# 74XX SPACE CADETS
Roberto Bisceglie
2026-06-03

# 74XX SPACE CADETS

Version 1.0

## THE PREMISE

You are cadets at the GCP Combined Services Academy, a joint institution
where member polities of the Galactic Coalition of Peace train officers
for shared coalition operations. Your fellow cadets come from a dozen
worlds and half as many species. Between rigorous classes, surprise
inspections, and interpersonal drama, you’ll face real emergencies that
test everything you’ve learned. Manage the politics of polity and
species alongside the mechanics of command, forge lasting alliances and
bitter rivalries, and prove you have what it takes to graduate and earn
your commission among the stars.

## CHARACTERS

**\> Choose your character’s specialty.**

**Tactical**: Skilled in Combat Tactics (d8), Leadership (d8). Take
tactical display visor.

**Engineering**: Skilled in Electronics (d8), Repair (d8). Take
multi-tool kit and diagnostic scanner.

**Pilot**: Skilled in Piloting (d8), Navigation (d8). Take flight
simulator access and zero-G training gear.

**Medical**: Skilled in Medicine (d8), Biology (d8). Take advanced
medkit and bio-scanner (bulky).

**Intelligence**: Skilled in Analysis (d8), Investigation (d8). Take
data pad and surveillance gear.

**Communications**: Skilled in Linguistics (d8), Diplomacy (d8). Take
universal translator and comm array access.

**\> Choose your character’s background.**

**Academy Legacy**: Your family has served for generations. Start with
one Mentor TIE (+1) and one Rival TIE (-1). Increase 1 skill.

**Independent Study**: You earned your place through merit. Take
academic honors recognition. Apply 3 skill increases.

**Humble Origins**: You come from a working-class or poor family. Start
with Reputation +1 (people respect your determination) and take repair
tools. Increase 2 skills.

**Foreigner**: You’re from outside the GCP: an unaligned polity, a
non-member species, or a contested-border community. Start with one
Cultural Outsider TIE (-1) but gain a perspective none of your peers
share. Take universal translator and increase Linguistics (d8).

**Rebel Transfer**: You’re here on disciplinary transfer. Start with
Reputation -1 but gain street skills. Increase 2 skills of choice.

**Corporate Sponsored**: A megacorp funded your education. Start with
luxury gear (₡2 value) but owe favors. Increase 1 skill and gain one
Corporate Contact TIE (+1).

**Politically Appointed**: A senator or planetary governor secured your
admission. Start with Government Contact TIE (+1) but face resentment
from merit-based cadets. Take luxury gear (₡2 value) and increase 1
skill, but gain one Resentful Peer TIE (-1).

**\> Choose or invent skills (if prompted by background).**

Analysis, Athletics, Combat Tactics, Communications, Diplomacy,
Electronics, Engineering, Hand-to-hand, Investigation, Leadership,
Linguistics, Medicine, Navigation, Persuasion, Piloting, Repair,
Shooting, Stealth, Survival

## GEAR

**\> Take a comm unit, academy uniform, and ₡2. Most items and upgrades
cost ₡1 each. Ignore microcredit transactions like snacks or personal
items.**

**Cadet Loadout**: Standard-issue items (pick 3):

- Training Pulse Rifle (bulky)
- Tactical Scanner
- Body Glove (light armor)
- Medkit
- Drone Assistant (bulky)
- Smart Goggles
- Experimental Device (freeform tag)

**Armor**: Academy Body Glove (break once for defense), Combat Armor
(₡2, bulky, break up to 3×), Power Armor (₡3, bulky, break up to 3×,
vacuum-rated, enhanced strength).

**Cybernetics**: Neural Interface (upgrade with skill downloads,
tactical awareness), Enhanced Reflexes, Biometric Scanner Implant,
Communication Implant, Medical Monitor Nanobots.

**Tools**: Multi-scanner, Repair Drone, Engineering Kit (bulky), Medical
Tricorder, Tactical Display, Survival Pack (bulky).

**Weapons**: Training Weapons (stun setting), Pulse Pistol, Pulse Rifle
(bulky), Plasma Cutter, Sonic Disruptor, Grenades (4, any of stun,
smoke, EMP, flash).

