Stars Without Number - Part I : No dream of the future

Not my usual prolegomena...

For some reason I just don't click with Stars Without Number. This post and the next represent my only successful SWN adventure -- I've had three false starts before this.

I had a vague idea for a campaign with a single PC travelling round the fringes of space. I didn't want to start yet another Traveller campaign (I've got five on the go!) and I thought a psionic PC would be a fun change, so SWN seemed like the best solution. It's got plenty of tools, and I had an old sector I made with Sectors Without Number all ready to use, so... attempt number 4 commenced.

And it even finished! It was fun, but I did feel myself running up against the constraints of the game system, and also felt a massive disconnect with a lot of the setting, planet tags in particular; about half of them really don't fit the kind of sci-fi I want, even though I'm going for something much less hard sci-fi than I usually do.

I liked my PC though, so after a wobbly start to the second adventure, I decided to look at new game systems, and eventually settled on M-Space. More on this when the time comes, but I will note departures from SWN setting concepts as I back-fill them in this adventure write-up.

My setting in broad strokes

The Thoea Upsilon sector is situated on the rim of the galaxy, where the stars start to thin out. The galaxy is ruled by an ancient and decadent empire which is in slow but inevitable decline. Most systems pay lip service to the idea of empire, but out on the fringes there is little practical interference and local politics hold sway. Imperial consulates do exist on some worlds (reskinned Mandate Base world tags), but can rarely extend their influence offworld -- often not even to other planets in the same system. Psionics are rare but not unheard of. Opinions about psychics vary from planet to planet, and often person to person. Most psis who do not go completely mad wind up working for governments or corporations -- and not always willingly.

Everything else can be explained as it comes up.

Toolbox
-SWN free revised
-Mythic GME with my MCSV for the oracle
-UNE for NPC conversations

Character generation & adventure setup

I remember making a lot of random rolls to make my PC (using both the main book and some of the Lifepath stuff from The Sandbox #2), but I didn't know if I'd be putting this on the blog or not, so I didn't take any notes. It's a good impetus to try the show-don't-tell method of introducing a character. I'll put her character sheet at the end of the introduction.

The adventure started with a random scene. I put one named NPC (rolled up with SWN's one-roll NPC tables) and two generic ones (to be rolled from the SWN world tags when they appear) on the Mythic NPC List. I then came up with a short term goal (visit alien ruins on a far-off world (0808 Prope/Eretus)) and a long term goal (free her homeworld from the shackles of the corporations controlling it) to have something on the Threads list. I also added a thread called 'cash flow problems', as my PC is starting away from home with only 200 credits to her name.

For the initial adventure locale, I chose the a planet (Inah) in the nearest system (0205 Loulikos) to the PC's homeworld (0106 Aethyll/Vigdis) and put her there -- there are reasons in her background to not start on her home planet. I also made a few rolls to figure out her starting circumstances, but again, better to show first and then report on die rolls.]

0205 Loulikos/Inah

Planet: Inah
Atmosphere: Inert gas
Temperature: Temperate
Biosphere: Biosphere remnants
Population: Hundreds of millions of inhabitants
Tech Level: TL4 (high tech; about 11-13 in Traveller terms)
Tags: Hatred, Megacorps

Prelude to adventure

Theophania lay in the darkness atop the tangle of sheets, listening to the water running in the shower. She forced her eyes open only reluctantly, and watched the clouds of steam billowing out of the bathroom with the harsh white light.

There was a delightful soreness in her muscles as she rolled over to fish something to wear off the floor, and a rather less delightful throbbing in her temples, momentarily forgotten but brought back into sudden clarity as her questing fingertips found an empty bottle under a crumpled shirt.

She pulled on a top and clambered out of bed as Serafina was emerging from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, water glistening against her deep brown skin. "You minx," she said beaming as Theophania stumbled past her towards the kitchen, "you made me late for work."

"You'd not be running late if you had a proper air-dryer in your fresher. I still can't believe people use towels on this planet."

"Yes, we use primitive bathing tech, turn the heat too high, and our tap water tastes too alkaline. Now, do you mind if I turn the light on to get dressed, or will that offend madame's nightworlder sensibilities?"

Theophania's yawn devolved into laughter. She blinked her eyes against the sudden glare as Serafina told the household computer "lights -- 65%", but in truth no more than did Serafina.

