Revenge of the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Or, how did your game go?

Set up was great, but couldn't stick the landing. For reasons that included a drug deal, a rooftop chase in the dark, one kicked-in door, an incontinent doberman and the most poorly planned roadwork in any city east of Montreal, I was almost half an hour late. At which point everyone had already picked a game and I was in no state to play a pity character at someone else's table. So instead I went home, took an Ativan and passed out for six hours.

I'm trying not to look at it as a setback. The planning alone made me think about Dungeons and Dragons in a way I hadn't before. I did a lot of reading and listened to a lot of podcasts, and I think I have a better understanding of the game than I've ever had. Even back when I used to run weekly games.

I also get to finally turn my attention to 5th edition in readiness for my new game which begins in less than two weeks. Since I do not know the people I'll be playing with, I don't want to do too much preparation. I think I'll begin with a basic premise, like kill the spiders under the tavern and see where it goes from there. I'm not even sure if I'll work in an established world like the Forgotten Realms or Krynn, or see if we make up our own world as we go. I'm honestly fine with either and am quite excited to see what direction we ultimately head.

Then there is all that that writing I did for what I've come to call 'Revenge of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks'. I'll certainly cannibalize the hell out of it, but I sucks that I'll never get the chance to run it as written. I'm still keen on writing a version 'Expedition to the Final Frontier', but after doing all those Lab-Lord stats blocks for REBP, I honestly think I'd rather write 'Final Frontier' for T.W.E.R.PS. Trek.

Ring of Second Breakfast

This legendary Halfling Artifact will summon a full brunch for one, complete with a mug of hot coffee and a mimosa, every day, if activated between 10am and 1pm.

Map of the Underground Tunnels below the Garden Deck

My quick reference map if the party enters the underground tunnels on the Garden Deck. If they party just explores, use the chart above. If they chooses a direction, they will encounter the Umber Hulk, but they will see it before it sees them and they have an opportunity to evade or surprise the beast. If the defeat the Umber Hulk and continue down the corridor it just came out of, they will find the inactive Driller Droid.

Turn Valve Door requires a successful Force Doors roll. If they succeed each will be washed to a random location. Circled Back to Start means that they are now at the bottom of the river. Burrows are now flooded and impassable.

Green Horncap

Green Horncap, Giant Killer mushroom 
Hostile, predatory fungoid.

No. Enc.: 2d6
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 60’ (20’)
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 5 / 20
Attacks: 1
Damage: 1d8 plus poison
Save: F3
Morale: None
Hoard Class: None

These creatures can grow up to six feet high. They are highly aggressive and will look to inject their spores (poisonous to most creatures) into anyone, or anything that ranges in reach of its thorny limbs. On a successful strike, the victim must make a save vs poison or start to take d6 damage per round until cure is found.

Cold and heat attacks do 2x damage. Electrical has no effect. Blunt weapons do 1 point of damage only. Susceptible to spells that affect plants.

Tyrannosaurus Borg

Tyrannosaurus Borg

This is where I found the image. Artist, Unknown. 

No Enc: (1)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 0
Hit Dice / Hp:  20 / 85
Attacks: 2
Save:  F10
Morale:  11
Hoard Class: VII x3
XP:  3000
Combat Matrix (roll d6 to determine which attack is used)
1-2 Bite 6D6
3 Buzzclaw 3D8
4 Lazer Cannon 4D6
5-6 Tail Swip          2D6
        --knocked down. Cannot do action until next turn.

This monster was accidentally created by Izkakh Squill when he was just learning how the ship’s gene-vats and cybertech labs worked. Unprepared for what he had created, the T-Borg quickly broke loose and Squill was barely able to lure it into the zoological garden level before it destroyed the entire medical bay. Squill has set the gene-vats to produce lots of giant camlepods and elephuts to keep the cybernetic dinosaur happy and fed, while using it as a guard against anyone who might try to infiltrate into Squill’s new laboratory where he is now experimenting directly on the power core itself…

Technodactyls

TECHNODACTYL
No. Enc.: 1d4 per round
until flock totals PCs +3
Alignment: Evil
Movement: Fly: 240' (120')
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice/HD: 5 / 22-30
Attacks: 3 (bite/claw/tail laser).
Damage: d12, d8, d10
Save: F3
Morale: 8
Hoard Class: None
XP: 400
Will hover out of range shooting with their tail lazers until the entire flock arrive, at which point they will then swoop in en masse.
 - for Labyrinth Lord

Expedition to the Final Frontier

Its too late to change the September scenario, but at some point, I really want to tweek Expedition to the Barrier Peaks so that the Party s exploring the classic Kirk era USS Enterprise. Include a lot of the classic monsters tech and tropes. Maybe for the 5th edition game...

