Playtest Alpha— unfinished and still changing.
Rulebook

Index

A subject index to the whole book, keyed by chapter (the unit Wanderstar cross-references by — there are no fixed page numbers). Ch = a numbered chapter; A1–A10 = the back-matter appendices. A term's primary treatment is in bold. For a lookup of every die-roll table by chapter, see also the Tables Index (A2); for terms-at-a-glance, the Glossary (A9).

A§

  • Adventures, building — Ch 33; faction-driven, Ch 34; the toolkit, Ch 37–41; a ready scenario, Ch 36
  • Adversaries — Ch 40; damage die & toughness, Ch 40; players-roll principle, Ch 11, 40; the generator (who / want / edge, D66), Ch 40; pre-rolled foes (D66), Ch 40; signature bestiary, Ch 30; in play, Ch 4
  • Advancement — Ch 20; marks (fail at Trained+), Ch 20; XP, Ch 18, 20; Masteries (past Expert), Ch 20; "becomes Advantage" results, Ch 6, 17
  • Advantage — Ch 6; 3D6 keep highest two, Ch 6; Momentum cost, Ch 7; cancellation, Ch 6; free in creation, Ch 6, 16, 17; in initiative, Ch 11; from a Boon, Ch 9; lent by an ally (Assist), Ch 7
  • Age (of characters) — Ch 17; optional "years catch up" rule, Ch 17
  • Agent (career) — Ch 21
  • Aiming — Ch 11; and Scope/Precise traits, Ch 11, 24
  • Air, bad (thin, toxic, corrosive) — Ch 13
  • Ammunition & reloading — Ch 24; Reload trait, Ch 24
  • AP (Armor-Piercing) trait — Ch 24
  • Anchor worlds (a six-place starter map, the Shoals of Providence) — Ch 30; procedural worlds, Ch 37
  • Arks (FTL & ballistic) — Ch 29; the Ejection, Ch 29; still arriving, Ch 30, 31; Sleeper threads & hooks (D66), Ch 31
  • Armor — Ch 10 (how it works), Ch 24 (profiles, traits, layering); base armor 3, Ch 10; cover as armor, Ch 11; vs. radiation (Rad rating), Ch 13, 24; scale, Ch 12
  • Artillery trait / indirect fire — Ch 11, 24
  • Assist (lending Advantage with Momentum) — Ch 7; an ally pays your Advantage's 1-Momentum cost, Ch 7; one per roll, doesn't stack, Ch 7; may cost the helper an action, Ch 11, 25; crew stations in play, Ch 25; quick reference, A1
  • Athletics (skill) — Ch 8, 23; Dodge reaction, Ch 11; catching a fall, Ch 13
  • Auto (Burst / Full Auto) trait — Ch 11, 24

B§

  • Banes — Ch 9; starting Banes (+5 XP each), Ch 9, 18; earning 1 XP/session, Ch 9, 20; from Life Events, Ch 22; in play, Ch 4
  • Bestiary (signature creatures of the Shore) — Ch 30; built on the adversary dials, Ch 40
  • Biology (skill) — Ch 8, 23; first aid & disease, Ch 10, 13
  • Blast trait / area attacks — Ch 11, 24
  • Boarding & zero-g — Zero-G trait, Ch 24; vacuum, Ch 13
  • Boons — Ch 9; 1 Momentum to activate, Ch 7, 9; cost 5 XP, Ch 9, 18; from Life Events, Ch 22; the Boon discount, Ch 7, 9, Ch 4
  • Bram Hullward (example Seeder) — Quickplay/Characters/, Ch 4, Ch 36
  • Building adventures — see Adventures
  • Bureaucracy (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Burst fire — Auto trait, Ch 11, 24

