Diesel Empires
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Website Changes Coming!
Going to make some big changes to the website, but also to the game too! WagonCon was a wonderful experience, as always, and I gathered a lot of interesting insights on how to streamline the game even more and clarify some of the more unique mechanics.
Upcoming Games
Latest Rules (v33.3.x)
I tried to make this version a little easier to understand and a lot more fun. The Traits are a little more broad, and the Abilities are more thematic, and the terms, I think, are a lot easier to understand for new people (I hope).
Also, all the files are double sided printouts - like how they will appear at WagonCon 2026.
21-1721 EAST IYLOR. The King has paid your company to travel into Iylor Forest to scout a Fae Incursion. You know that this is just political theater, but the gold is real, and Iylor is still dangerous, filled with bigger threats than the Fae, especially if they have captured the ire of the King...
22-2015 THE VEIL. Every Fae cult on the planet is trying to rip open The Veil, and the strength of every Ascendant military and Chartered Super is barely holding back the Apocalypse. You've been freed from a White Room prison with the promise of amnesty and gold, IF you survive Saving the World.
CE-2244 CARR ESSE. Your crew doesn't usually take planet-side missions, but this one pays nice and fits nicely in your orbital transit schedule. It's a moonshot pickup and delivery of an AGI to some farmers hitched to a Fae. Pickup was easy, but it's always ulau'nir doing ANYTHING in the Faelands.
22-1991 AUMUSTON. The Officer's terrified pleads cut through your dreams and drag you awake. You don't know how long you've been asleep, but you do remember The Officer asking about The Missing Students, and you feel compelled to help. So you act, and an unsettling doubt begins to seep into you.
22-1992 NORTHPOINT. Sparks FLY when your immortal boss and their elven ex accidentally cross paths during the morning rush. Amidst the frenzy of the Winter Solstice and Ash'olk's Pilgrimage, you and your crew of baristas are going to make sure your favorite boss gets a Second Chance at True Love.
Questions?
Feel free to email me at jlee@uptoolategames.com
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Rulesets
v33.3.x
I tried to make this version a little easier to understand and a lot more fun. The Traits are a little more broad, and the Abilities are more thematic, and the terms, I think, are a lot easier to understand for new people (I hope).
Also, all the files are double sided printouts - like how they will appear at WagonCon 2026.
v33.2.x
I really, really like this version. Card recovery now requires resources; Long Rests are more useful and consequential; resources feel like they are more integrated into the narrative and make more sense with the mechanics; fewer cards need to be played; the game actually feels dangerous, and putting down cards from your hand IS consequential. I'm also getting a good feel for how to deal with successes, which is giving me a lot more tools to scale the tension of the game.
- therepublics-characters-v33-2-2.pdf
- supers-characters-v33-2-2.pdf
- soltice-of-2nd-chances-characters-v33-2-2.pdf
- retrograde-orbits-characters-v33-2-2.pdf
- kingsmart-characters-v33-2-2.pdf
- fae-wells-end-characters-v33-2-2.pdf
- diesel-empires-core-rules-v33-2-2.pdf
- character-sheet-v33-2-2.pdf
- ancestry-sheets-v33-2-2.pdf
- ancestry-sheets-225mklicks-v32-2-2.pdf
- ancestry-sheet-the-republics-v33-2-2.pdf
v32.0.0 (ZipCon 2026)
The short-lived but bright version 32! I only ran this for a single private convention and it has the most important changes to Diesel Empires to date, codifying how Successes and Success Pools work, and getting rid of the extra bloat of weapon damage and an armor system that I never felt really fit the system. I kept around weapons and armor rules because it felt right to my Rifts and GURPS heart.
v31.0.0 (Kumoricon 2025)
New rules set! A lot of it is to make it more narrative and make it easier for GM's to structure games. Also, just for Kumoricon, I have Paths for Cowboy Bebop and Trigun! UPDATE (November 2, 2025): Added the updated Middle-Age Magic Girls playbook.
v30.1.1
Just in time for Rose City Comic Con. Not much different from v30.0.0, but I did change how damage works, and modified the wording of the Check outcomes.
- threeeyedcrown-characters-v30-1-1.pdf
- threeeyed-crown-species-sheets-v30-1-1.pdf
- species-sheets-v30-1-1.pdf
- kingsmart-characters-v30-1-0-1.pdf
- diesel-empires-ref-sheet-v30-1-1.pdf
- diesel-empires-core-rules-v30-1-1.pdf
- character-sheet-v30-1-1.pdf
- 225mklicks-species-sheets-v30-1-1.pdf
- 225mklicks-characters-v30-1-0.pdf
v30.0.0
Everything I loved about v29.4.4 with an addition that I saw players attempting to do several times, and I liked the concept: Core Traits don't automatically start at one, but during a Check, you add one Core Trait with one Background Trait to get your starting draw. I think it makes the Core Traits more powerful, and makes how the players use their characters more unique (I hope).
v29.4.4
So far v29.x is a winner! At least for my style of play. Still some things I need to fix about weapon damage and key traits. I like where v29.4.4 is going though...
v29.4.3
This version adds in some refinements to v29.4.1 and changes up some of the terms to make more sense. What happened to v29.4.2? Maybe I'll tell y'all about it when you get older...
v29.4.1 (Repost)
Re-posting these rules for Kumoricon 2024.
v29.4.1 (Kingdoms of Ash)
A little update for the Kingdoms of Ash setting.
v29.4.1
Oh boy I am SUPER excited for these rules! Let's see how they do in real games now...
I'm also experimenting with the player handouts so I can drastically reduce how much paper I use.
v29.4.0
These rules premiered at a private con and oh boy did I have fun! I have this sinking suspicion that this might be approaching the final form for the game. v29 has been my most favorite version.
v29.3.2
This is the ruleset that I will be bringing to the 2024 Rose City Comic Con. There won't be any "Bad Night" games, but I added the playbook since they were part of playtesting.
v29.3.1
This was for a one shot called "Bad Night in Bonethorne Port". Experimented with a new combat system and a new way to approach checks.
v29.3.0
v29.1.0
This still uses the v29.0.0 core sheets.
v29.0.0
v28.3.0
This uses a few v28.2.0 files since I was very lazy.
v28.2.0
v28.0.0
v0.0.1 (Turn of the Card Edition)
This one is a remix for another game I produced with my good friend Paul Abeyta. It can be found at TurnoftheCard.com.
v19.x.x
v18.x.x (and older)
- diesel-empire-v9-2-1.pdf
- diesel-empire-v8-0-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v6-0-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v3-0-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v2-3-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v2-0-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v18-0-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v16-2-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v14-0-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v13-2-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v11-1-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v1-6-4.pdf
- diesel-empire-v1-6-3.pdf
- diesel-empire-v1-6-0.pdf
- diesel-empire-v1-5-3.pdf
- diesel-empire-v1-5-0.pdf