NOVA

TACTICS

Writing Art
SPENCER RAUL
CAMPBELL VOLPATO
NOVA TACTICS
This is the playtest packet for NOVA Tactics. This game is
currently in development, and the rules within will likely
have a number of inconsistencies and errors. The goals
of this playtest are to determine if the core premise of the
game is sound and worth building on, and what are the
most prominent pain points in the current design.

NOVA Tactics is a stand-alone game set in the

NOVAverse. In this iteration, the premise is one of a
training simulation. Sparks go through simulated battles
against one another, in small squads, to improve their
skills before going into the field with real missions.

Tactics is a tactical battle game, taking place on a hex

grid. Players will command a squad of three Sparks,
each with a collection of abilities, and attempt to win the
battle. Battles take place across a number of terms, and
the winner is determined by whoever has the most victory
points at the end of the battle.

What You Need

You’ll need at least two players to play Tactics. The game
takes place on a hex grid, which is provided in this
document. You’ll also need tokens to mark the Sparks
and terrain on the map.

After playing the game, please consider filling out this

brief survey, so that I can collect as much playtest data
on the game as possible. If you’d like to discuss the
game further, consider joining the Gila RPGs discord
server.
 RULES
The goal of the game is to win the Battle. A Battle takes
place across 5 rounds, during which players will take
turns back and forth activating their Sparks. Players will
be attempting to earn as many victory points (VPs) as
possible within the 5 rounds. Whoever has the most VPs
at the end of the 5th round is the winner.

Players will begin by selecting their squad of Sparks.

Each player chooses any 3 Sparks from the pool. For this
playtest, players can select the same Sparks. Each
player also starts with a starting amount of Fuel of 10.
More on what Fuel is used for later in the document.

Each Spark has a number of features. All of these will be

covered in detail throughout the rules.

• Health
• Movement
• Passive
• Abilities
• Supernova

The Battle takes place on a 10x10 hex grid, called the

map. There will be various types of terrain, covered later,
that can be present on the map.
Rounds & Turns
Randomly determine the first player.

The Battle takes place over 5 rounds. During each round,

the players will alternate taking turns, with each turn
dedicated to one of the Sparks in their squad. Each
Spark can have only one turn during a round.

If a player does not have a Spark to activate during their

turn, perhaps because it is currently downed, they pass
their turn to the next player. At the end of the round, the
first player rotates clockwise around the table.

During their turn, a Spark can take up to 2 actions.

Actions include the following:

• Moving on the map

• Using an ability
• Reviving an ally
• Interacting with a map feature or objective

Sparks may repeat the same action twice. However, they

may not use the same ability twice in one turn.
Movement & Terrain
Each Spark has a movement score, showing the number
of spaces they may move on the map when activated. A
Spark does not need to move their full movement score.

However, a Spark cannot “break up” their movement,

splitting it between another action. For example, a Spark
with 3 movement cannot move 1 space, use an ability,
and then move the remaining 2 spaces.

Sparks may move through one another’s spaces, but can

never end their turn in the same space as another Spark.
In general, moving on the map is 1-1, meaning moving
one space uses up one of your movements of the turn.
There are two exceptions: terrain and elevation.

There are four types of terrain: difficult, permanent, cover,

and elevated

Difficult terrain does not interfere with line of sight

(described later), but does slow down movement. Each
space of difficult terrain counts as 2 when entering,
instead of 1. Permanent terrain can prevent line of sight,
and cannot be moved through.

Both difficult and permanent terrain fill up an entire space

on the map.
Cover does not interfere with line of sight or movement,
but does make it harder for Sparks to be hit. Unlike
difficult or permanent terrain, cover is drawn along the
edges of spaces, providing a sort of barrier between
spaces that Sparks can hide behind. When behind cover,
any actions targeting that Spark are made with a -1
modifier (more on modifiers later).