"I was going to make some tea," announced Theophania, "or maybe some gilso if there's any left. Wanna cup?"

"No time," replied Serafina, sitting at her vanity-unit. "Besides, we're running the end-of-quarter financials this week. I need something a bit stronger."

Theophania crossed the flat (all 4.75 metres of it) and put her ghostly white hand on Serafina's shoulder. She winced involuntarily at the quiet hiss of the spray-hypo as Serafina injected herself in the neck.

"You do too much of that shit."

"It keeps me focussed."

"Maybe a little less focus is good sometimes... And cheaper, besides. You've been spending way too much, especially on me. And I can't help us out without a work permit."

"I thought you liked being a kept woman."

"I'm being serious. Like, were you planning on paying rent this month?"

"Mmmmm... I may have found a way to help you earn."

"They advertising for industrial espionage positions in the all-staff bulletin?"

"No... but I got talking to one of the R&D project managers at Ahupathi's leaving do, and, let's just say he talks too much after a few shots of clennish. I'll arrange a meeting, if you're interested.... <<sigh>> stop kissing my shoulder or I'll miss the 8:16 maglev, too."

[I promise this is space adventure, not space romance. But I made a lot of random rolls for my PC, and also for her Contact on Inah (= the initial named NPC on the Mythic list). I rolled this person at random, name and all, and got the following profile:

Serafina Adeyeku
Background: Underclass
Role: Trader (=in accounting)
Problem: Drugs
Desire: They want an entirely different job
Trait: Curiosity

Then I asked an Oracle question--
Q: What is Theophania's relation to the NPC? Ambush / Home

...which seemed to indicate my new PC is the sort of girl who brings her furniture on the second date.

I decided a Mental Effect saving throw (at +4) was in order for her not to have divulged her psi powers in an unguarded moment: d20+4=18, ok. Serafina thinks she's just a normal (ex-)corporate spy, and good at reading people.]

Theophania-Eloïse Ashgrove

Class/Level: Psychic / 1
Background: Dilettante
Focus: Psychic Training

STR 11 DEX 14 CON 10
INT 18 WIS 16 CHA 14
HP   6  AC 14 Att +0
Effort 4

Skills: Connect-0, Talk-0, Sneak-0, Notice-0, Know-0

Psionics: Telepathy-1, Facile Mind (1); Teleport-0

Equipment: laser pistol (1d6), monoblade knife (1d6), armoured undersuit (AC13), 8 type-A cells, backpack, datapad, cr200


Scene 1

Chaos: Boring (d12)

Setup: (random) Introduce a new NPC - Inquire / Dispute

NPC List: {Friend}, {Enemy}, Serafina, patron

Threads: short-term goal, long term-goal, cash flow problems

Against all better judgement, Theophania had agreed to an initial meeting at a swanky eatery in one of the city's more exclusive commercial domes -- at least her prospective employer would be picking up the tab. She's now been sat at the bar in the lounge for an hour, getting a new message on her datapad every 10 minutes apologising for running late. Serafina had said work was unusually busy.

They finally arrive, still wearing their work clothes and the weariness of unpaid overtime. Serafina perks up immediately as she sees Theophania, and practically runs across the lounge to greet her. Her associate, an athletic man in his mid-40s, waits a few polite moments before following, but when he sees Theophania face-on, his demeanour also abruptly brightens.

"Theophania, this is my friend from work, Basil. Basil Paredes."

"Hiya, Basil."

"Enchantée..." he murmurs, kissing her hand. "My word, Serafina, you hadn't mentioned what an exotic beauty your paramour is. Her skin.. such exquisite whiteness, almost translucent. Why, you can practically trace the delicate pattern of veins beneath..."

The maître d' shows them to their table before the silence grows too awkward.

Serafina buries her face in the wine list looking mortified until Theophania whispers in her ear not to worry. Basil continues on obliviously, intent on expounding his profound interest in -- that is, his deep respect for -- nightworlder women.

Once the wine has been served and orders placed, Theophania profits from the pause in Basil's monologue. "Serafina said you might know of a job going."

