How will we play?

1. Start session
2. Choose mission
3. Discuss plan
4. Start mission
5. End mission
6. Downtime
7. End session

At the beginning of each session, we will review the overview of the previous session and the mission roster. One
player chooses from the available missions in the name of the Commander. At this point, there is an open
discussion about what information is available about each mission. The mission roster is created and updated by
the GM.

Before mission deployment, we discuss a high-level plan. This plan has only two components:

- Approach: For example, we plan a sneak attack from the sewers.

- Win conditions: For example, we consider the mission successful, if we neutralize a bomb and make it
out alive.

There is no need to overdetail this step, because all details and holes in the plan can be improvised on the go
with the flashback mechanism.

When we have a high-level plan, we start the mission in medias res, right in the action. We have one basic
fortune roll to see how relaxed or dangerous the starting situation is.

During the mission, we go scene by scene, until we fulfill the win conditions or we fail. Once the win conditions are
reached, or failure is certain, we cut to the end immediately.

Note: If we become bored or annoyed with the mission in the middle, we can resolve the
outcome with a fortune roll, and narrate the details on a high level.

After the mission, we roleplay downtime.

Each step is meant to be infused with free play. During free play, we can roleplay any scene that comes into
mind. Make sure trigger free play any time you like.
Rolling the Dice
We roll a number of d6s in this game. The highest rolled number determines the outcome of the roll:

1-2 Bad outcome.

3-4 Acceptable outcome.
5-6 Perfect outcome.

If you roll double 6s, the outcome is even better than perfect. If you would roll with 0 dice for some reason, roll two
d6s and take the lower number.

ROLL TYPES

All roll types are based on the general idea described in the previous section. The following roll types are used:

- FORTUNE ROLL Used to randomize details, or when there is no immediate threat to the characters. No
special rules.

- SKILL ROLL: Used to determine the outcome of character actions. These rolls are based on character
skills. Based on the outcome, positive or negative elements can be inserted into the game situation.

- SAVE ROLL:
Used to avoid or reduce the effect of negative elements in the fiction, for example an injury. Saves are
always successful, but they can only be made if the character has enough resources. The roll is made to
see how much of the resources are used up by the save.

Note: You do not roll to avoid bullshit. Please, do not hesitate to call out unreasonable game elements
right there at the table.

HOW DO WE USE SKILLS?

Skill rolls are more complex than other rolls. They have the following flow:

1. Set goal
2. Choose skill
3. Determine EFFECT
4. Roll
5. Choose outcome
6. Describe

Skill rolls are made to check if the character can reach the goal set by the player. The goal must be specified
explicitly before the roll is made, to determine the criteria for success.

After the goal is set, the player chooses how the character approaches the situation. This means that the player
chooses a skill, if more than one can be applied.
Based on the situation, the goal and the approach, the GM influences skill rolls by setting an EFFECT level as
follows:

- Limited: You can only achieve part of your goal with one roll.
- Full: You can achieve your goal with one roll.
- Great: You can achieve your goal plus extra benefit with one roll.

When EFFECT level is determined, it is an open discussion at the table with input from everyone.

Skill rolls are designed to create ongoing tension in gameplay. For this reason, the basic roll outcomes are
modified as follows:

1-2 Choose one:

- You fail and suffer all
consequences.
- You succeed at great cost.
3-4 Choose one:
- You fail and suffer minor
consequences.
- You succeed at a cost.
5-6 You succeed.

How can I get extra dice or higher effect?

You can bargain for an extra dice or higher EFFECT if you provide extra detail for your action or if you willingly
take a cost. For example, simply attacking might have limited effect, while recklessly attacking might have full
effect. You choose the type of bonus that you want, but you cannot bargain for both for the same roll.

HOW DO I SAVE?

Save rolls are used to avoid or reduce negative game elements, for example costs and consequences. You can
save yourself, or protect someone or something else with a save roll as well. Generally, you roll save for each
negative game element you want to avoid separately.

Note: Save rolls represent actions taken by a character to avoid danger. If the character cannot
take a certain action, you cannot roll.

Saves use up a special character resource: STRESS. The baseline cost of a save is 6 stress. You reduce this
baseline cost with the highest number you roll. For example, if you roll a 6, then your save costs 0 STRESS. If
you roll double 6s, you clear 1 STRESS.

Whether a negative game element can be avoided entirely or reduced is an open discussion at the table with
input from everyone.
Stress
STRESS is a resource that starts at 0 and generally maxes out at 8. You fill up your STRESS counter as you
spend character resources. Once you max out, you cannot spend more resources until you reduce the counter.
You can reduce your counter during downtime, or with special abilities.

You can choose to roleplay your stress, but it is not a requirement. Some people do not show how stressed they
are.

