Written by Art by

Mike Lafferty JEShields, Jacob Blackmon, Dean Spencer,

Peter Saga, Rick Hershey, Marcum Curlee.
Bradley McDevitt, Jon Gibbons

Based on Havoc Brigade by Layout by

Grant Howitt Craig Williams

WHAT IS PEW PEW?

Pew! Pew! is a rules-light roleplaying game, with everything you need to play (aside
from dice and friends) contained within this document. It's a light-hearted one-
shot game; this isn't a story about deep-seated emotional turmoil and tortured
introspection. It's a story about explosions and loads of big fights and ray guns and,
maybe, maybe laser swords. It's an excellent game to run at conventions or as an
emergency pick-up game, because all the prep is already done – it's baked into the
system. This is a game designed to tell one particular story: one of bounty hunters
tracking down a target in a sci-fi fantasy western setting.

One player acts as the gamesmaster, controlling the setting and all the non-player
characters within. The other players take on the role of the bounty hunter squad, a
rough-and-tumble bunch on a dangerous mission.

The characters are all pre-generated, so the GM should hand them out at the start
of the session and the players can pick which ones they like.

ii
 WHAT DO I NEED TO PLAY PEW! PEW!?
You'll need to print out the character sheets for the players to choose from, and a
copy of the map to reference in the centre of the table so they can plan their assault.

Lots of six-sided dice

About twenty-five should do it. If you don't have that many, you can use tokens or
poker chips to represent them. Using a dice-roller app for this game might prove
difficult, so don't say I didn't warn you.

Something to write with

You'll need pens and pencils for everyone at the table so you can scrawl on the map
and keep your sheets up to date.

About 3 hours
Pew! Pew! isn’t a long game, nor should it be, because the pace at which it operates
can get quite tiring if allowed to run on for much longer than that.

Pew Pew! is Inspired by

• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
• Havoc Brigade by Grant Howitt
• Honey Heist by Grant Howitt
• Killjoys
• The Mandalorian
• Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone

1
 bureaucrats, or lawmen) may occasionally
INTRODUCTION: BOUNTY show up - but don’t bet on that happening
HUNTING ON THE at a convenient moment. They may also offer
bounties (through the Guild) on escaped
GALACTIC FRINGE prisoners, terrorists, deserters from the military,
or other persons of interest.
Now, think real hard. You've been birddoggin'
this township a while now. They wouldn't The Military
mind a corpse of you. Now, you can luxuriate
The bulk of the Government’s space fleet and
in a nice jail cell, but if your hand touches
legions of soldiers are deployed in The Core,
metal, I swear, by my pretty floral bonnet, I
keeping order and policing the space lanes for
will end you.
pirates, rebel scum, smugglers. Except for the
- Mal Reynolds, Firefly
occasional official colony world or Corporation
extraction operation with a garrison for
Pew! Pew!: Bounty Hunters in Space is a fun and
protection, you don’t see the military too often
rules-light role playing game about science
out here.
fiction bounty hunters.

While we don’t want to dictate much more The Corporation

setting than that (so that the GM and the A massive resource extraction conglomerate,
players can make it how they like), let’s hit a the Corporation has its hooks in most resource
few of the major highlights: mining operations in the Fringe. While their
primary interest is asteroid mining, they also
The Fringe (also known as The Rim) have large operations extracting rare vapors
from gaseous planets or nebulas and planet-
It’s the outer edge of galactic civilization
side mining and drilling. They will offer bounties
where most bounty hunters ply their trade. It’s
via the Guild on eco-terrorists and other
lawless, mostly empty, and ripe for ne’er-do-
groups who violently interfere with their plans.
wells of all sorts. Although if the money is right
More rarely, they offer bounties for bringing
bounty hunters will sometimes take jobs in the
in company executives or employees who
Galactic Core where the Government, Military,
embezzled or sold trade secrets to competitors.
and Corporation have their headquarters.

Credits The Guild

The independent agency that provides bounties
The spendable currency of the setting. Also
for folks like the PCs to carry out. Nominally
called lucre, joy, cheddar, juice or more simply
permitted by the Government, as they help to
creds, this is the usual payment for bounties -
provide some measure of social order on the
although sometimes other forms of payment
Fringe, this is how you get paid. They don’t have
or forms of barter are accepted.
many rules, just get the job done and get out.
They frown on bounty hunters who take sides
The Government in non-bounty related disputes, or who ask too
The ruling authorities might be called the many questions. The Guild provides bounty
Federation, the Alliance, the Republic or the hunters with tracking fobs that will direct
Empire. They may range from tyrannical to hunters to a target’s unique bio-signature if
benevolent. Since they’re based out of The they are within 500 kilometers. It is possible to
Core, they’re a long way from here and you’ll work as a hunter without Guild support - but
have to provide your own safety and justice for it requires a lot more legwork. Also - the Guild
the most part. Their agents (whether soldiers, doesn’t look kindly on competition...

