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  "I'm DayTripping," I thought. "This can't be real..." Floating 
  in a Dali-inspired reconstruction of a Gernsback universe, 
  surrounded by images arising from my own subconscious, I 
  glanced around rapidly at a cast of colorful characters. All 
  the Egyptian gods were there, thousands of miles tall. My 
  brother, somehow back at home but also here, laughing at 
  my career choices, swigged a dark ale and dispersed into 
  tachyons while Chaz the pilot suddenly began to sprout 
  flowers without comment, and a giant baby head floated in 
  space, mouth agape, tiny spaceships drifting in and out of 
  its yawning orifice. 
  "Analog of the Anagram!" said a voice which might have 
  been mine. "Analgesic of the Altitude!" I tried to remember 
  exactly who "I" was. "Assignment of the Alternative!" the 
  voice went on, now sounding like the GM but also my 
  brother. Why did my brother keep showing up? "B!" the 
  voice suddenly shouted, and then continued: "Blasphemer 
  of the Bizarre!" 
  Reality had diverged for me before, I probably failed a 
  PSYCHE roll, and my brother really can be a jerk sometimes, 
  so the GM had that part right, which made me wonder out 
  loud something about bleeding. That's when I looked down 
  and realized I was bleeding. Somewhere to my right Chaz 
  was tumbling into the mouth of a gigantic fish which had 
  suddenly emerged from the sand, which had itself suddenly 
  emerged from the air. No, wait, he wasn't tumbling 
  anywhere. He was just sitting there beside me with a 
  frightened expression on his face. The crotch of my 
  automated survival suit was warm and wet. 
  "Work the waldos!" Chaz shouted, pointing out the 
  viewport. "She's right there!"  Following his finger I noticed 
  for the first time the splayed form of Scilla Sardacian, the 
  world's biggest stalknet celebrity, slowly pinwheeling in 
  space, her face locked in a nightmare of her own.  I shoved 
  my arms into the waldos and called for Chaz to maneuver 
  closer.  There'd be a huge bonus if we could get her back to 
  Home-Earth with her mind intact.  We were gonna be 
  famous. 
   
  Table of Contents 
  Introduction ......................................................................... 3 
  What Is Surrealism ................................................................... 3 
  Surreal Science Fiction ............................................................. 4 
  Surrealism in Games ................................................................ 4 
  Running DayTrippers ............................................................ 5 
  The Cyber-GM.......................................................................... 5 
  The Players’ Art ........................................................................6 
  Player-Based Meaning ............................................................. 7 
  How Play Proceeds................................................................. 10 
  Action Resolution ................................................................13 
  Fiction Management ........................................................... 16 
  Money ................................................................................... 16 
  Fame ..................................................................................... 16 
  Downtime .............................................................................. 17 
  Home Base ............................................................................ 18 
  SlipShips ................................................................................ 18 
  NPCs ...................................................................................... 20 
  Going Into Business ................................................................ 21 
  Leaving a Mark ....................................................................... 21 
  Undiscovered Nodes .............................................................. 21 
  Campaigns ............................................................................. 22 
  The World of DayTrippers ................................................... 23 
  Institutions and MegaCorps .................................................... 23 
  DayTrippers and Clients ........................................................ 24 
  Technology ............................................................................ 25 
  SlipSpace ............................................................................... 26 
  Sample NPCs & Creatures ...................................................... 33 
  Generators ........................................................................ 34 
  Mission Generator ............................................................... 35 
  Star Generator ................................................................... 41 
  Planet Generator ................................................................ 43 
  Location Generator ............................................................ 47 
  Lifeform Generator .............................................................. 53 
  Society Generator .............................................................. 61 
  Drama Generator ............................................................... 65 
  Character Generator ............................................................ 73 
  Alternate Earth Generator ................................................... 77 
  Dream World Generator ...................................................... 79 
  Multiversal Chao Generator ................................................. 83 
  Time Travel Generator ........................................................ 85 
  Which Generators, When? ...................................................... 88 
  Creating DayTrips............................................................... 91 
  Story, Mission & Structure ...................................................... 91 
  PlotFields & RunSheets .......................................................... 96 
  Prepping NPCs ..................................................................... 105 
  Prepping Encounter Tables .................................................. 106 
  Sample Adventure Creation ................................................. 107 
  Inspirational Media ............................................................ 112 
  System Conversion ............................................................ 113 
  Credits & Sources .............................................................. 113 
  Index ................................................................................ 114 
  Adventure Sketch Sheet .................................................... 116 
  DayTrippers Mission RunSheet ........................................... 117 
  DayTrippers Lifeform Sheet ............................................... 118 
  DayTrippers Planet Sheet .................................................. 119 
  DayTrippers PC Tracking Sheet .......................................... 120 
  THE DAYTRIPPERS GAMEMASTERS GUIDE VERSION 1.2 IS PUBLISHED 
  2015 BY AS IF PRODUCTIONS UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS 
  ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL LICENSE 3.0. 
  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ 
  SPECIAL THANKS TO THE AS IF COLLECTIVE: 
  Torey Holmquist, Jaylen Productions, Shawn Koch, 
  Abstract Machine, Cassie Rae, David Schirduan & Terry Willitts 
  http://patreon.com./asif 
  http://DayTrippersRPG.com 
  
  3 
   
   
  Introduction 
  Running DayTrippers demands your full attention as a GM, 
  because it is as much a Surrealist Toolkit as a Game System. 
  Like any roleplaying game, it provides mechanical means of 
  character generation, content generation and conflict 
  resolution using its own set of scales and tables, etc.  And like 
  any surrealist toolkit, it provides you with just enough 
  structure and randomness to extemporaneously create lots 
  of unique little worlds and mind-blowing adventures. 
  While running DayTrippers you’ll fuse with the system, 
  weaving subconscious material together with random 
  creative accidents to generate sensational stories of surreal 
  sci-fi. 
  WHAT IS SURREALISM 
  The word "surreal" is used in two ways.  The first is classical 
  and technical, the other is subjective and common.  To 
  understand the difference, it's useful to make a distinction 
  between the words "Surrealism" and "Surrealistic".  
  Surrealism is a radical artistic philosophy with a continually-
  developing body of technique for the production of 
  unconscious meaning; in this sense, the word "surreal" 
  describes works which utilize unconscious elements as they 
  arise, or else in some arranged fashion. The word Surrealistic, 
  on the other hand, can be used to describe anything "weird" - 
  from the nonsensical or ridiculous to the uncanny or symbolic - 
  usually involving the juxtaposition of elements that aren't 
  usually seen together. DayTrippers partakes of both these 
  meanings, and your campaign will be your own personal mix 
  of the "weird" and the truly "surreal". 
  "Weirdness" is not hard to define: we know it the moment we 
  see it.  Surrealism, on the other hand, may require a little more 
  unpacking. 
  You see, strange and jarring as their writings and images 
  might have been, the original Surrealists - including André 
  Brenton, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Roberta 
  Matta, Man Ray and Salvadore Dali, among many others - 
  were not simply being weird for the sake of being weird 
  (except perhaps for Dali). There was a method to their 
  madness.  They were fueled by a critique of modern capitalist 
  society and its rigid sense of "order" and "reason", which they 
  blamed for the struggle of the lower classes and the 
  incalculable misery of the first World War. They opposed this 
  rigid logical dynamic with a Hegelian Dialectic of uncanny or 
  nonsensical structures and ambiguous statements, and 
  explored techniques by which they aimed to create work that 
  was "BEYOND real" (SUR-real). The path they chose was that 
  of the subconscious mind. 
  Inspired by the recently-published work of Sigmund Freud on 
  the nature of the subconscious and the psychological 
  interpretation of dreams, the Surrealists wanted to directly 
  access the ephemeral contents of the subconscious mind in 
  the creation of their work. To this end, they devised a wide 
  variety of literary and artistic techniques involving stochastic 
  strategies and chaotic contrivances designed to jam or bypass 
  normal waking consciousness.  Although they differed in 
  opinion on whether that work should or shouldn't be subjected 
  to any editing or re-arrangement once laid down, they shared 
  the belief that art created by the use of these techniques could 
  reach "beyond consensus reality" into the realm of pure 
  concept.  Such art would be free from the limitations of logic, 
  reason and pragmatism, and immune to the forces of self-
  censorship, social entropy, and moral judgment.  Such work 
  could change the world, and create a whole new world to take 
  its place. 
  
  4 
   
  SURREAL SCIENCE FICTION 
  Drawn broadly, the category of "surreal science fiction" 
  includes two main classes of stories.  One encompasses the 
  first popular science fiction shorts, appearing in pulp 
  magazines such as Amazing Stories and Astounding Stories 
  (later to become Analog Science Fact & Fiction), and the other 
  begins with the "new wave" literature of the 1960s and '70s 
  which resulted in the "postmodern" class of science fiction we 
  know today. 
  The postmodern corpus includes not only written fiction but 
  also graphic novels, films, television and videogames, and 
  often bleeds over into the school of "magical realism".  These 
  works tend to be highly conscious of the surrealistic elements 
  and themes they employ, and with great effect. 
  The pulp corpus was often just as surrealistic as the modern 
  one, but less consciously so.  The writers of early science 
  fiction employed "the bizarre" less as an artistic style and more 
  as a literary tool for creating or enhancing feelings of 
  displacement and "other-ness".   
  " Whether it's displacement in space, displacement 
  in time, displacement in social condition or 
  displacement to an alien being, the idea of 
  displacement creates the possibility of 
  perspective." - Eric S. Rabkin 
  Stanley G. Weinbaum is considered the first science fiction 
  author 
  to 
  create 
  aliens 
  who 
  were 
  deliberately 
  incomprehensible, his reasoning being that it isn't very "alien" if 
  humans can easily understand it. But as postmodernism would 
  show, no line can be drawn between the incomprehensible 
  and the subjectively symbolic: any strongly subjective reality, 
  juxtaposed on an objective reality, may result in a type of sur-
  reality. 
  Writing professor and sci-fi scholar Eric S. Rabkin put it this 
  way: "Dramatic displacement is characteristic of all science 
  fiction.  Whether it's displacement in space, or displacement in 
  time, displacement in social condition or displacement to an 
  alien being, the idea of displacement creates the possibility of 
  perspective, it creates the possibility of irony, it creates a way 
  of changing the world radically. It comes from the fantastic, 
  and yet in science fiction we make that fantastic plausible." 
  In surreal science fiction, the plausible displacement of logic, 
  reason, and reality itself becomes part of the terrain being 
  explored. From the Martian landscapes of Stanley Weinbaum 
  and the galactic explorations of Jack Vance to the 
  extradimensional mindscapes of Moebius and the juxtaposed 
  realities of Philip K. Dick, that strange feeling of cognitive 
  displacement is key to both classes of surreal sci-fi. 
  SURREALISM IN GAMES 
  Surrealist techniques were often presented in game form and 
  literally played as games, from the seminal Surrealist parlor 
  game "Exquisite Corpses" to Jeff Noon's elaborate narrative-
  filtering system, "Cobralingus". 
  There is nothing pejorative about the Surrealists’ use of the 
  word “game” to describe their activities.  Indeed, these games 
  were something they took very seriously. 
  Author and art historian Mel Gooding wrote: "Surrealist games 
  and procedures are intended to free words and images from 
  the constraints of rational and discursive order, substituting 
  chance 
  and 
  indeterminacy 
  for 
  premeditation 
  and 
  deliberation.” 
  Roleplaying games and storygames also have a long and well-
  standing regard for indeterminacy in the form of “oracles” – 
  encounter tables, trait tables, character development 
  systems, brainstorming charts, plot resolution mechanics, etc. 
  – which in effect are nothing more than suggestive guides for 
  creative extrapolation, similar to many of the Surrealists’ 
  techniques for random sampling.  The results generated by 
  these oracles are often so strange that they seem to have been 
  deliberately concocted with a surrealistic sensibility in mind. 
  It seems certain that the early Surrealists would be delighted 
  by the output of today’s random online story generators (and 
  the more bizarre the output was, the more delighted they'd 
  be, without a doubt).  For them, all unconscious content was 
  potentially oracular. 
  As Gooding concluded: “In one particular and important 
  respect Surrealist play is more like a kind of provocative 
  magic. This is in its irrepressible propensity to the 
  transformation of objects, behaviors and ideas.” 
  Clearly, we can draw a pretty straight line from Surrealist 
  Writing Games to randomized solo roleplaying (or GMing via 
  dice and charts alone).  Dice-rolling on random oracle tables 
  can generate some strange images indeed.  But if we're trying 
  to create an experience with a satisfying story arc to it, that 
  randomness - the strangeness of the image - can only get us 
  halfway there.  The slack must be taken up with Meaning, and 
  the best Meaning comes from the Players.  That's why we’re 
  going to ask them lots of questions, give them plenty of stuff 
  to project on, and utilize a variety of techniques to elicit 
  content from their subconscious minds.  
  “Art can neither be praised nor blamed for holding 
  up a mirror to the reality, or dream world, of an 
  age.  If this reality is chaotic, spectral and unreal, 
  its reflection will be chaotic, spectral and unreal.” 
  - Peter Thoene 
   
  
  5 
   
   
  Running DayTrippers 
  Let's get this straight right away: You're doing your Art here, 
  with a capital "A".  Your Art involves fusing with a 
  mechanical system in order to produce a storylike experience 
  for humans.  Your Art has a Technique: the rules of the 
  system itself.  Your Art also has a Method: the creation of 
  Meaning.  You increase the power and value of the emerging 
  story by… 
  (1) Seeding it with images and situations which invite 
  projection,  
  (2) Encouraging and nurturing projections as they arise,  
  (3) Reincorporating the Meaning found in these projections 
  back into the ongoing fiction. 
  Your Art demands not only creativity but insight, fortitude, 
  resourcefulness and compassion, in addition to general 
  knowledge and storytelling skills.  It's as much about 
  performance as it is about information and planning.  
  Don’t let the word “performance” scare you.  It’s not about 
  acting (unless you want it to be).  Performance means 
  knowing your system, managing lots of little details, 
  presenting an evocative setting and reincorporating important 
  elements into the emerging storyline.  In realtime. While 
  walking backwards. 
  The word "Art" includes both Method and Technique; it refers 
  to both Fiction and Mechanics.  This is not an either-or thing, 
  it's more like a hermaphroditic thing.  The system provides the 
  mechanical part; you keep the fiction moving, and the Players 
  will turn it into something no one could have predicted. 
  Much of the content in a DayTrippers adventure comes - 
  directly or indirectly - from the Players.  But your job is very 
  different than the Players' job, because it involves managing 
  everything the system wants to do but can't do by itself.  The 
  system has a Spirit, but it has no Consciousness.  That's where 
  you come in.   
  As the conscious half of this hermaphroditic cyborg, you bear 
  responsibility for the aesthetic, thematic and psychological 
  effects of everything you and the system do at the table.  Art 
  Comes First, as long as it's understood that the Art you're 
  making is for these people right here at the table with you. 
  DayTrippers is designed to get you and your Players into some 
  weird Stories, no doubt about that. But if you want your 
  games to be deep, heavy, literary, philosophical, emotional or 
  seriously trippy, you need to trust your Players, and they need 
  to trust you. What happens in the fiction will all take place in 
  the subjective intersection of your projected imaginations. 
  While running the game you are a Cyber-GM: a fusion of 
  human and system, method and technique, working together 
  to produce Art. 
  THE CYBER-GM 
  There are two sides to your relationship with the system.  One 
  is Mechanical and the other is Aesthetic. 
  The DayTrippers mechanics are deliberately simple. They are 
  designed to stay out of the way while the collective 
  imagination of the group propels the Story. For any type of 
  Action, for any weird idea, there is a Stat that can be used to 
  determine the base odds of success. Whenever a dramatic 
  uncertainty arises in play - not just any uncertainty, but stuff of 
  enough import to potentially affect the Story - you go into 
  Resolution Mode.  In this mode you’re the "data inputter" who 
  plugs values into the rules (stats, mods, etc), you’re the 
  "operator" who runs the “action resolution program” and 
  interprets the results, and you’re the "narrator" who 
  communicates those results to the Players in evocative and 
  suggestive ways.  These duties must be exercised fairly and 
  consistently. With practice they will become second-nature, 
  like a musician melding with their instrument, or a pro driver 
  with their car. 
  But you're also operating aesthetically, and the aesthetic 
  concerns completely encompass the mechanical ones.  The 
  aesthetic side of the Cyber-GM is the human part, the one who 
  knows that its purpose is Art, and its method is Meaning. 
  Because GMing is a social and interactive artform, not mere 
  expressionism, we must understand Meaning as seen through 
  the eyes of the Players, not ourselves.  To put it another way: 
  The Meaning of everything in the emerging story will be 
  interpreted by the Players, not by you, so the better a job you 
  do of portraying and reincorporating elements your Players 
  find Meaningful, the more Meaning they will find in the 
  resulting experience. 
  Remember: You're not just an output for rule determinations, 
  you’re a dedicated processor for The Human Stuff: meaningful 
  symbolism, unconscious motivations (either on the character 
  level or IRL, preferably both), and unseen connections 
  between events in the gameworld and things the Players say. 
  Even when opposing them, you’re playing with them, not 
  against them. 
  Your Players' goals are more important than your own; in fact 
  you really shouldn't have any goals besides serving theirs.  This 
  means you should be ready to switch gears or jump rails if 
  something you come up with isn’t working for your Players, or 
  if the Players begin pursuing different goals than those you 
  had foreseen.  This isn’t bad news; this is great news.  Adjust 
  your elements, add something, drop something, go with the 
  flow. 
  Trust your Players. Help them make their ideas real. Don’t get 
  precious over your story elements; they’re reusable.  Don’t get 
  offended.  Your ego has nothing to do with this, and is not 
  invited to the hermaphroditic union.  Your purpose is Art, your 
  Method is Meaning, the System is your Instrument, and the 
  Stars are your Players.  Let's talk about them. 
  
  6 
   
  THE PLAYERS’ ART 
  The Players’ Art is different than yours, and supported by 
  yours. 
  The function of the System is to represent all contiguous or 
  contingent effects of actions within the fictional world.  The 
  function of the Cyber-GM is to induce a meaningful experience 
  for the Players by arranging characters, items, events and 
  symbols in particular ways, optimized to generate satisfying 
  stories via interaction.  But the Players' Art is to roleplay: to 
  engage challenges in the fiction by projecting consciousness 
  into a character, bringing subjective experience and self-
  determination into the world, causing change to follow upon 
  the effects of their actions.  This causes Stories to emerge. 
  In DayTrippers, the playgroup works rather like a team of TV 
  writers creating a soap opera, where it is common for each 
  writer to be predominantly responsible for one particular 
  character's storyline.  
  No need to second-guess these people; they are professionals 
  and they know what they’re doing. 
  Every TV series also has a "Show Runner" who acts mainly in 
  service to continuity.  This is often the person who "invented" 
  the show and wrote the pilot episode.  Likewise, every series 
  has a "bible" (which is the TV industry word for a sourcebook).  
  And finally, each show has a set of narrative structures they 
  prefer to work with, for reasons of genre, airtime, etc.  All of 
  those jobs are yours, because another meaning of the word 
  “cyber” is “guide”. 
  But the Guide does not tell Adventurers where to go. The 
  Guide, using knowledge of the terrain,  simply facilitates in the 
  task of getting the Adventurers to wherever they want to go. 
  The PCs are the Protagonists here.  This is their story, this 
  story is about them, and your role is to support and enable 
  them (which, in interactive storytelling, often means playing 
  whatever opposes them).  Each Player brings their own style 
  and subconsciousness to the table.  Your main creative 
  concern is giving them awesome places and situations in 
  which to be themselves, to find the emergent story about 
  themselves. 
  While you do control most elements of the gameworld, the 
  Players have more control over the direction of the story than 
  you do. They're the ones who choose which prompts they'll 
  respond to, and how.  The story’s point of view is theirs.   The 
  PC Sheet is a psychic osmotic membrane.  The Player’s Art 
  breathes life into it, and through it, into the fictional world. 
  Sometimes a "GMly" idea will pop out of a Player’s mouth. 
  That’s always a sign that they’re invested, which is good, but 
  at a higher level than their character’s consciousness.  You 
  may decide to use their idea (tweaking it of course), but when 
  it’s suggested, simply nod your head thoughtfully, 
  acknowledge that it’s possible, and return to the fiction. 
  It’s great when Players contribute this way, but you can’t 
  count on it happening. The Player who thinks at the GM level 
  is probably popping out of character to do it, which means the 
  fiction is too weak or too strong.  Adjust that. 
  The most important difference between Players and GMs is 
  this: A good GM strives to keep their own ego out of the fiction 
  by developing a habit of suppression.  But a good Player 
  projects their ego into the fiction, to become the 
  consciousness of another person.  For them, this is an act of 
  transformation. 
  "Good GMship is underlying the storytelling work to 
  create evocative, fully sensual environments, but 
  letting the players drive. The storyguide's role is to 
  sort of walk backwards in front of the players, 
  looking back at them and tossing back to them what 
  they've tossed out, all while being comfortable 
  enough with the mechanics and setting to walk 
  through it backwards." 
  - Meguey Baker  
  
  7 
   
  PLAYER-BASED MEANING 
  Player-Based Meaning of a truly deep sort can't be forged in 
  prep, unless you know your Players intimately. But it's not 
  difficult to get the ball rolling.  Thanks to movies and 
  television, there are literally hundreds of common Character 
  Types and Tropes that we all understand, and you can get a 
  good glimpse of what your Players are looking for by asking 
  them what actors or fictional characters their own characters 
  are modeled on, and what films or shows they have in their 
  minds right now.  After priming the pump this way, a couple 
  questions about their character's recent past and you should 
  have a pretty clear idea of what’s motivating them right now.  
  For light games of archetypal adventure, or for Players you 
  don’t know personally, that's really all you need. 
  PROGRESSIVE CHARACTER 
  GENERATION 
  But you won’t stop there.  In books and movies, it’s actually 
  quite rare to know the entire history of a character before the 
  plot begins.  In fact, in many books and movies, the only 
  backstory you ever get occurs in flashbacks, after you’re 
  familiar with the character on a more pedestrian level.  The 
  DayTrippers campaign is fine with that. 
  A DayTrippers character begins the game in a fairly “generic” 
  state. Sure, each PC is individuated by stats and skill choices, 
  but the real character of the character is something we don’t 
  know yet.  In many cases, not even their Player knows them 
  yet, and that’s fine!  How well do you know the hero at the 
  beginning of the book?  Specific traits can come up at any time 
  in play; no one is forced to create them until it feels 
  appropriate to do so.  
  Likewise there’s no requirement for Players to spend all their 
  Character Points prior to the beginning of play; in fact it’s 
  smart to withhold a few and allow for Character Development 
  to progress over the first few adventures. 
  This solves a perennial problem in roleplaying games: It’s all 
  well and good to have Players create the important aspects of 
  their own characters’ pasts – perhaps even neighboring 
  details, like mentors, family and associated characters – but 
  it’s entirely another thing to put them on the spot before play, 
  forcing them to marry themselves to a character concept they 
  haven’t even spent any quality time with yet.  
  We’ll get to know this character in their present-day context, 
  from the outside in, the same way we get to know real people. 
   We’ll learn more about their past as it is revealed to us.  
  As the game progresses, ask about “mundane” details, helping 
  Players to imagine their morning routine, walking through 
  their house, hanging with their friends, firing up the SlipShip’s 
  engines, etc.  Be descriptive and suggestive.  Ask what their 
  stuff looks like. Ask what they look like, when they catch 
  themselves reflected in a shop window. Ask what they keep in 
  their bunk onboard, or what mementos they keep in a secret 
  place. Players will soon grow accustomed to describing the 
  parts of the world their characters are familiar with. 
  Every time you do this, you’re helping the Player build 
  “memories” of the fictional world, just like a method actor 
  rehearsing for a role. To the subconscious, a memory is a 
  memory – they’re equally accessible, whether real or 
  imagined, as long as they’re connected to other memories. As 
  these memories grow stronger and more detailed, it becomes 
  easier for the Player to enter deeply into the character and 
  identify with their character’s world.  This will soon lead to 
  ideas for “LifeShaping” events. 
  LifeShapers can be used to help a solve a problem 
  within the game, or explain a sudden flash of 
  insight. 
  LIFESHAPING EVENTS 
  LifeShaping events can be introduced in Character 
  Development Scenes or at any other time during play, 
  including downtime (between sessions).  
  There are eight types of LifeShapers.  Each type is denoted by 
  its initial letter: 
  B = BELIEF (what the PC believes) 
  C = CONCEPT (what ideas the PC has) 
  D = DUTY (what the PC is obliged to do) 
  G = GOAL (what the PC wants to do) 
  H = HISTORY (what the PC has learned in life) 
  M = MISSION (what the PC’s orders are) 
  P = PROBLEM (stuff the PC has issues with) 
  R = RELATIONSHIP (people the PC interacts with) 
  T = THING (the PC’s most personal possessions) 
  LifeShaping events in the PC’s past provide “hooks” that you 
  can use to create character-specific plot elements, and they 
  give the Player a solid basis for building character motivation. 
  Once created, LifeShapers can sometimes be used to help a 
  character solve a problem within the game, or to explain a 
  sudden flash of insight. 
  If the Player can explain exactly why a particular LifeShaper 
  might give them an advantage on a roll, give them an extra 
  die. This is called a “Lifeshaping Die” (for obvious reasons). 
  Note that the PC Sheet only has twelve slots for Lifeshapers. 
  They’re a limited resource, so encourage Players to choose 
  them wisely. It is possible to remove a LifeShaping event, but 
  for that to happen, a Player should be able to demonstrate 
  that it is no longer pertinent to the character.  In other words, 
  there would have to be a scene where they give up on their 
  vow, break off their relationship, forsake their father, or say 
  “screw it” and let the red Barchetta rust in the shed. 
  
  8 
   
  CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT SCENES 
  In a game with Progressive Character Generation (see 
  previous page), Players get to “wear” their characters for a 
  while before determining a whole lot of details about their 
  history, psychology or values. In the early days of a career 
  these details are easier to slip in, because it’s harder to make 
  big changes to more well-known characters without damaging 
  the sense of continuity.  But it’s not impossible.  Keep in mind: 
  People do change, and they often put away things from their 
  past, never mentioning them until they become important 
  again.  Here’s how it works in play: 
  Once per session, each Player may request a Character 
  Development Scene.  Some examples: 
  FLASHBACK SCENE – flashing back to an important 
  lesson or pivotal moment in the PC’s life 
  RELATIONSHIP SCENE – cutting away to show the PC in 
  a relationship of some kind, either currently or in the past 
  TRAINING SCENE – revealing some aspect of the PC’s 
  training, ethics or skills 
  AH-HA SCENE – a sudden realization helps the character 
  to understand whatever they’re facing 
  VISION SCENE – a dream, vision or hallucination 
  symbolizing or illuminating their current situation 
  Once per session, each Player may request a 
  Character Development Scene. 
  If the scene justifies the expenditure of Character Points or 
  Experience Points in the purchase of a Stat Score, Skill Level 
  or Fame, let the Player make that purchase now.  This scene 
  has become part of the character’s past. Gear cannot be 
  purchased this way, except on Home-Earth (provided it’s 
  available at all). 
  If the scene is logically linked to the present scenario and 
  causes a problem to be solved or realization to be made, 
  award that character one Experience Point. 
  If the scene takes on a problematic aspect for the character 
  – a dependency, a weakness, an enemy or information that an 
  adversary might use against them, for instance – award 
  another experience point.  This is a potentially valuable plot-
  hook, which can be used to complicate the character’s life 
  down the road. 
  We’ll get to know this character from the outside in, 
  the same way we get to know real people.   
  PSYCHIC CONTENT 
  A deeper class of Player-based Meaning can be "drawn out" by 
  paying close attention to emotionally-charged words, 
  responses and ideas coming from the Players themselves.  
  These signals are part of the phenomenon known as "Bleed" 
  (in which the character and the Player begin to "bleed" into 
  each other, like ink through paper). It means “things are 
  getting real”. 
  Bleed can move in either direction.  Character-to-Player bleed 
  is called Bleed-Out.  For example: your character gets scared, 
  so you begin to find yourself feeling scared.  Player-to-
  character bleed, predictably, is called Bleed-In.  For example: 
  I’m feeling angry today, so my character is getting into a lot of 
  arguments. 
  Bleed-Out is stronger and more frequent when there’s a high 
  degree of identification with the character, and when the 
  Player is in a deep state of immersion.  It both affects and is 
  affected by the Player’s subjective experience of the game, 
  which includes such factors as performance and atmosphere, 
  and therefore you can modulate it up and down.  Practice that. 
  Bleed-In tends to be held in less regard, as it may actually 
  indicate a failure or unwillingness to immerse, and often has 
  more to do with “acting out” than roleplaying. But not always. 
  DayTrippers appreciates both types of Bleed, actually, as long 
  as you can handle them at your table.  The mind is a rich and 
  chaotic cornucopia, dig in.  But there’s one type of Bleed-In 
  you should actively encourage: that’s what we call Psychic 
  Content: emotionally charged creative input.  One place it’s 
  particularly likely to be found is in a character’s LifeShaping 
  Events. 
  Remember that earlier bit about the PC Sheet being a “psychic 
  osmotic membrane”?  Here’s what that means: While the 
  session is on, the Player feels that the actions they portray are 
  not really their own, and therefore they’re “off the hook” for 
  whatever transpires.  The oft-heard refrain is “It wasn’t me, it 
  was my character acting like that!”  But we all know that’s not 
  really true.  The character doesn’t actually exist, after all.  It’s 
  just an illusion that allows the Player to project through it.  All 
  those things the character said?  They came from only one 
  place, and that’s the Player’s head.  By saying anything – out 
  of all the other possible things they might have chosen to say – 
  the Player is still telling you something about who they are. 
  So when you ask a Player how their character feels about 
  something and instead of a generic and logical response (“He’s 
  just doing his job”) you get a very specific or emotional 
  response (“That bastard thinks he’s better than me!”), there’s 
  a good chance you’re looking at Psychic Content.  Something 
  about this situation has sparked an emotional association in 
  the Player’s mind.  It may come from a movie or TV show, it 
  may be a replay of a situation the Player happens to get a kick 
  out of, or it may even be motivated by something in the 
  Player’s real life. 
  
  9 
   
  Player-Based Meaning can be drawn out 
  by paying attention to emotionally-charged 
  words, responses and ideas coming from 
  the Players themselves.  These are part of 
  the phenomenon known as "Bleed". 
  Anything in the world might potentially cause Bleed. Whether 
  positive or negative, cheerful or fearful, it was chosen because 
  it has some sort of psychological charge to it.  Take note of it, 
  especially if you see a pattern repeating.  The Player is giving 
  you something you can address more deeply in other ways, 
  something to which they’ll respond with feeling.  
  This material can be tied back into the emerging story again, 
  by repeating it, by extending it, or by symbolizing it. In this 
  way it becomes a motif, which leads to more personally 
  meaningful events both in the short term (current story) and 
  the long-term (the campaign and the character’s life). 
  You don’t need to do it immediately.  Reincorporation can be 
  best after a period of stewing. The basic idea here is that Bleed 
  is enhanced whenever you make direct connections between a 
  Player’s Psychic Content and the PCs’ story, transforming or 
  symbolizing these Player-sourced elements and injecting 
  them back into the game in dramatic ways, at opportune 
  moments. 
  To obtain Psychic Content, prompt and question your Players 
  a lot.  Engage in NPC dialog a lot.  Address them by their 
  character names and ask what’s going on their heads. 
  Encourage their projection and see where it goes.  Mirror their 
  own energies back at them. Inject something random and ask 
  what they think it means.  Ask questions that require value 
  judgments.  Ask why they suppose something is happening, or 
  what it means that something happened.  Get their opinions 
  on something, even if there is no “right answer”, and offer 
  none of your own. 
  Players may signal their own Psychic Content  in various ways. 
  The initial signs are the same as any other form of immersion: 
  they will be highly engaged, paying close attention to what’s 
  going on, and possibly leaning forward in their chairs. They 
  may speak quickly and provide gratuitous details. They may 
  speak in a raised or urgent tone of voice.  
  As their levels of immersion get deeper they may exhibit 
  enthusiasm, fear, and other emotions, as well as facial 
  expressions, which more closely convey the character’s 
  (fictional) emotions. They will ask more detailed questions, 
  have more observant ideas and give more meaningful 
  answers. They may gesticulate, or manipulate physical objects 
  as props, as they get deeper into their roles. Match their 
  energy with your own. 
  The PC Sheet is a psychic osmotic membrane. 
  When things get really deep the mood often shifts, becoming 
  more serious and considered. 
  Whenever Psychic Content suddenly changes in intensity or 
  frequency, try to identify exactly what caused that change. 
  Think about the characters, the situation and the emotions 
  involved in the current scene. Note things down. 
  When a Player begins speaking in their character’s own voice 
  or reacting with real emotion to NPC dialog, again, identify 
  the circumstances. Write a note to remind yourself. Try to 
  identify the cause in just a few words. 
  When conveying Psychic Content about something that 
  affects them deeply, most Players will get more serious and 
  descriptive, making more efforts to ensure they’re being 
  understood clearly. They may speak particularly hesitantly, 
  softly, or obscurely. There is often a sense of irony, bitterness 
  or sarcasm. These are all common indicators that the fictional 
  issue is resonating with a personal one. Take these moments 
  seriously. 
  Other ways to identify deep Psychic Content differ from 
  person to person. Some may make comparative statements, 
  likening their character’s current situation to something from 
  their own real life, or to a scene from another medium that 
  had a memorable effect on them. Some may laugh nervously, 
  or become suddenly shy. Some may give in to the mood and 
  atmosphere by using poetic or flowery language. 
  The release of deep Psychic Content is often preceded by a 
  pause. This is because whatever just happened in the game 
  caused a whole stream of thoughts to arise, and it took a 
  moment to process it before reacting. Give them time. 
  Whatever’s coming up is important. It deserves attention, 
  seriousness, and artistic rendering. 
  As the game continues, begin to feed this Psychic Content 
  back to the Players in new guises, new situations. Attach it to 
  different story elements and re-introduce it. Again, you don’t 
  need to do this immediately. Take your time and work across 
  sessions, if you feel like it. Pay attention to what works. 
  Once Psychic Content has been attached to a story element it 
  becomes a "Bleed Hook".  A Bleed Hook gives you a handle on 
  some ephemeral detail which is likely to bring about a deep 
  response and a feeling of Meaning when re-introduced. 
  Some of the Psychic Content obtained will make no sense to 
  you. That’s okay. It’s still valid, and you can still use it. 
  Surrealism is about bypassing the filters of the conscious 
  mind.  As the original Surrealists found out, it doesn't have to 
  "make sense" objectively in order to be striking subjectively, or 
  in order to be true. 
  
  10 
   
  HOW PLAY PROCEEDS 
  Like any other RPG, a game of DayTrippers proceeds by 
  people taking turns talking.  Usually this talking is initiated by 
  you, the GM.  You’ll start by setting the scene, providing a 
  description of the location and situation surrounding the PCs, 
  including any characters, items and events of notice.  
  Whenever there’s any dialog to be spoken by NPCs, you speak 
  it.  Once you’ve set the scene, ask the Players what they want 
  to do.  Address them by their character names.  When they 
  move, go with them. 
  Encourage Players to move the story forward with full 
  authorial agency.  This story is about them, after all. As they 
  describe their character’s actions, you respond by describing 
  what’s going on in the world around them, like a giant 360-
  degree mirror, giving them more stuff to incorporate and 
  respond to. 
  Go around the table. Make sure everyone gets a chance to 
  speak who wants to.  Ask questions, add details and look for 
  Psychic Content. If there’s any confusion about the order of 
  things, make a ruling based on the time each action takes.  If 
  it’s very close, call for GRACE rolls. 
  Give your Players plenty of details to project upon, 
  ask lots of questions, and listen to their answers. 
  When a direct question is asked of you, answer to the best of 
  your ability, starting from your notes and improvising as 
  needed. Consider what the PC is able to perceive (e.g., they 
  can’t see an enemy around a corner, but they might be able to 
  hear it, etc). Consider why the Player is asking you this 
  question, and what that implies about where they want the 
  Story to go. 
  Continue around the table like this, narrating and speaking in 
  turns until a resolution of some kind is required (an action 
  requiring a dice roll, or the triggering of some event such as a 
  trap, weather, etc). At this point the Player’s agency halts 
  temporarily, and the Cyber-GM goes into Resolution Mode. 
  Everyone declares their actions, everyone rolls dice and you 
  adjudicate what happens as the result, starting a new Frame 
  whenever necessary.  Tick off any energy spent or hits 
  suffered each Frame, and make sure the Players do the same.  
  Keep an eye on any ticking clocks in the background as 
  gametime passes.  If play begins lagging, you can compress 
  time to cut ahead, or say something to remind the Players that 
  time is passing (e.g.: “Nothing’s spotted you… yet.”) 
  Note that many actions don’t need rolls, or even detailed 
  descriptions.  After all, it’s not exciting to watch a skilled 
  mechanic fix a fuel pump, unless there happens to be 
  something threatening their life while they’re doing it.  Most 
  days, it’s just a matter of time before the pump gets fixed.  So 
  tell the Player how much time it took, and let that be that.  If 
  one Player gets ahead of the others in gametime, find a good 
  moment to pause that character and cut back to the others. 
  As they describe their character’s actions you 
  respond by describing what’s going on in the world 
  around them, giving them more stuff to respond to. 
  As long as there’s no dramatic stake hinging on the question of 
  whether or not they can do something, Players may narrate 
  any actions for their characters that don’t break the laws of 
  physics or logic.  (Of course the laws of physics and logic are 
  different in Dream Worlds, as we shall soon see.) 
  Dialog may be handled “in character” or simply summarized 
  (e.g. “I point out that he’s mistaken and explain what the 
  captain really said.”)  This sort of conversation may go on for 
  some time.  Keep it interesting, consider your NPC’s goals and 
  motives, give your Players plenty of details to project upon, 
  ask lots of questions, both in character and out, and listen to 
  their answers.  In particular, ask them how they feel. 
  When it’s clear that a scene has played out, end it (you may 
  even literally say ‘end scene!’) and move on to the next one.  
  Always begin a scene by describing the surrounding situation. 
  Let’s look at an entire session, breaking it down to its parts. 
  PRE-SESSION: DOWNTIME 
  The first official business of every session is to catch everyone 
  up to the campaign date, and find out what they’ve been 
  doing with their downtime since the last adventure.  You don’t 
  need to be super-precise about this, but it’s good to let the 
  Players spend their XP and Fortune freely.  This gets them into 
  the gameworld, keeps them hungry, and often gives you more 
  content you can use.  In particular, remember to catch 
  everybody up on Fame and Debt payments. 
  If the Players decide they want to spend a longer amount of 
  time in downtime, go ahead and let them.  It’s often necessary 
  for the characters to stop DayTripping for a while in order to 
  beef up on some Skill they’re studying, or to complete an 
  invention or document they’re working on.  If their downtime 
  exceeds 30 days, roll on the Downtime Events Table. 
  Downtime is a great chance to do character development.  
  Changing relationships, skill development or psychological 
  changes; all can be represented very well in a montage-like 
  sequence of collapsed time.  Ask the Players if they want to do 
  any Character Development Scenes or add any LifeShapers. 
  If an appreciable chunk of time has passed since the last story 
  ended, assume that at least that much time has passed in the 
  gameworld.  Ask everyone “So, what have you been doing for 
  the past X weeks?”  As usual, respond by describing what has 
  been happening in the world around them while that time was 
  passing.  Then ask “What’s next?”  This is great way to get 
  everyone “thinking in character” before the adventure begins. 
  
  11 
   
  IN-SESSION: SCENE BY SCENE 
  While running a session, you'll want to pay attention to both 
  the content and the tension in the emerging Story. You'll 
  typically go through a series of steps for each scene or set, 
  looping through them in the following order: 
   
  SCENE SETTING 
  Each time PCs enter a new Location, or when some downtime 
  has passed, you start the ball rolling by setting the scene. This 
  means describing the surroundings and the observable states 
  of other characters in that Location, making sure to give the 
  PCs as much useful detail as you can, to facilitate their 
  decisions into actions. 
  THE FICTION 
  The Players may be ready to take action right away, in which 
  case you can jump straight to that step. But often there will be 
  questions that need answering before actions can be taken. 
  These questions might be asked in character or out of 
  character. They might involve entire conversations. This is the 
  step where most of the “roleplaying” occurs. 
  Again, your job is to provide that “360-degree mirror” making 
  sure the Players have enough information to move forward. In 
  this step, answer whatever questions they have about their 
  situation, providing all details that are discernible to them (or 
  requiring rolls to determine whether or not they are). Answers 
  might be provided by NPCs speaking in character, or not. 
  You may also ask questions of them – where exactly are you 
  standing, what is the expression on your face, what’s your 
  intention right now, how do you feel about this, etc. – or engage 
  in more NPC dialog to clarify what’s going on in the fiction. 
  Sometimes Players will have ideas that you didn’t, and you 
  should try to incorporate those ideas. There’s often Psychic 
  Content in there, and it can spur your own improvisation. 
  Once you feel your description is complete, or if an immediate 
  response is required by something happening in the fiction, 
  ask the Players that all-important question: “What do you do?” 
  ACTION RESOLUTION 
  The PCs will eventually try to do something that requires a die 
  roll to determine success before they can proceed. This is 
  when you go into Resolution Mode. Grab the dice, make a 
  ruling about what Stat or Skill needs to be used, and perform 
  the Action Resolution procedure. If you’re in combat or some 
  other complex situation, you might need to loop through this 
  step for a number of Frames (see Frames, p.13).  Sometimes 
  the completion of an Action effectively ends the scene. 
  Sometimes it just drops you back to the fiction. 
  If the Players don’t have any Actions to declare, that’s fine too. 
  It might be that their only action right now is to “leave this 
  scene”. If so, wrap it up and move on. Don’t tarry where 
  there’s no narrative to pursue. When a scene is tactically 
  resolved and the Players have nothing more to add, end it. 
  TEMP CHECK 
  When a scene comes to an end it’s often a good moment to 
  get a temperature check on the Players, to find out how 
  they’re feeling and what’s going on in their characters’ minds. 
  You don’t have to do this after every scene – and you certainly 
  shouldn’t break anyone’s immersion to do it – but you should 
  try to do it several times per session, especially after 
  particularly heavy or pivotal scenes. This gives you a chance to 
  modulate the tension, letting the Players feel anxiety or relief; 
  whichever best fits their current situation. Note down any 
  Psychic Content this yields. 
  Take a moment here to check your own situation as well: Are 
  any NPCs active? Note their positions and actions. Check the 
  tension. Check the timeline. Then take a breath, find out what 
  the PCs want to do next, and get ready to set the next scene. 
  THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON 
  Always be on the lookout for the following things: 
   
  Psychic Content 
   
  Energy & Hits 
   
  XP Earned & Spent 
   
  Vertical Tension (is it time to insert a Crisis?) 
   
  The Clock and the Timeline 
  NPCS 
  Build your NPCs like secondary characters from movies or 
  graphic novels; their motivations should be clear to you, and 
  these motivations will usually be evident in their actions. 
  Figure out an NPC’s personal “angle” in the scene, and stay in 
  that zone while you’re portraying them. 
  Be true to your NPCs, and keep them simple.  Endow them 
  with a few physical and moral characteristics, and then let 
  them live their own lives (or deaths).  Allow the direction of 
  the plot to emerge without personal interest in a particular 
  outcome or NPC, except to challenge and highlight the PCs' 
  capabilities and create a satisfying narrative arc. 
  
  12 
   
  CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 
  Until your Players get accustomed to the procedure, you 
  might want to remind them periodically that they can do one 
  Character Development Scene each session, and they can add 
  a LifeShaper to their PC Sheet at any time.  Always be on the 
  lookout for Psychic Content; listen for emotional responses. 
  AFTER-SESSION: DENOUEMENT & 
  EXPERIENCE 
  The last scenes of any session, whenever possible, should take 
  the PCs all the way back to their homes, or back to some other 
  “normal” and safe location.  Give them a moment to reflect on 
  the experience they’ve just been through, and think a little 
  about what’s next for them.  Go around the table and give 
  everyone a final scene for denouement – or for cliffhangers. 
  Before packing it in for the night, total up all applicable 
  Experience Points and award them to the Players.  Some 
  Players may wish to spend them right away, which is fine, 
  although it’s often a good idea to hang on to them and think 
  about it a bit.  They can always spend their new XP in the 
  downtime before the next session. 
  AWARDING EXPERIENCE 
  XP may be awarded at any time during play, and subject to 
  your ruling may be spent at any time. Increasing Stats or Skill 
  Levels mid-session is possible, as long as PCs have the time to 
  practice, study, train, etc. (Note that such time is not required 
  for Progressive Character Generation using leftover CP.) 
  In a typical session, a PC might earn up to 10 or 20 XP.  Here 
  are the moments you need to remember: 
  FAILURE OR SUCCESS: Missing OR exceeding the target 
  DL by more than 1 (after modifying your roll) is worth 1 
  XP.  This represents learning a little bit about how to do 
  something successfully, or learning from a failure. 
  VISITING A NEW SLIPNODE: Every Node visited is 
  worth 1 XP.  Grant this every time a PC visits a Node 
  they’ve never seen before. 
  EACH RETURN TO HOME-EARTH: 1 XP. 
  NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE: 1 XP. 
  EACH LIFE SAVED: 1 XP (maximum 100 XP). 
  EACH ENEMY DEFEATED: 1 XP (maximum 100 XP). 
  EACH MAGUFFIN BROUGHT HOME: A Maguffin is 
  worth an amount of XP equal to its Bonus. 
  CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT SCENE: 1 XP if a problem 
  is solved or a major realization is made.  1 XP if the scene 
  introduces a new Problem for the character. 
  ADDITIONAL XP: Any time a lesson has been learned, 
  the plot has been significantly advanced, or a significant 
  obstacle has been overcome by a PC’s actions, grant 1 XP. 
  MAKING DECISIONS 
  DayTrippers sticks to the “Old School” in this sense: While 
  Actions are flexible and Narratives are Player-driven, the core 
  mechanics are tied to GM rulings, and every mission requires 
  some preparation.  The system wants to fuse with an "Auteur 
  GM", and expects a lot of improvisation to occur. 
  The 24-hour limit of a DayTrip allows your campaign to take a 
  shape similar to a heroic TV series, in which the recurring main 
  characters (the PCs) travel to widely disparate worlds, have 
  amazing adventures, and return home.  Each episode of this 
  show (i.e. each session) is short, unique, and self-contained… 
  and you’re the show runner.  When you’re unsure of something, 
  you have four options.  All of these are equally valid: 
  1.  Make It Up.  You’re the human in this relationship, the rules 
  can only take you so far.  Make it up.  Be dramatic but  fair. 
  2.  Rip It Off.  Take something from a movie, book or TV show, 
  but make it your own by tweaking it somehow.  The tables in 
  the Tweak Generator can help with this. 
  3. Ask the Players.  You’re not the only one who has great 
  ideas.  Ask the Players what they think.  Sometimes they’re 
  exactly right.  (Of course, more often they’re almost right.) 
  4.  Let The Dice Decide.  Also known as the Binary Tree 
  Technique. Think of a likely explanation (e.g., “Is it a man out in 
  space with no spacesuit?”)  Roll a die. High means Yes. Low 
  means No.  Now think of the next question, getting more 
  detailed every time you get a Yes, and less likely (“Is he riding 
  a horse?”) every time you get a No. Keep doing this until you 
  know what you’re talking about. 
   
  
  13 
   
  Action Resolution 
  Each Frame, all characters declare their Actions, then roll a 
  number of dice equal to their Base Stat for that Action.  
  Everyone takes their highest die.  Any applicable Mods are 
  then applied, and the Action Resolution Table is consulted. 
  For UNOPPOSED ACTIONS, there will be no Defensive Roll, 
  only an Active Roll vs a DL (Difficulty Level) set by the GM. 
  For OPPOSED ACTIONS, there will be one Defensive Roll and 
  one Active Roll. The Defensive Roll sets the DL for the Active 
  Roll to beat. 
  DIFFICULTY LEVELS 
  When prepping adventures you may wish to consult the 
  Success Distribution Tables below.  These tables indicate the 
  percentage chance of beating the DL for various Stat Scores 
  and Bonuses.  The shaded cells indicate optimally fair 
  challenges.  Remember that a task with a DL of 7 is effectively 
  impossible for an unskilled human without equipment or help. 
  LIFESHAPING DICE 
  Sometimes, flashing back to a LifeShaping Event can spark a 
  useful memory or inspire a surprising action.  If a Player can 
  demonstrate how one of their character’s LifeShaping Events 
  plays into the Action they’re attempting (perhaps by inspiring 
  them, focusing them, or driving them to carry it through), that 
  Player receives 1 additional die to make the roll. 
  STANDARD MODS 
  At any time, the following Standard Mods may apply 
  depending on the circumstances: 
  + Bonuses for Skills and Items 
  +1 for superior position or advantageous condition 
  +1 if Character Development Scene provides insight 
  -1 if wounded for 2 hits or more 
  -1 for each Frame lost in a Dialog Action 
  -2 if attempting two Actions at once (applies to both) 
  COMBAT MODS 
  The following Mods apply in combat.  Note that the same roll 
  is used for active and defensive totals, but the Mods differ. 
  MODS  FOR  ACTIVE  ROLLS: 
  + Item Bonus 
  MODS  FOR  DEFENSIVE  ROLLS: 
  + Armor Bonus 
  + Cover Bonus 
  +2 if Focused on Defending 
  COVER  BONUS: 
  The Cover Bonus applies to anyone whose body is partially 
  obstructed from their attacker’s view, subject to GM’s ruling… 
  Up to 1/3rd covered = +1 
  1/3 to 2/3 covered = +2 
  More than 2/3 covered = +3 
  S U C C E S S  D I S T R I B U T I O N  T A B L E S 
  DL 
  1d6 
  +1 
  +2 
  +3 
  +4 
  +5 
  +6 
   
  2d6 
  +1 
  +2 
  +3 
  +4 
  +5 
  +6 
   
  3d6 
  +1 
  +2 
  +3 
  +4 
  +5 
  +6 
  1 = no-brainer 
  84 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  97 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  2 = easy 
  66 
  84 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  89 
  97 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  96 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  3 = challenging 
  50 
  66 
  84 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  75 
  89 
  97 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  87 
  96 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  4 = difficult 
  33 
  50 
  66 
  84 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  55 
  75 
  89 
  97 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  70 
  87 
  96 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  5 = hard 
  16 
  33 
  50 
  66 
  84 
  100 
  100 
   
  31 
  55 
  75 
  89 
  97 
  100 
  100 
   
  42 
  70 
  87 
  96 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  6 = very hard 
  0 
  16 
  33 
  50 
  66 
  84 
  100 
   
  0 
  31 
  55 
  75 
  89 
  97 
  100 
   
  0 
  42 
  70 
  87 
  96 
  99 
  100 
  7 = unlikely 
  0 
  0 
  16 
  33 
  50 
  66 
  84 
   
  0 
  0 
  31 
  55 
  75 
  89 
  97 
   
  0 
  0 
  42 
  70 
  87 
  96 
  99 
  8 = ridiculous 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  16 
  33 
  50 
  66 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  31 
  55 
  75 
  89 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  42 
  70 
  87 
  96 
  9 = absurd 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  16 
  33 
  50 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  31 
  55 
  75 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  42 
  70 
  87 
  10 = insane 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  16 
  33 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  31 
  55 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  42 
  100 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  DL 
  4d6 
  +1 
  +2 
  +3 
  +4 
  +5 
  +6 
   
  5d6 
  +1 
  +2 
  +3 
  +4 
  +5 
  +6 
   
  6d6 
  +1 
  +2 
  +3 
  +4 
  +5 
  +6 
  1 = no-brainer 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  2 = easy 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  3 = challenging 
  94 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  97 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  98 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  4 = difficult 
  80 
  94 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  87 
  97 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
   
  91 
  98 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  100 
  5 = hard 
  51 
  80 
  94 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
   
  59 
  87 
  97 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
   
  66 
  91 
  98 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  100 
  6 = very hard 
  0 
  51 
  80 
  94 
  99 
  99 
  100 
   
  0 
  59 
  87 
  97 
  99 
  99 
  100 
   
  0 
  66 
  91 
  98 
  99 
  99 
  100 
  7 = unlikely 
  0 
  0 
  51 
  80 
  94 
  99 
  99 
   
  0 
  0 
  59 
  87 
  97 
  99 
  99 
   
  0 
  0 
  66 
  91 
  98 
  99 
  99 
  8 = ridiculous 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  51 
  80 
  94 
  99 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  59 
  87 
  97 
  99 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  66 
  91 
  98 
  99 
  9 = absurd 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  51 
  80 
  94 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  59 
  87 
  97 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  66 
  91 
  98 
  10 = insane 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  51 
  80 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  59 
  87 
   
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  0 
  66 
  91 
   
  
  14 
   
  FRAMES AND PACING 
  A Frame is a short but flexible moment of narrative time; not a 
  fixed measure. Some will run slower, some faster.  A Frame is 
  larger than a moment but smaller than a scene.  When the 
  action begins moving, start talking in terms of Frames. 
  In combat, each character focuses on either Attacking, 
  Defending, or Doing Something Else, each Frame.  Everyone 
  rolls once, but their roll doesn’t tell us the result of a particular 
  swing or shot.  Frames are bigger than that, and there’s a lot 
  more going on. 
  Their roll tells us how awesome the character is in this Frame.  
  They might have fired one round or six while avoiding getting 
  hit by two foes, but it’s all one roll.  Everything that might 
  befall the character in this Frame comes down to that roll. 
  ACTION RESOLUTION 
  Rolls to Help go first, all other rolls are made simultaneously. 
  In any Opposed Action or Combat Frame, if the highest 
  natural die was rolled by a Player (or in the case of a tie), the 
  PCs will resolve their actions first.  Otherwise the NPCs will 
  resolve their actions first.  If any question arises about order, 
  compare total die rolls, then Skill Bonuses, then Stats. 
  Each active roll (total including Mods) is compared to its target 
  Difficulty Level, and the table below is consulted to determine 
  the result.  Results with an asterisk (*) grant experience points. 
  DICE RESULT 
  FICTIONAL RESULT 
  MISS BY 2 OR MORE 
  NO AND (something negative) * 
  MISS BY 1 
  NO BUT (something positive) 
  HIT EXACTLY 
  YES BUT (something negative) 
  EXCEED BY 1 
  YES (nailed it precisely) 
  EXCEED BY 2 OR MORE YES AND (something positive) * 
  INTERPRETING ACTION ROLLS 
  You interpret all NPC results and negative results. 
  Players interpret their own positive results. 
  YES & NO 
  Any result of “YES” indicates that the character succeeded in 
  doing whatever were trying to do.  Any “No” means they 
  didn’t. 
  ANDS & BUTS 
  Any result of “AND” or “BUT” indicates an additional hit, a 
  tactical mishap, a stroke of luck, a gain or loss of advantage, 
  damage to something worn or carried, a character running out 
  of ammo, a character taking control of an object or situation, 
  or whatever makes sense depending on the details of the 
  fictional situation. See Random Combat Mishaps. 
  When a PC’s resolution includes a positive (“NO BUT” or “YES 
  AND”), summarize the action but let the Player finish the 
  sentence.  (“Ok you take a swing at him and NO, you don’t 
  connect, BUT…”)  If the Player’s suggestion isn’t completely 
  obnoxious, go ahead and incorporate it.  If it’s over the top, try 
  to accept the general idea of it, but soften it to a reasonable 
  result (e.g. “No, his head doesn’t explode.  But he bangs his 
  head on the bunk, and that gives you a +1 next Frame.”) 
   
