No good deeD

Austin Arnold (Order #41209025)

 rocket age

c ontent s c r e d i t s
Reel One: Countdown to Disaster 3 Line Developer: Ken Spencer
Scene One: Things Start to go Wrong 3 Creative Director: Dominic McDowall
Rocket Ship Map 6 Art Director: Jon Hodgson
Scene Two: The Air That You Breathe 7 Writing: Tony Kenealy
Scene Three: The Taste of Fresh Air 8 Cover Art: Jon Hodgson
Scene Four: Blinded by the Light 9 Interior Art: Paul Bourne, Jon Hodgson, Brandon Leach,
Scene Five: Show me the Way to Go 10 Scott Purdy and Kieran Yanner
Scene Six: Brace for Impact 11 Layout and Graphic Design: Paul Bourne
Editing: Andrew Kenrick
Reel Two: All is Not as it Seems 12 Publisher: Dominic McDowall
Scene One: On the Surface of Rhea 12 Playtesters: Cory Fink, Jeremy Hedge,
Scene Two: From Out of the Rocks they Came 13 Nathan Hyrule, Moxon Julian, and Samantha Parish.
Scene Three: Researching the Researchers 17
The Research Station Map 18
Scene Four: RADIO Silence 19 Published by Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd
Scene Five: All that Glitters is not Gold 19 Riverside House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0ES, UK
Scene Six: Wrapped and Packed 19 Reg. no 6036414
Scene Seven: Enough for Everyone 20 © 2014 Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.
Scene Eight: Home from Home 20
Scene Nine: “Please Come into my Office
and Make Yourself Comfortable” 20
Scene Ten: Unexpected Rendezvous 21

Reel Three: Woman and Children First 22

Scene One: The Truth Revealed 22
Scene Two: Terrible Conditions 23
Scene Three: Emergency Support Requested 24 Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal.
Scene Four: Freedom 25 Any trademarked names are used in a historical or
Scene Five: Dr Grant Must be Stopped 25 fictional manner; no infringement is intended.
Scene Six: Honors Befitting Heroes 25
Find out more about Rocket Age and
our other games at www.cubicle7.co.uk

Printed on Mars

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- r o c k e t
no good deed
No Good Deed is a Rocket Age episode for 4-6 heroes
with a maximum of 15 Story Points on average. No Good
Deed can be played on its own or as part of a larger series.
At several points throughout this episode the full results
for a roll are detailed. As with any roll found in an episode,
a clever player should be permitted to come up with their
own attributes or skills that can be applied to the roll. Also,
the Gamemaster is free to vary the results of the roll to fit
the current situation.
The heroes need to be on a rocket ship in the Saturn
system, either their own ship or as crew of an exploration
vessel. In the latter case, the heroes should be senior crew,
or the captain and other department heads should be
incapacitated during the episode in order to permit our
heroes greater autonomy.
Although this episode can accommodate a variety of
different types of play styles and characters, it is best suited
to one with a smaller vessel. If the Gamemaster wants to
use a larger ship then there are many ways to accommodate
the rest of the crew into the adventure. The most dramatic
would be to have the heroes as the only survivors after the
crash that killed off the rest of the crew. Another way is
for non-player crewmembers to accompany the heroes on
their mission. Alternatively, they could remain with the
ship either because they are injured or they are working
on repairs.
There are many reasons for the ship to be in the region
of Saturn: it could be part of a scientific expedition, a
patrolling military vessel, a merchant vessel that has
strayed off course, or even on a law enforcement mission
hunting down a group of fugitives. Dr Grant would be
extremely nervous at the presence of law enforcement on
the planet given the activities she is involved in. If the ship
is part of a large scientific expedition, then it could have
become separated from the main group, either through
misfortune or being sent off on a side mission.
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a g e -
No Good Deed is divided into three reels. In Reel One the
heroes’ ship suffers a critical failure and they must work
fast to save it. The damage is severe, and the best they can
hope for is a controlled crash landing. Reel Two sees them
stranded on Saturn’s moon Rhea, where they discover
hostile natives and an Earthling research station. They will
explore the station and the moon, and learn the dark secret
of this isolated research base, as well as the true origins
of the native Rheans. Finally, in Reel Three our heroes
embark on a mission to free the enslaved natives. After
liberating the Rheans, the heroes’ ship can be repaired and
they can get help.
Intro Montage
Thrill to the adventures of Rocket Age starring (player
name) as (character name), (player name) as (character
name), (player name) as (character name), (player
name) as (character name), in No Good Deed. We
rejoin our heroes as they travel close to Saturn, on the
edge of explored space…
R e e l On e : C o u n t d o w n t o D i s a s t e r
In this reel the heroes’ ship suffers a critical failure that
sends it out of control, and also threatens to kill the crew
by shutting down vital systems. Our heroes must act fast in
order to save the ship and themselves. After experiencing
the malfunction in Scene One, the order of the following
scenes depends on the heroes and their actions. Scenes
Two-Five involve repairing various damaged systems.
Scene Six finishes the reel with the ship crashing on Rhea.
S c e n e On e : T h i n g s S t a r t t o g o W r o n g
The purpose of this scene is to establish the heroes on
the rocket ship and introduce the malfunctions that will
eventually force the landing on Rhea.
 rocket age

Setting the Scene
Space is silent; the interior of a rocket ship however, is
anything but. The background hum of the engines is
everywhere, inside your head from the moment you wake
until you fall asleep on your bunk at day’s end. On the
Flight Deck the constant drone of the engines is joined by
the intermittent beeps and pings from the mass of control
panels that cover the walls of the circular room. The panels
are full of switches, lights, and dials; gauges report on the
equipment status while lights flash with a random rhythm.
Navigation, flight control, environmental and gravitational
controls, all systems have their place on the panels. The
Flight Deck is not spacious, but there is some room to
move around. Four metal chairs with gyroscopic stabilizers
are arranged in front of the control panels to enable the
operators to work the buttons, switches, dials, and levers
that control the various functions of the rocket ship.
In the center of the floor sits an open hatch, which reveals
a ladder down to the lower decks where the sleeping
compartments, engine room, and equipment locker can be
found. Around the walls are hand and footholds that can
be used when the rocket ship has to change orientation or
if the motion gets turbulent.
Through the round portholes the darkness of space is
broken by the occasional glimpse of Saturn and its fabulous
rings. Silhouetted against her surface the moons of Saturn
can be seen traversing space, dwarfed by the planet they
orbit.
Suddenly, there is a loud explosion from below. Sparks
jump across the Flight Deck as warning lights blink
furiously and a cacophony of sirens fills the air. The floor
tilts violently as the rocket ship veers off course and Saturn
slides out of view.
The explosion is the result of a power surge in one of the
rocket engines. It has caused a serious malfunction in a
number of systems, including life support and navigation.
The heroes have to determine where the failures are and
then attempt repairs.
With problems on multiple decks the characters will need
to access each deck, determine if there any problems
there, and fix them, prioritizing where necessary. The
control panels on the Flight Deck contain circuit diagrams
showing the status of critical components by means of a
red or green light.
Life Support Panel
The life support panel indicates that there is a loss of air,
and that the oxygen scrubbers, located in the Air Recycling
Compartment on Deck 3, are offline. To secure the breach,

Rocket Ship Details

The interior configuration of the rocket ship is the standard top-down layout. The decks are circular in shape, each getting larger
in size the closer they are to the base of the rocket. The Flight Deck is at the top and is where all the controls for the ship’s main
systems are located. The lowest deck houses the Engine Room with its huge radium engines, above which are the cooling systems
that maintain the engines’ operating temperature; if the temperature runs too high, the engines should shutdown, otherwise they
might explode and take both the ship and its crew with it!

