Situations & Challenges

This section contains a variety of systems that might be called rules, but which are probably better described as guidelines. GMs are free to use these systems to run challenges, or to ignore them in favor of quicker resolution—there is a reason they are in the Game Mastering chapter, after all!

Bonds

Most people have a network of friends, contacts, memberships, rivals and enemies. The most important of these relationships are represented by traits such as Contact, Enemy, Membership, Obligation, etc.

Types of Bonds

The various types of bonds are listed below, each represented by a trait of the same name. New bonds with an established character are always subject to GM veto—after all, that particular NPC may have hidden motives!

Contact: An individual you know and with whom you are on friendly terms. May require some form of payment. Contacts may be called upon for information, skill use or small favors.
Enemy: An unusually persistent foe who seeks to do you harm. An enemy may be called upon to gain insight into that enemy’s actions or to motivate a mutual foe (“the enemy of my enemy is my friend”).
Favor: Favors are a special type of single-use bond that represent someone owing the character a significant boon. Like any bond they may be called upon, but are removed once this occurs.
Membership: An influential group, such as a subculture, with whom you are a full member in good standing. Memberships may be called upon to gain access to special services or to make connections with fellow members.
Obligation: An outside party to whom you have a persistent obligation—perhaps a child or creditor for a large debt. Obligations may be called upon to inspire sympathy or motivate your character to work harder.
Patron: An individual who has agreed to provide you with support or limited assistance, but who expects favors and your loyalty in return. Patrons may be called upon to provide social introductions, social heft or material support.
Rival: A troublesome individual who seeks to upstage, inconvenience or play cruel jokes on you. A rival may be called upon to gain insight into the rival’s actions or to spur competitiveness.

Calling Upon Bonds

Bonds may be called upon to gain a benefit, such as those described above. To do this, specify what you are trying to gain and then contact the character or group with whom you have the bond. The actual benefit and its execution may be subject to roleplaying and GM discretion. If it stretches the bounds of what that bond is willing to provide, the GM may call for a relevant test or for the expenditure of an Edge.

Each bond may be called upon for free once per session. Calling upon a particular bond an additional time requires the expenditure of an Edge. If the same NPC has been taken as more than one type of bond, for example both a Contact and a Rival, she may be called upon for free once for each type of bond.

Argyro has her loyal dog Blood as both a Contact and an Obligation. While exploring a mysteriously abandoned station, she calls upon him as a Contact to sniff out any remaining inhabitants. As this is the second use of his Contact trait this session, she must spend an edge to do so.

Blood leads her to a hab that’s clearly still inhabited. Unfortunately when they enter, its half-crazed resident rushes the dog, hands twisted into claws. She then calls on Blood as an Obligation to help defend him against the unexpected attack. This GM rules that this grants her a ⊕. Since this is the first time she’s called on him as an Obligation this session, doing so is free.

Replacing Bonds

Friendships, professional relationships and even feuds take time and effort to maintain, otherwise they begin to atrophy and eventually disappear. During any downtime you may replace bonds that are no longer relevant. To do so, simply remove the corresponding trait from your character sheet and refund its cost. These experiences are available the next time you have the opportunity to spend experiences.

Computing

Computing is a fact of life for most in the twenty-third century. Computers are all around, from hand terminals, to a ship’s systems. This section contains rules for running software. Also note that there are rules for encryption (see page XXX) and hacking (see page XXX).

Computer Rating

Computers have a lot of different specifications and metrics of capability: central processing power, memory, storage, bus speed, graphical processing and bandwidth. Rather than track all of these metrics individually, they are abstracted into a single rating which is part of the Computer property (see page XXX).

A rating of Computer 5 represents an average twenty-third century workstation. Computers with a lower rating are usually handheld, embedded or outdated. Those with a higher rating might be advanced, a mainframe or a supercomputer.

These ratings are exponential. That is, Computer 2 is 10 times as capable as Computer 1, and a Computer 3 device has ten times the power of a Computer 2, etc.

Software Rating

Computers themselves are useful for very little without the right software. Different software, however, comes with different processing and other technical requirements. These requirements are abstracted into a single rating which is part of the Software property (see page XXX).

To run a piece of software you need a machine with a Computer rating at least as high as its Software rating. For example, if it is Software 4, then it requires a machine with Computer 4 or higher.

If it ever matters how many programs a computer can run at once, then a machine can run one program with a Software rating equal to the Computer rating, 10 with a Software rating one less than the Computer rating, 100 with a Software rating two less than the Computer rating, etc.

