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Adventures and Scenarios.

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Repair Schedule

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Patron: Ship Owner
Skills required: engineering, mechanical electronics, computer
Equipment required: tools. Lots of tools.
Location: Hollis (Reidain 0103) A370642-C

Situation:
The PCs are hired based on their professional qualifications to do an extensive overhaul of a derelict starship. The ship was recovered by a salvage operation and sold at auction. There are no legal irregularities with the sale, the patron is legit. There is a great deal of repair work to be done; the hull is basically sound but many internal systems will have to be rebuilt or replaced. The patron offers Cr 10,000 to each member of the party (referee can offer bonuses of Cr 1000 per skill level above 3) plus a Cr 20,000 bonus to be paid if the ship can pass an Imperial safety inspection within one month. The patron issues the PC’s leader a line of credit with parts suppliers, but will be closely monitoring same for waste and fraud. The PCs can hire human or robotic labor assistants, but they must do the majority of the work themselves.

2 days to go
2 days to go – image from wikimedia
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license

Referee’s Information:
The referee will have a lot of time-keeping to do with this adventure. Projects have to be recorded for time taken and costs incurred. Assign as many projects as it will take to fill up 30 days.

Each project should have a repair difficulty, time and price, and a replacement difficulty, time and price. Replacement should be less difficult, but more costly. Repairs should be harder but cheaper. Failure on the repair/replacement roll means that the project has to be done again, with the same cost in time and money.

Evaluation of a project to determine whether to repair or replace should take at least six hours.

The clock is ticking, and the PCs will have to sleep sometime. Cutting sleep time to keep working will eventually introduce negative DMs for fatigue. Figure sleep time at [18-END hours per 24 hr cycle)

Each week (or each day) the referee should roll 10+ for a structural fault in the current work area that could collapse or otherwise cause an accident.

Referee must determine the flow of events, but accident damage should not be severe enough to cause fatalities.

The patron will come by for inspection visits from time to time, and will almost always have questions about how much it is all costing.

If the PCs are successful in their overall project, they will be approached by other patrons, seeking to hire them as ship crew, salvage operators or shipyard supervisors. The referee must determine the flow of subsequent events.

Possible complications:
1. The Imperial inspector has a change in his availability, suddenly changing the PC’s deadline. It is now several days sooner than originally indicated.

2. A replacement component is unavailable, forcing the PCs to custom build that component to complete the project. Raise the difficulty number and make it take longer.

3. The patron asks for a structural or location change within the ship, forcing the PCs to undo completed work and do it again elsewhere. The PCs can engage the patron in a contest of persuasion to get him to abandon the idea.

4. Specific tools are required in multiple places at once, forcing a negative DM on all parties, or the halting of some projects until others are completed, or the purchase of new tools.

5. Robotic or human labor assistants have reliability or competency issues. A human assistant lied about his technical education and is faking his work. Roll 9+ (DM for INT, skill) to detect the shoddy work or that project has to be restarted.

6. Much to the PC’s surprise, one of the projects needed only to be cleaned, oiled and one wire reattached. This project takes only one hour and costs nothing.

Continue reading Repair Schedule →

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Royal Return

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Patron: Noble
Location: Dengvin (Foreven 2325)

Players’ Information:
Marquesa Juliana St. James, is known for her beauty and charity work throughout Foreven. She has championed the rights for victims of incurable disease who are shunned by society, and campaigned for legislation addressing the rights of minority beings on predominantly human worlds. She has used her beauty and nobility as carte blanche to forward a number of industries to expand the family fortune, and pay for her personal endeavors. She is well-known, easily recognizable by virtue of the fact that her face is on many ads for many products, as well as public service announcements, political ads, and holo-vid shows (she has starred in a few holo-vid dramas, as well as successfully dabbled in popular music, again using her proceeds to further her causes). She is loved and revered by those she champions and her fan base, but is hated by those who object to her forward thinking and avid anti-crime stance. As of late, she has gone missing. The story of her disappearance pervades all news shows, and there are daily updates. Some of her fans have even organized search groups, from the serious who have pooled money to hire private detectives, to the not so serious who casually put out the word that she is missing when the media has already flooded the sector networks and channels with the story.

