Gradient Descent

You were hired by the Book of the Sky to recover a microfilm canister from a derelict industrial space station in Fomalhaut. You will receive tickets to get to the system, and then a shuttle to get close to the space station. The shuttle will be an illegal one, given the station is currently under a blockade established by the ICO.

The site is a large, failed industrial site in the system, built to produce androids, which were later made forbidden. It was formally run by Transdyne Cybersystems.

Character Creation

All personnel for hire are required to have their personal files available for corporate access.

OPEN PERSONNEL ID

SKILLSETS FOR HIRE

KNOWN SKILLSETS FOR HIRE
DEFENSE
  Toughness
  Reflexes
  Willpower
OFFENCE
  Gunnery
  Marksmanship
  Firearms
  Brawl
  Melee
BODY
  Athletics
  Force
  Stamina
  Sleight of hand
  Stealth
SCIENCES
  Linguistics
  Zoology
  Botany
  Geology
  Chemistry
  Mathematics
  Archaeology
  Psychology
  Pathology
  Ecology
  Pharmacology
  Physics
  Sophontology
  Exobiology
  Surgery
  Planetology
  Theology
FIELD
  Military Operations
  Wilderness Survival
  Tracking
  Field Medicine
  Taming
  Orienteering
  Perception
COMMAND
  Persuasion
  Deception
  Intimidation
  Cunning
  Domination
  Faith
  Forgery
  Reaction
CHARISMA
  Presence
  Arts
  Leadership
  Conduct
  Expression
  Negotiation
  Seduction
  Empathy
MOBILITY
  Hyperspace
  Piloting
  Astronavigation
  Navigation
  Driving
ENGINEERING
  Industrial Operations
  Crafting
  Hacking
  Mining
  Mechanical Repair
  Explosives
  Robotics
  Cybernetics
  Artificial Intelligence
  Electronics
  Zero-G

System

Play

Players describe what they do. The GM advises when their action is impossible, demands a cost or extra steps, or presents a risk. Players can revise their plans before committing to a change in goals or stakes. Only roll to avoid risk.

Rolling

Roll a skill die — d6 by default, higher with a relevant skill. If aided by an ally, they roll their skill die and share the risk. Take the highest die. If against an antagonist, they roll their skill die, and both are exposed to risks.

1-3	Disaster. Suffer the risk. GM decides if you succeed at all. If you risk death, you die.
4+	Success. Avoid the risk. The higher the roll, the better.

Defence & harm

Say how your armour or weapon breaks to turn a hit into a hindrance. A broken gear is useless until it is repaired. Injuries take time and/or medical attention to heal.

Gear

You can carry all the narratively appropriate gear. Some items are Bulky. You can only comfortably carry one Bulky item. A second item hinders you. Three or more is impossible in most circumstances.

Change

Throughout the game, you will change. You may improve or acquire new skills. You may become long-term injured or get a disease. Most changes are treated narratively first.

At the end of each session, players describe how they may have improved a skill and then roll their skill die. If they roll the max, the skill increases.

Uncertainty

If something is uncertain and the rules do not support its resolution, consider the odds and roll a die.