Playtest

This document provides a streamlined set of rules for running Stars Without Number compatible mech combat scenes.

For Want Of Fuel

The following sections contain the complete rules for running mech combat in your Stars Without Number game. The design notes below explain the reasoning behind key decisions.

Key Design Principles

Cognitive Load ≤ D&D B/X
- One primary number per defensive category
- Minimal tracking requirements
- Clear, concise stat blocks
Free Kriegsspiel > Edge-Case Math
- Rules focus on intent over mechanics
- GM discretion encouraged
- Quick resolution of edge cases
100% SWN Compatibility
- 2d6 skill checks
- d20 attack rolls against target AC
All Info at Point-of-Use
- Tags and special rules in weapon/fit lines
- No global lookup tables
- Self-contained stat blocks

Core Loop & Dice Basics

Basic Resolution

Attack Roll: d20 + hit bonus vs. target’s AC
Damage Roll: Roll weapon dice, subtract target’s DR (if applicable)
Movement: Frames move in meters (m) per round
Actions: Each frame gets 1 Main Action, 1 Move Action and 1 Reaction per round

Combat Round Structure

Initiative: All participants roll d8 + Frame Speed
Turns: Each participant takes their turn in initiative order

Action Types

Main Actions

Attack with a weapon
Use a system that requires a Main Action
Take a special action (Grapple, Brace, etc.)

Move Action

Move up to your frames speed

Reactions

Trigger a Held Action
Use a fitting
Attacks of Opportunity

Damage & Armor Model

The PEX (Physical, Energy, Exotic) damage model creates distinct tactical choices in combat.

Damage Types

Physical (P): Standard physical damage (bullets, missiles, etc.)

Energy (E): Laser, plasma, and other energy weapons

Exotic (X): Strange or unusual damage types

Armor and Protection

Damage Reduction (DR)

Listed as a single number (e.g., DR 3)
Base DR applies to all damage types
Fittings may provide bonus DR vs. specific types

Infantry and Mech Scale

Infantry deals only half damage against mechs, and mechs deal double damage against infantry.

Narrative Themes

The Reward of Blood

Violence brings safety, heat, respect and even divinity.
The further you go from civilisation the more violence becomes a currency.

Mercy is Sin

Attempts at redemption lead only to death or corruption.
What you spare today will return tomorrow, twisted into something worse.

The Land is God

Everything pales in comparison to the land itself. Your mech is large, the mountains are titanic. You cannot outdo the land, ever.
The further you journey, the more time and space become unmoored from reality.
Oases are always contested, never safe havens.

Scars of the Long Night

The land bears eternal scars from the last war, with apocalyptic fires of the Scream frozen and preserved in ice.
Your deeds carve scriptures into the dirt, testimonies that outlast flesh.

Aesthetics

The sky bled and bled and the night did not come.

They fought and died and none sang for them.

ON TRAVEL

For three days they rode the glacier fields in silence, the snow crust splitting beneath their weight. The sun never rose proper. It circled low and sour in the east like a judgement half-sworn. They came upon bones swept clean by the wind. No beast or carrion bird in sight. Only the cold.

ON FACTIONS

The men of the Sultanate bore iron-standard spears and spoke in parables even as they killed. They lit fires from the fat of the dead and prayed with rifles slung across their shoulders. The Republic soldiers wore mirrored goggles and did not speak at all. They bled oil when cut.

ON LANDSCAPE

They crossed the scar of the crater where once land had ruptured upward and frozen in the act, as if in violence it had sought some last articulation of grace. The wind blew ice through the ravine like filings through magnet and the sky above was the white of old scars.

Mechanics

Sortie

After a Sortie

What You Bring Back

Every mission, sortie or expedition earns you something.

Fuel	Title	Description
0	Blood for Nothing	The mission failed. You lost ground, gear or people.
2	The Land is Not Yet Satisfied	Minor success. A cost was paid. Maybe too much.
4	The Fire Burns	Moderate success. Some control gained, some resources secured.
6	Something Dead Gave Way	Strong success. You left a mark. Something ancient stirred.
8	The Earth Remembers	Major success. The land and people echo your name.

“The fire dies when the blood runs dry. The land takes what it is owed.”

You must pay tribute to the land to maintain your mech and yourselves. Pay 1 Cred per Tier +1. This is not about money or glory. This is about staying alive long enough to kill again.

Downtime

You get two downtime actions.

Stoke the Furnace

Spend fuel to refuel your frame or body.