You can spend STRESS on the following benefits:

- PUSH: The character can push themselves for increased EFFECT or 1 extra die. You get only one of
these bonuses. PUSH costs 2 STRESS.
- TEAMWORK: You can give another character +1 die. This costs 1 STRESS.
- FLASHBACK: You can trigger a flashback. This costs 0, 1 or 2 STRESS, based on the flashback.
- SAVE: Save rolls have a baseline cost of 6 STRESS, minus the highest number rolled. For more
information, see Save rolls.
- LAUGH IN DEATH’S FACE: You can act without assistance at level 3 harm. This costs 2 STRESS for
the remainder of the mission.
Harm
Harm is a resource that shows the mental and physical well-being of a character. It is tracked in a table.

Harm has three levels that are separated into a number of slots as shown in the table below. The levels show the
severity of the harm. The slots are used to distinguish injuries that are relatively on the same level. Level 1 and
level 2 have two slots, while level 3 has only one.

Level 1 harm means minor injuries or discomfort, level two is a serious injury or trauma, while level 3 is
debilitating. At level 3 harm, the character can only act and move if other characters provide assistance.

Level 3:
You need
assistance.
Level 2:
-1d
Level 1:
Reduced
effect.

If you have any harm in a slot at a given level, you suffer the penalty of that level. The penalty does not double if
you have both slots filled. The slots are used to describe the nature of the harm.

If you would suffer harm at a certain level, but all the slots are filled, then the severity of the harm increases to the
next level. If you would reach level 4 harm, the character dies.

The severity of an injury, that is the level of harm, depends on the situation. For example a punch from an angry
citizen might only cause 1 level of harm, while the katana strike of a Cerberus Phantom might start at level 3, or
even level 4.

How can I Avoid or Reduce Harm?

You can roll save as normal. Whether you avoid harm entirely or only reduce it depends on the situation and it is
an open discussion.

Shield has one use that replenishes between combat. You can spend your shield to reduce the level of injuries by
one.

How can I heal?

Your character heals during downtime. All level 1 harm heals automatically. Higher level harm needs treatment
and active rest, that is represented by downtime activities. For more information, see downtime.
Downtime
Between missions, the characters rest and spend time pursuing personal activities. The following effects are
applied automatically:

- Heal all level 1 harm

- Reduce stress by 2
- Replace all standard items

At the start of downtime, you can choose to withdraw from action temporarily. In this case, the character spends
the next downtime and mission phase resting. This is a good opportunity to try a new character, take on GM-ing
for one session, or to skip a game session entirely. By the next time you play this character, all their harm is
healed and STRESS is reset to 0.

Aside from automatic effects, each character has 2 downtime activities that can be spent on the following options:

Acquire Asset

Obtain any kind of resource from a new weapon to a social contact. The acquired asset must make sense in the
fiction. For example, you can acquire a better rifle, but you can only acquire a SPECTRE-level rifle through very
influential contacts.

If the quality of the asset needs to be randomized, roll fortune.

Blow off Stress

Reduce stress by two.

Personal Project

You can set any kind of goal that needs long-term effort, and create a counter based on the complexity of the
project.

Each time you spend time working on your project, raise the counter by 1 segment. Once the counter is raised to
its maximum, you reach your goal.

Recuperate

Heal one slot of harm.

Skills
Skills are used actively to solve problems in gameplay. All skills have a rank that ranges between 0-3. You can
allocate 7 ranks among skills at character creation.

Each skill is listed under a save.

INTELLECT BODY WILL

Engineer: Combat: Attune:
Hack: Maneuver: Command:
Study: Sneak: Persuade:

Intellect, Body and Will are only used with save rolls. You do not assign ranks on these. They are the sum of
each skill that is greater than 0, plus any additional bonuses.

Example: Under Intellect, your character has Hack 0, Engineer 2 and Study 1. Intellect equals
2. After a few sessions you upgrade Study to 2. Intellect still equals 2. Much later, you upgrade
Hack to 1. Now Intellect equals 3.

INTELLECT

Engineer: Roll tinker when you solve a problem with an engineering solution, for example you modify, repair or
sabotage something.

Hack: Roll hack when you solve a problem by interacting with computers, for example you reprogram a system, a
drone or jam technology.

Study: Roll study when you solve a problem with careful analysis, for example you research a person, analyze an
item or a situation.

BODY

Combat: Roll combat when you solve a problem with direct violance, ranged or close quarter and the opponent
fights back.

Maneuver: Roll maneuver when you solve a problem with skillful positinoing or moving through an environment,
for example flanking an enemy or running cover to cover.

Sneak: Roll sneak when you solve a problem with stealth, sneak attacks, sniper shots or moving unseen.
WILL

Attune: Roll attune when you solve a problem with instinct, for example detecting a lie or a trap. Adepts use
Attune to deploy mass effect fields.

