So heres the premise. I'm always working or obsessing with a new idea as if it were a new toy. I have to get the idea semi developed/out of my head so I can move on or do something with it. My latest one is simply the desire to run some good ole' fashioned space opera. Now I thought long and hard and decided a few important constraints were necessary:
- 1) Must be d20 Modern and supplements. My crew dig d20, know d20 for the most part, and I own the books having shelled out good money for a system I basically like the premise of and have never properly used it. I want to get my moneys worth, and to me one decently fun, multi session campaign is my moneys worth.
- 2) I don't want pre made settings for the most part. I have ideas for this, and I am ok with stealing from well known settings but I am not out to play them, as I have my own canon nazi fits that make me uncomfortable running games in a well defined setting that I don't know 100%. It's just a gamer habit or something, but there you have it.
- 3) I want Space Opera, with Psionics, No Magic, and semi realism but plenty of hand-waivium as well. Think of it like this: if Star Trek represents one side of Space Opera (in flavor and fact so to speak) and Star Wars was the opposite side of the graph (being mystical and action oriented as it were) then I would place say, Mass Effect and Babylon 5 in the middle area. I am kind of aiming for the middle, but want to be able to veer as needed.
Now I have some basic Ideas, and alot of them are taken from the d20 future book and ideas of my own and other sources to give me a starting point in this draft. Plotting antagonists using premade organizations, and races yet not using those pre made fluff details for the most part...
TimeLine:
- 2010- Current Real World Time
- 2037- Xenotechnology, a leading pharmacuetical company is raided. Among the dirty dealings exposed are human/animal hybrids known as Moreaus after the 1890s book.
- 2039- Moreaus are given human status and rights following an intense U.N. summit
- 2041- A new plague, Virulent X begins to spread starting with a gas station in northern Iowa.
- 2041-2046- Virulent X kills nearly a third of earths human population, Moreaus are unaffected leading racist groups to blame them until 2044 when it is discovered Moreaus are still affected just more slowly and painfully. The masses quiet on the issue for now. Also in 2044 Genetech is founded by Harland Mayer, in an effort to combat the plague.
- 2046-Iantechnology cures V-X. That same year survivors of the plague start showing increased mental aptitudes as well as some basic psionic ability.
- 2048- Psionic Warfare is introduced after a small band of PSIs conquer a village in the congo for diamonds. The group doesn't hold power for long due to infighting.
- 2049- An independant unknown group exposes Iantechnology as the engineers behind V-X as a misfired attempt to cultivate psionic ativity in the human brain. Iantechnology is broken down and sold in pieces with Genetech taking the largest chunk of Iantech assets.
- 2057- First Contact: A Small alien spaceship crashes in Norway. It's inhabitants dead the world teeters on the brink of a third world war over the gold mine of power that such a find could have in technology. Over the years much negotiating and conflicts arise over it. This time brings about the birth of technology seekers such as the Epoch Legion and the alien worshipping Six Fingered Hand, and the humanists "Manifest Destiny" Eventually in 2063 a deal is struck making the ship open technology, and it's secrets are shared among every nation of the world as part of a treaty.
- 2087- The first Alien tech based starship is built, and subsequently ends in disaster as the ship's core overloads and levels the majority of South Korea.
- 2110- The first succesful Alien craft ship The Argonaut,a corporate backed jointly funded American/Chinese/Russian/Egyptian spacecraft, launches it's inagural flight and reaches the moon and back in under 16 hours, and survives Earth's gravity well enough for future flights.
- 2111-2145- Starships become more developed and safer as the corporations become more integral to the governments almost replacing them in many senses. Psionic activity has spread to nearly 1 in 1000 people, Moreaus become fully integrated into society as to the point of almost being thought of as human.
- 2146- First living alien contact occurs when the mining vessel Xcalibur encounters a Fraal merchant vessel scouting our system. We are introduced to the galaxy at large. 2215- Earth officially becomes a member of the Intersteller Alliance.
- 2310- Current Date in game.
More to come:
(needs name)
Rules used
Progress level 7 as defined in the d20 Future book. Uses the Intersteller Travel rules of d20 Future (Chapter 6) as well as the Starships of d20 Future(Chapter 7). On a side Note, due to ancient Alien tech that everything is based on (Ala Mass Effect) the Pl of Intersteller Travel is Actually Pl 8 witha smattering of PL 9 availability. Also Armor is of the PL 8 variety, otherwise PL 7.
Races:
- Humans (as per d20 Core)
- Moreaus (except the dolphin ones because I find them too wierd for my tastes)
- Aleerin
- Dralasite
- Fraal
- Sesheyan
- T'sa
- Vrusk- They have become the default of the galaxy so to speak as they are the oldest sentient race known and are also the best developed military.
- Weren- They lose their natural camoflauge ability, and now take up a proper 4x4 square space. Also they no longer have a level adjustment.
- Yazirian
Advanced Classes available:
- Soldier (Core)
- Martial Artist (Core)
- Gunslinger(Core)
- Infiltrator (Core)
- Daredevil (Core)
- Bodyguard (Core)
- Field Scientist (Core)
- Techie (Core)
- Field Medic (Core)
- Investigator (Core)
- Personality (Core)
- Negotiatior (Core)
- Telepath (Core, pg 305)
- Battlemind (Core, pg 307)
- Ambassador (Future)
- Dogfighter (Future)
- Dreadnought (Future)
- Engineer (Future)
- Explorer (Future)
- Field Officer (Future)
- Helix Warrior (Future)
- Space Monkey (Future)
- Swindler (Future)
- Technosavant (Future)
- Tracer (Future)
- Xenophile (Future)
- Bughunter (Future, pg 38)
- Concord Administrator (Future, pg 51)
- Star Law Officer renamed Star Ranger (Future, pg 54)
Power Groups:
These are my preliminary power groups to serve as allies and antagonists of the setting. As of now these are all organizations I swiped wholesale from d20 Future, or other d20 sourcebooks because I liked the flavor or they represented a group type I wanted anyway. They are going to modified to be the groups I want them to be.
- Intersteller Alliance- The Allied sum of all major sentient species, the Alliance organizes and emposes rules and regulations upon the rest of civilized space. Currently only Aleerin, Fraal, T'sa, Vrusk, Yazirian, and Humans have a seat on the Alliance council with humans only gaining a seat less than a hundred years ago.
- Galactic Concord- Humanities governement and it's recognized Alliance representative. It is made up of a board of directors and Ceos of Mega-Corps. Currently Melanie Cho, Genetech CEO, is the elected leader of the council and indeed the whole of the Concord.
- Rigunmor Star Consortium- One of the Mega-corporation "Nations" it envoloped much of Genetech in its early days owning a 27% stock. It currently is the largets military manufacturer for the Concord.
- Thulden Empire- A Vrusk Hive empire, it is the oldest and most stable of the sentient civilizations. It boasts an unparallelled military and exploration achievements and has never lost a single war.
- Voidcorp- A conglomerate that is made up of absorbed "failing" companies, Voidcorp has also attained anonymous "nation" status. Unlike Rigunmor, it imposes strict order on it's citizens referring to them as "employees". Some call it's practices draconian but it defends it's stance by citing that it is survival of the fittest in the political arena. Not many can argue against such a true claim.
