TEXT: LUCA A.VOLPINO
  DARE THE STARS!
  THE FUTURE AS IT ONCE WAS
  
  FOREWORD
  I often say that White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying isn’t my game. 
  It belongs to everyone. That’s why it was released with a free third party publishing 
  license. White Star belongs to all of us – players, referees, creators. I just happened to 
  be the guy who wrote the first book for it. 
  It’s pretty clear to anyone who has read White Star that it was heavily influenced 
  and inspired by the pulp sci-fi films and fiction of the 1970s. Dare the Stars takes 
  White Star and, while holding firmly to those pulp sensibilities, takes the game 
  back even further.
  The pulp magazines and comic strips of the 1930s and 1940s are splashed across every 
  page of this book and it’s clear that the game’s creator wanted to evoke that feel in the 
  same way White Star has its own subtle feel.
  So, strap on your jetpack, put on your bubble helmet space suit and charge up your 
  ray gun! There’s a galaxy of thrilling heroics out there for those brave few who are 
  willing to Dare the Stars!
  James M. Spahn
  Creator of
  White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying
  1
  James M. Spahn
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  2
  Baed on White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying
  Created by James M. Spahn
  WRITTEN BY
  Luca A. Volpino
  COVER ART
  Emanuele Manfredi
  INTERIOR ART
  Fernanda Cecchini
  Stefano Chiesa
  Giovanni Luisi
  JEShields
  Luigi Castellani
  Maciej Zagorski (The Forge Studios)
  Vic Torian
  Chris Rallis (1Man Studios)
  Some artwork copyright Art of War Games, used with permission
  Some artwork Copyright ©2013 Steve Miller. Used Under License
  Some artwork in this book is ©2005 Team Frog Studios. Used by permission
  Icons by gameicons.net, some of them modified by Vic Torian
  EDITING
  Fran Terminiello
  LAYOUT & INTERIOR DESIGN
  Wild Boar Games Studio
  SPECIAL THANKS TO
  Jason Paul McCartan (InfiniBadger Press); Luca Tarenzi (The Shaman’s Hut); The G+ White Star™ Community
  PUBLISHED BY
  Wild Boar Games
  www.wildboar.it
  CREDITS
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  3
  FOREWORD 
  1
  INTRODUCTION 
   
   
  7
  ROLEPLAYING? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  8
  CHAPTER ONE: CHARACTER CREATION                                                                                                                                 11
  Attributes  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   11
  Rolling   dice 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   11
  Universal Attribute Bonus  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   13
  Starting Credits 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   13
  CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTER CLASSES                                                                               15
  Reading the Classes 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   15
  Adventurous Noble 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   17
  Android 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   18
  Brave Soldier 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   19
  Clever Scientist 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   20
  Daring Explorer 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   21
  Wise Spacer 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   22
  Simple Alien Player Characters 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   24
  CHAPTER THREE: MONEY AND EQUIPMENT  
  25
  Credits and Change 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   25
  Starting Equipment 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   25
  Standard Gear 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   26
  Melee Weapons 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   28
  Missile/Ranged Weapons  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   29
  Armor and Shields  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   30
  Calculating Armor Class 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   31
  Equipment Weight  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   32
  Starships and Vehicles 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   32
  Getting a Spaseship                                                                                                                     33
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  4
  CHAPTER FOUR: PLAYING THE GAME   
   
   
   
   
   
  39
  Measuring Game Time 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   39
  Saving Throws 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   39
  Surprise 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   39
  Concealed and Secret Doors 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   39
  Movement Rate 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   40
  Gaining Experience  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   40
  Assistants and Followers  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   41
  Hiring Assistants 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   41
  Followers by Character Class 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   42
  Assistants Descriptions 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   43
  CHAPTER FIVE: PERSONAL COMBAT  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   45
  The Combat Round  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   45
  Determining Initiative 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   45
  The Attack Roll 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   45
  Melee Attack 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   46
  Missile Attack  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   46
  Negotiation and Diplomacy 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   46
  Critical Hits and Fumbles  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   46
  Insights and Psychic Powers 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   47
  Invisible Opponents 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   47
  Movement  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   47
  Morale 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   47
  Damage and Death  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   47
  Healing 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   47
  First Aid  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   47
  CHAPTER SIX: STARSHIP COMBAT  
   
   
  49
  The Combat Round  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   49
  Determining Initiative 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   49
  The Attack Roll 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   49
  Missile Attacks 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   50
  Cloaked Starships  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   50
  Movement  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   50
  Damage and Destruction  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   50
  Repairing Starships  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   50
  Purchasing a Starship and Hiring a Crew  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   50
  Starship Statistics  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   50
  Weapons       
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   57
  Modifications 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   58
  Experience for Starship Combat 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   59
  Space Travel 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   59
  Ghostjump  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   60
  Unknown Space 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   61
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN: VEHICLES 
   
   
   
   
  63
  The Combat Round  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   63
  Determining Initiative 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   63
  The Attack Roll 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   63
  Missile Attacks 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   64
  Movement  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   64
  Damage and Destruction  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   64
  Repairing Vehicles  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   64
  Purchasing a Vehicle 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   64
  Vehicle Statistics 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   65
  Vehicle Modifications 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   70
  Experience for Vehicle Combat 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   70
  CHAPTER EIGHT: INSIGHTS AND ALIEN POWERS  
   
   
   
  71
  Gaining Insights 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   71
  Using Insights 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   71
  Insights: 
   
  Rank 1  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   72
   
   
   
  Rank 2  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   72
   
   
   
  Rank 3  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   72
   
   
   
  Rank 4  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   73
   
   
   
  Rank 5  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   73
   
   
   
  Rank 6  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   73
  Alien Powers: 
  Rank 1  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   74
   
   
   
  Rank 2  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   74
   
   
   
  Rank 3  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   75
   
   
   
  Rank 4  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   75
  CHAPTER NINE: THE UNIVERSE 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   77
  The Progenitors 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   77
  The War of Shadows 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   78
  A New Era  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   78
  The Aleph Theocracy and the Colonies 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   78
  Birth of the Compact 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   78
  Peoples and Places  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   79
   
  The Solar Compact 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   79
   
  The Independent Colonies  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   80
   
  The Aleph Theocracy 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   81
   
  The Empire of the Wolf 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   81
   
  Alien Races 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   82
  A Chronology of Space Exploration 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   83
  DARE THE STARS!
  5
  
  CHAPTER TEN: ALIENS AND CREATURES  
   
   
   
   
   
  85
  Aliens and Creatures To-Hit Rolls  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   85
  Aliens as NPCs 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   85
  Reading Alien and Creature Entries 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   86
  Alien Descriptions  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   88
  Creature Descriptions 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   95
  Better Aliens and Creatures 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   99
  CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE REFEREE 
   
  101
  Refereeing the game 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   101
  Session, Adventure, Campaign, Game 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   101
  Structuring an Adventure  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   102
   
  Introduction 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   102
   
  Confrontation 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   102
   
  Resolution 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   102
  Irresistible Force vs. Immovable Object 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   103
  Descriptions and NPCs 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   103
  Advanced Techniques 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   104
  Sandbox 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   104
  APPENDIX 1: OPTIONAL RULES 
   
  107
  Alien Player Characters 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   107
  Kheethee Warrior 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   108
  Martian Brawler  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   109
  Martian Noble  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   110
  Taucetian Rogue 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   111
  The Web of Contacts  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  112
  DARE THE STARS!
  6
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  INTRODUCTION
  This game is a Role-Playing game of high adventure in 
  a retro-science fiction setting, inspired by the classic 
  “pulp” comics and novels of the 30’s - 50’s - stories 
  where the author’s imagination had free reign, 
  “science” was mostly a useful backdrop and the 
  narration was full of larger-than-life heroes.
  In the following pages you’ll find many over-the-
  top adjectives: everything and everyone is “daring”, 
  “amazing”, “otherworldly”... Because this is the spirit. 
  You are encouraged to do this too: exaggerate, don’t 
  have your character just “run”, but “dash bravely 
  under a hail of bullets”; don’t just “shoot at the 
  enemy”, but “rain down a veritable inferno on the 
  blasted foe”.
  It’s not just in the descriptions: it’s in the rules. We 
  added rules to motivate the players to act in a daring, 
  dashing way.
  We invite you to take a cue from these rules and - if 
  you can come up with some similar ones or if you 
  want to modify those we created - make the game 
  your own. Dare!
  THE FUTURE, AS IT ONCE WAS
  In DARE THE STARS! the setting is 
  the future, but not “our” future; it 
  is the coming age as it was imagined 
  in the Pulp Era.
  In the pulp future, science is weird 
  and miracolous; adventures are 
  always heroic; villains are evil; 
  morality is in black and white; 
  and everything is atomic - even 
  the heater in your home kitchen. 
  Atomic energy explains away every 
  inexplicable energy source, powers 
  every device and generates all the 
  effects that can’t be justified by “real 
  world” science.
  No, it is not scientifically accurate by today’s 
  standards; but it seemed so to the less scientifically 
  inclined general public of a century ago. Other 
  gimmicks follow suite: death rays, lasers, positronic 
  brains... Add technobabble and there you are!
  To tell the whole story, a consequence of the “black 
  and white” moral outlook of the era was a generic 
  prejudice towards what’s “different” - sometimes 
  slight, sometimes definitely prominent. We tried to 
  avoid incorporating that attitude in the game without 
  betraying the spirit of the pulp era which, in our view, 
  is all in the tall tales your characters will experience.
  TAKING NAMES
  There are many sources of inspiration for a pulp 
  science fiction game. While a comprehensive list is 
  impossible, as the period was long and productive, 
  we can give you a starting point to build upon.
  Buck Rogers (1929): Flash Gordon (1934); Dan Dare 
  (1950) - be it the comics, the (very cheesy) movies 
  or the novels - are, along with Perry 
  Rhodan (1961), the main examples 
  of 
  “pure” 
  pulp 
  sci-fi. 
  Heroes 
  taller than life fight strange foes, 
  conquering them with their cunning, 
  their weird science and, most of all, 
  with their brawns. Heroes are heroes 
  just because, and evil masterminds 
  are villainous just because.
  The Lensman saga is another excellent 
  pulp sci-fi series - read the novels, 
  you’ll get tons of ideas for your game.
  You can find other  suggestions, 
  both period and more recent, in the 
  Bibliography section at the back of 
  the book.
  And now, let us boldly proceed to 
  the game itself!
  7
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  8
  ROLEPLAYING?
  Since their appearance in the late ‘70s, Role Playing 
  Games (in short: RPGs) became widespread enough 
  that most people have at least a passing knowledge 
  of what they are; but, in case you need a better 
  understanding of what a RPG is and how it is played, 
  here’s a more in-depth explanation of the “inner 
  workings”. If you are an experienced player, you can 
  skip this description.
  PURPOSE OF THE GAME
  In Dare the Stars! you interpret one of the bold 
  heroes and rogues travelling the space lanes in 
  search of fortune. You can choose among a set of 
  character classes (representing archetypes from 
  pulp science fiction) or, if you are familiar with 
  it, you can pick a character class from the game 
  White Star or one of its supplements, with which 
  DtS! is 100% compatible.
  The rules on character creation are guidelines - they 
  are meant to represent the general perception of 
  pulp heroes, so if you think they don’t fit your own 
  interpretation, feel free to alter them.
  HOW TO PLAY
  In a RPG there are usually two main functions, 
  meaning that at least two people are needed to play.
  One function is that of the Referee, who creates 
  and conducts the adventures; the other is  the 
  player, who manages one character throughout 
  the adventures.
  Each player creates a Player Character (PC), that will 
  be their alter ego in the game. It is better to think 
  beforehand which kind of character you want: playing 
  a character that you don’t like, or that you created 
  “just because”, is usually less fun than playing a well 
  thought out concept you love. Don’t worry too much 
  about the rules in this phase: you’ll see they are flexible 
  enough to accommodate most of your desires.
  THE REFEREE
  The Referee is in charge of preparing and running the 
  adventure for the players. Most Referees prefer to 
  write their own adventuires, but they can also use or 
  adapt a ready-made one. An adventure is like a novel 
  or a TV series episode, in which the characters have 
  one mission or similar task to complete, and meet 
  (and overcome?) obstacles in their attempt to do so.
  It is the task of the Referee to prepare and present all 
  the challenges and the characters - called Non-Player 
  Characters, or NPCs - that the PCs will meet in their 
  adventure, according to the rules of the game.
  The main goal of the Referee should be to entertain 
  the players by challenging their ingenuity, presenting 
  obstacles they can overcome by using the abilities 
  of their characters and their own wits. It makes no 
  sense to throw unbeatable foes at them or situations 
  they can’t get off from; and waves of feeble enemies 
  to slay are no fun, nor puzzles that are too easy. A 
  good challenge is something that the characters can 
  confront, but thhey will struggle to beat.
  The Referee is also in charge of making “on the fly” 
  decisions about rules during the game when needed 
  (see the How to use the Rules box).
  THE PLAYER
  Using the rules presented in the Character Creation 
  section, the Player creates a character, acting as his 
  fictional self in the game setting. He can create an 
  idealised version of himself, or a totally different 
  fictional person; his task will be to play his character 
  as he would in a movie or a play. Role-playing is not 
  theatre (you don’t need to be an accomplished actor), 
  but it  shares some traits. The character should be 
  played in a way that is consistent with the game world 
  and his role (which, in this game, is represented by 
  the Class); some suggestions are given below, in the 
  Being a Player section.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  9
  MATERIALS
  To play, you will need this book - containing the rules 
  and the setting - one or more copies of the Character 
  Sheet you’ll find in the back of the book before the 
  Appendix, a few dice, pens or pencils, erasers and 
  scrap paper. You can play on any surface you find 
  comfy - even the floor if you like - but we strongly 
  suggest you sit at a table, on comfortable chairs.
  This book illustrates the rules and describes the 
  setting, that is the fictional world (or, in our case, 
  the fictional universe) in which the game takes place. 
  Keep a copy of it handy, in case you need to refer to a 
  rule you can’t remember; if you have more than one 
  copy, a second one can be useful from time to time; 
  but try not  to clutter the table.
  Character Sheets are a sort of “ID” of your character. 
  You will use them to note all the numbers used to 
  represent the character, their abilities and their 
  equipment in the game, and you’ll refer to these 
  sheets when required by the rules.
  Dice: In Dare the Stars! you will use many 
  polyhedral dice. Dice are named according to 
  the number of faces they have, and are usually 
  referred to with a shorthand formed by the letter 
  “D” (for die, or dice) and the number of faces of 
  the die itself. When you are required to roll more 
  than one die, a number precedes the letter “D”, 
  indicating how many dice you will roll. If there’s 
  no number before the letter, you’ll need just one 
  die. Sometimes you’ll need to add or subtract a 
  number to the roll. In this last case, the number 
  is after the dice notation, with a + or a - sign to 
  indicate the operation needed.
  Example: the “classical” six-sided dice you can 
  find in every other boardgame are referred 
  to as “D6”; so, if you are requested to roll just 
  one, the rules will tell you to “roll a D6”. If you 
  need to roll 3 of these dice, the rules will say 
  “roll 3d6”. If you need to roll two dice and add 
  5 to the result, the text will be “roll 2d6+5”; 
  and if you need to roll four dice and subtract 3 
  from the total result, it will say “Roll 4d6 - 3”.
  The dice used in Dare the Stars! are the following: 
  D4, D6, D8, D10, D12 and D100 (also called 
  “percentile die” or D%).
  While dice with 100 or more faces are on the market, 
  it is usually more practical to use just 2 d10 (possibly 
  of different colors) and read one of them as tens, the 
  other as units.
  Example: I have two D10 - a green one and a 
  red one, to make things easier. I nominate the 
  red as “tens” and the green one as “units”, 
  roll them and obtain a 5 on the red, a 3 on the 
  green; my result is 53.
  Some D10 are numbered 1-10, others 0-9; in this 
  second case, the “0” is read as a 10.
  HOW TO USE THE RULES
  The rules are quite useful as a platform to know 
  how your characters do the things they do, and 
  how the world reacts to them; but from time 
  to time, something could come up that isn’t 
  covered by the rules, or maybe you know there’s 
  a rule for that, but nobody can remember it, and 
  going to look for it in the book would disrupt the 
  flow of the game and, ultimately, spoil the fun.
  In these cases, it’s the Referee’s duty to rule 
  on the fly - that is to come up with a rule that 
  is both sensible and fair for all the parties 
  involved - both PCs and NPCs. If it is impossible 
  to be fair, always choose a solution that favors 
  the PCs - they are the heroes, after all!
  Keep in mind that this ruling is only temporary 
  and is not to be considered final. After the game 
  take a few minutes to discuss the situation with 
  the players and create a more stable “house 
  rule” to use next time it happens. In this 
  discussion, Players and Referee all have a vote, 
  and nobody’s decision is worth more than 
  another’s. If, after voting, you have a tie, roll a 
  die - whoever rolls higher gets a “tiebreaking” 
  extra vote to settle the matter.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  10
  BEING A PLAYER
  If this is your first Role Playing Game, you might want 
  some tips on how to behave during play. It is not 
  difficult, it just takes a couple of minutes to get the 
  hang of it.
  Take a look at the character you created. Learn his 
  abilities - there’s no need to remember everything by 
  heart, you just need to know where to find the stuff 
  you need, when you need it. Weapons, equipment, 
  special abilities - just remember that your character 
  can do something, you can come back to the specifics 
  at  the appropriate time.
  When playing, you’ll have to talk. While the Referee 
  describes the locations you find yourself in, the 
  people (and aliens) you meet, the events occurring, 
  you’ll have to describe your character’s actions and 
  reactions. When the outcome of an action is in 
  doubt, you’ll have to roll dice to succeed. But mostly, 
  you’ll talk - both describing your character’s action 
  and giving your voice to him/her.
  As we said, you don’t need to be a good actor. You’re 
  not trying to convince an audience that you “are” 
  your character: your playmates already know. You 
  just need to say the things you want your character 
  to say or do. There are many ways to do this, choose 
  the one you feel more comfortable with.
  You can describe every action and phrase your 
  character says in third person, talk in first person 
  when you are saying what your character says, or any 
  combination of these.
  Example: John’s character, a Daring Explorer 
  named Savage, must go into a weapon store 
  to buy energy packs for his raygun. John can
  - Narrate Savage’s actions by saying “Savage 
  enters the store and asks to buy five energy 
  packs for rayguns”
  - Act Savage’s actions by saying “Savage enters 
  the store, goes to the clerk and asks: ‘Hey 
  buddy, I need five energy packs for rayguns!’ “
  Or use a mix of these styles, as long as the 
  actions of his character are clearly stated.
  You can refer to your character either by name, in the 
  third person (“him” or “her” or “it”), or in the first 
  person (“I”); even if character and player are separate 
  entities, we can safely assume that everybody at the 
  table will be able to make the distinction.
  When playing, try to think as your character would. 
  If he (or she) is a Brave Soldier, he’ll be prone to see 
  every situation in terms of tactical advantages, cover, 
  position; if he’s a Clever Scientist will probably apply 
  his knowledge to the situation at hand; etc.
  The most difficult things to keep in mind are that what 
  you know is not what your character knows, and that 
  your own intelligence might be different from the 
  Intelligence score of your character. The Referee will 
  help you with this, they will warn you when you are 
  not acting according to your character’s knowledge 
  or Intelligence. If you and the Referee can’t agree on 
  this, you must roll a D20: if the result is equal to your 
  Intelligence score or less, your character had the 
  right idea.
  At last, always keep in mind that everybody’s there 
  to have fun; if someone spoils that fun with rude or 
  egocentric behavior, everybody else should take the 
  time to have a chat with them and try to resolve the 
  problem. If they persist in his conduct, perhaps they 
  are in the wrong group.
  We wrote some tips for novice Referees too. You’ll 
  find them in Chapter 11.
  OTHER USEFUL STUFF
  Some people likes to have a visual reference to come 
  up with better tactics during combat scenes. If you 
  are so inclined, an erasable whiteboard with one or 
  more markers, to quickly draw a map of the location, 
  and a set of tokens to mark the positions of the Party 
  and their foes can be handy. You can also use metal 
  miniatures (there are many different brands of these 
  on the market) or paper miniatures (again, you’ll find 
  many different makers of these, especially on the 
  web).
  And now you’re set up. Create your first character 
  and go looking for adventure!
  
  CHAPTER ONE: CHARACTER CREATION
  The first step in the game is the creation of your Player Character. You will roll some dice to determine their 
  Attributes - that is, the numeric values describing the character in game terms, used to interact with the rules.
  In this step you’ll get to choose your Character Class too. You can do it before or after rolling attributes - but 
  keep in mind that there are a couple of classes that require you to roll your attributes in a non-standard way, 
  so if you chose your class after rolling you might have to reroll.
  Once done, all you have to do is use Credits (the in-game currency) to equip your character. There are some 
  optional rules to flesh out your character in the Appendix, but for now, let’s stick to the basics.
  The Referee has a couple more things to do; we covered them in Chapter 11, titled (not surprisingly) The 
  Referee.
  ATTRIBUTES
  Attributes are numeric values that represent various 
  physical and mental aspects of your Playing Character 
  - how strong, smart, quick to react, robust, etc. he is.
  There are six Attributes in Dare the Stars!: while 
  their names are quite self-explanatory, they are 
  detailed below, and they are Strength, Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, Constitution, Dexterity, and Charisma.
  The standard values for human beings range from 3 
  to 18. Aliens, animals, machines 
  and other types of non-human 
  characters may have values as 
  low as 1 or higher than 18.
  Attributes can drop to 0, either 
  temporarily or permanently, and 
  the consequences of such an 
  event are usually dire. The effects 
  of an Attribute score that reaches 
  0 are detailed in the box Zero 
  Attributes, below. Attributes can 
  never drop below 0, whatever the 
  cause. If an effect would cause an 
  Attribute to become negative, it 
  becomes 0.
  Attributes can increase beyond their initial value, but 
  the effects that cause these increases are extremely 
  rare, despite the weird science permeating the pulp 
  Science Fiction setting. Even rarer are events that 
  allow permanent attribute increases.
  ROLLING DICE
  To create your character’s attributes, you will have 
  to roll some dice, according to one of the following 
  methods (as long as all players use the same method):
  STANDARD ROLL: In Dare the Stars!, the “standard” 
  method is somewhat different than that used in White 
  Star. Here, you roll 3d6 six times and assign the roll 
  to the Attributes in the order you 
  prefer. This will help you choose 
  the class you would prefer to play. 
  The Android and the Wise Spacer 
  use special rolls for a couple of 
  their characteristics; if you didn’t 
  choose those classes before rolling 
  attributes, you’ll have to reroll 
  those - the Character description 
  explains how.
  WHITE STAR ROLL: If you prefer 
  a more traditional approach, 
  just roll 3d6 in order for each 
  Attribute; if you decide to use 
  this method, it will be better to 
  choose the class after rolling the 
  dice, using the results as the basis of your choice.
  ARCHITECT ROLL: If you want to build a character 
  as close as possible to your exact specifications, roll 
  18d6 and separate them in groups of 3 dice according 
  to what you want your character to be.
  11
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  12
  STRENGTH
  A high Strength allows your character to carry more 
  weight. It also gives bonuses to attack and damage 
  when using a hand-held weapon (called a “melee 
  weapon”). Strength is the Prime Attribute for Brave 
  Soldier characters.
  Furthermore, Brave Soldiers can use their Strength 
  Bonus to modify the To-Hit and Damage numbers 
  when fighting unarmed or with melee weapons.
  INTELLIGENCE
  Intelligence represents I.Q., reasoning, and the ability 
  to solve puzzles or understand difficult concepts. 
  It is a measure of how clever a character is. You 
  can use your Intelligence Bonus to learn additional 
  languages. You gain one (1) extra language for every 
  point above 10. Intelligence is the Prime Attribute 
  for Clever Scientist characters.
  Furthermore, Clever Scientists can use their 
  Intelligence Bonus to modify any Weird Science roll 
  they make during the game (see the class description).
  WISDOM
  Wisdom determines a character’s insight, perception, 
  and good judgment. Wisdom is the Prime Attribute 
  for Wise Spacer characters.
  Any character with a Wisdom score of 13 or higher 
  gains a 5% bonus to all Experience Point awards.
  Furthermore, Wise Spacers can use their Wisdom 
  Bonus to modify any Insight roll they make during 
  the game (see the class description).
  CONSTITUTION
  Constitution represents the health and endurance 
  of your character. A high Constitution gives your 
  character extra Hit Points. Constitution is the Prime 
  Attribute for Daring Explorer characters.
  Furthermore, Daring Explorers can use their 
  Constitution Bonus to modify any Man of Steel roll 
  they make during the game (see the class description).
  DEXTERITY
  Dexterity is a combination of coordination and 
  quickness. A high Dexterity score gives your character 
  bonuses when attacking with a laser pistol or other 
  ranged weapon. 
  You can use your Dexterity Bonus to modify your To Hit 
  number with ranged (also called “missile”) weapons.
  CHARISMA
  A highly charismatic character has a better chance to 
  talk his or her way out of trouble, and can lead more 
  special followers called Assistants than characters 
  with a low Charisma can. Charisma is the Prime 
  Attribute for Adventurous Noble characters.
  Any character with a Charisma score of 13 or higher 
  receives a bonus of 5% to all Experience Point awards.
  You use your Charisma to modify the number of loyal 
  non-player Assistants you can acquire. The Assistant 
  type depends on the character class - see Assistants 
  and Followers, below. You can use your Charisma to 
  modify the loyalty of those Assistants.
  ZERO ATTRIBUTES
  When an attribute drops to 0 for some game 
  effect, the consequences for the character are 
  truly devastating.
  Be it loss of muscle coherence (Strength 0), 
  neural damage (Intelligence 0) or any other 
  reason, he must deduct half his Hit Points from 
  his maximum (if he’s already hurt, he will die). 
  and the Player can’t control him anymore - he 
  is effectively a Non-Player Character.
  If the loss is temporary, the Player will regain 
  control of the character when he’s cured; if 
  the loss is permanent, unless a miracle cure is 
  found, it is better to retire the character and 
  start rolling a new one.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  13
  UNIVERSAL ATTRIBUTE BONUS
  Each attribute has the potential to modify what you 
  can do. TABLE 1: The Universal Attribute Bonus (or 
  just Bonus) below explains these:
  ATTRIBUTE
  DESCRIPTION
  BONUS
  XP%
  3-6
  Below Average
  -1
  -5%
  7-14
  Average
  -
  -
  15-18
  Above Average
  +1
  +5%
  TABLE 1: Universal Attribute Bonus
  Use the table above for all of the attributes to find 
  bonuses and any Experience Points Bonus (some 
  classes get double for higher values!).
  ASSISTANTS AND FOLLOWERS
  It is possible for the Player Characters to recruit NPC 
  Assistants to aid them in their missions, especially 
  at lower levels. The number of Assistants each PC 
  can hire and their loyalty are determined by the 
  character’s Charisma Bonus, as per the table below:
  CHARISMA
  ASSISTANTS
  LOYALTY BONUS
  3-4
  1
  -2
  5-6
  2
  -2
  7-8
  3
  -1
  9-12
  4
  0
  13-14
  5
  +1
  15-16
  6
  +2
  17-18
  7
  +2
  TABLE 2: Charisma Bonus
  Hired characters put in dangerous situations or 
  offered bribes to switch sides are subject to a Loyalty 
  Check (a Saving Throw modified by the Loyalty 
  Bonus). The Referee rolls for this check.
  Some characters can have Followers - non-player 
  characters attracted to them by their fame, looking 
  for training or simply happy to bask in the shadow of 
  their hero. Followers are not counted as Assistants 
  (so characters can have both). See Assistants and 
  Followers, page 35, for more information.
  EXPERIENCE POINTS AND EXPERIENCE BONUS
  During the course of their adventures, characters will 
  earn Experience, in the form of Experience Points. 
  Whenever the Experience Points reach a set total, 
  detailed in each class’ description, the character 
  gains 1 Experience Level (or simply Level), that will 
  allow him to obtain more Hit Points, access new 
  Class Abilities and become better at what he does.
  Some classes can obtain a bonus (detailed in their 
  class description) on Experience Points if they have a 
  high enough score in their Prime Attribute.
  Furthermore, all character classes get to add their 
  percentage Wisdom Bonus and their percentage 
  Charisma Bonus as an Experience Point Bonus if it’s 
  high enough.
  The Android class never gets Experience Bonus, 
  either class based or for high Wisdom or Charisma.
  STARTING CREDITS & EQUIPMENT
  To determine how much currency your character 
  starts with, roll 3d6 and multiply the result by ten 
  (3D6x10). This is the number of credits (cd) that your 
  character starts the campaign with. Equipment may 
  be purchased in Chapter 3, which starts on page 25.
  FINISHING TOUCHES
  Now it is time to complete your character. Roll for 
  Hit Points as indicated by his class; choose a name 
  and a planet of origin; if you want, you can write your 
  character’s background (keep it short and simple, 
  you’re not writing a novel, 6-8 lines are enough) and 
  description - and you’re good to go!
  ALIGNMENT
  In this game alignments are not used. The moral 
  frame of pulp is quite simplistic: there’s the good 
  guys (“us”) and the baddies (“everyone opposed 
  to us”). If all the players agree, alignment can be 
  used - in this case, all the PGs are on the “good” 
  side of alignment (because they are the heroes).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  14
  AN EXAMPLE OF PLAY
  Andi, Bruce and Carla are at the table, Marshall is the Referee. Andi is playing Ashley, the 
  Daring Explorer; Bruce is playing Beta the Android, and Carla’s character is doctor Camille 
  Chittersmith, the Clever Scientist.
  Andi: 
  “After we land on the planet, I open the ship’s hatch. What do I see?”
  Marshall: “You open the hatch and the perfume of spices and flowers greets you. The 
  ship is surrounded by what seems to be a primitive tribe, and they brought flowers and 
  food for you.”
  Bruce: 
  “Beta looks through the hatch and says, ‘What a colorful gathering of 
  impressively backwater humans! I doubt that we can obtain the spare parts we need from 
  them, though.’”
  Carla: 
  “Camille approaches the locals and starts taking samples of food and plants.”
  Andi: 
  “Hey, careful not to offend them!”
  Carla: 
  “I try to pluck a tuft of hair from someone”
  Andi: 
  “...too late...”
  Marshall: “You try and take some hair from the head of a man. He takes a step back and 
  watches you in shock, saying something in his language and pointing his finger at you.” 
  (rolls some dice).
  Bruce: 
  “I try to make out the meaning by interpreting his body language and comparing 
  it with all the data I have on human psychology...”
  Marshall: “Well played! Make a Knowledge roll! Roll a D20 and add your Intelligence and 
  Level, if the result is 30 or more you get it!”
  Bruce: 
  “Hah! I rolled a 19. As I am Level 2, and have an Intelligence of 18, that’s 39.”
  Marshall: “Great! He’s saying, The Demon from the Stars is trying to steal my soul.”
  Andi: 
  (groans) “I draw my raygun...”
  Bruce: 
  “And about time too! I take the laspistol from my backpack.”
  Carla: 
  (as Camille) “What’s happening? Why is everybody acting... Strange?”
  Andi: 
  (groans louder) “Step back, doctor! Things are going to get stranger yet...”
  Marshall: “Roll for Initiative, please...”
  (...continue)
  
  CHAPTER TWO: CHARACTER CLASSES
  In the next few pages you’ll find a description of the Character Classes (or, for short, just Classes) used in 
  Dare the Stars!. Those Classes are used to define in a simple way what your character can do - think of them 
  as sort of “professions”, the job a character has learned, his calling, etc. While in real life people can do more 
  than one thing, in “pulpworld” greater focus is assumed. As we said in the intro, it is a black and white world, 
  where all the color, when there is color, is garish and technicolor.
  We recommend using these Classes for a retro sci-fi pulp game; but, if you think it will add to your fun, feel 
  free to use any class from White Star™.
  All the Classes are presented here implying the characters are humans (except for the Android obviously); 
  if you want to play an Alien, see the quick and dirty optional rule below. You will find more detailed rules in 
  the Appendix.
  READING THE CLASSES
  Even if this is your first game, it is important that 
  you try and choose a Character Class of your liking. 
  While we can’t stress enough that you are not your 
  character (which also means that you shouldn’t get 
  too attached to it), playing an alter ego you like is a 
  great addition to your enjoyment of the game.
  To choose your Class, you have 
  to know how to read the way it 
  is presented in this book. Every 
  description is in the form of a table 
  with the main “numbers” and a 
  series of special abilities, those 
  that are particular to that Class.
  THE TABLE
  Each table has 5 columns, and 
  each column has 10 rows - one 
  for each Level of Experience of 
  that Class (except the Android, 
  that only has 8 Levels, and the 
  Clever Scientist, that has a 6th 
  column for  his special ability). 
  The columns are as follows:
  Level: Refers to the level of experience for a character 
  class. Everything on the row relates to that level of a 
  character.
  XP: This is the number of Experience Points (XP) 
  that the character  needs to advance to the Level 
  described on that row.
  BHB: This is the Base Hit Bonus added to all Attack 
  Rolls, and is explained in more detail on page 39.
  HD: This is the number of Hit Dice at that Level. 
  Characters re-roll their Hit Dice using d6 each time 
  they gain a Level obtaining, a new value for their Hit 
  Points. If a character rolls less than they already have 
  for the new level, they keep the 
  existing Hit Points value.
  ST: This is the Saving Throw 
  number; the character will use 
  it to try to avoid something 
  terrible happening to them. It’s 
  explained on page 33.
  Science!: This is the special 
  ability of Clever Scientists, and 
  it is explained in detail in the 
  Character Class description.
  CLASS ABILITIES
  This is the list of special abilities 
  the character has. They are 
  explained here; we gave them colorful names to help 
  you imagine creative ways to use them.
  OTHER STUFF
  On the Character Sheet you’ll also find the space to 
  record your character’s total and current Hit Points, 
  his possessions, his name and everything else you 
  may find useful in play.
  15
  
