 February 13, 2012 - 7:36am | While searching the sf.us site I came accross "Rise of the Sathar" in the Star Frontiers (URS) project. I'd like to run this with some conversions to AD. Hope Deryn has time. :-) |
 February 13, 2012 - 8:56am | I'll try my best to get a conversion done, Asap! So I'll have to block out some time between pleasing my rabid old gaming group who want to read how my old Campaigns should have gone (yes I'm creating stories loosely based on my old campaigns) trying to find a good paying job, and the hundred and one other projects I've talked myself into. I'm glad you liked the module by the way (Now I'll just have to block some more time to dig through my files for other Adventures or ideas I was looking to convert) some actually from the SFman, and from the Adventure writing forum (http://starfrontiers.us/node/4005). "Hey guys I wonder what this does"-Famous last words "Hey guys, I think it's friendly." -Famous last words "You go on ahead, I'll catch up." -Famous last words "Did you here that?" -Famous last words |
 February 13, 2012 - 12:32pm | I've read and critiqued the module in deryn's project, making comments specific to it there. Re: a AD conversion. Because his setting is different in ways I did not understand until recently I have some very specific recommendations for a conversion. The meat of the module is good. Add a one page brief on Minotaur. Two, change the name from Rise of the Sathar as that title is very appropriate to his setting but does not work IMO, in the classic setting. A possible title could be, "In the Maze of the Minotaur; Sathar Intrigues in the Thessius System". Three, write just one more adventure to round out the two currently in the module. I see strong possibilities for this to be a prequel to the Volturnus series. Finally I love the title Rise of the Sathar and think it would make a great title in the classic setting but would like to see some major revelation attached to it. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
February 13, 2012 - 1:40pm | Alright, I've had some time to think on the modules and some questions come to mind: In the first adventure its a sathar plot to blow up the new magnetic launch system called the catapult. So why do the sathar want to do this? Whats the advantage for them or how does this help their agenda? In the second adventure the sathar have their agents trying to recover a data cube of sathar origin. Wheere did it come from why is it on Minotaur? Now I dont have any clue why the sathar desire to blow up the catapult as its impact is on system ships and commerce without a super significant impact on military performance. Minotaur has a largerish militia and these hulls are already in space and use atomic engines anyway. Any fighters will also use atomics too. Plus there is a Fortified space station in orbit from which to base the fighters. so I cant answer that question right now. As to why do they want to recover the sathar data cube, thats sort of obvious and an answer of "just because" is good enough but one has to wonder whats on the cube? Where did the cube come from? Now this question I have a few ideas: 1. in the Dragon article "The Zebulon Connection" a frieghter captain, Seccitte Zebulon, discovered Zebulon system on a misjump and then sold the route to the government of Pale. So lets say he also landed on Volturnus and discovered the data crystal. That gives us an origin and a canon as well as Volturnus connection. Obviously the old space dog has sold the mysterious data crystal off and thats how it made its way into the Frontier. Since its illegal to possess sathar artifacts and the data cube would have been subject to confiscation he's stayed quiet about its sathar origin OR perhaps he doesn't know that its sathar in origin. At any rate the cube could lead back to Captain Zebulon and a role play encounter and even the need to get on the Volturnus Survey Expedition. Anyway thats just an idea. Now Minotaur, Thessius? the only mega corp listed for that planet is Star Play and I dont really see them as being in the alien data cube business. The planet and system is actually quite far removed from the headquarters of STreel and PGC so why is he data cube here? (Well the truth is because Thessius is the sol system in the URS universe but why would it be here in the SF universe?) Clearly the data cube encounter is based on the PGC security breach encounter in the basic rules so should it be moved back to Port Loren? (if the answer to that is yes then my proposed name makes no sense and needs to be scrapped!) Personally I'm actually in favor of moving this encounter back to Port Loren and involving PGC. Under that circumstance the PCs could be agents for Streel or the Pale government. They've been sent to Gran Quivera hoping to get an in with PGC and discover the plot to blow the catapult and for want of a better way into the good graces of the powers that be they decide to foil the plot. Thats actually thin. Perhaps they get cover identities as Galactic Task Force temps (bounty hunter's/skip tracers but the goal is to learn about the location of the data cube which was stolen by PGC agents from STreel/Pale. While free lancing as GT bounty hunters/ skip tracers taking PGC contract they nail the guy selling explosives that were intended for blowing up the PGC catapult. a successful conclusion of the catapult adventure leads to the data cube adventure and in the process of investigation they realize that the security breaches at PGC is a plot by a sathar cell to acquire the data cube. They will have some choices to make and the adventure can go a few different ways. The next phase is a run for Pale with GT/PGC agents hot on their trail. Possible side trip to Laco, hiding out in the Tetrarch ruins from PGC agents, pirates/artifact smugglers, and sathar agents. (this of course could be a set up/laying some ground work for the latter Laco's war). Of course Laco is littered with wrecked sathar equipment from SW1 so they may figure out/discover that the data cube is sathar in origin. Anyway I'm just throwing mud against the wall here and rifting ideas. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
February 13, 2012 - 10:29pm | The Sathar see the Catapult as just the first step in creating powerful planetary defensive weaponry. Picture a string of catapults around a planet which could launch hundreds of missiles into space that wouldn't need tons of fuel to reach escape velocity, but could use that space to carry multiple warheads. Or catapults that could launch squadons of fighter craft into orbit, or from launch bays in huge battleships at speeds that the Sathar couldn't match without burning a lot of fuel, and you see why destroying the catapult is something the Sathar need to accomplish specially if they are determined to engage the Frontier in another war. As for moving the location to Prenglar, that doesn't really present much of a problem, though I don't see Prenglar as seedy as I do Thesius. To me Prenglar is like Metropolis and Minotaur is like Gotham City to make a comicbook analogy. As to the Data cube itself, My intentions were always that the Cube held secret jump coordinates that would lead the characters to Volturnus, after they recovered some sathar translation device in what was to be the third part of these adventures, but time and other conserns stopped me from finishing the adventure, and I posted what I had completed so others might find it useful. "Hey guys I wonder what this does"-Famous last words "Hey guys, I think it's friendly." -Famous last words "You go on ahead, I'll catch up." -Famous last words "Did you here that?" -Famous last words |