"Well, not an official one... you see, I've had an idea. Sometimes climbing the corporate ladder relies on outside initiative, as I'm sure you well know. I've gotten wind of a project at Outertech, Daybreak Combine's biggest rival, that's attracting all sorts of attention. I need to know exactly what they're doing, especially now that they headhunted Jumanah Argyros. I think the simplest way would be for you to steal his lab notes, and--"

"You're new at this aren't you?"

"I, um , er... yes..."

"You picked a good spot for a meeting -- it's so loud with all the conversations and the live chamber music that we can assume a reasonable amount of privacy, but a little subtlety still wouldn't go amiss."

"You are, of course, correct."

"Have you put together a dossier on this guy?"

"Yes, I have it right here on this datapad--"

"Please don't pass it over the table. I'll get it on the way out."

"I... yes, of course."

"Now we discuss my fee."

"I'm prepared to pay 2500 credits upon completion."

"I need 20% up front for expenses. Transfer it into Serafina's account tomorrow, in corporate scrip. It'd look suspicious to draw that much in hard currency."

The rest of the meal is over as quickly as possible.

They part with Basil at the entrance to the maglev terminal; fortunately he and Serafina live in different residential domes. She grabs Theophania's arm as they're descending to the platform.

"I am so sorry for that! I've never seen him that way with anyone before. I'd no idea!"

* * *

Theophania examines the "dossier" on the datapad as Serafina sleeps soundly beside her. Without another bump to keep her going -- Theophania frowned at her until she put the hypo away -- she'd fallen asleep almost immediately.

The dossier itself is exactly what Theophania feared (or possibly, expected). All the information has been put into a meeting presentation template. It's short on useful details, but has plenty of clever graphics and transitions.

It doesn't even have Argyros' home address, but at least it has the location of the lab where he works and a handful of photos (taken from his profile on the Outertech corporate website), but it's enough to give Theophania a start.

[A few more notes from the SWN Adventure Creation tables:

The Restraint: An outside power threatens both sides
The Twist: There s a profitable chance for PCs to turn traitor

-Certain parties in the Clytie system threaten both Daybeak and their biggest rival, Outertech Group
-The opportunity for betrayal could come from either Outertech or the foreign elements

Conflict Type: Power
Overall Situation: A star expert in a particular industry
Specific Focus: They've betrayed their own

-There may even be a 4th faction...

Patron's Initial Manner: Xenophilic interest in the novelty of the PCs

=Basil is a bit of a creeper where Nightworld women are concerned.

Default Deal Outcome: They ll keep the deal slowly and grudgingly

Basic Challenge: Steal a well-guarded object
Main Countervailing Force: The patron is badly wrong about a thing

The dossier--
Q: Is there information on where Argyros can be found? Likely (3+): O6 C7 - yes
Q: Where? At a mass-transit station (from One-roll Urban Encounters table)
Q: Does it say if Argyros has a family? 50/50 (4+): O3 C2 - no, and... no personal information]

Scene 2

Chaos: Boring (d12)

Setup: d12=Interrupt (was: looking for Argyros)
Interrupt: NPC negative - Argyros - Propose / Death

[Someone has taken out a contract on Argyros. Assassins added to NPC list.

Chaos increases to Average]


Scene 3

Chaos: Average (d10)

Setup: d10=Altered (was: looking for Argyros)
Alteration: Add A Character : Basil

NPC List: {Friend}, {Enemy}, Serafina, Basil (patron), Argyros (target), assassins

Threads: short-term goal, long term-goal, cash flow problems, steal Argyros' research

Commerce Dome 34 is one of Inah's more dismal locales. No one visits who does not work here, so the office towers, reaching as high as and in may cases through the dome itself, are all of uniform blue-grey duralium. If it weren't for the "parks" and array of ground-floor shops and lunch-hour restaurants, it would look like a high-security prison.

Theophania has installed herself at an "outside" table of a gilso bar, which gives her a good view of the entrance to Kyrilov Plaza maglev station. She pretends to read a novel on her datapad and distractedly watch the steady parade of people descending to the station.

[Wis/Notice 8+ to see Argyros: 2d6+1=9, success
Int/Sneak 8+ to shadow him: 2d6+2=9, success]

At length she spots Argyros in the crowd, full of post-workday elation and stuffing some confection in his mouth as he walks, pausing only to brush crumbs off his collar. It's a simple matter to follow him at a reasonable distance.

