Deep Sky Ballad

Overview

Inspired by legendary settings such as Firefly, Westworld, Borderlands, Trigun or Cowboy Bebop, Deep Sky Ballad is a space western ttrpg where the characters play the members of a Posse - fortune seekers more or less tightly bound to each other who share their resources and a spaceship in search of purpose or wealth.

Description

The game mechanics are based on the Blackjack System, a poker cards based system; it's the same rules system Arcana Familia ttrpg use, and give agency to the player to balance the power and accuracy of an action through what can be considered a subgame. The peculiar solving mechanics of Deep Sky Ballad, the Blackjack System is essentially reduced to a very rapid game of the homonymous card game; a number of cards are drawn and revealed from a deck of poker cards, which are then increased or discarded based on the attributes and skills of the character, in order to bring the sum of their value between a number established by the difficulty of the challenge and 21. This system has been designed to be quick and simple but still guarantee the player maximum control over the test itself, and to distinguish between the possibility and the control possessed by the character. In addition to the Blackjack System, there are an innovative spaceships combat system and the Hardboiled System. The first is a simple, agile and fast mechanic involving all the players; the Hardboiled System, instead, is a system of abilities possessed by the character determined by the interaction that he possesses with his fellow Posse, in order to create dramatic and cinematic scenes such as those presented by the TV series from which Deep Sky Ballad is inspired. Even the starship itself owned by the Posse can be defined as a separate character, even if driven by all players. With its own sheet that defines its characteristics, it can be modified according to the needs of the group in every aspect. And space battles will prove to be a pleasant way to break the pace of the game, through a combat system between spaceships that is quick and easy, but which allows each character to contribute to its progress, regardless of his job or her abilities.
Deep Sky Ballad

Additional links

drivethrurpg.com https://www.drivethrurpg.com/it/product/451970/deep-sky-ballad-quickstarter - Quickstarter drivethrurpg.com https://www.drivethrurpg.com/it/product/461444/deep-sky-ballad - Core Book drivethrurpg.com https://www.drivethrurpg.com/it/product/558874/deep-sky-ballad-kowtown-associates-chronicles-masterless-and-soloplay-adventure-generator - Solo-play/Masterless expansion gamefound.com https://gamefound.com/en/projects/a-game-of-nerds/for-a-fistful-of-seeds - Space Farmer Expansion

Active games and players

No active games or players listed for this system yet.

Other entries

Foolhardy Press
Video

Foolhardy Press

TTRPG
English
Youtube
TTRPG History, Video Essays, Tips and More. Uploads Weekly. Links youtube.com - Youtube channel itch.io - Foolhardy Press itch.io page ko-fi.com - Ko-Fi page

Read more

The Ugly Goblin
Video

The Ugly Goblin

TTRPG
English
Dungeons & Dragons
The Ugly Goblin is a vibrant TTRPG media hub that thrives on the intersection of community, commentary, and the sheer chaos of tabletop gaming. Far from the polished, corporate feel of mainstream productions, the channel embraces an authentic and relatable "around the table" atmosphere, focusing on the stories, struggles, and triumphs that every player and Game Master experiences. Specializing in a wide array of content—from hilarious "horrors of the table" stories to thoughtful system reviews—the channel covers a massive spectrum of the hobby. While rooted in the mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons, The Ugly Goblin frequently ventures into the broader world of indie RPGs and community trends, providing a voice for the everyday gamer who loves the hobby for its quirks and its community. Links youtube.com - Youtube channel patreon.com - Patreon page discord.gg - Discord server

Read more

GrimFolio
Tools & Platforms

GrimFolio

TTRPG
English
Free
GrimFolio is a canvas-based project planner. Map out your campaign as cards, rooms, encounters, NPCs, factions, locations, and plot points, then connect them with labeled paths to show how everything relates. Each card has notes, checklists, and reference images. You can see your whole story structure at once instead of losing threads across tabs and documents. /images/general-media/1780401778_IBYYgMJz.jpgEvery connection is a decision. Collaborate and work with a team. Invite editors and viewers to any project. Track every change, leave team notes, and always know what happened while you were away. Your command center. Ready when you are. When the canvas is done, Production takes over. Schedule your crew, track your budget, run your master checklist, and export everything — all from one configurable dashboard. Grim stays active, reading your full project state and flagging what's not ready before opening night. Every scare has a blueprint. Map your rooms, scares, and actor cues on a connected canvas. Grim helps you pace the experience — flagging dead zones, suggesting beats, and keeping the story arc tight from entry to finale. Build the world. Let Grim run it. NPCs, locations, factions, quest threads — mapped and connected so you can see every moving piece. GrimVision generates concept art from your card notes. Grim tracks the logic so your players can't break it. Plan the arc. Not just the chapter. Plot beats, character arcs, world lore, chapter outlines — mapped so you can see the whole story at once. GrimVision generates panels and scene concepts. Grim keeps your narrative logic consistent across every arc.

Read more

Reviews

Sorted by:

No reviews yet.

Login to leave a review.

Looking for a group?

Find a tabletop group to join or players to invite.
Groupfinder is a free looking-for-group/players platform. By players, for players.