Forum

• Page 13, “Action & Movement” section: The paragraphs describing full and quick actions say to “see the adjacent list for examples”, but these lists are presented above these paragraphs on the page. Replace “adjacent” with “above”.
• Page 14, “Tokens & Miniatures” box: In the second sentence of the second paragraph in this box, there is a space missing between the forward slash and the word “miniatures”.
• Page 20, “Advanced Crits” box: The last sentence in this box mentions space to record maximum and current ammo for weapons, which seems out of place in a section otherwise focused on using more detailed critical injury tables. This line should be moved somewhere else.

I feel as though Xenomorphology need more clarification.
"When facing a Xenomorph of any kind, you may make an OBSERVATION roll (quick action). If successful, you realize a potential weakness of the creature, if it has any. If you fail, gain stress level +1. Only one attempt per Xenomorph is allowed."

Reason: "Xenomorph of any kind" could be taken as literally only xx121 Xenomorph and any line of it. OR its literally anything that is considered alien/xenomorph as in something not from earth.
Which is it?

I know it might seem silly but I read this to my player group for feedback and there was an argument on which way it meant. As far as I'm concerned it literally means ANY creature that is not originally from earth but I just want to have the official response pretty please.

That's actually not a silly question. In-Universe, Xenomorph appears to be a generic term. Out of universe, it has become terminology for a specific creature. Furthermore the Beta core book follows the out of universe convention in at least some places. "Xenomorph" section beginning on pg. 208 lists "Neomorphs, Praetomorphs, Ultramorphs and Xenomorphs" together and though the section begins with a distinction they all are listed under that main "Xenomorph" heading and you'd be inclined to conclude that they are all one category. But then on pg. 227 it says "In addition to Engineers and Xenomorphs..." as it introduces Harvesters and so on. So a rules lawyer might argue it doesn't apply there.

However, GMs beat rules lawyers (literally and with sticks is my preference) and I think at anybody's table the GM would rightfully interpret it as applying to any extra-terrestrial creature which seems the only sensible interpretation.

Now what is a little more ambiguous is what the text means by "Only one attempt per xenomorph is allowed". At my table that would be one TYPE of xenomorph because unless they're very different a weak point on one individual is going to be a weak point on any others of its kind. However, that interpretation does have long-reaching consequences of this then always being true forever more. The xenomorph isn't going to be different when you meet one next week than it is today. So for that reason I would reserve the weakness to be something generic like "doesn't like fire" rather than anything mechanical like "I will give you +2 on your attack for realising its weak spot".

(An aside, at my table, I don't play them as having half-armour to fire damage. We never actually see that they are especially vulnerable to it in the original movies or in Alien: Isolation. The GM is free to rule that it doesn't have a weakness as the text explicitly states "if it has any". It's the "perfect organism" after all.)

I think the roll is really just supposed to be about general information about the life form which can include weaknesses.

Resolve Feedback:

I really like where there is a mechanical throughline to incentivise roleplaying a character.

For example I am thinking about epic cinematic situations e.g.:

• - Ripley rescuing / protecting Newt (Back off you Bitch), also Jonesy
  - Dillon & Parker taking on the Xeno hand to hand
  - Hudson's sacrifice and redemption
  - Rain rescuing Andy
  - Christie's ricochet to save the team or cutting belt to save Vreiss
  - Burke's attempt to implant the facehuggers, manipulate Ripley to go to LV426
  - Shaw autodoc-ing herself
  - Janek's & crew's piloting to take down the engineer ship in Prometheus
  - Daniel's cat and mouse in the cargo bay
  - Ripley vs Big Chap in the shuttle and corridors.

Suggestion - add a section about situational modifiers to Resolve that link to RP aspects.

Mechanic Example:
Once / Act a characters may request a bonus to resolve in a situation where panic roll may result in catastrophic consequences to a character concept. E.g. It involves a direct link to the characters Agenda, Buddy, competing vs a Rival.

It could also be adding in something like a Pride / dark secret mechanic as per Forbidden lands / Use a story point to stop panic or cancel a facehugger.

Could also consider an opposite mechanic (demoralisation) that could apply if the buddy or agenda is not possible (e.g. buddy dies, you get infected, mission objective lost, so you give up for the remainder of the act).

I feel as though Xenomorphology need more clarification.
"When facing a Xenomorph of any kind, you may make an OBSERVATION roll (quick action). If successful, you realize a potential weakness of the creature, if it has any. If you fail, gain stress level +1. Only one attempt per Xenomorph is allowed."

Reason: "Xenomorph of any kind" could be taken as literally only xx121 Xenomorph and any line of it. OR its literally anything that is considered alien/xenomorph as in something not from earth.
Which is it?

I know it might seem silly but I read this to my player group for feedback and there was an argument on which way it meant. As far as I'm concerned it literally means ANY creature that is not originally from earth but I just want to have the official response pretty please.