ALIEN RPG Rules
ALIEN RPG Rules
ALIEN RPG Rules
Homebrew Campaigns
Campaign 1: Welcome to Sevastopol
Plot hook: Set in the year 2137 aboard the Sevastopol space station a group of people’s lives
are put at risk as a ship arrives at the station with a passenger who is brought in with a strange
alien creature attached to their face.
Character Careers required:
Colonial Marshall
Company Agent
Kid
Medic
Officer
Pilot
Roughneck
Colonial Marine
Company Agent
Medic
Officer
Pilot
Roughneck
Scientist
Colonial Marshall
Company Agent
Medic
Officer
Roughneck
Campaign 4:
Plot hook:
Character careers needed:
Core Concepts
Career
The first choice for your character in Campaign play is your career. Your career choice
determines your background and your role in the group. It influences your attributes, your
skills, your starting gear and what starting talent you can have. There are nine core careers
to choose from.
Career descriptions can feel stereotypical, and they are meant to. Picking a career is a quick
way for you—and the other players in the group—to get an immediate feel for your
character. But remember that your character is more than just a career. Your career is
merely a starting point toward creating a unique player character.
Attributes
Your character has four attributes that indicate your basic physical and mental capabilities,
each rated on a scale from 1 to 5. Your attributes are used when you roll dice to perform
actions in the game, and also to determine how much damage you can withstand before
you become Broken.
STRENGTH: Raw muscle power and brawn.
AGILITY: Body control, speed, and motor skills.
WITS: Sensory perception, intelligence, and sanity.
EMPATHY: Personal charisma, empathy, and ability to manipulate others.
Gear
Gear can give you extra Base Dice to roll, but not always; sometimes a specific piece of gear
is needed just to perform the action.
Starting attributes
When you create your player character for Campaign play, you may distribute a total of 14
points across your attributes. You may assign no less than 2 and no more than 4 points to
any attribute. However, you may assign 5 points to the attribute listed as the “key attribute”
for your career.
ANDROIDS: Synthetic characters get a +3 bonus to two attributes of their choice after the 14
attribute points have been assigned and can reach a maximum score of 8 in these two
attributes.
Playing an Androids
Androids are an important part of the ALIEN roleplaying game, and you can play one as your
player character. Androids are rare, however, and we recommend that you talk it through
with the rest of the group before creating an android PC for a Campaign game. Most
androids look human. They can have any career and may be open about their nature or
secretly pose as human. Rules-wise, androids work a little differently from humans:
Androids get a +3 bonus to two attributes of their choice after the 14 attribute points
have been assigned and can reach a maximum score of 8 in these two attributes.
Androids can’t push skill rolls.
Androids don’t suffer stress and thus don’t have a STRESS LEVEL. For this reason,
they don’t need a signature item.
Androids never make Panic Rolls.
Androids suffer damage differently.
Skills
Your skills are the knowledge and abilities you have acquired during your life. They are
important as they determine, along with your attributes, how effectively you can perform
certain actions in the game. There are twelve skills in the game. They are measured by skill
level on a scale from 0 to 5. The higher the number, the better.
NO SKILL LEVEL? You can always roll for a skill even if you have no level in that skill. In that
case, you only use the associated attribute for the skill in question plus any modifiers from
relevant gear. Read more about how skills work in the next chapter.
STARTING SKILL LEVELS: When you create your player character for Campaign play, you
distribute a total of 10 points amongst your skills. You can assign up to three points to each
of the skills listed for your career. You can assign a single point each to any other skills you
choose. You can increase your skill levels during the game
Talents
Talents are tricks, moves, and minor abilities that give you a small edge. They are more
specialized than skills and make your character unique.
STARTING TALENT: When creating a character for Campaign play, you get one talent at the
start of the game. Your career offers you three talents to choose from. You can learn more
talents during the course of the game, at which point you will have many more talents to
choose from.
Stress
Life in space is lethal. More often than you’d like, you’ll find yourself under extreme
pressure. In the game, this mounting tension is represented by your STRESS LEVEL. It usually
starts at zero and can increase by pushing dice rolls and by experiencing frightening or
stressful situations.
Health
Even if you keep your nerves in check, chances are that sooner or later you’re going to get
hurt. This is tracked using your Health score. You start the game with a number of Health
points equal to your STRENGTH score. Talents can modify your maximum Health score.
SUFFERING DAMAGE: When you suffer damage, your Health score is reduced. If your Health
drops to zero, you are Broken and suffer a critical injury
Personal Stuff
Name
In Campaign play, you’ll need to give your character a name. Each career has a list of three
male and three female names that are typical for that archetype. Choose one of these
names or make up your own if you prefer. Cinematic scenarios will include the names of the
pre-generated characters.
Appearance
Describe your player character’s appearance in a few words. Your career gives you a few
suggestions, but you are free to choose any appearance that you think fits your character.
Personal agenda
You might be a team, but each individual PC in your group also has an angle of their own—a
Personal Agenda. How personal agendas work differs between Cinematic and Campaign
play.
CINEMATIC AGENDA: In Cinematic play, the PCs’ Agendas are predetermined by the
scenario. At the beginning of each of the three Acts of the scenario, the GM gives each PC a
handout with a new Agenda for the Act. The Agendas are hidden, you should not show
them to other players or write them down on your character sheet. At the end of each Act,
the GM evaluates the actions of each PC. If you took any specific actions to further your
Agenda during the Act, you are awarded one Story Point. Acts, Agendas, and Story Points
are further explained in detail in the Game Mother Section of this book.
CAMPAIGN AGENDA: In Campaign play, you can pick one of the suggested Personal
Agendas listed with your career, or you can come up with an agenda of your own. At the
end of each game session, discuss the agendas of all PCs together. If you have taken some
concrete action to further your agenda during the session, despite risk or cost, you gain a
bonus Experience Point.
You are a decorated hero; you need to defend your reputation. At all costs.
You once helped cover up a war crime—no one must ever know.
The death of your buddy has spooked you— now you secretly fear combat and
confrontation. You need to overcome your fear
Appearance
Crew cut
Arm tattoo
Scar
Cold eyes
Cocky grin
Personalized body Armor
Signature Item
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6x100 in cash:
Colonial Marshall
The Frontier can be a lawless place. The Colonial Marines are spread thin— they have
neither the time nor inclination to mete out local justice. Not to worry—there’s a new
sheriff in town, and that's you. Most law enforcement officers on the Frontier are firmly
planted deep in the back pocket of one company or another—but not you. You don’t take
bribes and you never look the other way. You’ve made a lot of enemies on both sides of the
law, but your colony has the lowest crime rate in the system. It’s only a matter of time
before you piss off the wrong CEO and corporate sends someone to take care of you, but
that's okay. You'll be ready.
Your longtime partner betrayed you and defected to a crime syndicate. Get even.
You dream of turning in the badge and settling down in peace. Work towards it.
You did a bad thing in the past and it has come back to haunt you. You need to
decide what you are made of.
Appearance
Chewing a toothpick
Cigarette in mouth
Impressive mustache
Worn cap
Scar across face
Graying hair
Crew cut
Inquisitive gaze
Old leather jacket
Signature items
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6x100 in cash.
Company Agent
You’re hungry. Space is full of opportunity, and you’ve been assigned to the Frontier to find
the next big thing. From insider information to new mineral deposits—or even a hitherto
unknown life-form to exploit—it's up to you to score a win for the company and use it to
catapult yourself up the corporate ladder. You tend not to form long-lasting attachments,
instead viewing everybody as a commodity to capitalize on. Worry about others later. Right
now it’s all about the bottom line.
Personal agenda:
You are greedy for power and never miss an opportunity to get ahead.
The Company is holding back information from you. What? And why?
You are a nice guy, but the Company is blackmailing you to do its dirty work. Get
even.
