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Congratulations!
You are one of a very few people each year who may become a limited partner in Karum Station Enterprises, a subsidiary of Drake Industries. Your first obligation is to sign the enclosed Memorandum of Agreement. You need not do this at once. You are encouraged to study the agreement and to seek legal advice, if available. However, until you sign you will not be eligible to occupy Corporation housing, dine at the Corporation commissary or participate in the Corporation instruction courses.
Accommodations are available at the Karum Hotel and Restaurant for those who are here as visitors, or who do not at present wish to sign the Memorandum of Agreement.
A vast universe at your fingertips
As a limited partner in Karum Enterprises, we do not need to explain to you the absolute privilege that it is to be standing where you are. Karum Station, the marvel left behind by the Àrsaidh, an ancient race of alien beings. From here, you will help find and shape the future of all humanity, and in the process, benefit personally from doing so. Earth has certainly seen better times, but here at Drake Industries we are firm believers in the power of community and humanity. We will overcome our common societal hurdles, and led by the brilliant vision of Jonathan Fraser, CEO of Drake Industries, we are working for the betterment of all humanity. And you are a key part of this! As a brave explorer, you will board one of the Àrsaidh ships and embark on a mission that will surely prove beneficial to all humanity, and most importantly, to you! Who hasn’t read the interviews with famous (and now, very rich) explorers, such as Dema Acharya, Jafari Cheboi, or Ella Abadie? Well, the next one could be you!
It is the first decade of the 22nd century. After a complete ecological collapse, Earth is close to becoming uninhabitable. Wars and hunger are all most know, and only those with ungodly amounts of money can hope to escape to the only place where a sliver of hope remains: space. A few hundred live in the obscene luxury of the nascent Mars colony, while the rest of the solar system is being slowly taken over by the megacorporations, eager to extract the last drop of usable resources.
That is, until Drake Industries bought the exploitation rights of yet another rock in the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Little did they know they had just bought the rights to humanity’s future… Within the lifeless rock, hundreds of alien ships remained dormant, a treasure trove of technology. Unfortunately, after decades of study the technology proved to be way above what we can comprehend, and all that the Drake Industries scientists managed to achieve was to turn them on. It was quickly discovered that each ship contained the coordinates of hundreds of sites, and an expedition was promptly organized. According to Drake Industries, what was found was enough to justify building a proper station within and without the asteroid: Karum Station, and shortly after the Karum Station Authority was established.
Regardless of how you paid the exorbitantly expensive ticket to Karum Station, or why you decided to risk your life, you are now working for the KSA. As a Deep Diver, your job is to board one of the Àrsaidh ships, grab anything of value, and come back. The only problem is, nobody knows if those damn ships will arrive at a place with any technology left behind, or return to normal space from Tayy al-Arḍ within the range of a star that has gone supernova, killing you instantly. And if you are one of the lucky ones and you make it to an Àrsaidh facility, maybe you’ll encounter one of those Guardians they left behind, or something even worse…
Across a Thousand Dead Worlds is a horror space exploration Role-Playing Game for 1 to 5 players (Game Master optional). In it, you will:
Create your Deep Diver, using a free-form character creation system that allows you to design your character the way you want to play it. Level up, increasing your character’s power by obtaining powerful gear and equipping the combination of Talents (chosen from a pool of dozens) that adapts best to your playstyle. What to play a support character or a melee specialist? Everything is possible.
Discover a flexible ruleset that allows you to solve any action with a single D20 roll. The powerful and brutal combat rules will satisfy anyone itching for a fight. With grid-based tactical combat, the action in Across a Thousand Dead Worlds is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
Want to know how it feels like to be inside a tin can crossing space with a bunch of strangers, not knowing if you’ll have enough oxygen or food for everyone to get there, or even to return? How will your teammates react when you start breaking down due to stress? Will they help you and tolerate your incessant, maddening foot-tapping, or will things end even before you’ve reached your destination?
Travel across the galaxy, discovering and exploring ancient refineries, scientific outposts, abandoned research facilities, and more, in search for ancient alien technology. Whether orbiting a dead star or on the surface of an ice planet, what gear you decided to bring with you and who your crewmates are will greatly influence your chances to survive.
Live the life of a Deep Diver aboard Karum Station, your home between missions (as long as you pay your fees, of course). Get drunk, get into fights, flirt with the tourists, and buy the best gear you can for the next mission!
And all this can be done as a single player, with the help of the many GM-less tools available in the book, or with a group of friends, with or without a Game Master. With dozens of tables to randomly generate exploration sites, planets, and even opponents (ensuring you never fight the same creature twice), a GM or player can prepare a mission in a matter of seconds.
Starting Crew & Exploration Sites
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Starting Crew & Exploration Sites is a new supplement for Across a Thousand Dead Worlds that helps you get right into the game play by utilizing the included pre-generated content!
If you don’t have time or simply don’t feel like generating an NPC to join your crew, you can roll on the included tables to see who’s looking for a crew at Karum Station. Each NPC profile includes a detailed biography, unique piece of artwork, character specific stats, and gear!
Playing Across a Thousand Dead Worlds solo or co-op? Perhaps you are a Game Master that needs an impromptu Exploration Site? The included pre-generated sites offer excellent starting off points to get a new story going. Includes the site's detailed description, original purpose, site activities, hazards, and more!
Starting Crew & Exploration Sites features:
6 new detailed NPC's
Portrait artwork for each character
4 engaging Exploration Sites
Karum Station Blues
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Karum Station Blues is an introductory scenario for Across a Thousand Dead Worlds, designed to immerse players in a gritty, high-stakes sci-fi universe. Starting off on the remote and perilous Karum Station, the scenario guides players through the station's dark underbelly, serving as the perfect introduction to the game’s setting, and gives players the option to undertake their first mission: a journey to the treacherous depths of a mysterious alien site known as Leviathan’s Chandelier. The book provides a richly detailed setting, complete with unique locations, dangerous events, and a host of alien threats. With its blend of atmospheric storytelling, tactical gameplay, and cosmic horror, Karum Station Blues offers a gripping introduction to the Across a Thousand Dead Worlds system.
Key Features:
Immersive Setting: Explore the gritty, high-tech world of Karum Station, a hub of danger and intrigue on the edge of known space.
New Activities and Locations for Karum Station: Whether you want to check out the Scab Markets, or purchase a casket to ensure your survival in case your next mission goes awry, there are plenty of things to do aboard Karum!
Leviathan’s Chandelier: Dive into a unique alien site filled with environmental hazards, mysterious artifacts, and deadly creatures.
Rich Narrative: Experience a story-driven adventure with multiple outcomes, influenced by player choices and actions.
Customizable Experience: As usual, play with or without a Game Master, using the game’s flexible protocols to suit your group’s style.
Expanded Bestiary: Encounter a variety of alien creatures, each with unique abilities and behaviors, adding depth and challenge to the gameplay.
Replayability: With randomized events, multiple mission outcomes, and the option for repeated visits to the Chandelier, the scenario offers high replay value.