Monolith
Monolith is a science fiction adventure game for one Game Master (GM) and at least one other player. Players act as daring adventurers exploring a vast & mysterious galaxy filled with weird aliens, lost civilizations, and ruthless factions.
System Reference Document
- Monolith is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0.
- Monolith is a sci-fi / science fantasy hack of Yochai Gal’s Cairn, which is a hack of Into the Odd (by Chris McDowall) and Knave (by Ben Milton). See more credits at the back.
Overview
Monolith is about exploring a vast, populous, and diverse galaxy. It’s a game of discovery, wonder, and mystery. Monolith is setting neutral. The rules are written in such a way that might suggest or imply things like specific cultures, alien lifeforms, psionics, weird powers, intelligent machines, advanced technology existing alongside more analogue or “low tech” technology, and faster-than-light travel. As a galaxy that is both an open society full of trade and conflict, while also leaving dark corners and uncharted sections to explore. Some of the items, backgrounds, and powers imply certain elements of a setting, but the flavor of everything can be changed to suit your needs.
The rules are also modular enough to be altered or removed. If you don’t want starships, or faction management, or psionic powers, certain elements of backgrounds, combat, etc. you should feel encouraged to alter the game to suit your needs. Monolith is also designed with longer play and campaigns in mind, although it would work fine for one-shots. That’s why there are systems of progression, and why new characters might seem a little more well-geared and tougher than new characters in similar games. I tend to play with longer campaigns in mind. If you don’t, it should be easy enough to increase the challenge on the GM side to find the right difficulty for your table.
Apendix N
- Star Wars
- Farscape
- Mass Effect
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Cowboy Bebop
- Futurama
- Classic Traveller
Table of Contents
Principles
Compatibility
This game is designed to be compatible with other pre-written adventures (especially sci-fi) with minimal and flexible conversion.
Modularity
All rules are optional. Use what you want, remove what you don’t. Everything is designed to be modular. You can pull whole parts out, slot in optional rules, and add your own homebrew content. Some campaigns are short, others go on for many sessions. Some tables want lighter games, others want lots of content and systems. Handwave rules and features to your heart’s content!
Minimal Implied Setting
Some aspects of a setting are implied, such as alien species, psionics and space magic, starships, cybernetics, and more. Most of the setting was kept intentionally vague so that the GM and players can customize how their galaxy looks and what they draw inspiration from. Most of the rules are modular enough that they can be modified or removed if they don’t work at your table.
Classless
A character’s role or skills are not limited by a single class. Instead, the equipment they carry and their experiences defines their specialty. They have a background, which tells you a bit about their experiences before becoming an adventurer, but it doesn’t define who they can become.
Danger & Consequences
Characters may be powerful, but they are also vulnerable to danger. Death is always around the corner, but it is never random or without warning. Sometimes there are consequences other than death that can change who you are, or even alter the galaxy itself.
Fiction First
Dice do not always reflect an obstacle’s difficulty or its outcome. Instead, success and failure are arbitrated by the GM in dialogue with the players, based on in-world elements. Always rule in favor of fun if everyone is in agreement.
Narrative Growth
Characters are mostly changed through in-world actions and consequences. Players may acquire new skills and abilities by surviving dangerous events or overcoming obstacles. Dangerous and valuable technology and artifacts will often change a character. Characters also have the incentive of acquiring experience points via credits recovered from hunting rare objects or completing dangerous jobs.
Shared Objectives
Players should trust one another to engage with the shared setting, character goals, and party challenges. Therefore, the party is typically working together towards a common goal, as a team.
Hackable Abilities & Items
Many of the effects of psionics, astromancy, talents, experimental tech, artifacts, and various augmentations can be shifted around. Magic effects can be items instead. Something a piece of tech does could be an ability or talent instead. There’s a lot of overlap, and that’s intentional. Borrow, shift around, and reflavor as you see fit.
Adventure
One shots are perfectly acceptable ways to play, but this game was designed with several sessions to campaign length play in mind. Characters may start out with a few more advantages than other games, but that’s okay. The universe is still deadly enough to impose serious challenges when needed.
