The Selvache Incident GM Screen

Malik Carrethers (order #3724468)

THE SELVACHE INCIDENT CONTENTS

CREDITS Squad Leader Cpl. Phillips, Wilson MI87-12

Strategic & Tactical Support Sgt. Maj. Neale, Richard MI20-27

Credits & Contents

2

Introduction

3

Into The Lions’ Den

5

A Lion Falls

8

Additional Tactical Support Sgt. Maj. Belcher, Ian MI40-81

External Propagandist Sgt. Dutrait, Vincent MI42-23

Internal Propagandists Pvt. Moretti, Danilo MI54-06, Pvt. Parker, Tony MI8847, Pvt. Sergesketter, Chad MI37-39

Selvache Safari

13

The Lions’ Roar

17

The Lions’ Last Stand

24

Lockwood’s Lions

28

The Arachnids

30

License

32

Military Intelligence Liason 3rd Lt. Barstow, Ian MI06-88

Military Intelligence Officer Lt. Col. Fennell, Alexander

[Designation Classified]

Data Analysts Sgt. Bedison, Ron MI77-02

Forward Reconnaissance Cpl. Vail, Sam MI91-09, Pvt. Chabot, Andre MI89-04, Pvt. Hall, Robert MI15-08, Pvt. Kerslake, Trevor MI8817, Pvt. Marson, Alan MI20-060

Priority Signals Special thanks to the citizens and UCF agents of Sony Pictures Consumer Products.

Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game – The Selvache Incident is TM & © 2005 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose Publishing Ltd Authorized User. Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game is released under version 1.0 of the Open Game License. Reproduction of non-Open Game Content of this work by any means without the written permission of the pulisher is expressly forbidden. See page 288 for the text of this license. With the exception of the character creation rules detailing the mechanics of assigning dice roll results to abilities and the advancement of character levels, all game mechanics and statistics (including the game mechanics of all feats, skills, classes, creatures, psychic abilities and combat) are declared open content. Printed in China.

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INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION The Selvache Incident is a story of triumph and tragedy, courage and cowardice and, ultimately, perseverance in the face of overwhelming opposition. The first adventure for Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game, The Selvache Incident is designed for characters of between 1st and 3rd character level.

The Selvache Incident combines situations and encounters that will require a mix of skills to survive and overcome. Players will find that characters with ranks in Computer Use, Demolitions, Repair and Survival of particular use, as well as more common combat abilities.

If you are intending to play in this adventure you should stop reading now, as the information that follows is intended for Games Masters only.

Games Masters should read and become familiar with the entire adventure before attempting to run it to fully understand how each encounter fits with those which surround it.

IN THIS ADVENTURE… …a group of relatively green Mobile Infantry troopers are assigned to Lockwood’s Lions, a squad that suffered heavy losses during the events of the second Pluto campaign. Sent to relieve the small garrison at a SICON system monitoring station (SSMS) on the third moon of the gas giant Selvache (sel-va∫: che pron. sh as in ship), the Lions are a long way from home. Far beyond Altair, the Selvache SSMS was established to monitor and warn of any potential Arachnid activity passing through the system on its way towards Sol. But the troopers soon discover that the Selvache station is not the only thing to call the third moon ‘home’. Buried deep beneath the moon’s surface, bugs swarm through a rapidly expanding tunnel network in a bid to secure their foothold in the Selvache system.

This adventure is designed for four to six Player Characters of between 1st and 3rd character level. Should Games Masters have fewer players, they should use their own discretion and scale down some of the encounters in this module. Conversely, should Games Masters have more than six players, or should the Player Characters be higher than 3rd level, then he should be prepared to increase the difficulty of the challenges presented in this adventure.

ADVENTURE BACKGROUND & RECENT EVENTS The conclusion of the second Pluto campaign was cause for a great deal of celebration throughout the Federation, but even before the ticker tape had finished falling, SICON technicians on Charon, Pluto’s moon, made a terrible discovery. As SICON forces withdrew from Pluto, Charon’s observation post picked up anomalous

The Lions are caught in a fight for their lives as they journey across the moon’s surface on their way towards the monitoring station in the hope of finding survivors, calling in help and escaping the moon alive.

PREPARING TO PLAY A copy of Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game, a notepad, pencils and a full set of dice (at least one of each of the following: d20, d12, d10, d8, d6 and d4) will be needed to play The Selvache Incident. Players and Games Masters may also find a few miniatures of use, but these are not essential.


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Using Established Squads Games Masters may wish to have the Player Characters assigned to another squad they have already introduced into their campaign, or have the troopers remain with a unit they are already serving with. Either of these two options are of course possible, however, Games Masters should be warned that certain events over the course of this adventure do not bode well for the other members of the squad. Should Games Masters decide not to use Lockwood’s Lions they will need to be especially fluent in the nuances of this adventure, which are specifically tailored towards the Lions.

readings that led them to believe that something very, very large was moving away from the newly liberated planet. Pushing their sensor systems far beyond their operational limits, the technicians received the first visual indication that the Arachnids were not native to Pluto when a humungous, space-faring bug drifted through their sensor net. Though initial reports of the transport bug were met with a great deal of scepticism by SICON command, despite the visual evidence gathered by the Charon station, two weeks later, SICON was forced to reconsider the possibility of space bugs when Charon’s sensor grid once again detected the movement of something very large travelling towards the centre of the Sol system. This time, however, it was no bug, but a meteor, almost a mile across. By the time Charon’s report had reached Earth, the massive meteor had already passed Luna’s orbit and was only moments away from colliding with the Earth itself. The fiery mass of space debris crashed into Buenos Aires, wiping the city and a vast swathe of the surrounding landmass from the face of the planet. The subsequent meteorological, seismological and geological repercussions resulted in a final death toll of over ten million.

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With the revelation that the Arachnids were not indigenous to Pluto and in the wake of the Buenos Aires disaster, many difficult questions had to be answered, and with the declassification of the Charon reports the terrible truth was revealed; the departing transport bug had somehow managed to hurl the massive chunk of space rock, with devastating accuracy, to collide with the home of the Federation. One small consolation for the destruction of Buenos Aires came in the fact that SICON system monitoring stations on Charon, L347-14 and DM-36 13940, were able to triangulate the trajectory of the departing transport bug, thus enabling SICON to accurately direct the Federation’s vengeance. While the transport bug’s ultimate destination remains unknown. SICON forces now scour the projected path of the transport bug in the hope of finding the Arachnid homeworld. One thing is certain though, the road to victory will be paved with dead bugs.

ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS The Selvache Incident opens as the Player Characters arrive with their new unit, Lockwood’s Lions. Introductions are cut short, however, as orders arrive assigning the Lions to garrison duty at the far-flung monitoring station on the third moon of the Selvache star system. The Lions are deployed onto the surface of the moon where they immediately discover that they are not alone. When Sergeant Lockwood falls afoul of a collapsing bug tunnel and his M-1C8 suit’s communications array is shredded, the only way the remaining Lions can call in a retrieval ship is to use the equipment at the system monitoring station over 20 miles away. Making their way across the moon’s surface, the Lions are forced to fight for their lives as the Arachnids take deadly interest in the newcomers and their passage. Finally arriving at Selvache’s SSMS, the Lions set about calling for retrieval while searching the installation for survivors. Even as the retrieval ships beacon sounds the Lions must ensure the security of the compound before the retrieval ship can touch down.

INTO THE LIONS' DEN

INTO THE LIONS’ DEN The

adventure begins with the Player Characters being introduced to their new unit, Lockwood’s Lions, aboard the TFCT Chancellorsville. While most seem pleased to have been reinvigorated with new blood rather than being disbanded, Corporal Benjamin Austin appears more than a little disappointed to have had rookies assigned to the veteran squad. Games Masters should take care during these introductions to make sure that all the characters can get acquainted and establish each of the Non-Player Characters as individually interesting personalities, as it will be the camaraderie of the characters that will help guarantee the impact of later encounters on the players. Thus the subsequent loss of any of the Lions will be of much greater significance if the players and their characters have an active connection with the squad right from the outset.

‘Can I help you, troopers?’ Austin asks, noticing you at last. Handing him your assignment papers, a sly grin creeps across his face as he calls over his shoulder, ‘Looks like we got us some cubs, boys!’ The three men will introduce themselves and will be interested to hear where the characters are from and how much action they have seen, along with any up-to-date news from around the Federation. Private Kinikki ‘Loon’ Rowluni will take off his shockboxing gloves to give each of the new arrivals a firm handshake, while Private Iain ‘Wizard’ Bailey will be interested to see if any of the newcomers are keen card players or gamblers, telling them that the Lions commonly host a poker night,

Read the following section aloud to the players; The door to your new bunkroom opens with an almost inaudible hiss from within to reveal a cramped grey dormitory, its bunks and furniture pushed to the very extremities of the small room’s walls to make way for an impromptu shockboxing ring, scrawled on the floor in chalk. At the centre of the ring a wiry European is helping an enormous Fijian man to his feet. Both wear padded sparring suits and the sport’s electrically charged gloves. Meanwhile, a third man rests against the dormitory’s bulkhead wall, laughing heartily. ‘Awh, stow it, Austin! Jus’ didn’t see it comin’ is all, Wizard here caught me by surprise.’ Protests the towering Fijian, as he finally regains his feet. ‘Well, well Rowluni. I guess they were right; the bigger they are and all that,’ replies the onlooker, Austin, through his gradually subsiding chuckles. ‘No hard feelings, Loon. You gotta keep your guard up though.’ Rowluni’s diminutive opponent smiles, giving the bigger man a playful cuff on the shoulder.


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a now infamous event on the Chancellorsville. Corporal Benjamin Austin, however, will remain somewhat distant, concerning himself more with any combat experience the newly assigned troopers may have, endeavouring to mask his disappointment should they be completely uninitiated in the art of war. This whole scene introduces the players and their characters to their new squadmates, and as the characters get to know each other by swapping stories, boasts or ground rules, players will be able to develop a little more of their characters’ personality. As a result of this development, this scene is one of the most important of this adventure and also provides a great opportunity for both players and Games Masters to become comfortable with the game, without the need for rolling dice or worrying about the rules.

OFFICER ON DECK! Introductions are quickly put on hold when Corporal Austin announces ‘Officer on deck’. As the Lions instantly fall silent and stand to attention, Sergeant Lockwood passes down the line of troopers, eyeing over each of them before giving the order to stand at ease. Read the following section aloud to the players; ‘Fresh meat for the grinder, eh? Good to have you with us. I trust Corporal Austin has already found you a bunk. My name is Sergeant Aaron Lockwood – there is a padre by the same name over in second company – the only difference between that ol’ preacher an’ me is that he works for God, an’ I am God! There are only three rules in this outfit you rookies need to remember – hit

System Datafile: C087: SEL2 System Name: Selvache Star: Selvache Classification: F (lightly irradiated) Orbital Bodies: Selvache – gas giant orbited by three small moons Laygraa – terrestrial body of desolate searing rock Yault – terrestrial body subject to extreme seasonal radiation

SICON Datafile: C087: SEL2-c Planet Name: Third moon of Selvache Function: Interstellar Observation Post Population: 24 (14 technicians, 10 garrison troopers) Temperature: Frigid (–41 ºc to –32 ºc) Atmosphere: Thin (trace elements of methane, nitrogen, oxygen and helium) Gravity: Low (0.4 g) Terrain: Barren rocky wasteland Exports: Information Imports: Supplies and personnel Overview: Over 50 light years from Altair, the Selvache system was discovered and claimed as SICON set out on the Road to Victory campaign in the wake of the cleansing of Pluto. Selvache remains largely unremarkable and, were it not for the SICON system monitoring station located on the third moon, would likely be overlooked. The third moon itself is very cold, with highest temperatures still not managing to climb above –30 ºc. Though it lacks the necessary hydrosphere to form ice, a number of geological features suggest this was not always the case.

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INTO THE LIONS' DEN hard, hit fast and hit often. You newbies remember that, an’ you an’ me’ll get along fine! ‘Now, down to business, orders have come through from high command to coincide with the arrival of our new talent. ‘We are to relieve Webb’s Wildcats, currently stationed at the system monitoring station on the third moon of the Selvache system.’ A brief murmur of disappointment passes through the assembled Lions, before being silenced with a glare from Lockwood. ‘I know this is hardly the frontline combat assignment that I know you were expecting but, as Mobile Infantry, we will carry

out our assignment by the numbers. I want everything by the book on this drop, just like always. SICON has assured me that this garrison duty will only last a short while, but I think we can put our time on Selvache to good use, especially in light of our new arrivals. ‘For now though we get some sleep, set your hypnopedia units and be prepared to drop at oh-four-hundred hours. Any of you apes unlucky enough to still be awake in an hour get a bedtime story by yours truly, so look alive! Oh, and Loon, get some ice for that eye!’ Let the players review the Selvache system datafile and the Operation: Guard Dog mission briefing.

