recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Model CM-90S Corvus

Back to Spaceships of the 2180's

G-CLASS COMMERCIAL DEEP SPACE SALVAGE VESSEL

Space salvage is a dirty but lucrative business. While an older model, the diminutive Corvus is a reliable design with a steady presence on the Frontier. Four overpowered multivector engines make hauling scrap that much easier while an underslung bridge allows the captain a good view of the crew at work. The ship is equipped with a tow crane rig for both heavy lifting and the towing of disabled craft. An external elevator common to Lockmart vessels is used to load cargo in the spacious zero G storage hangar. While somewhat smaller than an M class vessel, her overpowered engines and reinforced crane/tow assembly nearly push the Corvus into that classification. Salvage missions can often go awry—the hulking space wreck that could be your payday just might have a faulty reactor that wants to explode. Because of this, the Corvus is equipped with a rear dorsal lifeboat that can accommodate most of the crew. The lifeboat can operate independently of its vessel for up to three months.

NOTEWORTHY SHIPS:

* The *USCSS Anesidora* operated in and around the Tartarus Sector in the 2130s. The ship was destroyed when Sevastopol station’s orbit decayed and the station spiraled into KG-348.
* Captain Clara Odenkirk’s salvage vessel the *USCSS Katharos* operates out of Anchorpoint station. As the *Katharos* is often the first ship on the scene of any wreck, the Colonial Marshal Bureau is investigating any connections between her captain and the frequently disabled ships in the Far Reach.
Relieving Stress

Back to Stress & Panic

For every full Turn (5–10 minutes) spent resting in a safe area that is secured from enemies (as far as you know), your STRESS LEVEL is reduced by one point. You cannot make any skill rolls when resting, and if your rest is interrupted, it doesn’t count. A Panic Roll can also decrease stress, as can certain drugs.

Once per Act in Cinematic play, and once per game session in Campaign play, you can interact with your signature item in some way to reduce your STRESS LEVEL one step. This typically requires a slow action.

Some conditions, such as Starving or Freezing (see page 106), can block your ability to relieve stress.
Sublight Thrusters

Back to Core Components

Sublight propulsion is generated by rocket motors, powered directly by the fusion reactor. Reaction mass such as industrial carbon diamond is simply placed in contact with the fusion plasma, which heats it. The heated gas is then expelled via the rocket motors. The Thrusters rating of your ship functions as a bonus to your PILOTING skill.
Resolution (Ranged Combat)

Back to Ranged Combat

If your attack hits, you inflict damage equal to the weapon’s Damage rating on your opponent. For every extra (target) you roll, choose one of these stunts:

* You inflict one additional point of damage. You can choose this stunt multiple times, if you roll several (target).
* You pin down your enemy. PCs need to make an immediate Panic Roll. NPCs instead miss their next slow action.
* You position yourself and get to exchange your initiative score (see page 87) with your enemy, taking effect next Round. You can’t go back to your earlier initiative.
* Your target drops a weapon or another hand-held object. You choose which.
* Your opponent falls to the ground or is pushed back, for example through an airlock.
UPP-DS3 Accipiter

Back to UD-4 Cheyenne Series VTOL Tactical Dropship

As the UD-4B was making its way into the private sector in the late 2170s the UPP began deploying their own dropships that were coincidentally very similar in chassis design to the Cheyenne production model. Usually seen plate grey in color, the bulky Accipiter has no folding wings and is equipped only with two rocket pods and a gatling gun in the nose. Unlike the Cheyenne, the Accipiter is equipped with a tachyon shunt drive that allows it to make limited leaps of up to 1.2 parsecs away— making the Accipiter ideal for covert insertions on the front.
M240 Incinerator Unit

Back to Heavy Weapons

This carbine-style flamethrower uses naphtha fuel canisters to fire a thick, steady stream of flame at a target. It is in common use by the USCMC, who deploy the weapon at the squad and fireteam level. Civilian models exist too. The troops in the field have given the M240 the unceremonious nickname of “Bake-a-Flake.” It’s a good standby weapon to have in a pinch, especially when facing off against hostile organisms. Most animals retreat from fire, yes? Any target hit by an incinerator unit also catches fire, Intensity 9 (see page 108).
On the Ready Line

Back to Making Marines

In a Colonial Marines campaign, most if not all PCs will typically be of the Colonial Marine career as described in the core rulebook (page 38). This chapter gives you more background detail and more options for Colonial Marines, to create a more varied group of PCs.

It’s possible to create Pilot and Officer PCs (pages 50 and 48 of the core rulebook, respectively) within the USCMC as well, but it can be challenging to play as pilots tend to stay on their ships and commissioned officers only command units of platoon size and up. A team of Pilots could work if the PCs belong to an EVAC fighter wing, but most missions would be aerospace combat based. Smaller units such as squads and sections are commanded by non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who count as Colonial Marines in game terms but can learn some Officer talents as well. More on that below.

