Solo Adventure - Pirate Attack

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous
September 23, 2012 - 9:15pm
Content of Adventure Writing Forum project

Solo Adventure - Pirate Attack

I wrote a solo adventure tonight, it's a wip but please let me know what you think.
Haven't play tested yet.


Episode #8 - Pirate Attack

Background

You play the last surviving member of a scouting mission to Survey #24. Your goal is to survive by stealing aboard the pirate ship.

Start

You awake with blurred vision and a splitting headache. You remember getting thrown against the bulkhead in deck 6. Over the intercom you hear, “...attack, prepare for borders.” Borders? What!?

The Com crackles to life, “Crewman, get your pink hide to deck 2.” It’s the voice of Bleeb the dralasite. When you arrive at deck 2 several of your friends lie slumped against their consoles, apparently dead. Bleeb’s third arm is holding a cloth to this head, grey goo soaks the cloth. “I’ve managed to install a sleeper (command and control program) in their ships main core. The scuz, left their Com open for an intercept. Look, you got one chance; get to their ship, enter this code, it’ll take you to Darkworld. I know... but keep your.” Bleeb’s deep bellow trails off. “Keep your head low, Frontier Postal Service, level 6. Take the code.” Another pause, “This ship, self destruct in...in...” Bleeb’s left-most hand drops, a disk clatters to the metallic floor resonating through the dead deck.

  1. The ship will destruct in d100+10 turns. (Roll and record.)
  2. You start on deck 2. Roll 2d10 for the number of turns you have before the ships are mated via airlock. Another 4 turns the pirates will cut through your ships hatch with a LPT. (Roll 2d10 and 4 and record.)
  3. You need to acquire a space suit and weapons. Suits are located one deck 3, 6 and 7. The weapons locker is located on deck 7.
  4. You must find a way aboard the pirates ship and insert the disc into the main computer located where pirate 3 is stationed (Pilot/Computer on the map).
  5. Tactics - You can meet the pirates head on at the airlock, lock doors, set traps, call for help, etc.

Movement

  • The elevator moves 1 deck per turn. It takes 1 turn to enter the elevator.
  • Doors/Airlocks - Your turn ends in front of a closed door. On the next turn door opens and you can move normally.
  • Space suits - 5 turns to don a suit, for every 5 points of DEX above 45, subtract 1 turn. Minimum turns is always 2
  • Racial movement - see below

 RaceWalk Run 
Human
Dralasite
Vrusk 
Yazirian 

d10 Random Pirate Movement
To randomly determine which ways the pirates are moving use this table. The boarding party will be split into two groups, A and B. Roll for each group. 

NOTE: If you try and talk to the pirates they still move based on a roll, even if you coerce them or tell them where you are. They've been instructed to search the ship and do so randomly. Hey, their pirates!

d10 Result 
 1 Pirates split into two groups
 2-3 Move to higher level
 4-5 Move to lower level 
 6 Fans out, each pirate in group searches a separate area
 7 Stays in current location
 8 Radios back to ship, asks for heat scan of ship
 9 Secures area hiding behind furniture or consoles
 0 Find hold and loots 

Weapons Locker

It takes 4 turns to get into the locker, check weapon clips and fill the backpack.
  • Doze grenade (x5)
  • Smoke grenade (x5)
  • Tangler grenade (x5)
  • Backpack
  • Gas Mask
  • Space suit
  • Laser pistol (x2) w/ 5 clips
  • Gyrojet rifle w/ 5 clips
  • Vibroknife (x2)
  • Needler pistol (x2) w/ sleep ammo
  • Electrostunner w/ 2 clips
  • Skiensuit

Boarding Party

The boarding party will shoot on site. Pirates never retreat.

  • There are 1d5+2 human pirates in the access tube.
  • They will enter the airlock on deck 10

After determining the size of the boarding party split them evenly between Party A and Party B. For instance if you roll 8 the boarding party would have 6 pirates total, three using Party A's stats and three using Party B's stats. 

Pirate  Boarding Party A 
STR/STA 30/50 
DEX/RS 70/70 
INT/LOG 50/50 
PER/LDR 40/40 
IM 
Defense Skiensuit
Weapons Auto pistol 70%, 1d10/5d10
 Nightstick 30%, 2d10 


Pirate  Boarding Party B   
STR/STA 30/30 
DEX/RS 50/50 
INT/LOG 60/60 
PER/LDR 60/60 
IM 
Defense None
Weapons Electric sword 30%, 4d10/Stun 

Pirate Ship

  • There are 3 pirates on the ship in the locations marked on the ship.

