Scores

Hit Points and Damage

Hit Points (HP) describe how many times your character can be “hit” by Damage before they are Downed. Base HP is 3. This means you can be Damaged 3 times from any source before you run out of HP.

Any instance of Damage will only reduce your HP by 1.

Downed & Dying 

If reduced to 0 HP, you are Downed. 

Downed

When Downed, you must fall to the ground or your knee (if it isn't safe, stagger off to the side of the scene and then fall). You are only semi conscious, and can only groan, mutter, or weakly speak. You can’t meaningfully use any weapons or Equipment.

By using a Willpower (covered below), you can take a single meaningful action while Downed, such as using a weapon or Equipment a single time (such as a Stim Pack), moving a short distance, or shouting at the top of your lungs.

You are healed from the Downed condition by healing any amount of HP.

If you are Downed for 2 continuous minutes, or take Damage from any source (a weapon attack, Bleed, Environmental, Disease, etc), you begin Dying. 

Dying

When Dying you fall into unconsciousness, lying down or propping yourself against something in a seated position (unless it is unsafe to lie down, then stagger to a safer location then collapse.) You cannot take any action or speak, even with the use of Willpower.

This is a two minute period referred to as your “Death Count”. Ongoing Effects such as Bleed or Ignite end when you start Dying.

Standard healing does not revive a Dying character. Only Equipment (such as the Surgical Table in the Med Bay) that specifically states it can revive a Dying character will restore them.

Using a Medic Pack to continuously treat a Dying character will Stabilize them (halt their Death Count).

If a Dying character takes any additional Damage, or is left untreated for more than two minutes, they Die. 

Armor

Armor provides Armor Points (AP), which protects you from attacks. If you have AP and you are hit by an Effect of any kind (Slow, Damage, etc), ignore the Effect, reduce your AP by 1, and state “Armor”. When your Armor is reduced to 0 AP, it no longer protects you.

Pulse attacks (covered below) completely bypass Armor. Apply the Effect of the attack regardless of how much AP you have, but do not reduce your AP.

Basic Armor that provides AP fills your Armor Slot. This means you cannot wear Basic Armor while wearing another Armor.

Costuming Requirements

In order to gain the benefits of Armor, it must be immediately apparent that the character is wearing a semi-rigid protective material, such as leather or EVA foam. This is a sci-fi game, so the specific material doesn’t matter, only that it is semi-rigid and looks like armor. This is obviously interpretive on the part of the staff, just do your best and ask questions BEFORE you commit time or money if you aren't sure. Fabric, no matter how heavy or futuristic looking, will not count.

Armor Points

You get 1 Armor Point (AP) for every area covered off the list below. 

  • Torso

  • Arms

  • Legs 

In order for a body part to be “covered” by armor, the semi-rigid portion of the armor should completely conceal more than half of that body area.

The station protects the head of everyone within its range, so helmets aren't necessary. (They still look totally badass, and are thus encouraged.)

Willpower

Willpower is a resource that represents your character’s drive to press on through pain, exhaustion and other difficulty. There is no maximum amount of Willpower you can have, and nothing happens if you run out.

Your character does not start the event with any Willpower. Instead, you gain Willpower by completing different tasks. You can only ever have ONE Willpower from a single source at a time. This means you have to do several different tasks to maximize your current Willpower. You are encouraged to get as many as you can!

You can gain a Willpower from each of these sources:

  • Having a conversation about your home planet, upbringing, or culture.

  • Doing 15 minutes of productive chores, such as cleaning, tidying, or serving food.

  • Witnessing another character use a piece of Equipment you trained them with this event.

  • Eating a homemade meal brought by another PC.

  • Feeding a homemade meal you brought from home to another character (NPC or PC).

  • Return from a Mission carrying the same number of blaster darts that you left with.

By spending one of your Willpower, you can take one of the following actions:

  • Cure Exhaustion 

  • Take an action while you're Downed

  • Resist a mental Effect

  • Reduce Stress by 1

  • Use an ability that says you have to spend a Willpower to use it

Once you have spent Willpower, you can regain it by repeating the tasks.

For example: You start the event with 0 Willpower. You have a conversation about how you were raised on your homeworld, and gain 1 Willpower. You then spend your Willpower to overcome Exhaustion. Now you can have another conversation about your homeworld to get your Willpower back.

Strength

Every character has a Strength score, and every object has a Weight score.

Strength 1 represents the strength of one average person. Strength 2 is roughly the strength of two average people. Certain Effects can strengthen a single character to have higher levels of Strength on their own, or multiple people can work together to combine their Strength scores and lift heavy objects as a team.

A Weight score is equal to the Strength score required to lift it. For example, Weight 1 can be lifted by Strength 1. Weight 10 can only be lifted by Strength 10. 

When you are lifting an object with a Weight equal to your Strength, you must use both hands and are Slowed. If you are lifting an object with a Weight score below your Strength, you can hold it with one hand (if safe), run with it (if safe).

Most everyday items that we carry, including most worn or carried Equipment, is Weight 0. That means you can lift it with one hand and run with it. If you are ever reduced to Strength 0, lifting up even one-handed Equipment requires both hands, you are Slowed, and you can’t swing Melee weapons effectively. 

A normal human body is Weight 1, meaning a single person can (roleplay) lift and slowly carry a downed ally to safety. Two allies can (roleplay) pick up and run with a downed ally.

At Strength 2 and higher, you may perform a feat of Strength and then become Exhausted.

  • Physically throw a combat-safe object (such as our EVA cubes) with a Weight at least 1 lower than your Strength.

  • Make a Throw 5 Melee Attack. Add 5 for every Strength above 2 (Throw 10 at Strength 3, Throw 15 at Strength 4, etc).

  • Get a Marshal’s permission to do something else cool.

Stress

Stress represents your character’s ability to endure neurological strain. If you take on neural stress, you gain Stress. The most common way to gain Stress is by using Psionic Equipment or using Cybernetics.

Your base Maximum Stress is 5. 

Stress dissipates at a rate of 1 Stress per hour. You can also spend 1 Willpower to dissipate 1 Stress.

If you go over Max Stress, you lose 1 Max HP per excess Stress until it dissipates. If you lose all of your HP in this way, your character goes into a coma until the Stress dissipates.

For example: In this scenario your Max Stress is 5, and your Max HP is 3 (the standard for both). If you have 6 Stress, your Max HP drops to 2.

Security Rating

Security Rating is an in-character number that Station Zero assigns to you that describes its level of trust in you. Security Rating goes up by 1 every Event attended. It can also drop if you do something particularly bold that would endanger Station Zero or the people on it.