Squawk The RPG

Squawk Role-Playing Game
By Seth Galbraith and Benjamin Galbraith

Copyright © 2010 by Seth Galbraith and Benjamin Galbraith
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means
without the written permission of the copyright owner, with the sole
exception of the The Scratch Role-Playing System Appendix which can be
copied and used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/
Table of Contents
Introduction .....................i Example Sniper............................27
Example Negotiator......................28
The Scratch Rules .....................ii Example Bounty Hunter...............28
Dinosaurs with Swords? ...........ii Spacecraft.................................29
Places without Spaceports............31
Squawk Setting................1 Spacesuits.....................................31
Solar Sailing.................................32
Abaddon......................................1
Lower Worlds Spacecraft ............33
Intelligent Species ......................2 Middle Worlds Spacecraft ...........34
Aeolyte...........................................3 Upper Worlds Spacecraft .............40
Behemoth.......................................4
The Lower Worlds...................42
Borean ...........................................5
Port Centrifica..............................43
Drome ...........................................6
Gaffling .........................................7 The Middle Worlds..................44
Gremian .........................................8 Yggdrassil.................................45
Gygean ..........................................9
Leviathan .....................................10 Midgard L4 ..............................48
Lyndwyrm....................................11 Midgard L5 ..............................49
Myrmidon.....................................12
Radix ........................................50
Orn...............................................13
Strix Puritans ...............................51
Phage............................................14
Phage Settlements ........................51
Skand............................................15
Borean Tribes ..............................51
Strix .............................................16
Myrmidon Mutualists ..................52
Stygian.........................................17
Drome Zealots from Trydeen ......52
Titan.............................................18
Radix Technology .......................52
Zephyr..........................................19
Monopolis .................................53
Character Creation .................20
Captain ........................................21 Peleg..........................................55
Other Occupations........................21 The Shangdan Empire..................55
Shangdan Alchemy.......................21 The Warlords ...............................57
Golem Masters and Chimeric Surgeons. 22 The Dragontooth Clan .................59
The Symbiotic Order....................22 The Blackbird Clan ......................60
Other Martial Arts .......................23 The Cannibals ..............................61
Example Characters ...............24 Maia ..........................................63
Example Surgeon ........................24 The Universal Empire ..................63
Example Monk #1: Syncrase........24 The Great War..............................64
Example Monk #2: Therapeutic Synerga. .25 Mirage ......................................65
Example Monk #3: Nerve Attacks. .25
Example Pilot...............................25 Maelstrom ................................65
Example Armorer.........................26 Protaea .....................................66
Example Shangdan Alchemist......26 Midgard ...................................67
Example Trainer...........................26
Example Melee Fighter................27
Edegene.....................................67 Recovery and Preparation ..........104
Terraformers.................................68 Planning and Travel ...................105
Terraforming Edegene..................69 Plot Overview.........................106
Terraformer Castes.......................70 The Party Escapes ......................106
Edegene Infrastructure .................71 First Encounter ..........................107
The Northern Continent................72 Journey Onward ........................109
The Southern Continent................73
Lower World Encounters .....110
Trydeen.....................................75 Golem Strike .............................110
Underworld..................................75 Battle of Union Rock..................111
Overworld....................................75 Attacked by Pirates ....................112
The Mutualists .............................76 Distress Signal ...........................113
The Upper Worlds ..................78 Solar Guard Headquarters...........114
Nereid .......................................79 Middle World Orbit Encounters115
Comet Colony............................115
Thalassa ...................................80
Stalked by Pirates ......................116
Niflheim ....................................80 Pirate Ambush ...........................117
The Ice Worlds ........................81 Special Delivery.........................117
Yggdrasil Encounters............118
Appendix A: Scratch Mangrove Lurker........................118
Sleeping Giant ...........................119
Role-Playing System .....82 Raided by the Rooter .................120
Basic Rules ...............................82 Mud Monster .............................120
Action...........................................82 Giant Lizards .............................120
Abilities .......................................85 Armored Dragon ........................121
List of Abilities ............................86 Mossback....................................121
Combat Example .........................89 Tangle Vine ...............................121
Vehicles ....................................91 Burning Tendril .........................122
Vehicle Abilities ..........................91 The Green Plague ......................122
Vehicle Crews .............................93 Mission to Trydeen ....................122
Vehicle Combat ...........................94 L4 Encounters .......................123
Vehicle Combat Example ............95 World of Ruins ..........................123
Grid ..........................................97 ERA-1 .......................................124
Movement ...................................97 Swarm Attack ............................125
Actions ........................................97 Suburbia ....................................126
Interrupting Attacks .....................99 Wheel of Fortune .......................127
Escaping ......................................99 Asteroid CMX-5 ........................128
Twenty-Sided Die Alternatives . 100 L5 Encounters .......................129

Six-Sided Dice ...........................100 Final Battle ................................129
Cards .........................................101 Radix Encounters ..................130
The Debate at Ariel University . .130
Appendix B: Campaign - The Train ...................................132
Stampede ...................................133
Eye for an Eye ............102 Scavengers .................................134
Encounters .............................102 Restless Laborer ........................134
Predator Satiation ......................102 Ancient Pyramid ........................135
Wanted Alive .............................103 Gunfight ....................................136
Training and Rewards ................103
Monopolis Encounters ..........137 Protaea Encounters ...............161
Airship .......................................137 Race with Zephyrs .....................161
Aspiring Mutualist .....................138 Prey............................................162
Phage Bandits ............................138 Gaffling Cult .............................163
Translator ..................................138 Coral Creatures ..........................163
Checkpoint ................................139 The Lyndwyrms ........................163
Air Guns ....................................139 Myrmidon Tribe ........................163
Peleg Encounters ...................140 Predators ....................................164
Throne of the Tomb Keepers .....140 Escape from Protaea ..................165
Polar Hunters .............................143 Edegene Encounters ..............167
Arena .........................................144 Grafter Attack ............................167
Silk Payload ...............................144 Splicer Medic ............................168
Sea Monster ...............................145 Tomb Keepers ...........................168
Capsized ....................................146 Overlord Grafters ......................169
The Doldrums ............................147 Overlord Splicer ........................170
Maia Encounters ...................148 Trydeen Encounters ..............171
Raptor Silo ................................148 Mutualist Tournament ...............171
Twenty-Five ..............................149 Rescue .......................................172
Ornithomimid Ranch .................149 Marauders ..................................173
Egg Thieves ...............................150 Underworld Exploration ............173
Amp Gang .................................150 Nereid Encounters ................174
Super Soldier .............................150 Conscription ..............................174
Alien Autopsy ...........................151 Pirate Warship ...........................175
Mirage Encounters ................152 Raiding Party .............................175
Sand Guivres .............................152 Icy Moon ...................................176
Snake Pit ....................................152 Ice World Encounters ...........177
The Oasis ...................................153 Save the Solar Guard? ...............177
The Shepherds ...........................153 Swarthy Krackis ........................179
The Artifact ...............................154 The Graveyard ...........................180
Browser Wars ............................155 Iceball Station ............................182
Terror Birds ...............................155 The Nest ....................................182
Bird of Prey ...............................156
Shadow Creature .......................156
Index.............................183
Maelstrom Encounters .........157
Anthropornis ..............................157
Elasmosaurus .............................157
Acknowledgments.......189
Giant Squid ................................158
Ichthyosaurus ............................158
Kronosaurus ..............................158
Metriorhynchus .........................158
Sharks ........................................159
Stomatosuchus ...........................159
Tylosaurus .................................159
Weapons of Mass Destruction ...159
Escape from Maelstrom .............160
i Squawk Role-Playing Game
Introduction
As long as there has been life on Earth, alien visitors have used samples
from our planet to populate other Earth-like worlds. In a distant part of the
galaxy, intelligent dinosaurs evolved alongside prehistoric creatures from
several different periods of geological time. Millions of years ago these
dinosaurs colonized the Abaddon system using advanced biotechnology.
After millenia of constructing worlds and rebuilding empires, the
descendants of the saurian colonists have fallen back on more sustainable
and sometimes primitive technology, from beanstalks that lift cargo into
space to chemical rockets, steam engines, animal labor and stone tools.
Squawk is a science-fiction role-playing game (RPG) set during this age,
millions of years ago, but thousands of years after the colonization of
Abaddon. In an RPG, each player takes on the role of a character in a story.
In Squawk the characters are intelligent avian and reptilian creatures in the
Abaddon system.
This RPG can be played by a group of two or more people, but it is

probably most fun with 3 to 5 people. One person serves as the game
master (GM) and everyone else playing the game is a player. Each player
controls a player character (PC) and all the PCs form a crew of adventurers
(the party) who travel together in space. The GM controls different non-
player characters (NPCs) in each encounter.
You will also need writing materials (like pencils and paper) and at least
one twenty-sided die (d20) or other means of generating random numbers
from 1 to 20.
This book is divided into three major parts: the Setting, The Scratch RPS
appendix and the Campaign appendix. GMs will use all three parts of the
book, but players only need to read the Setting and Scratch RPS appendix.
Introduction ii
The Scratch Rules

Squawk uses the Scratch Role-Playing System (Scratch RPS) rules which
can be found in an appendix that follows the Setting part of this book. The
GM and each player should learn the "Basic Rules" and "Vehicles" sections
of the Scratch RPS before making characters or playing. The "Grid" and
"Twenty-Sided Die Alternative" sections are not necessary for playing
Squawk.
To help you learn and use the Scratch RPS we have licensed this appendix
to you under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
License. You may not copy the other chapters of the book without written
permission from us, but you can copy, share and even modify the contents
of the Scratch RPS appendix according to the rules of the license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/
Dinosaurs with Swords?

There are no humans in Squawk, so the players and GM should read the
Intelligent Species chapter to get familiar with the beings who populate this
setting. Some cultures in the Abaddon system produce firearms that employ
compressed air, rocketry or biotechnology, but most Squawk characters find
that hand to hand combat - grappling with their natural weapons, blades or
bludgeons - is more effective, especially aboard spacecraft that can be
damaged by gunfire. Constrictionists train specifically for zero gravity
combat, Symbiotic Monks defend themselves using bioelectricity and
Splicers cut up creatures so they recycle their parts later.
To introduce this unusual setting and make the game easy to use for GMs,
we have created a massive adventure in which a party of PCs to explore the
Abaddon system. The rules and story for this adventure are found in the
Campaign appendix. The tone of the Squawk RPG is fairly serious, but we
find that non-human characters create separation between the players and
their characters which is suited to dark comedy. (For example, does your
carnivorous dinosaur PC eat his enemies?) Experienced GMs should feel
free to break away from the format of the campaign, encourage more role-
playing and develop the story rather than following the adventure exactly as
it is laid out in the book.
1 Squawk Role-Playing Game
Squawk Setting
The game master (GM) and players should at least skim this section to get a
feel for the Squawk setting. Players should read the whole Character
Creation chapter and select an example player character (PC) or design their
own PC. The Spacecraft chapter includes important information about
traveling in the Abaddon system.
Abaddon
Abaddon is a main sequence yellow dwarf
star like our Sun. The Abaddon system is
about the size of our solar system. The
planets of this system include Midgard,
a huge gas giant, the ice giants Thalassa,
Nereid and Niflheim, two rocky planets
(Yggdrassil and Edegene) and many
moons and dwarf planets that are roughly
Earth-sized.
Numerous artificial habitats also orbit each
planet, moon and special stable orbits called
Lagrangian points. Artificial habitats range
from small vehicles and other temporary
dwellings to asteroid colonies that contain
multiple cities. Gas giants can only be inhabited in high-tech habitats that
float (like balloons) in the upper layers of the atmosphere where
temperatures and pressures are not excessive. The surfaces of other worlds
can be naturally or artificially inhabited. There is no complete catalog of all
the artificial worlds, and many are designated with only a tracking number.
The Lower Worlds form a densely-populated asteroid belt close to Abaddon.
Residents of the Lower Worlds must live in artificial habitats that protect
them from the intense heat and light at this distance from the star.
The Middle Worlds occupy Abaddon's temperate zone, which is not
uncomfortably close or far from the star. Most of the larger planets and
moons in this zone can support life without artificial habitats.
The Upper Worlds have orbits above the temperate zone, far from Abaddon,
where they are exposed to only a fraction of the light that reaches the
Middle Worlds.
Squawk Setting 2
Intelligent Species
Each intelligent species has minimum ability requirements. New PCs of
each species must have at least those ability levels, but minions may have
fewer abilities or ability levels than the requirements of the minion's
species. Minions must still have at least one toughness and they cannot fly
without flying ability or swim without swimming ability. For example
aeolytes require 2 toughness and 3 flying. A new aeolyte PC must have at
least 2 levels of toughness ability, and 3 levels of flying ability. If a PC has
flying aeolyte minions, they only need 1 toughness ability level and 1 flying
ability level.
Aeolyte
Aeolytes are enormous flying birds. The ability to fly makes aeolytes
valuable as messengers. Male aeolytes are gray or brown with white throats
and breasts and black iridescent feathers running from the head and face
down the back of the neck. Females aeolytes are more cryptically colored
with a camouflage pattern of black, white, brown, gray and blue feathers.
Aeolyte speech sounds like low, hoarse bird calls.
The average aeolyte has a 5 meter (17 foot) wingspan, stands 2.5 meters (8
feet) tall, and weighs 50 kg (110 lbs.) Lighter than most intelligent species
but large enough to limit maneuverability while flying, aeolytes can wield a
relatively large weapon with either of their powerful talons while flying or
hopping on one leg. On the ground, aeolytes cannot wield weapons with
two hands because one talon must be left empty to support the weight of the
aeolyte and its weapon.
Requirements: 2 toughness, 3 flying
Squawk Setting 4
Behemoth
Behemoths are the most enormous of the intelligent species, related to

sauropod dinosaurs. The average behemoth is 12 meters (40 feet) long and
weighs 6 tons. The average behemoth is about 6 meters (20 feet) tall when
standing upright, but behemoths are knuckle-walkers who use all four limbs
when they need to move quickly. Male behemoths have a decorative row of
short spikes running all the way from the tops of their heads to the ends of
their tails. Color varies dramatically between different populations of
behemoths. Some behemoths have uniform dull brown or indigo scales
while others have reticulated patterns of bright colors.
Behemoths are extremely loud, with very low-pitched rumbling, rolling,
droning, blasting voices, and chest slapping, foot stomping body language
which drives away most wild animals by itself. Behemoths are often
preoccupied with food, reflecting their mostly vegetarian diet and the
challenge of fueling a six ton body.
Requirements: 5 toughness, 1 knockout.
Borean
Boreans are flightless, swimming avians and prefer cold and temperate
marine environments. The average borean is 3 meters (10 feet) tall and
weighs 700 kg (1500 lbs.) Although they can move well on land, boreans
are also adapted for life in water. The stocky limbs and webbed hands and
feet make them powerful swimmers, while their high nostrils allow boreans
to breath with only the top of their heads above water. Boreans are
carnivores and although they do have beaks, they also have many long
sharp teeth which help them hold slippery prey. Boreans are mostly covered
in dark feathers with lighter plumage on the ventral surfaces (throat and
belly) and above the eyes. Females tend to have lighter colors than males.
Local borean populations have a variety of different skin and beak colors,
but pale yellow and gray are common.
Boreans have a complex echolocation ability that allows them to "see" - and
accurately judge exact distances - through fog, smoke, murky water and
darkness, so that these obstacles do little to impair them. The echolocation
ability is also used to communicate - they don't even have to open their
mouths to talk. Talking over unusually large distances, their language is
difficult to understand and impossible to pronounce by other species (with
the exception of the linguistically gifted.) This communication barrier and
advantage explains some of the social conflict between the boreans and
other races, although boreans are frequently sought after as scouts and
"sounders." Borean sounders use their echolocation ability to help boats and
aircraft avoid obstacles hidden by water, fog and clouds.
Requirements: 3 toughness, 1 swimming
Squawk Setting 6
Drome
Dromes are theropod dinosaurs with primitive features like scaly skin and
four-fingered hands. They have a large brain and a more vertical posture
and shorter tail to keep the head closer to the center of gravity. The average
drome is 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall and weighs 150 kg (330 lbs.) Dromes have
a pair of short horns on the chin, and males have a row of dermal spines
running from the top of the head to the tip of the tail. Dromes are covered in
a two-tone complex mottled pattern of dull-colored or metallic scales.
Specific color combinations and patterns are associated with ancient drome
lineages. Dromes can flush patches of their skin bright red during courtship
or as a threat display.
Dromes are fast runners with long legs and three toes on each foot. They
also have a strong sense of smell. Four-fingered grasping hands with
opposable thumbs and strong arms allow dromes to use tools and weapons
quite effectively. For defense, dromes can kick, scratch, or employ artificial
weapons. The drome voice is low pitched, and their monotone languages
use slow, simple syllables adapted to their mouth and vocal cords. Some
sounds in these languages are produced using other parts of the body, like
hand clapping. Pheromones, incidental odors (like cooking) and artificial
scents (like perfume and incense) are also an important part of drome
communication.
Requirements: 2 toughness, 2 quickness
Gaffling
Gafflings are intelligent deinonychosaurs whose three-fingered hands have

exceptional flexibility and opposable thumbs. Like ordinary
deinonychosaurs, gafflings are feathered dinosaurs with long, stiff tails and
two functional toes plus one very large, sickle shaped claw on each foot.
Gafflings often live in large extended family groups with complex
relationships. The average gaffling is 3 meters (10 feet) long, stands 1.2
meters (4 feet) tall and weighs 70 kg (150 lbs.) At least half of that length is
the tail.
Gaffling plumage is short and darker on the back than the throat or belly.
Most gafflings are tan or brown, and males tend to be a darker, reddish
shade, but many gafflings have unusual colors or patterns, and some
populations have lighter plumage which takes on pastel tints from pigments
in the creatures they eat. Gaffling speech is full of simple, rapid clicks and
growls.
Requirements: 2 toughness, 1 stalking, 1 fighting
Squawk Setting 8
Gremian
Gremian are closely related to gafflings, but do not resemble those

ferocious predators except for their small size, light build, and large
forward-facing eyes. Their very large brains require an erect posture instead
of a counter-balancing tail - they are completely tailless. Their three-digit
hands and feet have blunt nails instead of razor-sharp talons. Gremian
snouts are very short and their teeth are rounded and less sharp, suited for
an omnivorous diet. Gremians have smooth pink, yellow, tan or gray skin
with darker purple, brown or black markings. Female gremians tend to have
a few patches of small dark spots while Male gremians have more extensive
markings. Newborn gremians have sparse downy white feathers on their
heads. The average gremian stands 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall and weighs 25 kg
(55 lbs.
Gremians use their brains, eyes, and manual dexterity instead of traditional
natural weapons like claws and teeth. Of all the intelligent species they are
often the most skilled with machines. Gremian language is complex with
fast-paced songbird-like sounds synchronized with specific movements of
the eyes, hands and head.
Gygean
Gygeans are stealthy carnivores that can rapidly change the color and
pattern of their skin to match their surroundings. They rarely use clothes or
equipment that interferes with this camouflage. Gygean skin has a scaly
texture but it is transparent so that the changing color of the living skin
beneath shows through. They have many horns on their heads and a row of
small horns running down their backs, but even the horns have color-
changing tissue beneath the surface. Male Gygeans have two extra horns
that are longer than the others. The average Gygean is 5 meters (17 feet)
long and weighs 250 kg (550 lbs.)
Gygeans have slow metabolisms and tend to live in warm climates. They
are ambush hunters, wounding their target with a surprise attack, then
waiting for bleeding and infection to finish it off. The slow metabolism
keeps them from starving while they wait. Gygeans spend a lot of time
basking and practicing not being seen, but they are also very social, living
in larger colonies than hot-blooded predators can sustain. In warm weather
they sleep out in the open but in cold weather they must find shelter and
hibernate.
Gygeans communicate primarily through sign language that involves most
of their body: frills, color changes, hand gestures and other body language.
Any sound in gygean communication is considered extremely loud, and
spoken words always have sharp, terse meanings.
Requirements: 2 toughness, 2 stalking
Squawk Setting 10
Leviathan
Leviathans are armored, swimming crocodilians. The average leviathan is 4

meters (13 feet) tall, 6 meters (20 feet) long and weighs 2.5 tons. They have
dexterous five-fingered hands on short but relatively powerful arms. The
tall double-row of scutes running down the neck, back and tail is
significantly more developed in males. The darker scales on the back of a
leviathan may be dark green, blue, purple or brown, with black spots. The
lighter scales of a leviathan's throat and belly may be white, yellow, tan or
pale green.
Leviathans live in coastal and wetland areas, avoiding cooler regions. They
are aggressive and territorial carnivores, and they will eat their enemies, but
their slow metabolisms don't require a large hunting territory. Leviathans
often live in large family and tribal groups. They have no trouble living near
other intelligent species as long as their territory is respected. Leviathans
often build homes in caves they carve from river banks.
Adapted to an amphibious lifestyle, Leviathans hear through both their ears
and their jaws. They can hear and produce low pitched sounds below the
hearing range of many other species. They hear better in water than out of
water. Out of the water, Leviathans use body language for clarity. Leviathan
conversation sounds like deep croaking, clicking and hooting sounds.
Lyndwyrm
Lyndwyrms are large, predatory theropod dinosaurs. The average lyndwyrm

weighs 1 ton, stands 3 meters (10 feet) tall and is 5 meters (17 feet) long.
They are shaped like typical carnivorous dinosaurs, except that the
braincase is quite enlarged and - even more obvious - they have two
massive brow-horns. Like many other theropods, lyndwyrm arms are much
smaller than the legs, and the hands have three clawed fingers. However,
lyndwyrm hands are built for using tools rather than powerful grasping and
clawing.
The lyndwyrms' neck and chest are covered by a shaggy mane, but most of
the body is covered in shorter plumage. Lyndwyrm feathers are black, blue,
white and silver, with more dark feathers on the mane and tail and more
light feathers on the throat and chest. Female lyndwyrms are typically larger
than males.
A lyndwyrm can attack effectively with its sharp teeth, horns, and the claws
on its feet, but the horns can also be used for less lethal head-butting and
grappling. Rival lyndwyrms often compete by locking horns and trying to
throw each other off balance. Lyndwyrm language combines deep-pitched
growls, groans, croaks, roaring and gesturing with the horns.
Squawk Setting 12
Myrmidon
Myrmidons are omnivorous ceratopsian dinosaurs with long head shields

and a sword-like or mace-like weapon at the ends of their tails. Myrmidons
are a rowdy bunch of natural fighters and frequently engage in brawls.
Female myrmidon head shields are sometimes shorter and less elaborate
than males. The average myrmidon is 4 meters (13 feet) long, 2.5 meters (8
feet) tall and weighs 400 kg (900 lbs.) Myrmidons can be almost any hue.
The scales are darkest along the spine and the midline ridge of the head
shield, fading to paler scales along the throat, belly and bottom of the tail.
Myrmidons also have dark stripes. A single color and stripe pattern often
predominates in isolated populations.
Myrmidon languages are deep and monotone, with simple syllables
combined with gestures of the head, hands and tail. They tend to move
while speaking, strutting around and turning their heads from side to side.
Myrmidon languages have both a belligerent or authoritative voice and an
inferior or submissive voice.
Requirements: 3 toughness, 3 fighting
Orn
Orn are flightless, primitive birds with long tails and clawed hands. The
average orn is 150 kg (330 lbs,) 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall and 4 meters (13
feet) long. They have an unusually long body and extraordinary flexibility
for an avian. Orns have a powerful, sharp beak and four talons on each hand
and foot. Most orns are covered in short brown feathers, but some are
sandy-colored, reddish, green or black. Male orns can be identified by their
thick shaggy mane, which is usually darker, lighter or more intensely
colored than the rest of their plumage. Orn language is optimized for
hunting, consisting mostly of silent hand signs and body language with
some calls which sound like deep voiced birds-of-prey.
Requirements: 2 toughness, 1 acrobatics, 1 fighting
Squawk Setting 14
Phage
Phages are long-tailed and leathery-winged intelligent pterosaurs. Phages

live off of the blood of large animals, which makes them very unpopular.
They are nocturnal and have very good night vision. Phages hide out by day
in caves and other dark places. The creepy sound of phage language is
composed mostly of quiet cooing and murmurs, with some occasional
hooting, screeching and howling.
The average phage has a mass of 15 kg (33 lbs), stands 1 meter (3 feet) tall
and has a wingspan of 3 meters (10 feet.) Male phages have pronounced
brow ridges, and female phage fangs stick out farther when their mouths are
closed. Like all pterosaurs, phages are covered in fur-like pycnofibres.
Phage pycnofibres form a dark brown, dark red or black coat over most of
the body with lighter brown, reddish or deep red pycnofibres on the ventral
surfaces (throat, chest, inner thighs and the bottoms of the wings and tail.)
Requirements: 1 toughness, 2 flying
Skand
Skand are small predatory dinosaurs, and the most numerous intelligent
species in Shangdan. The average skand is 1.6 meters (5 feet) tall and
weighs 50 kg (110 lbs.) They have a mostly upright posture, usually
walking on their heels, but Skands also have a tail which helps them turn
quickly and balance while climbing.
A thick mass of stiff, hair-like feathers insulates the head. These feathers
are usually blue, but sometimes black, white or silver. The rest of the body
is mostly smooth, partially covered in some places with small scales or
short feathers. This bare skin is usually a light brown color with black spots.
Male skands have more powerful arms than females. Skand language tends
to be subtle and complex sounding, and is somewhat high pitched. Skands
tend to be quite bodily animated when speaking.
Requirements: 1 toughness, 2 acrobatics
Squawk Setting 16
Strix
Strix are flightless, primitive birds with short necks and raptorial hooked
beaks. Each hand and foot has three long fingers or toes with very sharp
claws. Strix plumage is brown with black and white stripes. Male Strix have
larger eyebrow ridges adorned with long drooping feathers. The beak and
claws are brown or gray darkening to black at the tips and edges. Strix are
lightly built predators with ferocious natural weapons and the ability to
wield weapons with their strong hands and opposable fingers. Often
nocturnal hunters, Strix have large eyes, good night-vision, and excellent
directional hearing. The average strix is 2 meters (7 feet) tall and weighs
150 kg (330 lbs.)
Strix can easily recognize and mimic animal calls and the languages of
other intelligent species. Strix languages on the other hand tend to be
extremely complex and almost impossible to understand by other intelligent
species. Their natural language talent makes them particularly valuable
when trained as interpreters, allowing Strix-centered cultures to maintain
larger, more loosely connected civilizations. They also tend to be naturally
good animal trainers and teachers of other intelligent species.
Requirements: 2 toughness, 1 stalking, 1 fighting
Stygian
Stygians are flightless pterosaurs and great swimmers, living in and near
bodies of freshwater. The wings are reduced to webbing between the arms
and body, and the hands and feet are webbed for paddling and crawling on
soft mud. A long, flexible tail ends an enlarged vane which acts a rudder or
paddle. The stygian head has a flattened bill-like snout and a fin-shaped
crest which is larger in males than females.
Like other pterosaurs, stygians are covered in fur-like pycnofibres. Stygian
pycnofibres form a sleek coat of iridescent green or brown with dark spots
or stripes. Stygian skin, beaks and claws come in many colors that vary
between populations, but pink, yellow and brown are common. The average
stygian is 2 meters (7 feet) tall, 3 meters (10 feet) long and weighs 100 kg
(220 lbs.)
The stygian snout is packed with electrical sensors which can be used to
navigate tight spaces and locate small prey. Stygians are natural craftsmen
and architects, living in or near the bridges and dams that they build.
Stygian social life is based on building and maintaining physical structures,
so they get hostile with those who don't respect these structures. Stygian
languages reflect this passion with constant references to building, design
and structure. To other species, the stygian voice sounds like croaking,
clicking and hooting sounds.
Squawk Setting 18
Titan
Titans are huge, armored herbivores related to ankylosaurs. On average

titans are 1.5 tons, 5 meters (17 feet) tall and 6 meters (20 feet) long.
Besides massive bone scutes and a thick hide, titans also have a sturdy tail
with a formidable mace on the end. Titans are covered in brown, red,
orange and yellow scales, with the darker scales on the armored back. The
pattern and amount of each color varies between individuals and
populations. Male and female titans look similar, but can be distinguished
by their scent, calls and gestures. All titans have low and growling voices.
Requirements: 4 toughness, 2 knockout
Zephyr
Zephyrs are small intelligent hadrosaurs. The zephyr crest is a forward

pointing horn, which is longer in males. The spinal frill is a frayed mass of
quills colored with alternating black and white stripes, a pattern which is
echoed in the fine scales that cover the body and limbs. Unlike the crescent-
shaped pad typical of hadrosaurs, the zephyr hand has separate finger tips
connected by a flexible webbing and an opposable thumb. The average
zephyr is 2 meters (7 feet) tall and weighs 100 kg (220 lbs.)
Squawk Setting 20
Character Creation
Each player can use one of the example characters from this chapter or
create a player character (PC) by dividing 12 points between 3 or more
abilities. Each point assigned to an ability gives the PC one level of that
ability. The new PC cannot have more than 5 levels of any single ability.
Choose the PC's species from the list of intelligent species before dividing
up the PC's levels because the species have minimum ability requirements.
Squawk characters can have fighting, wrestling, knockout, shooting,
blasting, toughness, stalking, acrobatics, quickness, swimming, flying,
command, craftsmanship, healing, surgery and piloting abilities. Except for
surgery, these abilities are described in the Scratch RPS rules (in the
appendix at the end of this book.) The rest of this character generation
chapter highlights cultural details of Abaddon to help players understand
how these abilities might apply to their characters.
Captain
A party of interplanetary travelers like the PC's party would not be without
a spacecraft pilot. Even if their pilot was killed, they would immediately
start searching for another pilot, so that the next PC to join the party would
certainly be a pilot. Therefore, at least one of the PCs must always have
piloting ability.
Other Occupations
Zealots, partisans and other political types should develop command ability
to surround themselves with supporters. Healing ability can help the
character to support and sustain her allies. Toughness can reflect the zealot's
persistence and strength of conviction.
Hunters and snipers should have shooting and stalking ability. This gives
them both an attack and a defense ability. Stalking helps them sneak up and
get in the first shot. Shooting makes sure that shot will count.
Armorers should develop surgery and craftsmanship. Craftsmanship is used
to repair mechanical spacecraft and it helps the party fine-tune their
equipment. Surgery is used to repair bioships and it allows the armorer to
maintain a golem servant.
Spies and scouts should develop stalking and movement abilities. Stalking
benefits from stealth, detection, guile, disguise and illusion. Movement
abilities allow them to be escape artists. Command can also be useful to a
spy who recruits assets who can back him up in a fight.
Shangdan Alchemy
Alchemists from the Shangdan empire on Peleg are experts in a variety of
important areas such as science, engineering, medicine and agriculture.
Alchemy can be part of healing, craftsmanship, knockout (deadly
paralyzing toxins) and blasting (rockets, bombs, gas, fire) ability.
Squawk Setting 22
Golem Masters and Chimeric Surgeons

In Squawk, Golem Masters and
Chimeric Surgeons use ancient
biotechnology to create artificial
life forms. The two types of
surgeons are ideologically
opposed, but superficially the
difference is that Golem Masters
make creatures called golems
which are insect-like, while
Chimeric Surgeons make
creatures called chimera which
are sewn together from mostly
reptilian parts.
Surgery is an ability which
allows a character to have a golem or monstrous chimera servant whose
total levels is the surgery ability level. The surgeon can modify or replace
the servant by moving its levels around, but this takes a long time, so it can
only be done between encounters, not during encounters. Surgery ability
also allows a character to repair living spacecraft (bioships) which cannot
be repaired by craftsmanship ability.
The Symbiotic Order

The Symbiotic Order is a monastic tradition which has spread to many parts
of Abaddon. Some Symbiotic Monks live in the Order's communities, while
others travel and work outside the community. Symbiotic monks practice a
regimen of diet, elixirs, meditation and exercises called Synerga. Synerga
increases a character's sensitivity to, control over, and capacity to generate
and store energy. Synerga was developed long ago by studying organisms
with the ability to sense and generate electrical fields.
Syncrase is a martial art which uses synerga to manipulate and disable
opponents. (Characters who practice Syncrase should develop wrestling
ability.) Some Synerga practitioners focus on developing their ability to
sense the electric fields produced by living things and inanimate objects.
They may also learn to cloak their own energy from other synerga
practitioners. (These practitioners should develop stalking ability.)
A small but significant minority of synerga practitioners develop synerga

techniques which aid healing and complement medical treatment by
diagnosing and even treating health problems with electrical therapy. These
practitioners should develop healing ability.
A few synerga practitioners also practice high energy techniques which
allow them to channel large amounts of energy to shock and electrocute
opponents in combat. These practitioners should develop fighting ability.
Synerga nerve attacks are a rare type of synerga practice which allows the
practitioner to affect the nervous system of an opponent, temporarily
blinding or paralyzing it, or even causing heart attacks and suffocation.
These disabling techniques are represented by knockout ability.
Other Martial Arts

Splicing was developed by Chimeric Surgeons to take prey in such a way
that the target's body parts can be reused. The essential principle is to cut off
any part of the opponent's body that is coming at you. Ghoul Slayers later
found this to be an effective way to the stop rampaging chimera, ghouls,
and golems. Splicing employs body armor adorned with hooks and spikes
designed to rend an attacking opponent, as well as extremely sharp swords,
axes and sickles for cutting apart attacking opponents. Splicers develop
fighting, wrestling and healing ability. Splicing armor can also contribute to
toughness.
Constriction is a grappling martial art developed for zero gravity combat.
This includes combat inside accelerating vehicles, so constrictionists also
learn techniques that can be employed in high gravity environments and
high speed spacecraft or surface vehicle chases. Constrictionists develop
wrestling, toughness and acrobatics.
Slam Dancing is a tradition of many Myrmidon cultures. Slam Dancers one-
up each other by making the other dancers stop moving long enough to miss
the rhythm of the music played during the dance. Slam dancing includes
acrobatic techniques like high kicks, spinning tail sweeps, and tumbling.
Myrmidon dancers wear sheaths on their tail swords. Non-myrmidon
participants often wear body armor. Blunt weapons are allowed as long as
the weapons are concealed at the beginning of the dance. Practicing slam
dancing builds acrobatics, fighting and sometimes toughness ability.
Squawk Setting 24
One Leg Lance is a secretive martial art practiced by revolutionary groups

in Peleg's Shangdan culture and some other outlaw groups. Duels in One
Leg Lance are fought with long weapons (usually staffs,) and won by
making the opponent touch the ground with anything other than one foot
and/or weapon simultaneously. The weapons can also be thrown. One Leg
Lance training develops fighting, acrobatics and flying ability.
Lancing is an indigenous Peleg martial art practiced by the Dragontooth
Clan and Skull Seeker Clan which employs boat oars and other polearms.
Lancing skills and weapons improves a character's fighting and wrestling
abilities. Lancers also wear armor which increases their toughness ability.
Tao Rho is a combat sport where teams of fighters armed with sticks try to
control areas of a playing field. The battlefield formations used in Tao Rho
make grappling techniques less effective, so Tao Rho training emphasizes
striking techniques. Tao Rho builds fighting and toughness ability
Example Characters
Example Surgeon
Scarverson (4 surgery, 2 fighting, 3 healing, 1 quickness,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) is a gremian surgeon
from Monopolis. In combat he employs the"splicing" art
of the clandestine Ghoul Slayer movement.
Scarverson is accompanied by a chimera assistant called
Patches (2 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense)
which Scarverson has stitched together from parts of
fallen allies and foes.
Example Monk #1: Syncrase

