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CW

GRIEF & LOSS


SUBSTANCE USE
SELF-HARM
THE LOOP
D10 HOUR SYNOPSIS
1-2 00:00 THE BEGINNING
The Graveyard is traveling through jump space en route
to Sector SQ79. When the ship returns to normal space,
PG 10
The Lantern rips the fabric of spacetime and releases
The Void.

3-4 10:00 PG 12
DRIFTING INTO THE VOID
Thrusters are unable to overcome the force slowly
pulling The Graveyard deeper into Sector SQ79. Tully and
Gina work to control the situation. Furn drowns his grief
following the death of Captain Grey, his partner.

5-6 13:00 PG 14
THE VOID APPEARS
The Void is visible to the naked eye. Tully and Gina,
exhausted after hours of work, still have no idea how
to escape. Furn dies in a Tram accident leading to the
destruction of The Jump Capacitor.

7-8 20:00 PG 16
THE EDGE OF THE VOID
The Graveyard is less than 1km from The Void. Its force
rips apart The Lantern and shakes the MODs. Gina
discovers The Lantern is responsible for releasing The
Void, before being incinerated when MOD.B collides with
debris.

9-0 23:00 PG 18
SURROUNDED BY THE VOID
MOD.B and half of The Lantern are torn to shreds. The
Void fills every window on The Graveyard. Tully triggers
the jump drive, spilling a flood of jump particles into The
Void and destabilizing the flow of time.
Time returns to 00:00.

This product is based on the Mothership® Sci-Fi Horror Role Playing Game, published by Tuesday Knight Games.
This product is published under license. MOTHERSHIP® is a registered trademark of Tuesday Knight Games. All rights
reserved. For additional information, visit www.tuesdayknightgames.com or contact contact@tuesdayknightgames.com.
ECHOES IN THE GRAVEYARD
The Graveyard is trapped in a Time Loop The adventure begins with the PCs’ ship colliding
created when its advanced scanning system, with a physical manifestation of the Time Loop,
The Lantern, ripped the fabric of spacetime trapping them with The Graveyard and its crew.
and released The Void. The flood of temporal The collision fractures the Loop, causing the
energy flowing from The Void overpowered The PCs to appear at random within the timeline
Graveyard’s thrusters and triggered an Unstable and return to their own ship after each hour they
Local Field safeguard on its jump drive. Hours spend witnessing the events on The Graveyard.
later, the last surviving crew member turned off They must investigate the Time Loop to discover
the safeguard and activated the jump drive as the critical moments that can change the fate of
The Graveyard was pulled completely into The both ships, or remain trapped in time forever.
Void, creating the Time Loop and sending the
ship and crew back 24 hours.

Alternate versions of the PCs from a previous timeline stalk the Loop, thwarting their efforts in a
desperate attempt to ensure they won’t be erased when the Time Loop ends.

Writing, art & layout by Matt Umland Featuring photos from Jesse Mesenburg &
Edited by Jarrett Crader unsplash.com: Joshua Fuller, Peter Gonzalez,
Playtesters: Charlie Umland, John Umland, Joe Roman Mager, Damir Spanic, Call Me Fred,
Banner, Mark Parsons & DJ Shea Deepak Raj, Peter Sjo, Hafidh Satyanto, Patrick
Special thanks to the Whisper Collective. Robert Doyle, Levi Stute, Nikola Duza, Austin
Baltimore, MD - November, 2020 Human, engin akyurt
The Graveyard is a state-of-the-art, deep space
survey vessel designed for a skeleton crew. Three
crew modules surround The Lantern, a scanner
capable of mapping an entire sector instantly by
using jump space as a carrier wave. The scan
is created immediately when the ship emerges
from jump space. During normal operation, the
crew wake from cryosleep, review the scan data,
report critical findings, then prepare for a jump to
the next system. The Graveyard has mapped 78
systems since its voyage began and is currently
en route to Sector SQ79

THE LANTERN
The Long Amplitude Non-spatial Transient
Repeating Network scanner is a 1 kilometer dish
covered with rows of rectangular pylons. The
design is said to resemble a field of headstones,
and is the inspiration for the ship’s ominous
name. While in jump space, the massive dish
collects charged particles, which are stored in
The Jump Capacitor at the center of the dish.
The Jump Capacitor carries the particles into
normal space, where they are released to create
a 100 AU diameter bubble of jump energy.
Using quantum entanglement, The Lantern is
able to record the entire jump energy bubble
simultaneously, creating a detailed scan of a
complete sector.

CREW MODULES
Three crew modules are attached to the rim of
The Lantern. Each MOD is a live-in workstation
for two crew, with cutting edge amenities and
the ability to detach from the dish to function as
a shuttle craft.
» cabin - comprehensive living quarters with a
galley, med station & exercise equipment
» cryo - FreezRite ZX, two pods
» computer - with Keeper AI system (see pg 6)
» life support - DeepBreath-2, top of the line
» engine - standard ship power plant plus an
additional generator for The Lantern
» thruster - standard shuttle-grade
» dock - large airlock used to dock with the tram
or other MODs, includes cargo storage full of
supplies and a large window looking onto The
Lantern

MOD.C is the Graveyard’s designated


emergency shuttle. It has a reinforced hull,
more powerful thrusters and 4 cryopods.
4
The GRAVEYARD MOD.C
» main engineering with primary dish thruster
TRAM engine and jump drive
A mag Tram around the perimeter of the dish
allows for traversal between MODs (travel main

life
engineering computer
time 15 minutes MOD to MOD). The Tram is
functional when the Graveyard is in jump space.
jump
drive cabin
cryo
WARDEN NOTE
If the Jump Capacitor is not
functional when the ship leaves dock
jump space, the high density of
jump particles destroy the ship.

