This chapter offers a fast planet creation system for those who intend to do plenty of planet hopping. The system provides just enough details to give a generalized overview of the current state of the planet. Game Masters should add information on its history, cultures, customs, other planets in the system, and so on, if the players’ characters intend to stay there for any length of time.
Creating a Planet
There are several key aspects of a planet and its people described here, each with an associated table. Use the tables to randomly determine what the planet is like, or simply pick what seems appealing. Record decisions on the “Planet Design Log.” Also included on this log are places to put down times to other planets and various costs associated with visiting the planet.
When an aspect suggests rolling twice on the tables, either come up with a creative reason why the duplicated entries coexist, or discard the duplicate and reroll.
Do not include the Wild Die when making rolls on these tables.
Number of Objects in the System
Although these guidelines deal with one system, it can provide flavor to know how many other bodies there are in the system. Roll 3D to figure out how many major objects there are in addition to the main planet and the sun. If the number is greater than seven, roll 1D to determine how many of those bodies are asteroids belts or comets (Game Master’s choice).
Number of Moons
Roll 1D and subtract 1 from the result to figure out how many large chunks of rock orbit the main planet. The fewer the moons (aside from zero), the bigger they are.
On a result of five, either the moons are very small or the planet has a ring around it.
Moons create tides, and, by reflecting the sun’s rays, they serve as a source of light at night. They can also influence the behavior of creatures living on the planet.
Atmosphere
Most planets of significant size have some kind of atmosphere, though a large passing body can rip it away. Native species can breathe their own atmosphere, but they will have trouble in other environments. Roll 1D on the table to determine the composition.
| Result | Atmosphere |
| 1–3 | Nitrogen-oxygen mix, breathable by Humans and similar species |
| 4 | Contains elements harmful to Humans and similar species if exposed to them over long periods of time |
| 5 | Contains elements harmful to Humans and similar species if exposed to them over short periods of time |
| 6 | Environmental suits required by Humans and similar species to survive on this planet |
Hydrosphere
This aspect shows how much of the planet is covered in liquid. If the atmosphere is harmful to Humans and similar species, then the liquid is probably not pure water — the water might be contaminated with other substances or it might be even more deadly, such as lava or ammonia.
| Result | Hydrosphere |
| 1 | Arid: Little or no standing liquid |
| 2–3 | Dry: Some standing liquid |
| 4–5 | Moderate: Has many oceans, lakes, and rivers |
| 6 | Saturated: Little or no dry land |
Gravity
This aspect indicates how much pull the planet has on things near its surface. Roll 1D on the chart.
| Result | Gravity |
| 1–2 | Light: Roll 1D, add 1 to the result, and divide by 10 to get the gravity value |
| 3–5 | Standard: Roll 1D and add 0.7 to the result to get the gravity value |
| 6 | Heavy: Roll 1D and add 1 to the result to get the gravity value |
Length of Day
For most planets, this method works adequately to determine the time it takes for the planet to rotate on its axis. Game Masters may increase or decrease it as appropriate for the planet and may even change the number of seconds or minutes in an hour.
Roll 1D on the table.
| Result | Length of Day |
| 1–2 | 2D plus 10 hours |
| 3–4 | 1D plus 20 hours |
| 5 | 1D plus 25 hours |
| 6 | 1D plus 30 hours |
Length of Year
This simplistic method works well for figuring out long it takes for the planet to travel around its primary. Roll 1D on the table.
| Result | Length of Year |
| 1 | 1D x 15 plus 75 local days |
| 2 | 1D x 15 plus 150 local days |
| 3 | 1D x 15 plus 225 local days |
| 4–5 | 1D x 15 plus 300 local days |
| 6 | 1D x 15 plus 375 local days |
Common Terrain
This aspect reveals the dominate terrain on the planet, though certainly not the only one. The exact nature of the terrain is affected by the hydrosphere, length of day, and gravity, among other factors. A dry world with a long day and high gravity is less likely to exhibit a jungle or wetlands terrain than a moist with an average day and low gravity. Game Masters should adjust the result based on previously determined factors, if desired.
