STARCANA

Cosmic Fantasy Roleplaying

By Nora Blake
STARCANA
Cosmic Fantasy Roleplaying
By Nora Blake
 Credits
Version 1.0
Copyright 2019 Nora Blake

Design: Nora Blake

 Contents
Starcana is a Roleplaying Game 5
Starcana is Cosmic Fantasy 6
Rolling the Dice 7
The Column System 8
The Body Column 11
Body Abilities 11
The Mind Column 13
Mind Abilities 13
The Spirit Column 15
Spirit Abilities 15
Character Traits 17
Skills 19
Items and Equipment 23
Character Creation 29
Icons 30
The Ghostwalker 31
The Mindbracer 33
The Rageheart 35
The Spellfont 37
Progression 39
Player Best Practices 41
Directing Play 43
Non-player Characters 44
Tags 45
Example Characters 47
Game Terms 49
Starcana is a Roleplaying Game

This game is intended to be played by a group of 2-5

people (ideally friends), in sessions lasting as long as you
would like. Players create and embody characters,
defined by their goals and abilities, and use those
characters to tell stories.

When an outcome is uncertain or a situation is perilous,

dice are rolled and interpreted as an oracle to guide the
story forward.

One player has a unique role. They are the Director, and
rather than controlling a single character they bring the
world around the characters to life. They describe the
wonders and dangers of the universe and ask you, what
do you do?

This game is one of collaborative storytelling. The

Director is not the master of the game. They are just as
much a player as everyone else, they just play a different
role.

The Player Best Practices chapter details additional

advice for players playing characters, and the Directing
Play chapter has additional advice for Directors.

5
 Starcana is Cosmic Fantasy

Cosmic Fantasy is fantasy with a particular aesthetic.

When we tell stories of cosmic fantasy, we evoke a blend
of past and future conventions to create a brilliant
universe, then tell stories of hope in that space.

We dream of knights and nobles, of great beasts of

myth, of valor and honor and prophecy.

We dream of life in the stars, of great battles between

fleets of spaceships, of alien landscapes and the
unknown reaches of space.

We dream of a world where corporations have no grim

hold on our lives, where countries and states do not kill
us, where society has as much room for us as space
itself.

We dream of a world where justice is attainable and

sought for, where evil is punished and healing is offered
to those who need it.

We dream of a better world. We tell stories in that world,

we indulge ourselves in grand descriptions and epic
gravitas. We allow the big things to be bigger and the
small things to also be bigger. We revel in the vivid color
of the universe.

6
 Rolling the Dice

Everything in Starcana, from the difficulty of an action to

an NPC’s stats, comes back to a ten point scale. This
scale is the foundation upon which the game’s
resolution mechanic is built.

When you roll, you roll one six-sided die. Your goal will be
between 1 and 10, depending on how difficult the task is.
If you meet or exceed your goal, you succeed, and if you
don't, you fail.

You’ll notice that there are difficulty levels inaccessible

to a d6; this represents the limits of sheer luck in
dangerous situations. To accomplish deeds beyond a
difficulty of 6, you’ll need to use resources, character
traits, and aid to alter the result of your die roll.

In some situations, you might roll with advantage or

with disadvantage.

Rolling with advantage means that you get to roll two

dice and take the higher roll as your result. Disadvantage
is the opposite; you still roll two dice, but this time you
have to take the lower of the two.

An important part of rolling dice in Starcana is adding

up the bonuses that alter your roll. These bonuses can
come from equipment, character traits, or circumstance.
There is no limit to how big your modifier can be, so long
as you are honest about what factors are aiding you.

7
 The Column System

Characters in Starcana are represented by a number of

factors, but their most core element is their Strain
Columns. Every character in the world has at least one
Strain Column, and they are a mechanical way of
tracking their health, focus, and morale.

All player characters have four Strain Columns: Body,

Mind, Spirit, and a fourth unique Column based on their
Icon. Strain Columns are a set of five adjectives called
conditions, and you move your character up and down
along the Column during play. The lower down on a
given Column you are, the more you have been worn
down in that aspect of your vitality by yourself or the
world around you.

