ASTOUNDING INTERPLANETARY

ADVENTURES
Minimalist pulp sci-fi roleplaying

By Scott Malthouse
TROLLISH DELVER GAMES
 Astounding Interplanetary Adventures
Astounding Interplanetary
Adventures is a minimalist pulp sci-fi
roleplaying game in the vein of Flash
Gordon and Buck Rogers, for 3+ players.
ASSIGN ATTRIBUTES
Characters will split the following numbers
between each attribute: 5+, 4+, 4+, 3+.
Brawn: used for strength and melee.
Nimble: used for ranged attacks and
agility.
Mind: used for intelligence and science.
Person: used for personal interactions.
In addition, characters have an assigned
number of wounds and special abilities.
Characters start with 1d6 x 100 credits.
CHOOSE A CLASS
Players choose a character class from the
following:
SOLDIER (5 wounds, Special: re-roll an
attack once and keep highest roll. Use this
special a number of times per combat equal
to half class level, rounded up).
SCIENTIST (3 wounds, Special: scientists
are able to use Science, see below)
NOBLE (4 wounds, Special: may Test
Person to give one enemy a -1 to attacks for
rounds equal to half their level rounded up.
Once per combat).
ATHLETE (5 wounds, Special: once per
hour an athlete may get +1 to Test Brawn.
Increase to +2 at level 3 and +3 at level 6).
PILOT (4 wounds, Special: a pilot may
automatically succeed Test Nimble when
ship handling a number of times per day
equal to half class level rounded up).
Minimalist Pulp Sci-Fi Roleplaying
SCIENCE
Restorative Salve: Test Mind to heal
target 1 wound per class level. Once per
hour.
Drone Bot: T est Mind. Once per day, a
small (1x1ft) drone can be created or
recharged. It lasts for 12 hours before
needing recharging. Can make or recharge
a number of drones equal to half class level
rounded up and no more than this can
exist at any one time. Use Drone Bot stats
in Aliens section.
Rocket Science: Test Mind. Once per
day you may recover +2 per class level to a
rocket ships hull.
MAKING TESTS
When a character needs to do something
that has a risk of failure, they must roll a
d6 on a relevant attribute. Meeting or
exceeding the number is a success.
Difficult tasks have a -1 to the roll and very
difficult tasks have -2.
COMBAT
Initiative: Each player Tests Nimble.
Successes act before enemies and failures
act after.
Actions: Characters can make 2 unique
actions per turn, including move, attack,
use science, draw weapon and use an item.
Attacking: Attackers either Test Brawn
(melee attack) or Nimble (ranged attack).
If successful, the attacker has scored 1
damage against the opponent. Ranged
attacks in close combat get -1 penalty.
Astounding Interplanetary Adventures copyright Scott Malthouse and Trollish Delver Games 2017. All art in the public domain.
MOVEMENT have special actions.
Characters and NPCs can walk 30ft per Ant, Plutonium: A huge glowing green ant
turn or run 80ft as 2 actions. that lives in desert wasteland. 4+, 4 wounds,
special action: may make a Test to Pin an
INJURY AND DEATH opponent for 1d3 rounds. It may attack while
Successful attacks do 1 damage, which is pinning.
deducted from the character or enemys
wound score. If a character reaches 0
wounds, they are unconscious and
unable to act. If they reach -1 wounds,
they are dead. Wounds heal at a rate of 1
per day.
CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
As characters go on more adventures,
they gain more experience through
experience points (XP). XP can be spent
to level up. Gain XP as follows:
- Defeating opponent 1XP
- Completing adventure 3XP
- Great roleplaying 2XP
Once a character reaches 20XP x their
level, they level up gaining 1 extra
Wound. There are a total of 6 levels.
ALIEN TECH
Alien tech has its own unique effects,
such as enhancing an attribute when
used (i.e. Exoskeleton +1 Brawn).
ELITE WEAPONS
Elite weapons provide a +1 bonus to
attack or damage rolls. These are rare
Bird Person: Noble creatures of the sky,
and powerful.
resemble humans with large bird wings on their
ALIENS backs. 4+, 3 wounds, special action: May fly as a
Opponents have one number they roll move action.
against for tests and combat. Many also
Catthin: Panther-like humanoid with
sharp claws. 4+, 6 wounds, special action:
target must Test Brawn or be knocked
prone.