Algaeus (5 stalking, 4 wrestling, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
15 defense) is a gygean symbiotic monk spy
from Yggdrassil who practices the Syncrase
martial art (wrestling ability.) He also uses
synerga sense and cloak techniques to
complement his natural gygean camouflage
(stalking ability) and wields a conductive synerga staff.
Example Monk #2: Therapeutic Synerga

Squidbeak (2 acrobatics, 4 fighting, 4 healing,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense) is an orn
missionary of the Symbiotic Order from Radix.
Squidbeak's healing ability comes from
practicing therapeutic synerga techniques.
His fighting ability involves using a synerga
whip to extend electrocution techniques.
Example Monk #3: Nerve Attacks

Phronsi (4 quickness, 2 wrestling, 2 knockout,
4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 14 defense) is a zephyr
symbiotic monk from Mirage. She uses the
very rare synerga nerve attack techniques.
These techniques can be used to temporarily
stun opponents (wrestling ability) or deliver
paralyzing shocks (knockout ability) using
Phronsi's conductive synerga whip.
Example Pilot
Captain Quoot (2 wrestling, 3 command, 3 piloting,
2 quickness, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense) is a
drome spacecraft captain from L4. She is backed up
by 3 loyal crew members (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2,
10 defense) and practices constriction
(wrestling ability.)
Squawk Setting 26
Example Armorer
Rho Shu (2 craftsmanship, 3 surgery,
1 fighting, 2 quickness,4 toughness,
2 tgh/2, 12 defense) is a lyndwyrm
armorer and former Tao Rho player.
He is assisted by his golem servant Bazsa
(1 craftsmanship, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
10 defense) an insect-like organism
which follows complex orders and
repairs machines.
Example Shangdan Alchemist

Foi Shin (3 flying, 2 fighting, 1 craftsmanship,
2 healing, 2 blasting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
13 defense) is an aeolyte alchemist from Shangdan.
He uses his alchemy training to practice medicine
(healing ability) as well as experimenting with
rocketry and explosive munitions (blasting and
craftsmanship abilities.)
Foi Shin also practices the One Leg Lance martial art,
usually carrying a staff for self defense. One Leg Lance
training has prepared Foi Shin with improved flying and
fighting abilities.
Example Trainer
Hammerdrum (4 fighting, 2 acrobatics, 2 command,
4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense) is a myrmidon
slam dancer and Mutualist zealot from Trydeen.
He is accompanied by a couple of younger
myrmidon students (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 10 defense)
who train with him.
Hammerdrum owes his fighting, acrobatics and
toughness abilities to both his slam dancing
experience and his natural weapons and armor.
Example Melee Fighter

Orgraff (1 knockout, 3 fighting,
3 wrestling, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2,
12 defense) is a behemoth butcher
from Peleg.
He wields a particularly nasty
oar axe using the Lancing style
of martial arts (fighting and
wrestling ability.)
Orgraff wears a traditional
protective warrior mask,
but his behemoth bulk alone
allows him to shrug off many
attacks (toughness ability.)
Orgraff can also use his weight to
crush his opponents (knockout ability.)
Example Sniper
992 (3 acrobatics, 3 shooting, 3 stalking, 3 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 13 defense) is a skand sniper from an army
of elite clone mercenaries based out of the lower worlds.
992 wields a personal biocannon (shooting ability)
that automatically secretes projectiles and propellant
in multiple barrels. The biocannon can fire single
projectiles, a volley of projectiles all at once,
or a series of rapid fire shots.
Squawk Setting 28
Example Negotiator
Sylester (2 swimming, 1 fighting, 4 command,
1 healing, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense)
is a stygian diplomat from Nereid.
She is trained in basic emergency medicine
(healing ability) and self defense (fighting ability.)
Sylester is also protected by a combination of light
mesh body armor and sheer persistence
(toughness ability.)
Sylester is accompanied by two stygian aides
(1 swimming, 1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 10 defense.)
These eager interns are not much of a threat on
dry ground, but like all stygians they are
competent swimmers.
Example Bounty Hunter

Gao Choy (1 piloting, 3 knockout,
3 fighting, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2,
12 defense) is a titan bounty hunter
and master swordsman from Peleg.
Looking to make a name for himself,
he will take on any challenge that will
add glory to his family name.
Gao Choy wields a giant sword he

inherited through his clan. He can use the
sword to swing and chop with deadly effect
(knockout ability) or use his powerful arms
to control the sword for quick, precise
blows (fighting ability.)
Spacecraft
Squawk Setting 30
Abaddon spacecraft are propelled by technologies that allow travel between

planets, but space is very, very big. Even short journeys through space can
take weeks.
Most spacecraft can just barely travel between planets and moons and have
a range of 1. Between encounters, these vehicles can stay in their current
location (one of the small squares) or perform a single orbital maneuver by
moving along one of the solid "transfer orbit" lines to another location (one
of the small squares.)
Some spacecraft have a range of 2, allowing them to either move along two
regular transfer orbits between encounters or move along one of the long
transfers from Mirage to Protaea or Nereid to the Ice Worlds.
After moving to a new area the party needs at least a month for vehicle
maintenance, collecting supplies, waiting for a launch window and training
for their next maneuver. The number in each of the small squares is the
maximum ability level characters can develop while training in that
location. Places with higher maximum levels are harder to get to and tend to
have more challenging encounters.
Places without Spaceports

Some places the party can visit do not have fully-equipped spaceports,
including Protaea, Maelstrom, Maia, Peleg, Trydeen and the Ice Worlds.
These are indicated by a triangle where the transfer orbit reaches the
destination. When the party travels to one of these locations it may take up
to three encounters before the party has a chance to leave. The vehicle the
party uses to reach these destinations is usually left behind and lost, so it is
usually their least valuable spacecraft. Small, lightweight spacecraft that do
not have flying or swimming ability can often be used as a liferafts when
the party lands on a water world like Peleg or Maelstrom. Larger and
heavier spacecraft carry watercraft for emergency ocean landings.
When the party travels in space they can only bring spacecraft that have a
pilot or an autopilot. Each character can only pilot one ship at a time. A
character may only pilot a ship if he has at least one level of piloting ability.
The party can leave a group of vehicles parked at the last spaceport they
visited before traveling to a destination with no spaceport. Otherwise the
party loses any spacecraft they do not take with them.
Spacesuits
In space combat, every party member has equipment that provides a limited
amount of life support and maneuverability. Piloting can be used as a
movement ability when the character is using his spacesuit to maneuver in a
free-fall ("zero gravity") environment.
Squawk Setting 32
Solar Sailing
Solar sailing ability allows a spacecraft to move away from Abaddon
without using fuel. Solar sailing uses special transfer orbits that only allow
travel in one direction and only between certain destinations, but it is
sometimes more efficient.
Lower Worlds Spacecraft

An Armored Freighter (2 range, 1 spaceflight, 5 grapple,
3 guns, 3 targeting, 30 toughness, 15 tgh/2, 13 defense)
is a very large spacecraft composed of boxy modules
including rotating passenger sections, non-rotating
cargo sections and thrusters composed
of multiple disposable stages. The
armored freighter has a tough metal
skin with rows of ridges and flanges.
It is equipped with a gatling gun turret.
This chain-fed machinegun fires 20 mm
cartridge rounds from multiple rotating
barrels. The high muzzle velocity and
rate of fire makes this weapon effective
as both an offensive weapon at close
range and a point defense against smart missiles or dangerous debris.
A Heavy Bomber (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 7 guns,
5 missiles, 1 targeting, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2,
11 defense) is an armored combat spacecraft.
The heavy bomber has a compact rounded
body surrounded by weapon turrets and metal
flanges which serve as energy sinks. The typical
heavy bomber is equipped with 100 mm recoilless
rifles and kinetic energy penetrator missiles. The heavy bomber itself has
limited fuel capacity, but one or more heavy bombers can be attached to the
multiple stage thrusters of a cargo craft. The bomber's recoilless rifles are
big guns which fire a large projectile with a diameter of about 100 mm.
These are not effective against smart missiles but can do massive damage to
another spacecraft at close range. The heavy bomber is also equipped with
kinetic energy penetrators. These smart missiles fire a dense projectile at
extremely high velocities into the target, penetrating even heavy armor, and
causing heat and pressure damage inside the spacecraft.
Squawk Setting 34
The rare Solar Guard Fortress (1 range,

1 spaceflight, 5 stalking, 5 guns, 5 missiles,
5 targeting, 50 toughness, 25 tgh/2,
15 defense) is an asteroid with a
propulsion system. Compartments
for crew and equipment are bored
directly into the rock. Solar Guard
Fortresses are so big that they have
repair bays large enough to overhaul
armored freighters, greenhouses that
produce enough food for the entire crew,
multiple redundant fuel stores, and hangar decks which can house dozens of
heavy bombers. The front end of these ships rarely have weapons, sensors,
or other equipment so that this end can be used as a battering ram against
smaller ships and asteroids.
Middle Worlds Spacecraft

A Mobile Space Habitat (1 range,
1 spaceflight, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
11 defense) is a modular vehicle which
can be extended by attaching multiple
launch stages. One of the simplest
spacecraft that can be constructed, the
launch stages are discarded after their fuel
is expended, so refueling involves the acquisition or construction of new
launch stages. Mobile habitats are manufactured at L5 and in the Lower
Worlds. The reusable part of a mobile habitat typically consists of spherical
command module with observation windows in front, a rotating cylinder in
the middle and a propulsion system in the rear. The rotating cylinder,
usually larger than the command module and propulsion system combined,
simulates gravity and contains the crew quarters, passengers
and cargo.
A Pressurized Airship (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 1 flying, 1 guns, 3 grappling,

10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 11 defense) is a dirigible modified for space
missions. The airtight gondola sometimes contains a rotating section which
simulates the experience of gravity. The balloon may be filled with extra
oxygen for life support or hydrogen for fuel. On Monopolis, where these
vehicles are manufactured, the airship is usually lifted by space elevator.
Pressurized airships are often equipped with hand-pumped air guns that fire
slugs or harpoons. Air guns fire projectiles using a compressed air reservoir
or spring piston which compresses the air when released.
Squawk Setting 36
The Mirage Stealth Fighter (1 range, 1 flying,

2 spaceflight, 8 stalking, 2 guns, 2 targeting,
10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 18 defense) is popular
among lower worlds pirates. As a functional
delta-wing lifting body vehicle the stealth
fighter can maneuver in planetary
atmospheres, although often it simply
glides down to a landing strip. The stealth
fighter does not normally rotate to simulate
gravity. The stealth fighter is a mechanical spacecraft
with some living components, but it is not a bioship.
The radar-dissipating angular surfaces of the skin contain
microbes that create holographic illusions, rendering the spacecraft
invisible to normal methods of detection. The gatling gun retractable-
turret is used defensively to shoot down smart missiles that manage to
detect the stealth fighter, and is used offensively to disable other ships.
The Cosmoraptor (1 range, 2 spaceflight, 5 flying, 2 stalking, 2 missiles,

10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 12 defense) is an ambitious super-weapon developed
by the Axial Powers of Maia before that world's nuclear holocaust.
This fighter bomber was designed for high maneuverability in planetary
atmospheres, but it can also maneuver in space, launched by a multi-stage
booster. The aerodynamic Cosmoraptor has a bird-like shape, with a wide
fuselage attached to two curved wings and a forward cockpit attached by a
narrower neck to the rest of the fuselage. Cosmoraptors are armed with high
explosive warheads. These smart missiles detonate chemicals and cause
damage with shrapnel, rapidly expanding hot gas and shockwaves induced
in the target.
A Shangdan Gyrocraft (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,

11 defense) is a gyroscopically stabilized rocket. The gyrocraft is shaped
like a cylinder with a conical nose. Vectored thrust causes the entire vehicle
to spin, stabilizing the vehicle's orientation and simulating the effects of
gravity. The Gyrocraft is designed to be fired from a long cannon which
helps keep the rocket oriented as it spins up. Because the Gyrocraft spins
while taking off, passengers experience more acceleration than other
vehicles. Manned gyrocraft are relatively rare because most of Shangdan's
space trade involves launching cargo into orbit where it is picked up by
spacecraft from other worlds and collecting cargo which falls into the sea.
A Shangdan Gyrofortress (1 range,
1 spaceflight, 1 guns, 1 missiles,
15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 11 defense)
is a maneuverable combat platform
produced by the Shangdan culture
on Peleg. The Gyrofortress is an
inflatable spider silk composite
habitat which resembles a gyrocraft
with an octagonal cross-section
when it is folded for launch. Fully
deployed, the Gyrofortress looks like
a rotating tire sandwiched between two limpet-shaped bunkers. Each bunker
has eight gyrojet turrets which fire 10 mm diameter gyroscopically
stabilized rockets. The Gyrofortress is equipped with an overdesigned
balloon landing system which also allows it to maneuver in planetary
atmospheres.
Squawk Setting 38
Trydeen Spores (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 3 stalking, 3 repair, 5 grapple,

3 missiles, 1 targeting, 3 autopilot, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 13 defense)
are enormous golems from Trydeen, shaped like multi-story eggs
with a thick exoskeletal carapace.
They have 3 or more legs on the bottom which are used as landing gear
and for moving about on the ground. Spores are intelligent, can speak to
their crews, and have maternal personalities. Spores "eat" fuel and other
nutrients. They can heal on their own, navigate and defend themselves,
but heal, fly and shoot better with the assistance of trained surgeons,
pilots and gunners.
Spores are armed with smart missiles and an autonomous spore defender.
The spore defender (5 shooting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 10 defense) is not a
spacecraft but an autonomous golem character grown by the spore. The
spore defender flies alongside the spore in combat, defending the Spore
from attackers with its biocannons.
Spores grow larger and larger with time if there are enough available
resources, leading to a theory that Trydeen itself may have once been
a Spore.
An Yggdrassil Treecraft (2 range,

2 spaceflight, 1 grapple, 1 missiles,
1 repair, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2,
12 defense) is a bioship composed
primarily of vegetable matter. The fuselage
of the vehicle is a hollow cylindrical trunk
crowned by canopy of solar energy
collecting leaves. The base of the
"tree" is essentially a bulbous
rocket engine which is consumed
as the fuel is expended and
regenerated from nutrients
acquired during refueling.
The crew of the ship occupies
a ring that rotates around the trunk,
simulating the effects of gravity.
The Treecraft is defended by bulbous growths that house insectoid smart
missiles with nitrate explosive payloads. These bug bombs are also used
when prospecting asteroids and comets for nutrients.
An Yggdrassil Starflower
(1 range, 1 spaceflight,
2 solar sailing, 1 flying,
5 repair, 5 guns,
15 toughness,
7 tgh/2, 11 defense)
is a smaller vehicle with
a solar sail. The sail itself is
a gigantic vegetable structure
mostly composed of a thin
transparent film connected by thin
filaments to a small hub. The solar
sailing ability allows the spacecraft
to move without expending any fuel
as long as the direction of each step is toward a higher planetary orbit. The
crew occupies an insect-like module which can separate from the hub for
combat and landings. The crew module is armed with a pair of biocannons
which fire 50 mm rounds stacked in series inside a battery of barrels.
Projectiles and propellant are grown or secreted inside the gun like eggs or
teeth instead of being manufactured separately. Certain barrels can be
engineered to produce different types of ammunition for specialized tasks
like piercing armor. The Starflower can maneuver in planetary atmospheres
by collapsing the solar sail into a more compact solar-powered balloon. The
crew module hangs spinning from the hub to simulate the effects of gravity.
Squawk Setting 40
Upper Worlds Spacecraft

The Nereid Squidcraft (2 range, 2 spaceflight, 5 stalking,
5 repair, 7 grapple, 1 bombs, 1 targeting, 1 autopilot,
20 toughness, 10 tgh/2, 15 defense) is a typical nereid space
vehicle: streamlined and based on sea creatures. It is the vessel
of choice for upper world space pirates. The Squidcraft has
a long, tough streamlined mantle with a pair of reaction
engines housed in nacelles on opposite sides of the
mantle. The Squidcraft uses vectored thrust to
maintain a constant rotation to simulate the experience of
gravity. The front of the Squidcraft has an airlock
surrounded by tentacles which can be employed very effectively
as a grappling and breaching system. Squidcraft also carry electrostatic
discharge mines which attach to ships and generate an electrical pulse
which shocks electronics, delicate machinery and biological systems. It also
tends to start fires. The Squidcraft has a color-changing skin which can
mislead efforts to estimate its velocity and direction of movement.
The Astronautilus (1 range, 1 spaceflight,
1 repair, 1 grapple, 5 guns, 5 bombs,
5 targeting, 1 autopilot,
30 toughness, 15 tgh/2,
15 defense) is an armored
nereid warship with a large
capacity. The bulk of the ship
is a round spiral shell - less
streamlined than most
nereid craft. An armored mantle
guards the opening of the shell.
The mantle can lift to expose
the external systems of the ship as needed,
including propulsion, weapons, sensors and communications. The
Astronautilus simulates gravity by rotating around its starboard-port axis
instead of its fore-aft axis, basically rolling like a wheel as it moves. The
Astronautilus is equipped with a biocannon array and parasitic mines that
inject space-hardened microbes to digest and damage enemy ships.
The Devilray (2 range, 2 spaceflight, 3 flying, 5 stalking, 5 repair, 5

grapple, 1 guns, 1 targeting, 1 autopilot, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 15 defense)
is a nereid spacecraft with a flat round mantle, integrated wings, dorsal fin
and segmented tail. The Devilray can maneuver in a planetary atmosphere.
The tail contains the propulsion system and reaction mass exits through the
wide end of the tail. The Devilray has a pair of powerful claws, one on each
side of the forward airlock, and folded landing gear on the ventral side of
the mantle. The Devilray has a color-changing skin which can mislead
efforts to estimate its velocity and direction of movement. Instead of
missiles and biocannons, the Devilray relies on stealth and a laser defense
system. The Devilray does not rotate to simulate gravity.
Squawk Setting 42
The Lower Worlds

The Lower Worlds is a thick asteroid belt
between Yggdrassil and Abaddon. The
Lower Worlds is densely populated by
civilizations which exploit the plentiful
solar energy of the region.
The inhabitants of the Lower Worlds live
in cramped artificial habitats burrowed into
insulating rock, so they travel and trade as
much as possible. Any wild animals live in
zoos or parks.
Lower world technology and is simple,
robust and heavily shielded from the
intense solar radiation which destroys
delicate electronic devices, fries
unprotected organisms, and interferes
with communication. Robust, self-healing
biomechanical alternatives are generally preferred.
Artificial life forms are common, sometimes part of industrial processes.

The high energy mineral economy provides metal and ceramic materials at
low prices in large quantities.
The Solar Guard is a powerful military organization headquartered in the
Lower Worlds which also polices Lower World interests in the Middle
Worlds.
Port Centrifica
The first stop in the Lower Worlds is usually Port Centrifica, a spaceport
inside a large asteroid which has been set to spin at such a rate as to
simulate gravity. Huge armored freighters and smaller vehicles come and go
at all hours. Anti-missile systems and heavy bombers provide more-than-
adequate defense.
The environment inside Port Centrifica is a vast electric city with no natural
lighting. The city slopes upwards into the horizon so that the city lights
become "stars in the sky" directly overhead. The city completely loops on a
east-west axis while ending in craggy "mountains" at the north and south
ends of the city.
Port Centrifica manufactures high quality
intelligent golems related to the Terraformers
of Edegene. These golems perform most of the
heavy labor at Port Centrifica, including ship
repair, loading and unloading of freighters, and
moving goods to and from warehouses. Recently,
however, golems have been pitted in various types
of bloodsports for the entertainment of the non-
golem population.
Port Centrifica's most powerful citizen is the Mayor.
There is also an elected city council, who together
with the mayor make up the political leadership of
Port Centrifica. City-wide elections are held for
these positions about once every five years.
Golems are not allowed to vote. Almost all of
the voter's livelihoods are dependent on trade
and the heavy labor the golems provide.
Squawk Setting 44
The Middle Worlds

The Middle Worlds are more populous than the
sparsely populated Upper Worlds or the cramped
Lower Worlds. The worlds in this temperate
zone between the Yggdrasil and Edegene
orbits include artificial habitats that are open
to direct sunlight, which is not too bright or
too dim at this distance from Abaddon.
Edegene is a planet inhabited by autonomous
golems. Trydeen is a moon of Edegene, and
a living world in it's own right. Midgard is a
big gas giant like Saturn or Jupiter with five
large inhabited moons: Peleg, Maia, Mirage,
Maelstrom and Protaea. Midgard's L5
Lagrangian point is a stable orbit 60 degrees
behind the gas giant which hosts a pair of
dwarf planets: Monopolis and Radix. Midgard's
L4 Lagrangian point is a stable orbit 60 degrees ahead
of the gas giant with many artificial habitats. Yggdrasil is a forested planet.
Yggdrassil
Yggdrasil is a rocky planet with oceans
covering 70% of the surface. In spite of
very long day and night cycles, and long
periods of darkness and light during the
polar winters and summers, the surface
temperature stays above freezing and
below temperatures hostile to plant and
animal life. Most temperature variation
is due to the exaggerated seasons and
differences in altitude.
Aggressive microorganisms parasitize
any plants and animals (including
intelligent species and most golems)
who spend more than a few weeks
living in this environment. These
infections are usually harmless, often
treatable, and sometimes even beneficial. Even benign infections
can manifest themselves as dramatic changes. ("Turning green" is the
stereotype, though other colors, spotty patterns and changes in feathers
or skin texture are also common.)
Most of the creatures who live on this world develop a symbiotic
relationship with the world's aggressive plant life. The bodies and cells of
animals living on Yggdrasil host algae similar to chloroplasts. These
symbionts often contribute to the animal's nutrition through photosynthesis.
Some animals are even more dramatically altered blurring the distinction
between animal and vegetable. This leads to strange chimeric creatures
combining plant and animal characteristics, which can be a special hazard
to travelers unfamiliar with these creatures, or a valuable biotechnology
resource for local civilizations.
The terrestrial animals of Yggdrassil are usually scaly rather than fuzzy or
feathered. The ubiquitous algae causes grooming problems for pterosaurs
and feathered dinosaurs. The warm temperatures are friendly to cold-
blooded reptiles. Animals with slow metabolisms can even survive for
extended periods on the extra calories captured through photosynthesis by
their symbionts.
Squawk Setting 46
The intelligent species of Yggdrasil have advanced biotechnology which

has allowed the creation of a ring of space elevators called "beanstalks"
around the world's equator. Atop each beanstalk is a spaceport where
bioships are grown and visitors from other worlds trade. The Yggdrassil
Rangers are responsible for the security of Yggdrassil's interplanetary
operations, tracking down enemies and protecting Yggdrassilians abroad.
Civilization on the surface is not immediately visible from orbit. Garden
cities cluster around the beanstalk bases on equatorial mountain tops, and
blend in with the surrounding cloud forest. Suburban orchards are scattered
around these cities and subtropical locales. Temperate and polar regions
with months of continual darkness in the winter and continual day during
the summer are wild and rural, organized into parks that are only seasonally
occupied.
The major cultures of Yggdrassil are roughly divided by the part of the
forest they occupy.
Leviathan Drifters occupy port cities in the the mangroves that dominate the
coastlines of Yggdrassil. Salt-resistant trees in these coastal regions spread
out into the oceans until they reach the maximum depth at which new trees
can grow. Shallow seas extend beyond the mangroves. Yggdrassil also has
deep polar seas which are seasonally covered in ice.
Behemoth Bushwhackers live in the jungle, where rivers cut through the
forest, letting in sunlight which allows smaller trees and thick undergrowth
to thrive. This lush growth is necessary to support the appetite of huge
creatures like behemoths.
Stygian lodges are found in swamps. These permanently flooded inland
areas are gaps in the rainforest which are full of shorter trees and
surrounded by jungle. The larger lodges - essentially towns built on
hummocks and stilts - are connected by raised wooden highways, sturdy
enough to support six ton behemoths, winding through hundreds of miles of
swamp.
The forest canopy is home to phage Raincatchers. More sunlight reaches
this layer of the forest, but the tops of the trees are frequently covered in
clouds, limiting visibility. Raincatchers live almost entirely on supplies they
gather in the canopy.
Acrobatic gygean hunters live in the

middle levels of the forest, building
cities suspended from the trunks of
massive trees.
Drome Shadow Stalkers hunt on the
forest floor, where they can move
quickly through the wide open
spaces. The forest canopy blocks
most of the sunlight before it reaches
this level, preventing undergrowth
and smaller trees from growing. The
Shadow Stalkers prefer dry areas of
the forest where they can live in
cellars and caves camouflaged by
root systems and leaf litter.
The exotic environment of
Yggdrassil is actually an ancient but
highly engineered system for sustaining life and producing biotechnology
products, including living machines like bioships. All of the energy to
support civilization on Yggdrassil is generated by photosynthesis. The
complex, layered structure of the forest and Yggdrassil cities maximizes the
use of available sunlight.
Most Abaddon animals can be found here as long as they can thrive in at
least one of the five major biomes. There are cold blooded reptiles, hot-
blooded raptors, flying and flightless birds, giant browsers, etc. Penguins
and many other ground nesting waterfowl and pterosaurs are absent thanks
to the mangroves, so the seas are dominated by marine reptiles.
Squawk Setting 48
Midgard L4
Midgard's L4 lagrangian point is
surrounded by a bean-shaped cloud
of many artificial worlds, ranging
from the size of small farms to small
countries. Some are caves hollowed
out inside of asteroids while others are
rings and tubes made of fabric, metal
or concrete.
Temperature and seasonal differences on artificial habitats may be regulated
by self-sustaining biological systems with annual rhythms inherited from
planet-dwelling ancestors. Light is often regulated mechanically by
reflectors and windows. Day-night cycles can be designed to last for
minutes, hours or weeks. Perpetual day is sometimes provided for more
efficient for agriculture, while urban worlds sometimes find perpetual night
more convenient. Worlds can also have multiple layers or sections with
different climates.
Most L4 worlds are too heavily populated to support large wild animal
populations, but smaller scavengers, escaped pets and feral animals are
quite common. Zoos, aquariums and parks provide habitats for larger
animals. Some L4 worlds were once heavily populated but now completely
or partially depopulated. Other worlds are underdeveloped by design or
accident. A single abandoned city can result in large areas overrun by
animals. Unless the world has a large population of boreans, leviathans or
stygians, bodies of water are less developed than dry land, and may be
home to crocodiles or marine reptiles which thrive in the mild, regulated
climates of artificial worlds.
The typical L4 world has radio communication and some trade with other
worlds, but it is not uncommon to find worlds where technology has
reverted significantly in isolation. Archaeologists are studying many of
these worlds for evidence of ancient civilizations and their technology.
Politically, the L4 worlds are loosely organized. A security organization
called Collective Defense coordinates patrols and rescue missions using
forces contributed by member worlds.
Midgard L5
Monopolis and Radix are dwarf planets which mutually orbit each other
around Midgard's stable L4 lagrangian point. Monopolis and Radix are
tidally locked so that one side of each world always faces the other world.
The axis of rotation of the Radix/Monopolis system is perpendicular to the

axis of the Midgard orbit and the period of rotation is about 24 hours. The
days and nights on Radix and Monopolis last for about 12 hours each during
the spring and fall, but each world experiences months of constant darkness
in the winter and months of uninterrupted daylight in the summer (with
opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres.) The equatorial
regions of Radix and Monopolis receive some daylight year round but are
actually cooler than the poles. These tropics are covered in snow and ice
during the constant twilight of both summer and winter.
Monopolis and Radix are connected at the nearest points by space elevators
or "beanstalks" that ferry passengers and cargo between the worlds.
Monopolis is a city-covered world currently controlled by a single powerful
company called the Monopolis Trading Company. The company's space
fleet is launched primarily from a massive fortified spaceport midway
between Monopolis and Radix.
The less densely populated world Radix is the location of the biggest
colonies and estates owned by the company and its officers as well as some
independent communities that avoid the company's influence.
Squawk Setting 50
Radix
Radix has several large continents with
diverse climates. Much of the land mass is
cool and temperate, but the equator is circled
by a year-round ice cap and the poles have
warm, "tropical" summers with very long
days.
The biggest land masses stretch around the
equator with mountains, glaciers, tundra,
forests and steppe. This climate favors
shaggy, warm-blooded animals, especially
flightless birds and feathered dinosaurs.
Flying birds can migrate across the
mountain ranges or head for the poles
in the twilight months. The tropical land
masses prevent marine reptiles from
escaping the dark cool winters of the polar
regions, so there are fewer big sea reptiles
on Radix than other worlds with extensive oceans.
Smaller land masses near the poles are popular places for the wealthy
elite of Monopolis to build their estates and sanitariums (health resorts.)
Animals in the polar regions sleep through the dark winters, although
warm-blooded nocturnal predators can be active when other creatures
are dormant. The large islands of this region are largely populated
by birds and pterosaurs.
The population of Radix is much smaller than Monopolis, generally
wealthier and concentrated in a few urban areas surrounded by wilderness,
connected by airships and trains. A variety of intelligent species live in the
wilderness, basically outside the control of Monopolis, ranging from loners
to hostile tribes. Most of the intelligent species on Radix are colonists
whose ancestors came from Monopolis. Most of these colonies are in the
cool temperate regions, which have crags, tundras, thick forests, glaciers,
and mountains. These colonies are made up of gremians, strix, stygians,
and behemoths.
Many of the colonies of Radix are independent, even hostile toward the
Monopolis Corporation. Other Radix colonies are dependent on, influenced
by or outright owned by the Corporation. This is especially true of many of
the university-centered colonies on Radix, where Monopolis educates their
elite. The universities are notorious for having complex systems of
abandoned tunnels underneath them, where socially questionable activities
take place. The tunnels are also sometimes home to underground
revolutionary movements, and sanctuaries for persecuted religious sects.
Monopolis colonies are often protected by high walls and other
fortifications.
Other cultures that do not have Monopolis origins lack heavy industry and
have low population densities. They are mainly dromes, boreans, phages,
and myrmidons. Conflict between the Monopolis corporation, its colonies,
other cultures, universities and students sometimes results in the creation or
collapse of colonies.
Strix Puritans
A traditionally ultra-religious strix colony has grown into a small
confederation of states which produce the best strix translators. The puritan
confederation has its own university which is mostly independent, but
influenced by recruiters from Monopolis. The colony's education system
focuses on language skills, but also teaches theology, philosophy and other
subjects. Puritan culture is relatively homogeneous - one major race (Strix)
with similar culture, religion and language throughout.
Phage Settlements
Sophisticated phage settlements are able to thrive without being constantly
hunted by the Monopolis Trading Company by building spooky fortresses
in hard-to-reach cliffs and crags. Some of these settlements only feed on
wild animals or their own livestock, but other phage settlements attack the
herds of other colonists.
Borean Tribes
Nomadic tribes of boreans live near the frozen equator, but sometimes
travel as far as the warm polar regions to trade with other species. They
occasionally clash with colonists who take over property developed by the
borean nomads while the nomads are away.
Squawk Setting 52
Myrmidon Mutualists
Although many of them are defectors from the Monopolis Trading
Company, mutualist myrmidons in the warm polar regions identify more
with their aboriginal neighbors than they do with the Monopolis colonies.
Mutualist villages are a complex system of domes and corridors. The
economy is based on specialized labor and communal living.
Drome Zealots from Trydeen

Dromes that also live in the warm polar regions share a very similar religion
to the zealots of the Trydeen overworld. They are the largest population of
intelligent species on Radix, except for the Monopolis colonies.
Radix Technology
There is some sea travel, but
airships are a faster alternative,
and can more easily navigate the
icy region that divides the planet
in two. Sea ships are used mainly
for short journeys, fishing, and
hunting sea monsters.
Fortified Monopolis colonies are
often connected by steam-powered
trains that span the continents of
Radix.
Radix technology is largely
derived from Monopolis, but
Radix has its own inventors and a
very different style of agriculture. The aboriginal cultures of Radix
generally have simple technology, but they also use some of the exotic
biotechnology of Trydeen.
Monopolis
Monopolis is a dwarf planet which is tidally
locked with Radix.
The surface of Monopolis is covered by
a many-layered city. This world-city is
populated by an estimated 100 billion
intelligent beings supported by an ancient
system of hydroponic agriculture that
maintains the atmosphere and food supply.
Most of the population is made up of
gremians, though there are also large
behemoth, strix, myrmidon, phage and
stygian minority populations filling their
own niches. Behemoths perform heavy
labor, strix work as entertainers and
communicators, stygians are employed
in amphibious industries, and myrmidons serve in military forces. The
phages remain separate from the rest of Monopolis culture, forming the
backbone of the city world's underground countercultures.
Much of the city is unpopulated - most intelligent species live in the
uppermost layers. The lower layers are remnants of previous historical eras
and pre-historical civilizations. These abandoned layers can be physically
unstable, but they are also dangerous because of the beings that make their
homes down there. These lower layers sometimes have cave-like
ecosystems.
Surprisingly, Monopolis has no "nations" and no government in the sense
that most other worlds do. The Monopolis Trading Company has practically
unlimited power over its employees - over 99% of the world's population.
The company controls almost every aspect of life. For example, there is no
"money" system - only status within the company, written orders for
supplies and so forth.
Squawk Setting 54
Airships are lighter-than-air vehicles made

of a silk balloon and a small gondola.
Monopolis airships have a few advanced
features including a skeleton within the balloon
that holds it in an aerodynamic shape, and
wing-rudders that can steer the airship
with wind power. Controlling a
wind-powered airship is difficult
and they can consume substantial
fuel just to keep the air inside the
balloon heated.
Hydrogen is a lightweight fuel and
provides better lift for balloons than
hot air. Hydrogen is produced from
methane waste gas, water-splitting hydrolyzers,
and some kinds of bacteria. It is fairly expensive and difficult to store, but it
is the only fuel that can be burned in large amounts without destabilizing
the environment that sustains 100 billion beings.
The company uses ancient electricity-based technology inherited from the
subterranean stygians, including electric motors and water-splitting
machines that produce hydrogen.
Monopolis's space fleet is launched primarily from a massive fortified
spaceport midway between Monopolis and Radix. This spaceport is
connected to both worlds by ultra-strong cables.
Golems are engineered animals - like living machines.
Some of the strix population of monopolis belong to
the Golem Master culture. They produce
insect-like golems that can perform some
specialized tasks more efficiently than
intelligent or domesticated archosaurs.
Golems that spin and weave materials with
high tensile strength for balloons, suspension bridges,
space elevator tethers and so forth are extremely
important to industry on Monopolis.
There are livestock, zoos, and small pets and urban
animals on Monopolis. The vertical environment
supports a variety of birds and pterosaurs at constant odds with
sanitation workers. The seas are mostly wild, except for coastal areas
where civilization often clashes with this world's large marine predators.
Peleg
Peleg is covered in a massive ocean of salt
water. This world has no continents, but the
surface is dotted by thousands of archipelagos
and stray islands. Small permanent ice caps
cover both poles.
The warm shallow seas covering most of
the planet are dominated by giant reptiles,
but flightless waterfowl like penguins rule
the polar regions. The islands are populated
mainly by birds, pterosaurs, crocodiles and
escaped livestock. Some island species have
grown unusually large or small or even lost
the ability to fly in response to limited food
supplies or reduced predation.
Many of the civilizations of Abaddon have
established colonies on Peleg, but most of the islands are not currently
inhabited. The cultures of Peleg have advanced ship building, architecture,
and steel weapons.
The Shangdan Empire