Other decks are taken up with crew quarters, cargo space, equipment lockers, laboratories, and systems vital to the safe
operation of the ship and the safety of the crew. The Flight Deck is Deck 1; Deck 2 contains the crew quarters and the space
suit equipment locker; the oxygen scrubbers are located on Deck 3 in the Air Recycling Compartment; more crew quarters are
located on Deck 4 along with a small science lab with medical facilities. Deck 5 is the main electrical relay room and deck
6 contains the engine room and waste recycling plants. There are equipment storage lockers on all decks. Some Decks are
effectively one large area; others are segregated into multiple compartments, but all have a central access point onto the axial
corridor that runs down the center of the ship from the Flight Deck to the engines. Manual hatches along the access corridor can
seal one deck from another.

The outer hull of the ship is separated from the inner hull by a series of maintenance tubes accessible from each deck via access
panels. They are large enough to crawl through even if wearing a space suit. The tubes also act as air ducts to distribute the
recycled air. As the tubes are interconnected, a breach in any tube will have catastrophic affect on the air levels throughout the
entire ship.

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the heroes will need to enter the maintenance tubes on
Deck 3. They will also need to get the oxygen scrubbers
operational. If the heroes decide that space suits are
necessary, they can be found in the equipment locker on
Deck 2 immediately below the Flight Deck.
Engine Control Panel
The engine control panel indicates that the engines are still
operational, but are running at a higher temperature than
normal and rising; they will soon be at critical. The cooling
system is offline.
Power Control Panel
The power control panel indicates damaged power control
units; two require replacing. One controls the cooling
system and one powers both the navigation control
panel and RADAR. They are both located on Deck 5 in
the Electrical Relay Room above the engines. The cooling
system is also controlled from this compartment.
Navigation Control Panel (Navcon)
The Navcon operates RADAR and directional controls. As
heroes approach the panel, there will be a small explosion
and the RADAR screen will go blank. Navcon power has
been lost and the rocket ship is now drifting out of control.
As a result of the power surge, one of the vacuum valves
inside the panel has blown, it will need to be replaced
after the power control unit has been. If the heroes replace
the vacuum valve before repairing the damaged power
control unit, the replacement will also blow in a shower of
sparks. Replacement vacuum valves are located in storage
compartments on each deck.
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Communications Panel
The RADIO is located on the communications panel; it has
power, but there is also a warning light flashing. RADIO is
powered through Navcon and until that is repaired, it will
not work.
Moving to the Next Scene
When the heroes have investigated the different control
panels and discovered the problems they are faced with,
the following bad news should be given:
The Ticking Clock
Suddenly, an emergency light flashes red on the life
support panel. The ship’s oxygen level is dropping
rapidly. Almost half of your air supply has been lost
and what is left is not being recycled as the oxygen
scrubbers are offline. At the current rate of oxygen loss,
there is not a lot of time left.
Countdowns
To increase the tension and add to the sense of urgency, as
soon as “The ticking clock” has been read to the heroes,
start a countdown of how much air is left.
Use four dice and have each begin with the 5 face up (for
a total of 20). This represents how much time is left before
the air runs out. The count should be decreased by one each
time the heroes have completed an action, or if they move to
another compartment or level; as decided by the Gamemaster.
 rocket age

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Once the breach in the hull has been repaired, the
countdown is reset to 20. This now indicates how much
time before the air will becomes too stale to breathe
without operational oxygen scrubbers. The Gamemaster
should stop the second countdown once the oxygen
scrubbers are operational.
If either countdown reaches 0, when all air has been lost
or the air has become too stale to breathe, the heroes will
need to be wearing space suits to be able to breathe. Each
hero will suffer 4 levels of damage per minute that he is
not wearing a space suit. With the clock ticking, the heroes
must now decide in what order they are going to attempt
to repairs:
• To repair the leak in the outer hull proceed to Scene
Two. They may choose not to repair the air leak and
instead put on space suits.
• To restart the oxygen scrubbers proceed to Scene Three.
They do not have to switch on the oxygen scrubbers
especially if they opt to wear space suits, but this will
increase the difficulty of all repair rolls by 2.
• To repair the destroyed power control units proceed
to Scene Four.
• To repair Navcon to get navigation, RADAR and RADIO
working proceed to Scene 5. They have to complete the
repair of the power control units first. If they attempt
to repair Navcon before the power control units this
will not work.
Once the Navcon has been repaired this will lead the
heroes directly to Scene Six and the climax of Reel One.
Scene Two: The Air That You Breathe
In this scene, the heroes attempt to repair the breach in
the hull of rocket ship caused by an explosion in the Air
Recycling Compartment. The air in the ship is being sucked
out into space through the maintenance tubes. They need
to patch these holes or all the work repairing the Air
Recycling will be for naught.
Opening the Access Panels
There are multiple access panels on each deck, but the
escaping air has caused some of them to jam shut. To open
any access panel roll, the following:
Roll: Coordination + Strength
Difficulty: 12
Results:
• Fantastic: The panel comes straight off. Do not reduce
the air loss count for this action.
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• Good: The panel finally comes open. Countdown -1.
• Success: The panel is stiff, but finally opens. Countdown
-2.
• Failure: The panel moves, then gets jammed and will not
open. Countdown -2.
• Bad: You struggle with the panel, but it is sticks.
Countdown -3.
• Disastrous: The panel is permanently jammed.
Countdown -4.
A Rush of Air
The panel finally opens. You feel the rush of air as it
escapes into the tube. The constant creak of straining
metal is heard as the affect of the escaping air is felt
across the entire ship. In front of you is a small breach,
approximately 4 centimeters in diameter, in the outer
hull.
A Hole New Problem
To use a kit, roll the following:
Roll: Ingenuity + Technology.
Difficulty: 15
Results:
• Fantastic: They manage to fix the seal without any
trouble. Start the second countdown at 20.
• Good: It was not easy, but they managed to fix the
seal. Start the second countdown at 18.
• Success: The breach is finally sealed. Start the second
countdown at 16.
• Failure: The seal does not stick. Air loss countdown -2.
• Bad: The seal breaks. Air loss countdown 3 -.
• Disastrous: The seal disintegrates and the breach
doubles in size. Any characters in the area may get
sucked out, a Coordination or Strength + Athletics
(Difficulty 12) to avoid (the Gamemaster should be
lenient with Bad and Disastrous results here and let
heroes have a chance at rescue). Air loss countdown -4.
The Calm before the Storm
The seal on your Emergency Hull Breach Kit finally
holds and the repair is complete. The air loss warning
siren on the Flight Deck above stops, but the recycling
warning siren continues.
The heroes can now move onto the next repair.
 rocket age
Scene Three: The Taste of Fresh Air
The purpose of this scene is for the characters to start the
oxygen scrubbers that recycle the air.
The Foul Taste of Silence
As you enter the Air Recycling Compartment, the air is
stale and cloying. It looks like this is the source of the
explosion. The main power control unit has exploded,
probably due to a power surge, causing the breach in
the ship’s hull, it is blackened and burnt and its vacuum
valve is cracked and broken. A similar power control
unit is located next to the oxygen scrubbers, but this
one is intact. The oxygen scrubbers are contained in
a large cylindrical machine made of heavy glass with
metal pipes that disappear through the walls behind
into the air tubes. Inside the central cylinder, the internal
mechanism is silent and still…
Starting the Oxygen Scrubbers
The oxygen scrubbers are controlled by a power control
unit with a secondary unit as backup. They are located on
either side of the main control panel. The oxygen scrubbers
can operate on the back-up control unit, but the automatic
switchover has failed.
If a hero is wearing a space suit while conducting repairs
here, its insulation means that he will suffer 2 less levels
of damage. There are two scrubbers and each needs to be
repaired separately.
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Clean Air Action
To fix the oxygen scrubbers, roll the following:
Roll: Awareness + Technology
Difficulty: 15
Results:
• Fantastic: The repair is quick and easy, allowing
the character to make another repair in the same
compartment this round.
• Good: The secondary power switch is located and the
system restarts. Stop the second countdown.
• Success: The secondary power switch is located and the
oxygen scrubbers are slowly restarting. Stop the second
countdown after one more tick.
• Failure: The secondary power switch is stuck. Countdown
-1.
• Bad: The secondary power control unit sparks; take 3
levels of damage. Countdown -3.
• Disastrous: The secondary power control unit explodes;
take 4 levels of damage. Countdown -4.
If the secondary power control unit explodes, it will need
to be replaced. Use the same roll used in Scene Four:
Blinded by the Light.
A Breath of Fresh Air
As the oxygen scrubbers power back up, the fresh air
starts to circulate around the ship and you can breathe
freely once again.

