I am converting Barrier Peaks for a 5e game run over Roll20.
I have looked at Micheal Mifsud's "Expedition to the Parrier Peaks Conversion Notes",
as well as
Todd Bergman's "Classic Adventure Module Conversion - Expedition to the Barrier Peaks"
They are certainly useful, but neither of them are completely suitable for my purposes.
I will be posting as I go - comments encouraged. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Arrival
Show Handout: Outside the Cave (was player handout 3)
Load General Outdoor Map
Load Audio File Mountain Pass
Begin tracking time.
Quote:
The rocky mountainside is before you, with stunted vegetation clinging wherever it can. At first glance, it is just like any mountainside you have seen for days. A moment’s pause, however, reveals more. Here and there among the natural rocks, from tiny pebbles to huge slabs as large as city walls, is worked stone, carved stone, sections large and small that are perfectly flat, not cracked or angled. Someone - dwarves? stone giants? - has worked sections of the mountain, shaping them and giving them form. These sections go from ground level to over three hundred feet up the side of the mountain. Who can say what lies within - a fortress? A subterranean city?
Perception check on general area 10+ wrote:
Careful inspection reveals no arrow slits, no windows, no chimneys - but there are two doors! The larger of the two is at ground level and can easily be approached on foot. It is some fifteen feet across and just as high, with the area of worked stone wall beyond it adding another five or ten feet on each side. The door is closed, with the door itself of stone identical to the wall in which it sits.
Above, some 200 feet up the side of the cliff face, is a smaller door, perhaps a third the size of the lower one. That door is open, and the darkness beyond the open doorway suggests that it leads deeper into the mountain. Is this the “unoerthly cave”? No path or roadway leads to it. It looks like a scrabble up the cliff face would allow access to it, but it will not be easy - there are several sheer surfaces that will need to be climbed.
Survival check (advantage mountains) specifically looking for tracks 10+ wrote:
The tracks about are only those typical for the mountains - goats, the occasional mountain lion or bear spoor. None are particular fresh. None are humanoid.
Investigation of lower door, Check 10+ wrote:
The lower door appears to be without handle, hinges, or any other mechanism of opening. It is recessed several inches back from the wall itself, but fits in its frame so flush that not even a paper-thin crack is present anywhere around the margin.
But here is something odd - touching the door, and the wall, the dust comes away - there is not stone beneath, but something else! Vigorous rubbing reveals that it is metal underneath, some kind of hard, gray metal like iron or steel and yet not recognizable. Both the door and wall are made of this.
Further, if this is not carved...it is beneath the mountain’s stone! Indeed, you can shift a few smaller rocks and find more of the metal wall underneath. Is it possible that the entire section you are seeing is one huge metal wall, though now mostly buried under rock - from a landslide, or an earthquake, or deliberate design? If just the parts you see are metal, it is as much metal as any of you have ever seen in one place. If the whole side of the mountain is metal...it is more metal than you knew existed in the world.
Add to player journals "wall metal" handout.
To climb up to the upper cave safely will require a DC15 survival roll.
Non-Proficiency, or proficiency but not in Mountains, gives disadvantage.
Use of rope, hammer, and pitons allows advantage.
Two people working together allows +5 to help.
Once a route has been set with rope, others may substitute an acrobatics or athletics check in place of survival.
Failure on the Survival (acrobatics, athletics) check results in a fall and 20 points of bludgeoning damage, reduced to 10 with a DC15 Dexterity save. Critical failure on either the Survival check or Dexterity save results in 40 points of bludgeoning damage.
As people arrive outside of cave, move them onto Map Unoerthly Level 1 _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:47 am; edited 1 time in total
To climb up to the upper cave safely will require a DC15 survival roll.
Non-Proficiency, or proficiency but not in Mountains, gives disadvantage.
Use of rope, hammer, and pitons allows advantage.
Two people working together allows +5 to help.
A few notes on checks.
Survival checks are about finding food and water, finding one's way/tracking, and knowing about natural hazards and how to deal with/avoid them. They have nothing to do with any actual climbing, other than perhaps knowing that, if you climb an icy mountain, you should use pitons and crampons and rope up so as not to die when doing the actual climbing. The actual climbing though would be an Athletics check. Using a rope to climb would be a great advantage, and so using a rope should probably just give Advantage to further climbers, not allow other characters to use an unrelated skill like Acrobatics to do something they shouldn't be good at in the first place. As to two characters up the mountain already helping out, their Strength stats could allow them to simply haul a character up without needing to roll, based on their their wight limit. This isn't Conan lifting up a giant stone door or anything. Players have to pick and choose character skills for a reason. If they don't pick a particular skill, it isn't that character's forte, so they may need others to help them (which is normal). Still, simply getting into the place shouldn't be a difficult task, so if everyone fails then you might instead just say, "You exhaust yourself spending the day trying to climb up to the doorway. Perhaps tomorrow you will have better luck." (roll random encounters). :evilgrin:
"Investigating" the lower door seems a lot like what a rogue would do when "investigating" a chest for taps, which is a Perception check. Granted, these two skills would seems to bleed into one another just a bit: one is about noticing something and knowing its relevance due to one's background (i.e. a rogue doesn't need an Investigation roll to deduce what the tripwire they noticed is for); the other is about deducing the relevance of what has already been noticed ("The victim was killed with iocaine powder. The herbalist wouldn't know of such things, but the alchemist would! Dun-dun DUNNN!"). Besides, based on the text, it doesn't seem like Investigation would do much of anything other than lead to a conclusion of, "That's a lot of metal I noticed!" As a rule of thumb, Investigation has to do with information gathering, research, and deductive reasoning, while Perception has to do with noticing things. I would therefore make the door bit a Perception check, as no real investigating is going on other than moving rocks to reveal more metal; without any epiphany occurring.
Otherwise, it all looks good. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
To climb up to the upper cave safely will require a DC15 survival roll.
Non-Proficiency, or proficiency but not in Mountains, gives disadvantage.
Use of rope, hammer, and pitons allows advantage.
Two people working together allows +5 to help.
Survival checks are about...knowing about natural hazards and how to deal with/avoid them. They have nothing to do with any actual climbing. The actual climbing though would be an Athletics check. Using a rope to climb would be a great advantage, and so using a rope should probably just give Advantage to further climbers, not allow other characters to use an unrelated skill like Acrobatics to do something they shouldn't be good at in the first place.
I agree with your sentiment here, and think perhaps most of this is just about conceptualizing the set-up, and me being more explicit.
The initial climb up to the cave is not about strength - it's not that far up. It is about finding a safe route, knowing which rocks will support weight and which will shift, plotting in advance a path that will allow a safe ascent. Thus it is very much a Wisdom-based Survival check, as choosing the route is based on avoiding natural hazards, and not what you call "actual climbing".
Once a line is set and a character simply has to physically haul himself up the rope without having to choose a safe route, then it becomes "actual climbing" with a Strength-based Athletics check.
My own campaign has a low-strength monk, and I often allow her to take an Acrobatics check rather than an Athletics check, if I feel that there are both Strength and Dexterity based solutions to the same problem. For example, climbing the rope with Athletics would be a power-based climb like a gym rope climb, all upper-body strength. Climbing with Acrobatics would be more like an actual rock-climber - reaching from ledge to ledge, balancing, using the rock face itself to support their weight rather than dangling from the rope.
Cebrion wrote:
Still, simply getting into the place shouldn't be a difficult task, so if everyone fails then you might instead just say, "You exhaust yourself spending the day trying to climb up to the doorway. Perhaps tomorrow you will have better luck." (roll random encounters). :evilgrin:
I agree that simply getting to the upper cave shouldn't be difficult. Although I set the initial DC at 15 (Medium), I expect that most parties venturing into the mountains will have at least one character with Survival (Mountains) and will have brought mountaineering supplies. A DC15 check with advantage is not that hard. For those parties not so equipped, at the level indicated for Barrier Peaks, they ought to have access to some type of magic option such as levitation, flight, spider climb, rope trick, etc.
However, upon reflecting on your comments, I think I should drop the subsequent climbing check to DC 10 or 12. Once the rope is set, that should be easier than charting the initial route.
Cebrion wrote:
As to two characters up the mountain already helping out, their Strength stats could allow them to simply haul a character up without needing to roll, based on their their wight limit.
For the two people working together, that was meant for the initial route selection, as in two climbers, both with Survival (Mountain), setting the route together - literally under the rule for "working together", but yielding a +5 because they presumably already have advantage from using mountaineering gear.
I hadn't considered two strong characters simply hauling others up the rope once they are at the cave entrance, but I agree once they are in position that can just be assumed without rolling.
Cebrion wrote:
As a rule of thumb, Investigation has to do with information gathering, research, and deductive reasoning, while Perception has to do with noticing things. I would therefore make the door bit a Perception check, as no real investigating is going on
I parse Investigation vs. Perception as follows: When a player asks "What do I see?" or "Do I notice anything out of the ordinary?" that is a Perception Check. When a player actually tells me what they are looking for, that is an Investigation check. For example, I will allow a high Perception check to note the presence of a secret door, even if the player was not specifically looking for one. But once the door is noted, it will likely be an Investigation check to find the means to open it, and only if the player states that is what they are trying to do.
With respect to the door, I should have made it more clear that the Investigation roll was when a player asked whether it could be opened. I was assuming that they would discover the metal in the course of Investigating it. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
ARRIVAL Show Handout: Outside the Cave (was player handout 3)
Load General Outdoor Map
Load Audio File Mountain Pass
Begin tracking time.
The rocky mountainside is before you, with stunted vegetation clinging wherever it can. At first glance, it is just like any mountainside you have seen for days. A moment’s pause, however, reveals more. Here and there among the natural rocks, from tiny pebbles to huge slabs as large as city walls, is worked stone, carved stone, sections large and small that are perfectly flat and nearly vertical, not cracked or angled. Someone - dwarves? stone giants? - has worked sections of the mountain, shaping them and giving them form. These sections go from ground level to over three hundred feet up the side of the mountain. Who can say what lies within - a fortress? A subterranean city?
Perception check on general area at 10+ wrote:
Careful inspection reveals no arrow slits, no windows, no chimneys - but there are two doors! The larger of the two is at ground level and can easily be approached on foot. It is some fifteen feet across and just as high, with the area of worked stone wall beyond it adding another five or ten feet on each side. The door is closed, with the door itself of stone identical to the wall in which it sits.
Above, some 200 feet up the side of the cliff face, is a smaller door, perhaps a third the size of the lower one. That door is open, and the darkness beyond the open doorway suggests that it leads deeper into the mountain. Is this the “unoerthly cave”? No path or roadway leads to it. It looks like a scrabble up the cliff face would allow access to it, but there are several sheer surfaces that will need to be climbed.
Survival check (advantage mountains) specifically looking for tracks 10+ wrote:
The tracks about are only those typical for the mountains - goats, the occasional mountain lion or bear spoor. None are particularly fresh. None are humanoid.
Perception check on lower door, 10+ wrote:
Here is something odd - touching the door, and the wall, the dust comes away - there is not stone beneath, but something else! Vigorous rubbing reveals that it is metal, some kind of hard, gray metal like iron or steel and yet not recognizable. Both the door and wall are made of this.
Further, if this is not carved...it is beneath the mountain’s stone! Indeed, you can shift a few smaller rocks and find more of the metal wall underneath. Is it possible that the entire section you are seeing is one huge metal wall, though now mostly buried under rock - from a landslide, or an earthquake, or deliberate design? If just the parts you see are metal, it is as much metal as any of you have ever seen in one place. If the whole side of the mountain underneath the rock debris is metal...it is more metal than you knew existed in the world.
Add to player journals "wall metal" handout.
Investigation Check directed at opening the lower door, 10+ wrote:
The lower door appears to be without handles, hinges, or any other mechanism of opening. It is recessed several inches back from the wall itself, but fits into its frame so flush that not even a paper-thin crack is present anywhere around the margin.
The rocks of the mountainside that cover the wall of the ship are scree that has fallen from above, and none are firmly in place, although a few are now joined to each other via plant roots. Characters who begin to climb up the mountainside can be told that they can feel large rocks shifting under their weight and small ones being dislodged and tumbling down. They should now surmise that climbing to the upper cave will be a treacherous affair, requiring careful selection of a route that will safely support the characters' weight.
The climb itself is relatively easy, requiring a DC 10 Athletics check, with advantage if the character is using a previously secured rope, or a hammer and pitons as they go. Failure on this Strength check just means the character cannot progress further and must climb back down for a short rest. The character will only fall on a critical failure, resulting in 10 points of bludgeoning damage.
However, if a safe route is not found before climbing, on any ascent (whether successful or not) the lead character will cause a rockslide, endangering him or herself and anyone underneath, including those at the base of the slope whom the DM deems sufficiently close. Characters may attempt to avoid the slide with a DC 15 Dexterity save, with advantage if they have a secured rope, spider climb, or Acrobatics proficiency, with disadvantage if they are encumbered, and with automatic failure if they are heavily unencumbered. A character that succeeds on this check may continue climbing without further incident. Failure to avoid the rockslide results in 20 points of bludgeoning damage, or 40 points on a critical fail.
To find a safe and stable route to the upper cave will require a DC15 survival roll. Characters not proficient in Survival, or whose Proficiency is not in Mountains, will be at disadvantage.
Use of rope, hammer, and pitons allows advantage on the Survival check.
Two people working together, both proficient, allows +5 to the Survival check of the better of the two.
The ability to fly, levitate, or spider climb while looking for a safe route, will allow anyone with Survival (Mountains) to automatically find one, and will give advantage to anyone without this proficiency.
Characters may think to try a route on the metal wall only, since this cannot shift and slide under them. As it turns out, this is too hard for pitons to be hammered in, but someone with spiderclimb can automatically ascend safely there, even without a Survival proficiency.
If at least two characters have attained the cave entrance, they may haul others up with rope tied about them with no Strength check required, and although such a character may still cause a rockslide they will not be affected by it.
As people arrive outside of the cave, move them onto Map Unoerthly Level 1 _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Thu Nov 01, 2018 11:14 am; edited 6 times in total
The initial climb up to the cave is not about strength - it's not that far up. It is about finding a safe route, knowing which rocks will support weight and which will shift, plotting in advance a path that will allow a safe ascent. Thus it is very much a Wisdom-based Survival check, as choosing the route is based on avoiding natural hazards, and not what you call "actual climbing".
You are reading way too much into the Survival skill. A Survival [Mountains] check would inform characters that some areas are of loose shale, and what signs point to a route being particularly dangerous (which might require further checks; even at disadvantage), but more importantly what route would be the safest. The actual climbing requires an Athletics [Climb] check - the characters just never have to deal with what could have been a more dangerous route because the character with Survival [Mountains] skill has forewarned them, and so they avoid the hazard altogether. The example of quicksand under Survival does not mean that the quicksand is avoided altogether, as in characters are able to circumvent the quicksand due to a Survival check, but that they are forewarned of the perils of quicksand and how to proceed carefully so as to not stumble blindly into it. If and when they do find some quicksand though, and it bars their path, they will then need to use magic or some other skill to bypass it (climbing trees to swing over it by ropes would be Athletics, and using branches like uneven bars and balancing while moving along branches would be Acrobatics).
A mountainside is not a natural hazard to be avoided. It is a natural obstacle to be traversed, just as is a river, a chasm, etc. Patches of loose rock on a mountainside are a natural hazard. Icy patches on a mountainside are a natural hazard. Rapids, undertows, and riptides are natural hazards. Quicksand is a natural hazard. A Survival check can bypass being ignorant of these things, and so then find a safer route, but the obstacles still need to be climbed, swam, or crossed, meaning an Athletics check (most of the time). A successful Survival check just means that characters aren't likely to be making their Athletics checks at a Disadvantage in most cases, and maybe even will be rolling at Advantage and/or with a bonus, but they don't get to avoid the task of overcoming the obstacle altogether though.
"It looks like a scrabble up the cliff face would allow access to it, but it will not be easy - there are several sheer surfaces that will need to be climbed."
A Survival [Mountains] check is what points out the above information. The Athletics [Climb] check is what actually gets the task done, and is what the above literally says needs to be done. I would think that "...will need to be climbed." could not be any clearer, short distance or no.
Survival isn't some sort of crazy climb, fly, walk-on-water, do whatever skill. The Survival skill can help make life easier for characters, but it doesn't solve the problem of obstacles. You empower this skill to the level you are, and you utterly denigrate the other skills. You'll have Rangers or Rogues with Survival [Cities], telling you to shove it when you ask them to make any Athletics [Climb/Jump/Swim] or Stealth check when it comes to climbing up to rooftops, jumping gaps between roofs/balconies/whatever, swimming the sewers/cisterns or blending in with crowd to avoid capture by the city guard, because doing so is just "avoiding the natural hazards" of their chosen terrain.
Sorry for the fixation, but this one just bugs me. Survival, as a single skill, already manages to cover a ton of stuff. There is no need to make it do more. I hope somebody else weighs in, but keep it coming. I'll keep it shorter next time.