The islands of Shangdan were colonized
by conservative idealists from the moon
Maia in the early centuries of that world's
Universal Empire period, about 5 centuries
ago. Shangdan has had no communication
with Maia since the Great War about 50
years ago but has begun to establish
extraplanetary communication with traders
from Monopolis.
The Bureaucracy of the Shangdan Empire has at least one civil servant in
every big town to see that justice, empire and protocol are served. Even
small towns have aspiring bureaucrats (a literate person, often a scholar or
partisan) working for official members of the Bureaucracy.
Squawk Setting 56
The Examination is an independent branch of the

imperial government which ensures that the
Bureaucracy is meritocratic and non-partisan.
Because bureaucrats all come from partisan
backgrounds, this involves subtle strategy
and constant vigilance. The examiners are
responsible for auditing the Bureaucracy
and establishing educational standards.
The Examination can be thought of as
supreme court, inquisition and secret police.
The Imperial Family is the ultimate authority
of the empire, but also the most indirect.
The emperor, empress or current regent
has the power to correct and amend even
the decisions of the Examination. The
power of the rest of the family is simply
an extension of his/her authority. The
Emperor's wife or great niece thrice
removed has no authority to direct any
examiner or bureaucrat herself, but in
practice everyone knows how close she
is to the emperor. The emperor is also
the military head of the empire and his
family are posted to high ranking positions in the military, which helps to
keep the royal family dispersed throughout the empire.
Government officials and royalty have the highest social status regardless of
their occupation. Professionals, especially alchemists, armorers, guards,
hunters, partisans, spies, symbiotic monks, and wrestlers dominate the next
rank of social status. People with useful occupations such as laborers,
cooks, merchants, farmers and shepherds occupy the third rank above
beggars and outlaws.
Alchemists from Shangdan are experts on
nature and physical science. Alchemists are
masters of practical science and the Eight
Elements philosophy. (The eight elements -
fire, metal, earth, wood, water, shadow, air,
and lightning - are each associated with one
of the eight Shangdan provinces.) As sages
and scientists, Alchemists advise individuals
and communities. As herbalists and doctors they
cure sickness and create medicines. As chemists
they create all manner of potions, fireworks and
alchemical concoctions.
Symbiotic Monks learn and promote the Order's
principles for a sustainable society. Brothers and
Sisters of the Symbiotic Order also receive a
general education and develop Synerga. They
practice the martial art of Syncrase to improve
their Synerga and work to maintain their
monasteries and educate the general public.
The Warlords
The Warlords are an alliance between a lyndwyrm dynasty which once
ruled the Shangdan Empire and aggressive gaffling warriors who were
displaced by the expansion of Shangdan.
Becoming raiders and slave traders, the lyndwyrm Warlords maintained the
notion that they were the world's elite. They tolerated gafflings because of
similarities between the two species of carnivorous ceolurosaurs. Warlords
consider species other than lyndwyrms and gafflings to be beasts of burden
who are only slightly more cleaver than other livestock. The lyndwryms
feed on larger livestock, so slaves are critical to Warlord agriculture.
Squawk Setting 58
Gygean Symbiotic Order

missionaries teaching literacy
and sign language among the
gafflings helped the Lyndwyrms
learn these skills as well, which
allowed them to communicate more
efficiently, but these missionaries are
not allowed to participate in Warlord
culture outside of the Symbiotic
Order. All gygeans in Warlord
culture are slaves or Symbiotic Order
scholars, physicians and educators.
Many gygeans born into Warlord
society emigrate from Warlord
territories to other Symbiotic Order
establishments.
Gladiatorial tournaments are the most popular sport among the Warlords.
Teams of slaves armed with hand weapons fight to death in massive pits.
The prisoners are not allowed to use armor or shields. Warlords train their
slaves to apply strategies in the pits, and the honor of the victory goes to the
Warlord who trained the winning team. Dead slaves are eaten by the
Warlords unless the slave was a gaffling or lyndwyrm.
The Warlord economy is based on slave labor and resources seized by

raiding other cultures and sometimes rival Warlords. Warlords do not trust
their slaves as guards or warriors. Labor is divided by sex, with males
raiding and females controlling slaves who do domestic work and serve as
craftsmen making weapons, armor, fortresses and long slave-powered boats.
Both sexes participate in sporting events.
The Dragontooth Clan

The Dragontooth Clan Behemoths
have adopted the simple survival
strategies of their Blackbird Clan
neighbors and developed their own
specializations to acquire food and
fend of giant marine predators.
In their early history, getting
enough vegetable protein to feed
huge herbivorous behemoths was
impossible, so they learned to hunt
giant marine reptiles, an art they
call dragon hunting. Although the
Dragontooth Clan is tolerant toward
other cultures, the demands of this
specialized lifestyle make it difficult
for outsiders to participate.
Clan members can be Elders, Butchers, Chefs or Carvers. Carvers construct
boats, weapons and massive long houses used by the tribe. Chefs cook food,
filter water, keep gardens, store food and treat wounds and sickness.
Butchers are hunters, warriors and guards. Dragontooth Clan communities
are ruled by a Council of Elders, chosen for their contribution to their
families and communities. Excessive amounts of private property
disqualifies potential candidates, so aspiring council members hold huge
feasts where they give away their property.
Butchers use two-hulled hunting boats with oars and often sails. Once a
huge marine reptile is "hooked" with a giant harpoon, the hunters kill it
using any means available, beating it with oars or slicing and hacking at it
with Warrior Lances - two handed weapons resembling oars often featuring
a serrated blade embedded with sharp teeth. Small boulders hurled with
massive slings are also common. Once the creature is dead, the dragon
hunters hoist it up onto a deck connecting the two hulls, if it is small
enough. If the creature is too large, they will drag it through the water, or
strip it down to its most valuable meats, hide, bones and teeth. The bones
are used as construction materials, and the teeth ("dragon teeth") are used as
money. Bigger teeth are usually more valuable. Half of the teeth taken in
each hunt must be given to the local Council of Elders.
Squawk Setting 60
Butchers also developed a wrestling sport called Lancing which employs a

long weapon, such as an oar or harpoon (referred to as a lance.) Lancing
equipment also includes a fearsome-looking chestplate and facemask, which
guard the abdomen, chest, back, neck, and head of the wrestler. A wrestler
wins by making a loud sound by smacking the large end of the Lance into
the other wrestler's armor, or by throwing his opponent off balance so that
the opponent touches the ground with some body part other than his feet
and tail. When a wrestler wins, he is said to have "cooked" his opponent. To
publicly demonstrate the martial arts prowess of the tribe, this sport is
performed at large, frequent and regular tournaments which last for a few
days, with a single victor.
The Blackbird Clan

The Blackbird Clan are matriarchal strix, although their labor is not divided
strictly in terms of sex roles. They have permanent settlements on many
islands, and their population has grown dramatically in the last few
centuries. Blackbird Clan communities include many non-Strix members,
but rarely interact with neighbors who have not adopted the ways of the
Blackbird Clan.
Guardians have a highly sophisticated "magic"
which uses fear as a weapon, employing stealth
and strix vocal abilities to scare enemies away
with horrifying illusions.
Trainers breed domesticated carnivores of
various sizes for sport fighting. Animals
who die in these contests are eaten by the
community in a "fight feast." An owner of a
champion animal ready for retirement will
sometimes pit it against a team of hunters and
warriors who wish to prove themselves against
such a challenge in public. Occasionally these
beasts are also used for hunting or as guards.
Ghoul Slayers are specially trained hunter-warrior-priests who hunt golems
and chimera, establishing long term encampments in areas that are rumored
to be haunted by such creatures. Ghoul Slayers employ a secretive martial
art called Splicing, which was originally developed to gather body parts for
surgeons to build chimera. The essential principle of splicing is to cut off
any part of the opponent's body that is coming at you. Ghoul Slayers later
found this martial art to be an effective way to the stop rampaging chimera
and golems.
Splicing uses horns, hooks, and spikes attached to body armor, as well as
extremely sharp short swords, broad swords, axes and sickles to cut apart
attacking opponents. Splicing also involves some joint manipulation,
sometimes breaking arms or fingers to position the target for
dismemberment. Splicers spar in heavy sparring armor using wooden
weapons shaped like their real metal weapons, attempting to hit oncoming
limbs with direct strikes or occasionally forcing submission by joint lock.
Most of the Blackbird Clan's technology is relatively simple. Huts, long
houses and rafts used to carry cargo between islands are built by Weavers.
Gardeners purify water, grow fruit, vegetables, herbs, and serve as the
tribe's healers. Their medicinal technology is relatively advanced, so
gardeners are sometimes involved with ghoul slayers and trainers who need
powerful sedatives.
The Cannibals
The leviathan Cannibals have lived on Peleg since before recorded history.
Their ability to "eat on the go," consuming fallen enemies - and comrades if
needed - allows them to maintain a military force without supply lines,
pursuing long term hit-and-run style amphibious warfare.
The common Cannibal Fishing Lance
is a primitive trident, but other
lances and hand-to-hand weapons
are also common. Most cannibal
weapons can also be thrown.
Cannibals settle on small
islands or in caves near the water.
Leviathan dwellings often have both
a water exit and a land exit.
Most of the Cannibals participate in a unique
form of nature worship. They believe
that private property should be
limited to those who can protect it.
This means presenting gifts to the strong
and taking things from the weak. This is
considered to be acting like "the waves of the
sea" or the "flow of the river." However, this philosophy is not always
harsh, because cannibals also share the necessities of life, such as food and
shelter, with those in need.
Squawk Setting 62
Receiving nature's gifts is also an important part of this philosophy. Should

an enemy fall into a cannibal's hands, it would be a sin not to eat them or let
them go. Cannibals have a moral obligation to eat their fallen battlefield
opponents if the opportunity presents itself.
Cannibals have a strict diet of meat.
Leviathans do not have teeth for
chewing, and grains are difficult for
them to digest. Cannibals call those
who refuse to eat leviathans and other
intelligent species "vegetarians".
Cannibal warriors, called Interrogators,
are expected to gather intelligence
on possible enemies before any real
conflict can arise. During times of
conflict they quickly resort to torture.
Interrogators also serve as the
Cannibals' law enforcement system,
reporting to a village elder or war chief,
and provide some of the food for cannibal
villages through hunting.
Shamans serve as Cannibal scholars, architects, doctors, fishers and water
filterers. If Cannibals live long enough they usually become a village elder,
the village elders also serve as military commanders in times of conflicts.
Maia
70% of Maia is covered with oceans,
divided by several large continents and small
permanent polar ice caps. Maia has five
continents: Arasia and Arctocolonia in
the northern hemisphere, Austrocolonia,
Aetopia and Andwania in the southern
hemisphere.
The Universal Empire

About 700 years ago Maia was united under
the cult of Yohanan Kagan - the 5th Kagan
or supreme leader of the nomadic warriors
of Oriental Arasia. Calender years were
based on his reign until the Great War,
so the pre-war years are known as 1 to 665
YK and the post-war years start with 1 AW. The imperial government was a
complex meritocratic bureaucracy encompassing military, civil and
religious authority.
Science and industry flourished and Maian explorers traveled to other
worlds and started colonies even as the Universal Empire gradually broke
up into nation-states. These nation-states then organized themselves into
blocs called the Axial Powers.
Conflict between Maia and other civilizations lead to increasing
isolationism and xenophobia. "Aliens" were blamed for economic problems
and forced to leave Maia. This crisis was compounded by a market crash
and global famine. The Axial Powers formed mutual defense pacts and
supplemented their military muscle by accumulating weapons of mass-
destruction, artificially enhanced soldiers and "alien" mercenaries.
Squawk Setting 64
The Great War

Before this thermonuclear conflagration which broke out around 50 years
ago there were nearly 5 billion Skand on Maia. The current population is
unknown but certainly much less.
The Great War killed 10% of the population outright before communication
was disrupted and the nation-states collapsed. Famine and disease cut the
population to a fraction of its original levels. Survivors gathered together in
fortified places, forming gangs and militias for defense. A generation later,
agriculture has resumed in earnest, industry is growing and nation-states
have re-formed.
Today Maia has a new world government called the League of Nations,
headquartered in the city of Ariel in Middle Arasia. Many of the re-formed
nation-states have joined the League, and some parts of Maia are dependent
on League security forces for defense and even police work.
Animal management has become a major security problem, as opportunistic
species flourish among the ruins of depopulated cities and the new growth
of burned-over forests. Nuclear winter drove large animals toward the
equator in search of food, so big polar animals are often found wandering
through major cities.
Mirage
Mirage is a small, dry, sandy, and hot moon
of Midgard. It has some small oceans that are
essentially large muddy lakes at the bottom of
empty ocean basins. The modest population
of Mirage is concentrated in small cities
along the coasts of these small oceans.
Each city has its own government. Law
and order on Mirage is maintained by various
detective agencies. The cities of Mirage have
advanced technology and spaceports that
produce vehicles such as stealth fighters.
Mirage produces holographic biotechnology
based on swarm entities called "djinn."
The dry, warm climate is ideal for reptiles
with slower metabolisms that save water and
energy, especially lizards, primitive dinosaurs and certain other archosaurs.
Mirage is the best place to find giant burrowing sand guivres. The driest
parts of the desert are depopulated. The warm shallow sea and lakes are
surrounded by oases and infested with crocodiles.
Maelstrom
Maelstrom is a mostly uninhabited water
planet. It has one extremely deep ocean
that covers its entire surface, with no land
or shallow water. Maelstrom has a thick
humid atmosphere with skies that are
perpetually overcast.
Maelstrom is largely barren, although
it has a breathable atmosphere and
permanent ice caps. Some algae and
sea creatures have adapted to this harsh
environment through an entirely free-
floating lifestyle or by using ice and
kelp mats as a substitute for solid
ground.
Squawk Setting 66
Protaea
Protaea has several large oceans and
continents plus year-round ice caps at the
poles. In Protaea's ancient geological past,
it was completely covered by water. More
recently, gigantic fast-growing coral has
built up reefs, atolls, islands and eventually
continents.
The continents of Protaea are covered in
rich topsoil and vegetation, with the exception
of several large deserts. Protaea's ecosystems
support a wide variety of reptilian wildlife,
including an abundance of giant predators,
from massive theropods to desert sand
guivres. The seas are warm and shallow,
but birds and reptiles that lay their eggs
on the shore suffer from predation by the
giant coral-building invertebrates. The continents are also relatively flat,
without mountain habitats.
These built-up continents lack metallic ores suitable for making tools, the
hardest mineral being the brittle strata built up by the coral. Protaea's
cultures are technologically primitive, without wheeled vehicles or
sometimes even fire. Without hard minerals, tools, weapons and armor must
be made of wood, bone, skin and teeth.
Midgard
Midgard is a big gas giant composed largely
of liquid metallic hydrogen. its moons include
Protaea, Maia, Peleg, Mirage and Maelstrom
and dozens of smaller moons. Radix and
Monopolis are found at Midgard's L5
lagrangian point and Midgard's L4
point contains many artificial worlds.
The highest moons (Maia and Peleg) are
easier to reach. The lower moons (Protaea
and Maelstrom) are harder to reach and
harder to leave because they are deeper
in Midgard's gravity well.
The PCs have no reason to visit this
inhospitable world.
Edegene
Edegene is a temperate world with polar
icecaps, large continents, varied climates,
and saltwater oceans covering about two
thirds of the planet's surface. Edegene is
more massive than most rocky planets,
so the gravity is noticeably stronger,
and the atmosphere is exceptionally thick
and humid at low altitudes while being thin
and dry in the mountains and high deserts.
Like the other inhabited worlds of Abaddon,
Edegene fauna is dominated by archosaurs.
However, the civilization of Edegene
consists mainly of intelligent, spider-like
golems (artificial organisms) called
Terraformers who have dramatically
reshaped the landscape. Crossing a
mountain ridge could lead to a new land with an alien ecosystem. Even the
geology is noticeably altered, with landforms constructed from concrete,
bricks, or organic secretions. Some landscapes are littered with parts of
giant egg cases, chrysalises, and molted carapaces.
Squawk Setting 68
Terraformers
The golems and other living machines of Squawk were created by
combining genes and symbionts from various animals, plants and alien life
forms discovered by the reptilian intelligent species over the last 250
million years. The golems that came to Abaddon with the first colonists
were thought to have very limited intelligence, but at least one strain on
Edegene has proven extremely resourceful and independent.
Edegene's Terraformers were genetically derived from spiders. These
"spider golems" were made to build and repair spacecraft. This required
elevated intelligence and the ability to survive for long periods of time in
the vacuum of space. They were given the ability to communicate, make
records, and solve problems creatively. Their natural ability to make strong
materials was harnessed to manufacture and assemble reinforcing structures
and armor.
Even at this early stage a golem culture began to emerge. To communicate
visually in space they built colored, knotted webs in cube frames and
anchored them to posts on the outside of artificial habitats. General
information could be read from the cube frame at a distance, and a golem
could rotate the cube frame and read the web for more details. These signs
are still used on Edegene. Web strands were used to communicate with
vibrations, providing the basic organs and intelligence for the strumming
and plucking sounds of edegene golem voices that developed later.
Vibration or rhythmic tapping could also be used to communicate through
the hull of a ship.
The cuticle or "skin" of these golems has reflective and glowing patterns
that change color to indicate workload, scheduled tasks and so forth. Both
reflective color and glowing were important in space where ambient light is
low but direct light is intense. This is also why these golems are usually
smooth-skinned instead of furry like many spiders and insectoid golems.
The spider golems have sharp binocular color vision that aids in this
communication.
Terraforming Edegene
Edegene began as a cold, barren, twilight world that did not support life or
have a breathable atmosphere. At some point in early Abaddon history, a
ring of satellites was built around Edegene to heat the planet's atmosphere
with solar energy. These satellites are maintained by golem technicians.
Golems descended satellite-anchored beanstalks to Edegene's surface to
cultivate life.
At first intelligent archosaurs settled in a few artificial habitats, dependent
on spider golems already adapted to working in a cold vacuum. These
colonies evolved into modern Edegene by expanding the artificial habitats
and satellite ring while developing new types of golems. The golems
gradually became more independent while the settlers remained dependent
on the golems.
The satellites and beanstalks are still used to control the climate and
monitor weather patterns on the planet now that the surface is teeming with
life. This is one reason this world can have a temperate climate while being
much further from Abaddon than the satellites of Midgard. From a distance,
the ring of satellites looks like a natural ring of debris.
In Edegene's atmosphere a golem can communicate verbally with
plucking/strumming mouth parts. Splicers and wardens - golems who must
record a lot of data, especially genetic data - are equipped with genetic
recording devices that can record actual DNA samples as well as other
information.
Squawk Setting 70
As these golems relied on each other in terraforming Edegene, their

communication networks perpetuated a Terraformer Law. This law includes
rules for sustaining the planet's life and increasing its biodiversity.
Terraformer Castes
Splicers and grafters are the main breeds of Terraformers. Both breeds are
capable of multitasking, reflection, empathy and creative problem solving,
but they have different overriding instincts.
Splicers have a more intense social awareness of other golems, driving them
to teach, repair, cultivate, and nurture other golems. These golem experts
collect and hatch eggs, surgically modify young golems for specific
functions, and modify mature golems. Each specialized, made-to-order
golem must be developed according to Terraformer Law. Splicers use all
eight legs to climb around operating webs, and they have a variety of golem
surgery blades on their many hands which resemble pruning hooks, saws
and scalpels.
Grafters have territorial instincts, making them sensitive to environmental
needs and leading them to investigate problems and opportunities to
improve their territories. They are landscapers and farmers, counting and
caring for all types of organisms and collecting genetic samples. When they
are not sleeping or working, grafters record and report the progress of their
efforts. They sleep in unobtrusive burrows or lairs, marked with a web-sign,
where they keep records and samples. Some grafters are assigned to a
stewardship territory where they live most of their lives. Grafters are
constantly aware of the rise and fall of the seasonal changes of organisms in
their territory, often talking about the ebb and flow of life.
Stewards are intelligent golems assigned to terraform a territory, maintain
its optimum sustainability, and maximize its biodiversity. A steward could
be an experienced and intelligent grafter, or a splicer with a good sense of
seasons.
Wardens are golems who manage stewards and collect data for the Web of
Life - a library and postal service operating in all of the Terraformer
territories. Wardens collect data, genetic material, golem eggs, spawning
orders and samples in their lairs. Wardens ferry these resources to other
warden lairs. Stewards visit warden lairs to access these resources and share
them with neighboring stewards. The Web of Life is an economy that
balances the surplus and demand for species.
Edegene Infrastructure
Edegene architecture is built from a variety of composite materials. Light,
strong webbing can be used for tension cables, combined with wooden
posts or stonework for rigid support, woven into fabrics, or coated in stiff
resin to create strong light materials similar to fiberglass and carbon fiber.
Clear meshes and fabrics of thin webbing serve as transparent or translucent
windows and skylights which do not need to be airtight.
A splicer web is a network of interconnected passages. Main halls, much
wider than other passages, are used for operating on golems. The halls have
curb-roofs with two slopes like a gambrel-roofed barn. The middle of the
web contains nursery halls and adjacent domes which are actually upper
sections of lairs where splicers sleep in alternating shifts and record data in
community genetic recorders. Golems can collapse, rearrange, or recycle
these building components.
Splicer web halls are filled with operating webs and cocoons full of surgical
supplies such as glues, oils, fuels, solvents and drugs. Spaces between halls
are filled with gardens that grow special plants necessary to maintain the
web building. Animals in the gardens maintain biodiversity and
sustainability. The gardens are also used to test and teach young
Terraformers.
Squawk Setting 72
The Northern Continent

Many Terraformers believe that golems actually created the archosaurs, and
have a responsibility to ensure the survival and happiness of their creations.
They plan entire ecosystems in ways they feel are beneficial, but they are
violently intolerant toward anyone they see as threats to the sustainability of
the world they have created.
Two thousand years ago, in a schism known as The Great Secession, the
Terraformers of the northern continent, believing that the terraforming of
Edegene was complete, decided to shift their focus away from developing
new technology and ecosystems and focus on maintaining environments
where intelligent archosaurs could thrive.
Intelligent archosaurs living among the Terraformers serve as helpers for
splicers, grafters, stewards and wardens. They use the same technology as
the Terraformers.
The Symbiotic Territories are settled by intelligent archosaurs and have
diplomatically gained independence from the Terraformers. Each territory is
governed by a tribe of one species. The Symbiotic Order hosts diplomatic
councils between the tribes to keep the peace. A gift economy distributes
resources across tribal borders. Although outnumbered by intelligent
archosaurs, Grafters and splicers are highly valued in in these territories as
architects, armorers, teachers, doctors, and trade advisors. Technology and
architecture in the Symbiotic Territories is similar to Terraformer
technology and architecture. Tribe members live in walled villages to keep
out predators and protect domesticated plants and animals.
The Liberators are a union of two intelligent archosaur groups which keep
golem slaves and believe that golems should not control any territory of the
planet. Heirs believe that the families of the original colonists should inherit
Edegene. Heirs are constantly expanding their territory, and they imprison,
enslave and torture Terraformers who break their laws. Golem Masters
follow ancient scriptures which teach that golems should obey their
reptilian masters. Golem Masters breed the Liberator slaves, which are
similar to grafters.
The Southern Continent

In The Great Secession two thousand years ago, the Overlords separated
themselves from the Terraformers of the Northern continent. Stewards of
the southern continent used genetic engineering technologies to increase
biodiversity in new ways. Southern wardens felt that the northern
Terraformer emphasis on the welfare of intelligent archosaurs was a threat
to progress. A group of splicer wardens from the southern continent
organized themselves as the Overlords, champions of biodiversity.
The Terraformers of the northern continent disconnected themselves from
the southern continent territories loyal to the Overlords. They also seized
control over the light-collecting satellite ring to deprive the Overlords of
light. As a result the darker Overlord continent has lost much of its
biodiversity. The flow of heat between the dramatically different latitudes
creates massive storms in the seas that separate the continents.
Overlords tried to reclaim the Northern Continent and the weather satellites
using microbial weapons and enhanced splicers, but the southern stewards
did not have faith in the Overlord wardens, and for each territory gained in
the Northern Continent another was lost in the Southern Continent.
Overlords have since focused their energies on maintaining the Southern
Continent.
Squawk Setting 74
The Overlords altered themselves to live longer, hibernate, regenerate

quickly, reproduce by budding, grow larger and develop extra limbs and
natural weapons. Overlords avoid the open communication of cube signs
and encrypt their genetic records with secret codes. They use mind-altering
drugs and microbial infections to make their stewards completely
submissive. These stewards build and maintain armored forts called nests.
Stewards and grafters cultivate molds, fungi, and bacteria within and
beneath the nests and harvest other resources outside of the nests.
Today Overlords seek to improve their dominion over their stewards and
share biotechnology in their web of life. They interpret the ancient
stewardship guidelines in Abaddon colonist scriptures to mean a golem's
most important attribute is Loyalty. They also believe that as the creators of
life they have a right to do with that life as they please. Though fewer in
number, the Overlords have more highly developed weaponry than the
Terraformers. They use these weapons frequently in civil wars, and political
turmoil is the norm. The Overlords aggressively seek out lost technologies
to help them develop new weapons.
Some Overlord weapons can transform enemies into weapons. Some grow
mind-controlling parasitic nervous systems. Microbial weapons cause the
target's aggression to rise above natural levels while making them avoid a
certain ally signature. The signatures used by Overlords to protect
themselves from their own weapons and parasite-controlled enemies are
also used by Terraformers to detect Overlords.
Intelligent archosaurs on the Overlord continent live in small hunter-
gatherer tribes who can avoid being overtaken by Overlords. While
Terraformer dominated areas are often zoo-like animal-friendly ecologies,
Overlord dominated areas are often ranch-like biological factories.
The Tomb Keepers are a renegade sect of the Symbiotic order more focused
on the preservation of ancient knowledge than the creation of peace and
stability. The Tomb Keepers of Edegene are descendants of colonists from
Trydeen. They have secured ancient Overlord nests and cultivated the
Overlords' microbial bio-weapons. This allows them to develop settlements
with crops and flocks, protected from Overlords that would casually devour
them as fuel. They even hunt and capture Overlords to steal new
technology. The most effective hunters and warriors are trusted with more
knowledge and access to bio-weapons.
Trydeen
Trydeen is a planet-sized living organism.
Massive roots extend through layers of
organic matter, non-metallic minerals
and ice all the way into the moon's core.
A dense red and blue layer of poison
clouds cover the entire surface except
for ranges of green mountain peaks that
rise above the noxious fumes. High voltage
electrical pulses within the clouds are always
visible, caused by frequent electrical storms.
Underworld
The dark Underworld beneath the poison
clouds has clusters of massive vines that
extend from beneath the ground into the
poisonous cloud cover a few kilometers above. These vines feed off of the
electricity in the clouds. The vines are several meters thick and are spaced a
few hundred meters apart within a group. The groups are spaced a few
kilometers apart.
The dark underworld is home to numerous nocturnal creatures. This
insulated environment favors creatures with intermediate metabolisms,
mostly cold-blooded reptiles and birds which can warm themselves up and
travel long distances to find food without having to eat frequently.
Overworld
The mountaintops above the poison gas layer are covered in very green,
dense, mossy vegetation at least a meter (3 feet) thick, with roots blending
into the thick topsoil beneath. Grass grows from the top of this organic
mass. Thick forests contain twining vines as thick as trees. Even the water is
green with photosynthetic microorganisms. Outside of the cities, the the
Overworld is full of smaller omnivores which thrive in forests and thick
undergrowth. Civilization and nature have an unusual balance in this hyper-
rich ecosystem.
Squawk Setting 76
The primary form of government on the Overworld is a theocratic variation

of the Symbiotic Order, influenced by Trydeen's close proximity to the
Terraformers of Edegene. Priests are clerical bureaucrats who serve as local
leaders and keep the theocracy itself running. Guardians are soldiers who
enforce the religious law established by the Priests.
Dromes are the most common intelligent species of the Overworld. Many of
them are Priests or Guardians but most are employed in Trydeen's highly
sophisticated agriculture which ranges from basic staple crops to strange
trees that produce pods with golems inside. Most manufacturing on Trydeen
employs that type of biological production rather than mechanical factories.
The behemoth tribes are usually peaceful unless attacked. They often serve
Priests in the Symbiotic theocracy, but more often as farmers. There are
also many behemoth Guardians.
The orns of the Overworld are hostile nomadic tribes of hunters and traders
who frequently attack drome villages. Efforts by the dromes to convert the
orns to their own way of life have been partially successful, so some orns
also serve as agricultural workers, Guardians, or in unusual cases priests
that help convert other orns.
Most of the theocracy's Guardians are myrmidons, but there are also
myrmidon tribes who are hostile to the theocracy and even more hostile
towards the nomadic orns.
The boreans are peaceful fishermen who live in, on, or below the many
small lakes of the Overworld, having developed a style of subterranean and
sub-aquatic architecture. These boreans usually trade peacefully with the
other cultures.
The Mutualists
The Mutualists are primarily myrmidon vegetarians who tend to eat a high
calorie diet of legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables. Other intelligent
species sometimes live in Mutualist communities, but they are not always
able to fully participate in the Mutualist culture. Mutualist culture is an
interplanetary culture with colonies on Peleg and Radix.
Mutualist hives are villages composed of domes, connecting corridors,

compartments and courtyards. The shapes used in the design and
construction of these dwellings are typically six sided, and occasionally
triangular rather than rectangular.
Hives are sometimes parts of other towns. The development of a hive in a
town can enhance the town's ability to defend itself. In spite of their rowdy
behavior, the myrmidons are rarely a serious threat to other inhabitants of
the town.
Mutualist culture is based on community responsibility and individual
specialization. Each individual is encouraged to develop his own
specialized talents and style of work rather than conforming to one standard
of education or industry. However, the Hive works together as a team,
organizing individual contributions to suit the needs of the whole
community.
This lifestyle creates a unique situation regarding a hive's available
resources. For example, a hive may be low on fruit with an excess of grain,
because some of the Mutualists have specialized in growing and breeding
grain. This makes trade with neighboring communities indispensable.
Slam dancing is a particularly popular boxing sport in Mutualist culture.
Heavy percussion instruments play music while a match is fought. The slam
dancers one-up each other by making the other dancers stop moving long
enough to miss the rhythm of the music. Most of the offensive techniques
are strikes, and tail sweeps are particularly common. Slam dancing includes
many acrobatic techniques like high kicks, spinning tail sweeps, and
tumbling.
Myrmidons tie leather sheathes around their tail swords when slam dancing,
and other species are usually required to where extensive body armor if they
dare to engage in the sport. Sometimes slam dancing involves sparring
weapons, but the rules of slam dancing require that the weapons be
concealed in the fighter's uniform, reflecting the traditional street fighting
weapons of myrmidon martial artists. These are typically short clubs,
wooden blades, flails and whips.
Squawk Setting 78
The Upper Worlds

The Upper Worlds above the temperate zone include rocky planets and gas
giants with many moons. The moons and rocky planets are uninhabited
except for small artificial habitats. The civilizations here tend to be high
tech, reclusive, individualistic and even aristocratically arrogant.
Aside from Nereid the outer worlds consist of only artificial habitats. At this
distance from Abaddon energy is more difficult to get, so efficiency is
highly valued. Biomechanical creatures are used as well as other
technologies such as electronics. Habitats are generally smaller and much
further apart than the Middle Worlds and Underworlds. There are no wild
animals in these artificial habitats apart from the odd zoo or game park.
Thalassa is a large ice giant.