Finally there is elevated terrain. Elevated terrain requires

2 movement to move onto, like difficult terrain. When
elevated, a Spark gains a +1 modifier on any actions they
take that target Sparks that are not elevated.
Passives & Abilities
Sparks have a Passive which provides an ongoing
benefit. Sparks do not need to “activate” a passive during
their turn to gain the effect, the effect is assumed to
always be present.

Each Spark has 3 Abilities. These are power actions that

they can take during their turn. Some abilities are
focused on dealing damage to other Sparks, while others
change the shape of the map, or manipulate your
surroundings to gain an edge.

Here’s an example from Warden:

Bulwark: Reduce harm taken by ally Sparks in all

adjacent spaces by 1 until Warden’s next turn.
• +1 Harm reduction per Hit.

Abilities typically have a given effect, a range of that

effect, and then the option to enhance the effect through
using Fuel. In the above example, Warden is able to
provide a protective barrier to their allies for a period of
time, so long as they stay next to him. This is a great
ability to use when holding an objective on the map!

Many abilities will have a range associated with the

effect. Adjacent means any spaces immediately next to
the Spark. A Spark that is elevated is not considered
adjacent to any non-elevated spaces on the map. Spaces
divided by cover are still considered adjacent. Beyond
that, ranges will have a number, which is counted as the
number of spaces away from the Spark. For example, an
ability that is Range 3 can target any space up to 3
spaces away from the Spark.

Finally, an ability can be enhanced by rolling some of the

player’s Fuel. The effect of the ability is modified based
on the number of Fuel dice that roll a Hit. Fuel is covered
in the next section.
Line of Sight
When using abilities, Sparks may need to determine if
they have Line of Sight (LoS) on their target. This is only
the case when an ability affects a Spark that is not
adjacent. Adjacent spaces are always considered to have
LoS.

To determine LoS, draw a straight line from the center of

the activated Spark’s space to the center of their target’s
space. If the line goes through a space that has
permanent terrain, they do not have LoS, and so cannot
target that Spark.

If the line goes through spaces bordered by cover, they

still have LoS. However, there is a modifier to any Fuel
rolls (described below) targeting that Spark.

Fuel & Modifiers

Each player has a collection of Fuel that they can spend
throughout the Battle. They start the Battle with 10, and
will use it to enhance their abilities and resurrect their
Sparks.

If a Spark is using an ability, and that ability has a “per

Hit” component, the player may choose to use some Fuel
and possibly increase the effectiveness of the ability.
Each point of Fuel represents a d6. A player can spend
as much Fuel on a single ability as they’d like, though
they will need to be careful as Fuel does not replenish
quickly.
When rolling Fuel to enhance an ability, any roll that
comes up a 4+ is a Hit, granting the “per Hit” effect to the
ability. Sparks may benefit from multiple Hits at a time,
and so using multiple Fuel on a roll not only increases the
odds of rolling at least one Hit, but might even score you
more!

Fuel rolls can be modified by a number of different

factors. Typically a modifier will look like +X or -X, where
X is the value being added or subtracted from your roll.
For example, a +1 modifier would change a roll 3 to a 4,
turning it into a Hit! Modifiers apply to all dice in a single
roll.

Here are some possible sources of modifiers:

• Elevation: +1 to rolls when an elevated Spark is

targeting a non-elevated Spark
• Cover: -1 to rolls that target a Spark that is behind
cover
• Passives & Abilities: Some passives or abilities may
grant Sparks modifiers. For example, Pyre gains a +1
modifier on all rolls as long as they are at least 3
spaces away from any ally Sparks.

Fuel is regained in a number of ways:

• At the start of each round, after reviving dead Sparks,

each player recovers 2 Fuel
• Each time an enemy Spark is killed, the killing player
immediately gains 1 Fuel
• Some missions and objectives provide Fuel if certain
conditions are satisfied

Unless stated otherwise, a player can never have more

than 10 Fuel.
Health, Harm &
Supernovas
Winning the Battle will oftentimes mean eliminating other
Sparks. Each Spark has a Health value, which is the
amount of Harm they can take before being taken out.
Harm is most commonly given from abilities, however
there may be some mission rules that deal Harm as well.