Pirate  Aboard Pirate Ship 
STR/STA 55/55
DEX/RS 35/35 
INT/LOG 50/50 
PER/LDR 45/45 
IM 4
Defense Albedo Suit
Weapons Laser pistol set on 2d10 

Your Character

Roll up an Alpha Dawn Basic character or use the one provided below.

Character 
STR/STA 60/60 
DEX/RS 45/45 
INT/LOG 50/50 
PER/LDR 40/40 
IM 
Melee To-Hit:
Ranged To-Hit:

  1. Adjust scores by swapping up to 10 points between ability pairs.
  2. Pick a race and adjust racial ability modifiers.
  3. Use STR for melee to-hit and DEX for ranged to-hit.
  4. Technical actions like placing a password on door/airlock, accessing the internal sensor grid from a console, etc., uses LOG. Intimidating or bluffing a pirate use PER. 

Self-Destruct

The ship will explode in d100+10 turns. If you are aboard the pirate ship and it is still attached, roll on the Knight Hawks Advanced Game Damage Table with a -20 penalty (as-if the ship was hit by a rocket battery).

Record Keeping

Use the following to assist in keeping track of turns, locations, etc.

  • Self-Destruct in _____ turns. (d100)
  • Number of turns to don space suit O O O O O (minimum 2 turns)
  • Pirate ship attaches in  O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O turns. (2d10)
  • Pirates cut through airlock in O O O O turns. 
  • Number in Board Party O O O O O O O (1d5+2)
  • Elevators Current Location: ____________________ (starts on deck 2, your current position at the start of the game)




Used with permission from
Comments:

Karxan's picture
Karxan
September 24, 2012 - 6:54pm
So what happens once you get on board the pirate ship?

How many pirates are left over there?

Or is that for another part of the game?

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
September 24, 2012 - 7:25pm
See Pirate Ship (There are 3 pirates on the ship in the locations marked below.)

TerlObar's picture
TerlObar
September 24, 2012 - 7:30pm
Couple of thoughts:

1) What are the stats for the pirates in the boarding party?
2) What is the reaction of the boarding party to the PC?  Shoot on sight, talk, etc.
3) A little more detail and instruction on moving the pirates.  Roll for each pirate, each group, etc.
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

Karxan's picture
Karxan
September 24, 2012 - 7:39pm
w00t, I should look a little more at the details. Fro TerlObar's #1 ? Would that be random for the stats you provided? Or are those for the 3 on the ship? For #2 w00t, you should have a small chart for how the pirates react. This way it is random for each game, giving more variety. 

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
September 24, 2012 - 8:04pm
Updated pirate stats and wording, reaction and movement. 
I'm play testing now and had the same questions. lol
Thanks!

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
September 24, 2012 - 8:05pm
Copied it will try it during lunch break tomorrow and let you know.
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
September 24, 2012 - 8:14pm
Make sure to check back, I'm sure there will be several updates.
Thanks everyone.


TerlObar's picture
TerlObar
September 24, 2012 - 8:23pm
More thoughts. 

1)  The self destruct roll needs a minimum value or a different roll mechanic.  At just d100 you could conceivably roll a one - you pick up the disk, turn to the door and boom, your ship blows up underneath you Kiss.  Maybe make it a d100 or N turns whichever is greater (pick a reasonable N), or d100+N turns, or maybe its 10d10 turns instead of d100 (you like rolling dice right Smile).

2)  Also what happens when time is up.  If you're on the ship, you're dead obviously.  But what happens if you're on the pirate ship and haven't inserted the disk, or what if you only get the disk entered M turns (you pick M) before the self destruct (i.e. how far away to you need to get from the explosion).

3)  Finally, where on the pirate ship do you need to get to in order to insert the disk? And how long does it take to move between the ships?
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

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
September 24, 2012 - 9:08pm
  • KH states a 6th level program will overload a ship's drives in d100 minutes, too long for the game. Another GM had a simliar suggestion, so I updated to d100+10 turns. Heh, we got to light a fire under the player! lol
  • Added a roll for destruction while on pirate ship.
  • Added location of main computer to insert the disk.


rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
September 26, 2012 - 6:57pm
First I am not certain about the random die roll for the time. d100+10 means you still have a 14% chance of the ship self destructing before the pirate boarding party even comes aboard. Taking the approach of figuring the minimum time for basic actions or possible actions and basing the minimum time on that and than random being a roll after to hear the 10 turn warning.

EXAMPLE: After 30 turns roll a d100 on a 05% or less the self destruct warning goes off giving you only 10 turns to insert the disk or both ships will be destroyed. If 06% of more continue but repeat roll at the start of every turn adding 05%. IE Turn 31 10% or less; Turn 32 15% or less ....

Second No skill levels were given and an Alpha Dawn basic character would be level 1. Against either 6 to 1 or up to 10 to 1. A level one character alone does not have much of a chance.

