The Corridor
An Edge of Space Scenario for 3 to 5 players
Edge of Space Setting
Over two hundred years ago humanity broke the bounds of our home system and spread through out our arm of the Milky Way galaxy. As are all things with humanity eventually war between the colonies and home government tore the systems of The Arm apart. Only the destruction of the Wolf Solar System in an artificially created supernova ended the war.
All sides came to the table, treaties were drawn, signatures laid to paper created from the pulp of a hundred worlds. Leaders hugged and shook hands and swore “Never Again”.
The new unified Government of The Arm, the Confederation of United Systems (CUS), began the long process of rebuilding and strengthening the bonds between worlds, systems and local governments. The Confederation was successful in building a loose, but unified multi-system government, however, that success came at a great cost.
The rebuilding and unification of so many systems over such a span of light-years crippled the Confederation financially and the flames of rebellion and war began to be stoked again. Burdened and falling under increased financial constraints and pressures, with enemies and ramble-rousers on all sides the Confederation turned to the colonization of new worlds and systems beyond The Arm, in the inner sections of the Milky Way, into the frontier, the unknown.
What humanity found in the frontier was something old, something strange and different and so frightening, that the old brain, the brain of the small scavenger, begged humanity to run, to hide. We did not.
The Space Maritime Corps (SMC), previously functioning as convoy guards and security for colonies and travel of goods between systems was reorganized and set to the task of war with these new enemies.
Veterans of the old war stood in lines to re-enlist, but it was not enough more were needed; these enemies were powerful, fearless and craved humanities destruction.
The war goes on, The Bugs are slowly advancing, humanity is losing ground but the Arm has not yet been breeched.
Suit up.
Introduction
The Corridor is a quick scenario mission for the Edge of Space Roleplaying game created by Chubby Monster Games. It is meant to run as a stop-gap or quick one-shot introduction to the system and the expanded setting.
The goal of the scenario is to teach through play the mechanics of the Edge of Space system. It is recommended that the Game Master have a passing knowledge of the system and the setting in order for smooth flow of the game.
To place Edge of Space three things are needed. 1. The Edge of Space rules. 2. Six-Sided dice which can be found in almost all board games. 3. People to play with.
The Corridor’s story revolves around the characters attempting to hold the final hallway of a research station on an Asteroid as the station personnel attempt to evacuate. However, something more than just a normal bug attack is going on. What that is may lead to a longer campaign or nothing at all. It all depends on the players and the Game Master.
The Scenario is broken up into six parts. The Game Master’s dossier, The Players’ Briefing, The Scenario, New Op-4, Expanding the Scenario, and Map.
The Game Master’s Dossier
The players start out the mission in the thick of things as a frontier science station is being evacuated in the midst of a Bug invasion of the small planetoid in an Edge System (an Edge System being a system on the edge of the Arm before the inner galaxy). The Planetoid has no atmosphere and the Bugs have breached the facility and outlying civilian BioDome structures through an artificial underground hive work created in secret by the bugs.
The player’s main objective is to hold the corridor leading to the only operational shuttle bay as the scientists and other facility personnel evacuate.
The numbers should be overwhelming with the players loosing ground and being pushed closer and closer to the shuttle bay.
Even after the final shuttle evacuates the players are ordered to hold and a separate team arrives and enters the facility. Soon the players themselves are ambushed by their own people (the other team).
This other team is a rogue group of SMC attempting to recover data on the weapon used to cause the artificial supernova at the end of the System Wars. Should the players succeed against this other team they have the option of joining the rogue group and handing over the super-weapon research.
The Players’ Brief
Awoken from their slumber by the sound of the piercing howl of the alert system the players are ordered to the briefing room of the CSS Sword of Hathor. They are not alone; every SMC quick team aboard the Sword of Hathor is jammed into the tight confines of the briefing room.
The briefing commences; the lights dim and a pale blue holographic projection of a small research facility on an unnamed planetoid.
|
“Three hours ago C-Time,” A grizzled, iron haired NCO growls. “The Bugs assaulted Research Station Novem 8. Evacuation is underway; we’re going in to help the brainacs get out with their brains still in their skulls.”
|
The hologram grows and points flash, corridors leading to launch bays, with each light the NCO barks out a squad name and the order to “hold it”. The players’ squad is one of the final ones given the order to hold a corridor.
The Sword of Hathor is a warship whose current mission is to transport new SMC corpsmen to the Edge to fight against the Bug threat. However, in recent weeks the ship has been in numerous affairs that have fallen outside of its stated mission. As such it is possible that the players could be fresh recruits with no experience outside of live-fire exercises or “Green-shirts”, corpsmen who have seen a little combat but not enough to make them respectable to the grizzled veterans on the Edge.
