Solo Tabletop Review & Actual Play – Notorious: Outsiders Part One

Notorious: Outsiders (Always Checkers Publishing)
Written and designed by Jason Price
Art by Torben Bokemeye

You can purchase Outsiders here

Notorious was one of my first solo tabletop RPGs I played here on the blog in 2023, so when I saw the expansion sequel Outsiders had come out it seemed natural to play. For the unfamiliar, this solo game series takes place in a universe that doesn’t hide its Star Wars influences. You play a nomad, a bounty hunter, who picks up contracts and hunts down their targets on a variety of planets. Much of the gameplay is the same with Outsiders adding more Nomad classes, planets, species, encounters and a Trilogy Mode that incorporates both game’s materials.

Where Notorious takes place in the center of the war-torn galaxy, Outsiders takes place on the edges where the Old Empire doesn’t have as strong a hold. That doesn’t mean they don’t have allies. Each faction from the previous game has a parallel in these distant territories. Admiral Frane’s Fleet represents the Empire in the region, a nod to Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars lore. Some of the factions are interesting variations on Star Wars tropes – the Green Aurora are eco-terrorists aligned with the New Uprising while The Targ Cartel has a friend in Huska’s Corsairs. The Trade Alliance is paired with The Boost Racing League which for some reason amused me. 

The new classes each have a distinct feel and add dimension to the game. There’s the Rookie who starts with more Motivation than the others. The Tech is decked out with powerful weapons and a Bot who acts as an early warning for attacks. The Beastmaster uses a domesticated animal as the primary force in combat. The Deserter is a nomad who abandoned a faction and wields some heavy duty weaponry. The Duo allows the player to act as a pair of characters whose abilities compliment each other. The Veteran is a nomad who can take more damage than most and strikes hard against Leads and Targets.

Trilogy Mode is a fairly simple addition to the game. You combine the materials from both books and create a Nomad from any combination of classes and aliens. Your first mission comes from the Notorious materials, your second from Outsiders, and your third can be from either. Between the first two missions you gain an Upgrade to reflect what happened to your Nomad. For the third mission, you are encouraged to roll up encounters from both books in order to expand the scope. The intent is that you create a compelling arc for your character that involves a wide exploration of the galactic war.

I will always have a penchant for more traditional RPG systems like Ironsworn, but the Notorious/Outsiders books are a lot of fun. I do often feel a little more constrained in them than I do with the creative flexibility of something like Starforged. However, if I don’t want to have to do as much interpretation but don’t want to play journaling games (which many solo games are) these are nice middle-ground.

For my playthrough, I lightly reskinned things to reflect the Star Wars-like portion of my ongoing games in Starforged, adding to my own lore a little bit. 

(I realized halfway through this playthrough I’d messed up a bit on playing out combat. I personally feel the book doesn’t do a fantastic job in providing examples for this, but I also completely accept I possibly didn’t do a good enough job reading either. I think it’s such a simple system that my brain kept trying to over complicate it)

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Korris Beks is a young adult Kyono and Rookie nomad. His mother, Attisha, was enslaved by the Yonn Cartel, working as a cook in the kitchen of Prugha, who ran a gambling operation on Ampolo XV. She died while giving birth to her first litter. Korris was separated from his ten siblings and sent to work in the mines of Truna, where Prugha’s cousin Numas ran things.

In his teenage years, Korris joined a rebel group within the mines to stage an escape. Many were killed, but Korris escaped. Then, he discovered his fear of flying when he had to board a ship to escape the planet. Korris realized the last time he’d been off-world was as a newborn pup, so it was a terrifying idea connected to a lot of trauma.

Korris ended up stranded on Kral, an over-extracted world suffering from intense environmental pollution. In a desperate bid to get somewhere better, he signed with the Nomad’s Guild, the premier bounty-hunting organization in the Old Imperium. He received just enough starting credits to get his equipment and first target. 

The Resistance wants a traitorous Guerenga named Murron brought in for trial. She helped smuggle weapons through a blockade against the Trade Alliance, besieged in one of their spice mines. The Resistance was close to taking the mine and ending the Alliance’s hold on the planet until Murron’s weapons turned the tide. Many good Resistance members were killed in the surprise attack and their forces withdrew entirely.

Murron’s last known whereabouts were on the verdant world of Oceron, one of the strongholds in the Trade Alliance’s portfolio. Surprisingly, it is still very dominated by the natural world despite The Alliance’s penchant for tearing out every resource. Korris pays to ride aboard a ship headed to do some geological survey work. He lies about being a student at a university on Andino, wanting to study the native flora on Oceron. He takes several sedatives before he passes out and can skip the whole flight, waking up as the ship lands at an outpost in the swamp.

