SPACE TRAIN

SPACE HEIST
A high-octane, single session, GM-less, Forged In The Dark, goof of a game for 3-5 players about space robbing a space train

Rocketing across the solar system at record-breaking speeds is the
Titanic Express, the fastest luxury Space Train ever created. You’ve
set your sights on this, its maiden voyage, as the perfect time for the
heist of the millennium. Gather your crew, figure out your target, and
hold on to your butts as you dive face-first into SPACE TRAIN SPACE
HEIST.
Theme Song: Endless Fantasy by Anamanaguchi
Blades in the Dark™ is a trademark of One Seven Design. The Forged
in the Dark Logo is © One Seven Design, and is used with permission.
This work is based on Blades in the Dark, product of One Seven De-
sign, developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for our
use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
This work is also itself licensed under the Creative Commons Attribu-
tion 3.0 Unported license.

Mood board: Steven Universe, Speed Racer, The Lego Movie, Rick & The dice icons used in tables were created by Magicon from the
Morty, Ocean’s 11, Celeste speed runs, Baby Driver, Mario Kart, Yakety Noun Project. The fonts used are Omnium and Quatro.
Sax, anything with neon dripping out its ears
If you have played FITD games before, check out page 16 for a quick
This game takes inspiration from many other RPGs, including: Scum list of ways this game is different.
and Villainy, Fiasco, Dream Askew, Fuck! It’s Dracula, Lady Blackbird,
HEIST

Designed by Sam Dunnewold. Artwork by Travis Tessmer.

Special thanks to and significant help from the Tuesday group: DBlock,
Willie GB, Travis T, and JStarr. This game is how we play.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
If you’re playing online, here’s a link for google sheets playbooks and rules reference:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l3iJ4BGNb0wk9K2DFBpKMP2_q5ZbYukF3SmB1CR6mJA/edit?usp=sharing