The crowds in the station are clamorous and overbearing, but fortunately all move in the same direction at this hour. Theophania follows her mark down to the Areopagitica line platform...

[Wis/Notice 8+ to see Basil: 2d6+1=11, success]

...and realises she's being watched. She lets Argyros board the overfull maglev train, but doesn't push her own way onboard, merely noting the time of its departure. When the train speeds away, she goes to confront Basil, who's lurking further up the dingy platform.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I am sure he won't see me. I just wanted to see how it was going. To see you work." [insane - chaos - flaws]

"Are you trying to ruin everything? Do this again and I'll tell him what's up myself. Now get out of my face and wait to be contacted." [Cha/Talk 6+: 2d6+1=10]

Basil scurries off.


next post: space adventure! (mostly...)

Five Parsecs from Home - Part 6

Battle Turn 3

The Duelling Grounds are located at the site of a failed low-cost housing sector. Construction was abandoned when the shell corporation laundering money from the project folded, and now all that remains are half-collapsed, weather-worn foundations. The site is now a place of battle, where local gangs, syndicates, mercenaries, and the more civic-minded football hooligans meet to have out their differences without risking collateral damage. The bones of the fallen litter the desolate landscape.

Deployment

[Deployment conditions: caught off guard - PCs all act in slow phase in the first round. There are no Notable Sights or Conditions.

Some of the terrain features were constructed in haste and a bit flimsy, and I had ruled that if they broke during play it would cause 2 hits of damage to be rolled against any figure caught in the collapse. Sadly, it never came up. I will save this house rule for further battles, though, and may even try constructing extra-flimsy terrain on purpose.

The enemy are a band of Psychos. All psychos carry a blade in addition to their rolled armaments. The rank & file have an assortment of colony rifles:

Doc only performs unnecessary surgery. Hair thinks that style suits him. Princess is the last member of her royal house -- she's seen to that!

They hang out with a Feral in Spiderman pyjamas and a Chippendale dancer drummed out of his unit for conduct unbecoming.

The specialists are Wetsuit Wanda (autorifle) and Barb (shell gun) who wears a shirt with her initial on it.

Their lieutenant is... ummmm.... ???

I rolled a shotgun for the lieutenant's weapons. To fit the figure, the hooks are equipped with cybernetic flechette pistols, using shotgun stats.]

Battle Turn 3

"Guys, I... I just can't do this," says Dirk Striker.

"C'mon, mate," says Wilmer, "this might cheer you up."

"No, I think I'll just wait in the hovercar."

"Don't be such a space xqivsnnplf!" says Zllgx.

"..."

"They're here," says Muffy. "Let's leave him here to have his little strop and get this over with."


Round 1

Five Parsecs from Home - Part 5

Post Battle (Turn 2)

The invitations make to into the post on time. The WI are pleased, and pay the crew [d6+2=] 5 credits, plus the promised crate of jam. They keep a couple of jars, but Wilmer knows a guy who can unload this on the black market for some serious dosh [the Loot roll was a cargo crate worth 2cr, so a little creative license makes sense of things]. The WI intimate they may also have more work for Dirk's crew in the future since they 'seem like such nice young people'. [planetary WI added to the Patron list. If they ever become a permanent patron, it will be the Sector-wide WI.]

XP

Muffy got the first kill again, so earns 4xp. The rest (save GBH) get 3. Dirk spends 7xp to increase Reaction to 3.

Shopping

They spend 3 credits on a surplus military rifle. It would have gone to Zllgx, but since she's still on the naughty step for losing the colony rifle a while back, Muffy's getting it instead.

Character & Campaign Events

Dirk is alone. His crew have barely seen him since the WI job. All this violence is starting to get to him, and he's sunken into depression -- deep. His days are spent drinking whiskey from the bottle... gazing into the mirror at his rugged unshaven face whilst asking 'who am I?'... taking steamy showers, steadying himself with one hand against the wall... staring into the middle distance. [+1 Story Point, but Dirk won't fight in the next battle.]

Everyone else has got a bit of extra time on their hands [bonus Exploration rolls for 2 random PCs]. Zllgx runs into someone who needs a package delivered offworld. It'll be worth 3 credits from the recipient.

Slow Hand is out soaking up the nightlife. But from across the dance floor, two sets of beady eyes are watching the sparkling lights from the disco ball play over his really cool aviator shades.

