Infinite Galaxies is a science-fiction role playing game of epic adventure for 3-6 players. The game is based on the Apocalypse engine with some cool tweaks to better model stuff like star ship combat, robots, aliens and other hallmarks of Sci-Fi!
You can view the current quick play packet at InfiniteGalaxies.net under the downloads section!
Have you ever wanted to see a robot with a jet pack and rocket launcher arms? Ever wanted to fly your ship to the furthest reaches of the galaxy to explore alien ruins? Ever wanted to use your psionic powers to free the people of Arachnis 9 from the evil lord Zor? Well, with Infinite Galaxies, you can! You can do all of this with as much or as little prep as you want. If you want to run a zero-prep one shot, it’s easy. If you would rather create a complex society and hundreds of planets, you can do that too! It all works seamlessly with Infinite Galaxies rules.
There are eight separate playbooks – or character classes - representing a lot of sci-fi character tropes. Each playbook includes three separate starting packages allowing for a great deal of flexibility in character creation. This flexibility allows for some interesting party combinations – a squadron of Aces all with their own ships, a party of robots making their way in a meatbags world or a squadron of soldiers ridding a planet of bugs!
The Ace
You are the consummate pilot of all things that move. You start the game with your own starship and you can upgrade this ship as the game continues.
The Explorer
You excel at finding people and places no one else can. You start with the ability to lead a group into unknown or hostile territory.
The Jack
You are connected and you know how to get the things you need to get the job done. You start with the ability to use your network of contacts to get important information.
The Leader
Your skills and talents reside in providing guidance and instructions to others, in planning, and in strategy. You start with the ability to provide bonuses to your allies’ rolled moves.
The Psi
You are an enigmatic master of mental powers. Depending on what package you select, you have access to many different psionic abilities, including telepathy, telekinesis, and the ability to manifest a weapon from your psionic energy.
The Robot
You are a robot, an artificial creation of first-rate metal alloys, high-grade plastics, and gadgets beyond the imaginations of most. You may be designed for combat, to defend those under your protection. You may be designed to serve as a translator or guide. You may even be specialized in navigation.
The Scientist
Your talents lie in studying the natural world, repairing broken things, and creating devices of your own design. You start play with an innate ability to know things – a lot of things.
The Soldier
You are a trained warrior, skilled in the arts of combat and defense. Primarily, you excel in fight scenes. You may wield a laser rifle or perhaps heavy weapons. You might be trained in tactics and leading small teams of military units. You might even be skilled at healing others.
The Ship
The Ace's starship gets its own playbook and acts in many ways like a character. The Ship has its own ability scores, its own damage system, and can advance much like a character does.
Scenes
In Infinite Galaxies, the story is broken down into scenes, discrete chunks of the story. A run through a crumbling hallway on a derelict space station, working out what all those weird gears do on that ancient alien door, or a space combat.
Milestones
Milestones represent the group's general goals for the current session. They are something the group wants to accomplish, like 'Free the Princess' or 'Infiltrate the bug hive'. Whenever these milestones are completed, everyone marks experience and a new milestone is created.
Drives
During play, players mark a series of drives. These are motives, such as ‘Destroy something important in a spectacular way’ or ‘Heal someone who is dangerously close to death’. Whenever they trigger one of these drives, they mark experience. Players can change their drives when a new milestone is introduced.
Relationships
Like bonds in other Apocalypse Engine games, relationships give your character direct connections to the other characters. Whenever you trigger a Relationship, you mark experience.
Vitality and Wounds
Vitality is your ability to jump, duck and dodge. When you’ve used up all your Vitality, you start to take Wounds and taking wounds can lead to you being knocked out or taking a debility.
All the examples and equipment, as well as sample missions, are drawn from the default "Star Patrol" setting. In "Star Patrol", humans have spread across the Milky Way galaxy and have met a number of other alien races, including the hyper advanced Greys, reptilian Masskai, and savage White Apes!
The organization known as Star Patrol is the law enforcement arm of the Terran Alliance, a political group made up of humans and many of the other space faring races.
While we include all of this in the core rule book, this is for your convenience; it’s not required to use the setting for your game.
Infinite Galaxies has been in development since 2015 and extensively play tested in both private groups and at Origins Games on Demand. Over two years of feedback and revisions have gone into the game and we’re now ready to present it to the world and move into the next phase of production! Once the game is funded, we'll be commissioning interior art and the cover art. Concurrently, we'll be going through the editing process for the manuscript. Once both of those steps are completed, we'll move on to layout and final character sheet designs. We hope to have the book available for backers by September of 2018 -- barring any unforeseen delays. During this time, we'll be doing our best to keep you well informed on the current state of the project.
Here's what we currently have planned.
At $8,000 we'll nearly double the amount of art currently slotted for the book!
More stretch goals will be revealed once the earlier ones are achieved!
Developer: Rory G. MacLeod
Rory has been involved with tabletop RPGs since 1984 and has been playing PBTA / story games since 2014. Rory is a Project Manager for a major financial institution by day and a writer by night!
Kickstarter Consultant, Videographer, Business Advisor, Gentleman-about-Town: Steve Wallace
Steve Wallace is a writer and designer living in Columbus, OH. He was the lead designer for No Country For Old Kobolds and is currently designing Touched, a magic and cyberpunk add on for The Sprawl. You can see more of his work at SteveWallaceArt.com
Editor: Laura Briskin-Limehouse
Laura works as a cataloging librarian, writer, editor, and actual play podcaster. She's written for and edited Red Markets and the upcoming Goblins, podcasts with Technical Difficulties Podcast, and blogs about writing and gaming at LauraBWrites.com and on tumblr.
Cover Art: Jaroslaw Marcinek
Born 1980 in Poland. Illustrator, concept artist and comics artist - freelancer. Mainly interested in science-fiction. An admirer of books by Stanislaw Lem and films by John Carpenter.
Online portfolio: yaroslavus.artstation.com
Layout: Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown has been working in the gaming community since 2001 when he started NerdNYC a gaming-event promotion organization. During his time as president of the organization, aside from organizing many gaming events, he started a t-shirt line aimed at gamers which was sold online, at area gaming conventions and wholesale to area game and comic book stores. Aaron has brought this same concept to Columbus, by opening Tabletop Game Cafe. In addition to game-event promotions, Aaron has worked professionally in design and communication since 1997. He has produced web and print material for a wide range of clients from major symphony orchestras, heavy-machinery manufactures, dance companies, public-policy think tanks and several educational non-profits. Visit him at: http://www.tabletopgamecafe.com
Public Domain Art courtesy of:
"The Courage to Soar Higher" - NASA Publication - Photographs
https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/357861main_Courage_to_Soar_Higher.pdf
Risks and challenges
While the core rules are locked and won't be changing we still have some significant work to do on the manuscript. In addition we have all the art still to do. We've brought in experienced team members who have already been part of successful books like Red Markets, The Sprawl and No Country For Old Kobolds in order to alleviate some beginner mistakes. With their help we're confident we can overcome any of the challenges we'll face!
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Funding period
- (30 days)