1549504043838.Pdf
AUTHOR ELH
COVER ART Martin Sobr
SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PATREON BACKERS Brian Sanderz, Doug H, Spencer Morgan, Kalik Long, Soup, Ge Tz, cn,
VERSION & LAST UPDATED v1.0 – February 6th, 2019
You can find ELH on:
This content is available free of charge and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
Neither the author (ELH) nor the content within is endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc., Paramount Pictures, Modiphius Entertainment, or the STAR TREK franchise. The Star Trek® franchise and related logos are owned and a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures & CBS Studios Inc.
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Table of Contents Introduction ...... 4 Andromeda ...... 6 Heart of Steel ...... 9 New Neighborhood ...... 16 Paradox ...... 23 Muuat ...... 28 Afterword ...... 35
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Introduction
Hello there! My name is ELH (or EGMH if you prefer) and I’m excited to bring you another mission compendium. This particular set of missions has been designed specifically around a unique alien, Andromeda, in the year 2381 and beyond. They were initially written and run for the Adiona group which I was the Gamemaster (GM) for. It is my hope that by providing these missions to you that you and your group will have just as much fun as ours did.
To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new civilization, to boldly go where no man has gone before... These words have been uttered by some of the most influential Captains that Starfleet has ever yielded. They embody Starfleet’s guiding principles, regardless of era. That’s why, when a mysterious alien is discovered that claims to come from a place no one in the Alpha/Beta Quadrants has gone before, Starfleet makes it a top priority to send a ship in that direction. It is a mission of exploration as well as one of mercy, for the alien wishes to return home. Starfleet is all but happy to oblige.
This book provides you, the GM or Player of Star Trek Adventures, the means to explore the journey to take Andromeda home. Andromeda contains four full-length missions for use with the Star Trek Adventures roleplaying game. Each mission has been designed to provide at least 3-4 hours of gameplay for the average group of GM and Players. They are perfect for brand new campaigns, especially those set in the Star Trek Online (STO) era.
How to use this book to know about the alien known as Andromeda. This section is intended for Gamemasters Only, Each mission is designed to follow from one but it’s not like I can stop you if you’re a Player. another, meaning it’s highly recommended that you play them in sequential order (though not Heart of Steel necessarily back to back, save the last two) to The Player Characters take on their new mission fully appreciate and understand the storyline to deliver Andromeda to her home. They’ll need behind them. None of the missions require an to transit through a portal before undertaking a encyclopedic understanding of the Star Trek voyage that would make the crew of the USS universe, and all of them have been designed to Voyager balk. Given the distances involved, the stand independent of any episode or movie in Players’ ship is outfitted with top of the line the Star Trek canon. While these missions were propulsion technology. Along the way to this written for a specific era and location in mind, portal, they test their newly-fitted Drive and they can be adapted for other eras and other help a planet experiencing a plague that’s locations with a little work on the GM’s side of turning people into machine-like husks. things. GMs are also encouraged to modify any of the contents within if they believe it would New Neighborhood better suit their table experience. Now that they are in an entirely new area of Andromeda space, the Player Characters will need a local guide. To that end, they must seek out the Before beginning any mission briefing, this services of the Frila. The Frila are the first particular section details everything you’ll need
4 | P a g e friendly species the Federation has made Player Characters must weave their way contact with on this side of the portal and are through this precarious situation before all hell more than happy to provide a guide. However, breaks loose. in the process of taking on a new crewmember, the first hostile species encountered on this side appears. The Toth, as they are known, make it clear that they will not tolerate further use of the portal. The Player Characters must manage this diplomatic situation or else risk losing their only way home!
Paradox
A recently-formed neutron star along their route sees the Player Characters stopping to take some detailed scans. All seems well until they discover a derelict Federation shuttlecraft slowly falling towards the neutron star. It doesn’t take long before the Player Characters learn that it is one of their own shuttles, albeit from the future. It carries with it a warning of events to come, ones that must be stopped before the Toth destroy the portal.
Muuat
The Player Characters come upon an abandoned vessel over a kilometer long, made out of neutronium, and bleeding radiation. Due to neutronium’s rarity resulting from how difficult it is to obtain, this makes the ship a small wonder. The Player Characters must brave intense radiation and work to recover what data they can. In doing so, they learn of a species known as the Muuat, and a means of contacting them. It involves constructing a Graviton Catapult to enter an area of space known as “The Garden.” When they get there, though, the Player Characters suddenly find themselves way in over their heads. They learn that their VIP, Andromeda, belongs to a species the Muuat revere as gods. And to make matters worse, the Muuat view her arrival as a blessing, and the Player Characters as her envoys. They urge Andromeda to visit their homeworld, where a trove left by her people awaits. The
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Andromeda Other Origins...
This section gives Gamemasters an overview of The Andromeda Galaxy might be out of the alien known as Andromeda. Taking reach if you are not playing in the STO era descriptions and data presented here can be a and/or using Pandora’s Gate. Or it could great way to spruce up technobabble and (GM) simply be the case that you feel an entirely monologues alike. As with all content provided new galaxy is a bit much. The Milky Way in this book, you are encouraged to modify Galaxy is a big place, so Andromeda can elements to better suit your own game. easily hail from some far-flung part of the Gamma or Delta Quadrant. The key is to First Contact pick a location that hasn’t been touched by anyone in Starfleet and is far enough from Andromeda was first discovered by the USS other known species that it’s an entirely Arcadia on Stardate 48579.4 (“Foundling”). novel experience. You could even choose to They were caught within the Arcadia’s warp have her hail from something like a bubble, caught in the wake after two millennia subspace manifold! of being adrift in space. It was discovered on Stardate 48612.1 (“Conspi-Q-S”) that they were not of the Milky Way Galaxy, partially because Q showed up to make sure “’It’ did not slip Biographical Data through.” Rather, Andromeda was from the galaxy of the same name. With no memory to Andromeda stands approximately 2.2 meters call her own, Andromeda took their name and tall (7’2”) with a lithe body to match it. Her remained aboard the Arcadia until the ship was form is feminine in nature, every single inch of called to assist with the Dominion War. She it covered by a second skin that is her biosuit. then became a guest of the Daystrom Institute Every so often there’s a series of purplish, bio- until such a time as it became possible to take luminescent lights across her suit. The suit itself her home. is bonded with Andromeda on a molecular level. It’s unclear whether it, her specifically, or both are biomechanical in nature.
Though scanning through the suit is difficult, a medical scan would reveal that Andromeda has two hearts, a brain with four lobes, and blood coursing with nanites. These nanites are self- regulating in a way that would make the Borg jealous. They are able to keep Andromeda alive almost indefinitely without external interference. Any damage to her suit (or to her) is rapidly repaired at the small cost of stored energy. This energy reserve can easily be supplemented by any form of warp plasma. In addition, the longer Andromeda spends in an Andromeda by elf.boi environment, the more she and her suit adapt to it. She has even been able to learn alien
6 | P a g e languages simply by observing them in use for a Andromeda (Major NPC) long enough period of time. Traits: Dohrnii Beneath her helmet is a human-like head. She has two pupils per eye rather than the usual Values: one. Both glow with the same bio-luminescent My future is unwritten energy as her suit. Her jaw is split into four The hazy memory of my past may provide guidance parts, though normally the only external I am not along anymore indication of this are prominent, sharp teeth that line where cheeks normally would be. Attributes Finally, she has ear-length, jet-black hair with Control Fitness Presence two bangs in the front that fall to her shoulders. 10 10 8 She does not reveal her face to anyone unless Daring Insight Reason she chooses to court them. As is covered in the 9 10 11 next section, that isn’t something that is undertaken lightly. Disciplines Command Security Science The Dohrnii 1 4 4 Andromeda has little to no memory of her Conn Engineering Medicine people. She does not even know their proper 1 1 5 name (i.e. “Dohrnii”). What she does know is that her people are healers. Their medical Focuses: Xenobiology, Regenerative Medicine, Bioengineering, Agronomy, Survival, Empathy technology is known throughout the Stress: 14 Resistance: 2* Andromeda Galaxy as being able to cure any Attacks: disease, plague, or mutation. Even a farmer like * Unarmed Strike (Melee, 5A, Knockdown) her knows enough about biology to show up * Shining Finger (Melee, 7A ,Intense, Debilitating) Starfleet’s finest with a minimal level of study. Yes you read that right: Andromeda believes Talents: her past life was that of a simple farmer. And ADAPTIVE SKIN 2 Resistance to all energy weapons (Applied above) yet her knowledge is so far beyond the Federation’s in the realm of medicine that she FAST RECOVERY 2 Andromeda recovers from stress and injury quickly. At could perform surgery with her eyes closed. the start of each of her turns, she can roll 2 CD. If she rolls an effect, she regains 1 Stress per effect up to her Background normal maximum. Also, if she's injured at the star of SPOILER WARNING: If you’re a Player and her turn, she may spend two Momentum to remove that injury. reading this, skip ahead. Otherwise you will receive spoilers for the Muuat and Of Gods and QUICK STUDY When attempting a Task that will involve an Men missions. This information is provided here unfamiliar medical procedure, or which is to treat an rather than later so as to help Gamemasters unfamiliar species, ignore any difficulty increase better roleplay Andromeda. stemming from Andromeda's unfamiliarity