Operation: Guard Dog Your squad will be inserted onto the surface of Selvache’s third moon at 0400 hours. Planetary insertion procedure will be undertaken by Skyhook as the non-combat nature of this assignment precludes the use of M2 drop capsules. The location of the SICON system monitoring station (SSMS), its proximity to the Kwanyarna Mountain and the unpredictable atmospheric conditions common to this mountain range make a landing at the facility all but impossible and will require your transport to drop you 23.8 miles west of the SSMS. Having secured the landing zone (LZ) you will proceed on foot to the objective. Upon arriving at the SSMS, Lockwood’s Lions will relieve the garrison commanded by Sergeant Webb; Webb’s men will then make their way back to the LZ and await retrieval. Once on site at the SSMS you will continue to assist in the essential maintenance of the facility and its surrounding support infrastructure. Mission Duration: High command estimates that your squad will be required to garrison the Selvache SSMS for 44 standard days. Mission Equipment: Standard outfit only; SICON has determined that any additional supplies will be available to your squad at the SSMS.


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A LION FALLS Waking from sleep and having reviewed both the Selvache system datafile and the Operation: Guard Dog briefing handouts via hypnopedia, the Lions prepare for their departure from the TFCT Chancellorsville.

THE DROP As 0400 hours draws closer, Sergeant Lockwood leads the Lions down to the Chancellorsville’s starboard hangar bay and onto the waiting Skyhook retrieval boat. Read the following section aloud to the players; As you settle into your crash couches and stow your weapons a female voice breaks over the ship’s intercom system. ‘This is Ensign Bethany Jones and I’ll be your pilot this morning. We will be falling at approximately 300 miles per hour to arrive at our destination at approximately 0405 hours. Just sit back and relax gentlemen.’ ‘You heard the lady. Buckle up apes!’ orders Sergeant Lockwood as he fastens his own crash restraints. No sooner have you secured yourself in your seat, you are freefalling through space towards the desolate, rocky surface of the moon below, with your innards desperately try to escape your body through your ears. Despite the bucking and buffeting of the small vessel, which causes the entire craft to rattle and shake violently, Sergeant Lockwood’s face retains an expression of stoic determination. In stark contrast, Loon’s infectious Fijian smile splits his face in two. Wizard, meanwhile, seems engrossed in the pack of playing cards he is shuffling and Corporal Austin continues to review the particulars of your assignment on a databox. Thankfully none of your squadmates seem to notice your discomfort at the alarming sensation of the orbital drop. As with the previous scene, Games Masters should make sure to play up the pre-existing members of the squad. Having Sergeant Lockwood relate an anecdote to the squad about a past mission, not dissimilar to this one, or Wizard demonstrate a simple card trick or the ever-friendly Loon offer the Player Characters a few words of encouragement, will all help the players feel more at home with the squad and

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Requisitioning Equipment It is possible that Player Characters may attempt to requisition additional equipment for this mission. Games Masters should remember that supplies have already been made available to the troopers once they reach the system monitoring station. Also, given the non-combat nature of the Lions’ assignment it will be a rare quartermaster who will issue essential equipment to a squad he will not see return for over six weeks. With this in mind, Games Masters should apply a minimum –4 modifier to Requisitioning checks made to requisition equipment for this assignment not detailed in the Standard outfit of a Mobile Infantry trooper. This reflects SICON’s unwillingness to issue unnecessary or superfluous equipment to the trooper.

build the personal ties necessary to make a Starship Troopers game a lot more than an endless series of bug hunts. Read the following section aloud to the players; Your guts change course without warning, burying themselves in your boots, as Ensign Jones fires the breaking thrusters before, moments later, setting the spacecraft down on the only flat piece of ground for a hundred miles in every direction. ‘Please make sure you have all of your luggage and personal belongings with you when exiting the spacecraft, and thank you for flying Fleet.’ Ensign Jones quips as you release your restraint harness and Corporal Austin issues your equipment from a storage locker. ‘Let’s secure the LZ, saddle up and prepare to move out. On the bounce, you apes! We’re not being paid by the hour!’ orders Sergeant Lockwood. Moments later you stand on the surface of Selvache’s third moon watching the rapidly vanishing ion trail of the departing drop ship as dawn creeps slowly across the moon’s paper thin atmosphere.

A LION FALLS Similarly, a trooper whose suit has become damaged in such a way will likely become exposed to the moon’s thin atmosphere and must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 20) every hour. On the first failed save, the trooper is fatigued. A fatigued trooper that fails a subsequent save becomes exhausted for as long as he remains in the thin atmosphere. After one hour of complete, uninterrupted rest in a normal atmosphere, an exhausted trooper becomes fatigued. After eight hours of complete, uninterrupted rest, a fatigued trooper is no longer fatigued. The Selvache moon is a low-gravity environment, where the pull of gravity is significantly less than that experienced on Earth. Although an object’s mass does not change, it becomes effectively lighter. This means that troopers bounce when they walk. It becomes easier to move and lift heavy objects as well as perform Strength-related tasks. Therefore, a trooper’s speed increases by five feet, his normal carrying capacity is doubled, he also gains a +10 bonus on any Strength check made to lift or move a heavy unsecured object and Strength-based skill checks (including Climb, Jump and Swim checks).

‘She’ll be back soon enough, boys, her or somebody like her; in the meantime we have a job to do.’ asserts Lockwood with a reassuring smile.

Perils and Pitfalls of Selvache The third moon of Selvache is in the lightly irradiated Selvache star system, a class F star, therefore, at the end of each day spent on the moon the Lions should make Fortitude save (DC 15) or suffer 1d4–2 points of Constitution damage (full details of radiation hazards are detailed in Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game). A standard issue M-1A4 power suit is insulated against the extreme cold of Selvache’s third moon; however, should a suit’s temperature regulator become damaged, or its environmentally sealed bodysuit punctured, a trooper will no longer be properly equipped to counteract the moon’s frigid temperatures and must attempt a Fortitude saving throw every ten minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous check). Failure means that the trooper loses 1d6 hit points. Heavy clothing provides a +4 bonus to this save. A trooper who succeeds at a Survival check (DC 15) gains a +2 or +4 bonus on this save (see the Survival skill description detailed in Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game for more details).


However, troopers suffer a –2 penalty on attack rolls in a low-gravity environment unless they have the Zero-G Training feat. Also, a trooper will not fall as quickly on Selvache’s moon as he would do in a normal- or high-gravity environment. Falling damage is, therefore, reduced to 1d4 points per ten feet fallen. It is also worth noting, given the duration of the Lions’ mission, that long-term exposure to low-gravity conditions can cause serious problems when returning to normal gravity. Troopers spending 120 hours (five or more standard days) on the moon suffer 1d6 points of temporary Strength damage upon returning to a normal gravity environment. Despite the benefits a low-gravity environment grants to tactical movement (+5 ft.) the trackless and awkward nature of the moon’s surface, troopers will be limited to three-quarters their normal overlandmovement. In the case of most troopers, this will mean a reduction of their base movement to 30 feet (a base movement score of 30 ft. + 5 ft. from the On the Bounce unique ability + 5 ft. from the moon’s low gravity environment = 40 ft. – ¾ = 30 ft.). A Knowledge (technology) check (DC 10) will tell troopers that with all of the following taken into account it will likely take the Lions just over seven hours to reach the system monitoring station almost 24 miles away at a overland walking pace. Such a journey will leave them with less than an hour’s worth of charge in their power suits.

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BUG BAIT The Lions set out across the freezing surface of the moon on their way towards the distant monitoring station. Read the following section aloud to the players; A collection of rusting hulks comes into view not far ahead. Sergeant Lockwood gives the signal to halt before flipping his snoopers into place to survey the distant wrecks. The brittle rock of the moon’s surface suddenly lurches beneath your feet, splitting and collapsing. Sergeant Lockwood disappears in a shower of splintered shards and a flurry of dust, debris and bug legs as a swarm of six warrior bugs boils out of the collapsing tunnel. With an ear-splitting screech these insectoid monsters skitter towards you! Have the players make a Reflex saving throw (DC 12). Those who succeed will be able to leap clear of the subsiding tunnel and avoid Lockwood’s fate. Failing this check means that the character falls prone five feet from the edge of the resultant bug hole. Six bugs clamber out of the hole created by the collapsing tunnel, luckily for the Lions only two of the six are actually warrior bugs. The other four are, in fact, workers. Quick thinking characters may attempt a Knowledge (alien species) check (DC 20) to determine the difference between them and alert the other Lions to the fact. Allow Player Characters to position themselves around the bug hole as they wish. The bugs, meanwhile, scatter around the hole as shown on the next page. The worker bugs will, at the first available opportunity, attempt to flee the area as fast as possible, each scattering in a different and random direction. Games Masters should remember that while worker bugs are capable of dealing injury, they will only do so if they cannot flee, and even then will suffer any attacks made against them on the assumption that the nearby warrior bugs will defend them. The warrior bugs, on the other hand, will instantly move to attack the troopers. Have the players make a Will saving throw against the Fear value of the warrior bugs (DC 17 if some of the bugs are recognised as workers, DC 18 if not). A second Will saving throw against Fear may also be necessary if any characters have a Wisdom score of less than 11, the modified Fear value of the workers.

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Portraying Arachnids One vitally important thing to remember about all of the Arachnids in this adventure is this; they have no brain. As the Arachnid transport bug that departed Pluto with the cessation of military activity there passed through the Selvache system, it did not leave a brain bug behind. As a result, the bugs that now wander freely over the third moon’s surface are not so terrifyingly intelligent as those encountered on Pluto. To portray this in the game will be challenging, so here are a few pointers that Games Masters may find helpful to get this across to their players. 9 The Arachnids will not necessarily use the most obvious tactics when engaging the troopers. 9 The bugs will use only the most basic of instincts and will likely have a more developed sense of selfpreservation. 9 Unless the Arachnids need food, are protecting infants or are directly threatened there is a chance that they will not attack.

If the Player Characters fail their saving throw against the attacking Arachnid’s Fear effect then Games Masters should have Wizard and Rowluni automatically make their saves. Games Masters should keep in mind that this story is about the Player Characters and should therefore not concern themselves too much with rolling, round after round, the attacks of the Arachnids against the Non-Player Character Lions, and vice versa. As long as it is well presented, this style of combat can often be easier, quicker and more fun if the Games Master simply narrates to the players how the other Lions stand, spraying the area with repeated bursts of gunfire as the warrior bugs move in. This scene is designed to scare the players so Games Masters should beware of hitting the Player Characters too hard. Have a warrior bug that has managed to damage one of the Player Characters get taken down by one of their NonPlayer Character squadmates that has been watching the character’s back, just as the savage insect closes for the kill. If the players are looking worried yet exhilarated then the Games Master is doing everything right.


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Once the fighting is done, read the following section aloud to the players; With a last desperate twitch, the final Arachnid lies still. As you and your squad mates wipe the bugs’ blood and ichors from your helmet’s visor and check your ammunition levels, Corporal Austin is already pawing through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel that surrounds Sergeant Lockwood’s exposed arm. The limb sticks, limp and unresponsive, from the dust and debris. ‘Come on you apes! Help me free the sarge!’ Given the benefits of the moon’s low gravity it will not take long (one minute (ten rounds)) for the squad to clear enough of the rubble to be able to pull Sergeant Lockwood’s body clear of the ruined bug tunnel. Doing so requires a Strength check (DC 15). Once Lockwood’s body is free of the rock pile read the following section aloud to the players; Lockwood’s suit has been punctured twice through the chest, most likely by vicious bug mandibles, and his faceplate is cracked, probably the result of the cave-in that buried him alive. Turning the sergeant’s body over reveals that bug claws have shredded his suit’s command and control suite; the unit’s exposed circuitry emits a brief shower of sparks before finally failing completely. A Treat Injury check (DC 15) will tell the Lions that their commanding officer is dead, while a Technical (electrical) check (DC 10) will reveal that his M-1C8 suit’s command and control array is irreparably damaged, leaving the Lions without any form of long-range communications capability and thus no way of calling for help. In the wake of Lockwood’s sudden death, Corporal Austin is now the highest-ranking officer in the squad and thus is ultimately responsible for the mission. However, Austin is not unaffected by the loss of the squad’s long-time commander, or the nature of his death. Despite Austin’s combat experience, he now finds himself in the top spot and will not handle the responsibilities of actual command well. Badly shaken by the prospect of the Lions looking to him for leadership, Corporal Austin suffers a –2 penalty to all attack rolls, saves and skill checks for the remainder of this adventure. Games Masters should make sure to let players see Austin’s condition, rather than leaving this solely to the mechanics and rules of the game. Austin becomes increasingly distracted, hesitating at crucial moments; he also becomes less confident and begins asking troopers what they think they should do. There are plenty of films, books and plays

