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Adventures and Scenarios.

Adventures, Traveller

The Thing in the Telescope

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Patron: Jedric Chang-Xi
Location: Apinanto (Foreven/Fessor 0604)
Required: starship skills, Vacc Suit skill

Players’ Information:
Chang-Xi contacts the PC group, offering to hire them as ship crew for an in-system exploration mission. If the PCs have a ship, they can use it, but if not then Chang-Xi has chartered a Slow Pinnace. He is an amateur astronomer, and recently he detected something in the L4 cluster of the second planet in the Apinanto system. The cluster is a mass of small asteroid bodies and ice clouds, which are in motion, making identification of the Thing difficult. Apinanto Prime is the fourth planet, a low population poor world that gets little interstellar traffic. If the object is a ship, Chang-Xi can sell it to the government which would pay handsomely for it. He offers the PCs either one month standard salary by position, or a total of 15% of the salvage price of whatever he finds.

Travel to the L4 cluster will take several hours to around a day, the inner planet orbits the sun much faster than Apinanto.

In the Telescope

Referee’s information:
The Thing in the Telescope is resting on one of the asteroid bodies that make up the Trojan Point. Trojan Points are much denser concentrations of cosmic debris than asteroid belts; a safe passage to the target asteroid requires the Pilot to roll 9+, DM for Pilot skill. DM +1 if assisted by a navigator with Navigation-2 or better. Landing the ship on the asteroid requires a Pilot roll of 6+. Failure by more than 1 calls for one roll on the Starship Damage table.

PCs moving about in the microgravity of the asteroid cluster will have to make as many Vacc Suit skill rolls as the referee wants to keep things interesting. Tiny rocks are floating by all the time, some may be large or fast enough to cause an accident. PCs with prospecting skill may search for resources, finding something on 11+, with DM for skill. The CT Module Beltstrike can provide helpful rules & information on operating in microgravity, and dealing with asteroids.

The Thing is, in fact,
1. A ship, a type-Y yacht, but it has already been claimed by another salvage operation. The other salvage operator shows up while the PCs are investigating, and accuses them of claim-jumping. Use the reaction table with a DM of -2 to determine the salvager’s attitude.

2. An abandoned pinnace. It belonged to a prospector, which is obvious from even a cursory search. If the PCs search the asteroid it is parked on, they will discover the body of the prospector on 7+, DM for Prospecting skill. On an 11+, the prospector discovered something of value before he died.

3. An emergency shelter type construct, looking like part of a starship’s escape gear. It has been there at least fifty years. The people who used it were rescued, and left the shelter behind, with some clues as to what happened to them. The shelter is not worth much except perhaps to a museum.

4. A type-A Free Trader which crashed. It is holed in several places and the drives are non-functional, but its cargo is still intact. Crew and/or passengers will be found within. Referee can use the Trade & speculation table to determine the nature of the cargo.

5. A subsidized merchant ship kitted out as a naval auxiliary ship, with a model/4 computer, triple turret weapons and nuclear missiles. Ship’s computer records will show that it was grounded on the asteroid with a drive failure and the crew left in a sub-craft; but the conflict was ended before the owning navy was able to get back and recover it. If it is returned to Apinanto, the government will overrule the salvage claim and nationalize the vessel. If the PCs do not have a ship, they may be offered jobs as crew aboard the new system patroller.

6. A listening post and forward base from Saphi (Fessor 0804). Saphi plans to raid Apinanto for water and agricultural resources. The base is manned by a group of equal size to the PCs. They will attempt to capture, rather than kill the PCs. If the PCs are captured, they will be taken back to Saphi when the next Scout ship arrives (within four days).

If the PCs return to Apinanto with salvage, Chang-Xi will pay up as promised. The local government will not be able to offer more than 15-20% of the value of the ships. The Referee must determine the flow of subsequent events.

Adventures, Traveller

C.O.D.

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Patron: Merchant starship captain
Required Skills: social, combat (?)
Required Equipment: None

Players’ Information:
Sendak is a world just beyond the edge of the Spinward Marches in Foreven sector. It is controlled by one of the Imperium’s submegacorporations, Universal Transamalgamated Incorporated, otherwise known as UTI. UTI raises a domesticated version of a native grazer for the benefit of its specialty foods and pharmaceutical divisions. Wild thing meat is prized by gourmets in this region of space, particularly by Vargr, and certain hormones which defy synthesis provide the basis for many lifesaving medications.