When a Spark hits 0 Health, they are considered dead.

However, before dying, they activate their Supernova, a
last ditch action. Once the effect of the Supernova is
resolved, leave the Spark’s token in their space until the
end of the round. A Spark can never activate their
Supernova more than once per round. This means if a
Spark is killed, revived, and then killed again in a single
round, they do not get to use their Supernova an
additional time.

Sparks return to the fight in one of two ways. First,

another Spark may revive a fallen Spark. To do so, they
must be in an adjacent space, and use one of their
actions. If they do so, the fallen Spark returns with half
their Health (rounded up). If the fallen Spark has already
taken their turn this round, they may not take another.
However, if they have not acted this round, they may take
their turn as normal.

Sparks are also revived at the start of each round. Their

tokens are removed, and players deploy them according
to the mission’s deployment rules. To do this, a player
must spend a point of Fuel. If they do not have Fuel, the
Spark does not revive that round, and they must wait until
the start of a round in which they have Fuel to spend. A
player does not have to revive a Spark if they do not wish
to.
 MISSIONS
When sitting down to play, players should choose a
particular mission for their Battle. Missions provide setup
instructions for terrain, as well as additional rules and
objectives that apply to that Battle.

Players are attempting to earn Victory Points in order to

win the Battle. Regardless of the mission, each time a
player kills a Spark, they gain 1 VP. Additional VPs are
determined by the mission.

You do not need to play with a mission. If you’d prefer to

create your own terrain setup and just have a
deathmatch across 5 rounds, that’s ok!
Setup
Missions tell you how to set up the terrain for the Battle.
There will be a diagram showing where to mark or place
tokens for any terrain that is present. In addition, if the
mission has important objectives or locations of interest,
they are noted in the setup.

Players are given deployment rules from the mission,

which determines where they will place their Sparks at
the start of the Battle. After randomly determining the first
player, players take turns placing one of their Sparks in
their deployment area, starting with the second player.

Wherever a Spark is killed, and revived with Fuel, they

are placed back on the map via the mission’s deployment
rules.

Objectives
Many missions will involve attempting to hold particular
positions or secure assets. These are generally referred
to as objectives, and are one of the primary sources of
getting VPs. While killing Sparks can get you VPs,
accomplishing objectives usually nets you a greater
amount.

Some objectives can only be accomplished a single time.

After they are completed by a player, it can no longer be
scored the rest of the Battle.

Other objectives are ongoing, and typically scored at the

end of each round. For example, an objective might
involve controlling a sunshard on the map. Whichever
player has control of that objective at the end of each
round would gain VPs.
 PLAYTEST
MATERIAL
Here you’ll find what you need in order to playtest Tactics.
As of this playtest, there are a limited number of Sparks
available. When choosing your squad, players may select
the same Spark.

In addition, there are only two missions provided.

Feel free to create your own Sparks and missions after

playtesting the existing material! Future versions of the
game will have a full suite of Sparks and missions. In
addition, I hope to eventually incorporate the enemy
factions as options for your squad (because who doesn’t
want to run a squad of elite corvus agents?)

If you playtest the game, please leave your feedback on

on the playtest’s itch page, or discuss the game further in
the Gila RPGs Discord server.
Pyre
Health: 7 Move: 3
Passive: +1 modifier on rolls when Pyre is at least 3
spaces away from closest ally.
A1: 1 Harm to enemies in each space you move through
this turn.
+1 Harm per Hit.
A2: 1 Harm to adjacent enemy.
+2 Harm per Hit.
A3: +2 move this turn.
+1 move per Hit.
Supernova: Deal 3 Harm to a single adjacent enemy.
Earn an extra VP if you kill them.

