In the gritty, no-FTL world of Orbital 2100 and its interstellar successor HOSTILE, the discovery of "Bio-Booster" technology is a paradigm shift that threatens the Cold War balance.
The following mission, "Project Gunder: The Chrysalis Pulse," involves a relic spacecraft—a bio-organic vessel that acts as a mother-host for the Gunder Armor.
Mission: Project Gunder – The Chrysalis Pulse
The Hook
A long-range sensor array on a Luna-based "Deep Eye" station has picked up a strange, rhythmic gravitational signature coming from a supposedly "dead" comet in the Kuiper Belt (designated KBO-G9). The signature doesn't match any known propulsion, but it mimics a heartbeat.
Corporate interests (Hyperion or Weyland-esque entities) believe this is the Gunder Relic: an ancient, organic "Bio-Booster" spacecraft that doesn't just carry armor—it is the armor on a macroscopic scale.
The Objective
Infiltrate: Land on the icy surface of KBO-G9 and locate the buried relic.
Bio-Sync: Use a specialized "Neural Link" interface to stabilize the ship’s erratic bio-rhythms.
Extraction: Recover the "Control Medals" (The core Gunder Units) before a rival Earth Union "Black Ops" team arrives to seize the tech.
The Twist
The spacecraft is not "empty." It is a living organism that has been dormant for eons. The PC who attempts to interface with it may accidentally trigger a Bio-Boost, bonding with a Gunder Unit. This turns the mission from a salvage op into a "Protect the Asset" survival horror scenario.
Relic Spacecraft: The "Gunder-Vessel" (The Chrysalis)
The ship is a bio-organic construct. It lacks traditional metal plating, appearing instead as a mass of chitinous plates, pulsing veins, and iridescent sensory orbs.
Ship Stats (Orbital 2100 / Cepheus Engine)
| Feature | Stats |
| Hull | 100 Tons (Organic Composite) |
| Armor | 12 (Self-Repairing Bio-Chitin) |
| Drive | Grav-Orb Drive: TL 16 (Relic). Does not use fuel; manipulates local gravity. |
| Thrust | 6G (No G-force felt by crew due to internal dampening) |
| Sensors | Bio-Lateral Array: +4 DM to detection (Functions as a living nervous system) |
| Weapons | Mega-Smasher: A chest-plate-like aperture on the prow. (Damage: 2D6x50, requires 3 rounds to "recharge" cells). |
| Special | Rapid Regeneration: Heals 1D6 Hull Points per combat round. |
Bio-Booster "Gunder" Armor Stats
If a PC activates a Control Medal, they gain the following "Relic" buffs. In the gritty world of Hostile, where a single bullet is usually fatal, this armor makes the user a demi-god—but at the cost of their humanity.
Standard Gunder-Armor (Suit Stats):
Protection: 15 (Ignores standard small arms, reduces anti-tank rounds).
Strength/Reflexes: The host's STR and DEX are increased by +4.
High-Frequency Blades: Forearm blades that ignore armor (Damage: 4D6).
Sonic Busters: Head-mounted emitters. (Damage: 3D6, ignores cover, affects everyone in a 15m cone).
The Smasher: Twin chest-mounted beam cannons. (Damage: 1D6 x 10). Note: Using this causes the host to suffer 1D6 points of exhaustion (STR damage).
The Threat: "The Biological Imperative"
The ship isn't just a vehicle; it's an ecosystem. Inside, the crew will face:
Enzyme Sentinels: White-blood-cell-like organisms that "digest" intruders (Stats: As Hostile Xenomorphs, but with acid-spray attacks).
The Rival Team: An Earth Union "Solar Guard" squad equipped with heavy rail-rifles and tactical nukes, ordered to destroy the ship if they cannot claim it.
To complement the bio-organic map of the Chrysalis, here is an encounter table designed for the high-lethality environment of HOSTILE and Orbital 2100.
The interior of the ship is a "Living Dungeon." Use the table below when the players move between the major chambers (The Synaptic Bridge, The Incubation Vats, or the Mega-Smasher Core).
Battle Encounter: The Bridge Standoff
Location: The Synaptic Bridge (The "Brain" room on your map).
The Situation: The PCs arrive at the Bridge to find the Solar Guard "Black Ops" team already setting "Thermal Breacher" charges on the ship's Primary Cortex. If the charges detonate, the ship dies, and the Gunder tech is lost forever.
