CATAPULT QUICK STARTER V1.2 //intro about this catapultstarter Dedication & Thanks Contents This quickstarter is a preview of Aces in Space To the Tres Volcanes-Crowd and all the other World...... 4 and includes everything you need to run a people who turn the world into a better place by Setting...... 5 full session. To do so, it assumes that you are telling their stories Leetspeak...... 6 familiar with Fate Core and have a copy at hand Special thanks to Merlin Thomas for Nano Game...... 8 for all the basic rules—it just doesn’t have the Hashtagger Gate. Rules...... 9 room to explain everything you need to know Aspects...... 10 to master Fate. Thanks for Kathrin Dodenhoeft and Uli Lindner for their trust in this project. Skills...... 11 If you’ve got questions or want to give Stunts...... 13 feedback, send it to [email protected] Playtesters Milestones...... 13 credits Tobi Jansen, Melissa Steins, Jon Cole, David Dogfights...... 14 Günther, Jörg Hagenberg, Hannah Möllmann, Scenarios...... 15 World, Writing & Game Design Marc Wolter, Christoph Bara, Oscar Wetzel, Playbooks...... 16 by Christian & Judith Vogt Lena Richter, Eike Kronshage, Andreas Flypal...... 17 Additional Writing & Design Gruner, Frank Reiss, Klaus Erkens, Andrea by Harald Eckmüller Stadtfeld, Cynthia Mattingly, Philip Picker, Hotshot...... 18 Julia Schippers, Philipp Lohmann, Roland Commander...... 19 Developmental Editing Bahr, Eva Bertalan, Gerrit Reininghaus, Heike by Judith & Christian Vogt Influencer...... 20 Knopp-Sullivan, James Sullivan—thank you all Phantom...... 21 Layout & Design for your valuable input and feedback! by Harald Eckmüller Tinkerer...... 22 Pillion...... 23 Art by Tim Knoche, Ben Maier, Nick Koubash, Gangtypes...... 24 Hannah Möllmann, Chris Schlicht, and Mia Steingräber Entertainer...... 25 Mercenaries...... 26 Aces in Space is © 2019 Smuggler...... 27 by Vogt & Vriends Specters...... 28 Handouts...... 29

1 //Firebird

Tracer projectiles passed Nneka’s cockpit from the Battle of Raman turned out to become “Slowly… slowly… yes! Rock One! … and a too close to her left. The ringing sound made a rendezvous with some scavengers. They hit!”, came their voice out of Nneka’s com. “Got crystal clear: two or three of them peppered the probably think our Choppers will bring a better this bandit!” stub wings of her Chopper. price on the market than the junk around me. Nneka got some free space to fly an Hopefully nothing vital. Let’s demonstrate them how bad an idea that Immelmann to turn around. No visual on the She pushed the throttle, pulled the stick and is. Firebird out.” expected fireball. Instead, she saw the bandit banked right to evade a deadly volley from her The Like counter in her head-up display running, black smoke from their tail, and Crash six. was spinning. If she could manage to survive Dummy’s Chopper on it, guns ablaze. “Woohoo! That was a close call! Can’t shake this, this unexpected encounter, as well as the “Stop it, Crash Dummy. Break and fall back this smashing bandit! Crash Dummy, where are formidable evasive stunts, the near hits, and to the squadron. No yolo!” you?” her lil’ TED talk would deliver some social “No way! I nearly got them. This is my fifth No answer. media credibility. kill, Nneka. This one and you can kiss my Ace Nneka, callsign Firebird, evaded the attacks She adjusted her thrusters and tried to shake ass!” from behind her with a crazy dance through the bandit with a barrel roll, G-forces pulling Stupid idiot! She was sure that she saw a the debris field. The impacts from the iron at her. But her opponent was worth their fuel. third sensor contact when they engaged the projectiles around her blew smaller pieces of Sensors still showing a starfighter at her six, scavengers. One was shot down by Lobo, one space junk out of existence. The armor of her the target-lock alarm still ringing. was skirting, but where was the third one? Chopper could not take a direct hit, but she “Crash Dummy?! I could really need a hand Maybe it wasn’t a Chopper, but rather some did a good job with her zigzag flying so far. She here. Be an ehrenbro and come over here”, she supporting mining or cargo vessel not up for a made sure her tail cam was streaming, but also screamed in her com. dogfight. Nevertheless, even a support vessel activated a second window for her followers “Copy that. On my way, bro. Busy with could be equipped with a gun and prepare an and addressed the Datanet crowd. helping out Lobo and Surf ‘n Turf.” Nneka ambush. “Hey folks, look at this bandit on my tail. released her breath. About time. “Bro, I am your wingqueen, and this is an Has a hard time shooting me down. I bet most “Firebird, darling, I can’t get any firing order! Your followers will have to wait a bit. of you don’t want to swap seats with me at solution in between these cruiser wrecks. Turn Break and fall back.” the moment. Hope you’ll see this guy in my ninety degrees and we sandwich this frakster.” The com stayed silent. Shit. “Crash, when you guncam soon, given my wingpal will eventually “Hundo P!”, she answered and turned. don’t break this very moment, I swear last night decide to join the party! What looked like an was the last time we were smashing! Turn your easy surveillance mission in the debris field enby ass around! Do it now!”

