Cover
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[/spoiler]Welcome, everyone. So I recently acquired a copy of book #27, which is surprisingly one of the books that I have not read at all. And it looks like nobody has done this book yet, so it is thus the subject of this Let’s Play. Anyone wishing to join in is welcome. The plan is to update this series on a twice per day basis, with the exception of Sundays, where I will try to update more frequently on these days. However, my work duties will probably cause adjustments to this proposed schedule, since I am in the middle of crunch time in the workplace.
Preface
The MissionWhen the Gromulans kidnap the Galactic President and hide him somewhere on planet Earth, the powers that be naturally turn to you: for YOU are the top Rogue Tracer of the sector where this minor planet is situated. Your job is to rescue him. You do not know where he is, but you know that you will be up against cunning opponents and some of the deadliest Androids in the galaxy ... and you are well aware that there are likely to be many unforeseen dangers as well. You have only forty-eight hours in which to succeed; after that, the brainscanning of the President will be complete ...
Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need to embark on this thrilling adventure, which is complete with its elaborate combat system and a score sheet to record your gains and losses.
Many dangers lie ahead and your success is by no means certain. YOU decide which routes to follow, which dangers to risk and which adversaries to fight!
Likely EnemiesRogue Tracer. A hunter of fugitives, criminals and wanted beings who have a price on their heads. Formerly known as bounty hunters. Licensed by the Tracebeam Organization. Elite Rogue Tracers are known as Star Striders.
Encyclopedia Galactica
Special message follows ...
The Gromulans have kidnapped President Xerin of Galaxy One Federation. He has been taken to a quadrant in the northern hemisphere of the planet Earth. It is feared that he is being brainscanned at this very moment and the Zand Corporation assures us that his cephaloprotector will hold out only for a further forty-eight gravity hours. After that time our computer defence codes will be in Gromulan hands and probably in the hands of our enemies, the Empire of the Purple Flag. You are the best Rogue Tracer in Sector 6. In the galactic top money-making table, you rank 97. You have been chosen very carefully and your mission, should you decide to accept it (Standard Contract, M.1., Special Rates), is as follows:
You will make your way to Earth under the pretext of your Rogue Tracer activities, locate the President and GET HIM OUT. Spacefleet 7 will be waiting in Earth orbit for your signal. Please note that successful completion of your mission will make you very rich, but if you do not accept the assignment, Tracebeam assure us that they cannot guarantee the future flow of criminal records to your terminal for tracing.
Please indicate your acceptance of the mission (Y/N) ...
Thank you. Further details now follow:
The Gromulans are a humanoid, hyper-intelligent people of unknown origin who have previously only dabbled in world-scale terrorism. They are experts in the construction of Androids and are masters of illusion. They are the originators of Illus-o-Vision 70 for Galaxy Ents Corporation, but were robbed of all copyright in the last century. Their latest invention is the Illus-o-Scope, a portable illusion generator. The Gromulans will be expecting a rescue attempt, so BEWARE! To assist you, we are activating our ‘planted’ spy Androids in that sector. Look out for these and the CodeMatch signal, but be extremely careful: the Groms are experts in ‘turning’ dedicated Androids.
The Gromulans have been using Earth as a base for the last century. It is a small, insignificant planet on the edge of the galaxy. Once heavily populated, but now in decline, most of its native inhabitants have emigrated to Alphacent. Its only source of credits is the servicing of freightcruisers and the mining of salt. Unfortunately, the phozon crystal does not function in that solar system and we cannot pinpoint locations with sensormatics. You will have to signal the rescue fleet once you have found the President.
The remoteness of the Earth and the lack of sensor detection has meant that fugitives have flocked to the planet. You will find many ‘targets’ on Earth, so you may be kept busy in your normal profession; this makes the rescue more difficult, but also strengthens your cover.
WeaponsGromulans
Gromulans are very intelligent humanoids, who would rather surrender than risk a fight in the physical sense. They specialize in deception and can talk the three hind legs off a Wooki. They were nomadic, but have settled on Earth for the last hundred gravity years, where they have developed their Androids and patent Illus-o-Scope. Some reports talk of an addiction to chess and small Earth snails.