1. Mood board
2. This page
3. How to play
4. Action rolls
5. More rules, sorry
• Luck Dice
• Fool’s Bargains
• New train cars
• Ending the game
6. Table 1: Why are you heisting?
• Table 2: People
7. Table 3: Payloads
• Table 4: Train car contents
8. Playbook: Con Artiste
9. Playbook: Gadgeteer
10. Playbook: Hooligan
11. Playbook: Egghead
12. Playbook: Space Wizard
13. Playbook: Space Cowboy
14. Facilitating pt 1: settling in
15. Facilitating pt 2: extra advice
• Pacing & Tone
• Coming up with consequences
• Safety
• Zoom-ins
• Conflict between player characters
• Player character death
16. FAQ & Miscellanea
17. Appendix: bonus non-canon playbook
HOW TO PLAY
WATCH THE TRAILER
First, set the scene with the descriptive text on the cover page. Hold
a dramatic reading, and look over the mood board.
Next, decide what your Space Heist is rated. Lower than PG is unlikely.
PG-13 is typical. If everyone’s on board for R, have at it. Anyone can
add a short limiter to the rating such as “contains no sexual content”
or “contains light cartoon violence.” Once these content guardrails are
set, abide by them!
BUY IN
The following statements are not always true, but they are always
true while playing Space Train Space Heist. Before playing, go around
the circle, and take turns speaking these truths aloud. After each
statement is read, everyone should respond with “this I believe!”
1. It is right and good to be kind to my fellow players.
2. No game is more important than the comfort and safety of those
playing it.
3. You know what’s fun? Doing something absolutely heckin
lunk-headed in pursuit of a preposterously lofty goal.
4. You know what else is fun? Heaping well-deserved consequences
onto my friends after they’ve done something absolutely heckin
lunk-headed in pursuit of a preposterously lofty goal.
5. Those consequences? They’re gifts we wrap up and give to each
other. It is a joy to give or receive such a beautiful gift.
6. I fear neither the frying pan nor the fire!
7. HYAH!
Remember, the characters you are about to embody, PC and NPC
alike, will have only a few hours in which to shine. After that, they’ll
be nothing but sweet, delicious memories. They might succeed. They
might fail. Either way, burn fast, burn bright, and play to give us
something to remember them by.
START YOUR ENGINES
To play this game, answer the questions in the next column as a group,
in this order. Facilitator, answer any rules questions as they come up.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Who are you? Everyone grab a playbook and fill it out. When you
get to relationship to your left, stop. Go around once to introduce
your characters, then again to each agree with the person to your
left on your relationship with them.
2. What’s the payload you’re lookin to heist? Why are you stealing it?
And who are you stealing it from? These questions all inform each
other, so take them in whatever order you like. Use tables 1, 2, and
3 (reasons to heist, people, and payloads respectively) plus your
friends and rivals for inspiration.
3. What are the stakes of this heist for you? Business or personal?
Revenge, bravado, greed, loyalty, or love? Something else?
4. What are your luck die triggers? If you haven’t shared them with
each other yet, do so now. You might note the triggers of other
people that you might be able to help ping.
5. You’ve made it to two cars away from the payload! What danger
from the job so far has followed you, still nipping at your heels?
Everyone can add a detail about the job so far.
6. What are the contents of the train car you’ve just arrived at? If you
need inspiration, pick from or roll on table 3 (train car contents).
Then everyone add an extra detail about the room.
7. What NPC is inconveniently here in this car? Why and how are
they preventing you from leaving? Pick a friend or rival from one
of your playbooks, or choose from or roll on table 2 (people).
8. Besides that NPC, what physical obstruction is between you and
the door to the next car? Pick something substantial enough to
definitely require an action roll to overcome.
9. Have you gained any luck dice so far? If so, add them to the group’s
pool. Otherwise, make sure to keep a lookout.
10. Answer: “what do we do?” If the answer seems uncertain, make
an action roll to find out what happens.
ACTION ROLLS
When the group is confronted with trouble, ask
yourselves “what do we do?” If you answer, and
the fallout of your answer seems obvious, then it
just happens. Ask again: “what do we do?”
If anyone thinks the fallout is uncertain, then read
on, and let’s roll some dice!
State your goal: “what does
1 success look like?”
State your goal: is the point of talking to this guard
to get information? Or is it to distract them while
your buddy sneaks up behind? Pick just one goal!
Achieving a second goal requires a second roll.
Everyone else together decides what happens if
you succeed: will you achieve your goal entirely
or in part? If you’re alone against a dozen combat
droids, does success mean taking out just one? Or
are you cool enough to get them all in one go?
It’s usually right to break up big goals (“steal the
payload” probably isn’t a one-roll kinda thing), but
your characters are cool as heck! Occasionally let
them prove it!
If you don’t like what everyone else decides on
here, you can pick a different goal. Maybe instead
of taking out a droid or two, you could run them
all out of ammo.
Build your dice pool: “how Consequences: “what’s the
2 many dice are you rolling?” 4 worst that could happen?”
You’re going to grab a few six-sided dice before If you’re owed consequences, ask your fellow
you roll. But how many? READ ON: players “what’s the worst that could happen
here?” Fellow players, let them know. Don’t hold
+1d if you’ve described a cinematic detail of
back. But remember that if they rolled a 4-5, they
your action. What does it look like? Sound
did succeed at their goal. Any consequences
like? What’s the look on a spectator’s face?
(You decide if this applies.)
shouldn’t invalidate that.
Feel free to hand out consequences to NPCs or
+1d if you’re using your playbook’s favored
fellow crewmates. Sometimes the worst thing is
verb. (You decide if this applies.)
what happens to someone else.
+1d if you accept a Fool’s Bargain (FB for
Here’s a list of potential consequences to inspire:
short). A FB is a guaranteed consequence
that will come true regardless of how well
• An existing problem just got worse
you roll. Anyone else can offer you a FB.
• Something you thought was resolved is not
(Need an example? See the appendix.)
• Something helpful develops a drawback
• There’s trouble on the horizon
+1d if you spend one of the group’s luck
• Trouble on the horizon has ARRIVED
dice. (What’s a luck die? See next page.)
• Something breaks, is lost, or explodes
• Someone gets hurt
Shake them bones: “what’s the • Someone gets caught, or gets away
3 highest number rolled?”
• The Actor must make a hard choice