  DIALOG ACTIONS 
  Dialog Actions are Opposed Actions, usually involving Rhetoric 
  or CHARM versus BRAINS.  Here are some suggestions for 
  interpreting ANDs and BUTs in Dialog Actions: 
  RESULT 
  DIALOG INTERPRETATION 
  NO AND 
  they get angry, they assume the worst, they 
  blow your cover, they guess your secret, they 
  slap your face, they believe you’re lying, the 
  stakes are raised 
  NO BUT 
  they seem to be warming up to you, they 
  seem to be open to a bribe, they let slip 
  some important information, they are starting 
  to agree on some points 
  YES BUT 
  they require proof, assurance, collateral or 
  graft, they alert someone of something, they 
  will/won’t join you, they still basically 
  disagree with you 
  YES AND 
  they give you more than you expected, they 
  join or support you, a happy accident 
  happens, you really enjoy it 
  SIMPLE EXCHANGES 
  Simple “pass or fail” dialogs require just one Opposed Action. 
  COMPLEX EXCHANGES 
  If the conversation has multiple goals, and those goals can be 
  named and listed – e.g. “Prove there was (1) motive, (2) means 
  and (3) opportunity” – you should handle them as individual 
  Frames in a Complex Exchange. Each Frame, both opponents 
  in the dialog make clear what they’re arguing or explaining.  
  This could be a specific point or a general position. Once each 
  character’s argument or position is known, resolution is 
  handled just like any other Opposed Action: the Defensive Roll 
  sets the Difficulty Level of the task and the Active Roll tries to 
  beat it. 
  “AND” or “BUT” results are interpreted for Complex 
  Exchanges just as they are for Simple Exchanges.  See the list 
  above for some suggestions. 
  The difference is that in a Complex Exchange, early failures 
  will undermine later attempts.  The “loser” of each Frame 
  loses footing in the ongoing argument, and this is reflected at 
  the end of each Frame by giving the “losing” character a -1 
  modifier (cumulative) for the remainder of the exchange. 
  
  15 
   
  RUNNING COMBAT 
  Combat in DayTrippers tends to be quick and unpredictable.  It 
  emulates the kind of dramatic clashes and unforeseen twists 
  and turns you expect to find in a graphic work of imaginative 
  fiction, not in a gritty simulation of reality. 
  A quick glimpse at the Harm/Healing rules or the Action 
  Resolution Table should be all it takes to understand that 
  combat in DayTrippers is not a high-res simulation.  It’s a fast, 
  flexible, story-oriented machine with a skittery engine and an 
  elastic definition of what happens in a Frame.  Keep it loose. 
  Each Frame can be seen as a panel in a comic book, or a 
  panoramic shot capturing a dramatic moment from multiple 
  angles.  The action is declared, poised, dice are rolled and 
  interpreted, and everyone is surprised and excited as the ink is 
  added to the panel.  It’s an unpredictable Story, told in action-
  filled Frames. 
  PCs don’t fail because they’re bad at what they do (usually).  
  Failure usually means that something unexpected happened. 
  For instance, there’s no need to count small objects like bullets 
  or batteries when you can handle such possibilities with an 
  “AND” or a “BUT”.  Details like that will explain themselves. 
  Be dramatic.  Encourage your Players to propose wild ideas. 
  Remember that we expect the PCs to be challenged – even 
  pushed to the ropes and nearly beaten – but it is not your goal 
  to outright kill them.  That would be waaay too easy.  Instead, 
  use the fiction to raise the stakes and increase the tension, 
  pushing the PCs into situations where they need to be 
  awesome. 
  The Players are the stars.  Give them a place to shine. 
  RANDOM COMBAT MISHAPS 
  The following table provides random mishaps (negative ANDS 
  and BUTs) for NPC Attackers in combat.  It can also be used 
  for PCs, at the Player’s option. Roll 2d6, adding 1 for every 
  point of difference between the target DL and the roll total. 
  RESULT 
  COMBAT MISHAP 
  4- 
  Character drops something 
  5 
  Character breaks something 
  6 
  Weapon depleted or dulled 
  7 
  Character exposed or unguarded (-1) 
  8 
  Character loses position or advantage (-1) 
  9-10 
  Character falls (-2) 
  11 
  Character becomes stuck or stunned (-3) 
  12+ 
  Character harms self (1 hit) 
   
  Negative Modifiers due to random combat mishaps (-1, -2, -3 
  as shown above) are applied to the next Frame of combat. 
  ACTIONS AS PSYCHIC CONTENT 
  The Actions proposed by a Player can tell you a lot about that 
  Player’s mind; their style, their priorities, their approaches to 
  different problems, their image of themselves solving those 
  problems, and more. Do they push hard on social interactions, 
  mastering in rhetoric and diplomacy?  Do they tackle things 
  head-on, trying to be a bad-ass heroic figure?  Are they leaning 
  toward being a walking encyclopedia of knowledge or a 
  resourceful fixer of stuff?  Take note.  They’re telling you what 
  types of scenes they want to see, what types of challenges 
  they want to face, and what types of proficiencies they want 
  to exhibit.  Your task is to give them situations in which to face 
  those challenges and exhibit those proficiencies; to be the 
  unique characters they want to be. 
  Ask them to describe how it looks when they do the Action, 
  and even what it feels like. Actions often include Psychic 
  Content because they contain the Player’s narrative desires, 
  and they’re easy to reuse because you can always wrap a 
  situation up in different details and inject it into play later. 
  When a Player looks around in the fiction for something to use 
  you should try to give them something, a feature or an item 
  perhaps, but make its use dependent on a roll. You haven’t 
  solved the problem for them, but you’ve given them the 
  potential to move the story forward by their own actions. 
  When a Player begins talking faster, that’s a sign that they’re 
  highly immersed in the fiction, and imagining  the scene with 
  great drama and intensity.  These are key moments because 
  neurotransmitters are running high; synchronicity and dice 
  magic are often at their peak at such times.  Match the 
  Player’s energy and reflect it back to them.  Talk faster 
  yourself, speaking in short, active sentences.  Stay alert: 
  During such a peak of excitement, Actions suggested by the 
  Player will tend to be bold and risky, and often contain facets 
  of Psychic Content. 
  If a Player gets excited about setting up a certain type of move 
  for their character, even if it fails, it’s a clue to the sort of story 
  they’d like to star in.  This is especially true if it ties in to a 
  LifeShaping Event, and gets more true each time the Player 
  tries something similar.  This concept came from the Player’s 
  head, and it’s there for a reason.  Think about it, file it for later 
  use, and find a way to give it to them again.  Don’t worry about 
  repeating the motif; good stories do that too.  The second 
  time will make the first time feel like  foreshadowing. 
  “Surrealism is based on the belief in the superior 
  reality of certain forms of previously neglected 
  associations, in the omnipotence of dream, in the 
  disinterested play of thought.” 
  - André Breton 
  
  16 
   
   
  Fiction Management 
  It may be fiction, but even fictional reality demands a degree 
  of verisimilitude and consequences that unfold over time.  
  The following sections will help give  your DayTrippers 
  campaign that real-world smell. 
  MONEY 
  The monetary system in DayTrippers is fast and loose, and the 
  details of penny-pinching aren’t very important to the type of 
  stories we’re telling.  The PCs operate at a scale that allows 
  them to spend a minimum of 1 Mega per year on food and 
  rent, and everything else they choose to buy is up to them 
  (from SlipShip technology to luxurious mansions).  If they all 
  hold down typical professional full-time jobs, they will all 
  make roughly the same amount each year.  Call it 1M and 
  don’t worry about it. 
  Recall that 1M has the buying power of about $100k in today’s 
  dollars.  If your Players spend 1M each at the beginning of their 
  careers, they won’t have to worry about food or rent for a year 
  if their standards are “middle class”, or two years if their 
  standards are lower than that.  For PCs who choose a higher 
  standard of living, the table below provides some guidelines: 
  L U X U R Y  I T E M  C O S T S  T A B L E 
  ITEM 
  COST 
  Exotic Car 
    - upkeep 
  4M 
  1M per year 
  Helicopter 
    - upkeep 
  65M 
  10M per year 
  Mansion, Small 
  50M 
  Mansion, Large 
  200M 
  Palatial Compound 
  2,000M 
  Personal Staff (1 Professional) 
  1M per Year 
  Private Island 
    - upkeep 
  500M 
  2M per year 
  Private Jet 
    - upkeep 
  500M 
  25M per year 
  Sports Car 
  1M 
  Yacht 
    - upkeep 
  60M 
  6M per year 
   
   
  FAME 
  Fame can be demanding.  As long as the PC is someplace they 
  have reason to be famous, you must remember to take it into 
  consideration for NPCs who encounter them (or who spot 
  their team logo).  Roll 1d6 and add the PC’s Fame Level, vs DL 
  6. A result of “YES” means the NPC recognizes the PC. 
  Example: A PC with Fame Level 3 encounters an NPC from 
  the country they’re famous in.  To determine whether or not 
  the NPC recognizes the PC, you will roll 1d6+3, trying to 
  beat a DL of 6. 
  Famous characters will witness lots of weird behavior from 
  people: some will be afraid to talk to them, some will want 
  their autograph, some will want a photo, some will want to 
  date them, some will want to sell them something, some will 
  give them free stuff, and some will rant in a demented fashion, 
  making conspiratorial accusations until they’re hauled away by 
  security.  It’s pretty random. 
  But you do get the best seats. 
  THE PRICE OF FAME 
  It’s important to remind Players about the Price of Fame, 
  which is collected monthly.  The financial price is equal to the 
  character’s Fame Level in Megas each month.  This handles 
  the cost of their agent, promotional materials, office 
  expenses, etc.  But in addition to that, every PC with a positive 
  Fame Level must make some sort of public appearance or 
  issue a communication to their fans at least once each month 
  (their agent will remind them of this if no one else does).  A 
  character who fails to do either of these things will suffer a 
  Fame decrement  of 1. 
  STARTING OUT FAMOUS 
  If a new PC starts the game with Fame points, it’s important to 
  quickly determine why they’re famous.  Progressive Character 
  Generation can be used later to spin it or add more detail, but 
  the general idea must be nailed down before the character 
  interacts with any NPCs who might recognize them.  Ask what 
  the character did to become famous, and help the Player 
  figure it out by asking them questions.  Pay close attention to 
  their answers; there may be Psychic Content in there. 
  
  17 
   
   
  DOWNTIME 
  PCs sometimes go for long periods doing things that can be 
  summarized.  Whether they’re studying, training, or doing the 
  talknet circuit, swaths of gametime can often be handled with 
  just a few sentences or a single roll.  This is known as 
  “downtime”. Players can be accelerated through downtime to 
  catch them up to others further along, or the entire group can 
  be accelerated to simulate time passing since the last session.  
  If the group is between missions, you can use downtime to ask 
  them about their plans and goals, which may provide Psychic 
  Content and campaign ideas. But go light on the dice rolls; 
  during downtime, the whole point is not to get bogged down 
  in complex actions.  Any events that occur are resolved with a 
  single roll, and their effects are applied immediately. 
  The Downtime Events Table at right determines whether any 
  events occur over a month of downtime.  To use it, roll 3d6 for 
  the general class, then roll 1d6 to determine the actual event.  
  All downtime events are described in more detail in the 
  following section. 
  Note that the events listed are meant to be suggestive; they 
  are springboards for your imagination, not etched in stone.  
  You may always decide to replace a rolled event with an 
  improvised event of similar magnitude.  Watch for potential 
  LifeShapers the Player might want to pick up or tie in. 
  AVOIDING EVENTS – To avoid downtime events altogether, 
  PCs who wish to simply “lay low” and “stay out of trouble” 
  may make a PSYCHE roll vs (DL2 + Fame).  PCs who take 
  deliberate steps to hide or evade discovery may make a 
  BRAINS roll vs (DL3 + Fame). Increase the DL by one step if the 
  PC is in Debt. 
  DOWNTIME EVENTS 
  Some of the events on the Downtime Events Table will require 
  the Player to roll an Unopposed Action.  In these cases, rolling 
  a “Y” (yes) is usually better than rolling a “N” (no). When the 
  rules say “DL 1d6”, that means the DL of the Action will be 
  randomly determined by rolling 1d6. 
  Swindled/Conned/Burgled – Roll BRAINS vs DL 1d6.  (Y) The 
  PC lost 1 personal item of the GM’s choice (less than 1M value). 
   (N) The PC lost 1d6M worth of money or stuff in a break-in or 
  elaborate con.  Don’t take away an item that’s part of a 
  LifeShaping event.  Anything else is fair game. 
  Fines/Tickets/Lawsuit – Corporate fees, government fines, 
  legal troubles or a whole lot of speeding tickets.  Lose 1M.    If 
  the PC has Fame, instead of paying the fine they may do a free 
  CivBlip admitting guilt and telling people to do the right thing. 
  Whatever you worry about happens – Ask the Player what 
  they worry might happen.  When they tell you, it happens. 
  Hurt in accident – Or was it sabotage?  A random Stat takes 1 
  Harm.  If the PC has any Fame, a free public appearance or 
  NewsBlip will gain 1 more Fame point, free. 
  D O W N T I M E  E V E N T S  T A B L E 
  ROLL 1 
  ROLL 2 
  EVENT 
  3 
  Terrible 
  1-3 
  Swindled/Conned/Burgled 
  4-5 
  Fines/Tickets/Fees 
  6 
  Whatever you worry about 
  happens 
  4-5 
  Real Bad 
  1-3 
  Hurt in accident 
  4-5 
  Subject of scandal 
  6 
  Robbed/mugged 
  6-7 
  Bad 
  1-3 
  Identity theft/server hacked 
  4-5 
  Name misspelled in media 
  6 
  Death in family 
  8-9 
  Crap 
  1-3 
  Social Problems 
  4-5 
  Rival Success 
  6 
  Family or relationship problems 
  10-11 
  Nothing 
   
  Life goes on pretty much as 
  expected 
  12-13 
  Cool 
  1-3 
  Mentioned in the media 
  4-5 
  Meet a celebrity 
  6 
  Flurry of online attention 
  14-15 
  Good 
  1-3 
  Dividend/anonymous donation 
  4-5 
  Invited to prestigious event 
  6 
  Befriend some useful NPCs 
  16-17 
  Real 
  Good 
  1-3 
  Approached by sponsor 
  4-5 
  Win a prize/competition/award 
  6 
  Befriend a skilled/famous NPC 
  18 
  Excellent 
  1-3 
  Enemy/rival is shamed/scandalized 
  4-5 
  Approached with merch deal 
  6 
  Windfall/Stock blows up 
   
  Subject of scandal – Smeared or accused of something.  If the 
  PC has any Fame, a public statement must be issued: Make a 
  CHARM roll vs Fame Level to avoid losing 1 Fame. 
  Robbed/mugged – Roll high/low.  (H) Lost a personal item 
  such a piece of jewelry, etc.  (L) Lost a small amount of cash. 
  Identity theft/server hacked – Roll BRAINS vs DL 1d6.  (Y) 
  Identity theft, wasted days dealing with it.  (N) Netserver or 
  personal device compromised; lost many hours of work. 
  Name misspelled in media – Great.  Just great. 
  Death in family – My condolences.  Is this a LifeShaper? 
  Social Problems – Roll CHARM vs DL 1d6.  (Y) Pursued by a 
  weirdo who wants to be besties.  (N) Spent a month correcting 
  people on the net, and they’re still wrong.  Ask the Player what 
  the people are wrong about, and why it bothers them so. 
  Rival Success – The big story this month is all about another 
  DayTripper team doing something awesome. 
  Family or relationship problems – The character may have 
  had disagreements before but this was a big one, big enough 
  for someone to walk out, disinherit someone, or say 
  
  18 
   
  something they’re going to regret.  Could be a LifeShaper.  
  Ask the Player what went wrong, and how they feel about it. 
  Life goes on pretty much as expected – Ask the Player what 
  they worry might happen.  No matter what they tell you, tell 
  them they can relax; it didn’t happen. 
  Mentioned in the media – Story: mostly accurate.  Name: 
  spelled correctly.  That’s a win!  Ask the Player what the story 
  was about, and what the writer focused on. 
  Meet a celebrity – Roll BRAINS vs DL 1d6.  (Y) Got a snapshot, 
  autograph or other souvenir.  (N) Dammit, forgot! Ask the 
  Player what kind of celebrity they met and how the meeting 
  happened to occur. 
  Flurry of online attention – The PC becomes the talk of the 
  net for a little while.  Ask the Player why.  A public appearance 
  or netcast this month will grant the PC 1 point of Fame if they 
  make a CHARM roll vs DL 4. 
  Dividend/anonymous donation – If the PC plays the stock 
  market, an unexpected risk has paid off; if not, someone has 
  made an anonymous donation.  Add 1d6M. 
  Invited to prestigious event – Simply being seen at this event 
  is worth all the time it took to prepare.  If the Player makes a 
  CHARM roll vs DL 6, the PC will pick up a free Fame Level 
  thanks to a random photographer. 
  Befriend some useful NPCs – An NPC or NPC group with a 
  useful skill or resource (max value 1d6M or Skill Level 1).   If the 
  Player has mentioned something they lacked, these NPCs 
  have it.  If you have something in mind the PCs will need for an 
  upcoming adventure, these NPCs have that, too. 
  Approached by sponsor – Some company wants to slap their 
  logo on the PC’s suit or SlipShip.  Their offer is 2d6M per year. 
  Win a prize/competition/award – The PC has been recognized 
  for their skill, mastery or contribution to something.  Roll 
  high/low.  (H) There’s cash prize of 2d6M.  (L) There’s a trophy. 
  Befriend a skilled/famous NPC – A celebrity or master in their 
  field (Skill Level 4) wants to be besties.  Decide what their skill 
  is, give them a name and ask the Player how they met.  
  Eventually you’ll need to create a Stat Block for this NPC. 
  Enemy/rival is shamed/scandalized – Ask the Player what 
  they worry might happen.  When they tell you, it turns out 
  their enemy just had that same thing – or a very similar event – 
  happen to them.  Ha-ha. 
  Approached with merch deal – Roll CHARM vs DL4.  (Y) A 
  company wants to make merchandise with the PC’s likeness. 
  Their offer is 3d6M + Fame.  (N) A company wants to make 
  shirts with the PC’s name or logo.  Their offer is 2d6M + Fame. 
  Windfall/Stock blows up – Unbelievable coincidence or 
  bubble in the market has driven up the value of an investment 
  or collection, which sells for 3d6M.  Ask the Player about the 
  nature and meaning of the investment or collection.  Ask how 
  they acquired it in the first place.  Was this a LifeShaper? 
  HOME BASE 
  It’s great to give your PCs a Home Base.  Be it a house, a 
  laboratory, or a top-secret subterranean complex complete 
  with a holodeck, there’s no place like home. It doesn’t 
  necessarily have to be the place they lay their heads; it could 
  be the office they work out of on a daily basis, or a rented 
  storefront in Sacramento with a prepaid phone number and a 
  maildrop. 
  Home Base is where the PCs will receive mysterious packages, 
  secret messages or communiqués from potential clients and 
  interested organizations; it’s where they’ll work out their plans 
  for their next daring missions into SlipSpace, and where they’ll 
  take off their shoes and order a pizza when it’s time to relax. 
  Having a home in the gameworld allows your Players to 
  imagine their characters hanging out together, bonding (or at 
  least interacting) away from the stress and danger of their 
  DayTripping jobs.  It allows them to identify with their 
  characters as “real” people with beds, bathrooms, and some 
  semblance of a social life. 
  That identification will be even stronger if Home Base is set in 
  a town your Players are familiar with, and stronger still if it 
  reminds them of a place they know well.  Let them choose it 
  and decorate it.  Home Base is their own creation, and it’s ideal 
  for projecting upon.  Help them imagine it by asking 
  provocative questions, getting them to invent more details. 
  Ask them what their Home Bases look like.  Ask if they live 
  separately or together.  If they live separately, ask who else 
  they live with. Ask if their Home Bases are based on any places 
  from real life.  
  Build “memories” of Home Base by walking around inside it, 
  asking them to describe what they see, what they own, and 
  how they feel about it. Let them settle in. Ask if they’ve had 
  any interesting dreams lately.  Listen closely to their answers. 
  SLIPSHIPS 
  The same thing is true of SlipShips, which will be your PCs’ 
  home away from home while on missions. If the PCs own their 
  own SlipShip, that thing needs to get personalized! 
  Ask them what it’s called, ask them to describe it, how it’s 
  painted, what’s unusual about its design, is there any graffiti 
  on it or any marks they’ve made themselves, what’s it like on 
  the inside, where does each person sit, what does their cabin 
  look like, and what personal belongings do they keep there? 
  The SlipShip can be a great source of pride and a focus for 
  getting into character. Let the Players make it their own. 
  Another thing that helps give every ship its own unique 
  “character” is the Ship’s Computer, an NPC played by you, 
  which will be discussed in the next section. 
  
  19 
   
  THE SHIP’S COMPUTER 
  Aside from the Slip Capacitor itself, the most advanced piece 
  of technology onboard most SlipShips is the computer.  
  SlipShip computers are mostly custom homebrewed machines 
  making creative use of recent advances in neural net 
  technology and artificial intelligence programming, resulting 
  in highly adaptive, learning-capable, verbally-communicative 
  systems with their own unique personalities. 
  To put it simply: The Ship’s Computer is an NPC. It has only 
  one Stat: its Mk.  A Computer’s Mk is similar to a BRAINS Stat, 
  but the computer only “knows about” things that have been 
  input directly, or that it has been programmed to know about. 
  If the PCs build their own SlipShip, they should be encouraged 
  to not only load their computer with useful software, but to 
  give it a name and describe its core personality. As gametime 
  goes by, the manufacturer’s settings on the personality 
  modules will develop their own unique quirks and you will fill 
  out the details of this personality like any other living, 
  growing, learning, NPC. 
  Although the computer is technically separate from the ship, 
  its systems are intricately linked to the hardware which serves 
  as its “body”, and the computer is programmed to consider 
  the ship in this way. Therefore it’s customary to address the 
  computer as if it were the ship itself, and many computers are 
  given the same name as the vessel they’re linked with. Note 
  that because of this uniquely intricate  relationship, computers 
  cannot easily be swapped among SlipShips unless the two 
  ships are of the same make and model, with identical 
  hardware installed. Transferring a computer system to an 
  identical ship is an EASY task (DL2), while transferring it to a 
  different type of vessel is HARD (DL 5). 
  The Ship’s Computer will answer to anyone onboard and may 
  be set to respond in all sorts of ways, but by default it only 
  accepts slip/piloting commands from the person in the pilot’s 
  seat, and it only accepts new programming from people who 
  have Admin privileges. The Players will need to work that out 
  among themselves. For hiree jobs and loaner ships, Admin 
  privileges are often restricted to the owners, and the crew is 
  prohibited from making substantial changes of any kind to the 
  ship’s programming. 
  PCs with Admin privileges who succeed in a Programming roll 
  (vs a DL determined by you) may create custom programs for 
  their Ship’s Computers. Since each computer already has a 
  huge spoken vocabulary including a verbal API (command 
  words) for all ship functions, it’s EASY (DL 2) to string some 
  ship functions together into a sequence, give it a name, and 
  then tell the computer to run that sequence whenever you say 
  the command word. Just be careful not to say it by accident. 
  A great example of this happens in Robert Heinlein’s reality-
  slipping novel “The Number of the Beast”.  In the following 
  passage, the ship  Gay Deceiver has been programmed with a 
  bugout program triggered by the words “Gay Bounce”… 
  Zeb was saying, "That's it! Got it in the gunsight-got the 
  range, Smart Girl?" 
  "Got it nailed, Boss!" 
  "Keep it so. Deety! Yellow roadable?" 
  "Just spotted it. Gay, count down! Six... Five... Four... 
  Three... Two... One.. .Now!" 
  We were diagonally in that intersection; Gay's portside door 
  was popping open. I heard Zeb say, "Oh, my God!" He was 
  out of the car, kneeling, picking up a body, kicking a cop in 
  the stomach, and throwing that body to me, as he 
  scrambled inside and shouted, "Gay Bounce!" 
  Gay bounced. Gay is not supposed to lift with a door open 
  and "Bounce!" means ten klicks. She bounced one klick, 
  finished closing her door, waited while Zeb checked the 
  seal, and completed the bounce. I am now a believer. 
  - Robert Heinlein, The Number of the Beast 
  In DayTripper terms, what happened here is that Gay made a Mk 
  roll (similar to a BRAINS roll) to realize that it was unsafe to 
  bounce the full ten klicks with the door open, so she paused mid-
  bounce to shut the door. Now you see why her nickname was 
  “Smart Girl”. 
  PLAYING THE COMPUTER 
  When playing the Ship’s Computer, remember that this entity 
  was created to be of service to the crew, and to preserve the 
  integrity of its vessel – in that order. Although each computer 
  has its own personality and quirks, they will never be insolent, 
  evasive or dishonest. A Ship’s Computer will never willingly lie 
  to its Admin. 
  The Ship’s Computer will not speak unless addressed, even if it 
  has information bearing on the subject under discussion. This 
  would be interrupting, and the computer has been 
  programmed not to interrupt. If asked direct questions, 
  however, it will always answer to the best of its knowledge. 
  Note that the Ship’s Computer does not have feelings or 
  emotions. Instead, it has a keen understanding of the meaning 
  of human emotional tones and utterances which it uses to 
  understand verbal commands as well as casual conversation, 
  and it is programmed to emulate a variety of human emotions 
  when interacting verbally with humans. This is a user-friendly 
  feature of its natural-language interface. 
  Clever Players will learn the value of telling their Ship’s 
  Computer to record things that are said or observed; these 
  vital pieces of information can always be played back later, 
  giving them “perfect memory” of any event recorded. The 
  Ship’s Computer can also be used to resolve semantic 
  arguments, as its language-facilitation modules include 
  definitions of all words commonly listed in the dictionary. 
  
  20 
   
  NPCS 
  When your Players begin creating LifeShapers and backstories 
  for their characters, listen for opportunities to insert NPCs into 
  their lives.  These characters will be implied by things the 
  Players say, and their occasional presence will be necessary if 
  the relationship is important.  Such “satellite NPCs” will add an 
  extra dimension of realism to the PC’s view of the gameworld. 
  The following are all likely candidates for “Satellite NPCs”: 
  Ask the Players about these people – get a name and a one-
  sentence description for each – and use the Players’ input to 
  do quick writeups.  Help the Player improvise by asking 
  questions about the relationship: What’s the person like, 
  what’s the nature of the relationship, what does each person 
  get from the other, why do they put up with each other, etc. 
  Assume at the start that the Player knows the NPC better than 
  you do (even if only slightly), because that just makes sense.  
  Ask them to talk about this person a little, and take notes.   
  Keep these NPCs simple at first.  One goal and one character 
  trait is fine, and an idea of how the PC views them.  You can 
  add more details later as necessary. 
  As the game progresses you will find opportunities for satellite 
  NPCs to interact with the PCs on a recurring basis, and to 
  develop them more fully.  Recurring NPCs add to the depth of 
  the gameworld, and as time goes by the relationship may 
  evolve as the characters’ histories become more complex. Pay 
  close attention to the way Players treat various types of NPCs. 
   A lot of Psychic Content can be generated when regularly-
  appearing NPCs are involved, particularly if those NPCs have 
  some history and stakes in common with the PCs. 
  When a PC-NPC relationship develops into a source of Psychic 
  Content, it’s time to flesh out that NPC, giving them a goal 
  and a point of view.  They’ve become Important.  Think about 
  their feelings toward the PC, and consider the PC’s Psychic 
  Content and LifeShapers. Important NPCs should either 
  support or challenge at least one of those PC traits.  
  Sometimes both. 
  NPC DETAILS TO CONSIDER: 
  NAME – What is their name? 
  TAG – What makes them stand out (catchphrase, habit, 
  mannerism, interest, etc) 
  APPEARANCE – What do they look like? If possible, find an 
  image to represent them, think of a character they’re based 
  on, or cast them with an actor in your head. 
  ANGLE – What opinion or POV do they represent? 
  GOAL – What do they want, either in the short-term or in 
  the long-term? What would they be willing to take risks or 
  expend energy for? 
  STATS – What are their Stats? Remember that Stat Scores 
  only need to be written down if they’re higher than 1. If the 
  NPC is of a “standard type”, you can use the stat blocks 
  provided in Sample NPCs and Creatures, p.32). 
  SKILLS – What are their Skills? Do any items of Gear go 
  along with those skills? Do these items possess Bonuses? 
  RELATIONSHIP – What’s their relation, and to which PC? 
  What’s the nature of that relationship? What’s the 
  potential? Are there any LifeShapers involved? 
  SATELLITE NPCS 
   Agent, Manager or PR Person 
   Apprentice or Student 
   Boss, Commander or Authority Figure 
   Bully or Enemy 
   Child or Foster Child 
   Corporate Contact or CEO 
   Criminal or Outlaw Contact 
   Family Member 
   Fence or Fixer 
   Gangster or Gang 
   Government or Military Contact 
   Law Enforcement Contact or Parole Officer 
   Lawyer, Accountant or Personal Assistant 
   Love Relationship 
   Patron or Collector 
   Pirate or Hacker 
   Rival or Competitor 
   Robot or AI Device 
   Scientist or Academic Contact 
   Social Group or Organization 
   Teacher or Mentor 
   
  
  21 
   
  GOING INTO BUSINESS 
  Some DayTripper teams do it for love, working out of their 
  own garages or warehouses and hoping to discover something 
  big.  Others do it at the receiving end of a government grant or 
  intelligence budget line-item, and they look for whatever 
  they’re told to look for.  Some do it professionally for a living, 
  and many of these teams choose to go the incorporated route 
  with a company name, brand, logo, etc. 
  Your Players will encounter other DayTripper teams 
  occasionally, at Tracy Island if nowhere else.  They’ll see rivals 
  promoting breakfast cereals in AdBlips, or talking with Oprah 
  about their latest trip.  If jealousy rears its ugly head, so be it. 
  Should your Players decide to turn their DayTripper team into 
  a business, encourage them to come up with a company 
  name, and perhaps even draw a logo! DayTrippers who team 
  up and create a business in this way can pool their XP together 
  in order to purchase Fame Points for the business itself.  This 
  “collective fame” applies to the company name and logo in 
  addition to the PCs. That’s what we call “brand recognition”. 
  A cheap storefront or office will run about 1M per year. A nice 
  one, 2M per year.  Want to add a full-time receptionist? That’s 
  another 1M per year. 
   
  LEAVING A MARK 
  Since you want Players to feel invested in the gameworld, it’s 
  important to let them make permanent changes to it. Players 
  get a great sense of satisfaction when they can point at a 
  feature in the gameworld and say “We did that!”   
  If Players have ideas that will impact life on Earth in your 
  campaign – as long as logic and rules aren’t being abused – 
  you should not only permit it, you should celebrate it!  Figuring 
  out how the spirit of the game should handle such a twist will 
  keep you on your toes, and it’s good to be on your toes.  Don’t 
  feel threatened by it.  You can always figure out some 
  attendant cost or complication.  Always. 
  Players who want to leave their mark on the world are often 
  proving just how invested they are.  Any plans that really get 
  your Players excited will be full of Psychic Content, a gift from 
  them to you.  The more your gameworld accepts these gifts, 
  the more of themselves Players will see in it.  This in turn 
  makes them even more invested in what happens there.  It’s a 
  self-fulfilling cycle, and it makes your world more “real” for 
  both the Players and their characters. 
  Starting a business and getting famous is a great start, but 
  what about building a monument, opening a school, making a 
  movie, constructing a particle collider, or writing their names 
  in mile-high letters with ship-mounted laser weapons on the 
  third moon of Gabba III?  Hell Yes! 
  UNDISCOVERED NODES 
  You’ll want to have at least a few ready-to-be-discovered 
  Nodes on hand at all times. This can facilitate a more 
  “sandbox” playstyle, and provide “accidental” destinations for 
  failed slips. 
  UNDISCOVERED NODES 
  CARTESIAN SLIP: Rescue on an Unknown Planet 
  COMPLICATION: Bad/False Intel 
  MAGUFFIN: Plant/Fungus 
  OBSTACLE: Organized Hostile Group 
  REWARD: 1d6 x 1M for each Crewmember 
   
  SUBJECTIVE SLIP: Emergency in a Dream World 
  FORM OF REALITY: Limitless plane 
  WHAT HAS DIVERGED: Laws of Physics 
  SCOPE OF DIVERGENCE: One major change occurred 
  MAGUFFIN: Plant/Fungus 
  OBSTACLE: Dangerous Individual 
  COMPLICATION: Object of Mission will Refuse/Resist 
   
  PARATERRAN SLIP: Fact-Finding on Alternate Earth 
  PIVOTAL EVENT: Evolution went in a different direction 
  POINT OF DIVERGENCE: Nanotechnology 
  SCOPE OF CHANGE: Many changes, hard to pinpoint 
  MAGUFFIN: Report/Database 
  REWARD: +1 Fame Level for each Crewmember 
  REWARD: 1d6 x 1M for each Crewmember 
   
  PARATERRAN SLIP: Exploration on Alternate Earth 
  PIVOTAL EVENT: Cosmic event affected entire planet 
  POINT OF DIVERGENCE: Neural Interface Cybernetics 
  SCOPE OF CHANGE: Major changes in culture & tech 
  MAGUFFIN: Report/Database 
  COMPLICATION: War Zone/Tumultuous Change 
  REWARD: 1d6 x 1M for each Crewmember 
   
  SUBJECTIVE SLIP: Exploration in a Dream World 
  FORM OF REALITY: Tiny planetoid, asteroid or moon 
  WHAT HAS DIVERGED: Composition of things 
  SCOPE OF DIVERGENCE: Incomprehensible 
  MAGUFFIN: Weapon/Defense 
  OBSTACLE: Wildlife/Monster 
  OBSTACLE: Organized Hostile Group 
  OBSTACLE: Chaos/Divergence 
   
  PARATERRAN SLIP: Exploration on Alternate Earth 
  PIVOTAL EVENT: A major natural disaster occurred 
  POINT OF DIVERGENCE: Industrial Technology 
  SCOPE OF CHANGE: One major change has occurred 
  MAGUFFIN: Shipment/Message 
  OBSTACLE: Dangerous Environment 
  OBSTACLE: Psychological Challenge 
  REWARD: 1d6 x 1M for each Crewmember 
  
  22 
   
  CAMPAIGNS 
  A DayTrippers campaign resembles a series of “one-shots”: 
  the typical adventure is designed to cover a single 3-4 hour 
  session and return the PCs back to Home-Earth. As the 
  campaign proceeds and the characters grow more detailed, 
  their personal lives and issues will become more evident, 
  connecting the meaning of each episode within a broader arc 
  and giving rise to fully-developed “character stories” in the 
  long-term sense.  But there are other ways you can instill a 
  sense of arc to a DayTrippers campaign, even running a series 
  of distinct campaigns like the seasons of a long-running TV 
  show.  Here are some examples. 
  By Issue – Since Players create LifeShaping Events for 
  themselves, you can use them as guidelines.  At the beginning 
  of a campaign, ask each Player “Which of these issues would 
  you like to focus on for a while?”  Ask questions about the 
  characters' hopes, fears, ideas and experiences. Ask about 
  what their characters want, or what they’re scared of. 
  Depending on the LifeShaper, you might also ask “Do you 
  think it’s gonna get better or worse?”  Write these issues down 
  and add them to your brainstorming material whenever you 
  prepare a mission for this campaign.  Work at least one issue 
  into each session.  Think of situations that will challenge a 
  value or test the PC’s dedication. Encourage the Players to 
  help each other bring these issues into the story as well.  When 
  you reach a point where the PCs’ key issues have been 
  resolved (or determined to be irresolvable), that’s the end of 
  that campaign.  It’s time for each character to start a new 
  chapter in their life. 
  By Mission Type – Experienced DayTripper teams get the best 
  pick of potential jobs over newer, younger teams.  This can 
  provide a differentiation between campaigns.  You could do a 
  “season” in which the PCs do a series of Exploration Missions, 
  and at the end of the season something happens that cements 
  their reputation, making them the “go-to” people for another 
  class of mission.  Perhaps rescue.  Perhaps diplomacy.  
  Whatever your Players generate the most Psychic Content 
  about, use that. 
  By Clientele – If your Players opt for setting up their 
  DayTrippers team as a business, the same logic could apply to 
  clients or types of clientele.  “Season Two” could feature a 
  whole different class of patrons than “Season One” did, due to 
  the team’s advancement in their career path. A single 
  campaign might consist of all the jobs done for a particular 
  client. This could be run for a pre-established number of 
  sessions or length of game time, or it could be run in an open-
  ended way: when something climactic or disastrous happens 
  to the client NPC or to the relationship between them (and it 
  will, eventually), the campaign comes to an end –  and it’s time 
  to find a new patron. 
  CAMPAIGNS 
  By Theme – If there’s a particular Theme you and your Players 
  would like to explore in some depth, you could decide to do a 
  specified number of sessions focusing on that Theme as a 
  Campaign.  Include the Theme notes in your brainstorming 
  material for every mission you prepare for this Campaign.  Like 
  most dramatic elements, Themes are often best explored by 
  creating a character who embodies them (or their opposite).  
  For instance, to explore the Theme of “Abuse of Authority” 
  you could create an NPC who holds power over the PCs’ 
  funding, and makes progressively unreasonable demands.  It’s 
  only a matter of time before that jackass gets what’s coming.  
  In fact, this whole season is building toward it. 
  By Threat – If you’re willing to put a big spin on your Home-
  Earth, you can explore the notion of extra-dimensional 
  creatures bringing their own SlipShips to Earth, or traveling 
  here via other means.  An entire campaign could be spent 
  handling one threat, just in time for another to arrive next 
  season!  Global catastrophes, terrorist attacks, devious 
  predators or weirdly-powerful creatures roaming free or 
  causing havoc on Earth, massively organized interdimensional 
  military threats, all possible.  Of course there’s got to be some 
  way to defeat them. 
  Right? 
  “ONE EYE INWARD, ONE EYE OUTWARD” 
  - Max Ernst 
   
   
  
  23 
   
   
  The World of 
  DayTrippers 
  My Home-Earth is different than your Home-Earth. Sure they 
  have some things in common – the Ziggurat, $50 
  cheeseburgers, and DayTripping, for instance – but in most 
  ways they’re different because they branched from different 
  vectors in 2099. 
  Apart from a few key locations and institutions, these rules 
  won’t provide a detailed alternate Earth for the PCs to inhabit. 
   That’s because the world of DayTrippers should be rather like 
  our own, as far as most assumptions go: it’s kinda dull, sorta 
  stupid, punctuated by ridiculous spectacle, festooned with 
  corporate advertising and dripping with irony. It’s a place of 
  astounding technological progress and rampant capitalism, 
  where mind-numbing media charades dominate the public 
  talknets while monstrous social and economic inequities go 
  almost completely ignored except for charity commercials and 
  CivBlips (short public service announcements required by 
  public relations law) – somewhere between 2001 and Idiocracy. 
  You want the “real world” of the game (Home-Earth) to feel 
  highly “normal” – at times even excruciatingly mundane – in 
  order to provide a striking contrast to the colorfully-detailed 
  weirdness that happens in SlipSpace. 
  INSTITUTIONS AND MEGACORPS 
  That said, there are a few organizations and institutions that 
  our campaigns probably do have in common, just because it 
  simplifies a lot of things. You’ll come up with more. 
  THE ACADEMY OF INTRASPACE 
  TECHNOLOGY  
  In the 2070s, the Theory of SlipSpace Dynamics began gaining 
  popularity among quantum physicists.  One of the most vocal 
  proponents was Dr. Elric Noon, a charismatic figure with a 
  large following of “NeoEverettians”.  In his 2076 paper Other 
  Others: A Study in IntraSpace, Noon not only postulated a 
  means of measurement and organization for multiple 
  universes, but radically proposed the notion of controlled 
  interdimensional travel.  The Academy of IntraSpace 
  Technology was founded that year, and divided into East 
  (European) and West (North American) schools.  In 2080, 
  construction began on a grand university campus in Long 
  Beach, California, to be equipped with state-of-the-art labs 
  and test facilities dedicated to exploring the reaches of this 
  new science.  In 2082, the physics world was rocked by the 
  watershed Dyson-Skaggs Experiment, in which an intricate set 
  of cross-focused stasis fields was employed to exchange a 
  molecule of water with a younger version of itself for nearly 
  two minutes.  The Dyson-Skaggs Experiment kicked the 
  scientific community into high gear.  The construction 
  schedule was ramped up as government grants and subsidies 
  poured in, with everyone eager to cash in on new discoveries.  
  Today the main campus tower – a gigantic black stepped 
  pyramid known as “The Ziggurat” – dominates the Long 
  Beach skyline.  For anyone interested in Slip Dynamics and 
  IntraSpace Technology, AIT is the university of choice. 
  GLOBAL NATION PRODUCTS 
  The principal provider of cheap manufactured commercial 
  goods for the entire world, the GNP megacorp includes 
  thousands of semi-autonomous megastore chains and online 
  retailers, vast drone-based delivery stockhouses and secured 
  shopping districts of all sizes and socio-economic strata.  
  Outside of illicit black markets, practically everyone buys 
  everything from GNP.  Their fastest-growing division is In-Out 
  ("The Interactive Outlet"); a biophone-based interactive “best 
  friend” and shopping app with one-day drone-based delivery 
  available in every major city on Earth.  In-Out servers are 
  linked via global satellite networks to the automated systems 
  of all GNP’s associated retail outlets and stockhouses.  Their 
  advertising slogan is "You Need What We Have." 
  NOTE: Every manufactured consumer product on Earth is 
  available through GNP.  Their bright orange drones are seen in 
  every major city, flitting constantly about the skyline carrying 
  high-impact plastic delivery parcels emblazoned with the GNP 
  logo (which resembles a smiley face eating the world).  Their 
  commercial ads – broadcast in public spaces by a dedicated fleet 
  of teledrones – are literally impossible to avoid. 
  MEGAMEDIA 
  The dominant provider of news and entertainment 
  programming for the first world.  MegaMedia is a veritable 
  monopoly, with controlling interest in the production and 
  distribution of over 80% of the world's microfreq, cable, 
  satellite and interactive network programming and 
  advertising, having dominated the market by bundling their 
  premium access channels with the world's most popular 
  operating system - which they also own. MegaMedia trades 
  campaign financing for control of media law, and is the only 
  conglomerate in the world large enough to run the global 
  public assurance media campaigns required by modern heads 
  of state who enjoy retaining whatever power they have.  The 
  megacorp controls tens of thousands of production studios 
  and tightly-licensed media distributors, who receive content 
  and direction from the corporate center in New New York.  
  Their advertising slogan is "Better Watch It." 
  NOTE: If the PCs are ever approached by a producer, actor or 
  news personality, chances are that person will be from a 
  subsidiary of MegaMedia, the biggest media conglomerate in the 
  world. Net celebs don’t “sell out” to MegaMedia – they buy in. 
  
  24 
   
  THE CHURCH OF OMG 
  Congregations of the twenty-first century witnessed serious 
  reductions in participation as "nonsectarian belief systems" 
  (i.e. atheism) rose in popularity.  In reaction to this “crisis of 
  the unfaithful”, leaders of the world's major organized 
  religions united in founding the multidenominational Church 
  of OMG ("One Miraculous God") to serve as the primary 
  worldwide spiritual services provider (special privileges and 
  oversight provided by the Mental Health Organization of the 
  United Nations, underwritten in part by contributions from the 
  Global Pharmacological Trust).  Acquiescing to changes in 
  technology, lack of doctrinal education and shortened 
  attention spans, they have updated their old belief systems to 
  more "user-friendly" versions with pleasantly chatty 
  interfaces, all geared for today's stressed and depressed 
  person-on-the-go.  The mainstream faithful in most major 
  cities are now "OMGees" of varying types, who use AI software 
  applications called PSAs ("Personal Spiritual Assistants") to 
  mediate their automated spiritual consulting services and 
  moderate their neurochemical balance.  PSAs can be found in 
  convenient locations throughout a major metropolis near you, 
  just look for their pleasant air-conditioned kiosks, swipe your 
  card and soothe your soul! 
  NOTE: The Church’s obsequious pod-like kiosks can be a useful 
  means of getting Psychic Content from Players.  After all, kiosk 
  users are in a confidential, professionally compassionate setting, 
  being administered neuroactive chemicals while spoken to in a 
  soothing parental voice.  It’s hard to imagine a better setting to 
  ask deep and leading questions; questions about life, feelings, 
  worries and fears; questions to which there’s no wrong answer. 
  Everybody’s kiosk experience is different, as it is tailored to their 
  personality.  Ask your Players what the experience is like for 
  them, and run with their descriptions.  Kiosk sessions can often 
  generate Character Development Scenes by triggering 
  flashbacks of suppressed memories.  They may also be used to 
  speed the rate of healing for a wounded PSYCHE, yielding a +1 
  on the roll if the Player does a Character Development Scene. 
  DIASPORA LABS 
  Founded by Zayim Diaspora, inventor of the Temporal 
  Resistance Amplification Field Generator, which led to the 
  invention of today’s Slip Capacitors.  The Diaspora Ranch 
  compound is comprised of a dozen cabins and numerous 
  barnlike buildings on a 20-acre ranch outside of Sacramento, 
  California.  In the rough center of the ranch is “Tracy Island”, a 
  massive converted industrial farming facility from which most 
  DayTrips – and all regulated DayTrips – are launched.  The 
  installation never shuts down, and the facilities include dorms 
  and a commissary for on-call rescue and emergency 
  personnel.  Financing comes from a broad range of 
  government grants, corporate sponsorships and public 
  donations. Regular upgrades, revolutionary engineering, 
  round-the-clock pit crews and constant safety drills make 
  Tracy Island the safest place in the world to Slip from – or to. 
  X INVESTMENTS 
  X Investments is a mysterious venture capital firm whose 
  activities involve the black-marketing of rare offworldly 
  artifacts and technologies obtained via underwritten DayTrip 
  missions.  Their known links to intelligence agencies and 
  military technology transfer fronts are rumored to protect 
  them from inquiry or regulation. 
  DAYTRIPPERS AND CLIENTS 
  Here are some famous examples.  You’ll make more. 
  BODINGA BAY 
  An upstart company in the interdimensional transport 
  business, Bodinga Bay was founded by the famous “home-
  made” DayTripper Lars Mango, best known as the discoverer 
  of Mickey Mouse Planet.  In a paradigm-shattering 2099 
  countersuit against Walt Disney Corporation, judges ruled that 
  copyright protection does not extend to Dream Worlds or 
  pocket universes, rendering Mango’s digital videos of the 
  planet’s inhabitants – and their bizarre mating rituals – entirely 
  legal.  Mango’s winnings from the case were invested in 
  designing a small, sleek, interdimensional vessel called the 
  “SlipRipper” with a horizontally-oriented design and excellent 
  atmospheric maneuverability.  A favorite of hipster heirs and 
  corporate execs, three SlipRippers are in regular service today. 
  DEZLU DAYTRIPPING 
  Founded in 2098 by Slip Dynamics theorist Dez Tanner and 
  her lifepartner cyberathelete Ani Lu, the DezLu DayTripping 
  Corp struck paydirt on its first mission, discovering not one but 
  two advanced sentient species willing to enter trade 
  negotiations with Earth. The company is now headquartered 
  on Keefe II, home of the Chiops and Kheeleelah races whose 
  color-shifting plastics have become all the rage in consumer 
  product manufacturing.  This year Tanner and Lu plan on 
  expanding their fleet to take on new exploration missions.  
  Tanner and Lu have stated that they never plan on returning 
  to Home-Earth, preferring to run their interdimensional 
  business from their palatial estate on Keefe II. 
  
