exclusive: as long as you can communicate, you can engage in social conflict. The most natural uses for social conflict in combat are to convince the other side to stop fighting or to surrender, or to try and influence the way the enemy will act. In these instances, it’s worth remembering that communication doesn’t have to mean speech, text, or anything complex. Actions can convey ideas as effectively as words. A shot from a weapon can be a threat, while conveying a false appearance—such as a feigned retreat—can be an effective deception. Using these non-verbal cues, as well as more precise forms of communication, can be an effective way of ending a fight.

Intimidation is when you use threats to compel action, often by convincing others that their non-compliance will be met with severe consequences. Intimidating someone is an opposed test, with the difficulty of each side being based on the opponent’s perceived strength and ability to carry out the threat made. If successful, intimidation imposes a truth on the intimidated character representing their fear of the threat. Failing to intimidate someone makes further attempts to intimidate them in that scene more difficult, often requiring even greater threats to compensate for this. The drawback of intimidation is that it is inherently hostile, which can cause problems of its own. Employing it creates a tension between the two sides, which can worsen other forms of interactions, cause lingering resentment, or even provoke a target to aggression.

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Dariuus, now aboard the Turanic raider ship, is taken to a questioning room. While the Turanic raider captain believes the story of his defection, she is still a little suspicious and is looking for some proof or evidence to back up his claim. During questioning, Dariuus presents a data log with information on the Kushan fleet’s movements. The data is false, with the intention of helping Dariuus gain enough trust to access to the Turanic raider’s ship systems, but still acts as evidence to the captain who is unaware that it is not genuine. During the conversation to further convince the captain of his honesty, Dariuus must succeed on another opposed Will + Command test; however, the falsified data log acting as evidence, the difficulty of the test is reduced from 4 to 3 The captain is opposing with Insight + Reason with the difficulty increased from 1 to 2, because of her “Cautiously Believes the Kushan Defector” truth. Both make their tests and Dariuus wins the opposed test. The gamemaster changes the captain’s truth to “Trusts the Kushan Defector,” representing the effect the evidence had in proving his claim.

CHAPTER 2: COMBAT & ACTION

Example Attribute + Skill Combinations: • Trying to be physically threatening: Brawn + Combat • Using intellect or knowledge to threaten someone: Reason + Exploration • Resisting threats of physical violence: Will + Combat • Resisting intimidation by trying to work out if a threat is credible: Reason + Command

Negotiation

Negotiation involves the offering of compensation in exchange for granting a request. This compensation can take many forms, with different people and different circumstances susceptible to different offers. Negotiation means creating a truth that is an advantage that represents a favorable position created by the offer, and a truth that is a complication that represents the cost of that offer. Each new offer is considered a new change of circumstances for any tests that need to be made. Negotiations may involve position shifting from both sides, as they make and retract offers, or discover that the other party doesn’t have what they want. The drawback to negotiation is that you can end up offering more than you wanted to give up, or find out that what you obtained was worth far less than the price you paid for it. Failing to provide what was offered can also produce serious problems, especially if the negotiations were based on a lie. It’s worth remembering that few people will be amenable to trade or negotiate with those they’ve been threatened by, and such trades may have a steeper cost because of previous hostilities.

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Example Now aboard the Turanic raider ship and having gained the trust of the captain, Dariuus sets to work trying to access their systems and gather information on them for Fleet Intelligence. Over a few days he begins to get to know the crew and slowly gains enough trust to be allowed to use their ship’s systems. During a data file download, however, he gets caught by one of the crew. Dariuus’ only option is to try to intimidate the crew member into not revealing what he’s been doing. Dariuus threatens the crew member, saying that he’s been able to gain the trust of the captain to the point of being allowed to be armed on the ship. If the crew member doesn’t agree to keep quiet about what they’ve seen, he’ll attack them and then claim to the captain that the crew member is really the one trying to pass information on to the Kushan forces, manipulating the ship’s logs to prove it. Dariuus must make a Reason + Flight test to carry out his threat, as he’s using logic and his obvious knowledge of the ship’s systems to prove he can carry out the threat. The crew member will oppose him with Will + Command to avoid being threatened into keeping quiet. The gamemaster sets both tests at difficulty 3, as there is reasonable evidence to suggest Dariuus can carry out his threat, but the crew member is also loyal to his captain. Dariuus only rolls 2 successes, meaning he fails the test, while the crew member rolls 3 successes, meaning the threat fails, and any attempt Dariuus makes to continue to threaten them is made more difficult.

CHAPTER CHAPTER2 1

• You want to free a prisoner from an enemy vessel. Advantage: Something the enemy wants. Complication: Freeing an enemy prisoner. • You want access to a place normally restricted. Advantage: Promise of access to an equally restricted place in exchange. Complication: Possibility of secrets being stolen.

Example With his threat failing to frighten the crew member, Dariuus is captured and placed in the ship’s brig. The Turanic raider captain decides to try to ransom their new prisoner back to the Kushan fleet. Ayana’s character is placed in charge of the hostage negotiations and must come to an agreement with the captain in order to get Dariuus’ character back. Ayana’s character Ashaara makes the first offer of the negotiation, creating the advantage “Something the Turanic Raiders Need” by offering a large number of resources in exchange for Dariuus’ return, which also introduces the complication “Loss of Resources for the Kushan.” An opposed test is made for Ashaara to convince the captain this is a good offer, but it is unsuccessful. Further offers are made, with the advantages and complications being changed each time as each side makes and retracts offers. Some offers might lower or raise the difficulty of any tests made, depending on how favorable they are. Some might make a test impossible if one party outright declines the offer. Eventually Ashaara offers a ship in exchange for Dariuus, deciding that the information he might know is more critical to the fleet than a single ship. This creates the advantage “A Very Generous Offer” as it gives the Turanic raiders access to Kushan technology, and the complication “Loss of A Ship” representing the cost of the trade. Where the previous tests to negotiate were at a high difficulty, this offer is favorable enough to the captain to lower the difficulty significantly, giving Ashaara a good chance at succeeding in getting Dariuus back. Whether or not either side keeps to their agreement, however, is another question.

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Examples of Negotiation: • You want aid from someone who is usually your enemy. Advantage: Owing them a favour. Complication: Favour to be called on at any time. • You want someone to share information you desperately need. Advantage: Large sum of resources in payment. Complication: Overpaid to get the information.

Chapter 3

CHARACTER CREATION CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Characters in Homeworld: Revelations can be anything from the pilots of a fighter ship from every Kiith, to Nabaali engineers trained in hyperdrive technology, to Mananni performers-turned diplomats and anything in between. Creating a character can be as simple as rolling on some tables or completely customizing each choice using the lifepath system.

Characters in Homeworld Characters are divided into three types for the purposes of play. • A player character is the one you play to participate in the game. • A supporting character is one you control when your player character is not present in the scene. • A non-player character is controlled by the gamemaster. Sometimes, if a non-player character is friendly to the player characters, the gamemaster may allow you to direct that non-player character during tense situations such as combat. The elements that make up a character are described in the sections below.

Attributes, Skills, and Focuses These are described in Chapter 1:Core Rules but are repeated here for reference.

Attributes

Your character has six attributes—Agility, Brawn, Coordination, Insight, Reason, and Will—which encompass their innate capabilities. These attributes have scores that range from 7 to 12.

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• Agility is your character’s speed, balance, and movement. Agile characters are quick and can move with precision. • Brawn is your character’s physical fortitude and endurance, as well as their ability to be forceful. It also encompasses their health and physical conditioning. Brawny characters are strong and hardy.

CHAPTER 3

Skills Your character also has six skills—Combat, Command, Engineering, Exploration, Flight, and Medical—which cover their training and expertise. These skills have scores that range from 1 to 5. • Combat is your character’s skill in hand-to-hand combat and their ability to use weapons, both melee and ranged. It also covers tactical knowledge and the practice and understanding of ship combat. • Command is your character’s skill in interpersonal interactions including leadership, negotiation, and motivating and coordinating others. It also helps them to resist coercion, and can help others resist fear or panic.

• Engineering is your character’s skill in using, repairing, or building technology. This covers the understanding of the systems and build of ships, weapons, and other small devices and non-electrical mechanical items. • Exploration is your character’s skill in scientific research and study, as well as history, archaeology, and their ability as an explorer. • Flight is your character’s skill at piloting, and using the systems of a ship. • Medical is your character’s skill at diagnosing and treating those who are ill or injured. It covers the knowledge of trauma and treatments both mental and physical.

Focuses Your character also has a number of focuses. These represent specialist training, practical experience, or knowledge of specific fields. Focuses do not have a rating of their own but can be applied to relevant skill tests to improve the chances of success. See Chapter 1: Core Rules, Attempting a Test (p.9) to see how focuses affect skill tests.

Talents Talents represent training or an enhanced skill in a particular area. Each talent has a circumstance, which details when the talent can be applied, and an effect, which is the benefit that the talent gives you. Some talents have requirements you must meet in order to obtain the talent. A full list of talents can be found on p.71.

CHAPTER 3

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• Coordination is your character’s fine motor skills, accuracy, and sense of time and rhythm. Coordinated characters are good shots and excel at sleight of hand and other delicate, precise tasks. • Insight is your character’s perception, instincts, and ability to comprehend the world around them. Insightful characters are observant and shrewd, and are often said to be wise. • Reason is your character’s ability to apply logic, intellect, and learned facts to a situation. Reasoned characters tend to be rational or contemplative, and are often driven by a need to learn or understand. • Will is your character’s sense of self, their mental strength, and their self-discipline. Strong-willed characters tend to be single-minded, even stubborn, and have forceful personalities.

Truths Your character will always have at least one truth which will always be the character’s Kiith background.

CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Truths that affect characters are employed in the same way as truths for a location or situation, to increase or reduce the difficulty of tests. Often, a character will gain truths when they are affected by them during play. These truths might be introduced through rolling complications or by creating

truths with Momentum. They can represent anything from minor injuries, to dispositions towards other characters (see Social Conflict p.27), and even conditions imposed on them by locations or situations. Truths, and their effects upon play, are described in full on p.266.

Example Lexa’s character, Oriia, rolled a complication when attempting to run to an escape pod. Describing how Oriia slips and falls as she runs, the gamemaster decides that the complication imposes the truth Injured Leg. Any physical activities that this truth could apply to will now increase in difficulty by 1 until Oriia can find a way to remove the truth.

Defining Aspects Defining aspects are similar to truths, but are described separately as they are usually gained when your character experiences a lifechanging or traumatic defining event, or when you roll a complication when trying to treat an injury. With your gamemaster’s approval you can choose to gain a defining aspect during play due to your character experiencing a significant or life-changing event. This might be something like losing a good friend (or even the loss of one of the other player characters), failing at something that was important to

your character, or regretting an action that they took. It can also represent positive events that happen to your character, like making a breakthrough on important research, saving a person’s life, or receiving the promotion they have always dreamed of. Sometimes a defining aspect is neither inherently good nor bad, it is just a way to describe a key aspect or belief of your character. Defining aspects can also be gained if you roll a complication when trying to treat an injury. When gained in this way, the truth you gain will usually represent some lasting damage caused by the injury.

Example Andrea’s character, Tiia, is a medic who values the lives of her crew and her people above all else. When it comes to creating a defining aspect, Andrea writes one that fits the outlook and ethos she wants Tiia to have: “I Save Lives, It’s What I Do.” This could act in Tiia’s favor in the game, allowing her to spend Fortune at a critical moment to save a life, but it could also be used by the gamemaster to put her in danger, forcing her to risk her own safety to save one of the crew should the situation arise.

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CHAPTER 3

Roleplaying with Truths & Defining Aspects

Defining Aspects & Fortune

CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Truths are more than just a mechanical way to lower or raise the difficulty of a test. Truths can also determine how your character might think, feel, and act in situations outside of where those truths might help or hinder them from a games mechanic perspective. If your character has the truth “Injured Leg”, though this might make tests involving physical movement more difficult, it will also inform ways to roleplay your character. Someone with an injured leg might be irritable because of the pain or they might react by trying to pretend the pain is not as bad as it is, so that others don’t know they are injured. It will also change how your character walks and holds themselves, which may or may not be noticed by other characters in the game. They might also think up ways around situations that involve physical movement where they would not usually, because the pain makes them rethink what they might normally do. Likewise, defining aspects are also a good opportunity to roleplay. If your character has the defining aspect “I Lost a Good Friend and I Won’t Let It Happen Again,” you might roleplay them as being reminded at times of that friend; perhaps it influences them to take on some of that lost friend’s mannerisms or hobbies in order to keep their memory alive. You might roleplay them as being cautious of dangerous situations if people they care about are involved. A defining aspect might even be something the character wishes to overcome or move past, giving you as a player the chance to work with the gamemaster to have interesting character development in your game.

Example

Defining aspects are used to gain and spend Fortune points (see Chapter 1: Core Rules, p.17). When your defining aspect would help with a situation or a skill test, once per scene you can choose to invoke it to spend a point of Fortune. This can be used to buy a critical success, re-roll a dice pool, or introduce an advantage or story element to the scene.

Adrea’s character, Tiia, finds herself trying to revive a critically injured crewmate. She’s purchased extra dice with Momentum but is short by two successes on the test. Andrea then decides to invoke her character’s defining aspect “I Save Lives, It’s What I Do” so that she can spend a point of Fortune to re-roll the failed dice in her dice pool. With the re-roll she manages to gain the extra two successes needed to pass the test. Andrea now cannot spend Fortune again in this scene.

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Likewise, because a defining aspect can be both good and bad, it may also have the potential to cause a problem for your character in a scene. In this case, the gamemaster can offer you a point of Fortune for your defining aspect to cause this complication. This might be through asking your character to act or react in a certain way to the situation, or it might be to introduce a truth to the scene that causes a complication. If you refuse to stick by your defining aspect then you challenge that aspect (see below).

Example Later in the campaign, Tiia watches as one of her crewmates is escorted at gunpoint onto an enemy ship after a failed battle while she and the rest of the crew are hidden behind a pile of debris. The gamemaster offers Andrea a point of Fortune if she acts to try to save the life of the crewman, believing him to be in mortal danger if he boards the enemy ship. Andrea accepts, and decides that Tiaa breaks cover and offers herself as a hostage, either alongside or instead of her crewmate, in an effort to keep him out of danger or be there to protect him if he needs it.

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Challenging a Defining Aspect

When you have a defining aspect that might cause you a complication or a negative consequence, you can choose to challenge that value by acting against it if the situation is appropriate. If you ever refuse Fortune from the GM for acting in accordance with your defining aspect, you must challenge that aspect. You immediately gain a Fortune point but must cross off the defining aspect, making it unusable in the future. At the end of the session, you should create a new defining aspect, showing how your character’s ideals or thoughts have changed.

Example During a struggle with some Taiidan soldiers, the crew manages to force the squad into a retreat, with only one of the crew taking an injury. The only soldier left in the area has been abandoned by his squad after taking a near-fatal shot to the chest. The soldier begs for help from the crew and the gamemaster offers Andrea a point of Fortune if she follows her defining aspect “I Save Lives, It’s What I Do” and attempts to save the Taiidan soldier’s life. Andrea decides that after witnessing one of her crew suffer an injury at the soldier’s hands, her character, Tiia, refuses to try to save his life, challenging her defining aspect and refusing to accept the Fortune to act in accordance with it. Andrea still gains a point of Fortune for challenging her defining aspect, but must now cross it off and can no longer use it. At the end of the session, she will need to create a new defining aspect, representing how Tiia’s view has changed. She decides that will be “I Won’t Save the Life of the Guilty,” an aspect that comes with a whole new range of possibilities for her character.

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Lifepath Creation The lifepath is a series of steps that represent important events of your character’s life, and the ways those events shape your character’s nature are reflected in the mechanical choices each step presents. shape the character. If you don’t have a concept then you can always use the random roll tables or look at the Kiithid background information on pp.37–43 for inspiration. Example concepts include: • An engineer who likes ancient experimental technology • A performer from Kiith Manaan who wants their work recognised outside of the Kushan people • A diplomat who is interested in furthering the empire and economy of their people • A S’jet researcher who is keen for more ground exploration • A command officer who is searching for their moment of glory

Starting Points All characters begin with a score of 7 for each attribute. Your finished character may not have more than 12 in any attribute and may only have one attribute at 12. However, during the character creation process, your character may end up with a higher attribute—this can be resolved at the end of character creation.

All characters begin with a score of 1 for each skill. Your finished character may not have more than 5 in any skill, and may only have one skill at 5. However, during the character creation process, your character may end up with a higher skill—this can be resolved at the end of character creation.

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The lifepath consists of seven steps. As you work through each step, the results are added to the character you are creating. At this stage, you should have a character sheet on hand. These can be found on p.322 of this book, and can be downloaded from www. modiphius.net. You can use a sheet of plain paper, but a purpose-made character sheet presents the information in an orderly fashion. It’s a good idea to use a pencil when writing down information and notes during character creation, as elements can change during the process and as a campaign progresses. Before beginning lifepath creation, it helps to have a concept in mind for your character. This can be based on a Kiith background or just an idea of what they might do or want. This way you can make choices that help

Lifepath Overview At the start of the lifepath, your character’s attribute scores all start at 7 and all their skills start at 1. • Three points to spend on two or three attributes • +2 to a single skill, +1 to two other skills • Three focuses • One talent

Step One CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Choose your character’s Kiith background. The options presented in this rulebook are Naabal, Soban, S’jet, Paktu, Manaan, and Somtaaw. Each background grants:

Step Five

• +1 to three different attributes • One truth • Access to talents unique to that background • One talent

Choose how long your character’s career has been so far—are they young and inexperienced, experienced in their field, or somewhere in between? Your character gains:

Step Two

• One defining aspect • One talent

Choose your character’s environment. This is the area of Kharak that your character grew up in. Each environment grants:

Step Six

• One defining aspect • +1 to one attribute and +1 to one skill

Step Three

Choose your character’s upbringing. This is the kind of education your character had and the kind of influence their parents and mentors had. Each gives your character: • +2 to one attribute and +1 to a second attribute • +1 to a single skill • One focus • One talent

Step Four

Your character is part of the Kushan forces. Pick a single track from Command; Technology and Engineering; or Exploration and Research. This grants your character:

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Determine two important character events. Your character gains: • • • •

Two points for attributes Two points for skills Two focuses (Possibly) A defining aspect on some career events.

Step Seven Finishing Touches.

• Adjust attributes and skills that go above the maximum scores for each • Choose a final defining aspect • Record derived scores for maximum stress and additional Challenge Dice • Choose rank and role • Record personal details and starting equipment

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Step One: Kiith Background Choose a single Kiith (clan) background for your character. Each Kiith entry has some basic information on their background, but further information can be found in Chapter 7: Kiithid Society Briefing. You may choose your character’s background freely, or randomly roll on the Background table.

d20 Roll

Page

Kiith Naabal

1-4

209

Kiith Soban

5-6

203

Kiith S’jet

7-9

206

Kiith Paktu

10-13

201

Kiith Manaan

14-17

211

Kiith Somtaaw

18-19

214

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Background

Kiith Naabal A Kiith with a mysterious past, politically motivated and keen to advance Kiithid society. Emerging toward the end of the Heresy Wars from their hidden valley refuge, Kiith Naabal’s true origins are mostly unknown. Their crest resembles symbols found on the Khar-Toba and it is recognized among most scholars that the Naabal descend from the engineering corps of the ship that brought the Exiles to Kharak. After helping bring about the end of the war, Kiith Naabal helped rebuild the infrastructure on Kharak, building alliances and driving forward the construction of the Mothership. As a people they are content to fade away from the spotlight while working to advance Kiithid society in any way possible.

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Kiith Soban

Attributes

Increase Insight, Reason, and Will by 1.

A martial Kiith with a brutal past, now turned mercenaries for hire.

Truth

Kiith Naabal. Your people have an aversion to violence except in defense of the advancement of Kiithid society. Pushing for this advancement is at the core of your Kiith, though they prefer to do so away from the spotlight.

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Talents

Your character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talents listed below:

Political Mind Requirements: Kiith Naabal or gamemaster’s permission With your people known for their help in the advancement of Kiithid society, you find it easier to make your opinion heard and considered during talks on such matters. You gain a bonus d20 on tests to persuade, convince, or negotiate on matters that would affect Kiithid advancement or progress.

After the lands of two lesser Kiithid were invaded and the survivors of the attack were punished for their resistance, the leader of the group of survivors, Soban the Red, demanded support for vengeance. When the Kiith-Sa refused, he and his followers tore the Kiith colors from their bodies in shame and adopted the name Kiith Soban, also known as “the Kiith of Spirit.” They abandoned their previous Kiith and lands and became mercenaries for hire.

Pacifist at Heart Requirements: Kiith Naabal or gamemaster’s permission Your people were self-declared pacifists until intervening to stop the horrors of the Heresy Wars. Now that those days are over, your people still find peace preferable to bloodshed. You gain 1 bonus d20 on tests to persuade those who would resort to violence to find a peaceful solution. If successful, you create an advantage that aids in keeping the peace.

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Their soldiers and commanders were highly prized and when paid for would battle without care for personal risk until the minute their service was over. At that point, even in the middle of battle, they would return to their own Kiith. Kiith such as Kiith Naabal often hire the Soban as operatives.

Attributes

Increase Agility, Brawn, and Coordination by 1. Kiith Soban. You believe that Kiith who ignore the needs or the pain of their people are no true Kiith. If you are hired as a mercenary or operative, you carry out your duty for the paid duration and not a minute longer.

An ancient Kiith descended from the first city of Khar-Toba, with minds for science and engineering. Kiith S’jet is an ancient and respected Kiith, once responsible for the preservation of the Guidestone, and the builders of the Temple Observatory. They were the first to plot the path of planets in the Kharak system to d e r i v e a calendar from them, discovered the cycle of sandstorms upon the planet, and predicted where the rains would fall at the end of that cycle.

Talents

Your character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talents listed below:

Formidable Requirements: Kiith Soban or gamemaster’s permission Your people are highly prized warriors and commanders who make formidable opponents. When you succeed at making a melee attack, you inflict an additional point of stress.

Taking the Red Requirements: Kiith Soban In order to “take the red” and join Kiith Soban, you had to endure the ceremony of having your previous Kiith colors ripped from your body. If you need, or are hired, to pose as a member of another Kiith, the difficulty of any tests to keep your deception hidden are reduced by 1 to a minimum of 1.

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Truth

Kiith S’jet

Their people are scribes, scientists, and explorers, some of the brightest minds upon Kharak. It was the S’jet who worked on the core of the Mothership’s design, and one of their own became the living command core of the Mothership.

Attributes

Increase Coordination, Insight, and Reason by 1.

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Truth

Kiith S’jet. As a S’jet, you value research and exploration. Your Kiith is a well-respected one, and one of the few that has proof of its lineage back to the first city of Khar-Toba. You know your history and the background of your people well.

Kiith Paktu A Kiith with humble beginnings, venturesome and full of hope. When the Siidim abandoned their religious teachings those from other Kiith were considered to be “Gritiidim,” or sandpeople. Kiith Paktu were caught in the middle of this conflict, one of the many Kiith considered Gritiidim, and were forced to cross the Great Banded Desert to escape. Majiir Paktu led his people to the southern lands and towards what came to be known as the Majiirian Sea, where they eventually flourished. Kith Paktu is a clan full of hope and innovation.

Talents

Your character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talents listed below:

Innovator Requirements: Kiith S’jet or gamemaster’s permission Your Kiith have some of the brightest minds ever known to the Kushan and are the heart of scientific advancement. Whenever you attempt to create or combine technologies, if you purchase at least one bonus d20 you may re-roll any one failed die in your pool.

Theoretical Knowledge Requirements: Kiith S’jet Your theoretical knowledge encompasses many subjects, even those you don’t have practical experience in. Once per scene when a test would be made more difficult because you lack understanding of a subject and you succeed on that test, you may ask the gamemaster two free questions, as per the Obtain Information Momentum spend.

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When things get rough, they can often be heard saying the motto “I can smell the sea.” Kiith Paktu make up a large number of the command staff aboard the Mothership.

Attributes

Choose three different attributes and increase them by 1.

Truth

Talents

Your character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talents listed below:

A nomadic Kiith consisting of tradesmen and entertainers. The wandering Manaani are well known to most other Kiith. Once living a nomadic life on Kharak, they went from place to place, trading their services and entertainment for goods. Rumors of them pillaging and stealing were common, but have very little truth behind them, and many Kiith opened their gates to the Manaani in order to watch their actors and magicians, hear the songs and words of their singers and poets, or take advantage of the trades of their craftsmen.

I Can Smell the Sea Requirements: Kiith Paktu or gamemaster permission The motto of the Paktu is enough to give anyone strength when they need it most. Whenever you assist another character using your Will attribute, the character being assisted may re-roll 1d20.

Survivor Requirements: Kiith Paktu or gamemaster permission Kiith Paktu have always been hopeful and resilient even in the toughest of times, continuing after others would not. You increase your maximum stress by 3.

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Kiith Paktu. As Kiith Paktu you are resilient and strong in the face of adversity, always finding a way to overcome what is in your way.

Kiith Manaan

In later years aboard the Mothership and post-landfall on Hiigara, their trading made them one of the wealthiest of the Kiith and a number of them became statesmen and diplomats. The desire for new experiences, however, still burns in their blood.

Attributes

Increase Brawn, Coordination, and Reason by 1.

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Truth

Kiith Manaan. Kiith Manaan are renowned as traders and entertainers, with many having broad skills and an even bolder personality. For those that moved away from trade, the need to broaden their horizons turns them into diplomats, ship engineers, and pilots. They are an adaptable people who thrive on challenge and new experiences.

Talents

Requirements: Kiith Manaan Kiith Manaan are known for their ability to barter and trade. You gain 1 bonus d20 on any skill test related to negotiating the RU value or the trade of an item.

Truth of the Trade Requirements: Kiith Manaan You are a skilled trader or business person among your people. You receive a truth reflecting a specific aspect of your trade. Whenever this truth would affect a skill test and that test generates Momentum, you generate an extra point of Momentum. Example truths include: Singer, Master Metal Sculptor, Electronics Engineer.

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A hard-working, deeply religious Kiith composed of miners and engineers. Before the Heresy Wars, Kiith Somtaaw were one of the primary religious Kiith. They took a practical approach to their faith, believing their day to day work made them worthy of the reward of its completion in the eyes of their god. After war broke out, they were mostly cut off from the rest of the world for nearly two centuries. In the year 789 KDS Kuura Somtaaw had a prophetic dream of the god Sajuuk plunging a red sword into the earth. After ordering several families to dig in the area, they found a rich supply of iron ore and Somtaaw became a mining Kiith. Somtaaw steel became the most famous on Kharak and was extremely valuable in times of war.

Attributes

Increase Agility, Reason, and Will by 1.

Your character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talents listed below:

Master Negotiator

Kiith Somtaaw

Truth

Kiith Somtaaw. This is a Kiith brought back from the edge of disaster by an incredible prophetic vision. Faith is as key to Somtaaw society as mining is.

Talents

Your character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talents listed below:

Faith Requirements: Kiith Somtaaw Your people, though no longer a primary religious Kiith, still hold to their faith after receiving the prophetic visions that stabilized Somtaaw society. Once per session, you may spend 3 Momentum to establish a truth about the nature of a prophetic vision or a belief related to your faith. When the truth becomes relevant to a skill test, you gain 1 bonus d20 on the roll.

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Demolitions Expert Requirements: Kiith Somtaaw or gamemaster permission Your Kiith are well trained in the handling and use of explosives. When you use an explosive weapon, it deals an additional point of stress.

CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Example Ellie is creating a character for an upcoming Homeworld campaign using the lifepath system. She decides to roll randomly for her Kiith background. Rolling a 14, she gets Kiith Manaan; seeing potential in that background, she writes “Manaan” on the Kiith background on her character sheet. Then she adds 1 to her starting scores in Coordination, Brawn, and Reason, as noted in the Manaan background. She writes down the truth “Kiith Manaan” and selects the talent Truth of the Trade. This talent gives her an additional truth, representing her trade. She decides that her character acted as a private pilot for hire, and creates the truth “Charter Pilot”. After selecting her background, Ellie’s attribute scores are as follows. Attributes: Agility 7, Brawn 8, Coordination 8, Insight 7, Reason 8, and Will 7.

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Step Two: Environment Select one environment to define which part of Kharak your character grew up in. You may choose the environment freely, or roll on the Environment table.

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Environment

d6 Roll

Page

Capital City of Tiir

1-2

46

The Southern Lands Along the Majiirian Sea

3-4

46

Khontala Mountains

5

47

Wandering Settlements

6

46

The Capital City of Tiir The capital city of Tiir was located near Kharak’s northern pole and was at one time hidden from most of the population by Kiith Naabal before their emergence in the Heresy Wars. Tiir eventually became home to the Daiamid, the coalition government of nearly all of Kiithid society, and in turn became the center of life for many on Kharak, up until the burning of Kharak in 1216KDS.

Attribute

Choose one of the three attributes your character’s Kiith background improves. Increase that attribute by 1.

Skill

Choose Command, Flight, or Engineering. Increase that skill by 1.

Defining Aspect

You gain a defining aspect relating to growing up in or around the capital city of Tiir. Examples include: Interest in Daiamid Politics, Enjoys Other Kiith Culture, Always in a Rush.

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The Southern Lands Along the Majiirian Sea The southern pole of Kharak was a place of freedom for many Kiithid, predominantly Kiith Paktu. The climate was far more temperate than the inhospitable deserts at the equator, and the presence of the Majiirian sea—one of only four seas on the planet—meant that its shores and surrounding lands had rainfall and vegetation, making the area capable of sustaining farmland.

Attribute

Choose either Insight or Will. Increase that attribute by 1.

Skill

Choose Combat, Exploration, or Medical. Increase that skill by 1.

Defining Aspect

You gain a defining aspect relating to growing up in the southern lands. Examples include: I Prefer the Freedom of Open Spaces, Grow Anything Anywhere, Uncomfortable in Busy Spaces.

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Attribute

The Khontala Mountains

Attribute

Choose either Coordination or Reason. Increase that attribute by 1.

Skill

Choose Combat, Flight, or Engineering. Increase that skill by 1.

Defining Aspect

You gain a defining aspect relating to growing up in the southern regions of Kharak. Examples include: Hard Work is Worth the Reward, My Work is My Religion, Holds Kiith Soban in High Regard

Wandering Settlements Not all Kiith kept permanent settlements. Some Kiith, such as Kiith Manaan and even some members of Kiith Paktu, were known for roaming Kharak, settling where they wished and leaving when they willed. Many of these settlements relied on trade or good fortune to keep up supplies, along with the skill of their people and drive of their leaders to continue to thrive.

Skill

Choose Command, Exploration, or Medical. Increase that skill by 1.

Defining Aspect

You gain a defining aspect relating to growing up in the desert regions of Kharak. Example Trading is Second Nature, I Admire Strong Leaders, My Wandering is Often Seen as Indecisiveness.

Example Now it’s time for Ellie to select an environment for her character. Wandering Settlement would be a good choice with the Kiith background she picked, but she decides to roll on the table to see if anything sparks inspiration. With a roll of 1 she gets The Capital City of Tiir, which she thinks will be more interesting than picking Wandering Settlement. She writes in the environment on her character sheet. She adds 1 to her Coordination attribute, and 1 to her Exploration skill that the environment provides. She also needs to create or select a defining aspect reflecting that environment. She chooses “Enjoys Other Kiith Culture” with the idea that her character chose to remain in the capital not just for trade and to earn a living, but also to experience the cultures and ways of the other Kiith. After selecting an environment, Ellie’s scores are the following. Attributes: Agility 7, Brawn 8, Coordination 9, Insight 7, Reason 8, and Will 7. Skills: Combat 1, Command 1, Engineering 1, Exploration 2, Flight 1, and Medical 1.

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The Khontala mountains were the ancestral home of Kiith Somtaaw until Kharak burned in the Kharakian genocide. With Somtaaw settlements built into the side of the mountains themselves and only a single main route in and out—the Kasaar Road, protected by the mercenaries of Kiith Soban—the area was well defended. Not only was this a place of work due to the Somtaaws’ strong work ethic, but the Shimmering Path was also home to some of Kharak’s most revered religious temples.

Choose either Agility or Brawn. Increase that attribute by 1

Step Three: Upbringing Select one upbringing for your character and decide if they accepted it, or rebelled against it. Your character’s upbringing, and their acceptance or rebellion of it, can determine much about who they are. You may choose your character’s upbringing, or randomly determine it from the Upbringing table.

CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Upbringing

d6 Roll

Page

Artistic and Open

1

48

Diplomacy and Politics

2

49

Nomadic or Rural

3

49

Military or Mercenary

4

50

Technology and Science

5

50

Travel and Trade

6

51

Artistic and Open You were allowed to pursue a number of options in your upbringing, being encouraged towards the arts and creativity in all its forms. No matter what you favor, you learned a great deal about many cultures and selfexpression.

Your character’s creativity and selfexpression means they are able to take on many roles, even those that might not be at first be considered creative pursuits. Choose Command, Engineering, or Exploration. Increase that skill by 1.

Focus

Attributes

If your character accepted this upbringing, their outgoing nature makes them more receptive and understanding of people and the world around them. • Increase Insight by 1. • Increase Will by 2. If your character rebelled against this upbringing, your character cares more about taking action and is less concerned about self-expression. • Increase Agility by 1. • Increase Coordination by 2.

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Skills

Your character gains one focus that should relate to their preferred way of applying their creative skills. Examples include: Historical Art, Acting, Literature.

Talent

Your character also gains a single talent either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

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Nomadic or Rural

Diplomacy and Politics

Attributes

If your character accepted this upbringing, they’re disciplined and well-versed in the arts of debate. • Increase Coordination by 1. • Increase Will by 2. If your character rebelled against this upbringing, then they’ve instead sought more tangible things to focus on. • Increase Brawn by 1. • Increase Reason by 2.

Skills

Your character has familiarity with the practices and perils of diplomacy, politics, and the law. • Choose Command, Flight, or Combat. Increase this skill by 1.

Focus

Your character gains one focus that should relate to their experience in diplomacy and politics. Examples include: Composure, Debate, Diplomacy, Espionage, Interrogation, Law, Philosophy, Fleet Protocol.

Talent

Your character also gains a single talent either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

Attributes

If your character accepted this upbringing, their tough, practical life on the land gives them a strong work ethic and a healthy body. • Increase Coordination by 1. • Increase Brawn by 2. If your character rebelled against this upbringing, they are likely to have embraced science, technology, and the fruits of civilization • Increase Will by 1. • Increase Reason by 2.

Skills

Your character’s experience living off the land and growing up on the edge of civilization taught them to fend for themselves and made them an expert in moving across long distances in good time. • Choose Flight, Combat, or Medical. Increase that skill by 1.

Focus

Your character gains one focus that should relate to their previously rural lifestyle and the skills they learned. Examples include: Survival, Improvised Weapons, Tracking.

Talent

Your character also gains a single talent either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

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You grew up exposed to the politics of the Kiithid, starting within your own Kiith and possibly all the way up to the Daiamid. This may have been through a family member who was a diplomat or politician, or it could have been because there was political turmoil within your Kiith during your upbringing.

You grew up in a rural or nomadic community, where you spent much of your time away from the densely populated cities. You may have roamed from place to place in search of a permanent home, or to find new resources when those you had were depleted.

Military or Mercenary

You grew up around soldiers or mercenaries. You are no stranger to combat, weapons, and the rigidity of military life.

Attributes CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

If your character accepted this upbringing they are used to a rigid, militaristic lifestyle. • Increase Coordination by 2. • Increase Brawn by 1. If your character rebelled against this upbringing, they prefer an open lifestyle, without the restraint of command or responsibility. • Increase Agility by 2. • Increase Insight by 1.

Skills

Your character’s exposure to the ways and traditions of a military upbringing makes them versatile in their skill set. • Increase any one skill by 1.

Focus

Your character gains one focus that should relate to their connection to the military, covering skills learned during their formative years. Example focuses: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Handguns, Long Range Weapons, Explosives, Military Custom.

Talent

Your character also gains a single talent either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

Technology and Science You were brought up around technology or mentored in the ways of a particular science. This might be because you were raised in a technology heavy environment, or because you were mentored to pursue a talent within the sciences.

Attributes

If your character accepted this upbringing, they care about precision, accuracy, and logical thought. • Increase Coordination by 2. • Increase Reason by 1. If your character rebelled against this upbringing, they still have technical talent, but rely on a broader range of skills and are open to unorthodox methods of solving problems. • Increase Agility by 1. • Increase Insight by 2.

Skills

Your character has familiarity with the latest research and advanced technology. • Choose Flight, Exploration, or Medical. Increase that skill by 1.

Focus

Your character gains one focus that should relate to their field of study and inquiry. Examples include: Astrophysics, Neuroscience, Space Flight, Cryogenics.

Talent

Your character also gains a single talent either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

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Travel and Trade You are accustomed to the world and the fast-paced lifestyle of trade and business. Watching those around you sell, buy, and then sell for even more, you learned the value of good business and trading your skills for whatever you need.

Attributes

If your character rebelled against this upbringing, they may have stepped away from business or trade to find their own identity. • Increase Insight by 2. • Increase Reason by 1.

Skills

Your character’s experiences with a family business or a trade gives them further insight into an area of expertise. • Choose Command, Engineering, or Exploration. Increase that skill by 1.

Next Ellie must select her upbringing. She decides not to roll for this one, knowing that the Travel and Trade upbringing best suits her character. She chooses to accept this upbringing, with her character embracing the idea of business and travelbased lifestyle, and so increases her attributes for Will by 2 and Agility by 1 as noted in the accepted upbringing option. She also chooses her Engineering skill from the options given, increasing it by 1. Ellie also needs to select a focus relating to her skills in her business or trade. As her trade piloting is her trade, she decides to create the focus “Small Craft” reflecting her skill in piloting small vessels. Ellie also selects the talent Daring (Flight) from the talents list.

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If your character accepted this upbringing, they are used to a lifestyle of travel and fastpaced business. • Increase Will by 2. • Increase Agility by 1.

Example

After selecting her upbringing, Ellie’s scores are the following. Attributes: Agility 8, Brawn 8, Coordination 9, Insight 7, Reason 8, and Will 9. Skills: Combat 1, Command 1, Engineering 2, Exploration 2, Flight 1, and Medical 1.

Focus

Your character gains one focus that should relate to the nature of their or their family’s business, covering skills that are valuable during trade, or which were useful in other ways. Examples include: Stone Masonry, Pilot, Entertainment, Bartering.

Talent

Your character also gains a single talent either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

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Step Four: Profession Select a single profession track. Your character’s profession determines the type of training they have received. You may choose your character’s profession track freely, or randomly determine it from the Track table.

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Track

d6 Roll

Page

Command and Military Track

1-2

52

Engineering and Technical Track

3-4

52

Research and Exploration Track

5-6

53

Command and Military Track

Talent

The command and military track is for those who wish to work in a diplomatic role, a command position, or on the front lines of defense, either on a space station or ship.

Attributes

Your character also gains a single talent, either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

Engineering and Technical Track

Your character gains three points to increase attributes freely. Choose to either: • Increase one attribute by 1, and another by 2. • Increase three attributes by 1.

The engineering and technical track attracts those who are interested in how technology works and those who want to pilot craft and design them.

Skills

Your character gains three points to increase attributes freely. Choose to either: • Increase (one attribute by 1, and another by 2. • Increase three attributes by 1.

You must select your character’s main skill. • Choose either Command or Combat. Increase this skill by 2. Then select any other two skills. You may not increase any skill to higher than 4 at this stage. • Increase two skills by 1 each.

Focuses

You select three focuses, at least one of which should relate to the command and military track. Examples include: Diplomacy, Tactics, Leadership.

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Attributes

Skills

You must select your character’s main skill. • Choose either Engineering or Flight. Increase this skill by 2. Then select any other two skills. You may not increase any skill to higher than 4 at this stage. • Increase two skills by 1 each.

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Focuses

Focuses

Talent

Talent

You select three focuses, at least one of which should relate to the character’s chosen track. Examples include: Piloting, Navigation, Flight Systems.

Research and Exploration Track

Example

The research and exploration track is for those who feel the need to delve into the past and uncover lost and hidden secrets, or those who wish to aid others, either through direct care or researching ways to improve Kiithid society.

Attributes

Your character gains three points to increase attributes freely. Choose to either: • Increase one attribute by 1, and another by 2. • Increase three attributes by 1.

Skills

Your character also gains a single talent, either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

You must select your character’s main skill. • Choose either Exploration or Medical. Increase this skill by 2. Then select any other two skills. You may not increase a skill to higher than 4 at this stage. • Increase two skills by 1 each.

Now Ellie must choose a profession for her character. She again decides not to roll, knowing that the Engineering and Technical Track works best for her traderpilot. She gains 3 points to spend freely and chooses to increase three attributes by one, selecting Agility, Coordination, and Reason. For her skill increase, she selects Flight and adds the increase of 2 to her Flight skill. Then she selects two other skills, Exploration and Command, and increases these by 1 each. Ellie also gains three focuses, and decides on Flight Systems, Temporary Repairs, and Kiith History. Lastly, she selects another talent, Historian, from the talents list. After selecting her profession, Ellie’s scores are the following. Attributes: Agility 9, Brawn 8, Coordination 10, Insight 7, Reason 9, and Will 9. Skills: Combat 1, Command 2, Engineering 2, Exploration 3, Flight 3, and Medical 1.

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Your character also gains a single talent, either from their Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

You select three focuses, at least one of which should relate to the character’s chosen track. Examples include: Field Surgery, History, Kiith Lore.

Step Five: Career Select one career option for your character. Your character’s career represents how long they have been in their role and the level of experience they have. You may choose your character’s career, or randomly determine it from the table below by rolling a d6.

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Career

d6 Roll

Page

Junior Officer

1-2

54

Experienced Officer

3-4

54

Veteran Officer

5-6

55

Junior Officer As a junior officer, you have not been in your position long. You are eager to learn but naïve about the nuances that your work sometimes requires.

Defining Aspect

Your character receives a defining aspect, which must reflect the character’s inexperience and naïveté in some way. Examples include: Over-Ambitious, Intimidated by Senior Officers, All of the Confidence Without Any of the Experience.

Talent

Your character gains the following talent:

Font of Potential Requirements: Junior Officer (only available during character creation) You are inexperienced, but show promise in your role. You may not have or increase any attribute above 11 or any skill above 4 while you have this talent (and may have to adjust attributes and skills accordingly at the end of character creation).

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Whenever you succeed at a test where you purchased a die, you receive 1 bonus Momentum. You cannot hold a rank higher than Lieutenant while you possess this talent.

Experienced Officer You have a number of years’ experience working in your position. You have a feel for the people you work with and know what is expected of you.

Defining Aspect

Your character receives a defining aspect, and this can be chosen freely.

Talent

Your character gains a single talent, which may be chosen freely from the talents of your character’s Kiith background or the talents list on p.71.

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You have spent most of your life working in your position. You know it well, better than most others, and know how to do your job with ease and to a high standard.

Defining Aspect

Your character receives a defining aspect, which must reflect the character’s years of experience and the beliefs they’ve formed over their long career. Examples include: Not Surprised by Much Anymore, I’m a Respected Officer, I’ve Seen and Done It All.

Talent

Your character gains the following talent:

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Veteran Officer

Veteran Requirements: Veteran Officer (during character creation, or at the gamemaster’s discretion) You are wise and experienced, with your peers often looking to you for your expertise. Whenever you make a test where one of your focuses would be relevant and you purchase one or more extra dice, the cost of the second die is reduced by 1.

Example Now Ellie must select her character’s career. She decides that her character is an experienced officer, having left behind her life of trade many years ago to become a pilot for the Kushan forces. She gains a defining aspect which she can freely choose, and picks “A Trader for Life.” Finally, she selects the talent Push the Limit from the talents list.

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Step Six: Career Events

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Select two career events for your character. Your character’s career will have been made up of many defining events. Some of these events will stand out in your character’s past as moments that shaped and affected them. Your character will have two career events that reflect key moments in their career. Each career event also includes a few questions to consider about how the event happened and how it affected the character. You may choose your character’s career events, or randomly determine them from the Career Event table.

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Career Event

d20 Roll

Page

Experimental Technology

1

57

Loss of a Friend

2-3

57

Admired by Another Kiith

4

57

Experimental Test Flight

5

58

Unexpected Command

6

58

Serious Injury

7-8

58

Conflict with a Hostile Group

9-10

59

Mentored for Your Talent

11

59

Medical Crisis

12

60

Abandoned Your Principles

13

60

Stuck by Your Ideals

14

60

Invented a New Battle Strategy

15

60

Technological Advancement

16

61

Commendation

17

61

Prevented a Resource Shortage

18

61

Devastating Accident

19-20

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Attribute

Experimental Technology

Attribute

The nature of the technology being tested gave your character an insight into a new expertise. • Increase any attribute by 1.

Skill

Your character either had, or gained, an understanding of how experimental technology is developed. • Increase Engineering by 1.

Focus

The character gains a focus, reflecting their involvement with experimental technology. Examples include: Experimental Technology, Invention, Improvisation.

Loss of a Friend A close friend of your character recently passed away or is absent from your character’s life for some other reason. • Who was the friend? How did the character know them? • What impact does their death or absence have? What was the circumstance around their absence? Who, if anyone, was to blame?

Skill

Your character has a personal understanding of grief and recovery. • Increase Medical by 1.

Focus

Your character gains a focus which should reflect the character’s experiences, but it may also represent a skill or pursuit the character takes up in their absent friend’s memory or to prevent the same thing happening again in the future. Examples include: Grief Counseling, Persuasion, Compassion.

Defining Aspect

Your character gains a defining aspect representing the effect that the loss of their friend had on them. Examples include: I Lost the Only Friend I Had; I Won’t Let Anyone Else’s Death Be on My Hands; I Treasure Every Moment with Those I Care About.

Admired by Another Kiith Your character earned either the official praise of another Kiith faction, or the friendship of someone important within another Kiith— either way, they are now considered to be a friend to that people. • Which Kiith has given them praise? What was the reason? How did they earn this Kiith or contact’s respect and friendship? • Does the character have any friends or contacts in that Kiith who can be contacted for help?

Attribute

Your character is in excellent standing, being respected and considered a friend to the Kiith or their ally. • Increase Will by 1.

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Your character is or was involved in testing an experimental technology. This technology is not yet in common use, but they have experience with it. What was the discovery, breakthrough, or invention? How would this technology be used in the future? Was the experimental technology useful, dangerous, or obsolete? Why did your character volunteer to take part in the experiment? If your character didn’t volunteer, how did they end up being part of the test?

Your character has experience with loss. • Increase Insight by 1.

Skill

Your character has a broader understanding of other Kiith and their culture and history. • Increase Exploration by 1.

Focus

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Your character gains a focus, which should reflect the character’s experience with other Kiith. A focus of X Kiith, replacing the X with the name of that Kiith, is a good example; another option would be any focus that represents skills or techniques specific to that culture.

Defining Aspect

Your character gains a defining aspect which should reflect their relationship with the Kiith, the person who admires them, or their view on inter-Kiith relationships. Examples include: I Value the Friendship of Kiith Naabal; Respect Between Kiith Is Better Than Violence; Allies Are More Important Than Enemies.

Your character was selected or volunteered to be part of a test crew for an experimental craft in order to aid in the advancement of flight technology. • Why was your character selected? If they volunteered, why did they want to do this? What was your character’s role as part of the crew? • Was the experiment successful? Did your character enjoy the experience?

Attribute

Your skill at operating new technology, ships, and machines surpasses that of your peers. • Increase Coordination by 1. Your experience with an unpredictable and experimental ship gave you new insight into piloting vessels. • Increase Flight by 1.

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The character gains a focus, which should reflect the character’s experience on the experimental flight. Examples include: Experimental Craft, Tactics, Flight Protocol.

Unexpected Command Due to a crisis, a test, or other unexpected circumstance, your character had to take command. This may have been command of a group of people, a ship, or an operation. • What was the reason for them taking command? What, if anything, went wrong? • Was the character a good leader?

Attribute

Your character had the ability to recognize what was needed and improvise during a crisis. • Increase Insight by 1.

Skill

Experimental Test Flight

Skill

Focus

The experience of being pushed into leadership has given your character a new insight into what is needed from a leader. • Increase Command by 1.

Focus

Your character gains a focus which should reflect their experiences during the crisis. Examples include: Leadership, Inspiration, Composure.

Serious Injury Your character suffered a serious injury and needed to spend a period of time recovering. This may still have a lasting effect on the character. • What was happening when the character was injured? Who or what was responsible? • What did the recovery entail? How much does it affect the character now, and in what way?

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Attribute

Your character’s recovery only served to push their strength, endurance, and physical capability. • Increase Brawn by 1.

Skill

Focus

Your character gains a focus, which should reflect the circumstances of the character’s injury, something that helped them through recovery, or something they took up after recovering. Examples include: Athletics, Art, Philosophy.

Defining Aspect

You gain a defining aspect representing a lasting effect of the character’s injury or the way they recovered. Examples include: Hesitant to Fight Because I Still Have Shrapnel in My Shoulder; Recovery Improved My Ability to Endure Stressful Situations; I Don’t Trust That Peaceful Situations Won’t Turn Violent.

Conflict with a Hostile Group Your character was involved in a conflict with a hostile group and lived to tell the tale. • Who was involved in the conflict? Why did it occur? • What was the character’s part in it? Who won?

Attribute

Your character is adept with a multitude of weapons and combat strategies. • Increase Combat by 1.

Focus

Your character gains a focus, which should reflect skills they honed during the fighting. Examples include: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Rifles, Handguns.

Mentored for Your Talent A highly respected officer took notice of your character’s talent with ships and technology. For a time, your character served as the officer’s aide, gaining the benefit of the officer’s experiences and lessons. Who was the officer? Does the officer remain a contact or even friend of your character?

Attribute

The officer’s lessons came in many forms, giving your character a broad range of experience and knowledge. • Increase any one attribute by 1.

Skill

Your character spent time as the officer’s pilot, studying the structures and procedures of the Kushan fleet. • Increase Flight by 1.

Focus

Your character gains a focus, reflecting the lessons learned. Examples include: Fleet Protocol, Chain of Command, Advanced Flight Maneuvers.

Your character’s physical conditioning and endurance allowed them to make it out of this conflict alive. • Increase Brawn by 1.

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Spending time around medical facilities and doctors, along with understanding their own injuries, has left your character with some medical insight. • Increase Medical by 1.

Skill

Medical Crisis

Skill

Your character had to deal with a medical crisis. This might have been a fast-spreading disease, the result of a major incident or accident, or needing to do emergency surgery on an important individual. • What was the medical crisis? • Did you deal directly with those affected? How was the character involved?

Focus

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Attribute

Your character is good at exploring new ideas and their roots. • Increase Exploration by 1. Your character gains a focus reflecting the event and its aftermath. Examples include: Persuasion, Inspiration, Investigation.

Stuck by Your Ideals

Skill

Dealing with a problem of this nature was a true display of your character’s ability to provide aid in any situation. • Increase Medical by 1.

Your character was placed in a situation where they chose their own principles and ideals over a close friend or superior. This was seen as a betrayal in that person’s eyes. • Who was the friend or superior? What were they doing or what did they ask your character to do? Does your character regret their choice? • What were the repercussions of this? Was your character right?

Focus

Attribute

Abandoned Your Principles

Skill

Helping those in distress during a massive crisis helped your character understand people. • Increase Insight by 1.

Your character gains a focus, which should reflect how they helped during the crisis. Examples include: Infectious Diseases, Emergency Medicine, Triage.

Your character ended up in a situation where they had to choose between their own ideals and a close friend or superior. They chose to abandon their principles in favor of that friend or superior. • Who was the friend or superior? What situation was your character in? Which principles did you have to abandon? How does the character feel about it now? • Did this have repercussions? Was the character in the right?

Attribute

Your character learned to listen to the ideas and principles of others and is not afraid to question their own. • Increase Reason by 1.

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Your character has a good sense of self and chose to stick by their own ideals rather than rashly following others. • Increase Will by 1. The ability to take charge, hold to their principles, and deal with the events that followed give your character insight into leadership. • Increase Command by 1.

Focus

Your character gains a focus reflecting the event and its aftermath. Examples include: Resist Coercion, Official Protocol, Leadership.

Invented a New Battle Strategy Your character invented a new battle strategy using methods previously unthought of. This may have been a strategy involving ship movements and tactics or ground combat techniques.

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• How and why did your character invent the new strategy? Has it been tested, and was it successful? • What was the strategy devised?

Attribute

Your character’s tactical mind and quick thinking and fast reflexes are an asset to any team you are on. • Increase Agility by 1. Your character has practical and theoretical knowledge of battle. • Increase Combat by 1.

Focus

Your character gains a focus, reflecting their decisive battlefield leadership. Examples include: Combat Tactics, Tactical Planning, Leadership Under Fire.

Technological Advancement Your character was one of a team of people responsible for a technological advancement. This might have been creating a new software or machine, or uncovering and repairing an older technology that sparked an improvement to existing tech. • What was your character’s role in the team? What did the advancement do? Does it still function now? • How much is known about this new technology? Is it stable or still experimental and potentially volatile?

Attribute

Your character has studied and worked on extensive amounts of technology, software, and machinery. • Increase Reason by 1.

Skill

Your character is able to understand unfamiliar technology and theories due to their extensive research.

Focus

Your character gains a focus, reflecting their work or expertise. Examples include: Strange Technology, Technology Development, Archaeology.

Commendation Your character took action in a crisis, overcame a critical problem, or performed some other act showing heroism or exceptional skill, earning them a commendation. • What did your character do to earn the commendation? Who awarded it to you? • Did this have other repercussions among your Kiith? How public is the knowledge of the event?

Attribute

Your character’s physical health and condition played a part in being able to carry out the action they took. • Increase Brawn by 1.

Skill

Gaining a commendation gave your character many opportunities to learn and experience new things. • Choose any one skill. Increase that skill by 1.

Focus

The character gains a focus reflecting the event and its aftermath. Examples include: Athletics, Survival, Emergency Medicine.

Prevented a Resource Shortage Your character was key in preventing a shortage of resources, finding a way to temporarily improve resource production (or reduce consumption). • What caused the shortage of resources? • How did the character solve the problem?

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Skill

• Increase Engineering by 1.

Attribute

Your character’s precision when dealing with the complicated nature of resource collection, distribution, and production was key to their success. • Increase Coordination by 1.

Skill CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Your character has familiarity with harvester ships as well as resource production and collection processes. • Increase Engineering by 1.

Focus

The character gains a focus, reflecting their expertise. Examples include: Life Support Systems, Engine Mechanics, Resource Collection.

Devastating Accident Your character survived a devastating accident. This might have been through luck, experience, or because of the aid of another. They may have even helped aid others in the chaos. What was the accident? When and where did it happen? How serious was the incident? What did your character do when it happened? How many people were affected? How long did it take before help arrived?

Attribute

Your character was able to stay out of danger in the chaos of the accident. • Increase Agility by 1.

Skill

Your character has experience with perilous situations. • Increases Combat by 1.

Focus

Your character gains a focus, which should reflect their experiences. Examples include: Emergency Protocols, Emergency Medicine, Survival.

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Example Now Ellie must select two career events that are defining moments for her character. She decides to pick one, Experimental Test Flight, and roll randomly for the other. Experimental Test Flight allows her to increase her Coordination by 1 and her Flight by 1, and she gains a focus representing her experience on the flight, which she decides is Tactics. She also has a think about the event itself and decides that she was selected for the experiment and that’s what started her career with the Kushan fleet. She was the pilot for the test flight with a small crew of people. Overall the flight was a success but the experiment wasn’t, due to the ship needing too much power to run, but she enjoyed it so much she signed up for every experimental flight she’s heard about since. For her second career event, Ellie rolls and gets a 19, a Devastating Accident. She increases her Agility by 1 and her Combat by 1 and gains a focus in Survival. Thinking about the event itself, Ellie decides that she was in flight around Kharak’s outer atmosphere when an outof-control corvette collided with her ship. The junior officer on board had suffered a serious engine malfunction and didn’t follow emergency protocol. Ellie’s character’s ship was torn open and pulled her into the vacuum of space. She was prepared, having her short-term breather hooked up to her helmet, , but her crew were not so lucky and lost their lives. After selecting her career events, Ellie’s scores are the following. Attributes: Agility 10, Brawn 8, Coordination 11, Insight 7, Reason 9, and Will 9. Skills: Combat 2, Command 2, Engineering 2, Exploration 3, Flight 4, and Medical 1.

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Step Seven: Finishing Touches Your character is nearly finished at this point. There are a few more choices to make, and many of these are more free than other sections of the life path. This is also the chance to check over your character, make sure that nothing has been missed, and fill in a few other important sections.

Skills

A character may not have any attributes above 12, and may not have more than one attribute at 12 (if the character has the Font of Potential talent, from Step Five: Career, they may not have any attributes above 11 instead). For any attribute that has a rating above and beyond those limits, reduce it until it is within the limit. For each point reduced on an attribute, increase another attribute by one, though the limits noted above must still be obeyed. A character’s attributes, added together, should add up to 54.

A character may not have any skills above 5 and may not have more than one skill at 5 (if the character has the Font of Potential talent, from Step Five: Career, they may not have any skills above 4 instead). For any skill that has a rating above and beyond those limits, reduce it until it is within the limit. For each point reduced on a skill, increase another skill by one, though the limits noted above must still be obeyed. The character’s skills added together should add up to 14.

Example Now Ellie must add the finishing touches to her character. She checks her attributes: none are over 12 and her attributes add up to 54. Ellie also checks her skills: none are over 5 and they all add up to 14. Ellie’s final scores are as follows. Attributes: Agility 10, Brawn 8, Coordination 11, Insight 7, Reason 9, and Will 9. Skills: Combat 2, Command 2, Engineering 2, Exploration 3, Flight 4, and Medical 1.

Defining Aspects Your character now gains a final defining aspect. These are explained on p.34. Your character may already have one or more defining aspects from Step Six: Career Events of the lifepath. In this case, you still gain a defining aspect here in addition to those. Your defining aspects can either be inherently positive, negative, or neutral. Defining aspects, even those that appear positive, might have the potential to cause you complications in certain situations, so it is worth considering how the defining aspect affects your character as you make decisions and roleplay them during play. Below are

some examples of positive, negative and neutral defining aspects. Defining aspects that are inherently positive might represent a positive outlook your character has, a defining achievement, an aspect of their nature or personality that defines them, or a physical trait that stands out. Examples include: I Was Responsible for a Technology That Saves Lives; I Have a Voice That Can Cut Through a Crowd; Finding Joy in My Work Keeps Me Motivated. Inherently negative or problematic defining aspects might represent an outlook your character has that is less than ideal; an aspect of their personality that represents a vice or a problem they are dealing with, or

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Attributes

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something about their nature or physicality that causes them an issue. This may be due to a previous traumatic event, the character’s upbringing, or the kind of work or training they have taken on. Examples include: All Taiidan Are the Enemy No Matter How “Innocent”; I Fear Working on the Salvage Crews After My Accident and Will Do Anything to Avoid It; I Lack a Sense of Humor and Often Come Off Blunt in Conversation.

Lastly, neutral defining aspects can represent something that defines your character, but is neither inherently beneficial nor detrimental to them to begin with. The defining aspect may be one of those two things in different situations, but otherwise it is just a noticeable feature they have or an outlook they hold. Examples include: I Prefer Talking to Violence; I Married Someone from a Different Kiith Family; The Law of the Daiamid Should Never Be Broken.

Example Now Ellie must create a defining aspect for her character. She chooses to have a positive defining aspect, but knows that it could also be a source of conflict for her character later, so she chooses I Do Not Fear the Unknown, I Seek Its Thrills.

Maximum Stress and Challenge Dice

Final Stats Check

• Maximum Stress. Your character has a maximum stress equal to their Brawn attribute plus their Combat skill. • Additional Challenge Dice. On all successful attacks, your character inflicts a number of additional equal to their Combat skill.

Your character should have at least 4 talents, 6 focuses, 1 truth, and 3-5 defining aspects, dependent on their choices throughout the lifepath.

Example Now Ellie works out her maximum stress by adding her Brawn and Combat skill together, giving her a maximum stress of 10. Her Combat skill is 2, so she will roll an additional 2 when making an attack. Finally, she checks that she has at least 4 talents, 6 focuses, 1 truth, and 3-5 defining aspects.

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Role

Commanding Officer

Requirements: Command and Military track only. The commanding officer, or CO, is generally the officer in charge and responsible for the rest of the crew. In order to hold the rank of captain you must hold the role of a commanding officer, though not all commanding officers are captains.

Commanding Officer Talent Once per scene you may attempt a test to rally a character. This is a Will + Command test with a difficulty of 1. On a success, the cost of the first die bought by the rallied character is reduced by 1.

Executive Officer

Requirements: Command and Military track only. The executive officer, or XO, is the second in command under the commanding officer. If the commanding officer is for any reason absent or indisposed, command passes to the executive officer. This is generally who the senior staff report to, with information filtering up through them to the captain.

Executive Officer Talent When another character in communication with you attempts a test, you may always assist on this test.

Technical Operations Manager

Requirements: Technical and Engineering track only. The technical operations manager covers a few roles, and aboard larger ships, stations or facilities these may be divided between two or more individuals, with the most senior ranked being in charge of all technical operation managers present. Generally, they are responsible for overseeing the engineering crew, repair, and maintenance, and ensuring that everything stays at optimum operating capacity.

Technical Operations Manager Talent When making a test to repair, modify, or jury-rig a piece of equipment or a system that you are unfamiliar with, you may reduce the difficulty of the test by 1.

Chief Security Officer

Requirements: Frigate or larger, or station based. Command and Military track only. On larger ships and facilities, the head of security oversees the ship’s security personnel. They are responsible for ensuring the safety of the ship or facility, and are included in combat situations to advise on tactical and battle plans. The chief security officer is also responsible for resolving disputes, the investigation of criminal matters, and any disciplinary proceedings that arise.

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The roles listed here define your character’s job within their crew. When you choose a role, you also gain its accompanying talent. Not all ships or facilities will have every role, and aboard smaller ships or stations some personnel may hold more than one role. If you decide to take on more than one role, you must select only one talent to gain. Often you will want to play the senior members of the crew, but this will vary from game to game, so it’s worth checking with your gamemaster on which roles are most appropriate for the campaign they are running.

Pilot

Chief Security Officer Talent

Requirements: Technical and Engineering track only.

Once per scene you may use the Additional Minor Action Momentum spend at no cost.

Chief Medic CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Requirements: Research and Exploration track only. The medical officer is responsible for the health and well-being of the crew and other persons aboard the ship, and on frigateclass ships and larger they lead the medical department.

Chief Medic Talent When making tests to heal a character’s injury, you gain 1 bonus d20—counting as your first die bought—on the test.

Usually senior crew, but not always, the communications officer is responsible for keeping in contact with Fleet Command and intelligence. On some ships and stations, they also operate and monitor the sensor arrays and other such equipment.

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When operating or repairing technology associated with ships, you may always use your Flight skill instead of Engineering.

Requirements: None

Requirements: None

When a test you attempt involves an unfamiliar language or encryption, you reduce the difficulty by 1.

Pilot Talent

Researcher

Communications Officer

Communications Officer Talent

Pilots are responsible for the navigation and flight of ships. Some pilots are trained across multiple vessels, while others specialize in only one. Not only must they be capable of standard flight, but they are also trained in evasive, defensive, and aggressive tactical maneuvers, and in some cases must also be able to competently operate a ship’s weapons systems.

Researchers cover a broad range of expertise. This can be anything from studying nanotechnology or bioengineering to archeology, ancient history, or astronomy.

Researcher Talent Choose one area of research that is your primary study, and gain this as a permanent focus. Additionally, once per session, you may declare that you have experience in a specific field of study. Gain this as a temporary focus until the end of the session.

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Engineer

Requirements: Technical and Engineering track only. Engineers are responsible for ensuring that the ship remains operational and functional. They may also be the main operators of the tactical or sensor systems if necessary.

When aboard the ship, station, or facility you are assigned to, you gain the truth “Every Rivet, Every Bulkhead,” representing your technical knowledge of the surrounding facilities.

Security Officer

Requirements: Command and Military track only. While most Kushan operatives are trained in combat, security officers are specialists in this field. Not only are they trained for ground combat, they are also trained in watching for suspicious or criminal behavior among the crew and defusing situations that could escalate into violence.

When aboard the ship, station, or facility you are posted at, you always have the truth “Medical Department,” which represents available medical supplies.

Rank Once you have decided on your character’s role, you should determine which rank they hold. For the most part, a character can be of any rank they wish, with a few exceptions. Some of the following ranks require a character to hold a particular role, and the option selected in Step Five: Career may limit your character’s rank.

Captain

This rank can only be selected by the commanding officer, and no more than one character may select it.

Commander

This rank is the lowest rank that the commanding officer may have.

Lieutenant Commander

This rank is the lowest rank that may be taken by a character with the Veteran talent.

Security Officer Talent When aboard the ship, station, or facility you are posted at, you always have the “Advantage Security Detachment,” which represents the ship’s other security personnel.

Medic

Requirements: Research and Exploration track only. Medics are responsible for the health and well-being of the crew and other persons aboard the ship. On larger ships medics serve under the chief medic, whereas smaller ships may only have one or two medical crew.

Lieutenant

This is the highest rank that may be taken by a character with the Untapped Potential talent. It is also the lowest rank that may be taken by any character with the role of executive officer, technical operations manager, chief security officer, or chief medic, as those roles are only available to experienced personnel.

Crewman

This is the lowest rank available.

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Engineer Talent

Medic Talent

who they are. What is your character like? Are they thrill seeking and looking for adventure? Or are they thoughtful, thorough, and fond of routine? Are they comfortable in their work and life, or are they striving for the next goal? Having an idea of your character’s personality will help you roleplay them during the game and give you a base to start with as your character evolves and changes over time.

Example Ellie must now choose a role for her character. Given her character’s background and backstory, she chooses the pilot role and adds the Pilot talent to her character sheet. She also chooses her rank and decides that due to her character’s experience she is a commander.

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Personal Details

Appearance

This next step is the one that takes your character from a series of choices and numbers on a character sheet and helps them feel like a living person within your Homeworld games.

Name

Every character needs a name. In Homeworld a character’s name usually reflects their Kiith and will normally use their Kiith name in place of a surname. You can choose to break this convention if you wish, but it’s good to note which Kiith your character belongs to and select a name that feels right for the setting. Kushan names often make use of double vowels, such as “ii,” “aa,” and “uu,” leading to names such as Majiir or Chiisur. Any easy way to include these into an existing name is to take the name, such as Amara or Idris, and then double up the vowels already in the name, leading to names like Amaara or Idriis. However, many Kushan names break this convention, opting to forgo the double vowels as seen with names such as Karan, Rachel, and Jeremiah.

Personality

Now that you have an idea of your character’s background and abilities, it’s worth thinking about how their experiences have shaped

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Deciding what your character looks like is also important. This can be their physical description: are they tall or short? What build do they have? What uniform do they wear? Do they have any distinctive features? It can also be a description of how they appear to others, such as habits, behavioral quirks, or even the impression they try to give others.

Relationships

How your character interacts with others— both the other players’ characters and nonplayer characters—is important. A few points to consider would be: • Does your character get on with the rest of the crew? If not, why? • How does your character regard the other members of the crew? • How do you know the other members of the crew? Are you friends with any of them? • Do you have any rivals or enemies? • Aside from the crew, who else is your character close to or friendly with? Who is this person and what do they do? These details can make the interaction between all the characters more interesting and add more depth to your character. Like their personality, your character’s relationships can, and should, evolve over time.

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Equipment

Example

Lastly, you have your character’s equipment and gear. All characters start with some basic equipment. This includes items issued to all personnel as well as any equipment that your character needs to perform their role. All characters receive the following: • A wrist computer (p.98) • An emergency breach patch (p.97) • A pair of goggles (p.98) • A short-term breather (p.98) • A work uniform in the style of their Kiith and role • A set of tools or equipment appropriate to their role (p.65) • A utility blade or combat knife • A personal item that is important to your character (you choose the item but the gamemaster can veto anything inappropriate or far-fetched) At the gamemaster’s discretion, those from a martial Kiith background can carry a sword, and those with security positions (normally at least one person within the crew) will have access to a pistol. See p.97 for more information on gear.

Example Lastly, Ellie records her starting equipment and chooses her personal item. She decides that her character has a bracelet made of metal from the hull of her damaged ship, a reminder to herself to always be prepared for the worst. She writes in her utility blade’s weapon stats on her sheet, remembering to add her 2 bonus to the stress rating of the blade in the Challenge Dice box. She also notes down her unarmed attack with a stress rating equal to her combat skill. Ellie’s character is now complete, and she is ready to start playing!

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Now Ellie must work out her character’s personal details. She decides to pick the name Kiiara. Using the choices and backstory she formed during the earlier stages of the lifepath, Ellie decides that her character is hard-working but a thrillseeker who likes new experiences and has a curiosity for the unknown, though she always keeps herself prepared for the worst-case scenario. She is friendly with her crew but is colder toward junior officers, especially those who don’t follow protocol, because of her accident. She still likes to trade and make offers, especially if it’s for equipment, and will often still trade her piloting skills for resources. When thinking about her relationships, she decides that she does get on with the rest of the crew, though she doesn’t know them too well. She regards the captain and the other officers with respect both for them as people and their rank, but keeps a close eye on the junior officers in the group to make sure that they adhere to proper procedures. She also decides that she is close to her brother, who she names Kinaal; he took a different path than she did, becoming a minor diplomat within the fleet.

Example Character: Name: Kiiara Soban

Role: Pilot Armor Rating: 1

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Kiith Background: Soban Environment: Capital City of Tiir Upbringing: Travel and Trade Rank: Commander Requisition Units: 0

Max Stress: 10

Injury

Attributes Agility

10

Brawn

08

Wrist computer

Coordination

11

Insight

07

Emergency breach patch

Reason

09

Will

09

Pair of goggles Short-term breather

Skills

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Equipment

Work uniform

Combat

02

Command

02

Mechanic’s tools

Engineering

02

Exploration

03

Utility blade

Flight

04

Medical

01

Bracelet made of old ship metal.

Focuses

Defining Aspects

Truths

Flight Systems Kiith History Small Craft Survival Tactics Temporary Repairs

A Trader for Life

Kiith Soban

Enjoys Other Kiith Culture

Charter-Pilot

I Do Not Fear the Unknown I Seek Its Thrills

Weapon

Stress Rating

Utility Blade

3

Unarmed

2

Range and Type

Effects

Qualities

Reach

Vicious 1

Debilitating

Reach

Knockdown

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Talents

General Talents Adaptable

Requirements: None You may always use Flight instead of Engineering when attempting to assess a problem or repair damage to a ship.

Cautious

Requirements: None When you select this talent, choose a single skill. When you attempt a skill test using the chosen skill, and you buy d20s by spending Momentum, you may re-roll a single d20 in your dice pool. You may select this talent multiple times, once for each skill, but you may not select any skill that has already been selected for the Daring talent.

Collaboration

Requirements: None When you select this talent, select a single skill. Whenever an ally attempts a skill test using that skill, you may spend two Momentum to allow them to use your score for that skill, and one of your focuses (if applicable).

Daring

Requirements: None When you select this talent, choose a single skill. When you attempt a skill test using the

chosen skill, and you buy d20s by adding to Threat, you may re-roll a single d20 in your dice pool. You may select this talent multiple times, once for each skill, but you may not select any skill which has already been selected for the Cautious talent.

Dedication

Requirements: None You may spend a Fortune point before attempting a skill test where you have an applicable focus. If you do so, you score two successes for each die that rolls equal to or less than twice the character’s skill, instead of the skill’s normal rating.

Deep Study

Requirements: None The first time you spend one or more Momentum on the Obtain Information spend in a scene, you may ask one additional question of the gamemaster.

Defensive

Requirements: None On your turn during combat, you may use your major action to make an Insight + Combat test with a difficulty of 2. If successful, the next attack against you is increased in difficulty by 1.

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Talents provide a benefit to your character, representing training or an enhanced skill in a particular area. Each talent has a circumstance, which details when the talent can be applied, and an effect which is the benefit the talent gives you. Some talents have a requirement, which you must meet in order to obtain the talent. You may only obtain a talent once unless specified otherwise in the talent description. The following talents are available to all characters, unless otherwise noted in the requirements. Players should feel free to rename these talents to better fit their characters if needed, as it will not change the rules for the talent. In this case keeping note of the original name of the talent can be useful for referencing.

Defuse the Tension

Requirements: None Whenever you attempt a test to persuade someone not to resort to violence, you may add a bonus d20 to your dice pool.

Endurance Training

Requirements: Combat 3+ or Exploration 3+ Your maximum stress is increased by 3.

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Expertise

Requirements: +3 in selected skill When you select this talent, choose a single skill. When you attempt a skill test using that skill, you may spend a Fortune point to succeed automatically (but generating no Momentum).

Exploit Opportunity

Requirements: None When you attempt an attack against an unaware enemy, someone unable to defend themselves, or someone suffering from a truth that represents a weakness or vulnerability, the attack gains the Piercing 2 damage effect.

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Fearless

Requirements: None Whenever you attempt a skill test to resist being intimidated or threatened, the cost to buy the first bonus d20 on that skill test is reduced to 0.

Field Medicine

Requirements: None When attempting a Medicine task, you may ignore any increase in Difficulty for working without the proper tools or equipment.

Historian

Requirements: None When making tests to recall Kiith history, or history on a subject you may reasonably have studied, you may re-roll a single d20.

Improvised Weapon

Requirements: None When using an improvised weapon you may re-roll a single d20 in your dice pool.

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In the Nick of Time

Survivalist

Intense Scrutiny

System Maintenance

Morale Boost

Systems Expert

Requirements: Engineering 3+ or Exploration 3+ Whenever you succeed at an Engineering or Exploration test as part of an extended test, roll a Challenge Dice. If you roll an Effect, you inflict an additional point towards completing the extended test.

Requirements: None Whenever you assist an ally using Command, the ally you assist may re-roll a single d20 in their dice pool.

Empathetic

Requirements: None When using Insight to determine the intentions or feelings of another character you gain a bonus d20 on the test.

Push the Limits

Requirements: None When you attempt a test using Flight that has increased in Difficulty due to environmental conditions or damage to the engines, reduce the Difficulty by one, to a minimum of one.

Resilient

Requirements: None Your character’s armor rating increases by 1, which stacks with any armor they are wearing.

Second Wind

Requirements: Brawn 9+ or Medicine 4+ The character may spend one Fortune to remove all stress they are currently suffering. This does not count as an action, but it may only be done on the character’s turn.

Requirements: Engineering 3+ or Flight 3+ When you select this talent, select a single system from the ship attributes. When making a test to mitigate the effect of a breach to that system, you may re-roll one d20. This talent may only be selected once. Requirements: None When you take this talent, select a single ship system. When you make tests that use this system, you may re-roll one d20. This talent may only be selected once.

Tactical Weapons Expert

Requirements: None When at the tactical station aboard a ship and taking the Fire Weapon action, if the difficulty of this attack would increase due to the target ship being at a smaller scale, you may spend 1 point of Momentum to reduce the difficulty of the attack by 1.

Troubleshooting

Requirements: None When you use Engineering as part of a successful test to understand an unfamiliar system or technology, you may ask the gamemaster one free question relating to your assessment, as per the Obtain Information Momentum spend.

Vigilant

Requirements: None Whenever you attempt a skill test to detect danger or hidden enemies, reduce the difficulty by 1.

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Requirements: Reason 9+ or Coordination 9+ Whenever you succeed at a test using Reason or Coordination as part of an extended test, roll a Challenge Dice. If you roll an Effect, you inflict an additional point towards completing the extended test.

Requirements: None You may reduce the difficulty of tests to navigate and overcome dangerous terrain or environmental conditions—such as difficult climbs, unstable flooring, or maneuvering in zero gravity—by 1, to a minimum of 0.

Combat Talents Pack a Punch

Requirements: Combat 2+ The character’s unarmed attacks gain the Vicious damage effect.

Protector CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Requirements: Combat 3+ When an ally within Close range is targeted by an attack, you can make an Agility + Combat test with a difficulty of 2. The difficulty of this test can be increased or decreased by the gamemaster to account for any relevant truths. On a success you move to protect that ally and become the target of the attack against them.

Reactive

Requirements: Combat 3+ During the first round of any combat, you and your allies may ignore the normal cost of the Keep the Initiative Momentum Spend.

Deadly Shot

Requirements: Combat 4+ and Coordination 9+ When the character makes a ranged attack with a weapon with the Vicious quality, that quality is increased by 1.