"Isn't that one of Dirk Striker's crew?"

"Yes... I believe it is. Let's tail him and find out where they're holed up. I think it's payback time..."

Campaign Turn 3

[Every 3rd campaign turn, the crew gets +1 Story Point. I'm spending it now to get +3xp for Muffy. She's good at dealing damage, and heretofore has been exceptionally lucky about not receiving any, but I need to up her survivability. This puts her just in sight of an upgrade.]

Upkeep

Trading water from the Purifier once again offsets the crew's grocery bill. [-1cr upkeep / +1cr purifier]

The interest on the ship's loan comes to 2cr. Paying 6cr from the crew funds reduces the total debt to 31cr.

But now they only have 3cr remaining.

Tasks

Dirk decides a wander through the city centre might clear his head. He meets an Information Broker who offers to share secret intelligence with him, for a small fee of course. The 'fee' is nearly as high as the crew's credit balance, so Dirk merely laughs in the alien's face.

When he's not disco dancing till dawn, Slow Hand explores the local bar scene. He doesn't miss a single ladies' night in the startown.

Wilmer happens upon a mysterious merchant in the bazaar, who offers him the contents of a 'mystery box' in exchange for a single weapon. Something about the man's manner frightens him, and he declines.

Muffy pays a visit to the all-night laundromat & transcendental meditation parlour. Whilst the service droids remove the bloodstains from her favourite top, she sits before the fabled Star Crystal and contemplates the Cosmic Mysteries.  

[Muffy actually took the Train task, which grants 1xp, giving her a total of 10xp to spend. She spends the lot to buy 1 Luck. At the time, I wasn't exactly sure how one goes about Training for Luck, so I went with the first thing I could think of.]

Zllgx has a run-in with the very same Info Broker that Dirk did. She is at least polite in her refusal.

GBH decides to relax and see the sights, such as they are on New Milton Keynes. Walking through the crowded markets and bustling thoroughfares, the poor bot begins to feel all alone. So very alone....

Choose your battle

The crew don't relish the prospect of doing another job for their prior captors, but credits is credits (sic), so they decide they might as well take the government job [still available from the last Campaign Turn] -- but then fate intervenes. [Dirk's Rivals have tracked him down, so the next battle is automatically against them.]

A delivery bot arrives at the ship. Someone has sent Dirk a bouquet of flowers. And there's a card:

Please, my gentle friend, won't you
Attend our garden party at the D.G.?
You are, of course, encouraged to
Bring along all of your new friends
As we'd surely love to meet them.
Casual attire is recommended.
Kindly RSVP.

"A garden party," says GBH. "How lovely. This should cheer up Master Dirk."

"No," says Muffy, "I think there is something more sinister going on here. Look at the flowers."

"Zermerxian Puff-blooms!" gasps Wilmer. "A symbol of death!"

"And the note!" cries Zllgx.

"Oh! The note!" cries Muffy.

"By Jove, they expect Dirk at the D.G.," says Slow Hand. "The Duelling Grounds!"

"Not only that," says Zllgx. "Examine it more carefully. Do you not see?"

"I-- no! It can't be!"

"I fear it is!"

"An acrostic!"

"The fiends!"

Five Parsecs from Home - Part 4

Battle Turn 2

Deployment

The invitations for the WI Summer Garden Show must go in the post today, but the starport post office was recently shut down. The only open post office is on the other side of town. The invitations need to make the last collection, and the quickest route is through a danger zone -- the shattered remnants of the old tourist district.

[The rolled objective is Move Through -- 2 PCs must exit the other side of the table to achieve Victory.

There are no special deployment conditions or notable sights (mainly because I forgot to place the rolled 'Shiny Bits' worth 2 credits. Oops!).

The enemy are a band of Gene Renegades, transhumanists addicted to black market body modification.

Lizard is slowly transforming into a reptile. Greyface is turning his skin translucent. Cyclops is a metalhead from a hairless species who wanted a good mane for headbanging. Trollface wanted to look like his favourite character in the epic fantasy cycle, Swords Against Whatever.

Ginger (the lieutenant) has a tasteless mod you can't see with his trousers on. Insectoid (specialist) is the Woman Who Would Be Queen.

They all have colony rifles except for Insectoid, who has an auto rifle.]