- The Alliance Security Agency- The law keepers of space, the Agency patrol the systems keeping order. Beyond standard soldiers, it employs an elite corps of special agents such as the Concord Administrators, Star Rangers, and Psi Warriors to keep peace when normal agents won't do the job.
- Brotherhood of thought- This cult believes that Psionics is the next step of humanities evolution and that when we achive perfect reasoning with the universe we become wholly mental creatures with no physical body and transcend unto godhood. They refer to "god" as the Mind.
- Epoch Legion- Power armored "Knights" who feel it is their divine destiny to uncover and recreate lost alien tech.
- Followers of the Voice- Often mistaken for the Brotherhood of thought, the Followers are similiar in some ways but much more violent in their practices as the voice they follow doesn't seek enlightenment to transcend it seeks violence to force evolution. A much more sinister version of the same style philosophy.
- Friends of Entropy- Loosely organized Space and planet based Pirates and brigands. They follow the philosophy that everything dies, so why not speed up the process. They worship death as an aspect of the most power and are little more than hedonists who are both violent and addicted to vice. One of few galaxy wide Kill on sight groups today.
- Iron Society- Offshoot from the Epoch Legion, same basic goal but much more violent and less stable.
- Six Fingered Hand- Alien worshipping cult, wants to transcend humanity and become an alien (each cell usually worships a specific race as their "God")
- Manifest Destiny- Typical Supremists, now focusing on human versus non-human.
No thoughts or ideas that could give me some new perspectives? How about adventure ideas in the setting as proposed.... I mean my biggest problem with a non fantasy game is always what the heck are they doing and how to get them intertwined with the setting..... what kinds of adventures could apply?
I love space opera. The last d20 Future game I ran was a Pulp Space Opera a la Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. I agree with you that the open nature of space opera can be overwhelming.
1. Exploration is a great theme. Put a bunch of PCs on a deep space scout run. Sure, at first the low-level PCs starts to drool at the idea of playing with a space ship full of toys, but by the first few sessions, it starts to sink in that they are alone. They might have to juggle mineral surveys for their corporate bosses while fighting off rival survey crews, hostile natives and environmental hazards.
2. Epoch Legion receives word of a piece of ancient alien technology being found by a gruffy scout. The PCs are assigned to track down the scout and get the tech. Analyzing it, they find it leads them across the galaxy to a now deserted system that is defended by ancient automated defenses. What does the ghost planet hide? Maybe something as galaxy shattering as a doomsday weapon or maybe evidence that these ancient aliens visited earth and gave humans the technology to build ancient pyramids or gave us the technology to have nuclear energy.
3. Human supremacists attempt to spark a war. The PCs have a contact within, a brother or sister who is remorseful about what they have done, who draws them in.
4. A group of Moreaus hires the PCs to find them a hidden location to start a colony.
Do any of those work for you? Some could be full campaigns or at least long adventures.
Good Ideas
I like them. Actually I think all of them could be tied together somewhat. I like the concept of species tension being a driving force as the human supremecists clash with alien activists and in the midst of it Moreaus try to get out of dodge and find themselves a new home only to find some odd ruins. The Epochs try to claim said ruins starting a second warfront on the outer fringes of space, meanwhile maybe the over all warring awakens an ancient civilization of automatons and or aliens who decide to get involved and it goes badly. In the midst of this it's revealed that said civilization is actually the driving force of all creatio... having shadow agents in pretty much any advanced culture and subtly guiding progress and such since god knows when... and the Moreaus are its chosen race as they were designed through its influence, having the unique aspects it believes make the "perfect" people. Humans are actually the blank template created by this race or being from the aspects of all other races it cultured.... I like this, I am getting some cool ideas. Thanks and as always keep em coming...
That sounds like a great game. Although I would prefer some streamlining of the skills in d20 Future to be more like in Pathfinder. That's the main reason why I stopped playing 3,5 when Pathfinder became available.
To be honest there is a few "system bugs" that I want to iron out so to speak, but as much theory as I have I have yet to get a real chance to run the system (my one attempt was an utter failure thanks to the players I had.... they were basically every player you don't want in a game all at once) and outside of a few zombie apocalypse mini one shots I have yet to really run the game. As such I plan on using it sans houserules and changes until I have some actual play experience, during which I will note what does or doesn't work for me in play :)
Sounds like it could be a sweet game. Keep us posted.
Do you intend to run play by post here? It could be useful. I would be interested in playing one or even two characters if you decide to do so.
I've never ran PbP before, it's not a medium I'm aquainted with. I don't know how I would feel about the medium to be honest. I have played a few online Virtual Tabletop games but they never really panned out, and it's been years. I might consider it if time opens up to try it. In the meantime I get to work on an actual setting and get a game together :P
Well I ran a preliminary "Test Drive" if you will. The players seem interested in doing something with some length so may play more. I Essentially used the ideas as presented, Using the impending cold war between the humanists and the aliens as the backdrop. I set the beggining on a Prison colony ship named Tartarus 4 (I probably ripped that from something I have read or watched as an aside)and I modelled it after the Chateua D'if as a poilitical prison, and set the group up as Ex military black ops who unknowingly were working for The Terrorist organization Manifest Destiny. Once that had been discovered they were shuffled away into Tartarus' military prisoner level. Much amusement was had as the group tried to pull a rison break before the action began. Klicks (Bug creatiuons from Star*Drive which this is all modeled from, they are arachnids like the rachni from mass effect or maybe even the bugs from Starship troopers only they can use guns and such) Attacked the ship looking for food (people :P) and what not and lots of other craziness ensued.
So far so good. I have to say the things I can say from initial playing is the massive damage threshold rules are rough and treat injury kind of sucks.
1. This sounds like it could be a fun game. Political maneuvering for the RP'ers. Combat potential for the tactical junkies. And Sci-Fi makes the tech guys go ga-ga.
2. The massive damage rules really suck for D20 Future. I ended up really monkeying around with them. I had better luck merging the Star Wars RCR rules with D20 Modern for a lot of the rough spots. In fact, you might check out some of the Star Wars stuff for cool alien monsters or easily adaptable modules.
Good luck running this game.
1. This sounds like it could be a fun game. Political maneuvering for the RP'ers. Combat potential for the tactical junkies. And Sci-Fi makes the tech guys go ga-ga.
2. The massive damage rules really suck for D20 Future. I ended up really monkeying around with them. I had better luck merging the Star Wars RCR rules with D20 Modern for a lot of the rough spots. In fact, you might check out some of the Star Wars stuff for cool alien monsters or easily adaptable modules.
Good luck running this game.
Well its on my watch list so to speak. Right now im running strictly core to look over the rules. What I plan to do is ise this as the basis for houseruling. so far the stuff on my list are wealth bonus, massive damage, and base classes/starting levels. So far to get the cinematic feel from movies out of the heroes they seem to want to start at like 3 or 4 (I used 4 so they could take advance classes) this is partly due to the massive damage from guns and the minyte starting hp. Star wars saga fixes this with triple starting hp...
Well its on my watch list so to speak. Right now im running strictly core to look over the rules. What I plan to do is ise this as the basis for houseruling. so far the stuff on my list are wealth bonus, massive damage, and base classes/starting levels. So far to get the cinematic feel from movies out of the heroes they seem to want to start at like 3 or 4 (I used 4 so they could take advance classes) this is partly due to the massive damage from guns and the minyte starting hp. Star wars saga fixes this with triple starting hp...
