36 Cyberpunk Backgrounds for Shit Future

Find the core rules and introduction to Shit Future here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/04/shit-future-d6-cyberpunk.html

Backgrounds: At creation a Player Character may be given a random background by rolling two d6’s.

Notes:

• You do not need to have the skill to benefit from any +1’s granted by your background. If you have no other value in that skill, the skill just has a value of 1. 
• Having a +1 to a skill/attribute from a random background is the only way to get a skills value to 5. Levelling up only allows skills to increase to a value of 4. 

A Satellite Priest (Source: https://www.deviantart.com/chenthooran/art/a-dream-broker-512332863 )  

1, Muscles: 

1. Gang Merc: One of your arms is replaced with a ranged weapon of your choice, you get +1 to that skill. You also only have one hand. 
2. Motorhead: A crate of automotive tools and Boar Hover Sedan are your most prized possessions. You have +1 to Drive or Mechanics. 
3. Street Knight: Your leather jacket is covered in heraldic patches and your Pronghorn Hover Bike is covered in similar decals. You have +1 to Drive. 
4. Sky Lancer: Your helmet receives a video feed from your Datagrid device and is hooked up to a tank of oxygen. You have a Knife Sky Bike and +1 to Pilot 
5. Tower Ranger: Your beclawed climbing exo suit makes any climbing test Easy. You also have absolutely no fear of heights.  
6. Hustler: You are dressed in this week’s height of fashion. It’s important to look good as you work out the details of your next scam. You have  +1 to Contacts. 

2, Workers: 

1. Flame Cleaner: Your job involves incinerating the most putrid of refuse, but you do have a flamethrower (which is useless in combat) and a Tox Suit (which provides protection from some environmental hazards). You have +1 to Heavy Machinery. 
2. Slum Architect: Your Datagrid device is loaded with the blueprints of the most commonly built slum towers. You have +1 to Civil Engineering. 
3. Kill Sporter: Your impressive physique is clad in a gaudy and revealing combat costume devoid of any effective protection. You have +1 to a melee skill of your choice. 
4. Trash Diver: Your Tox Suit (which provides protection from some environmental hazards) has been modified with an oxygen supply. This and the accoutrements of aquatic exploration allows you to search for valuables in submerged slum ruins. You have +1 to Survival. 
5. Tunnel Farmer: You have an extensive knowledge of the edible things that grow in damp, dark places. Once per session you may locate the nearest entrance to the sewer system and have +1 to Slum Navigation. 
6. Recycler: Your trusty picker drone (Health 2) helps you sort and scavenge the mountains of barely used refuse bordering zaibatsu arcologies. You have +1 to Economics and Drones. 

3, Outcasts: 

1. Psychonaut: Your drug fuelled explorations of the psychic realms have not been kind to your physical form. Your Body attribute can never go above 2, but any tests relating to drug based experimentation  are Easy. You have +1 to Pharmaceuticals and Contacts. 
2. Genemix Pet Owner: Get the referee to determine two random animals.You have a loyal pet that is a combination of those two animals. It has 2 Health and an appropriate attack skill of 2.  
3. Organ Runner: Your white gloves and slum robes are bloodstained. You own a scalpel, a nanonuke powered microfreezer and have +1 to First Aid. 
4. Conspiracy Theorist: The rantings on your Datagrid blog have granted you an E grade celebrity status. Once per session you may ask the referee to reveal a mildly unbelievable secret about a specific group. You have +1 to Datagrid Search.
5. Off Gridder: You have made the choice to exist offline and have no Datagrid device/access. This makes you a difficult individual to find/track. You have +1 to a Survival skill other than Contacts. 
6. Alley Mutant: Your warped visage and bubbling flesh make you repulsive to others, Diplomacy and Intimidate are always Hard. You have + 1 to either Mind or Body.  

4, Escapees: 

1. Tech Testing Unit: You are covered in scars and empty augmentation sockets. Any augmentations you have spark electricity. You may pick an extra augmentation at character creation. 
2. Bot Bodder: Your rotting body is safely wired up in a zaibatsu arcology. Your consciousness is implanted in a slum bound robot, whose destruction does not mean your death. You have +1 to Robots.  
3. Freed Datagrid Slave: Your shaved head is covered in dataplugs and hundreds of nutrient tube inlets cover your withered body. You have +1 to Computing. 
4. Escaped Convict: All datagrid devices scream your guilt and fugitive status. The running is good for you though, you have +1 to Body. 
5. Ex Zaibatsu Goon: You are healthy and clean. The crossed out zaibatsu ownership tattoos mean that most slum dwellers revile you. You have +1 to Zaibatsu Knowledge. 
6. Escaped Genetic Experiment: Get the referee to determine a random animal. Your body and visage takes on aspects of that animal. You have a random power determined by the referee inspired by that animal.

5, Mystics: 

1. Satellite Priest: Chunks of space debris are stitched to your slum robes. You can read, track and interpret the movements of the pantheon satellites giving you +1 to Zaibatsu Knowledge and making any test in that skill Easy. 
2. Datagrid Cultist: Your datagrid avatar is wreathed in occult symbols. You may test your Computing skill to have your Datagrid avatar disappear from other digital entities for d6 rounds.
3. Revolutionary: Most disdain you. The system you rage against is gods ordained, but you are resolute in your purpose. You have +1 to an Advanced Combat and Keeping Alive skill of your choice. 
4. Street Monk: You have a deep hooded robe and the ability to be in two nearby places at once for d6 rounds once per session. You can never use any Combat or Advanced Combat skills but have +1 to two other skills of your choice.
5. Alien Worshiper: You know of powers that dwarf the satellite gods. As long as your shrine is maintained all Luck tests are Easy.   
6. Datagrid Prophet: The great pattern of realities has revealed itself to you. You may re-roll d6 Digitalism skill group tests a session.