On to another topic...
Due to all of the unknowns in this adventure, Investigation will no doubt be an often used skill, but if it isn't used well...
"The wizard points the oddly shaped metal device at the paladin, and presses the golden stud. A ray shoots out...[DM rolls some dice]...the paladin glows... and then disappears! Magic!"
[DM hands paladin's player a secret note.]
THE PALADIN HAS BEEN VAPORIZED, BUT THERE IS
THE ADDED CONSOLATION THAT YOU WILL BE
CONTROLLING THE DEATHBOTS SHOWING UP IN
RESPONSE TO THIS UNAUTHORIZED WEAPON USE.
A Survival [Mountains] check would inform characters that some areas are of loose shale, and what signs point to a route being particularly dangerous (which might require further checks; even at disadvantage), but more importantly what route would be the safest. The actual climbing requires an Athletics [Climb] check - the characters just never have to deal with what could have been a more dangerous route because the character with Survival [Mountains] skill has forewarned them, and so they avoid the hazard altogether.
Upon some reflection, I think I understand what you are getting at, and agree that the Survival check for discovering a safe route should not be allowed to replace the Athletics check for making the climb.
I have revised my entry above reflecting this.
Also, thanks or the suggestion about Volo's guide. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
The Open Door The cave mouth opens into a finished room, 8 feet deep, 20 feet wide, and 10 feet high. The far wall has a vertical line from floor to ceiling down its center. All of the surfaces - floor, walls, ceiling - are of the same strange wall metal as outside, completely featureless and flat. A heavy layer of dust and dirt is on the floor, but there are no tracks apparent.
When the last PC enters the cave, the door at the far end slides silently open, revealing a much larger space beyond.
While you are distracted by reacting to the opening inner door, the door to the outside has closed silently but firmly. You are now sealed inside. Examining the closed door behind you, now more like a wall, you find that it has the slightest degree of curvature, as if it were the inside of a large circle.
Load Audio File The Hidden Core
The deeper interior of the cave is a large, dark chamber. It is sixty by sixty and has three tunnels out; across from you, to the right, and to the left, all aligned at precise angles. Down the tunnel in front of you there are doorways visible; you cannot see down the other tunnels from your current location. In the center of the chamber there is an odd circular tube or support column that runs from floor to ceiling. While most of the floor of the cave is quite flat and solid, there appears to be textured walkways running from the tunnels to the tube.
Show handout: Vertical Tube
Begin making wandering monster checks _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Description and Notes This is a smooth, dull gray metal, cool to the touch. It is at least as hard as iron or steel. It is as smooth as if it was cast rather than hammer-forged, although the sheets would imply a mold far larger than a forge-building, for no seams or joins are visible across vast expanses. The doors, for example, appear to be single pieces.
DM Notes
The metal is a space-age alloy with no Earth analog.
Experimentation may find that the metal is as light as aluminum but harder than steel and will not be damaged or even scratched by normal weapons or pitons.
It is non-conductive of electricity but rapidly conducts and dissipates heat and has a melting temperature above anything the PC's have access to. Use of fireball-intensity heat near it will not damage it, but a much larger area than the fireball itself will feel warm to the touch for several minutes afterword.
Magic metal weapons will affect interior walls approximately as a normal piece of iron would be affected by a normal weapon (scratches and dents, perhaps a small hole from something like a pick), but the energy fields that protect the exterior hull and the structural support framework between decks will prevent them from being harmed by even the most powerful magic weapons, or magic, including disintegrate.
CAVE HORN HANDOUT
Description and Notes This material is lighter than wood but hard and rigid, like horn. It shows no sign of having been carved - in fact, it looks more like it has been cast in a mold of exceptional detail and precision. It is reasonably easy to scratch, and in a few places there are scratches and scuff marks.
Pieces that are large or thick are quite rigid, with just a trace of flex. Pieces that are small or thin, however, bend easily but return to their original form. If pushed too hard, they will break rather than bending permanently.
DM Notes
The plastic aboard the ship is similar in physical properties to Earth plastics and is typically rigid, although that used to insulate wiring, for example, is flexible. Chemically, it contains fewer hormone mimics and carcinogenic substances than Earth plastics, especially when melted (it will melt rather than burn at any temperature the PC’s can create). A small plastic item used as an improvised weapon (club) will do d3 bludgeoning damage, but will break if it does 3 or more (including strength bonus). A large plastic item used as a club will do d6 damage, but will break into two or more small items if it does 4 or more (including strength bonus).
CAVE SPONGE HANDOUT
Description and Notes Cave sponge appears to be full of tiny holes, like a sea sponge but much smaller and more regular. It compresses easily under pressure, but springs back almost immediately.
DM’s notes:
The foam-plastic aboard the ship is similar in physical properties to Earth foam-plastic, although the “air” bubbles in it are actually pure helium, which means that the foam is lighter. Chemically the plastic itself contains fewer hormone mimics and carcinogenic substances than Earth plastics, especially when melted (it will melt rather than burn at any temperature the PC’s can create). A section of foam large enough to use as a sleeping pad will be essentially weightless, but will have the encumbrance bulk of half a sleeping roll. If used as, inside, or under a sleeping roll, it will give advantage on any roll to “get rest” or to resist cold temperatures coming from the ground (or air, if clever PC’s make a double layer). _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Thu Dec 27, 2018 5:40 pm; edited 4 times in total
Lightly screened areas have bright light
Set room lights to 120 feet, no dim, all players see, and place on map layer
Darkly screened areas have dim light
Set hall and room lights to 60 feet, Dim at -5, all players see, and place on map layer
Unscreened areas have on/off light
Set room lights to 120 feet, no dim, all players see off, placed on token layer, all players have access, instruct players that they can toggle the all players see on _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Level 1, South, Wandering Monster (1 in 12 chance per ten minutes - roll d6)
1, 2. Vegepygmies (d8+8 vegepygmies with d4+1 thornies)
3. Lurker Above (1)
4. Displacer beasts (d2+1)
5. Worker robot (1)
6. Police Robot (1)
Level 1, North, Wandering Monster (1 in 12 per ten minutes)
1, 2. Vegepypygmies (2d6+12)
3. Shadows (d4+1)
4. Will-o’-wisps (d2)
5. Worker robot (1)
6. Police Robot (1)
Wandering Encounter Reactions
Displacer beasts
The beasts are always hungry, but they are smart enough to know when they are outmatched. They will not attack the PCs unless they outnumber them. If allowed, however, they will trail the PCs and wait until they are otherwise engaged with a strong foe. Then, they will attempt to drag off an unconscious combatant (on either side, so long as it is organic).
Lurker Above
A “wandering” lurker should be placed at the ceiling of the nearest intersection if the party is moving. If the party is stationary inside a room when the lurker is encountered, it will set up on the ceiling just outside the room. If the party is attempting to hide in a room, note that the lurker’s blindsight will go through closed doors; PC’s deliberately trying not to move are allowed a Stealth roll, otherwise they will be automatically detected if within range.
Robot, Police
Note: There is a 25% chance this robot has lost its life preservation programming - hereafter
referred to as a lethal robot.
Note: Police robots will be able to open all doors through orange, and each has a 50% chance
of being able to open red doors as well.
A randomly encountered police robot will approach the party, activate its language translator and then just follow them, listening to them for ten minutes. If the robot is still present and has not been attacked after ten minutes, it will hail the PC’s in whatever language they have been most using in its presence, likely Common.
“Unrecognized personal - please present identification cards”
If no card is presented after a further two repetitions of this, it will say:
“Unrecognized personal - follow me to processing center”
and move away for one round.
If characters follow, it will take them to police headquarters, and summon a human crew to make a decision. The crew will, of course, not come. It will say:
“Unrecognized personal - a processing team has been notified - remain here until their arrival.”
The characters are free to wander about the HQ room itself indefinitely, but not to leave.
If characters do not follow, or if they attempt to leave HQ, it (all) will say
“Unrecognized personal - you are being detained - do not resist”
and will then enter non-lethal combat. (Note that lethal robots will say instead
“Unrecognized personal - prepare to be terminated”
before entering lethal combat.
If combat is initiated, by characters or robots, and all characters are incapacitated, normal robots will take as many PCs as they can (using two hands plus tractor beam) to the police HQ, confiscate anything that was used to attack it, and put them in cells. It will then return for others.
If at <90 hp and at least three characters are down, it will take them, flee to HQ, and not return
If at <60 hp and at least two characters are down, it will take them and flee to HQ, and not return
If at <30 hp and at least one character is down, it will take him/her and flee to HQ, and not return
Note that lethal robots will not flee. Rather, when at 30 hp or less, they will attack random incapacitated creatures (whether unconscious, restrained, or dead) in an effort to cause as many deaths as possible.
If, when asked to present identification cards, characters show any of the door cards, the robot will take one round to scan each card and each character presenting one, and then say:
“Identification card does not match personal biometrics - you are being detained - do not resist”
and then enter non-lethal combat against only those characters who presented cards. A lethal robot in this case will employ non-lethal means until it is attacked. If all of the characters who presented cards are incapacitated, it will take them and return to HQ regardless of hp, ignoring (for the moment) those who did not present cards.
A police robot which has fled to the police HQ will dispatch all robots found there but one to the location of any characters remaining. For the remainder of the adventure, add 1 to all wandering monster rolls on Level I. This is cumulative for each robot forced to flee.
A robot which has successfully translated the character’s language and which has subsequently returned to police HQ will download the data into the police mainframe. All police robots in HQ and all which pass through HQ will then upload the information. There is a cumulative 5% chance per hour after this that police robots encountered as wandering monsters will have character language capability.
Robot, Worker
The worker robot will ignore the party unless attacked, in which case it will move away at maximum speed, and take the most direct route away from the PCs but toward the police HQ. If the PCs pursue it that far, all of the police robots at the station will attack.
If the worker robot is ignored or followed by the party, it will move in a random direction until it encounters structural damage to the ship (which it will assess and begin repair) or a non-functioning robot, which it will bring back to the robot repair in V-5 (or I-3b if a police robot).
Shadows
Shadows will flee from PCs if detected but may skulk and follow a party that does not detect them. They will only attack if they encounter a solitary character - although this could include a single character on watch while others sleep. They cannot pass through sealed (airtight) doors.
Vegepygmies, Southern
If the party is between the ‘pygmies and their home, they will seek the swiftest way around a way around the party to return to their home and warn their companions,
If the ‘pygmies are between the party and their home, they will retreat to their home.
Vegepygmies, Northern
If the party is between the ‘pygmies and their home, they will approach aggressively. If the party gives way, they will return directly home. If not, they will attack. This includes parties discovered to be taking refuge in rooms they can access with a jet card, which one of them will carry. Note that their blindsight will go through closed doors; PC’s deliberately trying not to move are allowed a Stealth roll, otherwise they will be automatically detected if within range.
If the pygmies are between the party and their home, they will stand their ground, and attack only if the party attempts to get by them.
In either case, they will retreat (toward their home if possible) if a quarter of them have been slain.
They will not pursue a party retreating away from their home.
For the following numbers of vegepygmies encountered randomly, of either group, the respective number of Sporriors, Sprouts, Saplings, and Champignions is as follows:
Will-o’-wisps
Will-o’-wisps will attempt to lure characters into the closest radiation area. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Sun Dec 23, 2018 11:40 am; edited 2 times in total
1E Stats for 1 HD Vegepygmy:
AC4 HD1 Hp 5 At. 1 Dam. 1-3 (dart) SD 1 damage from piercing, immune to electricity, charm, 50% invisible when environment matches coloration
5E Stats for Sporrior
Tiny Plant (2' high), unaligned
AC 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 16 (3d4+9)
Speed 40 ft
Str 4 (-3)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con 16 (+3)
Int 6 (-2)
Wis 8 (-1)
Cha 8 (-1)
*Vegepygmy darkvision may be blinded, but not their blindsight.
**Not immune to charms that specifically target plants.
Pack Tactics: The vegepygmy sporrior has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the vegepygmy's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Dart Melee weapon attack (finesse): +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 points (d6+3) piercing damage.
Dart Missile weapon attack: +5 to hit, range 30/60, one target.
Hit: 5 points (d6+3) piercing damage.
When vegepygmies first emerge they are lithe, supple, and resilient sporriors. These follow larger saplings and champignions into battle, attacking with missile fire. They will preferentially target foes engaged with their champignions so as to have advantage. If possible, they will use their full movement to appear from cover, attack, and return to cover.
Their darts resemble simple barbed sticks. They grow these in their bodies, slowly lignifying them, and keep a collection of previously grown ones on hand. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:21 pm; edited 6 times in total
1E Stats for 2 HD Vegepygmy:
AC4 HD2 Hp 11 At. 1 Dam. 1-6 (javelin) SD 1 damage from piercing, immune to electricity, charm, 50% invisible when environment matches coloration
5E Stats for Sprout
Tiny Plant (2.5' high), unaligned
AC 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 22 (4d4+12)
Speed 35 ft
Str 5 (-3)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con 17 (+3)
Int 7 (-2)
Wis 9 (-1)
Cha 9 (-1)
*Vegepygmy darkvision may be blinded, but not their blindsight.
**Not immune to charms that specifically target plants.
Pack Tactics: The vegepygmy sprout has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the vegepygmy's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Javelin Melee weapon attack (finesse): +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 points (2d4+2) piercing damage.
Javelin Missile weapon attack: +4 to hit, range 30/60, one target.
Hit: 7 points (2d4+2) piercing damage.
Vegepygmy Sporriors that have accumulated sufficient resources, size, age, and experience eventually become Sprouts. These are superior to sporriors in most ways, being larger, stronger, tougher, smarter, etc. However, the increased lignification that makes them more resistant to damage also makes them slower and less dexterous. They still follow larger saplings and champignions into battle, attacking with missile fire. They will preferentially target foes engaged with their champignions so as to have advantage. If possible, they will use their full movement to appear from cover, attack, and return to cover.
Their javelins resemble simple sticks, but they are longer and more wickedly barbed than those of sporriors. They grow these in their bodies, slowly lignifying them, and keep a collection of previously grown ones on hand. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:18 pm; edited 3 times in total
1E Stats for 3 HD Vegepygmy:
AC4 HD3 Hp 17 At. 1 Dam. 1-6 (club) SD 1 damage from piercing, immune to electricity, charm, 50% invisible when environment matches coloration
5E Stats for Sapling
Small Plant (3' high), unaligned
AC 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d6+16)
Speed 30 ft
Str 6 (-2)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con 18 (+4)
Int 8 (-1)
Wis 10 (0)
Cha 10 (0)
*Vegepygmy darkvision may be blinded, but not their blindsight.
**Not immune to charms that specifically target plants.
Distract: The vegepygmy sapling forces any hostile creature within range of its attack to be at disadvantage when attacking any opponent except itself.
ACTIONS
Club Melee weapon attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 3 points (d10-2) bludgeoning damage.
All Vegepygmy Sprouts that have accumulated sufficient resources, size, age, and experience eventually become Saplings. These are awkward, as their increased lignification has made them more resistant to damage, but also slower and less dexterous. No longer able to use missile weapons, they strike with sticks that they have grown to the heft of clubs. Since they are not very strong, these do little damage, but they do serve to pin down opponents so that the more agile Sprouts and Sporriors can attack them with thrown sticks. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:28 pm; edited 4 times in total
1E Stats for 4 HD Vegepygmy:
AC4 HD4 Hp 24 At. 1 Dam. 2-7 (mace) SD 1 damage from piercing, immune to electricity, charm, 50% invisible when environment matches coloration
5E Stats for Champignions
Small Plant (3.5' high), unaligned
AC 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 37 (5d6+20)
Speed 25 ft
Str 7 (-2)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con 19 (+4)
Int 9 (-1)
Wis 11 (0)
Cha 11 (0)
*Vegepygmy darkvision may be blinded, but not their blindsight.
**Not immune to charms that specifically target plants.
Distract: The vegepygmy champignions forces any hostile creature within range of its attack to be at disadvantage when attacking any opponent except itself.
ACTIONS
Mace Melee weapon attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 4 points (2d4-1) bludgeoning damage.
All Vegepygmy Saplings that have accumulated sufficient resources, size, age, and experience eventually become Champignions. These are awkward, as their increased lignification has made them more resistant to damage, but also slower and less dexterous. They strike with improvised weapons that are equivalent in heft and hardness to maces. Since they are not very strong, these do little damage, but they do serve to pin down opponents so that the more agile Sprouts and Sporriors can attack them with thrown sticks. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Mon Jan 20, 2020 11:30 pm; edited 4 times in total
1E Stats for 5 HD Vegepygmy:
AC4 HD5 Hp 31 At. 1 Dam. 2-8 (flail) SD 1 damage from piercing, immune to electricity, charm, 50% invisible when environment matches coloration
5E Stats for Sub-chief
Small Plant (4' high), unaligned
AC 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 42 (5d6+25)
Speed 20 ft
Str 8 (-1)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con 20 (+5)
Int 10 (0)
Wis 12 (+1)
Cha 12 (+1)
*Vegepygmy darkvision may be blinded, but not their blindsight.
