Chapter 1: The Phobos Mystery

Dungeon Level 2

The chapter is over when: The characters defeat the Coordinating Intelligence

Stuff about Phobos: At some point in the past, Phobos was first thoroughly explored by employees of Mutadyne Industries AG. Publicly, shortly after this exploration, Mutadyne announced they would be building a secure production and research facility on Phobos. This was not the whole story. Mutadyne had discoverd that Phobos was not simply an asteroid. It appeared to be an ancient alien vessel built from a hollowed asteroid. Mutadyne immediately begin experimenting with the technology found in this vessel. Within several years, Mutadyne announced a new product offering; the Perfected Artificial Lifeform (PAL). The advertising slogan was "Why have a robot, when you can have a PAL?" This product never hit the market. Two days after the product annoucement, a number of rocket launches occurred, all of them heading out system. These rockets were never heard from again, and were tracked leaving the inner system past the asteroid belt. Nothing more was heard from the facility for a number of months. Finally, a Rocket Ranger Corps vessel was diverted to investigate the facility. This team reported an intense plague of some sort had killed many Mutadyne employees, and that the team members themselves had become infected. Their transmissions rapidly devolved into madness. Rocket Ranger Corp command made the dreadful decision to nuke the facility, rather than risk further contamination. The facility was destroyed, and the moon was placed under quarantine. The identification codes of the Mutadyne vessels that left the inner solar system were distributed, with shoot on sight orders if they were ever seen again, and the matter was considered closed. Now, a gamma ray transmitter has been detected on Phobos, transmitting coded information of some sort. What is going on?

Interior of Phobos: The central cave of Phobos is a cavity roughly 15 km in diameter and 19 km long. As Phobos is spinning, the surface of this cavity has an apparent 0.4 G's gravity, which varies across the length of the cavity. In the center of the cavity is a "Sun", an orangish glowing orb which generates heat and light for the entire cavity. At the central axis, floating roughly 3 km from one end, there is an obviously artifical construction of some sort. The surface of the cavity is, at first glance, a verdant tropical rain-forest, with incredibly strange plant-life. On closer inspection, it will soon become obvious that EVERY form of life within the cavity is a variation of the same basic organism; a six-armed starfish like creature (the "PAL" of the advertisement).

Challenge: Convince Sub-Commander Mongkut "the Brick" Chusongnakorn to allow the Pride of Duluth to violate the quarantine order to investigate the gamma transmitter. This is a single Very Hard Sociality test on the part of Lt. Hepburn, but the other characters can make tests of various sorts and roll over the successes as appropriate. XP: 10 XP for the single test, divided by the number of characters.

Challenge: Figure out a way into the interior of Phobos. The players may think of any number of ways to do this, but the difficulty will be Very Hard, regardless. This could involve ancient alien doorways on the surface, working through the radioactive debris of the old facility, etc. However, if they attempt to go through the old facility, the main test will be a damaging Very Hard test of Werewhithal to avoid damage from the radiation. XP: Most likely 10 XP for the single test, divided by number of characters, unless they try to get through via the facility, in which case it is 10 XP EACH!

Encounter: Swarms of miniature stinging PALS, one less than the total number of players. Each miniature PAL is about an inch across, with two of its six arms evolved into insectoid wings and one into a stinger.

PAL Swarm: Lvl 2

Vir 2, Cer 2, Adr 5, Dis 5, Wer 3, Soc 1, FW 1, SPPT 3, SIC 3

Envelop 4 (adds to all attack tests), Get through small holes 3, Swarm 3 (resist damage tests from attacks that a swarm could easily dodge), Painful Stings 4 (adds to damage tests, but only to damage Cer, Dis, and Soc), Sensitive Chemical Receptors 4 (adds to tests to track and find biological organisms)

Encounter: Predatory PA Ls?, out hunting. One less than total number of players. Each PAL Predator is about 150 lbs, with spiny extensions on its three non-motive arms, and three arms that are evolved as flexible legs. Three of its main eyes have evolved to face forward, while the other three are atrophied and little more than light sensitive spots.

