Orbiters Local 519
A downloadable game
Orbiters Local 519 is a complete sci-fi TTRPG about disassembling derelict starships, built for open tables and one-shots. It focuses on dungeoncrawling, with one important difference: instability. As the players move through the derelicts, seeking valuable components, the ship falls apart. Pipes explode, walls collapse, and entire rooms may separate from the core.
Along with this natural damage, the players are given the tools needed to demolish their environment: welding torches, plasma cutters, and explosives.
It includes:
- Streamlined exploration mechanics built around an Event Die, which handles creature movement, derelict collapse, and oxygen depletion.
- Robust derelict ship generation that determines the ship's type, the disaster that claimed it, and a room-by-room map creator.
- Class-based character advancement and management.
The Open Table
The default structure for many games tends to be one of two options: either a single session with a clearly defined start and end, or a long campaign with a single set of players changing little over months or years.
Orbiters Local 519 is intended for a different format: an open table, made more popular in recent years by some corners of the OSR. Here, a single GM runs consistent sessions with a constantly varying set of players; some people may come for one or two games, some may make it to many.
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $6 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Download demo
Development log
- Equipment List ReorderingMar 06, 2024
- More Typo CorrectionsJan 13, 2023
- Slight FixesJan 10, 2023
- Update #2Oct 20, 2022
- Rules ClarificationsOct 01, 2022
Comments
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I’ve been running this game for about a year now, and I absolutely love it. I’ve brought it to multiple groups, and it’s a hit every time.
Would it be possible to reorder the equipment alphabetically? It feels impossible to find equipment in a timely manner, especially physically without the benefit of
Ctrl+F.Done! And, for physical reference, I've added a single-page 8.5x11" version of the alphabetized sheet, so it can be printed out more easily.
Thank you for playing! I've seen you mention Orbiters Local 519 in the OSR discord once or twice - it makes me happy that the game's seeing use.
Hi I'm going to be running some Orbiters game shortly.
I've gone over the rules and I'm a little confused by how movement works. Exploration is moving room to room, but when taking about things like explosives, there are measurements for the radius of the explosion, or drones moving "twice as fast as humans".
So is movement outside of combat room to room, but then once in combat you start measuring 1 square=5 feet? Same idea for time. Some items like the blasting cord allow for 15 seconds. Is this just a time moves as fast or as slowly as situation demands thing? I feel like DnD has rotted my brain for this.
Very excited to start playing in any case!
Things like explosive radii and movement speeds are mostly given to the GM in case that level of specificity is useful - "drones move twice as fast as humans" means they can move two rooms if one of their encounter groups is rolled to move, but more importantly it basically means "if you try to run away, they will catch you".
Similarly, explosive radiuses and timings are given in an exact distance for if it's important - does a person fit through this hole? What about a piece of machinery? Can you set the fuse and have it go off before something happens? Often, none of these things will be important - if your player is using a breaching charge to blow open a locked door while not under attack, for example, all you really need to do is say "you're blind for a fraction of a second as your helmet's glass darkens to protect your eyes, and then the door's open".
When I ran this game, I never measured exact distances during combat using 5 foot squares or similar tools, instead in a more abstract theater-of-the-mind method where relevant locations are things like "behind the doorway" or "on the other side of the room".
Thanks, this helps a lot!
Fun reading, and some excellent tools for generating derelicts. I can see the price being worth it just for those, honestly, and you get a whole game thrown in! Nicely done. :)
Really great game! I've had tons of fun familiarizing myself with the ideas.
One thing I'm wondering; how do you determine airlock locations? Is it just whatever makes sense/GM choice?
A 5 result on the dice-assembling step of the derelict generator (previously called "Breach") is also the result indicating an airlock.
I've just updated the file, clarifying that that result can also be an airlock (and that I added an airlock, by hand, to the Lowlands).
Thank you for your interest in the game, and for your feedback!
Awesome! I had another question, too: as far as whether a ship has power/atmo, is that determined by the flavor in the objectives (i.e. "Don't turn the machines off" implies there is power still running somewhere) and breaches (a breach would guarantee no atmo in a room)? Or is it up to the GM to do whatever they prefer?
I determine it by the objectives and rooms, though it's completely possible for the GM to choose themselves, or even just flip a coin for each.