STaRS: Simple Tabletop Roleplaying System
STaRS: Simple Tabletop Roleplaying System
STaRS: Simple Tabletop Roleplaying System
Table of Contents P a g e |2
Copyright 2019 by Charles Cohen. Art by Josie Cohen and Ru Bradley. Editing by Dashiell
Graci. Index by Susan Cohen. Art resource images from Pixabey.com, released into the public
domain under Creative Commons CC0.
Special thanks to Samuel Clarvoe for years of help with brainstorming and playtesting, and to
all my guinea pigs, both in real life and online:
137ben Grinner Noelle Thalia Hedges-Goettl
Alex Sturbaum Helen Rich noob
Allison Asbury Hiro Protagonest Quellian-dyrae
atmanSeijo infinitetech Rachel Angie Eaton
Autobot Supreme Commander Jasdoif Ryo Kimura
Fortress Maximus (aka Chris Melka) Jeff Kaplan Samuel A Lombardo
Bec Stargel Joel Ginn Seto
Sam Filla Jormengand Sherishade
Hayden Burger joshua220 Sir Swindle89
Maggie Gilligan Josie Cohen Starsign
Kate Daly Justin Pearl Taylor TJ Hobart
Emily Wright Karli Anderson Uche Anomnachi
benmilesrocks Kate Diamond E. Luis Adams
bobthe6th Knaight Verbose Mode
Cluedrew Luke Austen-Smith Will de Montmollin
Crystal Lambert lunar2 Will Nichols
Dominique Pearson Madara Will Paris
Dunkoro Martin Durham Xander Eosphoros
erikun Matt Swinton
Felipe Firmo Miles Lex Schwartz
Genevieve T. Senechal Mith
GigaNerd17 Nick Lockyer and many more
Table of Contents P a g e |3
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
What Do You Need to Read?......................................................................................................................... 7
The Rules in Brief ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Chapter 1: The Core .................................................................................................... 11
Checks ................................................................................................................................................................ 12
Difficulty ........................................................................................................................................................... 13
Abilities ............................................................................................................................................................. 18
Health ................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Chapter 2: Conflict ...................................................................................................... 24
Degrees of Success ........................................................................................................................................ 25
Structure ........................................................................................................................................................... 26
Your Turn ......................................................................................................................................................... 28
Your Enemy's Turn ....................................................................................................................................... 32
Physical Conflict ............................................................................................................................................. 33
Social Conflict.................................................................................................................................................. 36
Environmental Conflict ............................................................................................................................... 39
Chapter 3: Creating a Character ................................................................................ 43
Part 1: Planning Your Character .............................................................................................................. 44
Part 2: Building Your Character............................................................................................................... 46
Abilities......................................................................................................................................................... 46
Traits ............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Drawbacks ................................................................................................................................................... 52
Trait Summary Sheet .............................................................................................................................. 53
Sample Magic Systems............................................................................................................................ 54
Part 3: Advancing Your Character .......................................................................................................... 62
Chapter 4: Creating Opposition ................................................................................. 63
Co-Stars ............................................................................................................................................................. 64
Co-Stars in Action .......................................................................................................................................... 68
Table of Contents P a g e |4
Introduction
Remember playing make-believe as a kid? Through a child's eyes, a stick could be a magic
sword or a laser rifle, a cardboard box might become a spaceship, and all you needed to be
a superhero was a towel tied around your neck. You and your friends could have a hundred
epic adventures in your backyard—fighting monsters, overthrowing evil sorcerers, and
maybe even saving princes or princesses.
You may have grown up—or at least gotten older—but that doesn't mean you have to put
your imagination away. Role-playing games (RPGs for short) offer a way to channel that
childhood enthusiasm and creativity in a slightly more adult way.
A role-playing game is a flight of pure fancy. For a few hours at a time, you and your friends
can pretend to be anyone you can imagine and tell any kind story you can think of—all
from the comfort of your own home.
Introduction P a g e |6
How Does it Work? More than anything else, STaRS strives for
Before you can start the game, you'll need simplicity. If you can't be playing within
to pick one player to be the Director. thirty minutes of finishing this book,
They will be the one in charge of the we've done something wrong. The rules
setting. The shape and mood of your are simple as we could make them, so that
imaginary world, the foibles of physics you can play without constantly looking
and the actions of any characters not things up. They're written to enable you
controlled by another player—Co-Stars— rather than constrain you, so that you can
are all in the Director's hands. They also spend more time having fun and less time
serve as a sort of referee, making the final flipping through rulebooks.
decision whenever there are questions
The game is easy on Directors as well as
about the rules.
players. Creating non-player characters is
Everyone else gets to be a Star, a breeze—no need to spend hours
controlling one character, like an actor crunching numbers and looking up
playing a role in a movie. As the name abilities to create an enemy who'll only
suggests, the Stars are the main appear once.
characters of whatever story you and
Not content with being fast and simple,
your friends are telling. If the Director
the game also aims to be as flexible as
sets the stage, it's up to the Stars to make
possible. Without any extra rules, you'll
it their own.
be able to model anything from horror
Last, you may need one or Producers. movie protagonists to cosmic gods, and
While playing the game, the Producer is the game will be as fast and easy as ever.
just another Star or Director. But when
What Do You Need to Play?
the dice aren’t on the table, they take
First off, you'll need a few friends—
over. Producers are the ones who recruit
someone to be the Director, and a handful
the group, organize the meetings, order
of dice (or "d10s" as they're known in
the pizza, and so on. In some ways,
gaming parlance). If you don't have any,
they're the most important people in the
they're easy to find online or at your local
group—it wouldn't exist without them.
comic or gaming shop. You can also use
OK, but Why Play STaRS? any number of dice rolling programs on
It's a fair question. There are hundreds of your computer or phone, if you prefer. It's
RPGs out there, ranging from big names a good idea to have a copy of these rules
like Dungeons and Dragons to obscure handy, at least until everyone gets
indie games from the far corners of the comfortable with the system. Finally,
internet (like this one!). So, what makes everyone will need some paper and
STaRS special? pencils to make character sheets, draw
maps, and take notes.
Introduction P a g e |7
As far as RPGs go, STaRS is light and 5. If you've never played an RPG
simple, and this book is relatively before, you might find it helpful to
small. But people are busy, and you'd look at Chapter 6: Playing the
probably rather just get started. Game. There's a lot of good advice
That's okay! Here's what you need to there.
look at, in increasing order of
importance.
Much of this book will be filled with rules. Characters can occasionally have
We’ll take time to explain things carefully, Adrenaline Surges, where they attempt
go over our reasoning, and give examples. otherwise-impossible tasks. At any point,
But before we get to that, we’d like to do a you may take a -6 penalty to your
quick run-through of things. If you or Check; if you still succeed, you can
your friends already know how to play, accomplish a goal normally a bit
this is probably all you need to get beyond your ability.
started.
Conflict
The Core Mechanics The Conflict rules exist to turn a single
Characters are primarily defined by their Check into a prolonged scene with back-
ten Abilities—Agility, Awareness, and-forth action. The most common type
Dexterity, Intellect, Manipulation, of Conflict is a fight, but everything from
Physique, Presence, Speed, Will, and arguments to attempts to escape a
Wits. Abilities are ranked between 3 and burning building can be a Conflict.
7, with higher numbers being better.
In a Conflict, it often matters exactly how
Whenever a character attempts to do
well you did. For every two points by
something with a chance of failure,
which the result of your Check is less
make a Check by rolling a ten-sided die.
than your Ability, you score an extra
If your roll is equal to or lower than
success. For every two points your roll
your Ability score, you succeed. Every
exceeds your Ability, you're saddled
two points you succeed or fail by is an
with an extra failure.
extra success or failure, respectively,
making your success or failure even more If timing is critical, everyone makes
dramatic. Each Ability has several Speed checks. Those who succeed act
common uses, called Rotes. before the enemies, while those who fail
act afterwards. On your turn, you can
The Difficulty of these Checks can change,
take one Major Action (usually
based on circumstances. At any point, the
attacking), one Minor Action (usually
Director can assign a Modifier, making a
moving), and infinite Free Actions
task easier or harder. Modifiers can also
(usually talking).
be gained through Traits and actions (see
the Conflict/Challenge rules). A Modifier
provides either a +2 Bonus or a -2
Penalty to your Ability rank.
Introduction P a g e |9
While role-playing games are about imagination, they can’t be entirely devoid of rules—
otherwise, things can devolve into endless arguments. In this chapter, we’ll discuss the core
rules of the game, and the core aspects of your character: Checks, Difficulty, Abilities,
Health, and Traits.
Checks are how we tell when your character succeeds and when they fail.
The Difficulty is how we tell what kinds of things are possible for a character to do.
Health is how we tell when your character can keep going, and when he’s out of the
running.
Traits are how we represent your character’s special skills and powers.
Chapter 1: The Core P a g e |12
Checks
Difficulty
Not all tasks are created equal. Maybe the Whatever the source, Modifiers all work
lights are out in the warehouse you're the same way. A Bonus increases your
trying to sneak through, or maybe the effective Ability Rank by 2, while a
guards are on especially high alert. Penalty decreases it by 2. That’s all you
Maybe the computer you're trying to hack need to remember—plus two or minus
has a bunch of security software, or two.
maybe you already have half the
Can you get multiple Modifiers, making
password. Circumstances change, and the
Checks easier and easier until you don't
difficulty of your Checks should reflect
have to roll? Of course, but only to a point.
that.
Multiple Modifiers can stack, as long as
Modifiers they come from different sources. If one
When external circumstances affect a friend Aids you, you won't get any more
task, your character will gain a benefit from a second Aid action—but
Modifier. Sometimes they’ll be part of the you can certainly benefit from your own
rules—you’ll suffer an Injury or a innate Skill at the same time.
Complication, and some Checks will
It’s also worth noting that this goes for
become harder. You'll purchase a Skill,
both positive and negative Modifiers—
and other Checks will become easier. A
opposite Modifiers effectively cancel
Co-Star's talents will dictate how easy it is
out. If a friend Aids your action and an
to trick or punch him. Other times, the
enemy Complicates it, you wind up
Director will assign a single Ad-Hoc
making your Check normally.
Modifier. A positive Modifier, one which
helps you, is known as a Bonus; a Ad-Hoc Modifiers
negative one is known as Penalty. Ad-hoc Modifiers are one of the most
useful options in the Director's toolbox.
Modifiers can be short-lived, such as an
They're how you make sure the world
Aid action, or long-term, such as an
responds to the Stars, how you make sure
Injury. Modifiers will typically only
that their surroundings are more than
apply to a few sorts of Check—you might
just pretty scenery. When you feel
have a Bonus on Checks related to melee
circumstances demand it, you may
combat, for instance, or a Penalty on
assign one Ad-Hoc Modifier.
stealth Checks.
Chapter 1: The Core P a g e |14
Always think about whether a Modifier Co-Star Actions: Did anyone make
should apply, but don't overthink it— a special effort to encrypt the
Your gut feeling is sufficient. Like most message? Did they send out extra
parts of the game, it's much better to guards? Is the car over-loaded? On
make a quick call and go on with the fun the other hand, maybe someone
than it is to stop and spend ten minutes completely forgot to station a
mulling over every little detail. That's why lookout to the rear of the camp.
we put so much emphasis on “one” The actions of the Co-Stars, in
Modifier—it's to keep you from going other words, can make things
overboard trying to account for easier or harder.
everything.
Explaining Your Game—Where do
Here are a few things to think about when Modifiers come from?
deciding whether to assign a Modifier: We've been talking a lot about Modifiers, but
we still don't really know where they come
The Environment: What's the from. We'll learn more soon, but for now, we
can quickly summarize:
terrain like? The weather?
Environmental factors tend to be Skills are character-specific Traits. They are
pretty static things that can favor always available.
anyone who uses them properly.
The Aid action lets you help a friend. The
Modifier granted usually doesn't last for very
The Stars' Approach: Don't think
long.
about the Stars' character sheets
so much as their general actions. The Complicate action is how an enemy
Are they being exceptionally rude? hinders you (or vice-versa, of course). Like
Aid, the Modifier tends to be shaken off
Are they rushing things along and
quickly.
forgetting key steps? Or are they
using good roleplaying and clever Injuries are collected when your armor runs
tactics? If you think the way out and an enemy scores a palpable hit. They
last for a while, until you can be properly
they're playing is smart enough to
healed.
give them some sort of advantage,
you should absolutely reward Ad-hoc Modifiers, as mentioned above, are
them for doing so—and punish awarded by the Director. They rarely last
more than a scene.
them for being fools.
If you look closely, you might notice a pattern.
There are three ways to get Bonuses and
three ways to get Penalties—just enough to
get from an average Ability rank to auto-
success or auto-failure. One is hard-coded
into the rules, one comes from teamwork (or
enemy action), and one emerges from natural
gameplay.
Chapter 1: The Core P a g e |15
Adrenaline Surges
We all know the trope. A mother, frantic
with worry for her child, single-handedly
lifts a car out of the way. The hero,
watching their lover plummet to certain
death, makes an impossible leap to save
them. Throughout fiction, characters in
desperate straits manage to achieve the
impossible. Well, STaRS is no different. At
any point, you may voluntarily take a -6
penalty to attempt a near-impossible
task.