Rules for Figuring Out Technology in Labyrinth Lord

The Players are gonna want to use the new technology they find aboard the ship, that's half the fun of this module. The issue is finding good rules that allow the PCs to do that quickly and easily. Gary's charts in EBP are fun, but get exponentially more complex and can get tedious. The rules in Mutant Future take too long game wise.

Here I threw-up some INT based charts that chart what happens if the character wants to figure something out. Simply determine if the item is Simple, Medium, Complex/Weapon roll d20 and apply modifiers. Each step takes 1 round. 

Neutral means that the player has not damaged or interfered with the item in any way, but they must re-roll at +1 (does not stack). 

Blown Charge. If an item's charge is not listed, it has d8 for Simple Items. d6 for Medium and Complex. If it runs out of charges, it is Powered Down.

Power drain means item has powered down. Can't be used until a new power source if found (battery or glowstone).

Explosion: Does 2d10 damage to everyone within 10'. Save vs Breath for Half. 

from Kung-Fury

Modifiers to Technology Table Rolls
Int Modifiers Stat Modifier 3         -3 4-5     -2 6-8      -1 9-12     0 13-15   +1 16-17   +2 18+      +3	-Item is Damaged: -3 -Previously observed similar object being operated. +1 -Previously received explanation of operation, or had a chance to handle item previously. +1 -Operated a similar device in past: +1
All modifiers stack with each other.

Simple Technology Table		Roll D20 plus Modifiers
STEP 1	STEP 2	STEP 3
1-10 Neutral	1-5 Blown Charge	1-5 Item Destroyed
11-20 Go To Next Step	6-12 Neutral	6-10 Blown Charge
	13-20 Go To Next Step	11-15 Neutral
		16-20 Solved

Medium Technology Table		Roll D20 plus Modifiers
STEP 1	STEP 2	STEP 3
1-6 Blown Charge	1-5 Power drain	1-4 Item Destroyed
5-11 Neutral	6-10 Blown Charge	5-8 Power Drain
12-20 Go To Next Step	11-15 Neutral	9-12 Blown Charge
	16-20 Go To Next Step	13-16 Neutral
		17-20 Solved

Complex/Weapons and ArmourTable		Roll D20 plus Modifiers
STEP 1	STEP 2	STEP 3
1-4 Power Drain	1-4 Item Destroyed	1-3 Explosion/Item Destroyed
5-9 Blown Charge	5-8 Power Drain	4-6 Item Destroyed
10-16 Neutral	9-12 Blown Charge	7-9 Power Drain
17-20 Go To Next Step	13-16 Neutral	10-13 d4 Blown Charges
	17-20 Go To Next Step	14-16 Neutral
		17-20 Solved

Expedition to the Barrier Peaks: Maintenance Level Map

My reworked map of the 1st Maintenance Level from Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Like all the other levels, I've had to greatly simplify the maps and encounters simply because I won't have a whole day to run it as a proper tournament style module (I've dumped the second maint-level altogether). This level is an optional bug-hunt where the players will encounter environmental hazards, zombies, malfunctioning security bots. There is also an ancient Intellect Devourer trapped here, eager for fresh brains to feast on.

Key

Hazard Zones                       G-Lift Tubes

Radiation Zones                    E-Open Entrance

Security Bots                        W-Orange Clearence Entrance Only

Space Zombies                     N/S- Closed on this level.

Intellect Devourer

Corridors on Maintenance Level

HAZARD ZONES

If the PCs pass through one of these areas, there is a 1 in 10 chance that the hazard will 'go off'. If the PCs search the area, there is a 25% chance that the hazard will 'go off'.  

Roll d100 to Determine the Hazard 

1-50% Exposed Electrical Hatch

-there is an open panel here, with colourful threads dangling from it. Every now and again, there is a audible snap and a spark jumps from the panel. The air is heavy with the smell of ozone. 