The adventurers have just come off of a long hard job on their current location of Dengvin (a lush agro world hacked up into estates of various sizes by wealthy families and nobles who reside as gentlemen farmers). The adventurers are loading their ship on a private Type-E landing pad with spare parts and food fresh from the private farms and ranches run by the locals. The last job the adventurers were on took them to the asteroid fields of Torinsk to track a smuggling cartel which had its origins here on Dengvin. The affair ended in a large fire fight and talking with local security forces as local Baron Gave Hadoc was taken into custody. Hadoc had purchased his nobility through ill-gotten funds by smuggling stolen goods. He is now in the local jail where he awaits trial and sentencing.

As the adventurers replenish the ship they hear shots fired. A young woman in rags and cloak comes staggering from behind some crates calling for help in a weak voice. She staggers towards the adventurers. She claims to be Marquesa Juliana Saint James, and states that she is running for her life, having recently escaped a lockup from Hadoc’s estate, the very man the adventurers helped jail.

She says that Hadoc’s men are pursuing her, and that she needs to get off world and back home to her private estates on Tepenke, or, anyway in the Avalar Consulate. She is bruised, dirty and has grease on her face from hiding in the freight and repair center, and her clothes barely cover her body. She promises a handsome reward if she is brought back to Avalar space.

Marquesa Juliana St. James
Marquesa Juliana St. James – image from wikimedia
Public domain – copyright expired

Referee’s Information:
In the meantime, there are a half-dozen lightly armed men coming in the players direction. The crates are blocking their view, and they do not see the young woman.
Roll 1d6 and consult the table.

1. She is not Marquesa Juliana St. James, but is the daughter of a wealthy CEO. If returned her father will be notified, and the adventurers will be compensated for food, fuel, and other expenses, along with a bonus of 50,000 Cr. But the path will not be easy as Ludoc’s men will pursue, occasionally firing shots, but will break off pursuit once inside Avalar space.

2. She is Marquesa Juliana St. James’ double, Mary Larson, and is being pursued by Hadoc’s men who think she is the real thing. Once the adventurers get to Avalar space the pursuit will heat up. If Mary is wounded she will make it a point of sacrificing herself. Once she dies the pursuers will then leave. The adventurers will then be approached by the real Marquesa Juliana St. James who will thank them and offer them a megacredit each for their troubles.

3. As per result 2, but the Marquesa’s personal huscarles, 30 heavily armed troopers will come in and kill or drive off the attackers. If the encounter is in space, then the Marquesa’s ship will outclass the pursuer’s, with a possible boarding action. The double will be saved, and the adventurer’s awarded a megacredit each, plus compensation for fuel and repairs.

4. The young woman is a synthetic duplicate of Marquesa Juliana St. James. She will pass all medical scans, but in reality she is an artificial construct. She can take damage and shrug it off. Once the adventurers are confronted with the pursuers, she will take a weapon to help fight them off.

5. She is in fact Marquesa Juliana St. James, and has been held by Baron Hadoc for discovering his operations. She managed to escape with the help of her double, and begs for assistance. She explains that she recently gave a tip that helped the Avalar government tip-off the independent worlds to crack down on Baron Hadoc’s smuggling ring, and needs to get back to her family in Avalar space.

6. She is too disheveled to properly identify, and has no identity chip, papers or other verification. If the players take her on they will need to hide her. Hadoc’s men will be relentless, and keep a tail on the players as they make their way to Avalar space.

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Treading the Boards

1 Comment

Patron: Entertainer
Required Skills: none
Required Equipment: none, but see below
No of Players: 2-6

Players’ Information:
The crew is approached by a representative for a small acting company,
the Starlight Repertory Assembly, with an offer to hire them as
escorts for the troupe on a tour of several performance venues in the
subsector. The actors will need several bodyguards, roadies and
general techies. The troupe will pay each participating PC Cr 3000 per
venue, payable at the end of the tour. If the group has a starship,
then the company will negotiate a charter instead. In that case, they
will need staterooms for six main actors and three understudies, and
space for 12 tons of cargo, which includes all their gear, props,
wardrobes, and a portable stage.