Spend one fuel
Recover all your HP or recover all your mechs HP.

The warmest fire comes from things that once moved.

Work the Bone

Repair your mech, mend your gear, or rebuild your limbs.

Roll +Tech or +Heal: 10 = full restore, 7-9 = patch job, 6+ = costly mishap
On a 12+, you may also add a makeshift mod (unstable, one-use)

Steel is only honest when it breaks.

Cut a Deal

Leverage favors, guilt, barter, or flesh to get what you need.

Choose: gain black-market salvage, medica supplies, intel, safe passage or anything
GM sets cost: reputation, fuel, blood
If you fail to pay later, all who helped you will know

Nothing is ever given. Everything taken must be paid.

Burn the Map

Scout unknown terrain or send rumors into the wastes.

Learn about a new point on the map
Ask 1 question about faction movements, convoy paths, hidden threats
Mark 1 Stress—news is costly.

The land speaks in wind and ash and silence. Listen or die.

Try To Help

Fixes a local problem but failure creates a bigger one.

Walk Among Them

Try to connect with civilians on human terms.

Roll Culture 10+: Build genuine connection, reduce Dependency, gain local ally 7-9: Awkward but meaningful interaction, learn something important 6-: Your presence intimidates or alienates, increase Fear

Send Word

Try to maintain connections to distant places/people.

Costly and often brings bad news.
Provides intel and emotional anchoring.

Report In

Deal with Authorities.

They make demands, but you gain favor.
Ignoring them has consequences, but obeying them often conflicts with local needs

Wager the Self

Choose one ritual below. Roll 2d6 (optionally modified by a stat like Resolve or Guts).

On a 10: Clear 6 stress.
On a 7-9 Clear 4 stress.
On a 2-6: Clear 2 stress and suffer a mark (complication, trauma, or omen).

Brand the Beast – Scar your mount, mech, or bonded creature. Whisper your name into the wound.
Speak the Names – Recite the names of the dead. Carve them into your mech or flesh.
Lay Down the Mask – Confess to someone or something that cannot or will not answer.
Burn the Mercy – Destroy something you spared: a prisoner, a memory, a relic.
Read the Ice – Pilgrimage to a frozen place. Ask the land a question. Accept the answer.
Feast in Silence – Eat something you shouldn’t. Do not speak.
Work the Bone – Carve a token from bone or ruin. Name it after someone you failed. Leave it.
Stand the Night – Go out into the frost naked, unarmed. Return if you can.

You must pay something to feel nothing.

Bury the Dead

Mourn the lost, name them, or feed them to the cold.

Clear 2 stress
Gain a temporary Blessing or Curse, GM’s choice
If you fail to bury the dead, they may return

There are no ghosts here. Only witnesses.

Forget What You Were

Alter your path. Change your code. Take on a new scar.

Choose a new Role-specific XP trigger
Gain a Scar. Physical or Mental.
Clear your Stress

This world has no place for who you used to be.

The Reward Of Blood

Award 1 XP per line fulfilled at the end of each session. Players should justify briefly. GM has final call.

Mercy Breaks You
If you showed mercy and things became worse because of it, gain XP.
Blood Honors You
If you killed a named foe or many innocents, gain XP.
Hunger Commands You
If you diminished yourself for fuel, warmth, or survival, gain XP.
God Rides the Horizon
If you witnessed, provoked, or embodied something sublime and brutal, gain XP.

Scars of the Long Night

Every Sortie comes with a scar. Either roll or choose one. These shape worldbuilding, add flavor, and weight to your violence.

d6	Scar
1	The land changed. Ice melted or a crater filled. A map must be updated.
2	A mech component gained a quirk. It weeps coolant or hums psalms.
3	The battlefield ground is permanently stained with oil and blood. Animals avoid it.
4	A canyon echoes with the screams of the fallen.
5	The squad’s mechs now leave scorched footprints in the ice.
6	Blood has frozen on your mech. It wont come off.

Frame Catalog

A comprehensive catalog of available mech frames and their specifications.

Frame Classes

Note: Pilots of suit‑class mechs may choose to take an attack's damage on their own HP. Suit‑class armor does not apply against Heavy‑class weapons. Light/Heavy mechs ignore non‑Heavy attacks.

Light Frames

GMS Everest

GMS

Light

Speed 4

Armor 0

Hit Points 40

AC 12

HP 6

SP 6

CNS Qilin

CNS

Light

Speed 4

Armor 2

Hit Points 28

AC 14

HP 4

SP 7

Special: Benevolent Resonance – Allies within 3 gain +1 AC. Once per turn you may redirect a hostile's attack to yourself.

