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WATER FOR THE DESERTS Michael Koehne (kraehe@bakunin.north.de) * A0.Intro * A1.Events * A2.Commerce * Characters + C1.Captain + C2.Chief + C3.Steward + P1.Passenger + P2.Passenger + P3.Passenger This scenario was first played at "14te Bremer Spielertage" at 22 Sep 96 in Oslebshausen Bremen Germany Terra Sol Solomani Rim. Many thanks to the people on TML especially to : * Timothy Collinson tc@library.solent.ac.uk for translation * Peter L. Berghold peterb@superlink.net for the bounty hunter * Michael.Barry Michael.Barry@finance.ausgovfinance.telememo.au for the Disciplines of the Bright Way. * Boyd Schneider HomeBoyd@msn.com for the Ianic idea (he really wanted to sell water ;-) A0.Intro LUNION SUBSECTOR 1083 This scenario is intended for game conventions. It should be played with the predefined characters. It takes place in the Spinward Marches, subsector K - Lunion, not far from the border worlds. Date: 1083. The scenario involves three crew and three passengers of the Windfall (a 40 year old, 200 ton Jayhawk far trader). Various encounters and trading opportunites will lead them to Ianic where they may get involved in the first Jonkeereen rebellion. See "The Regency Sourcebook". The scenario can unfold in several different ways as each character has his or her own goals. A lot of groups will not get to Ianic in the 4-6 hours of normal convention scenarios but they should at least arrive on Sharrip. Six players are required: 3 for the crew and 3 for the passengers. Establish how old the players are and assign them appropriate characters. Ten minutes will be needed for each of them for the briefing, the character description and the rules. Each PC should choose a name and fill in the right hand side of the character sheet with what they want to take on the trip. The bounty hunter has an Imperial Licence for a laser pistol and, of course, has his own weapon. The captain could have weapons in the ship's locker and should decide what freight is being carried. Inform the captain that taking fertilisers to Ianic will bring 2kCr per displacement ton due to handling. Inform the stowaway passenger to hide as long as she wants. You also need 2 tables, they should stand side by side, one for the passengers and one for the crew. So if a crew member (e.g. the stuard) wants to enter the passenger staterooms she should change the table, and vice versa. Start the scenario with the crew on board, and the passengers arriving. Two scenes give the crew an opportunity to learn about ship combat rules. The first is a fat trader on a collision course. The second is a meteor storm while the referee should fake the wear value role of the thusters. You should make all sensor rolls uncertain to make this interesting. The *main* fight will be at Ianic against a Fast Courier. The Ine Givar psionic will befuddle the sensor crew for two rounds (one hour) to make such a David and Goliath battle possible. At Ianic the players need to arrive on the planet quickly as there is also a Cruiser in the system. The Jonkeereen will hide the Windfall underground so the players can help their revolution. (Double Adventure 6: Night of Conquest can be used for this.) They will also have to refuel at one of the gas giants and certainly have to leave the Imperium. A1.Events Strouden 2327 A745988-D N Hi In 920 Im Strouden in one of the main worlds of the Lunion subsector, and has an excellent starport. Ling Standard Products is building tech level 13 warships near the frontier with the border worlds. The fast industrial growth caused an environmental disaster, so the atmosphere is now tainted and life is expensive here. Sensors/Average : 1000T freighter - trade - arriving Astrogation/Average : he is on a collision course As you leave Strouden, you see a 1000dt freighter crossing your intended course, you have to change course and recalculate jump. If you communicate with them, they won't answer. _________________________________________________________________ Sharrip 2325 C575101-A Lo Ni 503 Im Arival: Sensors/Diffcult : Free Trader - Trade and Transport - to Capton You see a 200t ship very far away leaving the system. Sharrip belongs to the Al Morrib Line. Nobody lives on the surface as a deadly virus exists on the planet. The