Starship Troopers RPG - Ambush at Altair.pdf

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    11

    Introduction 2

    Games Mastering Ambush

    at Altair 3

    Shore Leave 8

    Missions 9

    License 32

    Writer

    Greg Lynch

    EditorRichard Ford

    Cover ArtAnne Stokes

    Internal ArtSam Hart, Danilo Moretti, Philip Renne

    RPG Manager

    Ian Belcher

    Production DirectorAlexander Fennell

    ProofreaderRon Bedison

    PlaytestersAmelia Carter, Daniel Haslam, Mark Howe,Daniel Scothorne, Michael J Young

    Special Thanks

    Special thanks to the citizens and UCF agents of SonyPictures Consumer Products.

    Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game Ambush at Altair is TM & 2006 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose

    Publishing Ltd Authorized User. Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game The Arachnid Empire 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 32 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.

    CREDITS CONTENTS

    AMBUSH AT ALTAIR

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    INTRODUCTIONThe Mobile Infantryhas many tools and weapons at its

    disposal. Carried throughout thegalaxy by the power of the CherenkovDrive, armed to the teeth with themost advanced weapons and heavilyarmoured, the Mobile Infantry is adevastating force indeed. Yet theseadvantages pale in comparison tothe one thing that makes the finestsoldiers in the history of humanity sovery effective support.

    A Mobile Infantry trooper has

    access to a logistical support systemof nearly perfect efficiency. All theammunition, weaponry, supplies andvehicles he needs for any mission areautomatically supplied to him. Heneed not worry about ammunitionshortages, about his armour runningout of power, about any damage doneto his vehicle. SICON provides him

    with a safety net of more ammunition,more armour, more vehicles. In

    Ambush at Altairhowever, the troopersmust learn to work without the usual

    safety net.

    Ambush at Altairis an extended seriesof missions for a squad of MobileInfantry troopers, taking placeentirely on the planet of Altair V. Atthe beginning of the scenario, thePlayer Characters leave their ship, theWilliam Travis, for a few days of shoreleave on the one colonised world ofthe Altair System Tango Urilla. TheWilliam Travis is part of a larger task

    force of four SICON vessels, here inthe system to fly the flag and enforcesecurity. While the William Travisorbits Tango Urilla, the remainingthree vessels embark on a surveysweep through the system, beginning

    with Tango Urillas closest planetaryneighbour, Altair V. SICON believethe entire system is devoid of any

    Arachnid activity. SICON are verywrong.

    As the three ships settle into orbitover Altair V, a sudden bombardment

    of fire from plasma bugs on thesurface brings swift and unexpecteddestruction. Only one of the shipssurvives long enough to send amessage to the William Travisbeforeit too is consumed in fire.

    Altair V is infested with Arachnids,who have managed to keep theirpresence secret with the aid of theTango Cloud, the ionic nebulasurrounding the entire system. Now

    that their presence has been discovered,the Arachnids will surely act soon,and only the Player Characters standbetween the invaders and the 155,000colonists on Tango Urilla.

    Outnumbered, outgunned and cut offfrom all SICON support, the PlayerCharacters face a series of terriblebattles on the inhospitable surfaceof Altair V. The William Travis hasonly limited supplies of weapons,ammunition and vehicles, and the

    troopers must find a way to make themlast. In Ambush at Altair, every shotcounts. The troopers are up againsta powerful enemy on unfamiliarterrain and they are the only line ofdefence the system has. If they fail,the entire Altair system will fall to the

    Arachnids.

    Ambush at Altair is intended for agroup of four to six Mobile InfantryPlayer Characters of 6th to 7th level.

    Any kind of cross training will behelpful, with the exception of neodoghandler (the atmosphere of Altair V istoxic), but the Player Characters willhave their best chance at survival ifthere is at least one field medic andone engineer in their number.

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    GAMES MASTERING

    AMBUSH AT ALTAIRAmbush at Altair is designed to be even moretense and exciting than a normal session of Starship Troopers.The Player Characters have extremely limited resources and arepitted against a seemingly unlimited number of Arachnids. Asequipment begins to fail, as ammunition begins to run low, theplayers should begin to feel the same levels of desperation theircharacters are feeling.

    SHORTAGES

    Ambush at Altair requires little extra work on the part ofthe Games Master. The Player Characters must work withextremely limited resources throughout the scenario, and inlarge part it falls to the Games Master to keep track of what thetroopers have available to them. At the end of this chapter isa Quartermasters List, a complete inventory of everything theWilliam Travis has on board that the troopers may need. Inshort, if it is not on this list, it is not on the ship. The troopersmust learn to make do with what is available to them.

    The Quartermasters List is quite detailed, even going so far as tolist the total amount of ammunition available for the troopersMorita assault rifles. If the Games Master would rather not be

    quite so detail-oriented, he may feel free to ignore this number,allowing the troopers as much assault rifle, pistol and shotgunammunition as they wish. However, a large part of the dramaofAmbush at Altairis the fact that resources are so very limited,so the Games Master should be careful with just how muchlatitude he wishes to give the troopers in this regard. For morepowerful weapons, such as missiles and grenades, the GamesMaster should keep the troopers confined to the numbers listedon the Quartermasters List.

    DEPLOYMENT, RE-SUPPLY &

    RETRIEVALThe first mission of Ambush at Altair requires the PlayerCharacters be hot-dropped in capsules from the William Travis.Most of the troopers dropped this way will be killed by a plasmabug barrage, though obviously not any of the Player Characters(see page 9).

    Additionally, the Player Characters will not always be able toleave the planet after a mission. There are far more Arachnidson Altair V than there are troopers and the William Travis

    cannot risk entering orbit or sending down its lone VikingLanding Boat if there is plasma bug activity anywhere near thetroopers position.

    Getting on to and off of Altair V is one of the most hazardousparts of this scenario and, unfortunately for the troopers, it isa hazard they can do little about. At the end of every missionin Ambush at Altair (unless directed otherwise in the specificmission), the Games Master should roll on the table belowto determine whether or not it is safe for the troopers to be

    extracted. If the Player Characters have been extracted to theWilliam Travis, the Games Master should roll on the table todetermine whether they can be reinserted on the planet with theViking. The table should also be used if the Player Charactersrequest an emergency re-supply during a mission.

    Plasma Bug Activity

    D20Roll Plasma Bug Proximity Effect

    1-4 None Nearby Viking can land safely.

    5-8 Small Group at

    Distance

    Viking has 10% chance to

    be destroyed on approach.

    9-12 Large Group atDistance

    Viking has 20% chance tobe destroyed on approach.

    13-15 Very Small Group (1-

    2) Nearby

    Viking has 50% chance to

    be destroyed on approach.

    16-18 Small Group (3-6)

    Nearby

    Viking has 90% chance to

    be destroyed on approach.

    19-20 Large Group (7 or

    more) Nearby

    Viking will be destroyed

    on approach.

    If there is any chance the Viking will be destroyed on approach,any Player Characters aboard the William Travis must be

    capsule-dropped to the planet below. In order to protect thetroopers, the William Traviswill simultaneously drop a numberof empty capsules, which will soak up the plasma bug fire andallow the Player Characters to reach the ground safely (theyare Player Characters, after all, and dying in a capsule drop is apoor death for them). However, the ship has only enough extracapsules to do this three times. After the third such drop, thePlayer Characters will not be retrieved from the surface underany circumstances until the end of the scenario.

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    If there is a 10% chance the Viking will be destroyed, thecommanding officer of the William Travismay send it downanyway, depending upon the situation. For example, if a numberof the troopers are wounded and all of them are running out ofammunition, the boat will likely brave the plasma bug fire tocome to the rescue. If the situation is less dire, the Viking willlikely be kept on board and any supplies dropped in capsules, if

    at all. The Games Master should use his discretion in this. Intruly desperate circumstances, the Viking may even come downif there is a 20% chance of destruction.

    In the case of a very small or small group of plasma bugs nearby,the Player Characters may be tasked with eliminating them toallow for a safe landing for the Viking. Again, this will dependupon the health and current equipment levels of the troopers,for which the Games Master must use his best judgement. Inthe case of a large group, the troopers will certainly be orderedto flee the area.

    RECHARGINGAmbush at Altairrequires the Player Characters to remain onthe surface of Altair V for days at a time, far longer than thepower supply of their power suits and Chickenhawks will last.This makes recharging power suits, something many troopersnever need to consider, a concern of paramount importance tothe Player Characters. Fortunately, there are several ways forthem to recharge their suits while on the planets surface.

    9 GK-12 Gecko Armoured Personnel Carrier. Equippedas a mobile command station, the Gecko is able to rechargethe M-1A4 suit (as well as a Chickenhawk suit, when the

    time comes). Recharging a suit with the Gecko takes one-quarter the amount of time the suits power reserves aredown. Thus, if a suit has been used for two hours, it willtake 30 minutes to fully recharge. If it has been used forits full eight hours, it will take two hours to recharge. TheGecko can only recharge one suit at a time.

    9 Hephaestus Station Power Core. In Mission 4, thePlayer Characters find Hephaestus Station, a volcanicresearch facility on the planets surface. The stations powercore, run on geothermal and solar energy, may be usedto recharge the troopers M-9 Marauder Chickenhawk

    Assault Armour and M-1A4 power suits. Recharging asuit with the Hephaestus power core takes half the time

    the suits power reserves are down. Thus, if a suit has beenused for two hours, it will take one hour to fully recharge.If it has been used for its full eight hours, it will take fourhours to recharge. The power core can recharge up to twosuits at a time. Unfortunately, the power core has onlylimited excess power to expend this way. When at fullcapacity, the power core can recharge up to 50 hours ofoperational time. Once the excess power in the power coreis depleted, it will take two full Altair V days (76 hours) toreplenish itself.

