Star Frontiers

Alpha Dawn — Expanded Game Rules

A Science Fiction Game from the Producer of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Design: TSR Staff | Editing: Steve Winter | Cover Art: Larry Elmore

Introduction

This is the STAR FRONTIERS Expanded Game rule book. This book adds more detail to the Basic Game rules, and introduces new rules and ideas that make the game richer and more challenging than the Basic rules. If you have not read the Basic Game rules and played the Basic Expanded adventures, you should do so before starting to read this book.

What is a Star Frontiers Game?

STAR FRONTIERS Science Fiction Game is a role playing game. In this type of game, each player controls an imaginary character, making all his decisions and guiding him through a variety of exciting adventures — fighting villains, capturing criminals and exploring strange alien worlds.

Although the STAR FRONTIERS rules describe certain standard skills, the game's detail and a character's actions of the players are not limited by the rules. Players are encouraged to use their imaginations and try whatever actions they think their characters would really try. This makes each game an exciting adventure.

Differences Between the Basic and Expanded Rules

The Expanded Game rules give more detailed explanations of character abilities, new rules for movement and combat, new equipment, and rules that allow characters to improve their ability scores and learn skills.

The most important change in the Expanded Game is the addition of a referee. A referee uses all the rules in both the Basic Game, but he also controls the adventure and makes the final decisions about how the rules should be applied. If players are in doubt about how to apply the rule to a certain action, the referee decides. Players are the pawns of a role playing game, the referee has the most important role in the game.

How to Use the Components

To play a STAR FRONTIERS game you need these rules, two 10-sided dice, the map and counters included with the game, pencils, paper, a place to play, and your imagination.

Dice

STAR FRONTIERS games use percentile dice. To roll percentile dice (abbreviated d100), roll both 10-sided dice. One die is the tens digit, the other is the ones digit. A roll of 0 and 5 = 05. A roll of 0 and 0 = 100 (not zero).

Counter Facing

Players can use the counters to indicate which direction a character, creature or robot is looking. The top of the picture on the counter indicates which side is the character's front. Players can imagine the character standing upright on the counter, facing toward the top of the counter.

A character can see anything that is not behind him. He can attack anything that is in front of him, and can defend himself from any attack that comes from the front or the side.

Maps

Seven small maps showing different types of terrain are printed on the back of the Port Loren map. These were drawn for the adventures in this book, but they can be used in any adventure the referee wants to create.

Map Scales

In the Basic Game, distances were stated in terms of squares on the map of Port Loren. In the Expanded Game, distances are measured in meters. This makes it easy to play the game on maps with different scales. A referee could map the inside of a building using a grid of 2 meters per square, map a city using a grid of 5 meters per square, and map the land around the city using a scale of 50 meters per square.

If the size of a map square does not divide evenly into a character's movement rate, counters can be placed on the lines between squares.

Playing Without a Map

STAR FRONTIERS adventures can be played on a table top, without using maps. Pieces of paper or other markers can be used to show terrain features, doors and furniture. The location of a player's character can be marked with a pencil or by using counters, cardboard markers to draw what each counter sees, roads or any other communication tools you see fit.

Miniatures

Instead of using counters, players can use small metal or plastic figures (available in most hobby stores). These can be painted to represent characters or vehicles.

Imagination

After they are familiar with the game, players may decide it is easier to play simply by describing where their characters are and what they are doing. The referee simply keeps track of ranges and obstacles in his head, and lets the players picture the situation in their imagination. Besides being a lot of fun, this eliminates the need to drag a map for everything.

Dice Rolls

Some Scores in the Expanded Game use 5-sided die (abbreviated d5). To roll a d5, roll a 10-sided die; 1 and 2 = 1, 3 and 4 = 2, 5 and 6 = 3, 7 and 8 = 4, 9 and 0 = 5. When a d10 is rolled for any reason, the result is 1-10 (10 rather than 0).

Expanded Game Characters

Character generation is a bit different in the Expanded Game. A player can change his character's Ability scores when he generates his character. He can also choose from other abilities in the game. Some races have special abilities that are unique to their species.

How to Create a Character — Summary

1. Use the STAR FRONTIERS character sheet, or make a copy on a blank sheet of paper.
2. Roll d100 once for each ability pair. Find the ability base score on the table below.

Ability Score Table

3. Decide which race your character will be. Add or subtract the racial modifiers from the Ability Modifier Table.

Ability Modifier Table

4. If the character is a Human, the player can add 5 points to any one ability score. These points apply to only one ability, not to both abilities in a pair.
5. Players now can modify their ability scores by subtracting points from one ability and adding them to their other ability in that pair. No more than 10 points can be shifted this way.

6. Divide the character's Reaction Speed score by 10 (round up) to get the initiative modifier. The final result is the character's Initiative modifier (IM).
7. Non-Human characters have special abilities that should be noted on the character sheet. These special abilities are listed below. For more details, see the descriptions of the various races.

Dralasites: Lie Detection (5%), Elasticity

Vrusk: Comprehension (15%), Ambidexterity

Yazirians: Battle Rage (5%), Gliding, Night Vision

8. If the character is a Human or Yazirian, decide whether he is right or left handed. Dralasites and Vrusk do not choose handedness, see their racial descriptions for more information.
9. Decide whether the character is male or female (unless it is a Dralasite) and give it a name.

Ability Checks

During STAR FRONTIERS games, players will want their characters to try many different things. In most cases, they will succeed. Many procedures, instead, this section describes how ability checks are used to determine whether a character succeeds at something difficult.

When a character tries to do something that is not covered by a specific rule, the referee should decide whether the attempt will succeed. Sometimes the character can do something that the character might not be able to do every time. In most cases the referee will decide which of the character's abilities is most closely connected to the action. The referee can decide that the result is equal to or less than the ability score, the character succeeds. If the result is greater than the ability score, the character fails.

Modifiers

The referee may decide an action is easier or harder than average because of an unusual situation. When this happens, the referee can tell the player to adjust his character's ability score by adding or subtracting a number, making the ability check easier or harder to make. Most modifiers should be multiples of 5 or 10.

Secret Checks

If knowing the result of an ability check will give a player something his character would not know, the referee should make the check secretly and tell the player only what his character sees, or what happens to the character.

Ability Uses

All eight character abilities are listed below, along with examples of tasks that would require an ability check against that ability.

Strength

Strength determines a character's ability to pull, push, lift, or break objects. Uses: break down a door, bend metal bars, apply or escape from submission hold.

Stamina

A character's Stamina score is the number of hit points of damage the character can take before being knocked out. It also gives a character a percent chance to resist the effects of poison, gas, extreme heat or cold, starvation and fatigue. Basic Game STA ÷ 10 = Current STA.

Dexterity

A character's Dexterity score determines his base chance to hit a target. It also is the percent chance a character can do things with his hands: picking pockets, catching an object that has been thrown, untying a knot under water, or performing delicate work like cutting a wire without touching it. Uses: pick a lock, catch an object, perform delicate actions.

Reaction Speed

A character's Reaction Speed score is his percent chance to react quickly to something, to avoid falling, to duck something that has been thrown, or to stop before a trap. It counts toward character's score for Initiative. Uses: avoid a trap, quickly grab a lever before it closes, catch your balance.

Intuition

A character's Intuition score is his percent chance to notice small details or hidden objects, to sense an ambush or trap, and solve a clue's direction. In some sense out of seemingly unrelated factors. When a character passes an intuition check, the referee should tell the player what he notices something unusual, and describe what he sees. The character sees or hears, smells, feels or tastes. The player must decide what to do with this information. Referees should urge players to figure out puzzles on their own. Intuition checks should be allowed until after the players have tried (and failed) to solve the problem themselves. Uses: notice clue, sense an ambush.

Logic

A character's Logic score is his percent chance to follow complicated instructions, to figure out the best way to do something he has never done before or see something he is not familiar with, and to make accurate predictions from facts. The referee should let a player succeed only if the character fails the check. The referee can tell him something that is true but not very useful. A character's Logic score can be modified by the complexity of the situation and the amount of time the character spends studying it. The referee should encourage players to draw their own conclusions from information. Uses: solve a puzzle, follow complicated instructions.

Personality

Personality affects how likely a character is to get a friendly response from a stranger and how long he can hold someone's attention. The referee should encourage players to role-play their attempts to use Personality and talk to NPCs. Uses: make a good impression, get information from an NPC.

Leadership

A character's Leadership score reflects his ability to command authority and have NPCs obey his orders. Leadership checks are needed only if a character orders an NPC to do something dangerous, or that he does not want to do. Under normal conditions, NPCs who work for a character will always obey that character. If characters try to give an order to a stranger, it is less likely the stranger is to listen. Uses: give an order, rally troops, maintain morale.

Leadership also is used to bargain with NPCs. The salesman's Personality score determines the discount (maximum 10%), but a successful Leadership check will get a better deal for the character. Characters can bargain for information as well as goods. Characters can bargain for information as well as trade with other characters.

More information about the effect of Leadership on NPCs can be found in the section on NPCs.

Improving Characters

Characters can increase their ability scores, and racial abilities, and gain skills through adventuring. As characters adventure, they learn from their experiences and improve themselves through practice. In STAR FRONTIERS games, this type of experience is recorded with experience points (XP). The referee hands out experience points at the end of an adventure to reward characters' performance and boldness. If a character performed beyond the expectations of his employer, he will receive more experience. If he failed miserably at his task, he will receive less experience.

Improving Abilities

Players can increase their characters' ability scores by trading 1 XP to raise an ability score 1 point. No ability score can ever be raised above 100.

Certain Racial Abilities (i.e. Detection, Comprehension, and Battle Rage) also can be increased by trading 1 XP to increase the ability 1 point. Racial Abilities cannot be raised above 100.

Obviously, increasing a character's ability scores will improve his chances to perform special actions, will improve his chances to hit in combat by increasing Dexterity, and will increase his chances to survive by increasing his Stamina. Raising ability scores also can replace points lost permanently to disease or resurrection.

Skills

Characters can learn skills which allow them to perform special actions. Each skill has six levels of experience. A character can raise his skill levels by spending experience points. Experience points can be traded to gain a level 1 skill or to increase a skill the character already has to the next level. The number of XP that must be traded for each skill and skill level is described in the SKILLS section.

The Races

The four major races in the Frontier are described on the following pages. Players can choose to have Dralasite, Human, Vrusk or Yazirian characters. Sathar should be NPCs only.

These five races are not the only intelligent races living in the Frontier; there are many other races native to planets in the area. However, these are the only races that have managed to build starships and explore and colonize other worlds.

Dralasites

Physical Appearance and Structure

Dralasites are short, rubbery aliens that have no bones or hard body parts. Their internal organs are suspended in a spongy mass of tissue that is protected by a thick, flexible skin. The skin is very tough and can resist small amounts of damage.

The most important feature of a Dralasite is its elasticity. The skin, internal tissue, and internal organs are all extremely flexible. With a little effort, a Dralasite can push part of its body outward to form a pseudopod. The Dralasite can then use this pseudopod to move, pick things up, etc.

A Dralasite's body has certain features that are different from its arms. The Dralasite's central nerve bundle (brain) is about the size of a Human fist, and can be moved around inside the body. The internal organs are all long, flexible tubes or small lumps of tissue that slide around inside the body cavity.

Dralasites absorb food through their skin by surrounding it with a pseudopod. Dralasites breathe by absorbing oxygen through small openings called "spiracles" on their skin, so they have no true lungs. They are hermaphroditic, but will not fertilize their food and absorbing it, so they eliminate few digestive by-products.

All Dralasites go through male, female and neutral stages during their lives (these changes can be controlled with hormones). A young Dralasite "buds" (parents' tissue is then absorbed). Dralasite "spores" then return to a neutral stage eventually reproducing and dropping off.

Senses

The most important sense for a Dralasite is smell. They breathe directly through their skin, and the entire body is sensitive to odors. Their sense of smell is so keen that they can identify specific persons by their scent alone. This sense is very helpful in dark tunnels or dense undergrowth. The membrane skin is sensitive to touch and to vibrations, allowing Dralasites to hear and feel well.

Dralasites see only in black and white. They see shapes and light and darkness very clearly, and can see a difference between close shades of grey (black and green, for example). Dralasites one is darker than they are, but they do not see actual colors.

Speech

Dralasites have a voicebox, but it works like a bellows because they have no lungs. A Dralasite's voice can vary from a soft whisper to a thunderclap loud enough to blow out eardrums. Besides using their voices, Dralasites also use shapes, colors and touch to communicate.

Society and Customs

Dralasites are philosophical and thoughtful. Their communities are small, and most Dralasites prefer to live alone. Dralasites do not care about wealth, power or status symbols. They judge individuals by the quality of their ideas and their ability to discuss important ideas calmly. Dralasites often hold large public meetings to discuss new ideas. Discussions and debates are among their favorite ways to pass time.

Dralasites have another favorite: corny jokes. They perform and trade puns with the fervor. These affect Dralasites the same way alcohol affects Humans or Yazirians.

Dralasites are widely known for their strange sense of humor. They love old jokes and puns that make Humans groan. Many Human comedians who could not find work on Human planets have become rich performing on Dralasite worlds.

Dralasites do not normally wear clothing, because it makes breathing difficult and interferes with their sense of smell. They usually carry their equipment on web belts. When they must wear clothing to protect themselves, they use special materials that let air reach their skin.

Attitudes

Dralasites are very fond of Vrusk, because they think Vrusk have funny shapes. They get along well with Humans but are careful not to upset Yazirians, who they consider too violent.

Special Abilities

Elasticity. A Dralasite's skin is stretchable and supported by a complex muscle structure. This allows them to change the shape of their bodies, within certain limits. They can "grow" arms and legs to use for walking and handling tools, and reabsorb limbs when they are not needed.

A Dralasite can have a number of limbs equal to its Dexterity divided by 10, rounded up. The player must decide whether a limb is an arm or a leg when it is grown. An arm that has a Dexterity score of 45 can control up to five limbs. It could have three legs and two arms, two legs and three arms, five legs and no arms, or any other combination adding up to five or less.

Growing or absorbing a limb takes five minutes. Only one limb may be grown or absorbed at a time. A Dralasite must have at least two legs to stand upright. "Fingers" for handling items can add up to 10 plus any extra arms.

Even though a Dralasite can have many arms, it can not fire more than two weapons at once. When a Dralasite player creates limbs, he must specify one as the dominant limb, the same way a Human chooses to be either right or left handed. Also, because a Dralasite's skeleton is only the pattern of veins and ridges on its skin, no two dralasites look alike. They use a permanent Id identification.

Lie Detection. All Dralasite characters have a 5% chance to realize when someone is lying to them. The Dralasite must be communicating face to face with the character, and the Dralasite player must tell the referee he is trying to detect a lie. The referee rolls d100 secretly; if the result is 5 or less, the Dralasite knows whether the person is telling the truth. If the die roll is 6 or more, the Dralasite does not sense that the person is lying. This special ability can be improved above 5% by spending experience points (see IMPROVING CHARACTERS).

Average Size

1.3 m tall, 1 m wide

Average Mass

65 kg

Average Lifespan

250 years

Reproductive System

hermaphroditic, budding

Body Temperature

30°C

Humans

Physical Appearance and Structure

Typical adult Humans are approximately 2 meters tall, and have two arms and two legs. They are warm-blooded omnivores with internal skeletons. Each hand has four fingers and one opposable thumb, which allows them to grip and handle tools. Their arms are jointed at the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Their legs are similar, being jointed at the hip, knee and ankle. Humans walk upright.

Human skin color varies over a wide range, including pale white and pink, tan, pale yellow, red, brown and black. The color does not change as the Human matures. Most Humans have hair covering the top and back of the head, and males also have hair on their chins and throats. Hair color starts brown and ranges to gray as Humans age. Hair color starts blonde or brown, and gradually changes to gray or white as the Human ages.

