Tempest Sector: Cygnus

Art by Wen JR

Atmosphere: Breathable Mix

Temperature: Warm

Biosphere: Engineered

Population: Outpost

Tech Level: 4 (baseline)

Tags: Quarantined, Tomb World

The Star Kingdom of Chimera once had a science outpost located on this quarantined planet. Sometime in Cygnus's distant past an alien race lived on this planet. This race has not completely disappeared however. Massive pyramids and monuments of metal and stone remain. Hieroglyphs and alien remains have revealed that this race may have some kind of relationship to the ancient Egyptian culture of Old Earth.

Exploration of the the various tombs have revealed labyrinth like catacombs filled with traps, treasure, and the mummified remains of these highly technologically advanced aliens. The explorers also accidentally released a virus that infected the modern technology brought along by the Star Kingdom's military and researchers. Drone's and other equipment became self-aware and violent towards the explorers. Thus the need to seal off the planet from any other group that might want to explore it and reap it's hidden secrets.

Since that time the dead have somehow been brought back to life. Often these undead have been transformed into cybernetic terrors. So far efforts have been made to keep these horrors from being able to leave the planet and hide the truth from the galaxy at large. There are those however who would like nothing more than to get onto the planet and reap whatever reward they might be able to. In fact the Monolith Corporation would like nothing more than to have one of it's infected “Gorilla” Drones captured, alive if possible and returned to one of it's secret laboratories for study. The tombs themselves are filled with artifacts and art that the rich would pay handsomely for if one could survive the creatures and traps that wait within. Finally there are those that would love to topple the current government with the news of what secrets are being hidden from the people of the Kingdom.

Tempest Sector Map

A while back I had some free time on my hands. What I didn't have was the nice template from SWN to fill in. So I made my own. It's a masterpiece if I do say so myself. Only the real high quality shit for my readers. I rolled up stuff for each star there too. Now I just need to record it all here on the blog.

Hand crafted sector map for Stars Without Number

Spells Without Number

I've been working on a swords & sorcery fantasy hack of Stars Without Number. Basically I'm going with three classes. The Warrior, Rogue (Expert), and Sorcerer (Psychic). The first two classes are essentially unchanged from how they appear in the book, but the changes to the Psychic requires a bit more work. I was inspired reading in the psionics chapter about how Psychics can "Torch" their minds to cast their powers without paying the power point cost. This is a system that could be ripped out and used in any retro clone RPG for spell casters. Heres my personal take on it below.

Brundle the Sorcerer over-channeled one too many times...

Over Channeling a Spell & Mana Burn

A desperate, foolish or just plain unskilled sorcerer may decide to cast a spell when he no longer has

any mana points (or spell slots) left to do so. This feat of sorcery is accomplished by over channeling more eldritch energy than the sorcerer is capable of handling and suffering a mana burn.

Any level of spell can be over channeled this way but for each spell cast in this manner the sorcerer must roll a d10 and consult the Mana Burn Effects Table. Regardless of the roll over channeling a spell is a painful experience for the caster and will cause the sorcerer's body temperature to dramatically increase. Skin will turn red or blister and be hot to the touch. The air will crackle with a tangible eldritch energy that can be felt by those standing nearby and the smell of burnt hair and cooking meat will create a horrific stench that will suffuse the air and take days to dissipate.

Sorcerer's whose Wisdom or Constitution scores that drop to 3 or less become NPC characters under the Game Masters control. A sorcerer with a Wisdom score of 3 has gone insane and will be under the influence of some cosmic or infernal entity or quest. A sorcerer with a Constitution score of 3 has become so suffused with eldritch energy that they are no longer human. They have become an infernal, cosmic, unique undead monstrosity hell bent on world domination or some other maniacal scheme. 

Mana Burn Effects Table

Roll 1d10	Effect
1	Permanently lose 1 point of Con and Wis
2-5	Permanently lose 1 point of Constitution
6-9	Permanently lose 1 point of Wisdom
10	No Permanent Damage

Mecha & Martians: A Stars Without Number Campaign

I thought it was probably a good time to take a break from my series of Ultimate Greyhawk posts and shake things up a bit today. Have no fear I will continue the series but it's always nice to have a palate cleanser in between dishes, er I mean posts.

A while back I wrote about how I had this campaign idea for a something I called Mecha & Martians. The idea still hasn't left me so I created a page to collect all the posts I will eventually write for it.