Nereid is a moon of Thalassa with liquid water under an icy crust.
Niflheim is a smaller ice giant beyond the orbit of Thalassa.
The Ice Worlds are dwarf planets near and beyond Niflheim orbit.
Nereid
Nereid is a moon of Thalassa with a dark,
liquid water ocean beneath an icy crust.
Nereid is home to a civilization with
advanced biotechnology. Although
focused on water-based technology,
the Nereid civilization also produces
living spacecraft with streamlined
designs inspired by aquatic creatures.
The Nereid Fleet is this world's space navy,
but rarely sighted on their home world.
They have a competitive officer class
who spend most of their lives traveling
though interplanetary space picking
fights with pirates and other enemies.
Below the frozen surface, Nereid has
several spaceports where vehicles can
be repaired and refueled. Security and privacy
concerns prevent visitors from freely exploring the world beyond the
spaceport. Floating cities under the ice are filled with air, and inhabited by
intelligent species with gardens, pets, livestock and golems.
Air-breathing animals are not found outside of the floating cities. In
Nereid's subsurface geothermally heated ocean, most of the animals are
invertebrates, sharks, fish, and a few reptiles that have evolved the ability to
absorb oxygen through their digestive tracts.
Squawk Setting 80
Thalassa
Thalassa is an ice giant largely composed
of a water-ammonia ocean. The outer
layers of the atmosphere support buoyant
habitats created using advanced outer
world technology. Gravity in these
floating cities is significantly greater
than the natural or simulated gravity
of most inhabited worlds.
inhospitable world.
Niflheim
Niflheim is a smaller ice giant, largely
composed of a water-ammonia ocean,
beyond the orbit of Thalassa. The
atmosphere of Niflheim contains a
few floating cities: bouyant habitats
at an altitude where the gravity and
atmospheric pressure are similar
to other inhabited worlds.
inhospitable world.
The Ice Worlds

The ice worlds are numerous icy and rocky
dwarf planets found near and beyond the orbit
of Niflheim. They are so far from Abaddon
that the sun is just another bright star.
Rumors of lost ships and ancient
technology occasionally lure explorers
to this dark place and its frozen spheres.
Appendix A - Scratch Role-Playing System 82
Appendix A: Scratch Role-Playing System
Basic Rules
The Scratch RPS provides simple rules for role-playing games (RPGs.) In
an RPG, each player takes on the role of a character in a story or simulation.
People play RPGs to have fun and socialize, but they can also be a fun way
to practice basic math and problem-solving skills. A Scratch RPS character
looks something like this:
Zimzambamalam (8 shooting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 10

defense) is a master of magic who destroys his enemies with
bolts of lightning from his fingertips (using his shooting
ability.) The mighty wizard relies on the awesome power of
his magic rather than weapons or fancy footwork.
Each character has some abilities, and each of those abilities has a level. If a
character does not have at least one level of an ability, the character does
not have that ability and cannot use that ability.
Action
Some actions, like a character attacking another character, have a chance of
success and a chance of failure. To determine whether the action succeeds,
roll a twenty-sided die. (If you do not have a twenty-sided die, see the
"Twenty-Sided Die Alternatives" section below.) Modifiers, such as ability
levels, are then added to certain types of rolls. If the total is greater than or
equal to the difficulty of the action, then the action succeeds. If the die roll
is 20 before adding an ability level or other modifiers, then the action
automatically succeeds. If the die roll is not 20 and the total is less than the
difficulty, the action fails.
Ability rolls require a character to use specific abilities. If the character does
not have the ability, they cannot succeed at the ability roll. The character's
ability level is added as a modifier to the roll. "Make a command roll
(difficulty 25)" or "beat a command roll of 25" means a player whose
character has at least one level of command ability can roll a twenty-sided
die then add his character's command ability level to the roll. The character
is only successful if the total is equal to or greater than 25, or the player
rolls a 20 before adding his character's command ability. For example,
suppose a character with 3 levels of craftsmanship ability has to make a
craftsmanship roll of 15. He rolls 12, and 12 plus 3 is equal to the difficulty
15, so he is barely successful.
Non-ability rolls are not affected by ability levels. "Make a non-ability roll
(difficulty 11)" or "Make a non-ability roll of 11" means a player whose
character is attempting the action should roll a twenty-sided die. The action
succeeds when the roll 11 or greater and fails when the roll is 10 or less.
Characters have hit points which determine whether they are healthy,
injured or incapacitated. Characters usually start combat with their
maximum hit points. A character's toughness ability level is his maximum
hit points. Tgh/2 is half of a character's toughness, rounded down. A healthy
character has more hit points than his tgh/2. An injured character has at
least one hit point but no more hit points than his tgh/2. Characters can
never have less than zero hit points. A character with zero hit points is
incapacitated and cannot perform actions.
For example, if a character has 7 toughness, his tgh/2 would be 3, so he
would be healthy when his hit points are 4, 5, 6 or 7, injured when his hit
points 1, 2 or 3, and incapacitated when his hit points are 0.
In combat characters take turns performing actions. Some attack actions
cause damage when they are successful. Each point of damage reduces the
target's hit points by 1. The difficulty of attacking a character is the
character's defense, except when the rules specify a different difficulty. A
character's defense is either 10 plus the level of his best defensive ability or
10 plus his tgh/2, whichever is greater.
For example, if a character has a defensive ability with 3 levels, and the
character has 2 tgh/2, then his defense is 13 (10 plus his defensive ability,
which is higher than his tgh/2.) If he is attacked and his attacker's roll plus
applicable ability level is 13 (or more,) then the attack would be successful.
(If the roll was 12 or less, the attack would fail.)
Every character can do some basic combat actions.

A basic close range attack which causes 1 damage. If the

basic attack attack is automatically successful, it causes 2 damage instead
of 1.
A close range distraction or grappling attack forces one target
delay to skip it's next turn if it is successful. If the attack is
automatically successful, it also causes 1 damage.
If a dangerous throwable object, such as a rock or chair is
available, a character can throw it. This long range attack
throw object
causes 1 damage if it is successful. If the attack is
automatically successful, it causes 2 damage instead of 1.
Add the level of one movement ability to the character's
evade defense until his next turn. A character without movement
abilities can also evade, but his defense does not change.
To catch an evading character, make a success roll. The
difficulty of this action is 10 plus the evading character's
catch movement ability. The catching character can add a
movement ability to his roll. If the roll is successful, the
evading character's defense returns to normal.
A character can escape the battle if he evaded on his last turn
escape and has not been caught or hit since that turn. The character
cannot perform actions or be attacked for the rest of the fight.
do nothing A character can also do nothing instead of an action.
The success of basic attack, delay, throw object and catch is determined by
a non-ability roll. These are all considered attacks, so the difficulty of the
roll is the target's defense.
When a character attacks at close range, such as a basic attack or delay, he
can engage the target. The attacker adds a modifier of 2 to his attack roll, in
addition to any other modifiers that are added to the roll. Regardless of
whether the attack succeeds, the attacker's defense is reduced by two until
his next turn.
Abilities
Characters are often created by distributing ability levels between 1 or more
abilities. No ability can receive more levels than a certain maximum level.
Characters typically have between three and six abilities. All characters
have toughness, most have at least one attack ability, and many have a
defensive ability.
The characters in the combat example which follows the list of abilities
below were created by distributing 10 ability levels with a maximum level
of 4. These are good limits for making characters that are like average
people. Chokestar was created by distributing 2 levels to piloting ability,
2 levels to toughness ability, 3 levels to wrestling ability and 3 levels to
stalking ability, for a total of 10 levels, and no more than 4 levels of any
single ability.
Maximum level limit requires a character to divide his ability levels
between a variety of abilities instead of putting all of his levels into a
single ability. For example, in a game where characters are slightly more
powerful than the average person, they might start with 12 ability points,
and a maximum level limit of 5. Characters in this game would have to
divide their ability points between at least three abilities.
Appropriate abilities, total ability levels and maximum levels for new
characters depend on the setting and type of character being created.
Scratch RPS abilities can be loosely interpreted or adapted to a wide
variety of settings and types of characters. For example, shooting could
be used with guns, bows, other ranged weapons or magic powers. See
http://knol.google.com/k/seth-galbraith/scratch-rps-settings
for more examples.
List of Abilities
Toughness is a character's maximum hit points, and represents armor, size
or other damage-resisting traits. Most characters have at least 2 toughness.
Characters who are big, physically fit, armored or highly motivated will
have 3 or more toughness. Some characters might have only 1 toughness
because they are particularly fragile or because they are unmotivated and
give up as soon as they are injured. Characters without toughness may not
perform actions in combat rounds
Shooting is used to perform an extra powerful attack against one character.
If the attack is successful, it causes 2 damage. If the attack is automatically
successful it causes 5 damage. If the attacker is injured, then using shooting
ability causes him to skip his next turn.
Blasting is used to attack multiple opponents simultaneously with one big
attack. Using blasting allows an attacker to attack three separate targets in
one turn, but he cannot attack any single target more than once on that turn.
Each successful attack causes 1 damage. Each automatically successful
attack causes 2 damage instead of 1. If the attacker is injured, using blasting
causes him to skip his next turn.
Knockout is used to perform extremely devastating attacks against a single
character at close range. If the attacker is healthy, a knockout attack causes
5 damage. If the attacker is injured, a knockout attack causes 2 damage. If a
knockout attack is automatically successful it causes 7 damage if the
attacker is healthy or 5 damage if the attacker is injured. Using a knockout
attack causes the attacker to skip his next turn.
Fighting is used to perform quick attacks against one or two enemies. If the
attacker is healthy he can do two attacks on his turn. If the attacker is
injured, then he can only do one attack per turn. Each successful fighting
attack causes 1 damage. If a fighting attack is automatically successful, it
causes 2 damage instead of 1.
Wrestling is used to perform delaying attacks. If a delaying attack is
successful the target does not loose hit points, but instead is forced to skip
his next turn. If the attacker using wrestling ability is healthy, he can do
both a delaying attack and an attack that causes 1 damage on a single turn.
If the attacker using wrestling ability is injured he can only do one delaying
attack or one damaging attack per turn. If the damaging attack is
automatically successful, it causes 2 damage instead of 1. If the delaying
attack is automatically successful it causes 1 damage in addition to delaying
the target.
Stalking is a defensive ability which determines the order of turns in

combat. Characters with more stalking ability go first. If characters have the
same stalking level, then randomly determine who goes first. (Roll a die for
each tied character. Whoever rolls higher goes first. If they roll the same,
re-roll.) When a player controls more than one character, all of those
characters move and perform actions on the same turn. The highest stalking
ability level of all the characters controlled by a player determines when the
player's characters have their turn.
Acrobatics is a defensive ability and movement ability used to get up,
across, or over three-dimensional structures and obstacles like ropes, nets,
ledges, ladders, fences, trees and cliffs. Acrobatics can be used to catch
characters who are trying to escape by using acrobatics, quickness and even
flying when these three-dimensional structures are in the combat
environment.
Quickness is a defensive ability and movement ability used to evade, escape
and catch characters on relatively level ground. Quickness is used to catch
characters using quickness or no ability to escape, but it can also be used to
catch characters escaping with acrobatics, swimming or flying when the
environment does not allow them to get far from solid ground (short trees,
shallow water or low ceiling for example.)
Flying is a defensive ability and movement ability used to evade, escape,
and catch characters who are escaping by flying and quickness. Flying can
only be used where there is room to fly. (There is usually room to fly
outdoors but not indoors.) When a flying character evades or uses a long
range attack, he cannot be attacked with a close range attack until his next
turn.
Flying can also be used to catch characters escaping by climbing unless
obstacles like tree branches protect climbers from fliers, and it can be used
to catch characters escaping by swimming if the water is shallow. A
character with no flying ability cannot fly, and cannot get flying ability
unless there is a good explanation for why then can fly now when before
they could not.
Swimming is a movement ability used to evade, escape and catch characters
who are trying to escape in water. When a character is in water, add his
swimming ability to his defense and close range attack rolls in addition to
the ability levels normally added to defense and attack rolls. When there is
deep water in the combat environment, characters escaping by swimming
cannot be reached by characters who are flying, quickness or using
acrobatics. A character without this ability does not know how to swim.
Most land-dwelling species can only develop one or two levels of
swimming ability without special equipment.
Healing allows a character to try to revive incapacitated characters and heal

injured characters. A character cannot heal himself with this ability. The
difficulty of reviving an incapacitated character is 10. The difficulty of
healing an injured character is 10. After being successfully revived a
character is still injured, and has only one hit point. After being successfully
healed a character is barely healthy, with 1 hit point more than half of his
maximum hit points (rounded down.)
Craftsmanship is an ability which allows a character to maintain and
improve his allies' equipment. For each level of this ability, a character can
give a traveling companion a temporary +1 bonus to an ability which is
already at least level 1. He cannot give a second temporary bonus to an
ability which has a temporary bonus from himself or someone else. The
bonus lasts until he removes it or they are no longer traveling companions.
He cannot remove or add bonuses in combat. He must make a success roll
to add a temporary bonus in a hurry (usually difficulty 10.) If the roll fails
he cannot use that temporary bonus until he is no longer in a hurry.
Command is an ability that provides a character with minions whose total
ability level is no greater than the character's command ability level. None
of these followers can have command ability or an ability level greater than
half of the leader's command ability (rounded up.) A character with 4
command could have 4 minions with 1 ability level each, 2 minions with 2
ability levels each or 3 minions with 1 or 2 ability levels, but no minions
with 3 or more levels. For example:
The Boss (3 shooting, 1 stalking, 4 command, 2 toughness, 1
tgh/2, 11 defense) is a street smart enforcer with a white suit
and a submachine gun. He is always accompanied by four
muscular, but poorly motivated thugs (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2,
10 defense) who conceal blunt weapons under their long
overcoats.
Minions can continue fighting even after their leader has escaped or been
incapacitated.
Combat Example
Breakhelm X-19 (1 piloting, 4 shooting, 4 fighting, 6 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 13
defense) is a notorious mutant-cyborg outlaw, wanted for piracy and
industrial sabotage. He is armed with an advanced targeting system that
gives him deadly accuracy with both his side arm and space ship weaponry,
as well as helps him pilot space craft. Much of his body is cybernetic and
armored, with retractable blades intended for use in industrial emergencies
and self-defense.
Chokestar (2 piloting, 3 wrestling, 3 stalking, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13
defense) is a bounty hunter, pilot and non-lethal weapons expert. He likes to
take his targets quickly and by surprise, using crafty stealth techniques to
bring in live bounties. He usually wears dark-colored gear that conceals his
identity.
Flipfire (2 shooting, 2 healing, 2 fighting, 2 acrobatics, 2 toughness, 1
tgh/2, 12 defense) is a medic and commando turned mercenary. She has an
acrobatic fighting style that allows her to keep fighting as she leaps back
and forth between fallen comrades as she attempts to revive them. She is
armed with a bayoneted assault rifle and light body armor.
Chokestar and Flipfire have just stormed onto Breakhelm X-19's ship in an
attempt to capture him. Chokestar goes first because he has the highest
stalking ability. Flipfire and Breakhelm X-19 both have no stalking ability,
so a twenty-sided die is rolled for each of these characters to break the tie.
Flipfire goes next and Breakhelm X-19 goes last because her roll is 7, and
his roll is 4. Each character has hit points equal to his or her toughness.
Chokestar can do two attacks with his wrestling ability: a damaging attack
and a delaying attack. For his delaying attack he attacks Breakhelm X-19
with a stun gun. A twenty-sided die roll is added to Chokestar's wrestling
ability, for a total of 12, which is barely not enough to reach Breakhelm X-
19's defense of 13 (10 plus his tgh/2.) Chokestar's damaging attack is a
combo of martial-arts strikes. A die roll is added to his wrestling for a total
of 13, which is barely equal to Breakhelm X-19's defense, so Breakhelm X-
19's hit points are lowered from 6 to 5.
Flipfire takes a shot at Breakhelm X-19 with her rifle. A die is added to her
shooting for a total of 10, which is not high enough to reach Breakhelm X-
19's defense, so her bullets fail to penetrate his armor. (This also causes one
point of damage to Breakhelm X-19's ship according to the Vehicle Rules
below.)
Breakhelm X-19's retractable blades come out, and he slices away at

Chokestar. A die roll is added to Breakhelm X-19's fighting ability for a
total of 18, which injures Chokestar by lowering his hit points from 2 to 1
so that they are equal to his 1 tgh/2. Breakhelm X-19 can do a second
fighting attack, so he tries to finish off Chokestar while he can. A die roll is
added to Breakhelm X-19's fighting ability, for a total of 14, so Chokestar is
tossed to the side incapacitated with 0 hit points.
Chokestar does nothing because he is incapacitated. This is called skipping
his turn, although this is still considered his turn.
Flipfire leaps to Chokestar's aid, injecting him with adrenaline and
leveraging him back to his feet. Flipfire's healing ability is added to a die
roll for a total of 14, which is equal to or greater than the 10 difficulty of
reviving a character. This restores Chokestar to 1 hit point, so he is injured
rather than incapacitated.
Breakhelm X-19 takes careful aim at Flipfire and fires. A die roll is added
to his shooting ability for a total of 11, which only grazes Flipfire causing
her no damage because it does not quite reach her 12 defense (10 plus her
acrobatics ability.)
Chokestar again tries to stun Breakhelm X-19. Chokestar's wrestling ability
plus a die roll comes to 15, reaching and surpassing Breakhelm X-19's
defense, so Breakhelm X-19 must skip his next turn as he shakes off being
stunned. Chokestar does not get a second wrestling attack because he is
injured.
Flipfire takes another shot at Breakhelm X-19. Her shooting ability plus a
die roll comes to 19, lowering Breakhelm X-19's hit points to 3, and
injuring him because his remaining hit points are not greater than his 3
tgh/2.
Breakhelm X-19 skips his turn because he has been delayed by a hit from
Chokestar's stun gun. The skipped turn is still considered Breakhelm X-19's
most recent turn even though he can do nothing this turn.
Chokestar chooses to attack Breakhelm X-19 with a damaging strike instead
of stunning him again. Chokestar's wrestling ability is added to a die roll for
a total of 16, which is equal to or greater than Breakhelm X-19's defense,
lowering his hit points to 2.
Flipfire takes another shot at Breakhelm X-19. Her shooting ability plus a
die roll reaches or exceeds Breakhelm X-19's defense, his hit points are
lowered to 0 and he is incapacitated. The bounty hunters are victorious.
Vehicles
Vehicles are similar to characters, but they cannot be healed by healing
ability, and they do not automatically recover hit points between battles.
Vehicles cannot do a basic attack, delay action or throw object, but they can
ram, which causes 5 damage. If the target of the ram attack has at least 10
but no more than 19 toughness, the attacking vehicle takes 1 damage. If the
target has at least 20 toughness, the attacking vehicle takes 2 damage.
Combat involving vehicles takes place on a larger scale. Characters and
vehicles can be separated into different groups that are too far apart for
normal long range attacks like shooting and blasting. Vehicles can easily
move between groups, but characters can only move between groups by
riding vehicles or escaping.
Vehicle Abilities
Toughness reflects a vehicle's size and armor. Tougher vehicles are usually
heavier.
Stalking reflects a vehicle's stealth and observation features, including
camouflage, radar and other sensors.
Swimming allows a vehicle to move on the water.
Sailing allows a vehicle to move on the water without using fuel unless the
difficulty of sailing the route is greater than the vehicle's sailing ability.
Diving allows a vehicle to move underwater.
Quickness allows a vehicle to move on the ground.
Land sailing allows a vehicle to travel some ground routes without using
fuel.
Flying allows a vehicle to move in the air.
Soaring allows a vehicle to travel some air routes without using fuel.
Spaceflight allows a vehicle to move in outer space.
Solar sailing allows a vehicle to travel some space routes without using
fuel.
Range determines how much a vehicle can move before exhausting it's fuel.
A vehicle has 1 point of fuel for each level of range ability. Outside of
combat, parties of characters take turns traveling on routes that consume 1
point of fuel. These routes might be roads on a map or spaces on a grid.
Range can be important if the routes lead to places where fuel is scarce.
Vehicles without range cannot travel long distances but can still move like
other vehicles during combat.
Repair allows vehicle to fix itself outside of combat. Vehicles usually have
a chance to repair themselves between battles, typically at the beginning of
each travel turn. A successful repair roll (difficulty 10) increases an injured
vehicle's hit points to half of it's toughness (rounded down) plus 1. A
successful repair roll restores a healthy vehicle to maximum hit points
(toughness.)
Grapple allows a vehicle to do a shoving or boarding attack. Grapple can
only be used to attack vehicles in the same group. A boarding attack allows
any of the characters riding the attacking vehicle to board the target vehicle.
A shoving attack makes a target skip it's next turn. Also, when a vehicle is
shoved, roll a twenty-sided die for each character aboard the vehicle. If the
roll is equal to or greater than the character's defense, the character takes 1
damage. A vehicle that has to skip it's next turn because of being shoved
cannot be boarded. An injured vehicle must skip it's next turn after
grappling.
Guns allows a vehicle to attack one vehicle or character in the same group,
causing 5 damage if it is successful. An injured vehicle must skip it's next
turn after using guns.
Missiles allows a vehicle to attack one vehicle in the same group or another
group, causing 5 damage if it is successful. An injured vehicle must skip it's
next turn after using missiles.
Bombs allows a vehicle to attack all of the vehicles in any group, causing 5
damage to each vehicle successfully attacked. A healthy vehicle must skip
it's next turn after using bombs. An injured vehicle cannot use bombs.
Countermeasures allows a vehicle to attack all of the enemy vehicles in
the same group, forcing each enemy successfully attacked to skip a turn. An
injured vehicle must skip it's next turn after using countermeasures.
Autopilot allows a vehicle to maneuver without a pilot.
Targeting allows a vehicle to aim and fire it's weapons without a gunner.
Vehicle Crews
Characters with craftsmanship ability can attempt to repair one vehicle at
the beginning of each travel turn (difficulty 10.) Successfully repairing an
incapacitated vehicle restores it to 1 hit point. Successfully repairing an
injured vehicle restores it's hit points to half of the vehicle's toughness
(rounded down) plus 1, making that vehicle healthy. Successfully repairing
a healthy vehicle restores it to maximum hit points.
Every vehicle needs either targeting ability or a gunner in order to use guns,
missiles, bombs or countermeasures. A gunner is a character with shooting
or blasting ability. The best of these two abilities is added to the vehicle's
guns, missiles, bombs and countermeasures ability levels. When a vehicle
uses it's guns, missiles, bombs or countermeasures the gunner must skip his
next turn. Other attacks and actions that force the gunner to skip his next
turn also prevent the gunner from operating the vehicle's weapons on the
vehicle's next turn.
Every vehicle needs either a pilot or autopilot ability in order to move,
grapple or do a ram attack. Driving ability allows a character to pilot a
ground vehicle. Navigation ability allows a character to pilot a water
vehicle. Piloting ability allows a character to pilot an air or space vehicle.
The pilot's ability level is added to the vehicle's grapple ability, the vehicle's
stalking ability and the vehicle's movement ability. A pilot with shooting or
blasting ability can also be a gunner.
A vehicle's defense is either 10 plus the movement ability it is currently
using or 10 plus the best ability level from the following list: stalking,
autopilot, targeting and countermeasures. When a vehicle moves, evades or
does a close range attack (grapple or ram attack) the pilot of the vehicle
must skip his next turn. Other attacks and actions that force the pilot to skip
his next turn also prevent the pilot from operating the vehicle on the
vehicle's next turn. (Tgh/2 is not used for vehicle defense.)
Vehicle Combat
Characters and vehicles can be detected or undetected. At the beginning of a
battle, all of the vehicles and characters are undetected. The vehicles are
organized into groups: one for each team.
At the beginning of a vehicle's turn, roll a die for each undetected enemy
vehicle and undetected enemy character who is not in a vehicle. Add the
vehicle's stalking ability to its roll. If the total is equal to or greater than 10
plus the enemy's stalking ability the enemy character or vehicle is detected.
Detecting a vehicle reveals its approximate shape, size and location.
Now the vehicle can stay in it's current group, move to another group which
has at least one ally or detected enemy, or move out into a new group by
itself. When a vehicle moves to another group, it detects all enemy vehicles
in that group and it is detected if there are any enemies in that group. After
moving or staying in the current group, the vehicle can attack or catch a
detected enemy, evade or escape.
A detected character or vehicle that successfully escapes during vehicle
combat does not leave the battle. Instead it moves to a different group. A
character or vehicle that evades in a group that does not contain any enemy
vehicles becomes undetected. An undetected character or vehicle that
successfully escapes can leave the battle or move to a different group.
Characters can ride inside or outside vehicles. Characters cannot attack a
vehicle with close range attacks like a basic attack, fighting, or knockout
unless they are riding inside or outside of that vehicle. Wrestling and the
delay action do not affect vehicles. Vehicles and characters outside of
vehicles cannot directly attack characters riding inside vehicles. Characters
cannot escape while they are riding inside or outside a vehicle.
Using firearms and explosives aboard a vehicle is dangerous. When a
shooting attack misses aboard a vehicle, the vehicle takes 1 damage. A
blasting attack aboard a vehicle causes 1 damage for each character targeted
by the attack. A blasting attack aboard a vehicle that specifically targets the
vehicle instead of characters causes 5 damage.
Vehicle Combat Example

The bounty hunters Chokestar (2 piloting, 3 wrestling, 3 stalking, 2
toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense) and Flipfire (2 shooting, 2 healing, 2
fighting, 2 acrobatics, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense) pursue outlaws with
the Sadisto (3 stalking, 3 grapple, 5 spaceflight, 5 guns, 4 missiles, 2 range,
16 toughness, 8 tgh/2, 15 defense) - a War Bird 1000 which bears the scars
of bounties its crew has collected over the years.
A War Bird 1000 (1 stalking, 1 grapple, 3 spaceflight, 3 guns, 2 missiles, 2
range, 16 toughness, 8 tgh/2, 13 defense) is civilian-class security-shuttle
armed with gatling guns, light homing torpedoes, and a tow cable. It is has
high speed thrusters and great maneuverability, and has life support capable
of sustaining three crew members for two months. It also has security
sensors that detect unexpected activity.
The Sadisto is a standard War Bird 1000, but it has higher ability levels
because Chokestar pilots the vehicle, adding his piloting ability to the
Sadisto's grapple, stalking and spaceflight abilities, and Flipfire is the
vehicle's gunner, adding her shooting ability to the Sadisto's guns and
missiles abilities.
The notorious mutant-cyborg outlaw Breakhelm X-19 (1 piloting, 4
shooting, 4 fighting, 6 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 13 defense) pilots and operates
the weapons of the Final Horizon (5 guns, 2 spaceflight, 4 range, 30
toughness, 15 tgh/2, 12 defense) a K90 Light Freighter he captured thirteen
months ago. The Final Horizon is now used for piracy and smuggling.
A K90 Light Freighter (1 guns, 1 spaceflight, 4 range, 30 toughness, 15
tgh/2, 11 defense) is an industrial-class cargo ship, meant for transporting
medium sized loads or large numbers for personnel for long-range trips, and
has artificial centrifugal-force gravity throughout most of the inhabitable
portions of the ship. It has small defensive lasers meant for deflecting
debris, but which can also be used for self-defense.
Aside from new secret rooms and compartments added for smuggling
purposes, the Final Horizon is a standard K90 Light Freighter. It has higher
ability levels because Breakhelm X-19 adds his piloting ability to the
vehicle's spaceflight ability and his shooting ability to the vehicle's guns
ability.
Combat begins as Chokestar and Flipfire catch up with outlaw Breakhelm
X-19. Both the Sadisto and the Final Horizon are undetected, and each
vehicle is in it's own separate group.
Since the Sadisto has more stalking ability than the Final Horizon, the
Sadisto goes first. The Sadisto must detect the Final Horizon before it can
attack or move to the Final Horizon's group. This requires a stalking roll
equal to or greater than 10, because the Final Horizon has no stalking
ability. A twenty-sided die roll plus the Sadisto's stalking ability comes to a
total of 15, high enough to detect the Final Horizon. Instead of closing with
the Final Horizon, Chokestar and Flipfire unleash a volley of torpedoes
using the Sadisto's missiles ability. A die roll plus the Sadisto's missiles
ability totals 12, high enough to get reach the Final Horizon's defense
(which is 12, the Final Horizon's spaceflight ability plus 10.) This
successful attack lowers the Final Horizon's hit points to 25.
On the Final Horizon's turn Breakhelm X-19 can try to detect the Sadisto
without stalking ability. A plain die roll without adding an ability level must
be greater than 13 (the Sadisto's stalking ability plus 10.) The roll is 9,
which is not high enough. The Final Horizon tries to escape by evading.
This adds the Final Horizon's spaceflight ability to its defense until the next
round. The Final Horizon's total defense is now 14. Its defense is normally
12 (10 plus spaceflight ability) but we add spaceflight again when the Final
Horizon is evading.
On the Sadisto's turn it moves to the Final Horizon's group, opening fire
with gatling guns. A die roll added to to the Sadisto's guns ability comes to
16, lowering the Final Horizon's hit points to 20. The successful attack
keeps the Final Horizon from escaping on it's next turn.
The Final Horizon automatically detects the Sadisto because they are now
in the same group. The Final Horizon blasts away with its lasers. A die roll
plus the Sadisto's guns comes to 19, high enough to reach and surpass the
Sadisto's 15 defense, reducing the Sadisto's hit points to 12.
The Sadisto fires its grappling hook in an attempt to board the Final
Horizon. The Sadisto adds a die roll to its grapple ability for a total of 9,
which is less than the Final Horizon's defense, so the Sadisto fails this
boarding attempt.
The Final Horizon attempts to continue pounding the Sadisto with laser fire.
A die roll plus the Final Horizon's guns ability totals 14, barely failing to
reach the Sadisto's defense of 15.
The Sadisto makes another pass with its grappling hook, again attempting to
board the Final Horizon. A die roll plus the Sadisto's grappling comes to 14,
so the Sadisto's crew storms onto the Final Horizon attempting to capture its
pilot. The battle continues as described in the Combat Example in the Basic
Rules section above.
Grid
Use the Grid variation of the Scratch RPS if you are using miniatures or
tokens to represent characters on a hex map or square grid like a dungeon
map or chessboard. This variation is not designed for combat between
vehicles.
Movement
Spaces usually represent an area about 2 meters wide. On the ground, a
character can move 4 spaces plus 1 space for every 2 levels of quickness
ability. On the ground or over rough terrain (which includes climbing,
jumping, swinging, and tightrope walking,) a character can move 2 spaces
plus 1 space for every 2 levels of acrobatics ability. A swimming character
can move 2 spaces plus 1 space for every 2 levels of swimming ability. A
flying character can move 4 spaces plus 1 space for every 2 levels of flying
ability.
Each character can move on his turn if he is not incapacitated or delayed
(forced to skip his turn.) The character can move before or after performing
an action, but only once. He can move into any of the spaces around his
current space if that space is not blocked by a wall, obstacle or enemy. A
character can move through spaces occupied by allies if he does not stop on
that space. When a character moves into a space next to an enemy, the
character cannot do any more moving during that turn.
Actions
To use healing ability, a character must be in a space next to the character
he is healing or reviving.
Close range attacks (basic attack, delay, fighting, wrestling or knockout)
can hit a target in any of the spaces next to the attacker's space. A successful
wrestling or delaying attack allows the attacker to swap places with the
enemy or move the enemy 1 space in any direction that is not blocked by a
character, wall or other obstacle.
Long range attacks (throw object, shooting or blasting) can hit targets
further away as long as the line-of-sight between the attacker and target is
not blocked by walls, obstacles or enemies. A character can shoot through
spaces occupied by his allies without hitting them. Blasting targets an
occupied or empty space, attacking every character (including allies) within
one space of that target (a maximum of 9 characters on a square grid or 7
characters on a hex grid.)
Interrupting Attacks
Attempting to move out of a space next to an enemy exposes the moving
character to interrupting attacks unless the moving character will only move
1 space on this turn. Also, attempting a long range attack from a space next
to an enemy exposes the attacking character to interrupting attacks unless
the target of the long range attack is in a space next to the character
attempting the long range attack.
Interrupting attacks do not damage or delay their target. They prevent the
target from completing the movement or action which exposed him to
interrupting attacks, and they end the target’s turn.
A character who is not delayed or injured may do an immediate, close range
interrupting attack against a character who exposes himself to interrupting
attacks. You can add the interrupting character’s fighting, wrestling, or
knockout ability to the success of this attack. A character may only attempt
one interrupting attack during each turn of each target who exposes himself
to interrupting attacks, even if a target exposes himself to interrupting
attacks several times on the same turn.
Escaping
To escape, a character must move into a special exit space or off the edge of
the map. Characters trying to escape should start their turn with an evade
action before moving, instead of moving first and then evading. This way
they receive the extra movement ability level bonus to defense from
evading. This extra defense can help the escaping character avoid
interrupting attacks that could end their turn before they finish moving or
evade.
Twenty-Sided Die Alternatives

These are alternative ways to generate a random number from 1 to 20, with
a similar chance of rolling any number in that range. You can use one of
these alternatives instead of rolling a twenty-sided die.
Six-Sided Dice
Roll a six-sided die once to choose the row and once more to choose the
column. If your first roll is 2 and your second roll is 6, then you would use
the number in the second row and third column, which is 13.
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 2 3 9 5 11
2 2 4 6 8 10 13
3 3 6 7 12 15 18
4 9 8 12 14 20 16
5 5 10 15 20 17 19
6 11 13 18 16 19 1
If you have two six-sided dice, you can roll both of them at the same time,
using either die for the row and the other die for the column. The order does
not matter. For example, if you roll a 3 and a 5, the number in the third row
and fifth column is 15, and so is the number in the fifth row and third
column.
Cards
Assemble a special deck of 40 cards with four suits such as hearts,
diamonds, spades and clubs or red, yellow, green and blue. The deck should
contain one card of each numbered rank: 1 (ace), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10
(or 0 which counts as 10.) You can make this special deck from a standard
deck of playing cards by removing the face cards and other special cards.
At the beginning of the game, shuffle the deck and place it face-down on
the table. This is the stock. Whenever someone needs to roll a twenty-sided
die, draw a card from the stock. If the suit of the card is spades, clubs, green
or blue, the value of the card is your fake die roll. If the suit is diamonds,
hearts, red or yellow, your fake die roll is 10 plus the value of the card.
Place the card face up in the discard pile.
clubs spades hearts diamonds blue green yellow red

1 (ace) 1 1 11 11 1 1 11 11
2 2 2 12 12 2 2 12 12
3 3 3 13 13 3 3 13 13
4 4 4 14 14 4 4 14 14
5 5 5 15 15 5 5 15 15
6 6 6 16 16 6 6 16 16
7 7 7 17 17 7 7 17 17
8 8 8 18 18 8 8 18 18
9 9 9 19 19 9 9 19 19
10 (or 0) 10 10 20 20 10 10 20 20
You must recombine and shuffle the deck, placing it face-down as the new
stock, whenever the discard pile is as big as the stock or contains a card that
counts as a fake die roll of 20, such as a 10 of diamonds or a yellow 0.
Appendix B - Campaign: Eye for an Eye 102
Appendix B: Campaign - Eye for an Eye