The Dohrnii were one of two creator races I KNOW MY SUIT Whenever Andromeda attempts a task to determine produced by the Andromeda Galaxy. These two the source of a technical problem with her suit, add races were radically different – one being one bonus d20
7 | P a g e traditional humanoid and the other energoid. To show one’s true self beneath the suit is to be The latter thrived on radiation and viewed the utterly vulnerable. Thus, the only other former, the Dohrnii, as dangerous and in the individual a Dohrnii shows themselves to is way. At first, the two races seeded the galaxy someone they trust without any reservation. until they could no longer ignore one another. The Dohrnii do not exist among any particular They could not co-exist peacefully, leading to a stars or worlds. Instead, they travel about in galactic war. The Dohrnii won, driving the great flotillas throughout the Andromeda energoids out to the fringes of the galaxy. The galaxy. They have learned many tricks in dealing energoids languished with the lower rad count with the increasing radiation from the of the cold outer stars. energoids, one of which masks their ships to be In their anger and bitterness, the energoids almost entirely undetectable. One must have conceived a great and terrible revenge. They the proper frequency to unmask their ships or secretly began to use advanced technology to otherwise send out a beacon to draw them in. slowly increase the radiation throughout the entire galaxy. The goal being to either kill or Playing as Andromeda drive out the Dohrnii and leave it open for the Andromeda is best thought of as a cultural energoids alone. Much to their annoyance, outsider with amnesia. While she has learned though, the Dohrnii adapted. So the energoids some things about the Federation, there’s still continued to pump the galaxy full of radiation quite a large amount of things she doesn’t to this very day. know. It’s not uncommon for her to miss certain social cues or references. And to make matters Useful tidbits worse, she doesn’t know but a few things about Much like a certain species of jellyfish found on herself. Earth, the Dohrnii can live indefinitely. They accomplish this by reverting back to polyp-like All that said, Andromeda is a kind, if bold, phase and regrowing to maturity. They can still individual. They act on gut instinct sometimes, die from injury or disease, meaning they took especially when the situation calls for drastic great measures to prevent either. That led to action, medically or otherwise. Her peers view the same technology that sheathes her as quiet and mysterious. The reality is she Andromeda’s body. All Dohrnii possess such a can be quite inquisitive and open if approached. suit, each unique in design. Given her outward appearance, though, that doesn’t happen often. To put it another way, Each suit is capable of sustaining a Dohrnii she’s a loner by happenstance, not because she indefinitely throughout any stage of their life. It chose to be one. also comes equipped with baseline defensive traits such as energy dissipation and the means For the duration of the mission to take her to channel energy into one’s hands. Once home, Andromeda is considered to be an charged, a strike from a single finger is enough Ambassador with all the rights and treatment to knock out most humanoids. This draw upon that come with it. However, she is more than the Dohrnii’s energy reserves, though, meaning eager to aid on any Away Mission, to assist in they cannot perform this action for forever. Sickbay, or to provide input during Senior Staff meetings. Interpersonal relationships between the Dohrnii are a rarity. At best, a Dohrnii has 1-2 close friends and a handful of other acquaintances.
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Respond to any distress call and provide Heart of assistance Steel Do not allow the outbreak on Ollarth II to spread beyond the planet Synopsis Adapting this mission The Player Characters are waiting for the final to other eras modifications needed for their vessel to support Key to this mission and those moving forward is Quantum Slipstream Drive (QSD). As they wait, the Quantum Slipstream Drive. QSD was first they receive a briefing from Admiral Astier deployed by the Federation in 2381, and by the about their new mission. This mission is to take STO-era most ships possessed the ability. Andromeda home, wherever that might be in Without it, the distances involved with the the Andromeda Galaxy. journey to take Andromeda home are simply Once introduced to Andromeda, the Players’ too great. In earlier eras you will need to ship is ready to launch. Their destination is a provide some sort of warp engine upgrade and portal that links both galaxies. Along the way reduce the distances between key points. the Player Characters will need to work out any Though like most things Trek, travel time goes kinks with QSD. However, before they can finish at the speed of plot! the preliminary leg of their journey, a medical emergency arises on Ollarth II. Between QSD GM Sidebar and how Starfleet has deployed ships in the The initial part of this mission introduces the area, the Players’ ship is the closest and thus Player Characters to Andromeda and sets the must respond. stage for their mission moving forward. The Once at Ollarth II, the Player Characters learn briefing the Players receive assumes they will that a mysterious plague has broken out. Those be using Pandora’s Gate as was mentioned affected have their biological components earlier in this book. If you have a different slowly converted to mechanical ones. This starts method of travel to the Andromeda Galaxy (or with extremities and moves up limbs until it you’re sending the Players elsewhere) you will reaches the brain. Once the brain is converted, need to substitute such for the Gate during the the now-machine husk crumples and dies on briefing. the spot. For the moment this plague has been You may wish to introduce additional “learn-by- contained to the southern peninsula, but no doing” type tasks for beginner groups before one knows how it spreads or how to begin they arrive at Ollarth II. treating it. As for the outbreak on Ollarth II, it is designed Engineers and Doctors alike must work together to test Engineers and Doctors alike. It may be in order to stop this outbreak before it wipes tempting to simply throw Andromeda at the out the entire colony. If they’re not careful, this problem and wait, but that doesn’t make for phenomenon could very well transfer to their good roleplay. This is covered later on in Act 1 ship and beyond! Scene 2.
Directives In addition to the Prime Directive, the Directives for this mission are:
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Act 1: A Fresh Start Traits: Advanced Deflector, Prototype Departments Command Security Science 1 1 2 Conn Engineering Medicine CAPTAIN’S LOG 3 3 2
Captain’s Log, Stardate 58101.2 Talents: Quantum Slipstream Drive The crew and I are waiting for the This vessel is outfitted with QSD technology. To final touches to be put on the ship’s initiate slipstream, whichever character is refit. Once finished, we will be one of operating the Helm must spend Power equal to the ship’s scale, and attempt a Control + Conn the first Starfleet vessels to employ Task with a Difficulty equal to the ship’s scale, Quantum Slipstream Drive. The assisted by the ship’s Engines + Conn. One other opportunities presented by this character may assist with Control + Engineering or propulsion technology are Control + Science. Finally, the ship must maintain numerous, and the crew is eager to a Power level equal to or above twice the ship’s Scale, otherwise the slipstream collapses. go where no one has gone before. Before we go anywhere, though, the QSD can only be used for a maximum of 60 minutes at a time (about 300 lightyears). senior staff and I have a meeting Following its use, the ship must restore its power with Admiral Astier. She will be reserves and check the hull for micro-fractures briefing us on our mission as well as (e.g. a fancy way of saying it has a cooldown). introducing us to an Ambassador This downtime is at the GM's discretion. we’ll be ferrying along the way. QSD and You
QSD operates by routing energy through the vessel’s main deflector, which then focuses New Mission profile a quantum field. This allows the vessel to penetrate the quantum barrier. In order to This mission introduces a new Mission Profile maintain the slipstream, the phase variance (Core Rulebook (CRB) pg. 261) for the Players’ of the quantum field has to be constantly vessel to be outfitted with. It grants the adjusted. Otherwise the slipstream will following Trait, Departments, and Talents. If this collapse and violently throw the ship back mission is the beginning of the campaign, or is a into normal space. desired refit of the ship, then strip the previous Mission Profile from the starship that was given The average speed of QSD is 2.63 x 106 to it at creation and replace it with the times the speed of light. However, it cannot following statistics. Otherwise, you will need to be used for long periods without risking grant the Players’ vessel the “Quantum problems or requiring fresh benamite. Slipstream Drive” Talent and give it the Larger ships have trouble maintaining QSD “Prototype” Trait. due to the power requirements, and all ships must stop to check the hull every so
often to prevent the ship from being torn apart.