6, Outliers: 

1. Zaibatsu Bug: Your slum attire is made of high grade duracotton and curiously well tailored. You have +1 in a skill of your choice but must check in with your Zaibatsu handler every session. 
2. Dead Head: The brain of your physical body has been scooped out and replaced with a Datagrid device A.I consciousness. All Machines, Digitalism and Knowledge skills are Easy for you, but all other skills and Body tests are Hard. 
3. Masked One: Your face has been replaced with a featureless sheet of smooth chrome. You can only communicate via the Datagrid and have +1 to Computing and one other Digitalism skill.  
4. Waste Witch: Once per session you may “Augur the Effluent”, consulting industrial waste for a glimpse into the future that the referee will reveal to you privately. 
5. Neo Barbarian: You hail from the desert of the real. All Digitalism skills are Hard for you and you have no Datagrid device/access. You have +1 to Survival and all Intimidate tests are Easy for you. 
6. Empty Vessel: You awaken naked, cold and alone in a dark slum alley. There are no memories of you before that point. You begin the game with only 1 skill, but its value is 4. 

Shit Future, 36 Cyberpunk Skills

Find the core rules and introduction to Shit Future here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/04/shit-future-d6-cyberpunk.html

Creating a Player Character: 

Attributes: Player Character have three attributes. Pick which one of these attributes will have a value of 3, which will have a value of 2, and which will have a value of 1. The higher the value, the more empowered your Player Character is in that attribute.

Body: The strength and agility of your flesh.
Mind: The astuteness and perceptiveness of your brain.
Luck: The likelihood that fate will smile upon you in situations outside of your control.

Health: All Player Characters start the game with 5 health.

Skills: Pick three skills and assign a value of 3, 2 and 1 to each of those skills. The higher the skill value the more competent you are  in that skill. 

Possessions: You may hold up two times their Body attribute in possessions.

Levelling Up: If a Player Character survives a session of Shit Future, they can increase one existing skill or attribute by a value of 1, up to a value of 4. Or, they may also pick a new skill which will now have a value of 1. Or, they may pick a new augmentation to install. A Player Character can only level up 6 times.

36 Shit Future Skills: 

(Roll two d6s if you can't decide). 

1, Machines: 

1. Pilot: You can pilot flying vehicles.
2. Drive: You can drive land bound vehicles. 
3. Mechanics: You can build and modify mechanical equipment. 
4. Heavy machinery: You can operate large scale industrial machinery. 
5. Electronics: You can build and modify electronic devices. 
6. Civil Engineering:You can modify, rebuild and manipulate the built environment. 

2, Digitalism: 

1. Computing: You can operate, program and reprogram computer software. The computing skill adds to a Player Characters cyber health, up to a value of 5. 
2. Hack: You can seize control of digital entities using the Datagrid. When a Player Characters Hacks a digital entity to 0 cyber health, they gain control of that digital entity for their Hack skill value in rounds. To Hack a Player Character tests their Hack skill. If successful the target reduces their cyber health by 1. 
3. Firewall: You can protect against hacking.  A Player Character may erect a firewall around a digital entity target by spending a round doing a Firewall test. If successful the target is immune to hacking for the next round. If the test is a failure there is no protection granted. 
4. Datagrid Search: You can find information and digital entities on the Datagrid. 
5. Drones: You can build, rebuild, modify behavior of, etc, of drones. Requires a drone or drone parts
6. Robots: You can build, rebuild, modify behavior of, etc, robots. Requires a robot or robot parts. 

3, Knowledge: 

1. Pharmaceuticals: You understand drugs. And, how to make and mix them. 
2. Zaibatsu Knowledge: You understand family run megacorporations. Their rules, history, politics, etc. 
3. Gang knowledge: You understand slum bound organisations. Their rules, history, politics, etc.  
4. Slum Knowledge: You understand the workings of the slum environment. 
5. Slum Navigation: You know the quickest and easiest way to get places in the slum. 
6. Economics: You understand how money and exchange work. And, how to use it to your benefit. 

4, Combat (Player Characters start the game with any weapons they are skilled in): 

1. Auto Pistol: Ranged, Attack tests are Easy if the target is in the same room (within reason). 
2. Jack Rifle: Ranged, A successful attack can hit up to 2 targets or 1 target twice. 
3. Scope Rifle: Ranged, On a successful attack, you hit the target in a location of your choice. The Referee decides the impact of this. Attacks are also possible from great distances. 
4. Heavy Repeater: Ranged, A successful Body test is required before an attack test can be attempted. A successful attack can hit up to 6 targets (or less than 6 targets hit up to 6 times total). Takes d6 rounds to reload. 
5. Nano Edge: Melee, On a successful attack, you may remove a limb or appendage of choice from the target. The Referee decides the impact of this. 
6. Electro Club: Melee, after the first successful attack against a target, they can only act every second round for d6 rounds. 

5, Advanced Conflict: 

1. Grenades: Ranged, A successful attack can hit up to d6 targets. Individual grenades must be found, purchased, or made using the Explosives skill. 
2. Unarmed Combat: Melee, When a target drops from 1 to 0 health from an Unarmed Combat attack, then they may be unconscious rather than dead.  
3. Poison: You can poison people, outside of combat. Requires poisonous material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 
4. Explosives:  You can blow stuff up, outside of combat. Requires explosive material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 
5. Diplomacy: You can convince people to do things they wouldn’t normally do.  
6. Intimidate: You can terrify people into doing things they wouldn’t normally do. 