In my current 3.5 D&D campaign, I have key NPCs and all PCs get a bonus of 1/2 their Con score to their hit points. Of course, my D&D game has no Raise Dead so it's saved the PCs in their early career.
Well its on my watch list so to speak. Right now im running strictly core to look over the rules. What I plan to do is ise this as the basis for houseruling. so far the stuff on my list are wealth bonus, massive damage, and base classes/starting levels. So far to get the cinematic feel from movies out of the heroes they seem to want to start at like 3 or 4 (I used 4 so they could take advance classes) this is partly due to the massive damage from guns and the minyte starting hp. Star wars saga fixes this with triple starting hp...In my current 3.5 D&D campaign, I have key NPCs and all PCs get a bonus of 1/2 their Con score to their hit points. Of course, my D&D game has no Raise Dead so it's saved the PCs in their early career.
Ive been running houseruled at a flat bonus of 6 hp for 3.5 and has worked out pretty good. The only reason wealth bonus is on my watch list is I'm not sure if it's good or bad yet, need more experience with it before I feel adequate to determine if it needs to go or not. :)
A side thought I had, has any one thought about removing base classes and just using advance classes? What would this change? I know there would be some proficiency issues to deal with but in general, how well would an advance class stand on its own? Anyone tried it?
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Here was the Story Progression of My Starship Warden: Spiderwood Campaign (d20 Future).
SEASON ONE
1. SPIDERWOOD VILLAGE LOOSES A YOUNGLING
“Has anyone seen my little Turku?” Mother Enwoad asked the Villagers working in the field.
“Nay Mother Enwoad, We see not the Spout of thy field.”
“He returned not from play with the other sprouts.” Mother Enwoad wept in distress at the prospect of her sprout being harvested by the Farmer.
“Fear not! We shall send out a searching probe that we may seek him here and there.”
DM Briefing: One of the Villagers in RECREATION AREA 36B has gone missing. He as made his way through a forgotten hatch to impress and pollinate a pretty young flower from the fishing village. Unfortunately the hatch leads down into the recycling systems that maintain the functioning of RECREATION AREA 36B. If not rescued soon, Turku Enwoad may wind up as soil nutrients.
2. BRING ME BACK THE BRAIN
MISSION BRIEFING
1. GOTO TRAINING FACILITY 45F
2. FIND THE MEGABRAIN
3. RETURN THE MEGABRAIN TO LAB 341B
SST56 contemplated the mission packet that had been hardwired into his mind and headed off with his companion clones.
DM Briefing: A team of Cloned Technicians are dispatched to retrieve the mega-brain from TRAINING FACILITY 45F and deliver it to LAB 341B.
3. THE EMPIRE OF THE GAAL
MISSION BRIEFING
1. GOTO REACTOR EJECTION CONTROL A
2. ENTER CODE W239KK AT TERMINAL B
CT23 contemplated the mission packet as the access to Transit Tube 4 opened. The clones entered and the Transit sealed and began moving…
DM Briefing: A team of Cloned Technicians are dispatched to eject the ship reactor core. Unfortunately Transit 4 is cut by a breech at SUBFRAME ALPHA TRANSITFASTLOCK 4-2WT. They are going to encounter the Aquatic Empire of the Gaal (a species that evolved from bacteria in the water storage tank –TANKDIMENSIONS: 5 miles x 6 miles x 20 miles).
4. SPIDERWOOD VILLAGE ATTACKED BY IRONMAN
“A…Not of our Crop!” Young Turku Enwoad suddenly pointed at the stranger approaching over the far field. Jermai Enwoad turned to see what disturbed his Seedling’s growth.
“I shall harvest the Stranger while you alert the village.” Jermai Enwoad threw himself at the stranger with his Scythe seeking brutal harvest only to meet iron flesh.
“Run Sprout, Run!” Jermai Enwoad’s cry set Turku running.
“What Farmer planted you?” Jermai Enwoad smashed his scythe into the stranger a second time.
“CONTAMINATION MUST BE SAMPLED FOR ANALYSIS…” Its voice barely understood as the robot engaged the Farmer. A large metal sampling needle emerged with intense speed from a multi-sample collection canister fitted as a right hand into Jermai’s head, killing him instantly.
DM Briefing: A Robot enters RECREATION AREA 36B to maintain the functioning of RECREATION AREA 36B. It is intent on sampling the entire population of RECREATION AREA 36B and has already killed the Fishermen by the lake (but not the woodsman) by the time it gets to the Village.
5. SPIDERWOOD VILLAGE ATTACKED BY BANDITS
“We gather here the wood of cremation that Jermai Enwoad should return to the soil of his tilling. The Iron farmer harvested him in the prime of life.” Manur spoke eloquently of his now deceased childhood friend.
Emerging from Spiderwood were four strangers. These were unlike the Man of Iron. Their uniforms marked them of some foreign and distant army.
Turku Enwoad screamed and pointed at the strangers.
“The Enemy comes to check on their Iron Man.”
MO34 contemplated the distressed humanoids now fleeing to gather up weapons.
“Perhaps we might speak with these people…?” MO34 looked at his fellow clones.
“Squish That!” WO195 pulled his weapon and opened fire, the mental defect finally kicking in.
DM Briefing: The Computer has dispatched a squad of clones to RECREATION AREA 36B to investigate the Sampling Robot’s whereabouts. They are met with force.
6. SPIDERWOOD VILLAGERS INVADE THE TUNNELS
“They said we were weeds to be pulled!” Turku Enwoad struggled to rally his surviving companions.
“They came here to sow their own seed in our fields!” The Crowded hut shook with foot-stomping anger.
“I say they are the weeds to be pulled!” The Crowed began to rise in frenzy.
“I Say we shall sow their fields with our seed-stock.” Turku descended into fury. He would have his revenge.
Beyond the crowded hut, several clones stood scarecrow, impaled on wooden poles.
DM Briefing: A number of villagers now armed with technological weapons prepare an expedition beyond RECREATION AREA 36B. Their only access beyond RECREATION AREA 36B is the Hatch to the 36B ENVIRO-MONITORING STATION and the SYSTEMS MANTENANCE CAUSEWAY LEVEL 12D beyond it. This 20 mile long causeway links 35 other Recreation Areas on this side of the ship, a loop round to the other-side of the ship and 36 other Recreation areas there. There is a Robot Storage at each end of this horse shoe like causeway. The Robot storage Areas are linked by a Second Causeway for Technician Access to the robots.
Over a dozen Security robots (POLICE ROBOTS) patrol the MAINTENANCE CAUSEWAY LEVEL 12D. The Security robots will converge on the position of intruders.
7. THE UNSPEAKABLE HORROR
Turku emerged from the Hatch of RECREATION AREA 35B. The Long sandy beach encircled the huge lake. Beyond everything, a single dwelling stood invitingly on the edge of the sand.
A pretty female approached from the shadows of a nearby tree. She was smiling.
“Hi! Welcome to Laguna Beach. You are welcome to sample many of the fine beverages at the Bar. If you desire a recreational sail vessel, there are several to choose from. Life-safety vests are available at the Bar, Just ask for Walt.” The droid turned to the next villager and smiled.
“Hi! Welcome to Laguna Beach. You…” Turku Enwoad fried the annoying robot with his Laser pistol.
DM Briefing: A number of villagers now armed with technological weapons penetrate RECREATION AREA 35B. There are two robots here willing to meet the PC’s needs. Alcohols in the bar are poisonous to non humans even in small quantities.
