Starscape: Found-family Space Adventures

After four years of development and playtesting, Golden Lasso Games is thrilled to present Starscape. With your help we will produce a stunning, full-color, 200+ page core book filled with amazing art and layout that is out of this world!

Starscape, a sci-fi tabletop roleplaying game where you are part of a starship crew journeying through space, bonding through adversity, and becoming a found-family. You build your ship and crew, then play to find out if your characters trust each other enough to unite for a shared purpose, or if your differences and the challenges of living in space drive you apart. 

Individual game sessions usually focus on exploration, overcoming obstacles, or facing threats, but long-term the stories are about how the crew's trust in each other changes over the course of your travels. 

Starscape is inspired by episodic science fiction stories, like Star Trek, Farscape, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, and the book A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.

Starscape includes a session zero worldbuilding process to unites everyone’s vision and expectations before you create your ship or your characters. This sets the tone and flavor of your game. If you are playing in an existing IP or setting, this goes pretty quickly. If you are collaboratively building something new, you will answer the questions as a group so that everyone agrees on the setting of your story.  

Setting the Scene
Your group will decide what flavor of science fiction you want. Do you want to do utopian exploration, post-apocalyptic, space opera, or maybe retrofuture! The possibilities are endless! 

Describe your Crew
Now it's time to decide what kind of crew you are! You choose between:

• Trained Service Members - You have been trained by an influential organization, but are mostly autonomous. Choose this if your crew comes together to handle situations with far-reaching impact, such as diplomatic missions, intergalactic politics, rescuing whole civilizations, exploring, and going where no one has gone before. 
• Independent Operators - You are your own bosses and take jobs as you get them. Select this if you want to deal with smaller-scale stories involving the financial and moral challenges of day-to-day life as spacers. Your goal is simple: find a job and keep flyin’. 
• Fortune's Fools - Chance or fate has forced your group together and you are making the best of it, despite the complications. Select this option if you want to deal with the challenge of maintaining a shared purpose for your crew while you bounce around the galaxy. Are you being hunted? Are you looking for someone or something? Or, maybe you’re just doing everything you can, looking for a way home.

The ship is the crew’s home and at the heart of your game. Similar to the Sun, it’s the warm, safe center of the characters' universe, with the beautiful dangers of space swirling and orbiting around it. It should, usually, be a safe place where the crew can unwind and be themselves. 

The custom touches that you put on your ship during worldbuilding and throughout the campaign are vital to making it unique.  Think of the USS Enterprise (any of them), The Millenium Falcon, Serenity, Moya, or the Battlestar Galactica, just to name a few of the iconic ships that have captured the hearts of their crews (and sci-fi fans) throughout the years. Those are all great touchpoints for making the ship in your campaign special. 

You will choose one of 5 ship types:

• The Behemoth - a huge transport, designed as a colony, military, or cruise ship
• The Flagship - a high-tech starship with advanced abilities
• The Light Freighter - a small to mid-sized cargo carrier
• The Living Being - a giant living organism that we live inside or on top of
• The Throwback - a steam or sail-powered vessel resembling those of another era

Once you pick your ship, you will customize it even further by describing your ship, deciding what type of propulsion it uses, if it has defenses or weapons and, if so, what kind, and the fun quirks that make it unique.

After you build your ship, it's time to assemble your crew! 

Six character types are included in the Starscape quickstart. They are:

