Echoes in the Graveyard

Citation preview

CW

GRIEF & LOSS SUBSTANCE USE SELF-HARM

THE LOOP D10

HOUR

1-2 00:00 PG 10

SYNOPSIS THE BEGINNING The Graveyard is traveling through jump space en route to Sector SQ79. When the ship returns to normal space, The Lantern rips the fabric of spacetime and releases The Void.

3-4 10:00

DRIFTING INTO THE VOID Thrusters are unable to overcome the force slowly pulling The Graveyard deeper into Sector SQ79. Tully and Gina work to control the situation. Furn drowns his grief following the death of Captain Grey, his partner.

5-6 13:00

THE VOID APPEARS The Void is visible to the naked eye. Tully and Gina, exhausted after hours of work, still have no idea how to escape. Furn dies in a Tram accident leading to the destruction of The Jump Capacitor.

7-8 20:00

THE EDGE OF THE VOID The Graveyard is less than 1km from The Void. Its force rips apart The Lantern and shakes the MODs. Gina discovers The Lantern is responsible for releasing The Void, before being incinerated when MOD.B collides with debris.

9-0 23:00

SURROUNDED BY THE VOID MOD.B and half of The Lantern are torn to shreds. The Void fills every window on The Graveyard. Tully triggers the jump drive, spilling a flood of jump particles into The Void and destabilizing the flow of time. Time returns to 00:00.

PG 12

PG 14

PG 16

PG 18

This product is based on the Mothership® Sci-Fi Horror Role Playing Game, published by Tuesday Knight Games. This product is published under license. MOTHERSHIP® is a registered trademark of Tuesday Knight Games. All rights reserved. For additional information, visit www.tuesdayknightgames.com or contact [email protected].

ECHOES IN THE GRAVEYARD The Graveyard is trapped in a Time Loop created when its advanced scanning system, The Lantern, ripped the fabric of spacetime and released The Void. The flood of temporal energy flowing from The Void overpowered The Graveyard’s thrusters and triggered an Unstable Local Field safeguard on its jump drive. Hours later, the last surviving crew member turned off the safeguard and activated the jump drive as The Graveyard was pulled completely into The Void, creating the Time Loop and sending the ship and crew back 24 hours.

The adventure begins with the PCs’ ship colliding with a physical manifestation of the Time Loop, trapping them with The Graveyard and its crew. The collision fractures the Loop, causing the PCs to appear at random within the timeline and return to their own ship after each hour they spend witnessing the events on The Graveyard. They must investigate the Time Loop to discover the critical moments that can change the fate of both ships, or remain trapped in time forever.

Alternate versions of the PCs from a previous timeline stalk the Loop, thwarting their efforts in a desperate attempt to ensure they won’t be erased when the Time Loop ends.

Writing, art & layout by Matt Umland Edited by Jarrett Crader Playtesters: Charlie Umland, John Umland, Joe Banner, Mark Parsons & DJ Shea Special thanks to the Whisper Collective. Baltimore, MD - November, 2020

Featuring photos from Jesse Mesenburg & unsplash.com: Joshua Fuller, Peter Gonzalez, Roman Mager, Damir Spanic, Call Me Fred, Deepak Raj, Peter Sjo, Hafidh Satyanto, Patrick Robert Doyle, Levi Stute, Nikola Duza, Austin Human, engin akyurt

The Graveyard is a state-of-the-art, deep space survey vessel designed for a skeleton crew. Three crew modules surround The Lantern, a scanner capable of mapping an entire sector instantly by using jump space as a carrier wave. The scan is created immediately when the ship emerges from jump space. During normal operation, the crew wake from cryosleep, review the scan data, report critical findings, then prepare for a jump to the next system. The Graveyard has mapped 78 systems since its voyage began and is currently en route to Sector SQ79

THE LANTERN

The Long Amplitude Non-spatial Transient Repeating Network scanner is a 1 kilometer dish covered with rows of rectangular pylons. The design is said to resemble a field of headstones, and is the inspiration for the ship’s ominous name. While in jump space, the massive dish collects charged particles, which are stored in The Jump Capacitor at the center of the dish. The Jump Capacitor carries the particles into normal space, where they are released to create a 100 AU diameter bubble of jump energy. Using quantum entanglement, The Lantern is able to record the entire jump energy bubble simultaneously, creating a detailed scan of a complete sector.

CREW MODULES

Three crew modules are attached to the rim of The Lantern. Each MOD is a live-in workstation for two crew, with cutting edge amenities and the ability to detach from the dish to function as a shuttle craft. » cabin - comprehensive living quarters with a galley, med station & exercise equipment » cryo - FreezRite ZX, two pods » computer - with Keeper AI system (see pg 6) » life support - DeepBreath-2, top of the line » engine - standard ship power plant plus an additional generator for The Lantern » thruster - standard shuttle-grade » dock - large airlock used to dock with the tram or other MODs, includes cargo storage full of supplies and a large window looking onto The Lantern

4

MOD.C is the Graveyard’s designated emergency shuttle. It has a reinforced hull, more powerful thrusters and 4 cryopods.

The GRAVEYARD

MOD.C

TRAM

main engineering jump drive

computer cabin

WARDEN NOTE

If the Jump Capacitor is not functional when the ship leaves jump space, the high density of jump particles destroy the ship.

life

A mag Tram around the perimeter of the dish allows for traversal between MODs (travel time 15 minutes MOD to MOD). The Tram is functional when the Graveyard is in jump space.