Appearance:
Icy glare
Disarming smile
Expensive Rolex
Unique signet ring
Tanned
Elaborate hairstyle
Emotionless stare
Monogrammed silk tie
Signature items:
Gear:
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $2D6x100 in cash.
Kid
You didn't ask for a Frontier life—your parents brought you into this world kicking and
screaming. Grown-ups always ask you what you want to be when you grow up, but all you
want to do is be a kid. You used to fantasize about being an adult, able to stay up late and
eat junk food whenever you want. Thing is, most of the Frontier adults you know are always
miserable and tired. There isn’t much to do where you live, so you make your own fun.
There’s time to grow up later. For now, playing hide-and-seek in the ventilation system
seems the way to go.
Appearance
Signature items
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6 in cash.
Medic
There are a million-and-one ways to die in space, from exposure to vacuum or unknown
contagions to vicious organisms or getting accidentally shot by a drunken roughneck. In all
these scenarios, you’re the one carrying the bandages and adrenaline shots. When someone
suffers trauma, it's the first few minutes that matter most. If someone survives long enough
to make it to a medpod, you’ve done your job. You used to be altruistic about Frontier
medicine, but you’ve seen enough to become jaded. Too many people in the Outer Veil are
addicted to painkillers, and most colonies are not up to health and safety regulations. That
means more people get hurt. Your work is never done.
You are addicted to a strong painkiller. Protect your stash—and your secret.
You have some unusual (but classified) medical reports that the Company is looking
for. Find out why they are so important.
You’ve sworn an oath
Appearance
Choose from the options below or decide for yourself.
Sympathetic smile
Short, tidy hair
Warm, caring eyes
Dark bags under eyes
Fidgeting hands
Calm and gentle voice
Cold, unsympathetic stare
Spectacles
White coat
Signature items
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6x100 in cash.
Officer
When everything is going to shit— the Company’s holding your crew’s pay hostage, there’s
a mountain of reports to file from that last incident near Thedus, and who knows how many
family members back home are weighing on everyone’s minds—it’s a good thing you spent
all those years training to do this for a living. You’re the authority figure, the role model, the
voice of your superiors, and the enlisted crew’s advocate. You’re also the butt of all of their
jokes around the mess hall… until it all gets so much worse, and they’re looking to you for
what to do next. Better hope your training has a solution to this one.
Appearance
Signature items
Ship’s cat
Letter of recommendation
ICC Commercial Flight Officer license
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $2D6x100 in cash.
Pilot
The stars are the limit, and they are limitless. You aren’t content to keep your feet on the
ground, and on the Frontier, there’s no need to. From starfighters to dropships, freighters to
frigates, there’s always something that needs flying— and some aerospace-stunt that only
you can pull off. You aren’t in this for the money, although it doesn’t hurt. You’re a thrill-
seeker and an adrenaline junkie. Danger is the rush you live for but stay frosty. Otherwise,
the next time you find yourself dodging through an asteroid belt or seeing the ground rush
up to meet you might be your last.
Personal agenda
It’s about pushing the limit. Taking a chance. Taking risks—so take a risk.
You’re stubborn and don’t like to back down, even if your friends might get hurt.
You’re a loner, always happier when you can do a task without relying on others.
Appearance
Arrogant walk
Steely blue eyes
Multi-pocket flight suit
Sunglasses
Previous mission patches
Deadpan expression
Chews gum
Skeptical look
Signature items
Dashboard dancer
Pilot’s logbook
Pilot shades
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6x100 in cash.
Roughneck
Someone has to do the manual labour on the Frontier, and that someone is you. Life has
dealt you some harsh blows, but you’ve always struck back. You’ve been in countless
barroom brawls, you swear a lot, and belch at the dinner table. In short, people find you
uncouth. You really don’t care— you’ve grown past the need for niceties. No one works
harder than you. You are up before first dawn and finish your workday long after second
twilight. You are the cog that keeps the Frontier chugging. Your hands are calloused, and
your face is dirty, and the only thing harder than the work you do is the way you party.
You are a compulsive thrill-seeker. If there is a risk to take, you’ll step up and try it.
You once sacrificed your family for the job. Now you won’t let your friends down—
ever.
Downtime matters. If you can grab a can of Aspen beer (or even Souta Dry, though
only if you’re desperate) and some time alone, you’re happy.
Appearance
Tattoos
Scar
Broken nose
Mirthless eyes
Smirking face
Loud laugh
Bruised and calloused hands
Eyes hidden behind safety goggles
Filthy boots that clomp loudly when you walk
Wild hair
Signature items
Tool belt
Photo of partner
Crucifix or other religious symbol
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6x100 in cash.
Scientist
Every day, new pieces to the puzzle of existence are found on the Frontier. Figuring out
what makes them fit together could leap humanity over nature’s next hurdle, and you are
one thesis away from the respect you deserve. Some find you cold and detached; they don’t
understand that your passion is knowledge. Whether your field is xenobiology, astrophysics,
robotics, or even archaeology, there are countless treasures in space, just waiting for
someone to trip over the next asteroid and run right into them. Whether or not that's you,
you’re still the one who understands them better than anyone.
Your last project was stolen from you. Now you keep many of your findings secret.
You hate authority and go out of your way to be uncooperative if possible.
You find it hard to delegate to others, even if it means taking on extra work.
Appearance
Signature Item
Gear
Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6x100 in cash:
Skills
Heavy Machinery (Strength)
Hard work is part of life for any roughneck on the Frontier, but at least you have powerful
machines to help you. Roll for this skill when you attempt to use, repair, jury-rig or break
any kind of heavy machinery.
FAILURE: The blasted thing just won’t do what you want. And what if the noise you made
attracted unwanted company?
STUNTS
For each extra success rolled beyond the first, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:
Stamina (Strength)
When your physical endurance or vigour is tested, roll for STAMINA. For example, this skill is
used to survive the cold vacuum of space or to resist a deadly contagion.
FAILURE: You just can’t take it anymore. You give in to the pain and suffer the
consequences.
SUCCESS: You manage to push on, ignoring the pain just a little longer.
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:
FAILURE: You stumble and miss. Now it’s your opponent’s turn…
SUCCESS: You hit, and inflict damage equal to the weapon’s Damage rating on your
opponent
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, choose one of these stunts:
You inflict one more point of damage. You can choose this stunt multiple times, if
you roll several successes.
You out-maneuver your enemy and can trade initiative scores (see page 87) with
them, taking effect next turn. You can’t go back to your
earlier initiative.
You knock or pull a weapon or other object from your opponent. You choose which.
During combat, picking up a dropped object counts as a fast action.
Your opponent is knocked to the ground.
You hold your opponent in a grapple. They need to win an opposed CLOSE COMBAT
roll
against you to break free and can’t perform any other action until they have done so,
or until you are Broken or let them go. This effect only works on humans and
synthetics.
WEAPONS: In close combat you can use weapons such as clubs, knives, or power drills.
BLOCKING: When someone attacks you in close combat, you can try to block the attack
Mobility (Agility)
When the heat is on and you are trying to dodge the jaws of death, you need to keep a cool
head and move quickly and silently. Roll for MOBILITY when you want to get out of a
hazardous situation—be it a risky climb, a dangerous jump, or sneaking past a lurking
enemy. When MOBILITY is used for stealth, make an opposed roll against your opponent's
OBSERVATION. This skill also has specific uses in stealth mode and combat.
FAILURE: Despite your best efforts, you fail and must suffer the consequences.
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:
Give one success to another PC in the same situation as you.
Gain a +1 modification to a later skill roll relating to this one.
You impress someone.
GROUP STEALTH
When you and other characters in a group sneak side by side, don’t make individual
MOBILITY rolls to stay undetected. Instead, only the PC with the lowest skill level rolls, and
the result applies to the whole group.
