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Showing posts with label Sci-Fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sci-Fi. Show all posts

Saturday, October 1

Space Opera Session Report Audio

 I've edited the audio recording of the first session of Space Opera 2760 - Lower Frontier Tales and have experimented with a "sprinkling" of sound effects and background music here and there. The goal is to retain the verbal "entirety" of a live game session while enhancing listener pleasure with traditional audio entertainment.

So if you like to examine actual play sessions this game of Space Opera is a rare thing to witness.



Monday, September 19

CyberPunk 2020 Fast, Dirty, Expendables & Lifepath Generators

 I stumbled onto this on-line generator just now, and wow, does this have utility for any of my sci-fi, science fantasy games! Looks like it is from the publishers of the original Cyberpunk 2020 game as well. My recent explorations with running these "vintage" science fiction games has made me quite comfortable with a range of these old-sometimes-clunky-but-fantastically-fun games. Space Opera, Traveller, Cyberpunk 2020, Star Wars, Ring World, Hawkmoon, Universe, Gamma World, Star Frontiers... for what it is worth I can run any of these in short order. Yeah, to bad none of this expertise has practical applications in the job market, but I do take a certain satisfaction in being able to love and utilize these arcane weapons in sophisticated ways.

Generators like these make using these games even easier! Access to many different random generators help keep interesting content flowing at the table by these in-genre deflections of thought to hit the right note, idea, or genre trope on the fly mid-session. 



Wednesday, August 24

FGU Space Opera Actual Play

Stop the presses. I actually got a session of the clunky, 1980's beast released by Fantasy Games Unlimited onto the (online) table (video chat) and played an impromptu session with one other player. It is Space Opera. If you get one person to on for the game consider yourself fortunate!

Like I said, it is a clunker. Poor editing, rules references to non-existent text, long lists of combat modifiers, all the stuff I cut my teeth on when learning how to play ttrpg's. 

But I always liked the cut of FGU's jib, and this kitchen-sink sci-fi rules set fires my imagination like TSR's Star Frontiers never did. Some of my allure was due to the ground combat system being based off of Space Marines, a set of miniature rules published by FGU, and the Starship Combat rules looked built to run Star Wars-sized Star Destroyer battles.

With willing PC online and a cleared evening, schedule-wise, I pulled out the charts and GM sheets I prepared ahead of time and gave the adventure's opening pitch.

The PC's name was a severe-sounding Sarah [Xara]. I don't no how to spell it so for the case of this narrative I will spell the PC's name SXara. SXara is Human or Near-human-Hybrid. 5'7, 125-135#, Elfin but Wiry. She dresses 'back in the day's 

ankle boots leather jacket, 80's video space-style short and swept hair, wild eyeliner and shadow and lipstick. Folding Machine Pistol. Freelance Troubleshooter with an extensive network of begrudging allies who all have long lists of grievances against her, to which she innocently shrugs and looks askance.

Minor Telekinetic ability and a heightened sense of danger. She is also a clone. In her line of work the mental implants which go along with each mission can cause severe cognitive dissonance over time. Suiciding and being awakened in a new clone is the most efficient way to flush damaging old memories from a person's consciousness. We tried to come up with an industry-insider slang term for this "procedure". I'm thinking the "Black Hack".

Anyways, her current job was contracted with the 42nd Mechanized Lift, a division of crack professionals enforcing Kardorian will on planet Dismas. Dismas City was the last city controlled by revolutionary forces. They have been sheltered under a powerful force shield for months. Capable of withstanding any bombardment. Intelligence Services have made contact with a Panumanic officer inside the city who can get Sara past the Panumanic checkpoints. Once on the streets of Dismas, she is to follow subterreanean power raceways and sewer lines to a basement server room. There she will place a Xenon Damper Field Collar on the right wire, and poof, the shield protecting the city goes down. Easy-peasy.

No minds were blown but a serviceable session with a good chance to engage with the system and try and role play into something was achieved. I threw in two of my own procedural rolls during the session. First one was a 10% chance of the bad guys already being onto the PC and the second was a 25% chance of being set up. These checks were triggered at certain locations where the character had advanced closer to their goal. Otherwise, it was made up on the fly and we managed to transition into some player-directed activity.

Character creation gives you a PC with a hastily-packed suitcase of skills and an ex-career to justify their existence, but this is old-school play. When you get down to it there isn't many mechanics to occupy yourselves with so it demands players and referee (Star Master) to know how to roleplay and know what they are roleplaying for. A strong identity with something specific to the broad definition which is "Space Opera" is usually a requirement as well, but a requirement routinely handled well by experienced referees. Truly set up as a tool of the imagination. The flavor, the magic sauce has to come from everyone at the table.

