GM’S SCREEN

Cover Art & Logos

Peter Frain
Art The Everywhen GM’s Screen can be printed with
Luigi Castellani, Peter Frain, T. Harris, up to 5 panels depending on preference; panels
Jeshields, Victor Koroyedov, Bradley K 6-10 are meant to face outwards. Panel #7 lists
McDevitt, Peter Saga, Joseph D. Salvador, Hero Point options for players.
Dean Spencer
Writing, Layout, & Cartography Everywhen is a rules-lite, generic RPG system,
Garnett Elliott based on Simon Washbourne’s innovative
Special Thanks Barbarians of Lemuria. If you’re not already
Armand Golpaygani, Paul Reiche III, Luke familiar with Everywhen, you can check it out
Trask here:

Some artwork ©2015 Dean Spencer, used https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/249193/

with permission. All rights reserved. Everywhen

Everywhen © Filigree Forge

Everywhen GM’s Screen & The Canopus Outbound © 2023 by Garnett Elliott
HERO POINT OPTIONS MIGHTY SUCCESSES
• Beginner’s Luck—Attempt any career-based • Carnage—Immediately make another attack
roll at rank 0. against the same or different target (a Hero
Point can’t be spent on this second attack).
• Boost Success—Turn a normal success
into a Mighty one and a Mighty Success into • Combat Advantage—Gain a bonus die if
Legendary. attacking target the next combat round; they
suffer a penalty die against you on their next
• Defy Death—Automatically stabilize if
attack.
lifeblood drops below 0. At up to -5, your
lifeblood becomes 0 and you are unconcsious • Disarm—Target loses weapon for the
until you recover. At -6 or greater, recovery combat.
can take much longer (days to weeks). • Grappled—Target is restrained.
• Luck of the Gods—Roll 1 or more dice • Knockdown—Target one size larger than you
again or set a single rolled die to 4. is floored and takes a penalty die on their next
• Shake Off Wounds—Recover 6 points action.
total of normal or fatigue damage after being • Mighty Advantage—You do something that
wounded. provides a temporary advantage. Gain a bonus
• Splintered Shield, Shattered Sword— die on your next roll involving this advantage.
Break a carried weapon or shield instead of • Precision Strike—Target suffers a
taking damage. permanent flaw.
• That Was Close!—Apply damage just taken • Rabble Slayer—Your damage result is the
to resolve rather than lifeblood. number of rabble opponents taken out.
• Twist of Fate—Make a small narrative • Stunning Move—Improve your priority rank
change. by 1 level. If you improve your rank to Mighty
• With My Last Breath—Stay conscious and or Legendary, this prevents toughs and rabble
able to act until the end of combat, though all (not rivals) from acting on the first round of
other lifeblood damage rules apply. combat after making the Stunning Move.
• Yield!—If your target doesn’t surrender, your
RIVAL POINT OPTIONS attack hits for increased damage (+1 step).
• Vital Blow—Increase damage by 3 steps.
• Diabolical Plan—Go before heroes with a
normal priority success in combat.
LEGENDARY SUCCESSES
• Meat Shield—Use nearby rabble to absorb
all damage from a single blow (cf., Splintered • Legendary Advantage—You do something
Shield, Shattered Sword). that confers a lasting advantage. You and your
allies have a bonus die on all rolls involving
• Timely Escape—Take advantage of a
this advantage.
plausible situation or momentary distraction to
escape heroes. • Choose 2 different Mighty Success options.
THE CORE ROLL TASK DIFFICULTY MODIFIERS
• 2D6 (total of 9+ succeeds) Very Easy +2
• If non-combat: Easy +1
+ attribute + career
Moderate +0

9+
+ task difficulty modifiers
+ bonus or penalty die Hard -1
• If combat:
Tough -2
+ attribute + combat ability
+ task difficulty modifiers Demanding -4
- target’s defense Formidable -6
+ bonus or penalty die
Heroic -8

Automatic Failure

Automatic Success; if the roll would’ve

normally succeeded it is a Mighty Success
+ Hero Point; Legendary Success

PRIORITY ROLL
• 2D6 (total of 9+ succeeds) • for heroes who succeed, highest roll acts first
+ mind + initiative • if a tie for above, highest agility acts first
+ task difficulty modifiers • the passage of time following a combat (e.g. a
- highest initiative for Tough or Rival opponents short rest) necessitates a new roll

Priority Characters who act

1 Heroes with a Legendary Success (i.e., invoke Stunning Move after a Mighty Success)
2 Rivals who have the Diabolical Plan boon and spend a Rival Point
3 Heroes with a Mighty Success
4 Rivals who have the Diabolical Plan boon or who spend a Rival Point
5 Heroes with a normal success
6 Rivals
7 Toughs; if on opposing sides, player and GM appointed toughs alternate their actions
8 Heroes with a failed priority roll
9 Rabble. If led by directly by heroes, rivals, or toughs, rabble act when their leader acts. If
rabble are on opposing sides, player and GM appointed rabble alternate their actions

SOCIAL INTERACTION MODIFIERS

Enemy Hostile Cold Neutral Receptive Warm Friend
See below Penalty Die -1 0 +1 Bonus Die See below

Enemy—Favorable reaction unlikely; may attack! Friend—Any reasonable request will be succesful.
DAMAGE LEVEL TRACK

