Hartford Beta Max Black Edition Stars Without Numbers Actual Play Mission Part II - Enter The

The crew of the U.S.S Leonardo a DY 1000 deep salvage ship  was able to solve a bit of the mystery of the Orion class Space plane that they were doing  salvage work on from  last week's Stars Without Number Beta Max Black Edition game mission. They were able to defuse the Romulan A.I. mine after several tense rounds of rolling and skill checks. Those things are insidious and left a bad taste in the crew's collective mouths. They destroyed the thing after rolling, checking, and using several robotic drones to explode the antimatter horror several light years away from the plane. 

The crew found several items aboard that including the data core of the  A.I. P.A.L. computer system. 

                      

The crew of plane had encountered something massive in its travels and gotten sucked into the hyper space wake of this massive object or object's gravity well. The crew of the plane had a close encounter with a group of alien humanoids that the crew of the Leonardo had encountered before. A quick check of the sleep pods and several items found on board including an energy clip from a heavy stunner had confirmed the worst fears of the adventurers. The crew of plane had encountered a Darian generational factory ship(more information on these people right overHERE ), the Darians are a tech level four race of ancient astronauts that the salvage crew had encountered two years ago. They barely escaped the eternal race of semi immortal aliens with their lives. This particular ship and the Leonardo have a history. This factory ship is part of a ghost fleet that the Lemuria is the head of. The crew turned the Orion plane over to the Talon system Travel Authority and then sent word out to meet up with their mother salvage ship. The party communicated with primary ship via FTL communication and set up a meeting point in a neutral trading system. 

The Leonardo docked with their salvage partners and began to follow the last known coordinates of the Darian factory ship and the ghost fleet. It took the better part of seven months game time to reach the dimensional universe where the fleet was. 

The party of adventurers approached the heavily shielded Darian factory ship and heard the familiar transmission from the last time. 

 ‘Emergency...emergency...this is the commander of the spaceship Daria. A major catastrophe has occurred..'

The party's resident computer hacker  began the data deck cyber process to the carrier wave just below the transmission and gained control of the shields and a  hanger aboard the ship. The crew opened just enough of a hole in the shield to sneak in. After a few tense moments they found themselves aboard. A tractor beam slowly automatically pulled them into a massive hanger filled with hundreds of relic ships from all kinds of eras all within the cotton candy glow of the artificial gravity dry docks. 

There were several Eagle Transports, a flying saucer or two, several Colonial colony transport ships, and hundred other ships all within the weird docking station. Many of the ships were in various states of disrepair and had missing parts or systems. The whole scene looked like some obscene high technological junk yard. The party hacked into the A.I. for this hanger to get a lay of the land and sell exactly where their 'old friends' were. Last time the Darians had tried to have the party processed in the food recycle systems.  

Here's a small selection of some of the technological baubles that the PC's found whist examining the hanger.

1d10 Random Darian Finds & Artifacts Table 

1. One massive work robot with a missing chest unit & a bad motivatior.The unit is in bad need of repair and there are 1d8 minor systems missing. Able to normally carry over 100 kilograms. 
2. Artificial gravity generator able to lift heavy space craft parts and be moved in any direction. Mostly used for proto industrial applications. 
3. Three kilometers of wire and relays. 
4. A single tricorder with over three years worth of data and sensor readings. The thing is running on minimum power. 
5. A decayed humanoid skeleton in a 1940's era SS uniform which is just about falling apart. 
6. A vibro knife stuck into the wall. Power unit is fried but other wise in good condition. The handle is coated heavily with alien sulfur based blood. 
7. A single atomic light unit, still good and able to light up 2 klicks worth of range. The light element is still good in this piece of equipment. A bit of carbon scoring on the side of the unit. 
8. Laser rifle in relatively good condition but it needs new energy clip. The weapon is +1 due to the careful alignment of the ruby lens crystals. 
9. Carved image of an ancient space god, made from ancient asteroid rock. Can be used to repel certain Mythos creatures. Very, very old piece of history. 
10. A fully functional A.I. core unit, missing about 90% of its robotic body. Otherwise this piece is prime shape. 

