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
Light Frames
Medium Frames
Heavy Frames
Suit Frames
Frame Weapons
Complete list of available weapons for frame customization.
Weapon Categories
Melee Weapons
Ranged Weapons
System Weapons
Frame Fittings
Complete list of available fittings for frame customization and enhancement.
Fitting Categories
Combat Fittings
Tactical Fittings
Mobility Fittings
Systems Fittings
Utility Fittings
General Fittings
Drone Fittings
Core Bonus Fittings
Standard Template Mechs
Mechs
Mech Builder
Frame Selection
Weapons 0/0 HP
Fittings 0/0 SP
Mech Card
Saved Mechs
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
Navigation Success (10+)
- 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.”
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
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