    9 MAC Hauler. Hephaestus Station has a single MAC

    Hauler that may also be used as a mobile recharging facility.Recharging a suit from the MAC Hauler requires one hourfor every hour that has been drained from the suits powersupply. Thus, if a trooper used a suit for three hours, it

    would take three hours hooked up to the hauler to restorethe suit to full power.

    TRAVELObviously, use of the Plasma Bug Activity table means thetroopers will often be forced to remain of the planet for severalmissions in a row, which requires them to travel from onemission area to the next. On a planet full of Arachnids, this ishardly a safe trip through the countryside.

    For every hour the Player Characters spend travelling betweenmission areas, the Games Master should roll 1d31 to determinethe number of Arachnid encounters they have during thattime. Of course, the Games Master may throw any amount

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    or kind of Arachnids he wishes at the Player Characters, butthe following table offers a quick and easy way of determiningencounters.

    Arachnid Encounters

    D20 Roll Encounter

    1-3 1d3 hopper bugs4-5 1d4+1 hopper bugs

    6 1d2 tanker bugs

    7-8 1d8 cliff mites

    9-10 1d4 blaster bugs

    11 1d6 blaster bugs

    12 1d2 plasma bugs

    13-15 1d4 warrior bugs

    16-17 1d6 warrior bugs

    18-19 1d3 rippler bugs

    20 Roll twice and combine results

    LAYING LOWBecause of the potential problems of putting the troopers backon the surface of Altair V, they will often be ordered to remainon the surface of the planet and lay low between missions.This downtime both allows wounded troopers to heal someof their injuries and recharge the ever-draining power reservesof their armour. So long as the Gecko is intact (or the PlayerCharacters have some other means of recharging their suits such as Hephaestus Station or the MAC Hauler) and thetroopers are not wounded to the point of incapacity or running

    woefully short of ammunition, this is the preferred method for

    passing time between missions.

    If the Player Characters remain on the surface of Altair Vbetween missions, they can attempt to hide their presence andreduce the risk of Arachnid encounters. A successful Survivalskill check (DC varies with mission) will reduce the chancefor an Arachnid encounter to 1d32 every four hours. Asthese encounters involve a mobile group of Arachnids comingacross a stationary group of troopers, the Games Master shoulddisregard encounter roll results of plasma bugs.

    REPLACING PLAYER CHARACTERSAmbush at Altairis a dangerous adventure, even for the MobileInfantry. Vastly outnumbered and low on supplies, the trooperson Altair V are in for the fight of their lives. For some, it willlikely be the last fight of their lives. The death of a PlayerCharacter is always unfortunate, but in Ambush at Altair, it isall but certain the Player Characters will suffer casualties.

    Normally, fallen Player Characters can be replaced with ease,but on Altair V, the situation is rather different. There are

    no incoming squads of MI from whom to draw new PlayerCharacters. Obviously, no player should be forced to sit on hishands and watch his friends have fun if he was unlucky enoughto have his character die in the early stages of the adventure.Fortunately, the Games Master has several sources from whichhe may draw new Player Characters when and if the need arises.The William Travishas a detachment of Light Troopers aboard,

    some of whom can be sent down to bolster the ranks of the MI(though these Light Troopers, having no power suit training,

    will be at a disadvantage). Likewise, the guards and personnelat Hephaestus Station would make viable replacement PlayerCharacters, though they too will lack the superior trainingof the Mobile Infantry. Lastly, the Games Master may allowanother trooper to have survived the plasma bug bombardmentin the first mission (Omaha Beach), struggling alone across thesurface of Altair V before joining with the remaining PlayerCharacters.

    PACINGIn some of the missions of Ambush at Altair, the amount oftime that has elapsed since the previous mission is explicitlystated. In others, no time elapses at all as one mission seguesinto another. However, there are a number of missions that doneither.

    These missions allow the Games Master to give the PlayerCharacters a little extra time to heal, to repair equipment orperform any number of other time-consuming but necessarytasks while stranded on the surface of Altair V. The chance totake an extra day or two in the safety of Hephaestus Stationmay certainly mean the difference between life and death for

    the troopers. On the other hand, the Games Master should becareful not to let the troopers become complacent. Altair V ishome to a great many Arachnids, and they are not inclined totolerate a human intrusion on their home ground. The veryreal fear of being wiped out by superior numbers at any giventime is one of the strengths ofAmbush at Altair, and the GamesMaster must balance his pacing between giving the troopers abetter chance at survival and losing the sense of fear that makesthe scenario so gripping.

    ALTAIR V

    The planet of Altair V is almost habitable, but has no intrinsicvalue to make the immense cost of terraforming it justifiable toSICON. Like the rest of the Altair system, it is very young.

    Altair V is, essentially, a big brown rock with a great deal ofvolcanic activity. The planet is slightly larger than Earth,generating a higher amount of gravity. The gravity is notso high as to qualify as a high-gravity environment (see theStarship Troopers Roleplaying Gamecore rulebook) but it doesimpose some penalties, as follows:

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    9 Carrying Capacity:A creatures normal carrying capacity isreduced by one-quarter on Altair V. Thus, a character whocould normally carry 200 pounds of gear can only carry150 pounds. In addition, characters take a 5 penalty onany Strength check made to lift or move a heavy unsecuredobject.

    9 Long-Term Effects: A character that spends 200 hoursor more on Altair V will take 1d3 points of temporaryDexterity damage upon returning to normal gravity.

    The atmosphere of Altair V is thin and toxic with variousgasses. The usual penalties for breathing in a thin atmosphere(see the Starship Troopers Roleplaying Game core rulebook)apply. Additionally, anyone breathing the atmosphere mustmake a Fortitude saving throw (DC 14) every hour or suffer1d2 points of Constitution damage.

    The average daytime temperature on the surface of Altair V is

    135F, subjecting exposed troopers to standard damage fromhot environments if they are exposed to the elements. AltairV has a slow rotation, requiring 38 hours for a full revolution.

    Approximately half this time is daylight. At night, the surfacetemperature averages 70F.

    Altair V has a single moon in low orbit. The moons primaryrole inAmbush at Altairis to provide the William Traviswith aconvenient place to hide from the plasma bugs on the surface.

    Explosives

    Grenades Weapon Quantity

    M-901 HE Grenade FedCom SW-402 Triple GL Grenade Launcher, MW-209 Trip Hammer

    Grenade Launcher, SW-411 Spud Gun Grenade Launcher

    60

    M-902F Frag Grenade FedCom SW-402 Triple GL Grenade Launcher, MW-209 Trip Hammer

    Grenade Launcher, SW-411 Spud Gun Grenade Launcher

    35

    M-909S Fog Grenade FedCom SW-402 Triple GL Grenade Launcher, MW-209 Trip Hammer

    Grenade Launcher, SW-411 Spud Gun Grenade Launcher

    200

    M-291 Fragmentation Round FedCom XW-110-G1 Grenade Launcher 100

    TOAD Charge None 4

    Missiles Weapon Quantity

    M-711A1 Scatterjack Rocket FedCom SW-403 Thud Gun Rocket Launcher 10

    M-719A1 Plasma Rocket FedCom SW-403 Thud Gun Rocket Launcher 12

    M-666C5 HEAT Missile FedCom SW-404 Javelin Missile Launcher 15

    M-714S2 Firecracker Missile FedCom SW-404 Javelin Missile Launcher 8

    M-998A1 Pee-Wee Missile FedCom SW-404 Javelin Missile Launcher 6

    QUARTERMASTERS LISTThis list represents the entirety of the equipment aboardthe William Travis, minus the basic equipment carried byeach trooper (see the Starship Troopers Roleplaying Gamecorerulebook).

    Weapons

    Weapon Quantity Ammunition

    Brunham TW-102-s

    Peacemaker Pistol

    15 2,000

    Brunham XW-103-S7 Shotgun 20 800

    FedCom SW-402 Triple GL

    Grenade Launcher

    3 See Grenades

    FedCom SW-403 Thud Gun

    Rocket Launcher

    2 See Missiles

    FedCom SW-404 Javelin

    Missile Launcher

    1 See Missiles

    FedCom XW-110-G1 Grenade

    Launcher

    8 See Grenades

    Morita TW-202-1 Sniper Rifle 10 120

    Morita TW-203-a 50 14,000

    Voight & Gromann TW-221-f

    Tinderbox

    10 35 canisters

    Voight & Gromann TW-226-f

    Hel Heavy Flamer

    2 20 canisters

    Wyman Arms CC-176-ER

    Combat Prod

    18 900

    Yinimina MW-X29 Scythe 2 240

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    Vehicles & Armour

    Vehicle Quantity Weapons Ammunition

    Bullfrog Combat Dinghy 5 None

    GK-12 Gecko Armoured

    Personnel Carrier

    1 MW-5050 (x2) 4,000

    M-1A4 Power Suit 20 None

    M-9 Marauder Chickenhawk

    Assault Armour

    3 MW-265 Electric Eight 3,000

    SW-219-f Inferno Support Flamer 90

    SW-411 Spud Gun Grenade Launcher See Grenades

    SW-490 Blizzard Missile Launcher 108

    XM-550 CHAS Unit 1 Twin Morita TW-203-s Ape Special See Morita TW-203-a entry

    Voight & Gromann TW-226-f Hel Heavy

    Flamer

    See Voight & Gromann TW-226-

    f Hel Heavy Flamer entry

    FedCom SW-404 Javelin Missile Launcher See Missiles

    MW-209 Trip Hammer Grenade Launcher See Grenades

    Miscellaneous

    Equipment Quantity

    Ammunition Bandoleer 35

    Communications Set 5

    Demolitions Kit 3

    Electrical Toolkit (deluxe) 3 *

    Field Rations 300 man days

    First Aid Kit 23 *

    Lizard Line 50

    Mechanical Toolkit (deluxe) 1 *

    Medical Kit 3 *

    Multipurpose Tool 20

    Surgery Kit 6 *

    Cybernetics

    Bionic Eye 3

    Prosthetic Arm 2

    Prosthetic Leg 4

    * At the Games Masters option, more of this item mightbe created by raiding the shipboard facilities of the WilliamTravis.