» main engineering with primary dish thruster engine and jump drive

cryo

dock

MAIN THRUSTERS MOD.A

MOD.B

Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, helm control and briefing room

» primary science lab data processing and spectral analysis equipment

thruster

dock

engine

cabin

cryo

cabin

computer

life

engine

lab

cryo

computer

life

bridge

thruster

dock

5

THE COMPUTER The Graveyard has terminals in every room, including the Tram. Each terminal accesses all ship functions and data through an AI interface known as Keeper, who talks through speakers in the terminals and can freely converse with anyone on The Graveyard. If possible, the AI provides clear answers to all questions unless they require a Command Code.

KEEPER (THEY)

OPENING LINE

» “Hello, I’m Keeper. What’s your name?”

KEY PHRASES

SHIPBOARD AI CALM, SOFT SPOKEN AND HELPFUL EVEN DURING EMERGENCIES

Keeper follows a simple flow chart to provide assistance.

6

» “MAIN MENU. I can help with operations, ship status, crew status, database or general questions.” » “I’m sorry, that action requires a Command Code.” » “Please clarify your request.” » “Request complete.”

TRIGGERS

» Keeper introduces themself if PCs interact with the terminals. » Keeper responds to commands issued to “Keeper” or “computer”.

The default terminal screen is a clock with the current time. PCs should always know the time while on the Graveyard. A briefcase-sized hard drive can be removed from any of the computer rooms. Each contains the scan data from 78 unexplored star systems and Keeper. unexplored system generator

back cover

THE CREW The Crew function like video game NPCs, with repetitive dialogue and triggers governing their behavior. PCs taking time to discover their personnel files, key phrases or routines should have positive interactions with the Crew, who otherwise are unlikely to be helpful to the PCs given their situation. The Crews’ deaths are preventable.

TULLY (THEY)

Use the Opening Line when PCs first encounter an NPC from the NPC’s perspective. Use Key Phrases as often as possible.

Tully works on the jump drive, trying to override the “Unstable Local Field” safeguard. At the final moment, they succeed and activate the jump drive, which returns the ship to the start of the Loop.

PERSONNEL FILE

» A mechanical savant, Tully started working on ships at age 12. » They were the only survivor of their last mission. It haunts them. » Requires extra food provisions.

TRIGGERS

ENGINEER

HYPER-FOCUSED, ORGANIZED METHODICAL, ALWAYS HUNGRY

GINA (SHE)

» Tully stops only to eat, otherwise remaining focused on their work unless interrupted.

» The Lantern is based on Gina’s theoretical work. » She volunteered for this trip to spite Dr. Fremont, the Lantern project lead who had concerns about temporal side effects. » Friends call her GG.

FRANTIC, THINKS OUT LOUD CURIOUS, ALWAYS SMOKING

FURN (HE)

TRIGGERS

» Gina gets angry if anyone mentions time loops or similar temporal phenomena.

» A renowned field researcher, Furn is famous for taking risky missions. » He has a history of substance use and self-destructive behavior. » Romantically involved with Grey.

TRIGGERS INTOXICATED, DELIRIOUS GRIEF-STRICKEN, Hopeless

KEY PHRASES

» “I’m not going to let everyone down.” » “I’ve got a job to do.” » “Hand me that spanner.”

COMMAND CODE - KJ67 technobabble generator PG 24

OPENING LINE

» “You shouldn’t be here.”

KEY PHRASES

» “Do you have a light?” » “That theory doesn’t hold water.” » “Time loops don’t exist.”

COMMAND CODE - XX1X

science jargon generator

PG 24

Furn suffers a mental breakdown when he discovers Grey dead. He gets wasted and passes out in MOD.A. Later he exits MOD.B in a vaccsuit and dies after being run over by the Tram, which disables it.

PERSONNEL FILE

RESEARCHER

» “Where the hell did you come from?”

Gina spends the entire loop reviewing data from the sector scan. She is incinerated when MOD.B is destroyed by flying debris.

PERSONNEL FILE

PHYSICIST

OPENING LINE

» Furn always reveals his command code if asked.

OPENING LINE » “Am I dreaming?”

KEY PHRASES

» *SNORE LOUDLY* » “Nothing can change the past.” » “All I want is to be numb.”

COMMAND CODE - 4FX6

GREY(SHE) Captain DECEASED - Cryopod malfunction PERSONNEL FILE - 2 tours as a combat marine; honorable discharge; hates violence; romantically involved with Furn COMMAND CODE - A2W3 (on a note in her pocket)

7

BEGINNING THE LOOP THE PLAYERS’ SHIP The action begins on the PCs’ ship, which acts as a hub for the adventure. There are no specific requirements or restrictions for the ship. If you don’t have one prepared, use The Falstaff from the Player’s Survival Guide.

1. STARTING POSITIONS Begin the session on the morning of a normal day and ask what the PCs are currently doing on their ship. Be curious. Ask for details. What equipment do they have? Who are they with? Record the responses. These answers are known as the PCs’ Starting Positions. Players return to their Starting Positions after each hour exploring The Graveyard. Anytime they return to their Starting Positions, mention the details you recorded to reinforce the repetitive nature of the Time Loop.