We both were old hands at such a thing and we engaged Agility Checks when using a vehicle as a deadly weapon and skill levels to overcome save rolls required during critical improvising  and jury-rigging stunts. Only NPCs fired shots in anger, and I called for Attribute Checks not so much for a pass/fail result (though you get that too), but let the Attribute Check trigger the game world to react. Good rolls trigger events favorable to the PC, poor rolls trigger something which makes the PCs life more difficult. Obviously, in the logic of old school game mechanics, having modifiers juiced by high skill levels is the way PCs stack the deck in their favor. And tonight the PC rolled well. There were two opportunities I can recall where an extreme dice result fell against the player, but it wasn't in a do or die situation, so they only experienced small setbacks during the mission adventure.

We also had some good discussion around player agency and how does a Star Master deliver the set up but also quickly allow for player-directed courses of action they are excited to pursue. Time and again, when I run a game with an old school system I enjoy the fact they require you to bring all the imagination. That everyone at the table has tremendous opportunity to exert responsibility over the story's action and drama. Creative stuff which is hard to do. But I never had to worry too much of losing the flow. The blaster rules are solid, stat'ing out NPCs is quick, and there are plenty of technological game toys to interface with in the rule book. And genre tropes to explore. The relationship between who employs her, who runs her, and clone technology was emergent and player directed during the session.  With a good set of GM sheets Space Opera can give you a great Space Opera game of your own creation.

Sunday, May 29

Classic Traveller AAR, part two (Saars storyline)


This is a continuation of the serialized after action report from my last live game session, playing Classic Traveller in my OTU, The Shattered Worlds campaign.

Stab pulled out a multi-tool containing a monofilament blade and the battery powered saw sliced through the duralloy fencing with a wave of his hand. He peeled back the fence from one side of the cut and stood back. Dab stepped through, weapon up, and posted up in a crouch several meters onto the grounds. Captain Green slipped through followed by Saars. Stab joined the troupe.

"You two go right, Saars and myself go left. Assess whether we got threats from each of these grow houses. We meet up in front of the control tower at the south end. Comms open, count off your buildings." Green gave his orders clearly without letting his voice carry. The rain had let up and more of the grounds could be seen through the lightening haze. Rumbles of the next weather system could be heard above black swollen rain clouds. The squad broke up and they made quick splashing sounds as they trotted through the mud. 

Green and Saars had just passed the second of the three long buildings on their side of the complex when Dab's voice crackled over the coms.  

"We've got the door on the west side open. No lights or power, all quiet."

"Post up, we'll come to you. We are going to cross straight over just south of you between building two and three." Green and Saars splashed their way across the grounds and caught up to Dab and Stab who were up against the wall, one on either side of the open door. Captain Green popped on the light attached to his carbine and shined it through the open door into the dark building's interior. Without a word he slipped inside, Dab right on his heels. Green gave the all clear and the other two men entered as well.

It was a typical farm outbuilding. There were six slug pools spaced evenly on the floor of the thirty meter long building. Normally the circulating equipment would be running, churning up the brown slop and feeding nutrients into the tub full of wriggling Skalvil mud-slugs. But the machines were off. Green and Dab were scanning the surface of the first large grow tub with their gun-mounted lights. 

"What the hell?" Dab stated flatly. The slug tubs were not all that deep. A meter or so of organic brown slop. This made it easy to see the fermenting pool of compost was jammed with eight or more naked bodies. All appeared dead. They had been soaking in the slime for more than a week, if the bloated bodies and loose, rotting skin were any indication. 

"Pull them out. I want to look at them." Green ordered his men. Saars looked on as the dead were pulled from the mud and laid like wet lumps onto the concrete floor of the building. Non-descript, men and women. Four of each. No obvious signs of death. No bullet wounds, cuts or blunt trauma. 

"I've seen that mark before," Saars says. He points to one the deceased's chest. A curious symbol is carved into the soggy flesh. Like a stylized lower-case "n" with three circles clustered within the upside down arms of the n. The terrorists which we killed at Oh-Rif. They all had this same symbol carved on their chest. And recently, like these poor bastards. This definitely ties the theft of the dead scout from the water plant to these slug farmers."

"Stab, scrape a skin sample off a couple of these stiffs. I want Collice's lab rats to test for poison and possible psycho-actives." Green ordered. "Dab, looks like your guess on cult looniness is close to the mark."

"What do you expect, living out on the wastes making your own clean water and clean air? Sooner or later something breaks down under corrosion and everyone starts huffing fumes and shooting their neighbors." Dab finished his statement with a quick scan of the ceiling with his light. 