The players should ideally create their squad of marines together, in a group. The normal rules for character creation apply, unless stated otherwise here.
UA 571-C Automated Sentry Gun

Back to Heavy Weapons

These tripod-mounted robot sentries form an automated perimeter defense system that tracks and automatically fires upon any target that moves within range. The UA 571 series is equipped with automatic thermal and movement actuated AI targeting capabilities. The UA 571-C utilizes an M30 Autocannon. Just be mindful of your friend or foe settings before walking in front of one. Those set up with ARS—Advanced Recognition Software— can be programmed to identify friendly targets with a variable success rate. If set for motion and heat only, anything hot that moves might as well be dead. When activated, the Sentry Gun is always in overwatch position and fires with skill level 8 in RANGED COMBAT (no AGILITY). The Sentry Gun can also be operated remotely by using a Head Mounted Sight.
The Basics

Back to Making Marines

You need to work together with other players to create your characters. Have a look at the command breakdown on page 40 and decide on a unit size that fits the number of players -- a typical group will be a squad, but a larger group might be a full section, while a smaller group could be just a single fireteam.

Military Occupational Specialty - When the commander has been assigned, it’s time for everyone to choose their Military Occupational Specialty—MOS for short. Your MOS determines your exact job in the corps. You’ll find a number of MOS to choose from on page 54 and forward.

Talk to each other when selecting MOS. Look at the requirements of the standard four-man squad. It contains two fireteams, typically a Gun Team (a Smartgunner and a Comtech Marine) and a Rifle Team (two marines who can select their MOS freely). One of those four will be designated squad leader. It is possible, also, that the section’s commander (a sergeant) might attach themselves to the squad, making five marines in total. Squads can also be formed by swapping out one fireteam for an Assault, CBRN, or Recon Team. See Chapter 3.

Finally, it is also possible to create a Colonial Marine campaign that is focused on the two-man crew of a dropship, or the driver and gunner of an M577 APC or XT-37 FAV. The crew chief and AFV Marine specialties are provided for this.

THE COMMANDER: As the unit commander, you still need to choose a MOS. You won’t actually have this specific role any longer, but it determines your skill set based on what you did before you took command.

Attributes - Allocate 14 points to the standard attributes of Strength, Agility, Wits and Empathy as normal. Your MOS will indicate your key attribute, to which you can assign up to 5 points. For the other attributes, 4 is the maximum.

Skills - Allocate 10 points to your skills. You must allocate at least one point each to CLOSE COMBAT, STAMINA, RANGED COMBAT, and the skills listed by your MOS. MOS skills can start at up to level 4. For CLOSE COMBAT, STAMINA, and RANGED COMBAT, 3 is the maximum starting level.

Talents - Choose one of the talents listed for your MOS. Some of these talents are new. If you’re an NCO, you can choose an Officer career talent instead of a MOS talent.
Rank (MOS)

Back to Final Preparations

In the ALIEN RPG, rank is a title with little authority. As explained in “Forget the Chain of Command” (page 119), the player characters decide their own fate. Rank is often associated with a marine’s role or position within the platoon.

When creating your character, simply choose a rank that fits your MOS and position from the Rank Table to the right. Most enlisted marines will be Privates or PFCs, and your unit commander (NCO) will typically be a corporal or a sergeant. Higher ranks are rare for PCs.
Observation (Wits)

Back to The 12 Skills

In the world of ALIEN, you need to be on your guard at all times, or you won’t live long. You use your OBSERVATION skill to spot someone sneaking (opposed roll, see Mobility). You can also use the skill when you spot an unknown threat of some kind, to learn more about it.

* Group Observation - When you and the other PCs scout at the same time, you do not roll separately. Instead, only one PC rolls, and that result applies to the whole group. Who makes the roll is up to you.

FAILURE: You can’t really make out what it is, or you mistake it for something else (the GM feeds you false information).

SUCCESS: You are able to make out what it is, and whether or not it looks like a threat. The exact information you get is up to the GM.

STUNTS : For every extra (target) you roll, you get to know the answer to one of these questions:

* Is it coming for me?
* Are there more of them close by?
* How do I get in/past/away?
LV-223

Back to Calpamos

Orbiting Calpamos, LV-223 is a desolate, near Earth-like moon with sprawling deserts and mountainous valleys. Unfortunately, its atmosphere contains a deadly concentration of carbon dioxide, making it unbreathable by humans, and the moon is prone to deadly and swift-forming silica storms. The little data there is on LV-223 is compiled from garbled transmissions sent back to Weyland Corp Headquarters by the USCSS Prometheus mission in the 2090s. Various rumors claim it to be the site of a starship graveyard, a plague-ridden world covered in strange and ancient extraterrestrial ruins, and the home of several deadly species of fauna. Regardless, starship crews steer clear of LV-223 in search of brighter skies and greener pastures.

* *A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: Evolution out of control, the situation on LV-223 is insanely dangerous. Anyone visiting this moon is not likely to survive. Steer clear.*
The Lock Up

Back to A Hard Life Amongst the Stars

When you’ve done the crime, you’ve got to do the time. Frontier jail facilities range from simple barred rooms to sensory deprivation chambers. On space stations, maximum security isolation cells are kept in a state of vacuum and null gravity. Prisoners detained within are suspended in pressure suits.

Prisons are another story. Most correctional facilities are owned by private companies like Weyland-Yutani and the Jĭngtì Lóng Corporation. Why? They provide a plentiful source of cheap manual labor. These prisons are built in extreme environments that are high in resources but too dangerous for civilian employees to exploit in a cost-effective manner. Prisoners work for benefits such as healthcare, interstellar comm calls, and cigarettes. Some of these corporate run maximum security facilities may hold up to two million convicts. In order to keep track of inmates, all are tattooed with a barcode at the base of their neck.
Manipulation (Empathy)

Back to The 12 Skills

Alien life forms may gut you without remorse, but the most truly dangerous beings in the ALIEN universe are corporate agents and other schemers who use lies, threats, or subtle persuasion to get what they want.

