NerdBurger Games is crowdfunding Cosmic Corsairs RPG, their latest game. Starting with the Cosmic Corsairs Quick Start Guide, they’re laying the foundation for the next award-winning game in their line. Craig Campbell talks about the game, his next convention trip, and what’s next for NerdBurger Games.
EGG EMBRY (EGG): NerdBurger Games has a new TTRPG on Kickstarter, what is Cosmic Corsairs RPG?
CRAIG CAMPBELL (CRAIG): The fun version of the tagline is “magical space pirates fighting fascism.” In more detail, Cosmic Corsairs is about outsiders living on the fringes fighting back against the Triarchy, a multi-faction government that has ruled the Aetherspace solar system for twenty years. These outsiders/space pirates spend so much time traveling the aether between worlds that they’ve become attuned to the cosmic energies there and can channel those energies to create spectacular effects. Cosmic Corsairs is intended to the be the first in a game line featuring a series of interconnected and cross-compatible game.
EGG: Cosmic Corsairs RPG uses a unique system. How does the engine for this game work?
CRAIG: It uses the Roll-Track System, first developed for the Ennie-nominated Good Strong Hands. In this iteration of the system, the dice rolling is both player and GM facing, so everyone is making rolls. You have four Traits – Body, Mind, Charm, and Heart – rated from 1-4. When making a Trait Check, you roll a number of d10s equal to your Trait score versus a target number of 6-10. If you get no successes, you fail at your task and suffer a complication but also mark one on the Reroll Track (a series of checkboxes). When you fill your Reroll Track, you clear it and gain a reroll which you can use on any Trait Check in the future. If you get one success, you succeed at your task and mark one on the Spirit Track. Spirit is a currency that you’ll gain and spend for various benefits. If you get two or more successes, you succeed with a boon and mark one on the Nova Track. When you fill your Nova Track, you gain the use of a Nova, which are your most powerful abilities as a Cosmic. That covers basic, skill-based outcomes. Combat works similarly, but each success on the dice rolled equals additional damage, plus a set damage bonus based on the weapon used.
EGG: The Triarchy are the evil authority of the setting. How did they come to power, and how did they fall from grace?
CRAIG: When the ten worlds of Aetherspace began traveling off-world and discovered each other, they first tried to create a cohesive intra-world government they called the Coalition. That failed to fulfill its promises quickly enough and a group of factions joined together to form the Triarchy and wrested control from them through elections, propaganda, and other, more nefarious, means. That government, too, was short-lived and the Coalition gained control again for a time. During the second Coalition run, the Triarchy regrouped and instituted a long-term plan to seize power through subterfuge, propaganda, radicalizing angry citizens, and various other less democratic means. They’ve managed to maintain power this time largely by oppressing large portions of the populace, militarizing all police forces and constabularies, and through propaganda, misinformation, and military campaigns. In recent years, a Resistance has formed and is growing.
EGG: Are there other enemies in the game?
CRAIG: Cosmic Corsairs present the Triarchy as the primary foe for the characters. In future games, I’ll delve into more inner workings of the Triarchy and explore other factions that are anti-Triarchy but not pro-Resistance or pro-Coalition. Other groups that might be very dangerous also.
EGG: Your characters are jetting around the solar system and starships play an important role. There’s ship-to-ship combat, how does that work? How do you keep each player engaged in the combat?
CRAIG: The starship combat system can run alongside personal combat, so you can have person-to-person fights, starship fights, and fights the feature both. The starships in Cosmic Corsairs are akin to sailing ships in space (though with a decided sci-fi flair). So it’s possible to travel between ships, board the enemy ships, etc. In a given fight, a character might pilot the ship, fire a laser cannon at the enemy ship, board the enemy ship and fight person-to-person, or a combination of these things. Additionally, there are special “starship roles” like Captain, Pilot, Tactical, etc. that provide special actions you can take when filling that roll on the ship.
EGG: What inspired space rebels fighting an evil solar system-spanning authority?