Maybe pick 2! Treat yourself. Consequences are
gifts you wrap up and give to each other. Enjoy
1-3 You failed at doing the thing. them. Savor them. Thank each other for them.
You succeeded at cost. You did the thing,
4-5 but with consequences.
5 Ask: “what do we do?”
You succeeded at doing the thing, full
6 stop. No consequences!
double You critically hit! Describe how you’ve
6s succeeded beyond your wildest dreams.
MORE RULES, SORRY
LUCK DICE
There’s no denying it: your crew are a lucky
bunch. You have a collective pool of luck dice
that live in the middle of the table. The group
starts with, let’s say, 2 luck dice.
On any roll, a player can take a luck die from
this pool as a bonus die. (It is spent forever.)
Each playbook has an ability that earns the
group more luck dice, so don’t be afraid to
run out!
FOOL’S BARGAINS
A Fool’s Bargain is a deal made between a
player making a roll and someone else. The
someone else offers a consequence. If the
roller accepts, they get +1d on the roll, and the
consequence automatically comes true on
top of other consequences, even if the roll is
a success.
If the roller has an idea for a Fool’s Bargain,
they can make the suggestion, but they can’t
take it unless someone else officially offers it.
Fool’s Bargains are great for adding action to
the game if everyone’s rolling well, or if you
just love trouble. You do love trouble, right?
Sometimes no one will think of a Bargain
worth offering. That’s fine! No pressure.
WHO PLAYS NPCS?
If you introduce an NPC, you’re responsible
for them until someone else has a good idea
for them or your character comes into con-
flict with them. At that point, hand them off
to someone else.
Corollary: share the love. Don’t be precious
with NPCs, and don’t hoard them. Let anyone
who wants a turn with someone take it.
NEW TRAIN CARS, AIRLOCKS, AND BREAKS
After a bit, you’ll find yourselves heading
through an airlock and into a new train car.
When you do, follow these steps (they should
sound familiar from the start of the game):
1. Pause to catch your breath. Check to see
if anyone needs a bio break (bathroom,
drink refill, run around the block, etc). If
anyone does, take that 5-15 minute break,
and resume when everyone’s returned.
2. Answer: What are the contents of the
new car you’ve just arrived at? Use table
3 (train car contents) for inspiration if you
like. Everyone adds one detail about the
contents of the car.
3. Choose whether this car contains a
daunting physical obstruction, an incon-
venient NPC or both.
4. If NPC, why and how are they preventing
you from moving forward? Pick a friend
or rival from one of your playbooks, or
choose from or roll on table 2 (people).
5. If daunting physical obstruction, make it
something substantial enough to require
an action roll to overcome.
6. What danger or dangers from the car you
just left have followed you here and are
nipping at your heels?
7. And of course: “what do we do?”
ROLL CREDITS
Eventually, things will start to wrap up. May-
be you’ll abscond with your payload, maybe
you’ll just be jettisoned into space, or maybe
something in between.
When the answer to “what do we do?” is
“give up the ghost” or “ride into the sunset,”
stop rolling dice. Everyone add a detail or two
about what happens in the aftermath.
This is a chance to pull yourself out of the fire,
climb out of the holes you’ve dug yourselves
into, and let your guard down. Give your
character the epilogue you want for them, or
at least the one they deserve!
REASONS & RIFFRAFF
Table 1: Why are you heisting? Roll two dice:
-or-
Someone’s blackmailing you
You have someone to impress
The payload is sentimental to you
As a training mission for your protege
To pay off that hard-ass bookie
To pay to buy the latest cool gadget
-or-
To pay off those student loans
They stole the only thing I ever loved
You’re getting paid very well to betray someone
It’s one last job so you can finally retire
You owe it to a higher authority
Your magical patron demands it
-or-
Sounds fun!
The payload is dangerous and must be contained!
There’s something you gotta make right
There’s someone you gotta protect
There’s somewhere you gotta get back to
Sheer spite
Table 2: People. Who’s in your way? Roll two dice:
-or-
Voxel Moonglitter, iconic pop star slash influencer
Slick Fastwheel, runner-up at last year’s Indy 5000
Hample Bigsworth, fashion designer slash anarchist
Victoria the Resplendent, infamous stage magician
Dunlap Figueroa, blaseball’s first ghost pitcher
Paul Transylvania, celebrity chef slash vampire
-or-
Sigmund Aquarius, space wizard in exile
ETHL, an aggressively attendant robot attendant
Francis Wilmer, train conductor, retires tomorrow
Ruthie Keenwhiskers, mayor of the rats on this train
Zelda Buckwild, zookeeper and TV personality
Lecter & Todd, attorneys at law, with the billboards
-or-
Edna Gadd, adequate ghost hunter
Goubt Claxon, thrill-seeking dragon
Julida & Cookie, argumentative two-headed giant
The Raven Man, legendary DJ and party planner
Jerry Jeckles of Jerry Jeckles’ Junkyard Jamboree
Any of the friends or rivals from your playbooks
TARGETS & TRAIN CARS
Table 3: Stuff. What’s the payload you’re after? Roll two dice:
-or-
Nighthawks 2: Red-Tail Rising, iconic art installation
The last living Zozo bird, highly allergic to humans
Exonerating (or incriminating) evidence
The prototype brain for the new ETHL-model AIs
The heart of a young romantic (Anchovy Brackish?)
The secret will of Queen Rohanna, Titan’s End
-or-
Ancient antiques, rightfully yours
A worthless little plastic airplane
Answers to some account’s three security questions
Next year’s crop of Time Particles, freshly harvested
The artificial leg of Zimmer Salisbury, a demon
A telepathic plant that blooms but once a century
-or-
A clutch of eldritch, oozing, close-to-hatching eggs
The Mazda R99-Q experimental racing space cruiser
A regular ol’ glass eye (maybe roll to find out whose?)
Just a bunch of money or gold or gems or whatever
The train itself, with or without the rest of its cargo
A person to kidnap or rescue (check Table 2)
Table 4: Train Car Contents. What’s in here? Roll two dice:
-or-
An abbeyful’s worth of spooky monks
A fully-operational waterpark
A bumpin’ roller derby
A restaurant, dive, or diner
The service class’s quarters
A cathedral of Escher staircases
-or-
A cargo hold full of stowaways
Several dozen defective combat droids
A whole sheath of occupied stasis pods
An in-progress foosball tournament
An in-progress wedding
A holiday celebration (Groundhog Day?)
-or-
A deafening rock concert or rave
A labyrinth of alarm-triggering laser sensors
Someone’s 75 meter-long pet glorp-worm
A greenhouse overgrown with curious vegetation
The employee break room, smelling of cigarettes
A big ol’ pile of explosives
CON ARTISTE People are mostly big blockheads. But you? You’re smart.
Smart enough to fool them, anyway. You’re a master plan-
ner, and an acteur for the ages. The Theatre is missing out.