At minimum, roll 2D on this chart, though Game Masters may wish to roll twice on the table to get primary and secondary terrains. As this is only a sampling of possible surface conditions, Game Masters may feel free to substitute any conditions that they desire for the ones listed here or include a subtable under the “Other” option on which to roll.
| Result | Terrain |
| 2 | Desert/tundra |
| 3 | Volcanic |
| 4 | Mountainous |
| 5 | Artificial, such as domed cities or sprawling cities containing many buildings |
| 6 | Forest |
| 7 | Plains |
| 8 | Jungle |
| 9 | Wetlands |
| 10 | Ocean |
| 11 | Glacier |
| 12 | Other (specified by the Game Master) |
Planet Establishment
This aspect gives a broad overview of where the planet’s citizens came from, if there is any sentient species there. Roll 2D once on this table.
| Result | Level |
| 2–3 | No sentient species, though there may be ruins of an ancient civilization or untapped natural resources, skip the rest of the aspects, not likely to have a spaceport |
| 4 | Cataclysmic changes dramatically altered the society, the society may still be in danger from a recent disaster or it may be recovering from a disaster in the past |
| 5-6 | Dependent colony established by another, more developed planet or corporation, trade may be restricted to sponsor and may have to follow sponsor’s laws |
| 7 | Settled by another world and then abandoned, some memories of more prosperous times, but may have devolved to barbarism |
| 8-9 | Independent colony that, though established by another planet or corporation, no longer has ties to the sponsor |
| 10 | Important military installation |
| 11–12 | Homeworld of a species |
Government
This aspect suggests the dominating political authority on the planet. These are only a few possibilities. Roll 2D once on this table.
| Result | Government |
| 2–3 | Anarchy (individual rights above all else) |
| 4 | Military |
| 5 | Alliance or federation of several families, family groups (tribes), nations, corporations, etc. |
| 6 | Bureaucracy |
| 7 | Democracy: Roll 1D. If the result is odd, then it’s participatory (all citizens have a say in all issues) if the result is even, then it’s representative (citizens elect officials to manage policy). |
| 8 | Run by a single corporation, guild, religion, or professional organization |
| 9–10 | Single person: Roll 1D. If 1–2, ruler takes power by force (dictator). If 3–4, ruler determined by series of trials or tests. If 5–6, ruler determined by heredity (monarch). |
| 11–12 | Criminal |
Regulations
There are two parts to this section. In the first, the Game Master determines whether the government is informal, intolerant, or moderate, which can affect how much they enforce their laws. Use the guidelines on pages 10–12 to decide on infractions and their consequences. In the second, the Game Master selects unusual laws that the system has, if any.
Roll 1D on the first chart and 2D on the second.
| Result | Law Enforcement Level |
| 1–2 | Informal (this government considers infractions to be “errors of judgment” requiring simple reminders rather than strict punishment, treat all misdeeds as one level less than their listed ones) |
| 3–4 | Moderate (this government attempts to make the punishment fit the crime, it has no enforcement modifier) |
| 5–6 | Intolerant (this government strictly controls those within its sphere of influence, treat all misdeeds as one level greater than their listed ones) |
| Result | Unusual Regulations |
| 2–5 | Technology/weapons restriction (a special permit is required to have certain kinds of technology or weapons, the Game Master decides what is restricted) |
| 6–7 | Alien prejudice (misdeeds by anyone not a citizen of the government’s sphere of influence are treated as one level greater than normal) |
| 8–9 | Material prohibition (one or more common items — such as particular kinds of food, metals, plants, sculptures, technology, weapons, etc. — are considered illegal, transporting or selling them is considered a severe offense, the Game Master selects the category) |
| 10–12 | Unbelievers prohibition (anyone who does not proscribe to a particular set of religious, moral, political, or economic beliefs or philosophies is run out of the area) |
Technology Level
These broad categories indicate the level of technology and can dictate the kinds of items visitors could find on the planet. Realize that this is the planet’s average current technology level. It may have been at a higher level in the past, or it may be just inventing technology that puts it at the bottom of the level. Roll 1D once on the chart.