Player Choice
Players should always understand the reasons behind the choices they’ve made, and information about potential risks should be provided freely and frequently. Always give the players a lot of information.
Return to Table of Contents
Character Creation
Ability Scores
Roll 3d6 for each ability score in order. The player may swap any two of the results.
- Strength (STR) - Power, toughness, grit, & stamina.
- Dexterity (DEX) - Quickness, precision, agility, & technological aptitude.
- Willpower (WIL) - Confidence, force of personality, mental fortitude, & affinity for the weird.
Background
Roll 1d12 and consult the corresponding background to see what your life has been like up to this point. Next, roll on all the tables listed under that background. All backgrounds will have a table corresponding to HP, along with two other tables to flesh out details.
Hit Protection (HP)
Roll 1d6 to determine your character’s starting Hit Protection (HP), which reflects their ability to avoid damage in combat. HP does not indicate a character’s health or fortitude; nor do they lose it for very long (see Healing). They grow more grizzled over their experiences. If an attack takes a PC’s HP exactly to 0, the player must roll on the scars table.
Finishing Touches
Roll on any additional tables for your background and see the finishing touches section for optional traits. The oldest player at the table will reference their background’s group debt.
Starting Gear
All PCs begin with:
- Three days of rations (one slot)
- Cheap Data-Comm (one slot)
- Glo-torch (one slot)
- 3d6 Credits (C)
Return to Table of Contents
Backgrounds
Background Details
Some elements from your past might still be relevant to who your character is or might become, but their past doesn’t define them. Backgrounds will also imply some specialized knowledge, along with details based on the tables rolled.
Shared Debt
The group will start with a shared debt. This will help facilitate urgency for the players by prompting them to search out jobs and make money, as well as provide the GM with world building and story prompts.
Tags
Each background comes with various traits expressed as [tags]. These are simple descriptors that are truths about a character. They don’t directly offer mechanical bonuses, but can be used as a tool when negotiating between the player and the GM or deciding an outcome. Character qualities don’t have to be tags to be used this way, but they’re labeled this way to help organize a new character’s details before play. As characters interact with the setting, more truths and descriptions about them will be added, either as tags or just with common sense. Tags can optionally be ignored.
Alternate Background Options
If players prefer to create a character without a background, reference the chart on pages 32-33. Players will roll their stats as normal, roll 1d6 HP, and reference the chart according to their highest stat and their HP. This will give them a starting package that may include weapons, powers, equipment, and other character features.
1. Mercenary
[Intimidating] [Old Nemesis]
Mercenary Dossier
Profile
You and your crew fought for the highest bidder, not for any sort of ideology. Unless that ideology was lots of creds.
Starting Gear
- Old crew emblem
- Combat Knife (d6) or 2 flash grenades
- Utility Belt
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
The Black Carapace Syndicate. The insectoid crime lord, Narakata the Ninety-ninth, wants you to repay a gambling debt, preferably in the form illegal goods or rare artifacts, which will count as double their value in repaying this debt.
