NOVA RPG by Gila RPGs [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

DEDICATED TO: My partner Kate, who hates the sun as much as I do. And of course, you.

WRITING & DESIGN: Spencer Campbell COVER & INTERIOR ART: Eddie Yorke LAYOUT: Julie-Anne “JAM” Muñoz GM TOOLS DESIGN: Jeremy Gage EDITING: Will Jobst SPECIAL THANKS TO: To all of the Kickstarter backers who made this game a reality. KeganExe, Josh Hittie, Ty Pitre for their help in the danger room. The Gila RPGs Discord server for their unending support. Tony Vasinda and PlusOneExp for uplifting indie designers.

This game is Illuminated by LUMEN

Published by Spencer Campbell, Gila RPGs

GilaRPGs.com – GilaRPGs.itch.io – @GilaRPGs

Go Nova

Page 1

Rules

Page 3

Sparks

Page 6

Combat

Page 7

Character Creation

Page 10

Flare

Page 29

Session 0

Page 30

Missions

Page 33

Enemies

Page 43

Example Mission

Page 60

GM Section

Page 62

RPG

Page 68

The Setting

Page 69

Resources

Page 72

GOnova NOVA is a tabletop roleplaying game about exploring and rebuilding a world after the sun exploded. With NOVA, you and your friends tell the stories of the Sparks, brave individuals wearing exosuits, fueled by the sun, who venture out into the dark. Suit up and get your systems ready, you’re humanity’s last hope of a new dawn.

WHAT DO YOU NEED? You’ll need these rules, four six-sided dice (referred to as d6) per player, a printed character sheet for each player, and paper to take notes with.

rOlES at THe tABLe

The sun exploded. Its shards crossed the solar system, and smashed into Earth and our moon. Humanity was devastated, nearly wiped out. The moon was stuck in the sky—a glowing, pockmarked beacon of our apocalypse.

the_sunwells

Hundreds of years later, we rebuilt. The shards of sun planted themselves on our surface and cooled. Humanity huddled around these shards, harnessing them for warmth and light. And now, with the advent of the sunwells, we can tap into the near limitless energy of these shards.

THERE ARE TWO ROLES NEEDED TO PLAY NOVA >> THE SPARKS AND THE GAME MASTER (GM)

In a twist of fate, this new source of fuel is skyrocketing us forward in our tech. The cities built around the sunwells are a hybrid of the ruins of old Earth, and the technology of new Terra. We were ready to face the dark.

Most players will be Sparks, solar-fueled exosuits designed to defend humanity and to explore the dark places beyond our walls. Players are responsible for deciding their Spark’s actions while coordinating with one another to complete each Mission.

the_sparks

One player will be the GM. The GM helps weave the story of the Sparks as it’s told. This player is responsible for running the Missions, giving the Sparks objectives, and describing the environments and enemies of those Missions. Together, the GM and Sparks play together to tell stories about the dangers of a sunless wasteland and the Missions in which Sparks explore and fight them back. The Sparks decide how to focus their efforts while the GM will create the opposition they must overcome.

We built powerful exosuits, fueled by the energy of the sunwells. These suits, Sparks, would be sturdy enough to explore the darkness beyond the safety of the sunwells, and powerful enough to defend themselves and humanity from whatever lurks out there. You are those Sparks. Old Earth is filled with ruins, and in those ruins are the tech and knowledge we need to rebuild. There are threats out there, in the Dusk, that would take the sun shards for themselves, or see them snuffed out entirely. Suit up. It’s time to bring a new dawn.

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Consequences can be any complication for the situation. The Spark may have tripped an alarm, or accidentally damaged the console they were interacting with.

When in combat, consequences might include enemies dealing Harm to the Sparks, or making tactically sound maneuvers. For example, enemies may begin to flank the Sparks, boxing them into a corner where they won’t be able to use their speed to their advantage. For more examples, check out the GM section (Page 63). NOVA is a conversation between the Sparks and the GM. The game goes back and forth between frenetic fighting and moments of respite, exploration, and recovery.

The one exception to the core mechanic are Powers. Using a Power never requires a roll from a Spark. More details on how Powers are used can be found in the Combat section (Page 7).

When Sparks attempt something, and the success or failure of that action is meaningful, they must roll dice. Roll dice when attacking enemies, attempting to persuade a stubborn character, slipping past a guarded outpost, and other high-stakes situations. When Sparks act, and there’s no risk, there is no need to roll. Exploring an environment, discussing something with another character, and other low-stakes situations are of little-to-no risk for the highly trained warriors.

Core mECHaNIc

When a Spark describes a risky action, the GM decides what Attribute (Sun, Moon, or Shade) best describes the way in which the Spark is acting. We’ll talk about Attributes on the Page 5.

> The Spark rolls a number of d6 equal to an Attribute (Sun, Moon, or Shade) and keeps the highest result.

> 1-2: FAILURE, with a consequence > 3-4: SUCCESS, with a consequence > 5-6: TOTAL SUCCESS, full effect with no consequence

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Attributes are how the pilots resolve actions when they acting on and off the field. Attributes are rated numerically. During the game, the GM will test different Attributes, in which players will roll dice equal to their Attribute rating. Here, you’ll find examples of how the Attributes may be used in a variety of situations:

SUN

: Powerful, destructive, sweeping actions. Brute-forcing an old Earth console, smashing through a door or barrier, enduring a strenuous weight, speaking emotionally.

MOON

: Quick, reactive, dangerous actions. Quickly hacking a console, threading the needle, avoiding harm or detection, making a quick exit.

SHADE

: Practiced, patient, methodical actions. Carefully unlocking a console, assessing a situation or location, knowing when to act, using logic to reach a conclusion.

While each Spark is built for specific tasks and roles on missions, they all share common features.

ATTRIBUTES: Descriptions of how the Spark acts in the world. SUN: powerful, emotional, sweeping, destructive MOON: reactive, quick, nimble, effective SHADE: methodical, practiced, surgical, patient HEALTH: Amount of Harm a character can take before dying. FUEL: Resource that allows the Sparks to use their Powers. FLARE: Collection of modifications used to customize a Spark. POWERS: Abilities unique to the Spark, giving the Spark its purpose.

EXAMPLE OF PLAY... Kate is playing as Voyager, a scouting class Spark designed to seek and destroy the enemies of the Dusk. She wants to leap across a chasm unnoticed, timing it when the lunar hounds have their attention pointed elsewhere. The GM decides that this is a Moon action, it’s quickly acting during a moment of opportunity. She has a 3 for Moon, and so rolls 3d6 and keeps the highest result. It’s a 5: a total success! The GM describes Kate’s Spark landing on the other side, the lunar hounds unaware of her presence.

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Each Spark has unique Powers, coming in two different types: passive and active. Passive powers, marked with a (P), are always in effect. For example, Pyre’s Slash passive allows them to deal 1 Harm to any Close enemy at the start of their turn. Active powers require spending 1 Fuel to be used. For example, spending 1 Fuel allows Pyre to activate their Hunter Power, hurling a flaming spear at any Far enemy. While these Powers can be used at any time, they are most typically used during combat (PAGE 7).

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After each Spark has had a turn, it’s the GM’s turn. While the GM has their own turn, they also describe the enemy’s reactions to the Sparks that may come as a consequence from any rolls. See GM’s Turn section (PAGE 9) for more details.

RoundS & TURNs

Combat in NOVA takes place in rounds and turns. Once every Spark and the GM have taken a turn, the round ends and a new one begins. When a round begins, all Sparks take a turn, in whichever order they like. There is no established turn order, so any Spark may be the first to act. During their turn, a Spark can move and take one action:

> ACTION: An action is anything that Spark chooses to do during their turn. An action is typically using a Power, though it can also be interacting with the environment (like hurling a torn piece of machinery at an Umbral Prophet).

> MOVEMENT: Movement isn’t strictly measured, instead, NOVA uses abstract range. During a turn, movement allows the Spark to move one range unit towards or away from a target. Because Sparks are incredible pieces of technology, they can move in ways that many of us cannot. That includes wall running, scaling vertical surfaces, and leaping large gaps.

RanGe In NOVA, there are four range units:

Powers are abilities that are unique to each Spark. Each Spark has one passive Power, and four active Powers that they can activate during combat. To use one, first select a Power, spend the 1 Fuel cost, and resolve the Power based on its effects and any Flare mods.

When a character takes Harm, it is subtracted from their Health. Enemies at 0 Health are dead. When a Spark’s Health reaches 0, they go Supernova. Sparks that go Supernova use their Supernova power, and then go dormant. Dormant Sparks cannot act until they’re revived. To revive a dormant Spark, an ally may spend their action to bring them back to half their Health and Fuel, rounded up. Sparks are incredibly powerful machines, and the chance of final death is very slim. There are no rules for killing a Spark. Death should only be possible if the table decides they want those sorts of stakes in the game. If you do include death, make sure that the dying Spark goes out in a blaze of glory not unlike the destruction of the sun.