• To increase damage 1 step, move 1 level right

• To decrease damage 1 step, move 1 level left

0 1 d3 d6L d6 d6H 2d6L 2d6 2d6H 3d6L 3d6 3d6H

0 1 d3 d6L d6 d6H d6Lx2 d6x2 d6Hx2 d6Lx3 d6x3 d6Hx3

WEAPON TYPES
Type Damage Requires Melee bonus Ranged bonus
Brawling d3 (fatigue) n/a + half strength n/a
Improvised d3 1 hand + strength + half strength
Light d6L 1 hand
Medium d6 1 or 2 hands
Heavy d6H 2 hands

ARMOR
Armor Protection (Static) Penalties Modifier
None 0 n/a
Light d6-3 (1) 1 step social
Medium d6-2 (2) 2 step social -1 agility
Heavy d6-1 (3) 2 step social -2 agility
Complete d6 (4) 2 step social -3 agility
Helmet +1 total protection n/a -1 initiative
Small Shield +1 defense vs. 1 attack n/a
Large Shield +1 defense -1 agility

RANGED COMBAT ARCANA

Range band Difficulty Modifier Arcana Difficulty Mod. AP Min.
Gunpoint (3’ or 1m) Very Easy +2 Magnitude AP
Point Blank (6’ or 2m) Easy +1 Cantrip Automatic n/a
Listed range Moderate +0 Very Easy +2 1 or 2 1
2x listed range Hard -1 Easy +1
3x listed range Tough -2 First Moderate 0
4x listed range Demanding -4 Hard -1 5 2
5x listed range Formidable -6 Second Tough -2
6x listed range Heroic -8 Demanding -4 10 6
Third Formidable -6
Heroic -8 15 11
FIREARMS OPTIONS
• Automatic fire—bonus die on attack STOPPAGE
roll, with damage increased 3 steps. Risks With automatic or burst fire, any ‘1’ showing on
Stoppage. Damage can be divided between the attack roll means the gun stops firing (out
multiple targets in a group. Recoil penalty can of ammo, jams, etc.) afterwards, though the
reduced by strength. roll can still inflict damage. Clearing a stoppage
• Burst or semi-automatic fire— Raise requires a round and a strength, agility, or mind
damage by 1 step. Risks Stoppage. Damage roll, modified by careers dealing with firearms.
can be divided between multiple targets in
a group. Recoil penalty can be reduced by
strength.
• Repeating fire—As per burst fire, but
weapon automatically suffers Stoppage.
• Shotguns—Both barrels increases damage 1
step, but automatically causes Stoppage. Firing
shot decreases difficulty by 1 step on attack
rolls, but decreases damage by 1 step per
range band.

COMBAT OPTIONS SCALE

• Aiming—bonus die on ranged attack roll if 1 Size
round spent aiming. Compare the difference in size scale between
• Bypass armor—take a penalty on attack roll attacker and defender. If the defender is:
to disregard armor protection. -1 for light, -2 • Larger than the attacker, attacker adds bonus
for medium, -3 for heavy, and -4 for complete. die equal to the difference on their roll.
• Dive for cover—Take a penalty die on next • Smaller than the attacker, attacker adds
action; all incoming ranged attacks also suffer penalty die equal to the difference on their roll.
a penalty die.
• Grappling—Requires a successful attack
Damage, Protection, and Lifeblood (Frame)
with the Grappler boon, a Mighty Success,
When damage is being taken, compare the
or a successful weapon attack with the
damage’s scale:
entanglement property. Restrained targets can
only attempt to break free. Both combatants • vs. protection; if the protection’s scale is
make opposed rolls using strength or agility. higher, increase the protection by 2 per level
Restrainer wins; inflict unarmed damage or of difference. If the protection’s scale is lower,
make the target drop a held item. Restrained decrease by 2 per level of difference (minimum
target wins; break free or become the 0).
restrainer. • vs. lifeblood or frame (for vehicles); if
• Subdual Damage—Take a penalty die on the lifeblood’s scale is higher, decrease the
a weapon attack roll to have it inflict fatigue damage by 2 steps per level of difference.
damage. If the lifeblood’s scale is lower, increase the
damage by 2 steps per level of difference.
• Two Weapon Fighting—Requires light or
medium weapons. Block with off hand for
+1 defense, attack a single target for +1 step
damage at -1 on roll, or attack 2 separate
targets with a -2 on rolls.
ADVERSARY TYPES
NPC Type Attribute Combat Ability Career Values Lifeblood Damage Special Rules
Points Points
Rabble 0 0 0-1 1-3 d3 Hordes
Toughs 0-2 0-2 2 5 + strength by weapon n/a
Rivals 0-4 0-4 4+ 10 + strength by weapon Rival Points

GROUP TASK ROLLS

1. Select a leader to make the final roll.
2. Each non-leader PC makes a contributing roll:
• Success—add 1 bonus die to final roll (2 bonus die for a Mighty Success, 3 bonus die for a
Legendary Success).
• Failure—add 1 penalty die to final roll (2 penalty die for a Calamitous Failure).
3. Leader can make a contributing roll as above, or remove a number of penalty die equal to their rank
in an appropriate career.
4. Leader makes final roll with contributing bonus/penalty die accrued.