Hit Protection
| D6 | Signature Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | Ifriti 9000 Flame-Spitter (d8, blast, bulky, thermal) and 2 tanks of fuel (d6 usage dice) A rare model flamethrower that spits super-thermal plasma that can burn through metal. |
| 2 HP | Folding Vibro-Shank (d4 long dagger, exploding, shock damage, concealable) A five-inch blade that does absolutely devastating damage. Semi-illegal. |
| 3 HP | Supercharged Carbine Repeater (d8 thermal or d6 cryo, bulky) Modded up and fine-tuned to switch between thermal or sub-zero energy rounds. |
| 4 HP | Jade-Iron Machete (d8, bulky, armor piercing) 3 feet of marbled green metal with a wicked cutting edge. Expert craftsmanship and quite valuable. |
| 5 HP | “Trusty” (d6 blaster) & “Rusty” (d6 blaster, cheap) These two guns have been with you through thick and thin. |
| 6 HP | “Rusty” (d6 blaster, cheap) You used to have two but lost the good one… |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | Your Old Crew |
|---|---|
| 1 | Para-Military: ou were, and still probably are, an absolute professional. Take holo-binocs and tactical fatigues. |
| 2 | Outlaws: Raiders, pirates, or contracted through a syndicate, you are familiar with the seedier parts of the galaxy. Take a grimy outfit, a pack of smokes, & 6d12 worth of underworld trade goods. |
| 3 | Ghost Unit: Your crew specialized in delicate matters that needed doing discreetly and without a trace. Take plasti-steel armor (1 armor, bulky) and a gas mask. |
| 4 | Hit Squad: Assassinations were your bread & butter. Take a thermal detonator, a dark outfit, and an infrared visor helm (1 armor, heat vision) |
| D4 | No Longer With ‘em Because… |
|---|---|
| 1 | Last Man Standing: Something bad happened and everyone turned on each other. It was a bloodbath and you were the last man standing…at least you think. [Grizzled] |
| 2 | Betrayal: Were you the leader? Were you betrayed? Or was the whole crew betrayed by someone inside, or out? Either way, the crew broke up and you have to make your own way. [Paranoid] |
| 3 | Things Just Change Sometimes: Or maybe you changed. Either way, you decided you didn’t want to do what they did anymore, and broke off on your own. [Ambitious] |
| 4 | Splintered: The group splintered, maybe from a disagreement in leadership, or infighting, and splinter groups broke off. Did you go off on your own, did anyone come with you? If so, take a freelancer from the old crew. [Competitive] |
2. Human Experiment
[On the Run] [Unnerving Presence]
Human Experiment Dossier
Profile
You were born in a lab, made in a test tube, or modified and tinkered with in some way. There were some side effects. You recently managed to escape.
Starting Gear
- Hooded cloak
- Flashlight
- Serial number or barcode tattoo
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
Herod, an infamous slumlord and galactic realtor. You all own equal shares of a small, habitable moon in a nearby system. Roll random qualities to determine what kind of moon it is.
Hit Protection
| D6 | Experiment Side Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | Exothermic Lungs: Exhale a superheated spray of plasma (d8 blast, thermal). |
| 1 fatigue | |
| 2 HP | Magnetism: Manipulate metal objects up to 100 lbs with your mind. 1 fatigue. |
| 3 HP | Ghost Skin: Willingly phase through solid objects up to 2 feet thick. 1 fatigue. |
| 4 HP | Elasticity: Your arms and hands can stretch and change form up to 20 sq feet or 60 feet in length. |
| 5 HP | Biomimicry: Change or alter your face and skin once a day. |
| 6 HP | Ultra-Conductive: You can discharge, locally disrupting all nearby computers and circuitry once a day. Immune to electricity and EMP damage. |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | Type of Experiment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Grown in a Tube: You are the product of scientific brilliance. You’ve only seen the outside world while floating inside a vat of life-sustaining fluid. You still have a vial of the fluid. (restores 1d4 WIL damage, 3 charges) |
| 2 | Brain Stress: They hooked your brain up with wires and pushed your mind to the limits. You know one random psionic power. |
| 3 | Nanobot Infusion: Some type of prototype serum was injected into your bloodstream. Your body can naturally heal 1d4 STR damage a day. |
| 4 | Gene-Splicing: Bio-Engineering via illegal methods made your body more hardy and adaptable. You naturally have 1 armor. |
| D4 | How Did You Escape? |
|---|---|
| 1 | Violently, by turning your powers on your captors. Take a bloody med-knife (d6) |
| 2 | Furtively, you somehow managed to sneak out in the dead of night. Take stolen records worth 4d8 credits on the black market and notes on how to find them. |
| 3 | Benevolently, an unknown figure unlocked your restraints while nobody was there. When you woke up, your escape was wide open. Take a mysterious business card. |
| 4 | Inexplicably, incomprehensible quantum displacement shifted you somewhere completely random. Take a random weapon (d4). 1-2: hand weapon, 3-4: cheap weapon. |
3. Engineer
[Tech Savvy]
Engineer Dossier
Profile
You’re handy and have made a career out of it for most of your life. Now you’re putting your skills to use in a new way.