6, Keeping Alive: 

1. Survival: You know how to overcome the elements to ensure continued existence. 
2. Hide: You can quickly disappear from view. 
3. Sneak: You can sneak around if you have not already been seen. 
4. Lock smith: You can open and manufacture physical, non electronic, locks. 
5. First Aid: You can increase a target’s health by 1 per turn, to a maximum of 4.  
6. Contacts: You know people who can help you with supplies, intel, backup, etc.  

Shit Future, d6 Cyberpunk

The gods watch the earth once again, floating slow time in twinkling satellites. Inside the brown choked atmosphere, mountain ranges have been ousted by feudal zaibatsu arcologies. Deep in their halls, utopia machines eliminate all scarcity. But, a  hierarchy is demanded by the lords of the zaibatsus, as is loyalty and the future of their subjects. There is no questioning the wisdom of ancient bloodlines. Leave the fortress walls of the arcologies and see the endless lawless streets, the no-corp lands. You are here, in the underworld, a place of freedom and death. You are less than the most despicable bug to the corporate pantheon, but what is a god to a non believer?  

Rule: Tests are resolved by rolling a d6. Rolling equal to or less than the value of Ability or Skill score being tested is a success. This means something good happens, or something bad is averted. Rolling above the Ability or Skill score being tested is a failure. This means something bad happens. 

Easy and Hard tests: If a test is particularly easy or hard, the player whose character is being tested rolls two d6s. If the test is easy use the lowest result. If the test is hard they use the highest result.

Combat: One Player and The Referee both roll a d6. Highet roll wins, re-roll on ties. All the entities on the winning side all have a turn to act, then all the entities on the other side have a turn to act. Repeat until combat is over.

• A Turn: An entity may move and take an action in a turn.  
• Attacking: When a Player Character attacks, they test the combat skill of choice. If successful the target reduces their health by 1 and takes any additional effects associated with the combat skill used. The vast majority of attacks reduce health by 1.  
• Defending: When a Player Character is attacked, they will test their Mind or Body attribute (depending on the attack). If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test, they must test their Health. If successful they are unharmed. If they fail they reduce their health by 1. 
• Death: If a Player Character or enemy target has their health reduced to 0, they are dead. 
• Vehicular Combat: If a Player Character is attacking using the weaponry of a vehicle, they test the appropriate vehicle skill. If successful, the target reduces their health by 1 if it is also a vehicle and by 2 if it is an on foot target. If a vehicle controlled by a Player Character is attacked, test the appropriate vehicle skill. If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test, they must test the vehicle’s health. If successful the vehicle is unharmed. If they fail the vehicle’s health is reduced by 1. 
• Attacking without a combat skill: Not all Player Characters will have a specific combat skill. They may still attack with an Untrained Attack skill of 1. If successful, this attack reduces the target’s health by 1, but has no other effect. This attack is conducted with either a basic pistol or rudimentary melee weapon. 

Enemies: As all the vast majority of attacks reduce health by 1, the only attribute enemies need is health. This can be accompanied by a brief description of the enemy and the method in which they attack. Some enemies may have additional effects associated with their attacks outside of the pure loss of health.

Hazards: Player Characters may be damaged by hazards outside of combat. Generally, this will occur after a failed test. Unless particularly catastrophic, most hazards reduce health by 1. If a Player Character is in danger from a hazard they must test their Health. If successful they are unharmed. If they fail they reduce their health by 1.

The Datagrid: An ubiquitous field of data covers the earth of Shit Future. It connects and controls all electronics. It can easily be accessed and traversed, but manipulating and harnessing it is more difficult.

• Datagrid Access: All Player Characters have a handheld device used to access the Datagrid. Their avatar has a cyber health of 1. With this device they are capable of only the most rudimentary of activities on the Datagrid. 
• Conflict in the Datagrid: Conflict between digital entities is resolved the same way as combat in the physical world, except movement is instantaneous for digital entities in the same relative Datagrid zone and the Hack and Firewall skills are required for attack and defense. Without Hack and Firewall a Player Character avatar is defenseless in the Datagrid.  
• Hacking: When a Player Characters Hacks a digital entity to 0 cyber health, they gain control of that digital entity for their Hack skill value in rounds. To Hack a Player Character tests their Hack skill. If successful the target reduces their cyber health by 1. 
• Defending: When a Player Character is hacked, they will test their cyber health attribute. If successful, the attack does no harm. If they fail the test they fail they reduce their cyber health by 1. 
• Firewall: A Player Character may erect a firewall around a digital entity target by spending a round doing a Firewall test. If successful the target is immune to hacking for the next round. If the test is a failure there is no protection granted. 
• Computing Skill: The computing skill adds to a Player Characters cyber health, up to a value of 5.  
• Shut Down: If a Player Character has their cyber health reduced to 0, they are locked out of the Datagrid for 24 hours. This is true for all digital entities that are avatars of NPCs. Digital entities that are not avatars (electronics control systems, databases, vehicles, security cameras, etc) will simply restart after being hacked.  
• Digital Enemies: As all the vast majority of hacks reduce cyber health by 1, the only attribute digital enemies need is cyber health. 