Exploration

Korris pays with the few credits he has remaining to rent a speeder bike and takes off to see if he can find any leads. While zooming across the grasslands of Oceron, Korris notices a large cube sticking out against the otherwise flat, mundane landscape. On closer inspection, he finds it is a locked crate painted with the logo of Trade Alliance. It’s difficult to understand how something could fall off a transport and not be noticed. There’s no lasgun scorch marks so the transport wasn’t likely under attack.

Korris starts to tamper with the encoded lock on the box. He’s making some good progress, surprising even himself. Then, a shrill, piercing alarm sounds and a blast of light and force. Korris is tossed several meters into the air and lands with a hard thud on the grass (-1 Motivation). A pre-recorded message plays from the crate explaining that he has illegally tampered with the property of the Trade Alliance. His body has been marked with tracking nanites in the explosion, and the Alliance will inevitably find him. Korris hops back on his speeder and keeps moving, realizing he must find someone to neutralize and remove these things from his fur.

Destination: Small Outpost or Enclave – Kartha agricultural enclave run by the Yonn.

Korris immediately recognizes the three-forked tridents of the Yonn Cartel emblazoned on the armor of the guards scattered around the perimeter of Kartha. He keeps his head down, knowing they hate the Trade Alliance, which means he might find someone to help remove the tracking nanites.

Search – No one is talking. The workers eye Korris with suspicion. They’ve clearly been taught to let the guards do the talking. Once Korris notices the hired guns that the Yonn employ are looking in his direction, he takes off across the plains.

Exploration

Korris slows down as he approaches a four-way intersection in the grasslands. At the juncture, an ostrich-like Valk is arguing with two Trade Alliance secbots. 

Korris calmly walks up to the argument before pulling out his quick-draw pistol and opening fire.

(Korris: 4 + 3 = 7 – secbot #1 disabled)

The other Alliance secbot fires at Korris. Korris can roll and hide in the tall grass.

(secbot: 6 +1 = 7, spent +1 def to block)

Korris pops up, firing off a shot at the second secbot

(Korris: 4 +1 = 5 – secbot #2 disabled)

(gain +1 Notoriety)

Korris helps the Valk, transporting icestalk for the Yonn, likely at a secret landing port for the cartel’s ships. The Valk introduces himself, he’s Kamm, and he’s very impressed with the young Nomad’s combat against the secbots. The bots are shouting at Korris as they have detected the tracking nanites. Korris explains his situation to Kamm. The Valk tells Korris he’s close to the Freed City Spaceport, where he could find someone who might help remove those nanites for him. It’s controlled by the Trade Alliance so it’s a significant risk. Korris thanks him and heads on his way.

Destination: Freed City Spaceport – (gain +1 Notoriety)

Event #1 – Local Nomad’s Guild rep located in a seedy cantina.

Selona Pamm sits nursing a drink in “her booth” at the Sancus Lounge. Korris enters and notes her Nomad pin, which signals that she is a safe rep in this city. He flashes his own rookie pin and takes a seat at the booth. The Kyono slides his target chip across the table, which she loads into her reader. 

“So, how goes the search for the cat?” Selona asks.

“Nothing so far, but I ran into a little problem,” Korris responds, relating the incident with the tracking nanites in a hushed tone.

Selona tells him about a trusted hacker in the Kerala District. Tell him Pamm sent ya.

Korris thanks her and even buys the Nomad’s next drink. While at the bar, he notices a cloaked figure who had been one booth over recording their conversation the whole time. A brief glimpse of the three-forked trident of the Yonn causes his fur to stand on end. He won’t let them take him back. He’ll fight to the death to prevent that.

Event #2 – Valk under threat from a Trade Alliance heavy secbot

After coming back from the hacker’s apartment in Kerala, Korris spots a sharp-beaked Valk being pushed up against an alley wall by a heavy secbot with its pulse laser arm attachment. The Valk shouts anti-Alliance sentiments, which is likely what set off the bot.

Korris doesn’t want undue attention from the Alliance, lest they discover his target chip and see who he is after. He attempts to exert some authority, flashing his nomad pin and pistol, telling the heavy secbot that this is his quarry and to back off; it’s out of his jurisdiction.