Hazard - Lightning Bolt

A powerful stroke of electrical energy that is 60ft long and 5f wide. It deals 4d6 points of electricity damage to each creature within its area. The lightning bolt sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in its path. It can melt metals with a low melting point, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, or bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the bolt may continue beyond the barrier if the spell's range permits; otherwise, it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does. Any creature caught in the area of effect receives a saving throw versus spells. A successful save reduces damage by half.

51-60% Exposed Electrical and Puddle

-as above, but with a dripping pipe overhead and a large, stagnant puddle on the floor. 

Hazard - Electrified Floor

As above, but area off effect is now 40' square, and it does 6d6 electrical damage. Save vs spell for half-damage. 

61-80% Open Steam Pipe

-A wide pipe ends here, with a wide opening facing into the corridor. The heavy cover for the opening has broken off its hinges, and is lying on the ground below the opening. The air is muggy, humid and very, very warm. 

Hazard - Steamblast

The pipe erupts,spitting out a cloud of super-heated water 40'long and 20'wide. Does 3d8 water damage to everything in range. Will permanently douse all light sources and flames. Save vs Breath Attack for 1/2 damage.

81-00% Open gas line!

-The corridor looks clear, but there is a stink of rotten eggs in the air. 

This area will 'go off' automatically if the PCs are carrying any torches, candles, lanterns of other open flame or heat source. 

Hazard - Fireball

There is an explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 5d6 points of fire damage to every creature within a 20ft radius. Sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier causes it to shatter or break apart, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does. Save vs Breath Weapon for 1/2 damage. 

Oddyssey Encounters: Security Bot

SECURITY ROBOT
Stats for Labyrinth Lord. Stats and write up adapted from 'Expedition to the Barrier Peaks', originally written by Gary Gygax.
No. Enc. 1d4
Alignment: Neutral
Movement:  162' (216' emergency)- 54' (72' emergency)
Armour Class: -1
Hit Dice/Hp: 10 / 60
Attacks: 4
Damage: See Attacks
Defense: Has a force shield 20hp. Regenerates at 1hp per round, must be completely destroyed before body can be attacked.
Save: F10
Morale: N/A
Hoard Class: Search/Salvage
-Search:If robot is intact after combat, roll d6 for what can be found by searching the bot

1-3 Nothing

4 Red Security Card

5 Lazer Pistol

6 Glowstone (power core)

-Salvage: see below

Police robots have built-in Red color card capacity, language translators, and atmosphere analysis devices. They have anti-grav units built in, and the capacity of this unit type is the robot plus 1,000 pounds. Emergency speed is usable for 1 turn every hour.
Police robots can never be surprised. They have 200% human norm for both audial and visual sensors. They have infravisual capacity to 12”. Their force screen must be brought to 0 points before any damage accrues to the body of the robot. They can withstand vacuum or water pressure equal to 500 feet depth when their force screen is up. Cold does not harm police robots, nor does gas, paralysis, poison, etc. Fire/heat attacks cause only one-half normal damage and acid affects them only if the force shield is down. Lightning and electrical attacks have full effect, and there is a 1% chance per hit point of damage sustained that the robot will malfunction and cease operation due to fused circuitry.
At 10 or fewer hit points remaining, there is a 50% chance per round that a police robot will cease functioning. If the Robot shuts down, it may be searched or salvaged. If the robot is destroyed (brought to 0hp), it will self destruct (does 2d10 damage to anyone standing immediately next to the robot) and cannot be searched or salvaged.
These robots are programmed to use subdual and non-lethal attack forms initially. There is a 25% chance that any police robot encountered will have lost this programming, however, so that violent and deadly attack methods will be used. For such robots, roll d6, treating a 6 as use of either pressor or tractor beam, to find which attack method will be used. Robots of this type are 10% likely to have armed themselves with some form of human weapon (blaster pistol or rifle, laser rifle, needler), and in this case use d8, with 8 being attack with the weapon held in their manipulative digits.

Police robots have the following attack means (roll d6 to determine Attack Type each round):
1 Tentacle Arm Grab: 2 subdual tentacles of 6’ length and 18 strength. Roll d20 and add Str bonus. High roll wins. If both tentacles grab (two successful attacks), can use stun pistol in chest w/out action penalty each round. Or Crush which does d10 damage per round (if malfunctioning).