Abilities
Agility Intellect
Agility represents your general physical Intellect represents your "book" learning
coordination and grace. A character with and logical reasoning skills. A character
a high Agility score might move like a with high Intellect might be good at trivia
dancer, never seeming to be caught off- questions and logic puzzles, while
balance, while someone with a low Agility someone with a low Intellect might have
score might always be tripping over their never received a formal education.
own feet.
Intellect is used for things like hacking
Agility is used for melee combat; it’s also computer systems, sprouting off facts
used for things like acrobatic maneuvers, about things, performing first aid, and
sneaking about, riding horses, and so on. building or repairing machines.
Awareness Manipulation
Awareness represents your ability to Manipulation represents your ability to
observe the world around you. A choose the right words to make other
character with a high Awareness score people believe you. A character with high
always seems to know what's around him, Manipulation might be able to talk you
and is almost never caught by surprise, into anything, while someone with a low
while someone with a low Awareness Manipulation might have trouble
might wander around in an oblivious expressing themselves clearly.
haze.
Manipulation is used for things like lying
Awareness is used for things like spotting to people, persuading them, and bartering
ambushes, searching for clues, and with them.
following trails.
Physique
Dexterity Physique represents raw physical power.
Dexterity represents your hand-eye A character with high Physique might be
coordination. A character with a high tough and athletic, while someone with a
Dexterity score might be known for their low Physique might be sickly or suffer
nimble fingers, while someone with low from physical disabilities.
Dexterity might always be fumbling and
Physique determines how much
dropping things.
Physical Grace you have, and is used for
Dexterity is used for making ranged things like lifting weights, kicking down
attacks, and for things like picking locks, doors, wresting with people, climbing
catching thrown objects, and driving walls, and shrugging off physical trauma.
vehicles.
Chapter 1: The Core P a g e |20
Presence Speed
Presence represents your raw personal Speed represents both general reaction
magnetism. A character with high time and physical movement. A character
Presence might be the center of attention, with high Speed might feel like the rest of
capable of making friends without really the world is in slow motion, while
trying, while someone with a low someone with a low Speed might be
Presence might be more of a wallflower. inattentive or lethargic.
Presence is used for things like making Speed is used for dodging ranged and
friends, intimidating people, performing area attacks and determines who acts
in front of an audience, and leading a first in a fight. It’s also used for things like
group of allies. racing people and trying to accomplish
things quickly.
Explaining Your Game—Manipulation
vs Presence Will
What, exactly, is the difference between Will represents your raw mental strength
Presence and Manipulation? Ultimately, and toughness. A character with high Will
they're both used for the same thing— might be exceptionally stubborn or
persuading people to do what you want. secure in their own identity, while
The difference is in approach. Presence someone with a low Will might be easily
makes people like you; Manipulation persuaded or allow himself to be molded
makes them do what you want. by his companions.
A character with high Presence but low Will determines how much Mental Grace
Manipulation is charismatic and likeable you have, how well you can resist social
but may not be very eloquent—think of a or mental attacks, and is often used to
James Bond type, getting by with a wink attack with magic or superpowers. It’s
and a smile. A character with low also used for things like concentrating on
Presence but high Manipulation may not a task.
be very likable but knows exactly how to
push your buttons—think of a Wits
Wormtongue type, treating every Wits represents your experience and
conversation like a game of chess. common sense. A character with high
Wits might be wise or down to earth,
while someone with a low Wits might be
flighty or sheltered.
Health
Sooner or later, a fight is bound to break When you take Damage from an attack
out, be it verbal or physical. When that (see the Chapter 2: Conflict for how that
day comes, it’s important to know how happens), you subtract from the matching
much punishment you can take. That’s pool. For example, if you take two
where your health comes in. A character physical Damage, you lose two points
has two reserves of health: Grace and from your Physical Grace pool.
Injuries. Grace determines how long they
Loss of Grace isn’t exactly getting hurt, but
can stay in the fight before getting hurt;
it’s not necessarily a near miss, either.
Injuries are, well, the injuries characters
Damage is typically a glancing hit, a
suffer when they start taking real hits.
blow that doesn’t quite penetrate your
Grace armor (metaphorically or literally) but
Protagonists in fiction usually don’t spend nevertheless leaves you bruised and
every fight getting constantly struck by shaken. Physical Damage could be a
swords and bullets. Instead, they’re bullet grazing your cheek, a heavy blow
constantly experiencing lucky escapes— that leaves your hands ringing after the
ducking behind cover in the nick of time, parry, your force field getting worn down,
finding that the hit didn’t penetrate their or a bruise from diving for cover. Mental
armor, and so on. Characters in STaRS Damage could be a telepathic attack that
work the same way. exhausts you when you resist or an insult
that hurts your feelings but doesn’t stop
All characters have pools of Physical
you from arguing. If it helps, think of
and Mental Grace, with a size equal to
your Grace as plot armor—when it runs
your rank of the corresponding ability:
out, you start to suffer realistic
Physique determines your consequences of getting shot or having
Physical Grace. Your Physical your mind invaded.
Grace is a measure of how much
punishment your body can take
without getting hurt.
Recovery
As long as you're not dead, being Improving Your Game—Lethality
Damaged or Taken Out isn't the end of the The rules for Grace and Injuries were
world. You can recover, given time and written so that Stars are under constant
treatment. All Grace is recovered after threat of serious consequence, but don't
approximately a minute of calm, with no wind up in the hospital for a month after
Checks required. every fight. If you want to dial up the
danger, though, there are a few good ways
Recovering from Injuries is harder. A
to do it.
character can’t begin to heal an Injury
or recover from being Taken Out until You can make more use of the
they receive appropriate treatment. Weapon trait, having high-damaging
“Appropriate treatment” is, naturally, weapons be significantly more
dependent on the natural of the Injury common than matching armor. Even a
sustained—first aid for a physical Injury single level of difference can chew up
such as a gunshot wound, therapy for a Grace in a hurry; two levels can easily
mental Injury such as PTSD, and so on. leave you with an Injury after just one
or two shots.
After being treated, a character is no
longer Taken Out, and heals one Injury You can make Grace harder to
every time he reaches a Minor recover, perhaps requiring similar
Milestone—essentially, at the end of the treatment to Injuries (with matching
session, or after a prolonged period of in- descriptions for what it means). You'd
game downtime, such as a long trip (see primarily see the results of this
Chapter 3 for details). At the Director’s change in prolonged action sequences,
discretion, sufficiently powerful magic or where characters have to rush from
advanced technology can speed this up, fight to fight with no chance to rest.
although in general, the availability of
extremely effective treatments should Finally, you could make Injuries take
usually be balanced out by more longer to heal by, say, removing the
gruesome wounds. In the modern world, automatic "end of session" healing and
a broken leg might be an appropriate leaving prolonged downtime the only
Injury, but if magic can regenerate body way to recover. How big an effect the
parts in hours, maybe it’s better to have change has would depend on the
the limb completely sliced off. structure of your game, obviously—on
a naval game with lots of travel you
might not even notice, while other
games might never see a chance to
heal.
Chapter 2: Conflict P a g e |24
Chapter 2: Conflict
Why do we need an entire chapter of special rules for fights when we can already handle
these sorts of things with Checks? If you want to know whether you killed the
Stormtrooper, can't you just make a Dexterity Check to shoot him?
Well… you could do that. And sometimes you should. The choice of whether to use the
Conflict rules is similar to the choice of whether or not to require a Check—either way is
correct but using the Conflict rules makes things more dramatic. A single Check only
takes a few seconds of real-life time to resolve a situation, while making a scuffle into a full-
blown Conflict draws it out by adding in a back-and-forth feel and giving the Stars much
more influence over how it plays out. Using Conflict rules can also make things a bit more
organized, especially when there are lots of characters all trying to act at once.
On the other hand, if you're not interested in how the details of how a wrestling match or a
bar fight turns out, it's perfectly acceptable to resolve it in a single Check. The Conflict
rules exist to turn a single Check into a prolonged scene, one in which all Stars can
easily participate—but it's up to the Director to decide whether that scene is interesting
enough to play out or gloss over.
Note that’s “scene,” not “fight.” The distinction is intentional. We’ll talk about this a bit more
in Chapter 4, but the Conflict rules can be used for any sort of extended challenge,
especially one where there’s opposition. Trying to persuade the king to intervene? Sounds
like a Conflict—you make your points, he makes his, and may the best politician win. Lost
in the wilderness and trying to get home? You’re trying to make progress or scrape up
supplies, and Mother Nature sends you storms and bears? Sounds like a tense Conflict to
me. Trying to repair a damaged spaceship amidst showers of sparks and randomized
explosions? There’s success, there’s danger, there’s actions and reactions really, all you
need to do is adjust what “Damage” means and anything can be a Conflict.
Chapter 2: Conflict P a g e |25
Degrees of Success
Structure
In real life action scenes, everything The length of a Round can be converted to
happens more-or-less at once. Characters any real amount of time, but before you
are running around, yelling and fighting can do that, you need to think about what
as much as they can. To them, it makes kind of Conflict is happening. In a bar
sense. If you were watching it on TV, it fight, a Round might take seconds. In a
would probably make sense. But to dual between two great spacecraft, it
control the chaos, it needs to be a bit more could take hours for missiles to cross the
linear. distance between the two ships. Directors
should pick an appropriate round length
Not every Conflict needs to be broken
but, generally, a Round is six seconds
down like this, of course. If timing isn’t
long in most physical Conflicts.
important, don’t bother keeping track
of rounds or initiative—simply let your Initiative
Stars act and react in whatever order they All actions in a Round may be
please. You only need to roll Initiative if simultaneous, but you'd break your brain
most Stars will be trying to act as often trying to resolve them all at once. Instead,
as possible. we take turns. At the start of the Conflict,
all Stars make Speed checks. Those who
Rounds
succeed take their actions before their
The basic unit of Conflict is the Round,
foes, and those who fail act afterwards.
the amount of time it takes for all
combatants to act—swinging swords, Within those two groups, exact turn order
making arguments, firing missiles, is unimportant. Just go around the table,
whatever the situation calls for. letting everyone act in turn—first those
Remember, in the game-world, all actions who passed the Check, then those who
during a single Round are taking place failed it. Stars can freely delay their turn
simultaneously. It's only our out-of-game and act later in the Round if they want.
perspective that sees people neatly taking
If any characters have higher Competence
turns.
levels for their Speed (Initiative) Rote,
they automatically act first, before anyone
with lower Competence—regardless of
whether or not they passed the Speed
Check.
Chapter 2: Conflict P a g e |27
Your Turn
Complicate (Major Action) The fact that it’s you making the check
Sometimes you don't want to just hit probably sounds odd but remember—
someone—you might want to hinder your this Check doesn't necessarily represent
target instead, wrestle your foe to the an addition action on your part. Instead, it
ground, throw sand in their eyes, or reflects how well your initial Complicate
knock the sword from their hand. An action worked. (It's a bit weird, we admit,
attempt to indirectly succeed in a Conflict, but it's a necessary consequence of the
by hindering opposition rather than "Stars roll all the dice" rule.)
directly attempting to overcome it, is a
Complicate action.
Aid (Major Action) It's also worth noting that Aid actions
The opposite of an attempt to Complicate can be used outside of a Conflict.
the situation for a foe is an attempt to Aid There's nothing stopping you from
an ally. Pick an action that your ally is teaming up with a friend to force a door
about to attempt and make an Ability open or helping out with a research
Check, usually using the same Rote as you project. There’s just one wrinkle—Aiding
would if you were the one taking the yourself almost never works outside of
action—an Intellect Check to help your action-time, though, since the normal
buddy hack a computer, a Physique Check Check assumes that you're already taking
to help break down a door, and so on. If your time to do it right. Directors may
you succeed, your friend gains a Bonus wish to place limits on this if Stars
on their next Check of the appropriate abuse it—having a failure make the check
type within one round per success—if harder is a good price.
possible. If you help overturn a heavy
bench, then leave to attack an enemy Improving Your Game—When do you
knight, your friend can't exactly benefit Aid?
from your help to push the bench against Taking a moment to aim makes sense as
the door. On the other hand, if you gave an Aid action, but what about diving for
them advice about where the dragon's cover? Melding into the shadows? When
weak spot is, it doesn't matter what you do you need to manufacture the Modifier,
do next—they'll still know where to aim and when should the Director just give
at. you an Ad-Hoc Modifier?
You can use certain Aid actions on The key word there is manufacture. If you
yourself, although you and the Director need to do something to get the
need to agree on whether the Aid action is Modifier, you need to take the Aid
possible—spending a few seconds to aim action. If you’re taking advantage of
more carefully is pretty reasonable, but something that was already there, you
it's hard to imagine how you can help probably didn’t need to do anything but
yourself pick a lock. say so.
Finally, as usual, you can attempt a
Multiple Aid action just like a Multiple
Overcome or Multiple Complicate, with
the usual rules— you can attempt to
affect up to three allies, but you take a
Penalty on each Check.