**Not immune to charms that specifically target plants.
Resilient: The vegepygmy subchief has both proficiency in, and advantage on, Wisdom and Constitution saves.
Hard-hitting: The vegepygmy subchief scores a critical hit on attack rolls of natural 19 and 20.
ACTIONS
Flail Melee weapon attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 points (2d6-1) bludgeoning damage.
Most vegepygmies are forced to end their growth when they reach Champignions, restricting their food intake to just what is sufficient to maintain themselves. A very few are permitted to keep growing, and only if the needs of the colony dictate the presence of more sub-leaders. Champignions that are allowed to grow eventually become Sub-chiefs. These are of normal intelligence and superior wisdom and charisma, such that they begin to take an active roll in assessing the needs of the colony and directing its actions.
They no longer accompany scouting or raiding parties, both because they are needed to direct colony operations and because their slow speed would hinder movement. They are usually positioned at the external border of the colony so that they are the first members faced by attackers - their toughness buying time for the colony to respond while they are being fought.
They are able to take large amounts of damage due to their extensive lignification (at the cost of further reductions in movement, stealth, and dexterity). They strike with their own limbs, which are grown to the girth of, and as hard as, tree limbs. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:20 pm; edited 3 times in total
1E Stats for 6 HD Vegepygmy:
AC4 HD6 Hp 38 At. 1 Dam. 1-10 (halberd) SD 1 damage from piercing, immune to electricity, charm, 50% invisible when environment matches coloration
5E Stats for Chief
Medium Plant (4.5' high), unaligned
AC 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 48 (5d8+25)
Speed 20 ft
Str 9 (-1)
Dex 11 (0)
Con 21 (+5)
Int 11 (0)
Wis 13 (+1)
Cha 13 (+1)
*Vegepygmy darkvision may be blinded, but not their blindsight.
**Not immune to charms that specifically target plants.
Resilient: The vegepygmy chief has both proficiency in, and advantage on, Wisdom and Constitution saves.
Hard-hitting: The vegepygmy chief scores a critical hit on attack rolls of natural 19 and 20.
ACTIONS
Halberd Melee weapon attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 points (2d8-1) bludgeoning damage.
The leader of a vegepygmy colony is always a chief. In the event a colony is without a chief, the largest vegepygmy present will then have unlimited access to resources until it has grown to the size of a chief. Only one of these may be present; once a colony has a chief, the sub-chiefs present are limited and cannot grow further.
The chiefs have even greater intelligence, wisdom, and charisma than sub-chiefs, and they ultimately direct all colony activities. Unlike sub-chiefs, they live in the center of the colony and seldom participate in combat unless the colony is overrun and they are attacked. In this case, they are formidable opponents, encased in a thick layer of woody tissue very like plate armor, with flexible fibrous tissue at only the necessary joints. Although they may use their thick, branchlike arms to attack, they are intelligent enough to assess and use weapons created by other races when these would be superior to their natural attacks.
It is possible that growth forms larger than a chief exist, but none have been observed. They would be most likely to occur somewhere a vegepygmy super-colony was present. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
1E Stats for Thornie:
AC 3, MV 15”, HD 4, hp 20 + 1-10, #AT 1, D 2-5 (plus 3-12 ripping damage from their thorn-like growths if in close combat), animal intelligence, man-sized
5E Stats for Thornie
Medium Plant, unaligned
AC 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12)
Speed 50 ft
Str 12 (+1)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con 17 (+3)
Int 3 (-4)
Wis 10 (0)
Cha 7 (-2)
*Not immune to charms that specifically target plants.
Prickly: The thornie is covered in long, barbed thorns. If a creature attacks it with a weapon that has a 5' reach or less, the thornie may, as a reaction, do 20 points of piercing damage to its attacker. This damage is reduced by 1 for each point of AC of the attacker.
ACTIONS
Bite: Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target.
Hit: 4 points (d4+2) piercing damage.
Thornies are grown from buds by the vegepygmies and trained to attack. They will obey commands from any southern vegepygmy, fighting to the death. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 06, 2019 9:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
Unnumbered Rooms - Apartments
The first door to be looked at adds the Standard Door handout to the player’s journal.
After being searched, move “apartment” text from DM to map layer for each room
First time entered:
This is a small chamber, apparently a living quarters, judging by the furniture. The furniture itself is easily recognizable in form and function, but is obviously made of strange and unfamiliar materials. The walls, floor, and ceiling are of the same strange metal as the exterior corridors (wall metal). The floor and walls are solid, the ceiling has a few rectangular panels that look like they might be made of glass. Just inside the door you entered are two small, recessed panels on the wall. Both are rectangular and slightly larger than a human hand.
When the first panel (closer to the door) is pressed, there is a slight whirring noise and the door slides shut.
When the second panel (farther from the door) is pressed, the room is flooded with very bright light. When your eyes adjust, you can see that the light is being produced by the glass panels in the ceiling.
(Move the light panel from map layer to token layer, give all players control, select all players see light, and set the light at 120 feet, 0 feet. Let players know that they can turn the light on and off by interacting with the token)
The bed has a frame made of a curious material. Investigation (no roll needed) will allow players access to the cave horn handout, above.
The mattress is covered with a thin, linen-like but unrecognizable fabric. It is rent, torn, and stained in several places. Beneath the fabric is a thick block of soft, incredibly light, and resilient material. You imagine it would be exceedingly comfortable. If the players Investigate (no roll needed) share the Cave Sponge handout, above.
The room also contains an odd, stuffed divan. It appears to be designed for two or more people to sit next to one another, but in comfort, which you find a strange concept. Of course, people often crowd together on benches at trestle tables or in pews at church. But anyone wealthy enough to have private, upholstered furniture would surely want a chair to themselves, wouldn’t they? The divan has a frame made of a curious material. Investigation (no roll needed) will allow players access to the cave horn handout, above.
The seat and back cushions and armrests are covered with a thin, linen-like but unrecognizable fabric. It is rent, torn, and stained in several places. Underneath the fabric is a thick block of soft, incredibly light, and resilient material. You imagine it would be exceedingly comfortable, as if it was designed for sleeping rather than sitting. If the players Investigate (no roll needed) share the Cave Sponge handout, above.
There is a low table flanked by one or two of the divans. The height of the table is curious. For creatures sitting on the divan, it would be difficult to eat without bending over uncomfortably. The table has a frame made of a curious material. Investigation (no roll needed) will allow players access to the cave horn handout, above.
There is a high table flanked by chairs. The table is made of a curious material. Investigation (no roll needed) will allow players access to the cave horn handout, above.
The chairs have a normal back, but no legs. Rather, the seat continues down the front, across the bottom, and up the back, so that the whole thing from the side rather resembles a lower base “b”. The chairs are made of a curious material. Investigation (no roll needed) will allow players access to the cave horn handout, above.
The desk is plain and unadorned. The drawers open easily, with a sophisticated system of runners and metal castors such as might be found in an expensive trap. They are either empty or have worthless junk, however. Oddly, you find no trace of ink, ink bottles, quills, sealing wax, parchment, or paper in the desk. The surface of the desk is a hard, reflective metal sheet, while the drawers and legs are made of a curious material. Investigation (no roll needed) will allow players access to the cave horn handout, above.
There is a small nightstand by the bed that seems to double as a chest. The lid folds up, but the entire front may be pulled out like a drawer as well. The hinges are of a hard, reflective metal. The drawer opens easily, with a sophisticated system of runners and metal castors such as might be found in an expensive trap. It is either empty or has worthless junk, however. The chest itself is made of a curious material. Investigation (no roll needed) will allow players access to the cave horn handout, above.
The skeletons are definitely humanoid and most likely human, judging by their size and features, but the bone is exceptionally old and dry. What remains of the rags they are clad in is an exceptionally light material, thin like silk but remarkably resistant to decay judging by the age of the bones.
Return:
This place was likely a living quarters, as evidenced by the bed, table and chairs, and desk. There are often a number of skeletons in rotting clothes present. It has been thoroughly looted. Everything appears to be worthless or in bad condition, with only bits of rag and odd pieces of junk present - but you will need to spend time searching it to be sure. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Fri Jul 26, 2019 7:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
Honestly, my conversion is taking far longer than I had planned, so if this is done well, I would be interested indeed.
Am I reading this correctly that the release date is "very soon"? _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Honestly, my conversion is taking far longer than I had planned, so if this is done well, I would be interested indeed.
Am I reading this correctly that the release date is "very soon"?
Soon...ish. I think it's due for a release this September.
I'm usually pretty content to do my own conversions of older material on the fly, but EttBP is the one AD&D module I've avoided trying to convert to 5e. All the tech would require a fair amount of rules work, so I'm happy to let someone else do it. I have Goodman Games' Into the Borderlands and liked what they did with it, and it states they will expand on this updated version of S3. Should be good 👍
Unnumbered Rooms - Activity Rooms Activity rooms have doors which require no color card.
This room is recognizable as a private feast hall or perhaps the meeting place of a privy council. There is a single long, high table with a number of chairs set up. All of the chairs are individual rather than being benches. More grimly, the bones of several humans or humanoids lie strewn about - some in reasonably articulated skeletons and some scattered. Most have rags of fabric clinging to them but no weapons or other devices are in sight. There are several piles of refuse along the walls and in the corners of the room.
Unnumbered Rooms - Store Rooms Generally storerooms are brown-keyed.
Inside this room are a number of crates, some of metal and some of cave horn. They are all of them smashed open and their former contents scattered about the room. Nothing immediately useful appears left, although they were likely previously looted. Contents include unidentifiable machine parts, tubes and casings, strange racks and boards that are mixes of cave horn and metal, and long-rotted fabrics. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Dining Rooms
After being searched, move “mess hall” or “officer’s mess” text from DM to map layer.
Mess Hall (West)
This room is instantly recognizable as a feast hall or mess hall. Several long, high tables and numerous chairs are set up as if a meal were in progress. However, many of the chairs and at least one of the tables are overturned. Oddly, the tables and chairs are crammed together as if space was limited, but all of the chairs are individual rather than being benches. Numerous empty trenchers and utensils are on the tabletops but also litter the floor haphazardly. More grimly, the bones of many humans or humanoids lie strewn about - some in reasonably articulated skeletons and some scattered. Most have rags of fabric clinging to them but no weapons or other devices are in sight.
Closer inspection reveals the tables have fixed legs rather than trestle construction and likely cannot be put away or moved out of the room easily. The tables are all made of a curious material. [cave horn]
The chairs have normal backs, but no legs. Rather, the seat continues down the front, across the bottom, and up the lower back, so that the whole thing from the side rather resembles a lower base “b”. The chairs are made of a curious material. [cave horn]
The trenchers may once have contained food, but look like they have been empty for some time - there is no rotten debris present, just dust. Each trencher has a number of sub-compartments in it, as if carved to keep foods separate from one another. Closer inspection reveals that they are not actually carved, but perhaps cast. They are made of a curious material.[cave horn]
The utensils are easily recognizable as forks and spoons, but oddly, not a single knife is to be found. The tines of the forks are curiously dull - whether from long use or whether they were purposefully designed to be dull is not clear, but they appear like they would bend rather than puncture if applied to a hard surface. They are made of a curious material. [cave horn]
To the right of the open doorway in the south of the room is a large dark glass plate mounted on the wall with four rivets below it. There are no slots visible in which a power disc might be inserted. This was the daily menu screen. The rivets were control buttons for it. The menu screen no longer works.
Officer’s Mess (East)
This room is instantly recognizable as a feast hall or mess hall, although a small one, with tables for a few individuals at a time. The numerous tables and chairs are set up as if a meal were in progress. However, many of the chairs and at least one of the tables are overturned. Oddly, the tables and chairs are crammed together as if space was limited, but all of the chairs are individual rather than being benches. Numerous empty trenchers and utensils are on the tabletops but also litter the floor haphazardly. More grimly, the bones of several humans or humanoids lie strewn about - some in reasonably articulated skeletons and some scattered. Most have rags of fabric clinging to them but no weapons or other devices are in sight.
Closer inspection reveals the tables have fixed legs rather than trestle construction and likely cannot be put away or moved out of the room easily. The tables are all made of a curious material. [cave horn]
The chairs have normal backs, but no legs. Rather, the seat continues down the front, across the bottom, and up the lower back, so that the whole thing from the side rather resembles a lower base “b”. The chairs are made of a curious material. [cave horn]
The trenchers may once have contained food, but look like they have been empty for some time - there is no rotten debris present, just dust. Each trencher has a number of sub-compartments in it, as if carved to keep foods separate from one another. Closer inspection reveals that they are not actually carved, but perhaps cast. They are made of a curious material. [cave horn]
The utensils are easily recognizable as forks and spoons, but oddly, not a single knife is to be found. The tines of the forks are curiously dull - whether from long use or whether they were purposefully designed to be dull is not clear, but they appear like they would bend rather than puncture if applied to a hard surface. They are made of a curious material. [cave horn] _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Kitchens
After being searched, move “Kitchen” text from DM to map layer.
As a small room off of the mess hall, this should logically be a kitchen, and the abundance of counters and cupboards supports this notion as well. However, it is completely lacking in other obvious features - there are no ovens to be seen, no sinks, no utensil racks. There is no furniture besides what is bolted to the floor or walls. There is no food, although much of the waste and debris on the floor may once have been organic. There is considerably less dust than other parts of the cave and many tracks abound. A few of the horn trenchers like those from the previous room lie on the counters or floor.
Everything which was possibly useful and not bolted down has been removed from these areas. However, there are still computer operated food dispensers as indicated in each kitchen.
Along one wall is a bench with a number of metal boxes. Each box has a dark colored glass door in the front of it. At first glance these might be mistaken for ovens, but they have neither a space for wood or coal, nor a chimney to vent smoke. Arranged beside each box are a number of square metal plates.
selector buttons
On top of each box is a short, black cylinder.
temperature control knob
Inside each box are a number of shelves spaced close together.
Along other walls are a fine metal mesh with a rivet below it. There are a total of eight of these. Next to each of these is a long, narrow door that opens on hinges to a small shelf-like compartment.
microphone/speaker grille with a call button
door allows access to called-for food
There is a 20% chance that each machine that is tried will serve. If food is dispensed, it will be served in a compartmented tray of a horn-like material. There are eight machines per kitchen, and not less than two will function, but one of the functioning machines has a 50% chance of dispensing poisonous food. If vegepygmies are encountered in a kitchen area they will gain +2 on “to hit” and on damage due to their ferocious reaction at seeing their food supply threatened. At least one will immediately return to their home area and gather the whole tribe to do battle.
A food-poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks (but not saves). The poison will last for 8 hours and may then be removed by a successful DC15 Constitution save. Reduce the DC of the save by 1 for each subsequent 8 hours until the character is no longer poisoned. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Thanks. I appreciated your editorial comments at the start of this thread, so I am glad that you are still reading it! _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Game Rooms
After being searched, move “Boxes Room” text from DM to map layer. These rooms originally housed various amusement devices of electronic nature. They are all still functional, although they are all frozen in one “channel” rather than being able to switch between dozens of games or variations or download new versions from the ship’s mainframe.
This large room has the same bones and debris found in the other abandoned places you have already seen, but the lack of recognizable furniture makes its use less obvious. Around the periphery of the room are seven brightly colored boxes with various slots, buttons, wheels, levers, handles, etc. as component parts. Nearly all of them have a dark pane of glass incorporated somewhere in their design, either vertically like a mirror or horizontally like a table top. Most of the boxes have their knobs and levers mounted on the boxes themselves, but two or three look like there are large additional parts tethered by flexible cords to their boxes.
The tethered objects are metal, in odd shapes.
Investigation 15+ wrote:
(seperate attempt for each box, with advantage after any one check has been successful)
After carefully checking the surface of the box, touching the different buttons and knobs, you make a discovery. Pressing one particular button on the side of the box creates a soft humming sound. The glass pane of the box lights up with colored objects, as if you have summoned an illusion.
S1-7 indicate games in the southern game room, N1-7 in the northern room
S1 - A series of identical skulls move in lockstep left and right, ever closer to the bottom of the vertically-mounted glass. Four buildings and a warhammer are at the bottom. A knob on the box seems to control the movement of the warhammer.
[Space Invaders]
S2 - A small, skull-shaped object is in the center of the horizontally - mounted glass. It is surrounded by colored lines and shapes. Moving levers and pushing buttons seems to affect the size and distance of the shapes.
[Lunar Lander]
S3 - This box does not have a mounted glass pane. Rather, it has what is quite obviously a helmet, sized for an adult, with the visor stuck in the down position and tethered to the box. Inside the helmet is a small plate of glass in front of the eyes of the wearer, while the sides, top, and back of the helmet are padded. If the box is turned on, images appear on the glass plate inside the helmet and the padding vibrates. The images show a ghostly landscape and change as the wearer alters position, as if he or she was seeing into another plane, like the ethereal. Simple geometric features are visible. The perspective can also be shifted by moving the different levers on the box.