**\> Academy Shuttles have basic versions of these functions; upgrades
cost ₡10 each. In an emergency, players pick a function to do or help
with.**

**Comms**: Academy network access. Upgrade with encryption, long-range,
emergency beacon.

**Pilot Systems**: Basic autopilot. Upgrade with combat maneuvers,
stealth mode, precision landing.

**Sensors**: Standard nav sensors. Upgrade with deep scan, life signs,
tactical analysis, threat detection.

**Weapons**: Training lasers only. Upgrade with live weapons (requires
authorization), defensive systems.

## DETAILS

**\> Invent or roll for personal details.**

**Academy Callsign**

1.  Alpha, 2. Beacon, 3. Comet, 4. Delta, 5. Echo, 6. Falcon, 7.
    Ghost, 8. Hunter, 9. Ion, 10. Jericho, 11. Knight, 12. Lance, 13.
    Meteor, 14. Nova, 15. Omega, 16. Phoenix, 17. Quantum, 18.
    Ranger, 19. Star, 20. Thunder

**Academy Rank**

1.  Cadet Fourth Class, 2. Cadet Third Class, 3. Cadet Second Class, 4.
    Cadet First Class, 5. Acting Squad Leader, 6. Honor Guard

**Personality Trait**

1.  Ambitious, 2. Analytical, 3. Brave, 4. Cautious, 5. Competitive, 6.
    Diplomatic, 7. Eager, 8. Focused, 9. Gentle, 10. Hardy, 11.
    Idealistic, 12. Joking, 13. Kind, 14. Loyal, 15. Methodical, 16.
    Noble, 17. Optimistic, 18. Practical, 19. Quiet, 20. Rebellious

**Academy Division**

1.  Astrogation, 2. Combat, 3. Communications, 4. Engineering, 5.
    Intelligence, 6. Medical, 7. Pilot, 8. Research, 9. Security, 10.
    Strategic, 11. Tactical, 12. Technical

## HOW TO PLAY

**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.

*Before rolling, check if any of your TIEs apply to the situation. Add
the TIE value to your result if relevant.*

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 make the shot, but it’s
bulletproof!), 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 mission, each character increases a skill
(none⮕d8⮕d10⮕d12) and gains d6 credits (₡).

**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 ASAP. Favor inclusion over
realism.

**GM**: Describe characters in terms of behaviors, risks, and obstacles,
not skill dice. Lead the group in setting lines not to cross in play.
Fast-forward, pause, or rewind/redo for pacing and safety; invite
players to do likewise. Present dilemmas you don’t know how to solve.
Shift focus so every character gets time in the scene. Test as needed
for bad luck (e.g., equipment failure, surprise inspections); roll a die
to check for (1–2) trouble or (3–4) signs of it. Improvise rulings to
cover gaps in rules; on a break, revise unsatisfactory rulings as a
group.

**The GCP Combined Services Academy** is not a neutral institution.
Member polities argue over funding, curriculum priority, and whose
history gets taught as standard doctrine. Some instructors were placed
here as political appointments; others arrived as punishment postings; a
few because no one else would take the assignment. When a regulation
seems arbitrary or two instructors give contradictory orders, the answer
is usually the same: three polities wrote those rules and couldn’t agree
on a compromise. That tension is part of the setting, not background
noise.

## 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.

## TIES & REPUTATION

Each PC tracks up to 3 TIEs to NPCs or other PCs. A TIE has: a role
label (Mentor, Rival, Friend), a numeric value (-2 to +2), and a trait
tag (e.g., Loyal, Competitive, Demanding). Add the TIE value to any roll
where that character’s help or interference is central. TIEs shift by ±1
after meaningful emotional interaction.

**Extreme TIEs**: When a TIE would go beyond ±2, it locks: +3 (Devoted)
means you must act to protect them even against your interests; -3
(Nemesis) means you must oppose them when possible, whatever the cost.

**Cadet Conflicts**: When cadets clash, name the arena: Physical (duel,
obstacle course), Mental (debate, tactical sim), Social (hearing,
reputation contest), or Honor (formal challenge, tribunal). Both roll
the relevant skill + TIE value. Higher result wins. On a tie, the GM
breaks it dramatically. The winner shifts a TIE by ±1; a decisive win
(3+ margin) shifts a second TIE and adjusts Reputation by 1. Sanctioned
contests carry no official penalty; forbidden ones (real duels,
sabotage) risk disciplinary action.

**REPUTATION** starts at 0 and shifts based on public impact within the
academy. Lose 1 Reputation when you fail publicly with your standing at
stake, act against a valued TIE, or suffer humiliation. Gain 1
Reputation for visible success, upholding academy values, or earning
faculty recognition.