LIFEBLOOD MEDICAL ATTENTION

1 or higher—conscious. • Medical attention can immediately
heal 1 pt. of lasting damage per rank
0—stunned, prone. Next round, fall unconscious or in appropriate career.
pay a Hero Point to recover half lifeblood (round up) on • Medical attention can double the
subsequent round. healing rate (2 pts. lasting damage per
-1 to -5—unconscious, dying. Lose 1 lifeblood per round day) on a Moderate (0) task roll.
until stabilized (medical attention or a Hero Point) or dead. • Medical attention can stabilize a dying
-6 or lower—dead. Pay a Hero Point to miraculously patient on a Moderate task roll, with
recover . . . eventually. mind + an appropriate career. Current
negative lifeblood acts as a negative
modifier.

ENVIRONMENT THREATS
Threat Damage per round
Drowning/suffocation/radiation 1 pt. normal
Vacuum, cold, electrical 2 pts. normal
Small, local fire 1 pt. lasting
Surrounded by flame 2 pts. lasting
Acid, high pressure/heat/cold 3 pts. lasting
HERO POINT OPTIONS MIGHTY SUCCESSES
• Beginner’s Luck—Attempt any career-based • Carnage—Immediately make another attack
roll at rank 0. against the same or different target (a Hero
• Boost Success—Turn a normal success Point can’t be spent on this second attack).
into a Mighty one and a Mighty Success into • Combat Advantage—Gain a bonus die if
Legendary. attacking target the next combat round; they
• Defy Death—Automatically stabilize if suffer a penalty die against you on their next
lifeblood drops below 0. At up to -5, your attack.
lifeblood becomes 0 and you are unconcsious • Disarm—Target loses weapon for the
until you recover. At -6 or greater, recovery combat.
can take much longer (days to weeks). • Grappled—Target is restrained.
• Luck of the Gods—Roll 1 or more dice • Knockdown—Target one size larger than you
again or set a single rolled die to 4. is floored and takes a penalty die on their next
• Shake Off Wounds—Recover 6 points action.
total of normal or fatigue damage after being • Mighty Advantage—You do something that
wounded. provides a temporary advantage. Gain a bonus
• Splintered Shield, Shattered Sword— die on your next roll involving this advantage.
Break a carried weapon or shield instead of • Precision Strike—Target suffers a
taking damage. permanent flaw.
• That Was Close!—Apply damage just taken • Rabble Slayer—Your damage result is the
to resolve rather than lifeblood. number of rabble opponents taken out.
• Twist of Fate—Make a small narrative • Stunning Move—Improve your priority
change. rank by 1 level (e.g. failure to success). If you
• With My Last Breath—Stay conscious and improve your rank to Mighty or Legendary,
able to act until the end of combat, though all this prevents toughs and rabble (not rivals)
other lifeblood damage rules apply. from acting on the first round of combat after
making the Stunning Move.
• Yield!—If your target doesn’t surrender, your
LEGENDARY SUCCESSES attack hits for increased damage (+1 step).
• Legendary Advantage—You do something • Vital Blow—Increase damage by 3 steps.
that confers a lasting advantage. You and your
allies have a bonus die on all rolls involving
this advantage.
• Choose 2 different Mighty Success options.
THE CANOPUS OUTBOUND
The Outbound is a waystation on the long PCs are working stiffs, hauling freight aboard
(317 LY) haul to the Canopus system, home the ICCS Macanudo to dangerous frontier
of minable exotic matter—among other things. settlements. Dangerous because of pirates—the
The station also serves as a stopover and ship has just been severely damaged in a boarding
refueling spot for routes on the outer fringes attempt, which the crew barely escaped. Now,
of the frontier. Built within a planetoid roughly with her engines bleeding deuterium and the
half the mass of Ceres, the Outbound sports a cargo hold blown open, the Macanudo limps out
particle collider 50 kilometers in circumference, of N-space, within sight of the wayfaring station.
used to generate antimatter for N-space drives. And a welcome sight it is!
An AI named Camus runs the place. For all its As she’s closing to dock, the ship’s AI, Dio,
technological sophistication, the station is best detects an anomaly event. Gravity waves ripple
summed up as “a truck stop in the Sahara.” out from the station, causing a momentary

1
distortion in space-time. Dio confirms the effect
originated near the station’s center mass, about
where the collider should be. Attempts to verify
what happened yield no reply from Outbound
staff. As this is no time to be skittish, the
Macanudo initiates docking anyway, and several
minutes later sets down in Bay #6.

GHOST STATION
As soon as PCs set foot past the airlock,
they realize something is wrong. Very wrong.
Normally a bustling place, the Outbound appears
abandoned, with a deathly silence to match.
For spacers who go weeks to months at a time
without seeing fresh faces, the lack of company is
acutely felt.
All automated systems are functioning, though
the station’s AI is “offline” and “locked down”
per numerous readouts. Most screens, including
the big arrivals and departures board in the main
lounge, show the same image:

ARRIVING, BAY #3 . . . ICCS ESTRAGON . . .

ETA 46 minutes, 22 seconds.

The timer ticks down the freighter’s arrival. Well,

at least PCs won’t be alone for long.
Or so they think.

