recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Component Damage

Back to Space Combat

Structural hull damage is not the only danger to a spaceship. Specific components and modules can also be damaged by each single attack, with effects ranging from the annoying to the catastrophic. This is called component damage.

* If a single attack inflicts one or more points of damage to a ship, but less than half of its Hull rating (rounded up), the ship suffers minor component damage. Roll D66 on the table on the next page. If the result is not applicable to your ship, re-roll.

* If a single attack inflicts damage equal to or higher than half the Hull rating (rounded up), but less than the full Hull rating, the ship suffers major component damage. Roll 2D6 on the table on page 199.
* If a single attack inflicts damage equal to or higher than the Hull score, the ship is completely destroyed and all crew and passengers killed.
Dock

Back to Pilot Actions

This action can only be attempted if the target ship is at Contact range (same zone), and if both ships have the same approach velocity. It also requires a Docking Station module. Make an opposed PILOTING roll against the pilot of an enemy ship, modified by the Thrusters rating of your ship. If you win the roll, your engineer may try to breach the enemy ship (see below). Once the docking is complete, the ships are joined together— only the bigger ship of the two can perform any pilot actions.
Church of the Immaculate Incubation

Back to Dominion Over the Stars, Religion

Not much is known about this fledgling group. Some authorities suspect they might be a splinter faction of the infamous Earthsavers cult. A century-old group originally formed by dreamer and self-proclaimed prophet Duncan Fields, the Earthsavers believed that humanity's sojourn to the stars would herald the apocalypse. Like that long dead organization, the Church of Immaculate Incubation places heavy emphasis on the apocalyptic dreams of its fanatical seers. They believe the end times are fast approaching, but their spin is that the only survivors will be those who have sought out and achieved transformation to a higher form. This metamorphosis is attained by accepting what they call the Seed of God into their hearts. With few members and nothing to back up their claims, the Church of Immaculate Incubation is essentially harmless. Believing the alien creature in Robert Morse’s banned book to have messianic significance to the imminent apocalypse, the Church readily distributes illegal copies of Space Beast throughout the colonies. As they seek to share the dreams of their prophets with their flock, they also actively recruit professional dreamers to their cause. Their enigmatic leader is rumored to be a wealthy man who has forsaken the good life and poured his resources into the Church.
Borodino Sector

Back to Outer Rim

Nestled in a pocket between the encroaching United Americas and the Union of Progressive Peoples, part of the Borodino Sector is openly disputed Frontier on the Outer Rim. Here, a UPP system might be next-door neighbor to a UA one, and as such it is a volatile area. It is the site of some of the Colonial Marines’ most famous battles, including the Tientsin Campaign and the Arcturan Conflicts. Some worlds here have even declared their complete independence, while others are protected by the ICSC.

Requist System

* **DP-27:** A crime-plagued world on the Outer Rim, the massive prison facility on DP-27 (sometimes called Detention Planet 27 by those who have served time there) is home to over 20,000 convicts. As the prison allows visitors, processing centers had to be built to accommodate them. Eventually, several visiting families decided to settle there, transforming the processing center into its own corporate run colony. Settlements developed in radiating lines from the massive prison facility and collectively became known as “the Sprawl.” Taking advantage of its natural resources, the Seegson Corporation built several factories in the Sprawl to mass-produce gyrocars. As Weyland Corp developed better technologies, the Seegson models became less popular. The factories closed, the colony became destitute and the future prospects for those living there grew increasingly bleak. Taking advantage of the situation, the Colonial Marine Corps opened their largest recruitment center in the Outer Rim on DP-27. The USCMC offers colonists the chance to see the galaxy, making soldiers the planet’s major export.

Gliese 326-3827 System

* **GLIESE 326-3827B (BRACKEN’S WORLD) :** An aqua-culture colony world, Bracken’s World is covered with shallow seas and a small population of kelp farmers and their support facilities. It has abundant marine life, including large achelate crustaceans. Alphatech maintains an outpost among the kelp bed farms on this world and a mining facility on its moon.

8 Eta Boötis System

* **8 ETA BOÖTIS A III (TIENTSIN COLONY):** An independent colony, 8 Eta Boötis A III is situated on the border between the UPP and the United Americas. When the UPP supported a government coup two decades ago, the UA sent in the Colonial Marines to support the old regime. Caught in the crossfire, many colonists took up arms to defend themselves from both opposing forces, splitting the main island of Tientsin into several warring factions. The conflict itself was never truly resolved, with the UA and the UPP eventually pulling their forces out and allowing the colonists to fend for themselves. Without support from either side, the colony dissolved into chaos. Nuclear strikes decimated the planet’s resource-rich archipelagos, making mining operations difficult. In recent years, Weyland-Yutani offered humanitarian aid to the Tientsin Colony in the form of older model atmospheric processors, but their offer was rejected by the current government. Many senior officers in the Colonial Marines served during the Tientsin Campaign.
ALIEN: A Whisper in the Dark Wiki

## **ALIEN: A Whisper in the Dark Wiki**

*"I can't lie to you about your chances, but... you have my sympathies."*
*-Ash*

Chapter 1: Space Is Hell

Chapter 2: Your Character

* Character Creation Guide

* Chapter 4 from the Colonial Marines Operations Manual: Making Marines

Chapter 3: Skills

Chapter 4: Talents

Chapter 5: Combat & Panic

Chapter 6: Gear

* Vehicles

Chapter 7: A Hard Life Amongst the Stars

* Spaceships of the 2180's
* Ship Combat Example

Chapter 9: Governments and Corporations

Chapter 10: Systems & Planets

Under construction

\*GAME SESSIONS
* Session 1 - 02/06/2022
* Session 2 - 02/20/2022
* Session 3 - 03/06/2022
* Session 4 - 03/20/2022
Function Before Fashion

