t4 101 alt fp.1/after bl (page xxiv)

by Richard Baker and Bill Slavicsekby Richard Baker and Bill Slavicsek

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Includes an introductory adventure: Cauldron Station.

SO YOU WANTTO BE THEGAMEMASTER?This section of the fast-play rulesbooklet provides an overview of theGamemaster’s role in an ALTERNITY®

game. It contains a short adventurethat you can use to introduce yourplayers to the game and familiarizeyourself with moderating a role-playing session.

The Player’s Fast-Play Rules,which you need to read first, pre-sents the bare bones of the rule sys-tem. Read that section of the bookletif you haven’t done so, and thencome back here.

What does a Gamemaster do? Ba-sically, he presents adventures forthe players to run their heroesthrough, and acts as the moderatorof the rules. In this section of thefast-play rules booklet, you’ll findan introduction to the ALTERNITY

game that can get you off to a goodstart for your first game session.

The Role of theGamemasterAs the Gamemaster, you have anumber of jobs to handle during andbetween game sessions. Unlikeother types of games that have strictrules and deal with limited situa-tions, a roleplaying game such asthe ALTERNITY game is as wide openas the players’ imaginations. Forthis reason, the presence of a gamemoderator to act as referee, story de-signer, and narrator is essential.

The players interact with eachother and the game environment

through the actions of their charac-ters, the heroes. The Gamemasterdescribes each scene, directs the ac-tion, and plays the roles of the sup-porting cast members—villains, al-lies, and extras who inhabit thecampaign world.

However, the Gamemaster isn’tcompeting against the players.When the Gamemaster and theplayers get together to tell a fun andexciting group story, everybodywins. That’s the power and appealof roleplaying.

KEYCONCEPTSLet’s take a look at some of the keyconcepts behind moderating the AL-TERNITY game. Some of these termshave also been defined in the Play-er’s Fast-Play Rules, but they’re re-peated here for the sake of com-pleteness within this section.

c Gamemaster: The participantin the game who acts as the moder-ator, narrating adventures and con-trolling characters who are involvedin the story but aren’t under the di-rect control of the players.

c Hero: An imaginary charactercontrolled by a player.

c Supporting Cast: The othercharacters who appear in everystory: friends, enemies, and inciden-tal characters whom the heroes in-teract with. Members of the support-ing cast are controlled by theGamemaster.

c Setting: The imaginary contextand environment within which theheroes interact with situations.Using the ALTERNITY game rules, any

modern to far-future science fictionsetting can be created.

c Adventure: A scenario in whichthe heroes interact to create a groupstory. As Gamemaster, you presentan opening situation or scene(called the “trigger”). The rest of theadventure unfolds through the ac-tions of the heroes (as dictated bytheir players) and the moderation ofthe Gamemaster (through storyevents and the supporting cast).

c Campaign: A continuing seriesof adventures that takes place in asingle setting and focuses on thesame group of heroes. A campaigncan be finite, ending after as manyadventures as necessary to tell thecomplete story; or it can be an on-going tale, progressing like a televi-sion or comic book series.

c Group Story: While a regularstory, such as found in a movie or abook, features a set beginning, mid-dle, and ending, a group story ismore dynamic. The Gamemasterhas an outline that provides a seriesof encounters and events, and a fewpossible ways the adventure couldend. The dynamic comes from thegroup—the players and Gamemas-ter—who determine the course ofthe story and its outcome throughthe interaction of their imaginarycharacters. In a group story, noone—not even the Gamemaster—knows exactly how how it all willend.

c Game Session: One distinctperiod of game play; a time whenyou gather your friends to play theALTERNITY game. Some adventurescan be completed in a single ses-sion; others might require severalsessions to reach a conclusion.

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PRESENTINGANADVENTUREA roleplaying game’s action takesplace in an adventure. Within itsstructure, the participants create thegroup story. The Gamemaster’s rolein the adventure centers around pre-senting and narrating the story, por-traying supporting cast members,and moving the story along at a sat-isfying pace. Whether you use pub-lished adventures (such as Caul-dron Station, presented at the end ofthis section) or you create your ownepics, the Gamemaster’s role re-mains the same.

NarrationThe heroes can’t perform heroic ac-tions or daring deeds in a vacuum.They need to be involved in a storyduring which they act, react, andcreate a fulfilling tale. A story con-sists of a beginning, a middle, andan end, and each story should befilled with conflicts and goals—inother words, obstacles for the he-roes to overcome and objectives forthem to achieve. It’s up to theGamemaster to have the basics of astory ready when the game sessionbegins.

Remember, though, that the storywill be completed by the group—through the actions of the heroesand their interaction with your sup-porting cast. The heroes play an im-portant part in determining how astory takes shape, and you shouldmake sure their decisions play apart in the process.

You must develop a basic plot (oruse a plot from a published prod-uct), provide motivations and objec-tives for the heroes, and have an ex-citing idea for the ending. A plotrequires enough background mater-ial so that the story feels like it fitsthe campaign setting. Other ele-ments that make a good basic plotinclude a major antagonist (the vil-lain), the antagonist’s nefariousscheme, and motivations to makethe heroes want to get involved.These elements come together inthe adventure’s opening scene—called the trigger.

The Cauldron Station adventureprovides an example of how theseelements work together.

Supporting CastEach of the players controls onehero at any given time. TheGamemaster controls all other char-acters in the adventure. The mostimportant supporting cast memberis the major antagonist. A good vil-lain sets the mood of a story andcan even make the heroes morememorable—no one recalls whorounded up the spaceport thugs, buteveryone remembers the heroeswho took down Captain Blackstar,the scourge of the Frontier!

Supporting cast members includethe major villain; his or her associ-ates and hired hands; the authorityfigures who command or employ theheroes; the informants, witnesses,and shop owners the heroes interactwith; and the valued friends, hire-lings, and allies ready to help theheroes at a moment’s notice. TheGamemaster needs to be ready torun these characters as they arecalled upon, or to improvise as theneed arises.

It’s important for the Gamemasterto give each supporting cast mem-ber—especially major opponentsand allies—much the same consid-eration players give their heroeswhen they create them.

Some supporting cast membersshould be fully developed, with acomplete set of skills and vitalgame statistics. Other characters,such as minor opponents, experts,and bystanders, need only the skillscores and statistics that mightcome into play during a scene. Forexample, give a common thug acombat skill or two, durability rat-ings, and a weapon; give an expertjust the skill scores needed to usehis expertise on the heroes’ behalf.