• The Civilian - The Civilian is a dealmaker. Their preferred battleground is a negotiation table or fancy social event, and words are their weapon of choice. They know how people think and are savvy enough to use it to their advantage. The Civilian can choose from one of three backgrounds: the Diplomat, the Religious Leader, or the Entrepreneur. 
  • Touchstones: Quark, Lwaxana Troi, Kai Winn, Star Trek; Inara, Firefly; Rygel, Farscape; Londo Mollari, Babylon 5
• The Greenhorn - The Greenhorn’s considerable talents are matched with equal amounts of naïveté. They are usually new to traveling the stars, and are grappling with all the emotions and uncertainty that comes with adventures in space. The Greenhorn can choose from one of three backgrounds: the Fresh-faced Graduate, the Prodigy, and the Stray.
  • Touchstones: Ensign Kim, Nog, Wesley Crusher, Star Trek; John Crichton, Farscape (early seasons); Edward, Cowboy Bebop
• The Hot Shot - The Hot Shot is impressive. To others they appear cool, capable and fearless in the face of danger. Half of their crewmates want them and the other half want to be them, but in reality, the Hot Shot is hiding their emotional baggage and nagging doubts. The Hot Shot can choose from one of three backgrounds: the Famous Ace, the Rebellious Maverick, and the Pilot for Hire.
  • Touchstones: Kirk, Riker, or Paris, Star Trek; Wash, Firefly; Starbuck, Battlestar Galactica; John Sheppard, Stargate: Atlantis 
• The Rebel - The Rebel is not a person who enjoys violence, but it became an inextricable part of their life when they dedicated themselves to fighting for a cause. That fight is behind them now, but they are still carrying the experience with them. The Rebel can choose from one of three backgrounds: the Freedom Fighter, the Saboteur, or the Redeemed. 
  • Touchstones: Kira Nerys, B'Elanna Torres, Star Trek; Mal Reynolds, Firefly; Cara Dune, The Mandalorian; Sabine Wren, Star Wars: Rebels; Aeryn Sun, Farscape
• The Unfamiliar - The Unfamiliar is decidedly different from their crewmates and their unique nature sets them apart. There are some aspects of normal beings that they struggle to understand, such as emotions, interpersonal relationships, or biological functions. The Unfamiliar can choose from one of three backgrounds: the Artificial Life Form, the First-Contact Species and the Unknown Origin. 
  • Touchstones: Original Spock, Data, Odo, or Seven of Nine, Star Trek; Kosh , Babylon 5
• The Warrior - During their adventures, the Warrior has done bloody things. Many other beings may not understand the conflict that rages in the Warrior as they are simultaneously proud of some accomplishments and haunted by others.  The Warrior may have one of three backgrounds: the Warrior Culture, the Military Career or the Mercenary. 
  • Touchstones: Ka D'Argo, Farscape: Worf, Star Trek: The Next Generation; Roberta "Bobbie" W. Draper, The Expanse; Zoë Alleyne Washburne, Firefly; Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5

The full version of Starscape also includes:

• The Explorer - The Explorer is driven by an unquenchable need for discovery and has one specific goal that keeps them out of the lab and among the stars. The Explorer can choose from one of three backgrounds: the Medical Researcher, the Academic Scholar, and the Scientific Crusader.
  • Touchstones: Simon Tam, Firefly; Captain Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation; Daniel Jackson, Stargate; Stephen Franklin, Babylon 5; John Crichton, Farscape
• The Gifted - The Gifted has exceptional, metahuman abilities that they were either born with or obtained through a life-changing event. The Gifted may have one of three backgrounds: the Untrained Talent, the Professional, or the Hunted. 
  • Touchstones: Deanna Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation; Zhaan, Farscape; River Tam, Firefly; Lyta Alexander, Babylon 5
• The Normal - The Normal is a dependable and versatile member of the crew.  They aren’t flashy,  so are often taken for granted or overlooked, but a lot of the crew’s success is due to the Normal. Just don’t wear a red shirt and you will be fine! The Normal may have one of three backgrounds: the Dependable, the Oddball, and the Assistant
  • Touchstones: Miles O’Brian, Star Trek: The Next Generation; Rom, Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Neelix, Star Trek: Voyager; Vir Cotto, Babylon 5
• The Outsider - The Outsider has a dubious past that, whether it is from their own actions or the violent actions of a group to which they belonged, others have legitimate reasons to be suspicious of them. The Outsider can choose from one of three backgrounds: the Double Agent, the Exiled Enemy, or the Criminal Past.
  • Touchstones: Garak, Star Trek: Deep Space 9; Jayne, Firefly; Faye Valentine, Cowboy Bebop; Vala Mal Doran, Stargate SG-1

