Below Gradient Suns
⌦ Adventure ⌦ Game Design ⌦ Science Fiction ⌦ Offworlders
A work in progress adventure for Offworlders, written in Markdown.
Title generated from Chris Bissette’s Title Generator tool for the 2021 Random Adventure Jam.
The final version is available for download here.
The Scenario
Welcome to Eremus XII.
A sad backwater planet abandoned by the rest of the Galaxy. A blood orange tundra stretches unendingly below Gradient Suns, a yellow and red dwarf star.
After the local mine dried up, the only point of interest on this rock became Clio Spaceport. A small town made up of buildings hobbled-together from old starships and shipping containers.
Clio Spaceport
- SAU-L 89 Spaceport
- Sumail’s Solar Farm - Set apart on the edge of town.
- Rusty’s - A bar and diner set up in the ruins of an old starhopper.
- Commissary Square - a collection of shops and stores built out of prefab modules, broken down from old starships.
- Willem’s Printery - Shop with Molecular 3D Printers and Recombinators
- Chemist (Pharmacy) -
- Arthur’s General - Shop that sells anything that Willem’s can’t print
Bulletin Board
- Courier Job - (Ship recommended)
- Manual labor - help Sumail with repairs on his Solar Farm (Geek recommended)
NPCs
Sumail
Wise solar farmer who just wants to be left alone and protect his family. Has mysterious past. Dark skin, bushy grey mustache. Wears coveralls and a snoopy cap.
Servo77
Sassy robot attendant of Sumail.
Batrach
HP: 3 AC: 2 DMG: 1D6
Anuran guide and local to Clio Spaceport. Wears a deepspace hydrosuit and duster.
Vehicles for Hire
Overland rig - 2c/day
Tundra skimmer - 1c/day
Cargo tug - 1c/day
The Adventure
A gang of bandits has stolen several batteries and power converters from a local farmer, Sumail. Without the batteries his solar farm will not be able to supply power to Clio Spaceport, disrupting the livelihoods and businesses of its citizens.
Sumail is able to pay 63 credits for anyone that is able to find and return the batteries.
The bandits have escaped to an abandoned mine and cavern system on the outskirts of town. If needed, one of the local guns for hire, Batrach, has offered to go with and assist you.
Underneath the 2 suns there are different kinds of energy that it generates. 1 is more potent and thusly more powerful than the other.
Truths About The Bandits
The bandits are part of an environmental protection group. They are attempting to smuggle the embryos of an alien species, endangered by terraforming taking place on the nearby world of Periculus II.
In their makeshift starship, docked in the Silo, there is a cryonic chamber storying the embryos.
The Bandit’s Mine
CW: Claustrophobia
The planet has a cavern system with several air pockets and pools of water.
Areas in the Mine
- Mine Entrance
Long, winding tunnel, blasted out by Outpost Excavators. Dirt and stone are of a rich, dark orange soil.- Signs of recent activity and EV Suit boot prints. MRE wrappers and aluminum cans.
- Abandoned Vein
Filled with deteriorating tracks and mine carts. Abandoned tools and equipment.- carbon-fiber pickaxe
- rope
- lantern
- Abandoned Vein 2
Reclaimed by the natural ecosystem of the mine. Growing from the ceiling is a bioluminescent plant that looks like a cross between grass, jellyfish, and kelp.- 1d3 Rockscrapers, harvesting the grass.
- Gelgrass
- Abandoned Vein 3
Mid-sized chamber, signs of mining carved out of the natural stone. In one corner are the remains of a Bandit.- Upon closer inspection, see that they were attacked by something with three claws.
- Shotgun (Med. 1d6+1)
- 1d6c
- Green Keycard
- Flooded Annex
Chamber partially flooded. Signs of footprints and a light coming through the water.- [SECRET] Connects to another chamber. Need to find a way to swim through.