The best part about controllingthe supporting cast is that you get tocreate all kinds of personalities dur-ing the course of play. Ham it up,play it straight, or go for the dramat-ic—depending on the mood of theadventure and the personality of thecharacter in question.

If you want, use a unique voicefor each character by doing accents(a French Combat Spec, a RussianDiplomat), employing differentstyles of speech (a formal-soundingFree Agent, a Tech Op who uses lotsof slang expressions), or givingcharacters signature phrases (suchas an informant who always spouts,“Whatever you say, Boss, whateveryou say”).

Remember, you’re not competingagainst the players! If anything, theheroes should get a break now andthen just because they’re heroes. So,be impartial—don’t favor the sup-porting cast over the heroes. Thatjust decreases the all-important funfactor for everyone involved.

PacingAnother aspect of presenting an ad-venture is the pacing of the story.The story shouldn’t artifically pushthe heroes to meet some schedule.Instead, watch how the scenes playout. When a scene starts to drag andthe fun factor begins to flag, that’swhen you step in to give the scene aboost. How? By using the resourcesat your disposal—maybe have asupporting character show up withsome tip that gives the heroes anudge in the right direction. If yourplayers don’t know what to do nextand the story is in danger of stall-ing, it’s up to you to give it new life.

Don’t create an adventure outlinethat’s so complete the heroes can’tmake any decisions without violat-ing your plot. Start the adventurewith action, and have lots of otheraction ideas ready to insert into theflow as the game session progress-es. Use combat, challenges, encoun-ters, conflict, tension, humor, andmystery to keep an adventure mov-ing toward its dramatic conclusion.

The basic rule for pacing is thatas long as the players are havingfun, stay in the current scene. Whenthe action bogs down, then theGamemaster must help the pacingby getting things moving again.

Moderatingthe RulesThe Player’s Fast-Play Rules sectionof this booklet gives you the basicfacts about how the ALTERNITY gameworks. That’s all you need to intro-duce your players to the game sys-tem and run the adventure in thissection. In play, it’s up to the Game-master to moderate the game sothat everyone has fun, plays fair,and is challenged. Of all these, theemphasis is always on fun. If a rulegets in the way of everyone’s enjoy-ment, change it. But change it con-sistently and after consideration.Don’t just change a rule for the sakeof change.

Final decisions are always left to2

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the Gamemaster. Can the heroesperform a particular action? Canthey even try it? That’s up to you.Make your decision based on theneed to keep the story moving, yourinterpretation of the rules, andwhether or not the action fits thestory and increases everyone’s en-joyment of the game. Be fair and im-partial in your treatment of heroesand supporting characters. Chal-lenge the players and their heroes.The players want to see their heroestested, to experience the thrill ofcompeting against the odds andcoming out on top. Heroes do thissort of thing all the time! Just makesure the players have decisions tomake and options to choose from asthe adventure unfolds.

If someone disagrees with a deci-sion, call a time out and discuss itwith the group. You still get to makethe final call, but you can reduce thepossibility of hard feelings if youmoderate the game fairly. The goalis to tell a good group story and tohave fun, not to abuse the heroes.

Sometimes the dice are just goingto fall the wrong way. That’s okay.But you might want to give the play-ers a break now and then. After all,it’s no fun for a player to lose a heroin a stupid and random way. Be le-nient when determining the difficul-ty of a particular action, or changethe result before revealing the out-come to the players. This sort of ma-nipulation is the Gamemaster’s pre-rogative, but use it sparingly—andalways in the interest of keeping thestory moving and the fun factorhigh.

THE SETTINGThe Gamemaster determines thesetting for his campaign. Dependingon the features of a particular set-ting (such as technology, genre, andscope), certain portions of therules—high-tech gear, psionics, andaliens, for instance—may or maynot be used. For example, a spaceopera setting usually has faster-than-light spaceships, energyweapons, and tons of nonstop ac-tion. A near-future technothriller set-ting, however, has a gritty, hard-edged feel, more familiartechnology, and only deals with theproblems of a single world.

In the Gamemaster Guide, theprocess of creating settings is dis-cussed in more detail. The Cauldron

Station adventure in this booklettakes place in a traditional spaceopera setting.

USINGTHE GAMEMECHANICThe ALTERNITY game is built around acore mechanic that has nearly uni-versal application. All heroic ac-tions in the game can be resolvedby rolling just two dice: a control dieand a situation die. A control die isalways a d20; a situation die can bea d4, d6, d8, d12, or d20. Dependingon how hard or easy a particulartask is, theresult of the situation dieis added to or subtracted from theresult of the control die, as detailedin the Player’s Fast-Play Rules.

You can use the dice in varyingways, though the mechanic is al-ways the same: Roll two dice toachieve a number that’s equal to orless than a character’s appropriatescore. If the task is associated witha skill, then the skill score is used. Ifit’s a feat, then the associated Abili-ty Score is used. In all uses of diceduring a game session—exceptwhen rolling for damage—low re-sults are better than high ones.

Use the mechanic to determinethe success of an attack, using an

appropriate combat skill; to over-come a challenge, using a physicalor mental skill; or to determine theoutcome of an encounter, using aPersonality skill in conjunction withgood roleplaying.

The MostImportant RuleNot every action requires a dice roll.Repeat this sentence and apply itoften. When the heroes attempt nor-mal, everyday tasks, they should ac-complish them without consultingthe dice. In heroic situations, whenthe outcome is in doubt and the re-sult could mean life or death, thenhave the players roll dice.

SituationDie StepsThe best tool you have as the Game-master is your ability to set the oddsof any given task. You can do this byadding bonuses or penalties forgiven situations and counting in theappropriate direction on the Situa-tion Die Steps Scale (presented inthe Player’s Fast-Play Rules). Or, ifyou’re more inclined toward quickresolutions, simply eyeball it; selectthe modifier that matches how diffi-cult or easy you want the task to be.