To make another person see things your way, make an opposed roll for MANIPULATION (it takes a liar to spot a liar). Your chances are affected by your Negotiating Position.

* Manipulate a Group - When you want to manipulate a whole group, you usually address the group's leader or spokesperson. Note that you get a -1 modification to your roll if your opponent has more people on their side. If you reach an agreement with the leader, the rest of the group usually follows. If there is no given leader it's harder -- every single opponent acts individually.
* Not Mind Control - When you use MANIPULATION on someone, you don't take control of their mind. What you are trying to convince your adversary to do must be somewhat reasonable, otherwise the GM can disallow it.

FAILURE: Your adversary won't listen and won't do what you want. They might start to dislike you, or even attack you if provoked.

SUCCESS : If you succeed, your adversary must either do what you want or immediately attack you physically. Even if your adversary chooses to do what you want, they can still demand something in return. The GM decides what that entails, but it should be reasonable enough for you to be able to meet those demands. It is up to you to accept the agreement or not.

STUNTS : For each you roll in excess of what you need to win the opposed roll, you can choose one of these stunts:

* Your opponent does what you want without demanding a favor in return.
* Your opponent does more than you ask for, for example giving you some useful piece of information. Details are up to the GM.
* Your opponent is impressed by you and will try to help you later on in some way. Details are up to the GM.

BEING MANIPULATED: NPCs and other PCs can use MANIPULATION on you. If their roll succeeds, you must attack or offer a deal of some kind. Then it is up to the GM (or the other player) whether your adversary accepts or not.
Pushing Your Roll

Back to Rolling Dice

If you are desperate to succeed with a dice roll, you can choose to push the roll. This means that you grab all the dice that didn’t show (target) and roll them again. You get a new chance to roll (target).

Usually, you would only push a roll if you failed it, although you can push your roll even if you rolled (target) first, to get more (target) to increase the effect of an attack, for example. Pushing a roll is not without risk, as it increases your STRESS LEVEL; more on that below.

ONLY ONCE: You can only push your roll once. If you don’t succeed on your second try, you just have to deal with the consequences. Some talents can allow you to push certain rolls a second time, however.

NPCS AND PUSHING: As a general rule, NPCs never push rolls and they don't have a STRESS LEVEL. Instead, the GM determines when NPCs panic.
Model CYG-NS3 Star Clipper

Back to Spaceships of the 2180's

M-CLASS COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT SHIP

A retired Lockmart design, Star Clippers are still in wide use shuttling personnel and/or small loads of cargo across the Frontier. The ship’s cargo bay ceiling is equipped with free-hanging stasis pod coupling racks, allowing for easy attachment of additional pods and passengers. Many Star Clippers are independently owned and operated as merchant vessels and charter craft across the colonies.
When to Make Supply Rolls

Back to Consumables

How often you should make Supply rolls depends on the consumable in question, and the overall situation. The intervals in the table below should be seen as guidelines for the GM.

* Air - Every Turn, and after every strenuous activity like combat or a Mobility roll.
* Water - Once per day, and after every strenuous activity like combat or a MOBILITY roll.
* Food - Once per day.
* Power - Situational, depending on the gear used.
NPCs and Skills

Back to Rolling Dice

Non-player characters use skills in the same way as player characters, with the one major difference being that NPCs never push rolls. The GM rolls dice for NPCs, but should only roll for actions that affect a PC directly—for example, if the NPC is attacking a player character or is attempting to save them. When an NPC performs an action that does not directly affect a PC, the GM can simply decide what happens, without rolling dice.
RMC F903WE Automatic Assault Rifle

Back to Rifles

Another reliable gun that has been around for a century, the RMC F903WE was issued to Weyland-Yutani’s first major colonization efforts at the start of the century. Today it is often found in the hands of colonial militias or mercenaries. It was most recently made famous as the weapon of choice for the Australian rebels. The F903WE is not a pulse weapon, but don’t let that fool you. While its armor piercing abilities are limited, it can still fuck up your perfect composure.
Radiation

Back to Other Hazards

The world of ALIEN contains many places where you will be exposed to hard radiation— on a spacewalk near a dying star, for example, or when you try to repair your ship’s leaking reactor core.

RADIATION LEVEL: When you are exposed to radiation, you gain Radiation Points, or Rads, that accumulate in your body. Check off the Rad boxes on your character sheet. The area’s Radiation Level determines how often you get Rads.

* WEAK RADIATION: 1 Rad per Shift
* STRONG RADIATION: 1 Rad per Turn
* EXTREME RADIATION: 1 Rad per Round

EFFECTS : Every time you gain a Radiation Point, you must roll a number of dice equal to your total current number of accumulated Rads. For every (target) in the roll, you take one point of damage.

If you are Broken by radiation damage, you must make a Death Roll each time you get another Rad, until you are removed from the radiation hotspot. As long as you remain inside a hotspot, you cannot recover Health in any way.

RECOVERY: After you leave the irradiated area, you heal one Rad per Shift.