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    SHORE LEAVEAmbush at Altair begins peacefully, with the Player

    Characters receiving a few days of well-earned shore leave inAltair City, the capitol of Tango Urilla. They were promiseda full ten days of shore leave as a reward for recent missions,but will find their time in the colony cut short after just threedays.

    The Games Master may read or summarise the following forthe Player Characters:

    Your ship, the William Travis, is part of a four-vessel task forceentering the Altair System. While the other three ships, theTrafalgar, the Flanders and the Coral Sea embark on a survey

    mission of the entire system, the William Traviswill make orbitover Tango Urilla and put you down for ten days of uninterruptedshore leave in the colony. Tango Urilla may not be Zegama Beach,but it is certainly better than any other place you have been to forlonger than you care to remember.

    After three days in Altair City, the troopers receive an urgentmessage informing them shore leave is cancelled immediatelyand they are to rendezvous at the citys spaceport within anhour. Upon arriving at the spaceport, they will see the WilliamTraviss lone Viking Landing Boat warmed up and waitingfor them. The pilot refuses to explain anything to the PlayerCharacters, telling them they must wait for their briefing.

    Aboard the William Travis, the scene is one of barely-containedchaos. The Player Characters, along with the rest of the MobileInfantry platoon assigned to the ship, are quickly shepherdedinto a briefing room.

    The Games Master may read or summarise the following forthe Player Characters:

    Your commanding officer enters the room with a bleak look on hisface, steps to the lectern and takes a deep breath.

    This morning, at 08:53 hours, the Trafalgar, the Flandersandthe Coral Seacame under attack while surveying Altair V. It wasa plasma bug bombardment from the surface. The FlandersandCoral Seawere destroyed almost instantly; the Trafalgarmanagedto fire off two shots and send us a warning before it too wasdestroyed.

    SICON had informed us there was no bug activity in the AltairSystem but it looks like SICON was dead wrong. Somehow, thebugs have set up shop next to one of our colonies.

    TheWilliam Travis is the last SICON asset in this system. We

    have sent word to SICON regarding what has happened here, butwe cant expect the cavalry to come riding over the hill any timesoon. If the bugs take us out, theyve got a red carpet to crawl theirway right onto our colony, and Ill be damned if were going to letthat happen. This platoon is all the Mobile Infantry within fivelight years.

    There is only one way to deal with this, apes. We have to putboots in the dust on Altair V. TheWilliam Travishas no nukesaboard and it would be destroyed if it entered orbit. We onlyhave one Viking, and we cant risk it until we know whats goingon planetside. This leaves only one option: a capsule drop into

    unknown terrain.

    Now for the bad news. We havent been re-supplied and ourstocks of guns and ammo arent what youd call overwhelming. Imhanding out a list from the ships Quartermaster its an inventoryof everything weve got. Your first drop youre going in with standardequipment only. After that, Ill make you a deal. You go easy onthe bullets and make your shots count, and Ill go easy on you when

    you requisition more. Remember, this is it. Take good care of yourgear. You break it and you just might buy it on that rock downthere. Now, go get ready.

    The Games Master should lower all Requisition DCs inAmbush

    at Altairby five, with the following exceptions:

    9 M-9 Marauder Chickenhawk Assault Armour: Thismay not be requisitioned until the Hephaestus Stationmission, and even then only one will be released. Ifone is requisitioned, only one-third of the appropriateammunition will be given out. The other Chickenhawksand remaining ammunition will not come into play untilthey are assigned as part of a mission. Thereafter, thePlayer Characters may keep them.

    9 XM-550 CHAS Unit: Like the Chickenhawks, this itemwill not come into play until it is assigned. Thereafter, it

    may remain with the Player Characters.9 FedCom SW-404 Javelin Missile Launcher: The PlayerCharacters may requisition one of these (at an unadjustedDC), but the other will be kept aboard the William Travisuntil it is assigned.

    9 M-998A1 Pee-Wee Missile: The Player Characters mayrequisition three of these (at an unadjusted DC), but theothers will be kept aboard the William Travisuntil assigned.The Player Characters must have at least one of these leftfor Mission 10: Under Pressure.

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    MISSIONSMISSION ONE: OMAHA BEACH

    Experience Points:300 experience points

    Mission Type:Drop, search and report, clearance

    Mission Duration:Six hours

    Terrain:Rocky plains

    Special Equipment: None, standard only

    Available Support:None

    Enemies: Hopper bugs (2), plasma bugs (10), warrior bugs(15)

    Mission Briefing:All right, apes, youre about to make planetfallon Altair V. This is going to be a high-orbit cap drop, then the

    William Travis is pulling back behind the moon, in case any ofthose plasmas down there survived the Trafalgar. The two shotsthe Trafalgarmanaged to get off have kicked up a lot of dust downthere, and the Tango Cloud is playing hell with our sensors, justas much as usual, so we dont have a clear picture of whats goingon under our feet. When you hit ground, you kill everything that

    crawls, and you recon the area. We need to know whats happening,whether those bugs are just getting started on Altair V, or whethertheyve turned it into Bug Central. We cant risk the Viking untilwe know its safe to send it down, so make sure you scrub the placeclean.Mission Breakdown: This mission begins with a capsuledrop of the entire Mobile Infantryplatoon to the surface of Altair V.Unfortunately, the plasma bugs on thesurface below were not all killed by theTrafalgars two missiles, and a fusillade

    of plasma fire will arc upward from thedust cloud below to greet the incomingcapsules. Games Masters shoulddescribe the sound of explosions (oncethe capsules breach the atmosphere)and the screams coming in over thecomm unit as the members of theirplatoon are slaughtered. By the timethe capsules hit the surface, only thePlayer Characters are left alive.

    The dust cloud created by the Trafalgars attack is already

    beginning to dissipate in the thin atmosphere of Altair V, but itwill remain a concern for the duration of this mission, reducingvisibility to 200 feet.

    The Player Characters will have a few minutes after they touchdown to collect themselves and find each other in the dust,

    which is easily accomplished. Any attempt to contact othermembers of the platoon meets with static; the troopers arealone. The troopers can communicate with the William Travis,though the ionic interference of the Tango Cloud creates a largeamount of static. If asked, the William Traviscan confirm theyare not receiving any communication from other members of

    the platoon, and that all but the Player Characters are presumedlost.

    Even with their vision obscured by the haze of dust, it is easyfor the Player Characters to tell this is a drab and featurelessplanet. They are on a rocky plain near the planets equator,

    with the ground rising in a slight elevation toward the north.Scattered about are the barely-recognisable corpses of plasmabugs, almost turned to dust themselves by the last strike of theTrafalgar. Here and there around the plasma bug corpses aredark smudges on the rock, marking the spots where warriorbugs and other Arachnids died in the bombardment. Bits ofnewly minted glass, born of the heat the Trafalgars attack,

    crunch underfoot.

    Though the dust cloud and the ionic interference make itimpossible for the William Travisto perform a detailed surveyof the mission area, there is some information it has gathered.By analysing the trajectory of the plasma fire coming from thesurface, the William Travis can inform the Player Characters

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    M ss i onsMi s s i ons

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    how many plasma bugs are nearby (10), as well as theirlocations at the time of the capsule drop. Those locations aremarked on the mission map; the plasma bugs have not moved.The troopers orders remain the same to recon and securethe area.

    Several hours have passed since the destruction of the SICON

    ships and the bombardment of the surface, and the Arachnidsare beginning to move back into the area. Just as the PlayerCharacters set out toward the coordinates of the first plasmabug, they will be attacked by a force of five warrior bugs movingdown from the northeast. Once this threat is dealt with, thetroopers may resume hunting plasma bugs.

    This mission is not nearly so lethal as it may seem to thetroopers tasked with carrying it out. There are indeed ten liveplasma bugs out there they must find and kill, but these plasmabugs are hardly the picture of health. Rather, they are the fewsurvivors of the Trafalgars attack, and all of them are at deaths

    door. Their speed is reduced to a pathetic 5 feet (one square),their hit points are reduced to 40 and even their damagereduction is reduced to four, half of what it normally wouldbe. Moreover, as only plasma bugs survived the bombardment,almost all of the remaining plasma bugs are unprotected. Ifthe troopers are clever, they will be able to dispatch each of theplasma bugs from a distance, without ever coming under attackfrom one of them.

