Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign- Actual Play -Into the Lyon's Den

Introduction 

Tonight's game found the PC's doing some heavy salvage work within the confines of a Capital Class wreck. They were exploring inch by inch within mechs and heavy space suits. 
They were worried about what might be left behind on the wreck from the Mi Go whose toys they encountered last game. Things left over from the 'Extinction Wars' have been very hazardous to their health for a few games running.
Between the parasites and the slimes. The party mostly seemed to end up using hand flamers. 
There were a couple of sealed rooms some of which held suit chewers and a few of these were lurking around. 

Mi Go "Enhanced" Collector Bot 
Deer Tick  Series 
Number Appearing: 1d6
Armor Class :4 

Hit Dice: 2(10HP)

Attack Bonus:+5 

Saving Throw :14+

Move: 30
Damage: 1d6 +1 particle beam weapon 

1d4+1 micro laser scapels

Morale:12
Skill bonus:+2 Captured colony soldier brain box
This bot has room for four human sized head in cold storage. 

The phraint seemed to watch over the party with several probes in order to keep an eye on the party. The wreck had several key pieces of mining and terraforming equipment on board. The party got into a throw down match with a couple of claim jumping pirates after their salvage. Between the laser blasts, the traps, and tricks the pirates gave the party a hard time. Their ship needs a bit of dry dock time but the phraint have several keep pieces of pre Scream technology. The party has gotten a hold of a map to another ship for salvage but their still working room by room aboard this one.
The party wasn't too happy that they almost blundered into a huge room full of mecha eating macro organisms. This time a plasma flamer was needed to scrap the thing off of them. They're going to need about 300 hundred credits of work on their light scout salvage mecha. They did come  away with another piece of the star maps that they need to find another salvage job for the phraint. So all in all it was a pretty sold and exciting Stars Without number game!

There are several rumors of Mi Go Swarm ships coming into the area signaled by the Collector bots.
To be continued. 

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign - Fourth of July Actual Play - Rumble At Fuel Station #23 Part II

Introduction 

The PC's dealt with the storms, the fuel station AI, And got exactly what they needed from Fuel Station #23. They weren't happy about dealing with the relics left behind aboard the station by the Mi Go Hive Fleets.
The station was crawling with Mi Go "Enhanced" Combat Bots, They made their way across the structure of the automated station and caused the party some issues when they learned that the bio drive brain units of the Black Widows were once human! 
This was a case of get your gas and go!  The Red Marauder saucers only added punctuation to the whole incident and characters were forced to flee as quick as they could. After an extend stay in hyper sleep the crew ended up near  a once great interstellat battle field. The PC's picked up salvaging work taking apart a capital class battle ship used in the 'Extinction wars.' 

Once aboard they found that the wreck was a part of an asteroid. The entire bridge, couple of decks, and much of the hull had been cut apart by Mi Go particle beam weapons! There were a few systems worth salvaging like the lighting mantle, the nav. computer systems, and two of the engines. There were also several rooms sealed off  where suit chewers were lurking.
They came across a Mi Go Brigand class light assault mech with its bio drives in tact but the human brain that was the heart and soul of the thing was completely gone. They got a star chart, some raw data, and the thing's log with complete descriptions of some of the Mi Go's weapon systems.
The phraint were more then happy to share dry dock space with the PC's ship in exchange for some of the data recovered by the PC's.

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign - Fourth of July Actual Play - Rumble At Fuel Station #23 Part I

Introduction 

 THe PC's are now low on fuel, luck, and heading towards a charging and fuel station located deep within the system.  This was one of a number of fuel stations that was used during the"Extinction Wars". Who knows what's aboard this ancient floating death trap circling in the atmosphere of one of the gas giants? 
The party is going to have to deal with the automated VAL unit left behind more then twenty something years ago.

Not to mention the Mythos based hazards left behind on the station! 
They're already pretty twitchy about heading toward the station! 

Here are some of the surprises that await them in tonight's game! 