Senses

Humans have color vision, seeing the spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. They have good depth and motion perception. Their hearing ranges roughly from 16 to 27,000 cycles per second, with good frequency and direction-sensing abilities. Their touch is well-developed. Their senses of taste and smell are not as highly developed as their sight or hearing.

Speech

Humans speak by forcing air from their lungs through a larynx or voicebox and shaping sounds with their lips and tongue. They can create a wide range of sounds, and have no difficulty speaking Pan-Galactic and Yazirian languages.

Society and Customs

Human society centers around the family. A family generally consists of a father, a mother and 1 to 10 children. Families usually group together into communities that accept responsibility for defending and supporting all the members of the community.

On all the core Human planets, Humans are the most imaginative and adaptable of the races. More alien creatures have found the most new land and have met the most philosophical challenges. Humans tend to be pushy and noisy, sometimes putting their own personal and social freedom to work together in most cultures and in a variety of professions.

On a large scale, Human society is as fractured as that of any other species. Humanity races among itself, makes war against itself, and would have destroyed itself if not for the discovery of other intelligent races and the technology to colonize new worlds.

Attitudes

Humans are one of the most open and accepting of the known races. As such, they have become something of a "glue" in the UPF, building bridges between races and overlooking many cultural faults. A strong enough to welcome the social structures of other races, yet innovative enough to not be dominated by them. Perhaps because of this, Humans have become the most numerous race in Frontier territory.

Special Abilities

Humans receive additional training and education more than other races. If a Human character is going to start the game with a skill, the player should increase the ability score of one ability (not a pair) by 5 points. This cannot increase the ability score above 100.

Average Size

2 m tall

Average Mass

80 kg (male), 60 kg (female)

Average Lifespan

200 years

Reproductive System

heterosexual, viviparous

Body Temperature

37°C

Vrusk

Physical Appearance and Structure

Vrusk look like large insects. Eight legs grow from their abdomens, four on each side. Their torso is upright in front of the abdomen. The torso is humanoid, with two arms connected at the shoulders. The head is above the shoulders. Vrusk hands are circular pads with five fingers spaced evenly around the edge. A Vrusk's shoulders are double-jointed, so they can rotate their arms in a full circle without straining any muscles. They can reach any point on their abdomen or behind their back easily.

A Vrusk's body is covered by a carapace (hard shell). This shell is jointed at the Vrusk's elbows, hips, knees, etc. The carapace protects the Vrusk from bruises, cuts, scratches and other minor injuries. Unlike insects, Vrusk have an internal skeleton to support their bodies. Young Vrusk have a thin carapace with bright orange near the joints. As the Vrusk gets older, its carapace changes to dull brown with tan and grey near the joints.

Vrusk have large eyes that are protected by a hard clear covering. The mouth is surrounded by four eating mandibles. The two larger mandibles hold food while the two small ones tear it apart and place it in the mouth. They are omnivores. Vrusk have lungs, and breathe through many small nostrils under their abdomens. This arrangement makes it difficult for Vrusk to swim.

Senses

Vrusk have very good color vision, but they see more of the short wavelengths (blue and ultraviolet light) than Humans do, and less of the long wavelengths (orange and red). Their sense of smell is centered in their antennae, and is slightly better than a Human's. They also can touch with their antennae. Their hearing is about the same as a Human's.

Speech

Vrusk speak by combining clicks produced by their mandibles and sounds produced by a plate in their mouths.

Society and Customs

Vrusk are hard-working and practical. Their society is organized around corporations. For a Vrusk, the company he works for is his family and his nation. Vrusk give their companies the same loyalty that other races give to their governments.

Vrusk corporations are like mega-corps that take care of every aspect of their members' needs, from profit sharing to child-raising. All Vrusk within a company share a common heritage — company ancestors, company traditions, company beliefs and company goals.

Vrusk have two types of corporations: conglomerates and trade houses. Conglomerates have businesses ranging in many areas. A single corporation might have divisions that build computers, manage farms, teach classes and sell tools. Trade houses specialize in one type of business. Because their business is specialized, trade houses usually are more successful than conglomerates in their area. Vrusk think a profit for the corporation is one of the most honorable things an individual can aspire to. Vrusk believe their own happiness is less important than the good of the company.

Vrusk also are known for their honesty. A Vrusk will not lie to his employer, his company, or his friends. However, some Vrusk may be more selective about sharing the complete truth than others.

Attitudes

Vrusk get along well with the other three races. They respect a Human's flexibility, a Dralasite's philosophy, and a Yazirian's combat ability. Dralasites fascinate them because they are so different from themselves and are amused by the Dralasite sense of humor. Yazirians upset them because Vrusk cannot tell them apart by looking at them (all Vrusk have patterns of color that are used for identification).

Special Abilities

Ambidexterity. All Vrusk are ambidextrous. They can use either hand for any activity, and can fire two weapons at once (see COMBAT, the section on firing more than one weapon at a time). A Vrusk can choose their dominant hand at right or left handed.

Comprehension. Because Vrusk have such a complicated society, they can understand all societies more quickly and easily. All Vrusk characters start with a Comprehension score of 15%, which means they have a 15% chance to figure out something in an alien society that would normally baffle character of another race. For example, if a Vrusk sees that the locks on the doors are painted blue, he could possibly figure out that blue was sacred and has had a religious significance. Dralasites also can use Comprehension for language: they have a 15% chance to partially understand a spoken language. The referee should allow a Vrusk character to use this ability to learn about a culture or language once each day. This special ability can be improved above 15% by spending experience points.

Average Size

1.5 m tall, 1.5 m long

Average Mass

85 kg

Average Lifespan

175 years

Reproductive System

egg-laying (10 eggs)

Body Temperature

38°C

Yazirians

Physical Appearance and Structure

Yazirians are tall, thin humanoids. They have long arms and legs and slender torsos. Two large flaps of skin grow on either side of their bodies, attached along their arms, torso and legs. When a Yazirian raises its arms, this membrane is stretched tight and forms a sort of wing. Under certain conditions (explained under Gliding), Yazirians can glide short distances using these wings.

Yazirians have muzzles and high foreheads, giving them an animal-like appearance. Their heads are covered by fur as thick and full as the fur covering the rest of their bodies. Their fur is usually gray, ranging in color from glossy black to pale yellow. Their skin color ranges from gray to light tan. Because their bodies do not sweat, Yazirians pant to keep cool. They are omnivores.

Yazirians have four knuckles (one more than a Human) on their fingers and toes. The tips of their fingers and toes end in broad, ribbed pads, which help them grip better. The tips of their fingers and toes end in sharp claws. These characteristics, combined with their animal-like appearance, remind them the nickname "monkeys."

Senses

Yazirians' senses of hearing, smell and taste are equivalent to a Human's. Because they evolved from nocturnal hunters, however, their eyes are adapted to seeing in dim light. They can not see in complete darkness. They usually wear dark goggles when they must work in daylight. In light, Yazirians can see infrared outlines (but not color) of warm objects even without the goggles, but must wear them to avoid being blinded.

Speech

Yazirians have no trouble speaking Human languages or Pan-Galactic. Their own language is a combination of Human-type sounds and snarls and growls.

Society and Customs

Yazirian communities are divided into large, loosely organized clans. All the members of a clan are related to each other. In the past, clan ties were very strong. The clans had traditional enemies and allies, and they struggled constantly for power and land. Since the Yazirians moved into space, they have learned to cooperate more and the clans have become less important. Despite this, Yazirians still have a reputation throughout the Frontier as proud, fierce fighters.

Yazirians have another custom that sets them apart. A custom called the "life-enemy." When a Yazirian chooses a life-enemy, he dedicates his life to destroying, overcoming or outdoing that enemy as completely as possible. In the past, a Yazirian would choose an enemy clan or a Yazirian rival as his life-enemy, but now the choice is much wider. A Yazirian could declare a company or any organization as his life-enemy, or a competing company. The effects of this on Yazirian society are far reaching.

A Yazirian gains honor by striving to defeat his enemy. Yazirians with powerful life-enemies are respected and admired. A Yazirian that defeats an enemy does not need to choose another, but some Yazirians do. There is no set point in a Yazirian's life when he must choose a life-enemy, and some Yazirians never choose one. A Yazirian that dies without having chosen a life-enemy is considered a coward.

Typical Yazirian clothing is a large, brightly colored cape and tunic, a broad belt and two belts crossed over the chest. Dark goggles are worn in the daytime. Yazirians do not like shoes, but when necessary they wear light boots.

Attitudes

In general, Yazirians like Vrusk and Humans. They occasionally lose their patience with Dralasites, because they are slow and would rather discuss ideas than act on them.

Special Abilities

Battle Rage. Yazirians train themselves to go berserk in battle. A berserk Yazirian gets a bonus of +10 to hit in melee. Yazirian characters start with a Battle Rage score of 5, and a 5% chance to go berserk at the start of a battle. This chance can be increased by spending experience points (see IMPROVING CHARACTERS). The chance to start the Battle Rage score. Battle Rage lasts as long as the Yazirian keeps fighting. It ends when the Yazirian rests for five minutes.

Gliding. Yazirians can glide short distances using the membranous wing folds along their sides. A Yazirian can glide 1 meter for every meter he is above the ground when he starts. He must start at least 10 meters above the ground. The maximum distance a Yazirian can glide depends on the gravity of the planet, as shown below.

Yazirians cannot glide on planets with gravities below .8 or above 1.4.

Average Size

2.1 m tall

Average Mass

50 kg (male), 60 kg (female)

Average Lifespan

140 years

Reproductive System

heterosexual, viviparous

Body Temperature

38°C

Sathar

Note: Sathar should be used as NPCs only.

Physical Appearance and Structure

Sathar are long, worm-like creatures. Their bodies are divided into segments like an earthworm's. They do not have a skeleton. Instead, they are supported by an internal fluid that can be squeezed from one body area to another. Two tentacles near the head are used for fine manipulation and can extend about 1.5 meters. The first pair is slender and weak, used mainly for lifting food to the mouth. The second pair is stronger and about a meter long. The front pair is slender and weak, looking a little like a scaled-up lobster's antennae. They are used for lifting food to the mouth. The second pair is longer and about 1.2 meters long. Both of these tentacles are in use all the time. This second pair is used for heavy work, while the smaller tentacles are used for fine work and for holding small tools inside.

A Sathar moves by slithering across the ground with the first 3-4 meters of its body raised. They also can rear like a snake.

The color of Sathar skin ranges from yellow-brown. The tentacles are the same as the body, but with a slight greenish-tint. The underbelly is pink or pale yellow. A pattern of dots, speckles and stripes decorates the back. These patterns are natural for all Sathar, but are tattooed on others.

Survey reports on Sathar attacks have reported that Sathar are not affected by electrical shocks or stun grenades, but these reports have never been confirmed.

Senses

The Sathar's double pupils give it very wide angle vision. They can see in two directions at once with each eye, facing both sides at the same time. They can see well in poor light conditions. The appearance of their eye membranes is unknown, but UPF biologists assume their hearing, smell and taste is about the same as a Human's.

Speech

Captured recordings show that Sathar can speak Yazirian and Human languages as well as Pan-Galactic. They hiss and lisp when they speak. Their native language has never been translated.

Society and Customs

Almost nothing is known about Sathar society. They have tried to destroy every alien creature they have met in the Frontier, usually with stunning success. No Sathar has ever been captured alive, and no Sathar has ever surrendered or been taken prisoner — even when they could not escape, they killed themselves, apparently by hypnosis. Freeze fields have been used to capture Sathar, but all of these attempts have failed. Not even dead Sathar have been captured; they seem to have an extremely efficient self-destruct device that prevents their remains from being studied.

Scientists have proposed several theories, based on reports from ground witnesses. The most popular theory is that Sathar society is a giant hive, with each Sathar controlled by a superior (like bees in a beehive). Many Yazirians and Vrusk believe that Sathar have some secret genetic weakness that, if discovered, would end the Sathar threat. The only fact about Sathar society that is known for certain is that they will stop at nothing to destroy the Frontier races.

Classified Information

The following information is secret, and should not be given to players unless they learn it during an adventure.

Hypnotism. A Sathar can hypnotize a character by talking to him in a non-combat situation. The character must make a Logic check. If it fails, he is hypnotized. A hypnotized character will think of the Sathar as his friend, and will want to cooperate with it. He will not do things that are completely against his nature, but will do most of what the Sathar tells him (for example, a character would not slit a friend's throat but he will help the Sathar by stealing some money, persuade a person to do something at a specific time, and in general be willing to help the Sathar). Once hypnotized, a character will stay hypnotized until he is attacked or has a new hypnotic command triggered.

Sathar Ability Modifiers. A Sathar's Leadership score must be 20 points higher than his Personality score. Their racial modifiers are:

Average Size

2.5 m long

Average Mass

55 kg

Average Lifespan

unknown

Reproductive System

hermaphroditic, unknown

Body Temperature

believed unthermo-regulated

Skills

There are 13 different skills that player characters can learn. These 13 skills are organized into three Primary Skill Areas (PSA): Military, Technological and Biosocial.

Military skills deal with combat. There are seven military skills: Beam Weapons, Demolitions, Gyrojet Weapons, Martial Arts, Melee Weapons, Projectile Weapons and Thrown Weapons.

Technological skills deal with various types of machinery and equipment. There are three different Technological skills: Computer skill, Robotics and Technician.

Biosocial skills deal with the intelligent races and their surroundings. There are three different Biosocial skills: Environmental, Medical and Psycho-Social.

At the start of the game, each character must choose one Primary Skill Area as his specialty. The player then chooses one level 1 skill that falls under his PSA. If the character must train for any new PSA skills, he will find them easier (and cheaper) to learn.

Learning Skills

To learn new or higher level skills, characters must spend experience points on them. The Skill Cost Table shows the costs (in experience points) for skills at different PSA. Skills that fall under a character's PSA cost less, but must pay more to learn different or more advanced experience as a level 1 skill, and buy new levels as time goes on.

Skill Cost Table

Numbers in parentheses are costs for skills outside the character's PSA.

A character can learn only one skill at a time. Skipping levels is not allowed: even if the character has enough experience points to buy a level 3 skill, he must still buy levels 1 and 2 first (though he can buy them all in the same adventure period). When buying several levels, each level must be paid for using the experience point values from the table.

Training

When a character buys new skills or increases a skill level, assume that the character has been training on his own between adventures in his spare time. HYPO-TRAINING (below) explains how training time can be shortened.

Hypo-Training. Hypo-training is a teaching system that involves hypnotic instruction and the use of drugs that improve the learner's memory. A character who has enough experience points can be trained to level 6 in less time at a hypo-training center. A 10-hour hypo-training session costs 500 credits.

Teachers. A character with enough experience points can learn a new skill or skill level simply by practice. This is not always possible, even if the character has the experience points. A character who can learn from a teacher does so faster. Teachers who spend at least two levels higher than the pupil's. A character can learn a new skill at level from a teacher or from hypo-training.

Practice. Characters with enough experience can learn new skills or skill levels simply by practicing. This is not always possible, even if the character has experience points available.

Using Skills

Skills are different from abilities. Each skill defines what types of actions a character can try at each skill level. The descriptions below explain what a character can do at each level of skill.

Success Rates

Some skills have a success rate: 30% + skill level. Others have a success rate modifier like +10%. The success rate is the percent chance that the skill will work. A success rate modifier is added to the character's basic ability check. For instance, a level 2 skill with a +10% modifier is applied to ability checks involving that skill. The success rate is the base chance that the skill will work properly when used. A success rate modifier is added to one of the character's abilities to determine how likely a specific attempt will succeed.

Military Skills

There are seven different Military skills. Five of them involve the use of weapons, and Martial Arts covers fighting without weapons or with melee weapons.

Weapons Skills

All weapon skills work the same way. Each level of skill adds 10% to the character's chance to hit with that weapon. If a character has level 3 skill and a Dexterity score of 50%, his modified chance to hit is 80%.

