STEP 1: CATEGORIES: (Choose 1)

Alien: The “make your own style” Style. Say which world in the solar system you’re from (yes, Pluto is a planet and so is the mysterious Planet X).

Atomic: A cybernetic soldier created just before the end of the atomic wars. You have an atomic fusion reactor in your chest.

Ghost: You are a spirit whose soul is trapped between this world and the great beyond.

Intrepid: You don’t have fancy supernatural powers, but your courage, resourcefulness, and luck get you through the toughest scrapes.

Mystic: An enlightened master of the occult, magic, and other dimensions.

Psychic: Mental powers of telepathy and telekinesis are the domain of this master of all things mental.

Robot: You’re a Robot!

Two-Fisted: You’re a human with no supernatural powers, but you are tough, strong, and ready to rumble!


The [+] symbol means that, for every [+] you have, you can describe something awesome or cool or at least useful that happens. When you do, check off that [+], and if you need to roll, you can add 1 point to your roll. At the start of a new chapter, you can refresh some of your [+] symbols (the GM will tell you how many, but it'll be at least 1, very possibly more).


Alien
--Alien origin: Your alien physiology and training make you superior to the average human. Raise two of your stats by 2 points. Raise one more of your stats by one point.
--I'm Weird: Work with the GM to come up with one awesome move you can do because you're an alien. (But after you use it, the GM gets to escalate things if he wants!)
--Alien Training: You do something awesome because of your alien training. [+] [+]
--Alien Physiology: You do something awesome because of your alien Physiology. [+] [+]
--Secrets of My Homeworld: You do something useful because of the Secrets of your Homeworld. [+]
--Alien Allies: Something useful or awesome happens because of your Alien Allies (But if it's awesome, the GM gets to escalate things if he wants!): [+]

Atomic
--Cyborg Body: Your body is armored and your internal organs have been replaced by a fusion reactor and cybernetic parts, making you incredibly resistant to harm. You have 1 armor.
--Fusion Overload: Override the safeties on your internal fustion reactor to generate a dangerous amount of power. Add +2 hits to your roll.  (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--Atomic Strength: You do something awesome because of your Atomic Strength. [+] [+]
--Atomic Speed: You do something awesome because of your Atomic Speed. [+] [+]
--Atomic Beams: You do something awesome because of your Atomic Beams. [+]
--Z-Ray Vision: You see something useful because of your Z-Ray Vision. [+]


Ghost
--Spirit: You are a spectre composed of aetheric vibrations. You’re corporeal and can touch things (and be touched) but can float and pass through solid objects with an act of will. If you are vaporized or otherwise “killed,” you simply vanish and reform a few minutes later. When you face the thing that keeps you tied to this world, you get a +1 on your rolls.
--Out of Phase: Ignore a hit you just took (as the attack passes through you) and do +1 hit on your next roll. (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--Spectral Aura: Something useful happens because of your Spectral Aura. [+] [+]
--Poltergeist: Something cool happens because of your Poltergeist powers. [+] [+]
--From Beyond: Something cool happens because you are from the other side of Life and Death. [+]
--There’s a Reason I’m Still Here!: Something interesting happens... because There's a Reason you're Still Here! [+]

Intrepid
--Never Say Die: When you take damage while doing something that keeps a disaster from happening, you effectively have 2 armor. Also, if you stopping that disaster causes a new problem, you get +1 ongoing toward fixing that new problem. Plus, your resolve in stopping the disaster from happening (once you manage to do so) inspires your allies, who each get +1 on their next rolls.
--One for all: Your courage drives you and inspires your teammates. Add +1 to your roll, and give an ally +1 on their next roll. (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--Don’t Know When to Quit: Something useful happens because you Don't Know When to Quit. [+] [+]
--Right Place, Right Time: Something useful happens because of your being in the Right Place at the Right Time [+] [+]
--Look Out! Something useful happens because of you warning someone to Look Out! [+]
--Lucky Break: Something useful happens because you get a Lucky Break... [+]