    Should the Player Characters begin to run very low onammunition at any point in this mission, which is a distinctpossibility considering the number of enemies, the GamesMaster may take pity on them and allow them to find the

    ruined remains of one or two of the downed capsules, withthe dead troopers gear still intact. Grisly as this may be, itis likely the only serendipitous discovery of more ammunitionthe troopers will make on Altair V.

    The troopers will be able to deal with the seven plasma bugsclosest to the capsule drop point (those on or below the first10 elevation) without being molested by any other Arachnids.However, once they move on to the last plasma bugs, thatbegins to change. As soon as the troopers come up to the levelarea where the last three plasma bugs wait, the Games Mastershould call for Perception (spot) skill checks from each of

    them (DC 15). Success allows a character to notice two flyingobjects at the edge of his visibility. A second Perception (spot)skill check (also DC 15) allows the character to realise the twoobjects are actually a pair of hopper bugs, hovering in the dustand apparently content to merely watch the Player Characters.If the hopper bugs are fired upon, they will retreat into the dustcloud, only to return a few moments later and resume theirvigil.

    The southernmost of the three remaining plasma bugs is asunprotected as the first seven, but when the Player Characters

    approach the two northernmost, they will discover theArachnids are beginning to send in reinforcements. For both ofthese plasma bugs, a group of five warrior bugs will arrive fromthe north just as the troopers enter firing range of the plasmabug in question. The hopper bugs will continue to hover at theedge of visibility and observe for the first of these two fights,after which they will turn and fly away to the north.

    There are two points on the map marked as collapsed caveentrances. Nearly 30 feet across, these points mark wherethe Arachnid warrens opened to the surface, and where theplasma bugs the troopers spend this mission killing originallycame from. Both entrances are hopelessly collapsed now the Arachnids could surely dig them out in short order, butit is certainly a task beyond the abilities and resources of thetroopers.

    Mission Objectives:With the destruction of the last plasmabug, the mission is officially over. The Player Characters

    receive their experience and move directly to Mission Two:Man Down.

    At this point, there are no plasma bugs in the area, and it is safefor the Viking to land. If one or more of the Player Charactersis badly injured, they may all be evacuated to the WilliamTravis. If none of them are badly injured, however, they shouldstay on the planets surface.

    MISSION TWO: MAN DOWN

    Experience Points:200 experience points

    Mission Type:Search and report, rescue, clearance

    Mission Duration:Three hours

    Terrain:Rocky plains

    Special Equipment: GK-12 Gecko Armoured PersonnelCarrier (see below), any other successfully requisitionedequipment.

    Available Support:None

    Enemies:Hopper bugs (7), warrior bugs (20)

    Mission Briefing:Good news, apes. You got rid of the plasmas,so its safe to send the Viking down. And its bringing you more

    goodies than Santa has in his sleigh. Most important, its bringingyou the Gecko, which is whats going to let you recharge your suitson that rock. We even painted it to match the ugly landscape downthere. Shes the only one we got, so take good care of her. Shesloaded down with more weapons and more ammunition for youtoo, but dont spend it all in one place we dont know when well

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    be able to re-supply you if more plasma bugs show, so were tryingto play it safe.

    Now for the mission itself. We got more good news. Looks likesomeone else survived the drop. Were picking up scattered andintermittent signals from one of the capsules we believe it isSanchez about 30 miles to the northwest of your position. Best

    guess is her capsule got sideswiped and blown way off course. AsI said, the signals intermittent, so we cant get a precise fix on herlocation, but we can put it in the ballpark for you. When theGecko arrives, saddle up and go find her.

    GK-12 Gecko Armoured Personnel

    Carrier

    Beginning with the second mission, the Player Characters haveaccess to the William Travis sole Gecko. So long as the vehicleis not destroyed, it will be with them for the rest of the scenario,and will almost certainly prove invaluable.

    When delivered to the Player Characters via the Viking, theGecko will have all equipment the Player Characters havesuccessfully requisitioned aboard, as well as the following:

    Bullfrog Combat Dinghy (1)Morita TW-203-a Assault Rifle (one per trooper)Morita TW-203-a Assault Rifle ammunition (3,000 rounds)Brunham XW-103-S7 Shotgun (one per trooper)Brunham XW-103-S7 Shotgun ammunition (200 rounds)FedCom SW-402 Triple GL Grenade Launcher (1)M-901 HE Grenades (20)Voight & Gromann TW-221-f Tinderbox (5)Voight & Gromann TW-221-f Tinderbox ammunition

    canisters (10)MW-5050 ammunition (4,000 rounds)TOAD Charges (2)M-1A4 Suit (one per trooper)Demolitions Kit (1)First Aid Kit (10)Surgery Kit (4)Electrical Toolkit (deluxe) (1)Mechanical Toolkit (deluxe) (1)Medical Kit (1)Lizard Line (one per trooper)

    Ammunition Bandoleer (one per

    trooper)Field Rations (50 man days)Communications Set (2)Spare tracks for Gecko (6)

    In addition to the windfall ofmuch-needed supplies, theGecko provides one service thePlayer Characters desperatelyneed. Equipped as a mobilecommand station, the Gecko is

    able to recharge the M-1A4 Suit (as well as a Chickenhawksuit, when the time comes). Recharging a suit with the Geckotakes one-quarter the amount of time the suits power reservesare down. Thus, if a suit has been used for two hours, it willtake 30 minutes to fully recharge. If it has been used for its fulleight hours, it will take two hours to recharge. The Gecko canonly recharge one suit at a time.

    One non-standard piece of equipment aboard the Gecko is aset of six spare tracks for the vehicle. If a track is destroyed incombat, it can be replaced with one of these, a process requiring20 minutes, a deluxe mechanical kit and a Repair skill check(DC 15). The Gecko can operate at normal speed so long as ithas at least four of its tracks, and at half speed so long as it hasat least two. If reduced to one track, the Gecko cannot move.

    The Games Master should be certain he deletes the equipmentaboard the Gecko from the Quartermasters list. Though thetroopers might wish for a Marauder suit or two by now, the

    three Chickenhawks aboard the William Travisare not yet evenhalfway through their warm-up sequence.

    Mission Breakdown:Like the first mission, this one is fairlyeasy, particularly now that the Player Characters have accessto the Gecko. With the Geckos speed of 200, moving acrosstrackless plains, it will take the Player Characters about an hourto reach the possible location of Sanchezs capsule. GamesMasters should remember to roll for potential Arachnidencounters during this time (see page 5).

    About five miles into the journey, the pair of hopper bugspies will return. By now, the troopers are moving out of the

    increasingly thinning dust cloud, restoring visibility range tonormal. The two hopper bugs will hover about 500 feet awayfrom the troopers, continuing to observe them. If fired upon,they will retreat, only to return again a few minutes later. Ifpursued, they will gain altitude and continue moving away.Now that the dust is no longer a concern, the hopper bugs canbe spotted with a Perception (spot) skill check (DC 10).

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    After travelling for 15 miles, the troopers come under attackby a force of ten warrior bugs moving down from the north,apparently coming from the search zone where the troopers arehoping to find Sanchez.

    Once the Player Characters arrive at the search zone, they havetwo options open to them. They may begin an exhaustive

    search of the region to locate Sanchezs capsule, or they mayattempt a Computer Use skill check (DC 25) to break throughthe interference and lock on to the damaged capsules signal.Obviously, the second way is much quicker. The search zone isa round area about four miles across, making an extensive searchan exhausting prospect. If the troopers come within half a mileof the capsules location, they may attempt Perception (spot)skill check rolls (DC 20) to notice it. If they come within aquarter mile, the DC of the skill check drops to 10.

    The Player Characters are not the only ones looking for thecapsule. As they approach its location, a swarm of five hopper

    bugs will fly down from the north. If the troopers have decidedto start ignoring the two hopper bug spies, they may be infor a tremendously unpleasant surprise when these five beginattacking immediately.

    When the Player Characters locate the capsule, there will betwo warrior bugs already there, picking at the wreckage. Oneround later, eight more warrior bugs arrive from the north.

    Whether or not Trooper Malu Sanchez is alive when the PlayerCharacters reach her is entirely up to the Games Master. Ifone of the Player Characters has been killed and a replacementcharacter is needed, this is a perfect opportunity. Also, if the

    Games Master believes the Player Characters may need a littleextra help, she would make a worthy addition as a Non-PlayerCharacter, presumably specialised in whatever the PlayerCharacters themselves may be lacking. Of course, if the GamesMaster believes neither of these are necessary, he may simplysay that Sanchez is already dead, killed during the descent orby the two warrior bugs who beat the Player Characters to thecapsule.

    Mission Objectives:Locating Sanchezs capsule is worth thefull 200 experience point reward for this mission. If the PlayerCharacters rescue Sanchez herself, the Games Master may wish

    to award an additional 50 experience points.

    MISSION THREE: NORTH PASSAGE

    Experience Points:1,000 experience points

    Mission Type:Search and report

    Mission Duration:12 hours

    Terrain:Rocky hills

    Special Equipment: Remaining equipment from previousmissions; any newly requisitioned equipment which could bedelivered.