Each type of weapon skill applies to specific weapons as follows:

BEAM WEAPONS skill applies to: electrostunners, heavy lasers, laser pistols, laser rifles, sonic disruptors, sonic devastators and sonic stunners.

GYROJET WEAPONS skill applies to: gyrojet pistols, gyrojet rifles.

MELEE WEAPONS skill applies to weapons in close combat: axes, brass knuckles, chains, clubs, swords, knives, nightsticks, polearms, shock gloves, sonic knives, stunsticks, swords and whips.

PROJECTILE WEAPONS skill applies to: auto-pistols, automatic rifles, machine guns, muskets, needler pistols, needler rifles, recoilless rifles.

THROWN WEAPONS skill applies to: all grenades and thrown axes, knives and spears.

Demolitions Skill

There are four sub-skills to the demolitions skill: set charge and defuse, setting charges, defusing charges, and detonating charges. Each sub-skill is learned at the same level.

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

Setting Charges

Only a character with demolitions skill can set a charge. The number of turns needed to set a charge is the character's skill level subtracted from 10. A level 3 character needs 7 turns, a level 5 character needs only 5 turns to set a charge.

If a character fails the roll and detonates the charge, the charge has not exploded and must be reset. The referee should not let the character know the charge is not exploded.

Charges can be detonated by timer, radio signal or weapon fire. A timer can be set to detonate the charge at a specific time. A radio signal can be used up to 500 meters away. To detonate a charge with a weapon, the expert must spend 1 turn making a crude detonator, and then 1 to 10 seconds' delay.

Defusing Charges

Success Rate: 50% + skill level - attacker's skill level

A demolitions expert can try to defuse a charge set by another demolitions expert. Detecting a charge requires a Cognition check. This takes only 1 turn. The referee should roll secretly — if the roll is 96-00, the expert accidentally sets the charge off.

Martial Arts

Success Rate: 1/2 DEX or 1/2 STR - skill level

Martial Arts skill makes a character a better fighter in melee. A character with Martial Arts skill can add 10% per level to his basic chance to hit. The skill has two sub-skills: punching attacks and defensive moves.

Punching Attacks. A character attacking with Martial Arts does 1d10 plus the character's punching score modifier. If the attack roll's dice result is exactly the number needed to hit, a character with Martial Arts skill scores a knockout. The character is knocked out and will be unconscious for d100 turns.

Defensive Moves. A character who is being attacked in melee by more than one opponent may use his Martial Arts skill to defend himself. If the defender is fighting more than one opponent, the character's score modifier is used. The attacker's chance to hit is reduced by 10% for each level of the defender's Martial Arts skill.

Technological Skills

There are three Technological skills: Computer skill, Robotics and Technician.

Computer Skill

Before he can use any other subskill, the computer specialist must be able to access the computer. The specialist's ability to access particular type of computers increases as he advances in level. Specialists can use all types of computers at level 6.

Operating Computers

Success Rate: 100% + skill level

Before he can use any other subskill, the computer specialist must be able to operate the particular type of computers he wants to use. In most cases, a specialist can operate any computer he is familiar with without making any roll.

Writing Programs

Success Rate: Special

Computer specialists can write programs for the various types of computers they can use. A skill check is not needed to write the program. The player should pick a program from the programs list and have his character write it. If the character wants to write more than one program for the same computer, he must spend 10 hours of programming time. The cost of materials needed to write one program is explained in the Equipment section. Additional programs cost 4 additional operations period.

A specialist also knows how to write a particular program if the character has seen or read a program that did the same thing. The specialist must copy the entire program to his data file before he can use this knowledge. This takes only 1/10 the time and costs 1/10 the credits of writing the program from scratch.

Defeating Security

Success Rate: 50% + skill level - program level

If a computer has a Computer Security program, computer specialists cannot access the computer without defeating the security program first. Defeating a security program (or defeating an Alarm program or any lock) at a computer takes a number of turns equal to 10 minus the specialist's skill level. If the roll is successful, the specialist has defeated the computer's security. Also, before a specialist tries to manipulate a program, he must know (or guess) what the program is supposed to do. A data file specifies that the program began as an Alarm program or any lock. Alarm programs that have been upgraded from an alarm program to a more advanced computer security program, or from some programs, must be defeated at their improved level. This may require several attempts or no attempts at all.

Bypassing Security

Success Rate: 30% + skill level - program level

A computer specialist can bypass a security program without destroying it. The bypassed computer program has no restrictions. This takes only 1/10 turns to complete: the specialist can write a bypass program that bypasses the security or Alarm program. The bypassed system cannot detect that a specialist has bypassed the security.

Displaying Information

Success Rate: 80% + skill level - computer level

A specialist can use this skill to display any information stored on a computer's memory (preliminary to manipulating the data or loading it and examining it). Files on a computer are identified by a number only; without any other identifier that the file contains certain information, the specialist has no way of knowing what data that file stores.

Manipulating Programs

Success Rate: 50% + skill level - program level

Computer specialists get only one chance to manipulate a program: if the roll fails, the specialist cannot try to manipulate the same program again. A specialist can manipulate three types of programs: Security, Life Support, and Control programs. Security programs work as follows: defeating them opens all doors to all secured areas. If the roll fails, destroying them warns the computer, and takes the security program and all alarm devices permanently offline. Life support programs work as follows: defeating them turns off all life support systems (lights, atmosphere, heat) in the buildings controlled by the computer. Control programs work as follows: defeating them shuts down any device or robot controlled by the computer. Failing to defeat one of these programs generates an alert (if available) or takes some other defensive action.

Repairing Computers

Success Rate: 50% + skill level - program level

A computer specialist who has a computer repair kit can repair damage. This takes 1 turn of examination for every 10 points of damage. If the roll fails, he can try again one time. The computer must have been damaged to its current level of repair or the technician must diagnose the problem first. Repairing a computer requires repair materials appropriate to the level of the computer.

Robotics Skill

A robotics expert can activate or deactivate robots. Robots are programs that allow robots to function. Robots can also be deactivated to stop a robot, but this requires first locating the primary programming switch on the robot's body. Robotics skill applies to all standard robots: service robots, maintenance robots, security robots, heavy duty robots. The skill does not apply to cyborgs or androids. The referee can create new types of robots if he wants.

Robot Levels. A robot's general complexity is known as its "level." The level of the robot determines the difficulty of working on it or defeating it in combat, as shown below.

If the robot or computer has no level listed, use the level of the computer that controls it. Military and security robots have their own level without external computers controlling them.

Robot Levels

Level 1 robots can do only simple jobs. They have been programmed for some specific job, and usually can not do any other jobs. They can not communicate, and often are not mobile. For example, a level 1 robot could be a washing machine.

Level 2 robots can handle several simple jobs. They can receive and follow radio commands in binary machine language from some other machine, such as a robot brain or a computer. An example of a level 3 robot is a heavy machine that digs and stacks ore rock, then separates out flecks of gold.

Level 3 robots can do more complicated jobs. In addition, robots that are level 3 or higher can talk and follow verbal instructions. If these instructions disagree with the robot's programming, it will ignore the orders.

Level 4 robots can act semi-independently. Their programs are flexible, letting the robot accomplish specific goals using different methods. When stated, "How do I get to the starport?" an level 4 service robot might give verbal directions, point, whistle, print a photocopy. A city map and mark the proper route on it.

Level 5 robots can act independently and give orders to other robots. (Level 5 robots can do this also.) For example, a level 5 security robot might decide to stop chasing a criminal because the criminal left where he was told to. A Level 5 robot could organize a rescue from a burning house. The robot would organize a rescue mission from other robots.

Level 6 robots are self-programming. They can change the methods they use and their goals in account for changing conditions. They are almost, but not quite, truly creative. A robot starship could run an automated manufacturing plant and adjust to new conditions (such as responding to changing economic conditions or an example of a level 6 robot).

Missions. All robots have a mission. A mission is a set of rules that get the robot its orders and tell it what to do for what. A level 1 robot's mission is to wash clothes and sanitize any object that conflict with it.

Functions. All robots have several functions that tell them how to accomplish their missions. Lower level robots have rigid functions fixed to their functions that must be very specific. programmed. Higher-level robots can be more general: for instance, so their functions can be more general.

Deactivating Robots

Success Rate: 30% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert has a chance to deactivate a robot at any level simply by locating it. The base chance is 30% plus the specialist's level up to 6 minus the robot's level x 10. Once a robot has been deactivated, it can not function. No experience is charged.

Adding Equipment

Success Rate: 30%

A robotics expert can install new equipment on a robot or install a program.

Removing Robots

Success Rate: special

Only the owner or a character with the program can change a robot's programming. A robotics expert can remove a program with their consent only.

Activate/Deactivate

Success Rate: 120%

A robotics expert can deactivate from self or a robot regardless of its level. The expert who can already rescue and have been deactivated.

Altering Functions

Success Rate: 60% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert can change one of a robot's functions permanently. A character must roll separately for each function changed. Changing the robot functions is NOT modifying. If the robot has changed, changed it back to the original functions would cost the same as the original changed. Once a robot's function has been changed, that robot will act as if always the new instruction.

Listing Missions

Success Rate: 80% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert can learn a robot's main mission and its priority, by using the subskill.

Altering Missions

Success Rate: 30% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert can try to remove a security lock or alter a robot's missions in order to give it new instructions. This can only be done after the robot has been deactivated. Once a mission has been changed, changing it back to its original form would cost the same price. Once a robot's mission has been changed, that robot will act with its new instructions.

Malfunctions

If a character fails a roll to remove a security lock or alter a robot's mission, the referee should roll d100 on the Malfunction Table.

Malfunction Table

No Malfunction — The robot continues to function normally.

Program Destroyed — One of the robot's programs (picked randomly by the referee) has been destroyed. The robot can not perform any functions requiring that program. If all the programs in a robot are destroyed, the robot shuts itself off.

Short Circuit — The robot is still operating, but has been damaged. For example, a robot with a short circuit might stop suddenly by every other stimulus, turn, or rattle and spark while it works.

Haywire — The robot is completely out of control. It might attack at random, spin in circles, recite the Gettysburg Address, or do anything else the referee thinks fits the situation.

Explosion — The robot's power supply explodes, causing 5d10 points of damage multiplied by the malfunction's type to the robotics expert.

Technician Skill

There are five Technician subskills: Operate Machinery, Repair, Detect Alarm-Defense, Deactivate Alarm-Defense, Open Locks, and Operate Machinery. A specialist is needed for all these subskills to operate General Machinery.

Operating Machinery

Success Rate: 60% + skill level

Operating a vehicle involves starting it, driving it and using it to do anything it was designed to do. The chance to succeed includes the chance to start and stop or control machinery correctly, and the chance to start the vehicle. Obviously, if the vehicle is damaged or out of fuel, it can not start.

A technician gets one chance to operate an unfamiliar vehicle. If the technician has driven this type of machinery before, he can start it and drive it automatically. A technician can try to operate any ground vehicle, regardless of his level. At 2nd level he can fly an aircraft, regardless of its level. At 3rd level he can fly an airliner, and at 5th level he can operate orbital spacecraft.

Repairing Machinery

Success Rate: 60% + skill level

Technicians can repair vehicles, large and small machines, and other mechanical or electrical equipment like radios and communicators. They can not repair computers or robots. Technicians use the appropriate tools and parts for the task.

Besides repairing vehicles that have been damaged in combat, the referee can include mechanical breakdowns or random encounters. This is recommended if the characters are on a long cross-country journey, where a breakdown at dusk and the nearest repair shop is light-years away. When a vehicle breaks down, roll 2d10 on the following table to determine what has happened.

Vehicle Breakdowns

* This breakdown takes twice as long to repair as a normal breakdown.

* A blown engine can not be repaired in the field. In a shop, it takes four times longer to repair than a normal breakdown.

Detecting Alarm-Defenses

Success Rate: 60% + skill level - alarm level

Technicians have a chance to detect security alarms and defenses. The following table lists the types of alarms and traps and their levels. This same table is used with the Open Lock and Deactivate Alarm-Defense subskills.

Security Device Levels

Deactivating Alarm-Defenses

Success Rate: 40% + skill level - alarm level

Once a technician has detected an alarm or defensive, he can try to deactivate it. If the character fails, the referee must decide whether the alarm program, if any of destruction of the alarm program. If the roll was intended to only set a small amount, the alarm might not have been triggered.

Opening Locks

Success Rate: 60% + skill level - lock level

A technician can try to open locks without their keys. The level of a lock corresponds to the security device levels (see the table above). The chance to succeed is the same as for security devices. The chance to succeed is the lock is a high or wall safe or a security vault.

Biosocial Skills

Biosocial skills involve the sciences, like and health. There are three Biosocial skills: Environmental, Medical and Psycho-Social.

Environmental Skill deals with relationships between intelligent life forms and their surroundings. Environmentalists study biology, botany, chemistry, ecology and geology. There are nine Environmental subskills: Analyzing Samples, Analyzing Ecosystems, Finding Directions, Making Tools/Weapons, Survival, Tracking, Stealth, Concealment and Survival Rate.

Medical Skill deals with diagnosis and treatment. There are nine Medical subskills: Administering Drugs, Controlling Infection, Diagnosis, First Aid, Minor Surgery, Major Surgery, Controlling Disease, Neutralizing Toxin, and Activating Freeze Fields.

Psycho-Social Skill gives a character an advantage when dealing with individuals or groups of intelligent beings. The skill can be used when dealing with any of the major races as well as any other intelligent creatures.

Environmental Skill

Analyzing Samples

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

An environmental specialist can use a spectrometer to analyze atmospheric samples. If the analysis succeeds, the specialist can determine whether the air is breathable to colonists, and what gases are present.

The specialist needs a bioscanner to analyze a biological sample. If the analysis succeeds, the bioscanner will indicate what type of plant or animal the sample came from, and whether it is edible or poisonous.

A geoscanner can be used to analyze geological samples. If the analysis succeeds, the specialist will learn the type of soil or rock, whether minerals are present in the sample and the possibility of finding volcanic or plate activity.

Analyzing Ecosystems

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

An ecosystem is the combination of all the plants and animals that exist in the same environment, and their relationships to each other. If an ecosystem is upset or thrown out of balance, entire species can become extinct and whole regions devastated (floods, drought or overpopulation). An Environmental specialist can study and analyze an ecosystem to help find ecosystems and determine whether they are balanced or in a process that leads to destruction. A successful analysis can also identify any predators that are able to harm native or alien life forms. An area 200 kilometers across should take about 200 hours studying the area to analyze.

Finding Directions

Success Rate: 80% + skill level

An environmental specialist can try to find directions in a wilderness without a compass or stars. If the specialist makes a check, it means he is becoming lost or being lost. He checked to find that had passed 30%.

Survival

Success Rate: 40% + skill level

This subskill gives a character a chance to find enough things needed to survive: find food or water (if any is available in the area), find or improvise shelter, and tie or avoid things. If a trap is set at an in a built up area, fish or hunt successfully, and I know that survival. The subskill only lets the environmental specialist make a successful check. It leads to predict natural disasters.

Making Tools/Weapons

Success Rate: 50% if materials are available

An environmental specialist can make tools and weapons out of bones, stone, sticks, and other raw materials. Only basic tools, such as hammers, are possible to make. Only the specialist can make bows and arrows. Bows and arrows will probably not be as accurate as weapons from arsenals and armouries. Characters can use improvised tools and weapons from these skills.

Tracking

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

An environmental specialist has a chance to follow a creature's trail in a wilderness area through marshes, desert, forest and fields. The specialist can use their own tracks, and the specialist also can use this subskill to cover his own tracks.

Stealth

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

Stealth is the ability to move without being seen or heard. This ability is used for stalking animals, but also can be used against guards or follow suspects.