[Battlezone]
S4 - On the vertically-mounted glass pane, colorful mushrooms appear, and soon thereafter, a moving centipede. There is a snake’s head at the bottom of the glass that can be moved with a caster-like mechanism.
[Centipede]
S5 - On a horizontally-mounted pane is depicted a maze filled with small circles. Inside the maze, four doorways and a crescent moon move about. Any dot touched by the moon disappears.
[Pac Man]
S6 - This box has three vertically-mounted glass panes in a triptych and a strange device tethered to it. The device is composed of a U-shaped section of metal rod with a button on one end and an attached piece of thick glass mounted in a frame. This glass is about the size of a hand mirror. On one end of the frame are two raised discs. Starting the box will reveal colorful images of creatures both in the tryptic panes and in the tethered glass. The images may be superimposed one over the other.
Blaster Pistol - Place handout “Hand Mirror” in player journals
S7 - This box has three vertically-mounted glass panes in a triptych and a strange device tethered to it. The device could perhaps be a potion bottle or a flask strapped to a number of tubes. The base of the bottle has a knob in the center. From the top, a broad band encircles a number of tubes. Out one end stick three large projecting tubes, while the other has but a single tube, with a small hole in its end. There is a fluted knob on the side with a line across its top. There are two markings above it - a small dot and big circle. Starting the box will reveal colorful images of creatures in the tryptic panes.
Needler Pistol - Place handout “Vial and Tubes” in player journals
N1 - A series of colorful insects move in lockstep left and right, ever closer to the bottom of the vertically - mounted glass. A slim warhammer is at the bottom. A knob on the box seems to control the movement of the warhammer.
[Galaga]
N2 - A small triangular object is in the center of the horizontally - mounted glass. It is surrounded by many objects of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Moving levers and pushing buttons seems to change the relative distances of the shapes and the general direction they all move.
[Asteroids]
N3 - A single small humanoid figure is in one part of a cave complex map, while hulking ogre-like figures are in other parts of the map on the horizontal glass pane. Knobs and levers on the box move the smaller figure, and have it produce some sort of firebolt effect. This display is more readily recognizable than the others.
[Berzerk]
N4 - The horizontally-mounted glass pane shows a village with huts under a night sky. Falling stars in the sky land in and among the huts, turning the huts into short-lived mushrooms.
[Missile Command]
N5 - A series of colorful birds move left and right, but ever closer to the bottom of the vertically - mounted glass. A slim warhammer is at the bottom. A knob on the box seems to control the movement of the warhammer.
[Phoenix]
N6 - This box has three vertically-mounted glass panes in a triptych and a strange device tethered to it. The device is a heavy armband or bracer with two projections, both about six inches long. One projection ends in a grip. The other ends in a smooth, cone-shaped stone. Starting the box will reveal colorful images of creatures in the tryptic panes.
Laser Pistol - Place handout “Armband” in player journals
N7 - This box has three vertically-mounted glass panes in a triptych and a strange device tethered to it. The device looks like a glass bottle or retort with a pimpled surface and a handle on one side. The broad end of the bottle has a rounded metal plate with several prongs sticking out of it. The narrow end is capped with a sheath and ball. Starting the box will reveal colorful images of creatures in the tryptic panes.
Paralysis Pistol - Place handout “Retort” in player journals
If any character spends 10 minutes or more practicing with the shooting galleries that correspond to specific weapons, trying to learn how to handle them (this should be their stated intention), they may be allowed a -1 on their die rolls on the technology charts when attempting to learn how to use a similar weapon. They will immediately recognize any weapon they have already seen. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Lounges
After being searched, move “Officer’s Lounge” text from DM to map layer.
This room is obviously for relaxation, perhaps an officer’s lounge? There are upholstered chairs and low tables everywhere, as well as a few large metal boxes. However, it appears that some fight or other struggle occurred here long ago. The chairs are all torn, many of the tables are broken, the boxes dented or even stove in. There is ash from old fires, and scattered bones and skulls.
Investigation of skeletons wrote:
The skeletons are definitely humanoid and most likely human, judging by their size and features. What remains of their clothes is an exceptionally light material, thin like silk but remarkably resistant to decay. You find no weapons or devices on them.
Investigation of tables wrote:
The height of the table is curious. For creatures sitting in the chairs, it would be difficult to eat or use the tables otherwise without bending over uncomfortably. The tables have a frame made of a curious material [cave horn]. Several of the tables have been broken, either in their legs or across their length.
Investigation of chairs wrote:
The stuffed chairs have frames made of a curious material [cave horn]. The seat and back cushions and armrests are covered with a thin, linen-like but unrecognizable fabric. It is rent, torn, and stained in several places. Underneath the fabric is a thick block of soft, incredibly light, and resilient material [cave sponge]. You imagine the chairs would be exceedingly comfortable, more as if they were designed for sleeping rather than sitting. The back and bottom cushions, as well as the armrests, are each made from separate pieces.
Investigation 10+ specifically looking for objects within the chairs / cushions: Roll a d6 for each lounge area searched. Check once only.
1: notes on escaped intellect devourer (level II) Must use comprehend languages to understand; if done, present the handout “ancient notes” to the party; after the first 1 is rolled a subsequent 1 in any lounge will indicate a brown card
2: 1-3 ampules of serum which will cure any disease if injected (no effect if ingested or applied topically). No syringe is to be found with the ampules, but you may replace this result or a second (1) in a subsequent lounge with a pack of three hypodermic syringes. On a d10, 1-7 are still potent, 8-9 are inert, 0 is now a poison.
3: 1 piece of jewelry worth 30 - 160 g.p.
4: 3 pieces of jewelry worth 100 - 400 g.p. each
5: jet black card
6: violet or orange card (50%/50%)
A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks (but not saves). The ampule poison will last for 6 hours and may then be removed by a successful DC15 Constitution save. Reduce the DC of the save by 1 for each subsequent 6 hours until the character is no longer poisoned. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Meeting Rooms
After being searched, move “Foodless Feast Hall” text from DM to map layer.
This room is instantly recognizable as a feast hall or mess hall. Several long, high tables and numerous chairs are set up as if a meal were in progress. However, many of the chairs are overturned, and there is no evidence of food, trenchers, or utensils. All of the chairs are individual rather than being benches. More grimly, the bones of many humans or humanoids lie strewn about - some in reasonably articulated skeletons and some scattered. Most have the tattered fabric of old clothes or uniforms clinging to them but no weapons or other devices are in sight.
Each of the tables has one or two inset metal panels with small grills. These could be stove tops for cooking at the tables themselves, but no fuel source is apparent.
Investigation of the tables wrote:
Closer inspection reveals that the tables have fixed legs rather than trestle construction and likely cannot be put away or moved out of the room easily. The tables are all made of a curious material.[cave horn]
Investigation of the chairs wrote:
Closer inspection reveals that the chairs have normal backs, but no legs. Rather, the seat continues down the front, across the bottom, and up the lower back, so that the whole thing from the side rather resembles a lower base “b”. The chairs are made of a curious material. [cave horn]
Investigation of the panels wrote:
Closer inspection of the panels reveals that they have sections of glass, often broken, and the metal fixtures themselves are bent and dented. Below the metal is a complicated network of threads which appear to be coated in stiff, colored wax.
If the computer panel wires are stripped of their outer plastic layer, the internal wiring will be a mix of plastic fibre optic cables, copper, and silver. The second two may be sold for twenty times coin value by weight, being exceptionally pure and already drawn into wire. A total of a pound and half of each metal can be collected from each of the meeting rooms - a half a person-hour will be needed to collect all the wires themselves, and then twenty times that to strip them of the plastic coating.
All items of value (with the exception of the wires) have been looted. Investigation does not reveal anything further of interest. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Recreation Area
After being searched, move “Empty Hall” text from DM to map layer.
This is the largest single room you have seen so far, with numerous entrances and exits but no interior walls or even support columns, so it is unclear how the ceiling, which is the same height (about ten feet) as everywhere else you have seen on this level, is being sustained. The vast floor space has numerous piles of litter and broken furnishings, but nothing remarkable or that you have not already seen. There are several skeletons immediately obvious and likely others hidden in the debris.
This room was for various group participation games and similar activities. The equipment and furniture is now destroyed or taken. There are many piles of litter and skeletons in the place. The party can spend many turns searching here and find absolutely nothing useful. Some of the skeletons show signs of violent ends (broken bones) while others do not. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Note on Level 1 Central Block (Police HQ, Security Chief’s Office, Storeroom, Central Computing, Small Arms Locker, Medical, Laboratories, Library)
Although many of these areas have simple press-panel entrances, they have not been looted by the vegepygmies and are largely intact. The ‘pygmies avoid this place both because of the constant security robot activity in and out of the HQ, and also as a quasi-religious sight. Long ago, Laboratory B was the birthplace of all of them. After they left, they wandered for a time before establishing the two colonies. They retain a racial memory of this as an important site, but one they had to leave and have to leave alone. Vegepygmies will not be encountered as wandering monsters in this block, and they will leave off pursuit of PC’s if following them from other areas.
A tracking attempt [Nature 15+] around the central block asking about the presence or absence of specific tracks will note that the vegepygmy tracks are not to be seen while the other tracks (both robots and displacer beasts) are present. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Medical Areas
Entering from the west hallway door:
The door opens onto a 20’ x 30’ room that looks to have an exit corridor in the rear. Your immediate impression is that the place is distinct in that it has not been looted: there are no piles of debris on the floor and there are two desks with chairs behind them that are in good condition.
Entering from the east hallway door:
The door opens onto a 20’ x 30’ room that looks to have an exit corridor in the rear, as well as a keyed door on the east wall. Your immediate impression is that the place is distinct in that it has not been looted: there are no piles of debris on the floor and there a desk with a chair behind it that is in good condition.
Inside:
After you have entered the doorway a few steps, but before you reach the desk or the back hallway, a voice sounds. There is no obvious source - perhaps a magic mouth spell? The voice is in an unintelligible alien language. It speaks only briefly, and then ceases.
If the party has translation available: “All medical personnel are currently absent; please return at the start of the next duty shift. Emergency cases can report to Med 1 or Med 2 for attention.” This repeats twice more.
If a desk is touched, an alarm sounds - it is similar to the one for when a wrong color card is used, but louder. A security robot appears from outside the door in 1-4 rounds
The desk has but a few drawers, and each has only curious dark panes of glass with metal frames. It is possible a small item could have fallen between drawers or there could be a hidden panel but that would take more searching. A single yellow card may be found at 10% chance per round
Both exam rooms:
This interior room is strangely furnished. It is not clear whether it is meant to be an uncomfortable bedroom or a comfortable cell or torture chamber. There is a single bed with side rails and obvious locations for restraints. A smaller litter is nearby, curious in that it is wheeled. A thin, standing curtain has a sheer fabric mounted on a flexible folding frame that seems mounted to the floor and ceiling. The frame is actually attached magneticly and can easily be removed and reattached. An object behind the screen is heavily obscured, unless it is backlit to the viewer, in which case it is lightly obscured.
In various drawyers around the room are a number of small unfamiliar machines and devices, and a few more of the dark panes of glass. One drawer holds vials and tubes.
A resourceful party might wish to use the two medical gurneys present to transport gear. Each one may carry up to 300 pounds so long as the terrain is completely flat and unobstructed. They are lightweight metal (essentially weightless for computing load). The wheels fold up to convert them into litters. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Med 1
Show Med 1 handout
The room itself is dimly lit, and contains mostly bare countertops, although there are some cabinets that might contain supplies. A single human figure - no - a female android - is in the room. She holds a small device in each hand but does not obviously react to the door opening or your presence. [Investigation 15 from doorway or 10 from inside the room to recognize the healing spray and hypodermic syringe if the party has seen these before]
This is an emergency treatment room with a female android nurse. She will automatically treat any wounded human who enters, starting with the most wounded and going to the least. She will use a healing spray which will repair 2-24 hit points of damage. The device has five charges left. After this she will discard the canister, go through the (looted and now empty cabinets), and resume her “ready” position.
If asked, the android nurse will give an injection which will cure disease, neutralize poison, or counter radiation poisoning - any of which will be effective within 3 turns of affliction.
Note that requests must be in a language understandable to the android, mainly the language of the ship. If attacked the android will not fight back nor summon any aid. If she can be communicated with, a red-level clearance can tell her of others that need to be treated somewhere else, a gray-level clearance can give her new orders to accompany the party - or red-level clearance if she has been rebooted (see entry for central computing facility). Otherwise her directive is to remain in the room to treat arriving patients.
She is not currently programmed for therapeutic functions but will ask for mainframe access or installation of programming by a technician if that is expected of her.
Once her healing spray is used, she will take control of any healing spray she sees that the party has, as with her syringe as well. In the absence of these, she can perform first aid (Medicine check to the nearest unconscious character - including humanoid “enemies”). If she is provided with the supplies of a healer’s kit and allowed to attend to anyone using HD to restore HP, she can use one use of the kit to allow advantage on one hp recovery die roll.
All medical and other supplies (including diagnostic machines) have been taken from the room.
1E Female Android Stats
Armor Class: 3
Move: 15”
Hit Dice: 7 (35 hit points standard)
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 1-8/1-8
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: See below
Intelligence: Average
Alignment: Neutral
Size: M
5E Female Medical Android Stats
Androids represent the highest level of synthetic processing and human form mimicry available - they can be programmed for a multitude of functions beyond default processes. This unit is currently programmed as a nurse.
AC 17 (Natural armor, synthflesh over cave metal frame)
HP 94 (11d8+44)
Speed 50'
Str 15 (+2)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con 18 (+4)
Int 15 (+2)
Wis 13 (+1)
Cha 18 (+4)
Skills
Acrobatics +4, Athletics +2, Insight +3, Investigation +2, Medicine +6, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4
Actions:
Care and Treatment
If a patient is under her care for the entirety of a short rest, and she has access to one use of a healer's kit, the android nurse can allow advantage when the patient rolls for HP recovery by spending HD. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:23 pm; edited 2 times in total
Med 2
Show Med 2 Handout
The room is dimly lit, and contains mostly bare counter tops, although there are some cabinets that might contain supplies. A single human figure - no - a male android - is in the room. He holds a small device in one hand and stands in front of a bare, flat table. Behind the table is a strange metallic column with a number of devices and levers extruding - it could perhaps be the largest but least anthropomorphic version you have yet seen of a clockwork (robot?) but does not obviously react to the door opening or your presence. The male android, however, is striding toward you. [Investigation 15 from doorway or 10 from inside the room to recognize the hypodermic syringe]
This is the emergency operating room, and a malfunctioning male android surgeon is on hand to “greet” anyone entering. Upon approaching, it will speak in the language of the ship. If translation is available, it says
Patient diagnosis: ruptured spleen. Emergency surgery required.
On its first action the android will attempt to grapple the first character through the door (with multiattack) while it says:
Patient is resisting treatment. Engage subdual protocol.
On a successful grapple:
Patient is subdued. Estimating mass and metabolism.
If the grapple is maintained, the android’s next attack is an automatic hit - injecting the character with a sedative and general anesthetic, with the amount injected calculated based on the character’s weight. There is no saving throw against the injection - the character is automatically unconscious.
35cc of combined anesthesia and sedative administered.
Once a character is unconscious, the android will use any movement it has available to drag the character to the operating table and place them on it, prone.
Patient in position. Begin emergency splenectomy.
If a patient is on the operating table, the android will use its action to make multiattacks with the operating machine - a rotating saw will slice through the skin (and armor, if necessary, permanently reduce AC of the armor by 1), retractors will pull apart the flesh and muscle, an extracting claw will secure the spleen, and articulated scalpels will sever the connections of the organ to the body. Each attack by the android will automatically hit and will result in damage equal to ⅓ of the maximum hp of the character and a failed death save. On the character’s next turn, they must also make a death save, possibly killing them if doing so results in a total of three fails.
(First death save failure) Patient losing significant amounts of blood. Analysis: Insufficient time to use clamps or transfusion. Proceed with operation.
(Second death save failure): Spleen located. Beginning extraction.
(Third death save failure): Spleen removed - operation successful - note: patient did not survive the procedure.
The android will attack only the character it currently believes to be requiring an operation, and will not defend itself against other characters while executing the operation. Once a patient has died, the android will use its remaining actions to dodge if attacked, but will not leave the room. Note that this android is malfunctioning and will not be affected by computer orders to turn off or on, or allow gray-level reprogramming. If characters withdraw while it still has a full syringe, it will reset to its original behavior on its next entry, but if it has used its syringe without killing a patient it will simply protect itself with dodge.
