Starbound 5E

Incremental Progression

• No proficiency bonus, or rather its per thing
• HP == Con (or HP monster hp lower than con)
• Short rest restores Con mod hp
• No classes
• 1 point to buy skill/item proficiency
• 1 point for TWO saving throw points, max 6
• Weapon proficiencies are flexible small groups might overlap ex short blade / thrown (daggers)
• Armor and shield proficiencies are 1 point each and are simple yes/no still
• Max proficiency is 6
• 1 point to buy first class abilities per 'level' increasing by one point cost each level bought in total
• 1 point for first feat, increasing one point per purchase, max 3 feats
• 1 point for an ability point, max 20 per ability
• Gadget attacks and DC are their own prof. group. Cantrip scaling progresses every even prof point (2,4,6)
• Spellcasting from class abilities requires casting focus in hand, always
• Casting focus treated as a gadget and can be rebuilt if lost or destroyed in 1d4 days at no cost
• Characters start with 10 in each ability. Any race proficiencies grant +2 to those proficiencies if not otherwise noted. Starting equipment for any tools or gear you are proficient with at minimum tech level for that item. Characters start with 6 points to customize with, these are free and do not count as XP for advancement.
• Advancement: every long rest compute XP as the highest threat level challenge overcome multiplied by the number of challenges overcome. Challenges is loosely defined and might be skill checks or combat. The only strict rule is that failure must be possible and consequential to the story, such as death or blocking off a story objective on failure. If that XP value is higher than the character's current XP value, gain XP to meet the computed value.
• Minimum XP: If no XP increases are gained during a session, take 1 XP.

Combat Changes

AC provides DR == half(AC - 10)

Attack rolls: Crit Miss - miss, Miss - min damage(glance), hit - DR reduced damage, crit - bypass DR

Only weapons that deal 3X or more on critical deal additional damage (rare) and have the weapon die multiplier reduced by 1

Resistance stacking: Multiple sources of resistance and damage immunity stack

Amount	Effect
-3 or less	Lethal
-2	Vulnerable and max damage taken
-1	Vulnerable
0 (base)	-
1	Resistance
2	Immunity
3 or more	Absorb

Advantage Changes

Advantage and disadvantage from multiple sources stack and cancel 1-1

Adv/Dis above 1 rolls additional die and still keeps the best/worst result as normal

Threat Levels

Systems, planets and other locations all have their own threat level from 1-20

Inhabited areas are threat level 1 by default

Regions: 50/50 flip to match or grow by one compared to the nearest region

PoI and sub areas dungeons: 50/50 chance to increase by one or two AND roll for rarity, increasing potentially up to 5 threat levels in one step.

Threat level is used to generate encounters in that area. Traps, monsters, etc should be generated using the Threat Level for the party level (Still use the actual party size)

Threat level also bands into tiers for certain effects, increasing every 4 threat levels

Threat Level	Tier
1-3	0
4-7	1
8-11	2
12-15	3
16-19	4
20	5

For every threat level tier roll an additional time for item generation of tech level AND rarity and take the best result of each. (NOTE: not base tech level, which items you find is unaffected, only their power level)

For every threat level tier roll with disadvantage equal to the tier for:
Attack rolls, saves, checks made by the players/allies

GM Free/Solo Option

Dynamic DC - for any d20 check where the target number is not known, roll the skill check normally and convert the result into an ability modifier. Then roll a simple yes/no oracle on a d20 with that modifier.

Ex: Athletics Check - 1d20(8) + 1 == 9

If you had a 9 strength the modifier would be -1 so:

Yes / No 1d20 (15) -1 == 14: Pass

When using this option the oracle roll is NOT modified by threat tier but the base check is if it normally would be.

Inspiration

Inspiration now has multiple sources, and each can be used situationally recharging on long rest. Only one source of inspiration can be used on a single roll even if multiple are available.

