Space

& Solitude

Chris McDowall

PROOF OF CONCEPT EDITION

 Launch
You are the first of your people to
explore deep space.You are alone with
your ship.

You need:

• A Timer. It should run for roughly

1 minute before needing to be
turned or reset.

• 9 six-sided Dice.

• Some paper for your Log.

• Appropriate ambient noise if

available.
Remove all other distractions.
 Time
Your ship allows interstellar travel
through time-compression.

A Turn is the amount of time it takes

for the Timer to fully run out.

This represents an hour of real time in

space.

Sometimes you will feel like you aren’t

doing anything.When this happens,
describe what you’re actually doing on
the ship.
 Modules
Modules are your ways of interacting
with your ship and surroundings.

Dice are used in different ways by

different Modules.

When a die is Locked it is set aside

and cannot be moved or used
elsewhere until it is Released.

Mod 00 and 01
to release
 Goals
Familiarise yourself with the Modules
at your disposal and then consider an
initial goal.

Write this down to form the beginning

of your Log.

get home
 Module 00
Process
• Release all Locked Dice.

• No other Module can be used until

Processing is completed.

• Roll all dice.

• Set aside the biggest matching set.

• Reroll the remaining dice and set

aside any dice that match the
existing set.

• Repeat until you have 8 or more

matching dice set aside.You can
now use these dice as you wish.
 Module 01
Log
• Add to your Log. Some ideas
include:

• Defining a new goal.

• Reporting on a goal achieved or

failed.

• Journaling your own experience

in space.

• Release one die for each line

written or image drawn.

• The contents of the Log can be

used to overrule the output of
another Module.
 Module 02
Navigate
• Roll 2 dice.

• If you have visual on your

destination, Lock the lower die.

• If your destination is out of sight,

but still in this system, Lock the
higher die.

• Reach your destination in a number

of Turns equal to the Locked die.
 Module 03
Jump
• Roll 3 dice and Lock them.

• Total the Locked dice. Reach a new

System after that many Turns.

• After the Jump you will need to

Recharge with Module 11 before
you can make another Jump.
 Module 04
Scan
• Discover what lies in this system.

• Roll 3 Dice and Lock those

showing 1-3.

• For each die that wasn’t Locked,

ask a Yes/No question, keeping
things broad.

• Roll for the Answer to each. Odd is

No, Even is Yes.The higher the
number the higher the certainty.

• If all 3 dice show values of 1-3 then

there is a threat nearby.
 Module 05
Probe
• Investigate something for further
details.

• Roll a die and lock it.The probe

returns after this many Turns.

• Ask this many Yes/No questions,

honing on something specific.

• Roll for the Answer to each. Odd is

No, Even is Yes.The higher the
number the higher the certainty.
 Module 06
Extraction
• Bring something into the ship from
Space or a Planet.

• Roll and lock 2 dice, giving you a

two digit Target (ie rolling a 4 and a
5 gives 45)

• Roll all remaining dice.

• Using addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division, use
these dice to reach the Target.

• You can reroll the dice up to two

times. If you still cannot reach the
Target then the sample is lost.
 Module 07
Repair
• Get something damaged into a
working state.

• Roll any number of dice and Lock 3

that form a Straight or Set.

• If you cannot make a Straight or Set

then wait a Turn before rerolling.

• Repeat until you have locked in 6

dice to complete the repairs.
 Module 08
Synthesis
• Create something out of nothing.

• Requires 9 dice.

• Rate the complexity of the item:

1: Basic (clothes, food)
2: Specialist (non-electric tools)
3: Expert (electric tools)

• Draw a 3x3 grid and roll the dice

one at a time, Locking them each
onto an empty space on the grid.

• Identify lines of dice that total

exactly 10, removing them and
scoring a point for each.
• If your score equals or beats the
complexity of the item you wish to
create then after 1 Turn the item is
ready.

• If you failed, lock in any dice

remaining on the grid.
 Module 09
Broadcast
• Put out a message across your
System.

• Wait 1 Turn before rolling 7 Dice.

• If you can form all dice into

interlocking lines of straights and
matching sets, at least 3 dice each,
then you hear a response but it’s
too faint to understand.

• Repeat the process. If you succeed

again then you have a moment of
contact.

• If you fail at any stage then the

signal is lost and all dice used are
Locked.
 Remember
Module 10
This isn’t real. Sensation
• Spend 1 Turn describing a nature
scene including.

• Sight

• Sound

• Smell

• Touch

• Taste

• Spend 1 Turn comparing it to the

interior of your ship, or the space
outside.
• Release 2 Dice.
 Module 11
Recharge
• Draw from chemical, geothermal,
or solar energy.

• Spend 1 Turn setting up.

• Roll 4 dice, Locking 1.

• If the remaining 3 dice make a

straight then the charge is
complete.

• Otherwise wait 1 Turn and roll

again.
 Module 12
Beverage
• Take 2 Turns to dispense and enjoy
a drink of your choice.

• Roll 2 Dice. Release all Locked Dice

showing those values.
Module 13
[Empty]

Definitely used to
be something here
 Module 14
Defence
• Fend off hostile attackers or get to
safety.