Concealment

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

Concealment is the art of hiding in natural terrain. If it makes an 80% chance of the specialist not being seen, it also helps him stay in and do many or make homes.

Survival Rate: 100%

One of the benefits of being an environmental specialist is he always knows in what direction a starship, animal or vehicle must travel. A successful check lets the specialist directly find his directions when lost.

Medical Skill

A character that has Medical skill is called a medic. Medics are trained to use their skill. Medics diagnose sickness, find bad wounds, infections, malfunctions and prevent disease complications and administer drugs and treatments. Medical Skill has 10 subskills.

There are nine Medical subskills: Administering Drugs, Disease First Aid, Minor Surgery, Major Surgery, Controlling Disease, Neutralizing Toxin and Activating Freeze Fields.

Diagnosis

Success Rate: 40% + skill level

If a patient is treated in a hospital or sick bay at Frontier standard care, the success rate is increased 20%. If the patient is an animal or an unconscious subject, the Success Rate is reduced 20%. These two modifiers can be combined. To perform a diagnosis, a medic or patient must use (the device) or perform surgery on a subject, the medic must attempt a Diagnosis. Characters with no Medical Skill cannot diagnose medical problems.

Administering Drugs

Success Rate: 100%

Three drugs are covered under this subskill: stimdose, staydose and other drugs.

A medic can use one dose of stimdose to wake up an unconscious or stunned character, or to restore 10 Stamina points to a wounded character that was poisoned or was in a great fall. It is a stronger stimulant. After using stimdose, a character cannot run or fight for a turn. Stimdose can only be given to a medic. If more than one dose is given in a 20-hour period, the second dose has no effect.

A medic can use one dose of staydose to place an individual who is injured in suspended animation. Staydose is similar to biostasis, but is not as complete as a freeze field. Staydose slows down the character's heartbeat and breathing to very low levels. The body can survive with no ill effects for 24 hours. An additional dose given to a character who is under the effect of staydose will have no effect. After 24 hours, the effect wears off and the character's stamina is raised above 0.

Telol is a truth drug. Only a medic can administer it correctly. There is an 80% chance the patient will be sedated, and if this happens, he will answer any questions he is given. An Intuition character cannot resist the truth serum. An intended character passed the roll (STR) answers were whether the drug works or not.

Minor Surgery

Success Rate: 40% + skill level

Minor surgery can heal up to 20 points of damage. This is added to the 1d10 points that are healed in a 20-hour period. Additional damage of Stamina x 10 points that is healed, at the cost of 10 credits for supplies. If the surgery fails, the patient is not harmed, and one dose of biocort is used.

Major Surgery

Success Rate: 20% + skill level

Major surgery can heal any amount of damage to a character. The surgery must be performed at a hospital and has a base chance of 20% plus 10% per level. After the surgery, a character must rest for Stamina x 10 minutes to recover. Major surgery will not work on a patient in biostasis.

Major surgery can be used to revive a character who has died. The character must have died within a number of minutes equal to the character's Stamina, and the character can not be revived if destroyed beyond all chance of repair. Complications during or after surgery can cost the patient 1-10 Stamina points permanently.

Controlling Infection

Success Rate: 20% + skill level

Controlling infection reduces a disease or effects of infection in the body. They can be avoided altogether if an antiseptic is used on a wound from the start.

Neutralizing Toxin

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

Neutralizing a poison inside a character's body requires a neutralizing agent. It if is taken as directed, the poison or drug stops a specific poison. The neutralizer will also work on similar-based poisons.

Curing Disease

Success Rate: 20% + skill level

Curing a disease requires a dose of antibody. This is added to the 1d10 points per 20-hour period. A medic who successfully diagnoses an illness has a better chance to cure it. First the medic must diagnose correctly. Once the diagnosis is complete, if the disease is identified, the medic must make another roll to administer it. A successful roll indicates the cure is working.

First Aid

Success Rate: Current STA x 2

A medic can heal 1d10 points of wound damage automatically when a character's Stamina has been reduced to below half or less than 0 points. The wound must be physical (gunshot wound, cuts, bruises). An untrained character cannot perform first aid.

Activating Freeze Fields

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

A freeze field is a device that places a body in biostasis environment in a cryogenic chamber. Once a medic can activate a freeze field successfully, a freeze field will freeze someone and prevent any deterioration from taking place. Only medics are trained to activate freeze fields.

A freeze field must be activated within two minutes after a patient is placed in it. A freeze field failed to be raised above 0 during the 20-hour biostasis period, the freeze field can not be opened, and the body can only be moved to an advanced medical facility. A medic can raise stamina over 0 if the patient is placed in a hospital first (this takes between 20-40 hours). Stamina points. Once the Stamina points have been restored, the field can be opened.

Psycho-Social Skill

Psycho-pathology subskill lets the specialist try to help characters that are psychologically disturbed. Examples might include phobias, mental illness that result in psychological disorders. The specialist also should use the specialist's attempt to start to become better of high and close someone with mental problems.

Empathy

Success Rate: 10% + skill level

Empathy allows a character to get a general impression of the mood and intentions of individuals or groups. In order to use this skill, the specialist must be able to see or hear the creatures' faces or expressions.

The information that a character gains by using this skill is very vague and imprecise. The referee should use descriptions like hostile, curious, cautious, neutral, neutral, etc.

Empathy can be used by a character only once per encounter. If two characters in the same group have Psycho-Social skill, each can try to use their empathy subskill.

Hypnosis

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

In order to hypnotize an individual, the hypnotist must be able to speak and be subject to a common language without a screen.

If the person being hypnotized is willing, this is the full 50% success rate plus the hypnotist's level. The hypnotist can place instructions which will be triggered by a specific stimulus. The instruction can be canceled by the hypnotist telling the victim (usually under hypnosis) to forget the command. A character can only be hypnotized against his will if he has received a dose of hypno.

A character may be hypnotized one hypnotist at a time by different hypnotist's until either a break of 4+10 turns. The character is then considered to have been hypnotized permanently (the subject is semi-conscious for 10 minutes). The hypnotic effects have more effect on characters with a much lower Logic score.

A hypnotist can not force a character to do anything the character definitely would not do. The referee must decide this. Hypnotism should be viewed as an anesthetic. A victim will not remember being hypnotized or what happened while hypnotized unless specifically told to remember during the session. The hypnotic effect lasts 1d10 hours and can be used on a character once per session.

Hypnotism should not work on aliens; mostly to animals, but the referee can allow exceptions if he considers the characters.

Persuasion

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

Persuasion lets a character try to convince a person to follow a reasonable course of action. The psycho-social specialist explains his plan to the group. The character then makes a check at the modified PSA level modified by PSY points or less modified.

Communication

Success Rate: 15% + skill level

This subskill can be used when a character wants to communicate with a creature whose language his does not understand and no common translator languages. The referee might have a character speaking the wrong language, etc.

Movement

The Movement Table below shows movement rates for the different races. The hourly rate assumes the character is walking and resting periodically. The movement rate per minute is 10 times the rate per turn. The movement rate per day is the hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours the characters traveled.

Movement Table

Endurance. A character can run at top speed for a number of turns equal to his current Stamina divided by 10, rounded up. The character then must rest for 10 minutes before running again. If a character tries to run more than 10 turns, they move at half speed and their Dexterity scores and Reaction Speeds are reduced by half.

Terrain

The type of terrain a group is crossing affects how fast the group can travel. The TERRAIN EFFECTS TABLE shows how many meters of normal speed the terrain will cost. The types of terrain are described below.

Terrain Effects Table

Clear — Any area that allows easy, unobstructed movement (woods, plains, grassland, salt flats, firm sand and trails).

Broken Ground — Any area with obstructions, or a loose, shifting surface (deserts, sandy hills, loose gravel, burnt forest, tar or slime fields).

Rugged — Any area that requires travelers to pick their path carefully, or that threatens them with a few unpleasant passes (undergrowth, streams, gullies, crevasses and boulders).

Bogs — Flat areas with high vegetation: shallow, open water and mud (not through tall vegetation, marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes).

Open Water — Large areas of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans.

Highway — An artificial or natural path that is smooth, flat and relatively straight.

Animals. The movement speeds given for animals are adjusted to simulate animal's native terrain, so no further modifications are required.

Encumbrance

There is a limit on how much weight a character can carry. The weight is the character's Strength score. If a character tries to carry more than his Strength, his movement and combat abilities are affected (see Carrying Capacity below).

Special Situations

Stacking

A character can stand in a space 1 meter square. This means a map square that is 5 meters across can hold up to 5 x 5 or 25 characters. If multiple characters are fighting, however, only eight characters can melee at once on one side of a 5 meter square; only one can shoot out one side of a 5 meter square.

Wounds

A character whose current Stamina is one-half or less of his full Stamina can move at only half speed, and his carrying capacity is cut in half.

Mixed Parties

A party that contains a mixture of races can travel faster than if it contained only slow races. For example, a party that contains 4 Humans and 4 Dralasites can travel at Human speed.

Jumping and Vaulting

A character can jump up to 2 meters horizontally without a running start. If the character can run 10 meters to build up speed, he can jump up to 5 meters.

A character trying to leap across an obstacle must make a Strength check. A successful leap clears the obstacle; failed leap means the character can not move for 1 turn. A character who tries to leap farther than the character can jump will find that a Strength check must be made or the character falls; the character may take falling damage.

Falling, Jumping and Diving

Characters who fall from buildings, ledges or other heights suffer 1d10 points of damage plus 1 point for every meter they fell. For example, a character who falls 10 meters suffers 1d10+10 points of damage.

If a character suffers 15 or more points of damage in a fall, he has broken his leg. The movement speed is reduced by half. If the character must roll 1d10 + 1 if the number rolled is greater than the character's Stamina score, he is unconscious. If he falls 10 meters, the character is killed. A character with a broken leg can not run. A character who is pushed will lose his suit. Dralasites affected by this loss does not have the damage, but does receive the penalty.

JUMPING

A character can jump down 5 meters without being hurt. If he lands on a character who is 5 meters tall, he will suffer injuries the same as if he had fallen, but the distance is reduced by 5 meters.

Climbing

A character can climb a rope at a rate of 2 meters per turn. The character must make a Strength check. A character must make a check halfway point of the climb and at the top. A roll of 96-00 means the character falls. Failing the roll means the character must stop at the current position.

A character can climb a vertical surface at a rate of 1 meter per turn. He must make a Strength check at each meter. The character's Dexterity check with a +30 modifier at the halfway point and at the top. A roll of 96-00 in either check means the character falls. These rolls are not required. Failing the roll on the character is climbing down means the character is in no danger.

A character can climb a ladder at his normal walking rate.

Swimming

All characters can swim 10 meters/turn, or 6 km/hour. After every 30 minutes of continuous swimming, a character must make a Stamina check. If the character fails to make the check, he starts to drown. A character who tries to hold his breath for more than 2 turns must make a Stamina check or suffocate.

Dralasites do not float naturally. They can swim, but if knocked unconscious, will sink and drown. A Dralasite can float if it spends 5 minutes forming an air pocket in its body before entering the water.

Doors

Open doors and doors that open automatically need no special movement. To move through a closed door, a character must open it and leave the door. On the next turn the character can walk through. To open a pressure door or hatch, a character must spend the door for two turns, and can move through at half speed. To open a pressure door in a vacuum, a character must spend four turns. But can not use the standard method of releasing the hatch while waiting for a pressure door to open, but can do nothing else.

Vehicles and Riding Animals

Getting into or out of a vehicle or onto the back of a riding animal takes one half of a turn, and the vehicle must be stationary. Mounting or dismounting a riding animal takes one complete turn. During this time, the character can do nothing else.

Picking Up and Dropping Objects

Picking up an object that weighs more than 10 kg takes one turn. Picking up an object that weighs 10 kg or less takes half of a turn. Dropping an object takes no time.

Gravity, Weight and Mass

The strength of gravity on a planet depends on the planet's size. Increasing or decreasing gravity will affect characters several ways. These effects are not optional (This rule is optional). Referees who do not want the added detail can ignore these rules. These effects assume all adventures happen on planets with gravity equal to 1 g.

For every tenth of a gravity (1 g) less than 1.0:

• a character's carrying capacity is increased 5 kg
• the distance a character can leap and vault is increased 1 m
• the distance a character can jump safely is increased 1 m
• the damage a character suffers in a fall is decreased 2 pts

For every tenth of a gravity (1 g) above 1.0:

• a character's carrying capacity is decreased 2 kg
• the distance characters can leap and vault is decreased 1 m
• the distance a character can jump safely is decreased 2 m
• the damage a character suffers in a fall is increased 2

Weightless Movement

Moving in an area where the effective gravity is different than normal movement. Handrails are built into all space stations and ships so that characters can move along in freefall. Once a character stops and enters free fall, there is nothing the character can do except stop until he floats into a wall or grabs something. Characters moving this very own are limited to walk speed. They must follow a wall or other object at walking speed. Characters moving in low gravity conditions without a special "sticky" grip will walk slowly. Some ships have velcro suits that make walking easier. Characters who are not used to freefall this way can move at one-half their full running speed.

Expanded Combat

The expanded combat system uses a different turn sequence and gives characters many more options, as well as introducing a wide variety of new weapons.

Combat Sequence

The sequence of events in combat is outlined below:

1. Check to see if characters are surprised
2. Roll for initiative. (Throughout this section, the side that goes second will be called Side A and the side without initiative will be called Side B.)
3. Announce what each character will do (Side B declares first)
4. Side A moves. Characters on side A may be able to shoot at opponents who move through their field of fire
5. Side B moves. Characters on side B may be able to shoot at opponents who move through their field of fire
6. Side A resolves: Characters on Side B who did not move may be able to shoot at opponents who moved through their field of fire
7. Side A resolves any wrestling attempts, remaining weapon fire, grenade tosses and melee. Wrestling attempts are resolved before other types of attacks. Side B characters are immobilized.

Surprise

If there is a chance characters will be surprised by an attack, the referee should tell characters make Intuition checks. The referee must decide which characters get to make the checks. For example, only the character that is marching in front has a chance to notice a small attack.

If a character fails the check, he does not suspect anything and will be surprised. When a character or group is surprised, it automatically loses initiative for the first turn of combat and cannot take any actions that turn.

If a character passes the check, he notices something unusual: a footstep behind him, a gun barrel poking around a corner, a creeping shadow approaching. The player must decide what to do. The character has time to shout a warning, draw a weapon, dive for cover, or perform any other simple action. To be surprised, for example, a group of adventurers is driving down a road and suddenly a Mech-Infantry appears. If they are alerted, three of the characters decide they are going to take off ahead of the vehicle and flee away. The characters decide the ambush were fighters by three Explorers and several mercs. Unfortunately, a group of robots hidden in the battle opens fire on them.

Spotting Distance

When characters have an encounter, one factor that will affect whether they can be surprised is how far they can see. A character standing on flat, level ground can see a man-sized object up to 1 km away, but can see only objects close to the ground. A character can see as a distance of about 5 km. Binoculars, megascopes and similar optics will multiply these distances by three. Weather conditions such as fog, rain, blowing dust or heat shimmer can reduce these distances significantly.

Initiative

One player on each side rolls 1d10 and adds the highest Initiative modifier on his side to the result. The side with the highest total has initiative and is Side A for that turn. If the results are tied, the side with the higher highest initiative modifier wins.

If there are more than two teams in a fight, simply add more sides (C, D, and E) as the situation gets more complex. Side (C) wins the initiative roll always ranks first, with the other sides following in initiative order. If only few characters are involved in the battle, the referee should treat each character as a separate side and have everyone roll their own initiative.

Holstered and Slung Weapons

If a character's weapon is slung (in a holster or slung over his shoulder), the character must subtract 3 from their initiative modifier for that turn. A character with a non-holstered weapon would get +3 to his initiative modifier for firing. A Beam or a melee Weapons, cannot add up to 10 plus any bonus.