The conditions on the Strain Column are always literally

true; if you lower your Body Column to Wounded, you
are wounded in the fiction. If you would lower a Strain
Column but aren’t being hurt, you might lower your
Mind or Spirit Columns to represent the stress of
avoiding injury. In this way, if those resources have run
out, your character would be less able to protect
themselves, and it would make sense in that case to be
Wounded even if normally you wouldn’t be.

You lower your position on a Strain Column when you

get hurt or overexert yourself, or when you intentionally
do it to activate a special ability.

8
Using Columns

When you push yourself to accomplish a task, you can

choose to lower a Strain Column to get a bonus on the
roll. You get a +2 bonus for each Column you lower, but
you can't lower any one Column more than once.

Characters in Starcana are by default larger than life.

When you change Conditions to accomplish a feat, think
about how you go even further beyond your usual
heroics.

Damaging Columns

When you take damage from an attack or the

environment, you lower a Strain Column a number of
Conditions equal to the amount of damage you receive.
The attacker gets to decide which Column they are
targeting.

Replenishing Columns

When you have an opportunity to rest, such as a full

night’s sleep or taking a day away from danger, you
replenish your Strain Columns and return yourself to the
top. The exception to this is if you reached the bottom of
a Column; a depleted Column can only be replenished
by taking deliberate action to heal yourself (such as
going to a clinic or taking time to yourself to recuperate).

9
Draining Columns

When one Strain Column is fully depleted, you take an

ongoing -1 penalty to any roll you make. When a second
Strain Column is fully depleted, this penalty increases to
-2. When a third Strain Column is fully depleted, you
enter a critical state.

In a critical state, you do not suffer the penalties

associated with having depleted Strain Columns.
Instead, you roll with ongoing disadvantage. If an ability
would remove this disadvantage, you instead take no
penalties in this state.

When all four of your Strain Columns are fully depleted,

or if you take damage from any source while in a critical
state, you are brought to death’s door.

When you are at death’s door, you can no longer save

yourself. Only with help from allies do you have any hope
of survival. If abandoned by your allies, you will pass
beyond the stars where no one else may follow.

Characters at death’s door may not take actions that

require rolls, and they may not lower their Strain
Columns. Characters at death’s door cannot survive or
endure damage from any source.

10
The Body Column
• Healthy
• Winded
• Exhausted
• Wounded
• Spent

Body Abilities
In My Image: You may lower your Body Column
to change your body. Your new form can be of
any shape or size that you would like, with any
additional accents you want, such as colored
hair or custom eye colors. Raising your Body
Column does not revert your change; you simply
keep the new form until you choose a new one.
In all ways that matter, the body you choose is
the real you.

11
Antitoxin: Lower your Body Column to
immediately shrug off the effects of any poison,
toxin, disease, or illness affecting you.
Body Mastery: Lower your Body Column to
perform an impressive physical feat; dodge
bullets, outrun vehicles, navigate impossible
terrain, etc.
My Honor is my Life: Once a day, you may
declare a short term goal. When you swear to
complete this task, immediately replenish your
Body Column. When you complete it,
immediately replenish your Mind and Spirit
Columns.
My Friend Are My Power: So long as you are
Hesitant or higher on your Spirit Column, you
cannot lower your Body Column below
Wounded. You may still activate abilities or
improve rolls as if you had lowered your Body
Column without needing to actually lower it,
though you may still only lower it once for each
action you perform, as normal.

12
The Mind Column
• Sharp
• Distracted
• Taxed
• Fatigued
• Drained

Mind Abilities
Mindlink: You may establish telepathic links
between yourself and a number of willing
people equal to your level. Anyone linked who
falls unconscious, goes to sleep, or dies will be
disconnected from the link. You may not link
other minds to each other, only to your own.
Additionally, you may lower your Mind Column
to read the surface thoughts of one person for
an hour. This connection can be broken by the
same means as above.

13
Refocus: When you have an hour to meditate,
whether through contemplation or letting your
mind wander during monotonous and
mundane busywork, replenish your Mind
Column and raise your Spirit Column.
Memory Snap: Lower your Mind Column to
perfectly remember one detail such as a face, a
name, or ten seconds of sensation from your
past.
Mental Hand: You may lower your Mind Column
to manipulate the world around you with
telekinesis. If you use this to attack, damage, or
harm a person or object, treat it as a Light
Weapon.
Mindscape: You have a mental sanctum to
which you may retire. Inside, time moves much
faster, allowing you to work through riddles,
work up courage, or make difficult decisions in
the blink of an eye. If you lower your Mind
Column, you can bring someone else in with
you.