Flavor Town Favored Verb Notes and Doodles!

PICK A NAME: You get +1d when you Lie. If your mark is
Tabitha, Slick, Jones, Phoenix, Horatio, “E”, from your social turf, you get +2d instead.
Bao, The Marquess, Summer, Morgan, Li

Luck Die Trigger

PICK YOUR SOCIAL TURF:
FULL HOUSE: Whenever you make one of
upper crust, working poor, new silicon
your crewmates a part of one of your lies,
valley, the arts, seedy criminals, droids,
the group gets a luck die.
your extremely large extended family

Your Main Thing

PICK A LOOK
work clothes and clipboard, three piece
suit, whatever the waitstaff are wearing,
extremely 90s (we’re bringing it back),
sportcoat + loose tie, little black dress
PICK A FRIEND AND A RIVAL:
• Julio Granite, a private eye
• Barnabus Fink, a mob boss
• Voxel Moonglitter, a pop star / icon
• Pick from Table 2
Consequence & Fool’s Bargain Ideas
PICK A RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR LEFT:
• “I tried to con you once”
• “We have fun” (get specific)
• “You’re the only one that ever meant
anything to me”
ACE IN THE HOLE: Whenever you or a
crewmate is well and truly hecked, you
may describe the incredibly circuitous
schemes you schemed in the past to
prepare for just such an occasion, then
roll a die:
• Evens: by God you’ve done it. Describe
how your scheme works.
• Odds: by God you’ve done it, but at
what cost? Describe the alarming
consequences of your success.
Someone gets caught, or gets away, or
catches up. It takes forever. It’s loud. You
must choose between your goal and a
crewmate. It’s embarrassing. Something
falls apart or explodes. Someone’s rival
is here. An animal escapes. Fire.
Action Rolls Walkthrough
1. State your goal. Others decide
what success means.
2. Build your dice pool:
• +1d for a cinematic detail
• +1d for your favored verb
• +1d for a Fool’s Bargain
• +1d if you take a luck die
3. Roll! 1-3 fails, 4-5 succeeds at
cost, 6 succeeds, and double 6s
critically hits
4. Consequences: others answer
“what’s the worst that could
happen?”
5. Ask: “what do we do?”
GADGETEER You love STUFF. GEAR. On your person lives a menagerie of gadget-
ry, all of it burning a hole in your pocket, just waiting for the chance
to come out and sing. Let it run wild!

Flavor Town Favored Verb Notes and Doodles!

PICK A NAME: You get +1d when you Tinker.

Seng, Artemis, Clayton, Rachette, Ink,
Baraka, Ozymandias, Fingers, Ralphrika
Luck Die Trigger
OOP, YEAH, IT DOES THAT SOMETIMES:
Whenever you pull out a piece of gear,
PICK A LOOK: anyone may describe what dangerous
high fashion, high-vis vest + hard hat, quirk it is notorious for having. If some-
smock + goggles, trenchcoat + fedora, one does, the group gets a luck die.
raggety overalls + oily rags, mech suit

Your Main Thing: GADGETS

PICK A BACKGROUND: Gadget Boxes:

slums, robot, self-taught, this year’s
Space MIT valedictorian, henchman
Any time you like, pick something from Action Rolls Walkthrough
the list below and mark a Gadget Box, or
invent something and mark two Gadget 1. State your goal. Others decide
PICK A FRIEND AND A RIVAL:
Boxes. You pull that thing from your bag. what success means.
• The Raven Man, a DJ
(When you’re out of boxes, your bag is 2. Build your dice pool:
• Hample Bigsworth, a spymaster
empty.) • +1d for a cinematic detail
• Slick Fastwheel, Indy 5000 racer
• +1d for your favored verb
• Pick from Table 2
Gear List: • +1d for a Fool’s Bargain
toolbox, communicator, grappling hook, • +1d if you take a luck die
small drone, 2nd small drone (they’re 3. Roll! 1-3 fails, 4-5 succeeds at
friends), medkit, hacking rig, hyper-drill, cost, 6 succeeds, and double 6s
PICK A RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR LEFT:
smoke bomb, EMP, ghost trap, candy, critically hits
• Went to school together
space suit, personal floatation device, 4. Consequences: others answer
• Fellow arsonists
“special” goggles, personal memento, “what’s the worst that could
• Close relatives
the latest fad toy, stilts, transmogrifier, happen?”
super glue, ukulele, flamethrower 5. Ask: “what do we do?”
HOOLIGAN Aw man, you love BRAWLIN. YES. Get in there and get messy. That’s it.

Flavor Town Favored Verb Notes and Doodles!

PICK A NAME: You get +1d when you Brawl.