Drone Bot: A little spherical robot with
one clawed arm. 5+, 2 wounds, special
action: may carry an item weighing 5lbs or
less.
Eeek: A vicious reptile with a pointed
snout. 4+, 7 wounds, special action: may
make a Test to gain +1 to next attack.
Fidon: Dog-like humanoid. 4+, 5 wounds,
special action: Opponent must Test Person
or become Frightened for 1d3 rounds.
Giant Gurk: A massive hairy brute. 3+,
9 wounds, special action: Opponent must
Test Nimble or become Stunned for 1d6
rounds.
Huuk Warrior: Insectoid beast with
biting pincers. 5+, 3 wounds, special
action: As a move action may bury into the
ground.
Juju: four-armed cyclops beast. 4+, 8
wounds, special action: Make a Test. If
successful, Juju regains 1 wound.
Krillian: Sea-dwelling blue humanoid.
4+, 4 wounds, special action: Use an action
to give another Krillian within 10ft +1 to its
next attack.
Mighty Zor: Giant humanoid with laser
eyes. 3+, 15 wounds, special action:
Opponent must Test Nimble or be
paralyzed for 1d3 rounds.
Nebuloid: Small green-skinned aliens.
5+, 2 wounds, special action: None.
Octon: Octopus-faced humanoid, 4+, 5
wounds, special action: None.
Zombi, Cosmic: 4+, 5 wounds, special:
target Tests Brawn or is diseased for 1d3
rounds.
Astounding Interplanetary Adventures copyright Scott Malthouse and Trollish Delver Games 2017. All art in the public domain.
ITEMS
Armour (+2 wounds while worn, 2000cr)
Melee or ranged weapon (200cr)
Rocket fuel (x1) (100cr)
Rations (1 day) (20cr)
20ft rope (30cr)
Common outfit (35cr)
Fancy outfit (100cr)
Scrap metal (50cr)
Helmet (+1 wound while worn, 400cr)
ADVANCED OPTIONS
The following options are if you would like
to add some further depth to the game.
ADVANCED COMBAT
Bull rush: Move and attack an
opponent. +1 attack, but opponent gets a
+1 to its next attack. Costs 2 actions.
Parry: Opponent gets -1 to its next attack
against parrying character. Cannot attack
and parry in the same turn.
Flee: Move twice movement away from
an opponent. Costs 2 actions.
Two weapon fighting: make a second
attack with -2 penalty.
Unarmed: Unarmed characters have -1
to attacks.
STATUS EFFECTS
Poisoned: Take 1 damage each turn.
Paralysed: Cannot move or act.
Stunned: Take a -1 to all rolls
Pinned: Cannot move
Diseased: Take 1 damage each turn and
-1 to all rolls.
Prone: On the ground. Takes an action to
stand. Attackers gain +1 to prone targets.
Frightened: Must move away from the
source of the effect each turn.
Cruiser (4 fuel, 8 hull, 4+ attack, regular
handling regular, 4 crew, 8000 credits)
Warship (8 fuel, 12 hull, 3+ attack,
difficult handling, 12 crew, 70,000
credits)
Destroyer (12 fuel, 18 hull, 3+ attack, very
difficult handling, 30 crew, 200,000
credits)
ROCKET SHIPS
Rocket ships are both modes of transport
and an attack vehicles.
Ship Handling: When flying a rocket
situations arise that call for deft piloting,
such as navigating an asteroid field. When
this happens, the pilot must Test Nimble.
Failure is determined by the GM, but this
will often be damage to the ship. Different
kinds of ships have different handling
toughness - regular, difficult (-1 Nimble)
and very difficult (-2 Nimble).
Crew: This number shows how many
PLANET GENERATOR
Terrain (d6)
people the rocket can accommodate.
Fuel: Rocket ships need fuel. For every
1. Forest, 2. Ice, 3. Desert, 4. Metropolis,
5. Water, 6. Mountains
People (d6)
day flown, 1 fuel is used. If all fuel is used
the rocket stays stationary and will not
1. Warriors, 2. Engineers, 3.
move.
Hull: Rockets have a hull, which is
Environmentalists, 4. Religious, 5.
Hedonists, 6. Workers
Government (d6)
reduced through damage. When the hull
reaches 0 the rocket is destroyed.
Weapons: Just like characters, rockets
1. Dictatorship, 2. Theocracy, 3. Anarchy,
4. Democracy, 5. Aristocracy, 6.
have an attack value shown as X+.
Combat: Rocket combat is the same as
Monarchy
Issue (d6)
regular combat, except the pilot Tests
1. Plague, 2. Uprising, 3. Natural disaster,
Nimble for initiative and the ship itself
4. Maniac ruler, 5. Low natural resources,
attacks. Only ranged weapons are used on a
6. Invaders
rocket.
Fighter (2 fuel, 4 hull, 4+ attack, regular
handling, 1 crew, 2000 credits)
ASTOUNDING INTERPLANETARY ADVENTURES
CHARACTER SHEET