Starting Gear
- Long Wrench (d6)
- Grease-stained work clothes
- Duct tape
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
PEACHBOY™, world-renown tech innovators. You are all decked out in the latest chrome. Everyone gets a unique cyberware mod. Until the debt is paid, all credits you make deposit a 5% micro-transaction to PEACHBOY™.
Hit Protection
| D6 | Pet Project |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | Dimension De-stabilizer: Tech belt that allows the wearer to slip in and out of reality. You cannot interact with anything in this reality but are still visible. |
| 2 HP | Division Multiplier: Harness that when activated splits you into two smaller versions of yourself. HP & Ability Scores are divided (rounded down.) Inventory exists in a quantum state; used by one version is inaccessible to the other. Lasts 1 minute. Causes fatigue. |
| 3 HP | Molecular Shield Generator: (1 armor, 3 bonus HP a day) Swarm of fly-sized nanobots orbit you, occasionally running scans on your biological makeup, providing you with customized shielding and protection. |
| 4 HP | Anti-Grav Boots: Activate to reduce your fall speed at the last second and land safely. Recharge via 100 credit worth of common battery parts in 1d6 hours. |
| 5 HP | Catherine: An A.I. chip you can implant into any basic device. Currently installed in your personal comm unit. Catherine is very polite. Will warn you of any imminent danger you might not notice. May run advanced diagnostics. |
| 6 HP | Spider-Wasp Drone: A spider-sized drone that can quietly fly, crawl on most surfaces, and communicate visually with you at a distance up to 200ft. |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | Technical Expertise |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cyberware: Take Smart-Eye implants. 10x zoom, recording & playback. |
| 2 | Starships: You can fix any part of a ship, but it takes 2D12 hours. Take a free starship of low quality. |
| 3 | Weapons: Take a Mass Untangler (1d8, illegal, critical damage instantly disintegrates organics if they fail a STR save) |
| 4 | Security: Hacking computers and slicing into systems are your bread and butter. Take an advanced hacking kit and the expertise to use it. |
| D4 | Savant Specialty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gearhead: You can spend 1 turn (10 min) tinkering with most fist-sized objects you’re familiar with to get them at least partially working. |
| 2 | 0110101001: You’re oddly persuasive to A.I. and computing systems. ADV to reaction rolls with machines and synthetics. |
| 3 | MacGyver: You can fix almost anything with duct tape, holding anything broken together as if undamaged for 1d6 hours. Also, generally handier than almost anyone else. |
| 4 | Fried Wires: You’ve tinkered with enough electronic components that shock damage and anything electric only damages your HP, completely ineffective at damaging your Ability Scores. |
4. Smuggler
[Subterfuge] [Smooth Talker]
Engineer Dossier
Profile
Running contraband goods for underworld clients is a dangerous game, but you’ve gotten good at staying under the radar.
Starting Gear
- Blaster (d6)
- Stylish outfit
- Fake clearance codes (1)
- Optional: Start with a small startship (stolen or indebted) with smuggling holds.
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
Mama Sook, the elderly, devious leader of the Broken Nail Club, a smuggling ring. You unwittingly crossed paths with her operations and interfered with her business. She requires payment in the form of running contraband.
