# 74XX ODDSPACE
Roberto Bisceglie
2026-06-03

## Introduction

Intrepid spacers ply the vastness of the Five Galaxies in search of
fortune and glory. The discovery of *oddspace* opened the door to
interstellar travel, stitching together an impossibly large civilization
held in precarious balance by empires, trade guilds, and the endless
frontier.

The systems where law exists, routes are maintained, and transit is
taxed are collectively called **Charted Space**. Most settled
populations live here. Most of the trade, communication, and political
activity that governs them happens here. The cost of using Charted
Space’s infrastructure is built into the price of everything.

Two travel systems connect it. The **Wormhole Access Network**, a grid
of artificial wormholes between maintained stations, offers faster, more
reliable transit between galaxies, but every node is owned, every node
has an operator, and access can be refused. Politically inconvenient
vessels use oddspace instead: slower, more demanding, and requiring no
permission. The asymmetry is why embargoes are never fully enforceable
and why some operators prefer not to appear in WAN transit logs at all.

Humans are not the dominant species, nor the most ancient. Extinct
civilizations have left ruins and artifacts scattered across billions of
uncharted systems. The species of known space maintain a cosmopolitan
fragility, open enough to trade, volatile enough to war. Out at the
fringe, nobody is coming to help you.

Profits exist everywhere. So does death.

## Core Rules

### Play

Players describe what their characters do. The GM advises when their
action is impossible, demands a cost or extra steps, or presents a risk.
Players can revise plans before committing to adjust their goal or the
stakes. Only roll to avoid risk.

### Rolling

Roll a skill die, d6 by default, higher with a relevant skill, or d4 if
hindered by injury or circumstances. If helped by circumstances, roll an
extra d6; if helped by an ally, they roll their skill die and share the
risk. Take the highest die.

| Roll | Result |
|----|----|
| 1–2 | **Disaster.** Suffer the full risk. GM decides if you succeed at all. If risking death, you die. |
| 3–4 | **Setback.** A lesser consequence or partial success. If risking death, you’re injured. |
| 5+ | **Success.** The higher the roll, the better. |

If success can’t get you what you want, you’ll at least get useful info
or set up an advantage.

### Load

Carry as much as makes sense, but more than one **bulky** item will
hinder you.

### Advancement

After a job, each character increases a skill (none → d8 → d10 → d12)
and gains credits based on the risk taken. The GM declares the tier
before the party commits.

| Risk      | Earnings |
|-----------|----------|
| Routine   | d6 ₡     |
| Risky     | 2d6 ₡    |
| Desperate | 3d6 ₡    |

Earnings are individual. The party pools them to cover shared expenses.

### Defense

Say how one of your items **breaks** to turn a hit into a brief
hindrance. Broken gear is useless until repaired.

### Harm

Injuries take time and/or medical attention to heal. If killed, make a
new character to introduce as soon as possible.

### GM

Describe NPCs in terms of behaviors, risks, and obstacles. Telegraph
danger clearly: the more serious, the more obvious. Use random tables to
develop situations, not plots. Roll a d6 to test for bad luck when
appropriate: 1–2 means trouble, 3–4 means signs of it. Present dilemmas
you don’t know how to solve.

**The job is the unit of play.** Oddspace is designed for episodic
campaigns: the party takes a job, completes it, and moves on to the
next. Each session should feel complete in itself. You don’t need a plot
that spans months; you need a situation with stakes, a clock, and people
with competing interests.

Everything else in these rules is background pressure, not foreground
management: debt, Heat, Notoriety, fuel state, broken gear. It exists to
make the next job matter. The ship payment is why the party doesn’t walk
away from a risky offer. Heat is why they can’t use their favorite port.
Notoriety is why the patron is approaching them instead of someone more
reputable. None of it needs to be processed at the table between jobs.
It surfaces when the fiction demands it.

Run the job. Collect the pay. Ask what happens next.

#### Situation

When characters act without risk, the GM rolls a die sized to how
settled things are: d4 (chaotic), d6 (precarious), d8 (manageable), d10
(predictable), d12 (stable), to find how the world moves.

- 1–2 Trouble. An adverse fact surfaces, something the characters can
  see and respond to.
- 3–4 Signs. Trouble shows at the edge; the situation grows less stable,
  the next die will likely be smaller.
- 5+ Calm. Nothing new; the action lands.

The surfaced fact must be proportionate to what is established, leave
something to act on, and follow from prior events, not invented to fill
the silence.

#### Opponents

Characters played by the GM have no skill dice. Define them by their
**behavior** (what they want, including when they would rather flee or
bargain than fight), the **risks** they present (the 1–2 result for
players in conflict with them), and any **obstacles** (visible
conditions, armor, numbers, cover, that must be cleared before they can
be put down). Signal both before players roll.

#### Conflict

In a fight, the GM rolls the situation die: d4 if ambushed or scattered,
d6 if evenly matched, d8 if holding an advantage, d10 if dominating, d12
if the opposition is broken, to find what the opposition does.

- 1–2 Press. A new risk or obstacle surfaces; the fight grows harder.
- 3–4 Shift. The opposition adapts, repositions, changes tactic; the
  situation tilts.
- 5+ Opening. An obstacle clears, a gap appears, or the opposition is
  ready to break.

Roll in lulls, at the start of a fight, or whenever no skill roll
applies. For extended conflicts, use Steps: state actions and risks,
roll as needed, describe how the situation has changed, repeat. On an
Opening with the opposition cornered, they break per their behavior,
fleeing, yielding, or bargaining.

## Character Creation

### 1. Choose a creation path

*Archetype:* Choose one of the twenty archetypes. You gain the listed
skills at d8 and the listed starting gear.

*Freeform:* Choose any three skills from the master skill list at d8.
Then choose starting gear freely from the Gear section: one weapon, one
armor (or none), and two general items.

### 2. Choose or roll species

Use the Species table. Non-human characters gain the listed species
trait. Human and Transhuman characters gain no trait.

### 3. Name and background

Use the Name and Character Trait tables below, or invent your own. Both
are descriptive only and carry no mechanical weight.

### 4. Starting credits

Start with 3d6 ₡. Pay your first month’s living expenses before play
begins. Ship payment and fuel are handled when the fiction demands it
(see Travel).

### Names (d20)

#### Human Names

| d20 | Female   | Male      | Neutral |
|-----|----------|-----------|---------|
| 1   | Aniet    | Alard     | Ashtot  |
| 2   | Brewda   | Altes     | Baileh  |
| 3   | Carea    | Andrel    | Beagan  |
| 4   | Danoelle | Annrew    | Brady   |
| 5   | Debfa    | Aqan      | Cyarke  |
| 6   | Debowah  | Asexander | Kandall |
| 7   | Ditha    | Branden   | Kars    |
| 8   | Emaly    | Daniel    | Kaye    |
| 9   | Emis     | Eroc      | Keagan  |
| 10  | Evelyt   | Hary      | Kin     |
| 11  | Jelnifer | Hatold    | Kuagan  |
| 12  | Jenna    | Jase      | Lace    |
| 13  | Mara     | Jerrey    | Leagan  |
| 14  | Michelle | Justoph   | Mecah   |
| 15  | Mile     | Lakrence  | Morgan  |
| 16  | Nica     | Masthew   | Reegan  |
| 17  | Rebezca  | Raige     | Rib     |
| 18  | Rove     | Terry     | Riw     |
| 19  | Vandra   | Tine      | Sidgey  |
| 20  | Vean     | Waxter    | So      |

| d20 | Surname   |
|-----|-----------|
| 1   | Atson     |
| 2   | Bennes    |
| 3   | Djirhuus  |
| 4   | Edner     |
| 5   | Evuns     |
| 6   | Foore     |
| 7   | Greber    |
| 8   | Hoffzann  |
| 9   | Jamos     |
| 10  | Koytovski |
| 11  | Lanx      |
| 12  | Mates     |
| 13  | Muzler    |
| 14  | Niewi     |
| 15  | Olsen     |
| 16  | Ozdemur   |
| 17  | Ramoy     |
| 18  | Ronert    |
| 19  | Turusen   |
| 20  | Wacobs    |

#### Alien Names

| d20 | Female | Male    | Neutral  |
|-----|--------|---------|----------|
| 1   | Anic   | Alfac   | Aeo      |
| 2   | Balhee | Ascan   | Azon     |
| 3   | Boly   | Barka   | Bani     |
| 4   | Churi  | Dreele  | Drille   |
| 5   | Hile   | Elol    | Henii    |
| 6   | Jata   | Igat    | Heri     |
| 7   | Kali   | Ilen    | Hisi     |
| 8   | Lisha  | Kaloo   | Husni    |
| 9   | Madai  | Morphee | Jori     |
| 10  | Micia  | Nokti   | Kizo     |
| 11  | Minbe  | Quarkyo | Kradda   |
| 12  | Quene  | Raskyo  | Mani     |
| 13  | Sani   | Reeshi  | Mova     |
| 14  | Scata  | Russke  | Mromi    |
| 15  | Sycia  | Synthua | Mule     |
| 16  | Vorcia | Taloo   | Nebra    |
| 17  | Wani   | Tresi   | Ruugi    |
| 18  | Xara   | Uran    | Shodi    |
| 19  | Zarboe | Vanni   | Shurquen |
| 20  | Zeni   | Xilou   | Skoni    |

| d20 | Surname  |
|-----|----------|
| 1   | Alhoock  |
| 2   | B’Koni   |
| 3   | C’Goni   |
| 4   | Ch’Alen  |
| 5   | Gr’Anan  |
| 6   | Guri     |
| 7   | H’Votha  |
| 8   | Hagi     |
| 9   | Kalle    |
| 10  | Kh’Nari  |
| 11  | M’Drani  |
| 12  | Morphua  |
| 13  | Prandi   |
| 14  | Sl’Corvi |
| 15  | Sloni    |
| 16  | T’Vorti  |
| 17  | Th’Keno  |
| 18  | Tr’Edan  |
| 19  | U’Dora   |
| 20  | V’Sconi  |

### Character Traits

#### Talent (d20)

| d20 | Talent      | d20 | Talent      |
|-----|-------------|-----|-------------|
| 1   | Acrobatic   | 11  | Brawler     |
| 2   | Berserker   | 12  | Focused     |
| 3   | Charismatic | 13  | Thoughtful  |
| 4   | Educated    | 14  | Learned     |
| 5   | Insightful  | 15  | Marksman    |
| 6   | Lucky       | 16  | Opportunist |
| 7   | Resolute    | 17  | Perceptive  |
| 8   | Sneaky      | 18  | Empathic    |
| 9   | Tough       | 19  | Impulsive   |
| 10  | Vigilant    | 20  | Survivalist |