Creating a Player Character: 

Attributes: Player Character have three attributes. Pick which one of these attributes will have a value of 3, which will have a value of 2, and which will have a value of 1. The higher the value, the more empowered your Player Character is in that attribute.

Body: The strength and agility of your flesh.
Mind: The astuteness and perceptiveness of your brain.
Luck: The likelihood that fate will smile upon you in situations outside of your control.

Health: All Player Characters start the game with 5 health.

Skills: Pick three skills and assign a value of 3, 2 and 1 to each of those skills. The higher the skill value the more competent you are  in that skill.

Backgrounds: At creation a Player Character may be given a random background by rolling two d6’s. Find the backgrounds here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/04/36-pc-backgrounds-for-shit-future.html

Augmentations: A creation a Player Character may pick 1 augmentation. Find the augmentations here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/05/36-cyberpunk-augmentations-for-shit.html

Possessions: You may hold up two times their Body attribute in possessions.

Levelling Up: If a Player Character survives a session of Shit Future, they can increase one existing skill or attribute by a value of 1, up to a value of 4. Or, they may also pick a new skill which will now have a value of 1. Or, they may pick a new augmentation to install. A Player Character can only level up 6 times.

36 Shit Future Skills: 

(Roll two d6s if you can't decide). 

1, Machines: 

1. Pilot: You can pilot flying vehicles.
2. Drive: You can drive land bound vehicles. 
3. Mechanics: You can build and modify mechanical equipment. 
4. Heavy machinery: You can operate large scale industrial machinery. 
5. Electronics: You can build and modify electronic devices. 
6. Civil Engineering:You can modify, rebuild and manipulate the built environment. 

2, Digitalism: 

1. Computing: You can operate, program and reprogram computer software. The computing skill adds to a Player Characters cyber health, up to a value of 5. 
2. Hack: You can seize control of digital entities using the Datagrid. When a Player Characters Hacks a digital entity to 0 cyber health, they gain control of that digital entity for their Hack skill value in rounds. To Hack a Player Character tests their Hack skill. If successful the target reduces their cyber health by 1. 
3. Firewall: You can protect against hacking.  A Player Character may erect a firewall around a digital entity target by spending a round doing a Firewall test. If successful the target is immune to hacking for the next round. If the test is a failure there is no protection granted. 
4. Datagrid Search: You can find information and digital entities on the Datagrid. 
5. Drones: You can build, rebuild, modify behavior of, etc, of drones. Requires a drone or drone parts
6. Robots: You can build, rebuild, modify behavior of, etc, robots. Requires a robot or robot parts. 

3, Knowledge: 

1. Pharmaceuticals: You understand drugs. And, how to make and mix them. 
2. Zaibatsu Knowledge: You understand family run megacorporations. Their rules, history, politics, etc. 
3. Gang knowledge: You understand slum bound organisations. Their rules, history, politics, etc.  
4. Slum Knowledge: You understand the workings of the slum environment. 
5. Slum Navigation: You know the quickest and easiest way to get places in the slum. 
6. Economics: You understand how money and exchange work. And, how to use it to your benefit. 

4, Combat (Player Characters start the game with any weapons they are skilled in): 

1. Auto Pistol: Ranged, Attack tests are Easy if the target is in the same room (within reason). 
2. Jack Rifle: Ranged, A successful attack can hit up to 2 targets or 1 target twice. 
3. Scope Rifle: Ranged, On a successful attack, you hit the target in a location of your choice. The Referee decides the impact of this. Attacks are also possible from great distances. 
4. Heavy Repeater: Ranged, A successful Body test is required before an attack test can be attempted. A successful attack can hit up to 6 targets (or less than 6 targets hit up to 6 times total). Takes d6 rounds to reload. 
5. Nano Edge: Melee, On a successful attack, you may remove a limb or appendage of choice from the target. The Referee decides the impact of this. 
6. Electro Club: Melee, after the first successful attack against a target, they can only act every second round for d6 rounds. 

5, Advanced Conflict: 

1. Grenades: Ranged, A successful attack can hit up to d6 targets. Individual grenades must be found, purchased, or made using the Explosives skill. 
2. Unarmed Combat: Melee, When a target drops from 1 to 0 health from an Unarmed Combat attack, then they may be unconscious rather than dead.  
3. Poison: You can poison people, outside of combat. Requires poisonous material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 
4. Explosives:  You can blow stuff up, outside of combat. Requires explosive material, which you also know how to scrounge together. 
5. Diplomacy: You can convince people to do things they wouldn’t normally do.  
6. Intimidate: You can terrify people into doing things they wouldn’t normally do. 

6, Keeping Alive: 

1. Survival: You know how to overcome the elements to ensure continued existence. 
2. Hide: You can quickly disappear from view. 
3. Sneak: You can sneak around if you have not already been seen. 
4. Lock smith: You can open and manufacture physical, non electronic, locks. 
5. First Aid: You can increase a target’s health by 1 per turn, to a maximum of 4.  
6. Contacts: You know people who can help you with supplies, intel, backup, etc.  

Scorch's Barracuda (A Star Dogs Location)

The players in my Star Dog campaign, due to a series of confusing and chaotic events, now own a Barracuda class spacecraft. This is the second-largest, and second most powerful in terms of firepower, spacecraft currently available in Star Dogs. As such, I’ve had to map out their new possession. The map can be found below, after a brief summary of the events that lead to the players getting such a monster.