Pico, The Bull, Fitz, Patience, Lavar, Una
Luck Die Trigger
PICK A LOOK: DISTRACTING: When a crewmate takes
street clothes, animal costume, track advantage of a brawl you’re a part of, the
suit, lucha libre, exactly the same outfit group gets a luck die.
as the player to your left

Luck Die Trigger

PICK A BACKGROUND:
criminal ties, college wrestling champ,
too many bar fights, too many siblings
FILL IN ONE OR TWO QUIRKS:
• I value more than my crew.
• I lose control of myself when .
• I have a paralyzing fear of . WE GOOD?: When you help someone up
PICK ONE FRIEND AND ONE RIVAL:
• Anchovy Brackish, gym rat­
• Edna Gadd, adequate ghost hunter
• Dick Silver, rock-throwing orphan
• Pick from Table 2
PICK A RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR LEFT:
• Met at an industry mixer
• Came up together, unfortunately
• One of us idolizes the other
QUIRKY: When one of your quirks (the
statements with blanks you filled out)
comes up to your detriment, the group
gets a luck die.
One More Thing, For Kicks
Action Rolls Walkthrough
after brawling with them, you’re friends
now.
Consequence & Fool’s Bargain Ideas
Someone gets caught, or gets away, or
catches up. It takes forever. It’s loud. You
must choose between your goal and
a crewmate. It’s embarrassing. Some-
thing falls apart or is on fire or explodes.
Someone’s rival is here. Someone’s
friend is in trouble. An animal escapes.
Someone followed you.
1. State your goal. Others decide
what success means.
2. Build your dice pool:
• +1d for a cinematic detail
• +1d for your favored verb
• +1d for a Fool’s Bargain
• +1d if you take a luck die
3. Roll! 1-3 fails, 4-5 succeeds at
cost, 6 succeeds, and double 6s
critically hits
4. Consequences: others answer
“what’s the worst that could
happen?”
5. Ask: “what do we do?”
EGGHEAD
Flavor Town
PICK A TITLE AND NAME:
Doctor, Professor, Saint, Dame, Colonel
Mayor, Elder, Judge, Ambassador, Fraa
Cubbins, Mondale, Redacted, Four-Eyes,
Nguyen, Bright, Skully, Peña, Duffy, Block
PICK A LOOK:
unkempt lecture clothes, ceremonial
robes, medical scrubs, prim and proper
PICK ONE FRIEND AND ONE RIVAL:
• Freya, an obsessive collector
• Dr. Deakins, an “eccentric” scientist
• Azure, a fanatical religious leader
• Pick from Table 2
PICK A RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR LEFT:
• Mentor and mentee
• Close relatives
• Share a hobby (maybe curling?)
PICK ONE RE: THE PAYLOAD:
• It’ll take a rare piece of gear to heist
that only you know how to operate.
• It’s dangerous. Only you know how
to handle it safely.
• It’s fragile. Only you know how to
handle it without damaging it.
You’re an extremely specialized expert in one particular thing. So what are you
doing on a job like this? You’re basically dead weight. Except the thing you’re an
expert in happens to be the object of this heist!
Favored Verb Notes and Doodles!
You get +1d when you Panic.
Luck Die Trigger
DEAD WEIGHT: Whenever you get into
trouble because of your ignorance or
fear, the group gets a luck die.
Your Main Thing
TRIVIA FIEND: When confronted with
something strange, you may claim to
know a bit about it. State an unlikely fact
relevant to the situation and how you
learned it, then roll a die:
• Evens: the fact is true! You’re so smart
and capable. Action Rolls Walkthrough
• Odds: the fact is mostly true, but what
inconvenient detail were you missing? 1. State your goal. Others decide
(Your fellow players should answer what success means.
this.) 2. Build your dice pool:
You can always offer the Fool’s Bargain • +1d for a cinematic detail
“I offer you some relevant trivia to help.” • +1d for your favored verb
• +1d for a Fool’s Bargain
• +1d if you take a luck die
Consequence & Fool’s Bargain Ideas 3. Roll! 1-3 fails, 4-5 succeeds at
cost, 6 succeeds, and double 6s
Someone gets caught, or gets away, or critically hits
catches up. It takes forever. It’s loud. You 4. Consequences: others answer
must choose between your goal and a “what’s the worst that could
crewmate. It’s embarrassing. Something happen?”
explodes. Someone’s friend is in trouble. 5. Ask: “what do we do?”
SPACE WIZARD SPACE WIZARD
SPACE WIZARD
DOIN SPACE MAGIC IN SPACE

Flavor Town Favored Adjective Notes and Doodles!

PICK A NAME: You get +1d if the thing you’re doing is

Raphaël, Icarus, Sparky, Pearl, Carta, Chad weird. (Doing a magic is always weird.)