UTI’s operations on Sendak are dependent on several key technologies used in the local processing plants which are not supported by the local infrastructure. Looking ahead, the corporation foresaw a time in the near future when critical replacement parts would be needed. It placed an order with a supplier several jumps away. The order was recently filled and placed aboard a ship destined for Sendak. It is being shipped C.O.D. or credits on delivery, meaning that the crew dropping off the shipment will receive the payment directly and be responsible for returning it to the supplier. UTI has a sterling reputation when it comes to paying its obligations, reputation being crucial given the slow relative speed of interstellar travel, so the chance of anyone getting “stiffed” is miniscule. At least that’s the presumption going in.

When the characters land at the starport they find it nearly deserted, the local police won’t let anyone leave the property and a rising smoke cloud is visible coming from the city in the distance . . .

The Deserted Starport
The Deserted Starport – image from wikimedia
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Referee’s Information:
This scenario assumes that the characters are aboard a starship at the outset of the scenario. They may be its crew, embarked passengers or a combination of both. The ship’s captain asks the characters to head into town to collect the payment for the cargo. For the sake of future business dealings, negotiation and peaceful interaction is preferred over a more kinetic approach but the actual execution of the mission remains in the PCs’ hands.

There are several possible complications in this scenario. Roll 1D6 to determine which is the case here.

1. There have been rising tensions of late between UTI and its workers, who have been agitating for better pay and working conditions. For the most part the two sides have tried to amicably work things out but the inevitable fringe elements on both sides have managed to escalate the situation. The UTI rep holding the payment the characters’ seek is based in the capital city but is unreachable via the commnet and in any case would likely be unable to get to the ‘port due to travel restrictions. (This is according to the police maintaining the cordon). If anyone is to be paid it looks like the characters will need to get past the local enforcers and find the company rep while avoiding local entanglements. The situation in the city is chaotic but for the most part non-violent.

2. Same as the first option except that tensions are much higher. Law and order, on both sides is beginning to break down. This leads to an increased chance of violence but there are also still a lot of innocent people trying to go about their lives as best as they can.

3. Same as the second option except that the situation has degenerated to sporadic street fighting between corporate police and workers using captured or improvised weapons.

4. Same as the third option but the characters encounter a group of workers requesting help in getting one or more important individuals off-planet. They may be emissaries being dispatched to curry off world support, perhaps in the form of funding, weapons or public opinion, or charismatic members of the workers’ leadership looking to continue the revolution from exile. In this case the characters are potentially faced with having to drag their charges along with them as they try to execute their primary mission.

5. Same as the third option but the characters will be subjects of a kidnapping attempt so that they can be used as bargaining chips by the workers or targeted for arrest by UTI on suspicion of being mercenaries hired to organize and train the workers. Or both.

6. Same as Option Three but in this case the characters are contacted by a representative of UTI who wishes to employ them to carry a message to the worker leaders surreptitiously so that a cessation of hostilities can be negotiated. The rep may be acting without the knowledge or permission of his superiors because he sees a window of opportunity for a peaceful settlement. Alternatively, he may seek to use the characters to ferret out the location of the leaders so that they can be captured or killed. (In that case he’ll likely use the idea of settlement talks as a cover for his true intentions). The rep will provide the name of a contact to get the process started and can be convinced to pay extra for this service.

Adventures, Traveller

The Bank Job

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Patron: Megacorporation
Required Skills: nothing special
Required Equipment: starship with some cargo and middle passage space
Location: system with asteroid belt

Players’ Information:
The PC’s are contacted by an agent of a known major megacorporation. The agent, named Dimitri Kumikov, wishes to charter the PC’s cargo space and buy the available middle passenger space (up to twelve cabins if available) for a trip to that system’s asteroid belt within the next 48 hours. He will offer the normal rate to charter cargo and buy passage. The megacorporation has a newly built ore processing center for mining a new vein of precious metals discovered by private prospectors. The megacorporation is keeping this discovery quiet as long as it can so it has made an agreement with these private miners to supply goods and supplies in exchange for these raw materials. Dimitri will also assist the PC’s with any cargo they may wish to carry back. (-1 DM on cost on raw materials one would find in an asteroid belt).

