Session Recap – Commissioned
Last night on Space Opera – Droid Uprising, the Travellers accepted a commission from the Confederation of Planets to join the CoP Irregulars and help protect travel and trade near Aurora Station. With their a simple supply run under their belts the crew of the Calamity took a far riskier job: reconnaissance of the Imperial fleet assembling for exercises at Hawkings.
On their way to Hawkings the Travellers picked up a derelict on their sensors. A closer scan showed it to be a 100 ton Free Trader with its engines completely destroyed and eighty tons of basic machinery in the cargo hold. After refueling at the nearby gas giant, the crew sent over Dan Zig and a drone to check things out.
Soon, the trap was sprung! The notorious pirate Lord Alfrex Jukt’s ship the Blackstar, which had been waiting nearby, powered up weapons and demanded that the Calamity shut down all systems and surrender their valuables. Never ones to run from a fight, the Travellers brought their weapons to bear and engaged the foe. Glittering lances of deadly light and refractive countermeasures filled the darkness of space with an awesome and beautiful display of power.
Nearly matched, the Blackstar and the Calamity did severe damage to each other’s hulls before Lord Jukt decided to cut his losses and jump away. Left as salvage for the victorious Travellers were the hulk of the Free Trader and a Quarterhorse mech that was ejected when the Calamity put a hole in the Blackstar’s cargo bay.
The crew spent five days repairing their hull with parts from the wreck before making the jump to Hawkings to tally the Imperial fleets. There, arrayed in orbit above the Imperial starbase known as The Watchtower, were the 427th Imperial Expeditionary Fleet: a Colonial Cruiser, two Imperial Corvettes, two Patrol Corvettes, two Close Escorts, and a half-dozen Scouts.
The crew of the Calamity laid low and refueled at the gas giant before setting a course to pass near The Watchtower and get better readings. As they crossed the star system more ships jumped in behind them at the gas giant – a portion of the local Duke’s fleet.
When the Calamity got closer to The Watchtower the larger fleet sent a Scout to intercept the Travellers, ordering them to stop for inspection. When these orders were ignored the fleet sent a Close Escort to intercept, burning hard at 6G. Severely outgunned, the crew decided that their scans of the Imperial fleets were sufficient and jumped away before the Escort got them in weapons range.
What awaits the Travellers on their journey back to the Confederation of Planets base on New Iraneous? Tune in next week to find out on Space Opera – Droid Uprising!
Posted in Traveller by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Mantid Drug – “Bug Love”
Designed by a rogue xeno-bio-chemist in the coreward part of the Skein Reach, this drug stimulates a mantid’s endocrine and reproductive systems, creating euphoric sensations in the user.
Mantid use it by smearing the paste on their thorax, where they draw the chemical pheromones into their respiratory system.
Side effects include friendliness, often verging on the inappropriate, and stimulation of the egg-depositing organs, causing fluid and sometimes eggs to be released involuntarily.
Posted in Science-Fiction, Traveller, Uncategorized by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Mining Droids
Manufactured in the Skein Reach by the Katoba Corporation under license from Galactic Mining Equipment, these mining droids all come equipped with a grav drive, a mining laser, a manipulator appendage, and ore storage. With a basic intellect and mining software, these droids can mine without the constant supervision required by drones, and are therefore preferred by large mining operations such as AMC in Micon.
MSM-X47 – Strength 14 (+2), Dexterity 10 (+1), Hull 4, Structure 4
Traits: Armour 9, Integral System (grav floater), large, Specialised Computer/1 (running Intellect/1 and gun combat (0) Expert Trade (mining)/1)
Weapons: multi-spectrum mining laser (3d6+3), manipulator (unarmed), 2d6 damage)
Price: 105,000 Credits
TSL-9 Strip Excavator – Strength 11 (+1), Dexterity 10 (+1), Hull 4, Structure 4
Traits: Armour 8, Integral System (grav floater), large, Specialised Computer/1 (running Intellect/1 and Expert Trade (mining)/1)
Weapons: broad-beam mining laser (3d6), manipulator (unarmed), 2d6 damage)
Price: 95,000 Cr
Posted in droid, Science-Fiction, Traveller by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Class of 198X Characters
How you make characters for use in Class of 198X – The Adventure is going to depend on what RPG rules you’ll be using, and what type of characters the players will be making.