PICK A MAGICAL SPECIALTY: Luck Die Trigger

pyromancy, illusions, bureaucracy, rocks,
demons, conjuring, trainomancy, coffee
PICK A LOOK:
bathrobe + pointy hat, white robes + cool
staff, silk robes + hovering orb, hand-
me-down robes + propeller beanie
PICK A BACKGROUND:
raised by wolves, classically trained, from
another dimension, family business
PICK ONE FRIEND AND ONE RIVAL:
• Vaith Claxon, an unruly dragon
• Hoob, a regretful demi-god
• Campari Jones, a space pirate
• Pick from Table 2
PICK A RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR LEFT
• Ex-business partners
• Ex-bandmates
• Exes
FREE BONUS MAGIC: Whenever you do a
magic, anyone may describe what sort of
unintended magical side effects it has. If
someone does, the group gets a luck die.
Your Main Thing: MAGIC
Choose 2 spells you know from the list
below. Once you cast a spell, you forget
how to do it (you can’t cast it again). (You
cast spells by saying you’re doing so and
making an action roll.)
Fireball - Spacequake - Dimension Door
- It’s Alive! - Zone Of Truth - Eat Lasers
- Menacing Sphere - Speak With Ghosts
- Form Of A Swarm Of Bees - Clone
In addition, you may cast as many spells
as you like derived from your magical
specialty (make em up). You still forget
each uniquely named spell after casting.
Consequence & Fool’s Bargain Ideas
Someone catches up. It’s embarrassing.
Something explodes. It’s loud. It’s slow.
Action Rolls Walkthrough
1. State your goal. Others decide
what success means.
2. Build your dice pool:
• +1d for a cinematic detail
• +1d for your favored verb
• +1d for a Fool’s Bargain
• +1d if you take a luck die
3. Roll! 1-3 fails, 4-5 succeeds at
cost, 6 succeeds, and double 6s
critically hits
4. Consequences: others answer
“what’s the worst that could
happen?”
5. Ask: “what do we do?”
SPACE COWBOY
Those folks out there, they might think
they’re cool. But everyone on this-here
train knows the truth: ain’t no one as cool
as a Space Cowboy.

Flavor Town Favored Adjective Notes and Doodles!

PICK A NAME: Instead of a Favored Verb, you get +1d if

Cheng, Wayne, Naobi, Edward, Janeway, the thing you’re doing looks cool as heck.
Zoe, Pickett, Maverick, Skunk, Maurice
Luck Die Trigger
PICK A LOOK: If you chose white hat, whenever you do
brown duster + boots with spurs, suit + the right thing despite yourself, the group
loose tie, Federation captain’s uniform gets a luck die.

If you chose black hat, whenever your

PICK A HAT: arrogance or impatience comes back to
white hat, black hat bite you, the group gets a luck die.