Mecha & Martians is an alternate history science fiction campaign based on the the idea that the events of H.G. Wells's novel War of the Worlds had actually occurred. In the aftermath of the Martian invasion life carries on and events lead into World War I.  

This isn't a steampunk world. Major scientific advances  have been made based on reverse engineering Martian technology and launching a new industrial revolution. One of the major sources of inspiration will obviously be H.G. Well's War of the Worlds novel and the War of the Worlds: Goliath anime. But other inspirations will be World War I era historical sources.

Campaign Background
When the Martians invaded Earth in 1885 we were victims of their advanced weapons and technology. At the end of the invasion we rebuilt using scientific breakthroughs made by salvaging the remains of left behind from the very same Martian technology that had once been used against us. Leaps and bounds are made in science and the people of Earth have greatly benefited from a new industrial revolution unlike anything our world has ever seen before.

Not willing to become victims a second time and in anticipation of the Martians inevitable return, military's around the world have built and developed new weapons and defences. Chief among these new weapons are walking tanks called Goliaths. These heavily armoured walkers are armed with radical new weapons to defend against the alien's tripod war machines.

It's now been 19 years since the Martian invasion. Political tensions on Earth are quickly heating up. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 plunges the world into the Great War. Just when everyone thought it couldn't get worse the Martians return…

The Babel Harpy of Marduk

Artwork by J. S. Marantz

This post is part of a series related to the Digital Dark Age, my space opera blogging project. It uses the free version of Stars Without Number as it's game engine, but is designed to be system neutral. You can learn more by searching the Digital Dark Age Index sidebar, or by searching the labels.

The Babel Harpy is found in the mountainous regions on the jungle planet of Marduk. They tend to be night time predators that hunt in packs. One Harpy will use it's song to draw attention to it and to create a distraction while the rest of the pack sneaks up, or swoops in. Generally they try too create a perimeter around their prey and then close in for the kill. Harpy eggs are something of a delicacy and are in high demand in some of the high end restaurants of the galaxy.

Babel Harpy Statistics

Armour Class: 7                  No. Appearing: 1-8

Hit Dice: 3                            Saving Throw: 15 +

Attack Bonus: +3/+3           Movement: 30' (40'when flying)

Damage: 1d4 per claw         Morale: 10

Special: Confusing Babel

Confusing Babel: Upon first hearing a Babel Harpy's song all characters within earshot make a saving throw. On a failure effected creatures are under the influence of the harpy's song. Roll 1d20 to determine the effect. Each round a new saving throw is made and if failed a new effect determined.

Roll                       Behaviour

1-5                        Act normally.

6-10                      Do nothing but babel incoherently.

11-15                    Run away in a random direction.

16-20                   Attack nearest creature.

The Shrapnel Rat

A few years back I wrote a post of random encounter tables that included a monster called the "Shrapnel Rat" that could be found living in the Mega-City of Prospero's Underhive. It was something I was inspired to write from the video game Gears of War. Believe it or not the explosive rat was also an idea used by the Special Operations Executive in WWII. It didn’t end up panning out the way they wanted, but hey, that just a weird thing to read about. Fact is often stranger than fiction as they say. Anyway the idea has always stuck with me so I figured I'd finally write it up. The Swords & Wizardry version is called a Suicide Rat, that is often confused with the Giant Rat from the Core S&W book, and the Shrapnel Rat in Stars Without Number format.

Suicide Rat: Swords & Wizardry Version

The origin of the suicide rat are disputed. According to the Sages of Nemite, these rats were created as a weapon in a bloody drawn out war. Created to infiltrate enemy positions, and booby trap battle fields. If a well known tavern legend is to be believed, the rats were crafted by a vengeful wizard. According to this tale his brother, a cotter in the town Ulthar, was murdered by a pack of felines. What ever the truth is these creatures have been spreading far and wide across the lands.

Shrapnel Rat: Stars Without Number version
The Mega City of Prosperos Underhive, a never ending catacomb of death and despair is the home to many dangerous creatures. Shrapnel Rats have quickly risen to the top of this deadly underground ecosystem due to the multitude of ambush and nesting sites. A number of therories have been circulated as to where these deadly creatures came from. One story by a Hiver suggests that they were purposefully created to kill off those lining in the dark service tunnels and sewers. An undisclosed corporate whitleblower stated that the rats were part of a Black Lab experiment that went out of control and escaped into the environment. A xenobiologist specializing in the Underhive believes that this just might be part of the evolution process in such a hostile environment.

