Mothership RPG
Officially Mothership Sci-Fi Horror RPG
SCI-FI HORROR TABLETOP RPG (Sean McCoy, 2018; 1E boxed set 2023) — LEAN d100 percentile system for space-horror in tradition of ALIEN + EVENT HORIZON + DEAD SPACE. Player characters are BLUE-COLLAR SPACE WORKERS (TEAMSTERS, SCIENTISTS, MARINES, ANDROIDS) trying to SURVIVE hazardous space encounters. Signature elements: LEAN + FAST RULES (~10 min learn), heavy STRESS + PANIC mechanics, high LETHALITY, IMPROVISATIONAL GM design. Multiple ENNIE AWARDS + huge indie hit; Boxed Set 1E won 2023 ORIGINS. Setting-agnostic — GM crafts own space universe.
Quick facts
Category
Tabletop Role-Playing
Type
Team sport
Players
3–6
Duration
~180 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Designed 2018 by SEAN MCCOY as short OSR-inspired sci-fi horror system (0E released free on itch.io); 1E BOXED SET released 2023 after successful Kickstarter (raised $1.4M); published by TUESDAY KNIGHT GAMES; won multiple ENNIE + ORIGINS awards 2023-2024; huge indie hit inspired by ALIEN + EVENT HORIZON + PROMETHEUS + DEAD SPACE aesthetic; sparked wave of low-fi sci-fi horror TTRPGs.
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
SURVIVE life-threatening space-horror scenarios; NOT beat monsters — RUN, HIDE, IMPROVISE, or DIE.
Rules
Basic rules
d100 UNDER STAT SYSTEM: roll 2×d10 as percentile; roll UNDER your STAT (Strength, Speed, Intellect, Combat) to succeed
Signature roll-under-stat percentile.
4 CLASSES: TEAMSTER (blue-collar), SCIENTIST (researcher), MARINE (combat), ANDROID (synthetic)
Signature 4-class system.
STRESS + PANIC: accumulate STRESS from horror + injury; roll for PANIC when stressed — panic effects escalate (freeze, hallucinate, self-harm, cardiac arrest)
Signature stress + panic escalation.
HIGH LETHALITY: fights are deadly + rare; encourage RUNNING + HIDING + SNEAKING + IMPROVISING
Signature deadly-combat design philosophy.
MINIMAL EQUIPMENT: characters start with $0-500 credits + basic gear; scarcity is horror element
Signature minimal-gear starting inventory.
SETTING-AGNOSTIC: no default world; each GM crafts own space universe or uses PUBLISHED MODULES (Dead Planet, Gradient Descent, A Pound of Flesh, Desert Moon of Karth)
Signature setting-agnostic + modules.
FAST CHARACTER CREATION: 5-10 min per character (vs. 30-60 min for D&D)
Signature rapid character creation.
Scoring
No score; survival + progression via credits + XP.
Win condition · Party survives + completes contract or module; no formal winning.
Equipment
MOTHERSHIP PLAYER SURVIVAL GUIDE (character creation + core rules)
Signature Player Survival Guide (Book 1).
WARDEN'S OPERATIONS MANUAL (GM guide + tools)
Signature Warden's Manual (Book 2).
SHIPBREAKER'S TOOLKIT (space ship + starship rules)
Signature Shipbreaker Toolkit (Book 3).
UNCONFIRMED CONTACT REPORTS (bestiary + adversaries)
Signature UCR bestiary (Book 4).
PERCENTILE DICE: 2×d10 (or d100)
Standard percentile dice.
CHARACTER SHEETS + PANIC SHEETS + MODULES
Standard sheets + modules.
Terminology
- Warden
- Mothership's term for the GM (Game Master).
- Stress + Panic
- Core horror mechanic — stress accumulates, panic rolls trigger effects.
- MoSh
- Fan abbreviation for Mothership.
- Module
- Published pre-made adventure (Dead Planet, Gradient Descent, etc.).
- Contract
- PC's job/mission — often survival-oriented.
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Tuesday Knight Games (publisher + rights)
Founded 2018 · Nashville, TN, USA
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Mothership RPG— Wikipedia
- Tuesday Knight Games— Tuesday Knight Games