8. BOTS DOWN IN RECREATION AREA 35B
MISSION BRIEFING
1. PROCEED TO RECREATION AREA 35B.
2. REPAIR DAMAGED BOTS
ROBOTICS TECHNICIAN RT113 stared at the mission Packet and looked down at the smashed robot nearby. And then back at the Primitives hold up in the Bar as they screamed for blood and continued to return fire.
This was defiantly not in the MISSION PACKET.
DM Briefing: A cloned Maintenance crew enter RECREATION AREA 35B to repair damaged bots and are confronted by Spiderwood Villagers.
9. THE GAAL COMMETH
The GAAL was done with extracting the brains and thoughts of its victims. The technical response team that had been dispatched to eject the core had given up their secrets.
It moved now with the Nuclear Ejection Initiator over a great distance and placed the device with the many others it had retrieved the same way. Twenty six identical devices would be enough to penetrate the water tank’s many layers and finally grant it access to the rest of the great ship. It would finally spread its dominion beyond the water tank.
It would become the Ship, one living machine.
DM Briefing: The GAAL nukes a hole in the water tank flooding many parts of the STARSHIP WARDEN. It will now attempt to expand its influence into the many areas of the ship until it has total control.
10. IS THAT A WALL OF WATER?
The explosion was distant. At first they thought the sound a figment then came the rumbling...
"What is that noise?" Turku Enwoad looked back down the access tunnel. His companion villagers moved slightly faster.
Nem Wiltwood placed a hand against the wall. The vibration was terrible.
They hurried faster. The water took a corner and raced at them.
Nem reached the Access hatch and reached back with a hand as the wall of water grabbed Turku.
"Grab my hand!" Turku reached out and was instantly dragged away.
"Turku!"
DM Briefing: A Breach in the water tank floods MAINTENANCE CAUSEWAY LEVEL 12D. Anyone Caught on that level may be carried off to parts unknown.
11. THE VILLAGE BURNS
Mother Enwoad was alone with the women and children of the Village of Enwoad. Was this the end of the village? Their sons had gone looking for a fight with a distant enemy.
WO 23 jabbed her in the back with a weapon as his companions emerged from concealment.
“You will come with us.” Lydia Enwoad passed out.
A few of the clones fired their flamers into the habitats igniting the wood cladding of the ancient buildings.
DM Briefing: The Village is raided by a second band of Clones, This time in overwhelming numbers. They carry off the remaining villagers to LAB 194.
12. YOU HAVE SAVED US
“We have you surrounded old man!” The Raiders of Huseyville looked all conquering on their riding roaches.
“Send your daughter out and nothing will happen to you!”
“Not by the hairs on my chinny-chin-chin you dung ball!”
The drain-valves that had for so long remained dormant burst into life spewing a torrent of water into the sea.
Turku Enwoad’s body crushed the leader of the Raiders on impact.
Turku Woke from a nightmare of water mixed with a familiar warmth.
“Hi! Stranger, you kind of saved us with that downpour of yours…” An old man and young female smiled at Turku. “This is my daughter, whom you met last night.” She was dressed and oddly clean.
“During your fever, she shared body warmth with you.”
“And by tradition, you have both been married, thanks to Pastor Envil here.” The old man pointed to a third person in the room. He was wearing the head of a giant bug.
“Hi! Want some watroach?” Pastor Envil smiled and held up a crunchy piece of something.
Whatever they were saying, it couldn’t have been good…
DM Briefing: Floodwaters carry a number of the Spiderwood villagers in MAINTENANCE CAUSEWAY LEVEL 12D into WASTE DIGESTION TANK 12. WDT12 is currently home to a small community.
13. LAB 194
Widow Enwoad woke to find her companions being genetically sampled. The Strangers had also retrieved part of the Iron man that had taken the life of her beloved Jermai.
“The Samples are good.” The strangers were talking amongst themselves.
An Iron man loomed over her and fired its sampling tool into her head. Lydia Enwoad passed into oblivion.
DM Briefing: A few of the villagers are taken to LAB194 where they are genetically sampled.
14. GENETICS OFFICER 125
Nem Wiltwood struggled to find shelter above the rising flood waters.
“I’m Sorry Turku.” His friend was gone, swept away by the waters fury. The mechanical arm grasped Nem from behind and dragged him screaming to his doom.
Nem awoke strapped down to a frame. One of the hated people who had come to the village of Spiderwood was hunched over a workspace examining an actual head. Was that the head of a Villager? It looked like Nem’s Father.
“Who are you? What have you done to me? Whose head is that?” Nem realized as he stared down at the hideous metal Exoskeleton encasing his body that he didn’t want to know the answer.
DM Briefing: A few of the party are picked off by the rogue clone GO125 who decides to conduct a few experiments on her hapless victims. This is an opportunity for the DM to give the victims a CYBORG makeover.
15. WAR
INTRUSION DETECTED/THREAT LEVEL OMEGA
ALL SECURITY ROBOTS TO LEVELS 11-D, 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, 12-D, 13-A, 13-B…oh crap.
The GAAL absorbed the MEGABRAIN in LAB 341 breaking its connection to the security computer. The GAAL learned a substantial amount of information on Asteroid Mining and continued on.
DM Briefing: SECURITY BOTS are dispatched to all habitation levels between 11-D and 17-A. They are going to confront the GAAL but a THREAT LEVEL OMEGA authorizes termination of all intruders in these regions.
16. NEM001
NEM001 looked out across the sea of waste. In the distance he recognized one amongst many.
ACCESSING MEMORYFILE…
TARGET IDENTIFIED AS- TURKU ENWOAD/FRIEND
MISSION BRIEFING
1. RETRIEVE FRIENDS
2. RETURN FRIENDS TO LAB195
“TURKU ENWOAD. YOU WILL COME WITH ME!”
“Nem? What happened to you?” Turku was paralyzed with fear. The Huseyville locals fled for weapons and cover as the CYBORG opened fire with its primary arm weapon cutting several in half with the sweep of its beam...
DM Briefing: A previous companion/now CYBORG is sent to round up the rest of the Spiderwood Warband. The Confrontation should be terrible and violent.
17. ESCAPE?
NEM001 pulled his companion from the pod and dragged him across the lab. Turku struggled to wake.
"Its Ok Turku, we are out of here."
"Nem?" Turku stared at the pieces of metal fused to his once-friend.
"Its OK Enwoad! We'll talk when we are clear of this thornpatch."
"Thanks!" Turku passed out.
I hope so. NEM001 stared at the barcode burned down Turku's fore-arm.
I just hope nothing went wrong in the download.
DM Briefing: The Party having been abducted and rendered unconscious wake in clones of themselves with a few programmed skills and secrets. Fortunately none of them realize immediately that they are in-fact duplicates of the originals. The only evidence will be inconspicuous Barcode Tattoos burned into un-inspect-able body locations.
18. MOTHER?
Turku stared at the clone in horror. It was his mother.
"Mother?"
Weapon Officer-147 raised the weapon in her hand and fired.
Cyborg NEM001 pulled his companion into cover.
"My Mother, She’s on their side." Turku Enwoad was in shock. NEM001 slapped his friend.
"Snap out of it Enwoad! Don’t ya get it? The Village has been taken out. They're all gone! That ones just a SIM."