CRAIG: NerdBurger Games has played in a lot of different genres and TTRPG styles. As the CAPERS game line was coming to a close, I started looking at what I might pursue for a follow-up game line. Sci-fi seemed a natural fit as I’m a big fan of a wide variety of sci-fi stories and media. I spent about a year planning and developed the idea of having a central, authoritarian regime running the system and a series of games that explore a variety of sci-fi story types with that as the backdrop. Space pirate battles. Secret resistance cells trying to take down the government from within. AI and androids gaining sapience and deciding which side to fight for. And so on.
EGG: Every game from NerdBurger Games is a fusion of your ideas, engine, and writing combined with a specific artist. For this project, you worked with artist Carly A-F. What made Carly the right artist for this game?
CRAIG: I came across Carly’s work on Twitter (now I follow her on Bluesky). I found her sci-fi illustrations to be particularly compelling. Dark space backgrounds with points of light and blushes of color, along with colorful starships and planets. It seemed like a perfect fit for my game plans, with Carly creating colorful, dynamic artwork to depict the world I imagined in my head.
EGG: At DriveThruRPG, you’re offering a free Cosmic Corsairs Quick Start Guide. What does your quick start include?
CRAIG: The Quick Start is a 48 page PDF and includes a game and setting overview, the game rules, some Triarchy and Resistance info, starship stuff, and an introductory adventure with four pre-generated characters. You can find it [here].
EGG: Beyond Cosmic Corsairs RPG, what else are you working on?
CRAIG: I’m primarily working on the next game in the Aetherspace game line, titled Secret Psions. Beyond that, I’m tinkering with ideas for a third and final Vibrant solo game titled Secrets of the Vibrant Sky as well as another solo game idea. And I’m slowly formulating plans for how I’ll celebrate NerdBurger Games’ 10-year anniversary in 2026.
EGG: You’re attending AcadeCon 2025 in Dayton, Ohio from November 7th to the 9th. Are you running any games or on any panels during the show?
CRAIG: Yep. I’m running one session each of Good Strong Hands, Hypersleep Terminated, and Slay to Win. I’m also co-hosting a panel titled “RPG Design and Homebrew Roundtable”.
EGG: Where can fans learn more about NerdBurger Games and this project?
CRAIG: You can learn all about NBG. The webstore there. And you can also find the games at [DriveThruRPG]. I’m @NerdBurgerCraig on Bluesky.
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, Kobold Press Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, Kobold Press, and Amazon.
EGG EMBRY (EGG): NerdBurger Games has a new TTRPG on Kickstarter, what is Cosmic Corsairs RPG?
CRAIG CAMPBELL (CRAIG): The fun version of the tagline is “magical space pirates fighting fascism.” In more detail, Cosmic Corsairs is about outsiders living on the fringes fighting back against the Triarchy, a multi-faction government that has ruled the Aetherspace solar system for twenty years. These outsiders/space pirates spend so much time traveling the aether between worlds that they’ve become attuned to the cosmic energies there and can channel those energies to create spectacular effects. Cosmic Corsairs is intended to the be the first in a game line featuring a series of interconnected and cross-compatible game.
EGG: Cosmic Corsairs RPG uses a unique system. How does the engine for this game work?
CRAIG: It uses the Roll-Track System, first developed for the Ennie-nominated Good Strong Hands. In this iteration of the system, the dice rolling is both player and GM facing, so everyone is making rolls. You have four Traits – Body, Mind, Charm, and Heart – rated from 1-4. When making a Trait Check, you roll a number of d10s equal to your Trait score versus a target number of 6-10. If you get no successes, you fail at your task and suffer a complication but also mark one on the Reroll Track (a series of checkboxes). When you fill your Reroll Track, you clear it and gain a reroll which you can use on any Trait Check in the future. If you get one success, you succeed at your task and mark one on the Spirit Track. Spirit is a currency that you’ll gain and spend for various benefits. If you get two or more successes, you succeed with a boon and mark one on the Nova Track. When you fill your Nova Track, you gain the use of a Nova, which are your most powerful abilities as a Cosmic. That covers basic, skill-based outcomes. Combat works similarly, but each success on the dice rolled equals additional damage, plus a set damage bonus based on the weapon used.
EGG: The Triarchy are the evil authority of the setting. How did they come to power, and how did they fall from grace?