Note: You could put a bunch of Goblin Brigade Space Pirates into this ship and use it as a space dungeon. Also, all this madness is possible due to the Star Dogs Referee’s Handbook. Go get your copy now! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304127/Star-Dogs--Referees-Handbook

Ship Map: 

Ship Room Descriptions: 

1. Helm. Bank of 4 comlogs and central holoprojector. Several bloodstains on equipment and floor.1 comlog ridden with bullet holes and inoperable. Chains and metal restraints hang overhead. 
2. Scrawled maps and notes holoprojected on walls. Rusted metal table housing a large comlog, covered in rotting food.  Empty metal tankards and used hypodermics. 
3. Metal ladders grant access to 3 sit-in turrets sprouting from bottom side of craft. Colonies of bubblecluster orange, gold-flecked, spacefungus infect sweat infused walls. 
4. Metal ladders grant access to 3 sit in turrets sprouting from bottom side of craft. Colonies of bubblecluster orange, gold-flecked, spacefungus infect sweat infused walls. 
5. Tool and weapon filled metal shelves jut from walls. Plastic sheet tents hung from shelves in corners - nearby to upturned crates. Colonies of bubblecluster orange, gold-flecked, spacefungus grow all over dark ceiling. 
6. Menacing bull rifle automated turret hangs from ceiling. Rifed through and rotted storage containers of old food and supplies are heaped against walls. 
7. Utterly infested with  bubbleclusters of orange, gold-flecked, spacefungus .These grow around a makeshift metaldesk borne laboratory, boiling samples of spacefungus into injectable doses.
8. Engineroom. Plastic sheet tents are rigged from several reactors. Reactors not beset by tents are oozing plasma. Fortunately leaking plasma being soaked up by glowing red orbs of oversized spacefungus.  
9. Storage. Four ransacked Galactic Pallets line rear wall. Supply of narcotics within has clearly been sampled extensively by ex-crew.
10. Upturned metal crates circled about a holoprojection of nearby systems marking all known Goblin Brigade points of interest (including known Imperial Security centres). 
11. Engineroom. Several plasma reactors have had security covers removed. These have been fashioned into various types of furniture. Area is totally beset with an army of plastic sheet tents. 
12. Burnt and melted machinery heaped against walls, several of heaps have large speakers rigged atop them. Holoproector cover circular walls in shimmering coloured lights. Several sets of squat tables and crates fill one half of room. Strong stench of smoke and spilled booze.  

Star Dogs Referee's Handbook

The Star Dogs Referee’s Handbook is a collection of tools, tables, and generators for referees running a Science Fiction tabletop roleplaying campaign.

While it has been written for use with Star Dogs, it is system neutral and can be used with any Science Fiction tabletop ruleset.

The Star Dogs Referee’s Handbook contains: 

• Galaxy Sector Mapper and Stocker.
• Planet Generator.
• Outpost/Space Station Generator.
• Map Generator for Outposts/ Space Stations.
• NPC Generator.
• NPC Group Generator.
• Alien Species Generator.
• Tables for Roleplaying NPCs.
• Mission Generator.
• Dangerous Sector Generator.
• Impressive Technology and Advanced Combat Equipment Generator.
• Random Space Encounter Generator.
• Spacecraft Generator.
• Nebula Generator. 
• Plus amazing cover and interior art by Matthew Adams.

Get your PDF copy here: 

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304127/Star-Dogs--Referees-Handbook

Get your POD copy here: 

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/michael-raston/star-dogs-referees-handbook/paperback/product-1vgq94ve.html

"What does the NPC want?" Table

NPCs are easier and more fun to roleplay when they want something. Give them something to want! (Ensure you include a random reaction roll and a funny hat or voice).  

Click on the button to find out what the NPC wants. 

The raw tables can be found below.

(Automated using: http://meanderingbanter.blogspot.com/2018/09/automatic-list-to-html-translator.html)

What does the NPC want? 

Raw table: 

Heal someone important to them. 

Secure a new home or base of operations.

Store, securely and secretly, something valuable on their person. 

Remove a competitor in their field of expertise.

Extract revenge for a recent betrayal. 

Explore an area recently discovered. 

Acquire a means of transportation.

Gain guidance from a venerable leader

Gain control of their local power structure.

Resurrect and restore a forgotten method of their expertise. 

Create a fearsome reputation for themselves within their expertise. 

Become rich. 

Charm a local authority, through bribery, blackmail, extortion, etc.

Acquire a bodyguard. 

Poison or destroy local food/water/resource supply.

Gather intelligence on a nearby rival in their expertise. 

Organise a party. 

Increase their material wealth. 

Steal something of value from a nearby rival. 

Decipher disturbing dreams they have been experiencing of late. 

Acquire a magic item or technology. 

Brutally intimidate nearby rival. 

Eat something. 

Get as inebriated as possible with whatever substances are available. 

Prepare a funeral or grieve someone close to or important to them, recently deceased. 

Unearth something valuable from beneath the ground.

Capture a huge and fearsome beast.

Find a significant other for procreation purposes. 

Find a business or working partner within their field of expertise. 

Collect a large debt owed to them.

Acquire upgraded weapons and armour.

Acquire an abundance of food. 

Protect some valuable physical item or secret recently acquired. 

Conduct a spiritual or personal ritual to calm and centre self. 

Make peace with an enemy. 

Sell a shipment in their possession. 

Burn and destroy as much as possible.

Dispose of some waste or refuse in their possession 

Acquire a boat.

Acquire a cart, horse, carriage, etc. 

Hunt an exotic beast.

Make some new friends, or new expertise associates. 

Copulate. 

Kill an enemy. 

Move to a new town, outpost, settlement, city, etc.  

Learn the secrets hidden in some esoteric text.