2 Buzz Saw Hands : Hands start swirling like buzzsaws, which strike for 5-20 (5d4) hit points of damage. 6’ length

3 Eye Lazer
Range: S=10. M=20. L=30
Area of Effect:1' beam
Rate of Fire: 2 per round
Damage: 5D6
Save: vs Petrify. Unarmoured, 1/2. Armoured, no damage, but roll d6 for armour. Non-Magical 1-2 looses one AC. Magical 1 - looses one AC.

4 Grenade Launcher
D6 grenades (if empty, will waste attack). All have a 10' radius
1-2 Sleep Grenades: Save vs poison or fall asleep for d6 turns. If all fall asleep, bot will continue its patrol. No treat detected.
3-4 Goo Grenade: Save vs petrify or be incapacitated. Can only be removed by fire or acid.
5-6 Flash/Bang: d10 damage. Stunned for d4 rounds. Save vs Breath for half damage and effect.

5 Chest Paralyser
Range: S=5. M=10. L=15
Area of Effect: 5' cone.
Rate of Fire: 1 per round
Damage: Total paralysis or stun
Save: vs paralyses. Save for stunned (movement y half. -4 to all attack rolls. spells every other round only).

6 Tractor Beam
Push: Save vs Wand or be knocked back 20' and knocked down. If hit a wall does d6 damage. If hit another PC, does d4 damage to both. Both knocked down. Save and be pushed back 10', not knocked over.
Pull: Save vs Wand or be pulled into Chest Parayser/Buzz Saw arms (50/50%). Save vs pull free.

Salvage: If the PCs want to salvage any specific part of the robot.

Automatic 1 in 6 chance of re-activating the robot. 
-Armour. Simple Technology Chart

-Glowstone (power core) Medium Technogy Chart

-Lazer/Stun/Tractor Beam/Force Field. Complex Technology Chart. 

-Grenades: d4 remain. Each must be removed seperately. Medium technology chart, but will explode on Power Drain or Item Destroyed Result. 

Quick and Dirty Radiation Rules for Labyrinth Lord

Needed a way to rule on Radiation exposure without bogging down the game or dealing with a lot of rules. I'm going for a cinematic approach here, with plenty of chances for fun, funky and gross mutations.

Radiation Rules
-All characters starts off with a 5% Chance of Mutation.
-Radiation saves are the same as if made vs Death. Save for half damage and half Chance of Mutation % (round up).
-Rad Level equals how much d6 damage the character will take upon full exposure (failed Saving Throw), and how much their chance of Mutation goes up as well. So a Rad Level 5 means that the character will take 5D6 damage and adds 5% to their chance of Mutation.
-For monsters who emit radiation, their Rad Level equals half their HD (round up).
-Spell failure around radioactive sources increases Chance of Mutation by level of the spell.
-Roll for Mutation once per day, or after any exposure/encounter.
-Once a character has Mutated, their chance of Mutation resets back to 5%

Orange Goo
What appears to be a large mass of thick, glowing orange fluid, usually leaking from a pipe or barrel. Large leaks have been know to 'glob-off' parts of itself that will roam the nearby area looking for fuel to keep its internal energy going. It is not clear if the goo is 'alive' or not, or if it seeks out organic compounds through as yet unknown chemical process.
No. Enc: 1
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 42' (12')
Armour Class: 5
Hit Dice/Hp: 6 / 18-24
Attacks: 1
Damage: Radiation Heat/Dissolve 6D6
Morale: 12
Horde Class: None
XP: 1,000
Meltdown
-If the Goo looses more than 2/3 of its it Hp, the goo will begin to get warmer, doing an additional d6 damage per round. If it reaches 10D6 damage per round before its Hp are reduced to 0 or less, it will begin to super-heat and begin to emit a painful orange glow that does Rad 10 to anyone within 100' not shielded by lead or magic. All non-magical metal items have a 10% chance of melting. All non-metal items now have permanent Rad-Level of 1.
The goo will then dissolve through the floor, dissolving anything in its path. The next level down (or buried 100' in the soil), will be an intact Glowstone.
-Immune to all Heat, Fire and electrical attacks.
-Water and cold attacks do double damage.