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The Mobs (also known as The Families, Planning
Clans or Great Houses) It's up to the bounty hunters to plan how
Various organized crime families operate on they're getting in, through, and out of the
the galactic fringe. The Government rarely city. GM, talk through the planning process
stops them, due to a combination of graft in-character with the players. Rayce Gunnar is
and implicit order. If you’re lucky, you’ll never a broad-brush manager and prefers to leave
interact with them except when you’re carrying details up to his hunters, so he's keen to go
out a bounty for them. Smart bounty hunters ahead with whatever they suggest so long as
don’t cross them and don’t get involved in their they convince him it's a good idea.
turf wars (unless the pay is really good).
Alternative Missions
THE MISSION If you're running Pew Pew! for the same group
"Okay, let's see, how bad does someone want more than once, you might want to
ya? Forty-thousand units? Groot, we're gonna have a go at some different missions. Although
be rich!" I'm sure you can come up with your own,
—Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy here are some ideas:

Once players have chosen their characters, start • Kidnap the star chariot racer from Khione
the game. The Bounty Hunter’s Build rep, Rayce Stadium and get him offworld where he’s a
Gunnar invites them into his favorite booth at a wanted criminal.
seedy space-port bar and he outlines the mission • Steal a prototype time-travel device from
to them as they sit around a map of Vrik City: the Okami Research facility.
• Assassinate the warden of the prison at Ice
The frozen planet of Ragnar in the Galactic Outpost Ragnar who has angered some
Fringe is the destination. crimelords from the Galactic Core.

The target is named Khoan Wahduel He is a Aftermath

high-level lieutenant in the Onyx Circle criminal Don't worry too much about how the bounty
syndicate. He got into trouble in a small hunters leave the city unless your group is into
settlement on the Galactic Fringe and is being that sort of thing. Build in some quick-escape
held in a prison on the frozen planet of Ragnar. solution if you feel the need.
He’s in a penal facility located next to a small
mining settlement called Vrik City. If the fight at the prison was over too soon,
it might be fun to have a rival bounty hunter
The Syndicate leaders, well, they are fond of squad meet the party on their way out of town.
Wahduel and would prefer he is rescued from A space battle as they flee the planet could be
the prison and never stands trial. The Syndicate cool as well. Notes on space combat and some
has offered a steep bounty for you to break sample ships are included later in this book.
Khoan out of the prison and get him off planet.
GM ADVICE
Note about Vrik City: On the snowy wastelands
around the settlement, some orcish bandits You are a china-shop architect and you have a
(called the Elvioin Raiders) prey on convoys load of bulls to entertain, so break the city in
and generally cause trouble. They are violent interesting ways.
and quick to fight, but can be reasonable with
and could perhaps be persuaded to help you Say yes a lot. “Hey, is there a teleportation pad
bounty hunters under the right circumstances. in the observatory?” SURE, WHY NOT.

3
 Ask questions of the players, and incorporate
SYSTEM PUT MORE SIMPLY
their answers.
Gloss over scenes that aren't too interesting – At the heart of the game lies a very simple
resolve them with a single dice roll, if you want. system. It's this:

COMBAT, DOING STUFF AND Announce you're trying to do a thing.

DIFFICULTY Roll a D6. The GM will assign a difficulty. If you
roll over that number, you succeed at that thing,
The GM rolls dice against a player's roll to so long as it's physically possible. Sometimes,
represent the difficulty of the task. the Game Master will roll their own dice, and
successes on their roll cancel out successes on
If the player is acting against a group of yours.
enemies or creature (a Non-Player Character
or NPC), the NPC can use dice from their Add dice to your roll.
equipment much in the same way an bounty
hunter would. However, you can add dice to your roll – and
increase your chance of success - by using
If the bounty hunters are acting against an things on your character sheet. Most of the
obstacle, the GM assigns a difficulty rating to items listed below add (at least) one die each.
it from zero (pretty easy) to three (pretty hard). Provided, of course, that the Game Master
Often, if the player is overcoming an obstacle agrees they apply to the thing you’re trying to
and doing so would make it easier to harm do.
enemies (climbing up a high wall to attack
defenders, for example) then the group can SKILLS add one dice to an appropriate action.
treat the action as an attack against morale. You can only add one dice from skills to any
given roll.
The GM can always add dice to their hand
from the chaos factor pool, if they feel it's EQUIPMENT adds one dice, so long as you
appropriate. See the chaos factor section later explain how it's useful to your action. You can
on for more details. use as many different pieces of equipment as
you like on a roll, so long as you can convince
If the task is dangerous (i.e. combat, running the GM that they're applicable, but you may
through a burning cellar, leaping off a building) only use each piece of equipment once per roll.
any successes one side has over the other
applied as wounds to the losing party if the DRIVES add two dice so long as you're working
losing party can take wounds. towards satisfying them. Like equipment, drives
are limited-use, and you can use as many of
When bounty hunters fight guards in white them as the GM deems applicable per roll – but
plastic armor, they attack the morale of a group, you can only use each drive once per roll.
so be flexible about what can harm the enemies.
A bounty hunter smashing in heads with a laser THE CHAOS FACTOR adds anywhere from
axe is certainly going to impact morale, but so two to LOADS of dice, but you can only use
is climbing a wall and shouting a blood-curse, the chaos factor once per game. It's a bit
or starting a fire, or trapping reinforcements complicated, though, so we'll go into it in more
behind a locked door. Encourage players to be detail later.
creative - the system can take It.
THE CAREFULLY CRAFTED PLAN Once per
game, you can come up with a CAREFULLY
CRAFTED PLAN for another bounty hunter

