BETWEEN BATTLES
A battle in Mortisphere is only one part of a crew's existence.
When the fighting ends, the survivors return to Last Light.
They return carrying what they found.
They return carrying what they lost.
They return carrying the consequences of what happened.
Last Light is where crews prepare for whatever comes next.
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RETURNING TO LAST LIGHT
After completing a scenario, a crew returns to Last Light unless the campaign specifically states otherwise.
The journey back is not always safe.
The crew may return damaged, hunted or changed by what they discovered.
But for most of the campaign, Last Light is the place where a crew can recover and decide their next move.
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THE LAST LIGHT PHASE
Between scenarios, players resolve the Last Light phase.
During this phase, a crew may:
- Recover fallen members. - Treat injuries. - Recruit new members. - Acquire equipment. - Sell or trade discoveries. - Review available opportunities. - Prepare for the next scenario.
The Last Light phase represents the time between conflicts.
It is where a crew stops being a group of survivors and becomes something closer to a force.
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RECOVERY
The first priority after a battle is survival.
Crew members who were incapacitated return from the scenario wounded.
Their injuries are recorded on the crew sheet.
A crew may seek treatment within Last Light to restore damaged members.
Recovery requires resources.
A crew must decide where its resources are most valuable.
A damaged veteran may be worth saving.
A replacement recruit may be cheaper.
The choice belongs to the Captain.
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RECRUITMENT
Losses are common in Mortisphere.
New members may be found among the inhabitants of Last Light or through opportunities discovered during the campaign.
A new recruit may never replace what was lost.
They may have different abilities.
Different motivations.
Different ideas about what the crew should become.
Every new member changes the crew.
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ACQUIRING RESOURCES
A crew's survival depends on what it can recover.
Resources gained from scenarios may be used for:
- Equipment. - Repairs. - Recruitment. - Services. - Future opportunities.
Resources are not simply rewards.
They are choices.
A crew that spends everything preparing for the next battle may lack the resources needed when something unexpected appears.
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NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The Mercenary Guild and other inhabitants of Last Light provide new opportunities.
A crew may find:
- Contracts. - Rumours. - Discoveries. - Dangerous requests. - Information about forgotten locations.
Not every opportunity is worthwhile.
Not every reward is worth the risk.
The final age is filled with things that offer exactly what someone wants.
Usually at a cost.
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PREPARING FOR THE NEXT SCENARIO
Before leaving Last Light, players:
- Update their crew sheet. - Resolve recovery. - Apply advancement. - Equip their crew. - Select available opportunities. - Prepare for the next scenario.
The crew then leaves Last Light once again.
Beyond its lights waits the rest of Mortisphere.
The dead cities.
The forgotten machines.
The impossible creatures.
The things that survived.
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THE CYCLE CONTINUES
The campaign of Mortisphere follows a simple rhythm:
Prepare.
Enter the unknown.
Clash.
Survive.
Return.
Change.
Every journey begins and ends the same way.
A crew gathers beneath the last lights of civilization.
Then it walks back into the darkness.
SCENARIOS AND STORY
A scenario is more than a battle.
It is a moment in the history of a crew.
Every scenario presents a problem, a location, opposing forces and consequences. The crew decides how to approach it, and the results determine what happens next.
Mortisphere is not a story that happens to a crew.
It is a story created by what the crew survives.
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THE PURPOSE OF A SCENARIO
Every scenario begins with a situation.
Something has happened.
Something is wanted.
Something has become dangerous.
Something has been discovered.
The crew becomes involved because there is a reason to take action.
That reason may come from:
- The Mercenary Guild. - The Captain's Hunger. - A previous event. - A discovered opportunity. - A consequence from an earlier scenario.
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SCENARIO STRUCTURE
Every scenario contains:
Background
The information needed to understand the situation.
This explains what has brought the crew to this location and why the conflict exists.
Areas
The locations involved in the scenario.
These define where the crew can move, fight and interact.
Objectives
The purpose of the mission.
Objectives determine what the crew must accomplish.
Opposing Forces
The beings, creatures or factions standing in the way.
Special Rules
Anything unique about the location, enemies or situation.
Outcomes
The consequences of success, failure or unusual decisions.
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OBJECTIVES
A scenario does not always end when one crew is defeated.
The purpose of a conflict determines victory.
A crew may be required to:
- Recover something valuable. - Destroy a target. - Protect something important. - Escape a dangerous location. - Hold an Area. - Gather information. - Survive an impossible situation.
Sometimes fighting is the answer.
Sometimes fighting is the mistake.
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CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES
Scenarios may contain decisions.
A crew may have to choose between:
- Taking a valuable but dangerous path. - Saving resources or saving another being. - Completing the mission or pursuing something unexpected. - Accepting a risk for a greater reward.
These choices shape the campaign.
Two crews playing the same campaign may experience completely different stories.
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FAILING A SCENARIO
Failure does not end a campaign.
Mortisphere is not a place where every mistake means the end.
Failure creates consequences.
A failed mission may result in:
- Lost opportunities. - Additional threats. - Injuries. - Changed relationships. - New problems.
Sometimes failure reveals something victory would never have shown.
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CAMPAIGN CONTINUITY
The scenarios in Mortisphere form a connected campaign.
The results of previous battles influence future events.
A destroyed location remains destroyed.
A defeated enemy may no longer threaten the crew.
A discovered relic may create new possibilities.
A lost opportunity may never return.
The world remembers.
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WRITING YOUR OWN SCENARIOS
Mortisphere is designed to allow additional campaigns.
New scenarios may focus on:
- A crew's personal history. - A new region of Mortisphere. - A forgotten civilization. - A new threat. - A different faction.
The core rules provide the framework.
The stories are created by the battles that take place within it.
Every crew leaves a mark.
Even on a world that is already dead.