C§

  • Cancellation (Advantage + Disadvantage) — Ch 6; with Boons/Banes, Ch 9; no Momentum spent/gained, Ch 7; in play, Ch 4
  • Careers — Ch 17 (procedure), Ch 21 (the twelve, with D66 tables); entry test, Ch 17; first-term auto-success, Ch 17; term outcomes, Ch 17; fixed skills, Ch 17, 21; changing careers, Ch 17; −2 to re-enter any career behind you (failed, left, or forced out), Ch 17; failed-entry XP (first two), Ch 17; no new career at four nodes, Ch 10, 17; capstone (66) results, Ch 17, 21; trauma from, Ch 10, 17
  • Cha­racter creation — Ch 14–19; overview, Ch 14; the four steps, Ch 14; example characters, Quickplay/Characters/, Ch 4; sheet, A3
  • Character sheet — A3
  • Characteristic archetypes (the 141 named profiles) — A8; an optional flavor aid for Ch 16
  • Characteristics (the six) — Ch 6; setting at creation (pairs), Ch 16; as Advantage/Disadvantage not modifiers, Ch 6; substitution by the GM, Ch 6, 8
  • Charge trait — Ch 24
  • Charm (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Chemistry (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Clocks (progress / faction) — Ch 5 (progress), Ch 34 (faction), Ch 13 (hazard clock); record sheet, A4
  • Close Quarters (skill) — Ch 8, 23; melee, Ch 11; Parry, Ch 11
  • Cold & heat (temperature hazard) — Ch 13
  • Combat — Ch 11; the round & initiative, Ch 11; actions, Ch 11; range bands, Ch 11; reactions, Ch 11; cover, Ch 11; damage & trauma, Ch 10, 11; vehicles & ships, Ch 25; in play, Ch 4
  • Command (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Communications (skill) — Ch 8, 23; no FTL comms, Ch 27, 30
  • Companions (people) — Ch 15, Ch 31; lineages (Hounds, Ferals, Warrens, Drays), Ch 15, 31; the rebellion & Sable Thresh-Ember, Ch 15, 31; threads & legends (Sable, D66), Ch 31; examples (Ace, Jinx), Quickplay/Characters/
  • Contacts — Ch 35; guaranteed at least one, Ch 19; Allies/Rivals/Enemies, Ch 22, 35; from careers & Life Events, Ch 21, 22; generating, Ch 35, 39
  • Converting adventures — Traveller/2D6 and OSR/NSR (d20, Stars Without Number), A7
  • Core-heat tap (radiothermal) — setting, Ch 29, 30, 34; in the starter adventure, Ch 36
  • Corporations — Ch 34; as patrons & threats, Ch 34, 38; branded gear, Ch 24, 34
  • Corrosive trait — Ch 24; vs. Sealed suits, Ch 13
  • Cover — Ch 11; vs. Blast, Ch 11
  • Cracking (skill) — Ch 8, 23; no minigame, Ch 8; opposed, Ch 5
  • Credits — starting, Ch 18; what they're worth, Ch 28; gear prices, Ch 24
  • Crossing, the (timeline) — Ch 29; Detection to present, Ch 29; the Shore today, Ch 30

D§

  • Damage — Ch 10 (vs. armor), Ch 24 (weapon profiles); damage die for adversaries, Ch 40; scale, Ch 12
  • Dangerous / Very Dangerous traits — Ch 24
  • Death — Ch 10; only when no node remains, Ch 10
  • Deceive (skill) — Ch 8, 23; opposed by Psychology, Ch 5
  • Degrees of outcome (barely, near miss, snake eyes, boxcars) — Ch 5
  • Destructive trait — Ch 24, 12
  • Dexterity — Ch 6; initiative, Ch 11
  • Difficulty (always target 8) — Ch 5; making things harder without moving the number, Ch 5
  • Diplomat (career) — Ch 21
  • Disadvantage — Ch 6; 3D6 keep lowest two, Ch 6; gains Momentum, Ch 7; permanent if chosen at creation, Ch 6, 16
  • Disease & infection — Ch 13
  • Disruptive trait — Ch 24
  • Distance (and no FTL comms) — Ch 30; jump travel, Ch 27
  • Dodge (reaction) — Ch 11
  • Dosimeter — Ch 13, 24; reading a rad-zone, Ch 13, Ch 4, Ch 36
  • Drifter (career) — Ch 17, 21
  • Driving (skill) — Ch 8, 23; vehicles, Ch 25
  • Drones — Ch 25; Remote Weapons, Ch 8, 23; Piloting a drone, Ch 25
  • Drowning — Ch 13