CLOSE: In melee, or a few steps away. NEAR: Anywhere within a standard-sized room, a short sprint away. FAR: Across a large hall or field, or down a long corridor. BEYOND: Anything beyond Far and out of the Spark’s range.

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EXAMPLE OF A TURN A PLAYER`S TURN... Kegan is playing as Pyre, the flame-wreathed ruthless hunter Spark. A group of enemy lunar cultists have been ignited by Ty’s Scorch Spark. Kegan uses their move to get closer to the cultists, changing their Far range to Near. Then, they use Pyre’s Finisher Power. Finisher allows Pyre to deal 1 Harm to every injured enemy within Near range. They mark one Fuel to activate the Power and describe dashing between each cultist, the fires of their sword raging and melting them one by one. The GM notes the Harm dealt and play passes to the next Spark.

GM`S TURN... After each Spark has had a turn, the GM takes their turn with the following actions.

1. Choose one enemy per Spark and activate one of its moves or deal Harm. Then, describe a meaningful change to the fight, like a change in enemy tactics, arrival of reinforcements, destruction of the environment, or anything else that will alter the Spark’s tactics the next time they act.

2. GENERATE DROPS: Drops are resources created by dead enemies that the Sparks can use to regain Health and Fuel. Roll a d6 for each enemy killed.

A. 1-2: No drop B. 3-5: 1 Fuel C. 6: 1 Health

The Sparks should decide who wants the drops generated that round. Any drops that aren’t claimed disappear.

After the GM’s Turn, the round ends and a new round begins. The fight continues with whichever Spark would like to act first, continuing the cycle. Sparks take turns and then the GM updates the battle after they’ve all acted.

AFTER THE FIGHT... Once combat is over, the GM generates drops and the mission continues!

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1. CHOOSE A SPARK

Your weapon of war, metal and flesh woven into one. You can find descriptions of the Sparks on the following pages. Give yourself a callsign, the name that your squad calls you during missions, and write it on your character sheet. Take a moment to describe what your Spark looks like to your squad mates.

2. PROGRAM YOUR SPARK

Every Spark begins with a starting value of 1 for their three Attributes (Sun, Moon, and Shade). To program your Spark, spend up to 4 points in total to increase your Attributes. You cannot have an Attribute with a starting value greater than 4 during character creation. Every Spark also has starting Health and Fuel values of 2. Spend up to 8 points in total to increase those values. Add a segment to your character sheet for each additional Health and Fuel.

3. EQUIP FLARES

Each Spark has a Flare system to modify themselves with. Flares are mods that provide ongoing benefits and change the way a Spark’s Powers work. Choose any two Flare mods and add them to your character sheet. More information about Flares on PAGE 29.

4. CREATE YOUR PILOT

Your pilot is who you are when you aren’t wearing your Spark. Describe what your pilot looks like to your squad mates, and write their name and pronouns on your character sheet.

WHAT`S NEXT? To jump right into a mission, see (PAGE 35) for rules on creating missions, or (PAGE 61) for an example mission. To collaborate together and create the world of NOVA, see (PAGE 30) for Session 0 rules.

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passive: > SLASH: Lash out with your solar blade. Deal 1 Harm to a Close enemy at the start of your turn.

active_powers: > DASH:

Single out your target and charge them down. Deal 2 Harm to an enemy at Close range, or 3 Harm to them if you moved before activating Dash.

> SINGE: Cast a fiery arc with your solar blade. Deal 1 Harm to all enemies within Close range.

> FINISHER: Streak across the ground like wildfire, dealing 1 Harm to every injured enemy within Near range of you.

> TRACER ROUND: Hurl a flaming spear at a Far enemy, dealing 1 Harm. At the start of the next round, you can instantly teleport next to that enemy.

supernova: > FIRESTORM:

Choose a single enemy at any range. Move to Close range and deal Harm equal to your Sun + Moon.

The first scouts returned from the scourged darkness of the Dusk telling stories of monstrous beasts and horrific cults, and humanity created something to hunt them: the Pyre. Where before we had to run when denizens of the Dusk would get near, now we could take the fight to them. As a Pyre, you deal strong single-target damage, complimented by high mobility. You have the right trick for every situation, so long as it calls for violence.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ MERCURY: Move twice per turn. ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ HONED: +1 Harm to Slash. ◈ COOL: +1 Shade ◈ QUICK-STRIKE: Slash can target two enemies. ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel ◈ RETALIATE: Slash activates ◈ HARDY: +1 Health every time you take Harm, as well as ◈ HARDY: +1 Health at the start of your turn. P O W E R M O D S ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ SWEEP: Dash affects all enemies Close to target as well. ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm ◈ LIT: Enemies hit by Singe take ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm 1 Harm if they act that round. ◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel ◈ PHASE-SHIFT: Harm for Finisher equals Moon instead of 1. ◈ PREPPED: First time this power is used in combat, it doesn’t ◈ PINNED: Target of Tracer - an action. count as Round cannot act this round.

◈ OVERCLOCK: Spend 1 extra Fuel to double the Harm.

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passive: > CONTROLLED

BURN: Warp the resources of your enemies. Once per GM turn, you can change a drop from one type to the other (e.g. Health to Fuel).

active_powers: > ENGULF:

Your Spark is wreathed in flame. Until the end of your next turn, any Close enemies take 2 Harm.

> ERUPT: Columns of flame burst from the ground. Deal 2 Harm to target within Near range, and 1 Harm to anyone Close to them.

> SNUFF OUT: Focus the sun’s fury on a wounded foe. Target injured enemy at any range takes Harm equal to your Shade.

> KINDLING: Fire shards of sun in all directions. Choose a number of

targets equal to or less than your Sun, at any range. Enemies take 1 Harm, allies recover 1 Health or Fuel.

supernova: > GLORY & FLAME:

Two waves blast off of you, one wrathful, one radiant. All damaged enemies immediately take Harm equal to your Sun. Allies recover Health equal to your Shade.

As our grasp of sunwell tech expanded, so did our Sparks. Armed with multiple sun shards, the Scorch is the embodiment of our dead sun’s fury. Conjuring flames with the flick of a wrist, the Scorch is a necessity for pushing back against the encroaching Dusk. As a Scorch, you to set the battlefield on fire. While your primary goal is to burn out your enemies, you help the team stay fueled up, and ready to fight.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ SUN BURST: You may have 1 drop each round explode, dealing 2 Harm to all Close enemies. ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon ◈ LIGHT UP: You can change 2 ◈ COOL: +1 Shade drops per GM Turn instead of 1. ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel ◈ ADAPTIVE: Any drop you pick up can be treated as Health or Fuel. ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel ◈ BOUNTIFUL: Enemies you kill ◈ HARDY: +1 Health create 2 drops during the GM Turn. P O W E R M O D S ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ EXPEL: When Engulf ends, it explodes outward, dealing 1 Harm to ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm every enemy up to Near. ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm ◈ WALL OF FIRE: Erupt’s column remains in place for a ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm number of rounds equal to your Moon. Deals 1 Harm to anyone that ◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel gets Close to it. ◈ SIPHON: If Snuff Out target ◈ COLDER: May use any Attribute in place of another.

dies, you regain 1 Fuel.

◈ STOCKPILE: Number of Kindling targets equals current amount of Fuel.

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V O Y A G E R

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passive:

> MARKED: Using your advanced tracking system, find your foes. At the start of your turn, Mark any two enemies. Marks remain until they have been used, but do not stack.

active_powers: > SEEK:

Micro-explosives are sent hurtling through the air. Choose 1 Marked enemy. They take +1 Harm from all sources until the start of the next round. Target lose Mark.

> DESTROY: Fire a salvo of homing explosives. Every Marked enemy takes 2 Harm. Targets lose Mark.

> HOLOSPARK: Deploy a decoy Spark at up to Near range. Marked enemies will target the decoy. HoloSpark ends at the end of the round. Affected enemies lose Mark.

> SWAP: Feel the quantum pull as your suit begins to phase. Switch positions with a marked enemy within Near or Far range. Target loses Mark.

supernova: > SOS SALVO:

Fire off a solar shard for each point of Moon you have. Shards can hit any range, and deal 2 Harm each.

The first Spark ever created, the Voyager is designed for quick movement and stealth, built for reconnaissance and scouting missions. The Dusk is a constantly shifting abyss, and without the Voyagers, we wouldn’t have a clue what we were dealing with. It takes a special soul to want to walk into the unknown. As a Voyager, you support your squad by marking enemies, allowing you and your allies to devastate them. The Voyager manipulates and controls the battlefield in lieu of all-out damage.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon ◈ SONAR: You may Mark any three enemies instead of two. ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon ◈ STUDIED: Marked enemies deal -1 Harm to you. ◈ COOL: +1 Shade ◈ STUN: At start of turn, choose 1 ◈ COOL: +1 Shade Marked enemy to not act this round. ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel ◈ NITRO: Can take one extra non-Power action each turn. ◈ HARDY: +1 Health P O W E R M O D S ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ LOCKDOWN: Seek target cannot act this round. ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm ◈ SPLASH: Enemies within Close ◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel range to Destroy targets take 1 Harm. ◈ PREPPED: First time this ◈ HARDLIGHT HOLO: power is used in combat, it doesn’t count as an action. ◈ TAGGED: This Power does not use target’s Mark. ◈ TAGGED: This Power does not use target’s Mark.