Magic that can remove the poisoned condition will remove the effect of the sedative and anesthetic. Note that a character waking up mid-operation must make an additional death save when it begins moving; in this case the android will make further grapple attempts and continue operating if it can hold the character on the table. A character that lives through the operation (for example, if the android is incapacitated before finishing) will become conscious in 1 hour. Any damage taken from the operating machine cannot be healed by non-magical means for one week.
If the character injected is at least size M, there will not be enough sedative left in the syringe to use later to full effect. Treat it as an improvised weapon, with a hit producing the poisoned condition for one hour, no save. If the original patient was size S, there will be enough left in the syringe to use against another size S creature with the original effect.
All medical and other supplies (including diagnostic machines) have been taken from the room.
1E Male Android Stats
Armor Class: 3
Move: 15”
Hit Dice: 7 (35 hit points standard)
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 1-8/1-8
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: See below
Intelligence: Average
Alignment: Neutral
Size: M
5E Male Medical Android Stats
Androids represent the highest level of synthetic processing and human form mimicry available - they can be programmed for a multitude of functions beyond default processes. This unit is currently programmed as a surgeon.
AC 17 (Natural armor, synthflesh over cave metal frame)
HP 94 (11d8+44)
Speed 50'
Str 18 (+4)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con 18 (+4)
Int 15 (+2)
Wis 13 (+1)
Cha 18 (+4)
Skills
Acrobatics +4, Athletics +6, Insight +3, Investigation +2, Medicine +6, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4
Actions:
Multiattack
Inject Sedative (see room text)
Use operating Machine (see room text) _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:21 pm; edited 2 times in total
Laboratories These rooms were the special research facilities for biological, biochemical, and chemical projects related to alien life forms, and eventually were used to attempt to stop the plague aboard. Those labs without color card keyed doors are general purpose work areas, and they contain nothing of value or interest.
The southernmost room has tables and chairs inside. Shelving and counter space is full of alchemical supplies: vials, retorts, dishes, etc., as well as more esoteric devices and machines not recognized but which likely have similar uses. There are a number of dark glass plates mounted on the walls and smaller ones loose and laying on the tables. There are lots of things to read, down to the labels on the equipment (if translated, the terms are highly specialized and relate to medicine and alchemy). To the north there is a pressure-plate door; to the east two yellow-carded doors labeled in the alien script. (The northern one says “Lab B: Culture Laboratory” while the southern one says “Lab C: Alchemical Supply Room.”)
The middle room is small, the walls full of stacked metal cages and food container bins. Many of the cages hold the bones of small animals and the bins are empty. There are two other doors; the one to the north is uncarded and unlabeled; the one to the east is yellow-carded and labeled in the alien script (“Lab B: Culture Laboratory”).
The northernmost room is small, containing workbenches and counters, full of machines and alchemical supplies. A single, yellow-carded door is on the east wall, and is labeled in the alien script (“Lab A: Reagent Trials”). _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Laboratory A - Reagent Trials
Some sort of clockwork or machine man, roughly human-shaped, is moving between the different pieces of equipment in the room and is currently stirring an odd glowing liquid with a small glass rod. The automaton is much more obviously humanoid in appearance than all of the security or repair clockworks the party has seen (though much less so than an android). It is five feet tall and ungendered, and has many sockets for attachments and compartments that might house small laboratory equipment. It does not seem to react to your presence.
This room contains a lab technician worker robot still at work, vainly attempting to find a serum to cure the plague which wiped out the ship’s human population a century or so ago. (The virus which was the cause of it all died out itself when the last of the human hosts died.) After ten minutes of listening to the party's conversation, the on-board translator in the robot will allow it to speak their language, but it will still ignore them if they show no card, or show a card up to violet in color. If such a group tries to speak to it after it is able to understand them, it will simply say curtly that its mission priority takes precedence over the requests of anyone not of yellow clearance or higher. If the party displays a yellow card (or one of higher status) it will answer their questions extensively, and they can help themselves to anything in the place. On a counter top are 2 ampules of poison antidote, 3 of disease cure, and a canister of healing spray (3 charges left). It is quite knowledgeable about events on-board the ship up until it was tasked with finding a cure, but knows very little since then, for its contact with the ship's computer was lost soon after and it received living visitors only for the first few days of the plague. Some information will require proper clearance - for example, it will not describe the location and contents of the Arsenal unless the characters present at least a red card. If the party interferes with the robot’s work, or they attack the robot or are destructive, the worker will broadcast a high frequency top-security-priority alarm which will bring 1-3 police robots in 1-4 melee rounds.
If the party questions why it has not yet found a cure, it will explain that it is short of computational resources since it lost contact with the central computer and lacks both live virus and host tissue sample cultures. If the party leaves and returns later, it will have concluded that it has the authority to demand tissue samples of any individual of violet or jet clearance. If they refuse, it will summon police as above. If they provide samples, after half an hour of analysis it will conclude (based on their genetics) that they are aliens and summon police.
5E Laboratory Technician Robot Stats
AC 15 (Natural armor, cave metal frame)
HP 85 (10d8+40)
Speed 30'
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con 18 (+4)
Int 18 (+4)
Wis 13 (+1)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills
Investigation +6, Medicine +4, Perception +1, Sleight of Hand +4
Damage Vulnerabilities: Electricity, Water
Damage Resistances: Acid, Fire, Heat
Damage Immunities: Vacuum, Pressure, Cold, Poison, Necrotic, Psychic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion
Senses: Darkvision 60' _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:20 pm; edited 2 times in total
Lab B - Culture Lab
The room is long but narrow. It contains dozens of cave horn tubs mounted on open shelving of various levels. Thin tubes drop from the ceiling into each tub and there is a steady dripping noise. Russet-colored mold overgrows all of the tubs, covers the floor, and runs up the walls of the room.
Nature check 15+ wrote:
The mold is not known to you and does not appear natural
Perception 12+ but only in the presence of a light source wrote:
Thousands of tiny, golden spores hang dense in the air of the laboratory, swirling in eddies out the door, slowly dispersing in the room you are in. There is a shape on the floor under a dense carpet of mold - it looks like a humanoid body, but is only two or three feet tall.
The body is a failed attempt to grow a vegepygmy. If the mold is cleaned off of it it will be immediately obvious as one with less well defined features.
This room was a special hydroponic culture lab. All of the old cultures are dead, but spores of russet mold still linger in the place. If any use of the central computer console has been made prior to entering lab b, the computer malfunction factor will have caused it to pump nutrient solution into the tanks to feed the supposed culture. Thus, the room will be packed full of russet mold. In this case, when any door to the place is opened, an avalanche of the stuff will pour over the 10’ square (100 square feet) area outside; everyone covered by the stuff or within 3’ of it, must make a Con save at DC15 (counts as poison for dwarven resistance) or become irradiated and be a mold culture medium. Failing the save indicates that the mold spores have infected the lungs; breathing will become increasingly difficult and the victims will die in 20-50 minutes unless treated with a lesser restoration or similar magic before then. After death but within 21-24 hours a vegepygmy creature will arise from the mess (it will not recall any other existence, and it will be hostile to anything other than its own kind).
Whether or not the save is made from the spores, the victims will take 5d4 hit points of damage from radiation and any flesh exposed to the spores will look burned as from a sunburn; this may be cured by normal healing or ship-board treatments specifically for radiation.
If the cultures have not been fed, the saves must be made (and damage will be taken) by anyone who actually enters the room.
The gas masks found on the ship will protect from the effects of spores but not radiation; powered armor will protect from both.
If the mold has not been fed, use of the atmospheric analyzer within 5’ of any closed door to this room will reveal both the spores and radiation, concentrated along the bottom and top tracks of the door. If the mold has been fed, the analyzer will detect it in any adjacent room, and from the hallway at a distance of 50’. If the door to the fed mold has been opened, the analyzer will detect increased background presence of both spores and radiation in any hallway of ship level 1 the entire time the door is open and for many hours after it has been subsequently closed. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Lab C - Alchemical Supply Room
The packed space within this room is filled with shelving and all manner of containers - jars, boxes, and bottles. Most are glass, but some are ceramic; all are labeled in the alien script. There are about twenty of each type of container. A few are intact, most are rent, leaking, corroded, discolored, have dry-rotted seals, etc.
Glass bottles of white powder (say “defoliant”)
Glass bottles of clear fluid (say “acid”, with different qualifying names)
Glass jars of green powder (say “poison”, with different qualifying names)
Glass jars of pink powder (say “sensory enhancer”)
Large ceramic bottles (say “fertilizer”)
Large ceramic containers (say “regal acid”)
A number of chemicals are stored here. Most chemicals are no longer active or have no use to those ignorant of chemistry. A DC20 Arcana check from someone who has studied Alchemy can discern whether any given container contains reactive or inert contents. A DC15 check can be used to examine a group of containers and determine which one appears to be the most intact, based on the seal, corroding of the container, discoloration, etc.
A few have the following uses:
3rd bottle of white powder - defoliant which causes 1 - 10 hit points of damage to vegetable life forms (ie. shambling mounds, treants, etc.) or will absolutely wipe out a 10’ square area of natural vegetation; a total of 10 handfuls of powder are in the bottle.
2nd, 7th and 9th bottles - these are clear fluid acids which cause 3d4 hit points of damage when spilled over any living creature.
5th jar of green powder - highly poisonous chemical which must be saved against at -1 if touched, -5 if tasted (Con save DC 15; failure imparts “poisoned” condition, may make a new save each hour with a cumulative drop of 1 in DC, but each failure including the initial one does 2d4 necrotic damage)
20th jar of pink powder - contains 36 doses of a chemical which will enable a human to have darkvision to a 90’ range as well as advantage on Perception checks for 1 hour
1st large ceramic bottle - holds a greenish fluid which will cause plants to grow (add 2-8 hit points per application to vegetable life forms, otherwise it will act as a plant growth in a 10’x l0’ area, if entire bottle is used, 20 applications in the container); the vegepygmies will consider this a great treasure and attack to get it, for its odor will drive them to a frenzy at 30’
2nd large ceramic container - this is lined with a special material, for it contains an acid which will eat through deck metal in 1 turn; the entire contents will eat away a 10' diameter section of the deck. Only one deck will be dissolved. If a safe means of pouring it slowly can be established, it can also open a 2’ diameter hole in a vertical plasteel door. If the acid is used as a weapon it will cause 3-18 points of damage the first round, 2-12 points the second round, and 1-6 points on the third and final round. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
LIBRARY: This place is not in terrible shape because there is nothing in it to interest the vegepygmy folk - the worst looters, of course.
This large, open, and lit room holds six small tables and a dozen chairs. There is little refuse and the tables and chairs are not knocked over - for some reason this place may have been spared from looting, although there is a skeleton visible from the doorway, one of the humanoid forms often seen in the apartments. Each table is connected to a large metal cabinet. On the table in front of each chair is a box or chest.
Any Perception check on room wrote:
The tables, chairs, and cabinets are all bolted to the floor, and the boxes are bolted to the tables. The chairs can swivel and incline or recline slightly. Each of the boxes has a single switch on its side and a section of dark plate glass facing the chair next to it. The metal cabinets look completely sealed and have no obvious means of entry, but are connected to the boxes on their table by thick tarred cords. A second skeleton is under one of the tables.
any Investigation check on second skeleton wrote:
No items are found on the skeleton, but its rotten silk uniform contains the remains of gold braid on the shoulders and colorful ribbons on the chest.
Investigation check of 15+ on cabinet or the area around the skeleton, specifically designated as looking for items wrote:
Near the outstretched hand of the skeleton is a disturbance in the floor at the edge of the cabinet. Blowing away the dust, you find the corner of a piece of flat cave horn - the rest of it is likely underneath the cabinet. It is gray in color. It looks like it can be pried out carefully - an incautious attempt might push it completely under the cabinet!
A DC15+ sleight of hand check is required to extract the card. A PC receives a +1 on the attempt if using robot repair tools. Multiple attempts are permitted, but failure on a 10 or less, or any critical fail, pushes the card completely under the cabinet.
If any one switch is turned on, there is a 1-in-6 chance the plate glass will light up. If all of the switches are tried, a total of 4 work (at least for the first twenty minutes) The plate glass side of the box begins to glow and images appear.
(First working box - technical readouts) Complicated geometrical diagrams accompanied by alien script transition rapidly across the screen.
(Second working box - star maps) Points of light and occasional color appear. These are accompanied by sparse notations in the alien script and occasional lines and arrows. Sometimes the views and orientations on these rotate.
(Third working box - literature) Pages and pages of the alien script pass across the glass.
(Fourth working box - alien life forms) Pictures of things that are obviously plants and animals, but like nothing you have ever seen or even heard of in tales, appear in the glass. They each have a few words of alien script accompanying them.
After 20 minutes of watching any screen, the first three viewers short out. After 20 minutes, the fourth viewer will display a schematic of the first level of the ship: A circular form appears, with many lines, marks, and colors on it.
Anyone who has been actively engaged in mapping may make a DC15 intelligence save to recognize it as the first level. If successful: After staring at it for a few seconds, you realize that it looks vaguely familiar. Many of the shapes match the sketch map that you have made of the cave!
Show a handout of first level, or the map itself if a comprehend languages is running. Allow players to see it for one minute and ask up to six questions. Proceed to levels III and V - then the viewer shorts out. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
POLICE HQ: USE Illustration #30.
The well-lit room has a desk with chairs behind it. Nearby is another security clockwork. There are carded doors to the north and south. In the back of the room is a large console or cabinet with strange knobs and dials, near it in the southeast corner is a metal chest that looks like it has a card lock as well.
There will be 1-3 police robots in the first room of this complex. They will inquire what the nature of business of any entrant is, although the language will be totally unintelligible without some scientific or magical means of understanding. The robots can translate the characters’ speech and respond in kind in 10 minutes.
Once the robots are able to ask questions of the characters, unless the party has a red, gray or orange card to show, most answers will result in the robots attempting to apprehend the characters and place them in the security cells - as few per cell as possible - for detention and questioning by a “proper authority”. Of course, there are no “proper authorities” anymore, and prisoners will eventually starve to death.
The door to the north is orange carded on the outside (south side), but has a simple pressure panel on the inside. A thirty foot long hallway leads to six 10x10 cells, three on each side. The cells have walls on three sides while across the front there is a row of short projecting studs on both the top and the bottom. In the center of this “wall” is a small post with a card lock similar to those found on other doors. Below this is a button and a dial.
The button and dial controls the force screen. When a cell is in use, the force screen will be turned on and a transparent blue wall will radiate in the area between the studs. The cells are force field shells, so magic will not function beyond them, but cold has a 10% chance of causing a lock to malfunction, fire balls (from outside and distant, hopefully) and magic missiles have a 50% chance, and lightning/electricity a 10% chance per die of damage. The cell locks (located in the doors) operate by any of the cards mentioned (gray, red, or orange).
The cell is mostly bare inside, but a recessed shelf may be pulled out with a thin cave sponge mattress on top. On the far wall (away from the doorway) is a niche with two cave horn cups that fit in a receptacle. The roof of the niche has a nozzle above each cup.
Every two hours the cell is occupied, one of the cups will fill with stale but drinkable water. Every eight hours the nozzle over the other cup will make a soft whirring noise, but no food will be dispensed. The computer controlled feeding devices in the area turn out drinkable liquids but the food stores have long since been depleted.
On the near wall (next to the door) is a small pressure plate. When depressed, a shelf will emerge with a metal basin on it.
The robots will not take away any gear from prisoners unless the item was used to attack one of them or is a weapon they are familiar with (pistols, etc.). At various times robots will leave, so at some point within 12 turns there will be only 1 robot there, but there is a 1 in 12 chance of another entering each turn. If any robots have been deactivated by the players here, continue to roll this 1 in 12 chance every turn until the robots again number up to three. Furthermore, there are small cameras and other sensors about the room feeding into the robot repair facility at (3). For each robot deactivated by the party in either the HQ or 3, if the repair robot in 3b is currently active, increase the AC of all future wandering encountered security robots by 1, to a maximum of 20.
A locked metal chest in the corner farthest from the cells contains 2 gas masks (give total immunity to all gasses on the ship), 12 sleep gas grenades, and 2 needler pistols with 1 clip of ammunition for each. The chest can be forced open with magical weapons - one in six chance per weapon per round of forcing. It will also open by gray or red card placement in its lock slot. The first police robot disabled/destroyed here by the party will have a red card stored in its chest compartment, but it will have to be pried out carefully, requiring a DC15 sleight of hand check, with any failure destroying the card. Using a set of robot repair tools will allow advantage on the roll.
The door to the south room has, in alien script, “Chief Security Officer” emblazoned on it. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Glacial progress is still progress. Thanks. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
South Room (Chief of Security) Show Illustration #10
The room is spartan and dusty, but unlooted. A single desk is in the center of the room - a skeleton in some sort of uniform sits in the chair behind the desk and faces the door. In one corner of the room is a tall wardrobe or locker. One door leads out; both that door and the one the party opened have pressure panels and light switches just inside the doorway. On the wall above the desk are a series of glass panes that show a curious moving black and white field, as of a snowstorm at night.