The party has managed secure the temple computer complex for this level of the ship. The A.I. is running on minimum power, and might have had a nervous break down, the power is spotty at best, and the party's engineer is going to be very busy. The party fought a running pitched battle with a group of space parasites and minor energy leeches. But for the most part they've only just arrived and need to access the situation on board the Darian ship.

More coming up!  

1d10 Random Minor Treasures From The Hoard Of The Vampire Kings For The Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers Of Hyperborea rpg system On The Dark Corner Blog

Ancient treasures from the halls of the kings of the undead on the Dark Corner blog. Use these treasures sparingly within your OSR campaigns for they may drain your PC's dry of blood,life force, and even morals.
 Check them out right over HERE

Revisiting Hulks and Horrors Basic Black Edition Rpg Pdf Now Free On Drivethrurpg

Grab It Right
HERE
Hulks and Horrors rpg pdf is now  free on Drivethrurpg. Hulks and Horrors is built upon the premise of many OSR retroclone game engines and takes the theme of dungeon crawling into space with bells on. Yes its built along the premise of the world's most popular fantasy rpg but takes it in its own directions mostly because of the author's voice and design sense.
The cover almost seems a throw back to old school video games.
This is a game that hearkens back to OD&D in every sense of the word but takes the twists and turns of using it as a science fictional game of galactic exploration on its own merits.
The background of Hulks and Horrors is as follows according to the Drivethrurpg blurb: 

We are not alone in the Universe, but we have few friends. As we emerged on the galactic stage, we found a universe stripped bare of sentient life by a great Plague, leaving only the wild beasts and twisted plague horrors wandering the ruined hulks of lost civilizations.

We are the Surveyors. We explore the uncharted sectors of space and hunt these ruins for the treasures they contain and the riches they might bring to what sentient life remains. We are not brave, merely foolhardy and desperate. Those who survive become rich beyond dreams. Very few survive. Hulks & Horrors is a science-fiction roleplaying game of galactic exploration and adventure for 2 or more players ages 13 and up. Inside you will find:

• Complete rules for characters up to Level 6 and beyond

• 7 character classes: Pilot, Scientist, Soldier, Psyker, Hovering Squid, Omega Reticulan, and Bearman.

• Easy to learn old-school inspired game rules and combat system

• Weapons, armor, and equipment inspired by classic science-fiction

• Spaceship construction and combat rules

• Random tables for creating whole sectors of space

• Loot generation rules

• Dozens of alien monsters as well as guides for designing your own

• Dungeon-mastering advice for sandbox space exploration

• Optional rules for customizing Hulks & Horrors

Hulks and Horrors does everything it says on the tin and a bit more. Characters are disposable in this game - they're generated quickly and disposed of just as quickly. Roll up your 3d6 stats and choose a character class and move into a galactic dungeon to really move the campaign along quick. 

The 7 character classes: Pilot, Scientist, Soldier, Psyker, Hovering Squid, Omega Reticulan, and Bearman are all set and ready to play so that you can throw the  PC's into the deep end of hulk exploration. The equipment in the game has some very broad applications that enable a DM to get parties into so very nasty situations quickly and generate adventures that will have players having fun. 

 This is really a DM friendly game with lots of random charts, design tools, and  dungeon generation  bits to round out adventures fast. 

 The monster section is evocative, interesting, and tells the old school origins of the game really. Here are the twisted, horrid, and psychotic remains of what could be termed galactic ruin fodder. I thumbed through the monster section and already three adventure possibilities popped into my head. The game is just like that. 

Because the core rpg system is so simple the whole of the rest of the game brings the optional and customization factor in by an order of eleven. This makes the game both a science fictional DYI retro clone in some respects and makes is an encompassing whole system all under one cover. 

This game includes everything you as a DM need to create complete and full science fictional OD&D style campaigns and adventures. Its a very well thought out and complete system. 

So why isn't this one of the core OSR science fictional game systems? I think that the timing of the game is actually to blame not the game itself. Hulks and Horrors came out in the shadow of Stars Without Numbers which has gone on to be one of the OSR's hallmark game systems. Shrugs. 

That's fine and there's room on the shelves for all kinds of OSR systems and more. But I think if you don't grab this game for free then your going to be missing out. For one thing there are enough tools in this tool box that can be used for a number of old school science fictional applications with easy. The dungeon generating systems are a very well thought out and would work with your version of the worlds most popular game.PC generation is fast and so learning the game is very easy.  Then there's the fact that many of these systems that are within Hulks and Horrors could be used with your old school science fictional versions of D&D with a bit of work. 

