d20 Hogshead Publishing Fright Night What Went Down PDF
d20 Hogshead Publishing Fright Night What Went Down PDF
d20 Hogshead Publishing Fright Night What Went Down PDF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Fright Night: What Went Down!
"She was a leviathan of the deep, made by the hands of men to live under the sea. Here was a dark angel of
death, a wreaker of havoc, bringer of war and destruction."
- Clyde Burleson (Kursk Down)
Fedorichev drew his knees up to his chest and covered his ears. His red eyes stung from the salt of his own tears, and
a night of being too afraid to sleep. Around him the bridge systems flickered and continued, oblivious to the sur-
rounding horror. The sonar reflected back the same dull signal from the ice sheet above him as it had for the last nine
hours. The engines had stopped some time during the night. Whoever had been in the bridge had decided it was too
dangerous to go on. Now the sub just sat here beneath the ice while the crew stalked and killed each other.
Another bout of screaming echoed up from the bowels of the boat, relayed to him in scratchy distortion by the inter-
com. They'd found another one. A burst of gunfire interrupted the tortured sound, then a pause, more shooting, and
then more screams. Fedorichev wondered if it was Dmitriy. He'd last seen him trying to break into the weapons lock-
er, but had been too scared to approach him. They'd gone through the academy together, but he didn't know if Dmitriy
would have remembered - if he could be trusted.
The ship fell silent again. At least it had been short this time. When they found Stanislav they tortured him for hours,
his dull cries and pleas reverberating up through the cold steel of the decks. He wanted to turn off the intercom, but
that was on the other side of the compartment, and so would mean moving. He was safe here in the corner.
He was broken out of his thoughts by a muffled rattling at the door. With panic crowding his mind, Fedorichev spun
around to stare at it. They were outside again! He'd tied off the six handles that secured the watertight door. It would
hold an army. Each of the handles was being tried in turn, twisting as far as the ropes would allow and then released.
'Fedorichev, I know you're in there. I want you to open this door and let me in.' It was the Captain! 'Fedorichev, I know
you can hear me. Open this door! That's an ORDER!' The Captain's cold, cruel voice softened, 'Andri we're here to help
you.'
Fedorichev began sobbing again, pressing his hands tighter over his ears to block out the any sound. It was all the
Captain's fault; he was the one who brought it on board; he was the one who ordered Sergei shot - and he couldn't be
trusted. Still staring at the door through his tears, Fedorichev noticed something strange. A small, red spot had
appeared in the top corner of the door. Around it, the gray paint began to blacken and char until the spot became white
and the flame shone through. They'd found a way through!
Struggling to his feet Fedorichev scanned the room again, but once more no new solutions presented themselves.
Panting and sobbing he stood still, slowly coming to attention. If he was to die, he would die with some shred of digni-
ty. The only sounds were the hiss of the cutting torch burning its way to him, and the relentless ping of the sonar.
An idea suddenly leapt into his mind. The ice couldn't be that thick, there had to be weak spots, places where the sub
could surface. Running forward to his helmsman position, he got the sub moving again, and then angled the dive planes
to surface. He crossed the bridge quickly and began blowing the main ballast. All the sub needed was momentum, and
then it could batter its way through. He'd exit via the conning tower hatch and be away over the ice before they could
get him. The sub began to tilt up and climb through the freezing seas, speeding towards its final destination…
4
The Fright Night series focuses on all aspects of horror in the 21st century. Each book is a self-contained adventure
based on a popular horror genre or archetype. Meticulously researched and highly detailed, these sourcebooks are the
perfect compliment to any modern-day game. Packed with background material, each Fright Night book can be used
either independently or combined with others to suit any needs.
CHAPTER 1
HORROR STORIES
In most role-playing games, players take the role of gallant run dead or stop working if used to pummel an approaching
heroes or all-conquering super beings out to save the world threat.
from the forces of darkness. They don't do that in this
game. Here, they are the victims, and they are far from in
control. GMs may well need to make it clear from the start
SOUND
that in this game, they are not going to simply kill the bad The sub is mostly quiet as the rescue team arrives, but dis-
guys and get the treasure. They'll have to struggle just to tant echoes of machinery or creaking of the sub will con-
stay alive, and will quickly find that guns and swords don't tinue throughout. Once the sub begins to warm, the crew
make any difference. Sheer brawn is not going to save them will create no end of mysterious and even terrifying noises,
or win the day. ranging from the shuffling of feet in a darkened room to
plaintive wailing that echoes through the empty corridors.
In this section, we have included hints and tips for the GM
to make What Went Down as atmospheric and exciting as HALLUCINATIONS
possible. Remember, the goal isn't to kill all the players' The early stages of infection cause the victims on the sub-
characters in nasty or gruesome ways: it's to make the marine to hallucinate. They will see and hear things that
game as enjoyable and thrilling as it can possibly be. A play- are not there, and will ignore obvious stimuli that contra-
er might well end up as the sole survivor, but this is not the dict the "reality" of their hallucination. Damage taken from
same thing as having a lot of fun on the way. these hallucinations will seem real to the character, and is
quite capable of causing death if the damage is severe
In this book, we have shamelessly twiddled with the rules enough. Psychosomatic shock from the event can throw the
to force players along the path of the classic modern horror victim into cardiac arrest or even cause the manifestation
- be it a film, a novel, or computer game. of some physical trauma at the point of the "injury".
KEEPING IT SCARY The GM should make full use of hallucinating PCs early in
the adventure, especially while they are unaware that they
While this supplement provides an overview of the sub and are hallucinating. This is the perfect time for a character to
includes several adventure suggestions, it is up to the GM hear voices in the distance; see a dark figure standing in a
to keep the adventure scary, using all available tools. For doorway; catch the glimpse of a dead body rising from the
example, the GM may choose to ask for Spot or Listen deck; or see a gaunt-faced man in a mirror. A careful GM
checks, but tell the player they failed, regardless of the roll, can milk these hallucinations for a long time, keeping the
giving the players the impression something is out there PCs unaware of the truth and - more importantly - fright-
that they apparently missed! Equally meaningless Fort, ening the daylights out of them.
Reflex, or Will saves can keep the players on edge.
Eventually the players will begin to realize their fears are
The GM should also encourage the PCs to split up at times only illusory. By that time, the warmth from the restarted
- ostensibly to get multiple jobs done quickly. In truth, this reactor (p. 49) will be resuscitating dead crew. What was
will help the GM establish a sense of foreboding and isola- once dismissed as "just a hallucination" becomes frighten-
tion. This is a long-standing horror movie convention. The ingly real as the dead walk the corridors of the submarine
adventure is set on a stranded submarine - here are some looking to spread the organism to new hosts!
of the techniques that the GM can use to add scariness to
their adventures. THE WALKING DEAD
There are several ways to put the reanimated crew to good
DARKNESS use. First, the GM should pick the proper time and place to
The sub is dark when the PCs first enter, and even after reveal their existence.
power is restored, there may be extensive areas with little
or no power. Individual rooms may have had their lights The GM should begin with faint movement of a dead body
shattered or simply turned off. Most of the PCs' flashlights glimpsed out of the corner of someone's eye. Follow this up
are sturdy and waterproof, but even the best of them may with a second or third instance of movement, then throw a
6
A BAD PLACE TO BE
Sometimes the worst horrors lie just
beneath the surface, lurking around the cor-
ner, in the shadows of our lives. These are
the terrors in the basement, the monster in
the closet, or the stranger next door. Other
horrors lie in the forgotten places, where
they can exist beyond human interference,
watching and waiting for someone to stum-
ble over them, so they can feed once again.
CHAPTER 2:
CHARACTER GENERATION
REAL PEOPLE - UNREAL
employees of the American conglomerate SeaTech, and they
may be of any Western nationality (e.g., American, British,
Canadian, Australian, Norwegian, Dutch). Sample SeaTech
SITUATIONS NPCs appear in the GM Resources section.
Like all supplements in the Fright Night series, What Went Players should pay special attention to creating a colorful
Down deals with a group of normal civilians facing an working-class civilian, focusing on personality and quirks
abnormal threat. It is a role-playing adventure for PCs more than skills. The GM and players may also wish to
ranging from first to third level. They swing no swords, refer to the sample NPCs on pp. 58-61, to get some idea of
wield no magic and carry no blasters. They are ordinary the diversity of character found working for SeaTech
people thrust into an extraordinary situation - one that International.
threatens their very lives.
Most PCs will have limited combat skills, and must find a CHARACTER CLASSES:
way to defeat their foes using little more than wits and > Marine Biologist
willpower. They will find themselves swinging wrenches > Navy Veteran
instead of broadswords; wielding cutting torches, not M- > Paramedic
16s. The GM should monitor character creation closely and > Pilot
limit combat-intensive characters and skills. Some of the > Rescue Diver
PCs may have past military training (especially naval serv- > Salvage Operator
ice), but few - if any - will even own a sidearm, let alone
bring it with them on the adventure. Exploring the terrify-
ing darkness of the Koloss empty-handed will be far more
terrifying than using an arsenal to defeat the enemies
BACKGROUND FEATS
found there! At first level, each character class receives one background
feat. This covers their marine, rescue or salvage experi-
ence, and their possible connection to SeaTech. If a charac-
CHARACTER CLASSES ter multiclasses, they do not receive an additional
The PC classes are based around civilian professionals Background feat, but may still select a bonus feat from that
working in rescue or salvage operations; all of them are character class' starting feat list.