Diseases

Diseases use the rules for maladies (see page XXX). A few “generic” diseases are listed below. These may be used as templates when creating your own diseases. Just add a vector and one or more additional symptoms.

Mild Disease

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-12 (Tally 5, 1 day)
First Effect: No damage; symptoms only.
Second Effect: No damage; symptoms only.
Third Effect: No damage; symptoms only.

Moderate Disease

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-12 (Tally 5, 1 day)
First Effect: 1⁄2 Margin toxic damage.
Second Effect: 1⁄2 Margin toxic damage.
Third Effect: 1⁄2 Margin toxic damage.

Severe Disease

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-14 (Tally 5, 1 day)
First Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Second Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Third Effect: Margin toxic damage.

Deadly Disease

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-16 (Tally 5, 1 day)
First Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Second Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Third Effect: Margin toxic damage.

Encryption

Radio and network communication systems work by broadcasting their content out to the world. If the broadcaster wants the content to remain private, she encrypts the data, ensuring that only a select few have the key to decrypt it. The open secret of encryption, however, is that given enough time and processing power, any encryption—no matter how advanced—can be broken.

Brute Force

The most straightforward way to break encryption is with “brute force.” With this method, the attacker simply puts her computing power to work, trying every possible combination to decrypt the data. The downside is that this takes a really, really long time.

To use brute force, make an Academics (Computers)-12 test. On a success, use the table below to look up how long it takes to break the encryption. Divide the listed time by the Computer rating of the hacker’s machine. Listings marked with an asterisk (*) are obtained only through exploits (see page XXX).

Encryption Quality	Base Compute Time
*	Hour
*	Day
*	Month
Basic	Year
Pro	Decade
Deluxe	Century
Ultimate	Millennium

Marco is attempting to decrypt some data he stole from a shady corporation. It’s encrypted with Pro-level software, meaning that using the brute force method it would take a decade to decrypt, divided by his workstation’s Computer 5 rating—or two years total. He doesn’t have that much time.

Exploits

Even with lots of computing power, the brute force method takes a very long time. That’s why most hackers instead look for an exploit!

Exploits can be gained through a variety of means, such as sweet-talking the target into revealing crucial information, purchasing zero-day vulnerabilities off the black market, investigating the group using the encryption, etc. What counts as an exploit is up to the GM’s discretion. In fact, the hacker need not do all this legwork herself—she can put her companions to work, getting the entire party involved!

For every exploit gained, the effective quality of the encryption decreases one category, thereby reducing the base compute time (see the table on page XXX).

Marco is attempting to decrypt some data he stole from a shady corporation. It’s encrypted with Pro-level software, meaning that using the brute force method it would take a decade to decrypt, divided by his workstation’s Computer 5—or two years total. He doesn’t have that much time.

Rather than wait two years for the data to decrypt, Marco sends his team out to find exploits. Dado breaks into the regional manager’s office and makes off with a stack of data chips. Finneus “questions” one of their corporate technicians. Mylia buys an exploit off the black market. The GM rules that all of these count as an exploit. This reduces the base compute time by three categories, lowering it to a day. Divided by the Computer 5 rating of Macro’s workstation, the total time to break the encryption is now just under five hours!

Engineering & Inventing

Engineering new systems or devices is a common trope of science fiction. Similarly, improvising with what’s at hand—sometimes with disastrously bloody side effects—is a common theme in horror.

Framing the Project

Engineering is a variation of the extended action rules (see page XXX). The first test represents the concept phase, the second represents the initial prototype and the third, optional, test represents repeated testing in order to eliminate any remaining bugs.

Begin by explaining your character’s approach and what she hopes to create or otherwise accomplish. From that description, the GM then chooses a TN based on the complexity of the project, as well as the interval of time represented by each test. The stat and skill involved are also selected by the GM and may vary with each step. Engineering is always Tally 15.

The table below provides some examples of possible engineering projects.