Setting 2 No reaction. She accelerated to follow them. interpolated the flight vectors of the bandit, “Rock One!” At least, they had enough respect not to pull Crash Dummy and the firing angle of the She released the bound magnetic energy, out the old “the com connection is bad”-trick. ambushing vessel. accelerating pieces of iron, which peppered Her gut feeling was screaming at her, repeating Nneka screamed warnings into her com, but the hiding enemy ship. The resulting explosion the word “trap” again and again. The main Crash seemed to have switched off their com made Crash Dummy break off their pursuit. engines of her Chopper weren’t strong enough for real. Her two other bros were on their way, Finally. Her Like counter made some more to catch up. Her machine, a 99er Novablast, but still some clicks behind her. Too late to serious jumps again. was more or less a massive autocannon with intervene. “Sorry, queen.” Their voice from the com. A mounted cockpit and thrusters. It was all about Six seconds till catastrophe. bit sheepish. They better were! “Don’t tell the firepower and maneuverability, not about No direct line of fire for the gun. No missiles president, okay?” exceeding speed limits. left. She fell silent, angry. Let them wait a bit. However, she had one last trick up her Five seconds. “Affirmative”, she answered eventually. “But sleeve. Nneka texted into her trusted followers The hull of the corvette was damaged and we all know who’ll scrub the Choppers of the channel. Nnekas gun massive. A good aimed shot could whole squadron next week, do we?” Raman debris field. punch through it and still destroy a target “We all know”, they answered. “… and Nneka? Any stream aside from the Intenionals behind the obstacle. Thank you!” squadron? Four seconds. Maybe some of those scavengers were The time left would only allow for one dreaming of becoming a wannabe Chopper volley. This attack had to hit! She charged the Jockey or a gramstar. And the first step in magnetic rails of her autocannon for maximum doing this was by streaming a guncam feed. impact. This happened on quite a regular basis among Three seconds. pirates and scavengers. Unlike real Jockeys She aimed carefully with the nose of her however, they often didn’t know when to switch Chopper. Manual aim. Her sophisticated off their stream–making themselves vulnerable targeting NAI system was recently wracked to stream sniping by Nneka’s followers, who by the Reaper virus, on the hunt for computer would hunt for and analyse recorded head-up systems becoming too smart. display data to get some viable information for Two Seconds. the Jockey they loved and supported. Nneka touched her lucky charm, the small And indeed, there it was! SneakPeak87 fat unicorn figurine, a present from her older transmitted position data of a vessel, hiding sister, pinned in front of her. And activated her on the hull of a drifting corvette. Her computer guncam stream.

Setting 3 //WORLD //Setting The Future: Earth is uninhabitable. Mankind To catch the spirit of this game, think of media has fled to the stars, living on far away planets such as Battlestar Galactica, Sons of Anarchy, and space stations. The only ruling power left The Expanse, Space 2063, Firefly, Full are mega-corps. Throttle, Top Gun, Dark Matter, Killjoys or Star In a lawless section of space, called the Kobeni- Wars. belt, aberrant pilots roam among the stars. DARE TO FLY! Akin to motorcycle gangs from the past, tattoos and leather jackets are now replaced by cyberware and pressure-suits. Space-fighters are lovingly called Choppers, Jockeys are their How to use this pilots, and Highways now go faster than light: with the help of a drug called Minkowskium This Catapult Quick Starter lets you dive into everyone can traverse wormholes to cross the Aces of Space in a femto second as long as you vast distances of space. already know a bit of Fate. Yet, unlike the past, today’s petty criminals do It contains all information to create a Chopper not shy the limelight. Every daring maneuver, Jockey: seven different playbooks, four gang dogfight, and coup is broadcasted live on the types, information on Character Aspects, a datanet, making and breaking the social media list of Skills and Chopper modification Stunts, celebrities of the future. Good social media basic dogfight rules and—for the right Jockey publicity isn’t something the mega-corps are feeling—a l33tspeak guide as well as some opposed to, and sometimes they even endorse warm-up nano games to get into the mood. it by sponsoring Jockey gangs. In the main book, you will find a detailed In this Fate game, you play a Jockey, a dashing setting description, a full set of rules, dogfight space pilot belonging to one of these gangs. guidelines, social media warfare, tons of You’ll fight bandits in daring dogfights, pull story hooks, even more nano games, a whole off huge heists, and talk about it all live on adventure, and much more. your social media feed. Experience the thrill of stories right in the middle between toxic egoticity and teamwork.

Setting 5 //L33tspeak Common slang Fomo (Fear of Making Out): Someone Lit up: Term for “very cool”, derived from when whose sexual orientation or traditional view the afterburner kicks in. “Have you seen his Language is brand, as any Influencer would say, on love and relationship leaves out a lot of Chopper? That mod is so lit up!” and nobody got more brand than Jockeys. opportunities. Symbolising at the same time Milking: Hunting for likes. Ans-Vi: The quantum entangled technique for the open-mindedness and rejection of stable instantaneous data transfer. relationships within the Chopper Jockey Mink-Oil: Hallucinogen based on Minkowskium. Boots: This is a way to say “very” or “a lot” and culture. it’s added before or after the verb or adjective. Frakster: Someone who casually shoots down Minkowskium: Drug which allows navigating “She’s fomo boots!” bandits like its no big deal. Describing someone and traveling on Highways without getting lost in folded spacetime. Apply it onto the eyes. Bro: A fellow gang member (regardless of their who thinks they are cool but really isn’t (think gender). Hipster). NooB: People which aren’t somehow part of the Jockey culture or are seen as enemies (like Tetherball/Broball: Slang term for a popular Free-turf: a section of space not controlled by cooperate pilots). Civilians. sport among Chopper Jockeys. a mega-corp. No Yolo: A phrase used as slang at the end of a Brofessional: Someone who flies Choppers in Gang: Criminal entity consisting of one or sentence to assert the statement spoken by the combat situations, not only for fun. more Chopper squadrons and assigned crew. speaker had no intentional sexual implications. Something energizing you drink Brocrastinate: Hanging out. Gaytorade: Also: Order for stopping dangerous before getting into a dogfight. “Gaytorade, no showing-off flight Stunts. Chapter: Squadron of a gang which operates yolo!” independently. Queening: Bullying. Gramstar: Someone popular on the social Chicken Hunt: Formalized Chopper duel. media platforms of the day. Run: A Chopper squadron on a patrol or Modified starfighter. mission Chopper: Highway: Wormhole which allows FTL space Chopper Jockey: A derogatory term for space travel (fast than light) Sexual Salvation Warrior (SSW): Someone publicly living an open-minded sexual identity. fighter pilots, kinda like blue-collar worker. Hands On Throttle And Stick. HOTAS: Opposite of Fomo. Corp-turf: A section of the galaxy controlled Warning to make ready for a chicken hunt. by a mega-corp. Also: get a room. Skirt: Get lost. Escape from a space combat. Ehrenbro: Gang member of honor, also used in Hundo P: Affirmative. “Be an Ehrenbro”: do me a favor.