• Roll any number of dice and choose

one to Lock.

• If the Locked dice total exactly 12

then you are victorious.

• If the Locked dice total 13 or

higher, or are released, you are at
the mercy of your attackers.
 Module 15
Starchart
• Find a specific place in a distant
location.

• Roll 5 Dice. Lock in any Pairs.

• Reroll any number of dice once

only, Locking in Pairs again.

• If 1 die remains your destination is

that many Jumps away.

• If more than 1 die remains you

cannot find the destination. Lock all
failing dice.
 Module 16
Social
• Talk with the ship’s computer, or
Wishful somebody you have made contact
thinking with.

• Spend 1 Turn describing how the

socialising opens.

• Roll 2 dice. Subtract the second

from the first.

• The result is how positive the

conversation is, varying from
-5 (most harmful) to +5 (most
beneficial).

• Spend 1 Turn describing how the

socialising ends.
 Module 17
Medical
• Mend a physical ailment.

• Decide how serious the ailment is:

1: Minor
2: Major
3: Critical

• Roll any number of dice.

• Lock in any pairs of dice that total

to 7.

• Each pair of dice treats 1 level of

ailment.

• You may reroll any number of dice

once only.

• If you fail the ailment cannot be

treated.
 Module 18
Reconcile
• Verify the content of the ship’s data
banks.

• Roll 7 dice.

• Lock any pairs of matching dice as

long as no other rolled dice show
that value.

• Reroll and repeat until only 1 die

remains.

• Fill or confirm a missing piece of

data based on the remaining die’s
value:
1. Name of current location.

2. Visual report of current location.

3. Ship report.

4. Well-being report.

5. Goal status.

6. Visual recap of a past location.

 Module 19
Defrag
• Eliminate inefficient fragments in
the ship’s data banks.

• Roll 8 Dice.

• Lock Dice showing 1 or 2.

• Reroll remaining dice and repeat

this until only 1 die remains.

• If no dice remain then the process

was unsuccessful.

• If successful, the ship now runs

slightly more efficiently.
 Module 20
Recall
• Bring up a record from your
journey.

• Roll 4 dice.

• Order from lowest to highest and

Lock in one die.

• Reroll the lowest remaining die. If it

is still the lowest, continue.

• Repeat with the middle and high

die, continuing if they maintain their
positions.

• If you succeed, you find the record

and can Probe it with Module 05
for further information.

• If you fail, there is no record.

 Module 21
Docking
• Spend 1 Turn getting into position.

• Roll 2 dice and Lock them in.

• Choose to either reposition,

returning to the previous step, or
proceed.

• Roll any number of dice. Lock in a

die with a value between the two
Locked dice.

• If you cannot do this the ship still

docks but takes damage in the
process. It cannot undock until
repaired.
• After 1 further Turn you have
docked.
 Module 22
Exploration
• Roll 5 dice.

• Lock in Even rolls and choose

whether to Roll again or Withdraw.

• If you roll only Odd numbers then

a catastrophe strikes. Either you or
your ship are damaged and you
cannot leave until it is remedied.

• When you Withdraw, total your

Locked Dice and find your result:

• 0-8: There’s nothing useful to

be found here.

• 10-14: There’s a Discovery and

danger here. Either you or the
ship are damaged, and you’ll
need to Extract the Discovery.

• 16+:You escape with the

Discovery.
 Module 23
Decrypt
• Use to access something protected
or to translate something you do
not understand.

• Roll 3 dice, rerolling any number of

them once.

• If you all dice match you succeed

and gain access or understanding as
appropriate.

• If you fail then the dice are Locked.

 Module 24
Habitat
• Recap something good and
something bad about your ship’s
living conditions.

• Roll three dice and Lock in any 1s

and 6s.

• For each 6 Locked, describe

something you improve about your
living conditions, resource
permitting.

• For each 1 Locked, describe how

your living conditions are getting
worse.
 Module 25
Observation
• Look outside the ship.

• Roll 2 dice to generate a 2-digit

number (so 6 and 3 is 63). Lock
both and consult the prompt.

• Describe aloud what you see.

11 Red 41 Green
12 Triangle 42 Rectangle
13 Light 43 Shadow
14 Stillness 44 Swelling
15 Roughness 45 Warmth
16 Vastness 46 Reflection
21 Gold 51 Indigo
22 Square 52 Line
23 Darkness 53 Glare
24 Drift 54 Rising
25 Nothingness 55 Death
26 White 56 Smallness
31 Blue 61 Violet
32 Circle 62 Ring
33 Haze 63 Glare
34 Spin 64 Shrinking
35 Coldness 65 Silver
36 Copper 66 Destruction
 Module List
* 00: Process 13: [Empty]
* 01: Log 14: Defence
02: Navigate 15: Starchart
03: Jump 16: Social
04: Scan 17: Medical
05: Probe 18: Reconcile
06: Extraction 19: Defrag
07: Repair 20: Recall
08: Synthesis 21: Docking
09: Broadcast 22: Exploration
*10: Sensation 23: Decrypt
11: Recharge 24: Habitat
*12: Beverage 25: Observation