FAILURE: The shot misses your target. Maybe it hits something else? And the sound of
gunfire could attract unwelcome attention…
SUCCESS: You hit and inflict damage equal to the weapon’s Damage rating to your
opponent.
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, choose one of these stunts:
You inflict one more point of damage. You can choose this stunt multiple times, if
you roll several successes.
You pin down your enemy. They need to make an immediate Panic Roll.
You position yourself and get to exchange your initiative score (see page 87) with
your enemy, taking effect next turn. You can’t go back to your earlier initiative.
Your target drops a weapon or another hand-held object. You choose which.
Your opponent falls to the ground or is pushed back, for example through an airlock.
TAKING COVER: When bullets start flying, it's often a good idea to seek cover behind
something sturdy.
Piloting (Agility)
Be it a dropship, a star freighter or a battle frigate, you’re the one to fly it. Roll for PILOTING
when you attempt any difficult and dangerous maneuver at the helm of any type of
spacecraft. The skill can also be used to drive ground vehicles.
FAILURE: You’re coming in too hot, and you crash and burn.
SUCCESS: You pull off the maneuver by the skin of your teeth.
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:
Observation (Wits)
In the world of ALIEN, you need to be on your guard at all times, or you won’t live long. You
use your OBSERVATION skill to spot someone sneaking (opposed roll, see MOBILITY). You
can also use the skill when you spot an unknown threat of some kind, to learn more about
it.
FAILURE: You can’t really make out what it is, or you mistake it for something else (the GM
feeds you false information).
SUCCESS: You are able to make out what it is, and whether or not it looks like a threat. The
exact information you get is up to the GM.
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, you get to know the answer to one of these questions:
GROUP OBSERVATION
When you and the other PCs scout at the same time, you do not roll separately. Instead,
only one PC rolls, and that result applies to the whole group. Who makes the roll is up to
you.
Comtech (Wits)
Programming androids, mainframes, and other types of advanced technology requires
specialist knowledge. Roll for COMTECH for any challenging attempt to program, repair,
decrypt or otherwise manipulate any type of computer or communications technology.
FAILURE: No matter what algorithm you try, it just won’t work. And what if you
inadvertently triggered the alarm?
STUNTS
For each extra success rolled beyond the first, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:
Survival (Wits)
Terraforming can make the atmosphere on alien worlds (passably) breathable, but it will
rarely make them earth like. You might be able to breathe without a pressure suit on such
worlds, though you can also expect to struggle against extreme heat and cold, sandstorms,
acid rain, and other extreme weather. Roll for SURVIVAL when you’re in a hazardous planet-
side environment of some kind and need to figure out a way to stay alive.
FAILURE: You find no safe haven. Unless someone comes to your rescue, you're on
borrowed time.
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:
Command (Empathy)
If you are to survive the horrors of space, you’ll need a good leader—or you must become
one yourself. You can use your COMMAND skill in two ways:
STOP PANIC: When another character makes a Panic Roll and loses control, you can make a
COMMAND roll to return them to their senses.
GIVE ORDERS: In combat, as a slow action you can bark orders to another character. They
must be able to hear you, even if via a comm radio. Roll COMMAND. For every success you
roll, they get a +1 modification to their roll when carrying out the order you gave.
OFFICERS: PCs with the Officer career and the Pull Rank talent can use COMMAND to order
other characters (PCs and NPCs) to do as they say.
Manipulation (Empathy)
Alien life forms may gut you without remorse, but the most truly dangerous beings in the
ALIEN universe are corporate agents and other schemers who use lies, threats, or subtle
persuasion to get what they want. To make another person see things your way, make an
opposed roll for MANIPULATION (it takes a liar to spot a liar). Your chances are affected by
your negotiating position (see the boxed text on the next page).
FAILURE: Your adversary won't listen and won't do what you want. They might start to
dislike you, or even attack you if provoked.
SUCCESS: If you succeed, your adversary must either do what you want or immediately
attack you physically. Even if your adversary chooses to do what you want, they can still
demand something in return. The GM decides what that entails, but it should be reasonable
enough for you to be able to meet those demands. It is up to you to accept the agreement
or not.
STUNTS
For each success you roll in excess of what you need to win the opposed roll, you can
choose one of these stunts:
Your opponent does what you want without demanding a favour in return.
Your opponent does more than you ask for, for example giving you some useful
piece of information. Details are up to the GM.
Your opponent is impressed by you and will try to help you later on in some way.
Details are up to the GM.
BEING MANIPULATED
NPCs and other PCs can use MANIPULATION on you. If their roll succeeds, you must attack
or offer a deal of some kind. Then it is up to the GM (or the other player) whether your
adversary accepts or not.
MANIPULATE A GROUP
When you want to manipulate a whole group, you usually address the group’s leader or
spokesperson. Note that you get a –1 modification to your roll if your opponent has more
people on their side. If you reach an agreement with the leader, the rest of the group
usually follows. If there is no given leader it’s harder—every single opponent acts
individually.
NEGOTIATING POSITION
When you use MANIPULATION on someone, you don’t take control of their mind. What you
are trying to convince your adversary to do must be somewhat reasonable, otherwise the
GM can disallow it.
RECOVERY: A person whose Health has dropped to zero is Broken. If you apply your
MEDICAL AID skills to them and your roll succeeds, they get back on their feet and
immediately recover a number of Health points equal to the number successes of you
rolled.
SAVE A LIFE: The most critical use of MEDICAL AID is saving the life of a fallen character who
has suffered a critical injury. A failed roll at this point could mean the end for your patient,
so be careful!
Talents
Colonial Marines Talent
BANTER: Between fights, you release the tension in your team with some friendly banter.
Your STRESS LEVEL, and the STRESS LEVEL of everyone in SHORT range of you, drops two
steps (instead of one) for every Turn spent in a safe place. Having several Marines with this
talent doesn’t increase the effect.
OVERKILL: You don’t run and hide when the going gets tough. Instead of panicking in the
face of mortal danger, you can turn your fear into aggression and use it as a weapon against
your enemy. You can trigger the Overkill effect when you make a Panic Roll.
PAST THE LIMIT: When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and you’re the toughest
badass around. You can push any skill roll based on STRENGTH twice, not just once like
other characters. Each push increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
INVESTIGATOR: You see what others miss and are skilled at noticing small details and
making sense of them. When you spend a Turn in a room or similar location, you can roll for
OBSERVATION. Only one attempt is allowed. For each success you roll, you may ask the GM
one of the following questions. The GM must answer truthfully, but she is allowed to give
vague or incomplete information.
What happened here?
Is there anything hidden here, and if so, where?
Are there any details here that are out of place, something that’s out of the
ordinary?
SUBDUE: You’re skilled at subduing an opponent without harming them. When you attack a
humanoid opponent in close combat, you can declare that you are trying to subdue them.
You then get a +2 modification to the attack, but if it hits, you don’t inflict any damage.
Instead, you hold your opponent in a grapple. Extra success rolled have no effect.
PERSONAL SAFETY: The interests of the company always come first, no matter what. And
you represent the company. That means your own safety is paramount—other crew
members are expendable. If you are attacked or otherwise end up in fatal danger, and if
another PC or friendly NPC is within SHORT range (the same zone), you can make a
MANIPULATION roll (straight roll, not opposed, and does not count as an action). If you
succeed, you see the threat coming and find a clever way to make the other character suffer
the attack or hazard instead of you. Using this talent increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
TAKE CONTROL: You know how to make people do what you want, and you don't feel bad
about doing it. You can roll for MANIPULATION using WITS instead of EMPATHY.
Kid Talent
BENEATH NOTICE: No matter what horrible situations you end up in, you always seem to
make it out unscathed, probably because no one ever pays much attention to you. When
you roll for a critical injury on yourself, you get to re-roll the dice and choose the result that
you prefer.