Setting 6 Straight fire: Something that is hot or trendy, Combat Spread: Maneuver where the queen Although gang titles are very much different also: order to use guns and no guided missiles. presents an easy target, so that the wingpal can from one gang to another, there is a common make the kill. ground which everybody can use to know who’s Smash: To have casual sex. who. ECM (Electronic Countermeasures): System Snack: A way to describe an attractive person to jamming or misleading enemy weapons and Boarding crew member. Similar to (no matter the gender). Enforcer: sensors. marine. Sozius: Pillion. Fangs Out: Weapons ready and really hot for a Jockey: Chopper pilot. Swole: Extremely buff or physically fit. dogfight. Gold Member: Deck crew. Watch your six: Warning about potentially Firing Solution: Aspect angle which allows to Road Captain: Chief Highway navigator. abusive persons in the room. Comes from the shoot at a bandit. warning that a bandit is on the tail of your Prospect: Candidate gang member. staying close to a dogfight without Chopper. Hawk: engaging. President (or Prez): Number one in gang hierarchy. Aviation Slang Immelpal/Immelmann: Half loop and half roll Queen: Squadron or flight lead (regardless of Chopper Jockeys not only use their own gang to switch flight direction by 180°. gender). slang, but also terms from fighter pilot slang. Loop: Vertical 360°. Sergeant-at-Arms (or Sarge): Some kind of 9G Turn: Rapid, tight 180° turn to shoot at The attacker flies in on front Overshooting: Sheriff within the gang. Also responsible for a pursuing enemy around the horizontal axis of the defender, thus, the roles of defender and weaponry. using the maneuver thrusters. Only a few attacker switch. Jockeys can perform this maneuver without Vice-President (or VP): Number two in gang Skirt: Escape from a space combat. See above. passing out. hierarchy. Rock: Firing Chopper weapons. Rock I: Aspect Angle: Direction to enemy, given as Wingpal: Wingmate Guns; Rock II: swarm of missiles; Rock III: positions on a clock. Anti-capital-ship-torpedo Wingqueen: Wing Commander Barrel Roll: Combination of loop and roll Roll: Spinning the Chopper along the maneuver to check a blind spot or to provoke longitudinal axis. an enemy to overshoot. Rolling scissors: Two fighters engaged in a Bandit: Confirmed enemy spacecraft. series of barrel rolls to get a firing solution. Bogey: Sensor contact of unknown identity. Gang Titles Break: Evasive maneuver by a 90° turn.

Setting 7 //nano Games A short, physical activity to kick-start the after which the activity ends. Now start by session helps to get the creative juices flowing. taking turns to show off a bit, to utter some That’s why we present a few setting-appro- bad one-liners or brags that comes to mind. It priate warm-up ideas here. They take a few doesn’t matter if the trash talk is true or makes minutes only, and help to get into the right sense—in fact, the more ostentatious the better. mindset at the start of each session. Profile Intro Dangerzone After you created your characters, don’t just CallSign Play the first 80 seconds (up to the guitar solo) introduce them to your fellow players like you of the song Dangerzone from the Top Gun normally would. Instead, turn the introduction The callsign is a nickname that expresses how movie soundtrack. Stand together in a circle into a social media vid or 80is TV-series intro your character sees their own true nature as a and high-five each other every time the refrain where your characters presents themselves to pilot or how their fellow squadron members see phrase “Dangerzone” comes up. Or, if you play their interstellar followers. the character. When a Jockey takes too long to it online, high five your screen. pick a callsign or the callsign does not seem to Name Dropping fit, it is often given by the fellow pilots and it’s often unflattering. In the full game, there will Arm-Wrestling Let the player to your left pick your name— also be a nano game to help you find a good Get together in pairs—if you have an uneven after all, you’re parents didn’t ask you either, callsign, but for now just invent one, or pick one number of players, the GQ (Gamequeen, as the and you’ll can always pick a nickname: from this list: GM is called in this game) joins the fray. Then Alton, Alvis, Amos, Arjun, Artura, Bail, Croge, toss a coin to decide up front who wins. Now Ardbeg; Bacon; Blank Stare; Eyegle; Garuda; Davin, Diania, Dimi, Dyer, Ezra, Fenn, Frony, get into the mindset of fighter pilots in space, Candy; CAPSLOCK; Chestnut; Cloudburst; Gared, Grisi, Gwen, Hella, Hoban, Inara, Innis, unabashedly showing off their awesomeness by Crimson; Icarus; Kami; Maddog; Marauder; Jana, Jase, Juany, Kal, Kaylee, Ketsu, Khala, arm wrestling (go all in on the toxic stereotypes Maverick; Oida; Photon; Polaroid; Popsicle; Kora, Lissa, Lursa, Mara, Mase, Mila, Nerva, here). Princess; Putzi; Prophet; Silence; Spin; Nyx, Petev, Portia, Raha, Rilia, Ryna, Ryo, Stargazer; Suckerbum; Switch; Yokai; Violet; Sabine, Sato, Shaddid, Shed, Siana, Søre, trashtalk Vortex; Wendigo Tania, Tano, Taro, Terey, Tilia, Ursa, Yalena, Get together in pairs and stand back to back. Zoë If you have an uneven number of players, the GQ joins the fray. Start a timer for 60 seconds,

