Dead Space RPG

Chronology 65 million years ago The Black Marker, traveling through space, hits Earth and causes the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.[1]

2 million years ago The alien inhabitants of Tau Volantis discover a Black Marker.[2] The aliens build Red Markers across the planet's surface in the hopes of harboring more energy for their uses. The Black Marker triggers a Convergence Event by creating a Brethren Moon. The aliens construct a Machine, flash freezing Tau Volantis and halting the Convergence Event. The Tau Volantis aliens become extinct.[3]

2045-2050 The first permanent off-world colony, the New Horizons Lunar Colony, is established on the Moon as a Sino-US joint mining base.[4] The Bering Sea conflict occurs between the United States and the Soviet Union.[4]

23rd century Under the banner of the Sovereign Colonies, a unified Earth turns to the stars to escape environmental collapse, political unrest, and resource deprivations. Bold pioneers and wealthy corporations begin to rapidly expand into space, founding colonies on new worlds.[5] In this era, space travel is still somewhat limited and requires large investments of money and materials as well as military supervision by the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces.[6]

2214-2215 The Black Marker is discovered in the Chicxulub crater near the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, with the researchers determining that it appears to be a source of limitless energy.[7] Michael Altman reveals the existence of the Black Marker to the public against the government's wishes.[8] March 15, 2215: Michael Altman is assassinated, becoming a martyr for a new religion founded in his name, the Church of Unitology, which will eventually grow to become the single largest religion in human space.[8][9][10]

2294-2311 Eighty years after the original Black Marker disaster, Sovereign Colonies researchers successfully reverse-engineer the Black Marker. The result is a series of replicas that are dubbed Red Markers. They are believed to be a source of limitless power and a solution to the resource crisis that plagues mankind.[7] The Red Markers with their research teams are covertly deployed together to isolated worlds including Aspera, Kreemar and Aegis VII to test them.[11][12] The Red Markers are activated for the first time and trigger Necromorph outbreaks on all planets' test sites.[11] Dr. Earl Serrano recounts the history of humanity's encounters with the Markers from

2214 to 2311. Dr. Earl Serrano recounts the history of humanity's encounters with the Markers from 2214 to 2311.

2311-2314 The previous incidents lead to the discovery of a Master Signal that is received by the Red Markers.[12][13] Three new Markers are built and used via the Ptolemy Station Marker array to locate the "Master Signal" by tracking it to a remote and frozen planet.[12][13] The Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces Galactic Expedition to Tau Volantis is launched.[14] The hope is to find the source of the seemingly unlimited energy of the Markers, which can solve humanity's resource crisis as well as end its resulting Resource Wars and Secession War.[15][16] August 29, 2311: An initial drop zone is established on Tau Volantis.[17] Alien life forms are found on the surface of Tau Volantis. Doctor Earl Serrano spearheads the research dig teams' efforts to unearth the alien artifacts and the Markers. "Rosetta" is discovered, leading to breakthroughs in understanding the Markers and the aliens themselves.[18] The prolonged exposure to the Markers begins to affect the dig team personnel.[19] The Markers that had been transferred to the flotilla for research begin to affect the SCAF personnel. They begin exhibiting symptoms of dementia, headaches, sleeplessness and hallucinations.[20][21][22] Admiral Marjorie Graves is quarantined to her quarters on the orders of General Spencer Mahad, following a deterioration of her mental state as the Markers try to use her to shut the Alien Machine off that is keeping the Moon frozen.[23] The Sovereign Colonies Council evaluate the accumulated research and evidence. They conclude that Tau Volantis is a Class 5 first contact scenario (Extinction-level threat to humanity). Scenario Five is put into effect.[24][25][26][27]

June 18, 2314: General Mahad and his loyalists complete the implementation of Scenario Five at Tau Volantis. The science data and the artifacts that had been gathered during the expedition are destroyed. The science staff is executed and all vehicles and spaceships are rendered inoperable. The mine-laying ship that had been accompanying the flotilla releases the space mines to deny access to Tau Volantis. Private Tim Caufman is asked by Earl Serrano to recover the Codex from the The Mule transport that had been shot down and deliver it to him. Caufman is intercepted by Mahad and executed. After wiping the Codex and ensuring the completion of Scenario Five, Mahad commits suicide.[28] All research and personnel related to the Sovereign Colonies' research into the Markers are destroyed. The extent of the purges effectively nullifies the Colonies' ability to continue fighting in the Secession War, which is considered an acceptable price for mankind's survival. The Sovereign Colonies collapse, leading to the formation of an Earth-centric government in its place called the Earth Government Colonial Alliance (EarthGov).[15][25]