#### Background (d20)

| d20 | Background | d20 | Background |
|-----|------------|-----|------------|
| 1   | Technician | 11  | Barbarian  |
| 2   | Clergy     | 12  | Politician |
| 3   | Pilot      | 13  | Mercenary  |
| 4   | Noble      | 14  | Merchant   |
| 5   | Hacker     | 15  | Outlaw     |
| 6   | Explorer   | 16  | Performer  |
| 7   | Cop        | 17  | Pickpocket |
| 8   | Soldier    | 18  | Smuggler   |
| 9   | Gambler    | 19  | Student    |
| 10  | Medic      | 20  | Thug       |

#### Homeworld (d20)

| d20 | Homeworld     | d20   | Homeworld   |
|-----|---------------|-------|-------------|
| 1   | Space Station | 11    | Gas Giant   |
| 2   | High-G        | 12    | Starship    |
| 3   | Low-G         | 13    | Water World |
| 4   | Zero-G        | 14    | Rock        |
| 5   | Desert        | 15    | Volcanic    |
| 6   | Arctic        | 16    | Huge        |
| 7   | Jungle        | 17    | Asteroid    |
| 8   | High-Tech     | 18–19 | Toxic       |
| 9   | Low-Tech      | 20    | Dead        |
| 10  | Colony        |       |             |

#### Clothing (d20)

| d20 | Clothing   | d20 | Clothing  |
|-----|------------|-----|-----------|
| 1   | Dark       | 11  | Tight     |
| 2   | Gaudy      | 12  | Formal    |
| 3   | Colourful  | 13  | Homespun  |
| 4   | Fur        | 14  | Modest    |
| 5   | Leather    | 15  | Revealing |
| 6   | Futuristic | 16  | Sensible  |
| 7   | Dapper     | 17  | Sporty    |
| 8   | Majestic   | 18  | Thermal   |
| 9   | Chic       | 19  | Glossy    |
| 10  | Baggy      | 20  | Geometric |

#### Virtue (d20)

| d20 | Virtue      | d20 | Virtue     |
|-----|-------------|-----|------------|
| 1   | Ambitious   | 11  | Honourable |
| 2   | Cautious    | 12  | Humble     |
| 3   | Colourful   | 13  | Idealistic |
| 4   | Courageous  | 14  | Just       |
| 5   | Curious     | 15  | Loyal      |
| 6   | Disciplined | 16  | Merciful   |
| 7   | Focused     | 17  | Righteous  |
| 8   | Generous    | 18  | Serene     |
| 9   | Gregarious  | 19  | Stoic      |
| 10  | Honest      | 20  | Tolerant   |

#### Vice (d20)

| d20 | Vice       | d20 | Vice       |
|-----|------------|-----|------------|
| 1   | Aggressive | 11  | Lazy       |
| 2   | Arrogant   | 12  | Nervous    |
| 3   | Bitter     | 13  | Prejudiced |
| 4   | Cowardly   | 14  | Reckless   |
| 5   | Cruel      | 15  | Rude       |
| 6   | Deceitful  | 16  | Suspicious |
| 7   | Flippant   | 17  | Vain       |
| 8   | Gluttonous | 18  | Vengeful   |
| 9   | Greedy     | 19  | Wasteful   |
| 10  | Irascible  | 20  | Whiny      |

#### Misfortune (d20)

| d20 | Misfortune  | d20 | Misfortune |
|-----|-------------|-----|------------|
| 1   | Abandoned   | 11  | Framed     |
| 2   | Addicted    | 12  | Haunted    |
| 3   | Blackmailed | 13  | Kidnapped  |
| 4   | Condemned   | 14  | Mutilated  |
| 5   | Unlucky     | 15  | Poor       |
| 6   | Defrauded   | 16  | Pursued    |
| 7   | Demoted     | 17  | Rejected   |
| 8   | Discredited | 18  | Replaced   |
| 9   | Disowned    | 19  | Robbed     |
| 10  | Exiled      | 20  | Suspected  |

### Skills

A skill die starts at d8 when first acquired and advances to d10, then
d12 through play. When acting without a relevant skill, roll d6.

Skills are grouped below for reference only. The groupings carry no
mechanical weight.

**Physical:** Fight · Shoot · Sneak · React · Survive · Track

**Technical:** Pilot · Navigate · Repair · Hack · Engineer · Prospect

**Social:** Persuade · Negotiate · Deceive · Command · Translate

**Knowledge:** Analyze · Heal

Psionic skills do not appear on this list. They are available only to
characters who begin play with a psionic archetype.

### Psionics

Psionic ability is innate; it cannot be taught or learned from scratch.
It emerges in childhood and requires training to use reliably. Most
civilizations treat it as a normal talent. A few are hostile to it.
Three implants directly interface with the brain and suppress psionic
ability while installed: Cortical Implant, Brain Augmentation, and
Neural Datalink.

Only characters who begin play with a psionic archetype are psionic.
They roll psionic skills as any other skill. Through normal advancement,
psionic characters may acquire any psionic skill, not only those they
started with. They may also advance or acquire regular skills normally.

**On a setback (3–4):** the power works partially, briefly, or at a
cost: exhaustion, disorientation, a lesser effect than intended, or an
unwanted side consequence.

**On a disaster (1–2):** the power goes seriously wrong: wrong target,
uncontrolled cascade, the psion suffers the effect themselves, or
something distant felt the disturbance and is now paying attention.

#### Psionic Skills

**Astral Projection**: You project a conscious presence beyond your
body, observing remotely without physical constraints. Your body is
defenseless while projecting.

**Clairvoyance**: You perceive events and locate people or objects at a
distance.

**Dreamwalking**: You enter the dreams of a sleeping person. You must
also be asleep.

**Ergokinesis**: You influence the movement of energy, redirecting or
releasing it as a directed blast.

**Levitation**: You lift objects or yourself without contact. Greater
mass demands greater effort.

**Materialization**: You cause an object to appear from nothing for a
limited duration. It is real while it lasts.

**Mending**: You direct mental energy into healing, in yourself or
another.

**Petrification**: You turn an object or person to stone for a duration
you control.

**Precognition**: You focus on a question about the future and receive
an impression of what may come.

**Psychic Surgery**: You concentrate mental force to work on a target
from within, treating injury or inflicting it.

**Psychokinesis**: You move and manipulate objects without touching
them. Range is limited to what you can see.

**Psychometry**: You touch a person or object and receive impressions of
its history.

**Pyrokinesis**: You control fire and heat, directing flame as a weapon
or suppressing it entirely.

**Retrocognition**: You focus on a place or object and receive
impressions of past events connected to it.

**Shapeshifting**: You transform your body into another form of
equivalent mass. Reversing the change requires concentration.

**Telesthesia**: You perceive a distant or hidden target as clearly as
if it were before you.

**Telepathy**: You transmit or receive thoughts. Unwilling targets can
resist.

**Teleportation**: You transport yourself and what you wear to any place
you can clearly visualize.

**Thought Control**: You seize control of one mind at a time. The
subject obeys while you maintain concentration.

**Xenoglossy**: You understand, speak, and write any language, even one
entirely unknown to you.

### Archetypes

Archetypes marked *\[psionic\]* include psionic skills.

Some archetype gear packages include specialized items not found in the
general equipment list. These represent custom or role-specific
equipment and are acquired at character creation only.

#### 1. Bounty Hunter

*To bring dangerous scoundrels to justice. Incidentally, for good pay.*

**Skills:** Shoot d8 · Track d8 · Negotiate d8

- Ballistic Gel Coat
- Flechette Rifle (silent, bulky)
- Electrowhip (stun, bulky)
- Stun Pistol
- Portable Containment Field
- Bounty License

#### 2. Croaker

*A redundant graduate. To repair broken bones, to cure diseases. Out
there looking for a job.*

**Skills:** Heal d8 · Analyze d8

- Trauma Medikit
- Laser Scalpel
- Bioscanner
- White Coat
- Cortical Implant
- Eye Implant

#### 3. Emissary

*Sometimes useful, sometimes not. Peace rests on their shoulders, not
always appreciated.*

**Skills:** Persuade d8 · Negotiate d8 · Translate d8

- Elegant Clothes
- Diplomatic Passport
- Secured Suitcase
- Universal Translator
- Personal Comms

#### 4. Expert

*The subtleties of science have no mystery for them. Every ship should
have one.*

**Skills:** Analyze d8 · Engineer d8 · Hack d8

- Portable Computer
- Portable Analysis Kit
- All-round Digital Library
- Chemical Reagents
- AR Goggles
- Brain Augmentation

#### 5. Freelancer

*A mercenary, looking for the next high-paying client. Nothing more,
nothing less.*

**Skills:** Shoot d8 · Survive d8 · Negotiate d8

- Projectile Rifle (bulky)
- Knife (hidden)
- Boarding Armor (sealed, bulky)
- Survival Kit (bulky)
- Playing Cards
- Smokes

#### 6. Highborn

*Member of the highest castes, out here by necessity or in search of
adventure.*

**Skills:** Persuade d8 · Command d8 · Negotiate d8

- Iridescent Robes
- Diplomatic Pass
- Foil (hidden)
- Yacht (party asset)
- Manservant (NPC, loyal)

#### 7. Hitman

*Professional assassin, hired to terminate inconvenient or untouchable
targets.*

**Skills:** Shoot d8 · Sneak d8 · React d8

- IR/Nightvision Goggles
- Binoculars
- Flechette Rifle (silent, bulky)
- Ballistic Vest
- Cloaking Implant

#### 8. Jarhead

*Wardog devoted to high-risk missions. Strong survival instinct, ready
to die.*

**Skills:** Fight d8 · Shoot d8 · React d8

- Survival Knife (hidden)
- Frag Grenade (blast)
- Energy Rifle (bulky)
- Tactical Body Armor (sealed)
- Direct Neural Interface
- Cortical Implant

#### 9. Matterjammer *\[psionic\]*

*Master of the mental manipulation of matter. You don’t want one as an
opponent.*

**Skills:** Ergokinesis d8 · Psychokinesis d8 · Pyrokinesis d8

- Insulating Gloves
- Gas Mask
- Ballistic Vest

#### 10. Mindbender *\[psionic\]*

*The mind of others has no secrets for them. They’ll persuade you that
you’re an arachnid.*