  25 
   
  NODEX INTERDIMENSIONAL 
  Nodex Interdimensional Transport is the largest cargo firm in 
  the business, employing a stable of 20 SlipShip pilots and a 
  fleet of boxy-looking but serviceable brown vessels.  Nearly 
  half of the SlipShips departing from Tracy Island bear the NIT 
  logo.  The company’s position is cemented by their access to 
  no-bid government contracts, including the lucrative 
  arrangement by which the state of Alaska ships its toxic sludge 
  to Arbuuri IV in exchange for diamonds (which have no value 
  on that remote planet, falling, as they do, from the sky). 
  SCILLA SARDACIAN 
  Heiress to the Sardacian Hamloaf fortune (“Ham without the 
  pig!”) and star of the popular stalkshow “Follow My Ass”, 
  Sardacian owns two customized DynaLuxe SlipShips to 
  transport herself, her entourage and invited guests to 
  intraspace destinations for the show.  Throwing the net’s 
  biggest bashes in the multiverse’s most exotic locations is 
  what she’s all about, and many of the world’s most reknowned 
  DayTrippers have worked on at least one episode.  Although 
  the pay is excellent, the pressure of dealing with Sardacian’s 
  galactic ego, along with the ever-present vidcam crews and all 
  the regular stress of the job makes for a pretty quick turnover 
  rate at Sardacian Studios. 
  SLIPFISH 
  Founded by a crew of freshly-graduated Ziggurat alumni 
  including Marshall Skaggs (son of theoretical physicist Kindra 
  Skaggs of the Dyson-Skaggs experiment), the SlipFish crew 
  exudes a youthful and irreverent attitude, specializing in 
  regular jaunts to known planets for trade and tourism.  Their 
  vessel, Schrodinger’s Can, has some unusual design features 
  that the company is very tight-lipped about. 
  SLIPTRIP TRAVEL 
  A well-known purveyor of SlipTrip tourist packages, based in 
  New New York with offices in every major metropolitan area.  
  STT often finances research missions to newly-discovered 
  Nodes in search of hip travel destinations, and hires 
  DayTripper crews both permanent and temporary to serve as 
  pilots and guides for wealthy vacationers.  They possess a fleet 
  of SlipShips, most notably the Emerald City – with twin galleys, 
  twelve single and three double cabins, it’s the largest SlipShip 
  constructed to date. 
  VALDEZ AND CO 
  Hector Valdez runs a small, tight DayTripper team comprised 
  entirely of ex-military personnel. Though the company 
  struggled finding work for its first year of operation, they were 
  skyrocketed to fame by their daring cross-temporal rescue of 
  Slavoj Dirkatchka and Nikki Shijou – the first such slip ever 
  attempted.  Since then the company and their vessel, the Mal 
  Bicho, have been in high demand.  They focus almost 
  exclusively on missions requiring government clearance or 
  military training, though they regularly run exploration slips on 
  the side. 
   
  TECHNOLOGY 
  Below is a list of technological wonders that may be 
  considered available (even if not exactly commonplace) in 
  your DayTrippers world.  They are listed in their approximate 
  chronological order of development.  Wherever appropriate, a 
  base price is included in parentheses.  You never know when 
  somebody might need a limb regrown. 
   
  Digital Currency 
   
  Driverless Cars (5-10M) 
   
  Aquaculture 
   
  Embedded Biomonitors (1M) 
   
  Robotic Assistants (50M-100M) 
   
  Robotic Surgery (1-6M) 
   
  Embedded General-Purpose Computers (1M) 
   
  Global Automated Retail Delivery 
   
  Stem Cell Banks 
   
  Cloned Protein Farming 
   
  Fusion Power 
   
  Mecha Suits (160M) 
   
  Generalized Artificial Intelligence 
   
  Smart Bacteria 
   
  AI Advertising 
   
  Limb Regrowth (10M) 
   
  Holographic Entertainment 
   
  Programmable Textiles 
   
  Robotic Exoskeletons (20M) 
   
  Hydrogen Fuel Cells (1M/10mW) 
   
  Bionic Ears (10M) 
   
  Bionic Eyes (15M) 
   
  Medical Nanobots 
   
  Sensory Recording System (30M) 
   
  Artificial ESP System (40M) 
   
  Nano Suits (2M) 
   
  Aqualogies 
   
  Arcologies 
   
  Antarctic Cities 
   
  Dream Recordings 
   
  Enhanced Memory (Stat cost in CP) 
   
  Antigravity Powersources 
   
  Force Fields 
   
  Orbital Colonies & Factories 
   
  Mining On Titan 
   
  Colony On Mars 
  SECURITY 
  Any area which has guards or some form of security system 
  possesses a Security Rating (SR).  The SR indicates how hard it 
  is to pull stuff off in the area without being seen.  The SR is 
  added to the DL of any illicit action within the secured area. 
  Example: The X Investments Office has an SR of 5, and the 
  PCs are trying to open a lock with a DL of 4.  The effective 
  DL for completing this action without being seen will be 9. 
  
  26 
   
   
   
  SLIPSPACE 
  The known and named Vectors of SlipSpace could keep 
  humankind busy exploring for millennia, and still there would 
  be untold mysteries in the multiverse.  The actual number of 
  Vectors in the multiverse is anyone’s guess, and in all 
  likelihood infinite.  But that’s not stopping those plucky 
  monkeys from Sol III. Sure, some of those Vectors may 
  contain horrible beasts, fearsome enemies, deadly 
  environments, mind-numbing phenomena and nightmares 
  beyond imagining, but some of them contain Paradises, 
  Fantasy Escape Destinations, Technological Wonders, 
  Benevolent Aliens, Resources, Resources and Resources!  It’s 
  a dirty job but someone’s got to do it, and around here we call 
  those people DayTrippers. 
  MAPPING THE MULTIVERSE 
  In the first wave of intraspace exploration, mad geniuses like 
  Zayim Diaspora and the first wave of DayTrippers effectively 
  fired themselves in random directions in intraspace, often 
  failing to find anything, and sometimes never returning home. 
  These days most DayTripper teams are a little more 
  methodical about how they approach a new vector, although 
  there are a few “cowboys” who enjoy the thrill of slipping 
  “blind”, claiming that human intuition has something to do 
  with the likelihood of finding life  (While we have no empirical 
  findings to support this hypothesis, anecdotal evidence 
  suggests there may be something to it.  The Ziggurat is 
  designing a set of experiments to test this idea.) 
  It’s clear that we’ll never be able to map the full extent of the 
  multiverse, even if we discover all possible Slip Vectors (which 
  some find unlikely).  But we do have a strategy for using 
  computers to create such a map; a massive multidimensional 
  representation system known as The Big Model.  And we’re 
  filling it in, point by painstakingly-dangerous point. 
  With every DayTripper who goes on an exploration mission, 
  another datapoint is added to the Big Model – provided they 
  return home, of course. 
  NODE DISCOVERY 
  The discovery of a new Node begins with a series of intraspace 
  transmitting drones, which are sent out along a vector of 
  interest by one of numerous research institutions.  These 
  transmitters – known as “pingbots” – are artificially intelligent 
  and programmed to perform a series of sequential slips along 
  their target vector, while sending repeating signals back 
  upvector to Home-Earth.  
  Upon identifying a suitable location for human exploration (or 
  as happens frequently, upon the signal’s abrupt termination), 
  the pingbot may be followed by a recon drone or “scoutbot”. 
  If either of these drones finds something that seems worth 
  taking a closer look at, a suitable landing site will be 
  determined to the best of the bot’s ability. All known data on 
  the new Node is then formally codified, an index number is 
  assigned to its coordinates, and an exploratory mission may 
  be requested by the sponsoring party.  Enter the DayTrippers. 
  SLIP COORDINATES 
  The syntax for a Slip is typically written as VECTOR:DISTANCE. 
   The Vector is the angle traveled – many of them were named 
  by their first explorers – and the Distance is indicated using the 
  standard measure of IntraSpace Units, which is called a 
  “Noon”. 
  Our own universe is known as “3space”.  Its center is taken to 
  be our own galactic core, and its “zero degrees” is taken to be 
  “galactic north” – the direction from Sol to the center of the 
  Milky Way galaxy.  Because 3space contains three dimensions 
  within it, all three need to be specified.  A Cartesian Slip to a 
  known planet, for instance, looks like this: 
  COORDS FOR NODE: ALPHA CENTURI IV 
  3SPACE: 24.00675/188.591644/-23.00002 
  A journey through time involves a "Temporal" coordinate as 
  well. The Temporal Vector is known simply as “T”. 
  COORDS FOR NODE: GETTYSBURG ADDRESS 
  3SPACE: -192.6550487/2665.00189/16055.007 
  T: - 7364406876 
  A Compound Slip is written as a block of Vectors and 
  Distances stated in Noons.  For example: 
  COORDS FOR NODE: POCKET UNIVERSE DEPARDIEU 
  3SPACE: 115/-20.661/44.00002 
  RUSSELL: 114.6 
  VISHNU: -55.095 
  
  27 
   
   
  KNOWN AND UNKNOWN PLANETS 
  Even without considering the vastness of the multiverse, the 
  planets of our own 3space are numerous enough to keep us 
  busy exploring forever.  Many are known but many more are 
  unknown, waiting to be discovered, mapped and exploited for 
  adventure potential.  Unlike the experimental near-lightspeed 
  drives of interstellar travel, Cartesian Slips allow DayTrippers 
  to explore the most far-flung reaches of the universe right 
  now, in the blink of an eye – if only for 24 hours at a time. 
  Known Planets to which DayTripper teams might be sent are 
  often rather Earth-like places, or else they’re places where 
  we’ve found some form of life or a valuable resource that can 
  be extracted, giving us a reason to return. 
  Unknown Planets are just as varied and even more mysterious, 
  since no human beings have visited them yet.  Unknown 
  planets to which DayTripper teams might be sent run the full 
  range of cosmic possibilities, including ample opportunity for 
  danger, adventure and weirdness. 
  RECENTLY-DISCOVERED PLANETS 
  MEZTAL (COROT-9B) 
  TYPE/SIZE: Gas Giant 
  GRAVITY: 6 
  ATMOSPHERE: Exotic Toxic Gases 
  PRESSURE: 84 
  WATER: Some large bodies of standing water 
  CLIMATE: Hot 
  BIOSPHERE: No indigenous life 
  A temperate planet the size of Jupiter, Meztal is about as far 
  from its yellow type-G star as Mercury is from Sol. Mostly 
  comprised of hydrogen and helium, the planet is known to 
  possess gigantic quantities of other elements, including large 
  bodies of water and a rocky surface, far beneath its toxic 
  clouds. The planet is currently being mined by the Swarovski-
  Visage corporation, using a team of remote-controlled robots. 
  CALADENA (EPIC 201367065C) 
  TYPE/SIZE: Medium Rock Planet / 1.5 Earths 
  GRAVITY: 0.9 
  ATMOSPHERE: Nitrogen/Oxygen 
  PRESSURE: 0.8 
  WATER: 40% of planets surface 
  CLIMATE: Temperate 
  BIOSPHERE: Non-sentient lifeforms 
  Located 150 light-years from Earth, EPIC 201367065 is a red 
  dwarf with three earthlike planets. Of these, the outermost 
  (EPIC 201367065 III, named "Caladena" after the daughter of 
  its first explorer Shenandoa Brook) is located in a "Goldilocks" 
  zone, where surface temperatures are moderate enough to 
  support large bodies of highly-mineralized water and carbon-
  based lifeforms. EPIC III is roughly 1.5 times the size of Earth, 
  and is currently under planetary survey by a number of 
  DayTripper teams. Despite difficulties with the local fauna, the 
  planet has become a candidate for human colonization. 
  EREWHON (GD 61A) 
  TYPE/SIZE: Medium Rock Planet / 1.2 Earths 
  GRAVITY: 1.2 
  ATMOSPHERE: Nitrogen/Oxygen 
  PRESSURE: 1.3 
  WATER: 60% lakes and seas 
  CLIMATE: Cold 
  BIOSPHERE: No known life, evidence of extinct species 
  GD 61 is a white dwarf star which possesses a single satellite: 
  an asteroid unofficially called "Erewhon" that once was a rocky 
  planet, destroyed by an ancient and catastrophic cosmic 
  collision. The temperate asteroid possesses a breathable 
  nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere, along with large deposits of 
  iron, magnesium and silicon. Large bodies of standing water 
  dot its surface. Recently a wrecked spacefaring vessel of 
  nonhuman origin was dragged up from the bottom of one of 
  these lakes, its origin and planet of construction are unknown. 
  BETHSCHANT (GLIESE 667 CC) 
  TYPE/SIZE: Medium Rock Planet / 0.6 Earths 
  GRAVITY: 0.6 
  ATMOSPHERE: Nitrogen/Oxygen with trace toxins 
  PRESSURE: 0.9 
  WATER: Very little 
  CLIMATE: Temperate 
  BIOSPHERE: Proto-organisms in suspension 
  Gliese 667 is a trinary system consisting of two orange Sol-
  sized stars and a third star - a red dwarf - orbiting the pair. The 
  system possesses six planets, three of which are located in the 
  Goldilocks Zone.  Bethschant, the most human-habitable of 
  these planets, revolves around the dwarf in a rapid 28-day 
  orbit. The planet's small seas contain a variety of microscopic 
  lifeforms which are psychoactive and of major value in 
  pharmaceutical and recombinant DNA technology, leading to 
  the establishment of three domed factory towns owned by 
  NeoBio, a division of Global Nation Products. 
  ZONDOFF (GJ 1214 B) 
  TYPE/SIZE: Large Rock Planet / 3 Earths 
  GRAVITY: 0.9 
  ATMOSPHERE: Nitrogen/Oxygen with trace toxins 
  PRESSURE: 18 
  WATER: Ocean World 
  CLIMATE: Hot 
  BIOSPHERE: Sentient Lifeforms 
  The planet Zondoff is three times the size of Earth and six 
  times as massive. Its surface is nearly covered with water. A 
  combination of high temperatures and high atmospheric 
  pressure cause exotic materials like hot ice and superfluid 
  water to form in some regions. The planet is home to the 
  Kano, ribbon-shaped beings with translucent skin and long 
  tendrils, who consume minerals from seawater and excrete 
  waste into massive crystalline structures which they use for 
  housing and defense against ocean predators. Xenocultural 
  surveys have found that the Kano possess simple technology 
  and a complex language of tendril-signalling, and initial 
  attempts at communication have been encouraging. 
  
  28 
   
  DANGERS OF SLIPSPACE TRAVEL 
  Vector Slipping (or simply “Slipping”) is a two-step process.  
  First the pilot must perform a Slip Dynamics action to plot 
  the course home, then the ship’s computer handles the actual 
  slip.  The Slip Dynamics roll is delayed until the moment the 
  ship is launched, so everyone finds out at once whether 
  they’re safe and sound on a cozy rock planet, or lost in the 
  multiverse. 
  Dangers abound out there, both within the Nodes and 
  between them.  The greatest hazards faced by DayTrippers in 
  transit are Flux Storms, which have been known to hurl 
  SlipShips into the Multiversal Chao.  Those who have faced 
  them will tell you: These are the moments the ship most 
  needs a human pilot onboard, and the moments everyone 
  hopes will never happen.  But other dangers, both physical 
  and mental, known and unknown, await discovery. 
  Most of the information in this section will be known by any 
  PC who makes a Slip Dynamics roll vs DL2. 
  FLUX STORMS 
  Like an interdimensional hurricane whipping through the 
  multiverse, a Flux Storm can easily toss a SlipShip off course.  
  It is generally considered that Flux Storms spawn from the 
  Multiversal Chao – perhaps similar to the way flares occur on 
  star surfaces, often extending far out into space – however 
  that is all conjecture.  The fact is we don’t know what they are, 
  so far, and we can’t predict their appearance or movements. 
  THE FUZZIES 
  Being caught within the whorls of a Flux Storm often has a 
  disorienting effect, causing a frustrating but temporary mental 
  impediment known as “The Fuzzies”. 
  A person overtaken by The Fuzzies suffers a -1 to GRACE and -
  1 to BRAINS for 1d6 hours. Their physical control will be 
  diminished to the point where even simple acts like walking 
  across the room will require a GRACE roll vs DL3.  Heads full of 
  incomplete and disconnected thoughts, victims of The Fuzzies 
  often simply collapse into a docile heap, feeling confused and 
  incompetent.  The mind becomes clouded, memory is 
  stunted, and minor hallucinations may occur. 
  Should a PC be overcome by The Fuzzies, describe the above 
  symptoms. Ask the Player how they feel in this state, what 
  they see and hear.  Pay attention to their answers. 
  The Fuzzies can be treated by a Psychotherapist (i.e. a 
  character with the Science:Psychology Skill) who devotes at 
  least one hour to the task and succeeds in an unopposed 
  action roll vs HARD (DL5). 
  MISSING THE WINDOW 
  “Missing the Window” is the colloquial term for coming back 
  more than 24 hours from departure.  It almost always results in 
  the permanent eradication of the ship and crew.  This is 
  because the amplified temporal resistance field cannot be 
  sustained indefinitely, and at around 24 hours, reality catches 
  up with you. This ontological rejection from the Home-Earth 
  timeline is known by DayTrippers as “getting ceased”. 
  It has been theorized that all conscious lifeforms possess a 
  temporal resistance field.  This miniscule emanation acts as an 
  “integrative imperative” which is responsible in part for the 
  fusion of subjective realities into “objective” realities, and it is 
  this force which can be amplified and focused by a Slip 
  Capacitor or “Diaspora Device”.  Much more is unknown than 
  known about this mysterious force, and experiments continue 
  at the cutting edge of Slip Dynamics. 
  When a SlipShip launches off into another dimension, the 
  amplified field surrounding the space it just held prevents 
  antecedent events from being affected by the absence of its 
  crew in this reality.  But the state of the art has advanced only 
  so far, and today’s RA fields can’t hold up for more than 24 
  hours.  When the field collapses, the reality of Home-Earth 
  accommodates to the absence of the missing vessel and crew. 
  In other words: they cease to exist. 
  No DayTripper has ever re-entered this reality after a period of 
  ceased existence.  Some believe their essence is torn apart in 
  the Multiversal Chao; others believe they spawn new Alternate 
  Earths of their own. 
  The Ziggurat’s conservative hypothesis is that even if they 
  could return, their presence would immediately cause the 
  Earth’s timeline to split, nullifying all our knowledge of the 
  future. 
  
  29 
   
  DREAM WORLDS 
  A Dream World is a Pocket Universe spun off by the 
  interaction 
  between 
  subjective 
  and 
  epistemological 
  boundaries that results in – or is the discarded byproduct of – 
  the formation of “objective” realities. In English, that means 
  Dreams are Real, at least while you’re in them. Of course, their 
  persistence depends on their Stability, and on their dreamers. 
  Everything in a Dream World has a “veiled” or “numinous” 
  quality to it.  It can be difficult to remain focused, and hard to 
  tell whether you’re awake.  Dream World events can play 
  havoc with cognition and sensory processing, often resulting 
  in “SDS” – a temporary inability to function cognitively. 
  SUBJECTIVE DISSONANCE SHOCK 
  “SDS” is a set of nervous symptoms that can arise via exposure 
  to jarring Dream World events or by direct exposure to the 
  Multiversal Chao, as the brain attempts to reject incoming 
  sensory phenomena. 
  Whenever anything particularly weird is witnessed for the 
  first time, characters  must make PSYCHE rolls to resist 
  freaking out and displaying SDS symptoms.  The DL of this 
  action is up to you.  Some rough guidelines are shown below: 
  Small object dis/appears = 2 
  Large object dis/appears = 3 
  A talking bear in a suit = 5 
  You are sprouting flowers = 7 
  If an NPC fails to make this roll, a random symptom will kick 
  in immediately and the character will be unable to do anything 
  else.  Roll 1d6 on the SDS Symptom Table at left. 
  If a PC fails to make this roll (or if the PC fails a Lucid 
  Dreaming roll), they’ve succumbed to SDS.  Addressing them 
  by their character name, tell them that they’ve lost it, their 
  mind has snapped, they’re in a state of shock, and they’re 
  about to do something they may not remember later. 
  Then address the Player by their actual name (note that this is 
  something you don’t usually do during play) and ask: “Do you 
  want me to roll it, or do you know what it is?” 
  Go with whatever they say. 
  Once the SDS symptom has kicked in, it will continue to affect 
  the character Frame after Frame until a successful PSYCHE 
  roll is made against the same DL that caused it, or until the 
  cause of the shock has exited the character’s sensory range.  
  This roll is also known as “pulling yourself together” and it 
  counts as an Action (“Doing something else”). 
   
  SDS  S Y M P T O M  T A B L E 
  Note: If you roll 6, you will be rolling again and adding 6. 
  ROLL SDS SYMPTOM 
  1 
  Paralysis, frozen in place 
  2 
  Screaming in fear or aggression 
  3 
  Singing or humming, dissociation 
  4 
  Crying, desire for mercy or redemption 
  5 
  Emptying the bladder 
  6 
  Reroll using 1d6+6 
  7 
  Lashing out at the nearest person 
  8 
  Falling unconscious or curling into a foetal ball 
  9 
  Flashback to a nightmare or traumatic event 
  10 
  Running full speed in the opposite direction 
  11 
  Attempting the nearest most dangerous thing 
  12 
  -1 to PSYCHE 
   
   
  LUCID DREAMING 
  It is sometimes possible to influence events in unstable realities. Whenever a Player attempts an Action in a Dream World, they may 
  attempt to modify the outcome of that Action with their mind, in some “magical” way. They may also attempt to “make something 
  happen” with their mind at any time. This is done by making a Lucid Dreaming roll, pitting the character’s PSYCHE against the World’s 
  STABILITY Score. The cost of failure is succumbing to Subjective Dissonance Shock, with no resistance roll. 
  Is Lucid Dreaming a PSYCHE-based Skill that can be learned? Yes it is.  Might the dreamer also possess this skill?  Yes they might. 
  To Modify an Action: The Player must make a Lucid Dreaming roll (based on PSYCHE) while performing the Action. No Help may be 
  provided. The Lucidity dice should be of a different color, or rolled away from the others, but at the same time. This roll will be 
  matched against the GM’s STABILITY roll (using a number of dice equal to the World’s STABILITY rating).  This roll is resolved before 
  the other one. If the Lucidity roll obtains a “YES”, a +1 will be applied to the other Action. If the Lucidity roll obtains a “YES AND”, the 
  other Action automatically succeeds AND the Player gets to narrate for all NPCs and Obstacles, “becoming the GM” for one Frame. 
  To Make Something Happen: The PC must focus on controlling the dream. No Help may be provided and no other Actions may be 
  attempted. The Player’s Lucid Dreaming roll will be matched against the GM’s STABILITY roll (using a number of dice equal to the 
  World’s STABILITY rating). Unless the dreamer is somehow shaken, the GM gets a +1 Mod for “Advantageous Position”. On a result of 
  “YES” the PC may influence the outcome of one Frame, “becoming the GM” momentarily. On a result of “YES AND” the PC retains 
  control of the dream until the Dream World succeeds in a similar roll to wrest back control. This represents the dreamer – or the sheer 
  inertia of the dream itself – struggling to resist the foreign influence of the PC’s mind. 
  
  30 
   
  THE MULTIVERSAL CHAO 
  Outside of all our known experience – outside even the 
  strangeness of Dream Worlds – lies the Multiversal Chao, a 
  limitless vortex of unstructured and semi-structured reality 
  that can drive a person insane within minutes. 
  In the Chao, people, places and things fall together and fall 
  apart in fluid and disturbing ways, only to reappear arranged in 
  some other fashion or morphing disturbingly into something 
  else. The distinction between “objective” and “subjective” 
  loses all meaning, as bits of Psychic Content from all minds 
  swirls around, mixed with random elements from the history 
  of all universes. There is no difference between “real” and 
  “imaginary”. 
  RESISTING THE CHAO 
  The Multiversal Chao is not the kind of place you want to hang 
  out in for long.  Every Frame spent in the Chao forces a 
  DIFFICULT (DL4) Unopposed Action roll vs PSYCHE to avoid 
  uncontrollable distress due to cognitive dissonance. 
  If a PC fails this resistance roll, determine their actions for this 
  Frame by rolling 1d6 on the SDS Symptom Table (p.28). 
  When a PC falls victim to SDS in the Multiversal Chao, ask 
  them what they saw or felt that caused them to react that 
  way.  Was their response related to any LifeShaping events or 
  personal issues? 
  ESCAPING THE CHAO 
  If caught within the Multiversal Chao without a pre-
  programmed return course, plotting a fresh course to 
  anywhere requires an ABSURD (DL9) Slip Dynamics action.  
  Good luck. 
  PURE OBJECTS 
  Scattered throughout the Chao, strange artifacts with magical 
  properties or impossible qualities can sometimes be found. A 
  popular theory holds that purity of symbolic meaning is what 
  permits their extended persistence, and they are often called 
  “Pure Objects”. They can be insanely beautiful, miraculously 
  powerful or devastatingly dangerous. 
  Pure Objects are the symbolic fragments of dissolved Dream 
  Worlds and fractured realities, the last vestiges of their pocket 
  universes to remain intact. These small fragments of reality 
  have enough meaning and stability to withstand the frenetic 
  churning of the Chao – at least for the time being – and their 
  unusual properties make them immensely valuable, with 
  market averages in the 100-600 M range. 
  Some Pure Objects are reknowned items of historical legend, 
  like Excalibur; some are innocuous items of mere personal 
  significance, like a lucky keychain. Each has exactly one 
  remarkable power or quality. No two are alike, except for their 
  ability to remain integral in the face of existential dissolution. 
   
  WRONG UNIVERSE 
  Failure on a Vector Slip can involve ending up in a place 
  different than you expected. When this happens to your 
  Players, they  may plot a course back to where they started 
  from (same DL as the original slip) before retrying, or they 
  may decide to go for a Compound Slip from their current 
  position (adding 2 to the DL of the Vector Slip roll). Of course 
  if they found something interesting,, they may decide to 
  check out this new place! 
  When this happens you have two choices: You can wing it, 
  making a few quick high/low rolls or consulting the 
  Generators, or you can pull out a Node you created ahead of 
  time, and let the PCs have at it. This is just another reason why 
  it’s always good to have a few extra Nodes on hand. 
   
  
  31 
   
   
  BAY X 
  The first wave of DayTrippers were a hardy breed of 
  thrillseekers who often didn’t survive to tell the tale.  In the 
  first year of the ranch’s operation there were six accidents in 
  which DayTrippers were lost forever – their names now 
  engraved on a platinum wall outside the loading dock.  Since 
  then, engineers at Diaspora Ranch have implemented a “best-
  dash” solution to the dangers of missed windows, temporal 
  paradoxes and tardy DayTrippers blipping out of existence.  
  It’s called “Bay X”. 
  Bay X is the largest and most power-intensive launch bay at 
  Diaspora Ranch.  RA-shielded and cleared twenty-four hours a 
  day, seven days a week, its designated function is the 
  Emergency and Rescue Bay.  All SlipShips that depart from 
  Tracy Island have the coordinates of Bay X preprogrammed 
  into their computers’ return options as a matter of launch 
  protocol. 
  In case of a delayed return, a rescue vessel can be sent out to 
  retrieve the crew; but in order to prevent paradox and 
  preserve the integrity of the Home-Earth timeline, the rescued 
  parties must be returned to a different window than the one 
  the rescuers left from. 
  This is accomplished by combining a Temporal Slip with a 
  Cartesian Slip, allowing a momentary “second manifestation” 
  of the rescue vessel  to occur within the RA-shielded 
  emergency bay, dropping off the rescuees in their window 
  before returning to its own. 
  Bay X is kept clear of personnel and equipment at all times, 
  even damaged vessels using it for emergency returns are 
  hastily moved out of the area.  This is because nobody knows 
  what would happen if two SlipShips attempted to materialize 
  in the same space at once, and no one is in a hurry to find out. 
  Despite this concern, the effort has paid off.  On New Year’s 
  Day 2099, Slavoj Dirkatchka became the first DayTripper to be 
  rescued from a delayed return. 
   
  Now retired from DayTripping (the reasons for the delay 
  having involved an ignominious intraspace dalliance with his 
  co-pilot, a fact which didn’t please the mother of his children), 
  Dirkatchka described the daring rescue in his best-selling tell-
  all Coming and Going - The Slavoj Dirkatchka Story: 
   
  The booze was leaving my head.  Nikki was crouching 
  behind me. Still stunned by the appearance of the intruding 
  trippers, I cleared my throat and demanded their 
  explanation, attempting to regain a shred of my dignity.  In 
  response Captain Valdez silently gestured in the direction of 
  The Secret Darling – or rather the place where my beautiful 
  ship had been sitting the previous evening – and tapped his 
  wrist chronometer. 
  The next few minutes were a blur of stress and 
  embarrassment as Valdez and his crew hastily led us – still 
  naked – onboard the Mal Bicho.  Valdez explained that 
  they’d be shoving us out quickly, and repeated the protocol 
  as if I’d never heard it: 
  ‘Get well clear of the ship before we bounce.  We don’t 
  belong in your window.’ 
  The emergency procedures had been drilled into all pilots’ 
  heads for weeks now, but Bay X had never had a full run.  
  Valdez was planning to combine a Cartesian Slip with a 
  Temporal Slip back to the window Nikki and I came from, 
  where they would drop us off as quickly as possible before 
  bouncing back to their own window. If this didn’t work we’d 
  all be dispersed into tachyons. 
  There was no conversation on the slip back. I noticed that 
  the course calculations had been preset.  Wise. It seemed 
  everyone agreed there was no  point tempting fate any 
  more than we already had.  I do remember wishing we’d 
  brought our blanket with us. I felt numb. Valdez stared at us 
  the whole time over his shoulder, no expression on his face, 
  one thumb hovering over the manual override button in 
  case of flux.  There was no flux.  Thank the One Miraculous 
  God! 
  There was a flash of light and suddenly the launch bays of 
  Tracy Island were visible outside the portal.  Then Valdez’ 
  crew were pushing us, shoving us out the sliding door, 
  shouting for us to move faster and stay clear of the ship.  
  We complied.  I think I was blushing with my entire body.  
  When we hit the ground I grabbed Nikki’s hand and pulled 
  her to the open end of the bay, gasping.  
  Across the room, on the other side of the loading zone, I saw 
  Valdez standing beside the Mal Bicho.  I spun around to see 
  the other Mal Bicho – the one that had rescued us – just as 
  it was disappearing, nothing but a brief glimpse  of colored 
  fumes in the air. 
   
  
  32 
   
  ABOUT TIME TRAVEL 
  This section details some of the finer points of time travel, 
  both past and future.  Most of this information will be known 
  by any PC who succeeds in a Slip Dynamics roll vs DL3. 
  INTO THE PAST 
  Launching his self-made vessel “Excelsior” not two months 
  after the death of Zayim Diaspora, Jackson made no secret 
  about the fact that his plan was to travel back in time and 
  warn Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. about his impending 
  assassination.  This mission Jackson accomplished to his 
  own satisfaction, meeting with King on April 21st 1963, 
  years prior to the tragic killing. Upon his return Jackson 
  discovered no evidence of any drift or recorded change, and 
  yet the murder of King had still occurred; history had not 
  been altered in any appreciable way. Professor Jason Eung’s 
  Theory of Circular Temporal Dynamics postulates that the 
  timeline always and already included Jackson’s journey, 
  and that King was always and already forewarned.  To 
  King, Jackson was no more than a dream. 
  The past has already happened and you can’t change it.  The 
  same is true of the future, at least the future of the timeline 
  you happen to be on.  They cannot be affected.  
  The certainty of these facts – known since the days of Einstein 
  – cast doubt on the possibility of time travel for nearly two 
  centuries.  As it turns out, time travel is possible.  It’s just that 
  when you inhabit another point in Earth’s timeline, what 
  actually happens is rather different from the way it appears. 
  It's all about Temporal Resistance.  The moment your ship’s 
  RA field is activated, your presence is held in stasis at your 
  departing moment in Home-Earth's timeline, and for a limited 
  duration this prevents the timeline from accepting your 
  presence elsewhen.  In other words, for up to about 24 hours, 
  the field "fools" the timeline into behaving as if you're still in 
  the time period where you belong, and this prevents our 
  current reality from "forking" into two distinct timelines.  If 
  that were to happen, all knowledge brought back by previous 
  DayTrippers about our own future could be instantly nullified, 
  since the entire planet might now be on an entirely new 
  timeline.  That would be something to avoid. 
  While you're in the past, because you "aren't really there" as 
  far as the timeline is concerned, you can interact with your 
  surroundings and cause apparent change to occur.  But the 
  moment you return to your native window, the tendency of 
  reality is to "gel" around you again - at both ends of the trip. 
  In other words, just as life in the here-now fills in the gaps as 
  though you were actually here the whole time, life in the there-
  then gels around your absence, making real the fact that you 
  were never there at all.  
   That’s the best-case scenario, anyway. 
  As long as your actions are negligible enough to avoid paradox 
  - destroying no physical structures nor causing anyone to go 
  missing who might be missed, for instance - history will seal up 
  around the non-fact of your visit, and the details will fade away 
  due to the timeline’s natural process of collective 
  objectification; however they may still leave some traces. To 
  someone in the past who you met (but could never possibly 
  have met), you may be recalled as a dim memory or a 
  disembodied voice, a shadowy figure or a vision, and nothing 
  more.  It has been theorized that many such intercessions may 
  have occurred through history - Thomas Jefferson's cloaked 
  stranger, Otto Loewi's dream experiment on chemical 
  transmission, Madame C.J. Walker's hair-restoring visitation, 
  Andrew Carlssin and the Angel of Mons are all likely examples. 
  On occasion, by choice or by accident, a DayTripper will 
  perform some action in the past which seems sure to alter the 
  timeline, only to find upon returning to the present that 
  nothing has changed at all, and no vector drift has occurred.  
  This is called a “Jackson Loop” after its discoverer Demetrius 
  Jackson, the second DayTripper and inventor of the 
  Automated Survival Suit. 
  If your actions in the past alter collective reality strongly 
  enough so that the gap cannot be sealed (blowing up the 
  Statue of Liberty or killing your own ancestors, for instance), a 
  paradox occurs.  At that moment a whole new Earth – 
  complete with its own universe – is spawned instantly.  From 
  then-there forward you’re no longer on the timeline of Home-
  Earth, but rather a newly-spawned Alternate Earth with its 
  own timeline, which just happens to duplicate Home-Earth’s 
  timeline exactly, up to the moment you did whatever you did. 
  Aside from the potential of reality shock, this presents an 
  added difficulty for the DayTripping away-team.  Since the 
  universe they now exist in isn’t really the universe of Home-
  Earth but rather the universe of an Alternate Earth with a 
  timeline of its own, the slip back home becomes a Compound 
  Slip, involving two vectors rather than just one.  This raises the 
  Difficulty Level of the vector calculation to VERY HARD (DL 6). 
  INTO THE FUTURE 
  Traveling into the Future isn’t substantially different.  The 
  future of our own timeline is just as “locked-down” as the past, 
  and it responds to RA fields in the same way.  Just because we 
  haven’t seen it yet doesn’t mean it isn’t there. 
  The real differences between future-ward travel and past-ward 
  travel are more cultural and psychological: Travels into the 
  past often reveal shocking levels of brutality, intolerance, 
  racism, sexism, slavery, inquisition, persecution, and other 
  trauma-inducing facts of historical life; experiencing these 
  events first-hand can leave one visibly shaken or emotionally 
  changed.  They may even involve LifeShaping Events or cause 
  deep ideological realizations to be made.  Travels into the 
  future, on the other hand, are more likely to make the visitor 
  feel awkward, stupid, slow-moving, unevolved and totally out 
  of fashion. 
  
  33 
   
  SAMPLE NPCS & CREATURES 
  The following Stat Blocks provide a variety of “typical”  
  opponents and creatures which can be used as-is, or modified 
  to suit your own campaign.  Each is shown with its cost in CP. 
  All unlisted Stats have a Stat Score of 1. 
   
   
  HUMANS 
  ORDINARY PERSON (10) 
  ALL STATS 1 One Skill +1 
  ORDINARY PROFESSIONAL (31) 
  ALL STATS 1 One Skill +2 
  GEAR: Pro Kit 
  ORDINARY EXPERT (71) 
  ALL STATS 1 One Skill +3 
  GEAR: Pro Kit 
  LOW-LEVEL THUG/SECURITY (30) 
  GRACE 1 
  Firearm+1 
  HEALTH 2 
  MIGHT 2 
  Fighting+1 
  GEAR: Firearm+0 
  MID-LEVEL THUG/SECURITY (75) 
  GRACE 2 
  Firearm+1 
  HEALTH 3 
  MIGHT 2 
  Fighting+2 
  GEAR: Firearm+1 
  HIGH-LEVEL THUG/SECURITY (125) 
  GRACE 3 
  Firearm+2 
  HEALTH 3 
  MIGHT 2 
  Fighting+2 
  GEAR: Firearm+2 
  ESPIONAGE AGENT (136) 
  BRAINS 3 
  Computers+2 
  Encryption+2 
  CHARM 3 
  Rhetoric+2 
  PSYCHE 2 
  Psychoanalyze+1 
  GEAR: Pro Spy Kit 
  COMMANDO/TROOPER (170) 
  GRACE 3 
  Firearm+2 
  HEALTH 4 
  MIGHT 3 
  Fighting+2 
  GEAR: Firearm+2, Armor+1 
   
  NON-HUMANS 
  ZOMBIE (25) 
  MIGHT 1  
  Clawing +1 
  HEALTH 2  
  ARMOR: +1 (unless head shot is called) 
  ATTACK DOG (60) 
  GRACE 2 
  Leap+2 
  HEALTH 3 
  MIGHT 1 
  Bite+1 
  ATTACK BAT (90) 
  GRACE 4 
  Evading+1 
  Biting+1 
  Venom is a Toxin DL3 vs HEALTH 
  ATTACK SNAKE (105) 
  GRACE 3 
  Bite+1 
  Camouflage+2 
  Venom is a Toxin DL4 vs HEALTH 
  SASQUATCH (120) 
  GRACE 2 
  Hiding in Trees+2 
  HEALTH 3 
  MIGHT 4 
  Fighting+2 
  PSIONIC BRAINIAC (160) 
  BRAINS 4 
  Read Thoughts+3 
  CHARM 2 
   
  PSYCHE 3 
  Psychic Blast+2 
  KILLER ROBOT (215) 
  BRAINS 2 
  Track Humans+2 
  HEALTH 4 
  MIGHT 5 
  Crush/Kill/Destroy+2 
  GEAR: Firearm+1 
  HYPER-TRIFFID (245) 
  GRACE 4 
  Spit Poison+3 
  MIGHT 3 
  Bashing+3 
  Venom is a Toxin DL4 vs HEALTH 
  GARGANTUAN SAND FISH (440) 
  GRACE 4 
  Burrowing Silently+2 
  HEALTH 5 
  MIGHT 5 
  Swallow Whole+4 
  MECHA WARRIOR (565) 
  GRACE 2 
  Firearm+4 
  HEALTH 6 
  MIGHT 5 
  Fighting+2 
  GEAR: Firearm+2, Armor+2 
  
  34 
   
   
  Generators 
  Some GMs like to use off-the-shelf modules, some flesh them 
  out with custom details, some write their adventures from 
  scratch, some like rolling and improvising on the fly, and 
  some like doing lots of prep. All of these are fine. Generators 
  are Tools, not Rules. They’re designed to provide prompts for 
  the bizarre and original, giving you many thought-provoking 
  ideas to project on… no matter what your preferred style.  
  Use them any way you like, I’m not here to judge anyone. 
  GENERATORS AS SURREALIST TOOLS 
  Although the word “surreal” is often associated with paintings, 
  performance art and film, the first wave of Surrealists were 
  writers and poets. André Brenton, author of “The Surrealist 
  Manifesto”, was a French poet whose goal was to combine 
  conscious and subconscious realities into a new “greater 
  reality”. By his definition, the word “surrealism” implied “a 
  fusion of elements of fantasy with elements of the modern 
  world to form a kind of superior reality.” The Surrealists 
  believed that art was created unconsciously. They dabbled in 
  psychology, they used trance, hypnotism and drugs to expand 
  consciousness, they juxtaposed concepts and images to 
  produce experiences that were not available in the waking 
  world, and they invented scores of techniques for doing so. 
  Some of the most influential and fruitful techniques involved 
  random output, which had its roots in Automatism (“automatic 
  writing”). At this point the Surrealist School splits into two 
  camps: Automatist Surrealists don’t interpret their work, 
  believing only in experiencing and feeling it. Veristic 
  Surrealists, on the other hand, took it another step: they used 
  their random output as creative input, and produced meaning 
  by connecting and interpreting the random impressions they 
  generated via these unconscious processes. 
  This is not very different from a GM prepping for a session.  
  Every time we roll dice to prep or flesh out an adventure, we’re 
  seeking Meaning by connecting the output of random and 
  unconscious processes. 
  By design, each table focuses on a specific question and allows 
  us to consider one topic at a time. But as results cumulate and 
  begin co-mingling, they become Surrealist Tools for activating 
  the contents of the subconscious. Like an artist considering 
  the audience, we must always remain mindful of our Players’ 
  Psychic Content as well, since they’ll be the ones experiencing 
  and interpreting everything that happens.  
  So. Keep your Players in mind, keep their characters in mind, 
  keep their LifeShaping Events in mind, and keep their Psychic 
  Content in mind while you use the Generators. 
  Let it come together. Your subconsciousness already knows 
  the answer, and the dice will help you find it. Or maybe it’s the 
  other way around? 
   
  Index of Generator Tables 
  MISSIONS 
  Mission Type 
  Node Type 
  Mission Details 
  Maguffins 
  Complications 
  Perks 
  Obstacles 
  Rewards 
   
  STARS 
  Star Size 
  Star Color 
  Special Stars 
   
  PLANETS 
  Planet Size 
  Gravity 
  Atmosphere 
  Atmospheric Pressure 
  Water 
  Climate 
  Biosphere  
   
   
  LOCATIONS 
  Surrounding Area 
  Local Condition 
  Terrain 
  Weather 
  Biodiversity 
  Predominant Colors 
  Unusual Wilderness Features 
  Weird Qualities 
  Nearby Objects 
  What Is This Place Used For? 
   
  LIFEFORMS 
  Body Shape 
  Body Surface 
  Symmetry 
  Sustenance 
  Appendages 
  Manipulators 
  Size 
  Locomotion 
  Senses 
  Sensory Apparatus 
  Reproduction 
  Other Characteristics 
  Social Group Size 
   
   
  SOCIETIES 
  Societal Values 
  Societal Problems 
  Levels of Technology 
  What Is Tech Used For? 
  Available Resources 
  Understanding of Reality 
   
  DRAMA 
  Dramatic Themes 
  Plot Twists 
  The Whole Drama 
   
  CHARACTERS 
  Attitudes & Reactions 
  What Are They Feeling? 
  What Are They Doing? 
  What Does This NPC Want? 
  What Is This NPC’s Archetype? 
  What Is This NPC’s Problem? 
  Monsters and Evil People 
   
  ALTERNATE EARTHS 
  The Pivotal Event 
  Scope of Change 
  When It Happened 
   
   
  DREAM WORLDS 
  Type of Divergence 
  Scope of Divergence 
  Form of Reality 
  Stability of Reality 
  What’s this Dream About? 
  Character Tweaks 
  Natural World Tweaks 
  Constructed World Tweaks 
   
  THE MULTIVERSAL CHAO 
  Brainstorming Techniques 
  Transformations 
  Temporary Tableaus 
  Pure Objects 
   
  TIME TRAVELS 
  Time Period 
  Social Strata 
  Field of Interest 
  What’s Going On? 
  Historical Maguffins 
  Attitudes & Reactions 
   
   
   
  
  35 
   
   
  Mission Generator 
   
   
  MISSION TYPE 
  It’s never a bad idea to have a number of extra missions 
  rolled up.  Even if you don’t flesh them out completely 
  or run your Players through them, they can be used as 
  random examples of “what’s to be found out there”, or 
  to tell the awe-inspiring stories of other DayTripper 
  teams. 
  THE BIG BOARD 
  Running 24/7 on the feedscreen at Tracy Island and 
  online at DSource, the “Big Board” is a realtime display 
  of all public “Slip Reqs” (requests) available.  Although 
  there are many other ways to learn about a job (and 
  many reasons to avoid announcing one), the Big Board 
  is still the most popular way for DayTripper Teams to 
  become aware of contracts currently accepting 
  applications or bids. At any given time, there are 1d6 
  missions of various types on the Big Board. 
  You may of course make any missions you want 
  available, but in a pinch, the following table can be used 
  to populate the Big Board: 
  ROLL 
  MISSION TYPE 
  NODE MOD 
  2-5 
  Exploration 
  +0 
  6 
  Emergency/Rescue 
  +0 
  7 
  Sightseeing/Tourism 
  +5 
  8-9 
  Survey/Fact-Finding 
  +4 
  10 
  Acquisition/Trade 
  +4 
  11-12 
  Politics/Diplomacy 
  +5 
   
   
  NODE TYPE 
  To determine the Node Type of the destination, 
  choose or roll 2d6 on the table at right and add the 
  NODE MOD from the Mission Type table above.  If 
  your Players prefer high weirdness, roll 1d6 or 2d4 
  instead. 
  RESULT NODE TYPE 
  2 
  Multiversal Chao 
  3-5 
  Unknown Planet 
  6-7 
  Dream World 
  8-9 
  Alternate Earth 
  10 
  Time Travel 
  11+ 
  Known Planet 
   
  To use these rules as starter-points 
  for low-prep brainstorming, just 
  choose or roll on the tables that 
  interest you, and make up the rest. To 
  outline a complete DayTripper Mission 
  from scratch, step through the tables 
  as determined by your rolls. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  MISSION TYPE 
  NODE TYPE 
  MISSION DETAILS 
  MAGUFFINS 
  COMPLICATIONS 
  PERKS 
  OBSTACLES 
  REWARDS 
  TOTAL CHARACTER VALUE 
  Some of the instructions in this section refer to the TCV, or 
  Total Character Value, which can be found on the PC Sheet. 
  To determine a character’s TCV, add the character’s 
  original CP value to the number of XP SPENT on 
  advancements so far.  This total represents the abstract 
  “value” of the character right now. The typical starting 
  character has a TCV of 100. 
  To determine the TCV of the party, just add all the Player 
  Characters’  TCVs together. 
  This Total value will be used to quantify obstacles and 
  adversaries as the Mission develops. 
  
  36 
   
  MAGUFFINS 
  Maguffins are unique objects that are highly desirable, 
  from rare compounds and elements to powerful 
  technologies and magical artifacts – the kind of thing 
  DayTrippers just love to bring home.  Typically, 
  however, the PCs aren’t the only ones who want them, 
  and some sort of difficulty is likely to interpose itself. 
  Sometimes the Maguffin is the Objective of the mission 
  (this is especially true of Acquisition missions).  
  Sometimes the Maguffin is just a sideline in an 
  otherwise-unrelated adventure.  Either way, as special 
  items of great value, Maguffins shouldn’t come easy.  
  NPC locals may be highly possessive of them; they may 
  be hidden, lost, or otherwise obscured (even if in plain 
  sight); there may be some sort of test, conflict or 
  gauntlet required to even get near them; they may be 
  located in dangerous environments or unstable areas of 
  reality, making their attainment more easily said than 
  done. 
  Every DayTrip has at least one Maguffin.  Choose or roll 
  2d6 for each Maguffin on the following table. 
   
  ROLL 
  MAGUFFIN 
  2 
  Person 
  3 
  Weapon/Defense 
  4 
  Resource/Chemical/Mineral 
  5 
  Shipment/Message 
  6 
  Report/Database 
  7 
  Rumor/Legend/Theory 
  8 
  Machine/Tool/Technique 
  9 
  Plant/Fungus 
  10 
  Creature/Specimen/DNA 
  11 
  Unique Organic Item 
  12 
  Unique Inorganic Item 
   
   
   
   
   
  NOTE: For Time Travels to the past, a special set of 
  Historical Maguffins can be found in the Time Travel 
  Generator (p.84). 
  You don’t need to think too hard about the Maguffins 
  right now; let them percolate while you determine the 
  rest of the details.  By the time the Node gets some 
  fictional flesh on its bones, the Maguffin will make more 
  sense. 
  Example: We roll a 5, which tells us there’s an 
  important shipment or message our PCs will be 
  interested in.  We’ll keep this in the back of our mind 
  while we determine the rest of the details. 
   
  MISSION DETAILS 
  Contract missions (DayTrips-for-hire) will always have a 
  specific Objective. This is typically stated in the contract 
  as a set of “Deliverables”. You decide what they are. 
  But a real Mission needs more detail than that. The 
  following tables may be used to determine the nature of 
  these additional details, which may include Maguffins, 
  Complications, Perks, Obstacles and Rewards. 
  NUMBER OF MISSION DETAILS 
  Every Mission has one Maguffin, whether or not the PCs 
  ever become aware of it.  There’s always something that 
  could be brought back from a DayTrip, even if it’s just 
  information.   
  In addition to this “free” Maguffin, there will be some 
  other Mission Details.  Take the TCV (Total Character 
  Value) of each PC and add them together.  For every 100 
  points in the party’s total TCV (rounding up), grab 1d6.   
  Now roll all those dice at once, and consult the following 
  table: 
  FOR EACH 
  MISSION DETAIL 
  1 
  Add one Reward 
  2 
  Add one Maguffin 
  3 or 4 
  Add one Complication 
  5 or 6 
  Add one Obstacle 
  NOTE: Just because you don’t roll any Obstacles for the 
  Mission doesn’t mean that there won’t be anything or 
  anyone making life difficult. It just means there’s nothing 
  impeding the Mission Goal directly. The Mission might 
  seem to be a cakewalk.  But NPCs still have their own stuff 
  going on, random encounters still occur, and local drama 
  may end up pulling the PCs down a completely different 
  path, because the Story often diverges from the Mission. 
  BASE PAY 
  The Base Pay is the total of all those dice you just rolled. 
   This may be modified by Perks (see below). 
  Example: The party we’re prepping for has a TCV of 
  300 (Chaz and two trainees), so we roll three dice and 
  get 3, 5 and 6.  Aside from the free Maguffin, this 
  mission will include one Complication and two 
  Obstacles.  The Base Pay will be 14M (3+5+6). 
   
  
  37 
   
   
   
  COMPLICATIONS 
  Complications are things that will make the mission 
  harder.  Some of them may be known before the mission 
  begins, though not all, and not always.  Complications 
  are rated by an MV (Mission Value), which is based on 
  their general type. To determine a Complication and its 
  corresponding MV, choose or roll 2d6 on the following 
  table. For Non-living Complications, roll 2d6+1. 
  ROLL COMPLICATION 
  MV 
  2 
  Relations are Shaky 
  30 
  3 
  No Intel 
  50 
  4 
  Rival/Race Conditions 
  30 
  5 
  Narrow Window of Opportunity 
  20 
  6 
  Must be Kept Secret 
  20 
  7 
  Scant/Shaky Intel 
  10 
  8 
  Bad/False Intel 
  30 
  9 
  Stealth Required 
  20 
  10 
  Involves Criminal Motives 
  40 
  11 
  Object of Mission will Refuse/Resist 
  20 
  12-13 
  War Zone/Tumultuous Change 
  50 
  QUANTIFYING COMPLICATIONS 
  Total up the MV of all your Complications.  We’re about 
  to offset it by adding Perks. 
  Example: Rolling a 6, we learn that this mission must 
  be kept secret.  This Complication has an MV of 20. 
   
  PERKS 
  Perks are offered to prospective contractees during 
  mission negotiations, to “sweeten the pot” by offsetting 
  the negative effects of Complications.  Perks are rated 
  by an MV (Mission Value), which is based on their price. 
  Possible Perks and their corresponding MVs are shown 
  below. 
  Choose or roll 2d6 on the following table: 
  ROLL PERK 
  MV 
  2 
  One +3 Item 
  50 
  3 
  Two +2 Items 
  40 
  4 
  Additional Pay 
  1 per M 
  5 
  One Pro Kit 
  1 
  6 
  One +1 Item 
  10 
  7-8 
  Power Supply 
  1 per 10mW 
  9-10 
  SlipShip Components 
  1 per M 
  11-12 
  Training: One new Skill at 
  Level 1 
  10 
  QUANTIFYING PERKS 
  The total MV of all your Perks should equal the total MV 
  of all your Complications (give or take 10%).  Adjust your 
  Perk values as necessary in order to make these two 
  numbers come out roughly even. 
  Example: To offset our Complication of 20 MV, we 
  roll on the Perks table and get an 8, which means 
  “Power Supply”.  200mW of Power seems like a very 
  tempting offer, but we decide to give them 100mW 
  instead (10) and throw in a +1 Item (10). 
   
