TEXT: Star Cowboys 
  in Space
  Keep flyin’ and protect your own.
  A Deniable Treatment  
  By Joe Sweeney & JAie T.
  
  2
  Star Cowboys in Space
  Mode
  “Black Humour” 
  Location
  The Final Frontier
  Time Period
  The Future
  Genre
  Heist 
  Theme
  Keep flyin’ and protect your own...
  The Pitch
  An ensemble of outcasts from all walks of life 
  find themselves drawn together to perform ‘the 
  big score’ that will change their lives.
  Inspirations
  Firefly and Farscape
  
  3
  Keep flyin’ &and protect your own
  When yer’ flying out in the’ void, yer’ as free as yer’ ever 
  gonna git? I mean, it’s all nice and dandy ta’ be living in 
  some big-smoke city on a Core World, an’ the food is mighty 
  fine, but where’s the fun in’ bein’ civilized?  Out here in 
  the Rim, life is more… more real.  We make our own rules. 
  We make our own fortunes. Or we sure as hell try. An’ if 
  the law git’s in the the way, well I say, let ‘em try an’ catch 
  us. Caus’ us, we is more than a crew. We is a family.
  
  4
  The Crew is your Family 
  (and not everyone is aboard!)
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  1  Life 
  partner 
  is an almost 
  too-perfect 
  human
  is an ‘elder 
  being’
  from another 
  world
  is your old CO
  is a  synthetic 
  lifeform
  is a 
  ‘companion’
  2  It’s just 
  business
  married for 
  contract 
  to get an 
  immigration 
  certificate
  married to a 
  partner with 
  huge debt
  married 
  because of 
  your huge 
  debt
  showing your 
  illegitimate 
  child the ropes
  online 
  romance 
  with a cyber-
  sphere 
  sensation
  as a surrogate 
  parent
  3  Bond of 
  camaraderie
  with the ‘arty’ 
  crowd
  in a band
  with a close 
  friend from 
  way back
  with your ex
  with an ol’ 
  army buddy
  with an an 
  underworld 
  figure
  4 
  Independent
  because still 
  pining for old  
  sweetheart
  with an AI 
  implant
  with funds 
  from wealthy 
  uncle
  working for a 
  adventurous 
  noble
  but being 
  stalked by 
  a one-night 
  stand
  with therapist
  5.  Romantic 
  relationship
  and going 
  ‘steady’
  with a co-
  worker
  with an alien
  because 
  of a social 
  experiment
  with devious 
  sycophant
  with the 
  enemy
  6.  It’s 
  complicated
  inseparable 
  from your 
  clone
  has a weird 
  pet
  with  
  symbiotic 
  being
  “I am your 
  father!”
  serves an evil 
  genius
  personal 
  assistant
  
  5
  The Mission Dossier
  WE have lift off! 
  (The activity or rumors that set things in motion)
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  1
  Small freighter 
  ships buzzing 
  about
  Nervous 
  stranger
  Missing crew 
  member
  Catatonic guy 
  in lobby
  Secret 
  compartment
  What is that 
  thing?
  2
  Who left it 
  unlocked?
  Forbidden 
  planet
  Of course I 
  trust him. 
  Map to hidden 
  treasure
  Missing cargo
  Shooting starts
  3
  Missionary 
  needs help
  Trouble at the 
  gas & sip
  Strange 
  asteroid 
  formation
  Why are those 
  guys all dressed 
  the same?
  Distress call
  Abandoned ship
  4
  Blockaded
  Why do humans 
  hate robots?
  Ex lover needs 
  help
  Long lost 
  relative needs 
  help
  Pirates in the 
  area
  Radio freedom
  5
  Strange floating 
  objects in space
  Contraband  in 
  cargo hold
  Ghost channel
  Smoking 
  asteroid
  Skittering in the 
  the walls
  Recovered 
  cryochamber
  6
  SOS broadcast
  Why would 
  someone leave 
  this stuff?
  Quarantine
  Drones
  Stowaway 
  Cult activity
  
