Example of Play

The Pan-Galactic Corporation has hired four player characters to find and capture the leader of a band of space pirates. There is one player character of each race in the group. Their search has led them to a run-down part of the city. Everyone the characters have talked to so far has been unpleasant or gruff. The group is walking down a street toward a cheap tavern, looking for a short, overweight man.

REFEREE: You are about 30 meters from the tavern when you see a short, fat, dark-haired Human wearing a skeinsuit. He is across the street, about 25 meters away and moving toward you.

JARDlN (Human): Hey, that guy looks Iike the slug we're trying to find!

YALUA (Yazirian): Let's grab him!

DARTHA (Dralasite): Wait, you two. We're not close enough to see if it's him. This description could fit a lot of Humans.

YTTL (Vrusk): Dartha is right. Let's just keep walking casually down the street until we get behind him. Then we can follow him and see where he goes. I want to watch him carefully, in case he talks to anyone.

REFEREE: He doesn't talk to anyone, but you do notice that he is wearing a red scarf around his neck.

DARTHA: Didn't the other pirates wear red scarves?

YALUA: That's gotta be him! Let's go!

JARDIN: I'm going to go to the right, cut through the alley and try to sneak up in front of him so we can't lose sight of him.

REFEREE: Okay. The rest of you manage to cross the street and get behind the man without him seeming to notice you. You follow him for about 60 meters, and then he ducks inside a restaurant.

YALUA: We'll follow him in.

REFEREE: Jardin hasn't gotten through the alley yet and doesn't see the man go in the restaurant. He'll have to spend three minutes finding out where you went. You walk in the door and know immediately that this is not a normal, law-abiding place. The furniture is shabby. The lighting is bad, so you can't see into the far corners. The customers look pretty rough. When they see you, they stop talking.

YALUA: Never mind all that. Where's the guy we were following?

REFEREE: You don't see him anywhere.

YTTL: Are there any other entrances or exits that we can see?

REFEREE: There's a back door directly across from the entrance where you're standing.

DARTHA: Okay. Let's check it.

OTHERS (all together): Right!

REFEREE: As you approach the door, two very large Yazirians step in front of you and lean against the door. They are looking at you with nasty smirks on their faces. One of them has one hand hidden behind his back.

YALUA: Is he holding a blaster?

REFEREE: You can't tell. Do you want to draw your weapon?

YALUA: Not yet.

REFEREE: The Yazirian with his hand behind his back says [with a sneering, gruff voice], "Well, lookee what we got here. A dumb bug, a blob and one of our big, bold brothers. You fellas wouldn't be looking for someone, would you? We don't like nosy people in here."

DARTHA: What are the other customers doing? How big is this place?

REFEREE: The restaurant is about 9 meters wide and 18 meters from front to back. You are standing about 2 meters from the back door. There are about 20 customers in the place. Most of them have gotten up and are heading for the front door, but five of them are slowly forming a ring around you. (toJardin): You arrive at the front door now.

JARDIN: I'll sneak in while the customers are leaving.

YALUA: It's a trap. I'm going for my blaster!

REFEREE: Okay. Roll for initiative...

The referee then shifts to combat turns, and the players resolve the fight.