PICK A REPUTATION: Your Main Thing

quickest draw, most bounties collected,
fastest horse, Robinhood type, youngest
cowboy in space, most trains heisted
PICK ONE FRIEND AND ONE RIVAL:
• Josie Younger, a renowned outlaw
• Iris Lin, a Hollywood producer
• Sigmund Aquarius, a space wizard
• Pick from Table 2
PICK A RELATIONSHIP TO YOUR LEFT:
• Built these train tracks, side by side
• Ex-cellmates
• Rivals teaming up, just this once
MYSTERIOUS PAST: Whenever you lock
eyes with an NPC and say their name
dramatically, reveal how you know them
from your mysterious past. If you do, roll
a die:
• Evens: They owe you a favor. Describe
how you left things difficult between
the two of you.
• Odds: You owe them a favor. Describe
how you left things difficult between
the two of you.
A Bonus Thing
QUICK DRAW: You always go first in a
fight, or if someone threatens a fight, or
even if they so much as think about it.
Action Rolls Walkthrough
1. State your goal. Others decide
what success means.
2. Build your dice pool:
• +1d for a cinematic detail
• +1d for your favored verb
• +1d for a Fool’s Bargain
• +1d if you take a luck die
3. Roll! 1-3 fails, 4-5 succeeds at
cost, 6 succeeds, and double 6s
critically hits
4. Consequences: others answer
“what’s the worst that could
happen?”
5. Ask: “what do we do?”
FACILITATING 1: BASICS
While Space Train Space Heist does not have
a traditional GM, it should have a facilitator:
someone to introduce, teach, and launch the
game. If you’re reading this, chances are that’s
you. This section will walk you through how I
facilitate a session of STSH. It assumes you’ve
GMed games before (or are at least familiar
with the concept). If you aren’t, hit me up on
twitter or whatever, and I’ll help you out.
BEFORE THE GAME
Read the rules a couple times. Gather your
dice and printouts and pens (I hate pencils
so much) and snacks and so forth together. If
you’re running at a con, bring index cards for
nametags and such. If you’re online, maybe
track down a dice roller.
SETTLING IN
Say hello. If you know each other, take 10
minutes to catch up. If you don’t, introduce
yourselves (I like to go around the circle and
give name, pronouns, and something good
that happened today.) If you’re online, work
out technical difficulties.
Then introduce the game: ask someone to
read the opening crawl on page 1 of this pdf.
Follow up with your personal pitch, and let
people peruse the mood board. Make sure
people know what they’re getting into!
If you don’t get an enthusiastic “I’m excited to
play!” from everyone, play a board game or
watch a movie instead, I promise you’ll have
a better time.
SAFETY TOOLS
Assuming everyone’s excited, run through
“Watch The Trailer”. If you know your group, I
trust you to handle additional safety tools for
yourself. If you’re playing with a new group,
spend some time on safety. Seriously. It’s a
rule of the game, I just made it.
Encourage players to come in with love and
trust for each other. Playing a role-playing
game is a trust fall. And a trust fall requires...
trust. If at any point someone is losing trust
in their fellow players, pause the game. Talk
about what’s up. Figure out how to regain
that trust before starting back up. If talking
about it isn’t helping, or if they’d rather not
talk it out in the first place, end the game.
Remember: no game is more important than
the comfort and safety of those playing it.
If someone is not having fun, no one’s having
fun. You’re a person, you get this. If someone
wants out, they should feel welcome and
supported in doing so. Bust out a board game
or a movie instead!
As for specific safety tools, I recommend at
least the x-card (https://tinyurl.com/x-card-
rpg) beyond the above tools and sentiments.
Space Train Space Heist can be an extremely
high-energy and fast-paced game. It can be
hard to find the time and space to slow down
and actually use established safety tools. It’s
everyone’s job to watch for when someone’s
having a bad time, but also make it your job,
even above the rest of running the game. It’s
the most important thing.
BEGINNING THE GAME PROPER
Run through “Buy In.” Get excited! Be a little
goofy! If someone’s not feeling it, do a gut
check again on whether this is the game for
you.
Then get into “Start Your Engines.” Briefly
describe each playbook. Let people peruse
them. Answer questions as they come up.
Teach the game as you go. You don’t need to
explain action rolls until your first one. People
might not know what “+1d” or “luck die” mean
exactly, but they’ll get the idea. If someone’s
really insistent, go ahead and run through an
example using their character.
DON’T SKIMP ON THE OPENING QUESTIONS
This is important enough it gets its own
heading. You gotta answer all the questions
in Starting Your Engines, especially the ones
that establish trouble that’s nipping at your
heels, and an antagonistic NPC plus a physical
obstacle in your first train car. If you don’t, the
game will come out the gate with little-to-no
momentum. Make sure you get answers!
From there, keep it rolling. If you’re not in the
midst of an action roll, be the one to ask the
group “what do we do?” Prompt people who
haven’t rolled in a while to act. Know the
rules well enough to answer questions. And
that about does it for the basics!
FACILITATING 2: EXTRAS
The last page covers the essentials, but here’s
some more detailed advice on facilitating.
PACING THE GAME
If there’s a lull in the conversation, fill it. You
don’t even need to fill it with an idea, just ask
a question. “Elise, what happened to Voxel’s
roadie?” or “Simon, where did that hedgehog
get off to?” Be specific, or default to “Alright,
what do we do now?”
NOBODY DOES THEIR OWN CONSEQUENCES
Some people are forever GMs. You might be
one. That’s fine! They’ll step up and do a lot of
the world-control. As long as no one gets left
out, let them. You’ll get enough time in the
spotlight just by facilitating.
But the one thing no one’s allowed to do is
give themselves consequences. Someone
else should surprise them! This is a written
rule on people’s playbooks, but make sure no
one’s breaking it.
TROUBLE THINKING UP CONSEQUENCES
If anyone’s ever having trouble thinking up
consequences, remember: imagine the acting
character had just turned to their crewmate /
best friend / the camera and said “what’s the
worst that could happen?” Then answer.
SETTING TONE
Watching The Trailer isn’t the end-all-be-all
of content and tone management, it’s just a
starting point for a larger conversation about
tone. Let that conversation happen, and keep Then, give each player a couple dice, enough
it going until everyone seems to be on the to get a satisfying rattle going. Maybe give
same page. The range of possible tones for each player a die for each major factor in that
this game is very wide! If everyone wants character’s favor. Then roll ‘em all, biggest
to play Kill Bill, go for it. If someone doesn’t sum wins. This can be really fun! But again,
want any violence at all, consider removing only go for it if everyone is 1000% excited.
the Hooligan and Space Cowboy playbooks.
Talk to each other! I recommend saving PVP for the end of the
heist. That’s usually when betrayals happen
ZOOM-INS anyway, and that way half the game won’t be
This is a game with momentum. You’ll fling off the rails of the rules.
yourselves from one action roll to the next
with reckless abandon. Good. But sometimes PLAYER DEATH
you’ll feel compelled to zoom in on a detail Dying is fun. You should try it. A character only
that tickles you in the midst of the chaos. Go dies if their player says so, but friends, it’s fun
for it, and encourage others to do the same. to watch your character die.
INTER-CHARACTER CONFLICT If anyone’s character has died, they don’t just
Heist and con stories have a long history sit around. Encourage them to play more
of betrayals and double-crosses between NPCs and think up consequences.
crewmates. IMO, avoid this stuff unless your
group does it all the time. In my experience it
leads to players (not just characters) fighting
with each other.
If it does come up, talk it out. If everyone
agrees on an obvious or funny outcome, go
with that. Otherwise, I recommend busting
out dice. Establish what happens if character
A gets their way. Do the same for character
B. Confirm that player A and player B are both
okay with both of those outcomes. If not, talk
about what changes need to happen to those
outcomes for both to be acceptable.
FAQ & MISCELLANEA
FAQ
Q. What’s going on with these tables?
A. To pick from a table at random, roll 2 six
sided dice. Match one to the black die icon
and the other to the white die icon under that
heading. Voila!
Q. What does +1d mean?
A. It means “plus one additional die in your
dice pool.”
Q. Can you use a luck die on the same action
that triggers getting the die?
A. Sure.
Q. Aren’t the Space Wizard and Gadgeteer’s
luck die triggers just Fool’s Bargains?
A. Two differences: the Space Wizard and
Gadgeteer can activate their own luck die
triggers, and you can save that luck die for a
future roll.
Q. This game is, like, a lot. Do you have a rec
for a different FITD one shot heist game?
A. Yeah, I wrote this Q specifically to plug
HEIST by Allie Bustion, which has a lot of the
same stuff going on as STSH mechanically
while being a little more grounded. Check it
out: https://madpierrot.itch.io/heist
Q. What’s this Gamemaster playbook on the
next page?
A. It’s an optional way to play with a GM. If
your group is more comfortable with a GM, or
if someone just wants to play as a GM, please
have at it! Just remember: it’s not canon.
FOR THOSE FAMILIAR WITH FITD GAMES
How’s this game different from Blades?
• This game is designed as a one shot.
There’s no crew sheet, no advancement,
and no XP.
• This game is GM-less. When a player rolls
dice, everyone else collectively comes up
with consequences. Whoever wants to
controls NPCs, the environment, etc.
• The core dice mechanic of the game is
the same: build a dice pool and take the
highest die. 6 good, 4-5 complicated, 1-3
bad.
• Devil’s Bargains are called Fool’s Bargains.
Assists don’t exist. You get a bonus die for
describing a cinematic detail about your
action.
• Action ratings are only sort of a thing?
Imagine there’s as many actions as there
are verbs, and each playbook has a dot in
one of them (their favored verb).
• No position or effect. Assume everything
is desperate / standard!
• No stress.
• No resistance. Take your lumps! They’re
fun to take.
• “Luck dice” are like Scum and Villainy’s
gambits, except they recharge based on
playbook-specific abilities.
• Clocks aren’t really a thing? Use them if
you want, but honestly you’re better off
just pulling the trigger on whatever would
happen when the clock fills. This game is
about lots of action and momentum!
FLAVOR SUGGESTIONS
Here are some things that may or may not be
true of your particular space train:
TICKET TAKERS
Space Trains Inc. employs a baker’s dozen
Ticket Takers on each of its trains. They check
to make sure all passengers have a ticket
and take responsibility for any stowaways
or ne’er-do-wells (such as yourselves). That
might mean tossing such persons out into
space, or holding them in the caboose until
the next station, or something else that best
complicates your heist.
AIRLOCKS
Between each train car is an airlock just large
enough to hold roughly your heist group all
at once. When a person exits a car, they enter
the airlock and wait there for a few moments
while the train normalizes air pressures,
checks for contaminents, and otherwise
babbles techno. You might use that time to
collect yourself before the next car.
GAME MASTER Taking responsibility for a protagonist char-
acter is hard. Sometimes you just wanna dish
out consequences.