Examples of Situation ModifiersWeapon Range Short Medium Long

Pistol –1 step +1 step +3 stepsRifle –1 step None +1 step

Target has CoverLight cover +1 step penaltyMedium cover +2 step penaltyHeavy cover +3 step penalty

SituationAmazing difficulty +3 steps Amazing ease –3 stepsGood difficulty +2 steps Good ease –2 stepsOrdinary difficulty +1 step Ordinary ease –1 stepMarginal difficulty None Marginal ease None

Eyeballing ItSituation Description Modifier Situation Die

Extremely easy –3 steps –d8Very easy –2 steps –d6Easy –1 step –d4Average None +d0Tough +1 step +d4Hard +2 steps +d6Challenging +3 steps +d8 3

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Putting It IntoPracticeWhat do you actually do with thisinformation? That depends. Hereare examples of both methods in ac-tion. Use either method or a combi-nation of the two, as you see fit.

c The Step-by-step Method: Mi-chele’s hero, Jade, wants to take ashot at the villainous bounty hunter.Jade has the pistol skill, so she hasa base situation die of +d0. Thebounty hunter is 25 meters awayfrom Jade, which is medium range(+1 step penalty) for her weapon,and has light cover (+1 step penal-ty). In addition, because Jade isstanding atop a moving aircar, youdeclare that the situation has aGood level of difficulty (+2 steps). Bycounting out the steps on the Situa-tion Die Steps Scale, the Gamemas-ter determines that Jade has a finalsituation die of +d12. Michele rollsd20+d12, hoping to achieve a totalthat’s equal to or less than Jade’spistol score. If she succeeds, thenJade hits her target, scoring eitheran Ordinary, Good, or Amazing suc-cess, as detailed in the Player’sFast-Play Rules.

c Eyeballing It: Dave’s hero, JackEverstar, needs to slip past the cus-toms official. Since Everstar doesn’thave the sneak specialty skill, hisbase situation die is +d4. You decidethat the official is particularly vigi-lant today. This makes the situationHard, causing Everstar to take a +2step penalty. Dave rolls d20+d8, hop-ing for a result equal to or less thanEverstar’s Stealth skill score.

Action RoundsHow action rounds work is de-scribed in the Player’s Fast-PlayRules. Although actions in a phaseare considered to occur simultane-ously, you don’t want everyonerolling dice at the same time. In-stead, all characters who are enti-tled to an action in the same phaseshould act in the order of their ac-tion check scores—highest scorefirst. The results of their actions(such as damage) are applied at theend of the phase, thus simulating si-multaneous activity.

r Example: Jade, Everstar, andthe bounty hunter Kreet eachachieve a Good action check result.Their action check scores are 13, 10,and 15, respectively. For ease of

play, Kreet acts first in the Goodphase, followed by Jade, then Ever-star. The results of each character’saction are applied after everyonehas acted, taking effect in the Ordi-nary phase. If the characters haveactions remaining, they go in thesame order in the Ordinary phase.

DamageIn the fast-play rule system, dam-age comes in three types: stun,wound, and mortal. If a character ishit by an attack or some other dam-age-causing condition, the degree ofsuccess achieved by that attack de-termines the type and amount ofdamage suffered by a character.

Each of the character templatesat the end of the Player’s Fast-PlayRules lists some examples ofweapons and armor, and includestheir important statistics.

r Example: Kreet fires his 11mmcharge pistol at Jade. He achieves aGood success against Jade. Thedamage range for a Good successwith that weapon is d6+2w. SinceKreet is a member of the supportingcast, you (as the Gamemaster) roll tosee how much damage Kreet in-flicts. The most he can do is 8 pointsof wound damage on a roll of 6.

Secondary DamageSerious, lasting injuries—mortaldamage and wound damage—cause secondary damage to thecharacter who is injured. For every 2points of wound damage inflictedon a character, that character alsosuffers 1 point of stun damage. Forevery 2 points of mortal damage acharacter receives, that characteralso suffers 1 point of wound dam-age and 1 point of stun damage.

r Example: Jade returns fire withher 11mm charge rifle and gets anAmazing success against Kreet. Thedamage range for an Amazing suc-cess with her weapon is d6+1m.Jade’s player, Michele, rolls d6 andgets a result of 4. Kreet suffers 5points of mortal damage (4 + 1 = 5)plus secondary damage of 2 woundsand 2 stuns.

ArmorCharacters can wear armor to pro-tect them from the dangers of battle.Armor can reduce the primary dam-age a hero suffers—but armor hasno effect on secondary damage.

r Example: Jade is wearing a CF

long coat when Kreet hits Jade for 8wounds. That amount of damagecauses 4 points of secondary stundamage, which Michele records onJade’s character template immedi-ately because armor doesn’t stopsecondary damage. Now Michelerolls to see how well Jade’s armorprotected her hero from the wounddamage. The CF coat blocks d4+1points of high impact (HI) damage.Michele rolls d4 and gets a result of3, for a total of 4 (3 + 1), so the num-ber of wounds is reduced by 4. Mi-chele marks off 4 wound boxes onJade’s character template (8 – 4 = 4).

RecoveryAfter a character suffers damage, heor she can get back to full health ina number of different ways:

c Wound damage, but not mortaldamage, can heal naturally at arate of 2 wound points per week ofrest and recuperation.

c The Knowledge–first aid spe-cialty skill can heal stun damage onconscious patients, negating 2, 3, or4 points of stun damage dependingon the degree of success achievedon the skill check (Ordinary, Good,or Amazing).

First aid can also be used to re-vive a character who was knockedout due to stun damage, restoring 1,2, or 3 stun points depending on thedegree of success.

This skill can be used to healwound damage; any success re-stores 1 wound point.

c The Medical Science–treatmentspecialty skill can be used to healstun damage on conscious patients,as per first aid above.

Medical Science–treatment canalso be used to revive a characterwho was knocked out due to stundamage, restoring 2, 3, or 4 stunpoints depending on the degree ofsuccess.

This skill can be used to healwound damage; any success re-stores 2 wound points.

c The Medical Science–surgeryspecialty skill can be used to healwound damage and mortal damage;a success restores 1 point of mortaland 2 points of wound damage. Thisskill can be used on a specific pa-tient once every hour. If a CriticalFailure occurs, the patient suffers 1additional point of mortal damage.

c Any remaining stun damagedisappears at the end of a scene.4

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This adventure uses the fast-playrules to introduce Gamemasters andplayers to the ALTERNITY game. Onlythe Gamemaster should read thisadventure before play begins. Ifplayers read the adventure beforetheir heroes get to participate in it,they’ll ruin the fun of being sur-prised and will spoil the group sto-rytelling experience for everyone.

As the Gamemaster, it’s your jobto read through this adventure andbecome familiar with the basic plotand mood of the story. When you’reready, let the players create heroesusing the Player’s Fast-Play Rules.Encourage the players to assemblea balanced group of heroes, with atleast one representative from eachof the professions. The heroes willneed brains, brawn, and negotiatingskills to survive the challenges ofCauldron Station.

BackgroundThis adventure takes place in a far-future, space-opera setting. The he-roes have access to a number ofhigh-tech tools that don’t exist in thecurrent day and age. In addition, thetone is heroic, larger than life, andfits in neatly with your favorite sci-ence fiction film epic.