PERMANENT RADIATION: There is a risk that the radiation will permanently stay in your body. Every time you are about to heal a Rad, roll a Stress Die. If it shows (facehugger), the Rad is not healed but instead becomes permanent. Mark this by filling in the Rad box fully on your character sheet. Permanent radiation can never be healed.
Tactical Nukes

Back to Armaments

Shipborne nukes are deployed from orbit to destroy planetary based targets, even entire colonies. A 50-megaton nuke will completely destroy all buildings and kill all living beings within a 10 km radius, and cause damage to buildings and people up to 100 km away from the center of detonation. In addition, a high-altitude detonation will create an electromagnetic pulse that destroys unshielded electronics. A nuclear missile battery can typically fit five missiles. Individual missiles must be purchased separately.
M3 Personnel Armor

Back to Suits and Armor

Standard issue for the USCMC, the M3 consists of a rigid armor padded vest, a flexible ballistic pad that covers the abdomen, and clamshell greaves on the lower legs. The armor protects against edged weapons and glancing blows from high powered ammunition. It has a built-in comm unit and Personal Data Transmitter, combat webbing straps to connect a variety of equipment, and contact points which monitor the wearer’s vitals and transmit them to a tactical monitoring station. Armor Rating 6.
Movement

Back to Actions & Initiative

RUNNING: To move during combat, you can spend a fast action to run from one zone to a neighboring zone or between SHORT and ENGAGED range from an enemy or PC in the same zone you are already in. No roll is required to run, unless it’s into a Cluttered zone (see page 83).

CRAWLING: If you are prone, you can’t run. Instead, you must crawl. Crawling works just like running, but it’s a slow action. That means you can’t crawl twice in the same round. In a Cramped zone, crawling is the only movement possible.

CLOSE COMBAT: If you have an active enemy at ENGAGED range, you can’t just walk away from them. Instead, you must retreat (see page 93).

DOORS & HATCHES: You can open an unlocked door or hatch with a fast action. A locked door or hatch can be broken down. A typical metal door or hatch can take 10 points of damage before it gives in. More sturdy doors require more force, and also have an Armor Rating (see page 98). In some cases, you can open an electronically locked door or hatch with a COMTECH roll.

VEHICLES: Movement for vehicles is handled differently. See page 113.
Member Lore

This page has lore about most of the Normal Pills SMP members.

## Purple Raspberry

He was hired by Sour Apple Lolipop to take over the SMP, however he betrayed her and her minions and joined the SMP with Red Flame.

## Gamer Headset

Gamer Headset is one of the main members of the SMP, being summoned by Normal Pills. Despite his age, he acts like a chaotic 13 year old who uses reddit.

## White Theme Krew Icon

Her lore is unknown, but she was a hired by Sour Apple Lolipop and tried taking over the SMP before getting stopped by Gogy Sunglasses.
Norcomm QSZ-203 Semi-Automatic Pistol

Back to Pistols

A short recoil operated weapon, this Chinese manufactured pistol has been the standard sidearm of the UPP since they absorbed the CANC in 2164. Rarely available for sale on the black market, the QSZ-203 fires 5.8mm rounds that have excellent armor piercing capabilities. Also the producers of the AK-4047 Pulse Rifle, Norcomm is the UPP firearms production division of the People’s Army. Like the 4047, the 203 can be thrown off a three-story roof and still function just fine. Norcomm builds them to last.
Survival (Wits)

Back to The 12 Skills

Terraforming can make the atmosphere on alien worlds (passably) breathable, but it will rarely make them earthlike. You might be able to breathe without a pressure suit on such worlds, though you can also expect to struggle against extreme heat and cold, sandstorms, acid rain, and other extreme weather. Roll for SURVIVAL when you’re in a hazardous planetside environment of some kind and need to figure out a way to stay alive.

FAILURE: You find no safe haven. Unless someone comes to your rescue, you're on borrowed time.

SUCCESS: You find a safe haven to weather the storm.

STUNTS : For every extra (target) you roll, choose one stunt applicable to the situation:

* Give one (target) to another PC in the same trouble as you.
* Gain a +1 modification to a later skill roll relating to this one.
* You impress someone.
M570 Series Armored Personnel Carrier

Back to Vehicles

The standard ground transport of the USCMC, the M570 series APC carries a full marine squad into battle. Its interior is equipped with a tactical command center with links to each soldier’s helmet cams and biosigns. The exterior is armored with a laser absorbent paint job.

In addition to chaff launchers and a small front mounted turret, the M570 mounts a rotating main weapons package on a rail system that allows it to slide back and store in the rear of the vehicle when not in use, thus lowering the APC’s profile and heat signature. The air pressure in its large, armored wheels is controlled by the driver in order to facilitate better traction over soft terrain and allow the vehicle's chassis some additional clearance over rough ground—its low profile is perhaps the APC’s biggest weakness. Put a reckless driver behind the wheel in a rocky environment and you are likely to blow the transaxle.

The amphibious and vacuum tight APC is designed to be carried in the vehicle bay of a Cheyenne dropship, allowing it to be deployed nearly anywhere. While the M577 is the standard APC seen on the Rim, there are variants with different weapons configurations.

Lockheed Martin M577 Armored Personnel Carrier

Lockheed Martin M579 Air Defense APC
Rexim RXF-M5 EVA Pistol

Back to Pistols

A miniaturized and weaponized version of a Weyland-Yutani laser welder in use from the 2100-2120s. This tool was originally improvised as a weapon by the J’Har rebels during the 2106 uprising on Torin Prime. Always one to find profit in anything, Weyland-Yutani studied the modifications after the war and made them the standard self-defense armament on their commercial fleet.
Key Themes

Back to Space Is Hell

No matter if you play cinematic or campaign play, any game of ALIEN is based on three key themes. Most scenarios and campaigns contain a mix of these themes, but each scenario typically emphasizes one theme more than the others.