DM Paladin

DM

Light

Speed 4

Armor 2

Hit Points 30

AC 12

HP 4

SP 6

Special: Riposte – When a melee attack misses you, make a Melee attack against the attacker.

SSC Swallowtail

SSC

Light

Speed 6

Armor 0

Hit Points 24

AC 14

HP 4

SP 6

Special: Integrated Cloak – At the end of its turn, the Swallowtail becomes Invisible if it hasn’t moved that turn. This lasts until it moves or takes a reaction, or until the start of its next turn.

SSC Death's Head

SSC

Light

Speed 5

Armor 0

Hit Points 32

AC 14

HP 5

SP 6

Special: Mark for Death – As an action, mark a target. When you score a hit by 10 or more against the marked target, deal additional damage equal to d12 × your weapon's hard points.

Medium Frames

IPS‑N Tortuga

IPS‑N

Medium

Speed 3

Armor 4

Hit Points 32

AC 10

HP 5

SP 6

Special: WATCHDOG Co-Pilot - All your ranged weapons gain Threat 3. And you may make attacks of opportunity against targets entering your threat zone.

HORUS Gorgon

HORUS

Medium

Speed 4

Armor 0

Hit Points 48

AC 12

HP 5

SP 6

Special: Extrude Basilisk - As an action you project a horrifying basilisk, a visual data-pattern that is incredibly harmful to NHPs and electronic systems, and hard to look at even for humans. Hostile characters must succeed on a Tech save before attacking you or any allied characters within range 3. On a failure, they become Stunned until the end of their next turn. Each character can only be Stunned by this effect once.

CNS Baihu

CNS

Medium

Speed 3

Armor 2

Hit Points 36

AC 10

HP 5

SP 6

Special: Triumphant Roar – When you destroy or crit a target, all hostiles within 10 must save vs Mental or become take -2 to hit for 1 round.

DM Chevalier

DM

Medium

Speed 5

Armor 2

Hit Points 32

AC 12

HP 4

SP 6

Special: Cavalry Charge – If you move 3+ before making a melee attack, gain +4 to hit and +4 damage on that attack.

NF Cortes

NF

Medium

Speed 4

Armor 0

Hit Points 32

AC 10

HP 5

SP 6

Special: Energy-Matter Regeneration – Recover 1 HP of Overheat damage per round.

Heavy Frames

CNS Zhuque

CNS

Heavy

Speed 2

Armor 2

Hit Points 36

AC 10

HP 7

SP 5

Special: Gravity Stabilizers – Weapons you fire ignore Brace.

DM Casemate

DM

Heavy

Speed 2

Armor 4

Hit Points 44

AC 8

HP 7

SP 5

Special: Fortified Bastion – As a reaction, half all damage against you until your next turn. You lose your Action on that next turn.

NF Tercio

NF

Heavy

Speed 2

Armor 4

Hit Points 46

AC 8

HP 6

SP 5

Special: Phalanx Protocol – If you haven't moved this turn, gain resistance to all damage until the end of your next turn.

Suit Frames

HORUS Goblin

HORUS

Suit

Speed 5

Armor 0

Hit Points 24

AC 14

HP 2

SP 8

Special: Symbiosis – As a action, attach to a willing allied mech (larger than yours) to occupy their space. While attached, you gain hard cover but share conditions with host. Host may use your Fittings, Saves, and Tech Attack. You take actions during host's turn instead of your own. Lasts until you detach (free action) or either mech is Stunned.

NF Cid

NF

Suit

Speed 5

Armor 0

Hit Points 24

AC 14

HP 2

SP 8

Special: Flux‑Veil – When you move, you become Invisible and ignore engagement until the start of your next turn.

Frame Weapons

Complete list of available weapons for frame customization.

Weapon Categories

Melee Weapons

Name

Range

Damage

Type

Ranged Weapons

Name

Range

Damage

Type

System Weapons

Name

Range

Damage

Type

Frame Fittings

Complete list of available fittings for frame customization and enhancement.

Fitting Categories

Combat Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

Ammo Feeder

Once per scene, you can reload a Loading weapon as a free action.

1

Stabilizers

You can fire Brace weapons and move, but take -2 to Hit.

1

Siege Ram

+4 damage when charging into objects or frames. 20 AP P damage against objects.

