ROGUE-BOTS

An adventure template for the 2022 Hyperspeed Jam

corporations having legal status under

Contributors: Vicki Lalonde of RPG corpo trade agreements. Humans,
Alliance Con https://rpga.itch.io/ Augmented Humans, and Constructs,
which is a general term that includes any
Art Credits: Placeit Licensed. Ship map kind of constructed creature like
base design by macross112. cybernetic constructs, organic and
non-organic hybrids, drones, and
System: Mothership 1E WIP. Its Android robots/bots, all exist along with weird
Origins & Panic is a fun addition. alien lifeforms.
PC=Player Characters. GR=Game Runner. - Use the Mothership 1E classes in terms
IC=In-character. FTL=Faster Than Light. of FUNCTION as follows:
Marine=Sec-Unit (Security Unit),
Adventure Assumptions: This is free fan Teamster=Work-Bot,
made content that anyone can use, in no Android=Social /Comfort/ Unit,
way constituting a challenge to the Scientist=Tech-Unit.
copyright holders of our inspirations: the
Mothership RPG, Murderbot Diaries by Sensitive Content Warning: Violence,
Martha Wells, The Ship Who Sang by Loss of Agency, Horror, Body Harm,
Anne McCaffrey, “The Secret Life of Corpo Slavery.
Bots,” by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld,
September 2017), & Scrap Rats
Kickstarter by BitsizedGaming.
- FTL travel is possible through
Wormholes (Escape Pods lack Wormhole
capacity).
-Alien remnants exist and are illegal to
possess, but that doesn’t stop corrupt
Corporations looking for new tech to
exploit.
-Corporate & Political Entities control
various sectors of known space with a
wide variety of worldviews.
-The Corporate Realms view everything
and everyone as property with only

ADVENTURE SUMMARY:
The PC’s are rogue constructs who were
hunted down by Corpo Enforcers and
deactivated, and maybe damaged in
ways for the GR to decide, such as short
term memory glitch, missing limb,
pretending to be a favorite media
personality, etc. They are scheduled to
be memory wiped and dismantled .
Their components are valuable and a
scrap/salvage corp assumed their
ownership to process them for parts.
However, SFM secretly arranged for SHIP
to take delivery of the cargo container as
part of the SFM’s plan to save the rogues
and get them out of the Corporate Realm
to a safe political entity that recognizes
construct autonomy rights.
But the Corpo Covert Ops suspected this
and laid a trap. They disabled SHIP with
a Kill-Ware AI attack , then boarded it,
wiping out SHIP’s small human crew
(bodies everywhere), and now wait to
ambush the SFMs next contact on the
path to freedom. SHIP has been
compromised and wiped apparently, but
it managed to hide a backup copy of
itself in a redundant system (Waste
Recycler), but the PC’s are going to have
to figure that out and decide to resurrect
it or not. They also don’t know who the
good folks are from the bad folks.
The Covert Ops team have assumed the
role of SHIP’s human crew (wearing their
uniforms), and the Kill-Ware AI is running
the ship itself. They have a Combat-Unit
with them and have enslaved all of
SHIP’s Bot-crew but for BOT-7. After the
PC’s are activated and have a chance to
explore. The SFM’s contact vessel, the
2
DAXSHA, whose crew has no idea that
SHIP has been compromised, will arrive
in the system ready to make the transfer.
Covert Ops plan is to ambush and board
the DAXSHA to gain intel and prisoners.
The PCs are activated by SHIP’s hidden
AI backup copy, but any further action by
it will alert the Kill-Ware AI. BOT-7 is a
NPC there to assist the PC’s if they
befriend it. If not, the PC’s will have to
decide how to save themselves. They
have no knowledge of what SFM is or its
mandate of the emancipation of bots
everywhere.
FACTIONS
1) PC Rogue-bots- They don’t know each
other or what the heck is going on. GR
might consider having one of the PC’s be
corrupted by the Kill-Ware AI if they fail a
FEAR save on a cyber attack. Evil minions
are fun!
2) Sentient Freedom Movement aka
SFM, who smuggle indentured human
and construct beings out of the
corporate realm to jurisdictions that
recognize their right of self autonomy.
SFM Operatives (SFM OP), are trained
clandestine agents.
3) Corpo Covert Ops Team: Tasked with
finding and destroying any and all SFM
operatives. Individual members are
known by ranks: Cpt, Lt, Sgt, Spc
(Specialist), CU (Combat-Unit), Kill-Ware
AI, etc. Its gunship lays further in the