(Threaten: 2 + 2 = 4 vs. Challenge 4 – Spend 1 Motivation to reroll Nomad die – 2 + 4 = 6. Success)

The heavy secbot stammers and apologizes, quickly returning to its patrol route. All the while, the Valk pretends to be so upset they have been caught by the Nomad hunting them, really selling the lie. Once the secbot is out of view, the Valk enthusiastically shakes Korris’s hand. 

Their name is Quip, originally from Valkan, the Treetop City. They ended up in Freed looking for work, but all they get is pushed around by these Alliance assholes. Korris reasons that Quip knows the area and hates the Alliance, which makes them a valuable potential Asset.

(Recruit: 2 + 1 = 3 vs. Challenge 3, used Motivation to reroll Nomad die to 1. Failure)

Quip says they appreciate the offer, but paying the bills comes first. Another time. They thank Korris and head back to the job search.

Exploration

Back on the road out of Freed, an armored vehicle runs Korris into a ditch. Two Yonn Cartel guards hop out, weapons at the ready. Korris figures the one who was listening in on him must have checked his ID and learned he was an escaped slave. They are humans, but they wear specialized masks. Korris recognizes them; they work for Numas, the owner of the mines.

(Attack – 3 + 2 = 5 vs. Challenge 2 +1 = 3 – Korris kills the first human)

(Defend – 3 vs. Challenge 2 +1 = 3 – Korris’s lucky charm helps him avoid the blast, he takes cover behind their vehicle)

(Attack – 1 + 1 = 2 vs. Challenge 1 + 6 – failed, Korris is struck and collapses to the ground, the guard moves in)

The green/blue lights of the Trade Alliance secbot hovercar flash across the dim prairie. Before the guard can deliver a killing blow, he bolts for the vehicle and takes off. The Alliance does not want the Yonn Cartel here. Korris lays quietly until they both are long gone, dusts himself off, gets on his speeder, and keeps searching.

Destination – small town run by Valk – Hollowtrunk

Korris happens to run into Kamm, who has family here he is visiting. The thankful Valk offers Korris a nest to sleep in for the night, which the exhausted Kyono takes happily (+1 Motivation)

Exploration

In the morning, Korris finds Kamm’s people very upset about something. They explain that jevir attacked the town last night, and they are putting together a hunting party. Jevir are a native wolf-like species that prey on Valk, who stray too far from their roosts at night. Korris decides he will help them take it down; he needs to build his rep, and it seems the right thing. The Valk lead him to a burrow outside of town where Korris descends to face the jevir.

(Attack – 3 + 1 = 4 vs Challenge – 5 = 5) Korris’s blast misses due to the low light and the jevir’s prowess in this space.

(Jevir attack – 3 + 6 = 9 vs Nomad – 4, use my 1 def to block) Korris drops to the ground and crawls on his belly to avoid the slashing claws of the jevir

(Attack brawl – 1 + 3 = 4 vs Challenge 4 – Failure) Korris finds the space cramped and tries to brawl with the jevir, whose oily fur helps him slip away.

(Jevir attack 3 + 6 = 9 vs Challenge 2 – Failure) The jevir slashes across Korris’s chest, slavering over him.

Before the jevir can finish Korris, a series of lasgun blasts strike it. Korris looks up to see the Valk from the village have rushed in to help retrieve him. They drag the Nomad out of the burrow and back to Hollowtrunk. He is eternally grateful. They believe he is a fool.

Destination – Hyokko Trading Post

Korris needs a stiff drink. His body still aches from the beating the jevir gave him. He stops by a watering hole close to the entrance of the trading post, Vobe.

 Almost as soon as he walks inside, Korris bumps into EC-H0, a Bot nomad he’d last seen while picking up this target on Zamaan Station. The bot is here hunting for the same prey, but he gives a salute gesture towards Korris. It pumps the Kyono up, knowing that a veteran like that recognizes him. (gain +1 Notoriety)

Exploration – Lead #1

Location: Dense forest

Name: Yizk Species: Ssamborn (shapeshifter)

Personality: Assured Faction: Yonn Cartel

Hired by the Yonn Cartel to get to Guerenga first. She has apparently stolen a whole shipment of drugs from the Cartel, handing it over to the Trade Alliance.

Korris discovers who EC-H0 was speaking with, a shifty-looking Pellucid at the back of the cantina. He speaks with the guy, too, buying him a drink. Korris learns the nomads aren’t the only ones looking for Guerenga. She’s apparently pissed off the Yonn Cartel as well. They have hired people across the planet to keep an eye open. One of them is Yizk, a Ssamborn, who has set up camp in the Pillar Forest to the west.

