Beyond: Flexible Science-Fiction Roleplaying

Beyond is a science-fiction roleplaying game about capable characters moving between worlds of a vast universe, pursuing their own goals, and shaping the situations they encounter. It presents a universe connected by travel, trade, exploration, and conflict, where each world offers new opportunities and complications.

The game is built for clarity and momentum at the table, with a focus on meaningful decisions, distinct characters, and flexible play across a wide range of science-fiction settings.

Characters

Characters in Beyond are defined by their Attributes and Careers, Edges and Drawbacks.

Attributes describe fundamental capabilities: physical ability, agility, intellect, and presence. Careers represent a character’s background and experience, covering broad areas of knowledge and competence.

A character’s combination of Careers suggests both what they can do and how they approach situations. A Soldier, a Mercenary, and a Marine may all be capable in combat, but their training and experience lead them to act in different ways.

Edges and Drawbacks add further distinction, providing advantages, complications, and personal detail.

Resolution

All uncertain actions are resolved with a single roll:

2d6 + Attribute + Career

The result is compared to a Target Number:

9+ Routine
12+ Difficult
15+ Extreme

This unified approach allows a wide range of situations to be handled consistently and quickly.

The Setting

Beyond supports a wide range of science-fiction settings. Worlds are described using simple Codes and Tags that establish their essential character at a glance while leaving room for interpretation and expansion.

Interstellar travel connects these worlds into a playable network. The exact nature of faster-than-light travel may vary, but it always serves to link locations into a structure that supports movement, exploration, and interaction.

Each world is a place with its own conditions, culture, and tensions, ready to be explored and developed in play.

Starships

Starships are a central element of many campaigns. They define how characters move through the setting and what opportunities are available to them.

Ships are described by their capabilities and roles, providing a clear understanding of what they can do and how they function in play.

A ship is both a means of travel and a base of operations, shaping the scope and direction of the campaign.

Equipment and Wealth

Equipment reflects a character’s background and current circumstances. Characters typically have access to the tools and gear appropriate to their experience.

Wealth represents access to resources, credit, and influence. It provides a simple way to determine whether a character can obtain something significant when the situation calls for it.

Play

A typical Beyond game follows a group of characters as they move between worlds, take on jobs, and engage with the people and factions they encounter.

Play may focus on exploration, trade, investigation, conflict, diplomacy, or any combination of these. The structure of a campaign grows from the crew’s activities and the situations that arise around them.

Using the Codex

This Codex provides the rules and tools needed to play Beyond.

Players should begin with Character Creation and Careers. Additional sections cover Edges, [[Beyond:Drawbacks|Drawbacks], [[Beyond:Worlds|worlds], [[Beyond:Spacecraft|spacecraft], and other elements of play.

Beyond Codex Home • Player Guide • Character Creation • Careers • Edges • Drawbacks • Morphotypes • Arms & Equipment • Tactical Combat • Worlds • Spacecraft