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 Concept, Design, Art, and Layout
Ryan Cagle | @_ryancagle | RyanCagle.com

Editing and Design Support

Courtney Camp | cocawriting@gmail.com

ParadoxPress.Games | @PrdxPressGames

This work was created on unceded S’atsoyaha

(Yuchi), Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee),
and Mvskoke (Muscogee / Creek) Land.

A Paradox Press Games publication

Copyright © Paradox Press / Games, 2022

CONTENTS
3 | The Game
4 | Safety
5 | The Story
6 | Setup
7 | Play
8 | Encounters & Exposure
8 | Repairing the Gate
11 | Character Creation
13 | World Generation
14 | Exposure Level
16 | Dice Tables
17 | Card Prompts
29 | Final Outcomes
THE GAME
Project Terminus is a solo-roleplaying game that invites
players into the narrative of the forthcoming audio-drama
Broadcast 2071: A Project Terminus Story.
Story Each playthrough
of Project Terminus becomes a diverging path across space-
time that will leave your character struggling to maintain
grip on their sanity in a world riddled with inexplicable
anomalies and environmental distortions. While Project
roject
Terminus is a game designed for solo-roleplaying, its story
becomes increasingly tangled with each new playthrough
and thus can be understood as an “Alone Together” game.
Your experience of this game expands the narrative by
inhabiting an alternate timeline in the events wrought by
the activation of Project Terminus.

Project Terminus draws influence and inspiration from a

vast collection of stories that can be found in a myriad of
books and films. Some of the most prominent influences on
this story include Jeff VanderMeer’s hauntingly beautiful
Southern Reach Trilogy,
Trilogy Cormac Mcarthy’s gut wrenching
novel The Road,
Road and ​​Richard Matheson’s classic post-
apocalyptic horror novel I Am Legend.
Legend. The influence of
other such stories like that of Netflix’s original series’
Dark and The OA are also undeniable. I owe an unpayable
debt for the way these stories have shaped the world of
Project Terminus,
Terminus and hope in many ways that this game
is a tribute to the worlds these stories have allowed me to
experience.

The concept of alternate timelines in Project Terminus

is not only a narrative device, but also an invitation to
participate in expanding the narrative and universe of
Project Terminus with others in a real, tangible way. While
there are no requirements to release any of your stories to
the rest of the world, it is highly encouraged. In doing so
your playthrough becomes something bigger than a solo-
experience by deepening the story and inviting others into
participating in expanding this universe. As more players
experience the game and share their recordings, the more
expansive the narrative and multiverse becomes.
3
SAFETY
Project Terminus deals with themes that could be triggering
for some people. Stories about fear, death, abandonment,
and survival are not for everyone, and that’s perfectly
alright. Ultimately, you are the best judge of your own
limits and boundaries. You are under no obligation to play
this game all the way through. If at any point the themes
and events of this game become uncomfortable, you can
always stop. Your safety is more important than anything
else, and you have no obligation to complete this game.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY

• Two eight sided dice (notated as d8).
• A standard deck of playing cards.
• A copy of the character reference sheet or some other
way to keep track of important information.
• Some way to record your game. While audio/video
mediums are recommended for the theme you are
free to use whatever you prefer for your “broadcasts”
- physical/digital journal, text document, etc.

4
THE STORY
In Project Terminus,
Terminus you take on the role of one of the only
surviving crew members of a breakthrough technology
codenamed “The Gate.” This groundbreaking interplanetary
technology was intended to be the next step in human
history by allowing near instantaneous travel between
an increasingly hostile earth and a newly terraformed
Mars. Unfortunately, everything went wrong. You, your
fellow crew mates, and the rest of the world could not have
imagined what would happen the moment Project Terminus
went live.

On February 14, 2021, Transfiguration Sunday, The Gate

was activated, and Project Terminus changed the world.
The horrors that unfolded in the wake of Project Terminus
could have never been anticipated, and by the time we
realized the damage it was far too late. Once The Gate was
opened there was no closing it. In an instant you were
pulled through The Gate only to find yourself flung, not on
a newly terraformed Mars, but somewhere or sometime else
entirely. Alone and stranded on this now unrecognizable
Earth, with nothing to offer you protection but your flight
suit, you struggle to survive its unstable landscape riddled
with anomalies that have left both creature and terrain
hostile and terrifying. In the ruins of a forgotten world
you work to repair The Gate at ground zero of the event,
and attempt to make contact with mission control, or any
other survivors, with modified comms equipment in an old
broadcast station turned basecamp.

As the lone survivor of your crew, you are haunted by

questions surrounding your ability to survive in this world
stricken with inexplicable anomalies and environmental
distortions. Will you be able to repair The Gate without
succumbing to the effects of total isolation, exposure to
anomalies, and that gnawing feeling in the pit of your
stomach that you may never make it home?

