ADVENTURES


This section describes several basic adventures or games which will introduce the players to using the basic rules. The adventures are designed so they canbe played more than once, and they will be different every time you play them. Suggestions and instructions for making up new adventures can be found at the end of this section.

Each adventure is presented in six parts: Purpose, Teams, How To Win, How To Play, Set-Up, and Rewards. A section at the end of each adventure shows how to make the adventure diffeerent and fun to play again.

The Players

Players in STAR FRONTIERS games play characters who perform special jobs for companies and planetary governments. They must work to prevent trouble, solve a mystery, explore a new planet, or perform any other sort of dangerous task. In this series of adventures the player characters work for the Pan-Galactic Corporation, the largest company in the Frontier.

One player must be chosen to run the adventure. This person does not control a PGC agent like the other players do. Instead, he controls the opponents the other players meet and reads the adventure to them.

Adventure 1: PAN-GALACTIC SECURITY BREACH

Purpose

You have been contacted by Pan-Galactic Headquarters to investigate a breach in security at several top PGC research centers. Someone has broken into these centers and destroyed valuable equipment. The raiders never set off any alarms and never were stopped by anti-intruder security systems. Your mission is to find out why the raids are taking place and to end them.

Teams

One person must be chosen to be the reader. Everyone else plays agents working for Pan-Galactic. The reader reads the numbered events to the players as they reach then and plays all opponents. Information on opponents is included in the story below.

The Pan-Galactic team should have four characters, created by the players using the rules for creating characters. If there are not four players, some players must control more than one character.

Each character starts the game with a standard equipment pack and a fully toaded laser pistol.

How To Play

This is a programmed adventure. The story is written in a series of numbered paragraphs. The reader reads the first paragraph to the players, and then they are presented with several choices. All the players must agree on one choice. This choice will direct the reader to another numbered paragraph, which he then turns to and reads to the players. At some points the players will get into combat, and this must be played out before moving to the next event. The passages boxed in gray should not be read aloud; they are special instructions for the reader only.

The reader controls the movement of the raiders and rolls the dice for them when they attack. The reader decides who an NPC will attack, but should try to have each NPC shoot at a different player character if possible; if it is not possible, the NPC should shoot at the nearest enemy.

The raiders always move first, until a fight starts. Once the player characters get into combat with the raiders, the players and the reader must roll for initiative.

The player characters and the raiders have fully loaded guns, but they do not have any extra ammunition. All players must keep track of the shots they fire; when they use all their ammunition, they can only run away.

How To Win

The players win if they learn why the raids are taking place and stop the raiders from striking again.

Set-Up

Each player should pick a counter that looks like his character. The reader should pick a Vrusk, a Dralasite, a Yazirian and three Human counters. All counters are placed inside the Security building. The reader then picks a skimmer counter and places it at the curb on the road north of the Security building.

Now you are ready to play.

The Adventure

START. You have met at the Security Service building to discuss your new assignment and talk to some PGC experts about why the security at the research centers failed. You are in the main computer room where data collection and analysis is handled. The chief of security and the head programer, both humans, are helping you. Also in the room are four technicians, one of each different race.

The programer shows you a small computer cabinet containing thousands of crystal wafers. "The security information and command controls for all of Pan- Galactic's research centers are stored here," he says. 'We ran a thorough check of all the systems and couldn't find anything wrong. There is no way the raiders could have broken in." The programer and chief seem puzzled.

What are you going to do?
-Wait for the raiders to strike again (Read 01).
-Investigate the site of the last attack (Read 02).
-Ask the computer if there is a pattern in the raiders' attacks (Read 03).

01. Having decided to wait until the next attack, you thank the experts for their help and leave. As you walk down the hall you hear a cry of surprise behind you. You rush back to the computer room. The programer and chief lie unconscious on the floor. The technicians, with their laser pistols pointing at you, tell you not to move. (Read 04)

02. You thank them for their help and turn to leave. Behind you there is a pop. a puffing sound and a cry of surprise. Turning, you see the programer and chief, surrounded by a cloud of gas, fall unconscious to the floor. The four technicians draw laser pistols and point them at you. "You're not going anywhere!" the Yazirian growls. (Read 04)

03. The programer nods, pleased with the suggestion, and inputs the question. In a moment the holotank lights, displaying a map of the Frontier with red lights showing the planets where raids have taken place. The lights form a circle around the planet you are on.