Third Let's clean up the introduction. These are editorial suggestions. Corrections first then explanations.

A) Your goal is to survive by stealing the pirate ship. If your goal is to just get aboard then you meet that pretty easy.

B) You remember getting thrown against the bulkhead on deck 6. In does not really make sense.

C) "... attack, prepare for boarders." Boarders? Seriously why would you be worried political boundries.

D) "Crewman, get your __________ to deck 2. Saying pink hide implies a human. Should change it to some more universal.

E) When you arrive at deck 2 you see your friends lie slumped against their consoles, apparently dead. Using several implies 4 or more and their are only two chairs on deck 2.

Hope this is helpful will try and play it some more and give some feedback.
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
September 26, 2012 - 8:53pm
Great feedback, I'll won't get back to this before the weekend. I'll note any updates then. :-)

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
September 30, 2012 - 5:22pm
Couple more things and then I go back into hiding:

1) Is the ship in Zero-G? This would have a huge impact on movement.

2) These pirates are never getting to Deck 1. I assume they start on Deck 10 (not clear on this) and they only have a 1 in 5 chance of moving up and after that they have an equal chance of going back down again. Plus a 3 in 5 chance of just sitting where they are. And what does asking for a heat scan do anyway?

3) A friend of mine at work said he would just wait for Hans and Chewie to show up and reclaim the Falcon, then hitch a ride with them. What did he mean by that?
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
September 30, 2012 - 7:37pm
Thanks again Rat, I've been tied up this weekend to upate. 

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
September 30, 2012 - 8:11pm
I picked up a few 2-player and Solo games, the kind that have rules and counters but I've misplaced them since Origins. Anyone have a suggestion how the priates should move in a solo game?


Karxan's picture
Karxan
October 1, 2012 - 10:29pm
w00t, how about using something like the grenade bounce chart.
 1 2 3,4
 10 Pirate 5
 9 7,8 6
Then have the roll every # of turns, so there is a sense of searching and not just random movement. Example, you roll a 5 and the pirate would move that direction until they hit an obsticle or 3 turns. Then another roll is made. A reroll if there is something in the way. It might be a little complicated for some solo games, but I would do that for randomness.

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
October 2, 2012 - 3:37pm

One problem with having just the elevator and no other access between decks is that the pirates will notice when the elevator goes away and if the player disables the elevator (the gyrojet rifle seems a good choice) quickly traps the pirates. Alternate means of going up and down should be included.

Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

jedion357's picture
jedion357
October 2, 2012 - 6:04pm
rattraveller wrote:

One problem with having just the elevator and no other access between decks is that the pirates will notice when the elevator goes away and if the player disables the elevator (the gyrojet rifle seems a good choice) quickly traps the pirates. Alternate means of going up and down should be included.


YES, YES, YES!!!!!
there should be a ladder well for when the elevator is out, power is down etc.
There could be air vents as well.

I'm a great believer in this.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
October 3, 2012 - 11:47am
Karxan - interesting idea, it's worth a test. Roll 2d10, the darker die is the direction, the lighter die is the distance travelled?
Rat - good point, I'll add both ladder's and tubes to the text. I was going to say a player could use a workpod, spacesuit to cross the distance as well but thought that it might complicate the game.
Tom - did WoWL module mention ladders or tubes on the assault scout?

jedion357's picture
jedion357
October 3, 2012 - 1:33pm
w00t wrote:
Tom - did WoWL module mention ladders or tubes on the assault scout?


No, but then there is a lot of stuff in the KHs boxed set that is a little wonky. Its just logic that there would be other means of access for when the elevator/power is down. An assualt scout is almost a fighter writ large so its elevator could double as a ladder well for when the power is out but with a ship of any size there is going to be multiple methods of getting around- some are just not so obvious.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Anonymous's picture
w00t (not verified)
October 3, 2012 - 5:33pm
jedion357 wrote:
w00t wrote:
Tom - did WoWL module mention ladders or tubes on the assault scout?


No, but then there is a lot of stuff in the KHs boxed set that is a little wonky. Its just logic that there would be other means of access for when the elevator/power is down. An assualt scout is almost a fighter writ large so its elevator could double as a ladder well for when the power is out but with a ship of any size there is going to be multiple methods of getting around- some are just not so obvious.
You jogged my memory! I was thinking of Shadow's game over on sf.org, Port Loren Raiders! 

Karxan's picture
Karxan
October 8, 2012 - 2:39am
Jedion wrote:
YES, YES, YES!!!!!
there should be a ladder well for when the elevator is out, power is down etc.
There could be air vents as well.

I'm a great believer in this.

Jedion, that is because your a dralasite. You can fit through anything.
Foot in mouth