Adapting the 1986 B-movie classic Night of the Creeps into the Cepheus Engine RPG frames the scenario as a bio-hazard or alien parasite outbreak on a low-tech frontier world, an isolated starport, or an orbital station.
The core threat revolves around Alien Parasitic Slugs: extradimensional or bio-engineered organisms delivered via impact canisters (cryo-pods or meteorites) that reanimate deceased hosts to spread their population.
Parasite Mechanics: The Extra-Terrestrial Slug
These slithering organisms move quickly and attempt to enter a living host through any orifice (mouth, ears, open wounds).
| Attribute / Stat | Cepheus Engine Value |
| Traits | Small (Size 0), Fast Swimmer/Crawler, Parasite |
| Movement | 9m (Running/Slithering) |
| Armor | 0 |
| Attacks | Bite/Infest (Melee skill +1, 1d6-2 damage plus Infestation risk) |
| Hit Dice / Wounds | 1 Wound (Destroyed instantly by any hit that deals damage) |
Infestation Rule
When a slug hits a living target, the target must make an immediate END check (DM-2).
Success: The character manages to pull or stomp the slug before it penetrates deep tissue.
Failure: The slug enters the body. Within 1d6 minutes, the victim suffers fatal brain trauma as the organism incubates in the brainstem, transitioning the host into a Slug-Controlled Zombie.
Host Mechanics: Slug Zombie
Once the parasite takes over, it turns the host into a shambling corpse that retains crude physical memory (opening doors, basic tool use) but loses higher cognition.
| Stat Block | Rating |
| STR | 10 (+1) |
| DEX | 4 (-1) |
| END | 12 (+2) |
| INT | 1 (-2) |
| EDU | 0 (-3) |
| SOC | 0 (-3) |
Armor: None (Unfeeling: ignores non-head/non-fire damage conditions; does not suffer DM penalties from fatigue or pain).
Melee (Unarmed): +1 (1d6+1 Bludgeoning/Grabs)
Special Defense: Headshots Only. Body shots suffer a DM-2 to damage rolls because the host is already dead. A attack aimed specifically at the head (-2 DM to hit) that deals 6+ damage kills the host and forces the slugs out.
Rupture Event: Upon host destruction (or when the skull splits), 2d6 active Alien Slugs burst from the body, immediately initiating new attacks on nearby targets in Short range.
Key Equipment & Countermeasures
| Item | Tech Level | Tactical Effect |
| Flamethrower | TL 6 | Ideal Countermeasure. Deals 3d6 thermal damage in a cone. Instantly destroys free slugs and prevents host rupture by incinerating the parasites inside. |
| Shotgun | TL 4 | High close-range lethality against hosts. Standard buckshot deals 4d6 damage at Point Blank range. |
| Cryo-Canister / Containment | TL 9 | Can freeze parasites in a 3-meter radius on a successful Heavy Weapons or Athletics roll. |
Campaign Integration Scenarios
The Cryo-Vault Incident (Modern / Near-Future): A fraternity or research crew on a remote colony world breaks into a classified cryo-storage facility to steal an experimental pod, releasing a frozen 1950s astronaut who carries the original parasite.
Station Quarantine (Sci-Fi / Far Future): An uncatalogued probe impacts a deep-space refinery. The crew begins acting strangely before full zombie outbreaks occur in the residential quarters.
NIGHT OF THE CREEPS: STATION DELTA-9
A Sci-Fi Horror One-Shot Module for the Cepheus Engine
1. Scenario Overview
Setting: Outpost Delta-9, a low-budget orbital research and fuel station orbiting a gas giant on the galactic fringe.
Premise: A rogue planetary probe from an unknown system was salvaged by station scavengers. Inside was a cryogenic containment capsule containing alien parasitic organisms. The pod has thawed, releasing slithering parasitic slugs that convert living tissue into shambling, slug-bursting hosts.
Tone: 1980s creature-feature B-movie horror combined with sci-fi isolation.