Project	TN	Interval	Concept	Prototype
Wench and pulley system	8	1 minute	Trade (Mechanic)	Trade (Mechanic)
Custom stasis pod controls	8	1 hour	Medicine	Trade (Electrician)
Lipstick concealing laser	10	1 hour	Socialize	Trade (Electrician)
Net stalking software	10	1 day	Academics (Computer)	Academics (Computer)
Designer firearm	10	1 day	Projectiles	Trade (Welder)
Space navigation system	10	1 week	Academics (Physics)	Vehicles (Spacecraft)
Bioengineered plague	12	1 month	Academics (Biology)	Medicine
Murderbot	12	1 week	Academics (Engineering)	Trade (Electrician)
Upgraded spaceship engine	12	1 month	Academics (Engineering)	Vehicles (Spacecraft)
Currency exchange software	12	1 week	Academics (Economics)	Academics (Computers)
Bioengineered pet	14	1 month	Animals	Academics (Biology)
Novel brain surgery	14	1 day	Academics (Biology)	Medicine

Felix is attempting to create a crawler-drone that can be sent to scout out air ducts. She explains to the GM that she is attempting to use her toolkit and mass of spare parts that she’s collected. Considering this, the GM then decides that her project is TN 12, with the interval of 1 day. It uses Academics (Engineering) for the concept and Trade (Electrician) for the prototype.

Execution

With the parameters of the extended action set, make the concept test, followed by the prototype test. If either of these tests is failed, that represents a conceptual dead end, and the entire extended action must be started anew, with any time and materials already spent having gone to waste.

Rush Jobs

If you need an engineering project done quickly, you may opt to halve the time each step takes by taking a ⊖ on its associated test.

Costs

Components and other materials cost money. The GM may opt to look up a similar item and use half its listed price as the cost of the project. Alternatively, she may use the generic prices shown in the table below. This cost is paid between the concept and prototype steps.

TN	Cost
8	100¤
10	1000¤
12	10,000¤
14	100,000¤

Preexisting and Constrained Components

At the GM’s discretion, you may use relevant components in your possession to offset up to 75% of the costs.

On the other hand, if you cannot or are unwilling to go out and buy missing components for the project, suffer a ⊖ on all tests per 25% of unpaid costs.

Felix has a bunch of materials from previous drones she’s disassembled, but none that were crawlers. The GM decides that this offsets 50% of the costs. She, however, is lying low and can’t simply go out and buy the remaining components. This means she suffers ⊖⊖ on all tests in the extended action.

Quality Control

You may opt to make a third test as part of the extended action, representing quality control: working out any residual bugs or other issues in the design. This test employs either the skill used in the concept step or the skill used in the prototype step—your choice—but is based on Determination.

Success allows you to add to the accumulated margin, thereby reducing the number of bugs (see page xxx). Failure has no effect beyond wasted time.

Bugs

At the end of the extended action, if the Tally was not reached, the project suffers from bugs: complications or unwanted side effects in the design. It suffers one bug for failure, plus an additional bug per Margin 3. The GM determines the effects of all bugs, and may choose to either reveal them or keep them concealed. Some possibilities are given in the table below.

Project	Example Bug
Custom stasis bot controls	Worse stasis sickness upon waking
Bioengineered pet	Undesirable cosmetic traits
Novel brain surgery	Minor personality changes
Currency exchange software	Poor exchange rates
Designer firearm	No benefit from Aim action
Net stalking software	Easily traceable digital trail
Lipstick concealing laser	Overheats on a critical failure
Murderbot	Powers down on a critical failure

Falls & Collisions

A falling character takes damage equal to half the number of meters she fell—to a maximum of 30 in full atmosphere, which represents terminal velocity. With a successful Spd/Athletics-10 test she may land gracefully, reducing the damage by the Margin.

In a collision, both objects take damage equal to half their speed in meters per round. If they are moving at each other, add their speeds together and apply damage to each. As with falls, a successful Spd/Athletics-10 test reduces the damage taken by the Margin.

For other gravities, multiply the distance before determining damage, as appropriate (see page xxx).

Large or Small Creatures

For creatures of Size 2 or larger, multiply falling damage by Size. Similarly, for creatures of Size -2 or smaller, divide falling damage by Size. Do the same for collisions, if the colliding objects both meet this Size requirement.

This rule represents the way impact scales up with mass. After all, the larger they are, the harder they fall!

Flames

Characters exposed to open flame risk catching fire. Avoiding this is usually a Spd-12 test, although the GM is free to adjust the TN based on the intensity of the flame.

A character who catches on fire gains the Bleeding (Burning) consequence, representing the ongoing burning. Particularly engulfing flame may impose multiple Bleeding (Burning) consequences. Ending each consequence may be achieved by taking an action to stop, drop and roll.

Gravity

Beyond the surface of the Earth, the apparent gravity can vary a lot. This includes not only the true gravity of astral bodies, but also in the artificial spin gravity of space stations, and in rare circumstances, the thrust gravity of an accelerating spacecraft as well.