4
to enact before they take their action. If the Sample drives might be:
character you've chosen acts on your advice, • To maintain my reputation as the best in
they add 2 dice to their roll whilst attempting the parsec
to act it out. • To always bring in the bounty
• To help my tribe
YOU OWE ME ONE! This doesn’t add dice to a • To avenge my homeworld
roll - but it enables a re-roll. Each bounty hunter • To follow the Old Ways
has two slots on their sheet labelled “You Owe • To disintegrate as many Government
Me One!” If another character fails a roll but jackboots as possible
you want to help, you can say YOU OWE ME • To blast as many Mob thugs as I can
ONE and they may re-roll all their dice. Cross • To help a nascent rebellion in the Fringe
off one of the slots whenever you use it. You • To earn enough credits to ransom my father
can't proclaim YOU OWE ME ONE to yourself. from the Slug Mafia of Xeron 7

INITIATIVE SKILLS
No rules for this. Go in whatever order you Skills add one die to a roll. You can only add a
decide on. If you really need rules - well - here single skill die to a roll.
are some options
Every pregen character has 4 skills. They are
1. Maybe the youngest goes first and then the tailored to fit the characters. If you’re creating
second youngest and so on? Yaknow - like your own character - you and the GM can figure
in Candyland. out what skills work for you.
2. Everyone rolls 1d6. Reroll any ties. Highest
goes first Keep in mind - this is a rules light system. Just
3. Paper, Rock, Scissors. Winner goes first with like when you were playing with action figures
the person to her left going next. as a kid, chances are any given character could
4. First one to correctly identify the only rebel do what the situation called for. Can Duchess
pilot to survive two Death Star attacks Meya fly that snowspeeder even though she
can go first. (Spoiler alert: It was Wedge doesn’t have the Drive/Pilot skil? Sure, why
Antilles.) not? Can the greying space wizard sabotage
the space station's tractor beam even if he
DRIVES doesn’t have the Technology skill? Absolutely.
Django: You kill people? And they give you Can the repair droid fight off a couple of battle
a reward? droids in the hangar? Go for it!
Dr. King Schultz: Certain people, yeah...
Django: Bad people? But, having said that, IF you have a skill
Dr. King Schultz: Ah! Badder they are, bigger relevant to something, you’ve got a particular
the reward. talent or experience that lets you have an extra
— Django Unchained die when you’re doing something related.

Drives add two dice so long as you're working Here are some suggestions with explanations:
towards satisfying them. Drives are limited-use
(usually twice per game at GM’s discretion), Combat - Covers both hand-to-hand and
and you can use as many of them as the GM melee weapons.
deems justifiable per roll – but you can only use Drive/Pilot - Does it fly, walk or roll? You’re
each drive once per roll. better at it than average with this skill.

5
 First Aid - Healing your comrades or yourself.
Each character can only attempt to be healed
once per scene.
Infiltration - Being sneaky.
Resilience - Being extra tough.
Shooting - General skill that covers all ranged
weapons.
Technology - Being able to work with
machines, robots, ships and computers.
Tracking - You’re extra good at running down
your quarry. Below is a list of sample equipment. Some
of it is self-explanatory - like a blaster or body
SCAVENGING armor. Some of it requires some explanation -
like magnetized boots or a hologram projector.
After a fight, or when they find a particularly We’ve included a brief explanation with those
useful stash of supplies, the bounty hunters about how they can be useful. Feel free to
can scavenge for equipment – but only once make up your own as well as make up new and
per scene! interesting ways to use the equipment on this list.

