Heat
Vornak, Orion Syndicate logistics coordinator, Terok Nor, 2371
"Heat isn't a punishment. It's a resource budget. You get so much before you're spending more to stay invisible than you ever made from the job."
📖 Expands STA Core Rulebook, Chapter 7: Operations. No base STA equivalent — this mechanic is original to Star Trek: Syndicate.
Definition: Heat tracks the accumulated unwanted attention directed at the crew by law enforcement agencies, criminal organizations, government intelligence services, and public or media interest. Heat is a crew-level resource — it is not tracked per character. All crew members are equally exposed to its effects.
Scale: 0–100. Tracked as a single running total. Heat does not reset automatically; it decays over time or is actively reduced.
Heat Scale
| Range | Level | Name | Operational Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | 1 | Cold | Standard law enforcement response. No special attention. Business as usual. |
| 26–50 | 2 | Warm | Increased patrol frequency. Enhanced screening. Informal inquiries into crew activity. |
| 51–75 | 3 | Hot | Active investigation and surveillance. Checkpoints. Network disruption. |
| 76–100 | 4 | Burning | Full manhunt. Network collapse. No safe operations possible. |
Heat Level Effects
Cold (0–25)
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| Law enforcement response | Standard |
| Security screening | Standard |
| Contact availability | Unaffected |
| Price modifier — illegal goods and services | None |
Warm (26–50)
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| Law enforcement response | Increased patrol frequency and vigilance |
| Security screening | Enhanced; delays at checkpoints and port security |
| Informal inquiries | Directed at known associates and frequented locations |
| Contact availability | Cautious but operational |
| Price modifier — illegal goods and services | TBD |
Hot (51–75)
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| Law enforcement response | Active investigation; dedicated surveillance operations |
| Security screening | Checkpoints established; ID verification at key transit nodes |
| Contact availability | Reluctant; associates may refuse contact or raise rates |
| Price modifier — illegal goods and services | TBD (significant) |
| Network disruption threshold | TBD |
Burning (76–100)
| Category | Status |
|---|---|
| Law enforcement response | Full manhunt; all available resources allocated |
| Use-of-force orders | Shoot-on-sight applies to crew members implicated in violent crimes |
| Contact availability | Network collapse; most contacts non-operational or actively hostile |
| Illegal services | Unavailable or turned against the crew |
| Operational status | Complete shutdown; no offensive operations possible |
Burning Threshold
At 76+ Heat, the crew cannot function as an operational unit. Actions taken in this state generate additional Heat and risk permanent network loss.
Heat Generation
By Source Category
| Source | Severity | Base Heat Generated |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal activity — minor | Petty theft, document forgery, minor smuggling | TBD |
| Criminal activity — moderate | Robbery, weapons smuggling, assault | TBD |
| Criminal activity — severe | Murder, large-scale fraud, infrastructure attack | TBD |
| Law enforcement personnel casualty | Injury or death of security personnel during crew activity | TBD |
| Law enforcement embarrassment | Escape from custody; public humiliation of officials | TBD |
| Media or public attention | Witnessed crimes; news coverage of crew activity | TBD |
| Pattern recognition modifier | Repeat activity in the same jurisdiction, location, or method | TBD |
| Behavioral profiling modifier | Detected surveillance countermeasures; known associate contact | TBD |
Equipment-Related Heat Generation
Equipment generates Heat through detection events, not through possession alone.
Detection Methods
| Method | Trigger Condition |
|---|---|
| Automated security scanning | Equipment flagged by station, port, or transport scanners |
| Manual inspection | Physical search during arrest, stop, or checkpoint |
| Energy signature analysis | Weapon discharge, cloaking bleed, prohibited ship system activation |
| Behavioral pattern recognition | Unusual procurement history or purchasing patterns matched against criminal profiles |
Equipment Risk Factors
| Factor | Heat Impact |
|---|---|
| Equipment rarity | Rarer items generate more Heat on detection — fewer legal explanations exist |
| Usage frequency | Repeated detectable use increases the crew's behavioral profile |
| Location sensitivity | Use near law enforcement installations, government facilities, or media outlets multiplies Heat generated |
| Association with a prior incident | Equipment traceable to a specific crime generates Heat on identification |
Equipment Detection Consequences (beyond Heat accumulation)
- Investigation escalation — new resources assigned to the crew's case
- Asset seizure and confiscation
- Criminal charges and active prosecution
- Network compromise — associates and contacts identified and exposed
Heat Reduction
Heat reduction methods change the Heat total directly.
| Method | Required Condition | Heat Reduced |
|---|---|---|
| Time passage | Crew takes no criminal action during the interval; no new incidents in the jurisdiction | TBD per interval |
| Scapegoat identified | An alternative party is publicly blamed for the crew's activity and the attribution is accepted by authorities | TBD |
| Authority figure corrupted | The official directing the active investigation is bribed or recruited as an asset | TBD |
| Authority figure eliminated | The official directing the active investigation is permanently removed | TBD |
| Major distraction event | A larger incident redirects law enforcement resources and media attention away from the crew | TBD |
Reduction vs. Mitigation
Heat reduction changes the Heat total. Heat mitigation (see below) reduces exposure to Heat consequences without changing the total. For procedural guidance on applying both, see The Playbook — Managing Heat.
Heat Mitigation
Mitigation strategies reduce the crew's operational exposure to their current Heat level. The Heat total is unchanged.
| Strategy | Effect |
|---|---|
| Geographic relocation | Crew operates in a jurisdiction where their profile is not established; local Heat-level effects suspended until profile transfers or crew is recognized |
| Identity change | Individual crew members alter documented identity; Heat effects against the prior identity are suspended until the cover is broken |
| Bribery and corruption of officials | Specific enforcement actions driven by Heat level are suppressed by the corrupted official's sphere of influence |
| Counter-intelligence and misdirection | Active measures confuse or redirect ongoing investigations; may generate Heat reduction if the investigation is formally closed |
Interactions
| Related Mechanic | Nature of Interaction |
|---|---|
| Reputation | Tracked separately. High Heat can trigger Reputation loss with law-abiding contacts and faction allies. |
| Contacts | Contact availability degrades directly with Heat level. At Hot and above, contact refusal is possible. |
| The Favor Bank | Favors may be called in to achieve Heat reduction (bribery, distraction, political intervention). |
| Extended Task Frameworks | Heat generation is a defined consequence category for task failures and complications. |
Design rationale
For the design philosophy behind the Heat system and its structural role in the Syndicate campaign, see The Briefing Room — About Heat.
Example
The crew intercepts a Bolian cargo freighter — a moderate criminal activity. The GM records Heat (TBD base value). During extraction, a Cardassian security officer is injured — an additional law enforcement casualty value is added. The crew begins the session at Heat 18 (Cold). After the job they stand at Heat 34 (Warm): enhanced screening at the next port, cautious contacts, and a marked-up fence price on the stolen cargo.