Korris makes his way there. It’s dense, and he finds that he has to squeeze between tree trunks in some places to get through. Eventually, he sees the camp. The Ssamborn has made himself look like the local Cherrin. He’s feasting on a Valk. Korris feels his stomach turn but keeps his cool.

Yizk is unphased and calmly explains that the Cartel pays well and knows he’ll be rewarded even better when he brings in Guerenga. Korris says he’s a monster to be eating that Valk. Yizk chuckles and pulls his lasgun. 

(Yizk attacks – 2+2 = 4 vs. Nomad 5 – Failure). Korris leaps behind a tree to avoid the blast. He pulls his own pistol.

(Korris attacks 3+5 = 8 vs. Challenge 1, uses 1 def) Yizk narrowly avoids Korris’ shot, shifting into a skittering lizard to get low fast.

(Yizk attacks – 2+2 = 4 vs Nomad 2, use 1 def to avoid) Yizk tries to slash with his claws after shifting back into a Cherrin and just takes a small piece of Korris’ jacket instead. 

(Korris attacks – 4+1 = 5 vs Challenge 2 – Success) Korris grabs Yizk by the collar after putting the wristbinds on him. “Where has she gone?” he demands. “Sphere, the Viceroy’s Retreat,” the shapeshifter replies. Korris knocks him out, disables Yizk’s speeder, and heads off alone.

Destination – Sphere, the Viceroy’s Retreat

A hostile guard approaches. This is a private estate, so it isn’t a surprise to Korris. He quickly draws his weapon.

(Korris attack 3 + 1 = 4 vs Challenge 4, spend 1 motivation to reroll – 3+4 = 7)

Korris drops the guard before his opponent can even pull his own weapon. He feels like he’s getting pretty good.

Event #1

Sphere is a seasonal retreat for Dura Sess, the governor of Oceron appointed by the Trade Alliance. It’s the off-season, but a small city has been built around the estate. Most businesses are shuttered, but a forge remains open. It’s run by a Valk named Brakin Taa, a master armorer. He’s aided by Ayal, a young Valk. Korris exchanges some greetings with them as he looks around the stock and notices there’s unfinished ceremonial armor behind the counter. It appears to have been forged with Valk in mind, including special protective plating for their feathered wings. 

Korris attempts to recruit Brakin.

(2 + 6 = 8 vs. Challenge 1 – Success)

Brakin listens to Korris’s pitch, which is a chance to push back on the Trade Alliance. The old Valk admits he’s been forced to abandon many of the projects necessary to his people to keep Sess and his cronies in ornate hunting armor when they are at the estate. Brakin provides Korris with a Valkian chest plate that can be worn under his jacket and shirt. It’s not very high quality, so a couple dings and Korris will need it repaired. He is incredibly grateful though.

Exploration

Korris stops in the middle of a thick patch of forest where the ruins of a statue lie. On the ground is a broken trident. Korris realizes the statue must have depicted one of the Yonn Cartel. No matter how far he runs, he can’t seem to escape them. He sits for a moment in this forest clearing before moving on.

Destination – Rico Disused Spaceport

Korris enters the Rico Disused Spaceport, a place that was once part of the Fallen Republic and never put back into use by the Trade Alliance. They have soldiers here to watch the small communities that still call Rico home. A guard recognizes Korris and rushes him.

(Korris attacks: 3 + 4 = 7 vs Challenge 1) 

Korris quick-draws and takes the guard down. He’s honestly a little impressed with himself.

Event #1

Once inside the spaceport, Korris is approached by a frenzied Lek’tok who is desperate to get offworld. He explains he’d taken up a job that turned out to be a scam. He can offer a small wedge of credits in exchange for a lift. Something about this Lek’tok doesn’t seem right to Korris. He says he’s in a hurry and can’t help. (Gain +1 Favour)

Event #2

Korris turns a corner and finds a host of locals running for their lives. A captive kulumae (a predatory flightless bird) has gotten loose and is attacking whomever it crosses paths with. Korris’s hand reaches for his pistol but hesitates. He’s so close to his target he can feel it. The Nomad steps back into the shadows and watches from afar. Part of Korris relates to the kulumae. You can’t imprison something and expect it to be kind when it escapes. (gain +1 Notoriety)

Exploration – Lead #2

Location: Ship wreckage

Name: Lahek Species: Pellucid

Personality: Thoughtful Faction: Trade Alliance

While searching among the wreckage of a Fallen Republic ship that was shot down near Rico, Korris spots someone. A crystalline Pellucid wearing a Trade Alliance uniform is sorting through the remains of the jump drive. Korris pulls his pistol and tells him to freeze. The Pellucid’s crystal body glows purple, a sign of rage, and Korris remembers a story he overheard of Guerenga working alongside a particularly nasty Pellucid brawler.