Chapter 2: Conflict P a g e |32
You've fought well, but now your turn is Resist a Complicate Action
over and there are still bad guys on the Enemies can Complicate things, too.
field. Don't put down your dice just yet— When an enemy attempts a Complicate
you're going to have to keep making action against you, make an
Checks as your enemies come for you. appropriate Ability Check. Just like when
you Complicate things, there’s no set
Enemy Actions
Check—roll whatever seems most
Your foes get the same set of Actions as
appropriate for the specific attack. If you
you—one Major Action, one Minor Action,
succeed, you resist the assault. If you
and a reasonable number of Free Actions.
fail, you suffer from the Complication
They use the same Actions to move and
for one round per failure, with the round
attack as you do—the only real difference
you’re first affected being round zero.
is in how the dice shake out.
On your turn, you can make a new Check
Enemy Movement
to shake the Complication off as a Major
Enemies move at the same speed as
Action. Again, there’s no hard-and-fast
Stars do, with the same sort of action
rule about what kind of Check you need to
costs. There's generally not much you can
make. It’ll often be the same as the initial
do about that.
one, but there are plenty of situations
Resist an Overcome Action where that’s not the case. It might take an
When your opposition tries to Overcome Agility Check to avoid getting snagged by
you, make an appropriate Ability Check. a net, but a Physique Check to escape
If you succeed, you successfully defend once you’re trapped.
yourself—you dodge the attack, see
As with Overcome actions, you get a
through the lie, whatever it takes. If you
Bonus to resist a Multiple Complicate
fail, you take one Damage per failure.
attempt—including the subsequent
Like you, enemies can attempt Multiple checks to shake off the Complication.
actions. Since they don’t make attack
Resist an Aid Action
rolls, the penalty rolls around to you—
You can’t really do anything about one
you get a Bonus when resisting a
enemy Aiding another, but when it
Multiple Overcome attempt.
happens, you take a Penalty when
resisting the Aided guy’s actions, just
like when you help one of your friends.
Chapter 2: Conflict P a g e |33
Physical Conflict
Let’s be honest with ourselves—the If the Stars are really good at their job—
entire time we’ve been talking about or the opposition is really good at
“conflict,” you’ve been picturing a theirs—you might wind up with one side
conventional fight scene. Two or more having total strategic surprise. Perhaps
characters trying to kill each other with they arranged an ambush and attacked
swords, guns, bare hands, and more. before the enemy even knew that there
was a threat. If one side is unaware of an
Kicking Off a Physical Conflict
attack, the surprise attackers each get
Time-honored tradition says that a fight
to take a Major Action before initiative
starts when the person running the game
is formally rolled. Directors might rule
announces, "okay, everyone, roll for
that surprise attacks get a Bonus, too!
initiative!" There comes a point when
everyone is drawing weapons and Structure
readying spells and it's time to switch to Knowing who acts when is really
the more-complicated set of rules for important in a physical conflict, where it
fighting. And that's pretty much how can literally be the difference between life
STaRS works too. Most of the time, and death. Unlike a social conflict, where
everyone will be attempting to kick things we highly recommend sticking to the
off at the same time. default initiative system.
Social Conflict
Example Social Conflict Pride merely scoffs. Good luck with that,
Our old friend John Wild is facing down a he blusters—he’s got his own men inside
bandit leader in a saloon filled with his the sheriff’s office. That’s a lie, but John
men. The bandits have kidnapped a young doesn’t know it. Another Overcome
heiress, and John needs to know where attempt, but this time John needs to use
she is. Outnumbered, he can't use force. Wits Check to resist. He fails this check,
The bandit leader, for his part, doesn't and loses a point of Mental Grace as a
want to kill a US Marshal if he can avoid nagging bit of doubt sets in.
it—that's likely to cause problems down
He tries to brush it off and gives Pride a
the line. The Director wants this scene to
steely glare. If it’s a fight he wants, he
be more exciting, so he declares that a
promises the bandit that he’ll be the first
Social Conflict has begun.
one to die. A third Overcome, but the first
The bandit leader, a one-eyed man known from the Stars’ side. He makes a Presence
only as Pride, leans back in his chair and check, and thanks to the lingering
points out how many men he has, telling Complication from last round, it’s easier
John that he’d best be moving along if he than normal. He rolls with a +2 bonus,
doesn't want to get hurt. That's an netting a total of two successes. Pride
Overcome attempt, and a fairly direct one loses two points of Mental Grace,
at that, so John makes a Will Check to blanching at the thought of facing the
ignore the attack. He succeeds and infamous John Wild at such short range,
brushes off the threat. and the stand-off continues…
Environmental Conflict
Not every big action scene involves a Goals should be known and specific.
sentient enemy. Think about the movies There might be one (“outrun the cops”) or
you’ve watched—how many of them had several (“put out the fire, find the baby,
dramatic scenes of the main characters and launch the ship”), but the Stars
running through an exploding hideout, should know that each exists and how
caught in terrible storms, or pulling they can overcome it.
victims from a burning building? Heck,
Think of Goals as the Conflict’s defense.
how many had chase scenes? While you
They’re the challenge that the Stars need
could handle scenarios like those with a
to overcome. The Director assigns each
couple Checks, as we discussed at the
Goal its own pool of Grace, which will be
start of the chapter, you can turn any
damaged by Overcome actions. Quite
action scene into a Conflict.
likely, it’ll be a big pool; Environmental
"Environmental Conflicts" are probably Conflicts tend to involve all the Stars
the most nebulous type—we're using the facing the same challenge. The Director
phrase as a catch-all for anything that's picks a few Abilities that work for
not an actual fight or talking scene. Overcome actions, and how difficult
Environmental Conflicts are often more they’ll be—Speed in a foot chase,
abstract than others. There’s no living, Physique to control a ship in a storm, that
breathing people to interact with; no sort of thing. Be open to other options,
obvious targets to punch or seduce. though. Your Stars are creative people,
Instead of thinking about Co-Stars, you and they’ll almost certainly think of cool
need to think about Goals and Dangers. new approaches.
Together, they make up the abstract
Dangers
“enemy” you’re trying to defeat.
A ticking clock on a bomb, bursting
Goals bulkheads in a flooding ship, deadly
In any Environmental Conflict, you’ve got beasts stalking you through the jungle—a
to have a Goal—something you need to good Conflict needs danger. After all, if
do, and do right, before bad things you have all the time you want to
happen. You need to get to the escape pod accomplish your Goal, what’s the point of
before the entire space station explodes, even rolling? Things never go all the Stars’
to find the key witness before the way; we call those complications
assassins catch them, or disarm the bomb Dangers.
before it explodes, or…well, you get the
idea.
Chapter 2: Conflict P a g e |40
Example Environmental Conflict But the Danger strikes again, this time
It took a lot of doing, but our good friend with a cloud of toxic gas released by the
Marshal John Wild finally tracked down explosions. John’s headlong flight carries
Black Jack Jimmy, deep in the bowels of him straight in—this time, the Director
an abandoned silver mine. calls for a Physique (Fortitude) check to
resist the poison. Luckily, he succeeds,
Moments after winning a desperate
and the scene continues…
standoff with the legendary gunslinger,
the Marshal hears a distant rumble and
the ceiling starts to cave in.
Before you can write down any numbers, you need to know who you want to play. A
grumpy archer? An outgoing pilot? A nerdy psychic? You have a lot of choice in STaRS—
you're not picking characters or even classes from a discrete list. That many options can be
overwhelming at first, so we recommend taking some time to think about who your
character will be, before you look at the mechanics. While you don't need to know every
detail of a character's life and personality to make a character sheet, you won't get
anywhere without some idea of who they are.
To help you out, we've come up with five questions for you to think about. As you try to
answer them, bear in mind that the questions are just a starting point. You don't need to
answer every single one. And they're certainly not the only things to think about when
designing a character.
And remember…no matter how much or little you come up with now, you never really
know a character until hit the table. And over time, some of the answers will change. That's
not just okay, it's a good sign—it means that your character is growing and maturing.
Chapter 3: Creating a Character P a g e |44
Now that you've got an idea of who you Improving Your Game: Character
want to play, it's time to translate that Creation Quickstart
into game mechanics. This section may be
longer than the last, but that doesn't In a hurry to get going and don’t feel like
mean it's more important. A personality wading through all these details? That’s
with no numbers may not be playable, but understandable. If you want to get
a character with numbers but no through the process as quickly and
personality is just as useless. painlessly as you want, follow these
guidelines:
Abilities 1. Assign Abilities: Pick one score to
The first step is to arrange your Abilities. start at 7, two that will start at 6,
Characters start with a score of 5 in all and one that will start at 4.
Abilities. Characters also begin with a 2. Choose Your Strength: Pick one
certain number of Experience Points thing you can do using one of your
(XP), which must be spent to modify your higher Ability scores that’s
Abilities. By default, characters should important to your character and
begin with 3 XP to spend on Abilities, take a Skill in it, making you the
but feel free to adjust this if you want a best in the group at it.
particularly powerful or grounded
campaign. 3. Shore up a Weakness: Pick one
thing that’s normally covered by
By spending one XP, you may raise one one of your lower Ability scores,
Ability score by one—for example, but that’s still important to you.
increasing your Physique from five to six. Take a Skill in it as well,
Conversely, you may gain one XP by compensating for the low Ability.
lowering one Ability score by one. In
other words, Experience Points and 4. Become Unique: Get the Director
Ability ranks are interchangeable. Just to help you pick a Minor Power,
remember that you can’t raise an Ability giving your character a trademark
above 7 or reduce it below 3! ability to play with. Alternately,
repeat the “Choose Your Strength”
step to pick up a second specialty.
Chapter 3: Creating a Character P a g e |47
Traits
When wearing Armor, you receive two Weapons and Armor need not be literal.
less Damage on a failed Defense Check, A skilled martial artist might have a
to a minimum of zero—sufficient armor physical Weapon Trait to represent their
can render you immune to lesser attacks! prowess at unarmed combat, while a
Just like weapons, Armor is either particularly stubborn socialite might have
Physical or Mental, and does not apply to a mental Armor Trait to represent their
damage of the other type. ability to keep calm.
Not all Companions are capable of their Powers are categorized based on their
own thoughts, though—vehicles are also versatility.
represented as Companions. Non-
sentient Companions lack Mental A Trivial Power has little to no
Abilities, although some may have effect on gameplay. Example
Awareness thanks to sensor arrays and Trivial Powers include having
the like. Additionally, vehicles generally warm fur or perfect pitch.
have no Dexterity score.
A Minor Power has a single effect,
Most of all, non-sentient Companions without much versatility to it.
cannot act on their own—you must Example Minor Powers include
donate your own actions in order for speaking all languages or turning
them to do anything. For your invisible.
motorcycle to move you, you must take a
Minor Action. If you want your helicopter A Moderate Power has well-
to provide you with covering fire, you'll defined limits but is versatile
be the one who takes a Major Action. within those limits. Example
Moderate Powers include
Powers
telepathy or control over fire.
0 XP (Trivial), 1 XP (Minor), 3 XP
(Moderate), or 6 XP (Major)
A Major Power has few limits and
Powers are the most open-ended Trait, can be applied to virtually any task
representing any special talent you with sufficient imagination.
possess that other humans do not. Example Major Powers include
"elemental magic" or "summoning
Seeing through walls, reading minds, and spirits."
casting spells are all examples of Powers.
What is or is not an acceptable Power It may help to think of Powers in terms of
varies widely, depending on what kind distinct spells:
of game you're playing—telekinesis
A Trivial Power isn’t even a
makes sense in a game where everyone's
spell—it’s barely more than sleight
playing super-heroes, but it would
of hand.
(probably) be completely out-of-place in a
A Minor Power is a single spell.
game about pirates. Stars and Directors
need to work together to determine if a A Moderate Power is a set of
Power is "OK" for a particular game. related spells, such as "illusion
Because of their sheer variety, it's spells" or "fire spells."
impossible to provide concrete rules for A Major Power is an almost
how Powers work, but we can give you a unlimited set of spells, such as
few guidelines. "elemental magic."
Chapter 3: Creating a Character P a g e |50
Weapon
See the “Armor and Weapons” section,
above.
Chapter 3: Creating a Character P a g e |52
Drawbacks
Traits can get expensive in a hurry. You Healing magic that can only affect
may want a Power or a nasty Weapon but those who worship the same god
be unable to afford it. If that's the case, as you.
you can get a discount by accepting
certain Drawbacks. A Drawback reduces A belt of explosives that only fits
the price of the Trait by one XP, to a three grenades.
minimum of one. A suit of power armor that makes
What exactly counts as a Drawback will you stronger, but clumsier.
vary, from Trait to Trait and game to Like with Powers, the sky’s really the
game. In a game of political intrigue, the limit when it comes to Drawbacks. You
fact that your Armor comes from a suit of can even apply multiple Drawbacks to
plate mail could be a huge disadvantage— the same Trait, so long as they do not
you can’t exactly wear that to a formal overlap. Each new Drawback must
party. On the other hand, in a dungeon- continue to significantly weaken the Trait.
delving adventure, you can expect to have
your plate almost any time you fight. “Can You don’t have to feel like you’re stuck
only be used once per hour” is a major with a flawed power, though. If you
limit for telepathic powers, but not so realize that you don’t like a Drawback,
much for the ability to teleport from city you can always remove it later. You may
to city. pay one XP to remove a Drawback from
an existing Trait. It’s actually not a bad
As a rule, a Trait with a Drawback idea to start with a Drawback or two that
should lose about half its benefit. A little you buy off with time—not only is it
more or a little less is fine, but that’s the mechanically efficient, but it’s a great
margin to shoot for. Some common source of character development!
examples of Traits with Drawbacks are:
Armor 1 Point per rank Decrease Damage received by two. Plate Mail: Reduce all Physical Damage
by 2.