Dimitri’s cargo is all contained in cargo containers that can be lifted and handed through airlocks. 20% of the cargo is labeled vacc suits. 20% of the cargo is listed as “PLSS” (Portable Life Support System) packs. 20% of the cargo is listed as foodstuffs. 20% of the cargo is listed as medical supplies and the last 20% is listed as “spare parts.” Dimitri’s fellow passengers are all obviously longshoreman-sized brutes who quickly and efficiently load the cargo. Each of these “hands” is sporting a sidearm openly strapped to a holster on their hip and if asked Dimitri tells them they all have system weapons permits that supersedes any system law level.

Asteroids
Asteroids – NASA – Public Domain

Referee’s Information:
This new mining strike is a relatively new area of precious metals and raw crystals. This megacorporation stands to make a heavy profit if the news is suppressed long enough for the market to stay strong. The story is true in that a private band of rogue prospectors found this area and they have been working in conjunction with this megacorporation to sell their findings on the spot. The catch in this plan? They want cash on the barrel for the work and they have established exclusive rights to their claim.

All the cargo the PC’s are bringing are indeed needed supplies that will be used in exchange for the newly mined ore. Dimitri will haggle a little over their contract, but nothing above 20% above the normal rate. The cargo labeled “spare parts” has one crate that is deliberately mislabeled. This crate contains cold hard cash worth no less than 50 million credits in currency no higher than 10,000 credit bills. There will be nothing special to call attention to this crate.

Outcomes:
1. Everything is as presented. These goods are delivered to the miners and when the last crate goes off the ship, so does Dimitri. There is plenty of unprocessed ores, raw precious metals and raw crystals available for purchase or charter. If they try to sell it in the same system they will incur a -1 DM to resale (so it is better if they jump to another location). As the cargo is being loaded on the ship a private prospector will suggest this to the PC’s.

2. Everything is as presented. The ship will be shadowed by another ship (it should be difficult to detect) all the way to their destination. As expected these goods are delivered to the miners and when the last crate goes off the ship, so does Dimitri. The same conditions in result #1 for resale apply here. The problem? A day or two after the delivery it is discovered that the cash crate and Dimitri are missing. They were picked up by the shadowing ship and they are on the run. The megacorporation will swear out a warrant for the PC’s to be brought in for questioning.

3. Everything is as presented. The ship will be shadowed by another ship (it should be difficult to detect) halfway to their way to their destination. The security team that has been helping Dimitri decides to mutiny and take over the ship. Meanwhile the shadowing ship is a privateer or corsair that decides to engage the ship. If the PC’s do not heave to and allow to be boarded they will be fired upon. When the PC’s are under control by the intruders they will be “relieved” of their cargo, personal effects and whatever can be carried through an airlock. Dimitri will be exceptionally upset and ask the PC’s to return to the starport so he can report this to the megacorporation immediately. The PC’s are asked to put in a claim with the corporation where they will be paid (d6x10% +40%) worth the original value of their personal effects after 72 hours.

4. The same as #3 with some notable exceptions. After the crew is robbed Dimitri will go into his quarters and commit suicide rather than face the wrath of his bosses. The PC’s will be detained by the system authorities for about a week until it is found they are not at fault. Compensation for their lost goods will be (d6x10%) of the original value.

5. Same as outcome #1 with a few exceptions. The hands are actually uniformed security guards. The ship is shadowed by a patrol cruiser from origin to destination. The rest is exactly as stated in outcome #1.

6. Halfway to the asteroid belt Dimitri will find his way to the cargo deck. He will try to find a way to secure the money crate and ensure he has a vacc suit on hand. He sets a timer on another piece of cargo and heads to his quarters. The crate in the cargo bay explodes enough to cause a breach in the hold where the cargo is expelled into space. The ship’s distress call is answered by another trader (who happened to be in the area thanks to Dimitri) who renders assistance to patch up the hull long enough for the PC’s to return to port. During the confusion, Dimitri and the cash crate will find their way to the “rescue ship.” The PC’s will return to port with the megacorporation asking questions about the whereabouts of the goods and Dimitri. There is a 50% chance they will pay to repair the PC’s ship.

