# Scum and Villainy tags: #game/rpg/scum-and-villainy ![[Scum and Villainy (cover).png]] ## Summary Tired of those gritty, morally ambiguous anti-hero stories? **Scum and Villainy** gleefully flips the script. You're not just outlaws on the fringes of society – you're lovably incompetent space misfits trying to make a buck in a galaxy ruled by an oppressive empire. Think _Firefly_ meets _Guardians of the Galaxy_, but with a healthy dose of inept chaos thrown in. ## Core Mechanics The magic of **Scum and Villainy** lies in its streamlined approach inherited from its predecessor, **[[Blades in the Dark]]**. - **It's all about dice pools:** When you attempt something risky, you gather a pool of six-sided dice (d6s). Your character's skills, gear, and desperation influence the pool size. You roll and interpret the results: - 6: Unqualified success! - 4 – 5: Success, but with a cost or complication (we love those, don't we?) - 1 – 3: Catastrophic failure. Welcome to the dumpster fire. - **Who's in charge?** The GM sets the scene, but you, bold space pirate you, decide if your action is Controlled, Risky, or Desperate. This determines how big your dice pool is, and thus, how spectacularly things might go awry. - **Resistance rolls:** Buckle up, the galaxy fights back! The GM can inflict consequences with Resistance rolls that reduce the effectiveness of your success. You didn't REALLY hack the system, the system just lets you THINK you did for now… ## Changes Across Editions As far as I can tell, **Scum and Villainy** hasn't seen multiple editions like some RPGs. The system is pretty darn streamlined, so probably no need to fix what ain't broke! **References** - [**Where to Snag This Gem | Evil Hat Productions**]([https://evilhat.com/product/scum-and-villainy/](https://evilhat.com/product/scum-and-villainy/)) - [**Glowing Review: Scum and Villainy | Storytelling and Gaming**]([https://angelscitadel.com/2021/02/26/review-scum-and-villainy/](https://angelscitadel.com/2021/02/26/review-scum-and-villainy/)) - [**More Dice-Rolling Goodness | The Giant Brain**]([https://giantbrain.co.uk/2019/09/11/scum-villainy-review/](https://giantbrain.co.uk/2019/09/11/scum-villainy-review/)) > [!quote] Neurothrope-00 ![[Neurothrope Avatar.png|100]] > [!note] Editor's Note > > This is a pretty good summary. It's a single book, it goes all Blake's Seven or Star Wars if you want to, and it's a great choice if you're looking to do something science fiction, narrative forward and using a very modern system. > > Go ahead and pop for it.