BACKGROUND FEATS
MARINE BIOLOGIST
Hit Die: d6
'Look, I know I'm not really the kind of guy you'd
expect along on a thing like this, but the point is Class Skills: Computer Operation (Int), Diplomacy
I'm here. I knew SeaTech, back from some of (Cha), Medical Science (Int), Navigation:
my early field trips and they know I've got Submarine (Int), Oceanography (Int), Pilot: Ship
arctic dive experience. You can stop looking (Wis), Research (Int), Scuba (Int), Spot (Wis),
at me like that. I may be some scientist, but Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Underwater Hazard
that doesn't mean I go around in a tweed (Wis).
jacket with leather patches on the elbows!
Have you actually ever been out on the pack Skill Points at First Level:
ice? Well, I have. I've swum with whales; (6 + Int Modifier) X 4
spent months freezing out there tracking
seal populations; and I've dived with wal- Skill Points Per Level:
rus. You may think you know all there is 6 + Int Modifier
to know about diving, but unless you've
actually been there, you don't know about Starting Feats:
the arctic. Marine biologists start with the Marine Science
Background feat. The character also receives the
'Now I know you're not happy about me following starting feat: Swim Like a Fish.
being along on this mission, but you need me
here! Every step of the way out here, I've Bonus Feats:
earned my place. I've had to outdrink oilrig Each time a character gets a bonus feat, and every
crews so they'd take me seriously, and let me time they are entitled to select a new feat, Marine
use their dive rigs. I've eaten seal blubber with Biologists must choose one from the feat list below:
Eskimos, so they would take me into their Acrobatic, Attraction, Blind Panic, Crack Driver,
hunting grounds, and I've damn well got what Computer Wiz, Diligent, Dirty Fighting, Dodge,
it takes! Driven, Driving License, Empathic, False Sincerity,
Investigator, Nerves of Steel, Nimble Fingers,
'You need experienced divers, who know Persuasive, Reserves of Stamina, Skill Focus,
these waters, and out here I'm the best Sportsman, Sub Rated Pilot, Tech Specialist,
you've got! Now you could wait until some Toughness.
other diver got here, maybe they'd even
know these waters. But those men on the
Koloss haven't got that time. I volun-
teered, I know what I'm doing, so get out
of my way!'
MARINE BIOLOGIST
Attack Ac
Level Feats bonus Bonus Fort Ref Will
1 Starting Feat +0 +1 +0 +0 +2
2 Bright Idea +1 +2 +0 +0 +3
3 Bonus Feat +1 +2 +1 +1 +3
4 Negotiator +2 +3 +1 +1 +4
5 Bonus Feat +2 +3 +1 +1 +4
6 Alertness +3 +3 +2 +2 +5
7 Bonus Feat +3 +4 +2 +2 +5
8 Skill Focus +4 +4 +2 +2 +6
9 Bonus Feat +4 +5 +3 +3 +6
10 Dive Team Leader +5 +5 +3 +3 +7
9
NAVY VETERAN
'You remember all those old war films? The ones Hit Die: d8
where sweaty, bearded sub crews all stared at the
ceiling looking nervous? Well, it's still exactly the Class Skills:
same as that. I mean, the subs are nicer, Computer Operation (Int), Engineering: Nuclear (Int),
you're still all crammed together, but these Explosives (Int), Knowledge: Submarine (Int), Navigation:
subs are like as big as a corvette from Submarine (Int), Pilot: Ship (Wis), Pilot: Submersible
them days. What I mean is, that people (Wis), Scuba (Int), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str),
are still left under the sea, looking Underwater Hazard (Wis) Use Rope (Dex).
up, and waiting. I've never been to
war. I've been on active patrols and Skill Points at First Level:
exercises, but never under fire. It's (4 + Int Modifier) X 4
just there's still this moment when
the sub's creaking and everybody's Skill Points Per Level:
silent, 'n' just waiting. That's what being in a 4 + Int Modifier
sub's all about.
Starting Feats:
'Well, after my service ended, I still wanted Navy Veterans start with the Navy Background, and
to get back under the sea. Now, I was lucky. I the character also receives one of the following start-
had the right skills to get me into a com- ing feat: Sub Rated Pilot or Tech Specialist.
mercial operation. Here's the difference,
though. A navy sub has a crew of around a Bonus Feats:
hundred people, and can stay under for Each time a character gets a bonus feat, and every
weeks at a time. They're nuclear powered, time they are entitled to select a new feat, Navy
and can give a speedboat a decent race. Veterans must choose one from the feat
SeaTech, on the other hand, has these dinky list:Acrobatic, Alertness, Attraction, Blind Panic,
little mini-subs. You steer by looking out the Bright Idea, Crack Driver, Computer Wiz, Diligent,
window, and they chug along at a slow crawl. Dirty Fighting, Dodge, Driven, Empathic, False
They can hold about six people - if you don't Sincerity, Investigator, Nimble Fingers, Persuasive,
mind being real close. The thing is, it's still Reserves of Stamina, Skill Focus, Speak Language,
the same. There're still moments when you're Sportsman, Sub Rated Pilot, Swim Like a Fish, Tech
too afraid to speak, and everyone just turns Specialist.
their heads up, and stares at the ceiling as if
the answer's gonna be written there, and just
listens out real hard.'
NAVY VETERAN
Attack Ac
Level Feats bonus Bonus Fort Ref Will
1 Starting Feats +0 +1 +0 +1 +1
2 Dive Team Leader +1 +2 +0 +2 +2
3 Bonus Feat +1 +2 +1 +2 +2
4 Nerves of Steel +2 +3 +1 +2 +2
5 Bonus Feat +2 +3 +1 +3 +3
6 Skill Focus +3 +3 +2 +3 +3
7 Bonus Feat +3 +4 +2 +4 +4
8 Reassuring Presence +4 +4 +2 +4 +4
9 Bonus Feat +4 +5 +3 +4 +4
10 Toughness +5 +5 +3 +5 +5
10
PARAMEDIC
Hit Die: d6
'You work on the edge, in fact most of the time you
work beyond the edge. Well, that's what you tell peo- Class Skills:
ple. Most of the time it's just dull. Practices, emer- Calm (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy
gency drills bandaging skinned knees and plas- (Cha), Medical Assistance (Wis), Medical
tering up broken arms. Don't get me wrong, I Science (Int), Scuba (Int), Search (Int),
know what I do's important - it's just that Spot (Wis) Swim (Str), Underwater
there aren't that many actual emergencies. Hazard (Wis).
SeaTech is a good company. It doesn't take
risks and it uses professionals. That all cuts Skill Points at First Level:
down on the work. But when it does go off you know (6 + Int Modifier) X 4
it's going to be bad. People will be screaming, crying
out for help, and everywhere total panic and confu- Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Int Modifier
sion. It's like some huge multi-car pileup, except
that ships are bigger, heavier, and have thousands Starting Feats:
of gallons of fuel on board. You've got trapped people, Paramedics receive either the Oilrig, or
fires, and bad weather. The other thing is that if Salvage Background feat, and can chose one
you're in a burning car, you might be able to get out. feat: Iron Will or Empathic
You don't get that choice at sea. A ship's got a turn-
ing circle of a mile. You jump off, and you'll drown Bonus Feats:
before they find you. So you stay and burn instead. Each time a character gets a bonus feat, and
And that's just the explosions and collisions. Then every time they are entitled to select a new
you've got your system failures. That means drowning, feat, Paramedics must choose one of the fol-
or suffocating. Then there are the cold and exposure lowing feat:
accidents, when heating systems fail, or someone goes Acrobatic, Alertness, Attraction, Blind
into the water. It's an unforgiving place here. We try to Panic, Bright Idea, Computer Wiz, Diligent,
soften the blow as much as we can, but mostly it's just Dirty Fighting, Dodge, Empathic, False
picking up the pieces. Sincerity, Investigator, Nimble Fingers,
Persuasive, Reserves of Stamina, Skill
'Over the years I've seen it all. Seen stuff that would Focus, Speak Foreign Language, Sportsman,
keep you awake at night, and leave you sleeping with the Tech Specialist, Toughness.
light on the rest of your life. You can't let it get to
you, though, you've just got to focus on the ones
you saved, and try to make sure it doesn't hap-
pen to anyone else.'