Battle

The sky above the battlefield was the colour of cheap curtains that came with the flat and have sat at the bottom of the closet for months.

Round 1

Five Parsecs from Home - Part 3

New Milton Keynes
World Trait: Weapon licensing*
Notable Sights: largest indoor ski slope in the Fringe Sector

*Any weapon obtained through the Trade Table or purchased outright costs
+1 credit.

Post Battle (Turn 1)

[There are 13 steps for resolving the aftermath of a battle. I'll just summarise the important parts, and skip over the non-events (no new Rivals, no invasion threat, etc.).]

Loot & Payment & Purchases

With all enemies either neutralised or put to flight, Dirk's crew is able to pick over the battlefield at their leisure. They find a curious data stick which is full of cryptic information [+1 quest rumour], and a handful of Kiranin crystals. They also collect [1d6+3=] 9cr worth of saleable scrap. They later buy a spare colony rifle down the market with the intention of giving it to the bot, to see if it will do better in the next battle; the licence fees almost cost more than the gun! [cost is 1 credit for the gun, 1 more for the license]

Determine Injuries

Slow Hand's wound looked much worse than it was. He'll be out of commission for only a few days [d%= Minor Injuries, no long-term effect, spend 1 Campaign Turn in sick bay].

XP

Slow Hand was a casualty, so earns 1xp. GBH is a bot and doesn't ever get XP. Dirk, Zllgx, and Wilmer all earn 3xp for survival. Muffy earns 3 for survival +1 for getting the first enemy kill.

Campaign Event

[d%=Tax man]

Dirk and his new crew are given their freedom, and allowed to keep all the proceeds from battlefield salvage... provided they first fill in Form UH4567-C (in triplicate) and pay any relevant tariffs for processing. Oh dear, the sum owed comes to [1d6=] 6 credits.

Character Event

[d%=Where did it go?]

Zllgx has managed to misplace her colony rifle. Maybe it's on Dirk's ship. It must turn up eventually, mustn't it? [There a chance it will on the third campaign turn if she rolls 5+ on 1d6+Savvy. Spoiler: it doesn't.]

Flushed with success, elated with freedom, though somewhat underwhelmed with their collective credit balance, our sextet of space adventurers elect to stick together and see what the galaxy has to throw at them.

Campaign Turn 2

Dirk Striker in his new armour -- see below.

Upkeep

The crew pool their funds: 5 Credits remaining. One credit is spent on upkeep (food, ammo, beer, comic books, etc.). This is offset by earning 1 credit for having a Purifier on their ship (so they can sell clean water to the inhabitants of the world).

Ship Debt

Interest: +2cr to 38. They spend 3cr to lower it to 35. 2cr left in the space piggy bank!

Crew Tasks

Slow Hand must recover in the sick bay, so cannot take an action.

Muffy explores the port city -- one pub at a time. She gets bought a few drinks, but nothing more noteworthy happens. Well, nothing she can remember in the morning...

Zllgx and Wilmer go out to trade. Zllgx manages to trade a few last battlefield trinkets for 4cr. Wilmer haggles down a used suit of combat armour. It won't fit an engineer, but it's just [1d6=] Dirk's size.

Dirk goes into the starport with GBH to look for a Patron. And in fact two potential patrons are found. The colonel was surprised at the success of the first mission, and has another already lined up, though it isn't urgent. On the other hand, the local WI also needs a job done. Whilst they aren't offering quite as much cash as the military (2cr danger pay vs. 3), they do offer a basketful of Mrs Yortragox-Carrington's zkurgberry preserves as a bonus. Well, it's no contest, really.


next post: the battle!

Five Parsecs from Home - Part 2

Battle Turn 1

: Industrial Zone D :
: New Milton Keynes :
: Fringe Sector :

Night has fallen on New Milton Keynes. The two moons shine weakly through the clouds as Dirk Striker and his crew arrive (i.e. are unceremoniously dumped off) at the LZ. Their mission is to hold a section of a ruined industrial district, either chasing off or eliminating the band of space brigands holed up there. Once the zone is secure, the government will send in its team of crack property developers to begin planning work on a new gated community. This wouldn't have been Striker's first choice of a job, but he wasn't in a position to bargain.