Korris, his weapon still pointed at Lahek, says he just wants Guerenga and is not interested in fighting with the person in front of him.

(Speak: 3 + 4 = 7 vs. 4  – Success)

Lahek responds that Korris doesn’t understand what is going on here. The Resistance lied to Korris when they hired him. The Trade Alliance is the only way to defeat the Old Imperium and the Empress. Korris says he doesn’t care; he needs to complete the job.

(Attack – 3 + 3 = 6 vs Challenge 2, Lahek uses +1 def) Lahek moves quicker than Korris expected, ducking behind more of the wreckage.

(Attack – 3 + 5 = 8, Korris uses his Valkian armor) Lahek creeps up and tries to jump Korris. The Nomad whips around, taking the blow on the chest plate, which cracks the crystalline fist.

(Attack – 1 + 1 = 2 vs 3) Korris’s first shot misses Lahek, who uses a glimmer of light to blind the Nomad temporarily.

(Attack – 2 + 3 = 5 vs. 4, use +1 def) Korris takes the blow on his back with the thick leather jacket, which stops that attack.

(Attack 2 + 4 = 6 vs 5) Korris connects with Lahek’s head, taking a crystal shard with him. The Pellucid collapses to the ground, raising its hands, admitting defeat. Lahek admits he last saw Guerenga headed north one day ago. Korris jumps on his speeder and takes off.

Exploration – Target

Korris finds a hovertrain station and learns Guerenga departed just an hour ago. He asks where the next stop will be and pushes his speeder bike to the point that it might start shaking apart. Korris camps out on the platform, waiting and watching in the shadows. The train arrives, and only one person steps off. They wear a black hooded cloak, and something in the air changes to make Korris’ fur stand up.

Guerenga is not just a traitor to the Resistance. She’s one of the Empress’s elite knights known as The Skygge. Suddenly, it begins to make sense to Korris. The Old Imperium desperately wants to break the Trade Alliance’s will to seize their assets. Stoking a fight between them and the Resistance will deplete both faction’s resources, making them easy pickings for the Empress.

Korris approaches with his pistol out and points at his target. “You’re coming with me.”

Guerenga pushes back her hood and smiles as she looks from the pistol back to Korris’ face.

“I won’t be able to do that, nomad,” she replies. “Once upon a time, long ago, I was a good person…that time has passed. I can’t surrender. I’m sad to say, one of us must die.”

Guerenga unsheaths her beamsword; it crackles to life, emitting a sickly yellow aura. 

(Korris – 1 + 3 = 4 vs. Challenge 6, use +1 def) Guerenga expertly dodges a haymaker from Korris and raises her beamsword; Korris barely manages to dodge out of the way as the laser leaves a scorch mark across his jacket.

(Korris – 2 + 3 = 5 vs. Challenge 2 + 2, Guerenga uses +1 def) Korris swings again, and this time, Guerenga falls to the ground and scrambles to get back to her feet in an attack stance.

(Korris – 2 + 5 = 7 vs. Challenge – 2 + 1, Guerenga uses +1 def) Korris steps forward, pushing Guerenga toward the hovertrain rails; she ducks as he swings again, teetering on the edge.

(Korris – 2 + 4 = 6 vs. Challenge – 2 + 1, Guerenga uses her final +1 def) Another swing and Guerenga does a gravity-defying leap over Korris’s head, landing a few meters away. He swings around and goes in for another strike.

(Korris – 2 +6 = 8 vs. Challenge – 2 + 1) Korris’s fist connects with Guerenga’s face, sending her flying over a bench and onto the ground. The beamsword clatters across the tiles and switches off. Korris levels his pistol directly at her face.

Korris takes Guerenga to Freed City Spaceport via the hovertrain and hands her over to Selona Pamm. She’s very impressed with the rookie’s first catch. However, she informs him that there has been an uprising of Valk against the Trade Alliance. She hears it’s secretly backed by the Yonn, who is making a play to take control of Oceron. The Nomad’s Guild is furious at how much trouble Korris caused when he’s supposed to go mainly unnoticed.

Upgrade: Gain +1 Notoriety at the start of each contract.

I reasoned with as much trouble as Korris has caused he’s definitely getting noticed now.

Read the second chapter in Korris’s trilogy here.