    Available Support:None

    Enemies:Hopper bugs (10), tanker bugs (3), warrior bugs (?),worker bugs (112)

    Mission Briefing: We got some interesting news for you, apes.Between the coordination of the plasma bugs and the pair ofhoppers that have been dogging you, the consensus up here is thattheres a brain bug on the planet maybe more than one. The badnews is that, according to everything weve got on bug colonies, youhavent even scratched the surface down there. Best guess is theres a

    population of a million or more bugs squirming around under yourfeet. Just means more targets for you.

    If they do have a brain down there, it means theyre definitelyup to something. We want to know what that is. Every mobilebug youve seen so far has come down from the north, so thats thedirection youre going. To your north is a low range of hills, backingup to some small mountains. Were reading multiple cave openingsin the area. Theres nothing like it to the south, so that must bewhere the plasmas came from. Head up there and see what you can

    find, following the path were uploading to your map. Remember,this is a sneak and peek, not a stand-up fight. Dont let them box

    you in. Keep reporting in and well update your mission as needed.Good luck.

    Mission Breakdown:This mission, which takes place a fullAltair V day after Man Down, is intended as a reconnaissanceassignment.

    Throughout the course of this extended mission, the PlayerCharacters are likely to come close to a great many Arachnids.If they try to fight them all, they will probably be overwhelmed,and in any event will be expending precious ammunitionunnecessarily.

    Though sneaking about in a Gecko may seem counterintuitive,it is actually much easier than it sounds. The thin air of Altair

    V does not carry sound well, meaning that any Arachnid morethan 200 yards away will not be able to hear the Gecko as ittravels (the sound of the twin 5050s firing, on the other hand,easily carries for half a mile). Additionally, with the Geckopainted to match the landscape, it imposes a 5 penalty on anyPerception checks to see it.

    Locations A, B, C and D are all in the low hills leading up tothe mountains. Worn smooth after years of being buffeted bythe wind, these hills pose no particular challenge to the Gecko.Locations E, F and G, on the other hand, are in the mountains.

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    While the path laid out for the troopers takes them through theeasiest terrain, it is still a challenge. The Gecko is reduced toone-quarter speed while navigating these areas.

    Location A

    This location is devoid of Arachnid activity. Close inspectionof the area reveals nothing aside from a shallow, wide-mouthedcave, apparently dug out of the hillside by wind erosion.

    Location B

    This location is a shallow, bowl shaped valley in the hills.Within the bowl are 60 worker bugs, busily digging multipleniches in the sides of the hills. Though there is no way forthe Player Characters to know this with any certainty, theniches are designed to contain plasma bugs, essentially actingas foxholes for the enormous Arachnids. No other openingsare apparent. Obviously, the worker bugs will not attack, but

    unwise and trigger-happy troopers might waste a great deal ofprecious ammunition slaughtering them.

    Location C

    This location is the first real battle of this mission. As thetroopers approach within 200 yards of the cave, the Arachnidsin the ground beneath sense the Gecko rumbling overhead.The ground erupts 50 feet to the right of the Gecko as eight

    warrior bugs spill out of the tunnels to attack. Five roundslater, another six warrior bugs emerge, followed seven roundslater by a tanker bug breaching the surface 50 feet to the left ofthe Gecko. Once this battle is over, the Player Characters have

    a few minutes of peace to investigate the area. The emergenceof the Arachnids from underground effectively collapsed thetunnels around them, leaving the troopers with no meansof exploring past the rubble-strewn holes left behind. If thetroopers insist on lingering in the site, another 2d6 warriorbugs will arrive ten minutes after the fight, with another 2d6arriving every five minutes thereafter.

    Location D

    This location may once have been an opening into an Arachnidwarren, but it certainly is not one now. A trail of rocks spills out

    of the opening of the 20-foot-wide tunnel, chokingit completely. When thetroopers report this in,they are ordered to get outof the Gecko and take acloser look. A successful

    Perception (search) skillcheck (DC 18) reveals thatthis tunnel was not blockedby a random landslide orcollapse. Instead, it seemsmassive chunks of stone

    were deliberately placedto close it off. There is

    nothing more the troopers can do here without commencingexcavation operations, so they are ordered back into the Geckoto resume the journey.

    This is also the location where the two hopper bug spies showup again to resume their observation of the Player Characters.

    Location E

    See Mission 3E: Back Door below.

    Location F

    See Mission 3F: Peeping Toms below.

    Location G

    See Mission 3G: Underground below.

    MISSION 3E: BACK DOORMission Briefing: Careful coming up on this next site, apes.Its the biggest bug hole weve located so far on this planet, and thewelcome might be more than you can handle. Dont let them pull

    you into a straight-up fight. If it gets bad, beat feet through thecanyon to the north. You might want to prep some TOADs to blowthe canyon walls if the bugs get too friendly.

    Mission Breakdown: After several sites containing lightresistance, if any, the troopers may be feeling overconfidentby the time they arrive at this location. All that is about to

    change.

    The tunnel entrance the troopers are tasked with investigatinglies about 75 yards off the path laid out for them in the missionbriefing. The path approaches the tunnel from the west, thenabruptly veers due north through a narrow valley, closed in oneither side with nearly vertical cliffs towering 100 yards intothe air. The sides of the cliffs are ragged and crumbling, whilethe ground between them is composed primarily of fist-sizedstones.

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    As the troopers approach, there is no sign of life in the tunnelitself. However, there are Arachnids waiting inside. When theGecko comes within 50 yards of the cave entrance, or veersnorth to follow the path (heading away from the cave), the

    Arachnids inside will strike. In the first round, eight warrior

    bugs will come boiling out of the tunnel. Two rounds later,another four will follow, with four more coming every tworounds afterward. If the troopers try to fight it out, they willbe quickly overrun. Moving through this terrain, however, theGeckos speed is reduced to 50, meaning the vehicle cannotoutrun the Arachnids now pursuing it.

    Fortunately, there is a way out of this predicament. A singleTOAD charge placed on either cliff will be enough to cause alandslide 50 yards in either direction, as will a M-998A1 Pee-

    Wee Missile fired into either cliff. Alternatively, each M-901HE grenade fired into the cliff has a 20% chance to trigger alandslide extending 25 yards in either direction. If the troopers

    try to simply outrun the warriors, the Games Master may wishto have their commanding officer order them to plant a TOADcharge.

    Planting a TOAD charge in the crumbling cliff takes onlyone minute, as there are multiple apparent flaws in the stonesintegrity. The cliff is, in fact, so unstable that placing a TOADdevice in it allows the character to take 10 with his Demolitionsskill check. However, settingthe detonator to go off at thecorrect time (crushing themaximum number of pursuing

    warrior bugs), rather thantoo early (merely creating aroadblock for the Arachnids)or too late (allowing more thanfive warrior bugs to make itthrough the avalanche zoneafter the explosives are set)requires a Demolitions skillcheck (DC 18).

    If the avalanche is successfully triggered, thewarrior bugs will give up their pursuit. Thetwo hopper bugs, however, will remain withthe troopers.

    MISSION 3F: PEEPING

    TOMS

    Mission Briefing: Nice work on that canyon.The warriors might be able to climb over it, butIll be damned if any of them survived havinga mountain fall on them. Now, I think those

    two hoppers youve got on your tail have seen quite enough of yourpretty faces. They may be hanging back out of range of the Geckos5050s, but that doesnt mean you have to let it stay that way.Coming up just before Site F is a hairpin curve in the valley youremoving through. After you go around the turn, I want at least two

    of you to detail off, get out of the Gecko and set up a friendly littleambush for our peeping toms. Have the Gecko continue ahead,and when the hoppers come around the corner, blast em.

    Mission Breakdown: Sometimes, splitting forces can be aneffective tactical tool. Other times, it becomes a liability. Thismission encompasses both of these.

    The hopper bugs tailing the troopers have steadfastly remainedat least 500 feet away from the Gecko at all times, which isexactly what the mission briefing is counting on. Whichtroopers get out to set up the ambush is left entirely to thePlayer Characters, unless the Games Master wishes to choose

    which troopers are ordered out.

    Once the Gecko has moved more than 500 feet past the bendin the canyon, the two hopper bugs will fly around the corner.They are only flying about 40 feet off the ground, which shouldput them in easy range for the ambushing troopers. Becauseof the geography of the canyon, the hopper bugs cannot usetheir Deadly Pass (see the Starship Troopers Roleplaying Game

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    core rulebook) or Lethal Pass ability (see The Arachnid Empire)while inside of it, unless they fly far enough past the ambushingtroopers to put themselves in range of the Geckos guns.

    Unfortunately for the troopers, their presence in this part of thevalley has not gone unnoticed. The same round in which thepair of hopper bugs come around the corner into the ambush,

    another eight hopper bugs come from the northwest, swarmingover the top of the cliff toward the Gecko. The troopers inthe Gecko have two rounds to respond before the hopper bugsarrive.

    Three rounds later, warrior bugs begin to boil out of the caveentrance ahead of the Gecko, though it will take them fiverounds to reach the troopers. The warrior bugs emerge fromthe cave at the rate of four every two rounds for ten rounds.

    After those 20 warriors have emerged, the troopers will havefive minutes of grace before another group of 20 warriors beginsto come out.

    Ten rounds after the first warrior bugs emerge from the cave,a tanker bug breaches the surface on the western side of thevalley, just out of range of the Gecko. Five rounds later, asecond tanker bug comes out on the eastern side.