Setting 8 //Rules //Aspects concept If you wish, you may create a few more aspects. from your past? A useful cyber-implant? Or do These aspects detail further facets of your you have an NPC Pillion on-board your ship? Your Concept is a phrase that sums up what character, so if you prefer, you can leave any your character is about—who they are and what Examples: The Photo of My Sister; Sprite of them blank right now and fill them in later, they do. It’s the most important Aspect of your Airbrush of The Space Acrobat’s Guild; Medal after the game has started. character, and should tie into your Playbook. of Honor From The Gemini Wars; Direct Cyber-Link Connection For Lighting Reflexes; Questions: Who are you, and what makes you Chopper Spitfire—My Tail Gunner And Best Friend different? Are you a veteran Commander who’s Your Chopper is an integral part of yourself. It’s disillusioned? An ex-con Hot Shot who doesn’t your home, your familiar, and your best friend, talk about his past? Or something different? all rolled into one. a good Aspect is... Examples: Ex-Con-Flypal; Disillusioned Double edged: They offer a clear benefit, while Questions: What type of starfighter do you Commander; Hot Shot and Sharpshooter; also providing opportunities to be used to their fly, and what’s special about it? An agile Media-shy tinkerer; Top-Gun-Sozius detriment. interceptor? A heavy gunship? Nearly invisible? toxicity Or something different? Says more than one thing: Overlap across categories, because than you have more ways to Examples: Agile Sabre-A25 Interceptor; In addition to a Concept, every character has bring them into play. MOG-550 Overlord Brings in The Big Guns; My some sort of Toxicity Aspect. It’s a part of their Gunship is The Only One Who Understands me; Concise & clearly phrased: If no one knows life and story, complicating their existence. TAN.OS AI on Board; Tactical Bomber “Rapier” what it means, it won’t get used enough. Avoid Questions: What stops you from being a good Without Speed Limit metaphors and implications. wingman? Your trigger-happy ego? Do you About What Matters & Why: This is your value likes more than bros? Too eager to taste Lucky Charm primary compass to choosing the best possible your own drugs? Or something different? A lucky charm might be just that. Or it’s a Aspect: what do we really care about here, and Examples: All Too Trigger-Happy; Likes stand-in for something or someone, which why? Are More Important Than Bros; A Taste saved your ass countless times. Varied: Avoid all Aspects describing the same of Skywards; I Tolerate Just One Opinion: Question: What is your lucky charm and why? kind of thing. Look at what your other aspects Mine; Life Must Fit Into The Soundtrack; A photo of a loved one? Or did you put a paint describe and pick something new or different. Mansplaining Smartass job on the nose of your Chopper? Is it a thing

Rules 10 //Skills cockpit action represents your character’s general level of mental fortitude, and their capability to resist These are Skills every character should have on These are Skills characters will mostly use Stress. Jockeys with good Nerves are often seen some level, else you have no place in a Chopper. outside their Choppers. Characters can get by as cool as ice. Gunnery: Fire mounted autocannons and without them, but if the plot is action-driven, missiles on board of a Chopper or the battery they’ll be relegated to support roles when the smarts turrets of a capital ship. Gunnery is the Skill going gets tough. These Skills are useful no matter whether you you need when you want to get kills to become Athletic: Represents your character’s general are in the cockpit or on the ground. If your a renowned Ace. However, you use Gunnery level of physical fitness, whether through character has most of them, it also reflects only for the big, mounted guns. Competence training, natural gifts, or cyber-augmentation. on their learned nature, instead of being a with handheld firearms, melee weapons and in It’s how good you are at moving your body, hands-on guy. fist fights is covered by the Fight Skill. and at showing off its strength and endurance. Scan: Rates your perceptiveness and awareness Pilot: Fly crazy Stunts and evade attacks Many Jockeys have this Skill on some level as for minor details on one hand and your with your Chopper or any other vehicle. Pilot zero-g tetherball is extremely popular among ability to dig up information on the other. In a is essential to survive space combats and to Chopper gangs. Chopper it is used to correctly interpret sensor impress your followers on social media. With Fight: This rates your capability in all matters data and detect enemy ships. A Scan roll can this Skill you also navigate Highways. Someone combat outside of a cockpit. Hand-to-hand, represent everything from a single glance to with high ranking in Pilot would be appreciated including everything from close quarter minutes or hours of work. Someone with a all over the Datanet and would inspire the bare-knuckle to zero-g wrestling. Shooting, high Scan rating might be a natural prodigy in classification of aerial Stunts after his name. with everything from small firearms to heavy putting together data. Tactics: A Jockey may be an expert pilot rail-rifles. Melee combat, covering all from Security: Covers your character’s aptitude or crack-shot with their guns, but they will blades and clubs, to stunners, and thrown for getting into places that are off-limits and never become an Ace pilot or survive a lot of grenades. Someone who is skilled in Fight doing things you shouldn’t. This includes a dogfights without Tactics. You can use Tactics might hold a high rank in a formal martial art, proficiency in related tech, hacking security to bring yourself in an optimal position during be a big, intimidating brawler, or study swords- systems, disabling alarm systems, and a dogfight or to get a firing solution, to identify manship or sport fencing. whatnot. Someone with a high Security rating and seize opportunities and to coordinate with Nerves: Lets you keep your cool under will always know more than they should, and your wingpals. A master in Tactics would be pressure, to resist the urge to skirt or rush have an aura of secrecy. the perfect veteran queen of a squadron. head-on into a fight after being provoked. It

Rules 11 Stealth: Allows you to avoid detection. jerk” Skill. To use Provoke, you need some kind it. Someone with a high Likes rating is very Both when hiding and trying to move about of justification: you hacked their Chopper’s popular (at least for the moment), or an unseen, inside and out of the cockpit. People comms or discovered their true intentions with outright famous and recognized celebrity (with with a high Stealth Skill know how to move Empathy. a high base rating). deliberately and quietly. Rapport: Is all about making positive You can use Likes to create advantages and Tech: Use it to repair or tinker with Choppers, connections to people and eliciting positive overcome problems that relate to influence. use the onboard computer systems, or adjust emotions. It’s the Skill of being liked and This way, Likes replace the Skills Contacts and its energy configuration. It also covers trusted. A queen might use it to motivate Resources of Fate Core. everything from mechanics to engineering, their squadron and Influencer might use it for cybernetics, and nanotech. Tinkerers as wells creating Likes or for successful negotiations. as engineers and scientist will have a high Empathy: Involves knowing and being able to Actions A C O D rating in Technology. spot changes in a person’s mood or bearing. It Gunnery ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ social may also be used to create advantages which relate to predict a Jockey’s strategy during a Pilot ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ These Skills are useful when interacting with dogfight, as long as the character knows them Tactics ✠ ✠ people and trying to get the most out of social in person. This Skill is not very common among Athletics ✠ ✠ ✠ media. Pick them to flesh out your characters egomaniac fighter pilots. It cannot be selected Fight ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ concept and try to distribute them among the during character creation, but must be learned Nerves ✠ ✠ ✠ group, so everyone has a different opportunity by advancements during the game. to shine. Scan ✠ ✠ Likes Security ✠ ✠ ✠ Deceive: This is about lying to and ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ misdirecting people. Use this as an opportunity Each Jockey has an abstract Like rating, Stealth ✠ ✠ to create a story with other people. You can’t representing several thousands of favs, likes Tech force them to act contrary to their nature, or followers on the Datanet. Which, in turn, is Deceive ✠ ✠ ✠ but you can provide them an interesting a stand in for the transient kind of attention Provoke ✠ ✠ ✠ opportunity to describe how you get your from the masses — your reccuring 15 minutes Rapport ✠ ✠ ✠ advantage. Someone with a high rating in of fame. Empathy ✠ ✠ Deceive might be an expert weaver of plots. Likes can be used in the same way as a Skill Likes ✠ ✠ ✠ ✠ Provoke: Get someone’s dander up and (although their rating varies during a session) eliciting negative emotional response from that describe your character’s general level them—fear, anger, shame, etc. It’s the “being a of influence in the world and ability to apply

