Interstellar Smugglers

Author
Richard Woolcock

Suggestions From
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The untamed frontier of the galactic rim is a dangerous region of space, far beyond the safety of the
core worlds. It is a place where crime pays and the strong prosper—where lucrative opportunities System
Tricube Tales <
await the brave and unscrupulous, as long as they don’t ask too many questions.
From pirates and scavengers to local militias and treacherous clients, those trafficking high-demand Background
Figu Design
commodities must carefully navigate a range of threats and hazards. Narcotics, arms, and machinery all
fetch a premium price from the right buyer, just as many colonists urgently seek medical supplies—and Story Symbols
Delapouite, Lorc, Caro Asercion
then there are the fugitives, those seeking to escape the oppressive regime of the core worlds. Game-icons.net <
You are a ragtag crew of outlaws, smuggling goods between planets on the outer rim. There is always Illustrations
high demand and a tidy profit for your services, as long as you’re willing to take certain risks. Jeshields

Character Creation Resolving Challenges Mission Objectives

Each player creates a character as follows:
1. Choose a trait: Agile (used for reflexes, dexterity,
stealth, and ranged combat), brawny (covers strength,
vitality, athletics, and melee combat), or crafty (covers
smarts, charm, alertness, and mental/social combat).
2. Pick a concept: Scoundrel, mercenary, doctor,
pilot, mechanic, gambler, or robot (specify type).
3. Choose a perk: Gunslinger, hulking physique,
perceptive, close combat specialist, gift of the gab,
technophile, or cybernetic implant (describe it).
4. Select a quirk: Greedy, cynical, trigger-happy,
mercenary, big mouth, cocky, or loose cannon.
5. Grab 3 karma tokens and 3 resolve tokens.
6. Make up a name and introduce yourself to the
group (e.g., “I’m Gan Boldstar, an agile pilot who is
If a player attempts something risky, they roll 1-3 Roll on the following tables to generate the latest
six-sided dice and must equal or beat a difficulty mission (see the next page for examples):
of 4-6 on at least one die. Succeed on multiple dice The crew needs to smuggle...
for an exceptional success (narrate an additional A Alcohol or narcotics D A fugitive or refugee
benefit). Rolling “1” on all dice is a critical failure B Medical supplies E Military equipment
(introduce a complication to the scene). C A dangerous alien F Stolen tech or plans
The GM chooses a trait and difficulty for each To and from (roll for both locations)...
challenge. Most are difficulty 5, but a particularly A A mining world D A large starship
easy or hard task might be difficulty 4 or 6. Some B A fetid swamp planet E A tidally locked planet
challenges (e.g., combat) require multiple rolls. C A distant rim world F An artificial world
Players usually roll 2 dice, but roll 3 dice if the While dealing with...
challenge matches their trait. If a challenge falls A A bounty hunter D A deadly pursuit
completely outside the scope of their concept (e.g., B A tight time limit E Technical difficulties
a doctor repairing the ship), they lose 1 die. C A fickle client F Unexpected hazards

Karma and Resolve Running the Game

perceptive, but also a loose cannon”).

Each player has 3 karma and 3 resolve. Spend 1
karma after rolling to reduce the difficulty by 1, if
you can justify how your perk helps you. Recover
1 karma if you increase the difficulty by 1 before
rolling, narrating how your quirk hinders you.
If you use a quirk and succeed at the challenge,
you may recover 1 resolve instead of 1 karma.
For dangerous actions (such as combat), failure
costs 1 resolve (or 2 on a critical failure). If a PC
runs out of resolve, they are eliminated from the
scene—but death is primarily a narrative conceit,
and the PC usually returns later at full resolve.
The GM should describe the opening scene, react
to the players’ decisions, and assign the traits and
difficulties for challenges. Offer players karma in
return for complications based on their quirks!
The players should make all the rolls, narrate
the outcome of their actions, and drive the story
forward whenever possible. They can also spend
1 karma to influence the story or discover a clue
through their perk, at the GM’s discretion.
If a challenge is potentially deadly (i.e., running
out of resolve results in death), the player should
be warned before they roll.
 Objectives Locations Complications
Described here are examples of objectives for the Described here are examples of locations for the Described here are example complications for the
mission generator (first table): mission generator (second table): mission generator (third table):

1. Moonshine Monopoly 1. The Spice of Life 1. Debt Collector

The crew is hired to deliver a big batch of highly- This planet is the source of a high-demand illicit One of the smugglers owes a lot of money, and a
flammable alcohol to a colony that has very strict substance sold on black markets throughout the bounty hunter has come to collect the credits—or
prohibition laws. galaxy. The drug has a variety of purposes. failing that, the crew member’s head.

2. Designer Drugs 2. Prison Planet 2. Race Against the Clock

A secretive client requests a shipment of chemical
substances—ostensibly “medical supplies,” which
must be delivered to the leader of a colony.
3. Deadly Predator
A wealthy collector has purchased a carnivorous
cephalopod on the black market. This dangerous
animal must be handled with great care.
4. Military Scientist
An infamous scientist is paying a lot of money for
safe passage for herself and her family. She claims
to be the victim of a political smear campaign.
5. Scout Walker
The crew is offered a handsome sum of money to
transport a two-legged reconnaissance vehicle to
a mysterious group of outlaws.
6. Battleship Blueprints
A nervous client is offering premium payment to
deliver military blueprints to a group of freedom
fighters. But the authorities from the core worlds
are already hot on the client’s heels!
The colonists of this deadly swamp planet are the
hardy descendants of a penal colony.
3. The Far Frontier
This farming planet is on the frontier of explored
space. The folks enjoy a rustic lifestyle, somewhat
reminiscent of the Wild West.
4. Mendacious Middleman
The pirate captain Jak Raith acts as a middleman
for many smuggling jobs, protecting a buyer’s or
seller’s identity in return for a cut of the profits.
5. Eternal Twilight
Half of this tidally locked planet is blazingly hot,
while the other half is ice-cold. Only the narrow
band of the “twilight region” is habitable, and it is
prone to terrible storms.
6. Ring Realm
An enormous ring of ancient alien design rotates
around its star. The rocky exterior is pitted with
countless impacts, while the inner surface offers
a livable habitat for dozens of colonies.
The shipment is needed urgently. Any delays will
reduce its value—and the crew’s payment.
3. Altering the Deal
The buyer decides to alter the terms of the deal at
the last moment, much to the smugglers’ dismay.
Pray they don’t alter it any further!
4. Tracking Device
Someone secretly places a tracking beacon on the
spaceship. Are the characters being followed by
pirates? A bounty hunter? The authorities? Or is
their client just keeping a close eye on them?
5. Malfunction
The smuggers’ spaceship suffers a malfunction at
the worst possible time. It will require dangerous
emergency repairs mid-flight if the crew hopes to
complete the mission on time.
6. Patrol Ships
A large warship is in orbit around the destination
planet, and a dozen smaller ships patrol the area,
searching for something—or someone.

Adding a Twist to the Mission

For further inspiration, roll two dice on the table below and use the symbol as an improvisational prompt (you don’t need to interpret it literally). For example,
A E might indicate a laser blaster, a gunslinger, a sniper, or a shoot-out, while rolling E C could mean a wardrobe malfunction, fabric repairs, basic machinery,
or clothing, and E E might represent navigation equipment, astronomical measurments, or interstellar travel.
AA AB AC AD AE AF BA BB BC BD BE BF CA CB CC CD CE CF DA DB DC DD DE DF EA EB EC ED EE EF FA FB FC FD FE FF