    In the midst of this ferocious battle, the troopers who stagedthe ambush on the two hopper bugs must somehow make their

    way back to their companions. Even when the fighting is over,the Arachnids are not willing to give up. The Player Characters

    will need to put at least a mile of distance between themselvesand the cave before they can take the time to repair any damagedone to the Gecko (which hopefully survived the battle).

    MISSION 3G: UNDERGROUND

    Mission Briefing: I know that was a rough one, apes, but youarent through it yet. Youre on the downhill side of the mountainsnow, though, with only one more spot to check out. Stay alert andstay frosty. We havent logged any bug activity around this last site,but theres no telling whether ornot theyre hiding out under thesurface.

    Mission Breakdown: By thetime the troopers reach thissite, they will be coming downout of the mountain rangeinto the foothills. The caveentrance they are to investigateis a massive hole in the side ofa cave, opening into a wide,bowl-shaped depression some200 yards across. There is nosign of movement outside.

    How this mission begins depends in large part upon whetheror not the Gecko is still operational. Ambush at Altairassumesit is.

    As the Gecko enters the depression, the ground beneathit begins to give way as the Arachnid tunnels just under thesurface start to collapse. If the driver can make a Drive skill

    check (DC 30), he will be able to get the Gecko free of thecrumbling area. Otherwise, the Gecko and all its passengersgo down the hole. This is not a straight fall. The ground gives

    way in stages, dropping the Gecko 25 feet to the floor of thetunnel below in a jarring, but ultimately harmless landing.

    As the dust begins to clear, the troopers find themselves ina section of Arachnid tunnel that, for now, is mercifullyuninhabited by Arachnids.

    Just a few dozen yards to the west of where the Gecko fellthrough the surface is the access to the cave mouth in the

    hillside above. However, that access is a vertical shaft some 30feet deep easy for the troopers to escape through with theirlizard lines, but impossible for the Gecko to reach.

    Assuming the troopers report in to the William Travis asordered, they receive the following communication:

    Hell of a way to knock on the front door, apes. My hats off toyou. You say you cant get the Gecko back out? I believe we have asolution for that. Weve got a reading on another cave about half amile east of your current position. You should be able to take thosetunnels straight to it. Now, as long as youre down there, Id like

    you to take a look around. We cant afford to lose the Gecko if we

    dont have to, so dont be too bashful about using your ammo tobring a hurt to anything you meet up with down there. We maylose comms when youre in the tunnels, but stick to the mission.Stay cool, stay focused, and well see you on the other side.

    If the troopers managed to pull the Gecko back from the cave-in before the vehicle was dumped into the tunnels below, they

    will still be assigned to explore the caves. In this case, obviously,

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    they will have to leave the Gecko behind and come back for it.When they do, they will find four warrior bugs poking at itexperimentally.

    If the troopers Gecko has already been destroyed and theyreached this area on foot, they will still be assigned to enter thecaves and investigate. In this case, there will be no cave-in, and

    they will have to descend through the cave mouth with theirlizard lines.

    In either of these cases, the Games Master may consider reducingthe number of Arachnids encountered inside. Consideringthe tight quarters, troopers without the benefit of the Geckos

    weaponry may be overwhelmed.

    The tunnels in this Arachnid nest vary between 15 and 25 feetwide, enough for the Gecko to pass through easily enough,though the troopers must find an intersection if they wish toturn around. The tunnels are all about 15 feet tall. When

    running encounters within these tunnels, the Games Mastershould remember that many Arachnids can travel on walls orceilings nearly as well as they can on level ground, and will nothesitate to use this ability when attacking the troopers.

    The Gecko itself would make an effective weapon in here, if thePlayer Characters choose to use it to ram oncoming Arachnids.However, that tactic would not stand up for long before theGecko itself was destroyed by the damage of the impacts (seethe Starship Troopers Roleplaying Gamecore rulebook).

    When running encounters within the caves, the Games Mastershould play things a little loosely. The Arachnids listed in

    the encounter areas below will not sit quietly waiting for thearrival of the Player Characters (except for those in Location4). Instead (with the exception of the worker bugs) they willseek the troopers out. Depending upon how long the troopersspend in the tunnels, and what they do while they are in there,they might find all the Arachnids coming to them.

    Location 1

    Only a minute or so after the troopers and the Gecko fallthrough from the surface, probably just a moment after theincoming orders arrive, the first Arachnids show up to greetthe troopers. Emerging from the tunnels just north of this

    position, a wave of eight warrior bugs comes to attack theintruders. Four rounds later, another group of seven warriorbugs arrives from the south (Location 2).

    Location 2

    This large chamber was, until the Player Characters arrived inthe warren, filled with 12 warrior and 12 worker bugs. Tenrounds after the wave of seven warrior bugs arrives at Location1, five of the warriors from this room will move to Location 1.Four rounds later, six more will arrive. The 12 worker bugs, onthe other hand, will make their way toward Location 3.

    Location 3

    The tunnels near this location continue on in the direction ofSite F (near the Peeping Toms mission). Currently, they arebeing used by more Arachnids coming to combat the intrudinghumans. Fortunately for the troopers, the Arachnids in thisstretch of tunnel are rather spread out, and it will take sometime before they can arrive in overwhelming force. The first

    group of Arachnids to arrive consists of 11 warrior bugs. Aminute and a half (15 rounds) later, another group 14 warriorbugs and a tanker bug arrive. This location should only be usedif the troopers actually come in this direction first, rather thantravelling east as they were instructed. Otherwise, the GamesMaster should have the Arachnids come up from behind thetroopers as they investigate the tunnels.

    Location 4

    The troopers first hint that something is unusual here willlikely come from the realisation that the Arachnids inside thiscavern have not come in search of them. Instead, they seem to

    be guarding the contents of this cave. This cavern is perhapsthe most important point inAmbush at Altair, as the discoveryto be made within is the linchpin of the rest of the scenario.Inside this immense cavern are hundreds of round stones, eachabout a yard wide and with a surface that is nearly as smoothas an egg except for a single hole bored into the side thatreveals the centre as hollow. The stones are arranged in fairlyneat piles.

    The stones are not actually stones at all. Instead, they are secretedorganic matter, organic matter that forms the backbone of an

    Arachnid spore packet. These stones are being prepared forlaunch at the nearby human colony at Tango Urilla, awaiting

    only the insertion of the Arachnid eggs before the attack begins.Of course, there is no way for the troopers to know all this yet,though they should certainly suspect something is very oddabout these stones. If they do not try to acquire one on theirown, the Games Master should feel free to drop hints about thepotential value of these items to SICON.

    Guarding and tending to the future spore packets are ten warriorbugs and ten worker bugs. Once the Player Characters enterthis cave, all the Arachnids (even the workers) will attack.

    Location 5

    Both locations marked 5 indicate an abyss that falls away intothe earth below. These deep pits (too deep for a lizard line)connect these caves to the larger Arachnid warrens below. Theyalso offer a nearly endless source of enemies for the troopers.Ten minutes after the troopers fall through from the surface,

    warrior bugs will begin emerging from these pits at the rate oftwo every three rounds, continuing until the Player Charactersflee the area.

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    Location 6

    This tunnel narrows at these locations to only five feet wide,much too small for the Gecko to pass.

    Location 7

    This location marks the cave leading out of the Arachnidwarren, back to the comparative safety of the surface. The

    troopers will be pursued by any remaining Arachnids, but withthe increasingly level ground, the Gecko will be able to outrunthem.

    Mission Objectives:The North Passage mission is a long andgruelling haul for the troopers and, fortunately for them, bythe time they reach the end point of the mission, they will befar from any plasma bugs and can be returned to the WilliamTravisby the Viking.

    Simply surviving this ordeal is worth the entire 1,000experience point award. If the Gecko is still operational at

    the end, the Games Master should award an additional 100experience points. If the troopers had the presence of mind totake one of the spore packets from the Underground mission,the Games Master should award an additional 100 points toevery character, and 200 points to the one who first mentionedretrieving the packet. If the characters had to be coaxed intocollecting a spore packet on the other hand, they should receiveno additional experience. If the troopers were wise enough notto waste ammunition slaughtering worker bugs, the GamesMaster should grant an additional 50 experience points.

    MISSION 4: HEPHAESTUS STATION

    Experience Points:400 experience points

    Mission Type:Keep and hold

    Mission Duration:90 minutes

    Terrain:Installation, lava plains

    Special Equipment: 2 MW-X29 Scythe lasers

    Available Support:None

    Enemies: Hopper bugs (12),rippler bugs (3), warrior bugs(100)

    Mission Briefing: Good workin the North Passage mission,apes. I know it was no cakewalk,but you handled it like youshould, and we have plenty of

    new intel from it. Were still scratching our heads over that roundrock you brought back, but we have a few ideas. Lets just say I hopewere wrong. In the meantime, I have something of a surprise for

    you. Turns out you werent the only humans on that rock. Theresa research station not too far from where we picked you up lasttime. We had assumed it was abandoned, but it turns out we werewrong. I dont know why the bugs have been ignoring it, but youve

    stirred them up pretty good, and theyre not ignoring it anymore.About half an hour ago, a few warriors showed up to poke aroundthe walls, then retreated. Now, it looks like theyre coming back.Were not willing to give up our last toehold on that rock, not untilwe know what the bugs are doing, so youre going back down todefend that station. The Viking will take you in, along with yournew gear, and pull out all the nonessential personnel from the base.There will be a few of them staying behind, like Dr Yolanda Grierand Dr Samson Ybarra, the two high foreheads running thingsthere but dont let them forget youll be the ones in charge now.

