Five Parsecs from Home - A "Solo" Gaming Story

Thanks to my good friend Kieron at Cheaphammer I have been introduced to a great new set of solo play wargame rules, Five Parsecs from Home by Nordic Weasel Games. Set in the vein of Firefly/Farscape etc you make a ragtag crew of rogues and scoundrels setting out amongst the stars, debt ridden in a rickety old freighter/old military patrol/Scout Ship etc.

Everything in the game is randomly generated, from the crew selection, what Planets you land on, available gear and weapons, to the enemies you might face whilst on various jobs or quests.

Whilst meandering around the Universe, fighting pirates and local alien overlords etc you will gain Patrons, contacts who can give you extra jobs, rumours of possible lost archtech and the like as well as possible be caught up in an Invasion of the planet your working on - leading you to try and make a hasty exit!

After a brief read up though the rules I dug out some of the figures from the Core Space boardgame which I thought would be ideal for this setting and went ahead and rolled up my crew.

Your crew can be made up of Humans, Bots and Aliens (which have a number of different types) these can be rolled up randomly or you can just pick what you want, at least 3 must be humans though.

I went for 4 Humans, 1 Alien and a Bot.

So here they are - The crew of the Solar Conveyor - The Star Forgers

Leader - Capt Mason "Steel" Forge

Mason is the middle son of one of the prominent Tech Guild families on Erlich-4. Growing up surviving numerous raider and pirate attacks of Guilder caravans that plagued the free trade world, Mason felt the urge to take to the stars and see what Fringe space had to offer. A tough and well-equipped character thanks to his family, he now explores the fringe as Captain of his own ship, the Solar Conveyor. 

Sometimes a trader, sometimes a rogue, Mason is always looking for rare and historical tech as well as fame and fortune.

Troochilda "True" Kent

True was found drifting around a local Star Port by Mason after she had gotten into the middle of a disagreement between two Cyborg trade officials. A Hacker of some considerable skill, True had been hired to upload new wetware into one of the officials so he could take over the his competitiors trade routes. Unfortunately the wetware was Digi-Synced and traced back to True and she ended up trying to get off world quickly. 

After hearing her tale, Mason offered True a position on his new crew with all the protection that he could provide, earning her unconditional loyalty. 

Kheth Tegrir

Hailing from a polluted industrial world, Kheth was brought up in an Iron Caste family with extreme harshness, but always wanting to be free of the shackles of his homeworld. His quick wits and knack for problem solving found him work troubleshooting in places where a more "offical" approach might be counter-productive. Gainging experience in his trade, Kheth was offered a slot as part of a Caste trade crew and within hours of landing on Erlich-4 he decided this was the perfect opportunity to make his own path.

Now after signing on with Capt Forge's crew he has some measure of the freedom he has yearned for.

Calliver "Cal" Igari

An Enforcer for hire, Cal hails from a Low-Tech Colony world, deep within Fringe Space. However, after numerous years in his profession ha has gained a high degree of technical know-how regarding weapons and mechanised systems. A former employee of numerous traders, protecting their interests on Erlich-4 has earned him some powerful contacts to call upon.

Now employed by the Forge family he has been seconded to Mason's crew. Something Mason is highly appreciative of after Cal retrofitted the Solar Conveyors cargo hauler Bot into a combat unit.

 SH-1R3

SH-1R3 is a Dray class Cargo Bot, one of a host of Bot haulers that are on the Solar Conveyor's inventory. After Mason took possession of the Freighter, he was looking at upgrading some of them as combat additions to support his endeavours. 

Thanks to the technical know-how of Cal Igari, the most successful addition is SH-1R3, updated with enhanced combat and reaction software as well as optical enhanced stabilised weapon platforms, the Bot has become a tough, welcome bit of heavy hitting firepower for the crew.

Chaket Ullen

Chaket is a member of an extremely long-lived Alien species - the Vulengi. Using this longevity, individual Vul's study a way or what they describe as a discovery and will focus themselves upon it completely. 

Once a discovery is mastered, they will choose another, and the process will begin anew. Chaket, once a long-standing member of the Vulengi Star Navy Judicial Corps now looks to begin a new way and joining the crew of the Solar Conveyor is just the start.

       The Solar Conveyor - A P-300 Percheron Class Heavy Freighter

Erlich-4

Starting Homeworld - A Free Trade Zone World which does not require a licence to operate on.

Class M

Climate: Medium Temperate World

Region: Bordering Unity and Fringe Territories

System: Erlich System

Population: 700 Million

Government: Trade Guild run