• 1 base for free
• Some races/cultures add a condition such as Floran's being unsuitable for baren environments
• 1 for being in good health (rested, properly fed, no long term conditions, full hp)
• Racial/cultural inspired conditions

In addition to the normal bonuses inspiration can be used for it can now do the following:

• reduce or increase an attack roll result from or against you by one step
• stay at 1 hp instead of going to 0 for 1 round

Tech / Items

Rarities: common 0, uncommon 1, rare 2, legendary 3 Tech level for items found are equal to local tech level they are found in or less, item rarity increases the points for an item but not its tech level. Random Item

Die roll: 2d6 Take lowest -> 4, 5, 6 == uncommon, rare, legendary

Rarities:

Tech levels are similar to enchantment levels for example a primitive bow is just a bow, but a Singularity bow is at minimum a +6 bow, or has special properties.

Die roll 2d8 take lowest - 1, re-roll any 8s

Item rules

• points = tech level + rarity
• Any unlimited use or otherwise passive item requires attunement
• base item must be allowed by tech level and takes up that many points
• market cost for any item above it's minimum technology level costs is 1k (total point value squared) (1 + rarity multiplier). Also use this for items without a base cost (ex ship components)
• left over points can add + bonuses for weapons armor and shields
• Defensive spells in armor cost their spell level and are generally permanent
• Weapons can be gadgets for offensive spells and follow gadget activation rules
• Weapons can adopt damage types from offensive spells and bonus damage of the spell level * 2
• Armor can adopt damage types from offense spells and grant resistance (level 1-3), immunity (level 4-6) or absorption (level 7-9)
• PDA provide skill bonus proficiency 1 and 1/point above base. Only one PDA can apply to a check
• Gadgets (spell activation tech)
• 1 point per spell level
• Base use rate is 1/day
• 1 point to increase use rate: 1/long, 1/short, recharge 6,4,2, no limit
• 1 point per spell slot  above base
• 0 Consumable - single use but half cost (example cure consumable == bandages)
• Capture Pods
• Allow capture of creature with base 2 or lower Intelligence and 1 current hp
• Pod can store 1 creature and always requires attunement to retrieve the creature
• Retrieved creatures loyally follow and obey, but are only a simulacrum of the original
• Creatures are medium sized
• Creatures can attack with a natural attack they poses, but rolled as a gadget attack bonus action by the user dealing 1d6+CR damage
• Creatures can be attacked and have AC equal to users gadget DC but their original HP
• Creatures retain one special ability, feature, skill, resistance, or movement mode
• If killed creatures can be revived by any resurrection type gadget used on the capture pod or a heal gadget that restores is full HP value in one effect
• Extra points on Capture Pods have extra effects as a weapon or armor, but never an activation gadget effect, these always effect the creature

Ships

• ships come in 3 classes:
• Personal: Sleeps 0, crew 1, 3000E, double speed
• Cruiser: Sleeps 6, 6000E
• Capital/Ship: Sleeps 40, 12000E, half speed
• Ships have HP equal to E / 100 ( IE 30, 60, 120)
• Ships have AC based on humanoid armors, str requirements limit type Cruisers count as str 13, capital as str 15. Disadvantage on stealth also conveys a half speed penalty and doubling of movement based fuel costs
• all space age/5 point ships have a SDA for free. A ship with no space age components does not have an SDA and requires a full expert crew. With an SDA the ship can be operated by any single creature.
• Ships have rarity like any other item, for total point costs above 5, reduce gadget cooldown by one step per additional point
• Total ship cost is simply the sum of it's components plus it's base item value (space age or information age for primitive space ships)
• components that require fuel cost 1% of their total cost in pixels per activation/use/etc, movement based fuel costs are increased by ship movement penalties from size and armor
• components take away from cargo capacity
• components above minimum point/tech level either reduce size by 100E or improve performance.
• Fueled components can remove the fueled cost for 1 point
• Unfueled ship components can gain an extra point by taking fueled
• Rocket Engines
• 4 - 1 sector per week (5,000E, Fueled)
• Impulse Engines
• 5 - 1 sector per day (500E)
• 6 - 1 sector per hour (500E)
• 7 - 1 sector per 10 minute (500E)
• 8 - 1 sector per minute (500E)
• 9 - 1 sector per second (500E)
• Planetary Package
• Can operate in planet atmosphere and safely land (1000E)
• 4 - Personal
• 5 - Cruiser
• 6 - Capitol
• Aquatic Package
• Can operate in fluids (1000E)
• 4 - Personal
• 5 - Cruiser
• 6 - Capitol
• Warp Drive
• 5 - enables warp (1000E fueled)
• Warp Shielding
• 6 - enables portal traversal (1000E fueled)
• Dedicated Cargo Bay
• 5 - extra 1000E for storage (500E)
• Habitat
• 5 - sleeping capacity increased again by base value, or 1 if personal craft (500E)
• Gadgets
• (always consider at least space age for creation but has no minimum tech level to pay points against so a basic magic missile turret gadget is a 1 point space age gadget) - ignore material components, cost half as much as regular gadgets, and never require concentration. Gadget is built to operate on internal crew, itself, or external targets but cannot be changed after being built (ex to have a mending gadget for the ship to repair itself means it cannot repair other ships/targets/crew gear)  (500E)