Twylaiwasyo Eorl
Twylaiwasyo Eorl – image from wikimedia
Public Domain – copyright expired

Referee’s Information:
Select up to six worlds in the subsector for the group to visit. They
should all be within the starship’s highest Jump number, and can all
be backwaters. On each world, the company will perform Twylaiwasyo
Eorl, an Anglic version of an epic Aslan drama.

1. The show is a smashing success, and the actors will be able to pay
the adventurers as promised. In addition, they will engage the PCs’
services for another tour.

2. The play is only a moderate success, plagued by wildly varied
audience attendance and publicity results. The company might be able
to pay the PCs as promised regardless. The heroes will receive
2D – 2 x 10% of their promised pay.

3. The play is a dismal failure, panned by critics, and shunned by
audiences. Throw Reaction for any audiences after the first, with a DM
of -3 (word spreads fast, even across the subsector), and implement
the result. The heroes will only receive 1D – 3 x 10% of their promised
pay.

4. At a performance on one world, a family of Aslan takes offense at
how “their” story is presented and the lead male challenges the actors
to a duel of honor. The heroes may choose a champion to fight on the
actors’ behalf, but the duel will occur. Any others who “dishonor” the
event by getting involved, will find the other Aslan (2D, 60% female)
getting involved as well.

5. A bitter rival of one of the production’s stars sets about to
destroy it by sabotaging equipment, planting paid hecklers in the
audience, and inducing reviewers to slam the show. While his
subordinates are easily stopped and his deeds exposed, he covers his
tracks well and it is very hard to prove his involvement.

6. As 5, except the efforts include harming the actors and PCs and
destroying equipment.

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

The New Messiah

2 Comments

Patron: Religious leader, Cleric
Required Skills: None
Required Equipment: Starship with low berth
Number of Players: 2-6

Players Information:
Whilst taking a well-earned break at Ovdyo (Foreven 2935), the players are asked by a two men for transport to Udika (Foreven 2934). They are both dressed in long smocks but their clothes are clean and appear new. The taller of the two men introduces himself as Callidan and his colleague as Vernrean. Callidan asks the players that for religious reasons, Vernrean travels in a low berth until their arrival at their destination. Vernrean’s status within their religious order is such that for complex theological reasons, he must not pass through into ‘heaven’ (off world) and be awake until it is his time to die.

Callidan has been hired by Vernrean as a guardian to help with the practicalities of travelling between worlds so that he may spread his ‘message’. The players will be paid handsomely (Cr 15,000) for their trouble.

Somewhere?
Somewhere? – Image copyright Alegis Downport 2013
image used with permission

If the players accept the offer, Callidan will tell the players that Vernrean is a religious visionary and he is travelling to a number of worlds to spread his word of salvation.

1. The job is as described and though the players may not agree with Vernrean’s views, he is harmless enough. As the players arrive at their destination, Vernrean tries to get the players to join his religion. He will however, not be offended if the players refuse and pays them in full Cr 15,000 with his blessing.

2. During the journey to Udika, Vernrean is recognised from news reels as not just a religious leader, but a wanted terrorist. Before the players can act on their discovery, Vernrean and Callidan have armed themselves, hold the players at gunpoint and summon another ship to kidnap the players and take them to the terrorist’s base. The terrorist’s intend to steal the player’s ship for their own and simply ‘dispose’ of the players.

3. Before the players recognise the Vernrean from the news reels, the authorities track the players down and order the players ship to stand to, accusing them of aiding a known felon. Vernrean calls himself a freedom fighter and tells the players that he is fighting against a corporate regime who murdered his family. It’s up to the players to decide whether to hide Vernrean and Callidan, or turn them over to the authorities and convince them they have nothing to do with them. It should be noted that before they left the starport, Callidan hacked the local data ‘net and added the players to the list of known associates/felons.