Command: Roll command when you solve a problem with the force of your personality, intimidate, inspire, or
lead your troops.

Persuade: Roll persuade when you solve a problem with diplomacy, charm, logic or bluffing, or you influence
someone’s opinion.

Using Skills

In any given situation, more than one skill can be applicable. For example, an encounter with a mercenary group
could be solved with both Combat and Persuade, or anything that looks valid.

Some skills are more effective in one situation than the other. This affects the EFFECT of the skill roll.

Sometimes a skill cannot be applied effectively until a certain change in the situation. For example, maybe you
first have to flank an enemy with Maneuver, then after that you can win the fight with Combat.

ABILITIES

Abilities are special rulesets that are only available for a specific class initially. All characters start play with an
initial ability, and one advancement that is chosen freely.

ADVANCEMENT

Each time a character advances, you can increase a skill rating by one, or select an additional ability. Characters
advance once after each of the following milestones:

- The first special mission.

- The second special mission.
- The character’s loyalty mission.
- A near death experience.

Also, you can advance any time you feel the character has gone through significant character development. For
example a cynic regains faith in humanity, a coward starts to act bravely, the character falls in love, etc.
Character Creation
1. Pick a class.
2. Allocate 7 skill ranks.
3. Choose an advancement.
4. Determine the character’s origin.
5. Determine whether the character is paragon, renegade, or shifting.
6. Name the character.

The following classes are available:

1. Adept
2. Engineer
3. Infiltrator
4. Officer
5. Soldier
6. Rookie
Adept
EXAMPLE STARTING SKILLS

INTELLECT: 1 BODY: 2 WILL: 2

Engineer: Combat 1/3 Attune: 2/3
Hack: Maneuver: 2/3 Command:
Study: 1/3 Infiltrate Persuade: 1/3

INITIAL ABILITY

Bitoics: You can roll Attune to sense gravitational anomalies, other biotics and to create non-lethal mass effect
fields.

ADVANCEMENTS

Kinetics: You can PUSH to do one of the following:

1. Levitate.
2. Move instantaneously with biotic charge.
3. Pull or throw an object no bigger than a human.

Biotic combat: You imbue your attacks with biotics. Your punches crack armor and your ammo cuts through
biotic barriers. All your attacks have increased effect.

You can PUSH to give biotic ammo to your squadmates for one battle.

Barrier: You can insantaneously block incoming harm with biotic barriers. Roll resist with WILL. You can PUSH
on this resist roll to do one of the following:

1. Block level 4 harm, e.g. explosion, attacking thresher maw, crashing aircraft.
2. Extend the barrier to others.

Warp: You can roll Attune to cause ranged, direct damage to anyone or an area with your biotics.

Extra reserves: Your maximum STRESS capacity is raised from 8 to 10. You can only take this advancement
after the first special mission.

Veteran: You can choose an ability from another class. You can only take this advancement after the first special
mission.
Engineer
EXAMPLE STARTING SKILLS

INTELLECT: 2 BODY: 2 WILL: 2

Engineer: 2/3 Combat: Attune: 1/3
Hack: Maneuver: 1/3 Command: 1/3
Study: 1/3 Infiltrate: 1/3 Persuade:

INITIAL ABILITY

Technical Expert: You get an extra downtime activity for technical projects.

ADVANCEMENTS

Hacker: You can PUSH to do one of the following:

1. Reprogram a synthetic instantaneously.

2. Deploy a drone.
3. Sabotage a system, weapon or synthetic.

Bunker Down: You can take time to deploy a powerful shield around a location. When you, or your squad uses
this shield, roll save with INTELLECT. You can PUSH on this save roll to do one of the following:

1. Block level 4 harm, e.g. explosion, attacking thresher maw, crashing aircraft.
2. Keep synthetics from entering an area.

Tech combat: You imbue your attacks with technology. Your attacks stun enemies and have increased effect
against synthetics.

You can PUSH to give disruptor ammo to your squadmates for one battle.

Overload: You can roll Engineer to cause ranged, direct damage to anyone or an area with an electric shock.

Extra reserves: Your maximum STRESS capacity is raised from 8 to 10. You can only take this advancement
after the first special mission.

Veteran: You can choose an ability from another class. You can only take this advancement after the first special
mission.
Infiltrator
EXAMPLE STARTING SKILLS

INTELLECT: 2 BODY: 2 WILL: 2

Engineer: Combat: Attune: 1/3
Hack: 1/3 Maneuver: 1/3 Command:
Study: 1/3 Infiltrate: 2/3 Persuade: 1/3

INITIAL ABILITY

Tactical cloak: You can roll save with BODY to escape a situation by turning invisible.

ADVANCEMENTS

Ambush: You have a trick up your sleeve for every confrontation. You get a free flashback for setting up a trap or
for gathering information.