"This is suspicious," exclaims the chief. "If all the attacks center around our planet and the alarms are never set off, it must be an inside job."

Suddenly there is a soft pop and the chief and programer are surrounded by a cloud of gas. They gasp in surprise and fall unconscious. Looking up you find yourself surrounded by the technicians, who have drawn their laser pistols. "Clever deductions," clicks the Vrusk. "Too bad you found out." (Read 04)

04. "Geiger! Konchinho! Keep them covered!," barks the Yazirian to the Human and Dralasite. "Gramic, get to work!"

The Vrusk moves to the crystal matrix cabinet and attaches a small metallic cube, then turns to the controls. You study the cold features of the Human and the dark hollow eyes of the Dralasite, weighing your chances to draw a weapon before they can shoot.

Suddenly you hear the sound of someone coming down the hall. Smiling slyly, the Yazirian slides a black jelly-like object from a canister at his side and turns to face the door.


The door swings open and a startled guard stares in surprise. Too late, he reaches for his gun. The black blob strikes him in the chest. Horrified, you watch the thing sprout tendrils that tangle around the terrified guard, pinning his arms to his side and constricting around his throat. He falls to the floor and the Yazirian chuckles.

What do you want to do?
-Stand still and wait to see what happens (Read 05).
-Try to talk to the technicians (Read 06).
-Try to draw a weapon and attack (Read 07).

05. You hear a humming sound from the small cube and it glows brightly. The Vrusk clicks in satisfaction, disconnects the cube and slides it into a vest pocket. Waving an antenna at the Yazirian it starts smashing consoles and crystal matrices.

"Konchinho," the big monkey calls, "get their weapons." The Dralasite reaches out with long pseudopods, liffs your pistols from their holsters and tosses them across the room. Then the raiders back out of the room.

"Bite on this," shouts the human, and you dive to the floor barely avoiding the laser bursts he fires over your head. You scramble for your guns and race affer the raiders. (Read 08)
06. Let the players ask you; questions, but don't answer them. Instead, tell them, "You better keep quiet, if you know what's good for you." Then ask them what they want to do:
-Stand still and wait to see what happens (Read 05).
-Try to draw a weapon and attack (Read 07).

07. If the players try to draw their weapons, the raiders will attack. The abilities the raiders use in combat are listed below. if for some reason you need to know their other ability scores, go ahead and roll them. Remember, everyone has cover because they are in a building (-10 to hit).

The player with the highest Initiative modifier should roll 1d10 and add the result to his IM. The reader also should roll 1dl0 and add the result to the raiders' highest initative modifier (6). The side with the highest total gets to move and fire first. After this turn, initiative must be checked at the start of each turn to see who moves and fires first.
THE RAIDERS
NAME
Konchinho
Gramic
Geiger
Manetoe 		RACE
(Dralasite)
(Vrusk)
(Human)
(Yazirian) 		WEAPON
Laser
Laser
Laser
Laser 		IM
5
6
5
4 		DEX
45
55
50
40 		STA
35
40
55
65 		MOVE
1/4
3/7
2/6
2/6
When each raider has been shot once, tell the players that one of the raiders grabsthe cube and they flee. Gramic will take the cube and run if he can. If he can not, then the reader should have either Geiger or Manetoe grab it. (Read 08)


08. The raiders flee down the corridor and out the front door. You run aher them, but they have a head start and are a turn ahead of you. Seeing you following, the raiders split up. One runs across the road and the rest jump into a waiting skimmer and pull away from the curb.

What do you want to do?
--Call Star Law and alert them to the crime (Read 09).
--Pursue the lone raider (Read 11).
--Pursue the raiders in the skimmer (Read 12).

09. You call Star Law on your communicator and report the crime. They thank you for the information and tell you the raiders probably will head toward the spaceport. They will alert spaceport security to watch for them.

Now what do you want to do?
--Try to discover what the raiders were affer (Read 10).
--Pursue the lone raider (Read 11).
--Pursue the raiders in the skimmer (Read 12).

10. You return to the computer room and administer stimdose to the two unconscious men and manage to cut the guard free from the black strands.

After examining the damage, the chief announces, "I'm afraid all of the security data on every PGC research center has been stolen! I hope the Star Rangers catch them at the spaceport." (Read 21)
11. Since the players have decided to chase the lone raider, the reader can remove the skimmer from the board. Now the reader must move the running raider, determine who he will shoot at and tell the players what is happening.