ON THE CUSP
The feeling of aloneness doesn’t last long. PCs
catch sounds of human conversation coming from
a nearby room. However, as soon as they rush
over to check, no one’s there—lit cigarettes lie
perched on ashtrays, coffee cups are still warm,
chairs feel like they’ve just been sat in, etc., . . .
but nobody’s around.
This phenomenon keeps repeating. The GM
can use the d3,3 table (see pg. 4) to determine
encounters randomly, or just pick a few. Once
players start getting bored, run the encounter
with Lila (see Drinking Alone, pg. 3).

2
 CANOPUS OUTBOUND
Main Lounge
= 3x3meters
To Bays # 1, 2, & 3

Hab Wing A Central

Concourse

Hab Wing B
Admin Offices

To Bays # 4, 5, & 6

If PCs check any screens for the Estragon’s ETA,

they notice the counter appears to have reset at
46 minutes, 22 seconds and counting. In fact, THE ICCS MACANUDO
every time they check the ETA is counting down This is an older model freighter, refitted several
from this number. If someone makes a point times and in dire need of an overhaul. Though
of watching the screen continuously, they feel most of the cargo is usually towed in an open
light-headed for a moment. . . and notice the frame behind the craft (like a diesel train),
counter is again ticking down from 46 minutes, the ship is currently relying on its internal
22 seconds. This happens to robot and synthetic bay for payload. Unfortunately, said bay was
characters as well, and even Dio if the AI is blown open during the pirate attack, and the
commanded to keep track of the Estragon’s ship’s small launch, the Chica, cut in two by a
arrival. gigawatt laser. Badly leaking fuel, the freighter
can’t take off again without extensive repairs.
DRINKING ALONE The ship’s weapons locker contains one
recoilless, gas-sealed shotgun per PC. These
After several ghostly encounters, PCs hear what are semi-automatic and can be used in airless,
they may think is another ‘cry wolf’ occurrence. zero-g environments without the shooter flying
A female voice is singing mournfully in one of the around like a pinball. If players want something
private lounges. Instead of fading after a couple heavier, they can pay a Hero Point to have
seconds, however, the voice grows louder as the another weapon stashed elsewhere, perhaps
woman slurs her words. This is followed by the ‘appropriated’ from a failed pirate raid or
whir of a servomotor and the sound of pouring bought off a black marketeer on New Havana.
liquid.
The Macanudo’s EVA suits can function as
Investigation reveals a young woman in a dirty medium armor (d6-2), but entail a -1 Agility
administrative uniform, seated at an automated penalty.
bar. Several empty glasses attest to her state

3
of intoxication. This is Lila Mazar, a former replaced by existential angst as she ponders an
compliance officer, unanimously booted off her eternity in limbo. At least she doesn’t have to
ship by the crew—rather than being spaced, as worry about her bar tab.
was originally proposed. She has been living as Lila has blandly attractive features and a severe
a stowaway for the past 2 weeks, gathering the ‘corporate’ haircut that is beginning to grow
courage to tell her superiors at the Company out. Treat as a rank 2 bureaucrat with the
what happened. Untrustworthy flaw. Though she has yet to
Lila is shocked to see other human beings/ develop her potential, Lila also has the Psionic-
sentients. Up to this point she’d convinced herself Sensitive boon (noted as ‘PP’ or ‘Psionic Positive’
she was alone. A couple Appeal checks (and in her company file).
maybe some coffee) can bring her around to a
more coherent state, where she’s willing to share
her theory as to what’s going on:

“You know what this place is, don’t you? It’s D 3, 3 TABLE
purgatory. We’ve all died and ended up here. 1,1) Laughter and loud conversation can be
I must’ve fallen down that access shaft, though heard from an adjoining corridor/chamber,
I swear it didn’t have gravity . . . or maybe the though no is present when checked.
oxygen was purged. Something. Were you close to
death? Did you think you somehow survived?” 1,2) Running water is heard on an Easy (+1)
Mind check; it’s coming from a hygiene stall in
Players can mull the near-lethality of the pirate a nearby stateroom. Someone has paid for an
attack. They did come close to buying it . . . but (expensive) shower with hot water, but no one
of course, they didn’t really die, nor did Lila. is in the stall.
She’s here because she was ‘camping’ close to 1,3) Several flasks of vodka and a cup of coffee
the center of the station and Camus when the are laid out on a table. The flasks are still cold
space-time accident occurred (see pg. 9), though and there are fingerprints on the glass; wisps of
she hasn’t put that together yet. steam rise from the coffee cup.
2,1) Three long shadows play from the end of
LILA MAZAR (TOUGH) a corridor as a trio approaches. They look like
they are carrying something. The shadows fade
moments later.
Attributes Combat Abilities 2,2) Approaching footsteps echo from an
Strength 0 Attack +0 melee adjoining room/corridor. Someone clears their
Agility 1 Damage d3 throat.
Mind 1 Defense 2
Appeal 0 Protection 0 2,3) Music, strangely muted, can be heard in
Lifeblood 5 Resolve 6 the distance.
3,1) A vacuum toilet flushes in a nearby room.