Most rules in Saga Machine assume that characters are operating in normal or near normal gravity—that is, somewhere in the vicinity of 1 g. However, in circumstances where the gravity differs significantly, the following rules apply.

Microgravity

Microgravity environments have near-zero gravity. In game terms, this is anything below 0.1g. For convenience, many microgravity environments come with magnetic boots used to control movement. Plentiful hand-straps or other tethers can be used. These allow a character to amble along at half her usual Move score.

To speed things up, she may make leaps, sailing through the environment in ways only possible with so little gravity. This is difficult, however, requiring a successful Spd/Athletics-12 test to land where she wants to go. On a failure, she gains a Prone consequence and lands in a random direction a number of meters away from her target equal to the Margin. On a critical failure, she bounces during the landing, gaining an additional Prone consequence, while sailing an additional 1d10 meters in a random direction.

In addition, unless a character is reliably attached to the environment using magnetic boots, hand straps or similar, making any large movement or firing a ballistic weapon may send her spinning on an unwanted trajectory. This imposes a Prone consequence.

Low Gravity

Low gravity environments typically range between 0.5g and 0.1g. In low gravity, a character may jump twice as far and push off the ground with ease, increasing her Move by ×2. Additionally, halve the effective distance of falls before determining damage.

Normal Gravity

Between 0.5 g and 1.2 g, characters are considered to be in normal gravity. This involves no special rules, as it is the default assumption.

High Gravity

High gravity—anything 1.2 g and over—is unusual outside of exotic exoplanets or a spaceship taking evasive maneuvers. It may impede both movement and blood flow to the brain. Decrease a character’s Move score by -1, plus an additional -1 for every full g above 1. In addition, all tests suffer a ⊖. Significant exertion may require an End-12 test; on a failure, gain the Margin in fatigue. At the GM’s discretion, robots or species with significantly different biological function may be immune to some of these penalties.

High gravity becomes dangerous at around 5 g. This starts with a loss of color vision (gray out) if the blood is being pulled away from the front of the eyes, or a reddening of a character’s vision (red out) if the blood is being pulled towards the front of the eyes. Eventually the character loses peripheral vision and consciousness. For every minute spent under these G-forces a character must make an End-12 test. On a failure, she loses consciousness and takes the Margin in damage. Continue to test every minute, even if unconscious, as her wounds continue to accumulate.

Hacking

Hacking is the act of exploiting weaknesses in a computer system to gain access to the device, regardless of the permissions granted by its administrator. To achieve this, the hacker must either connect from a computer on the same network or physically access the device.

Treat hacking an extended Academics (Computers) action, with a maximum of three one-hour intervals and a TN set by the quality of the machine’s security software. Gaining user access on the machine is Tally 10, while gaining root access is Tally 15 (see page XXX).

If any test is failed in the extended action, the target computer’s administrator is alerted, who may then attempt to trace the hacker and oppose her during future intervals (see page XXX).

If after three intervals the necessary Tally hasn’t been reached, the automated systems lock the hacker out for at least a day due to repeated access attempts.

To determine the TN of the hacking action, see the table below.

TN	Security
10	Basic security
12	Pro security
14	Deluxe security
16	Ultimate security

Joann has just secured a connection to a machine she wants to hack. It has basic security, meaning that gaining user access is an Academics (Computers)-12 (Tally 10, 1 hour) action. During the first interval of the hacking attempt, she succeeds with Margin 4. During the second interval, however, her flip fails. Not only does she make no headway, but the target computer’s administrator may attempt to trace her or oppose her efforts during the third and final interval.

Tracing Connections

If a hacking attempt is detected, the computer administrator may attempt to trace the hacker. Doing so is an Academics (Computers)-12 test. On a success, the administrator learns the electronic identifier of the computer the hacker is using, as well as its general geographic region, e.g. Stillwater, Miskan Station, Shanghai, etc.

With the electronic identifier, the administrator or her associates may attempt to counter-hack the hacker’s machine in the future.

Chaining

Hackers don’t like to be traced. A common defense against it is to compromise a remote computer, and then use it to make the hacking attempt. This is called chaining. In fact, it’s not uncommon for several compromised machines to be chained together in this way.

For every chained device, the hacker suffers a ⊖ on her hacking attempt. However, if she is traced, the target computer’s administrator only learns the identifier and location of the next untraced device in the chain.