Starscape is built on a Powered by the Apocalypse (PBTA) foundation, with enhancements that tailor it to found-family space stories. Each crewmate is built from one of ten playbooks that provide a selection of moves that accomplish tasks. Most of those moves are resolved with a 2d6 die roll, which is adjusted by adding stat and skill modifiers. High results give you what you want, but all roll outcomes are designed to move the story forward in engaging ways. 

Players only roll when the outcome of an action is in question or might impact the game narrative. For example, a trained pilot does not need to make a roll to do easy maneuvers or hold course under calm circumstances. That is their job; of course they can do it. However, that same pilot does need to roll to land the ship if it is badly damaged or during a massive superstorm. The added pressure and the major impact on the plot necessitate the use of a randomizer to make the outcome more interesting. 

Trust is at the core of all relationships, especially when facing the many hazards of space travel. In Starscape, Trust is represented in the form of a game currency that must be wagered or spent to access Crew Moves, which create narrative moments between PCs. Sometimes when you put your Trust on the line and it pays off, but other times things go sideways, and you lose the Trust of your companions. 

Backgrounds are the biggest choice you make after you pick what character playbook you want to use. A characters background does not only dictate their past experiences, but their future asperations and their relationship with the crew. 

Skills represent knowledge gained through experience and training. Anyone can try to fix an engine, but an engineer has been trained to do it. To represent this, you add a +1 to any roll if the GM agrees that skill is applicable. For example, if a player wants to punch someone in the face, they roll Force is Necessary and add +1 to the roll for their Fighting skill. Starting skills are selected by answering the question from your chosen background because, while skills do have mechanical benefits, their main purpose is to reinforce the importance of a character’s backstory and add to the narrative.

Stats represent the physical and mental abilities of your character. They cannot be raised higher than +2 and do not change very much over the course of your campaign. Each stat has one of the following values: -1 is below average, 0 is average, +1 is good, +2 is exceptional.

• Body - Physical acts like strength, dexterity and athletic ability
• Brains - Analytical, informational processing and academic skills
• Heart - Emotional intelligence, empathy, understanding and caring
• Savvy - Common sense, street smarts and cunning
• Courage - Steadiness, valor, and sense of purpose

Starscape tells emotional and dynamic stories about journeys through space. Feel free to try anything and see what happens! Sometimes you will be able to just do things by saying you do them, especially if there isn’t any pressure or time constraints on your character. However, sometimes the things you do trigger a move, which means that the outcome is important or uncertain and you will use game mechanics to find out what happens. Pay attention to the specific wording of each move to understand when it triggers. 

Starscape has Basic Moves that anyone can do, Crew Moves that are used for interpersonal relationships between crewmates, and Playbook Moves that are abilities unique to each character. 

Seeing Red
Each playbook has a unique list of triggers for this move. If any of the things on that list happens, this move triggers immediately and you must act on it at that moment.

Technobabble:
Once a scene, when you describe an action using complicated, technical, futuristic vocabulary, you get a bonus to your roll. Starscape even provides a handy-dandy chart to help you come up with technobabble on the fly!

The system focuses on the emotional consequences of events and their impact on characters. These emotional consequences are represented by marking Conditions, and the array of Conditions vary for each playbook. Conditions may result from social interactions, but also from physical injuries. All physical harm heals in a dramatically-appropriate amount of time narratively, but that doesn’t clear the emotional Conditions that the injuries caused. Your leg may have healed, but the emotional resentment, anger, hopelessness, or grief that lingers can’t be fixed in the med-bay or bacta tank. Conditions can only be cleared as move results specify. 

Conditions are linked to your character’s stats, with two Conditions listed under each stat. If both Conditions under a stat are marked, that stat becomes “crashed,” which means that it changes to -1 and you lose a Trust. 