GM, roll a die: that's how many useful pieces Some equipment (notably medpacks, body armor
of equipment the characters can scavenge from and ship shields) are limited use, and will be “used
this scene. If you want to determine the sort of up,” as indicated by circles after the equipment.
equipment that the characters can take (i.e. “A
laser sword,” “A medpack,” “A bionic hand”) then Sample Equipment
go ahead, otherwise, ask the players what they
want to find and work something out together. Medpacks - For first aid. 3 uses before it is
exhausted.
Binoculars - see far things clearly
EQUIPMENT Body Armor - You can add this to your roll
In Pew, Pew!, equipment is simply stuff that when you’re opposing an attack roll. 3 uses
adds one die to a roll as long as you can explain before it is destroyed.
how it’s relevant. You can use as many different Bionic Limbs - Can be considered weapons
pieces of equipment as you like on a roll, so and so they can add a dice to attacks.
long as you can convince the GM that they're Built-in Targeting Device - Mostly seen on
applicable, but you may only use each piece of cyborgs or robots.
equipment once per roll. Built-in Taser - Embedded weapon usually
seen on cyborgs or robots.
Dagger - Stabby!
EMP Grenade - Releases a powerful
electromagnetic pulse that temporarily disables
any electronic systems (security robots may or
may not be shielded from this effect at GM's
discretion.)
Energy Whip - Ensnares and grapples. Enemy
loses one dice to their next attack. Can also be
used as a weapon.
Grapple Hook - Ensnares and grapples. Enemy
loses one dice to their next attack. Can be used
to attach to vehicles.

6
 Smoke Bomb - adds +1 difficulty to all combat
attacks rolls.
Sticky Grenade - Deploys a 10 ft x 10ft x 10ft
cube of extremely adhesive gel. Useful for
blocking hallways.
Sword - Stabby and Slicey!
Wrist-Mounted FlameThrower - Basically the
same as a blaster - but cooler since it involves fire.

ANTAGONISTS AND GAME

MASTER ACTIONS
Warden Kuril: Bounty hunters... aren't
Hacking Device - allows you to take over any dependable.
electronic system or NPC robot. For example, Zaeed Massani: You're not hiring the right
you could take over the security system on a ones.
prison ship - or open a locked door etc. — Mass Effect 2
Hologram Projector - you have a small device
that can be used to project illusions wherever (Note: there are a bunch of antagonists listed
you place it. For example, you can make it at the end of this book.)
appear that you’re somewhere you’re not. Or
make it appear that there’s a wall where there’s Non-Player Characters don't act like the player
a hallway etc. characters – they can only react to what the
Instant Helmet - instant life support and bounty hunters are doing, usually by defending
breathable atmosphere supply. Handing for themselves, dying messily, or running away.
using the rocket board or boots and zooming
through space. Shrinks down to a tiny and When the GM acts, they act as all the antagonists
discrete size when not in use. in an area. Get descriptive with how many there
Magnetized Boots - walk on any metal surface are, what they're up to, what they're doing, how
(walls, ceilings, exteriors of ships etc). they're armed, etc. You can assume that each
Net Gun - ensnares your target(s). They will distinct unit of antagonists has a number of
lose 2 dice on their next attack. members equal to its morale/stamina score plus
Personal Stealth Field - makes it easy to be or minus a couple. When a player acts in combat,
sneaky. You cannot be seen by an average it's fun to assume that every success removes a
disinterested guard if you move quietly. If squad member, but play fast and loose with this
you’re evading competent guards - you get an for the sake of drama.
extra dice to any rolls to avoid being seen. If
you attack - the field drops. You can reactivate Pew! Pew! uses an abstract system. Essentially,
it after the fight if you take a turn to do so. when a bounty hunter attacks a group of
Pocket Spy Droid - mini drone that can sneak antagonists, they're attacking the group’s
around corners and report back to its owner. morale and the authority of the leader. This is
Rocket Board - same as rocket boots but represented as morale/stamina points. Once
cooler and more extreme. Because it’s a board. a squad's morale/stamina points have been
Rocket Boots - you can fly. Space flight too. eliminated, the whole squad is out of the fight -
But you’d need some kind of life support for they run away, surrender, die, fall down a deep
that. See the instant helmet. reactor shaft, or whatever. They're no longer
Scrambler - you can temporarily disable a threat. See the Wound Levels and Healing
electronic communications and monitoring in section below for more detail on how damage
the immediate local area (1 square mile). affects PCs.

7
 you can add dice from the Chaos Factor Pool
WOUND LEVELS AND HEALING
to make it more difficult. For example - the
If a task is dangerous (i.e. combat, running Dire Walrus that attacks the PCs’ ship as they
through a burning bunker, leaping off a attempt to leave the nameless, seedy ice planet
building) any successes one side has over the is unusually strong when it attacks their ship
other are applied as wounds to the Morale/ (thanks to the Chaos Factor dice) and actually
Stamina pool of the losing party if the losing prevents them from lifting off.
party can take wounds.
Additionally, when the PCs do something
Characters have five wound levels (with the last that would make their mission more likely to
one being Dying.) Once these are all ticked off, fail (starting gunfights in public areas, drawing
the bounty hunter is Dying, and will die at the attention by detonating explosives in daylight
end of the scene unless they're a) healed before in the town square, etc.), you can add a die to
then or b) take more damage. Dying characters the Chaos Factor Pool. The pool also replenishes
can act as normal. at the end of every turn.