- [SECRET] Flooded Alcove
Small chamber carved out of natural stone. A single solitary, battery-powered light stands on the bank next to a [LOCKED] medium-sized metallic crate.- 1d100c
- Ship blueprints, The Gaia
- Green Booklet/Zine, EcoTerror Manifesto
Chamber has limited oxygen.- Chamber circles around, bypassing
- Nursery
Warm compared to the rest of the mine and cavern system. Inhabited by a sleeping Violetpike.- It guards a nest of 1d6 eggs, worth 5c each.
- Catwalk
Overlooks the Barracks, Missile Silo, and Silo Control Room.- Walking on the catwalk is loud and may attract attention as it echoes through the cave system and silo.
- Barracks
Shared bunking quarters for the bandits. Decorated with the various bounty posters of the bandits, photos of family and friends.- 1d3 Bandits resting at a time.
- Missile Silo
The bandits have a makeshift rocket they’re constructing to attempt to make it off world. They all have bounties and warrants for their arrest. - Silo Control Room
Manned by a lone Bandit Scientist who is talking to the bandit’s leader, Rhys Barlow. - Laboratory
Random Encounter Table
- 1d3 Bandit Guards
- Violetpike
- Lost Clio Anuran
- Rockscraper
- Crab-Crawler(TM) Vending Machine
- Malfunctioning Robot
Crab-Crawler(TM)
Vending machine with robotic legs that wanders throughout the caverns.
[Qty]
- Energy Drink [d3 Stock] - Roll w/advantage 1x
- NutriDrink [d6 Stock] - +1 HP
- Light Weapon [1] - 2c
- Light Armor [1] - 4c
- Welding Torch [1] - 1c
- LED Flashlight [d3 Stock] - 0c
Bestiary
The Bandits
Bounty: 1d3x10c
HP: 5 AC: 1 DMG: 1D6
| 2d6 | Given Name | Surname |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrea | Moore |
| 2 | Marcos | Guerrero |
| 3 | Perry | Jokovich |
| 4 | Maria | Baker |
| 5 | Kaia | Numari |
| 6 | Lamar | St. John |
Bandit Leader: Rhys Barlow
Bounty: 320c
HP: 8 AC: 1 DMG: 1D6+2
Violetpike HP: 12 AC: 3 DMG: Higher of 2D6+1
Also known as the Violetcrest, a massive scaled primate native to Eremus XII. It has four-arms, each with three clawed digits. Named for the distinctive purple spikes that line its head and back.
Rockscraper HP: 3 AC: 3 DMG: Lower of 2d6
Crab-like crustaceans with green and blue shells that harvest, or scrape, algaes and mosses from the local, moisture-rich cave systems.
Malfunctioning Robot HP: 3 AC: 1 DMG: 1d6
Lost humanoid robot used as couriers or manual labor in Clio.
Optional Player Species
The default setting in Offworlders assume all player characters are Human. Below Gradient Suns adds a new playable species.
Anurans
Anurans (from the taxonomic order Anura)
A tailless, amphibian species (frog-like but not explicitly) hailing from the Anura Expanse. Their technology is as advanced as anything else that can be found in the galaxy and their peoples just as diverse.
Their physiology allows them to process both oxygen-rich atmospheres and underwater environments. In dry, desert-like environments they may wear specialized hydro-suits to aid in respiration (as they do not have lungs).
Anuran Abilities
Starting Abilities Gain all of the following abilities on top of your standard class abilities.
Amphibious process both oxygen-rich atmospheres and underwater environments. Must wear a Hydrosuit in dry environments to aid in respiration. In dry environments without a suit, roll Strength with 3d6 and drop the highest.
Additional Abilities The following abilities are optional and can be taken in place of standard class abilities.
Leap Once per scene, you can make a mighty leap to a nearby location you can see.
Poisonous Your skin secretes a powerful toxin. If an organic being makes contact with your skin, you may choose to release this toxin, causing 1 damage.
Tongue Use your powerful tongue as another, prehensile-like limb. You can easily move small objects but for larger objects you must make a Strength Test.
Nightvision “Frogs are nocturnal, and their eyes contain a layer of tissue called tapetum lucidum, which is not present in the human eye, that allows them to see at night. This is what produces eyeshine, seen in the photo below and in photos of cats and other animals with this tissue.”