Transport a physical item to friend, colleague or enemy. 

Explore somewhere dangerous yet rewarding. 

Recover a hidden valuable item of which they know the location.

Steal a valuable item. 

Terrorize an enemy.

Improve their relationship with a friend or colleague in their expertise. 

Make a new discovery in their expertise. 

Cure themselves of a disease or disorder. 

Save a relationship, personal or professional, close to destruction. 

Do good deed for someone to assuage personal guilt. 

Discover the answers to a local mystery. 

Report to local law/security providers about a crime. 

Clean self or work/living space. 

Acquire, and possibly use, explosives. 

Present a gift to an important relation. 

Bring peace and calm to someone or something nearby. 

To fade into obscurity or escape those hunting for them. 

Begin a completely new life. 

Get somewhere quiet to reflect and meditate on recent events. 

Solve a problem associated with expertise. 

Offload a troublesome personal possession. 

Pay back a debt owed to someone dangerous. 

Avoid being incarcerated or captured. 

Restore their besmirched reputation. 

Find immediate relief to severe pain. 

Disappear from sight. 

Discover something unknown about their history. 

Hide evidence of their wrongdoing. 

Break something important to an enemy. 

Conduct an expedition to the wilderness, hunting for something valuable  

Throw the nearby environment into chaos. 

Terrify an enemy. 

Get guidance about their future. 

Acquire an item specific to their expertise they have long coveted. 

The Goblin Brigade (Star Dogs Space Pirates)

(An NPC faction for Star Dogs: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2019/11/star-dogs-players-handbook.html)

The Goblin Brigade: Wild and filthy space pirates. A loose conglomeration of mostly human criminal crews, banded together through a shared love of substance abuse and the destruction of order. It is very common for groups and gangs within the brigade to fight, bicker, and kill one another - each crew always having some mad scheme to screw over another.

This spacefaring human conglomeration of space pirates has their key outpost in an abandoned Imperial Outworld Security space station known as "Auntie".

4HD, AC14 (Makeshift medium armour), Bull Rifle: d8, Cybernetic claws: d6 x 2, Special Ability: All Goblin Brigade members have a variety of narcotics on their person, d6 doses of the following: Wrack (red vial): Increase To Hit and damage by d4 for d6 rounds, Ruin (grey pill): Ignore damage for d6 rounds (still take damage but won’t be affected by HP dropping to 0 or below till after the drug wears off), Hype (green vial): Attack twice a round for d6 rounds, collapse in exhaustion when the drug wears off.

Goblin Brigade Key Goal: See the Grand Empire of Order burn, while as high as possible.

Goblin Brigade Spacecraft: Old, rotted and clunky. Often reinforced and repaired with chunks of scavenged scrap. Onboard, crude murals, venerating dead crew members or gang iconography are sprayed across bare metal panels. Special Ability: Goblin Brigade technicians are able to easily hack into the comlogs of other spacecraft, listening in on conversations or pilfering systems for valuable data (Computing Skill: 6). Changes to generic spacecraft class statistics: -d4 to all statistics.

Kontroll 2 by Chenthooran: https://www.deviantart.com/chenthooran/art/Kontroll2-481653351

D10 Goblin Brigade Sub Crews: 

1. Siphons: Wear black heavy armour (AC17) and heavy makeup (surprisingly clean). Drink the blood of defeated foes. 
2. Elementals: Forgo armour, and are always barefoot (sometimes naked) (AC12). Have an abundance of fire grenades (d8 damage to target and all Nearby).  
3. Witches: All-female crew (apart from males kept in storage for breeding). Excellent in the field Technicians, can use computing skill (6) to shut down enemy weapons. 
4. Beasts: Extremely heavy set from an over indulgence in cybernetics (are actually all androids). Prefer the use of melee weapons (+2 To Hit and Damage). 
5. Fathoms: Wear ragged multicoloured robes (and constantly ingest psychedelic narcotics). Are Khybe sensitive, d8 Khybe points and can conduct Level 1 and 2 Khybe Casting. 
6. Heretics: Wear scavenged and semi-destroyed Imperial security heavy armour (AC17) and secretly romanticise the law and order the Empire brings. 
7. Fiends: All member eyes replaced with red cybernetic globes that grant +2 To Hit and Damage. These are accompanied with a brain implanted commlink infested with an A.I that has control of the whole crew. 
8. Fungals: Attire and armour crudely painted white, gauze covers face beneath helmet (beneath garb, bloody and aggravated colonies of space fungus sprout from skin). 
9. Bugs: All equipped with cybernetically implanted jetpacks (very cheaply - malfunctions or misfires often cause the space pirate to explode). Prefer communicating via Dataplane. 
10. Spiders: Legs replaced with grasping cybernetic simian limbs, designed for combat and operations in low/zero gravity environments. Thin, frail and gaunt from lack of gravity. 

Star Dogs Galaxy Sector Creation Kit

Create an entire galaxy sector to play Star Dogs in! Check out Star Dogs here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2019/11/star-dogs-players-handbook.html

Galaxy Sector Mapping: 

Roll a d6 to determine the number of stars in the galaxy sector. Die drop that number of random sized die on to a blank sheet of paper.

Draw concentric circles equal to the result rolled  around each dropped die in the location they landed. This is the number of orbiting sectors the star has.  These orbiting sectors can be divided into smaller orbiting sectors for a more populated system.

Grid out the blank areas surrounding the stars and orbiting sectors as appropriate, as many or as little sectors as needed. The sectors can be irregular, it’s space, draw them as you please.