14
The Spirit Column
• Determined
• Cautious
• Hesitant
• Discouraged
• Broken

Spirit Abilities
Best Horse On The Ship: You have an animal
ally. They understand you and follow your
instructions (if they want). You can lower your
Spirit Column to place a bit of yourself into
them. This self-shard remains in your ally even if
you raise your Spirit Column again. When you
next become Broken, your ally will come to your
aid and restore your self-shard, replenishing your
Spirit Column.

15
Now I’m Motivated: When you lower your Body
Column to Wounded, replenish your Spirit
Column. Additionally, you deal bonus damage
equal to your level when you are Wounded or
Spent.
Inspiration: When you succeed on a roll, raise
everyone’s Spirit Column.
Borrowed Morale: When you speak from the
heart to cheer someone up, lower your Spirit
Column and raise someone else's Spirit Column
twice. If you use this on a character who does
not have a Spirit Column, they feel a rush of
motivation and confidence.
Teamwork: When an ally succeeds on a roll you
gave them aid for, they raise their Spirit Column
by as many conditions as their result surpassed
the difficulty of the roll.

16
 Character Traits

“Character traits” is a catch-all term to describe the

combination of elements that make your character who
they are, and define what they can do. There are four
different types of character traits: Skills, Standard
Abilities, Icon Abilities, and Ideals.

Skills

Skills are the things that your character knows how to do

well. Typically, because they have invested the time or
money required to learn them. When you roll to
accomplish something and can name a Skill that your
character is trained in that might help you, add a +1
bonus to the roll. You may only gain this benefit once
per roll, even if you have multiple relevant skills.

Standard Abilities

Abilities are special tricks or feats that your character can

accomplish. They are more specific than Skills, and you
have fewer of them. Standard Abilities are freely
available to any character, and are grouped into the
categories Body, Mind, and Spirit.

Icon Abilities

These are even more specific than Standard Abilities,

and are unique to your Icon. They are things only you
can do, and are typically related to your Icon Column.

17
Ideals

Ideals are the values and virtues in the world that drive
your character to act. Ideals consist of a character’s
Beliefs and Drives.

A Belief is something that a character believes is true

about the world. This is the place for the moral
sentiments and poetic musings swirling in a character’s
head.

A Drive, meanwhile, is actionable. If your Belief is your

theory, Drive is your praxis. It tells you how a character
brings their belief to bear in the world.

A character can have multiple Beliefs and Drives, and

they may even contradict each other. People are messy
and complicated things, after all.

When you are embodying your Ideals and taking action

spurred by them, add a +1 bonus to the roll. You may only
gain this benefit once per roll, even if you have multiple
relevant Ideals.

18
 Skills

The list of Skills presented here is merely a jumping off

point to set the tone for what types of characters
Starcana excels at telling stories about. Feel free to
ignore any options that don’t fit in with your own story.

Some Icon Abilities grant access to Skills not listed in this

chapter. These Skills are free to be interpreted and
defined according to your own game and your own
story.

As characters gain levels, they will also gain more Skills.

When they do, they may choose from this list or create a
unique and specific Skill on their own. When creating a
new Skill, make sure that it is specific and useful, but not
so specific that you will never benefit from it.

A custom Skill List is a great way to signpost genre

conventions or set expectations at the beginning of a
campaign. Something like hacking could fall under
Computers, but if you want to tell a story with a more
nuanced approach to technology you might choose to
make Hacking its own Skill entirely.

19
Academics
Represents typical scholarly learning and your ability to
research and compile information from multiple
sources. Use to research a subject or recall something
you previously learned.

Articulation
Represents your ability to convey information in a
straightforward manner. Use this when you need to
construct a sound argument or make a speech.

Athletics
Represents your physical capabilities. Use when
attempting a tough jump or climb, taking a prolonged
swim, or shaking off illnesses and poisons.