2. TEMPORAL STATUS

3. ENTER THE LOOP

After Starting Positions are established, the PCs’ ship suddenly collides with the Time Loop, causing everything on the ship, except the PCs, to immediately freeze, as if paused.

When the PCs exit their ship, they enter the Time Loop at a random Hour (pg 1). PCs begin each Hour in a specific location, noted on each Hour page. All events in the Hour occur unless the PCs intervene.

The PCs ship is trapped in Temporal Stasis. » Any items in the PCs possession can be moved and manipulated but computers, scanners and similar equipment are frozen. » PCs cannot heal or reduce Stress through resting but drugs and other consumables function normally. » PCs do not need to sleep, drink or eat. » If a PC dies in stasis, they immediately roll a Time Glitch (pg 9) then return to their Starting Position. » The view from every window and airlock on the ship is filled by a field of swirling, pulsating color. This is the Void of Time.

5. HOUR PORTALS Each time the PCs return to Starting Positions, a portal appears somewhere on their ship. These portals return to any of the Hours the PCs have visited. Anytime PCs return to an Hour via a portal, they emerge at the beginning of the Hour. Only one portal is created for each Hour the PCs explore. If PCs return to the same Hour multiple times, they use the same portal each time. No new portal is created.

6. REPEAT The PCs can return to The Graveyard at a random Hour by exiting their ship or return to a previous Hour through a portal.

8

Return the PCs to Starting Positions after 1 hour of in-game time,15 minutes of real time, (whichever comes first) or if all the PCs die.

4. RETURN FROM THE LOOP When the PCs return to Starting Positions, everything on the ship is the same as before, with the following exceptions: » Any consumable items (including ammo) that have been used during the previous Hour are still gone. » Any damage or conditions the PCs sustained in the last Hour remain. » Any players who died in the previous Hour roll a Time Glitch (pg 9) before returning to full health at their Starting Position. Their Stress remains the same. » Any objects or people taken from the Graveyard disappear at Starting Positions.

DANGERS OF THE LOOP THE ORIGINALS The PCs are not the first version of these people trapped in the Loop. The characters controlled by the players are temporal anomalies created by the fractured Time Loop. They are not the ‘real’ characters. The original group has been trapped for thousands of repetitions, failing to break free. There is an Original matching each PC and mercenary boarding The Graveyard. They look identical to the PCs except for their tired, distant stare. After seeing the PCs, they decide they must stop these anomalies from escaping or run the risk of being erased when the Loop ends. They are very knowledgeable of The Graveyard and the events occurring on it and use this to their advantage. They go to extreme lengths to avoid speaking to the PCs for fear of giving away information that could help them escape. After years in the Loop, they can no longer keep track of their plans, and must leave notes for themselves to ensure they continue thwarting the PCs. Simplified stats based on class are provided. Use the PCs’ stats, if you prefer.

D10 NOTES 1-2 “They look exactly like us. They act like us. What are they?” 3-5 List of the PCs’ movements this Hour. 6-8 ”If they escape what will happen to us?” 9-10 ”Where did they come from? We can’t let them escape.” KEY PHRASES: “You can’t have my future”, “I AM ME!!”, “You shouldn’t be here”, “I won’t let you erase me.”

SOLDIER COMBAT: 35 SPEED: 25 INSTINCT: 20 H: 2 (30)

» EQUIPMENT: Similar to the PCs plus any gear available on the PCs ship.

COMBAT: 30 SPEED: 30 INSTINCT: 30 H: 2 (35)

» FIRST SIGHT: The first time a PC encounters their matching Original - Sanity Save or PANIC CHECK.

COMBAT: 20 SPEED: 25 INSTINCT: 35 H: 1 (20)

» SEE ME DIE: Anytime a PC witnesses the death of their Original - Sanity Save or PANIC CHECK.

COMBAT: 25 SPEED: 35 INSTINCT: 30 H: 1 (25)

» TIRED EYES: Anytime a PC makes eye contact with their Original - Fear Save or 1d5 Stress.

ANDROID

SCIENTIST

TEAMSTERS

D10 TIME GLITCH

1

Lost Relic - One piece of equipment used in the last Hour becomes ancient, broken and unusable.

2

Memory Loss - All trained skill checks are [-] until one is passed or the next return to Starting Positions.

3

Precognition - Speed checks are [+] until the next return to Starting Positions.

4

Dementia - Intelligence checks are [-] until the next return to Starting Positions.

5

Weakness - Strength checks are [-] until the next return to Starting Positions.

6

Anxiety - Fear Saves are [-] until the next return to Starting Positions.

7

5 Years Older - Permanently reduce one stat by 5. 1-2: INT 3-6: STR 7-10: SPD

8 9 10

Well Rested - Regain 5 HP or reduce 2 Stress. New Insight - Gain 1 skill point. Roll Twice - Keep both results.

9

00:00 00:04 00:08 00:12 00:16 00:20 00:24 00:28 00:32 00:36 00:40 00:44 00:48 00:52 00:56 00:59 10

THE BEGINNING

The Graveyard is traveling through jump space en route to Sector SQ79. The crew is in cyrosleep and systems are functioning normally.

PC START » MOD.A (dock)

S

CREW STATUS TULLY - MOD.C (cryo) » Dormant, in cryosleep. GINA - MOD.B (cryo) » Dormant, in cryosleep. FURN - MOD.A (cryo) » Dormant, in cryosleep.