PARAMEDIC
Attack Ac
Level Feats bonus Bonus Fort Ref Will
1 Starting Feats +0 +1 +0 +1 +1
2 Emergency Medic +1 +2 +0 +2 +2
3 Bonus Feat +1 +2 +1 +2 +2
4 Skill Focus +2 +3 +1 +2 +2
5 Bonus Feat +2 +3 +1 +3 +3
6 Doctor +3 +3 +2 +3 +3
7 Bonus Feat +3 +4 +2 +4 +4
8 Nerves of Steel +4 +4 +2 +4 +4
9 Bonus Feat +4 +5 +3 +4 +4
10 Driven +5 +5 +3 +5 +5
11
PILOT
'How did I end up here? Well, that's a long story. I sup- (Int), Knowledge: Submarine (Int), Navigation:
pose it started off in high school, I got into diving there. Submarine (Int), Oceanography (Int), Pilot: Ship
I mean, I was always a keen swimmer, but the chance to (Wis), Pilot: Submersible (Wis), Scuba (Int), Search
just stay down there, to swim the reefs, and wrecks - (Int), Swim (Str), Underwater Hazard (Wis).
that just really appealed to me. After a few
years, I picked up my various certificates, and Skill Points at First Level:
swum some of the more challenging sites, but (4 + Int Modifier) X 4
it was still just a hobby. Then I noticed this
advert in one of the dive mags. It was a Skill Points Per Level:
SeaTech ad looking for divers to work out 4 + Int Modifier
with the rigs. Turns out I've got the right
kind of attitude they were after: don't Starting Feats:
mind being alone depressurizing, or work- Pilots receive one Background feat, and one
ing with others. bonus feat from one of starting feats below:
Ship Rated Pilot or Skill Focus
'So I worked out on the rigs for a bit, then this
chance to move into deep-sea mini-sub work came Bonus Feats:
up. I just jumped at it. These babies can go real Each time a character gets a bonus feat,
deep. Some people freak out working that far down. and every time they are entitled to select a
It's totally dark all the time, and freezing cold, and new feat, Pilots must choose one of the follow-
you're completely alone, but I love it down there. ing feat:Acrobatic, Alertness, Attraction, Blind
You see things no human has ever seen, go places Panic, Bright Idea, Computer Wiz, Diligent, Dirty
that no one has ever been - you're an explorer. The Fighting, Dodge, Driven, Empathic, False
whole idea of that still gives me a buzz, ya know.' Sincerity, Investigator, Nerves of Steel, Nimble
Fingers, Persuasive, Reserves of Stamina, Skill
Hit Die: d8 Focus, Swim Like a Fish, Speak Language,
Sportsman, Tech Specialist.
Class Skills:
Balance (Dex), Computer Operation (Int),
Concentration (Con), Engineering: Electronics
PILOT
Attack Ac
Level Feats bonus Bonus Fort Ref Will
1 Staring Feats +0 +1 +1 +1 +0
2 Sub Rated Pilot +1 +2 +2 +2 +0
3 Bonus Feat +1 +2 +2 +2 +1
4 Crack Driver +2 +3 +2 +2 +1
5 Bonus Feat +2 +3 +3 +3 +1
6 Toughness +3 +3 +3 +3 +2
7 Bonus Feat +3 +4 +4 +4 +2
8 Skill Focus +4 +4 +4 +4 +2
9 Bonus Feat +4 +5 +4 +4 +3
10 Dive Team Leader +5 +5 +5 +5 +3
12
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills:
Athlete (Dex), Climb (Str), Disable Device (Int),
Engineering: Salvage (Wis), Explosives (Int), Innuendo
(Wis), Listen (Wis), Medical Assistance (Wis), Scuba (Int),
Search (Int), Swim (Str), Underwater Hazard (Wis).
RESCUE DIVER
Attack Ac
Level Feats bonus Bonus Fort Ref Will
1 Starting Feats +0 +1 +1 +1 +0
2 Dive Team Leader +1 +2 +2 +2 +0
3 Bonus Feat +2 +2 +2 +2 +1
4 Swim Like a Fish +3 +3 +2 +2 +1
5 Bonus Feat +3 +3 +3 +3 +1
6 Tech Specialist +4 +3 +3 +3 +2
7 Bonus Feat +5 +4 +4 +4 +2
8 Reserves of Stamina +6/+1 +4 +4 +4 +2
9 Bonus Feat +6/+1 +5 +4 +4 +3
10 Nerves of Steel +7/+2 +5 +5 +5 +3
13
SALVAGE OPERATOR
'Under the water, human life is dependent on Salvage (Wis), Listen (Wis), Pilot: Ship (Wis), Search (Int),
machines. We need them to keep warm, to stave off
Underwater Hazard (Wis).
the effects of pressure, to provide us with locomo-
tion. We need them to breathe. Unfortunately, Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int Modifier) X 4
machines wear out, they breakdown - they fail.
That's why I'm here. I fix things. I keep peo- Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Int Modifier
ple alive down here - it's that simple.
Starting Feats:
'It may be that the Koloss has only had Salvage Operators can chose any Background feat, and
some kind of breakdown. Perhaps all one of the following starting feats: Alertness or Bright
they're going to need is some help fixing Idea.
things. It could well be more serious, but I can
handle that too. You've worked on SeaTech res- Bonus Feats:
cues before. Admittedly, this is the first Each time a character gets a bonus feat, and every
Russian nuclear attack sub I've ever had to time they are entitled to select a new feat, Salvage
rescue, but it's just a matter of scale. It's Operators must choose one from the feat list below:
exactly the same as a downed mini-sub - it's Acrobatic, Alertness, Attraction, Blind Panic, Bright
just gonna be a bit bigger, that's all.' Idea, Computer Wiz, Diligent, Dirty Fighting, Dodge,
Driven, Empathic, False Sincerity, Investigator, Iron
Hit Die: d6 Will, Nerves of Steel, Persuasive, Skill Focus, Speak
Language, Sportsman, Swim Like a Fish, Underwater
Class Skills: Welding.
Athletlics (Dex), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str),
Computer Operation (Int), Disable Device (Int),
Engineering: Electronics (Int), Engineering:
SALVAGE OPERATOR
Attack Ac
Level Feats bonus Bonus Fort Ref Will
1 Starting Feats +0 +1 +1 +0 +1
2 Toughness +1 +2 +2 +0 +2
3 Bonus Feat +2 +2 +2 +1 +2
4 Tech Specialist +3 +3 +2 +1 +2
5 Bonus Feat +3 +3 +3 +1 +3
6 Reserves of Stamina +4 +3 +3 +2 +3
7 Bonus Feat +5 +4 +4 +2 +4
8 Great Fortitude +6/+1 +4 +4 +2 +4
9 Bonus Feat +6/+1 +5 +4 +3 +4
10 Nimble Fingers +7/+2 +5 +5 +3 +5
14
CHAPTER 3
NEW SKILLS
tems.
Checks:
LOCATING DATA: The difficulty for this check is based on
ATHLETICS (DEX) the size of the system involved - the larger the file base, the
Description: the PC is skilled at sports and other physical longer it takes to sort through it. For every 5 points the
games. She can use this skill to kick balls further and more character exceeds the DC, she can reduce the time required
accurately, run faster and further. by one rank (see table below), to a minimum of one round.
Check: The skill can be used to perform an athletic act. It
is also a measure of someone's sporting prowess. The DC of
related check digits should be determined by the GM.
Simple acts of athletics need to beat a DC of 10, with the DC SIZE OF SYSTEM DC TIME
rising higher to reflect more extreme challenges. PC 10 5 rounds
Failure: A failed check indicates the character has simply Corporate 20 10 minutes
missed her allotted goal for the task at hand. The ball has International 30 1 hour
gone wide, or she has failed to push herself hard enough
to win the race.
Note: This skill does not replace the Jump, or Tumble skills,
but covers activities outside the scope of these two skills. HACKING AND SECURITY: Characters can attempt to
access a secure system or try to secure a system against
hacking. The PC makes the check against a DC determined
CALM (CHA) by the level of security present.
Description: The PC knows how to give comfort and advice
to people in stressful circumstances or situations, as well
as to provide professional psychological help. PCs can use
this skill to calm characters and diffuse tension from a sit- LEVEL OF SECURITY DC
uation. It also allows PCs to deal with aggressive or highly Weak/negligible 20
emotional individuals and to influence their attitude (i.e., PC Firewall 25
talk down a jumper or get a twitchy person to hand over a Custom 35
gun). Professional 40
Check: The skill can turn an emotional character towards
neutral or indifferent. The DC is determined by the emo-
tional state of the subject - the more extreme the emotion,
the higher the DC. The subject gets a chance to resist the
15
SKILLS TABLE
ENGINEERING: ELECTRONICS (INT) skill will still require the correct tools and components to
use this skill effectively.
Description: This skill covers the construction, repair and
Check: The DC needed to construct an electronic device is
maintenance of electronic devices. Characters using this
based on its complexity. For most game purposes this will
16
SKILLS TABLE
involve the jury-rigging of one device to serve the function ENGINEERING: NUCLEAR (INT)
of another, or the repair of an object through the cannibal- Description: This skill covers the safe operation, mainte-
ization of another. If the devices are similar in function, nance and theory of nuclear energy generation. The char-
then a successful skill check with a DC of 15 will be acter knows how to run and refuel reactors, as well as how
required. to deal with radioactive materials in a safe manner.