- **+3 Academy Hero**: Unlock elite missions, gain admirers, instructors
  seek your input
- **+2 Well Regarded**: Extra privileges, first pick of assignments, +1
  to social rolls
- **+1 Good Standing**: Minor perks, positive attention from faculty
- **0 Average Cadet**: No special treatment
- **-1 Questionable**: Minor restrictions, closer scrutiny from
  instructors
- **-2 Problematic**: Loss of privileges, assigned extra duties, -1 to
  social rolls
- **-3 On Probation**: Restricted to academy grounds, potential
  expulsion. The GM prompts a hard choice: withdraw and let all TIEs go
  cold, lash out and damage one TIE by 2, or break the rules in a way
  that feels right but costs you further.

## CAMPAIGN RULES

**Graduation Clock**: Start with a 12-segment clock. Advance 1 segment
per completed mission; 2 segments for exceptional performance or a major
academy achievement.

**Academy Years**: The group chooses a starting year as a tone-setter:
First Year (basic training, forming relationships), Second Year (first
real missions, early leadership), Third Year (advanced missions,
mentoring juniors), or Fourth Year (senior privileges, commission
preparation). No mechanical difference; it frames what the academy
expects of you.

**Graduation**: When the clock fills, each character chooses a
post-graduation path and rebuilds as a commissioned officer. Keep your
TIEs; they become professional relationships. Gain two skills at d10 in
your new role and replace cadet gear with ₡5 of officer equipment.

- **Fleet Officer**: Command starships, explore new sectors
- **Academy Instructor**: Train new cadets, uncover academy mysteries
- **Special Operations**: Elite missions, classified assignments
- **Diplomatic Corps**: First contact, interstellar negotiations
- **Research Division**: Scientific expeditions, alien technology

## OPTIONAL TACTICAL RULES

**Tactical Combat Roles**: Before a mission, choose:

- **Assault**: +1 effect on direct attacks
- **Recon**: Avoid first threat of the mission  
- **Support**: Assist twice per mission day
- **Specialist**: Reroll once per scene using a chosen tag

**Enemy Clocks**: Use 4–6 segment clocks for key threats that build over
time.

**Positioning**:

- **Cover**: +1 to defense, -1 to offense
- **Exposed**: -1 to defense, +1 to offense

## SOLO PLAY

This game 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

Each time your character acts, go through these steps:

1.  **Declare your action.** What are you doing, and what do you want to
    happen?
2.  **Assess the situation.** Use the *Risk Oracle* to read how much is
    at stake.
3.  **Roll if needed.** If the Risk Oracle says there’s friction or
    volatility, make your standard roll. Otherwise, it just happens.
4.  **Interpret the outcome.** Let the result shape the fiction. If you
    need to know how the world or an NPC responds, use the *Question
    Oracle*.

### 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   | Defend      |
| 3   | Compete     |
| 4   | Protect     |
| 5   | Sabotage    |
| 6   | Deceive     |
| 7   | Uncover     |
| 8   | Evade       |
| 9   | Decode      |
| 10  | Confront    |
| 11  | Train       |
| 12  | Confess     |
| 13  | Follow      |
| 14  | Distract    |
| 15  | Report      |
| 16  | Conceal     |
| 17  | Expose      |
| 18  | Improvise   |
| 19  | Reassure    |
| 20  | Infiltrate  |

#### THEME

| d20 | Theme         |
|-----|---------------|
| 1   | Rivalry       |
| 2   | Stress        |
| 3   | Evaluation    |
| 4   | Elective      |
| 5   | Family        |
| 6   | Scandal       |
| 7   | Sabotage      |
| 8   | Disappearance |
| 9   | Drone         |
| 10  | Glitch        |
| 11  | Promotion     |
| 12  | Dream         |
| 13  | Blackmail     |
| 14  | Visitor       |
| 15  | Lockdown      |
| 16  | Romance       |
| 17  | Ghost         |
| 18  | Faction       |
| 19  | Surveillance  |
| 20  | Graduation    |

#### NPC PROMPTS

| d20 | Prompt                                                          |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | A rival publicly challenges you to a contest.                   |
| 2   | Your mentor is acting strangely distant.                        |
| 3   | An ally shares an encrypted message with no explanation.        |
| 4   | Someone spreads a rumor that implicates you in cheating.        |
| 5   | A new cadet insists they know you from somewhere.               |
| 6   | Your rival offers unexpected help.                              |
| 7   | A senior cadet orders you to break protocol.                    |
| 8   | Your squadmate has been replaced on short notice.               |
| 9   | You’re shadowed by an unknown observer.                         |
| 10  | An NPC confesses they sabotaged a test, on your behalf.         |
| 11  | Your rival claims they want to bury the hatchet.                |
| 12  | Someone’s transferred to your academy with an agenda.           |
| 13  | A former ally is now openly hostile.                            |
| 14  | You receive an anonymous gift with cadet-level clearance codes. |
| 15  | An NPC pretends not to know you, but clearly does.              |
| 16  | You overhear a conversation about your future.                  |
| 17  | A mentor asks you to spy on another cadet.                      |
| 18  | Someone is missing, and no one talks about it.                  |
| 19  | An NPC reveals their assignment conflicts with yours.           |
| 20  | A former classmate shows up in disgrace, and blames you.        |