Computers
Represents your literacy with computer interfaces and
ability to bypass security systems. Use for hacking or
analyzing computer data.

Engineering
Your understanding of machinery and ability to maintain
or repair such devices. Use to patch up a ship, invent a
gadget, or discern the function of a piece of technology.

20
Fighting
Represents your ability and willingness to inflict harm on
another person.

Medicine
Represents your familiarity with anatomy, human or
otherwise, and your ability to tend to its needs. Use to
diagnose ailments or apply first aid.

Negotiation
Represents your ability to settle a back-and-forth dispute
on equal footing. Use to defuse conflicts, haggle for a
deal, or reach a conclusion that appeals to multiple
perspectives.

Perception
Represents the keenness of your senses and spatial
awareness. Use when seeking hidden people or objects.

Piloting
Represents your skill in operating vehicles. Use this to
make dangerous maneuvers, impress onlookers, or
navigate through space.

Poise
Represents your ability to move your body with grace
and balance. Use when walking a high ledge, dancing
with a noble, or sneaking through a room.

21
Society
Represents your manners and understanding of cultural
norms. Use when attending a gala, identifying a gesture,
or adapting to an unfamiliar social group.

Starcana
Represents your understanding of the magical forces of
the universe. Use to identify rituals and components,
weave spells, or sense the presence of magic.

Subterfuge
Represents your ability to communicate in subtle or
misleading ways. Use to send coded messages, bend the
truth, or otherwise escape scrutiny through speech.

Xenology
Represents your familiarity with foreign flora and fauna.
Use to identify or catalogue a new species, recall details
about a plant or animal, or track such creatures in their
habitats.

22
 Items and Equipment

Items

You may find useful tools or items on your adventures. If

you have something that would make a task easier (rope
for climbing, a magic spell or potion, etc.), take +1 on the
roll. Items are small things, and usually single use. A
piece of gear that can be used multiple times is called
Equipment.

Equipment

Whether a magnifying glass in an investigation or a

laserproof vest, your Equipment will help you in your
adventures. Equipment is permanent and reusable, and
is divided into three categories: Light, Medium, and
Heavy.

Light Equipment can be carried in hand or on your

person. It grants you a +1 bonus to a relevant roll.

Medium Equipment is bigger, or at least bulkier or more

difficult to use. It can’t be carried except on your person,
and like requires both hands to use. Medium Equipment
grants a +2 bonus to rolls.

Heavy Equipment can’t be moved, and often requires

total attention to use or operate. It grants +3 to rolls.

23
Light Equipment

• Binoculars

• Multitool

• Communicator (Planetwide)

Medium Equipment

• Telescope

• A complete set of tools for maintaining a weapon

• Communicator (Systemwide)

Heavy Equipment

• Starcane Oracle

• A full workshop of tools and material fabricators

• Communicator (Galactic)

24
Weapons

Weapons are a special type of Equipment designed to

bring harm and death to other beings. As such, they do
not grant a bonus to rolls. Instead, they deal damage.

Light Weapons deal 1 damage, and can usually be used

with one hand without any trouble. They may also be
concealed.

Medium Weapons typically require both hands, and

can’t be concealed. They deal 2 damage.

Heavy Weapons are true terrors, and are usually

installed weaponry or vehicles. They deal 3 damage.

You can wield two Light Weapons at once. If you pair two
Light Weapons, they count as one Medium Weapon (for
example, wielding two laser swords would count as one
Medium Weapon).

25
Light Weapons

• Carbon nanodaggers

• Hand cannon

• Laser sword

Medium Weapons

• Blast rifle

• A style of martial arts

• Two laser swords

Heavy Weapons

• Blast turret

• Bloom arch

• Heavy Armored Universal Ballistics & Experimental

Reconnaissance Kinetoframe (HAUBERK)

26
Armor

Armor is another special type of Equipment that

protects you from harm. You can only equip one type of
Armor at a time.

Armor gives you a condition called Armored. When you

would lower a Strain Column due to an incoming attack
or injury, you can instead soak the damage with armor
and expend the Armored condition.

Light Armor grants 1 Armored condition, and can pass

for normal clothing without incident.