All in all this is a fine game and it really deserves a chance to be looked at on its own merits. Download it, take a look, and get some friends and get a game in. 

1d10 Random Spectral Events Table For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaign

Because of the deaths of so many millions of souls during the apocalyptic events of the end, holes and cross dimensional anomalies occur on a regular basis. Some of these doorways are mere pin pricks in fabric of reality but others are horrific encounters with an overburdened Afterlife that yawns to release its charges back into the wastes and drag the living back into a hungry abyss beyond time and space where the dead and worse await. 

1d10 Random Spectral Events Table 

1. The sky turns a lime green colour and the wind seems to howl with the sound of a million dead crying out at once for the blood of the living. All creatures under two hit dice must make a save vs spell or be at -4 from the deafening sound that echoes across reality and rattles through the psychic plane as well. Telepathic mutations will suffer its effects for addition 1d8 rounds. 
2. Weird whisps and almost shapes of humanoid ghostly things seem to ebb from the ground and soil. There will be 1d10 partial undead things churning from the ground as they reach for an uncaring stark sky. These things will reach for any living present and they will be hungry for the living's life force. There is a 30% per round of a complete minor undead awakening. This event will last for 1d6 hours. 
3. The PC's will be assaulted by visions of the Afterworld and may see former comrades, family, or others in the flames of the holocaust that was. These visions will seem almost too real and the heat, horror, and worse will rattle them. There is a 10% chance of some damned soul attaching themselves to a PC and causing bad luck for -1 on all dice rolls until the character makes amends for the unfortunate soul. 
4. The sky turns blood red and yellow as the doorway between worlds cracks open for an instant and the PC's suddenly come face to face with a group of 1d4 damned souls. Lemures and some random minor hell spawned ghosts are vomited into the wastes. The PC's must dispatch them back to their eternal reward. They will wither and return to the Afterlife in the light of the sun. 
5. 1d8 zombies stumble from some ancient ruin and wreckage as the forces of the Afterlife twist and turn in the winds of the wastes. They will be hungry and seek the meat of the living. 
6. The PC's will be nearly hit by 1d8 pieces of random wreckage and debris that has been tossed back into the world of the living after being swept into the lands of the dead. There is a 5% chance of some minor item or artifact being within the cold hell fire burnt remains. Anyone coming into contact with these metal wrecks will be burnt for 1d4 points of damage from the cold weird flames that still cling to the sides of the wrecks. There is a 2% chance of a soul maggot or other horror still clinging to some frozen scrap of decayed flesh. 
7. The PC's will stumble into a field of random face less tome stones, the world will suddenly grow deathly silent as these stones erupt with 1d8 random undead horrors. They will try to drag down the PC's. There is a 30% chance of a random PC seeing their names on one of the stones in common. They must make a wisdom check or be haunted by the possibility of their future foreshadowed death. 
8. The PC's are assaulted by a banshee wind storm, a weird wailing wind from beyond the grave itself and storm that will seem to last for 1d4 hours. It will seem to tear at the very fabric of their souls. There is 20% chance of encountering a banshee who has been ripped beyond time and space at the center of this storm that travels across the trackless wastes of the post apocalyptic worlds and planes. A PC might be dragged from their own world in this violence and all consuming storm. 
9. The wastes erupt in a violent magnetic storm that rips apart time and space. Distances become weird and terrible, the distortion plays marry havoc with the PC's bodily functions & there is a 10% chance of the character's soul momentarily separating from their bodies. Hungry and lean Lovecraftian horrors may be waiting within the storm to feed. Make a Save vs death to avoid such horrors. 
10. A storm from the Negative planes erupts across the sky and suddenly the whole scene is one of horror as ancient and dead gods battle one another. Strange radiations bath the landscape and horrors beyond death may be unleashed. There is a 40% chance of powerful ancient undead horrors awakening after this storm passes. Details are left to the DM.