Notes
Duties Consequence Ideas

Stay out of the way during setup: • Someone gets caught, or gets
Just because you’re the GM doesn’t mean you run everything. away, or catches up.
Don’t come prepared. The setup, the job, the train... all that stuff • It takes forever.
should still be a group effort. Now, you’re a part of that group, • It’s loud.
but so’s everyone else. Ask more questions than you answer. • They must choose between
their goal and a crewmate.
Play NPCs: • It’s embarrassing.
Instead of everyone playing the NPCs, you do. But here’s the rule: • Something falls apart or is on
NPCs only get to act as a part of the fallout of PC rolls. You can fire or explodes.
telegraph what they’re about to do, but the player’s roll decides • Someone’s rival is here.
how it goes. • Someone’s friend needs help.
• A bystander gets brought into it.
Play the world: • An animal escapes.
Instead of everyone playing the world, you do. Same rule here as • Someone followed you.
with NPCs: the world acts in response to what the PCs do. • Magic.

Offer Fool’s Bargains, and come up with consequences:

Instead of just anyone offering FBs or consequences, you have Action Rolls Walkthrough
final authority on them. This is your biggest job. The benefit of
a GM is that the PCs can focus on what their character is up 1. State your goal. Others decide
to without having to split their brainpower for consequences. what success means.
Make sure they can lean into that. 2. Build your dice pool:
• +1d for a cinematic detail
Take suggestions: • +1d for your favored verb
You don’t have to be the end-all-be-all authority, nor should you • +1d if someone helps
be. You’re just one brain. If someone has a great idea, snatch it • +1d if you take a luck die
up. And if you’re coming up blank, ask for suggestions. 3. Roll! 1-3 fails, 4-5 succeeds at
cost, 6 succeeds, and double 6s
Stay out of the way again during epilogue: critically hits
Let everyone else be a master of their own fate. If there are NPCs 4. Consequences: others answer
you want to see after the dust has settled, by all means go for it “what’s the worst that could
there, but let people tell the group about their character. happen?”
5. Ask: “what do we do?”