Map Legend:


This message was last edited by the GM at 02:02, Tue 07 July 2020.

Rolling Dice:

There are four main attributes that sum up your basic physical and mental
capabilities, each rated from 1-5.  These are:

STRENGTH:  Raw muscle power and brawn.
AGILITY:  Body control, speed, and motor skills.
WITS:  Sensory perception, intelligence and sanity.
EMPATHY:  Personal charisma, empathy, and the ability to manipulate others.


There are twelve skills in total in the game:

HEAVY MACHINERY    (STR)
STAMINA   (STR)
CLOSE COMBAT   (STR)
MOBILITY   (AGL)
PILOTING   (AGL)
RANGED COMBAT   (AGL)
OBSERVATION   (WTS)
COMTECH   (WTS)
SURVIVAL   (WTS)
MANIPULATION   (EMP)
MEDICAL AID   (EMP)
COMMAND   (EMP)

Three skills each are connected to each of the four attributes.  Skills are measured in skill levels, from 0 to 5.

There are two types of six-sided dice pools in the game:  BASE DICE and STRESS DICE.  Roll these pools separately, labeling
each one.  Make sure the Record Each Die box is checked.  Do not check Unique Die or Reroll 1's.

6 Means Success:

When you use a skill, describe what your character does or says.  Add your skill level and attribute score associated with
that skill together.  This equals your BASE DICE pool.  If you have any STRESS DICE, add these to the pool as well.

For your action to succeed, you must roll at least one 6 (a six).  If not, your action fails.  If you roll more than one 6,
you can perform STUNTS.  One or more 6's on the STRESS DICE count as success as well.  However, rolling a 1 (one) on the
STRESS DICE could result in you panicking.

Gear:

GEAR can give you extra BASE DICE to roll, but not always.

Rolls Without Skill:

If you don't have the skill required for the particular action you want to perform, you can roll anyway.  Simply roll a number
of BASE DICE equal to the attribute associated with that skill, as well as any STRESS DICE.

Pushing your Roll:

If you are desperate to succeed with a dice roll, you can choose to PUSH the roll.  This means that you grab all the dice that
didn't show 6 and roll them again.  You get a new chance to roll a 6.

Pushing a roll is not without risk, as it increases your STRESS LEVEL.  Note that your STRESS LEVEL increases immediately.
This means that you add 1 (one) STRESS DICE before you re-roll.

Only One Chance:

As a rule, you only have one chance to succeed with any action.  Once you have rolled the dice, and pushed the roll, you cannot
roll again to achieve the same goal.  You need to try something different or wait until the circumstances have changed in a
substantial way.  Or let another player try.


This message was last edited by the GM at 23:53, Mon 03 Aug 2020.

Stress & Panic:

The mounting tension in your character is measured by their STRESS LEVEL.  It usually starts at zero, and increases
during the course of the game.  Your STRESS LEVEL increases by one whenever one of the following happens:

-You push a skill roll.
-You fire a burst of full-auto fire.
-You suffer one or more points of damage.
-You go without sleep, food, or water.
-You perform a coup de gras.
-A Scientist in your team fails to use the Analysis talent.
-A member of your own crew attacks you.
-A person nearby is revealed to be an android.
-You encounter certain creatures or locations as determined by the scenario or GM.

Gaining STRESS DICE:

Whenever you make a skill roll, you must add a number of STRESS DICE equal to your current STRESS LEVEL to your roll.
Your stress makes you more focused, increasing your chance to succeed.  There's a flip side to this though.  If you
roll one or more 1s (ones) on your STRESS DICE, you must make a PANIC ROLL.

Panic Roll:

As long as you keep your stress in check, you can use it to your advantage.  But if the tension grows too strong, it
can explode, sending you into a wild panic.  You need to make a PANIC ROLL when any of the following happens:

-You roll one or more 1s (ones) on your STRESS DICE during a skill roll.  If this happens, you can't push the roll.
Instead, roll for panic.
-You witness a friendly character suffering from a certain panic effect.
-You are pinned down by a ranged attack.
-You suffer a critical injury.
-You are attacked by a strange alien creature you've never seen before.
-A truly horrifying event occurs, as determined by a scenario or the GM.

Resolution:

Roll a D6, add your current STRESS LEVEL and check the panic table.