Patron: Local government
Danger Pay: +3cr
Time frame: this turn
B/H/C: private transport

[The Patron was rolled with only 1d5 to fit the campaign start I made up. Pay for the mission (1d6+danger pay, as usual) is purely the value of battlefield salvage, since the actual payment is the PCs' freedom. Time frame was not rolled, again to fit the starting conditions. The B/H/C (Benefits/Hazards/Conditions) roll means no Rivals can track down the PCs this turn. Dirk (of course!) picked up Rivals during character creation.]

Setting up the Battle

Conditions: gloomy (9" max. visibility)
Notable sights: Documentation (provides a Rumour)
Objective: Secure
Enemy: Vigilantes

The rank and file are armed with Infantry Lasers -- too bad you can't salvage enemy weapons!

L to R: Hook, Shirtless, Fishy, the Engineer

Pigtails, their Lieutenant, gets a blade & +1 combat score.

The Specialists are Anorak (with a military rifle) and Ripper (ripper sword and
handgun). Specialists get no bonuses, just different weapons.

[Wargame AARs seem to be very light on mechanics, so there will be a lot fewer than in my RPG session posts.

There are a lot more images than usual, so the battle will begin after the cut.]


Round 1

Five Parsecs from Home - Part 1

: Maximum Security Detention Facility :
: New Milton Keynes :
: Fringe Sector :

"Alright you scum, listen up. I've been asked to get a special unit together for a dangerous mission in the old industrial sector. The brass have classified this as a suicide mission, and have decided not to throw away Unity personnel and equipment on an impossibility. But they've given me special dispensation to use the lot of you in one last, desperate attempt to pull it off. Many of you -- hell, most of you, even -- will not survive. But those that do will obtain a full pardon for your crimes, and your freedom. Any of you want to back out now, that's fine with me, but this is your only chance to avoid a one-way ticket to the soylent factory. Can I assume we're all agreed? Good.

"Now, since you don't know each other, allow me to make the introductions.

"Dirk Striker, career mercenary. A man's man, and a soldier's soldier. Spec-ops commando. Decorated veteran of the Antares Revolt. Medals for courage, valour, and bravery. Then abandoned by your unit at the battle of Tannhäuser Gate -- a betrayal for which you never forgave them. You'll get your revenge some day, I wager, but you've got to learn to keep you nose clean until then. Tell me, son, just how does a man of your talents get picked up on a public urination charge?"

"I was framed!"

"That's what they all say.

"Next we have Len 'Slow Hand' Luvvermann. You left a pretty cushy job in Megacity 8, and for what? The life of a scoundrel, traipsing round the galaxy in search of the zipless fuck, with nothing but a duelling pistol and a holo-crystal containing every known recording of Ravel's Boléro."

"You forgot to mention my boss threads."

"Look, I don't know what sort of 'trip' you're on, son, but no one is above following our space quarantine procedures. Our top scientists have traced the recent outbreak of Disco Fever to its source: you.

"Now we come to... um, corporal, help me out here. How do you say that?"

"Um, er.... well, she goes by 'Zllgx', sir."

"Now we come to Zg... Zlllug.... to this alien. A nomad, from a low-tech colony, whose name I'm also not about to attempt. A long way from your homeworld, aren't we? This may be the Fringe, but we are still a civilised planet. Perhaps you should have acquainted yourself with our laws and customs. Wearing white shoes after Labour day is a serious offence.

"Pllrsmgv!"

"Uh... that's no excuse.

"Moving on... say hello to Wilmer Glorp. An Engineer from the enclave in brown sector. Works as an enforcer for the Zortrino crime family in their traffic division. It's said they'll validate parking anywhere -- for a price. But those who can't pay up get a visit from good ol' Wilmer here. Such greed: all those credits coming in, and still too cheap to pay for a TV licence."

"I wasn't watching anything! I just needed to know who'd won Strictly."

"I've heard it all before.

"Next up, we have a true enigma. She was apprehended with a pocket full of false Identi-cards: Muffy Meyers, Muffy Kruger, Muffy Voorhees... Tell me, miss, is any of these your real identity?"

"I am legion."

"No matter. But it's ironic, isn't it: you elude the law with all these aliases, only to get brought in for overdue library books. And between you and me, you're lucky we found you before the library's enforcement squad did -- they don't take prisoners.