Crafting items

• requires access to Pixel Printer
• DC is Arcana 10 + 3 * points
• self crafted items roll for rarity normally
• bought crafting always succeeds but max quality is rare, cannot target for rare
• failing DC by 5 wastes half materials
• no bonuses for exceeding the DC
• if targeting specific rarity minimum, passing the check can refund all resources instead
• cost is target item point cost (lucky rarity is free, targeted effects cost)
• DC multiplier (3) Is reduced to 2 for consumable items
• access to the spells effects etc is not required
• tech level of item cannot be higher than Pixel Printer used

Loot Drop Rate

Suggested loot generation is to generate one item for approximately every 2 encounters, or flip for it each encounter. Roll with advantage for tech level (not base type) and rarity for every 4 threat levels of the encounter. If handing out items does not make sense or is mechanically cumbersome to do at the time, bank the generation threat level for the next hoard/cache of items found.

Item type can be determined rolling tech level then flat rolling between the types unlocked at that level.

Item tech level is determined separately with another tech level roll.

Rarity is rolled for the item.

Weapon/Armor generation: Generate the base item from within the available range for the tech level (ex: pick a random medium armor). Remaining points should be added to raw enchantment value or spell like ability. Roll a d10 and if the value is less than the remaining points add a spell of that level for weapons flip to see if the spell is active like a gadget or passive. Armors are most always passive. Subsequent rolls below the remaining value add to the spell slot level, or recharge for activation items. Otherwise add all remaining points into the raw enchantment value.

Gadget Generation: Flip for (consumable, recharging)

For spell effects roll a d10, if the value is less than the point value add that many steps of recharge speed and then use the remaining points to select the spell effects level. If the roll is higher, select the spell effects with all points using the default 24h recharge. Gadgets with defensive spells that could be placed on armor can be passive IF they have no recharge, if a gadget rolls an appropriate combination of features for this, flip to see if it passive.

PDA generation: Randomly select a skill and assign the value based on (points - 3) (min 1)

For ship components select them randomly from the stock parts list.

For Capture Pods with extra points, flip for treating the spell bonus as a weapon or armor and generate with all points spent into those spell effects then generate for that type expect: Capture Pods may never convey activation spells so cannot have recharge or flat plus bonuses

For hired work

Dangerous: 1kp* Local Tech Level * (Tech Level + Threat Level)

Civic: No more than 1kp * Tech Level required for task

Blank Character Sheet

Blank Stats

Name:           XP: 0 (0 unspent) Race:              Culture:

■

STR: 10   DEX: 10  CON: 10
INT: 10  WIS: 10  CHA:10
HP: 10/10      AC: 10      DR: 0
Res/Vul:

Skills:   
Expertise: 
Saves: Wis

PDA Bonus:

Special:

Diet:

• 
  

Weapon Profs:
Armor Profs:☐Light ☐Medium ☐Heavy   ☐Shield

Warrior: ☐Attacker || ☐Defender ☐Action Surge ☐Improved Crit

Expert: ☐Helpful ☐Cunning Action ☐Expertise

Spells☐☐☐: (casts 0/0)

Class Features ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐:

Feat(s)☐☐☐:
Inspiration Used:

• Base: ☐
  


• Good Health: ☐
  

Gear:

1.    TL:    R:
   

Simple Encumbrance:    0/ 10
Pixels: 0 p

Inventory: