The economy in this system revolves around Criptoscrip (CS), the primary currency used for rewards, purchases, and maintenance. Players earn CS based on mission difficulty, with payouts scaling from trivial personal gear acquisitions to epic-scale capital ship heists. The rewards are structured to reflect both the risk involved and the potential for long-term asset accumulation, whether through direct payment, salvage rights, or backer-sponsored incentives. Maintenance costs add a layer of strategic depth, forcing players to balance expansion with sustainability, while backers provide financial relief in exchange for loyalty or favors. The economy is designed to incentivize progression, from scrapping together light vehicles to commanding fleets, with every credit earned or spent shaping the crew’s rise (or downfall).
Missions grant Criptoscrip based on their threat level, with payouts tied to what players can realistically afford afterward. A Pathetic job (1,000–50,000 CS) covers sidearms and wheels, while an Epic mission (100M+ CS) funds battleships or orbital bases. As GM, this ensures rewards match both the effort required and the campaign’s power curve. Small jobs sustain gear, while high-stakes ops transform players into warlords or fleet commanders. (Suggested rewards based on vehicle cost and mission difficulty)
| Mission Difficulty | Reward Range (Criptoscrip) | What it affords |
|---|---|---|
| Pathetic | 1000-50000 | Personal Equipment, Personal Vehicles. |
| Trivial | 50,000 – 200,000 | Personal Vehicles, Light AFVs |
| Easy | 200,000 – 1,000,000 | Light AFVs, Small MOA |
| Medium | 1M – 5M | Medium AFVs, MOA, Small Aerospace Craft |
| Hard | 5M – 20M | Heavy AFVs, Large MOA, Aerospace Craft |
| Extreme | 20M – 100M | Aerospace Vessels (1000t+) |
| Epic | 100M – 1B+ | Heavy Aerospace Vessels, Bases |
You should not worry about your player getting too much money; they can only spend it on so much. The main money sinks are bigger vehicles which, although powerful, are as powerful as anything you can simply give to the enemy. Many parts of the story won't benefit from players having a base on the other side of the solar system, and if it does, lean into it. Money paints a target on your players' backs, and recognizing this means that yes, their power goes up but so do the stakes. So suddenly they are multimillionaires; well, suddenly a system government is coming to “collect” back taxes. You should do your best to incentivize money sinks. A nation or corporation sink investment for massive narrative benefits for the players. Heck, give players a colony or world to pour their money into. Another good trick is to allow players to invest money back into their backers, growing their power immensely and allowing them to increase the backer benefits (see backers). Remember also players will want a vehicle each, and this gets expensive quickly; you can use this to your advantage to curtail their funds.
Raw resources (minerals, organics) or processed goods (materials, components) offer alternative payouts. A Trivial algae vat raid might net 1 ton of organics (1,000 CS), while an Extreme refinery heist yields 100 tons of compounds (300M CS). These rewards cater to scavenger crews or factions building infrastructure, turning loot into liquid CS or stockpiling materials for crafting/trade.
1. Raw Resources Mission Rewards
*Minerals = 500 CS, Organics = 1,000 CS*
| Mission Difficulty | Reward (Q1) | Reward (Q2x2) | Reward (Q3x3) | Quantity (Tons/Units) | Example Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trivial | Min(500), Org(1000) | Min(1000), Org(2000) | Min(1500), Org(3000) | 1 tons | Abandoned mining drone cache, algae vat raid |
| Easy | Min(2500), Org(5000) | Min(5000), Org(10000) | Min(7500), Org(30000) | 5 tons | Small asteroid prospector, corporate hydroponics theft |
| Medium | Min(5000), Org(10000) | Min(10000), Org(20000) | Min(500), Org(1000) | 10 tons | Moon rock hauler escort, deep-sea thermal vent extraction |
| Hard | Min(15000), Org(30000) | Min(30000), Org(60000) | Min(500), Org(1000) | 30 tons | polar ice mining op, gene-spliced fungal harvest |
| Extreme | Min(50000), Org(100000) | Min(100000), Org(200000) | Min(150000), Org(300000) | 100 tons | methane refinery sabotage, cloud-scraping expedition |
2. Processed Resources Mission Rewards
*Materials = 1000, Components = 5000, Compounds=3000*
| Mission Difficulty | Reward (Q1) | Reward (Q2x2) | Reward (Q3x3) | Quantity (Tons/Units) | Example Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trivial | Mat(1000), Co(5000), C(3000) | Mat(2000), Co(10000), C(6000) | Mat(3000), Co(15000), C(9000) | 1 ton | Small factory, smuggler cache |
| Easy | Mat(5000), Co(25000), C(15000) | Mat(2000), Co(50000), C(30000) | Mat(15000), Co(75000), C(45000) | 5 tons | Industrial outpost |
| Medium | Mat(10000), Co(50000), C(30000) | Mat(20000), Co(100000), C(60000) | Mat(30000), Co(150000), C(90000) | 10 tons | Convoy raid, Orbital storage |
| Hard | Mat(30000), Co(150000), C(90000) | Mat(60000), Co(300000), C(1800000) | Mat(900000), Co(4500000), C(2700000) | 30 tons | Military-grade refinery |
| Extreme | Mat(100000), Co(500000), C(300000) | Mat(200000), Co(1000000), C(600000) | Mat(10000000), Co(50000000), C(30000000) | 100 tons | Corporate R&D lab heist |
Some missions offer players the opportunity to seize, create, or grow organisations as assets for their crew. A trivial reward might be seizing a hostel from a rival gang, whilst an extreme reward would be taking over a mining operation. The rewards do not require the players to pay the founding cost, skill test, or founding time.