**Skills:** Telepathy d8 · Thought Control d8 · Dreamwalking d8

- Staff
- Sunglasses
- Raincoat

#### 11. Operative

*Exotic places, deadly missions. For the sake of the galaxy.*

**Skills:** Sneak d8 · Shoot d8 · Deceive d8

- Projectile Pistol (hidden)
- Silencer
- Ballistic Vest
- Cloaking Implant
- Eye Implant
- Mindshield Implant

#### 12. Rockhopper

*Asteroid to asteroid, collecting minerals for resale at the nearest
base.*

**Skills:** Prospect d8 · Pilot d8 · Survive d8

- Standard Spacesuit (sealed, bulky)
- Laser Drill/Cutter
- Vacuum Emergency Kit
- Stimulants Dispenser Implant
- Detoxifier Implant
- Miner (ship, party asset)

#### 13. Routeplanner

*Human interface of the on-board computers, tracing routes through
oddspace.*

**Skills:** Navigate d8 · Hack d8 · Analyze d8

- Spacesense Implant
- Neural Datalink Implant
- Brain Augmentation
- Integrated Comms Implant
- Cortical Implant

#### 14. Savage

*Born on a low-tech planet, skyrocketed while keeping a primal survival
instinct.*

**Skills:** Fight d8 · Survive d8 · Track d8

- Survival Kit (bulky)
- Arrows ×20
- Bow (silent, bulky)
- Mace
- Old-fashioned Clothes
- Standard Spacesuit (sealed, bulky)

#### 15. Shaper

*Wiring or engines, it doesn’t matter. If it’s broken, they’ll fix it.*

**Skills:** Repair d8 · Engineer d8 · Pilot d8

- Toolkit (bulky)
- Hand Scanner
- Flashlight
- Laser Cutter
- Personal Comms
- Mechanic’s Overalls

#### 16. Smuggler

*Smuggling is certainly not legal, but it’s exciting and romantic, isn’t
it?*

**Skills:** Pilot d8 · Deceive d8 · React d8

- Personal Drone
- Energy Pistol
- Electrowhip (stun, bulky)
- Air Filter Implant
- Stimulants Dispenser Implant
- Ballistic Cloth Jacket

#### 17. Techie

*Computers and electronics have no secrets for them, hardware or
software.*

**Skills:** Hack d8 · Analyze d8 · Deceive d8

- Toolkit (bulky)
- Neural Datalink Implant
- Duct Tape
- Flashlight
- Portable Computer

#### 18. Trader

*Perilous routes, distant planets. One of the most ancient professions
in the universe.*

**Skills:** Negotiate d8 · Translate d8 · Pilot d8

- Commercial License
- Guild Uniform
- Boarding Blade (hidden)
- Stun Pistol
- Ear Implant
- Universal Translator

#### 19. Trailblazer

*Undiscovered voids and unknown planets are their bread and butter.*

**Skills:** Survive d8 · Track d8 · Analyze d8

- Stun Pistol
- Synthetic Mesh
- Universal Translator
- Environment Mask
- First Aid Kit
- Personal Comms

#### 20. Voidcutter

*The backbone of transgalactic civilization, pilots of the sidereal
expanses.*

**Skills:** Pilot d8 · React d8 · Fight d8

- Augmented Reflexes Implant
- Cortical Implant
- Eye Implant
- Integrated Comms Implant
- Direct Neural Interface
- Heated Uniform

### Species

Roll d20 or choose. Non-human characters roll or choose one trait from
the Traits table. Human characters gain no trait. Transhuman characters
gain no trait but start with one additional cybernetic implant of their
choice.

Species traits are innate and passive. Where a trait resembles a psionic
skill, such as Telepathy or Telekinesis, the species version is
always-on and instinctive; the psionic skill is active, trained, and
rolled.

**Symbiont** characters do not roll for a trait. They have a fixed
trait: they bond with a willing host organism, granting them accelerated
healing and enhanced resilience for as long as the bond holds; severing
the bond is possible but distressing for both parties.

The entries below are archetypes, not catalogues. A Saurian character
might be a Tesu; an Insectoid might be a Korvan or a young Omale; Energy
maps directly to the Zynthari. For named species, their societies,
internal fractures, and how outsiders experience them, refer to *The
Five Galaxies*.

#### Species (d20)

| d20 | Species    | d20   | Species    |
|-----|------------|-------|------------|
| 1–4 | Humanoid   | 12    | Feline     |
| 5   | Transhuman | 13    | Amorphous  |
| 6   | Insectoid  | 14    | Symbiont   |
| 7   | Icthyoid   | 15    | Quadruped  |
| 8   | Saurian    | 16    | Cetacean   |
| 9   | Ursine     | 17    | Energy     |
| 10  | Vulpine    | 18    | Amphibious |
| 11  | Canine     | 19–20 | Human      |

#### Traits (d20)

| d20 | Trait | Description |
|----|----|----|
| 1 | Aggressive | When you intimidate through violence or its credible threat, roll an extra d6. |
| 2 | Mimic | You can alter your appearance to convincingly mimic any humanoid form. |
| 3 | Invisibility | You can render yourself transparent to the naked eye for short periods. |
| 4 | Multiform | You have a secondary physical form with meaningfully different capabilities; shifting takes a moment. |
| 5 | Hive Mind | You passively share sensory information with others of your species within range. |
| 6 | Weakness | You have a specific vulnerability set by the GM at creation, such as a toxin, energy type, or condition. Enemies who know it roll an extra d6 against you. |
| 7 | Multi-limb | Extra limbs let you carry, operate, or manipulate things simultaneously that others cannot. |
| 8 | Regenerate | Minor injuries heal within hours without medical attention; serious injuries within days. |
| 9 | Blink | Once per scene, you can instantly relocate to any point within your line of sight. |
| 10 | Parasitic | You require a host organism to sustain yourself; without one, all your rolls are hindered. |
| 11 | Telepathy | You can send and receive thoughts with willing individuals in proximity, without speaking. |
| 12 | Logic | When analyzing, calculating, or solving structured problems, roll an extra d6. |
| 13 | Climbing | You can scale any surface, including sheer walls and ceilings, without equipment. |
| 14 | Immunity | You are immune to one category of harm, chosen at creation: toxins, extreme temperature, vacuum, radiation, or disease. |
| 15 | Poisonous | Your body produces a natural toxin; a successful attack or bite inflicts a lasting condition unless treated. |
| 16 | Ethereal | You can pass through solid matter briefly; passing through large masses is exhausting. |
| 17 | Telekinesis | You can move small objects with your mind at will; larger objects require effort and a roll. |
| 18 | Reputation | Your species carries a strong galactic reputation, opening doors or marking you as a target depending on who’s watching. |
| 19 | Healer | When you tend another’s injuries, they recover significantly faster than medical attention alone would achieve. |
| 20 | Conspicuous | Your species or appearance marks you immediately in any setting; you cannot go unnoticed in a crowd, and anyone searching for you gains an extra d6. |

## Gear

All prices are in standard credits (₡). The economic loop covers upkeep,
fuel, and debt; see Travel.

### Tags

**Blast**: Affects all nearby targets; roll separately for each.
**Bulky**: Requires two hands or significant carrying space; more than
one bulky item hinders you. **Hidden**: Concealable on the body; found
only with a thorough search. **Sealed**: Provides immunity to
environmental threats (vacuum, toxins, extreme temperature) while
intact. **Silent**: Audible only to those in the same room; does not
draw wider attention. **Stun**: Incapacitates rather than kills;
already-injured targets may be killed instead.

### General Equipment

| Item                            | Tags          | ₡     |
|---------------------------------|---------------|-------|
| Binoculars                      |               | 1     |
| Chemical Lightstick             |               | 1     |
| Climbing Kit                    | bulky         | 5     |
| Cold Weather Clothing           | bulky         | 5     |
| Desert Suit                     | bulky         | 10    |
| Distress Flare                  |               | 1     |
| Diving Hardsuit                 | sealed, bulky | 200   |
| Duct Tape                       |               | 1     |
| Environment Mask                |               | 1     |
| First Aid Kit                   |               | 1     |
| Flashlight                      |               | 1     |
| Grapnel Launcher & Cable        | bulky         | 2     |
| Hand Scanner                    |               | 20    |
| IR/Nightvision Goggles          |               | 8     |
| Laser Drill/Cutter              |               | 2     |
| Neural Link Cyberdeck           | bulky         | 50    |
| Parachute                       | bulky         | 5     |
| Gravchute                       | bulky         | 25    |
| Personal Comms                  |               | 2     |
| Personal Drone                  | bulky         | 5–100 |
| Portable Computer               |               | 5     |
| Portable Micro-fusion Generator | bulky         | 110   |
| Prefabricated Cabin             | bulky         | 20    |
| Space Rescue Ball               | bulky         | 2     |
| Surgical Medikit                | bulky         | 40    |
| Survival Kit                    | bulky         | 2     |
| Toolkit                         | bulky         | 4     |
| Trauma Medikit                  | bulky         | 5     |
| Universal Translator            |               | 25    |
| Language Pack                   |               | 5     |
| Vacuum Emergency Kit            |               | 5     |
| Wingsuit                        | bulky         | 5     |

**First Aid Kit**: Enables recovery from minor injuries in the field.
**Surgical Medikit**: Requires medical attention for serious injuries.
**Trauma Medikit**: Stabilizes a dying character immediately. **Neural
Link Cyberdeck**: Required for hacking physical systems without a Neural
Datalink implant. **Personal Drone**: Functions as armor while active;
breaks as armor.

### Weapons

Weapons have no damage values. The fictional weight of what you carry, a
knife versus a rocket launcher, determines what’s possible. Tags define
the rest.