"Okay, I've recorded some images." Saars put the pocket vid device back in his coat. "We should get into the control tower. If anyone is still alive around here they will be there. Or below in the living quarters."

Friday, May 27

Classic Traveller After Action Report

A "regular" in my mostly on ice Classic Traveller campaign was up for continuing his adventures last week and I was stoked to get to have more action "under the dome" on the planet Skalvil. We scrounged up a new player to join him, and after he printed his auto-generated Traveller character (ex-army) we got cracking. This is a continuation of Saars adventures. He was on the first adventure with three other players. They were cops and Saars was their contract computer hacker. After that first session Saars parted ways with his cop friends and has continued the starting adventure thread on his own. He has a current patron, the owner of a successful racing family. Very wealthy. Saars is trying to help him figure out what is wrong with his son. This means getting a hold of the corpse of a scout which has been kidnapped by colonists living on the Skalvil Wastes...



When Saars finished his debrief he waited for Collice to reply, rattling his ice around in his glass. He backed the last of his drink and sat back, waiting.

"I would like to send in a recovery team. If we have been able to locate the likely location of the stolen corpse this fast then OHRIF won't be far behind." Collice announced after completing his thoughtful pause. I have a team of three specialists ready to go. Very good at what they do. I would like you to lead them in. You'll be well-paid of course."

"What does 'well paid' amount to, exactly?" Collice smiled and stated a number which Saars definitely considered meeting the criteria for well paid. 

"I'm sure your comms and computer skills are going to be necessary.. Your crew will handle anything dirty so hopefully you won't have to shoot at people. They also have strict orders not to let you get killed. Deal?"

Saars nodded. "We'll need another grav vehicle. The last one is trashed by plowing through a Wempeer flock. It will need some bodywork before you send it up again."

Saars assault team was made up by a Captain Green and "spiff-jacked" pair of brothers, Stab and Dab. You could tell by their comm units being implanted in their neck. These would be feeding someone on Collice's end the pair's vital signs, live video, tracking beacon, etc. All wore high-end tactical gear (lacking any kind of insignia, of course), auto rifles built to withstand Skalvil's constant acid rain, sensing equipment, targeting shells, "air-eaters", and plenty of clips of armor piercing rounds. Green was a dry, somber man who served in the Inner Systems. Straight army. Dab and Stab apparently served under Green and followed him to the Outer Frontier in search of high paying merc jobs.

Dab did all the talking. To Green. Stab didn't say jack. Phlegmatic and sneering, the most noise Stab would make was a slight clucking sound in the back of his throat. Off and on. He looked bored to be there. Dab went down preferred landing and approach vectors with Green one more time and got into the new grav vehicle. Stab stored a bag of rifles and assorted small arms in the rear hatch. The grav unit was another high performance, all terrain jeep fitted out to tackle the cracked and splintering canyons of the Skalvil Wastes and not break down under the strain of the acid rain storms which were constant on this planet. Saars could tell it was clad in heavier armor. He stuck his auto-mag in his jacket pocket and climbed in next to Green, who was driving.

The garage doors sealed, the roof peeled back, and the Grav lifted into the purple, cloud-choked sky. The lights of Kazawan City were quickly lost behind a screen of drizzle. The heads-up 3D diagram gave a luminous depiction of the ground they were flying over. Green and red lines displayed the canyons, elevations and weather patterns on the windshield. The purple haze and mist ate up the arc lights. Green flew fast and steady. 

"Their is a decent sized bluff crowding the farm from the north. Land on the backside of that." Saars instructed. "This rig have good jamming equipment?" 

"Please," Green replied, not taking his eyes off the wet, purple slop they sailed through. "Tell me something about these slug farmers." he asked. 

"Not much to tell. The place has been a low output farm for ten years, maybe. The only anomaly I can find is they stopped doing business a month ago. Stopped shipping protein, turned back regular suppliers. I mean, it isn't anything they can't do, but hard to make a living if you aren't selling anything. Besides, these places have a clan size of 15-30 people. How much slug protean does a farm family need?"

"They've gone looney. Someone licked the wrong slug. We are going to find a colony of tripping sub-surface farmers. I sure hope I don't have to shoot one of these farmer raving and waving plasma cutters on a three-day burner." said Green shaking his head. Dab and Stab fingered and inspected their carbines again and again. The grav unit had to endure a sudden acid rain surge. It burnt out the exterior antenna and tight-beam transmitter. This meant communication between the squad and Collice was severed. Couldn't be helped. Once inside the compound Saars was sure he could hook something up and get back in contact.