The lone raider is the character who took the metallic cube. He will run north to the road and then cross the road. When the raider reaches the other side, he will turn and fire at the player characters, then run into the monorail terminal.

The raider will be one turn ahead of the player characters. If the player charaaers stopped to call Star Law he will be an extra turn ahead of them. Be sure to move the raider these extra turns at running speed. He must stop at the road, and then spend one turn crossing the road.
--If the raider is caught (Read 20).

If the raider boards the monorail, ask the players what they want to do:
--Cal Star Law to intercept the raider (Read 13).
--Board another monorail car and follow the raider (Read 14).
--Call a cab to chase the raider (Read 15).

12. Because the players decided to chase the skimmer, the raidercan be removed from the board. The reader must choose where the skimmer moves and who the raiders will shoot at.

Remember, characters in a skimmer have cover (-10 to the attacker's roll) and are moving (-10 when the raiders try to shoot), The raiders will be one turn ahead of the piayer characters, an extra turn if the players called Star Law. Be sure to move the raiders ahead.

The raiders can drive along the main roads, or take shortcuts through the underground parking areas. They can only drive one way on one-way streets. Ask the players:
--Do you want to chase them on foot? (Read 18).
--Do you want to call a cab to chase them?(Read 19).

13. The Star Rangers say the raider probably is headed to the spaceport to meet his friends. They wiii watch everyone getting off the monorail. They should catch him if he doesn't get off at one of the earlier terminals.

What do you want to do now?
--Wait to hear from Star Law (Read 21).
--Board another monorail car and follow the raider (Read 14).
--Call a cab to chase the raider (Read 15).
14. The reader should move the raider's counter along the rnonoraii 10 spaces per turn. The raider will be one turn ahead of the players, plus an extra turn if they s20pped to cail Star Law. The raider will get off the monorail at the Government Buiidi ng terminal. Once the raider has exited, piace the skimmer at the curb there and check below to see what to read next.
--If the player characters exit one turn after the raider does (Read 16).
--If the player characters exit two or more turns after the raider (Read l7).

15. The reader should move the raider's courter along the monoraii 10 spaces per turn, as the player characters pursue in a skimmer. It wili take one turn for the cab to arrive. The raider should be moved one extra turn if the players calied Star Law.

The raider will exit at the Government Building terminal. The reader should place the skimmer at the curb there.
--If the player characters arrive one turn after the raider (Read 16).
--If the player characters arrive two or more turns after the raider (Read 17).

16. You see the raider run out of the monorail terminal ahead of you and leap into a waiting skimmer. The other raiders are in the skimmer waiting for him.
The players can shoot at the raiders in the skimmer. Rernember that characters in a skimmer have cover (-10). The reader shouid pick one of the raiders to be the driver. If he is knocked unconscious the skimmer witl stop and the raiders wili surrender. The raiders will try to drive off the board to the spaceport. Check below to see what to read next depending on the result of combat.
--If the raiders escape and Star Law was not cailed (Read 21).
--If the raiders escape and Star Law was called (Read 20).
--If the raiders were captured (Read 22).

17. You are too late! You see the raider with the cube dash out of the monorail terminal and leap into the waiting skimmer with his friends. They spin onto the Spaceport Expressway. You try to chase them, but their skimmer soon disappears into traffic.
--If the players called Star Law (Read 20).
--If the players have not called Star Law (Read 21).

18. If the players run after the skimmer, the reader should make sure that the rules for crossing roads, getting onto walkways, and running through buiidings are followed.

The reader should pick one of the raiders to be the driver of the skimmer. If the driver is knocked unconscious the skimmer will stop and the raiders will surrender. The raiders will try to drive to the Government Building monorail terminal. Check below to see what to read next depending on the result of combat.
--If the player characters are one turn behind the raiders when they reach the Government Building (Read 16).
--If the player characters are two or more turns behind when the raiders reach the Government Building (Read 17).
--If the skimmer was stopped and the raiders are captured (Read 22).

19. If the piayers call a cab, it will take one turn to arrive. Move the raiders one extra move. The reader should make sure that rules for moving through intersections, around curves on ramps, and through underground parking areas are followed.

The reader and the players should each pick a character to drive their skimmer. Drivers can not shoot. If the driver is knocked unconscious the skimmer will stop. If the raiders' skimmer stops, they will surrender. The raiders will try to drive to the Government Building monorail terminal. Check below to see what to read next depending on the result of combat:

--If the player characters are one turn behind the raiders when they reach the Government Buiiding (Read 16).
--If the player characters are two turns or more behind when the raiders reach the Government Building (Read 17).
--If the skimmer is stopped and raiders surrender (Read 22).

