DAVID SOMERVILLE’S

NEVER TELL ME THE

ODDS A SPACE-SCOUNDREL RPG

ABOUT RISKING IT ALL

THE SPACE-SCOUNDREL RPG ABOUT RISKING IT ALL / 1

THE RPG YOU HOLD
IN YOUR HANDS IS
AN EARLY PLAYTEST
VERSION.
FOR THE FULL
GAME, INCLUDING
A DEEPER RULESET,
GUIDELINES FOR
SPECIES, SPECIALTIES,
LOCATIONS,
CREATURES, AND
ADVENTURE-BUILDING
TOOLS, RICH FACTION
BACKGROUNDS, AND
MUCH MORE, PLEASE
CHECK OUT OUR
KICKSTARTER.
THANK YOU FOR
TRYING OUT NEVER
TELL ME THE ODDS.
2 / NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS
HAVE FUN,
AND GOOD LUCK
OUT THERE!
(YOU’RE GONNA
NEED IT.)

THE SPACE-SCOUNDREL RPG ABOUT RISKING IT ALL / 3

Never Tell Me The Odds (NTMO): Copyright
© 2018, David Somerville. All rights reserved.

Playtesters:
Bryan Scott, Scott Somerville, Jeremy D. Klein-
hans, Jared Williams, Rachel Williams, Justin
Marshall, Zac Wilson, Gary Mayes, Andrew McCully,
Andrei Pricope

Changelog:
0.3.1 Updated ruleset with clarifications, added
“Stories in NTMO”, added player input to “Start-
ing the Game.”
0.3.0 Updated character sheet, limiting each
category to 1 item each.
0.2.0 Updated character sheet, limiting high-
risk to 1 item each and moderate-risk to 2 items
each. Reduced adding new items to sheet to 1x
per game.
0.1.1 Added endangerment mechanic and risking
lives. Clarified adding new items to sheet and
limited to 3x per game.
0.1.0 Drafted original game.
YOU ARE A SPACEFARING
SCOUNDREL.
YOU’VE BLASTED, CHEATED, SWINDLED,
DOUBLE-CROSSED, CHARMED, & LIGHT-
JUMPED YOUR WAY ACROSS HALF THE GALAXY.
BUT NOW, YOU’VE MADE SOME BAD DECISIONS
& GOTTEN INTO SOME REAL TROUBLE. THE ONE THING
IN ALL THE UNIVERSE THAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT IS IN TERRIBLE
DANGER, & IT MIGHT REQUIRE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TO KEEP IT SAFE.
ARE YOU DESPERATE ENOUGH TO RISK EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAVE WHAT MATTERS MOST?