Companion, 3 Points or more Gain a sidekick with half as many XP as Bruno: A loyal wolf follows you around.
Sentient you, rounded down.
Companion, 1 Point or more Gain a special vehicle with half as many Batmobile: A high-tech car.
Vehicle XP as you, rounded down.
Drawback -1 Point Trait loses about half its utility in one Dream Magic: Your Moderate Power
way or another. (Transmutation) only functions at night.
Power, Free A thematic ability with little effect on the Thick Fur: Doesn’t need a coat to stay
Trivial game. warm in winter temperatures.
Power, 1 Point A single “spell” with little versatility. Gust of Wind: Can generate short,
Minor intense blasts of wind.
Power, 3 Points A versatile-but-limited power, or a set of Air Magic: Can perform many spells
Moderate thematically-related “spells.” involving air.
Power, 6 Points A broad set of “spells” or powers, Elemental Magic: Can perform a huge
Major capable of achieving most tasks. number of spells, all based on the four
elements.
Skill 1 Point Gain a Bonus to certain Checks. Street Magician: Gain a Bonus on
sleight-of-hand type Checks.
Quirk 1 Point Use one Ability to do things. Brawler: Make melee attacks with
Physique.
Variable 2 Points per rank Gain one XP which may be re-assigned as Mad Science: You can make inventions,
Trait a Major Action, within thematic limits. equipment worth one XP.
Weapon 1 Point per rank Increase Damage dealt by two. Claws: +2 Physical damage.
Chapter 3: Creating a Character P a g e |54
The Necromancy of the Mediums coherent reports, but they can also
To those who struggle to avoid the toxic move objects in a sort of telekinesis.
hatred of the Miasma, "I see dead people" Unlike Animation, it's not the objects
themselves moving—they're being
is both a curse and a pathway to power.
controlled by outside hands. The
Those who practice the art are known as ghosts cannot directly strike solid
Mediums, those with the power to objects, only lift and throw them.
command the spirits of the dead. The
more human souls a Medium commands, Skill in any one of the three techniques is
the more powerful he is—but the harder a Moderate Power; a Major Power covers
it is to find those souls, for few people all three. (For a Minor Power, you could
willingly leave ghosts behind. All be a reluctant or fledgling Medium, with
Mediums can see and communicate with the ability to see and speak with the dead
the spirits of the dead—though they but not command them). The power of
rarely have enough presence of mind to these techniques is directly linked to how
give useful answers. But more than that, many ghosts the Medium can command.
they can command the dead, which
usually takes the form of one of three
disciplines:
The Universal Codes of the Scribes These Powers must be paired with the
Over the long centuries, the Scribes of the Drawback discount—a sacrifice must be
living islands of Aetheas of the have made each time you draw a rune. Usually
discovered hundreds of true-runes, this is blood, best represented by a small
infinitely intricate fractal patterns that bit of Grace. In order to do something
that, somehow, can be read more clearly with magic, you need to know a related
than any book. While they might appear rune. Directors might impose
naturally in nature—FIRE in the ashes on Disadvantage for attempting to use a
the hearth, WIND in the clouds of a tenuously-related rune, or grant
rainstorm—Scribes soon learned that to Advantage when using the exact rune for
truly capture the runes required a the circumstance.
sacrifice. Ink would never to do write
But Scribes are not the only ones with
them; only blood, and tears, and pain.
power. A common practice is to draw a
But the sacrifice not only let them record rune directly on your own body, via
the rune for a thing, it gave them power of scarring or tattooing, and make a
the thing as well—and the greater the permanent sacrifice to power it. These
Sacrifice, the greater the power. Short- sacrifices are often more conceptual than
lived power if the sacrifice was a physical—some priests, for instance,
temporary thing, but if it was a true sacrifice their sexuality, gaining both
sacrifice—a body part, a memory, an power and the detachment to better serve
aspect of your very self—the power their flock. A Scroll, as people with
would linger and could be called up again permanent runes are known, may or may
and again with only a small cost in pain. not have a Flaw to represent this
sacrifice; otherwise, determine how
Being a Scribe, one who knows and writes
broadly applicable their rune is and use
the runes, a Minor Power might grant
the usual Power rules to determine its
knowledge of a single, very specific
cost.
rune, such as "Adhere" or "Flower." A
Moderate Power to grant knowledge of
several specific Words (say, half your
Intellect), or one very general one, such
as "Fire" or "Blue," while a Major Power
could grant several broadly-applicable
runes (half you Intellect again, say) or
many very specific ones (say, twice your
Intellect). A Skill in “Magical Knowledge”
or something similar might also grant
knowledge of extra Words.
Chapter 3: Creating a Character P a g e |58
There are ten major types of Ripper: Classics (4 XP): While “super
powers” mean many things to
Boomers (2 XP): Boomers are, in
many people, a few themes pop up
many ways, the most direct of
time and again. Super-strength.
Rippers. All Rippers derive their
Invulnerability. Flight. The Rippers
power from the physics-shattering
known as Classics exhibit all of
energies of hyperspace; Boomers
these, thanks to their mind-over-
simply do so more directly. With a
matter psionic abilities. They have
Minor Power (Teleportation), they
a Minor Power (Super Strength),
can project themselves (and a few
enabling them to lift several tons
hundred pounds of other stuff next
of material and automatically
to them) up to kilometer through
overpower anyone without a
hyperspace. They can also open
similar trait—consider them to be
unbound portals anywhere within
permanently under an Adrenaline
their line of sight, resulting in
Surge when it comes to lifting,
uncontrolled explosions of
shoving, and breaking things.
energy—a Weapon 2 trait, with
Another Minor Power (Flight) lets
the Drawback that it can only be
them fly, and Weapon 1 and Armor
used to attempt Area attacks.
1 traits round out their abilities to
shrug off bullets and punch
through force fields.
Chapter 3: Creating a Character P a g e |60
A good campaign can last for months, Major Milestones represent concrete
even years, giving you hours and hours of accomplishment. Characters reach a
playtime with your favorite character. No Major Milestone after achieving a major
matter how good the story, things would goal, such as rescuing the princess or
get pretty stale if you never changed— solving the mystery of Smuggler's Cove. It
good characters evolve, learning new should take a few gaming sessions to
lessons and gaining new skills. reach one.
Stars are great and all, but it wouldn't be much of a story if the players didn’t have anyone
to interact with—and it wouldn't be much of a game if they never had anyone to fight with.
One of perhaps the most important jobs a Director has is to create opposition for the Stars.
Everything from armed soldiers to hostile environments to tense negotiations is up to them
to create and control.
A Co-Star is any character in the game not controlled by the Stars. In many roleplaying
games, Co-Stars (or the local equivalent) are fairly straightforward, since they follow the
same basic rules as the Stars. They're built using the same pieces and interact with the
world in the same way. But this is STaRs, where the Stars roll all the dice. So how do Co-
Stars function?
Put simply, Co-Stars aren't really characters. Instead, Co-Stars are groups of Modifiers,
applying whenever Stars interact with them. A master swordsman doesn't have a good
Agility score—instead, she makes Checks harder for anyone who tries to duel her. A
particularly skilled diplomat doesn't have a Skill in “Reading People,” he imposes a Penalty
on the Stars’ Manipulation checks.
Chapter 4: Creating Opposition P a g e |64
Co-Stars
Weapons and Armor work pretty for Co- As a very rough rule, five Grace worth of
Stars just like they do for Stars, increasing opponents per Star makes for a decent
or decreasing damage respectively. If you challenge—the fight will last several
want, you can even use odd numbers for rounds, and each Star can expect to
damage and damage reduction—it really receive a little damage if they use decent
doesn't matter, but be careful that their tactics, and a lot of damage if things go
numbers are comparable to the Stars'— badly. You can expect each long-term
too much and a single botched Defense Modifier such as Skills, Injuries, and
roll will end a fight, but too little and extra-threatening Co-Stars to double or
things devolve into a boring cakewalk. halve this ratio, depending on if they’re
Bonuses or Penalties.
Co-Stars and Grace
The final step is to determine how long For example, a Star with a Skill in “melee
you want your Co-Star to stick around combat” can probably handle about ten
when the Stars try to get rid of them. Co- Grace worth of Co-Stars all by themselves,
Stars don't have Abilities, so you get to while a Moderate Threat with four Grace
pick how much Grace they have. In fact, contributes more like eight Grace worth
you don’t even need to worry about of challenge. You’ll probably need to run a
mental-verses-physical Grace—Co-Stars few Conflicts with your group to get a
only have a single type of Grace, and good sense of things.
both physical and mental attacks
Co-Stars and Injuries
damage the same pool.
Co-Stars can take Injuries, but generally
When picking how much Grace to give a don't. While it might make sense from
Co-Star, don't think about the Physique or their point of view, it can be kind of
Will they'd have if they were Stars. irritating from the Stars' perspective.
Instead, think about how long you want Most enemies they'll face will be common
the Co-Star to stick around. If you Co- cannon fodder, faceless mooks with no
Stars fold too quickly, the fight won't be narrative importance beyond their ability
interesting, but if they last too long things to fight and die. Having to "kill" them
can become repetitive. And possibly multiple times gets old fast.
lethal—the longer a fight goes on, the
more Damage Stars will take.
On the other hand, important Co-Stars As with the three types of Co-Star we
probably should take Injuries. described above, Challenge Groups can
Characters with names generally lend grant a single Bonus or Penalty, a
themselves to big, dramatic fights. In double one, or even be impossible
situations like that, an Injury or two can without an Adrenaline Surge.
be a nice touch, a good opportunity to
Challenge Groups are entirely defined by
shout curses or signal a change in tactics.
you. You can go all the way down to
Just be sure to take Injuries into
individual skills or keep things as simple
account when choosing how much
as "all checks are harder." It doesn't
Grace to give your Co-Star—they
really matter what Challenge Groups
Getting Fancier: Challenge Groups you use—in fact, it's likely to vary from
The three broad types of Co-Star can Co-Star to Co-Star, based on what their
serve for most purposes. But sometimes, role in your game is. As a rule of thumb,
especially with a unique foe, you want a though, don't make too many Challenge
little more detail. An opponent is much Groups. You don't want to go down a
more interesting with strengths and rabbit hole of choices every time you
weaknesses, after all. If you want to go make a minor character, and you certainly
down that road, you can ignore the broad don’t need to think about approaches that
types and instead use Challenge Groups. won’t come up in game.
Co-Stars in Action
Jack the Rowdy and Platinum Jones have Jack points out that there’s a door in the
cornered Vanaheim the Black at the way, which will mess with Vanaheim’s
eleventh hour, minutes before the attack. The Director concurs, assigning
legendary duelist is due to start his bout him a Bonus. Jack’s Skill in “Dodging”
with Prince Carl—one they know has helps as well—adding up his Agility of 7,
been rigged. They’ve barged into his the +4 from the two Bonuses, and the -6
rooms, but he’s already armed and from Adrenaline Surge—so he only needs
armored and ready to kill the prince. to roll 5 or more to defend. He succeeds,
Sensing that a fight is imminent, the and describes how he ducks back and
Director calls for Initiative checks. These slams the door, trapping Vanaheim’s
will be at a Penalty, she notes—Initiative rapier.
falls under Vanaheim’s “Reflexes”
Platinum doesn’t have much in the way of
Challenge Group. Jack succeeds, while
sword skills. She does have a set of
Platinum fails—thus, the order is Jack,
throwing knives up her sleeve, she notes,
Vanaheim, Platinum.
and decides to lob one at Vanaheim. A
Jack tries to bluff, claiming that the judge ranged attack like that won’t put her up
already knows about the duel’s true against Vanaheim’s “Melee” Challenge
nature. The Director informs him that this Group, but his “Reflex” Group does apply
will be a Hard Presence (Intimidation) to ranged attacks, the Director declares,
Check, as it is by Vanaheim’s “Will” citing the villain’s generally speed. She
Challenge Group. His Star rolls and fails. points out that Platinum has a Skill in
The Director describes Vanaheim Dexterity (Ranged Combat), canceling out
narrowing his eyes and gripping the hilt the Penalty, and rolls a normal check.
of his rapier, and Jack curses and takes his Platinum succeeds spectacularly, dealing
Minor Action to duck behind the door for three damage. The villain howls in pain
cover. and whirls on her.
Vanaheim’s turn is next, and he goes “Bad luck, old chap,” Jack quips. “Platinum
straight for Jack. The Director informs always uses poisoned knives.” The
him that as a melee attack this will Director asks if that’s just a taunt, or if he
automatically hit, unless he takes a -6 wants to spend his turn making a mental
penalty to attempt his defense with an attack. Jack nods, and the encounter goes
Adrenaline Surge. on…
Chapter 4: Creating Opposition P a g e |69
Unusual Co-Stars
The basic rules for Co-Stars work well Alternately, you can break the rules and
enough, but there are times when they give the boss extra turns. That instantly
start to become a bit unwieldy. We'll sidesteps the Star's main advantage in a
discuss a few examples below and give fight like this, letting you challenge the
you suggestions for how to deal with it. Stars without needing to make the enemy
vastly stronger or hardier than them.