2

Throughbolt Rounds

Allows a weapons to pierce up to 2 range before impacting. Pierced objects take 4 AP damage.

2

Gendarme Charge Propulsor

When you move 3+ in a straight line and end adjacent to a hostile, that target takes 4 P damage and is knocked 1. If you mount a melee weapon you may then make a free melee attack.

2

Exocortex Combat Link

+1 Accuracy with Smart or Accurate weapons. Quick, 1/scene: Lock‑On a target in Sensors.

2

Bio‑Furnace Redliners

Gain +2 Speed and +2 damage on all melee attacks, take 4 E AP damage while using it.

3

Core Siphon

You can siphon energy from your frame's critical systems to gain bonus to hit to your attack. For each +1 bonus to hit, the attack gains Overheat 1.

2

Tactical Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

Smoke Charges

Deploy a cloud of dense smoke in a 2-range radius up to range 5. The smoke blocks line of sight and provides soft cover to anyone inside it. Lasts for 2 rounds. Can be set as mine. Limited 3.

1

HE Charges

Deploy a high explosive charge at a location within range 5. The charge detonates dealing 2d6 P damage in a 1-range radius. Targets must save vs Evasion to take half. Can be set as mine. Limited 3.

1

Deployable Cover

Deploy a 2 hardened barriers (Size 1). The barrier provides hard cover and has 10 HP.

1

Marker Light

As an Action mark a target within sensor range. The target loses soft cover benefits, and the first attack made against it is a critical hit. At the end of your next turn, they save against Tech to end the effect.

2

Tracking Bug

As an action, target a character within Sensors. They must make a Tech save. On a failure, you know their exact location, HP, and Speed for the duration. They can't Hide and you ignore their Invisible status.

2

Mobility Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

Jump Jet System

You can fly while moving, however you start falling when you stop or the end of your turn.

2

EVA System

You can operate in vacuum, underwater, and extreme environments without penalty. Provides life support for the pilot.

1

Flight System

You can fly. You take Class+1 HP damage each turn when flying.

2

High-Stress Mag Clamps

You treat all solid surfaces as flat ground for the purposes of movement; you can move across them normally instead of climbing, although you begin to fall if you are knocked Prone.

1

Systems Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

NHP Assistant

An integrated NHP that assists you and can follow basic instructs when operating the mech independantly.

2

HORUS Puppetmaster

As an Action you can move (4) a drone and deal 4 E Damage to a adjacent enemy. This includes enemy drones.

2

OSIRIS-Class NHP

Hurl Into the Duat: You channel your target's systems through an unknown extradimensional space and unleash an incredibly powerful system attack. The target saves against Tech. On a fail, they take 4 heat and you inflict an additional effect as follows: the first time the target fails the save, you inflict the First Gate on your target; each subsequent failed save (by any target) increases the level of the effect that you inflict (e.g. your second use inflicts the Second Gate, your third inflicts the Third Gate, etc.) until you inflict the Fourth Gate, after which the effect resets to the First Gate. Your progress persists between scenes but resets if you rest or perform a Full Repair. First Gate: You control your target's standard move next turn. Second Gate: Your target becomes Slowed and Impaired until the end of their next turn. Third Gate: Your target becomes Stunned until the end of their next turn. Fourth Gate: Your target changes allegiance temporarily, becoming an allied character until the end of their next turn. They treat your allied characters and hostile characters as their own and are treated as an allied NPC for activation and turn order. This effect ends immediately if you or any allied character damages, inflicts heat upon, or attacks (including Grapple and Ram) your target, or forces them to make a save. This action may only be used 1/round

2

Scylla-Class NHP

Unleash Scylla: You enter an overwatch stance until your next turn. Twice you may make an attack against a hostile that attacks an ally within range 3 or interacts with a object in range of your choosing. The hostiles are aware what target was chosen.

3

H0R_OS System Upgrade I

Puppet System: Your target moves its maximum Speed in a direction of your choice. They can be moved into hazardous areas and other obstacles, but are still affected by difficult terrain, obstructions, and so on. This movement is involuntary, but provokes reactions and Engagement as normal and doesn't count as Knockback, pushing, or pulling. Eject Power Cores: Your target becomes Jammed until the end of their next turn as you temporarily disrupt their systems, ejecting ammo magazines and cooling rods. Characters adjacent to your target take 4 energy damage. This can only be used 1/scene on each character.