Hit Protection
| D6 | You Never Do A Job Without |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | Paired Sudo-Collars: Highly unethical metal collars with a subject-object relationship. If you can get another living being to wear one, they pretty much do what you want. Make a contested WIL save every day to maintain control. |
| 2 HP | Hummingbird Knife: (d6, vorpal, illegal) Vibrates at subsonic frequencies. |
| 3 HP | Loyal Sidekick: Roll a freelancer merc. You’ve been through thick and thin together. How did you meet? |
| 4 HP | Hacking Sleeve: Mechanized gauntlet with tools to hack, slice, and infiltrate just about any system or mechanical device. 1 fatigue when successfully used. |
| 5 HP | Custom Cape: (ADV on reaction and social-based rolls) Flamboyant design of your choice. Looking good is part of the job. |
| 6 HP | Moon Gum: Tastes great. Causes intense hallucinations for 1d6 hours and is effectively immobilizing. Pretty colors… (6 sticks left) |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | Your Final Run |
|---|---|
| 1 | Botched Job: You had to dump your cargo in space to escape pursuit by authorities. Your client is furious. You are trying to lay low. |
| 2 | Early Retirement Gift: You lifted the goods for yourself and said goodbye to the smuggler life. Unfortunately you are now wanted (alive) for 2000 creds. |
| 3 | Busted: Mix-up with local system authorities. Well, not so much as a mixup as…you’re blacklisted from there. (Blacklisted in next system you travel to) |
| 4 | Perfect Career: You were one of the best and you’ve managed to retire without incident. Your reputation grants you 10% discount from any underworld dealers. |
| D4 | Trick Up Your Sleeve |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nine Lives: Maybe you’re just lucky, maybe it’s something else. The first time a day you would take critical damage from an attack, instead reduce your HP to 1. (If this happens a 10th time, save vs corruption +10) |
| 2 | Shoot First: Don’t roll initiative in the first round of any combat, just go first. |
| 3 | Local Parlance: You instantly pick up the common way of speaking and know how to sound like you belong. This carries massive street cred, especially with criminals. |
| 4 | Under the Radar: Any smuggler worth his salt knows how to keep their head down when working - you have an especially effective touch at dodging local authorities. |
5. Pilot
[Cool Under Pressure] [I Can Drive That]
Pilot Dossier
Profile
You feel most comfortable behind the controls of a starship. Quick reflexes and situational awareness make you an asset in many situations.
Starting Gear
- Junky blaster (d6, bulky)
- Mag-boots
- Optional: Start with a small Starship
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
Libra Wasteworks, for disposing of illicit goods for you. They want repayment in the form of questionable favors from time to time. Until the debt is paid, you will be pressured into doing their bidding or else face problems with local governments.
Hit Protection
| D6 | Decked Out |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | Deluxe Array: Holo-shades (improve visuals in darkness, look slick), armor-lined red jacket (1 armor), and 2 blasters (d6 thermal), pack of alien cigars (blue smoke) |
| 2 HP | Alien Companion: Generate a retainer (merc) with one unique feature befitting an alien species (alternatively can be a droid or other non-human) similarly to generating an NPC. |
| 3 HP | Exo-Skin Suit: (1 armor) Nanotech morph suit, conforms to your body, wear under your regular clothes. Has a built in grappling gun and rebreather mask. |
| 4 HP | Stylin’: Take a dashing outfit and cloak, silver-plated blaster (d6, replace starting weapon) and a thermal detonator (d6, blast, thermal). |
| 5 HP | Committed to Flying: Take a datajack implant (Head Socket). Installs the back of your head with a jack that allows you to plug into vehicles to more rapidly access special systems and data. |
| 6 HP | Just the Essentials: Take a leather jacket, a stun gun and a retractable baton (d6, concealable) |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | Flying Expertise |
|---|---|
| 1 | Captain: You have experience leading, and either through admiration or fear, others find your presence to be motivational in dire circumstances. |
| 2 | *Navigator: You know your way around space. You never get lost in space and always get around fast. |
| 3 | Ace Pilot: You always have a few fancy moves when you’re in the pilot seat. |
| 4 | Blue Collar: It was an honest living. Other pilots respect that. You get union discounts for yourself and friends with portside docking, lodging, and buying anything starship related. |
| D4 | Experience That Left a Mark |
|---|---|
| 1 | Traveller: The vastness and beauty of the galaxy has left its mark on you. You usually know at least a little bit about most other creatures and cultures. |
| 2 | Leaf on the Wind: We may be at the mercy of fate, but you’ve learned to glide on that current rather than resist. Take +1 WIL. |
| 3 | Daredevil: You gotta take risks to survive. You get ADV to any attempts to do something daring in a fight or flying once a day. |
| 4 | Dark Corners: You’ve seen things most haven’t, and know how dark the edges of the galaxy can be. ADV to WIL saves related to fear. |
6. Machine
[Inorganic] [Computer Memory]
Machine Dossier
Profile
All machines have a purpose. What was yours, and what will it become? (see notes about playing a Machine at the bottom of this page.)