CHARACTER NAME:
CLASS:
LEVEL:

BRAWN:
NIMBLE:
MIND:
PERSON:
WOUNDS:

SPECIAL ABILITY:

EQUIPMENT

Astounding Interplanetary Adventures copyright Scott Malthouse and Trollish Delver Games 2017. All art in the public domain.
 Astounding Interplanetary Adventures: Introductory Setting
Welcome to the universe of Astounding
Interplanetary Adventures, a game
based around the old pulp sci fi serials and
comic strips of the 1930s. This is a game of
two-fisted space heroism, filled with
rockets, aliens and rayguns.
THE PREMISE
Just like in Flash Gordon, the player
characters in this game come from Earth
and have found their way into the wider
galaxy through a scientific experiment gone
awry. They are now wanderers amongst the
stars, with no way of knowing whether they
will ever be able to get back home.
FACTIONS
The Order of Planets: For many the
Order represents progressive change for
the galaxy, in a time of war and strife. The
Order consists of 4 planets who long ago
signed a peace treaty to stand up against
tyranny and support each other in times of
need. These planets are: Tungo, Avarania,
Brost and Al Quan.
The Shadowlast: A hive of smugglers,
mercenaries and thieves - the Shadowlast
is a group that lives outside of the law.
Many of their pirates haunt trade routes
around the galaxy.
The Builders: A collective of the
brightest minds in the galaxy - scientists,
engineers and philosophers come together
to tackle the toughest questions.
The Dreadcon Empire: The creeping
fingers of the Dreadcon are expanding
through the galaxy. An evil uprising led by
Astounding Interplanetary Adventures copyright Scott Malthouse and Trollish Delver Games 2017. All art in the public domain.
Zirgun Shatterblast, the self-proclaimed
Emperor of the Universe. It is their
ultimate goal to seize control of the Order
of the Planets and rule the galaxy and
beyond.
To help build out your character, its
recommended they are given a faction as a
background.
PLANETS
While you can create your own planets,
the following are all part of the AIA
universe.
Avarania
Terrain: City
Government: Monarchy
Race: Catthin
Leader: Queen Sheenor Xalthun
Faction: TOP
Avarania is a shining jewel of the galaxy -
an almost utopian city of white, gleaming
towers, happy people and great history.
Queen Xalthun is a benevolent ruler who
is adored by all.
Al Quan
Terrain: Desert
Government: Aristocracy
Race: Nebuloid
Leader: Sultana Greema
Faction: TOP
A glimmering desert planet with building
forged from fabulous keelstone. The heat
here is enough to melt an ice cube in a
nanosecond!
Brost Minerla is home to the water-dwelling
Terrain: Ice Killian, who live in a fabulous underwater
Government: Democracy city. Minerla keeps to itself and has yet to
Race: Fidon be attacked by the Dreadcon Empire due
Leader: Prime Minister Ranol IV to its defensive position underwater.
Faction: TOP
Brost is a frigid planet where the Fidon Tungo
have made their home. It is particularly Terrain: City
notable for being rich in Utoniam, which is Government: Anarchy
refined to create rocket fuel. Race: Octon
Leader: None
Carnan Faction: TOP
Terrain: Mountains Tungo is known as the City of the Squid,
Government: Dictatorship with the intelligent Octon race calling it
Race: Bird People their home. While they have no
Leader: Balthazar the Mighty discernable government, everyone tends
Faction: Dreadcon Empire to live in peace.
The mountainous terrain is a perfect home
for the bird people, a tribal people who are
also excellent engineers.
Fang
Terrain: Forest
Government: Dictatorship
Race: Huuk
Leader: Lillian Bloodstar
Faction: Dreadcon Empire
This lush forest is home to the now
subjugated Huuk insectoid race. They now
bow to Lillian Bloodstar, one of Zirguns
prized generals.
Minerla
Terrain: Sea
Government: Monarchy
Race: Killian
Leader: King Slesh of Kanar
Faction: None
Astounding Interplanetary Adventures copyright Scott Malthouse and Trollish Delver Games 2017. All art in the public domain.