DODGE: When attacked in close combat, you can dodge. This works like blocking, but you
roll using MOBILITY instead of CLOSE COMBAT and you can only use it to reduce damage
(not counterattack or disarm). You can even dodge a creature’s signature attack.
NIMBLE: Fun and games? Maybe to others, but you know the truth. All that “play” has kept
your reflexes sharp. You can push any skill roll based on AGILITY twice, not just once like
other characters. Each push increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
Medic Talent
CALMING PRESENCE: People find themselves relaxing whenever you are around. Once per
Turn, you may reduce the STRESS LEVEL of another character within SHORT range by one, in
addition to the normal stress recovery. In order to use this talent, you and any character
that hopes to benefit from your calming presence must be in a relatively safe place. You
cannot use this talent on yourself.
COMPASSION: This isn’t just a job for you. You truly care about the people under your care.
You can push any skill roll based on EMPATHY twice, not just once like other characters.
Each push increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
FIELD SURGEON: You know the delicate art of stopping a wound from bleeding or treating
grave injuries. You get a +2 modification to MEDICAL AID when treating someone who is
about to die from a critical injury.
Officer Talent
FIELD COMMANDER: You can use COMMAND to give orders in combat (see page 71) as a
fast action instead of a slow action. This in effect means you can give orders twice in the
same Round.
INFLUENCE: With rank comes certain privileges—being obeyed is one of them. You can push
any skill roll based on EMPATHY twice, not just once like other characters. Each push
increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
PULL RANK: You can use your COMMAND skill to order other non-officer PCs and NPCs
around, as long as they belong to the same organization as you. To force someone to follow
your orders and perform a specific action, roll COMMAND against the target’s
MANIPULATION. If successful, the target must follow your order, even if it means harm or
danger to themselves. Your STRESS LEVEL increases by one each time you do this. Note also
that each roll only covers one specific action. You cannot stop actions triggered by Panic
Rolls using this talent.
Pilot Talent
FULL THROTTLE: You like to go fast. Really fast. When piloting a spacecraft, you get a +2
modification to PILOTING rolls for any Accelerate or Decelerate actions.
LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND: This vehicle is yours, and you know every bolt and cable,
nook and cranny. Choose one vehicle or spacecraft (not one type, but a single, specific
craft). You get a +2 modification to PILOTING with the chosen vehicle. You can choose this
talent several times, once for each vehicle.
RECKLESS : You live for the rush of adrenaline through your veins, pushing harder than
others dare. You can push any skill roll based on AGILITY twice, not just once like other
characters. Each push increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
Roughnecks Talent
RESILIENT: Only the hardiest folk survive out here. Roll for STRENGTH (attribute only, no
skill) any time you suffer damage. You can’t push the roll, which does not count as an action.
For every success you roll, one point of damage is eliminated. If all damage is eliminated,
you suffer none at all.
THE LONG HAUL: You’ve seen it and done it all before. Nothing surprises you anymore.
Once per Act in Cinematic play and once per game session in Campaign play, you may ignore
all Panic Rolls from a single roll.
TRUE GRIT: Life on the Frontier is a constant struggle. Luckily, you have what it takes to
overcome anything that comes your way. You can push any skill roll based on STRENGTH
twice, not just once like other characters. Each push increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
Scientist Talent
ANALYSIS: You can roll for OBSERVATION to gain insight regarding strange and alien
artifacts or creatures that you encounter and get a chance to study for at least one Turn. For
every success you roll, you get to ask the GM one of the questions below:
Is it human or alien?
Is it dead or alive?
How old is it?
What is its purpose?
How does it work?
What problems could it cause?
The GM must answer truthfully but is allowed to give vague or incomplete answers in order
to avoid spoiling the scenario.
A successful Analyze roll also reduces the STRESS LEVEL of all other PCs within SHORT range
by one, while a failed roll increases other PCs' stress levels by one
BREAKTHROUGH: You’ve done it! Once per game session, you automatically pass an
OBSERVATION roll of your choice, without needing to make the roll. In order to avoid
spoiling the scenario, the GM has final say on whether or not this talent can be used for a
particular roll.
INQUISITIVE: You are always seeking to expand the boundaries of your knowledge. You can
push any skill roll based on WITS twice, not just once like other characters. Each push
increases your STRESS LEVEL by one.
General Talents
BODYGUARD: If someone within SHORT range of you is hit by an attack, you can dive in to
take the hit. Roll for MOBILITY. It doesn’t count as an action in combat. If you roll one or
more, you take the hit instead. You can push the roll.
CALM BREATHER: When making a supply roll for air, you get to roll two dice fewer than
your Supply Level, to a minimum of one die.
COUNSELOR: Once per Turn, you can use the COMMAND skill to reduce the STRESS LEVEL
of another character within SHORT range. For each you roll, their STRESS LEVEL is reduced
by one extra step (in addition to the default one step). You cannot use this talent on
yourself.
EVA SPECIALIST: You get +2 to HEAVY MACHINERY and COMTECH rolls when spacewalking.
FAST REFLEXES: You can draw two initiative cards instead of one during the initiative draw.
Choose the one you want to use and shuffle the other one back into the deck before others
draw their cards.
FLYWEIGHT: When you block in close combat, you can use AGILITY instead of STRENGTH.
HARD HITTER: You get a +2 modification to CLOSE COMBAT if you sacrifice your fast action.
HEALER: You are very resilient and recover quickly from injuries. The healing time of critical
injuries is halved for you.
HIDDEN STASH: You begin each session with an extra item of your choice, hidden on your
person or stowed somewhere safe. The item must be something you could reasonably have.
The GM has final say about what items are available to you. If the GM allows it, you may
wait until a dramatic moment during the session to choose what type of item you are
hiding.
HOTHEAD: You don’t like being told what to do. You get a +2 modification to opposed rolls
for MANIPULATION whenever someone tries to give you orders. This talent can also be
used to resist the Officer’s career talent Pull Rank.
LIGHT EATER: When making a supply roll for food, you get to roll two dice fewer than your
Supply Level, to a minimum of one die.
LIGHT SLEEPER: You can get by on less sleep than most. You only need to sleep for one Shift
every two days, instead of one shift every day.
KILLER: You know where to strike to make your enemy fall and not get up. Ever. When your
enemy sustains a critical injury (see page 99) you may switch the D66 roll so that the ones
die becomes the tens die and vice versa. This talent can only be used on humans.
MACHINEGUNNER: Firing full auto is the only way to get the job done, in your opinion.
When firing on fully automatic, your STRESS LEVEL does not increase.
MENACING: You have a scary physical presence that makes it easy to intimidate people. You
can roll for MANIPULATION using STRENGTH instead of EMPATHY when you threaten
someone to make them do what you want. If you succeed, your opponent cannot demand
anything in return from you. They can still choose to attack you instead of giving in.
MERCILESS: You can perform a coup de grace without rolling for EMPATHY. Also, your
STRESS LEVEL is decreased one step each time you cause an enemy to be Broken.
NERVES OF STEEL: You keep a cool head in all situations, and thus get a –2 modification to
all Panic Rolls.
PACK MULE: You can carry twice as many objects as normal without being encumbered.
QUICK DRAW: You can draw your weapon so quickly it doesn’t cost you an action.
RAPID FIRE: You can fire a pistol or rifle as a fast action instead of a slow action, at the cost
of a −2 modification.
RAPID RELOAD: You can reload a weapon as a fast action instead of a slow action.
SECOND WIND: When you are Broken, you can get back on your feet immediately, without
anyone giving you first aid (see page 98). Roll for STAMINA. For every you roll, you get one
Health point back and can keep fighting a little while longer. This talent can only be used
once per Turn and has no effect against critical injuries.
