# STEM Steampunk RPG Core Alpha

STEM is a steampunk tabletop RPG set in Acriedal, a world of steam-powered cities, airships, trains, red dust madness, old wars, lost relics, and expeditions from Lightstar into the rediscovered lands of Domus.

This public alpha is a cleaned version of the Google Sites and Drive notes. It is still in development.

## Core Check

Most risky actions use:

```text
2d6 + Stat Modifier + Skill Rank vs Target Number
```

Target numbers:

| Target | Use |
| --- | --- |
| 6 | Easy |
| 8 | Standard |
| 10 | Hard |
| 12 | Extreme |

Skills run from -1 to +3:

| Rank | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| -1 | Untrained |
| +0 | Basic familiarity |
| +1 | Competent |
| +2 | Professional |
| +3 | Expert |

If the degree of success matters, compare the final result to the target. The difference is the effect. Higher effect can mean faster repairs, better crafting, cleaner negotiation, or stronger combat results.

## Stats

Characters use four core stats:

- Strength: physical power, melee, carrying, resilience.
- Agility: reflexes, stealth, ranged attacks, delicate work.
- Education: knowledge, investigation, engineering, alchemy, medicine.
- Charisma: persuasion, negotiation, leadership, performance.

To generate a stat score, roll 3d6, keep the highest two dice, and convert the result:

| Score | Modifier |
| --- | --- |
| 2-5 | -1 |
| 6-8 | +0 |
| 9-11 | +1 |
| 12 | +2 |

Health is based on Strength plus Agility scores.

## Character Creation

1. Choose a race.
2. Choose a background.
3. Choose a career.
4. Choose or create a fixation.
5. Pick skills from your choices and the general skill list.
6. Start with 500 Steam Credits for equipment.
7. Name the character and connect them to the group.

## Sample Characters

### Talia "Scrapshot" Vorn

Street Rat Hunter, Survivalist. Strength 11, Agility 7, Education 11, Charisma 6. Gear: curved bow, short sword, padded armour.

### Kael "Whisper" Mercurian

Street Rat Explorer, Alchemy Enthusiast. Strength 9, Agility 8, Education 9, Charisma 7. Gear: alchemist kit, rifle.

### Juno "Ironfist" Vespera

Tinker Martial Artist, Steam Pioneer. Strength 10, Agility 11, Education 9, Charisma 4. Gear: curved sword, tinker kit.

### Valen "Silverfox" Draekhart

Charmer Hunter, Strategic Genius. Strength 7, Agility 11, Education 7, Charisma 12. Gear: shortbow, padded armour.

## Lore

Thousands of years ago, humans and gnomes arrived in Acriedal. Some welcomed them, while others feared the madness they were fleeing. War followed, and peace only came after great cost.

During the wars, humans and gnomes shared steam machines, airships, railways, and electricity. Great steam-powered cities rose, first under human control, then with gnomes, dwarves, and other peoples joining the new industrial order.

Sarah Lightstar, an apprentice historian, found an ancient journal in the Imperial Library. It told of the journey from Domus, a lost land full of dangerous history and relics. Her discovery turned Lightstar into a hub for adventurers.

## Equipment

Equipment supports both survival and identity.

- Armour has Soak, reducing incoming damage, and Durability, which can be worn down.
- Weapons provide base damage.
- Ammunition can improve ranged damage or add effects.
- Tools matter for crafting, engineering, alchemy, gadgeteering, vehicles, repairs, and exploration.

## Crafting

Crafting uses the core check. The Game Master sets a target based on complexity. Materials, workshop access, tool quality, and skill rank can change the target or the final effect.

Useful crafting skills include:

- Engineering for engines, machinery, airships, trains, and large repairs.
- Gadgeteering for firearms, small devices, compact helpers, and precision tools.
- Alchemy for potions, elixirs, ammunition effects, and thrown compounds.

## Vehicles

Steam-powered travel is central to the world. Players may encounter airships, steam trams, trains, hand gliders, and eventually custom vehicles.

Possible hired crew costs:

| Crew | Monthly Cost |
| --- | --- |
| Pilot | 50sc |
| Guard | 80sc |
| Ship or train engineer | 130sc |
| Crew member | 20sc |
| Cargo handler | 35sc |

## Threats

### Mad Ones

People warped by red dust, marked by bright red eyes and violent pack behaviour.

Starter stat: attack +1, damage 1, life 8, soak 0.

### Mechanoids

Steam machines built for labour, later adapted for war, and now driven by broken survival instincts.

Starter stat: attack +3, damage 3, life 10, soak 4.

### Sabar Tiger

Huge colour-shifting predators that hunt in pairs.

Starter stat: claw +2 damage 2, bite +3 damage 4, life 12, soak 5.

### Faction Agents

Agents of houses, cities, and rival powers who want to weaken the Lightstar family and take control.

## Game Master Notes

STEM does not have a heavy level structure yet, so early encounter balance should start small. Use a few Mad Ones, small Mechanoids, one Sabar Tiger, or a single machine problem before scaling into larger expeditions.

Good STEM encounters mix people, machines, terrain, and resources.

## Starter Adventure: Steam Gate Tavern

The party begins outside the Steam Gate Tavern as Lightstar wakes. The city gate grinds open, steam vents hiss, and workers from the farmlands flood into the streets.

On the tavern notice board, a nearby farm asks for unaffiliated adventurers. Old steam-powered plowing machines have gone rogue and taken over the fields.

The group must travel to the farm, enter the small moat-and-bailey settlement, speak with the master farmer, destroy or disable the Mechanoids in the far fields, and return with parts as proof.

Reward: Steam Credits, salvage, and the first hint that old machines across the New Lands may be waking up for reasons nobody in Lightstar fully understands.