#### EMOTIONAL BEATS

| d20 | Prompt                                              |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | You freeze during a simulation.                     |
| 2   | A memory resurfaces during downtime.                |
| 3   | You lash out under pressure.                        |
| 4   | You question your reason for being here.            |
| 5   | A friend reveals they don’t trust you.              |
| 6   | You find a personal object destroyed.               |
| 7   | You confess a secret to someone close.              |
| 8   | A public speech or moment puts you on the spot.     |
| 9   | You break formation, and no one notices.            |
| 10  | You feel genuine fear in a low-stakes situation.    |
| 11  | You lose track of time during a mundane task.       |
| 12  | You act on instinct, and regret it instantly.       |
| 13  | You lie to protect someone.                         |
| 14  | You make a joke and no one laughs.                  |
| 15  | You feel the urge to sabotage your own success.     |
| 16  | You help someone despite orders not to.             |
| 17  | A recurring dream disturbs your focus.              |
| 18  | You receive a message that rattles you.             |
| 19  | You find an old recording or log entry of yourself. |
| 20  | You write a message but never send it.              |

#### WORLD EVENTS

| d20 | Prompt |
|----|----|
| 1 | A major faction issues a sudden recruitment order. |
| 2 | An alien vessel docks nearby, without permission. |
| 3 | A known satellite goes dark for unknown reasons. |
| 4 | The academy AI issues a lockdown. |
| 5 | A scheduled event is cancelled, without explanation. |
| 6 | Cadet footage leaks to interstellar media. |
| 7 | Instructors are summoned off-world urgently. |
| 8 | A drone test goes rogue during a simulation. |
| 9 | A viral illness sweeps through the dorms. |
| 10 | A system-wide election changes faction power. |
| 11 | The food replicators begin glitching. |
| 12 | A visitor from another academy stirs up conflict. |
| 13 | A nearby moon is declared off-limits. |
| 14 | Cadets are recalled mid-mission. |
| 15 | A protest erupts outside the academy gates. |
| 16 | An asteroid drill becomes a real threat. |
| 17 | A WAN corridor goes dark, cutting comms to half the roster’s home systems. |
| 18 | A shared dream disturbs half the cadets. |
| 19 | New uniforms spark controversy. |
| 20 | A ghost signal is picked up on all comms. |

#### PERSONAL PLOT TWISTS

| d20 | Prompt                                                      |
|-----|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | You find an old letter you don’t remember writing.          |
| 2   | A family member contacts you with a strange request.        |
| 3   | Your name appears in a classified file.                     |
| 4   | You discover you have a sibling, also a cadet.              |
| 5   | You fail a test you were sure you passed.                   |
| 6   | Someone you trusted isn’t who they claimed.                 |
| 7   | A piece of gear responds only to your biometrics.           |
| 8   | A recurring number or symbol follows you.                   |
| 9   | You hear your voice on a mission log you didn’t record.     |
| 10  | You find a photograph of yourself… dated decades ago.       |
| 11  | You blackout and wake up somewhere unexpected.              |
| 12  | Your profile was flagged for a program you didn’t apply to. |
| 13  | A shared memory with another cadet doesn’t match up.        |
| 14  | Your backstory contradicts newly revealed records.          |
| 15  | A stranger refers to you by a name you’ve never used.       |
| 16  | You receive a parcel with no sender, only your academy ID.  |
| 17  | A DNA test triggers an academy alert.                       |
| 18  | A recording shows you committing an act you don’t recall.   |
| 19  | You find classified files about your upbringing.            |
| 20  | You remember something… but you’re sure it never happened.  |

## ACADEMY LIFE

**Daily Events**: Roll d12 when starting a new scene or day:

1.  Surprise inspection of quarters or equipment
2.  Pop quiz in tactical theory or regulations
3.  Rival challenges you publicly or spreads rumors
4.  Heated argument breaks out in mess hall
5.  Someone confides a personal problem or secret
6.  Caught sneaking out after curfew (or witness others)
7.  Mandatory simulation exercise or club meeting
8.  Flashback triggered by current events
9.  Equipment malfunction during critical moment
10. New cadet arrives with mysterious background
11. Academy scandal or conspiracy rumors surface
12. Leave granted for shore visit or family emergency