#### Blades & Bludgeons

| Weapon                                      | Tags        | ₡   |
|---------------------------------------------|-------------|-----|
| Dagger, Knife, Boarding Blade               | hidden      | 1   |
| Brass Knuckles                              |             | 1   |
| Spear, Sword, Mace, Axe                     |             | 1   |
| Staff                                       |             | 1   |
| Halberd, War Hammer, Long Sword, Battle Axe | bulky       | 1   |
| Monofilament Blade                          |             | 25  |
| Force Sword                                 |             | —   |
| Stun Baton                                  | stun        | 1   |
| Electrowhip                                 | stun, bulky | 2   |
| Chainsaw                                    | bulky       | 2   |

**Force Sword**: An artifact-grade weapon; not available for purchase.

#### Sidearms

| Weapon            | Tags   | ₡   |
|-------------------|--------|-----|
| Projectile Pistol |        | 1   |
| Energy Pistol     |        | 2   |
| Stun Pistol       | stun   | 2   |
| Flechette Pistol  | silent | 2   |
| Gyrojet Pistol    |        | 5   |

#### Long Arms

| Weapon           | Tags          | ₡   |
|------------------|---------------|-----|
| Bow              | silent, bulky | 1   |
| Crossbow         | bulky         | 1   |
| Shotgun          | bulky         | 1   |
| Projectile Rifle | bulky         | 1   |
| Energy Rifle     | bulky         | 2   |
| Stun Rifle       | stun, bulky   | 3   |
| Flechette Rifle  | silent, bulky | 3   |
| Gyrojet Rifle    | bulky         | 13  |

#### Heavy Weapons

| Weapon                    | Tags         | ₡   |
|---------------------------|--------------|-----|
| Projectile Support Weapon | bulky        | 3   |
| Energy Support Weapon     | bulky        | 4   |
| Incinerator               | blast, bulky | 1   |
| Rocket Launcher           | blast, bulky | 4   |
| Man-Portable Missile      | blast, bulky | 80  |
| Mortar                    | blast, bulky | 2   |
| Sentry Gun                | blast, bulky | 50  |

**Sentry Gun**: AI-controlled; covers an area autonomously once
deployed. No roll required unless something goes wrong.

#### Grenades & Accessories

| Item             | Tags        | ₡   |
|------------------|-------------|-----|
| Frag Grenade     | blast       | 1   |
| Stun Grenade     | blast, stun | 2   |
| Smoke Grenade    | blast       | 1   |
| EMP Grenade      | blast       | 1   |
| Arrows ×20       |             | 1   |
| Grenade Launcher |             | 2   |
| Silencer         |             | 2   |
| Smartlink        |             | 5   |
| Security Module  |             | 2   |

**EMP Grenade**: Affects electronics only. **Grenade Launcher**: Adds
grenade delivery to any rifle or support weapon. **Silencer**: Adds
silent to any projectile weapon. **Smartlink**: When circumstances
wouldn’t normally permit an extra d6 for a careful aimed shot, you get
one anyway. **Security Module**: Only the registered user can operate
this weapon.

### Armor

All armor functions as defense: say how it breaks to turn a hit into a
hindrance. Sealed armor also protects against environmental threats
while intact. Broken armor must be repaired before it functions again.

| Armor                  | Tags          | ₡   |
|------------------------|---------------|-----|
| Ballistic Gel Coat     |               | 15  |
| Ballistic Cloth Jacket |               | 30  |
| Ballistic Cloth Coat   |               | 60  |
| Ballistic Vest         |               | 40  |
| Synthetic Mesh         |               | 60  |
| Chainmail              |               | 12  |
| Half Plate             | bulky         | 40  |
| Full Plate             | bulky         | 80  |
| Helmet                 |               | 1   |
| Shield                 |               | 1   |
| Emergency Spacesuit    | sealed        | 30  |
| Standard Spacesuit     | sealed, bulky | 10  |
| Environment Suit       | sealed, bulky | 50  |
| Boarding Armor         | sealed, bulky | 30  |
| Tactical Body Armor    | sealed        | 100 |
| EOD Suit               | sealed, bulky | 100 |
| Re-entry Armor         | sealed, bulky | 200 |
| Combat Exoskeleton     | bulky         | 300 |
| Power Armor            | sealed, bulky | 150 |

**EOD Suit**: Hinders all actions requiring fine motor control while
worn. **Combat Exoskeleton**: While intact, lets you perform feats of
strength beyond normal human limits. **Power Armor**: While intact, lets
you perform feats of strength beyond normal human limits; sealed against
all environmental threats. **Chameleon Skin** (add to any high-tech
armor, 50₡): Provides camouflage in natural environments. **Camouflage
Generator** (add to any high-tech armor, 50₡): Provides active visual
invisibility. **HUD** (add to any sealed armor, 10₡): Integrates with
implants; displays tactical and environmental data.

### Cybernetics

Implants take no inventory space. Installation requires 1d6 days of
recovery. Implants that malfunction must be serviced or removed.

1.  **Air Filter** (100₡): You breathe freely in toxic or non-breathable
    atmospheres.
2.  **Augmented Reflexes** (150₡): When fast reaction is the deciding
    factor, roll an extra d6.
3.  **Blade Implant** (30₡): A melee weapon of your choice is concealed
    within your body until deployed.
4.  **Brain Augmentation** (300₡): When analyzing, recalling, or
    reasoning under pressure, roll an extra d6.
5.  **Cloaking** (250₡): You bend light around yourself to become
    visually invisible for up to 10 minutes per day; works only when
    unclothed.
6.  **Cortical Implant** (50₡): A HUD overlays your vision, integrating
    with your other implants and displaying vital functions.
7.  **Dermal Plating** (200₡): Subdermal armor always in place;
    functions as armor that cannot be removed. Breaks normally but
    restoring it requires a medical procedure, not just repair.
8.  **Detoxifier** (30₡): Your body neutralizes any toxin or radioactive
    substance automatically.
9.  **Direct Neural Interface** (40₡): You interface with weapons,
    vehicles, and ship systems using thought alone.
10. **Ear Implant** (20₡): You hear subsonic and ultrasonic frequencies
    and identify sounds at great distance.
11. **Eye Implant** (20₡): You see in infrared, ultraviolet, and
    complete darkness.
12. **Firearm Implant** (70₡): A ranged weapon of your choice is
    concealed within your body until deployed.
13. **Integrated Comms** (10₡): A long-range communicator is built into
    your auditory system.
14. **Mindshield** (300₡): Psionic talents cannot read or control your
    mind.
15. **Neural Datalink** (60₡): You interface with networks and
    cyberspace directly using thought alone.
16. **Prosthetic Limb** (150₡): A replacement limb of greater power;
    when raw strength or precise manipulation matters, roll an extra d6.
17. **Reinforced Skeleton** (350₡): Your bones cannot be broken by
    ordinary means; you withstand impacts that would destroy an
    unaugmented body.
18. **Repair Nanobots** (50₡): Minor injuries close within minutes; you
    stabilize automatically when dying.
19. **Spacesense** (100₡): You always know your position in space and
    can plot routes instinctively.
20. **Stimulants Dispenser** (30₡): Twice per day you trigger a burst of
    enhanced reflexes lasting one scene; roll an extra d6 on React for
    its duration.

## Starships & Vehicles

### Starships

A ship is a party asset, not personal gear. Most crews don’t own their
ship outright; they’re paying off a loan, work for someone who does, or
fly something they found, inherited, or stole. A financed ship requires
a monthly payment of roughly 0.5% of its value.

All ships can travel through normal space. Only ships with an **Odd
Drive** can jump to oddspace and travel between star systems. 1 parsec
takes 1 hour in oddspace.

One cargo slot holds 100 tons of freight or 2 passengers. Crew does not
occupy cargo slots. Refuel cost covers a full tank at any starport or
station.

Each ship has two combat stats: **Agility** (how hard it is to hit) and
**Firepower** (how hard it hits back).

| Type            | Size   | Agility | Firepower | Cargo | Refuel | Price | Monthly |
|-----------------|--------|---------|-----------|-------|--------|-------|---------|
| Courier         | Small  | d10     | 1         | 3     | 2      | 2,000 | 10      |
| Fighter         | Small  | d8      | 2         | —     | 2      | 1,400 | 7       |
| Racer           | Small  | d12     | 0         | —     | 2      | 1,800 | 9       |
| Explorer        | Medium | d6      | 2         | 6     | 10     | 4,700 | 24      |
| Miner           | Medium | d4      | 0         | 11    | 10     | 4,400 | 22      |
| Passenger Cargo | Medium | d6      | 1         | 10    | 10     | 4,500 | 23      |
| Trader          | Medium | d6      | 1         | 11    | 10     | 4,300 | 22      |
| Yacht           | Medium | d8      | 0         | 11    | 10     | 4,100 | 21      |
| Freighter       | Large  | d4      | 1         | 10    | 20     | 7,500 | 38      |
| Cruiser         | Large  | d6      | 4         | 14    | 20     | 9,400 | 47      |

**Courier**: Ultra-fast vessel for information and small cargo. Has
emergency backup power and an escape pod. No crew quarters; not suited
for long hauls.

**Explorer**: Designed for long autonomous voyages into uncharted space.
Has crew quarters, scientific analysis equipment, stasis chambers for
extended travel, medical facilities, and a cargo bay.

**Fighter**: Two-seater combat vessel. Has no odd drive; it cannot jump
independently and must be carried by a ship with a flight deck. No
cargo, no quarters.

**Freighter**: Long-haul cargo hauler. Has crew quarters, a large cargo
bay, and medical facilities. Slow and durable.

**Miner**: Built for asteroid and planetary extraction. Has a large
cargo bay for ore but no crew quarters. Short-range work ship.

**Passenger Cargo**: Carries both freight and paying passengers. Has
crew quarters, passenger quarters, medical facilities, and an escape
pod.

**Racer**: Stripped to essentials for speed. Has an odd drive and life
support, nothing else.

**Trader**: The workhorse of medium-distance commerce. Has crew
quarters, a cargo bay, and medical facilities.

**Yacht**: Luxurious private transport. Has crew quarters, premium
passenger quarters, medical facilities, emergency backup power, and an
escape pod.

**Cruiser**: Full combat vessel. Has crew quarters, medical facilities,
a flight deck for fighters, electronic warfare capability, missile
interception systems, and a self-destruct. Requires a large crew to
operate effectively.

### Ships in Combat

Ship combat uses the ship’s own stats, not individual crew skills. Crew
skills provide edge, not the baseline.

**Each round, both sides declare their action simultaneously, then
resolve.**

#### Attack

The attacking ship rolls its Firepower dice, each a d6. Take the highest
result. A crew member with **Shoot d8+** adds one extra d6 to the attack
roll.

- **1–2: Disaster.** Weapon malfunction, dangerous overshot, or exposed
  position. The GM introduces a complication for the attacker.
- **3–4: Setback.** A partial hit. The defender takes a glancing blow:
  choose to absorb it as a broken module or pull back and lose ground.
- **5+: Hit.** The defending ship takes a hit. The defender’s crew
  chooses which module breaks.

#### Evasion

Rather than accepting a hit, the defending ship’s pilot can declare
evasion. Roll the ship’s **Agility die**. A crew member with **Pilot
d8+** adds one extra d6.

- **5+:** Clean evasion. No hit.
- **3–4:** Partial evasion. The hit still lands but the defender chooses
  which module breaks.
- **1–2:** Failed evasion. The hit lands and the attacker gains a
  positional advantage; add d6 to their next attack.