Cauldron Station is a mining out-post on the isolated planet known asCauldron. The name fits the worldvery well. Cauldron is literally ahellish place, as it orbits exceeding-ly close to its star and has a highvolume of volcanic activity. Even inthe relative coolness of a giantcanyon, Cauldron Station endurestemperatures of 500° C during theheat of the day. Through the won-ders of far-future technology, themining outpost protects its workersfrom the deadly environment, allow-ing them to reap the profits theirprocessed ores bring on the openmarket.

The station is a self-sustaining,totally enclosed system that holds acomfortable environment within itsinsulated walls and pressuredomes. It keeps the heat and toxicatmosphere out, using the sametechnology that allows this futurecivilization to explore and travel the

star lanes. Even the mines are pro-tected so that the workers can laborsafely; the mine shafts are drilledbeneath the protection of great pres-sure domes.

The heroes come to Cauldron intheir trader-class starship, the Nebu-la Bounty, for business purposes.They have a shipment of 3D comput-er programs to sell to the outpost, in-cluding entertainment programs,news and technical journals, andthe latest Grid interactives to cheerup the recreation-starved miners. Inaddition, they plan to fill their cargoholds with processed ore. The con-struction projects going on in othernearby star systems are in desper-ate need of quality ore—and they’rewilling to pay extremely well for it.

Unfortunately, a few events com-bine to make this particular tradingmission a lot more hazardous thanusual.

c First, the region of Cauldronhousing the outpost is experiencinga powerful magnetic storm. Commu-nications into and out of the basehave been disrupted by the magnet-ic activity, so the heroes must maketheir approach without any helpfrom the outpost traffic beacons.

c Second, the storm plays havocwith the ship’s sensors, so the vesselpasses through a spume of moltenmolybdenum expelled by one of theplanet’s many active volcanoes.This superheated liquid metal clogsthe ship’s tachyon intakes. Whilethis doesn’t hinder the ship’s normalperformance, it does make it impos-sible for the vessel to starfall—totravel at faster-than-light speed.

c Third, the outpost has its ownproblem. Two creatures native toCauldron’s environs have invadedthe outpost, knocking out power andkilling a significant number of min-ers. Because of the disruption incommunications, the heroes don’tknow about this problem ahead oftime. They’ll discover it as they ex-plore the station.

Recent EventsWhat’s been happening withinCauldron Station? The miners ex-tended a shaft that opened into a

lava flow deep beneath the planetsurface. This shaft provided accessto the outpost for a pair of deadlynative creatures that the minershave dubbed “moltenoids.” The mol-tenoids invaded the mining domefour days ago. Twelve miners werekilled before the survivors managedto contain the creatures within themining dome by sealing the airlockdoors leading to the dome.

The creatures killed not out ofmaliciousness, to acquire food, or toprotect themselves, but just as abyproduct of their alien physiology(see “The Supporting Cast” on page7 of this section of the booklet). Theminers theorized that, since thesecreatures prefer to live in extremelyhot conditions, lowering the temper-ature inside the mining dome woulddrive the beasts back into the shaft,which could then be sealed.

Instead of returning to the shaft,however, the beasts created a differ-ent exit. The moltenoids melted apath through an emergency closetand into the conduit vents within thestation’s insulated walls. From theseconduits, the creatures gained al-most total access to the outpost.

More deaths and many injuriesfollowed. The station administratorand the security officer eventuallydecided to seal off this wing of theoutpost from the rest of the station.That was two days ago. About a daylater, one of the creatures reachedthe power reactor and shorted outmost of the station. Now, with totallife support collapse set to occur insix hours, the station is on the vergeof death—as are all the miners andstation personnel trapped within.

AdventureOutlineCauldron Station presents three ob-stacles that the heroes must over-come: the damage to their ship, thestation’s power outage, and the in-vading creatures. The action is bro-ken down into an opening triggerand three scenes that follow, as wellas additional events based on themap (see page 8 of this section of thebooklet) that can be used or ignoredas you see fit. 5

CAULDRON STATIONAn Introductory ALTERNITY Adventure GAMEMASTER’S FAST-PLAY RULES

c Trigger: The adventure beginsafter the heroes land on Cauldronand enter the airlock that leads intothe station. Three guards, led by sta-tion security officer Birrden, set anambush for the heroes. They see theheroes as unknown invaders, per-haps pirates or smugglers seekingto profit during the station’s currentcrisis. The opening scene of the ad-venture definitely has the potentialto become a combat scene, althoughthe heroes can negotiate with Bir-rden if they are so inclined (turningit into an encounter scene).

c Encounter Scene: Station Ad-ministrator Crowell has gatheredthe other survivors in the ore storagebay. With the temperature risingand the air getting less breathablewith every passing hour, Crowelland his lot are getting closer andcloser to panic. They have no surviv-ing technicians, no one with anyhope of repairing the life supportsystem. They do have something themoltenoids want, however, whichthe heroes can use in various waysif they are so inclined. The problemis, Crowell and his band refuse toopen the storage bay airlock. Theheroes will have to enter by forceor—the preferred method—negoti-ate until Crowell is talked back tohis senses.

c Combat Scene: Two moltenoidsare loose in the facility. No matterhow friendly the heroes might wantto be, the only viable way to dealwith these creatures is either to de-stroy them or otherwise render themhelpless so they can be removedfrom the station without furtherharm befalling the miners. One ofthe creatures must be forcibly re-moved from the lair it has estab-lished in the engineering center be-fore power can be restored to thestation. The other creature roamsthrough the wing, inflicting damagesimply due to the heat of its pas-sage. The heroes might decide tohunt the beast or set traps for it (pos-sibly using the material provided byCrowell from the ore bay).

c Challenge Scene: It is criticallyimportant to get the life support sys-tem back on line. To do this, the he-roes must remove the resident mol-tenoid from the engineering center,repair the damaged power genera-tor, and enter the conduits beneaththe station to reinitialize the lifesupport system. This requires a com-bination of technical skills and

hands-on labor—while possiblykeeping one or more of the creaturesat bay.

The SupportingCastThe facing page contains essentialinformation about the four types ofsupporting cast members that playa part in this adventure: two uniquecharacters, Birrden and Crowell; thegroup of surviving miners, all con-sidered identical for the sake of sim-plicity; and the two moltenoids thathave entered the station, both de-scribed with a single set of statis-tics. These characters are controlledand portrayed by the Gamemaster.Feel free to expand upon their moti-vations and behavior as dictated bythe way the adventure unfolds.

