Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages & disadvantages of generic and
stereotype characters?
Stereotype men can be stronger and stereotype women have good
looks as a superpower. Generics can learn most of the skills on the
list.
Which is better, designing a character with points or rolling
for stats and skills?
Rolling gives slightly better numbers, but point-design gives
control. Archetypes are best for starting players.
Why use 6-sided dice instead of 10-sided?
Roaring Rockets is print-and-play, and not everyone has 10-sided
dice.
Why aren't the character sheet artworks in uniform?
Uniforms limit variety. Art provides choice and character
uniqueness.
My character is a Space Ranger, but the background is Space
Marine?
Backgrounds show what your character did before becoming a Ranger.
Why use 2 dice for character combat when the rest of the game
uses 1 die?
Character combat plays better using two dice.
Why is the artwork style not consistent?
Most art is authentic pulp-era content. Variety was intentional.
Why didn't one artist do all the character sheets?
Diverse art means more player options.
Why not use an easier-to-read font like Arial?
The sci-fi font balances readability with theme aesthetics.
How do you do guys-only gaming groups?
Use Viola Starr as an NPC and leave her on the ship. Replace
psyren roles with psio.
Women have different character sheets and special rules.
Isn't that misogynistic?
No. It reflects the culture from 100 years ago, representing
equality with difference.
Game Master Screen
The GM screen has been moved to the bottom of the Game Master Page.
Revision history
3.1: Faster downloads
3.0: The first internet release!
2.x: The version 2 series releases gradually added artwork and supplements.
1.x: The version 1 series releases started in 1989 and had 12-page rules with no art or supplements. Character sheets were smaller than a postcard.
Contact Info
Ken Young can be reached at email2 (at) Dino Dudes (dot) com
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to those who helped make Roaring Rockets:
- Ken Young - www.RoaringRockets.org,
game design, adventure design, and historical research.
See www.DinoDudes.com for some of his other work - Angela Young:
www.Write2TheTop.net, editing and development
www.TheFathersArt.com, art guidance and character art - Matteus Ribero - development and guidance
- Teresa Karvonen - character art
- Achini Madhushika Jayarathna - character sheets, monsters, bad guys. She can also be contacted at www.linkedin.com/in/madhushika-jayarathna-0576b3318
- TheGraphicsFairy.com - Thank you Karen for providing so much historical artwork
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A fun story
Most of the artwork in this game is original period artwork. But some had to be made for the game by half a dozen artists. The artist in this story was a young woman in India. I went about my business while she was working on a few character sheets.
I went to the local office store to pick up an order for my wife's business. There I met Kiki. She was remarkable in customer service and athletic ability; holding down the whole front of the store by herself involved lots of running back & forth, handling customer problems, and lifting heavy things. She was clearly operating above her title and pay grade.
Artwork from India arrived when I got home, and one looked exactly like Kiki! Kiki and I later looked at it closely, and it couldn't be a better likeness if Kiki sat for a portrait. The face, body, hair, and all other details were an exact match. It was my daily dose of weird.