Increasing the development level of an organisation is another reward that can increase the capability and influence of organisations already owned by the players.
Here is a table showing Development Levels mapped to the Mission Difficulty scale.
| Development Level | Mission Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Lvl 1 | Trivial |
| Lvl 1 | Trivial |
| Lvl 2 | Easy |
| Lvl 2 | Easy |
| Lvl 2 | Comfortable |
| Lvl 2 | Comfortable |
| Lvl 3 | Medium |
| Lvl 3 | Medium |
| Lvl 3 | Challenging |
| Lvl 4 | Hard |
| Lvl 4 | Hard |
| Lvl 5 | Very Hard |
| Lvl 5 | Very Hard |
| Lvl 6 | Gruelling |
| Lvl 6 | Gruelling |
| Lvl 7 | Extreme |
| Lvl 7 | Extreme |
| Lvl 8 | Epic |
| Lvl 9 | Epic |
| Lvl 10+ | Legendary |
Instead of CS, some missions grant vehicles outright. A Trivial task might award a gang’s motorcycle, while an Extreme operation could let players seize a frigate. These rewards skip upfront costs but come with strings (e.g., repairs, enemy claims) or backer obligations, making them high-value but high-maintenance assets.
(All values in Criptoscrip - CS)
| Vehicle Type | Tonnage | Mission Difficulty | Example Missions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Vehicle (PV) | 1-5t | Trivial | "Recover a gang's armored motorcycle from the Red Zone" |
| Light AFV | 10-20t | Easy | "Steal a corporate scout buggy from a desert outpost" |
| Light MOA | 10-20t | Comfortable | "Salvage a disabled missile drone from a battlefield" |
| Medium AFV | 30-40t | Medium | "Hijack an armored personnel carrier during urban riots" |
| Medium MOA | 30-40t | Challenging | "Capture a mobile artillery unit abandoned by mercenaries" |
| Heavy AFV | 50t | Hard | "Claim a pirate's main battle tank (disabled in combat)" |
| Heavy MOA | 50t | Very Hard | "Secure a walking fortress mech from a warzone" |
| Aerospace Craft | 10-30t | Gruelling | "Board and seize a damaged orbital interceptor" |
| Aerospace Vessel | 1,000-5,000t | Extreme | "Take control of a derelict frigate in the asteroid belt" |
| Heavy ASV (HAV) | 10,000-50,000t | Epic | "Capture a rogue battleship (crew mutinied)" |
| Base | Unlimited | Legendary | "Claim an abandoned orbital fortress" |
Maintenance is for monthly or annually; it can help ground the game and serves as motivation for players. You should offer ways around maintenance as an incentive. Having things paid for by others is a powerful reward. Backers will do this, but players might create contracts with others to have them cover maintenance. Also, maintenance can be safely ignored for smaller items with larger incomes. Monthly upkeep ranges from 0.5%–2% of an item’s value: a Light AFV (1M CS) costs 5,000–20,000 CS/month, while a Capital Ship (100M CS) drains 500K–2M CS. Clever players offset this via backers, smuggling revenue, or leasing assets to NPCs, or risk their gear decaying into scrap.
