Beam Saber is based on the Forged in the Dark ruleset. The game uses six-sided dice (referred to as d6) on all of its rolls. Usually, players or the GM will gather a pool of dice and take the highest number to determine the result. However, there may be times where a person has zero dice to roll (referred to as 0d). If a person has 0d, they roll two dice and take the lowest as their result.
Clocks
A clock measures the progress of an ongoing challenge or approaching issue. Clocks take the form of a circle divided into 4, 6, or 8 segments. The more segments in a clock, the more complex the challenge or the longer the delay until the issue arrives.Players and GMs may create clocks to represent their pursuits, threats in their way, and any other time-sensitive task or event. A clock has:
- a goal or outcome when it fills,
- a name, and
- a number of segments.
Players may work with the GM to define a clock or clocks for their pilot’s pursuits—such as renovating a ruined building into dive for musical events. Clocks represent the obstacle or danger itself, not the method used to fill them.
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Playbooks
Beam Saber is a game about pilots and their massive war machines. While the vehicles may get a lot of attention, they’re just dead metal without their pilot—an empty husk waiting to be filled with potential. You are that potential. Pilots are people who take a sliver of hope in a desperate situation and use it as a wedge to victory. Be the pilot, find the sliver.
The information that follows is useful for understanding your Playbook, or what most TTRPG players know as a character sheet.
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Rolling Dice
As a game, the way Beam Saber plays is simple; you tell a story with your friends. Taking turns, you describe the heroic feats, nefarious deeds, and everything in between to tell a compelling story about these pilots. Sometimes, the outcome of a pilot’s actions are uncertain—that’s when you turn to the dice.
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Players' Principles
- Protect your comrades.
- Embrace the pilot's life.
- Go into danger. Fall in love with trouble.
- Use actions honorably.
- Use your stress and quirks.
- Take responsibility.
- Advocate for the scenes you want.
- Don't talk yourself out of fun.
- Hustle to get ahead.
- Build your character through play.
- Break the rules with long-term projects.
- Act now. Plan later.
The Gameplay Cycle
Beam Saber’s style of play is made up of multiple phases that players move between. The pilots embark upon a mission for an employer, they return to a downtime phase where they recover and rest up, before planning for another mission. The game cycles between these two phases until the pilots retire or meet an end. The free play phase sits parallel to these phases—filling in the gaps for when the pilots do things that aren’t mission or downtime related.
Missions
When the players are headed into a mission, it’s time to plan. The group covers the Rules of Engagement, the mission’s target, objective, employer, Loadout, and a tactic. The pilots may still gather information and perform any last downtime activities during this time. When everyone is ready, free play ends and the pilots make an engagement roll to move into the mission.
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Downtime
Downtime phases let the squad get their just rewards and take a breather. They’ll get resupplied for their efforts, gain and lose Trust with Factions, experience consequences for their actions, and prepare for the next mission. These steps take the form of rewards, Trust, squad status, entanglements, and downtime activities. After the pilots complete their downtime activities, the game returns to the free play phase and the cycle continues.