"Strap in." Green announced. He cut speed, dropped the generator and the grav plummeted downwards. Ten meters from the ground, if the display was to be believed, Green popped the grav generator back on and the vehicle settled with a practiced, sudden stop. Green was able to make a slam landing without so much as a meter skid. They all pulled down their protective hoods and stepped out onto the rain soaked hill. Gravel-thick mud slurried around their boots and the rain came straight down. Their goggles pulled the disorientating purple of the atmosphere from their vision. 

It was a short walk to the crest of the hill. The farm laid below them. Rain bathed the grounds. Marking lights winked from their perch atop the perimeter fence. No could be seen moving on the surface and no lights appeared to be on in the slug hatcheries. At the opposite end of the farm from where they looked down they could see the communications tower. This concrete, two-story bunker would also harbor access below ground where the colonists would be living.

"Looks quiet and clear. Only signal coming from the tower says the farm is closed to landings." This was Dab. He was looking at his scanner wrapped in a tough, clear plastic. 

"Okay, lets descend in line, three meters apart. Once at the fence line Stab cuts it open and we walk right in. Any one approaches you, wants to talk to you, you put them down. We are here to pick up the package and assume the farmers don't want us to take it. No fracking around." 

The squad picked their way down the slippery hill and in ten minutes were standing in the shallow puddles along the slug farm's northern fence line. 

(to be continued)

Tuesday, May 11

ATU, OTU, No TU; my Traveller Hot Take

 Mewe this morning sported this graphic; 
Here the poster wants you to pick on the graph your Traveller play lands. While the chart displays a side for the game company's created setting (OTU for Original Traveller Universe). Which is not exactly true because Traveller when first released came with no setting. Developers assumed Referees and players had their own ideas they would wish to play. How wrong the first opinions of the first RPG creators were! And you got to sell more product, so like every other game company out there, GDW sold people a pre-packaged universe. 

On the left hand side of the graph is ATU (Alternate Traveller Universe). This refers to  a referee altering the Imperium setting to suit their needs. Not anything completely original though, just the basic acts a referee in any game is going to do when they get their hands on a published setting. 

And there you have CT (Classic Traveller) straddling the line between the two. What the graph lacks is a place for how Traveller was originally intended to be used. It is amusing, to me, that this important fact/attitude/outlook was completely lost when the game was released to the world. And I'm no different. When I first looked at Traveller a long time ago I took it as a game designed for adventure play in the "official" setting, and therefore bypassed it altogether and went with FGU's Space Opera. This game at least stressed in the introduction that the rules should be used to create your own science fiction settings and worlds. Unfortunately Space Opera had a terribly organized and edited rule book so I was never able to get very far with it in high school. 

It took a series of excellent blog posts, "Traveller out of the box" I think they are called which helped clarify what I was looking to do with my first attempts at science-fiction roleplay and how the original black books delivered, in spades!, for those intending to do something original. 

And that is the way I ran with Traveller when I got an online sci-fi game going. So the graph lacks a position, a place for people playing the game as first envisioned by Marc Miller, the creator of the game. 

Imperium-Adjacent the whole graph needs to be called. There is the official universe and then there are those who fiddle with the details. That is about it. So somewhere off the chart is where I live with the game. There is no space to pencil in "used as toolbox to build original games".

I turned to Dune, as I am wont to do when reflecting on the sci-fi (for game purposes, not reading pleasure) and what is my intent, goal with my game of sci-fi.

 Take the Dune books. Ostensibly the original book (the only one that matters) takes place on one planet and in one city on the planet. The star-spanning cultures of the Dune universe are only inferred through the thoughts and actions of the characters. Neat trick I say. So Frank Herbert created a huge galactic society by not creating a whole huge galactic society...

It begs the question how much world-building should a referee do at the outset of a new campaign? And it seems not much. I appreciate the brutal nakedness of the first generation of roleplaying games. Here is a set of rules tilted towards an adventure genre so when you create your own classic vision of sci-fi, western, fantasy the rules will support the referee's efforts. The first part of the original rules for Traveller accommodate this game philosophy through character creation. The method is such a neat "trick" players and referee can begin a game with little prep and plop media res at opening scene. Something as simple as "You are in the starport bar when a stranger approaches you with a proposition." Now players are sure to start squawking for setting information; what bar, what planet, what system... What navy, army, scout service spawned my character? 

I think the nimble referee looking to build a game universe around their player's characters is well rewarded by utilizing Classic Traveller rules. It is awesome if the referee has a crystal-clear idea on what the world setting will ultimately be about (Dune is a good example). Players get to "grow-up" with the game universe and learn about it like you would in real life, through experience. But if not, the game still supports the referee through all the important steps of adventure creation and campaigning. Without resorting to a pre-built universe to show you "how it is done." 