Back to A Hard Life Amongst the Stars

On the Frontier, you dress for success, and here that means practical. Clothing is usually overalls, jumpsuits, leather gloves, bomber jackets, and ball caps, all in muted colors and often decorated with colorful patches and corporate logos. On colder worlds, colonists and explorers wear dark, layered parkas and form-fitting leather aviator helmets or fur-lined, billed hats with ear flaps. Marshals generally wear blue, gray, or tan utilitarian uniforms, and military personnel of course dress in khakis and olive drab. Company reps often wear suits in inappropriate places, distinguishing themselves from the blue-collar workers. Corporate fashion includes dark gray, navy, and black with white shirts and upturned collars along with skinny ties. On planetoids with nebulous atmospheres, compression suits are worn, ranging from cumbersome padded models to the sleeker, more advanced corporate spacesuits.
Hull Damage

Back to Space Combat

Spaceships take damage just like people, but the scale is different. When a ship has suffered damage equal to or in excess of its Hull rating, it is Disabled. This means that its engines and all weapon systems fail, and the entire ship suffers explosive decompression—time to get to the escape pods, or at least into a compression suit. A Disabled ship is not blown to pieces, however, it can still be repaired (unless it suffers damage equal to its full Hull rating in a single attack, more on that below).

* Note that particle beam weapons don't cause hull damage, only component damage.
Borders & Line of Sight

Back to Time & Space

The border between two adjacent zones can be open or blocked (by a wall or bulkhead). A blocked border can have a door or a hatch, as indicated by the map, allowing movement between the two zones.

Open borders don’t block vision or movement. A blocked border generally blocks line of sight even if there is a door or hatch in it—unless you’re actively standing by the doorway and peeking through.
Ammo

Back to Ranged Combat

Most firearms in the world of ALIEN have large enough magazines that you don’t need to worry about counting individual bullets. However, when the tension rises, you risk wasting ammo and emptying your clip at the worst possible time. This is simulated in the following way:

Whenever you fire a weapon and roll one or more (facehugger) on your Stress Dice (see page 61), you have emptied your magazine after the attack and need to reload (in addition to making a Panic Roll). Reloading is a slow action. You need to keep track of how many full reloads of ammunition you carry for your weapon.

* Androids and Ammo - Note that androids don’t have STRESS LEVELS and thus don’t risk running out of ammo. This in intentional, to simulate the controlled nature of synthetics. As for NPCs, they run out of ammo if and when the GM finds it dramatically appropriate.

Dirty Bullets - Here’s where things start getting particularly nasty. The target of these radioactive bullets not only suffers piercing damage, but their wounds are irradiated in the process. Any ammunition type can be treated with radionuclides, but it’s going to cost you four times the cost of normal ammo. Make sure you take the proper precautionary steps when using them—dirty bullets not only leave your gun glowing in the dark, but also your shooting hand and holster hip riddled with cancer. U-238 tipped bullets reduce the Armor Rating of any target by two, after the Armor Piercing or Armor Doubled effects have been applied. Anyone hit by a U-238 bullet suffers 1 Rad in addition to normal damage. Carrying a weapon loaded with U-238 tipped bullets gives you 1 Rad per Shift.
Armat M40 HEDP Grenades

Back to Explosives and Ammunition

Designed for the U1 and U4 grenade launchers, the High Explosive Dual Purpose M40 can also be used as a hand grenade. To use these U1 rounds as a thrown explosive, the red plastic cap must be removed and the trigger under it depressed. Three seconds later, the grenade will explode. The UPP has an equivalent made by Norcomm.
Dropship Crew Chief

Back to Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)

You are the back-seat crewman of a dropship or gunship. On the ground you carry out maintenance, run pre-flight checks and handle loading and unloading. In-flight, you provide sensor and navigational data to the pilot and operate the weapon systems. The pilot might make the ship fly, but you make it go boom.

* KEY ATTRIBUTE: Strength
* SKILLS: Comtech, Heavy Machinery
* TALENTS: Banter, Fast Reflexes, Heavy Weapons, Overkill, Past the Limit
Gunner Actions

Back to Space Combat

In the Gunner Phase, one gunner on each ship can perform one of the below actions, assuming your ship is fitted with one or more armaments (see page 176). Only one weapon may be launched in a Turn, even if you have several weapons (and gunners) on your ship.

Fire Weapon - You can only attack an enemy which you have Target Locked. Roll for RANGED COMBAT, modified by the Bonus rating of the weapon you use and the range to the target (see the table below). If your attack hits, you inflict damage equal to the weapon’s Damage rating on the target, just like in personal combat. For every extra (target) you roll, you inflict one additional point of damage. Read more about damage to ships on page 197. If the pilot of the target ship Evades (see above), each (target) they roll eliminates one (target) rolled by you.