Assassin: You specialize in stealth attacks. You take +1d on rolls against vulnerable targets. Whenever you
gather information on weakness or vulnerability, your degree of success is one level higher.

Sniper: You can PUSH to do one of the following:

1) Make a ranged attack at extreme distance but still with incredible accuracy.
2) One-shot any vulnerable enemy.
3) Remain hidden after making a shot.

Tenacious: Penalties for harm are one less severe for you (though level 4 is still fatal).

Extra reserves: Your maximum STRESS capacity is raised from 8 to 10. You can only take this advancement
after the first special mission.

Veteran: You can choose an ability from another class. You can only take this advancement after the first special
mission.
Officer
EXAMPLE STARTING SKILLS

INTELLECT: 1 BODY: 3 WILL: 2

Engineer: Combat: 1/3 Attune:
Hack: Maneuver: 1/3 Command: 2/3
Study: 1/3 Sneak: 1/3 Persuade: 1/3

INITIAL ABILITY

Lead by Example: You can lead a group action. When you do so, all the characters in the squad roll the same
skill under your leadership. The highest number rolled determines the outcome of the action. For each character
that fails the roll, you suffer 1 STRESS.

ADVANCEMENTS

Aura of Respectability: You can PUSH to negate strong feelings in a social interaction.

Peptalk: When you provide meaningful feedback or inspiration to a squad mate, you both clear 1 STRESS. This
effect only occurs once per session for each squadmate.

Bodyguard: When you protect a squadmate, gain +1d to your save roll. If you roll double 6s, clear all STRESS.

Sentinel: You can PUSH to do one of the following:

1. Deploy a tech armor that can be spent like an extra shield, or as an area attack centered around you.
2. Deploy a drone.
3. Enable all your squadmates to ignore level 3 harm for a battle..

Extra reserves: Your maximum STRESS capacity is raised from 8 to 10. You can only take this advancement
after the first special mission.

Veteran: You can choose an ability from another class. You can only take this advancement after the first special
mission.
Soldier
EXAMPLE STARTING SKILLS

INTELLECT: 0 BODY: 3 WILL: 2

Engineer: Combat: 2/3 Attune: 1/3
Hack: Maneuver: 2/3 Command: 1/3
Study: Sneak: 1/3 Persuade:

INITIAL ABILITY

Adrenaline Rush: You can PUSH to do one of the following:

1. Engage a group of enemies on equal footing.

2. Ignore all harm penalties for one battle.
3. Perform a physical feat that verges on the superhuman.

ADVANCEMENTS

Aura of competence: You have an air of confidence many others lack. You get increased EFFECT when you
intimidate someone, or when you are persuading someone that they can rely on you.

Flesh Wounds: The first time you would suffer level 4 harm in a mission, reduce it to level 1.

Ready for Anything: You are not vulnerable against hidden enemies. When being ambushed, your first
flashback costs 0 STRESS.

Sole Surivor: You can PUSH to reduce harm by 1 level.

Extra reserves: Your maximum STRESS capacity is raised from 8 to 10. You can only take this advancement
after the first special mission.

Veteran: You can choose an ability from another class. You can only take this advancement after the first special
mission.
Rookie
EXAMPLE STARTING SKILLS

INTELLECT: 1 BODY: 3 WILL: 2

Engineer: 1/3 Combat: 1/3 Attune: 1/3
Hack: Maneuver: 2/3 Command:
Study: Sneak: 1/3 Persuade: 1/3

ABILITIES

Choose one:

Devil’s Luck: You gain +1 to all save rolls.

Hidden Gem: Choose two rank 0 skills at character creation and raise them to rank 1.

Homesickness: If a mission takes you to an alien, inhospitable world, talk to your squad about your home and
what you left behind. Everyone who partakes clears 1 STRESS, including you.

Just a Kid: The first time a squadmate protects you from certain death, both you and the other character
advance.

ADVANCEMENT

Not a Rookie Anymore: You are promoted to be a specialist. Your class is changed, but you retain your skill
ranks and original rookie ability. You must take this advancement the first time you advance.
Commander
The Commander is a superior specialist, but generally does not join the action.

The rules for player characters do not apply for the Commander. All uncertainties are resolved with fortune rolls.

The Commander’s abilities provide bonuses to the entire crew. Select one ability at character creation, then one
additional after each of the following milestones:

- The first special mission

- The second special mission
- Significant character development. For example a cynic regains faith in humanity, a coward starts to act
bravely, the character falls in love, etc.

COMMANDER ABILITIES

Caretaker: During each downtime, one character heals one slot of harm for free. This represents treatment
personally from the Commander.

Good listener: Character who spend time bonding with the Commander in downtime, reduces STRESS by 1.

Personal training: All specialists gain 1 extra skill rank after special training from the Commander.

Special attention: The characters can have one extra loyalty mission.