Let's read “Stars without Number”

Welcome to the inaugural post in a series of posts in which I read Stars without Number ( Stars without Number: Revised Edition (SWN ^🔍)).

Interested in reading along? Grab a copy of the Stars without Number: Revised Free Edition or buy a copy of the Stars without Number: Revised Edition.

Introduction

The rules light sci-fi Role Playing Game (RPG ^🔍) Stars without Number: Revised Edition provides extensive tools that support the three pillars of adventure:

• Exploration
• Social Interaction
• Combat

Basic/Expert Dungeons & Dragons (or Dungeons and Dragons: Basic/Expert (B/X ^🔍)), while lacking a skill system, provides the foundation. Stars without Number: Revised Edition further draws inspiration from Classic Traveller’s skill system and technology. From these venerable precursors, Stars without Number: Revised Edition steps into its own with:

• Quick character creation with some interesting options (though no character death during character creation)
• Random tables and systems to help the Game Master (GM ^🔍) create and maintain the setting for their game

In upcoming posts, we’ll dive deeper into these pieces as we read each chapter.

Chapters

• Into the Waiting Light
• Character Creation
• Psionics
• Systems - Combat and Healing
• Systems - Scenes, Saves, Skill Checks
• Systems – Hacking, Advancement, and Hazards
• Equipment and Vehicles
• Starships
• The History of Space
• Sector Creation
• Adventure Creation
• Xenobestiary
• Factions
• Game Master Resources

Additional Notes

This is a revised edition, yet fully compatible with, the previous Stars without Number: Core Edition and the free core edition (originally published in 2010).