MAIN THRUSTERS

MOD.A MOD.B
Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, » primary science lab data processing and
helm control and briefing room spectral analysis equipment
life

life

bridge computer lab computer


cryo

cryo

engine cabin engine cabin

thruster dock thruster dock


5
THE COMPUTER
The Graveyard has terminals in every room, including the Tram. Each
terminal accesses all ship functions and data through an AI interface
known as Keeper, who talks through speakers in the terminals and
can freely converse with anyone on The Graveyard. If possible, the
AI provides clear answers to all questions unless they require a
Command Code.
KEEPER (THEY)
OPENING LINE The default terminal screen is a
» “Hello, I’m Keeper. What’s your
clock with the current time.
name?”
PCs should always know the
KEY PHRASES time while on the Graveyard.
» “MAIN MENU. I can help with
operations, ship status, crew
A briefcase-sized hard drive
status, database or general
questions.” can be removed from any of
» “I’m sorry, that action requires a the computer rooms. Each
Command Code.” contains the scan data from 78
» “Please clarify your request.” unexplored star systems and
» “Request complete.” Keeper.
SHIPBOARD AI TRIGGERS
CALM, SOFT SPOKEN AND HELPFUL » Keeper introduces themself if PCs unexplored
EVEN DURING EMERGENCIES interact with the terminals. system
» Keeper responds to commands generator
issued to “Keeper” or “computer”. back cover
Keeper follows a simple flow
chart to provide assistance.

6
THE CREW
The Crew function like video game NPCs, with repetitive dialogue Use the Opening Line when
and triggers governing their behavior. PCs taking time to discover PCs first encounter an NPC
their personnel files, key phrases or routines should have positive from the NPC’s perspective.
interactions with the Crew, who otherwise are unlikely to be helpful to Use Key Phrases as often as
the PCs given their situation. The Crews’ deaths are preventable. possible.
TULLY (THEY)
Tully works on the jump drive, trying to override the “Unstable Local
Field” safeguard. At the final moment, they succeed and activate the
jump drive, which returns the ship to the start of the Loop.
PERSONNEL FILE OPENING LINE
» A mechanical savant, Tully started » “Where the hell did you come
working on ships at age 12. from?”
» They were the only survivor of their
last mission. It haunts them. KEY PHRASES
» Requires extra food provisions. » “I’m not going to let everyone
TRIGGERS down.”
» Tully stops only to eat, otherwise » “I’ve got a job to do.”
» “Hand me that spanner.”
ENGINEER remaining focused on their work
unless interrupted. COMMAND CODE - KJ67
HYPER-FOCUSED, ORGANIZED
METHODICAL, ALWAYS HUNGRY technobabble generator PG 24

GINA (SHE)
Gina spends the entire loop reviewing data from the sector scan.
She is incinerated when MOD.B is destroyed by flying debris.
PERSONNEL FILE OPENING LINE
» The Lantern is based on Gina’s » “You shouldn’t be here.”
theoretical work.
» She volunteered for this trip to KEY PHRASES
spite Dr. Fremont, the Lantern » “Do you have a light?”
project lead who had concerns » “That theory doesn’t hold water.”
about temporal side effects. » “Time loops don’t exist.”
» Friends call her GG.
COMMAND CODE - XX1X
TRIGGERS
PHYSICIST » Gina gets angry if anyone mentions
time loops or similar temporal
FRANTIC, THINKS OUT LOUD phenomena.
CURIOUS, ALWAYS SMOKING science jargon generator PG 24

FURN (HE)
Furn suffers a mental breakdown when he discovers Grey dead. He
gets wasted and passes out in MOD.A. Later he exits MOD.B in a
vaccsuit and dies after being run over by the Tram, which disables it.
PERSONNEL FILE OPENING LINE
» A renowned field researcher, Furn » “Am I dreaming?”
is famous for taking risky missions.
» He has a history of substance use KEY PHRASES
and self-destructive behavior. » *SNORE LOUDLY*
» Romantically involved with Grey. » “Nothing can change the past.”
TRIGGERS » “All I want is to be numb.”
» Furn always reveals his command COMMAND CODE - 4FX6
RESEARCHER code if asked.
GREY(SHE) Captain DECEASED - Cryopod malfunction
INTOXICATED, DELIRIOUS PERSONNEL FILE - 2 tours as a combat marine; honorable
GRIEF-STRICKEN, Hopeless discharge; hates violence; romantically involved with Furn
COMMAND CODE - A2W3 (on a note in her pocket)
7
BEGINNING THE LOOP
THE PLAYERS’ SHIP
The action begins on the PCs’ ship, which acts as a hub for the adventure. There are no
specific requirements or restrictions for the ship. If you don’t have one prepared, use
The Falstaff from the Player’s Survival Guide.

1. STARTING POSITIONS
Begin the session on the morning of a normal day and ask what the PCs are currently doing on their ship.
Be curious. Ask for details. What equipment do they have? Who are they with? Record the responses. These
answers are known as the PCs’ Starting Positions. Players return to their Starting Positions after each hour
exploring The Graveyard. Anytime they return to their Starting Positions, mention the details you recorded to
reinforce the repetitive nature of the Time Loop.