Examples: 

Galaxy Sector Stocking: 

(Perhaps generate a random spacecraft that the PC's begin their galactic adventure in).  

Star Orbiting Sector Stocker, d4: Stock each sector orbiting a star with the following table. 

1) Empty. 

2) Planet: 

• Generate a planet. 
• Generate planetary outposts. 
• Generate NPCs for the planet. 
• Generate aliens for the planet.  
• Generate missions that the NPCs and aliens give. 
• Generate dangerous sectors on the planet. 
• Generate technologies as rewards for missions.

3) Space Station

• Generate a space station.  
• Generate NPCs for the space station. 
• Generate aliens for the space station. 
• Generate missions that the NPCs and Aliens give. 
• Generate dangerous sectors on the space station.
• Generate technologies as rewards for missions.

4) Random space encounter.

• Generate a random space encounter.
• Generate spacecrafts encountered.
• Generate NPCs encountered.
• Generate aliens encountered.

Starless Sector Stocker, d6: Stock each sector outside of the orbit of a star with the following table. 

1-2) Empty

3) Starless planet:

• Generate a planet. 
• Generate planetary outposts. 
• Generate NPCs for the planet. 
• Generate aliens for the planet.  
• Generate missions that the NPCs and aliens give. 
• Generate dangerous sectors on the planet. 
• Generate technologies as rewards for missions.

4) Space station:

• Generate a space station.  
• Generate NPCs for the space station. 
• Generate aliens for the space station. 
• Generate missions that the NPCs and Aliens give. 
• Generate dangerous sectors on the space station.
• Generate technologies as rewards for missions.

5) Random space encounter:

• Generate a random space encounter.
• Generate spacecrafts encountered.
• Generate NPCs encountered.
• Generate aliens encountered.

6) Nebula: roll a d12. The nebula fills that many sectors nearby. Re-roll on the Starless sector stocker to see if there is anything else in the nebula originating sector. If a nebula result is rolled in a pre-existing nebula, assume the sector is empty. Nebulae can fill both star orbiting and starless sectors.

• Generate a nebula.

Automated Nebula Generator

Made to be used with Star Dogs: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2019/11/star-dogs-players-handbook.html

Nebulas both warp and colour the areas of space they fill. They will have an impact on the planets, stars and space stations within them and the spacecraft and the crew that travel through them.

Click on the buttons to generate a nebula. 

The raw tables can be found below.
(Automated using: http://meanderingbanter.blogspot.com/2018/09/automatic-list-to-html-translator.html)

Button/Table Descriptions: 

Appearance: This is what the nebula is composed of, and how that material manifests in space. This composition will affect the way in which the nebula’s effect impacts those that enter the nebula.

Effect: This is the unusual effect the nebula imbues the planets, suns and space stations within itself with, and spacecrafts and crew that travel through it. Each effect has two colours associated with it, use these to describe the nebula. The first colour button is purely cosmetic, ensure you click both (there may be some colour double ups due to this being written for an upcoming pdf rather than digital buttons, just think of a new colour if you get two of the same).

Nebula Generator: 

Raw Tables: 

Appearance:

Soft glowing clouds of shimmering mineral dust - strong impact to all.  

Gas formed into interlocked swirling rings - impacts only some. 

Granules of glowing plasma dust, diffused but sometimes clumped - impacts some more than others. 

Wispy and reaching tendrils of light gas - impacts some at specific times. 

Spinning sheets of thick blizzard like gas - impacts all but at different times.  

Waves of thick then thin gas - impacts all in varying levels of intensity. 

Strings of criss crossing tendrils of light gas - light impact to all. 

Huge spherical globes of heavy gas - overwhelming impact to all. 

Twirling, ever forming and receding tendrils of thick gas - oscillating impact to all. 

Incredibly diffused, light and misty gas - weak impact to all. 

Thick sheets of floating liquid - surging, increasing impact to all. 

Ever receding plane of gas, dissipates on approach - initially strong, but fading impact to some. 

Twinkling clouds of mineral dust - strong bursts of impact to all.  

Blooming frozen explosions of gas flowers - slowly growing impact to all. 

Cross crossing tendrils of liquid - alternates between impacting some then others. 

Long flat planes of frozen metallic liquid - impacts only those that see it. 

Swirling, interlocking circles of liquid - impacts at random, then spreads from impactees. 

Firework like ever slow exploding gas clouds - a fast growing impact that erratically jumps from person to person. 

 Huge slowly imploding then reexpanding clouds of gas - strong impact to all that quickly fades and repeats itself. 

Leviathanic gas clouds vaguely formed in the shapes of animals - incredibly strong impact to one random entity. 

Flat, incredibly far reaching planes of dust - medium impact to all. 

Flame like, roaming pillars of gas - medium impact to any that see it, then spreading from them to others. 

Two claustrophobic flat planes of very thick gas - overwhelming impact to all. 

Planes of mineral dust being consumed by aggressive clouds of gas - two alternating impacts to all, roll twice on effect table. 

Huge spheres of thick gas, with calm internal spaces - soft impact accompanied by a calming of organic beings. 

Erratic soup of swirling dust, gas and liquid - strong impact to all, roll three times on effect table. 

Fading, dust like remnants of gas clouds - barely noticeable impact to all. 

Glowing explosions of mineral dust - fast growing impact to some. 

Hooked, claw like tendrils of gas - long lingering impact to all. 

Shimmering, multi layered curtains and sheets of gas - two strong impacts to all, roll twice on effect table. 