Declaring Actions

All characters must decide what they will do at the start of each turn, and declare their intentions before they roll for their move. Side B must declare its characters' intentions before Side A does.

Declarations should not be realistic and specific, as possible. For example, instead of saying "I wait for the guy behind the desk to shoot me," the player should declare how many shots they will shoot and where they will stand, which position settings they will be using and whether they will use aimed fire. Characters must decide how many they will shoot before they know whether any of those shots will hit. Example: Rosa Altera is on a ship, with a full power pack. Her player declares: "Rosa will fire five shots at the alien nearest to her." Rosa fires five shots only, not more.

Movement

Characters can walk or move during a turn. If a character moves through an opponent's field of fire, the opponent can fire at the character. If he tries to move more than his movement allowance, the character cannot attack this turn.

A character may be able to see his target in order to shoot or throw a grenade. A character can see any target that the character can see the center of the target's square in front of him (the target is in a 180° field of vision). A character can see anyone in front of him in a line in front of his center, or to either side. If a character is able to see the target's head and shoulders but not the rest of the character, this is called "partial cover." In this position where he can turn around the obstacle to shoot, it does not need to be able to see the obstacle.

If opposing sides in a fight can not see each other, the referee may ask each character to declare which way they will aim before the roll for initiative. Then players know before they roll for initiative which way characters turn.

Ranged Weapons Combat

Any weapon that can be used to attack someone from a distance is a ranged weapon. In STAR FRONTIERS games, ranged weapons include lasers, gyrojets, needle guns, automatic rifles and pistols, grenade launchers. Bows and arrows also can be used, but are common only on primitive planets.

Ranged Weapon Combat Procedure

1. The basic chance to hit equals one-half the firing character's Dexterity, rounded up
2. Add 10% for each level of skill the character has with that weapon (+10 per skill level)
3. Add or subtract the appropriate range modifier. The range is reduced for one class if the attacker is using a telescopic sight
4. Subtract movement modifiers (All movement modifiers except Telescopic can be applied to both target and attacker)
5. Add 20 if the target is being aimed at from behind or is surrounded
6. Add 15 if attacker is standing still and aiming carefully
7. Add 20 if firing a burst
8. Subtract cover modifier
9. Add or subtract target size modifier
10. Subtract 5 if target prone
11. Subtract 10 if attacker's Stamina is reduced to half or less by wounds
12. Subtract 10 if using wrong hand
13. Subtract 10 if attacker is firing two weapons

Range Modifiers

Movement Modifiers

Cover

A character has cover if more than half of his body is hidden by a wall, a rock, a clump of bushes or anything else that can protect him from enemy fire. He can hide from his opponent's sight. In the Expanded Game, there are two types of cover: hard and soft. Hard cover will not let bullets and energy beams. Soft cover hides the character from the enemy, but will not stop enemy fire. Examples of hard and soft cover are listed below.

Hard Cover modifier: -10

Soft Cover modifier: -5

Target Size

Skill Modifiers

Characters get a bonus on their chance to hit when they learn to use their weapons. Characters learn specific weapons skills, not general ranged weapons skill. If a character has both beam weapons and projectile and thrown weapons, some extra modifiers apply. If the attacker has no skill or is unfamiliar with a particular weapon skill he has with the weapon he is using. For example, a character with level 2 Beam Weapons skill gets a +20% bonus to hit with beam weapons (lasers, sonic stunners). The same character with no training has only the 50% to hit with gyrojet weapons. The character needs weapon skill to use a weapon.

Rate of Fire

Automatic Fire

There are two kinds of automatic hits. The first is a shot that can miss. An example of this is a character who holds a gun over to a scene of uninjured men and pulls the trigger; there is no way the character knows exactly which one he will hit.

The second type of automatic hit happens when a player rolls 01 through 05 on the roll to hit. 4 shots actually hit the target. It is assumed that some of the shots miss, but enough hit to cause normal damage. Referees should be careful to prevent their players from abusing this rule, however. If a character is hiding behind a wall, for example, rolling 01-05 will not cause the bullet to go through the wall and hit the character.

Bursts

Heavy lasers, sonic devastators, recoilless rifles, grenades, rocket launchers and heavy weapons. When a character fires automatic weapons, he must subtract 5 from his basic chance to hit. A character with no training has only basic chance to hit. A character with no training has only the weapon skill bonus and not the automatic fire penalty.

Range

Range modifiers in the Expanded Game are the same as those in the Basic Game. The Expanded Game, however, uses distances instead of squares. The rules are different for ranged weapons: distance is found by comparing the horizontal distance and the difference between their heights. The shorter distance is divided by 2 and added to the other. That lets players find the true range of a shot.

Telescopic Sights

Telescopic sights, called "scopes," are telescopes that magnify distant targets, making them easier to hit. Using a scope lets the attacker use the range modifier for the next closer range. For example, extreme range becomes long range. Telescopic sights can not be used at point blank or short range. A character using a scope can fire only one shot per turn.

Wounds and Anesthesia

If a character's Stamina has been reduced to one-half or less of his uninjured score, all of the character's attacks have a -10% penalty and the character can fire only one shot per turn. Anesthetic drugs, which reduce pain, will cancel this modifier. One dose of anesthetic lasts four hours.

Firing with the Wrong Hand

Every player character race except the Vrusk have "handedness": either their right or left hand is dominant. The dominant hand is more coordinated and is used more often. If a character shoots a gun with his weak hand for any reason, the skill level is -10% modifier. Vrusk are ambidextrous and can use either hand with no penalty.

Firing Two Weapons

Characters can fire two pistols at once, but they must take a -10% modifier on each shot. This is in addition to the -10% modifier for shooting with the wrong hand. These guns can be fired at different targets, if the targets are adjacent to each other.

Damage

Whenever a character is hit in ranged combat or melee, the character suffers damage. The amount of damage caused depends on the type of attack. The Ranged Weapon and Melee Weapons tables show how much damage each weapon causes.

Damage reduces a character's Stamina. If a character's Stamina is reduced to 0 or below, the character is dead. Defensive suits and screens can protect characters from injuries, and a freeze field or defensive suit can preserve a dead character's body so it can be revived at a medical facility.

Shock and Unconsciousness

Whenever the roll to hit in combat is 01-02, the target is immediately knocked unconscious (if the hit causes damage at all). 01 or 02 is always a hit, regardless of modifiers. Stunners can render the attacker unconscious.

Defensive Armor

Two types of defensive armor are available in STAR FRONTIERS games: suits and power screens. Each item will defend against only one type of weapon. The effects of these suits and screens are summarized below. (They are described in more detail in the Equipment section.)

Albedo Suit. An albedo suit can absorb up to 100 points of laser damage. When it is hit by a laser, the damage is subtracted from the suit's remaining absorption. The suit is destroyed after it has absorbed 100 points of damage.

Albedo Screen. Like an albedo suit, the screen absorbs laser beams. Absorbing a laser beam uses a number of SEU equal to 1-5. If the attack would cause damage, the damage is reduced by 10 per SEU spent to absorb the beam that caused 11 damage points would use up 2 SEU.

Skeinsuit. Skeinsuits absorb one-half of the damage from projectile and gyrojet weapons, fragmentation grenades, and melee weapons. The suit is destroyed after absorbing 50 points of damage.

Inertia Screen. Inertia screens absorb the same types of damage as Skeinsuits. An Inertia screen uses 2 SEU every time it is hit.

Gauss Screen. A gauss screen protects characters from electrical attacks, shock gloves and stunsticks. It uses 2 SEU every time it stops an attack.

Sonic Screen. Sonic screens set up sound barriers, waves of noise that protect the wearer from sonic attacks and will stop sonic stunners and disruptors. Absorbing a hit uses 2 SEU plus 1 SEU per 10 points of damage absorbed.

Melee Combat

Fighting hand-to-hand or with non-ranged weapons is called melee. Characters must be within 2 meters of each other to engage in melee.

Basic Chance to Hit

Players can use either one-half of their Strength or one-half of their Dexterity, whichever is higher, as their base chance to hit in melee. A character does not use the same ability all the time.

Melee Procedure

1. The basic chance to hit equals one-half of the attacking character's Dexterity or Strength (whichever is higher), rounded up (1/2 DEX or STR)
2. Add 10% for each level of skill (melee weapon or martial arts) the character has for his attack (+10% per skill level)
3. Add the weapon modifier, if a character is using a weapon (see Melee Weapons table)
4. Add 20 if the target is being attacked from behind or is surrounded (+20)
5. Add 15 if the attacker is a Yazirian in Battle Rage (+20)
6. Subtract 10 if the attacker is stunned (-10)
7. Subtract 10 if attacker is wounded (-10)
8. Subtract 10 if the attacker is Encumbered (-10)
9. Subtract 15 if the target is defending itself (-15)

Number Of Attacks

A character gets one bare hand attack for each arm he has. Humans, Vrusk, Yazirians and Sathar always get to make two attacks. A Dralasite can attack twice if it has four or five limbs, three times if it has six or seven. A character using a weapon in melee gets only one attack per turn.

Punching Table

Knockouts. As in ranged combat, any roll to hit of 01-02 knocks a character unconscious. In addition, an opponent is knocked out if he was hit with a 01 punch weapon (including bare hands) and the number that was rolled ended with a 0. For example, if a character is attacking with a roll of 10, 20 or 30 will knock the opponent unconscious. A character who is knocked out will stay unconscious for 1d100 turns.

Stunning. Characters can be stunned with sonic stunners and electrostunners. A stunned character can not attack, move or defend himself for as long as he is stunned. Anyone who attacks a stunned character receives a bonus.

Melee Weapons

Many different weapons can be used in melee. The most common ones are described on the Melee Weapons Table. The referee can use the table to determine the effects of improvised weapons.

Special Actions

Besides simply hitting an opponent, characters can try to grab an opponent, take down, disarm or restrain opponents. These are called defensive maneuvers that can protect them from attacks.

Wrestling. A character can try to grab an opponent and either pin down the opponent by wrestling his arms, throwing a headlock, etc. Wrestling is resolved after movement but before other attacks. The attacker can not use a weapon while wrestling. If the attack succeeds, the character has grabbed the opponent and automatically can restrain his held automatically each turn, and automatically inflicts points of damage equal to his punching score each turn. A character can release a hold whenever he wants.

The character who was grabbed can not do anything except try to break out of the hold. To do this, he must avoid his punching score. A successful roll means the character has twisted free, but has not grabbed his opponent.

A character or creature can only wrestle opponents that are the same size or smaller than itself. Only one wrestling attempt can be made per turn.

HITTING A PINNED OPPONENT. A character who is being held can be hit by up to two other characters automatically each turn.

Disarming. A character who tries to force his opponent to drop a weapon must make a roll to hit with a -20 modifier. If the attack succeeds, the opponent drops the weapon but does not take any damage. Either character can try to pick up the weapon. Picking up requires a d100 roll that is equal to or less than the character's Dexterity score.

Battle Rage

Yazirians have the special ability to work themselves into a fighting frenzy, gaining a +20 modifier on their chance to hit in melee. A character must make a d100 roll equal to his battle rage score roll d100 to enter battle rage. A Yazirian can try to enter battle rage once per combat.

When in battle rage, the Yazirian gains a +10 bonus to hit in melee only. He can choose not to enter battle rage. (The chance to enter battle rage at any time is equal to 5% + 1% per level of experience.) A Yazirian cannot voluntarily end battle rage. The battle rage ends when no opponents or possible opponents are in sight. The battle rage ends when the character rests for five minutes.

Weapons Tables

Melee Weapons Table

* If set on stun, the target is stunned for d100 turns. If the roll is hit (01), the character will also be knocked unconscious.

Ranged Weapons Table

Vehicles and Vehicle Combat

The following standard vehicles are available on STAR FRONTIERS worlds.

Vehicle Descriptions

Ground Car

A ground car is a wheeled vehicle similar to a car or taxicab, except it gets parafinium instead of gasoline. Because ground cars run on wheels, they are very maneuverable. A ground car can swerve through any type of terrain if it has enough ground clearance. However, they are not as fast as hover vehicles off-road.

Ground Transport

Ground transports are heavy, wheeled trucks. They can have open or enclosed cargo areas.

Ground Cycle

Ground cycles are similar to today's motorcycles. They are fast and agile.

Hover Car

A hover car hovers on a cushion of air and has no wheels. They can travel over water, soft sand, mud and other terrain impassable to wheeled vehicles.

Hover Transport

A hover transport is a heavy truck version of a hover car.

Hover Cycle

A hover cycle is a one-passenger hover vehicle used for recreation and transportation.

Explorer

Explorers are heavy, four-wheeled cars (also built for traveling on unexplored or rugged areas. They are very maneuverable and relatively stable. Explorers are air tight and have a retractable canopy so they can travel underwater, but once underwater, fuel must be conserved for high waves.

Jet Copter

A jet copter is a combination rocketpack and hang glider. The rocketpack is slung by its high-thrust jets through vertical takeoff while the glider wings are extended. The standard jetcopter can not travel more than 500 meters in altitude.

Air Car

An aircar is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. It has glide wings that fold flat against the body when the car lands. They are powered by hydrogen fuel.

Air Transport

An air transport is a vertical take-off and landing cargo aircraft. A pair of tiltable nacelles let the vehicle land and take off without a runway.

All of the vehicles described above, except the jetcopter, are powered by parafinium. Refueling costs range in price from 100 Cr to 1,000 Cr per tank of fuel, depending on the size of the vehicle. Trucks, hovercrafts and explorers use the four-day fuel reserves. Prices shown are for used vehicles that are in good working order.

Vehicle Movement

Vehicle speeds are given in meters per turn (meters/turn). Explorers with the top speeds shown can travel at those rates per hour. The four-day figure is used for combat turns. For example, a Ground Car has maximum combat speed of 2,500 meters/turn, and a cruise speed of 1,500 meters/turn.

Vehicle Movement Table

Acceleration

A driver can increase the speed of his vehicle at the start of every game turn. To do this, the player decides how much faster he wants to travel, and adds that number of meters/turn to his current speed. The time for the vehicle's acceleration rate. The Vehicle Data Table shows acceleration rates for all the ground vehicles.

Deceleration

A driver can slow down his vehicle at the start of each game turn. To slow down, the driver reduces the speed in his car, subtracting the deceleration rate from his current speed. The vehicle loses one point of speed per 10 meters/turn. A vehicle will slow down more quickly in braking. Maximum speed and decelerations are shown on the Vehicle Data Table.

Turn Speed

The Vehicle Data Table shows turn speeds for the ground vehicles. A vehicle at a speed of 100 meters/turn or less can make 3 turns during the turn. A vehicle at greater speeds has fewer turns it can make. A vehicle can make a 45 degree turn if it meets the requirements, otherwise it can make a 15 degree turn. This allows the referee to determine how far a vehicle can travel between turns.

Vehicle Data Table

Vehicle Combat

This combat section covers only personal weapons fired from or at vehicles. Vehicle-mounted weapons are not covered in this set of rules.

Firing From Vehicles

A character who fires a weapon from a moving vehicle has a -10 modifier to hit. If the vehicle is moving faster than 150 meters/turn, the modifier is -20.

Shooting At Passengers

A character can shoot at a passenger inside a vehicle. There is a -30 modifier because the passenger has hard cover, and a -10 modifier if the vehicle is moving. Needlers can injure passengers only if the vehicle's windows or top are open.

Firing At Vehicles

If a character fires a weapon at a moving vehicle, he has a -10 modifier to hit. This modifier does not apply if the vehicle is moving directly toward or directly away from the firing character. Needlers and gas grenades have no effect on vehicles.

Damaging Vehicles

Whenever a vehicle is hit by gyrojets, an exploding grenade or a thrown explosive, the attacking character should roll to see how much damage the vehicle takes. This number is recorded as that type of vehicle. A separate roll is made for each hit.

