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Old 08-07-2016, 11:00 PM   #1
Tallor
 
Join Date: May 2016
Default Help Me Impress My Players!

My two players have wanted to get back into an adventure for a while now, specifically one of the adventures we didn't finish. In this case, I really want to continue a "firm sci-fi" adventure, but I'm really short on ideas.

Here's what I have so far:
  • Aliens were discovered decades ago, and plenty of them are keeping to themselves for one reason or another. One of my players is an alien, a species of lizard-like humanoid with cold blood and tough skin. Kind of like a Trandoshan from Star Wars.
  • There are two main human factions, the Empire (often too strict) and the Free Worlds (often disorganized). The Empire is primarily interested in mining planets for resources, the Free Worlds are more into populating viable planets and learning about aliens.
  • Our crew is TINY, assumably due to our SM+8 ship having total automation. It's just the lizard captain, a bioroid doctor (which I play), and a former Empire officer, if I recall correctly.

Everything is TL10, with no superscience save for artificial gravity (which I'd like to adjust to be more rare) and FTL travel. Our last adventure stopped around a cliffhanger. Long story short the adventurers are chasing a drug-runner to a asteroid station that does mining and hospital work (it was a weird idea). The station was supposed to be in lockdown due to a "gas leak", and its communications were cut. The adventurers just started sneaking around when we had to close.

Now I just need to brainstorm some good ideas that'll impress and/or scare them.
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Old 08-07-2016, 11:10 PM   #2
Tallor
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

Another note: The original premise for this encounter was that the hospital was a testing facility for TL10 anti-sleeping drugs. The problem with this drug was that it was essentially capsules of a xenozoological parasite that caused mania and sleeplessness until the host died.

This was already a terrible idea and terrible to test on humans, but through mismanagement, accidents and possibly sabotage, the parasites were transferred to staff members who didn't show signs until it was too late. The whole hospital was put into lockdown and the Empire claimed it was due to a asteroid gas leak, or some other weird phenomenon that doesn't involve space zombies.

The adventurers don't know any of these secrets, just that the hospital is in lockdown and someone supposedly snuck in. It's... not that well thought-out actually.

That's what I have so far.
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Old 08-08-2016, 12:25 AM   #3
Tallor
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

...please? :/
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Old 08-08-2016, 12:50 AM   #4
lvalero
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

The whole anti sleeping parasite history is only a facade of something more sinister. The scientific branch of the Empire wants the emperor power but they prefer to operate things under the shadows. So they are creating a mind control parasite to "program" the mind of the host.

If they can load a program to induce sleepness then they can program anything after. But something went wrong and the hospital suffered an accident. But there are problably other facilities that are investigating the same.

Who is the traitor?
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Old 08-08-2016, 01:08 AM   #5
Tallor
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

Quote:
Originally Posted by lvalero View Post
The whole anti sleeping parasite history is only a facade of something more sinister. The scientific branch of the Empire wants the emperor power but they prefer to operate things under the shadows. So they are creating a mind control parasite to "program" the mind of the host.
Mind control is still a little too firm for the Empire, as they already dominate the media and much of their own economy. The rush in anti-sleep drugs was going to be an "Empire Exclusive", sold at prohibitively high prices and/or given to select elites to allow them to work overtime. The breakthrough of such a drug would change the cold war against the Free Worlds... assuming it's successful.

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If they can load a program to induce sleepness then they can program anything after. But something went wrong and the hospital suffered an accident. But there are problably other facilities that are investigating the same.
I think the "space parasite" idea could be rewritten as primitive nanotech... or even better, nanotech is just the cover for discovering a possibly unique interstellar life-form. o.o

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Who is the traitor?
I'm not sure what you mean by that...
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Old 08-08-2016, 01:17 AM   #6
lvalero
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

In my idea the empire is being traisoned from within. An agency of the goverment wants more power from the head of the state and it wants to control the emperor using some form of drug/program/hypnosis using the xenoparasite as a way.

But maybe there is a second level of intrigue. Maybe the accident of the hospital is not an accident but an attempt to steal the drug for a third party that went wrong.
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Old 08-08-2016, 01:47 AM   #7
Tallor
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

Quote:
Originally Posted by lvalero View Post
In my idea the empire is being treasoned from within. An agency of the government wants more power from the head of the state and it wants to control the emperor using some form of drug/program/hypnosis using the xenoparasite as a way.
Oh... a puppeteering intrigue. Now we just need a faction that's powerful and crazy enough to make that kind of move.

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But maybe there is a second level of intrigue. Maybe the accident of the hospital is not an accident but an attempt to steal the drug for a third party that went wrong.
Or... or the heist went right, and the adventurers find that the outbreak was done to cause a lockdown just after the thief escaped! Now there's a deadly xenoparasite out there, and the heroes need to burn it.
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Old 08-08-2016, 01:53 AM   #8
johndallman
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

What part in this does the drug runner they were chasing play?

Is he just hoping to use the hospital as a distraction to get away, or to steal the PC's ship? Or is he part of the plot?
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Old 08-08-2016, 02:20 AM   #9
Tallor
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
What part in this does the drug runner they were chasing play?

Is he just hoping to use the hospital as a distraction to get away, or to steal the PC's ship? Or is he part of the plot?
The drug runner was going to be a springboard. Essentially a small quest that lead to the big discovery of the Empire's wrongdoing.
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Old 08-08-2016, 10:41 AM   #10
mehrkat
 
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Default Re: Help Me Impress My Players!

The drugs don't control peoples minds. They make them alert, more content with their existence and less prone to violent tendencies.

However, for some reason under circumstances it creates an almost manic strength and insanity prone to violence (no loss of intelligence or skills). This wasn't discovered until recently when a science outpost killed everyone.

The drug runner actually works for a criminal organization constantly looking for new drugs to sell that outdo other legal means of living. This drug seems perfect mildly addictive but strongly emotionally addictive, makes people happy and alert (requiring less sleep) maybe even add a mild benefit to it (like +1 to specially designed talent related to mental tasks the addict uses constantly). He's looking on leads to the "updated version" of the drug (their assumption of what the lab is)

Unknown to the authorities the drug has been being passed out illegally all over the empire. Police know about it but don't know about the violent tendencies and the connection hasn't been made yet.

Now the pcs need to find a cure before the catalyst hits large swaths of people and authorities want to avoid a wide spread panic. PS when trying to cease taking the drug it produces the manic phase. Provide the PCs with information and clues that no one else would follow.
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