Joann failed the second test of her extended hacking action and was subsequently traced by its administrator. Thankfully, she has been using a compromised device to make the hacking attempt—and unfortunately has been suffering a ⊖ because of it. The administrator only learns the identifier and location of the compromised device. If Joann decides to go forward for the third and final test of the hacking attempt, and she fails, the administrator will get another attempt to trace her. And because she doesn’t have any more compromised devices in the chain, a success on his part would reveal her own machine’s identifier and location.

Access Level

Access to a computer system comes in two different levels of authorization: user and root. A character with user access to a system is restricted in the commands she can execute. The specifics of this varies, but typically it means she cannot:

Change the permissions of other users on the machine.
Read, write or erase private data belonging to other users.
Override security measures or other critical systems.

A character with root access to a machine, on the other hand, can do anything that doesn’t require a physical override.

Root access is gained by reaching Tally 15 during a hacking attempt. A hacker with user access to a machine may attempt to elevate her access to root by making a second hacking attempt on it, aiming to reach Tally 15. If this second hacking attempt fails to elevate her access, the automated security measures on the machine lock her out for at least a day.

Networks & Bridges

When two or more computers are connected so that they can share data, they form a network. When most people think of networks, they think of the public net. Most high-security machines, on the other hand, are kept on private networks, isolated from the public.

Hacking a machine on a private network requires either gaining physical access to a computer connected to that network, or first compromising a machine that’s connected to both the private network, as well as the public net. This twice-connected machine is called a bridge. Once compromised, the bridge acts as a link in the hacker’s chain—one that’s necessary to reach the computers on the private network.

Investigation

Think about any mystery story you’ve read, watched or heard. These stories are never about whether the investigator actually finds the clue; rather, they are about how the investigator interprets the clue once it is found. Try to keep this in mind when running an investigative challenge. Not finding a clue is almost never interesting or fun.

When calling for a test made to investigate a scene, come up with some sort of possible complication. The character finds the necessary clue to move the plot forward, regardless of whether the test was a success or not. However, on a failed test, she encounters the complication. If nothing better comes to mind, gaining a Stressed consequence works as a reasonable complication for most activities. This trick can be used with any test made to gather information that is critical to moving the session forward.

Jiri is investigating an outpost he suspects is used by enemy spies. The GM calls for a Socializing-10 test for him to subtly question the residents. Regardless of the outcome, he learns of suspicious noises coming from the kitchen late at night (the clue). If the test is a failure, however, his questioning raises the suspicion of an informant, and he finds unwelcome visitors in his hab that night.

Maladies

Maladies include poisons, venoms, diseases or other extended malign effects that can affront a character as she explores the world. In Saga Machine, resisting a malady—whether poison, disease or other—is an extended action with two additions: a Vector and a set of Effects, including symptoms.

Once the character succeeds on the extended action, she has recovered from the malady and is no longer under its effects. Some maladies may include additional recovery conditions that must be met before the victim recovers.

If the character suffers a Grave Wound due to damage caused by a malady, don’t flip on the Grave Wounds table. Instead, the Grave Wound causes the effects of the malady to persist until the Grave Wound consequence is removed.

A list of poisons and diseases can be found on pages XXX and XXX, respectively.

Vector

The way in which a character is exposed to the malady. Once exposed, she is forced to undergo the extended action. Some common vectors are listed below.

Contact: Anyone who touches the malady may be affected.
Ingestion: Eating or drinking this malady is necessary for it to affect its victim.
Inhalation: This malady is airborne and affects anyone who breathes it in.
Injury: This malady is usually found on a weapon or other sharp implement.

Effects

A malady’s effect is what happens when the victim fails a test as part of the extended action. Many maladies list separate effects for the first failure, second failure, etc. Often this includes damage, but it may also include additional symptoms. A variety of potential symptoms and other features are listed below, although this list is far from comprehensive.