E§

  • Edda Halvorsen (example Sleeper) — Quickplay/Characters/, Ch 4, Ch 36
  • Education — Ch 6
  • Effect (of a roll) — Ch 11; = total − 8; colour by default, Ch 5, 11
  • Ejection, the — Ch 29 (and Glossary, A9)
  • Electronics (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Encounters — Ch 41; fringe/jump-week, stations, settlements, wilds, Ch 41
  • Endurance — Ch 6; survival & hazards, Ch 13
  • Enemies — see Contacts
  • Enforcer (career) — Ch 21
  • Engineering (skill) — Ch 8, 23; ships, Ch 26; drones, Ch 25
  • Engineer (career) — Ch 21
  • Entangle trait — Ch 24
  • Entertainer (career) — Ch 21
  • Entry test (careers) — Ch 17; failure & wandering terms, Ch 17; −2 on re-attempt, Ch 17
  • Equipment (non-weapon gear) — Ch 24
  • Example of play — Ch 4
  • Experience points — see XP
  • Explosives (skill) — Ch 8, 23; Blast, Ch 11, 24
  • Extended contests / opposed tests — Ch 5

F§

  • Factions — Ch 34; the faction turn (between sessions), Ch 34, A4; clocks, Ch 34; corporations as factions, Ch 34; in the starter adventure, Ch 36
  • Falling — Ch 13
  • Ferals (Companion lineage) — Ch 15, 31; example (Jinx), Quickplay/Characters/
  • Fire trait — Ch 24
  • First aid — Ch 10; Survival test, Ch 10; can't clear Maimed/Broken, Ch 10; in play, Ch 4
  • First Boarding (Year 0) — Ch 29 (and A9)
  • Fixed skills (careers) — Ch 17, 21
  • FTL — Ch 27; the Vanguard, Ch 29; no FTL communication, Ch 27, 30
  • Full Auto — Auto trait, Ch 11, 24

G§

  • Gear — Ch 24; catalog (primitive/modern/advanced), Ch 24; random generator, Ch 24; starting outfit, Ch 18; salvage, Ch 38
  • Glossary — A9
  • GM (Game Master) — the role, Ch 32; building adventures, Ch 33; running factions, Ch 34; record sheets, A4; running without a GM, Ch 42–45
  • Grade (gear workmanship: Shoddy–Masterwork) — Ch 24
  • Grenades — Ch 24; Blast, Ch 11

H§

  • Hazards — Ch 13; the hazard clock, Ch 13; quick-reference table, Ch 13
  • Heavy Weapons (skill) — Ch 8, 23; Heavy-tagged gear, Ch 24
  • Heritage (the four peoples) — Ch 15; no mechanical effect, Ch 15; in the world, Ch 31; naming, Ch 15, 39
  • Hounds (Companion lineage) — Ch 15, 31; example (Ace), Quickplay/Characters/
  • Hooks (campaign) — Ch 34 (corporations), Ch 33, 38 (patrons & jobs)
  • Hull / ship damage — Ch 25, 26

I§

  • Index — this appendix, A10
  • Initiative — Ch 11; Dexterity, applied free, Ch 11
  • Intellect — Ch 6

J§

  • Journaling your play (Lonelog notation for solo/GM-less logs) — A5; the paper ancestor (Threads/Cast/Powers sheet), A4; the loop, Ch 44–45
  • Jinx Quietclaw-Feral (example Feral Companion) — Quickplay/Characters/, Ch 4, Ch 36
  • Jobs & patrons — Ch 38; the job, the catch, the payoff, Ch 38
  • Jump travel — Ch 27; routes & Physics, Ch 23, 27; a week per parsec, Ch 27, 30

L§

  • Layering (armor) — Ch 24
  • Life Events — Ch 22; rolled after every term, Ch 17, 22; the 1D6 table-picker, Ch 22; capstones, Ch 22
  • Lineages (Companion) — Ch 15, 31
  • Loud / Silent traits — Ch 24

M§

  • Maimed (trauma node) — Ch 10; needs a recovery session, Ch 10; carried from creation, Ch 10, 19; example, Quickplay/Characters/ (Jinx), Ch 4
  • Marks (advancement) — Ch 20; mark on a failed Trained+ test, Ch 20
  • Masteries (signature techniques past Expert) — Ch 20 (rules); unlocked at Expert (+3), Ch 20; cost 20 XP, Ch 20; grant a permission, not a bonus, Ch 20; vs. Boons, Ch 9, 20; full D6 tables by skill, Ch 23
  • Mechanical (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Medic (career) — Ch 21
  • Melee — Ch 11; Close Quarters, Ch 8, 23; Reach, closing, disengaging, Ch 11
  • Merchant (career) — Ch 21; trade, Ch 28
  • Military (career) — Ch 21
  • Momentum — Ch 7; starts at 3, Ch 7; spending (Advantage), Ch 6, 7; gaining (Disadvantage, trauma), Ch 7; Assist (spend for an ally), Ch 7; not used in creation, Ch 7, 14; in play, Ch 4
  • Mooks / hardened / boss (adversary toughness) — Ch 40; in the adventure, Ch 36