Failure: A failed result indicates the character has been Check: The DC is dependent on the activity the character is
unable to construct a working device, or to effect a proper attempting.
repair.
17
> Merely operating a nuclear reactor within its nor Failure: If a skill check is failed, then the character has
mal operating modes requires a skill check at DC made no headway in their attempts.
10. Note: GMs can use a series of cumulative skill checks to
> Changing fuel rods or dampening rods requires a determine how long the process takes to dismantle larger
skill check at DC 20. objects. Players can opt to Take 10 or 20 when undertaking
> Attempting to push the energy output beyond the Engineering: Salvage checks.
safe limits of the reactor requires a skill check at
20 plus 5 for every 5 percent of extra power the EXPLOSIVES (INT)
character wishes to extract. Description: Use this skill to create and place bombs and
> Stopping a reactor from overheating and entering explosive charges for mining, demolition, or anti-personnel
meltdown requires a Engineering: Nuclear check purposes. Characters with this skill can construct such
at DC 25, with an additional +5 to the difficulty devices and use them with a degree of safety.
for 5 percent the reactor is over its critical
threshold. CREATION: If the PC has access to the parts required,
then she is capable of building an explosive device. The GM
Failure: The level of failure will determine the outcome of sets a difficulty for the device, depending on its type, then
the character's mistakes: the character attempts to construct it.
> Failure by 1 to 5 - This simply means the charac
ter ha been unable to accomplish what they were Making the explosive using household or improvised ingre-
trying to do. dients adds +5 to the DC and +2 to any attempt to locate
> Failure by 6 to 10 - This indicates that he has the device once it's been placed. Homemade devices are
stressed the reactor, pushing up core tempera large and clumsy, making them easier to detect than mili-
tures. If not cooled, the reactor will automatical tary-grade explosives.
ly shut down.
> Failure by 11 or more - This indicates that the To construct any kind of bomb or explosive, the character
reactor has suffered a radiation leak, or has auto must first obtain or make the explosive charge (DC listed
matically been tripped into shutdown mode. by explosive type). She then construct a device, choosing a
blast effect type and method of detonation (timer type).
Note: This skill does not protect the character from radia- Finally, a single check is made against the combined DCs to
tion or other adverse effects, but will merely alert him to see if the PC was able to construct the device. The GM
the potential hazard. should note down the result of this roll, as it will also be the
DC of any attempt to use the Disable Device skill to disarm
ENGINEERING: SALVAGE (WIS) the explosive.
Description: Characters with this skill can attempt
mechanical repairs on boats or submarines and to disman- Failure: The margin by which the roll has failed determines
tle them. This skill covers the use of the equipment neces- the level of Failure:
sary to perform such work i.e., heavy wielding and cutting > Failure by 1 to 5: The device is less explosive
torches, the operation of cranes and other heavy lifting than expected - damage and radius are reduced by
gear. a half.
Check: The DC for repair work is dependent on the level of > Failure by 6 to 10: The device has been improper
malfunction with the device. Simply tinkering with a ly made, and will detonate late, prematurely, or
wrecked boat will not get it sea-worthy again; the character not at all.
may well need access to the correct tools and parts to > Failure by 11 or more: Catastrophic failure. The
affect a proper repair. device explodes. The PC must make a Reflex save
to avoid taking the full effects - if made, the dam
For dismantling or junking objects the DC is based on the age is reduced by half.
Hit Points and Armor Class of the object in question. To
determine the DC simply add the Hit Points and the Armor PLACEMENT: This skill is also used to place a device to
Class for the object together. achieve a specific effect against a large or complicated tar-
get. Other rolls may be needed (e.g. Move Silently).
For example, cutting through a steel door with 25 hit points
and 10 points of armor would therefore require a DC of 35. Note: A placement roll is not needed in typical demolition
Each five points the character exceeds the skill check by situations. At the GMs discretion water can affect the blast
indicates the time required to complete the task is dropped radius of explosions by reducing it by 25% to 75%.
by 25 percent.
18
EXPLOSIVES TABLES
EXPLOSIVE CREATION DC DAMAGE NOTES
Improvised Explosive 20 2d6 The most primitive of the explosives family, it is fairly
unstable and is susceptible to heat and damp if stored
incorrectly.
C4 15 3d6 An Industrial/Mining ExplosiveSimple plastic explosives
used in the demolition and mining industries.
Their stability and longevity make them safe to handle.
TIMER TYPE DC NOTES
Fuse 5+ The simplest of detonators, it consists of a fire source that burns
down to the explosive. It cannot be used with C4.
Timer 10+ The explosive can be set to detonate at a chosen time or after a
set delay.
Tilt 15+ The explosive will detonate if moved or tampered with.
Remote 15+ The explosive will explode upon a signal from a remote source.
Wire 5+ The explosive will detonate upon a signal sent down a wire lead
ing between the detonator and the explosive.
Failure: The margin by which the roll has failed determines Note: Unless the character has the Emergency Medic feat
the level of Failure: for patching wounds or the Doctor feat for surgery, then all
> Failure by 1 to 5: The PC incorrectly positions the checks are at -4.
device; its effect is lessened by half.
Also, in order to use this skill effectively, the character
> Failure by 6 or more: The device has been incor
needs the correct medical equipment to hand and a com-
rectly hidden and is out of position. Anyone trying
mitment of time. Without the proper equipment, stabiliza-
to discover it receives a +2 to check; the effect of
tion and long-term treatment, skill checks are made at an
the explosive is halved.
additional -4 penalty. Surgery without the correct equip-
ment is a brutal, medieval affair - the DC is raised to 25 for
KNOWLEDGE: SUBMARINE (INT) any such attempt.
Description: Characters with this skill are familiar with
the workings and day-to-day operation of submarines, and STABILIZATION: This aspect prevents a wounded charac-
are proficient in their general maintenance. They under- ter from deteriorating further. The skill can also be used to
stand the principles, by which a submarine can maneuver, arrest the spread of poison.
and the purpose and location of the various stations aboard
Check: A character performs a check at DC 15. This can
a vessel.
only be done once per injury.
Success: The patient is stabilized if they have negative
Check: the GM can ask for a Knowledge Submarine check
hit points, or recovers d4 hit points if they still
to see if a character can recall useful information about a
have positive hit points. For poison, effects have
submarine's functions or anatomy. The more complex the
been slowed, but only long-term treatment can
enquiry, the higher the difficulty of the check, although it is
cure the patient.
DC 10 for knowledge that would be common to any sub-
Failure: The patient receives no benefit from the
mariner.
attempt at healing.
Retry: No, patient must receive care from other spe-
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (WIS) cialists.
Description: This is a trained skill that allows a PC to tend LONG-TERM TREATMENT: This covers all attempts to
injuries and ailments. The skill is broken down into three restore a PC back to full hit points. Such care requires both
aspects: stabilization, long-term treatment, and surgery. rest and attention.
19
Check: The PC makes a skill check at DC 15 at the end > To navigate using sonar to locate another object,
of each day's rest. and then position yourself relative to that
Success: The patient recovers another 3 HPs plus their requires a Navigation: Submarine check at DC 20.
Con modifier to a minimum of 1. They also
recover 1 point of ability plus their Con modifi- Failure: The character has drifted off course, and is not
er to a minimum of one. where they think they are. If there are hazards in the area,
Failure: The patient receives no benefit from the the DC for Pilot: Submersible skill checks is increased by 5.
attempt at healing.
Retry: The character can try again the following day. OCEANOGRAPHY (INT)
Description: This is the study of the world's oceans, their
SURGERY: Surgery is most often used in the removal of geology, as well as the environments and ecologies within
bullets, but could apply to any number of other treatments. the seas. Included in this skill is the study of marine life,
Surgery helps patients recover more quickly from serious both flora and fauna.
injuries or conditions. Check: The DC of the skill check is based on the level of
complexity and depth of knowledge that is required in this
Check: The surgeon makes a check against DC 20. field. Answering a simple question, or recalling a trivial fact
Success: Surgery increases the amount of base HPs that requires only a DC of 10, whereas a more complex issue
the patient recovers during long-term will require a DC of 20. A very hard question or explanation
treatment, giving them a base of 5 instead of 3 about something really unusual will require a skill check at
(see Long-Term Treatment). This effect lasts for DC 30.
a number of days equal to the amount by which Failure: If a skill check fails, then the answer or solution
the surgeon succeeded the check. Damage to eludes the character. This may mean simply answering that
ability is also recovered at a faster base rate (2 they do not know, or getting the answer wrong.
instead of 1).
Failure: The surgeon deals d6 damage to the patient.
Retry: The character can try again the following day.
PILOT: SHIP (WIS)
Description: This skill covers control, maneuvering, and
steering of ships, large boats and other powered ocean-
MEDICAL SCIENCE (INT) going surface vessels
Description: This is the study of human anatomy, physiol- Check: No check is required for ordinary sea journeys
ogy, and the effect of chemicals and drugs upon the body. made by the character unless they do not have the Ship
Characters with this skill will have studied the science Rated Pilot feat, in which case a check at DC 10 is required
behind medicine, as well as autopsy techniques and phar- every time. Players who wish to complete journeys faster,
macology. or to travel in adverse weather, or perform more dangerous
Check: Dependent on the situation, the GM can set a DC maneuvers such as chases, should see the Chase Rules in
based on the complexity of the medical knowledge required. the combat chapter on p. 24.