Maintenance Cost Table
| Item Type | Purchase Cost (Example) | Low (0.5%) | Normal (1%) | High (2%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Gear | 10,000 CS | 50 CS | 100 CS | 200 CS | Weapons, armor, tools |
| Light Vehicle | 100,000 CS | 500 CS | 1,000 CS | 2,000 CS | Bikes, cars |
| Combat Vehicle | 1,000,000 CS | 5,000 CS | 10,000 CS | 20,000 CS | AFVs, MOAs |
| Aerospace Craft | 10,000,000 CS | 50,000 CS | 100,000 CS | 200,000 CS | Fighters, shuttles |
| Capital Ship | 100,000,000 CS | 500,000 CS | 1,000,000 CS | 2,000,000 CS | Frigates, carriers |
| Base/Installation | 1,000,000,000 CS | 5,000,000 CS | 10,000,000 CS | 20,000,000 CS | Fortresses, orbital stations |
Backers
Backers are powerful individuals, organizations, or factions that support the players, not as traditional employers, but as sponsors who provide resources, connections, and opportunities. They may be allies, patrons, or even shadowy benefactors with their own agendas. Players don’t work for them in a direct sense, but their backing comes with benefits and potential strings attached.
How Backers Work
Not Employers, But Enablers
Backers don’t give direct orders (usually). Instead, they provide:
Free equipment (weapons, armor, vehicles)
Maintenance coverage (repairs, fuel, medical costs)
Replacement gear (lost/destroyed items)
Intel & contracts (better missions, insider knowledge)
Special perks (black-market access, legal protection, vehicle upgrades)
Loyalty is Fluid
A backer may be loyal (genuinely invested in the players’ success) or manipulative (using them as pawns). Players can lose backing without losing the NPC. Instead, the backer may:
Lose influence (can no longer secure funding)
Withdraw support (until players regain their trust)
Become an obstacle (if betrayed)
Backer Rewards = Expanded Benefits
As players prove themselves, backers increase their support:
More free gear (higher quality, experimental tech)
Bigger stipends (covering more maintenance costs)
Better contracts (higher-paying, more prestigious jobs)
NPC allies (elite bodyguards, hackers, medics on retainer)
Exclusive perks (free equipment installs, political favors, safehouses)
You should create a backer page that has the details of the players' backer, their relationship to the players, their name, any other affiliations they may have, the reward that they are giving, as well as anything they are covering the cost of. You can add to this over time, and players will like to see that they are paying for less and less themselves.
Example Backer Tiers
| Tier | Benefits | Potential Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Minor Sponsor | Basic gear, occasional repairs | Limited resources, may drop players easily |
| 2 Established Patron | Regular equipment drops, 50% maintenance coverage | Expects favors in return |
| 3 Powerful Benefactor | High-end gear, full maintenance, elite contacts | Heavy strings attached (moral compromises) |
| 4+ Shadow Sovereign (Epic) | Near-unlimited funding, military-grade assets | Players are expendable tools in a larger game |
Losing Backing
Funding Cut: The backer’s faction loses money/power; they can’t help as much.
Political Shift: Their organization changes priorities.
Advancement: The backer may no longer be able to fund the players as the players have grown beyond their means.
Displeasure: Players offended their patron; must make amends.
Betrayal: The backer was using them all along.
Player Characters as Backers
In some campaigns, player characters can serve as backers by leveraging their wealth, influence, or faction connections to sponsor a team, covering equipment, maintenance, and mission costs in exchange for a share of profits and the ability to steer objectives. Unlike traditional employers, player backers actively shape the narrative by managing resources and pursuing long-term goals while field operatives handle the action, creating a dynamic of mutual dependence. The backer provides funding and protection, while the team executes high-risk operations. This relationship introduces strategic depth, as backers must balance generosity with control to maintain loyalty, and teams must weigh their patron's demands against their own interests, with potential for betrayal, shifting alliances, or shared faction-building as the campaign evolves.
Players can take on backer roles, using their resources to sponsor a team, but with critical limitations:
No Hand-Waving: Player backers must follow the same limitations as NPC backers. Requests are constrained by:
Finances (Can they afford the request?)
Contacts (Do they have the right connections?)
Skills (Can their faction/NPCs realistically fulfill it?)
Feasibility (GM arbitrates if a request is possible at all).