Launch Countermeasures - This reactive action is used to launch defensive measures such as sensor decoys and sensor drones (see page 176). If any offensive weapons are fired at your ship in this Turn from SHORT range (adjacent zone) or more, your gunner rolls RANGED COMBAT, modified by the Bonus rating of the countermeasure. Every (target) rolled by your gunner eliminates one (target) rolled by the attacker. If you are attacked multiple times, make a separate roll for each incoming attack.
Attributes

Back to Core Concepts

Your character has four attributes that indicate your basic physical and mental capabilities, each rated on a scale from 1 to 5. Your attributes are used when you roll dice to perform actions in the game, and also to determine how much damage you can withstand before you become Broken. Read more about this in Combat & Panic.

* Starting Attributes
* Playing an Android

Strength - Raw muscle power and brawn.

Agility - Body control, speed, and motor skills.

Wits - Sensory perception, intelligence, and sanity.

Empathy - Personal charisma, empathy, and ability to manipulate others.
Gear

Back to ALIEN: A Whisper in the Dark Wiki

*“I wanna introduce you to a personal friend of mine. This is an M41A Pulse Rifle—ten millimeter, with over-and-under thirty millimeter pump action grenade launcher. Feel the weight.”*

*“Okay, what do I do?”*

*—Corporal Hicks and Lt. Ripley*

By now, you know that life on the Frontier sucks. The only way you are going to make it out here is by gearing up and keeping your wits. This chapter can’t help you hold your shit together, but it gives you what you need to breathe in deep space and stomp some bugs. And since we all know that stomping is more important than breathing, let’s start there, shall we?

Weapons and Armor

* Weapon Features
* Pistols
* Rifles
* Heavy Weapons
* Explosives and Ammunition
* Chemical Weapons
* Close Combat Weapons
* Suits and Armor

Other Equipment

* Computer Mainframes
* Data Storage
* Diagnostics and Display
* Vision Devices
* Tools
* Medical Supplies
* Pharmaceuticals
* Food and Drink
* Other Equipment (Miscellaneous)
Cold Weather Parka

Back to Protective Gear

Sometimes it’s damn cold on whatever frigid ball you’ve been dropped on. Other times, your lieutenant is too cheap to warm up your frigate’s life support past bare minimums. In either case, wearing one of these heated hoodies gives a +2 bonus to STAMINA rolls made to resist the effects of severe cold (page 107 of the core rulebook).
Damage to Vehicles

Back to Vehicle Combat

Vehicles suffer damage just like people. Most vehicles have an Armor Rating (see page 98).

When a vehicle has suffered damage equal to or in excess of its Hull rating, it is Wrecked. This means that the vehicle is inoperable—you’ll need to keep going on foot.

COMPONENT DAMAGE: Vehicles don’t suffer critical injuries when Wrecked. Instead, if they take damage equal to or higher than half their Hull rating (round up) in a single hit they suffer component damage. Roll D6 on the table to the right. This means a vehicle can suffer component damage once without being Wrecked, but a second component damage will always Wreck a vehicle.

RAMMING VEHICLES: You can use your vehicle to ram another vehicle, as long as the Hull rating of your vehicle is equal to or higher than the Hull rating of the target. Roll the attack like you would if you were ramming a person. The damage from your attack is inflicted on the enemy vehicle. The driver and passengers in the target vehicle are only hurt if the enemy vehicle is Wrecked, in which case they suffer the same amount of damage as the vehicle did.
Dominion Over the Stars

Back to Frontier Life

While governments control the colonies, they are the only ones with influence there.

Corporate Dominance - Although nation-states dominate the stars, it is important to note that the real power lies in the corporations that exist across them. Companies like Weyland-Yutani, Lasalle Bionational, and Seegson are not limited by borders. In fact, they produce and control the technologies necessary for the continued existence of these star empires. The unwillingness of nation-states like the UPP to work with the private sector has left them behind in the space race.

God at the Ass End of Space - Life in the colonies is rough. After being promised a utopia, settlers instead found a frontier existence of drudgery in harsh environments. To that end, many have turned to God to get them through their daily rigors. While traditional religions are practiced throughout the colonies, sects of apocalyptic millenarian fundamentalists have arisen, as have fanatical cults and zealots driven by charismatic leaders in isolated areas. Recent years have seen the rise of fledgling organizations with questionable motives, such as Practitioners of the Holy Immolation and the cultish Church of the Immaculate Incubation.
Declaring Actions

Back to Space Combat

In each phase, the captain of each ship orders the active crew member (sensor operator, pilot, gunner, engineer) to perform one action from the list of available actions for each phase (see below). Only one action per Turn can be performed—there are no fast and slow actions in space combat. Also, there are no stunts for skill rolls—instead, the action listings below determine the effects of additional (target) rolled.

Also, unlike personal combat, guessing your enemy’s moves is difficult in space combat. Therefore, each ship selects its action in each phase secretly. Actions are declared simultaneously, and then performed in initiative order. Once all four phases are completed, a new Turn begins.

REACTIVE ACTIONS: Some actions during space battles are reactive, just like blocking in close combat. That means that they break the normal initiative order in the Turn.

ORDER MARKERS: To declare actions, you can use the order markers included in the Maps & Markers Pack. The active person on each ship (player or GM) secretly hides an Order Marker with the chosen action in their hand, and these are then revealed. If you don’t have access to order markers, you can simply note down actions on a piece of paper instead.

