Stars Without Number

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Cover of the Core Edition, 2011

Stars Without Number is a science fiction indie role-playing game released by the indie publisher Sine Nomine Publishing in 2010. Although the book contains a pre-generated star system that can be used as a game setting immediately, it also features a system to randomly create planets and adventures. The game was designed as part of the Old School Renaissance (OSR) movement, and its game mechanics are similar to role-playing games from the mid-1970s.

Stars Without Number is a science fiction role-playing game set in the year 3200. The book provides a pre-generated series of planets, but the gamemaster can also use a system of nested random tables to first create a sector in space seeded with random stars. Each star has one main planet, which the gamemaster creates, giving it two randomly generated main attributes as well as five minor story hooks from random tables of Enemies, Friends, Complications, Things, and Places. RPG historian Stu Horvath uses the example of a Cybercommunist planet with Forbidden Tech that has planning computers that can't handle the increasing population.[1] There are sets of tables to generate an adventure, and the book also includes a list of a hundred pre-generated adventure seeds.

The game is part of the OSR movement, and the combat system, saving throws and character attributes are similar to role-playing games of the mid-1970s such as the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons and Metamorphosis Alpha.[1]

There are only four character classes: Warriors (combat), Psychics (magic), Experts (skills), and Adventurers (a blend of the other three classes.) During ship-to-ship combat in space, each character is responsible for a different system on the ship.[1]

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