HOUSE RULES

Version 2.1; updated 5 Feb 2022

Using These House Rules

These House Rules were created for use with a Tiny
Frontiers game that wanted to entertain a few extra options
around combat, gear, and resources, while still fitting the
simple, streamlined nature of the original game. When in
doubt, keep to the official rules.

Doing Damage
On a standard Test, as long as the highest die is showing
a 5 or a 6, it is a success. In an Attack action, however,
showing multiple 5s and 6s shows how effective the Attack
succeeds.
• The total number of 5s and 6s equals the total number
of damage.
• For Focus actions, use 4s as well. For example, rolling
a 4, 5, and 6 with a Mastered weapon and Focus for an
Attack Test, you do three points of damage total.
• For Heavy weapons, may
“Flavor Crits” add +1 to the total damage.
When doing so, you cannot
While it’s tempting to
perform a second Attack
want to add extra damage action on your turn.
for “boxcar” results (or
• For Unarmed attacks,
double 5s), these results
subtract 1 from the total
deal damage as normal.
damage. You will always
However, they do allow a do a minimum of 1 point
player to describe some of damage with a success.
rare and spectacular stunt
• You can only do a
to the scene, and at the
maximum of 4 points of
GM’s discretion, may offer damage on one Attack
an Advantage in some way. action in any circumstance.

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 Grenades
As an attack action, grenades can be thrown with
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Proficiency in Light Ranged into a Nearby zone or launched

with Heavy Ranged weapons into Nearby or Far zones. If
the Explorer does not have such Proficiencies or Masteries,
attacks are made with Disadvantage. If successful, the
initial target of the grenade receives damage, and up to two
adjacent targets (ally or enemy) must make a Save Test or
receive equal damage. If unsuccessful, the initial target of
the grenade is allowed to make this Save Test as well.
Stun Weapons
Some weapons are designed to only inflict stun results.
Other weapons can be switched to inflict stun effects,
although switching from one setting to another requires an
action.
A successful stun Attack does not inflict damage but
instead blocks the target from performing one action on
their next turn and reduces its movement speed by half.
(If using abstract zone movement, it traps the target from
moving beyond its current zone.). If receiving an additional
stun effect while in this condition, the stunned target loses
all movement speed and must choose between earning
Disadvantage for one turn or lose 1 HP as damage.
The target can make a Save Test to shrug off all stun effects
at the start of their turn. Success resumes all actions and
movement penalties but any loss of HP is not recovered.
Note that Droids might be immune to stun effects (or not, as
it’s all just electricity, after all.) The GM can flavor different
effects accordingly. These effects can be adapted to cover
ensnarement or “goo grenade”-type attacks as well.

Health, HP & Soak

Under House Rules, Explorers have Hit Points (HP) and two
Soak tracks, represtenting Fatigued and Stunned conditions,
with three boxes each. (Some Traits or XP benefits may allow
for more than three boxes.)
When suffering damage, subtract the number from your

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Hit Points (HP). Or, instead of subtracting from HP, you
can mark one box on a Soak track, which can absorb any
number of damage in reaction to a single Attack. Fatigued

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represents your physical condition, and Stunned your
mental condition.
Once you fill a Soak track to three boxes, you lose
Advantage on all Tests until the end of your next turn. (You
may still make a normal Test 2d6 on actions that usually
have Advantage.) The Soak tracks remain full, though, until
you can recover. As always, zero HP takes the Explorer out.
HP and Soak recover at different rates. One HP is recovered
is recovered after 5 minutes of rest, so a half hour of rest
resets all HP. One Soak box is recovered after one full hour
of rest, and only once all HP have fully recovered. So, with
full HP, recovering all six Soak boxes takes a good six hours
(such as overnight, uninterrupted sleep.)
When using medical
Medical Gear assistance to help recover,
any Test that recovers 2
Stimpacks are one-use points of HP can recover
items that can restore one Soak box instead.
2 HP or 1 Soak box Note that the GM may
and are discarded. declare if rest conditions
Medpacks are able are met in-between scenes,
to restore 3 HP or 2 allowing characters to
Soak with a successful completely recover, ap-
propriate to the flow of the
Test by an ally or
story.
NPC, and can be re-
used but follow rules Armor
for Depletion. Also, Wearing armor creates
Medpacks can only be third Soak track that can
used once per Explorer absorb damage; you must
until they suffer loss of have the appropriate Trait
HP anew. to be able to use an armor
Soak track. Both Light and
Heavy armor provide three
boxes to soak damage. To
recover the armor Soak

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 track, after the battle, make a Test for Depletion. Regardless
of success or failure, remove any checks from the Soak
track, but failure lowers the equipment’s Depletion as well.
House rules

Light armor has 4 Depletion points, and Heavy armor has

6. If the armor is reduced to zero Depletion, the armor is
rendered useless and can no longer offer a Soak track.
If using the inventory rules below, the other difference is
that Light Armor takes two (II) Inventory slots; Heavy takes
three (III).

Building Battles (GM Advice)

In general, if a number of normal Explorers (of 6 HP) fight
the same number of Enemies with equal (6) HP each, they
are evenly matched, and it will take about 5 or 6 rounds of
combat (usually) to see one side reduced to 0 HP total.
To increase the challenge of the battle, choose one:
• Raise the number of enemies. This may make the
battle quicker, in favor of the enemies, as there are more
hits against the Explorers, and may feel overwhelming.
• Raise the enemies’ HP. This may prolong the battle,
in favor of the Explorers, as they dogpile against the tank,
and may feel like a slog.
For either choice you should aim for balance by using the
total number of Explorer HP as a base number, then keep
the enemies’ number and the HP inversely proportional:
Raising the number of enemies means lowering the total
HP divided among them.
Example:
Four Explorers would likely have 24 total HP (4 x 6 HP).
You could build a standard (5-6 round) battle by:
• Using an equal number of enemies: For four enemies,
use four High (6) Threats.
• Raising the number of enemies: With eight enemies, you
can use one High (6) Threat, plus four Medium (3) Threats,
plus three Low (2) Threats.

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 • Lowering the number of enemies: With two enemies,
you can use two Heroic (12) Threats.
Of course, sometimes you want an unbalanced combat,

house rules
whether that’s something easier (fewer rounds) or harder
(more rounds.) Subtract 1 to 3 points of HP to the Explorers’
total, or add 1 to 3, when
Enemies and Soak: assembling the enemies in
order to lower or raise the
All Enemies have HP challenge, accordingly.
based on their threat Another way to lower
level determined by the the challenge is to have
GM. enemies be merely Pro-
ficient (or have more
Nameless mooks Disadvantages) in their
and Fodder don’t use attack actions.
Soak rules. “Named”
characters at threat Starship battles can be
levels High or greater balanced mechanically
should definitely have the same way, even if it
Soak tracks, depending feels a bit different.
on how challenging By following the rules
the battle is expected above, you might have,
to be. “Mini-bosses” say, one Freighter-class
should have at least ship (the PCs’ ship with
one Soak track, and 8 Structure) facing two
“Boss-level” Threats or more enemy starships
can have up to three. that have total 8 Structure
divided among them.
Keep the following in
mind when building starship battles:
• Starships can have up to 4 Soak tracks total. Even
low-level starship Threats can have two, perhaps three.
• Medium and Heavy-sized enemy ships may have the
Well-Honed Crew or the Mass Combat traits, giving them
more actions or a bonus to Attack actions, during battle.
• During the battle, use the number of rounds as a
measuring tool. If the Explorers reduce their enemies’

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 Structure to 0 within 6 rounds, they have “won,” even
if all the ships aren’t blown up. Winning could be that
they’ve managed to optimize an escape route, forced
House rules

an enemy retreat, or somehow blocked their offensive

capabilities. If the Explorers fail to reduce to all Structure
to 0 by that time, they have “failed,” even if their own ship
hasn’t been blown up either. Failure could mean they’ve
been spun out into space, captured by a tractor beam, or
just left in the proverbial space dust.

Fortune Points
Beginning Explorers (at Level 1) have one Fortune point.
Additional Fortune points can be earned as an option for
character advancement. For example, one of the choices
for “leveling up” can be to gain one more Fortune point.
Spend one Fortune point to increase the number of dice
rolled for a single Test (including Save Tests) by one. The
maximum number of dice for a Test with Fortune points is
4d6. The player must announce the use of Fortune points
*before* the Test is rolled, and the Fortune points are spent
regardless of success or failure.
Used Fortune points can be refreshed at the start of the
next adventure, the next session, or at the next level-up,
according to the GM’s discretion. The use of Fortune points
is not a guarantee of success, but they are dramatic, and
their refresh should be paced out by dramatic moments.

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Gadgets & Gear

house rules
Credit Scores and Resources
Resources have been “virtualized” into a Credit Score,
rated at Basic (Light, valued at 6), Medium (valued at 9),
and High (Heavy, valued at 12). All Explorers start with
Basic Credit Score, valued at 6.
If you want something priced at your Credit Score number
or below, you buy it. However, using your resources
requires a variation of the Depletion rules-- so any time you
use your Credit Score, you Test for Depletion. Failure means
you can still buy the item, but your Score value is lowered
by 1, and your ability to purchase has stopped temporarily.
The GM determines if that means it has stopped for that
location, that scene, that day, etc. At which point you must
use your new Credit Score.
Items are priced at Basic, Medium, or High. Haggling and
local scarcity raises/lowers the rating by one complete step.
It’s possible for some items to be “Above High” (valued 15
or more), which is impossible for Explorers to obtain as it’s
a resource beyond their capabilities. If it’s “Below Basic”
(zero or less), you purchase it and you don’t have to roll
Depletion.
Rewards are earned at the three levels as well. If your
Reward is greater than your current numerical Credit
Score, your score value is raised +1. If you raise your score
enough to the minimum of the next level, you crest to the
next tier.
So, if you purchased something and have been depleted
to a score of 5, earning a Basic Reward changes the value
of your Score +1, to 6. Earning another Basic Reward would
have no effect; earning another reward, Medium or High,
raises that to 7, but it is still considered a Basic score until it
crests into Medium value at 9. Likewise, if you deplete your
Credit Score to a lower tier, you downgrade to the lower
level.

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 Inventory
Each character sheet has six inventory spaces (each with
3 slots) to list items, and each inventory space represents
EQUIPMENT

a container or location (such as a backpack, footlocker,

bandoleer or belt, etc). Note that its location may impact its
availability at a moment’s notice.
Items take up different amounts of space. The exact
volume of each slot varies, but in general one slot is for
small (Light, I) items, two is for Medium (II), and three is
for bulky (Heavy, III) items. The player suggests the best fit,
with GM approval.
• Items that take up 1 slot: Small blaster, flashlight
• Items that take up 2 slots: Thermal cloak, atmosphere
breathing kit, rope.
• Items that take up 3 slots: Blaster rifle, ionizer
weapon, armor (light/heavy), emergency survival kit.
As you acquire items, fit them to the appropriate number
of slots. Once your slots are full, you can no longer carry
items.

Ranged Weapons:
LIGHT RANGED (II) HEAVY RANGED (III)
Blaster Pistol Blaster Carbine
Stingbeam Blaster Repeater
Ionization Blaster Heavy Blaster Rifle
Disruptor Pistol Ionization Rifle
Slugthrower Pistol Bowcaster
Bola / Net Disruptor Rifle
Missile Darts Slugthrower Rifle
Stun Grenade Flame Projector
Vibrorang Missile Tube

Extra charges/reloads/ammo
(Light, I each pack; Heavy, II each pack)

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 ` Melee Weapons:
LIGHT MELEE (I) HEAVY MELEE (II)
Combat Knife Staff / Lance

EQUIPMENT
Truncheon Force Pike
Laserknife Gaffi Stick
Shock Gloves Vibrosword
Swordfoil Vibro-ax

Detection Devices Communication Devices

Electrobinoculars I Comlink (handheld) I
General Purpose Scanner II Comlink (long-range) II
Hand Scanner I Holo-messenger I
Macrobinoculars II
Security Devices
Scanner Googles I
Binders I
Surveillance Tagger I
Comm Jammers III
Medical Devices Disguise Kit II
Bacta (1 liter) II Electric Lock Breaker II
Bacta (full tank) III Restraining Bolt I
Emerg. Medpack (1 use) I Slicer Gear II
Full Medpack II
Exploration Devices
Stimpack I
Climbing Gear II
Droid Patch Kit I
Crash Survival Kit III
Droid Diagnostic, portable III
Ration Pack (1 use) I
Tools Ration Multipack (5 uses) II
Datapad/ Datagrip I Breath Mask I
Emerg. Repair Kit II Space Suit (stowed) III
Fusion Lantern II Tent III
Multitool I Thermal Cloak II
Flashlight/ Glow Rod I
This list is not exhaustive; Rope (50 ft.) II
consult with the GM when
Water Purification Tablets I
making your personal inventory.

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 House rules
QUICK REFERENCE

Quick Reference
All Basic Actions
Make a “Test” rolling 2d6. As long as the highest die is
showing a 5 or a 6, it is a success.
If you have Advantage for any reason, roll 3d6.
If you have Disadvantage for any reason, roll 1d6.
(Disadvantage supersedes Advantage.)
Actions in Fight Scenes
Take turns according to Initiative order; determined by
rolling 2d6 before the battle begins.
On your turn, you can make 2 Actions total:
• Move (in/out of Close/Near/Far Range; one “move” each;
some range differences yield Attack penalties)
• Use (some item or some Trait)
• Focus (next Attack action succeeds with 4s, 5s, or 6s)
• Evade (Test (1d6) to avoid damage until your next turn)
• Attack: All successes (the total number of 5s and 6s) turn
into points of damage
• Heavy Weapons add +1 damage if you do not take a
second Attack action on your turn
• Unarmed attacks -1 damage (min. 1)
• Maximum for any damage total is 4
Health
Subtract damage from your HP. Tick a Soak box instead
to ignore all damage from any one attack. Fill a track with
three Soak boxes and lose Advantage until your next turn.
Subtract all HP and risk unconsciousness, or worse.
Recover HP with short rests (5 min. each) and Soaks with
longer rest (min. 1 hour each, if full HP.)
 House rules

QUICK REFERENCE
Quick Reference II
Starships
Starships are treated as one character that more than one
player can control. The Starship has “Systems” the way
Explorers have Traits, and “Structure” like HP. Starships
have four Soak tracks: Fuel, Heat, Hull, and Overclock.
There are two additional Ranges at the Starship scale,
making: Immediate, Close, Near, Far, Distant, and Beyond
Distant ranges.
Starship Actions & Explorer Stations
The number of actions the Starship can make is (usually)
two per Explorer stationed within it. They can activate a
System attached to their station, use a benefit from their
Crew position, or general other actions.
An Explorer holds one Station at a time. A Station is left
empty if unclaimed, but an Explorer can swap to a new
Station by using a Move action.
Stations and corresponding crew positions include:
• Helm: Capitan, Pilot
• Bridge: Comms Officer, Navigator, Security, Weapons
Control
• Engineering Bay: Engineer, Technical Officer
• Auxiliary Weapons: Gunner
• Single-pilot ships only: Dogfighter, Droid
Non-Combat Crew
Some positions are equally necessary but essentially non-
combat positions. These positions can move to a Station but
incur Disadvantage when Testing to use any Ship’s System.
These include Medics, Diplomats, Chaplains, Scientists/
Researchers, or even Stowaways, Journalists, etc.