**Between Missions**: Each character picks one downtime action:

- **Study**: Increase a skill or learn academy regulations
- **Recover**: Heal injuries, repair gear, or restore Reputation +1
- **Socialize**: Create a new TIE or shift an existing TIE by ±1
- **Investigate**: Research a mystery or personal question; the GM
  provides a clue or answer

## MISSIONS

**Roll d6 to get mission assignment. Decrease reputation by 1 to request
different assignment.**

1–2 Routine training exercise with unexpected complications 3–4 Real
emergency requiring cadet response 5–6 Choose between two urgent
missions

**Mission Generator**: Roll d20 for client, mission type, d20 for
location, d20 for complication:

**Client**

1.  Admiral Vressen Tal, stern commandant with high expectations
2.  Captain Hayes, beloved flight instructor with war stories  
3.  Lt. Commander Torres, tough-love combat trainer
4.  Professor Chen, brilliant but absent-minded engineer
5.  Cadet Morrison, top of class, insufferably perfect
6.  Cadet Blake, class clown hiding serious skills
7.  Cadet Rodriguez, natural leader everyone respects
8.  Cadet Sel Thuun, quiet genius with family pressure
9.  Sergeant Major Orn-Kael, gruff NCO with hidden kindness
10. Dr. Patel, academy counselor who sees through facades
11. Cadet Thompson, rebel with mysterious connections
12. Commander Ixeth Vryn, decorated veteran turned instructor
13. Cadet Lee, gifted pilot with reckless streak
14. Chief Engineer Walsh, mentor to technical cadets
15. Cadet Jones, social butterfly and information hub
16. Colonel Karath Vel, strategic genius with political ambitions
17. Cadet Williams, athlete struggling with academics
18. Lt. Foster, young instructor close to cadet age
19. Cadet Davis, rich kid learning real responsibility
20. Cadet Taylor, scholarship student proving worth

**Mission Type**

1.  Rescue stranded civilians or survey team
2.  Investigate mysterious signal or anomaly
3.  Escort VIP through dangerous territory
4.  Retrieve stolen or lost academy equipment
5.  First contact with unknown species
6.  Stop sabotage attempt on academy facility
7.  Peacekeeping mission between rival factions
8.  Scientific expedition to uncharted system
9.  Counter-piracy operation in shipping lanes
10. Diplomatic mission to colonial outpost
11. Search and rescue in asteroid field
12. Protect research station from external threat
13. Training exercise that becomes real emergency
14. Undercover investigation of criminal activity
15. Emergency medical relief to disaster zone
16. Secure and study ancient alien technology
17. Prevent corporate espionage or theft
18. Mediate territorial dispute between colonies
19. Respond to distress call from deep space
20. Academy war games with hidden objectives

**Location**

1.  Asteroid mining facility
2.  Luxury space station
3.  Remote research outpost
4.  Derelict alien vessel
5.  Colonial farming world
6.  Orbital construction platform
7.  Deep space patrol route
8.  Diplomatic conference ship
9.  Corporate headquarters station
10. Prison transport vessel
11. Military testing ground
12. Refugee settlement
13. Ancient ruins on dead world
14. Trading post at system edge
15. Academy training facility
16. Medical research station
17. Terraforming operation
18. Communications relay station
19. Starship graveyard
20. Neutral zone border

**Complication**

1.  Time limit before disaster strikes
2.  Infiltrator among the group
3.  Equipment failure at worst moment
4.  Innocent civilians in danger
5.  Conflicting orders from superiors
6.  Former academy rival leads opposition
7.  Moral dilemma with no clear answer
8.  Critical information is incomplete
9.  Weather or environmental hazard
10. Political implications of failure
11. Personal connection to the mission
12. Resource shortage (fuel, supplies, etc.)
13. Communication blackout
14. Unexpected ally with hidden agenda
15. Legal restrictions complicate action
16. Injury to key team member
17. Discovery changes mission parameters
18. Multiple factions pursuing same goal
19. Academy reputation at stake
20. Personal grudge motivates antagonist

# CADET YEARBOOKS

*Rival schools. Elective drama. Faction loyalties. Expand the setting,
not the rules.*

## Overview

**Cadet Yearbooks** is a modular supplement for *74XX: Space Cadets*
that introduces rival academies, student factions, and intra-academy
life. It expands your campaign world with new NPCs, conflict hooks, and
emerging dynamics, without adding complex new mechanics.

Each entry is designed for plug-and-play use across solo and group
campaigns.