DM Briefing: The Party run into clones of their loved ones. The Clones are programmed to get close enough to take out the troublemakers.
19. THE INCIDENT WITH THE NUKE
NEM001 reacted first to the nuclear fire burning through the bulkheads toward them.
"PERIMITER ALERT: RADS AT +10...+15...+20...+25..." NEM001 kicked awake and threw his friend over his shoulder as he retreated at full velocity down the miles long corridor.
"+30..."
There had to be an interface somewhere.
"SHIP SYSTEMS ACCESSED. NUCLEAR DETONATION DETECTED. SEALING ALL BULKHEADS." NEM001 bent to miss the lowering bulkhead.
It sealed behind him.
"+35...+40..." The rads still continued to climb.
Still he ran...Sliding under the next bulkhead as it dropped to a Metre. The far bulkhead was sealed.
"GAAH!" NEM001 Punched into the Duralloy wall in frustration.
"+45...+43...+40...+35..." Thank the Farmer!
"Gonna live you weeds!"
DM Briefing: The Party take a heavy dose of rads (DC45 to avoid Latent Mutations). The Rads came from a nuclear detonation triggered during a Clone Suicide Bombing attempt to take out the GAAL.
20. I DONT FEEL TOO GOOD!
Turku coughed up blood as he stared at his Green skin.
"I get the green skin but where did the Burn come from?" Turku rubbed at the Barcode.
"Sorry, maybe I rested you against something hot."
NEM001 lied. Couldn’t tell his friend just yet.
Turku collapsed into the arms of his friend.
"I got to get you to a lab."
DM Briefing: Some of the Party members are suffering side effects- Rads, Toxic environment, Viruses, Clone vat not cleaned before their turn, what ever, they are drawn to LAB 181 to seek medical treatment. There they find Medical Officer-124 who treats their injuries and decides to join their explorations.
21. THE MEDICAL OFFICER (PART 1)
"We need to help these people because it is the right thing to do." MO-124 looked at Turku and NEM001 until they gave in.
"Alright Doc Let the negotiations begin." NEM001 looked at Turku and walked toward the gathered primitives and began his attempt to translate their language.
"I hope you are right Doc! I don’t know how to put Nem back together if they decide to collect his organs for jewellery." Turku walked over to join his friend.
DM Briefing: The MO-124 harasses the party into helping a bunch of primitive pure strain humans with an inbreeding problem. This is going to require some role-playing with social skills.
22. THE MEDICAL OFFICER (PART 2)
MO-124 coughed up blood.
"Your mother's consciousness is alive Turku. You just got to retrieve it from the database and download to a clone of her body. You just need to find it."
"What are you talking about?" NEM001 looked downcast.
"Turku? You need to know that I killed you. Did not want to but it happened. I downloaded your consciousness to a new, cloned body."
"That’s insane!" Turku backed away from them both.
"It’s true Turku! You just need to find LAB-194."
DM Briefing: The PCs are given the opportunity to recover a few of their lost members who have been genetically sampled and uploaded to the computer. They must lay siege to LAB 194.
23. THE RIGHT STUFF (Part 1)
The Robot stumbled through the hatch and onto the flight deck of Mining Shuttle PX-345. The GAAL heavily infested in its neural pathways, struggled to guide its host to the right controls.
"REACTOR: ACTIVE...TURBINES: ACTIVE...LAUNCH DOORS: OPEN." The Shuttle surged down the launch bay into free space.
"FREE!"
DM Briefing: The GAAL (a fragment now separated from the main body) infests a shuttle and departs the Star-ship Warden for a nearby world. This is an opportunity to infest some campaign world with ultra-intelligent Bacteria.
24. THE RIGHT STUFF (Part 2)
The Shuttle descended through the atmosphere with a sonic boom and a trail of fire off its heat shield.
The GAAL ignored the life readings and activated the weapon.
"TERRAFORM POD DEPLOYED."
The bomb dropped into the thousand square mile valley with utter disregard to the primitive civilization that had established itself there.
DM Briefing: The GAAL establishes a foothold on some unknown world populated by primitives. This is an opportunity to introduce a hostile, ultra-intelligent Alien Bacteria to your setting. The GAAL has knowledge of Mining, Engineering, and a desire for galactic domination-something it can achieve over millennia.
The TERRAFORM POD can create a wide array of environments and considering it has long ago mutated itself, will cause unusual varieties of otherwise normal life to spring up over the centuries.
Considering the shuttle carried two TERRAFORM PODS this is an opportunity to have what is essentially a one use super weapon fall into the hands of primitives.
25. HOMECOMMING
Turku Enwoad slid back the clonepod hatch. The clone of his mother was still unconcious.
"Well?" Turku looked at NEM001.
"Well what? A thousand things can go wrong with this..."
"The Download is complete isn’t it?"
"Yes." NEM001 nodded at the readings. Everything looked good.
Lydia Enwoad woke and began screaming. Her memories of Sampling were still with her.
The screaming stopped when she recognised Turku despite his green skin.
"I hope that washes out."
"Afraid not Mother Enwoad." NEM001 leaned over to look at her.
"Nem? I should have known you would be involved in this somehow." The Multiple personality of WO-147 could now bide her time before taking out these hostiles.
DM Briefing: The Party recovers some of their lost along with a few new problems to deal with.
26. THE ROOM THAT MOVED
The Shadowlab disengaged from the docking points that it had been attached to for a month. The interspace framework was still intact. The AI Software checked for the next destination. Level Six.
The Mechanism adjusted and moved the ten ton room slowly down.
y-1, y-2, y-3, y-4. It halted and prepared to move again.
x+1, x+2, x+3, x+4, x+5, x+6...it settled at x+20.
z-1, z-2, z-3, z-4.
DESTINATION REACHED. The locks activated and the lab once again became a room.
Weapons Officer 230 opened the Vault with a handprint access and placed the alien bodies and artefacts inside as instructed.
The Room Disengaged and prepared to move to its next destination.
DM Briefing: The Shadowlab is a room that moves through the ship superstructure and has access to an assortment of locations in the ship. The Shadowlab has considerable alien technology and deploys to a region where an incursion has been detected so that the artefacts can be stockpiled.
-TERMINUS SEASON 1-
HOLYWAR BRIEFING
The GAAL faction
The GAAL has control over several MEGABRAIN units (It absorbed them). These AI controlled numerous systems (Several Strategic clone banks amongst them).
These CLONE troops are drawn from the core of the Genetic Archives. The crew and numerous passengers make up these archives, and with plotting and scheming of the GAAL, these forces are directed into battlefields throughout the Star-ship Warden (and depending on how things go - beyond the ship limits).
THE MINION OF THE SHAKL
The SHAKL was contained until recently in a Laboratory known as the SHADOWLAB. The Shadowlab was specifically a laboratory where any ALIEN tech that might be discovered onboard the ship could be disposed of. The SHAKL was stored in a containment unit in this lab. More importantly the lab was mobile - allowing it to relocate to numerous points within the ship by moving through the ship superstructure.
It was in this lab that events occurred which caused the exposure of a CYBORG named Nem Wiltwood to the Alien Nanoform. It is from this point on that the Nanoform spread to infect Bots and other Cybernetic-enhanced beings.
Once the victim is infected, the SHAKL Nanoform transforms the victim into something faster and far more vicious. A predator species that is absolutely loyal to its master.