Investigation on chief 10+ wrote:
The officer’s uniform is made of the same silk-like material found on all of the other skeletons on the ship, but much more intact. It is hopelessly dry-rotted, but apparently not having been handled in centuries. The corpse has empty pockets, no weapons, no ID cards.
Investigation of desk wrote:
(Show Illustration #11) There is a large black glass screen on top of a box on the desk. On the base beneath is a single switch, a fifty-some position slider, and three large dials. The dials have alien writing around them. (If the alien script can be read, set around the first dial (left to right) are the numbers 100, 200, 300...in succession up to 900. The second dial has a similar series but 10 through 90, while the third is 0 through 9.)
The locker requires a red card to open wrote:
Inside it is a wardrobe, with one suit hanging from a rack within and a second that curiously seems to be supporting itself. The suits are very different from one another. The first is of the same material as the alien clothing. The vibrancy of the color and detailed patterning suggest it is a dress uniform, and three medals are affixed to the left breast. The medals are a mix of precious metal and gemstones and obviously valuable. The fabric is only slightly less deteriorated than that worn by the skeleton.
The second suit is more remarkable, and appears to be a suit of unusual plate armor. The joints appear to be finely, if somewhat strangely, articulated and an oily, black, leather-like material may be seen at major joints. The armor appears to have been worked to create the appearance of a heavily muscled man. The great helm is unusual in that it has no openings, only a broad glass plate in the front with a piece of glass above this. There are strange plates and tubing at various points and large metal bosses seem to be placed randomly on the suit. On the back of the left hand is a rectangular metal box. From this comes a short projecting rod tipped with a cone-shaped red crystal or jewel. The armor stands erect even though the glass helmet clearly shows that there is no one inside it.
On the wall of the locker is a holster in which is a folded mirror-like device.
(If the larger suit is removed, a small green canister with an inset ring can be found hanging on the wall behind it.
Note that this area can be entered only by a red card - it will NOT yield to a gray, an exception to the rule. It is the office of the former chief security officer. His uniformed skeleton still sits behind the desk. Built into the desk is a monitoring screen with an off-on switch, a 56 position slider (each former level of the ship - positions 11-16 now show levels I-VI of this module), and three dials (100s, 10s, 1s) which show specific rooms on each level (and naturally the room key is long since gone). Close up lenses are malfunctioning, so only wide angle views of rooms (or the four corners of areas larger than 50’ square) are available. Dark areas have infrared lens viewing, but only one in six of these lenses still function. There is a 1% chance per round, cumulative, that use of the viewer will cause its total malfunction. The room also has the personal locker of the chief. This is locked and can be opened in the same fashion as the metal chest outside. In the locker are: - the rags of a full dress uniform upon which are several gem encrusted medals (3 pieces of jewelry worth 100 - 400 g.p. each) - a blaster pistol on full charge - a suit of powered armor that had a malfunction which was to be repaired but was not before the disaster wiped out the crew; this armor functions as follows (roll d4):
1. normal for 10 rounds, freezes into immobility for 2-12 rounds, and then roll again
2. short circuits for 3d6 hit points of damage to wearer (-1 h.p. per die for each +1 of a ring of protection, -1 h.p. per die for a ring of fire resistance); the person must immediately remove the armor, for he or she will sustain like damage each round thereafter, and after 10 rounds the suit will be totally destroyed; removal causes 2-12 h.p. of damage as above.
3. crossed circuitry causes suit to behave erratically, so that the wearer moves backward on a 1 or 2, sideways on a 3 (left) or 4 (right), falls over on a 5, leaps 10’ ahead on a 6, behaves normally on 7-9, but on 10 the built-in laser pistol (right arm) fires ahead while the armor remains in motion.
4. suit fluid systems ignite and cause a deadly gas to fill the suit, so the wearer must make a DC 15 Con save against poison or die. If the suit is removed, this gas fills the 10’ square area immediately around it, and the next round fills a 20’ radius area, but saves outside the suit are at +1 or + 2 at 10’ or 20’ radius distance. If a small green canister is taken from the locker wall, pointed at the suit, and a tab pulled, it will cover the suit with a foam which will instantly neutralize the gas. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Stores
This room goes down a narrow hall and then turns into a larger storage area, in which are crates and crates, all labeled in alien script and intact - the first such unlooted boxes you have seen in the cave. They are easily opened; inside are smaller boxes, also labeled. Both the outside of the crate, and the stacked boxes inside, say (if translation is available) variously “Meaty stew”, “Creamy porridge”, “Nutrient drink”, “Surrogate steak”, “Vegetable substitute”, or “Vitamin bars”.
Other boxes have strange labels of unintelligible or nonsense words - matrix processors, flux capacitors, anuride tubing, transponder arrays, etc. In these are complicated machine parts, all of unknown function.
There are two small boxes without food or machine parts, both of them small black cave horn cases with handles and latches. Inside the first case, nestled in cave sponge, are twelve ampules with brightly colored liquids and a curious set of a dozen tiny cave horn plungers topped with metal needles. Four each of the ampules read “disease cure”, “poison antidote”, and “radiation antidote”.
The second black case is labeled on the outside “Healing Canisters.” Inside are fourteen stopperless flasks surrounded by cave sponge.
This small central emergency stores compartment is the only stocked room of its kind on the ship. There are various crates and containers of materials which are totally unrecognizable and unusable by the party. There are sufficient foodstuffs to equal 100 iron rations packages, each of which weighs only half as much as a standard iron ration.
There is a packet of 4 each of the following ampules: disease cure, poison antidote, radiation antidote. There are also 14 canisters of healing spray, but only one in six are still functioning, and those that do function (d6, roll of I) will have from one to six charges (curing 2-24 h.p. per spray).
If an Investigation attempt is made specifically looking for boxes or items that are not like the others, a roll of 20+ will find a small brown box with violet labels on it that holds a “Repair Robot Remote Control”. The DC of this check will be reduced by 1 for each minute of searching (ask in advance how long the PC intends to spend). This device can be used to summon and control a worker robot by vocal commands, provided the alien language can be spoken. However, each 10 minutes of operation has a 2% cumulative chance that the power pack will drain, a blue light on the panel will blink, and in 1 - 10 rounds the remote will go dead. Any power disc will reduce the chance of failure by 5% per charge in the disc, but it too will eventually drain and the remote will go dead. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Small Arms Locker Use Illustration #12
The door to this room has a gray-color lock, and beneath the dust it appears to be a slightly different color than other doors.
Inside is a narrow, alcoved hallway with three chests at the end under some sort of rack. The chests, from left to right, are colored blue, red, and black. The rack holds a number of weapons; some you recognize, some you do not.
The alcoves have sliding doors with red locks on each one - all are open and empty except the last.
Above the unlocked chest but below the weapons rack on the wall is a red color lock that looks like it can be used to access a drawer that pulls out of the wall.
Note that it requires a gray card to enter the room. The door is made of plasteel, and it cannot be broken into except with a laser drill. The locker is partially stripped, but still inside are racks and containers of: 10 needler pistols, 8 paralysis pistols, 4 laser pistols, 2 laser rifles, 1 blaster rifle. There are three boxes each containing 20 grenades: sleep, incendiary, and explosive. A fully operational suit of power armor is in a closed and locked locker (at the end of a row of 7 opened ones). A locked metal chest holds 20 power discs and 20 needler clips. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Computer Central Show Computer Central Illustration
In the center of the unlit room is what appears to be an altar. It is supported by a single metal column and two arms are bent towards the door. The wall opposite the door is made entirely of glass, although it is too dark to see through.
The glass wall is the viewing screen. The entire wall will show a picture when the master switch is thrown.
There are three skeletons sprawled near the altar with the barest tatters of silk uniforms on them. The altar appears to have numerous complicated levers and wheels.
Perception or investigation check on console wrote:
Show Altar Illustration
In the center of the altar are six fist-sized circular windows, three coin-sized holes below them, and a single metal box under these. To the left of these are ten small blocks set in grooves, and to the right are two rows of rivets. The wings of the altar are decorated with panels of small glass squares set in rows.
6 fist-sized circular windows - dials
3 coin-sized holes - view screen controls
a single metal box - view screen master switch
10 small blocks set in grooves - sliders
2 rows of rivets - buttons
panels of small glass squares set in rows - key consoles
This is one of the control terminals and is now only in touch with a smaller auxiliary computer. Nothing will happen until the master switch is thrown - the large master switch will turn on the visual display screen above the control panel, while a mechanical voice will begin to relate what is being shown and report on the state of the ship in that area - all in an alien language, of course.
Any attempt to destroy computer related equipment in this area will result in console selection (12) below, as will the introduction to the card slot of any key below gray.
Investigation of the console before the switch is turned on will reveal (10+) only that there is a gray colored key card slot in the console. When the master switch is turned on, the console will light up and alien text will appear on the view screen, the accumulation of messages since the last use. An alien voice will read the messages as they appear. The visuals will remain until controls are touched or the screen switched off.
The following command-level notices remain uncleared:
Alert: Level I control access to mainframe lost. Control successfully switched to auxiliary computer bank 5. Navigation and general ship commands enabled from this helm.
Alert: It has been three duty shifts since user-generated navigational commands have been received. Please confirm current course heading.
Alert: Sensors detect current trajectory approaches uncharted gravitational anomaly. Confirm current course heading.
Warning: One hour remaining to alter course before passing event horizon of gravitational anomaly. Autonomous distress beacon has been launched.
Alert: Ship has entered event horizon of gravitational anomaly - confirmed to be a traversable wormhole. Contact with distress beacon lost. Autonomous survival protocols have maximized ship structural integrity fields. Ship survivability estimated at 82% chance.
Alert: Ship has emerged from wormhole. Scans indicate current ship location is uncharted space. Autonomous survival protocols have laid in course to nearest detected habitable system. Awaiting navigational commands. Distress signal set for continual broadcast.
Alert: Autonomous survival protocols have placed ship in stable orbit around class M planet. Scans indicate multiple indigenous sentient lifeforms with pre-industrial technology. Ship awaiting navigational commands.
Warning: Core reactor dangerously unstable - most likely cause: damage from non-Baryonic particles during wormhole passage. Take immediate countermeasures.
Alert: No countermeasure commands received. Autonomous survival protocols have ejected core reactor prior to critical failure. Subsequent reactor explosion has contaminated large sections of exterior hull with lethal levels of radiation.
Warning: Reactor ejection and explosion have altered ship trajectory to decaying orbit. Without core reactor, insufficient power to restore stable orbit. Autonomous survival protocols currently plotting shallow descent path along most-survivable landing course: target is large tropical ocean. Impact estimated in 16 hours.
Alert: Atmospheric entry and subsequent heating of exterior hull has revealed the presence of multiple previously undetected hull breaches - most likely cause: structural damage during compression and dilation of wormhole passage. Previous most-survivable impact trajectory now rejected - ship unlikely to withstand ocean pressure combined with sea water infiltration. New most-survivable trajectory plotted. Impact in dormant volcanic mountain range in 54 minutes. All non-emergency power routed to impact suppression gravitronics.
Warning: Impact in 5 minutes. Assume crash landing positions.
Alert: Major redundant ship systems have survived impact, including life-support. Multiple specialized systems currently offline. Lethal levels of radiation detected in areas of hull breaches. Full diagnostics unavailable - system errors accumulating, requiring active user technical diagnoses and repair. Impact has buried ship in local mountain range. Autonomous survival protocols have ordered all non-essential ship systems to power-down, but many localized systems have not confirmed order - suspected multiple communication failures.
3 coin-sized holes - view screen controls
10 small blocks set in grooves - sliders
2 rows of rivets - buttons
The recessed controls are three buttons: OFF/ON, HOLD, CLOSE-UP. These show pictures of the current interior and exterior of the ship, as well as recorded star maps, flash on and off in 6 seconds. The sliders and buttons can select vantages if “hold” is pressed.
panels of small glass squares set in rows - key consoles
There is also a 120-key console for input
Keys that result in responses will have the response both displayed on the view screen and announced audibly in the room.
The first key pressed will always cause the violet mold culture at lab b to be fed. A second pressing of the same key will cause the mold to break the door and expand into a random subsequent room (or hallway) each time it is pressed.
To determine the results of subsequent novel keys, roll a d12 and consult below. If more than one entry is listed for a number, the same number rolled again will have a different outcome as listed. Once the outcome arrives at “d”, all subsequent rolls of that number will result in no response. Once it has been discovered what a particular control will do, the control will always have the same results unless indicated. Log the results for each of the 120 keys so long as the PC’s continue to press buttons.
(first key) Level I - Research Laboratory B - Nutrient Broth applied to lab cultures.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire lab complex.
(1) Power overload diagnostic initiated for Level I central computing facility. Surge in..5...4...3...2...1…”
A minor fire erupts inside a wall panel. The panel cover is ejected, the fire and wiring are visible inside. Two seconds later an automatic fire suppression system sprays a white chemical extinguisher upon it and puts it out. A green light inside the door blinks (repair robot summoned). A repair robot will come in 10-30 minutes to repair the damage. If the room door is not open the system will open it from the inside.
(1d) A second roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(2a) Override of ship lighting initiated.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship.
All functioning Level I ship lights brighten; the overhead lights in this room turn on. In nine minutes:
Warning: current lighting power draw exceeds emergency settings. Autonomous survival protocols will dim lights unless active user confirms setting in one minute.
Pressing the button again within one minute will keep the lights on indefinitely, otherwise they will reset to their initial values.
(2b) Override of ship lighting initiated.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. All functioning Level I ship lights dim, including the overhead lights in this room. Already dim areas become dark.
(2d) A third roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(3) The view screen goes black and the lights on the console go out. No actions taken, including flipping the main switch off and on, will result in any restoration of functionality. Inside the door, a green light (repair) and amber light (security) flashes. In 10-30 minutes both a security and repair robot will arrive (the door will open for them if it is not already open). The security robot will attack using lethal force unless a red or gray card is presented by any character, in which case it will guard the doorway until repair is complete. The repair robot will ignore combat, open the control console and do some welding, cleaning, and replace a signal relay board, then close the console and flip the main switch off and on. The console will reset to where it was when the switch was first open, including the list of uncleared alerts. If this specific key is selected again by choice, it is simply a dead key. Selecting new keys can roll this result again at random, however, for as many new keys are rolled.
(4a) Cargo unloading ordered.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the level V cargo hold adjoing the exterior doors. The viewscreen shows large version worker robots preparing a containment unit for release. A caption reads “Level V Cargo Hold” and “Exo-animal Selachii terrestrae”. Show handout Preparing Bulette. Over several minutes the robots monitor the vitals of a semi-conscious bulette. When it is starting to awaken and move sluggishly, they drop the containment field and use a combination of hands and tractor beams to hoist it into the air. The camera view then switches to the outside of the ship. The party will recognize the main door they were previously unable to open sliding back to reveal the worker robots and bulette. Show handout Releasing Bulette. The robots will toss the creature out into the valley and then the door will close and transmission end.
(4d) A second roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(5a) Anti-gravity and momentum dampening in control room activated.
For one minute, characters will “float” as if in one of the drop tubes. Then,
Warning: current anti-gravity power draw exceeds emergency settings. Autonomous survival protocols will cancel unless active user countermands in 5...4...3...2...1.
When gravity returns, characters will fall 10’. Dex save (DC15) or take d6 damage, monks immune. Then a minor fire erupts inside a wall panel. The panel cover is ejected, the fire and wiring are visible inside. Two seconds later an automatic fire suppression system sprays a white chemical extinguisher upon it and puts it out. A green light inside the door blinks (repair robot summoned). A repair robot will come in 10-30 minutes to repair the damage. If the room door is not open the system will open it from the inside.
(5d) A second roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(6a) Security alert in computer control room. Security response initiated. All section doors are now closed and locked.
By the door, pink and amber lights will flash. Unless (7a) or (10a) happens within 5 minutes, four security robots will arrive. The door will open for them if it is not already opened but will close behind them. The robots will attack anyone in the room who does not display a red or gray card. Lethal force will be used. In addition, all doors in the ship will close and lock - including pressure-plate doors. Unless (7a) is pressed, all color locked doors are now inoperable without red or gray cards (although lower cards will not be seized) and pressure-plate doors will simply not work unless the plate is physically touched with a red or gray card or by a robot color probe.
(6d) A second roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(7a) Security condition: all clear for inspection. All section doors unlocked.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. Note that any door regardless of color may now be opened by pressing the pearl plate. If this is selected after (6a) or (12a) but before the arrival of robots, also:
Security response canceled.
The amber and pink lights will cease flashing.
(7d) A second roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(8a) Manual override to android autonomy. All androids commanded to power down.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. Note that this will not affect the malfunctioning androids.
(8b) Manual override to android autonomy. All dormant androids restored to active duty. Primary programming assignments have been cleared - new primary programming may be established by users with red-level clearance.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. Any character that first presents a red or gray card to a functioning android can either issue immediate commands, which will be followed unless they violate core programming, or can say “Recognize my biometrics” which will create a permanent bond to that character.