In conclusion, Traveller was once able to assist you with whatever sci-fi subgenre tickles your fancy. Planetary Romance, Hard Science Military, galactic savants and sentient planets, telepathic whales and rabbit-holes of new discoveries. Demons, wormhole passages, dreamy natives living on top of the ruins of ancients. Its use was quickly blasted away under the understandable need for gamers to be given a starting point, an official universe and the understandable need for the company to sell what the majority of gamers want. 

Long and short of it, I'm a relict of gamings past. The original design philosophy of the likes of Arneson and Miller leave me not wanting much more from the company outside of their genre specific rules. It is a concept I can lose hold of in the product push by game companies trying to pay the bills. Unfortunately for game companies fierce creatives will use their rules well, but not drop much on additional merch.

Sunday, December 6

Rafael Chandler's Space Ship Generator

 Going through my DriveThru library I came across a booklet from the great Rafael Chandler and seeing as I am chewing my nails as Denver may pull out a win at +660 (I have Denver +50, even money) I am whiling away the final moments by converting the paper tables to an instant generator.



Wednesday, November 18

Got Dune?

How would you do Dune?  

This is a regular on game boards. What game system would you use, what type of adventures would you run, where do the characters fit into the universe and their relative importance. Sometimes the talk turns to specifics, all system orientated, what would depict the psionic powers best, Sardukar, Fremen, Sandworms and spaceships. There are paragraphs written on how intrigue and interstellar politics are best adjudicated, what system will help you get it right. I fuss and fret over these things to when my mind drifts to Dune, the Moby Dick, of my gaming ambitions. When I see the same question (which interests me) being trucked out again and again, and the answers are all predictable I tell myself I and everyone else is looking at this ambitious goal, to game a Dune-inspired game worthy of the name fucking wrong! Okay, I will only include myself in this category. I am not here to bruise feelings. Unless you are a player in my game…


I start building a campaign world generally from this bas-ackward approach. Okay I want to do “this” and I should use “this” to pull it off. My latest approach to campaign and world building goes something like this, “What do you have that makes doing this worth it? How are you going to nail ‘It’?” When I consciously make these pivots, I have yielded impressive fruit. It more or less gets me to read the source material and reengage the artistic talent of the prose which first electrified me when I was a wee one reading comic books and Lovecraft and Howard and Moorcock. I started a Sword & Sorcery campaign years ago built on just reading the Conan novels and a generic minimalist system. I just kept breathing in that black lotus until my soul was dark and pitiless. Really, it is just paying attention to what and why a certain adventure was just awesome. You learn the pace of the campaign world from the source material, not the game mechanics. The language to, basic stuff. I’ve repeated this approach with the three other campaigns which have gotten significant milage here online since 2012 and it has always been successful. Like a sci-fi campaign. I always wanted to run one, but I haven’t done so because I don’t have a good, a great idea. I can’t answer that question in the affirmative, “What do you have that makes doing this worth it?” so I don’t move forward. Then one day I read an adventure module (doesn’t matter what genre, this occasion it was a fantasy adventure) and shouted eureka! I had a reason. I had a great opening adventure and it made all my spacey opera horror sci-fi dreams fall into place like instantly.

So the Dune situation is how do you duplicate the awesome presence the planet has in everything. For a Dune-esque game you need to create a massiveness, a galactic presence which must eclipse the entirety of cosmic civilization. In the source material the planet is irrefutable and overpowering. Its importance has hardened the universe into the few space-faring civilizations which can cope with this and exist. 


However one approaches creation of the campaign world reflection on how the one important planet turns the entire cosmos into fits has to be nailed down. Characters are always reflected in their relationship to the dominating planet in a Dune campaign. The effects, the literary devices used by the source material are well known and discussed ably all over the internet. The roleplayer’s task when they pick up the Dune Gauntlet is how to impart that massiveness into a gameable expression. And that is why I would use Classic Traveller cause I find a campaign of this "flavor" would take much thought to come up with something worth playing. A simple system for sci-adventure will be my enabler more than a detailed system, even one designed to be Dune! I don’t trust any commercial game designers to take this shit serious enough to get it right. I have made, and this is probably unnecessary and
misguided, a Dune-inspired campaign the elusive unicorn of my gaming ambitions. I wait for the day when the idea gels and I scream "I got it!" and start scribbling some notes. I mean, you gotta come up with something cooler than psychotic-narcotic spice which allows you to fold space and well, you get the picture. Tall order. Another place where I don't think a system is going to save you. It is going to take a lot of passion and vision from everyone at the table to not be lame. I’ll tell you when I figure it out.

 

Sunday, June 14

A Classic Traveller Patron Encounter Detailed

Saar was modifying Anderson's power converters when he showed to pick them up. 