RP Over NPCs: The key difference is roleplay dynamics. Instead of negotiating with an NPC patron, players debate with a teammate, adding interpersonal stakes.
Shared Consequences: If the backer fails to deliver (e.g., runs out of money), the entire team suffers logistical penalties.
Example: A player backer orders "top-tier military gear," but if their faction lacks arms-dealing contacts, the GM may rule they can only procure black-market junk.
Backers & Advancement
Backers add concrete rewards as a part of advancement, which you can view here.
Contracts offer CS, XP, gear, or backer points, forcing trade-offs. Example: "Sabotage a Depot" might pay 75,000 CS or grant a Light AFV. Do players need cash now, or an asset later? Backer-aligned choices (e.g., free repairs for loyalty) add faction-building stakes. Players can and should endeavour to negotiate for more rewards and this might more or all of the reward options. Also if player do a excellent job friendly NPCs might want to give them additional rewards out of gratitude or as means of enticing them for further work.
| Job Description | Reward Options | Maintenance | Salvage | Repairs | Client | Region (location) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Salvage a Derelict Freighter" | 1. 75,000 CS 2. 1 Backer Point + 25,000 CS 3. 10 tons of Raw Materials (Mineral/Organic mix) 4. Light AFV (salvage title, needs repairs) |
Y | N | Y | Smuggler’s | Frontier (Orbital) |
| "Escort a Scientist to Ruins" | 1. 2d6 XP + 15,000 CS 2. 2 Backer Points + University Contact (grants future research missions) 3. 5 tons of Processed Compounds (worth 15,000 CS) 4. 50% Maintenance Coverage for 3 months |
N | N | N | University of Galileo | Union Territories (Planetary) |
| "Sabotage Rival Faction’s Depot" | 1. 100,000 CS 2. 1 Backer Point + Light MOA (seized from depot) 3. Organisation Reward: Seize control of a small depot (Development Level 1 asset) 4. 10 tons of Processed Materials + 5 tons of Components |
N | N | N | Black Crescent Syndicate | Core (Planetary) |
| "Recover Stolen Prototype" | 1. 150,000 CS 2. 3 Backer Points + Faction Reputation (Neo-Yamato Arms) 3. Experimental Prototype Vehicle (Light AFV with unique upgrade) 4. 2 tons of Processed Components + 1 Backer Point |
Y | N | Y | Neo-Yamato Arms | Venti Space (Orbital) |
| "Defend Colony from Raiders" | 1. 50,000 CS + 10 XP 2. 2 Backer Points + Colonial Militia Ally (NPC squad support on future missions) 3. Organisation Reward: Increase colony's Development Level by 1 (grants safe haven, repair bay access) 4. 100% Maintenance Coverage for current vehicle for 2 months |
Y | Y | Y | Colonial Militia | Temple Sphere (Planetary) |
| "Assassinate Renegade" | 1. 200,000 CS 2. 4 Backer Points + Void Cult Favor (grants one "ask no questions" service) 3. Heavy AFV (renegade's personal vehicle, fully intact) 4. 15 tons of Processed Compounds + 5 tons of Raw Minerals |
N | N | N | Void Cult | Frontier Jambles (Orbital) |
| "Smuggle Cargo Past Blockade" | 1. 80,000 CS 2. 2 Backer Points + Free Captains' League Membership (unlocks black market access) 3. Medium Aerospace Craft (light interceptor, needs minor repairs) 4. 20 tons of Processed Components + Ongoing Trade Route (generates 10,000 CS/month passive income) |
Y | N | N | Free Captains’ League | Venti Space (Orbital) |
Ongoing Contracts (Salaries & Retainers)
Some employers, particularly factions, corporations, or wealthy backers, offer recurring income in exchange for long-term service. These contracts often include base pay plus bonuses, but may restrict player freedom.
| Employer Tier | Monthly Salary | Perks | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-tier (Gangs, Minor Corps) | 50K–200K CS | Basic gear, low-risk jobs | Unreliable pay, weak backup |
| Mid-tier (PMCs, Syndicates) | 200K–1M CS | Vehicle access, intel sharing | Strict rules, rival retaliation |
| High-tier (Governments, Megacorps) | 1M–5M CS | Elite equipment, legal immunity | High expectations, moral compromises |
| Backer-Sponsored (Flexible) | Variable | Maintenance coverage, exclusive missions | Strings attached, loyalty tests |