planet has an obital starport with a small crew of 50 people. Four of the crew are happy to be leaving for a vacation on Strouden, the rest start unpacking brand new equipment. Departure : Ship.Eng/Easy: The thrusters get hot and need repair Sensors/Easy: One big meteor crossing flightpath Astrogation/Difficult: the metror will be 2 kms away Sensors/Difficult: it's not just one big one - its lots and lots of little ones! The referee should manage to fake the wear value roll of the thrusters so the ship can not maneuver. PCs will need to destroy the meteors. You should start your clock running and remember that lasers recycle every three minutes. You should roll 2d6 for the number of small meteors that are *really* on a collision course. Any of them need a difficult sensor roll to lock on to in the first 15 minutes and an average roll in the last 6 minutes. Every meteor has a 10% chance of actually hitting the ship in a random location. (Thus, the situation is not as dangerous as it should seem to the players). Ensure that all sensor rolls are uncertain, e.g. by asking whether it is even or odd and rolling a hidden die. There should be only one sensor attempt per minute, leaving the players with a feeling of uncertainty, helplessness and fear. _________________________________________________________________ Lunion 2124 A995984-D A Hi In Cp 810 Im Arrival : Sensors/Easy : : Free Trader - Trade and Transport - to Lunion Seeker - Busines to Lunion Scout - orbiting Patrol Cruiser orbiting Lunion is the capital of subsector K of the Spinward Marches. Ling Standard is also building warships here. Like Strouden, Lunion has a tainted atmosphere because of an environmental disaster. Two ships are orbiting and two others are arriving. The captain will need to use communications and admin skills to avoid long orbit times. A lot of people on Lunion are talking about the civil war at Ianic, that Ianic has been declared a red zone and that it is forbidden to land there. The (illegal) freight to Ianic is quite normal, but the passengers are not. They are Ine Givar trying to help the Jonkeereen rebellion with their psionic skills. Departure : If they plot a course to Ianic the patrol cruiser will follow, so they have to make a dangerous jump from 10 diameters. _________________________________________________________________ Ianic 1924 E360697-5 Ni Ri De 924 Im Arrival : Fast Courier - Quarantine orbiting planet Two fighters - patrol from AS2 to GG3 Cruiser - refuelling orbiting GG3 Ianic has a normal atmosphere, but no water. Normally the water is shipped by a modular cutter from the asteroid belts. The warships have recently shot these down and are now blocking the planet's downport in the hope that the Jonkeereen capitulate. The cargo bay full of water and fertiliser (which are really nuclear pumped x-ray warheads for planetary defence missiles), would certainly make the war more interesting. If they manage to break the blockade, (one of the Ine Givar will befuddle the sensor crew of the Fast Courier) the PCs will be heroes, but they will have to leave the Imperium. Probably 1822, 1721, 1522 is their best route to the border worlds. A2.Commerce Windfall - Monthly payment calculation Credit rate 71 kCr per month Chief salary 2 kCr per month Steward salary 1 kCr per month Maintenance 5 kCr per month Fuel 2 kCr per jump Starport fees 1 kCr per jump Life Support (crew) 6 kCr per jump ------ 97 kCr per month Freight max 57 kCr per jump (1 kCr per displacement ton) Passengers max 18 kCr per jump (5 kCr per middle passage -2 kCr for life support) --------------------------------------------------------- Strouden 2327 A745988-D N Hi In 920 Im Freight to Sharrip : 18 t mg Entertainment Equip Freight to Lunion : 16 t mg Aromatics 11 t mg Clothing 11 t pr Textiles 13 t pr Petrochemicals 13 t in Data Records 15 t nr Raw Hydrocarbons 2 Passengers Freight to Ianic : 12 t pr Fertilisers (Fla,Exp) Cargo purchase 3 --------------------------------------------------------- Sharrip 2325 C575101-A Lo Ni 503 Im Freight to Lunion : 4 Passengers Cargo sale 7 (from Strouden) purchase 7 --------------------------------------------------------- Lunion 2124 A995984-D A Hi In Cp 810 Im Cargo sale 8 (from Strouden) 7 (from Sharrip) purchase 3 NB: Ianic is a now a Red Zone