Mi Go "Enhanced" Combat Bot 
Black Widow Series 
Number Appearing: 1d6
Armor Class :4 

Hit Dice: 2(10HP)

Attack Bonus:+4 

Saving Throw :14+

Move: 30
Damage: 1d8 +1 Heat Ray 

1d4+1 micro laser tendril 

Morale:12
Skill bonus:+2 Captured colony soldier brain box

Other hazards include the android controlled saucers left behind within the atmosphere of the gas giants!
Red Marauder Saucers
Hit points:8 

Crew 1/3 

Speed:5 

Armor :5 

AC:4 

Defenses: none
Weaponry : Multifocial micro laser +1 to hit, 1d4 AP 20
Fittings : Spike Drive 1, Atmosphere Configuration
These small nano solar power craft are crewed by disposable androids and left behind after Mi Go swarms  have left behind worlds. They are often inert until awakened by certain pre programmed conditions. These saucers react as hornets or other insect soldiers. The Red Marauder series of androids will attack furiously and then one will escape to report back to their masters using their spike drives. The craft and crew are grown with very little effort and were used extensively during the 'Extinction Wars'. Some of these horrid menaces are still found floating within the depths of space!  

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign Influence- Rumble On ReA 'Brura Actual Play or Hex Crawling Interstellar Style

Introduction 

The party is hex crawling through the system. This world HERE has their interest.
They're running low on options and ammo. They've really tried to conserve as much as they could. They witnessed 'Space Vikings' operations as the Ice Walkers and Mi Go forces dealt with each other around ReA 'Brura The Back Alley Battlefield moon. Things got a bit dicey when the PC's waited for the Ice Walkers to depart. 

 The Mi Go went about their business as well and the PC's decided that caution was the better part of valor.
  The PC's ran sensor scans of the area where the Mi Go and Ice Walkers had been. They discovered a Minor Pyramid of Lom. The thing's insane AI was offline and several minor functions were running the thing as its holo projectors began to hide it among the gas giant's clouds once again.
The party's hacker began the very careful task of trying to hack into its systems. After several heated dice throws he succeeded! 


Then the thing became active and a hazard. Systems came on line, the x ray laser cannon arrays came out and the spike drives became active.
Its primary mission of  harvesting psychic products for the greater glory of  Nyarlathotep lit up its artificial undead bio brain drive systems!
The beast had awakened and was about to head out into the void to the nearest human colony!
 The PC's became engaged in a running battle with the horror from beyond damned stars. That's when they dropped a mini nuke torpedo on the pyramid!
The resulting explosion crippled it and left it to fall back into the gas giant's gravity well. The Lovecraftian predators of the world became attracted to the radiation like sharks to a pool of blood.
 The PC's encountered a Yithian time probe which seemed to watch the battle with keen interested. They had never encountered the tech level 5 brass and golden artifacts of the Great Race. The party was dumb founded but in no shape to truly investigate further.
 
 The battle left the PC's ship in need of refueling. They did however manage to copy the data core of the pyramid learning a bit of the secrets of this damned system.
 There were several secret refueling stations nearby left from after the "Extinction Wars". These automated stations are gathering organic compounds and turning them into usable fuels. They are active but hidden. Who knows what horrors still lurk on
these reserves of hidden power and peril.
 The current system they're 'exploring' is right over HERE

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign Influence- ReA 'Brura 'The Back Alley Battlefield' Moon

Introduction 

'There are places that mankind wasn't meant to go and this is one of them!'
Last words of Colonial William Prichard  of USS  Vengeance 

ReA 'Brura The Back Alley Battlefield moon is a silent and dead world where some of the deadliest fighting of the 'Extinction Wars'  took place. A minor gas giant world created from the last battle of ReA 'Brura. Here the fighting was so fierce that "Impelor Weapons' were used.  This weapons use mini singularity effects to blow holes within the local space time continuum.
At least twenty  million or more space marines and allied human forces were wiped out as several Outer Gods and their minions were also caught within the range of the weapons. The system was also complete rearranged as worlds were obliterated and a new one was born. This world isn't without its taint however. Jellies, molds, and mist created from a combination of the dead psychic residue of humanity and the Outer Gods themselves.
The world itself is now mostly forgotten except by adventurers who wish to try and sky mine the incredibly potent treasures of rich exotic organic soups and gases.

Thrillus Brain Parasites, Exotic Slimes, Jellies, and incredible alien mist life forms haunt the place. Ships traveling here risk the crushing gravity, floating life forms, and their star ship hulls being destroyed by organic acid or worse. ReA 'Brura  is a haunted world and it keeps its secrets from prying eyes. 