The Enemy: Solar Guard "Executioner" Squad
Leader: Commander Vane (Combat Skill-3, Heavy Battle Dress, ACR with HEAP rounds).
Support: 4 Soldiers (Combat Skill-1, Vacc Suits, Shotguns/Lasers).
Hazard: The floor in this room is a semi-transparent membrane. Shooting it causes the ship to "bleed" (slippery terrain) or lash out with electrical pulses.
Victory Conditions:
Tactical: Eliminate the Solar Guard and defuse the charges.
Bio-Tech: Reach the "Interface Throne" and bond with the ship. If successful, the PC can use the ship's internal "Anti-Bodies" (Leucocytes) to devour the Solar Guard.
NPC Stat Block: Solar Guard Soldier (Standard)
STR 9, DEX 8, END 10
Armor: Combat Armor (Prot 8)
Weapon: Gauss Rifle (4D6 damage, AP 4)
Behavior: Uses cover, leap-frogs toward objectives, and prioritizes killing anyone who looks like they are "merging" with the bio-tech.
In the hard-science world of HOSTILE and Orbital 2100, "merging" with alien bio-technology isn't just a power-up—it’s a traumatic biological hijacking. The Gunder Unit doesn't just sit on the skin; it replaces the host's nervous system with its own.
The Bonding Process: "The First Pulse"
When a PC initiates contact with a Gunder Control Medal, they must undergo the Sync Sequence. This is a high-stakes moment that can permanently change the character.
The Procedure:
The Invitation: The Medal must be pressed against the host's chest. It immediately deploys "organic filaments" that bore into the ribcage to find the heart and spine.
The Trauma: The host must succeed on an END (Endurance) check at Difficulty 10+.
Permanent Mutation Table (The "Price of Power")
If the player fails their initial Sync check or pushes the armor to its limits (e.g., using the Mega-Smasher more than once per mission), roll 1D6 to determine the permanent biological cost.
| Roll | Mutation | Game Effect |
| 1 | Chitinous Sub-Dermal Plating | Hard scales grow under the skin. +2 Natural Armor, but -2 DEX and the character looks "uncanny/alien." |
| 2 | Hyper-Metabolism | The suit demands fuel. The PC must consume 4x the normal amount of calories. Without it, they suffer 1 point of STR damage per day. |
| 3 | Neural Ghosting | The PC hears the "whispers" of the ship. -1 to Social checks, but gain +1 DM to Initiative and Sensor-related tasks. |
| 4 | Bioluminescent Veins | The PC’s veins glow a faint cyan when they are stressed. Stealth is impossible in low light unless fully covered. |
| 5 | Retractable Filaments | Fine needles can extend from the fingertips. Gain a +2 DM to Medical/Tech checks involving bio-tech, but lose sense of touch. |
| 6 | Symbiotic Dependency | The PC can no longer survive without the suit for more than 48 hours. Their natural immune system begins to shut down |
Critical Failure: "The Bio-Slag"
If a player rolls a Natural 2 during a bonding attempt or a high-stress combat maneuver, the Gunder Unit enters Consumptive Mode.
The suit views the host as "insufficient biomass."
It begins to dissolve the host to fuel its own repair.
The Result: The PC becomes an NPC "Bio-Horror"—a mindless, armored guardian of the ship that the other players must now put down.
GM Guidance: The "Body Horror" Aesthetic
When describing the Gunder armor, avoid "superhero" tropes. Instead, focus on:
The sound of wet tearing when the blades extend.
The smell of ozone and burning protein when the beam weapons fire.
The way the PC’s eyes turn a solid, reflective black when the visor engages.
CONFIDENTIAL // LEVEL 5 CLEARANCE ONLY
RE: PROJECT CHRYSALIS – SUBJECT BIO-INTEGRATION ANALYSIS
FROM: Dr. Aris Thorne, Chief Medical Officer (Xeno-Tech Division)
TO: Board of Directors, Hyperion Interstellar
I. Executive Summary
Subject [REDACTED], a freelance operative formerly under contract for the Orbital 2100 "Deep Eye" recovery, has successfully integrated with the Gunder Relic Unit-01. This represents the first successful "Hard-Sync" in human history. However, the biological costs are catastrophic. The subject is no longer technically Homo sapiens.
II. Biological Overwrite
Our scans indicate that the Gunder Unit does not function as an external exoskeleton. Instead, it has initiated a Total System Colonization.