Healing Chaos can also be used to the bounty hunters’

A few rules about healing: favor. Once per game, every character can use
• A character with combat medicine expertise the chaos to their advantage. Grab all the dice
can attempt to heal another character or in the Chaos Factor Pool (whether the GM's
themselves. rolled them this turn or not) and describe some
• Any character can use a medpack (basically awesome but unlikely thing that happens that
- a sci-fi version of a first aid kid). Medpacks benefits your character or describe an amazing
or similar medical devices are required to action your character is doing. (For example:
heal someone. it turns out the infant that is your bounty
• Being healed restores one lost health level. secretly has telekinetic powers and uses them
• A character can only be healed once per to oppose the attack of the monster who was
scene. about to kill you.) The GM rolls against you at
• Medpacks have 3 uses before they are the base Chaos Factor value for the area.
exhausted.
After the PC has used the Chaos Factor Pool,
it refreshes to the default level for the area.
CHAOS FACTOR POOL
Sheriff:Anyone ever asked you how you Note that different areas have different
came to take up bounty hunting? capacities for chaos and disaster. These are the
Jim Kipp: Yeah baseline Chaos Factor Pool values for scenes in
Sheriff: Well? those locations. You’ll notice that they are low in
Jim Kipp: (counting reward money) I’m remote/rural areas and high in urban areas and
counting the reasons. enemy HQs. This is because there are many more
— The Bounty Hunter (1956) things and people that can interfere and throw a
monkey wrench in the works in those locales.
Even the best plans fall victim to random chance • Forest, farms, and wilderness areas: 2
and chaos. This is represented by the Chaos • Small settlements and working class
Factor Pool. This is the capacity of the situation neighborhoods of a large city: 3
to go sideways at any moment - either to the • Cruising the space lanes: 3
benefit or detriment of the players. • Middle-class and commercial districts: 4
• Gas cloud inside of a nebula: 4
GM - when you roll the dice against the PCs • Upper-class districts or government
either in combat or for non-combat challenges- facilities: 5

8
• Asteroid fields: 5 is a pretty good argument for having some
• Inside an enemy HQ (or ship): 6 additional characters in your ship, so they can
repair while you’re piloting and shooting.
FATIGUE
ALSO - if a ship has a repair droid, that droid
This is an optional rule to speed up combat allows you to make both a repair roll and an
if it starts to drag. After the first 2-3 rounds, attack roll on the same turn. The repair droid
consider removing one dice per round from can repair up to 3 damage levels per combat.
the Antagonists’ dice pool to simulate the (Put differently - you can have three successful
stress and fatigue of combat. repair tests per combat before the droid needs
to rest and recover from the stress of combat.)
SPACE COMBAT
Luke: What a piece of junk! At the GM’s discretion, if your ship has
Han Solo: She'll make point five past multiple weapons (or other gadgets that can
lightspeed. She may not look like much, but be used in combat - such as tractor beams)
she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a then other characters can use those weapons.
lot of special modifications myself.
— Star Wars Feel free to have all the characters on one ship
man different duty stations - or spread them out
Since Pew! Pew! is an abstract system - space on multiple ships if they prefer - whatever works.
combat operates functionally identically to
‘regular’ combat. Ships owned by the players SHIP EQUIPMENT
have damage levels, just like characters do, Here are some more ideas for ship equipment:
though ships have 7 wound levels, not 5,
because, you know, they’re ships and you’re Blasters - Pew pew!
not. Combat occurs between ships and the Camouflage Field - It’s a device that, erm,
only equipment that can be used is equipment cloaks your ship. Makes it easy to be sneaky.
associated with those ships. Sample spaceships You cannot be seen by an average disinterested
are included in the PC and antagonists sections. patrol ship. If you’re evading a competent
patrol, you get an extra die to any rolls to avoid
Spaceship Repair being seen. If you attack, the field drops. You
If a character has the Repair skill, they can make can reactivate it after the fight or if you take a
a roll to repair a level of damage to the ship turn to do so.
while in combat. (This can be done multiple Gravimetric Implosion Mines - Maybe you
times.) Note that since you can only take one want to drop something out of the back of your
action per turn - a single character cannot both ship to discourage a pursuer? This is the ticket.
attack and repair on the same turn. Proton Torpedoes - You can add two dice to
an attack roll when using this.
So, if you want to make a repair in combat, Repair Droid - Allows you make repair rolls in
you’re leaving the cockpit to mess around with combat while also attacking.
wrenches in the engine room and you give up Shields - same as body armor.
your attack action for that turn. Signal Jammer - Prevents a targeted ship from
using its communication gear.
HOWEVER - if you have passengers with the Tractor Beam - Enables you to tow another
Repair skill, they can do that while the pilot is ship. If used in combat, reduces the opponent’s
in the cockpit doing an attack action. There next attack die by 1.