* Taking Orders? Typically, crew members are expected to follow the orders of the captain and perform the action they are told to. However, individual crew members can of course disobey orders and perform another action of their own choice. The consequences of such disobedience need to be roleplayed.
Data Transmitter Cards

Back to Diagnostics and Display

DTCs are small clear plastic data transmitter cards that plug into a variety of recording equipment, such as the built-in visual and audio recorders on a space suit helmet. They wirelessly transmit data to the terminal they are synced to. Information captured by the device can be analyzed by a MU/TH/UR or A.P.O.L.L.O. system or displayed on a HoloTab.
Forward Observer

Back to Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)

The first one on the field—you scout ahead to silently take out enemies and secure a vantage point to set up shots for either artillery or a dedicated marksman. An advanced rifleman, you use silenced motion detectors, full spectrum scopes, ghillie suits, and suppressed Pups to coordinate targets for either your sniper or an airstrike.

* KEY ATTRIBUTE: Wits
* SKILLS: Observation, Mobility
* TALENTS: Banter, Watchful, Stealthy, Remote, Hug the Dirt
Fiori 16 System

Back to Neroid Sector

A binary star system located in the Neroid Sector, Fiori 16 is an otherwise unremarkable system with one habitable world—Fiorina 161—whose hastened orbit loops it around Fiori 16b every ten days.

FIORINA 161 (FURY ) : Nicknamed “Fury” by the YY chromosome inmates of the prison that was located there, Fiorina 161 is an unforgiving place. Temperatures vary widely as the world makes its orbit around the binary stars of Fiori 16a and b. Fury is home to a large variety of fish, as well as at least one group of primitive land animals. Unfortunately, the most prolific species on the planet is a small arthropod that is similar to lice, making it mandatory that all visitors shave their body hair. Fury 161’s year is only ten days long—and half of that year is in darkness.

Determined to be rich in platinum, the planet was extensively mined for decades. Estimates proved to be optimistic, however, and Fury 161’s resources tapped out quickly. Never one to miss a beat, Weyland-Yutani converted the worksite to a Class C Work Correctional Unit and lead works for radioactive and toxic waste disposal, leasing it to the Three World Empire. While at its height the facility housed thousands of prisoners, it was closed in the 2170s—leaving only a custodial staff and less than two dozen inmates to keep the facility running.

In 2179, an EEV pod from the errant starship Sulaco crash-landed on the planet, bringing some kind of contagion. Rumors suggest it was a rare strain of Cholera. Whatever it was, the convicts stationed there made unauthorized use of the facility's stores of quinitricetyline in an attempt to burn away the infectious agent, accidentally killing several of their own in the process. Weyland- Yutani dispatched the Medical frigate Patna to Fury 161 but were too late to save all but one inmate—Robert Morse.

The story has been sensationalized by Morse’s banned book Space Beast, in which he claims that it wasn’t a contagion but a hostile organism that was on board the EEV, and that it slew nearly everyone before it was finally put down. Morse also claims the company was at fault for the massacre. Weyland-Yutani has recently put the facility on the market to be sold as scrap, but so far there has been no takers.
IRC MK.50 Compression Suit

Back to Suits and Armor

State of the art when it was introduced six decades ago, the reliable Mk.50 compression suit is still a common sight on the Frontier. The sturdy helmet has a comm unit and heads-up display, a lateral head light, and a wireless helmet cam that syncs to any mobile or stationary monitoring system. The suit carries a healthy supply of oxygen and maintains internal pressure for its wearer while in a vacuum. If you are going to get blown out into space, you want to be in a Mk.50. Armor Rating 2, Maximum Air Supply 5.
Chance of Success

Back to Rolling Dice

When you roll a lot of dice, it can be hard to predict the chance of success. The table below shows the chance of success when rolling with 1–10 dice. The third column shows the chance of success if you push the roll (including the added Stress Die from pushing—see page 61).

* 1 die- 17% chance of Success - 29% Pushed Roll
* 2 dice - 31% chance of Success - 50% Pushed Roll
* 3 dice - 42% chance of Success - 64% Pushed Roll
* 4 dice - 52% chance of Success - 74% Pushed Roll
* 5 dice - 60% chance of Success - 81% Pushed Roll
* 6 dice - 67% chance of Success - 87% Pushed Roll
* 7 dice - 72% chance of Success - 90% Pushed Roll
* 8 dice - 77% chance of Success - 93% Pushed Roll
* 9 dice - 81% chance of Success - 95% Pushed Roll
* 10 dice - 84% chance of Success - 96% Pushed Roll
Drowning

Back to Other Hazards

All player characters are assumed to know how to swim. For the purposes of movement, swimming counts as crawling.

If, by choice or not, you are underwater, you need to make a STAMINA roll every Round. This roll is not an action and is made during your turn before you perform your actions. If you fail, you suffer one point of damage. If you are Broken when drowning, you must make a Death Roll each Turn, until you die or someone saves you with a MEDICAL AID roll.
Heavy Machinery (Strength)

Back to The 12 Skills

Hard work is part of life for any roughneck on the Frontier, but at least you have powerful machines to help you. Roll for this skill when you attempt to use, repair, jury-rig or break any kind of heavy machinery.

FAILURE: The blasted thing just won’t do what you want. And what if the noise you made attracted unwanted company?

SUCCESS : With a groan, the machine bends to your will.

STUNTS: For each extra (target) rolled beyond the first, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:

* Gain a +1 modification to a later skill roll relating to this one.
* You got this. You don’t need to roll to overcome the exact same challenge in the future.
* You do it quickly, in half the time it would normally take.
* You break it permanently.
* You act quietly.
* You show off.
Conditions

Back to Other Hazards

The world of ALIEN is unforgiving, and there are many ways for your character to suffer and die. In the game, there are four so-called conditions: Starving, Dehydrated, Exhausted, and Freezing. These can cause damage and block recovery. Mark conditions in the relevant check boxes on your character sheet.