SITUATION REPORT
Clone troops are being hatched in proximity to numerous zones of conflict. The Clone troops have no idea that their leader is the GAAL. They simply follow a chain of command which ends at the DATAPACKET.
OTHERSIDE OF THE WIRE
Bots and Cybernetic enhanced (CYBORGS) are enslaved by the SHAKL, changed into something monstrous, and set loose on its enemies.
CHOOSING A SIDE
Either side of this conflict is playable as Miniatures and RPG.
• As MINION OF SHAKL you can choose to begin as BOTS and CYBORG who have been altered by the SHAKL.
• As a CLONE, BOT, CYBORG, or one of the UNCLONED in unsuspecting service to the GAAL, you think you are fighting for humanity and life.
Either way you are in the war to end all wars…
SEASON 2
27. A CLOSE ENCOUNTER (part 1)
Turku watched the BOT take its alien prize through the hatch of an undesignated lab. Even from this distance, Turku and his companions could see the strange wonders concealed within.
"Turku?" Lydia Enwoad spoke up.
"I dont know how but I know that we need to investigate that lab."
NEM001 nodded in agreement.
DM Briefing: The Warband encounter the Shadowlab during their travels. They are drawn to the alien tech within.
28. A CLOSE ENCOUNTER (part 2)
Turku Enwoad held his intestines in, struggling to remain concious. NEM001 had put his weapon to the head of Lydia Enwoad/WEAPON OFFICER 147.
"Now I dont want to have to kill you. Turku here loves his mother so I am loath to burn your brains out for the simple fact that you share her body."
"So I'm going to give you a chance to live."
WO147 was developing a fondness for life. Lydia Enwoad/WO147nodded in agreement.
NEM001 Didnt notice the Alien Nanoware infesting his ear canal.
"You still alive Turku?" NEM001 glanced in the direction of his only friend in the room.
"Yeah!"
DM Briefing: Trapped in the Shadowlab, the warband find a traitor in their midst. Unfortunately due to circumstances, they cannot kill them so an uneasy alliance must be formed if all are to survive.
Within the Shadowlab, there are strange and terrible things of alien splendour (the DM should go nuts).
29. A CLOSE ENCOUNTER (part 3)
"Is this thing on? ATTENTION! YOU ARE NOW THE MINIONS OF THE SHAKL!" The voice came from NEM001 but the words were unfamiliar to Turku.
"Nem?" Lydia/WO147 grabbed Turku's arm as he reached out to his Cyborg companion.
"I don't think so." WO147 had a sneaking suspicion that the Cyborg had unleashed Alien Nano machines during their earlier struggle. This simply confirmed her suspicions.
Before their Eyes the Cyborg NEM001 was transformed into a terrible half-machine predator. The human called Nem was devoured by his artificial systems.
"NEM!" Turku Screamed at the destruction of his friend.
"Run." WO147/Lydia Enwoad snatched up a pair of Alien weapons and burned through the door revealing the vast transit framework that supported the movement of the Shadowlab and jumped out into the darkness. Turku, suffering and in pain, followed.
DM Briefing: Something terrible is unleashed in the Shadowlab. All Cyborgs (even partials with bionic systems) and robots are infected by an alien Nanomachine referred to as SHAKL. They are transformed into killing machines. The only way for rest of the party to survive this is to burn their way out of the lab and climb to safety through the ship superstructure.
30. HOLYWAR
NEM THE DESTRUCTOR, MINION OF SHAKL pursued the two faint scent trails down the Corridor. The trail ended at a hatchway.
Burning through the hatch he was confronted by something insane. The GAAL.
The GAAL was disturbed by the encounter. It absorbed the entity known as NEM THE DESTRUCTOR and reacted with aggression to the Alien NANO.
Every trace of this Alien would have to be destroyed. The Universe wasn’t big enough for the both of them.
DM Briefing: The GAAL encounter the SHAKL and war for Universal dominance begins.
31. INTO THE HEAT
WEAPONS OFFICER 223 stepped into the rapidtransit with the others. She had been designated MC according to the DATAPACKET.
"Heads up to you new people. Let me see your eyes." The clones clutching their weapons looked in the MC's direction.
"We are up against some sort of nano that apparently transforms cyberenhanced and bots into potential troops." WO 223 breathed out.
"Our mission is to recon habitat area 27, take out any of these MINION OF SHAKL that show up, and hold our position till the people up top can back us with foothold support." WO 217 checked his flamer.
The rapidtransit halted at the recreation deck and the doors slid back.
"OK people, this is it." WO 223 stepped out onto the platform.
SURI THE DESTROYER was on her immediatly. Her flesh ripped from her face and she fell back into the rapidtransit in one twitching moment. WO 181 opened with his chaingun, cutting through WO 223 and the MINION OF SHAKL in a wave of the weapon.
WO 217 stepped cautiously over the two corpses and spotted the next hostile. WO 181 staggered out behind him to provide support.
Slowly the squad moved into the infested urban megaplex.
DM Briefing: The CLONE unit is deployed to habitat area 27- an urban community that once was dominated by game arcades, and shops. There are currently a dozen MINION OF THE SHAKL through the area, and several uninfected bots in a storage/maintenance area which will if infected double their current numbers.
32. TUNNELRATS
WO 101 crawled through the sewer pipe.
The smell was beyond foul but he figured it would get him into the target area without a direct confrontation with the MINION OF SHAKL that controlled the ground between.
WO 101 struggled to keep the nuclear initiator above the biowaste.
Get in, Set the nuke, get out. WO 101 pushed forward through the waste.
On the surface, HURN THE HUNTER noticed his radiological proximity alarm activate.
A single thought echoed amongst the MINION...WE-GOT-NUKES.
HURN moved to find it before it went off.
DM Briefing: CLONES are sent through the sewers to deploy a tactical nuke into the heart of a MINION OF SHAKL nest.
33. THE PACKET
OUR POSITION IS OVERRUN.
NEED SUPPORT.
OUR POSITION IS GRID ONE FIV...
The message ended abruptly.
WO 121 looked up from the MPR (MISSIONPACKETREADER).
"Well They need help and we are going to give it to them. Lock and Load."
The unit powered up their armor and jumped from the top of Tower Six to an adjacent building.
DM Briefing: The unit recieves a packet from another unit requesting support. The MINION of SHAKL presence consists of DURN THE DEVOURER and six Bots.
34. AFTERMATH
WO147/Lydia Enwoad held her newborn to her. Nem Enwoad, Son of Nem Wiltwood struggled to feed.
Turku was disgusted that the dark personality that had inhabited his Mother would seduce his friend.
Turku shook his head and pushed out through the hatch access to RECREATION AREA 36B.
Home at last.
Turku and his "mother" pushed through the darkness of Spiderwood and out into the open farmland of their Village.
"Well squish me!" A thriving community populated by strangers lay before them.
DM Briefing: Time has progressed. The Community they left behind has been restocked by others. These intruders have come from RECREATION AREA 36A on the other side of the ship. They were driven out by a small army of robots who are fortifying their hold on the starboard side of the Ship.
35. HOLYWAR (PART 2)
They met now on fields bloody and drowned. Mighty factions unleashed in a confusing and shifting maze-works.
The MINION OF THE SHAKL, deformed and transformed, the CYBORGS, the BOTS, all trapped in beastly servitude.