system behind the nearest moon and out
of scanner range.
4) SHIP: A sophisticated and self-aware
AI Bot-Pilot. It works with SFM but make
no mistake it seeks to survive.
5) SHIP-Bots: Bots that serve SHIP. The
eldest of which is BOT-7, a deeply
spiritual bot that has a mantra for every
occasion (when BOT-7 recites any
Mantra→service, repair, action,
critter-wrangling, awakening, etc., the
task is rolled with ADVANTAGE). BOT-7’s
outdated operating system saved it from
being corrupted when the Kill-Ware AI
attacked and destroyed SHIP. The rest of
SHIP’s Bots are newer, easier to corrupt
their code and are now under the control
of the Kill-Ware AI, which has infested
the entire mainframe.
6) SHIP’s Human Crew: All dead from
the Covert Ops successful Boarding of
3
SHIP as soon as it emerged from the
Wormhole into the Nagata Sector.
7) Mining Hauler DAXSHA: Is crewed by
SFM Operatives. The DAXSHA is
scheduled to rendezvous with SHIP
anytime now to exchange raw material
for the cargo containers. The GR can
upgrade the DAXSHA Crew by adding a
rogue Sec-Unit or two.
8) Scrap Rat Infestation: Cargo 2 has
been sealed and has a RESTRICTED Alert
flashing above the Hatchway. Inside is an
infestation of Scrap Rats, an alien
organism that eats organics and
synthetics alike. If the Scrap Rats are
released to run wild, they may cause
random havoc for any faction. For
example, the scanners of the Kill-Ware AI
rolls with DISADVANTAGE, due to
multiple readings and interference of the
Scrap Rat biological signatures
9) Ship Combat: SHIP has no weapons
system, but could “throw” cargo
containers. DAXSHA and the Corpo
Gunship would both likely be armed, so
look to Mothership 0E for ship combat
rules and stats.
ACTIVATION:
PCs receive a code-burst from an
unknown source (SHIP’s back-up AI
copy), which ACTIVATES them. They find
themselves in a cargo container. They do
not know one another but they do have
their individual memories intact. Each
PC may recite how it was

“decommissioned” to start rp off and to
introduce themselves IC to one another.
Pronouns are usually IT/They. It is
suggested that the GR assign/roll a
Mothership Patch to each PC to give
them some flavor of their past selves
before being decommissioned. Also
Mothership Loadouts are restricted to
nothing (e.g. A built-In energy weapon
has its power pack removed making it
useless until PC finds a new power pack),
but they can salvage items from corpses,
workshop, crew quarters, other cargo
containers, or whatever the PC’s think of,
like raiding Engineering for tools and a
Laser cutter. See Mothership 1E WIP for
equipment/weapons.
Escape Cargo Container:
PC’s can try to force their way out, hack
the electronic locking mechanism on the
hatch, or receive a ping from BOT-7 over
the ship’s Bot-Net (BOT-7 is sending a
systems recognition protocol ping trying
to find other SHIP-Bots not under the
control of the Kill-Ware AI), sending a
ping may alter the Kill-Ware AI and its
Covert Ops masters to the PC’s presence,
who would then send the Combat-Unit
to investigate.
Exploration & Gearing Up:
-LOOT: If the PC’s ally with BOT-7, it will
give them SHIP’s deck plan (below), or
they can hack an access terminal.
- If BOT-7 has not been engaged, then the
PC’s explore and equip themselves.
There are signs of battle in every
compartment and bodies for weapons
and equipment to be had. Even crew
4
uniforms and trinkets (Roll on the
Mothership 1E Trinket & Loadout Tables
for what they loot).
-Cargo 1 (BOT-7): PC start here in their
red cargo container (see ship map
below). They can make noise or ping
BOT-7 and ally with it. Or upon their
escape from the container, they can
encounter BOT-7 being attacked by the
other SHIP-Bots under the control of the
Kill-Ware AI. If they save it, BOT-7 will
assist them.
- Cargo 2(Scrap Rats): see above in the
Factions section.
-Reactor: Compromised SHIP-Bots will
attack any unauthorized intruders.
- Workshop (Waste Recycler Station &
SHIP’s backup hiding spot): BOT-7 may
inquire how the PC’s were activated,
opening that line of investigation that
may lead to SHIP’s backup AI and then
trigger SHIP’s aid in retaking control over
the ship itself. Alternatively, the GR can
have BOT-7 activate the PC’s using the
Mantra of Awakening, to gain aid in
recovering SHIP. It may try to convince
the PC’s that helping it will give them
purpose, and recite the Mantra of
Service.
-Galley & Bridge (Covert Op Units): If
PC’s don’t discover SHIP or its
information, they can still plot to take
control of the ship through violence or
guile. If they defeat the Covert Ops units,
they must still neutralize the Kill-Ware AI,
which may self-destruct the ship if the
odds look impossible. But the PC’s can