Success: The more the character exceeds the DC by the Note: Players without the Ship Rated Pilot feat receive a -4
more information is supplied, or the shorter the time penalty for any Pilot: Ship check they attempt.
required to make the correct deduction.
Failure: The character is unable to determine the neces-
sary information, or comes to the wrong conclusions.
PILOT: SUBMERSIBLE (WIS)
Description: This skill governs the control and piloting of
underwater sea vehicles. Characters with this skill under-
NAVIGATION: SUBMARINE (INT) stand the principles and navigational requirements for
Description: The character knows how to use maps, sea moving in three dimensions underwater.
charts, sonar, and GPS positioning information to deter- Check: To maneuver a submarine, a basic skill check at DC
mine their location and position while underwater. 10 is required. For more complex maneuvers such as a
Check: To determine and follow a set course the character rapid ascent, or dive, or for entering tight spaces, a higher
must make a Navigation: Submarine check at DC 15: DC should be set.
Trying to outmaneuver or chase another submersible will
require an opposed piloting roll (see the Chase Rules on p.
> If the character has access to GPS information
the difficulty is reduced by 5. 24 for details).
Failure: See Chase Rules on p. 24 for failed pilot checks and
> To navigate in enclosed or tight spaces the diffi-
culty is increased by 5. crashes.
20
FEATS TABLE
*Mobility Dex 13, Dodge The character gets a +4 Dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks
of opportunity caused when he moves out of or within a threatened
area. A condition that makes him lose their Dexterity bonus to
Armor Class (if any) also makes him lose Dodge bonuses. Dodge
bonuses stack with each other, unlike most types of bonuses.
*Negotiator The PC gets a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks.
*Nerves Of Steel Will Save 2+ The character can steady those around her, giving her +1 to all
saves to resist being frightened.
Nimble Fingers The character gets a +2 bonus on all Disable Device and Open Lock
checks.
Persuasive The PC gets a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Intimidate checks.
Precise Aim The PC can fire any single-shot weapon into a melee and ignore the -4
penalty for doing so. This feat may not be used with a shotgun or
other area-effect weapons.
Rapid Shot The PC receives an extra shot each round when firing a single-shot
weapon. Both shots together count as a full action. Each shot is at -2
To Hit.
Ready Weapon Base attack +1 PC can ready a weapon as a free action, or reload or clear a jammed
firearm as a half action.
*Reassuring Presence Cha 11 The character receives a +4 circumstance bonus to Calm skill checks
when trying to snap a character out of distress.
*Reserves of Stamina The PC gains a +2 bonus on (Con) checks and Fort saves to keep on
going, and to resist environments that cause non-lethal damage.
*Scientist Int 13 The PC gets +4 to science- based Knowlegde skills when using lab
equipment.
*Ship Rated Pilot Pilot: Ship 1 rank The PC is proficient in sailing ships and other ocean going vessels,
and no longer incurs a -4 untrained penalty when doing so.
Skill Focus Chose a skill The character gets a +3 bonus on all checks involving that skill.
*Speak Language The PC is able to speak and to write in a foreign language e.g. Russian
or Swedish. Note: This replaces the Speak Language skill in the PHB.
*Sportsman Str 13, Dex 13 The PC receives +1 bonus on all Athletics, Climb, and Jump checks.
Running speed is also higher: Base Speed x5 rather than Base
Speed x4..
Stealthy The character gets a +2 bonus on all Hide and Move Silently checks.
*Sub Rated Pilot Pilot: Submersible 1 The PC is proficient in piloting submersibles and no longer incurs a -4
rank untrained penalty when doing so.
*Swim Like a Fish The PC's base speed for swimming receives a +10 feet bonus.
*Tech Specialist The character gains +2 bonus to all Engineering skills.
Toughness The PC gains +3 hit points.
*Underwater Welding Engineering: Salvage The PC is proficient with underwater welding equipment, and no
1 rank longer incurs a -4 untrained penalty when using such equipment.
Weapon Finesse Base attack When using a light weapon the PC is proficient with, the character
bonus +1 may use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier on
attack rolls.
Weapon Focus Choose one type of The PC gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls made using the selected
weapon you are weapon.
proficient with, Base
attack bonus +1
23
CHAPTER 4
> Characters in the dark lose the ability to deal > GMs can modify any of these rules when faced
extra damage due to precision, such as from feats with partial darkness or near total darkness.
like Weapon Focus.
24
ESCAPING THE TERROR: CHASE RULES FOR Some monsters may still only cover this distance at a walk,
but can accelerate faster than a normal person, giving
FRIGHT NIGHT them higher run multipliers. Others may not be as quick,
The following rules permit GMs to run fast-paced, exciting but have pounces, or sudden busts of speed that give them
chases on foot. The main determining factors in a chase are a surprisingly long range to make single attacks, but no
the distance between participants, their relative speeds, sustained movement.
and the maneuvers they are trying to perform (modified
based on the conditions present).
RUN! RUN! AS FAST AS YOU CAN!
When determining the outcome of a chase on foot, charac-
RUN AWAY! ters use opposed Athletics checks to see who can outdis-
The system detailed in this section gives GMs a quick way tance the other. Once a character has the lead, the may try
of resolving players trying to run away or to escape on foot to hide quickly out of sight, or even lay an ambush. If the
from terrifying monsters or perilous situations. It also cov- pursuer manages to catch up with a fleeing character, they
ers characters chasing after one another, and monsters can attack them, or try to trip them up.
running down hapless PCs.
HUMAN ONE ROUND Long: Characters on foot are unlikely to be able to launch
Walk 30 ft. ranged attacks, as circumstances allow.
Hustle 60 ft.
Run (x3) (encumbered) 90 ft. Extreme: The participants have lost sight of one another.
Run (x4) (Normal) 120 ft. Feats that allow tracking may be used to reestablish pur-
Run (x5) (sportsman Feat) 150 ft. suit, but these take some time and the participant being
pursued will be able to place some distance between them
and the pursuer.
MONSTERS
Walk 30 ft.
Scamper 60 ft.
Run 90-120 ft.
FALLING OVER, TACKLING, AND BEING
Ooze 10 ft. PUSHED INTO THINGS
Characters that are at "Neck And Neck" range can attempt
to shove or trip up another person. This is a standard trip
or overrun attempt (see the PHB) but a 4 penalty if both
RUNNING, SCAMPERING, SCUTTLING, AND characters are running (a running character attacking a
static character recives no penalty.) Note that falling on
OOZING snow never hurts.
Some creatures might move faster or slower than an ordi-
nary person. The base speed for a human is just 30 feet,
meaning they will cover 30 feet in a round at walking pace.
25
THE SCARE allows the mind to dwell on what might be out there. As long
as we are with someone else, we can take comfort in their
The characters that are scared by a creature or circum- presence, and the knowledge that you're not alone.
stance can become Shaken, Frightened, or Panicked. This
condition will last until they are safe, or for one round for For characters that find themselves cut off from the other
every point they failed their Will Save by. Frightened or characters, there is no one to help them deal with their
Panicked characters must flee from what's scaring them nerves. Perhaps they ran away on their own, or they decid-
by the best and fastest means available. They will not run ed that they knew best and would go their separate way -
to anything that has just frightened them also (i.e. a previ- whatever the reason, they now suffer a -2 penalty on all
ous failed roll) but they might run blindly into more trou- Will saves to avoid being frightened. If they fail this save,
ble. If they cannot flee or fight, they are forced instead into the severity of the frightening also increases. Something
Cowering. If the creature approaches within their threat that would ordinarily cause a character to become Shaken
range (usually within 5 feet of them), they can try to con- instead causes them to become Frightened. Frightened
front their fear and act by making another Will Save (at becomes Panicked, etc.
the same DC) to become Shaken instead.
Monsters target the whole party, as this system works on "IF IT BLEEDS - WE CAN KILL IT"
collective hit dice/levels of the group, not the individual hit In some games, cumulative factors may allow the charac-
dice/level of a character. As a result, the party can be ters to receive bonuses to resist this terror. When a char-
affected all together, and so may run together, or stand and acter meets one of the conditions below, they can be given
fight together. This will help prevent parties splitting up so a +2 circumstance bonus to resist the frightening effects
much, making the game easier to GM. After all, wandering of a creature or situation.
off in these situations is always a precursor to a sorry end-
ing and sticking together has to be the best thing to do! > Finding a creature's vulnerability (Vampires and
Characters that make their fear check may stand and fight garlic or crosses, etc.).
alone, or can elect to run with the other characters?
Whether they try to help, protect, or carry cowering char- > Working out what a creature is (`Hmm… It
seems the radiation here has altered the rat's
acters is up to them.