  16
  THE CHARACTER SHEET, EXPLAINED
  DARE THE STARS!
  The Character’s 
  Name and Class
  A brief history 
  of his origins
  The Player’s Name so 
  that the sheet doesn’t 
  get misplaced
  The Level (fill in the 
  current level dot 
  with a pencil)
  The Character’s 
  current Experience 
  Points (XP)
  Relevant equipment 
  and possessions
  Weapons and ammo 
  carried by the character
  Armor worn
  Resources (money 
  and wealth)
  Base Hit Bonus
  Character’s Attributes 
  (in the circle) and any 
  bonus he may have 
  (in the squares).
  The Character’s 
  Total (big octagon) 
  and Current (small 
  octagon) Hit Points
  Armor Class 
  (see page 31)
  Saving Throw 
  (before any 
  modification)
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  17
  ADVENTUROUS NOBLE
  Life at the Palace was boring, so the Adventurous Noble 
  decided to embark on the adventure trail. Now his 
  life is different from the lazy days at Court - but that’s 
  what he want, and he maintains enough contacts to 
  go home whenever he wants - if he lives long enough.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1
  +0
  15
  2
  1,500
  2
  +0
  14
  3
  3,000
  2+1
  +0
  13
  4
  6,000
  3
  +1
  12
  5
  12,000
  3+1
  +1
  11
  6
  24,000
  4
  +1
  10
  7
  48,000
  4+1
  +1
  9
  8
  96,000
  5
  +2
  8
  9
  192,000
  5+1
  +2
  7
  10
  384,000
  6
  +3
  6
  TABLE 3: Adventurous Noble Advancement
  ADVENTUROUS NOBLE CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: The Adventurous 
  Noble may use clubs, daggers, firearms, grenades, 
  laser pistols, mono-daggers, mono-swords, staffs, 
  and swords. They can wear Light Armor, but do not 
  use shields..
  LET’S TALK THIS OUT: An Adventurous Noble is a 
  skilled orator. If he can talk to a target for one (1) 
  round, and if the victim fails a Saving Throw, he can 
  convince him to do the Noble’s bidding for 1 hour. 
  He can convince groups up to half his Charisma in 
  number, but the victims get a +2 to their Saving 
  Throw for every 3 persons (or fraction) in the group 
  over the first (e.g.: a group of 5 people would get a 
  +4). Only victims speaking the same language as the 
  Adventurous Noble can be targeted.
  TO THE BREACH!: By throwing himself first into melee, 
  the Adventurous Noble can inspire his comrades to do 
  their best. All the allies of the Adventurous Noble and 
  himself receive a +2 bonus to their Initiative roll and, 
  in case of a tie, are considered the winners. The allies 
  (but not the noble) also get a +1 to their To-Hit rolls.
  SAVING THROW: Adventurous Nobles receive a +2 
  bonus to all Saving Throws attempts to influence 
  them or cloud their mind.
  XP BONUS FOR CHARISMA: Adventurous Nobles 
  with a Charisma of 13 or 14 receive a 5% Experience 
  Bonus, and those with 15 or higher get 10%.
  RETINUE: At 4th level, the Adventurous Noble 
  attracts loyal Followers willing to serve. Typically 
  this includes one or two Brave Soldiers (acting as 
  bodyguards) and 1d4 normal humans who act as 
  servants and advisers. At 6th level, he also attracts 
  a 1st level Adventurous Noble (usually a younger 
  relative sharing his desire for adventure).
  INHERITANCE: At 9th level, the Adventurous Noble 
  can claim his share of the family inheritance. Roll 1d6 
  on each column of the Inheritance Table:
  Result
  Credits
  Estate
  1
  1d6x100
  A house in a minor city
  2
  1d6x500
  A house in a major city
  3
  1d6x1,000
  A small (3 s
  4
  1d6x2,000
  A country villa
  5
  2d6x5,000
  A country villa with a small 
  park (1d4+1 acres)
  6
  3d6x10,000
  TABLE 4: Inheritance
   
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  18
  ANDROID
  Androids are human (or alien) looking robots, complete 
  with artificial skin and speech. They’re programmed with 
  a basic AI, roughly equivalent to a very smart 25 yearss 
  old, but they need to learn what “feelings” are. Some 
  planets consider Android to be full artificial persons, 
  but for most governments they’re just property.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1+1
  +0
  14
  2
  2,000
  2
  +1
  13
  3
  4,000
  3
  +2
  12
  4
  8,000
  4
  +2
  11
  5
  16,000
  5
  +3
  10
  6
  32,000
  6
  +3
  9
  7
  64,000
  7
  +3
  8
  8
  128,000
  8
  +4
  7
  TABLE 5: Android Advancement
  ANDROID CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR 
  RESTRICTIONS: 
  The 
  basic 
  programming of an Android makes it less inclined 
  to violence towards living being. Nevertheless, it is 
  capable of self-defense when necessary and, in time, 
  he can learn to attack as a pre-emptive measure. An 
  Android can never initiate combat until he is level 3. 
  Every android is trained with any pistol, daggers and 
  clubs. Androids are not subject to armor restrictions.
  ARTIFICIAL BODY: An Android is a machine, albeit 
  complex. It does not need to eat or breathe (so it 
  is immune to poisons and gases), but it needs to 
  “sleep” (shut down) for 4 hours (24 turns) every day 
  to recharge, defragment, etc. An Android‘s body 
  can’t be healed by medicine or powers like Heal 
  Others and may be immune to other Meditations, 
  Gifts and Mind Powers, at the Referee’s discretion.
  LIFELIKE: The Android looks and feels like a living being 
  to all the regular senses. Only an in-depth inspection 
  can reveal its mechanical nature.
  KEEN SENSES: The Android can adapt his vision to any 
  condition. It can never be blinded and it can see up to 
  40 feet in total darkness.
  ARTIFICIAL MIND: The brain of an Android is a 
  supercomputer trying to emulate a living mind; still, it 
  has difficulties with emotions and feelings. An Android 
  character rolls just 1d6+2 for its Charisma attribute, 
  but rolls 1d6+12 for Intelligence. If you rolled your 
  Attributes before choosing the Android, just reroll. An 
  Android can’t have Assistants.
  LIVING COMPUTER: The Android can interface with 
  any computer through a special in-built connector 
  cable. Once connected, it can share information 
  with the computer at an amazing speed - as long as 
  it is connected, it “knows” everything stored in the 
  computer’s data bank and can operate any device 
  controlled by the computer. All the information is lost 
  in 1d6 hours, once the Android is disconnected. 
  WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Android can retrieve 
  most common facts from its internal data banks. When 
  it tries to access a piece of information, roll 1d20 and 
  add the Android’s level and Intelligence to the roll. If 
  the result is 30+, the information is retrieved.
  SELF-REPAIR: Normally, autorepair circuits of an 
  Android “heal”it, allowing it to recover 1 Hit Point for 
  every 24 hours of normal activity (including recharge). 
  An Android can 
  shut down and 
  enter a self-repair 
  cycle, 
  boosting 
  its 
  autorepair 
  systems. 
  For 
  every 8 hours of 
  this cycle, the 
  Android recovers 
  2d6 Hit Points.
  L A N G U A G E S : 
  A n d r o i d s 
  can 
  speak 
  the 
  common 
  language 
  and 
  the 
  specialized 
  language 
  of 
  Robots, 
  plus 
  the 
  languages 
  allowed by their 
  Intelligence.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  19
  BRAVE SOLDIER
  The future is not a place of peace. The Moon Ghouls 
  Invasion, then the Border Wars with the Empire, not 
  to mention small local wars and rebellions, forged 
  multilpe generations of brave soldiers. Some, when 
  discharged, take the path of the adventurer.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1+1
  +0
  15
  2
  2,000
  2
  +0
  14
  3
  4,000
  3
  +0
  13
  4
  8,000
  4+1
  +1
  12
  5
  16,000
  5
  +1
  11
  6
  32,000
  6
  +1
  10
  7
  64,000
  7+1
  +1
  9
  8
  128,000
  8
  +2
  8
  9
  256,000
  9
  +2
  7
  10
  512,000
  10+1
  +3
  6
  TABLE 6: Brave Soldier Advancement
  BRAVE SOLDIER CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: The Brave Soldier 
  is trained in all forms of combat and has no armor or 
  weapon restrictions.
  BAND OF BROTHERS: When fighting with a group 
  of allies, be it in melee or at range, a Brave Soldier 
  can spend one round organizing a fighting team. 
  The team members (including himself) get +1 to 
  their To-Hit rolls for a number of rounds equal to 
  the Brave Soldiers levels.
  WAR EXPERIENCE: If it is physically possible for 
  him, the Brave Soldier can pick up and operate any 
  weapon he finds, even an alien weapon he has never 
  encountered before. Furthermore, he can recognize 
  any artifact weapon for what it is.
  CAMOUFLAGE: By spending 1 round camouflaging 
  himself, the Brave Soldier can blend into the 
  landscape. This doubles the negative To-Hit modifier 
  of ranged weapons for long and extreme ranges 
  (short and medium ranges are unaffected). He can 
  camouflage others, but this will take 1d6+1 rounds 
  per person camouflaged. 
  WAR DRIVER: The Brave Soldier is trained to drive 
  combat vehicles in stressful situations like combat. 
  Any land vehicle driven by a Brave Soldier gets +2 
  to its Armor Class. This bonus can be obtained only 
  once, no matter how many Brave Soldiers are there, 
  and it can be given only to land vehicles.
  SAVING THROWS: Brave Soldiers get +2 on Saving 
  Throws against death or explosions.
  XP BONUS FOR STRENGTH: Brave Soldiers with a 
  Strength of 13 or 14 receive a 5% Experience Bonus, 
  and those with 15 or higher get 10%.
  ESTABLISH BASE CAMP: At 7th level, the Brave 
  Soldier can establish a base camp if he chooses to 
  do so. This may attract Followers - usually Common 
  Soldiers and other Brave Soldiers, willing to be 
  trained by him to fight at his side (see Assistants 
  and Followers, page 35).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  20
  CLEVER SCIENTIST
  As heroic innovators jumping on a spaceship to test their 
  inventions or to defend their world, Clever Scientists can 
  also defend themselves in a fight. There’s no such thing 
  as “specialization”: they can tackle physics, mechanics 
  or medicine - often at the same time!
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  SCIENCE!
  1
  0
  1
  +0
  15
  5/3
  2
  1,500
  2
  +0
  14
  5/3
  3
  3,000
  2+1
  +0
  13
  6/3
  4
  6,000
  3
  +1
  12
  6/4
  5
  12,000
  4
  +1
  11
  7/4
  6
  24,000
  4+1
  +1
  10
  7/5
  7
  48,000
  5
  +1
  9
  8/5
  8
  96,000
  5+1
  +2
  8
  8/6
  9
  192,000
  6
  +2
  7
  9/6
  10
  384,000
  6+1
  +3
  6
  10/7
  TABLE 7: Clever Scientist Advancement
  CLEVER SCIENTIST CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: The Clever Scientist 
  is used to lab equipment. He can wear Light armor and 
  use any kind of shield. He can wield any kind of pistol, 
  dagger or club (usually a very big hammer).
  SCIENCE!: A Clever Scientist can.repair anything 
  (including living beings) and can build improvised 
  tools and machinery. To repair an item he must 
  roll 2d6; if he rolls equal or lower than the number 
  before the slash, the item is repaired (living beings, 
  are cured of 2d6 hit points of damage). To build 
  things the Clever Scientist rolls 2d6 equal or lower 
  than the number after the slash. Each attempt takes 
  d6+4 turns (50-100 minutes). With this ability he can 
  only build “normal” items in the Equipment lists. 
  Obviously, he can’t “build” living beings.
  JURY RIG: The Clever Scientist can repair things on the 
  fly by making a Repair roll (as above). The attempt will 
  only take d3 minutes, but the item will fall apart again 
  after a number of turns equal to the Clever Scientist’s 
  level. At this point, if the Clever Scientist fails a Saving 
  Throw, the item can’t be repaired anymore.
  GIMMICK: The Clever Scientist can disassemble 
  two tech items and reassemble the pieces in a new 
  configuration. The two items must be in the same 
  general category (e.g. two firearms). Apply the effects 
  in the Gimmick Table. A Clever Scientist can only 
  build one Gimmick per level, and can never replicate 
  the effects of a gimmick he built (each gimmick is an 
  irreplaceable, unique prototype).
  LABORATORY: At 7th Level the Clever Scientist can 
  build his Laboratory. This will attract Followers, usually 
  in the form of other Clever Scientists (see page 35).
  GIMMICK TABLE
  ITEM CATEGORY
  EFFECTS
  ARMOR
  +1/-1 AC or +2 Saving Throw
  MELEE WEAPON
  +4 Damage or +4 Initiative
  RANGED WEAPON
  +4 Damage or Rate of Fire x2
  TOOL
  The Gimmick has the functions 
  of both tools or it never fumbles
  VEHICLE
  Movement +2 or Hit Points +10
  TABLE 8: Gimmick Effects Table
  SAVING THROW: A Clever Scientist receives +2 to all 
  Saving Throws made to resist persuasion or any kind 
  of mind control (including that from Insights).
  XP BONUS FOR INTELLIGENCE: Clever Scientists with 
  an Intelligence of 13 or 14 receive a 5% Experience 
  Bonus, and those with 15 or higher get 10%.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  21
  DARING  EXPLORER
  The embodiment of spacefaring adventurers, the 
  Daring Explorer is born to travel among the stars, 
  discover new planets and make contact with new 
  species. While he is not as specialized as the others, he 
  is a jack-of-all-trades, dabbling in a little of everything.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1+1
  +0
  13
  2
  2,500
  2
  +1
  12
  3
  5,000
  3
  +1
  11
  4
  10,000
  4
  +2
  10
  5
  20,000
  5
  +2
  9
  6
  40,000
  6
  +3
  8
  7
  80,000
  7
  +3
  7
  8
  160,000
  8
  +4
  6
  9
  320,000
  9
  +4
  5
  10
  640,000
  9+1
  +5
  4
  TABLE 9: Daring Explorer Advancement
  DARING EXPLORER CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR 
  RESTRICTIONS: 
  The 
  Daring 
  Explorer can wear light armor and use shields. He 
  can use clubs, staffs, daggers, swords, laser and ray 
  pistols and vibro-swords.
  MAN OF STEEL: Once per day per level, whenever a 
  damage from a single source would reduce a Daring 
  Explorer to zero (0) Hit Points or slay him, he can 
  make a Saving Throw modified by his Constitution 
  Bonus. If he is successful, the damage just leaves 
  him with 1 Hit Point.
  HERO’S LUCK: Once per day, the Daring Explorer 
  can reroll any one failed roll. He must keep the new 
  result, even if it is worst than the first.
  SIGNATURE WEAPON: After character creation the 
  player of a Daring Explorer chooses either a pistol, 
  laser pistol or a melee weapon he owns. With that 
  weapon only, he receives a +2 bonus to his Initiative 
  and To-Hit rolls. If this weapon is lost or destroyed, he 
  cannot replace it; he will be able to choose another, 
  but only after going  up one level. The new weapon 
  must be the same kind as the lost one.
  JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES: Once per day, the Daring 
  Explorer can obtain a +4 bonus to any one roll, either 
  in combat or not. He must announce he will use the 
  bonus before making the roll.
  SAVING THROWS: Daring Explorers get +2 on Saving 
  Throws against death or mind control.
  XP BONUS FOR CONSTITUTION: All Daring Explorers 
  with a Constitution score of 13 or 14 receive a 5% 
  Experience Bonus, and those with 15 or higher get a 
  10% Experience Bonus.
  ADVANCED OUTPOST: At 7th level, the Daring 
  Explorer can establish an advanced outpost on a 
  remote planet. This may attract Followers - usually 
  Daring Explorers and Brave Soldiers (see Assistants 
  and Followers, page 35).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  22
  WISE SPACER
  The Wise Spacer has travelled known space, and 
  more than a bit of unknown space, far and wide - and 
  has the scars to prove it. On his journeys he found 
  enlightenment and he now uses his inspirations to 
  work with the unenlightened.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1+1
  +0
  13
  2
  2,500
  2
  +1
  12
  3
  5,000
  3
  +1
  11
  4
  10,000
  4
  +2
  10
  5
  20,000
  5
  +2
  9
  6
  40,000
  6
  +3
  8
  7
  80,000
  7
  +3
  7
  8
  160,000
  8
  +4
  6
  9
  320,000
  9
  +4
  5
  10
  640,000
  9+1
  +5
  4
  TABLE 10: Wise Spacer Advancement
  WISE SPACER CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: The Wise Spacer 
  can wear light armor and use shields. He can use 
  clubs, staffs, daggers, laser pistols and ray pistols.
  INSIGHTS: In his long life among the stars, the Wise 
  Spacer has learned to trust his instincts and rely on the 
  Insights he has. Insights have a Rank: once per day, 
  a Wise Spacer can use a number of ranks of Insights 
  equal to his Character Level + his Wisdom Bonus (e.g.: 
  a 2rd level Wise Spacer can use one Rank 2 Insight or 
  two Rank 1 Insights). See page 61 for a list of Insights.
  BROTHERS AND SISTERS: A Wise Spacer learns that 
  everyone can be an ally in the struggle for survival. 
  Once per day, he can engage a group of sentient 
  beings (including Androids) counting members equal 
  or less his Level in a peaceful discussion - even if they 
  were intent on attacking him. The discussion lasts for 
  2D6 rounds. The beings must make a Saving Throw 
  at the end of the talk. If they fail, and provided this 
  doesn’t endanger them, they won’t attack the Wise 
  Spacer group; if they weren’t hostile to begin with, 
  they will become allies and help him if they can.
  SECRET STASH: Once per day, the Wise Spacer can 
  access his “secret stash” and retrieve any one piece 
  of equipment, as long as its listed price is no more 
  than 3x Character Level+Wisdom Bonus in Credits. 
  HELPING HAND: The Wise Spacer can lend a hand 
  in any non-combat action that another character is 
  performing. If there’s a roll involved, the character 
  performing the action gains +2 to this roll. If the 
  action requires more than 1 roll, only the first will get 
  the +2. The bonus can’t be higher than +2, no matter 
  how many Wise Spacers help.
  SAVING THROWS: Wise Spacers get +2 on Saving 
  Throws against poison or environmental hazard.
  XP BONUS FOR WISDOM: All Wise Spacers with a 
  Wisdom score of 13 or 14 receive a 5% Experience 
  Bonus, and those with 15 or higher get a 10% 
  Experience Bonus.
  ENCAMPMENT: At 6th level, the Wise Spacer can 
  establish an encampment where he will gather 
  people who share his outlook on life. At the 
  Encampment he will meet with his Followers, usually 
  other Wise Spacers and sometimes Daring Explorers 
  (see Assistants and Followers, page 35).
  
  DARING ADVENTURER
  NAME
  CLASS
  description & background
  STRENGTH
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CONSTITUTION
  DEXTERITY
  CHARISMA
  GEAR
  WEAPONS
  AMMO
  TYPE: _________
  AMMO
  TYPE: _________
  AMMO
  TYPE: _________
  ARMOR
  RESOURCES
  credits      /      sub-credits     /      chits
  HIT
  POINTS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  BHB
  SAVING
  THROW
  CURRENT LEVEL
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  CURRENT EXPERIENCE
  PLAYER
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  24
  Below we provide some rules to create a simple 
  version of an alien character. Experienced players can 
  go to Appendix I: Optional Rules and create a full-
  fledged alien chosen from among the canonical races 
  we provide; new players are advised to use the rules 
  on this page, especially Method I, which requires 
  only interpretation.
  METHOD I
  Create a “normal” character, but simply state that 
  he is an alien. Choose a name for his race, a planet 
  of origin and a quirky physical characteristic to 
  distinguish him from regular humans. If you are so 
  inclined, you can also write a few lines of description 
  of the alien’s civilization for the Referee.
  This has no effect on the rules, but you’ll get to 
  interpret a uniquely peculiar character. You can even 
  be an alien Android, if you so desire.
  METHOD II
  This is a little more complex, and needs some more 
  rules. After rolling your character, you need to 
  follow these steps:
  1. Choose 1 Characteristic Improvement. This 
  is an Attribute in which your alien’s race is 
  better than “normal” humans. Add +2 to 
  that Attribute, up to a maximum of 20.
  2. Choose 1 Characteristic Disadvantage. This 
  is an Attribute in which your alien’s race is 
  worse than “normal” humans. Subtract -2 to 
  that Attribute, up to a maximum of 16. You 
  can’t choose an Attribute lower than 5 for 
  this step.
  3. If you are satisfied, go to Step 5, below. 
  Otherwise, go to Step 4.
  4. Choose a General Improvement from 
  the list below, then choose a General 
  Disadvantage (or a combination of General 
  Disadvantages) with the same total point 
  value of your General Improvement. You 
  can’t choose a Disadvantage that negates 
  your Improvement or is negated by it.
  5. Choose a name and a physical description 
  for your race, and then proceed to choose a 
  class as usual.
  This method imposes the following limitations on 
  the character:
  The Alien can’t be an Android;
  The Alien will never receive a XP Bonus for 
  Attributes, not even the standard bonus 
  for Wisdom.
  GENERAL IMPROVEMENT
  POINT 
  VALUE
  Darkvision (can see up to 90 ft even in
  total darkness)
  1
  Keen Senses (halves the chances of 
  being surprised)
  1
  Natural Armor (starting AC [AAC] is 7 
  [12] instead of 9 [10])
  2
  Natural Weapons (claws, bone blades, 
  etc., hit for 1D6 damage)
  2
  Strong Mind (Immune to mind influence)
  3
  Wings (can fly up to Level Turns at normal 
  Movement, then needs 1 hour rest)
  2
  GENERAL DISADVANTAGE
  POINT 
  VALUE
  Feeble-Minded (-2 to all his Saving 
  Throws vs. Mind influence)
  2
  Fragile (starting AC [AAC] is 11 [9] 
  instead of 9 [10])
  2
  Impaired Senses (character is always 
  caught by surprise when ambushed)
  1
  Limited (max Class Level: 8)
  3
  Low Pain Threshold (suffers 1 extra 
  damage every time he’s wounded)
  2
  Slow (basic Movement Rate is 10 
  instead of 12, adjusted as usual) 
  1
  OPTIONAL RULE: SIMPLE ALIEN PLAYER CHARACTERS
  
  CHAPTER THREE: MONEY AND EQUIPMENT
  Once your character is created, you’ll have to supply him with some basic equipment. Each character has a 
  starting amount of money, called Credits (cd), that you’ll use to buy equipment from the following lists. Each 
  piece of equipment’s function and special rules (if any) are explained in this chapter. Any excess funds not 
  spent are saved for future use.
  This chapter also gives you a simple primer on the “economy” of the game universe, so that the Referee can 
  figure the cost of any equipment or item they want to add later.
  The characters will also earn money and new items through their adventures; money can be spent to buy 
  new, or better, equipment and to pay for assistants, followers and mundane things like a mortgage on a 
  starship, medical care etc. Some rare and unique equipment can’t be bought - this can only be found during 
  an adventure or on a mission.
  CREDITS AND CHANGE
  The standard currency of the game is the Credit. Even 
  if some particularly backward or parochial planet or 
  local government may have different currencies, the 
  Credit is accepted everywhere.
  The characters will always be paid in Credits and will 
  always use them to buy goods and services. Credits 
  are issued in various denominations: there are both 
  notes and coins worth 1 cd, and there are notes 
  worth 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 cd.
  A Credit is divided into 10 
  Subcredits (or scd for short), which 
  are in turn worth 10 chits (ct) each 
  - so a Credit is worth 100 chits. 
  Here’s a handy summary table:
  1 cd = 10 scd or 100 ct 
  1 scd = 10 ct
  The term “megacredit” (mcd) is 
  used in some instance, but it is 
  just a financial term to indicate 
  1,000 cd in very high figures (e.g. 
  a rocketship price).
  STARTING MONEY
  As stated on page 13, to determine how much 
  currency your character starts with, roll 3d6x10. This 
  is the number of Credits (cd) that your character 
  starts the campaign with, and that he will use to buy 
  his starting equipment.
  STARTING EQUIPMENT
  In the following pages you’ll find a comprehensive 
  list of all the equipment usually available in a 
  campaign of Dare the Stars!. This equipment is 
  further divided into Standard Gear, Melee Weapons, 
  Missile Weapons, Armor & Shields and Advanced 
  Technology - which is a catch-all term to describe all 
  equipment not in the first four lists.
  When 
  creating 
  a 
  character, 
  the player may only purchase 
  equipment from the following lists: 
  Standard Gear, Melee Weapons, 
  Missile Weapons and Armor & 
  Shields. All other equipment is 
  Advanced Technology and must 
  be acquired through the course of 
  a campaign.
  The only exceptions to this is 
  Spaceships. Although they are 
  not basic equipment, characters 
  may buy one by pooling their 
  resources; still, there’s no way 
  they’ll be able to pay for even the 
  cheapest starship. If all players agree, they can take a 
  loan and pay a mortgage to become proud owners of 
  a Starship.
  In some cases, the Referee may rule that the 
  characters are assigned a Starship by a government 
  organization or by a rich patron.
  25
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  STANDARD GEAR
  GEAR
  WEIGHT 
  (in lbs)
  COST
  (in credits)
  Ammo Bandolier (holds 20 energy cells/magazines)
  1
  5
  Atomic Battery (30 hours)
  2
  12
  Backpack (30 lbs. capacity)
  1
  5
  Belt Pouch (10 lbs. capacity)
  1
  3
  Clothing (Common)
  3
  5
  Clothing (Fine)
  5
  25
  Clothing (Exposure)
  15
  50
  Clothing (Spacesuit)
  12.5
  250
  Communicator
  1
  25/50
  Flares
  0.25
  3
  Flashlight
  0.5
  5
  Jet Pack (with fuel/without fuel)
  25/20
  100
  Jet Pack Quick Tank (1 refuel)
  5
  25
  Med Kit
  1
  20
  Rations
  1
  1
  Rope (50 ft)
  5
  5
  Science Kit
  2
  55/10
  Short Range Scanner
  1
  50
  Sleeping Bag
  1
  10
  Tent
  3
  20
  Timepiece
  0.25
  10
  Tool Kit
  1
  25
  TABLE 11: Standard Gear
  AMMO BANDOLIER: This is a belt or sash lined with 
  several small pouches designed to hold extra energy 
  cells which are used in laser pistols and laser rifles. It 
  can hold up to twenty (20) energy cells.
  ATOMIC BATTERY: Usually in the form of a black cube 
  measuring 2” with a stylized atom embedded on its 
  sides, it is the main form of power supply for anything 
  short of vehicles. An Atomic Battery can power any 
  tool for up to 10 hours of continued use.
  BACKPACK: Whether a primitive leather backpack 
  or a modern composite fiber knapsack, a backpack 
  can hold up to thirty pounds (30 lbs) and up to one 
  cubic foot of space.
  BELT POUCH: These pouches hold up to three 
  pounds (3 lbs) of equipment.
  CLOTHING (Common): Regular, everyday clothing 
  worn by millions across the universe. Includes a 
  solid pair of boots.
  26
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  CLOTHING (Fine): These are the finer garments worn 
  by nobles and other wealthy citizens of the galaxy.
  CLOTHING (Exposure): Exposure clothing is designed 
  to protect against extreme environmental hazards, 
  such as extreme temperatures or other hazards. 
  It does not protect from the vacuum of space. It 
  includes an internal breathing mask with an air 
  supply that lasts up to four (4) hours.
  CLOTHING (Space Suit): Space suits protect from the 
  vacuum and pressure of space. They have oxygen for 
  up to one day of continuous use. They’re bulky and 
  movement can be difficult when wearing one.
  COMMUNICATOR: This hand-held device allows for 
  audio communication with another individual who 
  also has a communicator at a distance.
  FLARES: These six-inch long rods have a pull-tie that, 
  when pulled, causes the tip of the flare to blaze with 
  light that radiates up to a range of 120 feet for up to 
  one hour (6 turns).
  FLASHLIGHT: A flashlight projects light in one 
  direction to a range of 60 feet. It has an atomic 
  batteryl that lasts thirty (30) hours.
  JET PACK: Characters wearing a jet pack gain the 
  ability to fly at a Movement of 18. A jet pack can be 
  used for up to 25 rounds before it must be refueled. 
  The cost to refuel a jet pack is 25 credits.
  JET PACK QUICK TANK: A replacement fuel tank that 
  can be exchanged with the inbuilt tank of a jet pack in 
  mid flight without losing altitude. The exchange takes 
  1 full round (1 minute), during which the character 
  wearing the jet pack must fly in a straight line.
  MED KIT: Med kits are small emergency medical 
  packages carried by emergency personnel and 
  military corpsman on the battlefield. It takes one 
  round to use a med kit and it restores 2d4 Hit Points. 
  Once a med kit is used it is completely expended.
  RATIONS: These rations are dried or freeze-dried 
  and remain usable for decades if kept in their 
  original packaging. The cost listed is for one day’s 
  supply of rations.
  ROPE: One coil of rope is able to support up to five 
  hundred pounds (500 lbs) of weight. Most come with 
  a magnetic grappling hook.
  SCIENCE KIT: This kit contains tools, test tubes, 
  reagents, etc. that a scientist needs to do his job. If 
  he’s not in a lab, a Clever Scientist with a Science Kit 
  can use his Weird Science ability anyway. The Science 
  Kit is not exhausted when used, but it needs to be 
  regularly replenished and maintained; the owner 
  must spend 10 cd each time he uses the kit, to replace 
  missing reagents, broken items, etc.
  SHORT RANGE SCANNER: This small, hand-held 
  device can detect the presence of animal life in a 50 
  yards radius. It can reveal approximate position (with 
  a 1d6 ft error margin) and approximate numbers 
  (with an error margin of 1). It can’t tell if the beings 
  detected are intelligent.
  SLEEPING BAG: Modern sleeping bags are able to 
  seal the user inside for extraordinary protection 
  from the elements. They cannot however, filter out 
  environmental hazards.
  TENT: Like sleeping bags, modern tents can seal up 
  to four (4) individuals within them to protect them 
  from the elements. They cannot however, filter out 
  environmental hazards.
  TIMEPIECE: This simple chronometer is worn on the 
  wrist and automatically sets itself to planetary time 
  when entering a new atmosphere. It can store and 
  keep times on any number of different planets.
  TOOL KIT: Tool kits are used by starship workers for 
  upkeep. Without a tool kit, it is very difficult to keep 
  a starship in top shape.
  27
  
  MELEE WEAPONS
  DARE THE STARS!
  WEAPON
  DAMAGE
  WEIGHT 
  (in lbs)
  COST
  (in credits)
  Battle Axe
  1D6+1
  6
  7
  Club
  1D6
  3
  1
  Dagger
  1D6-1
  1
  3
  Mono-Dagger
  1D6
  1
  15
  Mono-Sword
  1D6+1
  3
  20
  Mono-Axe
  1D6+2
  6
  35
  Spear
  1D6
  5
  2
  Staff
  1D6
  5
  1
  Stun Baton
  1+Special
  2
  15
  Sword
  1D6
  3
  10
  Vibroblade
  1D6+Special
  3
  125
  TABLE 12: Melee Weapons
  28
  BATTLE AXE: This large, double-headed weapon 
  requires two hands to wield effectively.
  CLUB: Whether stick, cudgel, or improvised weapon, 
  this is a simple blunt instrument that does damage.
  DAGGER: Both a tool and weapon, daggers range from 
  6-12 inches long. Most species in the galaxy use them.
  MONO-DAGGER: This dagger has had its edge refined 
  to the width of a single molecule.
  MONO-SWORD: These meter-long two-edged blades 
  are wielded in one hand and have their edges refined 
  to the width of a single molecule
  MONO-AXE: A light-weight composite head with 
  a molecule-thin blade makes this weapon both 
  fearsome to behold and deadly in battle. It requires 
  two hands for effective use.
  SPEAR: A six-foot pole with a sharp end or metal point; 
  spears are one of the oldest weapons in existence.
  STAFF: A long length of wood or composite plastic to 
  assist in travel or defend oneself in battle.
  STUN BATON: Bearing the appearance of a simple 
  steel rod with a rounded head, this baton is actually 
  powered by a small battery (good for more than 
  1,000 uses). It causes minimum damage, but its 
  victims must immediately make a Saving Throw or be 
  stunned (-4 to all rolls) for 1d6 rounds.
  SWORD: Often found as a ceremonial weapon 
  carried by Adventurous Nobles and other elite 
  citizens of the galaxy, swords nevertheless still often 
  find service in battle.
  VIBROBLADE: When not active, a Vibroblade looks 
  and works like a normal sword. By pressing a button 
  on the hilt, the user activates a vibration so fast, it 
  disrupts the structure of solid objects by entering in 
  resonance with them. Every time it strikes a shield or a 
  piece of armor, the Vibroblade permanently reduces it 
  by 2 points (that is, +2 AC, -2 AAC). Against unarmored 
  living targets, the blade damage becomes 1d6+1d4 as 
  the vibration breaks bones, causes internal damage to 
  the victim’s organs, etc. Vibroblades completely ignore 
  Force Fields and Energy Shields.
  