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that feature shaky military figures and Games Masters should feel free to use these as examples to help portray the squad’s new leader. The Lions will likely, in good Mobile Infantry tradition, want to take Sergeant Lockwood’s body with them. Including his suit and equipment, Lockwood’s body will weight a little over 400 pounds. Therefore, despite the low gravity on the moon, the trooper carrying his corpse will still require a Strength score of 18 or more to avoid becoming heavily loaded (see Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game for the implications of being heavily loaded). A nearby storage yard is littered with the rusting hulks of several abandoned MAC haulers all shipped down to the moon to carry equipment and supplies used in the original construction of the Selvache facility back and forth across the surface. Since the completion of the station, the MAC haulers have been out of use, left close to the landing zone to be collected and distributed elsewhere in the Federation. However, as the Road to Victory campaign progresses, the redistribution of the aged MAC haulers is not SICON’s highest priority. A Technical (mechanical) check (DC 10) reveals that, as they are, no single truck is serviceable, however, a Technical (mechanical) check (DC 15) indicates that with a little time, the right skills and the appropriate tools, it may be possible to get one of the wrecks operational again, by scavenging parts from the other vehicles. Repairing one of the vehicles requires a Repair check (DC 20) and takes one hour (rules for making repairs are detailed in the Repair skill description and the scavenging of parts is detailed in the Salvage feat description in Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game). While it will take the troopers one hour to repair – time incredibly precious to the squad given the length of their journey and the limited charge of their M-1A4 suits – access to an operational MAC hauler has a number of advantages. Firstly it will speed up their journey considerably, making the transportation of Sergeant Lockwood’s corpse easier. Secondly, it will also provide the squad with a mobile and covered firing platform, both of which will be essential if they are to leave Selvache alive. Player Characters may try to radio the SSMS but will be unable to reach it for a number of reasons; firstly, the Lions’ M-1A4 power suit’s integrated communications systems do not have the range to reach the distant facility and secondly, the station is powered down.

Selvache Safari

SELVACHE SAFARI In the wake of Sergeant Lockwood’s death, the Lions are forced to press on towards the distant monitoring station in their attempt to hail SICON. Read the following section aloud to the players; As you leave the rusting remains of the MAC haulers, the abandoned storage yard and the collapsed bug tunnel that cost Lockwood his life, the entire squad is downbeat, even Loon’s irrepressible smile is concealed beneath the shadow of the squad’s loss. Now the Lions move cautiously over the Selvache moon, conscious of the Arachnid menace’s presence on the remote satellite. His brow knitted together in deep concentration, Wizard stares intently at a distant pair of warrior bugs, their mandibles locked in a ferocious battle, like two rutting stags. ‘They’re in the same position we are!’ announces Wizard, suddenly. ‘Leaderless, I mean! Watch… they’re fighting amongst themselves because they have no focus, no co-ordination, no direction!’ Loon spares Lockwood’s lifeless body a glance. ‘They were co-ordinated enough to be making real estate deals for the sarge. Leaderless or not, those things are dangerous, so stay frosty.’ warns the towering Fijian. Have the players make a Perception check (DC 10), characters who succeed this check become aware of a persistent buzzing, drawing steadily closer. Characters who fail this check are caught flat-footed and cannot act in the surprise round that begins as a flight of three hopper bugs dives at the troopers. Have the players make a Will saving throw against the Fear value of the hopper bugs (DC 15). The hopper bugs will continue to attack the Lions until either two of the three are killed or incapacitated, or all three hopper bugs are reduced to half their hit points, at which point they will turn tail and fly away.


Using MAC Haulers It is possible, if the troopers repaired one of the abandoned MAC haulers, they will be aboard this vehicle when the hopper bugs attack. If this is the case then Games Masters are advised to familiarise themselves with the rules concerning vehicles detailed in Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game. It is also possible that this encounter may develop into a chase, as the Lions attempt to outrun the hopper bugs in an attempt to conserve ammunition, avoid unnecessary danger or any number of other reasons. It is therefore suggested that Games Masters keep the following points in mind; 9 Why is the chase happening and what would cause it to conclude? 9 How fast are the participants in the chase travelling? 9 How far apart are the participants in the chase? 9 Have the Lions kept control of their vehicle? When running a chase, Games Masters should remember to maintain the fast and dangerous nature of such an encounter, omitting or streamlining any rules they feel detract from this as necessary.

Continuing their journey to the SICON system monitoring station, the Lions could encounter several small clusters of warrior, worker or hopper bugs, each group attracted by the movement of the Lions. If the squad have managed to salvage a MAC hauler from the storage yard, these encounters are not likely to prove too much of a challenge for them, especially as none of the Arachnids on the moon are being co-ordinated into the brutally effective killing machines

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When the Lions reach the canyon edge, read the following section aloud to the players; In the shadow of ‘the Teeth’, the Kakawi Bridge hangs in ruins and though some sections of the structure remain intact, they sway treacherously with each frigid blast of wind that moans through the Kwan Fissure like Death itself. Then, as if at the wind’s request, a plasma bug stomps into view on the far side of the vacuous chasm. Shuffling into position, the plasma bug’s enormous thorax begins to swell and glow as it generates its destructive payload.

they are known to be. Remember, persistent bug attacks will gradually take their toll on the rusting MAC truck.

THE KWAN FISSURE With the SSMS almost within their reach, the Lions’ final obstacle before reaching their destination comes in the crossing of the Kwan Fissure, a massive canyon that scars the face of Selvache’s third moon. Read the following section aloud to the players; The distant Kwanyarna Mountain range now looms like a slumbering behemoth before you, dominating the horizon for as far as you can see. Even at this distance you can make out the spindly silhouettes of the antennae arrays positioned high amidst the mountains’ craggy peaks. Far below the questing heights of the mountains, like the titanic moat of some ancient castle, the Kwan Fissure yawns wide, plunging as deep as the mountains they defend are high. As you move ever closer, the great support pylons of the Kakawi Bridge loom into view, shouldered on either side by the ‘Devil’s Teeth’, a series of massive stalagmite-like geological phenomena, that line this part of the fissure. The pass is still some 2,000 feet away but have the players make a Perception check (DC 18) to spot that the giant suspension bridge seems to be lacking one important feature; any cables. The DC of this check falls by one for every 100 feet closer the Lions move towards the bridge until they are 200 feet away, at which point the damage to the bridge becomes clear to all.

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The giant bug shuffles its hind quarters in preparation to fire its destructive plasma bursts over the canyon. The plasma bug fires a ball of super-heated plasma once every 30 seconds (five rounds). Games Masters should be aware that the plasma bug’s presence here is to provide a sense of urgency to the troopers’ crossing, not to kill them out of hand. Have near misses rock the ground violently, causing a shower of dust and debris, rather than pulverising the Lions. The Lions have a number of options available to them in order to cross the Kwan Fissure, a few of which are detailed here.

Crossing on Foot The Lions may decide to make their way across the fissure by navigating the few intact sections of the bridge that remain in place. However, the remnants of the bridge sway violently, buffeted by the savage wind that howls through the cavernous valley below. Crossing the Kakawi Bridge on foot requires a series of five Athletics checks (DC 20). This DC may seem high for such a task, but Games Masters are reminded of the high winds, the constantly shifting surfaces and the +10 bonus to such checks granted to the characters by the moon’s low gravity. Characters who fail any one of these checks by five or more must make an immediate Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to avoid losing their footing completely and plunge the 3,562 feet to the fissure’s mist-shrouded floor. Characters who fail any one of these checks by four or less are caught off-guard by a sudden gust of wind that rocks the bridge or find a section of the bridge they are moving onto to be less than stable. These characters do not fall from the shattered bridge but are unable to make any progress across it that round.

Selvache Safari Jumping the Canyon The Lions may decide to use their jump jets to cross the canyon, but the fissure’s 1,000 foot width will require the expenditure of all of an M-1A4 suit’s jump jet fuel in a single jump, as well as an Athletics check (DC 20). Characters who fail this check by five or more must make an immediate Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to avoid losing their footing completely and plunging the 3,562 feet to the fissure’s mistshrouded floor. Characters who fail this check by four or less are caught off-guard by a sudden gust of wind that rocks the bridge or find the section of the bridge they land on to be less than stable. These characters do not fall from the shattered bridge but are unable to make any progress across it this round. For the trooper carrying Lockwood’s corpse, things are not so simple. His suit’s jump jets will only be able to carry them 500 feet, landing at the centre of the bridge before exhausting their fuel supply, leaving the trooper to continue the passage on foot. The whole crossing requires the burdened trooper to make three consecutive Athletics checks (DC 20) to complete the journey over what remains of the Kakawi Bridge. A trooper who fails any one of these checks by five or more must make an immediate Reflex saving throw (DC 20 if they attempt to keep hold of Lockwood’s body, DC 15 if they let it fall) to avoid falling into the Kwan Fissure.

Failing either of these checks by five or more causes the hauler to land precariously on the far side of the fissure, its rear half teetering on the edge of the precipice. The Lions will have just enough time to vacate the truck before it lurches once, as the ground beneath it gives way, and plummets into the crevasse. Failing any one of these checks by four or less causes the MAC hauler to make the jump but the heavy landing causes the hauler to suffer an additional 1d6 points of damage to each of the vehicle’s locations, including its passengers. No form of damage reduction applies against this damage.

Making a New Bridge Lining both edges of the Kwan Fissure are the Devil’s Teeth, a series of towering and jagged obelisks. The Lions may choose to topple one of these strange geological features to use as a bridge over the canyon. Of the numerous teeth, there is only one of the stalagmitelike monoliths tall enough to bridge the chasm successfully, a particularly spindly tooth, with a hardness of 5 and 200 hit points. Thankfully, the Lions will only have to cause 100 hit points worth of damage to the base of the edifice to make it topple. A few rounds of Morita fire or a couple of wellplaced plasma bursts should be enough to send the ancient stone tower crashing to the ground, creating an impromptu

Jumping the MAC Hauler If they have one, the Lions may decide to accelerate towards the gap at full speed in the MAC hauler in the hope of clearing the canyon and making it to the other side. Strictly speaking, this would almost certainly not succeed, even if the moon’s low gravity is taken into account. However, such a daring stunt is the stuff of legends and could prove a memorable tale for troopers to share in the future and Games Masters may choose to forgo the laws of physics in favour of cinematic flair. If the Drive check to control the MAC hauler at full speed fails as the vehicle approaches the fissure, then the vehicle’s driver manages to skid the truck to a halt at the edge of the canyon. Jumping the MAC hauler across the Kwan Fissure will require the vehicle to be travelling at full speed before it reaches the canyon edge and two Drive checks (DC 15), one to make the jump, the other to land the hauler safely. Such rough treatment of the hauler will cause 1d6 points of damage to each of the vehicle’s locations, including its passengers. No form of damage reduction applies against this damage.


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bridge across the Kwan Fissure; now all that is left to do is to walk across it.

THE PLASMA BUG Having made it across the Kwan Fissure, the Lions come face-to-face with the plasma bug that has been bombarding them with plasma fire. The enormous Arachnid realigns itself to continue its assault on the Lions. Read the following section aloud to the players; The ground on the far side of the canyon shudders violently, small stones leaping from the surface like Mexican jumping beans, as the gigantic plasma bug moves to continue its attack. With the system monitoring station almost within sight, your journey to reach it will end abruptly if this Arachnid behemoth manages to land the one lucky shot that will have you all buying the farm. The Lions do not have enough ammunition to take the plasma bug down, even if they could survive long enough to fire it all. Instead the troopers will have to fight smart. The Lions could flee, trusting to the fact that they can safely outrun the alien insect, however, it will not take the plasma bug long to catch up with the Lions, especially once they reach the SSMS, where the massive bug will happily begin pounding the station into oblivion with an incessant barrage of plasma. The Lions could try to aim for the bug’s plasma-generating thorax as it prepares to unleash its plasma burst, a potentially dangerous plan, if a guaranteed success. Due to the size of the creature’s thorax, targeting it specifically grants a –2 bonus to attack rolls to hit it, while puncturing this section of the bug’s body requires the troopers to deal 50 points of damage to the creature. The resultant explosion of the Arachnid’s plasma-generating hindquarters kills the insectoid and deals 4d10 points of damage to everything in a 30 foot radius of the creature. A Reflex saving throw (DC 20) may be attempted to reduce any damage dealt by the exploding bug by half. Alternatively, with the plasma bug being so close to the Devil’s Teeth, the Lions may opt to bring one of the ancient stone monoliths down on top of the gigantic bug. Each of the Devil’s Teeth has a hardness of 5 and 200 hit points. The troopers need to deal at least 100 hit points worth of

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damage to a single stone edifice to cause it to fall. As the stone spire falls, it breaks into five Huge pieces, the first of which deals 20d4 points of damage, the second piece deals 16d4 points of damage, the third piece deals 12d4 points of damage, the fourth piece deals 8d4 points of damage and the final piece deals 4d4 points of damage. A Reflex saving throw (DC 15) can be attempted by anyone within ten feet of the plasma bug to reduce the damage of any piece falling on them by half. Though this alone is unlikely to kill the massive alien insect, it is unlikely to be able to withstand more than three such barrages. If it is still operational, it may also be possible for the Lions to ram the MAC hauler into the gigantic plasma bug, Games Masters should consult the rules concerning the collision and ramming of vehicle detailed in Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game. When and however the plasma bug is dealt with, read the following section aloud to the players; With the dust of your fracas slowly settling behind you, what is left of Lockwood’s Lions presses on towards the system monitoring station, now almost visible in the distance. For the first time since you arrived here you allow yourself to hope that you may actually leave.