Dehydrated - After a day without sufficient water, you become Dehydrated.

Exhausted - You need to sleep for at least one Shift each day. After one day without sufficient sleep, you become Exhausted.

Starving - After a day without sufficient food, you become Starving.
Go Dark

Back to Sensor Operator Actions

Reactive action. If an enemy ship tries to Target Lock you in this Turn, you can try to break the lock and slip away, by reducing your infrared and electronic emissions, or exploiting a sensor blind spot such as a nearby star. Make a COMTECH roll—each (target) you roll eliminates a (target) rolled by the enemy. In addition, you can reduce your Signature rating (taking effect immediately) by powering down your ship’s sensors and/or engines, as part of the Go Dark action (see page 190).
Personal Data Transmitter

Back to Diagnostics and Display

These “PDTs” transmit the recipient’s location. Some models also monitor vital signs. Most corporate sponsored Frontier worlds equip their colonists with PDTs in order to keep track of them in hostile environments. PDTs can be surgically implanted, built into a pressure suit, or worn as an accessory.
Event Table C - Pilots and Crew Chiefs

Back to Field Events

11–13 - You earned a Distinguished Flying Cross during a period of intense “dust-off” medevac missions. That relentless flying schedule means that today you are addicted to Neversleep pills.

14–16 - The dropship was in a spin, just below the speed of sound, and despite the 9G acceleration, you remained conscious and fought to regain control. Gain +1 STAMINA skill.

21–24 - They call you “super six,” you always know when there is someone on your tail, it even works on the ground! Gain the Watchful talent.

25–31 - While ferrying medical and food supplies to a disaster hit colony, you became the hero of the people. You carry a rosary given to you by one of the colonists.

32–34 - Your air-support callsign is famous amongst the grunts on the ground. Once, the platoon sent you an inscribed bottle-opener. Gain a signature item.

35–41 - After your dropship was shot down, you spent a week behind enemy lines desperately avoiding enemy patrols. Gain the Stealthy talent.

42–44 The dropship was once overrun by bugs, you fought bravely with an emergency fire axe to help clear them out and lift off. Gain +1 CLOSE COMBAT skill.

45–52 - Constant field repairs on dirt landing fields with no resources forced you to improvise. Gain +1 HEAVY MACHINERY skill.

53–55 - Your dad sent you a .357 Magnum to replace your 9mm M4A3 pistol. He wants you to get back home in one piece. Gain the pistol as a signature item.

56–62 - Strapped to an ejection seat, you were shot through the thigh at 10,000 feet and six hours from base—you improvised a tourniquet and saved your own life. Gain +1 MEDICAL AID skill.

63–66 - You and your crewman had to eject and survive for days in a hostile desert. Gain +1 SURVIVAL skill.
JPG-770 System

Back to Sector 3847

JPG-770.03 (GORHAM'S FOLLY): After the first Gorham Mining Colony was annexed by the UPP in the early 2100s, Industrialist Charles Gorham simply founded a better one. This terraformed world is the site of the deepest mining operation in the Outer Veil. Mine shafts on JPG-770.03 descend as far as 42 kilometers. Some sections of the planet were gouged and strip-mined before safer methods were introduced. The colony exists to service the mining operations, but the miners themselves are brought in on 18 month contracts. Gorham's Folly employs numerous service androids to keep the miners happy. Extensive trade routes exist between JPG-770.03, the Core, and the Outer Rim.
"Bug Juice" Protein Drink

Back to Food and Drink

Commonly referred to as “bug juice,” this high protein caloric drink is made from mealworms, roaches, beetles, and other insects all raised on bug farms. Made by a large variety of manufacturers, it is a cheap and cost-effective way of keeping alive on the Frontier. Increases both your Food and Water Supply one step.
Engineer Actions

Back to Space Combat

In the Engineer Phase, an engineer on each ship can perform one of the following actions. Only one action may be chosen, no matter how large the crew is. Others can help the roll however (see page 63), up to a maximum modification of +3.

Emergency Repairs - A minor or major component damage (see next page) is hastily repaired. Roll for HEAVY MACHINERY or COMTECH (or both) as indicated by the table on pages 198–199. The repair is just a quick fix—it requires no spare parts, but it will only hold for one Shift. For permanent repairs, see page 200.

Power Up Engine - If your ship’s engines have been powered down to decrease your Signature rating (see Sensor Operator Actions, above), it takes two Turns—two successive actions by the engineer—to bring them back online.

Open Airlock - Can only be performed if your pilot has successfully completed the Dock action (above). Roll for HEAVY MACHINERY. If successful, you breach the enemy ship and your crew can then board it (personal combat ensues).

Reactor Overload - Requires a HEAVY MACHINERY roll. If successful, the reactor will overload and explode at the end of the following Turn, destroying the ship and killing everyone on board. Make sure to get into those EEVs fast. The self-destruct sequence can be stopped with another HEAVY MACHINERY roll (takes one Turn).
Grappling

Back to Close Combat

If you grapple your opponent as a stunt in close combat (see above), both you and your opponent fall to the ground. The opponent drops any weapon they were holding, and cannot move. The only action they can perform is an attempt to break free—which is a slow action that succeeds if the opponent wins an opposed CLOSE COMBAT roll against you. While you are grappling, the only action you can perform (apart from releasing your opponent) is a grapple attack. This works as a normal unarmed attack, but is a fast action and cannot be blocked.