world and official freight is not allowed, departures Spinwards are forbidden! Freight to Ianic 5 t Precious Metal 7 t Alcoholic Beverage 5 t Biosamples (Fra, Per) Cargo to Ianic 10 t Natural Curiosities 6 Passengers --------------------------------------------------------- Ianic 1924 E360697-5 Ni Ri De 924 Im Cargo sale 9 (from Lunion) 6 (from Sharrip) purchase 10 C1.Captain CAPTAIN - MALE 25 Two weeks ago you purchased the Windfall. As it is known that a Jayhawk will not operate on the usual 1kCr per displacement ton, you are searching for a good trade route and found Ianic, a non-industrial, rich, desert planet with a population of nearly 9 million. Water will fetch a price of 10kCr per ton. So it would be possible to pay for the Windfall (57 dt cargo hold) in just a few months. Flight plan : Strouden 2327 A745988-D N Hi In 920 Im Sharrip 2325 C575101-A Lo Ni 503 Im Lunion 2124 A995984-D A Hi In Cp 810 Im Ianic 1924 E360697-5 Ni Ri De 924 Im To keep your finances in the black, you hare hoping for passengers and have refitted the staterooms and the bridge section. You were lucky with the crew. As a stewardess you hired a medical school graduate. She is young and agreed to a crew salary. The chief is an old hand, took a quick look at the ship and said: "OK, I'll get this beast flying." 13 A66898-C Hobbies : Acrobatics 2, Archery 2, Piloting IG 2, Streetwise 2 17 A76798-C Flight Academy : Piloting IG, Space Vessels 4, Leadership 2, Gun Combat, Spacehands, Spacetech 2, Technican 2, Explore 21 A76798-C Wealthy Traveller : Determination, Perception, Economics, Charm, Interaction, Explore, Animal Handling 25 A76798-B : Captain Str A + Slug Rifle 1 = B Archery 2 = C Agl 7 + Acrobatics 2 = 9 Piloting IG 3 = A Con 6 + Env. Suite 1 = 7 Riding 1 = 7 Int 7 + Streetwise 3 = A Astrogation 1 = 8 Sensors 2 = 9 Survey 1 = 8 Psychology 1 = 8 Edu 9 + Ship's Eng. 1 = A Ship's Laser 1 = A Communications 1 = A Computer 1 = A Admin/Legal 1 = A Chr 8 + Leadership 2 = A Liason 2 = A Recruting 1 = 9 Persuasion 1 = 9 C2.Chief CHIEF - MALE 33 You have been hired on whilst on Strouden and are happy that the captain only asked about technical things. He seems to be a bit green. The Windfall is not a wreck but it's not far off one. The power plant has a wear value of at least 4 and the thrusters, jump drive and contra-grav are not looking much better. The bridge section and passenger staterooms were refitted recently, but the rest of the 40 year old Jayhawk needs a lot of rust chipping. 13 665676-5 Hobbies : Unarmed MA 2, Armed MA 2, Swimming 2, Disguise 2 17 775676-5 Corsair : Spacehand 1, Gun Combat 2, Technican 2, Space Tech 1, Interaction 1, Vice 1 21 775676-4 Corsair : Spacehand 1, Melee, Gun Combat 1, Technican 1, Space Tech 1, Interaction 1, Vice 1, Charm 1 25 775676-3 Corsair : Spacehand 1, Technician 1, Space vessel 1, Charm 1 29 775676-2 Prisoner: Economics 2, Crime 1, Vice 1, Str +1, Edu +1 33 874686-3 : Chief Str 8 + Unarmed MA 3 = B Armed MA 2 = A Laser Rifle 2 = A Agl 7 + Laser Pistol 1 = 8 Con 5 + Swimming 2 = 7 Vacc Suit 2 = 7 Z-G Env. 1 = 6 Int 6 + Sensors 2 = 7 Gambling 1 = 7 Streetwise 2 = 7 Edu 8 + Computer 1 = 9 Electronics 1 = 9 Machinist 1 = 9 Ship's Eng. 1 = 9 Ship's Laser 2 = A Chr 6 + Disguise 2 = 8 Interrogation 1 = 7 Recruiting 2 = 8 Bribery 1 = 7 Admin/Legal 1 = 7 Marketing 1 = 7 Instruction 1 = 7 C3.Steward STEWARD - FEMALE 25 Strouden is a nasty planet. Ling Standard is building ships here and caused an environmental disaster. Now 9 million people are suffering as a result. Leaving has been your dream for as long as you can remember. You went to school and have now been hired on as crew on a far trader. The captain is the same age as you but comes from a noble family. You have caught a glimpse of the chief engineer, a man in his mid-thirties who looks very tough. 