Medium Armor grants 2 Armored conditions, and its

protective nature is apparent to most people
accustomed to danger.

Heavy Armor grants 3 Armored conditions, and its

nature is unmistakable. This can be a benefit, but may
set others on edge.

27
Light Armor

• Smuggler’s vest

• Reinforced clothing

• Carbon-weave robes

Medium Armor

• Laserproof jacket

• An exosuit with environmental hazard protection

• Personal deflector shield

Heavy Armor

• Starcane Oracle

• Airtight blastplate carapace

• Starcane combat regalia

28
 Character Creation

There are several steps to creating a character:

Description

Pick a name for your character and at least one set of

pronouns. Daydream your character’s past and present.
Consider who they are, who they were, and maybe even
who they are yet to be.

Ideals

What does your character believe, and what actions do

they take to manifest that belief? Write down at least
one Belief and one Drive.

Skills

You start with three from the list under Skills (your Icon
may sometimes grant you additional Skills).

Icon

Your Icon grants you abilities and your fourth Strain

Column. Choose one from the list in the Icons section.

Ability

You start the game with one Ability from either the
Standard lists or your Icon list.

29
 Icons

There are four Icons available to choose from when

creating your character. Each one is a unique and
powerful hero, capable of great heroism and adventure.

The Ghostwalker is a slippery and subtle force of

deception and stealth who can enter or escape any
situation.

The Mindbracer is a valiant protector wielding powerful

wards who uses constructive magic to defy entropy.

The Rageheart is an avatar of justice who taps into the

cosmic anger of everyone who has ever been wronged.

The Spellfont is a living conduit for the universe’s magic

who uses that supernal connection to work miracles.

When you choose an Icon, you gain its unique Icon

Column. You may lower it voluntarily just as you would
any of the Standard Columns.

30
The Ghostwalker
To be seen is to be known, and a Ghostwalker is
powerfully unknown. You have dedicated
yourself to the pursuit of subtlety, and the
Eclipse has taken you under its wing. Assassin.
Thief. Manipulator. Many doors are open when
no one can see you turn their doorknobs.
XP Trigger: Redirect a consequence with stealth
or deception.
The Shadow Column:
• Unknown
• Unnoticed
• Discrete
• Suspected
• Exposed
When you lower the Shadow Column, you come
closer to having all laid bare. How do you cloak
yourself? Why do you crave obfuscation?

31
When you level up, you may choose an advancement
from either this list or the standard lists:

Adumbration: You may lower your Shadow Column to

conceal someone else; they gain Hidden as an Armor
Condition.

Sneak Attack: When you attack an unsuspecting foe,

you may deplete your Shadow Column to deal extra
damage equal to your level.

Wormtongue: When you are Discrete or higher on the

Shadow Column, your words are more believable. If
there is a question of whether or not someone believes
you, they do if you lower your Shadow Column.

Exit Stage Left: You may lower your Shadow Column to

disappear from the scene as you see fit. If this would
lower you to Suspected or lower, you must pass a
difficulty 6 roll first.

Specialty: Upgrade a Strain Column, adding an

additional condition of the highest tier.

32
The Mindbracer
In older days, Mindbracers would don suits of
radiant armor forged of starlight, but those
stars are dead and faded now, and only their
cosmic dust remains. When you take up this
path, you commit yourself to protecting those
around you who cannot protect themselves.
XP Trigger: Put yourself in harm's way to protect
someone.
The Aegis Column:
• Invincible
• Protected
• Shielded
• Obscured
• Vulnerable
When you lower the Aegis Column, you risk
vulnerability. How do you protect yourself? Why
do you take on the role of protector for others?

33
When you level up, you may choose an advancement
from either this list or the standard lists:

Soulforge: You can rebuild what is destroyed, reforge

what has been broken, and reinforce what has been
shaken. If you lower your Aegis Column, you can affect
anything or anyone present of a level lower than yours. If
you deplete your Aegis Column, there is no limit to the
scale or scope of this ability.

Gatekeeper: When you enter a critical state, you may

state a goal or objective. You cannot be brought to
death’s door until either it comes to pass, or all four of
your Strain Columns are depleted.

Ward: When an ally you can see would lower a Strain

Column due to incoming damage, you may lower one of
your own Strain Columns to negate the damage.

