 October 29, 2014 - 8:18pm | This is an idea from sci-fi that might be a challenge and place of interest: The Dark Planet, a planet with out sunlight that still hosts life, has an atmosphere and a climate that supports strange life adapted to the dark conditions. Such a world would defy our ideas about life, present challenges to PCs and have lots of mysteries including why the planet is teaming with life. The planet could be considered mythic until found but could play a role good or bad in religion or customs of a core 4 culture. Planet could hide dangerous sentient aliens, ancient relics/cultures, pirates, big game hunters, be someones science experiment, combat training, sacred place/damned place, prison, royal graveyard and more... In considering life I suggest creatures who hunt differently, attract prey, plants that glow, carnivorous plants, blind creatures, heat, smell & sonar sensitive life forms. Psionic creatures? As to how life is supported... well I am open to ideas... strange environment controlling devices or some strange planetary condition. Could be a real challenge running an adventure in pitch dark conditions except for light produced by volcanoes, natural rock formations, plants & animals & your flash lights... "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 October 30, 2014 - 5:16am | The planet could be a large moon with a locked orbit that keeps it constantly in the shadow of its parent planet. The planet could have an atmosphere of dense chemical clouds that require full environment suits. Might not be complete dark all the time, but the dense fog even at ground level would limit visability. I was also thinking volcanoes or magma fissures that could team with life simular to the life found around deep ocean vents. Time flies when your having rum. Im a government employee, I dont goof-off. I constructively abuse my time. |
 October 30, 2014 - 5:45am | you can even have moss and lichen as plant life. no light needed. |
 October 30, 2014 - 6:01am | A rogue planet that produces its own heat. (See my article "Dinosaur Planet" in Star Frontiersman #8, p.11.) 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) |
 October 31, 2014 - 3:48am | Yes, I have used rogue planets in Star Frontiers, and they work well as "dark planets". Not only can some generate their own heat, but they can also have subsurface water. They are actually quite common. |
 November 2, 2014 - 10:45am | In a novel I read recently a planet survives being dragged out of a system by a brown dwarf and ends up it its goldilocks zone though tidally locked due to the close proximity to the failed star. Humans survive here for centuries till they are rediscovered. Its not quite as dark as what you may be lookign for. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 2, 2014 - 11:00am | If you can remember the title I might enjoy reading that... "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
November 2, 2014 - 11:57am | If you can remember the title I might enjoy reading that... Its a Jack McDevitt novel following the adventrues of his star hopping antiquities dealer but its into the series. Each book is about a mystery and becomes quite the page turner as you try to figure out the mystery while following the two main characters. I strongly recommend you start with the first in the series "A Talent for War" (by far my favorite) but the book I just refered to was "seeker" I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 2, 2014 - 1:53pm | I will try to get out to a bookstore this week... :) "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
November 2, 2014 - 2:58pm | I will try to get out to a bookstore this week... :) or public library... if you're near Boston I'd be able to lend both "A Talent for War" and "The Engines of God" (or of the Gods) both of which start multi book series by this author. Engines of God is frustrating in that one central mystery is left some what unanswered. Wikipedia says that it takes till something like the 4th book before its solved. A Tallent for War really had me turning pages to get to the end. Hands down the best ever Sci fi mystery I've read (though most sci fi mysteries that I've actually read were by this author so...). It has me thinking about timelines and taking a new stab at the timeline to give it greater depth as in centuries worth of time so that you could have mysteries like Jack McDevitt's set in the Frontier. After all, IIRC, WoWL module says that the monarchy has been around for centuries. this would mean that the Zebs time line is wrong yet again (no big surprise) and that the timeline of the Frontier must be modified. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 2, 2014 - 7:58pm | Sadly I am on the other coast right now, I was on the East Coast earlier this year. It will probably be a few years before I can make it out that way again. Usually I am on or near Military Bases or some gov facility when I travel. I will have to check out a few of the book stores local. :) "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 November 2, 2014 - 9:45pm | Various organisms exist on Earth that never see light, and so derive their energy by other means. The same could happen on other worlds. That said, how complex they could become is a moot point. |