* Space Horror - The ALIEN experience is rooted in a pervasive darkness and tension, with a capacity to shock by tapping into our primal fears. Every desperate breath into the rebreather of your space suit maybe your last.

* Sci-Fi Action - Whether it’s on an intimate or sprawling scale, roller coaster action—often with bloody results— is essential to many ALIEN stories. This game includes robust mechanics designed for fast and brutal combat.

* Sense of Wonder - The ALIEN roleplaying game lets you discover strange worlds and ancient, incomprehensible artifacts on a grand scale. Many ALIEN stories grapple with questions of humanity’s creation, destiny, and place in the universe.
Slow & Fast Actions

Back to Actions & Initiative

When it is your time to act in the Round, you can perform one slow action and one fast action, or two fast actions. A slow action usually consists of rolling for a skill. A fast action is quicker and doesn’t always require rolling dice, though it might. See the lists of typical slow and fast actions on page 88. How these work is explained in detail in the sections Ranged Combat and Close Combat.

DESCRIBE YOUR ACTIONS. When it’s your time to act, simply state which two actions you wish to perform, describe how you go about it, and roll dice to see if you are successful. Some actions will give your opponent the opportunity to perform a reactive action. Read more about this under Ranged Combat (see page 94) and Close Combat (page 91).

Marking Your Actions - As reactive actions such as blocking and overwatch fire break the initiative order, it can be hard to keep track of how many actions a combatant has performed in the Round. A tip is to keep track of this by turning the initiative card 90 degrees for every performed action. Turn it to the left for a fast action and to the right for a slow action, and all the way around 180 degrees once both actions in the turn are used up.
Personal Combat in Space

Back to Space Combat

Personal combat and space combat can happen at the same time. A Xenomorph might attack your crew in the middle of a hostile encounter with another ship. As personal combat is played out in Rounds and space combat in Turns, we recommend that you play out the personal combat to its conclusion before resuming the space combat. However, the GM is perfectly within her rights to have you play a Turn of space combat in the middle of a panicked fight on board, just to raise tensions even more.
Media

Back to A Hard Life Amongst the Stars

There is no such thing as the free press on the Frontier. Most journalists are corporate-owned, and the few that aren’t are either spin doctors for their government or just haven’t been bought off yet. Propaganda is the norm as each company decides what news to broadcast. Colony-based signals broadcast local news. Due to transmission times, Network broadcast Interstellar News is often weeks out of date, so most colonies have stopped tuning in—something that could be potentially catastrophic if an enemy or alien threat were to make its way along the frontier.
Measuring Time

Back to Time & Space

In the ALIEN universe, time matters. Whether you are awaiting rescue on an alien world with Xenomorphs stalking you, or Mother is counting down to the imminent destruction of your ship, you need to keep track of time. There are three separate units of time used in this game, depending on the situation at hand. See the table below.

The exact duration of a Round, Turn and Shift can vary depending on the situation. It’s the GM’s job to track time and determine when another Round, Turn or Shift has passed. There are typically four Shifts in a day: Morning, Day, Evening, and Night.

Measuring Time Table:

* Unit - Duration - Primary Use
* Round - 5–10 seconds - Combat
* Turn - 5–10 minutes - Stealth
* Shift - 5–10 hours - Recovery
Mikoyan-Liu Ox Series HAMPV 6x6 Heavy Armored Multi Purpose Vehicle

Back to Motorized Infantry

Designed around the fortified chassis of a heavy construction truck, the UPP Ox is a three-meter-tall behemoth on the battlefield. Its six massive wheels can climb over almost any terrain. The HAMPV’s shielded pilot cab and crew compartment are a self-contained environment, and the vehicle can operate both fully submerged and in a vacuum. The Ox’s weapons configuration is often mission specific.

The HAMPV is a staple of the UPP military and serves a variety of roles from troop transport to cargo truck, from mobile artillery to mobile command center. As surplus UPP equipment is cheap and easy to come by, stripped HAMPVs are also in use by civilians on many UA and 3WE Frontier colony worlds. The Ox has a small crew, and in troop transport configuration can carry up to two full SOF squads.
Range

Back to Ranged Combat

The weapons tables in Chapter 5 indicate the range of each weapon, i.e. the maximum range category at which the weapon can be used. The farther away your target is, the harder it is to hit. At MEDIUM range you get a −1 modification, and at LONG range you get −2. At ENGAGED range you get −3, because it’s hard to draw a bead on an opponent that close. You don’t get this penalty if you fire at a defenseless or unwitting enemy—instead, you get a +3 modification.
Military Occupational Specialty (Overview)

Back to The Basics

When the commander has been assigned, it’s time for everyone to choose their Military Occupational Specialty—MOS for short. Your MOS determines your exact job in the corps. You’ll find a number of MOS to choose from on page 54 and forward.