9
Government Battlecruiser Black Fist Pirate Clan Hammerhead
Equipment Class Fighter Ships
Deflectors Equipment
Proton Torpedoes O O O O O (exhausted after Heavy Lasers
5 uses) Tractor Beam
Turbo Blasters
Long Range Scanners Ship Damage Levels
Note: Can launch unlimited squadrons of Shrike 7-OOOOOOO
Class Fighters

Ship Damage Levels

Badger Class Merchant Vessel
24 - O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Equipment
OOOOOO Medium Gravitron Blaster Batteries

Government Ship Damage Levels

10 - O O O O O O O O O O
Shrike Class
Fighter Squadron
Equipment
Heavy Blasters
Shields
Ship Damage Levels
6-OOOOOO

19
 ANTAGONISTS:
FULL LIST OF GUARDS AND BAD GUYS FOR THE GM
These are examples of the sorts of things that the characters will be fighting in and around
Vrik City; make an encounter with some of them for every applicable scene. If you have lots of
players, up their morale; if you have fewer, lower it.

GHUUKOX - The tribe of cyber-centaurs who Led by: Berav Vrik - grandson of the town’s
(some years ago) were the founders of Vrik founder and current leader of the town guard.
City (named for the first settler, Davak Vrik.) A little too eager to prove that he lives up to
Fierce and traditional, the Ghuukox have a his legacy.
deep suspicion of outsiders. They make their
living hunting, trapping and providing security Short Summary: Rough hewn, four-legged
for trade convoys in and out of the city. They cyber-cowboys
reside near the hospital in the Ghuukox District
and in Vrik City Square but are often found Equipment:
running and grazing in the domed field at Orzol • Body Armor
Point. They run the city guard and squads of • Proton Rifles
uniformed Ghookox are often found patrolling • Dura-steel Hooves
throughout Vrik City and • Equine Cybernetic Conversion
particularly around the Upper • Steel-eyed Determination
Rim district. They are Morale/Stamina: 8- OOOOOOOO
also found in
the prison and
military facility
where their numbers
are supplemented by
human mercenaries.

20
THE OKAMI - a collective of octopoid aliens Led by: Murix Duvs, an unscrupulous and
called the Okami run Okami Research in the ambitious inventor who refuses to be bound
Nerthus District. They do the kind of bleeding by the ethics of galactic civilization.
edge research here that would be frowned
upon in most civilized systems: radical Short Summary: Brilliant, unethical, aquatic.
cybernetics, experimental bio-engineering,
cloning, interdimensional portals, experiments Equipment:
with time travel and other deeply strange • Armored Environment Suit
inventions. They’re tolerated and protected by • Experimental Anti-Matter Blasters
Vrik City because of generous annual donations • Chronal Displacer Ray Gun
to the city’s budget. • Tentacles
Morale/Stamina: 8- OOOOOOOO

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 HOVER CHARIOT GLADIATORS - if the bounty Led by: Kedar Vane - reigning champion of the
hunters are unlucky enough to stumble into the hover chariot battles. He was once a bounty
Khoine Stadium (perhaps they’re captured and hunter himself, before a mission went very
the city guards throw them in there to compete badly.
instead of bothering with the paperwork), they’ll
have to contend with the hover chariot gladiators. Equipment
Vrik City is the home to hover chariot gladiatorial • Stun Spears
combat - a vicious blood sport banned in most of • Hover Chariots
the galaxy but permitted here in the Fringe due • Mutant Lion-Like Creatures who Pull the
to the huge amounts of money the city rakes in Chariots
from the associated gambling operations. The • Steely Eyed Determination
gladiators are slaves and will fight when ordered Morale/Stamina: 6- OOOOOO
to. However, they’d be easily persuaded to help
the bounty hunters if their freedom and transport
off planet was offered.

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THE SCURRYING SCAVS - a gang of Dregar, Led by: Kran Ribnote - Retired Dregar military
a small goblin-esque race. They run protection veteran with bionic legs.
rackets, shakedowns and generally make life
miserable in the Dregs, a crime plagued district. Short Summary: Sneaky, Underfoot, Ruthless.

Equipment:
• Black Market Bionics
• Jury-Rigged Blasters
• Swarm Tactics
Morale/Stamina: 5- OOOOO

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 THE MELNAU - a monastic sect of
nomadic feline aliens from race is
called the Lilzathi. The Melnau are an
ostensibly peaceful group who seek
only to aid the needy, proselytize and
practice their martial arts. They also
are rumored to fund their activities
via extensive covert dealings with
the black market and renting their
services as muscle to crime syndicates.
(The Galactic Government has never
been able to conclusively prove any
of this however.) Their monastery is
located in the Downe Quarter. They
are under contract with the facility
owners to provide security for the
Holodeck theater and
Khione Stadium which are
also found in the Downe
Quarter.

Led by: Father Kukaro, a

grizzled, world-weary Lilzathi
who now seeks redemption (and profit) as
a holy man in the Melnau Order.