The "Eye for an Eye" campaign is designed for a party of two to four PCs
and any minions they might have from command or surgery ability. The
campaign assumes that the PCs start with 12 total ability levels and a
maximum level of 5 in any single ability.
Players do not need to read this appendix. The GM may encourage the
players to read the Encounters chapter or summarize that chapter for the
players. Players should specifically avoid the Plot Overview chapter and
everything that follows it.
The Game Master (GM) should read the Encounters chapter carefully
because it explains the flow of the game. The GM can also read the other
chapters in this appendix, skim them or only read the beginning of each
chapter and the encounters as needed.
Encounters
The game begins with the first encounter (described below.) After each
encounter, the PCs can acquire training and rewards, recover and prepare
for the next encounter, make plans and travel. Then they have another
encounter.
Each encounter is either successful or unsuccessful (failed.) When an
encounter does not specify other conditions for success and failure, use the
Predator Satiation rules or Wanted Alive rules below, depending on whether
the encounter involves intelligent or animal-like enemies.
Predator Satiation
Dinosaurs and other animal-like enemies will not pursue fleeing characters
if at least one member of the party is incapacitated. If the party members try
to flee, they cannot be wiped out by wild animals in a single encounter, but
an individual party member can be devoured by hungry predators, trampled
in a stampede or gored to death by an angry or frightened animal. If one of
these enemies has an attack that allows it to hit more than one enemy, the
enemy will not split the attack between two or more PCs to finish them all
off.
If combat ends with all of the enemies incapacitated or escaped, the

encounter is successful. If combat ends with all of the party members
incapacitated or escaped, the encounter is unsuccessful. If at least one PC
escapes from a failed predator satiation encounter, then any PCs and other
party members which were left behind incapacitated are lost. Characters lost
in a battle with animal-like creatures are presumed dead.
The GM should warn the players that if they insist on fighting to the finish
and letting every PC become incapacitated instead of at least one PC
escaping, the game will be over.
Wanted Alive
At the beginning of the game, the party has escaped from pirates, who have
offered a reward for anyone who can capture and return the party to the
pirates. Intelligent enemies will try to capture the party members and turn
them over to bounty hunters who will take the party back to the pirates.
If combat ends with all of the enemies incapacitated or escaped, the
encounter is successful. If combat ends with all of the party members
incapacitated or escaped, the encounter is unsuccessful. If at least one PC
escapes from a wanted alive encounter, then any PCs and other party
members which were left behind incapacitated are lost. The party never
finds out whether these lost characters were returned to the pirates or met a
more horrible fate.
If every PC is incapacitated at the end of a Wanted Alive encounter, the
incapacitated members of the party are captured and imprisoned at the
pirate base in L4 orbit. Any minions and other party members who escaped
are permanently lost. The imprisoned party manages to escape again,
beginning in L4 orbit with no spacecraft except for a mobile space habitat
spacecraft and a treasure horde just like the one they had at the start of the
campaign. (See The Party Escapes in the Plot Overview chapter.)
Training and Rewards

Between encounters, PCs have about a month to improve their abilities
through practice, training, equipment or body modifications. After each
successful encounter each PC (but not their followers) gains one ability
level chosen by the PC's player. Each place has a maximum level that PCs
can develop in any single ability, and PCs may not develop more than 50
total ability levels. These limits do not include craftsmanship bonuses or
ability levels from equipment. The PCs get this reward for any successful
encounter, including encounters that do not involve combat.
If a character has more than one piece of equipment which improves the
same ability, he can only use one of the bonuses. For example if a character
has 3 fighting ability, a mace with a 1 level fighting ability bonus, and a
sword with a 2 level fighting ability bonus, he only uses the higher bonus,
for a total of 5 fighting ability.
Occasionally encounters will provide a new
character who joins the party. The total number
of PCs and followers cannot be more than 6.
If there are 2 players, the party will always
have 2 PCs and no more than 4 followers.
A specific player should be assigned to
control each follower. Followers do not
gain ability levels while they travel with the party.
Recovery and Preparation

After rewarding the PCs who made it through the last encounter, create new
PCs to replace the ones that were lost. If lost PCs include the only PCs with
piloting ability, one of the replacements must have piloting ability.
Remove any command ability minions, golems and chimera from the party
if their leader was lost, even if the minion, golem or chimera escaped from
the last encounter. (Another party member can reuse or redesign these
removed characters as his own minions, golems or chimera, as long as the
new leader's total retinue of minions, golems and chimera do not exceed the
limits of his command and surgery abilities.)
Replace any lost command ability minions, golems and chimera that party
members create with surgery ability. These minions, golems and chimera
can also be modified or replaced if they have not been lost. Do not replace
lost followers that joined the party as the reward of an encounter.
Restore each character's hit points to their maximum hit points. Each
character in the party can also attempt to repair a vehicle. The party can
discard vehicles they do not want anymore. Choose pilots and gunners for
each vehicle. Decide which pieces of equipment characters will use, and
how craftsmanship bonuses will be distributed.
Planning and Travel

After making preparations, the players and GM can discuss the PC's plans.
The players choose the PCs goals. The GM reminds the players about the
plot clues and suggests worlds to visit and encounters the PCs might search
for to meet their goals.
On Monopolis PCs can get guns. In the Lower Worlds characters can get
valuable information. On Mirage there is stealth technology. On Peleg there
is valuable spider silk. Out in the Ice Worlds there are rumors of exotic
weapons technology. Many worlds have unique types of spacecraft far more
advanced than the Mobile Space Habitat the PCs call home at the beginning
of the game.
After making plans, the party either travels or remains in the current
location, then the GM determines which encounter should come next. If the
PCs do not have a specific goal, the GM rolls a d20 to select one of the
random encounters for that place.
If the PCs do have a specific goal, but none of the encounters at the current
location match the goal, they will have a random encounter instead. After
three of these random encounters or two of the same random encounter, the
PCs realize that they cannot find what they are looking for at this location.
When the party starts looking for a goal that does match an encounter in the
current location, they first have a random encounter, which may be the
encounter they are looking for, but probably is not. The second time the
party tries to find the encounter, roll a d20 to choose another random
encounter. If this second random encounter is the same as the first random
encounter, then they have the encounter they are looking for instead. The
third time the party tries to find the encounter, they finally have that
encounter instead of a random encounter.
Plot Overview
The Monopolis Trading Company has made enemies by exploiting other
worlds, but the company does not yet understand the scope of the threat
they have created for themselves. Captain Gabriel is a freighter pilot from a
small world which has been ravished by Monopolis agents. Gabriel returned
from a long trek to find that his family and friends had been killed by the
effects of Monopolis exploitation on his home world.
The adventure described in this book ends with "Final Battle" with Captain
Gabriel at L5. The GM can keep the game going longer as long as the PCs
still have objectives they are trying to achieve.
If the PCs defeat Captain Gabriel before the final battle and turn him into
the authorities, Gabriel will escape and rebuild his ship and crew. Gabriel's
sympathizers among the critics of Monopolis and within the Golem Union
movement allow him to recover from such defeats quickly. He has also
defeated many pirates and can coerce them with intimidation to get needed
supplies, parts and information.
Before the Final Battle, if the PCs try to kill Gabriel or keep him prisoner
instead of turning him into the authorities, they discover by listening in on
radio transmissions that they have only killed or captured an imitator of
Gabriel, and that the real Gabriel is still on the loose causing and planning
havoc.
The Party Escapes

The PCs (along with any minions, golem and chimera they have from
command and surgery ability) escape from a secret pirate base in L4 where
they were being held captive. The pirates have offered a reward for anyone
who captures and returns the PCs.
The party manages to escape with some of their personal belongings and a
simple unarmed spacecraft called a mobile space habitat (1 range, 1
spaceflight, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 11 defense.)
This spacecraft is filled with pirate loot which comes from many places in
the Abaddon system. The loot includes many types of stolen currency,
treasure and documents. The party can only guess at it's exact worth, but it
is clearly enough to purchase supplies, repairs, and fuel for a small group of
spacecraft for a very long time. As the party travels they sell some of the
loot, make trades and investments, and deposit supplies and money in
banks.
The party's financial reserves are basically inexhaustible. As a group of

interplanetary travelers, this party is good at managing their resources, and
without much effort they automatically accumulate at least as much as they
spend throughout their adventures. The party will not be able to purchase
new spacecraft during this campaign because spacecraft are extremely
expensive and take months for manufacturers to build and deliver.
If the party only includes two PCs (not including
minions, chimera or golems,) the party is
automatically joined by an assassin named Hex.
Hex (2 piloting, 2 stalking,
2 shooting, 2 fighting,
4 toughness, 2 hp/2, 12 defense)
was also being held by the pirates
and overheard their escape plans
and insisted on joining the PCs. (The players
should decide between themselves which
player will control the new ally.)
It is unclear what Hex's original species
was, but he claims to have had a fairly
normal childhood. Now a ruthless killing-machine chimera, his body has
been overhauled with parts from multiple types of golems and intelligent
species. His built-in body armor, weapons and sensory systems allow him to
fire away with his bioweapons at long range or short range, often attacking
by surprise. He is a mercenary, loyal to the PCs for the duration of the
campaign to repay what he sees as his debt for the PCs helping him escape.
First Encounter
While avoiding the pirates in L4, the party refuels from an armored
freighter from the lower worlds piloted by a stygian called Captain Gabriel.
Over dinner, Gabriel asks them about their opinion of Monopolis's influence
on other worlds. Gabriel will strongly urge them to visit his home world in
L4, Asteroid CMX-5, insisting that there is priceless information for the
party to discover there.
Captain Gabriel (3 piloting, 3 swimming, 4 shooting, 5 craftsmanship, 2

stalking, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense) friendly and hospitable but his
large vessel is crewed entirely by 12 insectoid Golem Deckhands (2
craftsmanship, 2 wrestling, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense.) Captain
Gabriel is an eccentric inventor, and his primary self-defense weapon is an
industrial screw gun that he uses for working on the exterior of his ship, a
modified armored freighter called the Nemesis (2 range, 4 spaceflight, 7
stalking, 8 grapple, 5 guns, 30 toughness, 15 tgh/2, 17 defense.)
Captain Gabriel sees himself as an activist, who is trying to draw attention
to Monopolis's evils to both Monopolis and the rest of Abaddon. He
normally seems like a charming, though slightly eccentric, aristocrat-
captain. However, anyone who takes time to get to know him will soon
realize that he is a hollow, twisted soul bent on revenge against Monopolis.
Captain Gabriel has a reputation as amongst the space pirates as a vigilante.
Pirates have learned to fear "The Black Ship," no pirate returning from an
attempted raid on the tempting lure of the black armored freighter. Gabriel
does have animosity towards pirates from his days as a freighter captain, but
his ruthlessness towards the pirates stems from his sense of urgency to
continue his plunge into vengeance on Monopolis.
The PCs can move on without bothering the captain, they can try to
persuade him to explain himself using command ability (difficulty 15), or
they can try to snoop around and figure out what's going on with stalking
ability (difficulty 10.)
If any of the characters successfully snoop around they will find out that
Gabriel's ship is loaded with some kind of explosives. If the crew confronts
the captain about the explosives or successfully persuade him to explain
himself, he will tell about how his world was destroyed by adventurers from
Monopolis and he is seeking justice. Aside from that he is impressively
evasive and cannot be persuaded to provide more detail.
If any of the characters are caught snooping (fail the stalking roll) Captain
Gabriel and his crew will attack them. Regardless of who wins, the golem
crew will prevent Gabriel from being killed or captured and force the party
to leave the Nemesis. If Gabriel wins, the encounter is not successful (so the
PCs do not gain levels before their next encounter) but the captain allows
the party to go free
Any outcome except for being forced to leave after getting caught snooping
and being defeated by Captain Gabriel and his crew is a successful outcome
to this encounter.
Journey Onward
Regardless of whether the party is caught snooping or parts ways on good
terms with captain Gabriel, he will remind them to visit his homeworld in
L4, Asteroid CMX-5. The party can stay in L4 searching for Asteroid
CMX-5 (this will move the plot along more quickly) but they might also
choose to search for something else in L4, or travel to several different
places with their limited fuel supply (1 range):
• up to the golem occupied world of Edegene.
• up and right to splash down on the water world Peleg
• right to the spaceports on the desert world of Mirage.
• down to the many beanstalk spaceports of Yggdrasil.
If the party decides to go to Peleg, inform the players that this moon has no
proper spaceport. They will have to ditch their current spacecraft on the
surface and search the islands and seas of Peleg for some other means to
leave the world. Give the players a chance to change their mind before
heading to Peleg.
Lower World Encounters

When PCs gain a level after a Lower Worlds encounter, they cannot
increase any ability to greater than level 7. Using Port Centrifica as their
base of operations between encounters, the party can look for golems to
recruit (Golem Strike encounter), or look up the Solar Guard Headquarters
which may have valuable information. Roll a d20 to determine what the
PCs find while exploring the Lower Worlds:
1-5 Golem Strike

6-10 Battle of Union Rock
11-15 Attacked by Pirates
16-19 Distress Signal
20 Solar Guard Headquarters
Golem Strike
Tell the players that the golems of Port Centrifica, beginning to view
themselves as an oppressed minority, have formed a labor union and
organized a general strike in opposition to dangerous work conditions and
golem bloodsports.
The party has the opportunity to help
the golems by defeating a titan sheriff
(4 stalking, 6 wrestling, 4 command,
6 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 14 defense) who is
holding back a golem protest in the streets
of Port Centrifica. The sheriff is
accompanied by two deputies (2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 11 defense), cloned skand soldiers
armed with non-lethal glue-cannons,
pepper-bombs and body armor.
If the party stays out of the conflict they can leave Port Centrifica
uneventfully and have the same opportunity next time this encounter
comes up. Staying out of the conflict counts as a successful outcome
for this encounter. The encounter fails only if the PCs choose to fight
the sheriff and do not win.
If the PCs defeat the sheriff, a Golem Deckhand (2 craftsmanship, 2

wrestling, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) will volunteer to join the party
unless the party already includes a Golem Deckhand. This character will
immediately abandon the party if they decide to fight against the golem
union in a future encounter, such as the Battle of Union Rock.
Battle of Union Rock

Tell the players that Port Centrifica
has very little agriculture so the
residents depend on trade for basic
survival and the strike has caused
great civil and economic unrest.
The party has the opportunity to join
the reactionaries who want to put the
golems "back into their place."
If the PCs decide to help the anti-union

faction, they must defeat a Rabble Rouser,
who has taken over a agricultural asteroid
station near Port Centrifica, and has renamed
this place "Union Rock." They confront the
Rabble Rouser in a corridor where it is trying
to prevent intruders from entering the station
from the loading dock. Use the Wanted Alive
consequences if the party chooses this option.
The Rabble Rouser (2 stalking, 5 fighting,
8 command, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense)
is a multi-use golem laborer, trained
primarily for minor ship maintenance and warehouse work. This golem is
upset with working conditions, and is motivating other golems to protest as
well. The Rabble Rouser is protected by 8 golem laborers (1 toughness,
0 tgh/2, 10 defense) who are less committed to the cause than their leader.
If the PCs refuse to help the reactionary anti-union faction, they have two
other options. They can use persuasion or intimidation to stop the
reactionaries from harassing the party. This requires at least one party
member to make a command roll of 20. They can try to avoid attention
while resupplying through the black market. This requires every party
member to make a stalking roll of 10 or a non-ability roll of 10. The party
can try both of these non-combat options. If either option works, the
encounter is successful. The encounter fails if the party does not
successfully complete one of the two options.
Attacked by Pirates
The party is ambushed in space by a pair of
Pirate Stealth Fighters (1 range, 3 flying,
4 spaceflight, 10 stalking, 4 guns, 2 targeting,
10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 20 defense.) Each fighter is
crewed by a phage Pirate Captain (2 piloting, 2 shooting,
3 stalking, 2 flying, 6 command, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
13 defense) and three phage thugs (1 flying, 1 toughness, 0 tgh/2,
1 defense.) To avoid damaging the spacecraft, the pirates are armed
with garrotes, daggers and boot knives.
Distress Signal
The party picks up a distress signal from an armored freighter under attack
by two Pirate Heavy Bombers (1 range, 3 spaceflight, 9 guns, 7 missiles,
1 targeting, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2, 13 defense.) Each bomber is crewed
by a gaffling Pirate Captain (2 piloting, 3 fighting, 2 shooting, 2 stalking,
6 command, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense) and two gaffling thugs
(1 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense.)
If the party does not respond to the distress signal, the pirates will take the
armored freighter, but they will not bother the party. Although this is
unfortunate for the crew of the freighter, it counts as a successful outcome
for the party.
If the party successfully captures the enemy ship, they find a cable claw.
This mechanical claw is connected to a motorized winch by a strong cable.
The cable claw can be used as a climbing tool and a personal weapon. Any
PC who uses this item can increase his wrestling and acrobatics ability by 1
level while he is using it or it can be installed on a spacecraft to increase the
spacecraft's grappling ability by 2 levels.
Solar Guard Headquarters

At the Solar Guard Headquarters
asteroid station, the party learns that
the Solar Guard believes Captain
Gabriel is a terrorist helping the
unionizing Golems of Port
Centrifica. They believe he plans to
destroy smaller asteroid cities in the
lower worlds until Port Centrifica
gives in to the demands of the
unionizing golems.
The Solar Guard tells the party that
they believe Gabriel is headed toward
the Ice Worlds looking for weapons of mass destruction.
The first time the party has this
encounter, if the party chooses to
tell the Solar Guard about their first
encounter with Captain Gabriel, the
Solar Guard will offer them a Heavy
Bomber (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 7 guns,
5 missiles, 1 targeting, 20 toughness,
10 tgh/2, 11 defense) spacecraft.
If the party can bring Captain Gabriel to the Solar Guard Offices as a
prisoner, the Solar Guard will pay them a large reward. The first time they
return Captain Gabriel to the Solar Guard Headquarters, each PC gains 3
levels they can add to any ability or abilities their player wants. (They
cannot increase any single ability to more than 10 or their total ability levels
to more than 50.)
The Solar Guard bureaucracy can be a nuisance to crews resupplying and
training at the Solar Guard Headquarters. The party is blocked by the
bureaucracy unless at least one party member makes a command ability roll
of 20 or a non-ability roll of 15. Each member of the party who has
command ability can attempt both rolls.
If the party is not blocked by the bureaucracy, the encounter is successful. If
the party is blocked by the bureaucracy, the encounter is unsuccessful. If the
encounter is unsuccessful, the party can still receive the rewards for
providing information or turning in Captain Gabriel, but it is much more
difficult to train and resupply, so they do not get the standard ability level
reward for a successful encounter.
Middle World Orbit Encounters

While the party is at Yggdrassil or Mirage, they can choose to stay in orbit
and have one of the encounters in this chapter, or descend to the surface of
Yggdrassil or Mirage and have one of the encounters in those chapters.
When PCs gain a level after completing a middle worlds orbit encounter,
they cannot increase any ability to greater than level 6. In a middle worlds
orbit, the party can look for business opportunities (Special Delivery
encounter.) Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find while exploring the
Middle Worlds:
1-5 Comet Colony

6-7 Stalked by Pirates
8-12 Pirate Ambush
13-20 Special Delivery
Comet Colony
If the PC's have already had this encounter,
do the "Stalked by Pirates" encounter instead.
The party receives a distress signal from
Admiral Drowler of the Solar Guard.
His ships are trying to rescue scientists
who built a habitat on a comet which has
begun erupting dangerously as it heats up
approaching Abaddon.
If the PC's decide to help they can make one
attempt to rescue the scientists with one of
their vehicles. The vehicle must endure two
combat turns: one turn approaching the
comet, and another flying away with the
rescued scientists.
Roll a d20 each turn to see what type of debris the rescuing vehicle must
avoid:
Shards of ice flying off the comet count as 5 attacks

1-8
that have a +5 bonus to hit and each do 5 damage.
Dodge large chunks of ice breaking off the comet.

9-17 Treat this as three attacks that have no bonus to hit
and each do 10 damage.
Avoid a massive explosion of superheated rock and ice.

18-20
This is one attack that has a +2 bonus to hit and does 20 damage.
The encounter is only successful if party's rescuing vehicle is not

incapacitated during the first turn. If the encounter is unsuccessful, Admiral
Drowler will leave the party behind as the Solar Guard continues to try to
rescue the colony of scientists.
Stalked by Pirates
The party is stalked by a Shangdan
Gyrofortress (1 range, 3 spaceflight, 3 guns,
3 missiles, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 13 defense)
crewed by a skand Imperial Privateer
(2 piloting, 2 shooting, 2 stalking,
8 command, 2 acrobatics, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 12 defense) and four Shangdan
soldiers (1 toughness, 1 fighting) armed
with Shangdanese martial arts weapons.
If the party manages to board the gyrofortress
and defeat its crew, they find a high quality rifle-lance. This Shangdanese
weapon combines a blade with a gyrojet firearm. It fires small
gyroscopically stabilized rockets. One character can increase his shooting
ability by 2 and fighting ability by 1 while he is using this weapon.
Pirate Ambush
The PCs are ambushed by a pair of Pirate
Stealth Fighters (1 range, 3 flying, 4 spaceflight,
10 stalking, 5 guns, 2 targeting, 10 toughness,
5 tgh/2, 14 defense) each crewed by a gygean
Pirate Captain (2 piloting, 3 shooting, 4 stalking,
3 command, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) and
his gygean Pirate Copilot (1 fighting, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 11 defense.)
Special Delivery
The PCs find an orbital base that needs supplies carried to another orbital
base. Roll a d20 to determine the destination. If the roll is at least 11, then
the destination is Edegene. If the roll is less than 11 and the party is
currently at Yggdrassil, then the destination is Mirage. If the roll is less than
11 and the party is currently at Mirage, then the destination is Yggdrassil.
If the PCs agree to the mission, the encounter is successful and the party
moves (with all of their spacecraft) to the destination immediately without
having any encounters in the orbits they pass through on their way to the
destination. If the PCs do not agree to the mission, the encounter is
unsuccessful.
Yggdrasil Encounters
Solar-powered vegetable bioships called Treecraft are grown using the
advanced technology of Yggdrassil's beanstalk spaceports. The party won't
get anything but refueling and repairs hanging around at the spaceports, but
they can ride down to the planet and explore Yggdrassil's planetwide forest.
Visitors who descend to the surface risk becoming infected by the local
algae and wandering off into wild parts of the forest.
While the party is at Yggdrassil, they can choose to stay in orbit and have
one of the encounters in the Middle Worlds Orbit Encounters chapter, or
descend to the surface of Yggdrassil and have one of the encounters in this
chapter.
In the Yggdrassil forest characters can try to escape or capture fleeing
opponents using quickness, acrobatics or flying ability. When PCs gain a
level after an Yggdrassil encounter, they cannot increase any ability to
greater than level 6. The party can search Yggdrassil for a new spacecraft
(Mission to Trydeen encounter.) Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find
while exploring Yggdrassil:
1-2 Mangrove Lurker 13-14 Mossback

3-4 Sleeping Giant 15 Tangle Vine
5-6 Raided by the Rooter 16 Burning Tendril
7-8 Mud Monster 17-18 The Green Plague
9-10 Giant Lizards 19-20 Mission to Trydeen
11-12 Armored Dragon
Mangrove Lurker
While exploring a coastal mangrove an algae-
covered rock proves to be more treacherous than
expected. In fact it is an 800 kg (1800 lb,) 5 meter
(17 foot) long crocodile (5 wrestling, 3 knockout,
2 swimming, 9 toughness, 4 tgh/2, 14 defense).
The crocodile attacks the party, but it will flee
if injured.
Sleeping Giant
The PCs stop to rest, leaning up against what looks like a tree. It is not.
They have roused a grumpy Brachiosaurus (5 knockout, 1 fighting,
16 toughness, 8 tgh/2, 18 defense). Vines and lichen covering the huge
animal makes it difficult to spot at any distance. Alarmed at the party's
presence, the gigantic creature tries to trample the party.
The 35 ton, 25 meter (83 foot) long sauropod dinosaur has a giraffe-like
build: high shoulders and an extremely long neck. Sauropods are long-
necked dinosaurs that walk about on four pillar-like legs, relying on size
rather than speed for defense. Although it seems front-heavy, a fighting
Brachiosaurus can rear up and strike with the single thumb claw on each
of its front legs.
Raided by the Rooter
While traveling in the forest, the party is woken in the night by something
rummaging through the party's supplies. It is a Desmatosuchus (4 fighting,
12 toughness, 6 tgh/2, 16 defense) - a 5 meter (17 foot) long aetosaur with
huge shoulder spikes. Aetosaurs are armored herbivorous
archosaurs that look a bit like crocodiles with more erect
limbs and upturned pig-like snouts for rooting. The
Desmatosuchus will try to flee when it is injured.
Mud Monster
The party stumbles onto a 5 meter (17 foot) long
Koolasuchus (3 wrestling, 2 fighting, 3 stalking,
2 swimming, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 13 defense) buried
in the mud. Koolasuchus is a carnivorous amphibian
resembling a giant salamander with lots of sharp
teeth. The angry amphibian will fight to the death.
The PCs can use swimming, flying or acrobatics
ability to escape in this marshy terrain.
Giant Lizards
The party is attacked by a large 2.5 meter (8 foot)
long, 70 kg monitor lizard (2 fighting, 1 stalking,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) similar to the Ora
or Komodo Dragon. One turn after the attack begins
a couple of the lizard's nearby siblings notice the
fighting and come to get a piece of the action
for themselves. Each lizard will try to escape
if it is injured.
Armored Dragon
While wading through thick underbrush, the party is attacked by a hungry
Postosuchus (4 fighting, 12 toughness, 6 tgh/2, 16 defense) - a 6 meter
(20 foot) long, 900 kg (2000 lb) quadrupedal carnivorous archosaur.
Postosuchus resembles a crocodile with longer, more erect legs, a deeper
body and a deep head that resembles the big carnivorous dinosaurs like
Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. The predator will try to flee if it is injured.
Mossback
In the middle of a long hike through the forest, the party stops to rest and
eat. The meal is rudely interrupted by a shaggy green Stegosaurus infected
by some kind of symbiotic moss. The animal is enraged and will fight to the
death trying to trample the party and impale them with its tail spikes.
Stegosaurus (5 knockout, 4 fighting, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 15 defense) is a
4 ton, 8.5 meter (28 foot) long dinosaur protected by light armor on its neck,
two staggered rows of broad vertical plates attached to its spine and four
long spikes at the end of its tail.
Tangle Vine
A large snake drops from overhanging branches onto the unsuspecting
travelers. The snake is a python (3 wrestling, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense) - a very large snake which can grow up to 9 meters (30 feet)
long and kills by squeezing its prey.
Burning Tendril
The party stumbles across pit of 3 venomous
snakes (2 knockout, 2 stalking, 1 toughness,
0 tgh/2, 12 defense) which disable their prey
with toxic bites. The snake's venomous fangs
can also be used in defense when the
snake is surprised or cornered.
The Green Plague

Roll a d20 for each character in the party. The character who rolls lowest is
infected by a local algae. If more than one character is tied for the lowest
roll, all of the characters with the lowest roll are infected. This infection is
incurable but it is not contagious and causes no obvious harm except for
turning the character's skin green. This encounter is always successful
regardless of who is infected.
Mission to Trydeen
The PC's discover a Treecraft farm
operated by the Symbiotic Order.
Some of the monks need to return to
Trydeen, but the farm does not have
any pilots to spare.
If the PC's fly the monks back to
Trydeen, this encounter is successful
and they can keep the Treecraft
(2 range, 2 spaceflight, 1 grapple,
1 missiles, 1 repair, 20 toughness,
10 tgh/2, 11 defense) used to
transport the monks.
While the party is transporting the monks, they should first head toward L4
or L5, then Edegene and Trydeen. They may not travel to the Lower
Worlds, Mirage, Peleg or Nereid. The monks do not participate in combat
or encounters with the party. As soon as the party reaches Trydeen, the
monks leave and the Treecraft is refueled so that the party can leave
Trydeen with the spacecraft after any Trydeen encounter until they leave
Trydeen.
If the PCs decide not to help the monks, this encounter is unsuccessful.
L4 Encounters
Visitors to L4 can stay at any of several major spaceports to trade, repair
and refuel before leaving for other parts of the abaddon system or exploring
the L4 region itself. L4 spaceports are typically shaped like big wheels with
clear windows that allow light for the gardens that collect energy and
recycle air, water and solid waste.
In the artificial worlds of L4, characters can try to escape or capture fleeing
opponents using acrobatics or quickness ability. When PCs gain a level
after an L4 encounter, they cannot increase any ability to greater than level
6. The party can search L4 for Asteroid CMX-5 (Captain Gabriel's world.)
Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find while exploring L4:
1-3 World of Ruins

4-7 ERA-1
8-10 Swarm Attack
10-13 Suburbia
14-17 Wheel of Fortune
18-20 Asteroid CMX-5
World of Ruins
The PCs encounter a hollow asteroid world where they can refuel at several
exterior docking stations. Many other spacecraft are docked here from L4,
L5 and the moons of Midgard. The interior has only marginal vegetation
and wildlife. The Symbiotic Order, Tomb Keepers and Clockmakers each
have separate archaeological expeditions exploring this world.
As the PCs talk to the scientists in the ruins, they learn that this might be the
oldest known hollow asteroid world, and each expedition is trying to figure
out who or what created it. Three gremian Clockmakers from Monopolis
(1 shooting, 2 quickness, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense), armed with air
rifles, decide that the PCs "know too much," and insist that the party
abandon their other adventures to remain with the expedition permanently.
The PCs must fight these gremians in order to escape.
Treat this exactly like a Wanted Alive encounter, except that if the party is
captured (all of the PCs are incapacitated at the end of combat) they are not
turned over to bounty hunters. Instead the party is kept as prisoners by the
Clockmakers, and they manage to escape with the same kind of vehicle and
loot that they would have if they escaped from the pirates again.
ERA-1
If the party has already completed this encounter, they have the Swarm
Attack encounter instead.
ERA-1 is a massive, rotating sphere. Closer inspection reveals docking
mechanisms that the PCs can operate themselves. An airlock leads to a
musty storage room where a hatch provides access to the inner surface of
the sphere, covered in farms and woodlands.
If the party tries to explore further, they will be attacked by a gang of 6
young male dromes armed with makeshift weapons (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2,
10 defense). Regardless of who wins the battle, the party will learn that the
gang was preparing to raid a nearby village. Instead of continuing their raid,
the gang takes the party to their village.
The dromes living inside ERA-1 shun technology and occasionally fight
amongst themselves but they treat the PCs with hospitality. Soon after the
PCs arrive the village begins to succumb to a plague. If the party stays to
help the village, each character will gain one level of healing ability. This
encounter is successful if the party stays to help the village. If the party does
not stay to help the village, visiting ERA-1 proves to be a waste of time and
the encounter is unsuccessful.
While the PCs are trying to help the villagers, some young dromes from the
village will try to steal their spacecraft to flee the plague afflicting their
home world. Roll a d20 for each PC and add their stalking ability to the
result. If the total roll for at least one of the PCs is equal to or greater than
15, they catch the would-be thieves before they escape.
If the party does not stop the thieves, they will lose one of their spacecraft.
Roll a die for each spacecraft, adding the spacecraft's toughness to the roll.
The spacecraft with the lowest total is stolen. (Break a tie by rolling again
without adding toughness.) If they have no spacecraft to leave ERA-1 the
party can use some old communication equipment to call for a rescue
mission. The rescuers will take them to a proper spaceport where they
manage to acquire a Mobile Space Habitat (1 range, 1 spaceflight,
10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 11 defense).
Swarm Attack
"The Swarm" is a scouting party of Overlords which managed to escape the
Terraformer blockade on Edegene. They have Spore ships heavily modified
with aggressive Overlord Technology. The Swarm is hungry and in search
of easy prey in L4.
The party barely escapes a massive swarm attack,
but they are pursued by an individual
Swarmling (4 spaceflight, 9 grappling,
4 stalking, 3 repair, 6 missiles, 3 autopilot,
14 defense.) This bioship has no pilot and
cannot be boarded because it is filled with
organs and thinks for itself. It has rapid fire
biocannon turrets on key locations of its
exterior.
If the Swarmling is successfully attacked,
it will attempt to board the PC's ship using two
Ravishers (4 stalking, 4 knockout, 1 swimming,
3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense.) These are
Spore Defenders mutated into Overlord golems.
Each Ravisher has numerous sharp pointed
legs, stingers, tentacles, and an armored
exoskeleton.
Characters will become ghouls if they are
incapacitated by a Ravisher. Characters
transformed into ghouls gain a bonus level of
fighting or knockout ability. These ghouls
remain members of the party, but they are
insatiably hungry. Only bug sauce can control the hunger. If the party does
not have bug sauce, ghoul characters begin each encounter injured (with hit
points equal to their tgh/2.) If the party searches for a cure, rumors will
suggest that bug sauce can be found on Peleg and Edegene.
Treat this as a Predator Satiation encounter. If the Ravishers have
incapacitated one or more of the party members, the rest of the party can
abandon the incapacitated party member(s) by escaping to another part of
their spacecraft. The Ravishers will drag the incapacitated party member(s)
to the Swarmling and remain there while the party flies away.
Suburbia
The party discovers a spinning cylindrical world. To resupply and refuel,
the party must explore the interior. As they collect fuel and supplies, the
party finds that it was once a suburban environment, but the intelligent
species that once lived here are nowhere to be found, and the whole place is
now overrun by vegetation and wild beasts.
As the party explores further, they find an auto-grapple. This hi-tech
grappling hook is attached to an automated cable-reel apparatus. They can
use the auto-grapple as a climbing tool and as a personal weapon. One
character can increase his wrestling and acrobatics ability by 1 level while
he wields the auto-grapple or it can be installed on a spacecraft to increase
the spacecraft's grappling ability by 2 levels.
As they emerge from the warehouse
where they found the auto-grapple,
the party discovers that they have
attracted the attention of a hungry
Tyrannosaurus (8 knockout,
2 quickness, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
5 defense.) This powerfully-built
6 ton, 12 meter (40 foot) long
predatory theropod dinosaur has
surprisingly small arms. It is also
ironically a close relative of the
small feathered dinosaurs.
The PCs do not find anything else of value while exploring this world.
Wheel of Fortune
The PCs find a wheel-shaped world covered with docked Pirate Stealth
Fighters. This habitat is not the pirate base the party escaped from. If the
party tries to dock with the station, they will discover that docking is quite
easy. If the party leaves without docking, that counts as successful
completion of the encounter.
After boarding the party is ambushed on their
own ship while still docked, by two stygian
Pirate Captains (2 piloting, 4 command,
2 shooting, 2 stalking, 2 swimming,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense) and eight
stygian Pirate Minions (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2,
11 defense.) If they defeat these pirates, the
PCs acquire ESD mines (which add 1 level of
bombs ability to one of the party's ships.) They
can also steal a Stealth Fighter (1 range,
1 flying, 2 spaceflight, 8 stalking, 2 guns,
2 targeting, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 18 defense)
if the PCs have a pilot to spare.
Asteroid CMX-5
The PCs find the homeworld of the Captain Gabriel, Asteroid CMX-5. It is
a hollowed-out spinning asteroid which once contained green wetlands and
quaint towns. It is now a muddy wasteland stubbled with dead trees and
overgrown with fungus. Abandoned factories with the architectural style of
Monopolis tower above clouds of noxious fumes.
If the PCs explore this area, they find signs of intense struggle between the
original inhabitants and the Ballistic Cavalry - the Monopolis Trading
Company's elite interplanetary paramilitaries. The Ballistic Cavalry is
composed mostly of Myrmidon units who have been trained for combat
from childhood and systematically exposed to pathogens and allergens from
other worlds to build immunity.
As the party studies the battlefield, each character with craftsmanship
ability can peice together a suit of lamellar armor. This type of armor is
made from small overlapping plates of metal stitched together. Roll a d20
and add the craftsmanship ability of the character assembling the armor. If
the result is 14 or less, this armor adds 1 level of toughness to the character
wearing it. If the result is 15 or more, this armor adds 2 levels of toughness
to the character wearing it. Once assembled, each suit will fit one member
of the party and can be adjusted to fit any other character of the same
species.
The PCs find no animals living on this
world except for a few scavengers. In fact
the party is the biggest meal to come along
in a very long time, so the scavengers are not
going to let them go without a fight. While
hurrying through a swamp, the PCs are
attacked by three Oviraptors (3 quickness,
1 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense).
These are 2 meter (7 foot) long, 30 kg (66 lb)
feathered dinosaurs with short faces, parrot-like
beaks, long arms and short tails.
Before the party leaves Captain Gabriel's world, they are approached by a
frantic Solar Guard intelligence agent. He claims he heard a rumor that the
PCs had encountered Captain Gabriel, warns that Gabriel is a serious
menace, and begs them to report their encounter to Solar Guard
Headquarters in the Lower Worlds for the sake of the safety of the lower
worlds. He mentions that any information the PCs have about Gabriel is so
vitally important that the Solar Guard would give a generous reward for it.
L5 Encounters
If the PCs have had the Graveyard encounter in the Ice Worlds, they have
the Final Battle encounter. Otherwise, the party refuels and repairs their
spacecraft at the L5 spaceport and then they may choose to visit Monopolis
or Radix.
Final Battle
The party detects the Nemesis while approaching the L5 spaceport between
Monopolis and Radix. If the PCs have not already figured out what the
captain is trying to do, they suddenly realize that he plans to ram the
Nemesis into the L5 spaceport severing the beanstalks connecting
Monopolis and Radix. Unless the party can defeat the Nemesis, his army of
golems and the captain himself, millions will die and both worlds will
plunge into chaos.
Captain Gabriel (3 piloting, 3 swimming, 4 shooting, 5 craftsmanship,
2 stalking, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense) is an eccentric stygian inventor.
His primary self-defense weapon is an industrial screw gun that he uses for
working on the exterior of his ship. He has a crew of 2 golem pilots
(3 piloting, 3 shooting, 1 acrobatics, 1 stalking, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense) and 10 golem deckhands (2 craftsmanship, 2 wrestling,
3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) who are determined to protect him at all
costs.
The Nemesis (2 range, 1 spaceflight, 8 grapple,
8 stalking, 5 guns, 40 toughness, 20 tgh/2, 18 defense)
is a very large armored freighter. It has been enhanced
with many layers of scrap armor, skillfully
crafted into place by Gabriel himself.
In addition, he has covered this mobile
fortress with a black coating that
makes it difficult to detect.
Whether or not the party successfully
stops Captain Gabriel, the game is
officially complete when this encounter
is finished.
Radix Encounters
On the plains of Radix characters can try to escape or capture fleeing
opponents using quickness or flying ability. When PCs gain a level after a
Radix encounter, they cannot increase any ability to greater than level 6.
On Radix, the party may be able to find new armor technology used by
local law enforcement (Gunfight encounter), become edified by listening to
The Debates at Ariel University, or find new volunteers to join their party
(Fields and Farms of Radix.) Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find
while exploring Radix:
1-5 The Debate at Ariel University