2446 After planetcracking becomes a reality with the harvesting of Saturn's moon Titan,[29][30] the USG Ishimura is launched as the first of the Planet Cracker-class ships.[31] The Ishimura is also one of the first capital starships to be equipped with a ShockPoint Drive.[5] A Concordance Extraction Corporation video briefly covering the history of the USG Ishimura, the first of the Planet Cracker-class ships. A Concordance Extraction Corporation video briefly covering the history of the USG Ishimura, the first of the Planet Cracker-class ships.

2461 June 5: Isaac Clarke is born.[32]

2477 April 21: John Carver is born.[32]

2497 Wanat Disaster: Three supply ships, one planet-cracker and a CEC colony are lost to gravity tether failure.[33]

2505 The CEC illegally enters the Aegis Cluster, scanning planets for cracking. Aegis VII is found to have extremely valuable mineral deposits. CEC proceeds with constructing a colony in preparation for planet cracking.

2507 The CEC personnel begin preparing Aegis VII for planet crack.

2508 5 weeks prior to Dead Space: CEC personnel rediscover Marker 3A on Aegis VII.[34][35] Its existence reaches both the leadership of the CEC and the Church of Unitology.[34] CEC prepares to dispatch the USG Ishimura to Aegis VII.[34] Insomnia cases drastically increase among the Aegis VII Colony personnel.[34][36] 4 weeks prior: The Aegis VII Colony experiences increasing cases of insomnia and dementia. Colony Management refuses to take increasing violence seriously, even as the first insomnia-related homicide occurs.[36] 1-2 weeks prior: Marker 3A is extracted from its pedestal and brought inside the Aegis VII Colony. Fifty Unitologists kill themselves in the Union Square Mass Suicide.[36][37] Several colony personnel and extraction team members are slain by an engineer experiencing extreme hallucinations.[37] Less than 1 week prior: The USG Ishimura arrives above Aegis VII. Marker 3A is immediately taken aboard the Ishimura.[34][36] Captain Benjamin Mathius issues a no-fly order, denying travel between the Ishimura and Aegis VII.[36][38] The CEC personnel aboard the Ishimura begin experiencing insomnia, depression and dementia.[39] 2 days prior: The USG Ishimura commences the Aegis VII planet crack.[34][36] Significant interference jams communications between the Ishimura and the Aegis VII Colony.[34][36][40] The colony comes under attack from Necromorphs originating from dead colonists.[36][40][41] The Aegis VII Colony Shuttleport Disaster destroys five of the six emergency shuttles on the ground and kills numerous colonists. The sixth emergency shuttle is later destroyed by the Ishimura when it attempts to land.[36][40] Almost all of the CEC personnel on Aegis VII are killed.[34][36][40][41] The USG Ishimura is compromised as the Necromorphs multiply and spread quickly throughout the ship.[34][42][43] The Ishimura Captain dies in a botched arrest attempt.[43][44] All but one of the escape pods are mysteriously launched with no one on board.[34] All of the decks of the USG Ishimura are compromised. Some sections remain isolated. The majority of the ship's personnel are dead. Dead Space (2008/2023) begins The USG Kellion arrives at Aegis VII in search of the USG Ishimura.[34][45] 3 weeks[46] after Dead Space The events of Dead Space: Aftermath occur.[47] Isaac Clarke is found aboard the Executive Shuttle USG-09.[48][49] 1 month after Dead Space The events of Dead Space: Salvage occur. The Magpies discover the derelict Ishimura. EarthGov recovers the Ishimura.