S c e n e F o u r : B l i n d e d by t h e L i g h t
In this scene the heroes repair the power control units in
the Electrical Relay Compartment, located on Deck 5. They
can enter the deck through either the central hatch or via
the maintenance tubes.
When Sparks Fly
On entering the Electrical Relay Compartment, you
are confronted with a blinding flash and a shower of
sparks. Hanging cables snake down in front of you;
each time they touch more sparks spray out across the
compartment. The walls are lined with pipes spouting
jets of steam and it is just possible to see racks of
electrical equipment, some blackened and burnt,
through the steam. To the left is the lifeless engine
cooling system. The temperature of the compartment is
almost unbearable with the steam and sparks combining
with the heat from the engines below as they overheat
to critical levels.
While the heroes are moving around the compartment,
they will need to dodge the swinging cables and avoid
the jets of steam. If a hero is wearing a space suit while
conducting repairs here its insulation reduces damage by
2 levels.
A Blinding, Burning Mess
To avoid the cables and the jets of steam, roll the following:
Roll: Coordination + Athletics
Difficulty: 15
Results:
• Fantastic: The character easily makes it past the
shorting wires and gouts of steam. When she gets the
power control panels she can make a repair to fix each
one without suffering penalties for extra actions.
• Good: The character takes no damage and manages to
make it across to the power control units.
• Success: The character avoids damage, but makes little
progress this action round.
• Failure: Take 2 levels of damage.
• Bad: Take 3 levels of damage.
• Disastrous: Take 4 levels of damage.
The Power Control Units
Located against the rear wall of the Electrical Relay
Compartment are the main power control units that
distribute power around the ship’s systems. Two have been
destroyed and need replacing. Replacement power control
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units are located in a storage locker in this compartment.
When replacing the power control units, one wrong move
could damage other equipment and may cause serious
injury. If a hero is wearing a space suit while conducting
repairs here, its insulation reduces damage by 2 levels.
Power Up!
To replace each power control unit, roll the following:
Roll: Coordination + Ingenuity
Difficulty: 15
Results:
• Fantastic: The power unit comes on and the character
can make a roll to replace the other one at +2. If this
is the second unit to be repaired the engine cooling
system automatically starts.
• Good: The power unit comes alive. If this is the second
unit the engine cooling system automatically starts.
• Success: The power unit comes to life. If this is the
second unit the engine cooling system needs to be
switched on.
• Failure: The replacement power unit is broken and
unusable.
• Bad: The replacement power control unit sparks and is
unusable, take 4 levels of damage
• Disastrous: The replacement power control unit
explodes; take 8 levels of damage.
Turning on the Engine Cooling System
When the power control units have been replaced, the
engine cooling system can be restarted. If a hero is wearing
a space suit while conducting repairs here, its insulation
reduces damage by 2 levels.
Keep it Cool
To turn on the engine cooling system, roll the following:
Roll: Ingenuity + Technology
Difficulty: 15
Results:
• Fantastic: The engine cooling system restarts and the
character is able to remodulate the power outputs
to this deck and shut off the steam venting, thus
requiring no roll to find her way out through the wires
and steam.
• Good: The engine cooling system restarts and the
system is stable.
• Success: The engine cooling system restarts, but
someone with at least one level in the Technology or
Transport skills must stay here to monitor the power
levels.
• Failure: The engine cooling system fails to restart.
 rocket age

• Bad: One power unit blows, cooling system does not
start, take 2 levels of damage.
• Disastrous: Two power units blow, take 4 levels of
damage.
Power is Restored,
But is it too Late?
As the engine cooling system starts, the giant fans inside
start to spin, but the temperature in the room is still rising.
Impact) expanded roll gains a +2 bonus.
• Good: The Navcon comes to life and is ready for use.
• Success: The Navcon slowly comes to life, but the
vacuum valve is poorly installed. The RADAR is fuzzy
with interference. Any Landing You Can Walk Away
From expanded roll suffers a -2 penalty.
• Failure: The vacuum valve is broken and unusable. The
repair needs to be attempted again.
• Bad: The vacuum valve sparks and is unusable; take 3
levels of damage
• Disastrous: The vacuum valve unit explodes; take 4
levels of damage.

Scene Five: Show me the Way to Go

This scene allows the heroes to repair the Navcon on
the Flight Deck and get the ship’s RADAR, RADIO, and
navigation controls operational.

Smoke Rises
There are wisps of smoke rising from around the
edges of the Navcon. The RADAR screen is blank. All
navigation controls are dead. You have no control over
the ship.

The Navcon consists of several smaller panels, all of which

can be lifted out of the main panel revealing numerous
wires and vacuum valves. The damaged vacuum valve is
visible when the panel containing the RADAR screen is
removed. Replacement vacuum valves can be found in the
emergency storage locker on the Flight Deck.

If the heroes have not already completed the replacement

of the damaged power control units, when the damaged
vacuum valve is replaced it will immediately glow red hot,
crack and burn out regardless of the rolled result. If a hero
is wearing a space suit while conducting repairs here, its
insulation reduces damage by 2 levels.

Navcon, Where Are We?

To replace a vacuum valve, roll the following:

Roll: Coordination + Ingenuity
Difficulty: 15
Results:
• Fantastic: The character quickly completes the repair,
giving the pilot crucial seconds needed to figure out
where the ship is and react to danger. Any Landing
You Can Walk Away From (see Scene Six: Brace for
When the navigation panel has been repaired, the RADAR
screen will immediately come to life and the warning light
on the communications panel will go out.
Red Alert
The RADAR screen comes to life and you immediately see
numerous contacts appear on the screen, approaching your