"Finally we have this... bot? I don't rightly know what this bot is supposed to have done, but I'm not paid to ask questions, so... the six of you move out at 22:00."

Campaign Notes & Character Records

I'm not a wargamer, but the light roleplaying elements of 5 Parsecs sucked me in. Plus it's a great excuse to dig out my Lego.

All my PCs were rolled entirely randomly using the 3rd edition Five Parsecs from Home rulebook, and the minifigs constructed to fit them. When I rolled on the Crew Table (p. 32) for flavour details, I got:

We met through: being in trouble with the authorities
We are best characterised as: cut-throat outlaws

And that's what gave me the idea to start them off with a Dirty Dozen origin story. The first Campaign Turn, therefore, was heavily modified. I rolled their mission randomly, and did check for Conditions and Hazard Pay, since it will be a standard campaign from here on in. They will have a ship as normal, and there are a few items aboard it / in the crew's Stash. The Colonel who put together the mission counts as the Patron that one of the PCs (I think it was Wilmer) got as a benefit during character creation.

I set the campaign difficulty to Challenging since I don't want battles with too few enemies.

Dirk Striker
------------
Type: Baseline human
Background: Military outpost
Motivation: Revenge
Class: Mercenary

Reactions   2
Speed       4"
Combat     +1
Toughness   3
Savvy      +0
Luck        1
XP          2

blast pistol, boarding sabre

The background/motivation/class results made it immediately obvious that this would be the crew's Leader. The combination also made it obvious that he needed the most risibly macho 90s action movie name possible. I almost spelt Striker with a y to make it look "cool", but I decided to go for the explicit Traveller reference instead.

Len "Slow Hand" Luvvermann
--------------------------
Type: Baseline human
Background: Comfortable megacity class
Motivation: Romance
Class: Scoundrel

Reactions   1
Speed       5"
Combat     +0
Toughness   3
Savvy      +0

duelling pistol

I wasn't sure what to make of the scoundrel searching the galaxy for romance, so I went with 70s (also very early 80s) space adventurer. And maybe leaned into the 70s part a little too hard. He's probably a liability.

Wilmer Glorp
------------
Type: Engineer
Background: Subjugated colony on alien world
Motivation: Survival
Class: Enforcer

Reactions   1
Speed       4"
Combat     +1
Toughness   3
Savvy      +1
 
Military rifle

Engineers seem to be the non-copyright-infringing stand-ins for the quarians from Mass Effect. They are physically frail, having a maximum Toughness of 4, regardless of armour or enhancements. Wilmer's only got the Toughness of a base human character due to a bonus from his Survival motivation. I often mix film noir with my sci-fi, so the enforcer got named after the gunsel in the Maltese Falcon. Let's hope he has a better run than his namesake.

Muffy (real name unknown)
-------------------------
Type: Mysterious Past
Background: Giant overcrowded dystopian city & Frontier gang
Motivation: Discovery
Class: Starship crew

Reactions   1
Speed       5"
Combat     +1
Toughness   3
Savvy      +2

handgun


An interstellar woman of mystery, Muffy would have been the crew leader, had I not rolled up an action hero to claim that rôle. If she ever leaves due to a random event, I'll have her form her own crew, and use this one as Rivals.

Zngprxtxlzf "Zllgx" Pkzlmqpsg
-----------------------------
Type: Minor alien
Background: Low-tech colony
Motivation: Wealth
Class: Nomad

Reactions   1
Speed       4"
Combat     +0
Toughness   3
Savvy      +0

special: max 4 Toughness, +1 repair rolls
blade, colony rifle

Zllgx is a nomadic Sbzdomite from the desert world, Llandudno 9. The only things she cares about in this life are credits, credits, hpgdreqjju, and credits. Credits she can get anywhere, but she'd kill her own brood-mother for hpgdreqjju. Maybe she already did.

GBH-Ω
-----
Type: Bot

Reactions   2
Speed       4"
Combat     +1
Toughness   4
Savvy      +2

brutal mêlée weapon, sonic emitter
built-in armour 6+

I'd originally envisioned GBH as some sort of off-brand warbot (hence the designation). Two battles in, and I'm pretty sure that's a mistake. Perhaps it's a janitorial bot, in over its head. This fighting does not compute!

Next post: the mission!