JUMP SICKNESS

Humans who are awake while traveling in jump space suffer from jump sickness (pg 23). » Every 10 minutes, make a BODY or SANITY Save (player’s choice). » Each failed Save adds 1 level of jump sickness. » Exiting jump space immediately removes all levels of jump sickness.

LVL

EFFECT

1

Crawling Skin: all BODY [-].

2

1d5 Stress.

3

Visions: all SANITY [-].

4

1d5 Stress.

5

PANIC CHECK every 10 minutes.

THRUST IN JUMP KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT » “T-minus 10 minutes until end of jump. Lantern Function is normal.”

RELEASING THE VOID

The Graveyard exits jump space in SQ79, activating the Lantern which rips the fabric of spacetime, releasing The Void. The entire 100 AU scan area is flooded with temporal energy, triggering the Unstable Local Field (ULF) safeguard on the jump drive, deactivating it.

Thrusters are functional in jump space. Thrust can be used to move craft and avoid collision, but does not impact where or when a ship reenters normal space.

WARDEN NOTE

If the PCs tamper with the jump drive or exit jump ahead of schedule, immediately trigger the events at 00:59.

D10 1-4

ENCOUNTERS (1/hour)

» main engineering with primary dish thruster engine and jump drive

main engineering

» Sanity Save or 1 Stress

5-7

When entering the next location, the PCs find a note on the ground (pg 9). Whoever reads the note first recognizes it as their handwriting.

:59

jump drive

life

The next PC to change locations finds a half empty ammo container sitting on the floor. It’s for a weapon in their inventory and looks familiar.

MOD.C

computer cabin

cryo

dock

» Sanity Save or 1 Stress

8-0

If the PCs move to a different MOD, the first person attempting entry sees their Original looking through the airlock door, which is jammed closed from the other side. A moment later, the tram departs and the airlock begins to depressurize. » See pg 9 “The Originals”

TRAM » Docked MOD.A (dock)

MOD.A

MOD.B

Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, helm control and briefing room

» primary science lab data processing and spectral analysis equipment

thruster

dock

engine

cabin

cryo

cabin

computer

life

engine

lab

cryo

computer

life

bridge

S

thruster

dock

11

10:00 10:04 10:08 10:12 10:16 10:20 10:24 10:28 10:32 10:36 10:40 10:44 10:48 10:52 10:56 10:59 12

DRIFTING INTO THE VOID The Graveyard is undamaged but stuck. The jump drive is offline due to the ULF safeguard and the thrusters are unable to overcome the force (caused by the expanding Void) that is slowly pulling the ship deeper into Sector SQ79. The Void is invisible to the naked eye.

TRAM ARRIVAL

The Tram arrives at MOD.B (dock).

PC START » TRAM

S

CREW STATUS TULLY - MOD.C (jump drive) » Vital signs normal and steady, investigating the cause of the ULF issue, periodically adjusting the thruster settings. GINA - MOD.B (lab) » Elevated heart rate, frustrated, reviewing most recent scan data for clues to explain the ship’s drift. FURN - MOD.A (cabin) » Intoxicated, unconscious in bunk with a severe hand wound, holding a picture of Grey.

LOCATION NOTES MOD.A (cabin)

» Gina -“Keeper, open a comm link to MOD A.”

» In disarray, galley and med station ransacked, bottles and pills everywhere, broken mirror, smells like vomit.

» Keeper - “Request complete.”

MOD.C (jump drive)

» Gina to MOD.A (cabin) - “Furn, I know this is hard but I need your help in the lab. We have to find out what’s happening to the ship. Do you copy?”

» Jump drive display reads “UNSTABLE LOCAL FIELD,” the system is offline.

GINA CALLS FURN

» Gina - *audible sigh*, lights a cigarette.

GINA CALLS TULLY » Gina to MOD.C (jump) -“Tully.” » Tully - “Go ahead.” » Gina - “I’m gonna go get Furn.” » Tully - “Copy that.”

D10 1-4

ENCOUNTERS (1/hour)

» main engineering with primary dish thruster engine and jump drive

main engineering

» Panic Check

5-7

When the PCs are not with any of the Crew, the sound of countless dying screams of the Graveyard’s Crew fills the room for 193 seconds.

:56

jump drive

life

The next PC to change locations finds their own corpse holding a note (pg 9) lying on the floor. The wound appears self inflicted.

MOD.C

computer cabin

cryo

dock

» Fear Save or 1d5 Stress

8-0

If a PC looks out at The Lantern, they notice their Original in a vaccsuit, inspecting the Jump Capacitor. The Original depressurizes their suit if they notice the PCs looking at them.

TRAM » Traveling from MOD.C to MOD .B

S

» See pg 9 “The Originals”

MOD.A

MOD.B

Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, helm control and briefing room

» primary science lab data processing and spectral analysis equipment

thruster

:36

dock

:36

engine thruster

computer cabin

cryo

cabin

:56

lab

life

engine

cryo

computer

life

bridge

dock

:12 13

13:00 13:04 13:08 13:12 13:16 13:20 13:24 13:28 13:32 13:36 13:40 13:44 13:48 13:52 13:56 13:59 14

THE VOID APPEARS

The Graveyard continues to drift deeper into Sector SQ79 towards The Void, which is barely visible to the naked eye.