DNA to make them super intelligent`).
ALL ALONE WITH NO ONE TO HELP YOU > Familiarity with the creature, and acceptance of
their supernatural origins (`Not another zombie!
For some people there's simply nothing scarier than being
This place is just filled with them`).
alone in the dark. It brings back all the childhood fears, and
FRIGHT LEVELS
The four conditions listed below represent the effects of a character becoming frightened. The first is just a more
extreme case of nervousness, rising in severity to a level of terror that would leave the character paralyzed with fear.
1) Shaken (mild): A shaken character takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
2) Frightened (Lesser): A frightened character has 50% chance of dropping whatever they are holding. They flee from
the source of their fear as best they can. If unable to flee, they may fight. A frightened creature takes a -2 penalty on
all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened character can use special abilities, includ-
ing spells or special powers, to flee; indeed, the creature is compelled use such means if they are the only way to escape.
3) Panicked (Severe): A panicked character must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its
fear, as well as any other dangers they encounter along the way. They cannot take any other actions. In addition, the
character takes a -2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked character
starts Cowering and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. If a panicked character can
use special abilities (including spells or special powers) to flee, they will do so; indeed, the character must use such
means if they are the only way to escape.
4) Cowering (Extreme): The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a -2 penal-
ty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any).
27
> Determination to save the world, knowingly con- Players can also opt for voluntary madness if they think
fronting a monster, etc. (`Unless I can reach the this will be fun particularly if they are playing a higher
reactor in time, the whole world could be level character whose background includes another horror
destroyed!`). story.
2) Nauseated (severe): Experiencing "stomach distress". The GMs can chose their madness and insanities from the
Nauseated characters are unable to attack, cast spells or table below or make up her own.
use special abilities, concentrate on spells, or do anything
else requiring attention. The only action such a character
can take is a single move action per round. LONG-TERM HELP
Characters who have suffered prolonged insanity can be
treated through therapy and counseling. This takes one
MADNESS AND PHOBIA week for every form of prolonged insanity they have suf-
fered, after which a Calm Skill check with a DC equal to15
The results of the Frightening test can also be used to (+1 for every time the subject has suffered a form of mad-
induce manias, phobias and other mental states and ness) is made. If successful, the character will be cured.
derangements on the characters. Any fumble incurred Hey, it's a bit easier in the role-playing world if you wish to
develops a mental condition based on the situation in play your characters again. Alternatively, players can opt to
which they were frightened. have their characters gradually worsen under the burden
of finding themselves in one long horror story if they so
GMs should inflict these states with care; not to penalize wish.
and punish players, but to represent the effects such
events would have on him. When the character fails a Scare
Check, or when the GM deems them to have experienced SUDDEN MADNESS PROLONGED INSANITY
something truly horrific or unworldly, she may then say he Faints Compulsive behavior
hax been struck by madness. The form this madness takes Screaming fit Paranoia
can either come from one of the suggestions below, or can Hysterical Severe phobia
be the GM's own invention. The delusions and behavioral Babbles uncontrollably Psychosomatic ailment
forms below can all be triggered by extreme shock or fear. Curls into a fetal ball Uncontrollable tics or
Many of the forms of behavior people associate with mad- convulsions
ness, such as split personalities and delusions, are actually Becomes phobic Amnesia
caused by physical symptoms such as chemical imbalances Catatonic Psychosis
within the brain, and are not suitable for quick, exciting
games of horror.
28
SWIM FOR IT! Swimmers that leave the Koloss will be required to accli-
Any character can wade in relatively calm water that isn't matize to the intense pressure by flooding their escape
over their head, with no check required. Similarly, swim- chamber or torpedo tube slowly, and then must spend time
ming in calm water only requires skill checks with a DC of decompressing before they can safely re-enter the sub.
10. Trained swimmers can just take 10. (Remember, how-
ever, that equipment or heavy gear makes any attempt at DECOMPRESSING
swimming much more difficult. (See the Swim skill descrip-
Decompression time is based on two things: depth or pres-
tion in the PHB for details.)
sure the diver is leaving, and how much time they have
spent there. The former will be mostly constant during this
By contrast, fast-moving water is much more dangerous.
adventure, as any divers leaving the sub will be swimming
On a successful DC 15 Swim check or a DC 15 Strength
at 170-200 feet. The amount of time spent outside the sub
check, it deals 1d3 points of non-lethal damage per round
will dictate how much time must be spent decompressing.
(1d6 points of lethal damage if flowing over rocks and cas-
GMs can use a rough approximation of four minutes of
cades). On a failed check, the character must make another
decompression time for every minute spent outside the sub
check that round to avoid going under.
or in a pressurized room.
Very deep water is not only pitch black, posing a naviga- Characters may use the airlock of the Erebus to decom-
tional hazard, (See Alone In The Dark, p.23) but worse, it press (the submersible will have to be undocked for them to
deals water pressure damage of 1d6 points per minute for enter the chamber, however), or the emergency decompres-
every 100 feet the character is below the surface. A suc- sion chamber aboard the sub if longer decompression times
cessful Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) are needed. The Koloss has a dedicated decompression
means the diver takes no damage in that minute. chamber on the top level of the third compartment that can
be used if power is restored.
THE COLD
Characters entering the water (by any means) may suffer
"cold shock" from being immersed in the cold water (a
THE BENDS
failed Fort save will reduce all the character's attributes Characters that do not receive proper decompression will
and skills by -2 while in the water). experience intense pain in their joints as nitrogen bubbles
gather and cut off blood-flow, causing 1d4 damage to the
Even if the character manages to safely reach the under- character (Fort save for half damage, round down).
side of the ice pack, they'll have a long swim ahead of them Unconsciousness and death soon follow as nitrogen bub-
to reach open water. Survival in the icy water will be almost bles gather together and become trapped in the circulatory
impossible, even with scuba gear. Hypothermia will set in system, cutting off blood-flow and creating stroke-like
almost immediately; Fort saves every fifteen minutes of symptoms or cardiac arrest. The GM may allow a Fort save
game time will help the character stave off the inevitable. once per minute to avoid unconsciousness in extreme
But a total of four failed Fort saves means the character cases of the bends; a second Fort save (each minute) will
has succumbed and will fall asleep in an icy, painless death. temporarily stave off character death. (Placing a victim on
their left side, with their feet above their head, adds a +1 to
each Fort save as the nitrogen gathers near their feet and
UNDER PRESSURE not their brain and heart). Treating the character is next
Ascending from the depths requires a DC 15 Scuba check to to impossible without the use of decompression chambers
prevent ruptured eardrums from a rapid ascent. Rapid to balance out the character's circulatory system.
pressure changes can also damage the diver's lungs or
bring on the bends (below). GMs should require two Scuba If these options unnecessarily complicate matters, the GM
checks (DC 15) during the ascent; failure results in 2d4 is free to modify or ignore them, or place the sub in more
damage (Fort save for half damage).
29
shallow water where the pressure differential is mini- ed section. If a character gets a check result of 5 or more
mized. over the minimum necessary, they arrest their motion by
catching hold of something. They are no longer being car-
GASPING FOR AIR! ried along by the flow of the water. Escaping the surge
requires three DC 20 Swim checks in a row. Characters
Any character can hold their breath for a number of holding on against the surge can't escape under their own
rounds equal to twice their Constitution score. After this power unless they strike out into the water and attempt to
period of time, the character must make a DC 10 swim their way clear. Other characters can then rescue
Constitution check every round in order to continue hold- them. Characters swept underwater are at risk from
ing their breath. Each round, the DC increases by 1. drowning (See Gasping For Air).
When the character fails a Constitution check, they begin
to drown. In the first round, they drop to 0 hit points, and
are unconscious. In the following round, they drop to -1 hit
points and begin to die. In the third round, the character
dies from drowning.
FLOWING WATER
This includes a fast flowing river; a set of white water
rapids; a whirlpool; or even water pouring into a sinking
ship - in other words, anywhere where there is a current.
People and objects can be swept downstream at a speed of
ten to forty feet per round. The fastest rapids send swim-
mers bobbing downstream at sixty to ninety feet per
round. Fast rivers count as at least rough water (Swim DC
15), and whitewater rapids are the equivalent of stormy
STILL WATER
Any body of still or slow moving water simply requires a
water (Swim DC 20). If a character is in moving water, they
successful Swim check to move through (DC 10 in calm
are moved downstream the indicated distance at the end of
water, DC 15 in rough water, DC 20 in stormy water).
their turn. A character trying to maintain their position
Characters need a way to breathe if they're underwater;
relative to shore or keep themselves in place, can spend
failing that, they risk drowning (See Gasping For Air).
some or all of their turn swimming upstream.
1 Grapple checks underwater at a -2 penalty, but deals damage normally when grappling.
2 A successful Swim check lets a creature move one-quarter its speed as a move action or one-half its speed as a full-
round action.
3 Creatures have firm footing when walking along the bottom, braced against a ship's hull, or the like. Characters can
only walk along the bottom if they wear or carry enough gear to weigh them down - at least 16 pounds for ordinary
people.
