2670 – Almost Hard Sci-Fi RPG

A long time has passed since I last published something solid. Sure, last year, after a year and a half of tinkering, The Highest Bid expansion for PMC 2670 finally saw the light of day, but my mind needed a fresh challenge — especially after a rough 2024.The idea of expanding PMC 2670 into a sandbox RPG was brewing for a while. There were plenty of options — new armies, "historical" scenario packs, special campaigns, even an RPG. The new army concept is currently deep-frozen, special campaigns haven’t even started, but the historical scenarios are nearly done (5 out of 6 finished), and the RPG? That one practically wrote itself.

A No-Nonsense Sci-Fi RPG

2670 is an RPG set in the world of PMC 2670, blending classic role-playing elements with battle-tested mechanics from the wargame. On one hand, it’s simple and avoids unnecessary crunch, but on the other, it emphasizes realism, brutality, and the consequences of your actions. Life is cheap here. Death comes fast — sometimes faster than a player can say, "It’s just a recon mission."But it's not a grimdark survival simulator either. The game is designed to be fun, structured like a TV series with campaigns as seasons and sessions as episodes. Combat follows this format too — main characters (and important NPCs) are mechanically tougher, while generic grunts drop fast. You know how it works in action movies…

No Magic, No Second Chances

There’s no resurrect spell in 2670. When a character dies, they stay dead. Very dead. Medicine can patch wounds, but if you miscalculate a battlefield route and eat a bullet or few, that's it. This unforgiving nature forces players to plan ahead and act carefully. There’s no traditional HP system either. Instead, characters are lightly wounded, heavily wounded, critically wounded/incapacitated (might survive with proper care), or dead. This makes every injury feel significant. And yeah, heroes might get lucky, but rolling a 6 still happens.

Mechanics – Simple, But Tactical

The system runs on a D10 roll with modifiers from skills, gear, and circumstances. Most rolls are either pass/fail comparative — where the level of success (or failure) influences the outcome. There's also a progressive system for tasks that take time, making hacking, repairs, and other complex actions feel natural. Combat borrows from the PMC 2670 wargame, but adapted for grid maps (squares but default, hexes, or even ruler-based). It’s streamlined and fast-paced, avoiding drawn-out slugfests. Shooting isn’t just rolling dice to hit. Like in the wargame, stacking bonuses is key. One standout rule is Crossfire — if enemies are attacked from multiple angles, follow-up shots become deadlier. This makes positioning and tactics crucial, forcing players to avoid being boxed in while setting up crossfire traps for their enemies.

Close combat? Covered. Power armor? Check. Vehicle combat? Absolutely. Battles in 2670 feel like proper military engagements (or chaotic shootouts!) — where teamwork, cover, and planning matter more than just hit points.(And yes, the PMC 2670 rulebook doubles as a unit list/bestiary).

Character Development

Players can take on many roles: soldiers, pilots, merchants, detectives, scientists, corporate suits—you name it. The game isn’t just about combat. Exploration, sabotage, politics, persuasion, and resource management all play major roles. Character progression is skill-based. No generic XP dumps—_improvements happen in six areas (combat, technical, social, psychological, scientific, and survival). If you hack systems all session, you won’t magically become a warriow. Likewise, gunning down enemies with an LMG won’t boost your social skills. Each area has twelve skills, each with four levels, and a character’s growth depends on their predispositions — which affect how easily they learn specific skills and their max potential. This keeps characters specialized without feeling like stat blocks.

Survival & Resource Management

Inventory matters. Carry too much, and your mobility suffers. Weapons need maintenance. Ammo isn’t infinite. If you run out, you’ll have to improvise. Wounds impact performance, and long-term injuries take a toll on the mind. And then there’s trauma. A soldier who barely survives a massacre might hesitate in future firefights. Someone who’s seen too many comrades die might eventually snap. This system makes sure long-term consequences actually mean something.

Space Combat – Crew Matters

Space battles in 2670 aren’t a separate mini-game — they’re an extension of the core mechanics. Think The Expanse (the book, I didn't watch serie yet) meets old classic FTL. Each crew member has a critical role: skipper managing power resource, pilot maneuvering, weapons officer handling the guns, engineer patching hull breaches.... Ships have their own mini-maps, hit locations, and systems. It’s all about quick decisions under pressure and tight teamwork.

Space Travel – More Than Just FTL Jumps

Interstellar travel isn’t just handwaved fluff. Travel times depend on gravitational wave mapping, available jump points, and pilot skill. For the total nerds like me, there’s even a table with pre-calculated distances between 46 star systems and formulas for travel time!

The Universe of 2670

Alongside the existing PMC 2670 lore, the RPG expands the setting with 46 mapped star systems (out of hundreds colonized). 45 of these systems are based on REAL stars, with their REAL dimensions, REAL positions and sometimes REAL already discovered planets. Sometimes they have updated names, but there is always current name or code number in bractet. These 46 systems form humanity’s main trade and transport network. Cultural and economic factors affect negotiations, prices, and planetary conditions — so what’s dirt cheap in one system might be priceless elsewhere. Smuggling, trade, and political maneuvering can be just as viable as mercenary work.

Artwork & Partners

The game will feature new illustrations from Kamil Boetther (Stars and Steel) and revamped art from PMC 2640 by Łukasz Marko.

Partners:

• Hellscape - provider of high-quality Dungeondraft map assets for print & Virtual Tabletops (Roll20, etc.) https://www.patreon.com/HellScapeAssets
• PaperMini (Łukasz Marko) – paper miniatures for RPGs. https://www.patreon.com/papermini
• A potential miniature manufacturer (discussions ongoing).

Who Is 2670 For?

If you want to play as real people navigating a dangerous, high-stakes world — rather than invincible bullet-sponges — this game is for you. If you like RPGs where every decision matters, and avoiding combat is often smarter than starting a fight, you’ll love it. If you're looking for a power-fantasy RPG where your character always survives, this isn’t your game. 2670 doesn’t hand out plot armor. Stupid decisions get you killed. And while a merciful Overmind (GM) might occasionally cut some slack… don’t count on it.

Summary

2670 is a hard sci-fi RPG built on realism, tactics, and meaningful choices. Its streamlined mechanics, brutal combat, and deep progression make it perfect for players who want serious sci-fi without the nonsense.Launch date: Monday, May 5, 2025 (during the POPO podcast).