QUICK START-UP RULESPrepare yourself to enter the exciting universe of Metabarons:

The Roleplaying Game. This hand-out will help you learn to play

the game in only a few minutes. Read it, then ask the gamemaster

any questions you might have about roleplaying or how this game works.

B y P e t e r S c h w e i g h o f e r

Roleplaying BasicsIn roleplaying games, the action takes place in every-one’s imagination. You don’t use a boardor move tokens around. Instead, a person called the “gamemaster” leads the story, describingeach scene and setting to the players, who visualize the situation themselves. The players imag-ine what the scene looks like and how theircharacters would respond to the situations theyencounter. Thenthe players tell the gamemaster how they want to react.

Example: The gamemaster explains, “You’re walking through a sub-level of Arcol 271, down grimy, gar-bage-strewn corridors caked with the humid odor of stale breath and machinery. A rather dapper lookingfellow emerges from a dark alley and asks if you’d like to make a few extra kublars. He beckons you downthe alley. You follow—you can always use some extra money—and you quickly find yourself surroundedby several tough-looking thugs.” It’s obvious your character’s walked into some sort of trap. You mighttry persuading or fast-talking the dapper looking fellow to let you go. You could try intimidating the thugsby drawing a weapon and coolly threatening them. Or perhaps you just want to pull your sidearm andstart shooting away…and hope your character survives this encounter.

The players and gamemaster work together to create their own story, with the players’ characters as theheroes. The game rules help determine what your character is capable of doing, while the gamemaster’splot creates settings, adversaries, and incidents to propel you along toward the story’s exciting climax.

Everyone’s A Winner. Nobody wins or loses in a roleplaying game. You’re not competing against the otherplayers or the gamemaster. The characters must work together as a team to accomplish their goals, usingtheir various strengths and expertise to everyone’s benefit. The players work with the gamemaster to crea-te an entertaining story.

Immerse Yourself in Your Character. You must rely on your imagination to fully enjoy the game. Youmight adopt your character’s accent and mannerisms while speaking in the game. You should only actout scenes when they are non-threatening (for example, if your character tries conning someone, youcould have fun fast-talking him while playing your part). Remember, this is just a game—never act outviolent scenes or make any physical actions others might consider dangerous or threatening.

Use Your Imagination. In the game your character can do whatever you can imagine someone like himdoing in that situation. If you can imagine it in the real world, or in the Metabarons universe, it can happenin the game. Don’t worry about “going off the board,” because there isn’t one. Your gamemaster knowshow to keep the game story focused toward your goal.

Keep Things Moving. A good story doesn’t slow down, it just accelerates toward the exciting climax. Don’tworry about the rules. Just tell the gamemaster what you’d like your character to do, and the gamemas-ter will tell you what skills you’ll need and when to roll them.

How the Game WorksEach player gets a sheet that describes their character (the “character sheet”). This sheet shows yourcharacter’s strengths and skills. The gamemaster tells you when to roll the dice for certain skillsdepending on what you want your character to do during the game. The gamemaster uses the rules tointerpret these die rolls to see which actions succeed and which fail. “Die codes” define your charac-ter’s abilities and skills. Each die code represents the number of six-sided dice you roll when your cha-racter uses an attribute or skill (1D, 2D, 3D, 4D, 5D, etc.), and sometimes an added bonus of “+1” or “+2”you add to the entire roll.

Example: The scout Martius has an Agility die code of 2D+2, so if he tried juggling four balls at once,he’d roll 2 dice and add 2 to the total to get his score.

