Strange Owl Games
CREATOR
13 days ago
Project Update: How to Play - Character Creation & Careers
Hey all!
We're blown away by the support the campaign has gotten already. Thank you so much for supporting Space 1889: After!
We've already unlocked our first two stretch goals!
At 40K, we'll add another 10 pages to the Map Book! We're already very close! Now.. onto gameplay:
There are a lot of interesting characters roaming the ether in Space 1889: After. Because this setting adapts the classic steampunk space-opera into 5th Edition, your character’s background translates directly into their functional Career and Ship Role.
To help you and your crew master the skies before your books even arrive, we have put together a series of How to Play videos on YouTube.
- Character Creation
- Launch Day - Part 1
- Launch Day - Part 2
These digestible guides walk you through the fundamentals of character creation and game play. Our channel also has a series of videos discussing overviews, villains, vehicles, and more. These videos offer a perfect primer to get your table table-ready. Head over to our channel, subscribe, and let us know in the comments which mechanic you want to explore next!
Ancestries of the Ether
The planets and open space of Space 1889: After are populated by diverse peoples, each uniquely adapted to their home worlds. When building your character, your choice of ancestry shapes your perspective on the grand space race and grants distinct mechanical traits tailored for the 5th Edition ruleset.
The Character Breakdown
When designing a character for the skies of Mars or the deep ether, your background determines how you interact with a ship's components during high-stakes aerial combat:
- The Pilot / Ethernaut: Built for the quick-thinking characters who want to take the wheel. They utilize Physics checks to navigate treacherous thermal drafts or pull off tight maneuvers in a dogfight.
- The Engineer / Worker: For the hands-on characters who keep the gears turning. They rely on Engineering checks to patch ruptured steam pipes and repair targetable ship components mid-battle.
- The Gunner: Designed for the tactical sharpshooters. They are trained in heavy artillery range-finding, fuse timers, and possess features like Careful Shot to preserve precious ammunition.
- The Captain / Officer: Built for the leaders who coordinate the crew, direct actions, and keep the vessel operating as a unified front.
- The Marine / Lookout: For the defenders who excel at spotting incoming aerial threats and repelling enemy boarding parties.
Choosing Your Lineage: The Races of the Inner Worlds
In Space 1889: After, your character’s origin shapes how they navigate the high society of Earth, the ancient canal cities of Mars, or the wild, untamed jungles of Venus. Whether you are playing a human pioneer or a native of the inner worlds, your lineage provides distinct mechanical features and deep roleplay hooks.
Here are the primary lineages your crew can choose from:
- Humans (Earthborn): Resourceful, ambitious, and technologically driven. Driven by Victorian ingenuity, Earthborn characters excel at adapting to the harsh environments of space and mastering complex ether-flier mechanics.
- Martians: A proud people from a dying world of ancient, red deserts. Players can choose between three distinct cultures:
- High Martians: Nomadic, fierce, and possessing leathery wings capable of flight in the thin Martian air.
- Canal Martians: The urban dwellers of Mars, dedicated to commerce, bureaucracy, and maintaining the planet's vital, centuries-old water networks.
- Hill Martians: Reclusive and deeply traditionalists who live away from the cities, keeping ancient martial arts and survival skills alive.
- Automatons (The Mechanical Vanguard): Forged from brass, iron, and clockwork gears, these sentient machines are a testament to Victorian engineering. Originally built for heavy labor, factory maintenance, or deep-space boiler repair, many have developed a unique spark of consciousness during the ten-year silence. Mechanically, they offer built-in armor plating, immunity to psychological exhaustion, and a structural frame that doesn't need to breathe the thin ether - making them exceptional mechanics or front-line defenders on an ether-flier.
- Ogres (The Heavy Laborers): Towering, physically imposing, and possessing unmatched brute strength, Ogres represent the raw muscle of the inner worlds. Often found working the docks of Earth's sky-ports or hauling massive scrap metal from derelict Martian ruins, they are the ultimate anchors for any away team. What they lack in high-society etiquette, they more than make up for with high hit-point maximums, powerful carrying capacities, and a natural resilience to blunt trauma.
There are many interesting characters roaming the ether in Space 1889: After. What kind of character are you building first? A gritty sky-sailor or a re-engineered gadgeteer? Let us know in the comments!
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