5
SETUP
1. Create your character using the questions found in
the Chacter Creation section of this Zine.
2. Generate your world with the World Generation table.
3. Setup your recording device of your choosing for your
“broadcasts.”
4. Remove both jokers from the deck of playing cards,
shuffle the deck, and place it face down on the play
area in front of you.
5. Draw 8 cardsfrom the deck and lay them face down in
a circle grid around the deck on your play area, being
sure to flip over one card of your choice. These cards
represent The Gate and your attempts to repair it.
6. Record your first broadcast using the script below as
a loose structure.

“This is [NAME], [ROLE] for Project Terminus. It has been

[TIME PASSED] since the event and I have yet to be able to
repair the gate. After [TIME ELAPSED] I managed to repair
necessary communications systems, but have not made
contact with any other survivors. This world is [ASPECTS
OF THIS WORLD] and has been left drastically altered. I
do not understand what went wrong. If you can hear this
broadcast, come find me. I am at ground zero of the event. I
don’t know if we can fix this.“

6
PLAY
Gameplay happens across three phases: the Draw Phase,
the Roll Phase, and the Broadcast Phase. You will begin the
Draw Phase by drawing four cards from the deck. Every
card will contain information about the world around you,
possible encounters that take place, and events that unfold
as prompts for your broadcasts. After you have completed
the Draw Phase, consult the card tables as needed and
follow any instructions. Once you have consulted the card
tables you will then roll a d8 on the emotional state and
time elapsed tables to complete the Roll Phase and then
make your broadcast for the day.

Flow of Play
Draw Phase
1. Draw four cards from the deck.
2. Consult the Primary Card Tables as needed.
3. Follow any instructions provided by the tables and
prompts.
4. Consult the Event/Encounter Tables as prompted.
Roll Phase
1. Roll a d8 to determine your emotional state.
2. Roll a d8 to determine how much time has passed
since your last broadcast.
3. If instructed, Roll for Resistance.
Broadcast Phase
1. Based on the information gathered from the tables,
dice rolls, and prompts in the previous two phases,
record your “broadcast.”

BROADCASTS
Beyond the initial broadcast recorded during setup, there
is no script. Narratively the broadcasts are meant to be
both an attempt to make contact with other survivors,
while also serving as an mission log for summarizing
events that occur during gameplay. Ultimately the content
of each broadcast is up to you to decide, but should at least
summarize what unfolded since your previous broadcast.
7
ENCOUNTERS & EXPOSURE
Despite the protection offered by your flight suit, exposure
to the anomalies and distortions left in the wake of Project
Terminus leave you fragmented in both body and mind.
Your degree of exposure can be tracked by marking it on
your character reference sheet.

Every time you encounter a court card you will roll a D8

as a resistance check. You must roll equal to or below your
current level of Exposure. If you roll above your current
level of Exposure, your resistance weakens. Add a mark to
your exposure level on your character sheet.

Repeat the flow of gameplay described above until you

have either repaired the gate, failed to repair the gate (No
more facedown cards on Gate Repair Grid / have run out
of cards to draw from), or have completely succumbed
to the exposure from the anomaly riddled environment
around you (Your exposure level reaches “8”.) Follow the
corresponding prompts in the Final Outcomes section of
this zine, making one final broadcast to end your game.

REPAIRING THE GATE

Ground zero of The Event seems to be the place most
affected by the distortions. While your suit offers some
protection from the lingering radiation and high anomaly
severity in this location you are always concerned when
traveling here to work on repairing The Gate, but you know
that getting The Gate online is your only chance to get back
home. You are aware that getting The Gate back online is
your only chance of making it back home, but ground zero
of the event seems to be the place most affected by these
distortions. With every new attempt you find yourself
increasingly concerned that the anomaly severity will
compromise your suits electrical systems.

8
At various times during gameplay, you will encounter
additional card prompt instructions that offer you the
chance to make a Gate Repair Action. When you draw a
card with these additional instructions, you may choose to
attempt a repair with the following sequence:

Gate Repair Sequence

Step 1: Once prompted to attempt a gate repair players can
choose to do one of the following:

1. Choose to draw a face down card from the deck.

2. Choose to draw the face up card from the top of the
discard pile.

Step 2: Players are then faced with three options:

1. Use the chosen card to replace one of the face up

cards on the Gate Repair Grid, being sure to discard
the replaced card.
2. Use the chosen card to replace one of the face down
cards on the Gate Repair Grid. The face down card
must be chosen without revealing it, and then must
be discarded..
3. If the chosen card was drawn from the card deck
(rather than taken from the discard pile) it may
instead be discarded, and a facedown card on the Gate
Repair Grid may be flipped face up. The face down
card must be chosen without first looking at it.

SUCCESSFUL REPAIRS
A successful repair happens when two cross columns on
the Gate Repair Grid become matched (i.e. Two Kings, Two
Sevens, etc). The Gate is considered fully repaired when
players have managed to successfully match all four cross
columns on the Gate Repair Grid. Multiple matches of the
same face value (i.e. Two matching columns of paired Kings,
Sevens, etc.) reduce the players accumulated exposure level
by one.