Compliance officers are never popular, but 3,2) A full meal, with wine, potatoes, and a
aboard starship crews they are anathema. As Lila plate of carniculture (vat-grown) roast beef lies
had little to do besides file loyalty reports and get on a counter, piping hot.
under people’s skin, she was summarily ejected at 3,3) A deep male voice says “hello,” seeming
the first opportunity. Her dread of crawling back to reverberate from thin air.
to the Company (Baines-Terada Corp) has been

4
Note that if players don’t investigate the sounds Not designed for combat, these homicidal
of Lila’s drunkenness, she will hear them and harvesters suffer a penalty die on Attack Rolls.
eventually come staggering out on her own. Run Their sickle and scythe appendages do d6+2
the conversation as above. damage, while the flamethrower and pesticide
Let PCs talk with Lila long enough to start dispensers have a range increment of 5’ and the
generating their own theories about what’s going Area Effect property (up to 2 adjacent targets).
on. Just as they’re reaching some conclusions (if The flamethrower does d6L damage and the
any), an intrusion alarm starts blaring through the pesticide does 2 points of normal environmental
station. damage per round against an unsealed target.

It’s coming from Bay #6. 2) 2d3+1 cyber-dead, i.e., the nanite-resurrected
corpses of corporate employees who signed
DEADLY CARGO Omega Contracts (see sidebar, pg. 6). These
‘space zombies’ are psychotic after being offline
An unauthorized entry into the station’s for several months, and though they don’t eat
pressurized areas tripped the alarm. brains, are hostile to any ‘living’ they come
Unbeknownst to the rest of the crew, Berta, the across. As the poor wretches have not been
Macanudo’s captain, has been hauling high-risk, upgraded, they have minimal intelligence, but
high-gain cargo for desperately needed ship’s can still use weapons, operate machinery, etc.
repairs (see pg. 11). Damage from the pirate A mining company had consigned them for
attack has broken the seals/restraints and/or hazardous work on a gas giant moon.
‘activated’ this cargo, which has now entered the
station. The GM can roll a d6 to determine the
nature of the escapees or simply choose: CYBER-ZOMBIES (TOUGH)
1) 2d3 ‘Autonomous Harvesting Units,’ roughly
man-sized agribots with various attachments Attributes Combat Abilities
(scythe blades, sickle-digits, pesticide sprayers,
Strength 2 Attack +2 melee
low-grade flamethrowers, etc.), painted a uniform
Agility 0 Damage d6L+1
John Deere green. Their programming has been Mind 0 Defense 0
repurposed as anti-personnel robots for a nascent Appeal — Protection 1 pt.
dictator on New Havana. Lifeblood 10 Resolve —

‘KILLER’ AGRIBOT (TOUGH) These creatures were brought back to ‘life’

with injections of nanites, prosthetic organs,
and cognitive wetware. Their skin has been
Attributes Combat Abilities
toughened with carbon-fiber inlays, granting
Strength 2 Attack +2 melee ‘claws’ doing d6L+1 damage. They will, however,
Agility 1 Damage d6+2 arm themselves with better weapons as soon as
Mind -1 Defense 0
these become available.
Appeal — Protection d6+1
Lifeblood 7 Resolve — Treat as rank 2 workers with the Hard as Nails
boon and Savage and Unsettling flaws.

5
 OUTLAWS (TOUGH)

Attributes Combat Abilities

Strength 1 Attack +1 melee/ranged
Agility 1 Damage d3+1
Mind 0 Defense 0
Appeal 0 Protection 0
Lifeblood 6 Resolve 5

These are all hardened criminals, covered in

tatts, scars, and scowls. Their leader is Jack
‘Calico’ Riggs, a notorious pirate. All are armed
initially with shivs (d3+1 damage), but will acquire
any shotguns left in the Macanudo’s weapons
locker, as well as a construction laser (d6 scale
2 damage, Penetration 2, penalty die on attack
rolls) from the damaged hold.
Treat as rank 2 criminals; Jack is a rank 1
criminal, rank 1 spacer. All have the Alert boon
OMEGA CONTRACTS and Untrustworthy flaw.
Quia societas vitae meae. “My life for the
company.” 4) d6H+2 Green Rippers, predatory beetles
the size of a large dog, named for both their
In the vast corporate hegemony of the future, bottle-green carapaces and enormous (2’ across)
ambitious employees often sign Omega mandibles, which can tear through high-carbon
Contracts, guaranteeing their servitude even in steel. Voracious after their long confinement,
death. Assuming 90% of their corpse is intact, these ambush predators sweep through the
with no major head trauma, the lucky stiff station looking for food. The monster beetles
can be back and working with minimal delay! were intended for a private collector on Beta
Revivified humans are a gray legal area when it Carinae V, who maintains a special preserve for
comes to the Sentience Act, and therefore can lethal alien fauna.
be considered company property.
GREEN RIPPERS (TOUGH)

Attributes Combat Abilities

3) 2d3+1 outlaw detainees kept in hot sleep;
Strength 2 Attack +2 melee
these criminals all have life sentences in various
Agility 1 Damage d6H+2
systems, but were busted out of a penal colony Mind -1 Defense 0
several months before. The pirates attacking the Appeal — Protection d6-2
Macanudo were either trying to rescue them or Lifeblood 7 Resolve —
punch their tickets for personal reasons. Now
freed, their first goal is to take over the station
and seize as many potential hostages as possible.