Close Protection

Requirements: Combat 4+ When you make a successful attack, you may spend one Momentum to protect a single ally within close range. The next attack against that ally before the start of your next turn increases in difficulty by 1.

Command Talents Coordinated Leadership

Requirements: Command 2+ Once per round you may use the Prepare minor action to grant an ally a minor action of their choice (performed immediately). You must be able to communicate with this ally.

Interrogation

Requirements: Command 3+ When you succeed at a test to coerce someone into revealing information in a social conflict, you may ask the gamemaster a question as per the Obtain Information Momentum spend.

Follow My Lead

Requirements: Command 3+ Once per scene, when you succeed at a test during combat or another perilous situation, you may spend one point of Fortune. If you

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do, choose a single ally. The next task that ally attempts counts as having assistance from you, using your Will + Command.

Strength of Command

Requirements: Command +4, Will 9+, and player character Once per scene, you can direct another character as a major action. Select a single allied character who you can communicate with; that character may immediately attempt a major action outside of their turn. If this action includes a skill test, you assist them.

Battle Command

Requirements: Command 4+ or Combat 4+ During an action scene, if you assist an ally as your major action, and would then pay Momentum or Threat to Keep the Initiative, you reduce the cost of this Momentum spend to 0.

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Engineering Talents Requirements: Engineering 3+ When making tests using Engineering in zero-gravity environments, ignore any difficulty increase caused by the absence of gravity. Increases in difficulty due to space suits or other environmental challenges are not affected by this talent.

piece of equipment. This may take the form of a brand new invention, or be a modified version of existing equipment. Each time you select this talent, determine the device and the function it performs. When used appropriately, the device functions as an advantage, but its experimental nature means that the complication range of tests to use the device is increased by 2.

I Know My Ship

Jury-Rig

Requirements: Engineering 3+ or Flight 3+ Whenever you attempt a test to determine the source of a technical problem with your ship, add one bonus d20.

Inventor

Requirements: Engineering 4+, Reason 9+, and player character You have constructed or invented a new

Requirements: Engineering 4+ Whenever you attempt an Engineering test to perform repairs without the proper equipment, you may reduce the difficulty by 1, to a minimum of 0. If you do this, however, the repairs are temporary and will last only a single scene, plus one additional scene per Momentum spent before they fail again. Jury-rigged repairs can only be made once.

Exploration Talents Computer Expertise

Requirements: Exploration, Flight, or Engineering 2+ Whenever you attempt a Task that involves the programming or study of a computer system, you may add a bonus d20 to your pool.

Experienced Mind

Requirements: Exploration 3+ You may always use Exploration instead of Command to persuade, convince, or deceive as long as your technical, scientific, or exploratory knowledge can be used to create a plausible argument.

Zero-Gravity Training

Requirements: Exploration or Combat 3+ and Agility 9+ When the difficulty of a test would increase due to being in zero gravity or low gravity conditions, you may ignore this difficulty increase. Additionally, when the difficulty of a test would be increased due to you wearing a space suit or other protective equipment designed for zero or low gravity conditions, you may decrease the difficulty of this test by 1 to a minimum of 0.

Perfect Recall

Requirements: Exploration 4+ Once per session, when you attempt a test, you may spend 2 Momentum to gain a temporary focus of your choice for the rest of the session. However, any test that uses this focus (specify before rolling) increases its complication range by 1.

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Zero-G Engineering

Specialization

Requirements: Exploration 4+ or Reason 9+ When you select this talent, choose a focus that you have. When this focus would apply to a test, each die that would generate 2 successes also generates a point of

Momentum. This Momentum cannot be saved in the group pool, but instead must be spent immediately on a Momentum spend relevant to the test made, such as (but not limited to) Create Truth, Obtain Information, or Inflict Extra Stress.

Flight Talents CHAPTER 3: CHARACTER CREATION

Starship Identification

Requirements: Flight 2+ or Exploration 2+ Whenever you succeed at a Flight or Exploration test to identify a type of starship, or to try to understand an unknown form of starship, you may either ask the gamemaster a question as per the Obtain Information Momentum spend, or create a truth as per the Create Truth Momentum spend.

Fly-By

Requirements: Flight 3+ Whenever you use the Additional Skill Test Momentum spend to make a test using one of the ship’s attributes, you do not increase the difficulty of the second task.

Tactical Weapons Expert

Requirements: Flight 3+ or Combat 3+ When at the tactical station aboard a ship and taking the Fire Weapon action, if the difficulty of this attack would increase due to the target ship being at a smaller scale you may spend 1 point of Momentum to reduce the difficulty of the attack by 1.

Defensive Attack

Requirements: Flight 4+ Whenever you succeed at the Attack Pattern action you may spend 2 Momentum. If you do, the difficulty to target your ship does not decrease by 1 as normally caused by the Attack Pattern action.

Precise Evasion

Requirements: Flight 4+ Whenever you succeed at the Evasive Action test, you may spend 2 Momentum. If you do, the ship does not suffer the increased difficulty for attacks normally caused by Evasive Action.

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Medical Talents Quick Study

First Response

Requirements: Medicine 3+ When you attempt the Treatment task during combat, you gain a bonus d20. Further, you may always succeed at cost, with each complication you suffer adding +1 to the difficulty of healing the patient’s injury subsequently.

Triage

Requirements: Medicine 3+ When you attempt a task to identify specific injuries or illnesses, or to determine the

Doctor’s Orders

Requirements: Medicine 4+ When you attempt a task to coordinate others, or to coerce someone into taking or refraining from a specific course of action, you may use your Medicine skill instead of Command.

Applied Knowledge

Requirements: Medicine 4+ and Reason 9+ Select one skill when you choose this talent. Once per scene before attempting a test with this skill, you may spend a point of Fortune to substitute your Medical skill in place of the skill you would have used. This Fortune spend does not need to be linked to a defining aspect.

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Requirements: Medicine 2+ When attempting a task that will involve an unfamiliar medical procedure, or which is to treat an unfamiliar species, ignore any difficulty increase stemming from your unfamiliarity.

severity of a patient’s condition, you may diagnose one additional patient per Momentum spent.

Creation in Play Creation in play allows you to partially create your character, while leaving many details undefined until you choose to define them as you play. Creating a partial character this way is a shorter process, but one that requires you to know what you want the character to do. For this reason, some elements that are left until last in lifepath creation are determined up front with creation in play.

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This method uses the following steps: 1. Choose your character’s rank and role. 2. Assign your character’s attributes. 3. Choose your character’s Kiith. 4. Assign your character’s skills. 5. Choose a single defining aspect. 6. Total Maximum Stress and Additional Challenge Dice 7. Begin play!

1. Choose Your Character’s Role You should first determine the role that you would like your character to fill, as they will be created to fill the chosen role rather than choosing a role once completed. The list of roles can be found on p.65.

2. Assign Your Character’s Attributes You have the following scores to assign to your character’s attributes in any order: 10, 9, 9, 8, 8, 7

3. Choose Your Character’s Kiith Next, select your character’s Kiith by choosing from the options in the lifepath creation starting on p.37. Add any attribute increases and truths this gives you, and gain a talent as described.

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4. Assign Your Character’s Skills Next, choose two skills; one of these is assigned a value of 4 and the other is assigned a value of 3. Leave the other four skills blank at this stage. They will be determined during play.

5. Choose a Single Defining Aspect Finally, choose a single defining aspect. This should be the neutral defining aspect as described on p.64.

6. Total Maximum Stress and Additional Challenge Dice Your character has a maximum stress equal to their Brawn + Combat skill. On all successful attacks, your character inflicts a number of additional equal to their Combat skill.

7. Begin Play! At this stage, your character should have their role, their Kiith (including the accompanying truth and talent), a single defining aspect, and a full range of attributes and two of their six skills.

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The gamemaster should then begin play, devising a basic mission for the group of partially-created characters. This scenario mainly serves as an opportunity to introduce and flesh out your characters. During this scenario, each character in the group should have a basic opportunity to show off their skills. Your character will have the following elements left undetermined.

Once the first session is done, all the characters should be fully developed and fleshed out. If your character still has elements undefined, you should feel free to decide upon those elements after the first session, or leave them undefined until subsequent sessions.

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• Skills. Your character has four skills left undefined. Whenever called upon to attempt a test that would use an undefined skill, you may declare that you’re choosing to define that skill. Your character’s remaining skills may be given one of the following ratings: 3, 2, 2, and 1. Each one of those ratings may only be used once. The test is then attempted using that newly defined skill. • Focuses. Your character has six focuses left undefined. Whenever called upon to attempt a test, you may declare that you’re choosing to define one of their focuses. Choose a focus applicable to the test being attempted. The test is then attempted using the newly defined focus.

• Talents. Your character has three talents left undefined. At any point during the session, you may declare that you’re choosing to define one of their talents. You choose one talent, for which your character must meet the requirements (if any). Play then resumes with the character gaining the benefits of that talent. However, the character may not retroactively benefit from having the talent—they cannot change things that happened before the talent was gained. • Defining Aspects. Your character will have 2-4 defining aspects still left to identify. You may declare at any time that you are specifying a defining aspect. As with normal character creation, these should represent key aspects of your character.

Supporting Characters As described at the start of this chapter, supporting characters are the other type of characters that players create and control during a game of Homeworld. Supporting characters are less detailed and are created in a less involved manner than player characters, and a single player does not permanently own them. Instead, supporting characters are created when circumstances require them within the game.

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Supporting characters serve the following purposes within Homeworld: • They allow you to take on different roles in play, to access a skillset that doesn’t exist among the player characters, to play a more active role in an adventure that doesn’t focus on your player character, or to account for players who are absent from a session. • They allow you to split characters between different activities in different locations without being left out of the game for long stretches: you can use supporting characters in scenes where your main character isn’t present. • They allow smaller groups of players to bolster their numbers during play to help overcome challenging situations.

Using a Supporting Character At the start of a scene, you may choose which character you are using: your player character, or one of the supporting characters currently available. For the duration of that scene, you will control the character you have chosen. Where chain of command becomes significant, supporting characters do not usually hold senior positions, and often do not have authority over the other player characters; beyond that, compare the individual ranks of characters. Both you and the gamemaster should keep note of where player characters and supporting characters are at different times. This means that if the gamemaster ends a scene, and then establishes the next scene

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in a location occupied by a different set of characters, you can easily switch to the appropriate characters without having to stop and figure out who is involved and who isn’t. If you have multiple characters in a single scene, such as your player character and supporting characters you usually control, then you may only control one of them. Characters who are not under the direct control of any player cannot perform the full range of actions and tests available to a character under a player’s control. Instead, they can do the following things: • Minor Actions. An uncontrolled character will perform whatever minor actions or other incidental activities are needed to keep up with the player characters, or to follow the orders of player-controlled characters with authority over them. • Tests. An uncontrolled character cannot attempt a test that has a difficulty above 0. Uncontrolled characters may, however, assist (see Assistance p.13) to benefit player characters, though they may only do so once per round in combat. • Combat. Uncontrolled characters do not receive a turn during combat; instead, an uncontrolled character’s minor and major actions (per the limitations above) are resolved as part of the actions of player characters—the uncontrolled characters follow the orders of their superiors immediately.

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Further, uncontrolled characters can be treated as an advantage, to allow a test to be attempted which would otherwise be impossible or to reduce the difficulty of a test—simply providing an extra pair of hands and an extra set of senses can be valuable.

Creating a Supporting Character The number of supporting characters present during any game is variable, and individual players do not own any supporting characters—they are created by the group and can be controlled by any player. To create a new supporting character and introduce them to a scene for the first time, it costs 2 RUs (see Character Advancement, Resource Units, p.83). It must make sense and be possible for the supporting character to enter the scene, and gamemasters can

veto a supporting character being introduced if they feel it would not be reasonably possible. If the majority of the main player characters are present in a scene, you may have no more than two supporting characters present. When creating a supporting character, use the following procedure:

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• Complications and Injury. Uncontrolled characters can be injured in combat and can suffer complications as normal. However, an uncontrolled character may not spend Momentum or add to Threat to avoid an injury. Further, in any situation where a player character would suffer a complication or receive an injury, if there are one or more uncontrolled characters in the scene, the player may choose to have the uncontrolled character suffer the complication or injury instead. If the uncontrolled character suffers an injury they cannot be used in any way for the remainder of the scene. If the injury is not treated by the end of the scene, they will die if they don’t receive medical attention. If your player character is incapacitated, you may immediately choose to take over an uncontrolled character for the remainder of the scene.

1. Purpose: Determine what purpose the supporting character will fill. Are they an engineer, medic, researcher, security officer? This will shape the rest of the character. 2. Attributes: Assign the character’s attribute scores. These are 10, 9, 8, 8, 7, and 7, allocated in any order. Also at this stage, choose the character’s Kiith, note down their Kiith truth, and make any adjustments to their attributes accordingly. 3. Skills: Next, assign the character’s skills. They will have scores of 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, and 1, arranged in any order. 4. Focuses: After this, choose three focuses for the character. At least one of these should match up with the purpose defined in step one. 5. Finishing Up: Finally, give the character their standard issue equipment (see p.97), choose an appropriate name and rank for the character, total their maximum stress (equal to Brawn + Combat) and total how many additional challenge dice of stress they do when they attack (equal to their Combat skill). It is worth nothing that supporting characters don’t usually have a rank above lieutenant. The gamemaster can allow supporting characters higher in rank at their discretion. Supporting characters do not have the same level of detail as player characters, and initially will lack talents and defining aspects.

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Supporting characters can obtain these details and develop during play. Whenever a supporting character is introduced to an adventure, and this is not the first time they have been introduced, the player introducing them may choose one of the following options:

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• Attributes: The supporting character increases a single attribute by 1. This option may only be chosen once. • Skills: The supporting character increases a single skill by 1. This option may only be chosen once. • Focuses: The supporting character chooses one additional focus. This option may be chosen three times, gaining a new focus each time.

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• Talents: The supporting character gains a single talent that they meet the requirements for. This option may be chosen up to four times, gaining a different talent each time. • Defining Aspects: The supporting character gains a defining aspect. This option may be chosen up to three times. Once all the options listed above have been taken, a supporting character cannot improve further simply by being introduced to an adventure. However, supporting characters can also be improved as part of a player character’s advancement (see p.83).

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Character Advancement Character advancement is the way a character grows, improves, and changes as you play in a Homeworld campaign.

Resource Units

When you increase your characters skill, you pay RUs to increase it by 1.

New Focuses

There are two ways in which your character can gain a new focus. The first is to replace an existing focus with a new one, and the second is to pay a higher RU cost to add a focus without replacing any others.

New Talents

When adding new talents to your character, you can choose to replace an existing talent for one that you meet the requirements for, or you can add an additional talent for a higher RU cost.

Gaining Resource Units

Buying Advancements You can advance your character in a few ways: by increasing their attributes and skills, or giving them new focuses and talents. Each advancement has two different RU costs, one for player characters and the other for supporting characters (after they have already achieved all advancements for appearing in an adventure).

Increasing Attributes

Increasing Skills

You can increase your character’s attributes in two ways. The first is to reduce one attribute and raise another, essentially moving points from one attribute to another. The second is to pay a higher RU cost to

The most common way to gain resource units is being awarded RUs by the gamemaster at the end of a session. The gamemaster should always award 1RU for each of the following: • The player was present for the session. • The player used one or more defining aspects to spend Fortune during the session. • The player challenged one or more defining aspects during the session. • The players completed a key story arc, mission or other milestone.

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Resource units, or RUs, are the way you pay for advancement. RUs can be spent to improve player and supporting characters as well as paying for items (p.83–98) and ship upgrades (p.154). Character advancement options, as well as items and ship upgrades, have an RU cost. This is the number of RUs that you must spend in order to gain the advancement. Players can pool their RUs together to pay for higher cost items, upgrades, and advancements if needed, but each player keeps track of their own RUs. You may only advance your character at the beginning or end of a session or adventure at the GMs discretion (ask your GM which they intend to do), and you may only choose one advancement each time.

increase an attribute without needing to reduce any others.

Other Ways to Gain RUs

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Gamemasters are encouraged to also award RUs for good roleplaying, achieving a personal milestone of some kind within the story, personal character development, and for other reasons related to the players moving the story or their characters in an interesting direction. Usually, between 1-4 RUs per session is appropriate, but the gamemaster can choose to award more should they wish to.

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Players can also gain RUs during gameplay. A non-player character might offer RUs as payment for a mission, for completing a task or hiring a character, and characters might have the opportunity to trade items for RUs. Resource units can also be gained through resource collector and controller ships over time at the gamemaster’s discretion (see Resource Collector and Resource Controller p.129-128).

Advancement

Player Character RU Cost

Supporting Character RU Cost

Reduce one attribute by 1 and then raise another attribute by 1

5 (You may not increase an attribute over 12 this way.)

5 (You may not increase an attribute over 12 this way.)

Replace one focus

5

5

Replace one talent

5 and must meet the requirements for the talent.

5 and must meet the requirements for the talent.

Increase one attribute

10 for the first increase, 20 for any after the first.

20

Increase one skill

10 for the first increase, 20 for any after the first.

20

Add one talent

10 for the first increase, 20 for any after the first.

20

Add one focus

10 for the first increase, 20 for any after the first.

20

CHAPTER 3

Chapter 4

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT This chapter provides descriptions of a range of common items, weapons, equipment, and technology in use by the various factions of Homeworld: Revelations.

Weapons Weapon Types and Range

Anatomy of a Wapon

Melee

All weapons have a few defining key points:

• Type. Melee or ranged, determining

how the weapon is used. • Range. Reach (for melee), Close/Medium/Long (for ranged). • Stress Rating. The number of challenge dice rolled when making a successful attack, not including additional challenge dice from your character’s Combat skill. • Effects. Some weapons also have extra effects with a successful attack. • Qualities. These are additional restrictions or benefits that apply to the weapon’s use. • Use Limit. Some weapons will only function so many times before they are unusable. These weapons have a use limit, once a weapon hits this limit, it ceases to function.

In Homeworld, weapons are categorized as either melee or ranged. The difficulty of a test increases by 1 for each range category closer or further away the target is from the range of a weapon. The rules for ranges and zones can be found in Chapter 2: Action and Combat, p.19. Melee weapons are usually either blunt, pointed, or edged—such as batons, spears, or swords—and are used when you are within Reach of your target. They are good for close combat situations but are difficult or impossible to use at range. Some melee weapons, such as knives, can be thrown, but a test to attack suffers from a difficulty increase.

Ranged

Ranged weapons are separated into three categories: ballistic, beam, and explosive, which determine what the weapon fires and how it works. • Kinetic. These weapons fire conventional projectiles, such as lead-tipped or hollowpoint ammunition at high speed to cause injury or damage to their targets. These are the most common kinds of ranged weapon.

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Homeworld has several weapons available for use by both the player characters and NPCs. Often, weapons aren’t just useful for battles and fights, but can also show a lot about the way of life and technology level of those who wield them. This chapter focuses on player character weapons and equipment. Information and rules on ship-mounted weapons can be found in Chapter 5: Ship Combat along with the rules for ship combat.

• Beam. These weapons use energy technology, such as ion technology, and work by accelerating a particle to high speed or by releasing a concentrated beam of energy. These kinds of weapon are so rare they are often thought of as myths. • Explosive. Explosive weapons, such as grenades, work by taking explosive material and forcing it to undergo a rapid chemical reaction triggered by a shock or a detonator. The rapid nature of this

reaction causes powerful shockwaves, a huge heat output, or sometimes both. This can range from an explosion only powerful enough to blow the lock on a door, to one powerful enough to breach a wall or collapse a building. Ranged weapons are best used when you are not within Reach of your target and work best when your target is within the weapons range.

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Ranged Weapons in Zero Gravity Not all weapons are designed to fire in zero gravity conditions. Conventional firearms are often unable to accommodate propulsion ammunition (See Ammunition). Some weapons are specially designed for zero gravity or to accommodate propulsion ammunition to. Firing a kinetic weapon in zero gravity without the use of propulsion ammunition will cause you to be pushed backwards from the force of the gun. Tests to fire weapons without propulsion ammunition are increased in difficulty by 3, and push you away from your target a number of zones equal to the weapon’s range (regardless of if you hit or not) unless there is something to prevent you moving, such as an obstacle or tether. For example, if you fire a gun in zero gravity without the correct ammunition, and the gun has a range of medium, you will be pushed 2 zones in the opposite direction of your target. Gamemasters can find further information on zero gravity and its effects in Chapter 2: Action and Combat, page “Action in Zero-G” on page 22.

Ammunition

All ranged, kinetic weapons, unless otherwise noted, use standard, lead-tipped ammunition and this is accounted for in the weapon’s stress rating. In Homeworld, ammunition is not tracked individually by bullet or clip, instead it is assumed that a character gains enough for their weapon when it is acquired. If a complication is rolled on a test to use a weapon that requires ammunition, the gamemaster can choose that the complication represents you firing the last of your bullets. You must then pay the RU cost for the ammunition (or find a way to obtain more) before being able to fire the weapon again. Several types of ammunition are available to players at the gamemaster’s discretion:

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• Lead Tip. Standard ammunition for all firearms. Lead-tipped bullets cost 1 RU. • Hollow Point. This ammunition is intended to penetrate shallower than standard lead-tipped ammunition but has far more stopping power. When used against live targets, bullets tend to lodge in the body, causing further damage. Add 2 to the weapon’s stress rating, the weapon gains the Debilitating quality and the Vicious 1 effect. If purchasing a weapon with hollow-point rounds add 3 RU to the cost. Hollow-point bullets cost 3 RU. • Rubber Tipped. This ammunition is best used for crowd control or when the risk of damaging the integrity of an interior hull is too great for normal ammunition. It can take the form of rubber bullets, or

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Effects Some weapons have effects which are triggered when you roll Effects on a Challenge Die. Sometimes only a single Effect needs to be rolled for these to be triggered, other times the number of Effects rolled improves the Effect’s outcome. • Area. The attack affects a wider area and can affect several targets at once. The attack automatically affects any character or damageable object within Reach of the initial target plus one additional target per Momentum spent. • Intense. The attack inflicts massive harm on a target. The Momentum cost to avoid an injury caused by an

Intense weapon increases by one for each effect rolled. • Knockdown. The target is knocked prone. The target may resist this effect by spending 2 Momentum. • Piercing X. The attack ignores X points of the target’s total armor. • Vicious X. The attack inflicts X points of additional stress for each effect rolled. • Persistent X . The weapon leaves behind a lingering energy field, which continues to damage the target. The targets suffers an additional X damage at the end of their next turn.

Qualities The following additional qualities alter the way a weapon functions, some in positive ways, others by applying restrictions. • Accurate. If the character performs the Aim minor action before making an attack with this weapon, then any number of d20s may be rerolled. • Cumbersome. The weapon cannot be used to attack unless a Prepare minor action is performed during the same turn. • Lethal. If the character attempts to make a non-lethal attack with this weapon, the difficulty of the attack increases by 1. • Debilitating. Medical tests to perform first aid on characters injured by this weapon, or to heal injuries caused by this weapon, increase in difficulty by 1. • Hidden X. When the weapon is hidden, any search of the owning character requires an Insight + Combat or Reason + Combat test, with a difficulty of X, to locate the weapon. A character may use a minor action to conceal a Hidden weapon.

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cartridges filled with rubber pellets. The weapon’s stress rating becomes 2 , it loses the Lethal quality, and gains the Non-Lethal quality. The weapon gains the Knockdown effect. If the weapon takes cartridges, such as a shotgun, the weapon also gains the Area effect. • Propulsion. This type of ammunition is used specifically for weapons designed to work in zero-gravity combat. After leaving the weapon’s chamber, the bullet’s rocket propulsion kicks in, sending it towards its intended target at an incredible speed. The combined use of population ammunition and the weapons release of counter mass energy means these types of bullets are only suitable for use in zero-g combat. If used outside of zero-gravity combat the stress rating of the weapon increases by 3 but the complication range of tests to fire the weapon are increased to 4 (A complication is rolled on a 17, 18, 19, and 20). Complications rolled this way will inflict 2 of stress on the user with the Persistent 2 effect as the energy blowback on the weapon emits high levels of radiation and heat.

• Inaccurate. The difficulty of ranged attacks made with this weapon increase by 1 and characters gain no bonus from using the Aim minor action. • Charge. The weapon has an adaptable energy supply, allowing its potency to be scaled to various levels. If the character performs a Prepare minor action before attacking with this weapon, they may add one of the effects listed in the Charge description.

• Non-Lethal. If the character attempts to make a lethal attack with this weapon, the difficulty of the attack increases by 1. • Special. Some weapons have special listed as a quality. This is usually used with weapons that have additional special rules specific to each weapon. More information can be found in the weapon’s description.

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Obtaining Weapons and Equipment All characters have access to basic equipment such as the free equipment you receive during character creation. It can be assumed that you can gain access to any equipment that would be reasonable for your characters role without the need to pay the RU cost. Equipment that a character would not reasonably own, have immediate access to or that is significantly better than the standard equipment they receive will need to be purchased with RU (see Chapter 3: Character Creation, Character Advancement, p.83). The gamemaster can use their discretion when deciding if a character needs to pay the RU cost for an item, depending on the situation and the character’s circumstances. All equipment has an RU cost which differs depending on how common or rare an item is, as well as how simple or complex its design is. Characters can combine their RUs to purchase higher RU cost items. Some items cannot be bought with RU and so do not have an RU cost, these are usually items or weapons made of materials that you do not have access to normally, are too complex to replicate or because they are technology no longer in production, and must be found, bought, or traded for.

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Weapons of Homeworld

Weapons and Cultures Weapons are not only good for combat in Homeworld but are also useful for indicating the technological and sometimes political or cultural stance of a faction. Hightech weaponry indicates a faction that is militaristic or well-funded; weapons that are second-hand, jury-rigged or made from scrap material might suggest a culture that recycles heavily, or has limited resources, whereas a culture with advanced weapons in poor condition might suggest a once militaristic way of life that is now struggling. Below are some of the main factions within Homeworld with some information to help gamemasters describe or flavor weapons from the weapons tables to fit each one.

Kushan

Much of the Kushan people’s technology was reverse engineered from that found on the Khar-toba. Firearms were standard projectile weapons, well-made but lightweight. They often featured sleek designs, sometimes with metallic accents or light personalization to denote Kiith or manufacturer.

Martial weapons are still popular, especially with Kiith Soban (a Kiith with a martial background), in the form of swords, knives, and daggers. Most bladed weapons bear the mark of Kiith Soban, as their steel was known to be the best to work and hold an edge. Kiith Soban had a contract with Kiith Somtaaw to produce weapons, eventually leading to Somtaaw steel weapons being considered the finest there was. During the exodus, the Kushan often reverse engineered Taiidan weapons to improve their own, despite the age of some of that weaponry, much of it was made with techniques slightly more advanced than their own, which when replicated, allowed the Kushan to improve their weapons greatly.

Taiidan

Taiidan weapons were made with slightly more advanced techniques than some other factions, such as the Kushan or the Turanic raiders, but much of their weaponry was over produced. Weapons in use by the military are old because there was little need to develop new weapons when so many of them already existed. Often when a weapon breaks down, it is cannibalized for useful parts, and a modular system among Taiidani weapons means they are easy to repair. Their age, however, means they can just as easily fall apart again. Most veterans or high-ranking officers will carry a ceremonial blade—though these do still function as weapons—as well as a hard-hitting, reliable side arm. Highranking commanders or generals often carry weapons that have been handed down to them, and they are usually both ornate and deadly. Alongside firearms, swords, knives, handaxes, and daggers are still popular, with

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This section gives you information on weapons found in Homeworld: Revelations. It is not designed to be an exhaustive list of all possible weapons, but rather lists the most common weapons that can be found and used. Players should check with their gamemasters before selecting weapons, and gamemasters should feel free to customize these, flavor their descriptions or create new weapons according to their needs. The weapons’ tables included will give suggestions on factions that might use these weapons, but these are guidelines rather than rules.

most infantry soldiers carrying a combat knife or dagger on their person. This is often because even the best, well-kept firearms are at risk of jamming or breaking down due to component wear. Commanders usually carry a short blade. Because of their versatility and low maintenance compared to Taiidani firearms, edged weapons are made of more expensive advanced metal alloys, allowing them to keep their edge and be lightweight at the same time.

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Kadeshi

The isolationist Kadesh gain nearly all weapons through scavenging. When a ship that has entered the nebula is stripped for parts, the Kadesh often have boarding crews search the vessel first for any other useful resources. It is during these searches that firearms are often found. Though the Kadesh have been making knives and daggers for generations, firearms are nearly always scavenged. The Kadesh can repair firearms and create ammunition, but as they rarely board enemy vessels while the occupants are still alive, preferring to attack them from the safety of their ships instead, firearms are rarely used. Knives and bladed weapons are easier to make and easier to maintain, and often serve both as weapons for protection and as ornamental or religiously symbolic items.

Turanic Raiders

use for traditional weapons. If there was ever a time that the Bentusi used firearms or melee weapons, those days have long faded from the galaxy’s collective memory. Even less is known about the Progenitors. While some relics have been found and their ships display proof of advanced technology, no one knows exactly what weaponry they used on the ground.

Melee

Melee weapons are used at close range, usually in hand to hand combat. They are most effective against foes wearing little to no armor and are often the best way to deal with combatants when you wish to simply subdue them, rather than kill. The exception to this is bladed weapons, which often, are designed for lethal force. Baton. A defensive, cylindrical club-like weapon usually made of metal. They can be collapsed to conceal them, granting them the Hidden 2 quality while collapsed. Shock Baton. A cylindrical club-like weapon usually made of metal usually used as a defensive weapon. Shock batons are not collapsible due to the power supply they require. They deliver a non-lethal but painful electrical shock making them useful as a compliance weapon or defensive tool. Club. Collective name for blunt weapons that can be swung to cause blunt force trauma.

The Turanic raiders have several sources of weapons. The most common came from the Taiidan, who supplied the Turanic raiders not only with decommissioned ships, but also firearms. Though these suffer the typical issues of upkeep and repair. Trade and theft were also common sources of weapons.

Combat Knife. A knife designed for hand to hand and close combat fighting. They have a thick grip and generally have a smooth blade with a serrated section close to the hilt. These usually have a fixed blade, but folding combat knives can also be found. These are also good as a multipurpose survival knife.

The Bentusi and Progenitors

Dagger (Standard). A standard fighting dagger. Usually either double- or single-edged with a sharp point. These are designed for close combat to inflict piercing wounds in a short space of time.

Very little is known about the weapons from these two great civilizations. The Bentusi being shipbound means that they have no

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Melee Weapons Weapon

Stress Rating

Range and Type

Effects

Qualities

RU Cost

Baton

1

Reach

Knockdown

Hidden 2*, Non-Lethal

2

Shock Baton

2

Reach

Knockdown

Non- Lethal, Charge (Intense or Vicious)

3

Club

2

Reach

Combat Knife

2

Reach

Vicious 1

Debilitating

4

Dagger (Standard)

2

Reach

Vicious 1, Piercing 1

Hidden 1

4

Dagger (Ceremonial)

2

Reach

Vicious 1

Hand Axe

2

Reach (Close range if thrown)

Long Blade

3

Reach

Vicious 2

6

Machete

3

Reach

Vicious 1

6

Officer’s Blade

3

Reach

Vicious 2, Piercing 1

8

Short Blade

3

Reach

Utility Blade

equal to Combat skill 2

Reach

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Unarmed Strike

3

5

Inaccurate

5

7 -

Knockdown

Reach

Hidden 1

2

*See item description

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Dagger (Ceremonial). A dagger used primarily for ceremonial reasons or designed to be multipurposed. Often these do not have a sharpened edge but do have a sharp point. Sometimes carried purely for decorative purposes but can also be used as a weapon. Hand Axe. A short axe weapon designed to be used single-handed. Its head features one sharpened side and one side that can be used as a hammer. Hand-axes are small enough to be used as a melee weapon but can also be thrown if they are well-balanced.

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Long Blade. A long sword weapon that can be made from a variety of materials. Long blades can be carried on the side of the hip, but larger ones might be carried on the back. They are good keeping combatants at a distance but are generally slower to use than shorter blades. Machete. A broad blade that can be used like a sword or axe, but also with survival utility. They have shorter handles but long blades that can be swung with great force. Officer’s Blade. An implement used by Taiidan officers and members of the Taiidan Elite Guard. Officer’s blades are only carried by those of importance or high skill with blades. A mid length blade slightly shorter than a long blade, they are made of a metal alloy that holds an incredibly sharp edge and is as light as most short blades. Short Blade. A short sword weapon that can be made from a variety of materials. These are usually carried on the side of the hip. Used for closer quarters combat due to them being shorter and lighter than a long blade, they are often paired with a dagger by those skilled in their use. Short blades can also be carried ceremonially, but even these blades tend to have an edge. Unarmed Strike. An attack that does not use a weapon, such as a punch, kick, shove or putting someone in a hold.

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Utility Blade. A small knife, usually with a retractable blade that is designed to be used as a tool as part of a technicians’’ or engineers toolkit. Other knives such as scalpels or knives used for wood carving can also fall under this category.

Improvised Weapons Sometimes, you may not have a weapon to hand, but instead will pick up an item and attempt to use it as one. These are improvised melee weapons. What can be used as a weapon is up to your imagination and the gamemaster’s discretion. Gamemasters can work out the stress rating of an improvised weapon by comparing it to the weapons list here to find the next closest thing, and then reduce the number of Challenge Dice you would roll by one or two to reflect its improvised nature. It is up to the gamemaster to decide if it would have any effects or qualities.

Example:

On the deck of a wrecked derelict ship, Jaanan finds himself unarmed, facing off against another crew who are also investigating this ship. To defend himself, he picks up a thin piece of sheared-off metal that has a sharp edge and uses it to attack. To decide how much damage the improvised weapon does, the gamemaster looks for the next closest weapon on the list; a short blade—the metal has an edge and is light enough to swing easily. The gamemaster decides it does 2 of stress (one less than the short blade’s stress rating to reflect the weapons improvised nature). The gamemaster could also decide that since the sharp edge is jagged and torn, the weapon gains the Vicious 1 quality to reflect this.

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Ranged

Accelerator Pistols and Rifles. A weapon designed to fire in zero-gravity conditions. Accelerator rifles have a much lower recoil than traditional firearms. This is achieved by releasing a counter mass of energy as the gun is fired, preventing kickback in zero and low-gravity conditions. Alongside this, the weapon fires projectiles slower than conventional weapons, but uses ammunition that has short-burst rocket propulsion, sending bullets towards the targets at incredible speed. While powerful, using accelerator weapons outside of zero and low gravity conditions can be catastrophic, as the energy blow back from the gun and the ammunition once fired is very concentrated. While this is not a problem while firing in space suits, or other specialized suits designed to protect against radiation and immense heat, traditional armor cannot protect against the energy blow black. Automatic Pistol. A pistol capable of firing on full-automatic. These kinds of pistols can use up large amounts of ammunition in a short space of time and can be wildly inaccurate due to kickback. They are often used to riddle an area with bullets quickly for covering fire, though are seldom used

Composite Pistol. A lightweight pistol that is easy to handle, predominately made of polymer composite with a metal firing assembly. Capable of firing both lead-tipped and hollow-point ammunition. Composite Rifle. A lightweight rifle, predominately made of polymer composite with a metal firing assembly, capable of firing both lead-tipped and hollow-point ammunition. These rifles are lightweight and easy to assemble. These rifles are capable of firing single shot, three-round bust and fully automatic. Electro Kinetic Rail Gun. Rail guns use an electromagnetic charge to propel slugs of physical ammunition at incredible speeds. The velocity of the weapon causes traumatic injuries in its targets that are very difficult to heal, but the cumbersome construction of the weapon leaves it difficult for personnel to handle. Extended Rifle. A rifle that has an adapted firing system and longer barrel allowing it to take shots at an extended range with the same single shot, three-round bust and fully automatic capabilities of a standard rifle. The extended range however means that the rifle is less accurate overall, as it does not have the same precision, calibration or extended scope of a sniper’s rifle. Pellet Shotgun. A shotgun designed to fire small rubber pellets. Most often use aboard ships or for riot or crowd control to subdue without causing loss of life or damage to the ships structure. Precision Rifle. Made with a lightweight metal alloy, precision rifles are heavier in weight than those made of polymer composite, making them steadier when firing. The latest in internal ballistics technology and precision milled parts makes them far more accurate than the standard rifle. These

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Ranged weapons are the mainstay of most militaries, the further you are from your enemy, the safer you are, especially if your weapons perform better at range than theirs. Though some weapons, like sidearms are designed to be used in close quarters with reasonable accuracy, the real fire power comes in the form of rifles, allowing further range and more stopping power. Guns that fire in zero-gravity conditions are also available, but often have disastrous effects when used in areas under normal gravity conditions. All ranged weapons are assumed to come with standard lead-tipped ammunition (see p.86) unless otherwise noted.

in operations requiring precision, stealth or where ammunition is scarce.

Ranged Weapons Weapon

Accelerator Pistol

Stress Rating

3

Range and Type Medium

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Effects

Qualities

Notes

RU Cost

Piercing 2, Vicious 1

Lethal, Debilitating, Special (See description)

Comes with propulsion ammunition. Designed for zero-g combat.

8

Comes with propulsion ammunition. Designed for zero-g combat.

12

Accelerator Rifle

4

Long

Piercing 3, Vicious 2

Lethal, Debilitating, Special (See description)

Automatic Pistol

4

Close

Vicious 1

Inaccurate

Composite Pistol

3

Close

4

Composite Rifle

4

Medium

6 Intense, Knockdown, Vicious 3

8

Electro Kinetic Rail Gun

4

Long

Extended Rifle

4

Long

Pellet Shotgun

2

Medium

Area

Non-lethal

Precision Rifle

4

Medium

Piercing 1, Vicious 1

Accurate

10

Sidearm Pistol

3

Close

Piercing 1

Accurate

6

Sniper Rifle

4

Extreme

Piercing 1

Accurate, Cumbersome

10

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Lethal, Cumbersome

15

Inaccurate

12

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Comes with rubber-tipped bullets

5

rifles are capable of firing single shot, threeround bust, and fully automatic. Sidearm Pistol. These pistols are usually used by military personnel and are designed to be easily serviceable. They have much more stopping power than a standard composite pistol and can punch through light armor if a shot is well placed.

Explosive Weapons Explosive weapons are best used with caution. While a stray bullet might rupture the hull of a worn-down ship or puncture vital elements within its substructure, explosives have the potential for catastrophic damage and massive loss of life. Not all explosives are lethal, but even non-lethal options like stun or smoke grenades can work against the reckless or unlucky. Grenade (Fragmentation). A grenade with an outer shell designed to break apart when detonated. The shockwave propels the shrapnel of the outer shell outwards, which causes additional damage to targets in the area. Grenade (Smoke). A grenade that when detonated, produces a large plume of smoke for between fifty to ninety seconds. The smoke can be a variety of colors depending on the purpose of the grenade. Red or white is usually used for signaling, while black or grey is used for concealment. Grenade (Stun). Also known as flashbang grenades or sound bombs, these grenades work by emitting a blast that deafens targets and disturbs the fluid in the inner ear, causing

Plasma Explosive. These explosives are highly volatile and produce a devastating effect. The hot ionized gas that comprises the plasma is difficult to contain, making these explosives expensive to make and rare to find. The explosion of such a device often produces large shockwaves and incredible amounts of heat, and a lingering field of radiation that can cause further injury to a target. Polymer Explosive. An explosive that is malleable and difficult to accidently detonate, polymer explosives contain a mixture of explosive material, binding agents and plasticizer. This kind of explosive cannot be detonated accidently, such as with heat or large force and instead must use a dedicated detonator device. It is often used in places traditional explosive won’t fit in, such as in the seal of a door or the lock on a compartment, and in large quantities can be powerful enough to breach a ship’s hull. RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). A launcher that fires rocket-like grenades at high speed towards a target, producing both a high heat output, shockwaves, and shrapnel. Cumbersome to use and heavy to carry, these weapons are only used in ground combat and often against targets within a structure.

Other Weapons

Aside from the previously mentioned weapons, there are a few others that are present within the Homeworld universe. The weapons that follow either have been or

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Sniper Rifle. A rifle capable of hitting targets at extreme range, aided by scopes and the ability to precisely calibrate it to account for wind, trajectory, and other external environmental factors. Only capable of firing a single shot at a time, this rifle also requires its user to properly aim and take external factors into account to be accurate.

them to lose balance, making aiming or even simple movement difficult. The bright flash temporarily blinds targets for up to five seconds, and leaves an after image that is disorientating, impairing moment and aim. The grenade’s casing is built to remain intact, avoiding injuries from shrapnel meaning these can be used in close combat under the right conditions.

Explosive Weapons

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Weapon

Stress Rating

Range and Type

Effects

Qualities

RU Cost

Grenade (Fragmentation)

4

Medium

Area, Vicious 1

Lethal

3

Grenade (Smoke)

0

Medium

Area

Non-Lethal, Special (See description)

2

Grenade (Stun)

0

Medium

Area

Non-lethal, Special (See description)

2

Plasma Explosive

5

Medium

Area, Vicious 2, Persistent 3

Lethal

6

Polymer Explosive

5

Reach

Piercing 4

Cumbersome, Special (See description)

8

RPG (Rocket-Propelled Grenade)

6

Long

Area

Cumbersome

8

are currently in use by one or more factions present within the galaxy. These weapons are too big, or too catastrophic for the players alone to use, and are better suited to

plot points or part of a larger scheme, rather than something the players would fire as they would any regular weapon. ADWs (Atmospheric Deprivation Weapons). ADWs are some of the most destructive weaponries ever used. They are detonated in low orbit and the result is literal deprivation of the planet’s atmosphere. Temperatures on the surface can reach so high that the air burns. Any living creature is quicky incinerated due to the heat, or choked by the lack of essential gasses, such as oxygen. Even after the atmosphere is destroyed the planet remains uninhabitable by any kind of life, as well as vulnerable to space debris collision and radiation. Fusion Bombs. These weapons hold a high payload of explosive material, and work via thermonuclear reaction. While some large ships can launch these in the form of missiles, they are often slow to launch and re-arm making them less suitable against nimble ships. The devastation caused by fusion bombs is severe, even in space, as they produce extreme heat and radiation.

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Equipment and Gear Equipment and gear are used to refer to other important items a character might carry that aren’t weapons. This can range from the tools of their profession, like a medic’s kit or tool kit, armor, or incidental items that may be useful, like storage drives or wearable technology.

Anatomy of Equipment and Gear Like weapons, equipment and gear have a few key defining points:

The equipment here is considered standard for all Kushan crew members and is available as part of character creation (see p.32). If a player should lose, break, or reach the use limit of an item, it can be replaced at the cost of resource units. At the gamemaster’s discretion these items can be replaced without cost to the players if they deem it appropriate. Emergency Breach Patch. A small palmsized stick containing a chemical compound used to temporarily patch small-scale damage in a ship’s hull or substructure, or any solid object. The stick is snapped, activating a chemical reaction between the two compounds and it is then pushed into the hole. Providing the hole itself is no larger than the size of a fist, the compound expands

Standard Equipment Equipment

Use Limit

Purpose

RU Cost

Short Term Breather

1

This item has enough oxygen to provide a character with 10 minutes of breathable air, providing the mask or canister are not damaged.

10

Goggles

In situations where environmental conditions would affect vision, such as high winds or debris, the difficulty of any tests relating to vision are decreased in difficulty by 1. If you would take damage from such a condition, these goggles give you a single point of armor.

10

Emergency Breach Patch

Patches small breaches in solid objects. In ship combat, you can use a breach patch to ignore the effects of a breach, providing you can get to the area safely to activate it.

5

Allows for communication and the download and transfer of files.

5

Wrist Computer

1

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• Use Limit. Some equipment will only function so many times before it is unusable. Once a piece of equipment hits this limit, it ceases to function. • Purpose: This describes what the item does when used. Sometimes this is narrative; other times it will list rules which apply to the item. • RU Cost: This is the cost in resource units that the item costs or may be worth. • Armor Rating: If an item would provide armor, this will list its armor rating.

Standard Equipment

within moments to completely fill and seal the breach. This repair is only temporary however and will become brittle over time. Goggles. These are used to protect the eyes from dust, debris, and high wind, with specialized versions also being used to protect against chemicals or welding sparks.

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Short Term Breather. A small lightweight oxygen mask attached to a hand-sized oxygen canister. Often hung on the utility belt of work overalls or a jumpsuit, or around the neck of some pilots, these breathers allow someone up to 10 minutes of breathable air. Useful for working in environments where the air is dangerous to breathe, as a safety assurance when working outside of ideal atmospheric conditions or in medical emergencies, most crew carry these.

Wrist Computer. A small screen strapped to the wrist. Connecting wirelessly to communicate within a ship, and to receive updates from Fleet Command and Intelligence. The wrist computer can also wirelessly interface with other computers allowing the download and transfer of information; If exceptionally large transfers are required, wrist computers can be wired into the appropriate technology.

A Note on Creativity Advanced technology often creates opportunities for creative thinking, and players may come up with ways to employ the equipment they carry in unusual or unexpected ways to solve problems. This should be encouraged: those unexpected solutions to a problem are the stuff exciting adventures are made of, and they can make for great memorable moments that define a campaign. However, don’t be too quick about saying yes to an unusual solution. It’s often useful to place a cost or condition upon this kind of improvisation. Maybe an improvised use of a device causes it to be damaged or expended so that it can’t be used again without repairs. Maybe it takes time or skill to convert a device to serve a new function, creating a new challenge for the players to overcome. In short, encourage creativity, but pair those options with an opportunity cost or a challenge to keep things interesting.

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Other Equipment Non-plated Body Armor. Lightweight body armor made from a thin, lightweight polymer weave. Though it’s not much use against bullets, its slightly padded in vital areas and is effective against bladed weapons. Hard Plated Body Armor. Heavier armor that features bullet proof plates over the vital areas of the torso, back and arms. Heavier than non-plated armor, it’s not ideal for operations that require stealth or optimum

maneuverability but is effective against bladed weapons and ballistics alike. Composite Plate Body Armor. A lightweight composite armor, reinforced with heavy plate. The composite used to make the plates is lighter than traditional plate, allowing better maneuverability and comfort while still employing the same level of protection as hard plate. Taiidan Soft Plate Armor. Lightweight armor that provides thin plating over the chest and

Purpose

Armor Rating

Faction

RU Cost

Non-plated Body Armor

Provides protection to the vital areas of the body

1

n/a

15

Hard-plated Body Armor

Provides protection to the vital areas of the body

2

20

Composite Plate Body Armor

Provides protection to the vital areas of the body

2

30

Taiidan Soft Plate Armor

Provides protection to the vital areas of the body

2

Taiidan

20

Taiidan Reinforced Plate Armor

Provides protection to the vital areas of the body

3

Taiidan

25

Equipment

Use Limit

Mechanic’s Toolkit

5

Lowers the difficulty of tests by 1 that would benefit from the use of the toolkit

n/a

10

Medic’s Toolkit

3

Lowers the difficulty of tests by 1 that would benefit from the use of the toolkit

n/a

5

Archaeology Toolkit

3

Lowers the difficulty of tests by 1 that would benefit from the use of the toolkit

n/a

5

Researcher’s Toolkit

3

Lowers the difficulty of tests by 1 that would benefit from the use of the toolkit

n/a

5

Weapon Repair Toolkit

1

Reduces the difficulty of repairing a broken weapon by 1

n/a

5

6

Allows the wearer to survive in space, protectetd from radiation and vacuum exposure. Contains an air supply which lasts an hour.

n/a

25

Space Suit

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1

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Other Equipment

back but allows for unrestricted movement. The elbows, shoulders, and knees have light padding to protect joints from impact during battle.

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Taiidan Reinforced Plate Armor. The reinforced plates that cover the chest and back are more durable and impact-absorbing than soft plate, at the cost of being heavier. Additional soft plating around the torso and arms, and a thicker, tighter woven ballistic weave make it a safer, but more restrictive armor to wear in situations where shrapnel, bullets or heavy impacts are expected. Mechanic’s Toolkit. A toolkit containing basic mechanics tools for light repairs. Limited uses represent finite resources such as spare parts, adhesives, and other consumables. Medic’s Toolkit. A toolkit containing basic field medical supplies. Limited uses represent a finite quantity of medicines and wound bindings. Archaeology Toolkit. A tool kit containing brushes, tweezers, gloves, and bags or cannisters for cataloguing and collecting archaeological finds. Limited uses represent a finite supply of disposable or single-use items, such as gloves, as well as a limited capacity to store finds. Researcher’s Toolkit. A kit containing instruments vital to the owner’s field of research. Limited uses represent consumable resources and single-use items within the kit, appropriate to the type of research being done. Weapon Repair Toolkit. A kit containing the materials and tools required to repair minor damage to a weapon or to upkeep its condition. Limited uses represent a finite supply of cleaning solvents and spare parts expended during use. Space Suit. A fully enclosed suit designed to allow the wearer to operate in space. It provides protection from background radiation, a degree of thermal insulation,

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and provides a pressurized environment. A space suit also contains a refillable air supply; limited uses represent this air supply, with each use representing approximately 10 minutes of breathable air.

Creating Weapons, Items and Equipment The potential variety of equipment out there is far greater than can be easily covered by this book, let along this single chapter. For this reason, most items of technology are handled in a broad and abstract way, with the specifics of an individual make of rifle or wrist computer being less important than what characters do with those tools. For the most part, this is fine: small details like make and model are matters of description, and don’t necessarily need to be reflected in the rules. But sometimes, that’s not the case. Sometimes, an item the players come across may not be accurately represented by something already listed here. In these situations, the best approach is to find the item that most closely matches the item you’re trying to create, and then to adjust it as necessary. This may require adding or removing an Effect or Quality from a weapon or increasing or decreasing the stress rating. For non-weapon items, flaws or problems with the item can be reflected by increasing the complication range of specific tests or tasks using the item, while specific benefits of the item can easily be reflected by allowing the item to grant one or two extra Momentum on some successful tests (with the caveat that this extra Momentum can’t be saved).

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Chapter 5

SHIP COMBAT This chapter covers all the rules for ship combat on both player character and fleet level scales as well as providing a list of ship statistics for the most common ships in Homeworld: Revelations. The end of this chapter also covers creating your own ship and advancing it.

Starship Statistics

Ship Attributes • Communications encompasses the transmission, encryption, decryption, and retrieval of subspace signals on a range of frequencies, as well as a variety of other forms of signals transmission and reception, measuring spatial variations present within a region, and plotting a course using that data, using the ship’s library and records. • Computers represents the ship’s library and operational computer systems. • Engines covers the propulsion and power generation systems of the vessel, and its ability to move and maneuver through space. Ships without an Engines score can’t move. • Sensors covers the vessel’s sensor suites and probes—which allow it to scan and monitor its surroundings—as well as the scientific systems that interpret that data. • Structure covers the physical construction of the vessel, from its hull and superstructure, to its thermal and radiation shielding, basic infrastructure, life support systems, and artificial gravity.

• Weapons covers the tactical and offensive systems of the vessel. Ships without a Weapons score can’t make attacks.

Ship Actions When you are using the ship as a tool to attempt a skill test, you resolve the test by using the ship’s Attribute + your Skill for a target number. So, instead of using your own Agility + Flight scores when flying the ship in an attack formation, you would use the ship’s Engines + your own Flight to make the target number. When using non-player character ships, rather than having six skills for the crew, you assign them a static value to add to the ship attributes, representing how competent the overall crew is. The table for this can be found on p.105.

Scale Vessels come in a wide range of sizes, from small strike craft to grand battleships. A ship’s scale is a representation of its size, and it influences several other ratings a starship will use. Scale is a number, from scale 1 for fighters to scale 6 for motherships. A ship’s scale is used to determine a number of other things, including its damage output and how much stress it takes to impair, disable, or destroy specific systems.

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Just like characters, starships are represented using a series of statistics; however these work slightly differently than they do for characters.

Scale

Ship Class

Example Ships

1

Strike Craft

Interceptors

2

Strike Craft

Corvettes

3

Capital-Class

Frigates

4

Super Capital-Class

Destroyers

5

Super Capital-Class

Carriers

6

Mothership-Class

Kushan Mothership, Imperial Flagship

Hull Points CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Each ship has a hull points score, a maximum amount of stress a vessel can suffer, equal to its Structure + Scale. This score represents the integrity of the hull, and how much damage it can take before things get critical. If an attack inflicts enough stress to reach the ship’s hull point maximum, inflicts 5 stress in one attack, or inflicts any stress when a ship is at its hull point maximum, it causes a breach.

Breach

Breaches represent serious damage to the ship or its systems. Each of the ship’s attributes can endure a number of breaches equal to the ship’s scale before that system is damaged. If a ship’s attribute suffers breaches equal to the scale, that system is destroyed.

Special Functions

Ships have special functions representing areas of specialization or design, providing similar benefits to the talents of player characters, but the context is determined by the ship rather than character behavior.

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Fuel Any ship of scale 1 or 2 has a fuel rating which represents the fuel capacity of the vessel. Sometimes fuel must be spent to support actions taken with the starship, and fuel can be lost because of complications, hazards, or breaches. There are some exceptions to this, such as ships larger than scale 2 which have the Fuel Rating special function listed. When launching from a mothership or a carrier, the ship has a full tank of fuel. This provides characters with a pool of fuel points to draw from when attempting actions with the ship, or otherwise using technology that draws power from the ship’s fuel. A ship’s fuel capacity is equal to its Engines attribute. The basic operation of the ship—life support, communications, computers, and basic maneuvering—does not cost fuel points, but some actions, like attack patterns or evasive maneuvers, require you to spend fuel points to perform the action.

Running Dry and Refueling

If a ship runs out of fuel points while in space, the ship is adrift and moves on its current trajectory at its current speed until it is picked up by a salvage corvette or support vessel or is intercepted another way. To refuel, you need to dock at a mothership, a repair corvette, or a support frigate.

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Operating a Ship

Other Minor Actions

Characters can accomplish other minor actions during combat, just like they can in normal combat—move from a position in the cockpit or bridge of a ship to another point on the ship, prepare actions, or interact with the environment. The GM has the final say on what you can accomplish with a minor action during your turn.

Commanding Officer Actions If you are in command of a larger vessel, such as a frigate or capital ship, you can coordinate the actions of the crew. • Direct: Choose one other crewmember currently on the bridge; that officer takes a single major action, determined by the commanding officer. You assist their skill test, using the Command skill. • Rally: You attempt a Will + Command test with a difficulty of 0; this test is used to generate Momentum, either to use straight away or to save in the group pool.

Helm Actions When you’re in the pilot seat, you can make the following actions. During combat, these are all major actions. Where the action names a class of ship, the action can only be done with those classes. A ship without an Engines score cannot move. • Maneuver: The pilot moves the ship to anywhere within Medium range. • Full Throttle (Strike Craft): The pilot spends 1 fuel point to move to anywhere within Long range. • Evasive Action (Capital-Class and below): The pilot moves swiftly and unpredictably, attempting to foil enemy targeting. The pilot attempts an Engines + Flight test with a difficulty of 1. If successful, attacks against the ship by ships of equal or lower scale increase in difficulty by 1. However, attacks made by the ship also increase in difficulty by 1. This effect lasts until the pilot’s next turn and has a fuel requirement of 1. • Attack Pattern (Capital-Class and below): The pilot flies a steady course making it easier to target the enemy, attempting a Weapons + Flight test with a difficulty of 1. If successful, attacks made by the ship decrease in difficulty by 1 (to a minimum of 1). However, attacks made targeting the ship also decrease in difficulty by 1. This effect lasts until the pilot’s next turn and has a fuel requirement of 1. • Ramming Speed: Choose a single enemy vessel within Long range and move toward it at full throttle. Upon contact make an attack using Engines + Flight with a difficulty of 2 (modified due to comparative scale, see p.109). If successful, the attack inflicts a number of of stress equal to 2 + the ramming ship’s scale, with the Breaching and

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Starship operations are a straightforward matter, in game terms. Characters will spend a lot of time aboard ship, and they will want to take full advantage of the systems, facilities, and personnel on board. Actions involving a ship are split into two broad categories: actions taken on board a ship, and actions taken with the ship. • Actions Aboard Ship: If the ship is a location for an action, not the tool used to complete the actions, then the skill test is resolved normally, using your attribute + skill combination for a target number. • Ship Actions: If the activity is making use of the ship’s systems—like using its computers or flying it to a location—then you resolve the test by the ship’s attribute + your skill for a target number.

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Vicious effects. The ramming ship also suffers a number of of stress equal to 2 + the target’s scale, with the Breaching and Vicious effects. If the ramming ship is scale 1 or 2, this action costs 1 fuel.

Hyperspace Jumps Fleet Command calculates and instigates any Far Jump hyperspace jumps, engaging the whole fleet at once. A Far Jump is not something the pilot or navigator of a ship can do alone, and therefore isn’t an option for player characters. Short Jumps, which capital and super capital-class ships can do independently from a mothership, can be controlled by the players. Short Jump drives require time to recharge after use, and like Far Jumps are not always one hundred percent accurate in their arrival destination.

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Sensor Technician Actions

• Chart Hazard: Using navigational sensors, you can mark hazards in the vicinity of the vessel and its planned course and determine the safest route around, past, or through them. This is a Sensors + Flight test with a difficulty of 2. If successful, nominate a single hazard or other dangerous phenomenon nearby; the difficulty of any test to avoid that hazard is reduced by 2. You can nominate one additional hazard or dangerous phenomenon for every two Momentum spent. • Scan: You use the ship’s sensors to locate objects or phenomena in space. This is a Sensors + Exploration test with a difficulty of 0. Interference, ambient conditions, or particularly unusual or unfamiliar phenomena increase this difficulty. Momentum spent on this action is normally to Ask a Question about the objects being scanned.

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• Scan for Weakness: You scan an enemy vessel, looking for vulnerabilities. Targeting an enemy ship, attempt a Sensors + Combat test with a difficulty of 2. If successful the next attack against the enemy ship gains the Piercing 2 quality.

Tactical Actions

Communications Actions

• Send/Receive Transmission: You attempt to establish a communications link with another ship. This requires a Communications + Engineering test with a difficulty of 0. The difficulty increases based on interference and other factors that would impede communications systems. Success means that a channel has been opened and a message can be sent or received. • Intercept: You try to pick up and decipher the transmissions of others. Select a single ship within Long range to intercept communications from. This is a Communications + Engineering test with the difficulty set by the gamemaster based on the level of encryption. • Signal Jamming: You transmit signals to interfere with the target’s attempts to communicate. Choose a single ship within Medium range to jam. This is a Communications + Combat test, with a difficulty of 1, 2, or 3, chosen by you before you roll. Success means that the target increases the difficulty of Send/Receive Transmission (above) by an amount equal to the difficulty you chose.

• Override: You can attempt an action normally performed at a different station than the one you are at. The difficulty of any test made using this action is increased by 1.

NPC Ship Operations Gamemasters don’t need to take into account the abilities of individual crew on the ships they control. Instead, NPC ships have both attribute and skill values for their target numbers. Because individual NPC crew are not being tracked, each NPC ship takes a number of turns in a round equal to its scale. If an NPC ship takes the same action more than once in a turn, the difficulty increases by 1 each time. Instead of using one of six skill values to add to a non-player character ship, you instead decide the quality of the crew. The crew quality provides a single skill score to use in place of individual skill scores when making a test using the ship’s attributes. A basic crew quality might indicate a ship that is undermanned, or a crew who are inexperienced, whereas an exceptional crew quality might indicate a highly trained or extremely efficient crew. This table can also be used to represent the crew quality of player ships in largescale fleet combat (see p.111).

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Crew Quality

Skill Score

Basic

1

Proficient

2

Talented

3

Exceptional

4

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• Fire Weapon: Nominate a single active weapon system on board the ship, and a viable target for that weapon, and make an attack. This is a Weapons + Combat test. The base difficulty of this attack is 1, modified by scale, truths, or other circumstances (enemy actions, spatial conditions, etc.).

Other Actions

Ship Weapons Weapon Stress Rating

and used on larger capital ships as defensive weapons to counter strike craft.

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Each weapon mounted on a ship has a stress rating, showing the number of Challenge Dice ( ) that are rolled to inflict stress on a target (see Making an Attack, p.108). Some weapons list scale as their stress rating, which means you roll a number of equal to the ship’s scale. For example, a corvette firing its small projectile cannon has a scale of 2, so you will roll 2 for that attack’s stress.

Range Each weapon has a range, which is the maximum range it can be fired at. See the table below.

Beam Weapons Ion Cannon (Frigates and above)

Originating from the Bentusi, ion cannon technology was traded with the Kushan during their return to Hiigara. Ion weaponry uses an accelerated particle beam to cut through hull and armor plating, and causes devastating damage to larger ships. These weapons require long barrels and high energy consumption, meaning only frigates and larger vessels are able to mount them.

Explosive Weapons Magnetic Mines

Kinetic Weapons Projectile Cannon

Projectile cannons magnetically accelerate a projectile to high velocities in order to punch through the hulls of other ships. They’re common to fighters, corvettes, and frigates,

Magnetic mines lie in wait for vessels to fly nearby and are often used to prevent enemy ships from advancing on strategically important routes or locations. When their built-in identification device detects that a nearby vessel is not a friendly one, their

Stress Rating

Weapon

Category

Range

Guided Missiles

Explosive

Close

2

Area

Small Ion Cannon

Beam

Medium

Scale + 2

Piercing 2, Vicious

Large Ion Cannon

Beam

Medium

Scale + 3

Piercing 2, Vicious

Magnetic Mines

Explosive

Contact

3

Breaching

Plasma Bomb

Explosive

Close

4

Persistent 2, Piercing 1

Small Projectile Cannon

Kinetic

Close

Scale

Versatile 2

Large Projectile Cannon

Kinetic

Close

Scale + 1

Versatile 2

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Effects

onboard thrusters activate and push them towards the hull of the ship, where their magnetic properties attach them to the hull. They detonate upon impact, their explosions ripping through hulls in a large blast radius.

•

Guided Missiles

Missiles are anti-strike craft weapons designed to track and destroy small targets, such as strike craft. Their explosive payload, as well as being fired in clusters, enables them to take down multiple craft in formation very effectively.

•

•

Effects

• •

Ship Combat Being familiar with how character combat works in Chapter 2: Action and Combat is useful for understanding how ship combat is managed, as they use the same basic mechanics with a few changes.

Environment and Zones An environment for starship combat covers a large area—potentially tens or hundreds of millions of kilometers across, and even this is only a fraction of the area within a star system. This may be the edge of a nebula, an asteroid belt, the orbit of one or more small planets, or any other region of space. The environment is divided into zones based on physical objects, spatial phenomena, and other features of the area. Starship combat zones are also defined in three dimensions, with zones “above” and “below” one another, and with empty zones to provide sizeable gaps between objects and phenomena. Zones have no fixed size: zones within a nebula may be smaller, representing more difficult movement and scanning

interference, while open space may have larger zones. GMs who desire concrete values rather than abstract ranges are encouraged to set specific sizes and shapes for individual zones, using them as a grid. Individual zones may have effects attached to them, providing some concealment or interference, hindered movement, or hazards. Zones help players visualize their vessel’s place in an encounter, and its relative distance to other objects or enemies. As zones are defined by the bodies and phenomena around them, tracking a vessel can be a matter of simple description—an enemy might be “behind the moon at Long range” or “on the edge of the gas cloud at Medium range.” This has the advantage of relying on natural language and intuitive concepts, rather than specific game terms,

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• Area: The attack automatically affects any ship or damageable object within Contact

of the initial target, and then one additional target within Close range of the initial target for each Momentum spent. Breaching: The weapon inflicts massive damage to enemy vessels. If the attack inflicts a breach to a system, it automatically inflicts one additional breach to the same system. Persistent X : The attack leaves behind a lingering energy field, which continues to damage the target. The target ship suffers an additional X damage at the end of its next turn. Piercing X: The attack ignores X points of the target’s armor for each effect rolled. Versatile X: The attack gains X points of bonus Momentum if successful. Vicious: The attack inflicts +1 stress per effect rolled.

and avoids the tracking of specific distances which can become fiddly where there are many vessels present. If you want to have a more concrete understanding of the locations of ships, you can use maps with zones and features drawn on them, along with models or tokens to represent moveable objects.

Distances

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Movement and ranged attacks are measured in ranges. In combat, the relative placement of zones determines this distance. • Contact is when an object or another ship is touching the vessel, like when smaller ships dock with the mothership, or a reckless pilot makes a desperate ramming speed attack. Contact isn’t a specific range, but rather is a state that a vessel can enter when it moves—at the moment a ship moves into or within a zone, the pilot may freely declare that the vessel is moving into or out of Contact with an object or another vessel. • Close range is defined as the zone the ship is within at the time; a distance of 0 zones. • Medium range is defined as any zone adjacent to the vessel’s current zone; a distance of 1 zone. • Long range is defined as 2 zones away from a vessel’s current zone; a distance of 2 zones. • Extreme range is beyond Long range; a distance of 3 or more zones.

Communications and Range

Communication within starship combat is a simple matter: communications work at faster-than-light speeds that far exceed the maximum velocity of a starship, meaning that communicating with anyone else in the same combat is instantaneous whether they are within Close range or out at Extreme range.

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Distances and Sensors

A ship can scan and detect objects, vessels, and phenomena over a certain distance in every direction. A ship’s sensor range is Medium unless it has a special function that alters that range. Allied ships that have maintained a connection to Fleet Command allow you to see what they see on their sensors, allowing you to target ships within your weapon’s range even if they are outside your own sensor range.

Rounds and Turns Ship combat is broken up into rounds and turns, just like combat at the personal scale. Players each take a turn, taking minor and major actions, alternating with their opponents until every PC crew member and NPC ship has taken a turn. NPC ships take a number of turns equal to their scale.

Making an Attack The process for making an attack with a ship is as follows. 1. Choose a target and a weapon: Pick a target in range, and select which shipmounted weapon you want to attack with. 2. Make a Weapons + Combat test: The base difficulty of the attack is 1, but can be adjusted due to ship scale (see Scale and Attacks), truths, or other circumstances. If you target a specific system, the difficulty increases by 1. If you don’t target a specific system, roll randomly on the Random System Hit table. 3. Inflict stress: If the attack is successful, roll equal to the weapon’s stress rating and total the results. a. The target subtracts stress equal to the armor it has. b. The remaining stress is applied to the target.

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4. Check for Breaches: If after armor is subtracted the follow conditions occur, you cause a breach. a. You inflict 5 stress in one attack. b. The attack inflicts enough stress to bring the target to their hull point maximum. c. Your target is already at their hull point maximum and suffers further stress.

Random System Hit Table System Hit

1

Communications

2

Computers

3-6

Engines

7-9

Sensors

10-17

Structure

18-20

Weapons

Scale and Attacks

Targeting larger ships is easier, while targeting smaller ships is harder. If the ship you are targeting is larger than yours, the difficulty of your attack is reduced by the difference in scale, to a minimum of 1. If you target a ship that is smaller than yours, the difficulty of your attack is increased by the difference in scale, to a maximum of 5.

Breaches Breaches are a measure of the damage to a system on the ship—with enough breaches a system will become damaged or even destroyed. Each system has a breach track equal to its scale, so for example a frigate’s Engines (Scale 3) can suffer 3 breaches before they are destroyed and the ship can’t maneuver!

Damaged Systems

When a system has suffered a number of breaches equal to half the ship’s scale, that system is damaged. Tests made using that system have their difficulty increased by 1, and they may suffer a specific effect based on the system. • Computers: The complication range for any test made using any other ship’s system is increased to 18-20. • Engines: If the ship has a fuel track, 1 point of fuel is lost at the end of each round of combat. • Structure: A random player character aboard the ship takes an injury from a hull breach, falling debris, or other ship-based damage.

All Hands, Abandon Ship! Larger ships, like frigates and capital ships, are fitted with escape pods, each of which can hold a small number of the crew allowing them to either survive in space for a short while, or fly to a nearby planet and await rescue. The gamemaster may ask you to make an Agility + Combat test at an appropriate difficulty to reach an escape pod, if you have a chance to abandon ship before the structure collapses or the ship explodes. What happens to the ship and her crew after they’ve abandoned ship is up to the GM to determine.

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D20 Roll

For example, if a frigate attacks a fighter, the difficulty of the attack is increased from 2 to 4, due to the frigate being scale 3 and the fighter being scale 1 (the difference being 2).

Destroyed Systems

When a system’s breach track is full, having breaches equal to its scale, that system is destroyed and can no longer be used: tests using that system are impossible, and actions relating to that system cannot be done (for example, if the engines are destroyed, the ship cannot Maneuver, go Full Throttle, take Evasive Maneuvers, or make an Attack Pattern).

Destroying Whole Vessels

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If the Structure system of a ship is destroyed, the ship breaks up and is entirely destroyed— all aboard are killed and it can no longer be used.

Repairing Damage

If a ship has been damaged, you can attempt makeshift repairs in order to mitigate the damage from breaches, but breaches can’t be removed by the crew. To remove the breach’s effect you’ll need to be at the right location on the ship to be able to repair the damage, and attempt a Coordination + Engineering test with a difficulty equal to the number of breaches the system has. If you succeed, you remove any negative effects of the system’s damage, but do not remove any breaches from the breach track. If that system suffers more breaches, it may be damaged again or destroyed if it suffers enough. During battle or other challenges, the ship may also suffer complications that relate to the condition or function of the ship. These can also be removed by Engineering tests, which represent making on-the-fly repairs to hold things together until the ship can visit a repair vessel or a mothership. The base difficulty of these repair tests is 2.

Removing Breaches

Breaches can only be removed and properly repaired by docking with a vessel or station that has the Repair special function. The docking bays on facilities like this have teams of engineers and resources enough to patch up a ship to full working order.

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Ship Combat Momentum Spends Spe nds Ship combat is affected by Momentum as much as any other part of the game, with combat Momentum spends affecting shipbased attacks, and other spends affecting other tests. • Purchase d20s: Purchase up to 3 extra d20s before rolling the dice pool. The first d20 costs 1 Momentum, the second costs 2, and the third costs 3 (for a maximum total of 6). • Create Truth: After a successful skill test, you can spend 2 points of Momentum to introduce an advantage or complication to the scene. This must relate to the test you made and is subject to gamemaster approval. A truth created in this way can never increase or decrease the difficulty of a skill test by more than 1. • Ask a Question: For 1 point of Momentum you can ask the gamemaster a question related to the current scene or the test you just made. The gamemaster must answer truthfully, but can be as vague as they wish. • Inflict Extra Stress: Spend up to 3 Momentum to inflict extra stress after a successful attack. Each point of Momentum spent inflicts one stress (See Stress, Injury, and Recovery p.24). • Additional Minor Actions: For 1 point of Momentum your character can take an additional minor action in combat. • Additional Skill Test: By spending 3 points of Momentum, you can immediately attempt a second skill test, or take a second major action in your turn. The difficulty of the test is increased by 1. • Keep the Initiative: In combat you can spend 2 Momentum after your turn ends to pass the next turn on to a character you are allied with, instead of handing play over to the enemy.

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Large-scale and Simplifed Fleet Combat players some control over the situations that they enter into, with the possibility of making it easier or harder to complete whatever goal their player characters have set out to achieve when they arrive on scene.

Example A fleet of Turanic raider ships has engaged the Kushan fleet and the player characters are sent out into the battle to help rescue a support frigate that’s become trapped by the enemy vessels. The gamemaster tells the players that before they go out as their characters, they are going to play out the small skirmish happening around the support frigate for a few rounds. However the scene is left when they finish, that is what the player characters will be entering into. During the “zoomed out” battle, with each player controlling a different ship, the players manage to take out one of the missile corvettes attacking the support frigate, as well as severely damaging two enemy interceptors. They do, however, lose one of their own heavy corvettes in the process. The gamemaster decides that now is a good point to zoom back in and have the player characters enter the scene. When the characters arrive in their ship, they find the conditions of the battle are in their favor, with many enemy ships severely damaged and the missile corvette destroyed. They do notice the distress call coming from a friendly heavy corvette which appears to have taken a bad hit. Thanks to the actions of the players when “zoomed out,” saving the support frigate is a little easier, but they also have the crew of the heavy corvette to rescue.

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At some points during your Homeworld campaign, you may want to run large-scale fleet combat, just like you could in the original video game. Doing this for an entire fleet falls outside of the scope of the rules presented here. You can, however, play out parts of a larger battle where multiple ships might be present. This can allow the players to control ships they might otherwise not get to use and is useful if you want to see how players affect those larger battles. When using large-scale ship combat, it is advised that you keep the scenes short, showing only the bits that would affect the players, or that the players can affect. This is for two reasons: completing a single round of combat on that scale can take a long time, and it removes the individual player characters from the action. The easiest way to tackle this scale of combat is to give each player control of a single ship and assign that ship a crew quality. Rather than using their player characters’ stats, players use the stats of the ship and the crew quality rating to make tests. Just like NPC ships, they can act a number of times in a round equal to their scale, with initiative passing back and forth just as it does in regular ship combat. In this way, the players play these ships just like the gamemaster plays NPC ships. Making index cards with the ship stats on them, or photocopying pages from this book to hand to players, can help keep this manageable. A drawn map marking zones and using tokens to represent ships can also be useful. This kind of play works best when the players can play out a small skirmish within a larger battle, before “zooming in” and entering that same battle as their player characters who are experiencing the consequences of the players’ “zoomed out” actions. It gives

The Ships of Homeworld Fighters The smallest strike craft, fighters are single-person vessels making up a large proportion of any fleet, flown in formation in specific attack patterns and used to take out larger ships that struggle to keep up with their speed.

SCOUT

INTERCEPTOR

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Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan,Taiidan Small but fast, scouts are used to scope out enemy locations and create diversions. They are ideal for harassing enemy ships to draw their fire, while avoiding taking damage due to their maneuverability. Scale: 1

Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

12

Hull Points: 7

Sensors

10

Weapons:

Structure

06

Weapons

08

Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan, Turanic Raiders Interceptors are small ships, less maneuverable than the scout but far more effective in taking out other strike craft, such as corvettes and other fighter vessels. In large numbers, they have even been used to take out capital ships.

Fuel: 12 Armor: 0

Small Projectile Cannons: Close range, 1 (Versatile 2)

10

Computers

09

Engines

10

Hull Points: 8

Sensors

09

Weapons:

Structure

07

Weapons

10

Special Functions: Speed Burst: When making the Full Throttle action, spend 1 additional fuel to move to anywhere within Extreme range.

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Scale: 1

Communications

Fuel: 10 Armor: 1

Small Projectile Cannons: Close range, 1 (Versatile 2)

Special Functions: Anti-Strike Craft Design: Inflict +1 strike-craft-class ships.

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against

CLOAKED FIGHTER

Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan The attack bomber was engineered when technological advances allowed for plasma bomb technology to be made small enough to be fitted inside fighter ships. The slowmoving plasma bombs are devastating: harder to use against small craft but effective against capital ships.

Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan (possibly) Easily the stealthiest ship in the Kushan fleet, the cloaked fighter relies on the element of surprise more than anything else. The onboard cloak generator uses light-curving energy fields to fold the background scenery around the ship’s hull, making it appear invisible to sensors and the naked eye. Unfortunately, this field is not effective when making attacks, meaning this ship is at its most vulnerable when firing.

Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

10

Sensors

09

Structure

07

Scale: 1 Fuel: 10 Armor: 1 Hull Points: 8 Weapons:

Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

11

Sensors

09

Special Functions:

Structure

06

Anti-Capital Ship Design: Attacks made using the plasma bomb launchers against capital-class ships are decreased in difficulty by 1. Attacks using plasma bomb launchers against ships scale 2 or less are increased in difficulty by 2.

Weapons

10

Weapons

10

Plasma Bomb Launchers: Close range, 4 (Persistent 2, Piercing 1)

Scale: 1 Fuel: 11 Armor: 1 Hull Points: 7 Weapons: Small Projectile Cannons: Close range, 1 (Versatile 2)

Special Functions: Cloak: As an action, the fighter can spend fuel to cloak itself. While cloaked the fighter cannot be the target of an action, cannot be tracked on enemy sensors, and may not make attacks. The cloak lasts for a number of rounds equal to the number of fuel points spent.

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ATTACK BOMBER

DEFENSE FIGHTER Class: Strike Craft Faction: Taiidan only Defense fighters are small strike craft, designed solely for taking out projectiles before they hit their target. As they have no true offensive capabilities, these ships are incredibly vulnerable in battle and easy targets. They are used rarely, often deployed only to help protect capital ships until they reach their destinations before being called back to a carrier or mothership.

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Scale: 1

Communications

09

Computers

09

Engines

10

Hull Points: 7

Sensors

11

Weapons:

Structure

06

Weapons

10

Fuel: 10 Armor: 0

Defense Fighter Emitter Beam (see special functions)

Special Functions: Defense Fighter Emitter Beam: Once per round, when within Close range of any ally ship that is the target of a successful attack, the stress inflicted by the attack on the ally ship is reduced by 2 .