For modern characters, I recommend using the D20 Modern rules, available here: D20 Modern SRD Rules. The D20 Modern statistics here should work with the monsters from the 3.5 D&D SRD and Monster Manual.
Otherwise, use whatever character creations rules are indicated by the rules you’re using.
When I ran this adventure for the CowChop guys, I used the base classes from D20 Modern, and changed the skills to be 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons style. The main difference is that D20 uses skill points, and in 5th ed. a character is either proficient with a skill, or they’re not. Doing this let me use the rules and monsters from 5th ed. D&D, which I prefer to the 3rd edition.
Here are their character sheets at the end of the adventure, after they all leveled up to 2nd level.
Posted in 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons / d20 fantasy / Pathfinder, 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Editorial, rules agnostic and tagged Class of 198X by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Class of 198X
Class of 198X – The Adventure is now available at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow!
In a large shopping mall in the 1980s strange things are afoot. Under a veneer of everyday happy consumerism lurk sinister beings from another world, plotting evil deeds. First the mall will be plagued by a rash of mysterious thefts, followed by kidnappings, and culminating with a devastating fire. If the heroes fail to discover the evil behind these foul acts, they risk a horrible outbreak that threatens to enslave the entire world.
The Player Characters (PCs) could be teenagers, or they could be fantastic D&D characters transported to this modern setting. They could even be law enforcement agents, paranormal investigators, or science-fiction style space-time police.
Get it today at DriveThruRPG.com and RPGnow.com!
Posted in 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure, rules agnostic and tagged ClassOf198X by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Galactic Death Squads, LLC (GDS)
The largest and most notorious killer-for-hire outfit in the rim, the GDS motto is “Anyone, anywhere. Guaranteed.” Their reputation on this point is impeccable.
As a result of their fearsome reputation they are variously called “Death, Incorporated.”, “Death Itself”, “Goram Dam Shit”, or even “The Gods” or “Gods of Death.”
Despite GDS’s mystique, they are more of a network of assassins than an organized mercenary company. Their agents are said to suffuse the galaxy, crossing all borders and able to strike at anyone, anywhere in the galaxy.
Posted in Uncategorized by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Planet of the Cybertank
~
an adventure for Traveller or other science-fiction role-playing games
for player characters with access to a light starship or armored fighting vehicles
~
In a quiet system the Player Characters (PCs) receive a distress signal from another spaceship – scrap salvagers stranded on a forbidden zone amber planet (UWP X642000-0). The small world, Zinah 2, was once host to a mining colony. Starchart library data indicates that it was irradiated by nuclear weaponry and abandoned 200 years ago.
Adventure Overview
This adventure has the players land to investigate a distress signal, only to also be stranded on planet by a massive tank piloted by an artificial intelligence. They will have to use skill and guile to escape from the planet.
As an alternative scenario, if the travellers have access to grav tanks or similar military equipment, they may be hired to eliminate the cybertank so that salvage can be collected or a new mining colony can be established.
The Cybertank’s Domain
From orbit the automated emergency distress signal appears to be coming from the highly radioactive wreckage of a type A Free Trader “SS SWAMPDOGE”. The wreck is on the outskirts of the ruins of a mining outpost.
When the players arrive in orbit the cybertank is in its repair bunker in low-power mode (see below). A difficult (-6 DM) sensors check is required to detect the cybertank there and the PCs will likely land before they are aware of it.
(more…)
Posted in Adventure, Traveller, Vehicle by Adam A. Thompson with 5 comments.
JAK Cargo Droids
Cargo Droids
These droids are the three best-selling models manufactured by John Doer’s Heavy Robotics (JDHR) division. All three feature wheels on an adjustable width suspension and a pair of cargo arms that the droids use to lift and carry cargo containers.
The JAK-10 is rated to transport one ton of cargo, the larger JAK-15 is rated up to 1.5 tons, and the big-wheeled JAK-AT-20 is rated to carry two tons of cargo across rough terrain. All JAK models are programmed with custom coordination software that allows groups of them to work together to move larger loads.