6
Native to Gamma Pavonis II, these beetles are Orestes’ carries a black attache case containing
apex predators in their original jungle habitat. a modular weapons system, which converts to
Their oversized mandibles do d6H+2 damage either a laser rifle with a scope (120,’ 2d6L
and have the Penetration 1 trait (ouch!). Rippers damage, burst or automatic fire) or laser
are solitary hunters and don’t use pack tactics; pistol (25,’ d6H damage, semi-automatic fire,
they like to attack by dropping from ceilings or concealable). He wears an active camouflage
explosively bursting from the concealment of air cloak (includes IR thermo-baffling), rendering him
ducts. PCs take a penalty die on priority checks effectively invisible at long ranges, Difficult (-4)
when fighting these creatures, due to the Rippers’ to spot at medium, and Tough (-2) when close.
penchant for attacking from ambush. The cloak provides d6+1 protection from laser
weapons, but only d6-3 against other attacks.
5) Orestes Tau, a Tau class synthetic and Orestes had already disguised himself as a New
professional assassin, en route to liquidate a Havana tourist prior to entering hot sleep. In
political target on New Havana. He was being addition to a spray-on tan, he wears a garish
kept in hot sleep prior to his arrival. Always Hawaiian shirt and straw hat. The shirt resembles
on top of a situation, Orestes will attempt to the kind Cal Linnet wears (see pg. 11), and
maximize his survivability by shooting PCs he Orestes has similar features to Alexis Tau (see
feels are likely ‘alphas,’ before engaging in any pg. 12)—both coincidences the synthetic will
negotiation. Unlike some of the other cargoes, try using to his advantage while playing cat-and-
he can be reasoned with, but not before he tries mouse with PCs.
establishing dominance.

ORESTES TAU (RIVAL)

Attributes Combat Abilities

Strength 1 Initiative 0 Lifeblood 11
Agility 1 Melee 1 Resolve 11
Mind 1 Ranged 3 Rival Points 5
Appeal 1 Defense 0 Protection 0

Boons/Flaws Careers
Athletic Spacer 1
Hard to Kill Merchant 0
Obsession Pilot 1
(fulfill contract) Assassin 2

A passionless killer, Orestes was created after the

Sentience Act, thereby avoiding the usual fate of
Tau class synthetics as ‘personal companions.’
Prohibitions from taking human life have long
since been scrubbed from his core directives,
making him very efficient and even prideful about
his work.

7
6) 3x PCs number swarms of flesh-stripping HACKING
nanites, originally programmed to break down
One of the pre-gens (MUL-994A) has hacking
organic material in the terraforming process.
abilities, allowing him to override the station’s
These, however, have been repurposed as a
non-AI essential systems on a successful roll.
‘labor negotiating asset’ for a group of striking
This can be handled using the Projects rules
miners on Puppis Prime. If using the pre-gens,
(see Everywhen, pg. 30), or more simply by
the swarms won’t attack MUL-994A, but
making a task roll (Mind + career ranks in
everyone else is fair game.
programmer – Difficulty Rating). Sensitive
systems, like opening locks on security doors,
NANITE SWARMS (RABBLE) accessing closed-circuit cameras, etc., range
from Tough (-2) to Formidable (-6). Failed rolls
might activate security countermeasures, most
Attributes Combat Abilities likely a ‘lockdown’ effect, either preventing
Strength 2 Attack +2 melee further attempts or making them 1 Difficulty
Agility 1 Damage d6H+2 Rating higher.
Mind -1 Defense 0 Note that the direct approach works, too.
Appeal — Protection d6-2
Instead of hacking, PCs can ‘run a bypass’ on
Lifeblood 7 Resolve —
station systems using ranks in mechanical or
technical careers and the appropriate tools.
These voracious micro bots have a protection
of d6-3 to simulate the difficulty of harming the
swarm as a whole. Weapons that affect larger
areas, like shotguns, plasma casters, grenades,
etc., negate this protection. Multiple swarms will ENTER CAMUS
‘gang up’ on their targets, using the Horde option At some point, PCs should get the idea of
for Rabble. The nanites do d3 damage on a checking in with the station’s AI, Camus, to
successful Attack Roll, which becomes continuous figure out what’s going on. This is easier said
once they’ve landed a successful hit. than done. Because the AI is offline, talking to
The swarms appear as a gray ‘mist,’ emitting a it requires a dedicated interface, attached to
high-pitched whine like a dentist’s drill. the core memory. And since Camus’s core is
located near the planetoid’s center, right above
The escaped cargo provides an excuse for the particle collider, PCs must first negotiate a
combat amidst the Outbound’s empty chambers series of maintenance shafts, security doors, and
and corridors. Creative approaches by PCs, such microgravity areas (see Appendix A).
as hacking into the station’s various systems (see Lila, if present, proves invaluable in this process,
sidebar) to seal off areas, shut down life support, as she’s been hiding out down here for weeks.
etc., should prove more successful than a She can guide heroes with minimal need for
straight-up confrontation. If desired, the GM can backtracking, as well as skirt dangerous spots.
opt to save a couple opponents for a ‘surprise’ Along the way, remnants of the Deadly Cargo
encounter during the adventure’s final act (see encounter can show up at an inopportune
Enter Camus). moment, just to keep things interesting.