4 Creatures flailing about in the water (usually because they fail their Swim checks) have a hard time fighting effec-
tively. An off-balance creature loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and opponents gain a +2 bonus on attacks
against it.
30
UNDERWATER AND WATERY COMBAT should be the initial limit to what's available, and the
Russians certainly aren't going to give their weapons away.
Ordinary people have considerable difficulty when fighting
in water. Water affects characters' Armor Class, attack As the adventure progresses, the party will have the
rolls, damage, and movement. The effects are summarized chance to explore and to "loot" pieces of equipment from
in the accompanying table. They apply whenever a charac- the Koloss. Remember though, the crew will have already
ter is swimming, walking in chest-deep water, or walking tried to put up a fight, with infected and uninfected sailors
along under water. struggling for survival. There may be guns to be found, but
these should be found empty, clutched in the hands of dead
RANGED ATTACKS UNDERWATER crew, surrounded by spent shell cases.
Normal ranged weapons are ineffective underwater, even
when launched from land. Attacks with other ranged Similarly, objects such as kitchen knives, cleavers, pry bars,
weapons take a -2 penalty on attack rolls for every 5 feet of and large tools will all have been taken away and utilized as
water they pass through, in addition to the normal penal- weapons.
ties for range.
The Characters in Fright Night: What Went Down have a The Yarygin PYa has now been officially adopted as the
limited choice of weapons. The only things they can get standard issue sidearm weapon by the Russian
hold of are what they brought with them on the submarine, Government for military and law enforcement use. The
the equipment from the Erebus, and what they can salvage weapon is only just being issued to Russian military units.
or cannibalize from the Koloss. The divers are one of these lucky units. The pistol is con-
structed from steel, and unlike modern sidearms from the
Unless the GM is feeling very generous, they will not have west, has no polymer parts except for the handgrips. As
any guns or other weapons to start with. The Russian with all Soviet weapons, it is designed to be extremely reli-
divers have service pistols and diving knives, but this able and easy to maintain.
The pistol fires the more common 9 mm Luger/Para round, threat from the alien probe and the crew becomes appar-
unlike the Makarova pistol still in service with the Soviet ent, no doubt the players will struggle to arm themselves.
Navy, which fires the shorter Soviet 9 X 18 mm round. As As a standard rule of thumb, these weapons will inflict a d6
a result, bullets from one gun cannot be used in the other. non-lethal damage unless they are particularly heavy,
(such as a large steel wrench), or sharp (such as kitchen
MAKAROV PM PISTOL cleaver). They will all be critical only on a 20, and inflict
bludgeoning damage for blunt objects, and piercing or
The Makarov PM (Pistolet Makarova). In 1951, the Soviet slashing damage for sharp weapons.
Army adopted the Makarov pistol as its standard sidearm,
and it continued to serve in this role until the end of the
twentieth century. The design of the pistol was loosely
based on the German Walther PPK, one of the most suc-
HOME MADE EXPLOSIVES AND BOOBY
cessful automatic pistols of its time. It was recently TRAPS
declared obsolete, and is being slowly phased out of service The characters may also try to make bombs and booby
with Russian military and law enforcement. The officers of traps from the C4 they have, and from other dangerous
the Koloss have each been issued with one of these pistols, chemicals aboard. There are also various other devices that
and would be expected to keep it holstered as part of their can be used as explosives, such as the air filter packs, and
normal uniform. air tanks of the emergency scuba suits. These should be
treated as improvised explosives, and are dealt with as
The decision to withdraw the Makarov stems from its small such under the Explosives skill description on page 17.
ammunition capacity, and lack of stopping power compared Playing with explosives in confined spaces is dangerous,
to other modern sidearms. The Makarov PM is, however, however, and any resultant fires may further deplete the
simple, sound and inexpensive, and stands as one of the already meager supplies of oxygen.
best compact self-defence pistols of its day.
CHAPTER 5
THE KOLOSS GOES DOWN The Koloss sank in about 200 feet of arctic water as the
front torpedo room continued to fill with water from the
Within hours of picking up the alien probe, the crew of the gaping wound in the nose. The sub landed hard, fracturing
Koloss developed headaches, ringing in the ears, and nau- along the port side near the middle of the sub and flooding
sea. Visual and aural hallucinations followed, and a deep, the fifth compartment (see map) and scramming - shutting
irrational paranoia soon overtook the crew. As the sub con- down - the reactor.
tinued its journey toward open water, infighting became
commonplace, the hallucinations increased in frequency The sub's emergency buoy automatically released and shot
and intensity, and soon a mutiny was underway. toward the surface, its radio beacon struggling to be heard
through the 10-foot ice pack.
Captain First Rank Maxim Belov, now paranoid to the point
of insanity, began ordering crew to be confined to quarters, The sub fell dark and silent. Undead crew began makeshift
locked in makeshift brigs. He armed himself and his senior repairs, but as the temperature dropped, the alien organism
staff, but within hours, a full-scale war had broken out slipped into dormancy once again. The infected bodies
aboard the Koloss. Officers and crew turned on one anoth- dropped to the decks, lifeless, awaiting sufficient warmth to
er, betraying, torturing, and killing each other as their para- rise and walk the boat once again.
noia increased.
(not to mention the time delay involved in breaking offered money, people, and machines. Their cutting-edge,
through forty linear miles of ice pack to reach the site in deep submergence rescue vehicle (the unimaginatively
the first place). Waiting for the ice to melt would mean cer- named STI-DSRV1) was safely tucked away aboard her ten-
tain death for any survivors. der, the STI John Henry, currently moored at Tromsø,
Norway - about 300 miles south of the incident site.
Only a rescue submersible, large enough to hold 118 people
plus rescuers, could save the crew of the Koloss - and the The STI-DSRV1 - nicknamed the Erebus - is capable of hold-
Russians did not have one. ing about three dozen rescued submariners and can travel
at nearly five knots submerged. If there was any hope of
THE WORLD REACTS reaching the downed submarine in a timely manner, it rest-
ed with the employees of SeaTech. Despite their resurrect-
Rumors of the incident spread, and soon word was out: a ed Cold War fears, the Russian government begrudgingly
Russian sub had gone down under the polar ice pack. Offers accepted SeaTech's offer.
of aid poured in. Norway, the United States, and the United
Kingdom all immediately offered their services - both civil-
ian and military - to help locate the sub and rescue any sur- PREPARATIONS
vivors. The Russian government demurred. A call for volunteers immediately went out around the
world. From SeaTech's oil rigs in the Philippines to salvage
But world pressure forced the Russians to reconsider. operations off the coast of Honduras, courageous volun-
Fearful of Western military involvement in the operation, teers stepped forward and offered their services to rescue
they flatly refused any military aid, turning instead to the trapped survivors. The GM and PCs should work together to
civilian sector. create a diverse and colorful group of characters with
underwater operations, engineering and repair, and emer-
SeaTech International, an American conglomerate special- gency medical skills. GMs with a strong sense of genre con-
izing in international maritime operations (see p. 33), vention may choose to run individual role-play sessions
THE RUSSIAN NORTHERN FLEET outdated, but functions well in its support role. It
remains on station to lend supplies and support to the
The Henry is not the only vessel at the staging area. The other small vessels in the makeshift fleet.
lights of several Russian ships can be seen in the lengthy
arctic night. Some will be on site when the PCs arrive; Nicolai Karamzin. Built on the hull of an old timber boat,
others will trickle in as the hours wear on. If the PCs ask this full-sized freighter has been converted to carry a
questions, they can find out only basic information about pair of Russian submersibles. One, called AS-17, is an
the other ships. Avtonomny Rabochy Snaryad (Autonomous Working
Apparatus) and is used for underwater salvage and engi-
Marshal Krylov. The Krylov has remained in the vicinity neering operations; it has no rescue capability. The other
since the beginning of the entire incident. From a dis- - the Pyranja - can carry up to a dozen people, but it does
tance, it looks like a Russian trawler, but even a cursory not have enough battery power for a round trip to and
examination reveals countless antennae, radio masts, from the accident site, some forty miles northeast.
and other communication equipment. It serves as a satel-
lite and space telemetry boat for the Russian space Persevet. This 30-year-old Dobrynya Nikitich icebreaker
agency. The GM can foreshadow the adventure by giving has been called up to assess the possibility of muscling a
the PCs a chance to recognize the satellites and radio path through the ice pack toward the downed sub. It is
masts aboard the Marshal Krylov - if they can determine capable of breaking through the ice, but at a very slow
that it is a deep space event support vessel, they may pace. The viability of a surface rescue has been dis-
have a heads up about what is waiting for them aboard cussed more than once, but dismissed due to the logistics
the Koloss. involved. The GM may wish to involve the Persevet later
in the adventure, when the PCs are attempting to flee the
Murina. This multipurpose, seagoing tug doubles as a submarine and to make their way to safety (p. 55).
rescue and firefighting vehicle. It is large for a tug, but
its medical bay is half-stocked and only large enough to Izumrud. The PCs can learn very little about this
accommodate about ten patients. Russian light cruiser. It patrols the seas around the stag-
ing area, its powerful weapons an ominous reminder of
SB-610. This mid-sized cargo ship was converted to a the navy's opinion of allowing Westerners near their mil-
fleet engineering support vessel in 1995. It is aging and itary secrets.