1d10 Sacred Vans From The 1970's Random Encounter Table For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns

Given the strange energies and radiations that were unleashed during the apocalyptic events surrounding the end of all it is not surprising that certain vehicles would be endowed with powers and abilities. Many of these sacred objects are sought out by certain individuals and adventurers.
Many of these vans as they were called were decorated with sacred art and given special reverence by their owners.
Now they are being sought out by various tribes for their special powers and magical properties. Many tribes of mutants and pures go to war over possession of some of these vans. There are rumors and legends of mad priests of the car gods who can still do the sacred art of customization. These mad holy men mechanics and magicians are the stuff of legend often the objects of quests for various tribes. Other tribes of mutants who loath such individuals will try and murder them for their sacred knowledge is dangerous in the wastes.
Many  of these vans have a life of their own and have been found in remote corners of the wastes and even on other worlds.
There are very few artists and mechanics capable of the up keep of these vans. They will need monthly attention and maintenance for 200 gold pieces.
To create one of theses works of art that is a quest unto itself. First it will take 1d6 months of looking in the wastelands and following rumors. Then the party must find a garage with the right mechanic priest upon staff a charisma roll is needed just to be granted an audience. Next is the gathering of a body and parts then comes the two year process of enchantment and customization which costs the owner 30,000 gold pieces minimum.
This is why there are 'agents of the car gods' looking for such rides and trading in them.

 1d10 Sacred Vans From The 1970's Random Encounter Table

1. This tricked out electric blue customized van with a wizard mural on the side  has the power to transcend time and space. It is capable taking six individuals across 1d8 dimensional planes in comfort and style. 
2. This customized van has stylized fertility goddesses of rock and roll done in a dreamy and trippy style. The van has a fold out bed and kitchen. Any child conceived within its confines under the watchful eyes of the goddesses will have 1d4 beneficial mutations and only a 30% chance of dire mutations. The van's 'magic' is one of the most highly sought after out in the wastes. 
3. The Van of the Thunder Bird - This van has a stylized air brushed eagle or thunderbird air brushed across its surface. The car god adds +2 to the wisdom of the warriors under his protection and this shag carpeted van is actually a rolling war shrine. There is a 10% chance of the spirit of the van casting a cure light wounds spell upon a 'worthy' warrior or veteran. The van will always seek out a veteran warrior of superior aspect for ownership and cause him to seek out other warriors of his tribe to share the spirit of the van with. 
4. Far Roamer - There is a space motif to the artwork of this van and it is often found on remote worlds where it has ended up. This van can once per day open a dimensional warp and jump 1d10 light years. The spirits of these vans often have their fuel source replaced with a nuclear or energy cell. There is often a hidden laser cannon someplace on the van. Once per week the van can summon the spirits of 1d10 alien warriors of 3rd level to defend itself should it or its owner get into trouble. 
5. The Rolling Coffin -  This van is a necromancer's dream done in vampire and skull paint job. The interior is a red velvet dream with metallic trim and a coffin style steering wheel. Once per week this van may warp itself to the lands of the newly dead. It may summon 1d6 skeleton warriors to defend against attack. Often this van is found with 1d4 fire arms secreted in compartment someplace on the van. These vans are sometimes used for funeral rites by certain tribes and actively sought out by wizards of a necrotic bent. 
6. Peace and Love - These vans are blessed with a far out and hippy Earth mother paint job. They will cause fertility and healing wherever they go. 1d200 acres of wasteland will be healed of the cancers of mutations and food will grow naturally. But these vans will continually have a sound track of Greatful Dead tunes playing and the pungent aroma of  'pot' will issue from within the interior of this van. Many will be driven away from a tribe owning this van after 1d4 months. 
7. The Rebel - This orange van has a flag from a lost time upon it and is often owned by a warrior and adventuring family of renown. The van is armored and has a very hard core motor within.+2 to all drive checks and handling checks.  There will often be the spirit of a deceased warrior attached to this ride. He always has advice and wry comments for the owner. Owners of this vehicle often find themselves on the other side of the law through no fault of their own. 
8. The Pimpmobile - This ride will be the most elaborate and eye catching candy van affordable when found. It adds +3 to charisma with objects of lust. The spirit of this ride is often a deceased pre holocaust 'man of means' and will always be after the owner about making profit, gather artifacts, and introducing the owner to the life style emulated by the van. There's also a very dark side should the owner disrespect this ride. Its spirit may summon 1d4 succubus to ravage and drain dry the owner of this ride. The van will disappear in a puff of brimstone. There will be 1d6 preholocaust artifacts of a dubious nature secreted throughout this van when found.
9. Pork Chop Express  - This van is done in a crazy mural style of pre holocaust martial arts film with Chinese dragons and martial arts action scenes painted across surface of the van.  +3 to driving and charisma. The owner of this van will be a man of action or think he is and dash into the wastes looking for trouble. There will be a large hand gun in the glove compartment when found or a machine pistol . Once per day the owner may call upon the spirit of Jack Burton whose also the patron spirit of some tribes of warriors for advice or wisdom. This may be offered regardless if the owner asks or not .Once per week the owner of this van may call down 1d8 ancient warriors from China to defend the van.  The van's sacred dragon spirit often seems to gather martial artists to itself and such communities who have these rides often have such individuals among their ranks.
10. The Van of the Lightning - This van has a cherry red and yellow motif as well as artwork. Often with a flame and lightning symbolism worked throughout and a shocking red velvet interior. The spirits of this ride include the wisdom of Solomon, the engine has the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury.
    The owner of this van will charged with the protection of the innocent and  helping the desperate in the wastelands. Once per day the owner may call upon the power and insight of the spirits that have been worked into this ride. Or they will call upon the owner through a funky bejeweled dash ornament. Individual powers of this van will vary greatly and are up to the DM
    Three times per day the owner may call down a lightning strike as per the spell. Sometimes when this ride is found there will be 1d4 minor magic items secreted throughout the van.