“Wait out side. I'll get 'em for you.” Saar then plugs in the data chip and begins cracking. There are 8 files. All of various degrees of complexity, therefore various degrees of time to crack. Saar goes to work on the easiest. Time stamped photos of a corporate party in Kazawan City. The photos seem to focus on one individual in particular. It will take a facial recognition app to try and figure out who he is. Fifteen minutes tops. While the comp runs the program Saar looks up at the wal-vid broadcasting the latest scream sheet. 

“Gang violence breaks out at the Synapsis club between off-duty Omni Security and the Binary Dogs. No information yet on why these off-duty officers were at the club or why they engaged gang members, but Omni Security has requested anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Officer Jones [Picture] or Omni Contractor Hernandez [Picture] please contact Omni Security immediately. They should be considered armed and dangerous.” 

 A series of video camera footage just outside the entrance of the club in the top floor of a high-rise is being looped showing Jones and Hernandez entering the club with two other men. Quick head shots of the deceased Binary Dogs are displayed, then the usual quick reactionary crowd shots of the average Vanders citizen at the scene complaining about police corruption, the drug-trade and the poor colonists stuck in the middle trying to earn a living. 

“What the frak?!” When Saar left Jones and Hernandez they were heading to the Below Zero to collect the cash Bargar Vas promised them for getting the water turned back on out at Oh-Rif. What were they doing hours later at the Synapsis in a gunfight? And where is Schmidt? Sergeant Schmidt ran the mission out at Oh-Rif. Last he knew he had just got done debriefing the chief and collecting credits. Well it sure as purple-acid-rain did not concern Saar at the time. “My fraking fingers hurt.” He winced as he stabbed his deck for the readout.

Paulo Song, Omni Sun, COO Omni Horron Research Facility, responsible for the agra-augmentation program being conducted there.

 “Hey Saar”, this was Mr. Anderson punching his apartments com. “Someone is here to see you.”

“Tell him I'm not here.”

“Okay.” 

Saar bends back over his comp and begins an extraction program on the next most easily hacked piece of data. Six hours. “Run it.” 

“He says he can't really leave until he sees you.” the apartment's com crackles again. Aw hell, Saar punches the door access code. Anderson and Yang come back in with a well dressed man. Obviously Kazawan City, not a colonist. Anderson introduces him as his boy Hugo Rossi. Both Rossi and Saar look at each other trying to figure out why in the hell either one them would be talking to each other. Rossi trimmed out, good job obviously, standing in a pumped cube in the dome talking to cut up, electrocuted, dying computer hack. Saar was concluding once again he was shit at choosing friends.

“My employer, Mr. Down, would like to talk to you if you wouldn't mind?”

“Can he patch me up?”

“I hope so, or I've taken a two-hour tube ride for nothing.”

“Who's your boss?”

“Collace Down. His son just returned from Xxcarvis. He is concerned about his son, the condition of his return, and for some reason now he wants to talk to you. He also advises that we try and leave the dome as soon as possible.”

“Down is big in the professional circuit,” Anderson beams, “his son, Flare is probably the top celebrity sports star on Skalvil. I've raced against him before, he's totally cool.”

 Saar accepts he will not be having a quite night at home but says he can't leave until he makes a few files. He wants forty minutes. Rossi doesn't see any problem with that and shortly thereafter the group hits the concourse and grab a tube to Kazawan City. Down lives in a plush high-rise and they are escorted into what can only be the suite's lounge. Rossi fixes everyone drinks while a house attendant treats Saar with stimpacks and NueSkin patches.

 Heavy set with a face sandpaper-washed from time spent outside the environmental domes of Skalvil. Sharp dressed. Longtime local who made it good somehow.

 "Thank you for coming. I see you have met my mechanic Hugo Rossi. He has a lot to do with keeping this family in the winner's circle and a truly capable hand. But despite all my capabilities I have some current issues I am having some trouble wrapping my head around and I believe you may be helpful. It is my understanding you were recently out at Oh-Rif. Specifically, you were on the ground dealing with the seizure of the facility by terrorists. Is that right?”

 “Yes. Sergeant Schmidt, Omni Security. He hired me along with some other of his contract help to go out and see what the problem was.”

 “What did you find?” 

“What was reported. Some unknown armed group had taken over the facility, disrupted the water flow. Don't know why. Attracted a whole bunch of attention. How could it not. Angry colonists were outside ready to force their way in if the water didn't get turned back on. My group secured the facility, engaged the terrorists. We killed some. Some got away. Looks like they killed the whole staff their too. Didn't make much sense. Still doesn't. But it paid. Once we contacted Omni with a sit-rep the salaried boys rolled in and told us to go home.”