SPACESHIP COMMANDER: In the role as a captain of a spaceship during space combat, you
can draw two initiative cards instead of one during the initiative draw. Choose the one you
want to use.
SPACESHIP MECHANIC: You get a +2 modification when you use HEAVY MACHINERY or
COMTECH to repair damage to a spacecraft.
STEALTHY: You get a +2 modification to MOBILITY when using the skill to move undetected.
STOIC: You can roll for STAMINA using WITS instead of STRENGTH.
TOUGH: You are used to taking a beating. You increase your Health by +2, i.e. your
maximum number is equal to your STRENGTH plus 2.
WATCHFUL: The hairs on the back of your neck stand up when enemies lurk nearby. You get
a +2 modification to OBSERVATION when trying to spot a sneak attack.
WEAPON SPECIALIST: You’re an expert at using a specific weapon model—choose one from
the weapon lists in Chapter 6. When you use this weapon, you get a +2 modification. You
can choose this talent several times, once per weapon type. You can be a specialist at
fighting unarmed.
Gear
To survive the world of ALIEN, you need the right gear. An M314 Motion Tracker, an Mk.50
Compression Suit, or an M41A Pulse Rifle can truly mean the difference between life and
death for your character. You must write down all the items you are carrying on your
character sheet. Write down one item per row in the Gear section on the sheet. If it’s not
listed on your sheet, you don’t have it with you.
STARTING GEAR: In a Cinematic scenario, the scenario determines what gear you start the
game with. In Campaign play, your career determines what gear you can choose from at the
start of the game. If you get a weapon, you always get two full reloads to go with it. In
addition to the items you choose, you are assumed to have a uniform or civilian clothing.
You also get some cash—the career indicates how much. Read more about cash and how to
spend it in Chapter 7.
SIGNATURE ITEM: In addition to your normal gear, you also have a signature item—a small
item that’s not of much practical use, but that has sentimental value to you and that says
something about your character. Signature items are usually tiny (see next page) and thus
don’t encumber you at all. Common examples include a patch, a cap, or a photo of a loved
one.
VEHICLES & SPACESHIPS: In some Cinematic scenarios, your PCs have a vehicle or even a
spacecraft. Usually, vehicles and starships don’t belong to one individual character—instead,
they are crewed by the entire group of PCs together. In Campaign play, it’s also possible for
your group to begin the campaign in possession of a vehicle or a ship.
Encumbrance
You can carry a number of regular-sized items equal to double your STRENGTH rating
without problems. A regular item is generally the size of a small bag and weighs no more
than a few kilos.
HEAVY & LIGHT ITEMS: An item designated as heavy counts as two regular items, and
typically takes up two rows on your character sheet. Some heavy items count as three or
even four normal items—the gear lists in Chapter 5 of the book indicate this. At the
opposite end of the spectrum, there are items that are designated as light—they count as
half of a regular item, and so you can list two light items on one row on your sheet. Some
light items count as a quarter of a normal item in terms of encumbrance—the weight of
such items is written as ¼ in the gear lists.
TINY ITEMS: Items that are even smaller than light items are called tiny. They are so small
they don’t affect your encumbrance at all. The rule of thumb is: if the item can be hidden in
a closed fist, it’s tiny. Tiny items also need to be listed on your character sheet.
OVER-ENCUMBERED: You can temporarily carry up to twice your normal encumbrance
limit, i.e., STRENGTH x 4 items. If over-encumbered, you must make a MOBILITY roll when
you want to run or crawl in a Round of combat. If you fail, you must either drop what you
are carrying or stay put.
Consumables
In the world of ALIEN, you need to overcome a lot more than Xenomorph life forms to
survive. Lack of air, food, water, and electric power can be just as deadly. These four
resources are called consumables. You don’t need to track consumables at all times. In the
confines of a functional spaceship, orbital station or planetside colony, you likely have the
consumables you need. The GM lets you know when resources are scarce and it’s time to
start tracking them.
SUPPLY: You track each of the four consumables on your character sheet using a Supply
rating. A higher rating is better. At regular intervals (see the table to the right), you need to
make a Supply roll. This means rolling a number of Stress Dice equal to the current Supply
rating, up to a maximum of six dice. For every PANIC rolled, the Supply rating is decreased
by one. When the Supply rating reaches zero, you’re out of the consumable, and you’re
entering a world of hurt.
GROUP CONSUMABLES: Usually, consumables are tracked individually, but they can also be
tracked for the group as a whole, depending on the situation. The GM has final say.
ENCUMBRANCE: For encumbrance, your supplies of food and water count as one item each,
as long as your current Supply rating is 4 or lower. See the table to the right. When your
Supply rating hits zero for food or water, this consumable no longer encumbers you. Air and
power don’t usually count toward your encumbrance, as they are generally included in your
pressure suit or other gear. External air tanks or batteries can count as encumbering items
however
Weapons
Different weapons neutralize different threats. This list is a heads-up on the features used in
the weapon tables.
BONUS indicates any modification you get to your CLOSE COMBAT or RANGED COMBAT roll
when using the weapon.
DAMAGE is the base Damage rating, i.e. how many points of damage your target suffers if
your attack is successful. If you roll extra successes, you can deal additional damage. The
word “Blast” followed by a number means that the weapon inflicts no direct damage, but
instead triggers an explosion with the Blast Power indicated.
RANGE is the maximum range category at which the weapon can be effectively used.
WEIGHT indicates how many typical items the weapon counts as in the inventory list. If no
weight is indicated, the weapon is too heavy to be carried.
COST is the weapon’s typical price in United American (UA) dollars. The actual price varies
depending on the supply and demand at the location.
SPECIAL is any special effects that this weapon has. “Armor Piercing” means that any Armor
Rating counts as half against this weapon, rounding fractions up. “Armor Doubled” means
that any Armor Rating is doubled against the weapon.
Ammunition: One full reload for a firearm typically costs about 5% of the cost of the
weapon itself.
Pistols
M4A3 SERVICE PISTOL: This inexpensive 9mm pistol is the standard sidearm of the USCMC.
You should always have a backup for your backup, and this pistol might as well be it.
.357 MAGNUM REVOLVER: A classic high caliber revolver, equally popular amongst both
Frontier Marshals and lowlifes.
REXIM RXF-M5 EVA PISTOL: A miniaturized and weaponized version of a Weyland-Yutani
laser welder in use from the 2100-2120s. This tool was originally improvised as a weapon by
the J’Har rebels during the 2106 uprising on Torin Prime. Always one to find profit in
anything, Weyland-Yutani studied the modifications after the war and made them the
standard self-defense armament on their commercial fleet.
WATATSUMI DV-303 BOLT GUN: The DV-303 is a construction tool that uses expanding
bolts to make emergency hull repairs. The DV-303 can be turned into an improvised weapon
—firing bolts like a single round shotgun—a trick first used by Frontier rebels in the early
2100s. This weapon must be reloaded (slow action) after each shot.
DIRTY BULLETS
Here’s where things start getting particularly nasty. The target of these radioactive bullets
not only suffers piercing damage, but their wounds are irradiated in the process. Any
ammunition type can be treated with radionuclides, but it’s going to cost you four times the
cost of normal ammo. Make sure you take the proper precautionary steps when using them
—dirty bullets not only leave your gun glowing in the dark, but also your shooting hand and
holster hip riddled with cancer. U-238 tipped bullets reduce the Armor Rating of any target
by two, after the Armor Piercing or Armor Doubled effects have been applied. Anyone hit by
a U-238 bullet suffers 1 Rad in addition to normal damage. Carrying a weapon loaded with
U-238 tipped bullets gives you 1 Rad per Shift.
