The Haunting of Ypsilon 14: The Last Stop in Hyperspace

Creating your character

Quick Character Creation: Characters are generated live at the start of the session using flavorful, setting-specific starting gear tables. Roll up a character in a minute or two, then step into the mist. Adventure-specific Random Tables: Each player chooses or rolls for their role (Pilot, Scientist, Mercenary, Android) and then rolls on adventure-specific starting gear tables for six pieces of starting gear. I'll provide the tables here so you can see what I'm talking about: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-x9xii--pcQ-NJBBn0OYLzeHE1K81MM_/view?usp=sharing Cairn Combat Stats: Players also roll for their characters' two combat stats: 1d6 for stamina (regenerates after each battle) and 3d6 for life (harder to regenerate - you need healing potions, scrolls, etc.). (These stats come from Cairn, in which they are called HP and Strength, respectively). Here's the template for the character sheet we'll use: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vqisPahz4dUl2xA8dUnTq3s9mJlrV_Kcfq6Cb7qvzE8/edit?usp=sharing 🤫 Hidden Agendas: For this adventure, every player will also receive a personal secret objective. Will you look out for your crewmates, secure valuable data for a massive payday, or just fill out your paperwork and run?

Preparing for the session

🎒 What You Need to Bring A microphone with clear audio and a quiet background. A free Discord account for our voice call. A love for slow-burn psychological tension, industrial sci-fi, and corporate horror!

What Happy Chthonian 🤪👾 brings to the table

🕹️ How We Play 🤪 Rules Ultralight & Zero Prep: We use a streamlined, fiction-first framework designed to get out of the way of the story. No rules to memorize, no complex sheets, and zero homework before you show up. Instant Deployment: Minimal stats and no rulebooks to read. We roll up unique space truckers in 60 seconds with adventure-specific tables for corporate backgrounds, personal coping mechanisms, and random space age industrial gear. Then we’ll clock in and start your shift. Immersive Theater of the Mind: No digital battle maps or grids pulling you out of the experience. The shoddy, narrow metallic corridors and jaded miners exist entirely in our shared imagination, maximizing the claustrophobia and psychological tension - yay! Intuitive Problem-Solving: You interact with the station naturally, referring to your imagination rather than a skills list. Review the shipping manifests, talk to the local miners, fix the local equipment, or negotiate with corporate handlers using raw, uncut ingenuity. Cairn-style Combat Stakes: No to-hit rolls—all attacks hit and hurt. As in real life, fatal violence is a massive risk—you survive by staying sharp, asking the right questions, and running for your life.

Homebrew rules

One House Rule: No attribute scores or skills. Instead, we use Cairn's Die of Fate as the One Roll to Rule Them All. When outcomes are uncertain, the player rolls one six-sided die (1d6). If the roll is a 4 or higher, you succeed, if not, something bad happens. This is the secret sauce to this ultra light, ultra fast style. And one important rule to highlight for folks coming to Cairn from other systems: all attacks automatically hit. Combatants deal damage to their targets automatically, subtracting the value of the target's armor, without rolling to see whether an attack “hits.” This speed combat up, because there are never any misses. For those who want a breakdown of all the system rules, you can peruse them here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yJSP6SQuVvhXTQV5whEfs1aYb0SnqoqdcI1ZW_lZvOY/edit?usp=sharing

How Happy Chthonian 🤪👾 creates a safe table

Lines and Veils: I'll ask players their content preferences and avoid sensitive content Open Door Policy: All players are welcome to step away and take a break from the table without judgment. Breaks: We'll take a 10 minute break after every 90 minutes of play. Stars and Wishes: At session end, I'll solicit feedback about the session. Per Startplaying's rules, I don't tolerate players being nasty to one another. In response to minor transgressions, I'll point out the problem and give a warning. In response to repeat or unacceptable behavior, I will eject players from the server/campaign and then process the event with all involved. Finally, no character-on-character conflict (attacking or stealing from one another). The only exception is when such in-party conflict is enthusiastically endorsed by the whole table.