Ashen Stars vs Mothership
Compare Ashen Stars and Mothership side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Ashen Stars | Mothership | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Scifi, Horror |
| Tags | Investigation, Mystery, Mission-Based, Ship-Based, Space Opera, Resource Management, Character-Driven, Strong GM Support, Skill-Based, Crunchy | Rules-Light, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Survival, Atmospheric, Low-Prep, Cinematic, Fast-Paced |
| Core Mechanic | Ordinary tests roll a d6 plus ability-pool points spent before rolling, succeeding by meeting or beating the difficulty. Investigative abilities work differently: a core clue is simply given when the right ability is used, no roll needed, with point spends buying extra benefits. | Roll d100 under stat/skill. Stress and panic mechanics escalate tension. |
| Dice | d6 | d100 |
| Complexity | High | Low |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Runnability | Very High | Medium |
| License | All Rights Reserved | 3rd Party License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — GUMSHOE Community on DriveThruRPG | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Pelgrane Press | Tuesday Knight Games |
| Year | 2011 | 2022 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want episodic space mysteries with a shared ship and recurring personal subplots. Cases put the crew's pursuit of justice in tension with its need to earn a living. | Terrifying sci-fi horror one-shots and short campaigns. Panic table creates unforgettable moments. |
| Highlights | Automatic core clues keep missed information rolls from blocking a case. Reputation changes the wait between contracts, connecting ethical choices to the crew's upkeep bill. Ship combat assigns different attack modes to crew stations, spreading decisive actions across specialists. | Rules-light, well-regarded module library, panic system creates mechanical tension |
| Considerations | Investigative pools normally refresh only when a case ends, making extra benefits a case-long budget. The rules assume a working Laser crew; fugitive campaigns require changes to that framework. Ship battles use abstract goal-point races rather than positional movement on a tactical map. | Panic table can cascade and end sessions abruptly, limited long-campaign support in core rules, stress mechanics can feel repetitive over extended play |