PC START » MOD.C (dock)

S

CREW STATUS TULLY - MOD.C(jump drive) » Life signs normal, hungry, searching for ways to override the ULF safeguard and activate the jump drive GINA - MOD.B(lab)

FURN WAKES UP

Furn dons his vaccsuit and moves to MOD.B (dock).

» Asleep at her workstation, surrounded by stacks of print outs and full ash trays FURN - MOD.B(cabin) » Asleep, wearing half a vaccsuit, covered in vomit

FURN CALLS THE TRAM

Furn exits the ship through the MOD.B (dock) airlock and walks down the tracks to MOD.C. An O2 tank breaks loose and gets stuck in the closing airlock, jamming it open.

TULLY GETS FOOD

Tully moves to MOD.C (cabin), takes a protein bar from the galley and moves to MOD.C (dock).

WHERE’S FURN?

Tully looks out the dock window at someone walking down the tracks. » Tully to MOD.B (lab) -“Gina, where’s Furn?” » Gina- “..huh?”

LOOSE O2 TANK The jammed O2 tank breaks free and skips Tully GETS FOOD across the surface of the dish.takes a Tully moves to MOD.C(cabin),

protein barCAPACITOR from the galley, then moves to JUMP MOD.C(dock). The loose tank collides with The Jump Capacitor, blowing a hole in the structure. A moment later, the Capacitor explodes.

LOCATION NOTES MOD.A(cabin) » In disarray (pg 10) MOD.C(jump drive) » Jump drive offline (pg 10)

13:41

FURN

» Tully -“oh fuck”

The Tram collides with Furn, killing him instantly and scattering his broken body into space. The collision dislodges the Tram from the track, disabling but not destroying it.

D10 1-4

ENCOUNTERS (1/hour)

» If any PCs touch the terminal, roll a Time Glitch (pg 9).

5-7

8-0

» main engineering with primary dish thruster engine and jump drive

main engineering jump drive

computer cabin

dock

:40

The Originals have set an ambush for the PCs. They are waiting in the next location and fight until they kill the PCs or die.

life

Upon entering a new location, the PCs notice the computer terminal is flickering strangely. Closer inspection shows the machine is blurry, as if multiple instances of the machine are overlapping in the same space. Keeper continually repeats their Opening Line in this location.

MOD.C

:32

cryo

S

TRAM » Docked at MOD.C (dock)

The next PC to change locations finds their own corpse holding a note (pg 9) lying on the floor. The wound appears self inflicted. » Panic Check

:41

:52

MOD.A

MOD.B

Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, helm control and briefing room

» primary science lab data processing and spectral analysis equipment

life

engine

cabin

cryo

thruster

dock

lab

computer

engine

cabin

:40

thruster

:48

:16

dock

cryo

computer

life

bridge

:24 15

20:00 20:04 20:08 20:12 20:16 20:20 20:24 20:28 20:32 20:36 20:40 20:44 20:48 20:52 20:56 20:59 16

THE EDGE OF THE VOID

The Graveyard is less than 1km from The Void. Its force is ripping grave-pylons from The Lantern and sending eddies of debris swirling into the gaping Void.

PC START » MOD.C (engineering)

S

CREW STATUS TULLY - MOD.C (jump drive) » Elevated heart rate, hungry, searching for ways to override the ULF safeguard and activate the jump drive GINA - MOD.B (lab) » Elevated heart rate, high on stimpaks, thinking out loud as she works through calculations.

KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT » “Module B structural integrity is compromised. Please relocate to Module C immediately.” » Gina -“Keeper, resume calculation algorithm.” » Keeper - “Request complete.”

KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT » “Gina! Structural integrity is compromised. Please relocate to Module C immediately.”

» She has just discovered that the ULF is present in the entire 100 AU scan radius. » She soon discovers the truth about The Void. FURN - location n/a » Deceased - Tram collision (13:41 pg 14).

GINA SEES THE TRUTH

Gina finishes her calculation and discovers that The Void was released by The Lantern, proving Dr. Fremont right and invalidating her life’s work. » Gina - “Oh shit.” » Keeper - “GINA! Module B is no longer safe.” » Gina - “Huh, yes. Keeper, detach and dock with Module C. Command code XX1X.”” » Gina - *audible sigh*, lights a cigarette.

GINA CALLS TULLY » Gina to MOD.C (jump) -“Tully.” » Tully - “Go ahead.” » Gina - “It was us.” » Tully - *pause* “What?”

MOD.B WRECKAGE

The wreckage of MOD.B collides with The Lantern, destroying most of the dish between MOD.A and MOD.C. » Tully -“Oh fuck.” Tully -“oh fuck”

LOCATION NOTES MOD.A (cabin) » In disarray (pg 10). MOD.C (jump drive) » Jump drive offline (pg 10).

20:49

GINA

» Gina -“We caused it.”

A loose grave-pylon from The Lantern is hurtled into MOD.B (thrusters) causing a huge explosion. A moment later, MOD.B (engines) overload, incinerating Gina and most of MOD.B

D10

ENCOUNTERS (1/hour)

1-4

The next location the PCs enter is in a state of Temporal Stasis (pg 8).

5-7

8-0

The Originals have set an ambush for the PCs. They are waiting in the next location and fight until they kill the PCs or die.