Heavy weapons
ARMAT U1 GRENADE LAUNCHER: This 30mm pump-action is typically found as part of the
M41A Pulse Rifle, but individual units do exist. Standard payload for the U1 is M40 High
Explosive fragmentation grenades, but the launcher accommodates a variety of other
grenade types from smoke and flash grenades to electronic G2 Electroshock Grenades
(below). When facing superior numbers, the U1 is your friend—don’t enter an alien hive
without one. Well, don’t enter a hive with one, either. Just stay away from the hive. Okay? A
target hit by a frag grenade suffers explosion damage (Blast Power 9) plus one extra point of
damage. All other targets in the same zone suffer explosion damage. A smoke grenade
causes no damage but blocks line of sight inside, into, and out of the target zone. A flash
grenade forces all targets in the zone to make an immediate STAMINA roll (no action) or
lose their next slow action. If a grenade misses, it lands in a random adjacent zone.
ARMAT M41AE2 HEAVY PULSE RIFLE: A USCMC Squad Automatic Weapon modification of
the M41A, this electric pulse support rifle has a longer barrel in place of the U1 grenade
launcher. This is the machinegun you want laying down suppressing fire to cover your ass
during an evac.
M56A2 SMART GUN: The heavy firepower of every USCMC squad, the M56 Smartgun is
mounted on an articulating arm and gimbal attached to an armored harness worn by the
weapon’s operator. What makes the M56A2 a smart gun is its ability to choose targets for
you. It is equipped with an infrared tracking system and data transmitter/receiver that
homes in on potential threats and sends that information to a Head Mounted Sight. Fire
control is still at your discretion, so if you are running low on ammo, pick your targets. The
M56A2 fires in either bursts or full automatic. A glancing shot can sever a limb and a full
burst can cut a person in half, so watch that friendly fire, Private.
THE M240 INCINERATOR UNIT: This carbine- style flamethrower uses naphtha fuel canisters
to fire a thick, steady stream of flame at a target. It is in common use by the USCMC, who
deploy the weapon at the squad and fireteam level. Civilian models exist too. The troops in
the field have given the M240 the unceremonious nickname of “Bakea- Flake.” It’s a good
standby weapon to have in a pinch, especially when facing off against hostile organisms.
Most animals retreat from fire, yes? Any target hit by an incinerator unit also catches fire,
Intensity 9.
UA 571-C AUTOMATED SENTRY GUN: These tripod-mounted robot sentries form an
automated perimeter defense system that tracks and automatically fires upon any target
that moves within range. The UA 571 series is equipped with automatic thermal and
movement actuated AI targeting capabilities. The UA 571-C utilizes an M30 Autocannon.
Just be mindful of your friend or foe settings before walking in front of one. Those set up
with ARS—Advanced Recognition Software— can be programmed to identify friendly
targets with a variable success rate. If set for motion and heat only, anything hot that moves
might as well be dead. When activated, the Sentry Gun is always in overwatch position and
fires with skill level 8 in RANGED COMBAT (no AGILITY). The Sentry Gun can also be
operated remotely by using a Head Mounted Sight.
G2 ELECTROSHOCK GRENADE: These grenades are called “electronic ballbreakers” with
good reason. When deployed, they propel themselves about 3 feet off the ground before
releasing a mega- voltage electric pulse. The usually non-lethal shock is still strong enough
to freeze a person’s central nervous system. These weapons are good for crowd control.
When there is only one seat left on the last shuttle to leave a space station stuck in a
decaying orbit around a gas giant, pop a few of these puppies into the mob, cycle that
airlock closed, and strap yourself in for the ride home. All humans in the target zone must
make a hard STAMINA roll (–2, doesn’t count as an action) or be stunned for one Round.
Data Storage
people always need to carry information in their pocket. In the 22nd century, that is usually
accomplished in the following ways:
LONG-DATA DISCS: After several data losses from electromagnetic pulses in the first half of
the 21st century, the move was made to reintroduce and reinforce physical data storage.
Weyland Corp scientists took optical disc media and enhanced it to the next level. The result
is a nano-optical long-data memory disc. Called LDs, each disc can hold up to 10 zettabytes
(ZB) of data. All colony and corporate records are backed up on these discs in case of an
electromagnetic discharge.
MAGNETIC TAPES: A two-hundred-year-old technology, magnetic tape cassettes have
become popular on the Frontier simply because they are both disposable and cheap.
Utilizing sputter deposition technology, these cassettes can hold between 60, 90, or 120
terabytes (TB) of information each. While easily disrupted by a strong magnetic pulse, the
benefit of magnetic tapes is that the archaic technology that runs them produces no easily
detected wave signals. Most security sensor grids are set to detect more sophisticated
electronic hardware. All these factors combined have managed to keep magnetic tapes in
vogue for the past fifty years.
WATER: Shipboard company supplied water ($2) is rationed, cloudy, recycled, and tastes
metallic, but gets you through the day. Bottles of purified water ($10) are luxury items on
some worlds and can fetch as much as $100/bottle on a barren rock. Increases your Water
Supply one step.
“BUG JUICE” PROTEIN DRINK: Commonly referred to as “bug juice,” this high protein caloric
drink is made from mealworms, roaches, beetles, and other insects all raised on bug farms.
Made by a large variety of manufacturers, it is a cheap and cost-effective way of keeping
alive on the Frontier. Increases both your Food and Water Supply one step.
SODA AND CANDY BARS: Luxury items on the Frontier, these guilty pleasures can give you a
sugar rush if you need it. Increases your Food Supply one step.
COFFEE: Coffee is supplied on most company ships and stations free of charge for the crew.
Grown in Guatemala on Earth, Weyland-Yutani coffee is the highest rated in the territories,
and free coffee is considered one of the perks of W-Y employment. If you are on the verge
of dozing off, coffee can give you a caffeine boost to get you through the morning. Increases
your STRESS LEVEL one step, but temporarily postpones the drawbacks from lack of sleep
for one Shift.
COLONY SPECIALTY MEALS: Planetside colony grub can be a better thing, as colonists get
creative with their rations to create new “culinary delights.” Some colonies grow their own
livestock while others have access to edible indigenous wildlife, creating a wide variety of
cuisine ranging from Terraform 3’s bovine burgers and steaks to boiled Tanakan scorpion
thorax to kelp salad and sushi from Bracken’s World. Increases your Food Supply and
reduces STRESS LEVEL one step.
BEER AND BOOZE: These items are covered under entertainment in Chapter 7. Each drink
decreases your STRESS LEVEL one step, but also gives you a –1 modification to all WITS-
based skills for the next Shift.
Range Description
Engaged Right next to you
Short A few meters away from you, in the same zone
Medium Up to 25 meters away from you, in an adjacent
zone
Long Up to 100 meters (4 zones away)
extreme Up to about 1 kilometer.
Measuring time
In the ALIEN universe, time matters. Whether you are awaiting rescue on an alien world
with Xenomorphs stalking you, or Mother is counting down to the imminent destruction of
your ship, you need to keep track of time. There are three separate units of time used in this
game, depending on the situation at hand. See the table below. The exact duration of a
Round, Turn and Shift can vary depending on the situation. It’s the GM’s job to track time
and determine when another Round, Turn or Shift has passed. There are typically four Shifts
in a day: Morning, Day, Evening, and Night.
Motion trackers
A useful piece of gear in stealth mode is a motion tracker, such as the M314 unit. You can
use a motion tracker once per Turn, and each time you use it you must make a Power
Supply roll. The tracker will automatically detect the presence of any large moving objects
within LONG range (up to four zones) indoors and EXTREME range outdoors, and let you
know which zone they are in. We recommend that you mark the “ping” of movement from a
motion tracker by placing a token of some sort on the map. Note that the motion tracker
will only detect moving objects—if the GM determines that your enemy stays still, it won’t
register. Detecting an enemy with a motion tracker doesn’t mean you have spotted it and
can engage it in combat—for that, you need to be in the same zone as the enemy or have
line of sight to it. If the enemy is small or well hidden, the GM can also have you make an
OBSERVATION roll to spot it.