SWARMER Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kadeshi only Swarmers are small strike craft, developed and used only by the Kadesh. Often used in large numbers, splitting into groups of ten to twelve ships, swarmers can easily rip apart smaller strike craft and capital ships alike. Their small size gives them limited fuel capacities, however, meaning that they exhaust themselves quickly in combat, leading them to head to fuel pods mid-battle to refuel. Scale: 1

Communications

08

Computers

09

Engines

10

Hull Points: 7

Sensors

09

Weapons:

Structure

06

Weapons

10

Fuel: 10 Armor: 0

Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 1 (Versatile 2)

Special Functions: Swarm: You may increase the damage of your weapons by 1 for each point of fuel spent, up to your fuel capacity. Small Fuel Capacity: When taking an action in combat that has a fuel requirement, this requirement is increased by 1.

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Fuel Pod

ADVANCED SWARMER Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kadeshi only Advanced swarmers feature better armor and heavier weapons than their lighter counterparts. Due to this, they often move in groups of three, rather than in larger groups of ten to twelve. Despite their improved weaponry and armor over regular swarmers and having a higher fuel efficiency, they still require fuel pods to keep them active in battle. Communications

08

Computers

09

Engines

10

Hull Points: 9

Sensors

09

Weapons:

Communications

08

Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 1 (Versatile 2)

Computers

09

Engines

09

Sensors

08

Structure

09

Weapons

10

Structure

08

Weapons

11

Fuel: 7 Armor: 2

Special Functions: Swarm: You may increase the damage of your weapons by 1 for each point of fuel spent, up to your fuel capacity. Small Fuel Capacity: When taking an action in combat that has a fuel requirement, this requirement is increased by 1.

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Scale: 1

Class: Capital ship Factions: Kadeshi only Fuel pods are used by the Kadesh to refuel their swarmers and advanced swarmers during battle. These frigatelike ships will often move in to Close range in a battle in order for swarmers to dock and refuel. While the fuel pod’s presence gives swarmers the ability to stay in battle to tear ships apart, the fuel pods themselves possess no armor and only a single projectile cannon. This makes them incredibly vulnerable in battle. Taking out fuel pods is the best way to disable a group of swarmers, leaving them adrift in space with no way to refuel. Scale: 3 Fuel: 7 Armor: 0 Hull Points: 12 Weapons: Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 3 (Versatile 2)

Special Functions: Refuel: The fuel pod can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the fuel pod it refuels 3 fuel points.

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Corvettes A secondary type of strike craft, corvettes are larger than fighters and require a crew of at least 4 – 6 people to run properly. Corvettes are used as escorts, offensive craft and protection for non-combat ships.

LIGHT CORVETTE

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Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan The light corvette is often used for decoy maneuvers or the protection of resource collection ships in the Kushan fleet. Originally developed as one of the first larger strike craft (compared to fighters), it proved to be slower than smaller strike craft and had less weapon power than larger vessels. Both the Kushan and the Taiidan tend to prefer other corvette vessels, such as heavy corvettes, over the light corvette for outright offensive maneuvers. Scale: 2

Communications

10

Computers

08

Engines

10

Hull Points: 10

Sensors

08

Weapons:

Structure

08

Weapons

08

Special Functions: None

Fuel: 9 Armor: 1

Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 2 (Versatile 2)

STANDARD CORVETTE Class: Strike Craft Faction: Turanic Raiders The standard corvette is a craft employed solely by the Turanic raiders. With a heavily armored hull, the corvette can survive heavy assault better than other strike craft. Though their firepower is weaker than some other corvettes, their extended fuel compartments mean they can operate for extended periods before needing repairs or refueling. 08

Computers

08

Engines

11

Hull Points: 12

Sensors

08

Weapons:

Structure

10

Weapons

07

Special Functions: None

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Scale: 2

Communications

CHAPTER 5

Fuel: 11 Armor: 4

Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 2 (Versatile 2)

HEAVY CORVETTE Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Designed to be the most heavily armored strike craft of both the Kushan and Taiidan fleets, these ships are also capable of unleashing burst fire, making them excellent contenders against frigates and other armored capital-class ships. 09

Computers

09

Engines

08

Sensors

07

Structure

08

Weapons

11

Scale: 2 Fuel: 8

SALVAGE CORVETTE

Armor: 3 Hull Points: 10 Weapons: (Kushan only) Small Projectile Cannons: Close range, 2 (Versatile 2) (Taiidan only) Large Projectile Canons: Close range, 4 (Versatile 2)

Special Functions: Charged Burst Attack: Spend 2 Momentum before making an attack roll; if the attack hits ignore 2 armor.

Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Although these corvettes do not possess any weapons, they are invaluable to any fleet. In large enough numbers, salvage corvettes can use their subversion routines to capture and neutralize ships as big as super capital-class ships. Often, this is done to bring those ships back to a mothership or carrier in order to capture them for the faction’s own use. Scale: 2

Communications

10

Computers

10

Engines

09

Hull Points: 9

Sensors

08

Weapons:

Structure

07

Weapons

08

Fuel: 9 Armor: 1

None

Special Functions: Salvage Subversion Routines: You can board and gain control of enemy vessels that you are in Contact with, equal to the salvage corvette’s scale. To gain control of the ship, make a Computers + Flight test with a difficulty of 1. In order to capture larger vessels, more salvage corvettes are required, up to the target vessel’s scale.

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Communications

MINELAYER CORVETTE

REPAIR CORVETTE

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Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan This corvette is designed to repair and refuel ships, from strike craft all the way up to capital ships. Their maneuverability means they can undertake such actions during combat, helping to keep ships in the battle without needing to return to a carrier or mothership. In the event of an emergency, these ships can also be dispatched to help recover pilots or crew in distress.

Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Minelayer corvettes are most useful in creating a good line of defense. Often, they are used to create hazardous minefields, designed to target capital ships as they approach. Their lack of maneuverability and the slow-moving or static nature of the mines mean they are less useful in close combat. The mines they lay are programed to ignore ships of the same fleet, making friendly fire almost unheard of. Communications

09

Computers

09

Engines

07

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Weapons

10

Scale: 2 Fuel: 7 Armor: 3 Hull Points: 12 Weapons: Magnetic Mines: Contact range, 3 (Breaching)

Special Functions: Communications

09

Computers

09

Engines

10

Sensors

08

Structure

08

Weapons

08

Lay Mines: Create a hazard within the zone and designate it “Minefield” (mark it with a truth). Ships within the minefield must pass an Engines + Flight test with a difficulty of 2, or be struck by a mine attack (as above). Allied ships are not affected by this difficulty increase and cannot be struck by these mines.

Scale: 2 Fuel: 10 Armor: 0 Hull Points: 10 Weapons: Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 2 (Versatile 2)

Special Functions: Repair: The repair corvette can repair ships up to frigate scale. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: The repair corvette can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the repair corvette it regains 3 fuel points.

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MULTI-GUN CORVETTE Class: Strike Craft Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Developed in response to Kadeshi swarmer pods, the multi-gun corvette is an essential strike craft. It is capable of hitting multiple targets at once, as well as having the maneuverability to go head-to-head with other fighter vessels. 09

Computers

09

Engines

09

Sensors

07

Structure

08

Weapons

10

MISSILE CORVETTE Class: Strike Craft Faction: Turanic Raiders only Though outclassed by even light corvettes due to their low maneuverability and rate of fire, missile corvettes do well in groups when they are able to concentrate fire on a small number of targets. Employed in the Homeworld War to take out Kushan research ships, these unassuming vessels are not to be underestimated. Communications

09

Computers

08

Engines

08

Sensors

08

Structure

10

Weapons

09

Scale: 2 Fuel: 9 Armor: 2 Hull Points: 10 Weapons: Large Projectile Cannons: Close range, 3 (Area, Versatile 2)

Special Functions: Multi-gun: The corvette’s projectile cannon attack gains the Area effect. Multiple Targets: Ignore the first difficulty increase when making additional attacks after the first in a round, as long as each target is different.

Scale: 2 Fuel: 8 Armor: 3 Hull Points: 12 Weapons: Guided Missiles: Close range, 2 (Area)

Special Functions: None

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Communications

AMBASSADOR CORVETTE Class: Non-combat (Strike Craft) Faction: Kushan, Taiidan The ambassador corvette is a modified heavy corvette design. Stripped of weapons, these ships were often painted a distinct color, such as white, different from their native fleet’s colors. Used to transport ambassadors or other dignitaries, these ships remain heavily armored and highly maneuverable in case of emergencies.

Communications

09

Computers

09

Engines

10

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Weapons

—

Special Functions: None

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Scale: 2 Fuel: 10 Armor: 3 Hull Points: 12 Weapons: None

Frigates Often used as protection escorts for other vessels, frigates are capital ships that straddle the line between the larger, slower super-capitals, and the quicker strike craft. They possess better weaponry than most smaller vessels, but lack the armor of a true capital ship, leaving them to rely on speed to take on bigger enemy ships. ASSAULT FRIGATE

SUPPORT FRIGATE

Communications

10

Scale: 3

Computers

09

Armor: 3

Engines

09

Weapons:

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Weapons

10

Class: Capital Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Support frigates were designed after it became apparent that repair corvettes could not operate as effectively under heavy fire. Though not as agile as repair corvettes, support frigates are able to repair up to ten fighters and four corvettes at once, while also being able to fire off powerful enough attacks to keep larger ships at bay.

Hull Points: 10 Large Projectile Cannons: Close range, 4 (Versatile 2) Plasma Bomb Launchers: Close range, 3 (Breaching)

Special Functions: Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium.

Scale: 3

Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

09

Weapons:

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Weapons

10

Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 3 (Versatile 2)

Armor: 2 Hull Points: 10

Special Functions: Repair: The support frigate can repair ships of any scale. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: The support frigate can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the support frigate it refuels 3 fuel points. Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium.

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Class: Capital Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Considered to be the workhorse of most fleets, the assault frigate is a front-line ship in any combat situation. As they are easily able to take down strike craft and other capital ships, assault frigates make up a large portion of a fleet’s navy.

ION CANNON FRIGATE

CHAPTER CHAPTER5:5:SHIP SHIPCOMBAT COMBAT

Class: Capital Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Similar in design to the assault frigate, the ion cannon frigate forgoes projectile cannons or any secondary weapons in favor of a single, powerful ion cannon. This uses a long particle accelerator that runs down the center of the ship, powered by fusion energy. More than capable of dealing severe damage to capital ships, the ion cannon frigate is a staple of both the Kushan and Taiidan fleets. Scale: 3

Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

09

Weapons:

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Small Ion Cannon: Medium range, 5 (Piercing 2, Vicious)

Weapons

10

Armor: 2 Hull Points: 13

DRONE FRIGATE Class: Capital Faction: Kushan only The drone frigate is designed to be a holding and control ship for the twenty-four drones it houses. Artificial intelligence systems aboard the ship control and track the drones.

Special Functions: Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium.

Scale: 3

Communications

11

Computers

09

Engines

09

Weapons:

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Drone Launcher (see Special Functions)

Weapons

09

Armor: 3 Hull Points: 13

Special Functions: Launch/Retract Drones: As an action, a drone frigate can launch 1 gun drone sphere (see sidebar). The gun drone sphere is launched into the same zone as the frigate. It takes actions using the drone frigate’s turn. Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium.

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Gun Drone Sphere

Combat

03

Command

–

Engineering

–

Exploration

Scale: 2 Armor: 0

DEFENSE FIELD FRIGATE Class: Capital Faction: Taiidan only One of the few non-combat capital ships of the Taiidan fleet, the defense field frigate was built as a larger version of the defense fighter. Using electromagnetic waves, the ship generates an EM field around its hull that repels attacks from guided missiles, magnetic mines, and projectile weapons. Often used to help take down carriers or motherships, these ships are part of the lead assault, protecting other ships by taking all the heavy fire. Though the EM field is strong, it must be recharged after each use and is useless against ion cannon fire.

Hull Points: 12

Scale: 3

Communications

10

–

Computers

10

Flight

02

Engines

09

Weapons:

Medical

–

Sensors

08

Structure

10

Field Generator (see Special Functions)

Weapons

07

Breaches: 2

Weapons: Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 2 (Versatile 2)

Armor: 3 Hull Points: 13

Special Functions: Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium. Field Generator: You may spend 2 points of Momentum to activate the ship’s EM generator. While the EM field is active, attacks made against you with projectile cannons, magnetic mines, and guided missiles inflict no stress. The EM field remains active for a number of rounds equal to your scale (unless you deactivate it before then), and must recharge for a number of rounds equal to your scale before it can be used again.

CHAPTER CHAPTER5 5

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CHAPTER CHAPTER5:5:SHIP SHIPCOMBAT COMBAT

Class: Strike Craft Factions: Kushan only A gun drone sphere is a swarm of AIcontrolled drones equipped with small projectile cannons used to engage strike craft. As the gun drone is controlled by an artificial intelligence, it uses the frigate’s attributes and its own skills as target numbers for any skill tests. It can only suffer a single breach of any kind—a second breach destroys it. A drone must be within Medium range of the drone frigate that controls it to take any actions.

ION ARRAY FRIGATE Class: Capital Faction: Turanic raiders only Ion array frigates are similar in many ways to ion cannon frigates. What distinguishes the Turanic raiders’ ship is the ion array that is attached to it. The array uses magnetic fields to harness free ions from space. This allows the frigate to focus its attacks, making it more powerful and increasing its range.

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Communications

09

Computers

10

Engines

Scale: 3 Armor: 3 Hull Points: 13

08

Weapons:

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Weapons

11

Large Ion Cannon (modified for Ion Array, see special functions): Long range, 7 (Piercing 2, Vicious)

MULTI-BEAM FRIGATE

Special Functions: Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium. Ion Array: The ship’s ion cannon increases its range category by 1 and its stress rating by 1

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.

Class: Capital Faction: Kadeshi only The multi-beam frigate is one of the most powerful ships in the Kadeshi fleet. These ships were used in groups of three or four, and with their devastating ion cannons they could take down capital ships with ease. Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

09

Sensors

07

Structure

10

Weapons

11

Scale: 3 Armor: 3 Hull Points: 13

Weapons:

Special Functions:

Large Ion Cannon: Medium range, 6 (Piercing 2, Vicious)

Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium.

CHAPTER 5

BENTUSI CARGO BARGE Class: Capital Faction: Bentusi The cargo barge was used by the Bentusi as a transport vehicle. At least one of these frigatelike ships can be found aboard a Bentusi tradeship. It is unknown whether this ship functions via artificial intelligence, is commanded solely by the tradeship its on, or if one or more Bentusi are bound to the barge itself. 09

Computers

10

Engines

08

Sensors

08

Structure

08

Weapons

–

Scale: 3 Armor: 1 Hull Points: 11 Weapons: None

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Communications

Special Functions: None

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Super Capital Ships Requiring massive amounts of resources, power and crew, super capital ships serve as the core of a fleet’s main offensive force. Fitted with heavy armor and hard-hitting weapons, they are the most difficult ships to produce, but also the most difficult for an enemy to take on. Due to their cost to make, these ships are often escorted into battle by at least a squad of strike craft and a number of frigates.

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

DESTROYER

MISSILE DESTROYER

Class: Super Capital Faction: Kushan, Taiidan The destroyer was developed after advances in the technology of fusion power on capital ships allowed for larger, more powerful ships to be built. The destroyer was designed as a step up from a heavily armored frigate. Sporting better armor and heavier weapons, the ship is designed to be a frigate killer. Its large size, however, means that it often has difficulty taking out strike craft, and is usually accompanied by fighter ships to aid in this.

Class: Super Capital Faction: Kushan, Taiidan First developed by the Taiidan, and later encountered by the Kushan, this ship was built around the modified frame of a destroyer. It lacks secondary weapons, instead relying on powerful missile launchers. These ships can easily take out groups of strike craft. Some feature on-board missile factories, allowing them to replenish ammunition mid-combat.

Communications

09

Computers

09

Engines

08

Sensors

07

Structure

11

Weapons

11

Communications

10

Scale: 4

Computers

09

Armor: 4

Engines

07

Sensors

07

Structure

11

Weapons

11

Hull Points: 15 Weapons: Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 4 (Versatile 2) Small Ion Cannon Turrets: Medium range, 6 (Piercing 2, Vicious)

Special Functions: Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium.

126

Scale: 4 Armor: 4 Hull Points: 15 Weapons: Guided Missiles: Close range, 2 (Area)

Special Functions: Missile Volley: The missile destroyer can launch all of its missiles at a single target. If you choose to make a missile volley attack, add 4 and the Vicious effect to the attack. Once the missile volley attack has been made, the missile destroyer can no longer make attacks. Missile Factory (optional): The ship has an onboard missile factory. After firing a volley attack, you may spend Momentum equal to the ship’s scale to replenish its supply of missiles. This takes a number of rounds equal to the ship’s scale, after which the ship may make attacks or use Missile Volley again.

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CARRIER

ATTACK CARRIER

Communications

11

Computers

10

Engines

08

Sensors

07

Structure

11

Weapons

Scale: 5 Armor: 5 Hull Points: 16

Class: Super Capital/Mothership Faction: Turanic raiders only Attack carriers are solely used by the Turanic raiders. They act both as a carrier for strike craft and as a mothership-like vessel, but are also designed to be combat capable in their own right. They have heavy armor and an array of devastating weapons: two large ion cannons and 10 hull defensible guns, allowing them to take on strike craft and capital ships alike. The sheer number of hull defensible guns means the attack carrier can target multiple ships at once. Due to the expensive and timeconsuming nature of building such a ship, these are often used as a last resort.

Weapons: Small Projectile Cannons: Close range, 5 (Versatile 2)

09

Special Functions: Command Ship: The commanding officer aboard this ship may use the Direct action for any ship they have a communication link with, and may assist using Communications + Command. Construction Ship: The carrier can construct vessels of scale 3 and lower (see Building Ships, p.151). Repair: The carrier can repair ships of any scale. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: The carrier can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the carrier it refuels 3 fuel points.

Scale: 5

Communications

11

Computers

10

Engines

07

Weapons:

Sensors

06

Structure

10

Large Ion Cannon: Medium range, 8 (Versatile 2)

Weapons

11

Armor: 5 Hull Points: 15

Hull Defensible Guns: Close range, 5

Special Functions: Command Ship: The commanding officer aboard this ship may use the Direct action for any ship they have a communication link with, and may assist using Communications + Command. Repair: The carrier can repair ships of any scale. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: The carrier can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the carrier it refuels 3 fuel points. Multiple Targets: Ignore the first difficulty increase when making additional attacks after the first in a round, as long as each target is different.

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Class: Super Capital Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Carriers were initially designed to support smaller fleets and to manage operations away from a mothership vessel. Often heavily armored and sporting projectile weapons, these ships were not designed as offensive vessels. Instead, they were able to oversee combat situations, as well as constructing vessels as large as frigates. Carriers can hold up to fifty fighters and twenty-five corvettes at a time.

HEAVY CRUISER

THE KAPELLA (DESTROYER)

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Class: Super Capital Faction: Kushan, Taiidan With the exception of mothership-class vessels, heavy cruisers are the largest ship in any fleet, being four times the size of a destroyer. The key offensive ships within a fleet, with incredible firepower and only the best of the best for crew, heavy cruisers are the most feared and the most targeted. Capable of engaging multiple ships at a time, the heavy cruiser is designed to be the ultimate killer of capital ships and strike craft alike.

Class: Super Capital Ship Faction: Taiidan (Rebels) The Kapella is a destroyer vessel formerly part of the Taiidan Imperial High Guard, an elite navy unit of ships dedicated to the protection of the Imperial Flagship and the Taiidan homeworld. Its commander, Captain Elson, was part of the Taiidan Rebellion. Turning against the Taiidan Empire, the Kapella was piloted to meet with the Kushan fleet, where it became an ally of the Kushan navy. Scale: 4

Communications

09

Armor: 5

Computers

09

Hull Points: 17

Engines

08

Weapons:

Sensors

07

Structure

11

Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 4 (Versatile 2)

Weapons

11

Scale: 5

Communications

09

Computers

09

Engines

07

Weapons:

Sensors

07

Structure

12

Large Projectile Cannons: Close range, 6 (Versatile 2)

Weapons

12

Large Ion Cannons: Medium range, 8 (Piercing 2, Vicious)

Armor: 4 Hull Points: 15

Small Ion Cannon Turrets: Medium range, 6 (Piercing 2, Vicious)

Special Functions: Special Functions: Multiple Targets: Ignore the first difficulty increase when making additional attacks after the first in a round, as long as each target is different.

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Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium.

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Non-Combat Ships Often the most vulnerable if caught in an ambush, non-combat ships are used for resource collection, research, or recon. Non-combat ships are usually accompanied by escorts, such as corvettes, to ensure their safety. RESOURCE COLLECTOR

Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

09

Sensors

10

Structure

08

Weapons

07

Special Functions:

Scale: 3 Armor: 0 Hull Points: 11 Weapons: Phased Disassembler Array (see special functions)

Phased Disassembler Array: The resource collector can break apart asteroids, starship scrap, and other metals in space to produce resource units (RU). Make a Weapons + Engineering test with a difficulty of 0, with each success generating 1 RU. Resource Units must be refined before they can be spent, and the gamemaster may limit the disassembler array’s use or require time to be spent on gathering RUs. If used as a weapon against a target, such as a ship, the difficulty of the attack increases by 3. The phased disassembler array has a range of Close and a stress rating of 3 with the Breaching effect. Refuel: The resource collector can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the resource collector it regains 3 fuel points.

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Class: Non-Combat Ship (Capital-Class) Faction: Kushan, Taiidan These ships are key for gathering resources. Their phased disassembler arrays can extract base elements at the molecular level from almost any source, and convert them into resource units that can be used for construction or trade. Resource collectors can also refuel strike craft, though they are rarely used in combat as they lack any true offensive capabilities.

RESOURCE CONTROLLER

PROBE

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Class: Non-Combat Ship (Capital-Class) Faction: Kushan, Taiidan, Kadeshi (unknown), Turanic raiders (unknown) Resource controllers serve as mobile stations where resource collectors can drop off their materials while in the field. This reduces travel time, as collectors do not need to travel back to the mothership or a carrier. Resource controllers also have the ability to refuel and repair strike craft, often being able to dock ten to twelve fighters and up to two corvettes. Scale: 3

Communications

10

Computers

09

Engines

09

Weapons:

Sensors

09

None

Structure

09

Weapons

Armor: 0 Hull Points: 12

07

Special Functions: Refinery: The resource controller can be used to refine metals collected by resource collectors. This requires a Weapons + Engineering test with a difficulty of 0, and each success refines 1 RU. Repair: The resource controller can repair ships of scale 2 or lower. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: The resource controller can refuel ships of scale 2 or lower. Each turn the target ship is in contact with the resource controller it regains 3 fuel points.

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Class: Non-Combat Ship (Strike Craft) Faction: Kushan, Taiidan Probes are small unmanned ships that possess no armor and no weapons. What they lack in offensive or defensive capabilities they make up for with powerful sensors. They can be used to spy on enemy fleets, or sent to map and chart an area, as well as undertaking any number of other discreet reconnaissance missions. Their small size means that unless placed within sensor range of an enemy ship they can remain unnoticed for long periods of time. The only downside to this is that they have a limited range of travel and very little fuel, meaning once they are placed, they cannot return to the ship that launched them. Scale: 1

Communications

10

Computers

08

Engines

10

Weapons:

Sensors

12

None

Structure

06

Weapons

–

Armor: 0 Hull Points: 7

Special Functions: One-Shot Engine: A probe has limited fuel, only allowing it to fly once to Extreme range. Once it has covered a distance of 3 zones, it can no longer move. Advanced Sensors: Whenever a character uses the probe’s Sensors they may reduce the difficulty of the test by 1.

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RESEARCH SHIP

CLOAK GENERATOR

Class: Non-Combat Ship (Capital-Class) Faction: Kushan, Taiidan These ships are created for the single purpose of research and development. Often they are relied upon to analyze new technology, and then replicate or develop it for the fleet to use. Occasionally research ships will link together, giving them access to bigger and better laboratories as they share resources. 09

Computers

11

Engines

Scale: 3

Scale: 3

Communications

10

Hull Points: 11

Computers

10

08

Weapons:

Engines

06

Hull Points: 10

Sensors

09

None

Sensors

11

08

None

Structure

Structure

07

Weapons

–

Weapons

–

Armor: 2

Armor: 1 Fuel: 6 Weapons:

Special Functions:

Special Functions:

Laboratories: The research ship is purpose-built for R&D. The ship’s laboratories count as an advantage, decreasing the difficulty of any tests using the ship’s Computers, and making complex research tasks possible.

Cloaking Field: This can hide vessels of capital class or below with a combined scale of 6. Activating the cloaking field costs fuel equal to the combined scale of the ships within it, and the cloak generator must stay within Close range of the ships it is cloaking. While within the cloaking field, ships (including the cloak generator) cannot be tracked on sensors and may not make attacks. If the Computers system of the ship is damaged, the ship can only cloak vessels with a combined scale of 3. The cloak lasts for a number of rounds equal to the cloak generator’s scale before needing to recharge. Recharging costs 2 points of fuel and takes a number of rounds equal to the ship’s scale.

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Communications

Class: Non-Combat Ship (Capital-Class) Faction: N/A This ship is capable of generating a cloaking field large enough to cloak two frigates. Ships within the field remain invisible until the field is powered down, the generator is destroyed, or the cloaked ships attack. Though useful in battle, the cloaking field can only be generated for short periods of time before it needs recharging.

CRYO TRAYS

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Class: Non-Combat Ship Faction: Kushan Cryo trays were used to house nearly 600,000 Kushan people in cryogenic sleep. Frozen as early as twelve years before the launch of the mothership, many of the people within the cryo trays had no idea of the genocide their planet suffered until they were awakened for training, or until the day of landfall on Hiigara. The trays themselves have enough power and secondary systems to continue to function for a short period of time—even after sustaining heavy damage— so long as the outer hull is not punctured.

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Communications

10

Computers

10

Engines

–

Sensors

11

Structure

08

Weapons

–

Special Functions: None

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Scale: 2 Armor: 1 Fuel: 10 Hull Points: 10 Weapons: None

Motherships Mothership-class vessels are the largest vessel in a fleet. They act as a central command hub, and in some cases are also colony ships that support a large population of civilian personnel. Other mothership-class vessels are given such status due to their size, or the sheer number of occupants that live or work aboard a vessel—such as a Bentusi Exchange ship—regardless of it being used for colony purposes or not. Often, motherships are named by the people who created them: in the case of the Kushan, theirs takes the name Mothership.

The Kushan Mothership THE KUSHAN MOTHERSHIP

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Class: Mothership Faction: Kushan Scale: 6

Communications

11

Computers

10

Engines

10

Weapons:

Sensors

09

Structure

11

Point Defense Grid: Close range, 3 (Versatile 2, see special function)

Weapons

07

Armor: 6 Hull Points: 18

Special Functions: Point Defense Grid: You do 1 less damage against scale 3 ships and above, but do an additional 2 damage to ships of scale 1 and 2. Command Ship: The commanding officer aboard this ship may use the Direct action for any ship they have a communication link with, and may assist using Communications + Command. Construction Ship: The Mothership can construct vessels of scale 5 and lower (see Building Ships, p.151). Repair: The Mothership can repair ships of any scale. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: The Mothership can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the Mothership it regains 3 fuel points.

Construction and Design

The plans for the Mothership were first agreed upon in 1159KDS. Without knowing what the Kushan would be met with upon leaving Kharak’s system, the ship was designed to be part carrier and colony ship, part factory and construction vessel. Layers of armor and heavy plating make up the outer hull, and within is every facility imaginable to provide the resources and infrastructure to produce everything from ships to food. The Mothership was

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designed from the ground up to be a selfsustaining, temporary colony home for the Kushan. The construction of the infrastructure needed to even begin work on the Mothership took twenty years, with the construction of the scaffold taking a further ten after that. Twenty-five years later the last sections of the Mothership’s outer hull were completed, but additional work was still needed to finish the vessel before it would be ready for a test voyage. The final hurdle in the Mothership’s design was in how to deal with the number of people needed to manage the main bridge. With incredible amounts of data needing to be processed in a short period of time, the bridge crew would have needed to be in the hundreds. Having that many command staff on the bridge was unmanageable, paralyzing the chain of command, and by extension the ability to keep the ship running optimally. With this issue threatening to put an end to the hope of returning to Hiigara, Karan S’jet, a neuroscientist, came forward, producing research that she believed could help. She suggested using a living brain to process the data alongside the Mothership’s computers and offered herself as the subject. She was wired into the ship’s central processing core using her own research to successfully integrate herself into the ship, effectively becoming the mind of the Mothership and the voice of Fleet Command. Eventually, eight decades after the first construction began, the ship would be ready for the first test of the hyperdrive. Although the construction of the Mothership united Kiith clans across Kharak, it was not without loss or pushback. In total, 2,357 Kushan lost their lives across the timeline of the vessel’s construction. In their memory, each of their names was engraved on the central hyperdrive core, with the Kushan believing that their spirit of bravery and hope would follow the Mothership when the time came for the voyage to Hiigara.

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Life Aboard

Despite the advanced capabilities of the Mothership, life aboard is not easy. A large number of people is still needed to crew the ship and its supporting vessels, even with Karan S’jet at the heart of the ship. After the destruction of Kharak, a number of the cryo tray sleepers were awakened to be drafted into the newly forming Kushan military. All crew members of the Mothership are between the ages of seventeen and fifty, as no one outside that age range was accepted into the cryo sleep program that began twelve years before the Mothership’s construction. This move to form a military prompted months of daily drills and training to get all those drafted crew up to active service standard. Every individual aboard lives their work. Most crew members will work six to eight hours before having personal and rest time. At any point, however, a crew member can be called to their station to begin work immediately due to emergency situations. It is mandatory to spend at least an hour a day training and exercising, sometimes as part of a crew member’s job. Despite the artificial gravity aboard the Mothership, it is key that the crew stay healthy in order to prevent injury and sickness. Even though for much of its journey the Mothership and the Kushan people were at war, they still celebrated religious holidays and events together. These were often much more humble than they would have been on Kharak, with resources being heavily controlled, and the ship still needing to have a working crew, but events like this kept spirits high.

Key Areas

• Fleet Foundry. The automated systems of the fleet foundry can assemble ships of any class and size with ease thanks to the Kushan use of modular technology. The foundry also contains a massive hangar bay used for servicing ships and housing

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• Fleet Command. Karan S’jet bound herself to the Mothership in order to become Fleet Command. Only with a living brain handling the huge data shunts that the Mothership requires can it function properly. Karan can handle every update and alert that the Mothership produces and can then choose to deal with them automatically or alert the crew. During combat she can observe the status and position of every ship in the fleet, as well as analyze all systems and combat response activities within the Mothership. • Fleet Intelligence. The fleet intelligence decks are located just below the main bridge of the Mothership. The main area is a large spherical chamber filled with workstations manned at all times by a rotating crew of scientists, diplomats, linguistics experts, and tactical officers. Most of the data coming into the Mothership is analyzed here through Karan S’jet’s systems, with experts giving their conclusions, findings, or tactical recommendations. From here, the ship’s sensor array can also be accessed, as can the fleet archives. • Cryogenics. The vault area within the Mothership that holds the cryo trays— containing 600,000 Kushan people—is the most heavily armored part of the ship. The cryonic vault is three kilometers tall and a kilometer across, storing all six cryo trays. As a deviation in temperature of even a single degree could be fatal to the sleepers outside of the revivification process, there are a number of safety protocols built into the vault. The trays are linked in with the Mothership’s main reactor core, but should this go offline the vault has its own separate auxiliary fusion pylons built into its walls, each one capable of handling the power the vault needs to keep the cryo trays working. Access to these vaults is only given to a select few officers and scientists, those responsible for running diagnostics and monitoring the vault and the trays’ conditions.

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them when the Mothership initiates a Far Jump. • Resource Storage Areas. When resource collectors and controllers bring material back to the Mothership, it is transfers the contents of their hold ready to be reduced to its component elements by a phased disassembler array. Once on board the Mothership, a magneto-hydrodynamic shunt field sorts these elements according to their atomic weight and then transports them to storage shells. Many of the Mothership’s resources are stored within huge honeycomb-like structures that lie under the surface of the Mothership’s hull, covering at least 65% of the space between the hull and the internal structure. These storage shells can be vented in the event of an emergency, and they add to the Mothership’s armor. • Navigation. A whole section of the Mothership is dedicated to the navigational computer system for the hyperdrive. Not only does the navigation center of the ship control the Achieved Target Interrupt of the hyperspace core—a priority interrupt that discharges the core when the target destination has been reached—but it also controls two other emergency interrupts: The Anomaly Interrupt and Safety Interrupt. When a gravimetric anomaly is detected, the Anomaly Interrupt discharges the drive and puts the ship back into normal space. Safety interrupts only occur in the case of irregularities in the quantum waveform, or if the Mothership’s hull integrity is compromised, forcing navigation to again discharge the drive and enter normal space. As hyperspace is still not yet fully understood, the drives are only capable of inducing a linear tunneling effect, and control of the distance is still imperfect. Scientific limitations mean the Kushan can only use 6% of the core’s full power, and navigation can only control it when using no more than 2% of its power.

HyperDrive Technology and Hyperspace

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Little is still known about exactly how hyperdrive technology works, due to its progenitor origins. Hyperdrives give ships the ability to Short Jump, meaning they can travel faster than light over a short distance. Such drives are available from the Bentusi and are widely used on ships of capital-class and larger. The presence of a hyperspace core allows a hyperdrive to Far Jump. This allows travel across even vaster distances that would, even with a Short Jump drive, take months or years to complete. Only three hyperspace cores exist. One is with the Bentusi. The second is built into the hyperdrive of the Kushan Mothership. At the time of the Kushan return to Hiigara, the existence of the third core was unknown. Hyperdrives work by generating a quantum wavefront, sometimes referred to as a quantum tunneling effect. This can often be seen as a window-like phenomenon opening up in normal space that passes over a ship and pulls it into hyperspace. Little is also known about hyperspace. It is theorized that hyperspace does not exist independently of normal space but is instead created when the hyperdrive is engaged. There are other theories that suggest hyperspace is its own independent space, with the possibility of lifeforms existing within it, but this is yet to be proved. While in hyperspace, it is impossible to know for certain where in normal space you are positioned, meaning that any jumps, especially Far Jumps, can be wildly inaccurate the farther you travel. Rather than measuring just the distance you travel, you also need to know how long it would take you to arrive, as part of calculating when to disengage the drive is based on when the correct amount of time has elapsed. Due to hyperspace not being independent of normal space as far as it is understood, it is affected by large gravitational anomalies, such as gravity wells or large planets and stars. If an object produces enough of a gravitational pull, it can rip a ship out of hyperspace. Exiting hyperspace is an easy affair and is simply done by powering down the hyperspace drive. The quantum tunneling effect will end on its own, ejecting a ship from hyperspace. In the event that a ship is forcibly pulled from hyperspace, most hyperdrives have safety features that detect these anomalies and power down the drive to lessen the damage to a ship.

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The Kadeshi Mothership THE KADESHI MOTHERSHIP Class: Mothership Faction: Kadeshi Scale: 6

Communications

08

Computers

09

Engines

11

Weapons:

Sensors

10

Structure

11

Small Projectile Cannon: Close range, 6 (Versatile 2)

Weapons

10

Armor: 6 Hull Points: 18

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Small Ion Cannon: Medium range, 6 (Piercing 2, Vicious) Rotating Ram: See special function

Special Functions: Rotating Ram: You may spend 3 points of Momentum to use the rotating ram when making an attack using the ramming speed action. Attacks against capital-class ships and above decrease in difficulty by 1 and you do an additional 2 of damage on a successful attack. Command Ship: The commanding officer aboard this ship may use the Direct action for any ship they have a communication link with, and may assist using Communications + Command. Construction Ship: The mothership can construct vessels of scale 5 and lower (see Building Ships, p.151). Repair: The mothership can repair ships of any scale. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: The mothership can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the mothership it regains 3 fuel points. Hyperspace Inhibitor: The hyperspace inhibitor has a range of Medium. When a ship in hyperspace moves into range of an active inhibitor, it is pulled out of hyperspace and suffers 5 of damage. Ships within a mothership or a carrier do not suffer this stress. Ships within range of a hyperspace inhibitor cannot use any hyperjump capabilities, such as Short Jump or Far Jump. Short Jump: Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium. The Short Jump drive must recharge after use for a number of rounds equal to your scale before it can be used again.

Construction and Design

The three Kadeshi motherships were constructed with materials cannibalized from ships that passed through the Great Nebula on trade routes or mining operations. It is presumed that construction of these vessels began as a result of the transport ship the Kadesh arrived on no longer being fit for

its purpose, or due to the Kadeshi developing an extreme xenophobic attitude toward anything connected to their exile or outside of the nebula. The three motherships would have been repaired and added to over this period, and perhaps no longer resemble the motherships their Hiigaran ancestors would have begun to build over 4000 years ago.

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In order to move through the vast and dangerous nebula with ease, the Kadeshi motherships were designed in a needle-like shape. This allowed them to move quickly, both to catch up to invading ships and to run from them if necessary. Built for combat, sporting ion cannons and projectile weapons, they are also capable of constructing and releasing smaller swarmer pod vessels and the fuel pods that they require, making even a single mothership a formidable foe in battle. Alongside these reinforcements, the Kadeshi motherships have a rotating hull that can spin at thousands of revolutions per minute before ramming into ships as big as super capital-class with little damage done to the mothership itself. Dodging such an attack is difficult due to the mothership’s speed. The internal architecture of the motherships is similar to that aboard the Kushan mothership, as they are both based on the designs of the original Hiigaran transport ships. The heights of interior ceilings, door frames, and consoles are much taller, however, as the Kadesh live in a gravity-light environment, meaning that over time they have developed elongated bodies compared to the Kushan. Despite being shipbound since arriving in the nebula, never trading with others, and having to survive by repurposing and cannibalizing passing ships, the Kadeshi possess advanced technology. The greatest examples of this are the hyperspace inhibitors that each of the three motherships possesses. Not only do these prevent capital and super capital ships from advancing on the fleet quickly in combat using Short Jumps, they also prevent ships from leaving the nebula via hyperjump. This gives the Kadeshi swarmers time to ravage invading fleets before they can attempt to flee, now lacking the ability to Short Jump. With all three motherships capable of using hyperspace inhibitors, they can cover a large area of space, and even if one of them fails the inhibitor effect is not lost. Alongside this, they also have an array

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of weaponry. Unlike the Kushan mothership, the Kadeshi motherships sport projectile and ion cannons, salvaged from vessels that passed through the nebula. This gives their ships heavy firepower, even without the ability to unleash hundreds of Kadeshi swarmer pods—small fighter craft that fly in formation and can tear a ship apart in a matter of minutes. The outer hull is capable of moving at incredible speed, allowing the ship to ram capital and super capital-class vessels at high speed, causing little damage to itself but devastating a target ship.

Life Aboard

Community, work, and preservation are the motivations aboard the Kadeshi motherships, and life revolves around them. Each mothership must ensure that production and recycling of necessary resources does not fall behind. Crews work at all hours to ensure these processes keep running, and to ensure that the sensor operations keeping a close watch on the nebula are always manned. Lack of resources or production, or crew members who fall behind on their duties, are taken seriously. Being unable to provide for the rest of the community can result in the offending crew being ostracized from Kadeshi society until they find a way to redeem themselves. While community and the religious tenets of the Kadeshi make their life of isolation seem more idyllic than it is, all three of the motherships still suffer from dissent and crime among their crews. Theft of resources or the deliberate interference with resources are the most common crimes, often committed either to ensure a crew does not fall behind on production, or to slow the production of another crew so as to look better in the eyes of the mothership leaders. Despite the extreme religious views and strict tenets of the Kadeshi, there are some who believe far less than they allow others to see. Sometimes these are ostracized crew members who lose their faith; other times it is Kadeshi who, with the true hopefulness and will of youth, have

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grand ideas of a way of life without the fear of the great evil and living for survival. Openly holding these views or associating with those who do can have extreme consequences in Kadeshi society, resulting in permanent exclusion, severe punishment, and sometimes even death. The leaders of each mothership regularly receive reports from crew members tasked with looking for signs of crime or loss of faith, and are in charge of deciding upon an appropriate solution.

Key Areas

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• Construction Bay. Like most motherships, the Kadeshi motherships each have a large construction bay. As the Kadeshi only produce a few varieties of ships— multi-beam frigates, swarmers, and their fuel pods—the automated systems here can complete construction on these ships incredibly quickly using the materials that come from the ship’s recycling center. This bay also has room for over a hundred swarmers to dock for repairs and maintenance. • Recycling Center. This is an area adjacent to the construction bay where resources and captured ships are taken for recycling. All shipboard waste is also recycled here, including water. Ships are broken down to their base components, and any that can’t be used as-is are broken down further into raw materials, which are then sent over to the construction bay. Other resources, such as gases or materials collected from the nebula, are also reduced down to their base elements here and sent to the construction bay. Food waste is broken down and either sent as a compost-like material to hydroponics to help grow food, or has any remaining mineral and vitamin content extracted so it can supplement food or help in making medicine. Water

filtered and processed here is either sent back shipboard to be used by the crew, or is sent to be used in the fusion reactor systems of a ship if it is too contaminated to effectively filter. • Sensors Operation Center. The Kadeshi keep a close eye on all that goes on within the nebula in order to prevent trespassers from entering—and if they do, prevent them from leaving. While many ships have issues with their sensors in the nebula due to the abundance of gas pockets and heavy elements, the Kadeshi motherships’ sensors are tuned to filter the interference out, giving them a tactical advantage against any who enter. From the operation center, the three motherships can triangulate their sensors, as well as see through those of their ships, giving them a wide view of anything within the nebula. • Cleansing Temple. On the rare occasion that a trespassing ship surrenders to the Kadeshi without protest, accepting the offer to stay within the nebula over destruction, the cleansing temple is where the crew are taken. The ship is stripped of its technology and then recycled, preventing the crew from leaving the nebula or having anyone track it down. They are then taken through to the cleansing temple. In a religious ceremony, the “unclean” crew members are forced to renounce their ties to anything outside of the garden, swear themselves to a life of maintaining and caring for the garden, and be ritually cleansed in water. At the end of this, they are given new clothing, with their old being recycled, and are recognized as “clean” by the Kadesh. It is here that they are educated on Kadeshi life and customs so they might integrate into the rest of the population.

The Bentusi Exchange THE BENTUSI EXCHANGE Class: Mothership Faction: Bentusi Scale: 6

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Communications

09

Computers

10

Engines

09

Weapons:

Sensors

10

Structure

12

Large Bentusi Ion Cannons: Long range, 9 (Piercing 2, Vicious)

Weapons

11

Armor: 6 Hull Points: 18

Special Functions: Command Ship: The commanding officer aboard this ship may use the Direct action for any ship they have a communication link with, and may assist using Communications + Command. Repair: A Bentusi Exchange ship can repair ships of any scale. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. Refuel: A Bentusi Exchange ship can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with the Bentusi Exchange it regains 3 fuel points.

Construction and Design

Not much is known about the construction or the reason for the design of the Bentusi Exchange ships. The Bentusi have been shipbound for as long as any historical records have been kept, and it is not known where they repair their ships or if they even construct new vessels. The ships are designed in a horseshoelike configuration with the front and sides being heavily armored. The rear of the ship is open, the whole length of it filled with openings to hangars so that traders might dock to trade resources. Though this open back design might seem counterintuitive for

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combat situations, it is common knowledge that attacking the Bentusi never ends well for the assailant. Exchange ships carry heavy ion cannons that use ion technology far in advance of any other spacefaring race. With an extended range and damage output on these weapons, even the Turanic raiders think twice about attacking such a heavily defended ship. They are also the only other race in the galaxy (besides the Kushan, and formerly the now-ancient Hiigarans) to possess a hyperspace core, allowing them to simply outrun any vessel that might pose a genuine threat. The technology of the Bentusi surpasses that of any other known race, save for the long-lost Progenitors. Much like the Kushan mothership, the Bentusi ships require a living host in order to process the sheer volume of information that such a vessel takes in. Their integration into the ship is far more advanced than that of Karan S’jet, and they also display more navigational control over their hyperspace core. Though it is not known how many Bentusi are connected to a single ship, functions usually performed by a living crew are instead run by maintenance bots and what some describe as “living technology.” It is unknown how long ago their integration into their ships took place, but many would guess it must have happened thousands of years ago. Due to this advanced integration, the Bentusi are unable to separate from their ships, and they experience an unnaturally extended life—possibly thousands of years— because of it. The secrets of how the Bentusi reached the technological advancements required for such a feat of bioengineering are unknown, and not shared with the rest of the galaxy.

Life Aboard

For the Bentusi, life aboard their ship is life as their ship. As far as anyone is aware, the Bentusi do not need sleep, nor food in any traditional sense, and are able to process information and pilot their ships without the

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Layout

• Sanctum. Very few people have ever claimed to have seen inside a Bentusi ship’s sanctum. None of the reports have ever been verified, and accounts of what is within differ so vastly that many believe them to be false. The sanctum is the area of the ship where a Bentusi’s physical, biological form—or what is left of it— exists. It is in this room that the body and mind are integrated into the ship in a feat of incredibly advanced bioengineering. Unverified accounts report that the Bentusi are so integrated into their ships that you can’t tell where the physical body ends and the ship begins, while others describe strange-looking humanoid creatures suspended by cables and wires, supported by strange technology. Some report that there are multiple

entities present here, while others only mention a single Bentusi. No one knows for sure what exactly resides within this mysterious chamber. • Trade Floor. A large section of the exchange is dedicated to open trade. Here traders can set up temporary shops to sell their wares to patrons of the Bentusi Exchange and can later trade with the Bentusi themselves for anything they may need. This trade floor is kept in order by small assistance and security robots controlled by Bentusi AI, though they are rarely needed, as the Bentusi reputation as a force to be reckoned with is widely known. • Private Meeting Chambers. These areas are often used when the Bentusi make first contact with a spacefaring race, allowing them to speak or trade in private. Such an area was used when they first encountered the Kushan, to make sure none knew of the meeting with the exiles, which was forbidden at the time. These areas can also be used when trading technology directly with the Bentusi that they may have a special interest in. In all cases, anyone who enters here will often be greeted by a service robot under control of the Bentusi. • Archive. Because much of the space on a Bentusi vessel is not needed for crew or quarters, aside from meeting rooms and the trade floor, it either houses materials and resources for trade, or the many service robots that maintain and repair the ship. A large area of the ship, however, is a dedicated computer core that acts as an archive for the Bentusi. Any and all information that an exchange ship comes across about technology, hostile encounters, spacefaring races, or historical records is stored here. No one knows how much information is held, or how far back such archives stretch, but this is shared among all Bentusi Exchange ships.

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need for rest. All their time is spent managing the trade and collection of resources and maintaining ship systems, either through their direct connection with the ship or through the use of maintenance robots of varying size and function. For those who stay long periods on Bentusi vessels, such as those that set up shop on the trade floor of a Bentusi Exchange ship, life is very different. Due to the absence of day and night in space, as well as on the Bentusi vessel, most merchants and traders will default to the hours of the night/day cycle of their homeworlds and their usual routines. This leads to a trade floor which effectively never closes. Traders often bring enough supplies to last them their stay on the exchange, and once they have sold or traded their goods they either leave via their own ships or wait until the Bentusi are near a station or planet that they wish to travel to. This is especially common for those using ships too small to support a hyperdrive, using the Bentusi Exchange both as a place to trade and a way to move to places within the outer rim trade routes at a pace far faster than their own ships could manage.

Turanic Raider Motherships

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

The Turanic raiders don’t use a traditional mothership-class vessel in the same way that the Taiidan or the Kushan navies do. A group of Turanic raider ships is called an “entente” and is often held together mostly by agreement between the captains of the ships within it. As their tactics are often that of piracy, ambush, and surprise, they require ships with speed and heavy combat capabilities. Rather than have a mothership, which are often slower and less capable alone in combat, each flotilla of ships will have at least one attack carrier within its ranks (see p.127). This serves as the main command ship of any given Turanic fleet and is treated as a combat-capable mothership. Life aboard these vessels is often hard. For the most part, Turanic ships are an unwelcome sight, and many spacefaring races and planets would prefer not to encounter them. They trade very little except with the imperialist Taiidan who pay them in goods and decommissioned ships, supporting their tendency to act as a mercenary group. Resources can become scarce at a moment’s notice if a fleet has not raided or received payment in some time. A life free of traditional military regulation means there is no strict regimen to life aboard any of their ships. Crews do the jobs that must be done to keep the ship and the entente running, but outside of that they are free to do as they wish. Often goods and services are traded through a barter system, bought and paid for in an exchange of further goods, services, or information. Due to many Turanic ships either being heavily altered decommissioned Taiidan ships, or those captured in their raids and then repaired, there is no consistent layout or technology across those ships. Ententes can vary from having heavy weapons and advanced technology (for those that can take on particularly powerful fleets) to having nothing more than simple kinetic weapons and a fleet consisting of low-power ships.

142

CHAPTER 5

The Taiidan Imperial Flagship THE TAIIDAN IMPERIAL FLAGSHIP Class: Mothership Faction: Taiidan Scale: 6

10

Computers

09

Engines

09

Weapons:

Sensors

09

Structure

11

Small Projectile Cannons: Close range, 6 (Versatile 2)

Weapons

10

Armor: 6 Hull Points: 18

Life Aboard

Life aboard the imperial flagship is one reflective of a regimented Command Ship: The commanding officer aboard this ship may military regime. Everyone aboard use the Direct action for any ship they have a communication is held to the highest standard, in link with, and may assist using Communications + Command. uniform, decorum, and speech. Construction Ship: The mothership can construct vessels of scale 5 and lower (see Building Ships, p.151). Shifts generally last six to ten Repair: The mothership can repair ships of any scale. Make a hours, though there is little to Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach do in rest time other than sleep, from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach. eat, or train. Officers that gain a Refuel: The mothership can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). placement on the flagship are Each turn the target ship is in contact with the mothership it always expected to be at the regains 3 fuel points. peak of their ability. In its day-today running outside of a direct wartime engagement, the crew is on regular rotation, with only a handful Construction and Design of commanding officers staying aboard for The Taiidan imperial flagship is not just the longer than a few months at a time. mothership of the Taiidan imperial fleet, but it Daily life only becomes more difficult is also the ship that Taiidan Emperor Riesstiu when the Emperor makes an appearance IV the Second commanded the fleet from on the ship, sometimes on a whim to make before its destruction in the Homeworld War. an extended stay. In times of war, however, The ship itself is different in configuration he installs himself as the commander of from other motherships. It has a blocky, the Taiidan military, promoting even tighter rectangular construction with two separate security aboard—such as the presence of hangars, allowing ships to deploy from the the Taiidan Elite guard—to calm his paranoid flagship at a rapid pace. Both of these hangars fears that someone will seek to strike from are well protected from the sides by large within. During these periods the Emperor’s arms that extend from the main body of the command of the flagship can sometimes ship, giving some cover to ships as they pass result in him making strange requests, as in and out. Aside from the internal hangars, well as drastic changes to procedure and ships are also able to dock on the underside Special Functions:

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Communications

of the mothership. This allows it to act as a carrier of massive proportions compared to other mothership-class vessels that rely solely on a hangar bay. The internals of the ship follow standard Taiidan architecture and fabrication. The internal layout is optimized for protecting the emperor and the command centers aboard the ship in case of an enemy fleet boarding, allowing the Taiidan high guard to reach them quickly with advantageous positions.

life on board in order to exercise and remind others of his power.

Layout

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

• Emperors Quarters. Perhaps one of the most heavily armored and defendable areas of the ship is the Taiidan Emperor Riesstiu IV the Second’s quarters. The room is filled with life support technology for when the emperor wishes to stay onboard the flagship. It also has a number of security measures built in, such as bulkheads that can lower in the event of a hull breach and its own artificial atmosphere system independent from the rest of the ship. It also features its own power supply, ensuring that the emperor’s life support is not at risk if the ship’s power fails. The room is heavily guarded by elite members of the Taiidan high guard at all times, though it’s a risky job— if the Emperor has a paranoid episode and suspects for even a moment that a guard cannot be trusted, he will have them executed. • False Quarters. Due to Emperor Riesstiu IV the Second’s paranoia that anyone and everyone is out to threaten him, the imperial flagship also features a duplicate of the Emperor’s quarters.

144

Identical in every way to the true quarters, it is designed to cause confusion to any boarders in the event of an attack, giving the Taiidan guard aboard a chance to find, apprehend, and execute any who would threaten him. At any given time, only the elite guards who are stationed outside either of the quarters know which quarters is which, and this information is never divulged to anyone outside of the emperor’s elite high guard escort. • Fleet Command Center. The heart of the flagship is the command center. From here the command crew can contact any ship in the fleet, either directly or through various relay stations positioned throughout Taiidan space. It is manned at all hours by hundreds of personnel, and receives thousands of reports per day about events happening within the Taiidan sphere of influence. The crew here are all experienced military officers, tacticians, scientists, and analysis experts, each and every one of them loyal to the empire and the emperor without question. From here, entire fleets of Taiidan ships can be commanded and organized. The emperor himself can view and hear any and all information that comes through the command center from his quarters, as well as broadcast to the empire.

CHAPTER 5

Other

GRAVITY WELL GENERATOR

There are a number of other ship-like vessels in Homeworld. Not all of these are manned craft, and are often devices rather than true ships, but are important to a fleet nonetheless. SENSOR ARRAY

Communications

10

Computers

10

Engines

–

Sensors

12

Structure Weapons

Scale: 2 Armor: 1

Communications

08

Weapons:

Computers

09

None

Engines

07

07

Sensors

09

—

Structure

10

Weapons

—

Hull Points: 7

Special Functions: Long Range Sensors: The sensor array has a sensor range of Long. High Resolution Sensors: The sensor array generates 1 bonus Momentum from a successful test when it uses its Sensors attribute.

Scale: 3 Armor: 1 Hull Points: 10 Weapons: None

Special Functions: Gravity Field: As an action, the gravity well generator can create a large field around it that stops all strike craft within Medium range from moving. Once activated, the gravity well generator self-destructs after 3 rounds, inflicting 3 (Piercing 2) to all other ships within Close range. Gravitational Hyperspace Drop Out: As an action, the gravity well generator can attempt to pull a ship from hyperspace. Make a Sensors + Combat test with a difficulty of 5, reducing the difficulty by 1 for each additional gravity well generator in Medium range (to a minimum of 1). If successful, any ships currently in hyperspace within Long range are pulled into normal space. The target ships suffer 5 of damage with the Piercing effect. Ships within a mothership or a carrier are not affected by the damage; only the transporting ship is affected.

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Class: Non-Combat Faction: N/A Designed to expand the sensor range of mothership-class vessels, sensor arrays allow a ship to detect the presence of ships, resources, and other special phenomena at an extended range.

Class: Non-Combat Faction: N/A Gravity well generators are a dangerous technology that are still not fully understood. Capable of generating an immensely strong gravitational field, they can stop strike craft in their tracks, rendering them useless in battle. Using a single powerful generator—or sometimes a number of them working in concert—it is also possible to pull ships out of hyperspace into normal space, causing massive amounts of damage. Their only failing is that they cannot be refueled. Once they have run out of charge, they must either be shut down and never reused, or they explode.

PROXIMITY SENSOR

HEADSHOT ASTEROID

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Class: Non-Combat Faction: N/A Created by the Taiidan as a superweapon to use against the Kushan fleet as they approached Hiigara, the Headshot Asteroid posed a massive threat to any ship in its path. At its core, large engines had been fitted to accelerate the 200,000-ton asteroid to a deadly speed, meaning that surviving a collision with it was impossible. Possessing no weapons other than its size and speed, the Headshot Asteroid was accompanied by a fleet of ships to protect it on its course. Scale: 5

Communications

–

Computers

07

Engines

11

Weapons:

Sensors

–

None

Structure

12

Weapons

—

Armor: 5 Hull Points: 17

Class: Non-Combat Faction: N/A Proximity sensors are used to detect cloaked ships within a given area. 10

Computers

10

Engines

–

Weapons:

Sensors

11

None

Structure

06

Weapons

—

Armor: 1 Hull Points: 8

Special Functions: Extended Sensors: The proximity sensor has a sensor range of Long. Cloak Detection: The proximity sensor can detect ships using the Cloak special function within Medium range. While within the proximity sensor’s range, cloaked ships can be targeted as normal.

Special Functions: Deadly Collision: The Headshot Asteroid makes its way to a target without deviating from its course. Each round, the Headshot Asteroid moves two zones in a direct path toward its target. Collision with the asteroid inflicts 9 with the Breaching and Vicious effects.

146

Scale: 2

Communications

CHAPTER 5

HYPERSPACE INHIBITOR (STANDALONE)

HYPERSPACE INHIBITOR (NETWORK) Class: Non-Combat Faction: N/A Communications

10

Computers

10

Engines

–

Sensors

12

Structure

07

Weapons

—

Scale: 2 Armor: 1 Hull Points: 9

Weapons: None Communications

9

Computers

10

Engines

–

Sensors

12

Structure

09

Weapons

—

Special Functions:

Scale: 2 Armor: 1 Hull Points: 11 Weapons: None

Special Functions: Hyperspace Inhibitor: Each hyperspace inhibitor has range of Medium. When a ship in hyperspace moves into range of the inhibitor, it is pulled out of hyperspace and suffers 5 of damage. Ships within a mothership or a carrier do not suffer this stress. Ships within range of an active hyperspace inhibitor cannot use any hyperjump capabilities, such as Short Jump or Far Jump.

Hyperspace Inhibitor: Each hyperspace inhibitor has range of Medium. When a ship in hyperspace moves into range of the inhibitor, it is pulled out of hyperspace and suffers 5 of damage. Ships within a mothership or a carrier do not suffer this stress. Ships within range of an active hyperspace inhibitor cannot use any hyperjump capabilities, such as Short Jump or Far Jump. Network: A network allows inhibitors to work over a larger area, increasing their range from Medium to Long. The network has a scale equal to 2 plus the number of inhibitors in the network. The inhibitors’ hull point maximum is equal to 9 plus the number of inhibitors in the network. When the network has suffered breaches equal to half its scale, its range decreases to Medium.

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Class: Non-Combat Faction: N/A Hyperspace inhibitors are used to prevent ships from using hyperdrive technology. The device disrupts the quantum wavefront generated by a ship’s hyperdrive, either preventing it from leaving or pulling the ship into normal space. It does this by exponentially increasing the amount of energy needed to power the hyperdrive, making it impossible to start (or causing it to fail). These devices can be standalone or built into ships.

Mysterious Ships and Derelicts Within Homeworld a number of other strange ships and derelicts were found by the Kushan. The origin or true purpose of some of these ships is still unknown. GHOST SHIP

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Class: Unknown Faction: Unknown The Ghost Ship is a huge derelict vessel discovered by the Kushan when it caused anomalies in their hyperdrive, forcing them out of hyperspace. Surrounding the ship was a fleet, assembled from vessels of vastly different origins, including Taiidan ships. The Ghost Ship was able to gain control of capital ships through the use of a subversion field, though strike craft were unaffected. Those vessels within the field were unable to move, except to rotate and attack other passing ships. The Ghost Ship has no working weapons—instead relying on its stolen fleet to protect it—but it does possess heavy armor. After destroying the subversion field, the Kushan were able to extract alien technology from the ship, allowing them to begin work on gravity well technology. It appears the Bentusi were aware of the ship, but did not dare approach it.

148

Communications

–

Computers

12

Engines

–

Sensors

09

Structure

11

Weapons

—

Scale: 6 Armor: 6 Hull Points: 17 Weapons: None

Special Functions: Subversion Field: The Ghost Ship is able to gain control of capital-class ships that come within Close range. When a ship enters the subversion field, its Engines score becomes 0 and tests using the ship’s attributes become impossible while within the field. On the captured ship’s turn, it makes a single attack against any ship not controlled by the Ghost Ship. Strike craft are not affected by the subversion field.

CHAPTER 5

JUNKYARD DOG

JUNKYARD OFFICE

Communications

7

Computers

8

Scale: 2 Armor: 4 Fuel: 10

Engines

10

Hull Points: 11

Sensors

09

Weapons: Jaws

Structure

09

Weapons

10

Class: Unknown (Super Capital equivalent) Faction: Unknown, possibly Progenitor A derelict of unknown origin with a partial split running across the width of the ship, the Junkyard Office is thought to be some kind of control or relay center for whoever operates, or once operated, the Karos Graveyard. Protected heavily by auto guns and the Junkyard Dog, both seeming to operate on some form of AI, the derelict is still seemingly operational, with lights still visible within the vessel. It was from the communications relay here that Captain Elson of the Taiidan destroyer Kapella sent a transmission to the Taiidan resistance to call for reinforcements, only being able to make it to the office with the help of the Kushan fleet. Very little is known about the rest of the derelict.

(see special function): Contact, 3 (Piercing)

Scale: 5

Communications

11

Computers

09

Engines

–

Weapons:

Special Functions:

Sensors

07

None

Jaws: The Junkyard Dog can make an attack within Contact range of another ship using its Jaws. Make an attack using Weapons + a Crew Quality of 4 at difficulty 3 (adjusted for scale and truths). If successful, the attacks inflicts 3 of stress. You may spend 2 points of fuel on a successful attack to capture the target ship, providing it is super capital-class or below. Once captured, the ship can no longer use its Engines attribute to move. When the Junkyard Dog moves, the captured ship moves with it.

Structure

08

Weapons

–

Speed Burst: When making the Full Throttle action, spend 1 additional fuel to move to anywhere within Extreme range.

Armor: 4 Hull Points: 11

Special Functions: Advanced Communications: The Junkyard Office’s communications relay can send and receive communications from Extreme range and beyond. The gamemaster has discretion on the distance these communications can travel. Additionally, tests to Intercept or Signal Jam are decreased in difficulty by 1.

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Class: Strike Craft (Corvette) Faction: Unknown, possibly Progenitor The Junkyard Dog is a corvette-like ship found in the Karos Graveyard. The origin and purpose of the Junkyard Dog has never been discovered, but it is thought to be progenitor technology, possibly built to be some kind of protection for something within the Graveyard. With a huge pair of jaws on the bow of the ship, the Junkyard Dog was able to capture ships up to super capital-class and then secrete them away somewhere within the Graveyard, leaving some ships functional but badly damaged.

KHAR-TOBA

KHAR-SELIM

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Class: Ancient Hiigaran Khar-Toba transport-class (Mothership) Faction: Hiigaran (Ancient) Khar-Toba-class transports were built by the ancient Hiigarans as sublight transport vessels, used to transport large numbers of people. Many of these were created in the space of a single month on the orders of the Galactic Council after the decision was made to exile the Hiigarans. The sublight transports built for this purpose were massively flawed. During the exile, many were destroyed due to engine or structural defects, and many others detoured off course, such as the transport ship found in the Great Nebula belonging to the Kadesh. The only other recorded finding of one of these ships is on Kharak; known as the Khar-Toba, it is the ship that brought the Hiigarans to Kharak, eventually becoming the planet’s first city after it landed.

Communications

09

Scale: 5

Computers

10

Hull Points: 12

Engines

08

Weapons:

Sensors

12

None

Communications

08

Scale: 6

Computers

09

Hull Points: 14

Structure

07

Engines

10

Weapons:

Weapons

–

Sensors

07

None

Structure

07

Weapons

–

Special Functions: None

150

Class: Super Capital (Non-combat Support) Faction: Kushan The Khar-Selim was designed as a support ship. Its mission was to travel to the outskirts of the Kharak system in order to observe and monitor the hyperdrive tests that the Mothership was performing. It was destroyed before the Mothership arrived by the Turanic raiders, as part of the Taiidan’s attack on the Kushan. When the Mothership arrived, all that was left of the Khar-Selim was its bow—the rest of the ship was reduced to debris. The vessel had no offensive capabilities but did have improved sensors and computer systems in order to provide analytical data on the hyperdrive test.

Armor: 3

Armor: 1

Special Functions: Advanced Sensors: Whenever a character uses the Khar-Selim’s Sensors attribute they may reduce the difficulty of the test by 1. Advanced Computers: Whenever a character uses the ship’s Computers attribute they may reduce the difficulty of the test by 1.

CHAPTER 5

SHIP CREATION While the descriptions in The Ships of Homeworld on pp.110--148 can be used for ships across several fleets with little change, you may decide that you wish to create your own unique ship. This might be a vessel for the player characters, or it could be for a new NPC ship of the gamemaster’s design.

Building Ships There are three methods that you can use for creating a new ship: ready-made, quick creation, or ship construction. Each method lists its pros and cons, as well as what the method works best for. Use this when deciding which to go with in any given situation. You may choose to only use one of these methods, or you might use all three in combination, depending on your needs.

Ready-Made The quickest and easiest way to create a player character ship is to simply select a ship from the Ships of Homeworld part of this chapter and use that, allowing players to upgrade as per the rules in Ship Upgrades (p.154). It is worth noting that when using this method, player character ships will be slightly increased in power, as many of the ship stat blocks have already had various upgrades added to them.

This method is designed to allow you to quickly create ships during play, and is best suited if the ship you require is similar to those that already exist. While this option has less customization, it is fast and simple to use. To create a ship using quick creation, follow these steps. 1. Select an existing ship stat block that matches the type and class of ship you want. 2. Reduce attribute scores by a total of 3 points, then increase up to three attributes by a total of 3 points. 3. You may replace any existing special functions with special functions of equal class (see Special Functions, p.156). This method, just like the ready-made method, creates ships that are slightly increased in power, as the stat block is written to include upgrades.

Pros • Quickest method • Slightly more powerful PC ships

Pros • Quick but more customizable • Slightly more powerful PC ships

Cons • Least customization

Cons • More time consuming

Best for? • Creating a ship quickly when you need a small amount of customization • Player ships that the players will only control for a short period of time

Best for? • Creating a ship quickly but allowing for something unique

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CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Which Method Do I Use?

Quick Creation

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Ship Construction This method is like a character’s lifepath system, as it is a longer series of steps that allow you to build a ship and customize it completely. Unique player ships can be created this way, as well as NPC ships, which have a few additional steps. Pros • Most customizable Cons • Ships may be slightly less powerful than those made with the ready-made and quick creation methods • Most time consuming Best for? • Creating unique NPC ships different from those that already exist • Creating unique player ships that they will control for an extended period

152 152

Ship Construction Overview Step One: Select a chassis. This determines the scale and class of your ship. Step Two: Assign attribute points to the existing chassis you selected. Each scale of ship has a different number of points to assign. NPC ships have additional points to assign here also. Step Three: Spend points on upgrades. Purchase weapons, special functions, and armor for your ship. Step Four: Assign derived stats. Using your ship stats, calculate your fuel, hull points, and weapon stress ratings.

CHAPTER 5

Step One: Select a Chassis The chassis you choose will determine the scale and class of your ship. Scale affects how many points you have to spend on increasing attributes, and how many points you have to spend on upgrades in Step Three, as well how many and which weapons you can mount. The class of ship is important for some ship actions and special functions.

Scale

Class

Fighter

1

Strike Craft

Heavy Fighter

1

Strike Craft

Corvette

2

Strike Craft

Capital Ship

3

Capital-Class

Super Heavy

4, 5

Super Capital-Class

Mothership

6

Mothership Class

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Chassis Type

Fighter Chassis Maximum Weapon Mounts: 1 Communications Computers

Engines

Sensors

Structure

Weapons

08

09

09

06

07

08

Heavy Fighter Chassis Maximum Weapon Mounts: 1 Communications Computers

Engines

Sensors

Structure

Weapons

08

08

08

07

08

08

Corvette Chassis Maximum Weapon Mounts: 1 Communications Computers

Engines

Sensors

Structure

Weapons

08

07

08

08

08

08

Capital Ship Chassis Maximum Weapon Mounts: 2 Communications Computers

Engines

Sensors

Structure

Weapons

08

07

07

09

08

08

Super Heavy Chassis Maximum Weapon Mounts: 2 Communications Computers

Engines

Sensors

Structure

Weapons

08

07

07

09

08

08

Mothership Chassis Maximum Weapon Mounts: 2 Communications Computers

Engines

Sensors

Structure

Weapons

08

07

08

08

07

08

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Step Two: Assign Attribute Points You receive a number of points to spend on increasing the base attributes of your ship’s chassis, as detailed in the table below. Each point increases an attribute by 1, and you can assign these to any attributes you wish. Player character ships may not have any attribute with a score of more than 11, and may only have one attribute with a score of 11.

Scale

Attribute Points to Assign

1

5

2

5

3

6

4-5

8

6

10

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Step Three: Spend Points on Upgrades You receive a number of points to spend on upgrading your ship depending on your ship’s scale. If your ship is a non-combat ship, you receive half the number of points to spend. The table shows how many points you receive based on the scale of your ship. These points can be spent on armor, weapons and special functions.

154

Scale

Upgrade Points

Upgrade Points for Non-Combat

1

4

2

2

6

3

3

8

4

4

10

5

5

12

6

6

14

7

CHAPTER 5

Armor

Your ship’s armor can be increased by 1 for each point you spend.

Weapon

Category

Range

Weapons

You may have a number of weapons equal to the weapons mount maximum on your chassis type. You must meet the requirements listed for the weapons you select.

Stress Rating

Effects

Point Cost

Requirements

Explosive

Close

2

Area

1

Capital Ship Chassis (or gamemaster permission)

Small Ion Cannon

Beam

Medium

Scale+2

Piercing 2, Vicious

2

Capital-Class and above

Large Ion Cannon

Beam

Medium

Scale +3

Piercing 2, Vicious

1

Capital-Class and above

Magnetic Mines

Explosive

Contact

3

Breaching

2

Corvette Chassis, scale 2 or above

Plasma Bomb

Explosive

Close

4

Persistent 2, Piercing 1

3

Weapons score of 10 or higher

Small Projectile Cannon

Kinetic

Close

Scale

Versatile 2

3

Any

Large Projectile Cannon

Kinetic

Close

Scale + 1

Versatile 2

3

Any

Hull Defense Guns

Kinetic

Close

Scale

Weapons score of 11 or higher

Special Functions

You may purchase special functions for your ship. There is no limit to how many special functions you may have, but you must meet the requirements for each as listed in Special Functions, p.156. The table to the right details the cost of each special function during ship construction based on its class.

Class

Point Cost

Special Function Class 1

1

Special Function Class 2

2

Special Function Class 3

3

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Guided Missiles

Step Four: Assign Derived Stats Now assign any final derived stats for your ship.

Fuel

If your ship is scale 1 or 2, you have a fuel rating equal to your Engines score.

Hull Points

You have a maximum hull point score equal to your Structure + Scale.

Weapon Stress Rating

Any weapon stress rating that lists scale as part of the number of you roll should have the scale added to the total number of Challenge Dice you roll for the weapon’s stress rating.

A Note on NPC Ships for Gamemasters CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Gamemasters will often need to create ships to fit a specific purpose within a campaign which these creation rules may not cater to—especially if they are designed to be vastly different from the other ships presented in this chapter. In this case, gamemasters are always encouraged to use their judgment in augmenting ship attributes and stat blocks outside of what is presented here. If the ship you’ve created requires an additional special function but you don’t have the points for it, feel free to add that special function anyway. If you wish to increase the attributes of a ship beyond what’s written here to make an interesting challenge for the players, then do so. Creating fun adversaries or interesting ships for the players to interact with should always be your primary goal when creating NPC ships. It is worth nothing, however, that many players will want to explore or even capture particularly powerful or strange ships. When creating such a vessel it is worth bearing this in mind in order to keep the power scale of the players in line with your campaign.

Special Functions Special functions are additional abilities that your ships have, similar to player character talents. Each special function has a class that determines its cost during ship construction, an RU cost when adding it during ship advancement, and requirements your ship must meet to gain the special function.

Class 1 Advanced System

Requirements: Chosen Attribute 9+ RU Cost: 8 Select a single ship attribute when you buy this special function. Whenever you make a test using that system, reduce the difficulty of the test by 1, to a minimum of 1. You may select this special function up to three times, for a different attribute each time.

156

Anti-Strike Craft Design

Requirements: None RU Cost: 5 Inflict +1 against fighters and corvettes.

Charged Burst Attack

Requirements: Strike Craft RU Cost: 5 Spend 2 Momentum before making an attack roll; if the attack hits ignore 2 armor.

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Extended Sensors

to the ship’s scale. To gain control of the ship make a Computers + Flight test with a difficulty of 1. In order to capture larger vessels, more corvettes are required, up to the target vessel’s scale.

Requirements: Sensors 10+ RU Cost: 5 Sensor range is extended to Long.

Fuel Requirement

Requirement: None RU Cost: 5 When you take this special function, your ship gains a fuel rating equal to your Engines score and is subject to the same fuel rating rules as scale 1 and 2 ships (see p.102).

Ion Array

Requirements: Fuel Rating RU Cost: 2 When taking an action that has a fuel requirement, this requirement is increased by 1.

Speed Burst

Requirements: Strike Craft RU Cost: 5 When taking the Full Throttle action, spend 1 additional fuel to move to anywhere within Extreme range.

Swarm

Salvage Subversion Routines

Requirements: Corvette Chassis RU Cost: 8 You can board and gain control of enemy vessels that you are in Contact with, equal

Requirements: Scale 1, Small Fuel Capacity special function RU Cost: 6 You may increase the damage of your weapons by 1 for each point of fuel spent, up to your fuel capacity.

Class 2 Additional Weapon Mount Requirements: None RU Cost: 8 You can mount an additional weapon to your ship.

Anti-Capital Ship Design

Requirements: None RU Cost: 10 Attacks made against capital-class ships are decreased in difficulty by 1. Attacks against ships scale 2 or less are increased in difficulty by 2.

Cloak

Requirements: Strike Craft RU Cost: 12 As an action, the craft can spend fuel to cloak itself. While cloaked the fighter cannot be the target of an action, cannot be tracked on enemy sensors, and may not make attacks. The cloak lasts for a number of rounds equal to the number of fuel points spent.

Cloak Detection

Requirements: Scale 3+, Sensors 11+ RU Cost: 12 A ship equipped with cloak detection can reveal ships using the Cloak special function

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Requirements: Scale 3+, Ion Cannons RU Cost: 8 The ship’s ion cannon increases its range category by 1 and its stress rating by 1 .

Small Fuel Capacity

within Medium range. While within the cloak detecting ship’s sensor range, cloaked ships can be targeted as normal.

Command Ship

Requirements: Scale 3+, Communications 10+ RU Cost: 8 The commanding officer aboard this ship may use the Direct action for any ship they have a communication link with, and may assist using Communications + Command.

Lay Mines CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Requirements: Magnetic Mines RU Cost: 5 Create a hazard within the zone and designate it “Minefield” (mark it with a truth). Ships within the minefield must pass an Engines + Flight test with a difficulty of 2, or be struck by a mine attack (inflicting 3 , Breaching).

Multi-gun

Requirements: Scale 2+, Large Projectile Cannons RU Cost: 8 Projectile cannon attack gains the Area effect.

Multiple Targets Requirements: Weapons score of 10+, large size weapons RU Cost: 10 Ignore the first difficulty increase when making additional attacks after the first in a round, as long as each target is different.

Refuel

Requirements: Corvette Chassis, or scale 3+ RU Cost: 12 You can refuel strike craft (scale 1 or 2). Each turn the target ship is in contact with this ship, it regains 3 fuel points.

Far Jumps in Your Games You will notice that the Far Jump is listed as a special function in some ship stats without any rules mechanics and it is not listed in the special functions list. This special function indicates the ship has a hyperspace core and is capable of making Far Jumps. The use of Far Jumps should enrich or further the story and the game, and is not intended to be a game mechanic the players can control directly (see Hyperjumps, p.102/163). Whether a ship is Far Jump capable—and how much players can be involved in the decision to Far Jump—is entirely up to the discretion of the gamemaster.

Class 3 Cloaking Field

Requirements: Scale 3+, Computers 10+, Fuel Requirement special function RU Cost: 15 The cloaking field can cloak vessels of capital class or below with a combined scale of 6, for instance three scale 2 fighters. Activating the cloaking field costs fuel equal to the combined scale of the ships within it, and the cloak generator must stay within Close range of the ships it is cloaking. While

158

within the cloaking field, ships (including the cloak generator) cannot be tracked on sensors and may not make attacks. If the Computers system of the ship is damaged, the ship can only cloak vessels with a combined scale of 3. The cloak lasts for a number of rounds equal to the cloaking ship’s scale before needing to recharge—that costs 2 points of fuel and takes a number of rounds equal to the ship’s scale.