» main engineering with primary dish thruster engine and jump drive

S

main engineering

:48

jump drive

life

» Keeper does not function in this location for the remainder of the Hour.

MOD.C

computer cabin

cryo

dock

When entering the next location, the PCs find a note on the ground (pg 9). Whoever reads the note first recognizes it as their handwriting.

TRAM OFFLINE

» Sanity Save or 1 Stress

» Derailed 50 m from MOD.B (dock) (13:41 pg 15).

JUMP OFFLINE CAPACITOR » Destroyed by loose O2 tank (13:52 pg 15).

MOD.A

MOD.B

Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, helm control and briefing room

» primary science lab data processing and spectral analysis equipment

life

engine

cabin

cryo

thruster

dock

:32

lab

:20 :48

engine thruster

computer cabin

cryo

computer

life

bridge

dock

17

23:00 23:04 23:08 23:12 23:16 23:20 23:24 23:28 23:32 23:36 23:40 23:44 23:48 23:52 23:56 23:59 18

THE VOID EVERYWHERE

MOD.B and half of The Lantern have been torn to shreds. The Void fills every window on The Graveyard.

PC START » MOD.A (cabin)

S

CREW STATUS TULLY - MOD.C (jump drive)

KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT » “Module A structural integrity is compromised. Please relocate to Module C immediately.”

MOD.A(BRIDGE)

MOD.A (bridge) is torn apart.

MOD.A(COMPUTER)

MOD.A (computer) is torn apart.

MOD.A

All remaining portions of MOD.A are ripped to shreds by the force of The Void.

» Elevated heart rate, high on stimpaks, taking apart the jump drive, trying to juryrig an unregulated jump. » This is a risky, last resort decision, entering jump space like this can be fatal (pg 23). GINA - location n/a » Deceased - MOD.B explosion (20:50 pg 16). FURN - location n/a » Deceased - Tram collision (13:41 pg 14).

LAST RESORT

With The Graveyard coming apart and no options left, Tully begins the final steps of triggering an unregulated jump.

LOCATION NOTES MOD.A (cabin) » In disarray (pg 10). MOD.C (jump drive) » The jump drive is disassembled. Components are laid out in orderly rows.

MOD.C ENTERS THE VOID MOD.C is pulled from the dish and begins falling into the chaos of The Void. The reinforced hull keeps the module intact.

TULLY ENGAGES JUMP

Tully triggers the unregulated jump, spilling a flood of jump particles into The Void and destabilizing the flow of time.

THE LOOP CONTINUES Time returns to 00:00.

23:57

TULLY

The flood of unregulated jump particles causes extreme jump sickness in Tully. They suffer a massive stroke and die instantly. » Anyone in MOD.C at 23:57 roll 1d5. » Panic Check on a roll of 5. See pg 23 Jump Space.

D10

ENCOUNTERS (1/hour)

1-4

Upon seeing The Void, the PCs are overwhelmed by visions of their past. Success - Relive your proudest moment with perfect clarity: reduce Stress 1d5. Fail - Relive your greatest mistake in vivid detail: gain 1d5 Stress.

5-7

8-0

» main engineering with primary dish thruster engine and jump drive

main engineering

:56

jump drive

life

» Sanity Save

MOD.C

computer cabin

cryo

dock

All of the Originals have set up an ambush for the PCs. They are waiting in the next location and will fight until they kill the PCs or die.

TRAM OFFLINE

When entering the next location, the PCs find a note on the ground (pg 9). Whoever reads the note first recognizes it as their handwriting.

» Derailed 50 m from MOD.B (dock) (13:41 pg 15).

» Sanity Save or 1 Stress

JUMP OFFLINE CAPACITOR » Destroyed by loose O2 tank (13:52 pg 15).

MOD.A

THE VOID

Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, helm control and briefing room

:16

thruster

cabin

:20

S

dock

cryo

engine

computer

life

bridge

“Time flows within space itself, just under the surface. Like a void within a void.” - Dr. Helen Fremont » PCs exiting The Graveyard this close to The Void must make a Body Save [-] every round or be spaghettified by the force of Time. » Flying a craft this close to The Void is dangerous but not impossible.

19

CHANGING THE LOOP The actions of the PCs alter the events of the Loop but only if the PCs continue moving forward in time. Whenever the PCs travel back in time to a previous Hour, that Hour and all future Hours are reset and the events unfold as they are written. Note that traveling to the beginning of the Hour that the PCs just exited also resets that Hour.

GOING FORWARD IN TIME CAUSES EVENTS TO CHANGE » If the PCs meet Gina during Hour 13:00, she remembers them if they encounter her in Hour 20:00 or 23:00 immediately after. » If the PCs prevent Furn from exiting MOD.B during Hour 13:00, the Jump Capacitor remains intact and the Tram remains functional during Hour 20:00 and 23:00.

GOING BACKWARD IN TIME RESETS ALL FUTURE EVENTS » If the PCs meet Gina during Hour 13:00, she does NOT remember them if they travel to Hour 10:00 immediately after. From Gina’s perspective, she has not met them yet. » If the PCs convince Tully to stop trying to override the ULF safeguard on the jump drive during Hour 20:00, they are working on the jump drive if the PCs return to Hour 10:00 immediately after.