20. When you return to Pan-Galactic Headquarters, there is a call from Star Law for you. They congratulate you for your quick thinking and are happy to report that they managed to capture the rest of the raiders as they tried to board a starship. Unfortunately, when they tried to question the criminals each pressed a button on their collar. The button injected them with a drug that turned them into idiots. Now they won't be answering any questions.

The Star Rangers say they also found something in the raiders skimmer when they searched it. It seems to be some type of recorded message. They play it back for you. (Read END)

21. When you return to Pan-Galactic Headquarters your superiors put in a call to Star Law. Unfontunately, they report that they failed to catch the raiders but did find the skimmer the raiders used. When they searched the skimmer they found something that looks like a recorded message. They play it back for you. (Read END)

22. Pan-Galactic is very pleased that you caught the raiders and that the raids have finally been stopped. They are especially happy that you recovered the metallic cube because it contained data on all PGC security systems. If it had fallen into the wrong hands, who knows what could have happened.

When you try to question the raiders, each smiles slyly and touches a button on his collar, then stares dumbly at you. When you examine them you discover they have been injected with a drug that turned them into idiots. They won't be answering any questions now.

While you are reviewing the case with your superiors there is a call from Star Law. They searched the raiders' skimmer and found something that looks like some kind of recorded message. They play it for you. (Read END)

END. The trivia screen grows hazy and then a hideous worm-like creature appears, its segments glistening with slime. You hear its hissing whisper congratulating the raiders for infiltrating Security. Then it describes the raiders' next mission. They are to fly to a top secret military asteroid where research is underway on a special weapon that can reduce entire populations to mass hysteria. They are to meet other agents who have already infiltrated the base and steal the device.

Cold chills run up and down your spine as you eye each other silently. This case is more diabolical and far-reaching than you first thought; the raiders are working for the Sathar!

Reward

When the adventure is over each player character will be rewarded for his part in stopping the raiders. The characters can use the reward to pay for healing their Stamina back to normal and to buy new ammunition and equipment. The characters will be rewarded only if they performed the actions, not if Star Law did. Each character will be rewarded the following credits:

For each raider captured+20 Cr
For retrieving the cube+50 Cr
For alerting Star Law...
during the battle+20 Cr
after the battle+10 Cr


Playing The Adventure Again

It is possible to play this adventure again. To make sure that there are surprises each time you play you should make several changes.

Teams. Play the adventure as two teams --- security force and raiders --- with an equal number of characters on each side. Create your own characters for both teams. This way neither side will know what the other team is like.

Instead of giving everyone the same weapon each character can select his weapons. Each team starts with 6 points per character to buy weapons. The number of points each weapon costs is listed below. Players can choose one weapon type for their team or pick several different weapons by sharing points. Thus everyone on a team could have gyrojets or some could carry needlers while some have lasers. Extra doze grenades can be chosen also.

WeaponPoints
Needler4
Gyrojet6
Laser Pistol8
Laser Rifle12
Doze Grenade2


Set-Up. The Pan-Galactic team starts in the Security Building. The raiders should write down which door they will enter from or if they start inside the building. Then the PGC team must guess where the raiders start. If they guess right they can draw their weapons and both teams roll for initiative. If they guess wrong the raiders get to leave the building and take one extra move before the PGC team can move.

How To Play. Until the first shot is fired the raiders always get to move first every turn. Once a shot has been fired the players must roll for initiative.

The raider team should decide which character is carrying the cube and write his name on a piece of paper. The only way to find the cube is to knock a character unconscious and search the body for it. To search a character must move into the same space as the unconscious body and end his move. At the start of the next turn the raiders must tell whether the cube is found. If it is, the character can pick up the cube and move and attack normally during the turn.

It is possible to change the game even more. Players can change the goal to capturing all the raiders, defeating all the PGC agents, or anything else. If the players want, they can add special restrictions such as not allowing skimmers or doze grenades to be used. It is up to you, but be careful that any changes affect each team the same way.

How To Win. The raiders win if they get the metallic cube off the board on the Spaceport Expressway (not the monorail). The PGC team wins if they capture the cube and carry it to Pan-Galactic Headquarters.

Rewards. No money is awarded at the end of these games but everyone who is wounded is taken to the medical complex and healed at no charge.

[Go on to Adventure 2]