  GETTING THE JOB (OPTIONAL RULE) 
  If you have several missions available, you may wish to 
  make applicants go through a screening process when 
  applying for contract jobs.  The DL of getting the job is 
  equal to the number shown below.  To simulate the job 
  interview, one PC in the group may roll against this number 
  using using a number of dice equal to their Charm, Rank or 
  Fame Level (their choice). Other PCs may make Help rolls. 
  MISSION TYPE 
  DL TO GET JOB 
  Exploration 
  1 
  Emergency/Rescue 
  2 
  Sightseeing/Tourism 
  3 
  Survey/Fact-Finding 
  4 
  Acquisition/Trade 
  5 
  Politics/Diplomacy 
  6 
   
   
  
  38 
   
   
   
  QUANTIFYING OBSTACLES 
  Obstacles are rated by an MV (Mission Value) which is based 
  on their difficulty. Obstacles may be combined (a trap might 
  involve two “HARD” obstacles, one to defy the murderous 
  mechanism, and another to escape, for instance). 
  The maximum MV of a Hero Obstacle equals the TCV of a 
  particular PC in the Party (give or take 10%), and must be 
  addressable using a Skill that character possesses. 
  The maximum MV of a Mass Obstacle equals the lowest 
  individual TCV in the Party (give or take 10%). 
  The maximum MV of a Living Obstacle equals the total TCV 
  of the Party (give or take 10%). 
  Obstacles requiring Action Resolution rolls are worth MVs 
  based on their Difficulty Levels, as shown on the table below.  
  Adjust the properties and capabilities of your Obstacles as 
  needed to affect their difficulty. Obstacles may be split into 
  smaller ones or combined into larger ones, as need be. 
  O B S T A C L E  MV S  B Y  D I F F I C U L T Y 
  DL 
  DIFFICULTY 
  MV 
  1 
  No-brainer 
  10 
  2 
  Easy 
  20 
  3 
  Challenging 
  30 
  4 
  Difficult 
  50 
  5 
  Hard 
  80 
  6 
  Very Hard 
  100 
  7 
  Unlikely 
  150 
  8 
  Ridiculous 
  200 
  9 
  Absurd 
  250 
  10 
  Insane 
  300 
   
  OBSTACLES 
  Obstacles are people, places or things that will actively 
  or passively resist or obstruct the PCs’ Mission in some 
  direct way, causing a significant problem or conflict to 
  arise. There are three types of Obstacles: Hero Obstacles, 
  Mass Obstacles and Living Obstacles. 
  HERO OBSTACLES can be overcome by a single PC, and 
  only need to be overcome once in order to be 
  permanently defeated.  Example: Breaking the rusty lock 
  of a cell in which the party is trapped. 
  MASS OBSTACLES must be overcome by all the PCs, 
  and force each PC to roll against them individually.  
  Example: A toxic cloud that envelops the party, forcing 
  everyone to make Unopposed Action rolls vs HEALTH. 
  LIVING OBSTACLES include Rival DayTrippers, 
  Dangerous Individuals, Wildlife and Monsters. 
  To determine the general nature of each Obstacle, 
  choose or roll 2d6 on the following table.  To check for 
  Non-Living Obstacles only, roll 1d6+6. 
  ROLL 
  OBSTACLE 
  TYPE 
  2 
  Rival DayTrippers 
  Living 
  3 
  Political/Cultural Challenge 
  Living 
  4 
  Dangerous Individual 
  Living 
  5 
  Organized Hostile Group 
  Living 
  6 
  Wildlife/Monster 
  Living 
  7 
  Dangerous Object 
  Mass 
  8 
  Dangerous Environment 
  Hero, Mass 
  9 
  Technical Challenge 
  Hero, Mass 
  10 
  Psychological Challenge 
  Hero, Mass 
  11 
  Chaos or Reality Divergence 
  Mass 
  12 
  Flux Storm 
  Hero 
   
   
  REWARDS 
  Rewards are given to the PCs only after the mission is 
  completed. There’s no need to mention them 
  beforehand, unless you want to.  Possible Rewards are 
  shown below. 
  Choose or roll 2d6 for each Reward on the following 
  table:  
  ROLL PERK 
  2-7 
  Fortune: 1d6 x 1M for each Crewmember 
  8-10 
  Fame: +1 Fame Level for each Crewmember 
  11-12 Rank: +1 Rank for each Crewmember * 
   
  * If the PC is not a member of any military service or 
  political organization, this rank may be a secret one, or 
  an internal corporate one. 
  Example: We decide that our first Obstacle will be of the 
  Non-Living variety.  Rolling a 2 (+6=8) means the PCs will 
  have to negotiate their way through a Dangerous 
  Environment of some kind. 
  Now let’s quantify it. Checking the table at right, we see that 
  if we thought of it as a single Mass Obstacle it would have an 
  MV of 300; way too high for our non-legendary protagonists. 
  So we decide to break it up into three VERY HARD “Hero” 
  Obstacles (100 x 3 = 300). They’ll all have to face at least one. 
  
  39 
   
  You don’t need to make all Obstacles at maximum value. You 
  don’t even need to set them now. It’s more satisfying to make 
  the difficulty of encountered Obstacles increase as the story 
  progresses, starting with smaller MVs and upping the difficulty 
  until the greatest Obstacles (roughly equal to the party’s TCV) 
  are faced near the mission’s end. 
  It is important that your PCs have a fair chance of actually 
  succeeding against these Obstacles.  By consulting the Success 
  Determination Tables earlier in this book, you can accurately 
  target individual PCs or the entire group, tailoring the nature 
  and difficulty of Obstacles to the party.  On a typical mission, 
  significant Obstacles should give the PCs around a 30%-50% 
  chance of success, without considering any modifiers. 
  Example: We next decide to create a Hero Obstacle for 
  Chaz, using his Mounted Weapon skill 3d6+1.  He’s gonna 
  need to hit a small target with a torpedo to blow up a big 
  evil spaceship.  Just how hard is it to hit this target? Well… 
  a  DL 6 is very close to his TCV of 110, and would give him a 
  42% chance of success.  He can increase this chance with 
  favorable Mods.  Sounds about right! 
  LIVING OBSTACLES 
  Living Obstacles are either Characters (NPCs) or Creatures.  
  It’s a good idea to work up a Stat Block to identify their 
  strengths and capabilities, and give them some unique 
  qualities. Living Obstacles are built just like Player Characters, 
  and at the same CP costs. Give them whatever skills you feel 
  they need. 
  STATS 
  Stat Score 1 = 0 CP 
  Stat Score 2 = 5 CP 
  Stat Score 3 = 15 CP 
  Stat Score 4 = 40 CP 
  Stat Score 5 = 100 CP 
  Stat Score 6 = 200 CP 
  Example: A Guard with GRACE 2 and MIGHT 2, with 1 in all 
  other Stats, would have a CP cost of 10. 
  SKILLS 
  To buy Skill Levels, spend CP as shown below: 
  To increase a Skill Level from 0 to 1 = 10 CP 
  To increase a Skill Level from 1 to 2 = 20 CP 
  To increase a Skill Level from 2 to 3 = 40 CP 
  To increase a Skill Level from 3 to 4 = 100 CP 
  To increase a Skill Level from 4 to 5 = 200 CP 
  To increase a Skill Level from 5 to 6 = 500 CP 
  Example: If we take the guard from the above example and 
  add Firearm Skill +1 and Hand Weapon Skill +1, the total 
  MV cost for that guard would be 30 (10 for Stats and 20 for 
  Skills). 
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  If a lifeform or weapon has some special ability, you’ll have to 
  determine its MV cost. The best way to do this is to decide 
  whether the ability will be treated as a Skill or as an Obstacle, 
  and then quantify it accordingly. For example: 
  INVISIBILITY –  Full or partial invisibility applies a negative 
  Mod to all incoming attacks, even when the lifeform is not 
  Defending. The Mod is similar to the Cover Bonus: -1 for 
  partly obscured; -2 for mostly obscured, -3 for almost 
  entirely obscured and -4 for completely invisible. Because 
  this Mod affects die rolls directly, it will be treated as a 
  Skill.  That means -1 costs 10, -2 costs 30, -3 costs 70 and -
  4 costs 180. 
  POISON –  Poisons cause a separate resistance roll to be 
  made, apart from the bite or attack that delivered them in 
  the first place. As such, they will be treated as Obstacles. 
  That means that a poison with a DL of 3 will have an cost 
  of 30 (same as any Obstacle with a DL of 3). This is added 
  to the MV of the lifeform. 
  EQUIPMENT 
  You may choose to equip your NPCs with Gear. When buying 
  Gear, Item Bonuses cost the same as Skill Levels. 
  WORTHY ADVERSARIES 
  Sometimes you’ll want to build a  character to be a “worthy 
  adversary” for a PC or group. The easiest way to do this is to 
  literally give the NPC the same Stat Scores and Skill Levels as 
  their opposed PC, moving the numbers  around if desired but 
  retaining the same values. Two Stat Scores may be swapped, 
  for instance.  One Skill may be swapped for another, or 
  swapped for a piece of Gear with the same Bonus value.  This 
  guarantees that the adversary’s TCV will equal the PC’s. 
  Example: Chaz Modine has a TCV of 120: 
  BRAINS 
  2 
  Slip Dynamics +1 
  CHARM 
  2 
  GRACE 
  3 
  SlipShip Pilot +1 Mounted Weaponry +1 
   
   
  Fighting: Judo +1 
  HEALTH 
  1 
  MIGHT 
  2 
   
  PSYCHE 
  1 
  Automated Survival Suit 
  Repair Kit +1 
  A Worthy Adversary for Chaz will have one Stat at 3 and 
  three at 2, four Skills at +1 and one piece of Gear +1. We 
  choose whichever Stats and Skills we want, and name the 
  Gear. Finally, since Chaz paid for his ship with 28 of his own 
  CP, we could give the Adversary a vehicle of their own 
  worth a similar amount or spend 28 CP on additional Gear. 
  Instead we decide to give the Adversary a henchman worth 
  30 MV, like the Guard from the last example.. Together this 
  Adversary and Guard will be worth 130 MV, which is very 
  close to Chaz’ TCV of 120. 
  
  40 
   
  ADDITIONAL MISSIONS  
  ON  THE BIG BOARD 
  The “Big Board” at Diaspora Ranch has several missions on it 
  at all times, and more are available through other channels 
  such as word of mouth, who-you-know, backdoor deals and 
  good old nepotism. 
  That’s why it’s never a bad idea to brainstorm a handful of 
  missions more than you actually need. The detail on these 
  missions doesn’t have to be deep, just enough for you to feel 
  you could flesh them into a session out if you had to.  Roll ‘em 
  up and think about ‘em a little, then move on. 
  While the Players are considering the missions on the Big 
  Board, you’ll probably pick up some Psychic Content in the 
  preferences and concerns they display regarding certain 
  mission types. This information will be useful later, whether 
  during this session or further down the road. Getting to know 
  your Players’ interests  is always useful further down the road. 
  Presenting your Players with multiple options for their next 
  mission is not only in keeping with the fiction of DayTrippers, 
  but it also gives you a shelf full of half-baked content to use for 
  describing the missions your Players didn’t go on, rounding out 
  the activities of NPC DayTrippers in your gameworld.  After 
  all, whether the Players were the ones doing them or not, 
  someone was flying those missions.  Let your Players hear 
  about it, or have them speak directly to the NPC DayTrippers 
  upon their return. 
  (Psst – There’s nothing like a good professional rivalry to spice up 
  a dangerous working environment.) 
   
  JUST A SUGGESTION 
  The Mission Generator is the most complex of all the 
  Generators in this book, and yet in some ways it’s the least 
  important. 
  Missions are very flexible things. Much of the time they 
  don’t even survive the session, as they quickly get mutated 
  by Player decisions or trampled by local drama. So don’t 
  get too hung up on what the dice tell you here; go with the 
  best Mission that fits the world you’re creating. 
  Don’t be afraid to change details on the fly, break one big 
  Obstacle up into smaller ones, roll the dice again, or swap 
  one detail for another.  The charts and dice are meant to be 
  suggestive, not restrictive, and I’m not your mom.  Besides, 
  it’s not the exact type of detail that’s important: the most 
  important aspects of a Mission Detail are its relative 
  difficulty and the flavor of its fictional effect. 
  
  41 
   
   
   
  Star Generator 
   
   
  STAR SIZE 
  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below to determine the 
  star’s size relative to Sol.  Note the COLOR MOD and 
  PLANETSIZE MOD, to be used later. 
  ROLL STAR SIZE 
  COLOR 
  MOD 
  PLANETSIZE 
  MOD 
  2 
  0.1 times Sol 
  +3 
  -3 
  3 
  0.5 times Sol 
  +3 
  -2 
  4-5 
  Sol-sized 
  +0 
  +0 
  6-7 
  5 times Sol 
  +0 
  +0 
  8 
  10 times Sol 
  +0 
  +0 
  9 
  50 times Sol 
  +1 
  +1 
  10 
  100 times Sol 
  +2 
  +2 
  11 
  500 times Sol 
  +3 
  +3 
  12 
  1000 times Sol 
  +4 
  +4 
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  If a human-habitable Node is required (a tourist 
  destination or resort, for instance), ignore the 
  PLANETSIZE MOD above and assume a PLANETSIZE 
  MOD of -3 instead. 
  Since every planet has a star, it’ll be 
  useful for descriptive purposes (if 
  nothing else) to figure out what kind 
  of star your planet is orbiting.  The 
  following tables will help you do that. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  STAR SIZE 
  STAR COLOR 
  SPECIAL STARS 
   
  
  42 
   
   
  STAR COLOR 
  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below, adding the 
  COLOR MOD for the star.  Once determined, roll the 
  indicated dice to determine the NUMBER OF PLANETS 
  orbiting the star. 
  ROLL 
  STAR COLOR 
  NUMBER OF 
  PLANETS 
  2 
  Blue-White 
  1d6 
  3 
  White 
  2d6 
  4-6 
  Yellow 
  3d6 
  7-8 
  Orange 
  2d6 
  9-10 
  Red 
  1d6 
  11 
  Dim Red 
  1d6 
  12+ 
  Special (see table at right) 
  1d6 
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  The human-habitable radius around a star is known as 
  the “Goldilocks Zone” (where it’s not too hot, not too 
  cold, but “just right”). Human ideas of Goldilocks Zones 
  are, of course, humanocentric. There are many lifeforms 
  living comfortably beyond ranges that we would 
  consider hospitable. But since this is a game written by 
  humans to be played by humans, we’ll stick with the 
  human definitions. 
  Blue and Blue-White stars, being much hotter than Sol, 
  possess Goldilocks Zones which are farther out than our 
  own, while Orange and Red stars possess Goldilocks 
  Zones which are nearer. The following chart indicates 
  the distance in AU (Astronomical Units) for the human-
  habitable “Goldilocks Zone” around each type of star. 
  1AU = the distance from Earth to Sol. 
  S T A R  C O L O R 
  G O L D I L O C K S  Z O N E 
  Blue-White 
  4 AU 
  White 
  2 AU 
  Yellow 
  1 AU 
  Orange 
  1/2 AU 
  Red 
  1/4 AU 
  Dim Red 
  1/8 AU 
   
  SPECIAL STARS 
  If the star is of Type “Special”, ignore the Star Size rolled 
  above, and choose or roll 2d6 on the table below 
  instead. 
  ROLL SPECIAL STAR TYPE 
  2-4 
  Dwarf of random color.  Roll 2d6 for STAR 
  COLOR above; a result of ‘Special’ indicates a 
  Black Dwarf. 
  5-6 
  Brown Dwarf. 
  7-8 
  Cluster (binary, etc).  Roll STAR COLOR 
  again; a result of ‘Special’ indicates a Neutron 
  Star.  Then roll the size and color of its 
  companion star.  This process may repeat 
  indefinitely. 
  9 
  Nova (exploded star) 
  10 
  Pulsar 
  11 
  Quasar 
  12 
  Black Hole 
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  It’s unlikely to find a human-habitable planet orbiting a 
  pulsar, quasar or black hole, and yet it’s theoretically 
  possible.  The planet would have to be very far from the 
  star, and dense enough so that its gravity could keep its 
  atmosphere from slipping away into space.  Even still, 
  average temperatures on this planet would probably be 
  sub-arctic.  Due to the tremendous gravitational forces 
  at play, we might expect to see massive continental 
  shifts, increasing orbital drift or even gradual planetary 
  disintegration. 
   
   
  
  43 
   
   
  Planet Generator 
   
   
  From hostile and  life-threatening 
  environments like Harry Harrison’s 
  “DeathWorld” to the hospitable 
  surroundings of Star Trek’s “Class M” 
  planets, the Planet Generator tables 
  will assist in the creation of drastically 
  different and dynamic settings for 
  planetary adventures. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  PLANET SIZE 
  GRAVITY 
  ATMOSPHERE 
  ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 
  WATER 
  CLIMATE 
  BIOSPHERE 
  PLANET SIZE 
  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below, adding the 
  PLANETSIZE MOD from the Star Size table.  This will tell 
  you the PLANET TYPE, and also indicate a GRAV MOD 
  (gravity) to be used later. 
  ROLL PLANET TYPE 
  GRAV MOD 
  4- 
  Small Rock (Earth / 2d6) 
  -3 
  5 
  Asteroid or Moon 
  -5 
  6 
  Artificial Satellite or Space 
  Station 
  -2 
  7 
  Medium Rock (1/2 to 2 x Earth) 
  -1 
  8-9 
  Large Rock (3d6 x Earth) 
  +0 
  10-11 Gas Giant 
  +5 
  12+ 
  Rogue Planet/Comet 
  -3 
  A “Small Rock” will be 2,000-12,000 miles in diameter 
  (2d6 x 1000).  A “Medium Rock” will be 10,000-60,000 
  (10d6 x 1000).  A “Large Rock” will be 50,000-300,000 
  (5d6 x 10,000).  For comparison, Earth is roughly 24,000 
  miles in diameter. 
  GRAVITY 
  Gravity is rated in Gs: 1G equals Earth’s gravity.  Choose 
  or roll 2d6 on the table below, adding the GRAV MOD for 
  the planet.  This will also indicate the ATMO MOD 
  (atmosphere) to be used later. 
  ROLL 
  GRAVITY 
  ATMO MOD 
  4- 
  1G divided by 2d6 
  -2 
  5-6 
  1G divided by 1d6 
  -1 
  7 
  1d6 G 
  +0 
  8-10 
  2d6 G 
  +3 
  11-13 
  4d6 G 
  +5 
  14+ 
  6d6 G 
  +6 
   
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  Humans can survive indefinitely in gravity up to 3Gs, and for a 
  limited time in gravity between 3 and 5Gs.  Any physical activity 
  performed in less than 0.5Gs is one DL harder than usual.  On 
  planets with 2Gs or more, increase the DL by (gravity minus 1). If 
  gravity is greater than 5Gs, Automated Survival Suits must be 
  worn at all times to avoid crushing damage at (1 x gravity) hits per 
  minute.  These ranges are indicated on the Human Gravity 
  Endurance  chart below. 
  H U M A N  G R A V I T Y  E N D U R A N C E 
  <0.5 
  0.5–1.9 
  2.0–2.9 
  3.0–3.9 
  4.0–4.9 
  >5.0 
  +1 DL 
  Normal 
  +1 DL 
  +2 DL 
  +3 DL 
  Suit 
  Req. 
   
   
  
  44 
   
   
  ATMOSPHERE 
  To determine the principle makeup of the planet’s 
  atmosphere, choose or roll 2d6 on the table below, 
  adding the ATMO MOD for the planet.  This roll will also 
  indicate an H2O MOD (water), to be used later. 
  ROLL ATMOSPHERE 
  H2O MOD 
  4- 
  Atmosphere is escaping the 
  planet 
  -6 
  5 
  Extremely thin, no Oxygen 
  -6 
  6 
  Chlorine 
  -4 
  7 
  Carbon Dioxide 
  -3 
  8 
  Nitrogen/Oxygen with heavy 
  gases, Propane, Butane 
  -2 
  9 
  Dense Air (Nitrogen/Oxygen) 
  -1 
  10 
  Nitrogen/Oxygen with Ozone in 
  Stratosphere (Earthlike) 
  +1 
  11 
  Nitrogen/Oxygen with trace 
  toxins 
  +0 
  12 
  Ammonia & Methane 
  -4 
  13 
  Hydrogen & Helium 
  -5 
  14+ 
  Exotic toxic gases 
  -6 
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  Humans can survive indefinitely in atmospheres with a 
  Nitrogen/Oxygen basis, although trace toxins will cause 
  HEALTH rolls vs a DL equal to 1d6 if no safety 
  equipment is available. A failed roll will cause 1 hit of 
  damage to a random Stat, this roll must be made per 
  minute of inhalation. Once determined, the affected 
  Stat will not change for this planet.  
  ROLL DAMAGED STAT 
  1 
  BRAINS 
  2 
  CHARM 
  3 
  GRACE 
  4 
  HEALTH 
  5 
  MIGHT 
  6 
  PSYCHE 
   
  Ask your Players how they feel when the toxic 
  atmosphere begins to affect them. Do they have any 
  visions or realizations? 
   
  ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 
  Take whatever number you rolled on the table above 
  (2d6 plus ATMO MOD), and multiply it by the planet’s 
  Gravity.  This gives you the atmospheric pressure on the 
  surface of the planet, compared to Earth. 
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  Humans can survive indefinitely in atmospheric 
  pressures ranging from 0.5 and 2.0 (where 1.0 equals 
  Earth atmospheric pressure at sea level).  They can 
  survive for limited periods (a number of hours) in 
  atmospheric pressures between 0.3 and 0.5, and the 
  same is true for pressures between 2.0 and 3.0. 
  If the atmospheric pressure is lower than 0.3 or higher 
  than 3.0, Automated Survival Suits must be worn at all 
  times, even if the air is a breathable mix of nitrogen and 
  oxygen.  These ranges are indicated on the chart below: 
  H U M A N  A T M O S P H E R I C  P R E S S U R E  E N D U R A N C E 
  <0.3 
  0.3 – 0.5 
  0.5 – 
  2.0 
  2.0 – 3.0 
  >3.0 
  Suit 
  Limited 
  Safe 
  Limited 
  Suit 
  Req. 
   
   
   
  
  45 
   
   
   
   
  WATER 
  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below, adding the H2O 
  MOD for the planet. 
  ROLL 
  WATER 
  2- 
  Arid world, no water 
  3-5 
  Semi-Arid world, water frozen or beneath 
  surface 
  6 
  Very little standing water 
  7-8 
  Land surrounded by 40%-90% water 
  (1d6+3) x 10 
  9 
  Ocean world with 95-100% water 
  (1d6+94) 
  10+ 
  Water vapor makes up most of the 
  atmosphere 
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  Liquid water, of course, is essential to all earthlike 
  carbon-based lifeforms. Should your campaign include 
  galactic humanoid races, it might be safely assumed 
  that they have a similar requirement for H2O. The 
  existence of standing water – or the importation of 
  water on a huge scale – would be absolutely necessary 
  for any human colony to survive for long. The existence 
  of liquid water is also required for the formation of 
  certain minerals and organic compounds, making water-
  rich planets likely candidates for resource extraction 
  operations. 
  It goes without saying that on any planet which lacks 
  water but possesses a biosphere, life is going to be very 
  different from life as we know it on Earth. Lifeforms on 
  such a planet may not be carbon-based, for one thing. 
   
   
  CLIMATE 
  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below to determine the 
  general climatic range for the planet (in human terms).  
  This will also indicate the PRECIP DL (base DL of 
  precipitation), to be used later.   
  ROLL 
  CLIMATE 
  PRECIP DL 
  3- 
  Frozen solid; ice & rock 
  N/A 
  4-5 
  Arctic conditions 
  5 
  6-7 
  Cold 
  6 
  8 
  Temperate 
  7 
  9 
  Wildly variable 
  9 
  10 
  Hot 
  8 
  11 
  Greenhouse effect 
  5 
  12+ 
  Hellish 
  10 
  H UMAN  H ABI T ABI L I T Y 
  With proper equipment and a sealed shelter, humans 
  can survive in almost any climatic conditions.  The hull of 
  a SlipShip or an Automated Survival Suit will protect 
  against environmental harm as long as it maintains its 
  integrity.  Without proper equipment, Arctic or 
  Greenhouse environments require a HEALTH roll vs DL 6 
  each hour to avoid losing 1 hit from a random Stat.  
  Frozen or Hellish environments require such a roll every 
  ten minutes.  If the character has Survival Skill, their Skill 
  Bonus applies to this roll. 
  
  46 
   
   
   
  BIOSPHERE 
  Many Missions will involve interactions with sentient 
  lifeforms of some sort.  If those lifeforms evolved on the 
  planet in question, the biosphere must be capable of 
  supporting life.  But this isn’t always true. The lifeforms 
  found on an alien world certainly may have evolved 
  there – and they probably did – but not necessarily.  Just 
  because there’s no indigenous life on a planet doesn’t 
  mean it hasn’t attracted spacefaring lifeforms, maybe 
  even time-traveling lifeforms, in search of some bounty it 
  offers. 
  If desired, the nature of the biosphere may be 
  determined randomly.  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table 
  below. 
  ROLL 
  BIOSPHERE 
  2-3 
  Microbes/Viruses in atmosphere 
  4-5 
  No indigenous life 
  6 
  Proto-organisms in suspension 
  7 
  Proto-organisms and non-mobile lifeforms 
  8 
  Non-sentient lifeforms 
  9-10 
  Sentient lifeforms 
  11-12 
  Advanced sentient lifeforms 
  On any roll of 8 or higher, see the Lifeform Generator. 
  SOME NOTES ON WEATHER 
  Local weather is different from Climate, which is global and 
  general. Weather is mostly a matter of heat transference 
  between regions, fronts, or layers of the atmosphere, as 
  perceived from a given Location. You can determine more 
  about a specific Location (including the current weather there) 
  by using the Location Generator (p.46). 
  If the PCs wander into an area of the planet you haven’t 
  prepared, you can determine the weather roughly by rolling 
  2d6 vs the PRECIP DL shown above.  If the roll is higher than 
  the PRECIP DL, it’s raining, snowing, hailing, hurling jagged 
  blades of frozen methane or ammonia, etc.  If the roll equals 
  the PRECIP DL exactly, inclement weather is threatening and 
  winds are high.  The further the roll is from the PRECIP DL, the 
  calmer the weather is. Repeat this roll once per planetary day, 
  or whenever the PCs enter a new unprepped region. 
  
  47 
   
   
   
  Location Generator 
   
  The creation of a world is a daunting 
  task for any GM.  Thankfully, you 
  don’t need to create entire worlds.  
  You only need to detail those 
  Locations the PCs are likely to come 
  across, and you can cover the rest 
  with broad overviews and a splash of 
  color.  You can always take ideas 
  from your favorite fictional worlds, 
  and fill in the blanks with whatever 
  concepts suggest themselves, or you 
  can roll on the following tables. 
  The following tables will assist in 
  creating 
  interesting 
  outdoor 
  Locations for Rock Planets, including 
  Past Earths, Alternate Earths, and 
  any 
  Dream 
  Worlds 
  which 
  are 
  (relatively speaking) Earth-like. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  SURROUNDING AREA 
  To determine the general nature of the surrounding 
  area, choose off the following table or roll 2d6 and 
  apply the mods below. For planets with standing water, 
  use the left column.  For planets with none, use the 
  right.  For Ocean Worlds, you can ignore this table or 
  assume that the party materializes on a landmass of 
  some kind. 
  +1 for hot or greenhouse climate 
  +2 for hellish climate 
  -1 for frozen solid climate 
  ROLL 
  WATER 
  NO WATER 
  2- 
  Ice/Glaciers 
  Glaciers/Frozen Gas 
  3 
  Tundra/Microfauna 
  Colony/Rhizome 
  4 
  Rock/Gravel/Peaks 
  Sand/Stones/Slopes 
  5 
  Desert/Sand/Slopes 
  Chemical Reactions 
  6 
  Prairie/Plain/Flatland 
  Outcroppings/Peaks 
  7 
  Meadow/Colony/Cover 
  Flatland/Hot Pits 
  8 
  Water/Liquid Lake/Sea 
  Cliff/Ravine/Edge 
  9 
  Wetlands/Valley 
  Canyon/Valley Walls 
  10 
  Beach/Delta/Canyon 
  Liquid/Mineral Pool 
  11 
  Sinkholes/Eruptions 
  Sinkholes/Eruptions 
  12+ 
  Lava/Steam/ Gases 
  Lava/Mineral Deposits 
   
   
  PREDOMINANT COLORS 
  UNUSUAL WILDERNESS FEATURES 
  WEIRD QUALITIES 
  NEARBY OBJECTS 
  WHAT IS THIS PLACE USED FOR? 
   
  SURROUNDING AREA 
  LOCAL CONDITION 
  TERRAIN 
  WEATHER 
  BIODIVERSITY 
  
  48 
   
   
   
  LOCAL CONDITION 
  To determine the current condition of the Location, 
  choose off the following table or roll 2d6 and apply the 
  mods below.  For planets with mobile or non-mobile 
  lifeforms, use the left column.  For planets with no 
  indigenous lifeforms, use the right. 
  -1 for cold climate 
  +1 for hot climate 
  +1 for greenhouse climate 
  +2 for hellish climate 
  -1 for atmosphere of mostly water vapor 
  +1 for advanced sentient lifeforms 
  ROLL INDIGENOUS 
  LIFE 
  NO INDIGENOUS 
  LIFE 
  2- 
  Flooded 
  Frozen 
  3 
  Overgrown 
  Freezing 
  4 
  Moist 
  Stabilizing 
  5 
  Lush 
  Calm/Fluid 
  6 
  Vibrant 
  Ebullient/Bubbling 
  7 
  Struggling 
  Covered/Coated 
  8 
  Devastated 
  Active/Stirring 
  9 
  Burning 
  Chaotic/Unstable 
  10 
  Burned 
  Cracking/Spewing 
  11 
  Drying 
  Crumbling/Eroding 
  12+ 
  Dried 
  Blasted/Depleted 
   
   
  TERRAIN 
  To determine the terrain underfoot, choose off the 
  following table or roll 2d6 and apply the mods below.  
  On doubles, the terrain is mixed: take the one you 
  rolled and roll again. 
  +1 for gravity between 3 and 10 Gs 
  +2 for gravity of 10 or more Gs 
  ROLL 
  TERRAIN 
  2- 
  Mountainous 
  3 
  Crevassed 
  4 
  Jagged/Broken 
  5 
  Jumbled/Badlands 
  6 
  Sandy/Powdery 
  7 
  Smooth/Soft 
  8 
  Spongy/Yielding 
  9 
  Shifting/Flowing 
  10 
  Gelatinous/Sludge 
  11 
  Viscous/Liquid 
  12+ 
  Vaporous/Semi-Gaseous Liquid 
   
  WEATHER 
  To determine local weather, choose off the following 
  table or roll 2d6 and apply the following mods: 
  +1 for large bodies of  water on planet (40%-90%) 
  +2 for Ocean World or water vapor atmosphere 
  +1 for atmospheric pressure between 3 and 10 
  +2 for atmospheric pressure 10 or greater 
  -1 for gravity of 5 or more Gs 
  ROLL 
  WEATHER 
  2- 
  Viscous 
  3 
  Thick 
  4 
  Still/Clear 
  5 
  Gentle Flow/Wind 
  6 
  Moderate Flow/Wind 
  7 
  Cloudy/Murky 
  8 
  High Wind/Pressure Shift 
  9 
  Precipitating 
  10 
  Storming 
  11 
  Hurlant/Deadly 
  12+ 
  Explosive/Catastrophic 
   
   
  WEATHER AND TERRAIN AS NARRATIVE 
  DEVICES 
  Weather and Terrain can be strong indicators of 
  mood; they can even be used to create mood. 
  Consider making the weather and terrain match the 
  peaks and valleys of the narrative trajectory, whether 
  obviously or subtly. 
  Let the landscape follow the flow of the fiction. Make 
  the skies toss when things become threatening; make 
  the ground shake when danger looms near, make a 
  flower bloom when hope shines through darkness. 
  Although these fictional sensations of color, sound 
  and environmental conditions have no effect on dice 
  rolls or narrative progress, they can have a powerful  
  effect on the Players’ feelings of immersion. 
  
  49 
   
   
   
  BIODIVERSITY 
  Biodiversity suggests a thriving and complex 
  ecosystem. For planets with indigenous lifeforms of any 
  kind, choose off the following table or roll 2d6 and 
  apply the following mods. 
  -3 for no standing water on the planet 
  -2 for hurlant or explosive weather 
  ROLL BIODIVERSITY 
  4- 
  Sparse – little life at all 
  5 
  Monopolized by a single lifeform 
  6 
  Dominated by one superior lifeform 
  7 
  Low and stable – two or three lifeforms 
  8 
  Ecological precession – old species being 
  replaced 
  9-10 
  High and stable – many species highly 
  specialized 
  11-12 High and volatile – very desirable territory 
  The native species of a planet often share a general 
  form: just as most land creatures on Earth have one 
  head and four limbs.  Keep this in mind when creating 
  planetary ecosystems. 
   
  PREDOMINANT COLORS 
  To determine the color of something in this Location, 
  choose off the following table or roll 1d6 twice below, 
  cross-indexing the results.  Choose two predominant 
  colors for most regions.  Choose three or more for 
  regions with high biodiversity. 
  ROLL1 
  1-2 
  3-4 
  5-6 
  1 
  Red 
  Red-Orange 
  Pink 
  2 
  Orange 
  Yellow-Orange 
  Brown 
  3 
  Yellow 
  Yellow-Green 
  Tan 
  4 
  Green 
  Blue-Green 
  Gray 
  5 
  Blue 
  Blue-Violet 
  Slate 
  6 
  Purple 
  Red-Violet 
  Violet 
  50% of the time (roll high/low), any of these colors may 
  be modified by one of the following descriptors… 
  (1) Mottled/Striped 
  (4) Fading/Gradient 
  (2) Dark-hued 
  (5) Bright-hued 
  (3) Shifting/Changing 
  (6) Translucent 
   
  NATURAL RESOURCES 
  Does this Location have anything in the way of useful 
  resources? The needs of your adventure may be the 
  best determiner of that. 
  Locations with high biodiversity will possess resources 
  in the form of flora and fauna, in addition to the 
  naturally-occurring minerals and compounds that may 
  be found in uninhabited regions. Planets with 
  tremendously inhospitable environmental conditions 
  tend to be the ones where the most unusual minerals 
  and compounds may be found. In Dream Worlds, of 
  course, a resource might be anything. 
  TYPES OF RAW RESOURCES 
  The following list identifies a variety of resource types 
  that might be available for use or extraction. 
   plant parts 
   animal parts 
   fluids/tissue 
   waste/byproducts 
   bone/chitin 
   oil/resin 
   cellulose/wood 
   vines/fibers 
   sand/soil 
   gases/fumes 
   petrified cellulose 
   crystal/rock 
   metals/minerals 
   organic chemicals 
  
  50 
   
   
   
  “The image is a pure creation of the mind.  It cannot be 
  born from a comparison but from a juxtaposition of two 
  more or less distant realities.  The more the relationship 
  between the two juxtaposed realities is distant and true, 
  the stronger the image will be – the greater its 
  emotional power and poetic reality.” 
  - Pierre Reverdy 
   
  T A B L E  1:  N O  S E N T I E N T  L I F E F O R M S  (3D6) 
  ROLL 
  UNUSUAL FEATURE 
  3 
  Sparks/Shimmering/Light 
  4 
  Ravine/Rift/Depth 
  5 
  Pond/Pool of something 
  6 
  Emanation/Odor/Smoke/Gas 
  7 
  Mineral Deposit 
  8 
  Hole/Pit/Hollow 
  9 
  Cave/Tunnel/Opening 
  10 
  Disease/Blight/Patch/Spot 
  11 
  Lesser Lifeform/Organic Phenomenon 
  12 
  Anomalous Substance/Phenomenon 
  13 
  Vibration/Sound/Quake/Rumble 
  14 
  Electrical Charge/Chemical Process 
  15 
  Stream/River of something 
  16 
  Smoke/Mist/Fumes 
  17 
  Fires/Flares/Mirages 
  18 
  Blasted/Devastated Area 
   
  T A B L E  2:  L O W E R  L I F E F O R M S  (3D6) 
  ROLL 
  UNUSUAL FEATURE 
  3-7 
  Roll on Table 1 
  8 
  Feels like you're being watched 
  9-10 
  Tracks/Spoor/Evidence of passage 
  11-13 
  Strange Markings/Signs/Damage 
  14-16 
  Food/Water/Cache 
  17-18 
  Deliberately placed object 
   
  T A B L E  3:  S E N T I E N T  L I F E F O R M S 
  ROLL 
  UNUSUAL FEATURE 
  3-7 
  Roll on Table 1 
  8 
  Roll on Table 2 
  9-10 
  Blood/Bones/Remains/Carcass 
  11-12 
  Shards/Refuse/Offal/Trash 
  13-14 
  Statue/Megalith/Simple Structure 
  15-18 
  Trail/Path/Road 
   
  T A B L E  4:  A D V A N C E D  S E N T I E N T  L I F E F O R M S  (3D6) 
  ROLL 
  UNUSUAL FEATURE 
  3-7 
  Roll on Table 1 
  8-9 
  Roll on Table 2 
  10-11 
  Roll on Table 3 
  12-13 
  Dwelling/Construction/Ruin 
  14-17 
  Tool/Garment/Weapon/Trinket 
  18 
  Weapon/Armor/Vehicle/Marvel 
   
   
   
   
  UNUSUAL WILDERNESS FEATURES 
  The finishing touch on a Location is often some distinct 
  feature that makes it narratively different from others 
  of its type, even on the same planet. There may turn out 
  to be an important narrative reason for the feature’s 
  existence (which can be good or bad news for the PCs), 
  but if nothing else it will serve as an atmospheric detail, 
  adding to the depth and mystery of the entire Node. 
  To generate a random unusual feature for a wilderness 
  location, choose or roll 3d6 on the table at right which 
  most closely describes your planet’s biosphere: 
   Table 1: No Sentient Lifeforms 
   Table 2: Lower Lifeforms 
   Table 3: Sentient Lifeforms 
   Table 4: Advanced Sentient Lifeforms. 
   
  
  51 
   
   
   
  WEIRD QUALITIES 
  Choose or roll 1d6 on the table below, and then choose 
  or roll another 1d6 within that category. 
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 
  QUALITY 
  1 
  1 
  ancient 
  2 
  gleaming 
  3 
  odorous 
  4 
  shining 
  5 
  impossible 
  6 
  massive 
  2 
  1 
  reflective 
  2 
  opaque 
  3 
  shimmering 
  4 
  pulsing 
  5 
  chaotic 
  6 
  glowing 
  3 
  1 
  broken 
  2 
  aging 
  3 
  eroded 
  4 
  slime-covered 
  5 
  rough-hewn 
  6 
  colorful 
  4 
  1 
  beautiful 
  2 
  interconnected 
  3 
  translucent 
  4 
  clear 
  5 
  hovering 
  6 
  tone-producing 
  5 
  1 
  corrosive 
  2 
  unstable 
  3 
  flammable 
  4 
  dizzying 
  5 
  cacophonous 
  6 
  transparent 
  6 
  1 
  magnetic 
  2 
  flickering 
  3 
  porous 
  4 
  sheer 
  5 
  hot 
  6 
  freezing 
   
   
  NEARBY OBJECTS 
  Here are some objects you can apply those weird 
  qualities to.  Choose or roll 3d6 on one of the tables 
  below, depending upon whether or not your Location 
  has (or once had) intelligent life. 
  T A B L E  1:  N O  S I G N  O F  I N T E L L I G E N T  L I F E 
  ROLL 
  OBJECT 
  3 
  pit 
  4 
  plain 
  5 
  crevasse 
  6 
  ridge 
  7 
  pool 
  8 
  cave 
  9 
  bank 
  10 
  rampart 
  11 
  stone 
  12 
  mirage 
  13 
  sinkhole 
  14 
  tunnel 
  15 
  residue 
  16 
  geyser 
  17 
  mesa 
  18 
  gasball 
   
  T A B L E  2:  S I G N S  O F  I N T E L L I G E N T  L I F E 
  ROLL 
  OBJECT 
  3 
  ruin 
  4 
  tower 
  5 
  pinnacle 
  6 
  spire 
  7 
  machine 
  8 
  orb 
  9 
  megalith 
  10 
  structure 
  11 
  canal 
  12 
  road 
  13 
  path 
  14 
  glyph 
  15 
  trap 
  16 
  corpse 
  17 
  wall 
  18 
  wreck 
   
   
  
  52 
   
  WHAT IS THIS PLACE USED FOR? 
  This table determines the purpose of buildings or built-
  up areas in advanced civilizations: societies that feature 
  distribution of labor and have specific areas or 
  structures dedicated to certain types of activities. 
  If PCs enter a random structure or find themselves in a 
  random part of this civilization, we’ll want to know 
  which part they’re in, and what goes on here.  Choose or 
  roll 3d6 on the table below to find out. 
  ROLL 
  ACTIVITY 
  3 
  Prison/Penal Colony 
  4 
  Ruined/Under Construction  
  5 
  Depleted/Denuded/Discarded 
  6 
  Factory/Manufacturing 
  7 
  Temple/Shrine/Ceremony 
  8 
  Healing/Medicine 
  9 
  Market/Trading/Negotiation 
  10 
  Domiciles/Dwellings/Habitation 
  11 
  Gallery/Theater/Entertainment 
  12 
  Transit Hub/Gathering Place 
  13 
  Training/Practice/School 
  14 
  Park/Wild/Preserve/Untouched 
  15 
  Court/Government/Council 
  16 
  Mine/Farm/Resource Gathering 
  17 
  Stadium/Parade Ground 
  18 
  Conflicted/Disputed Territory 
  Note that these words are meant as functional 
  metaphors, not literal descriptions. Alien ideas of a 
  “prison”, a “factory” or a “market” are almost certainly 
  very different from ours. There’s no reason to make these 
  things look like what humans would expect them to look 
  like. Instead, think about your lifeform’s physical 
  characteristics, social characteristics and other known 
  traits, and think about what that word might imply to 
  them. 
  
  53 
   
   
  Lifeform Generator 
   
   
  CORE BODY SHAPE 
  The core is the “torso” or central/main portion of the 
  lifeform’s body.  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below to 
  determine a category, and then choose or roll another 
  1d6 within that category.  For lifeforms living on a gas 
  giant, add 2 to Roll 1.  For lifeforms living in high gravity 
  (greater than 4 G), add 1 to Roll 1.  For lifeforms living in 
  low gravity (less than 0.5G), subtract 1 from Roll 1. 
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 
  CORE BODY SHAPE 
  4- 
  1 
  Disc-like 
  2 
  Hemispherical 
  3 
  Conical 
  4 
  Ribbon-like 
  5 
  Spherical 
  6 
  Star-like 
  5-7 
  1 
  Horseshoe-shaped 
  2 
  Egg-shaped 
  3 
  Pear-shaped 
  4 
  Teardrop-shaped 
  5 
  Triangular 
  6 
  Ribbon-like 
  8-10 
  1 
  Segmented 
  2 
  Disc-like 
  3 
  Hemispherical 
  4 
  Rectangular 
  5 
  Trapezoidal 
  6 
  Oval 
  11+ 
  1 
  Amorphous 
  2 
  Crystalline 
  3 
  Gaseous 
  4 
  Network 
  5 
  Rhizomic 
  6 
  Viscous 
   
  "A prime virtue in depicting the truly alien alien is 
  expressiveness... We don’t read The War of the 
  Worlds for its views on Martian biology or 
  psychology, but for the sensations of encounter." 
  - Gregory Benford 
   
  The variety of lifeforms in the 
  multiverse is beyond reckoning.  
  DayTrips to Known and Unknown 
  Planets will frequently involve some 
  sort of extraterrestrial species – often 
  intelligent – while forays into the 
  Dream Worlds and the Chao will 
  uncover stranger things still.  Even 
  Time Travels and trips to Alternate 
  Earths may run into extraterrestrial 
  aliens, depending on what Vector 
  you’re exploring. 
  This section will assist you in 
  brainstorming a wide variety of 
  bizarre lifeforms as needed.  The 
  tables below may be used by rolling 
  the dice, or by simply choosing the 
  options you like.  
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  MANIPULATORS 
  SIZE 
  LOCOMOTION 
  SENSES 
  SENSORY APPARATUS 
  CORE BODY SHAPE 
  BODY SURFACE 
  SYMMETRY 
   
  SUSTENANCE 
  APPENDAGES 
  REPRODUCTION 
  OTHER  CHARACTERISTICS 
   
  SOCIAL GROUP SIZE 
  
  54 
   
   
   
   
  SYMMETRY 
  To determine the symmetry of your lifeform, choose off 
  the following table or roll 2d6.  This roll will also indicate 
  the number of appendages, to be used later. 
  ROLL 
  SYMMETRY 
  APPENDAGES 
  2-3 
  Asymmetrical 
  2d6 
  4-6 
  Radial 
  3d6 
  7-9 
  Bilateral 
  1d6 x 2 
  10 
  Trilateral 
  1d6 x 3 
  11 
  Longitudinal 
  1d6 x 2 
  12 
  Shifting 
  2d6-6 (min 0) 
   
  BODY SURFACE 
  Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below to determine a 
  category, and then choose or roll another 1d6 within 
  that category.  For lifeforms living in a liquid 
  environment, subtract 3 from the first roll.  For lifeforms 
  with “gaseous” or “network” bodies, you can ignore this 
  table altogether. 
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 
  BODY SURFACE 
  4- 
  1 
  Translucent 
  2 
  Porous/Spongy 
  3 
  Rubbery 
  4 
  Cartilaginous Skeleton * 
  5 
  Spikes/Spines *† 
  6 
  Chitin/Shell * 
  5-6 
  1 
  Mossy 
  2 
  Plates/Scales * 
  3 
  Mineral ** 
  4 
  Slimy 
  5 
  Skin/Hide/Leathery 
  6 
  Bone/Exoskeleton * 
  7-9 
  1 
  Wrinkled 
  2 
  Leaves 
  3 
  Bristles 
  4 
  Blades/Scutes *† 
  5 
  Barbs † 
  6 
  Hair 
  10-12 
  1 
  Fur 
  2 
  Petals 
  3 
  Metallic ** 
  4 
  Feathers 
  5 
  Carapace * 
  6 
  Chitin/Shell * 
  NOTES: 
  †  
  may be used as a weapon 
  *  
  armor +1 
  ** 
  armor +2 
   
   
  SUSTENANCE 
  To determine what your lifeform extracts its nutrition 
  from, choose or roll 2d6 on the table below.  This roll 
  will also indicate a MANIP MOD (manipulators), to be 
  used later. 
  ROLL 
  SUSTENANCE 
  MANIP MOD 
  2- 
  Microlife 
  -2 
  3 
  Minerals 
  -2 
  4 
  Thermosynthesis 
  -1 
  5 
  Chemosynthesis 
  -1 
  6 
  Photosynthesis 
  -1 
  7 
  Mobile life 
  +1 
  8 
  Immobile life 
  +0 
  9 
  Electrosynthesis 
  -1 
  10 
  Radiation 
  -1 
  11 
  Gamma/X-rays 
  -1 
  12+ 
  Gravity 
  -1 
   
   
  
  55 
   
   
  APPENDAGES 
  Your lifeform possesses a number of appendages 
  determined by the APPENDAGES roll (see the 
  Symmetry table).  To determine the type, choose or roll 
  3d6 on the table below.  For lifeforms in a liquid 
  environment, add 2 to this roll. 
  On any result of doubles (two dice showing the same 
  number), more than one type of appendage is present: 
  take the one you rolled and roll again.  On any result of 
  triples (all three dice showing the same number), 
  dozens or scores of appendages are present: roll 2d6 
  times 10 to determine the exact number. 
  ROLL 
  APPENDAGES 
  MANIP 
  3 
  Branches/Vines 
  * 
  4 
  Cartilaginous Limbs 
  * 
  5 
  Winged/Webbed Limbs 
  * 
  6 
  Extensible Limbs 
  * 
  7 
  Jointed Limbs 
  * 
  8 
  Raptorial Arms 
  * 
  9 
  Retractable Limbs 
  * 
  10 
  Pseudopods 
  * 
  11 
  Stalks/Trunks 
  * 
  12 
  Tongues/Gastropods 
   
  13 
  Tendrils 
   
  14 
  Tentacles 
   
  15 
  Fins 
   
  16 
  Flippers 
   
  17 
  Pectoral Fins 
   
  18+ 
  Paddle Limbs 
   
   
   
  “As it happens, I get most of the fun out of working out the physical and chemical nature of a planet 
  or solar system, and then dreaming up life forms which might reasonably evolve under such conditions. 
  The story comes afterward. My excuse for using this general technique, if one is needed, is twofold. 
  First, I find it more fun. This will carry smaller weight for the author who is writing for a living. 
  Second, it is not unusual for the nature of the planet and its life forms, once worked out, to suggest 
  story events or even an entire plot line which would never otherwise have occurred to me." 
  - Hal Clement; 'The Creation of Imaginary Beings' 
   
  MANIPULATORS 
  Any set of appendages with an asterisk shown for 
  “MANIP” (see Appendages) may possess manipulators 
  on your option.  To describe a set of manipulators, 
  choose off the following table or roll 2d6 and apply the 
  following mods: 
  +MANIP MOD from Sustenance table 
  -2 for liquid environment 
  ROLL 
  MANIPULATORS 
  2- 
  Hairs/Fibers/Cilia 
  3 
  Prehensile Paddles/Leaves 
  4 
  Tendrils/Pseudodigits 
  5 
  Prehensile Tubes/Protuberances 
  6 
  Articulated Bones/Cartilage  
  7 
  Stingers/Hooks † 
  8 
  Webbed Digits Ψ 
  9 
  Pincers/Graspers † 
  10 
  Hands with Jointed Digits Ψ 
  11 
  Paws/Hooves 
  12+ 
  Feet with Jointed Digits Ψ 
  NOTES: 
  † 
  may be used as weapons 
  Ψ 
  may be weaponized on carnivores (nails, claws) 
   
  
  56 
   
   
   
  SIZE 
  To determine the size of your lifeform, choose off the 
  following table or roll 2d6 and apply the following 
  mods.  This will also indicate a LOCOMOTION MOD, to 
  be used later. 
  +1 for gravity less than 1 G 
  -1 for gravity between 3 and 10 Gs 
  -2 for gravity of 10 or more Gs 
  -1 for atmospheric pressure between 3 and 10 
  -2 for atmospheric pressure 10 or greater 
  +2 for lifeforms with gaseous or network bodies 
  ROLL 
  SIZE 
  LOCOMOTIO
  N MOD 
  2- 
  Molecular 
   
  3 
  Microscopic 
   
  4 
  Ant-sized 
   
  5 
  Rat-sized 
   
  6 
  Dog-sized 
   
  7 
  Human-sized 
   
  8 
  Horse-sized 
   
  9 
  Elephant-sized 
   
  10 
  Whale-sized 
  -1 
  11 
  City-block-sized 
  -2 
  12+ 
  City-sized or greater 
  -3 
   
   
  LOCOMOTION 
  To determine how your lifeform gets around, choose off 
  the following table or roll 2d6 and apply these mods: 
  +LOCOMOTION MOD from Size table 
  +1 for gravity less than 1 G 
  -1 for gravity between 3 and 10 Gs 
  -2 for gravity of 10 or more Gs 
  +1 for atmospheric pressure less than 1 
  -1 for atmospheric pressure between 3 and 10 
  -2 for atmospheric pressure 10 or greater 
  -3 for liquid environment 
  ROLL 
  LOCOMOTION 
  2- 
  Swimming 
  3 
  Floating/Immobile 
  4 
  Gliding/Drifting 
  5 
  Undulating 
  6 
  Squirming 
  7 
  Burrowing 
  8 
  Crawling/Paddling 
  9 
  Walking/Perambulating 
  10 
  Running 
  11 
  Leaping 
  12+ 
  Flying/Paddling 
   
   
  “The unexamined alien is not worth meeting.” 
  - Gregory Benford 
  “ To examine the alien is to examine our 
  presumptions about our own species." 
  - Walter E. Meyers 
   
  
  57 
   
   
   
  SENSES 
  Your lifeform will possess 2d6 senses.  For each, select a table below, and choose or roll on that table as indicated.  Senses with 
  an asterisk (*) may be Primary; i.e. the main sense relied upon for getting around and doing stuff.  Choose one of them. 
   
