ZeroSpace 4e EN:Introduction

Contents

zerospace

noun

the gravitational center of a warp engine's Lorentzian manifold.

What Is This?

ZeroSpace is a science fiction game which takes place in a vast patchwork of interstellar empires populated by thousands of strange and wonderful aliens.

What Is A Roleplaying Game?

Roleplaying involves taking on a persona or character and making decisions based on what that character would do in a given situation. Maybe those decisions aren't the most tactically advantageous, but that's part of the fun of roleplaying.

Games have rules that govern conflicts and whether something a character attempts is successful. In most games, there is some random element to make the game more fun (ZeroSpace uses two six-sided dice).

If you would like to read more about who plays roleplaying games, and why and where they play them, check out The Escapist -- The Five Ws of RPGs.

The Players

In a roleplaying game, each player adopts a persona called a player character, or PC. The player characters are imaginary people who inhabit the fictional universe of ZeroSpace.

In many ways, the player is like an actor who chooses their own part and writes their own lines as the play progresses. The game moderator sets the stage and introduces the characters to their world, but the story is driven by the player characters.

The Game Moderator

The game moderator, or GM, creates the story and portrays everyone that the player characters encounter during their adventures. These are called non-player characters, or NPCs. The players help create the adventure by responding to the challenges the GM presents and by pursuing the PCs' own goals. This dynamic creative process creates a story which neither the game moderator nor the players could have created alone.

Ground Rules

Be Cooperative

A roleplaying game is fundamentally a cooperative activity. The players are not in competition with the GM nor with each other. The goal of a role-playing game is to experience fun stories and to entertain everyone at the table.

Expert Tip: Making the game fun is everyone's responsibility.

• Encourage each other: If someone does something cool, or has a great idea, let them know. It will make them feel good, and it will let people know what kind of game you find fun.
• Embrace setbacks: Don't get frustrated if things are going badly. Recovering from a setback makes the victory sweeter.
• Be considerate: Don't hog the spotlight. Take turns being the center of attention.
• Don't play a jerk: Being "true to your character" is not an excuse.
• Respect everyone's boundaries: If a topic or a certain plot element makes any of the players uncomfortable, respect that and avoid it. Consider using John Stavropoulos' X-Card, particularly if the players are new to each other.

Use Common Sense

If something in the rules violates the way you think your game should work, then override it. If the rules permit something ridiculous, or would prevent something completely ordinary, then override them.

Expert Tip: Don't use the rules unless you need to.

In fact, if you can play a fun game session without referring to the written rules, you should. Saying "it works like this" is often a better solution than flipping through a rulebook for an answer.

Avoid Rule Arguments

Sooner or later, there will be a difference of opinion among the players regarding what a rule means, or how a rule should be implemented. The time for rule discussions is between games, not during a game. If a rule discussion sidetracks the game, the game moderator should make an executive decision and table additional discussion for later.

Core Mechanics

Attributes

Each character has seven attributes which describe their basic physical and mental abilities.

• Agility: coordination, ranged combat fighting ability, and general flexibility
• Brawn: physical might, hand-to-hand fighting ability, and general hardiness
• Presence: determination, mental combat fighting ability, and general empathy
• Reason: ability to analyze data, draw conclusions from the facts at hand, and solve problems
• Power Level: technological might, alien potency, psychic potential, and so on
• Endurance: a character's ability to physically and mentally exert themselves
• Health: a character's ability to withstand physical hardship and injury

See the Attributes chapter for more information.

Rolling Dice

When a character attempts a task, the player must roll dice to see if the character succeeds. The player rolls two six-sided dice (2d6) and adds them together. The player adds this to the character's appropriate attribute (Agility, Brawn, etc.) and skill (Diplomacy, Ranged Combat, etc.). This total is the character's Action Value, or AV. If the character has appropriate equipment, they may add their equipment level to their Action Value, but only up to their skill level.

Expert Tip: Only roll when there is risk.

If the character is actively competing against an opponent, the Difficulty Value, or DV, is equal to 8 plus the opponent's appropriate attribute and skill. The opponent's equipment helps them just as it helps the player characters, up to their skill level.

2d6	vs	8
+ [Attribute] + [Skill]		+ [Attribute] + [Skill]
+ [Equipment (up to Skill)]		+ [Equipment (up to Skill)]

If no one is actively working against the character, the GM sets the Difficulty Value (DV). Moderately difficult tasks have a difficulty of 12 (DV 12). More difficult tasks have a higher difficulty.

If the character's Action Value equals or exceeds the DV (Defense Value or Difficulty Value) assigned by the GM, the character's attempt succeeds.

Expert Tip: On a tie, the character who initiated the action wins the contest.

Rolling dice is covered in more detail in the Actions chapter.

Bonuses And Penalties

A character's roll may have one or more bonuses. Only the highest bonus applies. Receiving a +1, a +2, and a +3 bonus at the same time adds 3 to the character's roll.