Boss Battles
Think of it as having a group of identical
The "boss battle" is a staple of fiction—
enemies with a shared pool of health.
the entire party facing off against a single
powerful enemy. Unfortunately, it's hard The more Stars in your group, the more
to pull off in an RPG like STaRS. Solo useful this method becomes, as their
enemies can't be too close to the Stars in advantage over a solo enemy becomes
power, or else he'll be dragged down by higher and higher. Naturally, the more
raw numbers. If their defenses are high Stars, the more extra turns you need—
but their offense is low, they can stick one turn for every 2-3 Stars is a good
around, but the fight becomes ratio.
frustrating—the Stars aren't in danger,
The main danger is that the boss can sort
but they keep failing to hurt their foe. If
of gang up with itself, using all its actions
their offense is high but their defense is
to attack the same Star. Obviously, you
low, the fight becomes "rocket tag"—the
can use your Director's prerogative to
battle is over in a few rounds, with
avoid that, but it's better to avoid
multiple bodies littering the floor.
clumping the extra turns together. We
So, what's a Director to do? You could suggest placing the first extra turn after
just give the boss lots of Grace. That'll the Stars who failed their Speed
make the fight go on for longer, no (Initiative) check, and any additional
problem…but it can feel cheap, and for extra turns in between Stars' turns.
some enemies (especially guys that are
Your Stars might also ask why this
supposed to be human) it just seems
character can have extra actions, and they
weird. Giving them multi-target
can't. It's worth considering your group
abilities—say, a big area attack—is
before implementing this solution—if
helpful, making everyone feel like they're
they seem like the type of players who'll
in danger every turn, but doesn't solve
have a problem with "he has extra turns
the survivability issue.
because that's what the game needs to
work," it might be better to avoid the
argument altogether.
Chapter 4: Creating Opposition P a g e |70
Hordes
Heroes bravely fighting against superior
numbers is a common trope, but
surprisingly difficult to pull off in a game,
even one as simple as STaRS. It might not
take long to resolve one attack, but what
about ten? A hundred? A thousand?
Giants
Forget this goblin thing—sometimes you
want to fight something big. While it's
easy enough to represent a giant as a
single Co-Star, doing so can make things
feel less epic. Instead, try representing
giant enemies as multiple Co-Stars. If
you're fighting Godzilla, give each limb a
separate turn and separate Health. Let the
Stars trap his tail in rubble to slow him
down or scale his chest to reach the head.
At the very least, require Speed checks to
dodge the giant’s attacks, instead of the
usual Agility. (After all, let's see you try to
parry a fist bigger than your entire body
Chapter 4: Creating Opposition P a g e |71
Encounter Design
If your Stars make things easy, it's best Making Things Easier
not to take that away from them. They Making things easier is a bit harder. Foes
just did something clever—you want to can have attacks of overconfidence,
encourage that sort of behavior. Just sending off groups to deal with threats
make a note of what happened so you can "elsewhere" while a few men stay behind
keep the same thing from happening to "mop up." They might conveniently
again. If they made things harder for forget to block escape routes or fail to
themselves…well, usually it's best that take advantage of perceived weaknesses.
the Stars face the consequences of their Basically, play dumber—just don’t go
actions. But if you’re the one who messed too far, or your Stars will notice what’s
up, it's best not to make the Stars suffer going on. Even then, sometimes there's
because of your mistake. On the other nothing you can do to salvage the
hand, you don't want to strain credibility situation.
by having enemies suddenly become
When Things Go Really Wrong
stronger or weaker. What do you do?
Always have a plan for what happens
Making Things Harder when an encounter goes wrong and the
The simplest way to make an easy Stars are defeated. Sometimes, yes, that
encounter harder is to bring in means they all die, and the game is over.
reinforcements. As long as it's plausible But that shouldn't always be the case. If
that another squad was called in, or the you generally like how things are going, it
evil wizard could summon some demons, can be sincerely upsetting when bad luck
it's a graceful way to bring in more brings your campaign to a crashing halt.
cannon fodder. Instead, take a page from countless evil
masterminds and throw your Stars into
You can also try to step up your own use
prison, or a conveniently-escapable death
of tactics. Be subtle about it—angry bears
trap. Heck, leave 'em for dead in the
aren't about to become tactical
streets. Remember: just because it
geniuses—but if one just happens to go
would be the smart thing for a villain to
after the socialite instead of the warrior,
kill the heroes, it may not be the
things just got more interesting.
interesting thing. We're here to tell a
story, after all. But be careful if you do
decide to rescue the Stars from certain
death—the game's a lot less interesting
without the chance of failure. Make sure
that their defeat comes with a cost and
try not to get in a habit of saving their
lives.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |74
Stars are pretty creative people, but they can't act in a vacuum. As a Director—or better yet,
as group—you'll need to create a setting, an imaginary world for the Stars to adventure in.
What's Batman without the dark, gothic skyline of Gotham City? How can you have a Harry
Potter book without Hogwarts? You've surely read, watched, and played through stories
where the setting was every bit as important a character as the mere humans that move
through it. An RPG like STaRS is no different—without a world to anchor yourselves in,
how can you expect to get into the mind of your characters?
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |75
You don't have to be J.R.R. Tolkien to run If you find yourself feeling nervous about
a game of STaRS. The easiest way to "canon," stop. Don't be afraid to put your
create a setting is to “borrow” one that own stamp on the world. That might
already exists. All you have to do is pick mean picking an unusual place or time
your favorite book, movie, video game, period within the setting or designating
comic, or even a bit of the real world and your game as an "elseworlds" story—
set your game there. You can even use whatever works for you. The important
settings written for other roleplaying thing is giving yourself and your Stars
games. Sure, the rules probably won't freedom to operate. Never let your group
translate, but the rest of the information be trapped by what someone else has
will. already written.
Doing so also make things easier for your You might also feel an obligation to
Stars, too. You don't have to take as much become an expert on the setting before
time to explain things, and you’ll be able you can run a game there. If you enjoy it,
to enter the campaign with a clear image feel free…but you shouldn't let a lack of
of what's to come. Good settings also tend in-depth knowledge stop you from using
to be chock-full of interesting people, a world. You can always look things up
places, and mysteries. With an especially or make them up as need be. Just be
popular setting, your Stars may come up careful if you're only a casual fan and
with plans before you ever sit them down some of your Stars are "experts."
at the table!
One last concern with established settings
Words of Warning is "super-NPCs." While it can be fun to
The big downside to using an established meet your favorite characters from the
setting is that it is established. It’s easy to fiction, as a Director you should be extra
feel constrained by years of other people's careful that established characters
world-building, afraid that anything you don't steal the stoplight from your
do will violate "canon." This is doubly true Stars. The purpose of the game is to tell
in extremely well-developed worlds like their stories, not to repeat the original
Middle Earth. Worse, you might have a work of fiction. Be particularly wary of
Star who feels the same way, complaining protagonists, who were created
whenever you "make a mistake" and specifically to be a narrative focus—this is
contradict something already established. your story, not theirs.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |76
Starting Out: What Kind of World? While it's true that these are
Before you can draw maps and design generalizations, and you can certainly run
cities, you need to figure out what kind of any type of game in any type of setting,
world you're going to be working on. things work best when the mood of the
Nothing too detailed, not yet. For now, all world and the mood of the campaign
you need is a short description, match.
something to grab your interest and flesh
Feel isn't something you can pin down.
out later. If you've put any thought into
Rather, it's something to keep in mind
the process so far, you've probably
throughout the world-building process. If
already done this, but if not, there are a
you want a gritty, morally ambiguous feel
few steps you can work through:
to your world, remember to invent plenty
The first thing to think about is genre. of slums, criminal underworlds, and
Just saying "fantasy" or "sci-fi" isn't corrupt officials. On the other hand, if you
enough. Imagine you said science fiction. want a more heroic, good-verses-evil
Are you thinking about an urban campaign, maybe leave those in the
dystopia? Something on the border of a background.
freshly-colonized planet? Are we talking
The final element of this initial
about transhumanist themes, or fleets of
brainstorming is a shtick. Your setting
battleships? Blade Runner, Star Trek, Star
needs a gimmick, something to
Wars, and Firefly are all science fiction
distinguish it from similar settings,
settings, but apart from the odd spaceship
something you can rattle off when trying
they've got little in common. Try to nail
to recruit new players. It doesn't need to
down a sub-genre as well as a more
be an original gimmick, mind you, but it's
general one.
hard for most players to get excited about
Closely related to genre is mood—what's generic fantasy world #327. But a fantasy
the general "feel" your setting is mean world where the "world" is a living,
to evoke? To continue off the previous breathing titan, and all the Stars and Co-
example, Star Wars and Star Trek can Stars are tiny parasites living inside him?
both be described as "space opera," but That's something to catch a jaded player's
they feel very different. The Star Wars interest.
universe is rougher, more broken-down
and lived in, the sort of place where
violence is usually a go-to solution. On the
other hand, Star Trek is slicker, more
optimistic and utopian, where the
universal translator is more useful than
the photon torpedoes.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |78
Locations History
A world’s not much good without If those who forget the past are
places to go and to see. At the very doomed to repeat it, then those
least, you should list some major who forget to invent a past are
landmarks, nations and jot down doomed to muddle along in a daze.
a few details about each. You don't need much—your Stars
(Nations, or cities, or certainly won't remember it—but
neighborhoods, or planets— you should have at least a
whatever scale fits your game). It general idea of where different
doesn’t need to be too in-depth if cultures and nations are coming
you don’t feel like it yet; you just from. Knowing the general history
want to know what’s around. of your setting will help you figure
out how different groups coexist
Of course, if you want to draw a
and interact.
full map, that can be fun too. You
don't have to be a cartographer or Culture
an artist. You don't have to ever Academics have been struggling to
show it to your Stars. It doesn't define "culture" for centuries, but
even have to be incredibly most of us can recognize it when
consistent. Really, a map is we see it—"it" being everything
mostly helpful to visualize the from how we eat to how we make
world. friends. Different races and regions
in the real world can have
An easy way to get started is to
dramatically different cultures,
take a map of some real-world
and your setting should be no
region and rotate it. Doing so
exception. That said, coming up
creates unfamiliar yet plausible
with interesting cultures is hard
terrain that you can subsequently
work, probably the hardest part of
populate with cities and nations.
world building. Luckily, there are a
Other real-but-obscure maps are
few shortcuts:
also good starting points—
medieval maps, images of other
planets, and so on. Improving Your Game—On Names
In math, a fractal is an infinitely repeating Not every plot will wind up as the focus of
pattern, creating by applying a simple a campaign, or even a single session, but
rule to a simple shape many times in a they should all have the potential to be.
row. You can build worlds (and plots!) the And even if the game goes a different
same way, getting just as much direction, the plot should still be moving
complexity from just as simple a forwards, influencing the rest of the
procedure. The techniques we're about world.
to try can be applied to every level of
You don't need to come up with too much
setting creation, from universe-spanning
detail. You should have some idea of
empires to the contents of a single house.
what's going on and who's involved, but
Step 1: Premise that's about it for now—nothing needs to
To start off, you've got to identify the be really fleshed out unless the Stars are
area you’re filling in. What is it? What’s actively interacting with it. For a good,
the gimmick? What makes it unique? dynamic setting, try to come up with at
“It” can be anything from a theocratic least three plots for each level of the
trade city to an abusive household, but world you flesh out.
you can’t come up with interesting details
Step 3: Place
until you have a framework to attach
For every plot, you'll want to come up
them to and a central idea to give them
with at least three places that are
unity.
involved. These places may be critical to
Step 2: Plot the plot's progression, or they may just
The next step of world-building is come exist to show its effects. If your plot is
up with overarching plot elements, things "invading orc tribes," your three places
that will cause conflicts and provoke may be an orcish war camp, a human
stories. Your plots might be physical border fort, and a village that had recently
threats, such as an impending alien been subject to a raid.
invasion or a resurrected Dark Lord. Or
Again, you don't need too much
they may be something more nebulous,
information at this stage—a name, a
such as "the King has no heir" or even
rough idea of where it is in relation to
"the city is sliding into corruption."
other places, and perhaps a one-sentence
Plots should be scaled appropriately for description.
whatever level of the world you're
building—an alien invasion is a mighty
big threat for a single city, but an unruly
ghost is probably too small.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |82
Zooming In
Whenever you're not satisfied with the
level of detail in your world, pick a place
and zoom in. Repeat the four steps, using
the chosen place as your new premise. If
you had a kingdom, pick one city and
develop it further. If you had a city, flesh
out a neighborhood. Keep the original
plot in mind as you write new ones, but
feel free to introduce new subplots and
side-plots to go along with it.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |83
In the early 19th century, settlers in on the The tone of Fairyland is “Western,”
American Frontier began to stumble extended into a more fantastical setting.