INTRODUCTION STORIES IN NTMO

Never Tell Me the Odds (NTMO) is a fast tabletop
roleplaying game about risking everything to
keep what matters most. In NTMO, you take
on the role of a spacefaring scoundrel. You’ve
gotten into some trouble, and it’s going to take a
lot of stone-cold risk-taking to rescue what you
really care about.
NTMO can be played with one person taking on
the role of risk moderator (RM) and one or more
players taking on the roles of player characters
(PCs). All you need is a character sheet for each
PC, a die of any kind (or a coin), some pencils or
pens, and a little time.
NTMO is designed to be a fast-playing sci-fi
adventure story, full of desperate and hilari-
ous risks and rewards. Think of Han Solo rely-
ing on a hyperdrive that keeps shorting out,
Starbuck going all in when she really shouldn’t,
or Mal Reynold’s last-ditch gambits never quite
paying off. The swaggering space-scoundrels of
NTMO might value the wrong things, but they’re
sincere in their pursuit of them, no matter how
much bravado they hide behind.
A game of NTMO is usually filled with laughter
and pathos as your scoundrels make bigger and
bigger bets, going up against higher and higher
stakes, all in pursuit of saving whatever matters
most to them.
RISKS & EVEN ODDS
Like most tabletop roleplaying games, in NTMO
the RM and PCs work together to tell a story.
The RM will introduce the story and ask the PCs
how they want to respond to a given situation.
Many choices the PCs make can just happen (For
example: “I walk across the room,” or “I
lock the door behind me”), but sometimes,
something a PC will want to do is risky.
In that case, the PC will have to choose what
they’re willing to risk. The character sheet will
show what the PC has to risk, and how valu-
able it is to them. Once the player chooses what
they’ll risk, they roll a die. If the result is even,
they succeed! If the result is odd, they fail.
This can also be done by flipping a coin, with
heads as “even” and tails as “odd.” Failure and
success may mean different things in different
circumstances, but it’s safe to say succeeding is
(almost) always better than failing. Because if
you fail, depending on what’s happening, there’s
a very good chance that you might lose what-
ever it was you just risked. The chance of evens
or odds is always 50/50… it’s what you’re willing
to risk that makes the challenge exciting.
BUILDING CHARACTERS
The character sheet in NTMO is very simple.
A blank sheet is found on the last page of this
document. Simply fill in the slots on the left side
of the sheet with what matters most to your
character, from most (under “high risk”) to least
(under “low risk”). The categories are:
• POSSESSION: What you have
• BELIEF: What you stand for
• RELATIONSHIP: Who you care about
• RESOURCE: What you know
• APPEARANCE: How you look
• REPUTATION: How you act
Then, on the right side of the sheet, write 1 entry
for each category, from most important to least.
6 / NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS
Some ideas to get you started:
• POSSESSIONS: Laser gun, Spaceship, Lucky
dice, Personal communicator, Fake I.D.,
Medical kit, Navy uniform, Translator,
Spacesuit, Tracking device, Robot side-
kick, etc.
• BELIEFS: “I’m the luckiest idiot in the
galaxy” “Honor gets you killed” “You
always gotta repay your debts” “Don’t
be a hero” “Just because you’re para-
noid doesn’t mean they’re not out to
get you” etc.
• RELATIONSHIPS: Partner, Parent, Sibling,
Ex, Friend, Crush, Roommate, Classmate,
Mentor, Student, Colleague, Employer,
Neighbor, Ally, etc.
• RESOURCES: Secret bank account, An old
favor, Blackmail material, Stolen data,
Book of card tricks, Criminal contact,
Corrupt official, etc.
• APPEARANCES: Athletic, Gorgeous, Nimble,
Intimidating, Built Like a Brick House,
Incredibly Tall, Inconspicuous, Well-
Groomed, etc.
• REPUTATIONS: Best pilot in the galaxy,
Best gambler you’ve ever seen, A
perfect shot, The ultimate charmer,
Someone you wouldn’t want to mess
with, etc.
By the end of this, you’ll have 6 items on the
right, one for each category. Now pick a name
and jot down a quick description of your PC, and
you’re ready to play!
LEVELS OF RISK
Now that you know what you have to risk,
you’ll see that it’s broken into three levels—”low
risk,” “moderate risk,” and “high risk.” When
your RM calls for you to risk something, she
should tell you what level of risk you’re dealing
with. Like this:
RM: “Okay, it’s time to negotiate with
the crime boss. It’s a good thing he
likes you, or this would be REALLY diffi-
cult. As it is, it looks like a moderate
risk to make a good impression.”
You may then risk something from your charac-
ter sheet. To do so, you and the RM must agree
that the thing you’re risking makes sense for the
situation. (For example, it’s easy to see
how you could risk damage to your ship
to avoid enemy gunfire, but it’s hard to
see how you could risk your relationship
with your wife to heal a broken arm. But
if you can figure that out, and your RM
agrees, go for it!)
There are three ways to handle a risk:
=
MATCH: When you match the risk, you
risk something from the same risk level
on your sheet. (For example, the RM
says it’s a moderate risk to impress
the crime boss, and your reputation as
a gambler is in the moderate risk slot
on your character sheet. You risk your
reputation as a gambler to match the
risk.) Then you roll the die.
• Even: You SUCCEED in your attempt and KEEP
what you risked.
• Odd: You FAIL in your attempt and ENDANGER
what you risked.
– GO UNDER: When you go under the risk,
you risk something from a lower level
on your sheet. (For example, the RM
calls for a moderate risk, but you risk
something from a low risk slot.) Then you
roll the die. NOTE: If you go under, you’ll always
endanger or lose what you risk.
• Even: You SUCCEED in your attempt but
ENDANGER what you risked.
• Failure: You FAIL in your attempt, and LOSE
what you risked.
+ GO OVER: When you go over the risk,
you risk something from a higher level
on your sheet. (For example, the RM
calls for a moderate risk, but you risk
something from a high risk slot.) Then
you roll the die. Note: If you go over, you’ll always
succeed in your attempt.
• Even: You SUCCEED in your attempt and KEEP
what you risked.
• Odd: You still SUCCEED in your attempt, but
ENDANGER what you risked.
You can choose to risk your life, or another PC’s
life. This always counts as going over (even
versus a high risk!)
ENDANGERMENT
When something you risk is endangered, it is
narratively harmed, compromised, or put in
harm’s way. (For example, endangering a
relationship might mean that you get
in a fight with the person you care
about. Endangering a possession might
mean that it develops a crack or a tear
or is grabbed by an enemy. Endanger-
ing a body part might mean a temporary
strain or injury.)
When something is endangered, put a mark in
the circle next to it on your character sheet. If
your life is endangered by yourself or by another
PC, put a mark in the circle by your name.
If something is endangered and risked again,
and the check is failed, the endangered item is
lost or destroyed permanently.
To undo endangerment, a PC must risk some-
thing else. (For example, if you are
attempting to fix another PC’s broken
arm, you might risk your belief that
“I only look out for myself.” If you
succeed, you keep your belief and the
PC’s arm is out of danger. But if you
fail, the endangerment of the first item
THE SPACE-SCOUNDREL RPG ABOUT RISKING IT ALL / 7
remains, and whatever you risked is now
endangered—or lost altogether.)
If your life is endangered, it works the same way.
The next time your life is risked, and the check
is failed, you die. (Time to start filling out a new
character sheet!)
NEW VALUES
A PC might risk a lot to gain something new.
Once per session, a PC can replace something
they’ve risked and lost with whatever it is
they’ve gained. From that point on, they can risk
the new item like anything else. (For exam-
ple, if Drake risked and lost a lot of
money to gain a secret password, Drake’s
player, could cross out “a lot of money”
and write in “a secret password”.)
COMBAT
There are no health points, attack values, or
special rules in NTMO for combat. If you get into
a scrap (which, let’s be honest, happens pretty
often), use risks & rolls as usual. Depending on
how tough the RM wants an opponent to be, it
might take a few checks to take them down—but
remember, once your life is endangered, if it’s
endangered or lost, you’re dead. Good luck!
8 / NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS
STARTING THE GAME
To start the game, set up a scenario where what
every PC values most is at risk. Have each mark
their most-valued thing as endangered.
Here’s how you do it: Gather all the players
together, and have each explain how what they
value most became endangered. Work together
to weave these stories into a single big problem
that you can solve as a team.
For example, Cal’s most valued thing is
his reputation as a smuggler. Sona most
valued thing is her belief that good
triumphs over evil. HU-3’s most valued
thing is its trusty gun. Vakesh’s most
valued thing is his relationship with
his old mentor.
The adventure might begin as Cal is
smuggling Sona, HU-3, and Vakesh
through a blockade of Iron Imperium
ships. Sona knows that the Iron Impe-
rium is about to crush her beloved
Alliance of Revolt unless she gets
through valuable information. HU-3 is
nervous, because the Iron Imperium has
outlawed weapons like its trusty gun,
and Imperium troops will confiscate and
destroy it on sight. As for Vakesh, he’s
afraid to disappoint his mentor, who
ordered him to help Sona, no matter what
the cost.
The scenario is entirely up to you, but the point
is that what matters most to each PC is exactly
what’s most at risk. Where the game goes from
there depends on your choices and the roll of the
dice… but you could say you’ve won the game
when the thing they care most about is safe.
THE SPACE-SCOUNDREL RPG ABOUT RISKING IT ALL / 9
FACTIONS
A few quick factions to get the game started. You
can use the ideas in these sections to generate
ideas, or take your game in an entirely different
direction. A game might involve just one of these
factions, or pit one or more of these against each
other. It’s all up to you!
• GOOD SOCIETY: The rich and influential, with all
their lace and satin and fine jewels.
LOCATIONS
It can be fun to start the game in low-risk
locations and increase the drama as the PCs
move through space into increasingly high-
risk locations
• LOW-RISK LOCATIONS: Desert farm, Hidden
base, Well-run capital ship, Luxury
space station, Garden planet, Mentor’s
cave, etc.