2. Station Map & Key Locations
[ Docking Bay 1 ] ─── [ Cargo Hold ] ─── [ Cryo-Lab ]
│ │ │
[ Habitation Ring ] ── [ Station Core ] ── [ Maintenance ]
│ │ │
[ Station Bar ] ──── [ Hydroponics ] ── [ Command Bridge ]
Docking Bay 1: Home to the PCs' ship and the scavengers' damaged vessel The Junkyard Dog.
Cryo-Lab: Containment site of the alien capsule. Floor is slick with thawing bio-sludge and broken glass.
Station Bar ("The Rust Bucket"): Location of the initial crew party when the infestation starts.
Station Core: Houses the main reactor and life support. Overriding controls requires Computer (1D6 min) or Engineer (2D6 min).
Command Bridge: Allows station-wide quarantine locks and communication broadcasting.
3. Timeline of Events
| Elapsed Time | Event |
| 00:00 | The Break-In: Scavenger deckhands force open the alien pod in the Cryo-Lab. Slugs escape and infect the scavengers. |
| 00:30 | Party Crashers: A reanimated scavenger wanders into the Station Bar during off-duty hours, collapsing and bursting open with 3D6 slugs. |
| 01:00 | Quarantine Failure: Infected station crew members flood the Habitation Ring. Automated bulkheads drop, trapping survivors in isolated zones. |
| 01:30 | Reactor Overheat: The slug-controlled corpses cluster around the Station Core, triggering a critical thermal buildup. |
| 02:00 | Self-Destruct Threshold: Station core reaches total meltdown unless vented or cooled. |
4. Cast of Characters (NPCs)
Detective Ray Cameron (Station Security Chief): Cynical, tired, wields a pump-action shotgun. Sarcastic under pressure ("I got good news and bad news, girls...").
Dr. Christopher Landis (Lead Xenobiologist): Fascinated by the organisms; tries to prevent total eradication until infected himself.
Cynthia "Cyn" Cronenberg (Station Deckhand): Resourceful survivor equipped with an industrial flamethrower.
5. Threat Mechanics & Stat Blocks
Alien Parasite (Slug)
Stats: STR 1, DEX 12, END 2, INT 0, EDU 0, SOC 0
Traits: Size 0 (Small), Fast Crawler, Parasite
Movement: 9m
Attacks: Bite/Infest (+1 Melee, 1d6-2 damage)
Special Rule (Infestation): Upon a successful hit, target must succeed on an END Check (DM-2) or the slug enters the body. Death and host transformation occur in 1D6 minutes.
Slug-Controlled Host (Zombie)
Stats: STR 10 (+1), DEX 4 (-1), END 12 (+2), INT 1 (-2), EDU 0, SOC 0
Attacks: Unarmed Claws/Bite (+1 Melee, 1d6+1 damage)
Special Rule (Headshot Vulnerability): Body attacks deal half damage (non-functional organs). Headshots (-2 DM to hit) dealing 6+ damage kill the host instantly.
Special Rule (Rupture Event): When a host dies from non-fire damage, 2D6 active Slugs burst out within Short range.
6. Three-Act Walkthrough
Act I: The Salvage Call
The PCs arrive at Station Delta-9 to offload cargo or refuel. Upon arrival, the station is eerily quiet except for loud music echoing from "The Rust Bucket" bar.
Investigating the Cryo-Lab: A Recon or Investigate check reveals the ruptured Alien Pod, a dead scientist with a shattered skull, and slime trails leading toward the ventilation ducts.
Act II: Outbreak in the Ring
While PCs meet Chief Cameron or explore the bar, an infected scavenger bursts through the doors. The host collapses, its head splits open, and active slugs flood the floor.
Tactical Challenge: PCs must use improvised weapons, shotguns, or fire to clear the room before slugs reach uninfected bar patrons.
Act III: Fire and Flight
The station core initiates a meltdown countdown due to hosts jamming the cooling pumps. PCs must navigate infected corridors to reach Docking Bay 1.
Climax: The bridge is sealed. PCs must decide whether to dump the infected station section into the gas giant or use heavy flame weapons to purge Docking Bay 1 to reach their ship before the station reactor detonates.