Nervous System: The subject's original spinal cord has been sheathed in a high-density, bio-conductive fiber. Signal velocity is 300% faster than human baseline. Reaction times are effectively pre-cognitive.
Cardiovascular: The heart has been reinforced with a semi-organic casing. It now pumps a pressurized, oxygen-rich "ichor" instead of standard blood.
Skeletal Restructuring: The subject’s ribcage has been fused into a solid plate to support the mounting of the Mega-Smasher focal lenses.
III. Weaponry & Tactical Capabilities
Field observations from the KBO-G9 engagement confirm the following:
"The subject engaged a Solar Guard squad. When the high-frequency blades deployed, the sound wasn't mechanical—it was a scream. The blades vibrated at such a frequency that they bypassed the Guard's reinforced hardsuits as if the alloy were liquid."
Sonic Resonance: The "Sonic Buster" head-fins emit a frequency that liquefies soft tissue. Three Solar Guard casualties were found with their internal organs reduced to a uniform slurry, despite having no external wounds.
The Smasher: Thermal output of the chest-mounted beam exceeds 1800°C. The energy draw is so intense it temporarily causes the subject's body temperature to spike to lethal levels, requiring an immediate "venting" period where the armor's plates open like gills.
IV. Psychological Profile & "The Whisper"
The subject reports persistent auditory hallucinations described as "rhythmic pulsing" and "ancient directives." We believe the Gunder Unit contains a Genetic Memory Interface.
Risk Assessment:
The subject shows increasing detachment from human ethics. During the debrief, the subject referred to the Chrysalis spacecraft not as a vessel, but as "The Mother." There is a high probability that the subject's loyalty has shifted from the corporation to the relic ship itself.
V. Recommendation
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE UNIT. Biopsy suggests that the Gunder Unit has replaced approximately 40% of the subject's vital organs. Removal would result in immediate biological collapse.
Current Directive: Maintain "The Leash" protocol. Use the subject for high-threat "Hostile" zone extractions, but keep a tactical nuke on a remote-detonation failsafe within their transport ship.
"It isn't a suit of armor. It's a new skin for a new world. We just haven't decided if we're the ones wearing it, or if it's wearing us."
— Dr. Thorne
Since the "Gunder" technology is living tissue, it doesn't get "upgraded" in a shipyard—it mutates through combat stress and the consumption of exotic biomass.
Below are the rules for Biological Evolution and the narrative scene for the First Pulse.
Part 1: Evolution Mechanics (The "Red Cell" Points)
In HOSTILE/Orbital 2100, the PC earns Red Cell Points (RCP) instead of standard XP for their armor. RCP is earned by surviving high-lethality encounters or "feeding" the suit organic matter from other relic organisms.
Evolution Tiers
| RCP Cost | Evolution Type | Effect |
| 5 | Hardened Chitin | Increase Armor Protection by +2. |
| 10 | Adrenal Glandular Overdrive | Once per combat, take two turns in one round. (Costs 2 STR). |
| 15 | Wings of the Void | The armor develops gravity-manipulation fins. Allows flight in vacuum/atmosphere. |
| 25 | Giga-Smasher Upgrade | The chest cannons now fire a continuous beam. Damage becomes $2D6 \times 10$ and ignores all non-relic cover. |
Part 2: Narrative Scene – The First Pulse
Location: Hyperion Research Station "Acheron-V" – Isolation Ward 01.
Atmosphere: Sterile, smelling of ozone and floor wax. Outside the reinforced glass, Dr. Thorne and a dozen armed "Purge Suits" watch with bated breath.
The Action:
You are strapped into a titanium restraint chair. The Control Medal is a cold, heavy weight fused to your sternum. Every time your heart beats, you feel a sharp, electric "tug" in the back of your brain.
"Subject is stable," Thorne’s voice crackles over the intercom. "Initiate the Pulse. Thirty percent power."
Suddenly, the cold weight turns into white-hot iron. You scream, but the sound is cut short as filaments shoot upward from your chest, piercing your throat and sealing your jaw.
The Vision:
Your eyes don't close, but the room vanishes. You see a star-map of a galaxy you don't recognize. You feel the hunger of a species that died a billion years ago. Then, the Bio-Boost happens.