8
Camus’s mainframe resides in an armored Thus, PCs must fall back on the sci-fi trope of
sphere plated with collapsium, floating atop a arguing with a computer. Trying to shut Camus
superconducting field. The AI ‘awakens’ as soon down by engaging it in a paradox fails miserably
as someone starts messing with its dedicated (“Ha! I see what you’re doing. If implying the
console. If treated civilly, Camus can explain that falsity of existence through incorrect sensory input
an uncontrolled reaction occurred in the particle doesn’t bother you, why should it bother me?”).
collider while making anti-matter. The AI was On the other hand, explaining to Camus the
able to suspend the reaction within nanoseconds, human cost of spending existence in limbo can
though the disturbance apparently ‘shifted’ the prove fruitful—AI’s in the 23rd century aren’t
station into a parallel time bubble. The bubble’s necessarily the moral voids people imagine
expansion caught the Macanudo just as it was them to be. Players should come up with their
coming out of N-space (the anomaly noted argument before rolling, then make an Appeal
earlier), trapping it as well. or Mind check with a modifier determined by the
Camus can only speculate about what happened GM, based on the strength of their reasoning.
to the rest of the station’s personnel. If PCs Multiple attempts can be made by different PCs,
describe their ‘ghostly’ experiences earlier, the with the Difficulty modifier decreasing as they
AI theorizes the phenomenon is due to quantum wear Camus down; the rolls are meant to provide
bleed-through from the normal timestream, some drama, rather than forever trap heroes in a
which must be very close. Why Camus (and time-bubble because of a single failure!
Lila) ‘shifted,’ and others did not is a mystery—
perhaps it had something to do with their
proximity to the reaction. The AI advises PCs not CAMUS (GREATER ENTITY)
to think about it too much.
Camus doesn’t believe leaving the station will Attributes Combat Abilities
escape the space-time bubble. The only solution
Strength — Attack none
it can (grudgingly) see is allowing the suspended
Agility — Damage none
reaction to complete. This could shift the Mind 6 Defense 0
station back, but could also cause a catastrophic Appeal 2 Protection d6, scale 4
explosion, destroying the Outbound completely. Lifeblood 20 Resolve 26
Herein lies the crux. If PCs ask what the
probability of said explosion is, Camus reckons Constructed at Aix-Marseille laboratories in
it’s a ‘smidge’ less than 1%, though it can’t 2208, Camus is a seventh generation Artificial
calculate exactly. Why that might sound Intelligence utilizing both qbit and N-space
acceptable to players, to a nigh-immortal technology for higher-order thinking. Its main
sentience very keen on its own survival (and very function aboard the Canopus Outbound is
conscious of how many SMUs its creation cost), overseeing the tricky business of antimatter
these odds are too risky. production, but it also assists other starship
Camus can’t be hacked, and PCs don’t have AI’s in predicting and avoiding navigational
the weapons to get through collapsium plating. anomalies. After a decade of existence, Camus’s
If heroes ask their own AI, Dio (or ship’s consciousness has expanded to an alarming
equivalent), to try and convince Camus, the degree, and is now on the verge of developing
former just ends up sympathizing with its fellow psionic abilities.
sentience, explaining the concepts involved
“are too complex” for a carbon-based mind to
appreciate (see sidebar, pg. 10).

9
WHY ARE AI’S SO QUIRKY? APPENDIX A
Most large AIs use quantum computing, High gravity
which is known to have a high-error rate in For massive planets, or ships undergoing rapid
comparison to standard computers. High error acceleration, high gravity entails a -1 to Agility
rate means ‘fuzzy logic’ and a certain degree of and a penalty die for most Strength checks. Falls
instability. Though this makes AIs like Camus in these environments are much more dangerous;
the equivalent of an eccentric genius, it is on the falling table (see Everywhen, pg. 82), treat
also a desirable trait. Such thinking machines falls as the next worse category, so a 2 meter fall
occasionally have epiphanies, rather than becomes 3, a 3 becomes 5, etc.
being trapped in labyrinths of binary certainty. Low gravity includes environments like smaller,
The discovery of N-space, for example, was a less dense worlds and moons. Agility penalties
‘happy accident’ by an AI trying to replicate from armor or heavy loads are reduced by 1,
Alcubierre’s original equations. while Strength related rolls get a bonus die. Falls
are less dangerous--a 3 meter fall becomes 2, a 5
becomes 3, etc.
Zero (or micro) gravity covers the weightless
conditions of space, like going EVA or starships
ENDGAME without artificial gravity. Agility penalties for
armor or encumbrance are negated. Movement
If all goes well, Camus throws caution to the wind
requires pushing off from a surface or pulling
and allows the contained reaction to finish. The
along on handholds. Fighting in zero g is a tricky
Outbound doesn’t explode (surprise) and merges
proposition; firing a conventional firearm causes
quietly back with the normal timestream.
the shooter to move rapidly in the opposite
PCs ‘come to’ in the station’s crowded main direction, unless anchored. Striking with a melee
lounge, ingesting the recreational chemicals weapon or fists causes the same equal-reaction
of their choice. Earnestly partying alongside is effect, so the preferred method of zero g hand-to-
Captain Pozzo of the Estragon, whose ship hand is to grapple, possibly while using a knife in
docked a short while ago. Any heroes who died your other hand.
earlier but invoked Defy Death will be present
in full health, and any wounds sustained have
healed. PCs can still remember what happened,
though the experience seems distant and
dreamlike.
Lila Mazar is nowhere to be seen. If PCs want to
check on her, they’ll have to go hunting through
the maintenance shafts. Like the heroes, she has
vague recollections of her previous experiences,
but has chalked these up to a nightmare.
Pozzo, meanwhile, has a proposition for PCs.
Once the Macanudo is fully repaired, they are
welcome to join him in a deep-space salvage
operation . . .