The numbers in brackets follow-ing some of a character’s AbilityScores represent resistance modi-fiers (which were explained in thePlayer’s Fast-Play Rules). In the listof skills each character possesses,the number in brackets following askill name is the character’s skillscore—the dice result needed to getan Ordinary success. If a characterhas a specialty skill, that skill nameand the skill score associated with itare printed in italic type immediate-ly after the broad skill to which thespecialty skill is related.

The StationImportant locations within this wingof Cauldron Station are depicted inthe map on page 8. Refer to that mapas you read the following informa-tion, so you can familiarize yourselfwith the environment. Don’t showthe map to your players, unless theysucceed in obtaining it by using oneof the station’s computers (see thetext in the next column concerningarea 4).

Cauldron Station is in bad shape.Since the power cut out, the temper-ature has risen to 39°C (102°F) andthe air has grown stale. In six hours,the interior will heat to deadly tem-peratures and the atmosphere willturn toxic. If the power is restoredbefore the six hours expire, the sta-tion can be saved. Until then, emer-gency lights barely illuminate thefacility and the heat grows steadilyworse.

Because of the poor environmen-tal conditions, every hour characters

must make a successful Stamina–endurance skill check to fend offdamage. If a character fails thecheck or a Critical Failure occurs, hesuffers 1 or 2 points of stun damage,respectively. Wearing an e-suit (seebelow) eliminates the need for suchchecks.

Airlocks must be opened manual-ly, but no airlock can be opened ifanother airlock connected to thesame area is already open. The air-locks to areas 7, 8, and 9 have beensealed. These seals can be removedwith the proper tools and an hour ofwork. (Area 8 is the only one of theseplaces that the characters shouldwant to gain access to, and there’sanother easier way to get in; see thedescription below.)

Conduits containing wiring,vents, and other machinery run be-neath the floors of the station andinside the insulated walls. Themoltenoids use these conduits totravel throughout the wing shownon the map. Note that no conduitsrun beneath the mining dome (area9) or the storage bay (area 8). Onlythe insulated wall provides secretaccess to these areas. Characterscan enter the conduits, but theycan’t travel through them as easilyas the moltenoids can.

Most computer stations in the fa-cility are inoperative due to thepower outage. Only computers inthe operations center (area 4) andthe engineering center (area 6) canbe used, thanks to emergency powersupplies in these rooms. Birrden,Crowell, or an operating computercan tell the heroes about the state ofthe facility and the impending timelimit.

c Area 1: This access tunnelleads from the landing pads, wherethe heroes have docked their star-ship. A transport carries them fromthe pads to the airlock, which mustbe opened manually.

c Area 2: These four airlockchambers protect the wing from pos-sible environment breaches.

c Area 3: This transport tunnel al-lows the vehicles to service the stor-age bay, the mining dome, and thelanding pads.

c Area 4: Base operations servesas the command center of the sta-tion. Using the Computer Scienceskill, heroes can learn the currentcondition of the station (Ordinarysuccess), call up the schematics forrepairing the power generator and6

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The Supporting CastMiners

Nonprofessional laborersSTR 9 [0] INT 9 [0]DEX 8 [0] WIL 7 [0]CON 8 PER 7

Durability (s/w/m): 8/8/4 Action check: 9+/8/4/2Actions per round: 2

AttacksBrawl 10/5/2 d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s LITool 11/5/2 d4+1s/d4w/d4+1w LI

SkillsAthletics [9]–climb [10]; Melee Weapons [9]–bludgeon

[11]; Unarmed Attack [9]–brawl [10]; Vehicle Operation[8]; Stamina [8]–endurance [9]; Knowledge [9]; SystemOperation [9]; Awareness [7]; Interaction [7].

Equipment: Mining gear, universal tool (can be usedas a club), comm gear (communication device).

Every miner has an individual outlook, but in gener-al they’re fearful and certain that death is near. All ofthem are loyal to Crowell. Some still trust Birrden, butmany blame her for the current situation.

MoltenoidsSTR 15 [+3] INT 6 [–1]DEX 11 [+1] WIL 6 [–1]CON 16 PER 4


AttacksHeat see textClaws 17/8/4 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m LI

DefensesMetallic hide d6 (LI), d6–1 (HI), d4–2 (En)Dodge Successful skill check (13 or less) in-

creases DEX or STR resistance mod-ifier vs. next attack by +1/+2/+3.

SkillsAcrobatics [11]–dodge [13]; Stealth [11]–sneak [12];

Stamina [16]; Awareness [6]–perception [9].Moltenoids are four-legged creatures with smooth,

metallic hides. Their bodies are roughly cylindrical, alittle less than a meter in diameter. The creatures areonly able to move at a speed slightly faster than ahuman’s walking pace. Two of them have entered thestation accidentally, and most of the damage they’vecaused is due to their physiology—which is deadly tohumans. One occupies the engineering center and pro-tects it from intruders. The other one wants to reach theore storage bay to get what Crowell is jealously guard-ing: cartons holding a liquid metal that he calls firegold. Crowell sees profit when he looks at the material,but the moltenoids need the stuff to survive. They aren’thungry enough to blindly attack, but they will be soon.

Anyone within 2 meters of a moltenoid could sufferenergy damage from the intense heat that emanatesfrom the creature. Whenever a character is withinrange of a moltenoid, the character must make a Stami-na–endurance check to see how much damage he orshe sustains. Critical Failure, d6+2w; Failure, d4+2w;Ordinary, d4+1w; Good, d6s; Amazing, no damage.

A moltenoid only uses its claws to protect itself, orwhen trying to reach a food source. Someone attackedwith the claws also needs to check for heat damage.

Security Chief BirrdenProfession: Combat SpecSTR 13 [+2] INT 8 [0]DEX 9 [0] WIL 8 [0]CON 10 PER 6


AttacksBrawl 15/7/3 d4+2s/d4+3s/d4+4s LIPistol 11/5/2 d6+2s/d8+2s/d8+4s LI

DefensesBattle vest d6–3 (LI), d6–2 (HI), d4–2 (En)Dodge Successful skill check (10 or less) in-

creases DEX or STR resistance modi-fier vs. next attack by +1/+2/+3.

SkillsAthletics [13]; Unarmed Attack–brawl [15]; Acrobatics

[9]–dodge [10]; Modern Ranged Weapons [9]–pistol [11];Vehicle Operation [9]; Stamina [10]; Knowledge [8]–firstaid [9]; Awareness [8]–perception [10]; Interaction [6].

