Just One Ship

Mayday. Mayday. The door is sealed shut. Some kind of trap. Oxygen is low. Mayday. Mayday...

Just One Ship is an 2d6, skill-based, science fiction RPG set in a post-Atompunk frontier where the dreams of the Atomic Age became reality. Great rockets with fins, bottlenoses, and advanced atomic reactors hurtled into space to create a new Age of Wonders. Unfortunately, the shine wore off, the metal corroded, and the bleeding-edge technology became mundane and ordinary. Your character(s) find themselves here, in a sector they themselves have not explored, seeking out possible fame and glory in a rust-coated Age of Wonders.

LEVELLESS CHARACTER CREATION

A full life-path system inspired by games like Traveller, where you roll on a series of tables to build out a background and history for your character before you even set out. Additionally, advancement is lateral; you do not gain a level and automatically get granted bonuses, you must train or study, or utilize hard-won knowledge to advance your skills. 

SKILLS

Character's in this game are skill-based, where you will use one of 20 skills or 6 combat skills to approach all situations. A simple 2d6+Skill vs. 8 resolution system for all checks streamlines the entire process for combat, saves, etc. 

Modifying for difficulty is also simplified down to a simple Advantage/Disadvantage system so you don't have to stress over what sort of adjustment you should make to the roll.

CONDITIONS

Conditions provide simple mechanical, and narrative, penalties that you can inflict on your PC based on certain situations. Being caught in the heat can make you Exhausted, and being rattled from a big scare can leave you Shaken.

In addition, you can use these to your advantage by Pushing Your Roll, allowing you to make the roll with Advantage, but at the consequence of accepting a condition.

PLAYER FACING COMBAT

All combat is either rolling to hit, or rolling to avoid. You will use your weapon skill to either Hit or Parry, or you can roll to Evade enemy weapons fire, all while Armor reduces the amount of damage. In addition, player skill increases the quality of your attacks, inflicting greater damage.

SHIP COMBAT

The player character rolls to Attack or Evade, but they can also roll to improve their chances to hit, reload, repair, escape, etc. Ship combat is not a mere binary state, but one where combat can ebb and flow based on reload times, mood of the enemy ship, as well as the holes in your own hull, venting your atmosphere into deep space. 

DERELICTS

A full set of procedures to dive into lost and/or forgotten places to uncover secrets, experimental tech, or even robots that should have been left alone. You build the derelict as you explore, using a Node-based method of exploration.

SURVIVAL

HP is low in this game, and the dangers abound. Taking too much damage will inflict Wounds, some of which will not heal on their own, requiring medical knowledge or an actual doctor. Additionally, there are many hazards (like starvation or radiation) that, if not corrected, will ultimately lead to your character's untimely death. If you enter a dangerous situation while not properly prepared, you can enter a death spiral, slowly losing your ability to handle the dangers you are facing.

ORACLES and PROCEDURES

1. System and Sector Generator
2. Patrons and Missions
3. Derelict Diving 
4. Speculative Trade
5. Space/Starport/Planetside Encounter tables
6. Generic Encounters
7. Creature Generator
8. Robot Generator
9. Faction Generator
10. Solo Oracles

And more!

SOLO or GROUP PLAY

While the game is written to be played solo, it is easily played as a group:

1. The group only gets 1 starship
2. Try and find a way to bring other players into the history rolls
3. PC's only act once in combat
4. If necessary, you may roll job pay with advantage if you feel that PC's are struggling with cash. Alternatively, give them a 100,000 starting debt if the opposite is true.

This game is purposefully made free so that anyone can play an RPG, regardless of budget. It is published under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International License.