(8d) A third roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(9a) Manual override to worker robot autonomy. All worker robots commanded to power down.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship.
(9b) Manual override to worker robot autonomy. All dormant worker robots restored to active duty. Task queues cleared - new tasks may be assigned by technicians.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. Any character that first presents a violet card to a functioning worker robot can issue immediate commands, provide the alien language can be spoken.
(9c) A third roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(10a) Manual override to security robot autonomy. All security robots commanded to power down.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship.
(10b) Manual override to worker robot autonomy. All dormant worker robots restored to active duty. Risk priority queues cleared - spontaneous commands may be given by orange level clearance, new risk priority queues may be established by red-level clearance.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. All lethal security robots will have their life-preserving programming re-established. Any character that first presents an orange card to a functioning security robot can issue immediate commands, which will be followed unless they violate core programming or require the robot to leave the presence of the character for longer than an hour. Any character that first presents a red or gray card to a functioning security robot can issue long-term commands and priorities, such as “prevent entry of these two rooms by anyone not of red clearance.”
(10c) A third roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(11a) Drop tubes sealed
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. Between level sphincters are closed and power to moving handles and anti-gravity is off for all tubes.
(11b) Drop tubes engaged.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. Between level sphincters are opened and power to moving handles and anti-gravity is on for all tubes, even those that were not functioning at the start of the adventure.
(11d) A third roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key.
(12a) Full alert; ship under attack. Highest security response initiated. All section doors closed and locked. Shipboard defense protocols engaged.
This announcement is also made simultaneously in the entire ship. In addition, in the computer center only, the following announcement is made:
Command console locked. Assert gray level clearance and select stand down to countermand.
By the door, red lights will flash and every ten seconds an alarm siren sounds. In one round, sleep gas (as from the grenade) will be pumped into all the central complex of rooms (central computing, stores, small arms locker, police HQ, chief of security’s office, and connecting hallway). This gas will be pumped in for 10 rounds, and with closed doors will take another 10 rounds to disperse (5 if a door outside the complex is opened). Within 5 minutes, four security robots and two worker robots will arrive. The door will open for them if it is not already opened but will close behind them. The robots will attack anyone in the room who does not display a red or gray card. Lethal force will be used. Worker robots will work to either defend equipment or remove bodies (unconscious or dead) to the prison cells (although they will not confiscate items). In addition, all doors in the ship will close and lock - including pressure-plate doors. All doors are now inoperable without red or gray cards (although lower cards will not be seized) and pressure-plate doors will simply not work unless the pearl panel is physically pressed with a red or gray card or by a robot color probe. Only a gray card slipped into a slot in the console and then selecting (7a) will cancel the alert. Without a gray card, the console will “lock”, and no further use of the keys will have any effect.
(12d) A second roll of this for any novel console will be a dead key. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
1. Lurker Above
No sooner have the front rank of the party started down the corridor, when the ceiling falls and envelopes them!
For those watching, a thick, heavy, section of ceiling, fully twenty feet across, has peeled away and fallen, but upon draping itself around the front two ranks, it has pulled itself together, and is even now constricting its muscles to simultaneously strangle and smother them.
1E Stats for Lurker Above
AC 6
Move 1" / 9"
HD 10
No. Attacks 1
Damage per attack: 1-6
SA: See below
5E conversion of Lurker Above
Large Monstrosity, Unaligned
AC 14
HP 83 (10d10+28)
Speed 10’, fly 30’
Str 16 (+3) Dex 12 (+1) Con 13 (+1) Int 2 (-4) Wis 10 (0) Cha 5 (-3)
Stealth +6
Senses: Blindsight to 30’
Crush: Melee weapon attack +6, Reach 5 feet. All creatures within range. Hit: 6 (d6+3) bludgeoning damage plus special.
When a lurker drops from above, it may make separate melee attacks against each target beneath it in a 20' by 20' square within 5' laterally of where it dropped from. It will wrap around and attempt to smother any individuals so hit. An individual hit by a lurker is automatically both Restrained and Suffocating until either it or the lurker is at 0hp. Any victim that is restrained is allowed to attack with only daggers or unarmed. The Lurker may make a new hit roll each round against each target to do more damage, but automatically continues to both Restrain and Suffocate them. The Lurker may only attack creatures in its initial drop, or continue to attack those that it has already Restrained. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
The form appears to be an unmoving clockwork. It is dented and battered, and examination does not revive it. Small hand tools are scattered on the floor around it. Three doors in the north of the hall are all black-carded. Two in the south are black; a third is brown, but open, and a brown door is on the far wall where the corridor turns north.
The machine man looks like it was put out of commission by the blunt force damage, but there is no sign of what did that. The tools on the ground are a mix of the familiar (but exquisitely made) and alien. If the tools are used to attempt to dissemble this or other robots, they will allow a Sleight of Hand roll with a +1. Attempting to open a robot without the proper tools will disadvantage the Sleight of Hand roll; a set of lockpicks will suffice.
Inside the clockwork are gears, levers, and strange wax-coated wires, all crude and similar to those in other clockworks. Here and there are pistons, but no power discs or obvious weapons, or even something like the atmospheric analyzer.
Attempt to open the robot with a Sleight of Hand score of 12+ wrote:
Removing one small panel, you find a set of four small discs, each filled with balls, like ball-bearings but seemingly made out of crystal. They could easily be sold as gems. They seem to allow a frictionless spinning motion, but are incredibly hard and resistant.
USE ILLUSTRATION #15, and later Handout Gem Bearings. This particular robot has been battered, and its main circuitry is broken. Inside its chest plate 2-5 intact gem bearings can be pried out at a one in six risk of taking 1-6 h.p. electrical discharge damage per gem. Each is worth 50 g.p. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
3. POLICE ROBOT AREA: USE ILLUSTRATION #16
Initially d6 security robots will be in this area, but they will not question any character displaying an orange, red or gray color card. Possession of a card will not allow characters to command the police robots.
Upon opening the door wrote:
Inside the room are security clockworks. They swivel their heads to the open doorway. There is a desk in the room, and several low tables. Storage bins and compartments are on several of the tables, and many of them are filled with gears and other mechanical parts. The clockworks are moving about the room, their metal hands selecting parts and transferring them from one bin to another. The room has two interior doors. Above the desks are screens displaying fuzzy black, gray, and white fields that move endlessly but do not resolve in recognizable images.
The bins of parts do not contain any cards, power discs, or weapons. The "work" of the robots is a futile endless loop.
Investigation of desk wrote:
The desk has no drawers, but there are several rows of knobs as well as two screens of dark-plated glass mounted on top. These are flat black, unlike the wall-mounted ones above.
Investigation of control knobs 10+ wrote:
By manipulating the knobs on the desk you are able to control the airflow in the room, open and close all three of the doors without touching their panels, turn on and off and even dim and brighten the lights in the room, and turn on or off an alarm. However, nothing you do seems to activate the screens above the desk.
Once the robots in this room have been deactivated, every time the characters return, the number present will be (d6 less the total number from the room previously deactivated). However, if the repair robot in 3b is allowed to continue its activities, from the time any robot here has been deactivated, roll wandering encounters for 3b and ignore any result that is not “security robot”. On a result of “security robot”, the repair robot has succeeded in using the parts from one robot to restore another (either the original eleven in its room or the newly deactivated ones), which will then be added as an additional guard in 3a. Note that the maximum number of security robots reactivated is the number that have been deactivated in the room by the players, as the repair robot needs them for parts - it will be unable to do anything with the initial eleven on its own (and in fact has been “working” on them for decades, stuck in an endless loop of lacking parts).
Both this complex and the Police HQ have active video recording cameras accessible by the repair robot, and it will analyze the characters' fighting style and attack points. For every robot deactivated by the characters here or in the Police HQ, increase the AC of reactivated robots and all future wandering encountered security robots by 1, to a maximum of 20. The number thus modified can exceed the number of robots deactivated in the room, as these are wandering robots that have stopped by to receive upgrades and have been reinforced with abundant scrap metal. These reinforcements count as metal armor for the purposes of spells and abilities (including blaster shots). If the repair robot itself is deactivated, these upgrading and repair processes will cease, but in that case roll for wandering monsters in the room until a new repair robot arrives, at which point the activities can recommence. If the party’s actions result in a second repair robot being deactivated here, the third one to arrive will use parts from the first to restore the second, and from that time forward their repair work will proceed at twice the pace (two encounter rolls per turn).
3a. REPAIR PARTS AREA
Upon opening the door wrote:
The supply closet is full of racks and boxes of parts. The gears and cogs there are of no obvious function aside from somehow fitting inside the clockworks.
Investigation 12+ wrote:
After searching among the racks of parts you find a black horn case, the size of a small valise. It has a simple latch mechanism. Inside, the case is completely lined with cave sponge except for a dozen narrow slots. Each slot is filled with a single power disc, each one charged to full.
3b. DISABLED ROBOTS AREA:
Upon opening door wrote:
The room is full of tables, workbenches, and bins of parts and tools. Around a dozen security clockworks, in various stages of disrepair and none moving, lie on the tables and benches. A single worker clockwork stands over one, using tools to open a chest panel, a complicated gear mechanism in one hand.
The clockwork does not respond or take account of characters. Furthermore, it seems to be doing little more than absent-minded puttering rather than targeted repair: it picks up and puts down a long series of parts before finally bringing one over to a clockwork, it opens and closes any number of panels before finally inserting the part, welds or solders it in a shower of sparks, then more often than not breaks the same piece off again. When it finally does leave the part installed and intact, it then proceeds to check nearly all of the eleven broken clockworks in the room before it returns again to the trays of parts. The clockwork is unable to actually fix any of the robots until it can scavenge parts from a freshly deactivated one (see above). There is nothing of value here.
3c. ARSENAL:
There are cases of grenades of all types here, and power discs in locked metal boxes. A dozen of each of the three grenade types and power cells are plainly visible on a bench. Any attempt to remove weapons or power cells openly will result in attack by police robots regardless of color card presented, but whatever can be hidden away can be gained. A police robot from the main room will check on activities within the robot arsenal once every three rounds. If no activated robots remain, an alarm will sound when the arsenal door is opened that immediately summons a wandering security robot. The alarm will sound as long as the door is opened, requiring wandering monster checks every five minutes thereafter. The grenade and power disc boxes are red-card locked. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
4. MOTIONLESS FEMALE FORM:
Note that this hallway starts in darkness. Observers must have darkvision or a light source rendering the location of the android effectively dim before it will be seen.
Perception roll at more than 60'
10-12 A long, narrow object lies on the floor
13-14 A humanoid body lies unmoving on the floor
15+ A human body lies unmoving on the floor; its form suggests that it is female. A long slender object is in one hand, a small, stout object in the other.
Investigation attempt at less than 60' and in effectively bright light
10-12 A human body lies unmoving on the floor; its form suggests that it is female. A long slender object is in one hand, a small, stout object in the other.
13+ A female human body lies on the floor; recently dead or unconscious, for it cannot be seen to breathe or react. It wears an unadorned form-fitting uniform with hose of stained and dingy white but tunic, gloves, and boots of dark red. In one hand it grasps a long metal rod, in the other, some sort of handled glass retort.
This seemingly unconscious beautiful human female in reality it is a berserk, malfunctioning android which was formerly tasked as a bodyguard. It is armed with a 2’ long metal bar and a paralysis pistol (power disc at 6). When any creature comes within 20’ it will spring up and attack once with the pistol; if any opponents remain in sight but unparalyzed it will move (if necessary) and attack with the pistol again. On subsequent rounds it will use the bar if any opponents are within melee range, or the pistol otherwise.
Remember that attacks on paralyzed foes have advantage to hit and are automatic criticals with the bar.
It will not respond to central computer commands to switch off or on, or in any other way be distracted or detoured from combat.
1E Stats for Female Android
Armor Class: 3
Move: 15”
Hit Dice: 7 (35 hit points standard)
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 1-8/1-8
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: impervious to cold; take only half damage from acid or fire; paralysis, gas, poison, and gaze weapons are useless against them; but if hit with electrical attacks there is a 1% chance per hit point of damage they sustain that the attack will short their circuits. Immersion in water for 3 full rounds will always short circuit an android unless it is a specially built
underwater model.
Magic Resistance: As they are machines, spells do not have any
effect unless the magic affects their components; thus, any
charm or hold is useless, but a heat metal spell would do
damage as noted with respect to hit points to the android.
Strength: Maximum on guard models
Dexterity: 18
Intelligence: Average
Alignment: Neutral
Size: M
5e conversion of Female Bodyguard Android
Medium Construct, Malfunctioning
AC 17 (natural armor - (Natural armor, synthflesh over cave metal frame)
HP 94 (11d8+44)
Speed: 50’
Str 18 (+4) Dex 18 (+4) Con 18 (+4) Int 15 (+2) Wis 13 (+1) Cha 18 (+4)
Skills: Perception +4, Athletics +3, Proficiency in all shipboard weapons
Damage Vulnerabilities: Electricity, Water
Damage Resistances: Acid, Fire, Heat
Damage Immunities: Vacuum, Pressure, Cold, Poison, Necrotic, Psychic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Poisoned, Stunned, Unconscious
Senses: Darkvision to 60’
Actions: Multiattack, Colored Key (may activate Yellow and Violet doors and locks by touch)
Metal Bar: Melee Weapon Attack +5, reach 5’. Hit 11 (d6+7) bludgeoning damage.
Retort: Ranged attack as Paralysis Pistol. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Last edited by Kirt on Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:28 pm; edited 2 times in total
5. DISPLACER BEASTS:
There are a total of five beasts lairing here. At any given point two or three will be be out hunting, while if any of the wandering ones have been slain, or are currently camped outside rooms, they should be subtracted from the total as well; otherwise the remainder will be present. The beasts are always hungry, but they are smart enough to know when they are outmatched. They will not attack the PCs unless they outnumber them by at least two to one. This being their lair, they will display and threaten, but break if actually attacked. Amidst the litter of their nest area is a brown color card and several vegepygmy clubs and darts.
Perception check on atrium wrote:
In the corner of the shaft chamber is a pile of refuse; large parts of broken machinery and smaller bits as well.
Perception or investigation check 10+ on refuse wrote:
The arrangement and selection of the refuse is indicative of it being some sort of nest. There are the remains of dead plant men as well as clumps of some sort of dark black hair present.
Note that displacer beasts have official stats in the 5E Monster Manual. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
Note that on the map of Level I of the ship, there are two indications of numbered encounter 6. One is at a corridor intersection near the training room, the other in the northwest just beyond a room with gray ooze. Given the encounter description (a parent spider with young around a pool), I believe the NW location is correct and the second location is a misprint on the map.
6. PHASE SPIDERS
There are 3 spiders here, 1 adult and 2 newly hatched. If there is any noise in the room outside (including combat with the oozes) they will hide but remain on the prime (Stealth roll 19+6 = 25). If outnumbered, they will remain hidden, with the exception being the adult, who will attack the last person out the door from behind when the party leaves, and then go ethereal as a bonus action.
If not outnumbered, they will all attack from hiding and then go ethereal. The young will remain so, while the adult will ready an action to return to the prime and attack if appropriate after the last PC has gone.
If they are not successfully hidden when characters enter, or they are seen before they attack, they will go ethereal at the first opportunity and remain so. Note that the non-Baryonic radiation shielding between floors and around the hull means that they can go ethereal within a level, but can neither leave the ship nor move between levels while ethereal.
This room appears to have been an apartment or lounge for the studio outside, but is in disarray. Refuse is everywhere, and the stained divan within has had most of its sponge-stuffing removed and strewn about. Here and there amongst the refuse are humanoid bones. Against the curving exterior wall of the ship on the floor is a large pool of water, some five feet across and several inches deep. A steady dripping, the likely source of the pool, comes from a leaking pipe in the ceiling above. The ceiling itself is mostly obscured by webs.
Perception check 10+ wrote:
Reflected in the light are several small, shimmering objects in the pool.
Perception check 15+ wrote:
In the webs overhead are several cocoon-like husks, about the size of one of the smaller plant men. There are other gatherings of webs that could be small objects, or might just be knots of reinforced web.
Perception check 25+ wrote:
In the darkest recesses of the room are three spider-like creatures, one large and two small, that are nearly transparent.
Investigation check 15+ on webs wrote:
When you clear and burn away all of the webs, the remains of several plant men drop to the floor, along with a black key card.
In the pool of water the spiders use as a lure to attract prey, are 7 small gem bearings, beryls worth 10 g.p. each.
Note that Phase Spiders have official stats in the 5E MM. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
This room appears to be a living area, but it is clearly both larger and more luxurious than any apartment you have yet found. There are couches, armchairs, small tables, and other furniture, none of which fit the duplicate forms you have seen over and over. There are paintings on the walls, although their colors are faded and they are too covered in dust to recognize their content. Some of the smaller items in the room are in disarray and there are a few open horn valises with rotting clothes inside, but there are no signs of looting. Near the door is a collection of bones, obviously from multiple skeletons. Four separate doors, three with gray-coded locks, exit the room, while the door from the main hall and one other has an uncoded pressure panel by it.