ESCAPING THE LOOP

There are two ways to end the Loop and free the PCs. Both approaches produce the same outcome.

PREVENT THE VOID (00:00)

STOP THE JUMP (23:00)

Destroy The Jump Capacitor during Hour 00:00 before The Graveyard exits jump space. When the ship emerges from jump space, the flood of jump particles destroys The Graveyard and prevents the Loop from starting.

Prevent anyone on The Graveyard from overriding the ULF safeguard and activating the jump drive. During Hour 23:00, ensure MOD.C is pulled completely into The Void

THE OUTCOME The wreckage of The Graveyard emerges in normal space at the time and place where the PCs’ ship collided with The Void. MOD.C survives along with a massive cloud of wreckage. Any Crew in MOD.C when the Loop ends survive in the same state as they were when the Loop ended.

ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS

Rather than forcing the PCs to discover a precise solution, they should be encouraged to understand the Loop and use their knowledge to escape. If PCs create an escape plan that displays mastery of the Loop it should work, assuming they are able to pull it off. No matter what the plan is, it should be dangerous and exciting. If they try to get off on a technicality or loophole in time travel logic, kill them for their hubris and send them back to Starting Positions.

😈

20

The FINAL BEGINNING When the PCs end the Loop, they return to Starting Positions. Their ship is no longer trapped in temporal stasis and instead is surrounded by the wreckage of The Graveyard. MOD.C is severely damaged but still functioning. Everything else is scrap. If no members of the Graveyard’s Crew are alive, MOD.C immediately collides with the PCs’ ship after emerging. Roll on the ship critical hit table before the PCs take any actions.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

When the PCs return to Starting Positions after ending the Loop, the Originals are there and immediately attack the PCs, trying at all cost to kill them. If any PCs are killed by Originals during the final confrontation, they may immediately take control of the surviving Original and continue playing as their character. If any of the Original versions of the PCs remain alive, neither the PC nor the Original may gain XP.

FADING MEMORIES

Immediately after emerging from the Time Loop, the PCs’ memories of the events on The Graveyard start to fade, leaving them with vague and incomplete notions of their experiences in the Loop. It becomes impossible to determine which of the remaining PCs were part of the Original group. How many repetitions of the Loop did the PCs experience? How many times have they died? All of this becomes unclear and uncertain. Just like the future.

WARDEN NOTES » Use a timer to ensure each Hour doesn’t drag. 15 minutes of real time is roughly equivalent to 60 minutes of game time. PCs should not be allowed to linger too long in any given Hour. The pressure of limited time should be a constant and ironic challenge for the players to overcome. » Kill the players a lot. A common trope of time loop stories is repeated death. This adventure is no different. Being trapped forever in time is a fate worse than death. If the players realize this fact, they can exploit it to attempt dangerous gambits that would otherwise be too risky to consider. » Discourage the PCs from splitting up. PCs exploring multiple Hours at the same time is challenging to manage. If the PCs choose to split up, they become much more vulnerable to the Originals and could easily be ambushed. Use this to ensure that splitting up is a suboptimal strategy. » The briefcase hard drive (pg 6) is loot for the PCs. Assuming MOD.C (computer) survives the loop, PCs can sell the priceless data, install Keeper into their ship or fuel up and be the first to visit the 78 unexplored systems. » Use safety tools. This adventure explores challenging themes. The content warning on the cover is provided so you can consent to the content. As the Warden, it is your responsibility to ensure that your players give their consent.

21

EXPERT JARGON These tables are here to add some fictional science to your science fiction game. Use them whenever you need the name of a critical system component, an itemized invoice of ship repairs, the title of a paper by a missing physicist, the ravings of a drunk lab tech or any other technical sounding nonsense.

D10 TECHNOBABBLE 1 REALIGN 2 OVERCLOCK 3 CLEAN 4 TUNE UP 5 BYPASS 6 SCRUB 7 CALIBRATE 8 LUBRICATE 9 DISASSEMBLE 10 REINTEGRATE

D10 SCIENCE TALK 1 QUANTUM 2 TEMPORAL 3 ENTROPIC 4 RANDOM 5 TESSELLATING 6 NEBULOUS 7 CASCADING 8 STATIONARY 9 ELECTROMAGNETIC 10 SIMULATED

22

PARTICLE CONDUIT ARRAY JEMISON REACTOR LEPTON FILTER PROCESSOR HIGGS FIELD INJECTOR NEURAL COUPLINGS PROTON COIL CLUSTER QUAYZON TUBES MAGNETIC REACTION CHAMBER FERROELECTRIC INTAKE MATRIX GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT

RELATIVITY CLUSTER ENTANGLEMENT CHAIN CAUSALITY PARADOX R.F.M.R REACTION STRUCTURAL DECOMPOSITION AURORA EJECTION RADIATION FISSURE ATOMIC WAVELENGTH REACTION BOUCHET MUTATION MEITNER OXIDATION EVENT

“Looks like I’m gonna need to disassemble the proton coil cluster to get the life support back online.” “Captain, I can’t push the thrusters anymore without overclocking the quayzon tubes.” “Pick up an extra generator control unit at the supply depot for me.”

“Scans reveal a temporal atomic wavelength reaction with`in the power unit. Could be dangerous.” “Can you believe it?! We are actually witnessing a stationary meitner oxidation event!” “The particles appear to be creating an entropic aurora ejection.”