Talk to each other when selecting MOS. Look at the requirements of the standard four-man squad. It contains two fireteams, typically a Gun Team (a Smartgunner and a Comtech Marine) and a Rifle Team (two marines who can select their MOS freely). One of those four will be designated squad leader. It is possible, also, that the section’s commander (a sergeant) might attach themselves to the squad, making five marines in total. Squads can also be formed by swapping out one fireteam for an Assault, CBRN, or Recon Team. See Chapter 3.

Finally, it is also possible to create a Colonial Marine campaign that is focused on the two-man crew of a dropship, or the driver and gunner of an M577 APC or XT-37 FAV. The crew chief and AFV Marine specialties are provided for this.

THE COMMANDER: As the unit commander, you still need to choose a MOS. You won’t actually have this specific role any longer, but it determines your skill set based on what you did before you took command.
Space Stations

Back to A Hard Life Amongst the Stars

Space stations are mostly designed in a similar fashion to spacecraft—the difference being that there are many more habitat areas, as well as large open malls. Station design is as varied as that of starcraft—some consist of several towers with a connecting latticework of travel tubes while others are built out into the spires of massive decommissioned refinery modules. Still more utilize more traditional forms such as a wheel or sphere. While most are built out of titanium composite and other high-end alloys, some, such as the religious colony Arceon, are also composed of exotic materials. Most space stations are like overpopulated cities in space—quarters are cramped for all but the elite, those in the working class live and work right on top of one another, and crime runs rampant.

CLAUSTROPHOBIA IN THE VOID: People need room to breathe. Space itself might be vast, but there just isn’t a whole lot of it available in the stations floating amongst the stars. As windows are a commodity in space, space stations often have recreation centers and botanical gardens equipped with environmental walls. These large monitors project breathtaking views of natural vistas such as wooded glades, tropical beaches, or majestic mountain ranges. While expensive models include a three-dimensional projection, cheaper and more prolific models use flat-screen video.

Anchorpoint Station I

Anchorpoint Station II

Arceon
X-Drugs

Back to Pharmaceuticals

These are the more extreme drugs out there that most ethical corporations work to keep off their colonies. These X-drugs increase strength, endurance, and the senses, but prolonged use can result in severe side effects such as hallucinations, seizures, psychosis, and stroke. The Colonial Marine Corps is rumored to be experimenting with new powerful X-Stims for its soldiers, and some unscrupulous companies quietly supply their workers with similar illegal stimulants in an effort to increase productivity. Effects and prices vary.
The 12 Skills

Back to Skills

1. Heavy Machinery (Strength)
2. Stamina (Strength)
3. Close Combat (Strength)
4. Mobility (Agility)
5. Piloting (Agility)
6. Ranged Combat (Agility)
7. Observation (Wits)
8. Comtech (Wits)
9. Survival (Wits)
10. Medical Aid (Empathy)
11. Command (Empathy)
12. Manipulation (Empathy)
	* Negotiating Position
Weyland ES-4 Semi-Automatic Electrostatic Pistol

Back to Pistols

Developed a century ago, this electrostatic kinetic energy projectile weapon uses charged elements to fire high-speed armor piercing rounds. Each bullet carries a charge that has a stunning effect. Any human target that suffers damage from an attack must make a hard STAMINA roll (–2, doesn’t count as an action) or be stunned for one Round, unable to act.

The ES-4 has a tell-tale blue muzzle-flash when fired. While a quality weapon, the pistol fell out of use before the Weyland-Yutani merger due to its cost and upkeep requirements—if not cleaned properly each day (takes one Turn), a shot fired will sometimes—if two or more Stress Dice turn up (facehugger) —stun the shooter as well.

While it can mostly be found in use amongst high level corporate security teams from the ICSC, a select number of Colonial Marshal offices are testing out a newer model as their standard sidearm on the Frontier—along with a pair of insulator gloves.
Weyland-Yutani NSG23 Assault Rifle

Back to Rifles

A successor to the old Weyland Storm Rifle of a century ago, the NSG23 or “New Storm Rifle” has a high capacity ammo drum and an underbarrel ID23 incinerator unit attachment. The primary assault rifle of the 3WE Royal Marine Commandos, the NSG23 is also sometimes used by W-Y troops. While the USCMC tested the weapon in the late 2170s, the corps decided to stay with the armor piercing M41Pulse Rifle—prompting W-Y to sell the design to the 3WE.
Weapon Features

Back to Weapons and Armor

Different weapons neutralize different threats. This list is a heads-up on the features used in the weapon tables.

Bonus indicates any modification you get to your CLOSE COMBAT or RANGED COMBAT roll when using the weapon.

Damage is the base Damage rating, i.e. how many points of damage your target suffers if your attack is successful. If you roll extra , you can deal additional damage. The word “Blast” followed by a number means that the weapon inflicts no direct damage, but instead triggers an explosion with the Blast Power indicated.

Range is the maximum range category at which the weapon can be effectively used.

Weight indicates how many typical items the weapon counts as in the inventory list (see page 34). If no weight is indicated, the weapon is too heavy to be carried.

Cost is the weapon’s typical price in United American (UA) dollars. The actual price varies depending on the supply and demand at the location.