Suicide Rat: Swords & Wizardry Statistics

Armour Class: 7 [12]

Hit Dice: 1d4 Hit points

Attacks: Bite (1d4) or Explosion (2d6) 10' radius,

save for half damage.

Saving Throw: 18

Special: Implant Embryos

              Explosion 

Move: 12

Challenge Level/XP: 1/15

Shrapnel Rat: Stars Without Number Statistics

Armour Class: 7                           No. Appearing: 1-8

Hit Dice: 1/2                                  Saving Throw: 15+

Attack Bonus: +1                         Movement: 20'

Damage: 1d4 Bite                         Morale: 8

                2d6 explosion                            

Special: Implant embryos

Rules 

These rules can be used for whichever version of the game you are playing.  

Explode: After a successful attack the rat has been primed and will explode 1d6 rounds later. It may also explode if its surprised or frightened. The rat will charge its target (+2 to attack) and explode immediately afterwards. Damage that reduces the rat's hit points to zero or lower causes the rat to explode. An exploding rat deals 2d6 damage to everyone in a 10' radius of itself (successful save for half damage).

Implant Embryos: Any creature damaged by the exploding makes a saving throw. On a failure the creature has been implanted with suicide rat embryos. Every day the creature must make a new saving throw. On a failure the target loses 1d4 Constitution points. Once three successful saves have been made or the a cure disease spell has been cast the creature is fully cured. If the creatures's Constitution score reaches zero before it's cured, 1d6 regular rats will chew, claw, and burst out of it's stomach. If these newborn rats are not being threatened they will feed on the corpse, otherwise they attack and/or flee for safety. These newborn rats have the same statistics, but cannot yet explode or implant embryos. After a 24 hour period they will have matured into full blown suicide/shrapnel rats themselves. For Stars Without Number the Implant Embryo ability is considered a disease with a Toxicity 8 and a Virulence of 3, all other effects remain the same.

The Nakkoro

Artwork by Ken Barthelmey

This post is part of a series related to the Digital Dark Age, my space opera blogging project. It uses the free version of Stars Without Number as it's game engine, but is designed to be system neutral. You can learn more by searching the Digital Dark Age Index sidebar, or by searching the labels.

The Nakkoro hail from Kaheevah a planet found in Inoa System. They are stalwart allies of the Chimeran Empire. They are a civilized and peaceful race of space explorers, scientists and bioengineers. They speak Nakkronese, a difficult language to master since it uses sounds humans cant reproduce as well as specialized tendril movements.

Appearance & Biology

The Nakkoro have smooth skin resembling that of an elephant. They are omnivorous quadrupeds allowing them an appropriate centre of balance in order to support their long giraffe-like necks. Racial subgroups have variations of stripe patterns and colours found on their bodies. They have small eyes yet are capable of seeing as well as a human. They have an acute sense of smell and their mouth tendrils are used for both tasting and fine manipulation of objects.

History

The Nakkoros need for exploration brought them into space. Humans were the first extraterrestrial species to come into contact with the Nakkoro. This first contact was between the then Star Kingdom of Chimera and was quite violent. For a time the the two societies warred until they both grew weary of battle. Peace prevailed and treaties were signed. Even then the two races kept a distance from each other until the arrival of the war-like Krongdari. For the first time Humans and Nakkoro combined their resources and brought battle to the invaders. At the end of this confrontation the Nakkoro and Krongdari officially joined the Empire of Chimera. As Imperial citizens the Nakkoro have been able to focus on what they love most the continued quest for scientific knowledge.

Psychology

At the heart of every Nakkoro lies a strong sense of curiosity. The need for knowledge drives them to question, study, and experiment. Quite often their hard stance on facts and evidence has the effect of making them seem cold and emotionless. Yet the Nakkoro are indeed a caring and creative species.

Flavour

Nakkoro are inquisitive and curious. They have a strong wanderlust and sense of exploration and discovery. They like building things and make great scientists, engineers, and researchers. They are not a violent race, but they are not afraid to defend themselves if they must. Nakkoro people and place names tend have a  Hawaiian asthetic to them.  

Nakkoro as Player Characters

 Nakkoro require a minimum 14 in Intelligence. They favour the Expert class, but there are no restrictions on what class choices are available.  