Future Proofing: When you would grant an ally

advantage from Aid, you may choose to lower your Aegis
Column instead. If you do, that ally gains the Condition
that you lose as an Armor Condition.

Specialty: Upgrade a Strain Column, adding an

additional condition of the highest tier.

34
The Rageheart
The Rageheart is touched by the cosmic anger
of all who have been wronged. When you reach
out you can feel them, calling out for
vengeance. You are rage and justice given form,
and with your blade forged in hearts and
quenched in cries, you will make things right.
XP Trigger: Hold someone accoutable for what
they’ve done.
The Rage Column:
• Annoyed
• Irritable
• Frustrated
• Angry
• Furious
When you lower your Rage Column, a cosmic
anger bleeds into you. How do you cope? How
do you keep sight of which emotions are yours?

35
When you level up, you may choose an advancement
from either this list or the standard lists:

Payback: When you're Frustrated or lower on the Rage

Column, add your Level to damage dealt to anyone or
anything that has hurt you or someone nearby recently.

Focused Rage: When you're Furious, you never roll with

disadvantage, even when in a critical state.

Raegis: So long as you are Furious, you cannot be

harmed by anything of a lower level than you.

You Never Had Me: If there is a question who acts first,

and you are Furious, the answer is always you.

Specialty: Upgrade a Strain Column, adding an

additional condition of the highest tier.

36
The Spellfont
You are a walking conduit, an avatar of the
currents of magic that drift between stars and
fill the void with hope. Untold power and cosmic
mastery are your boons, and the miracles you
work can inspire nations. Step fast, Spellfont,
and bring the radiance of the heavens to bear.
XP Trigger: Show them that miracles are real.
The Spell Column:
• Overflowing
• Full
• Diminished
• Lacking
• Barren
When you lower your Spell Column, you expend
the power that flows from your soul. How do you
recuperate? What does it feel like to run dry?

37
When you level up, you may choose an advancement
from either this list or the standard lists:

Supernal Protection: While you are Overflowing, Full, or

Diminished, you gain a Starcane Armor condition. You
may expend this condition as if it were a normal
Armored condition. The Starcane Armor condition
returns after an hour of meditation or a good night’s
rest.

Metastarcana: When you lower your Spell Column to

push yourself while performing a feat of magic, you get
+4 instead of the usual +2.

All In: You may fully deplete your Spell Column to open a
door in time and space to another place you have seen,
no matter how far.

Cosmic Firebrand: You may summon the fire of the stars

to light your way and burn your enemies. When you do,
treat it as a Medium Weapon (A Spellfont without this
Ability can still perform this feat, but it counts as a Light
Weapon instead).

Specialty: Upgrade a Strain Column, adding an

additional condition of the highest tier.

38
 Progression

Starcana uses Experience Points (XP) to measure

character growth and grant players the ability to
influence the narrative of the game.

XP can be spent for a number of different benefits, the

most expensive of which is leveling up. When you level
up, you gain a new Ability from either a Standard Ability
list or your Icon Ability list.

You gain XP when:

• You attempt a difficulty 10 action.

• You embody or pursue your Ideals at risk to yourself.

• You make an important discovery about yourself,

someone else, or the world around you.
• You fulfill the XP trigger for your Icon.

• You succeed on a roll another party member gave Aid

to.

• Another player character succeeds on a roll you gave

Aid to.

39
You may spend XP to gain the following benefits:

• 1 XP: Reroll any die, even someone else's.

• 1 XP: Add a minor detail to the scene

• 2 XP: Act with alacrity, before someone else.

• 3 XP: Instantly replenish all your Strain Columns.

• 4 XP: Declare something that will happen in the near

future.

• 5 XP: Raise your level and gain a new Standard or Icon

Ability.

• 5 XP: Ask the Director any question about the world;

they will answer truthfully.

Veto

Anyone may at any point veto the additions made by a

player. The vetoed player regains their spent XP, and
their addition does not come to pass.

40
 Player Best Practices

Gameplay in Starcana is a conversation between players.

We describe and embody characters with complex
internalities and motivations who wield great power in
service to strongly held beliefs.