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Scene 1: The Briefing but even something like using her as the Comms Officer would suffice. The scene starts off with the Player Characters waiting aboard Starbase 61 for the refits to This scene ends with Astier bringing the their ship to be finalized. This is a good meeting to close by handing the Commanding opportunity for them to handle any affairs that Officer a text copy of their official orders. may be affected by their long absence. They’re fairly straight to the point: Alternatively, if this is the start of a fresh Return Andromeda to her people campaign, the time could be used to introduce Make peaceful First Contact with the crew to one another. species of the Andromeda Galaxy When it feels thematically appropriate, the Do not start any wars or conflicts that Player Characters receive a summons from will bleed back to the Milky Way Galaxy Admiral Astier to report for their mission Uphold the Prime Directive and briefing. Astier is a fairly well-built Human Starfleet General Orders woman with clear Nordic blood in her heritage. She commands a room not just by words and Scene 2: Distress Call rank, but by her imposing physical presence. It’s not long after this meeting that the Players’ This fact can be used to further outline ship is ready for departure. They’re free to Andromeda when she steps into the room. head towards Pandora’s Gate at their leisure. Astier begins the briefing by outlining QSD would get them there in less than 15 Andromeda’s history as Starfleet knows it (See minutes, so it’s really just a matter of whether p. 6). Starfleet has decided that with recent the Players feel like testing out. technological developments (i.e. QSD) that the Regardless of how the ship is traveling, it picks attempt can be made to take Andromeda up a distress call coming from Ollarth II. Ollarth home. From what little Andromeda knows of II is a Class-M world with a colony of about her kind, it’s projected that they are near the 100,000 individuals. Its chief export is center of the Andromeda Galaxy. As Pandora’s Tritanium, a widely-used construction material. Gate (or whatever you’re using to transplant This Tritanium is vital to the operation of nearby the ship) is on the edge of the galaxy, this is a starbases and shipyards, including Starbase 61. significant distance. It will likely be a multi-year mission, requiring the crew to find ways to A middle-aged Human male appears on screen resupply on their own. once the distress call has been answered. He identifies himself as Dr. Tomias Jefferson, Chief It is at this point that Astier calls in Andromeda. Administrator of Medicine for the Ollarth II Andromeda has about a foot on the Admiral, colony. He looks like he’s been up a few days but stands out mostly due to her alien straight and confirms as such. Jefferson is appearance. She politely introduces herself to sending out a distress call because of a all present and thanks them all for making the mysterious plague that is affecting the southern effort to take her home. She also makes it clear peninsula of the main continent. that she does not want to be treated as an Ambassador. Instead, Andromeda would like to In short, people are being slowly turned into help out with ship functions in whatever way metal. It begins with their extremities (fingers, the Player Characters see fit. She would best fit toes, etc.) and progresses inwards towards the in Sickbay given her innate knowledge and skill, rest of the boy. The process is strangely not
11 | P a g e painful, and those affected report that they’re GM Sidebar still able to feel and otherwise control affected limbs. However, once this process reaches the This aggressive timeline is meant to pressure brain, the now completely metal husk dies on the Players. It can be adjusted, but in general the spot. this pandemic spreads quickly. For all Extended Tasks in this adventure, the recommended For now the colony has been able to quarantine time-per-interval is 30 minutes, meaning that a the southern peninsula. But with no knowledge single attempt at the Task takes 1 hour (2 of how this phenomenon spreads or how to intervals) treat it, Jefferson believes it’s only a matter of time before the entire colony is affected. He As this timeline suggests, the Quarantine does implores the Player Characters to get there as fail at T+14 hours, but only for the colony. It’s fast as possible. not until T+22 hours that people start to try and escape the planet. It is at that point that How the Players decide to traverse the distance General Order 24 must take place. General to Ollarth II colors the adventure moving Order 24 is an order to destroy all life on an forward. In fact, the distress call begins a entire planet, given only if a commanding hidden timer for this plague to consume the officer deems that a society poses a clear and entire planet. Refer the following timeline for present danger to the Federation. This infection guidance as needed: cannot be allowed to leave the planet.
Infection Timeline Any personnel that travel down to the colony must use EV suits and follow strict quarantine T+0: Distress Call from Dr. Jefferson procedures. Particularly paranoid Players might T+5 Min: Approximate arrival time if using even go so far as to not allow anyone on the QSD surface to return to the ship until/unless a T+3 Hours: Dr. Jefferson becomes infected treatment for this plague has been found. T+6 Hours: Dr. Jefferson’s entire right arm is Though they may not know it, their paranoia is now metal actually warranted. If anything from the T+8 Hours: Approximate arrival time if using surface, even a single speck of dust, makes it maximum warp onto the ship, it will begin to spread there as T+10 Hours: Dr. Jefferson’s arms are now well. both metal T+14 Hours: The Quarantine is broken as The good news is that the Players have a safety riots break out net in the form of Andromeda. Should they fail T+15 Hours: 1/4th of the colony has died, all of their rolls up to T+22.5 hours and/or the including Dr. Jefferson infection spreads to the ship, Andromeda is T+17 Hours: The first to have died to this able to come up with a cure within an hour. This infection begin to return to life as purely deus ex machina should be used only as a last metallic beings resort if it looks like there’s no hope for the T+22 Hours: The metallic populace attempts Players. If Andromeda is used as an NPC or to leave the planet for the first time Supporting Character prior to this point, she has T+22.5 Hours: Starfleet General Order 24 a permanent advantage that reduces the must be enacted Difficulty of all her Medicine-related Tasks by -1. She is also immune to this plague.
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Act Two: The Plague normal biological matter and turning it into Chromium-54. Normally, Tetryons occur only in Scene 1: Research subspace environments. Yet the microbe Scenes 1 and 2 can effectively occur at the same appears to be otherwise stable. Something is time as one another. GMs may wish to bounce allowing it to exist in normal space. back and forth between locations/parts of the It is at this point that both Science and Party to keep the tension high and everyone Engineering oriented characters can begin to involved. flourish. The Science Team will have to begin to The Player Characters are going to need several look for whatever is keeping the microbes things if they want to start making headway on anchored in reality, while the Engineers figure identifying and curing this pandemic: out a way to rig up a way to disrupt the microbes using exotic radiation. The former is 1. Scans of the infected prior to when covered first. symptoms developed 2. Scans of the infected after symptoms Someone using the Science or Ops station on developed the bridge can run a sensor sweep of Ollarth II 3. Samples of the metal the infected are and the surrounding system to check for any being turned into anomalies. This is another Extended Task, with 4. Samples of the planet’s air and water a Work Track of 8, a Magnitude of 2, and a Base 5. Samples of the colony’s food supply Difficulty of 2. The default Task is Reason + Science, assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Given how Starfleet Quarantine Procedure Science. Success reveals that the planet is stuck works, this means that Medical personnel must in what’s known as a Subspace Sandbar. In work either in isolated shuttlecraft or on the short, the area between space and subspace surface itself. Actually beaming the samples into has become unstable, allowing a subspace layer Sickbay will cause a ship-wide outbreak to extrude into normal space. This is likely the eventually, regardless of how many force fields source of the strange microbes and why they are put in place. Information can be fed back to are able to exist in realspace. Sickbay so that ships with the Advanced Sickbay talent can provide assistance. With this new knowledge in hand, the Engineers can work hand in hand with the Scientists to Once the above is within arm’s reach of the begin breaking up this subspace sandbar. This Medical personnel, call for an Extended Task. It Extended Task has a Work Track of 12, a has a Work Track of 12, a Magnitude of 3, a Magnitude of 4, a Base Difficulty of 4, and a Base Difficulty of 4, and a Resistance of 1. The default Task of Reason or Daring + Science or default Task is Insight or Reason + Medicine. If Engineering. This is to represent the Player the Players have not succeeded after 5 hours, Characters crunching numbers and coming up then this Difficulty goes down by -1 and the with innovative ways to affect subspace. Resistance vanishes. This is represented by Alternatively, if the Players come up with a more data, samples, and scans being available particularly good-sounding technobabble of the infected. method, skip this Extended Task and move on.
Success on this Extended Task successfully A potential solution to the above that may be identifies the cause of the plague: A Tetryon- used is initiating an Inverse Warp Cascade. This based microbe. This microbe is consuming will disrupt the sandbar and hopefully send the
13 | P a g e microbes back where they belong. However, to out some ground-level style conflict for a key cover an entire planet with the effect, the ship’s area. It’s recommended that GMs use the stats engines must be pushed far past the red line. for a Starfleet Science Officer (CRB p. 315) for This is represented by a Daring + Engineering the colonists, and to field double the normal Task, assisted by the ship’s Engines + amount of Minor NPCs usually advised for their Engineering, at a base Difficulty of 5. It also Players (CRB p. 300). consumes 5 power from the ship per attempt. The second method is by doing an Extended Unlike normal, where a Player could perform a Task with a Work Track of 10, a Base Difficulty Power Management Task, it takes two intervals of 3, a Magnitude of 3, and a Default Task of of time to recharge power fully. This time Presence + Security. Narratively, this means the should be modified by GMs to suit the Players’ Player Character in charge of security is ship and any ongoing circumstances. coordinating security teams and directing Passing this Task effectively breaks up the resources where needed to contain the riots. Subspace Sandbar and sends the microbes Just remember: At this point in the timeline, the causing this plague back to subspace. This has entire planet is infected, meaning anyone who the effect of instantly killing any metallic goes down to the surface cannot return to the zombies that may be out, as well as stopping ship until cured. the infection at whatever stage it happens to be at in the populace. Scene Three: Zombies
Scene Two: The Riots At 17 hours past the distress call, the dead begin to rise. The first colonists that were If the spread of the plague has not been infected and then perished return to life in a stopped by 14 hours after the initial Distress purely metallic state. They speak a language Call, riots break out across the colony. The that does not work via the Universal Translator, Player Characters cannot be everywhere at and are otherwise aggressively violent. They do once, and must pick and choose what areas of seem to possess intelligence, though, as they the colony to protect. This could mean they coordinate efforts to topple any safe houses, focus purely on the research labs where Dr. controlled areas, etc. If need be, use the stats Jefferson is working, on the colony’s for a Starfleet Security Officer (CRB p. 314) plus governmental staff, on the spaceport, and so a Resistance of 1 to represent these metallic on. GMs are encouraged to make up locales as zombies in combat. seems thematically appropriate to the situation. Anyone injured in melee by these beings must Dispersing the riots should be somewhat of a test a Fitness + Security at Difficulty 2. Failure morale quandary. These are Federation citizens, means that they are now in the process of but if they are not stopped they will destroy the turning into a metallic being themselves. colony. It’s the same kind of difficult situation Police and/or the Military in the real world face GM Sidebar when confronted with riots. If the response is not appropriate then there will be inquiries and How you enforce the fact that the zombies are possible court martials. to be feared and otherwise eradicated depends on you. Classic zombie movies may prove a The actual act of disrupting the riots can be good source of inspiration. handled one of two ways. The first is by playing
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Scene Four: Escapees Debugging
At 22 hours past the distress call, the metallic No adventure runs smoothly when Players are populace attempts to break the planet-wide involved. Some common pitfalls and potential quarantine via shuttlecraft. Their ship must be solutions are presented here: destroyed to prevent the spread of the plague. One of the Player Characters got infected and Mechanically, this ship is represented by a they are running out of time before General Danube-class Runabout (CRB p. 235) with the Order 24 has to be carried out! Passenger Transport module. This could be a good source of drama and Act Three: Conclusion tension if played right. Will those in Command How events resolve themselves in this act break protocol to save their fellow crew? Or will depends on how successful (or not) the Players they be resigned to their fate? However, it may have been. not be fun for a Player to lose their character to something that may have been out of their The Sandbar is Gone control. In such an event, the Deus Ex Machina If the Subspace Sandbar has been disrupted, of Andromeda that was mentioned in Act 1 then the infection has stopped. However, the Scene 2 could be used. symptoms (i.e. conversion to metal) is not The Players succeeded, but one (or more) of reversed. This could be the jumping point for them is now partially metal! further medical endeavors, or the Players may decide to simply send a request to Starfleet for Another good source of potential RP and drama. a proper medical research team to come to This also gives the Medical Characters Ollarth II. It is possible for those characters on something to work on. If nothing else, the surface to return to the ship without worry Andromeda will be able to fix them in time, of infecting their fellow crew. whether that be between sessions or somewhere down the line. The Clock Strikes The metal zombies escaped into space! Midnight Though the Players do not know it, any zombies If the Players do not resolve the situation within that get more than half of lightyear away from 22.5 hours of the initial distress call, then Ollarth II die on the spot. Without the subspace General Order 24 must be enacted. Otherwise, sandbar to sustain them, they cannot survive. the metallic beings will eventually break free of This could be a source of worry for the Players the planet-wide quarantine and spread this and should be encouraged. phenomenon to other worlds. How General Order 24 is carried out depends on the ship, but usually a barrage of torpedoes would do the trick. A gross loss of life to be sure, but a necessary one to protect the greater Federation. No negative reputation should be imposed for this act unless the GM is feeling particularly vindictive.