9
 In the graphic to the left
you can see an examples
of both successful
(matching 9’s) and
unsuccessful (non-
matching 4 & 2) Gate
Repair Attempts.

In the graphic to the

right you can see an
example of a fully
repaired Gate (Four
matching columns)

If the Gate Repair Grid has only one face-down card

remaining, players still draw a card from the draw pile
when prompted to make a Gate Repair Action, but can choose
to discard it without revealing the last facedown card. Once
there are no longer any facedown cards on the Gate Repair
Grid you have no more attempts to repair the gate and have
either successfully repaired it or have failed, and have
fully succumbed to the effects of the environment around
you. Follow the corresponding prompt in the Final Outcomes
section of this zine.

10
CHARACTER CREATION
Before beginning play, you need to first get a better sense
of self. Take some time to answer the following questions.
Write simplified notes of your answers to these questions
below on your character reference sheet, or whatever else
you may be using to keep track of information on. When
you feel like you have a good sense of who you are, proceed
to the next page where you will be prompted to generate the
aspects of this unfamiliar world.

1. What role did you fulfill on the Project Terminus

crew? What were your skill sets? Why were you
chosen for this mission? (Commander, Mission
Specialist, Engineer, Scientist, etc.)
2. What items or gear other than your comms equipment
survived the event? Is any of it broken? Can it be
fixed? What personal item survived that you are
thankful for?
3. Did you sustain any injuries? How is that affecting
your ability to survive?
4. What is it that drives you? Is there someone or
something that gives you hope to press forward in the
face of these insurmountable odds? How does it feel
knowing that you may never find any other survivors
or repair The Gate?
5. What do you believe went wrong? How do you plan to
repair The Gate?
6. You do not know how, but this is clearly still Earth,
but an alien one. The “where” is not in question, but
“when”. How much time do you believe has passed?
7. What do you think happened to the rest of your crew,
and seemingly everyone else?
8. The world, its landscape, and the creatures that
inhabit it seem fragmented. What do you make of
these anomalies and distortions around you?

11
WORLD GENERATION
Before beginning, you must get a sense of the nature
and landscape of this world. Roll on the table below and
designate each one of your d8 dice to either the vertical
or horizontal column. Cross the results of your rolls to
generate an aspect of your world. Repeat this process 4-6
times to generate a diverse mix of aspects for your world
and surroundings.

You are free to interpret the results generated by your rolls

as literally or figuratively as you wish. If you do not like
your results, then simply reroll or just choose the aspects
you want. Use the following questions to help you interpret
your results:

• What is the most significant difference between this

earth and the one you know?
• What are the defining characteristics of this place?
• What about this place unsettles you the most?
• What about this place feels the most familiar?

When you have a good sense of your character and the

world you inhabit, proceed with gameplay as outlined in
the Play section of this book.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 Ocean Hot Desert Erratic Hover Flat River Unstable
2 Shadow Chasm Decay Infected Hostile Fog Light Swamp
3 Ancient Dry Lush Death Tropical Frigid Rocky Shift

4 Fungal Strange Isolated Level Crater High Quiet Grown

5 Clear Barren Acid Bright Rain Waves Grove Mangled

6 Dark Loud Haze Dust Frost Smoke Toxic Humid

7 Ruin Lost Gravity Shard Blossom Warp Growth Scorched

8 Deep Concrete Tundra Glow Burnt Rocky Chasm Echo

13
EXPOSURE LEVEL
One | The reality of your isolation from everyone you know
and love coupled with exposure to the anomalies begins
to weigh heavily on your mental fortitude. Feelings of
hopelessness prevail in your mind more often than not.

Two | Your mind races every time you try to sleep, and rest
evades you at every turn. The task of repairing the gate and
making contact with any possible survivors has left you
fatigued and overextended.

Three | You keep losing track of your things, the time of

day, and the days in general. Keeping track of everything
seems futile at this point. You remain unconvinced that you
will survive this.

Four | The continued exposure to the anomalies has left a

lasting mark on you. You tell yourself that you are only
experiencing fatigue from the instability around you but it
has become impossible to deny that something inside of you
has changed.

Five | When you do manage to sleep your dreams are vivid

and alien almost as if they belong to someone else. This
feeling seems to further blur the lines between the world
around you and the worlds you experience in your sleep.

Six | A familiar voice, like ecstatic cloven tongues producing

an endless stream of nonsensical words feels like a wildfire
in your head. Though familiar you can’t quite recognize it.
Is this your own inner voice? The voice of a loved one you
have forgotten? A voice breaking through from some other
reality or time? You can’t tell the difference.

Seven | Your mind and body have become increasingly

fragmented by thoughts and memories that are not yours.
The instability of the outside world has blurred nearly
every distinction between what you know is real and what
is not.