2511 February 7: Unitologists sabotage the Government Sector on Titan Station, enabling the Necromorphs to spread to the Titan Mines and beginning the events of Dead Space: Sabotage. They trick a fellow member named Karrie Norton into opening the crossover tubes, allowing the Necromorphs to flood into Titan Station's Public Sector.[50] Dead Space 2 begins The Site 12 Marker is destroyed. Titan Station is destroyed.[51] Isaac Clarke and Ellie Langford escape and eventually settle down on the New Horizons Lunar Colony. Unitologist Uprising begins

2514 Damara Carver rediscovers information regarding the Sovereign Colonies' experimentation with the Markers. The Circle attacks Uxor's Marker.[13] Damara and her son are killed by Jacob Danik in search of the information on the Marker origins.[13][52] Uxor is decimated by the Necromorph outbreak. However, Ellie Langford, aided by Robert Norton, manages to recover Damara Carver's research and reactivate the Ptolemy Station to triangulate the location of the origin of the Marker signal. Ptolemy Station is scuttled by USM Eudora. After reaching Keyhole Station, under siege from Necromorphs and The Circle, Ellie acquires a shockpoint beacon and assembles a team to try and find the origin of the Markers.[13] Ellie Langford attempts a blind jump through ShockSpace to Tau Volantis. The USM Eudora loses contact with her ship.[13] EarthGov Marker facilities are systematically attacked by the followers of Unitology.[53] Captain Robert Norton and John Carver locate Isaac Clarke on Luna.

Slasher Slashers are the cannon fodder of the Necromorphs' "army", and the most obviously human of all. They stand upright on human legs, and their original human arms, which have been reduced to deformed, useless appendages, are located in a bloody hole in their bellies. From their shoulders protrude massive arms ending in scythe-like protrusions, hence their name, and attack by charging and viciously flailing their scythes. Their heads are small and encased between their arms, and their lower jaw is missing, replaced by small red tentacles.

A slasher is easily killed by dismembering both arms. If both legs are severed, the slasher can be killed by one shot to the body or by dismembering an arm.

Lurker Lurkers are the result of the Necromorph infestation on smaller humans. They are small and walk on all fours, but can walk on walls and ceilings. They attack with three tentacles that protrude from their backs. The tentacles can also fire noxious needles with great range and accuracy. The Lurkers are individually weak, but their small size and ability to climb on walls and ceilings, and their ranged attacks, can pose a problem.

Severing two tentacles is enough to defeat a lurker, although an enhanced lurker may require all three severed. The secondary flame thrower will also stun the lurker until the flame burns out.

Infector Infectors are the mutated bodies that help spread the Necromorph "infection". They look like a human torso with the legs snapped backwards and skin stretched over them to create a "wing" effect. These creatures can fly short distances but prefer to crawl along, stabbing deceased crew members with a long proboscis, causing them to turn into Necromorphs. They are more interested in the dead crew rather than Isaac and so they will only attack him if there are no bodies to infect.

If desired, you can stomp on any corpse to make it unusable, although a headless or legless corpse is still considered intact enough to infect. If you only destroy both arms, it will still attract the infector but the resulting slasher will die instantly and provide loot. If it is infecting a target, you can dismember the proboscis and instantly kill the infector.

Swarmers Swarmers are the creatures that come from a Pregnant who has been shot in the belly, and sometimes are found in independent swarms or inside item crates. They are extremely weak, but tend to swarm en-masse and do a lot of damage to Isaac by attaching themselves to his body. However, their weakness and the density of their swarms can be cleverly used against them. They appear as a small lump of green flesh with small tentacles, and move by rolling with their appendages. They can leap great distances.

Swarmers are best handled by an area-effect weapon. A well placed shot from the secondary fire of the Force Gun, Line Gun or Contact Beam can wipe out an entire swarm. The flamethrower also works well, requiring only a few bursts, and a single ripper blade is also known to wipe out a swarm. Stasis can also make the swarm easier to manage with melee attacks.

Brute Brutes are very large, lumbering, quadrupedal monstrosities formed by fusing many corpses together. As their name implies, Brutes possess enormous strength and attack by flailing with their giant arms, or charging head-on. They also possess nearly invulnerable natural armor on their front, though their back is completely devoid of armor. They are vulnerable to attacks from behind, but given their speed and sheer power, getting into position for a clean shot is indeed difficult.