You follow this same procedure for skills, which are more specific rolls for certain tasks associatedwith each attribute. For instance, the astrography skill is a more specific use of your character’sKnowledge attribute. All skills beneath a given attribute begin at that attribute’s die code. Some skillsare marked with higher die codes, representing areas the character improved through training or expe-rience. If the gamemaster asks you to roll a skill you haven’t improved (you’ll see it has no new die codenext to it), just look up the associated attribute and roll that attribute’s die code. The higher you roll, thebetter your character accomplishes the task at hand. When your character tries doing something, thegamemaster chooses a difficulty number based on the task’s complexity. When competing against agamemaster-controlled character, you must beat this opposing character’s skill roll. The gamemas-ter doesn’t usually tell you the difficulty number you need to equal or beat to succeed. He won’t 2

usually tell you which tasks are easier and which are harder, though he might give you hints(“Hmmm, hitting that passing aircar with the magna-line is going to be pretty hard.…”).Difficulty Number Example: Martius the scout is on his way to Klovat, a remote planet heintends to explore. He wants to find some specific information about this world. Since Klovat’s aremote planet, the gamemaster decides the player running Martius must roll 20 or higher to find

the information he needs. Since Martius has an astrography skill of 6D (pretty good!), he rolls 6 diceand adds them up. He gets a 25 and beats the difficulty number. The gamemaster fills Martius in on

the information he remembers about Klovat.

Opposed Roll Example: While exploring Klovat, Martiusencounters a strange and rather angry creature in its nest.The glossglok lashes out at Martius with a barbed claw.Although the creature’s attack takes him almost by surprise,Martius has just enough time to try avoiding the blow. Theglossglok makes a brawling roll of 11 to attack Martius: thisis the difficulty number he must equal or beat to dodge theattack. Martius has a dodge skill of 3D+2, so his player rolls 3dice and adds 2 to the total. He rolls a total of 16 andmanages to avoid the blow. The glossglok’s barbed claw nar-rowly misses crushing Martius into shredded pulp.

Don’t worry if this seems confusing right now—it’ll all become more clear one you start playing. The game-master keeps track of who’s taking what actions and what skills everyone’s rolling. Don’t be shy aboutasking the gamemaster questions while you play.

Actions In A RoundFor most actions and roleplaying, it’s not always important to keep track of how much time passes inthe game (“game time,” as opposed to “real time”). In certain situations like combat, however, gametime is broken into several turns, or “rounds.” One round represents about five seconds in game time.

Example: When the glossglok lashes out at Martius and the scout dodges, that action takes one round(or about five seconds) in the imaginary game world, but in real time, it might take the player andgamemaster three or four minutes to figure which skills to use, roll all the dice, and resolve the action.

Characters can make one action per round and roll the regular number of dice for the skill or attributethey use. Characters can try performing more than one action in a round, depending on what theplayer wants to do in a given situation. But the more your character tries doing, the more difficultevery action becomes. Each time your character tries accomplishing an additional task past the oneshe can normally make in a round, she loses 1D from all her rolls that round.

Example: Martius just leaped back from the glossglok and wants to shoot back before it can attackhim again. To make sure he hits with his defense pistol, he decides to take two shots. His firearms skillis 3D+2—since he’s taking two shots this round, he rolls 2D+2 for each shot (two actions, –1D per roll).

Just to make sure he doesn’t get hit with that barbed claw, Martius decides he’s going to take only oneshot at the glossglok and then dodge in the same round. His firearms skill is 3D+2, and his dodge is 3D+2.Since he’s taking two actions in one round, he has a –1D penalty to both rolls—he rolls his firearms at2D+2 and his dodge at 2D+2. If he decided to take two shots and dodge (three actions with a –2D penaltyto all rolls), he’d make two firearms rolls at 1D+2 and his dodge roll at 1D+2.

The gamemaster will remind you about penalties for multiple actions during the game as you des-cribe what your character wants to do each round (“You’re shooting twice at the glossglok and dod-ging, so you’ll have a –2D penalty to all your rolls.”).

Your character can also suffer from other penalties to his die codes to represent damage takenduring combat. Characters who are wounded suffer a –1D penalty to all die rolls until healed. Ifwounded twice, the penalty rises to –2D. Characters who sustain enough damage to incapacitate

them pass out unless they can make a Moderate (15) willpower roll: those who make this roll actwith a –3D penalty to all rolls, can barely manage themselves, and need assistance from others.Mortally wounded characters are on death’s doorstep and require serious medical help; theycan do little on their own. The gamemasters helps keep track of damage your character sustainsand the various penalties involved with injuries.