Sometimes the path forward is unclear, or two people

say things that contradict each other. To find the way
forward, we the oracles of play to serve as a guide in
service to the story being told. We roll dice, we consult
character sheets, we peruse notes. In the end we agree
on a solution and the conversation continues.

Starcana is also a negotiation. When you describe

something and the Director calls for a roll, they will tell
you what the difficulty of the roll is before you attempt it.
You might accept that, and roll. But if you don’t, you may
describe a different action instead. If you change the
circumstances under which you consult the oracles of
play, you may come away with a more favorable
narrative positioning.

Use this negotiation with an even hand. Do not stall or

take up too much spotlight for yourself. Remember
always that there are other players with you, and
everyone wants to be a part of the story.

41
When roleplaying your character, it’s okay if you don’t
know exactly what they say or how they say it. Give
yourself and the other players the freedom to describe
actions out of character.

Transparency is a boon at the table. Stating your

character’s internality and intent is always a good thing,
because it allows others to more comfortably slot
themselves into the story alongside you.

Don’t hold back your ideas. Say what you want to do. Do
not concern yourself too greatly with wondering
whether or not it’s cool or special enough. Trust that
your fellow players will accept the things you say, and
trust them to help improve those contributions with
their own additions. As you give this trust, keep this
advice in mind when they are offering you the same, and
respect it in turn.

Be aware of your fellow players and their comfort. Check

in when you see that they are withdrawing from the
game or appear uncomfortable. This is a game meant for
fun times with friends, and no one should suffer at the
table. Always respect the consent of the other players.

42
 Directing Play

Keep these points in mind as you direct.

You are not a “master” of the game. It is not your story, it

is everyone’s. Do not let yourself become a vengeful god
demanding obedience and piety in exchange for fair
play. Antagonism is for enemies; you’re just another
player.

While the Director has a certain amount of authority

over scenes and consequences, they only have that
authority by the consent of their players. The game
doesn't work if one person tries to pull the reins too hard.

Plans for a game of Starcana are best compiled on a

clear night, as far away from earthly lights as you can
manage. Gaze up at what stars you can find and ask
them to tell you their stories. They will, if you listen, but
you have to listen.

If this is insufficient, consider watching some movies

featuring space adventures. Music works too, and so do
books. There are stars in media, too. Listen to them if the
stars we have in the real world do not speak to you.

Be aware of your fellow players and their comfort. Check

in when you see that they are withdrawing from the
game or appear uncomfortable. This is a game meant for
fun times with friends, and no one should suffer at the
table. Always respect the consent of the other players.

43
 Non-player Characters

NPCs are the characters that fill out the world around
the player characters. They consist of the following
elements:

• Their level

• Their Strain Columns

• Their drive

• Their tags

NPCs range from level 1 to level 10, just like PCs. Their
level indicates the default difficulty of rolls made to
interact with them. In combat, NPCs deal half their level
rounded down in damage, minimum 1.

NPCs have Strain Columns based on what level they are;

low level NPCs only have one Strain Column, level 4-7
NPCs have two, and level 8-10 NPCs have three.

NPCs don’t enter a critical state when their Strain

Columns are depleted; instead, they are defeated or
otherwise removed from the scene according to the
player responsible for defeating them.

Every NPC has a drive, just like a player character. This is

what informs what choices that NPC will be willing to
make and for what reasons.

44
 Tags

Tags are the most important part of making an NPC.

Even their Strain Columns don’t come into focus as often
as their tags. An NPC can have one Tag per Strain
Column.

The following list is, like the Skill List earlier, a jumping
off point. When writing your own tags, make them
important and obvious. This is not a game for subtlety.
Tags are a great way to mark NPCs with details specific
to your story, so make sure you use them.

Hardy: The NPC is particularly tough, with an additional

top level Condition added to all of their Strain Columns.

Swift: This NPC is unusually quick on their feet. In

combat, they get the first move.

Anchor: This NPC is larger or stronger than usual for

someone their size. Treat them as a level higher when
you roll to forcibly move them.

Loyal: This NPC is exceptionally devoted to their cause or

leader, and will never betray either. They will fight to the
death to complete their mission.

