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"We thought we had it all figured out. We ventured out into the stars with a purpose. We sought to learn, to discover, to make contact with other forms of life. We were the ambassadors of humanity, the trailblazers of a new age of understanding and cooperation.
But we were wrong. We were so very, very wrong.
It started with a few strange signals, some strange readings on our instruments. We thought it was just some glitch, some interference. But then the attacks started. They came out of nowhere, these creatures, these monsters. They swarmed our ships, our stations, our outposts. They killed, they destroyed, they consumed. And we were powerless to stop them.
We lost everything, everything we had built, everything we had fought for. Our homes, our families, our friends. We were the lucky ones, the ones who managed to escape. But we were left with nothing, nothing but our skills, our training, and our determination.
So now we do what we do best. We explore the galaxy, but not for knowledge, not for diplomacy. We are in search of resources, technologies and opportunities. We delve into the derelict ships, the abandoned stations, the ruins of our peaceful missions. We scavenge for supplies, we salvage for weapons and riches, and we hunt for the monsters that destroyed the hopes of a better world.
We are the Derelict Delvers, the last hope of humanity. And we will not rest until every last one of those creatures is dead and every opportunity is seized"

Art: Image Portfolio © Louis Porter, Jr. Design. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

What is this game?

Derelict Delvers is a thrilling, action-packed sci-fi roleplaying game that immerses players in a struggle for survival and profit. The game takes place in a galaxy overrun by monstrous alien creatures, who have destroyed humanity's peaceful exploration and diplomatic efforts.

The players take on the roles of elite space troopers, scientists, and engineers who must explore derelict spaceships and space stations in order to scavenge for supplies, salvage for weapons and valuable resources, and ultimately, hunt down the monsters that threaten the very existence of mankind. They are a team of skilled specialists, who are on a mission to help humanity, but also themselves.

With a unique blend of fast-paced combat and challenging perils, players will have to work together (or alone!) to overcome the dangers of the derelict ships and outsmart the deadly aliens lurking within. They will also have to make difficult decisions that will affect the outcome of their missions, their potential profits, and their very survival.

Derelict Delvers is a journey of exploration, of discovery, and of opportunity. Join the elite team of Derelict Delvers, and see how far you can go after the fortune the galaxy has to offer.


Highlights

  • Unleash your imagination and create your own one-of-a-kind character archetype and special powers using our easy-to-use and highly customizable character creation system

  • Take on a unique "meta-role" that shapes your interactions with the game world, putting you in charge of bringing the scenario to life!

  • Enjoy the freedom of solo or group play without needing a Game Master, thanks to our intuitive and dynamic gameplay system

  • Take on the thrilling challenge of exploring derelict spaceships and space stations, a fresh take on the classic dungeon crawler genre

  • Battle against a diverse array of monstrous alien creatures and overcome challenging threats

  • Shape your own fate by making strategic decisions that impact the outcome of your missions, and potentially your own personal gain.

Your purchase includes:

  • 70-page, richly illustrated, totally hyperlinked and bookmarked PDF
  • At-cost print-on-demand coupon for the A5 book
  • 20+ random tables to generate everything, from rooms to monsters
  • Rules-reference document with all the mechanics you need during play
  • Every purchase adds +1 community copy!


Media coverage





Actual Plays

In English:

In Spanish:


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Purchase

Buy Now$14.90 USD or more

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $14.90 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Derelict Delvers_v110.pdf 26 MB
Derelict Delvers_Reference Guide_v110.pdf 22 MB
Derelict Delvers_Character Sheet.pdf 4 MB
Derelict Delvers_PoD-coupon
External

Every purchase = a new community copy

Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.

Community copies

Thanks to the backers of the campaign that pledged a higher amount, this game is able to offer community copies!

If you're in need and can't afford a copy of the game, help yourself to one.

• Every PDF sale adds 1 extra community copy

Development log

Comments

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(+1)

Would love to talk to you about a review copy, as I would love to make this the space addition to my next episode.

Yup! Shoot me an email (it's on my website) and we can work something out

(+1)

How printable is the pdf? Shipping from lulu is pricey where I live so even with the PoD coupon I'd like to print it off myself, but it looks to have a lot of black that would use tons of ink.

(+1)

The darker pages are the chapter titles only. All text is on white background. I’ve seen some people printing a negative version of the title pages, but they aren’t really necessary, if you don’t mind them. In short, I believe it’s mostly printer friendly :)

(+1)

I lie! The table pages have darker border too. But the reference guide that also contains all the tables is on full white background 

(+1)

I watched a playthrough and I think I can get by with only printing the reference guide. Thanks for the prompt info!

(+1)

Super cool, and easy to learn RPG.


I played it on the "Giant Book of Sci-Fi Battle Mats," used two 28mm Space Marine miniatures, along with a few 32mm Sci-Fi miniature monsters, and I stayed entertained for quite a few hours. Totally fun...especially on solo-mode. Good job!

Oh, that’s superb! I’m dying to play it with minis myself. Thanks for the feedback! ^^

(+2)

I recently did a solo playtrhough (along with a rules overview) of this on my channel and had a ton of fun! This game has a lot of cool/unique concepts and I like how creative it lets you be with the character concepts, powers, dangers, ect. I'll definitely be playing more in the future. Hopefully I didn't get any rules too wrong:

(+1)

This is fantastic, Thomas! Thank you so much for sharing, can’t wait to watch it ^^

(+2)

This is an excellent GM-less game; it feels very freeing, and the meta-roles (and the way that hazards *react* to player attacks to both deal and take damage) mean that the players don't flounder waiting for someone to take initiative to move the action along.


However, I wish it had just like, a spoonful less crunch - I don't like the Target Number table for the Flair checks/powers, it seems like a very numerical spreadsheet part of the game where other things feel much simpler (roll some dice, see what lands 5+.) It also seems like Boons and Loot could be combined to simplify things, but talking this over with some friends, I understand why they're separate - but it feels like some stuff could be stripped down to make this just a little leaner and simpler to play.

(+1)

Thank you for checking out the game and for the feedback! Always appreciated 

(+1)

For what it worths, I really appreciated the power effects table. Sure, it seems "crunchy" at first, but in the end it's a really good way to create on the fly lot of cool mechanical effects in game. Aaaand, it's super easy to remember, because it's very uniform way (it's just counting "1, 2, 3..." for every aspect you want to gain).
Probably there was no other way to obtain all those effects in an easier way.

(+1)

Thank you, Andrea! Yes, I tried to aim to that consistency so that after a few times, you could do it easily. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

(+1)

Now also findable on GoodReads!!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123848947-derelict-delvers

Thank you so much, that's very cool!