A character's roll may have one or more penalties. Penalties are cumulative. Incurring a -1, a -2, and a -3 penalty at the same time subtracts 6 from the character's roll.

Damage

If the attacker's roll succeeds, the player rolls dice based on the character's Power Level (1d6 + Power Level) or on the equipment level of the weapon (1d6 + equipment level). The target's resistance (Damage Resistance, Mental Resistance, or Alteration Resistance) is deducted from the points of damage.

If the attack is a normal attack, the remaining points of damage are deducted from the target's Health (or Endurance, if it is a stunning attack attack).

If the attack is a mental attack or an alteration attack, half of the final points of damage are applied to the target (round down, even if the fraction is more than one-half, to a minimum of 1). Roll damage and deduct resistance before dividing.

Rounding

When a number is divided, round down, even if the fraction is more than one-half, to a minimum of 1. For game purposes, half of 5 is 2, and half of 1 is 1.

Glossary

Action Value (AV)

2d6 + [Attribute] + [Skill] + [Equipment (up to Skill)]; Action Value (AV) is compared to Difficulty Value (DV) to determine if the action is successful.

Agility

Coordination, ranged combat fighting ability, and general flexibility.

all-out move

Base move x 6; requires a move action.

Alteration Resistance

The amount the defender subtracts from the points of alteration damage rolled by the attacker; the remaining points of alteration damage are halved.

attribute

The five basic character traits: Agility, Brawn, Presence, Reason, and Power Level.

AV

Action Value: 2d6 + [Attribute] + [Skill] + [Equipment (up to Skill)].

base move

Normal ground movement based on the character's attributes or powers; requires a move action.

base attribute

An attribute when the character is fully healed and not impaired in any way.

black zones

A location suspected to have Instrumentality activity.

bonus

A number added to an Action Value (AV), a Defense Value (DV), or a damage roll. Only the highest bonus applies.

[Brackets]

Text in [Brackets] indicates that it is replaced by some other value, such as an attribute

Brawn

Physical might, hand-to-hand fighting ability, and general hardiness.

character point

Spent to buy attributes, skills, and special abilities for a character.

Damage Resistance

The amount the defender subtracts from the points of normal damage rolled by the attacker.

Defense Value (DV)

8 + [Attribute] + [Skill] + [Equipment (up to Skill)]; Action Value (AV) is compared to Defense Value (DV) to determine if the attack is successful.

Difficulty Value (DV)

12 (Moderate), 15 (Remarkable), 18 (Extreme), 21 (Inconceivable); Action Value (AV) is compared to Difficulty Value (DV) to determine if the action is successful.

double move

Base move x 2; requires a move action.

DV

Defense Value: 8 + [Attribute] + [Skill] + [Equipment (up to Skill)].

Difficulty Value: 12 (Moderate), 15 (Remarkable), 18 (Extreme), 21 (Inconceivable).

Endurance

Ability to physically and mentally exert oneself (Brawn + Presence).

game moderator (GM)

The player who sets the story in motion, plays everyone and everything in the game other than the PCs, and arbitrates any disputes.

gift

An exceptional ability that a normal person can have, but that most people do not have.

GM

Game moderator: the player who sets the story in motion, plays everyone and everything in the game other than the PCs, and arbitrates any disputes.

Health

Ability to withstand physical hardship and injury (Agility + Brawn).

Mental Resistance

The amount the defender subtracts from the points of mental damage rolled by the attacker; the remaining points of mental damage are halved.

move action

Move the distance permitted by Agility, Brawn, or a movement power; may be a base move, double move, or all-out move.

non-player character (NPC)

A fictional character controlled by the game moderator.

NPC

Non-player character: a fictional character controlled by the game moderator.

PC

Player character: a fictional character controlled by a player.

penalty

A number subtracted from an Action Value (AV), a Defense Value (DV), or a damage roll. Penalties are cumulative.

player

A living, breathing person playing the game.

player character (PC)

A fictional character controlled by a player.

power

An ability beyond what is possible for ordinary mortals.

Power Level

Technological might, alien potency, psychic potential, and so on.

Presence

Determination, mental combat fighting ability, and general empathy.

Reason

Ability to analyze data, draw conclusions from the facts at hand, and solve problems.

run

Double move: base move x 2; requires a move action.

round

One round is six seconds, give or take, giving us ten rounds per minute. During a round, each character gets a turn.

scene

A scene typically starts when the characters arrive at a place, and ends when they leave.

sentient

Capable of perception, problem solving, self-awareness, and anticipation of future events; a creature which is sentient; a person.

skill

Allows a character to apply their attributes to solve a problem or accomplish a task.

skill roll

Rolling dice and determining the outcome; see the Actions chapter.

sprint

All-out move: base move x 6; requires a move action.

success

An Action Value (DV) that equals or exceeds the Difficulty Value (DV).

turn

During their turn, a character can use a move action, a standard action, and one or more quick actions.

walk

Base move: normal ground movement based on Agility; requires a move action.