 October 31, 2011 - 6:11am | I'm exploring the idea of "When the Sathar Land...." What happens? Looking for feed back. This question could be answered from a general standpoint. I'm looking at it from a particular scenario viewpoint: S Day (day 1 of the First Sathar War) The sathar have void jumped to Truane's Star and decelerated to enter Pale's orbit. No one saw them coming. They obliterated anything in orbit that could have opposed them. The sathar warships will shortly detect radio emmissions on New Pale and move to investigate them. This will leave an opening for refugees to lift off from Pale in overloaded void capable craft and flee to Dixon's Star. The sathar troop transports begin landing troops and military assets immediately. The citizens of Pale are totally caught by surprise at what is coming. PCs are militia reservists (going about their regular citizen job), police, bank security guards, or other private citizens who all just happen to be caught in the same area (an intersection of two streets in the capitol). The fecal matter has well and truly hit the rotary air impeller! So, what happens next? What is the sathar Plan? No doubt they could be looking to round up the population for use as slave bots (which is a little horrific), slaves, grooming as a new subject race, for medical experiments, or quick death fodder (cause a quick death can literally eat you out of house and home). My currently hazy idea is that: 1. they will move to eliminate any potential opposition: air strikes on obvious military installations. 2. Secure key infrastructure for their use; seize star ports and air fields. 3. Contain the population 4. begin processing of the population Methods: 1. use shock tactics on S Day: quick deaths and air strikes. 2. according to canon they can communicate using Pan Gal so they will make loud speaker announcements that no one will be hurt if they comply and report for processing. 3. try to insert double agents into the population, your classic sathar agent #4 thru 12 Dont know what these will be yet #13. Nukes- When the Second Common Muster defeats two battle fleets and moves on Truane's Star to kick out the troop and other logistic oriented ships Case 13 invovles nuking population centers. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
October 31, 2011 - 6:21am | The tough part with writing this as an adventure is the premise is "Hostile Aliens just landed and blew the military and government to dust bunnies what are you going to do?" Its a classic set up for a sand box scenario going in whatever direction the players decide to go. Yet to write and run it you need some structure and direction. What might the players decide? 1. Lets get to the ship and get out of here! 2. Lets get some guns and go kill something! With an NPC protagonist offering some direction they might: 3. Lets form a resistence cell and strike back, which could take on any number of missions: finding out whats happening at the processing centers. liberating people from a processing center, making an opening for refugee ships to lift off, intercepting a Case 13 nuke or disarming it, sabotage etc. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 October 31, 2011 - 8:47am | I've been thinking about this a lot recently as I'm planning on doing a SF novel based on this exact topic, namely someone who escapes the initial onslaught and their battle for survival and revenge against the invaders. My thoughts are that in the case of the attack on Truane's Star, a major goal of the Sathar will be to capture a majority of the population and technology as intact as possible. So there will be a lot of cannon fodder Sathar and bioconstructs to contain and sieze everything with as little damage as possible to physical facilites. They would try to capture "knowledge workers" alive, i.e. technicians, roboticists, computer techs, doctors, scientists, etc. as they would be useful to help the Sathar understand the captured technology, etc. The majority of the population would probably be just used for low level slave labor and genetic and/or physcological experiments. Some would probably be shipped off-planet back to Sathar controlled space. My basic idea is the same as yours, quick strikes against military targets and then move to control and contain the population, eliminating any resistance. After that they start working on the population in an attempt to understand fully the Frontier races that they are now fighting. I also think that the initial attack will be completely one sided toward the Sathar, thus lowering their concern about the population striking back. This is a motivation for them not to just wipe everyone out but rather to round them up and "process" them. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
October 31, 2011 - 10:29am | The course of the first sathar war is sathar strike Truane's Star. 2nd Common Muster is called and Morgaine positions his fleet at Cassidine. Sathar move on Cassidine and Dixon's star jointly by dividing their fleet. Morgaine ambushes one fleet in Cassidine before intercepting the other at Prengular. We must presume that sufficient forces of the muster survived to move on Dixon's Star then onto Truane's star. Likely there were only light units and logistic elements left in space at those two systems at this time. My question then is : in the above described scenario how much time do you think that would all take? Or to put it another way; how long does the ad hoc defenders of Pale need to hold out until relief forces reclaim the orbital high ground over Pale? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
October 31, 2011 - 12:56pm | Probably less than a year. According to the timeline, Truane's Star is attacked in year 3 p.f. and the whole thing is over in 2 p.f. At the bare minimum, you have to have time for:
And that assumes that everyone works at peak efficiency and makes critical decisions (like calling the muster and responding to it) immediately and pretty much without hesitation. It also means that the Sathar just push through at maximum pace and don't spend any time in system at Truane's Star or Dixon's Star. So I'd probably go with something like 120 to 200 days between the time the Sathar arrive in system in Truane's Star and when the rag-tag bits of the common muster show up to liberate them. Anyway, that's my read, it's probably over in less than half a year. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