The Lions' Roar

THE LIONS’ ROAR The Lions have reached the SICON system monitoring station, but things are not as they should be. The prefab alloy panels of the station’s outer wall are pitted and scored by bug claws, while the gates into the courtyard lie buckled on the ground. Read the following section aloud to the players; Your last few steps towards the system monitoring station cause your heart to sink. The prefabricated walls of the outer compound bear the scars of recent action, slashed, dented and scorched in innumerable places; nonetheless, they remain standing. The gates, however, are not so fortunate… The reinforced titanium alloy gates, capable of withstanding anything but the most determined of assaults, now lie buckled and broken in the entranceway they once barred.

Beyond the gateway, a small courtyard is littered with the refuse of battle. A few overturned supply crates provided only minimal cover to Sergeant Webb and the four troopers under his command, whose dismembered corpses lie amongst them, a testament to the ferocity of the bug’s attack. Around the station’s main entrance, the doors of which now lurch back and forth, caught in the indecision of whether to remain open or closed, stands a barricade of bug corpses. Each abstract, alien form is riddled with the hallmarks of concentrated firepower, their luminous green blood slowly congealing as it seeks out the tarmac below.

WARM WELCOME! Have the players make a Perception check (DC 10) to spot the cause of the carnage around the station’s main entrance. Just beyond the installation’s jerking outer doors, concealed in the shadows of the blacked out building, stands a ‘Medusa’ automated defence emplacement (ADE), its rotary barrels tracking endlessly back and forth across the courtyard. Set to motion detector mode, the ADE scours the area for its next target.

Medusa Automated Defence Emplacement A common, if dated automated defence emplacement, the AW-212 Medusa DE regularly sees service at facilities not equipped with heavier mounted weaponry, such as the Twin 50 autocannon, to maintain secure perimeters. The Medusa is a stationary mounted weapon fitted with only the most basic of IFF protocols and AI systems, though is capable of scanning visual, infrared and ultraviolet spectrums with its integrated motion and thermal detectors and multiple target acquisition software. Each of these integral features is designed to reduce instances of friendly fire, though it is a rare trooper that trusts entirely to this weapon’s AI, choosing instead to simply set the gun to seek out moving targets before clearing the area as soon as possible.


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Medusa Automated Defence Emplacement Weapon AW-212 ‘Medusa’ Defence Emplacement

Type Mounted

Damage 4d8

Crit. 20

The Medusa has a base attack bonus of +10, a Perception skill bonus of +10 and a +8 Initiative bonus. The drone gun also has a hardness of 10 and 10 hit points. When the Lions encounter this particular ADE it has only 30 rounds of ammunition left. Getting past the Medusa will not be easy, especially if the Lions are impatient. The drone gun only has enough ammunition to make three attacks, but it will attack anything that crosses its field of fire. As a result, deactivating or overriding the automated defence emplacement will be almost impossible, as all of its controls are mounted at the rear of the weapon. Should one of the Lions manage to make it to the controls it will require a Computer Use or Sabotage check (DC 15). Once the Medusa is silenced, read the following section aloud to the players; The drone gun’s gears and motors fall silent as they cease the weapon’s relentless scouring of the courtyard. With the Medusa now deactivated, you are free to step up to the installation’s main entrance. A knife blade of pale light cuts the darkness of the room beyond in two as, despite your better judgement, you enter the station’s eerie shadows.

INTO THE DARK Inside, the SSMS is almost completely powered down. Running on emergency power the station is lit only by the pale blue glow of floor level emergency strip lighting, so the station is considered a shadowy, low-light environment and will require some form of low-light vision to traverse safely. The key to running this part of the adventure is suspense. Games Masters should have the players make a Perception check every now and again, even if there is nothing to see or hear, or have them hear an unusual sound, like a metallic thud, low whimper or mysterious scratching from somewhere deeper inside the station. Games Masters should feel free to add in as many details as they like to keep the players on their toes, from a bloody smear on the wall or floor leading to nothing to a sudden shower of electrical sparks from a shredded console. Almost everybody will have seen a film that has made them jump and Games Masters should draw inspiration from these to keep their players’ hearts pounding.

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Range/ Spaces 90 ft./18

Burst Y

RoF A

Mag. 300

Size Huge

Weight 97 lb.

Once inside the station the search is on to locate the armoury or the power cell containment, the two most likely locations in which to find replacement power cells for the troopers’ M-1A4 power suits, which by now are almost completely drained. The Lions will also need to find the stations communications equipment, repair the transmission relay exchange unit and power up the station.

Ground Floor Main Airlock (G1) Situated beyond the outer doors, the main airlock is used to access the station from outside. Large enough to accommodate up to ten people, the airlock grants direct access to both the medical bay (G2) and the ground floor storage facilities (G3). With the windowless doors of the airlock sealed, the automated environment controls begin pumping breathable atmosphere and decontaminants into the room through hundreds of vents concealed in the surgical white walls. Once this process is complete and with the heavy grinding of gears, the inner doors to the SSMS unseal themselves with a sigh. Once the troopers have cycled the airlock it is possible for them to move through the rest of the station without their M-1A4 power suits. It will take the Lions one minute to remove their power suits; putting the armour back on again later will also take the same amount of time. Troopers not wearing their power suits will not have access to the helmet’s integrated light-enhancement systems or lamp needed to navigate the low-light conditions of the station safely.

Medical Bay (G2) The medical bay is the only location in the powerless station that is fully lit by the emergency power systems. The medical bay has five recuperation beds, one of which appears to have been transformed into a makeshift surgery for the dead trooper lying on it. Impaled by a bug mandible, the trooper’s blood mixes with the green regenerative fluids of the room’s shattered suspension tank that now cover the floor. Much of the medical bay’s supplies appear to have already been used, their discarded packaging scattered amid the overlooked medicines and bandages littering the room. Whoever cleared the room was obviously in a hurry and not

The Lions' Roar

GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

BASEMENT SUB-BASEMENT


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particularly thorough – two first aid kits and one medical kit can be turned up with an Investigate check (DC 10).

projector screens and emergency cooling vents, providing energy for each and every one of the facility’s communications, sensors, life support and computer systems.

Ground Floor Storage Bay (G3) Filled with towering piles of battered crates, each containing supplies and equipment not immediately of use, but essential to the station’s operation, the ground floor storage bay holds everything from parts, components and tools to excess food and clothes. The ground floor storage bay has been subdivided to include both a basic repair workshop (G4) and an armoury (G5). The storage facilities are also home to the station’s freight elevator. Used to move the large supply crates to the storage facilities on the lower floors, the elevator is capable of taking great weights quickly to the pantry (B5) and the subbasement storage bay (S1).

Repair Workshop (G4) Little more than a prefabricated shed erected against the far wall of the ground floor storage bay (G3), the repair workshop has a lone workbench, littered with odd fixings and metal shavings and enough tools to constitute a basic mechanical toolkit. A pair of flashlights with enough power to cast light up to 30 feet and over a 20 foot area, the flashlights’ power cells will only last for 30 minutes before their effectiveness is reduced by half. At the end of an hour the flashlights’ power cells fail completely.

Armoury (G5) Like the repair workshop (G4), the makeshift armoury is a prefabricated shed, however, the armoury has a simple electronic lock on its insubstantial door. The lock requires a Sabotage check (DC 20) to open, while the door can be broken down relatively easily with a Strength check (DC 13). The armoury contains two belts of ammunition (600 rounds) for the AW-212 Medusa defence emplacement, ten magazines of standard issue assault rifle ammunition (300 rounds), ten magazines of Peacemaker ammunition (150 rounds), three TW-102-s Peacemaker pistols, two cases of ten M-902F fragmentation grenades, a case of ten M-909S fog grenades, one Triple GL, one Hel flamer with one spare fuel canister and two drained power cells.

Main Power Core (G6) The system monitoring station’s main power core is the heart of the facility. Traversing all four floors, the power core is a massive cylindrical tower covered in access hatches, unlit

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Encircled on every level by grated gantries and stairways allowing access to the other areas of the station, the power core rises out of an enormous bore hole that reaches deep into the Selvache moon’s crust. In the dark depths at the base of the borehole, the core transfers the moon’s geothermal energy into the power needed to run the station above. Like all other areas, the primary power core is lit only by the eerie blue glow of the station’s emergency lighting.

Troopers’ Quarters (G7 & G8) Each of these quarters are made up of a cluster of five smaller rooms, all of which are dark, despite the station’s emergency lighting. Each of the quarters’ individual rooms has two bunks, all fitted with a small reading lamp, a hypnopedia unit and a small storage locker, but otherwise the rooms are devoid of any personal possessions.

Environmental Systems (G9) Responsible for the life support functions of the station, these systems are located between the internal and external walls of the SSMS’s ground floor. This area is an extremely cramped maze of oxygen and water reclamation and conversion machinery used to maintain a habitable environment for the occupants of the facility. Squeezing through the tight confines of the station’s environmental systems requires an Escape Artist check (DC 30 if in power suit, DC 20 otherwise) for each round of movement.

Basement Recreation Room (B1) A good-sized lounge area to one end of the room is lined with a ring of padded couches at the centre of which stands a low table scattered with discarded data-discs. A large projector screen at the other end of the room still plays an episode of Space Rangers Against the Galaxy quietly to the collection of gym equipment gathered around the screen.

Executive Quarters (B2) A cluster of four smaller rooms, these quarters are assigned to the four lead technicians stationed at the SSMS. Larger than those quarters assigned to either the troopers or the other technicians here, these rooms are equally dim and contain only one bed each, these quarters also contain a larger storage locker and a small desk, many of which are home to a databox and numerous data-discs.

The Lions' Roar The second room on the left (B2a) is not empty, however. As the Lions open the door to the room a wild spray of automatic fire issues forth from the room’s shadows, heralded by a terrified cry. Inside, Doctor Edward Winston, the station’s only survivor, cowers behind his overturned bunk cradling a TW-203-a assault rifle. The dishevelled doctor has not slept in the three days since the bugs came and is almost completely traumatised by the recent events at the Selvache station. With a Persuasion check (DC 10) he can be convinced to lower his weapon, but will not relinquish it unless it is forcibly taken from him. The doctor will be pleased to see what he assumes are his rescuers and will be keen to leave the station immediately. Once he is told or discovers that the Lions are not here to take him home he will begin to frantically bewail their situation, exclaiming that they are all doomed to die in the darkness.

Technicians’ Quarters (B3) Almost identical to the trooper’s quarters (G7 and G8) described on pg. 20.

The Good Doctor Doctor Edward Winston is suffering from the effects of mental trauma, brought on by the Arachnid attack on the isolated monitoring station and is now considered shaken. He will be calmed by the presence of the Lions, explaining how he sabotaged the station’s transmission relay exchange unit in the sub-basement to halt the bug’s assault. Doctor Winston believes most vehemently that the magnetic pulse waves generated by the station’s sensor grid enraged the Arachnids causing them to target the facility and its occupants. He does not know, however, when the bugs arrived in the Selvache system, but an anomalous signal passing through the sensor grid just over a week ago may provide the key to the mystery. Unfortunately, Doctor Winston is too afraid of inviting another bug attack to power up the station’s systems to confirm this. If the Lions do not heed the doctor’s warning and repair the transmission relay exchange unit and power up the station’s communications systems anyway, the doctor will attempt to slip away at the first available opportunity to sabotage the Lions’ plans and save them all from a grisly death.

Mess Hall (B4) The hall is in ruins, the tables and chairs lie scattered here and there along with the corpses of two dead technicians and a lone trooper, each broken body an indication of the speed and brutality of the bug attack. The rear quarter of the mess hall is given over to the kitchen and food preparation area. Pots and pans, cutlery and crockery have all been tossed to and fro in the kitchen area and smears of blood mar its otherwise pristine stainless steel surfaces. As the Player Characters enter the mess hall have them make a Perception check (DC 10) to spot the reflected movement in the kitchen’s gleaming appliances and hear an unusual clicking and slurping sound. Behind the kitchen’s serving counter a lone warrior bug makes a meal of a third technician. If the Lions have approached stealthily then they will have the drop on the fearsome Arachnid and gain a surprise round. If the troopers have blundered into the room or have Doctor Winston with them (who will let out a stifled shriek at the noise) then the terrifying insect will rear up screeching, distracted from its meal, to attack.