If you manage to hit a weak point, it will sometimes curl up into a ball to protect itself. Use stasis at this point, and continue pummeling the vulnerable back.

Pregnant Similar to the Slashers in that they walk on legs and have scythe-armed appendages, Pregnants are hideously obese and sickly green in color, with scything talons that are almost twice the size of a normal Slasher. They are usually slow and walk at a very lumbering pace, but when prompted to attack they can make frightening bursts of speed. While they are indeed perilous, the greater danger comes from their bellies: given its name, a Pregnant that is shot in its bloated body will spew several Swarms or some other vicious payload, adding to the number of enemies to defeat.

Only the force gun prevents rupture of the sac (and deployment of extra enemies.) Aside from that, you can pick off the two arms to kill the pregnant safely, or sever one leg followed by one arm.

Leaper Leapers are scorpion-like Necromorphs, human corpses whose legs were merged together to form a long, muscular tail, and whose arms became crab-like. They are very fast and can leap great distances. They attack by flailing their long tails, or by biting viciously with their saber-toothed mouths. Leapers can be a problem when they ambush you in Zero-G locations, taking advantage of their ability to crawl on walls and ceilings combined with their leaping abilities.

The fastest ways to kill the leaper is to dismember one arm, then remove either the head, tail or other arm.

Exploder These are the suicide bombers of the Necromorph species. These former humans are twisted and mangled into a body with both legs entwined, one long arm and one arm that has grown into a pustule of volatile chemicals. When an exploder gets close enough to Isaac it will strike its exploding arm against the floor. This causes great damage to Isaac, the exploder itself (which is killed in the blast), and any other Necromorphs within range. If the exploding sac is separated from the Necromorph, it will instead attack with its remaining arm. The exploder's face is slit down the middle, and as it walks its head flops open and shut.

If an exploder gets too close, you can use stasis or shoot the body to slow it down as you gain some distance. It is still easily killed, but best done when it is near other targets.

Divider Disturbing-looking and extremely tall, Dividers have elongated limbs tipped with claw-like hands. They are very thin, slow (but capable of bursts of speed similar to other Necromorphs) and strong, and attack with tentacles from their bellies and striking with their hands. Also, as their name suggests, once defeated their head, torso, arms and legs become independent creatures, continuing to stalk and assault the player. As divided monsters they are fast and hard to hit, but much weaker.

They're best destroyed with a combination of stasis, and either the flamethrower or contact beam's secondary blast. Even if it does split after the initial attack, any components should be low on health and destroyable in one hit. If you want to conserve ammo, note that dividers won't use vents between and aren't required to be killed, allowing you to skip dividers if you don't plan to return to a section.

Twitcher These Necromorphs were human soldiers whose bodies were infected and mutated into gray-skinned, bulky and more heavily armed versions of ordinary Slashers. While very strong, their most frightening virtue is their speed: as soldiers they all possessed Stasis Modules that were assimilated into their bodies during mutation. As a result, they are so fast that they're capable of dodging bullets in flight, and twitch uncontrollably as a side-effect. They are slightly less durable than normal Slashers, but are a far greater threat.

These enemies are known to feign death, and should be completely dismembered if possible. Also, they are known to dodge shots that do not instantly hit, which tends to require use of the Plasma Cutter or Pulse Rifle.

Wheezer These Necromorphs are almost completely human, except for their grey skin and bloated sacs on their back. Incapable of movement, they crouch on their legs while expelling extremely noxious gases from their sacs. They're harmless except for the contaminated air they expel, forcing Isaac to use his oxygen reserve when in their vicinity. Wheezers are different from other enemies in that they're only encountered in one chapter, and must be destroyed to purge the air.

Save ammo by using stomps or kinesis effects. The main threat comes after the wheezer is slain, which is a wave of enemies.

Tentacle Usually found attached to larger Necromorphs, Isaac is also attacked by single tentacles. These tentacles appear from holes in walls, or from large crevasses on the ship. They attempt to drag Isaac back to their unknown source several times during the game. Some also attempt to simply crush Isaac by slamming on a walkway. All tentacles have a glowing weak spot on their side that when breached, severs the tentacle in two and causes it to retreat.