Rules 12 //STUNTS //Milestones Chopper Mods Advances Jockey Creation Use the Playbooks Automatic Repair System: Once in a dogfight, When you marked 5 XP, you gain an advance. Choose Playbook: spend a Fate point to reduce the severity of a Do all of the following: 1 Name in your High Concept. Chopper-related Consequence by one level, or Decide on High Concept 1. SKILLS: Buy a new one at Average (+1) Define Aspects: get rid of a Mild Consequence completely. OR advance an existing Skill 2 and Toxicity right away. Pick the others during play, when they come up. Cloaking Emitters: +2 on Stealth roles to 2. ASPECTS: Change one (if you wish to) conceal the presence of your Chopper. 3. BENEFITS: Save your advances, or spend it Pick Skills: Your Playbook will offer you choices to populate one Skill each Decoy Flares: +2 on Pilot when evading [1] Gain +1 Permanent Like 3 missiles. (max Provoke +2) at: Great, Good, Fair & Average. Pick the remaining one Fair and two Average Skills Gunship: The heavy autocannons of your [2] Gain +1 Refresh during play, when they become relevant. starfighter deal 1 additional Stress with each [2] Gain new Stunt from Playbook, attack. Miscellaneous: Determine Stress Gangbook, or Chopper Mods 4 (2 + Nerves/2). Note down base Likes (1) Interference: Creating sensor-related [3] New Stunt from another Playbook and Refresh (3). advantages such as Target Locked against you Choose Gangbook: As a group, decide are at +2. Generic XP Triggers 5 which type of Gang you are playing. Shiny Armor: Your Chopper ignores 1 level of Mark XP when: Determine the Gang Aspects together. Stress when attacked physically. ✠✠ Your Toxicity Aspect is compelled. Pick Stunts: Select 1 Stunt from your Smuggling Compartments: You can conceal ✠✠ You work together as a team. 6 Play- & Gangbook each. Pick the Chopper a cubic meter worth of goods in your Chopper, Mod Stunt during play. which cannot be detected by any scanners. Dare to Fly: Pick a Name, Callsign and Tactical AI: You can use Technology instead after 5 kills, put Ace in your High Concept. of Tactics for positioning yourself on the 7 maneuver screen. For one-shots, character creation changes in two ways: Don’t choose a Gangbook, and pick a Chopper Mod DIY: Design your own Chopper mod or Jockey Stunt instead of a Gangbook Stunt. cyberware Stunt.