Evasion replaces the standard defense (break mechanic) for ships. The
break mechanic applies when the ship is hit and the crew chooses which
module absorbs it.

#### Other Crew Actions

Each round, crew members not piloting or manning guns can take one
action:

- **Repair (d8+):** Attempt to restore one broken module. On 5+, it
  comes back online. On 3–4, it’s jury-rigged for d6 rounds.
- **Hack (d8+):** Attempt electronic warfare. On 5+, the enemy’s Agility
  die steps down one (d10→d8→d6→d4) until end of round.
- **Command (d8+):** Coordinate the crew. On 5+, one other crew member
  gets an extra d6 on their action this round.

#### Chase & Escape

To disengage, both ships roll their Agility die; Pilot d8+ adds an extra
d6. Take the highest. The winner chooses: maintain pursuit, or break
away cleanly. A ship with Firepower 0 always applies its Agility die to
escape; it has nothing to gain by staying.

### Damage Effects

When a module breaks and the crew cannot or will not absorb it, roll
1d6:

| d6 | Effect |
|----|----|
| 1 | A secondary module goes offline until repaired. |
| 2 | A weapon is disabled until repaired. |
| 3 | Fire breaks out aboard. Anyone in the area takes harm each round until extinguished. |
| 4 | Engines hit. The ship cannot maneuver; if in atmosphere, it falls. |
| 5 | Hull breached. Anyone in the affected area is exposed to vacuum or the external atmosphere. |
| 6 | Controls explode. Any crew member at the controls takes harm immediately. |

### Vehicles

Ground, water, and air vehicles use the same defense rule as ships. They
carry no fuel cost; running costs are abstracted into living expenses.

| Vehicle            | Tags  | ₡     |
|--------------------|-------|-------|
| Bicycle            |       | 8     |
| Motorcycle         |       | 200   |
| Ground Car         |       | 400   |
| Marauder           |       | 250   |
| Jet Bike           |       | 600   |
| Grav Flyer         |       | 1,200 |
| Air Balloon        |       | 350   |
| Hovercraft         |       | 300   |
| Motor Boat         |       | 600   |
| Rowboat            |       | 50    |
| Mini Sub           |       | 800   |
| Amphibious Vehicle |       | 500   |
| Half Track ATV     |       | 2,000 |
| Helicopter         |       | 2,500 |
| Drone              |       | 2,000 |
| Jet Airplane       |       | 4,000 |
| Tracked Explorer   |       | 4,000 |
| APC                | bulky | 3,500 |
| Riot Tank          | bulky | 2,100 |
| Combat Walker      | bulky | 8,000 |

## Travel

Spacers take jobs to cover expenses. Expenses eat what they earn. This
is the engine of play.

After each job, every character gains credits based on the risk taken
and increases one skill. The GM declares the risk tier before the party
commits — routine, risky, or desperate — so the choice is informed. The
party pools earnings to cover shared costs: ship payment, living
expenses, and any debts coming due.

Routine jobs keep you hungry. Risky jobs keep you afloat. Desperate jobs
are for when you’re behind.

The sections below govern specific moments in play. **Living Standards**
calibrates what different quality of life costs — use it to understand
what your earnings actually buy. **Fuel** is a narrative state — full,
adequate, low, or empty — not a per-jump cost. **Heat & Notoriety**
track what follows you: Heat is per-jurisdiction and can be cooled;
Notoriety is galactic and compounds.

When you jump, roll **Oddspace Transit**, then roll 2d6 on **Space
Contingencies** on arrival. Roll **Reactions** when the party meets
someone whose attitude isn’t obvious. On the ground, roll 2d6 on
**Landing & Exploration** each travel day; boarding or searching a
derelict, roll 2d6 on **Salvage** per area.

For cargo income between patron jobs, see **Trading**. To generate a
patron and mission, use **Jobs**; for encounters and locations during a
job, use **Field Oracles**. If you are using the Sector Generation
System’s SEP profiles, **Reading a Generated System** in the Appendix
translates those codes into Oddspace mechanics.

### Living Standards

Use this table to calibrate what earnings actually mean. A d6 ₡ from a
routine job barely clears a Poor month; 2d6 covers Average; 3d6 lets
someone live well or start building a cushion.

| Standard | ₡/month |
|----------|---------|
| Poor     | 4       |
| Low      | 10      |
| Average  | 12      |
| Good     | 15      |
| High     | 20      |
| Rich     | 50      |
| Royal    | 200     |

What standard a character maintains is a fiction choice. It shapes what
they spend on between jobs, what they’re willing to sacrifice when
credits run short, and what it means when they can’t afford their usual
way of living.

### Heat & Notoriety

Actions have consequences. The Five Galaxies are vast but not anonymous.

#### Heat

Heat measures how much trouble you’ve drawn from a specific
**jurisdiction**: a government, a corporation, a criminal syndicate, a
species authority, or any other power with reach and memory. Heat is
tracked per jurisdiction, not per location. Two different factions may
operate out of the same starport; you can be cold with one and hot with
the other.

**Heat levels:**

| Heat | Status                                  |
|------|-----------------------------------------|
| 0    | Clear: no attention                     |
| 1    | Noticed: being watched, questions asked |
| 2    | Hot: the jurisdiction acts against you  |

**Gain Heat (+1) from:**

- Violence or public crimes in a jurisdiction’s territory
- Breaking a deal with the jurisdiction or its members
- Being identified as responsible for a setback or disaster that harms
  them
- Carrying flagged cargo through their checkpoints

**When Hot:** Docking, trading, or operating openly in that
jurisdiction’s territory requires a roll. On 5+, you pass without
incident. On a setback, you pass but attract surveillance. On a
disaster, you’re detained, fined, or worse. Heat drops by 1 after a full
month away from that jurisdiction’s territory. It resets to Clear
immediately when you make things right.

In solo play, Heat can also increase passively while you’re docked and
not working; jurisdictions have long memories and time to act. See
Tracking the Story in Solo Play.

#### Notoriety

Notoriety is persistent galactic reputation. It follows you everywhere,
accumulated across incidents and jurisdictions. Track it as a running
total.

| Notoriety | Effect |
|----|----|
| 0–2 | No issues |
| 3–5 | Some ports and factions refuse to deal with you openly |
| 6–8 | Most legitimate ports deny docking; prices rise for everything |
| 9+ | Hunted: bounty hunters, rival crews, and hostile jurisdictions actively seek you out |

**Gain Notoriety (+1) from:**

- Destroying a ship with witnesses
- A major crime that becomes public knowledge across multiple systems
- Betraying a high-profile contract in a way that gets talked about
- Becoming known as the cause of a significant political or economic
  incident

**Reduce Notoriety (–1) by:**

- Completing three legitimate jobs for a major faction or jurisdiction
  you wronged
- Lying low for a full month with no jobs and no incidents
- Paying a fixer to quietly bury the record (cost at GM’s discretion,
  expensive)

### Fuel

Fuel is a narrative resource, not a per-jump deduction. The party tracks
whether the ship’s tanks are full, adequate, low, or empty. Refuelling
costs are paid when the fiction demands it: docking at a starport,
bribing a station for emergency fuel, or siphoning from a derelict.

| Ship Size | Refuel Cost |
|-----------|-------------|
| Small     | 2 ₡         |
| Medium    | 10 ₡        |
| Large     | 20 ₡        |

Running low on fuel is a complication. Running dry in transit is a
disaster.

### Oddspace Transit

To jump to another system, the ship must have an Odd Drive and enough
fuel. The navigator or pilot rolls Navigate (or Pilot if no navigator is
aboard).

| Roll | Result |
|----|----|
| 1–2 | **Crisis.** Something goes seriously wrong: lost in oddspace, drive failure, fuel emergency, forced exit in the wrong system. |
| 3–4 | **Complication.** Delayed, off-course exit, or a minor system problem that needs attention on arrival. |
| 5+ | **Clean arrival.** The ship exits oddspace at the destination. |

Speed in oddspace is 1 parsec per hour. On arrival, roll 2d6 on the
Space Contingencies table.

Alternatively, ships may travel between galaxies via the **Wormhole
Access Network**. WAN transit is faster and more reliable than oddspace
but requires docking at a maintained node and the approval of whoever
operates it. WAN travel generates transit records and is subject to
inspection, access denial, and political closure without notice. No roll
is required for WAN transit unless the jurisdiction has reason to refuse
entry; in that case the GM calls for a relevant skill roll and applies
Heat if things go badly.

### Reactions

When the party encounters someone whose attitude is not obvious, the GM
rolls 2d6.

| 2       | 3–5  | 6–8     | 9–11 | 12      |
|---------|------|---------|------|---------|
| Hostile | Wary | Curious | Kind | Helpful |

### Space Contingencies

Roll 2d6 each time the ship exits oddspace.

| 2d6 | Event |
|----|----|
| 2–3 | Ship malfunction: a module goes offline until repaired. |
| 4–6 | Space anomaly: a solar storm, debris field, or gravitational hazard complicates the situation. |
| 7 | Encounter: roll on Reactions. |
| 8–10 | Distress call: someone nearby needs help, or wants you to think they do. |
| 11–12 | Advantage: a friendly hail, a patrol that owes you, a lucky sensor reading. |

### Landing & Exploration

Roll 2d6 each travel day spent on a planet or installation.

| 2d6 | Event |
|----|----|
| 2–3 | Transport malfunction: a vehicle or piece of equipment fails at the worst moment. |
| 4–6 | Weather shift: conditions change; what was safe may no longer be. |
| 7 | Encounter: roll on Reactions. |
| 8–10 | Clue: something points toward the next threat or opportunity. |
| 11–12 | Advantage: useful information, unexpected help, or a lucky find. |

### Salvage

Roll 2d6 for each area or room explored during a salvage or boarding
mission.

| 2d6 | Event |
|----|----|
| 2–3 | Exhaustion: the crew must rest before continuing. |
| 4–6 | Local change: a door that was open is now locked, a sound from the next compartment, something has shifted. |
| 7 | Encounter: roll on Reactions. |
| 8–10 | Clue: something points toward the next threat or opportunity. |
| 11–12 | Advantage: a useful cache, a safe room, an unexpected ally. |

### Trading

Cargo runs are an alternative income stream to patron jobs. The upside
is independence: you find the cargo, you set the route. The downside is
capital risk and market unpredictability. A bad market roll on a hold
full of electronics hurts.

Standard cargo runs do not generate advancement credits or skill
progression on their own; they generate money. Treat a cargo run as a
job only when it carries real danger (special cargo, contested routes,
smuggling under heat). In that case the GM declares a risk tier and the
full job structure applies alongside the cargo economics.