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Construction Ship

Requirements: Scale 5+ RU Cost: 20 The ship can construct vessels of scale 3 and lower once per round (see Building Ships, p.151) by spending Momentum. Scale 1 ships cost 2 Momentum, scale 2 Ships cost 4 Momentum, and scale 3 ships cost 6 Momentum.

Field Generator

Missile Factory

Requirements: Scale 4+, Weapons 10+, Missile Volley special function RU Cost: 15 The ship has an onboard missile factory. After firing a volley attack, you may spend Momentum equal to the ship’s scale to replenish the supply of missiles. This takes a number of rounds equal to the ship’s scale, after which the ship may make attacks or use Missile Volley again.

Requirements: Scale 4+, Weapons 10+, Guided Missiles RU Cost: 15 You can launch all of your missiles at a single target. If you choose to make a missile volley attack, add 4 and the Vicious effect to the attack. Once the missile volley attack has been made you can no longer make attacks using guided missiles unless you possess the Missile Factory special function, or you return to the mothership to resupply.

Repair

Requirements: Corvette Chassis, or Scale 3+, and Computers 9+ RU Cost: 15 The ship can repair ships up to capital-class. Make a Computers + Engineering test, difficulty 2, to remove 1 breach from a target ship’s system. Spend 2 Momentum to repair one more breach.

Short Jump

Requirements: Scale 3+, Engines 8+ RU Cost: 15 Once per round when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium. The Short Jump drive must recharge after use for a number of rounds equal to your scale before it can be used again.

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Requirements: Scale 3+, Computers 9+, Structure 9+ RU Cost: 15 You may spend 2 points of Momentum to activate the ship’s EM generator. While the EM field is active, attacks made against you with projectile cannons, magnetic mines, and guided missiles inflict no stress. The EM field remains active for a number of rounds equal to your scale (unless you deactivate it before then), and must recharge for a number of rounds equal to your scale before it can be used again.

Missile Volley

Installable and Strange Technology

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While the special functions listed previously are common enough to be available to most fleets, further special functions or weapons can be added to ships though installed technology. Often, this technology is recovered from new vessels or fleets that a ship encounters, found within derelict vessels, recovered from ruins on other worlds, or traded from people such as the Bentusi. Listed here are some technologies that players might be able to salvage, find, or otherwise research and add to their ship as installed technology (see p.164), but it is encouraged that you create your own, based on the needs of your campaign and players.

Researching for Technology Using the rules for an extended test on p.269, the gamemaster may require you to complete research on a technology before you can have it installed on either your ship or ships within your fleet. Once you have researched the technology, you can install it on your vessel by paying the RU cost listed in the advancement table on p.164.

Gravity Well Technology Gravity technology is seldom used, but when it is, it often comes with destructive properties. From pulling ships out of hyperspace to disabling whole squadrons of strike craft, it is powerful tech.

Gravity Field

Ships or structures that can activate a gravity field can disable strike craft. Gravity field generator devices are normally singleuse due to their destructive nature. Unless turned off prematurely (leading them to be discarded) they will explode, as they are impossible to refuel. Requirements: Capital-class or above, structure 9+ RU cost: 10 As an action the vessel can create a large field around it that stops all strike craft within Medium range from moving. Once activated, unless turned off the vessel self-destructs after 3 rounds, inflicting 3 (Piercing 2) to all other ships within Close

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range. If the technology is turned off, turning it back on resumes this countdown.

Advanced Gravity Field

This allows a ship or structure to generate a gravity field that does not suffer the same destructive properties of its predecessor. Requirements: Gravity Field special function RU Cost: 20 As an action the vessel can create a large field around it that stops all strike craft within Medium range from moving. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to the ship’s scale. The unit must recharge between uses for a number of rounds equal to the ship’s scale.

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Gravitational Hyperspace Drop Out

Strong gravitational forces can pull a ship out of hyperspace—planetary bodies do this naturally, and artificial gravity generators can be configured for this effect. Requirements: Capital-class or above, Gravity Field special function RU Cost: 20

As an action, you can attempt to pull a ship from hyperspace. Make a Sensors + Combat test with a difficulty of 5, reducing the difficulty by 1 for each additional ship generating a gravity field in Medium range, to a minimum of 1. If successful, you pull any ships currently in hyperspace within Long range into normal space. The target ships suffer 5 of damage with the Piercing effect. Ships within a mothership or a carrier are not affected by the damage; only the transporting ship is affected.

Hyperspace Technology

Hyperspace Inhibitor

Advanced Hyperdrive

These are capable of preventing hyperspace jumps by forcing a hyperdrive to require exponentially more power until it is unable to supply it and shuts down. Inhibitors can be used as standalone units or structures, or be built into a ship. Requirements: None RU Cost: 20 The hyperspace inhibitor has a range of Medium. When a ship in hyperspace moves into range of an inhibitor, it is pulled out of hyperspace and suffers 5 of damage. Ships within a mothership or a carrier do not suffer this stress. Ships within range of an active hyperspace inhibitor cannot use any hyperjump capabilities, such as Short Jump or Far Jump.

Though the most common type of hyperdrive is the kind capable of Short Jumps, more advanced versions have been found. Requirements: Research (Stress 12, 3 breakthroughs, resistance 1) RU Cost: 20 The advanced hyperdrive allows ships of scale 2 to possess Short Jump drives. Once per round, when making the Maneuver major action, you may spend 2 Momentum to move to a point within Long range instead of Medium. The Short Jump drive must recharge after use for a number of rounds equal to your scale before it can be used again.

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Hyperspace technology has been around for as long as any spacefaring race can remember, often in the form of hyperdrives. A later development was the use of hyperspace cores that allow Far Jumps, as employed by the Bentusi and Hiigarans. After the first Hiigaran-Taiidan war, hyperspace inhibitor technology came into use, which allows a ship or fleet to prevent hyperjumps.

Strange Technology Out in the wider universe reside many abandoned planets and derelict ships from civilizations long past and lost to history. Occasionally, travelers and explorers come across these ruins and find unexplainable technology. From the subversion field of the Ghost Ship derelict, to the drone technology traded by the Bentusi, there is no end to the possibilities of what might be waiting to be found.

Subversion Field

First seen on the derelict Ghost Ship and used to capture capital-class ships, subversion fields seem to work on some kind of intelligent AI, capturing ships for the host vessels’ purposes.

CHAPTER 5: SHIP COMBAT

Requirements: None RU Cost: 20 The ship is able to gain control of ships of a particular class (pick one when you select this) that come within Close range. When a ship enters the subversion field, its Engines score becomes 0 and tests using the ship’s attributes become impossible while within the field. On the captured ship’s turn, it makes a single attack against any ship not controlled by the host vessel. Strike craft are not affected by the subversion field.

162 162

Advanced Communications Though it is easy enough for ships within the same fleet to communicate, especially if a mothership or carrier is present, the technology to transmit communications over vast distances is still rare. Such a system could be found in the Junkyard Office of the Karos Graveyard. Requirements: None RU Cost: 20 Using the Junkyard Office’s communications relay, you can send and receive communications from Extreme range and beyond. The gamemaster has discretion on the distance these communications can travel. Additionally, tests to Intercept or Signal Jam are decreased in difficulty by 1.

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Drone Technology

Sold by the Bentusi, drone technology allows AI-controlled drones to be launched from a ship, normally for combat purposes. Requirements: None RU Cost: 15

You gain the drone launcher weapon, which gives you access to the following special function. Launch/Retract Drones: As an action, you can launch 1 drone sphere. The drone sphere is launched into the same zone as the ship. The drone sphere takes actions using the ship’s turn. (See p.123 for drone sphere stats.)

Progenitor Technology The Progenitors were an ancient race, long disappeared from the galaxy, that are said to be the originators of hyperspace technology. Their now-derelict ships and ancient tech are much sought after and rarely found, but when discoveries are made, strange new technology often comes to light. Suggested to have been a creation of the Progenitors, pulsar beams were used by the ancient Hiigarans on their ships as anti-corvette and anti-frigate weapons. They work using a similar technology to ion cannons, but fire beams that last for shorter intervals and have an incredibly high rate of fire. Requirements: Weapons 10+ RU Cost: 20 Category: Beam Range: Medium Stress Rating: 4 , 6 against corvette and frigate ships Effects: Vicious 2

Progenitor Ion Cannons

These ion cannons are capable of firing a devastating constant beam at their targets, making them incredibly dangerous to ships of all classes. These weapons are easily able to penetrate the hull of even the most heavily armored ships. Requirements: Capital-class or above RU Cost: 20 Category: Beam Range: Medium Stress Rating: Scale + 4 Effects: Persistent, Piercing 3

Progenitor Ablative Armor

Made of a super-hardened metal, in a process long lost to time, this armor can be salvaged from progenitor derelicts and reworked. Too rare and time-consuming to rework for armoring an entire hull, it is often used to armor the weakest points on a ship. Requirements: Research (Stress 12, breakthroughs 4, resistance 2) RU Cost: 25 You may increase the ship’s armor by 1. Attacks made against the ship targeting a specific system are increased in difficulty by 1.

Creating New Technology When creating new technology, gamemasters should consider what role it plays in their game. Is it intended to challenge the players, or is it intended for them to recover such technology for their ship or fleet’s benefit? Technology that is designed to be adversarial to players is often powerful, meaning it may not always be suitable for players to research or add to their ships, and this should be considered when creating any new technology. Further advice for gamemasters can be found on p.263.

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Pulsar Beams

SHIP ADVANCEMENT Ship advancement is how you improve and modify your ship. This can be for customization or to optimize it for a specific mission.

Buying Advancements

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You can advance and upgrade your ship in several ways, from improving its attributes to adding weapons or special functions. Each advancement has a resource unit cost, just like character advancements do. When purchasing an advancement, you can choose to have a single player pay the cost, or you can pool RUs from multiple players.

Increasing Attributes

There are two ways to purchase an attribute increase. The cheaper option is to increase an attribute by 1 while decreasing another by 1, essentially moving the attribute points from one system to another. The other is to pay a higher RU cost to increase an attribute by 1 without needing to reduce any others, though this can only be done three times.

Adding Special Functions

You can add additional special functions to your ship, with the RU cost dependent on the special function you select. You must

Add Weapons

You can add additional weapons to your ship, based on the maximum number of weapon mounts on its chassis. This is used for weapons that you have free access to within your fleet, such as those listed on p.106. Weapons that are added as installed technology may ignore your maximum number of weapon mounts.

Install Technology

You can add and install technology that you find, trade for, or salvage. The gamemaster might decide that once you acquire the technology, you must complete research on it first (see p.160). Once you have acquired the technology, you pay the listed RU cost to add it to your ship. This might come in the form of a special function or a weapon.

Advancement

RU Cost

Increase one attribute by 1 and decrease another by 1

5 You may not increase an attribute over 12 in this way

Increase one attribute by 1 (max 3 times)

10 for the first, 20 for each additional

Add weapon

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be able to pay the RU cost and meet the requirements of the special function in order to purchase it. You can remove a special function from a ship for free, but if it is a requirement for another special function, you lose that too.

Kinetic: 10

Beam: 20

Explosive: 20

Add special function

RU cost listed on special function

Install technology

RU Cost dependent on technology (see p.158–261)

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Chapter 6

HISTORICAL BRIEFING Overview

The First Time The Hiigaran empire occupies the most powerful position in the galaxy, but they are not content. Near the end of this period, the Hiigarans discover the Hyperspace Core: a powerful artifact from the Progenitors, allowing rapid hyperspace travel. Chafing under the restraint of their neighbors, the Hiigarans use it to wage war on the Taiidan Empire and their previous allies, the Bentusi.

From even this earliest known stage, the propensity of our people for war, and their proficiency at it, are clear. We were an aggressive and resourceful people, a force to be reckoned with.

The Fall of Hiigara The martial acumen, fighting spirit, and technological advantage of the early Kushan nearly prove too much for the galaxy to resist. Ultimately, a great alliance led by the Taiidan and Bentusi beat them further back until surrender is inevitable. Although many of their enemies advocate that they should be destroyed to the last child, more merciful souls prevail. The Hiigarans are sent into an eternal exile.

Short Jumps and Far Jumps Two kinds of hyperspace travel are known to be possible. Short Jump technology is relatively simple, and hundreds of species have either developed it independently, or reverse-engineered it from devices purchased or captured from other races. This form is reliable, but limited to a few light years at a time. Far Jump technology remained the exclusive domain of the Bentusi for centuries, until the Hiigarans discovered the second Hyperspace Core. It was this power that tempted and permitted their sneak attack on the Taiidan homeworld, setting in motion all that followed. Its workings remain a mystery, a lasting artifact from the Progenitors yet to be fully explored and understood.

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The history of the Kushan people, of their time on Hiigara, on Kharak, and on Hiigara once again, is shrouded in the mystery of conflict and the fogs of war and time. Much has been forgotten, or actively suppressed. To the best of our reckoning, here is what historians, anthropologists, and researchers have been able to discover.

Early Settlement & Heresy Wars

One can only speculate about whether our ancestors’ population could have been purged from the universe. It is far more likely that splinter groups would have escaped into the darkest corners of the galaxy, biding their time until they were again strong enough to wreak revenge. In a way, that is exactly what happened.

The first few thousand years of life on Kharak are characterized by physical and environmental hardships. Over time the Hiigarans forget their origins, naming themselves the Kushan and believing they are native to Kharak. Vicious holy wars between the various Kiithid (clans) nearly destroy the Kushan until a science-and-logicbased ideology emerges supreme.

The Exile

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All surviving Hiigarans leave their home on a generations-long journey across the stars. Only a fraction of the transport ships complete the passage. The survivors ultimately settle on the desert planet of Kharak. It strains belief that any people could survive such a thing intact, but if history teaches us one lesson in full, it is that our people can endure... anything.

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Again, we see the true nature of our hardy and courageous people. Even under extreme conditions, they found the time and energy for martial pursuits. It staggers the mind to think what the early Kushan could have accomplished if only they had turned that drive to art, or science, or peacemaking instead of war during those early years.

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The Age of Reason Under a scientifically-minded hegemony, the Kushan experience rapid development across most fields of science. It is during this time that the xenogenesis theory (the idea that their people were not originally from Kharak) first gains popularity. At the end of this period, Khar-Toba, the Guidestone, and the Hyperspace Core are discovered, changing everything. The records are thin here, but I suspect the competition between researchers and industrialists served as a proxy for armed conflict. The clash of ideas, after all, is not so different from the clash of arms.

For a century, the entire Kushan population bends its will toward applying what was found in Khar-Toba — both toward rapid space deployment and toward mounting an expedition to their millennia-lost homeworld. They construct an enormous mothership both to test new hyperspace technology, and to form the center of the journey to the cradle of their species. Here we have a taste, just the barest glimmer, of what we could accomplish if they were not on a perpetual war footing. What our people did in just one hundred years is nothing short of miraculous.

Destruction and Exodus The Kushan test the hyperdrive with catastrophic results. The test triggers an ancient monitoring system, and the Taiidan respond to the Kushans’ unknowing defiance of a millennia-old edict by murdering every soul still on Kharak. In response, the Kushan mount a desperate war and journey far to ensure their

One wonders what might have happened had we been greeted into the galactic community with open arms. Would the need for war have inevitably surfaced?

Landfall Restored to their homeworld, the Kushan resettle the ancient cities and reconnect with a planet somehow familiar to their bones. The old clans begin to reassert themselves, and the Hiigarans again become a galactic force by combining their military might with a sense of general goodwill from the Galactic Council. Here again we see a brief example of what we can accomplish when not at war. We restored the planet, society, and place in the galaxy at what can only be called an alarming pace. This despite challenges of identity, and the loss of over 98% of our population.

Period of New Wars The Pax Hiigara was not long-lived, as conflict is the rule of life within the Inner Rim. Over the two centuries after Landfall, the Hiigarans become embroiled in two new conflicts: the Beast War and the Vaygr War. Both end in victory for the Kushan, though at heavy cost. This period ends with the opening of the Eye of Aarran, which brought the entire galaxy, and perhaps others, into the reach of civilized species. These episodes may well predict our future place in an enlightened galactic society. We seem custom-made for war. Perhaps we best serve the greater whole as an entire species of protectors and peacekeepers.

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Khar-Toba Era

survival, ultimately reclaiming our home on Hiigara.

Futures Yet Undreamt Years near and far distant hold unknown adventures, trials, tribulations, and victories for Hiigara and its people. Some of those conflicts have their seeds sprouting even now. Splinter Taiidan sects still loyal to the Emperor lurk in dark corners. The Turanic raiders are again on the rise. None can say

what perils lurk in the spaces beyond the Eye. Decades or centuries may pass before the next crisis, but the people stand ready to meet it. We know as little about the coming centuries as we do about Hiigara’s deep past. However, one thing is certain. Whatever the future holds for us, it will not be boring.

A Matter of Time Different records of the Kushan give the dates of their exploits using different reckonings. Of those, these are the four most commonly used in Hiigaran history.

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• GSY (Galactic Standard Year). None remember what event corresponds with its Year Zero, but it must have been momentous. • KDS (Kharakian Dating System). Developed by Kiith S’jet during the Exile. Year Zero corresponds to the date the system was created. • BHL (Before Hiigaran Landfall), running backward from the end of the Homeworld War. (Year 100 BHL is ten years before year 90.) This reckoning (and AHL) was declared by Karan S’jet in celebration of the Kushans’ arrival on Hiigara. • AHL (After Hiigaran Landfall), running forward from the end of the Homeworld War. (Year 100 AHL is ten years after year 90.)

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Era

KDS

GSY

BHL

AHL

The First Time

–

~5500 - 6510

~4010 - 3000

–

Fall of Hiigara

–

6510

3000

–

The Exile

–

6510 - ~7800

3000 - ~1710

–

Early Settlement

1 - 520

~7800 - 8814

~1710 - 696

–

Heresy Wars

520 - 820

8814 - 9107

696 - 403

–

Age of Reason

830 - 1106

9107 - 9400

403-110

–

Khar-Toba Era

1106 - 1216

9400 - 9510

110 - 1

–

The Exodus

1216

9510

1-0

–

Landfall Era

1217 - 1232

9511 - 9526

–

0 - 15

Era of New Wars

1232 - 1332

9526 - 9626

–

15-115

Age of S’jet

1332 and onward

9626 and onward

–

116 and onward

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A Brief History of the Kushan To truly understand what forces could push any species to such rapid advancement, ferocious warfare, and reckless optimism, one must understand the journey of that species from first to last. This is an attempt to chronicle that journey, as best as can be determined.

Read on for full details of each of these eras: their most significant events, and the consequences of those events for the Kushan and the galaxy.

Timeline of the Kushan • Unknown Progenitors rise, live, and die • 0 Galactic Civilization Begins • Unknown Bentusi Discover First Hyperspace Core • ~5500 GSY Galactic Council Formed • 6509 GSY Discovery of Second Hyperspace Core • 6510 GSY Guidestone Created • 6511 GSY Taiidan Empire Relocates Capital to Hiigara • ~5800 Exiles Land on Kharak • 8294 Kiith S’jet Establishes Kharakian Dating System • KDS 513 Massacre at the Ferin Sha • KDS 520 Beginning of the Heresy Wars • KDS 652 First Southern Crusade • KDS 700 Final Southern Crusade • KDS 820 Heresy Wars End • KDS 1024 Mission Silumiin Riots • KDS 1106 Discovery of Khar-Toba by Radar Satellite • KDS 1110 Operation Khadim • KDS 1112 Rediscovery of Second Hyperspace Core • KDS 1135 Rediscovery of Guidestone • KDS 1155 Mevath Segald Presents the Guidestone to the High Ministers • KDS 1159 Construction on the Mothership Commences • KDS 1216 The Burning of Kharak and Launch of the Mothership • KDS 1217 Assam Kiith’sid Established as New Capital of Hiigara • AHL 15 The Beast War • AHL 114 Makaan locates the Third Hyperspace Core • AHL 115 The Vaygr War

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CHAPTER 6: HISTORICAL BRIEFING

The history of the Kushan people is best considered in parts, each providing defining events and underscoring key characteristics. Combined, they form the fire and forge for the metal of this people. • Pre-Exile: from the earliest historical record to the Hiigaran Empire’s defeat at the hands of the Taiidan. • Exile: the Kushan journey through the stars, and their time on Kharak up to the Age of Reason. • Age of Reason: an era of relative peace, prosperity, and unprecedented scientific advances. • Pre-Exodus: beginning with the discovery of Khar-Toa and ending when the Mothership made her first hyperspace jump. • Exodus: the destruction of Kharak and campaign to reclaim Hiigara. • Post-Exodus: all events after Karan S’jet set foot on the soil of the homeworld, including the Beast War and Vaygr War.

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Pre-Exile

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Although Hiigara is known to have been inhabited by the Hiigarans for many thousands of years prior to the exile, their records only extend back to approximately 3500 GSY. Prior to that, no reliable information exists. Reliable histories of the time before the Exile are thus a history of the Inner Rim systems, of which Hiigara is one. Even the earliest histories fade into myth and legend prior to the Bentusi’s discovery of the First Hyperspace Core. Using this artifact to make hyperspace jumps farther and faster than other species, they sold their knowledge and technology to those races that could afford it. In time, this unified hundreds of farflung worlds into a galactic community. As the community grew and the need for greater cooperation became increasingly evident, that unification became codified by the rise of the Galactic Council. Hiigara, already a growing power, was among the sixteen empires to first sign the accords. Taiidan was another of the initial signatory worlds. Neighbors to the Hiigarans and

equally driven to expand, they had already clashed with the Hiigarans, who were more aggressive in nature, in minor skirmishes over border systems. The Taiidani proved better politicians, and swayed the will of the Council against Hiigara. They awarded multiple disputed systems to Taiidan, and placed a thirty-light-year exclusion zone forbidden to the Hiigarans. Hiigara might have faded into a historical footnote if not for a fateful accident. Hiigaran explorers discovered the Second Hyperspace Core drifting in the Great Wastelands. Installed on the warship Sajuuk’s Wrath, it allowed them to deliver attacks far behind Taiidan lines, and to avoid or ambush reprisal fleets. The Hiigarans mounted a brutal surprise attack which decimated their rival’s seat of power. In less than three days, a series of offensives destroyed the Taiidan fleets and demolished the Taiidan homeworld, including millions of civilian casualties. The campaign was among the most destructive in five thousand years of recorded military history.

Diverse Daiamids The word Daiamid has been used throughout Hiigaran history to refer to a governing body existing above, but with the blessings of, the leadership of the individual clans. Though many may have existed in earlier times, three Daiamids are known to have existed. The First Daiamid governed Hiigara in the time before the Exile. This body ruled over the Hiigaran Empire, made the decision to attack Taiidan using the Second Hyperspace Core, and elected to betray the Bentusi during the peace accords. It was disbanded after Hiigara’s defeat, entirely disappearing as the Exiles boarded their prison vessels. The Second Daiamid formed in the ashes of the Heresy Wars under the leadership of Kiith Naabal. Far from despotic or power-hungry, it directed the efforts of all Kushan toward recovering from the horrors of war and exploring the universe through empirical research. All members of the Second Daiamid perished in the Kharakian Genocide. The Third Daiamid still exists, having formed as the Kushan reclaimed Hiigara as their own. Only time will tell whether they will remain the spiritual descendants of the Second Daiamid, or succumb to the temptations of spoils and empire, repeating the mistakes of the First.

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Great Questions Remain. What were the prespace-travel Kushan like? Why were their dreams of empire stronger than their sense of self-preservation? When did intelligent life first evolve or appear on Hiigara? How did the Hyperspace Cores get to the Great Wastelands?

Adventure Seeds

Echoes of the Past: An exploration vessel encounters a crypt world: an outpost some forty light years from Hiigara, devoid of life but littered with abandoned cities. A research and exploration party finds remains of the population, now dust for many thousands of years. Further investigation determines they

were destroyed by Hiigaran weapons during the First Time, and that the victims were Taiidani. This discovery comes during tense peace talks between Hiigara and Taiidan, and news of it could derail the proceedings entirely, leading to yet another devastating war. The players are tasked with bringing the news to the Galactic Council and the peace emissaries, but parties within the Taiidan crave open war and will stop at nothing to foil the player characters’ mission. Bentusi Gambit: Though notoriously close-lipped, the Bentusi race still has its share of leaks and rumors. One such rumor states they are staging for a new expedition into the Great Wasteland, where they have found a new Progenitor site replete with previously unimagined technologies. Although the Bentusi are allies of Hiigara, High Command still wants a Kushan presence at the dig. The player characters have a key role in this mission, though its exact nature is up to the gamemaster. They could be operatives in search of precise coordinates, diplomats applying pressure for an invitation, or a raiding party send to take direct action.

Exile The exile began as the time of the Hiigarans on Hiigara ended. The entire population boarded great transport ships and embarked on a multi-generational journey away from the Inner Rim. Precisely how long they traveled is lost to time. It is known that the Hiigarans forgot themselves during these times of trouble. They forgot where they were from, who they were, and why they were drifting among the stars to begin with. Within the Daiamid, the Hiigarans became history, and eventually legend, myth, and prophecy. Only the Taiidan remembered fully, and watched the Outer Rim with suspicious eyes. Before reaching Kharak, many of the convoy’s ships had been lost. Some fell apart as their components aged. Others were victims to pirate raids, accidents, and

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The Galactic Council united against Hiigara, demanding an unconditional surrender from the Hiigarans. They were to abandon their fleet within the exclusion zone and turn the Hyperspace Core over to the Bentusi. The Hiigarans professed to surrender, then instead made an eleventhhour surprise attack against the Bentusi—a race long held to be invulnerable—who had offered to act as mediators. Such was the power and confidence of the Hiigarans at the height of their power. The Bentusi responded by joining the Taiidan in war against the Hiigarans. Their technology, combined with the remaining Taiidan elements, led ultimately to the destruction of the Hiigaran fleets. The Hiigarans were helpless, defeated. The Taiidan Empire, still blood-mad with grief, demanded the peoples’ complete destruction. They would settle for nothing less than genocide. Bentusi emissaries and other member worlds of the Galactic Council called for a halt to the killing, ultimately convincing the Taiidan to relent. However, the empire demanded Hiigara be stripped of life, not through slaughter but by exile. The Hiigarans were to leave the Inner Rim, never to return—and never again to use hyperspace technologies of any kind.

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even sabotage. Still others simply drifted out of contact with the rest of the fleet, due to comms failure, navigation failure, or mutiny. Only a single ship made it to Kharak; even that desolate and harsh desert world looked welcoming when compared to the life any living Hiigaran could remember or imagine. And so they settled on Kharak, eventually forgetting their origins, believing themselves to be native to the desert planet. The Hiigarans became the Kushan. The first halfmillennium was a time of conflict between the clans and the harsh environment of their new home, during which they lost all memory of any life but that in the desert. Technologies, industries, and histories vanished from all Kushan minds, replaced by the immediate needs of survival on this inhospitable world. During those first few generations, nearly all technological knowledge was lost as survivors fled the first city built around the ruins of their transport. Within just a few generations, the Kushan had to rediscover nearly everything from first principles. Over centuries, the Kiithid conquered what parts of Kharak they could. They learned to survive the crippling heat, to tame its animal life. The poles began to sport agricultural fields, then villages, then cities. As life became more stable and comfortable, Kushan minds turned to matters of religion. The Kiithid fought against one another, first for resources, then over matters of faith. Early in the 6th century KDS, a religious dispute between Kiith Gaalsien and Kiith Siidim boiled over into open, world-spanning war. In 513, seven years before the official start of the war and following Kiith Siidim’s rapid change in religious view—now believing themselves to be divine and all other Kiithid to be lesser—Siidim soldiers massacred unarmed celebrants at the Manaani festival called the Ferin Sha. The blood feud this slaughter sparked extended well into the Heresy wars, and the act is remembered to this day by more than a few Manaani.

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The Heresy Wars

The nominal cause of this horrific conflict is a clash between Kiith Gaalsien and Kith Siidim, two powerful Kiithid with oppositional religious views. Kiith Gaalsien, an ancient and conservative sect, maintained that it was the holy lot of the Kushan to suffer from birth to grave in penance for some great evil committed by their ancestors. By contrast, Kiith Siidim’s theology claimed that all Kushan except the Siidim were inferior creatures, born of the sands of their planet... and that the Siidim were born among the stars to rule over the other Kiithid. Although this clash is what brought the entire world to war, it’s likely it was not necessary. During that century, conflict between different Kiith was so universal, one skirmish or another would have tipped the balance. Gaalsien and Siidim were simply in the right war at the right time. War raged beginning in 520 KDS. Thousands were burned or otherwise slaughtered as heretics. None were safe, since any given belief was heretical to somebody. The less remembered about these years the better, but two atrocities stand out as instructive examples and warnings. Kiith Gaalsien staged three crusades into the southern polar regions between 652 and 700 KDS, hoping to replenish their waning resources from the wealth of those more peaceful territories. Three hundred years of warfare destroyed entire clans. Resources needed to keep the desert at bay were diverted to military endeavors, leading to widespread water shortages and dehydration. As supplies dwindled, command of even the militaries began to break down. Anarchy within and between the Kiithid ruled. After surviving a galactic war and five hundred years in the desert, the Kushan were on the brink of warring themselves into extinction. Their salvation, unsurprisingly to students of Kushan culture, came first in the form of further war. A small northern clan, Kiith Naabal,

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developed the long-forgotten technology of chemical explosives. Possessing firearms and bombs while their rivals did not, they established their rule over the planet in just two decades. Fortunately for the survivors, their religion was based on science, logic, and rational exploration of both the universe and ideas. They wanted neither power nor reprisals—just an end to the war and the survival of their species. Under their rule, Kharak entered the Age of Reason.

Great Questions Remain: Why, among the billions of worlds of the Outer Rim, was Kharak their destination? How did their histories and institutional knowledge fade so swiftly and so completely? What Kiithid existed prior to the exile, only to die out completely or be subsumed during the years between Hiigara and Kharak?

The Kiithid of Kharak

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Life on Kharak was dominated by groups of Kiithid: large, powerful factions and clans with influence worldwide, which competed for resources and the domination of their respective ideologies. Hundreds, if not thousands, of clans rose and fell during the Kushans’ time in exile, but some stand out with special significance. • Kiith Hraal: a younger Kiith, formed at the beginning of the Age of Reason. Engineers and industrialists. • Kiith Jaraci: a clan of technicians specializing in sensor technology and astronomy, a vassal to Kiith S’jet. • Kiith Kaalel: spooks, handlers, fixers, and media jockeys. This Kiith has cornered the market on information and black markets. • Kiith Manaan: traders and explorers, this Kiith was entirely nomadic until the Age of Reason. They still produce the best scouts and diplomats. • Kiith LiirHra: the most recently formed Kiith, born of an alliance between Kiith Liir and Kiith Hraal. They are pilots, engineers, and shipbuilders. • Kiith Naabal: saviors of the Kushan, their technology ended the Heresy Wars. They focus on research and industry, along with wielding power for its own sake. • Kiith Paktu: a martial Kiith, these warrior-philosophers are known to aid weaker Kiith fighting a losing but righteous cause. • Kiith Sagald: devotees of Mevath Sagald, who found the Guidestone. They are highly technical, specializing in vehicle research, development, and manufacture. • Kiith Siidim: conservative, but no longer religious, they remain faith-based. They have a long history of betraying the other Kiith on moralistic grounds. • Kiith S’jet: philosophers and scientists. One of the oldest Kiith, and the first to embrace xenogenesis. • Kiith Soban: joined only by the free choice of adults, this band of mercenaries is populated by survivors of raids and war. They are expensive and follow the flow of payment. • Kiith Somtaaw: a mining clan with a nearly fanatical belief. Tolerated largely because of the resources they supply.

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Gone But Not Forgotten Some Kiithid no longer operate openly and are said to have faded to memory long ago. Whether or not those rumors are true is for the future to determine. • Kiith Ferrill: a lesser religious Kiith destroyed by Kiith Gaalsien during the Heresy wars. While active, they were staunch allies of Kiith Siidim. • Kiith Gaalsien: now outlawed for their religious fanaticism, which nearly destroyed life on Kharak. They live on underground, carrying on a clan old enough to be mentioned in even the oldest texts. • Kiith Tambur: this clan of medical experts was all but destroyed during the Kharakian Genocide. Since landfall, the last living member has begun reviving the clan with new goals. The Kiith system existed long before the Exile, and since they have returned to Hiigara— and enough of the population has awakened from cryogenic sleep—the Kiithid have begun to reassert themselves. See Chapter 7: Kiithid Society Briefing for full details of the major Kiithid and their interactions.

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Plot Seeds

The Age of Reason With their energies turned away from survival and conflict, and toward scientific exploration, the Kushan can truly be said to have made up for lost time. Whether their minds had grown keen from so many generations of hardship, or from some atavistic remnants of their old technologies, the next few centuries saw the culture’s abilities grow less like they were discovering the secrets of the universe, and more like they were simply remembering them. Every branch of science saw major breakthroughs: biology, zoology, botany, chemistry, physics. Those breakthroughs brought

Krill S’jet The first scientist to collate enough genetic and biological information to realize the Kushan were chemically different from the majority of life on Kharak. He first put forward the xenogenesis theory, but died before it was proved by the Guidestone. Of the myriad explanations put forward for this anomaly, the xenogenesis hypothesis was the most widely accepted. Though scientists had no idea where, or how, their people had come to Kharak, most believed the theory was sound. Those who rejected xenogenesis did so on religious grounds, but they were thoroughly outnumbered, and holy conflicts were still out of vogue, with the Heresy Wars still strong in the cultural memory. As the Kushan began the orbital exploration phase of their incipient space age, this theory gained additional support.

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Shades of Heresy: An expedition to investigate buried ruins on an obscure island in Hiigara’s southern ocean has discovered new scriptures carved into ancient rock similar to that of the Guidestone. These scriptures bring many Kushan to realign themselves into the old Kiithid, as well as some new ones. Conflict is open, and war may be imminent. The players must investigate the incipient rise of a particularly charismatic Kiith-Sa, one marching under a banner of xenophobia and moralism, and find a way to slow his climb before he can foment a second Heresy War. Hunting Taiidan: The newly reformed Kiith Tambur has just one goal: the capture and slaughter of war criminals involved with the Burning of Kharak. From the Imperial staff down to the lowliest communications officer or minor weapons technician, all must die. Some support this cause without hesitation, while others worry that rage occluding mercy is what leads to atrocities like Kharak. Players might enjoy a campaign about exactly that, playing one of the first cells of the Tambur mission. Others will prefer a more nuanced approach, where their characters are responsible for tempering and directing the efforts and anger of the Tambur.

advances across industries ranging from metallurgy, to computer science, to communications, to energy. And those advances allowed for further refined techniques of exploration and experimentation. They combined into an upward spiral of development rocketing the Kushan inexorably toward a space age. Although not all factions were entirely devoted to this new direction, the Age of Reason saw unprecedented cooperation among the Kiith. Many believe it would have not been possible without such unification. It was during this time that biologists and anthropologists made a startling and confusing discovery: the Kushan shared very little biochemical or genetic similarities with the other species of Kharak. All other species, with the exception of one strain of bacteria and a single, small mammal, had highly similar DNA, RNA, and chemical makeup, but the Kushan were different.

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Early probes and astronauts found a cloud of metallic debris orbiting the planet, some of which even bore the markings of artificial manufacture. When brought down to the surface, the samples were found to contain elements and isotopes unseen on Kharak. These were definitely of extrakharakian origin. Many (correctly) believed them to be artifacts of whatever means of conveyance had brought their people to the desert planet sometime in the long-forgotten past. Though they held no secrets about the Kushans’ stellar origins, they provided hints into even deeper secrets of metallurgy, manufacturing, and material sciences. The Kharakian Renaissance continued at its breakneck pace. In 1106 KDS, a simple operational error settled the matter once and for all, and ushered in a new era in the history of Kharak. A satellite intended to gather information about the stars beyond the Kharak system instead got turned in orbit and sent back telemetry about the planet itself. At the time nobody knew how much this would indeed tell the Kushan about the rest of the galaxy. The imagery found a large mass of metal seventy-five meters beneath the surface of the equatorial desert. Initial analysis indicated the mass might be an undiscovered, ancient city. Whatever its true nature, it was centered around a large structure of dense metals. Additional satellite flyovers were arranged, each confirming this was no malfunction or atmospheric anomaly. Something was waiting under the sands. It took four years to gather the resources and support—as well as great personal hardship on the part of the expedition—to mount a foray into the hazardous zone and excavate the area. What they found proved to be worth every second of time, every erg of personal energy, every unit of trade and currency expended. The team had found the Khar-Toba, the First City, and everything, everywhere, would change for everyone.

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Great Questions Remain: What other artifacts of the old Hiigaran technologies still lie buried beneath the sands of Kharak? What happened in the last moments of KharToba before it became a forgotten ruin? Are there branches of discovery and exploration that were missed during the Age of Reason, which could have changed the course of history even more significantly?

Mevath Sagald

The Kushan in charge of the final exploration of Khar-Toba, some twenty years after the first dig unearthed the great city. Her small team was almost entirely overwhelmed by the elements, leaving her to explore largely on her own. Mevath Sagald discovered the Guidestone in 1135 KDS, making her one of the most significant beings in Hiigaran history.

Plot Seeds

Revenge of the Kiith: An even more extremist faction within what remains of the Gaalsien is utterly opposed to the idea of leaving Kharak. Their agents work in the shadows, sabotaging research labs, assassinating industrial leaders, and sowing seeds of discord. The PCs are part of a team assembled to stop them before their actions stop the great plan or, worse, lead to further open warfare between the Kiithid. Hidden Treasures: The Taiidan genocide on Kharak raged at over 1700 degrees centigrade, enough to snuff out all life on the planet... but not enough to destroy everything of value. Years after the Exodus’s end, a few brave or foolhardy Kushan are intent on returning to Kharak to scavenge the ruins for valuable minerals, materials, and artifacts which may have survived the destruction. The PCs are members of one such expedition, and discover shortly after landing that not everything on Kharak died in the attack.

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Pre-Exodus

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The Kiithid mounted two expeditions to explore the anomaly, of which only the second was successful. They found a ruin that proved to be the oldest city on Kharak, a find that would fill the careers of hundreds of archaeologists, but it was the lesser prize discovered in the desert that year. What was truly world-changing was the central metallic mass: a starship, ancient beyond measure. Khar-Toba, it appeared, had been built around the wreckage of an ancient vessel, perhaps by the very people who landed (or crashed) it on the surface of the world all Kushan then called home. Most of its structure and components had rotted to nothing, but enough of it remained for there to be no doubt. The xenogenesis theory seemed irrefutably proven—but that was not all. At the very center of the ruined ship, two artifacts from the Kushans of the stars remained, buried and hidden, but largely intact. The first took ten years to analyze, and what it turned out to be was staggering:

a solid state hyperspace module. A key to the stars! With it, the Kushan could explore the galaxy as their ancestors had, if only they could learn how to make it work. The existence and nature of the Hyperspace Core had been entirely forgotten among the Kushan. More than forty years of consistent study were needed before anyone knew how to use it, and its final secrets were not realized until over a hundred years after they returned to Hiigara. The second treasure of Khar-Toba took longer to find, but held in many ways even more power over the people of Kharak: the Guidestone. This ancient tablet was discovered in an observatory near the heart of the ruined city by a young archeologist named Mevath Sagald. It was badly damaged and worn, but still visibly bore the inscription of a galactic map pointing to a single star system located far away in the galaxy’s Inner Rim. One word was still decipherable: Hiigara, a word that translates to “our home.” It is safe to say no two words in the history of the galaxy have wrought such change so quickly.

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Such an important relic could have plunged Kharak into centuries of war as the various clans fought over its possession. Sagald realized this, so after she found the Guidestone, she presented it to the High Ministers of the Daiamid, proclaiming the stone property of all Kushan everywhere. This act can be said to be the moment Kharak’s people turned their eyes to the sky and set their whole race on a new path. Discoveries from within the city and the ship allowed scientists to reverse-engineer technologies that otherwise would have required five hundred years or more to develop. Simultaneously, news of their interstellar home galvanized the population. Nearly the entire planet bent its will toward a single new purpose. Their people would leave the desert cradle that had been their home for over forty centuries. They would build a colony ship capable of traversing the great distance, and set up civilization in the place from whence they came. It took over one hundred years to unlock the secrets of the hyperdrive induction module, and to construct a ship that could carry it and survive the journey back to Hiigara. Kharak was not ready. They had to design new industries and materials just to create the materials that would, decades later, then allow the invention of even more advanced materials needed for this mammoth task. Entire schools of physics and astronomy formed, fell, and were revised. The world was once again in turmoil, but instead of one of war, this turmoil was of development, advancement, curiosity, and hope. This is not to say that support for this effort was universal. Many factions, especially

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among the poorest clans, felt this massive output of energy, resources, and genius was a waste. They believed the Kushan would be better served by putting that work into terraforming Kharak or otherwise improving life on the planet herself. Despite the dissidence, the immense cost, and the technological challenges, the great Mothership was at last completed. It was a mammoth vessel, capable of everything a colony would need when it reached its destination nearer the Galactic Core. It included elements of a troop carrier, survey ship, and military station, and was equipped with manufacturing bays themselves as large as industrial districts on the surface. Last, but not least, it was built to house the cryogenically frozen forms of many millions of Kushan, sleeping until they could disembark on Hiigara once the planet was reached. After a century of a new age for Kharak had passed, a still newer age dawned. Karan S’jet merged herself with the Mothership, and the ship took its first jump into hyperspace on a mission to rendezvous with the Khar-Selim, sent out earlier using conventional drives. It was a small jump: just out to the edge of the Kharak system and back, but it drew a bright line in the histories of the Kushan, their two worlds, and the galaxy entire. Great Questions Remain: Did other artifacts and technologies, not commonly known but lying in caches, also facilitate this changing of Kushan ways? As the Kushan made their first steps into space, why did no nearby civilizations notice the emissions? What motivated Mevath Sagald to put others ahead of her own clan and give the Guidestone to all?

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The Mothership

Karan S’jet Although she was a brilliant neuroscientist, Karan S’jet was not prominent enough to make a name for herself but for a twist of fate. When technical difficulties with controlling the Mothership made it clear they would need to create a neural link between the ship and a live being, S’jet was in a fateful middle position. She was established and experienced enough to succeed at the task, yet not so senior she wasn’t expendable should the attempt fail. It did not fail. She became Fleet Command of the Mothership, and the first Unbound of the Hiigarans, leading her people across the galaxy and to their home. She detached from the ship to walk her new homeworld for some 115 years before the Vaygr War called her once again to meld her mind with a machine. By the end of that war, she linked with the Progenitor Mothership Sajuuk. With her lifespan extended by her cybernetic connection to a ship older than some stars, none can tell how long she will live or what wonders she will witness before her consciousness fades.

Mission Silumiin Riots Resistance to the Mothership plan unified around Per Doine, a theologian who preached that a terrible fate would befall the Kushan if they returned to the stars. His message sparked the religious fervor of many, and the movement culminated in a riot where a mob attempted to prevent the launch of a vital Silumiin launch vehicle. The event could have sparked a new conflict to rival the Heresy Wars, but High Technocrats instead spoke to the gathered crowd, delaying them until the launch was successful. Had they resorted to violence, who knows what might have resulted? Of course, we now know that Per Doine had been correct. For over 99.5% of Kushan, their return to the stars did mean a terrible fate.

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Building the Mothership was the greatest feat of engineering in the history of the Kushan. It took twenty years just to create the facilities needed to begin construction on the vessel herself. Nearly the entire asteroid belt of the Kharak system was pulled into a parking orbit, to be broken down via fusion torch into the elements needed. The construction scaffold for the Mothership required an additional ten years, and was 25.6 kilometers long at its completion. The ship was plainly visible in the night sky: the closest thing to a moon Kharak had ever experienced. With the scaffold completed, a team of ten thousand workers and twentyfive thousand robots worked day and night for eighty years before she was ready to be fitted with the hyperspace module. Over two thousand people died in the process. The cost of this project was great before the ship first moved under her own power, but none could guess the final toll its creation would demand.

Plot Seeds

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Trade Wars: During the pre-exodus era, many lines of scientific innovation and exploration were opened but abandoned because they were not relevant to the task at hand. After landfall, a scientific gold rush could commence where various Kiithid and factions compete to be the first to bring new products and ideas to the galaxy. There are fortunes to be made, which means there are conflicts to be had. The players are in the thick of it, as agents, enforcers, and guards to the Kiithid they call family. Forbidden Knowledge: It is known that at least a small group of Khar-Toba passengers kept some information about the past throughout the journey into exile. What if knowledge of the Taiidan-Hiigaran treaty that forbade the Hiigarans or their ancestors from using hyperspace technology survived, either in a splinter sect, or in documents lying in a ruin somewhere on Kharak? A tragic but stirring campaign could place the players as the sole inheritors of that truth, trying desperately to keep their people out of space before fire rains down on everyone they have ever loved.

Exodus The Mothership’s hyperspace jump was a partial success. It was capable of traveling many millions of miles instantaneously, but did arrive a few thousand kilometers off course. Her mission was to rendezvous with the Khar-Selim, a science ship which had been sent ahead a decade earlier to aid the Mothership if she were damaged and to assist in any other way necessary. However, scouts from Mothership soon discovered the Khar-Selim had been destroyed by ships from another world, ships that attacked the Mothership and its escort fighters shortly thereafter. A brief battle ensued, after which the fleet returned to Kharak. There they made a grisly discovery. Kharak was burning, the victim of a

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weapon of mass destruction which raised the surface temperature to over 1,700 degrees centigrade, the melting point of brass. Three hundred million Kushan died in minutes. A few ships of whatever fleet had committed this genocide were still in orbit, bombarding a handful of remaining cryotrays filled with the last survivors of Kharak society not aboard the Mothership. The fleet destroyed the attackers, keeping some of their officers alive as captives. The interrogation yielded ominous news. When the Mothership entered hyperspace, her drive signature had been detected by a vast empire near the galactic center. Unbeknownst to any Kushan, this experiment had violated a four-thousand-year-old treaty forbidding hyperspace travel to the Kushan. The punishment for violation was utter destruction. Alone, but bent on revenge, the Mothership and her fleet gathered the survivors and made a hyperspace jump to the Great Wastelands, a region of space dense with asteroids and similar resource-rich bodies, where they hoped to hide, gather resources, and prepare for... they weren’t certain what. What followed was a mad exodus, a rush of violence and bloodshed across half the galaxy known as the Homeworld War. A year later, the Kushan had defeated their enemies and reclaimed Hiigara.

Key Battles of the Homeworld War

• First Contact, during which the Mothership fleet first encountered Turanic raiders over the drifting corpse of the Khar-Selim. They defeated the ambushers, collected flight recordings from the science vessel, and rushed back to Kharak to help bolster the planet’s defenses. • The Kharakian Genocide. The Mothership fleet returned home to find their planet already victim of an atmospheric deprivation weapon. Kharak was aflame,

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emerged with better ships and weapons than they possessed when they entered. Once again, their quick understanding and application of discovered technology proved pivotal to their success as a people. The Battle of Supernova Station. Following information gathered by their analysts, the Mothership fleet attacked a lightly defended research station, gaining access to Taiidan comms and vital tactical data that directed the remainder of the war. This conflict, fought in the gravity well of an active supernova, resulted in heavy radioactive saturation of both fleets. Smaller vessels disintegrated, while even capital ships had to divert power to keep their crews alive. Rescue at the Tenhauser Gate. Intelligence assets discovered the Taiidan were staging an ambush against the Bentusi in retribution for their aiding the Kushan forces. The Mothership fleet immediately made the hyperspace leap to assist their allies, easily overpowering the small force sent to destroy the peaceful trading species. This engagement is largely considered the beginning of the end of the war. The Bentusi acting alone were technologically and economically superior to the Taiidan. Allied with the ferocious Kushan, they were an insurmountable enemy. The Battle at the Galactic Core. This battle was the final Taiidan offensive of the war, in which they used gravitic hyperspace interdiction devices to pull the Mothership fleet out of hyperspace for an ambush. Though the trap sprung perfectly, the forces in play were insufficient to defeat the Mothership fleet. Near the end of this engagement, the Kushan made contact with rebel elements within the Taiidan forces. Karos Graveyard Mission. Another side mission in which the Kushan did not directly engage Taiidan forces. Instead,

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and a rearguard of whatever fleet bore responsibility was attacking the cryotrays carrying the last surviving Kushan in existence. Small but determined, the fleet destroyed and captured the enemy units, saving their race from extinction. Great Wastelands Campaign. This pair of battles marks the beginning of Kushan offensive strategy. The Mothership fleet moved to the resource-rich Wastelands to repair, refit, and use her fabrication bays to turn floating debris into ships of war. When they were ready, the fleet then hunted down the Taiidan and Turanic ships directly responsible for the death of Kharak. This campaign included a lesserknown, but decisive, victory preventing Turanic carriers from returning to their homeworld, a skirmish colloquially dubbed “The Raider Retreat.” Diamond Shoals. An engagement against nature itself which could have proven pivotal. A minor hyperspace miscalculation made the entire fleet re-enter normal space in the middle of a dense asteroid field. Only quick use of heavy weapons won the day, shattering the roiling planetoids moments before impact. The Kadeshi Campaign. The Kushan attempted to avoid the bulk of Taiidan forces by traveling through a forbidden nebula, known to its inhabitants—the Kadeshi—as the Gardens of Kadesh. While inside they engaged in a battle against the Kadeshi, who attempted to destroy them. The Kadeshi at the time believed that allowing interlopers to leave the nebula would bring an ancient evil to destroy them all. The engagement resulted in an intriguing discovery: that the Kadeshi and Kushan were both of Hiigaran origin. Discovery at the Sea of Lost Souls. In this age, wars are won with technology. The Kushan are unforthcoming about exactly what happened in this brief engagement with automated, ancient vessels, but they

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they escorted a member of the Taiidan Rebellion, Captain Elson, to a derelict ship in which the Rebellion had hidden a communications array. The Karos Graveyard is notoriously well-protected by AI guardians, so even this battle did not end without losses. • The Hiigaran Campaign. The end of the Homeworld War took place in three stages, during which the Mothership fleet assaulted the heavily fortified Taiidan assets in and around the Hiigaran system. Conflict began when they again encountered Taiidan hyperspace inhibition and engaged Taiidan frigates before moving into the battle proper. From that point, most historians consider the outcome unavoidable. A battle within the Hiigaran system—even with Karan S’jet’s systems directly attacked by the Emperor, bringing her offline—resulted in a crushing defeat of the Taiidan main forces. Afterward, the Emperor’s guard fought viciously—right up to the death of the Emperor himself (though some believe he made an escape)—but not successfully. The battle ended with Hiigara firmly in possession of the Hiigarans. Despite their determination, innovation, and tactical genius, the Kushan almost certainly would have failed if not for the help of three factions. The first were the Bentusi, a trading species ancient beyond measure who forgave the Hiigarans their ancient betrayal. They gifted and traded technologies to the Mothership fleet to help them prepare for the coming conflict. Later in the war, when the Emperor discovered the Bentusi’s dealings with the Kushan, the fleet had a chance to return the favor. They rescued the Bentusi from a Taiidan ambush, bringing their military might into the fray. Their second allies were rebel elements within the Taiidan forces, who had grown

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disgusted with the decadence of their ruling elite and wanted to defect—as soon as they found a side to which they could. The Kushan provided that side, helping elements of the rebellion reach vital communications nodes so they could rally forces in support of the Hiigarans.

Captain Elson Commander of the Taiidan elite guard destroyer Kapella, Captain Elson was the Kushans’ first contact with Rebellion elements. He approached the Mothership and allowed his vessel to be boarded, then orchestrated the Kushans’ coordination with other defecting Taiidan vessels. Little is known of this officer’s personal life, other than that he was raised to respect martial tradition and grew to become disgusted with how little of it remained at the heart of the empire. After the Homeworld War, he returned to Taiidan to participate in the restructuring of his home government. Finally, the Galactic Council itself, the same force that had prevented the Taiidan from slaughtering the Hiigarans millennia earlier, arrived at the end of the war to recognize the Kushans’ claim to Hiigara. They assisted in defeating the Taiidan stronghold on the planet, and returning it to its original inhabitants. Great Questions Remain: How long had revolutionary forces within the Taiidan Empire been waiting for an opportunity to stage a coup? What other civilizations resulted in splinters from the Exile getting lost along the way? Did the Galactic Council make its decision out of good faith, or was a power manipulating votes for reasons yet to be discovered?

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Plot Seeds

Landfall The names of the first Kushan to again set foot on Hiigara were never recorded, but everybody remembers who was the last to disembark. Karan S’jet successfully uncoupled from the Mothership and walked through cheering throngs onto the surface of their new world. This event, dubbed “Landfall,” marks the beginning of the new Hiigaran calendar, and is celebrated wildly by every living Kiith.

Post-Exodus This era of Kushan history begins as Karan S’jet is extracted from the Mothership and becomes the last to disembark and stand on the soil of Hiigara. Though all were relieved and joyous to have reached their destination, the arrival was not without its disappointments.

The Beast War

The Beast War began when a Somtaaw rescue party brought a distress beacon aboard their vessel, the Kuun-Lan. The beacon was point zero for a sentient virus known as The Beast. Taiidan Imperialist holdouts had made contact and struck a bargain with the Beast as revenge for their defeat during the Homeworld War.

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Diaspora: Analysis of records from intercepted transmissions, and those of member worlds from the Galactic Council, suggest the Great Nebula is not the only home to groups that splintered off from the Caravan of Exile. Fully a dozen potential sites are identified as possible homes for the Kushans’ long-lost brothers and sisters. The PCs are to lead an expedition to explore these sites and bring their people home. Many of these civilizations are, of course, warlike, heavily armed, and eager to fight. You Killed My Father: Though the Homeworld War was made necessary by the Taiidan view toward the Kushan, that is not to say it didn’t kill thousands. Despite peace treaties, a cabal of grieving family members of those who fell fighting against the Mothership fleet has begun a campaign of terrorism against the Hiigarans. The PCs learn of their plot to assassinate Karan S’jet, and must stop it.

The paradise of Hiigara was scarred by the scorched-earth efforts of the evacuating Taiidani. Cities lay in ruin, fields burnt and poisoned. Even livestock and fish populations were put to death, for no reason other than to deny Hiigarans sustenance. Little by little, over the first decades, the Kiithid rebuilt. As their cities rose again, they unearthed records and histories, music and art, sealed away since the Exile. They began to rediscover their place in the galaxy, and their history. Some felt guilt over the aggression that started their five-thousand-year sojourn. Others felt the Burning of Kharak evened, or exceeded, any balance on that score. Most refused to trouble themselves with such philosophies and focused on the hard work at hand. What followed quickly leaves the realm of history and becomes the stuff of current events, and even popular culture. What is to become of Hiigara, the Kushan, and even the remains of Kharak is uncertain. One might say they are at the mercy of fate, but if history has proved anything, it has shown us the Kushan have never been content to be at the mercy of anything. Two other major events stand out from this period: the Beast War and the Vaygr War. Though this book focuses on games in the Homeworld universe set between the Exodus and the years just after landfall on Hiigara, these events are described briefly for the purposes of the timeline and understanding events post-landfall.

Despite early victories due to its unconventional form and methods, the Beast was contained by the Taiidan Republic and Hiigaran forces. Early in the war, the Beast captured the gigantic battlestation Nomad Moon from the Taiidan and turned it against those who would resist them. The resourcefulness and vigor of the Kuun-Lan crew and their allies stopped what could have been a galaxy-devouring bioform. Once they broke its back in combat, they spread word of the sentient virus across the Inner Rim, and the weakened creature was expunged from the galaxy.

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The Vaygr War began when the Vaygr despot Makaan—the leader of a group of nomadic space-faring tribes—came into possession of a third hyperspace core. He used the discovery to position himself as a messianic leader, and combined his control of the Vaygr with the tactical advantages of hyperspace travel to quickly conquer most species of the Galactic Council. In less than a year, Makaan controlled most of known space other than the Hiigaran system. The surprise attack of the Vaygr against the Mothership fleet was a galvanizing effect not unlike that of the Burning of Kharak. Hiigara put all of its resources into defeating this new enemy. The conflict raged across the galaxy, as the Hiigaran and Vaygr forces raced to uncover and use more Progenitor secrets lying dormant in space. In the final battle of the war, Karan S’jet captured the remaining two hyperspace cores, activating all three on board the relic ship Sajuuk. This unlocked yet another Progenitor artifact: a network of hyperspace gates surrounding a single nexus dubbed the Eye of Aarran. The discovery of the Eye of Aarran marks the beginning of the Age of S’jet, and the end of this chronicle. What futures await the Kiithid, only the deities know for certain, and only the Hiigarans themselves will enact.

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Great Questions Remain: What other secrets and histories remain hidden in the ruins on Hiigara, and how might they impact the growing rifts between the Kiithid? Did the Taiidan’s sabotage of the world end with the physical destruction, or are there subtler threats lurking in forgotten corners? What new threats or discoveries might pour through the hyperspace gates of the Eye of Aarran? Will the Progenitors be among them?

Plot Seeds

What Came Before: Both major conflicts after Landfall were related in one way or another to Progenitor artifacts of ancient design and terrible power. Indeed, the end of the Homeworld War strongly suggested the existence of even more powerful machines just waiting to be claimed. The PCs become part of a society or mission to capture as many Progenitor artifacts as possible, caching them away so that no others can unlock their secrets before the Hiigarans do. Collect Call: Emissaries from the opposite side of the Galactic Core make contact with the Hiigarans, claiming that remnants of the Taiidan Empire, supported by member planets of the Galactic Council, are repressing their people. They weave a vivid picture of slavery, reprisals, and worse atrocities born from nothing more than superior firepower. They beg for help in defeating an enemy the Hiigarans know all too well. The PCs are sent to lead or support a mission to free these oppressed friends from another star. However, these newfound friends are not what they claim. Rather, they are a race of vicious pirates, raiders, and slavers attempting to trick the Hiigarans into helping them defeat legitimate local authorities. Whether or not the adventurers discover this before participating in a power-shifting battle is up to the gamemaster’s tender mercies.

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The End Times Some believe the Hiigarans’ return to their homeworld and the opening of the Eye of Aarran align with certain prophecies passed down from before recorded history. Those prophecies predict a galaxy-ending—possibly universe-ending—apocalypse. Hence, believers refer to the current era as “The End Times” and spend the years preparing their souls.

Locations Hiigara One of the jewels of the Inner Rim, Hiigara is a rich and temperate world of blue oceans and green forests. It is warm, humid, and home to a rich ecosystem of flora and fauna unlike all but a few neighbor worlds. Rainforests, lush grasslands, and marshes cover most of its lands, and its rich volcano-fed soils feed planets throughout the sector. The cities of Hiigara during the years after Landfall are a study in contrast. The brutalist, utilitarian, industrial sprawls left by the Taiidan are slowly being replaced by more ornate structures that meld with, rather than

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The Kushan have always been a mobile people. Even when they first occupied Hiigara, they were not content to remain on their planet of birth. Instead, they spread out through the stars. When Kharak was destroyed, they united and moved as one through the galaxy. As a people, they care less about where they stand than that they are standing. This does not mean, however, that some locations are not more important than others when considering their history. A few stand out with special historical, tactical, or religious significance. Here are the most important.

replace, the local landscape. The capital, Assam Kiith’sid, is the most thus changed, consisting of lush estates and headquarters for the major Kiith, each with stunningly beautiful greenspaces and airways to make it feel more like a garden than a metropolis. The farther one travels from Assam Kiith’sid, the more cities and outposts resemble the Taiidan sprawls. Pollution and rampant development leave their scars, almost as though the Taiidan wanted to punish the planet itself for the sins of her peoples. Though most Kushan point their eyes and minds to the stars, still some Kiithid have made it their holy mission to return Hiigara to the beauty they imagine they remember.

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Plot Seed

Booby Trap: While the Kushan reoccupy Hiigara, environmental scientists discover an anomaly near the equator. Some kind of “nanotechnology bomb” is converting ocean water into a toxic gas. Technological readings show it is a final parting gift of the Taiidan Empire, and if left operational will poison every living thing on the planet within ten months. The players must explore the installation, which is 1,000 feet underwater and under heavy AI guard, and find a way to stop it before a second genocide can take place.

The Angel Moon Hiigara’s sole moon, this satellite is just under half the size of its planet, suggesting to some astronomers that the Hiigara-Angel Moon orbit is actually a rare binary planet. Of the two, however, only Hiigara has signs of liquid water. The Angel Moon has a rocky, barren surface pocked with craters and other marks of meteor impact. It has long held ritual and cultural significance, beginning with its being featured in the crest of the Hiigaran Empire. Later on, as Exile drew near, the moon played an even greater role. In defiance

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of a surrender order, the ship carrying the Second Hyperspace Core crashed into the Angel Moon rather than hand over the core. Around the same time, other Hiigarans carved the Guidestone out of stone taken from its surface. By the time the Kushan returned to Hiigara, there were none alive who had ever lived beneath a moon. However, it is a near certainty that after landfall, the great celestial orb produced some ancient sense of familiarity as they beheld their new night sky.

Plot Seed

The Hammer Falls: A rogue comet passes between Hiigara and the Angel Moon, disturbing the orbits of both. Two months later, scientists determine that the orbits are degrading, and that the bodies will crash into one another in two years’ time. Various methods of preventing the catastrophe have been suggested, ranging from redirecting the comet to pass back through, to mounting great engines on the moon to restabilize the orbit, to destroying the moon entirely. Whichever method the Hiigaran rulers ultimately choose, the PCs are called upon to execute the plan.

Kharak A blistering, desiccated world, Kharak is inhospitable to most life except at its poles, where the climate becomes temperate enough for long-term survival. Elsewhere, the only life either burrows deep underground or is exclusively nocturnal. This empty planet in an empty system in the empty Outer Rim of the galaxy would have formed, lived, and died unexceptionally (and possibly entirely unrecorded) but for the arrival of the Hiigarans. These exiles inhabited the planet for nearly four thousand years. It now lies scorched, abandoned, and uninhabitable due to the destructive power of the Taiidan Imperial forces during the Kharakian Genocide, and their use of atmospheric deprivation weapons.

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After their return to Hiigara, the Kushan never returned to Kharak. Still, they mark its existence with reverence and love as the only place they could call home during their centuries of exile.

Plot Seed

Khar-Toba The name can refer to both the Exile ship Khar-Toba, which bore the hyperspace core from Hiigara to Kharak, or the city that accreted around its wreckage in the desert. Historically, however, the city is usually what is meant. Khar-Toba is located near Kharak’s equator, and is widely considered the oldest city on the planet. Although facts are hard to come by, historians believe the ship KharToba crashed, forcing the survivors to begin building immediately, as they were stranded in a hostile climate with no help coming. The people of the city ultimately lost their battle against Kharak’s cruel elements, and the city was devoured by the sands. For thousands of years it lay in wait. Its discovery by a rogue imaging satellite sparked all events leading to the Exodus, and every consequence thereof. It once again became a center of Kushan exploration and identity, until it was scourged of all life in the Kharakian Genocide.

Shadow from the Past: As the leadership and people of Hiigara become increasingly peaceable, a splinter Kiith calling themselves Kiith Khar-toba emerges among some fringe elements. They call for a proud and warlike stance among the other starfaring races, and claim direct lineage to those who defied the Exile by bringing the hyperspace core and Guidestone with them. The PCs get involved in this potential uprising, instructed to either re-absorb most members into greater Hiigaran society, or to find a way to break its back once and for all.

Inner Rim The colloquial name for a vast area of galactic space occupying the region between the Great Wastelands and the Galactic Core. It is home to many dozens of species and a similar number of polities, including the Galactic Council and the Taiidan Empire. Hiigara is located here, among many millions of other worlds. Although starfaring civilizations doubtless occupy other portions of the galaxy, this is where most of the story of the Kushan takes place, and thus is the center of storytelling in the Homeworld game.

Plot Seed

Planet-Killers: After the end of the Homeworld War, Hiigaran and Bentusi forces rounded up all of the atmospheric deprivation weapons belonging to the Taiidan, in the hope of preventing a repeat of the Kharakian genocide on any other world, but three are now missing. Whoever stole them cannot have beneficial goals in mind for possessing such weapons. The PCs must search the Inner Rim for the potentially devastating missiles, and either destroy them or bring them back under Hiigaran control. While they’re at it, they may need to discover who is behind the plot to steal and use them in the first place.

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An Ancient Garden: Some three years after landfall, archaeologists on the Angel Moon make a stunning discovery. The KharToba was not the only vessel to smuggle technology and secrets aboard. Following those leads, the researchers found hints among notes from the scriptures of Exile hinting at the locations of those caches. Study would have continued at a sedate pace, were it not for Taiidan Imperial spies stealing the information. The PCs are now part of a breakneck race back to the Outer Rim to beat the Taiidan rebels to those caches, before they can turn whatever technological wonders are there against the Hiigarans.

Plot Seed

Outer Rim

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Circling the Galactic Core, the Inner Rim is the center of galactic civilization, location of the home worlds of dozens of advanced races. Past the Inner Rim are the Great Wastelands, and beyond them the wilderness of the Outer Rim. This vast expanse of millions of stars and billions of planets has, for reasons as yet undiscovered, developed very little intelligent life, and almost no spacefaring civilizations. In the story of the Inner Rim, this zone of deserted space has only one point of significance. Among its billions of worlds is Kharak, the home-in-exile of the Kushan. It is to there they were sent when they lost their first war against the Taiidan, and from there they came in their fury when the Taiidan Empire burned all the life from that world.

Plot Seed

Horrorcaust: Although most Kushan prefer life on Hiigara or elsewhere in the Inner Rim, after the war some explorers, scientists, and misfits opted instead to explore these lesserknown spaces. Over decades, evidence has mounted that intelligent life was once at least as common in the Outer Rim as the Inner, but it was all destroyed over the course of a few years. The PCs learn of the cause: an intergalactic raiding force bearing terrible weapons. Worse, they learn of its imminent return.

The Great Wastelands Not even the most knowledgeable scientists of all the species of the galaxy understand why few planets and stars formed fully in the swath of space between the Inner and Outer Rims, but this dark space between the stars is an undeniable reality. Over millennia, this immense patch of nebulae, asteroid belts, and floating clouds of protean debris has been a resource for thousands of civilizations. Raw materials for everything a million worlds could possibly

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desire float free here for the taking. Because of this, many wars and many more small pirate or raiding actions have marred the peacefulness of this deep and lonely space. It is also worth noting that Progenitor artifacts, including the three hyperspace cores, were all discovered among the floating debris of the Great Wastelands. The Progenitors created technology at a level of power modern civilizations only dream of, and more than one philosopher or historian has speculated that some kind of disaster, accident, or war created all those parsecs of lifeless, crushed matter.

Plot Seed

Sentient Stone: Although they first thought the observations madness, multiple scholars have identified a disturbing pattern among some objects floating within the Great Wasteland. Asteroids and other chunks of interstellar rock are moving on their own, in contradiction to their predicted gravitydriven paths. What’s more, they appear to be moving in a pattern. Sent to investigate, the players discover the stone is not just debris, but some kind of Progenitor stone technology. What the patterns mean, and how dangerous the technology is, is for the players to discover.

The Great Nebula Called the Garden of Kadesh by its guardians, this collection of interstellar dust and gas occupies an arc covering more than one hundred billion cubic light years. Astronomers differ on whether it comprises a dense cluster of multiple nebulae, or a single super-nebula, but it is the largest object in the galaxy. Such a dense and expansive collection of gases and other rare materials is tempting for miners and other speculators, but the Nebula is a dangerous place from which none are said to return. Within dwell the Kadesh, a cousin race to the Kushan who have made raiding and piracy part of their religion and

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core way of life. They ambush any ships found within the Nebula, insisting their crews surrender and join them, or be destroyed for “defiling” their garden. High energy levels from the Nebula, combined with hyperspace interdiction technologies of the Kadeshi, make it possible for them to pluck vessels out of hyperspace to materialize inside the Nebula for easy ambush. The Nebula has become marginally safer since the Homeworld War, during which the Kushan Mothership fleet destroyed the main branch of the Kadeshi forces. However, surviving fleets still patrol the area, and into the vacuum other raiders have come.

vessels and seriously damaging even dreadnaughts. Combined with the light, maneuverable Junkyard Dog-class salvage corvette, this is a dangerous place to come if you don’t want your ship to remain forever. The Karos Graveyard played a pivotal role in both the Homeworld War and the Vaygr war. In the first, the Kushan were led there to help elements of the Taiidan Rebellion reach a communications relay hidden among the hulks. In the latter, two great battles took place here between the Mothership fleet and the forces of Vaygr. Doubtless, innumerable lesser conflicts have taken place between the drifting corpses of once-proud vessels.

Plot Seed

Galactic Net: One of the AIs tasked with defending the Graveyard has reached singularity. Quickly compromising and controlling the lesser computer systems within the derelicts, it retasked the Junkyard Dogs with cannibalizing some vessels to make others operational. Intelligence assets are uncertain as to when the AI awoke, but the problem became apparent when ships were sent to investigate anomalous readings among the hulks. The task force was destroyed, losing all hands. A fleet must be sent to reason with or destroy the AI fleet, which threatens to dwarf even the combined resources of the Galactic Council if it can activate even half of the ruined vessels surrounding it.

Karos Graveyard A huge debris field located in an unoccupied system within the Galactic Core, this interstellar junkyard is the final resting place of derelict and abandoned starships by the tens of thousands. Everything from ruined scouts and fighters, to decommissioned capital warships, to ancient and enormous hulks rumored to be Progenitor vessels float here in the endless silence of space. Because of the rich material value and the occasionally overlooked classified secret, the Graveyard is heavily guarded by automatic mass drivers capable of destroying smaller

Galactic Council Center Less of a location and more of a concept, the Galactic Council Center is wherever the quorum of Council delegates meets to discuss the official business of that loose confederacy of species, worlds, and political entities. The Council meets regularly to enact legislation, or discuss enforcement thereof, in a vast cloud of glittering ambassadorial vessels. It remains for weeks as private and

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Gold Rush: With the Kadeshis’ power broken, the rich elemental wealth of the Great Nebula is again open for mining. Hundreds of fleets converge on the vast space to capture the rarest materials, turning the Garden into a hotbed of conflict, piracy, and skirmishes. Amid the chaos, surviving Kadeshi prey upon those too weak to defend themselves from their continuing holy war. PCs embroiled in this could be prospectors trying to seek out a living (or a fortune!), emissaries struggling to unite enough treasure-hunters to restore order, or Hiigaran military sent to establish law by force.

Plot Seed

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public proceedings dictate the course of the immediate future of the galaxy. Smaller meetings also occur to make decisions about smaller, but urgent matters. These are usually attended by fewer species, though many often bring the proxy of several small allies. Near the end of the Homeworld War, one such meeting took place to vote on whether or not to restore Hiigara to the Kushan. The Council has little power if outmatched, as evidenced by the Taiidans’ military might allowing them to act openly against the Council’s will. However, it represents the desires and interests of many hundreds of worlds. It has a moral authority that even the strongest polities hesitate to defy, and backs that authority with a nigh-unstoppable combined fleet.

Plot Seed

Among the Most Luminous Stars: For a less violent, but still conflict-ridden game, the PCs are among the first Kushan representatives to the Galactic Council. They attend the first major convocation, and plunge headfirst into intrigue, backstabbing, politicking, and betrayal of the highest order. Naturally, Imperial Taiidan elements and spies are on hand to put the upstarts in their place, violently if necessary. Can they both survive and make a good first impression on this new society of which they wish to become a part?

Taiidan Center of the Taiidan Empire and location of its original Imperial Palace, this planet is the hub of the largest polity in the recorded history of the Inner Rim. It is almost entirely urban, with every land mass between its north and south polar regions covered with construction. The poles and oceans sport installations, factories, and facilities of various sorts, and the space above is thick with satellites and stations out to 20,000 kilometers above the atmosphere. Green spaces are carefully groomed parks and estates, kept intact by the wealth of leading royal and industrial families. Some of these are enormous, encompassing many hundreds of square kilometers, but there are no truly wild spaces remaining on the planet. One such park is the location of the former capital area, which was utterly destroyed with massive civilian casualties during the initial Hiigaran attack on the planet. Today, it is a kilometers-wide, perfectly circular, monument to those losses. Life on Taiidan during both the Empire and the Republic is feudally structured, with royal families controlling interest in corporations, which control the lives of their employees. Most citizens live in vast arcologies dedicated to one branch of their parent company. Competition between corporations, and between branches within corporations, is nearly warlike in its ferociousness, especially

Riesstiu IV the Second The last Emperor of the Taiidan Empire, he was renowned for bringing corruption and waste among the ruling class to heights previously unimagined. He was a full genetic clone of the previous Emperor, brought into being after his predecessor died. Riesstiu was brutal in putting down elements of the nascent Taiidan Rebellion, and was the individual responsible for ordering the Kharakian Genocide. It was also his decision to ambush the Bentusi, a command decision history proved to be an enormous mistake. He is said to have died in the Year 0 AHL, in the final Battle of Hiigara and the end of the Homeworld War, though many claim he survived the fight and is waiting somewhere in the galaxy, biding his time and plotting revenge.

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now that the Republic has opened up greater social and economic mobility. Casualties were massive, both among military and civilian targets. Even thousands of years later, after the ultimate defeat of Hiigara, the atrocity is neither forgiven nor forgotten. The planet is an opulent, decadent ruin ruled by squabbling noble families with only one thing in common: their hatred for the Kushan. In recent years, a Rebellion has begun gathering force among the military and professional classes of Taiidan. Chafing under the waste and taxation of their rulers, and disgusted by their lack of moral compass, these souls fought a shadow war on their home planet and others. Since the end of the

Homeland War, these factions have operated more openly, calling for reform.

Plot Seed

A Meeting of Minds: The players become embroiled in a plot to use atmospheric deprivation weapons against the Taiidan homeworld. Vengeful, extremist elements among some clans wish to do this as revenge for the Kharakian Genocide, and are willing to stop at nothing to see it done. As the player characters investigate this conspiracy, they uncover an appalling truth. The Hiigaran extremists are being funded and manipulated by remnants of the Taiidan Imperials, close relatives of Riesstiu IV the 2nd, who wish to destroy their own planet before allowing more proletarian hands to grip its helm.

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Lesser Locations A listing of every location of significance within even the Inner Rim is beyond the scope of any print book. However, what follows are some of the more interesting or important lesser locations in the story of the Kushan. Balcora: a black hole cluster at the galactic center dense enough to prevent use of hyperspace within a radius of five hundred light years. The Progenitor supervessel Sajuuk was found there during the Vaygr War. Bridge of Sighs: a ring of hyperspace inhibitors and defensive units positioned surrounding the Hiigara System, set up by the Taiidan Empire to defend the world from the approaching Kushan Mothership fleet. Gehenna: An asteroid field within Vaygr space surprisingly thick with Progenitor relics and artifacts. The Hethlim Ice Fields, where the Third Hyperspace Core was found, are within. Kiith’sid: the seat of power during the Age of Reason, seat of the Daiamid on Kharak and center of the efforts to create the Mothership. Shining Hinterlands: a region of the Galactic Core located in the south and center. The location of the Karos Graveyard. The Diamond Shoals: a thick asteroid field at the border of the Great Wastelands and the Great Nebula of Kadesh. Tiir: once a hidden Kiith Naabal city located at Kharak’s north pole. It became their capital as the clan gained power at the end of the Heresy Wars and in 830 KDS became the capital of Kharak. Turanic Raider Planetoid: a massive asteroid in the Great Wastelands serving as a remote base for the Turanic raiders. Heavily, almost insurmountably defended by orbital and surface weapons, it is still easily bypassed or cut off from supply lines.

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Artifacts In a galaxy as long inhabited as that of the Kushan, the Bentusi, and the Taiidan, great works of art, architecture, science, and technology are inevitable. Some, however, have survived—hidden or well-known—since before recorded history. When found, they have had galaxy-changing effects on the order of things. What follows is a list of the most influential artifacts found in Kushan history. It is not an exhaustive list, and it represents only the smallest fragment of what may exist in the far reaches of space.

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The Guidestone In 5610 GSY, the Hiigarans had suffered defeat at the hands of the Galactic Council and the Taiidani. Sentenced to exile, they prepared to board the great prison ships that would ultimately bear them to Kharak. A sect whose name is long forgotten carved the Guidestone out of a piece of vacuum-cooled stone from the surface of the Angel Moon.