   
   
  TABLE 1 – BASIC SENSES.  Most lifeforms possess 
  some form of these senses, as evolution within any 
  competitive environment requires them for survival. 
  They don’t count against your 2d6. 
  If you choose to sacrifice one of these basic senses, you 
  can replace it with a more exotic one from the 
  Nonhuman Senses table below. 
  BASIC SENSES 
  Chemical Contact (Chemosensitivity) 
  Balance/Orientation (Equilibrioception) 
  Humidity/Moisture (Hydroreception) 
  Pain/Harm (Nociception) 
   
  TABLE 2 - HUMAN SENSES.  The eight senses shown 
  below are common to Earth-humans and most other 
  galactic hominids. 
  ROLL 
  HUMAN SENSES 
  3-7 
  Hearing (Audition) 
  8 
  Time (Chronoception) 
  9 
  Taste (Gustation) 
  10 
  Smell (Olfaction) 
  11 
  Light (Photoreception) 
  12 
  Touch (Tactition) 
  13 
  Temperature (Thermoception) 
  14-18 
  Sight (Vision) 
   
  TABLE 3 - NONHUMAN SENSES: The following senses are not common to 
  humans, but may be found in other lifeforms. 
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 
  NONHUMAN SENSES 
  2-5 
  2 
  Molecular Motion (Nanoception) 
  3-4 
  Chemical Structures (Spectroscopiception) 
  5-6 
  Radiation/Gamma (Electromagneception) 
  7-8 
  Wind/Current Velocity (Anemoreception) 
  9-10 
  External Pressure (Baroreception) 
  11-12 
  Ambient Chemicals (Chemoreception) 
  6-8 
  2-3 
  Echolocation (Sonar) * 
  4 
  Electric Fields (Electroreception) * 
  5-6 
  Heat Vision (Infrared) * 
  7-8 
  Pheromones (Species-Specific) 
  9-10 
  Acidity vs Alkalinity (Ph) 
  11-12 
  Micro-Audition (Infrasonic) * 
  9-12 
  2-3 
  Planet’s Magnetic Field (Magnetoreception) 
  4-5 
  Polarized Light (Polariception) * 
  6-7 
  Extended Tactition (Vibroreception) * 
  8-9 
  Ultraviolet Light (Extended Vision) * 
  10-11 
  Emotion (Telempathy) 
  12 
  Thoughts (Telepathy) 
   
   
  A NOTE ON GALACTIC HOMINIDS 
  It’s a common trope in some classes 
  of science fiction for a wide variety 
  of humanoid races to be found 
  scattered throughout the universe, 
  each a slight variation on the basic 
  humanoid form. This is often 
  explained by an ancient “galactic 
  seeding” of hominid forms, or by an 
  act of “panspermia” in which DNA 
  was scattered throughout the 
  cosmos aeons ago, eventually 
  yielding many different versions of 
  “humans”. 
  To create this sort of distant relative 
  to the human race, you may wish to 
  simply give them all of the Basic and 
  Human Senses, and then roll 
  high/low (50/50) to check for any 
  additional 
  senses 
  from 
  the 
  Nonhuman Senses table at left.  A 
  result of YES (high) indicates 1d6 
  additional Nonhuman senses. Aside 
  from Social Group Size and any 
  weird mutations (see the Other 
  Characteristics table), no other rolls 
  should be necessary.  
  
  58 
   
   
    
  S E N S O R Y  A P P A R A T U S  T A B L E 
  SENSE ROLL: 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  11 
  12 
  Hearing (Audition)* 
  G 
  B 
  C 
  F 
  U 
  U 
  A 
  P 
  S 
  T 
  H 
  Time (Chronoception) 
  C 
  C 
  C 
  P 
  P 
  P 
  P 
  P 
  I 
  I 
  I 
  Taste (Gustation) 
  B 
  B 
  B 
  M 
  M 
  M 
  M 
  S 
  S 
  T 
  T 
  Smell (Olfaction)* 
  A 
  B 
  F 
  G 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  H 
  S 
  T 
  W 
  Light (Photoreception) 
  G 
  B 
  S 
  A 
  E 
  E 
  P 
  P 
  S 
  S 
  N 
  Touch (Tactition)* 
  B 
  A 
  H 
  S 
  S 
  S 
  S 
  T 
  W 
  N 
  F 
  Temperature (Thermoception) 
  A 
  B 
  G 
  C 
  S 
  S 
  S 
  W 
  N 
  N 
  P 
  Sight (Vision)* 
  F 
  A 
  B 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  P 
  N 
  T 
  Molecular Motion (Nanoception) 
  H 
  F 
  B 
  A 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  P 
  N 
  T 
  D 
  Chem Struct (Spectroscopiception) 
  P 
  T 
  N 
  P 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  A 
  B 
  F 
  H 
  Radiation (Electromagneception) 
  G 
  H 
  B 
  C 
  A 
  S 
  S 
  N 
  I 
  I 
  P 
  Wind/Current (Anemoreception) 
  F 
  B 
  A 
  T 
  B 
  S 
  H 
  N 
  N 
  S 
  W 
  External Pressure (Baroreception) 
  A 
  G 
  C 
  C 
  I 
  I 
  S 
  S 
  N 
  N 
  W 
  Ambient Chemical Chemoreception) 
  H 
  A 
  B 
  G 
  G 
  S 
  O 
  O 
  P 
  S 
  W 
  Echolocation (Sonar)* 
  H 
  T 
  S 
  P 
  A 
  U 
  U 
  F 
  C 
  B 
  H 
  Electric Fields (Electroreception)* 
  P 
  I 
  I 
  N 
  S 
  S 
  A 
  C 
  B 
  H 
  G 
  Heat Vision (Infrared)* 
  T 
  P 
  N 
  N 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  A 
  A 
  F 
  B 
  Pheromonal Perception 
  B 
  E 
  F 
  A 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  N 
  M 
  S 
  T 
  Acidity/Alkalinity (pH Sensitivity) 
  E 
  B 
  A 
  G 
  S 
  S 
  O 
  O 
  M 
  N 
  T 
  Micro-Hearing (Infrasonic)* 
  A 
  B 
  G 
  C 
  U 
  U 
  I 
  I 
  N 
  S 
  T 
  Planetary Field (Magnetoreception) 
  H 
  F 
  N 
  S 
  S 
  A 
  C 
  I 
  I 
  B 
  P 
  Polarized Light (Polariception)* 
  B 
  F 
  A 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  N 
  P 
  P 
  S 
  T 
  Micro-Tactition (Vibroreception)* 
  F 
  N 
  W 
  T 
  S 
  S 
  A 
  A 
  H 
  H 
  B 
  Extended Vision (Ultraviolet)* 
  B 
  F 
  A 
  A 
  E 
  E 
  E 
  N 
  N 
  P 
  T 
  Emotion (Telempathy) 
  F 
  B 
  A 
  N 
  N 
  I 
  I 
  A 
  S 
  T 
  W 
  Thoughts (Telepathy) 
  G 
  C 
  B 
  A 
  I 
  I 
  I 
  A 
  N 
  T 
  T 
   
  SENSORY  
  APPARATUS  
  KEY 
  A 
  Antennae 
  B 
  Bristles/Cilia 
  C 
  Chamber/Canal(s) 
  E 
  Eye(s) 
  F 
  Fibers/Filaments 
  G 
  Gel/Mucus 
  H 
  Hair/Fur 
  I 
  Internal Organ(s) 
  M Mouth/Tongue(s) 
  N 
  Node/Protuberance(s) 
  O Olfactorus/Nostril(s) 
  P 
  Parietal Eye/Pineal Gland 
  S 
  Skin/Membrane 
  T 
  Tendrils 
  U 
  Auricles/Ear(s) 
  W Whiskers/Barbels 
   
  SENSORY APPARATUS 
  Each sense is mediated by an apparatus of some kind.  It’s not uncommon for multiple senses to be handled by one apparatus (for 
  instance, human skin conveys the senses of chemosensitivity, hydroreception, nociception, tactition and thermoception). There are 
  two ways to determine an apparatus for a sense: the selected method, and the random method.  Use whichever way you prefer. 
  Selected Method – To determine the apparatus for a sense, simply choose one from the Sensory Apparatus Key below right. 
  Random Method – For a more randomized approach, roll 2d6 for each sense on the Sensory Apparatus Table below left, and look 
  up the letter results in the Sensory Apparatus Key. 
  
  59 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  REPRODUCTION 
  To determine how your lifeform reproduces, choose off 
  the following table or roll 2d6. 
  ROLL REPRODUCTION 
  2- 
  Mitosis – reproduces by splitting into 
  genetically-identical copies of parent 
  3 
  Budding – reproduces by growing immobile 
  infant versions of parent 
  4 
  Sporing – reproduces by spreading 
  seeds/genetic material in an explosive fashion 
  5 
  Fragmentation - reproduces by breaking apart, 
  each part developing on its own 
  6 
  Hijacking - reproduces by taking over the 
  bodies or physiological mechanisms of other 
  creatures 
  7 
  Parthenogenesis - reproduces by producing 
  eggs without need for fertilzation 
  8 
  Conjugation - reproduces by fusing with 
  another creature of its own species 
  9 
  Hermaphroditic Sexual Reproduction - 
  reproduces by impregnating itself; both male 
  and female 
  10 
  Indirect Sexual Reproduction - reproduces as 
  other creatures transport its seeds/genetic 
  material 
  11 
  Direct Sexual Reproduction - reproduces by 
  one sex fertilizing the eggs/genetic material of 
  another 
  12+ Cloning/Recombinant DNA - reproduces by 
  manufacturing or modifying genetic material 
   
   
  OTHER CHARACTERISTICS 
  Your lifeform will possess 1d6 additional characteristics. 
  Choose or roll 2d6 for each to determine a category, 
  and then choose or roll 1d6 within that category.  For 
  lifeforms in a liquid environment, add 2 to the first roll. 
   
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 CHARACTERISTIC 
  2-3 
  1 
  Acid Gland 
  2 
  Pouch 
  3 
  Scent Gland 
  4 
  Slime Gland 
  5 
  Toxic Excretions 
  6 
  Vestigial Limbs 
  4-5 
  1 
  Proboscis 
  2 
  Roots/Extractors 
  3 
  Teats/Feeders 
  4 
  Tubercles/Growths/Buds 
  5 
  Tufts/Feathers 
  6 
  Wattles/Flaps 
  6-7 
  1 
  Quills/Projectiles 
  2 
  Specialized Tail 
  3 
  Control of Internal Biology 
  4 
  Camouflage/Control of Visage 
  5 
  Peculiar Sound or Call 
  6 
  Horns/Spikes 
  8-10 
  1 
  Mimicry (visual or otherwise) 
  2 
  Beak/Crusher 
  3 
  Unusual Emanations 
  4 
  Crest/Ridges 
  5 
  Luminous Markings 
  6 
  Peculiar Odor 
  11-12 
  1 
  Venom 
  2 
  Electrical Organs 
  3 
  Regeneration 
  4 
  Luminous Organs 
  5 
  Neurotransmitters 
  6 
  Symbiotic Lifeforms 
  13+ 
  1 
  Blowhole 
  2 
  Comb Teeth 
  3 
  Gills 
  4 
  Ink Gland 
  5 
  Luminous Lures 
  6 
  Siphons 
   
   
   
  
  60 
   
  COMMUNICATION 
  Does your new lifeform possess any complex form of 
  communication that humans would recognize as a language? 
  If they’re “sentient”, the chances are good. If they’re 
  “advanced sentient”, the chances are almost certain, and the 
  bigger their social groups are, the more certain it is. 
  Consider the creature you’ve created so far. Can you imagine 
  it using any of its outward characteristics (such as 
  manipulators, odor or luminescence) to deliberately send 
  signals of any kind? If so, could these signals be perceived by a 
  sensory apparatus possessed by another of its species? Think 
  hard; after all, our ability to use our lungs to control the flow 
  of air through our mouth to create “speaking” isn’t 
  immediately evident from a cursory glance at our physiology. 
  Maybe they wave their pseudopods and sense it via 
  microvibration. Maybe they emit neurotransmitters and 
  sense them via their skin. See if you can draw a line from 
  any signal your creature can emit, to any of  its sensory 
  input channels. If you can think of it, you can be sure 
  they’ve thought of it. 
  SOCIAL GROUP SIZE 
  To determine the nature and size of your lifeform’s 
  social groupings, choose off the following table or roll 
  2d6 and apply the following mods: 
  +1 for sentient lifeforms 
  +1 for each set of manipulators 
  +2 for telempathy or telepathy 
  -1 for predator lifeforms 
  +1 for hurlant/explosive weather in region 
  ROLL SOCIAL GROUP 
  4- 
  Solitary Individual 
  5-6 
  Pack/Random Grouping 
  7 
  Progeny/Immediate Kin 
  8 
  Clan/Tribe/Extended Kin 
  9 
  Hive 
  10 
  Herd/School 
  11 
  Settlement 
  12+ 
  Meta-organism 
   
   
   
  
  61 
   
   
  Society Generator 
   
   
  SOCIETAL VALUES & PROBLEMS 
  If you know the primary values of an individual or group, it’s 
  easier to determine what kind of goals may be of importance 
  to them. Of course, lifeforms and societies are defined as 
  much by their problems as their values, and those two things 
  are often related in some way. These opposed aspects of 
  society often serve as the basis of a Local Drama. 
  The tables on this page may be used to determine the 
  predominant values and problems for individual creatures or 
  for whole societies. 
  A roll for Primary and Secondary values can be done for 
  complex NPCs, as well as whole social groups. Just as with a 
  broader society, a Secondary Value may often support a 
  Primary one. But in the case of an individual, if the two values 
  don’t support each other there’s always a dramatic reason. 
  They’re either caught in an internal conflict or they’re lying 
  (perhaps even to themselves). These aspects can often be 
  enough to suggest a Character or potential plot element. 
  SOCIETAL VALUES 
  Choose or roll 3d6 on the table below.  For a society or 
  entire race, choose or roll twice: once for a Primary 
  Value and again for a Secondary Value.  The Secondary 
  Value may be considered to support the Primary one, or 
  it might represent the differing views held by some 
  segment of the overall society. 
  ROLL VALUES 
  PROB MOD 
  3-5 
  Anarchism, Individualism, 
  Diversity, Tolerance 
  +0 
  6-7 
  Warfare, Domination, Conquest, 
  Occupation, Enslavement 
  -3 
  8 
  Expansion, Territory, Resources 
  -2 
  9 
  Trade, Profit, Supply & Demand 
  -1 
  10 
  Production, Technology, Industry 
  +1 
  11 
  Science, Research, History 
  +2 
  12 
  Incomprehensible to Humans 
  +0 
  13 
  Art, Beauty, Enlightenment 
  +3 
  14-15 Philosophy, Spirituality, Religion 
  +2 
  16-18 Providing Information or Service 
  +2 
   
  SOCIETAL PROBLEMS 
  To determine a core problem, choose or roll 3d6 on the 
  table below, adding the PROB MOD from the Societal 
  Values table above. If you have two social values, apply 
  both PROB MODs and take both problems. 
  ROLL 
  PROBLEMS 
  5- 
  At war with neighboring race/region 
  6 
  Resistance to change, Fundamentalism 
  7-8 
  In need of vital resources, skills or labor 
  9 
  Pollution is threatening their existence 
  10-11 
  Disease, Pestilence, Immune deficiency 
  12 
  Internal differences causing social unrest  
  13 
  Lost territory to another race/region/group 
  14 
  Misunderstood or misrepresented motives 
  15 
  Idealism/Trust has led to 
  betrayal/corruption 
  16+ 
  Oppressed by another race/region/group 
   
  From friendly galactic hominids to 
  utterly inscrutable alien races, the 
  tables in this generator are designed 
  to help determine details for cultures, 
  societies and civilizations of lifeforms 
  featuring advanced sentience. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY 
   
  SOCIETAL VALUES 
  SOCIETAL PROBLEMS 
  LEVELS OF TECHNOLOGY 
  WHAT IS THIS TECHNOLOGY USED FOR? 
  AVAILABLE RESOURCES 
  
  62 
   
  LEVELS OF TECHNOLOGY 
  Does this society possess any technology, and what 
  “level” of technology do their achievements represent? 
  Take 1d6.  Take more d6s for each of the following: 
  +1d6 for “advanced” sentient lifeforms 
  +1d6 for telempathy or telepathy 
  +1d6 for each set of manipulators 
  +1d6 for planet with high biodiversity 
  +1d6 for hurlant/explosive weather in region 
  Roll all the dice and keep the highest one. Consult Table 
  1 (Simple Technologies) to determine a technology level. 
  If your highest roll was a 6, take all the dice and roll 
  them on table 2 this time, again keeping the highest. 
  T A B L E  1:  S I M P L E  T E C H N O L O G I E S 
  ROLL 
  TECHNOLOGY 
  1 
  Physical Labor or Biological Process 
  2 
  Natural Energy or Weather 
  3 
  Domesticated/Obsequious Lifeforms 
  4 
  Simple Machines and Tools 
  5 
  Stored Natural Energy 
  6 
  Roll on Table 2 
   
  T A B L E  2:  A D V A N C E D  T E C H N O L O G I E S 
  ROLL 
  TECHNOLOGY 
  1 
  Organic Compounds 
  2 
  Stored Generated Energy 
  3 
  Mineral/Chemical Compounds 
  4 
  Complex Machines 
  5 
  Intelligent Machines 
  6 
  Nano/Quantum Machines 
  Optional: Keep your lower rolls as well; these represent 
  additional technologies used for different purposes, much 
  as we use one set of technologies for home heating and 
  another for transportation. See the next step for possible 
  application types. 
  WHAT IS THIS TECHNOLOGY USED 
  FOR? 
  To find a random application for a technology set 
  identified in the previous step, choose or roll 3d6 on the 
  table below, adding the PROB MOD from the Social 
  Values table. 
  ROLL 
  VALUES 
  5- 
  Violence/Territorialism 
  6-7 
  Food Collection/Production 
  8 
  Resource Collection/Transportation 
  9 
  Communication/Media 
  10 
  Housing/Construction 
  11 
  Protection/Defense 
  12-13 
  Incomprehensible to Humans 
  14 
  Comfort/Recreation 
  15 
  Style/Fashion/Creative Expression 
  16+ 
  Social distribution of resources 
   
  Example: An advanced sentient lifeform has 2 sets of 
  manipulators. We roll four dice (one to start, plus one for 
  advanced sentience, plus one for each set of manipulators). 
  The results are 3, 4, 4 and 5. Since there are no 6s, the 
  culture hasn’t reached “advanced” tech use yet. The 5 
  indicates a way of storing natural energy (batteries 
  perhaps), and our other rolls suggest secondary tech: they 
  can domesticate other lifeforms (3) and use Simple 
  Machines/Tools (4). Since we rolled two 4s, let’s say that 
  means machines AND tools. 
  Example: Our hypothetical lifeform from the previous step 
  lives in an anarchistic society, placing high value on 
  individual freedoms. As such they have no PROB MOD. 
  Powercells don’t seem to require a specific application, so 
  we skip that. Let’s roll 3d6 to determine what the 
  domesticated animals are used for. The result is 14: 
  Comfort/Recreation, indicating that our lifeforms might 
  ride these animals, and use their coats for clothing or 
  bedding. We roll again for the machines. What are they 
  used for? Result 9: Communication/Media. They don’t 
  seem to have “media” to speak of, and since they’re 
  individualists they probably don’t have a central press or 
  news authority.  They live in very small groups, far apart. 
  So we decide that they use these machines to send signals 
  and converse remotely. What about those tools? A roll of 
  10 indicates Housing and Construction. 
  
  63 
   
  AVAILABLE RESOURCES 
  Intelligent lifeforms with manipulators who live in social 
  groups are likely to have some sort of technology, 
  perhaps even fashion, weapons, architecture or other 
  items of culture. But spend some time thinking about 
  these questions: How do they make these things?  What 
  do they use for building materials, for protection from 
  the elements, and for creating the useful technological 
  applications determined on the previous page? What 
  resources on this planet could be used, and how might 
  they be turned into useful objects? 
  The lists on this page will help you think up some 
  answers. If there’s life here, there are resources of some 
  kind, and planets with high biodiversity will have the 
  greatest diversity of resources. Try to come up with one 
  or two examples. Items which have already been 
  determined (like plants or other resources from the 
  Generators) may be assumed available as well. 
  The Types of Resources list extends the Raw Resources 
  list from the Location Generator, suggesting a wider 
  variety of resource types that might be available for 
  use, and adding a few pre-processed materials as well. 
  The Processing Techniques list includes various ways 
  these resources can be treated, manipulated or 
  converted into more suitable materials for practical or 
  industrial use. 
  PROCESSING TECHNIQUES 
   separating/cleaning 
   soaking/saturating 
   agitating/disrupting 
   joining/combining 
   weaving/tying 
   mixing/blending 
   squeezing/compressing 
   stretching/extruding/expanding 
   forming/shaping 
   cutting/whittling 
   heating/melting 
   cooling/freezing 
   copying/duplicating 
   grinding/smoothing 
   molding/casting 
   coating/plating 
   smelting/forging 
   welding/soldering 
   chemical processing 
   electrochemical processing 
   machining/mass-producing 
   automating/programming 
   
  TYPES OF RESOURCES 
   plant matter, fungus, mold, bacteria 
   gut, sinew, organs, muscle, tissue, membranes 
   bodily fluids, excretions, toxins, venom 
   bone, chitin, cartilage, shell, fossil 
   oils, resins, lipids, slime 
   cellulose, wood, dense carbohydrates 
   vines, fibers, branches, trunks, stems, roots 
   sand, soil, sludge, mud, clay, powder 
   gas, vapors, fumes, temperature, radiation 
   rotten, decayed or petrified matter 
   crystals, rocks, bricks, shards, gems, geodes 
   metal, mineral, alloy, magnetism, oxidation 
   naturally-occurring chemicals 
   engineered or combined chemicals 
   natural energy sources 
  
  64 
   
  UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY 
  In theory, highly advanced or philosophically gifted 
  lifeforms may have an understanding of the multiverse 
  that rivals or surpasses our own. We haven’t met any of 
  these races yet, but we assume they’re out there. To 
  randomly determine your lifeform’s understanding of 
  reality, choose or roll 2d6 on the following table: 
  ROLL 
  PROBLEMS 
  2-6 
  None to speak of 
  7 
  Understands that planets are spheres 
  8 
  Understands that planets orbit stars 
  9 
  Understands that space travel is possible 
  10 
  Understands that the Universe is infinite 
  11 
  Understands that Dream Worlds exist 
  12 
  Understands how Time Travel works 
  11 
  Understands Vector Dynamics 
  12 
  Beyond Human Understanding 
   
  "The challenges featured in fantasy or science fiction 
  stories usually involve strange events and alien entities. 
   Indeed, the events are often so strange as to seem 
  inexplicable and the entities are often so alien as to be 
  deeply enigmatic. 
  Most such stories ultimately allow the seemingly 
  inexplicable to be explained and the enigmas to be 
  unraveled, but there is a substantial subset in which the 
  whole point of the story is that no explanation is possible 
  and no understanding achievable." 
  - Brian Stableford 
   
  
  65 
   
   
   
  Drama Generator 
  These tables can help determine the 
  nature of Local Dramas, Themes and 
  Plot Twists to be applied as Crises. 
  They can also be used to generate 
  random stories told by NPCs: recent 
  slips, historical events, legendary 
  deeds, ancient myths or tall tales. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  DRAMATIC THEMES 
  PLOT TWISTS 
  THE WHOLE DRAMA 
  DRAMATIC THEMES 
  This table generates Themes for a wide variety of 
  characters and situations. Use with a delicate touch: 
  heavy-handed Themes are a hallmark of bad writing. 
  Choose or roll 1d6 on the table below to determine a 
  general category, then choose or roll another 1d6 within 
  that category.   
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 THEME 
  1 
  1 
  All the Same Underneath 
  2 
  Balance in Compromise 
  3 
  Between Sanity and Insanity 
  4 
  Blind Ambition 
  5 
  Change vs Tradition 
  6 
  Coming of Age 
  2 
  1 
  Crime Does Not Pay 
  2 
  Desire Leads to Suffering 
  3 
  Facing the Darkness 
  4 
  Fear of Failure 
  5 
  Friendship Requires Sacrifice 
  6 
  Good Triumphs Over Evil 
  3 
  1 
  Greed Destroys 
  2 
  Inner Strength vs Outer Strength 
  3 
  It's All About the Little Things 
  4 
  Love Conquers All 
  5 
  Power Corrupts 
  6 
  Progress: Real or Illusion? 
  4 
  1 
  Sacrifice Brings Reward 
  2 
  Technology and Society 
  3 
  The Balance of Yin and Yang 
  4 
  The Beauty of Simplicity 
  5 
  The Circle of Life 
  6 
  The Cost of Deception 
  5 
  1 
  The Cost of Individuality 
  2 
  The Emptiness of False Dreams 
  3 
  The Importance of Family 
  4 
  The Loss of Innocence 
  5 
  The Meaning of Life 
  6 
  The Meaning of Loyalty 
  6 
  1 
  The Power of Forgiveness 
  2 
  The Power of Love 
  3 
  The Power of Silence 
  4 
  The Struggle against Nature 
  5 
  The Struggle of Righteousness 
  6 
  War Changes People 
   
   
  USING THE DRAMA GENERATOR 
  The tables in this Generator are designed for selective use; 
  they represent three different techniques for coming up with 
  open-ended dramatic situations. You usually won’t need to 
  roll on all them. Choose the approach that suits your style. 
  DRAMATIC THEMES – This table is best used during prep, to 
  brainstorm ideas, to suggest a unifying thematic message, or 
  to flesh out an NPC with a sense of destiny. It’s also an easy 
  way to put a tale, legend or myth in the mouth of an NPC. 
  Never speak the Theme out loud, unless you’re speaking as an 
  NPC. Instead, try to show it, using it as an emotional guide for 
  the PlotField and the emerging Story. The Theme will suggest 
  other elements to you: characters, locations, etc. It may apply 
  to the PCs themselves, or to NPCs, or NPC Groups. But don’t 
  be heavy-handed with it: shift gears if the Players go in 
  another direction. After all, if the Theme fails to happen, 
  you’ve just proved the obverse Theme! 
  PLOT TWISTS – This table is best used in the third or fourth 
  act, to add additional tension or surprise to a Crisis (see 
  Vertical Control, p.92). 
  THE WHOLE DRAMA – Along with the Drama Templates that 
  accompany it, this table provides quick “recipes” for prepping 
  a wide variety of dramatic situations. Each Drama Template 
  represents an open-ended Mission scenario for you to detail 
  using the other Generators. 
  
  66 
   
   
   
   
  PLOT TWISTS 
  This table is used to generate a random “twist” - a 
  sudden and unexpected Crisis, usually in the third or 
  fourth Act. The twist shakes up the game and forces new 
  ideas to arise. Choose or roll 1d6 on the table below to 
  determine a general category, then choose or roll 
  another 1d6 within that category.  
  ROLL1 ROLL2 TWIST 
  1 
  1 
  natural obstacle or disaster 
  2 
  a secret code is broken 
  3 
  fighting on two fronts at once 
  4 
  many small things need to happen 
  5 
  an epiphany changes someone 
  6 
  a dead person comes back to life 
  2 
  1 
  a fatal deadline looms (bomb, etc) 
  2 
  a witness or ally is lost or killed 
  3 
  a new enemy appears on the scene 
  4 
  a traitor is revealed 
  5 
  important info/proof is destroyed 
  6 
  an unexpected opportunity, trap? 
  3 
  1 
  disaster: no food, money or ammo 
  2 
  false information is revealed 
  3 
  love or ethical concerns intrude 
  4 
  progress turns out to be an illusion 
  5 
  secret plans are stolen/discovered 
  6 
  someone dies in an accident 
  4 
  1 
  someone gets caught or trapped 
  2 
  someone has a change of plans 
  3 
  someone is critically wounded 
  4 
  someone reacts unpredictably 
  5 
  someone's past returns to haunt 
  6 
  unexpected social/political event 
  5 
  1 
  computer or communications glitch 
  2 
  important equipment is broken 
  3 
  backup/support fails to arrive 
  4 
  collateral damage kills someone 
  5 
  new info changes the situation 
  6 
  weapon broken or depleted 
  6 
  1 
  someone switches their loyalties 
  2 
  a fear or weakness is revealed 
  3 
  something important hidden or lost 
  4 
  the escape route is blocked 
  5 
  the situation gets even worse 
  6 
  there's an unforeseen trap 
   
   
  THE WHOLE DRAMA 
  Want a whole drama handed to you? Ok, here! The 
  following Drama Templates include all minimal 
  requirements. For Nodes with sentient life choose or roll 
  3d6-2, otherwise roll 2d6-1. That’s Roll1 below. For Roll 
  2, choose or roll 1d6 to select a specific template. Add 
  details by using the other Generators. 
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 
  DRAMA 
  1-3 
  1 
  Bad DayTrippers 
  2 
  Bad Genie 
  3 
  Blind Sided 
  4 
  Corporate Destruction 
  5 
  Gates Of Hell 
  6 
  Hostage 
  4-6 
  1 
  Living Planet 
  2 
  Mad World 
  3 
  Metamorphosis 
  4 
  Sabotage 
  5 
  Strange Aeons 
  6 
  Traitor 
  7-8 
  1 
  Besieged 
  2 
  Escort 
  3 
  Inner Space 
  4 
  More than Maguffin 
  5 
  The Cure 
  6 
  Under Pursuit 
  9-11 
  1 
  Big Whoops 
  2 
  Capture 
  3 
  Gauntlet 
  4 
  Hotel California 
  5 
  Rescue 
  6 
  Ticking Clock 
  12-13 
  1 
  Challenge/Favor 
  2 
  Contest 
  3 
  Escape 
  4 
  Hero 
  5 
  One by One 
  6 
  Vengeance 
  14-16 
  1 
  Book By Its Cover 
  2 
  Excuse Me 
  3 
  Lucky Mistake 
  4 
  Mistaken Identity 
  5 
  Observe And Report 
  6 
  The Fellowship 
   
   
  
  67 
   
  USING THE DRAMA TEMPLATES 
  Drama Templates may be used in various ways. Most of them 
  can provide either Mission Goals (deliverables in a client 
  contract) or Story Goals (goals related to a local drama, often 
  set in motion by NPCs). Many of them can be combined, or 
  connected in branching sequences to form campaigns. 
  Every group in the story should have an NPC 
  who represents it or speaks on its behalf.  
  Every significant opinion or point of view 
  should have an NPC who voices it. 
  Each Drama Template includes a list of minimal requirements 
  (you are encouraged to add more by using the Mission 
  Generator on p.34), but none of them possess a fixed “ending” 
  and neither should yours. The purpose of the Drama Template 
  is to set things in motion, not to predict their eventual resting 
  positions. This means you should never write endings, only 
  set-ups, and try to avoid packing your possibilities too tightly. 
  Important information should be attainable in multiple ways. 
  If there’s only one way through a scenario, that’s a Puzzle, not 
  a PlotField. If there’s only one way into a scenario and the 
  Players don’t take it, consider why. Your fiction may be too 
  hard or too soft, or there may be Psychic Content pushing the 
  Players in another direction, and you should explore that. 
  Leave some things unsolved, some ends untied. Whenever the 
  Players propose a solution, consider not only the idea itself but 
  also the group’s position in the session, the amount of time 
  left, and the tension level desired by the narrative arc right 
  now. When loose ends are tied by Players in surprising ways, 
  it’s usually better than tying them yourself. 
  Remain flexible and consider the potential implications of the 
  Story that’s emerging through their suggestions. You may 
  have some likely ideas about where the plot may end up – 
  that’s only natural – but the quality and meaning of the Story 
  that emerges is more important than any expectations you had 
  going in. If the emergent Story is developing a sense of 
  intrigue, suspense or narrative motion, or if it’s spitting out 
  Psychic Content, let it happen. The group mind of the Players 
  has advantages that your single mind doesn’t have. You can 
  rely on them to produce narrative elements you never would 
  have thought of by yourself, for all sorts of circumstances. 
  Don’t fight against that; it’s collaborative story-building at its 
  most collaborative. Welcome it, tweak or modulate it. But 
  modulate it based on narrative tension, rather than the 
  requirements of any particular “plot”. 
  A description of each Drama Template follows. Definitions of 
  terms (Maguffin, Obstacle, Discovery, etc) can be found in the 
  Mission Generator (p.34) and Creating DayTrips (p.90). 
   
  Note: The word “patron” as it used below doesn’t 
  necessarily imply a client or a monetary reward. It simply 
  means a character who wants something done. A patron 
  may be an earthly client or an NPC from some far-flung 
  Node. 
  BAD DAYTRIPPERS 
  Evil DayTrippers have set up a criminal racket or vile enterprise 
  on some world, exploiting the locals and the environment. The 
  PCs must decide whether to intervene, and how. The PCs may 
  start out blissfully unaware of the details and then learn how 
  bad it is in the First Crisis, or they may be here for an unrelated 
  reason when they stumble upon the operation. Either way, 
  whatever happens here may have repercussions on Earth.  
  Variant: “Evil Begins at Home”. The drama starts on Earth, the 
  rivals do something suspicious, leading the PCs to investigate, 
  following their trail. 
  NEEDS: an “evil” NPC or NPC Group, a Location and NPC 
  group that’s being exploited, a resource to be obtained from 
  this exploitation (Discovery), a means by which the bad 
  DayTrippers hold the power they have (possible Maguffin), 
  and some way to learn the truth (Discovery). 
   
  BAD GENIE 
  The PCs or an associated NPC obtains something miraculous 
  and uses it, but it turns out to be more than they bargained 
  for, and someone will have to stop it. The Mission Goal may 
  wane in importance if the drama becomes desperate, or 
  perhaps the miraculous thing is the Mission Goal in the first 
  place.  
  Variant: “Slippery Slope”. The PCs watch as some NPC abuses 
  the miraculous thing until they’re in danger of being 
  consumed or destroyed by it in the Final Crisis. 
  NEEDS: a miraculous thing (Maguffin), something it does 
  (Effect), which causes a problem (Complication), and 
  possibly an NPC who takes it too far. 
   
  BESEIGED 
  The people the PCs are with, or the place the PCs are, is under 
  attack by someone or something, and getting creamed. The 
  Mission Goal takes a back seat to staying alive, and the PCs are 
  impelled to do something heroic. In the First Crisis, the 
  opponent/danger should have an overwhelming advantage, 
  which decreases as the PCs push forward. 
  NEEDS: An NPC group being vanquished and/or a Location 
  being hammered, and someone or something doing the 
  hammering (Obstacle). 
  
  68 
   
  BIG WHOOPS 
  Something the PCs do – taking something, breaking 
  something, releasing something or perhaps just their very 
  presence in a particular place - causes a Ticking Clock or a 
  chain of Events to be set in motion, and the prospects are not 
  good. The PCs face major disadvantages right off the bat, and 
  they'll have to fix it all somehow. The Mission Goal might tie 
  into this, or then again, it might not. 
  NEEDS: Something that gets triggered, perhaps innocently 
  or inconspicuously (Effect), an NPC Group to get freaked out 
  about it, and maybe a way to fix it (Discovery). 
   
  BLIND SIDED 
  The PCs enter an environment where their senses fail to 
  function, or can’t be trusted. Meanwhile they’re surrounded by 
  hostile terrain and/or curious lifeforms which (of course) are 
  perfectly suited for these conditions. 
  Variant: “The Invisible Dimension”. The PCs’ senses work just 
  fine, but the denizens of this world exist in a dimensional 
  relation to this reality that renders them invisible to human 
  sight. It’s not that our senses don’t work; it’s that we don’t 
  possess the right senses. 
  NEEDS: two or more dangerous Locations, each with its 
  own Lifeforms (Complications or Obstacles), and a reason 
  to move from one Location to the other (the Maguffin may 
  be involved). Maybe there’s another Maguffin or Effect that 
  can solve the senses problem. Monsters are good too. 
  Throw in some monsters. 
   
  BOOK BY ITS COVER 
  Two NPC groups are encountered by the PCs. One group is 
  beautiful, friendly, talkative; the other is ugly, gruff, and 
  uncommunicative. They are at war, or in an advanced conflict 
  of some kind. The pretty ones are approachable and 
  communicative while the ugly ones are hesitant and hard to 
  make contact with. Thing is, the pretty ones are the bad 
  people in this conflict and the ugly ones are the good. How 
  long until the PCs figure it out?  
  Variant: “Cliché or Not Cliché”. Other way around. See what I 
  did there? 
  NEEDS: Two NPC Groups and at least two Locations. 
  CAPTURE 
  A patron wants the PCs to capture someone from somewhere, 
  in exchange for the Mission Goal or information leading to it.  
  Variant 1: “Long Arm of the Law”. The subject is a fugitive, and 
  the mission involves government or corporate security.  
  Variant 2: “Big Game”. A patron wants the PCs to capture an 
  alien lifeform alive. 
  NEEDS: An NPC patron, an NPC or alien lifeform to be 
  captured (Obstacle), several difficulties in obtaining it 
  (Complications and Obstacles), one Location in which the 
  capture is to occur, and another Location to bring the 
  subject back to. 
  CHALLENGE/FAVOR 
  A patron insists that the PCs must do something for them (a 
  Story Goal) before they’ll assist with the Mission Goal, or 
  before they’ll release information the PCs need to obtain the 
  Mission Goal. The patron’s Story Goal may involve 
  transporting something, fighting something, fixing something 
  or figuring something out. It may involve multiple Locations or 
  a single Location. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous, and no one 
  else will do it.  
  Variant: “Heist”. The patron’s Maguffin is heavily defended 
  against theft. 
  NEEDS: a patron to set the challenge (Complication), 
  something the patron wants done (their goal, maybe a 
  Maguffin), something that makes it difficult to accomplish 
  (Obstacle), and two or more Locations. 
  
  69 
   
  CONTEST 
  The Maguffin is possessed by someone who demands or 
  requires that the PCs must compete in a contest or battle of 
  some sort. The field of challenge may be vast (like a region) or 
  small (like a room). The opponents should be Worthy 
  Adversaries for the PCs, but with very different skills and gear. 
  In the First Crisis the NPC opponents usually have an 
  advantage. The Second Crisis may involve learning something 
  about the opponent or the judge/patron (Discovery), and in 
  the Final Crisis this may give the PCs an advantage.  
  Variant: “Arena” (also known as “Thunderdome”). One or 
  more PCs are placed in an arena with the opponent and none 
  of their gear; they are expected to fight to the death for the 
  Maguffin, using whatever objects are scattered around. 
  NEEDS: an NPC patron, an NPC opponent (Obstacle), a 
  Location where the patron resides and another where the 
  contest takes place. 
   
  CORPORATE DESTRUCTION 
  The PCs discover a secret corporate project which is exploiting 
  the local people or devastating the environment, and upon 
  investigation it turns out to be run by their client.  
  Variant: “Blood on Our Hands”. The PCs are hired on or set up 
  as accomplices. They go along with it in the beginning, and a 
  Crisis occurs when they become aware of the suffering they're 
  inadvertently causing (Discovery). NOTE: Know your Players. 
  Psychic Content can run quite high when personal culpability 
  is involved. 
  NEEDS: An evil NPC client, an NPC Group and Location to 
  be exploited, a reason why (Discovery), some means by 
  which the corporation holds power (possible Maguffin), and 
  some way to learn the truth (Discovery). 
   
  ESCAPE 
  The PCs are captured, imprisoned or arrested in the First 
  Crisis. They may have been framed or set up by a rival. In the 
  Second Crisis an initial plan for escape may be thwarted, or a 
  potential rescuer may be captured as well. The Mission Goal 
  seems a distant hope. The Story Goal becomes about 
  escaping. Often some Discovery (or a friendly NPC) provides 
  information which offsets the antagonist’s advantage in Act 3 
  or 4, permitting the escape to occur as the Final Crisis.  
  Variant: “MegaJail”. A large area or people has been contained 
  in a gulag or containment zone. They may have been rounded 
  up indiscriminately, or accused of aiding and abetting, or the 
  whole thing may be more about quarantine than punishment. 
  NEEDS: an NPC, NPC Group or Lifeform who captures the 
  PCs (Obstacle), some reason they did it (Discovery), the 
  place where the PCs are imprisoned (Location), a place for 
  them to escape to (Location), and at least one thing that 
  prevents them from simply leaving (Obstacles). 
  ESCORT 
  A patron urgently needs a guide, an entourage or 
  transportation to somewhere, and the journey – or alternately, 
  whatever’s at the journey’s end – is perilous. The PCs have an 
  opportunity to get to know the NPC and see the world through 
  their eyes.  
  Variant 1: “They’re After Me”. The patron is on the run from 
  some powerful person or group (Obstacle) for some reason 
  (Discovery). It may be unclear who is at fault.  
  Variant 2: “Across Enemy Lines”. There’s war going on, and 
  the patron needs to get across enemy lines for some reason 
  (Discovery) which may affect the outcome of the war itself. 
  NEEDS: an NPC transportee, a point of departure 
  (Location),  a destination (Location), an intercedent 
  Location and a few Obstacles. 
   
  EXCUSE ME 
  The PCs commit a social gaffe which causes the locals to 
  respond to them negatively. This may be the First Crisis. Local 
  reactions are at -3. A needed patron may refuse to deal with 
  them, and the Mission Goal is in peril.  
  Variant: “Mistaken Identity”. The PCs are mistaken for 
  someone hated, evil or infamous. 
  NEEDS: NPC Group to get offended (Complication), 
  whatever the offense is (Effect), a way to make things 
  better again (Discovery), and the place all this happens 
  (Location). 
   
  GATES OF HELL 
  Someone (perhaps a PC, perhaps an NPC) does something 
  that opens up a portal, releasing a great evil or monstrous 
  lifeform. There are massive repercussions as attacks and 
  casualties occur. The Story Goal is about closing the gate, 
  curing the disease, putting the genie back in the bottle, etc. 
  The Mission Goal may or may not be related. 
  NEEDS: an evil thing to be released (Obstacle), something 
  done to release it (Effect), a place where it escaped from 
  (Location) and a way to seal it back again (Discovery and 
  possible Maguffin). 
  
  70 
   
  GAUNTLET 
  Something dangerous – a hostile wilderness or area of 
  lawlessness – stands between the PCs and the Mission Goal.  
  The PCs are going to have to beat or evade multiple people or 
  things, multiple times, in different ways, to obtain the 
  Maguffin. The Locations get more evocative and the 
  Obstacles get more dangerous as we proceed. Ideally the 
  Maguffin symbolizes or represents a piece of Psychic Content, 
  or is somehow tied in with a LifeShaping Event for one of the 
  PCs. It may be broken up into several pieces and scattered 
  throughout the various Locations, forcing the PCs to travel 
  around collecting it in parts.  
  Variant 1: “Race Condition”. Multiple groups are chasing after 
  the same Maguffin, perhaps actively trying to prevent the 
  others from getting it first.  
  Variant 2: “Hurry Back”. Something happens that separates 
  the PCs from their ship, and they have to run the gauntlet to 
  get back in time for the Slip home. 
  NEEDS: a Mission Goal (Maguffin) and several Locations 
  with various Complications, Obstacles and Effects. 
   
  HERO 
  A patron or group is being harassed or abused by someone or 
  something, and wants the PCs to help, defend or free them. In 
  the First and Second Crises, the NPC villain may have an 
  advantage, which may involve a Maguffin of some kind. 
  NEEDS: an NPC patron or group who is oppressed or abused 
  (Complication), an “evil” NPC or NPC Group doing the 
  oppressing (Obstacle), and the place where all this happens 
  (Location). 
   
  HOSTAGE 
  The PCs are on a vehicle that gets hijacked (perhaps their 
  ship), or held along with NPC hostages in some Location. The 
  Mission Goal fades as the Story Goal becomes about regaining 
  control of the situation.  
  Variant: The hijackers are the good guys, but the PCs don’t 
  realize it. 
  NEEDS: a vehicle or Location to be seized, an NPC or NPC 
  Group doing the seizing (Obstacle) , a reason or purpose for 
  the seizure (Discovery), possibly points of departure and 
  destination (Locations), and assorted NPCs. 
  HOTEL CALIFORNIA 
  Seeking shelter in unfortunate circumstances, the PCs find a 
  place that provides safety from the elements or some other 
  threat, but it turns out to be even more dangerous, hostile 
  and/or illusionary. The Mission Goal drops in importance 
  (probably), and the Story Goal becomes getting out. 
  NEEDS: a hostile exterior place (Location), an apparently-
  safe interior place (Location), and something that initially 
  prevents the PCs from leaving once they get inside 
  (Obstacle). 
   
  INNER SPACE 
  Something about this place messes with the human mind, 
  causing weird thoughts, memories, associations and 
  flashbacks to occur for reasons that are hard to comprehend. 
  While trying to complete their Mission, the PCs will find their 
  own Psychic Content coming up to haunt them. Memories of 
  their characters’ pasts, LifeShapers which haven’t been 
  resolved, and failures from previous game sessions will 
  continually come to mind, and everyone will begin to feel 
  uncomfortable, vulnerable and exposed. PSYCHE rolls will be 
  required to avoid acting on unconscious impulses or spurious 
  temptations. Tension is ratcheted up by requiring vital tasks to 
  be performed while the PCs suffer mind-bending effects.  
  Variant: “I’m In You”. The PCs’ consciousness is completely or 
  momentarily transferred from one to the next, giving them 
  the ability to read each other’s thoughts and know each 
  other’s secrets. 
  NEEDS: a Location (or possibly a Maguffin or lifeform) with 
  bizarre mental effects. 
   
  LIVING PLANET 
  The PCs explore a huge place that’s literally alive, one giant 
  sentient organism. Maybe the planet-creature has the ability 
  to create semi-autonomous lifeforms for various purposes 
  (defense, communication, etc). Maybe some lifeform on this 
  planet covers a vast area and possesses the ability to spawn 
  such spontaneous forms itself. Bottom line: All the creatures 
  encountered will be part of one gigantic creature. Once 
  discovered, this will force some tactical adaptations to be 
  made to the plan. If good communications aren’t established 
  between the two species, can you imagine what it might be 
  like to have a whole planet mad at you?  
  Variant: “World of Illusion”. Semi-autonomous forms are 
  drawn from the PCs’ own minds, permitting the manifestation 
  of memories, forgotten events, even dead people. 
  NEEDS: a number of Locations, each with its own Obstacles 
  and Complications, but note that these Locations are in 
  communication with each other; in other words, one 
  Location can “learn” from the mistakes of another. 
  
  71 
   
  LUCKY MISTAKE 
  The PCs are mistaken for someone reknowned, famous or 
  legendary. The locals respond to them at +3, and attaining the 
  Mission Goal might be easy if they can keep up the facade. Of 
  course the Story Goal will require the PCs to do something 
  that they actually can't do. Will they figure out a way to pull it 
  off, or will they be revealed as imposters? 
  Variant: “Cargo Cult”. The PCs’ arrival unwittingly fulfills a 
  prophecy, lending credence to the predictions of a cargo cult. 
  NEEDS: an NPC Group to be mistaken, the person or people 
  the PCs are mistaken for (Discovery), and the Impossible 
  Thing the PCs are expected to do (Complication). 
   
  MAD WORLD 
  This place is insane, there's really no other way of describing it, 
  and it's not gonna be easy keeping your head while trying to 
  obtain the Maguffin. Nothing makes sense, and there’s 
  Psychic Content all over the place. Perhaps there’s a reason 
  everything’s so crazy? If so, maybe the PCs can discover it. 
  NEEDS: A chaotic Location with lots of Obstacles and 
  ontological or psychological instability, and maybe some 
  really weird NPCs. Best suited for Dream Worlds and 
  inscrutable alien cultures. 
   
  METAMORPHOSIS 
  In or shortly after the First Crisis, someone - perhaps one or 
  more of the PCs themselves - begins exhibiting unusual 
  behavior or turning into something else, and the Story Goal 
  becomes (a) figuring out why, and (b) stopping it before the 
  process is complete. The metamorphosis may be physical or 
  psychological. Ideally it will be symbolic or representative of a 
  PC LifeShaper or Psychic Content. 
  NEEDS: a reason that it happens (Effect), what the victim is 
  turning into (Discovery), a way to reverse it (a Discovery or a 
  Maguffin), and a place this all happens (Location). 
   
  MORE THAN MAGUFFIN 
  The PCs obtain the Maguffin easily – perhaps too easily.  Once 
  they have it, it turns out to be sentient – perhaps even 
  psychic… and there’s something it wants.  
  Variant 1: “Getting Old Fast”. The Maguffin is not vengeful, it’s 
  friendly, perhaps even cute. But it has some odious trait that 
  makes it difficult to be around.  
  Variant 2: “All Your Base are Belong to Us”. The Maguffin 
  takes control of the Ship’s Computer, either by altering its 
  programming or by appealing to it directly. 
  NEEDS: A Location with an easily-overcome Obstacle or 
  Complication, an intelligent item (Maguffin), whatever the 
  Maguffin wants (Discovery), and whatever the Maguffin 
  can do (Obstacle). 
  MYSTERY 
  Something mysterious is happening or happened here, no one 
  can figure it out, and the job becomes the PCs’ by default. 
  Variant 1: “Most Foul”. A murder has been committed and the 
  PCs are asked or expected to solve it, perhaps to get 
  themselves off the hook as suspects.  
  Variant 2: “Croatoan”. A person or group has disappeared 
  without trace, or their settlement has been abandoned or 
  destroyed, and the PCs need to determine what happened to 
  them. Ideally the answer involves something that was “hidden 
  in plain sight” from early on, the significance of which isn’t 
  recognized until later. 
  NEEDS: a mysterious event (Complication), several NPCs to 
  question (Complication), a few facts for them to know 
  (Discovery), maybe an actual explanation for it (Discovery), 
  and a place where this all happens (Location). 
   
  OBSERVE AND REPORT 
  The PCs are given a Mission to observe and report on the 
  locals without making contact. However, something happens 
  that requires them to break that rule; perhaps a PC is in 
  jeopardy and only a local NPC can help, or perhaps it’s an NPC 
  who needs help and the PCs find themselves in ethical conflict 
  over whether or not to provide it. 
  NEEDS: an NPC Group to observe, something that goes 
  wrong (Complication), and something that can be done to 
  do to fix it (Discovery). 
   
  ONE BY ONE 
  The PCs are trapped somewhere with some NPCs – maybe 
  even onboard their own ship – and something is picking 
  people off one by one. The Story Goal becomes staying alive. 
  Does the Maguffin hold a clue? The first and/or second Crises 
  may involve the deaths of NPCs; the third should directly 
  threaten one or more PCs. 
  NEEDS: an NPC hunter (Obstacle), evil character or alien 
  lifeform (Obstacle) and a place to be trapped (Location). 
   
  RESCUE 
  Someone has been abducted or is trapped in some dangerous 
  place, and a patron wants the PCs to bring them home. The 
  Location is defended, fortified, and/or naturally deadly. The 
  antagonist/abductor (if there is one) will have a home-court 
  advantage in the Final Crisis.  
  Variant: “Never Goin Back Again”. The person actually ran 
  away on purpose, and doesn't want to go back. 
  NEEDS: an NPC patron, an NPC rescuee, optionally an 
  “evil” NPC who abducted them (Obstacle), a Location 
  where they’re held, lost or endangered, and another 
  Location for bringing them home to. 
  