HoloSpark explodes at the end of round, dealing 1 Harm to all Close enemies and Marking them. ◈ MATCHMAKER: You can switch the target with an ally instead of yourself.

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passive: > UNSTOPPABLE: Foes are shaken by your very presence. While moving, stun 1 enemy within Close range, they cannot act for the rest of the round.

active_powers: > BULWARK:

Slam down an extending shield. You and all Close allies reduce enemy Harm by 1 until the end of the round.

> RUSH: Charge forward as an unstoppable force. Choose a Near location and rush towards it. Deal 1 Harm to any enemy in your way. This does not replace your movement.

> CRUSH & THROW: Target Close enemy is crushed in your grip for 2 Harm, and then can be thrown to a Near location. Any enemies there take 1 Harm.

> OVER HERE: Recover Health equal to your Sun score as you roar out a challenge to your foes. All Near enemies must attack you until the start of your next turn.

supernova: > EARTHQUAKE:

Send a shock wave through the ground. Target a number of enemies equal to your Sun and deal 2 Harm. Targets are stunned for the rest of the round.

Larger caravans and Spark teams bring the attention of the worst in the Dusk. The Warden protects anyone in their retinue, smashing the enemies of humanity into dust. Pilots of Wardens know that they must put themselves between the horrors of the Dusk, and those they’ve sworn to protect. They do so proudly. As a Warden, you’re defender and a bully on the battlefield. You help allies to endure incoming damage, while charging across the Dusk, ready to shout out a challenge to those who would harm your friends.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ DEFIANT: Regain 1 Health at the start of your turn. ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ SHOCKWAVE: Stun 2 total enemies with Unstoppable. ◈ COOL: +1 Shade ◈ SWEEP: If you don’t Move, all ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel Close enemies cannot act this round. ◈ HARDY: +1 Health ◈ RAMMING: Enemies hit by Unstoppable take 2 total Harm. ◈ HARDY: +1 Health P O W E R M O D S ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ REFLECTIVE: Deal 1 harm to enemies that attack allies protected ◈ FINDER: +1 Range by Bulwark. ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm ◈ COURIER: You may carry a Close ally with you when using Bull. ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm ◈ PULL PIN: Enemies killed by ◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel Crush & Throw explode upon impact, dealing a total of 3 Harm to enemies ◈ PREPPED: First time this there. power is used in combat, it doesn’t count as an action. ◈ INTIMIDATION: You may have non-Elite enemies flee from you instead of attack you when using Over Here.

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passive: > VIRULENT: Your plague slowly destroys all. Infect 1 enemy at the start of combat. Enemies who are Infected take 1 Harm at the start of your turn.

active_powers: > INFECT:

Cast forth a plague bomb. Infect 1 enemy within Near range.

> SPREAD: Compel the plague to spread far and wide. Target an Infected enemy up to Near range. Infect all enemies within Close range of target.

> SYMPTOMATIC: Decide the fate of the infected. Choose one effect for all

Infected enemies this round: -1 Harm dealt, +1 Harm taken, or cannot Move.

> FIGHT OR FLIGHT: Disease can cause unpredictable behavior.

Every Infected enemy either immediately deals their Harm to closest enemy, or runs away from you for one round, GM’s choice.

supernova: > PATIENT ZERO:

All Infected enemies take Harm equal to the number of Infected enemies. Infection for everyone is then removed.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ DEADLY: Virulent deals 2 total Harm to Infected. ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon ◈ PLAGUE BRINGER: Virulent Infects 3 enemies instead. ◈ COOL: +1 Shade ◈ VECTOR: Once per round, ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel Infect an enemy within Close range. ◈ EVOLVED: Choose one of the ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel Symptomatic effects to permanently be in effect for all Infected. This ◈ HARDY: +1 Health effect can no longer be chosen when using Symptomatic.

P O W E R ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ FINDER: +1 Range The Pox uses what humanity has learned of plague and viruses and weaponizes it against the Dusk. Capable of rapidly spreading, evolving, and activating various contagious elements, these Sparks are reserved for our most formidable foes. The methods are questionable, but nobody can question their effectiveness. As a Pox, your goal is to infect as many enemies in the fight as possible, steadily damaging them. Once you have a sufficient number under the influence of your miasma, you unleash potent effects, even activating a fight or flight response.

◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel ◈ PREPPED: First time this power is used in combat, it doesn’t count as an action. ◈ SPLIT -

MIND: +1 targets ◈ SPLIT MIND: +1 targets

M O D S ◈ ADRENAL: Infected target has

the Fight or Flight effect immediately. ◈ VIRAL LINK: Spread target takes Harm equal to number of newly Infected enemies. ◈ CLOUDED: New effect option for Symptomatic: Enemies can only deal Harm within Close range. ◈ DUAL STRAND: Enemies have both effects from Fight or Flight.

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passive: > RAISE DEAD: Once per round, when an enemy dies, you may immediately make them your Thrall. Thralls are revived with 1 Health and act with your Powers. Thralls cannot move unless a mod allows it. You may have a number of Thralls equal to your Shade.

active_powers: > PULL STRINGS:

Command your Thralls to lash out. Target Thrall attacks a Close enemy, dealing its Harm.

> SIPHON: Sacrifice a Thrall within Close range. It creates drops of Health or Fuel equal to its maximum Health. Any ally may claim them.

> POSSESS: Deal two Harm to an enemy within Near range, and give them a single command that they must obey.

> HAUNT: All Thralls shriek into the air. Any enemies within Close range to them recoil in fear and cannot act during GM’s turn.

supernova: > DEATH CURSE:

Your Thralls detonate with their death curse. Each deals 2 Harm to all enemies within Close range.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ SEWN SINEW: Thralls are revived with Sun Health, up to their ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon max Health. ◈ ENTHRALLING: Can make a ◈ COOL: +1 Shade Thrall anytime an enemy dies, not just once per round. ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel ◈ DANSE MACABRE: One Thrall ◈ HARDY: +1 Health can move during your turn as well. ◈ HOWLERS: Whenever a Thrall ◈ BUILDER: +1 Thrall Health dies for any reason, they activate the Haunt effect at their location.

P O W E R ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel The science behind the Grim Spark is a closely kept secret. Out in the field, this Spark appears to be able to reanimate and puppeteer the recently deceased. Given its controversial capabilities, this Spark isn’t deployed lightly. Pilots who choose a Grim Spark understand that doing so comes with a reputation, and one that many of them are more than happy to embrace. As a Grim, you to raise the dead, enthralling them to you. Pull their strings and send your thralls lashing out at enemies, while summoning a chorus of bone-chilling screams.

◈ PREPPED: First time this power is used in combat, it doesn’t count as an action. ◈ SPLIT

MIND: +1 targets ◈ SPLIT MIND: +1 targets

M O D S ◈ WEAVER: A number of Thralls

equal to your Shade or fewer may act with Pull Strings. ◈ RITUALISTIC: Thralls sacrificed with Siphon curse enemies within Close range. Cursed enemies take +1 Harm or deal -1 Harm until your next turn, your choice. ◈ HORRIFIED: All enemies within Close range of Possess target take 1 Harm and cannot move this round. ◈ RALLYING CRY: One ally within Close range of Haunted Thralls may take another turn this round.

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passive: > EMPTY CLIP: Pull out the big guns when things look tough. If you have 0

Fuel at the end of your turn, you may activate your Supernova. Gain 3 Fuel after.

active_powers: > FAN THE HAMMER:

Fire off a flurry of shots in the blink of an eye. Choose Close targets equal to current Fuel count. Each target takes 1 Harm.

> HIP-FIRE: Your shot has the sun’s fury behind it. Deal Harm equal to Sun to target within Near range.

> DUEL: Single out your foe and challenge them. Choose an enemy at up to Near range. Deal damage equal to Moon. If the enemy survives, inflict their Harm to yourself.