  6
  The Objective 
  (An element of the main mission)
  1
  Personal 
  revenge 
  Prove your 
  innocence
  Prove the 
  innocence of a 
  ‘friend’
  Transport 
  something
  Transport 
  someone
  Find someone
  2
  Stop someone
  Rob someone
  Scandalize
  Surveillance
  Kidnap 
  someone
  Rescue a 
  hostage 
  3
  Blow something 
  up
  Steal something
  Find something
  Hide someone
  Escape the law
  Steal a 
  transport
  4
  Broadcast the 
  truth
  Protect 
  something
  Disrupt 
  communications
  Convince 
  someone
  Teach someone 
  a lesson
  Swap 
  something
  5
  Organise a drop
  Deliver 
  something
  Escort someone 
  “Prove” 
  something
  Frame someone
  Expose 
  something 
  6
  Incite rebellion
  Sell a secret
  Prison break
  Trade 
  technology
  Infiltrate 
  Break and enter
  
  7
  A Location
  (An element of the main mission)
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  1 
  Space control 
  center
  Pool night at 
  “The Space 
  Hub”
  Bonn’s comet
  Research orbital
  Naval Base
  Abandoned 
  space station
  2
  Planet on the 
  Rim
  Asteroid 
  formation
  Old Earth 
  Gas giant  rings
  Core world
  Secret room
  3
  Red light space 
  station 
  Medical space 
  facility
  Shadow of a 
  frozen moon
  Lonely planet
  Waste Disposal 
  plant
  Airducts
  4
  Docks
  Eastfield’s 
  shoppingtown
  Bazaar 
  The kissing 
  lakes of Titan
  Supercarrier
  Religious 
  retreat
  5
  Starship 
  graveyard
  Megacorp HQ
  Robotic lab
  Commercial 
  transport
  City in the 
  clouds
  Long range 
  colonist cryo 
  transport
  6
  Dust cloud
  Dimensional rift
  Seed Ship
  Political  forum
  Government 
  Structure
  Hydrocarbon 
  sea port
  
  8
  A Complication
  (An element of the main mission)
  1
  Wrong target
  Mistaken 
  identity
  Clones
  Critical systems 
  failure
  Love intervenes Blackmail 
  2
  Wrong location
  Body swap
  Out of Oxygen
  Military police
  Stop and search
  Betrayal
  3
  Good place at a 
  bad time 
  Wrong item
  I made those 
  mods myself!
  Innocents in 
  the way
  Solar flares
  Language 
  barrier
  4
  Followed
  Security 
  services
  Ancient tech
  Friendly fire
  It’s coming 
  right for us
  Blockade
  5
  Under 
  surveillance 
  Equipment 
  failure
  Out of ???
  I said it was too 
  good to be true
  Leak
  Hallucinations 
  6
  Time flux
  Space sickness
  Meteor shower
  Strange dreams
  Humans in 
  funny suits
  It’s gonna’ 
  blow!
  
  9
  An Antagonist 
  (Need not be the main “target”and in fact doesn’t need to be actively working against the Protagonist . 
  Sometimes, they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time)
  1
  Intergalactic 
  politician
  Interwebs 
  celebrity
  Pesky journalist
  Greedy banker
  Drunkard
  Suspected spy
  2
  Military police
  Dodgy cargo 
  ship pilot
  Assassin
  Turncoat
  Suspected 
  traitor
  Scientist
  3
  Space station 
  owner
  Loud robot 
  bartender
  Crime boss
  Pretty boy 
  smuggler
  Bounty hunter
  Ex-lover
  4
  Media xxec
  Overprotective 
  parent
  Intergalactic 
  lawman
  Private 
  investigator
  Drug dealing 
  shrink
  Evil genius
  5
  That guy looks 
  totally like me!
  genetically 
  engineered 
  child
  Alien horde
  Medical 
  ‘practitioner’
  Space pirates
  Serial killer
  6
  Loudmouth 
  catgirl
  Retired general
  Android 
  supremacist 
  Treasure hunter
  Mad scientist
  Fleet 
  commander 
  
  10
  Group Therapy
  Group therapy is a little different in this hack as the protagonists 
  are working for themselves or possibly for a different employer 
  each time. If the players are working for themselves, skip the group 
  therapy session and have an out of character discussion about the 
  game. If the players have completed (or not completed) as job for a 
  patron, the patron can conduct a suitable group therapy session.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Deniable (PbtA)/Treatments/Deniable Treatment 04 - Star Cowboys In Space.pdf