YOU AND YOUR TEAM OF ​ULTIMATE BADASSES​ ARE A SQUAD IN THE ​UNITED

SYSTEMS COLONIAL MARINE CORPS​, an elite force of soldiers trained to rapidly respond to
unknown threats and dire situations across human colonized space. Or at least that’s what it
says on the recruitment posters. In reality you’re a bunch of undisciplined Jarheads, under the
command of out-of-touch officers who spend most of their time looking at a computer screen,
whose primary duty seems to be cleaning up after the bumbling of interstellar Mega
Corporations.

PLAYER: CREATE CHARACTERS

1) Chose a style for your characters. ​Funny​, ​Hard-Boiled​, ​Professional​, ​Replicant​,
Roguish​, ​Savvy​, or ​Suave​.
2) Choose a role for your character: ​Gunner​, ​Medic​, ​Tech​, ​Pilot​, ​Scout​, ​Sergeant​,
Sniper​, or ​Specialist ​(Nerd)
3) Choose your ​number​, from 2 to 5. A high number means you’re better at ​ULTIMATE
(Your training. Tactics; Technology; Science; Rational Thought; Calculated Action). A
low number means you’re better at ​BADASS ​(Your Guts. Charm; Instinct; Aggression;
Passionate Action).
4) Think up an ​awesome space marine name​. Remember, it’s the marine who makes the
name, not the other way around.

You have: ​A uniform (Pilots get an extremely snug armored jumpsuit and snipers get an optical
stealth suit, while everyone else gets fatigues and a suit of bulky space armor), a helmet with a
cool integrated radio, camera, and HUD display, a side-arm, a combat knife, a primary weapon
(Gunners get something huge and overpowered, like Techno-Machine Guns, Pilots get a
carbine, snipers have a heavy railgun with a scope, and everyone else gets a space assault rifle
with an underslung grenade launcher.), equipment to fulfil your role (Specialists get a Portable
Data-Terminal, Scouts get a Scanner, Medics a Medkit, Techs a Tool Kit, Pilots their vehicle,
Sergeants a Long Range Comlink with a direct line to the CO), and one piece of iconic personal
gear to round off the character.

Player Goal​: Get your characters into the heart of action and make the best of it!
Character goal:​ Choose one or create your own: ​Become an Officer​, ​Survive your
Enlistment​, ​Stay out of Prison​, ​See the Galaxy​, ​Blow Stuff Up​, ​Get Laid​, or ​Be an Ultimate
Badass​ (you have nothing to prove).

PLAYERS: CREATE YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER

As a group, pick two strengths for your CO: ​Officer and a Gentleman​, ​Father to his Men​,
Expert Tactician​, ​Logistician​, ​Master of Misdirection​, ​Well Informed​, ​Luck of the Devil​.

Also, pick one problem: ​Butter Bars​ (he is as green as grass), ​Dangerously Aggressive​ (You
often find yourself throw into dangerous situations), ​Last In Line for a Refit​ (your equipment is
worn out and prone to failure), ​Shady SOB​ (his bad reputation follows you).

ROLLING THE DICE

When you do something risky, roll ​1d6 t​ o find out how it goes. Roll ​+1d​ if you’re prepared and
+1d​ if you’re an expert. (The GM tells you how many dice to roll, based on your character and
the situation.) ​Roll your dice and compare each die result to your number.

▼If you’re using ​Ultimate ​(knowledge, reason), you want to roll ​under ​your number.

▲If you’re using ​Badass​, (charm, instinct) you want to roll ​over ​your number.

0) If none of your dice succeed​, it goes wrong. The GM says how things get worse somehow.

1) If one die succeeds,​ you barely manage it. The GM inflicts a complication, harm, or cost.

2) If two dice succeed,​ you do it well. Good job!

3) If three dice succeed, ​you get a critical success! The GM tells you some extra effect you
get.

!) If you roll your number exactly​, you are an ​ULTIMATE BADASS​. You get a special insight
into what’s going on. Ask the GM a question and they’ll answer you honestly. If you want to, you
can change your action based on the answer, then roll again.

Here are some good questions: ​What are they really feeling? Who’s behind this? How could I
get them to _____? What should I be on the lookout for? What’s the best way to _____? What’s
really going on here?

HELPING​: If you want to help someone else who’s rolling, say how you try to help and make a
roll. If you succeed, give them +1d.

GM: CREATE A BADASS ADVENTURE

Roll on the table below or Choose.

A Threat
1) Bugs
2) Hostile Aliens
3) Annoying Natives
4) Corrupt Corporate Executives
5) Pirates/Terrorists/Criminals/Rebels
6) Space Commies

Want to
1) Destroy/Corrupt/Hunt
2) Steal/Capture
3) Bond with/Infest
4) Protect/Empower
5) Build/Produce
6) Pacify/Occupy

The...
1) Bug Queen
2) Space Colony
3) Corporate Black Site
4) Mysterious Deralict
5) Primitive World
6) Alien Artifact

Which Will...
1) Make them Rich/Powerful/Influential (at everyone else’s expense).
2) Endanger the Earth.
3) Destroy/Enslave/Infest the Thing.
4) Start a War/Invasion/Infestation.
5) Harm Corporate profit margins.
6) That information’s outside your paygrade, soldier!

GM: RUN THE GAME

Play to find out how they defeat the threat. Introduce the threat by showing evidence of its
recent badness. Before a threat does something to the characters, show signs that it’s about to
happen, then ask them what they do. ​“The bug hisses menacingly and extends its secondary
jaws. What do you do?” “The pretentious natives ignore your request and start waxing on about
their goddess in a patronizing manner. What do you do?” “Mary-Anne offers you a beer and
runs her finger down your armor. What do you do?”
Call for a roll when the situation is uncertain. Don’t pre-plan outcomes—let the chips fall where
they may. Use failures to push the action forward. The situation always changes after a roll, for
good or ill.

Ask questions and build on the answers. ​“Have any of you encountered an Alien Hunter before?
Where? What happened?”