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this mission can be easily adapted to other eras New by modifying the Toth stats in Act 2.
Neighborhood GM Sidebar
Synopsis With all the travel time in this adventure, you are encouraged to come up with your own “B The Player Characters make one final stop Plot” to keep the Player Characters engaged. before taking the plunge into an entirely new For example, if you have characters that were area of space. They meet with Captain Beckett, partially turned to metal in the Heart of Steel a Starfleet Captain that has recently returned mission, now is a perfect time to work on fixing from his own mission of exploration in the very that. same area the Player Characters are going. He has words of wisdom for them, including where Starship combat is a distinct possibility in Act 2. to pick up a guide on the other side. You will want to brush up on such before running this adventure just in case peace talks After transitioning through to unknown space, break down! the Player Characters must seek out the services of the Frila. The Frila are the first The initial infodump via NPC (Beckett) does friendly species the Federation has made require you to have some knowledge of contact with on this side of the portal and are Pandora’s Gate. Unless, of course, you are using more than happy to provide a guide. However, a different vector or destination for your in the process of taking on a new crewmember, Players! In such a case you’ll want to modify the first hostile species encountered on this Beckett’s info to match your desired narrative. side appears. The Toth, as they are known, Connecting to other make it clear that they will not tolerate further use of the portal. The Player Characters must Adventures manage this diplomatic situation or else risk If you are running the adventures in this book in losing their only way home! sequential order, then this mission should follow Heart of Steel after a few days of in- Directives universe time. In addition to the Prime Directive, the Directives for this mission are:
Acquire a guide for the Andromeda Galaxy Do not start a war with the Toth
Adapting this mission to other eras
As has been stated previously, both QSD and Pandora’s Gate are used in this and all future missions. Hopefully, you as the GM have already made the call of where exactly Andromeda is from and how the Player Characters are going to get there. Otherwise,
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Act 1: The Plunge Scene 2: Zaix’s
Zaix’s is situated on one of the lower decks of DSD. It doesn’t get the most foot traffic, nor is it the station’s best bar or club. What it has going CAPTAIN’S LOG for it is the fact it’s nice and quiet and that Beckett has a special deal with the owner (a Captain’s Log, Stardate 58110.4 Tellarite named Zaix). We are approaching Deep Space The Player Characters arrive as Beckett and Zaix Daedalus where I and some of my are mid-talk about their deal. The gist is that Senior Staff with have the pleasure Beckett brews his own liquor on the Lysithea of meeting with Captain Beckett. The and is trying to broker a deal to sell good Captain has spent the last “Andromeda Ale.” Zaix, being a Tellarite, is several years in the Andromeda gruff, rude, and otherwise confrontational. The Galaxy as Starfleet’s first real talk ends with the two “begrudgingly” coming attempt to explore the area on the to a deal and Beckett greeting the Player other side of Pandora’s Gate. I look Characters. He buys them all drinks then takes forward to this meeting greatly. them to a table in the back where they can talk freely.
Beckett gets straight to the point and begins to brief the Player Characters on what to expect in Scene 1: DSD the Andromeda Galaxy. The following points of Deep Space Daedalus (DSD) is a Copernicus- information should be covered during this style Station on the edge of the Sabine Expanse. discussion: It has three large docks for starships and three smaller ones for smaller craft. Currently docked The Andromeda Galaxy is not as with DSD is the U.S.S. Lysithea, a Luna-class hospitable as the Milky Way. There’s a vessel. The Lysithea is captained by Michael great amount of ambient delta Beckett, a middle-aged, Human male with radiation that only seems to be reddish-brown hair that’s streaked with silver. increasing as time goes on and the As for DSD itself, it is commanded by Admiral closer one gets to the galaxy’s core. Theso, an older Caitian male with black fur. That said, the Lysithea’s crew had no Theso is not featured outside of initial contact problems during their two year journey with the station, but is presented here for ease thanks to careful monitoring by the of reference. Chief Medical Officer. The Lysithea only explored an area After obtaining permission to come aboard the about 2.5 lightyears cubed surrounding station, the Player Characters know that they Pandora’s Gate. There was an are to meet Captain Beckett at a bar known as overabundance of gravimetric eddies (a Zaix’s. How they obtain the location of Zaix’s is fancy way of saying black holes) that up to the GM, but should not be at all difficult were similar to those found in the to find on reputation alone. Shackleton Expanse. The only sentient life the Lysithea came
across in her journey were the Frila
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(pronounced Fry-la) and the Toth. Both If the Player Characters would like a species are capable of faster than light guide or simply a pleasant first port of travel. call, they will want to take their ship to The Frila are the descendants of the Fril, the homeworld of the Frila. There Friequa, the species that built Pandora’s they will want to talk to Samisia, the Gate and were behind most of the Consulate General. wonders found in the Sabine Expanse. Finally, there is the “unofficial order.” This order The Frila are therefore very much like is the destruction of Pandora’s Gate should Milky Way species in their mannerisms, there be an overwhelming threat to the Milky i.e. open, trusting, and cooperative. Way Galaxy from whatever the Andromeda They were more than happy to interact Galaxy has in store. That includes the Planet with the Lysithea’s crew and provide Killers on the other side. If they are reactivated whatever aid was needed. then the Gate must be brought down. The Toth, however, are like Klingons prior to the Khitomer Accords. That is to GM Sidebar say they are rather confrontational and territorial. The very first encounter with Whether or not you have Beckett reveal the them nearly ended in a firefight. Their fact there are Planet Killers is entirely up to you. weapons and defenses were on par It may prove more interesting from a with the Lysithea’s. roleplaying perspective to simply hint at their Though the Lysithea never encountered existence without actually saying what they are. them, there were indications that the If you want more information on Planet Killers Kelvan Empire still existed in in general, reference CRB p. 339. Andromeda. The Kelvans were first Scene 3: The Gate encountered by Starfleet in the days of Captain Kirk and his legendary five-year It takes about 5 days at maximum warp (or a mission. They believe in their innate quick QSD jump) to reach Pandora’s Gate from superiority and deem it that the fate of DSD. Upon arrival, the Players find a Subspace lesser species is to be conquered and Node. This node is a “bubble” of curved space- ruled. The Kirk-encounter indicated that time that results in an area of space devoid of the Kelvans were attempting to flee stars or stellar bodies. Such nodes have been Andromeda due to growing radiation encountered before by both the original NX-91 levels, though all signs in Andromeda and Voyager. Were it not for a series of seemed to indicate that the Kelvans navigational buoys set up by Starfleet, it would were expanding their empire towards be very easy to get lost in there. the fringes of the galaxy. The Players must enter this Subspace Node in Communication back to Starfleet is not order to reach Pandora’s Gate. After a possible from the other side of subsequent 3.5 days of traveling, they arrive at Pandora’s Gate. This is similar to how the outer-rim of the Gate’s defenses. Read or the Bajoran Wormhole did not initially paraphrase the following: allow real-time communication between the Alpha and Gamma Sensors begin to detect a strange structure quadrants. surrounded by all manner of Starfleet turrets and other defensive platforms. The structure
18 | P a g e itself is composed of eight components that single Planet Killer in the Milky Way is quite interlock with great circular motions. These infamous. Some characters may take issue with motions generate what could be best described the fact Starfleet is taking a risk by leaving as a subspace portal at the center of the Pandora’s Gate open. structure. This portal is what connects this Once the decision to proceed out into open Subspace Node to a similar one in the space has been made, read or paraphrase the Andromeda Galaxy. following: The Starfleet defenses query the Players’ ship Like lights flickering into existence, the for the proper access codes, which they have in viewscreen begins to fill with stars as you leave their possession. Once provided they are the Subspace Node behind. The stars here a cleared to go through the portal. Read or drastically different. So much so, in fact, that paraphrase the following once they are on the the computer has to be switched from “Milky other side of the gate: Way mode” to “Andromeda mode” in order to Unlike the Subspace Node you just left, this one properly navigate. Once recalibrated, the is only about a lightyear across. The portal you sensors report increased ambient delta just came through, Pandora’s Gate, and its radiation. It’s nothing the deflector can’t defenses are all sensors report at first. However, handle, but if it ever fails then the crew will have the longer you scan, the more you come to to start worrying about exposure. realize there are husks of neutronium floating in the void. It doesn’t take long for the computer GM Sidebar to identify them as Planet Killers. They’re This ambient radiation is kept at bay so long as gathered together and surrounded by a the Players’ ship has at least 1 point of Power minefield, though given their broken state it and the deflector is undamaged. This extends to does not seem that their reactivation is likely. shuttlecraft as well. Planets with an atmosphere It may be interesting to see how each Player can also provide protection. Character reacts to this revelation. After all, the
The Frila
The Frila are a lithe humanoid species that stand anywhere between six and eight feet tall. They possess large, elven ears, a long, slender tail, black sclera, and digitigrade feet that end in three claws. Their skin tends to be ashen in color and their hair dark. Traditionally they wear a bodysuit with a traveling cloak laid over top. The Toth
The Toth are also humanoid, though their frames are much more muscular. They also possess the same style of digitigrade feet, though they do not have a tail or any visible ears. Instead, their raptor-like heads have six tendrils (three to a side) with a tuft of wiry hair usually kept short. Their hands only have three fingers, and their skin is a muted blue.