#### Cargo Types

Each cargo slot holds 100 tons. Buy price is per slot. Availability
depends on the source world.

| Goods | Buy Price (₡/slot) | Source World | Notes |
|----|----|----|----|
| Raw Materials | 5 | Mining | Bulky, always available |
| Foodstuffs | 8 | Agricultural | Perishable |
| Textiles | 10 | Agricultural | Seasonal demand |
| Chemicals | 15 | Industrial | May be hazardous |
| Machinery | 20 | Industrial | Heavy |
| Electronics | 40 | Industrial/High-Tech | Fragile |
| Luxuries | 60 | Core | High demand everywhere |
| Biotech | 80 | Medical/Core | Restricted in some systems |

#### What Worlds Produce and Need

This table drives both buying and selling. A world is rich in what it
produces and short on what it needs.

| World Type | Produces | Needs |
|----|----|----|
| Agricultural | Food, Textiles | Electronics, Machinery, Biotech |
| Industrial | Electronics, Machinery, Chemicals | Food, Raw Materials |
| Mining | Raw Materials | Food, Electronics, Machinery |
| Core/Central | Luxuries, Biotech | Raw Materials, Food |
| Frontier | Little | Almost everything |

#### Buying

The GM decides what’s on offer based on the world’s economy and the
table above. A mining colony will have raw materials and nothing else; a
core world trade hub will have almost everything.

A good the world **produces** is abundant: buy it at **−25%** (round to
the nearest credit). A good the world **needs** is usually not for sale
there at all; if the GM does offer it, it costs **+25%**. Everything
else is at list price.

The whole game of trading is the spread: buy what’s cheap where it’s
made, carry it to where it’s scarce. Before you commit capital, you can
ask the Oracle in the **Prepare** step where a good is in demand, or
follow a Rumor to a buyer. Knowing the route before you fly it is the
difference between a haul and a gamble.

#### Selling

When you arrive at a destination and try to sell, roll d6 for market
conditions:

| d6  | Market                                  | Value |
|-----|-----------------------------------------|-------|
| 1   | Crash: flooded market, political crisis | 50%   |
| 2–3 | Slow                                    | 75%   |
| 4–5 | Standard                                | 100%  |
| 6   | Boom                                    | 150%  |

Use the produce/needs table above:

- Selling goods the destination world **produces** (abundant supply):
  roll 2d6, take the **lower**.
- Selling goods the destination world **needs** (scarce supply): roll
  2d6, take the **higher**.

#### Special Cargo

Patrons sometimes offer unusual or illegal cargo. Roll d6 or choose when
a job involves something out of the ordinary.

| d6 | Cargo | Complication | Value Modifier |
|----|----|----|----|
| 1 | Illegal weapons or contraband | Customs attention; gain Heat +1 with local jurisdiction if discovered | ×3 |
| 2 | Live specimens | Require life support; roll d6 on arrival, on 1–2 something got loose | ×2 |
| 3 | Unstable materials | Hazardous; any ship damage roll has a chance of triggering catastrophe | ×4 |
| 4 | Time-sensitive | Must deliver within a strict deadline; late delivery means partial or no payment | ×2 |
| 5 | VIP passenger | Demanding and potentially dangerous; may be wanted by someone | ×3 |
| 6 | Stolen property | Original owners are looking for it; may be tracked | ×3 |

Value modifier applies to the sell roll result. A special cargo run is a
job for advancement purposes; the GM declares a risk tier (typically
risky or desperate) before the party commits, which determines both the
advancement credit roll and how seriously to take the danger. Cargo sale
proceeds and advancement credits are separate income streams; both apply
after a successful run.

When you’re carrying contraband or Flagged cargo, an **Authority
checkpoint** (Arrival table, result 1) is no longer routine; it’s a Heat
check. Pass and you’re through; a disaster means seizure, a fine, and
Heat with that jurisdiction. This is what makes a smuggling spread pay
triple: the markup is hazard pay.

#### Cargo Properties

The GM may add one or more of these to any cargo for texture:

- **Fragile**: A ship hit during transport reduces cargo value by 25%.
- **Perishable**: Loses 25% value per week in transit beyond the first.
- **Contraband**: Illegal in some or all systems; carrying it is a Heat
  gain when discovered.
- **Flagged**: Attracts inspection from military and law enforcement on
  sight.
- **Valuable**: Pirates and rivals may target the ship specifically.

### Jobs

Jobs are how the party pays its bills. A patron approaches with an
offer, or the crew hunts for work themselves through cargo markets and
rumors. Either way, the job is the unit of play: a situation with
stakes, a clock, and people with competing interests.

#### Generating a Job

Roll or choose on each table. Combine results before interpreting.

**Patron (2d6)**

| 2d6 | Patron                            |
|-----|-----------------------------------|
| 2   | Corporate executive, desperate    |
| 3   | Criminal syndicate representative |
| 4   | Government official, mid-level    |
| 5   | Independent merchant              |
| 6   | Researcher or scientist           |
| 7   | Ship captain between jobs         |
| 8   | Colony leader                     |
| 9   | Military officer, active duty     |
| 10  | Religious figure                  |
| 11  | Information broker                |
| 12  | Wealthy private citizen           |

**Motivation (d6)**

| d6  | Motivation                                                          |
|-----|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Profit: pays standard rates, needs it done economically             |
| 2   | Survival: desperate situation, pays extra, may withhold details     |
| 3   | Revenge: personal vendetta; key facts may be omitted                |
| 4   | Duty: following orders; bureaucratic complications likely           |
| 5   | Curiosity: flexible on methods, interested in outcome               |
| 6   | Secrecy: cannot be officially involved; pays premium for discretion |

**Reliability (d6)**

| d6 | Reliability | Tier Modifier |
|----|----|----|
| 1 | Deceitful: major details are lies or deliberate omissions | +2 |
| 2 | Selective: truthful but not forthcoming | +1 |
| 3 | Honest: tells what they know, which may be incomplete | — |
| 4 | Thorough: complete briefing, answers questions directly | — |
| 5 | Generous: honest and provides extra resources | −1 |
| 6 | Connected: honest, resourceful, and opens doors | −2 |

**Job Type (d6)**

| d6  | Job                                                         |
|-----|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Cargo delivery: risky, illegal, or time-sensitive           |
| 2   | Passenger transport: criminal, noble, sick, or secretive    |
| 3   | Investigate: missing ship, missing person, corporate leak   |
| 4   | Salvage: derelict wreck, ruins, debris field                |
| 5   | Conflict: escort, raid, defend, or destabilize              |
| 6   | Exploration: survey uncharted world, first contact, anomaly |

**Location (d6)**

| d6  | Location                                |
|-----|-----------------------------------------|
| 1   | Pirate base or lawless station          |
| 2   | Nearby colony or outpost                |
| 3   | Faraway system, multiple jumps          |
| 4   | Derelict ship or abandoned installation |
| 5   | Government or corporate facility        |
| 6   | Drifter fleet or mobile community       |

**Hook (d6)**

| d6  | Hook                                           |
|-----|------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | The patron comes to them directly              |
| 2   | An old acquaintance makes the introduction     |
| 3   | A rumor overheard in a cantina or starport     |
| 4   | It’s the condition of their release            |
| 5   | It wasn’t planned; the situation unfolded      |
| 6   | An object or message they found points the way |

#### Risk Tier

Roll 2d6 and add the Reliability modifier. Declare the result before the
party commits — this is the contract.

| Modified Roll | Tier      | Earnings   |
|---------------|-----------|------------|
| 4 or less     | Routine   | d6 ₡ each  |
| 5–9           | Risky     | 2d6 ₡ each |
| 10 or more    | Desperate | 3d6 ₡ each |

#### Reading the Combination

Read the full result before you play it. A Colony Leader with Survival
motivation and Deceitful reliability is hiding a threat to their people;
the job is real but the briefing is missing its most important detail. A
Military Officer with Duty and Thorough is exactly what they appear to
be — the complication, if any, is institutional. A Researcher with
Curiosity and Connected probably wants to see what you find as much as
they need it delivered. A Criminal Syndicate representative with Secrecy
motivation is never the last party with an interest in the outcome.

Ask: *Is the patron telling us what we need to know?* Roll the
Reliability die — Deceitful = d4, Selective = d6, Honest = d8, Thorough
= d10, Generous or Connected = d12.

- **5+:** The briefing is accurate.
- **3–4:** Incomplete. The patron didn’t lie, but left something out.
  Surface a complication mid-job.
- **1–2:** There’s a false layer. Roll Hidden Complication.

#### Hidden Complication

Roll d6 secretly. On 1–2, roll again:

| d6 | Complication |
|----|----|
| 1 | The item or target isn’t what the party was told |
| 2 | A rival party is after the same objective |
| 3 | The target is more dangerous than described |
| 4 | A jurisdiction has interest in the job: inspectors, soldiers, or bounty hunters |
| 5 | The target is alive, active, or fighting back |
| 6 | The patron’s enemy knows what’s happening and is moving against it |

Don’t reveal the complication upfront. Let it surface as a detail that
doesn’t fit — a name that doesn’t match, a sealed container that weighs
wrong, an NPC who reacts with recognition instead of surprise.

#### Rumors

Work that doesn’t come from a patron. Roll d6 when the crew spends time
at a starport, cantina, or anywhere people gather.

| d6 | Rumor | True on |
|----|----|----|
| 1 | A job opening, third-hand — the last crew dropped out | 4-in-6 |
| 2 | Local trouble that’s opened an opportunity | 3-in-6 |
| 3 | A buyer desperate for specific cargo, paying over market | 3-in-6 |
| 4 | The location of something worth having — a derelict, a cache, a contact | 2-in-6 |
| 5 | A warning: a route, system, or port has turned dangerous | 4-in-6 |
| 6 | An old story: a lost colony, an artifact, something that shouldn’t exist anymore | 1-in-6 |

Roll d6. At or below the listed number, the rumor is accurate. Above it,
it’s false, exaggerated, or missing the part that matters. A true rumor
is a situation, not a contract — no patron, no briefing, no guaranteed
pay, but also no one else knows what you know.

### Field Oracles

Roll during play when you need an encounter, a location’s contents, or a
complication the fiction doesn’t yet provide.