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position. Asteroids! It may be just a debris field, but it is
still a danger to the ship. On top of this a new warning siren
suddenly sounds on the engine control panel as the engine
temperature reaches critical. The rocket ship switches to
auxiliary power as the engines perform an emergency
shutdown. This is a temporary measure that maintains life
support, but provides only minimal lights and power to the
rest of the ship.
The ship jolts violently and lurches out of control.
At this point, no further repairs will make a difference; the
rocket ship is in serious trouble. Go to the next scene.
Scene Six: Brace for Impact
In this scene the rocket ship comes down onto the surface
of Rhea. This scene can only be played out after the
RADAR has been repaired. One of the ship’s engines has
performed an emergency shutdown and the rocket ship is
spiraling out of control, with the added complication of a
shower of small asteroids heading their way.
We’re Going Down
The ship is spiraling out of control and vibrating violently.
Loud concussions echo through the hull as you make
contact with the asteroid field. Suddenly, an enormous
jolt spins the ship off on a different trajectory and new
warning sirens echo around the Flight Deck.
Above the noise, your RADIO bursts into life; through
the static, you hear a voice…
“… RADAR contact … sector … unknown …” More
static, followed by a different voice “maintain … silence
…”, then nothing.
Meanwhile the surface of Rhea is looming large in front
of you.
If the heroes try to make RADIO contact, at first they will
get only static, but with perseverance they will eventually
get a response.
The voice on the radio will do everything possible to try to
persuade them that they cannot land on Rhea (it is unsafe;
they have no landing or repair facilities, etc.) However, a
second transmission keeps fading in and out and another
voice (Venusian) can be heard.
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RADIO Free Rhea
To hear the background voice, roll the following:
Roll: Awareness + Knowledge (Language)
Difficulty: 15
Results:
• Fantastic: A Venusian voice is clearly heard in the
background, “Help, help, can anyone hear us, we ar…”
the signal fades.
• Good: A faint voice can be heard speaking in Venusian,
but the words are cut through with too much static to
be understood.
• Success: A faint voice is heard but is quickly cut off.
• Failure: Something is heard in the background, but
whether it is a voice or background noise is unknown.
• Bad: Nothing is being picked up, perhaps the repairs
were faulty?
• Disastrous: A sudden burst of noise and static, as well
as feedback, shows that the character operating the
RADIO has the pick up on and the volume turned up.
Everyone suffers 1 level of damage to Awareness due
to the piercing noise.
The ship is about to crash. There is no way the heroes can
prevent this, but they can make the landing a whole lot
safer, or least try to! If a hero is wearing a space suit when
the ship crashes, its padding means reduces damage by 1
level.
Any Landing You Can Walk Away From
If the heroes try to control the rocket ship they must roll
the following:
Roll: Coordination + Transport
Difficulty: 21
Results:
• Fantastic: They fight with the controls and manage
to raise the nose to reduce the impact. Each character
takes 1 level of damage upon impact. The ship suffers
1 level of damage.
• Good: They fight the controls to reduce the impact.
Each character takes 2 levels of damage on impact.
The ship suffers 2 levels of damage.
• Success: They fight the controls and manage to avert a
total crash. Each character takes 3 levels of damage on
impact. The ship suffers 3 levels of damage
• Failure: The ship sets down, skips, jumps, and finally
comes to a rest. Each character takes 4 levels of damage
on impact. The ship suffers 3 levels of damage.
• Bad: The ship impacts too steeply and with too much
speed, leaving a long furrow in the surface of the
moon and throwing everyone and everything around.
 rocket age

Each character takes 5 levels of damage on impact.

The ship suffers 6 levels of damage.
• Disastrous: The ship crashes, hard, and is likely
wrecked. At the Gamemaster’s discretion the ship
is on fire and the radium tanks will explode soon.
Each character takes 8 levels of damage on impact.
Rhea
The ship suffers 12 levels of damage. This is also the
appropriate level of damage to use if the party never
manages to repair the damage to the controls.

Brace for Impact

The ship hurtles through the upper atmosphere of Rhea
with its surface looming closer and closer. The terrain
is barren with rocky outcrops and high mountains. Just
as it appears that crashing into the mountains is to be
your fate, the ground widens into an open plain and the
rocket ship’s stabilizers kick in, causing it to change its
trajectory violently. It skims along the surface and finally
embeds itself into the sand. Length of Day: 4.5 Earth Days
Length of Year: 4.5 Earth Days
The noise on the Flight Deck ends abruptly. The lights on Average Distance from Earth: 1,272 million km
the control panels flicker and start to fade. In its dying Theme: Isolated moon inhabited by aliens.
moments, the RADAR screen pinpoints the location of a Complication: What crimes does humanity commit?
group of buildings on the moon’s surface.

Then everything goes dark.

Reel Two: All is Not as it Seems
This reel opens with the heroes having crash-landed
on Rhea, a moon of Saturn. The first scene sees our
heroes recovering from the crash and investigating their
new surroundings. Before they can get their bearings, a
group of primitives attack the party, and a small number
of Earthlings come to the heroes’ assistance. These
Earthlings are part of a research station on Rhea, one that
hides a dark secret.
S c e n e On e : On t h e S u r f a c e o f R h e a
The purpose of this scene is to introduce the surface of
Rhea and its environment, and for the heroes to reach the
conclusion that they need local help.
You Survived the Crash
You have survived the crash, but the rocket ship has lost
main power. Emergency power is operational, but only
provides minimal lighting and life support as well as
short range communication.

As the heroes enjoy the hospitality of the scientists,

two mysteries present themselves. Who are the strange
primitive sophonts that inhabit this distant moon, and
what are the researchers hiding? As the reel progresses,
the general pacing should be building towards answering
these questions, and then the final reveal leads into Reel
Three.
If the heroes piece together the information before the last
scene of Reel Two, the Gamemaster should jump right into
Reel Three, skipping any additional scenes in Reel Two.
Any attempt to restore power to the ship will result in
failure; the heroes will need to get help. Using the RADIO
to reach the research station will only get static. Rhea does
have a breathable atmosphere and the emergency hatch on
the Flight Deck can be used to exit the rocket ship. The
rocket ship shows the impact of its violent descent and
landing, although the hull looks intact.

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On the Surface of the Moon
The surface of Rhea is a desolate place. Low on the
horizon, Saturn dominates the skyline, its rings clearly
visible. High peaked mountains ring the plain on which
the rocket ship has crashed and a dim light shrouds the
landscape in the perpetual twilight of dusk.
The air is full of a grey dust that covers the ground like a
blanket and you can taste the grit in your mouth as you
breathe. Sparse vegetation covers the rocky dunes that
stretch off into the distance. Nearby a splash of color
is the only bright spot in the desolation. Here, tree-like
plants sway in the swirling wind, their red, orange, and
yellow foliage rippling with movement…
If they investigate the trees, the heroes may inadvertently
disturb the trip line deployed by a Trip Line Spider. Alerted
to their presence, it will then attack. See the Rocket Age
Core Rulebook, pg. 245.
The rippling in the trees is one of the first clues about the
origin of the sophonts living here (Difficulty 14 Ingenuity +
Science or Knowledge). The entire time that the heroes are
investigating the area around the landing site, they will get
the feeling that they are being watched. They may notice
rocks falling, catch a brief glimpse of a figure behind
distant rocks, or hear animal cries that could be signals.
The heroes should be made to feel uneasy.
To end the scene, read the following:
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A Beacon of Light
To the south you suddenly see a flash of light. As you
watch, three figures appear around the nearest rocky
outcrop. They are humanoid and appear to be armed.
Scene Two: From Out of the Rocks they Came
The purpose of this scene is to meet the representatives
from the research station and the subsequent attack by
the sophonts that have been shadowing the heroes since
they arrived. The representatives are all Earthlings; two
are armed security guards and the third is a scientist who
introduces herself as Dr Lidia Grant. She is uneasy and
unwelcoming; she does not seem pleased that the party
is on the moon. Her main concern is that they should
leave this area as it is not safe. When questioned, the
only information she will give is that she is part of a local
research station that was set up on Rhea to survey the moon
and study the local sophonts. During the conversation, the
two security guards are constantly scanning the area.
Surrounded
Everyone is suddenly aware that the dunes around them
are now lined with figures. Each is bipedal and over three
meters tall, with thick hairy pelts covering its skin. The two
security guards open fire and immediately the sophonts
begin their charge. The ape-like figures sweep done the
dunes, their long arms brandishing stone axes above their
heads, their feral faces contorted with savagery. As the
security guards continue to fire, Dr Grant shouts, “Run!”
 rocket age

Research Station Personnel Max Harper, Scientist

The number of personnel in the research station and at the
mine is dependent on the number of heroes: enough for
a challenge, not too many to overwhelm them in a fight.
The personnel consist of several security guards, various
scientists, Brent Morris (Head of Security), Max Harper (a
scientist), and Dr Lidia Grant (Lead Scientist) who is in
charge. There are also several elderly sophonts that are
living at the research station.
Max Harper is a not a tall man, standing at 1.7 meters.
He walks hunched forward, leaning heavily on a cane that
emphasizes the limp of his left leg. His gait makes him look
older than his 42 years. He wears glasses, but his eyesight
has long since deteriorated past the level of his current
prescription and he squints when he is talking to you. His
hair is long, curling over his collar, and his clothes look
creased and untidy. He is wearing a dirty white lab coat.

