Publisher: Angry Golem Games
Introduction
Stars Without Number is a science fiction role-playing game that allows players to create and explore their own star systems, planets, and civilizations. One of the tools that the game provides is the World Datasheet, a document that helps the game master and the players to keep track of the essential information about a world, such as its name, star type, culture, gravity, population, and technology level. The World Datasheet also helps to generate interesting and consistent narratives by using world tags, which are keywords that describe the main features and challenges of a world. In this review, I will examine the structure and content of the World Datasheet, and evaluate its usefulness and effectiveness for the game.
World Record Sheet
The first section of the World Datasheet is the World Record Sheet, where the basic information about a world is recorded. This includes:
- World name: The name of the planet or moon.
- Star name: The name of the star that the world orbits.
- Star type: The spectral class and luminosity of the star, such as G2V (a yellow main-sequence star like our Sun) or M5III (a red giant star).
- System name: The name of the star system that the world belongs to.
- Culture: The dominant culture or civilization of the world, this section depends on the specific campaign setting you are playing.
- Moons: The number and names of the natural satellites of the world.
- Gravity factor: The relative strength of gravity on the world compared to Earth, such as 0.5 (half as strong) or 1.5 (one and a half times as strong).
- Revolution and rotation: The length of the year and the day on the world in Earth days.
These fields are useful for giving a quick overview of the physical and cultural characteristics of a world, and for determining how they affect the gameplay. For example, a world with a high gravity factor might require more fuel for space travel, or impose penalties on physical activities. A world with a long day or year might have extreme variations in temperature or seasons. A world with a different culture might have different customs, laws, or values than the players.
World Building
The second section of the World Datasheet is the World Building section, where the narrative elements of a world are generated and recorded. This section uses the world tags system from the Stars Without Number core rulebook, which are predefined keywords that describe the main features and challenges of a world. Each world can have up to three tags, which are chosen randomly or by preference from a list of 100 options. Some examples of tags are:
- Alien Ruins: The world has ancient ruins left by an alien civilization that might contain secrets, treasures, or dangers.
- Civil War: The world is divided by a violent conflict between two or more factions that might involve the players in their struggles.
- Cybercommunists: The world is ruled by a totalitarian regime that uses cybernetics to control and monitor its citizens.
- Psionics Academy: The world has a prestigious institution that trains and studies psionic abilities, which might attract or repel psionic characters.
Each tag also has five associated instances: enemies, friends, complications, things, and places. These are specific examples of how the tag manifests on the world, and how it can create opportunities or problems for the players. For example, for the Alien Ruins tag, some instances are:
- Enemies: Raiders who loot and destroy the ruins; cultists who worship the aliens; xenophobes who hate anything alien.
- Friends: Scholars who study the ruins; explorers who seek new discoveries; traders who deal in alien artifacts.
- Complications: The ruins are booby-trapped or guarded by automated defenses; the ruins are infected by an alien plague or parasite; the ruins are located in a dangerous or inaccessible area.
- Things: A mysterious device that has unknown powers or functions; a valuable relic that has cultural or historical significance; a dangerous weapon that can cause massive destruction.
- Places: A hidden chamber that contains secrets or clues; a majestic hall that showcases alien architecture or art; a crumbling tower that offers a vantage point or a challenge.
The World Building section also has space to write a short description of how the tags connect to each other to create a consistent narrative. For example, if a world has the tags Alien Ruins, Civil War, and Psionics Academy, one possible description is:
This world was once colonized by an ancient alien race that left behind many ruins and relics. However, when their empire collapsed, they also left behind a psionic virus that infected some of the human settlers. These psionic humans formed an academy to study and train their abilities, but they also faced discrimination and persecution from the non-psionic majority. This led to a civil war that divided the world into two factions: the psionic rebels and the anti-psionic loyalists. The players might get involved in this conflict, either by siding with one of the factions, or by trying to broker peace. They might also explore the alien ruins, which could provide them with valuable resources, information, or allies, or expose them to new dangers or enemies.
The World Building section is very useful and effective for creating interesting and diverse worlds that have their own stories, challenges, and opportunities. The world tags system is easy to use and provides a lot of variety and inspiration. The instances help to flesh out the details and implications of the tags, and to create hooks and scenarios for the players. The description helps to tie everything together and to establish the tone and theme of the world.
World Statistics
The third section of the World Datasheet is the World Statistics section, where the numerical data about a world are recorded. This includes:
- Atmosphere: The type and quality of the air on the world, such as breathable, corrosive, or vacuum.
- Biosphere: The diversity and complexity of life on the world, such as hybrid, engineered, or none.
- Temperature: The average and range of temperature on the world, such as cold, temperate, or infernal.
- Population: The number and distribution of people on the world, such as millions, billions, or failed colony.
These fields are useful for giving a more detailed picture of the environmental and social conditions of a world, and for determining how they affect the gameplay. For example, a world with a corrosive atmosphere might require special equipment or protection to survive, or impose penalties on health or equipment. A world with an engineered biosphere might have exotic or artificial life forms that could be useful or harmful. A world with a low population might have limited resources or infrastructure, or offer more freedom or isolation.
Technology Level
The fourth and final section of the World Datasheet is the Technology Level section, where the level of technological development and advancement on a world is recorded. This is measured by a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 is pre-industrial and 5 is post-scarcity. Some examples of technology levels are:
- 0: Pre-industrial. No electricity, no firearms, no vehicles. Technology is based on muscle, wind, water, or animal power. Examples: Medieval Europe, Ancient China, Native America.
- 1: Industrial. Electricity, firearms, vehicles, telegraphy. Technology is based on steam, coal, oil, or gas power. Examples: Victorian England, American Civil War, Meiji Japan.
- 2: Early Stellar. Computers, rockets, satellites, radio. Technology is based on nuclear, solar, or fusion power. Examples: Cold War Era, Space Race Era.
- 3: Mature Stellar. Artificial intelligence, warp drives, lasers, nanotechnology. Technology is based on antimatter, gravity manipulation, or quantum computing. Examples: Star Trek Universe.
- 4: Advanced Stellar. Psionics, cloning, cyborgs, force fields. Technology is based on biotechnology, cybernetics, or psionics. Examples: Star Wars Universe.
- 5: Post-scarcity. Transhumanism, singularity, godhood. Technology is based on transcending physical limitations or reality itself. Examples: The Culture Universe.
The Technology Level section also has space to include special notes that characterize the specific technology of a world. For example:
- Special notes: The world has a hidden underground network of ancient alien technology that can be accessed by psionic characters; the world has a strict ban on cybernetics due to religious beliefs; the world has a secret project to develop a superweapon that could threaten the galaxy.
The Technology Level section is useful for giving an indication of the capabilities and limitations of a world in terms of technology, and for determining how they affect the gameplay. For example, a world with a low technology level might have less defenses or resources against external threats, or offer more opportunities for exploration or discovery. A world with a high technology level might have more advantages or challenges in terms of innovation or competition, or pose more ethical or moral dilemmas. A world with a special technology note might have unique features or secrets that could be beneficial or dangerous.
Conclusion
The Stars Without Number World Datasheet is a great tool for creating and managing worlds in a science fiction role-playing game. It provides a comprehensive and consistent framework for recording the essential information about a world, such as its name, star type, culture, gravity, population, and technology level. It also provides a creative and flexible system for generating the narrative elements of a world, such as its tags, instances, and description. The World Datasheet helps to create interesting and diverse worlds that have their own stories, challenges
Stars Without Number Compatible – World Datasheet on DrivethuRpg
Stars Without Number Compatible – World Datasheet on Ko-Fi.