Gear: Security card (opens all doors except thecloset in area 6 and the airlocks leading into areas 7,8, and 9), stutter pistol (range 6/12/30 meters), battlevest, comm gear (communication device).

Birrden takes her role as security chief seriously.The current crisis, while it’s not her fault, makes herthink that she has failed those who placed their trustin her. Still, she will work to protect the station and itsinhabitants. After getting over her initial confusion,she will embrace the heroes as the best hope the sta-tion has—and she will do everything she can to makesure they use their skills to save Cauldron Station.

Administrator CrowellProfession: DiplomatSTR 8 [0] INT 10 [0]DEX 10 [0] WIL 11 [+1]CON 6 PER 13


AttacksUnarmed 8/4/2 d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s LIPistol 11/5/2 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4+1m HI

DefensesCF long coat d4 (LI), d4 (HI), d6–2 (En)

SkillsAthletics [8]; Unarmed Attack [8]; Modern Ranged

Weapons [10]–pistol [11]; Vehicle Operation [10]; Stami-na [6]; Knowledge [10]; System Operation [10]; Adminis-tration [11]–bureaucracy [13]; Awareness [11]–percep-tion [13]; Interaction [13]–bargain [15]; Leadership [13].

Gear: Security card (opens all doors except the air-locks to areas 7, 8, and 9), 11mm charge pistol (range10/20/80 meters), CF long coat, comm gear (communi-cation device).

Crowell is a good administrator who got greedy.Now his greed could result in the death of the stationand its inhabitants. He’s a panicky man who isn’tthinking clearly. It takes a strong will and a solid ar-gument to get through his fear to reach the good lead-er beneath. Once that’s done, he’ll go along with theheroes—if he’s shown that his actions will save theminers under his command. 7


reinitializing the life support system(Good success), or access detailsabout the mining operation, invento-ry, and a map of the station (Amaz-ing success).

c Area 5: This medical centercontains various medical supplies,including six trauma packs. Using atrauma pack provides a –2 bonus onany Knowledge–first aid skill check,or a –3 bonus on any Medical Sci-ence skill check for the purpose ofhealing damage. Each trauma packcan be used six times before its con-tents become depleted.

c Area 6: The engineering centercontains the station’s power genera-tor, control computers, and access tothe life support system located inthe conduits beneath this room. Onemoltenoid has set up a lair in thisarea by melting a hole into the wallto the north of the power generator.

c Area 7: The airlock leading intothis area has been sealed to protectthe living quarters of the stationfrom the creatures currently loose inthe mining wing.

c Area 8: The ore storage baycontains both raw and processedore. There are no conduits beneaththe floor of this area. Crowell andsix miners have commandeered this

area, sealing the airlock and fend-ing off frequent attacks by the mol-tenoids. Cartons of what Crowellcalls “fire gold,” mined from thesame shaft the creatures emergedfrom, lure the moltenoids, since thematerial is food they need to sur-vive. A melted hole in the insulatedwall, to the south of the airlock, isthe route the creatures use to reachthe stored cartons.

c Area 9: The mining dome pro-vides laborers with protection fromthe hostile environment. Shafts andmining equipment are located allaround this area. The heroes shouldnot be concerned with entering thisarea, unless they come up with away to get the moltenoids back intothe shaft they emerged from.

c Emergency Closets: Marked “E”on the map, each of these cabinetswhen fully equipped contains foure-suits, two trauma packs, and otheremergency supplies. The closetwithin area 6 also contains compo-nents needed to repair the powergenerator. This closet can only beopened by using Crowell’s securitycard. The contents of many of theclosets may have already beenused, at your discretion.

An e-suit protects its wearer from

the adverse effects of the harsh en-vironment inside the station, provid-ing an air supply and insulationfrom the heat. Characters wearinge-suits don’t need to check for stundamage from the heat inside thestation. If a character wearing ane-suit suffers wound or mortal dam-age from an attack, the suit loses itsability to protect its wearer fromheat.

Trigger SceneWhen the heroes enter area 2 on theeast side of the map to begin the ad-venture, read the following to theplayers:

It’s uncomfortably hot and the airhas a stale smell to it even after theairlock cycles closed. Emergencylighting provides the only source ofillumination. Four closets line thechamber, and a second airlock leadsinto the station. No one has arrivedto greet you, and the place has anabandoned, dead feel to it.

Birrden and three miners whohave been deputized into a securitydetail wait in ambush in two of theclosets, one on each side of thechamber. They are wearing e-suits.Have the heroes make action checks

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to start the scene. They receive a +1step penalty because of the ambush.Make one action check for the entiresecurity detail, using Birrden’s actioncheck score. The scene plays out inrounds, as described in the Player’sFast-Play Rules.

Birrden thinks that the heroes arepirates or smugglers infiltrating thestation. She has ordered the minersto help her subdue the invaders,using their clublike tools while shewields her stutter pistol. After around of combat, the heroes can con-vince her to stop fighting—if theyput down their weapons and surren-der. Otherwise, Birrden fights untilshe is defeated. The miners surren-der as soon as Birrden falls.

The trigger scene ends with theheroes defeating or teaming up withBirrden, or with them being cap-tured by the security detail. If cap-tured, they can later explain whothey are and will then be recruitedto help save the station.

Encounter SceneBirrden eventually explains that Ad-ministrator Crowell and a handfulof miners have barricaded them-selves inside the ore storage bay.She’d like the heroes to talk to Crow-ell and get him to come out of hidingand help. They need his securitycard to open the closet in area 6.This closet contains the componentsnecessary to repair the power gener-ator. Crowell also knows wherecomponents are stored that can beused to repair the heroes’ ship.

If Birrden or any of her securitydetail aren’t available to providethis information, the heroes willhave to stumble upon the locked bayon their own. The airlock leading toarea 6 shows signs of extreme dam-age—the alloy has been melted andscarred by what seem to be clawmarks, but the material appears tohave been too tough to get through.The wall to the north of the airlock isanother matter. A passage has beenmelted into the insulated wall, andsomething very hot has apparentlymoved through the conduit. Meltedwires, scorched pipes, and othersigns of intense heat mark the wallsof the passage.

The heroes can meet up withCrowell in one of three ways. If Birr-den convinces them to seek outCrowell, she gives them the fre-quency of his comm gear. They cantalk to him via the comm device. If

not, they can try to get his attentionby banging on the airlock, or theycan use the conduit tunnel to enterthe bay.