  29
  DARE THE STARS!
  MISSILE/RANGED WEAPONS
  WEAPON
  DAMAGE
  ROF
  RANGE
  WEIGHT 
  (in lbs)
  COST
  (in credits)
  Bow, Long
  1D6
  2
  300 ft
  20
  40
  Bow, Short
  1D6-1
  2
  200 ft
  5
  25
  Crossbow, Heavy
  1D6+1
  1/2
  250 ft
  18
  25
  Crossbow, Light
  1D6
  1/2
  250 ft
  9
  15
  Firearm (Pistol)
  1D6
  2
  75 ft
  2.5
  45
  Firearm (Rifle)
  1D6+1
  1
  150 ft
  7.5
  75
  Grenade (Atomic)
  5D6+1/2D6
  1
  25
  2
  150
  Grenade (Concussion)
  3D6+2
  1
  30 ft
  1
  25
  Grenade (Fragmentation)
  2D6+2
  1
  30 ft
  1
  25
  Laser Pistol
  1D6+2
  2
  100 ft
  2.5
  50
  Laser Rifle
  2D6
  2
  200 ft
  5
  100
  Raygun (Pistol)
  1D6+Special
  2
  75 ft
  3
  75
  Raygun (Rifle)
  2D6+Special
  2
  150 ft
  7
  120
  Arrow (20)
  -
  -
  -
  1
  1
  Bolt (20)
  -
  -
  -
  1
  1
  Bullet(20)
  -
  -
  -
  0.5
  10
  Energy Cell (10)
  -
  -
  -
  0.25
  10
  TABLE 13: Missile/Ranged Weapons
  ARROW: Ammunition for long and short bows. Sold 
  with a quiver (if needed) in bundles of twenty (20).
  BOLT: Ammunition for heavy crossbows and light 
  crossbows. Sold with a case (if needed) in bundles of 
  twenty (20).
  BOW, LONG: These primitive weapons are effective 
  and silent. They are most commonly found in 
  primitive societies and use arrows for ammunition..
  BOW, SHORT: Smaller versions of the long bow, these 
  are more easily used from a concealed or sitting 
  position, though they are less powerful and have a 
  shorter range. They use arrows for ammunition.
  BULLET: Ammunition for firearms. Sold in magazines 
  of twenty (20) bullets.
  CROSSBOW, HEAVY: Bulky, two-handed and slow to 
  load, heavy crossbows are rare in the modern galaxy, 
  though valued by collectors or used by pre-firearm 
  societies. They can punch a hole through most armor, 
  even modern, and use bolts for ammunition.
  CROSSBOW, LIGHT: A smaller version of the heavy 
  crossbow, it is still rare. It uses bolts for ammunition.
  ENERGY CELL: A micro atomic battery, works as 
  ammunition for laser and ray pistols and rifles. It is 
  sold in power packs that hold twenty (20) shots.
  FIREARM: Using gunpowder and lead projectiles housed 
  in metal casing, firearms are carried by eccentrics, 
  collectors, and pre-stellar societies. They have bullets 
  for ammunition, and come as pistols or rifles.
  
  GRENADE: These explosives are most commonly used 
  by military personnel. They come in three varieties:
  • Atomic 
  grenades 
  do 
  5D6+1 
  damage within a 10 foot radius, 
  and 2D6 damage in the following 
  10 foot radius (total radius 20 feet).
  • Concussion grenades do 3D6+2 
  damage within a 5 foot radius
  • Fragmentation grenades do 2D6+2 
  damage within a 50 foott radius.
  Each grenade must be purchased individually and is 
  expended when thrown.
  DARE THE STARS!
  30
  LASER PISTOL: The most common weapon in the 
  modern galaxy, this sidearm is favored by everyone 
  from nobles to mercenaries to law enforcement. It 
  requires an energy cell for ammunition.
  LASER RIFLE: This long firearm has an extended barrel 
  and requires two hands to fire. It has a longer range 
  than a pistol and does more damage. It requires an 
  energy cell for ammunition.
  RAYGUN: Common among Space Explorers, this 
  kind of weapon is very similar to a laser gun with an 
  extra punch: when hit by a raygun, the  victim must 
  immediately make a Saving Throw. If the Saving Throw 
  fails, the rolled damage is doubled.  It uses energy cells 
  for ammunition, and comes as a pistol or rifle.
  ARMOR
  AC [AAC]
  WEIGHT 
  (in lbs)
  COST
  (in credits)
  Force Field, Personal
  -4 [+4]
  5
  100
  Heavy
  -6 [+6]
  60
  100
  Light
  -2 [+2]
  15
  25
  Medium
  -4 [+4]
  30
  50
  Shield, Energy
  -2 [+2]
  1
  25
  Shield, Physical
  -1 [+1]
  10
  10
  TABLE 14: Armor and Shields
  FORCE FIELD, PERSONAL: A smaller version of the 
  Force Fields used in starships, this is an energy 
  “bubble” that adheres to the user’s body. It is, per se, 
  completely invisible, but it is projected by a light but 
  bulky backpack. The Field must be turned off for at 
  least one hour after functioning for 3 hours, to avoid 
  overheating. It is impervious to rays and bullets, 
  but it gives no protection against vibroblades. It is 
  considered light armor. 
  HEAVY ARMOR: Heavy composite plates, reinforced 
  with laser reflective coating, this bulky armor 
  provides a high level of protection against all forms 
  of attack. More primitive versions function similarly 
  to medieval plate armor.
  LIGHT ARMOR: Armored flight suits, boiled leather, 
  and synthetic armor vests are all considered Light 
  Armor. They offer minimal protection against most 
  physical attacks.
  ARMOR AND SHIELDS
  
  31
  DARE THE STARS!
  MEDIUM ARMOR: Whether modern reinforced 
  metal alloy plates set into the lining of a padded suit 
  or primitive chain-based armor, these designs offer 
  some decent protection against a variety of attacks. 
  This is the “common” protection for high ranking 
  civilians in war zones and nobles on the battlefield, 
  so there’s a vast fashion market for stylist or designer 
  armor. Designer armor is often tailor made, includes 
  precious material and costs far more than usual. 
  Multiply the listed price x2D6, but it is possible to 
  find pret-a-porter deluxe models for as low as 75 cd.
  SHIELD, ENERGY: A rounded metal alloy web that 
  when activated fills with a field of crackling energy. 
  Effective against energy weapons only. Cannot be 
  used at the same time as a physical shield.
  SHIELD, PHYSICAL: A rounded plate of reinforced 
  metal used to protect in melee combat and against 
  projectiles. Not as effective against modern weapons 
  as an energy shield, mostly carried for symbolic or 
  ceremonial reasons or improvised with materials at 
  hand (e.g. a metal plate lying around). Cannot be 
  used at the same time as an energy shield.
  CALCULATING ARMOR CLASS
  In Dare the Stars! you can measure the Armor Class in two ways:
  In the standard and descending Armor Class system (AC), an unarmored human has an AC of 9. Any 
  armor worn subtracts from this total, making him or her more difficult to hit. For example, a human 
  (base AC 9) wearing Light Armor (-2) has an effective AC of 7 (9-2).
  Using the Ascending Armor Class system (AAC), an unarmored human has an AAC of 10. Armor worn, 
  instead of subtracting from this total, is added making him or her more difficult to hit. Therefore, a 
  human (base AAC 10) wearing Light Armor (+2) has an effective AAC of 12 (10+2).
  COMPARING ARMOR CLASS SYSTEMS
  To translate between descending and ascending 
  Armor Class systems, the Armor Class (AC) and 
  Ascending Armor Class (AAC) values should add 
  up to 19 when added together. For example, AC 
  7 is the same as AAC 12, or 19 - 7=12.
  In the standard system a high AC is bad, and in 
  the Ascending Armor Class system a low AAC 
  is bad. Once you start playing using one of the 
  systems, it will make perfect sense, no matter 
  which is used.
  STARSHIPS AND VEHICLES ARMOR CLASS
  Starships and Vehicles use the same Armor 
  Class system adopted for personal combat but, 
  in some cases, there are special rules to adjust 
  for scale - see the relevant chapters for details.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  32
  STARSHIPS AND VEHICLES
  Vehicles (including starships) have their own statistics; they are Armor Class (works like characters’ AC), Hit Points 
  (capacity to withstand damage), Explosive Damage (damage suffered by the occupants if  the vehicle explodes), 
  Personal Protection (cover provided for occupants), Reduction (the points subtracted from lighter, hand-held 
  weapons damage), Movement (the vehicle’s speed), Targeting (bonus to attacks conducted with mounted 
  weapons, if any), Attack (mounted weapons, if any), and Modifications (extra equipment for the vehicle).
  These are explained in detail in the Starships and Vehicles chapter, where you’ll find the rules for purchasing 
  vehicles, driving or piloting them, and so on, along with a list of vehicle-related equipment and modifications 
  you can upgrade your motor with.
  As an example, we’ve put here the description of a vehicle - the most common civilian car of the galaxy - so 
  that you can have a reference for the vehicles’ statistics.
  AIRCAR
  Armor Class
  6 [13]
  Hit Points
  25
  Explosive Damage
  4D6
  Personal Protection
  +3
  Reduction
  4
  Movement
  25 [Max Hovering Height: 10 feet]
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  None
  Modifications
  None
  Price
  cd 3,000.00
  The standard transportation in the civilized galaxy, the aircar (a car moving on air cushions) comes in 
  many makes and models. The most common model is the family aircar, allowing for 1 pilot and up to 5 
  passengers, but there are many variations. Economy four-seaters can cost less than cd 1,500.00, while 
  deluxe sport aircars are sold for prices in excess of cd 15,000.00.
  EQUIPMENT WEIGHT
  A normal level of miscellaneous equipment is assumed to weigh around seventy pounds (70 lbs). 
  When treasure is added to this, each twenty (20) credits or gems of equivalent value weighs around 
  one pound (1 lb).
  
  33
  DARE THE STARS!
  So, how do you get a spaceship? Here we give you a 
  few methods and suggestions.
  METHOD I: ENLIST!
  There are many organizations and even some private 
  patron willing to provide a spaceship to a promising 
  adventuring party. The catch is that, obviously, the 
  party will have to work for them, and their routes will 
  be set by the spaceship’s owner.
  Here’s a list of organizations and individuals that 
  could be used by the Referee as “patrons”. The 
  format of the list is:
  NAME
  (the name of the organization/person and its 
  description, including its main goals)
  Headquarter: [Location] (the location of the 
  organization’s main offices, laboratory, home, etc.)
  Requirements: (a list of prerequisites needed for  the 
  patron to take the party into consideration; most 
  of these come from roleplaying rather than rules)
  Obligations: (a list of obligations the party will have 
  to fulfil for the patron)
  Spaceship: (the type of spaceship given)
  Perks: (advantages – wage, powers bestowed, etc.)
  Period: (the length the party can be in the patrons’ 
  employment. If it is 2 periods separated by a slash 
  – i.e. X/X – the first is the minimum, the second is 
  the maximum)
  Jobs: (the general category of jobs assigned by the 
  organization)
  Notes: (various notes on the organization or 
  person - basically, anything that doesn’t fit in the 
  points above)
  ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
  OF ALTAIR (ArAsAl)
  This private trust deals with archaeological artefacts 
  and sites, recovering them to sell them to rich 
  collectors. Progenitor artefacts are the most valued, 
  but anything, from Martian sacred statues to 
  Kheethee primitive art, can be sold.
  Headquarters: Main offices are located on Altair III, 
  an agricultural, low population planet, but ArAsAl 
  has branch offices everywhere the reselling of 
  archaeology is legal.
  Requirements: Apart from the absence of a criminal 
  record, anyone can apply.
  Obligations: Everything retrieved during a mission 
  must be handed to the ArAsAl, even if it has no 
  historical value. Extra crew must be provided by 
  the party, but an ArAsAl Inspector will always 
  accompany the group to a mission.
  Spaceship: Transport.
  Perks: All expenses, equipment necessary to the 
  mission etc. is provided and paid for by ArAsAl. 
  Each character receives 200 cr, and 10% of the 
  finds value is divided among the party members 
  (including the Inspector).
  Period: Single mission, may be hired again if 
  competent or if performed well.
  Jobs: Retrieve “lost” artefacts; explore newly 
  discovered 
  archaeological 
  sites; 
  escort 
  archaeologists.
  Notes: The party receives 10% of the value of their 
  finds. To calculate the characters’ percentage, roll 
  2d6x20 at the end of a mission. If it wasn’t a recovery 
  mission, the cash bonus is d6x10 cd total.
  GETTING A SPACESHIP
  Even by pooling their credits together, starting characters rarely can afford a spaceship; still, 
  a spaceship is necessary to start many adventures, to go places and explore space – all things 
  quite fundamental for an adventuring party in Dare the Stars.
  
  BLUE STAR MINING COMPANY (BSM)
  The main actor in mineral extraction, the company 
  is always on the look for surveyors, carriers and 
  acquisition agents. Sometimes, though, jobs are 
  not pleasant…
  Headquarters: The Company is located on an asteroid 
  orbiting Pluto. It is extra-territorial, and has no 
  allegiance to any government.
  Requirements: The Company has no special hiring 
  requirement.
  Obligations: Extra crew must be provided by the 
  party. Living expenses (food, etc.) are not provided.
  Spaceship: Heavy Cargo, Exploration Rocket, 
  Passenger Ship or other ship, depending on 
  the mission.
  Perks: All expenses needed to complete the mission, 
  apart from living expenses, are reimbursed after 
  completion. Characters receive a weekly wage of 
  10 cd when ashore, 15 cd when in space.
  Period: Usually characters are hired for a 6-months 
  period, renewable. If they are sent on a mission in 
  the last days of the period, they must agree to an 
  extension (e.g. 2 months) sufficient to complete it.
  Jobs: Survey planets and asteroids for possible mining 
  sites. Escort miners to their destination. Escort ore 
  cargo to refineries.
  Notes: A less pleasant kind of job is the forced 
  eviction of settlements to install mining operations 
  in their place. This kind of job, although rare, could 
  be assigned to the characters – but only after at least 
  two periods of 6 months, and only if the Company 
  thinks they are tough enough (as the eviction can 
  involve shootings, separating families, etc.). 
  DOCTOR BOGDAN GAJOS
  What do you do when you are heir to the biggest 
  steel industries on Earth, but your only interest is 
  science? If you are Bogdan Gajos, you hire a team 
  of competent administrators, have them run the 
  business and use your immense fortune to build a 
  laboratory and pursue your passion.
  Doctor Gajos is a full-time inventor, always looking 
  for people to test his latest creation.
  Headquarters: Doctor Gajos’ laboratory and factories 
  are situated near Krakow, Poland (Earth).
  Requirements: The only requirement is that the 
  party must earn doctor Gajos’ trust. He only hires 
  people he can trust.
  Obligations: The party must prepare a detailed report 
  of the mission; if the mission involves testing some 
  invention, they must note in detail the invention’s 
  performance. Extra crew and personnel must be 
  provided and paid by the party.
  Spaceship: Depending on the mission, Exploration 
  Rocket, Prototype Spaceship (see pag. 56) or 
  other, as needed.
  Perks: All expenses, equipment for the mission 
  etc. are provided and paid by Dr. Gajos. Extra 
  equipment may be obtained by negotiating 
  – usually not a problem, as Doctor Gajos is 
  prodigal if it is for the good of the mission. 
  Pay is usually 100 cd + 1 cr/day per character; 
  successful negotiation may bring this up to 200 
  cd + 3 cd/day.
  Period: Single mission, but Doctor Gajos tends to 
  repeatedly hire people he trusts.
  Jobs: Testing new devices and spaceships on a 
  planet surface or in deep space; retrieving rare 
  materials; transporting prototypes to their 
  final destination.
  Notes: Doctor Gajos is at the same time the 
  prototypical mad scientist and a jovial fellow. 
  Being a genius (he got his first Ph.D. when he was 
  11) he grew alone, so he’s famished for friendship 
  and approval, almost (but not quite) to the point of 
  DARE THE STARS!
  34
  
  being naïve. He will always check the credentials of 
  his perspective employees and try to spend some 
  time with them before hiring the party; once past 
  this initial layer of control, though, he will treat 
  them as friends – even when there’s no mission, 
  he will often invite them to his lab to show his 
  latest work, or invite them out for dinner (e.g. 
  on his birthday). He’s shy around women, but he 
  makes an effort to overcome his shyness, usually 
  with horribly awkward science jokes that only 
  other scientists can understand.
   INTERPLANETARY SAFARI
  ASSOCIATION (ISA)
  No matter how civilized a planet is, there will always 
  be someone, somewhere, feeling the urge to kill 
  animals for sport. The ISA organizes hunting parties 
  on wild planets or in the jungles of settled planets for 
  the idle rich that can afford the hobby.
  Headquarters: ISA’s main offices are on an island 
  on Victory, a planet orbiting Barnard’s Star. The 
  company owns the whole island, which is as big 
  as Earth’s New Zealand; the rest of the territory 
  of that island is used as a free-range zoo for rare 
  animals caught on other planets.
  Requirements: 
  Anybody 
  can 
  apply. 
  Daring 
  Adventurers, Brave Soldiers and Wise Spacers 
  are preferred.
  Obligations: Characters must provide for the 
  spaceship crew, at least 1 porter every 2 clients and 
  1 steward every 4 clients, paying them with their 
  funds. During the hunting trip, characters must act 
  as guides and bodyguards for the clients (they can 
  hire extra personnel to help in this, if they want).
  Spaceship: Luxury Space Yacht.
  Perks: The yacht is provisioned with high quality 
  foods, plenty of ammo and a few hunting 
  weapons, even if clients usually bring their own. 
  The party receives a payment equal to 100 cd 
  per client (including non-hunters participating 
  in the trip).
  Period: 1 hunting trip. May be repeated depending 
  on party’s performance.
  Jobs: Most of the time, chaperon the idle rich in 
  their hunting trips and keep them out of trouble. 
  Rarely, escort a zoology research team to capture 
  live specimen.
  Notes: The average trip has d6+1 hunters and d3 non-
  hunting tourists (husband or wife, relatives, etc). Roll 
  a d6: if the result is 5 or 6, add another d3 hunters 
  and d3-1 tourists. ISA’s clients are insured, but in case 
  of serious injuries or death the party might be sued 
  and it won’t be hired again by ISA.
  35
  DARE THE STARS!
  STRENGTH
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CONSTITUTION
  DEXTERITY
  CHARISMA
  HIT POINTS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  BHB
  SAVING
  THROW
  Doctor Bogdan Gajos doesn’t 
  usually carriy weapons nor wear 
  armor. He always carries a Science Kit. 
  Due to his immense wealth, he has 
  access to all the equipment listed in this 
  book and to many more items, most 
  of which are one-of-a-kind gimmicks 
  invented by Doctor Gajos himself.
  Doctor Bogdan Gajos
  Clever Scientist, Lvl 10
  GEAR AND WEAPONS
  8
  19
  10
  12
  17
  9
  27
  +3
  9[10]
  6
  
  LORD JESTOCOST FOUNDATION
  FOR SPACE EXPLORATION (LJF)
  When he died, 100 years into the space age, the noble 
  Jestocost had no heir; he left all his belongings, including 
  one of the many moons of Neptune, to a foundation to 
  promote and fund future space explorations.
  Headquarters: Jestocost Town, an entire city on 
  Proteus, a moon of the planet Neptune.
  Requirements: Anybody can apply. Balanced parties 
  with at least one Daring Explorer and one Clever 
  Scientist are preferred.
  Obligations: Characters must be on call. They can 
  refuse missions, but every time they refuse, 
  there’s a cumulative 20% chance they won’t be 
  considered for the next mission; starting from 
  the second refusal, there’s also a cumulative 10% 
  chance that every time they refuse a mission, 
  their association with the Foundation will be 
  terminated.
  If they are not enough to crew the spaceship, they 
  have to hire extra crew out of their pocket.
  Spaceship: Exploration Rocket.
  Perks: Characters with the Foundation receive basic 
  equipment according to their current mission. 
  Their spaceship has enough supplies (food, water, 
  medicines) to last for the mission, and then some. 
  Characters are paid 100 cd / mission and, on their 
  enrolment, receive a Foundation badge, that can be 
  used in most chain stores to purchase basic (non-
  weapon) equipment with a 20% discount. On any 
  settled planet there’s a 4 in 6 chance to find a store 
  accepting the badge (this chance can go down to 2 
  in 6 in scarcely populated settlements, and up to 5 
  in 6 in densely populated cities – Referee’s call). 
  Period: 1 year/as long as the characters accept 
  missions or their membership is terminated.
  Jobs: Survey and exploration of newly discovered 
  planets; acquisition of Progenitor artefacts.
  Notes: If there is no Clever Scientist in the party, most 
  of the times one will be provided by the LJF and will 
  be given command of the mission.
  SOLAR COMPACT RANGERS (SCR)
  The Ranger Corps of the Solar compact are an 
  interplanetary police force, charged with keeping 
  the peace and hunting down criminals in the 
  territory of the Solar Compact. They are considered 
  “extraterritorial” and their agents are mainly humans, 
  even if the occasional Martian Noble finds his way 
  into the ranks. The High Command tries to mix and 
  match Rangers on the same ship both for origin and 
  skills.
  Headquarters: Space Station Doyle, in geostationary 
  orbit around Saturn.
  Requirements: Android characters can’t “join”. If a 
  player wants to play an android character, he must 
  choose to play a SCR Android – a property of the 
  Ranger Corps, temporarily assigned to the party.
  Obligations: Characters must be in service to the SCR 
  24/7. They are stationed in a SCR base on a planet 
  of the Solar System, they are on a 13/2 rotation (2 
  days of leave every 13 days of service) and they 
  have to wear the Corps uniform when in service.
  Spaceship: Patrol Rocket (special equipment issued 
  when needed).
  Perks: Characters are equipped with a uniform 
  (including a spacesuit version) and a raygun. They 
  are given food and shelter for the duration of their 
  service, and receive a weekly wage of 25 cd. If 
  additional crew for the spaceship is needed, it is 
  provided by the SCR.
  On discharge, they receive a monthly pension equal 
  to 10 cd per year of service.
  Period: 2 years/10 years (unless discharged earlier 
  for some reason: criminal behaviour, invalidating 
  wound…). Must be confirmed every 2 years.
  Jobs: Patrolling dangerous zones; armed escort; 
  rescue; police missions.
  Notes: Aliens from extrasolar planets can’t 
  enlist in the SCR. Sometimes they are hired as 
  consultants, but only temporarily. Martians are 
  welcome but, as for now, only half a dozen of 
  Martian Nobles enlisted.
  DARE THE STARS!
  36
  
  37
  DARE THE STARS!
  MORE ORGANIZATIONS
  There are other organizations like those above, 
  but most fall into the templates presented. 
  Most planets have their patrolling forces, 
  equivalent to the Rangers, there’s agencies 
  that organize less cruel photographic safaris, 
  corporations that look for resources (mining, 
  agricultural or otherwise), etc. Here’s a list of 
  the main names, with their headquarters in 
  parentheses and the organization most similar 
  in brackets.
  Eyes On Nature
  (Bravo City, Alastair World, a.k.a. Kapteyn b)
  [Interplanetary Safari Association, except 
  it specializes in photographic safaris]
  Horimasu Agriculture, Inc.
  (Green City, Mercury)
  [Blue Star Mining, except it operates in 
  agriculture]
  Professor Isaac Anderson
  (Luna City, Moon)
  [Doctor Bogdan Gajos, except his field is 
  zoology and he is less affluent]
  SaferSpace
  (Ares City, Mars)
  [Solar Compact Rangers, except they are a 
  private security firm]
  Terran Orbit Space Patrol
  (New Los Angeles, Terra)
  [Solar Compact Rangers, missions limited to 
  Earth’s space]
  Method II: GET ON BOARD!
  There are many captains looking for crew. Some of 
  them are willing to hire skilled individuals, rather 
  than those listed in the “Assistant” chapter of the 
  rules. PCs just have to hang around spaceports long 
  enough to find the right one. Pay is, obviously, low…
  Here’s a couple of examples of captains ready to hire 
  and their ships (and the main NPCs if any).
  Captain Rhonda Black
  Captain Black is a middle-aged woman with a past 
  in space travel. She was the first officer on Redd 
  Erskine’s Redd’s Beauty. Redd lost the ship to Rhonda 
  in a card game.
  She’s looking for a crew for her first trip: cargo is 
  loaded and the ship is ready to go.
  Rhonda is a professional, but she’s out of her depth 
  as a captain. She’s not very good at discipline, and she 
  knows it. She’ll be happy to hire a highly charismatic 
  character, (an Adventurous Noble or a Wise Spacer) 
  to put him in charge of personnel relations.
  The Ship: Black’s Beauty is a Heavy Cargo with a few 
  modifications and a wonderful paint job. Captain Black 
  is saving to buy a modular passenger modification to 
  transform her cargo in a passenger ship.
  Asphodelus Blacknova,
  Lord President of the Asteroid Belt
  Blacknova was a noble exiled in the Belt by his family 
  because of his evidently faltering sanity. There he spent 
  20 years benignly helping the poors, with the delusion 
  that he was a governor and that protecting the Belt’s 
  citizens was his job. His family supplies him with plenty 
  of money and with the false identity “Asphodelus 
  Blacknova”, so that he won’t embarrass their name.
  He owns a villa and a small private spaceport on Vesta, 
  where he keeps his “fleet” (a luxury yacht, a heavy 
  fighter and a heavily modified exploration rocket). 
  Everybody in the Belt knows and loves Lord Blacknova. 
  They call him President in his presence, and pretend 
  to observe his edicts (most are inconsequential 
  anyway). He even prints “money”, plastic coins with 
  his profile on it, and that currency (called “Novas”) 
  is accepted throughout the belt (the exchange rate 
  is fixed: 5 Novas = 1 cd). Even the Asteroid Police 
  stationed on Ceres pays lip service to his government.
  He is willing to hire a “navy” to defend the Belt.
  The Ship: The Titan (in Blacknova’s private spaceport 
  alongside his yacht) began its life as a standard 
  exploration rocket; planning to use it as his flagship, 
  Lord Asphodelus added extra weapons and armor.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  38
  Method III: GET A LOAN!
  This is the best way to get around and remaining 
  relatively independent – still, you’ll have to find a way 
  to earn money and repay the loan. Also, this method 
  requires a sort of pledge: as the loan will be in all 
  characters’ name, they need to commit themselves 
  to remain together for a long time.
  To be able to receive a loan, the characters have to 
  pool their resources together. Here’s how it works:
  - 
  All the characters sign a Loan Request.
  - 
  Add all the levels of the characters together: 
  this is the Interest Rate Modifier.
  - 
  If one of the characters is an Adventurous 
  Nobles, add +2 to the IRM. If there’s more 
  than one Adventurous Noble in the group, 
  add another +1 for each after the first. If 
  there’s one or more Wise Spacers, subtract -1 
  from the IRM (you only subtract 1, no matter 
  how many Wise Spacers are in the party).
  - 
  If one or more characters own real estate, 
  they can choose 
  - 
  Choose a starship. To make things easier, 
  we will assume that the bank will loan the 
  entire cost of the starship to the characters. 
  The characters can choose to repay the loan 
  in 3 or 5 years.
  - 
  Calculate the Interest Rate. To do so, roll 
  2d6+5 and add to the result twice the years 
  of the loan duration. Subtract the IRM from 
  the total: that’s the interest on the loan. 
  Add the interest to the cost and divide by 
  36 (if the duration is 3 years) or by 60 (if 
  the duration is 5 years): that’s the monthly 
  installment that the characters need to 
  pay. If they skip one payment, they’ll have 
  to pay double the following month; if they 
  skip two, they’ll have to pay three AND 
  the equivalent of half an installment as a 
  penalty. If they skip the third payment in a 
  row, the starship will be repossessed by the 
  bank at the first chance.
  Loan Example: A party of five 1st level 
  characters wants to buy a starship. They go 
  to the bank, put their papers together and, 
  as there’s an Adventurous Noble in the group, 
  they set their IRM to 7.
  They want to buy an Exploration Rocket (price: 
  cd 15,000.00) and repay it in 5 years. The 2d6 
  roll for interest is 7+5=12; adding 10 (twice 
  the years of the loan) brings the interest to 22. 
  Luckily, the IRM brings it down to 15%. Adding 
  the interest to the loan brings the total to 
  cd 17,250.00; dividing this by the 60 months 
  of the loan duration, it results in a monthly 
  installment of cd 287.50.
  Characters owning a starship must find their own 
  missions by keeping an eye on the “Job Offer” section 
  of their spaceport bulletin board.
  NOTE: Civilians (that is, the characters) can’t buy 
  military ships (Atomic Warships, Gunship Rockets, 
  Patrol Rockets and Star Fighters).
  