10
Spacer (Career) Proud captain of the Macanudo, Berta is hell-
Alternative Names: Traveler, Jockey bent on getting her aging freighter the overhaul
it badly needs. To that end, she has a habit of
A common career among star-faring cultures, taking high-risk contracts, putting her at odds
spacers are familiar with basic piloting, vacc suit with the rest of the crew. Worse, she and her
use, ship’s systems, maneuvering in different co-pilot are caught in a love triangle (of sorts)
gravity environments, computer interface, crew involving the ship’s med-tech, Alexis Tau—
politics, life support, and the rigors of hot sleep though the synthetic doesn’t seem interested in
(or suspended animation, cryo-sleep, etc.). either of them.
Additional ranks in this career usually reflect
some degree of formal authority (e.g. Captain, Berta hails from the high-g industrial world of
First Officer, etc.). Unfortunately, living in space New Salinas. She stands 5’4” and weighs 210
or low g for extended periods of time tends to lbs., most of it muscle. Considered svelte by her
have deleterious effects on health. own people’s standards, she finds “the skinnies”
reactions to her physique amusing. A brief stint
At the GM’s option, a spacer can use their rank as a mercenary has given her a healthy respect
to offset any combat penalties associated with for combat.
fighting in zero or low gravity.
Attributes: CAL LINNET (HERO)
Mind is primary. Stupid spacers don’t last very
long. A good Agility is also helpful.
Attributes Combat Abilities
Suggested Boons/Flaws:
Ace, Alert, Born-on-Board, Brawler, Carouser, Strength 0 Initiative 1 Lifeblood 10
Linguist, Master Gunner, Tools of the Trade Agility 2 Melee 0 Resolve 11
Mind 1 Ranged 1 Hero Points 5
Addicted, Delicate, Frail, Out of Shape, Poor Appeal 1 Defense 2 Protection 0
Recovery, Spendthrift, Taciturn, Thin Skinned

APPENDIX B: PRE-GENS Boons/Flaws Careers

Born-on-Board Criminal 1
Stealthy Spacer 2
BERTA RAMIREZ (HERO) Out of Shape Pilot 1
Technician 0

Attributes Combat Abilities

Cal serves as co-pilot and partial owner of the
Strength 2 Initiative 1 Lifeblood 12
Agility 1 Melee 1 Resolve 11 Macanudo. His breezy, downhome attitude helps
Mind 1 Ranged 2 Hero Points 5 to buffer his partner Berta’s brusque manners.
Appeal 0 Defense 0 Protection 1 pt. It also conceals a troublesome past. Cal was
dishonorably discharged from the FrontSec navy
and has a record as a labor subversive. For these
Boons/Flaws Careers reasons, he stays far away from the Core Worlds.
Alert Spacer 1 Cal’s spindly spacer’s frame is the result of
Thick Skin Pilot 2 spending a lot of time in low-g. Affecting the
Greedy Merchant 1 classic look of a freight hauler, he wears loud
Mercenary 0 Hawaiian shirts, a pony tail, and sips from ever-
present cans of Moloko Gold.

11
ALEXIS TAU (HERO)

Attributes Combat Abilities Boons/Flaws Careers

Strength 1 Initiative 1 Lifeblood 11 Hard as Nails Worker 1
Agility 1 Melee 1 Resolve 11 Tools of the Trade Technician 1
Mind 1 Ranged 1 Hero Points 5 Naivety Scout 1
Appeal 1 Defense 1 Protection 0 Programmer 1

Boons/Flaws Careers MUL-994A, or “Mule,” was formerly a mobile

Athletic Spacer 1 air-scrubber who achieved self-awareness
Brawler Scientist 1 between upgrades. After passing a Turing test,
Combat Payalyis Physician 1 he was (grudgingly) allocated shares as a member
(special) Technician 1 of the Macanudo’s crew. MUL has used these
meager earnings to purchase his current form; a
quadruped the size of a large dog, with a pair of
Originally intended as ‘companionship’ for long- tentacle manipulators located mid-body. MUL can
haul space crews, the Tau series of synthetics lope at running speed or walk erect on his back
has been repurposed following the Sentience legs, using his manipulators to full effect.
Act. Unfortunately, the best assignment Alexis
MUL’s primary function is tech support, though
could get was med-tech aboard the Macanudo.
he also has hacking ability acquired from his
She dislikes the unwanted attentions of her
friend, Dio. As has become faddish with sentient
crewmates—human spacers prefer relationships
robots, he traces his ‘DNA’ core code back to his
with synthetics rather than each other. Likewise,
early predecessors, in this case the Mars Curiosity
Alexis prefers the company of MUL-994A and
rover.
Dio, the ship’s AI, to her fellow flesh-bound
sentients.
As a synthetic, Alexis can only use weapons in
self-defense. However, she’s been imprinted with
enhanced unarmed combat for self-preservation
(her Brawling boon). Physically, she appears as an
androgynous female with a tall, athletic build.

MUL-994A (HERO)

Attributes Combat Abilities

Strength 2 Initiative 0 Lifeblood 15
Agility 2 Melee 2 Resolve 10
Mind 0 Ranged 0 Hero Points 5
Appeal 0 Defense 2 Protection d6-2

12
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