Mystic
--Ritual magic: Does something cool... but possibly at a price...!
--Arcane Defender: You get a +1 against magical, extra-dimensional, or spirit threats.
--Vanish: You step through the shadow realms to vanish and re-appear somewhere else. You may also split your dice pool to perform two actions-- one right before you vanish, and one at the new location where you reappear... (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--The Black Mists of Malakar: Something cool happens because you utilize the Black Mists of Malakar. [+]
--Eldritch Energy: Something cool happens because you use Eldritch Energy. [+] [+]
--Secrets Man Was Not Meant to Know: Something awesome happens because you know Secrets Man Was Not Meant to Know... [+] [+]
--Boon from an Ancient Being: Something cool happens because you have been granted, in the past, or just now, a Boon from an Ancient Being... [+]


Psychic
--Telepathic: You’re connected the web of thoughts and emotions going on all around you. You can allow an ally to re-roll the failed dice in a roll by saying how your telepathic powers assist them... (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--Telekinesis: Use the power of your mind to move objects or hold something in place... and add +2 to your roll (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--Psychic Aura: Something useful or cool happens because of your Psychic Aura... [+] [+]
--Psychic Energy: Something useful or cool happens because of your Psychic Energy...  [+] [+]
--I Knew This Would Happen! Something useful happens because You Knew This Would Happen! [+]
--Psychometry: Something useful happens because of your power to read the past of an object, place, or being... [+]

Robot
--Detachable flying head: Send your head off to do something while your body does something else. Your heady and body can perform two different actions at the same time. If you get any special bonuses, you must choose which move to add it to... before you roll.
--Internal repair systems: This allows you to add 1d4 HP back-- even if you've been knocked unconscious. (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
Robotic Strength: Something useful happens because of your Robotic Strength: [+] [+]
Precision Sensors: Something useful happens because of your Precision Sensors: [+] [+]
Energy Transfer: Something useful happens because of your ability to transfer energy... [+]
Electro-Net Interface: Something useful happens because of your ability to interface with the solar system's Electro-Net (internet)... [+]


Two-Fisted
--Big Damn Hero: You get +1 when fighting to protect someone (a specific person nearby, not something generic like “Rocket City”). Also, if you would normally be knocked out or killed, you can keep fighting until the scene is over (then you suffer the full effects of
whatever knocked out or killed you).
--Righteous Fury: You’re even more dangerous when you’re bloodied. You may add +2 to a roll if you have less than 10 HP, or +3 if you have less than 5 HP. (But if you do, the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
Brawler: Something awesome happens because you are a Brawler! [+] [+]
Improvised Weapon: Something useful happens because you used an Improvised Weapon! [+] [+]
Tough As Nails: Something useful happens because you are Tough as Nails! [+]
Surprise Move: Something useful happens because you pulled a Surprise Move! [+]



STEP 2: TYPES (CHOOSE 1):

Agent: The ultimate super-spy. Good at recon, stealth, deception, and manipulation.

Commando: The Soldier. Good at tactics and shooting.

Daredevil: Athlete, stuntman, acrobat, and all-around risk-taker.

Detective: Strong-willed, insightful master of forensics, investigation, the criminal underworld and reading people.

Explorer: Experienced traveler of the solar system. Expert in all things alien, especially animals, monsters, and strange ruins.

Flyboy: Male or female—an expert pilot, driver, and astronaut.

Professor: Master of all the sciences and a whiz with technology.

Warrior: The hand-to-hand combat and melee weapons expert.

Agent
--Infiltrator: As long as you are in disguise, using a cover identity, or are being stealthy, you can add +1 to any roll. The GM can threaten your cover or stealth by introducing threats like “Suddenly, they see through your disguise!” or “Suddenly, you're caught in the act!”
--Covert Ops: All of your gear is concealable and silent.
--Primary Target: Coordinate your allies against a threat. Until the threat is defeated, you and your allies do +1 hit against that threat. (Use on only 1 threat at a time). (But when you start using this, the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--Micro Gadgets: Something useful happens because you have Micro Gadgets. [+]
--Disguise Kit: Something cool happens because you have a Disguise Kit. [+]
--Hologram Projector: Something useful happens because you have a Hologram Projector. [+]
--Spy Drone: Something useful happens because you have a Spy Drone. [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]