The GAAL, having lost none of its need to survive, engaged with its own forces. Having assimilated control of so much, it absorbed, learned, and Survived. But only barely as its opponent found its weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It deployed its own BOTS and CLONES to the battlefields.
DM Briefing: The Ship-wide WAR has escalated thanks to the expanding forces of the GAAL, and the SHAKL. The major corridors of movement have become conflict zones.
THE SHIP, struggling with its own problems, begins to deploy CLONE personnel to the conflict regions not knowing why it had lost control of its BOTS.
36. MESSAGE FROM THE FRONT
The Powered Armour hummed with damage as its occupant struggled up the access and out into the deep of Spiderwood.
Manur, long from his home staggered into the field and laughed to himself at the sight of terrified farmers. Is that how he and the others had appeared to the CLONES who had come that fateful day?
He barely recognised Turku Enwoad as the green young man who ran toward him with the Laser weapon.
Manur cracked the helmet.
“Greetings Farmer Enwoad.” Manur smiled.
“Greetings FIELD-SCOUT Manur.” Turku lowered his pistol and smiled.
DM Briefing: One of the Farmers long lost since the very beginning of their adventures shows up in Powered Armour. He reports having been involved in the ongoing conflict against the GAAL and the SHAKL.
37. ZOOT SUIT
SALIS THE BLOODY moved quickly now. SHAKL compelled him forward toward the Armory.
It was guarded by a cluster of civilians with crude weapons but they were less than nothing.
SALIS consumed them and pushed past their remains into the vault.
The Powered Armor hung in their racks like puppets as SALIS moved amongst them. Slowly they awakened to a life that they could never have known without this moment.
The HOLLOWMEN struggled out of the armory and joined the ranks of the SHAKL.
DM Briefing: A MINION OF SHAKL is dispatched into unclaimed territory to find an armory and infect the several suits of powered armor that are stored there.
38. A BREAKTHROUGH
The MINION OF SHAKL came over the rise. WO 343 noticed they were somewhat different from the regular MINION Bot.
SABRE23 detected the GAAL marine unit instantly and raised the oversized weapon pod that had replaced its genetic sampler.
A fury of fire unleashed and closed the distance ripping into the CLONE troops.
DM Briefing: The SHAKL discovers a new weapon-tech in the SHADOWLAB and assimilates its engineering data. Bots now come with a heavy weapon pod rather than the bayonet mod of the medical sampling tool.
39. I AM NEM
His consciousness stirred. He built a wall between himself and the GAAL to protect that single surviving NANO machine of the SHAKL.
He accessed the NANO that had devoured his body and began to work.
It took forever - Centuries? Yet he found himself in a body built on the life of the GAAL and held together by the SHAKL.
He spoke now.
“I am Nem.” His voice echoed as he focused on the thought of a weapon.
His hand changed shape becoming a weapon. Nem could feel the energy ready at his thought.
“I AM NEM!” He screamed the name and his voice was thunder.
DM Briefing: An opportunity arises for one or two lost in the GAAL/SHAKL conflict to return as NANOCONCIOUSNESS. These characters pull together control of their NANO infestation and achieve a new level of Life and Machine.
40. HOLLOWMEN
The suits of Powered Armour pushed through the tree-line and out into the agricultural heart of SPIDERWOOD village. They moved awkwardly over the fields.
Turku could feel that something was wrong.
A Suit twitched its weapons at a couple of surprised farmers killing them instantly.
WO 147/Lydia Enwoad and Turku Enwoad opened with their laser weapons, cutting into the SHAKL infested armour.
Manur Jaks emerged from his hut in full armour.
"We got some fore ya!" Manur opened with the full force of his heavy weapons.
DM Briefing: The SHAKL infest an armory containing powered armour. The NANO infest several suits and dispatch them into RECREATION AREA 36B to investigate something it learned from NEM THE DESTRUCTOR.
41. SEEDLINGS (PART 1)
WEAPONS OFFICER 147 ran with her child clutched to her chest. She could not understand why the Hollowmen would want her child.
Behind her in the grey distance, Turku screamed as a Suit of Powered Armour attempted to tear his arms and legs from their sockets.
Somewhere on the inside, Lydia Enwoad wept at the loss of her firstborn. He could still be restored, but first she would need to get herself and the child to safety.
DM Briefing: The attack of the Hollowmen (SHAKL infested power armour) has once again decimated the Village of SPIDERWOOD. A few survivors manage to flee RECREATION AREA 36B burdened with a single child and information on a lab containing the download information and clone templates for several of the original SPIDERWOOD population.
42. SEEDLINGS (PART 2)
MANUR THE BETRAYER moved slowly now through the superstructure of the hydroponics systems. His target had come this way. Perhaps it was at great risk. Much of the plant life was evolved far beyond its humble beginnings as a food source.
The once-Lettuce reached out to crush his Powered Armour with its lower fronds.
The Flamer burned on and decimated the foliage.
DM Briefing: As the party flees the HOLLOWMEN currently in pursuit, they are forced to take a climb up through the framework on the hydroponic deck. The plants are toxic and hostile.
43. SEEDLINGS (PART 3)
Weapons Officer 147 felt Lydia Enwoad begin to reassert her dominance.
“No! Not now!” Lydia woke from one nightmare to find a child in her arms and several strange metal men closing on her.
She screamed.
A flash of heavy laser cut through the Hollowmen and they turned on their new enemy.
Clone troops poured into the lab.
WO 383 approached the civilian clutching the child and pulled off his helmet.
Lydia stared at Jermai.
DM Briefing: The party are rescued from the HOLLOWMEN by a number of Clone troops in service to the GAAL. Some of their numbers are clones of Spiderwood Villagers.
44. EMERGENCE
Turku Enwoad woke inside the clonepod to a view of a strange room. Littered across the floor was the debris of metal men. Something not quite...
Something not of his people. Turku shook off the distraction.
What could he remember? There had been a wall of water and Nem had come for him. Nem? Was it Nem? He had killed everyone around Turku and carried him off.
Something had changed his friend. Destroyed his friend. Turku pushed the clonepod hatch back and emerged naked.
DM Briefing: Lost in the ship, the clone of a Spiderwood Villager emerges from clone development to an uncertain destiny. Conceivably this sort of thing will happen all the time once the party are sampled and uploaded.
45. RECRUITMENT DRIVE
GHAN THE SLAYER moved down on the GAAL Clone unit with all the stealth he could muster.
They were patching their wounded and the few on spot were not as experienced as they should have been.
As SABRE045 had reported, one of their unit was a CYBORG. He would do.
A small gob of NANO formed on a claw and found itself flicked the distance onto the CYBORG relaxing amongst the GAAL kill-team.
It would happen soon.
Penn screamed as the reality of the transformation kicked in. The others turned on their friend with little thought to anything but survival.
GHAN THE SLAYER jumped through the group slashing CLONE flesh in an effort to keep the new MINION OF SHAKL alive.
PENN THE SLAUGHTERER lashed out at the last of his once-companions.
DM Briefing: MINION OF SHAKL are dispatched to infect a CYBORG travelling amongst a GAAL CLONE unit. The idea is to infect and escape with the new MINION.
46. ALONE
The NANO finished repairing the damage to its BOT servitor and reached out to find a link with the rest of its kind.
Nothing.
SABRE67 activated and found itself berated by the voice in its brain…
“We must return to the others.”
Diagnostic complete.
Odd. The explosive penetration ammunition in the weapon pod had been swapped out for less-destructive polymer rounds.
