The Last Voyage of SV-1022

 

This is the last voyage of SV-1022. An ancient flagship from the golden age of the Republic, lost beyond the borderline, low on supplies, and far from home. It's objective: to chart unknown worlds and expand the boundaries of human knowledge. 

A lightweight Trek-alike toolkit for the Mothership Sci-Fi Horror RPG! This section is all optional context and theory, so feel free to jump into the tables below.

Some equipment, upgrades, and tables for setting a Mothership game aboard a high-tech government expedition to the Final Frontier. Written up on a long car ride, based on a conversation in the Mothership discord, and a lot of hours spent watching Star Trek TOS/TNG. Hasn't been playtested and may not be particularly balanced, but I'm pretty happy with the results. 

Basically: this is meant to work with all the standard MoSh stuff and blend a more Trek-like experience into the mix, rather than act as a complete hack. Instead of the Company there is the Republic, and you're going out in the name of Discovery rather than Profit. Your ship might have an Instant Transportation Array, and free medpod access while aboard, and you might be carrying a high-tech convection weapon into battle, but when creepy crawlies emerge from the dark of a derelict station, it's still your body and mind on the line. In Star Trek the main characters (generally) don't die horribly, but you're not the main characters.

If I get the chance to playtest or refine this, I'll update the post accordingly! Some directions it could go: adaptation to pamphlet form (???), incorporating stuff inspired by antarctic exploration, just more stuff, setting-appropriate patch + trinket tables, class VI starship silhouette(s) and deckplans.

Recommend starting with the Exploration Vessel (See: Shipbreaker's Tookit (SBT), pg. 26). The ship is ailing after decades (maybe even centuries) of travel, but it represents a rare pinnacle of human engineering, and was built to endure in the harshest of conditions.   

Whatever ship you choose, roll 1d10+2 on the Maintenance Issues Table (SBT pg. 39), and gain 3 free upgrades. (This is to make room for some of the fancy new tech offered below.)

As terrifying as exploration may get during away missions, the ship represents a relative refuge, especially compared to Mothership's usual Company-controlled neoliberal purgatory. Medical care, ammunition, and food are freely accessible. Ships with a Transporter Array have a streamlined way of deploying teams to far-flung worlds, and rapidly extracting them, as well. The Transporter was designed with a few downsides, including a chance to roll on a mishap table, so it won't make things too easy to escape, and still leaves a niche for dropship deployment and extraction (avoids Portsickness). 

Rather than undercutting the horror, this should be used to create a greater contrast with the ordeals the crew will face on away missions and deep space encounters. I think it'll create a somewhat gentler Mothership overall by letting off the pressure more during downtime. That's the intent, at least.

The original classes fit well enough, so I've just thrown two optional loadout tables for randomly incorporating some of the new equipment below.

[Written for Mothership Month! For the uninitiated: Mothership Month "is a group-collab project led by Tuesday Knight Games featuring some of the brightest stars from the Mothership third-party publishing (3PP) community ... Think of Mothership Month as a pep rally for the entire Mothership community." (Tuesday Knight Games, "Mothership Month" on Backerkit) Chances are you're here through the Mothership discord and knew that already, though!]

# FEDERAL SHIPYARDS SV-1022 [J3C-V] FLAGSHIP

  

# CAMPAIGN FRAME

Long-Haul Expedition

Humanity expands into the stars, under the watchful regulatory gaze of the Republic. You are the eyes in the dark, cataloging strange and unknown worlds, and setting foot places nobody should ever go. Meet terrifying entities, untangle cultural conflicts, and try not to get abruptly vaporized.

# ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT

All standard Player's Survival Guide (PSG) equipment is available as well.

Weapons

Phase Pistol. 1kcr, Close, 3d10 DMG, N/A shots, Fire/Explosives, Special: AP and radiation shielding prevent DMG.

Shock Pistol. 500cr, Close, 1d10 DMG, 8 shots, Blunt Force, Special: If DMG dealt: enemy must Body Save or be unconscious 1d10 rounds.

Ceremonial Blade. 700cr, Adjacent, 2d10 DMG, N/A shots, Bleeding, Special: +1d10DMG when above 10 Stress.

Combat Laser. 8kcr, Long, 1d100 DMG, 5 shots, Fire/Explosives, Special: AP and radiation shielding prevent DMG.

Heat Ray Projector. 4kcr, Long, 3d10 DMG, 2 shots,  Fire/Explosives [+], Special: Two-Handed. Heavy.

Concussion Rifle. 6kcr, Close, 2d10 DMG (AA), 3 shots, Blunt Force, Special: Heavy. If not braced or prone while firing, Body Save or be knocked down.

Railgun. 12kcr, Extreme, 6d10 DMG (AA), 1 shot, Gore [+], Special: Explodes on Critical Failure (3d10 DMG to all Adjacent).

Equipment

Multiscanner. 10kcr. Allows the user to scan objects, surfaces, and organisms to analyze temperature, chemical composition, and electrical signals. Results may not be instantaneous and may require a lab for complete analysis. 

Transport Beacon. 2.5kcr. Rucksack-sized device for transport systems to lock onto. Provides [+] to emergency transporter rolls. 

Personal Shield. 26kcr. AP 10 for 1d10 minutes when activated. Can be worn with clothing or armor. 