2

H0R_OS System Upgrade II

Construct Other: Ideal Image: You create a data construct in a free adjacent space – a Size 2 object that can look like almost anything and that appears real to all systems. The construct provides hard cover, blocks line of sight, and has Immunity to all damage. Characters treat it as an obstruction and so cannot voluntarily move into it; however, if a character attempts to stand on it or is involuntarily moved into its area, it dissipates and is immediately destroyed. It lasts for the rest of the scene, or until destroyed by an adjacent character with a successful Systems skill check as a full action. If you create a second construct, the previous one disappears. Construct Other: False Idol: Choose a free space within Sensors and a target – either yourself or an allied character within Sensors. You create a false idol – an illusory decoy of your target – in the chosen space. Before attempting to take any hostile actions against your target, characters with line of sight to the false idol must make a Tech save. On a failure, they don't lose the action, but cannot target the original character and believe the false idol is real instead until the end of their next turn. The false idol is the same Size as your target, can benefit from cover, and has AC 10, and 1 HP. It disappears if it takes heat or damage, or at the end of the scene. If you create a second idol, the previous one disappears.

2

H0R_OS System Upgrade III

Dimensional Emblems: You create three Size 1 data constructs in free spaces adjacent to your target, but not adjacent to each other. When a character passes through one of the constructs, they take 2 heat and the construct disappears. They last for the rest of the scene or until either they are destroyed, you take this action again, or you delete them as a free action. A construct can be destroyed by an adjacent character with a successful Systems skill check as a action. Celestial Shackles: Mark a space your target currently occupies. If they leave the affected space, once at any point during your turn, you may take a free action to teleport them back to that space, or as close as possible, ending this effect. An affected character can attempt to succeed on a Systems save as a action to end the effect, otherwise it lasts until the end of the scene.

2

Utility Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

Manipulators

Advanced articulated hands that can perform delicate operations. You can interact with objects designed for human use and make fine manipulations that would normally be impossible for a mech.

1

General Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

Personalizations

+4 HP, cosmetic customization

1

Custom Paint Job

When you are reduced to 0 HP, roll a d6. On a 6, you are only reduced to 1 HP.

1

Drone Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

Turret Drone

Deploy a turret drone within range 10 that attacks deals +6 damage to any target you hit within the drones range of 10. The drone has 5 HP, AC 12.

2

Sentinel Drone

Deploy a sentinel drone within range 10 that deals 6 P Damage to any hostile within 2 Range making an attack. The drone has 5 HP, AC 12.

3

Lotus Projector

Deploy a stealthed stationary scout drone within range 20. The drone relays visual and sensor data back to you, detecting stealthed, invisible, and camouflaged targets. The drone is invisible to sensors and camouflaged, has 1 HP.

2

Core Bonus Fittings

Name

Effect

SP

SSC Ghostweave

During your turn, you are Invisible. If you take no actions on your turn other than your standard move, Hide, and Boost, you remain Invisible until the start of your next turn. You immediately cease to be Invisible when you take a reaction.

0

HORUS Lesson of the Held Image

As a reaction at the start of any allied character’s turn, you may give them +2 to hit against any character within line of sight and Sensors.

0

IPS-N Sloped Plating

You gain +2 Armor.

0

Standard Template Mechs

Mechs

GMS Everest Assault Pattern

Light Frame

Hull

GMS Everest

Speed

4

Armor

1

HP

40+4

AC

14

Hard Points

5/6

System Points

6/6

Weapons

Assault Rifle

Range 10 Damage 1d12 P

Missile Rack

Range 10 Damage 1d6+2 P

Chain Axe

Range Melee Damage 1d12 P

Fittings

Personalizations

+4 HP, cosmetic customization

Custom Paint Job

When you are reduced to 0 HP, roll a d6. On a 6, you are only reduced to 1 HP.

Smoke Charges

Deploy a cloud of dense smoke in a 2-range radius up to range 5. The smoke blocks line of sight and provides [[tag:soft_cover]] to anyone inside it. Lasts for 2 rounds. Can be set as mine. [[tag:limited 3]].

HE Charges

Deploy a high explosive charge at a location within range 5. The charge detonates dealing 2d6 P damage in a 1-range radius. Targets must save vs [[tag:evasion]] to take half. Can be set as mine. [[tag:limited 3]].