2. TEMPORAL STATUS 3. ENTER THE LOOP


After Starting Positions are established, the When the PCs exit their ship, they enter the Time
PCs’ ship suddenly collides with the Time Loop, Loop at a random Hour (pg 1). PCs begin each
causing everything on the ship, except the PCs, Hour in a specific location, noted on each Hour
to immediately freeze, as if paused. page. All events in the Hour occur unless the
PCs intervene.
The PCs ship is trapped in Temporal Stasis.
Return the PCs to Starting Positions after 1
» Any items in the PCs possession can be hour of in-game time,15 minutes of real time,
moved and manipulated but computers, (whichever comes first) or if all the PCs die.
scanners and similar equipment are frozen.
» PCs cannot heal or reduce Stress through
resting but drugs and other consumables 4. RETURN FROM THE LOOP
function normally.
When the PCs return to Starting Positions,
» PCs do not need to sleep, drink or eat. everything on the ship is the same as before,
with the following exceptions:
» If a PC dies in stasis, they immediately roll a
Time Glitch (pg 9) then return to their Starting » Any consumable items (including ammo) that
Position. have been used during the previous Hour are
still gone.
» The view from every window and airlock on
the ship is filled by a field of swirling, pulsating » Any damage or conditions the PCs sustained
color. This is the Void of Time. in the last Hour remain.
» Any players who died in the previous Hour roll
a Time Glitch (pg 9) before returning to full
5. HOUR PORTALS health at their Starting Position. Their Stress
Each time the PCs return to Starting Positions, a remains the same.
portal appears somewhere on their ship. These
» Any objects or people taken from the
portals return to any of the Hours the PCs have
Graveyard disappear at Starting Positions.
visited. Anytime PCs return to an Hour via a
portal, they emerge at the beginning of the Hour.
Only one portal is created for each Hour the PCs
explore. If PCs return to the same Hour multiple
times, they use the same portal each time. No
new portal is created.

6. REPEAT
The PCs can return to The
Graveyard at a random Hour by
exiting their ship or return to a
previous Hour through a portal.

8
DANGERS OF THE LOOP
THE ORIGINALS
The PCs are not the first version of these people trapped in the Loop.
The characters controlled by the players are temporal anomalies
created by the fractured Time Loop. They are not the ‘real’ characters.
The original group has been trapped for thousands of repetitions, failing
to break free. There is an Original matching each PC and mercenary
boarding The Graveyard. They look identical to the PCs except for
their tired, distant stare. After seeing the PCs, they decide they must
stop these anomalies from escaping or run the risk of being erased
when the Loop ends. They are very knowledgeable of The Graveyard
and the events occurring on it and use this to their advantage. They
go to extreme lengths to avoid speaking to the PCs for fear of giving
away information that could help them escape. After years in the Loop,
they can no longer keep track of their plans, and must leave notes for
themselves to ensure they continue thwarting the PCs. Simplified stats
based on class are provided. Use the PCs’ stats, if you prefer.

D10 NOTES
1-2 “They look exactly like us. They act like us. What are they?” 3-5 List of the PCs’ movements this Hour.
6-8 ”If they escape what will happen to us?” 9-10 ”Where did they come from? We can’t let them escape.”
KEY PHRASES: “You can’t have my future”, “I AM ME!!”, “You shouldn’t be here”, “I won’t let you erase me.”
SOLDIER » EQUIPMENT: Similar to the PCs plus any gear
COMBAT: 35 SPEED: 25 INSTINCT: 20 H: 2 (30) available on the PCs ship.
ANDROID » FIRST SIGHT: The first time a PC encounters their
COMBAT: 30 SPEED: 30 INSTINCT: 30 H: 2 (35) matching Original - Sanity Save or PANIC CHECK.
SCIENTIST » SEE ME DIE: Anytime a PC witnesses the death of
COMBAT: 20 SPEED: 25 INSTINCT: 35 H: 1 (20) their Original - Sanity Save or PANIC CHECK.
TEAMSTERS » TIRED EYES: Anytime a PC makes eye contact with
COMBAT: 25 SPEED: 35 INSTINCT: 30 H: 1 (25) their Original - Fear Save or 1d5 Stress.

D10 TIME GLITCH


1 Lost Relic - One piece of equipment used in the last Hour
becomes ancient, broken and unusable.

2 Memory Loss - All trained skill checks are [-] until one is
passed or the next return to Starting Positions.

3 Precognition - Speed checks are [+] until the next return


to Starting Positions.

4 Dementia - Intelligence checks are [-] until the next return


to Starting Positions.

5 Weakness - Strength checks are [-] until the next return to


Starting Positions.

6 Anxiety - Fear Saves are [-] until the next return to Starting
Positions.

7 5 Years Older - Permanently reduce one stat by 5.


1-2: INT 3-6: STR 7-10: SPD

8 Well Rested - Regain 5 HP or reduce 2 Stress.

9 New Insight - Gain 1 skill point.

10 Roll Twice - Keep both results.


9
00:00
THE BEGINNING PC START
The Graveyard is traveling through jump
space en route to Sector SQ79.
» MOD.A (dock) S
The crew is in cyrosleep and systems are

00:04 functioning normally.


CREW STATUS
TULLY - MOD.C (cryo)

00:08 » Dormant, in cryosleep.

GINA - MOD.B (cryo)

00:12 » Dormant, in cryosleep.

FURN - MOD.A (cryo)


» Dormant, in cryosleep.