Special is any special effects that this weapon has. “Armor Piercing” means that any Armor Rating counts as half against this weapon, rounding fractions up. “Armor Doubled” means that any Armor Rating is doubled against the weapon.
UDEP Ultra Diffusive Environmental Poncho

Back to Protective Gear

These camouflaged rain-coverings are worn to protect from the elements, chemical spills, and more. Treated with an infrared absorbing coating, these ponchos can also make a marine nearly invisible in the rain (STEALTH +2 in wet environments). Often worn by CBRN specialists in the field, the poncho offers a +2 STAMINA bonus to resist chemical and biological contaminants as long as no damage has pierced it.
Vehicle Combat

Back to Combat & Panic

A wide range of vehicles, both of the air and ground varieties, are used to get around planetside on the Frontier. You’ll find a selection described starting on page 140 in the Gear chapter.

Driving under normal circumstances requires no dice rolls, but more advanced maneuvers require PILOTING rolls. Entering or mounting a vehicle is a fast action. Starting a motorized vehicle is also a fast action.

Vehicle Attributes

Vehicles in Combat - To operate a vehicle in combat, you use the drive action. Driving is a fast action, and it will move you a number of zones up to the Speed rating of your ride. Note that driving is a fast action just like running, meaning that you can drive twice in the same Round.

Damage to Vehicles - 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.

Aerial Vehicles - Aerial vehicles are handled in much the same way as ground vehicles, with some exceptions noted on the Aerial Vehicles page.

Repairs - Repairing damage to a vehicle requires one or several HEAVY MACHINERY rolls. One roll can be made per Shift. Only one person can roll to repair the hull, but others can help. Each (target) rolled removes one point of damage. If the vehicle was Wrecked, it is no longer considered Wrecked once it has regained at least one HP.
Under construction

Back to ALIEN: A Whisper in the Dark Wiki

Timeline

Alien Species

Colony Wars

Frontier War

61 Cygni

Border Bombings

Berringett's Moon

Silent War

Oil Wars

Rodina Station

Rim

Australia Wars

Betelgeuse

Epsilon Ceti IV

United Americas Allied Command

Tientsin

USCSS Endeavor

Allied Frontier Force

Arcturus

Operation Arcturan Shield

Operation Arcturan Freedom

Chinese Arm

Dog War

The Red Line

Pang Ho Treaty

Marine 70 Program

Linna 349 Campaign

Ceti Gap

LV-666

Yaophora Station

USCSS Covenant

Chinese/Asian Nations Cooperative

Helene Uprising

Khadaji Conflict

Helene 215

Populist Movement

New Earth Plague

20 Parsec Limit

Network Expansion Program

Arcturians

Core Conflict

Phebe

USCSS Cronus

Mnemosyne

American

Hyades Cluster

National Security Act

United Nations Interplanetary Corps

Concordat

Extrasolar Colonial Administration

Colonial Coast Guard

Colonial Marshal Bureau

Artificial Womb Soldier Program

Tientsin Campaign

Mendel Station

Seegson Station LV 44-40

Wright-Aberra Waystation

UAS Archangel

Sector 87

Origae-6

Earth Savers

Meredith Vickers

HD85512 B

Weyland Corp

Yutani Corporation

USCSS Prometheus

FTL (Faster-Than-Light)

David

Peter Weyland

Colonial Marshal

Space Beast

Double-Y Chromo

Robert Morse

Anchorpoint Station I

Hadley's Hope

USS Sulaco

Colonial Navy

Atmospheric Processors
Work For Hire

Back to A Hard Life Amongst the Stars

Let’s face it—you are out here for the paycheck and not much else. In the adjacent table are some typical salaries on the Frontier. Base salaries are low because corporations don't want you to own anything—they want to own you. Corporate credit and loans are also available. Frontier employee compensation packages also include living quarters, standard rations, bonuses, shares, claims, and medical benefits. But brush your teeth, because no-one includes dental. Ever.
UD-4S Skycrane

Back to UD-4 Cheyenne Series VTOL Tactical Dropship

Based on the same space frame as the well-known UD-4, this model has a hook and cable system connected to the large empty space behind the cockpit area, allowing the 4S to lift and carry substantial cargo to and from orbit. The UD-4S can carry an M292 self-propelled artillery gun into battle, and several Skycranes working in tandem can be tasked with carrying vehicles as large as a Bison freighter.
Weyland-Yutani APEsuit

Back to Suits and Armor

The All Purpose Environment Suit is specialized, armored compression garb designed for combat and animal control under adverse environmental conditions. While an APEsuit cannot protect you from the vacuum of space, it does offer a filtered air supply, limited armor, resistance to temperature extremes, and is impervious to caustic substances. The helmet includes protective eyewear and a mask to protect the wearer’s face. The suit is commonly worn by Weyland-Yutani’s security commandos and “Dog Catcher” units to contain hostile organisms, so if you see a bunch of guys show up wearing these, get the hell out of there—because what they are looking for just might find you. Armor Rating 3, bonus +3 to SURVIVAL rolls. Air Supply 4.
VP-70MA6 Semi-Automatic Pistol

Back to Pistols

This pistol is a time-honored weapon dating back nearly two hundred years. For nearly seventy years the VP70 series was only found in the hands of USCMC officers from key influential military families. Over the past decade, it has begun to supplant the outdated M4A3 as the standard marine sidearm.
Rank Table

Back to Rank (MOS)

ENLISTED - TYPICAL POSITION

Private - Team member

Private First Class - Team member

Lance Corporal - Team leader

Corporal - Squad leader

Sergeant - Section commander

Staff Sergeant - Platoon second-in-command

Gunnery Sergeant - Company second-in-command

Master Sergeant - Operations chief (unit varies)

First Sergeant - Operations chief (unit varies)

Master Gunnery Sergeant - Operations chief (unit varies)

Sergeant Major - Battalion or squadron second-in-command

OFFICER RANK - TYPICAL POSITION

Second Lieutenant - Platoon commander, Pilot

First Lieutenant - Platoon commander, Pilot

Captain - Company commander, Pilot

Major - Staff officer

Lieutenant Colonel - Battalion or squadron commander

Colonel - MAU commander

Brigadier General - Commander of brigade or divisions

Major General - Commander of brigade or divisions

Lieutenant General -High staff officer

General - Senior general-grade officer
What is a Roleplaying Game?