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Exposure to the radiation is not instantly Iha (Major NPC) troublesome. It can be handled with traditional medical treatments such as hyronalin for the Traits: Frila first twelve hours. After that arithrazine must Values: be used. How specific you track this sort of Always know where the exit is thing depends on what sort of feeling you want Never let your guard down the Players to get from the Andromeda Galaxy. It’s meant to be inhospitable to a point, but not Attributes so much so that the Players start to feel Control Fitness Presence constantly “under attack.” 9 9 8 Daring Insight Reason 12 9 9 Act 2: Meeting the Neighbors Disciplines Command Security Science Scene 1: Fril 2 3 3 The Fril System is a day’s journey from Conn Engineering Medicine Pandora’s Gate (or shorter if the Players use 5 2 1 QSD). Upon arrival, the Players’ ship is immediately hailed by Consulate General Focuses: Astronavigation, Small Craft, Helm Samisia. Samisia is delighted that fresh new Operations, Evasive Action, Combat Tactics, Projectile Weaponry faces from Starfleet have arrived. However, she Stress: 12 Resistance: 0 knows full well they’re not exactly here to take Attacks: shore leave. She’s preemptively taken the * Unarmed Strike (Melee, 4A, Knockdown) liberty of arranging for one of her people to * Frila Type-5 Rifle (Ranged Projectile, 7A ,Accurate, stand-by should the Player Characters want a Debilitating, Vicious 1) guide for a portion of the Andromeda Galaxy. * Frila Dagger (Melee, 4A , Vicious 1, Deadly, Hidden)
This individual’s name is Iha (pronounced eye- Talents: ha). Her stats are seen to the right. She also EVASIVE ACTION PRECISE EVASION comes with her own shuttle (Use the stats for a QUICK TO ACTION Runabout), just like Neelix did on Voyager. Unlike Neelix, however, Iha can contribute her skills at the helm or in security-related matters. Even if the Players do not choose to take along How the Players decide to use her (if at all) is Iha, she still offers to review their flight plan entirely up to them. Iha is meant to help before the Player Characters leave Fril. She very supplement the potential characters available quickly identifies a major problem in that the for play by both Player and GM alike. projected path goes right through Toth territory. Going around Toth space would add a If the Players opt to bring Iha into the fold, it’s full hour of QSD time and resources, or about recommended that she be granted the field 300 lightyears. Negotiation might be possible, rank of Chief Specialist. She will not be able to but Iha cautions against trying. The Toth are order any officers around (even Ensigns), but highly confrontational and may not take kindly will otherwise have rank over lower Enlisted to another Starfleet vessel poking around. Still, crewmen.
20 | P a g e given the potential time save, it’s worth at least If the Player Characters do not succeed on this meeting the Toth and seeing where things may Task then the Toth fire a warning shot across lie. the bow of the Players’ ship. Another attempt can be made at diplomacy, but now at a Scene 2: The Toth Difficulty of 4. Failure on this Task means that Reaching the border of Toth space is fairly quick Starship Combat breaks out. The Toth aim to all things considered. It only takes about half an disable the Players’ ship rather than destroy hour of waiting before the Toth show up. If the outright. As such they focus on Engines and Players’ ship is Scale 4 or lower, only one Weapons. Once these two are disabled, the Seraph Scout arrives. Otherwise, two or more Toth tractor beam the ship and start towing it Scouts show up with weapons charged. back towards Pandora’s Gate. The Scout(s) attempt to flee the battlefield at warp if the Seraph Scout Players are able to cause two or more breaches Systems to them. Comms Engines Structure If the Player Characters do succeed at 7 8 7 diplomacy then this becomes a social conflict Computers Sensors Weapons 7 8 9 instead. The goal here is to convince the Toth
Departments that Starfleet is not here to fight or start any Command Security Science wars. There’s two ways to go about this social 1 2 1 conflict. The first is simply playing out the Conn Engineering Medicine conversation via pure roleplaying. The second 2 3 1 option is to do an Extended Task with a Work
Scale: Resistance: Power: Shields: Track of 12, a Magnitude of 3, a Base Difficulty 3 3 8 9 of 4, a Resistance of 1, and a Default Task of Disruptor Banks (Energy, Medium, 6 CD, Reason + Command. Vicious 1) Spatial Torpedo (Long, 5 CD, High-Yield) GM Sidebar
The Toth are xenophobic and highly mistrustful Before any conflict breaks out, the Player of anything the Player Characters have to say. It Characters receive an audio-only hail. The Toth might go a long way if the Players are willing to speaking does not identify themselves. Instead do something that benefits the Toth. Their they insist that the “Federation aggressors” initial demands of the Players are outrageous return to their own galaxy where they belong. and break the Prime Directive in more than one The Toth are willing to follow up this edict with way. It will take careful roleplay and/or good force if need be. rolls to get the Toth to assign the Players a task that is actually within the power to do. This is a perfect opportunity for Player Characters with talents like Defuse the Tension Act 3: Conclusion to take center stage. It takes a Presence + How this adventure wraps up depends on how Command (if being diplomatic) or a Presence + the prior act played out. Security (if being confrontational) at Difficulty 3 to convince the Toth to back down and listen to If combat broke out, but no Toth ships were what the Player Characters have to say. If Iha is destroyed, then the Toth begrudgingly present, she may assist with Insight + Conn.
21 | P a g e withdraw. They do not grant the Players access to their space.
If combat broke out and one or more Toth ships were destroyed, then any remaining Toth retreat with the warning that the Player Characters have made an enemy this day. This is not a declaration of war, rather a promise that any Toth ships that encounter the Player Characters from now on will shoot first and ask questions later. This creates a permanent complication that increase the difficulty of all Social Tasks involving the Toth by +1.
If the Player Characters were able to talk the Toth down, then they can plead their case to travel through Toth space. This may involve a “side quest” and/or further diplomacy. This side quest should be tailored to the strengths of the Player Characters and their ship. It could serve as the basis for a small story arc depending how involved the task is.
Debugging
No adventure runs smoothly when Players are involved. Some common pitfalls and potential solutions are presented here:
The Toth rolled really well and now the Players are being forcibly being taken back to Pandora’s Gate!
Depending on how much damage the ship took, the Players might be able to escape the tractor beam and/or any escorts. This will anger the Toth and confer the same complication mentioned in Act 3.
I’m struggling to come up with a side quest for the Players to do!
There’s three classical quest types that you can use to create your own: Gather something, Destroy something, and Talk to someone. You can mix and match these to suit whatever narrative you have in mind.
