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Game Rules

Lasers & Feelings

Micro Sci-Fi RPG.

You are the crew of the interstellar scout ship RAPTOR. Your mission is to explore uncharted regions of space, deal with aliens both friendly and deadly, and defend the Consortium worlds against space dangers. CAPTAIN DARCY has been overcome by the strange psychic entity known as Something Else, leaving you to fend for yourselves while he recovers in a medical pod.

Table of contents

Rules:

Rolling Dice

When you do something risky, roll 1d6. Add +1d6 if you’re prepared and +1d6 if you’re an expert.

Roll your dice and compare each die result to your stat number:

  • If you use LASERS you succeed by rolling under your number.
    • LASERS means science, reason, technology, cold rationality, and calm precise action.
  • If you use FEELINGS you succeed by rolling over your number.
    • FEELINGS means rapport, diplomacy, intuition, seduction, and wild passionate action.

Success varies on number of dice that succeed:

  1. Fail.
  2. Partial Success.
  3. Success.
  4. Critical success! The GM tells you some extra effect you get.

Laser Feelings

If you roll your number exactly, then you get a special insight into what’s going on.

  • Ask the GM a question and they’ll answer you honestly.
  • You can change your action if you want to,
  • then roll again.

Helping

If you want to help someone else who’s rolling, say how you try to help and make a roll. If you succeed, give them +1d6 for that action.

Setting up the Game:

Character Creation

  1. Choose a style: Alien, Android, Dangerous, Hot-shot, Intrepid, Savvy, Sexy.
  2. Choose a role: Doctor, Envoy, Engineer, Explorer, Pilot, Scientist, Soldier.
  3. Choose a number from 2-5. High means good at LASERS. Low means good at FEELINGS.
  4. Choose a cool space name.
  5. Choose a Goal: Become Captain, Meet Sexy Aliens, Shoot Bad Guys, Find New Worlds, Solve Weird Space Mysteries, Prove Yourself, Keep Being Awesome (you have nothing to prove).

You have the following stuff:

  • a Consortium uniform (with built-in vacc-suit for space walks),
  • a super-sweet space-phone-camera-communicator-scanner thing (with universal translator),
  • a variable-beam phase pistol (set to stun, usually).

Ship Creation

  1. Choose 2 Strengths: Fast, Nimble, Well-armed, Powerful Shields, Superior Sensors, Cloaking Device, Transporters, Fightercraft
  2. Choose 1 Problem: Fuel Hog (Always needs energy crystals),Only One Medical Pod (and Captain Darcy is in it), Horrible Circuit Breakers (In battle, consoles tend to explode on the bridge), Grim reputation (Captain Darcy did some bad stuff in the past), Twitchy Hyperdrive, Sketchy Life Support, Unreliable Com System

GM: Adventure Creation

Roll (4d6) or choose from below:

A THREAT… WANTS TO… THE… WHICH WILL…
Zorgon the Conqueror Destroy or Corrupt Quantum Tunnel Destroy a Solar System
The Hive Armada Steal or Capture Space Pirate King Reverse Time
Rogue Captain Bond with Void Crystals Enslave a Planet
Space Pirates Protect or Empower Star Dreadnought Start a War
Cyber Zombies Build or Synthesize Ancient Space Ruin Rip a Hole in Reality
Alien Brain Worms Pacify or Occupy Alien Artifact Fix Everything

GM: Set the Scene

  • Play to find out how they defeat the threat.
  • Introduce the threat by showing evidence of its recent badness.
  • Before a threat does something to the characters, show signs that it’s about to happen, then ask them what they do.
  • Call for a roll when the situation is uncertain.
  • Use failures to push the action forward. The situation always changes after a roll, for good or ill.

Game by John Harper.
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US