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On the smooth-polished surface, they carved many things, including a diagram showing the location of the Kushan homeworld. The creators of the Guidestone smuggled it aboard the ship Khar-Toba, and joined their kinsfolk in exile. Through the generations, while others forgot every aspect of their identity, a splinter group passed the secret of the Guidestone down the decades. When the Khar-Toba crashed in the High Desert of Kharak, it is unknown whether those who bore the stone from the wreckage knew its full nature, or only revered it as an artifact of their heritage. When, thousands of years later, the Guidestone was unearthed, most of its surface was pitted and scratched. Much of what was on it was illegible, practically invisible, but the location of Hiigara was clear. The discovery sparked all events leading up to and through the Homeworld War. Throughout that conflict, the Guidestone resided aboard the Mothership.

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At the end of the war, when the Kushan were again granted the right to inhabit Hiigara, the stone was relocated to the new capital city and enshrined. It still rests in that place of honor today. It is a curiosity and relic, of little practical use, but serves as a totem of the Hiigarans’ journey across the galaxy and back in the face of overwhelming odds.

Plot Seed

Hyperspace Core Although limited hyperspace travel is common throughout the galaxy, the Kushans’ command of advanced hyperspace technologies gave them advantage in their initial campaign against the Taiidan, and in the Homeworld War. When they initially discovered it under the sands of Kharak, Kushan scientists believed it to be an artifact of their earlier civilization. This proved true, but in fact the device is far older than that. Hyperspace cores predate all known extant galactic societies, and are believed to be creations of the Progenitors, a highly advanced species that vanished long before the modern era. Three cores are known to exist, each of which can be installed in a starship to make it capable of instantaneous travel across distances far greater than other techniques, and with far less risk.

Plot Seed

Giant Killer: Suddenly, and without immediate apparent cause, all three known hyperspace cores cease working. It takes weeks to coordinate an investigation using slower and less-reliable faster-than-light travel, but researchers finally pinpoint a cause. A gravitic anomaly of unprecedented power, like a mobile black hole, has suddenly appeared near the center of the galaxy. It is unmistakably linked with the cores in a manner scientists do not yet understand. A research party is mounting to visit the anomaly and see what can be done, with the PCs along as security, experts, and support.

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Secrets Deeper Still: New imaging of the Guidestone has enabled scientists to decipher some of the fainter or damaged etchings on its surface, and has also revealed it to contain some kind of technology, previously unknown to the Kushan, that gives promise of further hidden information. Although translation, astrogation, and research into how the technology works is still ongoing, the best analyses suggest it holds a second map, to a world on the opposite side of the galaxy. No other information has yet been discovered, but the PCs are approached to participate in or lead the expedition to investigate this incredible new find.

The first known core was found by the Bentusi, and used by the race of traders to spread their wares across a much greater area. Their work with the core, especially in selling their own, lesser hyperspace technologies, created the Outer Rim Trade Routes, which form the backbone of galactic civilization to this day. The ancient Hiigarans found the second core, floating in the Great Wastelands. By using it to their tactical advantage, they defeated the Taiidan Empire but were subsequently defeated by other species. Although forbidden to use it, the Hiigarans managed to smuggle it aboard one of their exile ships. It was lost in the desert until its rediscovery sparked the Homeland War and the Kushan return to the Galactic Council. Over a century later, the Vaygr warlord Makaan found a third core and used it to wage a holy quest for an even greater Progenitor artifact. He was defeated, but the Vaygr War (and the two great Hiigara Wars) serve as bloody illustrations of the power and potential influence of these ancient objects. More surprising still, when the three cores are activated within close proximity, they open access to a network of Far Jump hyperspace gates and permit passage to regions hitherto far out of reach even of the Bentusi. It is possible these artifacts hold still more surprises for the coming centuries.

Planet-Killers

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Immense, starship-shaped vessels with atmosphere-igniting missiles, these ships were deployed near the end of the Vaygr War in an attempt to do to Hiigara what the Taiidan did to Kharak. Indeed, some similarities between these ships and those that committed the Kharakian Genocide suggest a common designer, or at least common design principles. None know where the Vaygr found or stole these horrific weapons of war. Theories include finding them in a cache of Progenitor weapons, secret research and development of their own, or some kind of “devil’s bargain” made with the Bentusi. Whatever their origin, the Hiigarans and the Taiidan are just two of many empires working to reverse-engineer the mammoth ships.

Plot Seed

All Speed to the Dark Places: On the border of Vaygr space is a dense debris field orbiting a black hole as water orbits a drain. Recently, reports simultaneously reached the intelligence apparatus of the Taiidan, Turanic raiders, Hiigarans, and at least a dozen other polities that the field contains several dozen atmospheric deprivation weapons. The race is on to claim them, or at least destroy them and deny them to others. The players are among those involved in the race, tasked with stopping enemies of the Kiithid from gaining the means to re-enact the Genocide.

The Unbound Not a single artifact, but a facet of physical technology with far-reaching repercussions. The Bentusi first coined the term, using it to refer to living beings who became neurologically intertwined with a spacefaring vessel. Karan S’jet was the first Kushan to become Unbound, but the practice was already common among the Bentusi by that time.

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Unbound are able to control their ships the same way a normal being controls their arms, fingers, and tongue. This makes the vessels themselves extremely responsive, and reduces the need for much of the crew required to staff conventional ships. For their part, Unbound experience substantially extended lifespans, and a consciousness that extends outward by many light years. The experience fundamentally changes a mind, making them less cognizant of short-term and immediate concerns, and more interested in the play of decades and centuries.

Plot Seed

Bound Elsewhere: Without warning, every ship linked with an Unbound individual begins a series of Short Jumps toward a single point near the Galactic Core. They are not responding to communications, and even those carrying a hyperspace core are limiting themselves to Short Jump modes of travel. Are they being controlled by some sort of computer virus? Or have they collectively realized something of galactic importance? The players are among those sent to rendezvous with the nearest ship and investigate. They can only hope this new, unified mission does not include the destruction of interlopers.

Star-Metal StarMetal Scrolls Said to have been written by Sajuuk himself in a language no others could read, this set of scrolls is sacred to the Somtaaw. On Kharak, they were kept in the upper temples of the Shimmering Path on Lungma Jun, the peak of a mountain on the Khontala Mountain range on Kharak, known as “the Roof of the World.” Many said they did not exist, or remained only as ennobled dust after long millennia lying unused. None know for certain what knowledge the scrolls contained, or even what language they were scribed in. Rumors range from untold heights of profound holy wisdom, to

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the true history of the Kushan, to prophecies and divinations about the coming end of the world. After the discovery of the Guidestone, more modern theories suggested the scrolls contained technological secrets and the names of the ancient Hiigarans’ enemies. During the decades of the Mothership’s construction, many moved to open the vaults at the top of the Shimmering Path, to see what secrets the Star-Metal Scrolls might hold. The Somtaaw resisted this until, tragically, the Burning of Kharak ended the debate once and for all. None know whether the Scrolls were destroyed in the Burning, or if they still wait in an unopened vault at the Roof of the World.

Plot Seed

Chalice of Life None have ever seen the Chalice of Life itself, but it is mentioned in scriptures dating back before the Exile. Descriptions vary wildly, and many scholars believe most or all are metaphorical in nature, attaching physical qualities descriptive of the essential nature of this powerful artifact. Whatever its physical form, the Chalice has been connected with surges in power, influence, and technological development for the Kiith that possessed it in pre-exile history, and later with prophecies of great power. Some say the underlying cause of the Heresy Wars was a clandestine search for the Chalice, rumored to be located in several remote locations across Kharak. It was never found, though a few still insist it was actually

Plot Seed

Fountain of Truth: Discovered in a forgotten vault on a still-mostly-abandoned city on Hiigara, a set of ancient records dispels many myths about the Chalice. According to these records, it is a singular and real device smuggled aboard the Sound of Righteousness, one of the Exile ships that drifted off course prior to reaching Kharak. The players are among the groups now determined to recover the Chalice by following the known course of the lost vessel, and must fight both Kushan and Taiidan forces to succeed.

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Cyphers: During the same year, three different groups come forward, all claiming to have returned to Kharak and recovered the Star-Metal Scrolls still intact. Are they all lying? Are they all telling the truth? What of the claim by two of the groups that they have learned how to decipher the writings upon them? How might the PCs fit into the intrigues surrounding these claims?

discovered by Kiith Naabal, thus ushering in their hegemony and the Age of Reason. Since landfall, splinter sects of multiple Kiith—especially those decimated by the Burning of Kharak and now disenfranchised due to their low numbers—have sought the Chalice both in ruins from ancient Hiigara and in the vaults of the Taiidan. Again, this search has been to no avail, in large part due to the fact that none know exactly what the Chalice looks like. Some literalists continue to insist it is an actual drinking cup with magical properties, or technologies so advanced as to seem magical. Others suggest it is a forgotten medical wonder, or a matter printer capable of spinning even living tissue out of component atoms. The theories of its nature are nearly as numerous as the rumors of its location. A more recent, but provocative, theory is that the Chalice is not a discrete physical object at all. Instead, this hypothesis holds it is a store of data containing technological and religious truths so powerful as to change the course of history. One offshoot of this thinking is the idea that there is no single Chalice of Life at all, but that it is a designator. Those holding this belief suggest that the Guidestone was a Chalice of Life, as was the Hyperspace Core and the Eye of Arran.

The Burning Spear

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Legend and myth surround the nature and the early history of the Burning Spear, but it is now thought to be a piece of technology discovered centuries before the Hiigarans found the Second Hyperspace Core. Early tales and records suggest its name is eponymous: an actual spear capable of shooting fire from its tip in times long before advanced firearms existed. As technology advanced, so too did the Spear. It evolved into a siege weapon, then a hand-held laser, then the core of advanced shipboard weaponry on various capital vessels on surface navies and eventually starships. A handful of technical readouts suggest the component core to the Burning Spear was metallic, cylindrical, and capable of connection to nearly any device so long as that device was a weapon. The Burning Spear vanishes entirely from authoritative record-keeping in the years just before Hiigarans discovered the Hyperspace Core. The last vessel to bear a Burning Spear weapon, the Terimah-Datang, exploded losing all hands, during a systems test at the edge of the Hiigara system. Still, stories remain that the Spear was smuggled off board, salvaged in the aftermath, or simply still floats in space, invulnerable to the energies of the explosion.

Plot Seed

Blaze of Fury: A team of historians and xenoarcheologists has discovered incontrovertible proof that the Turanic raiders came into possession of the Burning Spear some five hundred years prior to the Homeworld War, and that it is somehow related to their cycle of aggression. Its recovery could mean an end to their reign of terror, if only the PCs can locate and infiltrate their headquarters successfully.

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Sword of Caaliburnous This name actually refers to two different symbols of power. Initially, it was an actual sword: a relic from the earliest days of Kushan culture on Hiigara. Historians believe it served as a symbol of hegemony, passed from Kiith to Kiith as the wheels of power turned. Wars were not fought over it, exactly, but they were fought over territories and resources, and possession of the Sword of Caaliburnous passed from hand to hand along with victory. The possessor of the sword was said to be gifted with wisdom and foresight, and an ability to anticipate the movements of power, people, and resources to lead their people forward with confidence and success. Whether or not that assertion was taken as literal truth, the sword was always held in high reverence and its owner granted respect beyond their abilities and endeavors. As technology moved from the sword and shield, through chemical firearms and body armor, to planet-breaking mega-guns and energy barriers, the sword became more and more symbolic, more an object of sentimentality than of reverence. Still, a splinter sect of Kiith Kaalel smuggled it off Hiigara during the exile. History loses the thread on the Sword at this time. It might have been lost as a ship was destroyed en route, or forgotten in a corner of whichever planet the ship ended up on. By the Age of Reason, the sword was utterly lost to time, and considered by many just a rumor. In the fifteenth year AHL, a group of engineers from Kiith Naabal forged a new Sword, made of ore from both Hiigara and Kharak, as well as scrap metal taken from the Mothership. This blade, made from the steel of all three Kushan homes across its

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history, was named Caaliburnous in honor of the ancient weapon, and has already begun to earn a degree of public adoration. Who is to say what its reputation might be in five thousand years?

Plot Seed

Shadow Sword: During the Homeworld War, nearly all Kushan were single-mindedly driven toward victory as their only goal. However, some sects were already considering the

movement and accumulation of power after landfall. Among them, some believed the Sword of Caaliburnous was aboard the Mothership, ready to be claimed by the Kiith destined to rise into hegemony once the war was over. Throughout the conflict, a subtle and brutal shadow war raged throughout the capital ships as various factions sought the sword. The PCs might be agents of one such faction, or members of a group tasked with ending the conflict.

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Chapter 7

KIITHID SOCIETY BRIEFING The strongest social identifier in Kushan society has always been the social construct known as the Kiith. A person’s Kiith (plural: Kiithid) is not only a family and societal identifier but also usually informs an individual’s background and profession. Though many diversified Kiithid exist, the largest and most powerful Kiith to come from Kharak are organized according to professions they specialize in.

Organization

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A Kiith’s organization begins with the Kiith-Sa, or ruling family, that makes major policy decisions for the entirety of the Kiith. In ancient times a Kiith-Sa was the family with the eldest members, but in recent years the Kiith-Sa is the individual family that has accrued the most power, wealth, and influence within the Kiith. Beneath the Kiith-Sa is a secondary family whose members act as moderators, hearing and resolving disputes between the dependent families and their Kiith-Sa. The rest are dependents who follow the direction of the Kiith-Sa. In individual families within the Kiith, the leader or head of the household is bestowed the title of Sa. The hierarchy of a Kiith is by no means static. Individual families may change their status depending on their accomplishments within the Kiith. Individual families may also choose to change their alliances and break away to join another Kiith, or form a Kiith of their own if their numbers are sufficiently strong.

History of the Kiith Aside from the Guidestone, the social construct of the Kiith may be the only thing to survive the journey from Hiigara almost intact. Several markings familiar to modern Kiith have been found in the First City of Khar-Toba, and even more evidence of the

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ancient Kiith has been found on Hiigara. Archeologists now believe that the social structure of the Kiith has been with the Hiigarans since the beginning, making it as significant to the Kushan people as the Guidestone itself. Perhaps more so.

Ancient Origins While some of the major Kiithid can trace their origins definitively to the First City of Khar-Toba, evidence recovered on Hiigara suggests the Kiith structure is even older. Most surprisingly of all, several modern Kiith are thought to have originated on Hiigara, including Kiith S’jet and Kiith Sagald. By and large the family structure of a Kiith remained unchanged for thousands of years. However, in ancient times, there was a greater need for interdependence as the Kushan people struggled to live on the fringes of the desert. A vassalage system existed wherein entire Kiith could pledge allegiance to another, larger Kiith while retaining some degree of autonomy and land ownership. During the Heresy Wars this system was abused by Kiith Siidim and Gaalsien to extract tribute and manpower from the lesser Kiithid in order to perpetuate their wars. When Kiith Naabal struck out of Tiir in 810 KDS, this system was abolished.

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The greatest change to the Kiith structure in recent years was the utter decimation of Kharak during the Mothership’s launch. While the Sleepers—colonists in suspended animation—represented a large swath of Kharak’s population, not every Kiith had a presence among them. Of a population of three hundred million, only a little over six thousand souls survived into the exile. Still more were lost on the journey home. When the exiles had returned to Hiigara the entire Kiith structure had to be revisited,

considering the dramatic depopulation of many Kiith. Many smaller Kiithid disappeared entirely as their numbers were too small to petition for land rights on their new home. These small Kiithid were forced to give up their cultural identities and join with the larger Kiithid in order to claim land on Hiigara. Some Kiithid, refusing to bow to the pressure of the larger Kiithid, purchased military surplus from the Homeworld War and embarked on their own destiny in the stars.

Kiith Gaalsien

The Religion of Kah’a There are many denominations of the worship of the Great Maker Sajuuk, Whose Hand Shapes What Is. Many are divided over the reason why the Kushan people were abandoned on Kharak. For the Gaalsien,

they believed the Kushan exile was to pay for some great sin of hubris in the past, and the Kushan people were cast out of paradise. In penitence for their sins, the Kushan people were made to suffer until Sajuuk deemed them worthy. Any act of hubris, so the Gaalsien believed, would extend the duration of the exile. The code of behavior the Gaalsien followed to find approval in the eyes of Sajuuk was called the Decree of Kah’a. The Kah’a changed little over the centuries, bringing the teachings into conflict with the rest of Kushan civilization (particularly Kiith Siidim). Ultimately, the Gaalisen–along with the Decree of Kah’a–were defeated at the end of the Heresy Wars, and rather than change their ways to better coexist with the other Kiith, they destroyed their last holy city and fled into the desert.

The Decree of Kah’a Broadly speaking, the Kah’a is an ancient set of desert survival tactics that are couched in religious law. In general terms, the laws of the Kah’a forbade: • Excessive use of resources • Taking risks on untried methods • Favoring the individual over the Kiith • Hoarding or keeping precious items • Challenging the status quo

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In ancient times, Kiith Gaalsien were one of the major religious Kiithid of the day. Devoted to what they believed was saving the planet from sinful living, they instigated the Heresy Wars in 520 KDS. Three hundred years later they were defeated, and after destroying the temple city of Saju-ka in a fit of madness, they were exiled to the desert. They would continue to plague the rest of Kushan society before they died in the fires of Kharak’s destruction.

Kiith Gaalsien saw the rest of the collected Kiithid as wayward brothers and sisters, rather than enemies to defeat. Though they clung to the ancient ways out of a sense of tradition, ultimately their worries turned out to be true when the Taiidan Empire arrived to enact the vengeance prophesied by the Gaalsien. No Gaalsien, however, could envision that the Kushan people would overturn the curse and reclaim paradise in spite of the odds against them.

A Gaalsien Portrait Regardless of one’s adherence to the ancient desert survival laws maintained by Kiith Gaalsien, every individual believes strongly in the curse over the Kushan people. Temperate Gaalsien will gently chide others to amend their ways and serve according to the Kah’a, though many take a more militant approach.

Gaalsien Culture

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By far the most socially conservative Kiith on Kharak, Kiith Gaalsien existed as a walking reminder of the Kushan’s past as desert nomads. For example, the Kah’a demands that all must completely cover the skin to protect it from direct sunlight. Every member of Kiith Gaalsien follows this tradition, forgoing the practice only during ceremonial occasions or when indoors. Kiith Gaalsien is also rigidly traditional in family roles and social mobility. The Sa of every family is always a male, and the secondary is always a female. The Kiith-Sa was always the eldest patriarch of the oldest family line, and exceptions were always the result of treachery on the part of jealous families. Families in Kiith Gaalsien tended to be austere, following the belief that luxury in any form was sinful. Aberrations from traditional practices were discouraged at best, but typically punished in brutal fashion. The worst punishment in Gaalsien law was direct exposure to the desert for a number of hours decided by the elders based on the severity of the crime.

Gaalsien History There are legends attesting to Kiith Gaalsien’s origins in the First City of Khar-Toba. The oldest documents to survive from those ancient days bear the sigil of Kiith Gaalsien, and are historically dated to that time period.

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For centuries the Gaalsien were a major player in the spiritual lives of the Kushan people, until more temperate areas became accessible. As their influence began to wane, the Gaalsien launched the Heresy Wars in an effort to bring all other Kiithid to heel. In 717 KDS Kiith Gaalsien performed an act so terrible, it would never be forgiven. In a fit of madness, rage, or both, they destroyed the temple city of Saju-ka and fled into the desert. The Kiith was thought nearly extinct until they began attacking the northern Kiithid with advanced weaponry salvaged from crashed spaceships in 1075 KDS. Operation Khadiim once again set the Gaalsien back, as the K’Had Sajuuk—the Kiith-Sa—was killed on his flagship at the ruin of Khar-Toba. During the Mothership’s construction it was rumored Kiith Gaalsien was gathering strength once again, preparing to sabotage the Mothership Program. For this reason the hyperspace test was advanced, throwing any Gaalsien plans off-balance. The fateful test would later be perceived as threat by the Taiidan, and result in them instigating the attack on the planet—the event known as the Kharakian Genocide. This resulted in the extinguishing of the Gaalsien outside of any undercover agents hiding among the Sleepers, the Mothership’s personnel, or surviving orbital crews.

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Story Seeds The Lingering Curse

Kushan intelligence had been anticipating a major Gaalsien raid for years as the Mothership was nearing completion. With the timetable of the hyperspace test advanced it was believed the saboteurs were caught ill-prepared and unable to enact their plans. In the chaos of Kharak’s destruction these saboteurs were overlooked, and it is possible they may still be hiding. The players are assigned by Fleet Intelligence to investigate the Mothership’s high-security departments for any operatives.

A Broken People

After a botched assassination attempt against Karan, a Gaalsien cell has turned themselves in after the death of their leader. After a debriefing the members are enlisted in the Kushan special forces for their skill set. The player characters’ party is assigned several of these specialists and given a mission to infiltrate a Taiidan remote observation post. Can the Gaalsien members be trusted now that their religion is a lie? Or will they adopt the crusade to Hiigara as a new cause to fight for?

Kiith Paktu At the turn of the century a social movement sprang up which resisted northern influence. Over the next two hundred years Kiith Paktu would fluctuate their involvement with northern affairs, infamously denying support for Operation Khadiim (on account of the failure of Operation Skaa-Brii). Only the discovery of the Guidestone brought Kiith Paktu back into involvement with the northern Kiith, and then mostly in competition with the north for contributions to the Mothership Program.

The Distant Kiithid

Paktu Culture

Kiith Paktu’s distance from the north for over three hundred years helped the Kiith to remold themselves into a society of their own, distinct from the northern Kiithid. The only connection between the two continents was through Manaani sand-sailers, and until the war’s end contact was rare. Though they were invited to the Daiamid in 820 KDS, Kiith Paktu only maintained a token presence there until the Great Northern Way was opened up in 912 KDS by Kiith Naabal. This new route led to an increase in Paktu presence both in the Daiamid and in the north.

The flight from the north had changed Kiith Paktu in many ways, but at their core they still remained an agrarian Kiith. For centuries after arriving in the south they still practiced the traditions of the farming Kiith, such as the seasonal celebrations coinciding with the harvest and respect for an honest day’s work. There is a powerful streak of atheism within Kiith Paktu, and a general distrust of organized religion as a tool for oppression. Though worship of Sajuuk is not discouraged among the Paktu, there is no organization for worship of the gods, and it is mostly a private affair.

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The Kiith of the south stood physically, and in many ways culturally, distinct from the rest of Kharak for close to three hundred years. After their flight to the south in 490 KDS the only contact Kiith Paktu had with the north was via Manaani sand-sailer. It wasn’t until Kiith Naabal laid the Great Northern Way, connecting north and south by steam car, that the Paktu were reintroduced to the rest of Kushan society. By then they were already culturally distinct from their northern cousins.

their diplomats to Tiir. The Great Northern Way expanded contact between the two continents but spawned its own problems regarding social integration. In the era of spaceflight Kiith Paktu established and maintained one of the largest rocket bases on Kharak. The five-pad complex at the foot of the Hunon Mountains was responsible for the launch of the Silumiin rocket in 1024 KDS, and later saw much of the large-scale hardware lifted into orbit. Even into the Homeworld War, Kiith Paktu remains competitively independent.

A Paktu Portrait Members of Kiith Paktu are culturally distinct from the rest of the northern-origin Kiithid in several ways, particularly with their approach to authority. Independent and headstrong, a Paktu needs to either be in charge of the situation or have their role clearly defined for them so they can handle their tasks as they see fit.

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The cultural divide with the north is perceptible in Kiith Paktu’s choice in the arts. While the Northern Kiith generally prefer continuity, tradition, and contemplation, the Paktu prefer instant gratification, the ephemeral, and planning for tomorrow. While the two sides regard one another as alien on the worst of days, many can admire the Paktu for their anticipation of the future.

Paktu History Kiith Siidim’s policies on cultural supremacy displaced Kiith Paktu in 488 KDS, forbidding any Kiithid from living upstream of the Siidim least they pollute the waters the Siidim had to drink. With the religious Kiithid of the era becoming more intolerant of non-believers, Kiith Paktu had no choice but to embark on a desperate quest to the fabled southern continent. Only seventeen families reached the Hunon Mountains, and even fewer lived to see the Great Majiirian Sea that lay on the other side. Kiith Siidim and Kiith Gaalsien attempted to assault the southern lands; all three major attempts were repelled by the Paktu, including the last attempt made by Liam Gaalsien who arrived at the pass of the Hunon Mountains with his army mostly intact. The only friendly contact Kiith Paktu had at the time with the north was through Manaani tradesmen. Serving as intermediaries between the two, once the Heresy Wars were over Kiith Paktu relied on Manaani transportation to bring

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Significant Paktu Chiisur Paktu—Admiral of the Kushan Fleet Notable for his ability and skill in tactical decision-making, Admiral Chiisur Paktu was responsible for, or involved in, the creation and execution of some of the Kushan’s best tactical maneuvers. Though a man of high intelligence, he often clashed with the other admirals, most notably over the use of super capital-class ships when he believed that a larger force of strike craft would be more effective, both in cost and on the battlefield.

Story Seeds The Runaways

The issues regarding Kiith fleet integrations are an unspoken problem known to Fleet Intelligence. As every Kiith is specialized according to their trade, getting them to integrate operations can be difficult, especially on the journey home. A ship containing a Paktu majority may decide the journey to Hiigara is not worth it to them, and choose a separate set of hyperspace coordinates when the fleet jumps to their next destination. With the fleet needing every ship it has, a player character party may be

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sent to recover them. This is especially the case if the defecting vessel is a super capitalclass.

Rival Camp

The independence of Kiith Paktu, combined with their social disparity with the north,

naturally makes them rivals (friendly or not) of other Kiithid they work with, in spite of their Sa’s attempts to the contrary. The player crew may be in competition with a group of all-Paktu members that enjoy tormenting the player characters.

Kiith Soban Traditionally a Kiith will focus their entire effort on one trade or another, turning it into an art form. Few can compete with Kiith Soban in the area of warfare and tactics, as the Kiith has honed its trade to perfection with a long history of fighting in every war on the planet purely as mercenaries.

Taking the Red

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Kiith Soban is notable on Kharak by being one of only two Kiithid that one cannot be born into. The members of Kiith Soban are made up of those who, for one reason or another, flee their home Kiith and seek a new beginning. Some who join Kiith Soban

are guilty of violating taboos or committing crimes unacceptable to the other Kiithid, and have no place to go other than exile to the deserts. In Kiith Soban individuals can start anew, better themselves, and serve a powerful Kiith that is well regarded among its peers. Those who join Kiith Soban perform a ritual called “Taking the Red.” Kneeling before the Soban-Sa, individuals forcibly rip the colors of their previous Kiith from their bodies, rejecting ties to the past and entering Kiith Soban with no attachments. They are then joined together with other new members, coming up together as a small

family in themselves connected by ties of blood and service. As mercenaries, Kiith Soban’s trade consists of hiring out their services in all manner of warfare, serving as security guards, frontline soldiers, strategy consultants, special ops forces, bodyguards, and more. Individuals employed in the service of a client Kiith will don that Kiith’s colors and obey their orders until the contracted deadline. Once the deadline is reached, down to the minute and second, the hired warriors will shed their adopted colors and return home. Contracts cannot be extended or renegotiated on the spot, and they must be made in advance through the Soban-Sa.

Washouts

Soban History

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Appropriate for a Kiith with such a bloody reputation, Kiith Soban’s origins lie in raids on the western shores of the Second Sea by Kiith Balel in the year 416 KDS. The survivors of the massacre fled to their Sa and desired to lead a retribution raid. The Sa of Kiith Lehi declined, and on that day Kiith Soban was born out of the exasperated survivors. Soban the Red personally commanded his followers in the attack that razed their previous homes. When they passed, no stone was left standing on another. Kiith Soban continued to exist as a landless mercenary Kiith, where their bloody reputation made them desired as shock

A life of military service may seem valorous to some, prompting gloryseekers to abandon their Kiith and join Soban to gain a sense of power. The grueling lifestyle of the Soban always weeds out those lacking the commitment to the cause, many returning to their own Kiith. Those who are desperate and cannot return to their past lives end up in the desert, usually becoming victims of the Gaalsien or Khaaneph.

Soban Culture Since its beginning Kiith Soban has embraced ties of service and survival, rather than blood lineages. Where families exist in other Kiithid, the Soban have Units. Each Unit is approximately 12-20 individuals arranged in the traditional way, with one Sa and a Second to oversee a group of dependents. Following Sobani military culture, the Sa is also the highest ranked member in the unit. The chain of command is not strictly observed within a Unit, however, as these are social organizations designed to maintain

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the sense of family that individuals lose when they join Kiith Soban. While members of Kiith Soban are permitted to form whatever social liaisons they wish when off-duty, marriages and children are strictly forbidden in Kiith Soban. Children that are conceived are always either given up as foundlings with other Kiith, or their parents are forced to leave Kiith Soban. Though the Soban are typically characterized as humorless and professional, this is not the case. While the Sobani pride themselves in their skills in warfare, behind closed doors they are as casual as any other Kiith. However, this fact is not shared with outsiders, in order to preserve the Sobani mystique as warriors.

The Games Every Sobani is expected to partake in seasonal training sessions to maintain fitness and keep them occupied. However, every year one training cycle is given over to a Kiith-wide athletic competition known as the Games. Teams are formed from across several families to compete in events that run back-to-back over three months.

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A Sobani Portrait Members of Kiith Soban immediately impress with their professionalism, poise, respect, and strength. Though they do not make great conversationalists (at least with outsiders), members of Kiith Soban are frank speakers with a high degree of confidence in their abilities. Lifelong Sobani stand apart from those who recently joined during the Homeworld War, as these new members lack their cold professionalism and confidence.

Kiith Soban of today has begun to expand its operations into space warfare, which turned out to be a prudent move. The largest detachment of Soban to survive the burning of Kharak were training onboard the Mothership for combat in microgravity. They serve as the core of the Kushan fleet’s special operations forces.

Generational Gap

Kiith Soban’s numbers swelled as colonists in cryo-sleep were awakened to fight in the Homeworld War. Some who had no ties to anyone else in the fleet decided to join Kiith Soban, especially the desperate. Taaran Soban-Sa recognizes these desperate acolytes suffering from trauma and needs to weed them out. To do so, the player crew may be recruited to assist one of these new Soban units to test their mettle in combat and rescue them in case something goes wrong.

The Red Secret

The circumstances surrounding Taaran Soban-Sa’s election to the Soban have been rather suspect. Before Kharak’s destruction he was a senior cadet in the space training program and seniority should have gone to Commander Akarda Soban, who died under mysterious circumstances during a boarding action on the Taiidan Frigate. Fleet Commander Johnas Soban is concerned, and discreetly asks the players to investigate. Beware: prying into Soban secrets is more dangerous than many realise.

The Gilded Night Kiith Soban was not blind to the war destroying their planet, but it was paralyzed over which side to assist to end the war. Secretly Kiith Naabal contacted the Soban-Sa with a proposition. In exchange for advanced technology, no Soban would lift a hand against the Naabal. The agreement lasted for a hundred years after the Heresy Wars, ending with the Dispute at Hatar.

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troopers and stalwart guardians. During the Heresy Wars they were frequently contracted by the religious Kiith for their services, occasionally fighting between themselves as their services were bought by competing Kiith.

Story Seeds

Kiith S’jet Since the earliest days on Kharak, Kiith S’jet has been dedicated to finding, recording, and announcing the truth. This has given them a unique place in Kharak’s history as providers of essential knowledge that changed the destiny of the Kushan people over the years.

Serving the Truth Kiith S’jet’s predilection for finding the truth can be traced as far back as the First City of Khar-Toba. Upon the doors into the Temple Observatory where the Guidestone was found, the seal of Kiith S’jet had been boldly carved. Certain equations for astral calculations within were also attributed to Kiith S’jet, making them one of the few Kiith with a validated connection to the First City.

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S’jet accomplishments in many scientific areas are well known. Their first mastery was in astronomy, allowing them to calculate the path of the planets in the Kushan system to establish the Kharakian Dating System. In time their focus expanded to genetics and geology, allowing them to discover the truth that Kushan life was not biologically connected to the rest of Kharak. Additionally, the fastidiousness of S’jet scholars served them well in record keeping and law, making them excellent judges. Though this is not as celebrated as their scientific pursuits, practicing S’jet judges were deemed incorruptible in office. Legal officers from S’jet were just as feared as those from Soban for the piercing questions they could ask during a cross-examination.

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Penalty of Hostility Kiith S’jet were too valuable as allies for any one Kiith to attempt conquering them and turning them into vassals. Any Kiith that attempted to interrogate a S’jet scholar was punished with an embargo that lasted no less than 100 years. As large parts of Kushan society depended on meticulous S’jet bookkeeping, the threat was dire to contemplate. Kiith Gaalsien is the only Kiith that suffered this penalty.

S’jet Culture

S’jet History Kiith S’jet has been a constant presence across society on Kharak; rather than cluster in one place they tended to gather where they needed to in order to gather data. Before the Heresy Wars their greatest learning centers were clustered in Sadsaior, Abaard, Saju-ka, and Khar-Atekh. The Kharak Dating System was their greatest accomplishment in ancient days.

Many S’jet are thinkers and scientists, preferring to use their skills and attributes in the pursuit and use of knowledge. Though they are opposed to using this knowledge for gaining power, members of the Kiith are not above employing these means if it furthers their objectives. It is a mistake to characterize the S’jet as meek and humble—on Kharak it is a saying to never underestimate the silence of a S’jet in dire times. They drew the ire of both Siidim and Gaalsien during the Heresy Wars, but only the latter moved against them directly by sacking Abaard. The Siidim continued to use their services and treated them fairly, but withheld supplies and shelter to S’jet scholars when the Siidim disapproved of a S’jet publication. In recent history the star of Kiith S’jet has been on the rise. Operation Khadiim in 1110 KDS was their first major military accomplishment in the modern era; Rachel S’jet was instrumental in the success of the mission and locating the First City of KharToba. Still later as S’jet-Sa she supported the findings of Mevath Sagald when she presented the Guidestone to the Daiamid in 1135 KDS. More recently Karan S’jet, next in line for the position of Sa with her people, offered herself up for an experimental surgery to solve a critical problem with the Mothership’s computer systems.

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Traditionally the S’jet have maintained a culture of passionate study and inward contemplation. Many raised in Kiith S’jet are taught to pursue one kind of study or another and master that subject into adulthood. On average, members of Kiith S’jet tend to have a broader education than their counterparts in other Kiithid. Though they lack the gifts specialization brings, as a whole they are more familiar with a wider range of subjects. That being said, modern S’jet are careful to whom they disclose the truth, when it is delivered, and how it is presented. While it is said that a member of Kiith S’jet cannot lie, they will go to some creative lengths to reframe the truth to hide a particular aspect of it when they choose.

An S’jet Portrait

Significant S’jet Karan S’jet—Fleet Command

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Regarded in hindsight as the most pivotal figure in the entire Kushan Race, Karan S’jet’s sacrifice allowed her to command the Mothership’s computer systems with her brain and solve a critical problem that threatened to scrap the Mothership Program entirely. Her background, by contrast, is surprisingly modest. Though she was born to Huur and Ajora S’jet-Sa, she was effectively raised by her maternal grandfather Cambaal S’jet. He imbued her with a gentle respect for life and sparked her interest in neuroscience, which led to her enrollment in the Academy of Advanced Sciences in Tiir. She later accepted an invitation to join the Mothership Program in part to escape the responsibilities of leadership her father was thrusting upon her. Karan’s research into developing a neural network proved to be a key solution to a complicated problem facing the Mothership Program. While no computer network could keep up with the staggering processing load from so many systems, a living brain could, and Karan would not allow anyone else to undergo the procedure she developed. Over the objections of her father, it took three months to install Karan as Fleet Command.She required multiple surgeries to adapt and prepare her body and limps for the connectors, wires and transmitters needed to join her with the Mothership, and whole crews of engineers worked to build the chamber she would reside in. Ultimately these were a success, and even after being successfully disconnected from the Mothership upon landfall on Hiigara, Karan regained normal functionality of her limbs and mind. Her journey from simple researcher to guardian angel and savior of the Kushan people is a thing of legend. Even before landfall on Hiigara, Karan was becoming revered by those who equated her with the gods of old. Though she modestly declines to accept her fame, the Hiigaran people cannot stop praising the one who gave up everything to lead them all to paradise.

Cynsk S’jet—Fleet Intelligence Moderator The voice of Fleet Intelligence comes from the rank-and-file S’jet families on the Dassar grasslands. During the Homeworld War, Cynsk was responsible for communicating vital intelligence between the Fleet Intelligence forum and Fleet Control elements. Originally, he was to be accompanied by two other panelists, but they were on Kharak when the planet was burned, leaving Cynsk the sole speaker during the journey to Hiigara. Never once did he waver during the battle, nearly driving himself to exhaustion during the fight over Hiigara as he strove to keep mothership operations under control without Karan’s influence.

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Story Seeds Blind Ambition

Many S’jet find themselves in fleet specialist positions as field science officers, or panelists in Fleet Intelligence. While their skills are formidable in these areas, there are the occasional eccentrics from S’jet who forward beliefs that are not necessarily accepted by others—or safe to speak aloud. Cassandra S’jet, xeno-archeologist and cryptographer, is certain the Taiidan operate with a secret coding machine for hidden transmissions. None were found on the captured frigate over Kharak, yet she’s emphatic in this belief. She pulls rank on the player crew and conscripts them into a mission to retrieve one of these cypher devices—whether it’s real or not.

Judge Advocate General

One vital yet overlooked function in the Kushan Navy is the office of the Judge Advocate General. While inter-fleet conflicts are typically downplayed, they do happen, and the JAG office handles these affairs quickly and precisely. It was founded by the Honorable Ruel S’jet, a formidable judge in his own right. Recently the young Sa of what remains of Kiith Lehi has died under mysterious circumstances, with the possible suggestion that he was murdered for some reason. The player crew is assigned to assist Ruel from Fleet Intelligence to investigate the situation.

Civilization on Kharak, and much of Kushan industry, is indebted to Kiith Naabal for its continued existence. Naabal’s emergence from Tiir to end the Heresy Wars, and their assistance in the rebuilding afterward, helped usher Kushan society into the modern era.

Building Civilization In the modern era Kiith Naabal has been renowned for their engineering and construction accomplishments. All of this comes from two and a half centuries of hoarding scientific innovations and secrets from across the planet. With advances such as steel working, gunpowder, concrete pouring, and more, Tiir became a fairly advanced city compared to others across the north that were suffering in the Heresy Wars. By the time the wars were over Tiir stood as the first marvel of the modern world. While Kiith Naabal was happy to share these secrets with any Kiithid interested in the knowledge, they worked to perfect their trade over the centuries. They came into

their own as a massive manufacturing and engineering Kiith, surpassing many of their offspring Kiithid that hyper-specialized in one area or another. Their greatest engineering feats on Kharak included the great Storm Breaker barrier and The Great Northern Way. Kiith Naabal also constructed many major components for the Scaffold and the Mothership itself.

Naabal Culture While they are remembered as the saviors of Kushan civilization following their campaign to end the Heresy Wars, members of Kiith Naabal are rather modest about their Kiith’s history and contributions. A Kiith of pacifists, they would rather move on to build the future instead of dwelling on the past in a war they were reluctant to fight. Generally, Kiith Naabal would prefer to influence Kiith policy in subtle ways, usually through back channel arrangements and monetary investments in projects headed by other Kiithid.

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Kiith Naaba Naaball

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Members of Naabal are characterized as being stalwart, dedicated workers in many areas of engineering and technical mastery. Within Kiith Naabal, the structure of the collected Kiithid is replicated in miniature by many families joining together and specializing in certain engineering trades. This structure fostered many family collectives to leave Kiith Naabal and grow apart from the whole, but just as many families remained with Naabal to keep the Kiith strong in the face of competition. Like Kiith S’jet’s dedication to truth, Kiith Naabal’s unspoken dedication has been supporting the future of Kushan civilization. As the mothership project began to near completion many in Kiith Naabal expressed interest in seeing the mission succeed. Kiith Naabal supports a slightly higher number of members among the Sleepers, which many have taken as a sign of their desire to be a part of the future.

Naabal History Little is known about Kiith Naabal before their explosive entry into the Heresy Wars, other than some symbols found in Khar-Toba loosely resembling the Naabal seal. They were also a particular target of the Gaalsien for persecution, but little else is known. The city of Tiir, founded in 510 KDS, was a refuge from the outside world where all of Kiith Naabal could gather for safety. Very few knew of the path into the Hidden Valley where Tiir had been established. Over the course of the Heresy Wars tradesmen and refugees that happened upon Tiir were welcomed and allowed to make their lives anew in the city. The ascension of Ifriit Naabal to Sa of his people changed everything. Learning that major life-sustaining infrastructure on Kharak was being destroyed to deprive enemies of resources, Ifriit knew life on Kharak was doomed unless something was done. It was under his command that the Naabal armed themselves and stormed from Tiir with an army that was two generations

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A Naabal Portrait It is commonly said of the Naabal that they carry a hidden strength in their poise and attitude. The Homeworld War has sparked within them an ancient drive that is guaranteed to see them through any dire situation for the sake of survival. They make excellent and diligent engineers and officers, getting the job done no matter the cost for the sake of staying ahead of defeat. Compared to the Somtaaw’s down-toearth workmanship, the Naabal will pursue a task because it will serve the higher goal of getting the Kushan people to Hiigara.

The Capital of Tiir Ifriit Naabal-Sa’s last act as leader of his people was to establish the Daiamid as a forum where all Kiithid could gather and resolve their differences peacefully. The Daiamid’s first meeting place was in a building that had once been a temple dedicated to the god of accord and trade, Jaanah.

more advanced than anything else on Kharak. Within ten years, they won the Heresy Wars. Kiith Naabal was content to fade into history and bask in what they had helped foster into creation, until the Guidestone was brought to the Daiamid. Determined to bring the Kushan people to the lost homeworld, Kiith Naabal began to re-emerge from behind the scenes and make deals with the other Kiith. They have a slightly higher percentage of Sleepers among the colonists, having argued that their expertise would be needed on their homeworld if it was found uninhabited.

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Story Seeds A Shadow of Supremacy

Though their majority is slight, some Kiithid in the fleet suspect the Naabal are planning some kind of power move to become the dominant Kiith when the fleet returns to Hiigara. True or not, some Kiithid are acting on this suspicion, and it does not help that Nadaari Naabal-Sa is currying influence in his role as the fleet’s Master Engineer.

The Builder’s Wager

Due to the vast size of the Mothership’s construction bays, several Kiithid have gathered here to practice their specialization in starship construction. Naabal, LiirHra, and Paktu all have a stake in building ships for the war effort. While this usually results in friendly competition, some in the Kiith may decide to take this too far. The PCs will either be recruited to stop it or encouraged to perform some creative sabotage for one Kiith or another to gain prestige.

Kiith Manaan These traditions followed the Manaan into the modern era, and the Kiith evolved as all of Kharak had evolved. Traveling on foot gave way to increasingly sophisticated sand-sailers, which then gave way to steampowered ground vehicles and Kharak’s first air passenger service. As spaceflight evolved on Kharak the Manaan also began to take to the stars, and many were aboard the Mothership during the hyperspace test serving as crewmen.

The Travelers Following their insatiable urge for adventure, the caravans of Kiith Manaan would cross the width and breath of Kharak’s expansive deserts. In exchange for the hospitality they expected at stops along their journey, the travelers offered two important commodities to the ancient world: rare cargoes and entertainment. For those living at the edge of the desert it was hard to come by even mundane cargoes, and the toil of a day’s hard labor allowed little respite in order to simply survive. The arrival of a Manaani caravan often heralded a festival that was eagerly anticipated by the landed Kiithid graced by their presence.

The Ferin Sha Though Kiith Manaan had no home to call their own, one patch of land that had significance to them was the Ferin Sha, or dancing ground. Every year most of the Mannani would congregate at the Ferin Sha to participate in a week-long celebration of merriment and drinking. Fighting was forbidden at the Ferin Sha, and outsiders were occasionally invited to participate.

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Known to other Kiithid as “the travelers,” Kiith Manaan is the largest and most capable of the landless Kiithid, exceeding even Kiith Soban in terms of reach and self-sufficiency. Across Kharak they were regarded as the strangest of all Kiithid on account of their landlessness and the way they have forsaken the safety of a hearth and home. In the modern era they retain their practice as traders, but have also expanded into being diplomats, political leaders, test pilots, and scouts.

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Manaan Culture Kiith Manaan is the largest of the landless Kiithid, maintaining a traditional nomadic lifestyle even into the modern era. In ancient times the Kiith was judged as a threat to upstanding morals and the decency of young men and women. This antipathy is easy to understand in retrospect: a Kiith that would eschew hard work to live off the goodwill of others was hardly a condoned behavior by the landed Kiith. The Manaani labored under this suspicion for the early centuries of Kharak history, but it never seemed to bother them. Members of Kiith Manaan are possessed by an insatiable desire for new experiences and adventures. The Manaani could never stay in one place for long and resisted any attempts to settle or civilize their Kiith. They often travelled in caravans consisting of a singlefamily group that typically included up to a dozen people. Following the Heresy Wars the population size of the caravans increased as transportation became more sophisticated, and by the time of the Mothership’s launch it

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A Manaani Portrait Members of Kiith Manaan are carefree and free-spirited. Loving their independence as much as members of Kiith Paktu, they are less disdainful of authority figures and the status quo. They prefer to evade engagements rather than stand their ground. Manaani diplomats and performers have a great degree of charisma; charm is never lacking among Manaani and they use this leverage to attain their goals. If nothing else, members of Kiith Manaan know how to tell a tale. A Manaani is also quick to try new things or volunteer for a new procedure, always eager to have new experiences.

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was common for Manaani to travel together in larger communities. The modern era has seen Manaan shift slightly in their priorities. Coming into wealth after the Heresy Wars due to their trade networks, the Manaani began to produce more statesmen, administrators, and diplomats. Kiith Manaan also has the greatest focus on the arts out of the major Kiithid, and Manaani performances are rivaled only by Kiith Kaalel. Even with all of this, the spirit of adventure is still strong with the Kiith, for many Manaani signed up to join the Mothership Program to be a part of the exiting future of the Kushan people.

Manaan History

The Ambassadors Serving as intermediaries between the north and south Kiithid, combined with their lucrative income from their trade enterprises, forced Kiith Manaan to consider moving into administering their assets. Following the Heresy Wars Kiith Manaan began producing more diplomats and political leaders to meet these needs.

Significant Manaan Jeremiah Manaan-Sa— Ambassador The second son of the Sa, Jeremiah did not anticipate being elevated to greatness when he was awakened from cryo-sleep and told he would become the Sa of his people. He took the news in stride and vowed to do the best he could by his Kiith. Jeremiah volunteered for the position of Fleet Ambassador when the role was created following the disastrous encounter with the Turanic raiders. In contrast to the stereotype, he is understated and thoughtful. He has a magnetic charm that helps him as a leader and as a diplomat representing his people.

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The earliest recorded mention of Manaani nomads comes from an account in 340 KDS, where the dwellers of the White Desert accused them of stealing the tribute due to their Sa that season. Stories like this reinforced the ancient stigma that Manaan were a Kiith of thieves, a threat to upstanding morals and decency. They were also accused of witchcraft and sorcery, for no other explanation could account for how they sneaked illegal cargo through intensive searches. The Manaan suffered badly in the Heresy Wars, as their merriment was viewed as heresy to both the Siidim and Gaalsien. Persecution across the north was punctuated by an attack on the Ferin Sha in 513 KDS that left few survivors. The myth of Manaani pirates became a grim and terrible reality for more than a century afterward as they exacted revenge against the Siidim. By 656 KDS the Manaani had exhausted their appetite for blood and returned to trade. In the modern era Kiith Manaan continued to serve as traders across the deserts. They grasped many early technological advances regarding vehicles and travel, utilizing them to increase their trade profits. The first air passenger service was flown by the Manaan,

and spaceflight was first attained by Naju Manaan when he built his own rocket and attempted to reach orbit. Though he didn’t survive the attempt, he spurred Kiith Manaan to begin investing in space travel.

Story Seeds

Missing in Action

The New Ferin Sha

With Kharak destroyed and the Kushan people facing possible extinction if they lose a battle, things are grim. Not helping matters is the realization that, following the battle with the Kadesh, the Kushan people were forced to commit cultural genocide against their cousins. In the face of this despair, Jeremiah Manaan-Sa suggests holding a Ferin Sha in one of the unused areas of the Mothership. With so many people clustered together in celebration the Ferin Sha could be a great nexus for any adventure requiring the intersection of so many people across the fleet.

In order to gain more flexibility in fleet actions, Fleet research and design has created a prototype hyperspace-capable strike craft. A Manaani crew immediately volunteered to fly it, and two hours after launch their return is overdue. Investigating with a support frigate and attendant strike craft, the PCs discover them interacting with another minor galactic power and involved in a racing event happening there. The party needs to navigate the local politics and find a way to retrieve the prototype or destroy it before the Taiidan find it.

Kiith Somtaaw CHAPTER 7: KIITHID SOCIETY BRIEFING

One of the great religious Kiithid of the past, Kiith Somtaaw of today is a Kiith of rugged, deterministic miners and explorers. While their inner faith has never left them, compared to the other religious Kiithid they have become more practical-minded as the centuries wore on.

The Great Miners Following the Heresy Wars, Kiith Somtaaw came to be identified as a major mining Kiith with a side-specialization in engineering (particularly regarding mining operations). On Kharak it took several years for them to perfect their materials extraction and processing trade from virtually nothing. As a result, however, Kiith Somtaaw helped define the modern understanding of planetary geology and materials sciences. While Kiith Naabal pioneered steel working, Kiith Somtaaw developed alloy-manufacturing techniques into an art form of its own.

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Their expertise was in great demand across Kharak, especially in the aftermath of the Heresy Wars, since many mining Kiithid were conscripted and expended by the combatant Kiithid as vassals. Kiith Somtaaw was also the first Kiith to pioneer asteroid mining, and for the Mothership Program they designed and managed the scaffold’s massive Phased Disassembler Array (a key technology in ship construction).

A Miner’s Life During the Homeworld War and even afterward, Kiith Somtaaw came to fully embrace their specialization as miners. Due to only having a small numbers of Sleepers from the Kiith, Somtaaw faced absorption upon landfall and fought to maintain their freedom. Ultimately they succeeded, and for many years leaned on the trade of mining in order to exist cohesively as a Kiith.

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Somtaaw Culture

The origins of Kiith Somtaaw are lost to time, but it is known they must have found passage through the Khontala Mountain range sometime in the mid 200s. Allegedly receiving visions from Sajuuk, the earliest Sas of Kiith Somtaaw established the thirtythree temples of the Shimmering Path leading up to the summit of Lungma Jiin. Many who wished to prove their worth in the eyes of Sajuuk would undertake a pilgrimage up the Shimmering Path, often ending at the Seventh Temple within the walls of Gydeo.

In keeping with their religious roots, Kiith Somtaaw often produces hardworking, diligent individuals that complete the job no matter the difficulty. For the religiously inclined among the Somtaaw, a day’s labor is not only a requirement to keep the house and home, but also an act of faith. By persevering to see the next day and complete the next task, it was proof in the eyes of Sajuuk that one was worthy of the boon gathered as the reward of that work. Though Kiith Somtaaw gradually secularized, the notion that work could be its own reward has carried far from its religious origins. Kiith Somtaaw maintained many of their ancient religious ceremonies into the modern era. Those who lived on the Khontala Mountain range often undertook the ascent along the temple paths, more as an act of selfworth and social esteem than for religious reasons. Among the youth it was a matter of pride over how far one could ascend the Shimmering Path. Accordingly, rock-climbing and mountaineering was popular among the Somtaaw.

A Test of Faith While the Gaalsien believed the exile was punishment for the sin of hubris, Kiith Somtaaw believed the exile was a test of endurance. The Kushan people were being judged by Sajuuk and the gods to determine whether they were worthy of being elevated to become peers of the gods themselves. The virtues of patience and diligence, practiced in the ancient religion, would carry on in the Somtaaw beyond their secularization after the Heresy Wars. The Heresy Wars threatened to starve the isolated Somtaaw until a vision in a dream guided their Kiith-Sa to a remote area of the Khontala Mountain range. Digging into the sediment, the Kiith discovered the highest quality iron ore ever found on Kharak. Rapidly Kiith Somtaaw purchased equipment to set up a mine and refined the ore to produce high-quality steel. In exchange for keeping the only road into the Khontala Mountains free of raiders, the Somtaaw offered Kiith Soban exclusive rights to the steel. This trade agreement is alleged to exist to this day, where a hidden discount is applied to Sobani purchases of Somtaaw material.

A Somtaaw Portrait Members of modern Kiith Somtaaw are practical, down-to-earth realists with a strong work ethic. Never the creators of new technology, instead they apply existing technology in new ways. Though they till the earth and work hard at mundane assignments in mining, their cleverness shouldn’t be underestimated—especially in the matter of making things work. They won’t always come up with the most innovative or elegant solution, but the solutions they find are practical and work in the long term.

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Somtaaw History

Significant Somtaaw Emilia Somtaaw—Fleet Intelligence Officer One of the many Fleet Intelligence forum operatives, Emilia was originally appointed to serve in minerals analysis composition once the Mothership was underway. During the hyperspace test she was onboard to calibrate the system, and following the destruction of Kharak she was assigned on a permanent basis to Fleet Intelligence. She is known for being stubborn: once dedicated to an idea she has to see it through to completion. She is not afraid to go out into the field to prove or disprove a point. In the Great Nebula she petitioned Fleet Command to board the derelict sister ship of the Khar-Toba, and in the Sea of Lost Souls she personally investigated the Ghost Ship.

Story Seeds The Stubborn

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Cloistering is a problem that Fleet Command always struggled with over the course of the Homeworld War, though the problem was not widely recorded. It’s easy for a collected group of hyper-specialized social units to all gather in one profession or another, even though the leaders of the fleet wanted to emphasize that they had to band together. The problem flared up to varying degrees, but perhaps the worst was always Kiith Somtaaw’s possessive attitude toward the mineral harvesting equipment. When a small group of Somtaaw miners begin to show a xenophobic attitude towards members of

other Kiithid within the minining core, Fleet Intelligence need someone to step in to prevent tensions rising.

An Inquiry

Somtaaw’s strongest collective of individuals was on a lone resource controller ship. Being separated from the fleet and predominantly a mining operation, many Somtaaw operated there out of the eyes of fleet security. There are rumors something of ill repute is going on, with stories suggesting everything from a farm producing illegal drugs to the center of a growing rebellion. In reality the worst thing aboard the Redemption is a still producing alcohol the resource controller passes out to crews on the collectors.

Kiith Siidim A Kiith of mystery and secrets, as one of the ancient religious Kiith, Siidim’s origins stretch far back into Kharakian history. As a of the participants in the Heresy Wars, they can also be considered one of the most notorious Kiith in history. Their repeated attempts at seizing glory for themselves ultimately led to their downfall.

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The Chosen Ones One tenet of the Siidim’s beliefs is the notion that they alone are special among the people of Kharak. Labeling the other Kiithid as “Gritiidim”—otherwise known as “sand people”—the Siidim held that they alone were of divine origin. Naturally this belief brought them into direct conflict with Kiith Gaalsien, who saw Siidim’s cosmology as the utmost heresy. The Heresy Wars lasted 300 years

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and ended with the capitulation of Kiith Siidim in the three-day siege of Mataar in 820 KDS. Though they made the right renunciations, Kiith Siidim never fully abandoned their selfadoration streak. In 1110 KDS they betrayed their S’jet allies during Operation Khadiim and attempted to take the city of Khar-Toba, and the hyperspace core within, for themselves. Ultimately they failed, resulting in the Kiith’s censure by the Daiamid and the limiting of their contribution to the Sleepers. Only 200 Siidimi were accepted on the Gold List to become colonists.

Alien Origins

Siidim Culture The Siidim have always held themselves above their peers, and this arrogance never left even though they were defeated in the Heresy Wars. Nevertheless, after making the right apologies and reparations Kiith Siidim worked hard at restoring their influence through back-room deals and currying favors. The Kiith entered the Daiamid in the early 800s and became a major conservative force, downplaying progressive laws in order to maintain traditional Kiith values. Untill their

A Siidim Portrait Kiith Siidim produced many hardened military commanders, political leaders, priests, and officials. One trait they all had in common was holding information and loyalty to the chest, never giving it freely and always holding information back for the sake of some future gain. Though they did not work well with others unless pressed, they were often professional in their field and operated with conviction that their way was the right one. Not even censure from the Daiamid dulled this determination.

Siidim History Kiith Siidim’s origins are hazy, though it is now known they are survivors from the various ships that crashed upon Kharak after the exiles’ arrival. They always believed they came from the heavens, and the first mention of them in Kushan history speaks of travelers emerging from Cape Wrath bearing unbelievable riches and speaking in tongues. Hard as it may be to believe now, the cosmology of Sajuuk and the other Gods began with Kiith Siidim. They peacefully practiced this belief until the rise of Sasaraad Siidim-Sa, who gained new insights from ancient Siidimi writings and introduced a new doctrine in the mid-400s. Indirectly, this

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When the exiles interfaced with the intergalactic community, they inadvertently discovered the truth of Kiith Siidim when their sigil was recognized by the Bentusi. Evidence points to the Siidim being the descendants of a lost thirty-five-ship convoy that departed from Nisilbis nearly three thousand years before the exiles returned to Hiigara. By the time this was discovered, however, Kiith Siidim’s numbers had diminished too far to stand on their own, becoming absorbed by Kiith Somtaaw after landfall.

censure in 1110 KDS they were a formidable political force. The Kiith’s expulsion from the Daiamid once again diminished their power, and after a hundred years this took its toll upon the Kiith. Though many of the proud older families still clung to the belief they were special, many of the smaller families renounced their Kiith ties and joined with other Kiith in order to survive. By the time the Guidestone was discovered, Kiith Siidim had been reduced to only two thousand individuals—hardly a major Kiith.

doctrine of Siidim’s lone divine origin would ignite the Heresy Wars that almost destroyed the planet. After their defeat they re-entered Kushan society and worked to regain their former place, forging a powerful military and significant political leverage. However, they would never again challenge the other Kiith as they once did in ancient times. Their one attempt in 1110 KDS failed spectacularly, resulting in censure from the Daiamid. Only with the discovery of the Guidestone did the Siidim once more return to the Daiamid, offering ancient records that appeared to reinforce the story of their origin. Helpful as Kiith Siidim were, they were never formally accepted back into the Daiamid, and few made it to Hiigara after the Homeworld War.

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The Right of Command

Censured as they were, Kiith Siidim maintained their formidable standing army and this experience was seen as valuable to the Mothership Program. Only four individuals were granted a provisional command posting, and one of them was

Kassalid Siidim. During the Homeworld War he was regarded as one of the most aggressive boarding team leaders, and more than once he was cautioned for his behavior. The player characters could be assigned to such a leader, having to decide for themselves if they want to resist this man’s thirst for blood or face justice from the fleet when he inevitably goes too far.

Marala’s Itch

The Siidim’s pride burns in spite of the censure, and some of the Siidimi that made it aboard the Mothership are not concerned with the fact that they face extinction. Marala Siidim is one such individual. Daughter of the Siidim-Sa, she was admitted to the Gold List with forged credentials stating she’s an accomplished drill instructor and mentor. She uses this position to recruit personnel into her cadre, trading favors in order to solidify some sort of position. The player crew might either be caught up in her net of intrigue or sent to deal with her, since Fleet Intelligence has noticed her performance does not match her stated skills.

Kiith Hraal Remembered for the audacity of their founding, Kiith Hraal has settled into being a primary manufacturing Kiith in competition with Kiith Naabal. With a portion of their number leaving to join Kiith Liir and advance aerospace technologies, Kiith Hraal maintained a focus on appliances and ground-based equipment. Many were drafted into becoming subsystem engineers during the Homeworld War.

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The Assembly Line Kiith Hraal struggled to find an identity in their early years, until an epiphany occurred to their Kiith-Sa when she witnessed engineers from Kiith Naabal struggle with designers from Kiith S’jet to assemble a steam locomotive. Using the last of her Kiith’s finances to buy the rights to this vehicle (as well as construction equipment), she had her Kiith optimize the assembly process by breaking it down into simple tasks. In effect, Kiith Hraal perfected the first assembly line.

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Kiith Hraal expanded this practice beyond mere manufacturing to include strategy consulting. It was not a reach to identify that every Kiith had a strength, and that bringing them together could result in the betterment of the whole. What made Kiith Hraal stand out was the ability to effectively negotiate between all concerned parties to come up with an agreement that all could find satisfying. Though they lacked the charisma and experience of the Manaan, Kiith Hraal was often praised for their ability to get the disparate Kiithid to find agreement on specific projects.

Hraal Culture

Individuals from Kiith Hraal are typically stereotyped as traveling in groups, rarely far away from other members of their Kiith or close friends from other Kiithid. There is some truth to this assumption, as Kiith Hraal often approaches a problem by breaking down the issue into smaller tasks and assigning the best individuals to handle those tasks. While this occasionally makes members good leaders, they often prefer to eschew the responsibility of leadership in favor of handling support duties. The Hraal are also seen as good technical and record-keeping assistants. After developing the construction line, Kiith Hraal began to match Kiith Naabal in construction efforts, with a particular focus on domestic appliances and machinery. By also choosing to focus on ground vehicles instead of aerospace technology, they witnessed a portion of their Kiith depart to join with Kiith Liir, becoming the formidable LiirHra that would dominate the emerging aerospace market.

Story Seeds Learning to Compromise

Hraal History Days after the formation of the Daiamid, five Kiith that faced absorption from the larger Kiithid met in a tent outside Tiir and discussed the fate that awaited them. Refusing to bow to the larger Kiithid, instead they elected one of their number to represent the combined whole. As the Kiith had not been introduced formally and there was no process performed for the joining, the Daiamid did not know how to proceed. Only the amused interjections of Kiith Paktu, Somtaaw, and Soban maintained calm under the great arc of the Daiamid and allowed the proceedings to continue.

Nissa Hraal is one of the few morale and administration officers overseeing the fleet’s social behavior and well-being. She’s assigned to work on a particular area of inter-Kiith relations, particularly regarding competition between the Kiithid in engineering. She’s been assigned the player characters, and she tasks them with interviewing the respective heads of the different Kiithid in that department and bringing this information back to her. With it she’ll find a way forward and ask the player characters to help her.

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In many ways, even after four hundred years the Kiith is still reeling from their turbulent formation at the end of the Heresy Wars. Being a blend of five different Kiithid, Kiith Hraal has a few conflicting and contradictory traditions that still confound members of the Kiith in combined gatherings. Most families take it on a case-by-case basis, looking forward to a day when the Kiith is fully integrated. Yet Hraal’s diversity in background composition is also their greatest strength, for their scattered background brings many different skills to the Kiith that has allowed members to come together on many different projects.

A Hraal Portrait

Home Stretch

Mytar Hraal, a production consultant, has been brought aboard the research vessel in order to optimize the production train of the new multi-gun corvette. The timing is fortuitous, for the Mothership has just been

pulled out of hyperspace by the Kadeshi and this corvette is needed as soon as possible. The player characters are thrust into completing the tasks that Mytar gives them while the research ship is under fire from the Kadeshi.

Kiith Kaalel

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No Kiith in the history of Kharak has had a history as fractured and contradictory as Kiith Kaalel. Though the Kiith has been stable for the past four hundred years, their early history is more mythical than a matter of record. In the present they are known by many as a Kiith of entertainment and spectacle; few are aware of their darker nature in intelligence and subterfuge.

The Kaalel to this day maintain a formidable and experienced intelligence arm, and their expertise in this area exceeds even the Sobani. Like the Sobani, the majority of their number comes from waking officers aboard the Mothership during the hyperspace test. They formed the backbone of Fleet Special Operations during the Homeworld War.

The Shadow Walkers

Kaalel Culture

Kiith Kaalel has had a few identities over the years, but the thread of their identity as spies begins in the Heresy Wars. Never the center of attention, Kiith Kaalel eked out an existence on the fringe, getting by at the expense of others by instigating fights and escaping the consequences. This mastery of evasion served them well, working so effectively that portions of Kiith Kaalel were unaware of the others’ existence. When the Daiamid was formed, three Sas came to Tiir professing to represent the Kaalel! When modern communication became more sophisticated, Kiith Kaalel emerged as a major media and entertainment Kiith. Both the modern telethon and televised gameshows are their inventions, and they soon became rivals of Kiith Manaan in this respect. However, around 1113 KDS a S’jet analyst discovered hidden signals in Kaalel broadcasts, exposing an intricate intelligence network the Kaalel had been operating for centuries.

In spite of their ethically questionable intelligence-gathering and informationcurrying enterprise, the Kaaleli are still entertainers. With their specialty being media and performance productions, they have led the way in pioneering new formats of entertainment, especially in performance art. Most Kaaleli who mature in the honest trades are very good actors and performers. Many legendary stars in Kushan society come from Kaalel; competition with the Manaan is (playfully) fierce when determining who produces the best entertainers. Kaaleli who choose the shadowy side of their trade are quiet and intelligent. If a S’jet is incapable of lying, one is never sure if a Kaaleli operative is giving you the truth. Kaalel employed in intelligence operations are even more skilled in the arts of impersonation and disguise than their public performance counterparts, and it’s said they can impersonate almost anyone with sufficient training.

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Kaalel History The earliest mention of Kiith Kaalel is more a matter of myth than record. The Kiith was said to originate with Kaalel the seer, a wandering prophet of the desert. Claiming to see visions of gods dancing in the stars at night, he preached a bizarre dogma that held someday the gods would return from the sky and lift the worthy into heaven. His earliest followers became Kiith Kaalel. Before the Heresy Wars they were known as entertainers of great repute. Their stage plays drew audiences from many cities away, and every performance was unique. The performance of the Kaaleli was regarded as one of the treasures of the ancient world.

A Kaalel Portrait

They disappear through large portions of the Heresy Wars, returning to the light only at the end of it. They plied their trade as entertainers while building a formidable intelligence network within Kushan society that escaped attention for centuries. Before this, only a select few knew for certain that the Kaaleli traded in secrets. Many times they would work through intermediaries in order to practice their trade.

Story Seeds The Deep Sting

Fleet Special Ops has tasked the player team with a routine intelligence operation against a mundane Taiidan outpost. Their mission is to extract what they can in a probing mission. A Soban contingent is attached to them in order to do the heavy lifting; the team is supposed to focus on the infiltration. During the mission it comes to light the real test is against the team leader of the Soban, who was suspected of being a traitor. Another member of the Soban team is also a Kaaleli agent assigned to shadow the suspect. The player characters are there to assist the mole in case anything goes wrong.

Unravel the Box

The player characters are ordered by Fleet Special Ops to capture a specific Taiidan officer they’ve identified as a survivor from a battle with the Taiidan. He’s wanted as a witness to bring to the Galactic Council for the Taiidan’s crimes. However, after the PCs recover him it’s discovered he’s a deep cover Kaaleli agent who has been gathering intelligence for the past several months, and the players unwittingly extracted him.

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The Kaalel are a curious mix of levity and duplicity. They often enjoy games and gaming, especially if these games involve treachery and critical thinking. Puzzles are also a favorite pastime of the Kaalel and they often quiz others with riddles to entertain themselves. For Kaalel following their darker impulses, one can never expect to earn the truth from them, ever. Their capacity for supplying non-answers to direct questions is a thing of legend. Another quality of legend is the ability to keep a secret: if a Kaaleli promises to keep a trusted truth hidden, no amount of interrogation will force that fact from them.

Dark Magic

For generations the Kaalel lived on the shores of the Powdered Sands where they operated the most ornate theatre constructed before the Heresy Wars. Naturally this made them a target for Kiith Gaalsien, but when the army arrived to punish the Kaaleli not a soul was found in the settlement. It was as if the Kaaleli had just vanished into thin air, leaving their possessions behind with no sign of struggle. The Gaalsien were quick to condemn the Kaaleli as practitioners of witchcraft, and to this day there is no explanation of how the Kaaleli accomplished this feat.

Minor and Vassal Kiith Over the course of Kharak’s history, hundreds of Kiithid have come and gone. Beyond the individual Kiithid mentioned here, there are still many others with their own stories and history.

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Kiith Sagald

Kiith Tambuur

Originally a Kiith of transportation and caravans, during the Heresy Wars they became vassals under Kiith S’jet for protection. The three hundred years of working closely with Kiith S’jet saw this Kiith gradually shift priorities, developing into a Kiith that was increasingly interested in archeology as a means to preserve their own culture within Kiith S’jet. Though archeology never exceeded their successes in vehicle manufacturing, nevertheless the Kiith was the only one specializing in cultural archaeology when Khar-Toba was uncovered in 1110 KDS. Kiith Sagald was immediately summoned to oversee the excavation work, and after thirty years they were the only ones to remain on the site as interest wandered away from the past. Mevath Sagald, the last director overseeing the excavation of the ancient city, single-handedly discovered the Guidestone within the shielded celestial temple. After analyzing the object and recognizing its significance, Mevath traveled to Tiir personally to present the Guidestone, and her research, to the Daiamid. When the stone’s authenticity was proved twenty years later, Mevath’s decision to bring the Guidestone to the Daiamid directly was hailed as the most significant act of the past thousand years. Kiith Sagald slowly came to embrace more of their archaeology heritage as they became specialists in uncovering the Kushan people’s lost history. Lacking the influence of the larger Kiithid, only six hundred of their number were selected for the Mothership Program, and after landfall on Hiigara they once again became vassals to Kiith S’jet simply to survive.

Originally a Kiith of desert shamans and fortune-tellers, Kiith Tambuur’s earliest mention is when the entire Kiith, fleeing Siidim persecution, arrived in the valley of Tiir in 621 KDS. The people elected to remain there, and with the numbers they presented were able to maintain their Kiith identity while working under the Naabal as a vassal Kiith. Here they redefined their Kiith to focus on medicines and pharmaceuticals, emerging from the Heresy Wars as one of the leading medical Kiithid. As Kharak came out of the shadow of the Heresy Wars many other medical Kiith began to rise, and in response Kiith Tambuur began to specialize more. By the time the Guidestone was presented to the Daiamid, Kiith Tambuur had become focused entirely on micro-miniature surgery. Only twelve members were selected for the Gold List, and of them only Ifriit Tambuur survived after the cryo-trays were attacked by the Taiidan. Following landfall Ifriit would seek revenge by becoming a bounty hunter pursuing Taiidan war criminals. A handful of similarly dispossessed individuals joined Ifriit Tambuur and his quest for vengeance.

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Kiith Ferriil The last and most enlightened of the religious Kiithid of early Kharak history, Kiith Ferriil enjoyed a period of power between 300 and 530 KDS before the Heresy Wars took hold. To oppose the stronger Gaalsien they allied with the Siidim in the belief that the two major religious Kiithid could crush the one. By the late 700s, however, it was evident Kiith Ferriil was in decline.

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Kiith LiirHra This began as Kiith Liir, a splinter from Kiith Manaan. Kiith Liir’s primary focus in ancient days was perfecting sand-sailers, building better and better vehicles to cross the edges of the Great Banded Desert in faster and more comfortable ways. Never a large Kiith,

Liir persisted for years in producing higher quality vessels than what could be typically found from other Kiith. During the Heresy Wars they had the interesting distinction of being a willing vassal clan to Kiith Siidim, manufacturing high-quality sand-sailers and pleasure craft for Siidimi tastes. After the war they turned their trade to commercial applications with no regrets. This fascination for producing sand vehicles expanded into all manner of craft, especially fast-moving ones. After Kushan society attained flight, Kiith Liira moved into this space as well, producing faster and more exquisite aircraft for private owners. Only when they expressed an interest in space travel did the fortunes change for the Kiith, merging with interested scientists and engineers from Kiith Hraal. Forming a new Kiith, LiirHra, the combined engineering genius of both Kiith began to create formidable and impressive air-space vehicles. Their crowning achievement was the Sadaar space plane, making a maiden flight in 1106 KDS. Kiith LiirHra would compete with Kiith Paktu for aerospace technological prowess,

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At the infamous battle of Danac in 811 KDS, the greatest army assembled by Kiith Ferriil was poised to assist Kiith Siidim in repulsing the relentless assault of the Naabal. The order to advance never came from Kiith Siidim, and the Ferriil found themselves suddenly attacked by the armies of Naabal. Unable to mount a counter-attack of any kind the entire army was wiped out, and with it the largest demonstration of power the Ferriil had. Shortly afterwards Kiith Siidim absorbed Kiith Ferriil’s holdings into their ranks, starting a long-lasting accusation that Kiith Siidim arranged the destruction of the Ferriil army in order to gain their assets and wealth. By the end of the Heresy Wars, Kiith Ferriil was no more.

and it was anyone’s guess which Kiith would prove the stronger. When Kharak was destroyed in 1216 KDS, Kiith Paktu had a greater number of Sleepers and active personnel on the Mothership. Nevertheless, members of Kiith LiirHra served in support and technical positions within the fleet, also having a hand in developing new space vehicles. Upon landfall on Hiigara, Kiith LiirHra absorbed the survivors of Kiith Hraal to bolster their numbers.

Kiith Jaraci

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A minor technical Kiithid that began as vassals to the S’jet, specializing in telescopes and other optical instrumentation. As technology advanced they turned their trade to more specialized sensor systems, focusing on satellite systems communications and orbital signaling. Fortune would have Leykab Jaraci make the fateful discovery of the Jaraci Object–the

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name the Khar-Toba was given when it was first spotted on satalite scans–in the sands of the Great Banded Desert. Though he gained little fame from the discovery, he became the face of a campaign by Kiith Jaraci to put more observation and sensor satellites into orbit to explore the Kharak system for more debris. Kiith Jaraci only had a handful of members among the Sleepers, serving as sensors specialists aboard the Mothership. It was the Jaraci who first noted the constant contact of the Kadesh mothership as it approached after the Mothership entered the Great Nebula. Following landfall on Hiigara, Kiith Jaraci was absorbed into Kiith S’jet. Remarkably, they split again seventy-five years later to once again focus on signals technology, with a preference in Progenitor sciences. Although Kharak is no more, many of the alliances and allegiances Kiithid feel among the Kushan fleet were forged on Kharak in the years leading up to the Mothership’s fateful hyperspace jump.

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Kiith Politics Alliances Form

The Daiamid The Daiamid established by Ifriit Naabal-Sa in 813 KDS did much to shape the current political landscape of the Kiithid, especially in the north. This forum was a place where the varying Kiithid, regardless of size or profession, could meet to resolve their political differences and establish laws that governed trade and policy between the Kiithid. Initially it was used only for this purpose—the northern Kiithid were still stocking arms and equipment to prepare for the next war after the Heresy Wars. It wasn’t until social tensions between Kiith Siidim and Kiith Naabal almost reached a head that Maora Hraal-Sa interjected in a heated council session. Declaring that the walls of the Daiamid did not stop at the extent of the building, she emphasized that the mission statement of the Daiamid did not apply to just economics or trade, but to society as a whole. The Daiamid, not wars between Kiithid, would be the place to settle those differences. Moved by her speech, days later

Kiith Naabal opened the doors of their trade institutions as a gesture of good faith. Other Kiithid were soon to follow, and before long the structure of modern Kiith society began to take shape.

The Northern Coalition By far the most advanced and sophisticated of the major political powers on Kharak, the Northern Coalition was formed when Kiith S’jet came before the Daiamid in 1057 KDS to announce that the Great Barrier Mountains could no longer hold back the desert. What started as a construction coalition turned into a defense pact when Kiith Gaalsien struck with a massive force in 1074 KDS during the Siifar Kor’shesh: The Night of the Fiery Daggers. While the Northern Coalition contained a vast majority of the Kiithid on Kharak, complete with their separate traditions and beliefs, the culture of the Northern coalition is fairly homogeneous. There is a widespread belief in Sajuuk and the minor deities; most Kiithid hold the same moral beliefs, and many of them share the same language. By 1110 most average citizens in the coalition were fairly well educated with advanced attainment degrees, but there were plenty of people in the rural areas with simple, basic education. With the exception of those living on the fringe of the desert, many citizens in the Northern Coalition did not live in discomfort, nor did they feel threatened by the environment as their distant ancestors did. Cities in the Northern Coalition were fairly advanced as well, with typical populations numbering in the thousands. Tiir, the capital city, was the largest settlement in the north and the most heavily guarded.

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Most modern Kiith alliances can be traced to the span of time between the emergence of Kiith Naabal in 810 KDS, before the start of the Age of Reason in 830 KDS, and the launch of the Mothership in 1216 KDS. Coming out of the end of the Heresy Wars, Kiith society had to rebuild itself in the wake of Kiith Gaalsien’s exile and Kiith Siidim’s decimation. Where once there was a ruling class of Kiithid overlaid on top of local communities, now every Kiith had the power to rule itself and determine its own alliances. From this, the initial territories of Kiith ownership were drawn as individual Kiithid moved into the power vacuum left behind by the Gaalsien and Siidim.