across what the native tribes referred to You’ve still got your cowboys and rugged
as Ghost Valleys—portals to another farmers, saloons and railroads, dusty
world. A world of dark forests, soaring frontier towns and distant, decadent
mountains, bottomless canyons, and cities “back home.” Heroes tend towards
endless plains, where all of nature is being brave, forthright, and honest;
brighter and fiercer so much more alive. villains cruel and scheming and the
An empty world inhabited only by gunfight at high noon is a widely-accepted
“primitive” fairies. means of settling disputes. Settlers,
explorers, and cattle-drives cross
Over the next few decades, settlers
impossible natural terrain; native tribes
poured into Fairyland. The new world
fight back with strange magic, and
was much more fertile and hospitable
mystery lies around every corner.
than the Great Plains and the Southwest,
and if it was already inhabited…well… the The Land of the Fairies
fairies weren’t human, and they weren’t Poets have called Fairyland “a dream of
Christian, and their magic did them little nature,” and not without cause. While no
good when faced with hot lead and cold individual element would be out of place
steel. in our world, in Fairyland, things are
taken to extremes. Forests are denser,
Now it’s 1897, seventy years after the
mountains higher, rivers deeper and
first Ghost Valleys were discovered, and
canyons wider. There seems to be no such
millions of humans have settled in
thing as a small rainstorm in Fairyland—
Fairyland. Manifest Destiny continues
the sky is either full of sun or full of
with no end in sight as a never-ending
thunder, and blizzards rarely drop less
stream of Homesteaders and explorers
than a foot of snow. Plants and animals,
poured into Fairyland, in search of new
too, mirror those in the real world but
lives and wealth, carving out vast new
grow faster, larger, stronger—and within
territories and driving the native tribes to
a few generations, so too do those
near-extinction
imported from our world.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |84
As colonizers pushed west, several Price was lucky enough to have emerged
American Indian tribes fled into in an unusual destination, a massive
Fairyland, hoping that American settlers valley full of warm lakes and swamps, and
would either not pursue them or wind up immediately set about building a city he
in different places than they did. Some named New Richmond. Contact was re-
have been re-discovered, often having established in 1873, with the New
formed close alliances with elf and goblin Confederacy proving to be eight hundred
tribes; others are still lost in the wilds. miles away from Gateway, a thousand
from Manifest, and apparently
Westerners first discovered the Ghost
unreachable from La Puerta—far enough
Valley that would come to be known as
way to make a renewed assault a difficult
Gateway in 1826, in the territory that
and divisive question.
would one day become western Kansas.
In the early days of its discovery, Several skirmishes and raids have been
Fairyland was seen as a sort of wild fought, but hundreds of thousands of
unknown—a place where explorers or bitter Southerners and other malcontents
adventurers would vanish for years at a have since made their way to New
time, returning with strange tales and Richmond. Still, the United States has
exotic trophies. While some settlers did never recognized the New Confederacy
make the trip, it wasn’t until the 1850s, and considers them to still be rebels,
and the bitter conflict over the Kansas- while now-President Price still claims
Nebraska act, that Gateway truly became independence, and so a cold war still
a flashpoint. Conflicts over what territory simmers in Fairyland.
the new lands would belong to, and
In the aftermath of the war, the United
whether or not slavery would be allowed
States government laid claim to all of
there, only accelerated the conflict
Fairyland, and the Homestead Acts lead to
between abolitionists and slaveholders,
a flood of new settlers. Gateway,
and the Civil War began in 1859, two
Homestead, and La Puerta—swollen by
years early.
travelers into huge cities on both sides of
The western campaigns were more the Valleys—remain the only large cities,
intense than in our world, with both sides with all lands within two hundred miles
fighting an extended struggle for control considered to be part of their titular
over Gateway, and it was in Confederate Territories. New Richmond, meanwhile,
hands at the end of the war. Rather than considers everything within five hundred
surrender, the Confederate general miles to be theirs, though they have only
Sterling Price led twelve thousand settled a fraction of that.
soldiers, five thousand camp followers,
and two thousand slaves through the
Ghost Valley into Fairyland.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |86
In the depths of the jungles, they raise The coming of humans, with their vast
great cities with stout walls, towering numbers and superior technology, has
ziggurats, and vast complexes of stone been a rude awakening for dwarven
both above and below the ground. There, society. While some rationalize them as
tens of thousands of dwarves pack just another sort of fairy, increasing
together as closely as any old European numbers believe humanity to be agents of
city and segregate themselves by Ixmucane, here to wreck slaughter in His
families—all of a city’s soldiers are drawn name. As a result, dwarves are much
from one enormous, sprawling clan, its more likely to be openly hostile to human
masons from another, and so on. These settlers, and several wars have been
cities are ruled by priest-kings of their fought.
triple godhead: Camazotoz, the distant
Dwarven Magic
and temperamental Lord of the Sky; Colel
Dwarven magic is tightly bound up with
Cab, the harsh and unyielding Lady of the
the earth. All dwarves possess the Minor
Earth, and Ixmucane, the dark and savage
Power they call the Touch of Chains—the
Lord of the Forest. They fear their god,
ability make earth, stone, and metal
who are violently opposed to life, and
objects permanently fuse with one
most of their religious rites are centered
another. A dwarf can press a brick to the
around binding the gods’ power and
side of a cliff and have it stay there
appeasing their bloodlust with live
forever, sculpt loose sand like modeling
sacrifices.
clay, and weld bronze sculptures together
Dwarves generally get on poorly with with the brush of a finger.
other races. They see themselves as the
In addition, many warriors lean to
highest of all races, with thousands of
summon Stoneskin, using their magic to
years of history and a sacred duty to
toughen their own skin until it provides
protect the world from the gods and
Armor 1. And the greatest dwarven
expect to be recognized and appreciated
craftsmen employ a second Minor Power
as such. Other races (especially humans)
known as Fingers of Clay, letting them
see them as violent barbarians who pack
reshape earth, stone, or metal as if it was
themselves together like rats and kill
as soft and pliable as modeling clay.
their own children in the name of
“religion.”
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |88
Half-Breeds
While fairies are not, generally, seen as
equals, nature finds a way. Human-fairy
hybrids, or Changelings, have arisen
almost since the first contact. They tend
to favor their human parent in
appearance, with only subtle hints at their
otherworldly ancestry… except for their
eyes. All changelings have the same,
inhuman eyes as their fairy parent.
Built mostly of clay and spit at the edge of Rose Foster: A gregarious, grey-
a vast, broken prairie, Scorpion Brook haired matron in her late fifties,
isn’t a very hospitable place. Two weeks Rose has worked for the Hughes
hard travel from Manifest and almost four family all her life.
days from the nearest railroad line, the Rick Mason: Rick is a big man—
town probably wouldn’t exist at all if it tall, strong, fat, friendly, and just a
wasn’t for the persistent rumors of silver little bit dumb. He works as a
in the nearby Nsajilee Mountains. ranch hand for Hughes and is
Prospectors stumble across nuggets just always happy to lend a hand.
often enough to keep hopes high, and the Scott Barker: A wiry, mustachioed
ragged flow of fortune-seekers has kept man with an unsettling fondness
the place just alive enough to still exist. for knives, the fiercely loyal Scott
The hardscrabble farmers and ranchers oversees the lesser workers on Mr.
live in uneasy peace with the Nsajileeto Hughes’ behalf.
goblins just ten miles away, neither group
happy about it. Place 1b: Nsajileeto Village
Goblin settlements tend to be vertical, and
Plot 1 Nsajileeto Village-- built into a collapsed
Scorpion Brook’s self-proclaimed most Cliffside ten miles north of Scorpion
prominent citizen, the cattle rancher Brook-- is no exception. War and plague
Jacob Hughes, has always been a power- have wiped out many of the inhabitants
hungry fellow. He’s claimed land all the since humans arrived in Fairyland, and
way up to the edge of the Nsajileeto now the village is a shadow of its former
territories and still wants more. He’s self.
hoping to drum up enough trouble to get
the goblins run off once and for all, so his Hastiin: Human at first glance,
herds can access their watering holes. Hastiin’s pure white eyes reveal
her goblin heritage. The son of a
Place 1a: The Hughes Ranch goblin woman and a human
The Hughes Ranch lies at the north edge prospector, she’s become angry
of town, perched on a low hill overlooking and bitter in the face of
the smaller buildings below. It’s not resentment from both races.
exactly pretty, with fake pillars and
peeling paint, but it’s bigger and nicer
than anything else in town.
Chapter 5: Creating a World P a g e |93
We spent a couple chapters talking about the mechanics of gameplay—the rules and
regulations, if you will. We’re not going to deal with any of that here. Instead, this chapter is
all about advice. Little tips and tricks for role-playing, for running a game, for group
dynamics. Intangible little things, things to help the game move more smoothly. You
certainly don’t have to read it, but if you’ve never played an RPG before, you might find it
helpful.
Chapter 6: Playing the Game P a g e |97
Group Guidance
An RPG is a group activity, one with its On the other hand, they shouldn’t need to
own weird sets of unwritten rules and be lead around by the hand. They should
social dynamics. Avoiding friction with know the rules, know their characters,
your friends around the table is, perhaps, and have at least some memory of what
the most important thing you can do to happened last session.
keep things fun.
The Director, for their part, is expected
The Golden Rule to be fair and impartial. They shouldn’t
There’s a secret to resolving problems in coddle the Stars, but nor should they be
a game like STaRS (or in life, really). You forced into impossible situations. They
can deal with almost any situation with should never take direct control over a
one little technique: when there’s a Star’s character, nor should they deny
problem, talk it out. Most problems come Stars the ability to make meaningful
from miscommunication and choices about the direction of the story
obliviousness, and oftentimes all you and setting. They should follow the rules,
need to do to fix things is to bring up the keep the Stars interested, and not steal
fact that there is a problem. Even if that’s the spotlight for themselves.
not the case, nothing is going to change if
It’s Only a Game
people don't realize there's a problem.
Role-playing games can be pretty
Don't be embarrassed to speak up—these
important to some people. It’s great if
are your friends you're playing with, after
you’re really engaged with a character,
all.
world, or storyline…but remember, it’s
The Social Contract only a game. Your character isn’t real.
In any group activity, there are unspoken Your setting isn’t real. But your friends,
rules. And despite all the written rules sitting around the table and rolling dice
you just read, RPGs are no exception. with you? They’re real. An imaginary
While most of them can be boiled down to world is never more important than
“don’t be a jerk,” it’s worth taking a your friends. Remember that when the
moment to lay them out: time comes to make controversial in-
game choices, and arguments arise over
Stars are expected to work together,
what to do.
and to share the spotlight. They’re
expected to work with the setting the
Director presents, not against it. When
the Director’s put a lot of work into a
region, quest, or Co-Star, they shouldn’t
ignore it.
Chapter 6: Playing the Game P a g e |98
In- and Out-of-Character Conflict 2. Try not to make it seem like it’s
Gamers are generally awesome folks, but their fault. Most people are fairly
we’re only human. You’ll inevitably get reasonable and will be willing to
into arguments with your friends over all try and make things better once
sorts of things, from “Should we trust this the problem’s been aired. But if
guy?” to “Who’s paying for pizza?” They that doesn’t work…
won’t always be pretty, either. If a fellow
3. Separate. Either get rid of the
Star gets your character killed, or the
person causing you grief or leave.
Director seems to be showing obvious
Gaming is supposed to be fun, not
favoritism, tensions can get pretty high.
a hassle—it’s better to stay home
When that happens, take a step back and and read a book than go to a
figure out who you’re mad at—the game and make yourself
character, or the person. It’s important miserable.
to address the right one. If your character
Play the Same Game
is mad that your friend’s character stole a
“Role-playing game” is a broad idea. To
prized magic sword, you can resolve that
one person, it can mean an intricate ballet
at the table. But if you, personally, are mad
of intrigue and mystery to unravel. To
at your friend, bring that up with them
another, it can mean fighting monsters
face-to-face. Causing in-game chaos won’t
and stealing treasure. A third might want
do anything to stop out-of-game
to tell an epic story, while a fourth might
arguments. When in doubt, remember
just want to joke around with their
the golden rule and talk to your friend.
friends. All of those are totally valid ways
Dealing with “Problem Players” to play, but friction can arise when
Despite everything you do, sometimes people have different ideas of what
you’re stuck playing with a jerk. Maybe they’re supposed to be doing. The talking
they’re stealing from your character, or will bore the guy who likes fighting; the
hogging the spotlight, or cheating. When guy who wants the story will get upset at
that happens, the last thing you want to the guy who prefers to goof around.
do is just suck it up or retaliate in kind. Before you start a new game, make sure
Instead, there’s a simple, two-step everyone knows what things are going
process for how to deal with them: to be like.
1. Talk. Talk to the person causing And once the tone is chosen, don’t make
the problem. The best approach a character that violates it. Don’t bring a
varies from person to person, but paladin into a game of thieves, and don’t
it’s usually better to do so calmly craft a dark back story when everyone
and privately. Tell them what's else is playing clowns. Even if you think
going on and ask them to stop it'd be fun, chances are the rest of the
doing whatever's bothering you. group will just wind up annoyed.