14
Eight* | Your mind and body has been fully
colonized by the beauty and horror of the
world around you. You have succumbed
completely to the effects of the anomalies and
distortions and are unable to repair the gate.
Consult the prompts on the Final Outcomes
section at the end of this zine.

*When you fully succumb to the

anomalies in the environment
around you (Eight levels of
exposure), you may make one
attempt to decrease your
exposure level by -1 point
by rolling a d8. If you
successfully roll a 1 or
an 8, decrease your
exposure level to Seven
and continue playing, if not
follow the corresponding
prompts in the Final
Outcomes section of
this zine, making one
final broadcast to
end your game.
DICE TABLES
Emotional State
1 Lonely / Forsaken
2 Optimistic / Cheerful
3 Fearful / Apprehensive
4 Confused / Hesitant
5 Angsty / Restless
6 Discontent / Angry
7 Awed / Wonderstruck
8 Despaired / Hopeless

Time Elapsed
1/2 One Day
3/4 Multiple Days
5/6 One Week
7/8 Multiple Weeks

Anomaly / Severity
1/2 Intriguing / No Threat
3/4 Worrisome / Minor Threat
5/6 Dangerous / Major Threat
7/8 Hazardous / Severe Threat
HEARTS: LIVING THINGS
♥ ACE | The environment around you is ruptured by
distortions, but there seems to be areas somehow
completely untouched by the effects of the anomalies. An
iridescent purple vining flower appears to thrive along the
borders of the distortion free zones. Do the flowers remind
you of anything? Do they give off a distinct aroma? Why do
you think they refuse to grow in distortion free zones?
You may attempt a Gate Repair Action.

♥ TWO | The creatures here are sometimes beyond belief.

The effects of the anomalies on animal life have left them
mutated in ways that seem impossible. You experience a
close encounter with a relatively harmless creature. What
did it look, sound, and behave like? Was there a distinct
smell? How big or small was it? Roll on the anomaly
severity table to add depth.

♥ THREE | The anomalies have left much of the animal life

here distorted into great and terrible creatures. During
your explorations you stumble upon traces of one such
creature. What evidence of this creature was left behind?
Was there a lingering odor? How big or small do you think it
is? How did this evidence make you feel? You may attempt
a Gate Repair Action.

♥ FOUR | You encounter strange plant life distorted by the

effects of the anomalies every day but something about
this specific plant/vegetation seems especially different.
What did it look like? What kind of plant was it? Did it
have an aroma? How big or small was it? Was it useful for
anything or edible? Roll on the anomaly severity table to
add depth.

♥ FIVE | You come across plant life that clearly appears

to be dangerous. You have no doubts that this is one of
the many fruits of this distorted landscape. What did it
look like? What kind of plant was it? How big or small
was it? Did it have an aroma? What made it dangerous or
hazardous? You may attempt a Gate Repair Action.
17
♥ SIX | Your survival training is being pushed to its limits.
You have been rationing what little food you have scavenged
until now, but your supplies are dangerously low. You
choose to try your hand at hunting/trapping an animal so
that you can replenish your body’s lack of nourishment.
What did you catch? Was it easy to hunt or difficult? How
did killing it affect you? What was your body’s response
to consuming it? Roll on the anomaly severity table to add
depth.

♥ SEVEN | Every night in the distance you hear the sounds

of strange creatures unlike any you have heard before, and
yet somehow still familiar. The noise echoing through the
dark often keeps you from sleeping well at night. Worse, it
sounds closer with each passing day. What could it be? Can
you describe the sounds it makes? You may attempt a Gate
Repair Action.

♥ EIGHT | Time, or possibly just your perception of it,

seems irregular and fragmented. While out scavenging for
supplies in an area you have never been, you encounter
a place where time feels especially chaotic. What do you
notice about the creatures in this area? What about plant
life and vegetation? How do they respond to the irregular
passing of time here? Roll on the anomaly severity table to
add depth.

♥ NINE | The lines between creature and plant life often

appear to be blurred here. While out on your typical rounds
you encounter what can only be described as an aberration,
even for this place. Whatever this is, it does not fit any of
the typical scientific categories. What did it look like? How
big or small was it? What features were distinct? Did it
have an aroma? Did it make a sound? You may attempt a
Gate Repair Action.

♥ TEN | You have experienced more death in your life than

most, but that doesn’t keep what you just witnessed from
affecting you any less. Was what you witnessed a major
death or was it something that seemed minor? Was it an
animal attack, a mutilated corpse... Or something far, far
worse? Roll on the anomaly severity table to add depth.
18
SPADES: ITEMS + SUPPLIES
♠ ACE | You find an item that could be useful for your
survival. Unfortunately, the elements and anomalies have
been unkind to it. Does it still work? Can it be repaired if
it doesn’t? Describe what you found in your broadcast and
why it’s significant. You may attempt a Gate Repair Action.