1d10 Random  ReA 'Brura Finds and Encounters 

1. A wrecked star destroyer floating within the damned winds. There is a 25% chance of treasure aboard and 20% chance of encountering zombies or undead.
2. A strange amalgamation of dead souls,slime, and bits of Outer God flying through the atmosphere. The 11 hit point thing will do 1d4 points of damage as its tendrils dissolve most things it hit hits. It has an Armor Class of 9 but reforms entire sections of itself within 2 rounds. 
3. Whirling razor sharp bits of star ship and other unidentified metal that form into insane elemental things for a moment only to be  broken apart moments later.These things do 5 points of damage each time they form near PC's. Certain psychic keys and the like can break them however. 
4. A deserted alien city flies on damned winds there is a 20% chance of encountering artifacts. This place is haunted by Dimensional Shamblers or worse drain by the howling of the damned souls. 
5. 'An ancient temple of the Outer Gods shifts on the gas giant's winds. There is a 60% chance of tech level 4 artifacts and they are guarded by a spawn of Nyarlathotep. The place sends off a mad radio signal into the black void.
6. Two minor children of the Outer Gods are trying to form from the remains of several tons of human and worse remains. The blind, idiot thing is trying to pull itself apart and birth itself. The process is an abortion however and it only succeeds in creating a hazard of the worst kind. Any psychics must make a save or be driven insane for 1d4 rounds. There are 1d6 Mi Go Warriors trying to assist in the birth process. The thing tumbles back into the hell spawned winds of this world. 
7. An ancient veiled priest has exiled himself aboard his star ship and uses his gravity generators to resist this world's incredibly dangerous world. He will offer assistance to travelers he encounters however within 1d6 days his void clone will try and destroy anyone he encounters. The greed bastard has several tech five artifacts aboard. He's quite damned and doesn't understand why. He is also a cannibal of the worst stripe. 
8. A 10 hit point probe of the Great Race of Yith searching for artifacts and victims to take back to the time travelers. A laser like weapon does 1d4 points of damage and is able to bypass most armor easily. These things have spread among the various worlds of this system. 
9. A 10 hit point jelly and mold colony. It will do 1d6 points of damage per round and has an armor class of 8. The thing will eat anything it encounters. There is a 40% chance of its actions attracting 1d6 more of its brethren to the feast. 
10. A Star Spawn of Cthulhu slowly feeds upon the remains of a capital ship locked outside normal space time. There are over twenty separate tech level five artifacts seen aboard the ship as it spins in the void. It is forever locked outside of normal space time.  The thing could be reached with a spike drive 2 or better. This will free the Spawn and its Mi Go followers who are within the husk of the ship! 
     There is a 60% chance of this world being moved by the Outer Gods and its rich monstrous forces being needed else where in the universe. Few know that there is fully functioning Mi Go battle world within the clouds here! It is held here by an ancient curse. The thing is rife with tech level four artifacts of an organic nature of the MiGO!
     For each day spent within this world's atmosphere there is a 40% of encountering some random Lovecraftian horror suited for life among the clouds of the damned! 
    
    'The Battle of Back Alley' was named for the human fleet's tactic of stopping a Lom Battle Fleet Pyramids by detonating a planar device within each of their Spike drives. This tactic created the sacrifice necessary to stop the Outer God's slave machine minds from wiping out nine worlds of human and allied alien forces. This even created a planar back alley into the system. A bubble of non reality connecting six different planar dimensional locations that never had intersection with each other. Various truly weird technological artifacts show up in nearby interstellar markets. 

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign- The United Nations Space Forces Hegemon Faction

Introduction 
After the events on Earth's Moon and the uncovering of the 'Monolith' as well as the most important radio broad cast in the history of mankind. Newer forces were needed to combat the ever deteriorating situation from hostile alien forces. Shado was one of first to operate behind the scenes but it was soon joined by others. 

The United Nations Space Forces were formed after a series of successful reverse engineering projects of alien space craft and the situation on Venus back in the early 2000's. The 'UNSF' proved itself again and again in many areas from underwater warfare with the 'Argon' Incident to the  'Venus War'. 

When mankind spread among the stars into the Talon Sector. The 'UNSF' was right along side them combing centuries of military might and space engineering know how. 

 The 'UNSF' is known for its distinctive star ship designs and willingness to bring the fight to hostile forces of all stripes. During the Stroke they were especially hard hit with a full 45% of their psychics having been destroyed by the psychic backlash. Since this crippling blow they have had to rely on outmoded and tried spacecraft designs. The distinctive spike drive fins are always seen on their ships.