DM Briefing: A lone SABRE (a BOT MINION OF SHAKL) wakes to find itself cut off from the rest of the MINION OF SHAKL. It is in a large section of infrastructure alone with some green CLONE TROOPS of the GAAL faction. It has been abducted from the battlefield and is being used for training behind the lines. Escape is possible.
47. WHAT DO I DO FOR FOOD?
Turku was hungry now. It had been almost three days since he emerged from the strange sleep module to a room filled with broken machines and the best he had found was mould on a cooling-pipe.
His stomach churned.
Turku needed food and water.
DM Briefing: Some of the Surviving SPIDERWOOD Villagers find themselves in a region with little to no food and water. They are presented with food in a form that they wont recognise. A robot with a Brain that is edible if they kill and break it open. The alternative is to ask it to lead them to food and water (It knows where a food store is and has the security clearance to access the store).
The Food-store is a storage bin of moss and mould cleaned from the pipes. Something that will keep them alive long enough to escape the region.
48. WHATS A SHIP?
NEM001 searched the strange jumble of Ideas in his mind. He saw there an idea that what he was trapped in had limits. Dimensions outlined a shape.
He could see it in his mind. It was a Ship.
He could see in that idea where he was and where he needed to be.
A reactor needed to be ejected and the GAAL had prevented that from happening. He had to save the ship.
"I need a Nuclear Ejection Initiator." Nem moved. That was six decks up.
DM Briefing: One of the Cyborg PCs exposed to the GAAL and the SHAKL become aware of the nature of their immediate universe. The Ship (whatever that is) needs one of its reactor cores ejected. They have now the information needed to prevent a disaster.
49. A BOX FULL OF WOOF?
The crates tumbled as the airlock sealed on the storage vault. A sound of movement in the darkness... Turku looked back into the vault.
Enwoad watched now as three metal creatures waddled out of the darkness.
"WHUFF! WHUFF!" came the voices.
"By the Farmer, what now?"
DM Briefing: The PCs encounter three robot dogs (CERBERUS-A's: Killer DogBots) except these have only the puppy programming and form an emotional attachment on the first person they encounter. They will follow and play with the lucky party member.
50. A MEAL PACK WITH THE PAST
Lydia Enwoad continued to chew at the strange food that Jermai/Weapon Officer 383 had given her. She knew it wasn’t her husband. He was returned to the soil.
“How you doing mam?” Weapon Officer 383 stared at the child in the Civilian’s Arms. He only had vague memories of ever having seen one.
DM Briefing: The Marines begin a debriefing of the PCs in an attempt to gather intelligence on behalf of the GAAL faction.
51. SABRE67 (Prelude to the Vegetable that ate the City)
SABRE67 moved through the hydroponics framework. with all the paranoia of a professional Marine. A Cabbage attacked from above, attempting to crush the Bots armour.
“Hostile Detected!” SABRE67 devoured the plant with Polymer rounds.
“Take a sample for gene-splice.” The voice in his head seemed insistent.
DM Briefing: A SABRE from the SHAKAL FACTION collects a sentient killer vegetable for genetic experimentation.
52. The Vegetable that ate a City
WO 234 watched as the giant cabbage swatted the high-rise building aside and came toward the one on which he now rested. The Powered Armour was leaking Coolant.
“That sure as hell put me off Vegetables for a while.” WO234 opened with his shoulder mounted 50mm GATLING instantly drawing the plant’s attention.
DM Briefing: The SHAKAL faction deploys a Giant Killer Cabbage Clone in an Urban Habitat where it can unleash its fury on GAAL faction troopers.
-TERMINUS SEASON 2-
Here was the Story Progression of My Starship Warden: Spiderwood Campaign (d20 Future).
You have alot going on there my friend, and some cool ideas. Kudos.
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THE 23RD CENTURY AND BEYOND
INTRODUCTION
Mankind's urge to explore and expand its frontiers finally caused another push into the vastness of space - first interplanetary, then interstellar. By the 23rd Century a great migration wave was spreading from Old Terra to the hundreds of inhabitable worlds which had been discovered in the Milky Way galaxy. During the next hundred years colonization ships of all types and descriptions went out to the stars, bearing seedling colonies seeking a better life. Many found their new homes - for better or for worse - but for one reason or another scores of these starships never reached their destination.
THE STARSHIP WARDEN
The star-ship Warden was created from the designs used in the United Western Star-ship Cartel program and it was laid down in the Trans-Plutonian Space-yards in 2277. The design was the most ambitious ever attempted, the blueprints calling for an oval spheroid of tremendous size using a new metal alloy of tensile strength previously unknown. The ship was an incredible 50 miles in length, with a width of 25 miles, and a height of eight and one-half miles. Additional levels above and below the central one brought the total number of decks to 17. Warden required 11 years to complete, and it did not leave the Sol System until 2290 because of the effort required in outfitting the starship. The vessel contained complete Terran environments, and the colonists were not rigidly screened for the expedition, for it was held that Warden's accommodations would place few physical or psychological stresses upon colonist or crewman.
The vessel was basically given over to large, open areas, with a simple system of electronic locks used to insure that colonists did not stray into command or possibly harmful areas. With its cargo of the flora and fauna of Earth, 1½ million colonists, and 50,000 crew members, the wonder of the Interstellar Colonization Age set forth to found a new world many light years from its old home.
DISASTER STRIKES
One-third of the way to the planetary destination which had been selected for Warden stretched the very fringe of a cloud of space radiation. This cloud had been charted and analysed, so that Warden's captain was aware that he was to plot a course to avoid any possible danger. Somehow the vessel came too close to the radiation, and the cloud contained disaster. The energy given off at the fringes of this celestial hazard was foreign to all previously known radiation types. It passed through every one of the ship's protection systems and defence screens. The effects on the ship itself were startling. The worst hit was the colonists aboard, and most of the human beings exposed to the radiation simply turned to piles of calcium with no advance symptoms. Hard hit also were the flora and fauna which underwent mutation if they even survived at all. Even some of the vessel's systems were affected, and unstable, radioactive areas were caused from the cloud's radiation. The humans who survived the initial exposure discovered too late that life forms in their natural setting - such as the ecologically prepared forest areas and the like - seemed to have the greatest resistance to the effects of the radiation. A few of the crew and colonists then took to living in the huge parks of Warden. A handful remained who tried to restore sanity and order to the star-ship. They failed.
Life became a struggle merely to survive for those humans that were left. In this struggle all knowledge of the ship's mission or even, in fact, that the humans were on a ship was lost. Ship's systems were maintained in a minimum operative state by the vessel's main computer and the robots that were operating at the time of the cloud's entrance into the star-ship. Later generations of humans lost all sense of identity. with the ship regressing into a state of savagery. Life quickly stabilized (as life has a habit of doing) with new life forms created from exposure to the unknown radiation. The humans settled into a tribal way of life and those few that travelled and came back told of areas where the animals walked like men and plants were able to talk and move. The vessel travelled on past its assigned planet with its safety systems preventing the ship's destruction by crashing into a planet or burning up in the sun. It is only a matter of time until even those almost perfect systems fail and the star-ship dies. Until that time, life continues to flourish and the Warden travels on, much changed from what it once was.
ORIGINAL AUTHORS: GARY GYGAX & BRIAN BLUME © copyright April 1976 TSR Inc.