01 · New to tabletop
The two-minute basics.
A tabletop roleplaying game is a shared story with choices. Kyle describes the situation, you decide what your hero tries, and the group discovers what happens next.
There is no script and no single correct move. Speak as your character, describe the action in your own words, or simply state what you want to accomplish. All three are valid.
- ListenKyle describes a place, problem, person, or threat.
- ChooseSay what your hero wants to do and how they approach it.
- Roll when askedRoll a twenty-sided die—the d20—and add the bonus Kyle points out.
- See what changesThe result resolves the attempt or introduces a cost, complication, or new choice.
- Work as a teamShare ideas, use your specialty, and help another hero.
What does a roll mean?
Most rolls are a d20 plus a bonus from your sheet. Kyle names the bonus and the number needed. Meet or beat that number to succeed. With advantage, roll two d20s and keep the higher; with disadvantage, keep the lower.
Start with your intent. You never need to find the rule before saying your idea.
02 · Already know D&D 5e?
Keep the d20 rhythm. Change your mission instincts.
Describe an action, roll a d20 when the outcome needs resolution, add the relevant ability and proficiency, account for advantage or disadvantage, and change the situation. You already know that foundation.
The important differences are what you watch and what you do next.
| Domain | What changes | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Your role | Six mission classes cover levels 1–5, followed by flexible specialist growth. | Play the team job on your pregen; do not rebuild a 20-level class plan. |
| Scene order | Physical action uses Initiative. Structured social and problem scenes can use Moxie. | Ask which encounter procedure is active before choosing resources or tactics. |
| Pressure | A d4–d12 Tension Die signals tone and lethality and can enter features or rolls. | Notice when Tension rises; reassess cover, resources, approach, or extraction. |
| Resolve | Determination Points can be spent or wagered in plot encounters. They are not 5e Inspiration. | Track Determination by its printed name and support a teammate's approach. |
| Field tactics | Meters, firearms, range, capacity, reload, cover, and mission gear are normal. | Read the weapon line and active procedure; do not convert everything to 5-foot squares. |
| Recovery | Scuffed and wounded are meaningful HP thresholds. A long rest is not automatic full healing. | Call out half HP, use team recovery, and read the Stargate wording. |
| Advancement | Debrief awards Mission Points instead of relying on a 20-level class track. | Treat one episode as complete while recording continuing hero growth. |
Read the full 5e transition
Use the bonuses printed on the Stargate pregen instead of filling gaps from 5e memory. Skills such as Pilot, Engineering, Science, and Culture support mission play. Specialized procedures can give negotiation, research, traversal, firefights, pursuits, and similar episode beats structure beyond ordinary checks.
Keep familiar action-economy instincts, but use metric ranges and Stargate condition wording. If a familiar term appears, do not assume every timing or effect is identical.
03 · Your character sheet
Four zones are enough to begin.
- Your specialtyRace, origins, class, and the short prompt explain who your hero is and what they do well.
- Your reliable bonusesSkills and saving throws already include useful numbers. Kyle points to the one you need.
- Your mission statusHit Points, Determination, Armor Class, speed, Initiative, and Moxie show how ready you are.
- Your optionsAttacks, gear, proficiencies, and class abilities are the moves unique to this hero.
Mark one thing your hero is great at, one team ability, and one attack or piece of gear. That is enough to begin.
Official premade packets may show later-level abilities. Kyle will name the session level; use only the features available at that level.
04 · Optional Stargate depth
Open only what helps.
You do not need these procedures memorized. Kyle introduces the active rule when the episode reaches it.
Actions, turns, and helping the team
In an action scene you can normally move, take one action, use a bonus action only when a feature grants one, interact with a simple object when it fits, and use one reaction before your next turn when triggered.
Ask: What can I do right now that helps the team? Take cover, identify a device, treat an ally, calm a witness, scout a route, or set up another hero. A useful turn does not have to deal damage.
Tension, Determination, and plot encounters
The Tension Die runs from d4 to d12. Higher dice signal escalating danger; d10 and d12 scenes can be lethal. Treat a rise as a mission update.
Determination Points measure resolve. In structured plot encounters, heroes may spend or wager them to change minds, hold a position, and push a goal forward. You can contribute by describing evidence or support—no speech performance is required.
Combat, cover, health, and recovery
Attacks still roll against Armor Class. Weapon lines show damage, metric range, capacity, reload, and special qualities. Cover matters when firearms are involved.
- Below maximum but at least half HP: scuffed.
- Below half HP: wounded.
- At 0 HP: unconscious and in danger until stabilized or healed.
Short and long rests help, but a long rest does not automatically erase every injury.
Conditions and recovery reference
Familiar names include blinded, frightened, grappled, prone, restrained, stunned, and unconscious. Stargate also uses distracted, entangled, possessed, suffocating, and weightless. Kyle will explain the active effect; use Stargate wording instead of relying on another game's memory.
Preparation, technology, and encounter families
Mission Preparation controls available support and gear. Technology Level—TL—describes how sophisticated a device is and how difficult it may be to understand or repair.
An episode may move through negotiation, research, traversal, combat, firefights, aerial action, or pursuit. Tell Kyle what you want to accomplish; the active procedure follows.
How one mission flows
- Briefing: meet the objective, review known risks, and choose support.
- Mission: explore, investigate, make contact, solve problems, survive threats, and decide together.
- Debrief: resolve the outcome, note what changed, and record Mission Points.
One episode is designed to be complete even if you do not return for the next mission.
05 · Downloads & preparation
Nothing to download to be ready.
Printed premade sheets are provided. If preparation helps you relax, preview the seven heroes, choose two that sound fun, or skim the 5e transition above.
Dice and notes are welcome if you enjoy using your own; neither is required. An approved custom character may be possible, but ask Kyle before building so level, origins, gear, and mission fit can be confirmed.
What not to memorize
- Stargate lore or episode history
- Every skill, action, condition, or weapon quality
- Tension or Determination procedures
- Character creation rules or every teammate's options
- A voice, accent, or performance
Begin with your hero's intent. The table supplies the rule when it matters.
Open the player glossary
- AC
- Armor Class: the target an attack normally meets or beats.
- DP
- Determination Points: resolve spent or wagered in plot scenes and some features.
- Gatemaster / GM
- The person who presents the mission, plays the world, and adjudicates rules. Here, that is Kyle.
- HP
- Hit Points: a combined measure of stamina, luck, and injury.
- Initiative
- Action-scene order, based on the better of Dexterity or Wisdom.
- Mission Points
- Advancement earned when a mission is completed and debriefed.
- Moxie
- Plot-scene order/value, based on the better of Intelligence or Charisma.
- TL
- Technology Level: a 0–5 rating for technological sophistication.