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Paradox GM Sidebar Time travel can be a tricky subject to handle Synopsis with even the best group of Players. Both this mission and the next touch upon it in some way The Player Characters detect a recently-formed so you will need to be prepared for the Players neutron star along their route and divert to to start wondering about paradoxes and other investigate. In the process of scanning the star, effects of time travel. The “easiest” approach is they find a derelict Federation shuttlecraft to take a page from Doctor Who and handwave slowly falling towards it. After recovering this any problems by saying time is a bunch of shuttlecraft and running some scans, it’s wibbly-wobbly, timey whimey stuff. determined that this shuttle comes from the Players’ ship, albeit from the future. It contains That said, this adventure can be on the shorter a warning about a Toth ship that will be trapped side if the Players do not spend the time to by the neutron star’s gravity well in the near roleplay and debate how best to proceed. You future. In the process it will signal distress and may want to have a B Plot ready in such an include the fact that the Players’ ship was there. event. The Toth will then use this as an excuse to mount an attack on the portal that leads back Connecting to other to the Milky Way. Adventures
The Players must navigate the Temporal Prime If you are running the adventures in this book in Directive and weigh whether violating it is in sequential order, then the Players may have a their best interests. complication from the New Neighborhood mission when it comes to dealing with the Toth. Directives Alternatively, they may be on better terms with In addition to the Prime Directive and the the Toth, making this mission even easier. Temporal Prime Directive, the Directives for this mission are:
Do not start a war with the Toth
Adapting this mission to other eras
As this is mostly a science and engineering centric mission, it can be easily adapted to other eras by flavoring technobabble appropriately. In the default era (i.e. 2381+) the adventure calls for the use of a holographic mobile emitter like the one seen on Voyager. Earlier eras will not have the benefit of this technology and will instead receive any information that the holographic NPC provides via audio logs in the shuttle’s computer.
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Act 1: Starbound the Impulse Engines may take on additional strain during any exit maneuvers.
Mechanically, all navigational Tasks have their CAPTAIN’S LOG complication range increased by 2 (18-20) while the ship is within the neutron star’s area of Captain’s Log, Stardate 58142.5 effect. Long range sensors have detected Give the Players ample time to do as much the remnants of a supernova near science-ing and roleplaying as they wish. Then our current route. More specifically, move onto the next scene right as they’re about a Neutron Star. It is scientifically- to leave the Neutron Star behind. interesting due to it being only twenty years old. I’ve decided to Scene 2: Distress Call divert the ship to study this phenomenon further. A badly-garbled transmission is detected by the Players’ ship. It is coming from the opposite side of the Neutron Star from where they currently are. Nothing can be done to clean up the signal, as the problem is at the source. The Player Scene 1: Neutron Star Characters can be confident that it is not white Once in orbit of the Neutron Star, call for the noise, but they cannot identify who or what is Player Characters to make a standard Sensor broadcasting without investigating. Sweep Task (Reason + Science assisted by the Scanning across this area of space is made ship’s Sensors + Science at Difficulty 1). Short of difficulty by the Neutron Star. The Difficulty for complications, the following information is Sensor Sweep Tasks increases by +1 to a total of revealed about the star: 2. Success reveals that there is a metallic object The star that was originally here about the size of a shuttlecraft slowly falling collapsed into a neutron star towards the Neutron Star. By spending approximately 10 km in diameter Momentum on additional questions, the Player The star contains thrice the mass of Characters will also learn that the object Earth’s own sun, Sol consists of a Tritanium alloy, and that it has a Had the star been larger than it was, a transient chroniton field surrounding it. black hole might have formed instead Tritanium alloy is used heavily in Starfleet construction, particularly of ships. As for the Neutron Stars are infamous for their chroniton field, this may indicate that the object time-dilation effects on the space has recently traveled in time. surrounding them. This is due to the fact their escape velocity is about one- Even if the Player Characters do not succeed on third the speed of light (approximately this Task, they can still get within visual range Full Impulse) and thus relativity comes and identify it that way. When it is put onto the into play. main viewer, all of the bridge crew see that it is The Players’ ship should have no indeed a Type 9 shuttle. The hull shows signs problem entering and leaving the that the shuttle has been in space for a very gravitational area of effect. However, long time. Life support is offline, and the
24 | P a g e engines are all but running on empty. But Daring + Engineering. There is only enough what’s really important is the fact that this very power left to attempt this Extended Task six same shuttle is currently sitting in the Players’ times before all data is lost. If the Players try to ship! hook up a backup power supply, roll a single Challenge Die. On an effect, the consoles spark Scene 3: Recovery and burn out as the power surges. All other Recovering the shuttle can be accomplished results buy the Players another two attempts. multiple ways. The simplest method is to Success of this Extended Task yields a complex tractor it into the shuttlebay. Wary Players equation and set of modifications to normal might prefer to transport someone over in an Quantum Slipstream Drive. The purpose of EVA suit before bringing it aboard. Beaming these modifications is unclear and requires inside skips this scene for the most part, further research. Specifically, an Insight + whether the shuttle is floating in space or in the Science Task, assisted by the ship’s Computers + shuttlebay. Science, at Difficulty 4. Success here reveals Otherwise, the Player Characters find that the that these changes could theoretically turn QSD shuttle’s access way is jammed closed. It takes a into an unstable time travel corridor. Control + Engineering Task at Difficulty 2 to Activating the holoemitter activates the bypass the door’s controls and free it up. This “Emergency Science Hologram,” complete with Succeeds at Cost, with complications meaning the phrase “Please state the nature of the that the power loss associated with opening the scientific emergency.” The hologram identifies door causes some sectors of the shuttle’s themselves as Lieutenant Connery. They come computer to be wiped. from the future, but that’s all they’re able to Alternatively, forcing the door open manually remember. They know there’s something very involves a simple Fitness + Security or important they need to tell the Player Engineering at Difficulty 1. Characters, but they cannot remember what. Self-diagnostics report that their matrix has Act 2: Message in a been corrupted due to age. Bottle Fixing Connery’s matrix is rather involved, and Scene 1: The Bottle would give Players not involved with the task time to do other things. The actual act of repair The interior of the shuttle looks about as bad as is an Extended Task with a Work Track of 12, a the exterior does. Wires and panels are strewn Magnitude of 4, a Default Difficulty of 4, and a about, the air is stale, and the consoles flicker Resistance of 1. The Default Task is Control + with what limited power remains. A careful Engineering, assisted by the ship’s Computers + inspection reveals that there is a holographic Engineering. Each attempt takes about an hour. mobile emitter in the pilot’s chair. Complications mean that part of Connery’s data Attempting to pull data off the shuttle’s is lost, which could make things worse for the computer core is made difficult by the advanced Players! age, low power, and corrupted sectors. Thus, a Scene 2: The Message Timed Extended Task is in order, with a Work Track of 14, a Magnitude of 4, a Base Difficulty With Connery repaired, they are able to tell the of 5, a Resistance of 1, and a Default Task of Player Characters what their purpose was and
25 | P a g e how they came to be in the shuttle to begin Directive, but not acting on it means possibly with. In short, the Players’ ship was returning condemning an entire species and opening up from the center of the Andromeda Galaxy the Alpha Quadrant to attack. Additionally, the several years into the future. They came upon Prime Directive itself means that interfering the edge of what used to be Frila space; with the “natural” development of a species however, the Frila had all but been wiped out isn’t allowed, even if that means the death of by the Toth. Their territory had been annexed another species. Without an actual plea from and blockaded against incursion on all sides. the Frila, Starfleet’s hands are tied. This isn’t And to make matters worse: The Toth were Federation space so the Players do not have preparing to mount an assault on the Alpha jurisdiction here. Quadrant via Pandora’s Gate. This should lead to interesting discussions and Connery is very specific not to reveal any names roleplay about how to proceed. At some point as they state that the senior staff considered all during this conversation, Connery informs the of their options carefully. It was decided that Player Characters that their matrix will be wiped they would try and pinpoint if there was any in one hour’s time in accordance with the specific event in history that led to the Toth Temporal Prime Directive. This cannot be expansion or if it was simply an inevitability. delayed except by turning Connery off. Even Without revealing the method by which this then, the countdown timer resumes once they information was obtained, Connery says that are reactivated. the crew was able to narrow it down to one event with a 96.3% probability of being correct. Scene 2: The Kutsun
The event is the disappearance of the Toth ship At a dramatically appropriate time, sensors Kutsun in 2381 (or whatever the current year detect that a vessel has just dropped out of is). It was listed as missing about a month after warp on the edge of the system. They’ve the Players’ ship left QSD range of Pandora’s scanned the area and are moving towards the Gate. Its previous location happened to be the Players’ ship at a rapid pace. A Reason or Insight very same system the current Adiona is in. + Conn Task at Difficulty 1 confirms that this is Though they could not be 100% sure, the future indeed the Kutsun. crew surmised that the Kutsun might have Those who are paying attention may realize gotten ensnared by the Neutron Star. that this is the beginning of a paradox. The Unforunately, a Toth attack necessitated Kutsun is being drawn in by the Players’ ship, moving up plans to send someone back in time. which is only there due to the shuttle from the The last thing Connery saw was the Players’ ship future, thus leading to its disappearance. If valiantly fending off three Toth cruisers while Connery is still active, they have no data about their shuttle went into the Temporal Vortex. this event.
Act 3: Decisions If the Player Characters are in good standing with the Toth, then a simple message to the Scene 1: The Prime Kutsun’s commander, Ababai, is all it takes to Directives divert the Toth away before they’re trapped by The above information should give the Players the gravitational well of the Neutron Star. something to deliberate about. Acting on this Ababai is here to investigate the system for information would violate the Temporal Prime possible Toth annexation.
