A tabletop roleplaying game set in a dystopian Milky Way, TERMINUS is the ultra-flexible, narrative-focused, brutal-as-all-hell spacepunk epic.
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Powered by the new Terminal Velocity Dice System, Terminus offers players unprecedented flexibility to express their characters, all the way down the very dice mechanics themselves. Where most TTRPGs operate with a single d20, Terminus uses three evolving dice that grow as players invest in certain skillsets known as Expertise. An organic and rewarding new system, characters will see their three Aptitude Dice evolving from a d6 all the way through to a d20. Three Aptitude Dice, 24 versatile Expertise, infinite possibilities.
The combat of Terminus, rather than forcing fixed actions within rigid turns, allows players to spend Action Points in a resource-based combat system so they can strategise and improvise on the fly. Additionally players can hold onto unspent points to deploy as Reactions outside of their turn, giving the whole squad the chance to create wild, mind-blowing combo moves – and in the world of Terminus, you’ll need them. You can keep it simple or let your imagination run wild. Die in style.
The Understanding is the game’s governing foundation that allows both the players and the Galaxy Orchestrator (G.O.) to shape their narrative and gameplay into the best experience for the group. Comprised of three pillars (The Responsibility of Narrative, the Examination of Plausibility, and the Determination of Logic), these principles liberate players from the restrictive and often frustrating limitations of RPGs to adapt to a group’s unique situation. The Understanding offers freedom and flexibility where the final arbiter is not an arbitrary rule, but the group’s instinct for what is logical, satisfying, hilarious or moving.
After the disappearance of the ruling Yýnarou at the end of the Three Way War, the galaxy fell into a wasteland of poverty and technological darkness. Cut off from each other, the various HUB worlds of the galaxy suffered massive infrastructure collapse and rampant war. As the galaxy crawled back out from the tombs of their isolated planets, the corporations and a fledgling galactic government known as ‘The Common’ rapidly filled the power vacuum, establishing themselves as the overwhelming forces of rule for modern galactic society. A new era began, one of unfettered capitalism, greed and incredible wealth disparity. From the ashes of civilisation came one undeniable truth: Credits Control Everything.
Alongside a new age humanity, Terminus boasts six other wholly original species each with their own physiology, sociology and philosophies. Players may choose to learn only the essentials of a species, or dive into the rich lore of their language, culture, biology and history within the galaxy. From the sexually trimorphic Roneqa pictured here to the culturally transhumanistic Ishaii, each species is designed to be a level beyond the typical types of alien species we’ve seen a hundred times before.
In this world, technology is the ultimate equaliser and nothing is more powerful than your Core Cybernetic. Choose between eight classes, thirty-two programs/abilities, sixty-four upgrades, and endless potential. All classes have four unique programs, each that grant it wild and powerful abilities. From dimension-jumping GateKeepers and people-puppeteering Techromancers, to memory-manipulating Plastics and narrative-exploiting StreetSharks, every class is distinct, powerful, and a helluva lotta fun to drive.
The weapon and armour system has been designed to give players maximum creativity and customisability. Choose from an arsenal of gear and weapons to purchase, and hundreds of mods to suit your needs. You do not level up in the world of Terminus; it’s all about money. Credits Control Everything. Chase credits for better skill upgrades, better gear, and better mods. Get the money, get the goods, and get more money. There is nothing you can’t build. Make it deadly, make it maddening, make it yours.
Personal expression is your greatest weapon, the way you choose to cover your armour in stickers or graffiti, the clothes you put on, the statement you make - it's all you, and that can never die. Terminals have taken to wearing punk-inspired hiphop street wear over the top of refurbished military and space gear, known colloquially as BulletProof Fashion. Over time the fashion and armour began to integrate until they were one and the same.
Die in style, right?
A radical new philosophy adopted by those individuals who turn their back on the Galaxy’s grotesque status quo to become untethered agents of dogged non-conformity. The movement of Neo-Terminalism espouses seven tenets: Get Tha Money, Own Your Self, Raise The Dead, Expression Is The Weapon, Bet It All, and Die In Style. The only way forward is through the radical ownership of the self. Some find it easy, others swan dive from grace to break their necks on the truths of their own shortcomings. Either way, get what is owed to you.
© 2023 Murray Curtis & Tom Goodall, 200 Down Pty Ltd