"Pssst! Psssssssstt!"
The Yazirian walking through the Minzii
marketplace slowed when he heard the
hissing and glanced around. He was a
dangerous-looking type, possibly one of
the newly arrived mercenaries brought in
to settle a mega-corp dispute on the other
side of Bizarre. He located the source of
the third "pssst" and stooped down next
to the stall selling Grothian crystals.
Standing underneath the crystal-laden
table was an Ifshnit, black body hair
carefully braided in the manner of a
roving Capellan merchant. His tiny
stature was emphasized by the gun case
he was leaning on; compared to his own
diminutive height it looked like a huge
suitcase.
"Greeted well, simian warrior."
The enforcer had no liking for word
games but knew Ifshnit customs demanded
that the potential customer recognize the
merchant as an honorable tradesman.
Searching his mind for the correct
phrasing, the Yazirian stammered, "Uh,
recognized with respect and delight,
esteemed shopkeeper. What might you
have in the way of special items for a
needy enforcer."
The little face grinned, huge eyes
glistening with delight. "Oh nothing,
surely, that a traveled, experienced
personage such as yourself has not seen
in his past wanderings. Only some
trinkets and unusual weapons."
The last remark was meant to
tantalize. It did.
The warrior, feeling a fool for kneeling
in the marketplace's dirt street and
appearing as if he was talking to a table,
began growling with irritation.
"Show me anyway, distinguished
barterer, that I may broaden my
experience."
The Ifshnit waved his ringed hand in the
air. "No, no, I could not humiliate myself
by revealing to your seasoned eyes my
meager wares no matter how rare they
may be."
"All right you little pirate," the
Yazirian snapped, temper flaring and
teeth bared. "I have a few precious
minutes before I 'bap' to another part of
your soggy planet. Do you have something
to sell or not?"
Though ruffled by the Yazirian's impatience,
the Ifshnit felt confident of a sale.
Smiling enigmatically, he flipped open the
weapon case and turned it toward the
monkeyish face. Inside, the strangely
shaped weapon gleamed, even in the shade
of the table. Its muzzle was still sealed by
the manufacturer's stamp, proving the
weapon had never been used.
The Yazirian's eyes narrowed. ''Is this
authentic?" A slight nod from the
merchant sent the warrior's eyes back to
the beckoning weapon.
Small, jeweled hands snapped open
compartments and removed insulating
panels. ''A WarTech Omega Bolt with
tooled krickhide holster. The belt holds
six powerclips."
The Yazirian smiled slowly, licking his
lips. ''I think we can do business,
esteemed one."
Welcome to Zebulon's Guide to Frontier
Space. This book is your introduction to the
of ficial, updated, streamlined version of the
STAR FRONTIERS® Alpha Dawn roleplaying
game.
Within this book you will find new player
character and non-player character races, and
an optional STAR FRONTIERS character, the
mentalist. A set of rules for skills that
incorporates over 100 skills and allows
much more freedom in character
development is introduced, along with a
new set of combat rules that speeds up
and simplifies game play.
The second part of this book gives you
more background on the Frontier than was
ever available before. It describes the current
limits of the Frontier, complete with
expanded planet descriptions, a map of known
Frontier systems, a brief history of the
Frontier sector, background on the
megacorporations, cadres, and cults that
control the UPF, and a large section on new
equipment: weapons, defenses, security
devices, body computers, and more.
This book is designed for use with the STAR
FRONTIERS Alpha Dawn role-playing game and
cannot be properly used without it. It builds
upon that game's foundation, but does not
completely replace it. The referee should have
a working knowledge of
the STAR FRONTIERS game before using this
product.
Climb aboard, but be prepared to enter a
new Frontier full of wonders that you
never dared dream of.
A WORD ABOUT THE NEW RACES
The Osakar, Ifshnits, and Humma have
inhabited the Rim System worlds for
centuries. They were incorporated into
Frontier society during the Second Sathar
War (SWII) when their help was
desperately needed.
While they are legally entitled to all the
rights and privileges of UPF members,
antiRim prejudice is common on worlds that
are several jumps away from the Sathar
border. Inhabitants of these protected worlds
view the Rim as a collection of "Znoggy Come
Latelies" (a PanGal term for anyone who
arrives after the rough work is done,
supposedly inspired by Captain Znogg whose
forgotten warship never fired a shot and was
never hit by one). This prejudice is never
found on those planets that were directly
involved in the Second Sathar War.
The fourth race, the Mechanons is included
because its presence on the Frontier has had
increasing impact in the last few decades. The
Mechanons should be used only as non-player
characters, like the Sathar. They are not,
however, an evil race. It just so happens that
most Mechanon interests conflict with the
interests of the Frontier and the UPF.