## USING THIS MODULE

- Drop an academy into your setting to create an immediate rival
  faction.
- Use rival cadets as recurring NPCs, unexpected allies, or TIE
  shifters.
- Treat clubs as internal factions for roleplay and downtime variety.
- Seed future campaigns or legacy arcs with post-graduation conflicts
  among these institutions.

## RIVAL ACADEMIES

Each rival academy includes a short profile, traits, custom TIE hooks,
and a cadet or mentor NPC.

### 1. Lynem Academy of Statecraft

*”Influence is just strategy in slower motion.”*

- **Sponsor:** Dominion of Aquilaria

- **Focus:** Political manipulation, rhetorical combat, interstellar
  diplomacy.

- **Traits:** Elegant, subtle, hierarchical.

- **Known For:** Producing envoys and puppetmasters. Noble house
  connections are assumed; those without them learn to manufacture them.

- **Cadet Rival (NPC):** **Siran Vos**: poised, vicious in debate,
  secretly disgraced Lynem royalty.

- **Custom TIE Hooks:**

  - “They humiliated me during the ethics tribunal.”
  - “We bonded over subverting a planetary blockade.”

### 2. Wrulis Imperial Combat Institute

*”Precision. Obedience. Firepower.”*

- **Sponsor:** Empire of Wrulis

- **Focus:** Tactical operations, mech piloting, siege warfare.

- **Traits:** Brutal, efficient, patriotic.

- **Known For:** High dropout rate. Ruthless competence. Royal Guard
  officers often rotate through as instructors, and treat students
  accordingly.

- **Cadet Rival (NPC):** **Tamsin Rez**: ex-mercenary, stoic, leads
  training duels that get *too* real.

- **Custom TIE Hooks:**

  - “They saved my life, then claimed the credit.”
  - “We sparred until one of us bled.”

### 3. Hetsusian Institute of Xenology

*”To understand is to outlast.”*

- **Sponsor:** Confederacy of Enthor

- **Focus:** Alien diplomacy, xeno-psychology, pre-collapse site
  interpretation.

- **Traits:** Curious, eccentric, non-hierarchical.

- **Known For:** Producing cryptic advisors and xenolinguists. Direct
  access to Xalith ruin sites gives students fieldwork opportunities no
  other institution can match, and some don’t come back unchanged.

- **Cadet Rival (NPC):** **Alun Nirel**: wears a living organism as
  clothing, speaks only in questions.

- **Custom TIE Hooks:**

  - “They unlocked a memory I didn’t know I had.”
  - “We studied the same creature, and fought over how to treat it.”

### 4. Avaros Federation Defense Conservatory

*”There is no strength without unity.”*

- **Sponsor:** United Federation of Avaros

- **Focus:** Homeland defense, logistics, mass-coordination warfare.

- **Traits:** Collective-focused, ideological, austere.

- **Known For:** Producing tacticians who treat command as a consensus
  problem. The Conservatory’s multi-species cohort structure is a
  feature, not an accident; Federation policy is baked into the
  curriculum.

- **Cadet Rival (NPC):** **Uten Bray**: fervent, magnetic, under covert
  surveillance by their own superiors.

- **Custom TIE Hooks:**

  - “They turned my own squad against me.”
  - “We were once inseparable, until the Loyalty Test.”

### 5. Void Consortium Contractor School

*”Get in, get paid, get out.”*

- **Sponsor:** Void Consortium

- **Focus:** Freelance cadets trained for corporate ops, salvage
  missions, and grey-area logistics.

- **Traits:** Sarcastic, pragmatic, mercenary.

- **Known For:** Losing half their cadets to off-world gigs mid-course.
  Graduates go where the Consortium points them; the curriculum is the
  contract.

- **Cadet Rival (NPC):** **Cass “Slip” Kael**: smooth-talking hacker
  with 3 conflicting loyalties.

- **Custom TIE Hooks:**

  - “They hacked my records and made it look like an accident.”
  - “We pulled a job together, and barely walked out.”

## ELECTIVE CLUBS

Clubs are informal factions that can shape downtime, mission priorities,
and social reputation. Cadets may join one club at a time. Each club
offers:

- A **perk**: mechanical or narrative.
- A **risk**: reputational or interpersonal.

### DEBATE CORPS

**Perk:** Gain +1 to Social contests when referencing doctrine, policy,
or precedent. **Risk:** Lose 1 Reputation if you lose a public debate.

### DRONE RACING LEAGUE

**Perk:** Ignore one harm from failed Physical contests involving
agility or reaction. **Risk:** Lose +1 Reputation if you damage school
property.

### Drama Cell

**Perk:** Once per session, you may stage a distraction or emotional
performance to escape or deceive. **Risk:** On a failed roll, your
motives are questioned; TIE shifts unpredictably.