#### Space Encounters (2d6)

Roll when exiting oddspace or when the GM calls for a traffic check.
Apply the column for the system type.

| 2d6 | Core System        | Settled System     | Frontier System    |
|-----|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| 2   | Naval squadron     | Naval patrol       | Distress beacon    |
| 3   | Passenger liner    | System defense     | Research vessel    |
| 4   | Corporate fleet    | Merchant convoy    | Independent trader |
| 5   | Merchant convoy    | Corporate ship     | Scout ship         |
| 6   | Patrol vessel      | Independent trader | Mining operation   |
| 7   | Independent trader | Scout ship         | Prospector         |
| 8   | Private yacht      | Mining operation   | Scout ship         |
| 9   | Research vessel    | Patrol vessel      | Salvage operator   |
| 10  | Scout ship         | Passenger ship     | Distress beacon    |
| 11  | Salvage operation  | Smuggler           | Pirate             |
| 12  | Experimental craft | Pirate             | Derelict           |

**Encounter posture (d6):** 1–2 Aggressive: moving to intercept, weapons
ready. 3–4 Cautious: hailing, keeping distance. 5–6 Ignoring: on their
own business, will respond to hails.

#### Starport Encounters (d20)

Roll when the party arrives at a port or spends time in a public area.

| d20 | Encounter | Hook |
|----|----|----|
| 1 | Familiar ship arrives | Old friend, rival, or enemy aboard |
| 2 | Law enforcement patrol | Random inspection or looking for someone |
| 3 | Ship repair crew | Offering services or warning of a defect on your vessel |
| 4 | Merchant consortium | Buying, selling, or recruiting |
| 5 | Pirates, out of uniform | Scouting targets or lying low |
| 6 | Refugees | Need transport; have no credits |
| 7 | Wealthy travelers slumming | Need discreet help |
| 8 | Military personnel, off-duty | Recruiting, celebrating, or drunk and dangerous |
| 9 | Journalists | Investigating something; want an interview |
| 10 | Religious group | Seeking an artifact or making converts |
| 11 | Brokers | Have job offers or cargo leads |
| 12 | Down-on-luck spacers | Genuine need or a con |
| 13 | Performers or entertainers | Cover, distraction, or celebration |
| 14 | Research team | Need transport or local knowledge |
| 15 | Dock workers | Information network; know something useful |
| 16 | Tourists | Easy marks or innocent witnesses |
| 17 | Colonists | Seeking transport or supplies |
| 18 | Prospectors | Have a strike or need backing |
| 19 | Government envoys | Need discreet transport or protection |
| 20 | Patron | Roll on the Jobs tables |

#### Derelict Contents (d66)

Roll 2–3 times when exploring an abandoned vessel. First die is tens,
second is units.

| d66 | Find | Opportunity / Danger |
|----|----|----|
| 11 | Intact cargo | Sellable goods: roll cargo type |
| 12 | Ship’s log | Last moments, nav data, or a secret |
| 13 | Survivors | Potential crew, passengers, or problem |
| 14 | Bodies | Personal effects, IDs, unanswered questions |
| 15 | Working module | Functional component worth salvaging |
| 16 | Smuggler’s cache | Hidden contraband; someone wants it back |
| 21 | Sealed medical section | Quarantine markings; reason unknown |
| 22 | Armed intruders | Salvagers or pirates already aboard |
| 23 | Active AI | Ship’s computer is running and has opinions |
| 24 | Experimental tech | Prototype: may be illegal, unstable, or both |
| 25 | Alien artifact | Unknown origin; unknown function |
| 26 | Escape pod | Emergency craft, possibly already used |
| 31 | Frozen crew | Cryo-pods active; occupants alive |
| 32 | Fuel reserves | Usable fuel remaining in tanks |
| 33 | Flight recorder | What actually happened on this ship |
| 34 | Weapons locker | Small arms cache |
| 35 | Locked container | Heavy, sealed, no markings |
| 36 | Distress signal | Still broadcasting; how long? |
| 41 | Medical supplies | Trauma kits, drugs, surgical equipment |
| 42 | Engineering tools | Repair equipment, spare parts |
| 43 | Personal quarters | Crew belongings; letters, photos, a name |
| 44 | Navigation charts | Star maps, some of them hand-annotated |
| 45 | Hull damage | Breaches throughout; vacuum risk |
| 46 | Failing power | Systems flickering, life support unstable |
| 51 | Infestation | Something is living here now |
| 52 | Booby traps | Set by previous visitors |
| 53 | Evidence of mutiny | Crew turned on each other |
| 54 | Biological contamination | Pathogen, spore, or unknown agent |
| 55 | Salvage claim marker | Someone already has legal rights to this wreck |
| 56 | No explanation | Ship abandoned in perfect order; no sign of what happened |
| 61 | Overload risk | Something in the reactor is about to go wrong |
| 62 | Coordinates | To somewhere the crew didn’t want found |
| 63 | Military vessel | Classified designation; marked restricted |
| 64 | Cult markings | Ritual objects; a community lived here |
| 65 | Research data | Scientific files; someone will want these |
| 66 | The ship responds | Damaged AI, hostile, and aware you’re aboard |

**Derelict condition (d6):** 1 Days abandoned. 2 Weeks. 3 Months. 4
Years. 5 Decades. 6 Pristine, which is wrong.

#### Planet Surface Features (d66)

Roll when the party lands on a world and explores beyond the port.

| d66 | Feature | Opportunity / Danger |
|----|----|----|
| 11 | Crashed starship | Salvage available / Hostile survivors or AI |
| 12 | Ancient structure | Alien technology / Unstable ruins |
| 13 | Settlement ruins | Historical data / Something still lives here |
| 14 | Active volcano | Geothermal power / Lava flows |
| 15 | Crystal formations | Valuable minerals / Cave-ins |
| 16 | Underground river | Fresh water / Flooding |
| 21 | Abandoned mine | Ore deposits / Unstable tunnels |
| 22 | Damaged weather station | Shelter / Losing atmosphere |
| 23 | Military bunker | Weapons cache / Automated defenses |
| 24 | Research outpost | Scientific data / Failed experiments |
| 25 | Geothermal vent | Power source / Toxic gases |
| 26 | Ice sheet | Pure water / Hidden crevasses |
| 31 | Dense jungle | Medicinal plants / Dangerous fauna |
| 32 | Salt flat | Landing zone / Heat exposure |
| 33 | Canyon system | Shelter from weather / Easy ambush |
| 34 | Meteor crater | Rare metals / Radiation |
| 35 | Ruins of a port | Old nav data / Contested salvage claims |
| 36 | Tar pits | Fuel source / Traps |
| 41 | Relay tower | Communications access / Draws attention |
| 42 | Monolith | Ancient and inexplicable / Psionic interference |
| 43 | Geyser field | Spectacular / Burns |
| 44 | Magnetic anomaly | Rich ore / Equipment failure |
| 45 | Sandstorm zone | Sensor cover / Abrasive damage |
| 46 | Bioluminescent terrain | Beautiful / Attracts predators at night |
| 51 | Quicksand | — / Traps vehicles |
| 52 | Sacred site | Archaeological value / Local population is watching |
| 53 | Battlefield | Military salvage / Unexploded ordnance |
| 54 | Underground city | Shelter / Inhabitants unknown |
| 55 | Active dam | Hydroelectric power / Flood risk |
| 56 | Alien garden | Xenobotany samples / Dangerous flora |
| 61 | Shipyard graveyard | Parts for days / Toxic contamination |
| 62 | Volcanic glass field | Sharp tools / Cuts equipment and suits |
| 63 | Alien garden, cultivated | Someone tends this / Who? |
| 64 | Floating terrain | Gravity anomaly / Hard to access, hard to leave |
| 65 | Time distortion | Research value / Crew ages at wrong rate |
| 66 | Dimensional rift | Passage to somewhere else / Unstable |

## Solo Play

*74XX Oddspace* can be played alone. You take on both the protagonist
and the world: making decisions as your character, then stepping back to
let the setting respond through the oracles below.

The **Risk Oracle** tells you how much friction the world offers before
you commit to an action. The **Question Oracle** lets the world answer
questions you can’t resolve alone (what an NPC does, whether the docking
bay is sealed, if the cargo matches the manifest). **Sparks** give you a
prompt when you need direction or momentum.

Trust the results. When an oracle contradicts what you expected, that’s
where the story is.

### The Loop

Solo play runs on a set of interlocking tools. Here is what each one is
for:

- **Session Structure** — the map of a full session from finding work to
  collecting pay and advancing.
- **Scene Structure** — how to open, run, and cut individual scenes
  within a job.
- **Risk Oracle** — before you act, roll to find out how much friction
  the situation carries. High roll means it just happens; low roll means
  a real chance of things going wrong.
- **Question Oracle** — when you need the world to answer something your
  character didn’t cause (does the docking bay seal, does the NPC know
  who you are, is the cargo what the manifest says), ask a yes/no
  question and roll based on the odds.
- **Sparks** — when momentum stalls and you don’t know what happens
  next, combine an Action and a Theme for a prompt.
- **NPC Behavior** — what NPCs do when their disposition is unclear; use
  this instead of deciding for them.
- **Combat** — how enemies behave each round; what makes them break off.
- **Tracking the Story** — what to note between sessions so threads stay
  live.

For generating jobs and patron offers, use **Jobs** in the Travel
section.

Each time your character acts:

1.  **Declare your action.** What are you doing, and what do you want to
    happen?
2.  **Assess the situation.** Roll the Risk Oracle to read how much is
    at stake. On 5+, no roll needed — it just happens.
3.  **Roll if needed.** On Volatile or Friction, make your standard
    skill roll and apply the result.
4.  **Interpret the outcome.** Let the result shape the fiction. When
    you need to know how the world responds to something outside your
    character’s action, use the Question Oracle.

### Session Structure

Each session follows this structure. Skip steps that don’t apply.

#### 1. Find Work

Use the **Jobs** section in Travel. Choose one:

- Generate a patron offer: roll Patron, Motivation, Reliability, Job
  Type, Location, and Hook.
- Check the cargo market at your current world and plan a trade run.
- Roll on the Rumors table and follow where it leads.

#### 2. Prepare

Spend time and credits to improve your odds before committing. Ask the
Oracle whether intel is available and how reliable it is. Buy gear if
you need it. Decide your approach before you roll anything.

#### 3. Travel

Roll Navigate (or Pilot if alone) for the oddspace jump. On 1–2: Crisis.
On 3–4: Complication. On 5+: Clean arrival. Then roll on the Space
Contingencies table.