Short Summary: Inscrutable, Fuzzy, Deceptive

Equipment:
• Claws
• Catlike Agility
• Prehensile Tails
• Monastic Martial Arts
• Discreetly Hidden Blasters
Morale/Stamina: 8- OOOOOOOO

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ELVIOIN RAIDERS - These are orcish aliens Led by: Snagtak Battooth - Perpetually
who live in the Elvioin Wastes around Vrik City. boisterous and drunk brigands
They make their living through hunting, trading
with the city’s black market and occasionally Short Summary: Sloppy, Loud, Tusky
raiding caravans headed into the city from the
local mines. They might be up for allying with Equipment:
the Bounty Hunters if they saw profit in it. • Light Blasters
• Wicked Sharp Lances
• Flying Snow Rays
• Brutal Thuggery
Morale/Stamina: 5- OOOOO

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 THE NERTHUS - The Nerthus are a refugee Led by: Krimpe Dravnik - scheming and
species who maintain an encampment in the calculating Nerthus confidence artist.
Nerthus District. They are a nimble, rodentlike
species with great technical acumen who are Short Summary: Tiny, Tricksy, Kickable
often hired on at the spaceport for temporary
mechanical or engineering work. Equipment:
• Blasters
• An innate ability to just not be where you
thought they were
• Prehensile tails
Morale/Stamina: 8 - OOOOOOOO

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THE BANDUA - a group of saurian refugees Led by: Rodo Xarn, Banduan matriarch who’s
who wander the star lanes making a livelihood getting told old for this mess
from trade and black market activities.
Short Summary: Scaly, Huge, Durable
The Bandua in Vrik City have an insular
settlement. This is a semi-permanent colony Equipment:
for them, and so they’re careful about staying • Mismatched body armor
on the right side of the law. They are found • Blasters
in the Bandua District and working as manual • Claws
labor and stevedores near the spaceport and • Teeth
the military facility. Morale/Stamina: 11 - OOOOOOOOOOO

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 THE ANDROID MILITIA - led by D479, a
refurbished/reprogrammed security drone
from an old Galactic Government battleship.
The militia patrols the Android Ghetto - which
is Inhabited by discarded robots and androids
from various starships who stopped at the
spaceport over the years. The Android Ghetto
is a surprising place where all sorts of black
market technology and services are available.

Short Summary: Ramshackle, Recycled,

Efficient

Equipment
• Booby traps everywhere
• Alarming effective improvised
weaponry
• Robotic reflexes
• Scrap metal armor
• Android Hounds
Morale/Stamina: 6- OOOOOO

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THE ZWERGE - a highly inventive and
standoffish dwarf-like alien race who have a
small settlement in Vrik City. They run Forge
Point - which is the only high end engineering
and fabrication facility in the Outer Rim. Often
found there, around Zwerge Corner and the
scrapyards which they also manage.

Led by: Professor Leys Pavond, an persnickety

veteran engineer Zwerge,

Short Summary: Tough, Stubby,

Tricky

Equipment:
• Heavy blasters
• Power armor
• Experimental (unstable) explosives
• Alarming degree of tactical finesse
Morale/Stamina: 12 - OOOOOOOOOOOO

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 MERCENARY TROOPER SQUAD
- The Ghuukox who founded Vrik
City are spread very thin running
and taking care of security in
the city - so human mercenary
troops are hired to guard the
prison and man the military
facility. Ultimately, Ghuuko
officials are still in command,
but the human mercenaries handle
most of the day-to-day operations in
the prison and military facilities at Ice
Outpost Ragnar.

Led By: Sergeant Rann Duniden,

former Galactic Government trooper
turned mercenary. Determined to not
make any mistakes.

Short Summary: Competent,

Overpaid, Sleepy

Equipment:
• Heavy Blaster Rifles
• Heavy Armor
• Sonic Grenades
Morale/Stamina: 11 - OOOOOOOOOOO

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31
 APPENDIX I: RANDOM Table IV - Drives
Drives add two dice so long as you're
CHARACTER CREATION working towards satisfying them. Drives are
limited-use (usually twice per game at GM’s
discretion), and you can use as many of them
Table I - Character Creation as the GM deems justifiable per roll – but you
Bounty Hunter Type (roll 1d6) can only use each drive once per roll.
1 Android
2 Retired Soldier/Trooper Roll 1d6 2x for two general Drive themes -
3 Member of a Warrior Race/Tribe who and then customize them to fit the character
Specialize in Bounty Hunting concept you rolled in steps I and II. Roll again
4 Black Sheep Offspring of Noble Family if you get a duplicate result.
5 Career Hit Man Moonlighting o Revenge
6 Petty Criminal Looking to Level Up o Profit
o Reputation
Table II - Descriptor (roll 1d6) o Gaining Knowledge
1 Hard Exterior but has a Heart of Gold o Enjoying Yourself
2 Slick o Causing Mayhem
3 Unhinged
4 Dysfunctional Table V - Equipment
5 Mysterious Every bounty hunter starts with a blaster.
6 Hyper-Focused Start with one point and add a roll of 1d6 to
it. That’s the total number of points the player
Table III - Bounty Hunter Skills has. They purchase equipment at a rate of
one-to-one. Some suggestions are below.
o Every Bounty Hunter has 4 skills. Pick 4 from
the list below or talk it out with your GM. o Jet Pack
o Combat - Covers both hand-to-hand o Disintegrator Rifle
and melee weapons.
o Body Armor (three uses)
o Shooting - General skill that covers all
o Stun Batons
ranged weapons.
o Flame Thrower
o First Aid - Healing your comrades or
yourself. Each character can only attempt o Bionic Limbs
to be healed once per scene. o Ion Grenades
o Resilience - Being extra tough. o Net Gun
o Infiltration - Being sneaky. o Stealth Field Suit
o Technology - Being able to work with o Binoculars
machines, robots, ships and computers. o Medpack ( three charges/uses)
o Drive/Pilot - Does it fly, walk or roll? You’re o Magnetized Boots (allows for walking on
better at it than average with this skill. metallic surfaces)
o Tracking - You’re extra good at running
down your quarry.