Adventures, Traveller

SuSAG vs. Slavers

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Ticket: SuSAG vs. Slavers                    Commando                         Platoon

Background: SuSAG Robotics wants to force a Planetary government to open their market to automation products.  Slavery is quietly allowed, with all Slaves transiting through a secondary “Weather Monitoring” Space Station in the Shadow of the Planetary moon.  Exposing Slavery will embarrass the Planetary Government into opening their markets to automation products.

The Space Station
The Space Station – Image from NASA – Public Domain

Mission: Cr 1,000,000, success only, for a Platoon sized unit to board the Station, eliminate the 80 guards, and release the 800-1,000 Slaves in the current inventory.  Once (and only once!) the Station is secure, a bulk SuSAG freighter with a Patrol Cruiser escort will carry everyone off to safety.  Roughly 30% of the guards are on duty at any time, with 5 at least in Combat Armor.  SuSAG wants as many Slaves alive as possible, to “reveal the terrible truth”.  If the Platoon does not seize the Station quickly enough, a distress call to the Planet will bring a Reaction Force of two Shuttles and troops with a Fighter escort.  Also, if a Slavers’ ship shows up during the operation, they will assist the Station Personnel.

Adventures, Traveller

Prisoner Exchange

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Patron: Noble
Required Skills: vacc suit skill
Required Equipment: Jump-capable starship with 10 tons of empty cargo space and one high or middle passenger compartment

Players’ Information:
The players are contacted by a middleman from one of the local nobles. He simply calls himself “Catfish.” Apparently, one of this noble’s family members has been captured by a pirate band and he is arranging a ransom. The middleman will not divulge the noble’s name as saving face is important to this aspiring unnamed noble. The PC’s will receive a shipment of ten tons to be delivered to their ship the next day and they are expected to go to a system eight parsecs away to rendezvous on an isolated rock where the exchange is to be made. The noble will pay for the empty cargo space the group has (1,000 credits per parsec = 16,000 credits per ton); 20% now and 80% upon a successful return.

The next day the cargo arrives along with “Catfish.” The cargo contains small, sealed containers labeled “vacc suits,” “medicines” but two containers are one-ton cryo-units (a portable low berth) that is occupied by one person in each unit. Catfish stays in his quarters most of the trip only to emerge when they are in the middle of their last hyper-jump. He then provides the crew with the co-ordinates to the barren, airless, small moon. Not long after the PC’s arrive they receive a signal to travel to another nearby airless moon for the actual rendezvous. Halfway to the new location they are intercepted by a corsair that flashes the agreed upon rescue signal and they ask to pull alongside for the exchange.

Prisoner Exchange

Referee’s Information:
Catfish is telling the truth in that he is performing an exchange for the noble. If he is psionically probed nothing other than what he has been told can be read. The noble in question is none other than the head of the system or subsector (as least a Marquis). The prisoners he is providing are captured corsairs and they are in exchange for one of the noble’s adult-aged children who was captured in a corsair raid some months ago.

The pirates are experienced, aggressive and they are not fools. When the exchange is made they will ask the crew to stand down while they offload the cargo by hand. This is non-negotiable and Catfish will insist they comply. When the cryo-units are moved out the pirates will bring a cryo-unit of their own with the noble’s kin sealed inside. They have an electronic lock on the unit attached to an explosive. They tell the PC’s they will be provided the unlock code when they are out of weapon’s range.

Outcomes:
1. All is as it seems to be. The exchange is made without a problem and the unlock code is sent as promised. After all, the pirates need to have a way to obtain badly needed goods. When the cryo-unit is unlocked, Catfish uses his medical skills to help wake the former hostage and bring them back to consciousness. The journey home is fairly routine and needless to say the name of the noble becomes known. The noble will personally greet them at the starport and he/she will be grateful and remember the PC’s for future “delicate” work.

2. All is as it seems to be. The exchange is made without a problem and the unlock code is sent as promised. Just on the verge of sensor range an explosion is detected. Apparently several of the medical cargo units were plastic explosives and they were triggered when they were opened. The corsair’s ship is damaged, but they will survive. The corsairs will not forget the PC’s or their ship – that can be counted on for certain. The noble will personally greet them at the starport and he/she will be grateful and remember the PC’s for future “delicate” work.