Expedition Attire. 2kcr. AP 3. Includes: air filter, heat/cold protection, and headlamp.  

Biolight. 200cr. Rubberized orb that illuminates10m radius. 

AutoProbe. 12kcr. Battery operated autonomous drone. Hovers up to 20m high. Can run for 48hrs. Can record and transmit footage to included operator headset or HUD. If purchased separately, can be equipped with Multiscanner.

Portable Shield Generator. 50kcr. Rucksack-sized device used to generate a protective shield in a 5m radius. Provides AP 20 for 2d10 minutes when activated. Can be recharged with a Battery. 

Ship Upgrades

Instant Transporter Array. 300mcr. 3 month install. Biological entanglement matrix which allows instantaneous transportation of passengers between the ship and locations within Firing Range. Transportation takes 1d10 hours to calibrate safely, or a requires a Systems check. On a failure roll on Transporter Mishap table (see below). Passengers are Portsick on arrival (as Cryosickness).  

Hyperspace Disc. 200mcr. 1 month install. Insulates the ship and crew from hyperspace exposure. Cryopods are no longer necessary for Jump travel, though they may still be used.

Warp Core Ejector. 1mcr. 2 month install. System for launching warp cores in an emergency. No idea why you would do this, honestly. It's your ship, though. 

Slickroom. 5mcr. 2 week install. Allows 3 crew per Ship Class to enter a shared Slickworld (A Pound of Flesh, pg. 20).

Advanced Medbay. 1 mcr. 1 month install. As Medbay (SBT pg. 28), plus: Contains 2 Medpods per Ship Class. (For Medpod, see PSG pg. 35). 

# TRANSPORTER

Ships can be equipped with an Instant Transporter Array (ITA). Transportation takes 1d10 hours to calibrate safely, or a requires a Systems check. On a failure roll on Transporter Mishap table (see below).

D10 Transporter Mishaps

1. Interference. All electronic gear destroyed in transit.
2. Coordinate Error. Nearby object or entity transported instead of the passenger.
3. Blown Fuse. Transporter disabled for 2d10 hours.
4. Outside Reality. Passenger makes a Sanity Save. 1d10 Stress on failure.
5. Excess G-Forces. Passenger makes a Body Save. 1d10 DMG on failure.
6. Psychic Feedback. Passenger makes a Panic Check.
7. Lightly Flensed. Passenger takes 2d10DMG.
8. Temporal Anomaly. Passenger reduces all Stats and Saves by 1d10.
9. Bisected. Passenger takes a wound (Gore + Massive.)
10. Catastrophic Failure. Transport fails and ship takes 1d5 MDMG.

# CHARACTER CREATION

Class Name Changes

(Purely cosmetic)

Marine > SECURITY
Scientist > SCIENCE
Teamster > ENGINEERING
Android > ANOMALY

Alternate Loadouts

Instead of a standard loadout, players may take a loadout from either table below. As in the PSG, underlined items don’t have a listing in the equipment or weapon tables. Use common sense.

These lean towards better equipment than the standard loadout tables, to reflect the greater level of support the Republic provides for their crew compared to the Company.

Command Staff Loadouts (1d10)

Equipped by crew members given command responsibility.

1. Standard Crew Attire (AP 1), Multiscanner, Biolight, Toolbox with assorted tools.
2. Standard Crew Attire (AP 1), Shock Pistol (1 mag), Bioscanner, Sample Collection Kit
   
3. Dress Uniform (AP 1), Ceremonial Blade, Personal Shield, Multiscanner.
   
4. Advanced Battle Dress (AP 10), Combat Laser, Boarding Axe, Smart Link Add-On.
   
5. Standard Crew Attire (AP 1), Portable Computer Terminal, Flashlight, Extension Cord (10m)
6. Dress Uniform (AP 1), Phase Pistol, Transporter Beacon, Vial of Perfume
7. Traditional Attire (AP 1), Vibechete, Stimpack (x2), Woven Blanket
8. Lab Coat (AP 1), Stun Baton, Medscanner, Automed (x5), Bourbon
9. Vaccsuit (AP 3), Heat Ray Projector (2 charges), Hand Welder
   
10. Dress Uniform (AP 1), Revolver (6 rounds), Insulated Flask
    

Expeditionary Force Loadouts (1d10)

Equipped by crew members primarily deployed to the field.

1. Standard Crew Attire (AP 1), Phase Pistol, Long-Range Comms, Multiscanner
2. Standard Battle Dress (AP 7), Combat Laser, Shovel, Paracord (100m)
3. Expedition Attire (AP 3), AutoProbe, Biolight, Binoculars, MoHab Unit
4. Expedition Attire (AP 3), Bioscanner, Infrared Goggles, First Aid Kit, Mylar Blanket
5. Hazard Suit (AP 5) Flare Gun (4 rounds), Rucksack, Rebreather, Sample Collection Kit
6. Vaccsuit (AP 3), Shock Pistol (2 mags), Electronic Tool Set, Paracord (100m), Biolight
7. Standard Battle Dress (AP 7) Concussion Rifle (3 mags), Rucksack, Multiscanner
8. Hazard Suit (AP 3), Railgun (3 rounds), Explosives and Detonator
9. Advanced Battle Dress (AP 10), Combat Laser, MREs (x7)
10. Traditional Attire (AP 1), Ceremonial Blade, Jetpack 

Ship Design (Detail)