October 31, 2011 - 2:19pm | Okay, this has officially sparked my interest. (Especially since I kind of need the information for the story I want to write.) I'm working on a day by day time line of the war. We'll see what happens. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
October 31, 2011 - 4:21pm | I think that some of the stragglers that respond to the common muster slowly or are coming from distant systems can be assumed to be fresh replacements for mopping up in Dixon's and Truane's Stars. And anything armed can be pressed into service as well. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 November 1, 2011 - 7:16am | Perhaps it would help to break down the adventure into Areas and Final Encounter. Area 1: Employer's Building PC's are part of a companies security division. During their shift they hear news reports of invasion force that has decimated orbital stations. They are charged with protecting company assets but when their building is overrun by jetcopters they take to the sewer system that leads to the outskirts of town. Area 2: Cavernous sewer complex under the city, map with keyed area. PC's encounter sathar patrols and slavebots. etc... Area 3: Old Coot on the mountain Near the city is an old coot who has a small runabout in need of repair. The ship could serve as the PC's ticket to get help from other star systems or pirates in the area. Final Encounter: Spare Parts Dash, map with keyd area. The PC's need a final part for the ship, it's located nearby in an old abandon factory. A sathar patrol is guarding sathar-techs while they re-configure the factory for their nefarious needs. The PC's must get inside, acquire the part then get back to their ship. |
 November 1, 2011 - 12:12pm | I just want to say I like how this is shaping up. I'm keenly interested in how this turns out. I have no ideas at the moment, but when I do, I'll let you know. At the moment, I'm just happy to read what others have to offer. This sounds like an adventure I'd be interested in. I'd also like to read it in story form. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
November 1, 2011 - 1:19pm | Another adventure idea; Area 1: Z'aMatto Merchant Ship The party's ship was caught in the initial sathar onslaught. The party and perhaps a few NPC's are alive, adrift on a merchant vessel delivering shuttles to Truane's Star. Their chance of rescue diminishes with each news report of invading forces. How will they survive? Area 2a: Sathar Carrier The PC's witness small ships leaving a large ship, looks to be a carrier. They decide to take one of the undamaged shuttles and infiltrate the ship. Map with keyed areas. Area 2b: Sathar Supply Ship The PC's spot what appears to be an unarmed supply ship that was left in the outskirts of the system, away from the heavy fighting near Pale. Map with keyed areas. Area 3: Race to the Surface The PC's decide their best chance of survival is to race to the surface and hole up or fight. City or wilderness map with keyed areas. |
November 1, 2011 - 1:55pm | Here's an idea. How about a Sathar War I Campaign Guide that covers all the actions taken during the conflict. Because all these ideas are pretty good and Referees can form adventures based upon the outlines presented in the campaign guide. You would need, as Terl pointed out, a moment-by-moment account and recognition that many groups, many separate efforts and missions and many different events lead to the ousting of the Sathar during the conflict. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
November 1, 2011 - 2:13pm | For me with writing this adventure I liked the idea of all the PC's have no real prior connections before the start of the adventure. Making any character concept possible and leaving the field open for any background. Plus I felt this would have that feel reminiscent of disaster movies where a random group of people are thrown together. Logically this group could do anything they want; try to get to a refugee ship, become a resistance group, spy and report on the sathar, etc. Larry's idea for the PC's to be all employees of a company makes it possible for an NPC to step in and give direction which gives a GM more control. That said I still like the random group in a disaster theme. As to the issue of control I thought I could insert a lower (not the president or the vice president) level politician who steps in to exert some control and direction. Secretary of Education? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 1, 2011 - 2:28pm | First stage is the random group of PC's meet in the middle of the air Strikes. Insert a danger that must be overcome there and then. Sathar drop troops and maybe a monster. PC's can find a plasti-paper print out on the Middle Caste sathar in charge with words and symbols for police, fire and rescue, militia etc that is a crib sheet for the leaders of the drop troops to identify and take out those things and or call for air strikes on them as part of the initial shock and awe campaign. Nobody has anything better than melee weapons and pistols. So they need to secure weapons by trying to get to the closest police station, or the militia armory, or a gun store, or some other location they think could provide them with weapons. Naturally evil GM must complicate this goal with strafing by air assets and loose quickdeaths and looters. Next stage is recruitment by government official to help him send up a refugee ship with someone from his office that will attempt to plead for help and the activation of a second common muster. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 1, 2011 - 2:43pm | With a depletion of leadership in the area from Sathar air strikes, civilians would be quickly recruited to fulfill those roles based upon skills they demonstrate during the conflict. A hair stylist could find himself/herself as a Colonel of a batallion in his/her area because he/she demonstrated excellent strategy and decision-making, or perhaps becomes head of a ragtag special forces strike team because the old team was wiped out in its entirety and no military replacements were available. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