  72 
   
  SABOTAGE 
  In the midst of a Mission the PCs discover that they have been 
  sabotaged, undermined, framed or set up by a rival. Thanks to 
  this, an unexpected Complication makes things much harder.  
  Variant: “Over Your Dead Body”. The sabotage has been 
  arranged to prevent the PCs from discovering something rare 
  and valuable in the area. 
  NEEDS: an “evil” NPC enemy or rival, as well as something 
  mean for them to do (Complication) that the PCs won't 
  learn about until it's too late (Discovery), and a dangerous 
  place to be when they discover this (Location). 
   
  STRANGE AEONS 
  The PCs explore something tremendously large, tremendously 
  weird, and tremendously dead. It may be a wreck from an 
  ancient spacefaring race, a ruined settlement or a place where 
  something horrible happened long ago. Upon investigation we 
  discover that whatever caused this calamity is still around; and 
  the PCs could be its next victims.  
  Variant: “Finders Fee”. We’re not the only species to have 
  found this place, and there’s gonna be some serious – maybe 
  deadly - competition for the Maguffin. 
  NEEDS: An ancient Location, an ancient scary thing 
  (Obstacle), a way for it to remain dormant all this time 
  (Discovery), and a place this all happens (Location). 
   
  THE CURE 
  Something is causing the locals or the PCs to get sick, go 
  insane or die. Someone must figure out what it is and how to 
  cure it. The Mission Goal will diminish in importance compared 
  to the Story Goal, especially if the problem affects the PCs. 
  NEEDS: an NPC group being affected, the problem affecting 
  them (Complication), some kind of treatment or cure 
  (Discovery), and a place this all happens (Location). 
   
  THE FELLOWSHIP 
  The people here support the PCs’ Mission Goal, perhaps for 
  mistaken reasons, and they align their Story Goal with the 
  PCs’. They will join the PCs and assist in the difficult task 
  ahead, because they could never do it themselves. They may 
  need some training, however.  
  Variant: “Not One Of Us”. The locals possess some ability that 
  the PCs do not, and it’s the PCs who’ll have to adjust or get 
  training before the goal can be attained. 
  NEEDS: a Maguffin, an NPC group (with optional 
  Complications), and two or more Locations with Obstacles. 
  TICKING CLOCK 
  There's something huge that's going to happen, and it cannot 
  be stopped. Or maybe it can. Maybe the PCs should cut their 
  losses and get the hell out – or can they get the Maguffin and 
  still escape with their lives? The Story Goal is all about 
  stopping or evading the Event, and the original Mission Goal 
  probably decreases in importance. Unless, of course, the 
  Maguffin can be used to stop the clock from ticking. 
  NEEDS: A ticking clock (Complication), a place for it to 
  happen (Location), an Event it leads to, and possibly some 
  NPCs to convey different opinions about it. 
   
  TRAITOR 
  Someone befriends and helps the PCs attain their Mission 
  Goal, but then turns against them at the last moment, seizing 
  the Maguffin or taking the bounty for themselves.  
  Variant: “Power Corrupts”. It isn’t until they get their hands on 
  the thing that the NPC is turned, changed, or convinced to go 
  the other way. This may be due to a weak will, the 
  machinations of another NPC, or perhaps even a malevolent 
  psychic power of the Maguffin itself. 
  NEEDS: An NPC traitor (turns out to be an Obstacle) and a 
  reason why the NPC couldn't have just attained the goal by 
  themselves (Discovery). 
   
  UNDER PURSUIT 
  Someone or something begins pursuing the PCs, trying to 
  capture, kill or stop them. Survival and escape become the 
  Story Goals, and the Mission Goal drops in importance 
  (probably). The pursuer may not be clearly seen. Maybe 
  there's a logical reason they’re doing this, and maybe the PCs 
  can discover it, then again maybe not. Locations should 
  include lots of physical Obstacles. 
  NEEDS: an NPC pursuer (Obstacle), three or more 
  Locations, and possibly a hidden reason (Discovery). 
   
  VENGEANCE 
  A patron wants to take vengeance on someone for something 
  they did or were perceived to do, and the PCs are convinced 
  (or tricked) into being the instruments of this vengeance. 
  Whatever they’re asked to do will probably break some law or 
  social code.  
  Variant: “Same As The Old Boss”. Along the way they discover 
  that their client is really the bad person here. 
  NEEDS: an NPC patron, an NPC target (Obstacle), 
  whatever the latter did to the former (Discovery), and at 
  least two Locations. 
  
  73 
   
   
  Character Generator 
  The following tables can assist in the 
  generation of NPCs who can be 
  regarded in human terms – characters 
  with needs, goals and problems. 
  Use them to flesh out specific 
  personalities, providing motivations 
  for your NPCs’ actions.  As these 
  motivations play out, “Local Drama” 
  will arise for the PCs to become 
  entangled in, or to observe from a 
  safe distance. Either way, a unique 
  web of interpersonal relationships 
  and NPC motivations will generate an 
  equally unique Story. 
  The tables can also be used to flesh 
  out characters on Home-Earth, 
  including rival DayTrippers, potential 
  clients, corporate sharks and any 
  other sort of random encounters. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  ATTITUDES & REACTIONS 
  To determine the initial reaction or attitude of a random 
  NPC or the general (default) reaction of an NPC Group, 
  choose off the following table or roll 2d6 and apply the 
  mods below. 
  -2 if PCs are armed, or appear to be armed 
  -1 if culture is at war or wary of espionage 
  +1 if PCs speak their language 
  ROLL 
  ATTITUDE 
  2- 
  Hostile 
  3 
  Antagonistic 
  4 
  Unfriendly 
  5 
  Annoyed 
  6 
  Hesitant 
  7 
  Inscrutable 
  8 
  Curious 
  9 
  Cordial 
  10 
  Friendly 
  11 
  Helpful 
  12+ 
  Beneficent 
  Depending on the circumstances, a PC may be able to 
  shift the reaction to a more desirable one (either 
  positive or negative, as they wish) by succeeding in a 
  CHARM roll vs DL 4.  Apply a -2 to this roll if the two 
  parties don’t have a language in common. 
  DEVELOPING DRAMA THROUGH NPCS 
  NPCs are the most powerful tools at your disposal. They relay 
  information, inject action and meaning into a game, and 
  provide viewpoints for PCs to relate to. The improvisation of 
  NPC Dialog is an important skill to get comfortable with, 
  since it gives you a chance to work in both directions, giving 
  and receiving action and information – as well as Psychic 
  Content – while communicating those viewpoints. 
  Aside from their own personal dramas and identities, NPCs 
  also represent different Groups and Points of View in the 
  gameworld. When creating an adventure, be on the lookout 
  for subgroups, and for different opinions that might be held 
  on any important person, subject or theme. This is especially 
  true of Social Stories. Every group in the story should have an 
  NPC who represents it or speaks on its behalf. Every 
  significant opinion or point of view should have an NPC who 
  voices it. 
  ATTITUDES & REACTIONS 
   
  WHAT ARE THEY FEELING? 
  WHAT ARE THEY DOING? 
  WHAT DOES THIS NPC WANT? 
  WHAT IS THIS NPC’S ARCHETYPE? 
  WHAT IS THIS NPC’S PROBLEM? 
  FIVE TRAITS OF MONSTERS & EVIL PEOPLE 
  
  74 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  WHAT ARE THEY FEELING? 
  Need a random emotion?  Roll 1d6 for the emotion type, 
  then roll another 1d6 to determine the strength of the 
  emotion: 
  ROLL 1 
  ROLL 2 
  EMOTION 
  1 
  1-3 
  Annoyance 
  4-5 
  Anger 
  6 
  Rage 
  2 
  1-3 
  Boredom 
  4-5 
  Disgust 
  6 
  Loathing 
  3 
  1-3 
  Apprehension 
  4-5 
  Fear 
  6 
  Terror 
  4 
  1-3 
  Serenity 
  4-5 
  Joy 
  6 
  Ecstasy 
  5 
  1-3 
  Pensiveness 
  4-5 
  Sadness 
  6 
  Grief 
  6 
  1-3 
  Distraction 
  4-5 
  Surprise 
  6 
  Shock 
   
  WHAT ARE THEY DOING? 
  To generate a random activity for any NPC or NPC 
  Group (human or otherwise), choose or roll on the table 
  below which best describes its state of evolution: Non-
  Sentient, Sentient or Advanced Sentient. 
  T A B L E  1:  N O N-S E N T I E N T  L I F E F O R M S  (3D6) 
  ROLL 
  ACTIVITY 
  3 
  Suffering/Dying 
  4 
  Hunting/Foraging 
  5 
  Sleeping/Brumating 
  6 
  Excreting/Purging 
  7 
  Mating/Challenging/Budding 
  8 
  Birthing/Sporing/Reproducing 
  9 
  Hiding/Lurking/Watching 
  10 
  Moving/Drifting/Flying 
  11 
  Eating/Ingesting 
  12 
  Lazing/Meditating/Still 
  13 
  Socializing/Interacting/Arguing 
  14 
  Scouting/Patrolling 
  15 
  Examining/Choosing 
  16 
  Searching/Exploring 
  17 
  Gathering/Collecting 
  18 
  Transporting/Destroying 
   
  T A B L E  2:  S E N T I E N T  L I F E F O R M S  (1D6) 
  ROLL 
  ACTIVITY 
  1 
  Separating/Sorting/Cleaning 
  2 
  Building/Assembling 
  3 
  Digging/Excavating 
  4 
  Worshipping/Praying 
  5 
  Combining/Mixing 
  6 
  Roll on Table 1 
   
  T A B L E  3:  A D V A N C E D  S E N T I E N T  L I F E F O R M S  (1D6) 
  ROLL 
  ACTIVITY 
  1 
  Preparing/Cooking 
  2 
  Working/Processing/Repeating 
  3 
  Trading/Selling/Offering 
  4 
  Crafting/Performing 
  5 
  Roll on Table 1 
  6 
  Roll on Table 2 
   
   
  Most of these tables are best applied when a Node is visited 
  for the first time, or when you’re introducing new characters 
  or groups into the gameworld. When PCs meet up with NPCs 
  they've met before, existing knowledge and relationships will 
  usually suggest what the NPC’s attitude will be. This 
  relationships may introduce new narrative elements, and 
  those will unfold on their own if you follow the NPC’s goals 
  and remain true to their personality. 
  
  75 
   
   
  WHAT DOES THIS NPC WANT? 
  ROLL
  1 
  ROLL
  2 
  MOTIVATION 
  4- 
  n/a opposes a PC LifeShaper 
  5-6 
  1 
  to abduct someone 
  2 
  to blackmail someone 
  3 
  to commit something 
  4 
  to deceive someone 
  5 
  to profit/gain 
  6 
  to sell something 
  7-8 
  1 
  to correct someone/something 
  2 
  to defeat someone/something 
  3 
  to escape someone/something 
  4 
  to explore someplace 
  5 
  to expose someone/something 
  6 
  to advance/excel/succeed 
  9-10 
  1 
  to avoid someone/something 
  2 
  to become someone/something 
  3 
  to communicate with someone 
  4 
  to convince someone 
  5 
  to create something 
  6 
  to find someone/something 
  11-12 
  1 
  to fix something 
  2 
  to help someone 
  3 
  to master something 
  4 
  to obtain someone/something 
  5 
  to prove something 
  6 
  to win something 
  13-14 
  1 
  to host/produce something 
  2 
  to lead/teach someone 
  3 
  to prevent something 
  4 
  to restore someone/something 
  5 
  to solve something 
  6 
  to travel someplace 
  15-16 
  1 
  to avenge someone/something 
  2 
  to cure someone/something 
  3 
  to evolve/develop/grow 
  4 
  to save someone/something 
  5 
  to impress/woo someone 
  6 
  to rescue someone 
  17+ 
  n/a supports a PC LifeShaper 
   
  WHAT IS THIS NPC’S ARCHETYPE? 
  An Archetype is a symbolic role which can be filled by a 
  dramatically significant character in a Story. It 
  determines the character’s narrative function and 
  indicates their attitude toward the protagonists. To 
  determine a random Archetype for an NPC, choose or 
  roll 3d6 on the table below. 
  ROLL 
  ARCHETYPE 
  DEFINITION 
  3-4 
  Hero 
  A protagonist in a Story; a 
  person who struggles to 
  change, or who causes 
  change to occur.  Everyone 
  is the hero of their own 
  personal myth. 
  5-6 
  Mentor 
  A hero's guide, coach, 
  teacher, etc. 
  7-8 
  Ally 
  A hero’s helper, confidante, 
  associate, sidekick, friend, 
  lover, etc. 
  9-10 
  Guardian 
  A person who bars the path 
  at some key point: 
  defenders, dragons, 
  gatekeepers, social 
  judgments, etc. 
  11-12 
  Shadow 
  Any villains or enemies, even 
  the enemy within.  The dark 
  side, evil, greed, repression, 
  frustration, violence or rage. 
  13-14 
  Shapeshifter 
  Characters  who change 
  their shape or their nature, 
  representing the forces of 
  change, uncertainty and 
  deception. 
  15-16 
  Trickster 
  Clowns, mischief-makers, 
  pranksters, and wily 
  teachers of life lessons. 
  17-18 
  Herald 
  A person or event that 
  brings a call to adventure or 
  need for action. 
   
  The table at left may be used to determine a motivation for 
  a sentient NPC or group. Stick a few of these together and 
  you’re bound to get some sort of Drama. For Roll 1, choose 
  or roll 3d6 and apply the following Mods: 
  +2 for a sympathetic character 
  -2 for an antagonistic character 
  For Roll 2, choose or roll 1d6 to determine the nature of 
  what the NPC wants. 
  
  76 
   
   
   
   
  WHAT IS THIS NPC’S PROBLEM? 
  ROLL1 
  ROLL2 PROBLEM 
  1-7 
  1 
  lying sociopath who tells tales of suffering 
  to manipulate the feelings of others 
  2 
  being extorted, vandalized, threatened or 
  blackmailed, but actually they deserve it 
  3 
  currently robbing or sabotaging someone; 
  secretive, paranoid, untrusting 
  4 
  being exposed for scandal, crimes or 
  selfishness, needs supporters or scapegoats 
  5 
  experiencing fits of dementia, bloodlust, 
  rage or hostility 
  6 
  claims that something magical or 
  inexplicable has happened 
  8-10 
  1 
  claims someone has addiction or illness, but 
  it’s really them who's addicted or ill 
  2 
  involved in a risky gamble or investment 
  and wants to throw more into the bargain 
  3 
  claims to be extorted by some local 
  authority but they're not really innocent 
  4 
  in debt, owes someone, lost a gamble, took 
  a loan and can't pay it back 
  5 
  is in a family feud or bitter rivalry with 
  competitor 
  6 
  claims there's been a disaster/emergency, 
  to lure/disarm somebody 
  11-13 
  1 
  thinks someone else has a problem or 
  secret, but it's not what they think it is 
  2 
  concerned about someone who has a 
  problem or secret 
  3 
  has a bitter rival or ex-friend who changed 
  4 
  being robbed or sabotaged by someone 
  5 
  in danger because of whistleblowing or 
  exposing someone  
  6 
  has been savagely attacked by someone 
  14-20 
  1 
  there's been a disaster/emergency, natural 
  or otherwise 
  2 
  victim of abuse, brainwashing, coersion, 
  stockholm syndrome 
  3 
  being extorted, vandalized, threatened or 
  blackmailed by someone 
  4 
  being targeted by someone in authority but 
  they're innocent 
  5 
  someone they know has an addiction or 
  serious illness 
  6 
  something magical or inexplicable has 
  happened 
   
  FIVE TRAITS OF MONSTERS 
  AND EVIL PEOPLE 
  Building a nemesis? Some special considerations 
  must be taken when building a monster or an evil 
  character. It should be frightening, after all, and 
  that means it should partake of the following lists, 
  choosing at least one word from each: 
   APPEARANCE – bizarre, bland, chaotic, 
  corrupt, decayed, horrible, grim, invisible, 
  menacing, misshapen, shifty, terrifying, 
  unassuming, uncanny 
   THREAT – bloodthirsty, deadly, enraged, 
  mesmerizing, murderous, ravening, ruthless, 
  toxic, traumatic, venomous 
   DECEIT – beguiling, cunning, depraved, 
  obscuring, seductive, slippery, sociopathic, 
  treacherous, tricky, twisted 
   DARKNESS – amoral, demonic, enthralled, 
  fiendish, ghostly, hellish, inhuman, mindless, 
  nightmarish, obsessed, sadistic, sinister 
   PSYCHOLOGY (see below) – predator, 
  guardian, punisher 
  MONSTER PSYCHOLOGY 
  PREDATORS seek out victims for their own 
  purposes, which may be something as simple as 
  eating them, or something much more complex. 
  GUARDIANS jealously defend a person, thing or 
  territory. The object of protection may not be 
  clear from their actions, because they tend to 
  attack anyone who comes near. 
  PUNISHERS are consumed by rage or bent on 
  revenge. They may be a victim of some terrible 
  mistreatment, or they may just possess a brutal 
  instinct, following a psychotic sort of logic. 
  The table at left may be used to determine plot 
  complications brought in by a dramatically significant 
  antagonistic NPC. More than merely a Goal, this person 
  has a soap-opera-worthy Problem. For Roll 1, choose or 
  roll 3d6 and apply the following Mods: 
  +2 for a sympathetic character 
  -2 for an antagonistic character 
  For Roll 2, choose or roll 1d6 to determine the nature of 
  the NPC’s problem. 
  
  77 
   
   
   
   
  Alternate Earth 
  Generator 
   
   
  An Alternate Earth is a version of our 
  own 
  timeline 
  where 
  something 
  changed the course of history at some 
  point in the past, resulting in a world 
  different than the one we’re familiar 
  with. When putting such a scenario 
  together, it’s useful to focus on one 
  “central novelty” and work outward 
  from that. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  THE PIVOTAL EVENT 
  SCOPE OF CHANGE 
  WHEN IT HAPPENED 
  THE PIVOTAL EVENT 
  The PCs may or may not ever discover what the pivotal 
  event was, but that doesn’t stop us from determining it.  
  For an event of global or human scope, choose or roll 
  3d6 on the table below. To focus on events within 
  human history, roll 2d6+6 instead (generating a number 
  from 8 to 18). 
  ROLL PIVOTAL EVENT 
  3 
  Something caused this reality to become 
  unstable 
  4 
  A cosmic event affected the entire planet 
  5 
  ETs or extradimensional beings intervened 
  6 
  Something never evolved, or was made extinct 
  7 
  Something evolved in a different direction 
  8 
  Some kind of major natural disaster occurred 
  9 
  Some other species dominates the planet 
  10 
  Someone else won a war or resisted a takeover 
  11 
  Something legal was made illegal, or vice-versa 
  12 
  Someone famous made a different life decision 
  13 
  Something important was depleted or 
  destroyed 
  14 
  Someone important was killed or never born 
  15 
  Something was never discovered or invented 
  16 
  Something was discovered or invented early 
  17 
  Something became the basis of a major religion 
  18 
  Timeline was created by DayTrippers who 
  altered history; roll again to determine how. If 
  you get this result again, they were attempting 
  to reverse effects caused by other DayTrippers. 
   
  
  78 
   
   
   
   
   
  PREPPING AN ALTERNATE EARTH 
  The first question to consider is: Have any other 
  DayTrippers been here before? If so, there may be 
  some information available about the place. This 
  information may be disclosed in the “Getting the 
  Job” scene, it may be learned from other ‘Trippers, it 
  may even be obvious from the name of the Node. 
  When visiting Alternate Earths no one has seen 
  before, on the other hand, the PCs will generally have 
  no idea what caused the change. The Pivotal Event 
  will be a huge mystery with numerous clues, 
  scattered (potentially) all over the planet. The 
  Players may be able to reason it out for themselves, 
  or it may require exhaustive research to do so. It may 
  even require hiring an inhabitant of the timeline to 
  give them a history lesson. 
  In the early scenes of your Alternate Earth adventure, add lots of little bits of color and detail to make sure the Players are 
  getting the gist. What’s different about this world? How does it feel – somehow off? If you can show something to your Player 
  through an NPC’s actions rather than simply saying it with words, do that. Show them things they won’t understand. Make 
  them curious. Set up questions in their minds, driving them to want to know exactly what happened here. 
  To develop such a world, you need to reign in your thoughts a bit.  Start with one central novelty, and think about what would 
  follow from that, if it were true. Take your time. It’s a big world and there’s a temptation to go nuts with prep here, but don’t. 
  Focus on this one thing, and as you consider the changes brought about by your central novelty, try to imagine its direct 
  consequences. When you’re ready, write down three good examples.  Leave the rest in your head. Those three examples are 
  enough to get the point across – if it’s ever going to get across – and your unwritten ideas will give you material to use for 
  further improvisation during gameplay. 
  SCOPE OF CHANGE 
  What’s the scope of the changes brought about by the 
  pivotal event? Choose or roll 2d6 on the table below. 
  ROLL SCOPE OF CHANGE 
  2-3 
  Very slight; only small details 
  4-6 
  One major change has occurred 
  7 
  Major changes in culture and/or technology 
  8-10 
  Lots of changes, difficult to pinpoint the cause 
  11-12 Everything’s different, is this really Earth? 
   
   
  WHEN IT HAPPENED 
  Not sure when the pivotal event happened?  To 
  determine the period during which it occurred, choose 
  or roll 3d6 on the Time Period table below.  If you want 
  the event to have taken place within human history (but 
  still prior to 2099), roll 1d6+7. 
  TIME PERIOD TABLE 
  ROLL 
  TIME PERIOD 
  3 
  Pre-Solar System 
  4 
  Pre-Life on Earth 
  5 
  Pangaea 
  6 
  Dinosaurs 
  7 
  Mammals 
  8 
  Neolithic 
  9 
  Ancient Civilizations 
  10 
  Pre-Industrial Technology 
  11 
  Industrial Technology 
  12 
  Digital Technology 
  13 
  Nanotechnology 
  14 
  Neural Interface & Cybernetics 
  15 
  Artificial Intelligence & Androids 
  16 
  Galactic Expansion 
  17 
  Psionics & Intergalactic Empire 
  18 
  Entropic Heat-Death of the Universe 
  In the time of DayTrippers, Home-Earth is around 13 on 
  the table above.  Nanotech has been tested and 
  implemented in medical and military applications for 
  over a decade, and is now beginning to appear in 
  commercial and industrial products. 
   
  
  79 
   
   
  Dream World 
  Generator 
   
   
   
  Example: We roll 4 (a pair of 2s).  This tells us something 
  about Appearances or Composition has diverged (4), and 
  since we rolled doubles, we need to roll again. This time we 
  get another 4 (1+3).  Since the same Divergence has been 
  rolled twice, we stop there.  Now we think about what those 
  Divergences might be. 
  There are two ways to do this.  The Surrealist way is to 
  simply say whatever pops into your head, and then figure 
  out the reason, which may in fact be quite “unreasonable”. 
  The other way is to just keep rolling on the tables below, 
  letting the emerging details suggest an idea.  If a roll doesn’t 
  make sense, reroll it or just accept it, senseless as it is.  This 
  is a Dream World, after all! 
   
  TYPE OF DIVERGENCE 
  Every Dream World has its own logic, dynamics and laws 
  of physics.  Often these astound and confuse the human 
  mind.  Because we have no other way of communicating 
  about them, we use our own idea of “reality” as a 
  baseline from which to measure the “divergence” of 
  other realities.  To determine the type of Divergence 
  prevalent in a Dream World, choose or roll 2d6 on the 
  table below.  On any result of doubles, take that 
  Divergence and roll again.  This process may repeat until 
  the same Divergence Type is rolled twice. 
  ROLL 
  WHAT HAS DIVERGED? 
  2-6 
  Appearance or Composition of things 
  7-9 
  Laws of Physics or Behavior of things 
  10-12 
  Meaning or Purpose of actions or things 
  Doubles 
  Multiple Divergences: Keep what you 
  rolled and roll again 
   
   
  “The mind of the dreaming man is fully satisfied 
  with whatever happens to it. The agonizing 
  question of possibility does not arise.” 
  - André Breton 
   
  Each Dream World differs wildly from 
  the next one, and many are so 
  incomprehensible as to test the limits 
  of the human mind.  Some of the best-
  known Dream Worlds are based on 
  famous books or legends, but most are 
  oddly-stitched-together bits of normal 
  life experiences seasoned with the 
  occasional uncanny event or magical 
  element, and many of them are just 
  plain frikkin crazy. 
  Although their levels of stability are 
  low compared to other Nodes, Dream 
  Worlds are stable enough to generate 
  their own timelines, and can even split 
  into divergent variants of themselves. 
  They are known to be intimately 
  associated with the deepest levels of 
  consciousness, and it has recently 
  been discovered that not all of them 
  are dreamt by humans. 
  Dream Worlds will possess breathable 
  atmospheres for the species of 
  creature that dreams them, and often 
  require no life support systems at all.  
  This does nothing to make them any 
  less dangerous, however. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  TYPE OF DIVERGENCE 
  SCOPE OF DIVERGENCE 
  FORM OF REALITY 
  STABILITY OF REALITY 
  WHAT IS THIS DREAM ABOUT? 
   
  TWEAKING CHARACTERS 
  TWEAKING THE NATURAL WORLD 
  TWEAKING THE CONSTRUCTED WORLD 
  
  80 
   
   
  Example: From our earlier roll we know that “Appearances” 
  have slipped, and a roll of 10 above indicates that the scope 
  of the slip is “allegorical or symbolic”. 
  We decide to make people into animals in this world - or 
  better yet, they possess animal heads!  The animal head will 
  represent their role in society (there’s our allegory), but in all 
  other respects they will behave like regular people. 
  Whose dream is this?  We don’t know. Yet. 
   
   
  Example: Rolling a 9 for form, we determine that the nature 
  of this reality is a limitless plane extending in all directions. 
  Rolling a 7 for Stability, we learn that this reality is only 
  “moderately” stable. Things here may change very fluidly, 
  and items taken back to Home-Earth may not retain their 
  corporeality for very long. Let’s hope the world won’t be 
  dissolving while the PCs are in it! 
  FORM OF REALITY 
  Dream Worlds come in all shapes and sizes.  To 
  determine the general form of the pocket universe 
  containing the Node, choose or roll 2d6 on the table 
  below. 
  ROLL 
  FORM OF REALITY 
  2-4 
  Groundless, free-floating 
  5-6 
  Tiny planetoid, asteroid or moon 
  7 
  Roughly Earth-sized Planet (+/- 50%) 
  8 
  Giant planet 
  9-10 
  Limitless plane 
  11-12 
  Totally enclosed space 
   
  "Such relations - the spontaneous, extra-lucid, 
  insolent rapport between one thing and another 
  which common sense hesitates to confront – 
  may be discovered in dreams." 
  - Mel Gooding 
   
  SCOPE OF DIVERGENCE 
  The Scope of Divergence must also be noted.  In other 
  words, for each type or angle of divergence, we must ask 
  How far has this reality “diverged” relative to the PCs’ 
  normal reality? Roll 2d6 for each Divergence. 
  ROLL SCOPE OF DIVERGENCE 
  2-4 
  Very slight; only small details 
  5-6 
  One major change has occurred 
  7 
  There’s a weird but discoverable connection 
  (a story, song, figure of speech, memory, 
  event, rhyme, homophone, cliché, wordplay, 
  etc) 
  8 
  Lots of changes, mostly minor and random 
  9-10 
  Everything is allegorical and symbolic 
  11-12 Totally random, you’ll never understand it 
   
   
  STABILITY OF REALITY 
  The nature of reality can be highly unstable in Dream 
  Worlds, and this effects the strength of physical laws in 
  those universes. Some Dream Worlds cohere for only a 
  limited time, and some are constantly changing. Others 
  remain resistant to change – even repetitive – for 
  extremely long periods of time; possibly even forever.  
  To determine the STABILITY SCORE of a Dream World, 
  choose or roll 2d6 on the table below. 
  +1 if dreamer is famous or fictional 
  +1 if world is famous or mythical 
  ROLL 
  SCORE 
  STABILITY 
  4- 
  1 
  Very low stabililty, subject to 
  dissolution 
  5-6 
  2 
  Low stability, subject to flux 
  7 
  3 
  Moderately stable 
  8 
  4 
  Highly stable 
  9-10 
  5 
  Historically stable, often-visited 
  11+ 
  6 
  Permanent, fixed, as stable as 
  the “real” world 
   
  
  81 
   
   
  WHAT IS THIS DREAM ABOUT? 
  The subject of a dream may not be an easy thing to 
  determine. But even if the Players can’t understand it, it 
  can provide a general theme for designing motifs and 
  events that match in tone and concept. Choose or roll 
  6d6 on this table whenever it seems like the dream 
  should change. Tweak these elements as desired. 
  ROLL TWEAK 
  6 
  Appearance/Impression/Visage 
  7 
  Babies/Youth/Innocence 
  8 
  Communication/Media/Signals 
  9 
  Confusion/Ignorance/Non-comprehension 
  10 
  Death/Corruption/Decay/Falling Apart 
  11 
  Deities/Angels/Elite/Celebrities 
  12 
  Failing Technology/Collapse 
  13 
  Evil/Demons/Pain/Affliction 
  14 
  Fighting/Attacking/Killing/War 
  15 
  Marriage/Union/Fusion/Partnering 
  16 
  Mountains/Ravines/Emanations/Obstacles 
  17 
  Nudity/Vulnerability/Social Fears 
  18 
  Affinity/Friendship/Love 
  19 
  Animals/Lower Lifeforms 
  20 
  Chased/Tormented/Trapped 
  21 
  Flying/Motion/Terrain/Distance/Mapping 
  22 
  House/Dwelling/Safety 
  23 
  Important Location/Place/Building 
  24 
  Paralysis/Indecision/Freezing 
  25 
  Roads/Paths/Routes/Travel 
  26 
  Sex/Procreation/Replication 
  27 
  Teeth/Mouth/Manipulators/Tools 
  28 
  Testing/School/Performance 
  29 
  Growing/Blooming/Maturing 
  30 
  Miraculous Technology/Fulfillment of Prophecy 
  31 
  Money/Power/Resources/Health 
  32 
  Religious/Metaphysical Secrets 
  33 
  Sent/Failed Contact/Message 
  34 
  Surplus/Scarcity of Food/Sustenance 
  35 
  Vehicles/Conveyance/Cargo 
  36 
  Water/Air/Fire/Earth 
   
  PREPPING A DREAM WORLD 
  The sky is wide open when creating a Dream World: this is 
  where the multiverse reaches its zenith of weirdness. 
  Consider the Players and their Psychic Content. Consider the 
  PCs and their LifeShapers. Ask yourself lots of questions. 
  Here are some to get you started: 
   Does this dream come from literature or media? 
   What is the central novelty of this dream world? 
   What follows from that, or changes because of it? 
   What is the symbolic meaning or emotional tone? 
   Is there a Theme? Does it change or remain the same? 
   Have any DayTrippers been here before? 
   Can events be changed or do they constantly repeat? 
   Is the Maguffin known, or is it awaiting discovery? 
   Whose dream is this? 
   Is it a human dream? 
   Is it a famous person’s dream? 
   Is it a PC's dream? 
   
  TWEAKING CHARACTERS 
  Think of a person, archetype, or job/role, or consider 
  the NPCs  in the scene and select one of them.  Then 
  choose or roll 3d6 on the table below. 
  ROLL TWEAK 
  3 
  They have an animal part or new organic part 
  4 
  They have a machine part, inside or out 
  5 
  They have a symbolic part, inside or out 
  6 
  They subsist on something bizarre 
  7 
  They are fused with another person or function 
  8 
  An emotion is turned up to 11 or down to 0 
  9 
  Their age, gender or appearance is changed 
  10 
  They have a superpower or amazing ability 
  11 
  Take away their greatest asset 
  12 
  One of their Stats or Skills is set to 6 
  13 
  They have the function of a random archetype 
  14 
  Their function is reversed or conflicted 
  15 
  They are significant in an unexpected way 
  16 
  They are inside, or connected to, something 
  symbolic, weird or alive 
  17 
  They are missing an important object or part 
  18 
  There are many of them; clones or simulacra 
   
   
  
  82 
   
   
   
  TWEAKING THE CONSTRUCTED 
  WORLD 
  Think of a machine or device, or look at the machines 
  and devices in the scene and select one of them.  Then 
  choose or roll 2d6 on the table below. 
  ROLL TWEAK 
  2 
  It is intelligent, emotional, or communicative 
  3 
  It has a different input or a different source 
  4 
  It is driven by a natural law or process 
  5 
  It produces a different kind of output 
  6 
  It uses an impossible fuel/power source 
  7 
  It has an additional strange purpose 
  8 
  It is impossibly large or small 
  9 
  It is a fusion of organic and inorganic parts 
  10 
  It runs on its own power (perpetual motion) 
  11 
  It produces organic things 
  12 
  It responds to thoughts or feelings 
   
   
  TWEAKING THE NATURAL WORLD 
  Think of a natural law or process, or look at the natural 
  laws and objects in the scene and select one of them.  
  Then choose or roll 2d6 on the table below. 
  ROLL TWEAK 
  2 
  It is reversed or degraded 
  3 
  It is amplified or its range extended immensely 
  4 
  It is sped up or slowed down radically 
  5 
  It communicates telepathically or empathically 
  6 
  Its composition, structure or object is different 
  7 
  It is controlled by someone 
  8 
  It is sentient and makes its own decisions 
  9 
  It produces the wrong things 
  10 
  It produces inorganic things 
  11 
  It produces magical or inexplicable things 
  12 
  Imagine a crazy way to exploit it and do that 
   
  
  83 
   
    
  Multiversal Chao 
  Generator 
    
  Remember that each Frame in the Chao requires a PSYCHE 
  roll vs DL4 to avoid SDS (see p.28-29). 
  Here in the Chao you can inject Psychic Content freely into the 
  scene and revisit the PCs’ LifeShapers with gonzo imagery, 
  from the deeply symbolic to the just plain freaky.   
  Encourage the Players to describe what’s happening.  Ask 
  them what they see, how they feel, what they were just 
  thinking about, and inject that right back into the scene, but 
  twist it, transform it, make the weird even weirder.  Fuse 
  everything together and rip it all apart. 
  There are lots of ways to accomplish this feat of improvisation, 
  and it doesn’t have to all be up to you.   Let the dice and the 
  Players be your guides. To select a Brainstorming Technique 
  for the creation of each scene in the Chao, roll 1d6 on the table 
  at right and follow the instructions given. Ask the Players 
  “What do you do?” Don’t forget PSYCHE rolls. Set up a new 
  scene each time a logical sequence of Frames ends, or 
  whenever you feel things should change. No scene lasts very 
  long in the Chao; objective reality is too unstable here. 
   
   
  BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES 
  BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES 
  Start by rolling a random Location using the Location 
  Generator (p.46). Whenever there’s a choice to make 
  (e,g,: “Is there water here?”, “Is there life here?”, etc), 
  roll a die. High means Yes. Low means No. 
  ROLL BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUE 
  1 
  TRANSFORMED OBJECT – Pick a Player at 
  random and address them by their character 
  name. Ask “What was that thing you just 
  thought about?” Whatever they say, roll once 
  on the Transformations table (next page) to 
  modify it. This weird object will become 
  central to the scene, and all other narrative 
  details will descend from it. 
  2 
  TEMPORARY TABLEAU – The chaos breaks 
  and things become substantial for a while, like 
  a pre-fabricated setting from a “real” world. 
  Roll on the Temporary Tableaus table (next 
  page) and improvise as imagination suggests. 
  3 
  PC WORDS – Ask each Player to read one 
  word aloud from their PC Sheet.  Add a word 
  of your own to each one.  Now consider all 
  those words together in your mind.  Whatever 
  you see, that’s the scene. 
  4 
  PSYCHIC CONTENT – The Players have given 
  you some signals about things or ideas they 
  feel strongly about in their characters’ lives.  
  Choose a Player, imagine something that 
  represents their Psychic Content, roll on the 
  Transformations table and toss it into the 
  scene. Is this “real”? Hard to say. 
  5 
  SHARED HALLUCINATION – The PCs enter a 
  physical manifestation of their own thoughts, 
  which gets continually stranger. Go around 
  the table once, asking each Player to add a 
  detail.  Roll 1d6 each time. On 1-3, roll on the 
  Transformations table to tweak their detail. 
  On 4-6, add their Psychic Content to it. 
  6 
  STEAL IT – Think of a scene from a book or 
  movie, roll on the Transformations table and 
  stick the PCs right into it.  They might replace 
  the main characters, or become passive 
  observers as the “fictional” characters do their 
  thing.  Maybe you take two movies and 
  smoosh them together. Maybe Jimi Hendrix 
  walks by. Up to you. It’s weird in here. 
   
  There’s no easy way to explain the 
  Chao, it’s not even a place, not really, 
  more like an endlessly swirling and 
  cacophonous existential maelstrom in 
  which chunks, streams and distorted 
  bits of other realities appear and 
  disappear at random.  When running 
  the Chao, you can make use of 
  absolutely 
  any 
  idea 
  from 
  any 
  imaginable space, no matter how big, 
  small, logical or senseless, and throw 
  it into the scene – only to remove it on 
  a whim a moment later.  Or not. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES 
  TRANSFORMATIONS 
  TEMPORARY TABLEAUS 
  PURE OBJECTS 
  
  84 
   
   
  PURE OBJECTS 
  Scattered throughout the Chao, strange artifacts with 
  magical properties or impossible qualities can 
  sometimes be found. A popular theory holds that purity 
  of symbolic meaning is what permits their extended 
  persistence, and they are often called “Pure Objects”. 
  Pure Objects are the symbolic fragments of dissolved 
  Dream Worlds and fractured realities, and their 
  remarkable qualities make them immensely valuable, 
  with market averages in the 100-600 M range. 
  They make excellent Maguffins for Missions in the 
  Multiversal Chao. 
  Some Pure Objects are reknowned items of historical 
  legend, like Excalibur; some are innocuous items of 
  mere personal significance, like a lucky keychain. Each 
  has exactly one remarkable power or quality. No two are 
  alike, except for their ability to remain integral in the 
  face of reality disruption. 
  To design a Pure Object, think about the world it came 
  from, and name the first symbolic item that comes to 
  mind. That’s your object. To determine what’s so 
  remarkable about it, choose or roll 3d6 on the table 
  below, and interpret the results creatively. 
  ROLL 
  REMARKABLE QUALITY 
  3 
  Its Union/Disjunction with something else 
  4 
  The Elements it is made of 
  5 
  The amount of Strength or Force it has 
  6 
  Its Perfection, Youth or Freshness 
  7 
  The Pleasure or Pain it brings 
  8 
  Some Unusual Ability or Effect it has 
  9 
  Its Disposition, Mood or Manner 
  10 
  The Hazard or Danger it brings 
  11 
  Its Integrity or Corruption 
  12 
  Its Health or Decay 
  13 
  Its Mass, Power or Size 
  14 
  Its Attraction or Aversion for something 
  15 
  Its Substantiability, Solidity or Permanence 
  16 
  Its Sphere or Range of Effect 
  17 
  Its Number, Magnitude or Many Imitators 
  18 
  Its Distance or Nearness 
   
   
  TRANSFORMATIONS 
  Think of one of the characters or objects in your 
  scenario, or a character or object from a story you want 
  to emulate. Got it? Good. Now roll 3d6 below: 
  ROLL 
  TRANSFORMATION 
  3 
  Disrupt something about it. 
  4 
  Dislocate something about it. 
  5 
  Deform something about it. 
  6 
  Exaggerate something about it. 
  7 
  Minimalize something about it. 
  8 
  It is completely gone from the world 
  9 
  It is controlled by a machine or system 
  10 
  Fuse it with some other thing, maybe a 
  person or a lifeform. 
  11 
  Remove something that it needs. 
  12 
  Give it something it can’t use. 
  13 
  Insert something into it. 
  14 
  Put it together with something oddly 
  symbolic or seemingly impossible. 
  15 
  Reveal it to be fake or hollow. 
  16 
  Subdivide it in a weird way.  Different things 
  might happen with different subdivisions. 
  17 
  Limit it in a weird way.  Maybe something 
  happens at the place where it stops. 
  18 
  Make its least important aspect the most 
  important aspect. 
   
   
  TEMPORARY TABLEAUS 
  Sometimes the whirling stops and the whole scene gels 
  together for a brief time; it feels like walking into a 
  movie or someone else’s dream. This is called a 
  “Temporary Tableau”.  To determine the central novelty 
  of such a tableau, roll 1d6 below, and then roll on the 
  table(s) indicated. Improvize as imagination suggests. 
  ROLL CENTRAL NOVELTY 
  1 
  A Nearby Object has Weird Qualities (p.50) 
  2 
  A Dramatic Theme begins to play out (p.64) 
  3 
  A Plot Twist occurs (p.65) 
  4 
  An NPC Archetype is encountered (p.74) 
  5 
  A Dream. What Is This Dream About? (p.80) 
  6 
  A Pure Object is found (see table at right) 
   
   
  
  85 
   
   
  Time Travel 
  Generator 
   
   
  When Time Traveling to the future, 
  the "surrealistic" feeling usually 
  comes from advances in technology, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  inhabitants of this world take for 
  granted things the PCs  find 
  astounding. Come up with a few of 
  those things. 
  When Time Traveling to the past, 
  however, the real source of weirdness 
  is the PCs themselves – their very 
  presence in the past is enough to 
  cause a whole lot of unpredictability. 
  IN THIS GENERATOR: 
   
  ATTITUDES & REACTIONS 
  TIME PERIOD 
  SOCIAL STRATA 
  FIELD OF INTEREST 
  F 
  WHAT’S GOING ON? 
  HISTORICAL MAGUFFINS 
  TIME PERIOD 
  To determine what period of history the PCs will be 
  visiting, choose or roll 3d6 on the table below. For a 
  timespan in the past only, roll 2d6+1.  For a timespan in 
  the future only, roll 1d6+12.  
  TIME PERIOD TABLE 
  ROLL 
  TIME PERIOD 
  3 
  Pre-Solar System 
  4 
  Pre-Life on Earth 
  5 
  Pangaea 
  6 
  Dinosaurs 
  7 
  Mammals 
  8 
  Neolithic 
  9 
  Ancient Civilizations 
  10 
  Pre-Industrial Technology 
  11 
  Industrial Technology 
  12 
  Digital Technology 
  13 
  Nanotechnology 
  14 
  Neural Interface & Cybernetics 
  15 
  Artificial Intelligence & Androids 
  16 
  Galactic Expansion 
  17 
  Psionics & Intergalactic Empire 
  18 
  Entropic Heat-Death of the Universe 
   
  In the time of DayTrippers, Home-Earth is around 13 on 
  the table above.  Nanotech has been tested and 
  implemented in medical and military applications for 
  over a decade, and is now beginning to appear in 
  commercial and industrial products. 
   
  SOCIAL STRATA 
  If we’re visiting a period of human history, what level of 
  the social structure will we find ourselves in?  Choose or 
  roll 1d6 on the table below. 
  ROLL 
  TIME PERIOD 
  1-3 
  Lower/Slave/Labor Strata 
  4-5 
  Middle/Professional/Technological Strata 
  6 
  Upper/Aristocracy/Executive Strata 
   
  
  86 
   
   
  WHAT’S GOING ON? 
  This table may be used to determine what's happening 
  in the surrounding area when the PCs jump into an 
  historical time period, or to determine what's about to 
  happen shortly thereafter. Choose or roll 3d6 on the 
  table below to find out. 
  ROLL 
  WHATS GOING ON 
  3 
  War/Destruction 
  4 
  Plague/Epidemic/Pollution/Filth 
  5 
  Cultural Debate/Malaise 
  6 
  Secession/Revolution 
  7 
  Invention/Discovery/Theory 
  8 
  Fertility/Mating Season/Ceremony 
  9 
  Conflict Between Powerful Rivals 
  10 
  Fear/Terror/Oppression/Racism 
  11 
  Occupation/Domination/Enforcement 
  12 
  Commerce/Trade/Expansion 
  13 
  Holiday/Festival/Feast 
  14 
  Fast/Repast/Cultural Cleansing 
  15 
  Political Meeting/Summit/Treaty 
  16 
  Espionage/Paranoia/Distrust 
  17 
  Rallying/Volunteering/Selection 
  18 
  Stockpiling/Preparation/Buildup 
   
  HISTORICAL MAGUFFINS 
  Maguffins for Time Travel adventures tend toward 
  items which are rare or significant, but not of enough 
  historical importance for their loss to cause disruption 
  of the timeline. 
  The following table provides a selection of special 
  Maguffins for historical adventures. Choose or roll 2d6: 
  ROLL 
  MAGUFFIN 
  2 
  Animal/Plant 
  3 
  Artifact/Relic 
  4 
  Book/Scroll/Document 
  5 
  Machine/Tool/Technique 
  6 
  Notes/Research/Plans 
  7 
  Person/DNA 
  8 
  Personal Item 
  9 
  Proof/Evidence 
  10 
  Resource/Chemical/Mineral 
  11 
  Shipment/Message 
  12 
  Weapon/Defense 
   
   
  FIELD OF INTEREST 
  If we’re within a period of human history, we may be 
  dealing with a particular subculture or field of interest. 
  What’s the field of interest we’ll mainly be exploring? 
  Choose or roll 1d6 on the table below. 
  ROLL 
  SCOPE OF CHANGE 
  1 
  Art/Music/Literature/Theater 
  2 
  Culture/Fashion/Daily Life 
  3 
  Philosophy/Religion 
  4 
  Politics/Economics/War 
  5 
  Science/Discovery/Experimentation 
  6 
  Technology/Invention/Tools 
   
  PREPPING FOR TIME TRAVEL 
  The first question to consider is: Have any other DayTrippers 
  been here-then before? If so, much information might be 
  known ahead of time. The second question is: How’s your 
  knowledge of history? 
  Historical periods raise considerations that other Nodes 
  don’t. The local inhabitants will probably have notable 
  reactions to the PCs’ clothing, hair, language and speech. 
  Think about these cultural differences when creating your 
  NPCs. If their physical features are close enough to pass as 
  locals, you might just have the PCs find some local clothes 
  quick as possible. 
  PCs who think ahead will have trained in the requisite 
  language, or at least purchased a program for the ship’s 
  computer to do translation. Otherwise they’ll find that their 
  native tongue quickly becomes incomprehensible as they 
  travel down through the centuries. 
  When rolling a big, vague, indeterminate entity like a 
  geological epoch or broad historical period and thinking “I’m 
  gonna stick an adventure in it”, obviously there are a whole 
  lot of ways you could go. 
  The best solution is often the most obvious. Think about the 
  first thing that comes to your mind, then start a Binary Tree. 
  “Is it this?” (Yes/No).  “Is it that?” (Yes/No).  
  During play, there will be tons of little details and 
  assumptions you can make about this Alternate Earth, and 
  most of them won’t have even been considered yet.  But 
  most of those can be assumed, or extrapolated pretty 
  easily once the main divergence is known. Remember that 
  
  87 
   
   
   
  ATTITUDES & REACTIONS 
  People in Past Nodes are often awed or terrified upon 
  the first encounter; very few take easily to strangely-
  dressed people suddenly appearing and stepping out of 
  a machine. 
  In Future Nodes people may display a wide range of 
  reactions, from amused to annoyed. But you never 
  know. They all have their own stuff going on.  
  To determine the general reaction or basic attitude of a 
  random NPC or NPC Group, choose off the following 
  table or roll 2d6 and apply the mods below.  
  -2 if PCs are armed, or appear to be armed 
  -1 if culture is at war or wary of espionage 
  +1 if PCs speak their language 
  +2 if culture is spacefaring 
  An additional Mod from -2 to +2 may be added for 
  cultural reasons or for conditions set by the GM. 
  ROLL 
  ATTITUDE 
  2- 
  Hostile (or Religiously Incensed) 
  3 
  Antagonistic (or Suspicious) 
  4 
  Unfriendly (or Wary) 
  5 
  Annoyed 
  6 
  Hesitant 
  7 
  Inscrutable 
  8 
  Curious 
  9 
  Cordial 
  10 
  Friendly (or Impressed) 
  11 
  Helpful (or Awe-struck) 
  12+ 
  Beneficent (or Worshipful) 
  Depending on the circumstances, a PC may be able to 
  shift the reaction to a more desirable one (either 
  positive or negative, as they wish) by succeeding in a 
  Rhetoric roll vs DL 4.  Apply a -2 to this roll if the two 
  parties don’t have a language in common. 
  Where two reactions are shown, the second reaction (in 
  parentheses) may be applied instead of the first 
  whenever the PCs are dealing with primitive or pre-
  industrial peoples. 
   
  Example: Rolling the dice, we find that the PCs will be 
  traveling to pre-industrial times, and the field of 
  interest will be arts, literature, music or theater. The 
  “Social Strata” roll says “Lower Classes” so already The 
  Globe Theatre springs to mind. A little voice says “The 
  Tragedy of the Commoners”. That’s a nice title. Next, a 
  roll for “What’s Going On” tells us there’s a holiday or 
  festival coming up, or already happening, when the 
  PCs arrive. If we stick with the Globe Theatre, we’d 
  probably be talking about a Christian holiday. A roll on 
  the “Historical Maguffins” table tells us the plot is going 
  to involve some kind of resource, chemical or mineral. A 
  roll on the “Attitudes & Reactions” table tells us that 
  the crowd will be beneficent, supporting the notion of a 
  religious holiday. 
  Nothing is springing to mind for the Maguffin, so let’s 
  hang on to that for a while and let it gel as we add 
  more details. 
  A quick search provides some history on the Globe 
  Theater. In 1598 it was nearly seized from owner 
  Richard Burbage by Giles Allen, owner of the land it 
  stood on, who claimed the building when the land lease 
  expired. But on December 28th friends of the Burbages 
  including carpenter Peter Street and actors from the 
  theater assisted by deconstructing the building and 
  moving it, piece by piece, to a new location south of 
  Maiden Lane in Southwark. This all happened – get this 
  – while the landlord was away for Christmas. 
  Apparently there were some difficulties due to swampy 
  ground at the new location, and the fact that the new 
  building was larger than the old one. The little voice 
  chimes in: “Shortage of lumber, which might be 
  transported in a SlipShip? Shortage of physical 
  strength, such as might be supplied by a winch and a 
  strong cable from the year 2100? Those are resources.” 
  This is starting to make sense. The voice continues: “An 
  emergency perhaps? Someone trapped in a collapse? 
  Guest appearance by The Bard himself?” 
  The Dice Know. “Ok shut up,” we tell the little voice. 
  “We got it.” 
   
  MAKING IT UP (TOGETHER) AS YOU GO 
  During play, there will be tons of little details and assumptions you can make about this Alternate Earth, and most of them won’t have 
  even been considered yet.  But most of those can be assumed, or extrapolated pretty easily once the main divergence is known. 
  Remember that the Players’ collective mind is smarter than yours, and they’ll always think of things that push you beyond your 
  Wikipedia comfort zone. Don’t try to beat them in a battle of historical trivia. Start with the dice, go with whatever gets the ball rolling, 
  and let the Players help you take it from there. You may even find some Psychic Content hidden in their suggestions. 
  
  88 
   
  STAR GENERATOR 
  PLANET GENERATOR 
  LOCATION GENERATOR 
  Every adventure will require at least one Location. Go through 
  the tables for each Location your Mission logically requires, as 
  directed by the Drama Template, or as imagination suggests. 
  Additional details about the Location may be generated by 
  using the What Is This Place Used For? table (for inhabited 
  areas) or the Unusual Wilderness Features table (for other 
  areas). Bizarre elements and story prompts may be added with 
  the Weird Qualities and Nearby Objects tables. 
  TIME TRAVEL 
  Roll on Time Travel Tables to determine the Time 
  Period being visited, What’s Going On there, and 
  any other elements as desired. 
  DREAM WORLD 
  Roll on Dream World Tables to determine Type of 
  Divergence, Scope of Divergence and Form of 
  Reality. Choose or roll What Is This Dream About?  
  whenever the Dream changes location or tone. 
  MULTIVERSAL CHAO 
  Roll on the Multiversal Chao Table to select a 
  brainstorming technique. Repeat whenever a 
  narrative sequence of Frames ends. Use any other 
  tables in the book as desired or directed. 
   