Close Combat
When you attack someone with your bare fists or a melee weapon, you use the CLOSE
COMBAT skill. Close combat usually happens at ENGAGED range from your target. You can
fight unarmed or use a weapon. Drawing a melee weapon from its sheath or a belt is a fast
action.
To attack an opponent in close combat, you need to be standing on your feet. If you are
prone, you must first spend a fast action to get up before you can attack. While you are
prone, standing enemies get a +2 modification on all close combat attacks against you.
Resolution
If your CLOSE COMBAT roll is successful, your attack hits and you inflict damage equal to the
weapon’s Damage rating on your opponent (see page 118). Damage may be mitigated by
armour.
STUNTS
For every extra success you roll, choose one of these stunts:
You inflict one additional point of damage. You can choose this stunt multiple times,
if you roll several success.
You out-maneuver your enemy and get to exchange your initiative score (see page
87) with them, taking effect next Round. You can’t go back to your earlier initiative.
You knock or pull a weapon or other object from your opponent. You choose which.
During combat, picking up a dropped object counts as a fast action.
Your opponent falls prone. This stunt can only be used on humanoid opponents.
You pin your enemy in a tight clinch. See Grappling, below. This stunt can only be
used on humans and synthetics.
Blocking
If you are attacked in close combat, you can choose to block the attack, to avoid being hit.
Blocking is a fast action, and you roll for CLOSE COMBAT. You must declare that you are
going to block before the attacker rolls for their strike. For each success you roll, choose an
effect below:
DECREASE DAMAGE: You remove one of the enemy’s successes. If they are left with
no successes, the attack misses. This effect can be chosen multiple times.
COUNTERATTACK: You perform a counterattack, dealing damage to the attacker
equal to the Damage rating of your weapon. You cannot spend additional successes
to increase the damage of your counterattack.
DISARM: You disarm your enemy. REACTIVE ACTION: Blocking is a reaction that
breaks the normal initiative order in the Round. However, it does count against your
two available actions in the Round (one slow and one fast). Each time you block, you
lose one action later in the Round, and if you have already used both your actions,
you can’t block. When it’s your time to act, it might therefore be wise to save your
fast action if you fear you might be attacked later in the Round.
BLOCKING UNARMED: If you are unarmed, you can only block unarmed attacks from other
humans. To block an armed close combat attack, or an attack by a Xenomorph creature, you
need
Grappling
If you grapple your opponent as a stunt in close combat (see above), both you and your
opponent fall to the ground. The opponent drops any weapon they were holding and cannot
move. The only action they can perform is an attempt to break free—which is a slow action
that succeeds if the opponent wins an opposed CLOSE COMBAT roll against you. While you
are grappling, the only action you can perform (apart from releasing your opponent) is a
grapple attack. This works as a normal unarmed attack but is a fast action and cannot be
blocked.
XENOMORPHS: Alien creatures can grab you or attach themselves to you in nasty ways. This
follows special rules and is described in the section on Xenomorphs.
Shoving
As a fast action, you can try to shove an opponent at ENGAGED range away from you. This is
done with a CLOSE COMBAT roll. The GM can modify your roll for certain opponents. If you
succeed, your opponent is shoved away to SHORT range from you. Shoving a target away
can be useful if you want to engage it in ranged combat rather than fight it hand-to-hand.
Shoves can be blocked.
Retreat
If you have an active enemy at ENGAGED range, you must make a MOBILITY roll to move
away to SHORT range from them. If you fail, you still move but your enemy gets a free close
combat attack against you. The free attack doesn’t count toward their actions in the Round
and you can’t block it.
Ranged Combat
When you shoot at someone from a distance, roll for RANGED COMBAT. You need to be
able to see your target. You also need a ranged weapon, even if it’s simply something to
throw. The weapons tables in Chapter 5 describe a variety of firearms and other ranged
weapons. To draw a gun from a belt or holster, or a rifle from its sling, is a fast action. Firing
a weapon is a slow action.
AIMING: If you take your time to aim carefully before squeezing the trigger, you get a +2 to
your attack roll. Aiming is a fast action. If you do anything else except shoot your weapon
after you have aimed, or if you are hurt, you lose the effect of the aim and you need to
spend another fast action to aim again.
RANGE: The weapons tables indicate the range of each weapon, i.e. the maximum range
category at which the weapon can be used. The farther away your target is, the harder it is
to hit. At MEDIUM range you get a −1 modification, and at LONG range you get −2. At
ENGAGED range you get −3, because it’s hard to draw a bead on an opponent that close.
You don’t get this penalty if you fire at a defenseless or unwitting enemy—instead, you get a
+3 modification.
TARGET SIZE: Firing at a large target, such as a vehicle, gives a +2 modification to the attack.
Firing at a small object, such as a small hatch, a hand-held item, or a Chestburster, gives a –2
modification.
You inflict one additional point of damage. You can choose this stunt multiple times,
if you roll several successes.
You pin down your enemy. PCs need to make an immediate Panic Roll. NPCs instead
miss their next slow action.
You position yourself and get to exchange your initiative score (see page 87) with
your enemy, taking effect next Round. You can’t go back to your earlier initiative.
Your target drops a weapon or another hand-held object. You choose which.
Your opponent falls to the ground or is pushed back, for example through an airlock.
Cover
When bullets start flying, you’ll do well to seek cover behind something sturdy. Unlike
blocking in close combat, you need to find cover before someone shoots at you. Taking
cover behind something in the same zone as you is a fast action. Cover has an Armor Rating
and works just like armor (see the table to the right). When you're hit by a ranged attack,
roll a number of Base Dice equal to the Armor Rating. Each success you roll lowers the
damage by one point. Cover and armor can be combined, simply add the Armor Ratings.
Cover Armour
rating
Shrubbery 2
Furniture 3
Door 4
Inner bulkhead 5
Outer bulkhead 6
Armored bulkhead 7+
Ammo
Most firearms in the world of ALIEN have large enough magazines that you don’t need to
worry about counting individual bullets. However, when the tension rises, you risk wasting
ammo and emptying your clip at the worst possible time. This is simulated in the following
way:
Whenever you fire a weapon and roll one or more Panic’s on your Stress Dice, you have
emptied your magazine after the attack and need to reload (in addition to making a Panic
Roll). Reloading is a slow action. You need to keep track of how many full reloads of
ammunition you carry for your weapon.
Overwatch
As a fast action, you can assume an overwatch position in a specified direction, as long as
you have a ranged weapon and no enemies within ENGAGED range. This means that you
aim in the specified direction and are ready to shoot. Between the time you assume the
overwatch position and your time to act in the next Round, you can fire your weapon
against a target in the chosen direction. You can fire whenever you want in the turn order,
and your shot is resolved before all other actions—even if they are already declared.
For example, if an enemy in the direction you are aiming declares that they want to fire a
weapon, you can shoot first. The enemy is not allowed to change their attack after your
overwatch attack.
Firing when in overwatch position counts as a normal attack (a slow action). Therefore, you
must save your slow action in the Round for any overwatch attack you want to make. If both
you and an enemy assume overwatch positions against each other, and both choose to fire
against each other, then an opposed RANGED COMBAT roll determines which attack goes
first. This roll does not count as an action for either of you.
LOSING OVERWATCH: You keep your overwatch position as long as you do nothing but
shoot in the chosen direction. If you perform any other action, the overwatch position is
lost. It is also immediately lost if either of the following occurs:
Damage
You run the risk of being injured in combat. Everything from exhaustion to bleeding cuts and
broken bones is summarized as damage. How much damage you can take is determined by
your Health score.