Commando
--Guns Blazing: When your attack roll is 12 or better, you may do your damage twice to one target, or once to two targets, as long as you can reach all the targets with your attacks.
--Covering Fire: Use a concentrated barrage of shooting to protect yourself or an ally. Reduce a hit they (or you) just took by half (round down-- 5 becomes 2), and give them (or yourself) +1 to their (or your) next action. (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
Frag Grenades: Something cool happens because you have Frag Grenades! [+]
Electro Pulse Grenades: Something useful happens because you have Electro Pulse Grenades! [+]
Smoke Grenades: Something useful happens because you have Smoke Grenades! [+]
Atomic Beam Rifle w/scope: Something useful happens because you have an Atomic Beam Rifle w/scope! [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]



Daredevil
--Danger Is My Middle Name: You perform even better when in danger gets high. When you have less than 6 HP, you roll 3d6, and drop the lowest die.
--Acrobatic Dodge: Reduce a hit you just took (round down-- 5 becomes 2), and redirect the attack to do the amount of damage you would have taken to a nearby threat. (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
(Blank)-Resistant Uniform: Something useful happens because you have a uniform that's resistant to a certain type of damage! [+]
Smoke Bombs: Something useful happens because you have Smoke Bombs! [+]
Magna-Grapple Line: Something useful happens because you have a Magna-Grapple Line! [+]
Flash-Bangs: Something useful happens because you have a Flash-Bang grenade! [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]



Detective
--Investigator: You get +1 on all rolls that don't involve combat. Also, when you roll 12 or better when talking to people, take an extra +1 forward.
--Evaluate: Your keen powers of perception allow you to determine exactly how to best deal with a threat (even in combat). Add +2 to a roll. (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
Forensic Analyzer: Something useful happens because you have a little computer that can analyze clues and so on. [+]
Case File Archive: Something useful happens because you have a case file archive that is the envy of law enforcement operatives. [+]
Underworld Contacts: Something useful happens because you have Underworld Contacts. [+]
Energy Handcuffs: Something useful happens because you have Energy Handcuffs. [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]


Explorer
--Been There, Done That: You’ve been from one end of the solar system to the other and seen it all. Once per scene, you can re-roll the failed dice in a roll by narrating a quick flashback to a previous adventure when you dealt with a similar situation.
--Survivor: You get +1 when you roll to deal with weather, ruins, traps, or beasts.
--Lay of the Land: You use your awareness of the environment to add +1 hit to a roll. Also, if your total on that roll is more than 10, you get to Hold up to 3 (11 = 1, 12 = 2, 13 = 3). You can use your Hold, 1 for 1, on a future roll, or give them to an ally... (But after you use this move, the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
Strange Alien Artifact: Something cool happens because, in the past or just now (probably in the past), you found a Strange Alien Artifact! [+]
Maps, Charts & Plans: Something useful happens because of Maps, Charts, and/or Plans! [+]
Survival Gear: Something useful happens because you've got Survival Gear! [+]
Useful Trade Goods: Something useful happens because you've got Useful Trade Goods! [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]


Pilot
--Dogfighter: When piloting a vehicle, you can re-roll the failed dice in a roll by taking one hit to your vehicle. Most normal vehicles can take 3 hits before they’re crippled, and 6 hits destroys them.
--Hold Together, Baby: Keep a vehicle going when it should be crippled or destroyed. When the scene is over, the vehicle suffers the full effects of its damage. (But if you use this, the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
--A cool customized vehicle appropriate to the environment (you have a garage full of them) [+] [+] [+] [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]

Professor
--Back at the Lab: Once per chapter, in a setting with a laboratory or other scientific resources, you can refresh 3 additional [+], or distribute these additional refreshes among your allies as you see fit. In addition, you can tinker with one piece of gear (yours or an
ally’s) to give its usage +1 or +1 to damage (but not both) each time it’s used in the next scene.
--Crazy Theory: Your bizarre scientific theory turns out to be true! Add +2 to your roll and give an ally +1 to their next roll (But if you do this, the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
Omni-Scanner: Something useful happens because you've got an Omni-Scanner! [+]
Experimental Gadget 1: Something interesting happens because you've got this gadget! Name it and then tell what happens! [+]
Remote Control: Something useful happens because you've got a remote control device! [+]
Experimental Gadget 2: Something interesting happens because you've got this gadget! Name it and then tell what happens! [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]