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Otherwise, this could lead to open conflict. Modifying the ship’s QSD (or outfitting a shuttle Destruction of the Kutsun would be the same as with such) would take more time than the letting it get trapped, so any starship combat Players have before the Kutsun arrives. that results must be focused on luring the Toth The Kutsun is beating the crap out of the away from the Neutron Star, by force or Players! otherwise. Commander Ababai’s goal is to cripple the Kutsun Players’ ship, not outright destroy it. Systems Comms Engines Structure 9 9 8 Computers Sensors Weapons 8 8 11
Departments Command Security Science 2 3 1 Conn Engineering Medicine 2 1 1
Scale: Resistance: Power: Shields: 5 5 9 11 Disruptor Banks (Energy, Medium, 8 CD, Vicious 1) Spatial Torpedo (Long, 6 CD, High-Yield)
Scene 3: Aftermath
With the crisis (hopefully) averted, the Players can continue on their way towards the center of the galaxy. The shuttle from the future remains, as does Connery. What the Players do with either is up to them.
Debugging
No adventure runs smoothly when Players are involved. Some common pitfalls and potential solutions are presented here:
My Players are spending a lot of time debating what to do!
An easy way to make them commit to a course of action is to have the Kutsun arrive “early.”
My Players were able to recover the QSD modifications and want to send someone else back in time!
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order to drive home the Muuat’s level of Muuat advancement.
Synopsis GM Sidebar
The Player Characters come upon an This is “the big one” in terms of adventures. It abandoned vessel over a kilometer long, made was the series finale for the Adiona group that out of neutronium, and bleeding radiation. Due spanned three sessions worth of content. With to neutronium’s rarity resulting from how time travel involved, things can get complicated difficult it is to obtain, this makes the ship a quickly. Otherwise this should be a classic Prime small wonder. The Player Characters brave Directive conundrum. intense radiation and work to recover what data they can. In doing so, they learn of a Connecting to other species known as the Muuat, and a means of Adventures contacting them. It involves constructing a If you are running the adventures in this book in Graviton Catapult to enter an area of space sequential order, then the Players may have known as “The Garden.” acquired a set of modifications to QSD in When they get there, though, the Player Paradox that would permit time travel. This Characters suddenly find themselves way in may come into play during Act 2/3. over their heads. They learn that their VIP,
Andromeda, belongs to a species the Muuat revere as gods. And to make matters worse, the Muuat view her arrival as a blessing, and the Player Characters as her envoys. They urge Andromeda to visit their homeworld, where a trove left by her people awaits. The Player Characters must weave their way through this precarious situation before all hell breaks loose.
Directives
In addition to the Prime Directive and the Temporal Prime Directive, the Directives for this mission are:
Seek out information about Andromeda’s species Keep the peace with the Muuat
Adapting this mission to other eras
The Graviton Catapult technology would be a massive leap forward for earlier eras in terms of FTL technology. It should be flavored as such in
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Act 1: Catapult wide, and 75 meters tall. The configuration matches none on record.
Strangely, it does not seem to have warp engines of any known design. It only appears to CAPTAIN’S LOG have impulse engines and a Neutronium-alloy hull. What faint power readings get through the Captain’s Log, Stardate 58516.4 hull imply that it is powered by a Tetryon Things have been quiet lately. It’s a Reactor. To date, this would be the third such welcome change after the reactor discovered by Starfleet, the first being excitement that was dealing with the Caretaker’s Array and the second a Graviton the Toth. We’re making good time Catapult. towards the center of the galaxy In any event, you are not picking up lifesigns or with QSD, though we will need to really any sign that the ship is responding to find some new benamite soon. The your presence here. The hull is putting off ship is running regular long range enormous amounts of radiation but it’s nothing scans to check for potential deposits. your deflector can’t handle at this distance.
Neutronium is tremendously valueable due to how hard it is to obtain. For a ship to be entirely built out of it, even in alloy form, indicates that Scene 1: Derelict whatever intelligence constructed it has Thanks to the regular scans, sensors pick up a advanced fabrication and mining technology. very intense, yet localized, pocket of radiation Getting further data on the ship is something drifting through space. While inconclusive at that should excite most everyone in the crew. this range, scans can confirm it’s about the size There’s just one snag: Hails are going of a Constitution-class and is either reflecting or unanswered. The Player Characters will have to outright absorbing standard scanning methods. board the ship via shuttle if they want to learn A Reason + Science Task at Difficulty 1 allows a more. Transporters are unable to penetrate the Player Character to theorize that it could be a Neutronium hull. That means the Players must very small Pulsar judging by the come up with a way to deal with the radiation. electromagnetic radiation it’s putting off. Though if that’s the case, it’s the smallest pulsar This can be accomplished in one of two ways. ever encountered. Hopefully this is enough to The first is by limiting the Away Team’s divert the Players’ ship to investigate. exposure to a maximum of two hours, requiring EVA suits, and inoculating them with a Upon arrival, read or paraphrase the following: combination of lectrazine and hyronalin. The You drop out of warp approzimately 2 AU away second is using an inverted tractor beam to from the mystery object. Sensors are still having draw away the radiation and beam it harmlessly trouble getting any concrete data back, though out into open space. That would involve a you are able to put the object on the main Daring + Engineering Task, assisted by the ship’s viewer. The screen has to zoom in and enhance Engines + Science, at Difficulty 3. Of course, if several times, but soon you’re face to face with the Players come up with better technobabble, quite the oddity. It appears to be a starship of run with it! some sort, over 300 meters long, 120 meters
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Scene 2: It’s Quiet... an extremely unusual concentration of neutron stars. While they managed to The Away Team is able to find their way onto figure out how to mine raw neutronium the derelict via one of the shuttlebays. It’s open and colonize local planets, they were to vacuum, making it easy to swoop inside and essentially stuck. They could not land. The shuttlebay doors can be closed by venture further out thanks to the way interfacing with a control panel inside the bay, neutron stars play havoc with subspace. and after they seal a Class-M environment is The Muuat built this ship, the produced. Alternatively, the Players can pass Ralmamaven, in order to “pierce through an airlock to the rest of the derelict. beyond the veil.” It was to be used in Read or paraphrase the following as they enter conjunction with a Graviton catapult. the derelict proper: Since they had no idea how much stress this would put on a ship, they opted for You find yourselves in a well-lit corridor with a the neutronium construction instead of high ceiling. The walls are not smooth. Rather, traditional designs. they’re broken up by equipment and crates of Once leaving null space (i.e. using the unknown contents. Illumination comes from catapult), the Ralmamaven was small spotlights set every so often into the originally supposed to deploy its own ceiling. You are no longer able to get a stable catapult in order to get back where it connection back to the ship, though it seems came from. However, the loss of the you have no issue communicating within this crew made that impossible. derelict. The crew seemed to be wiped out when Thus begins the exploration of the derelict. a surge of radiation passed through the There is no other life to be found, and all whole ship as it was flung past actual systems appear to be self-regulating. This pulsars. Thanks to the unique means a whole lot of empty hallways and combination of the catapult and the unnerving silence. The reason for that is hinted neutronium hull, the Ralmamaven at by chunks of metal which litter the halls absorbed so much radiation it’s a every so often. They’re made out of a lighter wonder it’s still functional. neutronium alloy than the hull of the vessel and Most important of all is that Andromeda have also absorbed quite a bit of radiation. recognizes the name “Muuat.” She cannot say Though the Player Characters do not know it why, though, as her memories have yet to yet, these chunks of metal are what remains of return to her. This potential link to the reason the crew. why the Player Characters are here should be Eventually the Away Team should find their way plenty of motivation for them to try and contact to a terminal where they can access the the Muuat. derelict’s computer bank. Logs contained within Scene 3: What Now? reveal the following information, which you can spruce up by providing them in log format if you Functionally, the Ralmamaven is operational so wish: and fully capable of deploying the Graviton Catapult stored on board. All it takes to deploy The Muuat, as they call themselves, and align it is to run the pre-programmed come from a far-off system 3,000 subroutine from the bridge. Judging by lightyears away that is surrounded by
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need doing is installing deflector shielding. This is made difficult by the hull being nigh The Muuat impenetrable, but is possible.
The Muuat are a silicon-based Call for an Extended Task, with a Work Track of lifeform that resembles molten lava 13, a Magnitude of 4, a Base Difficulty of 4, and in humanoid form. They traditionally a Resistance of 1. The Default Task for this is armor themselves with neutronium either a Fitness or Control + Engineering. Just so across their entire body. Parts of this this doesn’t turn into a dice roll of attrition, the armor allow their natural bio- work automatically completes after two weeks’ luminescence to “peek out.” Their time. voice tends to be gravelly and deep. Act 2: Muuat
Scene 1: One Last Check everything the Players are seeing, it would be a safe bet that the Muuat send ships like the Andromeda’s Personal Log, Ralmamaven ahead to uncharted space, deploy Stardate 58553.6: a catapult there, and then return now that two way catapulting is possible. I am mere hours away from potentially finding a link back to my However, something must be done about the people. A team from the ship, radiation first. If the Players send the ship back including myself, will be taking the to the Muuat as is, they will essentially be Muuat vessel, the Ralmamaven, sending a “radiation nuke” hurtling through through the catapult. If all goes well space towards an intelligent species. There it we will arrive within Muuat territory will irradiate whatever sector it lands in. And over 3,000 lightyears away. For even if they “clean” the ship first, passing Starfleet and the Muuat this will be through the neutron stars around Muuat space a First Contact scenario. For me it will cause the hull to absorb all that radiation will hopefully provide some answers again. that I have long since wondered The other point of order is that it does not about. appear the Players’ ship will be able to withstand the forces enacted by the catapult. If they wish to make contact with the Muuat, they must board the Ralmamaven and use it as their If there’s any last minute roleplaying the Player own. That or they must use what remaining Characters want to do before launching into the benamite they have to get to the area via QSD. unknown, now is the time. Once they board the The good news is that the Player Characters Ralmamaven, they will essentially by relying on have all the tools they’ll need to accomplish all that ship and whatever shuttles and other this. Cleaning the radiation was mentioned in technology they bring along. It’s important to the prior scene. As for keeping the Ralmamaven note that forcefields and holograms are not from re-absorbing the radiation, all that would something the Muuat possses.