> TAKE AIM: Take aim at those who think they are safe from you. Deal

Harm equal to Shade to 1 enemy at Far range, or 1 Harm to a number of Far enemies equal to your Shade.

supernova: > BULLET HELL:

Fill the air with bullets of sunlight. Choose a range. Every enemy at that range takes 2 Harm.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ SMALLER TANK: Gain 2 Fuel from Empty Clip. ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon ◈ BLOOD BULLETS: May treat ◈ COOL: +1 Shade Fuel drops as Health drops instead. ◈ LEAK: -1 Fuel ◈ MERCURY: May move twice per turn. ◈ LEAK: -1 Fuel ◈ BULLET STORM: Supernova ◈ HARDY: +1 Health deals 4 Harm instead of 2. P O W E R M O D S ◈ OVERCLOCK: Spend 1 ◈ HAMMER FORGED: Fan the extra Fuel to double the Harm. ◈ OVERCLOCK: Spend 1 extra Fuel to double the Harm. As technology of old earth was uncovered and researched, it was melded with the new power of the sun shards. The Drifter Spark’s firearms launch bolts of fiery sunlight, and they bring an arsenal with them to adapt to any combat scenario. Few Sparks can match the Drifter’s versatility for dealing death. As a Drifter, you’re effective in many different situations, but rely on your ability to position yourself in a fight to use your strengths. A jack of all trades is a master of none, and so you must learn what kind of deadeye you want to be, or that your squad needs.

◈ SOLAR: Uses Sun Instead. ◈ LUNAR: Uses Moon Instead. ◈ TWILIGHT: Uses Shade Instead. ◈ PREPPED: First time this power is used in combat, it doesn’t count as an action.

Hammer Harm equals current Fuel count.

◈ EXPLOSIVE: Hip Fire deals Harm to all enemies Close to target as well. ◈ DEADEYE: Once per round, if you kill the target with Duel, you may immediately Duel again at no cost. ◈ RICOCHET: If single target for Take Aim dies, deal Harm equal to your Shade to an enemy within Close range of the target.

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S A N G U I N E

passive: > BLOOD BORN: Your blood is just another resource to you. You may spend 1 Health when using a Power to activate its Blood effect.

active_powers: > TRANSFUSION: > > >

Life, like all things, can be traded away. Choose two targets Close to each other. Transfer 1 Health from one to the other. Blood effect: Transfer Health equal to your Sun instead. SIPHON: Pull the lifeforce right from your foes. Deal 1 Harm to one Enemy within Close range and gain 1 Health. Blood effect: Affects all Close enemies. BLOOD BLADE: Lash out with whirling talons made of your own blood. Lose 1 Health and deal 1 Harm to every enemy within Close range. Blood effect: Deal Harm equal to your Shade instead. CAULDRON: Burst into a swarm of bats and move to any location within Far range. Deal 1 Harm to all Close enemies at location. Blood effect: Deal Harm equal to your Moon.

supernova: > UNDEAD:

You lock down, surrounding yourself with a steel coffin. No effect on death. You resurrect at the start of the next round without requiring aid from an ally. Activate Siphon when you do. Doing this uses your action, and you may only Move on your turn.

Sparks are able to regularly refuel in the Dusk by breaking down their enemies, but only one can completely repair themselves. The Sanguine Spark drains the lifeforce from those out in the Dusk, ripping it from their bodies and using it to fuel their own macabre powers. Just… no more vampire jokes, they’ve heard them all already. As a Sanguine, you toe the line between supporting your fellow squad mates and dealing devastating damage with your blood blade. You rest easy knowing that your Spark will always come back with a blood-fueled fury.

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ HEARTY: Recover 2 Health from drops. ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon ◈ LEECH: Fuel drops also provide 1 Health. ◈ COOL: +1 Shade ◈ REBORN: Gain the Blood effect ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel from Siphon with your Supernova. ◈ HARDY: +1 Health ◈ MOBILE GRAVE: You may resurrect anywhere within Near of ◈ HARDY: +1 Health where you died. P O W E R M O D S ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ DONOR: You and allies gain double Health from Transfusion. ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm ◈ REFRESHING: If you kill ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm with Siphon, you may immediately activate another Power. You must ◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel still pay the Fuel to do so. ◈ PREPPED: First time this ◈ HONED BLOOD: Lose any power is used in combat, it doesn’t count as an action.

number of Health to deal that number of Harm with Blood Blade.

◈ BLOOD SOAKED: Gain Blood effect at no Health cost.

◈ WAR PATH: Cauldron deals 1 Harm to all enemies in the movement path.

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I N F E R N A L

-

passive: > DAMNATION: Enemies affected by your Powers are Damned. Damned enemies deal +1 Harm the next time they attack a Spark, and then inflict double that Harm on themselves. Damned is removed after.

active_powers: > HELLFIRE: > > >

Ignite an enemy’s soul with a touch. Deal 3 Harm to an enemy within Close range. If they die from Hellfire, they explode and deal 1 Harm to all enemies within Close range to them. BRIMSTONE: Rock and ash burst from a tear in the ground. Deal 1 Harm to an enemy within near range, and all enemies within Close range to your target. All damaged enemies can only attack at Close range until the end of the round. BANISH: Cast your enemy to a realm of fire and pain, momentarily. One enemy within Close range disappears from the battle. They return at the end of your next turn. SINNER`S SNARE: Bind the bodies of your closest foes, and damn their souls. Target a number of enemies equal to Moon, they cannot act this round.

supernova: > FINAL JUDGEMENT: down to Hell and killed.

All enemies within Close range are dragged

P E R S I S T E N T M O D S ◈ FURY: +1 Sun ◈ ETERNAL: Damnation is not removed after enemies deal Harm. The Damnation effect does not stack ◈ CYCLICAL: +1 Moon if they are affected by another Power. ◈ COOL: +1 Shade ◈ DANCE WITH THE DEVIL: Damned enemies take 1 Harm ◈ WELLSPRING: +1 Fuel whenever they are Close to you. ◈ FINE PRINT: Damned ◈ HARDY: +1 Health enemies cannot deal Harm to you. ◈ TOLL:Damned enemies are affected ◈ HARDY: +1 Health by Final Judgement, at any range. P O W E R ◈ FINDER: +1 Range ◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm For most of us, the nova event was the end of the world. But a new Spark is heralding a new end of days. Infernal is a cursed amalgamation of technology and the arcane. Nobody is sure where Infernal came from. One day, the sky was red for a brief moment, a respite from the constant hazy darkness, and then Infernal walked out from the Dusk. As an Infernal, you will lockdown the battlefield, condemning the denizens of the Dusk as you do so. Fire and brimstone surround you, and those who suffer your attention will find themselves unable to harm you, the damned souls that they are.

◈ LETHAL: +1 Harm ◈ EFFICIENT: Costs no Fuel ◈ SPLIT

MIND: +1 targets ◈ SPLIT MIND: +1 targets

M O D S ◈ WHITE HOT: Explosion Harm for Hellfire equals your Sun.

◈ FISSURE: Brimstone now affects a line between you and a Far location. ◈ RIFT TEAR: When Banish Target returns, they deal Harm equal to your Shade to all enemies Close to their location. ◈ BIND THEM: Damned enemies affected by Sinner’s Snare take 1 Harm in addition to the Power’s effects.

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Every Spark fits the personality of their pilot. When a pilot decides which Spark calls to them, they program it to fit their preferred methods of fighting out beyond the city’s walls. The Flare system is a collection of mods that can be earned and activated for each Spark, allowing them to customize their abilities to your liking. During character creation, each player adds two of these mods to their Spark. As they complete missions, players will collect more mods to further customize their Sparks.

establish SAFETY TOOLS

> PERSISTENT MODS

Roleplaying games can be exciting opportunities to tell stories with others, but it is important to be mindful of what our fellow players are comfortable with. NOVA is an action-packed and combat focused game, and so violence is a typical experience when playing. As a table, you should discuss how you feel about that, how to ground that violence in a way that doesn’t make it feel mindless.

> POWER MODS are applied directly to Powers, increasing

You should also use some safety tools, whichever your group is most comfortable using. There are a number of safety tools and resources available online. I recommend looking over the TTRPG Safety Toolkit (bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit) as a starting place.

There are two types of Flare mods, Persistent and Power. provide ongoing passive benefits to the Spark. This may include increasing total Health, Fuel, or even bumping up the Spark’s Attributes. Other Persistent mods may affect the Spark’s Passive Power, or even change how the Spark functions in combat.

effectiveness or even changing the way they work entirely. Some Power mods can be applied to any Power, while others are designed for a specific Power. Every Spark’s Powers can hold two mods, allowing them to mix and match these mods as they are unlocked to find the right combination for their playstyle. As Sparks unlock more Flare mods, they will note them on their sheet. This collection shows all of the mods that they have access to, though they only receive the benefit of the ones that they have installed on their Spark. Swapping out and installing mods happens at the beginning of a mission (PAGE 33).

advancemEnt

The Flare system is how the Sparks advance their characters after missions. After a mission, each Spark unlocks any one Flare mod for their class. Unlocked mods should be added to their character sheet for future reference.

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During your first session of playing NOVA, you may want to spend some time establishing details about the setting in order to ground your missions and campaign in a world that you know. You don’t need to go through all of these steps during Session 0, but you and your group should always discuss expectations before jumping into a game together.

campaign_length

& GM ROLE

A typical session of NOVA can be as short as an hour, and is meant to capture the excitement of going on a dangerous mission, and then wrapping up. While there is no “official” length of campaign for NOVA, your group should discuss how long you want to play the game. You may find that you all have different expectations, and you’ll want to make sure you’re on the same page! One of you will need to be the GM each session, though that doesn’t have to be the same person every time! Given the mission focused style of NOVA, each session could have a different person as the GM, with the Sparks rotating based on who is playing.