The Transformation:
The restraints don't just break; they melt as the high-frequency vibration of your forming armor disintegrates the metal. White, bone-like plating ripples over your skin, stitching itself together with wet, clicking sounds. Your vision shifts into a multi-spectral HUD—you can see the heat signatures of the guards' hearts beating behind the glass.
"My God," you hear Thorne whisper. "It's not just a weapon. It's a rebirth."
The armor pulses once—a deep, subsonic thrum that shatters the glass observation windows. You aren't just a pilot anymore. You are the Gunder.
The Aftermath: The "First Hunt" Check
To see how well you controlled the first transformation, roll 2D6 + END.
10+: You maintain control. You stand down and await orders, though the suit "hisses" in disappointment.
7-9: Partial Blackout. You destroyed the room and injured a guard before regaining consciousness. Hyperion adds a sedative to your life-support.
2-6: Frenzy. You slaughtered the medical staff. You wake up in a different room, covered in blood that isn't yours, with the suit retracted but your skin still tingling.
Prologue Mission: The Acheron Breach
The Situation: The "First Pulse" has barely subsided. You are standing in the wreckage of Isolation Ward 01, the floor littered with shattered reinforced glass and twisted titanium. Before Dr. Thorne can even begin the post-transformation calibration, the station’s sirens shift from a medical alert to a Tactical Breach Warning.
A rival "Deep Eye" Corp strike team—the Mantid Kill-Squad—has docked a boarding ram directly into the research wing. They aren't here to talk; they are here to liquidate the research and "reclaim" the Gunder Unit (you).
Phase 1: The Bio-Electric Wake-Up
The lights flicker and die. In the darkness, your new senses kick in. Your vision switches to Thermal-Kinetic Overlay. You see the heat signatures of four Mantid operatives cutting through the airlock door at the end of the hallway.
The Mission Objectives:
Protect the Data: Ensure Dr. Thorne survives (he holds your "stability codes").
Field Test: Neutralize the Mantid Kill-Squad using the Gunder’s organic weaponry.
The Extraction: Reach the Chrysalis hanger before the station’s self-destruct (set by the rivals) detonates.
The Encounter: The Mantid Kill-Squad
These aren't standard security. They are vacuum-hardened mercenaries wearing Titan-Class Hardsuits.
The Breacher: Carries a thermal-lance and a shield.
The Stalkers (x2): Equipped with active-camo and high-velocity rail-rifles.
The Tech-Witch: A hacker trying to remotely "lock" your armor's nervous system.
Combat Prompt: Your Turn
The airlock hisses open. The Breacher steps through, his shield raised. Behind him, the Stalkers vanish into cloak-mode. You feel the Tech-Witch’s signal pinging against your brain, trying to find a back door into your new spine.
How do you respond?
Option A: The Sonic Scream. You use the Sonic Busters to vibrate the very air in the hallway, forcing the cloaked Stalkers to reveal their positions and liquefying the Breacher's internal sensors.
Option B: High-Frequency Blitz. You close the 20-meter gap in a fraction of a second, deploying the HF Blades to carve through the Breacher’s shield like hot wire through wax.
Option C: The Mega-Smasher. You decide to end the fight before it starts. You pull back your chest plates to reveal the glowing bio-lenses. (Requires an END check to survive the heat spike).
In the bio-industrial nightmare of Project Gunder, the corporations realized that a single Gunder Unit is too powerful for standard humans to contain. To counter the "Bio-Booster" threat, they engineered the Hyper-Zoninoids: genetically warped "Super-Predators" designed specifically to hunt and dismantle the relic armor.
Unlike the Gunder, which is a symbiotic suit, the Hyper-Zoninoids are permanent biological horrors—humans whose DNA has been shredded and rewoven with apex predator traits and anti-Gunder "Counter-Measures."
The "Apex-4" Hyper-Zoninoid Hit-Squad
The most feared unit in the Hyperion Corp arsenal. Each member is specialized to neutralize a specific capability of the Gunder armor.
1. V-GRIP (The Grappler)
A massive, 3-meter tall brute with oversized, multi-jointed arms. His skin is a rubbery, impact-absorbent hide.
Role: To pin the Gunder and suppress the Mega-Smasher.
STR: 16 | DEX: 6 | END: 15
Armor: 10 (Shock-Absorbent: Reduces Kinetic damage by 50%).
Weapon: Pressure Talons. On a successful grapple, V-Grip deals 3D6 crushing damage per round.