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Metabarons Task Difficulties

Difficulty Level Difficulty # Firearms Range

Very Easy 1–5 Point BlankEasy 6–10 Close

Moderate 11–15 MediumDifficult 16–20 Long

Very Difficult 21–30Heroic 31+

Wound LevelsStunned: –1D for all remaining actions this round and next round; a second stun moves the injurystatus to “wounded.”Wounded: –1D to all actions until healed; a second wound or stun on top of this makes the charac-ter “wounded twice” for a total of –2D on all actions.Incapacitated: The character is injured and knocked out for 10D minutes, but may try to stay consciouswith a Moderate (15) willpower roll, making all actions with a –3D penalty.Mortally Wounded: The character is near death; roll 2D each round, thecharacter finally dying if the roll is less than the number of rounds a cha-racter’s been mortally wounded.Killed: The character is toast. Sorry.

First AidCharacters can heal others or themselves with some basic field proce-dures for treating wounds. Such attempts don’t require a medbox (whichusually adds +2D to first aid rolls). Simply roll first aid (or Technical) totreat wounds in the field:

Injury Level Difficulty

Stunned, unconscious Easy (10)Wounded, wounded twice Moderate (15)Incapacitated Difficult (20)Mortally Wounded Very Difficult (30)

A successful roll heals the character up one level: for instance, a successful first aid roll on someone who’s woun-ded would bring them back to stunned. A character using up a medbox adds +2D to her first aid roll. Characterswith any dice in medicine (adv.) may also add those dice to their first aid roll.

Character and Amarax PointsEach character starts out with a few possessions, plus 5 Character Points and 1 Amarax Points. You canspend these points to improve your chances of success in really challenging and heroic situations.

Character Points: When you spend a Character Point, you get one extra die to roll when your charactertries to successfully accomplish a task. You may choose to spend this Character Point after you’ve rolled(in case it’s a very important roll and you roll low, or you want to improve a total you’ve already rolled tomake sure it’s high). For example, if Martius needs a 10 to dodge that glossglock and only rolls a 7, he canspend a Character Point and roll one more die, adding the result to his dodge total. You can use up to 3Character Points to improve a roll…as long as you have enough points to spend. You gain more CharacterPoints at the end of a game for completing goals and playing well. You can use them to improve your cha-racter’s skills, and, if using psionics, use them to activate these amazing powers.

Amarax Points: When you use an Amarax Point, your character draws on his inner strength and spirit totry and succeed. He’s risking part of his soul to do what he feels needs to be done according to his honorcode. If you decide to spend an Amarax Point, you must do so before making any die rolls. This doublesthe number of dice you’d normally roll for one round only. Players usually save their Amarax Points toaccomplish particularly heroic feats. Once used, you lose the Amarax Point—but you may earn it back atthe end of the game if you followed your code of honor.

Necro-Dream Point: Necro-Dream Points represent the negative influence in the Metabarons universe.

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we s t e n d g a m e s . c o m / m e t a b a ro n s . c o mTM

© 2001 Les Humanoïdes Associés S.A. Geneva – The Metabaron character was created by Alexandro Jodorowsky & Mœbius.The MetabaronsTM and the Metabarons logo are trademarks of Les Humanoïdes Associés S.A., Geneva (Switzerland).

The Metabarons Roleplaying Game is available now at comic and hobby shops.For more information check out our web sites or e-mail us at westendgames@mail.com

D6 Legend - RR 5 Box 2345, Honesdale, PA 18431 - tel: (570)251-1550

Character Damage Chart

Damage Roll GreaterThan Strength Roll By: Effect:

0–5 Stunned6–10 Wounded11–15 Incapacitated16–20 Mortally Wounded21+ Killed

AGILITY: A measure of howphysically articulate yourcharacter is.archaic weapons: Wielding

unpowered melee and rangedweapons no longer widely used

in the universe. It’s not just a skill,it’s a way of life. It allows the user to roll 2dice for every Character Point spent toboost an archaic weapons roll against thoseusing melee or dodge to defend.brawling: Competence in unarmed combat.dodge: Slipping out of danger’s way, whe-ther avoiding an attack or a sprung boobytrap.firearms: Shooting any gun one can carry,even if it requires a tripod set-up to fire.Covers everything from small Vipers toshoulder-launched rockets.martial arts: Proficiency in a more refinedhand-to-hand combat technique than braw-ling, it allows the user to roll 2 dice for everyCharacter Point spent to boost a martial artsroll against those using brawling or dodge todefend.melee combat: Wielding modern hand-to-hand weapons (those using a power source).riding: Controlling and riding domesticatedmounts.running: Running quickly while avoidingobstacles and keeping from stumbling.sleight of hand: Nimbleness with the fin-gers, including picking pockets and palmingitems.throwing: Hitting a target accurately with athrown item, including grenades, stones andknives. (Using or modifying grenades asexplosives for special destructive effectsrequires the demolitions skill.)0-G maneuver: Maneuvering on one’s ownin zero-gravity environments, including drif-ting through space in a vacuum suit, orflying under one’s own power.

KNOWLEDGE: Measure of a character’sintelligence.aliens: Understanding of aliens not of thecharacter’s own species and their physio-logy, customs, and history.astrography: Familiarity with astrographicfeatures (planets, star systems, nebulae),and general knowledge of any civilized ele-ments present (settlements, industry,government, orbital installations).bureaucracy: Knowledge of and ability touse a bureaucracy’s intricate procedures togain information, favors, or attain othergoals.business: Comprehension of business prac-tices and the monetary value of goods andopportunities.cultures: Understanding of the manners,customs, and social expectations of diffe-rent cultures.intimidation: Using physical presence, ver-

bal threats, and fear to influence others. languages: Familiarity with and abilityto use various forms of communica-tion, written, spoken, and non-verbal.scholar: Expert learning in a specific

area of study, though not a practical profi-ciency in that subject (a scholar of archaicweapons would know details of them, butcouldn’t wield them effectively without thatparticular skill).security regulations: Understanding ofhow law enforcement organizations, regula-tions and personnel operate.streetwise: Familiarity with criminal organi-zations, black markets, and other illicit ope-rations.survival: Knowledge of techniques for sur-viving in hostile, uncivilized environments.tactics: Familiarity with deploying militaryforces and maneuvering them to the bestadvantage.

willpower: Personal ability to withstandstress and temptation.MECHANICAL: Aptitude for operatingmechanical equipment.astro-nav: Plotting courses through spaceusing a vessel’s navigational computer inter-face.comm: Effectively using communicationdevices and arrays.exoskeleton operation: Using personalexoskeletons which augment one’s perform-ance with mechanical aids.gunnery: Accurately firing weapons moun-ted on vehicles, space ships or within for-tresses.piloting: Flying air- or space-borne craft,from aircars and fighters to transports andbattleships.sensors: Operating scanner arrays to gatherinformation about one’s surroundings.shields: Deploying and redirecting shieldsaboard vehicles and vessels.vehicle operation: Operating non-flyingvehicles traveling on or through the groundor a liquid medium.

PERCEPTION: A character’s awareness ofhimself and things around him, including theability to interact successfully with others.bargain: Haggling for prices for goods andservices being bought or sold.command: Effectively ordering and coordi-nating others in team situations (such ascommanding a battleship crew).

con: Bluffing, lying and deceiving others.forgery: Creating and noticing false or alte-red documentation in various media (paper,electronic, plastic card).gaming: Winning and cheating at games ofstrategy and luck.hide: Concealing objects, both on oneselfand using camouflage.investigation: Gathering evidence and dra-wing a conclusion from it.persuasion: Influencing others throughhonest discussion.search: Spotting hidden objects or people.sneak: Moving silently, avoiding detectionand hiding oneself.