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If you haven’t already done so, you all should build your Sparks together using the rules found on PAGE 10. The process for making a character is very quick, giving you an opportunity to learn more about one another. Go around the table and ask each other questions about your Sparks, their history, their personality, their reputation. The GM doesn’t need to be the person to facilitate this. Since you all are going on missions together, you might want to know more about your squad mates. Here are some example questions:

GREETINGS FELLOW PILOTS! > How long have you been a pilot? > Have you always used this Spark, or have you tried other models?

> What about this Spark drew you to it? > How have you made your Spark

unique from all the others like it?

Now that you’ve made Sparks and have “met” each other, you should discuss the city they are based out of. Every Spark squad is assigned to a city, and establishing some facts about that location will help personalize the missions you will go on. You don’t need to figure everything out during Session 0! Just get a baseline of the city and build on it over time. Start by deciding how large the settlement is. Sprawling metropolises can be found wrapped around the largest sun shards, while smaller shards create smaller and more intimate towns. What size city are you located in? What’s its name? Next, establish some of the key people, factions, and other organizations in the city. Go around and have each Spark describe one person that they know, that is personally connected to their pilot and important to the city in each way. After, have each Spark describe one influential faction or organization that they’re connected to. With each person and group established, players should feel free to ask follow-up questions. You don’t need to have all the details, but you’ll find the connections to one another and the city building as these people are further explored.

While the Dusk itself is largely unknown, the Sparks have some experience with it. Have each Spark describe a recent or memorable mission they’ve gone on. What did they see out in the Dusk? As a group, discuss which elements of the Dusk you’re most interested in exploring. Do you want to focus on mapping and tracking the shifting wasteland? Establishing convoy and trade lines between the few remaining cities? Or even seeking out the lunar shards, to do with what you will?

FIRST MISSION You’re all ready to go on your first mission! You’ll find rules for creating and running missions in the next sections. Good luck out there.

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deployment

The Deployment phase is where most of the playtime of NOVA takes place. This is where the Sparks go on the mission, fight enemy forces, delve into old ruins, and use their incredible powers. Afterward, success or failure, the Sparks return to their city to be Debriefed.

DEbriefing Sparks are deployed on missions to help defend the remaining sun shards and the last havens of humanity. Missions take many forms. Some require the Sparks to seek out technology from old Earth to help in the rebuilding process, while others see the Sparks eliminating those who want to snuff out the sun shards once and for all. Every mission has three phases: Briefing, Deployment, and Debriefing. Rules for creating missions can be found on PAGE 35.

briefing

The Briefing stage is when the GM presents the mission, and the GM and players work together to determine the stakes. The Briefing includes the essentials of the upcoming mission: the location, enemy factions in play, and the primary objective. After doing so, the GM asks the Sparks two questions to set the stakes of the mission:

> What will the city gain if the mission is successful? > What fallout will the city face if the mission fails? Once the stakes have been set, the Sparks may change any of their installed Flare mods based on what they’ve learned in the Briefing. While out on a mission, a Spark cannot change their installed Flare mods, so choose wisely.

ONCE EVERYONE HAS THEIR FLARE MODS IN PLACE, IT`S TIME TO DEPLOY THE SPARKS!

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After the mission, the Sparks regain all of their Health and Fuel. They then advance, improving their characters (see PAGE 29 for more details). After making their advancements, the Sparks should reflect on the outcome of the mission. First, look at the stakes that were established during Briefing. If the mission was a success, the take some time to collaboratively describe what that success looks like in the city. What changes can be found? How have the people of the city been affected by this mission? If the mission was a failure, how is that reflected in the city? How are the Sparks perceived when they return? Once the stakes have been addressed, the Sparks may spend some downtime in the city. Piloting Sparks is hard and dangerous work, and they’ll want to decompress after that intense session. In this time between missions, Sparks have the opportunity to reflect on their work and to connect with the other characters and factions of the world. There are no rules for this “downtime” period, and the table should spend as much time between missions as they’d like. Some things you might do between missions include:

> Helping the locals > Gathering intel on enemy movements in the area > Customizing and working on your Spark > Connecting with friends, family, or those close to your pilot > Blowing off steam > Making the city more like home

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cReAtING

GMs can use the following tables and guidelines for creating their own missions. Roll on the tables to randomize the mission, or pick and choose elements to create the perfect scenario for the Sparks.

zones

The first decision is deciding which zone of the Dusk the mission is taking place in. The zone determines the location the mission takes place in, as well as the number of enemies present.

zones

> There are three zones of the Dusk: the Crimson, the Dusk, and the Umbral.

> 1-2: The Crimson > 3-5: The Dusk > 6: The Umbral

> THE CRIMSON is the area just beyond the protective light of the sun shards, outside the city’s bolstered walls. This area is the least dangerous to explore since the safety of the city is always within eyesight, and the wiser enemies know to keep a great distance between them and the Sparks.

> THE DUSK is the largest part of the wider unknown. When locals refer to the “Dusk”, they usually mean this area. Voyagers regularly come out to this region to attempt to map it, though their maps need regular updating due to the way the Dusk “shifts” from time to time.

> THE UMBRAL is a region that few are even aware of. The deepest part of the Dusk, the unmapped regions. The Umbral represents the most dangerous parts of the world, the places Sparks rarely travel to. Going to the Umbral is dangerous and unpredictable at best, a living nightmare at worst.

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HEALTH POOL

missions

Zones also provide a recommended “difficulty” for locations throughout the mission. This difficulty is a total amount of health of enemy units to use throughout the mission. This number represents a “pool” of enemies that might appear in the mission, based on their Health values. Some missions may have you facing a small number of enemies with big Health values, while others are filled with swarms of low Health enemies crashing into you in waves.

CRIMSON: 50 Health DUSK: 75 - 100 Health UMBRAL: 125 Health

mission_type

There are four primary types of missions: assault, recon, supply, and support. Assaults focus on the Sparks seeking out and eliminating threats. Recon requires scouting out important assets and locations for the city, and a bit of subtly from the Sparks. Supply missions may keep you close to home, maintaining the city or helping the immediate surroundings. Support missions call the Sparks to help those in need.

mission_type:

(PAGE 37)

1) ASSAULT

4) SUPPORT

2) RECON

5) GM`S CHOICE

3) SUPPLY

6) ROLL TWICE, USE BOTH

enemy_faction:

(PAGE 43)

1) HELLIONS

4) LUNAR CULTISTS

2) CORVUS DOMINION

5) ROLL AGAIN + ELITE

3) HAZE DWELLERS

6) ROLL TWICE, USE BOTH

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asSAUlT

The bread-and-butter mission for the Sparks. The Dusk is filled with a seemingly endless supply of threats to our cities and sunwells, so the Sparks must be deployed to take care of them. These missions are the perfect opportunity to show what you’re capable of.

assult_variants:

> 1-2 HALT: Prevent further enemy movement. > 3-4 ELIMINATE: Remove the threat entirely. > 5-6 EXPEL: Drive the enemy away.

reCoN

Sometimes, a more subtle approach is necessary. As the only ones able to endure the harsh environment of the Dusk, it is up to you to scout out important locations, and keep the maps of the Dusk as updated as possible.

recon_variants:

> 1-2 MONITOR: Stay hidden and do not engage overwhelming enemy forces.

> 3-4 INFILTRATE: Stealth is priority, leave no trace.

> 5-6 CAPTURE: Locate an important faction member to gather information.

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SUpPlY

Not all missions require you to forge deep into the darkest parts of the Dusk. Sometimes, work at home is necessary. As highly-trained Spark pilots, you’re capable of a great many things. These include responsibilities in and around the city on top of your typical Dusk work. This is your chance to bond with the civilians, to remind you why you became a pilot.

supply_variants: > 1-2 FORTIFY: Strengthen the city’s defenses.

> 3-4 RECOVER: An important item is lost and must be found.

> 5-6 RELAY: Requires

movement of people or supplies.

sUpPort

A well-timed Spark deployment can be the difference between life or death in the Dusk. The Sparks may find themselves helping a great many people, in a great many places. When the call to action sounds, the Sparks are always happy to lend their support.

support_variants:

> 1-2 CONVOY: Escort a moving caravan. > 3-4 DEFENSE: Protect a location. > 5-6 BOLSTER: Assist an assailed party.

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Themes provide the personality and tone of a location. Each Theme has a list of Moves that the GM may use at any time during the mission to reinforce the feelings of the location. They can be used as consequences to Spark rolls, or brought into play to remind the Sparks of the dangers and unknown of the Dusk.

theme_table: 1) PALE 2) FORTIFIED 3) WILD A location where the narrative of the mission takes place and encounters with the enemy are commonplace. A location has two parts:

> THEME: Give the location its personality, as well as moves for the GM to call on to reinforce the tone of the location.