PAL Predator: Lvl 2

Vir 4, Cer 2, Adr 4, Dis 3, Wer 4, Soc 1, FW 3, SPPT 2, SIC 2

Hunt for Prey 4 (all steath tests), Pounce 3 (movement tests to close in combat), Spined Arms 3 (melee damage with arms), Entangle (attacks with arms), Terrifying Hiss 5 (Sociality + Terrifying Hiss test vs. Cer + SIC or opponent is distracted)

Encounter: Bat-like acid secreting PA Ls? that fall from the "trees", who try to trap the characters. Enough to yield 2 XP per character after rounding.

PAL Trapper: Lvl 1

Vir 2, Cer 3, Adr 4, Dis 4, Wer 3, Soc 2, FW 2, SPPT 2, SIC 2

Hang without motion 3 (to hiding tests while unmoving, Adr + Hang without motion vs. targets Dis + appropriate detecting ability, roll successes over into attacking that opponent), Acid secretions 3 (adds to melee damage tests), Drop on prey 3 (Adr + Drop on Prey vs. opponents Adr + appropriate dodging ability, roll successes over to attack), Coordinated hunting 3 (make Cer + Coordinate Attacks vs. targets Adr + appropriate dodging ability, roll successes over to another PAL's attack on that target), Leap into trees 2 (used on movement tests to get away)

Challenge: Figure out way to get to floating station, most likely involving a Hard roll for every character or one Very Hard roll by one character. XP: Based on the key rolls done to get there. May be one person does everything, then based on that persons roll.

Encounter: Psuedo-intelligent Guard PA Ls?. Each one has a strange, biotech projectile weapon engrafted on them. They look somewhat like Great Dane size blue six legged tanks with a single turret on top. Encounter will start with one less than the number of characters, but more will be summoned the longer the fight goes on.

PAL Guard: Lvl 1

Vir 4, Cer 1, Adr 3, Dis 3, Wer 4, Soc 3, FW 4, SPPT 4, SIC 2

Chitinous Plates 2 (Applies to all damager resistance), Stable Firing Platform 2 (Attacks with Acid Grenade Launcher), Acid Grenade Launcher 2 (Damage with acid grenade launcher), Coordinate Fire 2 (Adr + Coordinate Fire vs. targets Adr + appropriate dodging ability, roll successes over to help another against that target), Summon Help 2 (Soc + Summon Help vs. number of extra guards summoned + 3)

FINAL ENCOUNTER: The Coordinating Intelligence, and its enslaved human scientist minions. The PAL-controlled Mutadyne Scientists. The number of scientists will be such that the final XP for the encouter is 3. Each scientist has a single, grey coloured PAL on their head. They are obviously feral, as their clothing is shredded and dirty. Their sole purpose is to tend to the Coordinating Intelligence and the remaining human technology on the interior facility. The CI is a large mass of grey coloured PA Ls?, pulsing and throbbing in a network above the floor.

PAL-controlled Scientist: Lvl 2

Vir 2, Cer 5, Adr 3, Dis 2, Wer 3, Soc 3, FW 2, SPPT 2, SIC 4

Ignore Pain 3 (resist all damage), Maintain technology 4 (make repairs and maintain the human technology), Tend to CI 4 (Cer + Tend to CI vs. Amount of damage CI has taken to heal damage to CI, one per success, one per encounter), Berserk Fury 2 (Attacks with tooth and nail), Hideous Smell 4 (Soc + Hideous Smell vs. Cer + SIC or be distracted by their stench)

Coordinating Intelligence: Lvl 3

Vir 1, Cer 4, Adr 1, Dis 6, Wer 3, Soc 4, FW 5, SPPT 3, SIC 5

Coordinating Intelligence [Tentacles, Weaken, Control, Slime] 4, Control Minions 3 (Soc + Control Minions vs. Medium, roll successes over to minion action), Think Quickly 3 (Cer + Think Quickly vs. targets Cer + appropriate ability or SIC, roll successes over into appropriate roll), Multiple Sensory Organs 3 (??), Massive Bulk 4 (resist damage from cutting/piercing)

NOTE: the Coordinating Intelligence cannot really move

Denouement: The characters will discover that the CI has been sending signals towards the asteroid belt, and will need to follow the mystery that direction.

Back to Chapter 1: The Phobos Mystery