Gromulan Androids
These can vary tremendously in design and type. They are the main power-base of the Groms and the Excel Class are VERY DANGEROUS. You are skilled in techniques in fighting Androids and will have a good chance against Guards, GromPols, Admins, Sweepertrons, etc., but try to steer clear of Excels. If you do get close to one, probe for deactivation points: the Groms fear their creations turning on them and all models have built-in weak spots. As with all standard types, a badly damaged Android will self-destruct.
Fugitives and Criminals
You may meet anyone from a tax-dodging Ferian to a Pirate Prince. Many will leave you alone, but if they suspect you of being a Rogue Tracer, they may run or attack. Remember, you operate within the Galactic Law and are bound not to kill human beings. If you do, you will be a fugitive and be hunted down. If you do trace fugitives, ‘cache and mark’ them for future collection.
Houlgans
These are local feuding groups of native Earth origin, believed to number 80-90 tribes. They base their fanaticism on some long-forgotten religion, which revolves around colours of clothing, generally scarves. Each tribe has its own style and colour. Their individual combat potential is zero, but they can be irritating in large numbers. You might be able to use them to your advantage. Most important among the tribes are R’al, Juve, Stienn, L’pool and G’ners. Do not on any occasion wear a coloured scarf: Houlgans will only take offence.
Illusory Monsters and Demons
Groms have a liking for this sort of thing. Always remember that the Illus-o-Scope will not be very far away. You WILL be frightened. Gromulan illusions have been known to make a Brontian take fright; note that they can also be on a very large scale.
AbilitiesRogue Tracers do not carry many personal arms; the basic weapon is the Catchman, designed by Ulidor Zonie. It shoots out a fine liquid plastic, which takes the form of netting, wraps itself around the prey and thus totally incapacitates him, her or it. Unfortunately it has a high failure rate (33 per cent). Rogue Tracers are skilled in the use of all weapons – blasters, stun guns, even the old-fashioned neutron-swords – but in the last resort they rely on their quick thinking, fast reflexes and superb fitness.
For the purposes of this thread, the Adventure Sheet will be hand-made and will be periodically displayed.The mission you are about to undertake will involve your travelling on a strange planet and facing unknown dangers. You must therefore determine your strengths and weaknesses. You will need two dice, a pencil and an eraser. Scores, clues and time factors are to be recorded on the Adventure Sheet provided (pages 22-3).
Skill
Roll one die. Add 6 to this number and enter the total in the SKILL box. A high SKILL score shows good fighting ability.
Stamina
Roll two dice. Add 12 to the result and enter the total in the STAMINA box. This shows how fit you are, and how determined you are to succeed in your mission. The higher the score, the longer you will survive. STAMINA will be lost and restored throughout the mission. Always remember to look after yourself: if food is available, have some; if rest is opportune, take it. Remember, you cannot go on for ever like a phozon-powered Crinkletron! A high STAMINA score will also help you out of difficult situations that require physical effort, such as running, jumping, leaping, swimming, etc.
Luck
Even a top Rogue Tracer needs lots of LUCK to survive. Roll one die. Add 6 to the result and enter the total in the LUCK box. When asked to Test your Luck, roll two dice. If the result is equal to or less than your current LUCK score, then you have been Lucky. If the result is greater than your LUCK score, then you have been Unlucky. Each time you Test your Luck, you must reduce your LUCK score by 1 point. There will be times when LUCK points are restored, but if you find that you have no LUCK score, you will be Unlucky in any test.
Fear
Roll one die. Add 6 to the result and enter the total in the FEAR box. Since the Gromulans rely so heavily on illusions calculated to scare, you must at times Test your Fear Factor. A bad state of mind can affect your STAMINA and SKILL, and you may be asked to reduce these, if you fail the test. Determine if you are frightened in the same way as you determine LUCK (see above). The FEAR score stays the same throughout the mission.
Time
Time is crucial in this mission. You must complete your task before TIME runs out. You begin with 48 TIME units, which will reduce as you progress in your quest. Note the reductions carefully. Do not waste TIME, but spend TIME gathering clues that will save TIME later on. If your TIME score ever reaches zero, you have failed: the Gromulans have extracted the defence codes from the President’s brain.