STARTING HEALTH: When not injured, your total Health score is equal to your STRENGTH.
Talents can modify your maximum Health total.
Broken
If you drop to zero Health, you are Broken—in effect, taken out of the action. Immediately
roll for a critical injury. If you’re not dead, you can crawl and mumble through the pain—you
can’t perform any other actions and you can’t roll for any skills. You can’t go below zero
Health, but each further attack that causes damage will give you another critical injury.
Armour
To protect yourself from harm, you can wear armour. The effectiveness of a piece of armour
is represented by its Armor Rating. You can only wear one suit of armour at a time. When
you take damage from an attack, roll a number of Base Dice equal to your Armor Rating.
Each success you roll lowers the damage inflicted by one point. The armour roll does not
count as an action for you.
Recovery
When you are no longer Broken, you recover one point of lost Health per Turn (5–10
minutes) of rest. Critical injuries can still affect you after all your Health is restored,
however.
Getting back up
Being Broken is not fatal in itself—only critical injuries can actually kill you. There are two
ways to get back up after being Broken, assuming you’re not dead.
FIRST AID: Someone can help you back onto your feet by administering first aid to you using
the MEDICAL AID skill. This is a slow action. Certain medical equipment can give bonuses to
the roll. If the roll is successful, you get back up immediately, regaining Health equal to the
number of successes in the skill roll. Administering first aid to someone who isn’t Broken has
no effect.
ON YOUR OWN: If you’re Broken and no one is around to help you, you automatically
recover one point of Health after one Turn (5–10 minutes) has passed and can then get back
up on your own.
Coup de grace
A Broken character is defenceless. If it’s a human being and you want to kill your target
outright, you must fail an EMPATHY roll (roll for the attribute only, without Stress Dice).
Whether or not you succeed at killing your target, you increase your STRESS LEVEL by one—
killing in cold blood is not that easy. If you have the Cold-Blooded talent, you can kill
defenceless enemies without this negative effect.
Critical injuries
As long as you still have Health left, damage points represent fatigue, bruises or smaller cuts
—painful, to be sure, but possible to overcome. Critical injuries represent a much more
dangerous form of injury. These can maim or kill you. When knocked down to zero Health,
roll a D66 on the critical injury table
Death
If you suffer a critical injury listed as fatal, you must make a Death Roll when the listed time
runs out. A Death Roll is a roll for STAMINA, but you cannot push the roll and you are not
allowed to roll any Stress Dice. If the Death Roll fails, you die. If you succeed, you linger on
but you must make another Death Roll when the listed amount of time has passed again.
SAVING YOUR LIFE: To save your life when you have suffered a fatal critical injury, someone
must give you first aid before you fail a Death Roll. First aid is a slow action and requires a
MEDICAL AID roll. Note that some critical injuries are so severe that a negative modification
is applied to the MEDICAL AID roll. If you recover a Health point by yourself (after one Turn,
see above) before you fail a Death Roll, you can try to give yourself first aid, but you get a –2
modification to the roll. Each character who attempts to treat you can try only once—to get
a second chance, better medical equipment is needed.
BROKEN: If you are both Broken and have sustained a fatal critical injury (or several), two
separate MEDICAL AID rolls are needed: one to get you back on your feet, and another to
save your life. These two rolls can be made in whichever order you prefer.
INSTANT KILL: Note that there are four critical injuries (results #63–66) that kill you outright.
If you roll any of these, your character shuffles off their mortal coil. No Death Roll is allowed.
Result Effect
1-6 KEEPING IT TOGETHER. You manage to keep your nerves in check. Barely
7 NERVOUS TWITCH. Your STRESS LEVEL, and the STRESS LEVEL of all friendly
PCs in SHORT range of you, increases by one.
8 TREMBLE. You start to tremble uncontrollably. All skill rolls using AGILITY suffer a –2
modification until your panic stops.
9 DROP ITEM. Whether by stress, confusion or the realization that you’re all going to die
anyway, you drop a weapon or other important item—the GM decides which one. Your
STRESS LEVEL increases by one.
10 FREEZE. You’re frozen by fear or stress for one Round, losing your next slow action.
Your STRESS LEVEL, and the STRESS LEVEL of all friendly PCs in SHORT range of
you, increases by one.
11 SEEK COVER. You must use your next action to move away from danger and find a safe
spot if possible. You are allowed to make a retreat roll (see page 93) if you have an enemy
at ENGAGED range. Your STRESS LEVEL is decreased by one, but the STRESS
LEVEL of all friendly PCs in SHORT range increases by one. After one Round, you can
act normally.
12 SCREAM. You scream your lungs out for one Round, losing your next slow action. Your
STRESS LEVEL is decreased by one, but every friendly character who hears your scream
must make an immediate Panic Roll.
13 FLEE. You just can’t take it anymore. You must flee to a safe place and refuse to leave it.
You won’t attack anyone and won’t attempt anything dangerous. You are not allowed to
make a retreat roll if you have an enemy at ENGAGED range when you flee. Your
STRESS LEVEL is decreased by one, but every friendly character who sees you run must
make an immediate Panic Roll.
14 BERSERK. You must immediately attack the nearest person or creature, friendly or not.
You won’t stop until you or the target is Broken. Every friendly character who witnesses
your rampage must make an immediate Panic Roll.
15+ CATATONIC. You collapse to the floor and can’t talk or move, staring blankly into
oblivion
D6 Crit Effect
1 Ruptured Fluid Pump The android loses its next slow action.
2 Destroyed Leg Servos Both legs are non-functional. The android must stay prone and can
only crawl.
3 Destroyed Arm Servos One arm is non-functional. The android can only use one-handed
gear
4 Head Dislocation The android's artificial neck is severely fractured and its head
placed in an unnatural position. All fast actions become slow
actions
5 Severe Chassis Breach Internal organs spill out and the android is completely immobilized
6 System Shutdown The android is torn to shreds or crushed. Core systems are severely
damaged and a COMTECH roll is required to communicate with
the android
D6 Crit Effect
1 Rise Again The Xenomorph falls to the ground, seemingly dead, but it’s a ruse. If
it’s attacked again, or on its next initiative, it regains one point of Health
and rises—fuelled by instinctive hatred
2 Wounded The Xenomorph staggers, bleeding severely. It gets Speed –1 (down to
a minimum of 1, losing the lowest initiative), but regains one point of
Health. Roll a D6 at the start of each Round. On 1–3, it tries to escape.
3 Desperate Action The Xenomorph is severely wounded and cries out in alien fury. It
immediately gets to perform a fast and a slow action, outside of the
normal turn order. Roll a D6: On 1–3, it tries to escape (if it succeeds it
regains half its Health). On 4–6, it instantly attacks the closest opponent.
If it fails to inflict any damage, the creature dies. If it succeeds, it
regains one point of Health.
4 Last Breath The Xenomorph is mortally wounded and contorts wildly. On its next
initiative, it will try to kill the nearest victim, then the beast dies. If it’s
wounded again before then, it dies instantly
5-6 Torn Apart The Xenomorph is torn apart or crushed amidst shrieks of rage.
Instant death. Severely mutilated, it can only be Analyzed with OBSERVATION –2.
Vehicles
Vehicle Passengers Maneuverability Speed Hull Armor Cost
Daihotai Tractor 4 +0 2 6 4 $17,000
Weyland NR-9 ATV 1 +2 2 2 2 $3,000
M577 APC 13 +1 3 8 8 $500,000
Aerodyne Gyrocar 5 +3 3 4 3 $40,000
UD-4L Cheyenne 15 +2 4 10 7 $3,100,000
VTOL Dropship
WY-37B Cargo 3 -1 3 12 4 $800,000
Lifter Transport Sled