The Scenario
When the players land at the facility they will be tasked with securing and holding a 10’ wide by 100’ long corridor that leads to the launch bay from the Bug invaders.
|
Game Master’s Option: When the players arrive on Noviem 8 the launch bay may be clear of any Bug threat and some of the scientists and staff of the facility may be waiting. However, while the meat of the scenario is in holding the corridor it is possible that the launch bay may have already been taken when the players arrive. If this course of action is taken by the Game Master, then the hanger is under assault by 2d6 Bugs of the GM’s choice as well as 1d6 scientists that cannot protect themselves.
|
The corridor should always have 2-4d6 bugs of various types, but many focusing on Grunts, Shooters and Recon. Every 3 minutes another wave of 1d6 bugs should encroach on the corridor, attempting to push the players back toward the launch bay or out right killing them.
|
Game Master’s Note: due to the massive amounts of enemies that the players will be facing – and the last-stand quality of the scenario itself – it is an option to half the typical armor that the Grunt and Recon type bugs possess.
|
While the players hold the hall evacuees will be running behind them from a connecting corridor close to the launch bay.
After several rounds or 6 minutes of combat the players will receive the following communication:
“We need reinforcements at Bay 12, I repeat we need reinforce …”
The players only know the layout of their section of the facility, if they choose to assist the team at Bay 12 they will first have to discover the way to the bay (See Maps and “Expanding the Scenario”)
After several more rounds or 3 minutes of combat the players will receive another communication:
“Bay 8 has fallen! The transport’s been taken down. Survivors in the med … ARGH!”
Again, should the players attempt to aid their fellow corpsmen; they will have to find their way through the facility (See Maps and “Expanding the Scenario”).
At this point the Bugs attempt their final push on the corridor, the Bug waves increase by 1d6 and waves come at quicker speeds (about every 1 to 1.5 minutes).
During the final push the players will witness any or all of the following:
Table 1: What the PCs see
|
Roll (1d6)
|
Result
|
|
1
|
The bugs eating their dead
|
|
2
|
A few of the bugs in the final push are bigger and larger than normal bugs
|
|
3
|
A glimpse of a Master flitting through the assaulting Bugs
|
|
4
|
Bugs borrowing up from the floor
|
|
5
|
Nothing
|
|
6
|
A flicker of movement that looks vaguely humanoid but quickly vanishes.
|
After an amount of Bugs equaling 2d6+6 bugs have been defeated, the players will receive the following communication.
“Bay 20, all facility personnel clear, you are to remain and wait for further orders.”
This voice is neither the Grizzled NCOs nor any that the players should recognize from their chain of command.
Behind them the players hear the transport ship’s engines cycling up and then vanish. A few moments more and the Bug invaders retreat down the corridor, leaving the players in relative safety.
At this time the players have a few rounds (approximately 5 minutes) to explore or remain at their position. After this time the following communication can be heard.
“All teams hold position, for Search and Rescue crews.”
This order is given by the same unknown voice as the previous communication.
The sounds of a drop ship landing can be heard through the launch bay doors and as if summoned by the noise the Bugs resume their attack on the players.
This attack is not as relentless as before, and the players can hear the movement of the S&R team as they move from the launch bay and down the connecting corridor that the evacuees had previously been using.
During this time the players are assaulted by three waves of 2d6 Bugs.
When the final Bug dies the players will hear a voice in their head.
“All is not what it seems Meat. Why should I kill you when your own will do it for me.”
The voice is so loud and powerful in the players’ minds that a Hard contest most be overcome or they will be dazed for one round.
Directly after this psychic attack, the players will find that the Search and Rescue team they were ordered to hold the corridor for is waiting behind them. There are no survivors with the group, the only addition being a long and thick metal case.
If the players want they can attempt to talk with the S&R team, however, in the end they will be attacked by this team with the revelation that like the other teams their station has been reported as fallen.
The S&R team is in fact a Wetworks team under a rogue group within the SMC who seek to gather and control both outlawed human technology and Bug bio-weapons. The players may not get this information out of the Wetworks team, however, some of this may be gleaned during the conversation.
|
Wetwork Member
|
Scores
|
|
Grunt
|
2 Rifle/2 Explosives
|
|
Grunt
|
2 Rifle/1 Sniper/1 Andriod
|
|
Support
|
1 Rifle/2 First Aid/1 Technician
|
|
Officer
|
2 Pistol/1 Leadership/1 Science
|
After the Scenario
If the players survive their encounter with the Wetworks team they will have to find a way back to the Sword of Hathor. If they contact the Sword of Hathor they will find that they had been reported KIA and a drop ship will be dispatched to recover them.
The players have a choice of reporting or hiding the encounter with the Wetwork team. If reported an investigation will occur and the players will have been marked by the Rogue elements within the SMC.
Other items of note after the scenario has been completed and when continuing the game:
· Who did the psychic voice belong to?
· What did the rogue faction want at the facility (this may also be explained in “Expanding the Scenario)?