An ever thickening sphere of gas and minerals - impacts all, stronger closer to the centre of the nebula. 

A central worm hole spewing out clouds of thick gas - impacts some, those impacting have an unbearable urge to leave the nebula. 

Super thick, light blocking cloud of dust - overwhelming impact to some. 

Swirling waves of dust - impact to all, delayed till once they leave the nebula. 

Thick gas and dust clumped heavily around any large mass in the nebula - roll twice on effect table, strongly impacts all when nearby to planets, stars, space stations, etc. 

An imploding star at the centre of the nebula is vomiting torrents of gas - impacts all, more intensely the closer to the imploding star one is. 

Heavy clouds of dust drifting from d12 cracked, crushed and exploded planets - impacts some very swiftly. 

 Extremely thick soup of dust and minerals - strong impact to all, damages spacecraft that fly through it. 

Thick dust, sometimes forming into boulders of stone - strong impact to all, danger and probably of impact with spacecraft in nebula very high.

Thick, swirling clouds of liquid - medium impact to all, liquid melts into spacecraft hull causing lingering impact to those inside. 

Effect: 

Green: Vivifies and repairs organic flesh.  

Silver: Solidifies and strengthens metal. 

Purple: Confuses and misguides spacecraft sensors. 

Grey: Can nullify the damage of Laz weapons. 

Red: Empowers warp drive systems. 

Yellow: Greatly increases spacecraft speed. 

Pink: Causes visions and dreams in organic beings. 

Teal: Clarifies the mental faculties of organic beings. 

Orange: Physically empowers organic beings. 

Aqua: Greatly increases the aerobic capacity of organic beings. 

White: Strips clean metals. 

Light green: Greatly increases metabolism and hunger in organic beings. 

Gold: Greatly increases the range and effectiveness of ship sensors. 

White: Causes organic beings to become incredibly sleepy. 

Beige: Causes the face and forms of organic beings to warp and shimmer. 

Purple: Distorts the visual field of sentient beings, causing them to feel much smaller. 

Grey: Repairs and reinforces spacecraft hulls and the form of mechanical beings. 

Red: Refuels and refills mechanical fuel systems. 

Silver: Amplifies and clarifies spacecraft sensors. 

Green: Eliminates infections, diseases, viruses, etc in organic beings. 

Pink: Solidifies and strengthens organic flesh. 

Yellow: Increases all sensuous desires of organic beings.

Acqua: Imbues sentients beings with an intense sense of calm. 

Red: Causes all objects to leave easily trackable trails behind. 

Grey: Actively consumes breathable atmosphere, dramatically reducing its supply. 

Silver; Disconnects and blocks access to the Data Plane 

Purple: Greatly empowers laz weaponry. 

Green: Increases the mass of organic beings. 

Magenta: Confuses spacecraft astronavigation sensors. 

Amber: Warps the bones and flesh of organic beings. 

Lime: Shuts down the organic process of organic beings, slowly killing them. 

Grey: Intense radiation cooks organic matter from the inside. 

Pink: Stops spacecraft’s warp drives from operating. 

Yellow: Hijacks spacecraft’s piloting system and send them to places of the nebula’s choosing. 

Blue: A pervading atmospheric dampness causes everything to become wet. 

Beige: Infects organic beings with a maddening fever, disturbing voices and visions. 

Gold: Causes feelings of euphoria in organic beings. 

Blue: Constantly feed organic beings, like atmosphere manna from heaven. 

Silver: Causes organic beings to appear incredibly attractive. 

Teal: Causes accurate and prophetic dreams in sentient beings. 

Lime: Creates shimmering and distracting mirror images. 

Red: Ignitable atmosphere causes spacecraft weaponry to become explosive. 

White: Causes organic beings to feel incredibly ill and uneasy, eventually killing them. 

Beige: Causes communication, data plane or spoken, to become garbled and disjointed. 

Orange: Causes all organic life to glow brightly. 

Aqua: Infects sentient beings with an overbearing desire to not leave the nebula. 

Pink: Induces psychedelic visions in sentient beings. 

Grey: Causes increased aging in organic beings. 

Grey: Causes voices in the minds of all sentient beings. 

Purple: Causes the corporeal bodies of organic beings to lose their forms, sometimes temporarily becoming sentient goop. 

Yellow: Echoes all words spoken and noises made. 

Orange: Stupifies and confuses organic beings. 

White: Shocks and electrifies both organic and mechanical beings/objects. 

Lime: Will allow organic lifeforms to live seemingly indefinitely. 

Beige: Greatly intensifies chemical reactions. 

Silver: Allows spacecraft to very easily avoid detection. 

Red: Corrodes and rips apart metal, including spacecraft. 

Maroon: Causes sentient beings to communicate telepathically. 

Amber: Allows sentient beings consciousness to leave their physical form. 

Pink: Infects organic beings with a nebula specific disease or parasite. 

Blue: Increases the pull of gravity to all large masses. 

Red: Cracks and disintegrates armour and hull. 

Lime: Disintegrates the flesh of organic beings. 

Beige: Steals memories from sentient beings. 

Gold: Melts metal. 

Silver: Freezes organic matter. 

Yellow: Burns organic matter. 

Pink: Causes seizures and petrification in sentient beings. 

White: Causes sentient beings to lose intelligence and reason. 

Purple: Extremely strengthens organic beings bones and internal support structures.  

Grey: Causes all organic material to slowly break down into liquid mush. 

Orange: Consumes spacecraft fuel supplies, causing travel in the nebula to be very expensive.