this is spacerpunk

• It's a big universe with lots of small worlds, and lots of small crews running between them.
• To make a character: pick a Role and a Trait, and randomly create your homeworld.
• Decide what kind of spacerpunks you are (there's a chart). Or, you can each roll for a spacerpunk or pirate background.
• To create some plot: try some Oracles. Keep adding elements, plot and trouble until it feels ready.
• Keep a sheet for tracking Obstacles, which will form a lot of the plot for the episode. These will change a lot.
• If you're caught in a Conflict or Combat, there's rules for that.

this is space

• Earth has long since been lost, so humans have colonized here. Most planets are terraformed (enough).
• Ships use the Sublight and FTL Drives to get around. Inside a ship, it's zero-g and a litle small. Crew need to take "protein pills" to keep grav-strain and loose-rads from nulling their genome.
• Nicer ships might not have these problems, but you don't run a deuterium mining corporation, do you?
• It turns out that ships much larger than yours can't handle the FTL jump. Trade between worlds is an ad hoc blend of barter, reputation and skill. Not much point to having a fixed price list.
• That makes it hard to extend any kind of stellar empire beyond a few worlds. Various powers still try to expand their influence.

you are a spacerpunk

• So your life is jumping between worlds, doing what you want to do and hopefully running enough gigs to keep the engine running.
• Maybe you meet some other spacerpunks. Roll on this chart to see what they're like.
• 1: Lancers: bounty hunters and freelance agents. (Cowboy Bebop)
• 2: Suedes: smugglers and rogues. (Firefly)
• 3: Renegades: anti-authoritarian privateers. (Blake's 7)
• 4: Guilds: families of free traders. (Traveller)
• 5: Syndics: anarchist hackers and engineers. (Docotorow)
• 6: Stars: A acting troupe, rock band, or cabaret. (Bowie)

you have a ship

• It's a piece of jury-rigged salvage. Select or roll for a few details.
• 1: a minor luxury (like a decent kitchen or sweet video console)
• 2: a boostrapped power core (you can redirect the power in a pinch, but you quickly burn out your fuses)
• 3: a quirky engine (hacked for a speed boost, but is temperamental)
• 4: bigger than it looks (lots of compartments, but looks shabby)
• 5: stays out of trouble (looks non-conspicuous, or as a "quiet" mode to keep you off the scanners. This only works if your ship actually stays quiet and unidentified.)
• 6: armed to the teeth (has some offensive edge, like a comm jammer or a minigun. Probably attracts unwanted attention.)
• Make sure you name your ship!

this is piracy

• And of course, pirates. Plenty of them.
• 1: Rogers: masters of anachronistic piratical style. They tend to target merchant vessels, and are somewhat civil.
• 2: Redhands: privateers in the employ of corporations. They focus on targetting their patron's rivals, but they're quite opportunistic.
• 3: Blackhands: space mafia, basically. Usually involved in more creative criminal enterprises. Rivalry with redhands.
• 4: Wrens: pirates anchored to a colony, only preying upon outsiders. Often supported (or tolerated) by their community.
• 5: Bluebeards: bloodthirsty raiders who target civilian colonies.
• 6: Sneaks: they prefer to grab your cargo before you realize they're there. Specializing in Zero-G heists.

this is authority

• Describe the major authority in this universe and give it a name. It should represent an advanced but dystopian future that you're avoiding.
• For example: my authority is the Governor's Council. The Governor of a populous core world seeks to control trade amongst the colonies, and has enlisted a cartel of powerful corporations and their various local proxies. The goal is to institute a new mercantilist economy.
• If you're being chased by the Authority, you can describe the chase as an ongoing Obstacle (see Conflict). A Backfire or a bad enough Complication means thay've caught up to you.

Conflict

• Anyone can add an Obstacle to the obstacle-sheet.
• You can use your Role and Style to try and resolve an obstacle.
  You will get some combination of these results:
• ⇒ Resolve (R): remove Obstacle; success!
• ⇒ Progress (P): alter Obstacle; on the way to success!
  (This counts as a Resolve if you've had enough Progress.)
• ⇒ Complicate (C): add a new related Obstacle
  (Injuries and capture are great complications.)
• ⇒ Backfire (B): alter Obstacle; it gets worse!
  (This can be a Complicate if that makes more sense.)
• If you get multiple results (such as a Progress and a Complicate), these may effect the same Obstacle or two different obstacles.

Conflict: More Options

• You should freely describe and roleplay actions beyond your Role and Trait. If an outcome is in doubt, the GM can declare the outcome, or can propose a simple roll.
• (For example: 4-6 on a d6 to succeed on a normal task, or 2-6 on a d6 to accomplish something truly challenging.)
• If there's an Obstacle related to your free action, the GM can assign a Progress or a Complicate to the outcome. (Or, a Block, which simply negates your attempt.)
• You can swap out Traits for a scene if it makes sense that you'd be acting differently. (This can open up some new options.) This should be tied to some new kind of character development.