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While the goals of the Northern Coalition were aligned as far as the planet was concerned, until the recovery of the Guidestone there were major powers in the society of the Northern Coalition that did not share the same political goals. Between 900 KDS and 1080 KDS the major rivals in the political sphere of the northern hemisphere were Kiith Naabal and Kiith Siidim. While Kiith Naabal had been content to gradually fade in the glow of ending the Heresy Wars, as the founders of the Daiamid every Naabal-Sa that followed Ifriit felt some responsibility to protect the alliance. When it became apparent that not every Kiith was working in the interests of the group, the Sas of Naabal began cultivating alliances with other like-minded Kiithid in order to maintain some semblance of control and order. With the wounds of the Heresy Wars still fresh, Kiith S’jet was reluctant to deal with the Naabal on any issue outside of preventing another war. Kiith Soban’s alliance with Kiith Naabal still held, and Naabal was able to garner even more support once the doors were open to Naabal schools. In this way the Naabal curried a significant amount of influence in order to keep Kiith Siidim in check. The Siidim had fallen far since the days of the Heresy Wars, surviving only through compensation and humility. Though they were knocked down, they would rise again, and within a hundred years the proud Siidim were currying favor and exchanging wealth with other Kiithid. For a time Kiith Somtaaw was their strongest ally, willing to buy political leverage from the Siidim in exchange for their rich steel production. The Kiithid Matara and Balel would count themselves as strong allies of the Siidim as well. In general, the Siidim were interested in conservatism and control. While they were no longer as dogmatic as their ancient enemies the Gaalsien, some felt the Siidim had not changed over the years and were using their political capital to once again seize power.

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Between Naabal and Siidim were the other uncommitted Kiithid. Kiith S’jet was not interested in politics and choosing sides. Dedicated to the truth, they and Kiith Hraal were often called upon to be mediators between the two political blocs, often fostering compromises in the law. Kiith Manaan remained aloof from many political decisions, only stepping in to support matters that concerned Manaani independence. Kiith Paktu was also a wildcard, for while they remained distant from the matters in Tiir, but they would make their voice heard when their own interests were impacted (though on occasion they did weigh in to support S’jet). Kiith Soban also remained at arm’s length from extended Kiith politics, content to maintain the peace and keep an eye on potential threats to the security of the northern continent. Many smaller Kiithid typically joined their political weight with one major power bloc or another during this time in Kushan history, although there were two times the disparate Kiithid rallied to oppose one of the major power blocs. The first was the opposition of the new trade laws passed by Kiith Siidim, which would have decreed that unless a Kiith’s membership exceeded a thousand souls, it could not vote on economic matters within the Daiamid. The second was when the collected trade Kiithid moved to stonewall efforts by the Naabal to impose exchange taxes on the Manaan and other desert-based Kiithid. In both cases it was anticipated that a new Kiith power bloc would be in place to challenge the dominant two, but they failed to manifest on both occasions.

Kiith Paktu and the Southern Coalition When Majiir Paktu and his followers arrived at the Majiirian Sea in 490, many vowed to never again concern themselves with the affairs of the north. Let the Siidim and Gaalsien destroy themselves in a futile, costly

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Even after the Guidestone was found Kiith Paktu still put some distance between themselves and the northern Kiithid. Now the barriers between them were legal and cultural, erected by Kiith Paktu to maintain their cultural distinction from the other Kiithid in the north. This was exacerbated by Kiith Paktu’s drive to develop aerospace technologies, bringing themselves into competition with a swath of Kiithid in the north that were trying to do the same. Accordingly, Kiith Paktu had a strong space-based presence when the Mothership was launched, and a great many space installations put there by Kiith Paktu were targeted by the Taiidan. Though the missile defense system was built primarily in the north, targeting data was provided by Kiith Paktu satellites. The final act of Kiith Paktu on the planet was to launch the Guidestone into orbit, since it had been taken to Majiir for a final analysis before it departed with the Mothership.

Post-Guidestone Discovery Though many Kiithid could dispute the gradual destruction of Kharak until they saw their own fields destroyed, the appearance of the Guidestone offered a physical, tangible piece of evidence that the Kushan people were not native to the planet. Combined with genetic analysis provided by Kriil S’jet in 836, the Guidestone offered the final piece of the puzzle of the Kushan’s origins on the planet. That a scientific explanation was offered to explain a theological tenet was a powerful wave that shook Kiith beliefs to the core. In the aftermath of this shock, learning that they were indeed an exiled people, Kushan society struggled to move forward. Very quickly Kiith S’jet proposed a solution. In a passionate speech before the Daiamid, Rachel S’jet (Now Kiith-Sa of her people) proposed an audacious project that offered the best hope of survival for the Kushan race: construct a vessel, then use it

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war. Kiith Paktu would survive on this virgin land that seemed almost like paradise after the year-long journey across the desert. This sentiment would remain with Kiith Paktu and their associate Kiithid of the south until the Guidestone was presented to the Daiamid. Since the Heresy Wars and into the Time of Reason, Kiith Paktu held themselves at arm’s length from Kiith politics. Until the Great Northern Way was constructed in 912, passage to the south was perilous for conventional sand-sailers. Given how difficult the journey could be, Kiith Paktu was insulated from many of the cultural norms of the north and so began to develop in a different way. Although Kiith Paktu officially accepted the invitation into the Daiamid in 915, the southern Kiith maintained only a token presence in Tiir. Time and again they ignored invitations from the various northern Kiithid to increase their presence in Tiir and join the greater Kharak community. The only Kiith that appeared to reach the Paktu was Kiith S’jet, as their pursuit of truth was honored by the Paktu in the years following the Heresy Wars. Kiith Manaan was also an allied Kiith to the Paktu, to the extent that Kiith Paktu ceded the Amariid Flats as the new Ferin Sha. However, one thing binding these Kiithid together was the reluctance to participate in the central political struggles at the heart of the Daiamid. Kiith Paktu shared the southern continent with very few Kiithid, the largest of which were Kiith Atarad and Kiith Naael. Overall the culture in the south was more relaxed and agnostic than the Sajuuk-worshipping religions of the northern Kiithid. Laws were more relaxed and tended to be decided more by local governments than the central authority at Majiir. Many small sects and minor cults found a home in the southern continents, though they tended not to last long. Kiith Paktu would allow many things in their society, but taboos that involved harming another were not tolerated.

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to return to the homeworld. As other plans were deemed impossible or indefinable, the Mothership Plan began to gain more traction among the northern Kiithid. The plan was adopted into action in the first Triad of 1159. As the Mothership was being constructed in orbit, Kiith Naabal returned to the political scene by offering their numerous engineering and manufacturing techniques in the assistance of the Mothership Project. This gesture of goodwill was well received by Kiith S’jet, finally mending the breach between the two Kiithid that had divided them since the Heresy Wars. Kiith Naabal also renewed their alliance with Kiith Soban out of the desire to build craft that could be as capable in warfare as in scientific endeavors. In this, Kiith Naabal began to lead the charge in constructing the Mothership. Even Kiith Paktu joined in the effort, fielding their larger launching facilities to begin construction of the massive scaffold in orbit that would be used to build the Mothership. Over two hundred years the Scaffold, and then the Mothership, were slowly built. Every effort of Kharak was being turned toward ensuring their only shot at survival

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was the best one possible with Kushan sciences. While there was no question that the Mothership had to be completed, varying Kiithid struggled in their own way to get the better share of who would be among the Sleepers, or what legacy would be carried aboard the Mothership to pass on to successive generations on their homeworld. Though minor, these power struggles did have an effect on the Mothership Program. The Naabal managed to get the largest percentage of individuals on the Gold List through subtle means and backchannels. Kiith Paktu was in heavy competition with Kiith LiirHra for developing future aerospace technologies. While Kiith S’jet had the unique and distinct position of elevating Karan S’jet to Fleet Command, Sorjan Soban-Sa waged a personal war with the Mothership Program committee to outfit a full military command hierarchy for the journey. Ultimately many of these struggles would come to naught, as the Mothership’s early hyperspace test would herald the destruction of Kharak. With the planet’s loss, none of the far-ranging plans concerning the Mothership’s final outfitting would come to pass.

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Modern Era Alliances While the Guidestone has united the Kushan people in a way no other cultural revelation has done, giving their civilization a singular goal to return to Hiigara, it has not entirely stopped political ambition. Detailed here are some basics on the relationships and alliances between many of the major Kiithid. Though this doesn’t cover all the intricacies of some of these alliances, it should serve as a guide for gamemasters who wish to use these alliances in their games.

Kiith Paktu

Kiith S’jet

An ally of Kiith Paktu in the days following the end of the Heresy Wars. Emissaries from Kiith S’jet were interested in exchanging knowledge free of politics, something those in Kiith Paktu appreciated greatly when reconnecting Kushan society during the Mothership’s journey and post landfall on Hiigara.

Another longtime ally of the Paktu. Like S’jet, the Manaan’s connection with Paktu has always been free of politics, relying on trade and merriment to establish warm relations. The Manaan also served as a buffer of sorts between the two coalitions.

Kiith Naabal

Even before the hyperspace test Kiith Naabal had a rivalry with Kiith Paktu over the completion of the Mothership. Kiith Naabal represented the collective north to many southerners, and Kiith Paktu was eager to show up Kiith Naabal. This rivalry abated only briefly during the Homeworld War, until priorities over the reconstruction caused them to clash once again.

Kiith Soban Traditionally the mercenary Kiith has always kept its distance from Kiith politics, preferring coin and steel to determine what their beliefs are. This has more or less been maintained over the centuries, though some Kiith-Sas within Kiith Soban have taken the posture of seeing themselves as guardians of Kushan civilization, willing to intercede on some heated conflicts and supply peacemakers to ensure the situation does not escalate into violence. Kiith Soban retained their professionalism during the Homeworld War since there was no way to maintain their mercenary existence. Upon Hiigara the Sobani became stalwart defenders of the planet and its newfound space, buying up much of the war surplus to establish a new space navy. As recent as twenty years after landing on Hiigara, Kiith Soban began renting its services out to other star civilizations within the galactic core.

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Generally, Kiith Paktu holds itself slightly aloof from the other Kiithid. This isn’t out of distrust as much as the cultural divide that grew between the two coalitions on Kharak. With a few exceptions, they are wary of the major Kiithid that formed the Northern Coalition, especially ones with religious roots. After landfall on Hiigara, Kiith Paktu formed a kind of opposition coalition to Kiith Naabal. While the Naabali worked to stabilize the political situation on Hiigara and establish a sense of permanence, Kiith Paktu insisted on respecting the rights of the individual Kiithid within the new Daiamid. Many Kiithid that survived landfall owe their existence to Kiith Paktu’s stubborn determination to argue for the individual.

Kiith Manaan

Kiith Naabal

Before the emergence of Kiith Naabal during the Heresy Wars, Ifriit Naabal-Sa approached the Soban in secret to establish a hidden pact. In exchange for advanced technology, Kiith Soban would stay their hand against the Naabal. This treaty lasted nearly a hundred years until the Naabal allowed warriors from Kiith Soban to enter an ambush. This betrayal sundered the trust between the two sides, though a permanent alliance was reforged between them during the construction of the Mothership.

Kiith Siidim

Both military Kiith maintained a kind of friendly rivalry of resources around the early 1000s on Kharak. Once the Siidim betrayal was known Kiith Soban cut off all contact from their former allies.

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Kiith Somtaaw

In exchange for protecting the road into the Khontala Mountain Ranges, Kiith Somtaaw granted Kiith Soban access to the highquality steel Kiith Somtaaw was now producing. After the treaty period ended Kiith Somtaaw still maintained friendly relations with Kiith Soban, continuing to the present day.

Kiith S’jet Ever dedicated to the truth no matter how hurtful it is, for the longest time Kiith S’jet was not interested in playing politics or policy since creative lies only served to harm the truth. Over the course of the Heresy Wars, S’jet learned that framing the truth could be essential to survival, as the truth could also hurt in ways worse than weapons and warfare. In the political arena Kiith S’jet is generally open and friendly towards the other Kiith in pursuit of the truth. During the Homeworld War and afterward Kiith S’jet gained a newfound reputation as their own Sa, Karan S’jet, was hailed as the

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savior of the Kushan people. Though Karan S’jet commanded significant influence, as did her Kiith by extension, both were careful never to abuse their power. In addition to maintaining Kushan society through the transition to Hiigara, Kiith S’jet’s primary focus has been unearthing the truth and connecting the exiles of the present to their forebears of the past.

Kiith Naabal

It was discovered during the Heresy Wars that some S’jeti families carried a secret alliance to Kiith Naabal, using S’jet immunity to pass secrets back to Tiir. This revelation almost tore Kiith S’jet apart, and while Fliir S’jet-Sa managed to keep her Kiith together, a slight schism exists between the two Kiithid to this day over using science as power.

Kiith Paktu

After the Manaan, Kiith S’jet is one of the few to hold respect from the Kiith who formed the Southern Coalition. S’jeti scholars made a favorable impression with the southern Kiith on their first visits, and both Kiithid collaborate heavily over scientific ventures. This mutual respect continued through the Homeworld War and after landfall on Hiigara.

Kiith Naabal Following their explosive invasion from Tiir to end the Heresy Wars, Kiith Naabal has done what it can to support the reconstruction of Kushan civilization. Many modern-day industrial Kiithid can trace their beginnings to Kiith Naabal in learning the once-secret arts of metalworking, modern construction, and complex machinery. For years afterward Kiith Nabaal were content to slowly fade in the glow of what they built, but the effort to return to Hiigara brought them back out of stagnation. Kiith Naabal’s renewed zeal to stabilize Kushan society was welcome on Hiigara, as Kiith Naabal oversaw most of the

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reconstruction of the damaged and abandoned cities in the wake of the Taiidan evacuation. However, in trying to shelter the survivors of the Homeworld War by absorbing them into Kiith Naabal, they gained the antipathy of the lesser Kiithid and their supporters. Ataral Naabal-Sa had hoped to foster growth in the way Naabal had in the aftermath of the Heresy Wars, but in the modern era this was seen as a power grab. Leading the charge against them were Kiith Paktu and Kiith Somtaaw, which argued successfully for the rights to independence for the lesser Kiithid.

Kiith S’jet

Kiith Somtaaw

Relations between the Kiith were benign until landfall on Hiigara. As Kiith Naabal sought to protect more people at the expense of their Kiith identities, Kiith Somtaaw led the charge in opposing further absorption and waged a protracted legal battle for independence. This resulted in Kiith Somtaaw, and many minor Kiithid, having access to the Mothership to build vessels of their own to leave Hiigara. While Kiith Somtaaw was happy to depart Hiigara, it forced the Naabal to reflect on their approach to the reconstruction.

Kiith LiirHra

Having worked closely with the Naabal during the Homeworld War in designing starships, LiirHra came to Naabal’s support during the power struggles on Hiigara. As the Kiith quietly took over space-side manufacturing

Kiith Manaan The travelers have always been at arm’s length from internal Kiith policies, but the events of the Heresy Wars and the aftermath made them reconsider their involvement. Though they remained a nomadic Kiith even into the present, their representation in the Daiamid grew in order to increase their profits and guarantee their freedom. While the other Kiithid enjoyed landfall on Hiigara, Kiith Manaan was unique among the major Kiith in maintaining a larger-thannormal space fleet. Acquiring many postwar ship hulls and building their own, Manaan established a very early trade network all on their own. As many other Kiithid were turning against Naabal leadership for absorbing the lesser Kiithid, Kiith Manaan stood by them, embracing a role as mediators between the other Kiithid.

Kiith Siidim

The ancient vendetta with the vandals of the Ferin Sha never completely went away, in spite of the Kiith moving on from bloodshed and war after a hundred years. Though Manaan gave them the benefit of the doubt, they never fully trusted Kiith Siidim, and the feeling was reciprocated. It was one of the great ironies of the landfall on Hiigara that some of the few Siidim that remained joined with Kiith Manaan to survive.

Kiith Paktu

The two Kiithid have had a connection for as long as Kiith Paktu has held independence; Manaani traders travelled with the Paktu on their journey south while on Kharak. Ever since, Kiith Manaan has acted as a mediator between northern and southern Kiithid, having a foot in both political spheres and facilitating trade between both. This remains true to this day.

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The deepest wound in Kiith relations regarding the Naabal was with Kiith S’jet. In order to prevent knowledge from being lost forever on Kharak, Kiith Naabal used every means to secure it in the face of war. Exploiting the S’jet cost them a closer connection, and while both Kiithid came together for the Mothership Program, Kiith S’jet remained at arm’s length from Kiith Naabal after the exiles returned to Hiigara.

facilities, it was in their interest politically and socially to support Naabal’s efforts at reconstruction.

Kiith Soban

Kiith Naabal

The engineering Kiith has always been a beneficiary of Manaan’s trade and courier services, and Kiith Manaan benefitted from the engineering Kiith’s ability to manufacture vehicles for the Manaan. After landfall on Hiigara, as political groundswell was rising against Kiith Naabal, Kiith Manaan was one of the few allies of the Naabal that worked to reach some kind of accord between both sides.

Kiith Somtaaw

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On Kharak, the Kiithid of the Khontala range were content to remain in their mountain stronghold and rarely dealt directly with other Kiithid. The Heresy Wars changed this as the war intensified. The first step in interacting with the other major Kiithid was securing protection rights from Kiith Soban in exchange for an amazingly beneficial consignment of high-quality steel produced by Kiith Somtaaw. The incorporation of the Daiamid at last brought Kiith Somtaaw out of seclusion. Kiith Somtaaw’s position changed radically when the exiles returned to Hiigara. Under threat of absorption from Kiith Naabal, the Somtaaw entered a protracted legal battle to secure their independence. Arguing that they deserved just as much as the other Kiithid in terms of starship tonnage, they manufactured a mothership of their own and set off to find their own destiny elsewhere. They became the vanguard of a new movement among the lesser Kiithid to abandon their home world and seek their fortunes among the stars.

Kiith Naabal

Though Kiith Naabal may have had the intention of finding a home for every ablebodied individual during the Hiigaran landfall, to the Somtaaw this Naabali altruism seemed like a power grab. Years after the exiles’ return home Kiith Somtaaw still views Kiith Naabal with disdain.

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The ancient agreement sealed long ago still carries weight with both Kiithid. Though the relationship has ebbed and flowed over time, it has never fractured, and the Kiithid have an unspoken respect for one another’s traditions. To this day, it is a popular rumor that Kiith Somtaaw has a hidden discount given to Soban purchases of raw materials.

Kiith Siidim While the Kushan cosmology of Sajuuk originated with Kiith Siidim, this Kiith has done much to damage their own reputation with the rest of Kushan society out of a vain pursuit to prove their special heritage. Kiith Siidim’s pride goaded Kiith Gaalsien into launching a war that nearly destroyed Kharak in its intensity. Following that conflict, Kiith Siidim made an effort to remain a part of Kushan society and rebuild. Ultimately, the Kiith’s second attempt at supremacy did not do much better, and Kiith S’jet halted Siidim’s clandestine attempt at a power-grab during Operation Khadiim. Kiith Siidim were censured by the Daiamid, and trade with them was severely restricted. With only two hundred of their number being admitted to the Mothership, the Kiith was too small to stand on its own and was ultimately disbanded.

Kiith Gaalsien

Siidim’s traditional enemies from the Heresy Wars. Much effort was expended by the Siidim to exterminate the Gaalsien and win this centuries-long struggle well after it was already decided.

Kiith Paktu

The Paktu have a special distaste for Kiith Siidim, who were responsible for their displacement in ancient times. In the modern era Kiith Paktu avoids engaging with the Siidim, with their Kiith-Sa going as far as avoiding the representatives of Kiith Siidim in the Daiamid. It was a great irony when some

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of the broken Siidim were absorbed into Kiith Paktu on Hiigara.

Kiith Naabal

The antipathy gained during the Heresy Wars never abated between these two Kiithid, even if both learned to set it aside for the sake of preserving Kharak’s habitable environment. Kiith Siidim and the Naabal could never agree on anything in the Daiamid and would oppose one another on almost every policy.

Kiith Hraal

Kiith LiirHra

Kiith LiirHra formed from parts of Kiith Hraal that wanted to focus on aeronautics; Kiith Hraal has no animosity towards Kiith LiirHra. The two Kiithid were content to go

Kiith Kaalel Publicly the Kiith was viewed as nothing more than a group of eccentric entertainers until the Daiamid learned of Kiith Kaalel’s secret intelligence network. Since then the other Kiithid have been utilizing the Kiithid’s talents to get more political leverage, and Kiith Kaalel used the threat of blackmail to maintain their own independence. However, the Kiith has always seen itself as a stabilizing force on Kharak by making sure certain parties do not prevail over others.

Kiith S’jet

On the face of it, these Kiithid are diametric opposites of one another, though this does not make them hostile. Many in the Daiamid believe the Kaalel leak information freely to the S’jeti as they are the ones to make the best use of information in an impartial way. It’s suspected even the outing of their intelligence network may have been planned.

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Being a Kiith barely four hundred years in existence, the Hraal do not have a storied history with many other Kiithid. They have grown in competition with Kiith Naabal over manufacturing of certain goods, though with Naabal’s dominance in manufacturing Kiith Hraal began to focus on domestic appliances and equipment—one of the few areas Kiith Naabal did not have a strong competitive presence.

their separate ways until the Homeworld War. Afterwards, Kiith LiirHra absorbed any remaining members of Kiith Hraal as there were more survivors counted among the former Kiith.

Chapter 8

GALACTIC COMMUNITY The whirlpool galaxy is a big place, and the Kushan aren’t the only people who claim one of its many planets as their home. This chapter discusses some of the major forces and factions within the Homeworld: Revelations universe, as well as providing plot seeds for gamemasters to involve these factions in their campaigns.

Taiidan

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The main political and military powerhouse within the galaxy until their defeat in the Homeworld War, the Taiidan were a corrupt imperial society whose reach extended further and deeper than many realized. Once the victims of war at the hands of the Hiigarans thousands of years ago, the Taiidan slowly developed into a tyrannical

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empire afraid of becoming a victim again. Its emperors became obsessed with gaining power and wealth, and with this came corruption. After the fall of the Empire, a number of the remaining Taiidan worlds formed a republic, with many happy to be free from the rule of the corrupt and paranoid emperor.

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Imperial History

The Hiigaran Invasion

Armed with a newly-discovered Hyperspace Core, the Hiigarans followed the example of the Bentusi and withdrew all their myriad fleets, forming them into one giant superfleet. This remade Hiigaran navy surrounded the flagship Sajuuk’s Wrath in which the Hyperspace Core was installed. Then, making use of their newly-acquired Far Jump capabilities, they quickly struck deep into Taiidan territory.

A Cycle of Violence

While a retributive counterattack on the Hiigarans by the Bentusi provided safety from future attacks by the Hiigaran people, the Taiidan Empire had been thrown into complete disarray. The ancient race of the Bentusi even declared its involvement would be their final military act before disarmament. With the popular Emperor having been killed in the orbital bombardment, the Imperial territories fractured. It was in this time that Admiral Riesstiu came to the fore of the Imperial Navy’s attention. Seen as a military exemplar, and known for his brave deeds during various campaigns, Riesstiu was able to quickly gain the confidence of the rest of the fleet and promise them something that was on the minds of every Taiidan: swift justice. With the Hiigaran fleet in ruins after its engagement

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Much like the Hiigarans’ own stellar imperium, the Taiidan Empire came into being during the numerous uprisings that ignited across the galaxy when, four thousand years ago, the Bentusi failed to maintain galactic peace. The comparative impotence of the Bentusi’s peacekeeping efforts in the face of outright war blazing across the stars caused, or led to, entire regions of space being conquered where once smaller planetary governments stood. Being a dominant force in the galaxy allowed the Taiidan some power in the diplomatic efforts that would eventually form into the Galactic Council, but they knew they had to maintain that power lest it slip through their fingers. Seeing the might of the Hiigarans’ war fleets on their borders, which had previously easily shattered the defenses of neighboring systems, the Taiidani would say they used every political resource at their disposal (including getting their hands dirty) to ensure that the Galactic Council kept the Hiigaran war machine on a tight leash. After tense diplomatic efforts and keen political maneuvering, the Galactic Council ordered the Hiigaran fleets to withdraw, the disputed territories were awarded to the Taiidan Empire, and a safe exclusion zone was placed between the people. The Taiidani people could once again relax, as they were safe for now. What they could not have foretold was the sudden fortune and untempered wrath of the Hiigaran people.

With most of the Taiidan fleet protecting their borders, they were entirely unprepared for the Hiigaran people’s unprecedented invasion. Patrol fleets, garrisons, and other military targets were quickly destroyed as the full force of the Hiigaran fleet moved with impunity, crushing any defense quickly and without meeting significant resistance. The attack had come so quickly, and so effectively, that word of the first attacks had not even reached the Imperial Palace on the Taiidan capital planet before the Hiigaran fleet reached orbit, unleashing its arsenal. The Taiidan military attempted a defense, throwing themselves into the fray with courage and will, but against the overwhelming onslaught of Hiigara their hopes were in vain. Even the Imperial Elite Guard could not hold back the combined firepower of the full Hiigaran war machine and the fury burning brightly behind it. The firepower of the Hiigaran navy fell for a full day, striking military targets across the surface of the planet, and when the Hiigarans were certain that the Taiidan capital was militarily crippled, they finally returned home.

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with the Bentusi, and the Bentusi themselves unwilling to step in militarily, the Hiigarans had brought about their own punishment. The young admiral moved swiftly. Gathering the fleet, his retribution was swift and precise: The fleet began a push from Taiidani space to the Hiigaran homeworld. Every planet along the way was given the choice: join the Taiidan Empire, or be annihilated… every planet but one. Thinking that the Hiigaran people would not take their threat seriously, Riesstiu ordered the first planet in their path razed and its sacrifice used as an example to the rest of the Hiigaran Empire. It worked: few worlds chose destruction over subjugation, and the Taiidani fleet continued inexorably towards Hiigara. As the fleet closed on the Hiigaran homeworld, the other regions of the galaxy quickly attempted to intercede through sanctions and attempts at diplomacy. Eventually, the Galactic Council gathered enough support to bring the Bentusi to intervene. While the ancient race had promised not to get involved in warfare, they declared that they would be willing to arbitrate negotiation between the remaining Hiigaran worlds and the Taiidani admiral himself. The two sides met, and after tense and bitter negotiation the Hiigarans acquiesced to the idea that exile would be preferable to annihilation, their planets and territories ceded to the Taiidan Empire.

A Golden Age?

For the next four millennia, Taiidani society rebuilt and flourished. The legacy of Riesstiu was twofold. First, the Hiigaran homeworld, its infrastructure and world intact, would become the new seat of the Taiidan Empire. Second, the new emperor would be Riesstiu himself, and his bloodline. Four thousand years of civilization, however, have taken their toll on Taiidani culture. While there have been years of great peace, expansion, and thriving economy, the

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worlds of the Taiidan are currently known to be corrupt, decadent, and in danger of political infighting. On the galactic stage, while the Imperial Navy was a powerful entity, the Taiidani found themselves somewhat at the whims of the Galactic Council. While militarily capable of securing border territories from other governments, such actions would no doubt incur the wrath of the Council’s sanctions and embargoes. Five hundred years ago, an answer came in the form of a vast fleet of raiders from the Turan sector on the edge of Taiidani space. After tense negotiations with groups of these Turanic raiders, the Taiidan started making use of their firepower and decentralized nature to assault local planetary forces while maintaining plausible deniability as to the raiders’ actions before moving in their own navy to maintain a “peacekeeping force,” eventually subverting the governing entities and replacing them with puppets. Such expansion continued, with empress and emperor being replaced, assassinated, or abdicating over the years. With the appointment of its current emperor Riesstiu IV the Second, however, the Empire may be in greater danger of fracturing. The legacy of Riesstiu IV the Second continues that of his predecessor, Emperor Riesstiu IV: the previous emperor, mad with power and paranoia, had enacted a law stating that all future emperors would be clones of himself, implanted with their predecessor’s memories. As his “father” was a tyrannical man, the son was not much more than a continuation of an elderly man’s descent into madness. In addition, with his various advisors and supporters vying for power in a corrupt political system, Riesstiu was able to exert immense political sway by using his allies’ fear of treachery accusations, and thus execution, to his advantage. As the horrors of Riesstiu’s reign came to a head, his hand-picked group of advisors

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The Homeworld War

When the Kushan, remnants of the Hiigaran exiles, made their first hyperspace jump in four thousand years, their efforts were detected by sensor posts in the surrounding Taiidani space. This news quickly reached the Emperor’s chambers, and he was quick to act: Riesstiu ordered the use of a devastating weapon designed to strip a planet of the majority of its atmosphere, killing anyone remaining. Kharak, refuge of the Kushan people, was scoured of life. When the deployment of this weapon, unused since the Taiidani attack on Hiigaran worlds millennia before, was broadcast to the

rest of the Empire, what was meant to be a threat designed to keep the populace in line instead incited rebellion across the imperial planets. The rebellion would have been shortlived, but during the Kushan people’s long pilgrimage to Hiigara, the newly-spacefaring people found allies in the rebel faction they encountered and together both sides managed to progress toward the Imperial capital, eventually retaking it. The Galactic Council, summoned by the Bentusi, arrived just as the Kushan entered orbit, and to avoid unnecessary bloodshed the Council ceded Hiigara to its original occupants.

Past the Homeworld War

In the wake of this final war and with the loss of their capital planet Hiigara, the Taiidan Empire effectively broke apart; either due to infighting, a loss of infrastructure, or the dying breaths of corruption, the various former-imperial worlds realigned themselves politically, eventually forming groups of roving Taiidani Imperial Loyalists, the Taiidan Republic, and independent worlds. Due to the infighting between these factions and their allies, the Taiidan would never again be a great power in the galaxy.

Political Leadership Emperor Riesstiu IV the Second is the current supreme leader of the Taiidani political system and topmost admiral in their stellar navy, although he has not been seen in public save for major political events for many years. The Assembly of Lords, a secondary governing body, is well aware that Riesstiu has the same memories and therefore ambitions as his predecessor, but it was long since politically neutered to be nothing more than a committee that processes and gives an official veneer to Riesstiu’s decisions. As such, the only major decisions by the governing bodies are wide-reaching changes made from the Emperor’s chambers, where life-support systems keep him alive and his

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eventually ordered him contained to a life support system long before his body required it, using the fact that the cloning process had left his body damaged and weak as leverage. Yet, even as he was contained he still wielded enormous power despite the efforts of his closest confidantes. The fractures in the Taiidan Empire widened further under Riesstiu’s heavyhanded rule, and before long an organized rebellion began forming in imperial regions. Dissension spread, tempered somewhat by the Assembly of Lords, until Riesstiu made the grave decision to bombard the cityworld of Triistara which was in the process of openly rebelling against heavy taxation. While the Emperor had hoped to stifle any uprising (and in truth the act was effective at pacifying all but the most fervent rebels), the news of the bombardment turned the empire’s populace, as well as a good deal of the Assembly, against him. At present, the Emperor’s advisors mostly aim to keep him sated, hoping to prevent further hunts for rebels which may end up with their own executions, and the empire sits on a political knife-edge. A mix of true and false loyalty is on the lips of over half of the military and political figureheads, and open rebellion is secretly whispered among the rest.

closest advisors often fear for their own safety should they mumble any form of disagreement. On a planetary level Taiidani culture can largely be considered feudal. Ladies, lieges and lords hold sway over continents, if not entire planetary bodies or star systems. These are the individuals who attend the Assembly of Lords and try to forward their own political intent. Below that is the vast swath of other nobility, but due to the corrupt political machinations of the Empire they have no real power unless they reach the Assembly or gain favor with an Assembly member. This lack of innate noble power has led to long, ceremonial titles being common as individuals try to present themselves as superior through presentation alone.

The Taiidani Taiidani society reaches all the way from the nobles in gleaming cities of the core worlds to the agricultural workers of the border planets. While the vast majority of the Empire is in a state akin to serfdom—working on the industrial planets, acting as traders, or maintaining the machinery of a farming world, for a few examples—there is always the potential of social mobility. In exchange for a minimum ten years’ military service, any citizen of the Taiidan Empire can be given a choice of education and scientific placement, land, or a ship, allowing them to escape the same rigors expected of the underclasses. This has led to a social stratum of military nobles who are largely scorned by those who gained their position by birthright and derisively called “mobles,” a pun on their

The Assembly of Lords CHAPTER 8: GALACTIC COMMUNITY

Please find below request OM-140885, a public information request on the current makeup of the highest tiers in the Assembly of Lords and their purviews. • Lord Rashor, Mother of Medicine—Health care • Lady Asha, Exarch of the Air and Keeper of the Eternal Strings—Entertainment • Lord Gisdalve, King of the Oceans of Knowledge, Knower of Knowledge, Abrogator of Lies and Destroyer of Falsehoods—Historical Records and Archives • Liege Barbola, Conductor of the Million Mouths—Food and Resource Logistics • Lady Eytapea, Keeper of the Keys and Holder of the Sky’s Ear—Internal Security and Navy Liaison • Lady Korvakke, Supreme Justice Keeper of the Known Galaxy—Law and Justice As you may know, various advisory positions exist alongside these individuals, which assist the Assembly in various ways or are involved with other sections of governance; however, the above are the heads of the primary sections of government as laid out in law LEX.PACO.19110283. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us again. Our details can be found at the top of this data stream. Yours sincerely, The Office of Lord Gisdalve, King of the Oceans of KnJ(*#93#f[DATA STREAM DISCONNECTED]

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hopes of social mobility. Still, the story of the mechanic or farmer who joins the military, then rises through the ranks to eventually sit on the Assembly of Lords, is a common one of hope through the imperium. Due to the strong military tradition, Taiidani culture exemplifies discipline in one’s life. Those serfs who haven’t seen the horrors of warfare are largely excited to help their local communities in terms of maintaining order and ensuring one always “does their part,” while veterans who come back with either grand stories or pragmatic post-war attitudes are held as local heroes in the communities they return to, if they return at all.

Additional Locations This section is designed to provide a few examples of Taiidani locations the players could encounter in their travels.

Taiidan Veteris

Ferox

All officers in the Taiidan navy start their journey at Ferox. Shuttles from all over the empire ship new recruits to the large Navy Academy hosted at its equator, and the advanced shipyard encircling the planet constantly produces new vessels ready to

Adventure Seeds

Some Space Away from Family

On receiving a coded message from a Taiidan listening outpost, the player characters quickly ascertain that it is from a low-ranking member in the Taiidani Assembly known as Ayshus, Liege of the Unfettered Thought. Ayshus is worried. They are concerned for their son who became enamored with the idea of a navy lifestyle and is now an officer aboard a small patrol ship close to the Great Nebula of Kadesh. On investigation, the Liege had discovered that their son had been ordered into that role by the actions of their political rivals as revenge for the scientifically-minded Liege granting research opportunities in the nebula to another noble. Due to the high frequency of ships being lost at the edge of the nebula, it was seen as the perfect location to put the son in danger. The Liege wishes for plausible deniability and to work outside of Taiidan law, so got in contact with Kushan who have been making a name for themselves. They know that the players are not Taiidani, but consider their family’s safety above political allegiances. As such, they are asking the players to either protect their son from danger or, should the ship face danger of destruction, attempt to evacuate their son back to Taiidani space. In return for the safety of their son, the Liege has offered to share the location of a Taiidani archaeological site near the nebula, which they say contains artifacts potentially related to the history of the Hiigaran people.

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Taiidan was an advanced planet. The center of the Taiidan Empire prior to the war with Hiigara, this planet was bombarded for a full day by orbital missiles, its military installations and Imperial Palace utterly destroyed by the Hiigaran onslaught. Today, it stands as Taiidan Veteris, a cenotaph to the billions who died during the bombardment and subsequent fallout suffered by those not able to evacuate in time. A few locations have been cleared of radiation and turned into parks or memorials, a reminder of the glory of old Taiidan. In other locations, sandstorms whip up around skyscrapers, a visible reminder of the danger of the empires outside Taiidan space.

be crewed by the relatively new graduates transported by elevator from the surface. It is said that the Internal Security branch of the Taiidan Navy also holds its headquarters here, but the secretive defense organization has been known for its decentralized nature in the past few centuries, so such rumors may be little more than echoes of its prior history.

In the Eye of the Boulder

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Corvux, Lady of The Darkness and Potentate of Strategic Thought, was a military noble from a lower-class industrial world who first gained recognition three years ago when her ship’s captain and first officer were killed during a skirmish with a small rebellion on a border world known as Resta. She took command of the ship and quickly made a name for herself by getting the vessel to the relative safety of a planetary ring and then using the ice and rocks there to her advantage in destroying or causing the surrender of the pursuing rebel ships. Recently she has been seen a lot in the broadcasts from the core worlds as she gains more and more political esteem in her work. This may, however, have something to do with the arm-ring she wears, part of her visual identity and political “branding,” which seems to be little more than a decorated pebble. Kushan scientists have recognized two symbols etched into its surface—they appear similar to, but not identical to, symbols in the Kushan language for “Communication” and “Liberty.” In actuality, while Corvux is a keen strategist and wise political player and would have likely succeeded politically regardless, she has risen through the ranks far more quickly than any in recently times due to her use of Progenitor items found when her ship defeated the rebels in the rings of Resta. Standing beside a specific stone dais, which Corvux has had fashioned into the surface of her office desk, allows her to ascertain whether others she overhears are telling the truth or lying. She has used this to her benefit on numerous occasions, and has blackmailed or revealed secrets on numerous political opponents to help her in a race to the top.

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While discovering the source and true purpose of her artifact may be useful, her position and motivations are as yet unknown. Players showing her their worth may well find her a cunning, sympathetic ally with progressive ideas in relation to Taiidani politics. Those who respond to her antagonistically, however, may find both her allies and keen strategic prowess to be a thorn in their side. She will tend to consider the player characters to be useful so long as they act in her interests, but will not suffer fools lightly.

A Last Resort

A Kushan mining vessel has picked up a distress signal from a nearby system. The Taiidani tourist world Elaprasa has come under attack from Turanic raiders. Usually allied with the Taiidan, this small group has started acting of their own volition and is raiding outlying Taiidani territories. Elaprasa is asking for assistance and, while hesitant if a Kushan vessel responds, will gladly take aid from wherever possible. Unbeknownst to them, however, a Taiidani patrol vessel is on an intercept course and hasn’t let Elaprasa know about its arrival because it would prefer to deal with this Turanic group once and for all. If the Kushan are there when the Taiidan arrive, it will take a potentially dangerous situation from bad to worse. Not only are the Taiidan likely to question the Kushans’ presence in their space, possibly considering them involved in the attack as an invading force, but the incoming vessel is captained by a fanatical loyalist to the Emperor and is likely to consider receiving aid from the Kushan to be traitorous, a problem for Elaprasa itself.

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Turanic Raiders

History Historians disagree on the exact reasoning behind the expansion of the Turanic fleets.

Some believe them to be exiles, fleeing or banished following a long-forgotten war, whereas others consider the number and appearance of the people to be nothing more than the natural expansion of a nomadic people; they may be sending fleets of ships from one region of space to another in order to seed a new area as they leave a settled people behind. The Turanic people themselves have never referred to a specific reason for their sudden arrival or any sort of creation myth, suggesting it was never kept as part of their oral tradition or was perhaps even erased from recorded history. Regardless of the exact nature of their arrival, around five hundred years ago the first Turanic fleets were spotted in areas adjacent to the Taiidan Empire, appearing from the Turan sector of the galaxy. These pirates and marauders quickly made a name for themselves, attacking shipping lanes, pillaging star ports, and stealing what they could get their hands on to bolster

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Not all of the people of the galaxy are as civilized as the Galactic Council would prefer. On the edges of galactic society the idea of freedom uninhibited by advanced culture draws in some who cannot hold themselves to the laws and rules of their previous life, and allows those without a love of very specific ideals of cultural enlightenment to thrive. Sometimes these “rebels and barbarians” are cast down by the very societies they escaped from, but others can find a home among likeminded groups and together forge a destiny for themselves in the wider galaxy. One of the more successful groups of these people in modern history appeared from the Turan sector of the galaxy, and since then this particular group has been dubbed by many as “The Turanic Raiders.”

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their own rag-tag fleets with ship parts or even whole vessels. The Taiidan Empire quickly determined that should it attempt to engage, it would start a long, drawn-out conflict with a decentralized and dangerous foe. Instead, Taiidan sent messages to what they had determined to be the most powerful Turanic fleets and offered them a deal: desist from stealing and pillaging inside Taiidani space, and in return the Taiidan would pay handsomely in ships and goods for the use of Turanic fleets as a form of mercenary crew. Now official privateers, the Taiidani navy quickly saw the use of the Turanic fleets in various border skirmishes, letting them attack and decimate the local militia, then letting the raiders take their pickings before sending in Taiidani ships and ground forces to impose local order. It wasn’t until Turanic fleets were seen flying decommissioned Taiidani ships that many places even knew there was anything more complicated going on than a sudden unprovoked attack from pirate fleets. Once the planets of the Empire realized this, however, the idea of Turanic fleets as a bogeyman which might be sent after you if you rebelled caused many unruly planetary systems to turn away from sedition and acquiesce to more and more imperial edicts, where before they might have scoffed. Many of the Empire’s enemies with the ears of the Galactic Council were also worried, as an attack could now come which the Council’s sanctions wouldn’t affect and that the Taiidan would claim no knowledge of. A new era of plausibly deniable warfare had begun, and the Taiidan Empire had struck the first blow.

Political Leadership While ostensibly belonging to the same faction of people, Turanic fleets are not in fact made of a single political group. There is no central government, and each flotilla of vessels is likely to be crewed by groups who are in a temporary, verbal alliance rather than any codified structure.

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Any group of ships is occasionally called an “entente” by outsiders due to these constantly-shifting temporary agreements, but each entente is usually headed by either a group of the captains from each vessel, or in some cases a single charismatic figure who leads the group in purpose. Stories have been told of the death of such a figure—either by direct action or even by accident—leading to the breakdown of an entente as the remaining captains vie for control. Individual ships are usually either familial—with a group of related individuals growing up in and around a particular vessel with the more experienced members being in charge—or a blend of numerous closeknit families who each have understanding of different aspects of the vessel. One group may be familial engineers and work the engines and repairs, while another might have spent years behind the controls of said ship, entrusted to guide it to it to its intended destinations, knowing the lives of everyone aboard are at stake should they take extreme risks. Fighting between ententes is rare, but it does happen. Usually groups are able to ally with each other and organize it so that if one has a claim or item that another wants, barter will begin, which can even lead to one entente joining another for a raid on a second location so that each group ends up equally privileged. Every ship in such a group seems to know and understand the stakes should things escalate to fighting, so even if tempers fray and a deal is not struck it is far more likely that one group will vacate rather than endanger their families. When this happens, however, it is said that raiders carry long-lasting grudges, and a slight might be remembered in negotiations years down the line, when some or all of those originally involved might be long dead.

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Who Are The People From Turan?

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“Not ones for discussing much of their ways with outsiders, very little is actually known of Turanic culture, save for that which can be inferred from their actions and how they present themselves. It’s known that amongst their own people they simply call themselves “The People” rather than any form of nomenclature, and consider outsiders to be strange and beneath them. Even more curious is that when they state that they are “The People,” they do so with a burst of gestures, and sometimes even facial expressions. It has not yet been ascertained what these gestures mean, although it has been theorized that they may refer to their own ship, fleet, or family within the wider Turanic social structure, as it’s rare to find two groups of the barbarians who perform the same strange gesticulations. As for asking them? I wouldn’t recommend it. These people have been found to be extremely guarded about sharing information with outsiders. Only the most trusted diplomats and ambassadors, such as myself, have been allowed to discuss much outside of negotiating agreements for action to be taken by an entente, let alone entering a ship or discussing private matters. Still I, Walia, Diplomat-Lord to the Outer Realms and Guardian of Anthropological Accords, have discovered something that may one day save your life. Secrecy—they love it! The raiders who hailed from Turan are nothing if not sticklers for keeping every bit of information they can to themselves. If one of their own is suspected of disclosing secrets of their people, be it under the influence of alcohol, as pillow talk, or just in casual conversation, they will be reprimanded, scorned, and may even be killed should they seem as though they are going to defect to another entente or ship. Be careful, for if these people think you know something they don’t want to get out, they won’t stop until they know either that it’s public or the carrier of the information is reduced to slag. For that reason, I have maintained an open comm-link with a local listening post during every negotiation with these people. That way they know that if something slips, there’s no point killing me as it’s already too late. I would recommend further investigation. These people often take their families with them, but it’s been witnessed that they occasionally leave their children and elders on smaller ships or outposts when it’s known that the ships they are on will encounter particular danger. If we can capture such a group, they may be able to reveal more to us than we’ve previously been able to ascertain…” — Taken from “Who Are the People from Turan?”, a compiled journal of research on the Turanic people by Walia, Diplomat-Lord to the Outer Realms and Guardian of Anthropological Accords.

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Additional Locations This section is designed to provide a few examples of Turanic locations the players could encounter in their travels.

The Hulk

While the raiders have no real home, this location has often been described as a core of their domain. A growing field of dilapidated ships, connected together with umbilicals, the location is a center of Turanic barter, organization of ententes, and sharing of cultural traditions. Most non-raider ships that approach are destroyed without a single communication, although a few have on occasion been allowed past its patrols, and most of them have returned safely.

Breadbasket

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Usually after an entente has raided a location, its crew will move on. After the raid of agricultural planet Yggrisix (now known as “Breadbasket”) and the Turanic flotilla’s discovery of what its people produced, the raiding entente decided to remain. Forcing the population into servitude, they managed to secure food for themselves and many other ententes in the Turanic regions in exchange for barter. The production of food in the region for an otherwise spacefaring power quickly became significant enough that Breadbasket is now considered to be too high in value for any other group to risk raiding it. The people maintain a level of organizational autonomy from their would-be oppressors, as the entente that sits in orbit knows far better than to interfere with the farmers on the planet below who grant them their power, meaning both groups now hold to a strange truce.

Adventure Seeds But Wait, There’s Ore!

A Turanic fleet has recently ransacked the independent world of Telapé II. The circumstances of the raid are not notable, but the raiders are likely to have left little of value behind. The unusual situation is that

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they have already commandeered a nearby asteroid-mining outpost and broadcast an open offer for barter. The raiders likely recognize the worth of the items they have attained, as well as the stores of fuel and materials in the mining outpost itself, but either have little need for them or are still searching for something of specific worth. For any fleet travelling through this sector, this is a fantastic opportunity to get hold of additional fuel, supplies, or even rare goods and artifacts which the marauders themselves have little need for. The difficulty, however, will be in determining what can be bartered for the Turanic people’s business. It is said that anything can have a price at such a market, including the act of helping the raiders on their next mission. For those who feel helpful, Telapé II has been requesting aid and support to get its stolen goods back. A significant amount of its infrastructure’s core technology has been lost and is likely for sale on the open market, but with supplies often running low is it worth helping a backwater independent world in exchange for inexact promises and offers of gratitude? The final spanner in the works is that Telapé II’s central database computer, a core component in its global infrastructure, has already been sold to a broker from the independent world of Halashen, a corporatecontrolled world with heavy security. The central computer core of Telapé II could fetch a high price on Halashen and help capitalist groups maintain some power over the local markets. As such, the security around the purchased device is both heavily armed and armored, and it would take a focused or wellplanned attack to remove the prize from their clutches.

Sabotaged Relation’s Ships

A large Turanic fleet has been detected on an inbound course to a friendly vessel. This vessel contains samples and research

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make their way through the matriarch’s ship before an effective defense can be established. Just remember, however, that the grudges of the people from Turan are known to last a lifetime...

A Defective Turncoat

A group of marauders has chosen to defect! This is a big deal, as a huge amount of intelligence can be gathered on the position, makeup, and effectiveness of many of the Turanic fleets if the defectors’ requests can be met. The individuals are on their way to a nearby patrol cruiser, ready to be brought on board and questioned. There is currently no plan to resort to anything except welcoming them in with open arms and a small amount of wariness as to their upbringing. What is not known, however, is that hidden among the years-old wreckage of a nearby battle is a sizeable Turanic entente, ready to power up and engage the patrol cruiser once the defectors reveal their true colors, intending to disable its engines at the earliest opportunity.

Kadesh Secretive and cult-like, for thirteen generations the Kadeshi people and their society have survived in their current form within the Great Nebula of Kadesh, preying on and salvaging ships which happen to pass through. So dependent have they become on those who would enter the nebula, while remaining fearful of the Taiidani outside, that their entire culture and purpose for being centers around remaining within its borders.

History The history of the Kadesh is one of desperation and self-reliance. When the Hiigaran people were exiled from their home following their war with the Taiidan, multiple primitive transport ships were used to move

the exiles from their homeworld across the galaxy. Space, however, is full of dangers, and the Hiigarans soon found themselves with a lack of supplies and without allies in the galaxy due to their actions during the war, which the Taiidani had made sure to paint in a distinctly poor light. It is not known exactly how it started, either as the result of a breakdown of their transport or as an active choice, but as the small flotilla of transport ships moved past a great nebula known in databases as “Kadesh,” a group of Hiigarans came to the belief that they would not make it to a new home in Kharak. In addition, even if they did make it they believed their life would be difficult enough without the threat of

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related to a recent dig site located in what used to be Hiigaran space, and it’s known that the Taiidan would prefer that it not fall into the hands of the Kushan people. Even worse, the inbound fleet is one known for its brutality and take-no-prisoners attitude; should the fleet catch up, the information or artifacts may not even make their way back to the Empire before being destroyed. Intelligence suggests, however, that the Turanic fleet is a tenuous alliance of smaller ententes, held together by respect for a singular matriarchal figure in the group, a familial elder who leads the groups from a powerful fleet carrier of Taiidani design. It is thought that should this elder be neutralized, the entente will fall apart and the flotillas will go their separate ways. The fleet is soon to be approaching a small nebula, which can be used to hide the engine signature of a scout vessel, and Turanic-style outfits can be procured should espionage be the preferred method of infiltration. Alternatively, fast and directed aggression from a boarding party may allow a well-prepared team to quickly

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vengeful Taiidani discovering where they had been exiled to. With that in mind, one of the transport ships chose not to travel farther; using the thick and wide nebula to hide from listening posts, these Hiigarans used what they could of their vessel, as well as what they could gather of the nebula’s materials, to produce food, tools, and resources with which to survive. Fairly quickly, it became obvious to the Kadeshi Hiigarans that they would have to make use of more materials than just those which the nebula provided. It was clearly a vital tool in their ability to hide from the Taiidani as well as a hindrance in that it could not provide some of the rarer materials they would need to survive. If they stayed, the Kadeshi realized they would need to continue to build ships, maintain life-support systems, and grow food over a long period. They made the decision to stop harvesting the nebula itself and go after a more varied and valuable resource: other ships. Starting with what few assets they had to begin with, and without a sense of mercy following how they had been treated by the Taiidani, the Kadeshi started raiding supply ships that would come through the nebula hoping to cut time off their journey. Small ships at first started to disappear, but as the Kadeshi gained additional material and learned how best to make use of the nebula’s unique stellar terrain, they became more and more aggressive in their raids. Every part of a plundered ship would become a Kadeshi vessel, and every member of its crew who would not join the cause was put to death. Soon, even ships that procured security escorts would not make it from one side of the nebula to the other, and the entire region was considered off-limits to all but the most daring crews. Still, through all this time, the Taiidani never uncovered the origin of the “Kadeshi” raiders and even the Bentusi warned others from straying into the nebula should they wish to be heard from again.

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After the outlawing of Taiidani vessels entering the Great Nebula, the Kadeshi found themselves at a crossroads. They could choose to find a new place in the world outside the nebula, risking everything they had on the mercy of the Taiidani, or they could remain within, use what resources they had gathered, and focus entirely on the survival of their people within the borders of their new home. It is not remembered how the decision was made, but the result was absolute. The Kadeshi stayed within their new home in the stars, safe from Taiidani reprisal. Soon the Kadeshi turned to matters of basic needs. Air, food, and water were in short supply, and the merchant vessels that previously traversed their region no longer risked even the slightest shortcut through the nebula, so once again the Kadeshi stepped up to the task. With the nebula central to their way of life, they managed to find a way to use the bare minimum of its materials to create what they needed, but with great work on their part. The nebula had become the garden that would feed them for generations to come. Great ships were created from the Kadeshi fleet to house their people, from which smaller craft could be launched to either tend to the “Gardens” (the name the Kadeshi gave to the various regions of the nebula), or protect the homeships themselves. These ships also retained the ability to intercept hyperspace travel, as a few ships daring enough would still enter their space and be captured, providing the Kadeshi with abundant new supplies. Over the years, the stories of how the Kadeshi came to reside in the nebula became hazy even among the people themselves. Ancient databases started to malfunction and records were lost or damaged. The history of their people became an oral one, and with this the natural propensity of people to create myth and legend led to both a loss of knowledge as to where the Kadesh come from, as well as the creation of tenets which would turn into a religion. The Kadeshi people

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hold these tenets true thirteen generations after they started tending to their Gardens, even if they do not truly understand why. Their tenets are centered on the following truths. • The Kadeshi are a people charged with maintaining their holy Gardens. • Those who enter the Gardens will join the Kadeshi or die. • The Kadeshi must hide, as it is said that if they are found by the Great Evil they will surely be destroyed. • The evil ones outside the Gardens must never learn of the Kadeshi, under any circumstances.

Political Leadership

The Kadeshi Most of a Kadeshi crewmember’s life is dedicated to tending the Gardens of Kadesh and ensuring the safety and security of the other members of their home-ship. For the most part, this holy work maintains each citizen in what they consider a modest lifestyle aboard their ships. A lack of outside influence and external contact for nearly four thousand years, however, as well as a lack of medical supplies, has led to a relatively sterile environment within the ships. The Kadeshi themselves have largely grown up in environments which make little use of gravity, artificial or otherwise. As such, they are generally taller than other humanoids, with slim bodies and longer limbs. Those who encounter them may recognize a certain grace to their movements attributed to working in zero gravity, but which can easily be misinterpreted as a symbolic religious gesture. Cleanliness is important to the Kadeshi people, and symbolic gestures of running water over one’s head are a common gesture of formal greeting, often combined with the lowering of a hood if one is being worn. As water is a limited resource in the nebula, to be recycled and used in cleaning, food production, and as a necessity for life, to waste water is seen as one of the society’s greatest taboos. Not a religious crime, but certainly an insult to whoever your host may be. As every home-ship is a part of the upkeep of Kadeshi society, should a ship fall behind in its production it may find itself the target of Perlustration. A form of inquisition, the role of Perlustration is to determine whether the ship or its crew are fit for continuing to perform their holy duties. While oftentimes this leads to a much-needed overhaul of

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The leadership of the Kadeshi people is heavily steeped in its religious nature, the necessities of becoming a spacefaring society, and the importance of every individual in maintaining traditions which keep them alive. These days, the key decisions for the fleet are made by the Triad of Custodians, a group of three individuals who each live aboard one of the three largest home-ships of the fleet. They are traditionally chosen from those who champion an unbiased equality between ships, role, age, and gender or lack thereof. The vows these Custodians take exemplify this to a level of paragonhood, and prior Triad members have been removed from their positions due to flagrant displays of bias in the past, opposition to which filters down into all Kadeshi culture. When a decision is to be made, or a significant event is to take place, the Triad home-ships return to the Cathedral of Kadesh—a region of space relatively clear yet surrounded by some of the thickest pockets of the nebula—in order to discuss the issues and broadcast the results of the decision to the rest of the smaller home-ships of the fleet. Each of the smaller ships is led by a chaplain, who acts as captain and holy

authority to those in their purview; each ship is otherwise free to manage its role in producing fuel, food, and other necessities for the Kadeshi people.

the ship and a welcomed upgrade to its systems, occasionally it has managed to root out a lack of training, spates of theft, disenfranchisement, or even dissent among the crew of a home-ship. On rare occasions, however, the ship is determined to be unrecoverable, and its crew must be moved on to other vessels as the original ship is broken down for supplies. This can occasionally lead to the splitting apart of friends, social groups, or even occasionally larger families as space aboard each ship can be at a premium.

Nebula Locations The Kadeshi nebula is vast and contains a number of key locations, sparse as they may be.

The Triad Home-Ships

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The Cathedral of Kadesh, a wide region of space close to the center of the nebula, was the first place cleared of useful resources before the Kadeshi sought out other ships instead of nebula material. Now it stands mostly empty save for a few pockets of resources and the regular visitation by the three vast Triad home-ships, the Day’s Moon, Dusk Mist, and Night’s Sun. Each of these ships is known for hosting families of differing opinions on how to progress. The Day’s Moon are extremely traditionalist and have the strongest following, being the most vocal and strongest proponents for continued isolation of the Kadesh. The Dusk Mist believe they could send stealth ships out into the universe to gather supplies, and stay away from whatever might be out there. The Night’s Sun cling to an obscure part of their oral tradition, which states that their people split in two long ago. While others believe that those who left them perished, the Night’s Sun feel like they may find these others one day, with the hope that these distant cousins may help them overcome the great evil surrounding them.

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The Cloister

During the peak of the Kadeshi people’s raiding operations, to try to preserve the most life and resources they would often attempt to threaten those intruding on the nebula with overwhelming force. If successful in their intimidation, the intruding ships would be captured, stripped for parts and resources, and the crew being brought into join Kadeshi society. If unsuccessful, the ensuing battle would equally assure that the intruding fleet did not leave the nebula. A sacrificial ambassador would be chosen to impart the “join or die” message from a small swarmer ship—they would often be destroyed shortly after sending the message as the situation became clear to the victims of the raid. As the Kadeshi religion started to grow, this ambassador became more of a ceremonial position, and one was kept on every Triad home-ship. The individual from the crew would be chosen personally by the Custodian of the ship, and would often spend months in an area of dense gas known as The Cloister with minimal food and water. Should they survive and get back in contact with their home-ship, they would be celebrated as symbolically surviving on the very essence of the nebula itself, and be chosen to speak for the Kadeshi people to those who breach their borders. The gases of the Cloister are incredibly dense, preventing deep sensor scans, but over the years it has become dotted with hundreds of swarmers—some of which may still contain records of older Kadeshi history, having been left alone since their inhabitants starved to death centuries ago.

The Graveyard

While the Kadeshi try to use everything they come across in a bid for survival, not everything is recoverable. Unsalvageable radioactive ship parts, unrecyclable alloys, and other unusable items are dumped in a single location to avoid others running into them. Rumors abound among the Kadeshi of

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The Kadeshi After the Homeworld War During the Homeworld War, the Kushan Mothership and the Kushan survivors aboard travelled through the Gardens of Kadesh in search of their homeworld, Hiigara. In doing so, they unknowingly desecrated the Gardens and angered the Kadeshi, frightening them into attempting to force the Kushan to stay. After a furious battle, not only did the Kushan escape the Gardens, but in doing so they destroyed the Triad’s capital ships at the Cathedral as well as transmitting the truth of the Kadeshi people’s origins. With the Kadeshi leadership in disarray and its people reeling from the revelations of their history, they underwent a drastic change in outlook. Just over half traveled to Hiigara after the war. While they started to integrate into society, most took on roles related to asteroid mining and orbital industries due to their difficulties in gravity-based environments. As for the rest, some dispersed into the galactic population to live as best they could independently, while others retreated further into the nebula where the remaining Kadeshi outposts and enclaves were built. While the nebula is safe for the most part, occasional reports of raids by individuals are received by local patrols. These raiders are assured of the evil of usurpers, proclaiming that they have survived the end of all things, or simply refusing to believe that there is now ostensibly a peace between themselves and whoever they happen to be raiding.

Adventure Seeds Cloud Storage

Kariak Spark is a leading researcher of a small scientifically-oriented world under the purview of the Galactic Council. Like many outside the Taiidan Empire, he is curious as to what now causes the Taiidan themselves to avoid the nebula, and as such has petitioned the Council to allow an expedition to investigate its borders. The Council has agreed, so long as Kariak includes members of diverse local empires in a knowledgesharing capacity. As such, the expedition is composed of ten small science ships from a variety of sources, including the Taiidan and Kushan, who are providing scientific minds, supply, and protection from pirates. While the Taiidani and the Bentusi have both warned of the dangers of lost ships, Kariak is known

for his courage and quest for scientific glory. He leads the expedition from his research vessel, the Exposition, and intends to collect material samples from eight equidistant areas on the edge of the nebula. Kariak’s tenacity is legendary among his crew, all of whom have come from various other independent Council worlds, and the only thing that would prevent him from continuing on the mission is danger to his research partner and intended husband, Ygri Velistradivus, whose mother, head of her family unit, will only allow Ygri to marry should Kariak prove he can provide a beneficial education for her son throughout his life. This includes coming back from the research trip alive...

In Bad Faith

After their ship is attacked and destroyed by mysterious drone ships during a rescue mission on the edge of the Great Nebula, the crew find themselves awakening in a sterile, zero-gravity room. The white walls,

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strange engraved stone items, dumped due to a lack of obvious use, deposited among the vast field of detritus.

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clean lights, and low hum of an air filtration system suggest a hospital ship, but it is not to be. The only other individual present, a previously-unknown Taiidani naval officer, wakes up scared. The crew soon learns that she had been pretending to be too ill to talk to her captors, a group who call themselves the Kadesh. The officer admits that she pretended to be unconscious while the rest of her crew were captured, interrogated, and either pressed into what she describes as “some nonsensical cult” or killed. She doesn’t want to die, and strongly suggests to the crew that they pretend to join the cult like she will if they want to stay alive. The crew of the home-ship the player characters find themselves on have captured the PCs’ vessel and have begun the process of surveying it for parts. Within twenty-four hours they will begin to strip it of its weapons, engines, and anything else they can take, so if the players wish to escape they will need to play along until they can gain access to their ship once more, or somehow find another way out of the nebula.

Sects in Zero Gravity

A strange vessel has been spotted on the edge of the Great Nebula. Its elongated, white, umbrella-like structure is reminiscent of eyewitness reports occasionally taken from vessels travelling through the nebula, and readings from its hyperspace system are so unusual that both scientists and the Taiidan navy have asked if they can get some scans from closer up. Long-distance scans suggest that it appears to have made a hyperspace jump without any support craft, possibly due to malfunction as aside from lighting and life support its on-board systems do not seem to be active; even its gravity generators are malfunctioning (if it ever had any). In addition to independent worlds interested in new technology, it is known that a Taiidani research vessel is on its way, escorted by a few frigates due to wariness regarding the nebula. Broadcasts on Taiidani frequencies have warned against others approaching the vessel, but the opportunity to learn more about this new faction is too enticing to many in the galactic community, including the Kushan.

Bentusi A mystery and an enigma, the Bentusi are the longest-living and oldest known race in the galaxy, and yet the least understood. While their exact nature is yet to be determined, they have acted as mediators, peacekeepers, traders, and guides for younger races. Their history touches on every race’s introduction to the galactic stage, yet they choose to remain apart themselves. Despite not having a firm hand in the development of the galaxy any more, the Bentusi’s continued presence in every corner of the galaxy makes some wonder how involved they truly continue to be...

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History The Bentusi have been involved with galactic politics since the first of the modern interstellar empires formed thousands of years ago and, it should be noted, were likely around long before then. Experts disagree on exactly how old their race is, but it is known that the Bentusi were the first to discover one of the Hyperspace Cores, bringing their race to a position of ultimate power in the galaxy. With this Progenitor device in their hands they had the ability to cross vast interstellar distances with not only a few of their ships, but the full complement of their fleet.

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The Bentusi’s role as galactic overseers continued successfully for nearly half a millennium, but ultimately not all races would accept their guidance. Some saw the Bentusi’s power as a heavy hand when they wanted to grasp their own destiny amongst the stars, while others considered the Bentusi’s actions to be little more than galactic totalitarianism, forcefully preventing conflict even if the conflict would demonstrably lead to positive change. Eventually, across the galaxy, dictators and powerful system-wide groups found themselves able to act with impunity, knowing that uprisings that grew too powerful would be put down by the “benevolent” Bentusi. As more and more races gained interstellar travel, the Bentusi eventually found themselves facing a critical mass of wars, rebellions, and armed insurrections across the galaxy which even they struggled to deal with. Worst of all, with the introduction of interstellar communication many races found a way to coordinate the declarations of war. When this eventually happened, the Bentusi suddenly faced a galaxy ablaze with

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Had the Bentusi been a cruel people, the galaxy would have feared their grasp of the secrets of Far Jumping. Instead, the Bentusi used this power to act as peacekeepers and guides, mediators of the galaxy. When one people decided to act against another, the Bentusi would arrive with not just a few ships but their entire advanced fleet. While they would never strike first, local fleets were unable to do much against an entire armada bristling with technology far in advance of their own. As such, many a negotiation was started at the proverbial end of a Bentusi ion cannon. As they watched the galaxy settle into this relatively peaceful state, the Bentusi found themselves as intergalactic traders, introducing the less-advanced secrets of Short Jump hyperspace travel and a wider universe to many less technologically advanced races. This benevolence would eventually lead to a larger problem, however, which the Bentusi had not foreseen: the cork could only remain in a volatile bottle for so long.

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hundreds of conflicts in the space of a few hours. When the galactic conflicts eventually started to die down, ancient grudges finally settled, the Bentusi found they were no longer facing a disparate galaxy of small powers, but a number of mighty empires which had formed whilst they had been busy elsewhere. While the Bentusi still had the means to take on the imperial fleets of many of these groups, they found themselves unable to deal with the newfound power of the newly organized worlds. Trade routes for the Bentusi were blockaded, and the resources previously offered to the Bentusi were held back until the old peacekeepers agreed to let the younger races start to self-govern as independent groups, eventually leading to the governments of these territories banding together as a form of Galactic Council, taking over the role of authority they felt no longer suited to the Bentusi. The Bentusi withdrew from galactic politics for the most part, sending representatives on their behalf to the Galactic Council, but were brought back into the situation when the Hiigarans, one of the Council’s founder races, found a Hyperspace Core of their own. The Hiigarans had grasped this new technology and had used it to decimate the core worlds of their neighbor, the Taiidan Empire. The Bentusi were requested under Council edict to act as intermediaries in the matter and for the Hiigarans to relinquish their Hyperspace Core to none other than the seemingly neutral ancient race. Unfortunately, the Hiigarans’ acquiescence to the edict was a lie: they intended to draw the Bentusi into a trap in order to steal the First Hyperspace Core for themselves. When the Bentusi harbor ship chosen for the exchange, the Bentus, came under attack, it responded with speed, experience, and advanced countermeasures, destroying the Hiigaran fleet and leading to the Hiigarans’ eventual exile to Kharak.

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Having hoped the Hiigarans would be an equal to them when they had found the Second Hyperspace Core, and having uplifted the galaxy only to watch and aid in the fall of one of their symbolic children, the Bentusi chose to diminish in the galaxy. The Bentusi announced that they would go into a period of mourning, after which their ships would undergo disarmament. Aside from a final act of negotiation which prevented the Hiigarans’ genocide at the hands of a vengeful Taiidan and led to their exile to Kharak, the Bentusi would no longer act as peacekeepers, even should it be demanded of them. Their statement remains preserved in the Council’s archives, and it is known to be quoted often in lessons of galactic history.

The Testimony of the Bentusi “We retract our martial support from the Council we once founded. Never again will the Bentusi wage war for the cause of peace. We bind our hands before the collected worlds. We will remain, if permitted, members of the Council, no more nor less than any other. May a new age of peace prosper free from our influence.”

The Bentusi Despite their long history on the galactic stage, there are no reliable reports from anyone who has ever seen what a single Bentusi even looks like. All planetside negotiations are performed via mediators and any direct contact with Bentusi vessels is dealt with via either drone ships or ship-toship communication. While Bentusi ships are vast and regularly make deliveries or pickups of cargo around the galaxy, those who enter Bentusi cargo bays describe the areas as vast, cavernous, and mostly empty save for the movements of robotic drones of various

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Unbound The truth of the Bentusi, unknown to the larger galaxy, is that they are no longer completely human. Like Karan S’jet of the Kushan, they have chosen to combine their bodies cybernetically with their ships in order to allow themselves complete control over their vessels as though they were an extension of their own form. At this point, if the Bentusi ever had a homeworld, its existence and location is lost to legend.

As the ship is in a way themselves, Bentusi find it distasteful to have another contained within the inner most areas of the ship for prolonged periods. They allow short interactions for the purposes of trade and initiating diplomacy, but most direct interaction is done by via audio channels from the ship or on the trade floor of the vessel. Direct interaction with anyone within the inner parts of the ship is performed by robotic servants or third parties. Due to the process that Bentusi undergo, it is presumed their bodies do not age while connected to the ship. As such, every Bentusi may be centuries, if not millennia old, and so they consider most other races’ disputes and concerns to be little more than a flicker in time.

Bentus The harbor ship Bentus is the largest Bentusi vessel known in the galaxy. Whereas many large Bentusi vessels regularly trade and act as facilitators with other races, the Bentus is known to engage in the largest and most significant trades in the galaxy, providing facilities and mediation for even some of the most fraught negotiation. Multiple ships are able to dock within the inner docks of the vessel, and its onboard systems can provide for numerous visitors’ needs. Before the diminishment of the Bentusi in interstellar peacekeeping, the Bentus was the vessel chosen to receive the Second Hyperspace Core from the Hiigarans four thousand years ago, and although that event was fraught the Bentus is still used for the more momentous events involving the Bentusi to this day.

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sizes, functions, or intelligence which move quickly between tasks. While the Bentusi do not act directly within the galaxy, their hand is still occasionally felt. Strange coincidences in decisions made and sequences of events have often lined up to favor trade with the Bentusi, or benefit groups or individuals the Bentusi have supported in the past. These can never be traced back to the Bentusi specifically, but occasionally captains have reported taking a mission from an intermediary who does not know the task’s sponsor, but which leads to being given a strange message to deliver or minor simple task to perform, which then has massive unexpected repercussions in the region. Many of these captains have mentioned Bentusi happening to be in the same system at the time, but not always. What is known is that the Bentusi are old, very old. They were here when the first of the current empires started to travel among the stars, ready with their offers of trade, hyperspace technology, and a welcoming stance bringing younger races into the galaxy. It is not known just how far back their history goes, and common belief among those who have interacted with them is that their people once lived alongside the Progenitors themselves; however, what role they played in that relationship is lost in the annals of time.

Tales Told Over A Drink “Yeah, I’ve heard it. Heck, ask any imperial officer an’ they’ll ‘ave heard it too durin’ their Tier One sim-trainin’. The Bentusi are weird, after all. OK, what I ‘eard is that there was this one crew, see. They found one of their ships, just adrift in an asteroid field. Musta gotten hit or summin’, as it ‘ad this big ‘ole in it, and the power wasn’t on through the entire starboard side. They board it, reasons why change with every story, and go through the decks. They don’t find nuffin’ but robots an’ cargo, stuff to trade with, that is until they get to the bridge, or what they thought would be the bridge. In the middle was this big, like, pillar or some’in. ’S always stone, and looks old as… well, older than anythin’ else they’d ever seen. Wires comin’ from it too, or near it, or hoverin’ round it—depends how spooky you wanna make the story. Some stories say they hear a moanin’ comin’ from the stone, or a tappin’. Others say they see a face etched into it, an’ the eyes seem to follow them. ‘Ow the story ends changes every time. Sometimes the robots come outta the ship and attack ‘em, sometimes the crew gets scared and leaves, but whatever happens they never find out just what that big rock is. But like I said, just ghost stories… Another Nectar? I’ve a tab ‘ere.” —Rien, Bannerbearer to the Favored Colonies of Riesstiu IV the Second, Captain of the Lightning’s Triumph

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Adventure Seeds Rock Your World

One of the PCs finds a message addressed directly to them underneath a paperweight after another client’s mission. Checking the security cameras reveals it was placed there by an automated maintenance drone, but aside from that it is unknown where the message came from. The message itself is a strange request. A Galactic Council delegate requires a security escort during the exploration of a set of systems in a volatile region of space, as they believe one of the planets is home to a new race, one that has only just made its first steps among the stars. If the Council delegate is right, they wish to discover what this new race may have to offer. In truth, the Bentusi have been using this Council delegate to gather Progenitor

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technology from across the surrounding region of the galaxy, and believe the planet where this new race lives may have some upon its surface. The main problems for the delegate will be finding this race among the various dangerous stellar phenomena, establishing first contact, and working out what this new race might want in return for the first trade exchanges. Should the players do a good enough job in this role it could lead to other jobs, again from their mysterious and generous benefactors. But what agenda do they have?

To Sync a Ship

A Bentusi ship is currently sitting in the orbit of a gas giant, fully active yet immobile. Attempts to contact it have been met with silence, and contacting other Bentusi has been met with a single sentence response: “The Unbound is exploring.”

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The Bentusi in Play Of all the races in the galaxy save the Progenitors, the Bentusi are the most enigmatic. They are distant, secretly manipulative, and have the potential to be discreetly pulling the strings in many corners of the galaxy. When presenting this race to players, you should seek to demonstrate the mystery behind them by rarely interacting directly between Bentusi ships and player characters. It may also help to have early missions from the Bentusi be almost nonsensical in their results, with the players being made to feel like small pieces in a much larger set of events by having repercussions for their actions that they did not expect. The Bentusi are inherently not “equals” compared to the other races of the galaxy. Their long life and level of advancement would cause them to perceive younger races as especially mercurial, and their aims should be considered carefully by the gamemaster as part of decades-long, if not possibly millennia-long plans.

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The gas giant the ship is orbiting is part of a Hiigaran system, and the Daiamid has agreed to send in a group to explore, provide humanitarian aid, or otherwise investigate. The PCs have been given a shuttle and provided with any reasonable equipment they deem necessary to look into what may have happened. The players will discover over the course of the mission that the Bentusi vessel is new, with not a scratch on it. The robotic servants on it are also slightly out of control, seeming to either be malfunctioning or taking defensive action at the drop of a hat. What has happened, it seems, is that the Bentusi incorporated with the ship has recently been moved from another vessel, one which received irreparable damage while entering hyperspace too close to a suddenly-erupting supernova. The Bentusi is slowly forming and exploring connective neural pathways and coming to terms with being on a new ship, and while they are not intending harm to the player characters, some of the automated systems aboard the ship may choose to defend the vessel in the absence of direct command.

Galactic Council The Galactic Council, an interplanetary body built around a collective agreement of trade, negotiation, and humanitarian goals, has been at the forefront of galaxy-wide politics for millennia. Since its inception it has become bloated, sluggish in making decisions, and generally a shadow of the tenets it was formed with, but it has mostly kept a form of peace over its members and the wider community.

History

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In the aftermath of the Bentusi’s inability to ensure the security of large swaths of the galaxy, and the ensuing development of various large empires and other factions in the wake of great wars, sixteen groups came together to negotiate a pact that would allow them an unprecedented level of organization and power in the wider universe. This Galactic Council included races that would guide the fate of events for millennia to come, such as the Hiigarans, the Bentusi, and the Taiidani, as well as various smaller powers. It included a wide range of different governing bodies, from republics to dictatorships to monarchies and other less common government styles. Since its inception, many races have joined the Council—and many have been effectively removed from it, such as the Hiigarans—and the Council has made decisions that have affected the lives of trillions of individuals.

The Council The Galactic Council is made up of a wide range of planetary and interplanetary governments, all attempting to work for their own interests while collectively improving the status of humanity. In negotiation and communication early in the Council’s history one thing became very obvious, however: as communication with far-flung regions of the galaxy became easier, it was made clear that

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humanoids were the dominant species type in the galaxy. Various theories have been offered to explain this, none of them proven. Despite occasional genetic characteristics as befit developing on worlds with differing environmental conditions, for example, the council ensured that everyone could come together under the idea that they were benefiting humankind. Everyone has the right to join, so long as they agree to act toward the benefit of the Council as a whole, if not its individual members. This theoretically egalitarian outlook has, however, led to a wide range of difficulties in wildly different cultures cooperating. The Council is known to rarely act with speed, and many races still remember the destruction of Mirballa, a planet that needed evacuating a century ago due to the collapse of its closest star. The Council was in the second year of negotiating the method of evacuation when the star went supernova, bringing an effective end to continued negotiations. In the aftermath of this tragedy, the Council still took twelve further years to pass a resolution ensuring speedier debate in the future. Despite Mirballa, the Council’s fastest resolutions usually come about due to the importance the government places on avoiding the destruction of two of its resources: habitable space and genetic diversity. While the galaxy is vast, planets that can support life are in no way abundant. As such, crimes of this nature are considered abhorrent, with government bodies being forcibly removed from office by the temporarily allied forces of other Council members should genocide or biosphere destruction take place. At present, the Galactic Council is composed of dozens of empires as well as hundreds of independent worlds. While no single government is forced to join, not doing

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The Galactic Council In Play The Council offers gamemasters an opportunity to explore a wide variety of game types in the universe of Homeworld. While the Taiidani provide the feeling of an “evil empire” in the Kushan’s Journey to their home of Hiigara, the Kadeshi provide an enigmatically dangerous potential foe, and the Bentusi a mysterious benign presence, the Council is the backdrop to most of the rest of the civilized galaxy. Its members are as varied as the planets themselves in terms of culture, governance, or visual style, and as such may have almost infinite possibilities in how they present themselves to players. The Galactic Council also provides a method for the players to get involved with the wider politics of the universe, and the frustrations of Council bureaucracy a reason for planets or individuals to want players to act with expedience.