N§

  • Naming (by heritage) — Ch 15; tables, Ch 39
  • Negotiate (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Network (skill) — Ch 8, 23; contacts, Ch 35
  • NPCs — Ch 40; instant NPCs, Ch 39; contacts, Ch 35

O§

  • Opposed tests — Ch 5; ties favor the defender, Ch 5; vs. combat reactions, Ch 5, 11
  • Oracle (GM-less yes/no) — Ch 43
  • Drays (Companion lineage) — Ch 15, 31
  • Outfitting (starting gear & credits) — Ch 18
  • Overflow (trauma between tracks) — Ch 10

P§

  • Parry (reaction) — Ch 11
  • Patrons — as job-givers, Ch 38; as relationships (Contacts), Ch 35; corporations as patrons, Ch 34
  • Peoples, the four — Ch 15, Ch 31; see Sleepers, Wanderborn, Seeders, Companions
  • Physics (skill) — Ch 8, 23; jump routes, Ch 27
  • Piloting (skill) — Ch 8, 23; ships, Ch 26, 27; drones, Ch 25
  • Playing without a GM — Ch 42–45; the oracle, Ch 43; the session loop, Ch 44; solo vs. co-op, Ch 45; sheet, A4
  • Political Science (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Precise trait — Ch 24; with aiming, Ch 11
  • Pregenerated characters — stat-blocks, A6; full creation logs, Quickplay/Characters/ (Echo, Bram, Edda, Ace, Jinx); the starter-adventure cast, Ch 36
  • Privation (hunger, thirst, exhaustion) — Ch 13
  • Provenance (gear origin / TL) — Ch 18, 24
  • Psychology (skill) — Ch 8, 23; counters Deceive, Ch 5

Q§

  • Quick reference — A1

R§

  • Radiation — Ch 13 (hazard), Ch 24 (trait & Rad rating); Maimed-grade, Ch 10, 13; dosimeter, Ch 13, 24; in the adventure, Ch 4, Ch 36
  • Range bands (Engaged–Extreme) — Ch 11; the 100-metre rule, Ch 11; effective range, Ch 11, 24
  • Ranged Weapons (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Reach trait — Ch 11, 24
  • Reactions (Dodge, Parry, Dive for cover) — Ch 11; one free per round, Ch 11
  • Recon (skill) — Ch 8, 23; vs. Sneaking, Ch 5
  • Recovery (trauma) — Ch 10; rest, first aid, recovery sessions, Ch 10
  • Reload trait — Ch 24
  • Remote Weapons (skill) — Ch 8, 23; drones & turrets, Ch 25
  • Research (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Rivals — see Contacts
  • Rumors / bar-talk — Ch 33
  • Running the game — Ch 32–34 (with a GM); Ch 42–45 (without)

S§

  • Sable Thresh-Ember — Ch 15, 31 (and A9); the legends/threads table (D66, contradictory by design), Ch 31
  • Salvage — Ch 38; GANYMEDE & breaking ships, Ch 34, Ch 36
  • Scale (S0–S3, scale gap) — Ch 12; Destructive, Ch 24
  • Scope trait — Ch 11, 24
  • Scout (career) — Ch 21
  • Sealed (armor trait) — Ch 24; vs. vacuum/toxins/radiation, Ch 13
  • Sectors & worlds — Ch 37; world kinds, Ch 30; record sheet, A4; a worked sample sector (the Grey Strand), Ch 37
  • Sample sector (the Grey Strand, worked example) — Ch 37
  • Seeders (people) — Ch 15, Ch 31; the FTL Vanguard, Ch 29; built the Shore, Ch 30; created the Companions, Ch 15, 31; threads (founding era, D66), Ch 31; example (Bram), Quickplay/Characters/
  • Session end — Ch 20; marks, XP, Momentum reset, Ch 7, 20
  • Shaken (trauma node) — Ch 10
  • Ships & craft design — Ch 26; combat & damage, Ch 25; jump, Ch 27; scale, Ch 12
  • Shore, the — Ch 30; the LMC ("landfall"), Ch 30; no central government, Ch 30; an uneven galaxy, Ch 30; anchor worlds (starter map), Ch 30; signature bestiary, Ch 30
  • Silent trait — Ch 24
  • Skills — Ch 8 (ranks, list), Ch 23 (descriptions); 30 skills, 5 categories, Ch 8; Trained threshold, Ch 8; untrained −3, Ch 8; Expert (+3) cap & Masteries past it, Ch 20; overlapping skills, Ch 8, 23; default characteristics, Ch 8
  • Sleepers (people) — Ch 15, Ch 31; cryo, still waking, Ch 30, 31; threads (arks & claims, D66), Ch 31; example (Edda), Quickplay/Characters/
  • Smart / Smasher traits — Ch 24
  • Sneaking (skill) — Ch 8, 23; vs. Recon, Ch 5
  • Solo & co-op play — Ch 45; the oracle, Ch 43; sheet, A4
  • Spread trait — Ch 24
  • Stabilized / Stun / Subtle traits — Ch 24
  • Starter adventure — Ch 36 ("The Cold Lantern")
  • Stills-the-Echo (example Wanderborn) — Quickplay/Characters/, Ch 4 (referenced)
  • Strength — Ch 6
  • Suffocation — Ch 13
  • Suppressive fire — Ch 11, 24
  • Survival (skill) — Ch 8, 23; hazards, Ch 13; first aid, Ch 10
  • System Operations (skill) — Ch 8, 23