Starting Gear
- Cheap Rifle (d6, bulky)
- Antivirus.EXE (1)
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
The Surveyers’ Union, a collective that charters unexplored systems. As an alternative to payment, services rendered are also an option to pay back debt.
Hit Protection
| D6 | Custom Hardware |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | Heat-Wave Optics: (d8, or d6 blast, thermal) Eye lasers. Take 1 fatigue. |
| 2 HP | Reinforced Casing: If you take max damage from an attack, half it. |
| 3 HP | Auto-Targeting Subroutine: Reroll damage results of 1. |
| 4 HP | Overclocked Processors: Re-roll 1 DEX save a day. |
| 5 HP | Hidden Storage: Two extra inventory slots inside your chassis. |
| 6 HP | High-Speed Data Jack: Advantage hacking into networked systems. |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | Build Model |
|---|---|
| 1 | Droid: Standard bi-pedal, humanoid robot. Explain your original purpose and what you look like. You have natural +1 armor. |
| 2 | Android: You look mostly human. You are not. Synthetic androids are often discriminated against. Your build quality is fluid and graceful, take +1 DEX. |
| 3 | Rogue A.I. Your chassis is a bit unconventional, as you are primarily an A.I. core that escaped via hacking into and commandeering another vessel. Explain how your frame is built. You can temporarily swap bodies with other machines, taking them over, for 1d4 hours (1 fatigue). |
| 4 | Lazarus Machine: You are the last remains of an actual organic being and mostly brain tissue at this point. Your consciousness was uploaded into this robotic body. Your chassis was designed to be heavily modded. 50% discount on all cyberware. |
| D4 | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jury-Rigged: You are composed of several lightly used parts from various other machines by an unknown builder. Some components weren’t installed correctly. |
| 2 | Military-Industrial: You were built for tactical military purposes. |
| 3 | Savant Engineer: You’re the creation of a genius inventor. |
| 4 | Alien Society: A species of xenos built you, and it shows in your build. Explain your unusual appearance. |
Additional Information for Machines
- Machines can only take cyberware augmentations. They must make sense for your build type.
- You do not need to eat or breathe and cannot take damage from sources that rely on those functions (breathing, poison, etc).
- You are immune to mind-altering effects.
- You must sleep (re-boot/defrag/update) roughly as much as everyone else.
- Shock does double damage.
7. Underworld
[Seedy] [Cunning Negotiator]
Underworld Dossier
Profile
Just another low life trying to make a few creds. You likely have ties to other criminals and criminal organizations, syndicates, and less reputable individuals. Whether you worked for them, worked alone, or had some other arrangements might depend.
Starting Gear
- Old Rifle (d8, bulky, cheap)
- Smart meds
- Bolt cutters
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
Funeral Smoke, one of the most highly wanted, outlawed merc squads in the known galaxy. They purchased your old debt from a debt bond company. Until you pay your debt, you are registered as low level bounties on the galactic bounty boards.