GMS Everest Sniper Pattern

Light Frame

Hull

GMS Everest

Speed

4

Armor

0

HP

40

AC

14

Hard Points

5/6

System Points

6/6

Weapons

Anti-material Rifle

Range 20 Damage 2d12 P

Thermal Rifle

Range 5 Damage d6+4 E

Segment Knife

Range Melee Damage d6+2 E

Fittings

Jump Jet System

You can fly while moving, however you start falling when you stop or the end of your turn. [[tag:jump]]

Smoke Charges

Deploy a cloud of dense smoke in a 2-range radius up to range 5. The smoke blocks line of sight and provides [[tag:soft_cover]] to anyone inside it. Lasts for 2 rounds. Can be set as mine. [[tag:limited 3]].

Deployable Cover

Deploy a 2 hardened barriers (Size 1). The barrier provides [[tag:hard_cover]] and has 10 HP.

GMS Everest EW Pattern

Light Frame

Hull

GMS Everest

Speed

4

Armor

0

HP

40+4

AC

14

Hard Points

6/6

System Points

6/6

Weapons

Nexus Hunter Killer

Range 15 Damage 2d6 X

EW Suite

Range 10 Damage d6 X

Howitzer

Range 20 Damage 2d12 P

Fittings

NHP Assistant

An integrated NHP that assists you and can follow basic instructs when operating the mech independantly. [[tag:tech]]

Flight System

You can fly. You take Class+1 HP damage each turn when flying. [[tag:flight]]

Personalizations

+4 HP, cosmetic customization

Manipulators

Advanced articulated hands that can perform delicate operations. You can interact with objects designed for human use and make fine manipulations that would normally be impossible for a mech.

GMS Everest Fire Support Pattern

Light Frame

Hull

GMS Everest

Speed

4

Armor

0

HP

40

AC

14

Hard Points

6/6

System Points

6/6

Weapons

Heavy Machine Gun

Range 8 Damage 2d12+8 P

Missile Rack

Range 10 Damage 1d6+2 P

Mortar

Range 15 Damage d12+2 P

Fittings

Turret Drone

Deploy a turret drone within range 10 that attacks deals +6 damage to any target you hit within the drones range of 10. The drone has 5 HP, AC 12. [[tag:tech]]

Ammo Feeder

Once per scene, you can reload a [[tag:loading]] weapon as a [[tag:quick]] action.

Stabilizers

You can fire [[tag:brace]] weapons and move, but take -2 to Hit.

Mech Builder

Frame Selection

Weapons 0/0 HP

Fittings 0/0 SP

Mech Card

SELECT A FRAME

Speed

-

Armor

-

HP

-

AC

-

Special Ability

-

Weapons

Fittings

Saved Mechs

Tag Glossary

Tags modify how weapons and systems function, creating unique tactical options.

Weapon Tags

Combat Tags

Area Effect Tags

Special Effect Tags

Fitting Tags

Combat Tags

Movement Tags

Support Tags

System Tags

Referee Quick Cues

Combat Tips

Using Cover

Encourage tactical positioning
Remind players of cover bonuses
Use terrain to create chokepoints

Mixed Arms Tactics

Combine different frame types
Use terrain to force engagements
Create opportunities for flanking

Quick Reference

Common DCs

Easy task: 6
Moderate task: 8
Hard task: 10
Very hard task: 12

Common Modifiers

Advantage: +2
Disadvantage: -2
Cover: Soft +2 AC/ Hard +4 AC
Flanking: +2 to hit
High Ground: It’s over.

Problems That Can’t Be Blown Up

d6	Human-Scale Problem	Why Violence Fails	What They Really Need
1	Crop Disease	You can’t shoot germs	Agricultural knowledge, medicine
2	Trade Dispute	Both sides have legitimate claims	Mediation, compromise
3	Religious Schism	Violence makes martyrs	Understanding, patience
4	Missing Caravan	Already dead or lost	Investigation, tracking
5	Corrupt Leader	Killing them creates power vacuum	Political solution, evidence
6	Broken Infrastructure	Mechs are too big/clumsy	Engineering, manual labor

Settlement Profile

Core Questions

What do they need that violence can provide? (bandits, beasts, territorial disputes)
What do they need that violence cannot? (medicine, food, trade routes, leadership)
What do they fear about you? (your reputation, your power, your unpredictability)
What do they offer? (fuel, shelter, information, connection)

Settlement Size & Character

d6	Size	Population	Character
1	Waystation	20-50	Desperate traders, last-chance fuel depot
2	Homestead	50-100	Isolated families, suspicious of outsiders
3	Mining Camp	100-200	Rough workers, temporary but lucrative
4	Trading Post	200-500	Crossroads culture, news and gossip
5	Township	500-1000	Established hierarchy, competing factions
6	Regional Hub	1000+	Multiple settlements’ lifeline, political complexity