XENOMORPHS: Alien creatures can grab you or attach themselves to you in nasty ways. This follows special rules and is described in the section on Xenomorphs (see page 112).
Frontier Colonists

Back to Careers on the Frontier

To most, becoming a colonist means you accept a hard life with little reward other than the satisfaction of a job well done. A colonist’s hands are always dirty and their feet are always tired. Living on the edge of civilization can have its benefits, however. Depending on your profession, the chance to strike it big could be right around the corner. Frontier Colonists are scouts and homesteaders, farmers and scientists, miners and doctors. Colonial Marshals keep the peace and Frontier journalists keep the colonies in the know. Colonists are the lifeblood of humanity.
Broken

Back to Damage

If you drop to zero Health, you are Broken—in effect, taken out of the action. Immediately roll for a critical injury. If you’re not dead, you can crawl and mumble through the pain—you can’t perform any other actions and you can’t roll for any skills. You can’t go below zero Health, but each further attack that causes damage will give you another critical injury.

* BROKEN NPCs - NPCs can be Broken in the same ways as PCs. An NPC can administer first aid to a PC and vice versa. However, dice are usually not rolled when an NPC aids another NPC - instead, the GM decides what happens. The GM can also decide that a minor NPC who is Broken simply dies.
Dedicated Marksman

Back to Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)

You are a sniper. You wear a camouflage ghillie suit, blend into the background, and pick off enemy soldiers at long range with your M42A scope rifle. Most platoons employ one or two dedicated marksmen and their spotters.

* KEY ATTRIBUTE: Agility
* SKILLS: Ranged Combat, Observation
* TALENTS: Banter, Killer, Overkill, Past the Limit, Weapon Specialist (M42A Scope Rifle)
Hull

Back to Core Components, Spaceship Attributes

Spaceship frames typically consist of bonded alloy and composite beams. These materials provide enough strength for massive acceleration, while remaining flexible enough to withstand atmospheric entry for ships with planetfall capacity. The structural strength of a spaceship is measured by its Hull rating, which in turn determines how much damage it can take before becoming Disabled
Drawing the Initiative

Back to Actions & Initiative

Grab ten cards, numbered 1 through 10. In the custom card deck for the ALIEN roleplaying game (sold separately), there are ten special initiative cards to use when drawing the initiative. If you do not have access to the custom card deck, a normal deck of cards works fine, with the ace counting as the one.

All the players taking part in the conflict— whether voluntarily or involuntarily—each draw a card and the GM draws one card for every NPC. This is called drawing the initiative. The number on the card determines the order in which you act in the conflict, lowest to highest.

Number 1 acts first, number 2 acts second, and so forth until everyone has acted. Place your initiative card by your character sheet, so everyone can see in which order you act. The GM puts her initiative cards in front of her.

When all the participants in the combat have acted once, the Round is over, and a new Round begins. The Round order remains the same throughout the whole conflict—drawing the initiative is only done once, at the start of the first Round.

* Non-Player Characters - In typical conflicts, the GM draws one initiative card per NPC. If there are many NPCs and the number of combatants is above ten, the GM splits the NPCs into groups. All the NPCs with identical stats form a single group, and the GM draws one initiative card per group instead of one per individual. All the NPCs in a group act at the same point in the Round order. In what order they act individually within the group is up to the GM.
Calming Presence

Back to Medic Talents

People find themselves relaxing whenever you are around. Once per Turn, you may reduce the Stress Level of another character within SHORT Range by one, in addition to the normal stress recovery (see Relieving Stress). In order to use this talent, you and any character that hopes to benefit from your calming presence must be in a relatively safe place. You cannot use this talent on yourself.
Creating Your Marine

Back to Making Marines

How you create your marine is explained in detail in this chapter. The summary below is a helpful overview. Grab a character sheet, a pencil, and follow these steps:

1. Decide together who in the group should be unit commander.
2. Choose your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS).
3. Distribute 14 points amongst your attributes.
4. Distribute 10 points amongst your skills
5. Choose your MOS talent.
6. Roll for your field events.
7. Choose your rank.
8. Choose your name.
9. Decide on your appearance.
10. Decide on your Personal Agenda.
11. Choose your Buddy and Rival.
12. Get your gear and a signature item.
Conestoga-Class Frigate

Back to Spaceships of the 2180's

The versatile Conestoga-Class Frigate is the most common ship in use by the USCMC and Colonial Marshal Bureau. The frigate boasts a modular interior for different assignment configurations, as well as numerous hard points for the addition or subtraction of weapons arrays. The Conestoga can be used as a science vessel, a military cargo hauler, a hospital ship, or, most commonly, a troop transport. The ship’s MU/TH/UR 9000 computer is capable of performing mission assignments without the aid of crew, so long as it does not need to make planetfall. Dropships are deployed from a ventral hangar, and the frigate can be fitted with an external docking rack to transport a phalanx of EVAC fighters. The design is built by a subsidiary of Weyland-Yutani, and as such they can be found in the possession of corporate crews as well as the military. While 36 were commissioned by the USCMC, only 25 of those remain active. It is unclear how many W-Y possess as they were manufactured within the ICSC. In its standard military configuration, the Conestoga is a force to be reckoned with. You see one coming your way? Don’t piss them off.

