Message:Space Scrap Widgets
Star systems do contain genius ideas besides worthless legacy code. Each player may claim a section of the ever-growing vessel as his personal domain. By hunting in each system, or when assigned to No Man's Land at the conclusion of any scene, the player may attempt a roll of Discovery and improve his holdings with a card flip. What is valued by one race is not the same as another. Also, many of the items will have different uses for different player characters. Feel free to trade or grant your discoveries as gifts. You can also just park clutter in another person’s domain, but junk might get tossed. Technically all this effort is being done by robots, as some of the widgets are the size of Poughkeepsie.
Procedure
Each player starts with his own personal space on the ship of a hex and all surrounding hexes (seven total). As he acquires Widgets, he will place these on a hex of his domain. When an object is found, it must be placed on an open space. If he has none, the Ref may shuffle his game pieces dramatically.
Think of the whole as a slide puzzle. The player expends effort to M-Kondo his stuff about. Since objects are found less than pristine, shifting objects may create problems. Certain widgets do not work next to others. Some do not work, unless they are next to certain colored widgets.
Widgets do not freely reorganize. Once placed the object is secured. However, the player may PASS on acquiring new widgets and instead move widgets between adjacent hexed. See Lido Shuffle.
Lido Shuffle
Rather than acquire new widgets, the player may opt to move those he controls a total of a D8 hexes. Any widget can be moved in No Man’s Land or pushed into another player’s domain. he cannot move an object inside another player’s domain. The receiver does not get a choice. Call that act a tin-head SNAFU or grudge dickish act, even a minor declaration of war.
The players may be jockeying for space as more and more clutter of widgets are collected. Got to catch them all.
Gold, Purple and Scarlet Widgets
These are power sources. The three colored widgets are strange and feared by tin-heads. Only the owning player may move or place objects next to a colored widget (he controls). Note, most widgets need either a colored object in proximity or isolation from the same.
When any of the three are placed, the player’s domain grows by all adjacent hexes. It must still start in the owner’s domain at placement but can be shifted to subjugate more domain.
Colored widgets may be slid on a turn to grow the domain even further. Restriction, all of the player’s domain must be contiguous. You cannot use colored widgets to float about and claim property. Not even greedy Skia.
Referee resolves all disputes of ownership. Priority should be afforded to Gold over Purple over Scarlet. Any widget left in dispute between two players becomes treated as if it lies in No Man’s Land.
Potion Miscibility
Whenever two power widgets move next to each other, then select an extra card for Golligeewillikers. The widgets only force this event as they are shifted or initially placed adjacent. Strange things can happen as the robotic programs get a bit tipsy and scrambled.
Widgets by Card Suit
Valor – This widget is only activated when adjacent to a Scarlet Module.
Artifice – All colored widgets of all players shift in a random direction. They may even displace other widgets, pushing them outward.
Stellar – All colored widgets the player controls shift in a random direction. They may even displace other widgets, pushing them outward.
Void – This widget is deactivated when adjacent to a Gold Module.
Commerce – This widget is only activated when adjacent to a Purple Module.
Politics – This widget is deactivated when adjacent to a Purple Module.
Fidelity – This widget is only activated when adjacent to a Gold Module.
Intrigue – This widget is deactivated when adjacent to a Scarlet Module.
Q&D Discovery Cimmer
King: Widget is a Gold-Purple.
Queen: Widget is Purple-Scarlet.
Knight: Widget is a Gold-Scarlet.
Knave: Widget is classified tin-head Purple.
Maiden: Widget is classified tin-head Gold.
Martyr: Widget is classified tin-head Scarlet.
10: Treat a Martyr as an Ace once per session.
9: Every Fury Pip you gain also reduces the Kraken.
8: Never suffer Check Stove result.
7: Reduce the state of one Kraken once per session.
6: Any Kowalski Shift you suffer is optional.
5: Gain the Catbird Seat once per session.
4: Reduce the DefMod once per session.
3: Start each session with Fury Pip.
2: Gain a tally of Karma each time someone aboard dies.
Ace: Widget is a rare Tri-Colored.
Q&D Discovery Cruz
King: Widget is a Gold-Purple.
Queen: Widget is Purple-Scarlet.
Knight: Widget is a Gold-Scarlet.
Knave: Widget is classified tin-head Purple.
Maiden: Widget is classified tin-head Gold.
Martyr: Widget is classified tin-head Scarlet.
10: Every Fury Pip you gain also heals your vicious wound.