This five room suite served as the apartment for the commander and his family. Everything therein is disordered from the frantic plague days, but nothing has been looted. The main room is the living room and reception area. There is nothing worth looting here.
An Investigation of 10+ (may replace with Nature if desired) reveals that there are three separate adult skeletons in the room; on 15+ that they were close together and then collapsed on or near one another in death, but none of the bones show any signs of force or violence.
7a. Personal chamber of the commander.
Investigation wrote:
This appears to be a combination of a bedroom and work area, for in addition to the large bed there is a small desk with drawers, as well as a vanity with a dusty mirror and washbasin. Two doors lead out of the room with press panels, to the living area and exterior hallway. There is an interior door with neither a card lock nor a pressure panel, just one of the flat pearl panels. The basin has a strange metal tube projecting above it, a lever, and a dial. There is a small cabinet set into the wall projection that holds the mirror, and several rivets are on the side of the mirror.
The commander had the luxury of heated running water, but this is no longer working. The special mirror lights are still functioning, however, as well as a local camera system that will allow the mirror to display the head from any angle, including from behind. Inside the cabinet are a number of small vials with colognes and tonics as well as two small capsules - these are cyanide, and if ingested will result in instant death with no saving throw for any animals of up to size M. A DC20 Con save is allowed for creatures of Size L (success = poisoned for 2 hours), DC15 at Huge and DC10 at Gargantuan).
Investigation wrote:
The desk has two sliding drawers on one side, while the other side has a large, cubic metal section which appears to be some sort of strong box like the one in the security control room. There is not a card lock, however, just a smaller version of the pearl-colored door panels.
Inside the top drawer is the empty molded receptacle for a blaster pistol as well as slots to hold seven key cards. One of each of the colors (jet, brown, violet, yellow, orange, red, carefully placed in order) is present except for gray.
Inside the bottom drawer is a stack of faded and degraded papers with still-visible alien script on them. Shuffling through the papers will reveal the presence of a gray card. Translating the papers will reveal that they are once-formal certificates and commissions of rank: Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, and Commander, all with the same name but progressive dates. A seventh paper of a different but equally formal design gives a current posting as “Section Commander of the Starship Herminia” and an eighth, which is text only without fancy scrollwork, records the field promotion to Acting Captain of the independent section “until such time as the current medical crisis is resolved and the ship sections are reunited.”
The safe is plasteel which might (Arcana DC15) be recognized as the same substance that the door of the small arms locker was made from. It can be opened only by means of lasering the lock mechanism for six charges from a laser weapon (or one charge from a laser drill), for the lock was keyed to the thumbprint of the commander. Inside are a small black pouch with 100 diamonds encased in plastic cubes worth 10 g.p. each (these are emergency funds), and a small packet with a pearl square on it (for the commander’s thumbprint). If the latter packet is opened without deactivating it, it will explode for 50 h.p. damage in a 10’ radius (opener gets no save, others in the blast radius DC15 Dex save for half). The packet will detect weakly as an explosive to an atmospheric analyzer, as will the entirety of the interior of the safe. Also inside the safe is a heavy-stock paper with orders regarding the ship’s destination and activities; Starting from its home planet of “Terra”, the “exploration-colonization” ship was to visit a number of “stellar-system outposts” to take on crew and materials, and then visit a number of systems known to contain life, collect representative samples of flora and fauna, and finally end at an uninhabited planet, Xi Ursae Majoris, explore it, and begin the process of “colonizing and terraforming” it using “Terran flora and fauna, exo-species collected en route, and whichever genetic modificants of the previous have been deemed most appropriate by mission scientists.” If the packet explodes while the paper or diamonds are in hand, the papers will be destroyed and the gems scattered throughout the room. Finding the first five diamonds will take no time and require an Investigation score of 5; each successive lot of five looked for will require an additional one minute and a further +1 to the Investigation score. If multiple people search, the PC with the highest Investigation mod rolls, and adds one for each person helping, but the time required does not decrease.
The panel on the storage closet is set for the commander’s hand print; forcing it open by some means reveals clothing in fair shape, a needler pistol with four clips of ammunition, and much worthless junk.
7b. Private lounge and dining area
The door to the reception area is gray-locked on this side, pressure paneled on the other.
The door to the outside hallway is pressure-plated from this side, red-locked from the other.
Investigation wrote:
This room, a small but luxurious dining area, is nicely furnished and appointed. All is intact. The furniture (table and chairs) are similar to those seen before, but seemingly of a different mold - heavier and more ornate. On a sideboard are six crystal flasks with bright, exotic colors, possibly liquors or even potions.
1. Is a deadly poison (DC18 Con save: failure is death in one minute, success is poisoned for two hours)
2-4. Excellent and highly intoxicating liquors. If a more than a shot glass is drunk, the drinker is restrained for one hour.
5. Sense of euphoria; +1 to Dexterity for 10 minutes after consumption of 1 ounce; maximum benefit of +2 but at three or more tachycardia and 5 points of necrotic damage for each ounce drunk; flask has 20 ounces initially.
6. Tastes excellent but causes double vision (-2 on attacks, -2 to AC) and slurred speech from ten minutes to thirty minutes after drinking.
7c. Master Bedroom
Investigation wrote:
This was obviously a bedroom. Other than the distinctiveness of furniture compared to all of the previous black- and violet-keyed apartments, there is nothing remarkable. There are many drawers of clothing and the like. On one table is strangely-shaped artwork in metal.
What appears to be a tin spaceship on a table is actually a 100 g.p. platinum commendation.
7d. Retreat
Investigation wrote:
This appears to be a lady’s drawing room or boudoir. In it are a divan, dressing table, small desk, and several stuffed chairs. A skeleton lies on the divan. Behind the dressing table is a glass-doored jewelry case.
This is the personal retreat of the commander’s wife. Inside the jewelry case are 4 rings (value 200, 75, 30, and 5 g.p. respectively), 6 bracelets (2 are worth 100 and 60 g.p. respectively, three are merely ornamental leatherwork, and the last is actually a communication device that no longer functions), and 3 necklaces (one set with 7 aquamarines worth 50 g.p. each, jewelry value 400 g.p., the other two ornamental wirework without gems).
A shoe near the skeleton hides her grey color card - this can be found by an investigation of 15+ on the skeleton, or 12+ if specifically looking for a card or examining her clothes. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
This room appears to be a living area, but it is larger than any apartment you have yet found. There are four couches, an armchair, a long, low table, and other furniture, none of which fit the duplicate forms you have seen over and over. Much of the smaller furniture - small tables and display stands, cabinets and such, has been knocked over or smashed. Nothing is obviously taken, and it looks more like a fit of rage or violence than looting. Near the door is a single skeleton. There are no exits apparent.
This place is basically intact. The main room is a living/reception room. There is nothing of value.
8a
Perception or Investigation wrote:
This room is a small but well-appointed dining area. All is intact. The furniture (table and chairs) are similar to those seen before, but seemingly of a different mold - heavier and more ornate. On a sideboard is a single six crystal flasks with a liquid inside of a deep amber color. Inside the hall door is a press panel to leave, but the two interior doors have red card locks.
This is the personal lounging and dining area. A bottle of liquor on the buffet is treated with a drug (telol) to cause persons imbibing it to tell the absolute truth for three minutes - treat it as being under the effects of a Zone of Truth, with no save. Not speaking is not a possibility, but if one under the influence can win a contested Deception vs. Persuasion check, they may speak truthfully about a subject only tangential to what they are being asked for one minute at a time. One dose is equal to one ounce, and there are 7 ounces left.
8b
Perception or Investigation wrote:
This appears to be a solar or private work area. In addition to a divan and stuffed chair, there is a long desk and a hard chair. There is a case with a few books - surely an oddity, and the first you have seen on the ship. The door to the dining room has a press panel on this side.
The covers of the books are fine leather, but greatly mouldered, and the pages appear very brittle. It will be hard to keep these intact inside a backpack. They are all in the alien script.
If translated, the book titles are:
The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence
On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
The Art of Systemic Intrusion
Mental Dominance
The Gentle Art of Persuasion
Sharpening the Warrior’s Edge: The Psychology & Science of Training
Civil Disobedience
The desk has two sliding drawers which contain dark glass slates like those in the medical room. There is also a press plate on the side of the desk.
Inside the panel are three orange cards and a blaster pistol whose power disc has shorted and ruined it so as to make it permanently unworkable.
8c
[quote="Perception or Investigation"]This small closet or access room has pressure panels by both doors, two intact crates, and a standing wardrobe. The crates and the wardrobe are of cave horn.
The crates are empty but intact. The wardrobe contains two dress uniforms. Except for the absence of medals, they are identical to the one found in the security chief’s office, and this will be recognized by a History check (DC12+) if asked for.
8d
Perception or Investigation wrote:
This is obviously a bedroom, although the bed is of a form not seen before on the ship, then night stands heavier and more ornate. The door to the hallway opens with a press panel, the interior door requires a red card. There is a skeleton on the floor, sprawled near the bed.
A Nature or Investigation check (10+) on the skeleton will find the left arm broken and the front of the skull smashed in.
Under some rags near the skeleton (Perception 10+) is a small metal box with two buttons, orange and red, a dial, and a grille. It is a command control for police robots, but the voice command is keyed to the chief, so it is useless. If the orange and red buttons are pressed simultaneously, all police robots within 30’ are shut off until the control box is beyond the 30’ range. If either button is pressed separately, it will call police robots (1 (orange) or 2 (red)) - or release those shut down. It can be used only 7 times before it malfunctions and is ruined. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
9. WILL O’ WISPS Note: 5E Will o' Wisps do have official stats, but they are undead, not fey
There is a 2 in 6 chance that 1 or 2 will be away roaming the corridors to the east but will return in 3-30 rounds (roll for each separately). If multiple wisps are present, only one will be visible.
Investigation or Perception wrote:
Apart from the violet-locked door and slightly more spacious interior, this room initially appears the same as any number of other looted apartments you have already seen. There is an exterior entertaining area with two divans, a low table, and some cabinets, as well as a large collection of refuse in the corners. An open doorway leads to a small interior bedroom.
However, as you enter the room, you notice an intact skeleton sprawled on the floor beyond the furniture, near the doorway to the bedroom.
Assuming the characters are turning on lights as they enter rooms, the single visible wisp will not be immediately obvious. On a perception roll of 10+, the character will perceive a slight glow or trick of the light around the body, but will know that it is hard to discern in such a bright light. If the characters do not immediately turn off the room lights, an invisible wisp (if present) will move into the wall panel, shorting the circuitry and causing the lights to flicker and then go out.
If the room is dark wrote:
You can see clearly a thin small light hovering in the air. It appears to be floating several feet above the chest of the skeleton.
Once the wisp has the attention of the party, it will drift over to the cabinet and then slowly bob in front of a drawer. If the characters open it, they will find a bent tubular section of cave horn, about eight inches long and three in diameter. There is a metal dish on one end. Across the back are 2 colored plates - red and blue. Above these is a fine metal net, set in the handle. In the butt is a fine crack going all around the handle. A pull on the base opens the power disc compartment, which currently has three charges.
If the party seems to be taking the time to use the translator, the wisp will wait, and then whisper once communication is established that it is the spirit of a crewman technician who was killed in the plague. He is gifting the translator to the party in the hopes that they will take his body to a nearby room, a room that held great significance to him in life, and they will perform whatever funeral services they can over it. He says that he believes doing so will release his soul’s attachment to the ship and free him to travel to the afterlife. If the party agrees to this, it will lead them to the nearest room 13, just north of the spiders, and in the course of the funeral service hopefully expose them all to lethal levels of radiation. It will then whisper its thanks and “pass on” (go invisible). From that point on all wisps present will follow the characters invisibly, feeding on their pain and suffering from the radiation sickness or combat or both.
If the party take the translator without using it, or ignore it, the wisp will drift to the door and attempt to lead them to room 13, hovering over card locks and such.
If the wisp is attacked, or if the party starts searching the room and recovering their treasures, all wisps present will go invisible on one round and then attack on the next. They will all attack the same character, a random one at first and then in subsequent rounds whichever character has hit them for the most damage. If any character drops to 0 hp they will all use their Consume Life bonus action at the next opportunity. Any of the wisps brought to 5hp or fewer will flee.
Note that the wisps are invisible (advantage to attack, disadvantage to be attacked) but not hidden (they may be targeted but not seen). They will attack while invisible if possible, even if this means attacking only every other round. When they are visible after attacking but have movement left, they will use their incorporeal movement to evade attacks, for example passing through walls into adjoining rooms.
These monsters have a collection of shiny materials (stainless steel tableware, reflectors, chrome fittings, etc.). Amongst this collection are 2x10 gp gems and 6x5 gp gems. Note that all treasure is mixed up in a jumble of junk, furnishings, and the like spread throughout the two rooms, and one item of actual value will be found at Investigation 15, with one more for each point above it to a maximum of 22. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
10. SHRIEKERS AND FUNGI:
The entire length of the passageway for the northern vegepygmies is spread with a layer of rotting vegetation (mostly their own waste and bodies of dead companions). In that thick humus layer grow edible mushrooms which they harvest. At the very ends are d4+4 shriekers each. These they do not feed on, treating them rather as guards. They are adept at stepping around them without setting off their alarm. The vegepygmies in the rooms nearest the ends of their hallway can be ready for combat on the round after the shriekers sound. Since the fungi are from offworld, no Nature or Survival roll will recognize them as edible, but a failed roll (7 or less) will result in an incorrect belief that they are poisonous. A pound of mushrooms may be harvested with ten minute’s work per character, to a maximum of 20 pounds per ten foot square or 300lb for the length of the hall. Twenty pounds of mushrooms are equivalent to a day’s ration. These twenty pounds may easily be reduced to ten through drying over a fire, or even to two pounds if the PC’s think to use the ovens in the kitchens.
Shriekers have official 5E stats. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
11. Northern Vegepygmies
These creatures are the result of russet mold infecting humanoid life forms (the original crew members). The mold itself was created when experiments in fast-growing, semi-sentient algae were accidentally irradiated. The vegepygmies get their energy from the overhead lighting of the ship, but are able to add new body mass (and thus grow and propagate) only with the supply of nutrients from the mess halls and occasional hunting.
The mottled gray-brown coloration of the northern tribe enables them to blend with ship walls in many areas, so as to receive the bonus to stealth checks listed for "matching coloration".
There are 4 vegepygmies per 10’ of room space, 1 of each size from 1 HD to 4 HD, and 1 jet black color card. They act in concert, and if fighting occurs, a call will always go out for their fellows to join the battle if the combatants survive the initial round. The minor vegepygmies have nothing of value.
The northern vegepygmies are aggressive but use their defensive coloration to full effect. If any attack on their colony is repulsed, most of the wounded and at least one full room of unwounded 'pygmies will pursue the party at a distance, waiting to strike them from ambush. They will harry them with surprise missile assaults and then withdraw in the face of opposition, so long as the intruders remain in their territory, which they consider the entire northern half of Level I apart from the central block. If intruders are found in one of their mess halls, however, they will not harass the foes, but will rather attack at once and without thought for their own survival, although they will send one or two of their number back to the colony for reinforcements.
If a pursuit group tracks the party to a room, they will set up outside it, moving debris around to conceal themselves and gaining advantage on their Stealth rolls. In this case, any group of wandering encountered vegepygmies rolled will stay in the area and join the ambush. They will not force doors.
The northern group of vegepygmies make no provision for their wounded, but slain individuals are carried back to the colony and their bodies used to grow the humus layer in the hallway. Should there be a large number of dead after a major assault, they will be entwined into barricades on one or both ends of the hall to provide cover for defenders. _________________ My campaigns are multilayered tapestries upon which I texture themes and subject matter which, quite frankly, would simply be too strong for your hobbyist gamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mp7Ikko8SI
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Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises
, and so using a rope should probably just give Advantage to further climbers, not allow other characters to use an unrelated skill like Acrobatics to do something they shouldn't be good at in the first place. As to two characters up the mountain already helping out, their Strength stats could allow them to simply haul a character up without needing to roll, based on their their wight limit. This isn't Conan lifting up a giant stone door or anything. Players have to pick and choose character skills for a reason. If they don't pick a particular skill, it isn't that character's forte, so they may need others to help them (which is normal). Still, simply getting into the place shouldn't be a difficult task, so if everyone fails then you might instead just say, "You exhaust yourself spending the day trying to climb up to the doorway. Perhaps tomorrow you will have better luck." (roll random encounters). :evilgrin:
Survival, as a single skill, already manages to cover a ton of stuff. There is no need to make it do more. I hope somebody else weighs in, but keep it coming. I'll keep it shorter next time.