Current Situation 
Before the 'Extinction Wars' the UNSF was dealing with is own colonies and was caught in a crushing genocidal wave by superior Outer God races. They lost a full third of these colonies but since then have formed a highly successful Hegemon empire. They're mercenaries are in high demand throughout the Talon sector.
They have become bastions of lost technologies including level four and five artifacts. They mantain a tech  level four manufacturing base boarding on five. 

The UNSF leads half a dozen worlds in a voluntary confederation that seeks to expand and protect humanity as well as their allies from 'The Mythos' forces. 

The United Nations Space Forces Hegemon Faction 

Attributes :
Forces 8, Cunning 5, Wealth 7 

Hit Points 49 

Space Marine Forces 6, Planetary Defenses/Forces 6, Blockade/Fleet/Forces 5, Extended Theater Force 4, Pretech Manufacturing/ Wealth 6, Shipping Combine/ Wealth 4, Trip Wire Cells/Cunning 4, Cyberninja/Cunning 3,
Tags: Deeply Rooted, Imperialists 

Loved this movie as a kid ! 

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign Influence- The Hrrrrtiru're - The Grave Yard Worlds

Introduction 

' After the  return of the Mighty Messenger(Nyarlathotep) during the Atomic Wars of Old Earth the Ascension of Humanity happened  into the great Machine Minds.  This was where some of the most dangerous and twisted examples of the human mind were nurtured in the Great Black Pyramids of Lem in the Beta Cluster. 
Then came the time when the black pyramids released their Twisted Ones back upon the star spanning colony worlds of mankind. Many of the familiar worlds were changed into gas giants as humanity was converted into a usable form. Humanity were killed by the billions during these 'Extinction Wars'.'Revelations of the Blind Spacer 24th century

These worlds known as The Hrrrrtiru're or The Grave Yard Worlds are rich in both artifacts and life giving chemicals as well as fuel sources. As mankind crawls from the mire of near extinction. These worlds have become very important. There are still myriad Outer Gods watching these worlds for their own horrid purposes. 

1d10 Random The Grave Yard Worlds Finds and Encounters  

1. Space wreck with 1d8 valuable artifacts aboard. 45% chance of Mi Go warriors and a hive ship. 
2. A gas soup of organic worth 40,000 credits. Very dangerous winds around this patch of clouds. 
3. Insane Ghosts of humanity are attached to your ship. Please make a saving throw as insane thoughts fill your head and you experience the end of humanity here at the hands of the Outer Ones all over again. 
4. A single ruined city flying through the atmosphere of this gas giant. 30% chance of radioactive hazards or worse. There are 1d8 dimension shamblers moving across the face of these ruins. 
5. A psychic echo of a cult of Great Old One worshipers chanting to their damned gods. The chanting fills computers, gear, and ship board systems passes in 1d4 hours. 
6. A 10 hit point probe of the Great Race of Yith searching for artifacts and victims to take back to the time travelers. A laser like weapon does 1d4 points of damage and is able to bypass most armor easily. 
7. An amalgam undead monster made up of over forty to fifty humanoids. This 6 hit dice nightmare will attack anything it can get its claws onto. It does 1d4 points of damage and there is a 40% chance of it carrying an alien disease. Armor class is 8 however but it regenerates as a troll. 
8. 'An ancient temple of the Outer Gods shifts on the gas giant's winds. There is a 60% chance of tech level 4 artifacts and they are guarded by a spawn of Nyarlathotep. The place sends off a mad radio signal into the black void. 
9. A minor black pyramid of Lom is still functioning. This 10 hit point nightmare is armed with 1d30 xray lasers each capable of doing 1d4 points of damage. It has an armor class of 6 and is protected by 8 hit point nano shield walls. Each has an insane AI mind aboard that will blast a warning out to its dark master. 
10. A star spawn of Cthulhu huddles around some very valuable alien exotic metals. Worth 20,000 credits or more. There is a 20% chance of more of its damned and dangerous ilk lurking nearby! 

 Many of these worlds are still within the Chasm near The Talon sector. Human adventurers are desperate and daring enough to begin to explore the space around some of these damned worlds. They sometimes have been known to move with the whims of the Outer Gods. There have been reports of these worlds existing in three place or more at once. These reports are seen as urban myth and spacer legend. 

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign- Blood And Stars Actual Play Part II

Quick Overview of Tonight's Hartford Betamax Stars Without Numbers Game

Introduction 
After recovering most of their party from various parts of the colony world of Londinuim. The PC's raced around various lockers, hangers, and locations to recover about ninety percent of the treasure and relics they had aquired twenty years ago!
A group of weird android warriors began to pursue the party through the narrow back streets of the colony world!
 