Vehicle Damage Table

Modifiers: -2 = target is ground or hover cycle; +2 = target is Explorer

Explanation Of Results

TURN SPEED -15/ACCELERATION -20/TOP SPEED -30: The vehicle's turn speed, acceleration or top speed is reduced by the indicated number of meters/turn.

STEERING JAMMED STRAIGHT/LEFT/RIGHT: The vehicle's steering is jammed. The vehicle must turn 45 degrees in the indicated direction after each 20 meters of travel. For example, a skimmer with its controls jammed in a right turn must turn 45 degrees to the right after traveling 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 meters during its next move. The skimmer can decelerate or accelerate, but can not change its direction.

SPEED -20/TURN: The vehicle must reduce its speed by at least 20 meters/turn until it is stopped. It can decelerate more than this if the driver wants, but it can not accelerate.

VEHICLE BURNING: The vehicle has caught fire. Each passenger will suffer 1d10 points of damage at the start of every turn they are in the vehicle.

ROLL AND BURN: See Control Table results.

Bumping

A driver can try to make another vehicle crash by bumping it. In order to bump, one vehicle must stop directly in front of the other vehicle. Both drivers must then make Reaction Speed checks. The driver who performed the bump makes a normal check, but the driver whose vehicle was bumped has a modifier of -15. If either driver fails the check, he loses control of his vehicle (see Crashes).

Stunts

Drivers can perform other stunts, such as jumping their vehicles over bridges, at the referee's discretion. Things to consider when setting up a stunt are the type of vehicle being used, the amount of open space the vehicle has to work with, and the vehicle's condition and cargo.

Short Corners

A driver can try to turn his vehicle tighter than its speed allows, but risks losing control of the vehicle and crashing.

A driver shortens a corner if he tries to turn 5 meters before he should. For example, a ground cycle has a turning speed of 100 meters/turn. If the cycle is traveling 150 meters/turn, it must travel straight for 50 meters before making a turn. If the driver tries to make this second 45 degree turn after traveling straight only 5 meters, he is shortening the corner by 5 meters.

Whenever a driver shortens a corner, the player must roll d100. If the result is less than or equal to the driver's Reaction Speed, the driver makes the turn safely. If the result is higher than the driver's Reaction Speed, the driver loses control during the turn (see Crashes).

Crashes

When a driver loses control of his vehicle, the player must roll d100 and check the Control Table to see what happens to his vehicle. The d100 roll is modified by adding the vehicle's speed in meters/turn to the result.

Control Table

Explanation of Results

REDUCE SPEED: The vehicle immediately reduces its speed by the indicated amount. If this is more than half of the vehicle's current speed, the vehicle slows down to one-half its current speed. The vehicle finishes the move at this new speed.

SKID: The vehicle is skidding out of control. Divide its speed in meters/turn by 10, rounding fractions up. Move the vehicle this number of meters in the direction it was moving before it went out of control. If the vehicle skids into a building or other obstacle, treat it as a collision (see Collisions). Otherwise, the vehicle continues moving from its new position.

SPIN: The vehicle is skidding out of control and spinning. Divide its remaining movement by two. Move it that many meters in the direction it was traveling before it started skidding. Now roll 1d10 and note the number on the die. On the next turn the vehicle will skid to a stop. Move it only half as many meters as it moved on the turn it first went out of control and roll 1d10 again to determine how much it spins.

ROLL: The vehicle is rolling out of control. Treat this the same as a spin, but do not roll 1d10 to determine the vehicle's facing. Instead, each passenger in the vehicle suffers 1d10 points of damage. When the vehicle stops, roll 1d10. If the result is 1, 2 or 3, the vehicle is right-side-up. Otherwise it is on its side or top. The vehicle will run again on 1d10 turns if it was traveling at its turn speed or less.

ROLL AND BURN: Treat this the same as a roll, but the vehicle is burning when it stops. Each passenger suffers an additional 1d10 damage from the fire at the start of each turn he is in the vehicle. A character can get out of the vehicle in one turn if it has stopped rolling. If a character tries to get out of the vehicle while it is rolling, he must make a Reaction Speed check. If he passes the check, he has escaped from the vehicle. If he fails the check, he has not gotten away from the vehicle and he suffers an additional 1d10 damage immediately.

Collisions

If a moving vehicle hits a building, rock, other vehicle or obstacle of any kind, it has collided. The vehicle immediately stops moving.

Damage to Vehicles. If the vehicle was traveling faster than its turn speed, it will not run again without extensive repairs. If the vehicle was traveling at its turn speed or slower, it can be driven again after 1d10 hours. However, its acceleration, turn speed and turn speed are reduced by 20 meters/turn.

Injury to Passengers. When a vehicle crashes, divide its speed in meters/turn by 20, rounding fractions down. The result is the number of d10 that are rolled to determine how many points of damage each character takes. Add 2 points to each die of damage if the character was riding a ground or hover cycle, and subtract 2 from each die if the character was riding in an Explorer. (Use the collision rules as modified below.)

Crash Injuries

ARMOR: Skeinsuits and inertia screens will absorb half of the damage a character suffers in a crash.

Crashing Through Obstacles. If characters try to drive through a barricade or obstacle, the referee must use his discretion to decide how badly the vehicle is damaged, whether it keeps running, and whether the passengers are hurt. A vehicle may be able to smash through obstacles that are less solid than concrete posts or parked vehicles.

Flying Movement

Characters can fly using jetcopters and aircars. The movement rules for these vehicles are different than those for ground vehicles.

A gjet is a combination rocketpack and hang glider. The rocketpack is used to get the wearer up into the air. The chemical fuel tank holds enough fuel for 20 turns (two minutes). A character can accelerate straight up only during the burn. The rocket can be turned off at any time. When it is shut off, the wearer can coast on rising air currents for extended periods of time, losing altitude slowly, gliding, but it can be left on in moderate speed.

Speed and Distance. If there is no wind, the wearer can glide 1 meter horizontally for each meter he drops vertically. A gliding character drops 10 meters/turn, with or without using the rocket. If the rocket is used in level flight, the speed increases to 100 meters/turn. Characters can travel much farther and they will touch down longer if there is a strong wind.

Landing. A character that does not use the rocket to land must pass a Dexterity check in order to land on target. If he fails the check, he misses his target square by 2d10 meters in a random direction.

Tactical Movement. A character that is gliding with the rocket off can make one 45-degree turn per game turn. Using the rocket allows the character to turn up to three times as any point in his move.

Jetcopters and Aircars

When a character flies a jetcopter or aircar, the character must 2d10 points of damage at the start of every turn they are in the vehicle.

Jetcopters and aircars can accelerate up to 100 meters/turn. These can be made at any point. Aircars and jetcopters can accelerate up to 100% of maximum turn/thrust turn. If they are stopped, these vehicles will not accelerate on the turn they are stopped. They can hover in place and pivot to face any direction. They can increase their altitude by 20 meters/turn.

Moving jetcopters and aircars fly at or above the level of the highest obstacle in the area. Thus, in a city they would fly at about 60 meters on the ground, following the contours of the hills and low points. If the player ON THE GROUND flies above the level of the city, cruising speed and an aircar to 100 kph (175 meters/turn).

Damaging Gljets

When a gljet is hit, the wearer can only 1 meter horizontally for each meter he drops. Shooting at the rider or the gljet are attacks against a man-sized target.

Damaging Jetcopters and Aircars

When a hits a jetcopter or aircar, add the number of dice used to attack by 2. Also, roll on the Vehicle Damage Table as usual and add the attack roll. This number is found on the Flying Vehicle Damage Table.

Flying Vehicle Damage Table

ACCELERATION -30: The vehicle's engines were damaged, reducing its acceleration by 30 meters/turn.

TURNS -2: The vehicle's control and steering apparatus were damaged, reducing the number of turns it can make by 2.

FORCED LANDING: The vehicle's fuel tank or parabattery was destroyed. It has 2d10 turns left in the air before it can not land within 10 minutes, it will crash.

LOSS OF CONTROL: The cockpit was damaged by the attack. The pilot must pass a Reaction Speed check to keep the vehicle under control. If he fails the check, the vehicle crashes.

VEHICLE BURNING: The vehicle is out of control and burning. It will crash in two turns. Characters can jump from the vehicle (see Jumping), or use a parabunny. A parabunny is a small, compact para-glider that can open on command. A parabunny will slow a character's fall so that the character was less than 10 meters above the ground when the chute deployed.

Other Vehicles

Many other types of transportation besides those described above are available in STAR FRONTIER worlds. Some of those listed below will not be used in combat very often, but players may find them useful for other reasons.

Public Transportation

Monorails are the most common mass transit system on Frontier worlds. Monorail cars can hold up to 20 passengers, and travel at 100 meters/turn. Monorail passengers usually pay 1 Cr per 10 km of travel. Monorails are often built underground in cities and in tubes underground and under oceans.

Cabs of many types are common. Ground cars, skimmers and cycles can be used as cabs. Some cabs are driven by drivers while others are automatic. Cabs usually charge 1 Cr for boarding and 1 Cr for each km after the first.

Moving Walkways, also called slidwalks or slidewalks, carry standing passengers automatically. A character on a moving walkway moves at 3 meters/turn, her or it as slow as 10 meters/turn. Using a slider does not cost anything.

Air Vehicles

Glider shuttles, often called orbiters, are a cross between an airplane and a space ship. They are powerful enough to fly in orbit around a planet, and sturdy enough to re-enter the atmosphere and land on the surface. They are commonly used to carry supplies and passengers to orbiting space stations and starspaceports. Air shuttles can reach an orbiting space station in one or two hours.

Water Vehicles

Ships of many varieties are found throughout the Frontier. Players can find anything from three-masted sailing ships to luxury liners and cargo freighters. Motorboats are commonly used for short trips, while ships travel at a relatively calm. Skimmers can be used over water if the waves are not too high (less than 50 cm).

Submarines are used on worlds where the seas are very rough, covered with ice or otherwise unsuited to surface travel. They are common around underwater cities and sea bottom mines.

Animals

Riding Animals and beasts of burden are used on many planets for transportation. They are also used to go into areas that are too rough for vehicles or where land vehicles are illegal. Animals are slower and less reliable than a vehicle.

Type. Common names for rode animals are steeds and mounts.

Temperament. If a creature is naturally aggressive, it may attack strangers or fight back with only a little urging.

Herd. Any creature that fights to protect its family, herd, territory or its young. Creatures that are connected by any instinct other than survival are herding creatures.

Creating Creatures

During an adventure, creatures as well as intelligent alien races may be encountered. Since planets vary so much and so many different worlds to adventure on, it is impractical to give a list of all known creatures. The referee must create the creatures in his adventures.

When creating creatures for STAR FRONTIERS adventures, the referee should give each creature a purpose in the adventure, and should have a reason for placing the creatures where they are on the planet. Referees may find a basic reference book on ecology or biology helpful sources for ideas.

A step-by-step procedure is given below to help the referee create new creatures.

1. What Is the Creature's Purpose?

The referee should decide why the creature is needed in the adventure. Is it to fight the player characters? To mislead them? To be captured or trained? To give them information? To guard them? To set the stage for future encounters? Knowing a creature's purpose will make it easier for the referee to fit the details into place.

When deciding on a purpose for a creature, the referee should consider these other questions:

• Where does the creature live, and where and when is it active?
• What features is the creature's food (plants, reptile, warm, etc.)?
• How does the creature travel? Can it be attacked (during sleep, while moving, only at night, hanging upside down, slinking at strangers, etc)?
• Does the creature have any special characteristics (green vision, slow, poisonous, glowing, internal organ, aimlessly, etc.)?

2. What Type of Creature Is It?

All living creatures need food to live. What a creature eats and how it obtains its food. Eating habits can divide animals into three broad groups: herbivores (plant eaters), carnivores (meat eaters) and omnivores (plant and meat eaters). After placing the animal in one of these groups, the referee should decide what kind of food the creature eats: for example, a creature might be a small rodent that feeds on fruit of the ground with sharp claws.

HERBIVORES are normally timid, but will protect themselves if they are attacked. They usually are adapted to travel at high speeds to escape predators. Some defend by grazing, burrowing, digging, filter-feeding or growing their own food.

CARNIVORES may eat any type of meat, but usually prefer only one kind, such as fish or insects. They almost always have offensive attack or defense ability. They can be divided into predators and scavengers.

OMNIVORES can eat plants or meat, and may or may not be dangerous, but they usually are hungry. Omnivores have less specialized bodies than carnivores (their teeth and claws often are designed for eating plants) so they are usually less effective than the carnivores and are used mostly for catching small mammals or digging up roots.

Size. A creature's size affects how dangerous the creature is. For example, a large poisonous creature is more dangerous than a small poisonous creature of the same type. There are five different size groups: tiny, small, medium, large and giant.

TINY creatures weigh less than 5 kilograms. They can be up to 25 centimeters to 1 meter long.

SMALL creatures weigh from 5 to 20 kilograms and are between 2 and 3 meters long.

MEDIUM creatures weigh from 20 to 100 kilograms and are between 2 and 5 meters long.

LARGE creatures weigh from 200 to 1,500 kilograms and are between 3 and 5 meters long.

GIANT creatures weigh more than 1,500 kilograms and are more than 5 meters long.

3. How Many of These Creatures are Found Together?

The referee should decide whether the creatures travel alone or in groups. The number in a group depends on the type of creature and the amount of food near it. Large carnivores usually hunt by themselves or in small groups, while herbivores tend to travel in herds. The referee can control the difficulty of an encounter in an adventure by adjusting the number of creatures in a group. A single carnivore is not much of a challenge, but a pack of 100 of the same creatures is.

4. How Fast is the Creature?

The referee must decide how fast a creature is and how it moves. Movement is a very important part of combat. Creatures are usually adapted for maximum speed in their native terrain and are not affected by terrain movement modifiers. There are five categories of movement for creatures: very slow, slow, medium, fast and very fast. These correspond to the values in the Movement Table.

The referee should decide how the creature moves and whether it has any special way to move. For example, a creature might have wings, a jet-propelled tail or many legs, allowing it to fly, swim, dig, jump or slither. The referee should also consider any limits on a creature's movement. For example, some creatures would only climb upward, but others can climb in any direction.

5. What Are the Creature's Ability Scores?

The referee must choose the creature's ability scores. Only three of the scores used by characters are needed for creatures: Stamina, Reaction Speed and the initiative modifier. When setting these ability scores, the referee should be sure they fit the purpose of the creature.

6. How Does the Creature Attack?

A brief note to determine the scores is to consider how a creature would compare to a Human. Intelligent alien creatures (those with 1d100 points or higher initiative) can determine the creature's attack, which chance to hit and damage it causes. The referee should judge the creature as easy or hard to hit, if the creature has an unusual attack, add a type and put in its effects.

The referee must give the creature a basic chance to hit, called its attack score. This value should depend on the creature's senses and prowess, and also on the abilities of the player characters. A creature that cannot attack several of targets at once, that number is used for all the attacks.

If the creature has any unusual attacks the referee should record what the attacks are and what harm they do. Unusual attacks include poison, stinging, entangling and sonic attacks. If an attack shoots something, the referee should record if the weapon affects an area or just a single target.

7. How Does the Creature Defend Itself?

The referee should decide whether the creature has any defenses that will protect it from certain types of attacks (armor, for example). A creature that is naturally armored is harder to hit and takes less damage from attacks. Defenses are designed to escape or discourage an attacker, instead of harming it. Some creatures might have more than one defense listed. Some examples are: bounding away from danger, rolling into a ball, a thick or crusty shell, the ability to release an irritating chemical, emitting bright light, hissing, or puffing up to look bigger.

8. Does the Creature Have Any Special Abilities?

The referee must decide if the creature has any special abilities or mutations in the senses and their effect on the game. Examples of special abilities include spraying on the dark, spitting venom, hiding, building shelters in bridges or homes, changing color or glowing. Special abilities for a type of creature are described in the creature's description.