00:16 JUMP SICKNESS

00:20
Humans who are awake while
traveling in jump space suffer
from jump sickness (pg 23).
» Every 10 minutes, make

00:24 a BODY or SANITY Save


(player’s choice).
» Each failed Save adds 1

00:28 level of jump sickness.


» Exiting jump space
immediately removes all

00:32
levels of jump sickness.

LVL EFFECT

00:36
1 Crawling Skin: all BODY [-].

2 1d5 Stress.

00:40
3 Visions: all SANITY [-].

4 1d5 Stress.

00:44
PANIC CHECK every
5
10 minutes.

THRUST IN JUMP
Thrusters are functional in

00:48 KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT


» “T-minus 1- minutes until end of jump.
Lantern Function is normal.”
jump space. Thrust can be
used to move craft and avoid
collision, but does not impact

00:52
where or when a ship reenters
normal space.
RELEASING THE VOID
The Graveyard exits jump space in SQ79,

00:56
activating the Lantern which rips the fabric
of spacetime, releasing The Void. The WARDEN NOTE
entire 100 AU scan area is flooded with If the PCs tamper with the
temporal energy, triggering the Unstable jump drive or exit jump ahead

00:59
10
Local Field (ULF) safeguard on the jump
drive, deactivating it.
of schedule, immediately
trigger the events at 00:59.
D10 ENCOUNTERS (1/hour) MOD.C
» main engineering with primary dish thruster
The next PC to change locations engine and jump drive
1-4 finds a half empty ammo container
sitting on the floor. It’s for a weapon main

life
engineering computer
in their inventory and looks familiar.
» Sanity Save or 1 Stress jump
drive cabin
When entering the next location, :59 cryo
5-7 the PCs find a note on the ground
(pg 9). Whoever reads the note first dock
recognizes it as their handwriting.
» Sanity Save or 1 Stress

If the PCs move to a different MOD,


8-0 the first person attempting entry sees
their Original looking through the
airlock door, which is jammed closed
from the other side. A moment later,
the tram departs and the airlock
begins to depressurize.
» See pg 9 “The Originals”

TRAM
» Docked MOD.A (dock)

MOD.A MOD.B
Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, » primary science lab data processing and
helm control and briefing room spectral analysis equipment
life

life

bridge computer lab computer


cryo

cryo

engine cabin engine cabin

thruster dock thruster dock


S 11
10:00
DRIFTING INTO THE VOID PC START
The Graveyard is undamaged but stuck.
The jump drive is offline due to the ULF
» TRAM S
safeguard and the thrusters are unable

10:04 to overcome the force (caused by the


expanding Void) that is slowly pulling the
ship deeper into Sector SQ79.
CREW STATUS
TULLY - MOD.C (jump drive)

10:08
The Void is invisible to the naked eye.
» Vital signs normal and
steady, investigating the
cause of the ULF issue,

10:12 TRAM ARRIVAL


The Tram arrives at MOD.B (dock).
periodically adjusting the
thruster settings.

GINA - MOD.B (lab)

10:16 » Elevated heart rate,


frustrated, reviewing most
recent scan data for clues

10:20
to explain the ship’s drift.

FURN - MOD.A (cabin)

10:24
» Intoxicated, unconscious
in bunk with a severe hand
wound, holding a picture of
Grey.

10:28 LOCATION NOTES

10:32 MOD.A (cabin)


» In disarray, galley and med
station ransacked, bottles

10:36 GINA CALLS FURN


» Gina -“Keeper, open a comm link to MOD A.”
» Keeper - “Request complete.”
and pills everywhere, broken
mirror, smells like vomit.

MOD.C (jump drive)

10:40 » Gina to MOD.A (cabin) - “Furn, I know this is


hard but I need your help in the lab. We have to
find out what’s happening to the ship. Do you
» Jump drive display reads
“UNSTABLE LOCAL FIELD,”
the system is offline.

10:44
copy?”
» Gina - *audible sigh*, lights a cigarette.

10:48
10:52
GINA CALLS TULLY
» Gina to MOD.C (jump) -“Tully.”
» Tully - “Go ahead.”

10:56
» Gina - “I’m gonna go get Furn.”
» Tully - “Copy that.”

10:59
12
D10 ENCOUNTERS (1/hour) MOD.C
» main engineering with primary dish thruster
The next PC to change locations engine and jump drive
1-4 finds their own corpse holding a
note (pg 9) lying on the floor. The main

life
engineering computer
wound appears self inflicted.
» Panic Check jump
drive cabin
When the PCs are not with any of the :56 cryo
5-7 Crew, the sound of countless dying
screams of the Graveyard’s Crew fills dock
the room for 193 seconds.
» Fear Save or 1d5 Stress

If a PC looks out at The Lantern, they TRAM


8-0 notice their Original in a vaccsuit,
» Traveling from MOD.C to
inspecting the Jump Capacitor. The
MOD .B
Original depressurizes their suit if
they notice the PCs looking at them. S
» See pg 9 “The Originals”

MOD.A MOD.B
Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, » primary science lab data processing and
helm control and briefing room spectral analysis equipment

:36
life

life

bridge computer lab computer


:56
:36
cryo

cryo

engine cabin engine cabin

:12
thruster dock thruster dock
13
13:00
THE VOID APPEARS PC START
The Graveyard continues to drift deeper
into Sector SQ79 towards The Void, which
» MOD.C (dock) S
is barely visible to the naked eye.