Rules 13 //Combat actions duels Dogfights At the beginning of the ATTACK (Gunnery): Make an attack against When you have a duel, roll your highest cockpit Position: a ship at your level or below on the maneuver Skill, but keep the result hidden. 1 engagement or when you switch zones, place your ship on the maneuver screen. screen. Attack a large target, such as a capital Once both participants have done so, they start ✠ ship, space station, asteroid hideout, planetary a bidding war. Take turns to wager any amount ✠ If your ship is yet undetected, give it base, or similar. A tie grants a Boost. of Likes or Fate points you have available. the Undetected Aspect. ✠✠ If your ship is huge or switching CREATE ADVANTAGE: Use different Skills At any point, instead of raising your wager, to create different advantages, like Sun In The zones, place it in the Transit section. you can fold and concede the victory to your ✠✠ Else take an overcome action with Back (Tactics), Target Acquired (Technology), opponent, or call their bluff. Crazy Zig-Zag Pattern (Pilot), etc. Tactics. Place your ship on the When called, both duelists have to reveal their resulting number (or lower, DEFEND (Pilot): Use this action to avoid an roll’s result: if you wish). attack, or prevent someone from creating an ✠ advantage against you. ✠ The winner gets 2 Likes, even if this exceeds Action: While engaged in a dogfight, each their Likes limit. pilot gets one action per exchange: Attack, Use different Skills to negate 2 OVERCOME: ✠✠ The loser is stripped of all Likes and Fate Create Advantage, Focus, Overcome, or Aspects, dock your ship, shake off a tail, etc. points waged. Switch Zone (you can always Defend). FOCUS (Tactics): Roll Tactics against your Descend: All characters that didn’t Focus tailing position on the maneuver screen. On a success, 3 this exchange, move down one level on the you rise 2 positions; on a tie rise 1; on a success When you are positioned above your target on maneuver screen. After that, start the next with style rise 3. Or, roll against their Tactics the maneuver screen and decide to sink to a exchange. Skill to push an opponent below you down. position just above them, you can try to create SWITCH ZONES: Only take this action if you the advantage On Their Tail. Pilots and their ships are one. Any damage dealt goes to are in the Transit slot on the maneuver screen. the pilot’s Stress boxes or Consequences (the later can be Make a comparing Pilot roll. If you succeed, shared with the Pillion). Afterwards, position yourself in the new zone you get one additional free invoke and stay one This also means that if you get taken out and your ship and do not descend at the end of this round. If level above your target as long as you wish and is destroyed, you will have to change your Chopper someone is on your tail, they can follow you to the Aspect remains in play. Character Aspect with the next Advance. the next zone in the slot above yours. Skirting from a dogfight is also done with a switching of zones. Rules 14 Example: Most of the bros celebrate the and expert hacking attempts. Before they //scenarios victory, find some snack or fight over some are tracked down and killed one by one, Need a simple scheme to quickly improvise trouble during the last run, but one of them the Jockeys have to survive the encounter, a story for a one shot adventure? Just follow compels the Toxicity Aspect Curiosity Kills investigate the origin of the AI Ace to find these steps! The Cat and opens the cryostasis-container, a weak spot, and come back well prepared. unleashing a crazed cyborg. Where did this space fighter come from and Let the players create their characters who is behind its sudden appearance? 1 (page 13). Make sure that they introduce Use the maneuver screen for a final themselves with an Profile-Intro (see page 5 spaceborn confrontation resulting from Dead President (Mercenaries/Smugglers) the complications before. We recommend 8) to start right into the action. A drive-by shooting (with a tactical warhead) to use two zones. Attack a capital ship, Use a Chopper Duell (page 14) for handling kills the gang’s president. Someone inside the fight an Ace pilot, protect a transport a first dogfight with corp pilots, pirates or base must have given away their location and 2 shuttle before it reaches a Highway entry a rival gang. the sergeant-at-arms seems to suspect one of point, defend your home base, etc. the PCs. Who is really behind it? Will the PCs Example: The characters were hired for After defeating the cyborg, it fight to see their squadron at the top of the new disabling and boarding a cargo vessel after Example: becomes clear that it hacked the base’s hierarchy within the gang, or revenge the dead taking out the corp-fighter escort. A duell with systems, switched off all defenses and gave president? their squad leader settles the matter. away the position of the gang base to a rival Charity Run (for Specters and Entertainers) Ask your players to introduce a compli- squadron. The Jockeys must defend their base 3 cation in the aftermath of the action: against incoming starfighters. The gang was hired by a group of independent some loot falling into their hands, some colonists of the moon Sagreslan III to fight dangerous demand from a sponsor, or Sample Scenarios against the claim of Hadronic Inc., who wants maybe they made a powerful enemy. to drive them out to have direct access to Aces In Space is perfectly suited to play to find mining resources. The noble cause of the Example: Once back at base, the gang out what happens, but if you want some more charity run milks a lot of likes and credibility checks the cargo. One of the players suggests guidance for your first one-shot, here you go. on social media. But as the gang gets to that they find a strange cryostasis-container AI von Richthofen (for all Gang types) successfully intercepting cooperate bombers in addition to the expected tech. During a run, the squadron encounters one of and infiltration teams, they get a call from their Introduce some grounded gang life: the last surviving (and infamously outlawed) main sponsor to pull back or lose the contract. meeting the deck crew in the base, a rival 4 artificial intelligences, infused into the systems Why is their sponsor involved in this? And to gang at a Jockey bar, or some contacts at of a Chopper. A deadly giveaway are ace-level which side will the PCs pledge their loyalty? the spa. Compelling Character Aspects can piloting, extremely high-G maneuvers, get the PCs into serious trouble.

Rules 15 //Playbooks //flypal Each gang member is a pilot, but only the Skills Flypal is born to fly. They are an expert in Choose one at Great (+4) and the other at Good flight control, Stunt maneuvering, space (+3): PILOT or NERVES. navigation and highway routing. Pick this Choose one at Fair (+2) and the other at Average Playbook if you want to perform daredevil (+1): GUNNERY or TACTICS. barrel rolls and crazy loops. Media examples: Han Solo, Hoban “Wash” Stunts Washburne, Maria “Photon” Rambeau WINGS OF GLORY (Pilot): You can use Pilot instead of Tactics for positioning yourself on the maneuver screen. LEAF ON THE WIND (Pilot): +2 to overcome obstacles on the flightpath such as asteroid fields, flak fire or maneuvering through the core of a space station. KAMIKAZE (Nerves): Once in a space fight, you can use Nerves instead of Gunnery to attack an opponent (e.g. by ramming them, or hit them with the afterburners).

Experience Mark XP when you: ✠✠ Fly a ridiculously crazy maneuver. ✠✠ Damage a bandit without weapons.

I choose to fly, no matter the cost. I can’t “explain. I just need to be up there, because even when there are explosions all around me, and things are at their worst, I feel like I’m at my best. ” Playbooks 17 //HOTSHOT For the Hotshot, dogfight victories are all Skills what counts. They are an expert for operating Choose one at Great (+4) and the other at Good small arms, autocannons, as well as targeting (+3): GUNNERY or FIGHT. missiles and torpedoes. Pick this Playbook if Choose one at Fair (+2) and the other at Average you want to be head and shoulders above the (+1): PILOT or TACTICS. enemy—in space and on the ground. Media examples: Kara “Starbuck” Thrace, Stunts Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Poe “Black 9G TURN (Gunnery): Once per conflict, climb Leader” Dameron two positions on the maneuver screen and attack. TRENCH RUN (Gunnery): +2 on large target strikes. KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT (Fight): +2 on fight for attacks on close quarters.

Experience Mark XP when you: ✠✠ Defeat a major NPC in a dogfight. ✠✠ Deal damage while not taking cover.

That was some of the best flying you‘ve seen to“ date, right, bro? Right up to the part where I almost got myself killed! ” Playbooks 18 //COMMANDER Forming a team out of the egos of fighter Skills pilots is like herding cats. But the Wing Choose one at Great (+4) and the other at Good Commander is up for the job. They are an (+3): TACTICS or RAPPORT. expert for mission planning, group coordi- Choose one at Fair (+2) and the other at Average nation, and reacting on threats. Pick this (+1): GUNNERY or PILOT. Playbook if you want to take responsi- bility for the tactical guidance. Stunts Media examples: Lee “Apollo” Adama, KOBENI-COBRA (Tactics): Switch position Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane, Hera on the maneuver screen with someone one “Phoenix Leader” Syndulla position above you, even they are On Your Tail. You get the Aspect On Their Tail with one free invocation. Using this Stunt costs 1 Fate point. WATCH YOUR SIX (Tactics): Spend a Fate point to roll tactics after someone in your squadron suffers Stress or Consequences in a space fight to reduce this damage. WINGPAL (Rapport): +2 on Rapport for creating advantages using motivational speeches or lifting up your comrades.