  CHAPTER FOUR: PLAYING THE GAME
  Now that your characters are ready and equipped, it is time to start traveling in a galaxy full of adventures 
  and opportunities to become rich, famous or both.
  During the game, the Referee will describe where the characters are and what they see, what the Non Player 
  Characters (NPCs) do or say, and everything of relevance. He might even throw in irrelevant details, to help 
  the players to immerse in the setting.
  At this point, before starting the game proper, if you are experienced gamers, you might want to apply some 
  of the optional rules described in the text or in Appendix 1.
  We particularly recommend the Web of Contacts optional rule, that gives characters a reason to be together 
  without recurring to makeshift motivations like “By chance, you are all at the same bar when...”
  THE RULES
  MEASURING GAME TIME
  The passage of time in the game is different from 
  that in reality. When nothing happens in-game for a 
  long period - uneventful journeys, a night’s sleep  - it 
  makes no sense to wait for a similar amount of real 
  time. The Referee will just state that “two hours (or a 
  night, a week) passed”. 
  There are two very important 
  measurement units for Game 
  Time: the Turn and the Round.
  One Turn represents 10 (ten) 
  minutes of Game Time, while one 
  Round represents 1 (one) minute.
  SAVING THROWS
  When you filled your character 
  sheet, you also noted his Saving 
  Throw - ST in short. This number 
  represents the ability of the 
  character to avoid adverse effects 
  - it’s quick reflexes, wits and luck 
  all combined in one roll.
  When the Referee calls for a Saving Throw, you have 
  to roll 1D20: if the result is equal to or higher than 
  the character’s Saving Throw, the specific adversity is 
  avoided - all or in part - or the character overcame it.
  Many classes receive bonuses to certain Saving 
  Throws, so pay attention to the specific type of danger.
  SURPRISE
  From time to time, a character or its team will be able 
  to surprise an opponent. Other times it’ll be them 
  being surprised. When the circumstances allow a 
  surprise attack, a D6 is rolled by the party trying to 
  obtain it: on a result of 1-2, surprise is granted.
  Surprise gives an advantage in combat and other 
  activities - this is detailed in Chapter 5.
  CONCEALED AND SECRET DOORS
  Concealed and secret doors 
  can be detected on the roll of 
  a 1 on a 1d6 when a character 
  specifically states that they are 
  looking for one. Except for some 
  rare situation, specified by the 
  Referee, if the die roll fails the 
  character is not able to say that 
  a door s not there; he just knows 
  that he didn’t find one.
  Some aliens or creatures may 
  have a greater chance of success 
  in finding secret doors, or even be able to detect 
  them simply by being near to them.
  Finding a secret or concealed door doesn’t give you 
  the ability to open it if it is locked - you’ll need to 
  find the key (or the combination if it is locked by a 
  keypad), pick it or break it down with brute force.
  39
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  40
  MOVEMENT RATE
  The base Movement rate for all races is calculated 
  in terms of feet (ft) per round, as shown in Table 15 
  below. If you are used to different measurements, 
  work them out with your Referee.
  Typically, a character who moves more than their 
  normal Movement rate cannot attack or activate an 
  Insight in the same round.
  WEIGHT CARRIED
  (in lbs)
  CHARACTER
  Movement
  0-75
  12
  76-100
  9
  101-150
  6
  151+
  3
  TABLE 15: Movement Rates
  Movement TYPE
  ADJUSTMENT
  Careful
  Half of character Movement
  Normal
  Normal character Movement
  Running
  Double character Movement
  TABLE 16: Movement Adjustment
  GAINING EXPERIENCE
  At the end of every session, the group will be 
  awarded a number of Experience Points (XP) for 
  their endeavours and exploits.
  Experience Points are a measure of what your 
  characters learned in-game from what they did, 
  and they are used to level up characters. They are 
  distributed by the Referee, who will tell the players 
  exactly how many XP their characters receive.
  There are many ways to gain XP; some of them are:
  • Overcoming or defeating an opponent in 
  any way: in combat, with wits, bypassing 
  it... (use HDE/XP values, see page 74)
  • Recovering treasure, loot or advanced 
  Progenitors technology (1-1000 XP)
  • Advancing the adventure, story or 
  campaign (25-500 XP) 
  While most XP earned is split equally among everyone 
  in a party involved in the earning of it, sometimes 
  Referees award individual characters bonus XP for 
  doing something particularly well, taking great risks 
  or acting in character. As an example:
  • Risking life or limb to save an innocent 
  who’s not a party member (50-100 XP for 
  that character only)
  • Discovering the solution to an enigma or 
  a puzzle using only your character’s skills 
  (50-100 XP for that character only)  
  On top of all that, some character classes have a 
  Prime Attribute that provides an additional XP Bonus 
  to that character. All characters also gain an XP Bonus 
  from having a Charisma or Wisdom attribute value of 
  13 or higher.
  In Chapter 11 you will find a table with suggestions on 
  how to award Experience. Remember that it’s just a 
  set of guidelines, you’re encouraged to add your own.
  When the predetermined number of XP is reached 
  (as for the class tables), the character gains a level 
  and all the benefits related to that level.
  MY SHARE OF EXPERIENCE
  At the end of each session the Referee will 
  award an amount of XP to the group as a whole; 
  that amount must be equally split among the 
  characters in the group. If this division results in 
  fractional points, round that up to the nearest 
  integer (e.g. 102.7 XP becomes 103 XP). Each 
  part is called “a share”.
  Sometimes the rules will call for “half (or any 
  other fraction) a share”. This means that the XP 
  total must be split with “half” a character (e.g. 
  an Assistant). As an example, if the reward is 
  2,200 XP for a group of 4 PC and 3 Assistants, 
  the total shall be divided by 5.5 - resulting in 200 
  XP for each Assistant and 400 XP for each PC.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  41
  ASSISTANTS AND FOLLOWERS
  Many characters, particularly when first starting 
  an adventuring career, are in need of some help in 
  carrying loot or fighting enemies. Table 17 below lists 
  Assistants that can be hired. List prices are in credits 
  assuming that a typical adventure lasts roughly one 
  week. Assistants also cost a half share of any XP 
  earned during adventuring.
  ASSISTANT
  COST
  (cd/week)
  Animal Trainer
  125
  Assassin
  300
  Common soldier
  25
  Engineer
  250
  Menial Worker (servant, roustabout)
  5
  Planetary chauffeur/Taxi
  20
  Sage
  300
  Spy
  125
  Starship Crew Member
  25
  Starship Gunner
  35
  Starship Repairman
  50
  Translator
  35
  Weapon and Armor Repairman
  25
  TABLE 17: Assistant Hiring Costs
  Characters can also hire class-based Assistants.
  CLASS-BASED ASSISTANT
  COST
  (cd/week)
  Adventurous Noble
  200 x Level
  Android
  150 x Level
  Brave Soldier
  200 x Level
  Clever Scientist
  200 x Level
  Daring Explorer
  200 x Level
  Wise Spacer
  200 x Level
  Additional cost for alien NPC
  Class cost x 2
  TABLE 18: Class Hiring Costs
  FOLLOWERS
  Starting from a certain level, some characters will 
  start to attract Followers - volunteers who offer their 
  service almost for free, drawn by the characters fame, 
  social standing, etc. Unlike Assistants, characters can’t 
  choose their Followers, as they come spontaneously.
  Like Assistants, Followers have a cost too - but they 
  are willing to work for free for the first month, and 
  require a subsistance wage only. A better wage may 
  raise the loyalty of followers.
  If left without pay for more than a month after the 
  first, Followers will have to make a Loyalty check (a 
  Saving Throw, modified by the character’s Charisma, 
  as explained on page 13); if the check fails, the 
  Followers go away. A Loyalty check is also needed if 
  the Follower has to risk his or her life, but they will 
  never accept bribes or better job offers.
  If the character has a base (e.g. the Laboratory of a 
  Clever Scientist), his Followers can live there - the 
  base is assumed to have living quarters, a communal 
  kitchen, a mess hall or cafeteria and all the facilities 
  needed. The Followers will also act as a defense 
  militia if the base is attacked.
  If the character doesn’t have a base, their Followers 
  will go home each day - they’ll try to find residence 
  as close as possible to the character, but they will 
  always need 2D6 Turns to reach him when called on.
  The Followers not involved in adventures still gain 
  1D6x10 XP each week they are staying home or they 
  are working at the character’s base.
  The character can bring as many Followers as he 
  wishes with him on an adventure; in this case, each 
  Follower will get half a share of any XP earned.
  If you are using the optional rules for Alien Races, roll 
  1D6 for each Follower: on a result of 1-5 they’re of 
  the same race as the character; on a 6, they are of a 
  different race (randomly determined).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  42
  What follows are a few tables with the Followers gained by each class at the various levels. Not every level 
  bestows Followers, so when you see a dash it means no follower is gained for that level.
  LVL
  Android
  Adventurous Noble
  Brave Soldier
  4
  -
  1D4 Servants (lvl 0)
  1D2 Brave Soldiers (lvl 1)
  -
  5
  -
  -
  -
  6
  -
  1 Adventurous Noble (lvl 1)
  -
  7
  -
  1d4 Servants (lvl 0)
  -
  8
  -
  -
  1D6 Common Soldiers (lvl 0)
  9
  N.A.
  1 Majordomo (Servant lvl 1)
  2D6 Brave Soldiers (lvl 1)
  1 Brave Soldier NCO (lvl 3)
  10
  N.A.
  1D4 Brave Soldiers (lvl 1)
  1 Brave Soldier NCO (lvl 3)
  Roll 1D6: 1-3: 1 Daring Explorer (lvl 
  1), 4-5: 1 Adventurous Noble (lvl 1)
  6: 1 Clever Scientist (lvl 1)
  TABLE 18a: Followers by Character Class and Level
  LVL
  Clever Scientist
  Daring Explorer
  Wise Spacer
  6
  -
  -
  2 Wise Spacers (lvl 1)
  7
  1D4 Clever Scientists (lvl 1)
  1D3 Servants (lvl 0)
  1 Daring Explorer (lvl 1)
  1 Brave Soldier (lvl 1)
  2D6 Wise Spacers (lvl 1)
  8
  1D6 Clever Scientists (lvl 1)
  1D6 Daring Explorers (lvl 1)
  2D6 Wise Spacers (lvl 1)
  9
  1 Daring Explorer (lvl 1)
  -
  1D6 Daring Explorers (lvl 1)
  10
  1 Android (lvl 1)
  Roll 1D6: 1-4: 1D6 Daring Explorers (lvl 1)
  5-6: 1 Clever Scientist (lvl 1)
  Roll 1D6: 1: 1 Clever Scientist (lvl 1)
  2-3: 1D6 Brave Soldiers (lvl 1)
  4-6: 1D6 Daring Explorers (lvl 1)
  TABLE 18b: Followers by Character Class and Level
  TYPE OF FOLLOWER
  Monthly Wage
  Adventurous Noble
  150 x Level
  Android
  100 x Level
  Brave Soldier
  75 x Level
  Clever Scientist
  100 x Level
  Daring Explorer
  50 x Level
  Servant (lvl 0)
  5
  Servant (lvl 1+)
  10 x Level
  Wise Spacer
  50 x Level
  TABLE 19: Class Hiring Costs
  MY WAGE, MY LOYALTY
  You can pay Assistants double or more than the 
  listed cost to give them a +1 on Loyalty checks. 
  No matter how much more you pay, the bonus 
  will always be only +1.
  Followers, on the other hand, gain +1 to 
  Loyalty checks for every doubling of the base 
  cost (e.g., a Servant Follower gains +1 if paid 10 
  instead of 5, +2 if paid 20, +3 if paid 40, etc.) up 
  to a maximum of +5.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  43
  ASSISTANTS DESCRIPTIONS
  Assistants are Non-Player Characters of Level 0. 
  They are created exactly like Player Characters, but 
  with the following differences:
  • Their Ability Scores are rolled using 2D6+1
  • They have 1 or 2 Hit Points (specified in 
  their description). They are considered 
  having 1 HD anyway
  • They have one, and only one, special 
  Class Ability
  • They start at -500 XP, and must get to 0 XP 
  to become Level 1 Characters.
  • After that, they follow the Commoner 
  Advancement Table, shown below, up to 
  Level 5 (their top level).
  • They gain a second Class Ability at Level 3 
  and another at Level 5
  All Class Abilities require an Ability Check, made 
  rolling 1D20. If the result is lower than 12+Level, the 
  check is a success.
  Animal Trainer: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: 
  Level 0: Can train a single species of animal; 
  Level 3: Can train three more species; Level 
  5: Can train any animal species. Training 
  times are determined by the Referee. Starting 
  Equipment: Whip, Stun Gun, Animal threats.
  Assassin: 2 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: On his 
  first successful attack, once per combat, causes 
  extra damage. Level 0: +1D6; Level 3: +2D6; 
  Level 5: +3D6. Starting Equipment: Dagger, 
  Camo Clothes, 1D6 vials of poison.
  Common Soldier: 2 HP + 2 HP/Level. Class Ability: 
  Level 0: Can use any weapon; Level 3: Can wear 
  any armor; Level 5: +2 HP. Starting Equipment: 
  Light Armor, Combat Knife, Laser Rifle.
  Engineer: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: Can 
  work around a vehicle’s limitations to get a 
  better performance for Level+5 Turns. Level 0: 
  Can boost land vehicles’ engines; Level 3: Can 
  also boost air vehicles engines; Level 5: Can 
  boost any engine. The boosted engine will go 
  50% faster and consume half the fuel. Starting 
  Equipment: Repair Tools, 1D6 Spare Parts.
  Menial Worker: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class 
  Ability: Level 0: Choose one professional skill 
  among Cooking, Gardening, Heavy Lifting and 
  Housekeeping; Level 3: Can act as a Majordomo 
  or Teamster; Level 5: Team/House Manager. 
  Starting Equipment: Knife, working clothes. 
  Planetary Chauffeur: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class 
  Ability: Level 0: Drive any land-based or hover 
  car; Level 3: Drive a van or small bus; Level 5: 
  Drive any non-flying planetary vehicle. Starting 
  Equipment: Vehicle, Driving License
  Sage: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: Level 0: 
  Can retrieve information on any one field 
  of knowledge. Level 3: Add 1 more field of 
  knowledge. Level 5: Add 2 more fields. Starting 
  Equipment: Library, Computer.
  Spy: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: Level 0: 
  Camouflage (-4 to spot or to hit); Level 3: False 
  Identity (can use any one Level 0 Assistant 
  Class Ability); Level 5: Can use Level 3 Assistant 
  Class Ability. Starting Equipment: Camouflage, 
  Forged Documents, Wardrobe.
  Starship Crew: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: 
  Level 0: Can operate a single system of a ship; 
  Level 3: Can pilot a ship or command a piloting 
  crew (up to Level men); Level 5: Starship Captain. 
  Starting Equipment: Knife, Space Suit.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  44
  Starship Gunner: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: 
  Level 0: +1 To Hit with ship’s weapons; Level 3: 
  +2 To Hit with ship’s weapons; Level 5: +3 To 
  Hit with ship’s weapons (no check required). 
  Starting 
  Equipment: 
  Weapons 
  operation 
  manual, Spacesuit.
  Starship Repairman: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class 
  Ability: Level 0: Can repair 1 point of damage 
  per day; Level 3: Can repair up to 3 points of 
  damage per day; Level 5: Can repair up to 5 
  points of damage per day. Starting Equipment: 
  Repair tools, Spacesuit.
  Translator: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. Class Ability: Level 
  0: Can speak and write one language; Level 3: 
  Can speak and write two more languages; Level 
  5: Can speak and write three more languages. 
  Starting Equipment: Dictionary, Fine Clothes.
  Weapon/Armor Repairman: 1 HP + 1 HP/Level. 
  Class Ability: Level 0: Can repair handheld 
  weapons and light armor; Level 3: Can repair 
  2-handed weapons and medium armor; Level 
  5 can repair any weapon, including starship 
  weapons, and heavy armor. Starting Equipment: 
  Repair Tools, 1D6 Spare Parts, Ammunitions.
  LEVEL
  XP
  BHB
  ST
  0
  -500
  +0
  17
  1
  0
  +0
  16
  2
  1,500
  +0
  16
  3
  3,000
  +1
  15
  4
  6,000
  +1
  15
  5
  12,000
  +2
  14
  TABLE 20: Commoner Advancement
  0-LEVEL: Commoners start at Level 0 and with 
  negative XP - they need to gain 500 XP to get to 0 and 
  become Level 1.
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: Unless otherwise 
  specified by their profession, Commoners can only 
  use clubs, daggers, handguns and laser pistols. They 
  can wear Light Armor and use a shield. 
  ATTRIBUTE BONUSES: Commoners never receive 
  any XP bonus or any other Attribute-related bonus.
  ASSISTANT SUMMARY SHEET
  PROFESSION
  LEVEL
  STR
  INT
  WIS
  CON
  DEX
  CHA
  HP
  ST
  WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  BHB
  AC
  NAME
  
  CHAPTER FIVE: PERSONAL COMBAT
  The galaxy is fraught with dangers, and the brave adventurers confront death and injury on a regular base. 
  Sometimes dangers are just natural phenomena (poisonous plants, meteors, earthquakes...) but just as often 
  it is combat with space pirates, alien menaces or monsters.
  We define Personal Combat as any armed or unarmed battle between two or more characters (players and/
  or non-players) with Melee Attacks, Missile Attacks or both.
  The following rules are given to resolve minor clashes between individuals; it is not advisable to use them for 
  the resolution of large field battles that are, on the other hand, rarely inside the scope of a roleplaying game.
  The rules for combat between starships and other vehicles are presented in the next chapter, but read this 
  one before, as it shares some concepts.
  THE COMBAT ROUND
  When adventurers meet with potential enemies, it’s 
  possible that a fight may break out. To allow everyone 
  to act and see what happens, do the following:
  1. Determine Initiative.
  2. The party (individual or group, determined by 
  the Referee) with highest Initiative acts first 
  (attacking, using items, etc.) and the results occur.
  3. The party with the next highest Initiative acts, and 
  their results take effect.
  4. Continue like this until all parties in an encounter 
  have acted.
  5. The round ends. Keep the turn order for the next 
  round if the battle has not been resolved, and 
  start at Step 2 again.
  .
  DETERMINE INITIATIVE
  At the beginning of a Personal Combat round, each 
  party involved rolls Initiative on a 1d6. The highest roll 
  wins. The winning party acts first; moving, attacking, 
  or taking other actions. Other parties take damage 
  and casualties, then take their turns in descending 
  order of results.
  Initiative rolls may result in a tie. When this happens, 
  both sides are considered to be acting simultaneously. 
  The Referee may handle this situation in any way he 
  chooses — with one caveat: the damage inflicted by 
  combatants during simultaneous Initiative is inflicted 
  even if one of the combatants dies during the round. 
  It is possible for two combatants to kill each other 
  during a simultaneous Initiative round!
  THE ATTACK ROLL
  To attack with a weapon, the player rolls a 1d20 and 
  adds any bonuses to the result. These To-Hit bonuses 
  include the character’s Base Hit Bonus (BHB), any 
  applicable Strength Bonus for attacks with hand-held 
  weapons, and any other bonus identified as a To-Hit 
  bonus, such as using advanced technology.
  The Attack Roll is then compared to the target’s Armor 
  Class to see if the attack hits, according to the armor 
  system chosen. The standard system (where a lower AC 
  is better) is resolved by comparing the To-Hit number 
  to the number required on the standard To-Hit table. 
  If the Attack Roll is equal to or higher than the number 
  on the table, the attack hits. In the Ascending Armor 
  Class system, if the Attack Roll is equal to or higher 
  than the defender’s Armor Class, the attack hits.
  45
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  46
  MELEE ATTACK
  A Melee Attack is an attack with hand-held 
  weapons such as a vibroblade, mono-axe, or 
  dagger. Two combatants within ten (10) feet of each 
  other are considered to be engaged “in combat”. 
  A character’s Strength Bonus To-Hit may also be 
  added to melee Attack Rolls and melee damage if 
  the rules allow it.
  MISSILE ATTACK
  Missile Attacks are attacks with ranged weapons 
  such as a laser pistol, short bow, or thrown axe. A 
  character’s Dexterity Bonus for missile attacks is 
  added to the Attack Roll roll when using missile 
  weapons. When firing into a melee, it is impossible 
  to choose which opponent (or friend) will receive the 
  attack and the shot may hit a random target. If  the 
  Attack Roll is successful and you’re shooting into a 
  melee, assign a number to each combatant and roll 
  the die with the most appropriate number of sides.
  Example: if there’s 4 characters in 
  a melee, roll a D4; if there’s 5, roll a 
  D6 and reroll if a 6 is the result; etc.
  Missile weapons have a ROF value. This indicates 
  the Rate of Fire, or maximum number of attacks 
  that can be made with this weapon each round. 
  Some weapons allow you to attack multiple times 
  per round. The specific rules for that weapon will 
  clarify how exactly that happens. If the rules are 
  not specified in the weapon description, it’ll be the 
  Referee to determine what happens.
  Missile weapons also have a RANGE value, 
  which indicates a distance that can be multiplied 
  indicating short range (x1), medium range (x2), long 
  range (x3), and extreme range (x4) of the indicated 
  weapon. The weapon cannot fire beyond this range. 
  Beyond short range, every additional multiple adds 
  an incremental -2 To-Hit modifier to all Attack Rolls. 
  For example, shooting at extreme range would give 
  a -6 To-Hit modifier.
  AC
  AAC
  ROLL
  Required
  9
  10
  10
  8
  11
  11
  7
  12
  12
  6
  13
  13
  5
  14
  14
  4
  15
  15
  3
  16
  16
  2
  17
  17
  1
  18
  18
  0
  19
  19
  -1
  20
  20
  -2
  21
  21
  -3
  22
  22
  -4
  23
  23
  -5
  24
  24
  -6
  25
  25
  -7
  26
  26
  -8
  27
  27
  -9
  28
  28
  TABLE 21: Attack To-Hit rolls
  CRITICAL HITS AND FUMBLES
  A Natural roll (that is, a result before any modifications) 
  of 20 is called Critical Hit. A Natural 1 is called Fumble.
  A Critical Hit always hits, regardless of modifiers, and 
  causes 1D6 extra damages. A Fumble always misses its 
  target and the character must make a Saving Throw 
  or drop the weapon (if he’s armed) or suffer 1D6 
  damages because he strained a muscle (if unarmed).
  NEGOTIATION AND DIPLOMACY
  Some combats may be averted with a few well-chosen 
  words (including lies). If the party is out-matched or 
  the enemies don’t seem likely to be taken alive, the 
  party might elect to talk their way out in an attempt 
  to avoid combat (or at least delay it until favorable).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  47
  INSIGHTS AND PSYCHIC POWERS
  Wise Spacers Insights and some Aliens Psychic 
  Powers are used at the beginning of the round. They 
  can be activated while within melee range of an 
  opponent (10 ft), but if the user suffers damage while 
  activating the ability, it is lost. Unless the Insight or 
  Power description states otherwise, it takes effect in 
  the Wise Spacer’s or Alien’s Initiative phase.
  INVISIBLE OPPONENTS
  An invisible opponent can only be attacked if the 
  general location is known, and the attack receives 
  a -4 on the To-Hit  roll. Note that more powerful 
  aliens and creatures (those with sensitive smell 
  or hearing, or more than six hit dice) may be able 
  to detect invisible opponents; the Referee should 
  determine the chance of this according to the 
  creature concerned and the situation.
  MOVEMENT
  A character may move up to their normal Movement 
  rate in combat and still attack or perform another 
  action. This is typically a Movement of 12, which is 
  equal to 120 feet. If a character moves more than 
  their normal Movement they may not attack, activate 
  an Insight or Psychic Power, or perform any other 
  significant action.
  A character cannot move more than their running 
  speed in a single Personal Combat round. This is 
  equal to twice their Movement.
  MORALE
  Certain creatures, such as mindless creatures or those 
  under the influence of mind-control, are fearless 
  and will always fight to the death. The majority will 
  not continue to fight a hopeless battle, seeking to 
  retreat, surrender, or flee if they can. The Referee will 
  decide when enemies abandon a battle and retreat, 
  based on the situation and the enemy’s intelligence. 
  In most cases the Referee may choose to use Saving 
  Throw rolls by the enemy to determine if they will 
  stay or flee, modified by bonuses or other factors.
  DAMAGE AND DEATH
  When a character or creature is hit, the amount 
  of damage taken is deducted from its current Hit 
  Points. When a Non-Player Character or Creature, 
  an Assistant or a Follower reaches zero (0) Hit 
  Points, they die.
  Player Characters whose Hit Points reach zero (0) 
  are, instead, entitled to a Saving Throw vs. Death. 
  If the Saving Throw fails, they die; otherwise, they 
  merely lose consciousness. When their Hit Points 
  reach a negative amount equal to the character’s 
  Constitution score, they die anyway - no Saving 
  Throw can avoid that.
  HEALING
  In addition to the various technological and special 
  power means of restoring Hit Points, a character will 
  recover 1 Hit Point per day of uninterrupted rest.
  Four weeks of rest will return a character to maximum 
  Hit Points regardless of how many Hit Points the 
  character has lost.
  FIRST AID
  A character can administer First Aid, binding wounds, 
  following a battle. This heals 1d4 Hit Points, or 2d4 
  if the character uses a med kit. First Aid takes 20 
  rounds (2 minutes).
  Note that through the use of First Aid a character 
  can only recover Hit Points lost during this particular 
  battle. Recovered Hit Points cannot exceed the 
  uninjured maximum amount.
  ALIGNMENT
  In this game alignments are not used. The moral 
  frame of pulp is quite simplistic: there are the 
  good guys (“us”) and the baddies (“everyone 
  opposed to us”). If all the players agree, 
  alignment can be used - in this case, all the PCs 
  are on the “good” side of alignment (because 
  they are the heroes).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  48
  
  CHAPTER SIX: STARSHIP COMBAT
  Although most Dare the Stars! adventures are planetside romps, there’s still space for fights between two 
  or more starships - not to mention the occasional vehicle chase on the surface.
  Whether it’s fleets of great warships blasting away at each other or squads of one-man stunt fighters engaged 
  in a dogfight between the stars, starship combat is a staple of science fiction.
  Starship Combat is defined as two or more ships attempting to attack one another, presumably with the intent 
  to destroy. In most cases, it functions exactly as Personal Combat does (see previous chapter).
  Vehicle Combat (the combat between two or more non-starship vehicles) is very similar to Starship Combat, 
  and it is explained later.
  THE COMBAT ROUND
  When a starship meets with potential enemies, a 
  fight may break out. To allow everyone to act and see 
  what happens, do the following:
  1. Determine Initiative.
  2. The party (individual or group, determined by 
  the Referee) with highest Initiative acts first 
  (attacking, using items, etc.) and the results occur.
  3. The party with the next highest Initiative acts, 
  and their results take effect.
  4. Continue like this until all parties in an encounter 
  have acted.
  5. The round ends. Keep the turn order for the next 
  round if the battle has not been resolved, and 
  start at Step 2 again.
  .
  DETERMINE INITIATIVE
  At the beginning of a Starship Combat round, each 
  party involved rolls Initiative on a 1d6. The highest roll 
  wins. The winning party acts first, moving, attacking, 
  or taking other actions. Other parties take damage 
  and casualties, then take their turns in descending 
  order of results.
  Initiative rolls may result in a tie. When this happens, 
  both sides are considered to be acting simultaneously. 
  The Referee may handle this situation in any way he 
  chooses — with one caveat: the damage inflicted by 
  combatants during simultaneous Initiative is inflicted 
  even if one of the combatants dies during the round. 
  It is possible for two combatants to kill each other 
  during a simultaneous Initiative round!
  THE ATTACK ROLL
  To attack with a starship weapon, the player must 
  have access to it, operating it from a starship’s 
  cockpit or gunport, depending on the starship they 
  are in. The gunner rolls a 1d20 and adds any bonuses 
  to the result. This includes the character’s Base Hit 
  Bonus (BHB), in addition to the gunner’s Dexterity 
  Bonus, and the starship’s Targeting modifier if any is 
  applicable. TABLE 21: To-Hit Attack Rolls on page 40 
  is used for both Personal and Starship Combat.
  The Attack Roll is then compared to the target’s Armor 
  Class to see if the attack hits, according to the armor 
  system chosen. The standard system (where a lower AC 
  is better) is resolved by comparing the To-Hit number 
  to the number required on the standard To-Hit table. 
  If the Attack Roll is equal to or higher than the number 
  on the table, the attack hits. In the Ascending Armor 
  Class system, if the Attack Roll is equal to or higher 
  than the defender’s Armor Class, the attack hits.
  49
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  50
  MISSILE ATTACK
  All attacks in Starship Combat are considered missile 
  attacks A character’s Dexterity Bonus for missile 
  attacks is added to the To-Hit roll when the character 
  is using a starship’s weapons.
  Lasers, Ion Charges, and Proton Missiles all have 
  different ranges as shown below. Ranges are 
  measured in abstract distances, as described under 
  the Movement listing of starship statistics.
  Starship Weapons Range and Damage are listed in 
  Table 23, on Page 49.
  CLOAKED STARSHIPS
  A starship with the cloaking device modifier may 
  render itself invisible. An invisible starship can only 
  be attacked if the general location is known, and 
  the attack is at -8 To-Hit. If a cloaked starship is 
  successfully hit, but unable to move, this penalty is 
  ignored on the next attack.
  MOVEMENT
  A pilot may move a starship up to its normal 
  Movement in a Starship Combat round and still fire 
  any weapon described as “pilot-linked”, or perform 
  any other significant action. If the pilot wishes to 
  move the starship more than the starship’s normal 
  Movement, they may not perform any other action 
  that combat round. A starship may move up to 
  twice (x2) its normal Movement rate in a single 
  combat round.
  DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION
  When a starship is hit, the amount of damage rolled 
  based on the weapon used is deducted from its 
  Hit Points. When it reaches zero (0) Hit Points, the 
  starship explodes and everyone on board is killed. 
  Personal weapons cannot damage starships.
  REPAIRING STARSHIPS
  Starships do not heal like living beings and must be 
  repaired. This takes time and resources. It takes one 
  day and 20 credits in resources and supplies to repair 
  5 Hit Points of damage to a starship.
  As an alternative, if you are employing Starship 
  Repairman Assistants, you can set them all to work 
  on a single damaged starship; each one after the first 
  will speed up repair time, deducting one day from 
  the total (down to a minimum of one day).
  PURCHASING A STARSHIP AND HIRING A CREW
  Starships are expensive and purchasing one is beyond 
  the means of most citizens of the galaxy; they cost 
  several thousand credits. Player characters wishing 
  to purchase a starship should consult the various 
  methods suggested on page 33, or work hard until 
  they gather the necessary credits.
  A starship is inoperable without a crew. Every 
  starship has a minimum number of crew required, 
  not including gunners. One gunner is required 
  for each weapon on a starship. These can either 
  be player characters or hired as Assistants, as 
  explained on page 35:
  STARSHIP
  COST
  (in credits)
  MINIMUM
  CREW
  Atomic Warship
  1,500,000
  50
  Exploration Rocket
  15,000
  5
  Gunship Rocket
  50,000
  10
  Heavy Cargo
  35,000
  8
  Patrol Rocket
  12,000
  3
  Space Mine
  2,000
  0
  Star Fighter (Heavy)
  15,000
  1
  Star Fighter (Light)
  15,000
  1
  Transport
  25,000
  5
  Yacht
  100,000
  10
  TABLE 22: Purchasing a Starship
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  51
  STARSHIP STATISTICS
  All vehicles and starships have the following statistics: 
  Armor Class, Hit Points, Shield Strength, Movement, 
  Targeting, Attack, and Modifications.
  ARMOR CLASS: A vehicle’s Armor Class reflects how 
  difficult it is to damage. This can be a reflection 
  of its small size, high maneuverability, reinforced 
  hull, or any combination thereof. Armor Class 
  is explained earlier in the rules for Personal 
  Combat. If you’re using the descending Armor 
  Class (AC) system (where lower AC is better) 
  disregard the numbers in brackets. If you’re using 
  the Ascending Armor Class (AAC) system (where 
  high AC is better) use the number in brackets.
  HIT POINTS: Vehicles have Hit Points, like characters. 
  When a vehicle reaches zero (0) Hit Points it is 
  destroyed and all occupants in it are killed. A 
  vehicle’s Hit Points do not naturally return over 
  time like a character’s and it must be repaired.
  SHIELD STRENGTH: Some starships have a small 
  energy field surrounding them to serve as limited 
  protection from space and weapons. Whenever 
  a vehicle with shields takes damage from another 
  vehicle’s weapons the damage is reduced equal 
  to the defending vehicle’s Shield Strength. Each 
  time shields successfully reduce damage from 
  an incoming attack, Shield Strength is reduced 
  by one (1) point. As long as a vehicle’s shield 
  strength is not reduced to zero (0), it naturally 
  regenerates at the rate of one point (1) of Shield 
  Strength every five (5) rounds.
  MOVEMENT: This represents a vehicle’s speed, 
  just like a character’s. Unlike character 
  Movement, a vehicle’s Movement is not 
  measured in feet. It is not measured at all. 
  This number is a comparative abstraction and 
  most often used when engaged in Starship 
  Combat or when attempting to escape from 
  a pursuing vehicle. A starship must have a 
  pilot to move, otherwise it sits immobile 
  unless it has certain modifications that allow 
  it to fly on its own. Starships may move at 
  a cautious rate (half its Movement), normal 
  (its listed Movement) or up to its running 
  speed (twice or x2 its normal Movement) in 
  a single combat round.
  TARGETING: This represents the computerized 
  targeting systems present in a vehicle and 
  it is added to any Attack Roll made using the 
  starship’s weapon.
  ATTACK: This represents a starship’s weapons 
  and the damage they do to another vehicle. 
  Some starships have more than one weapon 
  and may engage in more than one attack per 
  round. Unless a starship is equipped with the 
  Automated 
  Weapons 
  Modification, 
  each 
  attack requires a single character to operate the 
  weapon being fired.
  MODIFICATIONS: Many ships have extra features 
  and systems that grant them bonuses or 
  modifiers in combat. Details on those modifiers 
  are described below, after the descriptions of 
  the ships themselves.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  52
  STARSHIP STATISTICS
  ATOMIC WARSHIP
  Armor Class
  3 [16]
  Hit Points
  200
  Shield Strength
  8
  Movement
  6
  Targeting
  +2
  Attack
  Atomic Cannon (10D6), Laser Cannons x4 (4D6), Warhead x2 (6d6+4)
  Modifications
  Advanced Shielding (3), Advanced Targeting system (3).
  Hyperdrive
  Price
  cd 1,500,000.00
  The heaviest warship in the Galaxy, the Atomic Warship is the only one big enough to carry the dreaded 
  Atomic Cannon, a weapon so powerful, it can sweep away lesser starships with a single blow. Its 50 men 
  crew includes the two gunners needed to shoot the cannon. Although it only carries minor weaponry 
  apart from the Cannon, it is quite fast for such a massive, robust starship.
  EXPLORATION ROCKET
  Armor Class
  7 [12]
  Hit Points
  80
  Shield Strength
  3
  Movement
  9
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  Kinetic Cannon x2 (1D6+1) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  Cloaking Device, High-Yield Thrusters (2), Tractor Beam,
  Hyperdrive.
  Price
  cd 15,000.00
  This starship is the most used by groups of explorers and researchers. It is fast, can jump into hyperspace 
  and even has light weaponry (although it is mainly intended to break down small asteroids). The standard 
  configuration includes a Tractor Beam, perfect to tow wreckage and space debris, or to pull into the ship’s 
  hold samples too big to be collected by the crew.
  