STRENGTH: Measure of a character’s physi-cal power.climb/jump: Climbing or jumping over obs-tacles.lift: Moving or lifting heavy objects.stamina: Physical endurance and resist-ance to disease and poison.swim: Moving and surviving in a liquidmedium

TECHNICAL: Character’s ability to manipu-late, repair and modify complex mechanicalsystems.armor repair: Fixing damaged armor.computer interface/repair: Programming,interfacing with and fixing computer sys-tems.demolitions: Setting explosives to achieveparticular destructive effects.engineering (adv.): Practical and in-depthunderstanding of a particular technical field.exoskeleton repair: Repairing and modi-fying exoskeletons.firearms repair: Repairing and modifyingfirearms.first aid: Using basic field medicine to treatinjuries.flight systems repair: Fixing damaged sys-tems aboard flying vehicles and spaceships.gunnery repair: Fixing weapons mountedon vehicles, space ships or within for-tresses.medicine (adv.): Detailed understanding andapplication of medical procedures, includingsurgery and cybernetic implantation.personal equipment repair: Fixing small,electronic equipment, including damagedcybernetics.robot interface/repair: Programming,interfacing with and fixing robots and theirsystems.security: Installing, altering and bypassingelectronic security and surveillance sys-tems.vehicle repair: Fixing ground- and ocean-based vehicles that do not fly.

PSIONICS: Measure of a character’s psionicability. Can have a score of 0D.energy: Sensing and manipulating variousforms of energy through psionics.self-control: Manipulating one’s own bodyand mind from within.influence: Using psionics to bend others toyour will, including hyp-notic control.

Metabarons Skill List

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The Vice-Patrician’s Blue BoxA Short Metabarons Encounter By Peter Schweighofer

Begin the adventure by handing out the quick-start rules and let everyone read them over.Remind players that the Metabarons RoleplayingGame uses the same rules as other D6 Systemgames. Hand out the sample characters. If you don’t havesix players, allow them to choose from among thesix characters provided. Give them a moment toread over their characters and ask any questionsabout the game stats or mechanics. You mighttake a minute to explain some of the skills. (Note:None of these characters have any dice inPsionics, and therefore cannot use those skills.They’ll appear in the game rules, but just not inthis demo.) Now allow everyone to brieflyintroduce themselves in-character.To begin the adventure, set thescene by reading this bold-faced text aloud:

Your travels have brought youall to a planet called Dreer—Arcol 271 to be exact, one ofhundreds of massive cityconstructs littering the planet’ssurface. These arcologiescontain the homes, factories,and offices controlled by one ofthe powerful industrialmagnates who long ago strip-ped this planet of its natural resources. Nowthe strip mines have filled with waste sludge fromthe arcologies, and the skies are darkened by theexhaust of countless factories.

You’ve all been approached by a sub-executiverepresenting the vice-patrician for the planet’sImperial Merchants Guild offices. Sub-ExecHallofer seemed like a friendly sort of fellow, offe-ring each of you five kublars for doing his boss aservice. A particular cargo box was stolen whilebeing transferred between a freighter landingplatform and the guild’s secure warehouse.Hallofer described it as a blue, hard-plastic boxless than one square meter, with a ribbed surfacefor added strength, and a white label scanned oneach side reading “Universal Con/Past.”

Should the characters ask what the box contained,the sub-executive admits rather bashfully that evenhe doesn’t know. His superior simply told him thecrate had quite a high value.After several delays, clues, and dead-ends, yourgroup tracked the thieves to an abandoned waste

processing station on Arcol 271’s sub-level 88. You survey the scene from adark corridor leading into the station:foul-smelling processing pools, pumpmachinery, disused control panels, rickety cat-walks, and a small clearing amidst all of it withseveral thieves all lounging around your valuableblue crate. They’re grumbling among themselves,idling away the time.

There are a number of thieves equal to the num-ber of characters, plus two for good measure.The characters can make Perception rolls to noti-

ce anything unusual. Everyone figuresout the thieves are armed with

Viper pistols, thoughthey look like a rag-taggroup with no clear-cutorganization or leader-ship. Anyone making anEasy (10) Perception rollrealizes the thievesseem to be waitingimpatiently for someo-ne to show up. Anyonemaking a Moderate (15)

Perception roll notices thecrate is sealed with an expen-

sive electronic combinationlock—the thieves seem dismayed

that they can’t break open the lockwithout damaging it.