Making the appropriate rolls and modifications yielded the following initial scores:
SKILL: 10
STAMINA: 24
LUCK: 10
FEAR: 7
So, our hero has excellent Stamina and decent Skill and Luck, but is a serious wimp. I’d say that these are rather good stats overall.
Combat
Feats and TasksYou are armed with a Catchman, which you can use to avoid combat, but you will have to fight your way out of certain situations. If you have to fight, it will usually be hand to hand against one opponent. However, there will be occasions when you have to fight with weapons. In both cases the rules of combat are as follows:
1. Record your opponent’s SKILL and STAMINA scores in an Encounter Box on the Adventure Sheet.
2. Roll two dice for your opponent. Add its SKILL score. The total is its Attack Strength.
3. Work out your own Attack Strength in the same way, by adding the roll of two dice to your SKILL score.
4. If your Attack Strength is higher than your opponent’s, then you have struck a good blow. Subtract 2 points from your opponent’s STAMINA score.
5. If your opponent’s Attack Strength is greater, then you have been hit. Subtract 2 points from your STAMINA score.
6. If both Attack Strengths are equal, then you have avoided each other’s blows.
7. Adjust STAMINA scores and begin the next Attack Round.
8. Repeat the sequence until one STAMINA score reaches zero, when the fight is over.
If you lose, this usually means death, but there will be occasions when you can crawl away and try to build up your STAMINA again.
If you throw double 6 at any time while fighting an Android, then you have found the ‘weak spot’ and de-activated it.
Please keep all spoilers covered out of respect to those of us who want to have a blind experience. Any ties will be broken by me based on my personal instincts.In certain special cases you will be asked to use your STAMINA and SKILL score for other purposes, such as aerial combat, shooting at craft, etc. In these cases you must enter details in the SPECIAL Encounter Boxes on the Adventure Sheet, but you must NOT reduce your real STAMINA score.
Throughout the mission you will be asked to determine distances to jump, leap, swim, etc., by the roll of the dice, and to determine your ability to achieve these feats by adding the roll of a die to your current STAMINA score; you must enter these details in the PHYSICAL TASKS boxes of the Adventure Sheet, but you must NOT increase your actual STAMINA score.
GOOD LUCK.
Message ends.
Although this adventure is much easier than our previous journey through Crypt of the Sorcerer, it can still be a challenge to complete. So I will allow our hero to have one of the following two boons to make things fair:
Rewind: If our hero dies from any cause other than Stamina loss, the story will be reverted to the previous choice, with the Adventure Sheet being modified to what it was at that point in the story. This boon only takes the hero back a single decision when used, which ensures that we remain careful in our choices.
Restoration: If our hero’s Stamina falls to 0 in any way, it will be restored to its initial score after reducing initial Stamina by 2. This penalty is to ensure that we act sensibly when it comes to maintaining Stamina. The player's Stamina can only be restored once this way.
Dice Manipulator: If our hero is face with a dice roll test that has a 50% chance or less of success, the player will automatically pass said test upon use of this boon.
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[/spoiler]You have docked into Earth Shuttle Station 23. ‘All lines to Ear– Sector 3,’ a bright neon light announces. You park your Oberon craft in the short-term airlock and walk down to a dirty-looking ticket-office. There’s no one around. You bang on the small plexi-glass window and eventually a MegaCorp Android appears and stutters at you. It should have been out of commission years ago. It has difficulty in understanding your request for a ticket on the next shuttle, but eventually takes your credit card and utters what you will soon recognize as a traditional Earth saying, ‘That’ll do nicely.’ As you trudge away down the corridor, you hear the MegaCorp squeaking at you to ‘have a nice day’.
There are about twenty seats in the shuttle, of which only five are occupied. You are directed to your seat and given a copy of the safety procedures by a service Android, and you sit down on something sticky. The Android asks you what you will have. Will you reply:
Nothing? Turn to 199
A cocktail? Turn to 69
Food cubes? Turn to 203
In addition to the above choice, what name do you want to give our hero, and which boon should we take? Please make your decisions before 9:00 AM PDT to guarantee that they will be counted.
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