| Result | Technology Level |
| 1 | Low (simple tools, basic agricultural methods, slow transportation network at most, etc., not likely to have a spaceport) |
| 2–3 | Mid (harness wind, water, wood, etc. to provide energy for manufacturing, heating, running devices, etc., basic rocket technology, well- developed transportation and communications networks, etc., not likely to have more than a basic spaceport) |
| 4–6 | High (space travel, miniaturized machines, artificial intelligence, cybernetics, etc.) |
Imports and Exports
This aspect reveals the most common industries and activities are on the planet. Roll 2D twice on this chart to find the major and secondary exports. Roll 2D twice again to determine the major and secondary imports. Additionally, Game Masters may substitute other options for ones listed here.
| Result | Industry |
| 2 | Administration (government or corporate head- quarters) |
| 3 | Entertainment |
| 4 | Research and prototype development |
| 5 | Luxury goods (art, jewelry, finished gems, spices, liquor, food delicacies, etc.) |
| 6 | Processing of raw materials into intermediary components (vehicle parts, weapon components, equipment parts, cloth, chemicals, etc.) |
| 7 | Manufacturing of finished goods (furniture, household goods, medicine, weaponry, vehicles, equipment, etc.) |
| 8 | Service (banking, legal, medical, financial, ship repairs, black market, etc.) |
| 9–10 | Natural resources (metals, minerals, logging, animals for fur, wool, or food, water, agriculture/fibers/ foodstuffs, etc.) |
| 11–12 | Education |
Population Numbers
Use this method to determine the total sentient population of a planet. Roll 1D on the first chart to get the base range. Then multiply that number by the value indicated by a roll of 1D on the second chart.
| Result | Population Range |
| 1 | 100 |
| 2–3 | 1000 |
| 4–5 | 1000000 |
| 6 | 1000000000 |
| Result | Population Multiplier |
| 1–2 | 1D |
| 3–4 | 1D x 10 |
| 5–6 | 1D x 100 |
Spaceport
To determine what kind of services a planet can offer, use this aspect. Roll 1D once on the chart.
| Result | Starport |
| 1 | None, requiring ships, if they come here at all, make their own landing fields on any large, open spaces |
| 2 | Basic, including a landing field, control tower, limited fuel supplies, and only the most common repair materials |
| 3–4 | Minor, including better versions of the features of the basic version plus more refueling and restocking options and a shipyard for minor repairs and modifications |
| 5–6 | Major, includes better versions of the features of the minor version may possibly be a space station orbiting the planet or on a moon instead of a landing field on the planet |
Proximity to Trade Routes
The proximity to the nearest hub world affects how easy it is to get to the planet. The closer the planet is to a major trade route, the more likely it is to have a higher technology. Roll once on the chart.
| Result | Proximity |
| 1 | Off the common routes minimum of 2D months of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 2–3 | Backwater: routes have been plotted but aren’t traveled much minimum of 1D months of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 4 | Minor: routes are well known, but the planet is distant from major trade routes minimum of 1D weeks of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 5 | Major: on a major trade route minimum of 1D days of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 6 | Hub: a planet where many trade routes converge |
| Result | Starport |
| 1 | None, requiring ships, if they come here at all, make their own landing fields on any large, open spaces |
| 2 | Basic, including a landing field, control tower, limited fuel supplies, and only the most common repair materials |
| 3–4 | Minor, including better versions of the features of the basic version plus more refueling and restocking options and a shipyard for minor repairs and modifications |
| 5–6 | Major, includes better versions of the features of the minor version may possibly be a space station orbiting the planet or on a moon instead of a landing field on the planet |
Proximity to Trade Routes
The proximity to the nearest hub world affects how easy it is to get to the planet. The closer the planet is to a major trade route, the more likely it is to have a higher technology. Roll once on the chart.
| Result | Proximity |
| 1 | Off the common routes, minimum of 2D months of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 2–3 | Backwater: routes have been plotted but aren’t traveled much, minimum of 1D months of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 4 | Minor: routes are well known, but the planet is distant from major trade routes, minimum of 1D weeks of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 5 | Major: on a major trade route, minimum of 1D days of travel time from the nearest hub world |
| 6 | Hub: a planet where many trade routes converge |