Settlement Mood (Roll 2d6)

Result	Mood	Reception	Complications
2-	Terrified	Hide indoors, whisper prayers	Children cry when they see you
3-4	Wary	Polite but distant	Overcharge for everything
5-6	Neutral	Business-like transactions	Standard prices and treatment
7-8	Welcoming	Genuine hospitality	Expect you to solve their problems
9+	Reverent	See you as savior/hero	Create unrealistic expectations

Settlement Relationship Track

Status	Description	Implications
Fear	They comply but plot against you	Inflated prices, false information, potential betrayal
Wariness	They deal with you but keep distance	Limited services, guarded interactions
Neutral	Standard business relationship	Fair trades, basic hospitality
Trust	They share information and ask for help	Better prices, insider knowledge
Dependence	They expect you to solve everything	Constant demands, emotional manipulation

“The more they need you, the more they’ll hate you for it.”

Settlement Problems

Roll 2d6 when arriving at a settlement to determine their immediate crisis:

Roll	Problem	Violence as Solution?	Alternative Need
2	Plague outbreak	No - makes it worse	Medical knowledge
3	Food shortage	Partially - raid others	Trade negotiation
4	Missing persons	Maybe - if kidnapped	Investigation skills
5	Mechanical breakdown	No - too delicate	Technical expertise
6	Religious conflict	No - creates martyrs	Mediation
7	Bandit raids	Yes - classic mech job	-
8	Wild beasts	Yes - hunt them down	-
9	Corrupt officials	Partially - creates vacuum	Political solution
10	Infrastructure collapse	No - mechs too clumsy	Engineering
11	Trade dispute	No - both sides valid	Negotiation
12	Territorial conflict	Yes - but at what cost?	Diplomacy

“Not every problem can be solved with a mech. But the ones that can…”

Travel

The land stretches beyond reason. Ice and stone and silence that swallows mechs whole. You are small here. Your machine is small. Only the cold is infinite.

The Hard Truth of Distance

Mechs are gods of war, not gods of travel. They consume fuel like fire consumes air, break down in conditions that wouldn’t slow a person on foot, and need supply chains that stretch across a continent of ice.

Between settlements lie days or weeks of frozen waste. No mech travels alone and survives. No pilot crosses the deep ice without paying the land its due.

Before You Travel

Supply Requirements

Every leg of the journey demands payment:

1 Fuel for base consumption
Supplies for crew and yourself
Spare parts for inevitable breakdowns

Travel Preparations

Choose your support:

Solo Travel (Desperate or Foolish)

+1 Fuel consumption
Automatically face all travel complications alone
No backup when things go wrong

“Pride goeth before the fall, and the ice remembers fools.”

Convoy Travel (Standard for any smart pilot)

Supply trucks, crew, guides
Shared resources and expertise
Social complications and obligations
Roll for Convoy Dynamics each journey

Authority Escort (Safest but Costly)

Official supply lines and support
Navigation handled by authority bureaucrats
Political complications and oversight
May be conscripted for Authority business

The Travel Roll

Known Routes

Roll once for the entire journey between settlements.

Choose Your Navigation:

Hire Local Guide

Cost: Negotiable (favors, fuel, violence)
Roll 2d6 (guides minimize risk and variance)
Guides always count as having rolled at least a partial success

Follow Authority Roads

Cost: Papers, permits, tariffs
Automatic navigation success
Roll for Authority Complications instead

Navigate Yourself

Roll 2d6+Navigation or +Survival
Higher variance, more complications
Complete independence

Unknown Territory

When venturing into unmapped regions, break travel into legs. Each day or major terrain feature requires its own roll and complications.

Travel Results

Arrive on schedule without major incident
Learn something valuable about the route
Choose: reduce fuel consumption by 1 OR gain useful intel

Partial Success (7-9)

You reach your destination but choose one:

Delayed: Arrive late, consuming extra fuel
Costly: Face a complication that demands resources or favors
Exposed: Something follows you or learns of your business

Travel Crisis (6-)

The land claims its due. Choose two:

Lost: Add days to your journey, consuming extra fuel
Breakdown: Mech suffers damage requiring repairs
Encounter: Face a threat that may require a sortie
Separated: If traveling with others, someone goes missing
Storm-Bound: Weather forces dangerous shelter choices

Seasonal Travel

Frost (The Long Dark)

Most of the year. The ice roads are open but unforgiving.