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APPENDIX II: RANDOM PC Roman Numeral Table- Roll 1d6
1 I
SHIP GENERATOR 2 II
3 III
4 IV
Table I - Random Ship Name Generator
(Roll 1d6) 5 V
1-3 use the Vague Descriptor+Noun Table 6 VI
4-6 use the Noun+ Roman numeral Table
Table IV - Ship Equipment
Table II - Vague Descriptor+Noun Table Every Ship has Blasters by default and 7
damage levels.
Vauge Descriptor -Roll 1d6
Start with one point, roll 1d6 and add that in.
1 Void
The player can buy additional equipment on
2 Shadow a one-to-one basis with that pool of points.
3 Quasar Some suggestions are below
4 Twilight o Gravimetric Implosion Mines (Roll 1d6
5 Razor for quantity)
6 Eon o Camouflage Field
o Repair Droid
Noun - Roll 1d6 o Proton Torpedoes (Roll 1d6 for
1 Crest quantity)
2 Hunter o Tractor Beam
3 Runner o Shields (three uses)
4 Fang
5 Raptor
6 Tracker

Table III - Noun+ Roman Numeral Table

Noun - Roll 1d6
1 Phoenix
2 Slave
3 Khopesh
4 Shuriken
5 Ranseur
6 Lucy

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 APPENDIX III - RULES FAQ CHAOS FACTOR REFRESHES?
When you roll a Chaos Factor dice, it isn't used
AND ALTERNATE RULES up. Your pool is refreshed to its full value at the
end of every turn. (A turn is over once all the
player characters have acted.)
WHAT’S THE DIFFICULTY NUMBER?
That’s the number the PC has to beat on a six THIS IS A LOT OF DICE. HOW DO YOU
sided dice on a roll. The GM sets it depending KEEP TRACK?
on the nature of the task. The default suggestion
It can be hard to keep track of the current levels
is 4 (ie rolling 4,5 or 6 will succeed). But we've
of dice, so I use two pools; one, in a large bowl,
had many playtesters tell us that they were using
which represents all the dice I have left to roll,
different difficulty numbers and it was working so
and another in front of me, which represents
we decided to leave that decision up to the GM.
all the dice I've already rolled. (It's also good
to keep a spare couple of dice off to the side
SO WHAT DOES THE GM DO EXACTLY? to represent the one dice you roll whenever
The player announces what their character is you act, and dice earned from equipment etc.
going to do. You set the difficulty number. The If these are a different colour, so much the
default suggestion is 4 - but it can be whatever better).
you set it to.
I DON’T WANT TO TRACK NPC
As GM, you build your dice pool. Then, roll EQUIPMENT.
that dice pool at about the same time the PC
OK. Here’s a system one of our playtesters
rolls theirs. Your successes take away from their
(Christopher Dean) came up with:
successes. If it’s combat, whoever has the most
• Add one additional GM dice for a relatively
successes wins that round and their successes
easy combat.
(the ones that weren’t canceled out) count as
• Add two dice for more unusual and
damage to Stamina/Morale points (for NPCs)
dangerous combat encounters.
or Wounds points (for PCs).
• Add 3 dice for combat encounters that fall
into the category of “this might get you
WHAT’S IN THE GM DICE POOL?
killed.”
• There’s always at least one dice.
• Add the dice for all the enemy equipment NON-COMBAT STUFF SEEMS TOO
that will be used. EASY.
• Add the dice for all the Chaos Factor dice
you want to add to his roll. You can also use this same system above for
• Roll the dice. Determine who wins. Deduct adding difficulty to non-combat challenges.
the Discard any Chaos Factor dice that you
used in that roll against a PC. They cannot COMBAT IS TAKING TOO LONG!
be used again until the next round. Consider having the fatigue rule (page 9) apply
to the PCs as well as the enemies.

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