> STRUCTURE: Specific locations that can be explored, providing locales and scene prompts for the GM.

When creating locations for missions, you must consider the zone it is taking place in. Each zone provides a different combination of Themes and Structures. Crimson missions take place near the city, and so have simplified locations. A location here is made of a single Theme and Structure. Dusk missions require travel and navigation. They have a single Theme, but transition from one Structure to another at some point during the mission. Umbral missions create unexplainable situations for the Sparks, and so are a combination of two Themes at a single Structure.

CRIMSON: THEME + STRUCTURE DUSK: THEME + STRUCTURE → STRUCTURE UMBRAL: THEME + THEME + STRUCTURE

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pale: Lunar hymns and whispers. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

GUIDE DECEIVE SHADOW PREDICT ENCHANT PACIFY

wild: Overgrown and feral. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

STALK ROT BEWITCH NURTURE ENVENOM SNARE

radiant: Sun touched-blessed. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

BLESSED WARM SCORCH SHINE DAWN BLIND

4) RAVAGED 5) RADIANT 6) GROTESQUE

fortified: Bulwark, fortress, prison. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

DEFEND REPEL TRAP CAPTURE BOLSTER CHALLENGE

ravaged: Wave of destruction. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

RUIN DEFILE SCREAM HAUNT TRAMPLE REAP

grotesque: Dusk-soaked malice. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

WARP BAFFLE LURE TORMENT DISPLACE FEED

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old_sunwell:

A crater where past and future collide.

Structures provide you with specific locales for the action to take place in while out on missions. Roll 2d6, or choose from the list, to determine where the Sparks are as they move throughout a location.

2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

structure_table:

1) UNDERGROUND FACTORY 4) STRONGHOLD 2) METROPOLIS 5) TANGLE 3) OLD SUNWELL 6) TUNDRA

underground_factory: Machinery, long rusted. Creaking and groaning.

2) CATACOMBS OR TOMBS 3) SLEEPING QUARTERS 4) DESCENDING STAIRS OR PIT 5) LARGE HALL 6) FOUNDRY OR WORKSHOP 7) CARVED PASSAGES

8) STEELYARD 9) WAREHOUSE 10) ASSEMBLY LINE 11) LABORATORY 12) MINE SHAFT

metropolis: Reminders of a lost era.

2) IRRIGATION CANAL 3) SEWER ENTRANCE OR TUNNELS 4) RUSTED TROLLEY 5) OCCUPIED BUILDING 6) OVERGROWN PARK 7) RUINED STREETS

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8) CRUMBLING BUILDING 9) HIGHWAY OVERPASS 10) RESIDENTIAL AREA 11) CRATER 12) BLOCKED INTERSECTION

COLLAPSED TUNNEL FLOODED CHAMBER ROUGH-HEWN CAVE CRUMBLING CHAMBERS EXCAVATED CHAMBER DWELLING OR GATHERING PLACE

8) MAZE OF NARROW PASSAGES 9) MINESHAFT 10) SHRINE 11) PRESERVED VAULT 12) UNEARTHED SECRET

stronghold: A towering proclamation.

2) 3) 4) 5)

ALTAR CONNECTING PASSAGES TOWER COMMAND CENTER OR LEADERSHIP 6) BARRACKS OR COMMON QUARTERS

7) HALL 8) LADDER OR STAIRWELL 9) COURTYARD 10) STORAGE 11) ARCHIVE 12) TEMPLE

tangle:

A snarling maw of greens and browns.

2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

ELDER TREE WATERWAY OVERGROWN PATH GLADE OR CLEARING CAMP OR OUTPOST DENSE THICKET

8) BRAMBLES 9) OVERGROWN STRUCTURE 10) ROCKY OUTCROP 11) DEN OR NEST 12) REMAINS OR CARRION

tundra:

Icy winds howl for your judgement.

2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

NEST OR DEN ICY PEAK OUTPOST OR CAMP BRIDGE TUNNEL OR CAVERN WINDING PATH

8) OVERLOOK 9) SUMMIT PATH 10) ALCOVE 11) CRASHING WATERFALL 12) GRAVE MARKER

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Enemies have the following characteristics, though they might not have all of them:

HEALTH: How much Harm they take before dying. HARM & RANGE: Amount of damage done to the target's Health, and at what range.

MOVES: The actions, reactions, motives, and tactics that enemies use during combat. Moves are narrative flavors for using the enemy’s keywords and Harm.

KEYWORDS: Special rules or effects. See the list of keywords on PAGE 44.

VARIANTS: Optional alternative versions of the enemy, with any noted changes.

AN EXAMPLE ENEMY...

elites

Elites are the most dangerous enemies the Sparks will face out in the Dusk. These would be considered “boss” enemies in many other games, and represent a final foe the Sparks might face when trying to topple one of the enemy factions. Elites function using the same mechanics as regular enemies, with a few additions:

FOLLOWERS: A list of enemies that always accompany the Elite when they’re encountered. These are their most loyal followers, and will defend them with their lives.

LAIR: Specific Themes and Structures where the Elite is located, as well as possible additional complications that can be found there.

COMMANDS: Ongoing effects or moves the Elite provides to their allies throughout a fight, providing them bonuses to make the fight more challenging.

enemy_keywords

The Dusk has no shortage of threats hidden away in the shadows, beyond the light of the sun shards. Humans on their own path, animals changed by the environment, a menace from beyond our system, and a group worshipping the moon are just some of the enemies the Sparks will face.

> AURA: Ongoing effect as long as the enemy is alive. > BERSERK [X]: Deal additional Harm equal to X on their next action. This effect can stack.

> DISRUPT [X]: Prevent a Spark from using a Power or

During the GM’s Turn, Spencer (GM) activates one of the Lunar Heretics. Spencer describes the Lunar Heretic conjuring a beam of moonlight and firing it towards Kate’s Pyre Spark, who is at a Near range. Pyre takes 1 Harm from the Lunar Heretic’s action. Later, during Kate’s turn, she cuts down the Lunar Heretic, which activates its Expire keyword, dealing 3 Harm to any Close Sparks. You will find a number of example enemies in this book. They don’t represent all the threats that can be found in the Dusk, but should give the GM a starting place for where to begin.

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> > > > > > > > >

benefiting from a mod during their next turn.

DRAIN [X]: Target Spark loses X Fuel. EXPIRE: Effect that triggers when the enemy dies. FLIGHT: Cannot be Harmed at Close range. IMMUNE: Cannot be harmed until a condition is changed. LOCK: The Spark cannot Move during their next turn. PROTECT [X]: Reduce harm received by X to the named allies. RESTORE [X]: Enemy recovers X Health. SPLASH [X]: Inflict X Harm to units Close to the target. WEAKEN [X]: Reduce an Attribute by X, down to a minimum

of 1 for the listed duration. Sparks may be affected by this effect multiple times at once.

> WOUND:

Effect that triggers when the enemy causes Harm.

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When humanity returned to our scorched world, there were some who decided to break away from the sun shards and efforts to rebuild. These factions splintered and took to the Dusk, where they could hide, and wait, and hunt. These raiders are driven by a desire to pillage whatever supplies they may need, attacking weakened cities or vulnerable caravans, and so the locals took to calling them Hellions. While the Hellions may lack in the technological advances we’ve seen, especially when compared to the Sparks, they make up for it in creative engineering and a complete disregard for their own safety. Their equipment is slapped together with shoddy wiring and tape, but that makes them all the more dangerous. Travel into the Dusk has always been dangerous, but the Hellions have made our very homes a target as well.

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Humans weren’t the only ones on earth during the nova event. An old adversary of ours from beyond this solar system has lingered, waiting for their moment to mobilize and finish us off once and for all. The Corvus Dominion is a militaristic alien force, wielding technology and weaponry that rivals the Sparks themselves. Locals call them the Corvids, since they are an avian humanoid species, wearing armor hammered and shaped to look like feathered wings. They are scattered across the planet, but if they rally, they might be too powerful for us to stop. What little records we have of them indicate they specialize in hitand-run tactics, relying on subterfuge to seize victory, rather than brute force. This makes them unpredictable, which makes them dangerous. Tread carefully where the Corvids fly.

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50

51

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In the devastating aftermath of the nova event, the flora and fauna of our planet was warped by the Dusk. The creatures found in the wild do not match our records of old Earth, and we seem to be discovering new species or variants every time we delve into the unknown. Their ability to survive the Dusk is testament to their ferocity and resiliency. Hellions, lunar cultists, and even the Corvus are predictable to a certain extent. But the ever-adapting creatures of the Dusk, known colloquially as Haze Dwellers, are a threat not to be treated lightly.