Chapter 6: Playing the Game P a g e |100
To Be a Star
You Control Your Character Take a moment to think about why you’re
There exists a single sentence that haunts doing this—or at least why you think
the dreams of Directors the world over. your character feels the way they do. Do
One sentence that can bring a game to a you have an interesting story to tell, or
grinding halt, tear apart friends, and are you just bored and want to cause
spark hours-long arguments. One trouble?
sentence that destroys the very ideals it
If you’re approaching things from a story
claims to uphold.
angle, make your point, have your scene,
“That’s what my character would do.” and then find a way to get things moving
again. Allow yourself to be persuaded in-
Sometimes the sentence is spoken to
game. Switch to a back-up character or
excuse bad behavior. Of course, I’ve
take control of a Co-Star for a scene or
betrayed the party—that’s what my
two. Having in-character disagreements
character would do. Of course, I mooned
can be fun, and lead to a more enriching
the king—that’s why my character would
story, but try not to ruin your friends’ fun
do. At other times, it’s used to derail
by taking an hour or two to argue.
adventures. No, I’m not going to leave the
forest—that’s what my character would If you keep having issues, try to figure out
do. No, I won’t help the freedom how the seemingly contradictory
fighters—that’s what my character would behavior fits. Your evil rogue doesn’t
do. betray the party because she still has a
use for them, or because she’s afraid of
While such sentiments are (arguably)
revenge, or simply because she likes
role-playing, they spit on the “game” part
them. Your druid might not approve of
of what we do. Disruptive behavior
cities, but he’s secretly curious. Your
doesn’t get any less disruptive if you can
paladin might hate underhanded tactics
rationalize it. But here’s the thing—you
but recognizes them as the lesser of two
don’t have to be disruptive in the name of
evils. And you know what? Exploring
character, because you’re in control, not
these contradictions usually results in
your character. You’re the one making
more interesting characters.
the final call, not some fictional entity that
exists only in your head. You’re the one
who can refrain from being disruptive
and rationalize it.
Chapter 6: Playing the Game P a g e |102
But not always. Sometimes characters just Directors can always forcibly start an
don’t fit. Maybe the game took an action sequence of some sort—monsters
unexpected turn, or a personality burst through the door, the ship starts to
developed in a way you didn’t expect. If sink, or whatever fits the situation—but
that’s the case, there’s no shame in even as a Star you're not powerless.
retiring a character and making a new When an out-of-game discussion starts
one. It’s certainly better than continuing to go on too long, try to prod the group
to fight and argue, night after night. Your back into action.
old character can become a Co-Star,
Point out time constraints, call for a vote,
turning up now and then when the group
or even just ask the Director to make
needs an ally—or perhaps even an
something happen. Heck, grab your sword
enemy, if that’s how things end (and you
and kick open the door (though be careful
and the Director are okay with it).
that you don’t upset your friends in the
Don’t Be a Loner process). Even if you make the "wrong"
We all love the brooding antiheroes and choice, you'll have more fun doing than
badass loners, always out there defying discussing.
authority and doing their own thing.
Have Your Own Goals
There’s just one problem: loners make
Directors are awesome people, but
terrible characters in role-playing
they're not perfect. Sometimes, for
games. Think about it—an RPG is a group
whatever reason, the game starts to lag.
event, a cooperative game. All characters
Maybe you bypassed a section of the
are meant to work together and share the
adventure and they've run out of material.
spotlight. That’s impossible if one guy is
Maybe they had a busy week at work and
always striking out on their own. If you
didn't have time to fully prepare.
must play this sort of archetype, find a
Whatever the case, if the Director fails to
reason for them to stick around.
keep the action going, it's up to you.
Keep Things Moving
A good character has goals of their own.
People who've played a lot of RPGs
Everyone wants something, after all, and
sometimes gripe about how long combat
being fictional is no reason your character
takes, compared to other aspects of the
should be any different. In the absence of
game. And while that may be true, there's
other objectives, follow your character's
another common situation that sucks
dreams. If you want to find your father's
time almost as intensely: planning. All too
killer, start asking questions about local
often "What do we do now?" turns into an
cutthroats. If you want to be king, try to
endless cycle of debate, speculation, and
suck up to local nobles. Whatever you
mechanical trivia, a perpetual bickering
choose, don't just sit and wait.
that lasts until someone makes the effort
to stop it.
Chapter 6: Playing the Game P a g e |103
Another common issue is that the Better yet, don't have a single path to
characters physically can't be shown. You success. Instead, try to make sure that
might want to show the capital being every puzzle has multiple solutions, and
attacked, but the Stars are knee-deep in a every mystery has multiple clues. If
dungeon on the opposite side of the you're concerned the Stars will miss
country. It's easy to give up, but there is a something, plan out a place for it later.
solution, albeit one that should only be The Stars will never know that there were
used rarely: temporary characters. To let half a dozen ways to get to the same place.
Stars live through events their main They'll only ever see the one they figured
characters couldn't observe, have them out and feel clever for having done so.
play side-characters for a session. Make
Writing a Plot
them take the role of common soldiers or
You've done everything we talked about
civilians, running in fear from the dragon.
so far. You've opened up the world, given
Let them portray the council of generals,
the Stars agency, and let their paths take
planning tactics, or the squad of assassins
them where they willed. Now how do you
going after the king. When done right, it's
fit a story into all that chaos?
a great change of pace, and a fun way to
emphasize just how special their "real" One way is to be flexible. Plan out key
characters are. scenes and insert them whenever it
makes sense. The pre-planned bits can
Redundancy, Redundancy
form the backbone of your plot, while the
Sometimes, Stars are very, very clever.
overall shape is formed by the Stars'
And other times…not so much. It's not
actions. Go back and rewrite your plot
that they're stupid. It's just that what
regularly to account for in-game
seems obvious to you isn't always
choices.
obvious to anyone else. After all, you've
got all the information in front of you, An alternative is to write no plot, at least
while your Stars are grasping for straws. not in the traditional narrative sense.
Instead, write a villain's plot. Figure out
For a start, never hide vital information
what the bad guys need to do for their
behind a Check. If the only way for the
plans to succeed and have them take the
game to move forward is for someone to
actions they need to accomplish those
find a secret journal, it'll turn out to be
goals. When the Stars interfere, plan the
the night everyone decides to fail their
villain's reaction accordingly. The
Awareness Checks. If you need to get files
resulting mess will probably be less neat
off a computer, the guy playing the hacker
from a narrative perspective but will be
will get sick and miss the session. If the
logical and dynamic as the game goes on.
Stars need to uncover something, just
handle it through narration.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |107
The rules we described in the last few chapters represent our best attempt at balancing
complexity and coverage. Every extra rule we include makes the game bigger, harder to
learn and harder to remember. In the end, we'd like to think that we did a pretty good
job—the rules we did include will take you a long way and can cover most situations that
come up in a game.
But sometimes you need something a little more complicated. Sometimes, one of the gaps
in the basic rules is important in your game. That's when you turn to this chapter, and the
time-honored tradition of Homebrewing—making up Houserules to cover areas where
the basic game is lacking.
In this chapter, we'll discuss the tools you can work with, show you how to apply them, and
present a selection of Houserules we've already made to cover some of the more common
situations where the basic rules aren't enough.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |108
The most important thing about That being said, it's okay to keep details
Houserules is to make sure your group secret, but you still need to communicate
is okay with using them. Rules should the general case: “magic is dangerous, but
never be a surprise, especially if they can I won't say why or how." That way they
have a significant impact on character can make informed decisions about the
concepts. characters that they'll be using for so
many hours of game time.
Imagine that your friend is Directing a
game set in a fantasy setting. You want to When House Rules Fail
play a wizard, and your friend gives you Not every Houserule is a successful one.
the thumbs up. So, you spend some time Rules have consequences, and not always
writing a back-story and coming up with a the ones you expect. A Houserule you
personality, and purchase Abilities and thought was good might make your Stars
Traits with the expectation that you'll be too powerful, or too weak, or just too
relying on your magic. But a few hours annoyed to want to keep using it. But
into the first session, when you get your that's okay—there's no shame in
first Fumble while casting a spell, the admitting that you messed up. If a House
Director tells you that you just caught the Rule isn't working for your group,
attention of some astral demons and change it.
recommends that you and your fellow
That goes for both Directors and Stars.
Stars start running.
While Homebrewing is usually the
Hang on, you protest. Why on earth didn't purview of the Director, the game needs
you tell me that earlier? I'm supposed to to be fun for everyone. If you're a Star,
be a wizard; shouldn't I have known that and a Houserule—or the lack of a
magic isn't safe? Haven't I cast spells Houserule—is making you unhappy,
before? I'd have built my character you're well within your rights to ask
differently if I’d known using magic would your Director to change it.
get me in trouble. I might’ve even chosen
When you do try to change a faulty
a different concept. You just messed up my
Houserule, it’s a good idea to get your
entire character!
entire group involved. Stars and Directors
Gaming is supposed to be a fun can have very different perspectives of
experience, and that sort of argument how a rule works. Even if everyone agrees
isn't fun for anyone. Even if your that a rule is causing you a problem, you
Houserules are meant to be a secret in- might have different ideas about what
world, they shouldn't be secret out-of- parts are broken.
game.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |109
Sloppy Recovery
Things like being knocked down are a
rather straightforward Complication.
Except, sometimes, for recovery. Why
can’t you just stand up after being
knocked down? Why does it take a check?
The typical answer is “because otherwise
someone might just stab you.” Thus, with
the Director’s permission, you may
recover from a simple physical
Complication without a check—but if
you do, it either takes a Major Action or
allows adjacent foes to make a free
attack against you.
Wrestling
Wrestling is often the most complicated
part of a combat system. Within reason, it
affects the attacker almost as much as it
does the victim. In STaRS, we can
represent it as a special type of
Complicate action. If you impose a
“Pinned” Complication, you also gain a
“Grappler” Complication—even if you’re
in control, wrestling is kind of distracting.
Both conditions make you easier for
people not currently wrestling to hit you,
both prevent you from moving without a
check, and both allow you to make
Physique checks to move or damage the
other. The trick is that the Grappler’s
attacks get a Bonus, and the Pinned
character’s attacks take a Penalty.
Competence Levels
The basic STaRS rules assume that Anything that requires a higher
everyone is operating on about the same Competence Level is impossible. No
power level. Sure, one Star might be a bit matter how many times they try, a normal
faster than another, but they won’t be person will never be able to outrun a car.
able to run a thousand times faster. In the On the other hand, they also won't fail to
rare event that an exception does crop up, walk across the street—anything that
Powers can be used to model it. And for requires a lower level automatically
most games, that’s perfect. succeeds. It's only if a task is exactly at
your Competence level that you have to
On the other hand, sometimes you want
roll a check.
characters who are all phenomenally
capable in their own specialized fields. A There are five levels of Competence:
game of superheroes, or gods, or even one Pathetic, Subpar, Normal, Exceptional,
where one Star is a mouse, and another is and Superhuman. Characters are
a badger can all benefit from a little assumed to operate at a Normal
codification of just how strong the strong Competence level, unless they possess a
guy is. Trait or something similar altering that. A
character doesn’t have to have a single
Competence Levels
Competence level, either. Different
The solution, as you might have guessed
Abilities, even different uses of the same
from the title of this section, is a concept
ability, can have different Competence
called Competence. Your Competence
levels.
Level determines what is and isn't
possible for you to do—what's so easy Competence and Adrenaline Surges
you don't need to bother rolling, what's Keeping track of Competence also serves
challenging enough to be worth a Check, to codify Adrenaline Surges a bit. With
and what's simply beyond your these rules in play, we can say that an
capabilities. You and Superman can have Adrenaline Surge lets you act as though
the same Physique score, but different your Competence Level was one step
Competence levels. Both of you need to higher. If lifting a fallen tree off a friend
make Checks to lift a heavy object, but for would require Exceptional Competence, a
you that might mean a big dog, while for normal character could manage it with an
Superman it might mean an aircraft Adrenaline Surge.
carrier.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |114
STaRS is generally set up as a pretty The Doom Pool’s size is not constant.
heroic system. Sure, you can tinker with Instead, it grows or shrinks as the game
difficulty to make heroes less powerful, progresses.
and the Director can do a lot to set the
mood, but RPGs always work best when At the beginning of each scene,
add a die to the Pool. This
the story and the rules work together, one
happens before the dice are rolled
supporting the other. Thus, here we for the scene.
present a set of house rules for darker
games, intended to create a tense, Whenever the Stars make things
paranoid experience. worse, add a die to the Pool.
What qualifies as a “making things
Doom Pool worse” is up to the Director, but
Perhaps the most important element of examples include making false
accusations, failing to protect
horror is the tension. Sure, the monster is
innocents, and inadvertently
scary, but not as scary as its absence, the aiding villains.
nagging fear that it could show up at any
minute. That the longer it goes without Whenever a Star suffers an
you seeing it, the worse its reappearance Injury, remove a die from the
Pool. After all, something bad did
will be. In STaRS, we try to capture that
just happen to cause that Injury;
feeling with a Doom Pool, a ticking time it's probably best to back off for a
bomb counting down to tragedy. At the moment.
beginning of every session, place three
or more ten-sided dice in the center of Whenever the Stars make things
better, remove a die to the Pool.
the table. These form the Doom Pool.