Experience Mark XP when you: ✠✠ Coordinate the gang. ✠✠ Complete a task or assignment for your superior/sponsor/client.

No time to chat, pals, we’ve got four Bandits “closing in! How about a little less attitude and a little more altitude? ” Playbooks 19 //INFLUENCER Style can be as important as substance. Skills Datanet Followers and social media are Choose one at Great (+4) and the other at Good a viable resource for the gang, and the (+3): PROVOKE or PILOT. Influencer is taking care of it. They are an Choose one at Fair (+2) and the other at Average expert for viral content, mission (+1): DECEIVE or TACTICS. negotiations, and finding gigs on the Datanet. Pick Stunts this Playbook if you want to be GRAMSTAR (Provoke): +2 when performing the face of the a soliloquy for your social media audience to gang – looking generate Likes. more for likes than kills. MOCKERY HACK (Provoke): You can attack your enemy with Provoke instead of Gunnery, Media examples: Tempelton ”Faceman” Peck, Inara Serra, even if they use private comm frequencies or Gaius Baltar you don’t know the Jockey inside the Chopper. TROLL BRIGADE (Likes): When you successfully use create advantage with Likes, you get one more free invoke.

Experience Mark XP when you: ✠✠ Get at least two Likes. ✠✠ Play two sides against each other without their knowledge.

I’ve seen tweets you people wouldn’t believe. “Hell replies on fire off the shoulder of Insta. I watched F-hearts glitter in the dark near the Hashtagger Gate. All those retweets will be lost in time like tears in rain. Time to post. ” Playbooks 20 //PHANTOM Sometimes a job requires a subtle approach. Skills The Phantom is the kind of gang member Choose one at Great (+4) and the other at Good to carry it out. They are an expert for ECM, (+3): STEALTH or SCAN. tracking, and stealth operations. Pick this Choose one at Fair (+2) and the other at Average Playbook if you want to strike from the (+1): PILOT or TACTICS. shadows – hit and run style. Media examples: Chiggy Von Stunts Richthofen, The Stig, Scar the HIDDEN STRIKE (Stealth): You can attack Cylon with Stealth instead of Gunnery when Undetected. HIDE & SEEK (Stealth): +2 on Stealth to create an advantage while hiding asteroids, debris fields, or wracks. DEEP SCAN (Investigate): +2 to overcome rolls with investigate to detect cloaked bogeys.

Experience Mark XP when you: ✠✠ Strike or scan a target unnoticed. ✠✠ Get in close and solve a problem personally, instead of remotely.

There is a greater darkness than the one we fight.“ It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The future is all around us, waiting to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future. We know only that it is always born in pain. ” Playbooks 21 //TINKERER Bullets, asteroids, crash landings; aside from Skills the deck crew, someone has to Choose one at Great (+4) and the other at Good take care of the gang’s Choppers. (+3): TECH or SECURITY. The Tinkerer does this and Choose one at Fair (+2) and the other at Average more. They are an expert (+1): PILOT or GUNNERY. for modifications, engines, systems and energy Stunts management. Pick this Playbook if you want ENERGY REFOCUS (Technology): You to pimp your Chopper gain +2 to create an advantage representing with state of the art adjusting the energy output of your Chopper hardware. systems for a certain task. Cyber-aug- Media examples: Katie POWERBANK (Technology): “Pidge” Holt, Rose Tico, mented limbs allow you to roll Technology Kaywinnet Lee “Kaylee” instead of Athletics to perform acts of force. Frye DATA ACCESS (Security): +2 to create an advantage representing that you have the blueprints of a building or spaceship or similar data at hand. Describe how you got this blueprints in the past.

Experience Mark XP when you: ✠✠ Repair or build something important. ✠✠ Willingly enter a dangerous situation Maybe someday our own ‘maker’ will come without precautions. …“ haul us away, take us apart, and announce the recall of a defective product. Is there a difference to a machine, if all that’s left of the ‘real us’ is just a couple of lonely brain cells? ” Playbooks 22 //PILLION Not all pilots are lone wolfs. Some Choppers Skills run with a crew of two. The Pillion Choose one at Great (+4) and the other at Good complements their pilot in a symbiotic team. (+3): GUNNERY or TECH. They are co-pilots or gunners, responsible Choose one at Fair (+2) and the other at Average for turrets, sensors, or surveillance. Pick (+1): SCAN or TACTICS. this Playbook if you want to team up with another character and share a Chopper. Stunts Media examples: Chewbacca, Nick „Goose” TAIL GUNNER (Gunnery): When you shot at Bradshaw, Michael Collins a bandit On The Tail of Your pilot, you deal an additional Mild Consequence on a hit. POINT-DEFENSE (Gunnery): You can use your Gunnery Skill instead of the Pilot Skill of your pilot to defend against incoming missiles. BROMANCE (Technology): When you create a target locked or similar advantage, each member of the squadron can use it to fire missiles. It also has one additional free invoke.

experience Mark XP when you: ✠✠ Create an advantage in a dogfight without directly interacting with the bandit’s ships. ✠✠ Complete a task or assignment from your pilot on the ground. I can fix that ... “I’ m trying transferring auxiliary power to the secondary tank! When that blows, there will be pieces of us over three different systems. Ah, never mind. I bypassed the compressor. ” Playbooks 23 //gangTyPEs //ENTERTAINERS Others have a job, you have fame. Whatever Aspects Stunts people call you today, your bills are paid by Base: What is your base of operation. Some BIG SPONSOR (Likes): Because your sponsor a sponsor, or maybe many sponsors, and station inside an asteroid? An old starfighter is extraordinary generous or powerful, every you’re slaves to their whims. Your Choppers carrier? A space casino? Or something Jockey with this Stunt can support a Likes roll are nimble, with powerful engines and fancy different? to acquire an asset with a bonus of two, instead guns, designed more for maneuverability and of the usual one. Enemy: Who is the biggest enemy of your looks, than for any serious military work. gang? Another gang? A mega-corp? Or FLIGHT FORMATION (Pilot): The coordi- Your most priced equipment, however, is a something different? nation of spectacular flight actions (e.g. by stable and broadband Datanet link. creating advantages for gang mates) generate Structure: Does your gang consist of more one additional Like, as long as all involved than one squadron? Who is the Gang’s Jockeys have this Stunt. leader? SHITSTORM (Likes): After a space fight, your Patron: Who is your main sponsor? squadron can attack one surviving opponent using the number of Jockeys with this Stunt and at least two Likes as a Skill rating. This is possible before a fight if the target is known beforehand.