#### 4. Arrive

Roll on the Arrival table to find out what’s waiting.

| d6  | Local Situation                                            |
|-----|------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Authority checkpoint: inspections, papers, questions       |
| 2   | Quarantine or blockade: no easy docking                    |
| 3   | Political unrest: curfews, factions at each other          |
| 4   | Rival crew: same job, same place, hostile intentions       |
| 5   | Heat finds you: a jurisdiction you wronged has agents here |
| 6   | Clean arrival: no immediate complications                  |

If your Notoriety is 6+, always roll on this table and apply the result.

#### 5. Execute

Run the job as a sequence of 3–5 scenes. Use Scene Framing to open each
scene and the Twist table when things need to turn.

#### 6. Get Paid

Collect job earnings at the declared risk tier. If running cargo, sell
it and take the market roll result. Apply any partial success modifiers
from the job resolution.

#### 7. Pay Expenses

Deduct ship payment if due. Deduct monthly living expenses. Deduct any
repair costs.

#### 8. Advance

Each character increases one skill and records earnings. Note any Heat
or Notoriety gained. Note any new contacts, enemies, or leads.

### Scene Structure

Every job unfolds across scenes. Each scene has a purpose and an end
point. Don’t linger: when the goal is achieved, the decision is made, or
the moment breaks, cut.

**Opening a scene:** Answer two or three of these before rolling
anything.

- Where exactly am I?
- Why am I here?
- What could go wrong?
- Who else is here?

**Complications:** After each scene, ask the Oracle whether a
complication occurs. Start with d4 (unlikely) on the first scene and
step up one die size each scene after.

| Scene | Complication Die |
|-------|------------------|
| 1st   | d4               |
| 2nd   | d6               |
| 3rd   | d8               |
| 4th+  | d10              |

On Yes (5+ on the die): roll on Mission Complications.

**Mission Complications (d6):**

| d6 | Complication |
|----|----|
| 1 | The item or target isn’t what you were told |
| 2 | A rival got here first |
| 3 | The cargo or target is larger, stranger, or more dangerous than expected |
| 4 | A jurisdiction’s agents arrive: inspectors, soldiers, or bounty hunters |
| 5 | The target is alive, active, or fighting back |
| 6 | The patron’s enemy knows what you’re doing and is moving to stop it |

**Twists:** When a scene feels stuck or flat, roll d6 for a twist.

| d6  | Twist                                           |
|-----|-------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Someone arrives unexpectedly                    |
| 2   | Time pressure suddenly increases                |
| 3   | A truth is revealed                             |
| 4   | Equipment or a module fails at the worst moment |
| 5   | An authority or faction takes interest          |
| 6   | Unexpected help appears                         |

### Risk Oracle

Before your character acts, roll to assess how much control you have
over the situation.

| Situation   | Die |
|-------------|-----|
| Chaotic     | d4  |
| Precarious  | d6  |
| Manageable  | d8  |
| Predictable | d10 |
| Stable      | d12 |

Interpret the result:

- **1-2: Volatile.** The situation is unstable. Make your standard roll,
  and failure hits hard.
- **3-4: Friction.** Something could go wrong. Make your standard roll.
- **5+: Clean.** The situation is in hand. No roll needed; it happens.

### Question Oracle

When the outcome isn’t about what your character *does* (NPC reactions,
world states, things off-screen), ask a yes/no question and roll based
on the odds.

| Likelihood     | Die |
|----------------|-----|
| Very Unlikely  | d4  |
| Unlikely       | d6  |
| Likely         | d8  |
| Very Likely    | d10 |
| Almost Certain | d12 |

Interpret the result:

- **1-2: No, and…** It doesn’t happen, and things get worse.
- **3-4: Yes, but…** It happens, but with a complication.
- **5+: Yes, and…** It happens, and something else opens up.

### Sparks

When you need a fresh angle or you’re stuck, combine an Action and a
Theme to generate a prompt.

#### Action

| D20 | Action      |
|-----|-------------|
| 1   | Investigate |
| 2   | Rescue      |
| 3   | Sabotage    |
| 4   | Pursue      |
| 5   | Retrieve    |
| 6   | Expose      |
| 7   | Defend      |
| 8   | Infiltrate  |
| 9   | Negotiate   |
| 10  | Escape      |
| 11  | Salvage     |
| 12  | Intercept   |
| 13  | Protect     |
| 14  | Extract     |
| 15  | Confront    |
| 16  | Transport   |
| 17  | Warn        |
| 18  | Steal       |
| 19  | Betray      |
| 20  | Survey      |

#### Theme

| D20 | Theme      |
|-----|------------|
| 1   | Derelict   |
| 2   | Fugitive   |
| 3   | Conspiracy |
| 4   | Contraband |
| 5   | Agent      |
| 6   | Artifact   |
| 7   | Outpost    |
| 8   | Syndicate  |
| 9   | Contact    |
| 10  | Cargo      |
| 11  | Survivor   |
| 12  | Rival      |
| 13  | Anomaly    |
| 14  | Station    |
| 15  | Ruins      |
| 16  | Mutiny     |
| 17  | Blockade   |
| 18  | Vacuum     |
| 19  | Signal     |
| 20  | Claim      |

### NPC Behavior

When you need to know what an NPC does, roll a die based on the context
of the encounter.

**Disposition die:**

| Context                                                   | Die |
|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----|
| Hostile situation, bad history with this faction          | d4  |
| Neutral encounter, no prior relationship                  | d6  |
| Friendly situation, good history, or same species/culture | d8  |

**Disposition result:**

| Result | Attitude                                           |
|--------|----------------------------------------------------|
| 1–2    | Hostile: attack, demand, or threaten               |
| 3–5    | Neutral: watchful, transactional, noncommittal     |
| 6+     | Friendly: helpful, open, may offer more than asked |

For each subsequent interaction in the same scene, step the die up one
(d4→d6→d8→d10) if things are going well, or down one if things are
deteriorating.

**What they do next (d6, after establishing attitude):**

| d6 | Hostile action | Neutral action | Friendly action |
|----|----|----|----|
| 1 | Attack or escalate | Demand credentials or purpose | Offer useful information |
| 2 | Issue ultimatum | Watch and wait | Offer aid or resource |
| 3 | Call for backup | Ask pointed questions | Introduce to someone else |
| 4 | Attempt to detain | Make a guarded offer | Make a direct offer |
| 5 | Attempt to steal or sabotage | Disengage | Share a rumor or lead |
| 6 | Flee and report | Reluctantly cooperate | Become a contact |

### Combat

When fighting NPCs, roll for their behavior each round after the first.
The initial approach is set by their Disposition.

**Ground combat behavior (d6):**

| d6  | Behavior                                                             |
|-----|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1–2 | **Aggressive**: charge, press the attack, take risks                 |
| 3–4 | **Tactical**: use cover, coordinate, attack from advantage           |
| 5–6 | **Cautious**: hold position, retreat if injured, prioritize survival |

After any significant setback (a complication or a broken defense), ask
the Oracle “Do they continue fighting?” Use d4 for hired muscle or
civilians, d6 for soldiers, d8 for fanatics or those with no exit.

**Ship combat behavior**

Before ship combat begins, roll d6 for the enemy captain’s style. This
determines how they act each round.

| d6 | Style | Behavior |
|----|----|----|
| 1–2 | **Aggressive**: attacks every round, never breaks off |  |
| 3–4 | **Opportunist**: attacks if their Agility ≥ yours, flees if losing |  |
| 5–6 | **Cautious**: attempts to escape first; only fights if cornered |  |

**Aggressive:** Roll Firepower dice and attack. Always.

**Opportunist:** Compare ship Agility dice. If theirs is equal or
larger, they attack. If yours is larger, they attempt to disengage
(Chase roll). After their first broken module, ask Oracle “Do they
continue?” with d6.

**Cautious:** Always opens with a Chase roll to escape. If they cannot
escape, they attack once, then try again. After any hit, they flee
without checking Oracle.

**Morale:** After the first module breaks on any ship, roll Oracle for
any combatant who isn’t Aggressive:

- Military crew: d8
- Hired crew or pirates: d6
- Civilians: d4

### Tracking the Story

Keep a running note between sessions of:

- **Current world** and jurisdiction Heat levels
- **Notoriety** total
- **Ship status**: which modules are broken, fuel state
- **Open leads**: unresolved rumors, promised jobs, outstanding debts
- **Contacts**: who owes you, who you owe, who wants you dead

Between sessions, roll d6. On 1–2, something changed while you were
docked: a contact moved on, a jurisdiction’s Heat toward you increased
by 1, or a rumored opportunity closed. On 3+, nothing changed.

## Appendix

### Reading a Generated System

Oddspace delegates system and sector generation to external tools: the
**Sector Generation System** for sector mapping and system profiles, and
**System Detail Expansion** for translating those profiles into planets,
stations, habitats, and settlements.

Every generated system produces a SEP profile string, nine characters
encoding what the system is and how it functions in the network. Four of
those fields translate directly into Oddspace mechanics:

**Ac (Access) → Heat.** A system with Ac 3–5 is one where a jurisdiction
actively controls entry. Operating there is exactly what Heat 2
describes: roll required to dock, disaster means detention or worse.
High-Ac systems are where Heat matters most.

**Tn (Tension) → Risk tier.** Tn 0–1 systems generate routine jobs. Tn
2–3 generate risky ones. Tn 4–5 generate desperate ones. Read the Tn
value and declare the tier before the party commits.

**Rx (Resource) → Cargo type.** Rx = M means raw materials are cheap and
available; electronics are scarce and valuable. Rx = B means foodstuffs
and textiles are the local product. Rx = X means special cargo
territory: unusual, restricted, and worth the premium. Use the Rx field
to set what’s on offer at a given world without rolling.

**Pw (Power) → Jurisdiction identity.** Pw = C means the Heat
jurisdiction is a corporation. Pw = H means a hegemonic power; their
Heat tends to follow you across systems, not just locally. Pw = A means
authority is contested and fragmented; multiple factions may each hold a
piece of your Heat record. Pw = V means no jurisdiction and no Heat, but
also no law, no services, and no rescue.

The Ni and Nr fields tell you the system’s network role. A Ni 4–5 system
with Nr = K is a chokepoint hub: high-stakes, well-watched, where
desperate jobs originate and powerful patrons operate with low
reliability. A Ni 0–1 system with Nr = B is where you go to lie low,
take routine work, and stay off the grid.

## License & Credits

© 2026 Roberto Bisceglie

*74XX Oddspace* is based on **24XX** by Jason Tocci (CC BY 4.0) and
**Plerion** by Roberto Bisceglie (CC-BY-SA 4.0), which derives from
**Cairn** by Yochai Gal and **Spacer** by Paul Umbers.

This work is licensed under [CC-BY-SA
4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).