9: Ignore all penalty of Shaken each adventure.
8: Add one skill pip (+) at the end of each session.
7: Treat a Maiden as a Knight once per session.
6: Never cause Big Trouble.
5: Never raise the Kraken by your actions.
4: Cancel the DefMod once per session.
3: Reduce the Threat Number once per session.
2: Never become Resident Burn Out.
Ace: Widget is a rare Tri-Colored.
Q&D Discovery Skia
King: Widget is a Gold-Purple.
Queen: Widget is Purple-Scarlet.
Knight: Widget is a Gold-Scarlet.
Knave: Widget is classified tin-head Purple.
Maiden: Widget is classified tin-head Gold.
Martyr: Widget is classified tin-head Scarlet.
10: Gain your own personal NPC Soak-Off at start of each session.
9: Treat as a random (non-Bane) A-Tech Prognostication if controlled at the start of the session. Bonus is lost if widget is ever moved in session.
8: Remove a Climax Threat at start of each session.
7: Never suffer Happy Accident of another.
6: Treat a Six as an Ace once per session.
5: Never become the Scapegoat.
4: Add one to cargo manifest once per session.
3: Gain the Fury once per session.
2: Add one Whimsy-Novelty at the end of each session.
Ace: Widget is a rare Tri-Colored.
Q&D Discovery Terran
King: Widget is a Gold-Purple.
Queen: Widget is Purple-Scarlet.
Knight: Widget is a Gold-Scarlet.
Knave: Widget is classified tin-head Purple.
Maiden: Widget is classified tin-head Gold.
Martyr: Widget is classified tin-head Scarlet.
10: Ignore your first wound, like Durable, once per session.
9: Gain an extra Make-Roll at start of each session.
8: Treat a Knave as a King once per session.
7: Gain a clue-point toward the endgame system at start of each session.
6: Every Fury Pip you gain also adds Catbird Seat to party.
5: Gain a mulligan during Q&D Life Goes On.
4: Ignore the first vessel Vitality problem each session.
3: Start each session as either Satrap or Bombacito.
2: Increase tin-head performance once per session.
Ace: Widget is a rare Tri-Colored.
Acquisition Golligeewillikers
King: Surrender one widget (choice) to another player. The widget is expedited and moves immediately to another player.
Queen: Deactivate one widget under moving player’s control (choice).
Knight: Swap one for one a single widget between two random players. The widgets are expedited and move immediately between players.
Knave: Reverse the Color Bane on a Widget (random).
Maiden: Change a Powered-By Widget to same color Off State Widget (random).
Martyr: Deactivate one widget under moving player’s control (random).
10: Surrender one widget (random) to another player. The widget is expedited and moves immediately to another player.
9: Meld the two adjacent colored widgets into a dual or tri color widget.
8: Select a new Suit for one widget under moving player’s control (random).
7: Select a new Suit for one widget on-board (random).
6: Deactivate one widget on-board (random). Dead and inert items do not just vanish. Push that clutter out into No Man’s Land.
5: Boost one widget rank on-board (random). Type Ten go boom.
4: Boost one widget rank under moving player’s control (random). Type Ten go boom.
3: Digress one widget rank under moving player’s control (random). Type Two go inert.
2: Digress one widget rank on-board (random). Type Two go inert.
Ace: Remove the Color Bane from a Widget (random).
Valor – Add a Scarlet powered widget, numbered 2 to 9, to No Man’s Land.
Artifice – Add a pristine number ten widget to No Man’s Land.
Stellar – Add a pristine widget, numbered 2 to 9, to No Man’s Land.
Void – Add something inert to No Man’s Land.
Commerce – Add a Gold powered widget, numbered 2 to 9, to No Man’s Land.
Politics – Increase the Kraken or add an NPC playing the same game as a predator.
Fidelity – Add a Purple powered widget, numbered 2 to 9, to No Man’s Land.
Intrigue – Add Freebooter androids that need to be defeated with a D8 Weapon actions. Each fail will scatter an owned widget to No Man’s Land. Each mishap will turn an owned widget inert.
Random Placement
Roll random high die among players for source. Roll a direction N (1), NE (2), SE(3), S(4), SW (5), NW (6). Place the object a half D8 away, give or take.
What is all this stuff?!?
For role-play embellishment, each widget should be described by the owning player. e.g., A set of Tiki Death Masks and shot glasses for a Cimmer to have every Fury Pip reduce the Kraken.
Yours,
IronRed
17-Oct-2021