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Pantry (B5)

Transmission Relay Exchange Unit (S4)

A large walk-in closet stacked with all manner of canned, processed and freeze-dried foodstuffs. Only marginally better than SICON field rations, there is still enough food here to last over a month.

Situated at the mid point of the rough-hewn access tunnel leading the 600 feet to the main emitter arrays, the transmission relay exchange unit manages the flow of data from the countless dishes, antennae and aerials located amid the peaks of the Kwanyarna Mountains to the monitoring station’s control centre. The cramped tunnel walls are lined with thick bundles of multi-coloured wires, all necessary to pass raw data from one point to another.

Sub-Basement Sub-Basement Storage Bay (S1) Smaller than the ground floor storage facilities (G3), the sub-basement storage bay is still packed tight with battered crates of parts, components and tools for the power core and its control systems. A lone cliff mite has been trapped in the bay by one of the station’s staff shortly before they were all wiped out. Have the troopers make a Perception check (DC 12) to make out the creature’s soft scuttling. Those who succeed this check will not be caught flat-footed when the vicious little insect leaps from the darkened room to attack.

Power Cell Containment (S2) This small armoured room contains a dozen power cells used to power many every day items, from vehicles and power suits to flashlights and databoxes. The power cells in each of the Lions’ power suits can be replaced with a Repair check (DC 5) in only a few seconds. The power cell containment unit also contains a charging bay and each of the drained power cells can be charged, drained and recharged countless times in its operational lifespan. Power cells are stored in armoured containment units in the event that a cell overloads, discharging all its energy at once. While a single cell overloading is unlikely to cause much damage, several cells overloading at once can prove highly destructive. While these containment units are not designed to contain a large-scale explosion, they can significantly reduce the likelihood of deaths and severe damage caused by an overload and while such instances are rare, they are not unknown.

Secondary Airlock (S3) This small airlock seals the entrance into the access tunnel leading to the station’s main emitter arrays and contains a single encounter suit for any technician conducting maintenance work on the transmission relay exchange unit (S4). The tunnel itself is only wide enough to permit single file traffic.

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The transmission relay exchange unit itself appears to have been slashed by bug claws, not the type of damage Doctor Winston could have inflicted upon the device, yet a warrior bug would be unlikely to fit down the tunnel. A trooper capable of making a Knowledge (alien species) check (DC 30) will be able to identify this damage as being caused by several cliff mites. Repairing the damage to the transmission relay exchange unit will require a series of five Repair checks (DC 15) and characters with five or more ranks in the Technical (electrical) skill gain a +2 synergy bonus to these checks. Once the unit is repaired and power returned to the station the Lions should be able to call for help.

Data Storage & Processing Centre (S5) The data storage and processing centre contains the main data storage matrix and the processing computers for the SSMS. While there are countless other computers throughout the station, this bank of central processors collates all the information stored on these, compacting and refining it before transferring it to the storage matrix. Removing the station’s data storage matrix requires a series of five Computer Use checks (DC 20) and five Technical (electrical) checks (DC 20). The fragile matrix, once removed, weighs 15 pounds and is fitted with a pair of handles for portability. It has a hardness of 10 but only 10 hit points, if the matrix is reduced to zero hit points any data it once contained will be lost permanently. The station’s maintenance computer is also situated here and can undertake a full diagnostic evaluation of the SSMS’s functions, including everything from the state of its computer systems to the integrity of the station’s sensor grid. Performing a full diagnostic sweep requires the station’s power core to have been reactivated and a Computer Use check (DC 10) and will take one hour. The sweep will reveal that the station’s transmission relay exchange unit (S4) has been damaged and that no signal can be sent or received until the unit is repaired.

The Lions' Roar Core Control Room (S6) Monitoring and maintaining the performance of the primary power core, the core control room would normally be manned by two technicians at all times, now, what is left of these unfortunate souls can be found throughout the room, their body parts scattered like chaff amid the blank consoles and machinery of their workplace. Despite the barely functioning power core, the room remains uncomfortably hot. The emergency lighting, now spattered with the blood of the dismembered technicians, paints the room a sickly shade of mauve. The core control room handles the operation of the primary power core, rerouting power throughout the station to maintain maximum energy efficiency. On command the core control room can allocate additional power to the facility’s computer systems, communications and sensor arrays, life support and many other functions of the system monitoring station. Thankfully, most of the control room’s functions are automated, but restoring full power to the station will require a Repair check (DC 15) and a Computer Use check (DC 10).

First Floor Central Control Room (F1)

dim and lifeless. On the other side of the power core, lie the emitter control systems that govern the interstellar transceivers and signal relay receivers. Amid the plethora of scanner and sensor controls is the communications suite, capable of sending and receiving signals in any one of a thousand different frequencies and scanning a thousand more, the suite would make any Mobile Infantry comms technician green with envy.

A CALL FOR HELP When the transmission relay exchange unit has been repaired and power has been restored to the station the Lions can call for help. Once this has been done read the following section aloud to the players; A low, throbbing hum courses through the station, rising from the depths of the power core’s foundations like the growl of some ancient arcane beast. Blinking back to life, the harsh electric glare from the overhead panels replaces the facility’s eerie emergency lighting, scouring the station clean of shadows. Projector screens and monitors, which had so recently been dark, now flicker into life, accompanied by a crescendo of beeps, whistles, clicks and whines, as the Selvache system monitoring station comes back online.

Primarily responsible for providing SICON with the detailed sensor scans of the area of space surrounding the Selvache system, the central control room is the focal point of operations for the Selvache SSMS and the point around which the station’s primary functions are carried out. Dominating the entire first floor of the facility, the whole area is a mass of computers, consoles and projector screens, all situated beneath a reinforced transparent dome. Here the station’s inoperative systems and screens stare back into the glassy eyes of the five dead technicians, each sprawled in a puddle of their own innards spilling from their slashed and torn bodies. Built around the giant central power core, the facility’s sensor monitoring and communications equipment forms a ring around the core. Tied to the countless dishes, antennae, aerials and pylons high in the craggy peaks of the Kwanyarna Mountains, via the transmission relay exchange unit, the station incorporates all spectrum receivers and transceivers capable of scanning virtually anything at incredible ranges. The main sensor grid control systems can be found here and are linked to the emitter arrays high in the peaks of the surrounding mountains. Rows and rows of projector screens that once flickered with a constant stream of data now stand


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THE LIONS’ LAST STAND The Lions have repaired the SICON system monitoring station, but they are not out of the woods yet. As Doctor Winston’s theories concerning the bug’s hatred of the station’s signals are proven to be correct, the Lions will have to fight for their lives as they wait to see if their call for help has been heard. Once the SSMS has been powered up and the Lions have made their distress call, read the following section aloud to the players; As the first words of your emergency transmission are catapulted through space by the station’s advanced communications gear to whoever may be listening, the transparent dome above the central control room darkens. A swarm of close to a hundred hopper bugs blot out the sky as they descend upon the dishes and antennae secured to the perilous heights of the Kwanyarna Mountains. Meanwhile, deep in the bowels of the station, you can hear the dull thud of chitin on metal as the bugs renew their offensive against the facility. With the communications array being buffeted by the assault of the flying Arachnids and bugs burrowing into the station itself you can only hope that someone out there hears your signal before it is cut short. As soon as power returns to the station and it starts to transmit its mayday, a number of things will happen; Doctor Winston will make his attempt to stop the Lions’ transmission (see Sabotage!), the access tunnel in the sub-basement will be stormed by enraged cliff mites (see Tunnel Trouble) and warrior bugs will begin their assault on the facility’s outer walls (see Besieged). Because of the way Arachnid senses work, all of the bugs in this part of the adventure are blinded by the station’s transmissions and therefore the attacking Arachnids cannot see at all and have a 50% chance to miss in combat. Furthermore, the blinded creature has an effective Dexterity of 3, along with a –4 penalty on the use of Strength- and Dexterity-based skills. This –4 penalty also applies to any other skill checks for which the Games Master deems sight to be important. The

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bugs cannot make Perception checks or perform any other activity that requires vision, though Perception checks made to listen are acceptable. The painful pulses of the Lions’ signal have also enraged the attacking Arachnids, allowing them to double the Strength modifier applied to the damage of any successful attacks. Games Masters should remember to adjust the statistics of the Arachnids used in this part of the adventure accordingly.

SABOTAGE! At this point Doctor Winston will slip away, intent on stopping the transmission that will summon not only help, but in time, every Arachnid on Selvache’s third moon. The doctor will head straight to the transmission relay exchange unit as fast as he can, unless he knows that one of the Lions is there, in which case he will head to the core control room. Assuming the doctor makes it to one of

The Lions' Last Stand these locations, it will take him five rounds to cause enough damage to the equipment to cause the station’s transmission to end. Repairing the doctor’s damage will require a Repair check (DC 25) for each piece of equipment that the doctor manages to break. If the Lions have both the transmission relay exchange unit and the core control room covered he will attempt to snatch a weapon and take one of the troopers hostage, threatening to kill him if anyone tries to stop him, as he begins to power down the station from the control centre.

TUNNEL TROUBLE One minute (ten rounds) after the Lions power up the station, 20 cliff mites will surge through the access tunnel towards the station, swarming over anything they encounter along the way. If Doctor Winston is in the tunnel as the cliff mites approach he will, unless the Games Master decides otherwise, perish in a wave of burrowing monsters. Once the cliff mites reach the secondary airlock (S3) they will begin attacking the airlock doors. The doors have a hardness of 10 and 80 hit points. Even so, the cliff mite offensive will breach the airlock doors in ten rounds, allowing them to scurry into the station’s sub-basement and directly attack the power core and its control room. Once the initial wave of 20 cliff mites have entered the station via the secondary airlock, a further five will issue into the sub-basement every minute (ten rounds) unless the Lions are able to plug the breach. A trooper capable of making a Technical (structural) check (DC 30) will be able to construct a suitable barrier to keep any more waves of cliff mites out of the facility, at least until help arrives.

BESIEGED Three minutes (30 rounds) after the station begins transmitting, the first waves of warrior bugs begin to appear at the base of the mountains, scurrying towards the isolated SSMS and intent on putting an end to its blindingly painful signal. The 60 attacking warrior bugs begin the battle 1,000 feet away from the SSMS compound, just inside a TW-203-a’s extreme range of 1,250 feet, with attacks made at this range incurring a –14 penalty for characters without the Far Shot feat and a –12 penalty for those who do. The warrior bugs will sprint into combat as they try to close the range between themselves and their target. Moving at 200 feet per round the bugs should reach the walls of the outer compound at the end of the sixth round of combat.


The range penalties described above fall as the warrior bugs draw nearer as follows; at the end of the second round, ranged attacks made against the bugs at this range suffer a –12 penalty as they close to 800 feet. At the end of the third round, this penalty is reduced to –8 as the Arachnids close to 600 feet. At the end of the fourth round, ranged attacks suffer a –6 penalty to hit, with the bugs only 400 feet away. At the end of the fifth round, with the bugs now a mere 200 feet away from the station’s walls, the penalty to hit them becomes just –2. If the Lions reloaded the Medusa automated defence emplacement with the ammunition from the armoury (G5) then it will keep the courtyard free of any bugs that do manage to get past the troopers, at least until its ammunition belts are depleted, some six minutes (60 rounds) after the first bugs infiltrate the compound. This is the Lions’ last stand as they fight to buy themselves enough time for whatever help might be coming to arrive. All of the surviving Lions’, even the shaken Corporal Austin (if he is still alive), who seems at last to be getting over the effects of Sergeant Lockwood’s death as the desperation of their situation becomes increasingly apparent, knuckle down to the task at hand.