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Ralmamaven A standard Sensors Sweep (Reason + Science Systems assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Science) Task at Comms Engines Structure Difficulty 1 yields that the Ralmamaven has 8 10 15 arrived in a system with two Class Y Demon Computers Sensors Weapons planets and a red giant star. The Class Y’s are 9 8 10 both volcanic in nature, atmospheres caustic. In
Departments orbit of the farthest planet are two Muuat ships Command Security Science and what looks like another Graviton catapult. 2 3 2 Regardless of who hails whom, the end result is Conn Engineering Medicine 2 3 1 the same. The Muuat are not prepared for the
Scale: Resistance: Power: Shields: return of their long-thought-lost vessel, nor the 5 Special 10 15 fact it is carrying aliens. Both feed into what Anti-Proton Turrets (Energy, Close, 8 CD, fares for Muuat religion. In essence, travel Devastating, High Yield) “beyond the veil” has been deemed to be Invulnerable reserved for gods only. Mortals like the Muuat Unless attacked by a Muuat weapon or are unworthy to leave their “garden.” Thus, the exposed to extreme stellar conditions (i.e. a Muuat firmly believe that these strange black hole), the vessel is immune to damage. creatures are literal gods. Muuat weaponry is resisted as normal against the ship’s scale. The perceived loss of the Ralmamaven 50 years Impulse Only ago is what really solidified religion in Muuat This vessel may only travel at Impulse speeds society. Prior to it going missing, the Muuat except when using a Graviton Catapult were a peaceful species of explorers. Now, though, they are religious zealots akin to Warhammer 40k’s Imperium of Man. This is When ready, the command to launch the made further apparent if/when a Muuat sees catapult is given. It deploys like a sail unfurling Andromeda for the first time. All Muuat present and begins charging. Moments later the begin praying and bowing to Andromeda as Ralmamaven is sent hurtling through null space. their leader welcomes “the Dohrnii and her Scene 2: Within the Viel emissaries.”
Read or paraphrase the following as the Players GM Sidebar arrive: The best way to play the Muuat is by taking The Ralmamaven decelerates rapidly as it leaves how reverent the Bajorans are of the Prophets null space. Sensors begin feeding back data, and ramping that up to 11. The more they confirming you have traveled an extreme revere and interact with the Players, the more amount of distance in a matter of minutes. They the Players should feel unnerved. This is a gross also confirm that you are within an area of violation of the Prime Directive but they can’t space where normal warp travel is impossible. really stop it now that it’s in motion. There’s simply too many Neutron Stars and Andromeda comments that the name “Dohrnii” other subspace eddies to form a stable Warp feels right. A few pointed questions from her to Bubble. the Muuat is all it takes to learn that there is a major temple on the Muuat homeworld of
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Genvolla. It is said to contain “a treasure of the she and the Player Characters are alone, she flat Dohrnii.” The Muuat firmly believe Andromeda out says: has come to reclaim this treasure. “You’re not going to like this. Any of this.” Scene 3: Playing God While she does now know a great deal about How the Player Characters handle this situation her people (everything in the Andromeda is difficult to predict. They could simply play section earlier in this book), Andromeda starts along and travel to Genvolla for Andromeda’s with the most pressing concern. That being that sake, or they might commandeer the catapult the loss of the Ralmamaven utterly changed where they landed and return to their own ship how Muuat society functioned. Until it was to prevent further cultural contamination. This launched, the Muuat were an extremely secular adventure assumes the former moving forward. culture. They thrived on exploration and learning. And while they did recognize the Getting to Genvolla is a simple trip through the Dohrnii had brought them to “the garden” in catapult. A multitude of Muuat ships swarm the the past, the Muuat merely treated them as a Ralmamaven on arrival, all clamoring to meet benevolent species long gone. the Dohrnii’s “Emissaries.” The Muuat obey any orders without question, especially if they come That all changed when the Ralmamaven from Andromeda. If left to their own devices, vanished. The Muuat held out hope for several they will respectfully ask to guide Andromeda years, but soon a highly zealous and religious to the “treasure.” sect consumed Muuat culture. This led them to their current state, where it is heresy to even The temple where this “treasure” is located consider passing beyond the veil. Of course, happens to be in the middle of a great desert. Andromeda, the Player Characters, and other Muuat from across the planet have gathered to Dorhnii can come and go as they please, but not provide a literally glowing path into the temple the Muuat. If nothing is done, Muuat society for Andromeda. Many cry out in joy and will collapse and regress to an almost medieval prostrate themselves before her no matter state within a century. what Andromeda does. Act 3: A Choice Eventually Andromeda and the Player Characters reach the center of the temple. There are three main ways this adventure can There lies a pillar of brilliant purple light come to a close. covered in alien script. It’s beyond the universal translator but Andromeda can read it just fine: Option 1: Departure
May these children escape the fate of this With knowledge of her people and how to doomed galaxy. contact them in hand, Andromeda and the Player Characters take the Ralmamaven back to Interfacing with the pillar of light causes their own ship while limiting how much further Andromeda to hover off the group for about they violate the Prime Directive. The effects of thirty seconds as all the Muuat present begin this decision will not be evident immediately, whispering in awe. When she lands, Andromeda but it is worth telling the Players anyways. In very quietly asks for a private room and/or a set short, this visit from their “goddess” will prompt of chambers so that she may discuss matters in the Muuat to one day risk heresy to travel out private with her “emissaries.” The very second
33 | P a g e into the Andromeda Galaxy and conquer it in Should the Players opt for this course of action, the Dohrnii’s name. both they and Andromeda will be the only ones that remember how events “really played out.” Option 2: Remaining The timeline resets to the start of this mission. Though the Player Characters may not wish to Instead of the derelict Ralmamaven, sensors stay, Andromeda does feel it is her duty to help detect a network of catapults and several guide the Muuat back on the right path. She is Muuat ships in the area. First Contact must be willing to remain behind and release the Player made again, but this time the Muuat don’t start Characters from their duty of ferrying her to her acting like zealots when they see Andromeda. people. She hopes that she can be a They are as they should have been. “benevolent” goddess and maybe one day Debugging return the favor to Starfleet. The Player Characters may rightly see this as a supreme No adventure runs smoothly when Players are violation of the Prime Directive. How that involved. Some common pitfalls and potential conversation plays out is up to them. solutions are presented here:
Proceeding with this option means the Players My Players want to use the Ralmamaven’s return on the Ralmamaven to their ship and catapult to get closer to where Andromeda’s then return home. Again it is worth telling the people might be! Players out of character what the result of this There’s nothing stopping them from doing so, decision is. That being that it takes Andromeda other than the fact they may not learn why the about two hundred years to fully bring the Muuat seem familiar to Andromeda. Remind Muuat around, but under her guidance they them why they’re in the Andromeda Galaxy to return to the once peaceful explorers they once begin with. were. My Players actually want to stay with Option 3: Time Travel Andromeda as her “emissaries!” If the Ralmamaven were to return from its This would be a gross violation of the Prime journey before it was declared lost, then all of Directive and totally unbecoming of a Starfleet the cultural problems that arose from it may be Officer. Plus they would be abandoning their prevented. This would be a major violation of crew back on their ship. Remind them of these the Temporal Prime Directive, though, and facts clearly so they realize what they’re doing. would mean outfitting the Ralmamaven with QSD.
GM Sidebar
If the Players did not recover the QSD modifications in Paradox, then this may be the perfect opportunity to introduce your own Q. This new Q offers the Player Characters a deal: they will send the Ralmamaven back in time 50 years, but it must still be the Player Characters at the helm. After they finish, Q will return them to their own time.
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Afterword
Thanks so much for reading this Mission Compendium! I hope that my mad ramblings made enough sense that you’re able to run and enjoy these missions as much as I did with the Adiona group.
If you are interested in seeing how I run my own games before trying to run your own campaign, I invite you to check out my Youtube Channel where all my Star Trek Adventures sessions are uploaded. There is also my Twitch and my Patreon if you wish to subscribe or otherwise provide a tip. Every little bit of support I get motivates me that much more to make content!
Legal
Neither the author (ELH) nor the content within is endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc., Paramount Pictures, Modiphius Entertainment, or the STAR TREK franchise. The Star Trek® franchise and related logos are owned and a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures & CBS Studios Inc.
This content is available free of charge and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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