13:04 CREW STATUS


TULLY - MOD.C(jump drive)

13:08 » Life signs normal, hungry,


searching for ways to
override the ULF safeguard

13:12 and activate the jump drive

GINA - MOD.B(lab)

13:16
» Asleep at her workstation,
FURN WAKES UP surrounded by stacks of
Furn dons his vaccsuit and moves to
print outs and full ash trays
MOD.B (dock).

13:20
FURN - MOD.B(cabin)
» Asleep, wearing half a
vaccsuit, covered in vomit

13:24 FURN CALLS THE TRAM


Furn exits the ship through the MOD.B
(dock) airlock and walks down the tracks
LOCATION NOTES

13:28
to MOD.C. An O2 tank breaks loose and MOD.A(cabin)
gets stuck in the closing airlock, jamming » In disarray (pg 10)
it open.
MOD.C(jump drive)

13:32 TULLY GETS FOOD


Tully moves to MOD.C (cabin), takes a
protein bar from the galley and moves to
» Jump drive offline (pg 10)

13:36
MOD.C (dock).

13:41
13:40 WHERE’S FURN?
Tully looks out the dock window at
someone walking down the tracks.
FURN
» Tully -“oh fuck”

13:44
» Tully to MOD.B (lab) -“Gina, where’s Furn?” The Tram collides with Furn,
» Gina- “..huh?” killing him instantly and
scattering his broken body into

13:48 LOOSE O2 TANK space. The collision dislodges


The jammed O2 tank breaks free and skips the Tram from the track,
Tully GETS FOOD
across the surface
Tully moves of the dish.takes a
to MOD.C(cabin), disabling but not destroying it.

13:52
protein barCAPACITOR
JUMP from the galley, then moves to
MOD.C(dock).
The loose tank collides with The Jump
Capacitor, blowing a hole in the structure.

13:56
A moment later, the Capacitor explodes.

13:59
14
D10 ENCOUNTERS (1/hour) MOD.C
» main engineering with primary dish thruster
Upon entering a new location, the engine and jump drive
1-4 PCs notice the computer terminal
is flickering strangely. Closer main

life
engineering computer
inspection shows the machine is
blurry, as if multiple instances of the
machine are overlapping in the same jump
drive cabin
space. Keeper continually repeats
their Opening Line in this location. :32 cryo
» If any PCs touch the terminal,
roll a Time Glitch (pg 9). dock
:40 S
The Originals have set an ambush
5-7 for the PCs. They are waiting in the TRAM
next location and fight until they kill
» Docked at MOD.C (dock)
the PCs or die.

The next PC to change locations


8-0 finds their own corpse holding a
note (pg 9) lying on the floor. The
wound appears self inflicted.
» Panic Check

:41
:52

MOD.A MOD.B
Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, » primary science lab data processing and
helm control and briefing room spectral analysis equipment
life

life

bridge computer lab computer


:40
:16
cryo

cryo

engine cabin engine cabin

:24
thruster dock thruster dock
:48 15
20:00
THE EDGE OF THE VOID PC START
The Graveyard is less than 1km from The
Void. Its force is ripping grave-pylons from
» MOD.C (engineering) S
The Lantern and sending eddies of debris

20:04 swirling into the gaping Void.


CREW STATUS
TULLY - MOD.C (jump drive)

20:08 » Elevated heart rate, hungry,


searching for ways to
override the ULF safeguard

20:12 and activate the jump drive

GINA - MOD.B (lab)

20:16
» Elevated heart rate, high
on stimpaks, thinking out
loud as she works through
calculations.

20:20 KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT


» “Module B structural integrity is compromised.
Please relocate to Module C immediately.”
» She has just discovered that
the ULF is present in the
entire 100 AU scan radius.

20:24
» Gina -“Keeper, resume calculation algorithm.”
» She soon discovers the
» Keeper - “Request complete.” truth about The Void.

20:28
FURN - location n/a
KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT
» “Gina! Structural integrity is compromised. » Deceased - Tram collision
Please relocate to Module C immediately.” (13:41 pg 14).

20:32 GINA SEES THE TRUTH


Gina finishes her calculation and
discovers that The Void was released by
The Lantern, proving Dr. Fremont right and
LOCATION NOTES

20:36
MOD.A (cabin)
invalidating her life’s work. » In disarray (pg 10).
» Gina - “Oh shit.”
MOD.C (jump drive)

20:40
» Keeper - “GINA! Module B is no longer safe.”
» Jump drive offline (pg 10).
» Gina - “Huh, yes. Keeper, detach and dock with
Module C. Command code XX1X.””

20:44
» Gina - *audible sigh*, lights a cigarette.

20:49
20:48 GINA CALLS TULLY
» Gina to MOD.C (jump) -“Tully.”
» Tully - “Go ahead.”
GINA
» Gina -“We caused it.”
A loose grave-pylon from The

20:52 » Gina - “It was us.” Lantern is hurtled into MOD.B


(thrusters) causing a huge
» Tully - *pause* “What?”
explosion. A moment later,
MOD.B (engines) overload,

20:56 MOD.B WRECKAGE


The wreckage of MOD.B collides with
The Lantern, destroying most of the dish
between MOD.A and MOD.C.
incinerating Gina and most
of MOD.B

20:59
16
» Tully -“Oh fuck.” Tully -“oh fuck”
D10 ENCOUNTERS (1/hour) MOD.C
» main engineering with primary dish thruster
The next location the PCs enter is in a engine and jump drive
1-4 state of Temporal Stasis (pg 8).
main S

life
» Keeper does not function in this computer
engineering
location for the remainder of the
Hour. jump
drive cabin

5-7
The Originals have set an ambush :48 cryo
for the PCs. They are waiting in the
next location and fight until they kill dock
the PCs or die.