Additional Locations This section is designed to provide a few examples of Council locations the players could encounter in their travels.

Brauntor

The tidally-locked planet of Brauntor shows a unique situation when it comes to planetary makeup. With one side constantly facing its sun, the consistent twilight in a thin ring around the planet allowed for a civilization

to spring up, although due to the searing heat on one side from the star and stark cold opposite, the population of Brauntor has long been limited in its ability to spread across its face. The people on this planet built large dam-based cities on the ever-flowing rivers streaming from the colder side of the planet toward the sun. Due to this they hold strong religious beliefs of life being about attempting to escape from the cold, dark places of the world into locations of great light and prosperity. Over the years, they have slowly grown accustomed to the idea of other races living in the dark of space, but they themselves more often choose to remain on their own world. As such, the people of Brauntor have become skilled in the art of taking part in interplanetary politics from a distance, their brokers and traders often working remotely to further the needs of the planet.

Eclipse Park

After Tarkos I was evacuated due to dangerous stellar phenomena, the Galactic Council’s Eclipse Consortium petitioned to purchase the planet from its original population in exchange for restitutions, a request which was approved after a number of bribes and years of political wrangling.

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so would risk alienating trading partners and put anyone outside the organization at a severe disadvantage at the negotiating table. Even the Taiidan Empire has remained a part of the Council, despite Riesstiu IV and Riesstiu IV the Second’s dramatic and paranoid nature. While it does not have a military of its own, the Council has been known to encourage or mandate action from its member states, and its members do occasionally take matters into their own hands, hoping the Council will be too slow in debating to provide reasonable aid to either side. Smaller planetary bodies are often forced to get the attention of larger governments and empires to petition for recognition of their resolutions, and getting the attention of the Council by anything less than a planetary body can take decades.

Over a period of decades, Tarkos I was transformed into the largest sporting and leisure facility in the known galaxy, Eclipse Park, with a wide variety of stadiums, recreational facilities, and entertainment complexes built and themed around the ruins of the Tarkos people’s ancient cultural heritage sites. These days, Eclipse Park is most famous for the Eclipse Run, a month-long race that takes place once every three years. Entire sections of the planet are closed off as millions gather to take part in the biggest pentathlon to be broadcast to the empires. Participants are expected to run, ski, swim, ride local fauna, and spelunk through a set course that takes them through a variety of artificially-created environments.

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“Everything can be found through Ambition” is the phrase often broadcast from this group of quasi-independent worlds. In 8123 GSY, a group of five Galactic Council worlds grew restless under the bureaucracy and difficulties that being a part of the Council brought. They seceded over the course of a further ten years of negotiation, eventually ending up forming the Ambition Commonwealth. After this occurrence, the Commonwealth had years of difficulty maintaining trade with the Galactic Council, almost leading to economic collapse before it was collectively realized that more extreme trading options were now available to them with little to no repercussion. Through a period of transition, the planets of the Commonwealth changed their primary exports from foodstuffs and industrial equipment to narcotics, weapons, and other controversial markets. They quickly found themselves at the mercy of Council embargoes, but with illicit trade outside Council space incredibly prosperous, and due to a brief nearby skirmish between Council

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factions in which the Council’s peacekeepers required the purchase of Ambition weaponry, they found themselves able to continue with impunity. These days, Ambition keeps its own law. The local laissez-faire attitude towards trade, private affairs, and security crept toward Ambition becoming known as lawless, but after the transition into the Commonwealth, the various worlds tended towards selfregulation. None of the Ambition’s locations want a poor reputation for tourism and the safety of its visitors, so those with the money and power hire and maintain effective law enforcement, and a set of principles laid down in a well-understood Commonwealth constitution ensure that crimes against the person are dealt with harshly, though the same may not be said for property.

Adventure Seeds Fortune Favors the Bold

Fortune was a fertile planet until it gained knowledge of its interstellar neighbors and the wider galactic community. Less than a hundred years after joining the Galactic Council, corporate greed on Fortune has strip-mined the planet to the brink of complete ecological collapse. With rising sea levels and environmental disasters on an unprecedented scale on the horizon, the government is seeking aid from the Galactic Council in an effort to gain the technological resources to combat the tide of devastation. The government has managed to gain the favor of a local tri-system hegemony, the Principalities of Queros, who soon have an opportunity to petition the Council on behalf of the people of Fortune, but they require something in return. As payment to the players, Fortune has offered a strange artifact, similar in nature to the Hiigarans’ Guidestone but containing a different, unique set of coordinates. The people of Fortune have no way of finding what is at the suggested coordinates as they are too

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distant, but have stated that they are willing to part with it should the PCs attain for Queros whatever it is they want, which at first glance seems like the fulfillment of a debt to yet a third Council race...

The Rest Is History

Not everybody from Council worlds is entirely happy with the state of things as they are in Council territory. The Firebird Mantle is a group that believes the Council members are little more than useless bureaucrats, unable to help them or others due to the amount of time they take to debate anything. Tonight, the Mantle plans to disrupt the area around Council sessions with displays of demonstration outside the Council buildings, and project its concerns on nearby towers to gain the attention of news broadcasts. Unfortunately, not all of those aligned to The Firebird Mantle wish for peaceful protests, and more radical members intend to cause direct disruption to the Council session itself. Most intend to simply try to enter the session and make noise or other acts of direct civil disobedience, but a rumor is circulating that one or more may have a firearm or even an explosive on them. The PCs have been hired, not as security for the building, but by a minor industrial colony’s government. These employers are trying to get a small trade tariff law changed that will directly affect them by allowing the colony to start making a profit. They know that any disruption will stall their process by anything up to decades, by which point the colony will be seen as having failed, so they have asked the characters to ensure that nothing happens to disrupt the processes of state.

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Shortly after the Homeworld War, in which the Kushan reclaimed their ancient home planet of Hiigara, the Galactic Council has a difficult time on its hands. It has decided that in order to prevent genocide of a people, and partially in fear of the power the Hiigarans now have with no opposing force, it will need to negotiate a pact between the Hiigarans and the newly forming Taiidani Republic. Each has its own demands and needs, one of which is the return of any ancient Hiigaran artifacts from Taiidani worlds to Hiigara. The Taiidani Republic might have acquiesced to this request, but they are a new and fractured people and there are loyalists who may want to prevent any real peace between the “traitorous” leadership of the Republic and the race who killed their glorious former Emperor. Any reclamation will need to deal with this faction’s interference, as well as negotiating to retrieve the artifacts from various Council worlds that may have owed the former Taiidani Empire but consider any previous treaties voided with the creation of the new republic. The Council has promised to get them back as fast as they can, but the Daiamid has no faith in the Council working with speed. The Daiamid will ask the PCs to use “any means necessary” to retrieve these items, and stress they will attempt to deal with the fallout themselves.

The State of Things

Progenitors

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Ten thousand years before the events of the Homeworld War, long before any recorded history of anyone save maybe the Bentusi, it is known that there was a race of people called the Progenitors. It is not known who they were, where they came from, or what became of them, but their influence in the galaxy has been unparalleled via the discovery and use of their relics by the other people of the galaxy. It is understood that the Progenitors’ technology was far in advance of anything otherwise known throughout the galaxy. Their surviving ships and devices have shown themselves to be incredibly durable, and any automated systems found in Progenitor technology have been found to be completely functional even to this day. In addition, the Hyperspace Cores found by the Bentusi and the Hiigarans—the most powerful objects left from the Progenitors’ time—are still perfectly functional to the extent that they could, in the future when better understood, be reverseengineered by the younger races in order to develop Far-Jump technology of their own. Most armed Progenitor ships that have been found, usually in defense of a Progenitor outpost or as part of the protection for a larger ship, turned out to be fully automated, and have needed to be dealt with before other races could access the locations. In fact, the dangerous nature of such automated drones has led to some experts concluding that the Progenitors were destroyed by their own creations long ago. This has been rebuked by others who have pointed out that the relative rarity of Progenitor objects remaining suggests they may have simply left for parts unknown, leaving little behind.

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Adventure Seeds Are You Afraid of The Dirk?

Stenstorp is backward and primitive. The planet’s people are barely past discovering agriculture, technologically, and have been found to have little to offer… except the ritual stone dagger with a strange sheen that is used by one village. Every ten years, a young adult from the village is selected by an elder, laid down on a slab, and the dagger is plunged into their chest. The individual dies… for a day. After this they return from the dead, their mind far sharper but their body quickened so that in a little over ten years they will die of old age. They act as the village’s elder for that period and have been known to guide the village to great things. A strange sign has appeared in the sky recently: a great ball of fire that hit the ground a few kilometers from the village. Among the rubble where it landed was found a strange metal artifact containing a group of humans (the player characters). When the PCs get a good look at the ritual dagger, they may notice that it doesn’t just have a sheen, it actually appears to have a strange holographic surface. If they investigate further, they may find that the dagger is not the only piece of Progenitor technology the village seems to have found...

Gravity of the Situation

After the discovery of the Guidestone and the subsequent return of the Kushan to their homeworld of Hiigara, the newly resettled Hiigarans decided to seek out additional stone-based technology, colloquially known as StoneTech. Having found a small smooth pebble with a similar molecular state to the Guidestone, the Hiigarans moved it to a secure location in space and started researching what it could possibly do. Ten

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like to see the situation resolved one way or another.

A Stone’s Throw Away

Tikk and Cosgrove are notorious pirates who met following the collapse of the Taiidan Empire and subsequent return of Hiigara to the Kushan. Using their expertise they stole a historical artifact being transported by a Kushan vessel from one planet to another. They are now on a ship, the Long Arm, headed for one of the Bandit Kingdoms and have already left Kushan space. The Kushan did not realize that this was Progenitor StoneTech, and neither did the pirates. The Bentusi, however, did. While the player characters have been requested by the Daiamid to reclaim the old artifacts, not knowing what they truly are, the Bentusi have sent an encrypted message to a Taiidani noble they work with to track Tikk and Cosgrove down. The noble has resorted to hiring a Turanic entente to do the dirty work, and the Turanic raiders are more than happy to accept any collateral damage that may occur along the way…

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hours later, all contact with the research station was lost, and any large ships that approached closer than fifteen thousand kilometers started to report fluctuations in gravity that got stronger the closer they got. The station is still visible to cameras and scanners, however, suggesting the fluctuations dissipate at some distance closer, and small probes have approached unscathed, suggesting a smaller ship may approach unhindered. The player characters have been tasked with discovering what happened at the research station and, if possible, disengaging whatever process has activated the strange aura surrounding the station. Nobody knows the state of the crew aboard, and while life support still seems to be active from scans, no communications have been received. A final point of interest is that a Bentusi vessel arrived an hour before the mission, sitting just outside the gravitational aura and not responding to messages of greeting. It is unknown why the Bentusi are here, although it has been assumed that they would also

A Journal on Progenitor Technology “While we cannot be assured of it, the homogenous nature of humanity throughout the galaxy does lend some credence to the idea that the various lineages of people we see were all originally one gene pool, or in some way seeded throughout the galaxy. Now, we cannot know for certain whether or not this was on purpose, and as such we do not know if we are of the same lineage as the Progenitors themselves or if we are some form of experiment which, if I may say so, seems to have gone unquestioningly in our favor thus far. I hear the Prodigy series of prose is rather popular, and I did have a little horrified chuckle at the idea that we were a former slave race, which is why we were left behind when they disappeared. [The lecturer pauses as the audience laughs.] Now, fiction aside, if you look at this deep scan here you can see that the state of the molecules in this device actually acts as a form of holography, meaning it can present itself as anything it wants to should it be programmed as such. Of the very few objects we’ve found, we’ve seen artifacts that look like simple rocks that may have had an effect on the fabric of space in the surrounding area, as well as fragments of cloth that act as holographic screens such as this one when manipulated in the correct way. We’re honestly unsure as to the limits of what the Progenitors’ technology can do, let alone how. So remember, in the extremely rare circumstance that you find anything, make sure to report it to your local authority as early as you can so it can be taken away to be studied.”

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—Excerpt from a lecture by Arthoe, Head Researcher of the Council University of Welga VI, to new students of archeology

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Chapter 9

GAMEMASTERING “The sacrifice of thousands has left a trail of destruction behind us, like a path across the galaxy...” – Homeworld

Running Homeworld The story of Homeworld may at seem difficult to translate into a tabletop roleplaying game. Its focus is on ship-to-ship combat, with very few named characters. Though it deals with a galaxyspanning journey and history dating back several thousand years, the game’s scope remains narrowly focused. This chapter examines those challenges and offers solutions for expanding that focus to include individual characters, without losing the feel of the classic game.

Leading the Adventure

Telling a Story

Your role is not to compose an entire narrative, but to create a setting and circumstances in which the player characters will act. You introduce the players to a scene, mission, or campaign and then see what they do with it. You must structure the story while leaving space for player agency. One way to do this is to have key points of the story prepared, but to leave the details for discovery at play. It’s important to have a clearly defined beginning, and to anticipate the most likely outcomes so you have some idea of what happens next. Though groups differ, the rhythm of this storytelling often goes like this:

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As the gamemaster, you provide narration, non-player character action, and the outcome of player decisions. You use the rules to progress the story being told around the table. You frame a story for your players, help them make informed choices, and describe the world they interact with… but you also control the antagonists and set their plans to thwart the player characters.

• Frame the action: You describe the scene or encounter, in terms of who, what, where, when, and why (though some of these won’t be immediately apparent to the player characters). • Establish truths: You call out any apparent truths impacting the scene and communicate how they might impact play. • Players take actions: The players say what they’d like to do within the scene or encounter. • Resolve action: The players either roll dice or describe how they are going about their desired actions, and you adjudicate the result. • Respond to the actions: You narrate the consequences of the players’ actions, describing what happens as a result, keeping in mind the scene’s truths and context in the greater story. • Repeat until the scene or encounter is resolved: You describe when the core dramatic question of the scene or encounter is answered, and how the story transitions to the next.

A truism of gamemastering: “Encounters never survive first contact with the players.” Players consistently think of solutions you haven’t planned for, or come up with a completely new use for a skill, or succeed against the odds through sheer luck. Players are inventors as much as the gamemaster is a storyteller. Your ability to creatively adapt the story in response to the character’s actions is key to the fun and progress of the story being told.

Resolving the Rules

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Another of your roles is to decide which rules come into play and how. You will call on players to complete tests or engage in Conflict. You interpret the results of dice rolls for tests, Extended tests, and Challenges. Though you should encourage players to suggest which attribute and skill combination is used, you have the final say. These responsibilities mean you should be familiar with the rules. The game will slow down if you need to look things up during play. If a rule does need checking, consider asking one player at the table to check those specific rules while play continues. It’s also fine to “wing it”, using your best judgement to keep the action going. Even if you contradict the rules as written, you can always make changes and adjustments between sessions. The players at the table are there to enjoy roleplaying as their characters but are also there to play a game—with rules and challenges to overcome. Some players enjoy trying to “beat” the game or “win” each scenario. While this is in no way a less valuable way to enjoy playing Homeworld, remember at no time should you play against the players. Deciding on the outcomes of tests and dice rolls are the two middle points of encounters but it’s worth examining them in more detail:

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• Player frames their action: The player tells you what they’d like to do. • Ask for the relevant dice roll: You decide on the best rule mechanic to resolve the action, then set the difficulty, taking into account truths, complications, and Threat. • Agree on attribute and skill target number: Work with the player, but you have final say. • Resolve dice roll(s): The player forms their dice pool and rolls, comparing the results to the target number, and declares their successes or failures. • Describe the result: You describe the effect of success or failure. If a success, the player may spend Momentum to influence the result. In all cases, you have the final say in rules decisions—even if that decision contradicts a rule in this book. There may come a situation in which enacting the rules to the letter would be either narratively impossible or nonsensical for the Homeworld universe.

Failing Forward Failing forward is a fantastic phrase for how to respond when player characters fail or lose a conflict. It represents the idea that even if a dice roll doesn’t succeed, that result should still propel the action forward and drive the story to its completion. A failed test may not have the desired result, but might suggest alternative courses of action. A failed attempt to open a locked door should never force the game to a halt, but it could push the characters to find other ways through, or around the locked portal. Failure can also mean successful forward progress, but in a way that makes further action more difficult. The locked door might open easily, but trip a blaring (or silent) alarm.

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Styles of Play

Spooks and Spies

Although Homeworld and its sequels stuck to a single-play experience, the universe of the present offers several play styles. The following are different themes a gamemaster may want to consider while devising a game.

Bridge Crew

The player characters are the bridge crew of a single vessel within the Fleet, responsible for their part of the larger action of the journey to Higara. Over the course of a campaign, they gain renown, and with it, responsibility for increasingly dangerous and critical missions.

Masters and Commanders

The player characters each play the captain (or another key officer) of a different ship. They could form a task force or squadron, or each command the flagship of a large portion of the fleet. This style is best for groups who like more ship-to-ship combat and less in-person action.

Throughout the journey to Higara, the Kushan suffer from a dangerous lack of information, only learning key truths late in the game. Though not shown in the original game, a team of intelligence operatives working in the larger galaxy could provide vital knowledge, contacts, and technology to Fleet Command.

Support Personnel

The player characters take on the roles of support personnel: the mechanics, scientists, medical technicians, and other people who keep the fleet able to fight. Such “lower decks” campaigns often focus more on personal drama, with the larger conflict serving as backdrop.

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Managing the Rules While the basic rules for tests are covered in Chapter 1: Core Rules, applying those rules in play requires your best judgment. The following advice can help you make calls with confidence.

Tests Any activity where there is doubt in the outcome, and where failure or complications are interesting, or where a specific degree of success is important, can be handles as one or more tests. A test represents a single attempt to overcome some resistance or conflict, simple enough to complete in one iteration of effort. Firing a weapon at an enemy is a test, as is convincing a supply chief to upgrade your sensors array. Winning the Battle of Kadesh is not. As outlined in Chapter 1: Core Rules, tests require the player involved to roll two or more d20. You should work with the player to choose which attribute and skill combination to use as the target number, and to set the difficulty of the test, as follows.

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Test Difficulty

Difficulty represents how challenging a test is, illustrating in the game rules the difference between hitting a target during a training exercise and trying the same shot under heavy bombardment with half your lower decks on fire. Set difficulty based on four considerations. First consider the test itself. The default difficulty of most tests is 2, but increase or decrease this based on its inherent challenge, the environment, established obstacles, or relevant truths. Second, consider enemy interference and friendly assistance. If opposition is trying to hinder them on or off screen, this might increase the difficulty if not turn it into an opposed test. Additional help beyond other player characters assisting might decrease the difficulty.

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Third, consider the test’s timing in the game. Later in a session, players have access to more Momentum and can handle higher difficulties. Likewise, a session should close with a climax. It’s unsatisfying to begin play with a difficulty 4 test and spend the rest of a session on easy errands. Finally, consider the mood of the group. If your table seems bored, up the ante. If they seem frustrated, make a few tests easier to accomplish.

Momentum Chapter 1: Core Rules includes an incomplete list of possible ways to spend Momentum. At any stage, any player can propose a new way to use Momentum. The GM should Encourage unique and creative Momentum spends by players either inside or outside the context of rolling to complete a test. The scope of application here is as wide as the gamemaster and player’s imagination.

Truths Truths highlight circumstances that impact character actions. Truths which always benefit characters are called advantages, while those that always hinder characters are called complications. Some are neither inherently advantageous nor complicating, having potential to do either depending on what characters do with them. Truths can: • Increase the difficulty of a test • Decrease the difficulty of a test • Make a test possible, where it otherwise wouldn’t have been possible • Make a test impossible, where it otherwise would have been possible

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Truths and Defining Aspects Values form the fundamental aspect of a character’s beliefs and personality. In Homeworld, those values take the form of truths and defining aspects, as described in Chapter 3: Character Creation, p.32, which players can use to grant them a use of their Fortune, as described on p.17. You can also these values to encourage drama and tension. Citing a truth or defining aspect to develop a complication for a player uses the character’s beliefs to make their lives more interesting. If either value would ever mean that the character would not act as the player intends, or if it brings up dramatic conflict

because of the circumstances, present the player with a decision: The player character can either: • Accept a complication about their truth or defining aspect, and receive one point of Fortune. • Decline the complication. If the player accepts the complication, it increases a test’s difficulty, or may make certain tests impossible. Complications relating to values are always personal and don’t affect other characters. Always clearly communicate the consequences of accepting the complication before players agree to it. This preserves their sense of agency even though you are inhibiting their action. Players may wish to challenge the truth or defining aspect that caused them complications, which you should encourage. It lets their character grow and develop.

Threat Threat provides a unique mechanic to raise stakes, increase difficulty, provide Complications, and change the scene to produce greater drama. The gamemaster begins every session with two Threats for each player at the table, and gains Threat in the following ways: • Immediate Momentum: Whenever the character spends Momentum, they may choose to pay some or all that cost by adding 1 point of Threat to the pool for each point of Momentum that would otherwise have been spent. • Complications: When a character suffers a complication on a test, they you may choose not to have a complication take effect, in exchange for adding 2 points to the Threat pool. • Threatening Circumstances: The danger of an environment, action, character, or circumstances may warrant adding 1 or 2 Threat to the pool automatically.

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A given truth can last for several scenes, multiple rounds, or several game sessions. You can introduce them while framing a scene, in the middle of action through spending 2 Threat points mid-play, or by a character spending Momentum. Truths should last for as long as they are applicable, and don’t necessarily change or go away when the story leaves a location. It might well be present should the story return to that location. The truth, “Toxic Atmosphere” for a planet exists every time your characters visit that world. “On Fire” will almost certainly be over after a few hours. “Broken Drive” remains in place until somebody successfully repairs it. Truths are divided into several types. Situation truths tend to only be temporary, while Location truths will come up every time the players visit that place, and a character or Species truth reflects a certain character, particularly non-player characters. Particularly potent truths may have number after them. A “Hazardous Atmosphere 2” truth increases Difficulties by 2 rather than just 1 and may make some tests impossible without an appropriate advantage. It essentially counts as two identical truths.

• Non-player character Momentum: Nonplayer characters with unspent Momentum cannot save it as player characters can. Instead, they add 1 Threat for each Momentum they earn but don’t spend on their turn. When framing a scene, you choose which truths impact how the player characters interact with the environment. Once the action is underway, the only way to change those circumstances is the use of Threat, or through the actions of non-player characters. Threat works best as a creative tool to change the circumstance or shift with dramatic impact. For example, Threat could bring in a half-dozen Taiidani reinforcements to a battle on a relic space station, but would create even more drama by initiating its selfdestruct sequence!

It’s especially effective to spend Threat with a clear tie to how Threat was generated. If the scene says there’s an alarm panel and a non-player character activating that panel may add 1 Threat to the pool, then that Threat could naturally be used to bring in reinforcements, creating a sense of cause and effect. This approach can be helpful for making Threat seem like a natural part of the process, rather than something abrupt or intrusive.

Opposed Tests Only sentient beings should attempt opposed tests. Other forces, however dynamic and hazardous, exist as truths, or as obstacles to be overcome. Opposed tests present an opportunity to highlight important non-player characters, and to generate extra Threat. Use

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• Non-player character Momentum: The Threat pool mirrors the players’ group Momentum pool. Non-player characters may use Threat just like player characters use group Momentum. • Non-player character Threat Spends: For any action or choice where a player character would add 1 or more points to Threat, a non-player character performing that same action or choice must spend the equivalent number of points of Threat. • Non-player character complications: If a non-player character suffers a complication, you may prevent the complication by spending 2 Threat. • Complication: You may create an additional complication by spending 2 Threat. • Reinforcements: You may bring in additional non-player characters during a scene. Minor non-player characters cost 1 Threat each, while Notables cost 2. Starship reinforcements cost Threat equal to their scale. • Environmental Effects: You may trigger or cause problems with the environment by spending Threat. • Reversal: You may end a scene or encounter prematurely, with the situation unresolved, by spending 2 Threat for each player character present in that scene or encounter. Describe how the situation escalates or deteriorates in a major way— such as large numbers of enemy reinforcements, or an imminent catastrophe—and then end the scene. Never use this to harm the player characters directly, only to radically change their circumstances. Always give the players a few moments to discuss their new situation introducing the subsequent scene.

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opposed tests in moments of direct, non-lifethreatening, conflict or where both player characters and non-player characters are striving for the same simple goal within a scene. Interpreting the results of an opposed test calls for detailed narration, with the possibility of both sides succeeding on the test or failing. How should one party win if both succeed at their test? What if both fail? Opposed tests build character, drama, or tension as well as having unexpected and exciting consequences for the story.

Extended Tests

Work

The Work Track of an extended test is analogous to the stress track in combat. The stress rolled on gets marked off the track until there is no more Work remaining

Resistance

Especially tricky extended tests may have resistance, which works much like armor or cover and reduces the amount of Work accomplished with a successful test. Momentum spent by the players can reduce this value; this can be made sense of dramatically by the characters finding a way around the difficult factor or succeeding at their test in such a way that it mitigates the obstruction of their attempts. The GM is free to assign any level of resistance that they deem appropriate.

Breakthroughs

Breakthroughs are like Injuries: once enough are scored on an extended test, the test is complete. Some extended tests will only require a single breakthrough, whereas others may need two, three, or even more. The exact number of breakthroughs needed is determined by the GM.

Melee Attacks in Combat Melee attacks in combat are always opposed tests and, with three potential outcomes: • Attacker Wins: The attack hits, roll stress, accounting for qualities, and track the stress on the losing character. • Target Wins: The attack misses and the attacker strikes back. Roll stress and track it on the attacking character. • Draw: Nobody is hurt. The battle continues unless the player character chooses to succeed at cost.

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Some actions are too complicated or take too long for a single test. Extended tests represent such efforts. This might be a lengthy action like sneaking through an enemy-occupied hulk, or something shortterm but complex like breaking the code lock on a secure door. Extended tests use the same mechanics as attacks. A character attempting to contribute to the extended test should make a single relevant attribute + skill test. If successful, they roll 4 , plus any applicable bonus .

to mark off, at which point a breakthrough is achieved (see below). The progress indicated by completing work may represent time spent on a test, discrete steps completed, or both. Use a short Work Track, between 5 and 10, for simple procedures or for an Extended Test that isn’t central to the story. The most epic and compelling extended tests have a Work Track of up to 20.

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For extended tests with more than one breakthrough, each represents an increment of significant forward progress. A character scores a breakthrough when they complete the Work Track of an extended test, or any time that they complete Work (make another successful test) after the Work Track has been exhausted. Just as with combat, they also score a breakthrough at any time they complete five Work in a single attempt. The number of breakthroughs an extended test requires is called the test’s Magnitude, and usually ranges between 1 and 5 (so a Magnitude of 3 means that the extended test requires 3 breakthroughs to complete). It makes for more dynamic and interesting play if each breakthrough has an observable impact on progress. Consider having both an in-story result, and a meaningful change in mechanics like: • Reducing the difficulty of subsequent tests for this extended test by 1. • Reducing the extended test’s resistance. • Granting +1 for successful tests. • Establishing a new truth that impacts the difficulty of subsequent tests.

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Complications

When complications come up during extended tests, they have ramifications for the Work or resistance of the test. Establish a truth, a direct consequence of the character’s actions, that make some aspect of project more difficult. For extended tests with active resistance or high stakes, you may also set up a Consequence Track. This works exactly like an extended test’s Work Track, with you rolling 4 each time a character rolls a complication, marking the impact on the track as it heads towards ultimate failure on the extended test. Instead of breakthroughs, the Consequence Track heads towards setbacks. Each setback increases the difficulty of subsequent tests by 1. A test has as many setbacks as it requires breakthroughs and is all setbacks are exhausted, the extended test fails.

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Peril and Time

Challenges

Bypass electronic lock on vault door

A challenge is a series of tests, or even extended tests, where the outcome of one can influence or allow access to another stage in the challenge. Each challenge has a series of key tests to be completed by the player characters; each representing a job they must complete before the overall problem can be overcome. You can structure challenges in several ways.

Linear Challenges

Tests in a linear challenge happen one after, with the second test available only after the first is successfully completed. To get a meeting with the captain of a heavy cruiser, the player characters might need to first convince an aide to interrupt the captain’s breakfast, then talk their way past a security guard, and finally speak directly to the captain and make their request. Going directly to the captain without the intermediary steps would be a rude and insubordinate act, destined to fail.

Gated Challenges

Gated challenges resemble a flow chart, offering different paths from beginning to end, but where some choices might cut off options. When building a gated challenge, note your final objective at the middle or end of the structure, then place other key tests around it. Use arrows to indicate what tests must be completed before moving on to others.

Search vault contents for hidden relic

Activate relic

Break down door to vault

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Only introduce an extended test where there is a definitive pressure on the player characters to achieve the test; that ultimately provides excitement and drama. The kind of pressure varies by situation, as described in the examples below: • Combat: The Extended test takes place during combat and can only be attempted on a character’s turn as a Major or Minor action. The rest of the combat rages around them, endangering their lives, wounding comrades, and potentially damaging the object of the extended test. • Consequences: The extended test itself is risky, with meaningful consequences either for failed tests, or for complications that occur during attempted tests. • Limited Attempts: The extended test can only be attempted a set number of times, with consequences for failure if the characters run out of tries. • Peril: The extended test takes place under perilous circumstances. This might be a constant hazard that inflicts stress every round, or a risky environment that adds Threat with each attempt. • Time Pressure: The extended test must be completed within a set amount of time and exceeding this time limit either makes it impossible to progress or results in some severe consequence.

Group Challenges

When a group attempts a challenge, remember who is helping and where. If a character tries to assist another, they can’t also help another character elsewhere. A character who tries to assist on every test can’t provide enough help on any one test to be useful. The gamemaster is the final adjudicator on who can assist and where.

Non-key Tests

Players may want to prepare for a key test by doing work that doesn’t complete the challenge. Allow successful non-key tests to lower the difficulty of a key test, provide advantage, or establish a new truth, but it will never directly complete a key test. Tests of this type could include searching for the tools needed to complete the key test, or trying to rally others to help with the main challenge.

Timed Challenges

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Adding time pressure to any challenge escalates tension. To do so, estimate how many intervals of time the challenge takes, and how long each interval is. One might take three intervals, each a day long. Another might take five intervals, each a minute long. Though the GM is free to adjust the timings,

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a typical test attempt should require two intervals of time, which can be reduced to one by spending 1 Momentum. Once that’s framed, track how long the players take in their attempts to complete the challenge. Have a meaningful conclusion prepared for if they run out of time.

Opposition

Non-player characters may interfere with player character progress or be attempting the same challenge in direct competition. The former produces disruption, while the latter is a contested challenge. Disruption increases the difficulty of one or more key tests. This might happen directly as an increase in the difficulty, or indirectly by placing obstacles in the player characters’ paths. If the non-player characters are present, they might turn some key tests into opposed tests (see p.13). A contested challenge is a race. Resolve them in turn order, like during combat. Both sides take turns attempting tests until every character has acted, taking as many rounds as needed before one side completes the challenge. In a gated challenge, one side’s completion of a key test might lock that test to their opposition, forcing them to attempt the challenge via a different route.

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Player Characters Homeworld is an epic science-fiction story full of adventure and discovery, but it’s both more and less than that. It is less in that its focus is not on such common tropes as planetary discovery, interacting with a broad tableau of alien species, or finding a way to get ahead in the complex weave of galactic finance. It is more in that it fosters a sense of greater purpose, noble sacrifice, and focused devotion to a single cause. In that sense, this is not your usual space opera, or even your typical military science-fiction game. Within the missions and campaigns, each player character plays part of a larger whole. This section will help you highlight those roles while simultaneously balancing them against player agency.

Command and Military Track Command Role

Diplomat Role

A player taking on a diplomat character wants to negotiate treaties, gather allies, and intimidate enemies to win without a fight. They excel in scenes that rely on the Presence attribute, especially where success can create a shortcut through more

Soldier and Security Roles

After Burning of Kharak, every living Kushan is a member of the Fleet and its military. That said, only a few have the training and temperament to become members of the front-line forces. A player who has opted for these characters want to fight, to win via stratagems and feats of arms. Such characters often come into conflict with diplomats, as they each wish to solve problems in opposite ways. This conflict can add much color and fun to your Homeworld game. The difference between soldier and security roles can be subtle. Both use arms to solve issues and are responsible for the safety of their fellow Kushan. In general, soldiers are responsible for this when in contact with the enemy. Security forces handle physical threats inside the ships they protect.

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Players taking the role of a commanding officer want to bring leadership to the play group dynamic. They form the center of decision-making within the group. In most games, group consensus is the core decision-making process, but the presence of an officer can change this. Story elements, may, at times, call for a command decision to be made. This can be done out of character, as a group discussion, but the command role shines brightest when one person must make a difficult decision. It pays to build those into session design to create this opportunity. Command calls characters to assist and guide others. In combat, command characters may order others, granting them additional actions in that round. They also form a focal point in ship combat, as their orders are followed by bridge crew. They can become a linchpin in tactical play, managing strategy while other characters carry out their duties.

difficult challenges. Create scenes where the opportunity to use this attribute exists. One pitfall of a strong diplomatic player character at the table is the need to balance their desires against players who want to fight. A solution to this is to create scenes where one can contribute to the other. Allow the warrior to subtly intimidate, assisting the diplomat in negotiations. During a fight, let the diplomat demoralize the enemy, granting some meaningful advantage to their fighting friends.

Engineering and Technical Track Engineering Officer

Engineering characters keep their ships running, whether that means installing newly printed drive components or rerouting power to a damaged vessel. They spend a lot of time in the engine room, empowering their colleagues who steer the vessel and fire its weapons. The biggest challenge with gamemastering for an engineering officer is keeping them involved in the larger story. Their skillset is of limited use outside of their engine room. This is fine in ship combat and similar areas where engineering actions play a direct role. Outside the ship, build in ways for their knowledge to interact with the environment to create truths that can tip the odds.

Conn Role

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Conn roles aboard starships focus heavily on piloting and navigation, and players who choose this role imagine controlling vast starships, flying nimble fighters through battle, or piloting shuttlecraft on missions of exploration or reconnaissance. Conn characters shine while behind the controls of a ship of some sort, which can make it harder to find things for them to do when not at the helm. Fortunately, the universe is full of vehicles so you can give them something to do in most situations.

Technical Role

Technicians keep the equipment working and the guns firing, while also making new discoveries and exploring captured technology. Some are happiest in the lab, while others crave the excitement and challenge of the field.

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A technical character can be challenging because they always seem to have a workaround for every challenge you put forward. Embrace that and make it merely the first step of solving the problems inherent in a mission.

M edical and Research Track Research Roles

Characters in a research role revel in unlocking the mysteries of the universe, but are cognizant of the potential hazards of their profession. After all, didn’t the development of the hyperdrive lead to the decimation of the Kushan and the Burning of Kharak? Still, the secrets they reveal might make the difference between survival and extinction for the entire race. It might seem challenging to find appropriate tests for a research-oriented character in the middle of a firefight or space battle, but remember that there are many mysteries abound in the vastness of space and many small details to uncover.

Medical Roles

Every war calls for people who can plug holes, stitch wounds, and bring the nearly dead back to fully alive. The medical personnel of Fleet do that for the Kushan. Characters who seek out this role love the thrill and challenge of their work, especially when complicated by the realities of a battle in progress. Although they’re not fighters, medical characters can be the easiest sort for which to create challenges. Every time another character makes a mistake, or simply gets unlucky, the medic has a chance to act. If that chance is under enemy fire, in a decompressing airlock, or some other tricky situation, so much the better.

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Experience and Promotion Character progression and development is a key part of tabletop roleplaying and can be especially powerful in a military structure like that of the Kushan Fleet. Player characters grow in ability as they overcome obstacles, and their reputation may lead to ever-increasing power and responsibility within the command structure.

Challenging Values A character’s truths and defining aspects form their personal values. A character may progress through challenging a truth or defining aspect, representing the changes war and conflict wreak upon even the strongest of people. When they challenge a value, the player character loses that truth or defining aspect temporarily but gains one point of Fortune for use later in the mission. At the end of the mission, the player must replace that value to reflect how their character has changed. This should be plausible, meaningful, and related to the experiences of that mission. Milestones represent growth and development of player characters over the course of a mission. All take place at the end of an Adventure. There are three kinds of Milestone: Normal Milestones, Spotlight Milestones, and Arc Milestones.

Normal Milestones

A Normal Milestone occurs at the end of an adventure. Take note, for each player, whether their character did at least one of the following during the adventure: • Challenges a truth or defining aspect. • Was injured by a lethal attack. • Used at least one truth or defining aspect positively and at least one truth or defining aspect negatively.

Spotlight Milestones

A Spotlight Milestone awards that player character who most stood out during a mission. This character must already fulfil the requirements for a Normal Milestone, and must also meet one of the following requirements: • The character clearly had a significant impact on the mission. • The character reached a key stage of personal development during the mission. You can also let the players decide at the end of each mission which player character should be awarded the Spotlight Milestone. With a Spotlight Milestone, the character receives a single choice from the Normal Milestone list, and a single choice from the following list:

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Milestones

If they did, then award a Normal Milestone, which allows the player to make one of the following advancements to their character. • Choose two skills. Reduce one of by 1 (to a minimum of 1) and increase the other by 1 (to a maximum of 4). • Choose one of the character’s Focuses and replace it with another Focus. • Select a supporting character that was used during that adventure and apply one of the above options to that supporting character. A milestone change may represent shifting priorities or roles. Maintaining high competence requires regular study and training, so a shift can often see expertise diminish in one area and rise in another.

• Choose two attributes. Reduce one of those attributes by 1 (to a minimum of 7) and increase the other by 1 (to a maximum of 11). • Choose one of the character’s talents and replace it with another talent. • Select a supporting character that was used during that adventure and apply one of the above options to that supporting character. • Choose two of the ship’s attributes. Reduce one of those attributes by 1 (to a minimum of 6) and increase the other by 1 (to a maximum of 12) These represent shifts in the character’s priorities, or the character refitting ship systems or retraining personnel, which can take considerable effort.

Arc Milestones

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When a player character has received two or more Spotlight Milestones, the next Milestone they receive will instead be an Arc Milestone. The number of Spotlight Milestones required increases with each subsequent Arc Milestone received, as follows:

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Receiving an Arc Milestone grants the character one option from the Normal Milestone list, one from the Spotlight Milestone list and one option from the following list: • Choose a single attribute, and increase it by 1, to a maximum of 12. • Choose a single skill, and increase it by 1, to a maximum of 5. • Select one additional talent. • Select one additional focus. • Select one additional truth. • Select a supporting character that was used during that adventure and apply one of the above options to that supporting character. • Choose one of the ship’s attributes, and increase it by 1, to a maximum of 12. You may wish to award Arc Milestones more organically, for example at the end of each major concluded story arc in an ongoing campaign, or at the completion of a character’s personal story arc over the course of several missions.

Arc Milestones Received

Spotlight Milestones Required Before Receiving an Arc Milestone

0

2

1

3

2

4

3

5

...each successive...

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Running Combat Combat Encounters A special subset of encounters, combat encounters, use the most complex rules in the game and carry the highest stakes: the very lives of the player characters!

Pacing

Establishing Zones

Zones make up the spaces in which a combat encounter takes place. They have no fixed size and it’s up to you to determine their shape based on the terrain of the combat area. The sizes of zones may also depend on the features present in the encounter, becoming proportionally smaller or larger depending on the space available for the combatants. Deck-to-deck action will have smaller zones than a fight on open ground. Once you establish zones, note how they are connected to one another, and whether movement between them is free, obstructed, or impossible.

Zones in combat can have truths, just as the combatants themselves do. Consider placing one interesting truth in each zone for characters to interact with. Terrain, such as Snow Dunes or Slippery Floor are common examples. Hazards like On Fire or Tilted 45 Degrees, and opportunities like Equipment Cache are other options. Some truths will be obvious to the players from the beginning. Others might be unlocked based on a character’s location, or a successful test performed in a particular zone.

Combatants

Combatants often, but not always, take two sides: the player characters with their allies, and the opposing non-player characters. When building the opposition, take note of what brought the conflict to a head. This will help determine how many combatants are involved, what the opposition is comprised of, and how hard they are willing to fight. It will also guide where you position them at the beginning of the combat encounter. You must balance the strength of the opposing non-player characters against the number of player characters and their allies. As a general guide, three Minor non-player characters equals two player characters. A Notable non-player character equals one player character, and a Major non-player character equals two player characters. Thus, a group of five player characters would face average opposition with any of the following groups: • A mob of 8 Minor non-player characters • A squad of 6 Minor non-player characters and a Notable non-player character • Two teams, each of 1 Notable nonplayer character and 2 Minor non-player characters

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Combat encounters are more structured than scenes or other encounters. While in a scene, any character may act in any order. In combat, characters act in turns and rounds to represent and organize the passage of time during the conflict. A round is a single block of time, in which each participant in the combat acts on a turn. There are as many turns in a round as there are characters able to act. Turns move back and forth between the player’s characters and allies, and the non-player characters that are run by the gamemaster. It’s your decision which side goes first, but you should favor the players unless you have a specific reason to do otherwise, such as during an ambush. You may also spend 2 Threat to have the player’s opposition act first.

Truths

• A strike force of 5 Notable non-player characters • A Major non-player character with 4 Minor non-player character guards • A command team of 1 Major non-player character and 3 Notable non-player characters • A single Major non-player character with a Notable non-player character advisor and 3 Minor non-player character guards

Fighting Smart Sentient beings value their lives, and even zealous warriors may flee when death is certain. Don’t hesitate to finish a combat encounter with the player characters’ opposition fleeing the scene. This may lead to a chase encounter as the next action in the game, or provide victory with fewer resources expended had the enemy fought to the bitter end.

Establishing Zones

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Combat in Space Pacing

Combat encounters in space work similarly in terms of pacing, with rules for non-player character vessels (generally referred to as NPC ships or vessels) being streamlined for ease of play. Space combat still takes place over turns and rounds—Turns moving back and forth between both the players characters and secondary characters in the relevant bridge roles, as well as the gamemaster’s NPC starships. Individual non-player character crewmembers’ turns are not tracked like their player counterparts. Instead, each NPC ship takes multiple turns during each round—one turn for each point of Scale the ship has—representing the individual actions of that ship’s crew. However, each test attempted after the

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first during each round from any single crew role increases in Difficulty by one. Multiple ships may take some effort to track, in terms of number of turns taken, or tests per crew role, so note basic information for each starship you control. Starship combat differs from personal combat, where each PC acts independently following broad orders. Player characters will find success much easier if they work more cohesively as a team, with each of their individual actions contributing to guide their ship into advantageous positions and victory. Use the multiple actions of NPC starships to telegraph intent and build tension, while the players attempt to anticipate what each move by the opposition means the unfolding battle. Zones for starship combat can be more abstract than personal combat, with zones representing the empty space between planetary bodies in space or other phenomena. However, the speed of ships and range of weapons means distance and location are more important. • Starships at Close range may be tens of kilometers apart, or in the same zone. • Starships at Medium range may be thousands of kilometers apart, or in the adjacent zone. • Starships at Long range can be thousands to hundreds of thousands of kilometers apart, or 2 zones away (roughly the distance from Earth to the Moon). • Starships at Extreme range will be 3 to 5 zones away, or roughly the distance between 2 planets within a solar system. It may be useful for more simple starship combat encounters to keep the ‘map’ of the encounter based on the descriptions of the bodies and phenomena in the scene, “behind the moon,” or “inside the nebula” rather than mapping it out on the tabletop.

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Obstacles and Phenomena

Phenomena in space usually form their own zones, due to the size and nature of spatial bodies. Each will have one or more truths that interact with nearby starships, such as “Gravity Well”, “Concealing Ring”, or “Orbital Defense”.

Combatants

An NPC ship does not have specific crew at individual positions on the bridge. Instead, each NPC vessel has a Crew Quality, which provides ratings which serve as the attribute and skill scores needed by the vessel for any given test. Non-player character crew used in this way are always considered to have an applicable Focus. Starships of similar size are considered similar in strength and capabilities. A good indication of balance when building a starship combat encounter is the Scale of a ship. Because NPC starships take as many turns as their Scale value, a starship with a

Crew Quality

Attribute

Skill

Basic

8

1

Proficient

9

2

Talented

10

3

Exceptional

11

4

Scale of 3 will take about half as many turns in a round as three player characters will. With that in mind, having multiple starships with a similar Scale to the number of players at the table will lead to NPC ships taking two or three times as many turns as the player characters. Take caution to not have too many turns above the player’s limit. Conflict is not always fair, and the story of Homeworld is one of overcoming seemingly hopeless odds. Facing a clearly superior force can serve to motivate players to seek diplomatic solutions or dig deep to come up with brilliant tactics.

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Crafting the Game The basic unit of a Homeworld game is the mission: a single story told between you and your players in which the characters strive to accomplish a defined goal. Every mission consists of several scenes and encounters, the building blocks of the story you tell. Some games will consist of a single mission, then end. Others are campaigns: a series of missions each representing part of a longer story. The original Homeworld videogame told the story of Fleet’s journey from Kharak to Hiigara, over the course of sixteen missions.

Scenes and Encounters Build a mission in a string of scenes and encounters. Scenes favor role-playing, discovery, and drama over rolling dice. Encounters test characters in the forge of conflict and action. Good missions mix both, though an ongoing campaign might favor scenes for one mission, then encounters for the next.

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Scenes advance the plot or develop characters by answering interesting questions. Will the crew decipher the ancient database and discover its secrets? Will the Commander grant them the resources they need? Can they maintain order and hope among their marines as the situation deteriorates? Will the rivalry between two player characters blossom into a powerful partnership, or endanger the mission? Scenes should call for tests. If there is no question about success or failure, the action is unlikely to be appropriate for a scene. Rolls should not impede the flow of the story, but offer interesting directions and decisions based on their success or failure. Failure should never mean the game stalls until a success is rolled, but rather force players to choose a different path. Know when to start and end a scene. Start at the crux of the action and end immediately

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after the core question is resolved. This keeps these otherwise slower sequences from grinding to a halt.

Encounters

Encounters are action sequences, where the characters are tested through raging conflicts and feats of derring-do, rolling dice and spending resources, changing the story with their success or failure. Encounters encompass everything from dramatic negotiations to large starship battles. If a scene has a question at its heart, risk is at the center of every encounter. The player characters have a clear goal at the encounter’s outset, which changes the story in their favor. If they fail, things get worse for them and the characters they care about. You can’t anticipate every possible action the players might attempt to resolve an encounter, and for many gamemasters such player ingenuity is part of the fun. Consider planning for a talking solution, a thinking solution, and a fighting solution for each encounter you design. This should give you enough material to improvise details around the specifics of players actions. Although it can be dramatic to build an encounter where the player characters must lose for the story to progress, consider these carefully. Players tend not to like losing, and some even take it personally! Better to have interesting, story-driving resolutions for both winning and losing encounters.

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Mission Design

Campaign Design

A mission is a series of scenes and encounters, and comprises a unit of storytelling within your Homeworld game. Missions are subdivided into sessions, with each session being one iteration of playing together with your group. Different groups have different needs for play sessions. Some meet for regularly for two hours, while other play only occasionally but in long games when they do. When you know how long your sessions will last, plan for one scene or encounter per 30 minutes of playing time, plus two or three extras for if things move faster than anticipated. It’s possible to match your missions and sessions exactly, with each mission built to occupy one session of time in real life. You can also plan for a single mission to play out over multiple sessions. To build a mission, map out the goal for your player characters, then note what scenes and encounters stand between them and achieving that goal. From this skeleton, the story you tell with your players can unfold.

If you want to run an ongoing campaign, it helps to think of it as a season of a television show, with each mission representing a single episode. There are two basic methods of building a campaign. A finite campaign starts with a defined goal so epic it takes multiple missions to reach. The Homeworld video game is one example of a finite campaign. You build such a campaign much like you do a mission: determine the goal, then map out the missions your game will require to reach it. An open campaign has no determined end. You follow the desires of the player characters and the outcome of the missions wherever they take you. Building this kind of campaign means creating just one mission at a time and crafting the next from seeds planted in previous games.

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Chapter 10

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS Characters in Homeworld: Revelations fall into two broad categories. Player characters, including PCs and supporting characters, are controlled by the players. Every other living being in the game is controlled by the gamemaster, and called a non-player character, or NPC. This chapter describes the different kinds of NPCs, how to create them for use in play, and how they function in a game. It finishes with game descriptions of major types of NPCs found in the Homeworld universe, and some individuals your players are likely to encounter during a campaign.

Kinds of NPC

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NPCs in Homeworld represent the vast diversity of humankind, coming from every imaginable background, polity, and environment. Despite this dizzying variety, they all fall within three general varieties, based on the role they play and the degree of threat they represent to the player characters and their plans. Minor NPCs are the mooks. These are your faceless squad of Taiidan guards, your rabble of malcontent mutineers, and the mob of survivors between the PCs and the supplies they’re attempting to scrounge. They represent no real danger as an individual, but in large enough numbers can ruin a PC’s day. Notable NPCs are more dedicated and resourceful, with specialized skills and a larger role in the story. If a minor NPC is a faceless guard or team of engineers, the notable NPCs would include a lead scientist

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and their bodyguard/handler. A single notable NPC would be a decent challenge for a PC acting alone, but a cooperating party would make short work of one. Major NPCs can be very powerful, and represent the major allies and nemeses of the campaign. This category includes the mighty admirals pursuing the Kushan fleet, the player characters’ formidable commander, even Emperor Riesstiu IV and Karan S’jet herself. These individuals are crafted as carefully as any player character, and some can represent a legitimate threat to the entire PC team. All three kinds of NPCs share the fact that they are controlled by the gamemaster, rather than a player. Beyond that, each fills a different niche in the game and runs by different rules.

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What’s in a Name? Major NPCs are explicitly given names as part of their creation, because they each play a large enough role in your story that the player characters are almost certain to learn it. Besides, giving the major adversaries and allies names makes them more vibrant and easier to form relationships with, which makes the game more fun. This doesn’t mean other NPCs don’t also have names, just that you needn’t spend extra effort giving a name and backstory to every enemy fighter pilot who may die without a line of dialogue. Of course, each NPC is an individual with a name and background, but the player characters may never have a chance to learn about either. One good technique here is to keep a sheet of paper with lists of five to ten names for each culture with NPCs who appear in a given play session, along with a list of five to ten simple identifying characteristics like “shock of white hair”, “long burn scar on chin”, or “afraid of hard vacuum.” Don’t assign them to any given minor or notable NPC ahead of time, but pull from the lists in order or at random whenever you suddenly find yourself in need of extra detail for these lesser parts.

Creating NPCs The process for creating player characters described in Chapter 3 works well for building the deep, multifaceted individuals who act as protagonists in your Homeworld: Revelations story. However, it is time-consuming. Were you to go through that involved process for every single guard, quartermaster, technician, and pilot who appears in your campaign, you wouldn’t have time to build thrilling missions. In this section, we discuss how to build each type of NPC, giving them just enough detail to serve their purpose.

Minor NPCs rarely last longer than a single scene. They get little to no dialogue, and what dialogue they do get is often restricted to a blustering threat, shout of alarm, or bubbling death moan. In a movie, their credit might not even be a name, but rather a designation like “Henchman #4”, or “Man in Telephone Booth”. Such NPCs need few details outside what will be relevant to their time in the narrative and should not eat up too much of a gamemaster’s time for creating them. In many cases, you can lift an appropriate minor NPC from the section of this chapter starting on p.299. Otherwise, creation is a simple and streamlined process.

To create a minor NPC: • Begin by describing their heritage and main role in the narrative. For Kushan NPCs, see the description on p.299. For non-Kushan, see p.307. Distribute scores of 9, 9, 8, 8, 7,7 to their attributes. Apply any increases due to background. • Choose two skills at a rating of 2, and two skills at a rating of 1. Leave the remaining skills at 0. • Add one or two talents or special rules, as described on p.291. • Assign one truth relevant to the scene you build the NPC for. This does not have to be the background truth listed for PCs who share the same background. • Determine the final details: • Derive Stress from combining their Brawn attribute and Combat skill. • Assign weapons or other relevant tools. For weapons, derive stress as Weapon + Combat skill.

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Creating Minor NPCs

Example Turani Pirates For an upcoming session, the gamemaster decides they want a Turanic Raider crew to fight with the PCs over some salvage. None of the pirates are meant to survive the fight, so she decides they will all be minor NPCs. They build them using the following steps: They give them the Turanic heritage, as befits their role as Ferocious Space Scavengers They assign the highest attributes to Agility and Brawn, and the lowest to Insight and Reason. Then, because the NPCs are Turani, adds the +1 increase to Agility, Brawn, and Coordination. This gives a result of Agility 10, Brawn 10, Coordination 9, Insight 7, Reason 7, Will 8 As pirates, these raiders would emphasize the Combat and Exploration skills. They assign them a rating of 2, and a rating of 1 to Engineering and Flight. Medical and Command get a rating of 0. For the first Talent, they like Resilient (p.73), because it makes these potentially fragile minor NPCs a little harder to crack. It also simply adds to the character’s math and doesn’t require them to remember to use it, which makes handling a horde of NPCs a little easier. For the second Special Rule, they want to reflect the wild, piratical nature of the Turani. They decide these pirates are masters at using their environments to advantage, getting a bonus d20 on any attack made when they use or create a Truth to their advantage in combat. They call it Anything’s a Weapon if You’re Brave Enough. They set the pirate gang’s Truth as Hungry Enough to Kill They calculate Stress using the total of Brawn + Combat, for a total of 12. They arm each with a [[gun]] and [[armor]], remembering to add 1 point of protection from the Resilient Talent. Finally, they decide each pirate carries one tool the PCs find useful and reminds themself to make a quick random roll list before play begins.

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Minor Details If you are playing Homeworld: Revelations using miniatures, it’s easy to keep track of which minor NPC is which in a pack of adversaries. If not, you may wish to add a single, superficial, identifying detail to each minor NPC in a group. This allows your play group to quickly communicate which minor NPC is doing what or being targeted by the player characters. For example, this technique allows for the gamemaster to say “The redhead and the one with the dented armor fire at you, while the short one and the woman with the long scar duck out the door”. Likewise, your players can choose to focus all fire on “the one with the red jacket”.

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Creating Notable NPCs

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Notable NPCs take up more screen time, and have more robust roles, than minor NPCs. Sometimes, they are leading a group of minor NPCs. Other times, they serve as lieutenants to major NPCs. In either case, they are closely comparable to Supporting Player Characters and form a more formidable obstacle to the PCs when encountered. Because of their larger, and often recurring, roles, a notable character is both more powerful and more completely defined than a minor NPC. To create a notable NPC: • Begin by describing their heritage and position or purpose in the narrative. If needed, give the NPC a name. • Make their most important or applicable attribute a 10. Distribute scores of 9, 9, 8, 8, and 7 to the remaining attributes. Adjust from there with the increases due to their heritage. • Make their most important or applicable skill a 3, with two more skills at a rating of 2. Two more skills are at 1, with the final skill rated at 0. • Name two or three appropriate Focuses centred around what the NPC is most likely to do while in the presence of the player characters. • Add one or two Talents or special rules, as described on p.291. • Give them one or two Truths, based on their reason for being in the role they play, including if appropriate their Background Truth. Some notable NPCs rate a Defining Aspect as well, depending on their exact purpose in the game. • Determine the final details: • Derive Stress from combining their Brawn attribute and Combat skill. • Assign weapons or other relevant tools. For weapons, derive damage as Weapon + Combat skill.

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Example Arawn S’jet Knowing they plan to send the PCs on an extended mission far from the main fleet, the gamemaster decides to send a competent assistant to help keep everything in repair. Because this helpful ally will spend the bulk of their time in the background, but also will appear repeatedly throughout the mission, they decide notable NPC status is most appropriate. They could have chosen to make them a Supporting Character but wanted to keep them gamemaster-controlled. They decide on a multitalented tinker, skilled in repairing both ships and people. They decide on a male from Kiith S’jet, named Arawn S’jet, who goes by Ronnie to his friends…but the PCs can call him Arawn, at least at first. They assign Reason as Arawn’s most important attribute, and Brawn as his weakest. Of those remaining, they decide Coordination and Insight are most central to his role. After adding 1 each to Coordination, Insight, and Reason because of his S’jet heritage, the final scores are Agility 8, Brawn 7, Coordination 10, Insight 10, Reason 11, Will 8 Arawn is skilled at both Medicine and Engineering, but the gamemaster notes the PCs have a reasonably competent medic, so assigns a 3 rating to Engineering, and 2 each to Medical and Exploration. She assigns the 0 to Flight (Arawn is a terrible pilot), for final skills of Combat 1, Engineering 3, Flight 0, Command 1, Exploration 2, Medical 2. For Focuses, the gamemaster chooses Emergency Medicine and Power Systems, each reflecting tasks Arawn will likely be called upon to perform during his time in play. For the first Talent, they choose from the Kiith S’jet talents, opting for Innovator (see p.42). It seems appropriate for the curious polymath they have in mind.

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For a second Talent, the gamemaster wants to make up for the lower Medical skill rating left over after they assigned skills. From the Medical Talents listed on p.77, they choose First Response, so Arawn can more easily save the day when the PCs are in a bind. Ronnie’s Kiith gives him his first Truth: Kiith S’jet. The gamemaster gives him a second Truth of Likes Systems Better Than People. After some thought, they decide Arawn’s Defining Aspect is Cannot Leave a Puzzle Unsolved. He studied both medicine and engineering because he couldn’t stand leaving one a mystery. They calculate Stress using the total of Brawn + Combat, for a total of 8. They issue Arawn an automatic pistol for a personal sidearm, plus the standard equipment for Fleet crew listed on p.97. For flavor, they also decide Arawn is never without a deck of playing cards, but that he only plays solitaire.

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Creating Major NPCs If you have the time and interest to do so, it’s perfectly feasible to build each major Kushan NPC using the lifepath creation system described in Chapter 3, the faster Creation In Play method on p.78, or the non-Kushan rules on p.307. This will result in a fully realized, rounded character and might also provide some backstory to help you roleplay that NPC well. However, in most cases a gamemaster already has a role in mind when creating a major NPC. They know this individual will be a tyrannical enemy admiral, a hotshot hostile pilot with over 100 confirmed kills, or a cagey black market arms dealer who always shows up when he is most needed and can turn the highest profit. The process below both speeds up and facilitates building an NPC from that starting point. The process follows nine steps, eight of which take place before the NPC has their first appearance in play:

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1. Choose the NPC’s Concept 2. Choose the NPC’s Role 3. Assign the NPC’s attributes 4. Assign the NPC’s skills 5. Choose Focuses for the NPC 6. Create Talents for the NPC 7. Establish Truths and Defining Aspects for the NPC 8. Finalize the NPC with details 9. Add additional characteristics in play

Choosing NPC Concept

Decide what the major NPC will accomplish in the story you are telling. This decision has no real impact in game mechanics, but helps guide your decisions about other steps in the creation process. You might base this concept on the position the NPC occupies in their organization or the narrative of your game. You might take it from the other direction and base it specifically on what you want them to represent for your players. You might even start with a compelling concept, then think up how to insert this colorful character into your missions.

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Assigning NPC Attributes

Example Issahla Mejris The gamemaster wants to insert a recurring trickster character who appears again and again, sometimes as an antagonist and sometimes as the only source of help the PCs desperately need. They decide on a roguish trader and thief with a knack for showing up where opportunity is the hottest, and the Kushan Exodus represents some of the hottest opportunity she’s ever seen. For this major NPC, the gamemaster decides a Turani who has left the Empire to make her fortune is a perfect match.

Choosing NPC Role

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Think about the major NPC’s role in whatever organization or group they are a part of. In many cases, the roles described for characters within the Fleet are appropriate whether the NPC is Kushan. For example, the rules for a Chief Security Officer of the Taiidan are the same as those for a Chief Security Officer among the Kushan. For other roles, the gamemaster can select one of the roles described in this chapter, or create a suitable role using these as examples. If you create a role for a specific major NPC, remember to assign or create an appropriate Talent to accompany the decision.

Example Issahla Mejris Issahla Mejris is no longer part of any command structure, and thus none of the Roles listed for player character members of Fleet really apply. Instead, the gamemaster selects for her the Rogue Role, reflecting both her extralegal status and her willingness to bend the rules. That Role comes with the Rogue talent.

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Begin every minor at a score of 7, then assign 14 more points as most appropriate for the NPC’s role, skills, and fundamental nature. No minor can exceed a score of 12. Apply any increases due to Background. If the NPC is from a Background not described in this book, choose the three most suitable minors and add 1 to each. For NPCs you plan to occupy the campaign for many sessions, with a climactic showdown near the climax, you may wish to further increase the attributes from this starting point. See p.295 for details about how to do this.

Choosing NPC Skills

Begin every skill at a score of 1, then freely assign 10 more points, with an upper limit of 5 for any given skill.

Choosing NPC Focuses

Select two or three Focuses for the major NPC at this time, leaving the remainder to discover in play.

Example Issahla Mejris The gamemaster wants Issahla to be a thinker, not a fighter, so emphasizes among her minors Reason and Insight. She works alone too often to have any true “dump stat”, but of the remaining minors, Coordination and Insight trump her Brawn and Will. The gamemaster spends her 14 extra points accordingly. As a Taiidani, she gains an increase in Brawn, Coordination, and Insight, bringing the final totals to: Agility 9, Brawn 9, Coordination 10, Insight 11, Reason 11, Will 9. Issahla is first and foremost an explorer and a pilot, with some necessary fighting experience and not much interest in anything else. Using those priorities, the gamemaster distributes her skill points thusly: Combat 2, Engineering 1, Flight 5,

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Command 1, Exploration 5, Medical 1. At this time, the gamemaster selects Sucker Punches and Assessing Value as Issahla’s two Focuses as reflects a woman with her unique lifestyle. The other three to be determined during play.

Creating NPC Talents

Note the Talent associated with the NPC’s Role, then create or select one or two appropriate Talents or special rules for the major NPC at this time, leaving one or two to discover during play.

Example

Define two to three Truths for the major NPC currently. One should center around their overall duty or motivations within their background, culture, or organization. The other should be related to their specific role within the first scene where they appear in your game. Leave the remaining Truths for discovery during play. Similarly, choose a Defining Aspect for the NPC. This should interact directly with your purpose for the character in the mission, even the entire campaign.

Example Issahla Mejris Issahla has forsaken her Taiidani heritage so that Truth does not suit her. Instead, the gamemaster decides to give her the Truth of A Woman Without Kin, then adds Fight Dirty or Don’t Fight at All to reflect her favorite fighting styles and her Sucker Punch Focus. For flavor, they decide on a third quirky Truth of Prefers Barter over Cash. For Issahla’s Defining Aspect, the gamemaster thinks hard about what might drive her, express her personality, and give her plenty of reasons to interact with (and annoy!) the PCs. They land on Curiosity Hasn’t Killed This Cat Yet.

Finalizing NPC Details

Make some notes about the NPC’s personality, appearance, relationships, and equipment as demonstrated by the NPCs described from p.299. It’s not necessary to define every aspect of these details at once; just do those that you already feel are important, and those likely to come up during the character’s first few appearances in the game. At this stage, also determine the NPC’s total maximum stress and additional damage dice. As with player characters, an NPC’s

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Issahla Mejris For Issahla’s first Talent, the gamemaster selects from the existing Talents listed in Chapter 3. They are tempted to take Adaptable, to make up for Issahla’s poor Engineering. However, that’s unlikely to ever come up in the game for an NPC. Instead, she opts for Zero Gravity training, deciding that Issahla loves to engage opponents in null gravity, taking advantage of this ability. But the gamemaster also wants to make Issahla a daredevil, a risk-taker who embraces life fully even when it’s hanging by a thread. To do this, they takes inspiration from the Wrathful special rule, and turns it on its ear to create the Daring Rogue special rule. Issahla derives great joy from near misses and tight scrapes. Whenever she takes Stress but does not receive an Injury, she immediately adds 1 Threat to the pool. Combined with the Rogue talent from her Role, Issahla begins play with three of her four Talents defined.

Establishing NPC Truths and Defining Aspect

maximum stress equals their Brawn + Combat skill. On all successful attacks, they inflict a number of additional equal to their Combat skill.

Example

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Issahla Mejris The gamemaster decides Issahla is of average size and build, with an unruly shock of black hair sometimes dyed bold colors like pink or magenta. She wears baggy clothes and a thick jacket, and always carries an assortment of bags, pouches, and satchels. She’s brash and abrasive in public, and even more so in private conversation. Satisfied that these tags will be enough for her first few encounters with the PCs, she stops there, leaving further color to come up during play. The gamemaster calculates Issahla’s stress as the total of her Brawn (8), and Combat (2), for a total of 10. Her bonus damage dice equal her Combat skill, or 2 . Finally, the gamemaster decides Issahla has all of the equipment a Kushan crew member would carry, though each item is from a different place and culture. She also carries a large accelerator pistol and one stun grenade.

Discovery During Play

At the end of this process, you have a defined NPC who still has several slots left open and undefined: • Three or four of six Focuses • Two or three of four Talents • Two or three of four Truths • One of two Defining Aspects These are left open for three reasons. First, it speeds the process of prepping this NPC for play, letting the gamemaster focus their efforts on other aspects of creating the game’s story. Second, it allows for parts

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of the character to be revealed as the tale unfolds (again, this is much like the major characters in a show or novel). The third reason is related to the role of Major NPCs as a part of the fiction a gamemaster creates with their players. Some of the most memorable scenes in storytelling happen when a friend or foe reveals an aptitude or resource nobody knew they had until that moment, and which turns the tide of a scene to save the day or place new, exciting obstacles in the path of the protagonists. By leaving room to discover and reveal Truths, Defining Aspects, Talents, and Focuses as play progresses, you likewise leave room for this kind of dramatic, tableturning reveal. As play progresses, the gamemaster should define these remaining aspects as needed. Sometimes this will happen in the middle of a scene, when the NPC could create something interesting, challenging, or dramatic if only they had a little something extra. Other times, this happens during prep between sessions, as the gamemaster realizes they are needed for a certain scene to unfold. It can be especially fun to set a Truth or Defining Aspect as a direct response to how much the Player Characters have irritated the NPC in question.

Example Issahla Mejris When play begins, Issahla still has three Focuses, three Talents, one Truth, and one Defining Aspect left undefined. Early in the session, things progress to where she has a chance to ambush pursuing PCs and make an escape. The gamemaster decides Exploit Opportunity would be perfect here (and in overall keeping with Issahla’s character), so she assigns the Talent on the fly, filling her final Talent slot.

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Talents and Special Rules

Example Issahla Mejris Issahla’s Daring Rogue Talent is a variation of the Wrathful item from the list above. When injured, this NPC stops having fun, but she enjoys close scrapes maybe a little too much. The gamemaster decided to trigger this Talent whenever Issahla receives stress but does not receive an Injury. Because this is likely to happen more often than Issahla being Injured, she reduces the Threat increase to 1 instead of 2 You may also assign some specific Special Rules available only to NPCs with unique access to abilities beyond realm of normal humanity. These might be the result of special equipment, genetic tinkering, or generationslong esoteric skills. Gamemasters should use these options sparingly, both to preserve the verisimilitude of the game and to keep these rare and unusual abilities memorable. Extraordinary Attribute X: An automatic success is added on Tasks using a single attribute. The number of automatic successes can exceed 1. For example, an NPC with Extraordinary Reason 2 gains two bonus successes on all Tasks using Reason, in addition to any generated by rolling. Fast Recovery X: The NPC recovers from stress and injury quickly. At the start of each of its Turns, the creature regains X Stress, up to its normal maximum. If the creature is injured at the start of its turn, it may instead spend two Threat to remove that injury. Immune to X: The NPC is unaffected by conditions caused by a Trait present in the scene, such as cold, disease, fear, heat, pain, or vacuum. Machine X: The creature is a cybernetic organism, composed partially or entirely of mechanical parts and technology. It is highly resistant to environmental conditioning, reducing the difficulty of Tasks to resist extremes of heat and cold by two, and it

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It’s possible to use the player characters’ talents as described in Chapter 3 for many NPCs, but at times their roles in the story, or the mechanical differences between player characters and non-player characters will not fully be reflected in the existing rules. In such cases, the gamemaster can assign a special rule to the NPC in question. It is fairly easy to design a special rule by basing in on a similar Talent, then tweaking it to better suit the situation. Use the list below not as specific Talents to choose from, but as frameworks and inspiration to create Special Rules for NPCs. When a Special Rule described below calls for “a particular Task” or “acting in a particular way”, it is asking for a limitation to the rule, so it only applies under clearly defined circumstances. For example, a Special Rule might only apply to Engineering Tasks, or in a situation where the NPC is outnumbered in a fight. Proficiency: When performing a particular Task, or acting in a particular way, add one bonus d20 to the roll. Threatening: When performing a particular Task, or acting in in a particular way, and buying one or more additional d20s with Threat, the NPC may reroll a single d20. Guidance: Whenever assisting another NPC or PC in a particular way, they may re-roll their d20. Substitution: When performing a particular Task in a particular way, the NPC may use a specified different skill instead of the normal skill required, and/or may use a specified Focus with a different skill. Familiarity: When attempting to perform a particular Task, the NPC may reduce the Difficulty by one, to a minimum of zero. Additional Threat Spent: Whenever performing a Task with a particular skill, the NPC may spend 1 Threat to gain a specific or unique benefit. Wrathful: The NPC grows angry when challenged. Whenever it suffers an Injury, add 2 to the Threat pool.

is immune to the effects of suffocation, starvation, and thirst. Further, the machine’s sturdy construction grants it Resistance equal to X. Menacing: The NPC is visibly dangerous, and projects that danger out toward all who perceive it. When it enters a scene, immediately add a point of Threat to the pool. Night Vision: The NPC can see in dark environments via one method or another. Tasks they attempt do not increase in difficulty because of darkness. Threatening X: The NPC is powerful and dangerous, with a vitality and allows it to dominate encounters. It begins each scene with X Threat, that may only be used to benefit itself, and which are not drawn from the general Threat pool.

Example Gavic IX The gamemaster designs a mission where the PCs must enter an abandoned supply depot protected by an AI that has gone homicidally mad. This major NPC is the core challenge and adversary for the adventure. It being a machine, the gamemaster assigns Gavic IX the Immune to Cold, Immune to Disease, Immune to Heat, Immune to Pain, and Immune to Vacuum special rules, as well as the Machine 5 special rule. Even if the PCs can find its core processing centers, they are hardened against harm.

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NPC Roles A surprising number of NPCs can simply use something roughly equivalent Roles to those provided for PC creation. A Taiidani Communications Officer is mechanically the same as a Kushan Communications officer. The rules for a Chief Medic in Fleet work fine for a Chief Medic from the Turani or the Bentusi. However, NPCs in non-military positions may need to choose one of the Roles below to reflect most accurately who they are and what they do. Note that, unlike PC Roles, NPC roles have no prerequisite requirements. The same holds true for NPCs you want to give PC Roles. Put these characters in Roles as most appropriate and beneficial to the story, unlimited by the math of their minors and skills.

Bureaucrat

Mercenary

The Taiidan Empire runs on the engine of bureaucracy, as does almost any other culture with sufficient population and resources. Bureaucrats are found running a civilian station, clustered about important personages, and manipulating situations behind the scenes for their own benefit.

The galaxy is a dangerous place. Whether the brisk trade in professional, armed men and women make it more or less dangerous is…debatable. Whatever the truth of it is, mercenaries stand ready to do violence on behalf of the highest bidder.

Bureaucrat Talent A Bureaucrat has access to the resources and authority of their organization. Through bullying, wheedling, and trading favors, a Bureaucrat may always use their Insight skill instead of Reason.

Hundreds of polities stake out claims across the vast reaches of the galaxy, but most of its vast expanse remains uncharted. Explorers visit these unmapped spaces, and the echoing shells of abandoned locations, looking for fame, fortune, or simply their next adventure.

Mercenary Talent Mercenaries are a tough breed. If a Mercenary survives any scene in which they have received one or more Injuries, they enter the next scene with one Injury fully healed.

Explorer Talent Explorers must rely on random scraps of esoteric knowledge gained as they ply their trade. Once per session, an explorer can declare familiarity with a specific field of knowledge, gaining a temporary Focus in that field until the end of the session.

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Explorer

GM Note: a mercenary company is likely to include individuals with the Mercenary role, as well as specialists using a PC Role to reflect their position and skills.

Merchant Everybody in the galaxy needs something somebody else has, and merchants make that flow of goods and services happen. These NPCs run the gamut from affluent supplies’ traders, to independent shop owners, to black marketeers, to humble men and women running a stall in the corner of a space station.

Merchant Talent Whenever a Merchant rolls at least one Success on any Test involved in negotiating deals or assessing the value of an item, they gain one additional Success on the roll.

Noble Many galactic polities have a formal system of nobility and royalty. Others have a class of defacto nobles based on wealth, fame, or military rank. Whatever the case, Nobles enjoy a level of prestige and resources far above their average countrymen. Often, they have the skills and drive to match.

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Noble Talent Nobles are so accustomed to getting their way, those around them often leap to comply without thinking. Whenever a Noble rolls at least one Success on any Command Test, they gain one additional Success on the roll.

Refugee Even before the Kushan Exodus, war was an ubiquitous part of life in the galaxy. With war comes destruction, and with destruction comes refugees. These huddled masses of displaced humanity can be found in every corner of civilization, usually in the worst parts of town.

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Refugee Talent Years of hardship has inured refugees to many things more fortunate souls would consider impossibly daunting. Whenever faced with hunger, fear, cold, heat, or exhaustion, they may ignore the effects of the first iteration of damage from any given source.

Rogue A rogue is a maverick who operates outside the structures and systems of galactic society. Most tend to by jacks-of-all-trades, working alone or with a small and trusted crew. They’re found in every dive bar and gambling hall in the galaxy, always looking for their next big score.

Rogue Talent A rogue lives and dies by their luck, and seems always prepared for even the oddest of circumstances. The gamemaster may spend 1 Threat at any time to declare a rogue has the perfect piece of equipment for a situation.

Scavenger When war and calamity turn a corner of the galaxy into a corpse, scavengers come to pick the bones. These survivors know how to make something out of nothing, and aren’t always too picky about how abandoned their next derelict truly is.

Scavenger Talent Scavengers work with what they have on hand. On any Test using equipment, they may ignore up to 2 additional Difficulty imposed by unfamiliarity, poor quality, or lack of suitability from the equipment they use.

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Using and Running NPCs A gamemaster controls the wide cast of allies, adversaries, bystanders, and neutral parties the player characters and supporting characters encounter on their missions throughout a campaign. It’s a big responsibility, and a rewarding challenge. In this section, we discuss some of the rules and best practices for making it a success.

Adversaries

Allies Although some friendlies in the game are Supporting Characters, controlled by the players, the galaxy is a huge and wellpopulated place. Many other allies are NPCs controlled by the gamemaster. Playing and rolling for allied NPCs is much like doing so for adversaries, with a handful of differences when it comes to Momentum and Threat. When NPC allies roll excess Successes on a Task, they add to the players’ pool of Momentum just as PCs do. When they spend Momentum, it pulls from the players’ pool just like any character controlled by the players. The gamemaster may decide to spend Momentum on the allied NPC’s behalf, or the play group might choose to have the players alone decide which NPCs get help from Momentum, and when. NPC allies to the player characters use the players’ pool of Momentum, taking from it when they wish to impact a scene, and adding to it when they roll excess successes.