Blindness: A few nasty maladies impose blindness, deafness or other sensory deprivation. Others possess a weaker effect that merely imposes a ⊖ to the sense in question.
Convulsion: Convulsing or severe vomiting imposes a Hindered consequence.
Coughing: Severe coughing fits might impose a ⊖ to all Dex- and Per-based tests.
Differing Damage: Some maladies are more or less deadly, beyond what might be expected from their basic severity. Change the damage dealt each interval. Anything from no damage to 5 + Margin works.
Differing Interval: The generic poisons and diseases listed in this chapter assume a fairly average rate of metabolization, but some work faster or slower. Change the Interval of the extended action. Anything from one round to one day is common for poisons, while diseases usually take days or weeks.
Differing TN: Some maladies are harder or easier to resist than their toxicity might imply. Change the TN of the extended action. Anything from 5 to 20 might work.
Headache: Some maladies cause a headache and confusion, imposing a ⊖ to all Int- and Per-based tests.
Incapacitation: A few maladies entirely incapacitate those they affect until it passes from the victim’s system. This might include paralysis, unconsciousness or even the Dying consequence.
Insanity: Some maladies have powerful mental effects, which might result in severe hallucinations or other madness. Less direct forms might impose a Dazed consequence, while more severe forms might impose a Desire or Fear consequence.
Minor Symptom: A variety of unpleasant symptoms are common, which add color but which are mild enough not to have a mechanical effect. These include indigestion, diarrhea, sterility and inflammation.
Narcotic Effect: Some maladies—especially poisons—have cognitive effects, such as lowering inhibitions, causing mild hallucinations or providing a sense of calm. Some might even provide a ⊕ to certain actions, such as Socializing tests or resisting sleep deprivation. Often such poisons are taken recreationally in small doses.
Stench: Particularly disgusting maladies might cause sickening odors and ugly sores. Often these impose a ⊖ to Chr-based tests or even a ⊖ to Stealth.
Transient: Many poisons and diseases deal damage, but are then metabolized and the victim recovers. This feature means the malady goes away after the third effect, even if the extended action hasn’t been completed. Combining this with a high TN is a good way to design a malady that reliably hits hard, but which doesn’t necessarily kill its victims.

Persuasion

Trying to influence a non-player character usually calls for a Persuasion or similar test. The GM should set the difficulty based on what is being asked of the target. In addition, several conditions may grant a ⊕ or ⊖ on the test:

Trying to influence a complete stranger imposes ⊖.
Having a Bond, sharing a subculture or possessing some other connection to the target grants ⊕.
Appealing to a known ambition, creed or personality trait of the target grants ⊕.
Spending at least a day’s wages for the target’s Lifestyle to bribe, wine and dine, buy a round of drinks or similar grants a ⊕ (see page XXX).

Poisons

Poisons use the rules for maladies (see page XXX). A few “generic” poisons are listed below. These may be used as templates when creating your own poisons. Just add a vector and one or more additional symptoms.

Mild Poison

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-12 (Tally 5, 1 hour)
First Effect: 1⁄2 Margin toxic damage.
Second Effect: 1⁄2 Margin toxic damage.
Third Effect: 1⁄2 Margin toxic damage.

Moderate Poison

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-14 (Tally 5, 1 hour)
First Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Second Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Third Effect: Margin toxic damage.

Severe Poison

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-16 (Tally 5, 10 minutes)
First Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Second Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Third Effect: Margin toxic damage.

Deadly Poison

Vector: Pick one or more (see page XXX).
Action: End-18 (Tally 5, 1 round)
First Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Second Effect: Margin toxic damage.
Third Effect: Margin toxic damage.

Research

In the twenty-third century research is usually conducted over the net—although in private collections and other places paper libraries still exist. Gleaning specific information from large quantities of text, such as a public database, calls for a Det/Language test. Hitting up the various subcultures’ social networks calls for an Det/Socializing test. Delving into the shadier side of the net calls for Streetwise. More complex inquiries might even be Det/Investigation.

For each of these the GM should pick an appropriate TN. If the team is looking for a critical clue, the GM should consider applying the rules for investigation as well (see page xxx).

Simspaces

The net is awash in virtual spaces, where users with the correct hardware can partake in a virtual world.

Virtual Realms

Some simspaces are virtual worlds, complete with their own rules, landscapes and characters. These vary widely, and can be either as down-to-earth or as fanciful as the designer wishes. Many are public and welcome all comers, while others are private, with access restricted only to select clientele. These private realms are a favorite meeting place for shady or illicit deals due to their relative safety and anonymity.

Virtual realms can be hacked as with any net node, but require that the hacker to have her senses in the real world (see page xxx).

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality tags are text, images or other bits of information that overlay the real world when looked at through AR glasses or with an AR implant. They frequently convey useful information, such as technical specs, names or links for more information. Reviews or other editorial content, advertisements and graffiti are also common.

Not all AR tags are created equal. Every tag is posted to a particular tag cloud, and the display of each cloud can be toggled on or off by the user. While separate clouds may convey differing information, viewing too many clouds at once can be distracting.

Both private and public clouds exist. Many have separate restrictions on who can write to them versus who can view them. Each subculture has its own public tag clouds. Most corps, meanwhile, have their own private cloud used by employees.