Voyager
Health: 5 Move: 4
Passive: Voyager is not affected by difficult terrain, and
cover terrain blocks LoS on Voyager.
A1: Range 5. One ally shares your LoS on enemies until
Voyager’s next turn.
+1 ally affected per Hit.
A2: Range 4. One ally gets a +1 modifier on their next
ability.
+1 ally affected per Hit.
A3: Range 4. One ally gets a +1 move on their next turn.
+1 move per Hit.
Supernova: All allies may immediately move 2, and have
a +1 modifier on their next roll.
Warden
Health: 10 Move: 2
Passive: Deals 1 Harm to any enemies in adjacent
spaces when moving to a space.
A1: Remove an adjacent piece of difficult terrain, or cover
bordering an adjacent space.
+1 terrain or cover affected per Hit.
A2: Reduce Harm taken by any allies in adjacent spaces
until the start of Warden’s next turn.
+1 Harm reduced per Hit.
A3: Move an adjacent Spark, ally or enemy, one space in
any direction.
+1 space per Hit.
Supernova: Move up to 4 spaces, destroying any difficult
terrain and cover you pass through. Your passive effect is
active during your Supernova.

Scorch
Health: 6 Move: 3
Passive: +1 Fuel regained at start of round if Scorch is
adjacent to an ally or objective.
A1: Create difficult terrain on an adjacent space.
+1 space per Hit.
A2: Range 2. Choose a Spark to Heal or Harm 1.
+1 target per Hit.
A3: Range 3. 1 Harm to a Spark.
+1 adjacent Spark affected per Hit.
Supernova: All allies within Range 3 are healed for 3. All
enemies within Range 3 take 3 Harm.
Missions
Consider using one of these missions for your playtest of
NOVA Tactics. Here is a legend for the maps:

PERMANENT
TERRAiN

ELEVATED
TERRAiN
DiFFiCULT
TERRAiN

COVER

OBJECTiVE
Fuel Up
Small sunshards have been detected nearby in the Dusk.
Secure them for your team to gain an edge in the fight.

Setup & Deployment

Use the provided map on the next page, which has all of
the terrain and objectives marked.

Deployment zones are marked with spaces with three

stripes. The first player should choose a deployment
zone for their Sparks. Starting with the second player,
each player deploys one of their Sparks in any of the
spaces with stripes. These spaces are not considered to
have any terrain type.

Objectives & Victory Points

The objectives represent two sunshards. These spaces
are considered permanent terrain, and Sparks cannot
move through them. Controlling the sunshards will grant
you VPs.

The player with the highest number of Sparks adjacent to

an objective at the end of each round is considered to be
controlling it, and earns 3 VPs. If both players have the
same number of Sparks next to an objective, nobody
controls it that round.

The Battle takes place across 5 rounds. Whoever has the

most VPs at the end of round 5 wins the match. As a
reminder, killing a Spark earns you 1 VP.
Data Grab
Pieces of tech from before the nova event have been
revealed. Grab them and keep them away from the
enemy.

Setup & Deployment

Use the provided map on the next page, which has all of
the terrain and objectives marked.

Deployment zones are marked with spaces with three

stripes. The first player should choose a deployment
zone for their Sparks. Starting with the second player,
each player deploys one of their Sparks in any of the
spaces with stripes. These spaces are not considered to
have any terrain type.

Objectives & Victory Points

The objectives represent two pieces of technology. The
objectives are not terrain, and can be carried by a Spark.
In order to pick up an objective, a Spark must be in an
adjacent space and use one of their two actions. They
are then considered carrying the objective. At the end of
each round, any player that has a Spark carrying an
objective earns 2 VPs.

Sparks carrying objectives take +1 Harm from all sources

and have -1 move. A Spark can put an objective down in
an adjacent space during their turn, and this does not
count as an action.

The Battle takes place across 5 rounds. Whoever has the

most VPs at the end of round 5 wins the match. As a
reminder, killing a Spark earns you 1 VP.