Back to Space Is Hell

If you have made your way here without knowing what a roleplaying game is, congratulations! Welcome to a rewarding and creative hobby. Roleplaying is a unique form of gaming, or cultural expression if you prefer to call it that, that combines tabletop gaming with storytelling. Roleplaying games give you a set of rules and let you create your own story with your friends in a way that books, movies, TV, and even video games cannot.

The advantage of roleplaying games is also their challenge—the freedom to create the story yourselves can be overwhelming. But this wiki contains plenty of exciting encounters, locations and characters that you can populate your story with, and very specific tools for the GM to use. If you need advice or ideas, there is a forum for the ALIEN roleplaying game at freeleaguepublishing.com.

Welcome.
Weapons and Armor

Back to Gear

*“Marine—you are only as good as your wits and your weapon. Sometimes that weapon is your own foot, sometimes it’s your pulse rifle and sometimes it’s a goddamn nuke. Whichever it may be, be sure to clean it regularly and stick it way up the enemy’s ass.”*

*-Sgt. Phil Wlodarczyk, 5th Colonial Marine Special Operations Regiment's "Sin Eaters" Charlie Team*

You are going into the shit—and what you carry in better be something that can help get you out. You don’t want to bring a knife to a gunfight, now, do you? You don’t step into the rain without your rubbers on and you don’t go to church with your fly open. So step-up, zip-up, and see what’s what, marine—peruse these pages and get to know your own battlefield options—as well as what the enemy’s likely to bring along to fuck your day up. Assuming they aren’t sporting metal teeth and a spiked tail, of course.

If they are, screw it—just throw a grenade and run.

You always want a weapon close at hand—you never know where danger lurks. Don’t expect to have your choice of firearms, however. When something hisses at you in the dark, you can’t be too choosy, understand? You use whatever you can get your hands on to buy you some time. The tables and images on the following pages show various kinds of common weapons.

* No Weapons of Any Kind - You want to be careful where you point that thing in space. Firefights onboard spacecraft, space stations, and within pressure domes can be disastrous—a stray bullet can rupture the hull and vent an entire living sector into space (see page 107 for rules on this). People have been blown out into space through the tiniest of tears in the hull—a gruesome way to go, for sure. Because of this, weapons are limited on spacecraft. Most military smart guns won’t fire when turned on a target along the outer hull of a safe-sensor equipped ship. Civilian weapons aren't quite so clever. Your best bet is to keep ‘em holstered until you’ve exhausted all other options. Then hold on to something tight and make for an airlock.

Weapon Features

Pistols

Rifles

Heavy Weapons

Explosives and Ammunition

Chemical Weapons

Close Combat Weapons

Suits and Armor
UD-4 Cheyenne Series VTOL Tactical Dropship

Back to Vehicles

The pinnacle of USCMC battlefield supremacy, the Cheyenne dropship has an unparalleled success rate performing double duty as both a transport and gunship. While true gunships like the Tomahawk are more heavily armed and strikeships like the Cougar and Bearcat are more maneuverable, none have the versatility of the Cheyenne.

The Cheyenne are dropped from orbit into the fray from the ventral bay of any USCMC frigate or carrier, swiftly descending through the atmosphere like a meteor. The current model has been specifically augmented to carry the M577 into a combat zone, deploy the APC and its marine squad, and immediately assume an air support role for the squad.

The ship is mostly transport bay with cockpit, weapons systems, and engines attached—there is little in the way of other accommodations aboard. While in supersonic decent, the Cheyenne’s weapons pods are retracted flush with its hull. These pods deploy for subsonic combat. With a proper satellite uplink, the Cheyenne is capable of being flown by remote from a portable terminal. Few pilots have the skill necessary for this maneuver, and the task is usually left to the squad’s android XO.

The Cheyenne Dropship has been the staple of the Colonial Marines for nearly two decades, largely due to its versatile adaptability. Below are some of the most often seen variants on the Frontier.

UA Northridge Cheyenne UD-4L VTOL Dropship

UD-4B Production Model

UD-4S Skycrane

UD-4C Gunship

UPP-DS3 Accipiter
Pilot Talents

Back to Talents

* Full Throttle - You like to go fast. Really fast. When piloting a spacecraft, you get a +2 modification to Piloting rolls for any Accelerate or Decelerate actions.

* Like the Back of Your Hand - This vehicle is yours, and you know every bolt and cable, nook and cranny. Choose one vehicle or spacecraft (not one type, but a single, specific craft). You get a +2 modification to PILOTING with the chosen vehicle. You can choose this talent several times, once for each vehicle.

* Reckless - You live for the rush of adrenaline through your veins, pushing harder than others dare. You can push any skill roll based on Agility twice, not just once like other characters. Each push increases your Stress Level by one.