### ESPIONAGE CIRCLE *(Unofficial)*

**Perk:** You can declare a hidden recording or planted bug
retroactively once per mission. **Risk:** The GM tracks academy
leadership’s suspicion. Three exposures and you’re expelled or flipped.

## INTER-SCHOOL TOURNAMENTS

Use **Contests** between schools as grand-scale public rivalries.
Consider these rotating formats:

1.  **The Coalition War Games** (tactical simulation)
2.  **The Union Trials** (multi-academy obstacle course)
3.  **The Euryale Cup** (debate and ethics combat)
4.  **The Solstice Exchange** (students are embedded in a rival academy)

Winning raises Reputation; losing shifts TIEs or triggers special
Events.

## CADET ALLIANCES

Cadets may declare loyalty to one faction. This counts as a starting TIE
(+1) with that body and a TIE (-1) with its primary rival. Alliances
shift through play like any other TIE.

- **Galactic Coalition of Peace**: institutional legitimacy,
  neutral-party access, procedural cover.
- **Corporate Liaison Board**: gear contacts, corporate resources,
  off-book favors.
- **Free Colonies Pact**: morale networks, colonial contacts, resistance
  to central authority.

## ACADEMY PROMPT TABLES

### ACADEMY EVENTS TABLE

Each rival academy gets a unique table to reflect its internal drama or
quirks.

Example: *Lynem Academy of Statecraft – d6*

1.  A cadet publishes a political pamphlet criticizing the instructors.
2.  A visiting envoy is found unconscious, no sign of forced entry.
3.  A secret vote is held on expelling a disruptive student.
4.  The Debate Corps is accused of fabricating transcripts.
5.  Rumors circulate about someone forging family lineage documents.
6.  A rival academy offers an exchange student… with strings attached.

Repeat this format for each academy.

## CLUB TROUBLE TABLE

Used when a club perk is invoked or failed.

| d6  | Complication                                  |
|-----|-----------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Club leader accused of favoritism or fraud    |
| 2   | Your club faces a budget cut or sanction      |
| 3   | Another club sabotages your next performance  |
| 4   | A public gaffe makes your whole club lose Rep |
| 5   | A mentor questions your priorities            |
| 6   | Your club is temporarily disbanded            |

## RIVAL CADET MOVE TABLE

Roll when a rival NPC is involved in a scene.

| d8  | Move                                           |
|-----|------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Challenges you to a formal duel or debate      |
| 2   | Tries to undermine your TIE with someone else  |
| 3   | Offers a shady alliance against a third party  |
| 4   | Publicly praises you (suspiciously)            |
| 5   | Is caught snooping in your records or quarters |
| 6   | Asks for help with something off-the-books     |
| 7   | Wins accolades and rubs it in                  |
| 8   | Confides a dark secret under stress            |

## INTER-ACADEMY ENCOUNTER TABLE

Roll when two schools cross paths: missions, tournaments, exchange
programs.

| d6  | Scenario                                         |
|-----|--------------------------------------------------|
| 1   | Joint mission with conflicting goals             |
| 2   | Tournament with unclear rules, or sabotage       |
| 3   | Exchange student causes division in your dorm    |
| 4   | A cadet defects to or from your academy          |
| 5   | Shared facility goes into lockdown               |
| 6   | Your mentor has history with theirs, good or bad |

# MISSION LOGS

**Tagline:** *From Zero-G drills to black ops sabotage, ready-to-run
arcs for cadets under pressure.*

## OVERVIEW

**Mission Logs** is a campaign supplement for *74XX: Space Cadets*
featuring pre-structured but flexible mission packs. Each one includes:

- A core premise (*Briefing*)
- Optional complications and scene scaffolding
- Fallout mechanics and escalation clocks
- Thematic hooks that plug directly into the tone of cadet training

**Using This Module:**

- Drop one pack as a one-shot with little prep.
- Tie 2–3 packs together into a mini-campaign arc.
- Allow mission outcomes to influence Reputation, TIEs, and club/faction
  dynamics.
- Clocks offer consequences, but also momentum toward graduation or
  institutional failure.

## MISSION PACK 01: **MISFIRE PROTOCOL**

**Theme:** First Contact Misunderstanding **Tone:** Diplomatic, tense,
uncertain

### BRIEFING

A xenoarchaeological survey ship sends a distress signal from the
surface of a quarantined world. Cadets are dispatched to assist, under
strict observation from both the GCP and the Hetsusian Institute of
Xenology.