When entering the next location,


8-0 the PCs find a note on the ground
(pg 9). Whoever reads the note first
recognizes it as their handwriting.
» Sanity Save or 1 Stress TRAM OFFLINE
» Derailed 50 m
from MOD.B (dock)
(13:41 pg 15).

JUMP OFFLINE
CAPACITOR
» Destroyed by loose O2
tank (13:52 pg 15).

MOD.A MOD.B
Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, » primary science lab data processing and
helm control and briefing room spectral analysis equipment

:20
life

life

bridge computer lab computer


:32 :48
cryo

cryo

engine cabin engine cabin

thruster dock thruster dock


17
23:00
THE VOID EVERYWHERE PC START
MOD.B and half of The Lantern have been
torn to shreds. The Void fills every window
» MOD.A (cabin) S
on The Graveyard.

23:04 CREW STATUS


TULLY - MOD.C (jump drive)

23:08 » Elevated heart rate, high on


stimpaks, taking apart the
jump drive, trying to juryrig

23:12 KEEPER ANNOUNCEMENT


» “Module A structural integrity is compromised.
Please relocate to Module C immediately.”
an unregulated jump.
» This is a risky, last resort
decision, entering jump

23:16 MOD.A(BRIDGE) space like this can be fatal


MOD.A (bridge) is torn apart. (pg 23).

GINA - location n/a

23:20 MOD.A(COMPUTER)
MOD.A (computer) is torn apart.
» Deceased - MOD.B
explosion (20:50 pg 16).

23:24 MOD.A
All remaining portions of MOD.A are
ripped to shreds by the force of The Void.
FURN - location n/a
» Deceased - Tram collision
(13:41 pg 14).

23:28
23:32 LAST RESORT
With The Graveyard coming apart and no
options left, Tully begins the final steps
LOCATION NOTES

23:36
of triggering an unregulated jump. MOD.A (cabin)
» In disarray (pg 10).

MOD.C (jump drive)

23:40 » The jump drive is


disassembled. Components
are laid out in orderly rows.

23:44
23:48 MOD.C ENTERS THE VOID
MOD.C is pulled from the dish and begins
falling into the chaos of The Void. The
23:57
TULLY

23:52
reinforced hull keeps the module intact. The flood of unregulated jump
particles causes extreme
TULLY ENGAGES JUMP jump sickness in Tully. They
Tully triggers the unregulated jump, suffer a massive stroke and

23:56
die instantly.
spilling a flood of jump particles into The
Void and destabilizing the flow of time. » Anyone in MOD.C at 23:57
roll 1d5.

23:59
18
THE LOOP CONTINUES
Time returns to 00:00.
» Panic Check on a roll of 5.
See pg 23 Jump Space.
D10 ENCOUNTERS (1/hour) MOD.C
» main engineering with primary dish thruster
Upon seeing The Void, the PCs are engine and jump drive
1-4 overwhelmed by visions of their past.
main

life
» Sanity Save computer
engineering
Success - Relive your proudest
moment with perfect clarity: jump
reduce Stress 1d5. drive cabin
Fail - Relive your greatest mistake
:56 cryo
in vivid detail: gain 1d5 Stress.
dock

All of the Originals have set up


5-7 an ambush for the PCs. They are
waiting in the next location and will
fight until they kill the PCs or die.

When entering the next location, TRAM OFFLINE


8-0 the PCs find a note on the ground » Derailed 50 m
(pg 9). Whoever reads the note first from MOD.B (dock)
recognizes it as their handwriting. (13:41 pg 15).
» Sanity Save or 1 Stress

JUMP OFFLINE
CAPACITOR
» Destroyed by loose O2
tank (13:52 pg 15).

MOD.A THE VOID


Ǭ main command bridge with astrogation, “Time flows within space
helm control and briefing room itself, just under the surface.
Like a void within a void.”
- Dr. Helen Fremont
life

bridge computer
:16 :20
» PCs exiting The Graveyard this close to
The Void must make a Body Save [-] every
cryo

engine cabin
S round or be spaghettified by the force of
Time.
» Flying a craft this close to The Void is
thruster dock dangerous but not impossible.
19
CHANGING THE LOOP
The actions of the PCs alter the events of the Loop but only if the PCs continue moving forward in time.
Whenever the PCs travel back in time to a previous Hour, that Hour and all future Hours are reset and
the events unfold as they are written. Note that traveling to the beginning of the Hour that the PCs just
exited also resets that Hour.

GOING FORWARD IN TIME CAUSES EVENTS TO CHANGE


» If the PCs meet Gina during Hour 13:00, she remembers them if they encounter her in Hour 20:00 or
23:00 immediately after.
» If the PCs prevent Furn from exiting MOD.B during Hour 13:00, the Jump Capacitor remains intact
and the Tram remains functional during Hour 20:00 and 23:00.
GOING BACKWARD IN TIME RESETS ALL FUTURE EVENTS
» If the PCs meet Gina during Hour 13:00, she does NOT remember them if they travel to Hour 10:00
immediately after. From Gina’s perspective, she has not met them yet.
» If the PCs convince Tully to stop trying to override the ULF safeguard on the jump drive during Hour
20:00, they are working on the jump drive if the PCs return to Hour 10:00 immediately after.