The best weapon to use is a fast-firing weapon, such as a plasma cutter or a pulse Rifle. A contact beam can destroy it in one shot, and a flamethrower can destroy it in seconds.

Guardian Some of the strangest of all the Necromorphs, the Guardians are enormous lumps of flesh attached to walls, from which protrude a human torso with its intestines dangling under it. It wails and screams as little, tentacle-armed sacs comes out from its belly. Guardians cannot move, and while they can flail their viscera in a whip-like fashion, the little creatures they spawn are their primary offensive capability. If Isaac gets too close, their squid-like tentacles can decapitate him, killing him instantly. Usually, as its name implies, a Guardian (sometimes two) is found near a door through which you must travel.

They are defeated by destroying the tentacles attached to the wall. For a quick kill, you can use an explosive canister or weapon attack when all tentacles are deployed.

Hunter The Hunter is a hulking, more imposing version of a Slasher, armed with enormous scythe-like appendages. It can regenerate lost limbs or heal wounds at incredible speed. One of these beasts is unleashed to hunt down and kill Isaac, who is incapable of killing it by normal means (at best you can temporarily disable the creature).

The Hunter makes only appearances in two chapters in the game. It is generally slower than Issac, especially if the leg is dismembered, and if hit with stasis during its regeneration phase.

The Leviathan This is the first major Necromorph of the game. It is encountered on the Hydroponics deck, having made its nest in the enormous, cylindrical, zero gravity Food Storage room. As its name suggests, the Leviathan is an enormous, writhing mass of flesh and muscles with a central mouth and three long, thick tentacles. It attacks by flailing its appendages and spitting organic spheres from its mouth, which explode on contact.

The Slug A titanic blob of flesh, this monstrosity rests on top of the Ishimura, tightly attached to the ship's hull. If defeated, it will detach itself from the ship and float away into space.

The Hive Mind A picture of the hive mind holding Issac upside down. The source of the Necromorphs and their ultimate being. It is found on Aegis 7 during Chapter 12: Dead Space, where it nests inside a massive crater. The beast itself is nightmarish: it is a gigantic, segmented, worm-like monster, with tentacles growing nearly everywhere on its skin, comparable to a bole with limbs on its sides. Its sheer size dwarfs the player; Isaac himself is smaller than the creature's orifice. The Hive mind can create Pregnants from its mouth, and uses its larger tentacles to crush its prey. The hive mind has a cluster of strange organs around its mouth and behind its "ribs".

Equipment:

Resource Integration Gear (RIGs / Suits)

A RIG is an integrated system that provides health monitoring (via the iconic spinal light bar that changes color with remaining health), holographic HUD/comms, oxygen supply, zero-gravity thrusters, magnetic/gravity boots, and often built-in Stasis (time-slowing field) and Kinesis (telekinetic object manipulation) modules. Full-body armored versions add damage resistance, inventory expansion, and environmental protection (vacuum, radiation, etc.). Civilian versions can be minimal (just the spinal display on regular clothes); professional ones are full sealed suits.​ deadspace.fandom

Hierarchy and groups by suit type (focused on DS1–DS2 era): Concordance Extraction Corporation (CEC) — Mining/engineering corporation that operates Planet Crackers like the Ishimura.

Engineer RIGs (Standard → Intermediate → Advanced Engineer): Progressive armor plating, better inventory and damage resistance. Used by systems engineers, technicians, and maintenance crews for repairs in hazardous/vacuum environments. Isaac Clarke starts in a basic version. Higher tiers (e.g., Advanced Engineer) are for senior personnel with rigorous training.

Miner RIGs: Bulkier variants optimized for mining operations. Purpose: Occupational safety, tool integration, and survival in industrial settings. In Dead Space 2, the CEC Engineering Suit (and Elite variant) continues this line.

Earth Government (EarthGov) / Earth Defense Force (EDF) — The governing authority and its military.

Security Suits (Titan Station Security Force / local gendarmeries): Armored suits for peacekeeping and riot control on stations like the Sprawl. Variants include Riot Security, Elite Security, Arctic Security, and EarthGov Security Suit. Provide solid protection and sometimes weapon bonuses.