  GUNSHIP ROCKET
  Armor Class
  5 [14]
  Hit Points
  90
  Shield Strength
  3
  Movement
  9
  Targeting
  +1
  Attack
  Heavy Laser x4 (6D6), Light Rocket Launcher x2 (8D6)
  Modifications
  Advanced Shielding (2), Advanced Targeting System (2), 
  Hyperdrive, Shield Capacitor (2), Tractor Beam
  Price cd 50,000.00
  A slightly heavier version of the Exploration Rocket, better armed and better armored, this is the main 
  ship of the Space Navy of most planets and interplanetary powers. Each Gunship holds three Star 
  Fighters in its hangars.
  HEAVY CARGO
  Armor Class
  6 [13]
  Hit Points
  100
  Shield Strength
  2
  Movement
  4
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  Kinetic Cannon (1D6+1) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  Hibernation Room, Hyperdrive
  Price
  cd 35,000.00
  A much bigger version of the Transport, the Heavy Cargo can transport up to five times the load of its 
  smaller “cousin”. While it is possible to transform a heavy cargo in a passenger transport, it is quite rare 
  for someone to do so. It is more common to find a mixed conversion where half the space is devoted 
  to goods and the other half is for passengers.
  A partial transformation costs cd 15,000.00, while converting the entire cargo space for passengers use 
  costs at least cd 25,000.00; a luxury liner conversion can cost double or more, depending on how much 
  luxury is intended.
  The ship must have at least 30 more crew members for a partial conversion, 50 for a total conversion.
  DARE THE STARS!
  53
  
  PATROL ROCKET
  Armor Class
  8 [11]
  Hit Points
  30
  Shield Strength
  2
  Movement
  9
  Targeting
  +1
  Attack
  Light Laser (2D6) [Pilot Linked] Heavy Laser (6D6) 
  Modifications
  High-Yield Thrusters (2), Jump Detector
  Price
  cd 12,000.00
  The Patrol Rocket is a smaller version of the Gunship Rocket that can be operated by just 3 crewmen. It 
  is designed for long missions, so it can accommodate up to seven persons. It is lightly armed, as most 
  of the space is devoted to fuel and engines.
  SPACE MINE
  Armor Class
  2 [17]
  Hit Points
  5
  Shield Strength
  0
  Movement
  18
  Targeting
  +5
  Attack
  8D6
  Modifications
  Automated Weapons (Self-Destruct)
  Price
  cd 2,000.00
  Not so much a starship, but an automated hazard used to bolster planetary blockades and waylay 
  honest travellers, a space mine is an automated starship that activates whenever it detects another 
  starship within 50 Movement units. It then begins moving towards that starship at running speed, 
  making an Attack Roll as it continually attempts to collide with its target. When it does so it explodes 
  on impact, destroying itself.
  DARE THE STARS!
  54
  
  STAR FIGHTER (HEAVY)
  Armor Class
  3 [16]
  Hit Points
  35
  Shield Strength
  2
  Movement
  12
  Targeting
  +2
  Attack
  Heavy Laser (6D6) [Pilot Linked] Heavy Rocket Launcher (9D6) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  Advanced Targeting (Optional), High-Yield Thrusters (Optional), Hyperdrive (Optional)
  Price
  cd 15,000.00
  A fast (but not the fastest) light fighter, can be operated by a single man, although it has places for two.
  STAR FIGHTER (LIGHT)
  Armor Class
  4 [15]
  Hit Points
  25
  Shield Strength
  1
  Movement
  15
  Targeting
  +2
  Attack
  Light Laser (2D6) [Pilot Linked] Light Rocket Launcher (8D6) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  Cloaking Device (Optional), High-Yield Thrusters (Optional)
  Price
  cd 15,000.00
  A lighter version of the Heavy Fighter, operated by a single man.
  TRANSPORT
  Armor Class
  7 [12]
  Hit Points
  80
  Shield Strength
  1
  Movement
  6
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  Kinetic Cannon (1D6+1) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  Hyperdrive. [Advanced Shielding (Optioional), Reinforced Hull (Optional)]
  Price
  cd 25,000.00
  Its vast interior space can be used either as a cargo hold, or fitted with cabins for passengers. The cost is for the 
  cargo configuration; fitting passenger cabins and facilities (restaurants, entertainment, etc.) costs an extra cd 
  10,000.00 for a 200 passengers economy liner, and cd 30,000.00 for a 120 passengers luxury ship.  Passenger 
  ships also need 20 extra crewmen (stewards), a cooking staff of 5 persons and possibly 5 - 10 entertainers.
  DARE THE STARS!
  55
  
  YACHT
  Armor Class
  10 [9]
  Hit Points
  40
  Shield Strength
  1
  Movement
  9
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  Light Laser (2D6) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  High-Yield Thrusters (2), Hyperdrive, Jump Beacon, Luxury Cabins, 
  Luxury Deck (Optional), Plasma Bubble (Optional).
  Price cd 100,000.00
  There are many models of Space Yacht – some quite basic, some luxurious, some palatial, to the point 
  that there’s at least five renown interstellar billionaires actually living in them. The statistics given are 
  for a standard yacht transporting half a dozen passengers and crew, while the optional modifications 
  indicate various levels of luxury. 
  DARE THE STARS!
  56
  PROTOTYPE SPACESHIP
  This is not a ship, but a whole range of ships, usually created by some solitary genius wanting to test some of 
  his inventions. The basic hull is that of an Exploration Rocket, as it is the most readily available ship around; 
  but it has 1d3 experimental modifications. It also has 1d3+1 collateral problems.
  Players can’t choose the experimental modifications and problems; they have to roll them on the relevant 
  tables. To do so, roll a d6 to determine the line of the modification/problem, then roll another d6 to determine 
  the actual problem. Reroll if the problem denies the modification.
  MODIFICATIONS
  1-3
  4-5
  6
  1
  Movement +1
  Movement +2
  Movement +1d6 x2
  2-3
  Hit Points +10
  Hit Points +20
  Hit Points x2
  4
  Armor Class -2 [+2]
  Armor Class -3 [+3]
  Armor Class -5 [+5]
  5
  Free Modification
  2x Free Modifications
  4x Free Modifications
  6
  Piloting rolls +1
  Piloting rolls +2
  Piloting rolls +4
  PROBLEMS
  1-3
  4-5
  6
  1
  Movement -1
  Movement -2
  Movement 2
  2-3
  Hit Points -10
  Hit Points -20
  Hit Points halved
  4
  Armor Class +2 [-2]
  Armor Class +3 [-3]
  Armor Class +5 [-5]
  5
  Needs 1 more crew
  Needs 2 more crew
  Needs 5 more crew
  6
  Piloting rolls -1
  Piloting rolls -2
  Piloting rolls -4
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  57
  STARSHIP WEAPONS
  In the table below we list the most common starship 
  weapons of the galaxy. This is not a complete list of all 
  the weapons of the universe - the galaxy is a big place 
  and combat is a very popular activity for each and 
  every civilization - but these are the weapons that, 
  in one form or another, all the fleets of the Known 
  Universe can access.
  STARSHIP WEAPON
  RANGE
  DAMAGE
  Atomic Cannon*
  20
  10D6
  Death Ray*
  10
  2D6*
  Kinetic Cannon
  10
  1D6+1
  Light Laser
  8
  2D6
  Laser Cannon
  12
  4D6
  Heavy Laser
  16
  6D6
  Gauss Cannon
  6
  8D6
  Light Rocket Launcher
  10
  8D6
  Heavy Rocket Launcher
  14
  9D6
  Tractor Beam
  8
  N.A.
  *See description for special rules
  TABLE 23: Starship Weapon Range and Damage
  Atomic Cannon: A huge weapon, it appears 
  as a simple “barrel” fixed to a box (the power 
  supply). It is so heavy and cumbersome, it can 
  only be mounted on ships with at least 100 Hit 
  Points and it needs two gunners taking turns at 
  the targeting system, as prolonged exposure to 
  the cannon’s core causes radiation burns.
  Death Ray: Although very similar in appearance 
  to a Light Laser, whenever you roll a “double” 
  (same result on both dice), the damage is 
  doubled [e.g.: if both dice results are 4, the 
  damage is (4+4=8)x2=16].
  Kinetic Cannon: This is the smallest spaceship 
  weapon available. It works by shooting a solid, 
  explosive slug at the target. Usually employed to 
  disintegrate asteroids and small debris blocking 
  the ship’s course, it can be used in battle too.
  Light Laser: The concentrated light beam from 
  this minor weapon is powerful enough to 
  damage smaller crafts.
  Laser Cannon: The “standard” laser weapon for 
  military starships, this cannon packs quite a 
  punch and is not too bulky.
  Heavy Laser: A major shooting weapon, the 
  Heavy Laser is quite powerful, but not so that it 
  can’t be mounted on agile fighters.
  Gauss Cannon: Shooting a heavy steel ball 
  through magnetic acceleration, this cannon is 
  typically used to create hull breaches with the 
  purpose of boarding other ships.
  Light Rocket Launcher: Simply that - a launcher 
  for smaller missiles. As well as weapons, they 
  make good distractions for radars.
  Heavy Rocket Launcher: The “big brother” of 
  the above weapon.
  Tractor Beam: Not properly a weapon, see 
  Modifications, below, for a description.
  OPTIONAL RULES FOR STARSHIP WEAPONS
  ATOMIC CANNON
  In case of a Fumble on the To-Hit roll, one 
  of the gunners (the one currently operating 
  the cannon) suffers 1D6 damages from 
  radiation burns. If only one gunner remains, 
  the cannon can shoot only once every other 
  round; if no gunner remains, the cannon 
  can’t be operated anymore.
  KINETIC CANNON, GAUSS GUN,
  ROCKET LAUNCHERS (Light AND Heavy)
  In case of a Fumble on a To-Hit roll, you 
  miss and you run out of ammo - the weapon 
  can’t shoot anymore until the ship docks, 
  replenishing its ammo supply.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  58
  MODIFICATIONS
  Modifications grant starships certain abilities and 
  advantages both in and out of battle. Almost all 
  starships have a few modifications, chief among 
  them being a Hyperdrive. Below are the descriptions 
  of each modification that can be applied to a starship, 
  along with its base cost. This cost is multiplied by 
  the starship’s maximum Hit Points to reflect that 
  larger ships are more difficult to modify. Some 
  modifications may be purchased more than once. 
  The cost of factory modifications is included in the 
  ship’s price, and they are built-in; the modifications 
  marked as “optional” must be purchased separately.
  Advanced Shielding: This modification adds 
  +1 to a starship’s Shield Strength. It may be 
  purchased up to three times (x3).
  Base Cost: 30 credits.
  Advanced Targeting System: This modification 
  adds +1 to a starship’s Targeting. It may be 
  purchased up to three times (x3).
  Base Cost: 20 credits.
  Automated Weapons: This modification allows one 
  of a starship’s attacks to operate without a gunner 
  or pilot operating it. The automated weapon has 
  a Base Hit Bonus of +0. This modification may be 
  purchased once for each weapon on a starship.
  Base Cost: 30 credits.
  Cloaking Device: This modification allows a 
  starship to cloak (see page 44). If the starship fires 
  a weapon or activates its shields while cloaked it 
  immediately becomes visible. This modification 
  may be purchased only once for a starship (x1).
  Base Cost: 100 credits.
  Hibernation Room: The Hibernation Room is a 
  cell able to hold up to 6 human-sized life forms in 
  suspended animation. A ship can be fitted with 
  as many Hibernation Rooms as you can afford, 
  but must have at least 40 Hit Points to hold this 
  modification. During suspended animation, the 
  lifeforms hibernated age at a rate of 1 day every 
  6 months (x2).
  Base Cost: 35 credits.
  High-Yield Thrusters: This modification allows a 
  starship to travel faster. It adds +1 to a starship’s 
  Movement. It may be purchased up to three 
  times (x3).
  Base Cost: 20 credits.
  Hyperdrive: 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  modification, allowing for a starship to travel 
  across star systems, through the vastness of the 
  galaxy. It takes five (5) rounds to set the course 
  through hyperspace, and this can only be made 
  once a starship has left the atmosphere and 
  gravity of a planet; when the course is set, it 
  can be used any time by simply activating the 
  drive - it takes just one round to do so (see 
  Space Travel, below). This modification may be 
  purchased only once for a starship (x1).
  Base Cost: 5 credits.
  Jump Beacon:  This modification allows the ship 
  to launch a probe through hyperspace to its 
  intended destination before an hyperspace 
  jump, reducing the chance of a Ghostjump. A 
  ship launching a Jump Beacon probe can roll 
  2 dice when using the Ghostjump Table, and 
  choose the dice that better fits the crew. The 
  probes are destroyed once used. The launcher 
  comes with 10 probes, and more probes can be 
  bought for 15 cd each (x3).
  Base Cost: 25 credits.
  Jump Detector: This device emits a shrieking 
  sound every time a spaceship exits Hyperspace 
  within 10,000 kms from the ship mounting it. It 
  is used both by pirates to ambush ships and by 
  patrols to detect intruders (x1).
  Base Cost: 5 credits.
  Luxury Cabins: This is an upgrade of the 
  regular cabins to luxury cabins; each cabin 
  on the ship must be paid separately; the 
  cost listed is for one cabin. Luxury cabins 
  include a robosteward, a minibar and an 
  entertainment system. This modification 
  can be acquired as many times as there are 
  cabins on the ship (x2).
  Base Cost: 50 credits.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  59
  EXPERIENCE FOR STARSHIP COMBAT
  Earning XP for Starship Combat is a little different 
  than Personal Combat. Because starships are 
  highly customizable, instead of assigning a standard 
  amount of XP to each ship, there’s a simple formula 
  that’s used to calculate how much a single starship 
  is worth in XP:
  Starship (Hit Points x 10) + (Number of weapons x 50)
   =
  Total XP Award
  This XP is then split amongst all player characters 
  that are on board the ship; player characters get a 
  full share of XP, while Assistants get a half share. For 
  example, if a starship were defeated and the XP award 
  for it was 1800 XP and there were four (4) player 
  characters and four (4) Assistant crew members on 
  the victorious ship, each player character would get 
  300 XP, and each Assistant would get 150 XP.
  Remember that individual characters may gain 
  additional Bonus XP because of their class or 
  Attributes, including Charisma.
  Sometimes the important thing in Starship 
  Combat isn’t about destroying your opponent, but 
  outdistancing and escaping it, especially if they’ve 
  got superior firepower. Whenever this option 
  is taken, only 25% of the possible XP earned is 
  awarded to everyone on board the party’s ship.
  SPACE TRAVEL
  Ships equipped with a Hyperdrive can travel great 
  distances by performing Hyperspace Jumps (or 
  simply Jumps) - a manoeuvre that allows them to 
  enter the fourth dimension of space, so that the 
  time needed to reach any point in the Universe is 
  virtually instantaneous.
  To use a Hyperdrive, it is necessary to set the route 
  through Hyperspace with meticulous calculations. A 
  single error could result in what is called a Ghostjump, 
  that is jumping in the wrong place, possibly without 
  any reference to correct the course.
  Luxury Deck: The ship is equipped with a new deck 
  dedicated to the entertainment of the passengers. 
  The deck may be used as a mini casino, a theatre 
  or a luxury restaurant. A ship can have one luxury 
  deck for every 40 hit points (x5).
  Base Cost: 20 credits.
  Plasma Bubble: This extreme defense enshrouds 
  the ship in a bubble of hot plasma deflecting all 
  weapons and even small ships 50 yards from 
  the ship. Every other starship within the bubble 
  suffers 10d6 damage. The bubble lasts 5 combat 
  round, then it must recharge for one turn. As 
  long as the bubble is active, the spaceship can’t 
  move, jump or fire (x5).
  Base Cost: 10 credits.
  Reinforced 
  Hull: 
  This 
  modification 
  adds 
  reinforced plating to a starship’s hull, increasing 
  its protection. It adds -1 [+1] to a starship’s Armor 
  Class. It may be purchased up to three times (x3).
  Base Cost: 2 credits.
  Tractor Beam: A successful Attack Roll made 
  with a tractor beam requires the target 
  starship’s pilot to succeed in a Saving 
  Throw. If the Saving Throw is failed the 
  starship immediately stops moving in its 
  current direction and is drawn towards the 
  attacker at a speed equal to half its normal 
  Movement. A new Saving Throw may be 
  made each round, but if the attacking 
  starship and defending starship become 
  adjacent, the attacker is assumed to have 
  locked onto the starship and may send a 
  boarding party aboard. While in the grips 
  of a tractor beam an attacking starship 
  has a +2 bonus to all To-Hit rolls. Tractor 
  beams can only be installed on ships with 
  at least 80 Hit Points.
  Base Cost: 3 credits.
  Shield Capacitor: This modification reduces 
  the rate at which a starship’s Shield Strength 
  regenerates by one (1) round. It may be 
  purchased up to three times (x3).
  Base Cost: 3 credits.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  60
  LOST IN SPACE
  When an actual Ghostjump happens, and the 
  characters can’t determine where they are, they are 
  considered lost - but that’s not going to be forever!
  While they explore the vicinity (plenty of 
  opportunities for adventuring!) the characters 
  can spend part of their time studying the relative 
  position of stars, planets and other celestial bodies 
  visible from where they are. Each character can 
  spend up to one hour each day doing so - more 
  than that doesn’t provide significant data.
  When they deem they have collected enough data 
  to chart a course, they can nominate a character to 
  prepare a new Jump to a known location. As usual, it 
  takes 5 rounds to set a course.
  To see if the new course is correct and leads to the 
  intended destination, roll a D10; add +1 for every 
  hour spent studying the stars, up to a maximum of 
  +5; add +1 if there’s at least one Wise Spacer aboard, 
  and +2 if there’s at least one Clever Scientist aboard.
  If the result is 7 or more, the Jump happens correctly. 
  Otherwise, it is another Ghostjump and the process 
  must begin anew.
  To prepare a Jump, a crew member must spend 5 
  rounds setting the course and entering it into the 
  drive’s computer. He can’t take any other action 
  during that time and, if he’s the pilot too, the ship 
  must be either stationary or moving in a straight line.
  When the course is set, the Jump can be done at any 
  time providing that:
  1) No more than 6 hours have passed since 
  the calculation (as the relative position of the 
  stars changed)
  2) The destination is not changed.
  3) To be far enough from a planet’s gravitational 
  field (at least 1 full planet diameter away from 
  the planet’s surface)
  To change destination, it is necessary to start the 
  process again, spending 5 more rounds in calculations.
  It is not possible to prepare multiple successive Jumps: 
  the navigator must take into account local conditions 
  that can only be verified by direct observation.
  The Jump itself is almost instantaneous: the starship 
  disappears from its current location and reappears at 
  its destination.
  After a Jump, the Hyperdrive must rest at least one full 
  hour before being used again to avoid overheating. It 
  is possible to use it again before one hour, but the 
  chance of a Ghostjump increases dramatically.
  GHOSTJUMP
  Whenever a spaceship jumps, there’s a small chance 
  of a Ghostjump. Roll a D20, adding +1 to the roll if 
  there’s any Wise Spacer on board, and +2 if there’s 
  at least one Clever Scientist, and apply the result.
  D20
  RESULT
  1-4
  Ghostjump: you have no idea where you are
  5-6
  Wrong system, but you know where you are
  7-9
  Slight error: you’re 10D20 miles off your target
  10+
  Perfect Jump: you’re bang on target!
  TABLE 24: Ghostjump Table
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  61
  1) Identify!
  This part happens “off screen”: it’s simply a process 
  between the Referee and the Players in which they 
  discuss the matter and decide for a system far enough 
  from Known Space.
  2) Jump!
  The PCs make a Hyperspace Jump to the desired 
  location. This may result in a Ghostjump, which in 
  turn can offer new occasions for exploration.
  3) Scan!
  In this part the characters scan the system and 
  discover how many planets are in it, if any of them is 
  habitable, if there is life on them, etc. Basically, they 
  (not the Referee) roll on the System Tables (below) 
  and generate the system.
  4) Explore!
  If one or more of the planets seem interesting, the 
  PCs must physically descend on them to explore and, 
  maybe, establish a base. At this point the Referee 
  (not the Players) roll on the Planet Tables (below) 
  and generate the planet, decide if there’s intelligent 
  life on it, etc.
  As an alternative, if he’s willing and able, the 
  Referee can pre-generate the planet and use it if 
  the Players decide to explore Unknown Space, or if 
  they Ghostjump and choose to explore the system 
  they jumped in.
  UNKNOWN SPACE
  Beyond what’s been explored and settled, there’s Unknown Space. It’s full of planets, asteroids, systems and 
  even life forms to contact: a good discovery in Unknown Space can make a crew rich.
  Exploring Unknown Space is dangerous, though, and honestly quite random: in Dare the Stars! science and 
  technology haven’t developed devices capable to remotely scan planets in other systems, so the only way to 
  explore is going there – daringly!
  What follows are the rules if the characters want to try their hand at Unknown Space exploration.
  SYSTEM TABLES
  D6
  N° OF STARS
  1-3
  1 Star
  4
  2 Twin Stars
  5
  2 Stars Orbiting Each Other
  6
  3 Stars
  D6
  N° OF PLANETS
  1
  1 Planet
  2
  2 Planets
  3
  3 Planets
  4
  4 Planets
  5
  5 Planets
  6
  D6+4 Planets 
  D6
  HABITABLE PLANETS (ROLL FOR EACH)
  1
  Uninhabitable
  2-4
  Habitable
  5
  Partially habitable
  6
  Inconclusive Data
  D6
  SYSTEM FEATURES
  Roll 2D6 - on a 11 or 12 roll on this table.
  1
  Asteroid Belt
  2
  Wandering Planet
  (a planet not following a regular orbit)
  3
  Twin Planets Orbiting Each Other
  4
  All Planets have a Twin Planet
  5
  2 Planets share a Satellte, Orbiting Both
  6
  Roll Twice
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  62
  PLANET TABLES
  D6
  WATER PERCENTAGE
  1
  10% or less
  2
  30%
  3
  50%
  4
  70%
  5
  90%
  6
  100%
  D6
  NUMBER OF SATELLITES
  1
  0
  2-3
  1
  4-5
  2
  6
  D6
  D6
  ANIMAL LIFE
  1
  No Animal Life
  2
  Scarce
  3-5
  Average
  6
  Plenty
  2D6
  INTELLIGENT LIFEFORMS
  2-7
  None
  8-9
  1
  10-11
  2
  12
  D6
  If 1 or more intelligent lifeforms are present, roll a 
  D6 for each:
  1-4 Descended from the Progenitors
  5-6 Autochton
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN: VEHICLES
  In “regular” pulp science fiction, vehicle chases and shootings are not an everyday occurrence; still, magazine 
  covers from the era are filled with hovercars, flying motorbikes and levitating pads. They are so iconic, they 
  were sometimes a sort of trademark of science fiction of the ‘30s.
  So, here’s a small collection of vehicles  in style with the theme of our adventures. Most things fly or hover; 
  things that don’t, are rocket-powered or atom-powered, and everything else is just “ancient” tech. Grab the 
  wheel, turn on the lift capacitor and soar over the spired city of Newest New York!
  THE COMBAT ROUND
  Vehicle combat occurs when a vehicle operated by 
  an individual or group of characters is used to attack 
  another vehicle or character, presumably to destroy 
  both the vehicle and its occupants.
  When a vehicle comes into contact with an enemy 
  vehicle or person, the order of events is as follows::
  1. Determine Initiative.
  2. The party (individual or group, determined by 
  the Referee) with highest Initiative acts first 
  (attacking, using items, etc.) and the results ensue.
  3. The party with the next highest Initiative acts, 
  and their results take effect.
  4. Continue like this until all parties in an encounter 
  have acted.
  5. The round ends. Keep the turn order for the next 
  round if the battle has not been resolved, and 
  start at Step 2 again.
  DETERMINE INITIATIVE
  At the beginning of a Vehicle Combat round, each 
  party involved rolls Initiative on a 1d6. The highest roll 
  wins. The winning party acts first, moving, attacking, 
  or taking other actions. Other parties take damage 
  and casualties, then take their turns in descending 
  order of results.
  Initiative rolls may result in a tie. When this happens, 
  both sides are considered to be acting simultaneously. 
  The Referee may handle this situation in any way he 
  chooses — with one caveat: the damage inflicted by 
  combatants during simultaneous Initiative is inflicted 
  even if one of the combatants dies during the round. 
  It is possible for two combatants to kill each other 
  during a simultaneous Initiative round!
  THE ATTACK ROLL
  To attack with a vehicle weapon, the player must 
  have access to it, operating it from a vehicle cockpit 
  or gunport, depending on the vehicle they are in. 
  The gunner rolls a 1d20 and adds any bonuses to 
  the result. This includes the character’s Base Hit 
  Bonus (BHB), in addition to the gunner’s Dexterity 
  Bonus, and the vehicle’s Targeting modifier if any is 
  applicable. TABLE 21: To-Hit Attack Rolls on page 40 
  is used for both Personal and Vehicle Combat.
  The Attack Roll is then compared to the target’s Armor 
  Class to see if the attack hits, according to the armor 
  system chosen. The standard system (where a lower AC 
  is better) is resolved by comparing the To-Hit number 
  to the number required on the standard To-Hit table. 
  If the Attack Roll is equal to or higher than the number 
  on the table, the attack lands. In the Ascending Armor 
  Class system, if the Attack Roll is equal to or higher 
  than the defender’s Armor Class, the attack hits.
  63
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  64
  MISSILE ATTACK
  All attacks in Vehicle Combat are considered missile 
  attacks A character’s Dexterity Bonus for missile 
  attacks is added to the To-Hit roll when the character 
  is using a vehicle’s weapons.
  Cannons, Lasers, and Rocket Launchers all have 
  different ranges as shown below. Ranges are 
  measured in abstract distances, as described under 
  the Movement listing of vehicle statistics.
  Vehicle Weapons Range and Damage are listed in 
  Table 26, on Page 59.
  MOVEMENT
  A pilot may move a vehicle up to its normal Movement 
  in a Vehicle Combat round and still fire any weapon 
  described as “pilot-linked”, or perform any other 
  significant action. If the pilot wishes to move the 
  vehicle more than the vehicle’s normal Movement, 
  they may not perform any other action that combat 
  round. A vehicle may move up to twice (x2) its normal 
  Movement rate in a single combat round.
  DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION
  When a vehicle is hit, the amount of damage 
  rolled based on the weapon used is deducted 
  from its Hit Points. When it reaches zero (0) Hit 
  Points, the vehicle explodes and everyone on 
  board suffers an amount of damage determined 
  by the vehicle’s Explosion Damage.
  Personal weapons inflict less damage on vehicles 
  than weapons designed for vehicle-to-vehicle 
  combat, reducing their damage by an amount equal 
  to a vehicle’s Reduction value.
  REPAIRING VEHICLES
  Vehicles do not heal like living beings and must be 
  repaired. This takes time and resources. It takes one 
  day and 10 credits in resources and supplies to repair 
  5 Hit Points of damage to a vehicle.
  PURCHASING A VEHICLE AND HIRING A CREW
  Vehicles can be expensive. Purchasing a vehicle 
  can drain the resources of starting characters 
  - if they can afford one at all. Player characters 
  wishing to purchase a vehicle will need to pool 
  their resources and work hard for the necessary 
  credits to purchase a vehicle, and many are not 
  even available for purchase outside of highly illegal 
  or military channel.
  A vehicle is inoperable without a crew. Every 
  vehicle has a minimum number of crew required, 
  not including gunners. One gunner is required 
  for each weapon on a vehicle. These can either 
  be player characters or hired as Assistants, as 
  explained on page 35:
  VEHICLE
  COST
  (in credits)
  MAXIMUM
  OCCUPANTS
  Aerobike
  1,000
  2
  Aircar
  3,000
  5
  Lifttruck
  5,00
  2 (+load)
  Moon Buggy
  800
  2
  Planetside Transport
  10,000
  22
  Rocketbike
  1,500
  1
  TABLE 25: Purchasing a vehicle
  OPTIONAL RULES
  IMMOBILIZATION: Instead of a vehicle being destroyed 
  when it reaches zero (0) Hit Points, the Referee may rule 
  that the vehicle has been immobilized. It cannot move, 
  attack, or use any of its Modifications. It is completely 
  inert but can be repaired. Once repaired, it becomes 
  functional again.
  VEHICLE REPAIRS: At the Referee’s discretion, Daring 
  Explorers or Wise Spacers may add their Level to the 
  number of Hit Points of damage restored to a vehicle 
  each day at no extra cost. No more than one Daring 
  Explorer OR one Wise Spacer (not both) per vehicle may 
  grant this bonus to a single vehicle.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  65
  VEHICLE STATISTICS
  All vehicles have the following statistics: Armor 
  Class, Hit Points, Explosive Damage, Personal 
  Protection, Reduction, Movement, Targeting, 
  Attack, and Modifications.
  ARMOR CLASS: A vehicle’s Armor Class reflects how 
  difficult it is to damage. This can be a reflection 
  of its small size, high maneuverability, 
  reinforced hull, or any combination thereof. 
  Armor Class is explained earlier in the rules 
  for Personal Combat. If you’re using the 
  descending Armor Class (AC) system (where 
  lower AC is better) disregard the numbers in 
  brackets. If you’re using the Ascending Armor 
  Class (AAC) system (where high AC is better) 
  use the number in brackets.
  HIT POINTS: Vehicles have Hit Points, like 
  characters. When a vehicle reaches zero (0) 
  Hit Points it is destroyed and all occupants 
  in it are killed. A vehicle’s Hit Points do not 
  naturally return over time like a character’s 
  and it must be repaired.
  EXPLOSIVE DAMAGE: If a vehicle explodes, all 
  occupants suffer damage from it equal to 
  the value shown here.
  PERSONAL PROTECTION: Some vehicles provide 
  cover or protection for their occupants, 
  prevent them from being attacked directly 
  while occupying the vehicles. Whether this 
  is the partial protection of a Skybooster 
  or the complete cover offered by a Sky 
  Tank, any character occupying the vehicle 
  receives this value as a bonus to their Armor 
  Class when they are directly attacked with a 
  personal weapon while inside the vehicle. If 
  a vehicle has a Personal Protection listing of 
  “Complete,” the vehicle must be destroyed 
  before occupants may be attacked directly, 
  as they are provided complete protection 
  from personal attacks. 
  REDUCTION: Vehicles are designed to withstand 
  larger-scale weapon attacks. Any attack 
  made with a personal or hand-held weapon 
  against a vehicle has its damage roll 
  reduced by an amount equal to a vehicle’s 
  Reduction score. 
  MOVEMENT: This represents a vehicle’s speed, 
  just like a character’s. Unlike character 
  Movement, a vehicle’s Movement is not 
  measured in feet. It is not measured at all. 
  This number is a comparative abstraction 
  and most often used when engaged in 
  Vehicle Combat or when attempting to 
  escape from a pursuing vehicle. A vehicle 
  must have a pilot to move, otherwise 
  it sits immobile unless it has certain 
  modifications that allow it to fly on its 
  own. A vehicle may move at a cautious 
  rate (half its Movement), normal (its listed 
  Movement) or up to its running speed 
  (twice or x2 its normal Movement) in a 
  single combat round.
  TARGETING: This represents the computerized 
  targeting systems present in a vehicle and it 
  is added to any Attack Roll made using the 
  vehicle’s weapon.
  ATTACK: This represents a vehicle’s weapons and 
  the damage they do to another vehicle. 
  Some vehicles have more than one weapon 
  and may engage in more than one attack per 
  round. Unless a vehicle is equipped with the 
  Automated Weapons Modification, each 
  attack requires a single character to operate 
  the weapon being fired.
  MODIFICATIONS: Many vehicles have extra 
  features and systems that grant them 
  bonuses or modifiers in combat. Details 
  on those modifiers are described below, 
  after the descriptions of the vehicles 
  themselves.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  66
  VEHICLE STATISTICS
  AEROBIKE
  Armor Class
  8 [11]
  Hit Points
  10
  Explosive Damage
  1D6
  Personal Protection
  +1
  Reduction
  2
  Movement
  40 [Flight Ceiling: 30 feet]
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  By pilot or passenger handheld weapon
  Modifications
  None
  Price
  cd 1,000.00
  This two-seater is very similar to 20th century motorbikes, to the point that the air cushions allowing it to 
  lift into the air are mounted where old bikes used to have wheels. It has no weapons, nor the hardpoints 
  to mount them, but pilot and passenger can shoot a handheld weapon with a penalty (-2 for the pilot, -1 
  for the passenger) to their To-Hit roll if the vehicle is moving.
  AIRCAR
  Armor Class
  6 [13]
  Hit Points
  25
  Explosive Damage
  4D6
  Personal Protection
  +3
  Reduction
  4
  Movement
  25 [Max Hovering Height: 10 feet]
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  By pilot or passenger’s handheld weapon
  Modifications
  None
  Price
  cd 3,000.00
  The standard transportation in the civilized galaxy, the aircar (a car moving on air cushions) comes in 
  many makes and models. The most common model is the family aircar, allowing for 1 pilot and up to 5 
  passengers, but there are so many variations. Economy four-seaters can cost less than cd 1,500.00, while 
  deluxe sport aircars are sold for prices in excess of cd 15,000.00.
  Pilot and passenger can shoot a handheld weapon with a penalty (-2 for the pilot, -1 for the passenger) to 
  their To-Hit roll if the vehicle is moving.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  LIFTTRUCK
  Armor Class
  4 [15]
  Hit Points
  40
  Explosive Damage
  2D6
  Personal Protection
  Complete
  Reduction
  10
  Movement
  20 [Max Hovering Height: 10 feet]
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  None
  Modifications
  Lift Booster, Shield Capacitor
  Price
  cd 5,000.00
  This is basically a container with a driver cabin attached and air cushions. Mainly used to transport heavy 
  cargoes across short distances, it is also used on colony ships to unload equipment and food from the 
  ship’s hold. The container is then repurposed for habitation while the colonists build proper dwellings. 
  The Army uses Lifttrucks to transport tanks and military vehicles in battle zones, as the container can hold 
  up to 2 tanks and can be used in a pinch as a secure headquarters, thanks to the Shield Capacitor.
  MOON BUGGY
  Armor Class
  7 [12]
  Hit Points
  20
  Explosive Damage
  3D6
  Personal Protection
  +2
  Reduction
  2
  Movement
  25
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  Light Laser (2D6) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  On board scanners
  Price
  cd 800.00
  A remnant from the dawn of space exploration, this open vehicle with 4 large wheels can seat up to 4 
  passengers, or 2 passengers and a lot of equipment. It can face almost every terrain thanks to his light but 
  resilient design and sturdy engine, which is easy to repair. 
  It is equipped with a light laser, designed to remove small obstacles but serviceable as a weapon if 
  need be.
  Most second-hand starships include a moon buggy in their price, to sweeten the deal; but they are so 
  common, it is not difficult to find a used moon buggy for as low as cd 500.00
  67
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  68
  PLANETSIDE TRANSPORT
  Armor Class
  5 [14]
  Hit Points
  50
  Explosive Damage
  4D6
  Personal Protection
  Complete
  Reduction
  6
  Movement
  20
  Targeting
  +1
  Attack
  Laser Cannon x2 (4D6)
  Modifications
  Shield Capacitor
  Price
  cd 10,000.00
  This armored, six-wheeled van is used by most armies throughout the galaxy. It seats 1 driver and 1 
  gunner in the cabin; it can be equipped with seats for up to 20 men and their equipment or fitted as light 
  transport for camping and military equipment.
  The men transported cannot shoot from the fully-enclosed, shield-protected cargo space.
  Some older transports are downgraded for civilian use, especially in warzone colonies.
  ROCKETBIKE
  Armor Class
  9 [10]
  Hit Points
  15
  Explosive Damage
  5D6/
  Personal Protection
  0
  Reduction
  2
  Movement
  40/60 [Flight Ceiling: 100 ft] (see description)
  Targeting
  +0
  Attack
  Light Laser (2D6) [Pilot Linked]
  Modifications
  Rocket Booster
  Price
  cd 1,500.00
  This most dangerous vehicle is, basically, little more than a rocket with a seat for 1 and handlebars. This 
  notwithstanding, it is a favorite among reckless young nobles and adventurers. Illegal in most places, it 
  can command up to 5 times its price on the black market of outlaw racing. Its speed, already high, can 
  be pushed further using the “black switch”, that completely opens the fuel injector; but, if it is hit while 
  the switch is open, even a single point of damage can cause it to explode. When the vehicle is in “rocket 
  mode”, roll a D6 every time it suffers damage; if the roll result is lower or equal to the damage suffered, 
  the bike explodes. Not happy with this, the factory also provides a Rocket Booster for added speed.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  69
  VEHICLE WEAPONS
  In the table below we list the most common vehicle 
  weapons of the galaxy. This is not a complete list of 
  all the weapons of the universe - the galaxy is a big 
  place and combat is a very popular activity for each 
  and every civilization - but these are the weapons 
  that, in one form or another, all the factories of the 
  Known Universe can access.
  VEHICLE WEAPON
  RANGE
  DAMAGE
  Death Ray*
  10
  2D6*
  Light Laser
  8
  2D6
  Laser Cannon
  12
  4D6
  Heavy Laser
  16
  6D6
  Gauss Cannon
  6
  8D6
  Light Rocket Launcher
  10
  8D6
  Heavy Rocket Launcher
  14
  9D6
  *See description for special rules
  TABLE 26: Vehicle Weapon Range and Damage
  Death Ray: Although very similar in appearance 
  to a Light Laser, whenever you roll a “double” 
  (same result on both dice), the damage is 
  doubled [e.g.: if both dice results are 4, the 
  damage is (4+4=8)x2=16].
  Light Laser: The concentrated light beam from 
  this minor weapon, usually employed to remove 
  debris, is powerful enough to damage vehicles 
  and so light it can even be mounted on bikes.
  Laser Cannon: The “standard” laser weapon 
  for military vehicles, this cannon packs quite a 
  punch and is not too bulky.
  Heavy Laser: A major shooting weapon, the 
  Heavy Laser is quite powerful, but not so that it 
  can’t be mounted on vehicles.
  Gauss Cannon: Shooting a heavy steel ball 
  through magnetic acceleration, this cannon is 
  typically used as a siege engine, to punch holes 
  in enemy fortresses and sweep away large 
  infantry formations.
  Light Rocket Launcher: Simply that - a launcher 
  for smaller missiles. Good not just as weapons, 
  but as distractions for radars too.
  Heavy Rocket Launcher: The “big brother” of 
  the above weapon.
  OPTIONAL RULES
  SHOOTING FROM A MOVING VEHICLE
  Both pilots and passengers can shoot with 
  handheld firearms from a moving vehicle, 
  provided its Personal Protection Entry is not 
  Complete. Shooting from a moving vehicle 
  with a handheld weapon incurs in a penalty 
  to the To-Hit roll. This penalty is -1 for 
  passengers, and -2 for the pilot, who must 
  also take care of driving. If you’re using the 
  rules for Critical Hits and Fumbles, in case of 
  a Fumble the pilot must succeed in a Saving 
  Throw or loose control of the vehicle.
  RUNNING OVER PEDESTRIANS
  A character driving a vehicle can try and 
  run over a pedestrian. He must declare his 
  target and go towards it in a straight line for 
  at least one round.
  Both the driver and the target roll initiative, 
  then the target rolls a Saving Throw.
  If the target fails, he suffers 2D6+Vehicle’s 
  Reduction damages.
  If the target succeeds, but lost Initiative, he only 
  takes damage equal to the vehicle’s Reduction.
  If the taget succeeds, and he won Initiative, he 
  moves away just in time and takes no damage.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  70
  VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS
  Modifications grant vehicles certain abilities and 
  advantages both in and out of battle. Some vehicles 
  have a few modifications, most of them have none. 
  Below are the descriptions of each modification 
  that can be applied to a vehicle, along with its 
  base cost. This cost is multiplied by the vehicle’s 
  maximum Hit Points to reflect that larger vehicles 
  are more difficult to modify. The cost of factory 
  modifications is included in the vehicle’s price, 
  and they are built-in; the modifications marked as 
  “optional” must be purchased separately.
  On Board Scanners: This modification provides 
  the vehicle with the equivalent of a Short 
  Range Scanner, except this scanner has a range 
  of 200 yards.
  Base Cost: 10 credits.
  Rocket Booster: When this modification 
  is activated, the vehicle adds +5 to its 
  Movement each round for 6 rounds (+5 
  on the first round, +10 on the second, etc., 
  to +30 on round 6), then is exhausted and 
  can’t be used again until refilled (for cr. 10). 
  When it is exhausted, the vehicle goes back 
  to its normal Movement. If the pilot wants 
  to go anywhere but straight when the Rocket 
  Booster is active, he must succeed in a Saving 
  Throw or crash the vehicle.
  Base Cost: 20 credits.
  Vehicle Shield Capacitor: These large and 
  expensive modifications grant personal shields 
  to a vehicle. Vehicle Shield Capacitors make a 
  vehicle immune to all damage from personal 
  weapons.
  Base Cost: 75 credits.
  EXPERIENCE FOR VEHICLE COMBAT
  Experience for Vehicle Combat is awarded in the same way used for Starship Combat. In addition, any 
  enemy run over by a character in a vehicle and killed gives the characters on board of the vehicle its XP.
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT: INSIGHTS AND POWERS
  On their travels, Wise Spacers encounter many things that the eye of the common traveller will never see: 
  lost civilizations, races so old they transcend mortality or the material world, phenomena that happen once 
  in a million years, and only in a determinate region of space...
  This, and their long lives, slowly makes them reach a status of enlightenment. Someone says they are spiritually 
  gifted, others that they are just a step higher on the evolutionary ladder; be as it may, they developed a set 
  of quasi-mystic abilities, derived from their own inner vision.
  Beside the Insights of the Wise Spacers, there are Aliens and, rarely, Mutants that can use abilities derived 
  from their mind, their training or that are innate to their species. The range of these abilities, collectively 
  called Powers, varies from race to race - not to mention from individual to individual.
  GAINING INSIGHTS
  There’s no need to study or pay to gain new Insights; 
  to gain a new rank in Insights, the character must 
  reach a new level and meditate for a number of hours 
  equal to the new rank he desires to attain.
  Every day, a Wise Spacer can use a number of 
  ranks of Insights equal to his Character Level + his 
  Wisdom Bonus. This means that a 1st Level Wise 
  Spacer with a Wisdom Bonus of +1 can use Rank 2 
  Insights immediately (e.g.: a 2rd level Wise Spacer 
  with a +1 Wisdom Bonus can use one Rank 3 Insight, 
  one Rank 2 and one Rank 1 Insights or three Rank 1 
  Insights each day).
  USING INSIGHTS
  To use an Insight, the Wise Spacer must look into 
  himself for one entire round closing his eyes. In that 
  round, he can’t do anything else and he must be at 
  peace - meaning that if he’s hit, pushed or distracted 
  in any way, he’ll have to start again. The Insight will 
  be activated at the beginning of his next round, 
  according to the Initiative of the Wise Spacer’s party.
  Unless otherwise stated in the Insight’s text itself, the 
  effects last for a number of rounds equal to the Wise 
  Spacer’s level + Wisdom Bonus.
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  DARE THE STARS!
  72
  RANK 1 INSIGHTS
  AS A SIBLING TO ME
  The character approaches another sentient being 
  and, by speaking with them, convinces them that 
  they are friends. If the being fails a Saving Throw, 
  they will behave as if the Wise Spacer is his best 
  friend for a number of hours equal to the character’s 
  Level. The Wise Spacer must be able to speak a 
  language known by their victim for this Insight to 
  take effect. The effect disappears if the character 
  tries to hurt their victim, or suggests actions that 
  will put the victim’s life in danger.
  CLEARER VISION
  As long as this Insight’s effect lasts, the character 
  can’t be surprised and all rolls he makes related to 
  Perception receive a +2 bonus.
  DANCE OF THE STARS
  If a Jump is made while the effects of this Insight last, 
  the bonus this Wise Spacer gives to Ghostjump rolls 
  is +2, instead of the usual +1.
  OPEN MIND
  The Wise Spacer receives a +2 bonus on the next roll 
  he makes, as long as it is made during the normal 
  duration of this Insight.
  REST
  The character soothes a living being with a number 
  of levels or hit dice no higher than the Wise 
  Spacer’s level to sleep. If the target wants to avoid 
  this effect, he must succeed in a Saving Throw. 
  The victim can be awoken by normal means (strong 
  noises, shaking him, etc.); if not awoken, he will 
  sleep  for 1D6 hours.
  RANK 2 INSIGHTS
  FEEDING THE MIND
  The character obtains a +2 bonus on all Saving 
  Throws against mind-influencing powers and abilities 
  for the duration of this Insight.
  MEMORY OF HOME
  If he is involved in a Ghostjump, the character can 
  always trace a route back to the place where the ship 
  was before Jumping.
  MINDSHROUD
  As long as the effect of this Insight lasts, the character 
  is immune to any attempt to influence his mind, be it 
  through a power or any other means.
  NO DARKNESS
  The character heightens his perceptions so that 
  he is almost unaffected by conditions that impair 
  vision, smell, etc. Every penalty due to reduced 
  perceptions (e.g. Total darkness) is reduced by 
  two points (up to a maximum of -0 )  for the 
  duration of this Insight. Cloaked ships can’t be 
  revealed by this Insight.
  SURVIVOR
  As long as this Insight’s effect lasts, every time 
  the character’s Hit Points would be reduced to 
  0 he can make a Saving Throw vs. Death. If the 
  Saving Throw succeeds, the character stays alive 
  with 1 Hit Point.
  RANK 3 INSIGHTS
  BE HERE NOW
  For the duration of the effects of this Insight, 
  the character is totally present in the “here and 
  now”: nothing can escape his perceptions. All 
  forms of deception are null and void for him: 
  he can see or otherwise perceive camouflaged 
  things, cloaked ships, invisible beings, and so on. 
  He can never be surprised.
  GETTING YOU
  The character can understand and speak any 
  language for a number of hours equal to his 
  Level. He can’t communicate or understand 
  complex concepts (e.g. mathematical theories), 
  but apart from that he has a good grasp of the 
  basics of the language.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  73
  PURIFY THE BODY
  This Insight instantaneously heals the character’s body 
  of any illness or infection and removes all parasites, 
  poisons and foreign bodies (including bullets and 
  shrapnel). It doesn’t restore lost Hit Points.
  SEEDS OF LOVE
  The character can “transfer” the effects of any one 
  Insight to a willing subject. Both the character and 
  the subject must be of a level high enough to use the 
  Insight transferred.
  RANK 4 INSIGHTS
  COMFORT ZONE
  All the friendly beings within Level feet of the character 
  receive a -2 [+2] Bonus to their Armor Class.
  I AM ONE
  For the duration of this Insight, the character heals 
  1 Hit Point per round, up to his maximum.
  MEMORY OF THE SKIES
  If the character charts the route for a Jump after using 
  this Insight, the Ghostjump roll receives an additional 
  +4 bonus in addition to all the other bonuses.
  PURITY OF MIND
  The character can remove the effects of any mind 
  altering or controlling power from another being. No 
  Saving Throw is needed.
  RANK 5 INSIGHTS
  FIND THE WAY
  When using this Insight, the character can chart 
  the route for a Jump perfectly, without any 
  chance of a Ghostjump happening. The ship 
  arrives at its intended destination automatically, 
  don’t roll for Ghostjumps.
  SANCTUARY
  For the duration of this Insight, all physical damage 
  received by the character is halved (rounding any 
  fraction up).
  UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD
  This Insight is identical to the Rank 1 Insight As a 
  Sibling to Me, but it affects all the beings able to hear 
  and understand the character.
  RANK 6 INSIGHTS
  WE ARE ONE
  For the duration of this Insight, all the friendly beings 
  within Level feets of the character heal 1 Hit Point 
  per round, up to their maximum.
  SECRET OF THE ANCIENTS
  The character’s next roll, whatever it is, will 
  automatically succeed with the best possible result 
  (e.g., if you are using the optional rules for Fumbles 
  and Criticals, it will be a Critical).
   