NOTEWORTHY SHIPS:

* The frequent sightings and ghost stories of the ill-fated USCMC troop transport *USS Sulaco* are well circulated on the Frontier.
* The W-Y Medical Frigate *USCSS Patna* operates out of Anchorpoint station. Stripped of its rail guns and long arm missile pod, the Patna is W-Y XO Michael Bishop’s mobile headquarters on the Frontier, and is equipped with six science labs, a full surgical bay operating a dozen medpods, and an entire platoon of combat ready mercenaries. The *Patna’s* full capabilities are unknown, although she is rumored to carry nukes while moving through UPP and UA space—a clear violation of both the Strategic Arms Reduction and Washington Treaties.
Core Systems

Back to Systems and Planets

When humankind first ventured to the stars, this is where they did it. The Core Systems are humanity’s prosperous future in space, built on the hard labor of the common man of yesteryear. Today, the common people work in the Outer Veil, try to forge a new life in the Outer Rim Territories, or risk it all on the Frontier, while the corporations and the rich pull strings from the safety of their fortified offworld paradises.

Sol Sector - Your new start is out there on the Frontier, far away from home, so there is no point in belaboring the minutiae of life in our solar system. However, a brief recap of the place is included here, because before you look at where you are going, it’s important to know where you've been.

* Earth
	+ Luna
* Mars
* The Outer Planets
* Third Base

New Eden Sector - Home to the Independent Core System Colonies, New Eden Sector exudes wealth and prestige and is protected by the ICSC corporate mercenary fleet. Stationed in the Ventix system, the fleet is always within a few parsecs of Relitor, NE/JV, and Alexandria and Olympia Colonies. The corporate colonies of New Eden Sector fought the 3WE for their independence. While the ICSC succession was granted within the last decade, UA and 3WE sanctions and tariffs restrict the flow of goods, people, and military equipment both into and out of the region, inadvertently creating a smuggling industry and thriving black market.

* AG-4550 System
* Heske 337 System
G-Suit

Back to Protective Gear

This light pilot’s jumpsuit is standard issue to starfighter pilots. Pressure plates within the legs regulate blood flow. The helmet normally connects to the craft’s life support, but has a small compressed oxygen bottle that offers an Air Supply of 1 for limited independent use.
Help From Others

Back to Rolling Dice

Other PCs or NPCs can help you succeed at a skill roll. This must be declared right away, before you roll your dice. It must also make sense in the story—the individual helping you must have the capacity to support your action. The GM has the final say.

For each person helping you, you get a +1 modification. No more than three people can help you with a single roll, meaning your maximum modification from assistance is +3.

In combat, helping counts as the same type of action as the one you are supporting (fast or slow, see page 87).

NPCs can help each other in the same way as player characters. Letting NPCs act in groups instead of individually is often an easy way to manage large numbers of NPCs in conflicts.
Colonial Marshal (Career)

Back to Your Character

*The Frontier can be a lawless place. The Colonial Marines* *are spread thin— they have neither the time nor inclination to mete out local justice. Not to worry—there’s a new sheriff in town, and that's you. Most law enforcement officers on the Frontier are firmly planted deep in the back pocket of one company or another—but not you. You don’t take bribes and you never look the other way. You’ve made a lot of enemies on both sides of the law, but your colony has the lowest crime rate in the system. It’s only a matter of time before you piss off the wrong CEO and corporate sends someone to take care of you, but that's okay. You'll be ready.*

TYPICAL NAMES: Jack Kitani, Barrell Klein, Ivan Mankov, Akira Kano, Angela Harris, Lee-Ann Jenkins

* KEY ATTRIBUTE: Wits
* KEY SKILLS: Observation, Ranged Combat, Manipulation
* CAREER TALENTS: Authority, Investigator, Subdue

YOUR PERSONAL AGENDA - Choose from the options below or decide for yourself.

* Your longtime partner betrayed you and defected to a crime syndicate. Get even.
* You dream of turning in the badge and settling down in peace. Work towards it.
* You did a bad thing in the past and it has come back to haunt you. You need to decide what you are made of.

SIGNATURE ITEM - Choose one of the following or come up with one yourself.

* Photo of a loved one
* Dented flask with an inscription on the front
* News clipping of an unsolved case

APPEARANCE - Choose from the options below or decide for yourself.

* Chewing a toothpick
* Cigarette in mouth
* Impressive mustache
* Worn cap
* Scar across face
* Graying Hair
* Crew cut
* Inquisitive gaze
* Old leather jacket

GEAR - Choose two of the starting items below. You also get $D6x100 in cash.

* .357 Magnum Revolver OR Armat Model 37A2 12 Gauge Pump Action
* Binoculars OR Hi-beam flashlight
* Personal Medkit OR Stun Baton
* D6 doses Neversleep Pills OR Hand radio
17 Phei Phei System

Back to Bao Sau Sector

17 Phei Phei is a UPP border defense system on the Bao Sau/Neroid sector border between the UPP and the 3WE. The system has five small planetoids with a massive asteroid belt orbiting a main sequence star. UPP scientists have determined that the system must have suffered some major catastrophic event in its past, causing its planets to veer into each other’s orbital planes, eventually resulting in a series of collisions that left the system nothing but rubble. Only five small planetoids that orbit extremely close to their sun remain in a system that is estimated to once have hosted over thirty planets and moons. At some point in the future these planetoids will collide with each other as well, but for now they remain locked in slowly decaying orbits that are very close to the star itself.