Posting a tag requires a computer of some sort—usually a hand terminal. The user then selects what she is tagging and leaves some content. Tags record the time at which they were posted, as well as the virtual identity of the poster. A few clouds allow anonymous tags, but they are usually overwhelmed with tag spam.

Sleep Deprivation

Without sleep, a character experiences fatigue, loss of mental function and finally hallucinations. Most characters need eight hours of sleep a day to function at their best. They may be able to get by with less, but their abilities will suffer.

Once a character has gone for 16 hours without sleep, she must make an End-16 test every 8 hours due to sleep deprivation. On a failure, she takes fatigue equal to the Margin. After a failed test she may experience hallucinations. This fatigue does not heal until she has gotten a full night’s sleep.

Socializing

Attempting to carouse, gather rumors, make a good first impression or demonstrate corporate manners often calls for a Socializing or similar test. The GM should set the difficulty based on the situation. In addition, several conditions may grant a ⊕ or ⊖:

Being clearly of a different social class or subculture imposes a ⊖.
Having a relevant Contact or other social connection grants ⊕.
Appealing to a known ambition, creed or personality trait grants ⊕.
Spending at least a day’s wages for the Lifestyle of the group you’re socializing with to bribe, wine and dine, buy a round of drinks or similar grants a ⊕ (see page XXX).

Spacecraft

For most actions involving spacecraft—for example, operating a harvester or plotting a course to a remote station—a simple Vehicles (Spacecraft) test should suffice. If facing opposition, this test might be opposed. More involved scenes, such as vehicular chases or complicated landings, should make use of the extended action rules (see page xxx).

Unless the team is in charge of piloting, combat between spacecraft ought to feel like a disaster movie, with coolant leaks, flying shrapnel or other environmental hazards. Keep the action focused on the survival of the characters, rather than on the larger-scale battle around them. Their goal is to live, even while the ship gets ripped apart around them.

If the team is in charge of piloting and fighting back, then spacecraft combat can also be modeled using the extended action rules—usually Tally 10—with the strength of the opposition setting the difficulty. Treat each failed test as a direct hit or other major setback in the conflict.

Expanded vehicular combat rules are coming in a future Saga Machine supplement.

Starvation & Dehydration

The body can go for a lot longer without food than without water, but either end can be deadly. For every day a character goes without water or every five days without food, she must make an End-16 test. On a failure, she takes fatigue equal to the Margin. This fatigue may not be healed until she has drank water or eaten food, respectively.

Stasis

Stasis is a form of medically-induced hibernation used to transport passengers on long voyages. People in stasis are cheaper to transport because they require less life support. They also age at about one tenth the usual rate and are less likely to suffer from psychological conditions, such as cabin fever, during space flight.

However, stasis is not without risk. Passengers in stasis are putting their lives in the hands of their stasis pod and in the technician putting them under. Those coming out of stasis also regularly suffer from stasis sickness, which usually results in lethargy and short-term amnesia.

Putting People Under

Putting a passenger into stasis is a 30 minute process during which the passenger is decontaminated, dressed in a medical gown and hooked up to tubes for breathing, intravenous fluid, a catheter and biomonitoring devices. She is then fitted inside a stasis pod, which looks something like an electronic coffin.

The technician putting her under then makes a Medicine-10 test. On a success, the stasis takes without issue. On a failure, there’s been a complication. See the table below.

Card	Complication
♠	The stasis did not take. This is immediately obvious and the technician may try again.
♥	Chemicals weren’t balanced correctly for the passenger’s metabolism. Her memories from the 24 hours before she went into stasis may never be recovered.
♦	The passenger was put too far under. She won’t respond to the usual methods to wake her. It requires minor surgery to revive her.
♣	The metabolism of the passenger wasn’t correctly slowed. She wakes up having aged at a quarter the usual rate instead of the usual tenth.
Joker	The passenger takes significant organ damage during stasis. This results in a Grave Wound with a value of 1d10.

Healing in Stasis

Treat every 10 days in stasis as a single day for the purposes of natural healing (see page xxx). In stasis, the body’s metabolism slows down, including its healing mechanisms.

Waking People Up

A passenger can be woken up from stasis either manually by a technician or by the stasis pod itself. Coming out of stasis is usually straightforward. A technician is on hand primarily to disconnect wires and tubes, as well as to detect complications and orient passengers suffering from stasis sickness. Disconnecting all the equipment takes about 15 minutes.