  RANK 1
  As a Sibling To Me
  Clearer Vision
  Dance of the Stars
  Open Mind
  Rest
  RANK 2
  Feeding the Mind
  Memory of Home
  Mindshroud
  No Darkness
  Survivor
  RANK 3
  Be Here Now
  Getting You
  Purify the Body
  Seeds of Love
  RANK 4
  Comfort Zone
  I Am One
  Memory of the Skies
  Purity of Mind
  RANK 5
  Find te Way
  Sanctuary
  Universal Brotherhood
  RANK 6
  We Are One
  Secret of the Ancients
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  74
  The way Powers are learned and used varies from race 
  to race; what follows is a list of the most common ones. 
  In space there’s more than one monastic or scientific 
  order dedicated to the study and transmission of these 
  Powers to “less illuminated beings”.
  RANK 1 POWERS
  DETECT ENEMIES
  Range: 120 ft
  Duration: 2 Turns
  The character detects any creatures with hostile 
  intentions within the Power’s range. To be detected, 
  the creature must have the specific desire to attack 
  the character and/or his party - a random hostile 
  thought is not enough.
  HEALER/DISRUPTOR
  Range: Touch
  Duration: Immediate
  The character can heal OR cause 1d6+1 damages 
  by touching their target (including himself). If the 
  target is unwilling, the character needs to succeed 
  in an Attack Roll to touch their intended victim.
  LIGHT/DARK
  Range: 120 ft
  Duration: 2 Hours
  The character targets a being or object within range. 
  An area of 20 feet around the target is filled either 
  with a daytime-like light or total darkness. In both 
  cases, if the target is a living being, he/she is totally 
  blind for the entire duration of this Power’s effect.
  PROTECTION
  Range: Self
  Duration: 2 Hours
  All enemies suffer a -1 penalty on any To-Hit rolls 
  made against the character. He receives a +1 bo-
  nus to all Saving Throws made to resist any abilities 
  they have that can be resisted with a Saving Throw.
  ALIEN POWERS
  RANK 2 POWERS
  HALLUCINATE
  Range: 240 ft
  Duration: Until revoked
  This Power creates a realistic illusion in sight of all who 
  can view it. The illusion disappears when touched by 
  those who recognize it for what it is or is revoked 
  by the character using it. If the viewer believes the 
  illusion is real, he can take damage from it.
  HOLD PERSON
  Range: 120 ft
  Duration: 1 Hour
  The character selects 1d4 targets (Saving Throw 
  applies) or a single person (Saving Throw at -2). 
  If the target(s) fails the Saving Throw they cannot 
  move or speak for the duration of the Power’s effect.
  INVISIBILITY
  Range: Self
  Duration: Until an attack is made
  The character becomes invisible to both normal 
  vision and technological sensors. If the Referee is 
  using the invisibility rules unchanged, the result is 
  that an invisible character cannot be attacked unless 
  their approximate location is known, and all attacks 
  against them are made at -4 To-Hit. If the invisible 
  character makes an attack, the Power’s effect ends. 
  Otherwise, it lasts until revoked by the character.
  LEVITATE
  Range: 20 ft per level
  Duration: 1 turn per level
  This Power allows the charater to levitate, 
  moving vertically up or down, but not laterally; 
  a wall, cliff side, or ceiling could be used to help 
  this type of movement.
  Movement is at 6 feet per round (60 feet per turn), 
  and the character cannot levitate more than 20 feet 
  per level from where the Power was activated (such 
  range being applied both to movement into the air 
  and to downward movement into a pit or chasm).
  
  RANK 3 POWERS
  ALTER TIME
  Range: 340 feet
  Duration: 3 Turns
  The character must announce which of the two 
  options are being used:
  • As a speeding effect, an area of radius 60 
  feet around the point where the Power 
  is targeted and as many as 4d6 creatures 
  become able to move and attack at double 
  normal speed.
  • As a slowing effect, an area of radius 60 
  feet around the point where the Power 
  is targeted and as many as 4d6 creatures 
  failing a Saving Throw can only move and 
  attack at half speed.
  If two characters use both different effects of this 
  Power on the same area, the effects cancel each 
  other and nothing happens.
  FLY
  Range: Self
  Duration: 1D6 Turns + 1 turn/level
  This Power grants the ability of flight, with a 
  Movement of 120 feet per round. The Referee 
  secretly rolls for the duration; the player does not 
  know exactly how long the power of flight will last.
  INVISIBILITY II
  Range: 240 ft
  Duration: Until an attack is made
  Like the Invisibility Power, this makes the target 
  (which doesn’t have to be the character) invisible 
  to normal sight and technological sensors. It 
  also creates a 10 foot radius sphere of invisibility 
  around the recipient which moves with them. 
  If the Referee uses the game’s invisibility rules 
  unchanged, the recipient cannot be attacked unless 
  their approximate location is known, and all attacks 
  against the recipient are made at -4 To-Hit. If the 
  recipient makes an attack the Power is cancelled 
  and they become visible again. Otherwise, it lasts 
  until revoked by the character.
  TELEKINESIS
  Range: 120 Feet
  Duration: 1 hour
  The character can move objects using mental 
  power alone. The amount of weight he can lift and 
  move is 20 pounds per level. Dropping an object on 
  someone from a great distance does 1d6−1 points 
  of damage per 20 lbs of the object.
  RANK 4 POWERS
  BODY MORPHING
  Range: Self
  Duration: 1 hour + 1 hour/level
  The caster assumes the form of any creature, 
  gaining the new form’s attributes (the use of wings, 
  for example), but not its hit points or combat 
  abilities. The Referee might allow the benefit of 
  the new form’s Armor Class and Reduction Value, 
  if it is due to heavily armored skin. The size of the 
  character can be modified up to 50% up or down.
  A great deal of the Power’s effect is left to the 
  Referee to decide. This form of the spell lasts for 
  roughly one hour plus one additional hour for each 
  level of the character.
  DEMATERIALIZE
  Range: Touch
  Duration: 1 turn/level
  The character can partially disperse the atoms 
  composing himself or a being or object roughly of 
  his own size or smaller by touching them. Until the 
  end of this Power’s effect, the target is not material 
  and can neither be harmed by nor harm any material 
  being or object. The character can end the effect at 
  any moment. All clothes and worn items of the being 
  are affected by this Power, so they can’t be used to 
  interact with the material world.
  As long as the effect lasts, the target can’t touch, 
  grab or hold any material object or being, not even 
  those he was wearing (e.g. he can’t draw a pistol) 
  and everything he was holding in his hands falls to 
  the ground.
  Objects and beings subject to this power are still too 
  coherent to pass through solid matter.
  DARE THE STARS!
  75
  
  TELEPATHY
  Range: 480 feet
  Duration: 1 turn/level
  The character can exchange thoughts with a living 
  target within range. The exchange goes back and 
  forth like a normal conversation, and this Power 
  can’t be used to read the other being’s thoughts. 
  The character doesn’t need to be able to speak the 
  target’s language, as thoughts are transmitted as 
  abstract concepts.
  TELEPORT
  Range: Self
  Duration: Immediate
  The character can teleport himelf, and everything 
  he carries or wears, to any location he can see up 
  to 10 feet/level away. He can bring one person 
  with him by holding that person in a tight hug. He 
  “disappears” from his current location at the end 
  of the round, to reappear at the beginning of the 
  following round.
  DARE THE STARS!
  76
   
  RANK 1
  Detect Enemies
  Healer/Disruptor
  Light/Dark
  Protection
  RANK 2
  Hallucinate
  Hold Person
  Invisibility
  Levitate
  RANK 3
  Alter Time
  Fly
  Invisibility II
  Telekinesis
  RANK 4
  Body Morphing
  Dematerialize
  Telepathy
  Teleport
  
  CHAPTER NINE: THE UNIVERSE
  The universe of Dare the Stars! is huge, and resembles ours only superficially. In this universe, worlds that 
  for us are barren and uninhabitable are host to colonies, local species, strange animals, etc.
  So forget what you know about Mars, Venus or even the moon, and visit a universe in which an ancient and 
  lost race disseminated life to all planets. You’ll meet there the diminutive, insectoid Moonfolk, the gigantic 
  and warlike Martians, the Dogs of Venus, the reptilian Kheethee...
  And, with them, the many civilizations originated by humanity in its search for other planets: the heroic 
  citizens of the First Colonies, the mysterious Aleph Theocracy, the barbarians from the Empire of the Wolf 
  and many other people, human, humanoid or totally alien.
  IN THE BEGINNING...
  THE PROGENITORS
  Nothing is known of the true beginnings of the 
  universe, but many archeological findings on the 
  different planets allowed historians to reconstruct a 
  plausible theory on the origins of civilization.
  In centuries past, space was explored by a race called the 
  Progenitors by historians. The Progenitors’ science was 
  so advanced that it made them virtually indistinguishable 
  from gods. According to some 
  theorists, they were either immortal 
  or so long-lived that they may  as 
  well have been.
  One day they started to spread 
  intelligent 
  life 
  on 
  different 
  planets. The reasons for this are 
  unknown: for some historians, it 
  was a scientific experiment. For 
  others it was a sort of game. Yet, 
  some of the latest archeological 
  findings seem to suggest that 
  it was to get relief from their 
  loneliness in space.
  Be that as it may, the Progenitors seeded thousands 
  of planets with races they either created from scratch 
  or elevated from local animals; then one day - and 
  apparently in a very short time - they disappeared.
  As almost everything that concerns them, even the 
  disappearance of the Progenitors is a mystery. Did 
  they transcend the physical world? Did they get so 
  bored of existence, they decided it was not worth 
  it anymore? Did they engage in an all-out war and 
  were obliterated by some doomsday weapon? Each 
  hypothesis is as good as any other - and the rare 
  archeological evidence contradicts itself, sometimes 
  suggesting one way, sometimes another.
  The Progenitors’ appearance is a matter of 
  speculation, but all the species they raised or created 
  are bipedal, have two eyes (or two compound eyes) 
  and two or four arms with hands 
  at the extremities that include an 
  opposable finger, so the general 
  opinion is they had a similar 
  appearance.
  There are only two sentient races 
  confirmed to be originated by 
  the Progenitors not fitting this 
  pattern: the Mind Tyrants of 
  Deneb and the Floaters of Jupiter.
  There are also a few races with the 
  “Progenitor look” that developed 
  on their own - for example the 
  Songweavers, plant-men with a 
  civilization entirely based on the use of psionic powers.
  After the disappearance of the Progenitors, for 
  millennia, their “children” evolved and developed 
  undisturbed. Occasionally a child civilization or - less 
  often - an entire race was wiped from existence by 
  war or some sort of disaster; more often, they thrived 
  or slowly grew, without knowing their parents.
  77
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  78
  THE WAR OF SHADOWS
  Humanity was just expanding in the Solar System, 
  creating its first colonies and discovering its “cousins” 
  on the closest planets, when something unexpected 
  happened: a giant bubble of gas detached from the 
  atmosphere of Jupiter and reached Earth’s orbit.
  It was a Floaters’ starship. It took years to find a way 
  to communicate with them, but in the end the two 
  races started exchanging information - and it was 
  terrifying. The Floaters had come to warn the other 
  inhabitants of the Solar System of an impending 
  threat: the coming of the Space Shadows.
  The stories collected through their victims hinted that 
  the Space Shadows were born in another dimension, 
  Otherspace; the Progenitors invaded Otherspace and 
  exterminated them for no apparent reason. Survivors 
  were exiled in yet another dimension, bleak and empty, 
  the Voidspace. When the Progenitors disappeared, 
  the Space Shadows decided to take their revenge 
  against them by exterminating all their Children.
  The War against the Shadows was terrible and 
  exhausting, but in the end the Children of the 
  Progenitors and their allies prevailed. One day, the 
  guerrilla attacks of the Space Shadows suddenly 
  ceased. A rumor says their leader, a powerful Shadow 
  Lord named Antigorion, was trapped on a small, 
  barren planet in Realspace, and still lives there.
  A NEW ERA
  As a side effect of the War of Shadows, Humanity 
  came into contact with many extrasolar races, and 
  obtained the Hyperdrive. Just out of two terrible 
  wars (the Kinslayer War and the War of Shadows), 
  people from Earth began expansion outside the Solar 
  System. It was a new era of hope and brightness, but 
  it had its dark moments too.
  THE ALEPH THEOCRACY AND THE COLONIES
  The first mission to settle an extrasolar planet, in the 
  Alpha Centauri system, was that known, today, as the 
  Silent Crusade. The members of the Aleph, a creed 
  aiming to merge all the monotheistic religions, tried to 
  occupy most of the places for settlers on the first ship, 
  believing it their destiny to populate a system with the 
  same name of their doctrine. They succeeded.
  At their destination, the faithful took over and declared 
  independence, either converting or imprisoning 
  unbelievers; so the Aleph Theocracy was born.
  Shortly after, most colonies demanded independence 
  and - in the long run - obtained it; they created various 
  forms of government, often allying with indigenous 
  races when they were present (as it happened on the 
  Moon), sometimes enslaving them.
  BIRTH OF THE COMPACT
  The discovery of an empty ship of the Space Shadows 
  sparked a new age of fear. Although it was soon 
  determined it was just an abandoned wreck from 
  the War of Shadows, the finding, and the aggressive 
  expansionism of the Aleph Theocracy, convinced 
  the peoples of the Solar System to join again, not 
  under a single government, but in a loose agreement 
  of mutual defense: and so the Solar Compact was 
  born. Soon other similar alliances followed: while the 
  Aleph Theocracy remained on its own, the planets 
  of Wolf 359 formed the Empire of the Wolf, and the 
  Independent Colonies, far from the Solar System, 
  joined in a loose military confederation.
  CALENDARS IN SPACE
  Although every nation or race has its own 
  calendar, the most commonly used in Dare 
  the Stars! is the Terran Time. It is based on 
  Earth’s calendar, with the midnight (00.00) 
  synchronized with that of Panama City, capital 
  of the Terran Federation. Counting the years 
  is done starting with the founding of the first 
  space colony, and the current era is called 
  Atomic Age; We are, therefore, in the Year 204 
  of the Atomic Age ( or, in short, 204 A.A. ).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  79
  PEOPLES AND PLACES
  THE SOLAR COMPACT
  Founded to contain the expansion of the Aleph 
  Theocracy and the danger of a possible return of the 
  Space Shadows, the Solar Compact was formed by 
  Earth, its first colonies and the surviving civilizations 
  of the Solar System. Thanks to this, and to the great 
  availability of resources, it is probably the greatest 
  power in modern space.
  Earth: After the Kinslayer War, which killed more 
  than 1/3 of the world population, Earth came to 
  its senses and all nations joined under a single 
  government, the Terran Federation. Today, Earth 
  has reached an ecological balance thanks to the 
  fact that it has a population of just over three 
  billion people, and - even if large areas are still 
  uninhabitable due to the consequences of the 
  Kinslayer War - it is a major military power. All 
  citizens of the Terran Federation receive basic 
  army training, and Earth owns a moon colony 
  dedicated to manufacturing military vehicles 
  and equipment.
  Earth’s Capital is Panama City; it has 4 spaceports 
  in  Panama, Tokyo, Malta and Madagascar, and an 
  orbital base as big as a city.
  Martian Union: Ares, Mars capital, was the first 
  colony to declare its independence. Sadly, the 
  Martians immediately proceeded to reinstate 
  slavery and throw all Ancient Martians under 
  the yoke of servitude, until the Slave Revolts that 
  broke out 60 years ago. Today Mars has about 
  one billion inhabitants and is a mining power. 
  Its government is a federation of city-states, 
  each with a representative in the world’s federal 
  council. The Martian Army is not very powerful, 
  but its fighter pilots are galaxy-famous.
  In the next few pages we’ll offer you a brief introduction to the races and domains of the Known Space, 
  followed by a more in-depth presentation of those more likely to influence your games. Finally, you’ll find an 
  explanation of what is Unknown Space, and how it comes into play in Dare the Stars!
  Scientific Republic of Venus: The SRV was born 
  when a group of research stations, isolated from 
  Earth during the Kinslayer War, joined forces to 
  rule themselves. Today the Scientific Republic of 
  Venus (capital Verne City) is a democratic republic 
  with about 750 millions citizens but, in order to be 
  elected to a government office, you must possess 
  some scientific merit.
  Venus’s main activity is, not surprisingly, scientific 
  research. It was a Venusian laboratory that first 
  dissected and rebuilt a Hyperdrive, and more than 
  half of the scientific breakthroughs in the Solar 
  Compact originate from the second planet. On 
  the other hand, Venus has almost no industry or 
  army (which keeps its immense forests intact).
  Free Space Station Einstein: This space station, 
  known simply as Einstein, was once an artificial 
  colony orbiting Earth. Used as a military base during 
  the War of Shadows, it claimed its independence 
  shortly afterwards. Although its hydroponic 
  vats can barely maintain its population of 3.000 
  citizens, Its continued existence is ensured by the 
  role it assumed as a neutral ground for diplomatic 
  meetings and by the chemical labs producing 
  drugs and medicines that require the particular 
  conditions of space to be made.
  Asteroid Belt: While not a proper nation, the 
  Asteroid Belt is a heap of unsteady shacks, 
  sometimes coming together to form a temporary 
  mining town, and solitary contractors. Technically, 
  it doesn’t belong to any government. A small joint 
  police force has a base on Ceres, but it counts just 
  50 policemen and 4 light fighters. Its main role is 
  that of driving out the Space Pirates that, from 
  time to time, try to set up a base or hide from 
  other law enforcements here.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  80
  Jupiter Orbit: The Socialist Administration of the 
  Jupiter Orbit Colonies (SAJOC for short) is the 
  ensemble of the colonies settled on the over 
  60 moons of Jupiter. Their capital is Galileo, on 
  Ganymede, from where more than 120 colonies 
  are governed in a democratic socialist system. 
  The population of these colonies varies from a 
  few thousand to several million individuals, but in 
  total the SAJOC has about 90 million citizens.
  Industrial activities predominate, and the Orbit 
  is famous for its interstellar spaceships and for 
  mining the gaseous atmosphere of Jupiter for fuel. 
  The Space Academy of the Administration, based 
  out of Europa, mainly trains ship captains.
  Jupiter Surface: The surface of Jupiter is home to 
  the only non-humanoid race in the Compact: 
  the Floaters. They are basically membranes 
  containing biogasses, and even their nervous 
  system is gaseous. They never got out of the Solar 
  System before joining the Compact, and even 
  today they prefer to remain on their own planet, 
  where they contribute to the common good by 
  developing their strange technologies in order to 
  help humanoid species. Their form of government 
  is unknown, although it is believed they found a 
  way to practice anarchy thanks to their limited 
  telepathy and very low population.
  The Moon: Earth’s satellite has no surface 
  atmosphere; it was the first celestial body settled 
  by Terrans, but the colonies were all enclosed 
  under domes to allow people to live within them. 
  Then, one day, explorers discovered a complex of 
  caves with a thin atmosphere; shortly after, contact 
  was made with the underground inhabitants of 
  Luna, the Moonfolk, that had - up to that moment 
  - shunned human colonists, hiding in their caves.
  Moonfolk are peaceful insect-like people, shy and 
  easily scared. They are divided into tribes, their 
  technology is not very advanced and the only 
  thing they are willing to fight for is the Queen’s 
  brooding nest. It was easy to sign a treaty in which 
  they retain full power on the Moon, but (as they 
  are concerned just with the underground) leave 
  the Compact full rights to build surface colonies.
  THE INDEPENDENT COLONIES
  The Independent Colonies are a federation of 
  governments that deemed it useful to join to fight 
  the Aleph Theocracy and the Space Shadows. It is 
  a purely military alliance, and each colony manages 
  its own domestic policy and economy as they please. 
  There’s no central government, even if the I.C. have a 
  common Supreme Command. The population of the 
  colonies reaches, as a whole, 3 billion, but few states 
  harbor more than 200,000 inhabitants. The major 
  Independent Colonies are Shiva, in the Sirius system, 
  and Cairo New State, in the Epsilon Eridani system.
  Shiva (Sirius): Founded by a survivalist group 
  running away from Earth, Shiva is a military 
  republic with a peculiar anarchist organization. 
  Despite this, it works perfectly and produces a 
  great elite infantry. Almost all of these 500,000 
  inhabitants are either in the Army or in the 
  Reserve. As a general rule, Shivans despise 
  nobles - the literal translation of the Shivan 
  dialect word “noble” in the common tongue 
  means “pampered useless imbecile”.
  Cairo New State (E. Eridani): The colonists of Cairo 
  New State, more or less 800 million peoples, 
  are descended from Egyptians and Englishmen 
  running away from the Kinslayer War. In the year 
  172 A.A., archaeologists found the remains of a 
  Progenitor city on the planet, including an archive; 
  that find alone is the main source of knowledge 
  about the Progenitors. Although historians and 
  linguists haven’t been able to translate their 
  language, some promising similitudes with the 
  oldest languages of the Child races have been 
  made. Also, the city contained many artefacts, 
  and some of them might still work too.
  Cairo New State is a constitutional elective 
  monarchy whose monarch traditionally abdicates 
  after 25 years. The monarch rules jointly with a 
  Prime Minister, who in turn is elected every 5 
  years for a maximum of 2 terms of office. The 
  current monarch is Queen Samira, elected to the 
  throne in the year 198 A.A.
  