• Listen to the CritShow play a one-shot of Starscape
• Watch Happy Jacks RPG's ongoing campaign of Starscape
• Listen to Happy Jacks RPG's ongoing campaign of Starcape
  
  Press Articles
• TechRaptor's article on Starscape
• Fandomentals' article on Starscape
• NerdBot article on Starscape

This is an overview of our pledge levels. Please read the descriptions in the tiers for more details. 

We understand that supporting a crowdfunding campaign is all about trust. We will endeavor to keep you informed about our progress on finalizing and publishing the game.

Where is the money going?
Our goal of $12,000 is the very base cost to finish the production of Starscape. The majority of that figure will go to manufacturing the books, with the next largest share going to art and layout for the full book. If we go beyond $12,000, we will also be able to recoup some of the costs that have already been invested in the development of Starscape.

How long will this take?
Our goal is to have Starscape delivered to backers before the end of 2025. 

• Fall 2024 - Collect feedback from the quickstart and continue playtesting
• Winter 2024/Spring 2025 - Finalize the manuscript, start final layout and art
• Spring/Summer 2025 - Begin manufacturing Starscape. This generally takes about 6 months and is somewhat dependent on the factory.
•  Fall/Winter 2025 - Starscape arrives and is shipped out to backers!

This timeline is what we will strive for, but many parts of the supply chain are still unstable due to the Covid pandemic and other factors. Some delays may arise that are beyond our control, but we will always be honest and transparent with you about any production issues. 

Kickstarter Terms:
The following Terms are accepted by you, the backer, when you pledge, so we can ensure smooth delivery for all. Surveys not filled in after 2 months of final delivery (from the "we are shipping" update) or missing reward requests after 2 months of your game shipment will be treated as a no reward pledge. Please help us get you your rewards by emailing us with any issues you may have and filling in your survey in a timely manner! Watch for updates on all shipping statuses. All our major communications will be via Updates. 

By pledging to this project, you acknowledge that the final look of the project and the rewards are subject to change and may differ from what is presented while the Kickstarter campaign was active. If you do not accept these terms, please do not pledge on this project but instead wait for the possibility of a general release copy. We will always do our best to provide exactly what was pictured, but sometimes small details change or a design is removed and replaced with another, etc.

Shipping will be charged for this campaign through the pledge manager when the product is ready to be delivered. We will charge VAT for the UK and EU pledges at that time as well. 

NOTE: Due to a mistake, some backer levels are charging shipping. We set the prices as low as possible and will give all backers credit for what they pay now when shipping happens in 2025. Choose the lowest shipping option available for your chosen level!

Estimated shipping costs for a single copy of Starscape:

• USA: $8- $12 (Ships from USA)
• UK: £10- £14 (Ships from UK)
• EU: €16 - €22
• Canada: $25-$30 (Ships from USA)
• Australia & NZ: $25-34
• China: $10 - $16
• Japan, South Korea, Phillipines: $24 - $32

Global shipping continues to be uncertain, and these prices may be different by the time the game ships in 2025. Our commitment is that all our backers will get their products in excellent condition.  

Please note the following:

• We are unable to ship to Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Syria, South and Central America (except Mexico & Brazil), Pakistan, and Nigeria.
• Israel may have additional fees due to dangerous handling being imposed by couriers to the region.

All PDF products will be fulfilled through DriveThruRPG.  

Contact us at info@goldenlassogames.com if you have questions about shipping!

Golden Lasso Games is a woman-owned tabletop games company, located in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2018, the owner Kimi Hughes, wanted to create games that empower players and excite the imagination. 

In 2019, GLG released its first game, Virgins & Vixens, an RPG about breaking the tropes of women in fairy tales. A few years later their first Kickstarted project, Decuma: the R&D for your RPG, won a gold ENnie. 

You can see more of their work and upcoming projects at goldenlassogames.com.