♠ TWO | Your flight suit is the only thing that offers you
protection in the areas where the anomalies are the most
severe. This makes keeping your suit online and powered
a top priority for when you need to venture toward
ground zero to repair the gate. While out scavenging for
materials you find necessary supplies for keeping your suit
functional. What were they? How will this help you keep
your suit online? Add one card of your choosing from the
discard pile back into the deck and shuffle it.

♠ THREE | In the wreckage around ground zero you find

a cabinet filled with classified files that far exceed any
clearance you once had. The files are full of perplexing
information about the true nature of this project.
Information that Mission Control clearly withheld from you
and the rest of the crew. You realize you were very much in
the dark. How does this make you feel? What was in those
files that shocked you? What secrets have now come to
light? You may attempt a Gate Repair Action.

♠ FOUR | While out scavenging for supplies for the Gate you
find a potentially useful weapon. What kind of weapon is
it? Where do you think it came from? Is it functional? Does
it need repair? Do you know how to use it? Add one card of
your choosing from the discard pile back into the deck and
shuffle it.

♠ FIVE | You find a message written on a wall of an

abandoned building. If you can read it, what does it say?
If you can not, why? Is it illegible, a different language, or
something else like strange symbols? How did it make you
feel? What was it written in/with? You may attempt a Gate
Repair Action.
19
♠ SIX | The light peering in through the window of the
building you are searching illuminates something that
looks familiar. Upon further investigation you realize that
this is a key card used to navigate the classified areas of
the base surrounding Project Terminus. You can’t quite
figure out why it would be all the way out here, but you
decided to keep it on you just in case. What do you think
this key card opens? Where could the door even be? What
do you make of it being nowhere near ground zero? Add one
card of your choosing from the discard pile back into the
deck and shuffle it.

♠ SEVEN | You find what you believe to be evidence of other

survivors. The discovery of this item gives you a sense
of certainty about the fact that you are not the only one
struggling to survive here. Where did you find it? What
is it? Does it seem to have been there long? What about it
feels like confirmation that you are not alone? Where do you
think that those that left this item behind went? You may
attempt a Gate Repair Action.

♠ EIGHT | You received a certain level of training on the

Gate, its operation, and even basic maintenance but the
repairs that need to be made are far beyond your knowledge.
During one of your trips to ground zero you find a technical
manual that will help you make repairs to the Gate. Do
you think you will be able to understand it well enough to
attempt to repair the gate? Add one card of your choosing
from the discard pile back into the deck and shuffle it.

♠ NINE | If you have learned anything since arriving here

it is that nothing should surprise you, but as you left
today to head toward ground zero you noticed something
odd. The antenna on top of your broadcast tower has been
repositioned. You know for certain that you did not move
them, and yet they are out of place. You climb the tower to
reposition them, almost falling more than once. What do you
think caused them to move? Do you think it affected your
broadcast’s ability to reach survivors? You may attempt a
Gate Repair Action.

20
♠ TEN | As an astronaut you underwent extensive survival
training, and while you feel incredibly ill prepared for this
environment, your training has so far kept you alive. The
landscape is much different than the world you remember,
but you have quickly adapted your skills to be able to find
food and supplies despite the
unstable environment.
Describe what you found in
your broadcast and why it’s
significant. Add one card of
your choosing from the
discard pile back into the
deck and shuffle it.

DIAMONDS: LOCATIONS
♦ ACE | Ground zero of The Event seems most affected by
the distortions. What is different about ground zero from
the other anomaly riddled locations? What makes the
distortions in this area more severe? How do they seem to
affect your mind and body differently? You may attempt a
Gate Repair Action.

♦ TWO | You discover the entrance of a cave system. The

possible threat of danger lurking in its dark halls is clear
to you, but you also don’t think you will make it back to
the broadcast station before dark. Do you choose to set up
camp, explore the cave system, or something else? What
makes this cave feel safe or dangerous? What did you find
there? Does this system seem to be naturally occurring or
fabricated? Roll on the anomaly severity table to add depth.

♦ THREE | You uncover the door of an abandoned bunker

buried beneath vines and vegetation. Do you recognize it?
Who do you think left it? What could be contained inside?
Are you able to get inside? If so, what did you find?
You may attempt a Gate Repair Action.
21
♦ FOUR | You awake in the middle of the night and see
the faint glow of lights somewhere in the distance. Being
outside of your basecamp is incredibly dangerous at night,
but you can’t help but to think this has to be a sign of life.
You venture into the night and arrive at the source of the
lights only to find an entire area illuminated with pulsing
lights despite the absence of an electrical grid. What do you
think this means? Who, or what could have done this?
Roll on the anomaly severity table to add depth.

♦ FIVE | You hear the sound of water in the distance and

discover a body of water. If drinkable, this water will
increase your chance of survival exponentially. What color
is the water? Does the area seem safe? What stands out to
you about this place? Do you have a way to test the water?
You may attempt a Gate Repair Action.