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Games Masters should keep in mind that this story is about the Player Characters and should therefore not concern themselves too much with rolling, round after round, the attacks of the Arachnids against the Non-Player Character Lions, and vice versa. As long as it is well presented, this style of large-scale combat can often be easier, quicker and more fun if the Games Master simply narrates to the players how the other Lions are standing atop the compound’s outer walls spraying the area below with repeated bursts of gunfire and the occasional exultation as the disoriented bugs crash against the station like waves. Games Masters should also milk the tension of this whole combat scene, making sure that players are keeping track of their rapidly depleting ammunition. Have a frenzied warrior bug that has managed to get past one of the Player Characters get taken down by one of their Non-Player Character squadmates that has been watching the character’s back, just as the savage insect closes for the kill. Corporal Austin (if he is still alive) is a good candidate for such heroics. If the players are looking worried yet exhilarated, then the Games Master is doing everything right. As the Lions’ ammunition is all but depleted, read the following section aloud to the players; As the digital ammunition counter on the side of your rifle plummets towards zero a roar of thrusters and heavy machine gun fire drowns out the deafening rattle of gunfire and the ear-splitting screeches of the hordes of warrior bugs that fall to the massed firepower of the approaching Skyhook retrieval boat. The transport shudders violently, hammered by the strong and unpredictable winds that sweep through the mountains’ peaks. ‘This is Ensign Jones, I’m in the pipe and everything is five-by-five. I heard you boys could use a ride!’ Despite the strain of controlling the bucking Skyhook, Ensign Bethany Jones’ voice has never sounded so sweet as she announces her arrival over your helmet’s intercom system. Setting her Skyhook retrieval boat down within the tight confines of the compound’s small courtyard is a true feat, made all the more impressive by that amount of debris and refuse that litters the area in the wake of the Arachnid’s attack. Without a backwards glance, you head straight to the Skyhook’s waiting hatch. If the Lions managed to disable or kill the plasma bug at the Kwan Fissure (pg. 14), then the onslaught of the warrior

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bugs will be all that will concern the Lions here. If the squad fled the gigantic walking artillery piece, then it will arrive now, much to Ensign Jones’ horror. She will be unable to take off until the creature is dealt with and any attempt to escape the creature’s plasma fire as the retrieval boat heads for orbit will make for a bumpy, if not fatal, ride. Ensign Jones will only be able to wait for five rounds before the retrieval boat itself is placed in danger. Two rounds before she takes off she will announce over the Lions’ intercoms that she will be leaving in ten seconds. Any trooper not on the retrieval boat by the end of the fifth round will be left behind. Games Masters should be lenient with this, if a trooper has made every effort to reach the retrieval boat in time and would make it there in the next round, then Ensign Jones will wait the extra few seconds for them. However, she will not endanger herself, the retrieval boat or her passengers waiting for troopers to play hero. Any Player Character who finds themselves out of ammunition and facing an angry bug as they make their way to the retrieval boat is saved from certain death by the swift intervention of Corporal Austin (if he is still alive, Rowluni if he is not and Bailey if Rowluni has also not survived) who takes his attention off of his own fire zone to defend the doomed character. Doing so proves a fatal mistake, however, as a nearby bug takes the opportunity granted by the trooper’s heroic gesture to skewer them with its vicious

The Lions' Last Stand claws. The fallen saviour manages to croak out the words ‘Go, now!’ before collapsing to the floor beneath the tide of onrushing warrior bugs. Once the five rounds that Ensign Jones can wait are up, read the following section aloud to the players whose characters made it to the retrieval boat in time; Only moments after Ensign Jones lifts off from the moon’s surface do the Arachnid forces mange to swarm over the SSMS compound. With the facility falling away beneath you, the bugs breach the primary power core; shielding your eyes from the glare of the resultant, all-consuming explosion, you cannot help but remind yourself that, despite everything, this has been another glorious day in the Mobile Infantry. The Mobile Infantry, where every meal is a banquet, every pay cheque a fortune and every mission an adventure!

HOME SWEET HOME When Ensign Jones lands the retrieval boat back onboard the TFCT Chancellorsville there is no grand celebration or pomp and ceremony of any kind, simply a stern looking lieutenant with the words ‘Good work troopers, I’ll expect your reports on my desk by 0800 hours.’ With that the officer turns on his heels and leaves the Lions with a few hours sack time.

REWARDS With The Selvache Incident closed, award each player with 1,500 experience points. If Sergeant Lockwood’s body returned to the Chancellorsville with the Lions, then award each of them an additional 125 experience points. If Doctor Winston survived to return to the Chancellorsville with the Lions, then award each of them an additional 125 experience points. If the Lions retrieved the SSMS’s data storage matrix then award each of them an additional 250 experience points. Commendations will be awarded to the each of the Lions if they managed to destroy the plasma bug at the Kwan Fissure, if all of the Lions, bar Sergeant Lockwood, survived to return to the Chancellorsville and if Doctor Winston returns to the Chancellorsville alive and unharmed. An additional citation may be awarded to any individual Player Character who assumed the leadership of the Lions in the wake of Sergeant Lockwood’s demise and Corporal Austin’s ‘lapse of judgement’. Wounded Lion honours will be posthumously awarded to any members of the squad who died during the The Selvache Incident.

From: Captain Hayward, 4th Battalion, 2nd Regiment, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, IIIrd Army To: Lockwood’s Lions, 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon, 4th Company, 4th Battalion, 2nd Regiment, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, IIIrd Army Re: The Selvache Incident Troopers, Due to the recent discovery of Arachnids in the Selvache system, SICON has determined that the system monitoring facilities there are lost to these alien aggressors and have moved the station’s operations to neighbouring systems. Careful review of your reports, coupled with analysis of the data storage matrix retrieved from the Selvache SSMS have raised the possibility of other planets and systems, previously thought free of Arachnid occupation, may also have been infiltrated. This analysis has also revealed that the moon may have been infested for some time before any Arachnid presence was properly detected and that Doctor Winston’s theories concerning the effects of the station’s sensor and communications arrays may well have been correct. All of this is of grave concern I’m sure you will agree, especially as SICON presses on with the Road to Victory campaign. With this in mind I have already made recommendations to high command, with special reference made to the proposed full-scale assault of the Selvache system. On a less positive note, I have to inform you that, in the wake of Sergeant Lockwood’s death, Lockwood’s Lions are to be disbanded and reassigned to other squads in your platoon. See your platoon commander for your individual assignments. Good Work.


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LOCKWOOD’S LIONS SERGEANT AARON LOCKWOOD Sergeant Aaron Lockwood is clean-shaven man in his early forties. His short, dark brown hair is kept close-cropped with military precision. His deep hazel eyes have a piercing quality that coupled with his broad frame and towering stature, ensure that he can be an incredibly imposing sight. Lockwood’s two watchwords are ‘efficiency’ and ‘decision’, making him an excellent sergeant for his squad. A combat veteran of both Operation: Pest Control and the second Pluto campaign, Sergeant Lockwood is a shining example to those around him: a capable trooper and respected officer.

CORPORAL BENJAMIN AUSTIN Corporal Benjamin Austin is an excitable trooper, only newly appointed to the role of corporal. A veteran of the second Pluto campaign, where he earned his field promotion, Austin has yet to experience actual field command. Despite having the respect of the other Lions, he is considered to be somewhat of an armchair general, knowing everything about how a battle should be fought, but nothing about actually fighting it. In his late twenties, Austin’s short, spiky brown hair is already thinning around his temples and he wears a short goatee.

Cpl. Austin, Benjamin MI22-47 Sgt. Lockwood, Aaron MI61-73 Mobile Infantry trooper 3; hp: 14; Init: +4; Spd: 35 ft.; DV: 23; DR: 4; BAB/Grp: +3/+5 (+7 in armour); Atk: Morita TW-203-a +6 ranged or TW-102-s +6 ranged or combat knife +6 melee; Full Atk: Morita TW-203-a +6 ranged or TW-102-s +6 ranged or combat knife +6 melee; Dmg: Morita TW-203-a 2d8+2 or TW-102-s 2d6+2 or combat knife 1d4+2, 19–20/x2; Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1); SA: –; SQ: Basic Training, Battle Hardened (saving throws), Fearless (warrior bug), Hard-Hitting, On The Bounce!; SV: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +3; Str 14 (18 in armour), Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 16; Skills & Feats: Acrobatics +4 (+1 in armour), Athletics +6, Computer Use +3, Drive +4, Investigate +3, Knowledge (alien species) +5, Knowledge (tactics) +5, Perception +7, Persuasion +6, Repair +5, Stealth +6 (+3 in armour), Survival +5; Alertness, Confident, Knockout Punch, Language (SICON), Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw; Prestige: +2 Equipment: Field rations (1), canteen (2), three magazines (90 rounds), combat knife, Brunham TW-102-s ‘Peacemaker’ pistol, Morita TW-203-a assault rifle, M-1C8 power suit, combat belt, lizard line

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Mobile Infantry trooper 2; hp: 11; Init: +4; Spd: 35 ft.; DV: 23; DR: 4; BAB/Grp: +2/+3 (+5 in armour); Atk: Morita TW-203-a +5 ranged or TW-102-s +5 ranged or combat knife +4 melee; Full Atk: Morita TW-203-a +5 ranged or TW-102-s +5 ranged or combat knife +4 melee; Dmg: Morita TW-203-a 2d8+2 or TW-102-s 2d6+2 or combat knife 1d4+1, 19–20/x2; Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1); SA: –; SQ: Basic Training, Fearless (Skinny raider), Hard-Hitting, On The Bounce!; SV: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +0; Str 13 (17 in armour), Dex 14, Con 9, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 10; Skills & Feats: Acrobatics +4 (+1 in armour), Athletics +4, Computer Use +5, Drive +7, Knowledge (alien species) +3, Knowledge (tactics) +6, Perception +2, Repair +3, Stealth +4 (+1 in armour), Survival +3; Beat Feet, Disengage, Dodge, Language (SICON), Surface Vehicle Operation; Prestige: +1 Equipment: Field rations (1), canteen (2), three magazines (90 rounds), combat knife, Brunham TW-102-s ‘Peacemaker’ pistol, Morita TW-203-a assault rifle, M-1A4 power suit, combat belt, lizard line

Lockwood's Lions

PRIVATE KINIKKI ROWLUNI (A.K.A. LOON) Private Kinikki Rowluni stands a towering six feet, ten inches and is built like a MAC hauler. The massive trooper has earned the nickname ‘Loon’, partly from the shortening of his surname, but more aptly from the fact that, no matter the situation, he has a wide smile permanently fixed on his face. A competition shockboxer in his youth, Private Rowluni still practises ringcraft whenever he gets the opportunity. The irrepressibly upbeat Rowluni keeps the fine black hair that crowns his Fijian features in a set of tight braids.

Pvt. Rowluni, Kinikki MI85-14 Mobile Infantry trooper 1; hp: 16; Init: +3; Spd: 35 ft.; DV: 21; DR: 4; BAB/Grp: +1/+5 (+7 in armour); Atk: Morita TW203-a +3 ranged or TW-102-s +3 ranged or combat knife +6 melee; Full Atk: Morita TW-203-a +3 ranged or TW-102-s +3 ranged or combat knife +6 melee; Dmg: Morita TW-203-a 2d8+1 or TW-102-s 2d6+1 or combat knife 1d4+4, 19–20/ x2; Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1); SA: –; SQ: Basic Training, On The Bounce!; SV: Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 18 (22 in armour), Dex 12, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 14; Skills & Feats: Acrobatics +3, Athletics +6, Computer Use +2, Drive +2, Knowledge (alien species) +2, Knowledge (tactics) +2, Perception +3, Stealth +2 (–1 in armour), Survival +2; Brawl, Iron Will, Physical Adept; Prestige: +1 Equipment: Field rations (1), canteen (2), three magazines (90 rounds), combat knife, Brunham TW-102-s ‘Peacemaker’ pistol, Morita TW-203-a assault rifle, M-1A4 power suit, combat belt, lizard line

PRIVATE IAIN BAILEY (A.K.A. WIZARD) Despite scoring highly in psychic testing during his school years, Private Iain Bailey’s talent proved too unreliable to make him suitable for a position within the Special Services. Slight, short and wirey, Bailey does have a talent for sleight of hand and prestidigitation, earning him the nickname of ‘Wizard’ amongst his squadmates. Bailey is quick to smile and is a fun-loving rebelious sort, but when there is a job to be done he is more than capable of focusing on the task at hand.


Pvt. Bailey, Iain MI99-54 Mobile Infantry trooper 1; hp: 9; Init: +4; Spd: 35 ft.; DV: 22; DR: 4; BAB/Grp: +1/+0 (+2 in armour); Atk: Morita TW203-a +4 ranged or TW-102-s +4 ranged or combat knife +2 melee; Full Atk: Morita TW-203-a +4 ranged or TW-102-s +4 ranged or combat knife +2 melee; Dmg: Morita TW-203-a 2d8+2 or TW-102-s 2d6+2 or combat knife 1d4, 19–20/x2; Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1); SA: –; SQ: Basic Training, On The Bounce!; SV: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4; Str 11 (15 in armour), Dex 15, Con 9, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 9; Skills & Feats: Athletics +2, Computer Use +7, Drive +4, Knowledge (alien species) +9, Knowledge (behavioural sciences) +6, Knowledge (tactics) +7, Perception +6, Sleight of Hand +3, Stealth +4 (+1 in armour), Survival +5; Educated (Knowledge (alien species) & Knowledge (behavioural sciences)), Iron Will, Language (Latin-Based), Language (physical), Language (SICON), Psychic Talent; Prestige: +1 Equipment: Field rations (1), canteen (2), three magazines (90 rounds), combat knife, Brunham TW-102-s ‘Peacemaker’ pistol, Morita TW-203-a assault rifle, M-1A4 power suit, combat belt, lizard line

DOCTOR EDWARD WINSTON Doctor Winston’s torn and blood-spattered white lab coat does nothing to hide the man’s tall, spindly and middleaged frame. His large owl-like eyes, widened with the horror of the last few days are further enlarged, to almost comical proportions, by the thick glasses that adorn his gaunt, pale face now shaded around the chin with a thick layer of stubble. The doctor’s greying dark hair, like the rest of him, is grubby and unkempt, not surprisingly after his three sleepless nights cowering in his quarters.