6-8 The Train
9-11 Stampede
12-14 Scavengers
15-16 Restless Laborer
17-18 Ancient Pyramid
19-20 Gunfight
The Debate at Ariel University

If the party has already had the opportunity to do this encounter, do The
Train encounter below instead.
The mutualist myrmidon Chainstorm approaches the PCs looking for
backup. He anticipates someone is going to try to assassinate one of his old
mentors, Skreel. Skreel is participating in a public debate against a
Commander Spriley at a Ariel University, and Chainstorm expects an
ambush shortly afterwards. If the PC's help Chainstorm successfully defend
Skreel against Commander Spriley's ambush, Chainstorm will offer to join
the party. This encounter is only successful if Chainstorm offers to join the
party.
Commander Spriley (5 acrobatics, 3 fighting, 3 stalking, 1 healing,

1 craftsmanship, 2 piloting, 2 shooting, 6 command, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 15 defense) is a gremian Trouble Shooter, famous boxer
and economist from Monopolis. The Trouble Shooters are
independent contractors from Monopolis hired for security,
detective work, strike breaking, and other jobs where the
Company doesn't trust itself. Commander Spriley's primary
focus is spreading what his critics call "the Monopolis ideology,"
and he frequently engages in public debates in his travels. He has
secretly assassinated numerous academic rivals on different worlds
throughout Abaddon. Spriley commands a pressurized airship called
the "Good News" staffed by two gremian Corporate Agents (1 shooting,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense.) Captain Spriley and these minions are
armed with Monopolis air pistols.
Chainstorm (6 fighting, 4 acrobatics, 2 stalking, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 14
defense) is a mutualist myrmidon whose trade is bounty hunting. He wears a
bulky overcoat with chainmail inserts, and carries paired chain whips as his
weapon of choice. He is a master slam dancer and has trained in other
martial arts under Skreel in the past. He has been investigating a series of
murders of high-profile academics on several worlds.
Skreel (4 fighting, 5 stalking, 3 healing, 3 wrestling, 3 command, 3
toughness, 1 tgh/2, 15 defense) is a strix ghoul slayer from the Blackbird
Clan and a member of both the Symbiotic Order and the Tomb Keepers.
(Tomb Keepers are a renegade sect of the Symbiotic order more focused on
the preservation of ancient knowledge than the creation of peace and
stability.) He is in a heated debate with Commander Spriley: Skreel believes
in the Symbiotic Order's religious doctrine of "common descent" as the
origin of life in the universe, while Commander Spriley is spreading his
theory of "materialistic creationism." Skreel is known to use synerga boost
and heal powers to revive flagging and fallen allies in combat. Skreel
always has a few students (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 10 defense) following him
around who are willing to step up to defend Skreel's good name in a fight.
He wears dark hooded robes, which conceal almost everything besides his
beak, eyes and talons.
The Train
The trains on Radix frequently break down in the middle of the rural and
wilderness areas. While the PCs are going about their way on Radix, one of
the trains they are on breaks down in the middle of the wilderness. Each
member of the party with craftsmanship ability can try to help fix the train.
If any of these characters makes a craftsmanship roll of 15, the train is fixed
and back on its way before any further interruptions.
If the PCs do not successfully help get the train
running again, then the party must fight off two
Deinonychus (4 wrestling, 6 fighting, 4 stalking,
1 quickness, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense)
who attack the broken down train in the night.
Deinonychus are 70 kg (154 lb,) 3.4 meter (11
foot) long dromaeosaurs. Popularly known as
"raptors", dromaeosaurs are feathered predatory
dinosaurs with an enlarged sickle-shaped claw
on each foot. They have well-developed
forearms and large, clawed hands, so they can
catch and kill prey with their feet, hands or
teeth.
Follow the Predator Satiation rules to determine
whether the Deinonychus attack a fleeing party
member, and whether the encounter is successful in spite of failing to fix
the train. This encounter is successful if one of the party members fixes the
train or if both of the Deinonychus are either incapacitated or escaped. The
encounter is unsuccessful if nobody fixes the train, and all of the party
members escape or are incapacitated.
Stampede
While traveling through the Radix tundra, the PCs encounter a stampede of
panicked migrating dinosaurs. Each character in the party can try to avoid
the stampede with a flying roll of 8, a stalking roll of 10, a quickness roll of
12, or a non-ability roll of 14. (Each party member can only make one of
these rolls.) If every member of the party successfully avoids the stampede,
they complete the encounter successfully without further incident.
If at least one party member fails to avoid the stampede, the party must fight
one dinosaur for each member of the party that did not successfully avoid
the stampede. The dinosaurs are a single group of enemies, not separate
battles for each party member who failed to escape. Use the Predator
Satiation rules to determine whether the encounter is successful and how the
animals behave if the PCs try to escape. These terrified animals will flee
when injured. Roll a d20 for each of these dinosaurs to determine its
species:
1-6 Edmontosaurus (2 fighting, 2 wrestling, 2 quickness, 8 toughness, 4

tgh/2, 14 defense) is a 4 ton, 9.0 meter (30 foot) long hadrosaur sometimes
called "trachodon." Hadrosaurs are a colorful advanced group of
ornithopods with deep bodies and tails and a flattened
beak vaguely resembling a duck's bill.
7-12 Parasaurolophus (2 fighting, 2 quickness,
7 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 13 defense) is a 2.5 ton,
9.5 meter (32 foot) long hadrosaur with a
long, tubular, backward-pointing crest.
Hadrosaurs are a colorful advanced group
of ornithopods with deep bodies and tails
and a flattened beak vaguely resembling
a duck's bill.
13-20 Triceratops (2 knockout, 4 fighting,

6 wrestling, 2 quickness, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
15 defense) is an 8.5 ton, 8.5 meter (28 foot) long
ceratopsian dinosaur with a parrot-like beak, three
horns and a bony shield protecting the neck. Like
other horned dinosaurs, Triceratops combines
defensive weapons and armor with flocking
behavior. Triceratops uses its horns to grapple
with rivals more often than it uses them to
fight predators. Triceratops is an omnivore that
mainly eats shrubs but also scavenges carcasses and
will even attack smaller animals when it is hungry.
Scavengers
While the party is camping in the Radix
wilderness, they are raided in the night by two
scavenging Oviraptors (3 quickness, 2 fighting,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense.) Oviraptor
is a 2 meter (7 foot) long, 30 kg (66 lb)
feathered dinosaur with a short face,
parrot-like beak, long arms and short tail. Because
the Oviraptors catch the PCs while sleeping, each
Oviraptor has 5 levels of stalking for the purposes
of seeing who attacks first in this combat.
Restless Laborer
If the party already includes a
Restless Behemoth Laborer
do the Ancient Pyramid
encounter instead.
The PCs find friendly and
hospitable farmers and farming
towns while traveling across
the Radix countryside. A Restless
Behemoth Laborer (2 fighting,
3 wrestling, 1 stalking, 5 toughness,
2 tgh/2, 12 defense) offers to join the
party in an effort to broaden his horizons.
This encounter is automatically successful.
Ancient Pyramid
Tomb Keepers are excavating an ancient pyramid. (Tomb Keepers are a
renegade sect of the Symbiotic order more focused on the preservation of
ancient knowledge than the creation of peace and stability.) They are trying
to open the Forbidden Door of Unholiness in the lowest level of the
pyramid. The Tomb Keepers offer to escort the party to Yggdrassil,
Edegene or Mirage if they help.
If the party helps the Tomb Keepers open the door, an Overlord Ravisher
(4 stalking, 4 knockout, 1 swimming, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense)
inside springs to life and attacks the party. The evil spider-like creature has
numerous sharp pointed legs, stingers, tentacles and an armored
exoskeleton. Follow the Predator Satiation rules to determine whether the
encounter is successful and whether the hungry Ravisher will attack fleeing
party members. (The encounter is also successful if the party decides not to
help the Tomb Keepers open the door in the first place.)
Characters will become ghouls if they are incapacitated by a Ravisher.
Characters transformed into ghouls gain a bonus level of fighting or
knockout ability. These ghouls remain members of the party, but they are
insatiably hungry. Only a substance called bug sauce can control the
hunger. If the party does not have bug sauce, ghoul characters begin each
encounter injured (with hit points equal to their tgh/2.) If the party searches
for a cure, rumors will suggest that bug sauce can be found on Peleg and
Edegene.
After the battle, the Tomb Keepers can use ancient technology they have
discovered to cure characters who have turned into ghouls. Cured characters
lose the fighting or knockout ability they gained as a ghoul. Then, if the
party wants to leave Radix, the Tomb Keepers can take them and their
vehicles immediately to Yggdrassil, Edegene or Mirage. When the party
arrives at their destination they do not need to have an encounter before
moving on to another location like The Lower Worlds (from Yggdrassil,)
Maia, Maelstrom and Protaea (from Mirage) or Trydeen and Nereid (from
Edegene.)
Gunfight
While traveling through a rural livestock market,
one of the PCs accidentally insults a local drome sheriff
(4 shooting, 2 stalking, 4 quickness, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 14 defense). He challenges the PC with
the highest shooting ability to a duel in the
center of town at noon. If none of the PCs
have shooting ability, or if more than
one PC is tied for the highest shooting
ability, choose the character closest to the
sheriff's size or roll dice to break the tie.
The party can try to sneak out of town to
avoid the duel but this requires each PC
to beat a stalking roll of 10 or non-ability
roll of 10. If any of these rolls fail the
sheriff will attack the whole party.
Treat this like a Wanted Alive encounter
except that the encounter is unsuccessful regardless of the outcome.
Winning the duel requires the chosen PC to engage the sheriff in one-on-
one combat without the other party members helping. The sheriff and the
chosen PC will be provided with special dueling pistols for the duration of
the duel, which provide the PC and the sheriff with one extra level of
shooting ability.
If the PC wins the duel, he can take the sheriff's jacket and modify this
bulletproof spider silk clothing to fit himself. The sheriff's jacket increases
the PC's toughness by 1 level while he is wearing it. The sheriff's jacket can
be used by any character of the same species as the PC.
If the PC loses the duel he manages to barely survive his injuries and
recover fully before the next encounter. This encounter is only successful if
the chosen PC wins the duel or every member of the party successfully
sneaks out of town.
Monopolis Encounters
In the city of Monopolis, characters can try to escape or capture fleeing
opponents using acrobatics or quickness ability. When PCs gain a level
after a Monopolis encounter, they cannot increase any ability to greater than
level 6. The party can search Monopolis for Air Guns or a pressurized
Airship. Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find while exploring
Monopolis:
1-3 Airship
4-6 Aspiring Mutualist
7-10 Phage Bandits
11-13 Translator
14-16 Checkpoint
17-20 Air Guns
Airship
The PCs accidentally wander into an exclusive
neighborhood dominated by gremian supremacists
wearing garish face paint and flamboyant costumes.
The PCs are attacked by three gremian racists
(2 shooting, 2 quickness, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
12 defense) armed with air rifles, who accuse them
of trying to steal an airship. If the PCs defeat the
racists, they can claim a Pressurized Airship
(1 range, 1 spaceflight, 1 flying, 1 guns,
3 grappling, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 11 defense)
spacecraft for themselves.
Aspiring Mutualist
If the party already has an Aspiring Mutualist from this encounter, then they
have the Phage Bandits encounter instead.
While the PCs are exploring part of the surface city, they run into an
Aspiring Mutualist (4 fighting, 2 shooting, 2 piloting, 2 acrobatics,
2 stalking, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 12 defense). The aspiring mutualist
is an armed myrmidon shocktrooper who is seeking to defect from
Monopolis and join a mutualist community. If the PCs allow him,
he will join the party.
If the party reaches a Mutualist community on another world (like the
Mutualist Tournament encounter on Trydeen,) the Aspiring Mutualist
will ask to leave the party and join the Mutualists. If the party gives him
permission to leave, each of the PCs gains an extra level of any ability.
Phage Bandits
While carefully sneaking through a shortcut through
the undercity, the PCs are accosted by four Phage
Bandits (3 stalking, 2 flying, 2 fighting, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 13 defense) armed with devious tactics and
sharp daggers. If the party gives the bandits all of
the equipment they are carrying, they do not have
to fight the bandits, but the encounter will be
unsuccessful. Otherwise treat this as an ordinary
Wanted Alive encounter.
Translator
If the party already has a Strix Wandering Translator from this encounter,
then they have the Checkpoint encounter instead.
While the PCs are exploring part of the surface city, they run into a
Wandering Translator (2 healing, 2 craftsmanship, 3 fighting, 4 stalking,
1 quickness, 1 piloting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense). The Wandering
Translator is a trained Strix communicator who is seeking to explore the
worlds beyond Monopolis. If the PCs allow him, he will join the party.
Checkpoint
The PCs are accosted by a Gremian Officer (2 shooting, 4 quickness, 2
toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) and a Myrmidon Enforcer (4 fighting, 2
stalking, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense) at a checkpoint in the surface
city.
If the PCs have purchased air guns from Feto Banch they will be accused of
possessing stolen goods. If the party includes a Wandering Translator or
Aspiring Mutualist, they will be accused of helping them violate their
contracts with the Monopolis Trading Company.
If the party does not turn over any allies and equipment they have acquired
on Monopolis, they have to fight the Officer and Enforcer. This is a Wanted
Alive encounter, except that the encounter also succeeds if the party avoids
combat.
Air Guns
The PCs meet infamous gygean smuggler
Feto Banch (6 shooting, 5 piloting,
3 acrobatics, 7 stalking, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 17 defense) while sneaking
through the dark tunnels of the undercity.
He is selling Monopolis air guns which
fire pellets using compressed air,
making less flash, smoke and
noise than gunpowder firearms.
If the party tries to buy
weapons from Feto Banch,
they will be attacked by a
Gremian Officer (2 shooting, 4 quickness, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense)
and two Myrmidon Enforcers (4 fighting, 2 stalking, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2,
12 defense) who are trying to stop this transaction. Feto Banch will help the
party during this battle until he is injured, then he will try to escape.
If the party defeats the Gremian Officer and Myrmidon Enforcers before
Feto Banch escapes, each PC can buy an air rifle with a tiny fraction of their
pirate treasure. This weapon increases a character's shooting ability by 1
level while they use it.
Peleg Encounters
Most Peleg encounters take place at sea, where characters can try to escape
or capture fleeing opponents using swimming, acrobatics or flying ability.
When PCs gain a level after a Peleg encounter, they cannot increase any
ability to greater than level 7. On Peleg, the party can befriend Tomb
Keepers to get surgical tools or bug sauce (Throne of the Tomb Keepers
encounter), fight in Warlord Arenas to get new weapons (Arena encounter),
or look for a way to get off of this backward moon (Throne of the Tomb
Keepers or Silk Payload encounter.) Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs
find while exploring Peleg:
1-2 Throne of the Tomb Keepers

3-5 Polar Hunters
6-7 Arena
8-9 Silk Payload
10-13 Sea Monsters
14-17 Capsized
18-20 The Doldrums
Throne of the Tomb Keepers

If the PCs have already had this encounter, then they have the Polar Hunters
encounter instead.
The party discovers a village of the Blackbird Clan on the outskirts of
Cannibal territory. Many of the mysteriously disappear while the PCs are
looking the other way. The party also notices the headquarters of a gang of
Tomb Keepers who seem alien to this village. Tomb Keepers are a renegade
sect of the Symbiotic order more focused on the preservation of ancient
knowledge than the creation of peace and stability.
The Tomb Keepers have split into two factions. Nefarious's power-hungry
faction has begun producing highly addictive elixir with amazing healing
powers called "bug sauce," which can deform addicts into monstrous
versions of their former selves called "ghouls." Skreel's faction is still loyal
to the principles of the Symbiotic Order, and Skreel approaches the PCs
asking them to help him ambush Nefarious's side and destroy a device
called the "still" which is used to produce bug sauce.
Skreel (4 fighting, 5 stalking, 3 healing, 3 wrestling,

3 command, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 15 defense) is a strix
ghoul slayer from the Blackbird Clan
and a member of both the Symbiotic Order
and the Tomb Keepers. He is plotting to assassinate
the Tomb Keeper's current leader, Nefarious, because
he fears that she will eventually harm thousands
with her power hungry madness. He uses synerga
to boost and heal allies in combat. Skreel is
accompanied by three students (1 toughness,
0 tgh/2, 10 defense) who are willing to step up
to defend Skreel's good name in a fight.
Fang (3 swimming, 3 stalking, 3 fighting,
2 wrestling, 1 toughness, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2,
13 defense) is a young athletically-gifted
leviathan Cannibal Interrogator. He discovered
the Tomb Keepers while waging a campaign
of destruction against a gang of bug sauce
bootleggers operating in his village's
territory. He infiltrated the group to
discover why he could not stop bug
sauce production in his area, only
to succumb to the temptation of power
that the secrets of the Tomb Keepers
offered. Fang is loyal to Skreel, as Skreel
originally initiated him as a Tomb Keeper, and
sympathizes with Fang's concerns about the dangers of bug sauce.
Barnabous (2 swimming, 3 healing, 3 fighting,
6 command, 6 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 13 defense) is a
talented and sought-after Shaman amongst the
cannibals, who was invited to join the Tomb
Keepers by Nefarious. He secretly runs a bug
sauce still, on a village-sized platform in a
remote swamp, brewing bug sauce primarily
for Nefarious, but also selling some bug sauce
on the side. Barnabous is a ghoul, addicted to
the sauce. His scales have turned purple and
grown thicker, enhancing his natural body
armor. Barnabous has six ghoul servants
(1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 10 defense),
enslaved to serve him in his madness.
Nefarious (6 fighting, 8 stalking,

3 healing, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2,
18 defense) is an accomplished
Blackbird Clan Guardian who
joined to the Tomb Keepers to get
access to advanced techniques that
could improve her ability to protect her
people. Once in the Tomb Keepers the
power corrupted her, and now she is on
a quest to learn all taboo sources of
power. She lives amongst the Cannibals
studying surgery and other dark arts.
Her dangerous research is highly dependent on a steady supply of bug sauce
coming from Barnabous's still - and so is she. She is an unnaturally strong
elderly strix who surprises her opponents with horrifying illusions, athletic
stunts, secret cloaking synerga techniques. She is armed with carefully
sharpened talons and unnaturally tough hide and bones. She carries flasks of
bug sauce in her large cloak, which she uses for her own addiction and to
revive comrades who collapse in the heat of battle.
Treat this as a Wanted Alive encounter, except that
the party can choose to stay out of the Tomb Keeper
conflict (in which case the encounter is unsuccessful.)
Losing the battle and being turned over to bounty
hunters is one way to escape from Peleg, but if the
PCs successfully help Skreel win the battle, he will
use his Symbiotic Order connections to get the
Shangdan Empire's Bureau of Celestial Trade to
launch the party into space with a Gyrocraft (1 range,
1 spaceflight, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 11 defense.)
If the party successfully helps Skreel win the battle,
he will also give the party surgical tools which give
whoever is using them 1 extra level of healing ability
and 1 extra level of surgery ability. The party can also
sneak a supply of bug sauce past Skreel if they so
desire. This is a Wanted Alive encounter, but if the
party sneaks away with a supply of Bug Sauce they
have to cut their training and preparations short and
the encounter is unsuccessful.
If a character is not a ghoul, he can use the party's bug sauce to recover
all of his hit points. He can only do this once per encounter, and he is
immediately addicted, becoming a ghoul at the end of the encounter.
points equal to their tgh/2.) The supply of bug sauce the party sneaks past
Skreel is sufficient to satisfy all of the ghouls in the party until the end of
the campaign.
In any pirate encounter, the party can trade the bug sauce for one of the
pirate's spacecraft instead of fighting them. (This counts as a successful
outcome for that encounter.) If the party does this, they no longer have Bug
Sauce until they get some more.
Polar Hunters
While hiking on a beach, the party is attacked
by two Borean Hunters (2 swimming,
2 fighting, 2 shooting, 3 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 11 defense) with a pair of
trained Anthropornis (3 swimming,
2 fighting, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense). Anthropornis is a
1.7 meter (6 foot) tall, 90 kg (200 lb)
primitive penguin found in warmer
climates. Anthropornis looks
like a modern penguin with a
longer neck and a longer beak. Like
modern penguins, Anthropornis eats fish,
but these animals particular specimens
have been trained to attack larger prey.
Treat this as a Predator Satiation
encounter. If the PCs defeat the
hunters, they find a high quality
pistol dagger that the hunters have taken from a previous victim. This
Shangdanese weapon combines a short blade with a gyrojet firearm. It fires
small gyroscopically stabilized rockets. One character can increase his
shooting and knockout abilities by 1 level while using this weapon.
Arena
The PCs are captured by an
overwhelming horde of
Warlord pirates and forced to
fight in their arena. Party
members cannot escape from
this battle. If they defeat a
Lyndwyrm Warlord (3
quickness, 4 fighting, 6
command, 5 toughness, 2
tgh/2, 13 defense) with a
gaffling gladiator (3
fighting, 3 toughness, 1
tgh/2, 11 defense), the encounter is successful, and the party is set free and
rewarded with a high quality Shangdanese carbine sword. This
Shangdanese weapon combines a blade with a firearm that fires small
gyroscopically stabilized rockets. One character can increase his shooting
and fighting abilities by 1 level while using this weapon. If the party is
defeated, their lives will be spared but they are forced to labor as slaves
until they eventually escape, the encounter is unsuccessful, and they have to
start their next encounter injured with hit points equal to their tgh/2.
Silk Payload
The PCs find themselves in cannibal territory, though these natives seem
very friendly compared to their reputation. The PC's notice a large object
off on the horizon coming from the direction of Shangdan, which flies
across the sky and splashes down within a few kilometers of the PCs. By
the time the PCs are able to find the object, a team of two leviathan
Cannibal Warriors (3 swimming, 2 stalking, 2 fighting, 1 wrestling, 1
shooting, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense) are guarding it with tridents.
Treat this as a Predator Satiation encounter. The party is only able to
retrieve the object if the encounter is successful.
The object is a payload of spider silk from Shangdan that

was supposed to be launched into orbit. If the PCs defeat
the Cannibal warriors, return the payload to the Shangdan
Imperial Order's Bureau of Celestial Trade, and promise
to help Shangdan expand it's interplanetary trade, the
bureau will provide the party with orbital launch and
a new Gyrocraft (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 10 toughness,
5 tgh/2, 11 defense.) The party can do nothing else
useful with the silk payload.
The party learns that the Bureau of Celestial Trade
is responsible for the Shangdan Gateway spaceport,
capturing packages dropped into the sea from orbit,
and extraplanetary missions. Most Shangdanese
space missions are carried out by privateers
chartered by the Bureau.
Sea Monster
While sailing the seas of Peleg, the PCs are attacked
by sea monsters big or bold enough to attack a ship.
The value of the original encounter roll determines
what type of creature attacks them.
10 Three hungry Pteranodon (3 flying, 2 stalking,
3 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense) swoop
down looking for food. Pteranodon is a 50 kg (110 lb,)
9 meter (30 foot) wingspan, toothless, short-tailed
pterosaur with a long backward-pointing crest. Pterosaurs
are flying archosaurs which vaguely resemble birds -
another group of flying archosaurs which are only
distantly related - but they have leathery wings and
usually walk an all four limbs. The naked wings
of pterosaurs vaguely resemble bat wings when
folded, but the wings are supported by a single
strong finger instead of three as in bats.
Pterosaurs are covered in fur-like insulating fibers.
11 A Stomatosuchus (3 fighting, 4 wrestling, 3 swimming, 8 toughness,
4 tgh/2, 14 defense.) Stomatosuchus is a 10 ton, 12 meter (40 foot) long,
filter-feeding crocodile. Like a baleen whale, stomatosuchus is a huge
aquatic animal that catches small animals by forcing sea water through its
teeth. its lower jaw is toothless while the upper jaw has blunt teeth which
act as a sieve to catch its prey.
12 A pair of Tylosaurus (5 wrestling, 4 swimming, 3 stalking, 5 toughness,

2 tgh/2, 14 defense.) Tylosaurus is a 1.8 ton, 13 meter (43 foot) long
mosasaur: a sea serpent related to snakes and lizards.
13 A single Kronosaurus (4 knockout, 3 swimming, 3 stalking, 8 toughness,
4 tgh/2, 14 defense.) Kronosaurus is a 7 ton, 9.5 meter (32 foot) long
pliosaur: a marine predator with a short neck and a huge mouth full of big
sharp teeth. Kronosaurus swims with four huge paddles which provide
massive acceleration for ambushes.
Capsized
While the party is sailing the seas of Peleg, their ship is caught in a storm
and capsized. The PCs hang onto whatever flotsam they can find, hoping to
drift toward an island or friendly ship. In this vulnerable position they are
attacked by marine predators. The value of the original encounter roll
determines what type of creature attacks them.
14 Three Metriorhynchus (2 fighting, 4 swimming, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2,
14 defense.) Metriorhynchus is an 800 kg (1800 lb,) 5 meter (17 foot) long
relative of crocodiles adapted for marine life. Metriorhynchus is smooth and
streamlined with no armor, and it has flippers for legs. Metriorhynchus
specializes in catching fish but is capable of tackling other prey.
15 Two Ichthyosaurus (4 swimming, 3 fighting, 2 stalking, 3 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 14 defense.) Ichthyosaurus is a 100 kg (220 lb,) 2.5 meter (8 foot)
long reptile fully adapted for life at sea, with a streamlined, fish-like body.
Ichthyosaurs give live birth to fully developed infants at sea, unlike most
marine reptiles which must return to land to lay eggs.
16 Two very large sharks (2 knockout, 4 swimming,
2 stalking, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 14 defense.) Many
sharks are active predators and some species average
up to 4 meter (13 feet) long and 700 kg (1500 lbs.)
17 Two Giant Octopi (2 wrestling, 2 swimming,
4 stalking, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense.) The
giant octopus is a 70 kg (150 lb,) 7 meter (23 foot)
long, stealthy and clever cephalopod which can rapidly change the color
and texture of its skin. By posing their tentacles while changing color and
texture, an octopus can change shape to mimic inanimate objects, plants or
animals.
The Doldrums
After weeks with no winds, the party is starving at sea. Former allies are
starting to look like future meals. Hope arrives in the form of an animal
spotted swimming in the water. If the party catches at least one creature,
they can sate their hunger. Injured animals will try to escape.
Treat this as a Predator Satiation encounter, except that the encounter is
unsuccessful if the party does not incapacitate at least one creature. Each
member of the party will begin their next encounter injured if the encounter
is unsuccessful, with hit points equal to their tgh/2. The value of the original
encounter roll determines what type of creature they encounter.
18 One Elasmosaurus (3 stalking, 4 fighting, 7 toughness, 3 tgh/2,
13 defense.) Elasmosaurus is a 2 ton, 14 meter (46 foot) long, extremely
long-necked plesiosaur. Plesiosaurs are long-necked fishers with compact
bodies and turtle-like flippers.
19 Two sea turtles (1 wrestling, 2 swimming, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2,
12 defense.) Sea turtles are marine turtles with flippers that can grow
up to 2 meters (7 feet) long and weigh up to 650 kg (1400 lbs.)
20 Three Tanystropheus (2 fighting, 2 swimming, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 12 defense) at first appear to be a single creature with
three long necks. But if any of the heads are injured, that
individual will separate from the group and try to escape.
Tanystropheus is a 200 kg (440 lb,) 6 meter (20 foot)
long aquatic archosaur with a very long neck
and webbed feet. Tanystropheus specializes
in catching fish.
Maia Encounters
On the roads of Maia characters can try to escape or capture fleeing
Maia encounter, they cannot increase any ability to greater than level 8. The
party can search this world for a way to escape (Alien Autopsy encounter),
pre-war technology (Raptor Silo), a steed (Ornithomimid Ranch) or
weapons of mass destruction (Twenty-Five.) Roll a d20 to determine what
the PCs find while exploring Maia:
1-3 Raptor Silo