♦ SIX | While on the farthest edges of where you have

explored, your eyes catch a glimpse of an odd stone
formation in the distance. Does it seem naturally occurring
or does it look like something constructed by someone else?
What does it look like? How does it make you feel? Does it
remind you of anything? Roll on the anomaly severity table
to add depth.

♦ SEVEN | As you travel the ruins and wreckage, you find

several buildings where all the doors and windows are
barricaded and boarded up from the outside. You notice that
the word “Nocturnalia” spray painted all over them. What
do you think this means? Have you heard that word before?
What do you think about the buildings being barricaded
from the outside? You may attempt a Gate Repair Action.

♦ EIGHT | While exploring you notice in the distance what

seems to be unmoving human-like figures that appear
frozen in place. The closer you get to them you realize they
are composed of those distinct iridescent vining flowers
that litter the most distorted areas of this landscape.
Everywhere you turn there are more and more of these
human-like statues composed of mangled vines and
distorted roots. A faint bioluminescent glow emanates
21
from them. What are these things? What do you make of
them? How long did you stay in this place? Roll on the
anomaly severity table to add depth.

♦ NINE | You discover an area that seems entirely out of

place. The climate, and landscape deviate drastically from
the rest of the surrounding world. It is as if someone took
a section of land roughly the size of a football field and
dropped it into an entirely different geographical region.
What is different about this place? What makes up its
geological features and its climate? You may attempt a Gate
Repair Action.

♦ TEN | You stumble upon a tower that looks like it is

in pristine condition (fire-watch tower, communication
tower, etc.) You decide to investigate hoping that it can
provide a great vantage point for possibly finding other
survivors, while also providing a safe place to rest. How
could this tower have survived the elements, much less
the anomalies? Do you find it strange that it looks so
untouched? What, if anything, did you find at the top of the
tower? Were you able to see anything of significance while
at the top of it? Roll on the anomaly severity table to add
depth.

CLUBS: EVENTS
Upon your FIRST time encountering each event card, shuffle
it back into the deck rather than placing it in the discard
pile once you have consulted its prompts and completed the
next broadcast phase. You can keep track of what Event
cards you have already encountered with your
character reference sheet.

Every time you draw an event card, roll on the

Anomaly / Severity table to determine the severity
of the event alongside its prompt.

22
♣ ACE | You have become injured. How will this affect your
efforts to repair The Gate and make it home? How did it
happen? What can you do to treat it?
If Minor - you lose a day to the effects of the injury. Place
the top two cards from the deck in the discard pile. If Major
+, you lose an entire week. Place the top four cards from the
deck in the discard pile.

♣ TWO | It is apparent that the environment has become

increasingly unstable in the years since The Event. You
experience a shift in your surroundings. What happened?
Can you explain it? How did it change?
If Minor - your emotional state automatically becomes
one of “Confused / Hesitant”. If Major +, this sudden shift
caused you to lose any items you may have discovered
during the draw phase. Discard any Spades suit cards you
may have drawn during the draw phase.

♣ THREE | You experienced a brief moment of hope that

flickered out as quickly as it arrived. It seemed as if all
your hard work had paid off as the Gate unexpectedly began
to power up. That was, until it became totally unresponsive.
If Minor - your emotional state automatically becomes one
of “Despaired / Hopeless”. If Major +, remove one card from
any successful matching repair on the gate repair grid.

♣ FOUR | You have fallen ill. This could be the result

of unclean water, something you ate, or even a slowly
encroaching effect of the anomalies that surround you.
Are your symptoms major or minor? What do you think
caused it? What are your symptoms
If Minor - you lose a day to the effects of the illness. Place
the top two cards from the deck in the discard pile. If Major
+, you lose an entire week. Place the top four cards from the
deck in the discard pile.

23
♣ FIVE | The environment around you undergoes a
drastic change in climate. Was it predictable (Minor -) or
unexpected (Major +)? How does this weather change affect
you? What effects have the anomalies had on the weather
around you?
If Minor -, the weather causes minor damage to your suit.
Add a +1 to the number you roll for your next resistance
check. If Major +, the weather causes significant damage
to your suit. Add a +2 to the number you roll for your next
resistance check.

♣ SIX | You wake abruptly from sleep due to a vivid

and intense dream. Was it a good dream (Minor -) or a
nightmare (Major +)? What took place in the dream?
What stood out? What do you think it means? Is it
recurring? Why does it feel so familiar?
If Minor - (good), You can reroll your next unfavorable
resistance check. If Major + (nightmare), add a +1 to the
number you roll for your next resistance check.