9. What Does the Creature Look Like?

The referee should decide what the creature looks like. The answers to the earlier questions will help determine the creature's appearance.

10. How Does a New Creature Affect the Adventure?

1. What is the purpose of the creature in the adventure?
2. What type of creature is it?
3. How many of these creatures are usually found together?
4. How fast is the creature?
5. What are the creature's ability scores?
6. How does the creature attack?
7. How does the creature defend itself?
8. Does the creature have any special abilities?
9. What does the creature look like?

A creature's reaction to a character depends on its type, what the character does and what the creature is doing. The creature may be sleeping, eating, tending its young or just passing through when the adventuring party meets it. Any disturbance can affect the creature's reaction to the characters. A character can affect the creature's reaction by being quiet, by making noise or by pretending to be something it's not. In these cases, the referee must decide what effect the character's action has on the creature's reaction.

Tranquilizing creatures will not make the creature hostile. A creature affected by tranquilizers will either run away or fall asleep. Unlike the previous experience rule, tranquilized creatures can always be tranquilized later by the same characters.

Size. Large creatures often are harder to frighten than small ones.

Type. Carnivores tend to look for easy meals and harder-to-frighten creatures. Herbivores are more cautious.

Creature Descriptions

After a referee designs a creature, he should write the information about it in a standard format. The information should be listed in the following order:

• TYPE: the creature's size and eating habits
• NUMBER: the number of creatures usually found together
• MOVE: the creature's movement category. The referee can include the actual rate per turn. If the creature can be ridden, its rate per hour should also be included.
• IM/RS: the creature's Initiative Modifier and Reaction Speed
• STAMINA: the creature's Stamina points
• ATTACK: the creature's basic chance to hit
• DAMAGE: the number of dice that are rolled to determine damage when the creature attacks
• SPECIAL ATTACK: a brief note on the effects of special attacks and ranged attacks. More detail is given in the description.
• SPECIAL DEFENSE: brief note on special defenses. More detail is given in the description.
• NATIVE WORLD: the planet where the creature is found and the terrain it normally inhabits
• DESCRIPTION: a brief description of the creature and notes on habits, includes how the creature moves, an explanation of its attacks, and any special abilities or defenses

Average Creatures

Average values and ranges for each of the standard creature types are listed below. When a range is listed, the referee should choose a number in that range. The referee can use these tables when he needs a new creature quickly. The scores can be used as they are listed, or modified to produce creatures with above or below average statistics. Special Attacks, Defenses and Abilities are not listed. These are left to the imagination of the referee.

Herbivores

Carnivores

Omnivores

Sample Creatures

All of the following creatures are found on the planet Volturnus, the setting for the module enclosed with the game.

Strangler Chutes

TYPE

Large Herbivore

NUMBER

3-30

MOVE

Slow (10 meters/turn on ground or tentacles)

IM/RS

3/28

STAMINA

100

ATTACK

None

DAMAGE

2 points/turn

SPECIAL ATTACK

Accidental attack (See below)

SPECIAL DEFENSE

Electrical shock causes 1d10 turns: if burned

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - wooded areas

DESCRIPTION: Strangler chutes look like giant goldfish floating in the air. They are 10 meters wide, but weigh only 52 kilograms. They move by catching the wind in their bag-like bodies. They float about 60 to 200 meters above the ground, and warn each other by changing colors, and warn each other by changing colors.

Strangler chutes eat the leaves of trees by draping their bodies across the branches. Unfortunately for adventurers, strangler chutes will sometimes catch a character by accident. A character caught by a strangler chute will take 2 points of damage each turn. If a character is an air vehicle or has somehow climbed high enough to reach the chute, he can reach a Reaction Speed check to escape. The chute will continue to hold the character (20% of the time) until the character makes a Reaction Speed check or until the creature that has the 67% chance of falling back into the chute still make cause major damage to the chute and cause it to fall.

Army Rats

TYPE

Small Carnivore

NUMBER

2-20 per character, 1,000 or more in a pack

MOVE

Fast (90 meters/turn)

IM/RS

6/60

STAMINA

5

ATTACK

40

DAMAGE

1d5 bite + disease

SPECIAL ATTACK

None

SPECIAL DEFENSE

None

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - mountains

DESCRIPTION: Army rats are furry brown creatures that resemble large rats. They have powerful hind legs and can leap up to 1 meter to attack. They swarm in packs of 1,000 or more, and will attack any animal in their path. They are cunning and attack in waves, some biting while others follow up. After a pack of 5-20 spray mating pheromones; another wave takes their place until the prey finally falls. A character attacked by 5-20 army rats will be attacked by 5-20 army rats, while the rest pass by seeking other food.

Any creature bitten by an army rat has a 5% chance of being infected by a disease that attacks the central nervous system. A creature only needs to be bitten once to become infected. Unless a victim is given a dose of Antitox (Plutonium) 12 hours, he will become hostile and aggressive and either attack or desert his companions. Every 20 hours after being bitten the victim can make a Stamina check. If the character succeeds, he recovers from the disease. If not, another 20 hours must pass before the victim can try again.

Funnel Worm

TYPE

Giant Carnivore

NUMBER

1

MOVE

Slow

IM/RS

5/45

STAMINA

200

ATTACK

45 on surface

DAMAGE

5d10 tentacles and bite

SPECIAL ATTACK

Automatic hit if prey falls in funnel

SPECIAL DEFENSE

Will not rise reduced unless it attacks

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - deserts

DESCRIPTION: The funnel worm is a burrowing creature 5 to 7 meters long, with a segmented body and two large compound eyes which are able to sense heat radiating from prey. It has a pair of large mandibles and its mouth is filled with a ring of sharp teeth.

Funnel worms live in loose, sandy soil, waiting for prey to pass overhead. They wait 5 to 10 meters beneath the surface to prey to pass overhead. When it senses the vibrations of a creature passing, it quickly excavates its funnel, swallowing the sand and forming a 15-meter wide funnel of sand. The prey slides down the funnel where it is seized. Any creature caught in the funnel must make a Reaction Speed check to keep from sliding down. Any creature that fails the check slides to a position above the worm. If the creature slides down to within 5 meters of the funnel worm, the funnel worm is automatically hit. Only one creature at a time can go into combat with a funnel worm. Once a character has been swallowed, they may take 3d10 points of damage per turn. The funnel worm's mouth is large enough to swallow a Human. Creatures that are too large may continue to fight until one or the other pulls out.

Megasaurus

TYPE

Giant Carnivore

NUMBER

1

MOVE

Fast (90 meters/turn)

IM/RS

4/40

STAMINA

500

ATTACK

70

DAMAGE

6d10

SPECIAL ATTACK

None

SPECIAL DEFENSE

None

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus

DESCRIPTION: The Megasaurus is approximately 15 meters long and stands 5 meters high at the shoulders. It looks very similar to the great dinosaurs of Earth. Though the Megasaurus looks fierce and very dangerous, it is actually not especially vicious and will avoid attacking Human-sized creatures if not provoked.

Land Whale

TYPE

Giant Omnivore

NUMBER

1

MOVE

Medium

IM/RS

3/25

STAMINA

300

ATTACK

45

DAMAGE

1d10 bite

SPECIAL ATTACK

A successful bite will swallow prey; a swallowed victim can not attack

SPECIAL DEFENSE

None

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - dry plains

DESCRIPTION: A land whale looks like a 10-meter long whale with eight short legs. Its jaws are hinged sideways. A land whale will swallow anything in its path, moving until its large mouth is full before stopping to digest the food. Land whales travel alone. They can move swiftly, but can only run for short distances. They can start moving at a speed of 10 meters/turn, and can accelerate 10 meters/turn until they reach their top speed of 60 meters/turn.

A character bitten by a land whale must roll his Reaction Speed or less to avoid being swallowed. A swallowed character will automatically take 1d10 points of damage each turn until cut out of the land whale.

Slither (Sathar Attack Monster)

TYPE

Giant Carnivore

NUMBER

1-2

MOVE

Slow (10 meters/turn)

IM/RS

5/45

STAMINA

400

ATTACK

50

DAMAGE

5d10 tentacles and bite

SPECIAL ATTACK

Camouflage may surprise victims

SPECIAL DEFENSE

Can attack two creatures at once

NATIVE WORLD

None - salt flats and clear water

DESCRIPTION: A slither is 20 meters long and 2 meters wide. It resembles a giant sized cross between a worm and a centipede. It is part plant and part animal; plants grow from its back, providing camouflage and some nourishment from photosynthesis. It can only move moving plants, but can eat and drink water. One to four limb-like pods of 8 cells, waiting for prey.

When lying still, a Slither is often mistaken for a mound of plants. It slithering 2 meter long tentacles. Slithers also have an oily fluid on their skin that gives them a sickly sweet odor. By waiting with great patience and covering themselves with this fluid, they can lie in one place for hours before striking. They attack by lashing out with their tentacles, wrapping them around prey and then pulling it to their mouth to eat it with their secretions. They must do so and make a new attack roll each turn. One slither can attack two creatures on the same turn, one with its tentacles and bite and the other by coiling around it. This makes them very deadly in combat.

Slithers are Sathar attack monsters. The Sathar, in their efforts to destroy peaceful worlds, have genetically altered a number of creatures into "monsters" which they set free on various worlds. Slithers and other Sathar attack monsters can be encountered on many different planets.

Sand Shark

TYPE

Large Carnivore

NUMBER

1-2

MOVE

Medium

IM/RS

5/50

STAMINA

90

ATTACK

60

DAMAGE

2d10 bite

SPECIAL ATTACK

None

SPECIAL DEFENSE

Immune to needler weapons; has hard cover when attacking from burrow

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - deserts

DESCRIPTION: The sand shark is a burrowing creature. It is 3 meters long, has a wedge-shaped head, thick, leathery hide and powerful claws. A sand shark burrows just beneath the surface, moving through the sand. It has a dorsal fin that it pushes through the sand, leaving a telltale ridge as it swims. Its mouth is filled with three rows of jagged teeth. It reveals itself when it erupts at the feet of its target to attack. It attacks by bursting from below.

The sand shark can cross rocky areas by slithering across the surface, but its movement rate is reduced to Slow.

Winged Rippers

TYPE

Small Carnivore (Scavenger)

NUMBER

4-40

MOVE

Fast

IM/RS

7/70

STAMINA

10

ATTACK

35

DAMAGE

1d5 beak

SPECIAL ATTACK

None

SPECIAL DEFENSE

None

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - all terrains

DESCRIPTION: Winged rippers are scavenger birds that gather in great numbers around any carrion. A ripper looks like a cross between a vulture and a pterodactyl. Their brownish-gray feathers look tattered, and have a distinct odor of decay.

Winged rippers are dangerous and may attack small animals or sick or injured creatures. A large number of winged rippers (more than 20) may attack and kill a full-grown healthy creature. Rippers will flee when attacked, but will return as soon as the attacker moves away. Winged rippers are basically cowardly; however, and if more than one tenth of the flock is killed, all the rippers will leave the area for several hours.

Queequeg

TYPE

Large Carnivore

NUMBER

1-3 (20 meters/turn)

MOVE

Fast

IM/RS

6/60

STAMINA

100

ATTACK

65

DAMAGE

3d10

SPECIAL ATTACK

Harpoon stun strike victim up to 5 meters away

SPECIAL DEFENSE

Poisonous exoskeleton acts as skeinsuit, reducing damage from non-energy attacks by half

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - forest

DESCRIPTION: Queequegs have long thin bodies with three pointed legs arranged like a tripod, and three eyes spaced evenly around the body. They have a hard exoskeleton that replicates the color of the plants where they live, providing a natural camouflage. A queequeg is only mildly poisonous, surrounded by small tentacles. A single 5-meter long barbed antenna grows from the top of its body with a sharp metal barb.

The queequeg attacks by whipping this barbed antenna at its prey like a harpoon. Once the prey is speared, the queequeg drags it back to eat it. Each hit by a harpoon does 3d10 points of damage and stuns the victim. The victim is then dragged 5 meters per turn to the queequeg to be eaten. A harpooned character can try to pull the barb free. Each attempt to pull free requires a successful Strength check. Failure means another 2d10 points of damage. Cutting free (which also fails to escape the barbed antenna, and also ends the Queequeg's attack on that target) will damage for the harpoon tentacles and death at the hands of the Queequeg.

Tomar's Horses

TYPE

Large Omnivore

NUMBER

1-100

MOVE

Fast (90 meters/turn, 25 km/hour)

IM/RS

6/60

STAMINA

75

ATTACK

50

DAMAGE

3d10 bite and hooves

SPECIAL ATTACK

Stampede Attack score 70, 8d10 damage

SPECIAL DEFENSE

None

NATIVE WORLD

Volturnus - dry plains

DESCRIPTION: Tomar's horses are a cross between a horse and a jackal. They stand 1.6 meters tall at the shoulder and weigh about 400 kilograms. Tomar's horses eat seeds, nuts, grains, berries and meat. They will not eat carrion, but prefer fresh meat.

Tomar's horses are cunning. They may stalk their prey, taking advantage of cover to circle their prey. When a herd of Tomar's horses first spots its prey, it will charge (stampede), attempting to trample or drive off any creature that is too small to be a threat and chase down anything that runs. They try to drive the creature off a cliff or into a dead end whenever possible. Stampeding Tomar's horses attack at a score of 70 for 8d10 points of damage.

Tomar's horses can attack by stampeding and trampling its prey. When a Tomar's herd stampedes it acts as a wall of moving bodies about 10-20 meters wide. These creatures are not used in the adventure that comes in this box. Their Attack score for a Stampede attack is 70 with 8d10 points of damage. If the stampede does not trample something, it will form one herd attack at the end of the stampede. If more than one creature falls under a stampede, they split up to pursue their prey. Their attack goes to 8d10 points of damage.

Equipment

This section lists the equipment available on most Frontier worlds and describes how each item works.

Equipment Lists

Beam Weapons

Projectile Weapons

Gyrojet Weapons

Grenades

Melee Weapons

Defenses

Ammunition

Weapon Descriptions

Beam Weapons

Electrostunner. An electrostunner looks like a large pistol. It is a short-range weapon. It fires an arc of electrons that looks like a lightning bolt. Anyone hit by an electrostunner must pass a Stamina check or be stunned. A failed check means the victim is unconscious for d100 turns. Anyone hit by a stun beam can resist its effects by rolling less than or equal to his current Stamina. A powerclip gives the electrostunner ten shots.

Laser Pistol. A laser pistol is a large handgun. It fires a pulse of bright light. Laser pistols are commonly called blasters. A laser pistol has a variable power setting that controls how many SEU it uses for each shot. Each SEU fired causes 1d10 points of damage. For example, when the dial is set at 5, the shot uses 5 SEU and causes 5d10 points of damage. Laser pistols must tell the referee what setting they are using before rolling to hit. The SEU dial can be set from 1 to 10. A 20 SEU clip can be attached to a beltpack or powerpack. An albedo suit or screen deflects the damage from laser weapons.

Laser Rifle. A laser rifle is a rifle-sized version of a laser pistol. It has a longer range and the SEU dial can be set from 1 to 20 instead of 1-10.

Sonic Disruptor. A sonic disruptor is a type of rifle. It is commonly called a disruptor. A sonic disruptor generates a focused sound beam. The damage it causes depends on the range: At close or medium range, 5d10 at short range, 4d10 at medium range, and 1d10 at long range. It makes a loud cracking noise, and 2 to 3 SEU clip but can also be attached to a beltpack or powerpack. A sonic screen can stop the damage.

Sonic Stunner. A sonic stunner is a type of pistol. It is commonly called a stunner. It will stun a victim for d100 turns. The victim can resist its effects by rolling less than his current Stamina, but can be attached to a beltpack or powerpack. A target with an anti-shock implant can not be stunned by a sonic stunner. Only a sonic screen can stop the stunner's sound beam.