Crowell has an 11mm charge pis-tol that he isn’t afraid to fire. He’sused it against the creatures, andhe’ll use it on the heroes if they don’tcalm him down and earn his trust.He’s paranoid, jealously protectiveof the fire gold, and unwilling topart with components to fix the he-roes’ ship.

The heroes can bargain withCrowell, or they can bluff him intoassisting them. During negotiations,the heroes must accumulate six suc-cesses through their chosen form ofinteraction to win Crowell’s trust.(Each time a character attempts abargain or bluff skill check, an Ordi-nary result counts as one success, aGood result as two, and an Amazingresult as three successes.) Combinedice rolls with roleplaying whenrunning this scene.

Or, they can simply decide tooverpower Crowell and his band.Each miner has a clublike tool touse in his or her defense. By the endof this scene, the heroes should ac-complish the following things:

c Learn that the moltenoids areattracted to the fire gold. (A largeportion of the liquid metal is miss-ing from a broken carton, because amoltenoid consumed it.)

c Obtain Crowell’s security cardthat opens the closet in area 6.

c Secure Crowell’s promise thatspare parts will be supplied to re-pair their ship. (He won’t turn theseover until the station has been madesafe.)

Combat SceneThe primary combat scene occurs inthe engineering room (area 6), whereone of the moltenoids has estab-lished a lair. The heroes can lure thecreature into the open with fire gold;they can use fire gold to set a trap;or they can simply enter the cham-ber with weapons blazing.

The creature’s lair is a burrowthat has been melted into the thickinsulated wall that surrounds thestation’s power generator. The in-tense heat has damaged compo-nents within the generator that mustbe replaced before power can bebrought back on line. If the heroesdon’t lure the moltenoid out in someway, they’ll have to enter the burrowto battle the creature. A short, meter-

wide tunnel opens into a 2-by-4-me-ter chamber carved in the insulatedwall to the north of the generator.The beast fights to defend itself andits lair, using its sharp claws andthe intense heat of its body.

The second creature can be usedto create suspense and build terror.It can emerge from the dark stationcorridors or arise from within themelted-out walls to hound, harry,and attack the heroes. Or, they candecide to hunt down the creature,dispensing with it before trying torestore power to the station. If nei-ther of these events occurs, then thecreature appears during the chal-lenge scene—adding an element ofcombat for some of the heroes todeal with while the others work tofix the life support system.

Challenge SceneIn the end, this is the most importantscene of the adventure. To save theminers (those still in this wing aswell as those barricaded in the liv-ing section), the heroes must restorepower and reinitialize the life sup-port system. If they have obtainedthe parts stored in the closet in area6, and managed to call up schematicdiagrams on one of the operationalcomputers, the heroes can repair thegenerator. This requires the Techni-cal Science skill. If a hero is usingthe juryrig specialty or just thebroad skill, he or she must achieveeight successes. If the repair spe-cialty is used, the number of suc-cesses needed is reduced to six. (See“Encounter Scene” above for how tocount up accumulated successes.)

When the proper number of suc-cesses has been achieved, the airvents hiss and the lights come backon. The temperature begins to dropslowly. The station is saved!

AftermathIn the length of time it has takenthem to set things right at the sta-tion, the heroes have turned from in-truders into celebrities. They areprovided with all the parts theyneed to fix their ship, and they maygo on their way soon thereafter.

Or, perhaps your group story stillhas tales to be told. If you and yourplayers are having fun and youwant to extend the adventure atCauldron Station, keep on playingand see what happens! 9


Tomorrow is out there. It can be as close as the next dawn or as dis-tant as humanity’s twilight, when the Earth expends its last, dyinggasp. What tomorrow waits beyond the dawn? The possibilities areas endless as your imagination—and that’s what the ALTERNITY®

game is all about. The fast-play rules have introduced you to the sys-tem. Now, here’s a brief look at what’s contained in the two hardcoverrulebooks. The Player’s Handbook will be the initial release in April1998, to be followed by the Gamemaster Guide one month later.

Hero CreationThe material in Chapter 2 of the Player’s Handbook allows you tocreate any type of modern to far-future hero you can imagine. Theprocess is much more detailed than the fast-play rules, providingyou with more choices and plenty of decisions to make as you createyour hero. After developing the concept of what you want your heroto be, you select a species. Five alien species are presented in thePlayer’s Handbook, and the Gamemaster Guide offers guidelines fordesigning new species of your own. Next, you assign Ability Scoresand purchase skills. The important thing to remember throughoutthe hero creation process is that you’re in charge. All of yourhero’s characteristics and attributes—the qualities that makehim different from every other character in the world—are theresult of decisions you make.

Supporting CastOne of the Gamemaster’s rewards is the opportunity to createand portray intelligent supporting characters. Chapter 6 ofthe Gamemaster Guide describes supporting characters thatserve an array of purposes in your game. Realistic motiva-tions, appropriate game stats, and believable personalitiesare all crucial components of a supporting character.

Villains concoct schemes, obstacles, and complications.Sidekicks, controlled by the players, and allies, controlled bythe Gamemasters, contribute extra skills and firepower. Em-ployees and followers handle jobs that heroes and villains don’thave time for. Experts tackle questions and problems that heroescannot. Finally, extras add spice, color, and detail to your world.

The last section of Chapter 6 provides a selection of support-ing character templates that can be used to quickly introduceall sorts of supporting cast members, complete with AbilityScores and skills, into the adventure.

Attributes—motivation, moral attitude, and character traits—aretags and hooks that provide definition and detail to a hero. They’reused to make heroes and the supporting cast more than just an ac-cumulation of statistics and equipment, to flesh out these individu-als and give them depth. Attributes also serve as an aid and an en-couragement to good roleplaying, which should be the goal ofevery player. Attributes are described in Chapter 7 of the Player’sHandbook.

AchievementsAs heroes complete adventures, the Gamemaster awards themachievement points based on the magnitude of their accomplish-ments and how well they succeeded in roleplaying their charac-ters. Players and Gamemasters need a way to measure how wellthe heroes have done. Chapter 8 describes the ALTERNITY rules forachievement levels and achievement points.

EquipmentA big part of what makes a hero distinctive is the gear he owns orcarries. The hotshot star pilot needs a ship and a reliable sidearmto complete his image, just as the gunfighter in an old Westernneeds a horse and a trusty .45 revolver. Of course, a hero can stillbe a formidable character if he loses his pistol or his computergauntlet or his trauma pack in the course of a story, but his trade-mark equipment is as much a part of his makeup as his physicalfeatures and his attitude. Chapters 9, 10, and 11 of the Player’sHandbook describe the fundamental tools, equipment, services,computers, weapons, armor, and other accessories that heroes canpurchase. Chapter 9 also provides an overview of Progress Levels,which is the framework the ALTERNITY game uses to define whenand if a certain piece of equipment is available.