 Down drains his glass and sits on the couch. Arms spread, his prodigious stomach sticking out form his jacket. “My son got into trouble on an expedition on Xxcarvis. Championship grav-skiing on those tremendous ice peaks. Film crew, the whole works. Going to set a new frontier record no doubt. Now it is a four week journey one way so I don't expect up to the minute briefings, but that I was almost able to keep up daily with the expedition group. They would tight-beam their daily logs from the range to the Omni-Sun drilling facility. There they would be loaded onto the next transport out. There is enough regular commercial traffic out of Xxcarvis that every other day I had footage. He must of got into some trouble out their because the daily tight-beam stopped. I paid the Scouts to get out there and look for them. The Baudy Beth I think it was. 200T free-trader, 2 jump capability. Four weeks out, four weeks back minimum. A crew of four. They returned two weeks ahead of schedule with my son, the body of one of the scouts and the sole survivor of the trek. I still have not got any information on the whereabouts of the other two crew members. 

“The official report is they came across Flare in life-pod orbiting the gas giant at 0304. Still 2 parsecs out from Xxcarvis. Word is he was never on Xxcarvis. No trace of his ship, his crew. He is not okay. Something happened to him. The surviving scout from the mission I have been unable to find out who or were he is. Probably under lock and key at their base here in the city. I was able to find out the body of the dead scout had been transferred to Oh-Rif. So I want to ask you again: What did you find?” 

Saar let the stimpacks take him far away from his singed skin and lacerated torso. “They had some EMP device. Detonated in the power room. Brought the whole facility down. No power, no communication. They killed all the staff and took a body. They fled on boat out into the Skalvil Sea. We found it beached on the north shore. Original crew bound and executed. Most likely killed before the terrorists used the boat to enter Oh-Rif. They fled into the wastes on a four-wheeled ATV. The frequent acid-rain storms had quickly made their trail impossible to follow. Schmidt returned to the Omni tower to debrief and collect pay. I came home to find, well all of you.” 

Saar looked at the rest of the PC's. They all seemed happy with their drinks. “All I can say it didn't make any sense.”

“I want to take a look at that body. Do you think you can find it for me?” 

“Sure, were do you think we should look?” 

“There isn't much north of the Skalvil.” Downs picks up a remote from the table and turns on the his holo-vid. A three dimensional image of the rain scarred wastes of Skalvil in brilliant display. The Skalvil Sea was prominent then the display zoomed into the terrain north. Three colonies were identified: Krunner Farm, Harean Station and Horsail. 

“Harean Station is a slug farm, protein bases for you poor colonist’s food supplies out there on the plains and you poor dome'ers living on subsidy. Krunner Farm harvests Hellboria Wood. Very hard, very colorful when back lit and very expensive. My bar top here is a nice specimen. Horsail is a fracking operation. Anyone heading north via ATV's cannot get very far without living, knowing or being supplied by one of these colonies. Someone is going to know who they are and where they are. I suggest you start out immediately. Omni knows as much as this too. If they are hot to track down the terrorists, they will be heading there soon. But then again, now the facility is back up maybe not so soon. Hugo here has tuned up the Trell III, a capable back country air raft. Enclosed of course. He has agreed to accompany you all. As a top mechanic you shouldn't have to worry about breakdown.”

 

Monday, May 11

Sights Around the System

These tables were generated/inspired by the CardSharp Galaxy.

Here is some random generators to kick up details on any new solar system your PCs jump into:
  




Thursday, March 19

Bad Information in your Sci-Fi game


Advanced technology means access to tremendous information useful in dispelling the mystery of any StarMaster generated encounter or anomaly. And if the requests are reasonable and hard for the SM to discount, for whatever reasons, there is nothing for the ethical SM to do but offer up the useful, but risk-reducing, information in good faith. PCs do have the right to utilize accurate information in their favor. If not, then the SM is bad and needs to be replaced. But that does not mean the SM cannot bake in a chance for receiving bad information instead of the accurate information they are more used to getting. Now that is a good SM and should be cherished.

Image result for sci fi communication

In my games I start with a 25% chance the technically advanced “acquired” information is bad, inaccurate to the point of dangerous. This number can go up and down for any and all reasons. The PCS may even be aware of the increased chance for bunk info being had. I don’t concern myself much with applying modifiers. A flat 25% chance for a sour situation developing seems to give me the level of uncertainty I enjoy playing with.

So, I roll a random result for the information the PCs have dug up, and at an opportune time roll to see if the info is legit. My best practice for adding corrupted information is to assign a specific “bad” result thought out and pre-written for the specific result. The information on the “military installation” will have different complications then the “secret smuggler depot”, for example. I find this to work better than another random table filled with “bad” things. It saves time at the table trying to work something out, and the twist is more believable to the PCs if it doesn’t sound forced.