4. Halfway through the journey, odd things start to happen aboard ship, such as equipment malfunctions and ghostly occurrences such as poltergeist activity, lights flashing and things moving of their own accord. If the players look hard enough, they appear to be the uncontrolled psi-emanations from Vernrean in the low berth. The players must decide if the risk is sufficient to drop them off before their destination or not. If asked, the Callidan will deny anything to do with the occurrences and will appear quite offended. If the players do nothing, the malfunctions and ghosts will become more threatening, risking lives and the ship. If the players try to open the low berth, Callidan will do everything he can to stop the players.

5. Vernrean is actually highly developed Zhodani intelligence gathering android and has acquired a large number of Imperial secrets. It is gradually making its way back to Zhodani space, under the guise of Vernrean. Whilst in the low berth, it will send bursts of data traffic to alert the Zhodani fast courier that has been arranged to pick it up, to let the courier know it is on its way. However during one of these transmissions, the players pick up unusual data traffic and after some analysis, determine that it was coming from Vernrean in the low berth. Just as the players move to confront Vernrean and Callidan, the Zhodani courier appears and will threaten the players to allow Vernrean and Callidan to transfer to the courier. It’s up to the players to stop them. Vernrean and Callidan will do all they can to disrupt the players response.

6. Part way through the journey, Vernrean wakes and is released by Callidan from the low berth. He says that he has had a vision whilst asleep and gives the player’s co-ordinates to go to a supposedly dead region in space and wait. Unknown to the player’s, Vernrean has incredibly powerful psi-abilities and upon arrival at the co-ordinates, activates the ships jump drive, forcing it through a wormhole. The players ship arrives at an uncharted world with an orbiting spacecraft graveyard. Thousands of unidentified spacecraft orbit this stellar backwater, all apparently lifeless and in various states of condition. The players are asked to fly to a specific location and arrive at a starship containing more of the same race as Vernrean. They ask the players to help them repair their ship and assist with getting them back into the Foreven Sector.

The player’s dilemma is if they will help a group of powerful psi-beings back to their space, where they would be a powerful potential threat to the Foreven Sector, or attempt to escape and leave them in isolated space? However, the players are likely to need their help getting back to the Foreven Sector, due to their unknown location in the galaxy and the use of a wormhole to travel this far. In addition, what of the spacecraft graveyard and what secrets and surprises lie within?

Vernrean - as a religious leader/terrorist
 UPP 789AAA
 Bribery-1 Computer-2 Electronics-2 Engineering-2
 Leader-4 Submachine Gun-1 Auto Pistol-1

Callidan - as Vernrean's Associate
 UPP 877976
 Computer-1 Submachine Gun-1 Auto Pistol-1 Jack-o-T-1

As a Zhodani android, Vernrean should be classed as a TL15 pseudo-biological humanoid robot with technology employed sufficient to disguise any mechanical and electronic emanations so that sensors ‘see’ a biological being.

As a psi-being, Vernrean can move objects and disrupt electronics such as controlling ship systems. Specifics are not given here; the guide for the referee is that Vernrean is a member of a sufficiently advanced humanoid race that can control electronics and inanimate objects, using their powers seemingly without any loss of strength. The referee should play Vernrean and other members of his race as powerful beings more powerful than any others that the players have encountered. However, they are still biological beings and hence can be killed.

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Software Desperation

1 Comment

Patron: Computer Programmer
Required Skills: none
Required Equipment: Jump-2+ starship

Players’ Information:
It’s a sorry departure morning on the players’ starship as they wake to find they have had a program storage crash; they need a new copy of the Jump-2 program. The players can quickly purchase the software from local starport’s software store. The owner of the store and developer, Bruce Siakashvali, contacts the players via the starport or planetary network about 5 minutes after the purchase. Bruce is in a bind and could use the players’ help. He will provide a special update of the software provided they help him. The updated software is unique: it not only computes their own jumps, but can also predicts another ship’s jump destination based on the jumping ship’s exit vector.

Obviously this software is a major boon to the ship, fleet, organization, or government in possession of it.