Heavy Laser. A heavy laser is about the size of a machine gun. It must be mounted on a tripod or a swivel mount to be fired. It has longer range and damage than the laser rifle.

Sonic Devastator. A sonic devastator is a heavy weapon that must be mounted on a tripod or a swivel mount to be fired. Except for its greater range and damage, the sonic devastator operates just like the sonic disruptor.

Projectile Weapons

Automatic Pistol. An automatic pistol is a refined version of the semiautomatic pistol. It looks like a heavy pistol with a large grip. The gun can be fired like a pistol when the stock is folded, or fired from the shoulder when the stock is extended. An automatic pistol can be set to fire single shots or bursts. Up to three single shots or one burst can be fired in one turn. A single bullet causes 1d10 points of damage. A burst causes 5d10 points of damage but uses up 10 bullets. Skeinsuits and inertia screens reduce bullet damage by half. If a skeinsuit and an inertia screen are used together, damage is reduced to one-fourth the normal amount.

Automatic Rifle. An automatic rifle is similar to the automatic pistol, but with a longer barrel. It can fire up to three single shots or one burst per turn.

Needler Pistol. A needler pistol is a handgun that fires a cloud of tiny needles. Each needle contains a dose of poison. Standard types of needles can be used: barbed needles cause 2d10 points of damage if even one needle hits.

Needler Rifle. A needler rifle is a rifle-sized version of a needler pistol. It fires a longer burst than the needler pistol, causing 3d10 damage.

Machine Gun. Machine guns use a disintegrating belt of 200 bullets (starting to set fire at both ends at the bullets are fired up). A gunner with separate 2 belt will stop firing, ammo belts can be linked together so the gun can keep firing without stopping to be reloaded.

Recoilless Rifle Shell. A recoilless rifle shell looks like a 15 cm long artillery shell. It is essentially a giant bullet.

Gyrojet Weapons

Gyrojet Pistol. A gyrojet pistol is a large handgun. It shoots miniature rockets that cause 2d10 points of damage when they explode. Thus the short range modifier is used at close range because the rocket is still accelerating. Thus the short range modifier is used at close range. Skeinsuits and inertia screens reduce the damage from a gyrojet rocket.

Gyrojet Rifle. A gyrojet rifle is the rifle-sized version of a gyrojet pistol. It has a longer range and causes 3d10 points of damage per shot.

Grenade Rifle. A grenade rifle resembles a shotgun. It fires hand grenades, one at a time (one burst equals one grenade per turn). Any type of grenade can be used. It can fire one shot per turn, and then must be reloaded, which also takes one turn. If a shot misses, the grenade does not explode. Depending on what type of grenade is being used, all normal grenade modifiers apply.

Grenade Mortar. A grenade mortar is a hollow tube that is attached to a tripod or a large backpack. It can fire any type of grenade at a target. The mortar has a longer range than a grenade rifle. Because a mortar fires grenades at a high angle of fire, it can shoot over low obstacles.

Rocket Launcher. A rocket launcher is a long, hollow tube that is fired by resting across the firer's shoulder. It fires a large, long-range rocket. It must be reloaded after every shot, and reloading takes one turn.

Grenades

Grenades can be thrown or fired from a grenade rifle or mortar. Characters can avoid or resist the effect of a grenade by passing a check that applies to the grenade. Grenades can be set to explode on impact or with a timer that delays the explosion. All grenades have a blast radius, and cause damage to everything within the blast radius.

Doze Grenades. A doze grenade releases a cloud of fast-acting knockout gas. All creatures in the blast radius must make a Stamina check or fall asleep for d100 turns. Doze gas penetrates Skeinsuits and inertia screens will not stop a sleeping individual unconsciously. The gas has no effect on characters that do not breathe.

Fragmentation Grenades. When a fragmentation grenade explodes, it throws hundreds of small, sharp pieces of metal in all directions. Everyone in the blast radius suffers 8d10 points of damage. Any character in the blast radius suffers half of the individual pieces affected by inertia screens and skeinsuits also reduce damage by half. These modifiers are cumulative.

Incendiary Grenades. An exploding incendiary grenade scatters sticky napalm over a 3-meter radius of the blast location. Incendiary grenades cause 4d10 points of damage on the turn it explodes, then 2d10 points of additional damage on 2d10 additional turns after the explosion. A character that makes a Reaction Speed check takes only half damage. Anyone in the area takes 1d10 points of damage on turns after the explosion. A character not in the blast can take no damage from the continuing fire.

Poison Grenades. A poison grenade releases a cloud of poisonous gas. The gas in the blast radius will be poisoned by the gas. The gas is so fast that even the grenade explodes. The gas acts on everyone within 3 meters of the place where a Stamina check or be affected by the poison, which causes 4d10 points of damage. Once a grenade passes a Stamina check, that character is immune to the effects of that grenade. The gas cloud lasts for 5 turns. Characters can hold their breath to avoid breathing the gas. A character who holds his breath for 3 turns can pass through the gas without being affected. Characters who can not breathe are not affected by poison grenades.

Smoke Grenades. A smoke grenade produces a thick cloud of smoke that blocks vision and acts like tear gas. Smoke grenades are commonly used to cover a retreat. Characters cannot see through the smoke, so they have a -50 modifier on attack rolls. If a character is in the smoke for more than 2 turns (-5 turns for Vrusk), vision is impaired for 1d10 rounds. If in smoke for 3 turns, the character must make a Stamina check or be blinded for 1d10 turns. The smoke screen will last for 10 turns.

Tangler Grenades. An exploding tangler grenade throws out hundreds of strong, sticky polymer threads. These threads stick to everything within the blast radius. An entangled individual can not move until he breaks free. Breaking free takes d10+5 minutes, or until someone who is untangled in the threads. One vial of solvent (see Equipment List) will dissolve one tangler grenade instantly.

Toolkits

If a starting character chose a skill that requires a toolkit, the character gets the toolkit automatically along with the skill. Characters who learn skills by spending experience points for them must buy their own toolkits. None of the Military skills require toolkits.

Technological Toolkits

All characters with Technological skills need a toolkit to make repairs.

Techkit. The technician's toolkit contains all of the tools needed to repair vehicles and other equipment. Because Standard size toolkits are used to make so many items that formerly were made of metal or wood, the techkit contains only 20 kg and can be carried in a backpack.

Biosocial Toolkits

A medic needs a medical kit and an environmental specialist needs an envirokit to be most effective.

Medkit. A medic has specialized equipment the medic needs to perform his or her job. It weighs 10 kg and can be carried in a backpack. The medkit contains:

• Local Anesthetic — 10 hypo doses to relieve pain
• Plastiflesh — 5 cans of spray which closes up wounds and heals burns
• Omnimycin — 10 hypo doses to control infections
• Acid Neutralizer — 1 bottle of liquid to neutralize acids
• Antiseptic — 5 cans of spray to clean and disinfect a skin area
• Microforceps — adjustable; used to remove shrapnel and bullet fragments from wounds
• Medscanner — an electrical instrument used to diagnose ailments
• Spray Hypo — syringe used to give shots without a needle
• Booster — 20 hypo doses to stimulate any first healing
• Telol — 10 hypo doses of truth serum
• Stimdose — 10 hypo doses to revive unconscious individuals
• Staydose — 10 hypo doses to sustain a dying character for 20 hours
• Sonic scalpel — same as in robotics
• Laser scalpel — used to make deep incisions
• Electrosutures — a small machine that keeps wounds open and bleeding to a minimum during surgery
• Autosurgeon — a special device that allows a medic to operate on himself
• Antibody plus — 10 hypo doses that increase the body's ability to recover from diseases
• Antitox — 10 hypo doses to neutralize poisons

Envirokit. An envirokit contains only three items, but they are very sophisticated pieces of equipment. The entire kit weighs 5 kg, and may be fastened to a belt, or placed in a backpack.

• Bioscanner — This device consists of a network of strings and electrodes connected to a readout gauge. When attached to a plant or animal, living or dead, it can determine what type organism is being examined and whether it is edible or poisonous.
• Vaporscanner — A vaporscanner is a small device that contains a sensitive gas analyzer. It will report on a digital screen what gas elements are present, their quantities and whether breathing them is dangerous.
• Geoscanner — The geoscanner can break down up to a first-sized sample of rock or soil and analyze it. It will report what minerals the sample contains and whether there are likely to be valuable ores, gas or other minerals nearby.

Computers

A computer is a sophisticated electronic machine that can organize and analyze information. A computer works by running programs. Every program is available in six levels. The higher levels are more complex and able to handle more information. Each program requires a certain number of function points in order to operate. A function is the measurement of a computer's ability to process information. A computer with a higher function point rate can run more programs.

Computer Programs

Robots

Standard robot bodies come in all shapes. They are humanoid or have a cargo character, weigh 100 kg without a body and carry up to 100 Stamina points. A standard body costs 5,000 Cr.

Anthropomorphic robot bodies look like one of the races. They weigh 100 kg without equipment. They are powered by a type 2 parabattery.

Standard Robot Cost Table

Frontier Societies

STAR FRONTIERS adventures take place in an area of space called the Frontier, or simply the Frontier. The Frontier contains 17 inhabited star systems, with a total of 23 colonized planets. Some of these systems have been planned and settled by only one of the four races; others were set up in cooperation and have mixed populations.

The Frontier Worlds

Besides the settled areas, the sector contains 21 unexplored star systems that could have habitable (or inhabited) planets. No one has taken the time to look at these stars for navigational hazards, so no one knows whether these stars even have planets. Even the settled planets are not fully explored. There are many moons, asteroid belts, and a few planets that are largely ignored in the day-to-day business of living in the Frontier.

The Frontier Worlds Table

Colonizers indicates which of the four races settled the planet. This will be the most common on the planet, and will control the settlements. Abbreviations are used to indicate which race colonized it: D=Dralasite, H=Human, V=Vrusk, Y=Yazirian.

Population and Trade indicates how many intelligent beings live on the planet and what their major trade is. The third letter shows the population level on the planet.

Space Travel

Starships can travel between star systems at speeds many times faster than the speed of light. A single interstellar journey can be made in only a few days in a faster-than-light starship. Because of large corporations, private starships are rare in the Frontier.

Travel Time

The length of each route in light years is printed on the map. Travel times at light speed are: 1 light year = 1 day. Most ships, however, travel at d5+d10 days. Multiply this by the jump distance to get total time to complete the trip, in hours.

Time

Galactic Standard Time (GST) is the most popular time system in the Frontier. The GST system uses hours, minutes and seconds. An hour is 60 minutes long, a minute is 60 seconds long. A second is defined as the length of time needed by a beam of light to travel 300,000 km through a vacuum.

One year in Galactic Standard Time is 800 GST days long. A standard year is divided into 400 20-hour days. Each day can be divided into a 10-hour work period and a 10-hour rest period.

Languages

Pan-Galactic is the official interstellar trade language. A character can understand simple phrases in Pan-Galactic. This will create problems for adventurers when they must find a way to communicate with the aliens.

Alien Languages. The other races do not have the voices of some races do not speak any language but their own. Since most aliens speak Pan-Galactic, language is not usually a problem.

The Cost of Living

Instead of keeping track of many small expenses, the referee should assume that characters spend one-half of the money they earn on food, lodging, and other expenses.

How to Referee

The referee is the most important person in a STAR FRONTIERS game. In order to be a good referee, he must know the rules and be able to apply them fairly, be able to make consistent decisions about situations that are not covered by the rules, and know how to create adventures. The referee must prepare the adventure, make rulings during play, and make sure that everyone has fun during the game.

How to Prepare for Play

Before you play, you have three main tasks when preparing to play:

1. Know the Rules. You must be familiar with all of the STAR FRONTIERS rules. This does not mean you must memorize the rules, but you should know what the rules say so you can answer questions when players have questions.
2. Study the Adventure. Study the adventure thoroughly, so you will know what events are supposed to happen. Review the maps carefully, and know what is in each location, so you will know all of it. Try to think about how players might react to situations and try to figure out how to handle problems before they occur.
3. Be Prepared to Make Decisions. Learn to think about the important points of an encounter should have on the players: What sort of details will help convey the mood of an event, you could easily players' feelings for the setting. As you flesh things out through the door's main room, the referee might describe this: "As you brush through the thick foliage..."

Be Prepared to Make Decisions

Players will try to do things you did not expect, and you will be able to decide what rules should be used to judge their actions, their abilities, skills and equipment will help you decide.

A Judge, Not an Enemy

Notice a key thing about a STAR FRONTIERS game: To be a referee is not the same as being an antagonist, an actor and a leader. The referee's job is to keep the game moving and to make the game fun for everyone by performing impartially.

As judge, the referee's job in any game is to ensure that the rules are applied to all times and that everyone is keeping track of time, money and experience points that come up during the game. If in doubt, ask him, and ask him as a STAR FRONTIERS referee.

Using Modifiers

As referee you will need to determine how easy or difficult an action and how this will affect a character's chance to do something. You must use modifiers to reflect the difficulty of an action. If an action is easy you can let the player add 5-30 points to his chance of success; if it is difficult, you could tell him to subtract 5-30 points.

Pay and Experience Points

At the end of each adventure, player characters will be hired to receive pay. Before assigning a job, characters will want to know how much they are going to be paid. You, as referee, will have to decide.

Pay should depend on the skills of the character and how much work he will have. Characters with high skills command a higher pay rate. Payment is given as pay per 20-hour day (abbreviated ppd). The typical work week is five days of work with two days off. Experience points are determined based on play, 10 to 100 credits per day would be at least 10 skill per day, plus 10 to 100 credits per day for hazardous situations or special skills.

How to Create an Adventure

The first thing you must do as a referee is create adventure for your players. Adventures can be as simple or as complex as you want to make them. You can design them completely from your imagination, or take ideas from books and movies.

There are six steps to creating an adventure:

1. Choosing a theme or basic story and the goal of the adventure
2. Selecting the setting where the story takes place
3. Designing the events that lead to the goal, and the obstacles that must be overcome to reach the goal
4. Creating the non-player characters and creatures that the characters will meet, and deciding how they will affect play
5. Writing any special rules that are needed for unusual events
6. Writing a final outline of the adventure to guide the referee through the action

Theme

When choosing a theme for your adventure, you should consider these three things:

• What has happened before that led to this adventure?
• What must the characters do to complete their goal?
• What sorts of obstacles do you want the players to face during the adventure?

Some suggestions beginning referees can use to create simple adventures are listed below:

• Explore a New World: The player characters are hired to explore an undiscovered planet. The theme can be used many times by creating new planets with new challenges.
• Obtain Information: The player characters must search for special information and bring it back to their employer with the information.
• Retrieve a Stolen Item: The player characters are hired to locate and bring back something that has been stolen.
• Catch Criminals: The player characters must find and capture a criminal who has broken the law.
• Rescue Someone: The player characters must locate and rescue someone who is being held hostage — a hostage, kidnapped person, etc.
• Map Surveying: The player characters must explore an area, taking notes and making maps for future travelers.

Settings

The settings or locations of an adventure determine the area play can take place and what animals and events can be encountered. Guards and robots can be encountered while searching a space station, but wild creatures and dangerous terrain are more likely if characters are exploring a new planet. Most settings can be as large as you want, and characters may never fully explore them.

Events

Events are the things that happen during the game and affect the characters. For example, if the theme of an adventure is based on something discovered by the player characters in an earlier game. This adds excitement as player's use information they have found in earlier adventures to solve the riddles of another.

Be a Good Referee

A good referee never tries to kill the players, but there are many challenges to the players. The referee's job is to present challenges to the adventure and make the game exciting, not frustrating. Be fair when you make decisions, and make sure the adventure is fun for everyone.

Be fair when you make decisions, but do not let characters take actions that you know will hurt them. Warn the players if what they are doing could be lethal.

A good referee takes notes during an adventure. You can write anything down that will help you run the game better later on. If something happens that you did not think would happen, you can use that idea later on.