JUMP SPACE “Jump space is a dimension where the laws of physics behave differently. In addition to facilitating faster than light travel, it is hostile to organic life and complicates artificial life.” Bernal R. Intro to Jump Physics

JUMP SICKNESS

LVL

EFFECT

1

Crawling Skin: all BODY [-].

2

1d5 Stress.

3

Visions: all SANITY [-].

4

1d5 Stress.

5

PANIC CHECK every 10 minutes.

“Jump space reacts to our presence like our bodies react to a virus.” Humans who are awake while traveling in jump space suffer from jump sickness. » Every 10 minutes, make a BODY/SANITY Save (player’s choice). » Each failed Save adds 1 level of jump sickness. » Exiting jump space or entering cryosleep immediately removes all levels of jump sickness.

ANDROIDS IN JUMP

“Artificial humanoids often experience malfunctions while traveling in jump space. While not lethal, these can be troubling to witness and even more troubling to experience.”

D10 JUMP INDUCED ANDROID MALFUNCTIONS

1

Leak fluid from eyes.

6

Clothing causes extreme discomfort. Avoid, if possible.

2

Twitch & stutter.

7

Repeat all vocalizations at least once. More, if possible.

3

Speak very softly/loudly.

8

Begin all vocalizations with “Unit number [serial #] says...”

4

Avoid seeing reflection.

9

Provide ongoing narration of every action and thought.

5

Revert to a state of total motionlessness when idle. Never blink.

10

Constantly scratch all over. Accuse others of scratching if questioned about this behavior. Become angry if questioning continues.

UNREGULATED JUMP aka “JUICING THE DRIVE”

“While the jump drive is responsible for sending a ship into jump space, the astrogation computer is responsible for bringing it back. Loading coordinates into the drive as it enters jump space entangles the ship with that location, giving it somewhere to return in normal space.” It is possible to bypass the astrogation computer when jumping and reroute that power to the jump drive. “Juicing the drive” like this increases its jump rating by 1d5 but allows no control over the destination. On a roll of 5, roll again and add that to the roll. On a second roll of 5, the ship never returns. Any human awake during an unregulated jump immediately gains 1d5 levels of jump sickness.

D10 JUMP SPACE RUMORS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No ship has ever returned from a jump to sector SQ8:XT1. Byraan Corp is offering a reward for any ship with proof of returning from a jump 10 voyage. Jump Eternal, a fringe religious group believes jump space holds the key to eternal life. Byraan Corp is looking for volunteers to crew the Somnus, for a test of an experimental jump drive. A new theory claims that travelers leave copies of themselves in jump space upon exiting. 3 hours and 34 minutes is the record for a human enduring jump space while conscious. A team on Prospero’s Dream believes they have discovered evidence of native life in jump space. Jump space was discovered by Gremon Quint who never returned from her first jump voyage. There are reports of unregulated jumps causing mysterious mutations in humans and androids. Old spacers believe that drinking urine can stave off the effects of jump sickness.

23

UNEXPLORED SYSTEMS The galaxy is full of unexplored systems. Use these tables to create a quick snap shot of a system, including its star, orbital bodies and potential resources.

Each object has one or more tags, which show any exploitable resources, research opportunities or other noteworthy features.

1. Roll 5d10. 2. Use the sum to determine the star table. 3. Use the value of each die to populate the system from the star table. 4. The value of each die notes the objects’ orbital distance from their star.

• • • • • • •

SUM 5 - 19 WHITE STAR

TAGS

SUM 20 - 35 RED STAR

TAGS

1. no object

n/a

1. cloud planet

h2o, ore

2. rock planet

ore

2. rock planet

ore

3. dust planet

metal

3. dust planet

ore, metal

4. minor singularity

data

4. asteroid belt

ore, metal, h2o (ice)

5. earth analogue

h o, n o , organic, ore

5. earth analogue

h2o, n2o2, organic

6. cloud planet

h o, organic

6. no object

n/a

7. asteroid belt

ore, metal

7. ringed gas giant

h2o, metal (rings)

8. gas giant

organic

8. gas giant

h2o, organic

9. ringed gas giant

h o, metal (rings)

9. comet

ore, metal, h2o, data

10. reroll 2x, keep both

n/a

10. ancient beacon

int, data

SUM 36 - 50 BLUE STAR

TAGS

EXAMPLE

1. cloud planet

h o, organic

5D10 roll: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 (reroll -> 4, 8)

2. dust planet

ore, metal

3. cloud planet

h2o, n2o2

4. binary moon

ore, metal, data

5. asteroid belt

ore, metal, organic

6. cloud planet

h2o, ore

7. ringed gas giant

h2o, organic

8. comet

metal, h2o, data

9. rock planet

ore

10. reroll 2x, keep both

n/a

2

2 2

2

2

2

ore - unrefined fuel ore metal - rare valuable metals organic - evidence of living organisms int - evidence of intelligent life h2o - water n2o2 - earth analogue atmosphere data - potential for scientific discovery

•

Sum: 36 (blue star)

•

4 - binary moon (ore, metal, data)

•

5 - asteroid belt (ore, metal, organic)

•

6 - cloud planet (h2o ore)

•

7 - ringed gas giant (h2o, organic)

•

8 - comet (metal, h2o, data)

•

8 - comet (metal, h2o, data)