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55

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While we were distracted by the Hellions and Corvus, something whispered in the minds of those feeling hopeless. We wouldn’t know it for many more generations, but it was slow and insidious. When we began our research on the unlimited potential of the sun, others began to seek out Lunar Shards, shattered remnants of our once gleaming moon now shadowed by ink and starlight. So-called Lunar prophets were sharing a belief to others: The Pale Path. There’s a larger design, we are the cogs of a grander machination. This filled many with a new sense of longevity. Soon, many would take “pilgrimages” into the Dusk against the advice of their family and friends. The results of these pilgrimages, and these rituals, have created many of the unexplainable mysteries of the Dusk. These rituals saw people being granted power matching our Spark technology and a protection from the Dusk itself, even manipulating it to bring ruin to those who would see the Pale Ones’ work undone.

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example

MISSION BRIEFING Recent reports have revealed a nearby industrial yard, its purpose from old Earth still unclear. Your mission is to locate the ruins, eliminate any threats in the immediate area, and assess it for excavation. If the location is valuable enough, hold it until an excavation team arrives. If the threats in the area are overwhelming, or the ruins are otherwise compromised, burn it down.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK SPARKS: > You’ve read the reports and have a guess as to the purpose of the factory. What is it?

> This area of the Dusk has a particular reputation. What is it?

> Have you seen an old sunwell before? What is it like? > There are signs of enemy movement in the area. What are they telling you?

> This enemy behaves in ways you aren’t used to. What’s different about them?

MISSION TYPE: Recon Location ZONE: The Dusk THEME: Radiant STRUCTURES: Old Sunwell, Underground Factory ENEMY FACTION: Corvus Dominion The factory is accessible after crawling through the remains of an old sunwell. The area still has lingering solar fuel in the air and ground.

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SOME TIPS AND IDEAS FOR THE GM: > Corvus soldiers prefer darkness to ambush, so the ambient light is tricky for them.

> If the Sparks can find a way to harness some of the

remaining solar fuel, give them a temporary boost in power or performance.

> The factory should be in stark contrast to the bright sunwell, a perfect haven for the Corvus.

> The factory is valuable to the city, but difficult to secure.

Either because the Corvus are in overwhelming numbers there, or they’ve done something to the location that makes the task of excavating it dangerous or time consuming.

BUILDING ENCOUNTERS During the early stages of the mission, send small groups of Corvus soldiers at the Sparks. Start with a single type of enemy, and introduce new types as the Sparks advance through the mission. Each enemy should change the way the Sparks need to approach combat, which helps keep combat fresh throughout the mission.

NAVIGATING THE MISSION The mission calls for the Sparks to change locations at some point. Have them introduce setting details as they move from the old sunwell to the factory. What changes? These details are things the GM can use when setting up future encounters with the Corvus.

MISSION END & DEBRIEF Depending on how the Sparks deal with the Corvus forces, the factory may or may not be viable for future extraction. If it must be destroyed, the final confrontation should pull the Sparks in two directions: destroying the factory and holding back the Corvus. If it can be extracted, what specifically must be done to hold the site? The Sparks have likely fought plenty of Corvus at this point, give them a special task that can bring the mission to an end. Regardless of the outcome, have the Sparks debrief how the city is affected by their choices. What new benefits are had with the new factory secured? What horrible fate did they avoid by destroying it?

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setting

& GENRE

NOVA is a sci-fi roleplaying game at its heart, but there are plenty of opportunities to blend that with horror or even fantasy elements. The Sparks themselves are unbelievably advanced technological creations. So advanced that many of their abilities might be perceived as magical by those who don’t understand the science. It’s really important to note here, you don’t need to understand the science as the GM. Much like we don’t ask for theories explaining how our favorite science fiction shows and movies “work”, the technology in NOVA just works.

As the GM, your role alongside the players is to tell a story of powerful Sparks going on dangerous missions. You play the enemy forces trying to stop them, as well as the people and factions at home that are counting on the Sparks. You are a storyteller, but you are not the storyteller. The best stories are told with friends. Here, you’ll find advice on how to run NOVA. No matter the advice, the best thing to do is to discuss things as a group.

expectations

& SAFTEY

Before playing NOVA, it’s important to discuss expectations. Do you want to focus on tactical combat, or do you want fights to end quickly so you can get to the places in between? How much time is spent at the base before and after missions will vary based on group preference. Safety tools should be used at your table as well. There are no tools specific to NOVA, but I recommend looking over the TTRPG Safety Toolkit (bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit) as a starting place. It is important for everyone to feel safe and welcome at the table, and these tools help make sure that is the case.

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Out in the Dusk, the region beyond the cities and sun shards, things are different. The end of the world changed things, as did the lunar shards that hit our planet as well. You are encouraged to present the Sparks with unexplainable things when they go out on missions, especially when the Sparks must go deep into the Dusk. Nobody understands the Dusk, and that opens it up for GMs and players to put whatever they’d like out there.

T H E .C I T Y Even if you don’t go through the Session 0 process together (as seen on PAGE 30), the Sparks work out of a city, fueled by one of the remaining shards of the sun. That city is full of people and factions that are working together (though not always) for the rebuilding of humanity.

With each mission the Sparks go on, ask the players to help narratively populate the city with people and places connected to the Sparks. Who’s waiting for them back home when the mission is over? Who deploys the Sparks? Answering questions like this will not only breathe life into the city, but will provide plot hooks for future missions! The city changes after each mission as well. The Sparks are doing something to help their home. Between missions, consider how the city might change. Provide new factions for the Sparks to work with and new places for them to interact with. Make it feel like home.

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Sparks can’t die in this game. When they go dormant, they explode in a powerful supernova, and then wait for an ally to pick them back up. They may be rushing to the end of the mission with no Fuel left, but death really isn’t on the table unless you as a group have decided it is. Instead, you should be pushing the players to reconsider their tactics, or change how they are prioritizing the mission objectives, not wipe them out. If the table is interested in allowing final deaths for their Sparks, then make sure they go out in a fiery and heroic fashion.

powers wording

The phrasing used for Powers is left intentionally vague. Powers are opportunities for the Sparks to feel badass, so use the loose writing to their advantage. For example, Scorch’s Erupt doesn’t have any rules on how it might affect the environment. But a resourceful Spark may decide to use the Power’s fiery destructive nature to smash down some terrain. Terrain doesn’t have Health, but it sure can burn. Lean into the cool, the badass.

FAST combat

challenging & PLAYERS HOW ARE THEY PERSONALLY CONNECTED TO THE MISSION? During the mission itself, build the setting of the Dusk with the players. It’s a nebulous, shifting place, and by asking the players what they know about it, or what they want to see while out there, you can paint the picture together. The example mission (PAGE 61) is an example of the sort of prep you could use to run a full session. Consider roleplaying opportunities! Spending time inside the city and interacting with its people before and after missions gives the city and its inhabitants more personality, and makes the stakes more meaningful to the players. You can find advice on how to incorporate more roleplaying in your game on PAGE 69.

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r e W a R D s 66

Rewards for players are in the advancement of their Sparks. The Flare system is designed to allow them to create builds for their Spark, mixing and matching different combinations of mods to support the playstyle they want to see. There are no other mechanical incentives in the game for completing missions. No currency, XP, or new gear for the Sparks. You may be tempted to include some of this, especially new tech and gear. I caution against it, because adding more levers and gears will likely slow down the play. If you do decide to add more mechanical incentives, I recommend allowing the players to start creating or upgrading the mods in their Flare. As they learn how they like to play their Spark, they may come up with exciting mods that would support that playstyle. Work together if the players are calling for it! Alternatively, find ways to make the outcome of missions meaningful without having to give them a mechanical gift when possible. They are going on these missions for the betterment of humanity, and the city they call home. Have the players describe changes in the city after they come home. Provide non-mechanical rewards found in the city. “Access to the old Earth archives” is a fun idea that doesn’t require rules behind it, but the players will probably want it! That will keep them wanting to keep playing even after their Spark is as powerful as it can get.

Some general guidelines you should keep in mind as a GM:

> You’re also a player in the game. You are not solely responsible

for “fun” happening at the table, and you should be having fun too!

> Be a fan of the players. They are badass solar-fueled mechs, and should feel like it. Challenge them, but don’t crush them. Play to the Sparks’ strengths more than their weaknesses.

> Keep it quick. Combat is supposed to be frenetic, and if a player

is taking a long time on their turn, feel free to “show your hand” and have an enemy start acting. Have enemies begin to reposition themselves, or have the sounds of incoming reinforcements echo off the walls.

> Spread responsibility. You are not solely responsible for knowing all the rules. Players should read through their Spark’s abilities together at the start of a mission, and how their Flare system might modify them.

> It’s a movie, not a simulation. Enemy characters should act and

react in combat in a reasonable way. Have them panic and retreat when necessary, but also rally and fight hard when the Sparks give ground.

> Find the story. Without context, the Sparks are just doing one

mission after another. Ask them why they do it, or what they care about, and then explore the answers to those questions.