4-5 Twenty-Five
6-8 Ornithomimid Ranch
9-11 Egg Thieves
12-14 Amp Gang
15-16 Super Soldier
17-20 Alien Autopsy
Raptor Silo
While exploring an
abandoned nuclear silo,
the PCs are attacked by
a pair of Deinonychus
(4 wrestling, 6 fighting,
4 stalking, 3 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 14 defense)
living inside.
Deinonychus are 70 kg (150 lb,) 3.4 meter (11 foot) long dromaeosaurs.
Popularly known as "raptors", dromaeosaurs are feathered predatory
dinosaurs with an enlarged sickle-shaped claw on each foot. They have
well-developed forearms and large, clawed hands, so they can catch and kill
prey with their feet, hands or teeth.
If the party defeats the Deinonychus, they discover a Cosmoraptor (1
range, 2 spaceflight, 5 flying, 2 stalking, 2 missiles, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
12 defense) mounted to a fully intact launch system.
Twenty-Five
While the party is visiting one of Maia's major cities, terrorists threaten to
detonate a nuclear device in 25 hours. The party can flee the city or fight the
terrorists.
Every five hours each member of the party can try to make a stalking ability
roll of 15 or a non-ability roll of 15. If any of the party members succeed,
they locate a skand Terrorist (3 acrobatics, 3 shooting, 6 command,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense) in an abandoned warehouse with an
assault rifle, who has two fanatical followers (1 acrobatics, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 11 defense.) Treat each of these battles as a Predator Satiation
encounter. If the party defeats 3 terrorists, the encounter is successful, they
gain control of the nuke and save the city. If they do not defeat 3 terrorists
they must flee the city after 20 hours have passed to avoid death by nuclear
explosion. If the party flees the city, the encounter is unsuccessful.
A character with at least 5 craftsmanship ability can prepare the nuke to be
fired from a vehicle that has missiles ability. A nuke is fired using missiles
ability. Each nuke can only be used once.
A nuke causes 10 damage to every vehicle in the target group, including the
target, regardless of whether it hits the target. If a nuke hits the target
vehicle, it causes an additional 15 damage to the vehicle and 5 damage to
everyone aboard. If the vehicle is incapacitated by the nuke it causes an
additional 5 damage to everyone aboard.
Ornithomimid Ranch
The PCs can use a small part of their pirate fortune to purchase one
ornithomimid dinosaur trained as a fighting and hunting mount. One phage,
aeolyte, gremian, skand, stygian, or orn can ride the ornithomimid. While
riding this steed the character's quickness ability is 5. This encounter is
automatically successful.
Egg Thieves
While the party is traveling across the post-apocalyptic
wasteland, four Oviraptors (3 quickness, 2 fighting,
catch the PCs collecting their
eggs for the party's breakfast.
Oviraptors are 2 meter
(7 foot) long, 30 kg (66 lb) feathered
dinosaurs with short faces, parrot-like
beaks, long clawed arms and short tails.
Amp Gang
Amps are highly addictive and powerful stimulants used for military
purposes before the Great War. These drugs - illegal in most places - are
increasingly common as massive stockpiles are unearthed during salvage
operations.
While traveling along an old highway, the party encounter a plundering
Amp Gang interested in ransacking the PCs. The three skand gang members
(4 acrobatics, 4 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) are experienced
criminals juiced up on amps. They are armed with crude makeshift body
armor and hand-to-hand weapons.
Super Soldier
The party finds a hidden bunker
protected by forces acting as if the
Great War never happened. Their
leader is a skand Super Soldier
(5 acrobatics, 4 fighting, 4 shooting,
6 command, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
15 defense) genetically modified for
longevity and physical prowess. He is
juiced up on amps and armed with a
powerful bayoneted assault rifle.
He leads a rag-tag crew of six
janitors, mechanics and security
guards (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2,
10 defense) who help him maintain the base a
nd reject unwelcome visitors like the PCs.
Alien Autopsy
The PCs are noticed by the wrong group of
government officials, who order their scientists
to capture and study the PCs. Armed with
advanced non-lethal weapon technology, a
skand government agent (3 shooting, 5
wrestling, 4 acrobatics, 3 stalking, 4 command,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) and four
enthusiastic science students (1 toughness, 0
tgh/2, 10 defense) armed with syringes full of
sleep-serum, engage the PCs at night on a
poorly lit street corner in an effort to capture
them.
Treat this first fight as a Wanted Alive
encounter, but if the party is captured, they
wake up injured (with hit points equal to their
tgh/2) in a government lab. They can can only
escape by defeating five skand scientists (1
wrestling, 1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 10 defense).
Party members cannot flee from this fight. If the
PCs win this second fight, they discover that the scientists have an
experimental Mobile Space Habitat (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 10 toughness, 5
tgh/2, 11 defense) which they can use to get off of Maia. If the PCs do not
defeat the scientists they are eventually released but begin their next
encounter injured (with hit points equal to their tgh/2) and the encounter has
failed.
Mirage Encounters
While the party is at Mirage, they can choose to stay in orbit and have one
of the encounters in the Middle Worlds Orbit Encounters chapter, or
descend to the surface of Mirage and have one of the encounters in this
chapter.
In the deserts of Mirage characters can try to escape or capture fleeing
Mirage encounter, they cannot increase any ability to greater than level 8.
The party can search Mirage for exotic stealth technology for characters
(The Artifact encounter) or vehicles (Shadow Creature encounter.) Roll a
d20 to determine what the PCs find while exploring Mirage:
1-2 Sand Guivre 13-14 Browser Wars

3 Snake Pit 15-16 Terror Birds
4-6 The Oasis 17-18 Bird of Prey
7-9 The Shepherds 19-20 Shadow Creature
10-12 The Artifact
Sand Guivres
While traveling through a patch of sand
dunes, the PCs are hunted by three Sand
Guivres (3 wrestling, 3 stalking, 3 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 13 defense.) Sand guivres are 150 kg
(330 lb,)7 meter (23 foot) long burrowing
reptiles with no legs that wrestle their prey down
and suffocate it in the sand. Guivres are legless
crocodilians with snake-like bodies and heads like
crocodiles. They have armored scutes like crocodiles
instead of overlapping scales like snakes.
Snake Pit
Seeking shade in a cave, the party stumbles across a five venomous snakes
(3 knockout, 2 stalking, 1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 12 defense) hiding in the sand.
Each snake's venomous fangs can also be used to disable prey or to defend
the snake when it is surprised or cornered.
The Oasis
While exploring the wilderness the PCs find a watering hole with no signs
of civilization. As the party approaches they notice that they are being
stalked by huge quadrupedal reptiles. While the party is trapped with their
backs to the water, an armored back rises above the water's surface.
The three Postosuchus (3 knockout, 2 stalking, 6 toughness, 3 tgh/2,
12 defense) stalking the PCs are 6 meter (20 foot) long, 900 kg (2000 lb)
quadrupedal carnivorous archosaurs. Postosuchus resembles a crocodile
with longer, more erect legs, a deeper body and a deep head that resembles
the big carnivorous dinosaurs like Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus.
The two crocodiles (3 wrestling, 2 swimming, 3 stalking, 5 toughness,
2 tgh/2, 13 defense) behind the party are armored archosaurs that live
mainly in water. They are nearly as big as the Postosuchus and if the big
reptiles can drag a character back into the water they will hold the character
under until he drowns.
If every member of the party can make a stalking roll of 15, they can avoid
both groups of predators. Otherwise the party must choose to fight one of
the groups of predators. Whenever the party flees from either group of
predators, they must fight the other group. The party and the predators do
not recover hit points between these battles. Treat each battle as a Predator
Satiation encounter.
The Shepherds
The party stumbles onto the remains of a mass slaughter of livestock near
an oasis. Before they can determine what kind of creatures could be
responsible for this attack, they are surrounded by the nomadic gafflings
who own the dead beasts. The party is unfamiliar with their dialect but it is
obvious that they believe the PCs have destroyed their property.
The shepherds have been out hunting with four oviraptors they have trained
as trackers. Oviraptors (3 quickness, 2 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13
defense) are 2 meter (7 foot) long, 30 kg (66 lb) feathered dinosaurs with
short faces, parrot-like beaks, long arms and short tails.
The shepherds sick their four trained

Oviraptors on the PCs. If the PCs defeat
the Oviraptors, the shepherds will flee.
Treat this like a Wanted Alive encounter
even though the party only fights animals.
If every member of the party is incapacitated
or escaped at the end of combat, and none
of the PCs escape, they can avoid being
turned over to bounty hunters if any party
member can make a command roll of 15 or any strix
party member can make a non-ability roll of 10. If any
of these rolls succeed, the party convinces the shepherds
to let them go and rejoin any allies who may have escaped,
but the encounter is still unsuccessful.
The Artifact
While exploring some ruins the party discovers a sealed urn that looks
potentially valuable. Later, near the spaceport, they are attacked by two
gygean assassins (8 stalking, 4 fighting, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 18 defense)
intent on kidnapping the party and taking the urn.
If the PCs defeat these assassins, they will discover that the urn contains a
dormant stealth skin - a close-fitting flexible suit inhabited by a colony of
holographic microbes from Mirage. The skin can change texture, pattern
and color and even become nearly transparent. It also improves PCs
reflexes by transmitting motor impulses to their muscles faster than their
own nerves.
Whoever wears the stealth skin gains 2 levels of stalking ability as long as
they wear it. The colony repairs the skin when it is damaged. The stealth
skin automatically adapts itself to the first character who puts it on.
Between encounters, the stealth skin be adjusted by any character with
surgery ability to fit any other character.
Browser Wars
While traveling through light desert brush, the party is attacked by a couple
of angry male Therizinosaurus (6 fighting, 2 stalking, 6 toughness, 3 tgh/2,
13 defense) when the PCs accidentally disturb the males fighting for
dominance of their flock.
Therizinosaurus is a 5 ton, 11 meter (37 foot) long, feathered, herbivorous

dinosaur with a long neck, wide hips and round body. Unlike most large
theropods, these browsers walk on four toes instead of three, but their most
distinctive features are large bird-like arms with three huge claws - each a
meter (3 feet) long - on each hand.
Terror Birds
While traveling through a sparse forest of tall desert
plants, the party is ambushed by four Phorusrhacos
(4 quickness, 2 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
14 defense). These 150 kg (286 lb,) 2.5 meter
(8 foot) tall Terror Birds are big, flightless,
predatory birds related to Seriemas, with long
legs, big heads and powerful hooked beaks.
Phorusrhacos is one of the faster Terror Birds.
Bird of Prey
While traveling on an open road, the party is attacked by an Argentavis
(3 flying, 2 fighting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense). Argentavis is an
80 kg (176 lb,) 7 meter (23 foot) wingspan Teratorn - a condor-like bird of
prey. Each turn another Argentavis will join the fight until there are five.
This gigantic flying predator shows how big a bird of prey can become
under the right conditions. In size, Argentavis rivals even the largest
pterosaurs. Birds of prey like Argentavis hunt from the air, attacking
with hooked beaks and sharp talons.
Shadow Creature
While the party is exploring some ancient ruins, the very shadows seem to
start attacking. A djinn (9 stalking, 4 wrestling, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
19 defense) is guarding a "shadow generator" which can be mounted to any
spacecraft, giving the spacecraft 4 extra levels of stalking ability. The PCs
can keep the shadow generator if they defeat the djinn. Treat this as a
Predator Satiation encounter.
Maelstrom Encounters
Most Maelstrom encounters take place at sea, where characters can try to
escape or capture fleeing opponents using swimming, acrobatics or flying
ability.
Because the party must conserve food in this harsh environment, they begin
each encounter with hit points equal to their tgh/2.
When PCs gain a level after a Maelstrom encounter, they cannot increase
any ability to greater than level 9. The party can search Maelstrom for
Weapons of Mass Destruction or simply try to Escape from Maelstrom.
Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find while exploring Maelstrom:
1-2 Anthropornis 9 Sharks

3 Elasmosaurus 10 Stomatosuchus
4 Giant Squid 11 Tylosaurus
5 Ichthyosaurus 12-15 Weapons of Mass Destruction
6 Kronosaurus 16-20 Escape from Maelstrom
7-8 Metriorhynchus
Anthropornis
The party is attacked by five Anthropornis (3 swimming, 2 fighting,
3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) that leap from the water. Anthropornis
are 1.7 meter (6 foot) tall, 90 kg (200 lb,) primitive penguins with long
necks and long beaks. These warm-weather-loving penguins have adapted
to Maelstrom by living on floating mats of kelp. Anthropornis normally
eats fish, but these individuals are hungry enough to attack anything.
Elasmosaurus
Two Elasmosaurus (4 fighting, 3 stalking, 7 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 13 defense)
attack the party. These 2 ton, 14 meter (46 foot) long, extremely long-
necked plesiosaurs have adapted to Maelstrom by laying eggs on floating
mats of kelp. Plesiosaurs are long-necked reptiles with compact bodies and
turtle-like flippers. They normally eat fish, but must make do with whatever
prey the ocean of Maelstrom sends their way.
Giant Squid
Three giant squid (4 wrestling, 4 swimming, 2 stalking, 4 toughness,
2 tgh/2, 14 defense) wrap their tentacles around the party's vessel. These
500 kg (1100 lb,) 14 meter (46 foot) long, cephalopods - in spite of their
enormous size - are elusive creatures - living almost exclusively in deep
oceans like the surface of Maelstrom.
Ichthyosaurus
Three Ichthyosaurus (4 swimming, 3 fighting, 2 stalking, 3 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 14 defense) stalk the party. These 100 kg (220 lb,) 2.5 meter
(8 foot) long reptiles are fully adapted for life at sea, with a streamlined,
fish-like body. Ichthyosaurs give live birth to fully developed infants
at sea, unlike most marine reptiles which must return to land to lay eggs.
Kronosaurus
Two Kronosaurus (4 knockout, 3 swimming, 3 stalking, 8 toughness,
4 tgh/2, 14 defense) try to devour the party whole. These 7 ton, 9.5 meter
(31 foot) long pliosaurs - marine predators with short necks and a huge
mouth full of big sharp teeth - swim with four huge paddles which provide
massive acceleration for ambushes. Most Kronosaurus must lay their eggs
on land, but this Maelstrom variety has adapted by laying it's eggs on the
polar ice and insulating them with it's own body.
Metriorhynchus
Four Metriorhynchus (4 swimming, 2 fighting, 2 stalking, 4 toughness,
2 tgh/2, 14 defense) snap at the PCs. These 800 kg (1800 lb,) 5 meter
(17 foot) long crocodile relatives are adapted for marine life, smooth and
streamlined with no armor and flippers for legs. Metriorhynchus specializes
in catching fish but is capable of tackling other prey. These Metriorhynchus
have adapted to Maelstrom by incubating their eggs in their mouths and
only laying eggs during seasons when food is scarce.
Sharks
The party is tipped into the water and attacked by
four sharks (4 swimming, 2 knockout, 2 stalking,
4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 14 defense.) Many sharks
are active predators and some species average up
to 4 meters (13 feet) long and 700 kg (1500 lbs.)
Stomatosuchus
Two Stomatosuchus (3 fighting, 4 wrestling, 3 swimming, 8 toughness,
4 tgh/2, 14 defense) attack, perceiving the party's ship as a threat. Like a
baleen whale, these 10 ton, 12 meter (40 foot) long, filter-feeding crocodiles
catch small animals by forcing sea water through their teeth. The lower jaw
is toothless while the upper jaw has blunt teeth which act as a sieve to catch
prey. Most Stomatosuchus lay eggs on land, but these have adapted to
Maelstrom by keeping the eggs inside their bodies until they hatch.
Tylosaurus
The party is attacked by three Tylosaurus (5 wrestling, 4 swimming, 3
stalking, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 14 defense.) These 1.8 ton, 13 meter (43 foot)
long mosasaurs - sea serpents related to snakes and lizards - have adapted to
Maelstrom by laying eggs on floating kelp mats.
Weapons of Mass Destruction

The PCs find a floating platform where three borean Mad Scientists
(3 shooting, 2 swimming, 4 healing, 2 command, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense) armed with some kind of experimental submachine guns are
performing morally reprehensible experiments with microbiological
weapons. Each Mad Scientist is followed by two hungry stygian
Zombie Experiments (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 10 defense).
If the party defeats the mad scientists, the PCs find find a nuke. A character
with at least 5 craftsmanship ability can prepare the nuke to be fired from a
vehicle that has missiles ability. A nuke is fired using missiles ability, and
each nuke can only be used once. It causes 10 damage to every vehicle in
the target group, including the target, regardless of whether it hits the target.
If a nuke hits the target vehicle, it causes an additional 15 damage to the
vehicle and 5 damage to everyone aboard. If the vehicle is incapacitated by
the nuke, it causes an additional 5 damage to everyone aboard.
Escape from Maelstrom

The party finds a floating platform where two stygian Mad Scientists
(3 shooting, 3 swimming, 4 healing, 5 surgery, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense) armed with some kind of experimental sidearms, are
performing morally reprehensible experiments adapting intelligent species
for permanent life underwater. Each Mad Scientist has its own Hunchback
Chimera (3 fighting, 1 stalking, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense)
bodyguard. These nasty smelling creatures are covered in hooded robes,
concealing everything except for unnaturally sharp sickle-shaped claws.
If the party defeats the mad scientists, they can escape from Maelstrom with
the mad scientists' Yggdrassil Starflower (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 2 solar
sailing, 1 flying, 5 repair, 5 guns, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 11 defense)
If the party defeats the mad scientists, they also find an ion pistol. This
weapon has three lasers and a high performance capacitor. One laser is used
for sighting, while the others are briefly activated to form two closely
spaced paths through the air which conduct electrical energy stored in the
capacitor. The amount of energy delivered can be adjusted from a mild
shock to a powerful incapacitating jolt. A character using the ion pistol can
fire it aboard a spacecraft without risking damage to the vehicle or its cargo.
An ion pistol gives the character using it 1 extra level of shooting ability.
Protaea Encounters
On the plains of Protaea characters can try to escape or capture fleeing
Protaea encounter, they cannot increase any ability to greater than level 10.
The party can search for a way to Escape from Protaea. Roll a d20 to
determine what the PCs find while exploring Protaea:
1-2 Race with Zephyrs 11-12 The Lyndwyrms

3-7 Prey 13-14 Myrmidon Tribe
8-9 Gaffling Cult 15-18 Predators
10 Coral Creature 19-20 Escape from Protaea
Race with Zephyrs

The PCs encounter a village of Zephyrs, who are very friendly, feeding the
PCs and tending to any wounds they may have. The Zephyrs invite the PCs
to participate in a race they are having with a few of the near by villages. In
order to win the race, one of the PCs must make a quickness roll (difficulty
20.) The reward for winning the race is a heavy poncho made from layers of
dinosaur hide. Anyone who wears it increases their toughness by one level
while it is worn. This encounter is automatically successful even if no one
in the party wins the race.
Prey
The party must hunt for food in the woodlands of Protaea. If they do not
successfully take down at least one prey animal, they will begin their next
encounter injured (with half of their maximum hit points, rounded down.)
The creature the party encounters depends on the original encounter roll.
Treat these as Predator Satiation encounters, except that the prey animals
will try to escape if they are injured.
3 Two Ankylosaurus (4 knockout, 2 fighting, 13 toughness, 6 tgh/2,
16 defense.) These 3 ton, 7.5 meter (25 foot) long bulky armored dinosaurs
have rows of spikes running down each side and heavy tail clubs. Although
heavily armored for a dinosaur, Ankylosaurus is more erect and quicker
moving than other heavily armored reptiles such as tortoises and aetosaurs.
4 Two Diplodocus (4 knockout, 4 fighting, 14 toughness, 7 tgh/2,
17 defense.) These 13 ton, 35 meter (120 foot) long sauropod dinosaurs
are longer but more lightly built than other sauropods like Brachiosaurus
and Apatosaurus. Diplodocus have a row of narrow pointed spines running
down their backs like iguanas, and a whip-like tail which can produce
a noise as loud as a cannon being fired. Long-necked sauropods rely on
size and strength for defense.
5 Two Stegosaurus (6 knockout, 4 fighting, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
15 defense.) These 4 ton, 8.5 meter (28 foot) long dinosaurs are protected
by light armor on their necks, two staggered rows of broad vertical plates
attached to their spines and four long spikes at the end of their tails.
6 Three Therizinosaurus (6 fighting, 2 stalking, 6 toughness, 3 tgh/2,
13 defense.) These 5 ton, 11 meter (36 foot) long, feathered, herbivorous
dinosaurs have long necks, wide hips and round bodies. Unlike most large
theropods, these browsers walk on four toes instead of three, but its most
distinctive feature is large bird-like arms with three huge claws - each a
meter (3 feet) long - on each hand.
8 Five Pachycephalosaurus (4 wrestling, 2 quickness, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
12 defense.) These 450 kg (1000 lb,) 4.5 meter (15 foot) long bipedal
beaked dinosaurs have thick rounded domes on their heads, surrounded
by short, spiky horns. They use these weapons to butt heads with rivals,
but they can also be turned against predators.
Gaffling Cult
While investigating a seemingly empty fort, the party is attacked by two
Gaffling Shamans (4 stalking, 6 fighting, 2 healing, 4 command,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) and their 8 intoxicated gaffling followers
(1 fighting, 1 toughness, 0 tgh/2, 10 defense). Treat this as a Predator
Satiation encounter.
Coral Creatures
While exploring the coastal regions of Protaea the party is surprised by four
giant Tentacled Polyps (5 wrestling, 6 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 13 defense)
which erupt from the ancient coral.
The Lyndwyrms
The party is caught in a pit trap set by three Lyndwyrm Hunters
(3 knockout, 6 quickness, 7 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 16 defense) who will not
hesitate to eat other intelligent creatures. Characters can try to escape the
trap before the hunters return by making an acrobatics, flying or non-ability
roll of 10. If any member of the party fails to escape, the whole party must
fight the lyndwyrms. Treat this as a Predator Satiation encounter, except
that the encounter is also successful if the entire party escapes the trap
before the hunters return.
Myrmidon Tribe
While hiking through lush jungle, the party is attacked by a tribe of
territorial Myrmidons. They must defeat four Myrmidon Warriors
(6 fighting, 2 quickness, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense) to escape.
Treat this as a Predator Satiation encounter.
Predators
Hungry animals hunt the PCs in the plains of Protaea. The original
encounter roll determines which creatures are stalking the party.
15 Seven Quetzalcoatlus (3 fighting, 2 flying, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
12 defense). Quetzalcoatlus are 100 kg (220 lb,) 11 meter (36 foot)
wingspan, giraffe-sized, toothless, short-tailed pterosaurs. They are stork-
like hunters of small animals. Pterosaurs are flying archosaurs which
vaguely resemble birds - another group of flying archosaurs which are only
distantly related - but they have leathery wings and usually walk an all four
limbs. The naked wings of pterosaurs vaguely resemble bat wings when
folded, but the wings are supported by a single strong finger instead of three
as in bats. Pterosaurs are covered in a fur-like insulation similar to very
primitive feathers.
16 Two Triceratops (2 knockout, 4 fighting, 6
wrestling, 2 quickness, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
15 defense). Triceratops is an 8 ton, 8.5 meter
(28 foot) long ceratopsian dinosaur with a
parrot-like beak, three horns and a bony shield
protecting the neck.
Like other horned dinosaurs, Triceratops
combines defensive weapons and armor with
flocking behavior. Triceratops uses its horns
to grapple with rivals more often than it uses them to fight predators.
Triceratops is an omnivore that mainly eats shrubs but also scavenges
carcasses and will even attack smaller animals when it is hungry.
17 Two Tyrannosaurus (8 knockout, 2 quickness, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,
15 defense) Tyrannosaurus is a powerfully built 6 ton, 12 meter (40 foot)
long predatory theropod dinosaur with very small arms.
18 Five Phorusrhacos (3 fighting, 4 quickness, 3

toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) Phorusrhacos is a 150
kg (330 lb,) 2.5 meter (8 foot) tall Terror Bird - a big,
flightless, predatory bird related to Seriemas, with
long legs and a big head with a powerful hooked
beak. Phorusrhacos is one of the faster Terror Birds.
Escape from Protaea

The PCs encounter a large junkyard of spacecraft that have been dragged to
this one place from a long distance from many directions. Upon further
inspection, they find a small camp of Solar Guard science officers who have
been stranded on Protaea for some time. The science officers have enlisted
the help of the local Zephyrs to locate any fallen spacecraft, and bring it to
this location using domesticated livestock as labor. The Solar Guard science
officers welcome the PCs help, agree to take the PCs with them to Port
Centrifica in the Lower Worlds, and together they are able to get a
makeshift launch system and Space Habitat almost ready for launch.
However, the last week of construction is noisy,
triggering a stampede of hadrosaurs (2 fighting,
2 wrestling, 2 quickness, 8 toughness, 4 tgh/2,
14 defense). The PCs can divert the stampede
and keep it from destroying the Mobile Space
Habitat by taking on 6 hadrosaurs
in a series of battles:
• 1 Edmontosaurus
• 2 Parasaurolophus
• 3 Parasaurolophus
Hadrosaurs are a colorful group of ornithopod dinosaurs with deep bodies
and tails and a flattened beak vaguely resembling a duck's bill.
Edmontosaurus is a 4 ton, 9.0 meter (30 foot) long hadrosaur sometimes
called "trachodon." Parasaurolophus is a 2.5 ton, 9.5 meter (32 foot) long
hadrosaur with a long, tubular, backward-pointing crest. (The hadrosaurs
have the same abilities regardless of species.)
Treat each battle as a Predator Satiation encounter. There is no time to rest
between these fights, so injured and incapacitated characters are not healed
between battles. If the PCs injure a hadrosaur it will flee.
If the PCs incapacitate or scare off

all 6 of the animals, the stampede
is diverted around the junkyard,
and the encounter is successful.
The party then travels to the
Lower Worlds where they are
rewarded with an Armored Freighter
(2 range, 1 spaceflight, 5 grapple,
3 guns, 3 targeting, 30 toughness,
15 tgh/2, 13 defense) to replace the
spacecraft they ditched at Protaea.
As soon as any of the hadrosaur
battles ends with all of the party
members escaped or incapacitated,
the encounter ends unsuccessfully
and the party is stranded on Protaea
until they have another encounter
like this one.
Edegene Encounters
The Terraformers maintain a massive blockade around Edegene. This
makes piracy in Edegene's orbit next to impossible, prevents their Overlord
rivals from spreading to other worlds, and protects the beanstalk satellites
that are the source of the Terraformer's power. Edegene's surface is
accessed through the beanstalk satellites, and travel this way always leads to
the Northern Continent.
Parking their spacecraft in Edegene orbit and descending to the Northern
Continent on a beanstalk, the party can search for weapons to fight the
Overlord Swarm (Splicer Medic encounter) a deadly golem ally (Tomb
Keepers encounter) or Bug Sauce (Overlord Splicer encounter.) When PCs
gain a level after an Edegene encounter, they cannot increase any ability to
greater than level 9. Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find while
exploring Edegene:
1-4 Grafter Attack

5-8 Splicer Medic
9-12 Tomb Keepers
13-16 Overlord Grafters
17-20 Overlord Splicer
Grafter Attack
While the party is crossing a field of wildflowers, four young
Terraformer Grafters (1 stalking, 3 fighting, 3 quickness, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 13 defense) mistake the party for a serious alien threat to their
bioregion and attack. During this fight, any character can try to make peace
with the Grafters. This is a combat action which requires a command,
surgery or healing ability roll of 15, or a non-ability roll of 18, to succeed.
Successful peacemaking ends the combat.
If the entire party is incapacitated or escaped, the encounter is unsuccessful
but the party eventually convinces the Grafters to let them go, and the party
is reunited if some party members escaped. If the entire party is not
incapacitated or escaped at the end of combat, the encounter is successful.
Splicer Medic
While traveling through crags that are filled with what appear to be giant
spider webs made of spider-silk cables, the party meets an accomplished
Terraformer splicer who wants to discuss the party's journeys for its
personal records. If the players are cooperative, the Splicer will give them a
single use weapon called a "Sanitizer Missile." The Sanitizer Missile can be
equipped on any vehicle by any character with craftsmanship or surgery
ability. A character can even equip the Sanitizer Missile as a combat action.
The sanitizer missile's attack bonus is 5 plus the vehicle's missiles ability
(including any gunner bonus.) The sanitizer missile does 10 damage to any
ship that uses Overlord technology (particularly the Swarm and the Swarthy
Krackis.) It only does 5 damage to other vehicles. The GM should tell
players whether an enemy spacecraft uses Overlord technology if they ask.
Tomb Keepers
If the party already includes a Ravisher, do the Overlord Grafters encounter
instead.
The party encounters reptilian Liberators who will give the party a round-
trip submarine ride to the southern continent, to spite the golem
establishment. If the party decides to stay on the northern continent, this
encounter is unsuccessful. If the party travels to the southern continent, the
encounter is successful regardless of what happens next.
If they go to the southern continent, Tomb Keepers welcome the party with
open arms, then ask them to smuggle a Tomb Keeper agent off of Edegene.
If the party agrees to this mission, the Tomb Keepers will offer the PCs a
Ravisher which will immediately join the party. The Ravisher (4 stalking, 4
knockout, 1 swimming, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) has numerous
sharp pointed legs, stingers and tentacles, backed up by exoskeletal armor.
Ravisher venom turns their prey into ravenous ghouls, but this does not
affect the party when the Ravisher is on their side.
If the party agrees to smuggle the Tomb Keeper agent off of Trydeen, they
bring him back to the northern continent on the Liberator submarine and
rendezvous with his contact in Edegene orbit without incident.
Overlord Grafters
establishment. If the party does not travel to the southern continent, this
encounter is unsuccessful. If they go to the southern continent, the party
encounters three hungry Overlord Grafters (2 stalking, 4 fighting, 3
quickness, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense) in the barren hills near the
coasts of the southern continent. The party must kill or be killed to avoid
becoming dinner. Treat this as a Predator Satiation encounter.
Overlord Splicer
establishment. If the party does not travel to the southern continent, this
encounter is unsuccessful.
If the party goes to the southern continent, they encounter a hungry
Overlord Splicer (3 stalking, 5 wrestling, 4 knockout, 3 quickness, 5
toughness, 2 tgh/2, 13 defense) on the dark sands of the southern continent's
coastal wastelands. Any character incapacitated by the Overlord Splicer
becomes a ghoul. Treat this as a Predator Satiation encounter even though
the Splicer is intelligent.
points equal to their tgh/2.)
If the PCs can defeat the Overlord Splicer the Liberators will help them
extract a supply of extremely addictive Bug Sauce from the Overlord's body
parts. The supply is sufficient to satisfy all of the ghouls in the party until
the end of the campaign. If a character is not a ghoul, he can use some of
the party's bug sauce to recover all of his hit points. He can only do this
once per encounter, and he is immediately addicted, becoming a ghoul at
the end of the encounter.
In any pirate encounter, the party can trade the bug sauce for one of the
pirate's spacecraft instead of fighting them. (This counts as a successful
outcome for that encounter.) If the party does this, they no longer have Bug
Sauce until they get some more.
Trydeen Encounters
In the unusual terrain of Trydeen characters can try to escape or capture
fleeing opponents using quickness, acrobatics or flying ability. When PCs
gain a level after a Trydeen encounter, they cannot increase any ability to
greater than level 9. The party can search for the Mutualist Tournament or
Rescue encounters where they can obtain a Trydeen Spore spacecraft, or
find a Synerga Whip in Underworld Exploration encounter. Roll a d20 to
determine what the PCs find while exploring Trydeen:
1-4 Mutualist Tournament

5-13 Rescue
14-16 Marauders
17-20 Underworld Exploration
Mutualist Tournament
The party is warmly welcomed at a large Mutualist hive, and even invited to
participate in the slam dancing tournament the hive is holding. The
Mutualists have also invited several other hives to participate.
The reward for winning the
tournament is a one of the several
Spore (1 range, 1 spaceflight,
3 stalking, 3 repair, 5 grapple,
3 missiles, 1 targeting, 3 autopilot,
spacecraft this village has produced
over the last year. The Spore is
equipped with a golem spore defender
(5 shooting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense.)
Only PCs may enter the tournament. Each match is against an unarmed
Myrmidon Martial Artist (5 fighting, 3 acrobatics, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 13
defense). The match is won simply by injuring the opponent. Because of the
slam dancing rules, the PC can only attack using fighting or wrestling
ability and he cannot use any items he has acquired from encounters.
During the first tier of the tournament, each PC who entered fights one
match. Each PC who wins this match goes on to the second tier, where they
must fight another match. Each PC who wins his second tier match goes on
to the third tier, and so on.
If three or more PCs win their third tier match, the PCs win the tournament.
If two PCs win their fourth tier match, one of them wins the tournament. If
one PC wins their fifth tier match, they win the tournament. If none of the
PCs win the tournament, this encounter is unsuccessful.
Rescue
The party travels to a Trydeen city controlled by the Symbiotic Order
theocracy. It is a peaceful place with a thriving economy. However, the
party notices large bounties advertised for the rescue of various priests who
have been taken by marauders while traveling outside of the city. If the
party is interested in collecting the bounties, the Symbiotic Order will give
the party information about where a priest is being held. If the party does
not try to collect the bounty, this encounter is unsuccessful.
The party finds the priest being held for ransom by three orn Marauders (4
fighting, 4 acrobatics, 3 shooting, 1 stalking, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14
defense) armed with javelins and primitive armor. These guards are on a
rotating guard duty. Two of them are sleeping at the beginning of the battle,
so they must skip their first turn. Treat this like a Predator Satiation
encounter. The part is only able to rescue the priest if the Marauders are
incapacitated or escaped at the end of combat.
If the PCs successfully rescue the
Priest, the Symbiotic Order Theocrats
will give the PCs a Spore (1 range,
1 spaceflight, 3 stalking, 3 repair,
5 grapple, 3 missiles, 1 targeting,
3 autopilot, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2,
13 defense) spacecraft. The Spore is
equipped with a golem spore defender
(5 shooting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense.)
Marauders
While hiking through woodlands, a band of three hostile orn tribal raiders
equipped with primitive armor and javelins spots the party and attacks.
Each Orn Marauder (4 fighting, 4 acrobatics, 3 shooting, 1 stalking,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 14 defense) is looking to kill anything that looks
out of place - like the PCs. If the party is defeated they will not lose any
characters, but they will be captured (whether or not they successfully
escaped the battle) and thrown off the edge of a cliff, into the underworld
so that the PCs must immediately do the "Underworld Exploration"
encounter below, with hit points equal to their tgh/2. This encounter
is only successful if the party defeats the Marauders.
Underworld Exploration
If the party has not been dumped into the Underworld, they have
accidentally climbed down into the wrong cavern, and find themselves
wandering in a dark desolate place with the poison cloud of purple gas
overhead instead of below their feet as it should be. While trying to find
their way back to the Overworld, the PCs find a synerga whip laying on an
alter in a small abandoned shrine. This whip is a collapsible conductive rod
used to conduct bioelectric fields in the practice of synerga by monks of the
Symbiotic order. This weapon increases one character's fighting and
wrestling ability by 1 level when using the whip.
If the PCs take the Synerga whip,
a hidden door will open and two
hungry chimera (6 fighting, 3 acrobatics,
4 stalking, 4 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 14 defense)
will attack. This trap has been set to kill
theocrats from the Overworld: the chimera
are specifically designed to kill full parties of
explorers, with razor sharp scales on its body
armor, a deadly tail club for rear defense,
and two heads for biting and keeping track
of all of the party members.
If the PCs do not pick up the synerga whip,
or if they survive their encounter with the
Chimera, they will eventually find a tube they
can climb up for several hours, which will take them back to the Overworld.
This is a Predator Satiation encounter except that it is also possible to
succeed by not picking up the synerga whip.
Nereid Encounters
When PCs gain a level after completing a Nereid encounter, they cannot
increase any ability to greater than level 8. If the party needs to refuel they
should look for an Iceball Station. If they are looking for exotic technology
or weapons they can search for the Conscription (biocannon), Stalked by
Pirates ("slave" close range bioweapon) or Pirate Ambush (carapace
bioarmor) encounters. Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find
while exploring the Middle Worlds:
1-5 Conscription
6-10 Pirate Warship
11-15 Raiding Party
16-20 Icy Moon
Conscription
Two Neried Patrol Squidcraft approach the party. The
PCs must surrender one spacecraft or character permanently to
the Nereid Fleet draft, or face the patrol in combat. The character drafted
must be a PC or a character recruited in an encounter. It cannot be a
command ability minion or a surgery ability golem or chimera.
This encounter is only successful if the party refuses to surrender a
character or vehicle to the draft and both Nereid Patrol Squidcraft and their
crews are escaped or incapacitated at the end of combat.
If the PCs defeat the patrol and board the ship, they will find a personal
biocannon. This is an organism which fires a variety of different
ammunition grown in multiple barrels. One character can equip the weapon,
increasing his shooting and blasting abilities by 1 level while he uses it.
Each Neried Patrol Squidcraft (2 range, 5 spaceflight, 8 stalking, 5 repair,
10 grapple, 4 bombs, 1 targeting, 1 autopilot, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2, 18
defense) is commanded by a borean Neried Officer (3 piloting, 3 shooting, 3
stalking, 2 swimming, 8 command, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 13 defense) who
has standard military training in addition to his warrior family's customary
regimen. He has a traditional custom-made sidearm as his primary self
defense weapon and four security officers (2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense)
armed with non-lethal weapons who help him arrest those who do not
cooperate with his demands.
Pirate Warship
The PCs are being stalked by a pirate warship,
which they must escape or engage.
The Pirate Warship (1 range, 3 spaceflight,
1 repair, 1 grapple, 7 guns, 7 bombs,
5 targeting, 1 autopilot, 30 toughness,
15 tgh/2, 5 defense) is an Astronautilus crewed by a
leviathan Pirate Captain (2 piloting, 2 shooting, 2 stalking, 2 swimming,
6 command, 5 toughness, 2 tgh/2, 12 defense) and his three thugs
(2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense.)
If the PCs are able to board the pirate warship and defeat the Pirate Captain
and his minions, they will find a slave - a living hand weapon composed
largely of a shapeshifting protoplasm. The slave can form hard or flexible
parts, even sharp points and serrated edges. One character can equip the
slave to increase his fighting, wrestling and knockout abilities by 1 level.
Raiding Party
The PCs are ambushed by a pirate raiding
party of one Devilray and one Squidcraft.
The devilray Pirate Fighter (2 range,
4 spaceflight, 3 flying, 7 stalking, 5 repair,
7 grapple, 3 guns, 1 targeting, 1 autopilot,
18 toughness, 9 tgh/2, 17 defense) is crewed by a lyndwrym Pirate Captain
(2 piloting, 2 shooting, 2 stalking, 4 fighting, 4 quickness, 6 command,
6 toughness, 3 tgh/2, 14 defense) and his two shipmates (1 fighting,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense.)
The squidcraft Pirate Raider (2 range, 4 spaceflight, 7 stalking, 5 repair,
9 grapple, 3 bombs, 1 targeting, 1 autopilot, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2,
17 defense) is crewed by a lyndwrym Pirate Captain
(2 piloting, 2 shooting, 2 stalking, 4 fighting,
4 quickness, 6 command, 6 toughness,
3 tgh/2, 14 defense) and his
two shipmates (1 fighting,
2 toughness, 1 tgh/2,
11 defense.)
If the party is able to board any of the

pirate ships, they will find a suit of
carapace bioarmor that has not yet
adapted to a host. One character can
wear this living insect-like symbiont
as armor. Once the carapace has been
worn by a character, it adapts to the
host and cannot be used by any other
character. The carapace's muscles add
to the character's own strength,
allowing the character to carry more
equipment, hit harder and lift heavy objects. The carapace also has a built-in
biocannon. While a character wears the carapace, his shooting, wrestling
and toughness abilities are all increased by 1 level.
Icy Moon
The party finds a low gravity station burrowed into a small icy moon of
Thalassa. While party stays here to refuel and repair their spacecraft, each
party member can try one of three strategies for getting to the Ice Worlds if
the party's spacecraft do not have enough range to make the trip.
They can try studying Nereid technology, which requires a craftsmanship
roll of 10. They can try negotiating assistance from other space travelers,
which requires a command roll of 12. They can try a little bit of everything
out of desparation, which requires a non-ability roll of 16.
If any of these rolls succeed, the party finds a way to travel one time, with
all of their current spacecraft, to the Ice Worlds before their next encounter.
The GM should warn the players that the ice worlds is a vast region of
space with no proper spaceports.
This encounter is always successful, but only PCs who succeeded at their
craftsmanship, command or non-ability roll gain a level after this encounter.
Ice World Encounters

When PCs gain a level after an Ice Worlds encounter, they cannot increase
any ability to greater than level 10. The party can search the Ice Worlds for
Captain Gabriel (The Graveyard encounter) or an Iceball Station for
refueling and repairs. Roll a d20 to determine what the PCs find while
exploring the Ice Worlds:
1-4 Save the Solar Guard?