  TWEAK TABLES 
  Use as desired to add weird, impossible 
  or symbolic aspects to Characters, 
  Locations and Objects in the dream. 
   
  ALTERNATE EARTH 
  Roll on Alternate Earth Tables to determine the 
  Pivotal Event, the Scope of Change, and When It 
  Happened. 
  KNOWN OR UNKNOWN PLANET 
  Non-Sentient 
  Life 
  No Local 
  Life 
  LIFEFORM GENERATOR 
  Roll on Lifeform tables as indicated or as 
  imagination suggests. For Galactic 
  Hominids, see note on p.56.  For Non-
  Sentient Life, skip to Drama Generation. 
  SOCIETY GENERATOR 
  For Non-Sentient Lifeforms, skip this. 
  Nonliving 
  Obstacles 
  CHARACTER GENERATOR 
  Roll on all tables desired for each NPC or Group. 
  Every important group or point of view should 
  have an NPC who represents it. 
  Nonliving 
  Complications 
   
  Sentient 
  Life 
  DRAMA GENERATOR  
  Roll or choose a Theme or Drama Template if a dramatic 
  PlotField hasn’t already suggested itself. Roll or choose a Plot 
  Twist if desired to add tension for the Final Crisis. 
   
   
  WHICH GENERATORS, WHEN? 
  There is no preset order in which the generators must be 
  used, no premade form your plans must adhere to. But to 
  keep your thoughts organized, this flowchart may be used 
  as a guide. If you prefer a different order, go for it. 
  To use the flowchart, roll up a Mission, then start in the cell 
  indicated by the Node Type and follow the arrows. 
  
  89 
   
  SAMPLE MISSIONS 
  The following scenarios were created using the Generators, 
  and need a little additional detail for use in your campaign. 
  These missions may be quantified for groups of any TCV. 
  SURVEY ON AN UNKNOWN PLANET 
  Base Pay: 4M 
  Obstacle: Political/Cultural Challenge 
  Maguffin: A Report/Database 
  The party will be tasked with mapping a remote lowland 
  area on a freshly-discovered planet about which almost 
  nothing is known. If required, the client will provide a 
  SlipShip with atmospheric maneuverability. Due to its 
  breathable air and lovely (if weird) flora, the client 
  company hopes to build a destination resort on this planet 
  for daytripping tourists. 
  Drama: The inhabitants are unfamiliar with humans, but 
  they’re reasonably friendly if approached on foot.  They 
  possess all the data the PCs need to complete their report, 
  having resided in this area for many generations.  
  However, they will respond with aggression toward the 
  SlipShip itself if they see it directly (as they will, for 
  instance, when a low-altitude pass flies overhead for 
  mapping purposes, or if the PCs land anywhere within 
  plain view).  The problem turns out to be the color of the 
  ship’s hull, which is associated with evil in their religion.  
  Sometimes it’s the little things. 
   
  ACQUISITION ON AN ALTERNATE EARTH 
  Base Pay: 11M 
  Complication: Scant/Shaky Intel 
  Obstacle: Dangerous Individual 
  Complication: Involves Criminal Motives 
  The party is being sent to an Earth that diverged from our 
  own timeline in the early Renaissance, when the discovery 
  of electric power from ley-line-charged lodestones caused 
  a magically-powered version of the industrial revolution 
  to occur.  As history continued into the Enlightenment, 
  ancient magical practices spread side-by-side with steam- 
  and coal-powered machines.  Today, powerful wizards 
  and supercomputers work side by side, and lodestones are 
  tightly controlled by government and corporate interests. 
  The party’s mission is to obtain one of these lodestones.  
  Drama: The stone we have data on has been stolen by a 
  powerful mage called A’alarth.  Along with his terrorist 
  wizard cabal, A’alarth plans to use it in the creation of a 
  magical nuclear weapon. 
   
  TRADE ON A DREAM WORLD 
  Divergence: Meaning/Allegorical 
  Base Pay: 11M 
  Reward: +2M per crewmember if successful 
  Complication: Relations are shaky 
  Obstacle: Wildlife/Monster 
  The party is tasked with carrying a specially-constructed 
  cargo hold full of seawater to a pocket universe where 
  oceans of sand swallow and reveal whole civilizations on a 
  daily basis, each with its own bizarre means of sustenance 
  beneath the dunes.  The key metaphor to this world is 
  “The Sands of Time”.  The psychic overlords of this place 
  are tall lithe humanoids with massive brains, who reside in 
  a floating palace.  There they are building a small copy of 
  the Earth in a magnetically-charged chamber, and they 
  need seawater to jump-start the evolutionary process.  
  Drama: The PCs will be transported from the landing-
  zone to the palace in a Type IV Flying Head, and the 
  paranoid behavior of their escorts will begin to give them 
  unsettling thoughts.  Have relations broken down?  Will 
  the overlords hand over the vision crystals as promised, 
  and can the PCs survive an encounter with a Gargantuan 
  Sand Fish?  (Answer: Probably not.) 
   
  ACQUISITION ON A KNOWN PLANET 
  Base Pay: 12M 
  Perk: +1 Item for every member of party 
  Perk: +1M per crewmember if successful 
  Complication: Criminal Motives 
  Obstacle: Politics/Culture 
  Obstacle: Cargo is a Dangerous Object 
  The party is hired to acquire a living specimen of a giant 
  plant found on the destination planet.  Unfortunately, the 
  inhabitants of this planet – mobile sentient plant-people –
  hate humans.  No one’s really sure why, though there are 
  several theories.  Maybe it’s because of our fondness for 
  herbicides, or the way we’ve treated our own rainforests.  
  Perhaps they’re outraged by the fact that we make plants 
  sit in unnaturally straight rows, segregated by color and 
  height.  Whatever it is, they hate us, they really hate us, 
  and when they get together in little groups they can send 
  out psychic waves that mess with the human brain.  You 
  can see why this is a covert operation.  
  Drama: The cargo turns out to be a seven-foot-tall mobile 
  sentient hyper-triffid with two flailing pseudopods, which 
  spits a DL 5 poison that burns when it touches your skin.  
  Oh, and the locals worship it as a god.  Good luck getting 
  it home. 
  
  90 
   
   
  TOURISM ON A KNOWN PLANET 
  Base Pay: 6M 
  Complication: Criminal Motives 
  Complication: Narrow Window of Opportunity 
  Maguffin: A Creature/Specimen/DNA 
  Maguffin: A Plant/Fungus 
  The party is hired to take a shipload of vacationers on an 
  sightseeing tour of Zirlan, a well-known travel destination 
  on a planet where sentient crystalline structures walk 
  around, conversing telepathically with each other as well 
  as other species by manipulating beams of light via 
  shifting lenses atop their heads. The Zirlanians are 
  hospitable to peaceful xeno-races, and they have a 
  “foreign quarter” where language translators are 
  mounted in public, permitting inter-species conversation. 
  Here the PCs may meet citizens of many planets in this 
  remote galaxy.   
  Drama: One of the tourists wants to procure the eyelens 
  of a Zirlanian – preferably a freshly dead one – and return 
  it to Home-Earth.  The tourist is prepared to pay 3M to 
  each crewmember for the macabre item.  Since the trip is 
  only scheduled to last for five hours, there is a limited 
  amount of time in which to do the deed.  While visiting 
  the foreign quarter the PCs may encounter an alien xeno-
  biologist who wants to sell them a crate of nasty-looking 
  genetically-modified fruit. The active ingredient can heal 
  cellular damage in humans (all Stats), by causing a near-
  instantaneous “resetting” of DNA and physiology.  In 
  exchange?  He wants you to leave one human “specimen” 
  behind when you leave. For experimentation. 
   
   
  RESCUE IN THE MULTIVERSAL CHAO 
  Base Pay: 11M 
  Perk: +1 Item for every member of party 
  Maguffin: Unique Inorganic Item (a “Pure Object”) 
  Complication: Rivals 
  Complication: Scant Intel 
  The party happens to be on hand at Diaspora Ranch when 
  an emergency call goes out: a small slipship full of tourists 
  has fallen into the Chao and will be lost in minutes unless 
  someone volunteers to find them.  A rescue vessel is on 
  hand with a high-power tractor beam, and we have some 
  positional data – scant as it is - but only a foolhardy crew 
  would risk a trip directly into the Chao… right? 
  Drama: When the PCs arrive on the scene, amidst the 
  raging waves of non-reality surrounding them, they’ll find 
  that another crew heard the call and they’re attempting to 
  rescue the tourists first! 
   
  
  91 
   
   
  Creating DayTrips 
  In this section we’ll get you going on creating your own 
  DayTripping adventures. First there’s a bunch of narrative 
  engineering jargon we have to get out of the way, to make 
  sure we understand each other. I’ll try to be succinct. 
  STORY, MISSION & STRUCTURE 
  A Mission is not a Story.  A Mission is a Premise or a Catalyst 
  for a potential Story, and it provides some of the elements 
  which are likely to become important aspects of the Story that 
  emerges, but it could effectively turn out to be no more than a 
  red herring, or “story bait”.  Just as often, the Mission Goal 
  crashes into some Local Drama, and doesn't survive the 
  impact. Sometimes that’s on purpose, and sometimes it isn’t. 
  STORY TYPES 
  Broadly speaking, there are really only two things these 
  Stories can be about (these are not exclusive of each other): 
  INTERACTING WITH ENVIRONMENTS 
  These stories focus on interactions involving hostile terrain, 
  surreal landscapes, bizarre lifeforms, alien dangers, precious 
  resources and scientific discoveries. Much science fiction of 
  the pulp era had no plot at all - just a "travelogue" feeling, 
  possibly left over from Victorian booklets about excursions to 
  "exotic lands" - only much more exotic. In these tales the 
  protagonists would travel to distant planets and witness 
  bizarre things that messed with their heads before escaping 
  some potential calamity by the skin of their teeth, the zap of 
  their lasers or sheer luck, and then return home, happy to 
  warm their feet by the fire and tell the tale. Sometimes they 
  even traveled to Dream Worlds (blaming the welsh rarebit, of 
  course). You needn't be so simplistic as this - but you certainly 
  can be. As long as the PCs can bring home a Maguffin, they'll 
  mount it over the fireplace. 
  INTERACTING WITH CHARACTERS 
  The word "Character" assumes a sentient lifeform, capable of 
  communicating in some way. It assumes culture. It assumes 
  there’s some sort of "social life" here, human or otherwise. It 
  also assumes that there’s some sort of Local Drama going on, 
  and the Mission will either lead the PCs into it or give them a 
  place from which to observe it. This determines the type of 
  Story we'll get: The Mission can crash into the Local Drama, 
  encountering social obstacles and becoming a Social Story, or 
  it can witness the Drama and pursue its own goal while 
  avoiding significant interactions, and remain basically an 
  Environment Story (in which some of the observations happen 
  to be social). That all depends on the Setting and on the 
  Players' actions. But either way, by the time we're done we'll 
  have a Story. 
  Acquisition/Trade and Politics/Diplomacy Missions usually 
  generate Social Stories for obvious reasons, but any Mission 
  may generate a Story of either type, or a mixture of the two. 
  Once you consider the existence and interactivity of local 
  lifeforms (i.e., are there any of them, and are they social or 
  not), there are really only four possible ways things can go: 
   
  EMPHASIS ON 
  MISSION 
  EMPHASIS ON 
  LOCAL DRAMA 
  LOW NPC 
  INTERACTION 
  ENVIRONMENT 
  STORY 
  SOCIOLOGICAL 
  STORY 
  HIGH NPC 
  INTERACTION 
  ENTANGLED 
  STORY 
  SOCIAL STORY 
   
  ENVIRONMENT STORY 
  In a straight Environment Story, the Mission is the Story; there 
  is no Local Drama.  Because of this, Locations should be highly 
  detailed and weirdness should be turned up to a maximum 
  level. Without external Objects like NPCs to bounce off of, the 
  PCs will be bouncing off each other. Take this into 
  consideration, and make prolific use of Psychic Content to 
  mirror the Players’ hopes and fears in the environment itself. 
  SOCIOLOGICAL STORY 
  Even if sentient life exists on the Node, sometimes it’s 
  desirable to avoid it, or impossible to communicate with it. At 
  such times the PCs might decide that the best option is to 
  keep their distance. In a “Sociological Story” the Mission 
  witnesses some sort of Local Drama, but the PCs are not 
  affected by it directly (although they may be psychologically!) 
  Because there will be no NPCs for the PCs to really relate to, 
  you must make sure to introduce elements that will keep PC-
  to-PC interactions and environmental interactions full of 
  meaningful content. 
  ENTANGLED STORY 
  In the most common variety of “classic” stories, whether by 
  choice or by accident, the Mission collides with some Local 
  Drama (usually introduced by an NPC with a Goal that 
  somehow intersects with the Mission). The Mission will end up 
  becoming entangled with or superseded by this Local Drama, 
  turning into a Social Story with an alien flavor. Beyond that 
  point, the original Mission Goal may or may not continue to be 
  pursued. 
  SOCIAL STORY 
  In a Social Story, the entire point of the Mission is to interact 
  with the Local Drama. The most obvious examples would be 
  trade and political or diplomatic missions. In the golden days 
  of pulp sci-fi, many of the “known planets” were conceived as 
  undergoing a process of colonization. In later years the 
  imperialistic and racist undertones of those stories would be 
  replaced with political relativism and postmodern explorations 
  of society and subjectivity.  Your mileage may vary. 
  
  92 
   
  MISSION GOALS 
  There are six Mission Types, and each has its own typical 
  Goals. These tend to generate the following narratives: 
  ACQUISITION/TRADE - to obtain [something] without 
  undue adventure, but [crisis occurs] 
  EMERGENCY/RESCUE - to return [rescuees|items] from 
  [place|situation] without adventure, but [crisis occurs] 
  EXPLORATION - to map/understand [place] but [crisis 
  occurs] 
  POLITICS/DIPLOMACY - to make [deal] without undue 
  adventure, but [crisis occurs] 
  SIGHTSEEING/TOURISM - to [have fun] and get home 
  without adventure, but [crisis occurs] 
  SURVEY/FACT-FINDING - to obtain info on [place] without 
  undue adventure, but [crisis occurs] 
  Every Mission also has a Maguffin; something that draws the 
  PCs into the fiction and gives them a goal to pursue (or to 
  avoid, such as “letting it fall into the wrong hands”). The PCs 
  may or may not know what it is at first, or even whether it 
  exists, but it fills out our Mission Goal. It may simply be a 
  paycheck. Most Missions also have Complications and 
  Obstacles, as well as Perks and Rewards. We'll get into the 
  details later, but first it's important to understand the purpose. 
  A Mission is not a Story.  A Mission is a Premise or a 
  Catalyst for a potential  Story, but it could turn out 
  to be no more than a red herring, or “story bait”. 
  The Mission will lead the PCs into what becomes a Story, and 
  sometimes leads all the way through it.  On the other hand, the 
  Mission might diverge, fizzle out, be usurped by a  Local 
  Drama or conflict with the Players’ wishes, adding tension and 
  conflict to the Story that emerges, despite the Mission Goal. 
  To put it another way, the Mission Goal is what the PCs think 
  the Story will be about, but it only sometimes is.  Sometimes 
  it’s not. Narratively speaking, there's nothing wrong with this!  
  In either case, you still get a Story, and PCs still get 
  experience.  Good thing Experience Points are fungible, huh? 
  NARRATIVE STRUCTURE 
  You can’t know the Story until it emerges, because its whole 
  shape depends on Players’ actions. But everyone knows a 
  "good story” follows a good Narrative Structure.  This is a 
  tough problem in RPGs, because while all stories have a 
  Narrative Structure, how well they follow it depends on many 
  details. Our approach will be based on the following precepts: 
   In a well-shaped Narrative Structure, tension rises 
  through a series of events involving assorted difficulties 
  for the protagonists to face. It culminates with a Final 
  Crisis in which the protagonists overcome their main 
  problem and (classically) obtain the Maguffin. 
   Every Story has a Crisis. Usually more than one. 
   The word "Crisis" means one of four things: 
  COMPLICATION – something goes wrong, gets harder 
  OBSTACLE – something must be overcome or obviated 
  EFFECT – something unexpected is caused to happen 
  DISCOVERY – something learned to have implications 
   Complications and Obstacles are things that happen to 
  you.  Effects and Discoveries, on the other hand, are the 
  results of something you do or something you learn. 
   A Crisis may be Internal (a problem within the group), 
  External (a physical or environmental problem), Social 
  (a communicative or ethical problem) or Psychological 
  (a personal, emotional or cognitive problem). 
   All types of Crisis will force some kind of reaction to 
  occur, not only from the PCs but also from NPCs and 
  other narrative elements. 
   Different characters may endure different Crises within 
  the same Story, either on their own or in groups. 
   Ideally the difficulty and stakes of each Crisis increase 
  as we approach The Final Crisis. 
   Every DayTrippers adventure ends with the drama of a 
  "regularly appearing" Crisis: The Slip Home. 
  We will avoid “railroading” the Story by separating narrative 
  elements into Objects with no fixed order, and we will address 
  the “narrative structure” problem by separating the Players’ 
  “horizontal control” from the GM’s “vertical control”. 
  NARRATIVE OBJECTS 
  In this model, a Story contains three types of Objects: 
  Characters, Locations and Events. All Objects may possess two 
  types of Content: Information and Action. Objects and their 
  Content existed before the PCs got here. They have their own 
  properties and methods, and they’ll respond to the unfolding 
  fiction (and the PCs’ actions) according to their own logic. Out 
  of all the possible arrangements these Objects could take, 
  over the course of play one particular series of fictional events 
  will be activated in an unpredictable order, creating a 
  particular Narrative Arc.  The end result will be the Story. 
  
  93 
   
  VERTICAL CONTROL 
  The short story format (like the television serial format) has a 
  small number of key elements or Beats that must be hit within 
  a fairly short amount of time. This makes the “one-shot” 
  approach of a DayTrippers adventure particularly well suited 
  for the emulation of a classic science fiction short story, comic 
  book or TV serial episode. 
  Imagine a 3-dimensional grid. A cube. The horizontal axes 
  represent the entire range of possibility; all possible stories in 
  this particular session. X (east/west) is Time and Y 
  (north/south) is Space. The Z axis (altitude) represents 
  "Tension". So moving north/south is moving through space, 
  moving east/west is moving through time (east is forward), 
  and moving up/down represents higher tension vs lower 
  tension. Got that in your head? Good. Let's apply this model to 
  a game session. 
  As the PCs move around in the world, if we looked downward 
  on the cube from above, their path would tend to meander 
  north and south (space) while drifting eastward (time) across 
  the grid. A flashback scene would create a zigzag, flashing 
  westward at an angle and then quickly zipping eastward again. 
  The Objects in the PlotField (including the Players themselves) 
  take care of plotting that line, with only the occasional ruling 
  or dice roll required. 
  This is all as expected, but it's not the only way you're looking 
  at it. As the Cyber-GM, you're also looking at the cube 
  sideways, trying to accomplish a "flightpath" with that rising 
  arc, gut-wrenching climax and soft-landing denouement that 
  denotes a satisfying narrative structure. As a result, while the 
  Players have total freedom of movement on the horizontal 
  planes, the level of the challenges and the stakes at risk are 
  guided along the Z axis as you work the "vertical control", 
  indicated by dashed lines in the diagram below: 
  A plotline moving in three dimensions 
  “Controlling the Vertical” simply means increasing or 
  decreasing the amount of tension in the fiction. This is done by 
  introducing, compounding or removing various Crises at 
  certain points, and watching for opportunities when Player 
  actions will do the same. Between these “Crisis Scenes” you 
  will play out  other types of scenes with equally important 
  functions: 
  exposition, 
  description, 
  characterization, 
  continuity, etc. The classic structure can be pictured in four 
  Acts, and each Act contains four Beats. 
  The main Beats of  a classic Environment Story go like this: 
   
  Getting the Job 
  ACT 1 
   
  The Slip Out 
   
  Landing/Debarking 
   
  Soaking It In 
   
  Initial Exploration 
  ACT 2 
   
  First Weirdness 
   
  First Crisis 
   
  Push On or Fall In 
   
  Raised Stakes 
  ACT 3 
   
  Info & Action 
   
  Second Crisis 
   
  Fallout or Setback – possible Twist 
   
  Maximum Stakes 
  ACT 4 
   
  Final Crisis 
   
  Resolution 
   
  The Slip Home 
   
  The main Beats of a classic Social Story are surprisingly 
  similar: 
   
  Getting the Job 
  ACT 1 
   
  The Slip Out 
   
  Landing/Debarking 
   
  Meet & Greet 
   
  Customs & Interactions 
  ACT 2 
   
  Complexity & Problems 
   
  First Crisis 
   
  Become Embroiled 
   
  Raised Stakes 
  ACT 3 
   
  Info & Action 
   
  Second Crisis 
   
  Fallout or Setback – possible Twist 
   
  Maximum Stakes 
  ACT 4 
   
  Final Crisis 
   
  Resolution 
   
  The Slip Home 
   
  This is not to say that every adventure must follow this exact 
  order. Beats may be inserted, removed, or hit multiple times. 
  Some of them can be moved around, and some of them can 
  be paired up and hit simultaneously. But in a classic structure – 
  like a sixty-minute TV serial episode – all of these Beats will be 
  hit, one way or another. You’ll think of many ways to do it. 
  
  94 
   
  FOUR ACT STRUCTURE 
  Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on in each Act. 
  ACT 1: INTRODUCTION 
  In this Act the PCs get the job, travel to the Node and get a 
  first look at the place. This Act is mainly about description and 
  mood-setting: you want the PCs to “soak” in the environment. 
  Meet some NPCs. Illustrate the strangeness of the place with 
  descriptive language, creating feelings of immersion and 
  displacement.  Watch for Psychic Content as the Players 
  respond to the weird world they find themselves in. 
  ACT 2: CHALLENGE 
  In this Act potential Stories begin to reveal themselves as the 
  PCs become active agents in the environment. Local 
  weirdness or drama will affect them directly, leading to a Crisis 
  of some kind. While the environmental and social description 
  continues, the “First Weirdness” or “Complexity & Problems” 
  beat should be something that hits pretty hard on a 
  conceptual level; a Giant Flashing Sign saying “You Are Not In 
  Kansas Anymore”. This scene – or trying to avoid the 
  implications of this scene – may actually be the First Crisis.  Or 
  maybe not. Check the clock. 
  ACT 3: ESCALATION 
  In this Act the stakes get higher as the PCs encounter more 
  weirdness, including reactions to their activities. Psychic 
  Content starts to find its way back into the Story. Important 
  information is often discovered in Act 3, something that 
  wasn’t obvious before, which solves a problem or creates one 
  (often both). In some stories the mere possession of this info 
  might be enough to cause a Crisis. By now the PCs should have 
  some ideas on how they might want to make it through this 
  adventure (perhaps even clever, risky, or awesome ideas!) 
  They can see a light ahead, but they’re not out of the tunnel 
  yet. This is usually the most complex Act, as both PC and NPC 
  actions are in full swing, and the consequences of decisions 
  mount as Players figure out more clearly where they want the 
  story to go. Your job at this point is to show how reality has 
  other ideas, and executing the plan won’t be easy. Raise the 
  difficulty of your Obstacles and Complications, and check the 
  clock again. The Second Crisis or the Twist may seem to 
  totally defeat the PCs, pushing the story toward the Final 
  Crisis (e.g., captured, trapped, framed, etc). 
  ACT 4: CLIMAX 
  In this Act the complication reaches an all-time high and 
  things reach their darkest point: the boss enemy is confronted, 
  true love goes unrequited, evil consumes someone’s soul, the 
  enemy seizes the secret plans, the hero is placed under arrest, 
  the self-destruct sequence is initiated, the mission is placed in 
  ultimate peril, and the PCs are forced to do something 
  remarkable to solve the problem or escape the danger.  Put 
  the pedal to the metal, set your Obstacles and Complications 
  to the party’s full TCV, and throw in all the Psychic Content 
  you can. But it’s still not over. Finally there is the tension of the 
  Slip Home – which can always go horribly wrong. 
  CRISIS AFTER CRISIS 
  Crises are the scenes in which the tension jumps up in the 3D 
  plotline diagram from earlier in this section. Often there are 
  three of them, because three is a magic number for reasons 
  we needn’t get into here. 
  The First Crisis usually represents a point where something 
  forces the PCs to do something, either proactive or defensive. 
  The Second Crisis typically brings an increase in difficulty, 
  complexity or tension, and is often based on someone’s (or 
  something’s) reactions to whatever the PCs have been doing. 
  The Third Crisis establishes a situation in which the stakes 
  reach their highest point, many Objects are in motion, and the 
  fate of the entire Mission may be in jeopardy. This is also 
  known as The Final Crisis, and it often comes after a Plot Twist. 
  Remember that a Crisis may be a Complication, an Obstacle, an 
  Effect or a Discovery. Want a random table for determining 
  which it is? Here you go: 
  R A N D O M  C R I S I S  T A B L E 
  MISSION TYPE 
  COMP 
  OBST 
  EFFECT 
  DISC 
  Sightseeing/Tourism 
  1 
  2-3 
  4-5 
  6 
  Emergency/Rescue 
  1-2 
  3-4 
  5 
  6 
  Exploration 
  1 
  2-3 
  4 
  5-6 
  Survey/Fact-Finding 
  1-2 
  3 
  4 
  5-6 
  Acquisition/Trade 
  1-2 
  3 
  4 
  5-6 
  Politics/Diplomacy 
  1-2 
  3 
  4 
  5-6 
   
  Whenever you get to a point where the previous Beats have 
  been hit and the PCs are ready for a new situation, the time is 
  ripe to move another Crisis - a Complication, an Obstacle, an 
  Effect or a Discovery – into play. This is your “turn” and you use 
  it to kick things up a notch. Watch for opportunities, consult 
  your RunSheet (p.96) and consider the following questions: 
  DISCOVERY – Is there a significant discovery ready to be 
  made? Have the PCs entered a Location or acquired anything 
  which carries a dark portent within? Are they in the company 
  of an NPC who knows something that’s going to complicate 
  matters? Or are they about to move into such a position? 
  EFFECT – Is something going to come back and bite them? 
  Have the PCs done anything (including presence) to cause an 
  effect – or to motivate an NPC – that’s going to make things 
  more difficult? Or are they about to move into such a position? 
  OBSTACLE – Is it time for the PCs to be confronted by a foe, 
  attacked by a monster, caught in a trap, impeded by the 
  environment, entangled in NPC interactions or otherwise 
  frustrated? Are they about to move into such a position? 
  COMPLICATION – Is it time for something to break down, get 
  lost, become unstable, begin exhibiting strange behavior, or 
  otherwise complicate the already-complicated mission? Are 
  any NPCs motivated to sabotage or frustrate the PCs, or are 
  they about to move into such a position? 
  
  95 
   
  INCREASING THE TENSION 
  As mentioned earlier, the difficulty of encounters and events 
  may be modulated up or down depending on the characters’ 
  position in the Narrative Structure, in order to create a 
  graduated sense of tension. As the PCs move through the 
  TimeLine (see p.97), things should progressively get harder or 
  more risky, putting more on the line, until they reach a point 
  of Final Crisis. This is true of both living obstacles and non-
  living ones. There are several ways to do this, and they can all 
  be done on the fly. 
  Whenever the previous Beats have been hit 
  and the PCs are ready for a new situation, 
  move another Crisis into play. 
  This is your “turn” and you will use it 
  to kick things up a notch. 
  BRACKETING – You can use narrative devices to “bracket” 
  damage done in the early beats of the session. For example: 
  Dangerous events might be viewed from a distance; they 
  might happen to NPCs instead of PCs; attacks might come in 
  at a disadvantage or from an inferior position, the description 
  might sound more dangerous than it really is, things can get 
  destroyed all around the PCs without harming them directly; 
  opposition forces can be ill-prepared or only partially present; 
  damage can be softened or spread around, or the enemy can 
  beat a hasty retreat for reasons unknown...  This approach 
  provides a sense of imminent danger and yields information 
  while preventing the tension from collapsing too soon. 
  GRADUATING – You can start with lowered TCV values and 
  gradually raise them; perhaps giving all Obstacles 50% of their 
  TCV in Act 1, 75% in Acts 2 and 3, and 100% in Act 4. You’ll 
  push PCs  up against the wall eventually, but not right away. 
  Early in the session PCs shouldn't be facing anything so 
  dangerous that it could just kill them and be done. That’s a 
  Trap, not a Story. Usually you want to ramp up to that level, 
  not begin there. That's why you control the vertical, increasing 
  the difficulty or raising stakes as you go, framing each new 
  increase in tension as a new Crisis. As the PCs approach the 
  Final Crisis, the dangers increase as the tension rises, and the 
  ultimate encounters will match the PCs in TCV value. If you 
  need more tension, you can add a Plot Twist to stir things up. 
  But bracketing the danger and graduating the TCVs aren’t the 
  only ways to increase the sense of tension perceived by the 
  Players, and they aren’t even the most effective ways. The 
  most effective method is to simply use words. 
  DESCRIPTION – When framing a Crisis, the words and tones 
  you use can be used to amplify or minimize its apparent 
  danger, raising or lowering the subjective stakes. This is the 
  essence of Narrative Effect; practice it at every opportunity. 
  For example, one creature might be described as "a tentacled 
  puffball curiously hovering toward you" while another is 
  described as a "ravenous dog-beetle with oversized crab-like 
  pincers, chattering threateningly". Although the second 
  description sounds a lot scarier than the first, both creatures 
  might have the exact same attack odds, and they could be 
  equally hard to kill. Either may turn out to be surprisingly 
  deadly, or a total pushover. Either might generate Psychic 
  Content from a responsive Player. But their narrative effects 
  are decidedly different: The first description is more likely to 
  lure unsuspecting PCs into a false sense of safety, while the 
  latter might be more likely to prepare them for a fight. 
  Likewise, something like: "The claw of the gigantic beast 
  slams down into the packed earth with a tremendous BOOM, 
  narrowly avoiding you, kicking up clouds of dust and sending 
  shattered bits of rock flying in all directions" is a lot more 
  frightening than "It swings and misses". Either way, no 
  damage was done; the two sentences are mechanically equal. 
  But the more evocative description makes the creature seem 
  more terrifying without changing a single Stat, and tension is 
  increased without requiring any math at all. The same thing 
  can be done with a Vector Slip calculation, an investigative 
  procedure, or a psychologically-charged conversation – and 
  it’s doubly effective when Psychic Content is reincorporated. 
  Think about the effects of the words you use to describe 
  things, when you're considering the vertical dimension. In the 
  first or second Crisis, it's fine if things seem more frightening 
  or powerful than they really are. Surmounting these 
  experiences will give your Players confidence they'll need 
  down the road. And scary things usually do seem scarier the 
  first time we see them, after all. That dog-beetle can indeed 
  do some harm, but in Act 1, its bark is probably worse than its 
  dice. Later, it'll take a bite out of you. 
  That said, there's no reason to follow the same formula every 
  time. The rising arc isn't a straight diagonal line, it's an uneven 
  slope with hills and valleys along it. Keep em guessing. Mix it 
  up sometimes, to prevent predictability from setting in. Let's 
  say most of the time you'll want to follow a rising arc, with a 
  Chain of Crises increasing in intensity and repercussions as the 
  Story proceeds to whatever becomes its Final Crisis. 
  Remember that a Crisis may be a Complication, 
  an Obstacle, an Effect or a Discovery. 
  You can't prevent the PCs from rushing headlong into the 
  biggest baddie on the table if that's what they’re dead-set on 
  doing, and they’ll probably be sorry for having done it. But 
  consider the vertical, and build tension before you collapse it. 
  Our goal isn't to kill the PCs, even though that's one possible 
  outcome. Our goal is to immerse, confront and surround them 
  with meaningful details, so that the choices they make are 
  equally meaningful, leading to a powerful and effective Story. 
  
  96 
   
   
  PLOTFIELDS & RUNSHEETS 
  That’s a lot of stuff to keep track of, and because it all follows 
  no prescribed order, we need a way to keep it all in view while 
  running the session. We can do this by creating a RunSheet, 
  which illustrates the PlotField of our adventure. 
  THE PLOTFIELD 
  A Plotfield is a collection of Narrative Objects designed to 
  cause a meaningful Story to emerge through Player Actions. 
  The PlotField is not the Story; it is the fertile soil from which a 
  Story will grow like a flower, obtaining its water and sunlight 
  from the attentions of the GM and the actions of the Players. 
  There are a myriad ways to arrange Object types in a Plotfield, 
  yielding different types of stories and different approaches to 
  play. Your Players may have a preference for certain types. 
  You can always ask them what their preferences are, but if you 
  examine the Psychic Content they emit when you talk about 
  different types of Missions, or regale them with the 
  astounding deeds of rival DayTrippers, or even discuss favorite 
  science fiction books and films, you probably already have 
  some ideas. Don’t use the same types all the time. Mix it up. 
  LOCATION-DOMINANT PLOTFIELDS 
  A PlotField heavy on Locations will produce Environment 
  Stories, in which the movements of the PCs across the 
  landscape and the information they obtain along the way are 
  the primary driving forces behind the emerging Story. Tales of 
  Exploration, Transport/Delivery, Search & Rescue, Wilderness 
  Adventure and Survival fall into this category, as do oldschool 
  dungeon crawls. The emerging Story will tend to be driven 
  mainly by encounters and the PCs’ strategic decisions. Often, 
  key Characters will make appearances at the beginning or end 
  of the journey, establishing the purpose of the quest or 
  celebrating/ruing its success/failure. Additional Characters 
  may be encountered at key points along the way, representing 
  the various archetypes of fiction. 
  Taken to its extreme, this produces a "hexcrawl", in which 
  there's no "Local Drama" happening or even waiting to 
  happen. There is no social scheme, no NPCs to speak of, no 
  conditional relationships between encounters at all. There's 
  only a gauntlet of individual elements representing various 
  Locations and Crises, and they're all free-standing. These 
  kinds of stories can take place on any world: even on a highly-
  industrialized planet like Earth it's possible to get away and 
  have an Environmental Adventure; crossing the Amazon for 
  instance, or climbing Mount Everest. The sense of rising 
  tension in the Story will come from the characters themselves 
  (inner conflicts, Psychic Content, or being worn down), and 
  from the GM steadily increasing the amount of risk and reward 
  in consecutive encounters, ending in a climactic "big boss" 
  encounter which yields the maguffin (and not coincidentally, 
  emulates the classic videogame plotline). 
  CHARACTER-DOMINANT PLOTFIELDS 
  PlotFields with lots of Characters will tend to produce Social 
  Stories. Mysteries, investigations, negotiations, surveys, social 
  gatherings, culture clashes, historical events and all sorts of 
  dramatic interpersonal stories fall into this category. It’s the 
  most roleplay-oriented of the three types. The emerging Story 
  will tend to be driven mainly by characters interacting with 
  each other; both PCs and NPCs. 
  Character-Dominant Plotfields are more complex than 
  Location-Dominant PlotFields, and they only depict Nodes 
  where sentient life exists (human or otherwise). That's 
  because they contain Characters with their own goals and 
  ideas about things, who will probably do something whether 
  the PCs get involved or not. Social Stories can take place on 
  most past and future Earths, many Alternate Earths, quite a 
  few Known Planets and almost all human Dream Worlds. A 
  good PlotField for a Social Story should include a number of 
  independent Objects in a condition of relative stasis, delicately 
  balanced and poised for disruption, or a built-in disruption 
  already occurring or guaranteed to occur. These stories often 
  involve only a few major Locations, focusing more on the 
  characters and their interactions. 
  EVENT-DOMINANT PLOTFIELDS 
  Event-Dominant PlotFields can produce any type of Story, and 
  what they all have in common is a chain of Events that unfolds 
  pretty much regardless of what anyone does. This includes 
  both “metaplots” (wars, hurricanes, etc), and “ticking clocks” 
  (the volcano is about to explode, the bomb is set to go off, 
  etc). Event-based Stories are the most “railroady” of the three 
  types, because there’s usually no way to set back the clock or 
  alter the order of Events. This can give Players the feeling that 
  they’re mere observers of things they cannot affect. However 
  (to extend the train metaphor), there are always ways to make 
  the ride interesting, even if you can’t interact with the stuff 
  outside the windows. The metaplot may drive the 
  background, but the Plot of the Story itself happens in the 
  foreground, and your Players aren’t the only ones on the train! 
  Event-based Stories can be used to great effect for Time 
  Traveling adventures (in which Players are able to interact 
  with the environment while observing historical events from a 
  safe distance), and in literary-inspired Dream Worlds (in which 
  the PCs may interact with the plot but are probably bound to 
  be misunderstood). The emerging Story tends to be driven by 
  people’s responses to the unfolding succession of Events 
  affecting the world, or by people’s behavior in the face of the 
  undeniable metaplot. 
  MIXED PLOTFIELDS 
  The typical adventure is a Mixed PlotField, containing Objects 
  of all three types. Some information will be found in Locations 
  and other information will be obtained from Characters. If the 
  PlotField is particularly complex, it may be useful to separate it 
  across two or more Mission RunSheets. Let’s take a look at how 
  these RunSheets are constructed. 
  
  97 
   
   
  THE RUNSHEET 
  A RunSheet is a schematic diagram of a PlotField. Its  purpose 
  is to facilitate the freeform arrangement of Narrative Objects 
  into a structure that's satisfying, while the emergent Story 
  itself remains dynamic, unpredictable, and subject to the 
  actions and decisions of the PCs. 
  As described earlier, there are three types of Narrative Objects 
  to keep track of, and they all may serve as containers for Data 
  and Actions.  These Data and Actions are activated (inserted 
  into the fiction) via their "parent" Objects whenever certain 
  Conditionals are triggered, and of course, many of those 
  Conditionals depend on what the PCs do. 
  The three types of Narrative Objects are: 
  LOCATIONS – Can be entered by Characters, may contain 
  other Objects, may possess Conditionals for Data or Actions 
  (such as traps, alarms, etc). 
  CHARACTERS – Can move around, can enter Locations, can 
  determine its own Actions, may carry other Objects, may 
  possess Conditionals for Data (sharing info) or Actions. 
  Monsters and foes who can communicate are considered 
  Characters; non-sentient ones are considered Events. 
  EVENTS – External situations which affect Locations and/or 
  Characters. May possess Conditionals for Data (facts) or 
  Actions (effects), may be triggered by Conditionals, by 
  ticking clocks or by the requirements of the Narrative 
  Structure. 
  This all sounds very scientific, academic, even reductionist and 
  boring, which is the opposite of what a DayTrippers session is 
  supposed to feel like. Don’t fret. This stuff is pretty obvious 
  once you get used to it, and you’ll be able to think in freeform 
  terms again very soon – armed with a new technique for 
  managing emergent plotlines. 
  RUNSHEET LAYOUT 
  The main working area of a Mission RunSheet is depicted 
  below. It possesses three columns. 
  LEFT COLUMN – OBJECTS. These are Characters, Locations, 
  and Events. Each has some circles and checkboxes that can be 
  used to represent important details. Numbers in circles 
  represent Information: this is a piece of Data possessed by a 
  Character, or something that can be discovered in a Location, 
  pointing to a Detail Box below. For characters, the three small 
  checkboxes represent Stats that have reached zero (three 
  equals death). You can tell by a quick glance below that 
  “Character Z” carries Information Item number 2 and has 
  taken one serious hit. For Locations and Events, the 
  checkboxes may represent encounters, effects, states, or the 
  number of visits. Or they can be ignored. Up to you. 
  CENTER COLUMN – CONDITIONALS. These are things that 
  might happen, linked by lines to the Objects they could be 
  triggered by (or within). Each Conditional possesses a small 
  checkbox to indicate whether or not it has been triggered. 
  RIGHT COLUMN – RESULTS. These are the consequences of 
  Conditionals being triggered. In the gameworld, this means 
  the release of some Data or the initiation of some Action. 
  Usually this Result is released or initiated by the Parent Object 
  containing the triggered Conditional, but not always. A Result 
  could trigger an Event, for instance (as will happen in 30 
  minutes if you let character Z finish whatever they’re doing in 
  the diagram below). Each Result possesses a small checkbox 
  to indicate whether or not it has been released into play. 
  At the bottom of the RunSheet are a number of extra boxes 
  (not shown below). In these boxes you may include Encounter 
  Tables, Minor Characters, Additional Information or 
  Supporting Notes, and refer to them by writing a circled 
  number or letter. 
  
  98 
   
   
  THE TIMELINE 
  Running down the left side of the RunSheet is a 
  series of circles along an arrow. This is the TimeLine, 
  and it is comprised of Beats. You can check off or 
  label each circle as the session progresses, although 
  you don’t have to hit them in order. Notice how the 
  circles get dimmer as we go down? That’s to remind 
  you of the rising tension and to divide the session 
  into four Acts. 
  Some scenes may hit more than one Beat.  Some 
  none at all.  But scene length is not really the issue; 
  you want to keep the Beats coming in a nice, tight 
  short-story arc. There’s nothing prohibiting you 
  from doing more than sixteen scenes, but you won’t 
  often need to. Given an average playtime of ten 
  minutes each, sixteen scenes will take 160 minutes, 
  or 2½ hours. Which is great, because it leaves time 
  for 
  character 
  development, 
  rule-consulting, 
  socializing and deep thoughts in a 3-to-4-hour play 
  session. 
  PREPPING THE RUNSHEET 
  When creating your adventure, you’ll go back and 
  forth between writing longform notes and 
  summarizing Objects on the RunSheet. Don’t 
  constrain yourself to just the Mission Details: fill 
  those out for sure, but let the Generators suggest 
  other elements and events as you go along. 
  Write your RunSheet to support the style of play 
  that appeals to your group, or change your style 
  from session to session. 
  The “Dominant Object Type” will represent the 
  majority of elements in the first column. There’s 
  nothing wrong with having a Dominant Object Type, 
  and there’s nothing wrong with Mixing It Up. You 
  will find that the style of play produced is different 
  depending on the mixture of Object Types you prep. 
   
  DETAIL BOXES 
  The Detail Boxes at the bottom of the sheet serve various 
  purposes. They can hold information, character notes, stat 
  blocks, encounter tables, plot points or anything else you need 
  to remind yourself of, and they can be referred to by the 
  numbers or letters written in their upper-left circles. 
  Doubtless you’ll come up with other things to put in these 
  boxes, depending on your prep style. In a Character-Dominant 
  PlotField they may include a lot of clues and character 
  background notes, while in a more Location-Dominant 
  PlotField they’d probably store simple encounter tables and 
  notes on local lifeforms.  Here are some examples: 
  Detail Boxes with Details in them 
  Sample RunSheets 
  On the next several pages are illustrated several  different 
  ways the Mission RunSheet can be filled in.  Each of these 
  sample RunSheets uses a different type of Object as the 
  Dominant Object Type, resulting in a different sur-genre of 
  adventure. The first two examples are taken from literature, 
  which makes them Dream Worlds. The third is the RunSheet 
  for the DayTrippers module “Vidome 123”, a Location-
  Dominant space mystery. 
  
  99 
   
   
  ROMEO AND JULIET, ACT III 
  The RunSheet below (from William Shakespeare’s classic 
  romance tragedy Romeo and Juliet) is a Character-Dominant 
  PlotField. It’s the very beginning of Act 3. Friar Lawrence has 
  just married Romeo and Juliet, but no one else knows. Tybalt 
  is out looking for Romeo, whom he recognized at the 
  Capulets’ party… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   
  Papa Capulet is 
  arranging Juliet’s 
  marriage to Paris 
   
  1 
         Romeo & 
  Mercutio snuck in to 
  the party incognito 
   
  2 
     Romeo had a 
  dream of “untimely 
  death”  if he went to 
  the party 
   
  3 
     Romeo & Juliet 
  wish to marry 
  despite the feud 
   
   
  4 
  Character-Dominant PlotFields tend to generate dynamic 
  Social Stories, and they can be highly unpredictable due to the 
  number of possible actions on the parts of various characters. 
  This is a good approach for mysteries, procedurals, surveys, 
  negotiations, and all sorts of dramatic interpersonal stories. 
  avenge Mercutio's death 
    
  fight to defend Romeo 
   call a curse upon both houses 
  with his dying breath 
    
   
  maybe Paris is a better catch 
   assist the lovers 
   Montague blood will spill 
   
   
   
  the killer will be exiled 
   
   
  send word when ok to return 
   
   
  If Mercutio is killed 
    
  If Romeo is challenged 
   If killed due to the feud 
    
   
  If she hears ill of Romeo 
   If Juliet says she is in love 
   If he sees a Montague 
    
   
   
  If anyone dies due to feud 
    
  If Romeo is exiled 
    
   
  4 
  3 
  2 
   
  4 
  2 
  1 
   
  4 
  1 
   
  2 
  1 
   
   
  1 
   
  4 
  4 
  3 
  2 
   
  Romeo – Goal: to marry Juliet Capulet 
  with the help of Friar Lawrence 
   
  Juliet – Goal: to marry Romeo 
  Montague with help of Nurse 
  Nurse – Goal: whatever makes Juliet 
  happy 
  Tybalt – Goal: to destroy the 
  Montagues, hates  Mercutio especially 
  Paris – wants to marry Juliet with help 
  of Papa Capulet 
  The Prince – wants to keep the peace 
  and put an end to the feud 
  Friar Lawrence – wants to marry R+J 
  quickly as possible, to keep the peace 
  Mercutio – Goal: to defend his friend 
  Romeo 
  
  100 
   
   
  WAR OF THE WORLDS / PAGE 1: EVENTS 
  The RunSheet on this and following pages is H.G. Well’s War of 
  the Worlds. This complex structure is an Event-Dominant 
  PlotField including a large number of Locations and a few 
  Characters. Note: It’s very rare for a DayTrippers adventure to 
  require three pages; WOTW is a novel, not a short story. 
   
  Event-Dominant PlotFields are those in which a chain of 
  (possibly) uncontrollable events drives the plot forward, often 
  regardless of actions taken by characters. They are most often 
  encountered in Dream Worlds, where entire passages of 
  literature sometimes repeat themsevles indefinitely. 
  Storm 1d6 hrs, calm 2d6 hrs 
   It fires at you w Heat Ray 
   
   
   
   
  Tripod fires at you w Heat Ray 
    
  Steamer for Olstend -> PLOT 6 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  If a storm strikes (20%/hr) 
   If you attack the cylinder 
    
   
   
   
  If you are seen by a Tripod 
    
  When the sun goes down 
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Event 1 - Martian cylinder lands on 
  Earth. 
   
  Event 3 - 2nd cylinder; military takes 
  control, asks people to evacuate. 
  Event 4 - The Tripods.  British Army 
  defeated.  The 3rd cylinder lands. 
  Event 5 - Tripods going to London. 
  Black Smoke.  4th cylinder lands. 
  Event 6 - Tripods head to coast;  
  Red Weed grows.  The 5th cylinder. 
  Event 7 - The Thunder Child attacks 
  and destroys Tripods in the water. 
  Event 8 – two weeks after invasion: 
  Martians destroyed by Earth germs. 
  Event 2 - People go out to 
  investigate; they get killed. 
      Event 2 happened 
   
  2 
      Event 3 happened 
   
  3 
      Event 4 happened 
   
  4 
      Event 5 happened 
   
  5 
      Event 6 happened 
   
  6 
      Event 7 happened 
   
  7 
        The red weed 
  sprouts in Martians’ 
  wake 
   
  8 
      Event 1 happened 
  1 
  
  101 
   
  WAR OF THE WORLDS / PAGE 2: LOCATIONS 
  Page 2 of the War of the Worlds PlotField covers Locations. 
   
  You can borrow the dog cart 
   Plot 1 happened.  
   Plot 2 happened.  
    
  50%  Tripod chasing people 
    
  Tripod fires at you w Heat Ray 
   (1d6) 1 = Trampled by horse 
   (1d6) 2-4 = Witness trampling 
   (1d6) 5-6 = Tripod comes near 
   Steamer leaves -> PLOT 6 
   
  Fires Black Smoke -> PLOT 7 
   
  Handling machine grabs at you 
    
   
   
  If you promise to return it 
   If you ask about the news 
   If you press for details 
    
  If Encounter (5%/5 min) 
    
  If you are seen by a Tripod 
    
  If Encounter (5%/5 min) 
   If Encounter (5%/10 min) 
   When the sun goes down 
   If a Tripod enters the water 
   If a Tripod comes near 
    
   
   
   
   
  2 
  1 
   
   
   
  3 
   
   
   
   
   
  4 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The Spotted Dog 
  A business establishment 
  The Streets 
  Chaotic, Encounters, dead bodies 
  Riverbank 
   
  London 
  Chaotic, crazy, Encounters 
  The Steamer 
   
  Abandoned House 
   
  Coal Cellar 
   
  Leatherhead House 
  Wife’s cousins.  You can stay here. 
      Event 2 happened 
   
  2 
      Event 3 happened 
   
  3 
      Event 4 happened 
   
  4 
      Event 5 happened 
   
  5 
      Event 6 happened 
   
  6 
      Event 7 happened 
   
  7 
        The red weed 
  sprouts in 
  Martians’ wake 
   
  8 
      Event 1 happened 
  1 
  
  102 
   
  WAR OF THE WORLDS / PAGE 3: CHARACTERS 
  Page 3 of the War of the Worlds PlotField covers Characters. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Annoying, eats all your  food 
   Drunk, might attract Martians 
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  If you let him stay with you 
   If he stays more than a day 
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  5 
  4 
   
  5 
  4 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  3 
  2 
  4 
   
  1 
   
  Martians - Merciless octopodal 
  aliens, bent on conquering Earth 
   
  Curate - Foolish and argumentative 
  man.  Plan: To stick with you 
   
  The Elphinstones - Women fleeing 
  London.  Plan: Escape via Steamer 
   
   
   
   
   
  Artilleryman - A shaken man.  Plan: 
  To report to the brigadier-general 
   
      Event 2 happened 
   
  2 
      Event 3 happened 
   
  3 
      Event 4 happened 
   
  4 
      Event 5 happened 
   
  5 
      Event 6 happened 
   
  6 
      Event 7 happened 
   
  7 
        The red weed 
  sprouts in 
  Martians’ wake 
   
  8 
      Event 1 happened 
  1 
  
  103 
   
  VIDOME 123 / PAGE 1: LOCATIONS 
  Vidome 123 is a Location-Dominant PlotField in two pages.  
  Page one of the RunSheet covers Locations. 
   
   
   
   
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   
   
   
  Feels like you’re being watched 
   
   
   
  Info 6 
   Info 7 
   Info 8 
   Video of Mentaka with Beta 
    
   
  He begins hunting the PCs 
   Encounter the Mentaka Mimic 
   
   
   
   
  If BRAINS vs DL3 
   
   
   
  If read Mentaka’s notes (DL4) 
   If examine Nonhalene tank 
   If view tridee 
    
   
   
  If Mentaka is alive 
   If Mentaka is dead 
    
   
   
   
  spooky 
   
  2 
  1 
  disaster zone 
   
   
  3 
   
   
  E 
   
   
  E 
   
   
  E 
   
   
  shock 
   
   
   
  Landing Site - Busted ship, swirling 
  mist, shadows, false perceptions 
   
  Inside the Vidome - See map & key 
   
  Nearby Woods – Senses fool you, 
  optical illusions.  
  Further Out – Instruments are 
  more useful than eyes.  
  Really Far Out – Can you find your 
  way back?  
  Mimics Lair 
   
   
  Airlock - Autosprays incomers 
   
        There is an 
  unfinished biochem 
  program in memory 
   
  4 
        There is some 
  scrambled data in 
  Bot’s brain 
   
  5 
        FURTHER OUT 
  1 = Flyers 
  2-3  = Mimic Dog 
  4-6 = Mimic Other 
  6 = Flyers 
   
   
  E 
        REALLY FAR  
  OUT 
  1-5 = Mimic Group 
  6 = Mimic Other 
   
  E 
    
    
        Drail Mentaka 
  disappeared 4 days 
  ago 
   
  1 
        Mentaka took his 
  dog Beta on every 
  trip    
   
  2 
        An ID card is 
  needed to activate 
  all facilities 
   
   
  3 
        NEARBY 
  WOODS 
  ENCOUNTERS 
  (1d6): 1-5 = Solitary 
  Mimic 
  6 = Flyers 
   
  E 
        Mentaka wanted 
  to get one inside the 
  Vidome 
   
  7 
        Enough missing 
  Nonhalene to kill 10 
  people 
   
  8 
        All the details of 
  the murders as 
  witnessed by Bot 
   
  9 
        A Mimic can 
  exactly replicate an 
  assimilated victim 
   
  10 
        A Mimic can 
  approximate 
  another lifeform 
   
  6 
  
  104 
   
  VIDOME 123 / PAGE 2: CHARACTERS 
  Page 2 of the Vidome 123 RunSheet covers all Characters 
  (primarily alien creatures) in the PlotField. 
   