• HYPERVIKINGS: Star pirates, who swoop in • MODERATE-RISK LOCATIONS: Trash compac-

from nowhere and raid unsuspecting ships.
• THE ORDER OF THE STARS: A secretive religious
faction that safeguards ancient knowledge
and—some say—actual magic.
• SPACE-NIHILISTS: They believe in NOTHING.
• THE GALACTIC CONGRESS: Politicians… in
spaaaace!
tor, Desert canyon, Icy cliff, Seedy bar,
Grimy alley, Alien swamp, Base under
attack, etc.
• HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS: Asteroid belt,
Arch-nemesis’ ship, Dogfight, Volcano
planet, Monster’s stomach, Mob boss’s
fortress, Execution chamber, etc.

• THE IRON IMPERIUM: An militant empire that

some might call evil.

• THE MERCHANT’S LEAGUE: A federation, orga-

nized for trade, if you will.

• THE SLIME MOB: A seedy criminal underground

run by giant alien slugs.

• SCI-TECH INCORPORATED: A massive galactic

corporation dedicated to the advancement
of science—at any cost.

• THE SPRAWN: An alien horde of flesh-destroy-

ing monsters.

• THE ALLIANCE OF REVOLT: A heroic union of

do-gooders who want to throw off oppres-
sive regimes.

• THE BLACKMAILERS UNION: A for-profit spy

network that sells compromising informa-
tion to the highest bidder.

10 / NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS

NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS
NAME
DESCRIPTION

HIGH RISK

MODERATE RISK

LOW RISK

EVEN
ODD
GO OVER Succeed and KEEP Succeed and ENDANGER

MATCH Succeed and KEEP Fail and ENDANGER

GO UNDER Succeed and ENDANGER Fail and LOSE