Panic Table:



Stopping Panic:

Some effects on the PANIC ROLL table are immediate or last one ROUND.  Others remain in effect until one of the following
happens:

-Another character comes to your aid and makes a COMMAND roll.  This counts as a slow action in combat.
-You are BROKEN.
-One TURN passes.

Relieving Stress:

For every full TURN (5-10 mins) spent resting in a safe area that is secured from enemies (that you know of), your
STRESS LEVEL is reduced by one point.  You cannot make any SKILL ROLLS when resting and if your rest is interrupted, it
doesn't count.  A PANIC ROLL can also decreas stress, as can certain drugs.

Once per Act in Cinematic Play, you can interact with your SIGNATURE ITEM in some way to reduce your STRESS LEVEL one step.
This typically requires a slow action.

Some conditions, such as Starving or Freezing, can block your ability to relieve stress.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:21, Mon 13 July 2020.

Personal Agendas:

Each character has a Personal Agenda for each of the three Acts of the scenario.  At the start of each Act, I will give each player
their new Agenda.  I advise you not to reveal them to the other players.

Evaluating Agendas:

At the end of each Act, I will review each player and their respective Agenda.  If they have actively advanced their PC's Agenda
despite significant personal risk or sacrifice, I will award them one Story Point.  I may leave a little wiggle room to be
convinced otherwise if you do not agree with my evaluation.

Player VS Player

PvP is possible due to conflicting Personal Agendas, though hopefully avoidable.  It involves turning the "traitor" character into
an NPC once the current scene is played out and then continuing with another NPC.  This means one should think carefully before
acting against the common interests of the group, even if you think it's in line with your Agenda.  It is highly recommended to
wait until the third and final Act of the scenario before taking such drastic action.

Story Points:

In a Cinematic Scenario, you can spend a Story Point to get one automatic 6 (six) in a dice roll.  You can spend the Story Point
after a failed roll, or even after a successful roll in order to get another 6 (six) and perform a STUNT.  You gain Story Points
by following your Personal Agenda.  You can never have more than three Story Points, however.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:17, Mon 13 July 2020.

Measuring Time

In the ALIEN universe, time matters.  Whether you are awaiting rescue on an alien world with Xenomorphs stalking you, or
Mother is counting down to the imminent destruction of your ship, you need to keep track of time.  There are three
separate units of time used in this game, depending on the situation at hand.



The exact duration of a ROUND, TURN and SHIFT can vary depending on the situation.  It's the GM's job to track time and
determine when another ROUND, TURN or SHIFT has passed.  There are typically four SHIFTS in a day: Morning, Day,
Evening and Night.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:48, Tue 21 July 2020.

Maps & Zones

The map is divided into ZONES.  A zone is typically a room, a corridor, or an area of ground.  How big a zone is can vary-
from a few steps across up to about 25 meters.  A zone is generally smaller in a cramped environment than in open terrain.

Borders & Line of Sight

The border between two adjacent zones can be open or blocked (by a wall or bulkhead).  A blocked border can have a door
or a hatch, allowing movement between the two zones.

Open borders don't block vision or movement.  A blocked border generally blocks line of sight even if there is a door or
hatch in it, unless you're actively standing by the doorway and peeking through.


This message was last edited by the GM at 00:38, Tue 04 Aug 2020.

Consumables

Sometimes you need to overcome a lot more than alien lifeforms in order to survive.  Lack of air, food, water and
electrical power can be just as deadly.  These four resources are called consumables.

You don't need to track consumable at all times.  In the confines of a functional spaceship, orbital station or
planetside colony, you'll likely have all the consumables you need.  But when resources are scarce (such as the
available air in a compression suit or the battery power in a motion detector) you'll need to start tracking them.

Each of the four consumables has a SUPPLY rating.  A higher rating is better.  At regular intervals (or depending on
context or actions taken), you need to make a SUPPLY roll.  This means rolling a number of STRESS dice equal to the
current supply rating, up to a maximum of six (6) dice.  For every one (1) rolled, the supply rating is decreased
by one.  When the supply rating reaches zero, you're out of the consumable and entering a world of hurt.

Usually, consumables are tracked individually, but they can also be tracked for the group as a whole, depending on the
situation.