> The world is strange. While NOVA might be considered sci-fi, there are no rules for what exists out in the Dusk. Surprise the players with what they find. Create the unexplainable, and make the return to the sun shards a welcome respite for the horrors beyond.

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NOVA takes place in an alternate timeline of Earth, where one day the sun in the sky mysteriously exploded, crashing down to our planet and ending things as we know it. Your version of NOVA will be your own, as the Sparks explore the Dusk and begin to help humanity rebuild. Here you’ll find as close to a canonical history of NOVA as the records can find.

NOVA is a combat-focused roleplaying game (RPG). The G is there in playing out fights, but often the RP is cast aside in these sorts of games. Include roleplaying elements and opportunities in your session to help ground that fighting in a context that gives it meaning. If you’re interested in including roleplaying opportunities in your session, consider some of the following:

> Building and populating the city as a central hub. The Sparks live there, deploy from there, and want to protect it, so spend some time walking the streets.

> After each mission, reflect on the outcome as a group. What changes in the city as a result of their success or failure? Does this push them to pursue some types of missions more than others?

> There is a pilot inside that exosuit. Let the pilots breathe. What do they do between missions to blow off steam, or to recover from a particularly exhausting trip? Who is waiting for them? What responsibilities do they have?

> The factions and NPCs pull the Sparks in different directions. The

Sparks can’t serve everyone equally, they’ll make difficult decisions about who to work for, and which causes to support. As a GM, throw the Sparks missions from factions that oppose each other, and have them remember who the Sparks chose.

> Sparks should have time during missions to explore the location. Every scene doesn’t have to be a fight. Give them time to search the space and make discoveries.

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Long ago, an extinction-level event rocked our planet: the sun exploded. It wasn’t destroyed entirely, but large pieces of the sun crashed into our moon and planet, wiping out most life on Earth. With the sun nearly gone, our sky became a hazy and eternal dusk. Before the event, some of humanity was hidden away, protected. Records of this period are largely lost, but what little we remember comes from stories swapped in these bunkers. They waited, and generations passed before the readings from the surface showed that it was safe to return. With great reluctance, humanity stepped back to the surface to see what had happened their home. They were met with devastation, destruction, and darkness.

sUN* SHArds There was hope. The remnants of humanity discovered that the shards of the sun had planted themselves deep in the ground, providing a source of light, warmth, and energy. We rebuilt around these shards. The energy output was unheard of, rocketing forward technology as humanity tapped into these solar founts. They were named sunwells, and pockets of humanity cropped up across the planet around them. Cities were erected using the ruins of old Earth, and technology developed at a pace we hadn’t seen before. But we were missing so much from our previous life. Technology, knowledge, memories… they were all out in the ruins beyond the sunwells, what we call the Dusk. Someone had to go out there.

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the After trapping the power of the sun, the Sparks were the first major innovation of humanity. These high-powered exosuits could be piloted by our bravest to go out beyond the safety of the sunwells, and delve into the Dusk for the secrets of old Earth. The first wave of Sparks were created for a specific purpose or role in a squad. The Voyagers were the first built, in order to begin learning about the world beyond the protective light of the sun shards. When dangers and horrors were found out there, production of Pyre and Scorch Sparks began. Eventually as we began to send people out into the Dusk to excavate these ruins, and set up connections between cities, the Warden Sparks were designed as a defensive wall. Once we had established ourselves, and the first wave of Sparks ensured humanity would begin to rebuild, new groups became interested in Spark development. Armament groups initially produced the Drifter as a way of field-testing weapons. Grim, Pox, and Sanguine Sparks all emerged as our understanding of science tried to keep up with our booms in technology. This second wave of Sparks is divisive in their approaches, but few can argue against their effectiveness out in the Dusk. To fight monsters, sometimes you need a monster of your own. There is no central body that coordinates the Sparks. Each squad is assigned to a city, usually the one where they were produced. From there, they work together, and with the various factions and influential people of the city to help with whatever needs doing. Voyager reports are constantly coming back with enemy faction movement, new ruins discovered, and other news from the Dusk. It is up to the Sparks to decide how they’ll use their incredible power.

THe dUSK

The great dark unknown beyond our city walls. The Dusk gets its name from the hazy night sky that hangs eternal. Occasionally you may catch a glimpse of the pockmarked moon, though it too was crushed when the sun’s shards hit it. In fact, large pieces of the moon fell to Earth during the nova event, and some say that lunar shards hide out in the Dusk waiting to be found. The further into the Dusk you go, the stranger things get. Near the sun shards, in the region known as the Crimson, things are relatively stable. Bastions of rebel human factions, warrens of animals that survived the apocalypse, and plenty of ruins of old Earth’s past waiting to be explored. The Sparks keep an eye on these regions closely, keeping them clear as often as possible. Some convoys travel between cities through this territory. While it is stable, it is still very dangerous, and Sparks always accompany any journey into the Dusk. Beyond that, the Dusk becomes unmappable, or at least unpredictable. Scientists from all fields continue to be puzzled by the reports brought back from Spark teams of what they saw. The beings that live out there don’t match anything from the few pre-nova earth records we’ve recovered. To add to that, deep regions of the Dusk “shift” as far as we can tell. Opportunities come and go as the world itself moves and twists in the dark. Deep in that dark though, is a silvery light waiting to be found.

THE LUNAR CULT

The one constant reported from the Dusk is the presence and influence of lunar cults, worshippers of the moon which still hangs broken in the sky. Very little is known about the cults, but reports show that they tend to congregate near the lunar shards found in the Dusk. Each sect has its own practices and beliefs, and so they are oftentimes found in conflict with one another over precious lunar shards. The few cultists who have been questioned say they’re called to the shard, and given instructions on the various rituals to commit in the moon’s name. The lunar shards have properties we can’t explain. Cultists embed them in their own skin, or the skin of their animal companions, and it...changes them. Larger lunar shards seem to be a power source of their own, similar to the sun shards found back in our cities. The cults wants nothing more than for the sun’s light to go out once and for all. They do not covet our sunwells, but loathe them. It is up to the Sparks to protect humanity’s last light from this force, and anything else that might come lurking from the Dusk.

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cHarACteR SHEeT

QUICK

reference

> CORE MECHANIC: Roll a number of d6 equal to an Attribute (Sun, Moon, or Shade) and keep the highest result.

> 1-2: FAILURE, with a consequence > 3-4: SUCCESS, with a consequence > 5-6: TOTAL SUCCESS, full effect with no consequence > SPARK FEATURES ATTRIBUTES: Descriptions of how the Spark acts in the world. > SUN: powerful, emotional, sweeping, destructive > MOON: reactive, quick, nimble, effective > SHADE: methodical, practiced, surgical, patient HEALTH: Amount of Harm a character can take before dying. FUEL: Resource that allows the Sparks to use their Powers. FLARE: Collection of modifications used to customize a Spark. POWERS: Unique to the Spark, giving the Spark its purpose. > COMBAT ROUND: Every Spark and the GM have a turn. TURN: Sparks may move and take one action. ACTION: Typically using Powers or interacting with the environment. > RANGE CLOSE: In melee, or a few steps away. NEAR: Anywhere within a standard sized room, a short sprint away. FAR: Across a large hall or field, or down a long corridor. BEYOND: Anything beyond Far and out of the Spark’s range. > GM`S TURN 1. Choose one enemy per Spark and activate one of their moves or deal Harm. Then, describe a meaningful change to the fight.

2. GENERATE DROPS: Roll a d6 for each enemy killed. A. 1-2: No drop B. 3-5: 1 Fuel C. 6: 1 Health

cHarACteRSHEeT

QUICK

reference > CORE MECHANIC: Roll a number of d6 equal to an Attribute (Sun, Moon, or Shade) and keep the highest result.

> 1-2: FAILURE, with a consequence > 3-4: SUCCESS, with a consequence > 5-6: TOTAL SUCCESS, full effect with no consequence > SPARK FEATURES ATTRIBUTES: Descriptions of how the Spark acts in the world. > SUN: powerful, emotional, sweeping, destructive > MOON: reactive, quick, nimble, effective > SHADE: methodical, practiced, surgical, patient HEALTH: Amount of Harm a character can take before dying. FUEL: Resource that allows the Sparks to use their Powers. FLARE: Collection of modifications used to customize a Spark. POWERS: Unique to the Spark, giving the Spark its purpose. > COMBAT ROUND: Every Spark and the GM have a turn. TURN: Sparks may move and take one action. ACTION: Typically using Powers or interacting with the environment. > RANGE CLOSE: In melee, or a few steps away. NEAR: Anywhere within a standard sized room, a short sprint away. FAR: Across a large hall or field, or down a long corridor. BEYOND: Anything beyond Far and out of the Spark’s range. > GM’S TURN 1. Choose one enemy per Spark and activate one of their moves or deal Harm. Then, describe a meaningful change to the fight. 2. GENERATE DROPS : Roll a d6 for each enemy killed. 1-2: No drop 3-5: 1 Fuel 6: 1 Health