Advanced Soldier / Military RIGs: Heavily armored (e.g., Level 6 in the original game or EDF Marine suits with skull-faced helmets). Used by EDF Marines and security officers. Special Forces / Spec Ops variants appear for elite units. Purpose: Combat, enforcement, boarding actions, and Marker-related operations/cover-ups. Higher ranks and Spec Ops get better armor and integrated modules. Church of Unitology — Hierarchical religion worshipping the Markers and seeking Convergence. Ranking: Initiate → Vested → Paragon → Overseer → Enigma (top leaders in distinctive gold masks).

Suits: Often civilian or modified versions; specialized Unitologist RIGs (e.g., Advanced Unitologist RIG in DLC) exist for higher members or zealots. They infiltrate corporations like CEC and use whatever equipment is available. Purpose: Ritual, protection during Marker research or outbreaks, and enforcement within the Church. High-ranking members have political/economic influence and access to advanced tech.

Other suits include Patient Suits (medical/psychiatric on the Sprawl), Vintage/Advanced variants (upgraded or specialized), and DLC/elite versions with higher resistance or bonuses. Suit “levels” or tiers generally increase inventory slots and damage resistance (e.g., from 0–5% up to 20–30%+).

Weapons Most weapons are industrial mining/engineering tools pressed into service. Dedicated military firearms exist but are secondary for civilian/engineer protagonists like Isaac.

Key examples and users/purposes:

Weapon Type / Original Purpose Primary Users Effects & Use vs. Necromorphs

Plasma Cutter Precision mining tool (ionized plasma to cut soft ore) CEC miners/engineers Iconic dismemberment tool. Vertical/horizontal firing modes for precise limb cuts. Excellent range, accuracy, and ammo efficiency. Heat upgrades add burn DoT.

Line Gun Large ore cutter (wide beam for big rocks) CEC mining crews Horizontal energy beam severs multiple limbs or multiple enemies at once. Secondary: laser trip mines. Strong crowd control.

Ripper Industrial saw Engineers/maintenance Deploys spinning saw blade for continuous close-range cutting; secondary launches ricocheting blades. Great for holding enemies at bay and efficient dismemberment.

Flamethrower Mining/ice-clearing tool Industrial workers Area-of-effect fire damage and DoT. Excellent vs. Swarmers, groups, or after initial peel.

Force Gun Kinetic mining tool (shockwaves to break rock) Mining operations Wide kinetic blast for knockback, crowd control, and limb damage. Secondary can clear areas.

Contact Beam Heavy ore-cracking energy projector Heavy mining/engineering Chargeable high-damage beam that obliterates targets. Strong single-target or boss damage; secondary radial blast.

Pulse Rifle Military automatic assault rifle EDF Marines, EarthGov Security, ship security High rate-of-fire ballistic weapon. Secondary: proximity grenades or 360° fire. Better for general damage/bursts than pure dismemberment; common military issue. Military personnel (EDF, station security) primarily use Pulse Rifles and similar firearms, while CEC personnel rely on tools. Unitologists use whatever is available or Church-supplied gear. Stores on ships/stations sell ammo, upgrades (via Power Nodes), and schematics. Effects on Necromorphs Necromorphs are reanimated and mutated corpses driven by the Marker signal. They do not die from conventional trauma (headshots, organ damage, or blood loss are largely ineffective) because their biology is alien and decentralized.

Core strategy: Strategic dismemberment. Severing limbs (especially legs for mobility, then arms/blades/tentacles for attack capability) is the only reliable way to stop most forms. Once enough appendages are removed, the creature collapses and becomes inert (though the Marker signal can still influence residual tissue). Precision tools (Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, Ripper) excel at clean cuts. Kinetic/explosive weapons (Force Gun, Contact Beam) provide knockback or area damage. Fire (Flamethrower) and DoT effects help against swarms or after limbs are weakened. Stasis slows fast enemies (Twitchers, Leapers) for easier targeting. Kinesis lets survivors throw environmental objects or severed limbs as improvised weapons.

Special cases: Some forms (Brutes) have armored fronts and require rear/weak-point attacks; Regenerators/Hunters need extreme measures (e.g., environmental destruction); Swarmers and small forms favor area weapons; Infectors must be stopped before they convert more bodies.