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As gamemaster, you take on the role of the various antagonists the PCs meet, and act as obstacles in the path of their success. This includes roleplaying their time on screen, and resolving actions for those characters by rolling dice, activating Talents and Focuses, and spending Threat. When an adversary NPC attempts a Task or acts in combat, the rules work largely the same for them as they do for Player Characters. However, a few important exceptions apply when the NPC takes damage in combat. These rules streamline play for groups of NPCs, so the focus remains on the player characters and most important non-player characters. A minor NPC cannot spend Threat to avoid damage, which means any damage above 5 Stress, after Resistance, immediately defeats this kind of foe. A notable NPC can spend 2 Threat to Avoid an Injury once per scene, just like a player character. Major NPCs can do so as many times as the Threat pool permits, giving them an advantage over the PCs and potentially ensuring their survival through multiple missions in an ongoing game. NPCs adversarial to the player characters use the gamemaster’s Threat pool as a pool of Momentum, as well as its usual function of allowing alterations to the scene or encounters. When NPCs gain excess successes while attempting Tasks or attacks, those extra successes can be banked as Threat, just as PCs can with Momentum. You may want to immediately spend the Threat,

depending on the circumstances, again just like Momentum earned by a player character. The Momentum spends on the following table (Immediate and Repeatable) are among the most commonly called upon by NPCs in action. Likewise, if an NPC does anything that, had a PC done it, would add Threat to the gamemaster’s pool, it instead adds an equivalent amount of Momentum for the Player Characters.

Momentum Spends Threat Spend

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Cost

Effect

Avoid Injury

2I

Avoid suffering a single Injury. The cost may be paid by suffering a Complication instead. Other factors may increase the cost further. Different types of NPCs have different rules affecting this Threat spend.

Additional Minor Action

1

Immediately take an additional minor action in combat

Additional Skill Test

3

Immediately attempt a second skill test or take a second major action in combat.

Create Truth

2

After a successful skill task, spend 2 Momentum (or Threat) to introduce an advantage or complication to the scene. This must relate to the test just completed, and can never increase or decrease the difficulty of subsequent skill tests by more than 1.

Disarm

2

One weapon held by the target is knocked away and falls to the ground within Reach

Extra Minor Actions

1IR

Take additional Minor Actions, 1 per 1 Threat spent

Inflict Extra Stress

X

Spend up to 3 Momentum (or Threat) to inflict one extra stress per point spent.

Keep the Initiative

2I

Pass the action order to another ally instead of the enemy; may only be done once before the enemy has taken at least one action

Purchase d20s

1+ I R

Grants a single bonus d20 to a Task. No more than 3 bonus d20 can be bought in this way

Talent

(varies)

Likewise, in an NPC takes an action that would add Threat, they add that threat to the gamemaster’s pool in the same way PCs do.

Neutral Parties In many, if not most, cases, NPCs in a scene can be considered allies or adversaries to the player characters. Even if they are

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fundamentally neutral toward the PCs, their goals will either be helpful or hindering to them, thus telling how to treat them in each scene. Sometimes, a character might change their status from scene to scene, or even between Turns during the same situation. Such is life in a dangerous galaxy. Truly neutral parties rarely have enough stake in the action to add to Momentum or

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Threat. It’s often best to treat neutral minor NPCs as a terrain challenge or background effect, for example creating a crowd of noncombatants in the PC’s field of fire that increases Task difficulty to shoot an enemy.

When you do roll for a neutral NPC and they gain Momentum, have them spend it immediately to make their situation safer or get them closer to whatever goal they have in the scene.

Different Rules for Different NPCs Besides the distinction in creation and purpose in the game, a few details in rules apply to the different kinds of NPC. • Minor NPCs cannot spend Threat to resist suffering an Injury. They do not have Focuses. They lack Values, and thus neither have nor can spend Fortune. • Notable NPCs can spend two Threat to resist suffering an Injury, but may only do so once in any given scene. They have Focuses and may have a Defining Aspect. Those that do still cannot spend Fortune. • Major NPCs have a full range of Focuses, Values, and Talents. They may spend two Threat to Avoid an Injury and may do so as many times at the Threat pool permits.

Promoting and Improving NPCS

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When an NPC exists just for a single scene or mission, there’s little point in improving them. They’re there, and then they’re gone, just like so many things in an adventurous life. Even so, you may wish to tweak the results of NPC creation to reflect the unique nature of an adversary, or to keep opposition challenging enough for a consistently improving group of PCs. Further, what was intended as a one-time minor NPC might become a favorite friend or enemy of your play group and warrant a “field promotion” to an NPC of higher category. To quickly promote a minor NPC to notable, add 1 point each to their best two attributes, add 1 point to each skill, and give them two Focuses, a Talent, and a Truth. Finish by adjusting their Stress and damage to match. To quickly promote a notable NPC to a major, add 1 point each to two attributes where best appropriate (while observing the maximum score of 12), then add 4 points to their skills (again, observing the maximum rating of 5). Give them four more Focuses, two more Talents, and a new Truth. Finish by adjusting Stress and damage, then establishing their Defining Aspect. While you’re taking care of the mechanical adjustments, also remember to pay similar attention to making the NPC more detailed, colorful, and realized. It’s a good idea to think about what made your players pay attention to the character and expand on those aspects.

Categorizing NPCS If you’re uncertain which kind of NPC a given non-player character should be, it helps to think of them in terms of how they might appear in a movie or show about your Homeworld: Revelations campaign. • A Minor NPC is incidental. They have little to no dialogue, and mainly there as an extra in the background, a minion to be ordered about, or part of a mass of foes to fight. • A Notable NPC gets a little more attention. They might have a name, or take part in a meaningful dialogue that imparts important plot knowledge, or get some extra attention in a scene because of their skills, ability, or importance to the story. They rarely show up in more than one or two scenes, and even more rarely reappear once the mission or episode is over. • A Major NPC: is named and fully developed. They get lots of time on screen and plenty of dialogue with the player characters, often serving as the focal point for an entire adventure. Some appear not only in multiple scenes, but in multiple missions. They become the main recurring allies and adversaries of the campaign. Some are even both.

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Kushan Fleet Personnel Although each game of Homeworld: Revelations centers around the exploits of the player characters and their supporting characters, the Fleet encompasses many thousands of souls. Some 600,000 survived the Burning of Kharak, and many of them might cross the paths of the PCs over the course of their various missions. Presented here are some sample specimens from that proud lineage, for use as NPCs and supporting characters. Although each is built already assigned to a specific Background, it’s simple to switch them to a new one by adjusting the Background and accompanying Truth, attributes, and Talents to match.

Somtaaw Mechanic (Minor NPC)

09

Brawn

07

Coordination

09

Insight

07

Reason

10

Will

09

Skills Combat

01

Command

00

Engineering

02

Exploration

01

Flight

02

Medical

00

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The life of a mechanic and that of a religious zealot make for natural partners. Both paths require one to follow scrupulous rules, perform the proper acts at the proper time, and to keep one’s honor clean and ever-ready. Thus, it is no surprise that after the Burning of Kharak, many from Kiith Somtaaw gravitated to the repair bays and fabrication rooms within the fleet. She may be reticent to talk, and wince at the bawdy humor of her crewmates, but her work is as diligent and exacting as her faith.

Attributes Agility

Truths: Knows Where Every Tool Is, Always Maximum Stress: 8 Weapons: Composite Pistol (Close, 4 ) Talents: Collaboration, Jury-Rig Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Mechanics Toolkit (use limit 5).

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Naabal Wing Commander (Minor NPC) Command of a fighter wing consists of ten parts daring exploits, and ninety parts keeping the brave, loyal children in the squad from getting themselves killed. It’s easy to hide fear for self under the demands of this holy endeavor, but so much harder to mask the fear those one leads. Life among the Naabal prepared him for this duty, but he wonders always if it prepared him enough.

Attributes Agility

07

Brawn

07

Coordination

08

Insight

10

Reason

09

Will

10

Skills Combat

01

Command

02

Engineering

01

Exploration

00

Flight

02

Medical

00

Truths: Knows the Name, Birthday, and Hat Size of Every Pilot He’s Ever Commanded Maximum Stress: 8 Weapons: Composite Pistol (Close, 4 ), Combat Knife (Reach, 3 , Vicious 1, Debilitating) Talents: Starship Identification, Follow My Lead Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer

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Soban Bodyguard (Minor NPC) Nothing brings joy to the heart of any Soban as the prospect of a righteous battle, so it is little wonder why so many found themselves serving as security forces within the Fleet. Whether he is standing between a ranking officer and an unruly rabble, or leading a boarding issue against an unlucky infidel, he will always be easy to find. He will be at the center of the battle.

Attributes Agility

10

Brawn

10

Coordination

09

Insight

07

Reason

07

Will

08

Combat

02

Command

00

Engineering

00

Exploration

02

Flight

01

Medical

01

Skills

Truths: Kiith Soban Maximum Stress: 12 Weapons: Long Blade (Reach, 5 , Vicious 2), Composite Rifle (Medium, 6 ) Talents: Protector, Vigilant Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Non-Plated Body Armor ( 1).

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Paktu Pilot (Minor NPC)

Attributes

Some other Paktu are content on the bridge of a capital ship, working as part of a gleaming, well-oiled machine comprised of steel, fuel, bodies, and minds. That is not his way. This pilot lives for the diamond-studded loneliness of hours in the cockpit. Perhaps they awaken ancestral memories of crossing the Great Banded Desert at night. When that loneliness awakens in weapons fire and high-G turns, the pride and resilience of his people shine like those same heavenly lights.

Agility

09

Brawn

08

Coordination

09

Insight

08

Reason

07

Will

07

Skills Combat

02

Command

00

Engineering

01

Exploration

01

Flight

02

Medical

00

Truths: Addicted to High-G Maximum Stress: 10 Weapons: Composite Pistol (Close, 5 ) Talents: Push the Limits, Fly-By Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer

Attributes

Manaan Captain (Notable NPC)

07

Brawn

09

Coordination

09

Insight

10

Reason

10

Will

09

Combat

02

Command

03

Engineering

02

Exploration

01

Flight

01

Medical

00

Skills

Defining Aspects: Driven by Fear of Failure Focuses: Kiith History, Motivational Speech, Resource Allocation Maximum Stress: 11 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 5 ], Piercing 1, Accurate) Talents: Battle Command, Empathetic Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Access to a Space Suit, Hard Plated Body Armor (Armor Rating 2).

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His people were never thought of as leaders and warriors, but for her an ancestry of entertaining crowds shifted very naturally into a lifetime of leading men. In charge of a corvette, frigate, destroyer, he is very aware of the responsibility he bears. Not just for the lives any mistake could cost, but for what her failure might do to the reputation of her Kiith.

Agility

Paktu Operative (Notable NPC)

Attributes

Paktu overcome. Whatever task lies before them, they endure, attack, and improvise until they have completed it. Such a heritage makes natural special operatives, inured to hardship, and obsessed with mission completion. Sometimes the sea they smell is the tang of an enemy’s blood, but they excel equally in more subtle operations.

Agility

10

Brawn

09

Coordination

07

Insight

10

Reason

09

Will

08

Skills Combat

03

Command

00

Engineering

01

Exploration

02

Flight

02

Medical

01

Truths: Kiith Paktu, I Can Smell the See Defining Aspects: The Worst Place to Be Is In My Way Focuses: Kiith History, Computer Security, Hiding in Plain Sight Maximum Stress: 12 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 6 , Piercing 1, Accurate) Talents: Daring Exploration, Defuse the Tension Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Access to a Space Suit, Hard Plated Body Armor (Armor Rating 2).

S’jet Medical Officer (Notable NPC) CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

It is said that of all the sins a Kushan warrior can commit, the gravest is to die in the presence of a Fleet medical officer. These doctors ply their craft with equal courage in a well-lit ship’s infirmary, and amid the chaos of battle. Do not underestimate them: their knowledge of anatomy makes them efficient killers if the moment calls for it.

Attributes 07

Brawn

08

Coordination

09

Insight

10

Reason

09

Will

10

Agility

Skills Combat

01

Command

02

Engineering

00

Exploration

02

Flight

01

Medical

03

Truths: Kiith S’jet, Today Is a Terrible Day to Die Defining Aspects: Hot When Safe But Cool Under Pressure Focuses: Kiith History, Emergency Medicine, Field Surgery Maximum Stress: 9 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 4 , Piercing 1, Accurate) Talents: Daring Exploration, Defuse the Tension Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Access to a Space Suit, Medic’s Toolkit (Use Limit 3).

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Captain Sanja Naabal (Major NPC) One does not rise to command a major vessel like a Carrier or a Dreadnaught without demonstrating competence, earning enemies, and surviving their attempts end one’s career. Sanja Naabal, captain of the Warming Hearth, is no exception to this rule. Her crew respects, loves, and fears her as one might a family matriarch

Attributes Agility

09

Brawn

09

Coordination

09

Insight

12

Reason

10

Will

10

Combat

02

Command

05

Engineering

02

Exploration

02

Flight

04

Medical

01

Skills

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Truths: Kiith Naabal, Resting Intimidation Face, No Hobbies But The Job Defining Aspects: I Live to Avenge My Children Who Burned While I Flew Focuses: Astrogation, Computer Security, Kiith History, Logistics, Three-Dimensional Tactics Maximum Stress: 11 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 5 , Piercing 1, Accurate) Talents: Battle Command, Dedication, Resilient Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Access to a Space Suit.

303

Admiral Pash Paktu ( Major NPC) Only the finest and most esteemed of Kushan rise to ranks of this responsibility. The Admiral is officially assigned to the Carrier Breath of Fire, with his quarters and ready rooms there, but he has the most uncanny ability to appear with a grim chuckle and an eagle eye wherever and whenever his subordinates most wish he wouldn’t.

Attributes Agility

08

Brawn

11

Coordination

08

Insight

10

Reason

11

Will

11

Skills Combat

04

Command

04

Engineering

01

Exploration

03

Flight

02

Medical

02

Truths: Kiith Paktu, Loves Sports, Almost Too Attractive Defining Aspects: Born to Lead Focuses: Capital Ship Tactics, Defusing Tension With Humor, Kiith History, Troop Discipline, Wrestling Maximum Stress: 15 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 7 , Piercing 1, Accurate) Talents: Daring (Combat), Intense Scrutiny, Coordinated Leadership, Strength of Command Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Access to a Space Suit.

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Karan S’jet, Neuroscientist (Major NPC)

Attributes Agility

10

Brawn

08

Coordination

10

Insight

11

Reason Will 12 09 In the years before and after the Kushan Exodus, Karan S’jet was human and only that. She loves her people and revels Skills in scientific discovery. Born on Kharak Combat Command 01 02 to a prominent neuroscientist, she Engineering Exploration discovered a fascination for and aptitude 05 01 in theoretical computing, especially the Flight Medical 02 05 interface between man and machine. After the discovery of the Guidestone, she turned her mind to solving the problems of creating a computer powerful and responsive enough to control the titanic Mothership, finally proposing the installation of a human brain. Showing the courage of her Kiith, she volunteered her own brain for the experiment. Even as the Mothership’s construction neared its end, she had her own nervous system altered to connect with the vessel’s systems. Technicians installed her and she became, for a time, Fleet Command (see below). When the Kushan reached Hiigara, Fleet Command was the last to step onto the planet’s surface. Although some feared she could not be safely extracted from the Mothership’s CPU, the procedure was successful, and she walked among her people once more as Karan S’jet.

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Truths: Kiith Somtaaw, Curious Mind Defining Aspects: Brilliant Cybernetics Expert Focuses: Computer Programming, Computer Security, Cybernetics, Neuroscience, Neurosurgery Maximum Stress: 9 Weapons: None Talents: Cautious Engineering, Intense Scrutiny, Inventor Equipment: Emergency Breach Patch, Short Term Breather, Goggles, Wrist Computer, Access to a Space Suit.

305

Fleet Command (Major NPC)

Attributes Agility

10

Brawn

*

Coordination 10 Insight 12 During the Kushan Exodus, Karan S’jet melded her nervous system with the Reason Will 12 10 central processing unit, sensors, and controls of the Mothership. She became *While installed in Mothership, Karan S’jet has no control something more than herself, while over her body, and thus no Brawn Ability to reference. She uses her Agility and Coordination when personally retaining core aspects of her personality. controlling aspects of her vessel. Some have said that when the Kushan Skills made landfall at Hiigara, the delay in Combat Command removing Karan from her neural cradle 02 04 was not the grand gesture she allows Engineering Exploration 04 01 people to assume. Rather, it took her some time to willingly disconnect from Flight Medical 04 01 the awesome power and unbounded awareness of connection to her entire race. Others say to even suggest such a thing is tantamount to heresy. Karan S’jet, heroine of her people, has no words on the subject. Note: This NPC has been improved per the rules on p.295, representing the super-human alterations to her consciousness and body.

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Truths: Kiith Somtaw, Cybernetic Consciousness, Called to Duty Defining Aspects: Leader and Hope of Her People Focuses: Astrogation, Communications, Computer Security, Logistics, Neurosurgery Maximum Stress: Not applicable Weapons: Not applicable Talents: Cautious Engineering, Cautious Flight, Intense Scrutiny, I Know My Ship, Inventor Special Rules: • Machine Integration: Fleet Command’s consciousness extends into every sensor of her ship, including data feeds from outlying vessels • Uncanny Amalgamation: The gamemaster may rule that certain attacks against Fleet Command have limited or no effect due to the unique nature of her body and mind. Likewise, Fleet Command may be vulnerable to attacks that would not impact a normal human Equipment: Fleet command carries no personal equipment but has access to and control off Mothership’s entire suite of systems.

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The Taiidan Military Millennia ago, the Taiidan drove the Hiigarans out of the galaxy in response to the threat they posed. Although even many Kushan can concede to the righteousness of that act at the time, in the many centuries since, the Taiidan have grown to resemble saviors less, and more from that which the galaxy must be saved. Their mad Emperor grows more paranoid and power-hungry with each passing day. Still, some loyal to the original tenets and values of the proud Taiidan still live within the military and bureaucracy. In game terms, loyalists and rebels both use the statistics listed below. They receive the same training, grew up in the same settlements, and use the same equipment. It’s just the reasons they fight, and how comfortable they are with… questionable…orders that differ.

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307

Taiidan Fighter Pilot (Minor NPC) Trained, tested, and true, Taiidan fighter pilots are among the most capable, and most disposable, members of their military. They are ruled by ties of military codes, family connections, and planetary pride. Some may fear death, but it would be difficult to prove that to anybody watching them fight.

Attributes Agility

09

Brawn

09

Coordination

10

Insight

08

Reason

08

Will

07

Skills Combat

02

Command

00

Engineering

01

Exploration

01

Flight

02

Medical

00

Truths: Young Hotshot Maximum Stress: 11 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 5 , Piercing 1, Accurate), Combat Knife (Reach, 4 Vicious 1, Debilitating) Talents: Tactical Weapons Expert Equipment: Taiidan Soft Plate Armor (Armor rating 2)

Taiidan Navigator (Minor NPC) CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

The navigators of the Taiidani fleet turn the will of their captains into the movement of vast ships of war. Responsible for the helm and navigations systems aboard their home ships, some make their vessels move in a veritable ballet of exotic metals and raging energies. Others can barely get out of drydock without breaking something, but those tend to be protected by powerful families and vindictive patrons, so they remain in their stations while their crewmates struggle to pick up the slack.

Attributes Agility

07

Brawn

09

Coordination

10

Insight

08

Reason

09

Will

08

Combat

01

Command

01

Engineering

00

Exploration

02

Flight

02

Medical

00

Skills

Truths: A Man of Great Ambition Maximum Stress: 10 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 4 , Piercing 1, Accurate), Combat Knife (Reach, 3 Vicious 1, Debilitating) Talents: Tactical Weapons Expert Equipment: Taiidan Soft Plate Armor (Armor rating 2)

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,

Taiidan Security Officer (Minor NPC) Security officers of the Taiidan Empire protect individual, ships, or installations from threats both internal and external. When on the bridge, they man the ship’s weapons arrays. When on assignment, they serve as shock troops or a bodyguard detail. Every Taiidani captain or count hopes to be issued a capable security officer and fears the day their detail discovers the price of their loyalties.

Attributes Agility

09

Brawn

10

Coordination

09

Insight

08

Reason

07

Will

08

Combat

02

Command

01

Engineering

00

Exploration

02

Flight

00

Medical

01

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Skills

Truths: Taiidani Maximum Stress: 12 Weapons: Precision Rifle (Medium, 6 , Piercing 1, Vicious 1, Accurate), Pellet Shotgun (Medium 2 , Area, Non-lethal, Rubber Bullets), Officers Blade (Reach, 5 , Vicious 2, Piercing 1) Talents: Resilient Equipment: Taiidan Soft Plate Armor (Armor rating 2)

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309

Taiidan Explorer (Notable NPC) Most Taiidani are happiest in welldefined roles within well-defined spaces they know very well, but not everything the Empire requires takes place in such a comforting environment. A Taiidani Explorer lives the spirit of their earlier ancestors, and is found on away missions, sector surveys, and hunts in ancient ruins. They are a cut above their more timid and tame brethren, and more formidable to say the least.

Attributes Agility

09

Brawn

10

Coordination

09

Insight

11

Reason

08

Will

07

Skills Combat

01

Command

00

Engineering

02

Exploration

03

Flight

02

Medical

01

Truths: Embarrassment to the Family, Has a Favorite Gun Defining Aspects: Always Looking for the Big One Focuses: Carousing, Petty Larceny, Stellar Cartography Maximum Stress: 11 Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 4 , Piercing 1, Accurate), Utility Blade (Reach, 3 , Hidden 1) Talents: Experienced Mind, Survivalist Equipment: Archaeology Kit (Use Limit 3) or Researcher’s Kit (Use Limit 3), Goggles.

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Perillier, Imperial Assassin (Major NPC) If you ask him about his childhood, he gives no answer. If you ask those who knew him then, they say he never changed. Perillier, and those like him, were bullies as children and grew into deadly, competent adults. He likes nothing better than to exercise the ultimate power of life and death over another human being. The paycheck and backroom accolades are merely a convenient side benefit.

Attributes Agility

09

Brawn

09

Coordination

10

Insight

08

Reason

08

Will

07

Skills 02

Command

00

Engineering

01

Exploration

01

Flight

02

Medical

00

Truths: Taiidan, Blends in a Crowd, Polyglot Defining Aspects: The Ultimate Gentleman Assassin Focuses: Disguise, Escape & Evasion, Poisons, Surveillance Maximum Stress: 19 (includes Endurance Training Talent) Weapons: Sniper Rifle (Extreme, 9 , Piercing 1, Accurate, Cumbersome), Sidearm Pistol (Close, 8 , Piercing 1, Accurate), Short Blade (Reach, 8 ) Talents: Combat Expertise, Deadly Shot, Endurance Training, Political Mind Equipment: Any 5 pieces of gear of the gamemaster’s choosing to suit the mission at hand.

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Combat

Emperor Riesstiu IV the Second (Major NPC)

Attributes Agility

07

Brawn

10

Coordination

12

Insight

10

Reason Will 09 11 Riesstiu IV the Second was supposed to be a fully functioning clone of the first of his name, but the process went terribly Skills wrong. The being decanted in the imperial Combat Command 03 06 clone labs bore the physical traits of his Engineering Exploration predecessor, but quickly showed deep 02 02 mental failings. His behavior became Flight Medical 02 01 erratic, then despotic, then descended into madness. An accounting of the horrors and atrocities he inflicted upon his own people during the years of his reign will one day fill libraries, but none compare to his rage and hatred against the returning Hiigarans. When he became aware of that people, and the opportunity to commit genocide their appearance afforded, he bent his entire mind and will toward the task. Note: This NPC has been improved per the rules on p.295, representing his status as an opponent to be defeated at the climax of the campaign, after the PCs have significantly advanced themselves.

CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Truths: Taiidan, Overweight, Nobody Tells Me No Defining Aspects: Mad Emperor Maximum Stress: 13 Weapons: None Talents: Command Collaboration, Defensive, Command Expertise, Strength of Command Equipment: Symbol of Office

Taiidan Characters Taiidani are a militaristic people who value bravery, military strength, and their rigidly stratified class system. Most are fiercely proud, quick to anger, and long to hold a grudge if they feel their honor has been questioned or besmirched. They make loyal friends, and dangerous enemies. Attributes: Increase Brawn, Coordination, and Insight by 1. Truth: Taiidani. You always know your exact social position in respect to every Taiidani in the room, and the best way to honor or leverage that position. Talents: Your character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the Political Mind talent described on p.40.

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CHAPTER 10

Turanic Raiders One might wonder why the Taiidan allow these ragtag reavers to continue their operations, considering the comparative might of their two cultures. The reason is simple: these pirates carry out attacks too dirty for even the Taiidan to claim for their own. They operate without the official letters of marque that might legitimize their violent trade, but their supply stocks fill both from spoils and unmarked shipments left at certain rendezvous points.

Turani Raider (Minor NPC) Wild, violent, and free, a Turani raider never flinches from a fight. That fight may be with a prize freighter that didn’t surrender voluntarily, with an intercepting corvette intent on bringing him to justice, or with a crewmate that looked at him funny after a few drinks. It doesn’t matter. He’ll jump to it with the same ferocity and skill.

Attributes 10

Brawn

10

Coordination

08

Insight

08

Reason

07

Will

08

Combat

02

Command

06

Engineering

01

Exploration

01

Flight

02

Medical

00

CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Agility

Skills

Truths: Filthy but Tough as Rivets Maximum Stress: 12 Weapons: Hand Axe (Reach, Close Range if Thrown, 4 , Inaccurate), Automatic Pistol (Close, 6 , Vicious 1, Inaccurate) Talents: Survivalist Equipment: Access to a Space Suit, Composite Plate Body Armor (Armor Rating 2)

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313

Turani Veteran (Notable NPC) There are old Turani, and bold Turani, but few old, bold Turani. A Turani veteran has learned to temper his wild violence with a deadly cunning. Do not mistake his scars for signs of weakness. He learned from every mistake they represent.

Attributes 10

Brawn

11

Coordination

09

Insight

08

Reason

07

Will

09

Agility

Skills Combat

02

Command

01

Engineering

01

Exploration

02

Flight

03

Medical

00

CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Truths: Turani, Can Sense Weakness Defining Aspects: What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes a Delicious Meal Focuses: Dirty Jokes, Flying With Stealth, Intimidation Maximum Stress: 13 Weapons: Long Blade (Reach, 5 , Vicious 2), Composite Rifle (Medium, 6 ), Grenade (Fragmentation, 6 , Medium, Area, Vicious 1, Lethal) Talents: Fly-By, With My Crew At My Side Equipment: Access to a Space Suit, Weapon Repair Kit (Use Limit 1), Composite Plate Body Armor (Armor Rating 2).

314

CHAPTER 10

Turani Tinker (Minor NPC)

Attributes

Though Turani warriors sometimes look askance at their more technically minded crewmates, none dare cross one while sober. They understand these boffins keep their ships running despite the many abuses Turani life heaps upon these vessels. A Turani tinker can repair anything they can steal the parts for, and most things even if they can’t.

Agility

08

Brawn

09

Coordination

09

Insight

09

Reason

10

Will

08

Skills Combat

01

Command

01

Engineering

03

Exploration

02

Flight

02

Medical

00

Truths: Turani Maximum Stress: 10 Weapons: Automatic Pistol (Close, 5 , Vicious 1, Inaccurate), Utility Blade (Reach, 3 , Hidden 1) Talents: Cautious Engineering Equipment: Mechanic’s Toolkit (Use Limit 5), Researchers Kit (Use Limit 3).

Turani Characters

Attributes: Increase Agility, Brawn, and Will by 1. Truths: Turani. You belong to a long tradition of raiders and pirates, proud survivors all. Surviving adversity and triumphing through ingenuity, wits, and applied violence honor your crew, your people, and your ancestors. Talents: The character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talent listed below:

With My Crew At My Side Requirements: Turani or gamemaster permission The Turani work best when surrounded by their crewmates. Choose one skill. Whenever another Turani assists you with that skill, you gain 2 additional bonus d20 for the Task. If you use that skill to assist a Turani, they gain 1 additional bonus d20.

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The Turani are savage raiders and dedicated survivors, driven from system to system but still somehow emerging from each exodus largely intact. They value their crew and family above all, except perhaps the thrill and spoils of a good fight.

Araan Kalik, Turanic Brigand (Major NPC) Above the roiling chaos of a Turanic crew stands a captain with the moxie and bloodlust to keep them all in line, or at least following orders. Such brigands enjoy first choice of the loot, first choice of bedmates, and the best private cabin their ship can supply, but they sleep there with one eye wide open. The fastest route to command among the Turani is the death of a captain.

Attributes 11

Brawn

11

Coordination

09

Insight

10

Reason

08

Will

11

Agility

Skills

CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Combat

04

Command

03

Engineering

02

Exploration

03

Flight

03

Medical

01

Truths: Turani, An Eye for Glory, An Eye for Gold Defining Aspects: Must Maintain Command At All Costs Focuses: Feats of Strength, Lead from the Front, Stripping Salvage, Wrestling Maximum Stress: 15 (18 with Endurance Training Talent) Weapons: Sidearm Pistol (Close, 7 , Piercing 1, Accurate), Machete (Reach, 7 Vicious 1). Talents: Endurance Training, Follow My Lead, Pack a Punch, Second Wind Equipment: Hard Plated Body Armor (Armor Rating 2)

316

CHAPTER CHAPTER 10 10

,

316

The Kadeshi This lost Kiith reunites in fire and blood with their long-lost kin when the Fleet encounters their Garden in the center of a mysterious nebula. They are devoted zealots, fearless combatants, and unshakeable friends once their trust is earned. Some say they’re off-putting with their constant prayer and unhesitating violence, but on the right day nobody says no to either when it comes from a friend.

Kadeshi Kinsman ( Minor NPC)

Attributes

Unlike their more specialized cousins from Kharak, the Kadeshi train as jacks of all trades. Each kinsfolk is theoretically capable of serving in whatever capacity their collective needs, be that as an engineer, a pilot, a warrior, or a medic. All do willingly whatever they must to protect their Garden and continue their people.

Agility

10

Brawn

10

Coordination

08

Insight

08

Reason

07

Will

08

Combat

02

Command

00

Engineering

01

Exploration

01

Flight

02

Medical

00

Skills

CHAPTER 10

, Vicious 2)

CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Truths: Kadeshi Maximum Stress: 12 Weapons: Composite Rifle (Medium, 6 ), Long Blade (Reach, 5 Talents: Empathic Equipment: Space Suit, Any toolkit of the gamemaster’s choice

317

Kadeshi Pod Fighter (Minor NPC) Pod fighters receive more specialized training than their kinsfolk, to better prepare them for the rigors of space combat. They also receive even deeper psychological conditioning. To be a Kadeshi pod fighter is to be a zealot among zealots, fearless and resolute in furthering the cause of their people and their faith.

Attributes Agility

10

Brawn

08

Coordination

10

Insight

08

Reason

07

Will

08

Skills Combat

02

Command

00

Engineering

01

Exploration

01

Flight

02

Medical

00

Truths: Kadeshi Maximum Stress: 10 Weapons: Composite Rifle (Medium, 6 ), Long Blade (Reach, 5 , Vicious 2) Talents: Empathic, Fly-By Equipment: Short-Term Breather, Emergency Breach Patch, Any toolkit of the gamemaster’s choice, Space Suit

Kadeshi Captain (Notable NPC) CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

A Kadeshi kinsman who displays many years of service and aptitude receives promotion to a position of command, accompanied by social status far above the rank and file. Kadeshi captains may be in command of a starship, as the name implies, but one can also found leading a scientific exploration, a sanitation department, or a marine boarding party.

Attributes Agility

09

Brawn

10

Coordination

09

Insight

08

Reason

07

Will

08

Combat

02

Command

01

Engineering

00

Exploration

02

Flight

00

Medical

01

Skills

Truths: Kadeshi, Bound by Belief Focuses: Details of His Home Sector, High-Speed Flight Maximum Stress: 12 Weapons: Composite Rifle (Medium, 6 ), Long Blade (Reach, 3 , Vicious 2, Piercing 1) Talents: Empathetic, Vigilant Equipment: Space Suit, any toolkit of the GM’s choice, Status Symbol

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Areshem, High Gardener (Major NPC)

Attributes

As Kadeshi captains are to kin, thus High Gardeners are to captains. These paragons rise to lead armies, communities, and fleets, command the lives of thousands, and dictate the course of Kadeshi society. Most spend their time at the hub of their sphere of influence, but an annual council session at the center of the Garden nebula hosts a gathering of every single one.

Agility

09

Brawn

09

Coordination

10

Insight

10

Reason

10

Will

11

Skills Combat

02

Command

05

Engineering

02

Exploration

02

Flight

03

Medical

02

Truths: Kadeshi, Star of the Rimward Wing, Deep Scholar of the Tablets Defining Aspects: Warrior-Monk Focuses: Fleet Tactics, Logistics, Kadeshi History, Security Protocols Maximum Stress: 12 Weapons: Ceremonial Long Blade (Reach, 5 , Vicious 2, Also acts as a symbol of office), Sidearm Pistol (Close, 5 , Piercing 1, Accurate) Talents: Command Expertise, Coordinated Leadership, Strength of Command, Uncanny Communication Equipment: Ceremonial Long Blade (Symbol of Office, as noted above)

Kadeshi Characters

Attributes: Increase Insight, Reason, and Will by 1. Truths: Kadeshi. The protection and sanctity of the Garden are not the most important things in the galaxy. They are the only things. All else, even the character’s life, is secondary. Talents: The character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talent listed below:

Uncanny Communication

Requirements: Kadeshi or gamemaster permission The Kadeshi live in such harmony they communicate with subtle gestures and facial expressions invisible to outsiders. As a Minor action, the character may communicate even complex information to another character with this Talent without making noise. No character not possessing this Talent has any chance of understanding what was communicated.

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The Kadeshi live in a communal theocracy so saturated with duty to the cause it almost resembles a hive mind. Each member of this lost Kiith serve and protect the Garden with absolute vigor and zeal.

Bentusi Traders Bentusi talk little, wait patiently, and carry the weight and wealth of ancients. It is unlikely that many Bentusi take part in the day-to-day struggles of the younger races, but when they do a small act, it might turn the tide. Wandering the galaxy with no home planet, the Bentusi have merged with their ships via a process like that pioneered by Karan S’jet, though as best as other species can tell each ship has multiple Bentusi merged into different systems of the vessel and their society. Note that all Bentusi NPCs described here are Notable or Major NPCs. The rank-and-file members of this species remain hidden in their enormous ships, or (some speculate) simply no longer exist in this fundamentally changed people.

Bentusi Mouth (Notable NPC) The Bentusi keep largely to themselves while still relying on trade to sustain their population. A Bentusi Mouth takes on the duty of representing her people and their interests to other races. Although not the only Bentusi on a ship that takes a trade representative on board, the Bentusi Mouth is likely the only one with whom an outsider will speak.

Attributes Agility

08

Brawn

*

Coordination

08

Insight

11

Reason

10

Will

09

Combat

02

Command

03

Engineering

01

Exploration

02

Flight

00

Medical

01

Skills

CHAPTER 10: NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Truths: Bentusi, Cybernetic Consciousness, Canny Negotiator Defining Aspects: Ambassador of My People Focuses: Assessing Value, Negotiation Maximum Stress: not applicable Weapons: not applicable Talents: Cautious Command, Collaboration Special Rules: • Machine Integration: A Bentusi Mouth’s consciousness spreads through many sectors of their ship and all data and information feeds associated with their duty • Uncanny Amalgamation: The gamemaster may rule that certain attacks against a Bentusi Mouth have limited or no effect due to the unique nature of her body and mind. Likewise, a Bentusi Mouth may be vulnerable to attacks that would not impact a normal human Equipment: A Bentusi mouth carries no personal equipment but has access to and control of an entire suite of ship systems.

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Bentusi Fist (Notable NPC)

Attributes

In the present age, the Bentusi are a peaceful people, but they owe that to a past regretfully smeared with the blood of billions. A small portion of their population keep that deadly tradition alive. They reside in the weapons and defenses core of a Bentusi trade vessel, idle but ever-watchful, and ready to defend their ship with brutal efficiency.

Agility

09

Brawn

*

Coordination

10

Insight

09

Reason

08

Will

08

Skills Combat

03

Command

00

Engineering

01

Exploration

02

Flight

02

Medical

01

Truths: Bentusi, Cybernetic Consciousness, Intimidating Manner Defining Aspects: Bred for Battle Focuses: Ambush, Single Combat, Small Unit Tactics, Threat Assessment Maximum Stress: not applicable Weapons: not applicable Talents: Defensive, Reactive Special Rules: • Machine Integration: A Bentusi Fist’s consciousness spreads through many sectors of their ship and all data and information feeds associated with their duty • Uncanny Amalgamation: The gamemaster may rule that certain attacks against a Bentusi Fist have limited or no effect due to the unique nature of her body and mind. Likewise, a Bentusi Fist may be vulnerable to attacks that would not impact a normal human Equipment: A Bentusi fist carries no personal equipment but has access to and control of an entire suite of ship systems.

The ancient Bentusi take the long view on matters. If they can’t get what they want from this individual or situation, another one down the road will provide all that is necessary. Attributes: Increase Coordination, Insight, and Reason by 1. Bentusi have no Brawn attribute. When building an Bentusi with an array, assign the lowest score to Brawn, then record their Brawn score as an “*” Bentusi have no maximum stress but are taken out of a scene when their ship’s system is breached. If their ship’s system is destroyed, they die. Truths: Bentusi. You are patient but decisive, beholden to a tradition and culture with the weight of millennia both driving it and weighing it down. Talents: The character gains a single talent from either the talents list on p.71 or the exclusive talent listed below:

Ancient Bloodline

Requirements: Bentusi or gamemaster permission The Bentusi are long-lived as individuals and as a race. They remember many things. Once per scene, you may use the Reason attribute for any given Task, recalling a technique or fact relevant to the situation.

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Bentusi Characters

Name:

Role: Armor Rating:

Kiith Background: Environment: Upbringing: Rank: Requisition Units:

Max Stress:

Injury

Equipment

Attributes Agility

Brawn

Coordination

Insight

Reason

Will

Skills Combat

Command

Engineering

Exploration

Flight

Medical

Focuses

CHARACTER SHEET

Weapon

322

Defining Aspects

Stress Rating

Range and Type

Truths

Effects

Utility Blade

3

Reach

Vicious 1

Unarmed

2

Reach

Knockdown

CHAPTER 10

Qualities Debilitating

INDEX A

B Barbola, Liege 238 Bentusi 250 Adventure seeds 254 Bentus 253 Emissaries 171 History 250 In play 255 People 252 Ships 140, 252, 255 Testimony 252 Unbound 253 Bentusi Cargo Barge 125 Bentusi Exchange, The 140–141 Bentusi traders 320 Bentusi Characters 321 Bentusi Fist 321 Bentusi Mouth 320 Bonus Momentum 10, 15, 54, 107, 145 Braunton 257 Breaches 97, 102, 109–110, 123, 147 Breach track 109–110 Breakthroughs 34, 57, 161, 163, 175, 269–270 Building ships 151 Quick creation 151–152 Ready-made 151 Ship construction 151–152 Buying advancements 83, 164 Increasing attributes 83 Increasing skills 83 New focuses 83 New talents 83

C Campaign design 281 Capital City of Tiir 46, 210 Capital ship 164 Career events 56–62 Abandoned Your Principles 60 Admired by Another Kiith 57 Commendation 61 Conflict with a Hostile Group 59 Devastating Accident 62 Experimental Technology 57 Experimental Test Flight 58

323

INDEX

Abandon ship 109 Accelerator pistols and rifles 93–94 Action 6, 19–20, 22–23, 26, 66, 76, 85–86, 103, 107, 214, 296 Cover 25 In vacuum 23 In zero-G 22 Making an attack 21 Movement & terrain 21 Order 20–21 Prone 22 Scenes 19–23 Range & distance 19 Distances 19 Zones 19 Stress, injury, & recovery 24 Armor 24 Avoiding injury 25 Combat Momentum spends 26 Injuries 24 Recovery 25 Stress 24 Action and combat 2, 19–31 Action order 19 Major actions 19 Minor actions 20 Additional challenge dice 24, 38, 64, 78, 81, 85 Additional qualities 87 Accurate 87 Charge 88 Cumbersome 87 Debilitating 87 Hidden X 87 Inaccurate 88 Lethal 87 Non-Lethal 88 Special 88 Advanced flight 59 Advanced Swarmer 115 Adventure seeds 171, 239, 244, 249, 254, 258, 260 Adversaries 3, 156, 283–284, 295–298 Allies 3, 58, 74, 165, 171, 174, 181–184, 190, 207, 217, 226, 230, 232, 236–237, 240, 245,

273, 277, 282–283, 295–298 Ambassador Corvette 120 Ambition commonwealth 258 Ammunition 86 Hollow point 86 Lead tip 86 Propulsion 87 Rubber tipped 86 Angel moon 186 Appearance 29, 68, 289 Araan Kalik, Turanic Brigand 316 Archaeology toolkit 100 Areshem, High Gardener 319 Armor 25 Armor rating 21, 24, 70, 73, 97, 99, 300–302, 313–314, 316, 322 Artifacts 192 Burning Spear 196 Chalice of Life 195 Guidestone 192 Hyperspace Core 193 Planet-Killers 194 Star-metal Scrolls 194 Sword of Caaliburnous 196 Unbound, The 194 Asha, Lady 238 Assault Frigate 121 Assistance 13, 20, 74, 80, 141, 209, 228, 240, 266 Athletics 59, 61 Attack Bomber 113 Attack Carrier 127 Attacks 19, 22–23, 64, 74, 76, 78, 88, 101, 103, 108–110, 113, 119, 121, 123–124, 126–128, 131, 149, 157–159, 170, 235, 269, 290, 295, 306, 313, 320–321 Attribute points 152, 164 Attributes 4, 8–9, 32–33, 38, 63, 78, 81, 83, 101–102, 164 Agility 8–9, 32 Brawn 8, 32 Coordination 8, 32–33 Insight 8, 33 Reason 8, 33 Will 8, 33 Automatic pistol 93–94, 286, 313, 315

CHAPTER 9: GAMEMASTERING

Invented a New Battle Strategy 60 Loss of a Friend 57 Medical Crisis 60 Mentored for Your Talent 59 Prevented a Resource Shortage 61 Serious Injury 58 Stuck by Your Ideals 60 Technological Advancement 61 Unexpected Command 58 Careers 54 Experienced officer 54 Junior officer 54 Veteran officer 55 Carrier 127 Challenge dice 6, 21, 24, 38, 64, 69, 73, 78, 92, 106, 156 Challenges 271–272 Gated 271 Group 272 Linear 271 Non-key tests 272 Opposition 272 Timed 272 Character advancement 69 Buying advancements 83 Gaining resource units 83 Other ways to gain RUs 84 Character creation 32–84 Characters 3, 6 Advancement 81–84 Attributes 32–33, 63 Career 54 Career events 56 Creation 2, 32–84 Defining aspects 63 Environment 46 Final stats check 64 Finishing touches 63 Focuses 33 Kiith 39 Maximum stress and challenge dice 64 Profession 52 Role 65 Skills 32–33, 63 Talents 33, 71 Upbringing 48 Chassis 153 Capital ship 153 Corvette 153 Fighter 153 Heavy fighter 153 Mothership 153 Super heavy 153 Chief medic 66, 293 Chief security officer 65–66

324

Cloaked Fighter 113 Combat encounters 277–279 Combatants 277 Establishing zones 277 Pacing 277 Truths 277 Combat in space 278 Combatants 279 Establishing zones 278 Obstacles and phenomena 279 Pacing 278 Combat tactics 61 Combat talents 74 Close Protection 74 Deadly Shot 74 Pack a Punch 74 Protector 74 Reactive 74 Commander 67–68, 70, 128, 143, 182, 205, 280, 282, 300 Command talents 74 Battle Command 74 Coordinated Leadership 74 Follow My Lead 74 Interrogation 74 Strength of Command 74 Communications actions 105 intercept 105 send/receive transmission 105 signal jamming 105 Communications officer 66, 293 Complications 7, 9–13, 15–17, 27, 30–31, 34, 36, 63, 75, 77, 81, 86–87, 100, 102, 109, 264, 267, 270–271 Composite pistol 93–94, 299–301 Composite plate body armour 99, 313–314 Composite rifle 93–94, 300, 314, 317–318 Conflict, Sociall 27 Core rules 2, 6–18, 32–33, 35, 266 Corvettes 106, 111–112, 116–119, 121, 127, 129–130, 156–157 Ambassador corvette 120 Heavy corvette 117 Light corvette 116 Minelayer corvette 118 Missile corvette 119 Multi-gun corvette 119 Repair corvette 118 Salvage corvette 117 Standard corvette 116 Cover 25 Creating a supporting character 81 Attributes 81–82

CHAPTER 9

Defining aspects 82 Finishing up 81 Focuses 81–82 Purpose 81 Skills 81–82 Talents 82 Creating new technology 163 Creation in play 78, 287 Creativity 98 Crewman 36, 67 Critical success 12, 17–18, 35 Cryo Trays 132

D Daiamid, The 170, 225 Damaged systems 109 Deception 27–28 Defense field frigate 123 Defense Field Frigate 123 Defense Fighter 114 Defining aspects 34, 63–64 Challenging 36 Defining aspects & fortune 35 Inherently positive 63 Negative 63 Neutral 63–64 Roleplaying with truths & defining aspects 35 Destroyed systems 110 Destroyer 126 Dice 3, 6 Direction of movement 22 Distances 5, 19, 49, 108, 136, 162, 193, 250 Close 19 Extreme 19 Long 19 Medium 19 Reach 19 Drone Frigate 122

E Eclipse Park 257 Effects 15–16, 34, 85–88, 91–97, 104, 106–107, 110, 146, 155, 163, 192, 268, 292, 294, 322 Electro kinetic rail gun 93 Elson, Captain 182 Encounters 3, 141, 160, 171, 264, 277–281, 280, 290, 292, 295, 317 Engineering and technical track 274 Conn Role 274 Engineering Officer 274

F Far jumps 104, 136, 158, 161, 165 Ferin Sha 169, 172, 211–214, 227, 231 Fighters 112–115 Advanced Swarmer 115 Attack Bomber 113 Cloaked Fighter 113 Defense Fighter 114 Interceptor 112 Scout 112 Swarmer 114 Finishing touches 63–77 Attributes 63 Defining aspects 63 Final stats check 64

Maximum stress and challenge dice 64 Personal details 68 Role 64 Skills 63 Fleet command 66, 98, 104, 108, 134–135, 144, 179, 208, 216, 228, 265, 305–306 Flight talents 76 Defensive Attack 76 Fly-By 76 Precise Evasion 76 Starship Identification 76 Tactical Weapons Expert 76 Focuses 8–9, 32–33, 52–53, 285–290 Fortune 12, 15–18, 34–36, 71–74, 297 Accepting a complication 17 and defining aspects 35 Challenging a defining aspect 17 Good roleplaying 17 Spending 17 Buy a critical success 17 Make it happen 18 Re-roll a Dice Pool 17 Frigates 121 Assault Frigate 121 Bentusi Cargo Barge 125 Drone Frigate 122 Ion Array Frigate 124 Ion Cannon Frigate 122 Multi-Beam Frigate 124 Support Frigate 121 Fuel Pod 115

G Gaalsien 199–201 Culture 200 History 200 Gaalsien, Liam 202 Galactic civilization 169, 188 Galactic community 3, 229–257 Galactic core 178, 181, 184, 187–189, 191, 194 Galactic Council 3, 150, 167, 169–171, 182–184, 187, 189–190, 192–193, 221, 235–237, 241–242, 249, 252, 254, 256–259 Additional locations 257 Adventure seeds 258 History 255 Galactic Council Center 191 Galactic net 189 Game master 3

CHAPTER 9

Gamemastering 3, 263–271, 263–281 Challenging Values 275 Crafting the game 280 Experience and promotion 275 Fighting smart 278 Managing the rules 266 Player characters 273 Resolving the rules 264 Running combat 277 Running Homeworld 263 Styles of play 265 General talents 71 Adaptable 71 Cautious 71 Collaboration 71 Daring 71 Dedication 71 Deep Study 71 Defensive 71 Defuse the Tension 72 Empathetic 73 Endurance Training 72 Expertise 72 Exploit Opportunity 72 Fearless 72 Field Medicine 72 Historian 72 Improvised Weapon 72 Intense Scrutiny 73 In the Nick of Time 73 Morale Boost 73 Push the Limits 73 Resilient 73 Second Wind 73 Survivalist 73 System Maintenance 73 Systems Expert 73 Tactical Weapons Expert 73 Troubleshooting 73 Vigilant 73 Ghost Ship 148 Giant killer 193 Gisdalve, Lord 238 GM threat 17 Gravity Well Generator 145 Gravity well technology 148, 160 Advanced gravity field 160 Gravitational hyperspace drop out 145, 161 Gravity field 145, 160 Gravity well generator 145 Great nebula 188 Great wastelands 188 Gun Drone Sphere 123

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Technical Role 274 Engineering talents 75 I Know My Ship 75 Inventor 75 Jury-Rig 75 Zero-G Engineering 75 Environment 44 Equipment 69 Equipment and gear 97 Anatomy of 97 Creating weapons, items, and equipment 100 Obtaining 88 Other equipment 99 Standard equipment 97 Evidence 27–30, 188, 198, 227 Example character 70 Executive officer 65, 67 Exploration talents 75 Computer Expertise 75 Experienced Mind 75 Perfect Recall 75 Specialization 76 Zero-Gravity Training 75 Explosive weapons 86, 95–96, 106 Grenade (fragmentation) 95–96 Grenade (smoke) 95–96 Grenade (stun) 95–96 Plasma explosive 95–96 Polymer explosive 95–96 RPG (rocket propelled grenade) 95–96 Extended rifle 93–94 Extra dice 12, 35, 55 Extra stress 15, 26, 76, 110, 296 Extreme 19, 94–96, 108, 112, 130, 149, 157, 162, 278, 311 Eytapea, Lady 238

CHAPTER 9: GAMEMASTERING

H

I

Hard plated body armor 99 Headshot Asteroid 146 Heavy Corvette 117 Heavy Cruiser 128 Helm actions 103 Attack Pattern 103 Evasive Action 103 Full Throttle 103 Maneuver 103 Ramming Speed 103 Hiigara 185–186 Hiigaran Age of reason 167 calendar 183 campaign 182 Destruction and exodus 167 Early settlement and heresy wars 166 Empire occupies 165 Exile 166 Fall of 165 Futures yet undreamt 168 history 170, 176 invasion 230, 235 Khar-Toba era 167 Landfall 167 Period of new wars 167 Historical briefing 3, 165–197 Hraal 173, 218–226, 233 culture 219 history 219 portrait 219 Hull points 102 Hyperdrive technology 2, 32, 134–136, 147, 148, 161, 167, 178 Hyperspace core 135–136, 140, 158, 184, 187, 194, 217 Hyperspace inhibitor (network) 147 Hyperspace Inhibitor (Network) 147 Hyperspace inhibitor (standalone) 147 Hyperspace Inhibitor (Standalone) 147 Hyperspace jumps 104, 161, 170 Hyperspace technology 161, 163, 167, 180, 253 Advanced Hyperdrive 161 Hyperspace Inhibitor 161

Increasing attributes 83, 164 Increasing skills 83 Injuries 21, 24–25, 34, 59, 77, 87, 93, 95, 291, 293 Avoiding 25 Inner rim 188 Interceptor 112 Intimidation 27, 29–30, 248 Ion Array Frigate 124 Ion Cannon Frigate 122

326

J Jumps Short and far 165 Junkyard Dog 149 Junkyard Dog-class salvage corvette 189 Junkyard Office 149

K Kaalel 173, 196, 213, 220–221, 233 culture 220 history 221 portrait 221 Kadesh 245–246 Adventure seeds 249 After the Homeworld War 249 Campaign 181 Captain 318 Characters 319 History 245 Kinsman 317 Nebula locations 248 People 245–249, 247 Pod fighter 318 Political leadership 247 Kadeshi Mothership, The 137–139 Kapella, The (Destroyer) 128 Karan S’jet, neuroscientist 305 Karos graveyard 189 Kharak 186 Kharak, Kiithid of 172 Khar-Selim 150 Khar-Toba 150, 187 Khontala Mountains 47 Kiith 198 Ferriil 222–223 Gaalsien 199–200 Hraal 173, 218–220, 223–225, 233 Assembly line 218 Culture 219

CHAPTER 9

History 219 Portrait 219 Story seeds 219 Jaraci 173, 224 Kaalel 173, 196, 213, 220–221, 233 Culture 220 Dark magic 221 History 221 Portrait 221 Shadow walkers 220 Story seeds 221 LiirHra 173, 211, 219, 223–224, 231, 233 Manaan 43, 173, 211–212 Ambassadors 213 Culture 212 Ferin Sha 211 History 212 Significant 213 Story seeds 214 Travelers 211 Naabal 38, 173, 228–233, 300, 303 Building civilization 209 Culture 209 History 210 Story seeds 211 Paktu 42, 173, 226–233, 301–304 Sagald 173, 176–178, 198, 207, 222 Siidim 42, 172–174, 173, 198–199, 216–218, 222–226, 230–233 Alien origins 217 Chosen ones 216 Culture 217 History 217 Portrait 217 Story seeds 218 S’jet 41, 173, 194, 198, 206–210, 217–218, 224–233, 253, 282, 286 Culture 207 History 207 Portrait 207 Serving the truth 206 Significant S’jet 208 Story seeds 209 Soban 38–41, 47, 89, 173, 203–206, 211, 215, 219, 221, 226–232, 300 Somtaaw 44, 47, 173, 194–195, 210, 214–219, 226, 230–232, 299, 305

Heresy wars 172 Key battles of the Homeworld War 180 Mothership 179 Post-exodus 169, 183 Pre-exile 169–170 Pre-exodus 169, 177 Timeline 169 Kushan Mothership, The 133–136

L Landfall 44, 132, 174, 180, 183, 186–187, 195, 197, 208, 214, 217, 222, 224, 229–232, 306 Larger ships 65, 67, 106, 109, 112, 121 Lifepath, creation 37–69 Lifepath overview 38 Lifepath, steps of 38 Career 54–55 Career events 56–62 Environment 46–47 Finishing touches 63–69 Kiith background 39–45 Profession 52–53 Starting points 37 Upbringing 48–51 Light Corvette 116

M Major action movement 23 Major actions 20 Assist 20 Attack 20 Pass 20 Ready 20 Skill test 20 Sprint 20 Stabilize 20 Making an attack 21–23, 87, 108 Manaan, Kiith 211–214 Captain 301 culture 212 history 211 Manaan-Sa, Jeremiah 213 Maneuvers 59, 66, 102, 110, 116, 202 Maximum stress 21, 24, 38, 43, 64, 72, 78, 81, 289–290 Mechanic’s toolkit 99–100 Medical and research track 274 Medical roles 274 Research roles 274 Medical talents 77

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Applied Knowledge 77 Doctor’s Orders 77 First Response 77 Quick Study 77 Triage 77 Medic’s toolkit 99–100 Melee attacks 21, 269 Attacker wins 269 Draw 269 Target wins 269 Melee weapons 85, 90–92 Baton 90–91 Club 90–91 Combat knife 90–91 Dagger (standard) 90–91 Hand axe 91–92 Long blade 91–92 Machete 91–92 Officer’s blade 91–92 Shock baton 90–91 Short blade 91–92 Unarmed strike 91–92 Utility blade 91–92 Milestones 275–276 Arc 276 Normal 275 Spotlight 275–276 Military track 273 Command role 273 Diplomat role 273 Soldier and security roles 273 Minelayer Corvette 118 Minor action movement 23 Minor actions 20 Aim 20 Draw item 20 Move 20–21 Prepare 21 Minor and vassal Kiith 222–224 Missile Corvette 119 Missile Destroyer 126 Mission design 281 Modern era alliances 229 Momentum 15, 266–269 Pool 15–16, 268 Saving 16 Spending 15 Additional minor actions 15 Additional skill test 15 Ask a Question 15 Create truth 15 Inflict extra stress 15 Keep the initiative 15 Purchase d20s 15 Talent 15

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Culture 215 Great miners 214 History 215 Portrait 215 Significant 216 Story seeds 216 Tambuur 222 Kiithid, groups of Ferrill 174 Gaalsien 172, 174, 176 Hraal 173 Jaraci 173 Kaalel 173 LiirHra 173 Manaan 173 Naabal 173 Paktu 173 Sagald 173 Siidim 173 S’jet 173 Soban 173 Somtaaw 173 Tambur 174 Kiithid society briefing 3, 198–233 Kiith politics 225–233 Alliances form 225 Daiamid, The 225 Kiith Paktu and the southern coalition 226 Modern era alliances 229 Northern coalition 225 Post-guidestone discovery 227 Kinetic weapons 86, 106, 142 Korvakke, Lady 238 Kushan Civilization 199, 209, 229–230 Intelligence 201 Locations 185 Angel moon 186 Galactic council center 189 Great nebula 188 Great wastelands 188 Hiigara 185 Inner rim 187 Karos graveyard 189 Kharak 186 Khar-Toba 187 Lesser 191 Outer rim 188 Taiidan 190 People’s technology 89 Society 4, 198, 230, 232 Kushan, brief history of 169 Age of Reason 173 Exile 169–171 Exodus 169, 176–177, 180

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Momentum, Threat, and Fortune 15–18 Mothership 102, 104, 108, 110, 114, 117–118, 127–128, 130, 132–133, 137–140, 142–143, 145, 147, 159, 161–162, 167, 208, 210, 224, 232 Movement & terrain 22 Multi-Beam Frigate 124 Multi-gun Corvette 119

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Naabal, Kiith 38, 209 Culture 209–210 History 210 Portrait 210 Wing Commander 300 Name 68 New focuses 83 New talents 83 Non-combat ships 129–132 Cloak Generator 131 Cryo Trays 132 Probe 130 Research Ship 131 Resource Collector 129 Resource Controller 130 Non-plated body armor 99 Non-player characters (NPCs) 3, 6, 12, 16, 32, 68, 267–269, 272, 277–278, 282–321 Bentusi Traders 320–321 Bentusi Characters 321 Bentusi Fist (notable) 321 Bentusi Mouth (notable) 320 Creating 283 Kadeshi, The 317–319 Areshem, High Gardener (major) 319 Kadeshi Captain (notable) 318 Kadeshi Characters 319 Kadeshi Kinsman (minor) 317 Kadeshi Pod Fighter (minor) 318 Kinds 282 Kushan Fleet Personnel 299–306 Admiral Pash Paktu (major) 304 Captain Sanja Naabal (major) 303 Fleet Command (major) 306 Karan S’Jet, Neuroscientist (major) 305 Manaan Captain (notable) 301 Naabal Wing Commander (minor) 300

328

Paktu Operative (notable) 302 Paktu Pilot (minor) 301 S’Jet Medical Officer (notable) 302 Soban Bodyguard (minor) 300 Somtaaw Mechanic (minor) 299 Major 287 Attributes 288 Discovery during play 290 Finalizing details 289 Focuses 288 Role 288 Skills 288 Talents 289 Talents and special rules 291 Truths and defining aspects 289 Minor 283 Momentum spends 296 Notable 285 Roles 293–294 Bureaucrat 293 Explorer 293 Mercenary 293 Merchant 294 Noble 294 Refugee 294 Rogue 294 Scavenger 294 Ships 105, 108, 111, 152, 156, 278–279 Taiidan Military, The 307–312 Characters 312 Emperor Riesstiu IV the Second (major) 312 Perillier, Imperial Assassin (major) 311 Taiidan Explorer (notable) 310 Taiidan Fighter Pilot (minor) 308 Taiidan Navigator (minor) 308 Taiidan Security Officer (minor) 309 Turanic Raiders 313–316 Araan Kalik, Turanic Brigand (major) 316 Turani Characters 315 Turani Raider (minor) 313 Turani Tinker (minor) 315 Turani Veteran (notable) 314 Using and running 295 Adversaries 295 Allies 295 Categorizing 298 Different rules 297 Neutral parties 296 Promoting and improving 297 Northern coalition 225

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O Opposed tests 13–14, 22, 27, 29, 31, 266, 269 Outer rim 188 Override 105

P Paktu 201–203 Culture 201 History 202 Operative 302 Pilot 301 Portrait 202 Significant 202 Story Seeds 202 Paktu, Chiisur 202 Paktu, Majiir 42, 226 Paper and pencils 4 Pash Paktu, Admiral 304 Pellet shotgun 93 Perillier, Imperial Assassin 311 Personal details 38, 68, 68–69 Appearance 68 Name 68 Personality 68 Relationships 68 Persuasion 57, 60 Pilot 13, 45, 52–53, 55, 59, 62, 68, 103–104, 108, 140, 283, 286–288, 301, 317 Player characters 2–3, 6, 12–13, 16, 32, 34, 68, 80–81, 83, 85, 102, 104, 111, 151, 171, 191, 201, 203, 218–222, 239–240, 250, 255, 260–261, 263–269, 271–272, 273, 275, 277–285, 284, 289, 291, 295–296, 298–299 Players 3 Play, Styles of 265 Bridge crew 265 Masters and commanders 265 Spooks and spies 265 Support personnel 265 Political mind 40, 311–312 Politics, Kiith 225 Post-guidestone discovery 227 Precision rifle 93–94 Professions 52 Command and military track 52 Engineering and technical track 52 Research and exploration track 53 Progenitors 260

Adventure seeds 260 Progenitor technology 163, 262 Creating new technology 163 Progenitor ablative armour 163 Progenitor ion cannons 163 Pulsar beams 163 Projectile cannon 106, 115, 119 Prone 21–22 Proximity Sensor 146

R

S Sagald, Mevath 169, 173, 176–178, 207, 222 Sajuuk, Great Maker 199 Salvage Corvette 117 Sanja Naabal, Captain 303 Scenes 2–3, 6, 15, 19–20, 26, 80, 111, 210, 267, 273, 277, 280, 280–281, 290, 293, 298 Rounds 6, 19–20, 86, 108, 111, 113, 123, 126, 131, 137, 145, 157–161, 267, 272, 277–278 Turns 6, 19–20, 44, 105, 108, 272, 277–279, 289–290, 301 Scout 112 Security officer 65–67, 288, 309 Self-Propulsion 22 Sensor Array 145 Sensor technician actions 104 Chart hazard 104 Scan for weakness 105 Serious injury 56, 58 Ship combat 2, 101–264 Ship creation 151–159 Building ships 151 Installable and strange technology 160 Special functions 156 Ships Actions 101 Advancement 164 Attributes 101 Class 102 Combat 101–105 Breaches 109 Damaged systems 109 Destroyed systems 110 Destroying whole vessels 110 Distances 108 Communications and range 108 Distances and sensors 108 Environment and zones 107 Large-scale and simplified fleet 111 Making an attack 108 Random system hit table 109 Scale and attacks 109

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Momentum spends 110 Repairing damage 110 Removing breaches 110 Rounds and turns 108 Fuel 102 running dry and refueling 102 Hull points 102 breach 102 NPC ship operations 105 Operating 103–105 Actions 103 Actions aboard ship 103 Commanding officer actions 103 Communications actions 105 Helm actions 103 Hyperspace jumps 104 Other actions 105 Other minor actions 103 Sensor technician actions 104 Tactical actions 105 Scale 101 Special functions 102 Starship statistics 101 Weapons 106–107 Ships of Homeworld, The 112–150 Corvettes 116–120 Ambassador Corvette 120 Heavy Corvette 117 Light Corvette 116 Minelayer Corvette 118 Missile Corvette 119 Multi-Gun Corvette 119 Repair Corvette 118 Salvage Corvette 117 Standard Corvette 116 Fighters 112–115 Advanced Swarmer 115 Attack Bomber 113 Cloaked Fighter 113 Defense Fighter 114 Fuel Pod 115 Interceptor 112 Scout 112 Swarmer 114 Frigates 121–125 Assault Frigate 121 Bentusi Cargo Barge 125 Defense Field Frigate 123 Drone Frigate 122 Gun Drone Sphere 123 Ion Array Frigate 124 Ion Cannon Frigate 122 Multi-beam Frigate 124 Support Frigate 121

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Range 19–21 Ranged weapons 85–86, 93–94 Accelerator pistols and rifles 93 Automatic pistol 93 Composite pistol 93 Composite rifle 93 Electro kinetic rail gun 93 Extended rifle 93 Pellet shotgun 93 Precision rifle 93 Sidearm pistol 95 Sniper rifle 95 Rank 67 Captain 67 Commander 67 Crewman 67 Lieutenant 67 Lieutenant commander 67 Rashor, Lord 238 Recovery 15, 20, 24, 57–59, 59, 110, 196, 226, 291 Refueling 102 Reinforcements 16, 138, 149, 268 Relationships 58, 68, 229, 283, 289 Repair Corvette 118 Repairing damage 110 removing breaches 110 Researcher’s toolkit 100 Resource Collector 129 Resource Units 81, 83, 129 Riesstiu IV, Emperor, the Second 81, 143–144, 190–191, 235–237, 254, 257, 282, 312 Riots, Silumiin 169, 179 Roleplaying 2, 15, 17, 84, 263–264, 275, 295 Roles 65–67 Chief medic 66 Chief security officer 65 Commanding officer 65 Communications officer 66 Engineer 67 Executive officer 65 Medic 67

Pilot 66 Researcher 66 Security Officer 67 Technical operations manager 65 Rounds and turns 108 Running dry 102

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Motherships 133–144 Bentusi Exchange, The 140 HyperDrive Technology and Hyperspace 136 Kadeshi Mothership, The 137 Kushan Mothership, The 133 Taiidan Imperial Flagship, The 143 Turanic Raider Motherships 142 Mysterious Ships and Derelicts 148–150 Ghost Ship 148 Junkyard Dog 149 Junkyard Office 149 Khar-Selim 150 Khar-Toba 150 Non-Combat Ships 129–132 Cloak Generator 131 Cryo Trays 132 Probe 130 Research Ship 131 Resource Collector 129 Resource Controller 130 Other 145–147 Gravity Well Generator 145 Headshot Asteroid 146 Hyperspace Inhibitor (Network) 147 Hyperspace Inhibitor (Standalone) 147 Proximity Sensor 146 Sensor Array 145 Super Capital Ships 126–128 Attack Carrier 127 Carrier 127 Destroyer 126 Heavy Cruiser 128 Kapella, The (Destroyer) 128 Missile Destroyer 126 Short jumps 165 Siidim, Kiith 42, 172–174, 198– 199, 202, 207, 213, 216–218, 222–223, 225–226, 230–233 Alien origins 217 Culture 217 History 217 Portrait 217 Story seeds 218 The chosen ones 216 S’jet 37–39, 41–42, 134–135, 140, 168–169, 173, 175, 178–179, 182–184, 194, 198, 206–210, 217–218, 220, 222, 224–233, 253, 282, 286, 302 S’jet, Cynsk 208 S’jet, Karan 68, 134–135, 140, 168–169, 178–179, 182–184,

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194, 201, 207–208, 228, 230, 253, 282, 305–306, 320 S’jet, Krill 175 S’Jet, Rachel 68, 207, 227 Skills 8, 33, 63, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83 Combat 8 Command 8 Engineering 8 Exploration 8 Flight 9 Medical 9 Soban, Arkada 205 Soban, Kiith 38–41, 47, 89, 173, 203–206, 211, 215, 219, 221, 226, 228–230, 232, 300 Culture 204 Guilded Night 205 History 204 Portrait 205 Story Seeds 205 Generational Gap 205 Red Secret, The 205 Taking the Red 203 The Games 204 Washouts 204 Social conflict 2, 19, 27, 29, 34, 74 Social tools 27 Deception 27 Evidence 28 Intimidation 29 Negotiation 30 Somtaaw, Emilia 216 Somtaaw, Kiith 38–39, 44–45, 47, 89, 173, 183, 194–195, 210, 214–217, 219, 226, 230–232, 299, 305 Culture 215 History 215 A Test of Faith 215 Portrait 215 Significant 216 Story seeds 216 The Great Miners 214 A Miner’s Life 214 Southern coalition 226 Southern lands along the Majiirian Sea 46 Space suit 23, 75, 99–100, 301–305, 313–314, 317–318 Spark, Kariak 249 Special functions 102, 156–159 Class 1 156–157 Advanced system 156 Anti-strike craft design 156 Charged burst attack 156 Extended sensors 157

CHAPTER 9

Fuel requirement 157 Ion array 157 Salvage subversion routines 157 Small fuel capacity 157 Speed burst 157 Swarm 157 Class 2 157 Additional weapon mount 157 Anti-capital ship design 157 Cloak 157 Cloak detection 157 Command ship 158 Lay mines 158 Multi-gun 158 Multiple targets 158 Refuel 158 Class 3 158–159 Cloaking field 158 Construction ship 159 Field generator 159 Missile factory 159 Missile volley 159 Repair 159 Short jump 159 Spending Momentum 12, 16, 71, 159, 267 Standard Corvette 116 Standard equipment 88, 97, 286 Emergency breach patch 97 Goggles 98 Short term breather 98 Wrist computer 98 Strange technology 98, 162 Advanced communications 162 Drone technology 163 Subversion field 162 Stress rating Created weapons 100 Improvised weapons 92 Movement & terrain 22 Ship weapon 106, 156 Stress, injury & recovery 24 Weapon 85 Ammunition 86 Strike craft 101–103, 106–107, 112–121, 123, 126–130, 133, 137, 140, 143, 145, 148–149, 153, 156–158, 160, 202, 214 Super capital ships 126–128 Attack carrier 127 Carrier 127 Destroyer 126 Heavy cruiser 128 Kapella, The (destroyer) 128 Missile destroyer 126

Support Frigate 121 Supporting characters 3, 32, 80–84, 282, 295, 299 Advancement 84 Creating 81 Using 80 Swarmer 114

T

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Exploit opportunity 72 Fearless 72 Field medicine 72 Historian 72 Improvised weapon 72 Intense scrutiny 73 In the nick of time 73 Morale boost 73 Push the limits 73 Resilient 73 Second wind 73 Survivalist 73 System maintenance 73 Systems expert 73 Tactical weapons expert 73 Troubleshooting 73 Vigilant 73 Junior office 54r Font of potential 54 Medical 77 Applied knowledge 77 Doctor’s orders 77 First response 77 Quick study 77 Triage 77 Roles 65 Chief medic talent 66 Chief security officer talent 66 Commanding officer talent 65 Communications officer talent 66 Engineer talent 67 Executive officer talent 65 Medic talent 67 Pilot talent 66 Researcher talent 66 Security officer talent 67 Technical operations manager talent 65 Veteran officer 55 Veteran 55 Technical operations manager 65 Tests 9–22, 266 Assistance 13 Attempting 9 Difficulty zero tests 10 Improving the odds 12 Setting test difficulty 10 Challenges 271 Gated 271 Group 272 Linear 271 Non-key tests 272 Opposition 272 Timed 272 Complications 11

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Tactical actions 105 Taiidan 2–5, 12, 18, 22, 24, 36, 64, 89–90, 92, 99, 100, 112–114, 116–123, 126, 128–131, 142–144, 146, 148–150, 161, 165, 167–171, 175–176, 180– 195, 200–201, 205, 209, 214, 221–222, 227, 231, 234–240, 245, 249–250, 252, 257, 261, 282, 288, 293, 307–313 Additional locations 239 Ferox 239 Taiidan Veteris 239 Adventure seeds A Last Resort 240 In the Eye of the Boulder 240 Some Space Away from Family 239 Assembly of lords 238 Empire 242, 249, 252, 257, 259 Explorer (notable NPC) 310 Hunting 175 Imperial history 235 A golden age 236 Cycle of violence 235 Hiigaran invasion 235 Homeworld War 237 Past the Homeworld War 237 Military 307–312 Characters 312 Emperor Riesstiu IV the Second (major NPC) 312 Perillier, Imperial Assassin (major NPC) 311 Taiidan explorer (notable NPC) 310 Taiidan fighter pilot (minor NPC) 308 Taiidan navigator (minor NPC) 308 Taiidan security officer (minor NPC) 309 Political Leadership 237 Taiidani society 238 Taiidan Imperial Flagship, The 143–144

Talents 33, 71–77 And special rules 291 Combat 74 Close protection 74 Deadly shot 74 Pack a punch 74 Protector 74 Reactive 74 Command 74 Battle command 74 Coordinated leadership 74 Follow my lead 74 Interrogation 74 Strength of command 74 Creating NPC 289 Engineering 75 I know my ship 75 Inventor 75 Jury-rig 75 Zero-G engineering 75 Exclusive Demolitions expert 45 Faith 44 Formidable 41 I can smell the sea 43 Innovator 42 Master negotiator 44 Pacifist at heart 40 Political mind 40 Survivor 43 Taking the red 41 Theoretical knowledge 42 Truth of the trade 44 Exploration 75 Computer expertise 75 Experienced mind 75 Perfect recall 75 Zero-gravity training 75 Flight 76 Defensive attack 76 Fly-By 76 Precise evasion 76 Starship identification 76 Tactical weapons expert 76 General 71–73 Adaptable 71 Cautious 71 Collaboration 71 Daring 71 Dedication 71 Deep study 71 Defensive 71 Defuse the tension 72 Empathetic 73 Endurance training 72 Expertise 72

CHAPTER 9: GAMEMASTERING

Complication range 11 Success at cost 11 Difficulty 266 Extended 14, 269 Breakthroughs 269 Complications 270 Peril and time 271 Resistance 269 Work 269 Melee attacks in combat 269 Opposed 13, 268 Threat 4, 7, 15–17, 264, 267–268 Complications 16, 267 GM 17 Immediate Momentum 267 Momentum 16 Non-player character Momentum 16, 268 Reinforcements 16 Spends 268 Complication 268 Environmental effects 268 Non-player character complications 268 Non-player character Momentum 268 Non-player character Threat Spends 268 Reinforcements 268 Reversal 268 Threatening circumstances 16, 267 Tiir, Capital City 46 Tokens, beads, or chips 4 Truths 7, 34, 266 Advantage 7 Complication 7 Defining aspects 34 Defining aspects and fortune 35 Roleplaying with truths & defining aspects 35 Threatening circumstance 7 Truths and defining aspects 267 Turani 284, 288, 293, 313–316 Characters 315

332

Pirates 284 Turanic raiders 313–316 Additional locations 244 Araan Kalik, Turanic Brigand (major NPC) 316 History 241 Political leadership 242 Turani Raider (minor NPC) 313 Turani Tinker (minor NPC) 315 Turani Veteran (notable NPC) 314 Turanic Raider Motherships 142

U Uncanny communication 319 Universe of Homeworld 4–5 People, The 4 Ships, The 5 Upbringing 48 Artistic and open 48 Diplomacy and politics 49 Military or mercenary 50 Nomadic or rural 49 Technology and science 50 Travel and trade 51 Upgrade points 154

V Vacuum 23, 62, 99, 189, 192, 225, 283, 291 Action in 23 Velistradivus, Ygri 249

W Wandering settlements 47 Weapon repair toolkit 99–100 Weapons 85–96 Anatomy of 85 Effects 85 Qualities 85 Range 85 Stress rating 85 Type 85

CHAPTER 9

Use limit 85 Effects 87 Area 87 Intense 87 Knockdown 87 Persistent X 87 Piercing X 87 Vicious X 87 Explosive 95 Improvised 92 Melee 90 Obtaining 88 of Homeworld 89 Weapons and cultures 89 Bentusi and Progenitors 90 Kadeshi 90 Kushan 89 Taiidan 89 Turanic raiders 90 Other 95 Qualities 87 Accurate 87 Charge 88 Cumbersome 87 Debilitating 87 Hidden X 87 Inaccurate 88 Lethal 87 Non-lethal 88 Special 88 Ranged 93 Ship 106–107 Types and range 85–86 Ammunition 86 melee 85 Ranged 85 in zero gravity 86 Weapons and equipment 2, 85–100

Z Zero difficulty tests 10 Zero gravity 22, 73, 75, 86, 247, 250, 289 Action in 22

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THIS IS FLEET COMMAND Take your role as part of the crew on any of the classic Homeworld vessels. Step inside the fleet and for the first time discover the personal story of the Hiigarans. The Homeworld: Revelations tabletop roleplaying game gives you everything you need to immerse yourself in the Homeworld universe, exploring the history of the Kushan people from their origins on Hiigara, into exile on Kharak, and back again. Explore the harsh desert world of Kharak and the cities and societies found there, or follow the odyssey of the Kushan people as they return to their ancestral home, and take their rightful place in the galactic community. Packed full of never-before-seen Homeworld art, this game brings the universe to life in a completely new light. • A new iteration of Modiphius’ 2d20 System provides all the rules you need to dive deep into the events of Homeworld Homeworld.. • Create a character from some of the most famous of the Kushan Kiith - Naabal, Soban, S’jet, Paktu, Manaan, and Somtaaw. • Kit yourself out with a range of personal arms, armor, and equipment. • Statistics and rules for a huge range of iconic vessels lets you take command of fighters, corvettes, frigates, capital ships, super capital ships and of course the iconic Mothership herself – or even create them yourself. • Extensive lore chapters detail the history of the Kushan, the Taiidan, Turanic Raiders, the Kadesh, and the Bentusi. • NPCs for all the major factions, and rules to create your own.

MUH052361 Printed in the UK