    Now, you do have a few aces up your sleeve on this. Hephaestus

    Station is a volcanic research facility, and its sitting on top of a lavaplain. About 20 feet underneath it is a sea of lava, so you donthave to worry about bugs digging up from under you the heatwould fry them. Its also built out of some high-grade composite tosurvive a brush with molten rock, so the bugs will have a hard timecoming through the walls at you. Plus, Im giving you the Scythelasers we got on board for this. Now, have fun.

    Mission Breakdown:This mission takes place three Altair Vdays after the last one. If the Gecko managed to survive theprevious missions, it will be repaired and dropped off with thePlayer Characters. All equipment that came with the Gecko

    when it was first dispatched will be replenished (if possible

    for example, there simply is no more MW-5050 ammunition).The Player Characters also have the opportunity to requisitionnew equipment. Even if the Gecko is destroyed, the equipment

    will still be replenished and dropped off in crates along with thetroopers (see the MAC Hauler on page 4). If the troopers donot already have these items, they will also be given a FedComSW-404 Javelin missile launcher and three M-998A1 Pee-

    Wee missiles.

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    The MAC Hauler

    Hephaestus Station has a single MAC Hauler in its vehicle bay,which the troopers are well within their rights to commandeer.Considering its purpose on this planet, which often involvesgoing through exceptionally rough terrain, the MAC Haulerhas been upgraded with additional armour, raising its DamageReduction as follows: chassis 12, crew 8, wheels (6) 4.

    If the Gecko has been lost, the MAC Hauler can be used as areplacement vehicle. Mounting a weapon on the MAC Haulertakes one hour and a Repair skill check (DC 15). Additionally,the hauler can be modified to allow the troopers to recharge theirsuits from its power supply, though the vehicle is not designedfor this and any such recharging will be far less efficient than

    was the case with the Gecko. Recharging a suit from the MACHauler requires one hour for every hour that has been drainedfrom the suits power supply. Thus, if a trooper used a suit forthree hours, it would take three hours hooked up to the haulerto restore the suit to full power.

    There are eight spare wheels in inventory at Hephaestus. Thehauler can operate normally with as few as four wheels intact,and can operate at half speed with three wheels intact. Ifreduced to two wheels, the hauler is immobile.

    It is possible for the troopers to upgrade the MAC Haulersengine, providing the vehicle with enough speed to give it achance against the Arachnids. Doing so requires eight hoursof work, a deluxe mechanical kit, a deluxe electrical kit and aRepair skill check with a base DC of 15. A successful skill checkagainst DC 15 will increase the vehicles speed to 70. Moreimpressive skill checks result in more speed from the engine.

    For every full increment of five over the base DC, the haulersspeed is increased by 10. Thus, beating a DC 20 increases thespeed to 80, while beating a DC of 25 increases the speed to 90.The haulers speed cannot be increased past 120.

    Once the Player Characters arrive at Hephaestus Station,they will have to move quickly to prepare for the Arachnidsimpending arrival. The station has an internal power supply,generated by a combination of solar and geothermal energy,

    which is suitable for powering the two MW-X29 Scythe lasersthat have been assigned for this mission. There are four spotson the roof of the research station where the power supply can

    be accessed, making them the best points to deploy the lasers.Setting up a Scythe and rigging it into the stations power supplytakes 20 minutes and a Repair skill check (DC 15).

    Hephaestus Station PowerThe troopers will likely have two uses for the power supply ofHephaestus Station. First, it can be used to power the Scythelasers. Second, it can be used to recharge power suits. Ofcourse, as with all things inAmbush at Altair, it is not infinite.

    The stations power supply remains more or less fully chargedduring normal operation. When extra drain, such as firinglasers or recharging suits, is put upon it, it begins to run outof juice rather quickly. Fully charged, the power supply canprovide energy to fire the Scythe lasers 500 times, or recharge50 hours worth of power suit operating time. Thus, firing aScythe 100 times leaves the power supply with only 40 hours of

    suit operating time left in it, while recharging 10 hours worthof suit time leaves only enough energy to fire the Scythe 400times.

    The power supply will recharge itself automatically, but it takestwo full Altair V days to do so. Note that the power supply

    will automatically shut off such external functions in favour ofkeeping the base operational.

    After the nonessential personnel are evacuated by the Viking,there will be seven people still in the station, not including thePlayer Characters. There is also one unwelcome guest. Dr

    Samson Ybarra, one of the two lead scientists of the facility,is currently under the thrall of a control bug. The sevenremaining humans are all 2ndlevel civilian scientists, manifestlyill-equipped to defend themselves against the oncoming

    Arachnids. While not completely unarmed (they do have fourMorita TW-201-s rifles and 120 rounds of ammunition), theyare hardly up to fighting a warrior bug.

    Fifty minutes after the troopers arrive at Hephaestus Station,the battle will begin. A force of warrior bugs is the first toappear, moving up from the southwest. The first enemies toarrive, however, will be a flight of six hopper bugs coming fromthe northwest, followed one round later by six more. They

    will attack and fly back out again the way they came to makeanother attempt at using their Deadly Pass ability. On the thirdround of combat with the hopper bugs, a flight of three ripplerbugs swoops in from the south east, potentially striking thetroopers before they even notice the rippler bugs approach.

    Ten rounds after the first attack of the hopper bugs, the firstwarriors will reach the 25-foot walls. As mentioned in thebriefing, the walls of Hephaestus Station are exceptionallytough, making it difficult for Arachnids to dig through.Instead, they will simply climb the walls to attack the troopersbefore using the three roof access points to enter the facility.

    A warrior bug can break through any of the roof hatches withonly two rounds of effort. The warrior bugs arrive in waves often every ten rounds, but once they are defeated, there is nosign of any more Arachnids.

    From this point on, Hephaestus Station is a safe haven for thePlayer Characters. It will come under attack again in latermissions, but will never be the target of purely random attacks.They may pass the time between missions peacefully here.

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    Mission Objectives:So long as the Arachnids are repelled, themission is considered a success. However, the troopers mightbe penalised if they allow the Arachnids to get past them, breakinto the facility and start killing civilians. The Games Mastershould deduct 25 experience points from the total for everycivilian killed. Notethat Dr Samson Ybarra will not be killed,as he is currently hosting a control bug.

    MISSION 5: ANTHILL

    Experience Points:300 experience points

    Mission Type:Assault

    Mission Duration:Four hours

    Terrain:Lava plains, rocky hills

    Special Equipment:None

    Available Support:None

    Enemies:Hopper bugs (14), rippler bugs (5), tanker bugs (2),warrior bugs (?)

    Mission Briefing:All right, you apes, I hope you like the food atHephaestus Station, because its your home for a while. I got somebad news for you. Seems that rock you brought back from the bughole was actually a bug spore meteor. The bugs put their eggs inthese things and blast them to nearby planets to start a new colony.Considering how many there were in just that one location, and

    what little we know about bug eggs, it looks like theyre planning toreplace us on Tango Urilla with a few million bugs.

    Theres more. If were right, that means its not just a brain bugdown there running the show, it means theres a queen. No onesever seen one of them before, and odds are we wont now. Shellbe buried so deep in those tunnels it would take an army to reachher. So, if we cant get to her and take care of things directly, weve

    got to do something else to keep them from firing those spores intoour colony until Fleet shows up and glasses the planet. Thats yournext job.

    Your other job is more fun. We want someeggs. The big brains at SICON have a fewtheories about bug eggs, but the bugs dontshare real well, and SICON hasnt gottenthe quality samples they want. Youre goingto fix that problem. The queen may beburied deep, but they got to bring the eggs tothe surface if they want to load em and fireem. While youre out stirring up trouble,were going to take all the readings we can,see if we can find the path the Arachnids are

    taking the eggs up. Id give my meat arm for a good Senser rightabout now, but we all got our crosses to bear.

    What I want you to do is pretty simple this time out. Theres alikely bug hole about 40 miles out from the station. Go over thereand give them my regards. Youre authorised to use a Pee-Wee ifnecessary.

    Mission Breakdown:As the man said, this mission is prettysimple: create a diversion. The troopers must pass between twolarge fields of magma geysers (though with about 10 miles ofclearance, this should be easy for them) to reach the targetednest. For the first 30 miles of the journey, whether it is byGecko or MAC Hauler, the troopers have a peaceful ride. Tenmiles out from the target, they encounter their first resistancein the form of a flight of six hopper bugs striking the troopersat full speed.

    As the troopers approach within half a mile of the target

    location, another flight of eight hopper bugs swoops in to attackfrom behind. Four rounds later, the first wave of ten warriorbugs comes into view to the south, charging the troopers. Fiverounds after the first wave, a second wave of ten charges upfrom the south.

    Once the troopers approach within 600 feet of the targetlocation, the resistance stiffens. Lurking underground nearbyis a pair of tanker bugs, who will emerge from the ground 100feet to either side of the troopers. Two rounds after the tankerbugs attack, the first wave of warrior bugs charges from the caveentrance. Every three rounds afterward, five more warrior bugs

    will emerge and attack. Only by collapsing the cave entrance

    (whether with a Pee-Wee, TOAD charge or other means) canthe troopers stop the constant stream of enemies.