Show the players the map of the waste proces-sing station. The crate and thieves sit in the cen-ter, with the low pools of sludge giving them goodvisibility of the immediate vicinity. The walls,however, have plenty of shadows where charac-ters might try sneaking up on the thieves (a sneakroll opposed by the thieves’ Perception dice of3D). Give the players a minute or two to formula-te some strategy for attacking the thieves andretrieving the blue box.

Allow them to execute their plan. If they intentio-nally wait, a new figure appears from one of theshadowy entrances: a tall, spindly fellow wrap-ped in a fine long coat and speaking in a snootyaccent. It seems he’s here to purchase the bluebox from them.

The characters won’t discover what’s trulygoing on until they step in to take the box byforce. 6

Blue Box Thieves. All stats are 2D except: Agility 3D, brawling 4D, dodge 4D,firearms 4D, streetwise 3D, Mechanical 3D, Perception 3D, bargain 4D, con 4D,sneak 4D, Strength 3D, Psionics 0D. Move 10. Character Points 2. Tech vests, Viperpistols (4D damage).If the characters move once the snooty fellow’s revealed himself, he tries escaping as quickly as

possible. If the characters attack before he appears, he holds back, waiting for a clear chance tostep in and grab the box himself, or escape before he’s discovered.

Snooty Fellow. All stats are 2D except: Agility 3D, dodge 4D+2, Knowledge 4D, business 5D,cultures 5D, Perception 4D, bargain 5D+1, con 5D, sneak 5D, Psionics 0D. Move 10. CharacterPoints 4. Defense pistol (5 shots, 3D damage), fine long coat, pouch with 20 kublars.If the characters seem reluctant to move even after the snooty fellow appears, allow one ofthe thieves (or even the snooty fellow) to notice them. The snooty fellow might do this simply to distractthe thieves into attacking the characters… while he makes off with the box.Once the characters defeat the thieves, they can take possession of the valuable blue box. They can easilyblow off the electronic combination lock, but their client will definitely know they looked inside. To peekwithout damaging the lock requires someone to make a Difficult (20) security roll. Inside the now-unsealed boxthey find several tightly wrapped trays of delicious lupium, a culinary confection only the ultra-rich can afford.If they apprehend the snooty fellow, he admits to managing an upscale restaurant in Arcol 271’s higherlevels which caters to aristocrats and the corporate elite. He head the Merchants Guild vice-patrician hada weakness for lupium, and decided to intercept one of his regular shipments. For returning the lupium to Sub-Exec Hallofer, they each receive 5 kublars (more than most folks make in one dayaround here). For their actions in defeating the thieves and recovering the blue box, they each get 3 CharacterPoints (4 if they successfully looked inside the box without breaking the electronic combination lock).

Equipment InformationWeaponsCogan rifle: combat rifle often used by military forces (variable damage, 5D to 6D).Combat shock-knife: large combat knife whose damage is enhanced by an energy discharge on contact(STR+1D+2 damage).Defense pistol: small, easily concealed gun firing only 5 shots, often used for personal defense (5 shots, 3Ddamage).Suprapistol: standard military sidearm firing an enhanced round (5D damage).Sword: archaic blade weapon still used by the galaxy’sprimitive peoples (variable damage based on crafts-manship, usually STR+2D).Viper pistol: standard firearm, and one of a few people can legally carry (4D damage).Personal EquipmentHand vid-comm: hand-held device allowing audio and visual communication via a punch pad and vid-screen.Io board: interface board used for taking notes and running basic computer programs; “io” is short for“input/output”Kublars: standard form of galactic currency, 5 kublars equals what one hard-working corporate drone earnsin a day.Range goggles: goggles worn over the eyes to magnify objects at a distance (provide +3D to long-rangePerception and search rolls).

Game-Play Tips Character Points: To help players keep track of their character points in a quick demo, ask each to set asideone die with the “5” side up. When they use a Character Point, they can turn this die to the next lower num-ber. Once they’ve gone past “1” they’ve used up all their Character Points.Wild Die: Don’t worry about using the Wild Die. If players ask, yes, the Metabarons RPG will include rules forusing the Wild Die, but don’t bother using it during the demo.

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