♣ SEVEN | You exhausted, lost, or damaged something from

the meager supplies you have managed to acquire. Was it
something you can manage without (Minor -) or something
that threatens your survival (Major +)? Does it impede your
work of repairing The Gate? What exactly was this item?
How does no longer having this item make you feel?
If Minor -, losing this item negates the
next time you are prompted to make a
repair attempt. If Major+, losing this
item causes your next repair attempt
more difficult. Flip over a card on the
repair gate grid even if it is the last
face down card on the grid.
♣ EIGHT | While out searching for supplies, you managed to
get turned around. You need to correct your direction before
you become completely off track. Night quickly approaches
and you need to set up a temporary camp.
If Minor - , discard any Spades suit cards you may have
drawn during the draw phase. If Major +, draw from the
deck until you find another event card. Shuffle the drawn
cards back into the deck and place the new event card on
top of the deck for your next draw phase.

♣ NINE | You have learned the hard way that there are
creatures in this place that could easily overtake you if you
let your guard down. What do you think it is? What signs
are there?
If Minor -, you can’t shake the feeling that something
is following you and find evidence that may prove your
intuition right. If Major +, you find evidence that something
has definitely been following you and
stalking your basecamp at night.

♣ TEN | You look into the night

sky and witness an astronomical
event (such as a comet, eclipse,
planetary conjunction, meteor
shower, etc.) What was it? How did
it make you feel?
Regardless of results, the event causes an
interference with all your electronic devices.
When you begin your next broadcast, cut
off your recording halfway through. If
Minor -, your emotional state
automatically becomes one of
“Awed / Wonderstruck”. If
Major +, remove one card
from any successful
matching repair on the
gate repair grid.
COURT CARDS
SIGNIFICANT ENCOUNTERS / EVENTS.

♥ JACK | Apparition: You thought you saw someone else

in the distance, and called out to them and yet they did
not answer. You ran after them, but could not catch up
before they disappeared out of sight. You find evidence that
makes you believe this was real and not the effects of the
anomalies on your mind and body. What stood out about
them? Did they speak? How did seeing them in the distance
make you feel? Roll for Resistance.

♠ JACK | Fragments: You enter into a clearing to find a

large crater filled with fragments of moon rock and vast
crystalline pillars. You notice the gravity feels different
as the weight of the supplies on your back feel lightened.
There is a low hum emanating from the crystal shards.
Your nose begins to bleed as your mind flashes with images
and words. Your body writhes with nausea and pain. As
quickly as the episode began it is over. What did you see?
What did you hear? Roll for Resistance.

♦ JACK | A Warning: You had to set up camp a good distance

from the broadcast station last night after getting lost.
In the light of the early morning you find your makeshift
campsite surrounded by those distinct iridescent purple
flowers. These vining flowers appear to thrive in the areas
riddled with the most extreme anomalies, but these feel as
if they are following you. What do you think this means?
How did they sprout and blossom around you so quickly?
Do they give off an aroma? Roll for Resistance.

♣ JACK | An Invitation: You are not sure when exactly it

happened but you notice that your eyes have changed to a
shimmering unnatural color and shape. When do you think
this happened? How could this have happened? What do you
think is happening? Roll for Resistance.

26
♥ QUEEN | Night Terrors: After not making it back to the
broadcast station before nightfall you set up camp deep into
the city. In the middle of the night you were attacked by
someone or something. You could not quite get a good look
at what it was in the chaos and dark of night. What items
may have been lost or broken in the event? The wounds you
received were unfortunately major. Roll for Resistance.

♠ QUEEN | False God: While exploring you discover what

can only be understood as a throne or altar occupied by
the remnants of a corpse in an astronaut’s flight suit, not
unlike your own. Blossoms of iridescent purple flowers
surround its helmet like a crown. Upon further inspection
you realize the name tag on the flight suit is yours.
Roll for Resistance.

♦ QUEEN | Run: Nightfall seems to have come out of

nowhere and has left you face to face with a monstrosity
of a creature unlike any other you have encountered. This
creature is unsettlingly human. It speaks words that you
cannot comprehend and leaves you shaken to your core.
Can you describe the sounds it makes? You manage to
escape what would have surely been your death, but not
without being wounded. Is this the creature you have heard
in the distance? Is this what has been hunting you? Is this
the “Nocturnalia?” Roll for Resistance. If this is your second
encounter with this creature you must make two resistance
checks.

♣ QUEEN | Hide: This world is home to terrible creatures,

and the one that stands before you is the worst you have
encountered. Unsettling human eyes stare back at you from
the face of a creature that you cannot fully comprehend.
The noise emanating from it chills you to the bone. Is
this thing human? Was it once human? You escape what
would have surely been your death, but not without being
wounded. What do you think this was? Has this been the
creature that you feared has been stalking you? Roll for
Resistance. If this is your second encounter with this
creature you must make two resistance checks.
27
♥ KING | Ghost Signals: During one of your broadcasts, you
begin to hear faint voices coming back to you through the
static. You cannot quite make out exactly what is being said
but you can hear it enough to know the voice is familiar.
Who was it? What emotions were being expressed in their
voice? Did any words come through clear enough for you to
understand them? Roll for Resistance.