JAK-10 – Strength 25 (+6), Dexterity 9 (+1), Hull 1, Structure 2, Intelligence 3 (–1), Education 5 (–1), Social Standing 0 (–3)
Traits: Armour 1, Huge, Specialised Computer/1 (running Intellect/1 and Expert Trade (any physical)/1)
Weapons: Cargo Arms (Melee (unarmed), 2d6 damage)
Price: 65,000 Credits
JAK-15 – Strength 30 (+8), Dexterity 9 (+1), Hull 2, Structure 2, Intelligence 3 (–1), Education 5 (–1), Social Standing 0 (–3)
Traits: Armour 1, Huge, Specialised Computer/1 (running Intellect/1 and Expert Trade (any physical)/1)
Weapons: Cargo Arms (Melee (unarmed), 3d6 damage)
Price: 75,000 Credits
JAK-AT-20 – Strength 35 (+9), Dexterity 9 (+1), Hull 3, Structure 3, Intelligence 3 (–1), Education 5 (–1), Social Standing 0 (–3)
Traits: Armour 2, Huge, Specialised Computer/1 (running Intellect/1 and Expert Trade (any physical)/1)
Weapons: Cargo Arms (Melee (unarmed), 4d6 damage)
Price: 95,000 Credits
Posted in droid, Traveller by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Bounty Hunters of the Skein Reach – SS Razors Edge
Lovers and bounty hunters, Zab Brennick & Mista Noral were trained as special forces space marines and served in separate units for nearly a dozen years. Imperial Marine companies are strictly gender separated – they are sworn to put aside family as a sacrifice to the Emperor – but their respective companies were both deployed to put down the rebellion that had sprouted on Zaveros-8b. Their units fought side by side in the tunnels and habitations of that moon, and Zab and Mista were surprised to find themselves falling in love.
The Imperial response inflamed the rebellion, and soon the entire Zaveros system burned with the flames of uprising. When Imperial command decided to cut their losses and bombard the rebel capitol Zab and Mista were cut off from their units and left for dead. Determined to start a new life together, they escaped by stealing a ship and fleeing the Imperial fleet.
Now, they co-captain the SS Razor’s Edge, a modified Huntress-class starship. Their main trade is bounty hunting, and their preferred tactic is to follow a their quarry to a starport, sabotage their weapons with remote-detonating explosive charges, and attack them as they are preparing to jump out of system.
Zab and Mista wear custom combat armor suits with medical sensors which feed vital signals to double dead-man switches. The Razor’s Edge ship computer is programmed to fire all weapons, put the engine into thermal overload, and self-destruct if both of them die.
USS Razor Edge, a Huntress with a crew of four, Zab, Mista, and two crew.
Bounty Hunters – Zab Brennick & Mista Noral
Naval (Crew) 3, UCP 8 8 8 8 8 6,
Pilot (spacecraft) 2, Mechanic 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1, Comms 0, Sensors 1, Gunnery (turret) 2, Engineer (P-plant) 1, Engineer (life support) 1, Remote Operations 0, Melee (unarmed) 1, Gun Combat (rifle) 1,
combat armor (armor 12), laser rifle (5d6)
Crew – Jim Heward & Mike Landa
UCP 777777, engineering 1, navigation 1, repair 1, sensors 0, gunnery 0, gun combat 0
boarding vac suit (armor 8),
laser carbine (4d6)
Encounter Hooks:
- The player characters (PCs) have crossed the wrong person and earned a bounty somehow, and the Razor’s Edge finds them by chance.
- It’s a case of mistaken identity, but the crew of the Razor’s Edge think the player characters are wanted. It may be that their ship is a close match to a wanted ship. Regardless of the truth of the situation, they sabotage the PCs’ ship’s weapons and attack them.
- The players have the opportunity to hire the Razor’s Edge to assist with a mission that’s beyond the PC’s abilities.
- The Razor’s Edge is hunting the same live-capture bounty the PCs are. Maybe they try to beat the PCs to the punch and get the target first. Or they might lay in wait and attack the PCs as soon as they have the target in custody.
- The PCs, who have no starship, sign on as crew of the Razor’s Edge.
Using the SS Razor in Your Game
When I whipped these guys up, I needed a bounty hunter ship that would go after my Travellers for raiding an imperial outpost and stealing a whole cargo-hold of renegade droids. They also stole the station’s main computer core curing the fracas. The Travellers got their turrets knocked out, then beat the bounty hunters when they tried to board. They’ve been much more careful about keeping guard on the ship since then.
Posted in Character, Encounter, Traveller by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.