Dr. Winston, Edward Civilian 3; hp: 9; Init: +1; Spd: 30 ft.; DV: 13; DR: –; BAB/ Grp: +1/+; Atk: Morita TW-203-a +2 ranged; Full Atk: Morita TW-203-a +2 ranged; Dmg: Morita TW-203-a 2d8+2; Space/ Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1); SA: –; SQ: Background (technician/ scientists), Expertise (Persuasion), Motivated (+1 bonus to Fort saves), Ubiquitous; SV: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will –1; Str 9, Dex 12, Con 8, Int 16, Wis 4, Cha 15; Skills & Feats: Computer Use +10, Concentration +1, Demolitions +4, Escape Artist +7, Knowledge (physical sciences) +7, Knowledge (technology) +12, Perception –1, Persuasion +10, Repair +5, Sabotage +5, Survival –1, Technical (electrical) –1; Confident, Educated (Knowledge (physical sciences) & Knowledge (technology)), Endurance, Language (Latin-Based), Language (Slavic), Language (Germanic); Prestige: +1 Equipment: Morita TW-203-a assault rifle, basic electrical toolkit, portable databox

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THE ARACHNIDS CLIFF MITE Cliff mites are often used as sentries and advance scouts due to their small size. These insects are somewhat crab-like in appearance and posses a vicious pair of mandibles capable of slicing through even hardened steel. When a cliff mite attacks an inanimate object as a full-round action it ignores half of the objects hardness.

Cliff Mite Tiny Alien Beast; HD: 1d10 (10 hp); Init: +5; Spd: 20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 20 ft. (4 squares); DV: 19; BAB/Grp: +1/+8; Atk: Bite +6 melee; Full Atk: Bite +6 melee; Dmg: Bite 1d2 (see text); Space/Reach: 2 ½ ft. (1 x 1 square, does not get free attacks)/0 ft. (0 squares); SA: Dextrous Attack; SQ: Blindsight 30 ft., Fear (14), Wall Crawler; SV: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4; Str 8, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 15; Skills & Feats: Stealth +9, Sense Motive +5; Improved Initiative Dextrous Attack: Due to their nimble nature, cliff mites are able to use their Dexterity score rather than their Strength score to attack. Wall Crawler: A cliff mite can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a Terran spider can. While the cliff mite is doing so it may continue to travel at its base speed and need not make Athletics checks to climb a vertical or horizontal surface, even if doing so upside down. A cliff mite retains its Dexterity bonus to its Defence while climbing and opponents gain no free attacks against it, however, a cliff mite cannot travel any faster than its base speed while climbing.

HOPPER BUG Hopper bugs are a deadly part of the Arachnid army both for their sheer speed and mobility and the lethal nature of their sudden attacks. A flight of them sweeping down out of the sky towards a platoon of troopers can be the swift and violent end to an entire military campaign. While there are ways to detect the motion of hopper bugs in flight before they become visible, it is incredibly difficult and most units are not equipped to do

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so. The best most squads can hope for with hopper bugs is to remain alert, be ready to dive for cover, and keep looking to the sky.

Hopper Bug Large Alien Beast; HD: 4d10 + 8 (35 hp); Init: +3; Spd: 20 ft. (10 squares), fly 60 ft. (12 squares); DV: 18; BAB/Grp: +4/+12; Atk: Claw +9 melee; Full Atk: Two claws +9 melee; Dmg: Claw 1d6+4, 19–20/x2; Space/Reach: 10 ft. (2 x 2 squares)/5 ft. (1 square); SA: Deadly Pass; SQ: Blindsight 90 ft., Damage Reduction 6, Fear (14); SV: Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +2; Str 18, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2; Skills & Feats: Acrobatics +6, Perception +5; Flying Tackle, Lightning Reflexes Deadly Pass: Hopper bugs can move their full aerial speed (a x4 move equalling 240 feet (48 squares)) and gain a single attack action. To do this, they must fly in a straight line during the round in which they make their deadly pass. The target of this attack is subjected a claw attack, which take place when the bug sweeps past it on its flight path. This motion does not offer a free attack. If the claw attack hits during a deadly pass, it deals an additional 1d6 damage per four Hit Dice due to the speed and force of the blow.

PLASMA BUG Plasma bugs are the Arachnid’s version of a planetary defence system and despite their lack of targeting skills or specialised systems, they fulfil their mission objectives admirably. Plasma bugs are ponderously large, almost unable to move on the ground and incapable of burrowing. How the Arachnid handle moving plasma bugs from underground hives to their ‘stations’ on the surface for attack is yet another mystery about these incredibly powerful insects.

Plasma Bug Gargantuan Alien Beast; HD: 22d10 + 198 (324 hp); Init: +1; Spd: 10 ft. (2 squares); DV: 15; BAB /Grp: +22/+41; Atk: Bite +25 melee or plasma sphere +19 ranged; Full Atk: Bite +25 melee or plasma sphere +19 ranged; Dmg: Bite 2d6+7 or plasma sphere (see text); Space/ Reach: 25 ft. (5 x 5 squares)/15 ft. (3 squares); SA: Plasma Fire; SQ: Blindsight 240 ft., Damage Reduction 8, Fear (12); SV: Fort +19, Ref +8, Will +6; Str 24, Dex 12, Con 28, Int 2, Wis

THE ARACHNIDS 10, Cha 2; Skills & Feats: Perception +25; Beam Shot, Deadly Aim, Far Shot, Precise Shot Plasma Fire: Plasma bugs can unleash an incredibly powerful blast from their lower abdomen, generally aiming it into the air in an attempt to smash atmospheric craft and bring down spacecraft. This plasma attack tears through most vessels, dealing 50 points of damage to every location on a Large or smaller vehicle. Huge or larger targets suffer the damage, though all to a single location. Plasma fire cannot be directed at ground-based targets, unless via indirect fire.

WARRIOR BUG Warrior bugs are physically indistinguishable from worker bugs aside from a very slight difference in its thorax chitin and mandible arrangement. Spotting this difference requires a Knowledge (alien species) check DC 20 at 60 feet. By their nature, warrior bugs are highly aggressive and are capable of laying waste to a whole squad if not dealt with quickly. These creatures make up the primary troop type of the Arachnid threat.

Warrior Bug Large Alien Beast; HD: 4d10 + 8 (35 hp); Init: +3; Spd: 50 ft. (10 squares), burrow 10 ft. (2 squares); DV: 18; BAB/Grp: +4/+14; Atk: Claw +9 melee; Full Atk: Two claws +9 melee and bite +4 melee; Dmg: Claw 1d6+3, 19-20/x2, bite 1d8+6; Space/Reach: 10 ft. (2 x 2 squares)/5 ft. (1 square) and 10 ft. (2 squares) with claws; SA: Lethal Grapple; SQ: Blindsight 30 ft., Damage Reduction 4, Fear (16), Sensitive Antenna, Wall Crawler; SV: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +4; Str 22, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2; Skills & Feats: Athletics +10, Acrobatics +9; Cleave, Iron Will, Power Attack Lethal Grapple: If the warrior bug attacks with its bite weapon during a full-attack action, it may choose to start a grapple as a free action. It may only do this to targets that are of Medium size or smaller. While the target remains grappled, the warrior bug is not considered grappled itself and will automatically deal its bite damage every round. The target will be pulled into the warrior bug’s space for the duration of this attack. Warrior bugs can only affect one target with its lethal grapple at a time; the current target must be killed or released before another can be grappled or bitten.


Wall Crawler: A warrior bug can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a Terran spider can. While the warrior bug is doing so it may continue to travel at its base speed and need not make Athletics checks to climb a vertical or horizontal surface, even if doing so upside down. A warrior bug retains its Dexterity bonus to its Defence while climbing and opponents gain no free attacks against it, however, a warrior bug cannot travel any faster than its base speed while climbing.

WORKER BUG Worker bugs are physically indistinguishable from warrior bugs aside from a very slight difference in its thorax chitin and mandible arrangement. Spotting this difference requires a Knowledge (alien species) check DC 20 at 60 feet. By their nature, worker bugs are entirely non-combatant. They are capable of dealing injury, but only do so if they cannot flee an opponent and are literally forced to defend themselves. Even then, workers will only fight if there is not a warrior bug within 120 feet of it; otherwise the worker bug will passively take any attack thrown at it on the assumption that the warrior bug will defend it.

Worker Bug Large Alien Beast; HD: 4d10 + 4 (31 hp); Init: +1; Spd: 50 ft. (10 squares), burrow 20 ft. (4 squares); DV: 14; BAB/Grp: +4/+11; Atk: Claw +6 melee; Full Atk: Two claws +6 melee; Dmg: Claw 1d6+3; Space/Reach: 10 ft. (2 x 2 squares)/5 ft. (1 square); SA: –; SQ: Blindsight 50 ft., Damage Reduction 2, Fear (16, 10 if recognised as worker), Wall Crawler; SV: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 17, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 2; Skills & Feats: Technical (structural) +7; Instinctive (Technical (structural)), Toughness Wall Crawler: A warrior bug can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a Terran spider can. While the warrior bug is doing so it may continue to travel at its base speed and need not make Athletics checks to climb a vertical or horizontal surface, even if doing so upside down. A worker bug retains its Dexterity bonus to its Defence while climbing and opponents gain no free attacks against it, however, a worker bug cannot travel any faster than its base speed while climbing.

31

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (‘Wizards’). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)’Contributors’ means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)’Derivative Material’ means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) ‘Distribute’ means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)’Open Game Content’ means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) ‘Product Identity’ means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f ) ‘Trademark’ means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) ‘Use’, ‘Used’ or ‘Using’ means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content.

32


(h) ‘You’ or ‘Your’ means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. 3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. 5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute. 7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate

which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorised version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. 12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. 13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. 14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. 15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker. System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich baker, Andy Collins, David noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game – The Selvache Incident is TM & © 2005 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose Publishing Ltd Authorized User.

Movement & Distance Table

Vehicle Speed Conversions Table

——––——–— Speed —–—––——— 15 feet 20 feet 30 feet 40 feet One Round (Tactical)1 Walk Hustle Run (x3) Run (x4) One Minute (Local) Walk Hustle Run (x3) Run (x4) One Hour (Overland) Walk Hustle Run One Day (Overland) Walk Hustle Run

15 ft. 30 ft. 45 ft. 60 ft.

20 ft. 40 ft. 60 ft. 80 ft.

30 ft. 60 ft. 90 ft. 120 ft.

40 ft. 80 ft. 120 ft. 160 ft.

150 ft. 300 ft. 450 ft. 600 ft.

200 ft. 400 ft. 600 ft. 800 ft.

300 ft. 600 ft. 900 ft. 1,200 ft.

400 ft. 800 ft. 1,200 ft. 1,600 ft.

1.5 miles 2 miles 3 miles 4 miles — —

3 miles 6 miles —

4 miles 8 miles —

12 miles — —

24 miles — —

32 miles — —

16 miles — —

1

Tactical movement is often measured in squares on the grid rather than in feet. One square is equal to five feet.

Speed 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200

mph 4 8 11 15 19 22 26 30 34 37 40 44 48 52 56 60 63 67 71 75

Speed 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400

––––––––––––––––– Manoeuvrability ––––––––––––––––– Perfect Good Average Poor Clumsy None None Half Half Half Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No Free –5 ft. No No No Any 90º/5 ft. 45º/5 ft. 45º/5 ft. 45º/10 ft. Any +90º/–5 ft. +45º/–5 ft. No No Any Any 90º 45º 45º Any Any 60º 45º 45º Full Half Half Half Half Any Any Any 45º 45º Double Double Double Double Double 0 0 5 ft. 10 ft. 20 ft.