♠ KING | Static: Your broadcast equipment screams to life

in the dead of night. You frantically scramble to silence
it to prevent anything that lurks in the night from being
alerted of your location. Before you can turn it off, you
hear a voice breaking through the feedback. While unsure
of what is being said, you hear enough to know that it was
an unfamiliar voice. Who do you think it could have been?
What emotions were being expressed in their voice? Was
it a language you could understand? Did any words come
through clear enough to stick out to you? Roll for
Resistance.

♦ KING | Feedback: Unexpectedly, you hear your own voice

coming through your suits coms system. You frantically
rush back to the broadcast station to find your equipment
is offline, unsure of how this is even possible. You do your
best to make out the words coming through your suit’s
transceiver but the broadcast cuts off abruptly but not
before you hear “They have found me. The Noctur... *static*
have found me.” What do you think this means? Roll for
Resistance.

♣ KING | Strangling Fruit: You awake to the presence of an

iridescent purple flower colonizing the floor and the walls
of the broadcast station. Panicking, you realize that the
tangled mess of vines has already made its way to your
bunk. A pain in your left arm alerts you to the presence of
a vine embedding itself into your skin. You frantically work
to remove the flowers and vines from the broadcast station.
Your wound feels infected and the area around the wound
has become iridescent. Are you concerned? How do you feel?
Roll for Resistance.
28
FINAL OUTCOMES
Your Exposure Level reaches Eight
• You fully succumb to anomaly exposure. Make one
final broadcast. Your game is over.
No more facedown cards on Gate Repair Grid.
• You have failed to repair the gate and all hope of
doing so is lost. Make one final broadcast. Your game
is over.
Ran out of cards in the deck to draw from (Choose one)
• You have damaged critical parts the Gate needs to be
able to function. All hope of repairing the gate is gone.
Make one final broadcast. Your game is over OR
• You are found by the creatures that lurk in the
shadows, whose howls have robbed you of sleep
every night since you arrived here. Make one final
broadcast. Your game is over.
Successfully repaired the gate
• You have successfully repaired the Gate. Roll on the
table below and then make one final broadcast.

You have successfully repaired the gate and upon activation

you arrive…

1/2 Back home only minutes after Project Terminus first went
live. The rest of your crew is unaccounted for. You feel
something crawling beneath your skin.

3/4 On a terraformed Mars, but appear to be entirely alone.

5/6 On a planet unlike anything you have ever seen before,

surrounded by a massive ancient structure that
resembles Earth’s Gate.

7/8 Once again alone and stranded on an unrecognizable Earth.

If you wish, you may create a different world and try to
make your way back home once again.

29
CREW MEMBERS
1. Rollers of R’lyeh
2. Benji Garren
3. Killogre85
4. Josh Craig (Ardon Delias)
5. Skylar Alexander-Brown
6. Christopher Brown
7. Annie C
8. Steven Barrett
9. G
10. Omer Shapira
11. Maximilian Corona
12. Magnus Vanskelig
13. Steve G
14. Gregory R. Hansell
15. C. Wess Daniels
16. Zac Poppen
17. Jonathan Clark
18. Brad Eubanks
19. Bryan Bliss
20. Damian Baker
 PROJECT TERMINUS STORIES
ed since the
t of a Br ok en : 10 years have pass
By the Li gh self alone,
th e Ca ta cly sm … and you find your
events of oon that
rv iv e un de r th e light of a broken m
left to su oken Moon
th e ni gh t sk yB y the Light of a Br
hangs in e Project
jou rn ali ng ro le playing game, in th
is a solo- es of human
that explores them
Terminus universe nt able odds.
e face of insurmou
perseverance in th a journey toward
fin d th em se lv es thrust onto
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Cataclysm, in sear
ground zero of The e unstable and
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who has gone miss st .
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unpredictable bord

Ghost Signals:
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cities were th ents of the Cata
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shortages, and chaos. Unrest
a massive pow , food
odds of surviv er grid failure
al incredibly sl made the
not get out, bu im for those th
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sealed their fa omalies that u
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Now you have ur city. It is no
returned to se t safe.
a mysterious arch for the so
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behind the br sion and the pe
oadcasts. Ghos rson
roleplaying ga t Signals is a so
me contained lo tabletop
and designed on two tri-fold
to offer anoth pamphlets.
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 t in space
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Broadcast 2071: A st ip on their sanity
e st ru gg les to m aintain a gr
and tim omalies and
with inexplicable an
in a world riddled while atte pting to
m make
en ta l di st or tio ns
environm oadcast
th oth er su rv ivors from an old br
contact wi dio-drama
. Br oa dc as t 20 71 is a forthcoming au
station events of
main timeline and
that chronicles the fin d out more
us story. You can
the Project Termin dc as t2071.com
this show at Broa
information about

You can find out more about these games

and stories at ParadoxPress.Games
ParadoxPress.Games