A SPACE
FANTASY
ADVENTURE
HACK of
Tunnel BY
Goons John
Erwin
Casia
A PRIMER
WHO ARE YOU?
A down-on-your-luck goon looking for fame and fortune. There
are many travelers and hitchhikers that ventures the different
realms and beyond, and you are one of them.
The following qualities are always true about goons.
You are motivated. You take on odd jobs and bizarre
adventures, to have a chance to turn your life around.
You are mundane. You are not trained to handle dangerous
situations beyond the abilities and benefits from your
aspects.
You are mortal. You can die at any moment, and that what
keeps you alert. Or paranoid.
WHERE ARE YOU?
A growing galaxy at the height of diversity, discovery, and
instability. Gods and corporations haggling for dominion,
gateways and portals connecting allies and foes. No one wants a
war, but peace is not a priority.
The following principles are always true about the galaxy.
The galaxy is busy. Almost everyone has their own agenda,
and there is always something affected by every growth or
downfall.
The galaxy is bountiful. There are untapped energies, under-
the-radar locations, underdeveloped resources. And
everyone wants a piece of it.
The galaxy is bizarre. Different levels of civilizations,
sorcery, and technology learning about each other. With
powers mixing and mingling, there are always discoveries
and dangers to look out for.
GOON CREATION
1. Choose or roll 3 aspects. These are your core concepts that tells
who you are, who your connections are, and what your abilities
are. They are intentionally loosely worded, as you can discuss
them with your GM to build your character concept.
You cannot have the same aspect twice. If you did not get a
species aspect, you get Unremarkable Humanoid aspect.
1. Species 2. Profession 3. Patron
1 Crystaloid Hunter AI Overlord
2 Frogfolk Lawyer Celestial God
3 Fungoid Medic Eldritch Vestige
4 Giantfolk Outlaw Infernal Dealer
5 Mantiskind Pilot Galactic Warlord
6 Squidfolk Technician Mega Corporation
4. Augmentation 5. Gift 6. Mutation
1 Cybernetic Limb Arcane Sight Large Bat Wings
2 Pain Reducer Energy Blast Looming Horns
3 Removable Eye Feral Form Sharp Claws
4 Subdermal Tablet Shadow Meld Stalk-eyed
5 Vision Enhancer Soul Whisperer Tentacle Limbs
6 Voice Modulator Telekinesis Tough Fur Hide
Species - could mean appearance, culture, or heritage.
Profession - determines skill, savviness, and connections.
Patron - a source of assets, have their own agenda, demand
tribute, wrathful if crossed.
Augmentation - cybernetic enhancements or modifications.
Concealable but prone to malfunction.
Mutation - unnatural body parts. Reliable but attracts attention.
Gift - supernatural abilities. Needs concentration to be used.
2. Choose or roll 3 starting items. These are your notable
equipment at the start of the game. These are all adjusted to your
form based from your character aspects.
Goons also start with a set of travel clothes, travel ID, 3-day
provisions, a satchel, and a battery-powered flashlight.
1. Armaments 2. Attires/Suits 3. Consumables
1 Bronze Spear Business formal Acid Flask (3)
2 Chainsaw-Sword Full Plate Cans of Grease (3)
3 Crossbow with Hazmat Suit Sleeping Pills (3)
bolts (10)
4 Dagger (3) Military Suit Small Explosives (3)
5 Huge Maul Trendy/Vintage Smoke Grenades (3)
Attire
6 Revolver with Space Suit Zero-Oxygen Flares
Bullets (6) (3)
4. Excavation 5. Exploration 6. Rechargeable
1 Blowtorch Bag of 1000 Bio-scanner
Marbles
2 Collapsible Pole Binoculars Electric Cutter
(10ft)
3 Crowbar Cable Rope (50ft) Energy Pistols
4 Oxygen Tank Camping Gear Holographic Pet
5 Scalpel Grappling Hook Laser Rifle
Gun
6 Shovel Steel Mirror Electro-Magnetic
Boots
Armaments - combat items. Can cause and attract hostility
Attire/Suits - provides a change of look and protection
Consumables - what it says on the tin
Excavation - tools for breaking or overcoming obstacles
Exploration - tools for expeditions and investigations
Rechargeable - powerful tools but needs to be recharged after
extended use
3. You get 10 points of Disposition. It is an abstraction of your
physical and mental capacity to avoid or endure physical,
supernatural, or otherworldly danger.
4. You have an Inventory Score of 8. It is the number of notable
items you can carry comfortably. Some starting aspects or items
may increase this. Negotiate with your GM.
5. Give your Goon a Name and Pronoun. Introduce them to the
table.
---
GUIDE FOR GREEDY GOONS ON THE GRIND
BE CURIOUS
BE CAUTIOUS
FIGHT SMART
TALK SHARP
WIN TOGETHER
DIE ALONE
---
word and layout by John Erwin Casia
based on Tunnel Goons by Nate Treme
published under Creative Commons 4.0 International License (CC
BY 4.0)
inspired by Star Rats by Landon Kanillopoolos, Maze Rats by Ben
Milton, and Mothership by Sean McCoy
RULES EXPLANATION
Game Structure: A GM controls and describes the galaxy to
players who then describe how their characters act in the
galaxy.
Action Roll: When an action’s success is uncertain, a player rolls
2d6 and adds 1 point for each relevant aspect and 1 point for
each relevant item. If the total is equal or greater than the
action’s Difficulty Score (DS), action is successful.
Difficulty Scores Guidelines: Easy: 8 - Moderate: 10 - Hard: 12
Dangerous Actions: If an action has a risk of danger, the
difference between the roll and Difficulty Score is the amount of
damage the endangered participant takes. Goons taking damage
reduce that amount to their Disposition. GM characters taking
damage reduces that amount in their DS.
Example: As an action, a Goon skirmishes an enemy with a DS of
10. The player rolls 2d6 and adds 1 from their Hunter aspect, 1
from their chainsaw-sword, and 1 from their military suit. The
total is 12. The difference between 12 and 10 is 2, so the enemy
takes 2 damage. The enemy’s DS is now 8. If the player’s total roll
was 8 then the Goon would have lost 2 Disposition.
Encumbrance: For each item that exceeds your Inventory Score
subtract 1 point from any action rolls. You cannot carry beyond
two times your Inventory score.
Death: When a Goon’s Disposition Points reach zero, they are
physically or psychologically dead. Negotiate with the table how
you fall into your demise.
Advancement: At the end of each session, raise either Disposition
or Inventory Score by 1. And the end of each mission or
adventure, gain a new aspect related to your success or struggle.
Recovery: Spending a good night in a safe spot lets you regain
half of your missing Disposition Points, rounded down. Spending
a good night in a safe spot with good company regains all your
missing Disposition Points.