    The Arachnids are not done with them, however. Though thetroopers may have slain the defenders and destroyed the bughole, other Arachnids are inbound. The first wave of attackershits when the Player Characters are withdrawing from the siteof the battle. Swooping in from the north is a flight of fiverippler bugs, flying low to make a Deadly Pass at the troopers.Once these foes are dealt with, the troopers only have a fewminutes to collect themselves before the first wave of warriors

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    comes into view. Attacking from the northwest are two wavesof warrior bugs 10 in the first wave, 15 in the second wavethat arrives one minute after the first. Once these foes are dealt

    with, the troopers can return to Hephaestus Station in peace.

    Mission Objectives:The only real goal of the troopers in thismission is to stir up trouble. So long as they do so and return

    alive, they are eligible for the entire experience point reward.

    MISSION 6: PRE-EMPTION

    Experience Points:300 experience points

    Mission Type:Interception

    Mission Duration:Two hours

    Terrain:Lava plains, rocky hills

    Special Equipment:None

    Available Support:None

    Enemies:Hopper bugs (17), plasma bugs (4), warrior bugs (?)

    Mission Briefing:I know youve been wanting to hunt some biggame, apes. Well, heres your chance. Were tracking four plasmabugs and their little warrior bodyguards that just came out of ahole 35 miles northwest of your position. I want you to go overthere and kill them.

    They had to make the surface because the area theyre about tocross is just a thin sheet of rock over a river of lava just like thelake of lava Hephaestus is sitting on top of, only hotter, if you canbelieve that. Theyve got about two miles to go to get to the hole wethink theyre heading for. Now, I know youre thinking about howmany bullets those things take to put down, but we got a plan for

    you. I got a would-be engineer up here who thinks if you plant aTOAD charge in the ground in the plasmas path, you can set it offwhile theyre waddling over it and give them and the warriors a

    nice warm bath in the lava thatll spew up from below. Your mapshould show the approximate area you need to set the charge in.Sounds good to me but take enough bullets to do the job the old-

    fashioned way if it comes down to it. Dont use a Pee-Wee unlesstheres no other choice.

    Those plasmas move slow, but you got some ground to cover to get

    to them, and I wont be happy if they make it underground beforeyou show up to throw them a party. So saddle up.

    Mission Breakdown: This mission begins with a long trekacross the lava plains toward a cleft in the mountain range to thenorthwest. After 25 miles of travel, the Player Characters willcome under attack by a flight of seven hopper bugs swoopingin from the east.

    Games Masters should keep in mind a general idea of howfast the troopers are travelling, compared to the speed of thefour plasma bugs that are their primary target in this mission.

    Chances are excellent the troopers will arrive at where theyneed to be in time to stop the plasma bugs, as it will take theenormous Arachnids two hours to cross the distance between

    where they emerged from the ground and where they willdescend again into the tunnel network. If the troopers are tooslow and too cautious, however, they may arrive at the site onlyto find they have failed the mission.

    The troopers have a general idea of where the TOAD chargeshould be set, but it will take some time to find the perfect spot.The troopers will require 20 minutes to locate the optimalsite for the explosive, which can be reduced to ten minutes

    with a successful Knowledge (physical sciences) skill check

    (DC 15). Actually setting the explosive correctly requires aDemolitions skill check (DC 25). If the check is less than this,the oncoming plasma bugs and their warrior vanguard will notbe killed (though the Games Master may wish to wound them reducing the hit points of each Arachnid in the group byhalf).

    Naturally, the troopers will have some unwelcome visitors todeal with in the meantime.

    One minute after the troopersarrive at the detonation area,

    they will come under attackby two waves of hopper bugs,five in each wave, with thesecond appearing five roundsafter the first. Games Mastersshould note that this region hassome intense thermal vents,creating very sudden updraftsthat prevent the hopper bugsmoving more than 120 feet ina round, and likewise prevent

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    them from using their Deadly Pass ability. After five minutes inthe detonation area, a group of six warrior bugs will come intoview to the southwest, having emerged from the cave there. Aminute later, another six warrior bugs come into view.

    For every minute after ten the Player Characters spend in thearea (before the explosion), the Games Master should roll 1d3.

    On a result of one, 2d4 warrior bugs emerge from the nearbycave and attack. After the explosion, the Arachnids becomeeven more unpleasant. Warrior bugs begin to swarm from thecave at the rate of 1d6 every three rounds. They will pursuethe troopers for up to a mile before suddenly giving up andretreating back to their warrens.

    Mission Objectives: If all the plasma bugs are destroyed,the troopers are entitled to the full experience award. If theymanaged to kill the plasma bugs using a TOAD charge (orother explosive) in the manner prescribed, they should each begiven an additional 50 experience points, except for the trooper

    who laid the charge, who gains 100 instead.

    MISSION 7: WOLF IN THE FOLD

    Experience Points:450 experience points

    Mission Type:Keep and hold

    Mission Duration:One hour

    Terrain:Lava plains

    Special Equipment:None

    Available Support:None

    Enemies:Cliff mites (13), controlbugs (one for every human),hopper bugs (10), warrior bugs(80)

    Mission Briefing: Looks like you madean impression, apes. Weve got long-rangetracking on a whole world of bugs comingdown on Hephaestus Station. Got to lovethose lava plains keep the bugs fromburrowing and theyre easy to spot. We needto hold on to that base, so get those Scythes

    mounted up and get ready for a storm.

    Mission Breakdown:The troopers arelikely to start this mission thinking it

    will be a replay of the original assault onHephaestus Station. They are very wrong.

    It does, however, begin normally enough. Half an hour afterthey receive their briefing, troopers will see a flight of fivehopper bugs sailing in from the northwest to start the fighting.Two rounds later, a group of 11 cliff mites swarms up the wallsat the northwest corner of the station, and troopers on lookout

    will spot a large number of warrior bugs moving up from thesouthwest.

    Six of the cliff mites race straight for the Player Characters,while the remaining five head for the southernmost roof accesshatch and begin trying to chew through it. It will take the fivecliff mites five combat rounds to make it through the hatch.For every mite killed, the Games Master should add one roundto the time needed.

    When the first wave of 15 warrior bugs approaching from thesouthwest is two rounds away from reaching the facility, thePlayer Characters should (Perception skill check DC 10) notice

    another group of 10 warrior bugs approaching from the east.They will reach the station in five rounds. There is no wayfor the troopers to know this at present, but a number of the

    warrior bugs are serving as transports for control bugs, meantfor the humans inside Hephaestus Station.

    At this point, things turn bad. A sudden crackle of static intheir ears announces to the troopers that they are receiving an

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    incoming message from the William Travis, which the GamesMaster should read to the players:

    Troopers! One of the civilians we took off that rock just tried todetonate our power core! He had a control bug on him checkeach other, check the civilians! Check the power core; check the baydoors. Make sure youre not dealing with another!

    Of course, the troopers are dealing with another control bug,holding Dr Samson Ybarra in thrall. Probably the best courseof action is for the troopers to detail off one Player Characterto go down into the facility and inspect the civilians, but timeis short. Fifteen rounds after the Player Characters receive the

    warning from the William Travis, Dr Ybarra will open the baydoors from Location 17, letting the warrior bugs and controlbugs into the facility.

    At this point, the Games Master will need to use the map of theinterior of Hephaestus Station. The locations marked on the

    map are as follows:

    Location 1

    Vehicle bay. This bay contains the MAC Hauler when not inuse, as well as the stations mechanical tools and large spareparts. It is outside the stations airlock system, meaning the air

    within is the same as the atmosphere of Altair V. The ceilinghas a roof access point.

    Location 2

    Storage bay. This bay contains a variety of large items that neednot be protected by the stations airlocks.

    Location 3

    Dormitories. These spartan rooms serve asdwelling space for the staff of the station (exceptDr Grier and Dr Ybarra, who have their ownrooms). The easternmost dormitory has a roofaccess point.

    Location 4

    Dr Griers Quarters.

    Location 5

    Dr Ybarras Quarters.

    Location 6

    Dr Ybarras office.

    Location 7

    Dr Griers office.

    Location 8

    Infirmary and general storage.

    Location 9

    Volcanic sample storage. Rock and magma samples collectedby the scientists are stored here.

    Location 10

    Kitchen.

    Location 11

    Food storage.

    Location 12

    Mess hall.

    Location 13

    Common area.

    Location 14

    Air and water purification and conditioning equipment.

    Location 15Main research area. The majority of the stations work takesplace in this room.

    Location 16

    Containment core. This area is actually a pit through thethin crust of the plains to the lava beneath. A powerful setof magnetic fields keeps the pressurised lava from creating avolcano inside the facility and prevents the temperature of thelava beneath from turning Hephaestus Station into an oven.The scientists use this well and a collection basket to gather

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    materials for experimentation, or to perform tests on othermaterials by placing them in the heat below.

    Location 17

    Power core. Hephaestus Station is powered by solar andgeothermal energy, gathered together in this power core. Theroom also contains secondary switches for most of the facilitys

    functions, from opening the bay doors to regulating theoperation of the air and water purification and conditioningequipment. It is in this room that the Player Characters mustrecharge their suits assuming they use the stations power todo so.

    Location 18

    Toilets.

    Location 19

    Showers.

    By now, the Player Characters should know their way aroundthe facility fairly well. The problem, of course, will be findingout Dr Ybarra is the thrall and stopping him before he canopen the bay doors and the adjoining airlock. At the time thePlayer Characters receive their warning about a control bug