Counter-Measure: Thermal-Dampening Glands. He can spray a freezing foam that prevents the Gunder’s chest plates from opening (disables Mega-Smasher).
2. SCYTHE-WIND (The Speedster)
Thin, insectoid, and terrifyingly fast. Scythe-Wind has translucent wings that allow for blurred movement.
Role: To out-maneuver the Gunder and target "soft" joints.
STR: 8 | DEX: 18 | END: 7
Armor: 5 (Chitinous).
Weapon: Monofilament Claws. These vibrate at a counter-frequency to Gunder blades. (Damage: 4D6, ignores 5 points of armor).
Counter-Measure: After-Image. Any attack against Scythe-Wind is made at a -4 DM due to high-speed displacement.
3. NEURO-TOX (The Saboteur)
A pale, sickly-looking humanoid that stays in the shadows. Its body is a walking chemical refinery.
Role: To weaken the host inside the Gunder suit.
STR: 6 | DEX: 10 | END: 9
Armor: 3 (Leathery).
Weapon: Bio-Corrosive Spit. (Damage: 2D6 per round for 3 rounds. Melts organic plating).
Counter-Measure: Neuro-Pheromones. Releases a gas that forces the Gunder host to make a Difficulty 12 END check. Failure causes the host to hallucinate, attacking allies or missing turns.
4. RADIUS (The Heavy Artillery)
An organic tank with a massive "bio-cannon" grown into its right shoulder and a sensor-horn on its head.
Role: Long-range suppression and "Relic-Tracking."
STR: 12 | DEX: 7 | END: 14
Armor: 12 (Heavy Shell).
Weapon: Plasma-Spore Cannon. (Damage: 5D6. Area of Effect: 5 meters).
Counter-Measure: Gunder-Scent. Radius can track a Gunder Unit across an entire sector by "smelling" the unique radiation of the Control Medal.
Combat Tactics: The "Surround & Dissolve" Protocol
The Hit-Squad never fights alone. They work as a hive mind:
Radius initiates with a long-range spore blast to disorient the Gunder.
Scythe-Wind draws the Gunder's fire, acting as bait.
V-Grip launches from cover to grapple the Gunder from behind, locking the arms.
Neuro-Tox approaches to inject sedatives directly into the armor’s "venting" gills.
Encounter Seed: The Ambush at Hangar 4
As you race toward the Chrysalis spacecraft, the hangar doors don't open. Instead, four pods drop from the ceiling, shattering the concrete. The pods "peel" open, revealing the Apex-4.
The Threat: V-Grip bellows a subsonic roar that makes your Gunder suit "shiver." You feel your armor's instinctual fear—these things were grown specifically to eat you.
How do you proceed?
Strategy 1: Focus fire on Radius to stop the heavy bombardment?
Strategy 2: Use your Sonic Buster to clear the speedster Scythe-Wind from your flank?
Strategy 3: Go straight for the door and ignore them (Requires a high DEX or STR check to break through the brute)?
Encounter Table: The Gunder-Vessel Interior
Roll 2D6
| Roll | Encounter | Description & Hazard |
| 2 | Neural Feedback | The ship screams. All players must make a Mojo (or EDU/INT) check. Failure results in 1D6 psychic damage and "Stunned" for 1 round. |
| 3 | Enzyme Leak | A ceiling duct ruptures, spraying digestive fluid. Reflex check or take 3D6 acid damage (destroys non-relic armor). |
| 4-5 | Solar Guard Scout | 1D3 Earth Union Spec-Ops. They are using stealth and motion trackers. They will call for backup if not silenced quickly. |
| 6-7 | Leucocyte Drones | 2D6 pale, multi-limbed "white blood cells" of the ship. They attempt to grapple and pull PCs into "digestion vents" in the walls. |
| 8-9 | The Rival "Hero" | A Solar Guard Captain in a prototype Hardsuit. He is currently trying to rip a Gunder Unit out of a wall mounting. He is hostile. |
| 10 | Gravity Flux | The ship’s Grav-Drive flickers. Gravity shifts 90 degrees or vanishes. Movement requires Athletics checks; missed shots may hit allies. |
| 11 | Bio-Sync Echo | A ghostly holographic image of the ship’s original pilot appears, showing the way to the Bridge or a Secret Cache. |
| 12 | Unit-0 Activation | A wild, un-bonded Gunder Armor unit has sensed the players and "hatched." It attacks everything in sight with High-Frequency blades. |