Security Guards Max Harper

Awareness 3 Presence 3
Coordination 3 Resolve 4
Ingenuity 3 Strength 3

Skills: Athletics 3, Convince 1, Fighting 3, Marksman 3.

TRAITS: Fighting Man or Woman (Minor Good), Run

for Your Life (Minor Good).

equipment: Walther PP Semi-automatic Pistol (2/4/6),

or Mauser Model 40B Bolt Action Rifle (3/6/9), Knife
(2/5/7).

story points: 4

Scientists

Awareness 3 Presence 3
Awareness 3 Presence 3
Coordination 3 Resolve 3
Coordination 2 Resolve 3
Ingenuity 4 Strength 3
Ingenuity 5 Strength 2

Skills: Knowledge 3, Medicine 3, Science 4, Technology 4.

TRAITS: Gadgeteer (Major Good), Man or Woman
of Science (Major Good), Obsession (Minor Bad),
Technically Adept (Minor Good).
equipment: Walther PP Semi-automatic Pistol (2/4/6),
Knife (2/5/7).
Skills: Knowledge 3, Medicine 3, Science 4, Technology 4.
TRAITS: Gadgeteer (Major Good), Enslaved (Major
Bad), Linguist (Minor Good), Man of Science (Major
Good), Technically Adept (Minor Good).
equipment: Knife (2/4/6) (hidden).

story points: 4 story points: 6

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 NO GOOD DEED

Brent Morris, Head of Security Dr Lidia Grant, Lead Scientist

Brent Morris may not be very tall – 1.6 meters – but he
makes up for it in a well-built, muscular upper body. His
dark hair is close-cropped, military style and his voice
definitely commands attention. He walks and talks with
authority, always with a purpose. He wears the military
style uniform of a security guard.
Dr Lidia Grant is a tall thin woman. Her dark hair is
immaculate, without a hair out of place. She wears a lab
coat, but unlike Max, Grant’s coat is pure white and pristine.
She commands respect and dominates any conversation.

Dr Lidia Grant
Brent Morris

Awareness 4 Presence 4
Coordination 3 Resolve 4
Awareness 4 Presence 3
Ingenuity 5 Strength 3
Coordination 4 Resolve 3
Ingenuity 3 Strength 4
Skills: Knowledge 8, Medicine 7, Science 9, Technology 8.
Skills: Athletics 3, Convince 1, Fighting 3, Marksman 3. TRAITS: Gadgeteer (Major Good), Woman of Science
(Major Good), Obsession (Minor Bad), Technically Adept
TRAITS: Fighting Man (Minor Good), Voice of Authority (Minor Good).
(Minor Good).
equipment: Walther PP Semi-automatic Pistol (2/4/6),
equipment: Walther PP Semi-automatic Pistol (2/4/6), RAY Pistol (4/8/L), Knife (2/5/7).
RAY Pistol (4/8/L), Knife (3/6/9).
story points: 6
story points: 6

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 rocket age

Sophont Elders
For the sophont elders use the same traits and skills as the
Sophont Rebels (Venusian) Sophont Rebels with the following changes to attributes.

Sophont elders

Awareness 3 Presence 2
Coordination 4 Resolve 2
Ingenuity 2 Strength 4
Awareness 3 Presence 2
Coordination 3 Resolve 2
Skills: Athletics 4, Craft 1, Fighting 4, Subterfuge 3, Survival
Ingenuity 2 Strength 3
2 (Jungles).

TRAITS: Alien Appearance (Major Species Bad),

Climbing (Major Species Good), Empathic (Minor Good),
Enslaved (Major Bad), Impulsive (Minor Bad), Keen
Senses (Major Good), Natural Weapons (Minor Good),
Psychic Training (Minor Good), Swinger (Minor Good),
Tough (Minor Good).
equipment: Stone Axe (4/8/12), Claws (3/7/14),
Knife (3/6/9), Venusian Wood Axe (5/9/14) (only the
leader of the rebels has this, it is a rare weapon even for
Venusians).
story points: 4
As the sophonts attack, Dr Grant urges the heroes to follow
her and will start running towards the research station. She
will repeat this plea all the time she is running, calling out
that the sophonts are killers and will show no mercy. If
the heroes flee the attack and follow Dr Grant she leads
them to the research station, and as they approach the
gate it opens and they will be allowed inside. If the heroes
choose not to follow Dr Grant the sophont attackers will
turn on them. If they still do not choose to run to the
research station several more security guards will appear
from the direction of the research station and help fight off
the sophonts. They will take charge and lead them to the
research station “for their own safety”.

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Scene Three: Researching the Researchers
This scene introduces the research station and people who
live there. The order for playing the subsequent scenes
is not set, and the heroes can choose to explore in any
direction after the initial introduction.
Inside the Complex
As you enter through the gate of the research station, you
see a large metal security fence surrounding it. You can
still hear the cries of the pursuing sophonts along with the
sound of sporadic gunfire. The research station is made up
of a series of metal buildings, some of them connected by
metal tunnels. There are numerous security guards rushing
to the defense of the outpost. Amongst the chaos, you
notice a number of sophonts similar to those who attacked
although they appear to be elderly as their fur is a silvery
grey. They are taking no part in the action and appear very
frightened.
An older man approaches you walking with a cane. When
he gets close enough, he leans forward and whispers, “You
are not safe here, you must leave…” He stops abruptly as
Dr Grant approaches. “Max, get back to the lab, I am sure
you have work to do?” She turns to you and says, “Please
come this way. I will show you somewhere you can rest. I
am sure you need it after your ordeal.”
Max limps away. You are shown to a large, sparsely
furnished room. It contains a number of small cots and a
washstand.
“Please make yourselves comfortable. It is safe here, but,
as you have seen, the natives are not very friendly. I would
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be honored if you will join me in my office later for some
refreshments.”
Staying at the Research Station
After the crash, the heroes may want to focus more on
making repairs to their ship rather than investigating
the research station. However, Dr Grant is anxious to
keep them there until she knows more about them. If the
heroes start to ask about getting equipment to repair
their ship, they will be told that the research station does
not have a rocket ship, as the researchers are to be
collected at the end of their mission. Any engineers in
the research station team who could help with repairs
are otherwise engaged away from the station. Dr Grant
will counter any questions with excuses to keep the
heroes at the research station.
Carrying Weapons while at the
Research Station
The carrying of weapons openly at the research station
is not acceptable. The heroes should be encouraged
by Dr Grant or Morris, Head of Security to give up any
weapons that they are carrying. This could mean that
they agree to have their weapons taken from them or to
leave them in their room. If taken, the weapons can be
found in Dr Grant’s office later.
 rocket age
Investigating the Research Station
There is a lot for the heroes to investigate and uncover at
the research station:
• A large metal fence surrounds the whole complex.
The gate is located on the north side, facing in the
direction of the crash site.
• The overall shape of the complex is an octagon with a
watchtower at each corner.
• Just outside the fence to the south and visible from a
watchtower are the ruins of a sophont village.
• The area around the main courtyard is filled with
metal crates and boxes, the kind used for storage of
food and equipment.
• Wherever the heroes go they will be closely watched
or openly followed by one of the security guards.
• Inside the complex, there are two distinct types of
buildings. The first are the standard prefabricated
metal buildings used as portable research stations in
hostile locations. These are very angular buildings,
functional without any pleasing ascetic quality.
Most of these buildings are connected by a tube-like
corridor, taller than the average Earthling and twice as
wide. These corridors have strong doors at either end
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so that the corridors can serve as airlocks between the
buildings.
• The second types of buildings are the sophont
habitats. These are small, only large enough to house
one family. They are domed with low circular doors
requiring anyone to bend down to enter. The heroes
may notice that the outside walls have many indents as
if something was once imbedded in the walls. These
once held the sophonts’ decorations for their homes.
The research station is made up of the following buildings:
• Three living quarters: Scene Three
• RADIO room: Scene Four
• Laboratory: Scene Five
• Equipment storage: Scene Six
• Kitchen: Scene Seven
• Sophont Accommodation: Scene Eight
• Dr Grant’s Office: Scene Nine
The order of exploration is not specific. The heroes will
start in the living quarters where they were first taken, but
the exploration should lead eventually to Dr Grant’s office
to bring the Reel 2 to a climax. Morris, Head of Security,