Combat: Space Battle

• (Combat works differently than normal Obstacles.)
• Everyone rolls to see if they get a good/bad (+/×) result.
  If your team has more +'s than ×'s, you've won.
• 1: Hold your ground amidst chaos. ⇒ +
• 2: Perform your role excellently. ⇒ +
• 3: A clever maneuver or quick improvization. ⇒ +
• 4: Outsmarted. ⇒ ×
• 5: Overwhelmed ⇒ ×
• 6: Battle damage ⇒ × and Complicate

Combat: Gunfight

• (Combat works differently than normal Obstacles.)
• Everyone rolls to see if they get a good/bad (+/×) result.
  If your team has more +'s than ×'s, you've won.
• 1: You quickdraw on someone else. ⇒ +
• 2: You take a graze, but keep fighting. ⇒ +
• 3: Caught in a hell of a firefight. ⇒ + and Complicate
• 4: You take a minor "hero" injury. ⇒ ×
• 5: You're outgunnned and pinned behind cover. ⇒ ×
• 6: Taken down with a bad hit. ⇒ × and Complicate

Combat: Brawl / Melee

• (Combat works differently than normal Obstacles.)
• Everyone rolls to see if they get a good/bad (+/×) result.
  If your team has more +'s than ×'s, you've won.
• 1: You're fighting with one brawler, and holding your ground. ⇒ +
• 2: You use teamwork to take down a foe. ⇒ +
• 3: Duck, weave, and maybe even hide. ⇒ +
• 4: Suckerpunched or ambushed. ⇒ ×
• 5: Surrounded or outnumbered. ⇒ ×
• 6: Straight-up beatdown ⇒ × and Complicate

Complications in a hurry

• 1: Capture. Looks like a sticky situation.
• 2: Injury. You need medical treatment.
• 3: Some important gear or tech is broken.
• 4: You're now being followed or watched.
• 5: You've made a new enemy, or are losing an ally.
• 6: New tensions among the crew.

Oracle: World: Environment

• 1: Fire (lava? desert? sun?)
• 2: Water (water planet? ice? rivers? swamp?)
• 3: Earth (mountains? forest? plains?)
• 4: Air (clouds? floating cities? gas giant?)
• 5: Metal (industry? cities? mines?)
• 6: Stars (orbit? spaceport? space elevator?)

Oracle: World: People / Economics

• 1: Miners
• 2: Traders
• 3: Farmers
• 4: Industry
• 5: Nomads
• 6: Starport

Oracle: World: Threats / Authority

• 1: Church & Tradition
• 2: State & Security
• 3: Scientists & Terraformers
• 4: Corporations & Traders
• 5: Renegades & Rebels
• 6: Pirates & Robber Barons

Oracle: World: Dangers

• 1: Environmental Hazard
• 2: Fierce Competition
• 3: Rampant Crime
• 4: Tyranny
• 5: Scarcity
• 6: Social Breakdown

Oracle: Plot: Where are we?

• 1: Landing on a new world.
• 2: Returning to a previous world.
• 3: In orbit of a planet we didn't really want to go to. Must have gotten lost.
• 4: Docked at a space station.
• 5: En Route to our destination.
• 6: Adrift. Where are we going, anyway?

Oracle: Plot: What's the mood on the ship?

• 1: Optimistic. We've got a plan! Nothing can go wrong.
• 2: Tense. Everyone is frustrated and up in each other's space.
• 3: Distant. Most folks are busy doing their own thing.
• 4: Exhausted. The crew is out of juice, and the ship is just limping.
• 5: Distracted. Let's party! The engine will fix itself.
• 6: ...Awkward. Probably due to that party, or maybe something else.

Oracle: Plot: What are we here for?

• 1: Rest. Seriously.
• 2: Food. Maybe meds.
• 3: Fuel. Maybe spare parts.
• 4: Favor. We owed someone, so here we are.
• 5: Solo gig. One of us is doing a job.
• 6: Team gig. All of us (or most of us) are doing some work.

Oracle: Plot: Unexpected Rewards

• 1: Gold!!
• 2: Much-needed tech or gear
• 3: A Rare Artifact or Item
• 4: A Useful Contact
• 5: A New Friend
• 6: A Secret

Role: Captain

• To roll for a conflict, make a tough choice.
• Not that folks will listen to you just because you're the captain. "Captain" is loosely defined for a band of spacerpunks.

Role: Pilot

• To roll for a conflict, do a crazy stunt.
• Must have a sweet name.

Role: Engineer

• To roll for a conflict, propose a clever hack.
• Technojargon is mandatory.

Role: Rogue

• To roll for a conflict, propose a risky gambit.
• If people look at you funny for proposing it, you're doing it right.

Role: Fighter

• To roll for a conflict, try the direct approach.
• Yes, violence is direct.

Role: Fighter

• To roll for a conflict, try the direct approach.
• Yes, violence is direct.

Role: Talent

• Pick one: Doctor, Scientist, Hacker, Gambler, Cyborg, Empath
• To roll for a conflict, draw upon your special skills.

Role: Talent

• Pick one: Doctor, Scientist, Hacker, Gambler, Cyborg, Empath
• To roll for a conflict, draw upon your special skills.

Role: Mentor

• Pick one: Veteran, Cleric, Politician, Patron, Diplomat, Courtesan
• To roll for a conflict, offer a surprising or difficult suggestion.

Role: Mentor

• Pick one: Veteran, Cleric, Politician, Patron, Diplomat, Courtesan
• To roll for a conflict, offer a surprising or difficult suggestion.

Trait: Maverick

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Resolve
• 3-4: Complicate
• 5-6: Backfire

Trait: Brash

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Resolve
• 3-4: Complicate
• 5-6: Complicate + Complicate

Trait: Wise

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Progress
• 3-4: Progress
• 5-6: Backfire

Trait: Tough

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Resolve + Complicate
• 3-4: Progress + Complicate
• 5-6: Backfire

Trait: Clever

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Resolve
• 3-4: Progress + Complicate
• 5-6: Backfire + Complicate

Trait: Brilliant

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Resolve + Progress
• 3-4: Backfire
• 5-6: Backfire

Trait: Loyal

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Progress + Progress
• 3-4: Progress + Complicate
• 5-6: Complicate + Complicate

Trait: Cynical

• Roll to see your result:
• 1-2: Resolve + Complicate
• 3-4: Resolve + Backfire
• 5-6: Complicate