3. All is as it seems to be. The exchange is made without a problem and the unlock code is sent as promised. Catfish uses his medical skills to wake the former hostage and bring them back to consciousness. When the noble’s kin reaches normal body temperature, their chest cavity explodes, killing the victim instantly and wounding (2d6 damage) anyone within three meters (Catfish will be one of them). Upon return to the original starport the noble will have his attendants standing by to receive the remains of his kin.

4. When the cryo-unit of the hostage is brought on board the PC’s are robbed of their personal effects as the corsairs steal just about everything that is not nailed down. There are no other complications on the trip and the noble will compensate the crew for their lost belongings.

5. As the exchange begins three Type “T” Patrol Cruisers in formation burn towards the rendezvous site. Catfish is frantic to stop the cruisers but they burn in and start shooting at the corsair. The exchange ends before it begins as the corsair immediately flees. While burning out of the system the body of the noble’s kin is expelled out an airlock. Back home, Catfish will speak highly of the PC’s efforts and they will be paid as promised, albeit reluctantly.

6. At the exchange point not one but three corsairs intercept the PC’s ship. When their cargo is brought on board, the pirates loot the PC’s ship and they do not hand over their hostage. When Catfish yells at them for being liars and deceivers they shoot him in the face. As the corsairs depart, three Type “T” Patrol Cruisers burn into the sensor range and now the PC’s are in the middle of a firefight. If the cruisers get the upper hand the noble’s kin will be expelled out the nearest airlock as the corsairs flee. If the corsair win, they will claim the PC’s ship as their own and take them prisoners, demanding the noble send more ransom money due to his “treachery.”

Adventures, Traveller

Star Gypsies

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Players’ Information:
Covertly, the local Naval Attaché contacts the Players as “reliable persons”. He asks them to discreetly escort an elderly woman and three children to a High Port Jump-3 away, and contact any Star Gypsy Clan Free Trader docked there. He offers Diplomatic Escort through Immigration and Middle Passage for everyone, or if the Players have their own ship, all required “Temporary Diplomatic Courier” documentation and refueling costs met, plus 25,000 credits down and 50,000 on completion. He also strangely suggests that a relationship with the Star Gypsy Free Traders could greatly benefit the Players.

Psi Testing
Psi Testing – Image from wikimedia
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Referee’s Information:
Planetary Law Enforcement and Anti-Psion Religious Zealots are both looking for these Children and their elderly Nanny. Their Parents were leading Psionic minor Nobles violently murdered by the Zealots. The Zealots have spies in the Police. The Star Gypsies are a Space dwelling Clan of Psions who use their Free Traders as travelling Psionic Institutes. Naval Intelligence “overlooks” this and funnels Psionic refugees to them in exchange for “occasional favors”. In all cases, a six person hit team of Zealots is waiting at the High Port to intercept the Party.

1. Local Police create a very tense moment in Immigration, only defused when Senior Bureaucrat very begrudgingly acknowledges their Courier documents/Escort cover the entire party.

2. As in # 1, and if travelling by Middle Passage, the entire crew and other Passengers view the party with deep suspicion and rudeness. This scares the Children. There is one Zealot in the Ship’s crew.

3. As in # 1, a System Defense Boat very aggressively follows the Party’s Ship their entire trip out system and is semi-threatening, but stops short of boarding them.

4. Tipped off by their spies, a Fast Yacht with five zealots leaves 1-3 days behind the Party. The Referee should determine their involvement in the flow of subsequent events.

5. During the journey, the youngest child befriends a Party member and blatantly displays Psionic Talents in front of the whole party in a very helpful way. Players then have to confront their prejudices (if any) about Psionics.

6. At the High Port, one of the following Clan Ships is due in one day:

ROLL:
1-The Circus Ship, “Barnum’s Egress”
2-The Theatre Ship, “Bard’s Birdie”
3-Exotic Animal Carrier, “Ark of Excellence”
4-The Medical Clinic Ship, “Deep Thoughts IV”
5-The Pleasure Ship, “Dice to Meet You!”
6-The Tool Works Ship, “Tink of ‘Dat!”

Success and discretion earns the genuine gratitude of the Clan and Naval Intelligence. This could lead to Psionic Testing and training, and many further engagements by both groups. Failure or excessive anti-Psionic bias by Characters could lead to “memory re-arrangement”. The Referee should determine the flow of subsequent events.