will meet the heroes and take them to Dr Grant’s office
where they have been requested to join her.
Rhea Research Station
Theme: Scientific research station misused by greed
and speciesism.
Complication: The natives are restless, but so are
their oppressors.
The Living Quarters
The research station has three rooms designated as
living quarters. Two of these rooms are part of the main
complex of buildings; the third is standalone and is located
furthest away from the gate and slightly apart from the
other buildings. This is the room that the heroes are given
for their use. Inside are six small metal cots with thin
mattresses and coarse blankets. The room does not appear
to be in regular use and it could be said that it resembles
a prison, especially as the only windows are small and
locked. The other two rooms used as living quarters are
not as basic as this one.
Security Guards
While the heroes are exploring the research station
there is always the possibility that a security guard will
approach and interact with them. The security guards
will avoid any hostilities, but they will try to stop the
heroes from entering locked rooms.
S c e n e F o u r : RADIO S i l e n c e
The location for this scene is the RADIO room, part of the
main complex of the research station. There is only one
entrance where there is a security guard posted.
The RADIO room is very small with only one table, upon
which sits the RADIO equipment. To one side there are
a set of shelves with spare parts. Reels of electric cables
are piled in one corner. There is a security guard in the
room, hunched over the RADIO, listening.
There is a security guard monitoring the RADIO in this
room 24 hours a day, seven days a week on a rotating basis.
He is very protective of the equipment and will not allow
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anyone to touch it. If asked, he will say that currently the
RADIO is only capable of picking up and broadcasting short
range signals due to interference. The heroes may remember
that this could not be true as they received the communication
on the rocket ship. The security guard will deny this and will
also state this is the only RADIO in the complex.
If the heroes ask too many questions the security guard
will ask them to leave, since they are interrupting his work.
Scene Five: All that Glitters is not Gold
The location for this scene is the laboratory that is set apart
from the main complex. Normally, this room should be a
hub of activity as all of the scientists should be working
in this room if they are not resting or out in the field. All
specimens gathered from across Rhea would be brought
here, tested, and recorded. Currently and unusually, this
room is now empty of scientific personnel and holds only
minimal number of specimens.
The laboratory is full of scientific equipment ranging from
test tubes and glass containers to large electrical devices.
In a metal cage in one corner are two gas bottles. A
large metal table sits in the middle of the room with
several stools around it. The room is surprisingly empty
of personnel and specimens for a scientific expedition.
On the table is a large round tray that contains green gem
stones. The stones vary in size from a few centimeters to
those that would sit in the palm of your hand. Some of
the stones appear to be part of brooches and pendants. A
large microscope is focused on a slide that contains a sliver
of one of the green stones. A small table near the door
appears to act as a desk as it is covered with piles of paper.
Many contain scribbled notes of formulas and equations.
If any of the heroes searches through the paperwork they
will find a notebook with some pages ripped out of it.
Should they examine the first intact page for indentations
they may be able to work out some of what was written on
the removed pages. An Awareness + Knowledge (Difficulty
15) roll is required to read the word “Priceless”.
Scene Six: Wrapped and Packed
If the heroes locate the storage room, the door is locked
(Difficulty 15 Coordination + Subterfuge, though less
covert means such as kicking in the door with a Difficulty
12 Strength + Athletics is possible). If the door is opened,
a storage room is found on the other side.
 rocket age
You enter a storage room. There are numerous large
metal crates stacked against the walls, most of them
sealed. There are two open crates in the middle of the
room. The room also contains shelves stacked with food
rations, medical supplies, and other general equipment.
However, the majority of the space is taken up with the
crates.
The crates contain ancient artifacts plus jewelery
incorporating the green stones. They have been wrapped
in cloth and carefully placed inside the crate.
What is this Thing?
To identify the artifacts in the crates, roll the following:
Roll: Awareness + Knowledge (Alien Cultures)
Difficulty: 18
Results:
• Fantastic: The artifact is Venusian, although the type
of crystals used is different.
• Good: The artifact is Venusian in design.
• Success: The artifact is definitely not Earthling, and
seems above the technological level of the natives.
• Failure: You do not recognize any of the artifacts.
• Bad: The item is unique in design and manufacture,
but its origin is unknown.
• Disastrous: The artifact is nothing of the sort, simply a
cheap knockoff probably for the black market.
S c e n e S e v e n : En o u g h f o r E v e r y o n e
The location for this scene is the kitchen.
The kitchen is well stocked with food and supplies.
Shelves contain tinned food, standard rations for
research stations. A large stove stands in one corner
connected to twin gas canisters and there is a large
table in the middle of the room with numerous chairs. At
the rear, a door leads into another room that contains
the air and water recycling units.There are two sophonts
in the room. One is clearing away the remains of a meal,
depositing food waste into a large metal container from
which a pipe snakes across the floor and disappears
into the wall. The other sophont is putting food onto
plates that he hands to you whether you request it or
not. The sophonts do not make eye contact and their
manner is very subservient.
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When the heroes enter the kitchen, one of the sophonts
will drop a plate and will cower down waiting to be
reprimanded before scurrying around to pick up the mess.
At that time, a security guard will come into the room and
seeing the mess on the floor, immediately stride over to
the sophont and whip him across the head with the pistol
grip of his pistol.
If the heroes intervene, the guard will push them away
and tell them not to interfere. If necessary, he will use his
gun to dissuade them interfering with the reprimand or
from preventing him from leaving the room. He should be
allowed to leave the room without further incident.
Scene Eight: Home from Home
The location for this scene is one of the sophont habitats
that are scattered around the research station.
The habitats are very small and could house three or
four sophonts. They contain no furniture, just several
blankets scattered on the floor.
Although the habitats are small, the heroes will find eight
elderly sophonts in an area that is obviously too small to
house them all. They appear to be very frightened and
subdued. There are no women or children either here or
elsewhere in the complex. If any of the characters try to
communicate with the sophonts, the sophonts will be
too terrified to speak and will even run away and hide
elsewhere.
Scene Nine: “Please Come into my Office
and Make Yourself Comfortable”
The location for this scene is Dr Grant’s office to which
the heroes will have been escorted by Morris, Head of
Security, who then leaves the room.
Dr Grant’s office is luxurious compared to the other
buildings. In the middle of the room is a large oak desk,
definitely not a usual sight in a basic research station.
Behind the desk is an ornate, high backed chair with
carved arm rests and legs and a red leather seat. A
large ornate cabinet stands behind the desk.
Dr Grant will invite the heroes to sit down. She will be very
keen to find out more about them. She will want to know:

• Where they came from.
• Where they were going.
• What happened to make them land on Rhea?
• Have they radioed for rescue?
She will also answer the heroes’ questions, but the answers
that she gives are not necessarily the truth. Her answers
will provide the following information:
• The research station was set up to study the sophonts
that live on Rhea’s surface.
• The sophonts are not native to this moon; it is believed
that they came from Venus a long time ago.
• After they had set up the research station, the sophonts
became hostile. The security guards had to put down a
rebellion and unfortunately there were some sophont
casualties.
• The attackers at the rocket ship crash site are the last
remnants of the rebels that escaped.
• The sophonts who now live within the confines of the
research station are here by choice. Dr Grant does not
believe that they are mistreated by the security guards
who maintain discipline as part of their job.
• If asked about the absence of any children, he will
explain that the sophont race has been afflicted by a
disease that has killed off most of their young.
• If asked about the sophont habitat ruins near to the
research station, Dr Grant explains that these were all
that were left after the rebellion; the sophont survivors
chose to live inside the research station for safety.
Dr Grant will not answer any other questions and before
the heroes have an opportunity to ask any more, she will
be called away on an emergency, leaving the party to be
escorted back to their quarters by the security guard.
A Secret Message
The door to Dr Grant’s office opens and Morris enters
the room. He walks over to Dr Grant and whispers in
her ear. You cannot hear exactly what is being said, but
you catch a few words.
“…problem… mine… exhaustion…”
Dr Grant stands up at hearing this and says, “Please
excuse me, but there are some issues I need to attend
to. Morris here will show you back to your room. I am
sure you still need to rest.” Dr Grant exits the room and
Morris escorts you out of the room.
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S c e n e T e n : Un e x p e c t e d R e n d e z v o u s
The purpose of this scene is for the heroes to receive a
message from Max and to be drawn outside of the research
station where the rebel sophonts will capture them.
An Invitation
As you leave Dr Grant’s office, you notice that a small
group of sophonts are gathered in the corridor. They do
not look at you, but as you pass them, one of them slips
a piece of paper into the hand of one of your group,
unseen by Morris.
You are returned to your room.
Once back in their room, the heroes can examine the piece
of paper given to them by the sophonts. It reveals the
following message:
“You must leave now. You are in danger. Use hidden
entrance on south side of fence, behind your room. Come
immediately. Max.”
Behind their room, there is a large sheet of metal bolted
onto the fence, but the bolts will turn easily so that the
metal plate can be lifted aside.
Outside the fence are the ruins of the sophont village.
It has been almost destroyed with the walls blackened
and burnt. Investigation of the ruins will find nothing of
consequence, but close examination will reveal evidence
of a fight, RAY gun blast marks and bullet holes. The ruins
were obviously destroyed by Earthling weapons.
The heroes will notice a small flicker of light from one of
the ruined buildings furthest from the fence.
Trapped
As you approach the building with light, a fusillade of
hunting bolas fly out from the darkness! Each hero has
a chance to dodge at -4 (Difficulty 18).
Those brought down will have a pungent blob of fungus
thrust against their mouths (those that would be immune
or are immune to toxins will instead be stunned by
Max). Once subdued you are bound and carried off.
 rocket age
Reel Three: Woman and
Children First
This reel brings No Good Deed to its conclusion, hopefully
with the liberation of the Rheans and the escape of the
heroes back into space. Unlike the previous reels, Reel
Three is fairly combat heavy. Dr Grant and her cohorts
will not be stopped by talking, the only route to freedom
is armed insurrection led by our heroes.
S c e n e On e : T h e T r u t h R e v e a l e d
Where Max informs the heroes of the truth about what is
going on at the research station and the nearby mine.
Friend or Foe?
As the blanket covering your head is removed, the
bright light causes you to shield your eyes. You are in
a cave with flaming torches around the walls. As your
eyes adjust to the light, you see that you are faced with
a large group of sophonts, silently watching you, axes
at the ready. There is movement in the crowd and then it
parts as a small hunched Earthling figure limps through
to the front. Max!
“Please accept my apologies. I am very sorry for the
rough treatment, but we had to get you away from
the others and my friends here are wary of strangers.
Come, please follow me.”
Max turns away and the sophonts move aside to let
him through. Your hands are untied and you follow
Max through the crowd. You can feel the tension as the
sophonts watch you go.
Max leads you to a small room. The walls are covered
with assorted pieces of metal, many intricately carved
and painted (they can be identified as Venusian in
origin with a Difficulty 18 Awareness + Knowledge). In
the middle, a metal crate is being used as a table.
“Please sit. You are safe here; we are not your enemy.
We have brought you here for your own safety as well
as for you to learn the truth. I know you have already
spoken with Dr Grant and have got her explanation as
to the situation here on Rhea, but I am sure she has not
told you the complete truth. I promise I will answer all
your questions truthfully.”
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The heroes now have an opportunity to ask questions and
this time they will get the truth.
Here is the information that Max will give, if asked:
• The only reason Dr Grant has not yet ordered the
heroes to be killed is because she needs to be sure
that no one is coming to look for them.
• The research station was originally set up to investigate
the sophonts that live on the surface of Rhea.
• The sophonts are not indigenous to Rhea; they are of
Venusian descent.
• Over 200 years ago, ancestors of the sophonts found
an old Erisian spaceship buried on Venus. After
many years of work in secret, they managed to get it
operational and a group left Venus for the mysteries
of space.
• Unfortunately, they only got as far as Saturn before
they were forced to crash land on the surface of Rhea.
Although they pay homage to their roots on Venus,
they now consider Rhea their home.
• They did try to rebuild the Erisian ship, but it was
damaged beyond repair.
• The Erisian race has long been thought of in legend
as being the original forefathers of Venusians. The
original Erisian spaceship could be the first tangible
proof of this.
• Despite what Dr Grant may say, the sophonts
welcomed the scientists into their community and did
not instigate any hostility.
• Max was one of the scientists with linguistic skills
who could communicate with the sophonts and
managed to befriend them.
• Things had gone well at the beginning until the green
gemstones were brought to the attention of Dr Grant.
• The green gemstones are considered sacred by the
sophonts. The Elders of the tribe wore them as ornate
decorations and they were highly valued by the
community.
• In the spirit of friendship, the sophonts showed the
scientists where the gemstones were mined. The