Typical Nakkoro Statistics

Armour Class: 9                 No. Appearing: 1-8

Hit Dice: 1/2                        Saving Throw: 15 +

Attack Bonus: +0               Movement: 30'

Damage: 1d2 punch            Morale: 7

Skill Bonus: +4 

The Phylax Sphere

Artwork by Ken Barthelmey

This post is part of a series related to the Digital Dark Age, my space opera blogging project. It uses the free version of Stars Without Number as it's game engine, but is designed to be system neutral. You can learn more by searching the Digital Dark Age Index sidebar, or by searching the labels.

The Phylax are a humanoid alien race. They are very aggressive and have thus far been refused entry into any galactic civilization. This is hardly a concern for the Phylax since they are extremely xenophobic and see themselves as a superior race.

Little is known of Phylax society. What has been determined that the is divided into political Spheres equivalent to a small state. Each sphere is controlled by a sphere queen. In addition to the queen a sphere consists of three castes. The Kalate, are winged and fill the role of leaders in the society, they are also chosen as the consorts for the sphere queens. The Mandalates are the soldiers and are most often encountered with the worker caste known as Fylates. Differentiating between these two castes is not difficult. The warriors are usually much larger and have mandibles, while the workers are smaller and lack mandibles.

Phylax-Mandalate (Solider) Statistics

Armour Class: 7                      No. Appearing: 1-8

Hit Dice: 1                                Saving Throw: 15 +

Attack Bonus: +1                    Movement: 30'

Damage: 1d10 plasma rifle      Morale: 10

Phylax-Fylate (worker) Statistics

Armour Class: 9                     No. Appearing: 1-8

Hit Dice: 1/2                            Saving Throw: 15 +

Attack Bonus: +0                   Movement: 30'

Damage: 1d4 claw                  Morale: 7

We can't stop here. This is Drone Country.

This post is one of a series of posts related to the Digital Dark Age, my space opera blogging project. It uses the free version of Stars Without Number as it's game engine, but is designed to be system neutral. You can learn more by searching the Digital Dark Age Index sidebar, or by searching the Labels.

   

Someone called a halt. What? Shit, no. We can't stop here.

Sargent Adrian Kapinski hated this fucking shit hole planet. It wasn’t that Cygnus was an arid desolate rock. It wasn't the intensity of the heat or the stinging dust that managed to infiltrate every crevice possible. As veteran marine in the Royal Chimeran Navy, the environment was a minor inconvenience. While it unsettled him some to be wandering through the ruins of some extinct alien race, it was what had come out of those ruins that filled him with fear and loathing.

We can't stop here.

The Company had been escorting a team of scientists and archeologists to a specific dig site. Then the first ambush happened. They had lost a lot of good men and women that day. After the second ambush word had started to spread. Drones. They were being stalked and killed by there own fucking drones. An alien virus had somehow penetrated the B-28s firewalls and anti virus programs. Fucking alien viruses.

We can't stop here. This is Drone Country.

Artwork by Ben Mauro

The B-28 “Gorilla” Infantry Combat Drone

The B-28 Gorilla was designed as a scout and infantry drone by the Monolith Technology Corporation. Its gorilla shaped chassis is with a ballistics absorbing armour plating. The armour is coated with an active chameleon camouflage and stealth system making it nearly impossible to see until its too late. The Gorilla sports  retractable crampons that double as combat claws or climbing tools, allowing it climb the face of a sheer rock wall at full speed. The B-28 is armed with a variety of sensors to record and acquire targets. It features a smart CPU, that given time can learn and adapt, as well as administer self healing protocols and repair programs. While weapons can be switched out based on mission requirements, the standard weapon load-out is a gatling bead cannon that fires lithium-deuterium rounds almost frictionlessly and at an extreme velocity, as well as an anti personnel grenade launcher.

B-28 “Gorilla” Infantry Combat Drone Statistics

Armour Class: 6                            No. Appearing: 1-4

Hit Dice: 3                                     Saving Throw: 14

Attack Bonus: +6                          Movement: 30'

Damage: 1d8 claw/claw                 Morale: 12

                2d8 gatling canon

                2d8 grenade launcher  

Note: This post was partially inspired by featured amazing artwork above by Ben Mauro. The name B-28 Gorilla is also credited to him. The statistics are for use with Stars Without Number and have not been play tested. Please feel free to leave your suggestions or comments.