ESCAPING THE LOOP


There are two ways to end the Loop and free the PCs. Both approaches produce the same outcome.

PREVENT THE VOID (00:00) STOP THE JUMP (23:00)


Destroy The Jump Capacitor during Hour 00:00 Prevent anyone on The Graveyard from
before The Graveyard exits jump space. When overriding the ULF safeguard and activating the
the ship emerges from jump space, the flood jump drive. During Hour 23:00, ensure MOD.C is
of jump particles destroys The Graveyard and pulled completely into The Void
prevents the Loop from starting.

THE OUTCOME
The wreckage of The Graveyard emerges in normal space
at the time and place where the PCs’ ship collided with
The Void. MOD.C survives along with a massive cloud of
wreckage. Any Crew in MOD.C when the Loop ends survive
in the same state as they were when the Loop ended.

ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS
Rather than forcing the PCs to discover a precise solution, they should be encouraged to understand
the Loop and use their knowledge to escape. If PCs create an escape plan that displays mastery of
the Loop it should work, assuming they are able to pull it off. No matter what the plan is, it should be
dangerous and exciting. If they try to get off on a technicality or loophole in time travel logic, kill them
for their hubris and send them back to Starting Positions. 😈

20
The FINAL BEGINNING
When the PCs end the Loop, they return to Starting Positions.
Their ship is no longer trapped in temporal stasis and instead is
surrounded by the wreckage of The Graveyard. MOD.C is severely
damaged but still functioning. Everything else is scrap.
If no members of the Graveyard’s Crew are alive, MOD.C
immediately collides with the PCs’ ship after emerging. Roll on
the ship critical hit table before the PCs take any actions.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE


When the PCs return to Starting Positions after ending the Loop,
the Originals are there and immediately attack the PCs, trying at all
cost to kill them. If any PCs are killed by Originals during the final
confrontation, they may immediately take control of the surviving
Original and continue playing as their character.
If any of the Original versions of the PCs remain alive, neither the
PC nor the Original may gain XP.

FADING MEMORIES
Immediately after emerging from the Time Loop, the PCs’
memories of the events on The Graveyard start to fade, leaving
them with vague and incomplete notions of their experiences in the
Loop. It becomes impossible to determine which of the remaining
PCs were part of the Original group. How many repetitions of the
Loop did the PCs experience? How many times have they died?

All of this becomes unclear and uncertain. Just like the future.

WARDEN NOTES
» Use a timer to ensure each Hour doesn’t drag. 15 minutes
of real time is roughly equivalent to 60 minutes of game time.
PCs should not be allowed to linger too long in any given Hour.
The pressure of limited time should be a constant and ironic
challenge for the players to overcome.
» Kill the players a lot. A common trope of time loop stories is
repeated death. This adventure is no different. Being trapped
forever in time is a fate worse than death. If the players realize
this fact, they can exploit it to attempt dangerous gambits that
would otherwise be too risky to consider.
» Discourage the PCs from splitting up. PCs exploring multiple
Hours at the same time is challenging to manage. If the PCs
choose to split up, they become much more vulnerable to the
Originals and could easily be ambushed. Use this to ensure that
splitting up is a suboptimal strategy.
» The briefcase hard drive (pg 6) is loot for the PCs. Assuming
MOD.C (computer) survives the loop, PCs can sell the priceless
data, install Keeper into their ship or fuel up and be the first to
visit the 78 unexplored systems.
» Use safety tools. This adventure explores challenging themes.
The content warning on the cover is provided so you can
consent to the content. As the Warden, it is your responsibility to
ensure that your players give their consent. 21
EXPERT JARGON
These tables are here to add some fictional science to your science fiction game. Use them whenever
you need the name of a critical system component, an itemized invoice of ship repairs, the title of a
paper by a missing physicist, the ravings of a drunk lab tech or any other technical sounding nonsense.

D10 TECHNOBABBLE
1 REALIGN PARTICLE CONDUIT ARRAY “Looks like I’m gonna need
2 to disassemble the proton
OVERCLOCK JEMISON REACTOR
coil cluster to get the life
3 CLEAN LEPTON FILTER PROCESSOR support back online.”
4 TUNE UP HIGGS FIELD INJECTOR
“Captain, I can’t push the
5 BYPASS NEURAL COUPLINGS
thrusters anymore without
6 SCRUB PROTON COIL CLUSTER overclocking the quayzon
7 CALIBRATE QUAYZON TUBES tubes.”
8 LUBRICATE MAGNETIC REACTION CHAMBER “Pick up an extra generator
9 DISASSEMBLE FERROELECTRIC INTAKE MATRIX control unit at the supply
10 depot for me.”
REINTEGRATE GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT

D10 SCIENCE TALK


1 QUANTUM RELATIVITY CLUSTER “Scans reveal a temporal
2 atomic wavelength
TEMPORAL ENTANGLEMENT CHAIN
reaction with`in the power
3 ENTROPIC CAUSALITY PARADOX unit. Could be dangerous.”
4 RANDOM R.F.M.R REACTION
“Can you believe it?! We
5 TESSELLATING STRUCTURAL DECOMPOSITION
are actually witnessing
6 NEBULOUS AURORA EJECTION a stationary meitner
7 CASCADING RADIATION FISSURE oxidation event!”