17 PHEI PHEI E (ZNOY OUTPOST): As a celestial body, 17 Phei Phei E is disappointing. The planetoid spins too slowly and is too small to capture its own atmosphere. The only thing of note in the system is the listening and monitoring post Znoy (Russian for “Heat”). Znoy is but one of many such posts across the UPP border, all connected by a grid of sensor satellites that record any incursions. Unfortunately, the sensors are rudimentary at best, so it is often difficult for the outpost staff to determine if an invasion fleet is on its way or if the grid has simply registered a rogue comet or stellar debris. While new arrivals here scramble to alert the UPP SOF Command of any contact, old timers know the drill.

Znoy Outpost is mostly underground, having been driven into the rock like a giant stake. During the day, the outpost unfurls a solar shield to both protect it from the direct heat and to harness the star’s rays and recharge its power cells. A “day” on 17 Phei Phei E lasts nearly two Earth months while a “night” lasts about 28 Earth days. Supply ships can only approach when the outpost is on the night side, as the planetoid itself shields the transports from the extreme heat of the sun.

Assignment to Znoy is considered a punishment. It is understaffed and ill-equipped to face even an unlikely invasion that might come through this area. While it is equipped with system-wide orbital nuclear arrays, the outpost itself has only two dropships and four heat-shielded tracked vehicles for surface operations. To make matters worse for the soldiers assigned there, Znoy is the closest UPP military installation to Zeta Reticuli, and the United Americas Allied Command is investigating the possibility that a UPP strike was launched there against Hadley’s Hope. If such an attack did happen, the UAAC believes it would have originated from Znoy.
Class C EEV Type 337 FTL

Back to The ABCs of EEVs

CAPACITY: 5

LENGTH: 14m

An ICC standardized escape module designed by Bodenwerke Gesellschaft to replace the military’s aged BD-409 EEV, the L-shaped EEV Type 337 is built into the outer hull of many modern starships. When the ship is crippled and there is no time to awaken the crew from stasis, MU/TH/UR will transfer the crew’s cryosleep capsules to the EEVs and auto-eject them. The 337 can sustain a crew in stasis for upwards of fifty years. FTL range is limited to 1.4 parsecs, but they are capable of a controlled landing.
Alphatech XT-37 Stinger 4x4 Fast Attack Vehicle

Back to Motorized Infantry

A fast attack vehicle in use by the USCMC for less than a decade, the XT-37 Stinger is a lightly armored off road vehicle. Designed to carry a driver and a gunner, the XT-37 features a double-barreled 50mm injection-cooled cannon as well as a deployable weapons package with four surface-to-surface missiles.

They can take a beating and keep on driving— while a dropship must land briefly to discharge an M577, the XT-37 can be pushed out if the Cheyenne does a low pass at low speeds. After the plummeting XT tumbles across the terrain, it can be righted by ground personnel and speed away (just don’t climb in one before you pull off that little stunt—the XT-37 is invulnerable to great falls—you—not so much). A variant XT- 37C (Civilian Type) is popular on homesteader worlds. The 37C forgoes the weaponry and adds a three-meter-long targeted snare-arm for wrangling wildlife.
Combat & Panic

Back to ALIEN: A Whisper in the Dark Wiki

*"You're all gonna die. Only question is how you check out. Do you want it on your feet -- or on your fuckin' knees... begging?"*

*-Dillon*

Fight or flight? That’s the big question, now, isn’t it?

You may feel invincible tucked away behind your cozy character sheet, but your PC is out there on the line—and they are damn well mortal. Remember back in Chapter 2 when we told you not to get your character killed? Consider this your second warning.

Often, it’s a better bet to run away and fight another day—assuming you’re fast enough to escape whatever thing is nipping at your heels. Often, its best to just meld into the shadows and be all quiet-like. Before releasing the safety on your pulse rifle, always ask yourself—is it worth it?

Sometimes you have no choice. Sometimes that alien thing you thought was right behind you is already waiting for you in that dark corner you thought was safe.

Just coming face-to-face with an alien monstrosity can turn your mind to jelly. You may only have a split second before the beast dismembers you and crushes your skull.

And alien species aren’t the only danger.

People on the Frontier are jerks. Sometimes, someone just sticks a gun in your face. When backed against a wall, you damn well better fight. When someone or something comes for you, you need to be able to defend yourself.

Here’s how.

Time & Space

* Maps & Zones
	+ Zone Features
* Borders & Line of Sight
* Measuring Time

Stealth Mode

* Enemy Movement
* Detection
* Motion Trackers

Actions & Initiative

* Drawing the Initiative
* Slow & Fast Actions
* Movement
* Ambushes & Sneak Attacks

Close Combat

* Resolution (Close Combat)
* Blocking
* Grappling
* Shoving
* Retreat

Ranged Combat

* Resolution (Ranged Combat)
* Full Auto Fire
* Cover
* Ammo
* Overwatch

Damage

* Armor
* Recovery
* Healing
* Getting Back Up
* Broken
* Coup de Grace
* Critical Injuries
* Death

Stress & Panic

* Stress Level
* Panic Roll
* Stopping Panic
* Relieving Stress
* Permanent Mental Trauma

Other Hazards

* Conditions
	+ Dehydrated
	+ Starving
	+ Exhausted
* Vacuum
* Freezing
* Explosions
* Fire
* Disease
* Radiation
* Drowning
* Suffocation
* Synthetics
* Xenomorphs

Vehicle Combat

* Vehicle Attributes
* Vehicles in Combat
* Damage to Vehicles
* Aerial Vehicles
* Repairs