Warrior
--Fighting Spirit: When you hurt your enemies, you are filled with a surge of energy. When you do 7 or more damage in one hit, you get lost 1 HP back. When you do your maximum damage, you get 2 lost HP back.
--Momentum: When you eliminate a threat, use this move to immediately do double your maximum damage to some other nearby threat. (But the GM gets to escalate things afterwards if he wants!)
Traditonal Weapon: Something awesome happens because you use this traditional weapon. Say what kind of weapon it is! [+]
Other Traditonal Weapon: Something awesome happens because you use this other traditional weapon! Say what kind of weapon it is! [+]
Electro-Shield Gauntlet: Something useful happens because you have an Electro-Shield Gauntlet.  [+]
Impact Gloves: Something awesome happens because you have Impact Gloves! [+]
--Rocketpack, Wrist Communicator, Goggles & Gas Mask, Utility Belt & Med Kit: Something useful happens because you use one of these! [+]
--WEAPON: Raygun, Electro-Blaster, or Turbo-Rifle: Something extra-useful happens because you have one of these! [+]




Agent
--Sneak around and ambush bad guys
--Trick an enemy and lead them into a trap
--Disguise yourself
--Spy on secret villain meetings
--Infiltrate an evil fortress
--Use your network of contacts to get something you need
--Deceive, manipulate, and seduce

Commando
--Shoot enemies
--Shoot a lot to keep them pinned down
--Throw grenades
--Come up with battle tactics
--Lead a team
--Give orders
--Stay cool under fire

Daredevil
--Run, jump, swing, and flip
--Jump off of something tall
--Draw fire so a threat attacks you instead of doing something else
--Escape certain death
--Inspire others with bold speeches

Detective
--Find a useful clue
--Resist evil with your indomitable will
--Use your network of contacts to find information
--Notice details and sense danger
--See through lies
--Get a confession.

Explorer
--Tame a wild beast and have it fight alongside you
--Endure extreme conditions
--Deal with alien cultures and speak languages
--Give first aid
--Find your way through an alien jungle

Flyboy
--Fly a rocket-car upside down through a narrow opening
--Zip around with your custom rocketpack
--Get into a dogfight
--Swoop in and rescue someone from a dangerous spot
--Brag and impress people with your tall tales.

Professor
--Re-program a robot to do what you want
--Build a quick gadget to solve a problem
--Defuse a ticking bomb
--Repair broken technology
--Remember useful facts and get information from computers
--Persuade others with your logical thinking

Warrior
--Punch evil in the face
--Throw bad guys off of high places
--Fight with melee weapons
--Intimidate someone


STEP THREE:

You are a (Category) (Type)!



Give yourself a cool and/or awesome name!


STEP FOUR:

As a member of the Danger Patrol, you wear a two-tone uniform: Name your two colors!


Damage die: all have 1d6 except Commando and Warrior d8

Starting HP: 20 except Commando 21 and Warrior 22.




The Earth was destroyed 50 years ago in the atomic wars. Just before the end, hundreds of rocketships escaped Earth. Most of them went to Mars, where the richest man in the Solar System, multi-billionaire Hamilton Hawks, had built a giant utopian “city of the future” called Rocket City.

Rocket City is all art-deco silvery spires, glass, chrome, and steel. It’s a vertical city of many levels with skyscrapers thousands of feet tall, sprawling across Olympus Mons. Everyone gets around via rocketcar, funneled into magnetically controlled traffic lanes. MagnaZeppelins cruise majestically at the highest altitudes, carrying heavy cargo across the massive city (100 times larger than New York). Everything has a future-retro style, including the robotic service station attendants who wear smart white uniforms and wash your windshield while they fuel up your rocket car. The Mighty Atom newspaper is delivered every morning to most homes and is sold on floating traffic islands by boys and girls wearing newsie caps. Radio dramas are very popular as are the brand-new Videoscope programs. Motion picture theaters show films for five cents a pop. Rocket City is the crossroads of the solar system, where all the human colonies on the other worlds come to trade, along with aliens of all sorts.