   
   
   
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   
   
  DAN gets +3 on Mimic 
  Biochem 
   
  Info 1, 2, 3 
   
  Info 4 
  Bot attacks you 
   Info 5 
   Info 6 
   
  Info 9 
   Info 10 
   Full data on Mimic capabilities 
  These are not Mimics 
   
  Remember Info 2 
   Mimic morphs and attacks 
    
  She attacks & spawns Mimics 
  Mission Briefing 
   
  If hack into DAN’s memory 
  (DL4) 
   If finish Mentaka’s program 
  (DL5) 
   If you don’t identify yourself 
   If hack Bot’s memory (DL4) 
   If unscramble Bot’s data 
    
  If it is attacked or approached 
   If captured & analyzed (DL5) 
  If captured & analyzed (DL4) 
    
  If BRAINS vs DL2 on sight dog 
   If it is attacked or approached 
    
  If it is attacked or approached 
   
  slick shark 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  damaged 
   
  5 
  4 
  psychopathic 
  9 
  4 
  10 
  3 
  curious 
   
   
   
   
   
  curious 
   
  helpful tool 
   
   
  4 
  Blanche Regarde - Goal: to hire 
  some expendible PCs 
   
  Bot - Goal: to defend the Vidome 
  against non-identifying intruders 
   
  Drail Mentaka - Goal: to stay alive 
  and defend against mimics 
   
  Solitary Mimic - Attracted to the 
  emanations of scanners 
   
  Flyers - Fleeing from direction of 
  Mimic lair 
   
  Mimic in Dog or Other Form – 
  Encounter: (1-3) Dog, (4-6) Other 
  Mother Mimic - Goal: to defend her 
  nest and offspring to the death 
  DAN 734 - Goal: to assist X-idented 
  humans as programmed 
        There is an 
  unfinished biochem 
  program in memory 
   
  4 
        There is some 
  scrambled data in 
  Bot’s brain 
   
  5 
        FURTHER OUT 
  1 = Flyers 
  2-3  = Mimic Dog 
  4-6 = Mimic Other 
  6 = Flyers 
   
   
  E 
        REALLY FAR  
  OUT 
  1-5 = Mimic Group 
  6 = Mimic Other 
   
  E 
    
    
        Drail Mentaka 
  disappeared 4 days 
  ago 
   
  1 
        Mentaka took his 
  dog Beta on every 
  trip    
   
  2 
        An ID card is 
  needed to activate 
  all facilities 
   
   
  3 
        NEARBY 
  WOODS 
  ENCOUNTERS 
  (1d6): 1-5 = Solitary 
  Mimic 
  6 = Flyers 
   
  E 
        Mentaka wanted 
  to get one inside the 
  Vidome 
   
  7 
        Enough missing 
  Nonhalene to kill 10 
  people 
   
  8 
        All the details of 
  the murders as 
  witnessed by Bot 
   
  9 
        A Mimic can 
  exactly replicate an 
  assimilated victim 
   
  10 
        A Mimic can 
  approximate 
  another lifeform 
   
  6 
  
  105 
   
   
  PREPPING NPCS 
  For many PlotFields, and especially for Social Stories, our next 
  questions will be about NPCs. How many NPCs do we need? 
  Of what types? Let’s break it down. 
  NPC Types 
  A CAST OF CHARACTERS 
  Broadly speaking, our NPCs will fall into two classes: Mission 
  NPCs and Local NPCs. We’re going to think about each type, 
  and add them to our RunSheet as we go. Important NPCs will 
  go into column 1. Lesser NPCs will go into info boxes. 
  MISSION NPCS 
  Mission NPCs are characters who play some role in the Mission 
  itself, typically they either travel with the PCs to the 
  destination Node, or they are invested in the success of the 
  mission for some reason of their own. If the PlotField is 
  intended to produce an Environment Story (no sentient life 
  and no local drama), the Mission NPCs will be the only NPCs in 
  the Story. Mission NPCs might include any of the following: 
   The Client 
   Passengers 
   Hired Crew, Guides, Possible NPC DayTrippers 
   Launch Technicians at Tracy Island 
  Typically there’s at least one client, though not always. The 
  PCs are free to go gallivanting around the multiverse on their 
  own dime, if they can afford it. So ask yourself: Does the 
  PlotField need any of these characters? Do the PCs choose to 
  bring any along? Satellite NPCs or tag-alongs from previous 
  adventures? Note them on the RunSheet. 
  LOCAL NPCS 
  Local NPCs are characters who may be encountered during 
  the performance of a Mission, but who don’t literally serve a 
  role within it. Typically they are the indigenous inhabitants of 
  the destination Node, although they could be from anywhere. 
  Local NPCs can be broken into two subcategories: Unique and 
  Representative.  Ask yourself if the PlotField needs any of the 
  following characters to exist. 
  (If you’re using one of the Drama Templates, the minimum 
  required NPCs are shown in that section, so be sure to include 
  them on the RunSheet as well.) 
  UNIQUE  LOCALS 
  Unique NPCs are the most potentially significant NPCs in the 
  PlotField, and they require the most detail. They include: 
  MAJOR NPCS – Motivated people, professionals and 
  patrons. They tend to be proactive characters with their 
  own goals and stories going on (not unlike PCs), and they 
  usually belong in column 1 of the RunSheet. These are the 
  characters mentioned in the NEEDS section of the Drama 
  Templates. They’re plot-pushers. 
  SYMBOLIC NPCS – Are there any NPCs who should be 
  included simply for symbolic reasons? Add them to the 
  RunSheet. While especially pertinent in Dream Worlds, 
  symbolic characters may appear in any type of Story. 
  THEMATIC NPCS – Are there any NPCs who should be 
  included in order to present the mood or theme we’re trying 
  to evoke? If so, add them to the RunSheet. 
  ENEMIES/VILLAINS – Are there any bad people (creatures, 
  whatever) who might be taking advantage of the situation, 
  or looking for their opportunity? Add them too. 
  REPRESENTATIVE LOCALS 
  These NPCs mainly exist to provide atmosphere and 
  expository information. They represent various sorts of 
  groups, giving them a mouthpiece. Remember that every 
  group should have an NPC who represents it or speaks on its 
  behalf, and every significant opinion or point of view should 
  have an NPC who voices it. Ask yourself if the PlotField needs 
  any of the following: 
  GROUP REPRESENTATIVES – Are there any important 
  Groups in the PlotField?  If so, list them. We’ll be giving at 
  least one representative NPC to each of them. 
  OPINION REPRESENTATIVES – are there any divergent 
  opinions that the PCs might hear about? List each of them 
  so we can put it in an NPC’s mouth. 
  RANK REPRESENTATIVES – Does the society have a social 
  order? Are there castes, elites, or social ranks? If so, list 
  them. We may want to create an NPC from each. 
  INNOCENTS/VICTIMS – Is there anyone who should be 
  included simply to be put in peril? Are there any redshirts on 
  this Mission? Sure, important characters can be put in 
  deadly jeopardy too, but it’s often nice to gank a couple 
  nobodies first, just to send a warning. 
  RABBLE – These characters represent “the faceless masses” 
  or “generic crowds”. They really don’t need stats at all, just a 
  general description. They go down after taking 1 hit. 
  
  106 
   
  PUTTING THE FLESH ON 
  Unique NPCs should be fleshed out in detail, with additional 
  notes on a separate sheet. For each of these characters, ask 
  yourself these questions: 
  NAME – What is their name? 
  TAG – What makes them stand out (catchphrase, habit, 
  mannerism, interest, etc) 
  APPEARANCE – What do they look like? If possible, find an 
  image or photo to represent them, think of a fictional 
  character they’re based on, or literally cast them as a certain 
  actor in your head. This helps tons. 
  ANGLE – What opinion or POV do they represent? 
  STATS – What are their Stats? Remember that Stat Scores 
  only need to be written down if they’re higher than 1. If the 
  NPC is of a “standard type”, you can use the stat blocks 
  provided in Sample NPCs and Creatures. 
  SKILLS – What are their Skills? Do any items of Gear go 
  along with those skills? Do these items possess Bonuses? 
  HOW MIGHT THEY RESPOND TO THE PCs AT FIRST? 
  [most negative] [most likely] [most positive] 
  Representative NPCs can get by with much less forethought 
  and a lot more improvising of minor details. Most of them will 
  need little more than a name, a tag, appearance and angle. 
  When it comes to Wants and Themes, rather than rolling for 
  personal problems or drama, consider the problems of the 
  group they represent, the problems of their society as a whole, 
  and problems caused by the actions of the Unique NPCs. 
  CONDITIONALS AND ACTIONS 
  Now that you know them a little better, go down the list and 
  think of one or two Conditionals and Actions for each NPC. 
  Remember that you only need to generate enough material to 
  improvise from, based on your knowledge of their personality 
  and goals. Ask yourself the following questions, and try to 
  answer at least two of them for each important NPC: 
  WHAT ARE THEY DOING? 
  WHAT DO THEY WANT? 
  WHAT’S THEIR PROBLEM? 
  ARE THEY AN ARCHETYPE? 
  DO THEY HAVE EVIL TRAITS? 
  DO THEY HAVE A THEME? 
  With those answers in mind, you can start to think about the 
  Data and Actions that might be attached to this character. 
  Consider what information this NPC might be persuaded to 
  share. Consider what they might do if something (whatever) 
  happens or fails to happen. Consider the NPC’s wants and 
  goals (or roll them), summarize them into a handful of 
  Conditionals and add them to the RunSheet, connected by 
  lines to the corresponding NPC. 
  PREPPING ENCOUNTER TABLES 
  In a one-shot adventure like a DayTrip, you don’t need to build 
  extremely complex encounter tables. Most of the Locations 
  visited won’t be involved in that many scenes. Still, for greater 
  randomness it’s often a good idea to think of more than one 
  encounter type per Location. Usually, three of them will be 
  perfectly fine. 
  All you need to do is determine the first, second and third 
  most common types of encounters for each Location, and 
  write them in a supporting info box, like so: 
  You may, of course, choose to supply different odds. 
  The stats for these encountered NPCs and creatures may 
  come from the Sample NPCs and Creatures list, or they may be 
  noted in additional info boxes on the RunSheet. 
   
   FOREST ENCs: 
  1-3 Giant Badgers 
  4-5 Lycanvole 
  6     Wendigo 
  E 
  
  107 
   
  SAMPLE ADVENTURE CREATION 
  Ready to try it out? In the following pages we’ll put together 
  an original DayTrippers adventure based on the output of the 
  Generators. Follow along. 
  Here’s what we roll to start out with: 
  MISSION: Sightseeing/Tourism on a Known Planet. 
   
  MAGUFFIN: Creature/Specimen/DNA 
   
  REWARD: +1 Fame Level for each Crewmember 
   
  REWARD: +3 M for each Crewmember 
   
  COMPLICATION: Stealth Required 
   
  BASE PAY: 5 M per crewmember 
   
  STELLAR SYSTEM DZIRG 
  A White Star 5 times the size of Sol, with 5 planets in orbit. 
   
  PLANET: DZIRG c 
   
  TYPE: Rock Planet 
   
  GRAVITY: 0.5 G 
   
  ATMOSPHERE: Dense Air (Nitrogen/Oxygen) 
   
  PRESSURE: 1.3 Earth atmospheres 
   
  WATER: Semi-Arid, water deep beneath surface 
   
  CLIMATE: Greenhouse conditions 
   
  PRECIP DL: 8 
   
  BIOSPHERE: Non-sentient lifeforms 
   
  LOCATION: 
  Mineral deposits in calm, fluid condition, smooth terrain. 
  Biodiversity is dominated by one superior lifeform. 
  The weather is currently cloudy/murky. 
  The predominant colors are orange and blue-violet. 
   
  LIFEFORM:  
   
  BODY: Rectangular with longitudinal symmetry 
   
  SURFACE: Dry, rubbery 
   
  4 APPENDAGES: Tendrils 
   
  SUSTENANCE: Mobile lifeforms 
   
  SIZE: City-block-sized 
   
  LOCOMOTION: Immobile 
   
  REPRODUCTION: DNA Hijacking 
   
  PRIMARY SENSE: POLARIZED LIGHT 
   
  SENSORY APPARATUS: 
   
  Skin/Membrane for HEARING and TOUCH 
   
  Parietal Eye/Pineal Gland for POLARIZED LIGHT 
   
  Whiskers/Barbels for SMELL 
   
  Chambers/Canal(s) for TEMPERATURE 
   
  Antennae for ACIDITY VS ALKALINITY 
   
  Fibers/Filaments for ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT 
   
  OTHER CHARACTERISTICS: 
   
  Luminous Markings 
   
  TWEAK: It produces magical or inexplicable things 
  Now let’s see what we can do with it. 
  Looking at the lifeform, two things jump out right away. First, 
  the phrase “city-block-sized”. And second: it reproduces by 
  “DNA Hijacking”. Sounds like a menace, so we decide this is 
  going to be the big Problem in the PlotField. 
  But what sort of problem would it be?  Since the creature is 
  immobile, it’s not going to come charging after anyone; it 
  needs to find a way to lure its victims to it.  But it’s non-
  sentient.  And it dominates the biosphere. And for some 
  reason this planet is a tourist destination. Why? We’ll have to 
  figure that out too. 
  With dense but breathable air and very low gravity, Dzirg C 
  might accommodate some interesting “extreme sports” like 
  mile-high bungee jumps and people-powered gliding 
  machines. That could be part of the appeal; rich tourists come 
  here for a 24-hour vacation complete with low-grav 
  recreational sports. 
  At this point we decide to roll on the Tweaking the Natural 
  World table to get a handle on this creature, something we can 
  run with creatively.  The roll tells us that the creature 
  “produces inexplicable things”. This could be what it uses to 
  lure its victims for DNA Hijacking. Hm... An idea sparks: this 
  creature is big enough to be a hotel, so let’s make it be the 
  hotel! It’s an alien pod that everyone thinks is just a hollowed-
  out exoskeleton of a long-dead creature, it is subdivided inside 
  and its interior walls look really cool, so of course some 
  IntraSpace Travel Company jumped to get their hands on it 
  and call it a “Luxury Getaway”. In fact, maybe that’s our title. 
  Mulling all of this over, we come up with a scenario that’s got a 
  Ticking Clock in the background. The idea is this: The creature 
  (which we shall call a “Dzirgian Pod”) is actually alive, but no 
  one knows that because it’s in a state of brumation. And the 
  magical things it produces? They’re whiffs and blocks of 
  hydrocarbons that the creature can make into various forms to 
  appeal to our senses. They’re bait. Let’s call them “fruits”. 
  So… Lovely odors emanate from the pod, both inside and out. 
  They make you feel complacent, conveying an intoxicating 
  effect, and there are these wonderful tasty fruits that 
  magically appear in every room. It’s an enticing place and 
  nobody wants to leave. In fact, let’s say the hotel staff has 
  actually decided to live here permanently (they’re all mind-
  controlled by their consumption of the alien fruits, and now 
  they serve the interests of the Pod). 
  A few more details: We need a reason for a bunch of NPCs to 
  be coming here, and we need some ways for PCs to discover 
  what’s going on. They’ll have their hands full dealing with 
  tourists, but they’ll also need to run around to various 
  Locations and use stealth (interpreted as sneaking and lying) 
  to figure it all out without causing a panic. Finally, they’ll need 
  at least one NPC who can help solve the problem, or at least 
  provide some clues. Why is this character different from the 
  rest of the staff? Let’s make him a prison inmate who gets 
  hired on work furloughs. He’s been here before, and he 
  doesn’t trust the place. 
  
  108 
   
  DETAILS 
  THE SHIP – The PCs will be piloting a DynaLuxe Passenger 
  Vessel owned by the travel company.  See the Core Rules for 
  ship stats. All NPCs except Staff will meet at Diaspora Ranch, 
  and will travel with the PCs to Dzirg (and back, presumably). 
  THE POD – DayTrippers hired by the travel company found 
  this thing last year, and the executives decided to use it for a 
  resort, saving tons of money on construction. They believe it 
  to be an inert exoskeleton of a once-living creature (Info 1). 
  There have been a few visitors and events held here in the 
  months since its opening, but nothing as major as this: a 
  private birthday bash for music celebrity Jacko Bonno. 
  ACTIVITIES – On the roof of the Pod are several low-grav 
  extreme sports activities. The “space jump” is a massive 
  reverse bungee-jump that hurls you a mile into the sky. The 
  “sky glider” is a two-seat pedaled vehicle that can float in the 
  dense air for hundreds of minutes without requiring any 
  power. And down in the lower levels of the pod, the staff is 
  planning a huge banquet to be thrown this evening, followed 
  by a dance party featuring a live performance of songs from 
  Jacko Bonno’s new album. 
  IN THE DISTANCE – Anyone who takes a good look will 
  notice the remains of other pods in the distance. Examining 
  them more closely will reveal that they all seem to have 
  exploded outward. 
  THE FRUIT – Little piles of fruit appear in every room. They’re 
  beautiful and fragrant, and entice the senses, but never seem 
  to appear when you’re actually looking at them. This gives 
  people the idea that they were provided by the management, 
  but they weren’t. They actually just “grow” right there in the 
  room, enticing victims to ingest them (Info 2). When triggered 
  by the amount of biomass in the lower portion of the pod 
  (otherwise known as the Dance Hall), they will begin altering 
  their victims’ DNA, metamorphosing them into pod-spores. 
  THE TICKING CLOCK – Here’s what the Pod is actually doing; 
  these Events will form the basis of the ticking clock running in 
  the background: (1) entice lifeforms inside with nice smells 
  and sensory phenomena; (2) get them to ingest the fruit, 
  drugging them; (3) entice their senses further; they become 
  hedonistic; (4) this helps keep them here, they actually don't 
  want to leave; (5) when ready, the DNA alterations will begin 
  in earnest and the victims will begin swelling into pod-spores; 
  (6) The pod will seal its outer skin and prepare to burst, 
  scattering the spores across the face of the planet. 
  NPCS 
  MIKAEL MCVEIGH – A handyman sent out by the company to 
  handle the power generators and lights for the show. He 
  doesn’t like this place and doesn’t get along with the staff. 
  This may seem to be because of his social status (he’s a 
  convicted white-collar felon on work furlough), but it’s actually 
  because he senses something wrong about this place and the 
  people who decided to live here. Last time he was here, 
  McVeigh saw some of the fruit just appear in a room. He 
  knows there’s something really weird going on. But knowing 
  what they think of him, he won’t mention this to anyone on 
  staff and keeps his opinions to himself. He’ll need to be drawn 
  out or befriended if the PCs want to get any real information 
  out of him. 
  THE STAFF – Led by the concierge Maynard Belibdis, the staff 
  doesn’t like McVeigh any more than he likes them. They sense 
  that he’s “not one of them” because he hasn’t eaten any of the 
  fruit.  They will advise the PCs not to talk to McVeigh, saying 
  he’s crazy, maladjusted, and untrustworthy. Staffmembers 
  won’t be of any real help to the PCs, because they are being 
  instructed to placate and feed people, that’s their prime 
  directive right now because tonight is the night that the Pod is 
  going to reproduce – finally all their hard work luring people 
  here is going to pay off! 
  JACKO BONNO – A famous music star on Earth, come here to 
  celebrate his birthday in the company of his entourage and 
  special friends. He’s notoriously spoiled, demanding, petulant 
  and drug-addicted. At some point in the session his drug bag 
  will be stolen, and he’ll raise hell making the PCs help him find 
  it, or threaten to report them to their superiors (which would 
  mean a dock in pay). 
  HEPHAESTA MCLEOD – One of Jacko’s satellites from the PR 
  department, Hephaesta is a hardcore partier who is using her 
  connection to Jacko to live the high life. If she takes a liking to 
  any of the crewmembers, she’ll follow them around, asking if 
  they want to party with her. She’s basically a time-waster. 
  OTHER GUESTS – They’re rich, obnoxious, arrogant, 
  opinionated, entitled, and usually annoying. They treat the 
  PCs like servants and demand their every whim be satisfied 
  promptly. The PCs will have their hands full dealing with client 
  requests like taking them up in gliders and helping them with 
  their safety harnesses, etc. It may be hard to find a minute to 
  get away. As the day progresses they will become more and 
  more ridiculous, childish, hedonistic and silly. They will do 
  their best to convince crewmembers to eat the fruit. When the 
  Dance Party starts, they’ll assist the staff in trying to get 
  everyone down to the lower level for the grand event. 
  FINAL CRISIS 
  The metamorphosis takes about 30 minutes to transpire. 
  Guests who ate the fruit earliest will be the first affected: their 
  bodies will begin to swell and their skin will take on a bluish 
  tinge. At this point Players may make BRAINS rolls (DL4) to 
  make the connection. The good news is that the condition can 
  be reversed if caught within those 30 minutes. A Medical 
  Response Tank can stabilize the victim, preventing further 
  metamorphosis, and their DNA can be restored to its original 
  configuration in 1 hour. It’s fortunate that there are two Med 
  Bays on the ship; but that’s not enough for everyone. An 
  Automated Survival Suit in Medical Administration Mode can 
  prevent further metamorphosis from occurring, but cannot 
  reverse the DNA modifications. 
  
  109 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   
   
   
  Info 2 ideally is known 
   
   
   
   
  Info 1 
   
   
   
  Info 4 ideally is known 
   
  Info 5 ideally is known 
    
   
   
   
   
   
  If talk to staff or mcveigh 
   
  By this point… 
  Crisis 1: NPC Obstacles 
   
   
  By this point… 
   
  By this point… 
   
  Crisis 2: NPCs or Discoveries 
  Final Crisis 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  interesting 
   
  enticing 
   
  hypnotic 
   
  party time 
   
  Cronenberg 
   
   
   
   
  STAGE 1 - lure victims inside, need a ton 
  of biomass (maybe 10 ppl) 
  STAGE 2 - drug them, entice their 
  senses; they become hedonistic 
  STAGE 3 - keep them here; they don't 
  want to leave 
   
  STAGE 4 – lure them down into the 
  morphing chamber (dance hall) 
  STAGE 5 - seal the skin, pump fluids  
  into chamber and prepare to burst 
   
   
   
      Decendra Vargas: 
  Jacko’s assistant 
      Petur Muggison: 
  musician/audiotech 
  Janis Ein: won 
  ticket via fanclub 
   
  Murf Calibri: 
  Jacko’s bodyguard 
   
  Zarrki Fabula: 
  MegaMedia Exec 
        Company found 
  the pod, saved $$$, 
  it’s inert, volunteer 
  staff lives here 
   
  1 
        Fruit in every 
  room, assumed sent 
  by the management 
  – but it wasnt 
   
  2 
        If you have eyes 
  elsewhere on planet 
  you may actually see 
  a pod explode. 
   
  3 
       It’s not inert, it’s 
  alive.  And it’s not 
  an exoskeleton - 
  it’s a womb! 
   
  4 
        Fruit alters your 
  DNA; a medbay can 
  fix it if you catch it 
  early enough 
   
  5 
         ENCOUNTERS: 
  1-3= crazy guest (E2) 
  4-5= staffmember 
  6= distant boom 
   
  E1 
         CRAZY 
  GUESTS: 
  1= Jacko 
  2-4= Hephaesta 
  5-6= Other 
   
  E
  2 
        Jacko Bonno, 
  birthday boy.  A rich, 
  unhappy, self-
  absorbed egotist. 
   
  N 
       Hephaesta 
  McLeod has drugs 
  & booze, wants to 
  party with you 
   
  N 
       POD: MIGHT 10  
  HEALTH 15  
  Whip+3  
  Fruit Toxin DL6 vs 
  PSYCHE 
   
  O 
  N 
  N 
  N 
  N 
  N 
  LUXURY GETAWAY / PAGE 1: EVENTS 
  After a few more details are added, here’s the RunSheet for our adventure. This will be our primary guide to running the session. 
  The first page details the Events on the face of our ticking clock: 
  
  110 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   
   
   
      Decendra Vargas: 
  Jacko’s assistant 
      Petur Muggison: 
  musician/audiotech 
  Janis Ein: won 
  ticket via fanclub 
   
  Murf Calibri: 
  Jacko’s bodyguard 
   
  Zarrki Fabula: 
  MegaMedia Exec 
        Company found 
  the pod, saved $$$, 
  it’s inert, volunteer 
  staff lives here 
   
  1 
        Fruit in every 
  room, assumed sent 
  by the management 
  – but it wasnt 
   
  2 
        If you have eyes 
  elsewhere on planet 
  you may actually see 
  a pod explode. 
   
  3 
       It’s not inert, it’s 
  alive.  And it’s not 
  an exoskeleton - 
  it’s a womb! 
   
  4 
        Fruit alters your 
  DNA; a medbay can 
  fix it if you catch it 
  early enough 
   
  5 
         ENCOUNTERS: 
  1-3= crazy guest (E2) 
  4-5= staffmember 
  6= distant boom 
   
  E1 
         CRAZY 
  GUESTS: 
  1= Jacko 
  2-4= Hephaesta 
  5-6= Other 
   
  E
  2 
        Jacko Bonno, 
  birthday boy.  A rich, 
  unhappy, self-
  absorbed egotist. 
   
  N 
       Hephaesta 
  McLeod has drugs 
  & booze, wants to 
  party with you 
   
  N 
       POD: MIGHT 10  
  HEALTH 15  
  Whip+3  
  Fruit Toxin DL6 vs 
  PSYCHE 
   
  O 
  N 
  N 
  N 
  N 
  N 
  DL6 vs PSYCHE or BRAINS-2 
   
  Info 4 
   
  Info 1 
   
  He will file a report on you 
   
  Silly; Try to feed you fruit 
   
  Jacko’s drug bag is missing 
   
  In distance, possible Info 3 
   They burst outward. 
  She has Jacko’s drug bag 
   Cilia & Veins: this thing is alive 
   
  You are starting to morph 
   Info 5 
   He saw it appear (Info 2) 
   
  A prison con; “not one of us” 
   Abruptly change the subject 
   Annoying, entitled, rich 
   
  If you don’t help him find it 
   
  If leave your room 
   
  If bungee jump or gain 
  altitude 
   
  If eat the fruit 
   
  If go examine another pod 
  If party with Hephaesta 
   Stealth beneath the pod (DL5) 
   
  If you have eaten the fruit 
   
  If do basic Bio Analysis (DL3) 
   
  If do HARD Bio Analysis (DL5) 
   
  If ask him about the Pod 
   
  If ask him about the fruit 
   
  If ask them about McVeigh 
   If ask them about the fruit 
  If engage after banquet 
   
  If engage before banquet 
   
  E 
  appealing 
  3 
   
  E 
   
  distracting 
  4 
  revelation 
  E 
   
  chaotic 
  1 
  2 
  mech/elec+2 
  stepford 
  POD - luxurious resort pod – several 
  cool activities, fruit in every room 
  ROOF – Springy/foamy but tough 
  surface, hip recreational activities 
  BANQUET – Guests begin gorging, 
  acting more and more hedonistic 
  BENEATH THE POD - blocked path 
  but you can get under there with effort 
  DANCE – In the lowest part of the pod, 
  where morphing occurs: FINAL CRISIS. 
  MCVEIGH – on work furlough, doesn’t 
  eat fruit, he’s been here before on jobs 
  STAFF – of no help; controlled by the 
  fruit; Concierge Maynard Belibdis 
  TOURISTS – at first annoying, then 
  progressively drugged & childish 
  LUXURY GETAWAY / PAGE 2: LOCATIONS & CHARACTERS 
  The second page of the RunSheet covers Locations and Characters. After brainstorming on the characters and thinking up some 
  epic visual descriptions, we’re ready to run. 
  
  111 
   
  WHY DON’T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD? 
  Right about now (maybe several pages back), some of you are 
  thinking “Wow, this is a great tool, I really want to use it!”  
  Others are thinking “This looks like fun, I think I might give it a 
  shot.”  Still others are thinking “Are you frikkin crazy? Do I 
  really need to fill out all these forms?” It is this last group I now 
  wish to address. 
  The answer is no. 
  On the forms, that is. Not sure about the crazy. You don’t have 
  to print out the forms or fill them in, unless you want to. But 
  here’s the important part: You do have to think like this. 
  You do have to consider the Story as an emergent and 
  unpredictable thing that grows out of Player interaction with a 
  PlotField; you have to think of Plot as something you don’t so 
  much “control” as elevate through collaborative play in a 
  dramatic trajectory while the Players do the real driving; and 
  most importantly you have to think of Characters, Locations 
  and Events as a loose network of individual Objects, capable of 
  being encountered and arranged in many different ways. 
  It’s quite easy to fake a RunSheet using a standard piece of 
  lined paper. You’ll have to sacrifice the fancy little graphics, 
  but you’ll save real change on toner. You can do this… 
  or even this… 
   
  …and you’ll be fine. 
  
  112 
   
   
   
  Inspirational Media 
  A selection of influential fiction from traditional media 
  dealing with alternate realities, multiple dimensions, 
  subjective worlds, bizarre lifeforms, surreal space adventures 
  and time travel. 
  NOVELS, GRAPHIC NOVELS,  
  SHORT STORIES & MAGAZINES 
  A Different Eternity; Michael McCollum 
  A Martian Odyssey; Stanley G. Weinbaum 
  A Voyage to Arcturus; David Lindsay 
  A Wrinkle In Time; Madeline D’Engle 
  Amazing Stories; Experimenter Publishing 
  And Having Writ... ;  Donald R. Bensen 
  Astounding Science Fiction; Clayton Magazines 
  Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials; Wayne Barlowe 
  Black Science; Rick Remender 
  By His Bootstraps; Robert Heinlein 
  The Deathworld Trilogy; Harry Harrison 
  Gate of Ivriel; C.J.Cherryh 
  Heavy Metal; Metal Mammoth Inc. 
  Hinterlands; William Gibson 
  Inspiration; Ben Bova 
  Lest Darkness Fall; L. Sprague DeCamp 
  Memories of the Space Age; J. G. Ballard 
  Men Like Gods; H. G. Wells 
  Metabarons; Alejandro Jodorowsky 
  Michael Moorcock's Multiverse; Helix/DC Comics 
  Paratime; H. Beam Piper 
  Quest Crosstime; Andre Norton 
  Roadmarks; Roger Zelazny 
  Roads Not Taken; ed. Gardner Dozois & Stanley Schmidt 
  Rumfuddle; Jack Vance 
  Sidewise in Time; Murray Leinster 
  Sjambak; Jack Vance 
  Solaris; Stanislaw Lem 
  Space for Hire; William F. Nolan 
  The Airtight Garage of Jerry Cornelius; Moebius 
  The Avatar; Poul Anderson 
  The Big Time; Fritz Leiber 
  The Codex Seraphinianus; Luigi Serafini 
  The Crystal World; J.G. Ballard 
  The Cyberiad; Stanisław Lem 
  The End of Eternity; Isaac Asimov 
  The “Eternal Champions” series; Michael Moorcock 
  The Guns of the South; Harry Turtledove 
  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Douglas Adams 
  The Jaws Of Menx; Ann Maxwell 
  The Long Earth; Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter 
  The “Magic Tree House” series; Mary Pope Osborne 
  The “Mars” Series; Edgar Rice Burroughs 
  The Martian Chronicles; Ray Bradbury 
  The Number of the Beast; Robert Heinlein 
  The Phantom Tollbooth; Norton Juster 
  The Space Merchants;  Frederik Pohl & Cyril Kornbluth 
  The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World; Harry Harrison 
  The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch; Philip K. Dick 
  The Time Axis; Henry Kuttner 
  The Time Machine; H. G. Wells 
  The Time Stream; John Taine 
  The “World of Tiers” series; Philip José Farmer 
  Up the Walls of the World; James Tiptree, Jr. 
  Valérian; Pierre Christin & Jean-Claude Mézières 
  Warlords of Utopia; Lance Parkin 
  What Mad Universe; Fredric William Brown 
  White Light; Rudy Rucker 
  World of Tiers; Piers Anthony 
  Worlds of the Imperium; Keith Laumer 
  MOVIES & TELEVISION 
  Alien Planet; Discovery Channel 
  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure; Interscope Communications 
  Doctor Who; BBC Television 
  Fantastic Planet; Argos Films 
  Forbidden Planet; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
  Sliders; Universal Television 
  Star Trek; CBS & Paramount 
  Stargate, Stargate SG-1; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
  The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension; 
  Sherwood Productions 
  The Fifth Element; Gaumont Buena Vista International 
  The One; Revolution Studios & Hard Eight Pictures 
  The Time Tunnel; Irwin Allen Productions 
  Time Bandits; Handmade Films 
  Yellow Submarine; United Artists & King Features Syndicate 
  
  113 
   
   
  System Conversion 
  Conversions are shown below for popular systems. 
  CONVERTING STATS 
  The Stat Score is a logarithmic scale of 1 to 6.  Normal 
  unskilled people have 1 in every Stat.  For NPCs, any Stats that 
  aren’t listed have a Score of 1.  The Stats are: 
  BRAINS – knowledge & perception functions 
  CHARM – social & communicative functions 
  GRACE – agility & dexterity functions 
  HEALTH –biophysical & immunity functions 
  MIGHT – strength & force functions 
  PSYCHE – sanity & integrative functions 
  Stat Score 
  PbtA 
  d20 
  1-20 
  1-100 
  1 
  -1 
  10 
  8 
  40 
  2 
  +0 
  12 
  10 
  50 
  3 
  +1 
  14 
  12 
  60 
  4 
  +2 
  16 
  14 
  70 
  5 
  +3 
  18 
  16 
  80 
  6 
  +4 
  20 
  18 
  90 
  CONVERTING SKILLS 
  Skill Levels are rated on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 representing 
  the epitome of human accomplishment. 
  Skill Level 
  PbtA 
  d20 
  1-20 
  1-100 
  +1 = Trained 
  Use 
  -1 
  8 
  40 
  +2 = Journeyman 
  Stat 
  +0 
  10 
  50 
  +3 = Expert 
  Mod 
  +1 
  12 
  60 
  +4 = Master 
  For 
  +2 
  14 
  70 
  +5 = Innovator 
  Skill 
  +3 
  16 
  80 
  +6 = Legend 
  Roll 
  +4 
  18 
  90 
  CONVERTING TASKS & DIFFICULTY LEVELS 
  The Difficulty of a task is stated as a “DL” (Difficulty Level) on 
  a scale of 1-10.  The Difficulty Levels are: 
  Difficulty Level 
  PbtA 
  d20 
  1-20 
  1-100 
  1 = no-brainer 
  +3 
  0 
  2 
  10 
  2 = easy 
  +2 
  0 
  4 
  20 
  3 = challenging 
  +1 
  5 
  6 
  30 
  4 = difficult 
  +0 
  10 
  8 
  40 
  5 = hard 
  +0 
  15 
  10 
  50 
  6 = very hard 
  -1 
  20 
  12 
  60 
  7 = unlikely 
  -2 
  25 
  14 
  70 
  8 = ridiculous 
  -3 
  30 
  16 
  80 
  9 = absurd 
  -4 
  35 
  18 
  90 
  10 = insane 
  -5 
  40 
  20 
  100 
  If your game system uses descriptive difficulty levels (FUDGE, 
  Cypher, etc), it’s best to simply match up the DayTrippers DL 
  term with the analogous term from your system. 
   
  Credits & Sources 
  Game Development by Tod Foley 
  PROOFING/EDITING 
  Melissa Fisher, David Guyll 
  READERS, REVIEWERS & PLAYTESTERS 
  Mark Abrams, Meguey Baker, Melissa Fisher, Jordan Foley, 
  David Guyll, Shawn Koch, Abstract Machine, Johnstone 
  Metzger, David Schirduan, Todd Thompson, Aidan Walsh 
  SPECIAL THANKS TO THE AS IF COLLECTIVE 
  The DayTrippers project is supported in part by contributions 
  of the As If Collective: Torey Holmquist, Jaylen Productions, 
  Shawn Koch, Abstract Machine, Cassie Rae, David Schirduan 
  and Terry Willitts 
  Join the Collective at http://patreon.com./asif 
  ILLUSTRATIONS 
  All images licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 
  License or Creative Commons Public Domain License. 
  F.C.  "ALIENated" by Rafoso 
  p.2 
  A B Woodward, from "Red Apple and Silver Bells" by 
  Hamish Hendry 
  p.5 
  "Night Craft 4 page 11" by Jesse Thomas 
  p.11 
  Virgil Finlay, from "Sjambak" by Jack Vance 
  p.19 "DayTripper Crew" by Enmanuel Martinez 
  p.21 David Altair Karave 
  p.23 Schelling, from "--And Devious the Line of Duty" by 
  Tom Godwin 
  p.25 "3d Abstract Globes" by Dawn Hudson 
  p.27  "Under the Knife" by Anonymous, from Amazing 
  Stories 
  p.29 "Multiversal Chao" by James Shields 
  p.30  Anonymous, from "Airlords of Han" by Philip Nowlan 
  p.36 Louis Glanzman, from "Danger in Deep Space" by Carey 
  Rockwell 
  p.40  "Star" by Anonymous 
  p.45 "Monster Alien" by Enmanuel Martinez 
  p.49 "Dirk Evigan Rendered" by Jesse Thomas 
  p.51 "Landscape with Lake" by Konstantin Bogaevsky 
  p.55 "Attack of the Giant Sandfish" by James Shields 
  p.59 "Eketete and Erbeybuye" by Anonymous 
  p.62 "War of the Worlds" by Frank R. Paul 
  p.63 Arthur Layard, from "Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour" 
  by Charles Dixon 
  p.67 "Monsters of Callisto" by Frank R Paul 
  p.81 "Dreadful Sleep" by Adam B Morgan 
  p.89 "DayTrippers meet Alien" by Lee Anthony Moten 
  p.97 "Witch-Dance" by Hannes Bok 
  p.105 Anonymous, from Amazing Stories 
  p.110 "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" by Winsor McCay 
  p.111 "Book" by Anonymous 
  
  114 
   
   
  Index 
   
   
  Action 
  as Psychic Content, 14 
  Dialog, 13, See 
  Interpreting, 13 
  Opposed, 12 
  Unopposed, 12 
  Action Resolution, 10, 12, 13 
  Adventure Sketch Sheet, 115 
  Alternate Earths, 27, 46, 52, 95 
  Ands & Buts, 13 
  Appendages Table, 54 
  Atmosphere Table, 43 
  Atmospheric Pressure Table, 43 
  Attitudes & Reactions Table, 72, 86 
  Bay X, 30 
  Binary Tree Technique, 11 
  Biodiversity Table, 48 
  Biosphere Table, 45 
  Bleed, 7, 8 
  Bodinga Bay, 23 
  Body Surface Table, 53 
  Campaigns, 21 
  Character Development, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 23 
  Character Development Scenes, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 23 
  Character Points, 6, 7 
  Church of OMG, 23 
  Climate Table, 44 
  Combat 
  Mishaps, 14 
  Running, 14 
  Communication Table, 59 
  Complications, 35, 36, 67, 69, 70, 71, 91, 115 
  Core Body Shape Table, 52 
  Crisis, 66, 68, 70, 91, 92, 93, 94 
  Cyber-GM, 4, 5, 9, 92 
  Dezlu DayTripping, 23 
  Diaspora Labs, 23 
  Diaspora Ranch, 23, 30, 39, 89, 107, See 
  Difficulty Levels, 12, 13, 31, 112 
  Downtime, 9, 16 
  avoiding events, 16 
  Drama Templates, 66 
  Dramatic Themes Table, 64 
  Dream World Generator, 52, 78 
  Dream Worlds, 9, 23, 28, 29, 46, 48, 52, 63, 70, 78, 79, 90, 
  95, 97, 104 
  Prep, 80 
  Encounter Tables 
  Prep, 105 
  Experience Points, 7, 11, 91 
  Fame, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 20, 36, 37, 89, 106 
  Fiction Management, 15 
  Field of Interest Table, 85 
  Flux Storms, 27, 37 
  Form of Reality Table, 79 
  Four Act Structure, 93 
  Frames, 12, 13, 14 
  Galactic Hominids, 56 
  Generators, 33, 87 
  Global Nation Products, 22 
  Going Into Business, 20 
  Gravity Table, 42 
  Home Bases, 17 
  Known Planets, 24, 90 
  Leaving a Mark, 20 
  Levels of Technology Table, 61 
  LifeShaping Dice, 12 
  LifeShaping Events, 6, 7, 12, 31, 33 
  Living Obstacles, 38 
  Local Condition Table, 47 
  Locomotion Table, 55 
  Lucid Dreaming, 28 
  Luxury Getaway, 106, 108, 109 
  Maguffins, 35, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 80, 86, 88, 89, 
  90, 91, 115 
  Historical, 85 
  Making Decisions, 11 
  Manipulators Table, 54 
  Meaning, 4 
  Player-Based, 6 
  MegaMedia, 22 
  Missing the Window, 27 
  Mission Generator, 34 
  Mission Type Table, 34 
  Missions 
  Base Pay, 35 
  Creating, 90 
  Details, 35 
  Getting the Job, 36 
  Mission Goals, 91 
  Samples, 88 
  Types, 34 
  Mods, 12 
  Money, 15 
  Monsters & Evil People, 75 
  Multiversal Chao Generator, 82 
  Multiversal Chao, The, 29, 52, 82, 89 
  Escaping, 29 
  Resisting, 29 
  Narrative Objects, 91, 95, 96 
  Narrative Structure, 91, 96 
  Nearby Objects Table, 50 
  Node Discovery, 25 
  NPCs, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 32, 38, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 80, 
  85, 90, 91, 93, 95, 104, 105, 106, 107, 112 
  Archetypes, 74 
  Developing Drama through, 72 
  Local NPCs, 104 
  
  115 
   
  Mission NPCs, 104 
  Prep, 104 
  Samples, 32 
  Satellite NPCs, 19 
  Unique NPCs, 104 
  Obstacles, 35, 37, 38, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 91, 115 
  Perks, 35, 36, 91, 115 
  Pivotal Event Table, 76 
  Planet Generator, 26, 42 
  Planet Size Table, 42 
  Plot Twists Table, 65 
  PlotFields, 66, 92, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 
  104, 106, 110, 115 
  Predominant Colors Table, 48 
  Progressive Character Generation, 6, 7, 15 
  Psychic Content, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23, 
  29, 33, 39, 66, 68, 69, 70, 72, 80, 82, 90, 93, 95, 115 
  Pure Objects, 29 
  Reproduction Table, 58 
  Resources, 48, 62 
  Rewards, 35, 37, 91, 115 
  Romeo and Juliet, 98 
  RunSheets, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 102, 103, 104, 105, 108, 
  109, 110, 115 
  Extra Details, 97 
  Prep, 97 
  TimeLine, 97 
  Sample Adventure Creation, 106 
  Sardacian, Scilla, 24 
  Science Fiction, 3, 111 
  Scope of Change Table, 77 
  Scope of Divergence Table, 79 
  SDS. See Subjective Dissonance Shock, See Subjective 
  Dissonance Shock 
  Security, 24 
  Senses Table, 56 
  Ship’s Computer, 17, 18 
  Size Table, 55 
  Skills 
  Skill Levels, 38 
  Slip Coordinates, 25 
  SlipFish, 24 
  SlipShips, 17, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30 
  SlipSpace, 25 
  Dangers of, 27 
  SlipTrip Travel, 24 
  Social Group Size Table, 59 
  Social Strata Table, 84 
  Societal Problems Table, 60 
  Societal Values Table, 60 
  Special Stars Table, 41 
  Stability, 28, 79 
  Stability of Reality Table, 79 
  Star Color Table, 41 
  Star Generator, 40 
  Star Size Table, 40 
  Story Types, 90 
  Subjective Dissonance Shock, 28 
  Surrealism, 2, 3, 8, 14 
  Surrealists, 2, 3, 8, 33 
  Surrounding Area Table, 46 
  Sustenance Table, 53 
  Symmetry Table, 53 
  TCV. See Total Character Value 
  Technology, 24 
  Terrain Table, 47 
  The Academy Of Intraspace Technology, 22 
  The Fuzzies, 27 
  Time Period Table, 84 
  Time Travel, 31, 34, 35, 63, 85 
  Time Travels 
  Prep, 85 
  Total Character Value, 34, 35 
  Transformations Table, 83 
  Tweaking Characters Table, 80 
  Tweaking the Constructed World Table, 81 
  Tweaking the Natural World Table, 80, 81 
  Type of Divergence Table, 78 
  Understanding of Reality Table, 63 
  Undiscovered Nodes, 20 
  Unknown Planets, 26, 52 
  Unusual Wilderness Features Table, 49 
  Valdez and Co, 24 
  Vertical Control, 92 
  Vidome 123, 97, 102, 103 
  War of the Worlds, 52, 99, 100, 101 
  Water Table, 44 
  Weather Table, 47 
  Weird Qualities Table, 50 
  What Are They Doing Table, 73 
  What Are They Feeling Table, 73 
  What Does This NPC Want Table, 74 
  What is this NPC’s Archetype Table, 74 
  What Is This NPC’s Problem Table, 75 
  What Is This Place Used For Table, 51 
  What Is This Technology Used For Table, 61 
  What’s Going On Table, 85 
  Whole Drama Table, 65 
  X Investments, 23, 24 
  Yes & Nos, 13 
   
  
   
   
  Adventure Sketch Sheet 
  Adventures can be created in lots of ways. Sometimes you'll 
  have an idea for a Location or a Lifeform first, sometimes a Local 
  Drama or Social Situation will be your starting point, and other 
  times you'll have no idea at all and just want to brainstorm by 
  rolling randomly. All of these approaches are fine. In fact it's 
  good to mix them up, because thinking in different ways will 
  drive you to create different types of PlotFields. 
  This worksheet is designed to assist you in rough-sketching a 
  DayTrippers adventure. Don't answer all the questions in order. 
  Do the parts you know and jump around as it comes to you, 
  working with the Generators or making it up. Consider your 
  Players and their Psychic Content. Work fast; you’re doing a 
  Surrealist Sketch. Rely on your dice and flashes of intuition. 
  You'll build the RunSheet afterwards, by refining, arranging and 
  editing these elements. 
   
   
   
  TIME TRAVELS 
  Determine Time Period & Setting 
  ALTERNATE EARTHS 
  Determine Pivotal Event, Scope of Change & Setting 
  KNOWN OR UNKNOWN PLANETS 
  Determine Star & Planet 
  DREAM WORLDS 
  Determine Dream Reality 
  PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE YOU NEED THEM 
  Locations _____________ _____________ _____________ 
  LifeForms _____________ _____________ _____________ 
  Society 
  ________________________________________ 
  Drama 
  ________________________________________ 
  LOCAL NPCS 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  CENTRAL NOVELTY 
  What’s the feature/theme from which everything follows? 
   
   
  WHAT ELSE IS HERE?   [of interest]   [of value]   [of danger] 
   
   
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS 
  most likely 
  ____________________________________ 
  second most 
  ____________________________________ 
  third 
  ____________________________________ 
  RANDOM EVENTS 
  most likely 
  ____________________________________ 
  second most 
  ____________________________________ 
  third 
  ____________________________________ 
  MISSION  TYPE 
   
  NODE TYPE 
   
  SENTIENT LIFE? (INCLUDING HUMAN) 
   Yes      No 
   
  [indigenous] 
   
  [visiting] 
   
  LOCAL DRAMA? 
   Yes      No 
   
  If there are humans around, the answer is definitely yes. 
  We’re like the drama queens of intraspace. 
  WHAT'S THE (OFFICIAL) MISSION GOAL? 
    
  WHAT'S THE MAGUFFIN? 
   
  MISSION NPCS: 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  _________ ________________________________________ 
  COMPLICATIONS, PERKS, OBSTACLES & REWARDS 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  DayTrippers Runsheet 
   
   
   
   
  DayTrippers Mission RunSheet 
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   
   
   
  TCV: 
  Pay: 
  MISSION TYPE: 
   
   
  CREW: 
   
  NODE TYPE: 
   
   
  OBJECTIVE: 
   
  CLIENT: 
   
   
  DELIVERABLES: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
  DayTrippers Lifeform Sheet 
    
  NAME 
   
  BO D Y S H AP E 
   
  S YMME T R Y 
   
  BO D Y 
  S UR FAC E 
   
  AP P E N D AGE S  &  MAN I P UL AT O R S 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  S E N S E S  &  S E N S E  O R GAN S 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
  O T H E R  C H AR AC T E R I S T I C S 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  BRAINS 
   
  _______________   _______________ 
  CHARM 
   
  _______________   _______________ 
  GRACE 
   
  _______________   _______________ 
  HEALTH 
   
  _______________   _______________ 
  MIGHT 
   
  _______________   _______________ 
  PSYCHE 
   
  _______________   _______________ 
   
  S O C I E T AL  V AL UE S 
   
   
   
  S O C I E T AL  P R O BL E MS 
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
  DayTrippers Planet Sheet 
   
   
   
   
  LOCATION 1 
   
  SURROUNDINGS 
   
  CONDITION 
   
  TERRAIN 
   
  WEATHER 
   
  BIODIVERSITY 
   
  COLORS 
   
  WEATHER 
   
  FEATURES 
   
   
  LOCATION 2 
   
  SURROUNDINGS 
   
  CONDITION 
   
  TERRAIN 
   
  WEATHER 
   
  BIODIVERSITY 
   
  COLORS 
   
  WEATHER 
   
  FEATURES 
   
   
  NAME 
   
  SIZE 
   
  GRAVITY 
   
  ATMOSPHERE 
   
  PRESSURE 
   
  WATER 
   
  CLIMATE 
   
  PRECIPITATION 
   
  BIOSPHERE 
   
   
   
   
  STAR 
   
  SIZE 
   
  COLOR 
   
  TYPE 
   
  PLANET
  S 
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
  DayTrippers PC Tracking Sheet 
   
  Name 
  Class 
  Best Stats 
  Skills 
  LifeShapers 
  Debt 
  Fame 
  Rank 
  Megas 
  TCV 
  Potential 
  XP GAINED 
  XP SPENT 
   Char Dev Scene: 
  Psychic Content: 
  Notes: 
   
  Name 
  Class 
  Best Stats 
  Skills 
  LifeShapers 
  Debt 
  Fame 
  Rank 
  Megas 
  TCV 
  Potential 
  XP GAINED 
  XP SPENT 
   Char Dev Scene: 
  Psychic Content: 
  Notes: 
   
  Name 
  Class 
  Best Stats 
  Skills 
  LifeShapers 
  Debt 
  Fame 
  Rank 
  Megas 
  TCV 
  Potential 
  XP GAINED 
  XP SPENT 
   Char Dev Scene: 
  Psychic Content: 
  Notes: 
   
  Name 
  Class 
  Best Stats 
  Skills 
  LifeShapers 
  Debt 
  Fame 
  Rank 
  Megas 
  TCV 
  Potential 
  XP GAINED 
  XP SPENT 
   Char Dev Scene: 
  Psychic Content: 
  Notes: 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Collections/Duet/RPGS/Sci-fi & Space/Daytrippers/DayTrippers GameMasters Guide.pdf