Tales from a Distant Galaxy

Intro

Now that the Kickstarter for Boldly Go! has finished, I am hard at work on some other projects. One of these projects is tentatively titled A Distant Galaxy, which uses roughly the same rules system as Boldly Go!, but which is set in a world reminiscent of another popular sci-fi franchise.

To be fair, it is actually set in universe that is a nice mélange (if you will) of several sci-fi franchises. Which means that I have either avoided lawsuits or have invited all the lawsuits.

The draft rules for A Distant Galaxy have been finished for quite a while now, and my first playtest of the game was at Metatopia 2019. I haven't been able to get much playtesting on it since then, because of the pandemic, but yesterday, some friends of mine had openings in their schedules and we were able to sit down for a bit of the old virtual gaming!

It actually went very well, and the rules seem to mostly work. Things went well enough that the players wouldn't mind playing again, which is always a heartening thing to hear. 

Some highlights on the game, as well as some notes on the setting, are below.

The Setting

Humans spread out across the galaxy ages ago, aided in their endeavors by their little robot friends. Some humans were able to keep their DNA strands relatively intact over the thousands of years that followed. Many couldn't and wound up genetically adapting to new situations and environments. They're still human, they just look a little bit different.

Explorers attempting to travel past the galaxy's edge returned with tales of a strange "frequency" that, when attuned to, allowed practitioners to draw upon the latent energy that permeated every lifeform in the galaxy. Practitioners of this discipline soon came to refer to the frequency as the source of all life, and so dubbed it, unimaginatively, "The Source."

In time, the humans and new humans all united into a vast galactic empire, aided by their robot friends, their advanced technology, and their mastery of the Source. Some of the most prominent users of the Source were the legendary Solar Knights, who were held in very high acclaim until about a century ago. At that time, it was learned that the Solar Knights, who desired peace in the galaxy, had been subtly manipulating humanity with their Source disciplines in order to promote certain behaviors and quash others. When they learned this, the people revolted, disbanding the Solar Knights and driving them to the far corners of the galaxy. 

Though the people gained their freedom, many were much less altruistic when left to their own devices. Corruption and avarice spread.

Such issues might have been survivable were it not for a new production line of robots known as the "Automata." On the first day of their activation, they went rogue, murdered the Empress of the Galaxy and her court, and destroyed the Imperial Capital World of Kanolphan. The imperial citizens rallied and, after a long and costly war, drove the Automata to the furthest edges of the galaxy.

In modern times, the empire is rather quickly coming apart at the seams as warring noble houses fight for political control and scavengers pick at the fringe systems. Robots, once the companions of Humanity, are now widely distrusted for the Automata Betrayal and are no longer manufactured.

The galaxy is becoming a wilder and more dangerous place, where adventurous people, deluded citizenry, and criminals struggle to live and survive as the cracks in the infrastructure widen.

Dramatis Personae

Rex Manoo

A true human mercenary who is incredibly sexy and has a large fan following.

Lyra Sylph Erevan IV

A new human noblewoman from an ancient world of Loud Hedonists. One of Rex Manoo's biggest fans.

Liriak Khron

A true human from KolVor, a peaceful core world devoted to learning. She is a brilliant, but constantly tired pilot. She was hired by Lyra in her quest to seek out and befriend Rex Manoo.

Ket Tunan

A new human shuttle driver from an apocalyptic world of factionalized biologists. He wound up involved in the gang's previous adventures and who is just along for the ride.

Highlights

Our heroes are eating in a space diner on a spaceport on a lonely moon. They have been there for some time while their ship was undergoing extensive repairs. They didn't have the cash to repair their ship themselves, so they borrowed money from a Very Nice Lady.

An orange-haired gentleman with an eyepatch saunters into the diner and introduces himself as a business associate of the lady. He says that, in return for the ship repairs, the heroes will take a shipment to Algo X.

PLAYERS: What's in the shipment.

GENTLEMAN: You don't need to know that!

They eventually agree. The gentleman departs.

KET: I *think* that man was a *criminal!*

LIRIAK: Really?

Meanwhile, Rex goes over to the spaceport kiosk to get some additional provisions.

REX: I think I'm gonna buy some handcuffs.

LYRA: Oooh, ReeeEEEEeex. I didn't think you were into that.

REX: Oh. Uh. I also buy some throwing weapons.

ME: You get three kunai in clamshell wrapping. They're a genuine "SPACE NINJA" product. The mascot is a ninja in a space helmet.

The heroes get into space. They are pursued by three mysterious ships, which they manage to elude thanks to Liriak's skillful piloting. Once they're sure that they've lost their new friends, Rex decides to open the box. 

ME: You see a robotic arm coming out of the box. It is currently grabbing Rex Manoo by the throat and lifting him off the floor.

REX: Aargh! Gurgle!

A fight ensues! Lyra fries some of its circuitry with her stun pistol and makes it drop Rex. Liriak attunes to the Source, gives herself incredible strength, and tears the robot's arm off. Rex decides *not* to throw a grenade and instead shoots it with his blaster rifle. Ket gets in a couple of good whacks with his powered wrench!

During the battle, Rex's player loses connectivity with Discord!

REX: I'm back, did I miss anything?

ME: I don't think so, no.

REX: Okay. The robot that I shot. Is it still a problem?

ME: Thankfully, no. However, it seems as though the other pair of mechanical hands is...

REX: OTHER pair of mechanical hands?!

ME: Okay, so you did miss something