Experience Mark XP when: ✠✠ Every character gets a Like this session. ✠✠ You promote your sponsor in a major way.

Gang Sheets 25 //MERCENARIES Your specialty is extermination. Whether Aspects Stunts you blow up things planetside, or attack Base: What is your base of operation. Some WOLF’S PACK (Gunnery): When at least two larger targets like space stations and capital station inside an asteroid? An old starfighter members of your gang have this Stunt, you can ships. Rarely, your clients ask for more carrier? A space casino? Or something spend each others’ Fate points (if all agree to it) subtlety, to bring back a missing person that different? to invoke Situation Aspects in dogfights. needs a bit of convincing, or an item whose Enemy: Who is the biggest enemy of your AIR FULL OF BULLETS (Gunnery or Fight): current owner is reluctant to part with. Your gang? Another gang? A mega-corp? Or When creating the advantage Suppression Fire Choppers do not fuzz around either. Heavily something different? to support your gang mates, each additional armored, with massive autocannons, and Jockey with this Stunt can take 1 Stress to excellent sensors when it comes to locking Structure: Does your gang consist of more grant one additional free invocation. onto targets. than one squadron? Who is the Gang’s leader? MOST WANTED (Provoke): Because of your notoriety, when you use Provoke to create an Armament: Why do you have superior advantage among criminals, outlaws, and other firepower? denizens of the underworld, each gang mate with this Stunt can take 1 Stress to add 1 free invocation to the Aspect created.

Experience Mark XP when: ✠✠ Every character gets a kill this session. ✠✠ Your gang destroys a capital ship.

Gang Sheets 26 //SMUGGLERS Some call you a legit business, others prefer Aspects Stunts names like dealer and blockade runner. Base: What is your base of operation. Some BIG BUSINESS PARTNERS: For every Fate In truth, the fringe of space isn’t very station inside an asteroid? An old starfighter point spent (each Jockey with this Stunt can profitable, so your crew is mostly looking carrier? A space casino? Or something invest), get a capital ship for backup: The size to do odd jobs and small thefts for your different? depends on the number of Fate points. customers. Your Choppers are equipped Enemy: Who is the biggest enemy of your UNDERWORLD CONTACTS (Rapport): Once to get to places they’re not supposed to go gang? Another gang? A mega-corp? Or per session, you can define critical information and carry things they shouldn’t. False ship something different? for your current situation. For every Fate point papers, fake transponders, and hidden cargo spent (each Jockey with this Stunt can invest), spaces are more important to you than fancy Structure: Does your gang consist of more gain one additional information. Describe in a maneuverability. than one squadron? Who is the Gang’s leader? flashback how you got this information. Contraband: What illicit goods do you Because you specialize in? MARKET SAVVY (Likes): are masters of buying low and selling high, whenever you use Likes to create an advantage that represents the acquisition of trade goods or valuable commodities, each Jockey with this Stunt can take 1 Stress to get an additional free invocation on this Aspect.

Experience Mark XP when: ✠✠ Every character created an advantage outside the cockpit this session. ✠✠ You bargain a major deal.

Gang Sheets 27 //SPECTers Some of you still have a code of ethics, and Aspects Stunts you fight the system with a rebel yell. Others Base: What is your base of operation. Some SNEAK OUT: All Choppers with this Stunt work as hired assassins or data snatchers. But station inside an asteroid? An old starfighter can sit in the Transit section of the maneuver all of you know how to be ghosts, striking carrier? A space casino? Or something screen without being attacked—as long as from the vast emptiness of space and different? there is at least one wingpal left in the fight to hiding in the bowels of their space stations. distract the opposition. Structure: Who is the biggest enemy of Your Choppers are invisible to sensors your gang? Another gang? A mega-corp? Or ALL AT YOUR SIX (Tactics): For the first and unremarkable to the eye, with enough something different? Tactics roll during a conflict to evaluate your processing power to hack any Datanet feed position on the maneuver screen, move all you find. Enemy: Does your gang consist of more than Choppers with this Stunt to the position of the one squadron? Who is the Gang’s leader? highest roll. Concealment: How do you cover up your You may operations? EVASIVE TRAINING (Stealth): defend with Stealth against Gunnery or Fight

attacks, as long as you have suffered no Stress or Consequences during the current conflict.

Experience Mark XP when: ✠✠ The whole squadron escaped a run without being traced. ✠✠ You carry out a successful assault or theft operation.

Gang Sheets 28

Name, Callsign & Pronouns & Callsign Name, /

/ Name, Callsign & Pronouns / Playbook

/ ASPECTS / Stunts CONCEPT PLAYBOOK STUNT

TOXICITY

CHOPPER MOD CHOPPER

LUCKY CHARM GANG STUNT

FREE

/ Skills

SUPERB (+5)

GREAT (+4)

GOOD (+3)

FAIR (+2)

AVERAGE (+1)

/ Social Media / stress / Consequences KILLS REFRESH 1 2 2 4

LIKES 6

/ Advancement / Vibes / Notes EXPERIENCE ADVANCES – | +

– | +

– | + TRIGGERS – | + Your Toxicity is compelled – | + You work together as a team – | +

– | +

– | +

– | + / Gang Name

/ Type / Notes

/ ASPECTS BASE

STRUCTURE

ENEMY

FREE

/ Gang Name

/ Type / Notes

/ ASPECTS BASE

STRUCTURE

ENEMY

FREE

4 – 3 8 – 7 6 – 5

7 – 8 5 – 6 3 – 4

3 6 – 5 4 – 8 – 7

7 – 8 5 – 6 3 – 4

transit 2 – 1 0 ≤

1 – 2 ≤ 0 transit

transit 0 ≤ 2 – 1

1 – 2 ≤ 0 transit