Using The 

1d10 Sacred Vans From The 1970's Random Encounter Table

For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Campaigns 

 

I was reading through Jack Shear's Planet Mother #$%#er the other night and this table popped into my head. Given the Encounter Critical rpg as well and the gonzo nature of Mutant Future at times I can see this one getting lots of use behind the DM's screen. It fits right into the background of those game systems especially PMF given Jack's description:  In an alternate-reality Earth where the worst fears of the Cold War came to pass in 1965—the Year of the Thunderkiss. Some fat-fingered bureaucrat pressed the shiny red button and set off Armageddon. However, instead of resulting in a grim, gritty wasteland where humanity struggles to survive, the atomic fallout instead warped the fabric of reality itself. Planet Motherfucker has been twisted into a psychoholic grindhouse world where giant ratmen drag race hot rods against murder-minded robots, where lunatic wolfmans square off against brickhouse Amazons, and where living dead girls, doom nuns, and Murican witches command the awesome powers of the bump-n-grind occult.
 Given the nature of the wastelands in Planet Motherhumper, I can see unleashing this table upon my players very soon.
If you haven't downloaded and read through Jack Shear's Planet Mother $%@#er rpg, its available right over on his blog down the right hand side under free stuff.
Available right over HERE

Aliens Eternal Soldiers Hive War 2384 Part III Mutant Future Actual Play

After the events of Part II available right over HERE

Last night's game was very interesting with the PC's regrouping at the African Federal Security Agency mercenaries fortress helped to re equip them as well as get their own people back to their ship in deep Earth orbit. 

Things are pretty damn dire in Africa with the country divided along complex tribal and mutational lines as well as the invasive species influence of the cult of  the 'New Dawn'  'Bugmen' and humans lead by Avalon a charismatic Xenomorph, Human Xeno  that had been using the fusion reactors below Republica for years.
The FSA forces have had a running battle with this cult of fanatics for years and the leader of the cult Avalon has an Alien Queen as part of the cult's head. The hive has plans for a massive expansion and is at war with another hive about 50 klicks away.
This spells disaster for the mutants, humans, and tribes that are trying to scratch out a living in the wastes. 

Not to mention the extinction of the FSA forces in the area.
 

The Marine's mutant psychic received a massive assault from one of the Mutant Bugmen but was able to make some great saves for the the PC. A war began on the psychic plane though and marines became worried as the toil of the battle began to wane on their comrade. Finally the pitched battle went in favor of Marie Le Croy the Colonial marine psychic and scout. Before exploding the Bug Man's mind she was able to telepathically extract the current location of the cult and their base's layout.
More coming up!