T§

  • Tables, all (index of D66s & numbers) — A2
  • Tactics (skill) — Ch 8, 23
  • Target number (always 8) — Ch 5
  • Technology Level (TL) — Ch 24; the scale, Ch 37
  • Temperature (heat/cold) — Ch 13
  • Terms (career) — Ch 17; first-term auto-success, Ch 17; term roll outcomes, Ch 17; aging, Ch 17
  • Tests — Ch 5; when not to roll, Ch 5; opposed, Ch 5
  • Threads (per-people legends & hooks, D66) — Ch 31 (Sleeper, Wanderborn, Seeder, Companion); as rumors & jobs, Ch 33, 38
  • Thrown weapons — Ch 11
  • Timeline — Ch 29 (and A9)
  • Toxin trait — Ch 24; toxic air, Ch 13
  • Trade & the economy — Ch 28; what credits buy, Ch 28
  • Trauma — Ch 10; two tracks, four nodes, Ch 10; armor & damage thresholds, Ch 10; overflow, Ch 10; recovery & first aid, Ch 10; death, Ch 10; from careers/creation, Ch 10, 17; gains Momentum, Ch 7; in play, Ch 4
  • Traveller, converting from — A7
  • Trinkets — Ch 24
  • Twelve careers, the — Ch 21

V§

  • Vacuum — Ch 13; vacc suits, Ch 24; patch kits, Ch 13, 24
  • Vehicles — Ch 25; Driving, Ch 8, 23; scale, Ch 12
  • Versatile trait — Ch 24

W§

  • Wanderborn (people) — Ch 15, Ch 31; underground low-g adaptation & echolocation, Ch 15; threads (the voyage & lost planet, D66), Ch 31; example (Stills-the-Echo), Quickplay/Characters/
  • Wanderers (player characters) — Ch 1, Ch 2; people who don't stay put, Ch 1; see also Heritage
  • Wandering terms (career) — Ch 17; from a failed entry test, Ch 17
  • Wanderstar (the rogue planet) — the premise, Ch 1, Ch 2; the crossing, Ch 29; gone into intergalactic space, Ch 30; the game's title, Ch 1
  • Warrens (Companion lineage) — Ch 15, 31
  • Weapons — Ch 24; traits, Ch 24; in combat, Ch 11; skills (Ranged / Heavy / Close Quarters / Remote), Ch 8, 23; damage vs. armor, Ch 10
  • What Intrudes (oracle interrupt) — Ch 43; as an encounter, Ch 41
  • Worlds (generating) — Ch 37; world character & kinds, Ch 30, 37; anchor worlds (starter map), Ch 30; moons & belts, Ch 37
  • Wounded (trauma node) — Ch 10; clears with rest or first aid, Ch 10; clears at end of creation, Ch 10, 19

X§

  • XP (experience points) — earning, Ch 20 (+1/session, marks, invoked Banes); starting 40 free, Ch 18; spending (10 = +1 rank, 5 = Boon, 20 = Mastery), Ch 18, 20; from failed entry tests & Banes, Ch 9, 17

Z§

  • Zero-G trait — Ch 24; boarding & vacuum, Ch 13