Therefore StarMaster prep will include an initial table for the possible information to be had, for a price. And then each entry needs a negative result, a twist, prepared which is easily picked up when called for.

Here is an example from the current adventure I am working on.

So, you bought a Cache Chip…

The PCs can sink 500cr. for a roll on the following table. This is the information the data chip contains, faulty or not. There is a 25% chance the information purchased is bad. If it is the SM need only scan the attached “bad” information for the particular info source. This will be the actual encounter instead of the one expected.
1.      Source of clean water.
2.      Independent Homesteaders.
3.      Bandit ship repair dock, smuggler depot.
4.      Military installation.
5.      Friendly natives.
6.      Popular hunting grounds
7.      Sheltered cove, no water but good fishing.
8.      High point
9.      Always bad weather
10.   Alien installation
11.   Surface Anomaly
12.   Golf Resort.

Image result for sci fi communication

1. With the global atmospheric contaminates, most land-locked surface water is unfit to drink. Purifiers stand a chance of breakdown every time such a device is used to filter this water source. Having an oasis in this “wet” desert can mean the difference between life and death if broken down. In fact, most of these information chips contain something useful if one found their transportation through the jungle compromised. The oasis is actually a trap laid by bandits or the source has been contaminated and therefore unusable.

2. Not all are here to exploit the land or local amenities. Living completely off the galactic grid is always attractive to some societal groups. This community is bent on scratching a living out of the thin soil and dangerous mega-fauna. Habitat is combination tree house and below ground chambers, natural or excavated.  They are always interested in trade and will help any who find themselves cast adrift under the endless canopy. If a “bad” information chip is indicated the homesteaders are psychotic cannibals with an enjoyment for animal gladiatorial deathtraps!

3. Illegal commerce flows unimpeded through this depot as it benefits many of the diverse industries operating on the surface. This place operates like a small, but well-tooled downport. Price for services is triple. The depot is a pirate depot which wants to keep their presence a secret, dead men tell no tales!

4. Starfleet? Military Intelligence? Local defense force, frontier fort? There are many reasons why a military base would be found somewhere on abc. Their purpose would be for securing the prosperity and security of settled property on the hostile jungle planet. To this end the military force either has small installations over a large area or one large base which operates as a world unto themselves. The base is for a known hostile starforce. This indicates the whole system is in danger of invasion!

5. One of the three types of primitive species capable of communication has established good relations with the human outfitters. There will be something they look forward to trading with and they are willing to give helpful local information on safe routes to take to the Celestial Clock site. If this is a bad result than they worship some horrid monstrosity and they intend to use the PCs as sacrifice!

6. The popular hunting ground gives stranded adventurers with a means of sustenance as well as contact with other hunters in the area for emergency extraction. Couple of deranged hillbillies listen on the radio for folks in distress and then go hunt them!

7. Hidden by storm, it provides a safe refuge for repair after crossing the dangerous storm. Taking this route saves enough time on the journey to make traveling this direction worth it. Some of the worst, and largest, beasts of the jungle hang out here. What kind of sicko would sell this kind of information to people?

8. Extended views over the jungle make it possible to avoid upcoming electrical storms and increase distance traveled in a day. Some scientist is conducting electrical experiments and needs a nearby vehicle to try something out. No good can come of this for anybody involved!

9. Some locations should never be traveled, for whatever reason. Problem is not many are known or mapped. This useful chip makes random encounter rolls unnecessary for one day of the PCs choosing. If the chip is bad than 3 encounter checks are made immediately. As soon as an encounter is indicated, stop rolling and resolve the encounter. If there are more encounter checks left to made, roll those now. Every time an encounter comes up it must be resolved before any other encounter checks are made.

10. The SM will need to decide if the alien species is known or entirely new. A first contact encounter will be much different than an encounter with a known entity. For both it needs to be established the extent of relations between the two species. If known relations are operative this will dictate the dangers and opportunities available to the PCs. If the SM has no established alien races appropriate for this encounter already in their campaign, just make this a bad encounter. The aliens intend to scoop out and analyze the PCs brains!

11. The surface anomaly is the LotFP’s adventure module The Monolith Beyond Time and Space. There is nothing good about this encounter, unless the SM counts watching the PCs having their minds disintegrated as a result of their curiosity a good time?

12. Golf Resort, this could be benign or an outrage depending on the PCs overall political and environmental views. Unfortunately, most groups of PCs are so amoral that they would not be concerned with any of the social inequity rife upon abc. A bad result? I think the SM should use their imagination here. The resort being some bizarre funhouse is a classic. The something is not what it seems trope.