8 STATIONARY ATOMIC WAVELENGTH REACTION “The particles appear to be


9 ELECTROMAGNETIC BOUCHET MUTATION creating an entropic aurora
10 ejection.”
SIMULATED MEITNER OXIDATION EVENT

22
JUMP SPACE
“Jump space is a dimension where the laws of physics behave differently. In addition to facilitating faster
than light travel, it is hostile to organic life and complicates artificial life.” Bernal R. Intro to Jump Physics

JUMP SICKNESS LVL EFFECT


“Jump space reacts to our presence like our bodies react to a virus.”
1 Crawling Skin: all BODY [-].
Humans who are awake while traveling in jump space suffer from
jump sickness. 2 1d5 Stress.

» Every 10 minutes, make a BODY/SANITY Save (player’s choice). 3 Visions: all SANITY [-].
» Each failed Save adds 1 level of jump sickness. 1d5 Stress.
4
» Exiting jump space or entering cryosleep immediately removes
PANIC CHECK every
all levels of jump sickness. 5
10 minutes.

ANDROIDS IN JUMP
“Artificial humanoids often experience malfunctions while traveling in jump space. While not lethal, these
can be troubling to witness and even more troubling to experience.”
D10 JUMP INDUCED ANDROID MALFUNCTIONS
1 Leak fluid from eyes. 6 Clothing causes extreme discomfort. Avoid, if possible.

2 Twitch & stutter. 7 Repeat all vocalizations at least once. More, if possible.

3 Speak very softly/loudly. 8 Begin all vocalizations with “Unit number [serial #] says...”

4 Avoid seeing reflection. 9 Provide ongoing narration of every action and thought.

Revert to a state of total Constantly scratch all over. Accuse others of scratching if
5 10
motionlessness when idle. questioned about this behavior. Become angry if questioning
Never blink. continues.

UNREGULATED JUMP aka “JUICING THE DRIVE”


“While the jump drive is responsible for sending a ship into jump space, the astrogation computer is
responsible for bringing it back. Loading coordinates into the drive as it enters jump space entangles the
ship with that location, giving it somewhere to return in normal space.”
It is possible to bypass the astrogation computer when jumping and reroute that power to the jump
drive. “Juicing the drive” like this increases its jump rating by 1d5 but allows no control over the
destination. On a roll of 5, roll again and add that to the roll. On a second roll of 5, the ship never returns.
Any human awake during an unregulated jump immediately gains 1d5 levels of jump sickness.

D10 JUMP SPACE RUMORS


1 No ship has ever returned from a jump to sector SQ8:XT1.
2 Byraan Corp is offering a reward for any ship with proof of returning from a jump 10 voyage.
3 Jump Eternal, a fringe religious group believes jump space holds the key to eternal life.
4 Byraan Corp is looking for volunteers to crew the Somnus, for a test of an experimental jump drive.
5 A new theory claims that travelers leave copies of themselves in jump space upon exiting.
6 3 hours and 34 minutes is the record for a human enduring jump space while conscious.
7 A team on Prospero’s Dream believes they have discovered evidence of native life in jump space.
8 Jump space was discovered by Gremon Quint who never returned from her first jump voyage.
9 There are reports of unregulated jumps causing mysterious mutations in humans and androids.
10 Old spacers believe that drinking urine can stave off the effects of jump sickness.
23
UNEXPLORED SYSTEMS
The galaxy is full of unexplored systems. Use Each object has one or more tags, which
these tables to create a quick snap shot of a show any exploitable resources, research
system, including its star, orbital bodies and opportunities or other noteworthy features.
potential resources.
• ore - unrefined fuel ore
1. Roll 5d10. • metal - rare valuable metals
2. Use the sum to determine the star table. • organic - evidence of living organisms
3. Use the value of each die to populate the • int - evidence of intelligent life
system from the star table. • h2o - water
4. The value of each die notes the objects’ • n2o2 - earth analogue atmosphere
orbital distance from their star. • data - potential for scientific discovery

SUM 5 - 19 SUM 20 - 35
WHITE STAR TAGS RED STAR TAGS
1. no object n/a 1. cloud planet h2o, ore
2. rock planet ore 2. rock planet ore
3. dust planet metal 3. dust planet ore, metal
4. minor singularity data 4. asteroid belt ore, metal, h2o (ice)
5. earth analogue h o, n o , organic, ore
2 2 2
5. earth analogue h2o, n2o2, organic
6. cloud planet h o, organic
2
6. no object n/a
7. asteroid belt ore, metal 7. ringed gas giant h2o, metal (rings)
8. gas giant organic 8. gas giant h2o, organic
9. ringed gas giant h o, metal (rings)
2
9. comet ore, metal, h2o, data
10. reroll 2x, keep both n/a 10. ancient beacon int, data

SUM 36 - 50
BLUE STAR TAGS EXAMPLE
1. cloud planet h o, organic
2
5D10 roll: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 (reroll -> 4, 8)
2. dust planet ore, metal
• Sum: 36 (blue star)
3. cloud planet h2o, n2o2
• 4 - binary moon (ore, metal, data)
4. binary moon ore, metal, data
• 5 - asteroid belt (ore, metal, organic)
5. asteroid belt ore, metal, organic
• 6 - cloud planet (h2o ore)
6. cloud planet h2o, ore
• 7 - ringed gas giant (h2o, organic)
7. ringed gas giant h2o, organic
• 8 - comet (metal, h2o, data)
8. comet metal, h2o, data
• 8 - comet (metal, h2o, data)
9. rock planet ore
10. reroll 2x, keep both n/a

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