### Scene Seeds

- Derelict comms post with alien graffiti
- Panicked researchers trying to cover something up
- A wounded alien caught between predator and drone net

### COMPLICATIONS

- The “distress signal” was a xeno-ritual
- Your academy is being framed for cultural interference
- One cadet begins experiencing non-verbal hallucinations

### FALLOUT CLOCK

**Cultural Incident → Diplomatic Fallout → Expulsion from Program**

## MISSION PACK 02: **GRAVITY FAULT**

**Theme:** Orbital Habitat Crisis **Tone:** Disaster response,
claustrophobic, timed

### BRIEFING

A training mission turns real as the orbital station *Chariot-6* suffers
cascading gravity failures. Cadets are the only team close enough to
stabilize the habitat’s core systems.

### SCENE SEEDS

- A centrifuge module spinning out of control
- A flooded maintenance crawlspace with a trapped engineer
- A crowd of civilians rioting over escape pods

### COMPLICATIONS

- AI fails to recognize cadet authority
- Reactor breach countdown begins
- Someone on board wants the habitat to fail

### FALLOUT CLOCK

**Power Loss → Structural Failure → Core Collapse**

## MISSION PACK 03: **GHOST IN THE HALL**

**Theme:** Espionage on the Training Grounds **Tone:** Paranoid,
investigative, internal conflict

### BRIEFING

A GCP intelligence asset embedded in your academy believes a cadet has
been flipped. Your team is tasked with identifying the mole, quietly.

### SCENE SEEDS

- Intercepted encrypted comms on the training net
- A hidden surveillance drone in the cadet dorms
- A strange jump in simulated exam scores

### COMPLICATIONS

- The mole might be one of you
- The evidence has been planted, or is it?
- An instructor is implicated and begins covering tracks

### FALLOUT CLOCK

**Data Leak → Cadet Arrest → Intelligence Breach**

## Mission Pack 04: **Circuit Burn**

**Theme:** Counter-Sabotage **Tone:** Tactical, fast-paced, paranoid

### BRIEFING

Power surges, false alarms, and reactor hiccups: someone is testing the
limits of the academy’s infrastructure. Your team is assigned to shadow
Engineering and Security, and catch the saboteur.

### SCENE SEEDS

- Explosive test rig wired to trip under specific cadet patterns
- Blackout in the cafeteria wing during dinner hour
- A lab door welded shut from the inside

### COMPLICATIONS

- The saboteur is a respected upperclass cadet
- A mentor you trust wants this buried
- Multiple parties are acting independently

### FALLOUT CLOCK

**System Glitch → Facility Lockdown → Structural Sabotage**

## MISSION PACK 05: **COURIER VEIL**

**Theme:** Covert Diplomatic Escort **Tone:** Stealth, ideological
tension, high stakes

### BRIEFING

Cadets must escort a non-aligned dignitary from a disputed sector to an
off-world summit, under the cover of an academic cultural exchange. None
of the factions officially know, but all suspect.

### SCENE SEEDS

- Smuggling the dignitary out in a disguised cargo crate
- Crossing paths with your academy’s official delegation
- Navigating an open-air bazaar with eyes everywhere

### COMPLICATIONS

- The dignitary doesn’t want to be rescued
- One cadet sympathizes with the opposing side
- Another academy tries to intercept

### FALLOUT CLOCK

**Discovery → Public Incident → Treaty Collapse**

## MISSION PACK 06: **ECHO CADENCE**

**Theme:** Cadets vs Ex-Cadets **Tone:** Psychological, conflicted,
action-heavy

### BRIEFING

A rogue unit of expelled cadets, rumored to be running freelance ops for
an unaligned faction, has begun targeting GCP installations. Your squad
is deployed to intercept… and uncover who trained them.

### SCENE SEEDS

- A scorched training ground that mirrors your own routines
- A former instructor hiding evidence
- One of the targets recognizes you… and spares you

### COMPLICATIONS

- They’re using your own academy’s playbook
- Their demands are morally compelling
- They’re broadcasting your failures to the network

### FALLOUT CLOCK

**Reputation Hit → Security Inquiry → Institutional Purge**

## FALLOUT CLOCK RULES (OPTIONAL)

Each mission includes a custom 3–6 segment **Fallout Clock** that
represents:

- Reputational damage
- Institutional instability
- External consequences

Advance the clock on:

- Failed rolls with significant stakes
- Choosing expedient over ethical solutions
- Conflicts between cadets unresolved in play

At full clock: trigger a narrative shift, change in cadet status, or
escalation into the next mission.

## License

© 2025-2026 Roberto Bisceglie

This work is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike
4.0 International license

This work is based on 24XX rules CC BY Jason Tocci.