Overland Movement Table Terrain Desert, Sandy Forest Hills Jungle Moor Mountains Plains Swamp Tundra, Frozen

Highway x1 x1 x1 x1 x1 x3/4 x1 x1 x1

Trail x1/2 x1 x3/4 x3/4 x1 x3/4 x1 x3/4 x3/4

Speed 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 900 1,000 1,250 1,500 1,750 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000

mph 155 186 205 224 242 261 279 298 335 373 466 559 652 745 932 1,118 1,304 1,490 1,676 1,863

Heavily Loaded Speed Table

Manoeuvrability Table

Minimum Forward Speed Hover Move Backward Reverse Turn Turn in Place Maximum Turn Up Angle Up Speed Down Angle Down Speed Between Down and Up

mph 78 82 86 89 93 97 101 104 108 112 116 119 123 127 130 134 138 142 145 149

Prev. Speed 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft. 50 ft. 60 ft.

Curr. Speed 15 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. 40 ft. 50 ft.

Hampered Movement Table Condition Difficult Terrain Obstacle1 Poor Visibility Impassable 1

Cost x2 x2 x2 —

May require a skill check.

Grant a Free Attack Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Move Actions Move your speed Use a piece of equipment Climb (¼ speed) Climb, accelerated (½ speed) Crawl (move at ½ speed while prone) Jump in Power Armour up to 90 ft. Jump in Stryker Armour up to 120 ft. Draw a weapon Holster a weapon Move a heavy object Open a door Pick up an object Reload a pistol or rifle Retrieve a stored object1 Stand from a prone, sitting or kneeling position Start/complete a full-round action Swim Use a skill that takes a move action 1

Trackless x1/2 x1/2 x1/2 x1/4 x3/4 x1/2 x3/4 x1/2 x3/4

Strength 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Basic Load 4–6 lb. 7–13 lb. 11–20 lb. 14–26 lb. 17–33 lb. 21–40 lb. 24–46 lb. 27–53 lb. 31–60 lb. 34–66 lb.

Strength 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Basic Load 39–76 lb. 44–86 lb. 51–100 lb. 59–116 lb. 67–133 lb. 77–153 lb. 87–173 lb. 101–200 lb. 117–233 lb. 134–266 lb.

Strength 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 +10

Basic Load 154–306 lb. 174–346 lb. 201–400 lb. 234–466 lb. 267–533 lb. 307–613 lb. 347–693 lb. 401–800 lb. 467–933 lb. x4

Vehicle Manoeuvres Table Manoeuvre Avoid colossal hazard Avoid diminutive hazard Avoid fine hazard Avoid gargantuan hazard Avoid huge hazard Avoid large hazard Avoid medium hazard Avoid small hazard Avoid tiny hazard Climb/dive Emergency deceleration Immelmann turn Jink

Varies No Usually

Unless the item is on a combat belt

Vehicle Sizes Size Category Fine (F) Diminutive (D) Tiny (Ti) Small (S) Medium (M) Large (L) Huge (H) Gargantuan (G) Colossal (Co) Immense (I) Vast (V) Tremendous (Tr) Capital (Ca) Super-Capital (SC)

DV modifier +8 +4 +2 +1 +0 –1 –2 –4 –8 –10 –12 –14 –16 –20

Length 6 in. or less 6 in. – 1 ft. 1 – 2 ft. 2 – 4 ft. 4 – 8 ft. 8 – 16 ft. 16 – 32 ft. 32 – 64 ft. 64 – 128 ft. 128 – 256 ft. 256 – 512 ft. 512 – 1,024 ft. 1,024 – 2,048 ft. 2,048 ft. or more

Damage from Falling Objects Table Object Size Fine Diminutive Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal

Initial Damage 0 1 1d3 1d4 1d6 2d6 4d6 8d6 10d6

Reflex Save DC n/a 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Strength Check DC n/a n/a n/a 5 10 20 30 40 50

Modifier +6 +4 +2 –2 +4 –4 –6 +2 +6

Drive/Pilot/Ride Check DC Manoeuvre 40 Jump

Drive/Pilot/Ride Check DC 15–25+

2

Landing

10

0 35

Loop Ram

20 Target’s DV

30

Regain control

101

25

Take off

5

20

Take off from carrier Turn

10

15

0

10 0 15

Turn, extreme Turn, handbrake Turn, sharp

20 25 15

20 20

Hard climb/dive

15

1

In addition to the vehicle’s Handling and Speed scores, this check is also modified by the severity of the Mishap.

Action Points Characters can spend one Action Point to do one of the following: 9 Alter a single d20 roll used to make an attack, a skill check, an ability check, a Action Point Table level check or a saving throw. Character Action Point 9 Use a class feature or feat during your Level Dice Rolled turn for which the expenditure of one st th 1 –6 1d6 Action Point is required. th th –14 2d6 7 9 Force a successful check when trying to th th 3d6 stabilise after being reduced to negative 15 –20 hit points. This act may result in the expenditure of more than one Action Point.

Characters cannot use an Action Point on a skill check or ability check when you are taking 10 or taking 20 (see the Skills chapter for further details).

Score 1 2–3 4–5 6–7 8–9 10–11 12–13 14–15

Modifier –5 –4 –3 –2 –1 +0 +1 +2

Score 16–17 18–19 20–21 22–23 24–25 26–27 28–29 30–31

Example (Skill Used) Notice a warrior bug charging towards you Very Easy (0) (Perception) Easy (5) Jump over a small stream (Acrobatics) Hear an approaching Mobile Infantry trooper Average (10) (Perception) Tough (15) Disarm an explosive (Demolitions) Challenging (20) Swim against a strong current (Athletics) Break into a secure computer system (Computer Formidable (25) Use) Heroic (30) Leap onto the back of a tanker bug (Acrobatics) Convince a drill instructor that even though you are Superheroic (35) not in uniform, they should let you into the mess (Persuasion) Track a brain bug through a pitch black cave Nearly Impossible (40) network after a planetary bombardment (Survival)

Skill Stealth Persuasion Stealth Drive Sleight of Hand Forgery

Opposing Skill Perception Perception Perception Drive Perception Forgery

Saving Throw Resolution: 1d20 + save modifier (Save modifier = base saving throw bonus + ability modifier + miscellaneous modifiers)

Key Ability Strength Dexterity Constitution Intelligence Wisdom Charisma

Substance Paper or Cloth Ice Wood Stone Iron or Steel Skinny Polymer Rope (1 in. diameter.) Combat Knife Average Pistol Average Rifle Average Heavy Weapon Simple Door Footlocker Strong Door Masonry Wall (1 ft. thick) Hewn Stone (3 ft. thick) Chain Manacles Iron Door (2 in. thick)

Hardness 0 0 5 8 10 15 0 10 10 10 10 5 5 5 8 8 10 10 10

Strength Check to: Break down simple door Break down good door Break down strong door Burst rope bonds Bend iron bars Break down barred door Burst chain bonds Break down iron door

DC 13 18 23 23 24 25 26 28

Size & Defence Value Table Size Colossal Gargantuan Huge Large Medium Small Tiny Diminutive Fine

DV Modifier –8 –4 –2 –1 +0 +1 +2 +4 +8

Cover Modifiers Table Degree of Cover Full (stone wall) ¼ (knee high wall)

Effect/Bonus Cannot be attacked or spotted +2 to Defence Value

Poison Arsenic Atropine Belladonna (plant) Blue vitriol Chloral hydrate Chloroform1 Curare (plant) Cyanide Cyanogen Knockout gas Paris green (gas) Paris green (solid) Strychnine Tear gas VX nerve gas

Break or Burst DC Table Break DC +1/inch of thickness +2/inch of thickness +3/inch of thickness +4/inch of thickness +5/inch of thickness +6/inch of thickness 23 10 17 20 22 13 17 23 35 50 26 26 28

Degree of Cover ½ (three foot rock) ¾ (blast door)

Effect/Bonus +4 to Defence Value, +2 to Perception checks to be seen +7 to Defence Value, +5 to Perception checks to be seen

Repair DC 10 15 20 25

Time 1 min. 10 min. 1 hr. 10 hr.

Salvaging from Time Vehicle Huge or smaller 30 min. Gargantuan 1 hr. Colossal 3 hr. Equipment Huge or smaller 30 min. Gargantuan 1 hr. Colossal 3 hr. Starship Huge 1 hr. Gargantuan 3 hr. Colossal 6 hr. Robot Tiny or smaller 10 min. Small to Large 30 min. Huge or bigger 1 hr. Cybernetic Attachment Tiny or smaller 10 min. Small or larger 30 min.

DC 15 20 25 25 30 35 30 35 40 20 25 30 15 20

Technical (chemical) DC for Creation of Poisons Table

Ranged Attack Resolution: 1d20 + attack modifier (Attack modifier = base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier + miscellaneous modifiers)

Hit Points 2/inch of thickness 3/inch of thickness 10/inch of thickness 15/inch of thickness 30/inch of thickness 30/inch of thickness 2/inch of thickness 2 3 5 10 10 1 20 90 540 5 10 60

+2 bonus to… Athletics Acrobatics Ride checks involving living, riding creatures Treat Injury checks on the specific species Survival Technical (chemical) Investigate checks to gather information Technical Survival checks to track Sleight of Hand Repair checks to relevant equipment

Repair Task (Example) Simple (tool or other piece of simple equipment or weapon) Moderate (vehicle or cybernetic attachments) Complex (starship or mechanical or electronic component) Advanced (starship drive systems or robotic systems)

Melee Attack Resolution: 1d20 + attack modifier (Attack modifier = base attack bonus + Strength modifier + miscellaneous modifiers)

Common Hardness & Hit Points Table

Salvage Table

Repair DC Table

Skill Check Resolution: 1d20 + skill modifier (Skill modifier = skill ranks + ability modifier + miscellaneous modifiers)

Example Ability Checks Ability Check to… Force open a jammed or locked door Tie a rope to a power suit in a hurry Hold your breath Navigate a bug hole Recognise a stranger you have seen before Get yourself noticed in a whole platoon

Five or more ranks in… Acrobatics Athletics Handle Animal Knowledge (alien species) Knowledge (earth and life sciences) Knowledge (physical sciences) Knowledge (streetwise) Knowledge (technology) Perception Persuade Technical

Difficulty (DC)

Modifier +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Example Opposed Checks Task Sneak up on someone Con someone Hide from someone Win a vehicle race Steal the key to a flyer Create a fake unicard

Synergistic Skills Table

Difficulty Class Examples

Ability Modifiers Table

Situation Object is necessary for assignment Object has obvious application for assignment Object has peripheral application for assignment Object has no obvious application for assignment Object is common Object is rare Object is being stockpiled by SICON Trooper is skilled or proficient in use of object Trooper’s squad returned all gear undamaged on previous mission

Yes

Carrying Capacity Table

Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game is TM & © 2005 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose Publishing Ltd Authorized User. Printed in China. Malik Carrethers (order #3724468)

Requisition Modifiers Table

Move Action Table

Type Ingested Injury Injury Injury Ingested Inhaled Injury Injury Inhaled Inhaled Inhaled Ingested Injury Inhaled Inhaled

Save DC 15 13 18 12 18 17 18 16 19 18 14 14 19 15 22

Initial Damage 1d4 Str 1d6 Dex 1d6 Str 1d2 Con 1d6 Dex Unconsciousness 1d3 hours 2d4 Dex 1d6 Con 1d4 Dex 1d3 Dex 1d2 Con 1d4 Con 1d3 Dex Nauseated 1d6 rounds 1d6 Con2

Secondary Damage 2d4 Con 1d6 Str 2d6 Str 1d2 Con Unconsciousness 1d3 hours — 2d4 Wis 2d6 Con 2d4 Con Unconsciousness 1d3 hours 1d4 Con 1d4 Con 2d4 Con — 2d6 Con2

Technical DC 24 14 n/a 9 28 24 n/a 31 28 26 20 24 23 21 42

Time 4 hr. 1 hr. n/a 1 hr. 8 hr. 4 hr. n/a 15 hr. 8 hr. 8 hr. 4 hr. 4 hr. 4 hr. 4 hr. 48 hr.

1

Chloroform gives off vapour that causes unconsciousness. Applying chloroform to an unwilling subject requires a successful attack in melee combat. 2 This damage is permanent ability drain. n/a: Certain poisons cannot be made with the Technical (chemical) skill. Instead, such a poison must be obtained by extracting it from the plant in question.

Radiation Exposure Table ————————— Time of Exposure (Minimum) ———————— Situation 1 round 1 minute 10 minutes 1 hour 1 day Character in irradiated area: Lightly Irradiated Mild Mild Mild Mild Low Moderately Irradiated Mild Mild Low Low Moderate Highly Irradiated Low Low Moderate Moderate High Severely Irradiated Moderate Moderate High High Severe Character exposed to radiation source: Lightly Radioactive Materials Mild Mild Low Low Low Moderately Radioactive Materials Low Low Moderate Moderate Moderate Highly Radioactive Materials Moderate Moderate High High High Severely Radioactive Materials High High Severe Severe Severe


The Selvache Incident GM Screen

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