Stasis Sickness

Passengers wake up from stasis stiff, thirsty, disoriented and nauseated. To top it all off, most also suffer holes in their memories. It’s common to not remember the last day or two before going into stasis, although forgetting entire months is not unheard of. Crew being put into stasis often leave notes to themselves in order to help them take stock of the situation before their memories return.

These symptoms usually pass within 24 hours.

Voyages in Stasis

As a rule of thumb, voyages lasting fewer than 30 days rarely put their passengers into stasis, as the medical risks outweigh the benefits. Exceptions may be made for prisoner transports or deployment of military ground forces. For voyages lasting longer than this, stasis is the norm.

Typically passengers are put into stasis shortly before a ship leaves port. This allows the crew the ability to rush passengers to the port’s medical facilities, should complications arise. The crew themselves are usually put under a day or two after leaving port. This gives them the chance to double-check the ship’s systems before going into stasis. By tradition, aside from the stasis technician, the captain is usually put under last.

Once the entire crew is in stasis, the voyage continues, controlled entirely by the software left to navigate the ship. If complications then arise, a ship’s software is usually programmed to wake the crew, or at least its key members.

Upon nearing the end of the voyage, the crew is generally woken up a day or two before any passengers, who are themselves woken up either hours before reaching port or immediately thereafter. In the former case, passengers recover from stasis sickness while on the ship. With the latter, passengers are quickly shepherded off the ship to an area at the port designed for recovery. The former is more common on luxury space flights and the latter on economy flights.

Stealth

When a character attempts to sneak up on enemies or infiltrate enemy lines, begin by figuring out if the guards are active or passive.

Passive guards may be on watch but aren’t paying particularly close attention to their surroundings. To sneak past them, a character only needs to score a success on a Stealth-12 test, although you should feel free to grant ⊕ or impose ⊖ for circumstances such as darkness, cover or open terrain. Failing this test rouses the suspicion of the guards, making them active.

Active guards are on full alert. Sneaking past them is an opposed Stealth vs. Awareness test. Failure means the character is spotted.

The Last Step

Sneaking to within 5 meters of a foe requires a Stealth vs. Awareness test, regardless of whether she is active or inactive.

Group Stealth

Sometimes the party may want to sneak around as a group. Nominate one character to take the lead and make a Stealth test for the group. This test, however, suffers a ⊖ for each character in the group that is unskilled in Stealth.

Suffocation

Any number of events may cause a character to suffocate—from lack of atmosphere, to drowning, to being strangled.

The first thing the GM should determine is if the character managed to hold her breath before being suffocated. If so, she has a window of time before the adverse effects of suffocation begin to set in, otherwise she begins to experience them immediately. If she manages to hold her breath, she begins to suffocate in a number of rounds equal to her Endurance.

Once suffocating, a character must make an End-16 test at the beginning of each round, on a failure she takes fatigue equal to the Margin.

Temperature Extremes

When a character experiences extremes in temperature, decide upon an interval of time for which she must make End-16 tests. On a failure, she takes fatigue equal to the Margin. This fatigue cannot be healed until she cools down or warms up, as appropriate.

As temperatures get progressively hotter or colder, the interval of time for each test should decrease or increase. Suggested intervals range from several hours to a minute.

Underwater Activity

Deep water forces a character to swim. Swimming requires an Athletics-12 test to move at half the character’s usual Move. The GM may adjust the TN for particularly treacherous or calm waters.

Additionally, ranged attacks suffer underwater. Decrease damage by 5 for every meter of water a ranged attack passes through.

Vacuum & Pressure

Characters exposed to hard vacuum or sudden, drastic changes of pressure face a variety of challenges. Those in vacuum begin to suffocate and likely suffer extreme temperatures (see page XXX).

Those suddenly exposed to hard vacuum may also suffer from explosive decompression—blood vessels rupture, eardrums blow out and body fluids begin to boil. This forces the character to make an immediate End-16 test. On a success, she merely takes 1d10 damage. On a failure, she takes 1d10 plus the Margin in damage. In addition, if this damage results in a Grave Wound, don’t flip on the Grave Wounds table. Instead, she suffers a ⊖ on all Per-based actions until she has a minor surgery to fix her senses (see page XXX).

Finally, characters who experience sudden changes in pressure—including explosive decompression—may suffer from the bends. This forces the character to make another End-16 test. On a critical success, she suffers no ill effects. On a success, she gains 1d10 fatigue. On a failure, she gains 1d10 fatigue and loses consciousness as well. On a critical failure, she dies.