Keen: This NPC’s weapons are particularly dangerous,

and deal damage equal to the NPC’s level in combat.

45
Wraith: This NPC is a specter sustained by starcane
energy. They cannot be injured by physical weapons,
only magic or blast weapons will have any effect.

Shadow: This NPC can easily escape from view and hide
from their enemies. Treat them as a level higher when
trying to track or find them.

Telekinetic: This NPC can manipulate the world around

them by sheer force of will, and may be able to fly.

Fireproof: This NPC has some method of protection from

heat, and is unaffected by blast weapons or lasers.

Cautious: This NPC does not trust easily without

concrete assurance.

Mastermind: This NPC always has a backup plan, and

when defeated can reveal a contingency that ensures
their survival (once per session).

Swarm: This NPC is more difficult to interact with

physically, as they are comprised of a multitude of
smaller entities. They can enter and escape most
situations with ease.

46
 Example Characters

Korvan Regnus (He/Him)

Belief: Honor is pretty, but duty is sacred.

Drive: In all things, show the light of hope.
Skills: Fighting, Society, Athletics
Icon: The Mindbracer
Ability: Soulforge

Korvan Regnus is a knight of the Blue Star, an order

dedicated to justice and valor. He is proper and polite,
and he is driven by the vows he swore on his mother's
sword. He hopes to live up to her legacy, but the Lady of
Fire casts a deep and imposing shadow.

Zora Zalis (They/Them)

Belief: There is suffering in the world if you look for it.

Drive: So look for it, and root it out.
Skills: Starcana, Medicine, Xenology
Icon: The Spellfont
Ability: Cosmic Firebrand

Zora Zalis is a scholar studying the starcane currents

that permeate the stars. They are determined and
eternally hopeful. Their studies have brought them
many powers, which they mainly use to help people
who suffer under oppressive structures and punish
those who uphold them. They are nonverbal, preferring
hand signs over speech.

47
Rjona Galt (Zi/Zin)

Belief: There’s always another secret.

Drive: Listen to the quiet things.
Skills: Poise, Subterfuge, Articulation
Icon: The Ghostwalker
Ability: Exit Stage Left

Rjona Galt is a scientist studying symbiotic and

parasitic organisms. Zi is bubbly and energetic, eager to
talk at length about zir research. What zi doesn’t let on
so easily is the fact that zi is also a member of an anti-
capitalist activist group called Moonbloom, known for
countless acts of corporate sabotage across the stars.

Vi (She/Her)

Belief: Subtext and pretense are a waste of time.

Drive: An eye for an eye is too lenient; seek true justice.
Skills: Piloting, Fighting, Intimidation
Icon: The Rageheart
Ability: Now I’m Motivated

Vi has had an interesting existence. She woke up on an

alien world with no memory of her past and no clues
save a VI tattoo on her wrist and a whirling vortex of
supernal rage in her heart. She has a tendency to be
terse and direct, but this rocky exterior hides a full and
open heart.

48
 Game Terms

In Starcana, some phrases are used that imply a very

specific thing. This is a compilation of such phrases.

Raise

When you raise a Strain Column, you move up one

condition on it. You may not move higher than the top
condition.

Lower

When you lower a Strain Column, you move down one

condition on it. You may not move lower than the top
condition.

Deplete

When you deplete a Strain Column, you have reached

the bottom of it. If you choose to deplete a Column to
activate an Ability, you immediately move to the bottom
no matter how far up you were before. If you lower a
Column and by doing so reach the bottom, this counts
as depleting the Column for the purposes of activating
Abilities.

49
Replenish

When you replenish a Strain Column, you move to the

top of it no matter how low you were before. Strain
Columns replenish on their own after a full night’s sleep
or when an appropriate amount of time has passed. A
depleted Column does not replenish on its own;
deliberate action from the character is needed to ensure
its healing.

Critical state

Characters enter a critical state when three of their

Strain Columns are depleted. When in a critical state,
you make all rolls with disadvantage. If you are harmed
while in a critical state, you are brought to death’s door.

Death’s door

Characters at death’s door cannot take actions, and can

only be saved by other characters. If they do not receive
aid in the same scene they are brought to death’s door,
they will die. If they are harmed in this state, they will
die.

50
51