Advantages:

Frozen rivers become highways
Clear sight lines across the ice fields
Avalanche zones are predictable

Hazards:

Limited daylight for navigation
Equipment failures in extreme cold
Settlements may be sealed against winter

Travel Modifier: +0 to navigation, +1 fuel consumption

Thaw (The Breaking)

Dangerous transition between seasons. The ice remembers nothing.

Advantages:

Some blocked routes open up
Desperate people offer better deals

Hazards:

Routes change daily as ice breaks
Flash floods and mudslides
Equipment failures from temperature swings

Travel Modifier: -2 to navigation, routes may become impassable mid-journey

Bloom (The Brief Summer)

Short growing season. Everyone moves while they can.

Advantages:

Best traveling weather
All routes accessible
Maximum trade opportunities

Hazards:

Crowded routes and competition
Higher prices for everything
Time pressure before next Frost

Travel Modifier: +1 to navigation, normal fuel consumption

Convoy Dynamics

When traveling with others, roll for relationship complications:

2d6	Convoy Complication
2-3	Mutiny: Crew questions your leadership or route
4-5	Breakdown: Critical supply vehicle needs repairs
6-8	Politics: Someone has conflicting goals or loyalties
9-10	Discovery: Find something valuable but contested
11-12	Revelation: Learn important information about your destination

Authority Route Complications

When using official roads, roll for bureaucratic entanglements:

2d6	Authority Complication
2-3	Conscription: Required to handle local Authority business
4-5	Inspection: Cargo searched, papers questioned, delays
6-8	Tolls: Unexpected fees, taxes, or “donations” required
9-10	Intelligence: Authorities want information about your business
11-12	Escort: Assigned unwanted official escort or observer

Local Guide Relationships

Guides reduce travel risk but come with their own complications:

Guide Motivations

Homeward: Needs to reach family or clan territory
Trade: Building relationships for future business
Political: Advancing local faction interests
Spiritual: Following traditional or sacred routes
Fugitive: Avoiding someone or something
Curious: Wants to know what you’re really doing

Working with Guides

Guides know seasonal variations and hidden paths
Can negotiate with locals you’d never reach
May take routes that serve their purposes, not yours
Always know more than they’re telling you
Judge you by standards you don’t understand

“The land speaks to those who listen. Outsiders hear only wind.”

Travel Hazards

Environmental

Ice Storms: Visibility drops to zero, equipment icing
Avalanche Zones: Unstable terrain, sound discipline required
Crevasse Fields: Hidden chasms that can swallow mechs
Temperature Extremes: Systems failure, hypothermia risk

Human

Bandits: Desperate people with improvised weapons
Territorial Disputes: Caught between competing claims
Refugees: Fleeing disaster, may be pursued by threats
Authority Patrols: Questions, searches, potential conscription

Mechanical

Fuel Line Freeze: Common in extreme cold
Gyro Drift: Navigation systems fail in magnetic anomalies
Joint Seizure: Hydraulics lock up, requires field repair
Sensor Ghost: Equipment malfunctions create false readings

When Travel Becomes a Sortie

Sometimes the journey becomes the mission:

Convoy under sustained attack
Major mechanical failure in hostile territory
Discovered something that changes everything
Weather forces shelter in a dangerous location
Authority forces attempt to detain or conscript you

“The ice cares nothing for your schedule. The land takes what it is owed.”

Media Inspiration

Soundtrack

Literature

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
- The feeling of ancient, forgotten technology
- The weight of history and myth
- The relationship between violence and divinity
Dune by Frank Herbert
- The importance of resources (fuel, water)
- The relationship between people and their machines
- The weight of prophecy and destiny
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- The stark beauty of a ruined world
- The constant struggle for survival
- The thin line between humanity and brutality

Film & Television

Mad Max: Fury Road
- The importance of vehicles and fuel
- The visual language of war machines
- The relationship between people and their machines
Blade Runner 2049
- The weight of history and memory
- The relationship between humans and machines
- The visual language of ruins and relics
The Expanse
- The importance of resources and territory
- The relationship between people and their machines
- The weight of history and politics

Games

Lancer
- The relationship between pilots and their mechs
- The importance of customization and specialization
- The weight of history and politics
Into the Breach
- The importance of positioning and terrain
- The relationship between pilots and their machines
- The weight of sacrifice and loss
Frostpunk
- The importance of resources and survival
- The relationship between people and their machines
- The weight of history and politics