After hooking up back at their ship the party began to reequip as soon as possible and making preparations to leave the colony world asap.
Meanwhile out on a very remote backwater gas giant  moon  of the Mirror's Edge section of the Talon Sector a single FTL transmission began to beam itself as a computer aboard a single shuttle began the task of awakening the sleep pod aboard a single escape shuttle craft!
 
Deep  In The Jocus System 
One of the PC's finds himself coming out of hypersleep pods as his shuttle is caught within the ionosphere of a gas giant moon. His ship is surrounded by two Capital class star destroyers who are looking for the data cores belonging to the PC! 

The Jocus system was/is a remote system used for weapons testing during the 'Extinction wars' . The system consists of 8 worlds surrounded by gas giant moons which orbit so close together that they share atmospheres.
 Between the gravity and the wild weather it was very hair raising for the PC! Piloting rolls were needed to jump from moon to moon while sticking to the storms of the planets to avoid the war ships until help arrived in the form of the party! 

 The party's ship took three days to drill into the system and then began the task of playing hide and seek with the Capital class destroyers. They learned the hard way that there were still "Singularity mines" in orbit around some of the planets in the systems. Not to mention the rail gun satellites still floating in orbit around the ruins of some of the facilities that once graced some of the moons in the systems!

 Finally after four days of game time and some quick combat rolls the PC's hooked up! That's when a warning beacon went off and froze the party in its collective tracks. The Space Viking clan arrived! The Ice Walker clan entered the stage!
That's where we ended! 

Will the Superior Intellects prevail? 

1d10 Random Encounters In The  Jocus System 

1. 1d4 Space going war droids looking for ships to loot for spare parts and victims! 
2. 1d8 war sats carrying out practice runs for war situations that never occurred  They will fight among themselves and ignore PC's unless attacked. 
3. An  A.I.controlled  capital class destroyer war ship that thinks its a good and wants to be worship and placated with offers as well as attention. 
4. A group of undead zombies locked in an escape pod that tumbles through space. Should they be let out they are highly infectious and hungry. 
5. A small atomic bomb controlled by a morbid A.I. that wants to be a star  and rather soon. 
6. A swarm cloud of nanobot weapons that will dissemble a small vessel in moments. 1d4 points of damage each round exposed to the cloud. 
7. A group of alien elements created from the weather on some of the gas giants. Max hit points. 
8. A small probot looking to track down a group of determined rebels and programmers. The thing is armed with a small  laser blaster cannons each doing 1d4 points of damage with a thirty yard radius. 
9. A spawn of Cthulhu has awakened up this moon and will be very,very, hungry! 
10.  A small scale cult of Hastur is looking for sacrifices. These desperate and very dangerous people who are the equip with superior technological level four stuff. They are the equivalant of 4th level fighters!
    
    

Hartford Betamax Black Book Edition Stars Without Number Campaign- Blood And Stars Actual Play!

Introduction 

The stars echo with blood and thunder! The worlds of men tremble as a new chapter is writ among the stars once again! 

Quick plot outline 

It has been twenty years since the 'Extinction Wars' have made the skies over worlds boil with plague, death, and the darkness of insanity. Mankind in all his myriad forms is only starting to crawl from the the depths of depravity! 
This is a time when adventurers are needed and only they hold the light of Promise for the worlds of man! 
 A party of adventurers and madmen known as the "Highway men" are only one of a hand full of legends that now shines their light again! But one of their number floats around a gas giant of hellish aspect lost to his fellows deep within Their territories! 

A clan of Gene Sliced Space Vikings Raiders holds one of their number's ship within their borders! 

Gene Sliced Space Vikings Raiders
No Appearing 1d8
Armor Class: 2 

Hit Dice: 3
Attack Bonus: +3 

Damage: 2d8 Energy Spear 

Skill Bonus:+1 

Saving Throw 15+
Movement: 30'

Morale:11 

Gene Spliced Warriors from beyond the stars who came in their 'long boat ships' from across the stars. Armed with energy spears, custom power armor, and vibro axes of incredible power these warriors divide themselves into clans and houses. They use merchants, traders, and who next works of spies to weave themselves through out the known universe picking out the richest worlds for plunder and more!

And so the saga continues! More later!  

Influences 

This sound track as well!