The other major human settlement is the Crimson Republic, in Jupiter’s red spot. The CR is a militaristic nation ruled by the despot, Grand Commander Zukov (a head in a jar attached to a robotic spider body). The CR is obsessed with perfecting atomic technology (now banned in Rocket City, although old atomic cyborgs and robots are grandfathered in) and turning their population into atomic-super-soldiers with which to conquer the solar system. The CR is the catch-all red-scare/evil-empire bad-guy group. They are officially at peace with Rocket City, but an invisible cold war rages, with enemy agents hidden everywhere.

Each planet is at least somewhat earth-like (except for dark and cold Pluto), with normal gravity and breathable air. Each is home to native alien life, as well as strange plants and animals. Mars has ruins of some former great civilization (with links to Atlantis on Earth) but no one knows what became of them. The Neptunians claim to be descendants of this Elder Race, but Neptunians claim lots of crazy things.

Pluto is home to the Stygian Adepts, an evil cult from the 5th Dimension who worship entropy. They’re the hooded dudes (made out of living shadow?) with wicked curved daggers—they practice dreadful sacrifices and creepy dark magic.

Q. Is that it? Isn’t there more to the setting?

A. Good question! The answer is yes, there’s a lot more! The Solar System is a big place, with lots of planets to explore, aliens to meet, and dangerous phenomena to encounter. When you play Danger Patrol, the players and the GM will “fill in the map,” so to speak. You start out simply and create details as you need them. Don’t be afraid to be creative! Maybe Venus is a dense jungle planet teeming with giant insects and dinosaurs... or maybe it’s a mistshrouded world inhabited by intelligent rock-men. Or both! It’s up to you!

Q. What about the rampant sexism and racism that were part of most classic pulp stories? Does Rocket City have such things?

A. Thankfully, those things vanished along with the Earth after the atomic wars. In Rocket City, all people are equal.






MOVES:

Basically, when you want to do something:
--Roll 2d6 plus any applicable bonus or penalty
--On a 10 or higher, it works like you want
--On a 7, 8, or 9, it works sort of//partially like you wanted, but with a complication
--On a 6 or lower, it doesn't work like you wanted, and things probably got worse.

Examples:

Attack
When you attack an enemy in melee, roll+Forceful. (Unless using a weapon with the Precise tag, in which case Agile.)
✴On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to do an extra 1d6 damage but risk exposing yourself to enemy attack.
✴On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and the enemy makes an attack against you.
✴On a 6 or below, you don't damage them, and there may be a consequence for you...


Shoot
When you take aim and shoot at an enemy at range, roll+Agile.
✴On a 10+, you have a clear shot—deal your damage.
✴On a 7–9, choose one (whichever you choose you deal your damage):

--You have to move to get the shot placing you in danger as described by the GM
--You have to take what you can get: -1d6 damage
--You have to take several shots, reducing your ammo by one




Special Moves
Special moves are moves that come up less often or in more specific situations.



Rest
When you settle in to rest, consume a ration (unless you're getting a meal from somewhere else). If you’re somewhere dangerous decide the watch order as well. If you have enough XP you may level up. When you wake from at least a few uninterrupted hours of sleep, heal damage equal to half your max HP.

Staying a night in an inn or house is making camp, too. Regain your hit points as usual, but only mark off a ration if you’re eating from the food you carry, not paying for a meal or receiving hospitality.



Level Up
When you have downtime (hours or days) and XP equal to (or greater than) your current level+7, you can reflect on your experiences and hone your skills.

--First, subtract your current level+7 from your XP.
--Next, increase your level by 1.
--Next, choose one of your stats and increase it by 1 (this may change your modifier). Changing your Constitution increases your maximum and current HP. Ability scores can’t go higher than 18 (at least not permanently/naturally. Temporarily, maybe).



Recover
When you do nothing but rest in comfort and safety after a day of rest you recover all your HP. After three days of rest you remove one debility of your choice. If you’re under the care of a healer (scientific or otherwise) you heal a debility for every two days of rest instead.


Aid: Any time you are in a scene with another PC and you roll a 12 or higher, you can give another PC +1 on their next roll!
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:09, Fri 26 July 2019.