  THE ALEPH THEOCRACY
  Established on Alpha Centauri by a group of religious 
  fundamentalists, the Aleph colony cut off contact 
  with Earth immediately. In a few decades, with a 
  strong annexation policy, conquered several nearby 
  colonies and became a theocratic empire. Even 
  if there’s no accurate data, it is estimated that the 
  population of the Theocracy counts now more than 
  four billion people.
  Right after the War of Shadows, the Aleph Theocracy 
  tried to capture Earth itself; but a joint action of the 
  Jupiter Orbit and the Martian Union stopped them, 
  sparkling the birth of the Solar Compact.
  The Theocracy is ruled by a Supreme Preacher and 
  its military specialty is the production of weapons 
  and armor for melee combat. Its army includes an 
  elite corp of noble warriors, raised and trained in 
  monasteries, known as Templars of the Aleph; they 
  decorate their weapons and armors with religious 
  symbols dating back to the ancient faiths of Earth, 
  even if the namesake of the Theocracy, the Aleph, 
  is always a favorite for its simplicity.
  THE EMPIRE OF THE WOLF
  Created around Wolf 359, the Empire of the 
  Wolf is a mystery. It appeared less than 30 years 
  ago, almost overnight, probably with a coup 
  taking place simultaneously in 18 colonies. It is 
  a dictatorship, whose leaders openly declare to 
  receive inspiration from the ancient despots of 
  Earth history. However, as far as is known outside 
  its borders, the people freely support the Empire 
  without coercion - or at least that’s what it looks 
  like from abroad.
  Until today, the Empire of the Wolf did not show 
  hostility towards the Compact or any other power, 
  apart from some very minor border skirmish with 
  the Theocracy.
  Its technology is a little outdated, but sturdy; it is 
  ruled by an Emperor, nominated by the 18 Jarls 
  (one for each colony) among their own ranks, 
  and by a warrior nobility pursuing the ideals of 
  superiority by blood, right by superior strength 
  and so on. Their economy is self-sufficient (among 
  the colonies there are agricultural planets and 
  processing plants). Since it arose, its citizens 
  developed a strong cult of barbarism both in 
  fashion and in their culture.
  DARE THE STARS!
  81
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  82
  ALIEN RACES
  There are more than a dozen alien races in Known 
  Space, and many more in Unknown Space. Some of 
  them are more advanced than the Solar Compact, 
  but none, apparently, ever fought the Space Shadows 
  before the War of Shadows. Some aliens are friendly, 
  others are neutral, a few are hostile, but actual conflict 
  never broke out, except for the brief “war” the Aleph 
  Theocracy tried to wage against the Songweavers.
  Floaters: The Floaters are the only race in the Solar 
  System not created by the Progenitors. They 
  live in Jupiter’s atmosphere, transported by its 
  gas currents, and dislike leaving the planet. They 
  appear as translucent sacks filled with vapors, as 
  their internal organs are gaseous too. They like to 
  be left alone, but recognize the advantages of the 
  Solar Compact and are part of it. Their philosophy 
  and science are incomprehensible to other races.
  Kheethee: When humans contacted them for the first 
  time, the Kheethee were just discovering space 
  travel and were just establishing their first colonies 
  ouside their system, the binary Kapteyn Star.
  Averaging eight feet, green and scaly, the 
  Kheethee were elevated by the Progenitors from 
  reptilian stock. They only have three fingers on 
  each limb. They are curious and friendly in an 
  almost embarassing way, and their technology is 
  a little backward, but reliable.
  Songweavers: The first contact of the Songweavers 
  with humanity was the Theocracy attack to their 
  home planet, in the Gliese 1 System. They easily 
  defeated the Aleph warriors, but war disgusts 
  them, so they developed a strong bias against 
  all humans, which they still retain, even if they 
  occasionally ally with non-theocracy humans for 
  practical reasons.
  Externally, the Songweavers look humanoid, 
  but they are plants. They have four arms and 
  compound eyes. Their technology is entirely based 
  on biology: even their ships are living organisms 
  with hulls of a woodlike material. They have a 
  very small army, but military duty is considered 
  a necessary evil. All Songweavers have limited 
  alien powers, and communicate through a musical 
  language that gave them their name. They are one 
  of the races not created by the Progenitors.
  Taucetians: These inhabitants of the Tau Ceti star 
  stand six feet tall, have six very nimble fingers 
  with two opposable “thumbs” and are very 
  technologically advanced. They are not very 
  interested in expanding their domain, though, 
  and their colonies are just mining stations. They 
  build some of the fastest fighters and starships.
  Although no psionic powers have ever been 
  detected among them, Taucetians seem able to 
  communicate in silence through body language.
  
  83
  Before the Atomic Age
  (Dates for this period are approximated)
  Year Unknown: The Progenitors seed many planets 
  with life, perhaps as an experiment.
  Thousands of years ago: The Progenitors invade 
  Otherspace and exterminate their inhabitants; 
  the few survivors take shelter in Voidspace 
  and call themselves Space Shadows. Shortly 
  after this war, the Progenitors disappear from 
  known and unknown space.
  A.A. -5.000: The Floaters of Jupiter reach their 
  present form.
  A.A. -1.200:  The Martian Principalities war on each 
  other. Red Martians create the Green Martians 
  to use as slave soldiers. In a few years, the 
  Green Martians revolt and the following war 
  drags the whole planet’s civilization back into 
  a barbaric era.
  A.A. -1.000: The Moonfolk fights the War of the Two 
  Queens. As a result all the surface-dwelling 
  tribes of the Moonfolk are obliterated, and the 
  survivors move to live underground, developing 
  a peaceful attitude.
  A.A. -1.000: The Floaters from Jupiter develop space 
  travel, but they deem it uninteresting and give 
  up space exploration after a few years.
  A.A. -100 : Terrans begin exploring near space.
  A.A. -11: After a long period of tensions, the Kinslayer 
  War breaks out due to scarcity of resources. 
  In six months, one third of the population is 
  obliterated and vast areas are transformed in 
  wasteland. The consequences ot this war are 
  still troubling the planet.
  A.A. -9: The Panama Treaty is signed and the Terran 
  Federation is born. All states on Earth adhere 
  to a single federation of nations, known simply 
  as Terran Federation.
  A.A. -2: First human contact with the Floaters from 
  Jupiter. Beginning of the War of Shadows.
  The Atomic Age
  A.A. 0: First terran colony in space established on 
  the Moon.
  A.A. 3: The first hyperdrive in the Solar System, based 
  on technology provided by other races, is built.
  A.A. 7: The first reported human with psionic abilities 
  appears. Although other individuals with 
  similar abilities appear in the following years, 
  psionics are still extremely rare in humans.
  A.A. 9: Mars declares independence. The first 
  terran colonial ship is launched towards Alpha 
  Centauri. At destination, the Aleph takes over 
  and declares independence. Still mired in the 
  War of Shadows, Earth concedes it.
  A.A. 9-11: Various colonies declare independence. 
  The Martian Union, the Jupiter Orbit and the 
  Republic of Venus are born.
  A.A. 11: The War of Shadows ends.
  A.A. 13: The Aleph Theocracy attacks Earth with 
  a powerful fleet, but it is stopped by a joint 
  effort of the Terran, Jovian and Martian forces. 
  The Earth suffers no significant damage, as the 
  attacks mainly hit wastelands.
  A.A. 16-17: In various stages, 127 colonial ships leave 
  the Solar System. Twentysix become lost in 
  Ghostjumps; as of today, the fate of most of 
  them is still unknown.
  A.A. 17: A Space Shadows starship is sighted on the 
  brim of the Solar System. The ship is just an 
  abandoned wreck, but its discovery sparks the 
  formation of the Solar Compact.
  A.A. 20: The Solar Compact is officially born. 
  A.A. 28: Perfection of the Hyperdrive drastically 
  reduces the chance of Ghostjumps.
  A.A. 48: The Aleph Theocracy discovers and attacks 
  the Songweavers of Gliese 1. The Songweaver 
  fleet easily defeats them and repels them into 
  their original borders.
  A CHRONOLOGY OF SPACE EXPLORATION
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  84
  A.A. 102: Contact is lost with a few former colonies 
  around the planet known as Blood Moon.
  A.A. 107: After many attacks, it is discovered that 
  the Blood Moon colonies are now a pirate 
  federation.
  A.A. 121: First contact with the Taucetians.
  A.A. 142: Joan Carter of Mars leads the Slave Revolt 
  on the Red Planet, leading to slavery abolition.
  A.A. 176: The 18 colonies of Wolf 359 join in the 
  Empire of the Wolf. 
  A.A. 204: Present day.
  A.A. 71: First contact with the Kheethee. The 
  reptilians enthusiastically embrace friendship 
  with the Solar Compact and, although outside 
  of the Solar System, even apply for honorary 
  membership.
  A.A. 97: A plot by the Aleph Theocracy to conquer 
  the Solar System by implanting agents in key 
  government roles is upturned thanks to the 
  Songweavers. Even if distrusting of humans 
  in general, the Songweavers begin a casual 
  diplomatic relationship with humanity thanks 
  to Kheethee exhortations.
  MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
  The Universe is far from being explored and many mysteries lay in wait of someone brave (or foolish) 
  enough to uncover them.
  THE PROGENITORS
  Obviously this godlike race is the biggest mystery of all. Why did they disseminate planets with life? 
  Why they disappeared abruptly, leaving behind monuments and artefacts? Did they really disappear, 
  or do they still live disguised among their descendants?
  Be as it may, dozens of missions are sent to explore sites connected to the Progenitor, with the 
  hope of recovering some of their powerful artefacts. Most of the times nothing is found; and when 
  something is recovered, usually it takes a dozen years or more for scientists to fathom their use 
  (providing they still work).
  THE SPACE SHADOWS
  The Space Shadows were sworn enemies of all that the Progenitors made. Humanity was never able 
  to discover a way into their own home dimension, while the Space Shadows seem able to Jump into 
  space without using starships.
  Their technology was peculiar, sometimes to the same level of the Progenitors, sometimes less 
  advanced than even Terran tech, probably because of the scarcity of resources in the bleak dimension 
  they were exiled to. Finding a Space Shadow “artefact”, though, is almost impossible: everything 
  they used in the Shadow War was destroyed or disappeared.
  
  CHAPTER TEN: ALIENS AND CREATURES
  Along with the species presented in the previous chapter, the universe is rife with creatures of any form and 
  description and sentient aliens of various degrees of intelligence and civilization, from animals like the Lilac 
  Tiger to barbarians like the Truggen.
  In the following pages you’ll find some of them, along with a description of their habits and their physical 
  appearance; if you need more creatures, you can easily lift them from the White Star™ rulebook or adapt 
  them from any  Swords & Wizardry™ compatible supplement.
  In our descriptions we went a little more in-depth than the usual short outline common to White Star™, as 
  we prepared a detailed universe in which your characters can adventure; but you can adapt our creatures to 
  your vision of the game, and use them in your own world.
  ALIENS AND CREATURES RULES
  ALIEN AND CREATURE TO-HIT ROLLS
  If you’re using the standard descending Armor Class 
  (AC) system, creatures and aliens roll a 1d20 to 
  attack, add their Hit Dice to the number (maximum 
  bonus of +15), and the die roll is compared to the 
  table below. If the Attack Roll is equal to or higher 
  than the number on the table, the attack hits and 
  does damage. See TABLE 21: Attack “To-Hit” Rolls on 
  page 40..
  If you’re using the Ascending Armor Class (AAC), 
  creatures and aliens roll a 1d20 to attack, add their 
  Hit Dice to the number (maximum bonus of +15), and 
  if the result is equal to or higher than the defender’s 
  AC, the attack hits and does damage.
  ALIENS AS NPCs
  You can also decide to introduce some alien NPCs 
  to give the impression of a multi-faceted world and 
  present the players with some variety.
  In this case, we recommend you either just use 
  human (standard) characters, and color them in 
  some fun way (that’s what most novels of the pulp 
  era did anyway...) or use the simplified “alien creation 
  system” we introduced in the Classes chapter.
  If you need to populate a planet, it will take a little 
  more effort - e.g. you should build a civilization 
  with a few differences from human culture, and 
  - in describing the alien - stress those little cultural 
  differences - maybe it’s music, maybe food...
  85
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  86
  READING ALIENS AND CREATURES ENTRIES
  What follows is an explanation of the various entries 
  in the description of Aliens and Creatures. All of the 
  descriptions use this format.
  Armor Class: This is the Armor Class/Ascending 
  Armor Class as detailed earlier in the rules. 
  As usual, the first number is the standard AC, 
  while the number in brackets is AAC.
  Hit Dice: This is the number of D6 you roll to 
  determine the creature’s Hit Points. If there’s 
  a plus (+) or minus (-) sign next to this entry, 
  you must use it only once, adding to or 
  subtracting from the total Hit Points rolled, 
  not the number of Hit Dice. If something 
  affecting the creature requires using its level, 
  use its Hit Dice instead.
  Total Hit Bonus: This is the number the creature 
  adds to its Attack Roll to see if it scores a hit. It 
  is exactly the same as the creature’s hit dice. 
  The Attack Roll (on a 1d20) required for an 
  alien or creature to hit an opponent’s Armor 
  Class is shown on TABLE 21: To-Hit Attack 
  Rolls on page 40.
  Attacks: The number and type of attacks the 
  alien or creature can perform, and the damage 
  they deal. Usually it is just 1 attack causing 
  1D6 damage, but there are exceptions.
  Saving Throw: This shows the target number 
  on a 1d20 that is needed to exceed or beat 
  in order to make a successful Saving Throw. 
  This number is calculated by starting at 19 
  and subtracting the Hit Dice of the alien or 
  creature to get the nominal value. Rules for 
  Saving Throws are found on page 33.
  Special: Under this entry the Referee will find a 
  reminder of all the special abilities an alien or 
  a creature has.
  Movement: This number is the alien or 
  creature’s Movement rate, and is handled 
  just as Movement rates are for characters
  Hit Dice Equivalent (HDE): This number 
  represents the “difficulty level” of the alien 
  or creature, indicating approximately how 
  many levels of character are needed to beat 
  it, so that the Referee has guidelines when 
  creating adventures or challenges.
  Some aliens and creatures have multiple 
  HDEs listed – this is because certain aliens or 
  creatures have a range of Hit Dice. The order 
  is always from the creature with the lowest 
  Hit Dice to that with the highest Hit Dice.
  Experience Points (XP): Experience Points are 
  presented after an alien or creature’s Hit Dice 
  Equivalent (HDE) rating, and lists the amount 
  of XP an adventuring party gains as a result 
  of overcoming it. In some cases the Referee 
  may choose to award the Experience Point 
  reward for capturing or subduing foes.
  Some aliens and creatures have multiple 
  Experience Points listed — this is because 
  the entry has a range of Hit Dice that can 
  be selected from. The order is always from 
  lowest HD to highest HD.
  Ecology/Civilization: In this entry you’ll find 
  keywords describing the level of civilization 
  the alien or creature has, sometimes followed 
  by a description of its habits, environment, 
  etc. The keywords are very broad descriptions 
  and, sometimes, two apparently contrasting 
  keywords are used together - after all, in pulp 
  space opera, there’s space faringbarbarians 
  too!. The keywords are:
  Animal (Animal intelligence, no civilization);
  Primitive (stone-age, early metal working);
  Barbaric: (advanced metal working);
  Medieval: (cities, early firearms);
  Atom (modern medicine, nuclear energy);
  Space-Age (the “game era);
  Higher (more advanced than today’s).
  E.G.: The Progenitors would be Higher, while the 
  Empire of the Wolf is Barbaric/Space-Age.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  87
  HIT 
  DICE
  9
  [10]
  8
  [11]
  7
  [12]
  6
  [13]
  5
  [14]
  4
  [15]
  3
  [16]
  2
  [17]
  1
  [18]
  0
  [19]
  -1
  [20]
  -2
  [21]
  <1
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  19
  20
  21
  1
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  19
  20
  2
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  19
  3
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  4
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  16
  17
  5
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  16
  6
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  7
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  14
  8
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  9
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  10
  1
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  11
  1
  1
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  12
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  13
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  14
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  15
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  TABLE 27: Target Armor Class or [Target’s Ascending Armor Class]
  QUICK CALCULATION FOR AAC
  If you wish to use the quick formula approach to calculate attacks using the Ascending Armor 
  Class (AAC) system, the alien or creature’s To-Hit bonus is equal to its Hit Dice (capped at +15). For 
  example an alien with 3 Hit Dice attacks with a +3 To-Hit bonus.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  88
  ALIEN DESCRIPTIONS
  Aliens are living beings of at least human intelligence, although some of them might be so primitive they are 
  barely superior to animals. Although the majority of aliens in Dare the Stars! are Children of the Progenitors, 
  that is species created or elevated by the ancient Progenitors, there are still dozens, if not hundreds, of 
  species that developed independently and created their own culture and civilization.
  In addition to those presented below, there are still unknown alien species living on uncharted planets, or in 
  areas yet to explore on newly colonized planets. Dare the stars !
  DOGS OF VENUS
  Armor Class
  9 [10]
  Hit Dice
  2+2
  Total Hit Bonus
  +2
  Attacks
  Primitive weapons (1D6)
  Saving Throw
  17
  Special
  Camouflage, Immune to Mind Effects
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  3/50
  Ecology/Civilization
  Primitive
  Despite the name, these primitives from the planet Venus are not of canine origin, but descended from a 
  type of giant rodent. Four feet tall, fiercely carnivorous, they live in small family groups in the jungles of 
  Venus. They can spend days tracking their prey, jumping on it when least expected and, if overwhelmed, 
  they disappear into the undergrowth as quickly as they appeared.
  Dogs of Venus use primitive weapons, generally spears, and, due to their skill in camouflage, have a 1-4 
  chance on a D6 to surprise their prey. If they are reduced to 3 Hit Points or less, they try to disappear into 
  the forest (roll a Saving Throw: if successful, they hid and ran). They are immune to powers and abilities 
  that influence the mind.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  89
  FLOATERS OF JUPITER
  Armor Class
  4 [15]
  Hit Dice
  4-6
  Total Hit Bonus
  +4
  +5
  +6
  Attacks
  High pressure gas emission (1D6+unbalance)
  Saving Throw
  15
  14
  13
  Special
  Gas emission, Regeneration
  Movement
  12 (floating)
  HDE/XP
  4/200
  5/250
  6/300
  Ecology/Civilization
  Higher
  These mysterious beings float peacefully in Jupiter’s atmosphere. If attacked, they respond with a powerful 
  gas jet from one of the many openings in their skin. The jet is so powerful, its target must succeed in a 
  Saving Throw or fall. Standing up requires one full round. They regenerate 1D6 Hit Points/round.
  KHEETHEE
  Armor Class
  5 [14]
  Hit Dice
  1+1
  Total Hit Bonus
  +1
  Attacks
  Big Ray Rifle (2D6+2) or Blade (1D6+1)
  Saving Throw
  18
  Special
  Great size, Immune to poisons, Scaly skin
  Movement
  10
  HDE/XP
  2/45
  Ecology/Civilization
  SpaceAge
  These jolly, enormous reptilians were among the first allies of humanity. They are sociable, but naive 
  in the extreme, and their sense of humor is appalling. They can usually wield only tools and weapons 
  especially made for their big hands. They are immune to poisons, their skin is covered in scales that give 
  them a better Armor Class and their big size allows for a +1 bonus to damage in hand to hand combat.
  It is said, though, that a slap from a Kheethee is still preferable to one of his jokes.
  Due to their curiosity and their misguided sense of adventure, a few Kheethee ended up becoming space 
  pirates or surface brigands - but for them, it’s all in good humor.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  90
  MARTIANS
  GREEN MARTIANS
  Armor Class
  7 [12]
  Hit Dice
  3+3
  Total Hit Bonus
  +3
  Attacks
  2 attacks per round, by weapon
  Saving Throw
  16
  Special
  Four-armed, Superhuman senses
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  3/120
  Ecology/Civilization
  Barbaric
  RED MARTIANS
  Armor Class
  9 [10]
  Hit Dice
  1
  Total Hit Bonus
  +1
  Attacks
  By weapon or by power (Disruption)
  Saving Throw
  18
  Special
  Once per day can use 1 Rank 1 Alien Power
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  2/75
  Ecology/Civilization
  Barbaric
  The slender, beautiful humanoid Red Martians, the original inhabitants of Mars, were a highly civilized 
  society. At one point in their history, though, a war broke out. During this war, the Red Martian scientists 
  bred the huge, four-armed Green Martians as soldiers. Soon the Green Martians rebelled, and in a 
  relatively short period the whole Martian civilization collapsed, regressing to a barbaric era.
  A dark moment in recent Mars history was that of the Union Act, in which all Ancient Martians were made 
  slaves; but the slaves revolted again, this time led by a woman from Earth, the hero known and celebrated 
  today as Joan Carver of Mars. Now the Ancient Martians are split into two factions - one living and working 
  side by side with the humans, the other taking shelter in the desert, protecting the relics of their fathers.
  Green Martians are 7 feet tall, green and - thanks to their four arms - can wield and use two weapons at 
  once. They can also wield two shields, if they choose to do so (but two energy shields don’t cumulate). 
  They have antennae on their head, amplifying their senses (+2 to all rolls and Saving Throws pertaining 
  Perception, surprise only on a 1 on 1D6). Usually they are not very intelligent.
  Red Martians are identical to humans, except for their dark red skin and pointed ears. They are mildly psychic 
  and can use 1 Rank 1 Alien Power once per day. To human eyes, Red Martians are incredibly beautiful.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  91
  MIND TYRANTS OF DENEB
  Armor Class
  5 [14]
  Hit Dice
  5
  Total Hit Bonus
  +5
  Attacks
  Bite (1D6)
  Saving Throw
  14
  Special
  Mind Control
  Movement
  24
  HDE/XP
  6/240
  Ecology/Civilization
  Space-Age
  These beings are a living nightmare. They are spider-like, although they’re as big as a child’s head, with 
  a single eye. Their main method of attack is dropping from a ceiling or a tree onto an unsuspecting 
  victim’s head, biting him and inserting small tendrils into the victim’s brain, taking control of his body. The 
  controlled victim’s brain slowly ceases its higher functions, until it is dead, and only the body, a puppet for 
  the Mind Tyrant, remains. Mind Tyrants used to colonize entire worlds this way.
  MOONFOLK
  Armor Class
  8 [11]
  Hit Dice
  1
  Total Hit Bonus
  +1
  Attacks
  By weapon
  Saving Throw
  18
  Special
  None
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  1/25
  Ecology/Civilization
  Atomic
  The Moonfolk, insect-descended humanoids no more than 2 feet tall, populated the moon’s underground 
  long before the arrival of mankind. Although perfectly capable to develop space flight, they never did so 
  because they are not interested in the world outside their caves. They are divided in clan-states, where all 
  the people claims descent from the same Queen, and each clan-state is rigidly organized in castes.
  Although the differences are invisible to the human eye, caste is determined at birth by the genetic traits 
  of the individual. If he refuses to take his place in society, he is quietly brought to the Central Cave, in front 
  of the Queen herself, and reprogrammed to do what he must.
  The diminutive, agile Moonfolk are humanoid, but with composite  eyes; except for the occasinal trading, they 
  prefer to be left alone in their caves, minding their own business. They are covered in a thin, white chitin and 
  possess advanced weapons equivalent to those of modern humans. No human has ever seen a Queen.
  
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  92
  SONGWEAVERS
  Armor Class
  9 [10]
  Hit Dice
  3+3
  Total Hit Bonus
  +3
  Attacks
  By weapon or Alien Power
  Saving Throw
  16
  Special
  Alien Powers (Rank 3); Limited Telepathy (only among them)
  Movement
  8
  HDE/XP
  4/175
  Ecology/Civilization
  Space-Age
  The Songweavers look exactly like four-armed humans with a greenish-brown rugged skin, but they 
  are actually living trees. They grow from seeds on their planet but, when they reach adulthood, uproot 
  themselves and start traveling.
  They hate war, but don’t hesitate to bring out the guns if need be. They don’t like the rowdy, litigious 
  humans, and deal with them only in case of necessity.
  They speak telepathically among themselves, but humans perceive their thoughts as a distant music; for 
  this reason the first men contacting them called this race The Songweavers.
  Even if there is nobody left around to tell the whole story, rumor has it that the Songweavers developed 
  some sort of psychic heavy weapon - a “psionic cannon” of sorts. The only evidence of this, though, 
  is the state in which the Theocracy fleet men returned home after the failed attempt to conquest the 
  Songweaver planet: all the crew’s memories of the last two years were erased, and they were reduced to 
  a catatonic stupor, from which they eventually recovered - still without two years of memories.
  They can use Alien Powers - each day, they can use 3 Rank 1, 1 Rank 2 and 1 Rank 3 Alien Powers.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  93
  SPACE SHADOWS
  Armor Class
  2 [17]
  Hit Dice
  5+5
  Total Hit Bonus
  +5
  Attacks
  Shadow Gun (2D6+2)
  Saving Throw
  14
  Special
  Alien Powers (rank 4), Immune to Mind Effects, Teleport, Hyperjump
  Movement
  18
  HDE/XP
  8/1,000
  Ecology/Civilization
  Higher
  The terrible Space Shadows were a civilization 
  from an unknown place, apparently another 
  dimension entirely. They were the enemies of 
  the Progenitors and, when they discovered 
  the Progenitors were extinct, they decided to 
  erase their Children from existence.
  Their technology was slightly more advanced 
  than that available to most modern races. 
  They were able to jump through Hyperspace 
  without a ship, and had powerful personal 
  weapons and Powers.
  Their appearance, which created their name, 
  was that of dark space suits with visors so 
  black, it was impossible to see what was 
  inside; the few times when a Shadow was 
  captured, opening the suit revealed nothing - 
  it was completely empty. If this was because the Shadows were incorporeal or because they somehow 
  jumped out of the suit, it is impossible to say.
  They were immune to abilities and powers influencing the mind, they could Teleport (as per the power) 
  up to 5 times every day and could make two Hyperspace Jumps (without Hyperdrive) without risking a 
  Ghostjump up to twice every day.
  Each day they could use 4 Rank 1, 2 Rank 2, 2 Rank 3 and 1 Rank 4 Alien Powers - although the only Rank 
  4 powers they were capable of were Dematerialize and Telepathy (their Teleport was a different kind of 
  power). They could speak all known languages, but usually did so only to taunt their opponents.
  
  TAUCETIANS
  Armor Class
  6 [13]
  Hit Dice
  1+1
  Total Hit Bonus
  +1
  Attacks
  Claws (1D6) or by weapon
  Saving Throw
  18 (15 versus falls)
  Special
  Dark Vision 90 ft, Keen Senses
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  1/20
  Ecology/Civilization
  Space Age
  When told about a “cat-like alien race”, most humans thought of cute house cats. They were wrong: 
  Taucetians descend from big cats, and share ancestors with the Sabertooth Tiger. They are tall (6 ft), 
  muscular and can see up to 90 ft in the dark. Their keen sense of hearing makes them almost impossible 
  to surprise, and they can use their claws as weapons, although they are peaceable and rarely start a fight.
  TRUGGEN
  Armor Class
  8 [11]
  Hit Dice
  2+2
  Total Hit Bonus
  +2
  Attacks
  By weapon
  Saving Throw
  17
  Special
  Regeneration
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  2/40
  Ecology/Civilization
  Barbaric/Space Age
  Truggen are blue-skinned, medium-sized, swarthy humanoids without a home planet. They are space 
  nomads, moving from place to place in small fleets of rickety spaceships, accepting jobs as mercenaries, 
  trading their crafts as woodworkers and metalsmiths or, if nothing else is available, stealing. Although the 
  wrought-iron items they craft in their ships’ smithies are much in demand among collectors of antiques, 
  they are despised and considered “inferior”.
  It is thought they had a home planet, but that it was destroyed in an early Space Shadow attack or a 
  similar catastrophe; and that, although their civilization is barely at the barbaric stage, they somehow 
  managed to get hold of spaceships from another race and learned how to control them. Since then, they 
  roam the space and set camp wherever their whim and the currents of space take them.
  DARE THE STARS!
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  DARE THE STARS!
  95
  CREATURE DESCRIPTIONS
  Creatures are living beings of approximately animal intelligence, though there are exceptions - some of them 
  are organized into tribes and due to a limited ability to use tools, are similar to a primitive civilization.
  In these pages you’ll find but a few of the thousands of creatures populating the space of Dare the Stars! and, 
  as previously, we encourage you to be creative and surprise your players by adding your own.
  CANNIBAL FLOWERS
  Armor Class
  9 [10]
  Hit Dice
  2+2 (each one of 12 flowers)
  Total Hit Bonus
  +2
  Attacks
  Bite (1D6), Acid Spit (1D6 + Equipment Damage) [x12]
  Saving Throw
  17
  Special
  Immune to Mind Effects
  Movement
  0
  HDE/XP
  3/60 (each one of 12 flowers)
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal
  These giant flowers appear to grow in a circle around an empty spot large enough for a man to lie down. 
  They are actually a single plant with a dozen flowers, each the size of a human head. When prey is in the 
  central space, all the flowers attack at the same time. Those close enough to bite, do so; the others spit 
  acid on the victim. Each hit from acid spit has a chance of 1 on a D20 to ruin a random piece of equipment 
  the victim wears, making it useless. The victim can make enough space to run away by killing 2 flowers.
  DEADSPACE
  Armor Class
  3 [16]
  Hit Dice
  6
  Total Hit Bonus
  +6
  Attacks
  Engulf (1D6/turn)
  Saving Throw
  13
  Special
  Half damage from blades and bullets, Immune to Mind Effects
  Movement
  6
  HDE/XP
  7/500
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal
  Appearing as a dark spot, like a stain, this creature is actually a weird being usually living in space. From time 
  to time, it lands on a planet where it lies in wait. When viable prey steps on it, the Deadspace immediately 
  engulfs it (if it succeeds in a To-Hit roll) and starts consuming it. When the prey is dead, it leaves for space 
  again. Victims can break free by succeeding in a Saving Throw modified by their Strength Bonus.
  