5-10 Swarthy Krackis
11-15 The Graveyard
16-17 Iceball Station
18-20 The Nest
Save the Solar Guard?

If the PCs have already had this encounter, then
they have the Swarthy Krackis encounter instead.
Nereid Fleet Privateer Crackal-Acky has discovered the
Barnacle - a Solar Guard deep-space exploration vessel - gathering
intelligence on the Nereid Fleet in the outer reaches of the Abaddon system.
The enraged captain wants to board and capture the disguised Solar Guard
Fortress, but in this desolate place he cannot summon help from other
Nereid Fleet allies.
In desperation, Crackal-Acky offers the party a Squidcraft (2 range,
2 spaceflight, 5 stalking, 5 repair, 7 grapple, 1 bombs, 1 targeting,
1 autopilot, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2, 15 defense) to help with the attack.
The party can keep this vehicle if they succeed in taking the Barnacle.
Treat this battle like a Predator Satiation encounter. Crackal-Acky will
try to board the Barnacle and will not try to escape. The party can escape
in their own spacecraft while the crew of the the Barnacle are focused on
capturing Crackal-Acky.
If the party refuses Crackal-Acky's offer, he will attack them and attempt to
take them prisoner. Although he is not trying to kill the party, any party
member who he captures will be imprisoned for the rest of the game. Treat
this like a Predator Satiation encounter, and allow at least one PC to escape
if they do not defeat Crackal-Acky.
If at least one PC escapes, warns the Barnacle, and helps successfully

defend the Solar Guard from Crackal-Acky, they can rescue any allies
captured by Crackal-Acky, refuel and repair their spacecraft using the
Barnacle's extensive resources. The defense of the Barnacle should also be
treated like a Predator Satiation encounter. Crackal-Acky will try to board
and capture the Barnacle, and the crew of the Barnacle will not flee, so
members of the party can escape in their own spacecraft without being
pursued by Crackal-Acky.
This encounter is only successful if the party successfully helps Crackal-
Acky take the Barnacle, or if the party successfully defends the Barnacle
from Crackal-Acky.
The Barnacle (1 range, 5 spaceflight,
9 stalking, 11 guns, 11 missiles,
19 defense) is a Solar Guard
Fortress camouflaged to look like
an uninhabited asteroid. Most of
the hangars and storage spaces have
been converted to fuel tanks, so that the
Barnacle can make longer voyages than
other Solar Guard Fortresses without refueling.
Captain Zetroc (3 swimming, 5 surgery, 3 healing, 2 craftsmanship, 1
stalking, 5 command, 1 fighting, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) is a
Borean science officer of the Solar Guard. They have assigned him to
search the Abaddon system, documenting new worlds and cultures. As an
orphan with few friends he is the ideal candidate for this mission.
Most of Zetroc's crew are golems (1 toughness, 0 tgh/2,
10 defense) from Port Centrifica. Five of these golems
are always at his side. Zetroc also maintains a golem
pilot named Dark Stare (6 shooting, 4 piloting, 1
stalking, 3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) who was
built to calculate statistics and develop strategies for
Port Centrifica's shady gambling industry and uses
a steel bolt-thrower as a deadly self-defense weapon.
The Slippery Snitch (2 range,

8 spaceflight, 11 stalking,
5 repair, 13 grapple,
1 bombs, 1 targeting,
1 autopilot, 20 toughness,
10 tgh/2, 21 defense) is a
Squidcraft piloted by Crackal-Acky
(6 piloting, 6 wrestling, 6 command,
3 swimming, 4 acrobatics,
2 stalking, 6 toughness,
3 tgh/2, 14 defense),
a privateer employed
by the Nereid
fleet.
Crackal-Acky is a leviathan chimera with four long, extra arms protruding

from his back. He believes that through his good breeding and personal
righteousness, he has become the greatest ship captain in all of Abaddon.
His two leviathan minions (3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) use riot-
control gear both to defend their ship and capture enemy vessels.
Swarthy Krackis
An unidentified black bioship stalks the party. If the party gets close to the
bioship (same combat group), they will discover that it is the legendary
Swarthy Krackis. From the reports of the few survivors of the hundreds of
Swarthy Krackis attacks over the last few decades, biologists suspect that
this beast is a mutant Trydeen Spore spacecraft, perhaps one of the original
Overlord Swarm.
The Swarthy Krackis (3 spaceflight, 7 stalking, 6 repair, 9 grappling, 3
missile, 5 countermeasures, 40 toughness, 20 tgh/2, 17 defense) has no crew
and cannot be boarded because it is filled with organs instead of passenger
space. It attacks with long slithering body and numerous robust tentacles,
disabling the target vehicle and devouring any crew members it can find.
The Swarthy Krackis has three golem defenders (5 shooting, 2 toughness, 1
tgh/2, 11 defense) that aid in its conquests.
The Graveyard
The party finds a large asteroid orbited by hundreds of derelict spacecraft.
All of them are incapacitated, with breached fuel tanks drained of fuel. No
crew members, passengers or remains of former occupants can be found.
However, if someone in the party has craftsmanship or surgery ability, the
party can repair one spacecraft:
These mechanical spacecraft must be repaired by a

character with craftsmanship ability:
Armored Freighter (2 range, 1 spaceflight, 5 grapple,
3 guns, 3 targeting, 30 toughness, 15 tgh/2, 13 defense)
Heavy Bomber (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 7 guns,
5 missiles, 1 targeting, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2,
11 defense)
Mirage Stealth Fighter (1 range, 1 flying, 2 spaceflight,
8 stalking, 2 guns, 2 targeting, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 18 defense)
Cosmoraptor (1 range, 2 spaceflight, 5 flying, 2 stalking,
2 missiles, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2, 12 defense)
These bioships must be repaired by a character with surgery ability:

Trydeen Spore (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 3 stalking, 3 repair, 5 grapple, 3
missiles, 1 targeting, 3 autopilot, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 13 defense)
Yggdrassil Starflower (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 4 solar sailing, 1 flying, 5
repair, 5 guns, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 11 defense)
Nereid Squidcraft (2 range, 2 spaceflight, 5 stalking, 5 repair, 7 grapple, 1
bombs, 1 targeting, 1 autopilot, 20 toughness, 10 tgh/2, 15 defense)
Devilray (2 range, 2 spaceflight, 3 flying, 5 stalking, 5 repair, 5 grapple, 1
guns, 1 targeting, 1 autopilot, 15 toughness, 7 tgh/2, 15 defense)
The party also detects strange energy readings from some Cosmoraptors
which are armed with thermonuclear weapons. If any member of the party
makes a craftsmanship roll equal to or better than 15, the party acquires one
nuke.
A character with at least 5 craftsmanship ability can prepare the nuke to be

fired from a vehicle that has missiles ability. A nuke is fired using missiles
ability. Each nuke can only be used once.
A nuke causes 10 damage to every vehicle in the target group, including the
target, regardless of whether it hits the target. If a nuke hits the target
vehicle, it causes an additional 15 damage to the vehicle and 5 damage to
everyone aboard. If the vehicle is incapacitated by the nuke it causes an
additional 5 damage to everyone aboard.
While scavenging the graveyard, the party is approached by Captain
Gabriel. His armored freighter, the Nemesis, is much more heavily armored
than the party remembers from their last encounter. He will try to trade a
golem pilot (3 piloting, 3 shooting, 1 acrobatics, 1 stalking, 2 toughness,
1 tgh/2, 11 defense) or a golem deckhand (2 craftsmanship, 2 wrestling,
3 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) for each nuke the party has (whether they
got the nuke from this encounter or another encounter.)
If the party does not attack Gabriel, he will also refuel their vehicles so they
can return to Nereid. If the party tries to attack Gabriel, the Nemesis will
escape. The party's weapons have no effect on the heavily armored ship as
Gabriel uses electronic countermeasures to blind their sensors.
When the party leaves the Graveyard, they are
approached by a heavily damaged stealth
fighter transmitting a message directly to party's
spacecraft. The stealth fighter is manned by a
golem deserter from Gabriel's crew, who is
looking for anyone willing to help stop Captain
Gabriel from attacking Monopolis with
weapons of mass destruction. He explains that
Gabriel will take his time scoping out
Monopolis and Radix, so it may be months or
years before he attacks.
If the PCs share this information with the Solar Guard, the Solar Guard will
dismiss it as Captain Gabriel trying to cover his supposed intentions to
attack lower worlds. Authorities on Monopolis or Radix will put it on their
long list of terrorist threats to investigate, and assure the PCs that they very
well might get around to investigating Captain Gabriel eventually, but that
they have much more serious terrorist problems to investigate first. Other
authorities will regard this information with skepticism or disinterest.
Iceball Station
The party finds a research station burrowed into a dwarf planet made of ice.
The Nereid scientists who occupy the station will help the party repair and
refuel their spacecraft. After refueling the party can return to Nereid or
continue exploring the Ice Worlds.
The research station has limited resources and requires unusual technology
to operate in the Ice Worlds. Training and resupplying will be very difficult
unless at least one party member makes a craftsmanship roll of 12. This
encounter is only successful if one of these craftsmanship rolls succeeds.
The Nest
The PCs discover a strange nest embedded in a crater on an asteroid. On
closer inspection, there are several biocells filled with fuel in the nest,
which can be used to refuel a spacecraft with minimal improvisation. Each
member of the party can make one craftsmanship roll or one surgery roll if
they have craftsmanship or surgery ability. If any of the rolls are equal to or
better than 15, the party successfully refuels all of their vehicles. After
refueling the party can return to Nereid or continue exploring the Ice
Worlds.
If the party tries to refuel and all of their rolls fail, they are attacked by the
Swarthy Krackis (3 spaceflight, 7 stalking, 6 repair, 9 grappling, 3 missile,
5 countermeasures, 40 toughness, 20 tgh/2, 17 defense.) This mutant
bioship has no crew and cannot be boarded because it is filled with internal
organs instead of passenger space. It attacks with long slithering body and
numerous robust tentacles, disabling the target vehicle and devouring any
crew members it can find. The Swarthy Krackis has three golem defenders
(5 shooting, 2 toughness, 1 tgh/2, 11 defense) that aid in its conquests.
This encounter is successful unless the party loses the battle with the
Swarthy Krackis. (The Swarthy Krackis follows the Predator Satiation
rules.)
Index
Abaddon.....................................1, ii Asteroid CMX-5.........................128
ability........................20, 21, 85, 103 Astronautilus................................40
ability level.....................82, 85, 103 attack................................21, 83, 94
Ability List...................................86 Attacked by Pirates.....................112
ability requirements..................2, 20 auto-grapple................................126
Ability roll....................................83 automatic success.........................82
Acrobatics..............................20, 87 autopilot............................31, 92, 93
Action.....................................82, 97 basic attack...................................84
Aeolyte...........................................3 Basic Rules...................................82
aetosaur......................................120 Battle of Union Rock..................111
Air Gun.................................35, 139 beanstalk...........................46, 49, 69
air rifle........................................139 Behemoth.......................................4
Airship......................35, 52, 54, 137 bioarmor.....................................176
Alchemy...........................21, 26, 57 biocannon.............................27, 176
Alien Autopsy............................151 bioship........21, 22, 46, 47, 179, 180
Amp Gang..................................150 biotechnology......................i, 22, 46
amphibian...................................120 bird.............3, 13, 16, 155, 156, 165
Amps..........................................150 Bird of Prey................................156
Ancient Pyramid.........................135 Blackbird Clan..............................60
ankylosaur....................................18 blasting.................20, 21, 86, 93, 94
Ankylosaurus..............................162 bombs.....................................92, 93
Anthropornis......................143, 157 Borean............................................5
Appendix A..................................82 Borean Tribes...............................51
Appendix B................................102 Bounty Hunter..............................28
archosaur.......................................... Brachiosaurus.............................119
............120, 121, 145, 147, 153, 164 Browser Wars.............................155
area...............................................30 bug sauce.....125, 135, 140-143, 170
Arena..........................................144 Bureaucracy..................................55
Argentavis..................................156 Burning Tendril..........................122
Ariel University..........................130 Bushwhacker................................46
armor..........................................128 Butcher...................................27, 59
Armored Dragon........................121 Campaign............................i, 2, 102
Armored Freighter........................33 Cannibal...............................61, 144
Armorer..................................21, 26 Capsized.....................................146
Artifact.......................................154 Captain.........................................21
artificial habitat..................1, 48, 78 Captain Gabriel. .107, 108, 128, 181
Aspiring Mutualist.....................138 carapace......................................176
asteroid............................................. carbine sword.............................144
..42, 43, 48, 114, 123, 128, 180, 182 Cards..........................................101
asteroid belt..................................42 catch.......................................84, 94
Squawk Role-Playing Game 184
ceratopsian............................12, 164 djinn......................................65, 156

Character......................................24 do nothing.....................................84
Character Creation........................20 Doldrums....................................147
Checkpoint.................................139 Dragontooth Clan.........................59
chimera...........................22, 24, 104 Drifter...........................................46
Chimeric Surgeon.........................22 Driving.........................................93
Clockmaker................................123 dromaeosaur.......................132, 148
clone.............................................27 Drome.............................................6
Close range.............................84, 97 Drome Zealots from Trydeen.......52
clue.............................................105 dwarf planet..............49, 53, 81, 182
CMX-5.......................................128 Edegene........................................67
Combat Example..........................89 Edegene Infrastructure.................71
Comet Colony............................115 Edmontosaurus...................133, 165
command..................20, 21, 88, 104 Egg Thieves................................150
Conscription...............................174 Elasmosaurus......................147, 157
Constriction..................................23 Encounters............................30, 102
coral......................................66, 163 Edegene Encounters...................167
Coral Creatures...........................163 First Encounter...........................107
Cosmoraptor.................................36 Ice World Encounters.................177
countermeasures.....................92, 93 L4 Encounters............................123
L5 Encounters............................129
craftsmanship................................... Lower World Encounters...........110
..20, 21, 88, 103, 104, 128, 180, 182 Maelstrom Encounters...............157
Crew.............................................93 Maia Encounters........................148
crocodile.............118, 145, 153, 159 Middle World Orbit Encounters.115
crocodilian..................................152 Mirage Encounters.....................152
d20...........................................i, 105 Monopolis Encounters...............137
damage...................................83, 94 Nereid Encounters......................174
Debate at Ariel University..........130 Peleg Encounters........................140
Protaea Encounters.....................161
defense..............................21, 83, 93
Radix Encounters.......................130
defensive ability.....................83, 87 Trydeen Encounters...................171
deinonychosaur..............................7 Yggdrasil Encounters.................118
Deinonychus.......................132, 148 engage..........................................84
delay.............................................84 equipment.....................21, 103, 104
Desmatosuchus...........................120 ERA-1........................................124
detected.........................................94 escape.........................21, 84, 94, 99
Devilray........................................41 Escape from Maelstrom.............160
difficulty.......................................82 Escape from Protaea...................165
dinosaur...........i, 45, 121, 126, 128, evade......................................84, 94
...........132-134, 148-150, 153, 155, Examination.................................56
....................................162, 164, 165 Example Characters......................24
Dinosaurs with Swords? ...............ii Eye for an Eye............................102
Diplodocus.................................162 Fighting..................................20, 86
dirigible........................................35 Final Battle.................................129
Distress Signal ...........................113 flightless.......5, 13, 16, 17, 155, 165
Flying...........................3, 20, 87, 91 hit points...............................83, 104

follower........................88, 103, 104 Hunter...........................................21
fuel................................................92 ice giant........................................80
Gaffling..........................................7 Ice Worlds....................................81
Gaffling Cult..............................163 Iceball Station.............................182
Game Master...........................i, 102 Ichthyosaurus.....................146, 158
gas giant.................................67, 78 Icy Moon....................................176
ghoul...........125, 135, 143, 168, 170 Imperial Family............................56
Giant Lizards..............................120 incapacitated.................................83
Giant Squid.................................158 injured..........................................83
GM..................................i, 102, 105 intelligent species.....................2, 20
goal.............................................105 Interrupting Attacks......................99
golem................................................ Introduction.....................................i
21, 22, 26, 43, 54, 68, 104, 110, 111 ion pistol.....................................160
Golem Master...................22, 54, 72 Journey Onward.........................109
Golem Strike..............................110 Knockout..........................20, 21, 86
Grafter..........................................70 Koolasuchus...............................120
Grafter Attack.............................167 Kronosaurus.......................146, 158
grapple....................................92, 93 L4...........................................44, 48
Graveyard...................................180 L5...........................................44, 49
gravity............................43, 67, 176 Lagrangian point..........................44
Great Secession......................72, 73 lamellar armor............................128
Great War.......................55, 64, 150 Lancing...................................24, 27
Green Plague..............................122 landing..........................................31
Gremian..........................................8 leader..........................................104
Grid..............................................97 level..............................................20
ground..........................................97 Leviathan......................................10
group............................................94 Liberator........................72, 168-170
Guardian.......................................76 line-of-sight..................................98
Guivre.........................................152 List of Abilities.............................86
Gunfight.....................................136 lizard...........................................120
gunner...................................93, 104 lodge.............................................46
guns........................................92, 93 Long range.............................84, 98
Gygean...........................................9 Lower Worlds...............................42
Gyrocraft......................................37 Lyndwyrm............................11, 163
Gyrofortress..................................37 Maelstrom....................................65
hadrosaur..............................19, 165 Maia..............................................63
healing........................20, 21, 88, 97 maneuver......................................30
healthy..........................................83 Mangrove Lurker.......................118
Heavy Bomber.............................33 Marauder............................172, 173
heavy poncho.............................161 Martial Arts..................................23
Heir...............................................72 maximum level.......30, 85, 102, 103
Hex.............................................107 mechanical............................21, 180
hex map........................................97 Metriorhynchus..................146, 158
Middle Worlds.............................44 Overlord Splicer.........................170

Midgard........................................67 Overworld....................................75
minion......................2, 88, 102, 104 Oviraptor............128, 134, 150, 153
Mirage..........................................65 Pachycephalosaurus...................162
missiles...................................92, 93 Parasaurolophus.................133, 165
Mission to Trydeen....................122 partisan.........................................21
Mobile Space Habitat...................34 party................................i, 102, 104
Modifier........................................82 PC......................i, 20, 102, 104, 105
monitor lizard.............................120 Peleg.............................................55
Monk..................22, 24, 25, 57, 122 penguin...............................143, 157
Monopolis....................................53 Phage............................................14
moon...................44, 67, 75, 78, 176 Phage Bandits.............................138
mosasaur.............................146, 159 Phage Settlements........................51
Mossback....................................121 Phorusrhacos......................155, 165
Movement..............................21, 97 pilot....................21, 25, 31, 93, 104
movement ability........21, 84, 87, 93 Piloting.............................20, 21, 93
Mud Monster..............................120 pirate...112, 113, 116, 117, 127, 175
Mutualist..........26, 52, 76, 138, 171 Pirate Ambush............................117
Mutualist Tournament................171 Pirate Warship............................175
Myrmidon.....................................12 Places without Spaceports............31
Myrmidon Mutualists...................52 plan.............................................105
Myrmidon Tribe.........................163 planet......................................45, 78
Navigation....................................93 Planning and Travel...................105
Nereid...........................................79 Player......................................i, 102
Nereid Fleet..................79, 174, 177 player character.........................i, 20
nerve attack............................23, 25 plesiosaur............................147, 157
Nest............................................182 pliosaur...............................146, 158
Niflheim.......................................80 Plot.....................................105, 106
Non-ability roll.............................83 Plot Overview.............................106
non-player character........................i points............................................20
Northern Continent.......................72 Polar Hunters..............................143
NPC.................................................i Port Centrifica..............................43
nuke....................149, 159, 180, 181 Postosuchus........................121, 153
Oasis...........................................153 Predator Satiation.......................102
Occupation...................................21 Predators.....................................164
octopus.......................................146 Pressurized Airship......................35
One Leg Lance.......................24, 26 Prey............................................162
orbit..............................................30 priest.....................................76, 172
Orn................................................13 Protaea..........................................66
Ornithomimid Ranch..................149 Pteranodon..................................145
ornithopod..................................165 pterosaur...........14, 17, 45, 145, 164
Other Occupations........................21 pyramid......................................135
Overlord...............................73, 135 python.........................................121
Overlord Grafters.......................169 Quetzalcoatlus............................164
Quickness.........................20, 87, 91 Shepherd.....................................153

Race with Zephyrs......................161 sheriff's jacket ............................136
Radix............................................50 shooting................20, 21, 86, 93, 94
Radix Technology........................52 Silk Payload...............................144
Raided by the Rooter..................120 Six-Sided Dice...........................100
Raiding Party..............................175 Skand............................................15
Raincatcher...................................46 slam dancing...........................23, 26
ram................................................91 Sleeping Giant............................119
Range......................................30, 92 snake...........................121, 122, 152
Raptor Silo.................................148 Snake Pit.....................................152
Ravisher......................125, 135, 168 Sniper.....................................21, 27
Recovery and Preparation..........104 Solar Guard......................................
repair..........................21, 22, 92, 93 ................34, 42, 114, 128, 165, 177
replacement................................104 Solar Guard Fortress....................34
requirements.............................2, 20 Solar Guard Headquarters..........114
Rescue........................................172 Solar sailing............................32, 91
Restless Laborer.........................134 Southern Continent.......................73
ride................................................94 Space............................................97
rifle-lance...................................116 space elevator.........................46, 49
role-playing game.....................i, 82 Spacecraft.................21, 29, 31, 180
roll................................................82 Lower Worlds Spacecraft.............33
rough terrain.................................97 Middle Worlds Spacecraft............34
route..............................................92 Upper Worlds Spacecraft.............40
RPG...........................................i, 82 Spaceflight....................................91
Ruin............................................123 spaceport..........................31, 46, 54
Sand Guivres..............................152 Spacesuit......................................31
Sanitizer Missile.........................168 Special Delivery.........................117
sauropod.....................................162 species......................................2, 20
Save the Solar Guard?................177 spider silk...........................136, 145
Scavengers..................................134 Splicer..........................................70
scout.............................................21 Splicer Medic.............................168
Scratch RPS...........................i, 2, 82 splicer web...................................71
Sea Monster................................145 splicing...................................23, 24
sea serpent..........................146, 159 Spore............................................38
sea turtle.....................................147 spy..........................................21, 24
search..........................................105 square...........................................97
setting.........................................1, ii Squawk Setting...............................1
Shadow Creature........................156 squid...........................................158
shadow generator.......................156 Squidcraft.....................................40
Shadow Stalker.............................47 Stalked by Pirates.......................116
Shangdan......................................21 stalking...........20, 21, 87, 91, 93, 94
Shangdan Alchemy......................21 Stampede....................................133
Shangdan Empire.........................55 Starflower.....................................39
Shark..................................146, 159 Stealth Fighter..............................36
stealth skin..................................154 Tomb Keeper......123, 135, 140, 168

Stegosaurus........................121, 162 total levels..............22, 85, 102, 103
Steward.........................................70 Toughness............20, 21, 83, 86, 91
Stomatosuchus....................145, 159 Train...........................................132
Strix..............................................16 training.................................30, 103
Strix Puritans................................51 Training and Rewards................103
Stygian..........................................17 transfer orbit............................30-32
Suburbia.....................................126 Translator...................................138
Super Soldier..............................150 Travel.........................................105
surgeon...................................22, 24 travel turn...............................92, 93
surgery..............20, 21, 22, 104, 180 Treecraft...............................39, 122
surgical tools..............................142 Triceratops..........................134, 164
Swarm................................125, 179 Trydeen........................................75
Swarm Attack.............................125 turn.........................................83, 94
Swarmling..................................125 turtles..........................................147
Swarthy Krackis.........................179 Twenty-Five...............................149
Swimming....................5, 20, 87, 91 twenty-sided die................i, 82, 100
symbiont.......................................45 Twenty-Sided Die Alternatives..100
symbiotic monk..........22, 24, 25, 57 Tylosaurus..........................146, 159
Symbiotic Order............................... Tyrannosaurus....................126, 164
............22, 25, 57, 76, 122, 123, 172 undercity.............................138, 139
Symbiotic Territories....................72 Underworld..........................75, 173
Syncrase...........................22, 24, 57 Underworld Exploration.............173
synerga...............22, 24, 25, 57, 173 undetected.....................................94
synerga whip..............................173 Universal Empire..........................63
Tangle Vine................................121 Upper Worlds...............................78
Tanystropheus............................147 Vehicle Abilities...........................91
Tao Rho..................................24, 26 Vehicle Combat............................94
targeting..................................92, 93 Vehicle Combat Example.............95
temperate zone..............................44 Vehicle Crews..............................93
Teratorn......................................156 vehicle defense.............................93
Terraformer............................43, 68 vehicles.................................91, 104
Terraformer Castes.......................70 Wanted Alive..............................103
Terraforming Edegene..................69 Warden.........................................70
Terror Bird.........................155, 165 Warlords...............................57, 144
Tgh/2............................................83 warship.......................................175
Thalassa........................................80 Weapons of Mass Destruction. . .159
therapeutic synerga.................23, 25 Wheel of Fortune........................127
Therizinosaurus..................155, 162 World of Ruins...........................123
theropod............6, 11, 126, 155, 164 Wrestling................................20, 86
Throne of the Tomb Keepers.....140 Yggdrassil....................................45
throw object..................................84 Zealot................................21, 26, 52
tidally locked..........................49, 53 Zephyr..........................................19
Titan.............................................18
Acknowledgments
We have been working on Squawk since 1995, and related projects going
back to the 1980's. We would like to thank everyone who participated in our
games and clubs even if we don't remember all of your names.
The Squawk RPG was developed primarily by Seth and Benjamin
Galbraith. Our brothers Ulrich, Charles and Phillip Galbraith also
contributed significant amounts of material. Our sister Annie Nielson and
our friend Chrissy Gecosala helped us develop our digital art assets. Ulrich
also created the the cover art and the following illustrations: the strix
mother in Blackbird Clan, the behemoth in Restless Laborer, the titan in
characters, and probably others. The other artwork in this book was
originally sketched by Seth Galbraith.
We would like to thank our parents Paul and Marilyn for encouraging our
creative efforts and for their financial support.
Developing the Squawk RPG required a lot of technology. We developed
early RPG systems by e-mailing them back and forth through a free public
e-mail system provided at one time by Kitsap Regional Libraries. Planet
Quake provided us with our first hosted website. Greg Mapes and Jeff
Wyman helped us run our own web server for a while. Dreamhost currently
sells us traditional web hosting services. Google provides us with "cloud"
apps such as Google Docs - our main editing tool for this book.
We also used Open Source Software to develop the Squawk RPG including
the OpenOffice.org word processor, GIMP image editor, Inkscape for
vector graphics, Blender for 3D modeling and MapTool from RPTools.net
for playtesting. Dell laptops and netbooks with Ubuntu Linux provided a
convenient platform for these applications.
Kevin Lewis, Jared Norskog, Michael Molien, Eli Ashe, Echo Allen (a
sister) and Greg Mapes gave us advice on the Squawk RPG that eventually
influenced the final form the book would take.
In addition to the Galbraith brothers, Shawn Geier, Phil Gribbin, Nate
Welton, Tim Shelton, Chris Carpenter, Eli Ashe, Cassandra Ashe, Jerry
Erickson, Brian Wunderlich, Trina Britton and Ben Williams helped us by
playtesting some version(s) of the Squawk RPG over the last 15 years.

Squawk The RPG

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Squawk The RPG

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Squawk Role-Playing Game

By Seth Galbraith and Benjamin Galbraith

Twenty-Sided Die Alternatives . 100 L5 Encounters .......................129

This RPG can be played by a group of two or more people, but it is

The Scratch Rules

Dinosaurs with Swords?

Behemoths are the most enormous of the intelligent species, related to

Gafflings are intelligent deinonychosaurs whose three-fingered hands have

Gremian are closely related to gafflings, but do not resemble those

Leviathans are armored, swimming crocodilians. The average leviathan is 4

Lyndwyrms are large, predatory theropod dinosaurs. The average lyndwyrm

Myrmidons are omnivorous ceratopsian dinosaurs with long head shields

Phages are long-tailed and leathery-winged intelligent pterosaurs. Phages

Titans are huge, armored herbivores related to ankylosaurs. On average

Zephyrs are small intelligent hadrosaurs. The zephyr crest is a forward

Golem Masters and Chimeric Surgeons

The Symbiotic Order

A small but significant minority of synerga practitioners develop synerga

Other Martial Arts

One Leg Lance is a secretive martial art practiced by revolutionary groups

Example Monk #1: Syncrase

Example Monk #2: Therapeutic Synerga

Example Monk #3: Nerve Attacks

Example Shangdan Alchemist

Example Melee Fighter

Example Bounty Hunter

Gao Choy wields a giant sword he

Abaddon spacecraft are propelled by technologies that allow travel between

Places without Spaceports

Lower Worlds Spacecraft

The rare Solar Guard Fortress (1 range,

Middle Worlds Spacecraft

A Pressurized Airship (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 1 flying, 1 guns, 3 grappling,

The Mirage Stealth Fighter (1 range, 1 flying,

The Cosmoraptor (1 range, 2 spaceflight, 5 flying, 2 stalking, 2 missiles,

A Shangdan Gyrocraft (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 10 toughness, 5 tgh/2,

Trydeen Spores (1 range, 1 spaceflight, 3 stalking, 3 repair, 5 grapple,

An Yggdrassil Treecraft (2 range,

Upper Worlds Spacecraft

The Devilray (2 range, 2 spaceflight, 3 flying, 5 stalking, 5 repair, 5

The Lower Worlds

Artificial life forms are common, sometimes part of industrial processes.

The Middle Worlds

The intelligent species of Yggdrasil have advanced biotechnology which

Acrobatic gygean hunters live in the

The axis of rotation of the Radix/Monopolis system is perpendicular to the

Drome Zealots from Trydeen

Airships are lighter-than-air vehicles made

The Shangdan Empire

The Examination is an independent branch of the

Gygean Symbiotic Order

The Warlord economy is based on slave labor and resources seized by

The Dragontooth Clan

Butchers also developed a wrestling sport called Lancing which employs a

The Blackbird Clan

Receiving nature's gifts is also an important part of this philosophy. Should

The Universal Empire

The Great War

As these golems relied on each other in terraforming Edegene, their

The Northern Continent

The Southern Continent

The Overlords altered themselves to live longer, hibernate, regenerate

The primary form of government on the Overworld is a theocratic variation