Images of Adventure

Entrance to the ruins....

artwork by, Maciej Wojtalan

All signed up for a running a 5th Ed campaign starting in October, but I'm warming up by running a one-off Labyrinth Lord conversion of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Since I've only got 4 hours to run the module, I'm currently re-doing the maps so that the party won't have to search 100+ empty rooms on every damned level. I'm all for empty rooms in dungeons, but the plethora that come with the module would make it frustrating as hell for modern players, and completely unplayable as a one off.

Rather than show the players some of the stuffier, old-tymey pic that come with the module was to find newer ones when I can.

Lazer-Wand, which should still confuse the the players, especially if I leave one in the med-bay.

Prop replica from Blake's 7

Say hello to the new Security-droid!

Maximilian from The Black Hole

Oddyssey Encounters: The O.V.L.E.E.2

This is for my upcoming Labyrinth Lord, but I wanted to see what I could do with it in TWERPS and RollCore (my own work-in-progress system). 

O.V.L.E.E.2

Like her sister, the O.V.L.E.E.2 was taken from a cutting of an alien plant found growing in the ruins of a lost colonial outpost. Brought back to the ship, the OVLEE 1 was taken down into the garden for a controlled planting, while the OVLEE 2 was taken to the lab for study.

Both plants showed signs of intelligence, but it was not until it discovered that their diet required quantities of fresh meat that their true potential was unfortunately discovered. After the quarantine breach incident that resulted in the radical sterilization of the entire botanical wing, the OVLEE 2 was frozen until further preventative protocols could be put into place. It was believed that all traces of the OVLEE 1 were incinerated along with all samples, equipment and staff on the effected levels.

O.V.L.E.E.2 - Labyrinth Lord
Omnivorous, Vegetative Lifeform: [Emergency! Emergency!]
No. Enc: 1 (unique), d20 (wild)
Alignment:  Chaotic
Movement: Rooted to spot. Tendrils 90' (30')
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 5, 1 per tendril
Attacks: 2d4 tendrils. 1 bite.
Damage: d4 (Tendrils), d6 (bite)
Save: F4
Morale:    9
Horde Class: V
XP: 300
A small, alien plant with a purple and green, egg-shaped bulb sitting on 2-8 thick, dark purple tendrils. The plant possess an evil intelligence and can even learn to speak after exposure of 2d4 days of exposure to a language and. Though rooted to the spot, both the bulb and the tendrils can move independently, giving the small plant ample opportunity to grab its prey. On a successful attack, the tendril can constrict for an additional 2 points of damage per round until the tendril is severed. In addition, until the tendril is removed, the trapped opponent cannot move. On a successful bite attack, have the bitten opponent make a Save vs Paralysis. If they fail, all lost Hit Points are transferred to the OVLEE, and the plant unfurls a new tendril.

*****

O.V.L.E.E.2 - T.W.E.R.P.S.
Strength 5
2 points damage (tendril strike, bite). Bite, if successful roll vs Strength. If OVLEE wins she drains one 1 Strength from her victim and adds it to her own.
Hide = leather armour
Tendrils - range 2. d6 of them.

*****

O.V.L.E.E.2 - RollCore

Body: 4 Mind: 4 Power: 2

DiceClass: 4 M/S/G: 4/3/2

Maxes

-Multiple Attacks: Tendrils

The OVLEE 2 can attack as many times a Round as it has Tendrils. Roll 2D4 to determine how many tendrils the OVLEE 2 has. Each Tendril has an M/S/G/ of 1/1/1. All other stats are the same as main plant. 

-Entangle

After completing a successful Tendril strike, instead of doing damage, the OVLEE can attempt to 'entangle' its opponent. Make an Opposed Body roll. If the opponent wins, they have slipped free and suffer no damage. If the OVLEE wins, the opponent suffers -4 to all rolls until they can sever the entangling Tendril. 

Entangling Tendrils cannot be used to attack or defend opponents. 

-Draw Blood

On a successful Bite attack, roll vs Spirit. If the opponent wins, roll Damage as normal. If OVLEE wins, it begins sucking blood and the opponent looses one Body point (but no damage is rolled), while OVLEE gains an additional Body point and unfurls an additional Tendril.  If the OVLEE gains 10 or more tendrils, its DiceClass goes up to 6. 

-Defense, Tendril Block

If the main body is about to take damage, the OVLEE can sacrifice a tendril and absorb all of the incoming damage. 

Damage: Tendril Strike +2, Bite +3                           Armour: Natural -3

Combat Matrix

1-4 Tendril Strike

5-6 Bite