Mothership vs The Derelict Speaks
Compare Mothership and The Derelict Speaks side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Mothership | The Derelict Speaks | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi, Horror | Scifi, Horror |
| Play Style | Rules-Light, Deadly, One-Shot Friendly, Survival, Atmospheric, Low-Prep, Cinematic, Fast-Paced | Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Horror, Character-Driven, Deadly, Low-Prep, Theater of the Mind, Open Source |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 under stat/skill. Stress and panic mechanics escalate tension. | When a Speaker opposes a Responder, the player rolls 2d6 and assigns one die to Survival and the other to Sanity. Each die is read separately: 5–6 avoids the consequence, 3–4 causes a lesser consequence and transfers one Blood to the GM, and 1–2 causes a severe consequence and transfers two Blood. Aiding adds a third die and keeps the best two, but every participant suffers the final results. |
| Dice | d100 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Low | Very Low |
| Accessibility | High | Very High |
| Runnability | Medium | High |
| License | 3rd Party License | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Cost | $ | Free |
| Publisher | Tuesday Knight Games | Precision Chaos Machine |
| Year | 2022 | 2021 |
| Best For | Terrifying sci-fi horror one-shots and short campaigns. Panic table creates unforgettable moments. | Groups seeking a semi-competitive science-fiction horror one-shot where player elimination becomes active antagonist play. |
| Highlights | Rules-light, well-regarded module library, panic system creates mechanical tension | Assigning one die to Survival and one to Sanity makes each opposed roll threaten body and mind independently. A defeated Responder becomes a Speaker who spends Blood on manifestations, keeping eliminated players active as antagonists. Four Acts raise the Speakers' manifestation limits and Blood supply, producing a complete escalation arc from briefing to escape. |
| Considerations | Panic table can cascade and end sessions abruptly, limited long-campaign support in core rules, stress mechanics can feel repetitive over extended play | The rules support one hostile-derelict scenario and contain no advancement or campaign procedure. Minor harm, serious harm, cracking under pressure, and meltdowns have no additional mechanical definitions, leaving their consequences to the table. The semi-competitive structure turns defeated characters into antagonists, changing play from cooperative survival to active opposition. |