sophonts had set up a small mine in a mountain that
was considered sacred.
• Unbeknownst to the sophonts, Dr Grant had realized
there was much wealth to be gained by mining the
gems. It was she who named it grancite. She formed a
plan to obtain as much as possible even at the expense
of the sophonts and the expedition’s original mission.
• Mining grancite is dangerous as it is only found deep
below the surface. The sophonts had never mined
large quantities of grancite as there was no need to
do so.
• Dr Grant did not have the personnel to mine the
quantities she wanted so she tried to arrange for the
sophonts to help them. Shocked at this abuse of their
sacred stones, the sophonts refused and that was
when the trouble started.
• The security guards rounded up the women and
children and imprisoned them in caves close to the
mine to force the able bodied sophonts to mine the
grancite.
• There was no mysterious illness that had killed the
children; they are all being held captive.
• Some sophonts rebelled and refused to work in the
mine. They managed to escape and have been trying
rescue their families ever since. It is these rebels that
brought you here.
• Max did not agree with Dr Grant, but he was kept
alive primarily because he could communicate with
the sophonts. He was kept isolated from the other
personnel.
• The elderly sophonts have been kept at the research
station and are treated as servants by the personnel
there. This provides Dr Grant with an extra deterrent
against the rebels from attacking the research station.
• Dr Grant and her team do have a rocket ship and it is
hidden in a crater nearby. It is flight worthy, but they
are waiting until they have mined sufficient grancite
before they leave.
• The long-range RADIO located in their rocket ship is
operational. Dr Grant uses it to send regular fictitious
reports back to Earth with details of the ongoing
mission, but no mention is ever made of the grancite.
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NO GOOD DEED
• When the heroes’ rocket ship was first spotted on
RADAR, Dr Grant believed that Earth had sent a ship
to Rhea to investigate the expedition’s activities.
There is a lot of information to be gained in this scene, but
it will depend on the questions asked by the heroes as to
how much they receive. When the Gamemaster considers
enough information has been gained, Max will ask for help.
There are four locations that could be visited in the next
scenes. It is up to the heroes as to what they do first,
but whatever they decide to do, their actions will have
consequences:
• Scene Two: The caves where the women and children
are held prisoner. The able bodied sophonts are
only working in the mine because the lives of their
women and children are threatened. Free them and
this leverage is gone. If the women and children are
not freed first, one possible repercussion is that the
security guards may kill them if they think something
has gone wrong.
• Scene Three: The scientists’ rocket ship. This is hidden
to keep it safe from the rebels. It has a working long
range RADIO that can be used to summon help.
• Scene Four: The mine. Free the sophonts who have
been forced to work the mine. This could have terrible
consequences if the security guards holding the
women and children learn that the miners have been
freed.
• Scene Five: The research station and Dr Grant. Back at
the research station, Dr Grant has decided it is time to
cut her losses and leave. She will be accompanied by
Morris, the head of security, leaving behind a skeleton
crew of security guards who will resist any attempt to
capture the research station. In this case, the heroes
should consider the safety of the elderly sophonts.
The sophonts will agree to take the heroes to any of the
locations that they want to go to. They are also willing to
help defeat the security guards, but need leadership and
organization and of course, the heroes are able to use
Earthling weapons unfamiliar to the sophonts.
Scene Two: Terrible Conditions
The purpose of this scene is for the heroes to free the
women and children that have been held as leverage over
the sophonts in order to make them work in the mine.
 rocket age
Breakout
Your sophont guide leads you to a place where you can
overlook the entrance to a cave. There are two security
guards sitting just inside the entrance beside a small
fire. They have chosen a very good location to keep the
women and children as the entrance is narrow and the
area outside of the cave has very little cover.
They have set up a perimeter approximately 10 meters
from the entrance consisting of large metal canisters
and wooden barricades topped with razor wire. You
suspect they may also have something concealed that
can be placed across the entrance as a barricade in
case of an attack by the sophont rebels.
The light from the fire reflects on what appears to be
metal bars behind the security guards.
The heroes will need to find a way to overpower the
security guards. They could get the sophonts to create a
distraction to draw the security guards out from the cave:
or they could see if there is a way to get to the entrance
from above. There is no one answer to this problem and
if they can come up with a valid plan, the Gamemaster
should allow it.
When the heroes finally gain access to the cave, they find
the captives located in four locked cages. If the heroes have
overpowered the security guards, they can use their keys
to open the cages. If not either a Coordination + Subterfuge
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(Difficulty 14) or Strength + Athletics (Difficulty 14) roll is
needed to open them.
Depending on what else the heroes have done, the freed
women and children will either return to the rebel cave for
safety or be reunited with their families at the mine.
Scene Three: Emergency Support Requested
The purpose of this scene is to gain access to the scientists’
rocket ship and then use the long-range RADIO on the
Flight Deck to send a message for help.
Call for Reinforcements
The scientists’ rocket ship is hidden in a small crater
surrounded by high peaks. To gain access to the crater,
your sophont guide shows you a small tunnel that leads
under the mountain. The area directly in front of the
entrance has very little cover.
The cliffs around the tunnel are sheer rock and
impossible to climb, this is the only way to reach the
rocket ship.
Even if the heroes have already freed the sophonts in the
mine, the security guards at the rocket ship will not give
up easily and will still resist any attempt to access the ship.
The scientists’ rocket ship is similar to the heroes’ own
ship. Use the map of the rocket ship on page 6 for its layout.

The RADIO is located on the Flight Deck. The heroes will
need to get there to access the RADIO and send a message.
The heroes need to get into the ship either through the
main hatch located just above the engines or through a
secondary hatch located on the opposite side. The main
hatch is guarded and the secondary hatch is locked and will
need to be opened (Difficulty 14 Coordination + Subterfuge
or Difficulty 14 Strength + Athletics roll is needed to open
them.).
Once inside, the heroes can choose to climb up the main
interior ladder, where they will definitely meet security
guards at some point. Alternatively, they could choose to
climb up through the maintenance tubes, but will soon
realize that some of the access panels have been removed,
which will allow those inside the ship to hear them.
To climb up through the maintenance tubes unobserved
the heroes must roll against the guards’ Awareness +
Resolve in a resisted roll. When the heroes get to the Flight
Deck the RADIO is fully operational and can then be used
to send a message.
Scene Four: Freedom
The purpose of this scene is to free the sophonts in the
mine.
Everyone Deserves Freedom
You are hiding on a narrow rock ledge above a small
valley. There is a lot of activity below.
Large packing crates, sealed and stacked, stand
stacked three high at the edge of the valley floor near
the entrance to the mine. There are also several open
crates which appear empty. A narrow metal track
leads off into the mine and as you watch, a small cart
is dragged out of the mine by two sophonts that are
chained together. The cart is full and the sophonts are
struggling to pull it. The guard walking beside them is
continually urging them to work harder by threatening
them with his weapon.
A group of eight sophonts are sitting on the ground,
chained together. One sophont tries to stand, but is
pushed back violently by one of the two security guards
nearby. You cannot be sure how many sophonts or
security guards are out of sight in the mine.
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NO GOOD DEED
The heroes need to find a way to overpower the security
guards and get into the mine. Again, the Gamemaster
should allow them to be creative as there is not just one
way to solve this problem.
To free the sophonts that are chained together the heroes
will need open the locks (Difficulty 14 Coordination +
Subterfuge or Difficulty 14 Strength + Athletics). Inside the
mine, there are four security guards plus two small groups
of sophonts to be freed. The security guards will resist.
Scene Five: Dr Grant Must be Stopped
The heroes must apprehend Dr Grant and stop her from
leaving!
After the disappearance of Max and the heroes, Dr Grant
and Morris have decided that they have sufficient grancite
and plan to return to their rocket ship and leave Rhea. Dr
Grant does not intend to alert the rest of the group of their
departure; they can take their chance with the sophont
rebels and, of course, this will mean a larger share for
herself and Morris.
To Cut their Losses
Your sophont guide has brought you back to the
research station. Everything is eerily quiet. As you
approach, you see the gate is open and there is no sign
of any security guards.
There are several elderly sophonts lying dead on the
ground.
The heroes need to find and detain Dr Grant and Morris.
They find them loading up the storage crates onto a cart.
They will both put up a fight as greed is a powerful
motivation.
Scene Six: Honors Befitting Heroes
The purpose of this scene is to finish the episode with the
heroes being given a heroes reception by the sophonts.
They should receive a Story Point if they have freed the
natives. If they did not, or if a large number of natives were
killed in the rebellion, then our heroes do not get the Story
Point reward.
 rocket age

A Hero’s Welcome
You are gathered at the center of the research station. The gate has gone and the fence has been destroyed. In the
aftermath of the rescue from the mine, the sophonts have taken up temporary residence here. Their plan is to rebuild their
village now that they are free to do so. Any survivors from the research station personnel have been locked up safely.

The sophont elders are all dressed in ceremonial robes, their green jeweled decorations gleaming brightly. Max stands
beside them.

The elders speak, Max translates.

“We, the Venusian tribe on Rhea, would like to honor you for saving our people.”

The elder holds up a large grancite intricately mounted on a slim chain. There is one for each of you.

“We grant you the full freedom of Rhea and are forever in your debt.”

You know the rescue ship will be arriving tomorrow as you now have full access to the RADIO in the scientists’ rockets ship.
Tomorrow will be a busy day, but tonight there is a feast to attend in you honor. Enjoy!

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