Hit Protection
| D6 | How You Command Respect |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | Ultraviolet Shotgun: (d8 blast, cryo, illegal). Black market weapon that emits sub-zero wavelengths. |
| 2 HP | Heart-Stopper: Face-mask that looks like a devil (1 armor) and emits a low-frequency hum, unsettling others. Can discharge a 30’ sonic blast (d6 sonic) once a day. |
| 3 HP | “Brick”: Take a freelancer (merc) with 12 STR, 8 DEX, 6, WIL, 3 HP, Billhook (d6, bulky) They’re not the brightest bulb, but they’re pretty large and intimidating. Rename if you wish. |
| 4 HP | Red Hyena: (6 HP, 14 DEX, d6 bite, critical damage save vs STR or break a bone) A very large, red coated hyena. Obeys you via a neural link, but some of its affection might be natural. |
| 5 HP | Vibro-spear: (d6, bulky, reach, shock) Considered a truly nasty weapon. |
| 6 HP | Synth-weave Duster: (1 armor, lots of pockets) It’s like a jacket only it’s longer, thicker, and far more bad-ass. |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | What Kind of Scum |
|---|---|
| 1 | Thug: You are good at cheap shots. Attacks are enhanced on an enemy that has been hit in the same round. |
| 2 | Fence: You always know someone from whom to get more creds from selling treasure. |
| 3 | Scoundrel: You worked for yourself. +1 HP and take a lead on a lucrative job. |
| 4 | Goon: You did the shakedowns. You impose DIS on anyone making a WIL save against your intimidation efforts. |
| D4 | Criminal Knack |
|---|---|
| 1 | Know A Guy: You can figure out how to contact someone seedy in any city after an hour of asking around. |
| 2 | Forging Documents: Can make a fake ID for 50 creds, and other similar forgeries of varying quality depending on costs. |
| 3 | Cheating: If you’re gambling, playing games of chance, or making some sort of agreement with someone, you’re especially good at cheating and not getting caught. |
| 4 | Talking Shop: ADV on reaction rolls with others of the criminal persuasion. |
8. Psionic
[Intuitive]
Psionic Dossier
Profile
A power within you has awoken. Whether from trauma, an evolving mind, or some other key, the locks have started to open on a deep seeded source of power.
Starting Gear
- Cheap weapon or hand weapon
- Fake I.D.
- Adrenal Injection (1)
- Candy bar
Group Debt
If you are the oldest player at the table, the party owes 10k to…
Hoodwink, a loan shark and bookie known for their cruelty and wide political network. You can pay your debt off faster if you help him…collect.
Hit Protection
| D6 | Psionic Awakening |
|---|---|
| 1 HP | You are Gifted. Shatter: Your voice echoes with the sound of an earthquake, causing d8 damage (blast 20’) to creatures, and shatters delicate objects. Causes fatigue. |
| 2 HP | You are Psychic. Read Thoughts: You can hear the surface thoughts of nearby creatures and can communicate telepathically, either clearly in languages you know, or a general sense of emotions in languages you are unfamiliar with. |
| 3 HP | You are Telekinetic. Telekinesis: You may mentally 1 move item under 60lbs. Causes fatigue. |
| 4 HP | You are a Mesmer. Spectacle: A clearly false but impressive illusion of your choice appears, under your control. It may be up to the size of a palace and has full motion and sound. |
| 5 HP | You are a Precog. Vision: Once a day, roll a d20 and save that roll. You may substitute that roll for any roll you make after seeing the results. Gain 1 fatigue when you roll your vision and keep it in inventory until the dice is used. |
| 6 HP | You are an Esper. Calm: A creature you can see is soothed and treats you as a friend for 1d6 hours. |
Your Story So Far…
| D4 | Your Cover Life |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ship Crewmate: You got by as a shiphand. You have technical knowhow of starships. Take a blow torch and super glue. |
| 2 | Corporate Processor: Hiding in plain sight, day to day, was quite boring. You know the ins-and-outs of bureaucracy, and usually roll with ADV when making any rolls involving corporations or business. |
| 3 | Private Investigator: Your powers are quite useful when it comes to P.I. work. Take infrared smart-binocs and an area scanner. Oh, and a cool hat. |
| 4 | Charlatan: A fool and his money, as they say. Running scams are just easier when you have psionic. Take 10d6 credits and a low level bounty for petty crimes. |
| D4 | How Your Powers Take Their Toll |
|---|---|
| 1 | Draining: You are always so utterly tired. Permanently mark off one inventory slot. |
| 2 | Med-Addicted: You only recover fatigue from staying at a hospital or taking expensive stims (50 C). Optionally you can heal normally and Save vs. Corruption |
| 3 | Paranoid: Who’s there?! Surprising situations give you DIS on initiative. |
| 4 | Split Personality: It’s not you who has these brain problems, it’s the other one in your head! |
Additional Information for Psionics
When a psionic character undergoes major stress, trauma, or levels up, consider letting them awaken a new power that is in-line with the power(s) they currently possess. Optionally, instead of new powers, consider evolving the effects of their starting power.
| D4 | Table |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 |