Tracking
Tracking – Copyright grondak – used with permission

Referee’s Information:
Various interactions with Bruce and the software are possible:

1. Bruce has been shot and is being chased by pirates, who want to keep the software to themselves. Bruce wants to use his software to camouflage his escape. Cr 2,000 per crew member + fuel and ship expenses.

2. Bruce’s dependent / loved one (as appropriate) is being held by pirates. Bruce hires the players to solve the problem as pirates maneuver to jump out system. Cr 3,000 per crew member + fuel and ship expenses.

3. The players are hired to endorse the software. Bruce and the jump predictor are legitimate – the software works as well as it can. The players’ ship will chase a different ship around the subsector, proving to Bruce, the players, and the crew of the other ship that the jump predictor works. (Suggest the Reidain subsector for this journey.) All expenses paid and the players can make some money with light cargos.

4. As above, but Bruce is a charlatan; the other ship is going on a pre-arranged course or has some abnormal or “undetectable” signaling method. The endorsement has initial value but the players are forever shamed as being involved with “that Bruce Siakashvali’s product.”

5. The players got the wrong product from the online software store – it’s the completely unlocked jump predictor. Bruce wants it back and he is going to track down the players on his own.

6. Bruce’s ex-wife, understanding the value of the software, contacts the players to strongly suggest that they turn over the software to the Avalar government and bring Bruce in for a bounty (which may or may not exist, as appropriate).

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Immersion

1 Comment

Patron: Alien, Speculator
Required Skills: None
Required Equipment: Underwater gear
No. of Players: 2-6

Players’ Information:
The party is approached by a Dolphin who explains (via an electronic
translator) that she wants to hire them to assist in finding a sunken
starship and recovering several priceless works of art from its hold.
In addition to their monetary worth, the objets d’art are rare
examples of Dolphin handicrafts and also have great cultural
significance. The pieces were en route to a collector on Urnian (2833
Foreven) when the ship crashed into a volcanic crater lake in a remote
area of Vapchy (3034 Foreven). The patron tracked the crash site down
and believes that the ship is still intact; thus, the art might be
salvageable. The team is to provide support and backup for her as she
retrieves as much of the artwork as she can; for their efforts, she
will pay them Cr 200,000.

Crater Lake
Crater Lake – Image from wikimedia
Image by USGS – Public Domain

Referee’s Information:
The wreck, a 400-ton Subsidized Merchant, is situated 50 meters down
in the side of an underwater lava dome, in an 8 km diameter volcanic
caldera. The ship is partially buried by dislodged rock and silt,
which might make specialized equipment necessary to access the
interior. The ship itself may or may not be salvageable.

The volcano presents another danger. It is not extinct, just dormant.
Every so often, a burgeoning eruption causes seismic shocks in the
area. Each day, throw 16+ on 3D for a quake to occur. If so, throw 16+
on 3D again for the wreck to dislodge and start sinking to the bottom
of the crater 300 meters below. On a third throw of 3D for 18 exactly,
a full-blown eruption will occur in 4D hours.

1. All is as represented; the ship is intact and mostly dry inside.
The artwork, worth MCr1.2, is undamaged. A skilled broker may be able
to fetch an even higher price for it.

2. As 1, except the ship is partially flooded. The hold is dry (for
now), but opening it using standard methods will flood it, destroying
the contents.

3. As 2, and the hold has been slowly leaking since the crash. The
seals could give way at any time, totally destroying the contents
within. Worse, some of the artwork has been water-damaged and thus has
already lost (2D-2) x 10% of the above value.

4. As 1, but a group of salvage hunters has also located the wreck and
intend to stake a claim on it. They are unwilling to share or
relinquish their find. Despite being well-equipped, they are unarmed
and easily driven off, but will immediately contact the planetary
authorities.

5. As 4, except the salvage team is armed and more than willing to
fight. Their numbers and armament are similar to the PCs’.

6. As 5, except the opponents are a band of criminals that happened
upon the shipwreck and found it to be the perfect hidden base of
operations. They will not be happy to find the adventurers there.
Additionally, unbeknownst to all concerned, a squad of Imperial
Marines has tracked the felons down and are moving in with orders to
capture or kill anyone they encounter.