  FUNGAL PLAGUE
  Armor Class
  3 [16]
  Hit Dice
  1+1
  Total Hit Bonus
  +1
  Attacks
  Suffocation (1D6, +1 damage/round for 1D6 rounds)
  Saving Throw
  18
  Special
  Dark Vision 90 ft, Immune to Mind effects, Infestation
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  1/20
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal
  This profile represents a colony of diminutive, mold-like mushrooms that infest the damp undergrowth of 
  many forests on its planet. When disturbed (e.g. stepped upon) it “explodes” in a cloud of spores, trying 
  to colonize the “attacker”. The cloud dissipates in 1D6 rounds. If the Plague is still alive at the end of this 
  period, it attacks again.
  To avoid being infested by the spores, all the victims within the cloud (12 ft) must succeed in a Saving 
  Throw. If the victim fails, he’s infected: the colony of mushrooms grows in his lungs, causing 1D6 damage/
  day until disinfested or dead.
  If the victim dies because of the infestation, it explodes in another 12 ft infesting cloud of spores, causing 
  all the potential victims in the vicinity to make a Saving Throw to avoid being infested in turn.
  LETHAL OOZE
  Armor Class
  7 [12]
  Hit Dice
  3+3
  Total Hit Bonus
  +3
  Attacks
  Acid-covered pseudopod (2D6)
  Saving Throw
  16
  Special
  Acid, Immune to Mind Effects
  Movement
  2
  HDE/XP
  4/130
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal
  This semi-transparent oily creature is a parasite feeding mainly on plants and vegetables. The Lethal Ooze 
  carves a nest inside a tree or another plant and consumes it from within; when disturbed, or when no 
  plant is available, it slithers out of its plant and attacks nearby (within 6 ft) animals. It attacks by extruding 
  a pseudopod covered in its digestive acids and striking the victim.
  DARE THE STARS!
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  DARE THE STARS!
  97
  LILAC TIGER
  Armor Class
  5 [14]
  Hit Dice
  8
  Total Hit Bonus
  +8
  Attacks
  Bite x3 (3D6)
  Saving Throw
  11
  Special
  None
  Movement
  18
  HDE/XP
  10/1,000
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal
  A 3-headed feline reaching 10 ft in length and living in the jungle, this animal is usually peaceful but, when 
  another being invades its territory, it attacks without hesitation.
  Lilac Tiger fur is precious, but it is forbidden to buy or sell it on many worlds. Where it is legal, a whole 
  pelt is worth in excess of cd 4,000
  RAGING WATER
  Armor Class
  6 [13]
  Hit Dice
  10
  Total Hit Bonus
  +10
  Attacks
  Water strike (3D6+3)
  Saving Throw
  9
  Special
  Huge (+2 to hit), Immune to bladed weapons, Surprise
  Movement
  8
  HDE/XP
  11/1,500
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal
  This sea creature is so transparent, it can’t be distinguished from the water it lives in until it attacks.
  Even though it is amorphous, it covers a radius of approximately 6 ft and can lunge to hit prey up to 3 ft away. 
  When in range with a victim, though, it tries to slide near or beneath it and strike it true.
  The creature is virtually invisible until it attacks, so it always has the advantage of surprise unless detected 
  in some way (e.g. scanners). 
  It slashes its prey (even small boats) until the victim dies, then the creature drags it to the sea bottom and 
  devours it.
  
  SIMIAN WARRIOR
  Armor Class
  8 [11]
  Hit Dice
  2+2
  Total Hit Bonus
  +2
  Attacks
  Primitive Weapon (1D6), Thrown Rock (1D6-1)
  Saving Throw
  17
  Special
  Climb at 6 ft/round
  Movement
  12
  HDE/XP
  2/30
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal/Primitive
  These gorilla-like apes are probably on the brink of developing into sentient beings, starting a proper 
  civilization soon.
  They use tools, although they can’t build them, and have even discovered how to make and use pointed 
  sticks to use as crude jabbing spears - but apparently not yet how to make spears that can be thrown.
  They are very territorial and, when someone trespasses, at first they try and drive him away by throwing 
  rocks, then surround him and attack if the trespasser doesn’t go away. 
  A recent theory claims they were the last Children of the Progenitors, so who knows where they 
  can go if left alone?
  ZILLINE
  Armor Class
  7 [12]
  Hit Dice
  1
  Total Hit Bonus
  +1
  Attacks
  Bite (1D6)
  Saving Throw
  18
  Special
  Group Tactics, Keen Senses
  Movement
  18
  HDE/XP
  1/15
  Ecology/Civilization
  Animal
  This diminutive, wolf-like dog with a big pair of tusks is among the cutest animals in the galaxy. Most 
  species find it adorable and immediately desire it as a pet. But this cute doggie has a dark secret.
  Zillines always move in packs of 4-10 individuals. When one of them is “adopted”, the others follow him 
  in secret until the adopted one signals them. At this point they swarm the intended victim, cleaning his 
  flesh from the bones in a matter of minutes.
  Zillines use group tactics: when one of them is fighting with at least another two Zillines, they all get +1 to 
  their To-Hit rolls. They have a keen sense of smell, so they are rarely, if ever, surprised.
  DARE THE STARS!
  98
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  99
  BETTER ALIENS AND CREATURES
  There is really no limit to the types of aliens and 
  creatures that can be included in the game, and 
  often it’s fun to surprise the players by throwing 
  surprisingly powerful adversaries at them when they 
  least expect it.
  The Referee should feel free to adjust AC, HD, or 
  other factors for opponents to make encounters 
  more challenging and fun for players, including 
  changing those given for aliens and creatures, which 
  are based upon the “normal” for their species.
  Also, feel free to try new options, maybe combining 
  two races in a single hybrid or rider/mount duo.
  • Players run in packs and big aliens and 
  creatures need additional levels to overcome 
  a disadvantage in numbers.
  • Players tend to be creative while many 
  Referees allow creatures to “play stupid” or 
  be less creative in their responses.
  If you want to create your own aliens and creatures, 
  you can use the following table as the starting point 
  for assigning basic Attributes, adding in additional 
  bonus XP for extra special abilities as you see fit:
  HDE
  BHB
  Saving Throw
  XP
  <1
  +0
  19
  10
  1
  +1
  18
  15
  2
  +2
  17
  30
  3
  +3
  16
  60
  4
  +4
  15
  120
  5
  +5
  14
  240
  6
  +6
  13
  400
  7
  +7
  12
  600
  8
  +8
  11
  800
  9
  +9
  10
  1,100
  10
  +10
  9
  1,400
  11
  +11
  8
  1,700
  12
  +12
  7
  2,000
  13
  +13
  6
  2,300
  14
  +14
  5
  2,600
  15
  +15
  5
  2,900
  TABLE 28: Aliens and Creatures Hit Dice and Experience
  
  QUICK ALIEN AND CREATURE REFERENCE SHEET
  Alien/Creature Type:
  BHB
  Saving Throw
  Hit Dice
  Hit Points:
  Attacks:
  Movement
  XP:
  HDE
  NOTES:
  Alien/Creature Type:
  BHB
  Saving Throw
  Hit Dice
  Hit Points:
  Attacks:
  Movement
  XP:
  HDE
  NOTES:
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE REFEREE
  Dare the Stars! is what is usually called an “old school game”, meaning it has its roots in the first role playing 
  games created in the ‘70s. But this doesn’t mean that all its players are going to be hardened veterans of the game.
  Due to their simplicity, the clarity of their rules and the free reign left to the imagination , Old School games are the 
  ideal starting point for novice players.
  The hardest part for a new player , however, is taking the role of the Referee . Therefore , in this chapter , we 
  collected tips on how to create adventures both thrilling and capable to satisfy both the players and the Referee. If 
  you are new to role playing, or even if you are a veteran but you feel a little rusty, read through this chapter - we’re 
  sure it will help!
  REFEREEING THE GAME
  While refereeing might seem as simple as putting 
  together a plot and running the players through it, 
  sometimes it is a little more complicated than that.
  When putting your head and hand into being a Dare 
  the Stars! Referee, you must keep in mind that you’ll 
  have the following goals:
  1) Have fun together.
  Roleplaying games are a social 
  activity: if someone is not having 
  fun, he will be “cut out” of the 
  group and, after one or two 
  sessions, you won’t see him again.
  2) Be the world’s manager.
  The Referee has the complex 
  task to present the world and 
  everything that happens in it to 
  the players. There are people 
  that find this enjoyable and 
  people that find this a chore. If 
  you are in the second category, 
  we strongly advise that you leave the task of Referee 
  to another player.
  3)  Be fair!
  As a Referee, you have a great power over the world 
  and, consequently, on the player characters. Don’t 
  abuse that power! Make fair decisions, when possible 
  consult with the players and always try to make the 
  most fun choice for everybody.
  101
  SESSION, ADVENTURE, CAMPAIGN, GAME
  In the usual terminology of Role Playing Games, a 
  game is divided into Adventures, that can be played in 
  one or more Sessions; sometimes several Adventures 
  will come together to form a Campaign.
  Adventures are the standard. 
  An Adventure is a single “plot”, 
  from its beginning to its final 
  resolution.
  A Session is the time you spend 
  playing - usually a few hours 
  once or twice a week. If an 
  adventure is short, you can play 
  it in a single session; longer and 
  more complex adventures may 
  require several sessions.
  Several Adventures may have 
  a common element and form 
  a 
  Campaign. 
  The 
  common 
  elementmay be a complex plot 
  that supersedes the simpler plots of single adventures, 
  or it might even be just the same protagonists - i.e. 
  the Player Characters evolving from level to level.
  Example: in the current adventure, the Player 
  Characters must rescue the crew of a ship wrecked 
  on a desert planet; but the time they set aside to play 
  is over, so they end this session here, and will resume 
  from this point next week in a new session.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  102
  STRUCTURING AN ADVENTURE
  When creating an adventure, it is useful to keep in 
  mind a general structure to follow. There are many 
  ways to represent this: one of the best is approaching 
  the adventure like an episode from a TV series, using 
  the three part structure typical of this medium.
  In the three part structure, the plot development 
  takes place through three main sections: they are 
  usually called Introduction, Main Confrontation and 
  Resolution.
  INTRODUCTION
  In the Introduction, characters come into contact 
  with the object of the adventure.
  Don’t take too long. Be essential in your descriptions, 
  avoid distractions for the Player Characters (and the 
  Players), but neither leave them alone on the road 
  to the adventure. If you need to spice things a bit, 
  you can throw in a small conflict - something easy, 
  to keep them on their toes without hurting them too 
  much. They have to survive to keep on adventuring!
  CONFRONTATION
  In this part of the Adventure, the Characters come, at 
  last, in contact with the main object of their adventure. 
  This contact, though, is not without problems.
  A conflict can happen before, during or after they 
  have entered in contact with the main object of 
  the adventure.
  The Confrontation doesn’t even have to be a combat. 
  Keep in mind the characters and their abilities: even 
  using your skills to break out of jail or infiltrating a 
  city with cunning is a conflict.
  One way to keep the players interested is to insert a 
  complication right at the end of this part, just when 
  everything seems fine. Don’t overdo it: if you use 
  this trick every time it rapidly becomes stale, but 
  from time to time it can liven things up and capture 
  the players’ attention.
  This second part is usually the longest in the 
  adventure, occupying more or less half the entire 
  gaming time, but adapt its length to the tastes of 
  your gaming group and to the necessities of the plot, 
  that could be prolonged by a new conflict.
  RESOLUTION
  The last part of the adventure sees the Characters 
  triumphant. The last conflict takes place in this phase, 
  the group receives a well-earned prize (objects, 
  Experience Points, etc).
  HOW LONG?
  The three parts don’t have the same duration. The 
  first and the last should last more or less one quarter 
  of the entire adventure each, while the central part 
  should occupy the other half.
  These lengths are, obviously, indications: you’ll find 
  your preferred balance and adapt them to your gaming 
  group: a couple of minutes is not a drastic change.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  103
  PAUSE
  It is very important to learn how to exploit pauses 
  between parts to let the players’ minds rest a little, so 
  that their attention can be renewed at the beginning 
  of the next part.
  Prepare the adventure in such a way that it will be 
  easy to insert a pause after each part (e.g.: “At last, 
  after a long march through the jungle, you reach the 
  shipwreck!”).
  During this break, grab fresh drinks from the fridge, 
  use the toilet, refill the popcorn bowl, check your 
  phones... Do all those things that would interrupt the 
  story and ruin the game atmosphere.
  Be careful, though, not to lose the story thread. Ten 
  minutes of ad break, as they do on TV, then go back 
  to the game!
  MAIN CHARACTERS
  Take another leaf from good movies and series: 
  always build adventures so that each character, in 
  turn, has his or her occasion to show their abilities - 
  be it combat or some special Class ability. 
  In particular, take care to choose one or two 
  characters and focus a section of the plot on them - 
  this way, from one session to  the next, every player 
  will get a “protagonist” moment.
  IRRESISTIBLE FORCE VS. IMMOVABLE OBJECT 
  From time to time the rules will present a case that 
  can’t be solved using the rules themselves. When 
  this happens, there are two basic principles to apply 
  in precise order:
  1) Choose the solution more favorable for the players; 
  they’re the protagonists, things should turn in their favor;
  2) If all the solutions are equally favorable (or 
  unfavorable) to the players, choose one randomly 
  (e.g. rolling a dice).
  DESCRIPTIONS AND NPCS
  One of the Referee’s main tasks is that of describing 
  the environment and interpreting the Non-Player 
  characters. This could be both fun and useful, but 
  here is some advice on how to do it.
  First and foremost, when describing a location or 
  an item, be accurate and evocative. Describe colors, 
  sounds, possibly smells and, if the players are touching 
  things, be prepared to detail textures. In Dare the 
  Stars! the characters will often find themselves on 
  strange, alien planets or exotic locations: be prepared 
  to introduce small details that stimulate their sense 
  of wonder. Strangely colored skies, the distant call of 
  an unknown animal, pungent smells - all are part of 
  the atmosphere.
  When interpreting NPCs, use the same principle. 
  Make them distinctive, especially if they’re going to 
  be important for the story. Give them a small detail, 
  a characteristic that will make them recognizable. An 
  eyepatch, a speech impediment or a particular way 
  of walking are examples.
  In both cases, though, don’t overdo it. When 
  describing locations or items be careful not to drown 
  useful details under a mountain of useless stuff. If 
  there’s a diamond that the characters need to get to 
  be able to complete the adventure, be sure that the 
  diamond shows prominently in your description.
  The same goes for characters: your NPCs don’t need 
  to be peg-legged giants with a thunderous voice, a pet 
  lizard on the shoulder and a lisp to be remembered. A 
  single detail will be enough. Also, don’t stress yourself 
  in interpreting NPCs: bring their characteristics into 
  play from time to time, but let it slip when it is firmly in 
  the players’ minds. This is not theatre, your stuttering 
  space pirate doesn’t need to stutter all the time, it is 
  sufficient to start his speech with a stutter and bring 
  it in occasionally. If you don’t feel confident enough 
  in interpreting a characteristic (e.g. a foreign accent), 
  don’t do it: simply mention it to the players (e.g: “I am 
  here!” He says, in a Denebian accent).
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  104
  ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
  In addition to good preparation, there are a few 
  narrative techniques that you can use to enhance 
  your group’s gaming experience.
  CLIFFHANGERS
  To diversify the story’s pace you can, from time to 
  time, introduce a cliffhanger, that is suspend the 
  narration at a point in which the characters’ fate 
  hangs in the balance. They are surrounded, they’re 
  low on ammo and they seem fated to lose... Will they 
  survive? We’ll see next session!
  As before, don’t abuse this technique. It is not easy to 
  use and, if every session ends with a cliffhanger, the 
  thrill will soon turn to boredom.
  A good principle consists in using a cliffhanger every 
  five or six sessions, but again, you’ll have to fine-tune 
  the quantity according to your group’s disposition.
  FLASHBACKS
  This is probably the most difficult technique to 
  implement but, at the same time, it can be most 
  rewarding.
  In a flashback, you bring the characters back into 
  their past and let them have an adventure “before” 
  the campaign. Sometimes, if all the players agree, 
  you can have them playing totally different characters 
  - or keep one or two characters from the team and 
  change the rest.
  This could be great fun, but it is very important that 
  it has some meaning for the campaign at large; use it 
  to play a significant scene from the past that ties into 
  the current adventure, or shows some place or time 
  the players should know about to proceed in their 
  mission, or the use of a particular device.
  Even if the characters technically already lived that 
  scene, or (in case you’re using other characters) 
  weren’t there, it seems unfair not to reward them for 
  playing; so, at the end of the flashback, give them a 
  fixed amount of Experience Points. After all you can 
  learn from memories too!
  SANDBOX
  This is a slightly different way to play, and it is 
  advisable to use it only after you have had some 
  experience as a Referee.
  In a sandbox campaign, you don’t prepare adventures 
  in advance - you just prepare some NPCs, some very 
  broad and flexible plot to throw at the players when 
  they are running on empty, then give them the means 
  to travel the galaxy and explore it at their leisure, 
  creating their own adventures.
  A merchant ship traveling from planet to planet, 
  a space patrol, even a jolly band of pirates or 
  mercenaries - all this is a good starting point to launch 
  the characters in a sandbox campaign. Often the best 
  ideas come from the players themselves!
  
  DARING ADVENTURER
  NAME
  CLASS
  description & background
  STRENGTH
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CONSTITUTION
  DEXTERITY
  CHARISMA
  GEAR
  WEAPONS
  AMMO
  TYPE: _________
  AMMO
  TYPE: _________
  AMMO
  TYPE: _________
  ARMOR
  RESOURCES
  credits      /      sub-credits     /      chits
  HIT
  POINTS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  BHB
  SAVING
  THROW
  CURRENT LEVEL
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  CURRENT EXPERIENCE
  PLAYER
  
  STRENGTH
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CONSTITUTION
  DEXTERITY
  CHARISMA
  HIT POINTS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  BHB
  SAVING
  THROW
  GEAR AND WEAPONS
  NAME, CLASS AND LEVEL
  STRENGTH
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CONSTITUTION
  DEXTERITY
  CHARISMA
  HIT POINTS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  BHB
  SAVING
  THROW
  GEAR AND WEAPONS
  NAME, CLASS AND LEVEL
  STRENGTH
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CONSTITUTION
  DEXTERITY
  CHARISMA
  HIT POINTS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  BHB
  SAVING
  THROW
  GEAR AND WEAPONS
  NAME, CLASS AND LEVEL
  STRENGTH
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CONSTITUTION
  DEXTERITY
  CHARISMA
  HIT POINTS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  BHB
  SAVING
  THROW
  GEAR AND WEAPONS
  NAME, CLASS AND LEVEL
  NPC QUICK CHARACTER SHEETS
  
  APPENDIX ONE: OPTIONAL RULES
  Sometimes you want a little more from your games. The basic rules are good and fun, but you may have 
  something in particular in mind that you’d like to try.
  We suggest here a few optional rules that could change the way you play - but at the same time, we advise to 
  use them only when you have gained a little experience with the basic rules. Introducing them in your game 
  could alter the balance of it, so be sure that all the players are on board with this decision.
  You can also come up with your own house rules, obviously; in this case too, we suggest that you let all the 
  other players take a look at them and vote them in. If they “pass”, you can use them.
  As the Referee usually is the one that knows better both the rules and the game world, in case of a tie he gets 
  an extra tiebreaker vote.
  ALIEN PLAYER CHARACTERS
  If you want to play one of the races introduced 
  in Chapter 9: The Universe, you must tweak the 
  Character Generation rules a little.
  You must first decide which race you are going to play, 
  as aliens have limitations and advantages regarding 
  their Attribute rolls. 
  Then proceed to roll as described below, according 
  to the race chosen; at this point, you can continue 
  normally, with just one warning:
  107
  ALIEN PLAYER CHARACTERS NEVER 
  RECEIVE EXPERIENCE BONUSES
  They don’t have rights to class experience bonuses, 
  and even the regular XP bonus for a high Wisdom 
  score is negated to them.
  Once you have this clear in mind, roll your character 
  Attributes as per the table below.
  RACE
  STR
  INT
  WIS
  CON
  DEX
  CHA
  Kheethee
  2D6+7
  3D6
  1D6+2
  3D6+2
  2D6+1
  3D6
  Martian (Green)
  2D6+8
  1D6+2
  1D6+2
  2D6+8
  2D6+1
  3D6
  Martian (Red)
  3D6
  2D6+8
  3D6
  2D6+1
  3D6
  3D6
  Taucetian
  3D6
  3D6
  2D6+1
  3D6
  2D6+8
  2D6+6
  TABLE 29: Alien Characters Attribute Rolls
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  108
  KHEETHEE WARRIOR
  Kheethees are tall, hulking reptilians with a jolly 
  character. They have an extraordinary strength, a great 
  sense of adventure and the most awkward sense of 
  humor of the galaxy.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1+1
  +0
  14
  2
  2,000
  2+1
  +1
  13
  3
  4,000
  3+1
  +2
  12
  4
  8,000
  4+1
  +2
  11
  5
  16,000
  5+1
  +3
  10
  6
  32,000
  6+1
  +3
  9
  TABLE 30: Kheethee Warrior Advancement
  KHEETHEE WARRIOR CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR 
  RESTRICTIONS: 
  A 
  Kheethee 
  Warrior can use any weapon and armor but, due to his 
  size and physical conformation, they must be expressly 
  built for his race (base cost x 1.5).
  BODYSLAM: A Kheethee Warrior can exploit his size 
  to overwhelm an enemy. If he could move at least 
  half his Movement this round, he can hit any enemy 
  of his size or less and throw him on the ground if 
  the enemy fails a Saving Throw. The Bodyslam also 
  causes 1D6-1 damage.
  SCALY SKIN: The Kheethee Warrior‘s scaly skin gives 
  him a starting Armor Class of 5 [14].
  IMMUNITY TO POISONS: The Kheethee Warrior‘s 
  metabolism allows him to process anything; he can’t 
  be poisoned by food, gas, etc.
  JOLLY DISPOSITION: The natural optimism of Kheethee 
  Warriors gives them a +2 to Saving Throws versus all 
  the effects and powers that influence the mind.
  KHEETHEE WARRIOR DISADVANTAGES
  UNUSUAL CONFORMATION: The peculiar physical 
  conformation of a  Kheethee Warrior makes it 
  impossible for him to use normal humanoid tools. 
  Everything must be expressly made for the Kheethees 
  (thus costing 1.5 times the base price). Even vehicle 
  seats and controls must be modified for him.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  109
  MARTIAN BRAWLER
  Green, four armed giants, the Martian Brawlers 
  have a very short life and a similarly short temper. 
  They are not famous for their intelligence, but they 
  can take and deal punishment like nobody else in 
  known space.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  2
  +0
  15
  2
  2,000
  3+1
  +0
  14
  3
  4,000
  4+1
  +0
  13
  4
  8,000
  5+1
  +1
  12
  TABLE 31: Martian Brawler Advancement
  MARTIAN BRAWLER CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: The Martian 
  Brawler can use light armor, shield and energy 
  shield and any kind of melee weapon. He can use all 
  kinds of pistols.
  HUGE: The sheer size of a Martian Brawler allows 
  him to cause +2 extra damage in melee, either 
  unarmed or armed.
  FOUR ARMS: Having four arms, a Martian Brawler can 
  use two weapons without penalties, and can attack 
  twice the times of a regular two-armed humanoid. 
  He can also wield two shields at a time.
  COMBAT MACHINE: Against foes of one Hit Die 
  (1 HD) or fewer, Martian Brawlers get free extra 
  attacks per round that can be used against only 
  them, up to one (1) extra per Experience Level of 
  the Martian Brawler. 
  SUPERHUMAN SENSES: Thanks to their sense-
  amplifying antennas, Maartian Brawlers get a +2 
  bonus on all rolls involving Perception and can only 
  be surprised on a roll of 1 on 1D6.
  MARTIAN BRAWLER DISADVANTAGES
  SHORT LIFESPAN: Martian Brawlers are very short 
  lived, they become adults in 5 years and their body 
  starts falling apart in another 10 years. When a Martian 
  Brawler is Level 4, roll 2D6 each month. On any double, 
  they lose 1 point of Constitution permanently; when 
  their Constitution reaches 0, they die of old age.
  SHORT TEMPER: If in a potentially dangerous 
  situation, a Martian Brawler will attack, no matter 
  the odds, even if there is a chance of solving it 
  through diplomacy.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  110
  MARTIAN NOBLE
  The original ancient martians, the Nobles are a 
  decadent race, incapable of fending for themselves. 
  Only the nobles, mindful of their former status, tried 
  to rebuild the ancient Martian society - with little or 
  no success, especially after the Slave Revolts.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1
  +0
  14
  2
  2,000
  2
  +1
  13
  3
  4,000
  3
  +2
  12
  4
  8,000
  4
  +2
  11
  5
  16,000
  5
  +3
  10
  6
  32,000
  6
  +3
  9
  TABLE 32: Martian Noble Advancement
  MARTIAN NOBLE CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: The Martian 
  Noble may use clubs, daggers, firearms, grenades, 
  laser pistols, mono-daggers, mono-swords, staffs, 
  and swords. They can wear Light Armor and use 
  shields and energy shields.
  COMMANDING: A Martian Noble has a great 
  authority among his people. All Martians of any 
  extraction will always obey him, no matter what. He 
  can also convince non-Martians to obey him if he can 
  talk to them for at least 5 full rounds and they fail in 
  a Saving Throw.
  ALIEN POWERS: Martian Nobles can use Alien Powers 
  according to the table below.
  SAVING THROWS: Martian Nobles receive a +2 bonus 
  to all Saving Throws on attempts to influence them 
  or cloud their mind.
  LEVEL
  1st
  Rank
  2nd
  Rank
  3rd
  Rank
  4th
  Rank
  1
  1
  -
  -
  -
  2
  2
  -
  -
  -
  3
  2
  1
  -
  -
  4
  2
  2
  -
  -
  5
  2
  2
  1
  -
  6
  3
  2
  1
  1
  TABLE 33: Martian Noble Alien Powers
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  111
  TAUCETIAN ROGUE
  Taucetians hate leaving their home. On the rare occasions 
  they are forced to do so, usually because they have been 
  exiled, they rapidly learn to use the nimbleness of their 
  feline ancestry to launch a roguish career.
  LEVEL
  XP
  HD
  BHB
  ST
  1
  0
  1
  +0
  15
  2
  2,000
  2
  +0
  14
  3
  4,000
  3+1
  +0
  13
  4
  8,000
  4
  +1
  12
  5
  16,000
  5
  +1
  11
  6
  32,000
  6+1
  +1
  10
  TABLE 34: Taucetian Rogue Advancement
  TAUCETIAN ROGUE CLASS ABILITIES
  WEAPON/ARMOR RESTRICTIONS: The Taucetian 
  Rogue can use knives, swords and clubs and any kind 
  of pistol. He can only wear Light Armor and can’t use 
  shields or energy shields.
  DARK VISION: Taucetian Rogues have the Darkvision 
  common to their race. They can see up to 90 ft away 
  even in total darkness.
  KEEN SENSES: The preternatural hearing of the 
  Taucetian Rogue is so powerful that he can only be 
  surprised on a 1 on 1D6.
  CLAWS: Even unarmed, a Taucetian Rogue can use 
  his claws to fight, causing 1D6 damage if he hits.
  BODY LANGUAGE: A Taucetian Rogue can 
  communicate silently with members of his own 
  species through body language. This is a very 
  limited form of communication, that requires the 
  receiver to be able to see the “transmitter”, and 
  it is possible to communicate only basic concepts 
  (“Go!”, “Warning!”, etc.).
  CLIMB: The Taucetian Rogue can use his claws to climb 
  any surface at half his regular Movement speed when 
  going up, and at full Movement when going down.
  SAVING THROWS: Taucetian Rogues get +2 on Saving 
  Throws against falling or explosions.
  
  DARE THE STARS!
  112
  WEB OF CONTACTS
  One of the greatest problems when starting a new 
  campaign or adventure consists in finding a way for 
  the characters to meet each other for the first time.
  With this optional rule, you can presume that all 
  the Player Characters met in some way before they 
  started this adventure, or campaign. 
  To do this, each player simply chooses another 
  player and rolls or chooses from the table below. 
  Then the characters of both players receive the 
  benefit shown on the table.
  There are just two rules in this “acquaintance game”:
  1. You can’t choose the player who chose you 
  (unless there’s just two players);
  2. You can’t choose a player that’s already 
  been chosen by another player.
  At the end of this round of choices, all characters will 
  be acquainted with at least another character.
  If you want, you can decide that characters at the 
  same type of event (e.g. “At the battle of...”) were 
  actually in the same exact event, and met each other 
  there; but this provides no additional benefits.
  D10
  “We met...”
  BENEFIT
  1
  “...fighting side by side at the battle of [choose name]”.
  10 Ammo Clips / Batteries
  2
  “...while working on the Cargo ship [choose one name]”.
  1D6x10 extra credits
  3
  “...at school, we both studied [choose one subject]”.
  +2 to Knowledge rolls of the subject
  4
  “...in a bar riot, where we fought, then became friends”.
  +2 to Saving Throws vs. Drunkenness
  5
  “...when our ship was stranded on a deserted planet”.
  +2 to Saving Throws vs. Heat Damage
  6
  “...during a mission on an ice planet.”
  +2 to Saving Throws vs. Cold Damage
  7
  “...working on a holiday planet”.
  Toolkit or science kit (player’s choice)
  8
  “...when you sold me that old [choose 1 equipment]”.
  One piece of equipment worth cd 15 or less
  9
  “...at the concert of [choose group name]
  +2 to Perception rolls for hearing
  10
  “...at the wedding of Lord [choose a NPC noble]”.
  Fine clothing
  We gave you ten broad occasions to meet other 
  characters; you can add your own twist to them (“We 
  met at the concert of the Red Planet Arachnids! I was 
  their technician, you were working security!”), or feel 
  free to create your own (with an adequate reward, 
  and with the Referee’s agreement).
  You prefer a story in which your characters met in 
  prison, unjustly accused of some crime? Go on!
  You’d like to tell of that time when both you and the 
  Android dated the same girl? Do it!
  In the end, the Web of Contacts rule is just a way 
  to spice your characters’ story and avoid that old 
  RPG cliché: “You are drinking in a pub, when a 
  mysterious man dressed in black...”
  
  DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
  “Wild Boar Games™“ logo and the name "Wild Boar Games™", 
  "Dare the Stars™", the “Dare the Stars™” logo, “Kheethee™” are 
  trademarks of Luca Volpino, 2005-2015. Chapters 9,  Appendix 
  I and Appendix II and all proper names and terms within this 
  publication, trade dress, character sheet, and other graphics 
  are designated the Product Identity of Wild Boar Games, except 
  where elements of Barrel Rider Press Product Identity were 
  used. Licensed artwork and cartography are the copyright and 
  Product Identity of the respective artists.
  Some elements of White Star Product Identity used under 
  additional license from James M. Spahn and Barrel Rider Press.
  DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
  All other content not designated Product Identity is open content.
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
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  date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
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  7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product 
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  expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the 
  owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not 
  to indicate compatibility or coadaptability with any Trademark 
  or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing 
  Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, 
  independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or 
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  Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership
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  8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You 
  must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are 
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  9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may 
  publish updated versions of this License. You may use any 
  authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute 
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  10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License 
  with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
  11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise 
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  12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply 
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  13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You 
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  14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be 
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc. System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip 
  Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, 
  Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, 
  based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, Copyright 2008, Matthew 
  J. Finch Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox Rules by Marv Breig, 
  copyright 2008- 2011 Matthew J. Finch
  White Star: White Box Science Fiction Rolelpaying, Copyright 
  2015Barrel Rider Games; Author James M. Spahn.
  
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/White Star/3rd Party/White Star - Dare the Stars.pdf