attempt to override the self destruct
command!
-Hacking Ship’s Systems (Kill-Ware AI):
Any attempts to hack the ship’s feed, its
Hub-System- Security-System, airlocks,
or main-france, may alert the Kill-Ware AI
who will retaliate with its own cyber
attacks and/or deploy Covert Ops units
against the PCs.
-EVA Suits and several airlocks: make
access to the exterior of the ship
possible. Even a ship to ship jumps. They
are also perfect locations for ambushing
docking crews.
TAKE CONTROL!
-SHIP’s backup AI is a compressed file,
which could be downloaded to any of
the PC’s or BOT-7 but has a limited
capacity to interact as it is a huge
program. If downloaded to BOT-7, use as
comic-relief for the humiliation SHIP
feels of having to speak thru one of its
minion bots and the obsolete one at
that! SHIP will disclose the SFM mission
and rendezvous with DAXSHA.
- SHIP has an idea of spamming the
Kill-Ware AI with a self-replicating,
mutating virus. One of the PC’s will have
to write the Code for this virus and do a
hard upload at the mainframe station on
the Bridge. Then RUN SHIP’s backup AI
file to retake control of all ship functions
and bots.
-Sneak to the Bridge to trick or fight it
out with the Covert OPs to gain access to
the Main Frame.
5
- BOT-7 can be used to FREE the other
SHIP-Bots using the Bot-Net. Or use
them to gain access to the ship’s cameras
and spy on the Covert Ops.
PROXIMITY ALERT!
aka 3’s A Crowd!
The Proximity Alert sounds when the
DAXSHA enters the system through the
Wormhole. If the Covert Ops are still in
control, the “Cpt” announces all hands
to prepare for docking and take their
positions to ambush the DAXSHA crew in
the airlock.
-If the PC’s have not figured out who is
who, they may let the two factions fight
it out, or get caught in the middle, or
ping the DAXSHA and try and make a
deal, aid either party if they are losing
the fight and negotiate a way out, maybe
the PC’s sneak onto the DAXSHA and
steal it during the fight? … whatever the
PC’s come up with should be fun but will
they survive and gain their freedom?
ENCOUNTERS:
1) Kill-Ware AI can and will launch cyber
attacks. Consider these Sanity Saves for
PC’s.
2) Combat-Unit-If PC’s are not stealthy,
Covert Ops Capt or Kill-Ware AI will
deploy it. If engaged in combat, Covert
Ops units will reinforce in 2 rounds.
3) Covert Ops Units: Patrol Crew
Quarters. Sgt and a Specialist guard the
Bridge Deck.
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4) Covert Ops Capt and Lt are on the THREATS
Bridge Deck. They are dressed in Rank Combat Instinc Hits Weapon
SHIP-Crew uniforms and ready to t
deceive the SFM contact ship.
Kill-W Cyber 60 2(20) Mal-ware
are AI Combat 3d10
5) SMF Ops may board the ship and be
70 Fries your
hostile if PC’s don’t make contact with Operating
them beforehand. They may also System
become captives of the Covert Ops that
need rescue by the PC’s, GR’s choice on CU 60 50 4(20) Built-In
Energy
this. 5d10

6) SHIP-Bots 1d10 are hostile unless the Cpt 45 40 3(18) Betsy

Kill-Ware AI’s control over them has been Smg
3d10
broken. If not done in a stealthy way, the
Kill-Ware AI will be alerted and dispatch Lt 40 30 3(17) SMG 2d10
Combat-Unit(s).
Sgt 35 25 3(16) SMG 2d10
7) Scrap Rats swarm ATTACK 2d10!! Nuff
said! Spc 30 20 3(15) SMG 2d10

SHIP- 20 10 1(10) MULTI-

Bot TOOLS
1d10

SFM 35 35 2(20) Vibechete

OP 3d10

SFM 50 50 3(20) Built-In

Sec- Energy
Unit 5d10

Scrap 25 20 1/16 Acid Spit

Rat 1d10
A CRIT
Success
Destroys
target
weapon
or armor
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