 September 23, 2012 - 9:15pm | Content of Adventure Writing Forum project Solo Adventure - Pirate AttackI 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 AttackBackgroundYou play the last surviving member of a scouting mission to Survey #24. Your goal is to survive by stealing aboard the pirate ship.StartYou 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.
Movement
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!
Weapons LockerIt takes 4 turns to get into the locker, check weapon clips and fill the backpack.
Boarding PartyThe boarding party will shoot on site. Pirates never retreat.
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 Ship
Your CharacterRoll up an Alpha Dawn Basic character or use the one provided below.
Ranged To-Hit:
Self-DestructThe 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 KeepingUse the following to assist in keeping track of turns, locations, etc.
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 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? |
September 24, 2012 - 7:25pm | See Pirate Ship (There are 3 pirates on the ship in the locations marked below.) |
 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 |
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. |
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!
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 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? |
September 24, 2012 - 8:14pm | Make sure to check back, I'm sure there will be several updates. Thanks everyone. |
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  . 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  ).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 |
September 24, 2012 - 9:08pm |
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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? |
September 26, 2012 - 8:53pm | Great feedback, I'll won't get back to this before the weekend. I'll note any updates then. :-) |
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? |
September 30, 2012 - 7:37pm | Thanks again Rat, I've been tied up this weekend to upate. |
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? |
October 1, 2012 - 10:29pm | w00t, how about using something like the grenade bounce chart.
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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? |
 October 2, 2012 - 6:04pm | 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! |
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? |
October 3, 2012 - 1:33pm | 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! |
October 3, 2012 - 5:33pm | 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. |
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.  |