14 376858-6 Hobbies: Acrobatics 2, Persuasion 2, Music 2, Streetwise 2 17 386858-6 Undergrad : Biology 1, Chemistry 1, Xeno-Biology 1, Computer 1, Admin/Legal 1 Hobbies : Sensors 1/Piloting 0 (Computer game) 21 386868-6 Med.School: Computer 1, Diagnosis 2, Trauma Aid 2, Surgery 2, Observation 1 Hobbies : Piloting 1,Gunnery 0 (Computer game) 25 386868-6 - Steward der Windfall Str 3 + Agl 8 + Acrobatics 2 = A Music 2 = A Piloting 1 = 9 Con 6 + Int 8 + Observation 1 = 9 Streetwise 2 = A Sensors 1 = 9 Edu 6 + Biology 1 = 7 Chemistry 1 = 7 Xeno Bio 1 = 7 Computer 2 = 8 Admin/Legal 1 = 7 Medical DTS 2 = 8 Gunnery 0 = 6 Chr 8 + Persuasion 2 = A P1.Passenger PASSENGER - MALE 33 Anyway, things being what they were there wasn't much work for a ex-Marine Colonel who had seen lots of action to do. You visited the office of a local bank and did some discreet inquiries. Yes, they said, they paid 0.75% of the principal on the loan for ships recovered. Yes, we keep lists of skipped ships with holographs of their skippers... Oh.. but you need to have a private investigator's license. Of course you had one, so now you've got the list of skipped ships. You've heard rumours that a well known pirate has recently hired on the Windfall, a 40 year old Jayhawk, and you think this would be worth investigating. It would be interesting to compare the serial numbers of some of the more expensive items such as the power plant, jump drive, thrusters, contra-grav, computers and weapons. 13 895566-8 Hobbies : Music 2, Piloting IG 2, Streetwise 2, Computer 2 17 895566-8 Mil.Academy : Determination, Engineer, Interaction, Social Science, Space Tech, Techican 2, Gun Combat 2, Sword, Melee, Spacehand, Heavy Weapon, Acrobat, Personal Transport 21 895576-8 Marines : Gun Combat, Spacehand, Heavy Weapons, Tactics, Determination, Charm, Personal Transport 25 895576-9 Marines : Spacehand, Tactics, Heavy Weapons, Personal Transport 29 895576-A Bounty Hunter : Gun Combat, Melee, Determination 2, Perception 2, Spacehand 33 885566-A - Bounty Hunter Str 8 + Laser Rifle 1 = 9 Sword 2 = A Unarmed MA 1 = 9 Energy Artillery 3 = B Agl 8 + Piloting IG 2 = A Laser Pistol 3 = B Stealth 1 = 9 Grav Belt 2 = A Con 5 + Env. Suite 2 = 7 Z-G Environment 2 = 7 Parachute 1 = 6 Int 5 + Streetwise 3 = 8 History 1 = 6 Tactics 2 = 7 Investigation 1 = 6 Observation 1 = 6 Edu 7 + Computer 2 = 9 Construction 1 = 8 RCV Operation 1 = 8 Electronics 1 = 8 Communications 1 = 8 Chr 6 + Music 2 = 8 Leadership 3 = 9 Solomani 1 = 7 Persuasion 1 = 7 P2.Passenger PASSENGER - MALE 17 The *Disciples of the Bright Way* are a sect that believe their deity exists in jumpspace, and communicates directly with people while they are in jump. They call the sight of J-space *The Face of the Deity* and have a secret combination of drugs and meditation practices that reduce (but not eliminate!) the insanity impact of viewing J-space. They are generally not dangerous, but their disturbing practice of shooting up drugs and staring out of an open porthole into J-space during the week of a jump means that most captains will refuse to allow them on board under *any* circumstances. However, the Disciples will pay an *obscene* amount of money for passage on a ship, and since they don't care about bodily comforts they are quite happy to bunk two to a stateroom under middle passage conditions, and pay up to Cr25,000 each for their 'pilgrimage'. You are a noble count so you don't need to worry about money. You haven't asked the captain yet to be allowed a place in front of the porthole in the air lock. 13 837496-E Hobbies : History 2, Env.Suite 2, Unarmed MA 2, Astrogation 2 17 837496-E Str 8 + Unarmed MA 2 = A Agl 3 Con 7 + Env. Suite 2 = 9 Int 4 Edu 9 + Astrogation 2 = B + History 2 = B P3.Passenger STOWAWAY PASSENGER - FEMALE 17 You have run away from home, ended up at the downport and hidden inside a container going to Lunion. You have heard that the ship will go to Ianic - a desert planet populated by Jonkeereen. " Deneb 1324 Jonkeer : The inhabitants of the world, the Jonkeereen are geneered humans, created by Imperial Ministery of Colonization of Desert Environments. Jonkeereen are tall, thin and dark skinned, with protective membrans shielding thier eyes and ears. More important than these cosmetic differences are sophisticated changes to their metabolism that allow them to survive in the temperature extremes of the dry desert environment. Jonkeer's live at Spinwards 2215, 1924, 3123, 0533, 1736, 1836, Deneb 0701, 2717, 1524, and 1433. " 13 6B4468-A Hobbies : Act/Bluff 2, Piloting Glider 2, Grav Belt 2 Xeno-Biology 2 17 6B4458-A Str 6 + Agl B + Piloting Glider 2 = D Grav Belt 2 = D Con 4 Int 4 Edu 6 + Xeno Biology 2 = 8 Chr 8 + Act/Bluff 2 = A
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