Vehicles & SpaceshipsAdventures often require travel—across cities, countries, or galax-ies. Chapter 12 of the Player’s Handbook describes some of the ve-hicles available in the ALTERNITY universe, from primitive rafts tostar-spanning spaceships. Each of the land, water, air, and spacevehicles is a stock vehicle, with average characteristics. You’ll findrules for using these vehicles in chases and in combat. Chapters10 and 11 of the Gamemaster Guide contain rules for customizing

THE ALTERNITY GAME

Heroes in ActionChapter 3 of the Player’s Handbook begins with a general discussionof the different styles you can use to portray your hero in action, andmoves into full explanations of some of the concepts that were intro-duced in the fast-play rules. You’ll get another level of detail in theALTERNITY game system—comprehensive rules for dealing damageand recovering from damage, movement, throwing grenades, andgetting the drop on the bad guys, to name a few.

The corresponding chapter in the Gamemaster Guide discussesthe most commonly used rules of the game. You’ll find ways to re-solve actions, combat, and hazards. This chapter also contains a dis-cussion of planetary environments (gravity, radiation, atmosphere,pressure, and heat) and their effect on characters during play.

SkillsSkills are the heart of the ALTERNITY game system. Most of what ahero is capable of doing—fighting an opponent, piloting a space-craft, closing a big business deal, developing a vaccine for a deadlyvirus—is governed by what skills the hero possesses and how ac-complished he is at using those skills. Chapter 4 of the Player’sHandbook begins with an explanation of how skills are used andhow they are organized. After that, each separate skill is describedin detail. The Gamemaster Guide provides additional detail on theuse of skills.

Roleplaying ExtrasPerks and Flaws provide a hero with advantages and disadvan-tages. Each perk and flaw represents one extra handle for a skilledplayer to use in bringing his character to life. No one remembers theCombat Spec who plunges into battle—that’s what Combat Specsare for. But everyone remembers the Combat Spec who purchasedCelebrity and enjoys galaxywide fame, and no one can forget theFree Agent created with the Powerful Enemy flaw who’s constantlybeing hunted by his lifelong nemesis. Descriptions of perks andflaws appear in Chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook.

Careers, complete with concepts, suggested skills, and “signa-ture” equipment, appear in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook. Ca-reers represent specialization of focus within each profession intro-duced in the fast-play rules. For example, possible careers withinthe Tech Op profession include doctor, pilot, engineer, and scientist.

vehicles and constructing spaceships with weapons, sensors, de-fensive systems, and many other accessories.

Game OptionsThe ALTERNITY game system includes several options you can use toadd diversity to any game style or genre. Chapter 13 of the Player’sHandbook contains rules for mutations and mutant heroes. Chap-ter 14 includes psionic powers, skills, and mindwalker heroes.Chapter 15 covers cybernetic gear and rules for acquiring it andusing it. In the Gamemaster Guide, Chapter 16 has guidelines tohelp you decide which game options to use in your campaign.

Campaign & Adventure DesignOne of the Gamemaster’s most creative exercises is the construc-tion of an imaginary world or universe. In your universe, you de-cide everything. What genre does your setting fall into? WhichProgress Level or technical innovations can define it? What kindsof aliens are present for use as heroes or potential villains? How isthe world organized? Who’s in charge, and why? Although answer-ing these questions could seem to be a complex and difficult task,an organized approach to campaign design lightens the loadconsiderably.

Chapters 13 and 14 of the Gamemaster Guide contain advice onbuilding an exciting setting and administering it over the lifetimeof your campaign setting. They also have information on puttingtogether the physical details of your setting: galaxies, planets, andcivilizations. Chapter 15 follows this discussion with suggestionsfor the design of your own adventures, filled with exciting begin-nings, compelling action, and a satisfying resolution for everyone.

More to Come . . .Over the next few years, the ALTERNITY game system will grow to in-clude rules expansions, accessories, adventures, and campaignsettings. The first of these products are:

Black Starfall and Red Starrise: Free introductory adventuresthat will be available in stores when the Player’s Handbook andthe Gamemaster Guide are released.

Gamemaster Kit: A screen for the game moderator, with impor-tant tables, diagrams, and hero character sheets.

STAR*DRIVE™ Campaign Setting: A galaxy-spanning, space operamilieu full of intrigue, danger, and forays into the unknown.

STAR*DRIVE Alien Compendium: Creatures benign and bizarrethat you can use to populate your ALTERNITY game universe.

No Limits. May 1998.

Which Future Do You Want to Play?

Which Future Do You Want to Play?

Science Fiction Roleplaying GameScience Fiction Roleplaying Game

Send heroes on a stellar scavenger hunt tosolve the mysteries of an ancient alienculture. Put them in the front lines of aninterstellar war. Assign them to protect Earth’sleaders from assassins. Whatever challengeyou decide to confront your players with, theRulesmaster Guide puts you in control.

The Rulesmaster Guide contains rules for creating supporting characters, starships, even entire star systems with varyingplanetary environments for any setting youchoose. A detailed tactical vehicle combatsystem allows you to orchestrate battlesbetween ships in the depths of space. You’llfind guidelines for integrating over 30 differentspecies of aliens, creatures, and dangerousanimals into your adventures. Complete withcharts and tables for easy reference, theRulesmaster Guide puts the alternatetomorrows of science fiction roleplaying atyour fingertips!

Send heroes on a stellar scavenger hunt tosolve the mysteries of an ancient alienculture. Put them in the front lines of aninterstellar war. Assign them to protect Earth’sleaders from assassins. Whatever challengeyou decide to confront your players with, theGamemaster Guide puts you in control.

The Gamemaster Guide contains rules for creating supporting characters, starships, even entire star systems with varyingplanetary environments for any setting youchoose. A detailed tactical vehicle combatsystem allows you to orchestrate battlesbetween ships in the depths of space. You’llfind guidelines for integrating over 30 differentspecies of aliens, creatures, and dangerousanimals into your adventures. Complete withcharts and tables for easy reference, theGamemaster Guide puts the alternatetomorrows of science fiction roleplaying atyour fingertips!

ALTERNITY and the TSR logo are registered trademarks of TSR, Inc..©1998 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A.

TSR, Inc., is a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast.

®

t4 101 alt fp.1/after bl (page xxiv)

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