November 1, 2011 - 3:18pm | That's the motif in the story I'm developing. The lead is actually a geologist. He's an outdoorsman and happens to be out at a potential mining site soing survey work for his employer (Streele Mining) when the bombs start dropping. So he's a civilian that ends up leading a survival/resistance group during the Sathar occupation. As for the timeline, I've worked up the rough outline of what is going on at various points around the Frontier and the movement of forces in large brush strokes. It's focused in broad terms on what is happening in Truane's Star, Dixon's Star, Cassidine, and Prenglar as that is where the "action" during the First Sathar War is. I have to say I like jedi's take on the player's background. A random bunch of people thrown into a disaster scenario and having to make do with the skills that they end up with. Map out things that could be going on and just let them go where they will and suffer the concequences. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
November 1, 2011 - 5:11pm | I'm liking the mayor of the city for the NPC that will provide some direction. The president and a chunk I'd the cabinet die and a spineless official is advanced to the office of President. Spineless is the one who will flee with the refugees to bring word and call for another common muster. After the war the mayor will become president and can remain a long running NPC. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 1, 2011 - 5:13pm | With a depletion of leadership in the area from Sathar air strikes, civilians would be quickly recruited to fulfill those roles based upon skills they demonstrate during the conflict. A hair stylist could find himself/herself as a Colonel of a batallion in his/her area because he/she demonstrated excellent strategy and decision-making, or perhaps becomes head of a ragtag special forces strike team because the old team was wiped out in its entirety and no military replacements were available.
So if I run this game at the con you're playing a hair stylist?I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 1, 2011 - 5:32pm | ROFL! No. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
November 2, 2011 - 6:36am | Ascent == Serge the Colonel  PC Starting Locations;
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November 2, 2011 - 12:11pm | Here's a first cut at a timeline. Posted in the Port Loren Public Library project. Refer to: Timeline for the First Sathar War Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
 November 2, 2011 - 2:50pm | I would imagine the landing and whatever would follow to be similar to the Nazis in WW2 occupying France or Poland. Not sure if they'd kill everyone right away. Most likely work with the conquered until all is secure THEN begin the genocide. My SF website izz: http://ragnarr.webs.com |
 November 2, 2011 - 3:03pm | Don't knock it Ascent, it worked for Zohan.  |
November 2, 2011 - 3:21pm | Don't knock it Ascent, it worked for Zohan. Ascent works for Zohan? What?!  |
November 4, 2011 - 5:25pm | Work with?? Who do you think taught him all he knows?  View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 November 6, 2011 - 7:37pm | If you want an idea for a random group meeting, they could all be travelling a light rail when the airstrikes start. The Sathar would be smart to bomb local public transport to prevent people from moving around in mass. The players could be random citizens on the train when it gets bombed and start from there. You could place it in the city or inbetween cities to give them a better chance of avoiding the main conflict. If they were to be out in the wilderness and trying to make their way back to the city to find out what was going on, this could be when they meet people fleeing from the cities and run into the politician NPC. |
 November 14, 2011 - 1:34am | I think it would depend on Sathar strength. If the Sathar come big and heavy, they are not going to bother with loudspeaker announcements or taking over the broadcasting systems. Destroy! They are probably not very good at propaganda and duplicity, so I would imagine some form of Terminator 2+ movie environment of hunting day and night for survivors from their nuke attacks. In SW1, I think the full annhiliation attack was definitely the case. They came, they saw, they vaporized. |
November 14, 2011 - 1:39am | Excellent SW 1 timeline by the way, Terlo. Well done. |
November 14, 2011 - 5:52am | I also think we have to remember that the sathar are the same aliens that visited VOLturnus and destroyed the eorna civilation. They have not fundamentally improved in tech in 9oo years and that sort of stagnation suggests they don't change policy quickly either. I'm hesitant to have them tossing nukes liberally or early as they may wish to occupy- something they do do or perhaps the grooming of client species like the zuraqqor and the memne is a new development since their visit to Volturnus. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 14, 2011 - 4:21pm | The didn't occupy Volturnus. Sathar Motto: "If it moves shoot it. If it moves again, nuke it." They don't need to occupy to get at the resources, they just use slavebots, or subject races or low-on-the-sathar-pole-workers. They only enslave lower-tech races, high-tech races are annihilated. |
November 14, 2011 - 5:46pm | It seams to me that the slavebot process is almost instantaneous, like with the Borg. The Sathar come in, and as soon as they capture or injure, they apply the slavebot device and have an instant soldier. This allows them to come in with a relatively small contingent and leave with a massive army. In a matter of moments, ten Sathar turns into an division of 100 Sathar and slavebots. Within a day of invasion, they have enslaved enough people to make their force seem impossible to conquer. Countering this would require large EMP devices and personal tech friers. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