CRAIG: When the ten worlds of Aetherspace began traveling off-world and discovered each other, they first tried to create a cohesive intra-world government they called the Coalition. That failed to fulfill its promises quickly enough and a group of factions joined together to form the Triarchy and wrested control from them through elections, propaganda, and other, more nefarious, means. That government, too, was short-lived and the Coalition gained control again for a time. During the second Coalition run, the Triarchy regrouped and instituted a long-term plan to seize power through subterfuge, propaganda, radicalizing angry citizens, and various other less democratic means. They’ve managed to maintain power this time largely by oppressing large portions of the populace, militarizing all police forces and constabularies, and through propaganda, misinformation, and military campaigns. In recent years, a Resistance has formed and is growing.
EGG: Are there other enemies in the game?
CRAIG: Cosmic Corsairs present the Triarchy as the primary foe for the characters. In future games, I’ll delve into more inner workings of the Triarchy and explore other factions that are anti-Triarchy but not pro-Resistance or pro-Coalition. Other groups that might be very dangerous also.
EGG: Your characters are jetting around the solar system and starships play an important role. There’s ship-to-ship combat, how does that work? How do you keep each player engaged in the combat?
CRAIG: The starship combat system can run alongside personal combat, so you can have person-to-person fights, starship fights, and fights the feature both. The starships in Cosmic Corsairs are akin to sailing ships in space (though with a decided sci-fi flair). So it’s possible to travel between ships, board the enemy ships, etc. In a given fight, a character might pilot the ship, fire a laser cannon at the enemy ship, board the enemy ship and fight person-to-person, or a combination of these things. Additionally, there are special “starship roles” like Captain, Pilot, Tactical, etc. that provide special actions you can take when filling that roll on the ship.
EGG: What inspired space rebels fighting an evil solar system-spanning authority?
CRAIG: NerdBurger Games has played in a lot of different genres and TTRPG styles. As the CAPERS game line was coming to a close, I started looking at what I might pursue for a follow-up game line. Sci-fi seemed a natural fit as I’m a big fan of a wide variety of sci-fi stories and media. I spent about a year planning and developed the idea of having a central, authoritarian regime running the system and a series of games that explore a variety of sci-fi story types with that as the backdrop. Space pirate battles. Secret resistance cells trying to take down the government from within. AI and androids gaining sapience and deciding which side to fight for. And so on.
EGG: Every game from NerdBurger Games is a fusion of your ideas, engine, and writing combined with a specific artist. For this project, you worked with artist Carly A-F. What made Carly the right artist for this game?
CRAIG: I came across Carly’s work on Twitter (now I follow her on Bluesky). I found her sci-fi illustrations to be particularly compelling. Dark space backgrounds with points of light and blushes of color, along with colorful starships and planets. It seemed like a perfect fit for my game plans, with Carly creating colorful, dynamic artwork to depict the world I imagined in my head.
EGG: At DriveThruRPG, you’re offering a free Cosmic Corsairs Quick Start Guide. What does your quick start include?
CRAIG: The Quick Start is a 48 page PDF and includes a game and setting overview, the game rules, some Triarchy and Resistance info, starship stuff, and an introductory adventure with four pre-generated characters. You can find it [here].
EGG: Beyond Cosmic Corsairs RPG, what else are you working on?
CRAIG: I’m primarily working on the next game in the Aetherspace game line, titled Secret Psions. Beyond that, I’m tinkering with ideas for a third and final Vibrant solo game titled Secrets of the Vibrant Sky as well as another solo game idea. And I’m slowly formulating plans for how I’ll celebrate NerdBurger Games’ 10-year anniversary in 2026.
EGG: You’re attending AcadeCon 2025 in Dayton, Ohio from November 7th to the 9th. Are you running any games or on any panels during the show?
CRAIG: Yep. I’m running one session each of Good Strong Hands, Hypersleep Terminated, and Slay to Win. I’m also co-hosting a panel titled “RPG Design and Homebrew Roundtable”.
EGG: Where can fans learn more about NerdBurger Games and this project?
CRAIG: You can learn all about NBG. The webstore there. And you can also find the games at [DriveThruRPG]. I’m @NerdBurgerCraig on Bluesky.
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, Kobold Press Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, Kobold Press, and Amazon.