Again, “making things better” is
At the beginning of each scene after subjective, but easy examples
include saving lives, slaying
the first, roll all the dice currently in the
monsters, and restoring shattered
Doom Pool. If you get three of a kind, relationships.
something during the upcoming scene
goes horribly wrong (and if you get three Improving Your Game— Too Many
6’s, something goes really wrong!). The Dice
Doom Pools can get big. If you don’t
exact nature of the disaster is up to the
have enough dice, it’s okay to roll the
Director, but sudden betrayals, demon ones you have in batches. In some
attacks, and violent deaths are all likely to ways, it’s almost more fun to do it like
happen. Afterwards, the Doom Pool this— it drags the process out,
returns to the starting size. ramping up the tension just that little
bit more.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |118
Encumbrance
Containers Pockets
Since your backpack is so unwieldy, most Lastly, everyone has their pockets.
of the things you need, such as weapons, Pockets can hold a handful of tiny items,
will be kept in your Containers. mostly the sort of things not worth
“Containers” is a nebulous term—it can tracking elsewhere. Keys, cell phones,
refer to sheathes, belt pouches, wallets…really, anything you’re likely to
bandoliers, slings, anything you want to have in your pockets right now.
hang on your person to carry your stuff
for you. Characters can manage one
container for every point of Physique.
Each container must be defined, with its
type and location listed. Knowing where
your items are is half the point, after all.
Flaws
Hero Points
In many ways, this is the simplest, most Minor Goals are short-term things, easily
Pavlovian form of Hero Points: do achieved within a setting. Think of them
something I like, get a reward. If you do as your character's hobbies—things like
use this, try raising your standards as winning duels, talking your way out of a
the game continues to encourage Stars to tense situation, or solving mysteries.
continue pushing their limits. Minor Goals should take some effort to
achieve—more than just saying "I build a
Swashbuckling
model ship"—but they should be
Sometimes you want a particularly over-
possible to achieve while pursuing
the-top action game. Genres like
other goals. Whenever you accomplish a
superheroes, wuxia, or pulp almost
Minor Goal, gain one Hero Point.
demand it! If that's the case, you can try
awarding a Hero Point when a Star Characters aren't static, though. Their
takes an entirely unnecessary risk in favorite activities change over time, and
the name of excitement. Things like their Minor Goals should reflect that.
sliding down a banister instead of taking Stars may rewrite one Minor Goal at
the stairs, diving head-first into a firefight any Minor Milestone.
(with a gun in each hand, ideally), or
Major Goals are long-term objectives,
attempting to catch a projectile instead of
things that can't be achieved without
just dodging it are all prime examples of
extensive effort in and out of game.
behaviors to reward. Of course, you
They're campaign goals, rather than
shouldn't allow the same stunts to be
common pleasures—things like finding
used over and over again—that's not
your parents' killer, overthrowing a king,
nearly as exciting. In fact, stunts should
or becoming CEO of a multinational
need to be bigger and crazier to keep
corporation. Characters begin each
earning points (it also goes without
session with one extra Hero Point for
saying that a Director seeking to run a
every Major Goal they or a teammate
game like this should be extremely
have accomplished (since it's kind of
generous about when they require Ability
unfair that only one Star would benefit
checks and imposes Environmental
from something they all worked towards).
Disadvantage).
Characters often retire after
Character Goals
accomplishing a Major Goal. If not, a new
Suppose you really want to encourage
Major Goal should be picked after the
your Stars to roleplay their characters.
old one is accomplished. Just like Minor
You guessed it—you can use Hero Points
Goals, a character’s Major Goals can
to reward them for acting in character.
change over time. They should be a little
Each Star should draw up a list of four
more permanent, though, so a Major Goal
goals for their character: three Minor
may be changed at any Major
and one Major.
Milestone.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |125
Mass Combat
Even in the best groups, it’s bound to There’s only one time when you shouldn’t
happen eventually. One character will allow Opposed Checks—talking. Unless
disagree with another, and their both Stars want a Social Conflict to
respective Stars can’t think of any way to happen, groups should never allow
resolve the argument without rolling Opposed Checks to persuade,
some dice. Heck, in an “evil” campaign, intimidate, or otherwise control
characters might be backstabbing each another Star’s character—not unless
other every time you turn around! While they want to be persuaded. Doing so
serious arguments between Stars should violates one of the fundamental principles
be avoided whenever possible, there’s of the game, and only creates bad feelings
nothing wrong with a little character-on- on the part of the Star whose choices
character violence. Unfortunately, the were just overruled.
basic rules of the game don’t handle
player-verses-player very well—not
without completely invalidating the
abilities of your opponent. Thus, we turn
to homebrew.
Rote Skills
Agility Dexterity
Acrobatics—Flipping, diving, Catching—Catching a thrown or
balancing, tumbling, and so on. falling object.
Melee Combat—Hitting things at Driving—Piloting a vehicle, be it a
close range, be it with a sword, car, fighter jet, or anything in
your fists, or even another enemy, between.
and avoiding getting hit in return. Ranged Attacks—Hitting things at
Riding—Riding horses, camels, a distance.
and more exotic mounts. Sleight of Hand—Minor feats of
Stealth—Hiding, moving silently, legerdemain, such as card tricks or
and generally sneaking around. picking pockets.
Thievery—Picking locks,
Awareness
bypassing security systems,
Comprehension—Understanding
disabling traps, and similarly
people (as well as animals and
nefarious tasks.
aliens) when you don’t share a
language. Intellect
Perception—Noticing things Computers—Hacking,
about the world beyond you. programming, and the like. This
Reading People—Forming rote may not be relevant in all
impressions of people and settings. If it isn't, it can often be
working out their motives. replaced by "Occult," covering
Searching—Actively seeking out ritual magic and theoretical
fine detail, like traps and clues. knowledge of the arcane.
Tracking—Following someone Crafting—Building and fixing
(or something!) over time. things—and breaking them.
Knowledge—Knowing about
things, if not necessarily how to do
them. If you don't replace the
Computers Rote, most things
covered by "Occult" would fall
under this Rote.
Medicine—First aid, surgery, and
medical knowledge.
Science—Both academic
knowledge and practical
applications.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |131
Manipulation Presence
Commerce—Buying, selling, Charm—Making good first
brokering deals, and more. impressions and getting people to
Deception—Lying or misleading like you.
another person. Contacts—Knowing the right
Disguise—Disguising yourself as people at the right time.
someone else. Intimidation—Scaring people,
Persuasion—Getting another either subtly or overtly.
person to do what you want Leadership—Rallying and
through honeyed words. inspiring your allies.
Taunt—Provoking another to take Performance—Acting, music, and
a course of action you choose. similar skills.
Physique Speed
Athletics—Climbing, swimming, Initiative—Determining if you act
long-distance running, and other before or after your foes.
forms of "pure" physical exertion. Ranged Defense—Avoiding
Exerting Force—Exercises of raw attacks from afar.
strength, such as lifting, pushing, Reflex—Avoiding exploding
and breaking things. fireballs, falling rocks, and other
Fortitude—How easily you can things that make you leap for
resist poison, disease, and other cover.
such afflictions. Quickness—Getting things done
Physical Grace—How many as fast as possible, whether that
physical attacks (anything from "thing" is a physical or mental task.
punches to fireballs) you can Sprinting—Trying to get
withstand before being injured. somewhere before someone else.
Wrestling—Grappling with
another character.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |132
Will
Concentration—Maintaining your
focus on a single task despite
distractions.
Magic—The default of assumption
of magic or psychic powers is that
they are based on Will, although
the details may vary by game.
Memory—Remembering past
details and events.
Mental Grace—How many mental
attacks (trauma, telepathic
assaults, and the like) you can
withstand before breaking down,
and how strong an attack you can
take without getting seriously
hurt.
Self-Control—Keeping control of
your emotions and reactions and
resisting mental attacks.
Wits
Animal Wrangling—Training,
calming, controlling, and
otherwise dealing with difficult
beasts.
Bureaucracy—Dealing with
governments, big corporations,
and anyone fond of excess
paperwork.
Navigation—Getting from point A
to point B by the shortest, safest
route.
Resisting Manipulation—Seeing
through lies, honeyed words, and
other social manipulations.
Wilderness Survival—Surviving
on your own in the wild.
Chapter 7: Expanding the Rules P a g e |133
Vehicles
Pilot Skill
A nice ride is all well and good, but there
are times when the rider's skill is
important, too. Once per round, a Star
may use their relevant Ability in place
of one of their mount or vehicles. This
might be Agility while riding a horse,
Dexterity when driving a car, or even
Intellect if piloting a vast spaceship.
Character Sheet P a g e |135
Character Sheet
Character Creation Cheat Sheet P a g e |136
Index
Abilities Broad Boosts, 116
about, 8, 18–20 Builders, 58
Absent, 18 Called Shots, 111
and Character Creation, 10, 46 Challenge Groups, 65
and Experience Points, 10 Changelings (in Fairyland sample setting), 90
and Houserules, 110 Character, 46
and Rote Skills, 8, 129–33 advancement of, 10, 60–61
vs. Skills, 50 Cheat Sheet, 137
and Successes during Conflict, 25 and Companions, 10, 48
and Vehicle Companions, 134 and Competence Levels, 116
See also Checks; specific abilities Creation of, 10, 43–53, 135
Action Economy, 70 Gameplay, 101
Actions, 27 Goals, 125
See also Free Actions; Major Actions; Minor Traits, 47
Actions Charge, 111
Ad-Hoc Modifiers, 13 Checks
Adrenaline Surges, 8, 15, 112, 114 Ability Checks, 8, 9, 12, 25, 30, 40, 129–33
Agility (Ability), 19, 34, 131, 134 and Absent Abilities, 18
Aid (Major Action) and Aid, 31
about, 9, 31 and Complicate, 30, 32
and Enemy Actions, 32 vs. Conflict, 24
and Environmental Conflict, 41 and Co-Stars, 63
and Hero Points, 126 and Flaws, 123
and Modifiers, 14, 31 and Hero Points, 126
and Physical Conflict, 34 and Injury, 22
and Social Conflict, 37 and Modifiers, 13
Alternative Grace, 41 Opposed Checks, 129
Anti-Powers, 123 Successes, 25
Anti-Traits. see Flaws Combat. see Conflict
Area Attacks, 34 Companions
Armor, 10, 47, 53, 64, 122 about, 48
Attack, 8 and Character Creation, 10, 48
See also Conflict; Environmental Conflict; Social Non-Sentient, 10, 49, 53, 134–35
Conflict Sentient, 11, 134
Awareness (Ability), 19, 131 Competence Levels, 114–17
Backpack, 121 Complicate (Major Action)
Bonuses, 13, 128 about, 9, 30
See also Modifiers and Competence Levels, 116
Boomers, 58 and Enemy Actions, 32
Boosts, 116 and Environmental Conflict, 41
Boss Battles, 68 and Houserules, 111
Index P a g e |138
Physical Grace, 9, 19, 21, 34, 41, 132 Sprinting (as action), 28
Physique (Ability), 9, 19, 21, 122, 132, 134 Stars
Pilot Skill (Ability), 135 about, 6, 100–103
Places and Setting, 80 and Ability Checks, 12
Player vs. Player, 129 and Character Creation, 43–53
Plot, 80, 107 and Co-Stars, 105
Pockets, 122 and Directors, 104–7
Power Attack, 112 expectations of, 96
Powers and Modifiers, 14
Anti-Powers, 123 Player vs. Player, 129
and Character Creation, 10, 49 and Social Conflict, 36
and Co-Stars, 63 Structure and Conflict, 26–27
and Magic, 54–60 Stunting, 124
and Skills, 50 Successes, 25
Trivial, 49, 87 Super Speed, 59
See also Minor Powers; Moderate Powers; Major Super Strength, 58
Powers Surprise attacks, 33
Premise and Setting, 80 Swashbuckling, 125
Presence (Ability), 20, 37, 132 Tactics, 70
Problem Players, 98 Taken Out, 9, 21–23
Producers, 6 Terrain, 71
Quirks, 10, 50, 53 Timers, 41
Races and Setting, 77 Traits and Trait Points (TP)
Ranged Defense, 132 and Character Creation, 10, 47
Recovery, 23, 60, 113 and Co-Stars, 63
Rote Skills, 8, 129–33 Discounts, 10, 52
Rounds (Conflict), 26 and Drawbacks, 52
Rules, 8–10 and Flaws, 123
Sentient Companions, 134 Quirks, 50
Setting, 73–81 Summary sheet, 53
See also Environment Variable, 51, 53, 57
Skills Trivial Powers, 49, 53, 87
vs. Abilities, 50 Trivial Threats, 63
and Character Creation, 10 Turns, 8, 28–32
and Magic, 56 Variable Traits, 51, 53, 57
and Modifiers, 14 Vehicle Companions, 10, 49, 53, 134–35
and Powers, 50 Vulnerability, 123
Rote, 8, 129–33 Walking, 28
Sloppy Recovery, 113 Weapons
Social Conflict, 36–38, 129 and Character Creation, 10, 47
Social Contract, 96 and Co-Stars, 64
Speed (Ability) and Damage, 10, 23, 47
about, 20, 132 Will (Ability), 9, 20, 21, 37, 133
and Move, 28 See also Conflict
and Overcome, 34 Wits (Ability), 20, 37, 133
and Speed Checks, 8, 26 World Creation, 73–81
Super Speed, 59 Wrestling, 113
of Vehicle Companions, 134
Index P a g e |141