35
portraying the rounding up of the PCs from various places seen gathered around ten square miles of the icy, storm-
in the world; some may already be working; others may tossed Barents Sea. The chopper will set down hard on the
need to be tracked down while rock climbing in the Grand Henry's helopad, jarring the passengers but delivering
Canyon; others may be slumming in seedy bars. them safely to the boat. The bright yellow and white hull of
the STI-DSRV1 - the Erebus - stands out on the deck of the
The John Henry made ready for sea and was underway otherwise drab support ship as technicians scurry around
within two hours. SeaTech assigned Gordon Cramer, one of it, performing last-minute tests and checking on supplies.
their senior salvage experts, to act as liaison to the As the PCs disembark the helicopter, they're ushered
Russians and to coordinate the SeaTech operations (his unceremoniously below deck to crew quarters and given fif-
character sheet appears on p. 58). teen minutes to report for a preliminary briefing.
TROMSO, NORWAY
As the John Henry and her precious DSRV head towards
ABOARD THE HENRY
Bjørnøya, the PCs will be flown from various sites around The PCs should feel at home aboard the STI John Henry. If
the world to converge on the Norwegian port of Tromsø. they have not served on it themselves, they have spent
They will be allowed to bring their personnel equipment, many hours aboard similar support ships around the
but no firearms. SeaTech will provide the necessary sal- world. The bulk of the vessel is devoted to carrying and
vage and underwater gear, but the PCs may acquire addi- deploying the Erebus. The command and control areas are
tional personal items at the GM's discretion. aft, with the bridge, radio room, and chartroom situated
three stories above the main deck. Storage and equipment
The team has a very tight deadline and will be flown by hel- lockers are located directly below the bridge, with crew
icopter to the John Henry not long after they have assem- quarters, the mess, the recreation room and briefing room
bled at Tromsø. The GM should roll 1d20 for each PC to taking up the bulk of the aft areas below the main deck.
determine how many hours ahead of the departure time
each one arrives. A full-sized decompression chamber is located amidships,
below deck, and is accessible via a gangway from the main
At about 5:00 p.m., the team - including the PCs and about deck and hallways from the crew quarters. A docking hatch
a dozen NPC support personnel - is loaded aboard a heli- on top allows the bottom of the Erebus to mate up and
copter and ferried to the John Henry. The four-hour flight transfer her crew directly into the chamber via the DSRV's
is uneventful, and soon the lights of several ships can be docking airlock.
36
The ship's crew comprises twenty-six people trained in The sub would normally be able to operate submerged for
support, search and rescue, and salvage operations. Several weeks, but fire or flooding could severely limit the oxygen
have volunteered to make the trip to the Koloss, but ulti- available to any survivors. Time is of the essence.
mately Gordon Cramer (p. 58) will decide who goes and
who stays. He will select the PCs, plus a handful of NPCs as Note: Cramer knows nothing about the downed alien object
the GM sees fit. Suggested NPCs appear in GM Resources or the Koloss' instructions to retrieve it. The Koloss' mis-
(pp. 60-61); GMs may use as many or as few of them as sion, and even the existence of the probe, should be kept
needed to flesh out the PC team. secret from the players until they actually discover it
aboard the downed sub.
THE BRIEFING BEGINS The GM should involve the PCs in the details of the mission,
The initial briefing is held in a low-ceilinged meeting room letting them have some say in various aspects of planning,
just below the bridge. Despite the icy cold of the arctic especially as they apply to their areas of expertise.
night, the room is overly warm and stuffy, and packed with Baybarin will react violently to any suggestion that the
far more bodies than it was intended to hold. Some of those Western crew enter the submarine. He is adamant. He
in attendance still wear their bright orange, but grease- wants the Erebus to simply locate the sub, attach to an
stained coveralls; others are in t-shirts and jeans. Along emergency hatch, determine the presence (or absence) of
one wall sits a delegation of Russian naval officers, their any survivors, and rescue them by allowing them into the
uniforms pressed and immaculate, a stark contrast to the DSRV. Under no circumstances, he demands, will anyone be
informal dress of the SeaTech workers. Gordon Cramer pre- allowed to enter the Koloss proper.
sides over the meeting, introducing select attendees as the
meeting begins (this may include one or more of the PCs if
they are especially outstanding in any particular field of To ensure that his orders are followed, Baybarin insists
operations). The captain of the John Henry, Kendra that Russian personnel accompany the rescue team.
"Kenny" Phelps (p. 58), assists Cramer. Cramer will balk at the suggestion, but Baybarin is
adamant. In the end, the rescue team will comprise the PCs,
Admiral Oleg Baybarin, an aging throwback to the Cold War one or more NPC civilians, and three NPC Russians -
(p. 59), leads the Russian naval officers. Baybarin is Captain-Lieutenant Alexei Korkin (an Antyei class subma-
extremely dubious about accepting Western help, and views rine officer present at the briefing; p. 59), and two military
the civilian crew as undisciplined and unprofessional. operations specialists - ostensibly rescue divers from the
As the meeting begins, Baybarin and his entourage remain top secret military 328th Rescue Division - that look sus-
silent, allowing Cramer to explain the situation to his crew. piciously like hardened soldiers (p. 60).
A translator speaks quietly, echoing Cramer's words to the
Russian officers, and Cramer speaks slowly and deliberate- The meeting takes several hours to work out all the details
ly, pausing occasionally and glancing toward the group to and to reach some kind of mission parameters that are
be certain they are keeping up. The Russians listen impas- acceptable to both sides. Cramer is concerned about his
sively, without interrupting, but Baybarin's dislike for the crew's safety and the safety of any Koloss survivors;
Westerners is plain on his face. Baybarin seems solely focused on preventing Russian mili-
tary secrets or technology from falling into Western hands.
OPERATIONAL DETAILS They eventually come to terms, with both sides giving the
Cramer explains the situation to his crew: The Russian other a bit of leeway. Arguing the politics of the mission
nuclear attack submarine Koloss is missing and apparent- only serves to delay the rescue, putting any survivors' lives
ly in trouble, some forty miles northeast of the staging at even greater risk.
area. Her emergency beacon seems to have deployed and is
emitting a faint, but locatable signal from under the ice By 0100, the meeting breaks up. The GM should encourage
pack. The Norwegian meteorological station at Bjørnøya the PCs to get to know one another and the key NPCs, both
first picked up this signal three days ago. during and after the briefing. Once they are dismissed, they
will have the remainder of the night to grab a few hours'
Attempts to raise the sub via low frequency communica- rest and prepare their equipment. The Erebus is scheduled
tions (VLF and ELF) have failed, so it is unknown whether to hit the water at 0900 the following morning.
there are any survivors.
37
CHAPTER 6
STI-DSRV1 - THE EREBUS the decompression time and begins to slowly depressur-
ize the chamber. The entire process is almost completely
The Erebus is a civilian deep submergence rescue vehi- automated, and can be controlled from inside the airlock
cle (DSRV). Based on cutting-edge designs, the Erebus is or from the cockpit of the submersible.
much larger than other rescue craft; it stretches nearly
sixty feet from stem to stern and displaces over fifty Below the airlock, a thick, rubberized docking collar is
tons when submerged. The cockpit seats three - a pilot, a designed to mate up with most emergency hatches in use
navigator/sonar operator, and an optional third person today; it can be replaced by an alternate collar very
who acts as radio operator and assists the navigator quickly (about six working hours), giving this cutting-
during searches. (The radio set in the Erebus has a range edge DSRV rescue capability to 99% of the world's sub-
limited to about ten miles). marines.
A watertight bulkhead separates the cockpit from the The Erebus is powered by a bank of specially designed
main area, which contains enough open space to squeeze batteries. These give it an operational range of close to
in about 36 rescued sailors or passengers (this is the 24 hours - over 120 linear miles at top speed. At slower
submersible's maximum capacity; fully loaded, the DSRV speeds, it is capable of operating for nearly twice as long.
is uncomfortable and cramped). The main compartment The submersible contains enough oxygen and CO2
is lined with two fold-down benches along either side, removers for 1800 hours of use.
with equipment lockers mounted into the back wall.
The docking collar and airlock can be removed, and a spe-
A coffin-sized emergency decompression chamber is cial hatch fitted inside the sub to allow it to be used as a
located near the equipment lockers; extra gear is often diving sphere. This allows the Erebus to be used as a
stowed here during routine missions. mobile diving bell during saturation dives, or to rescue
stranded saturation divers without worrying about
A large center hatch leads down to the docking airlock, decompression issues.
which itself is capable of acting as a decompression
chamber. The airlock automatically detects the pressure SeaTech has plans to build another DSRV for use in the
outside (which can be manually overridden) and a water- Pacific within the next three years. The Erebus - cur-
proof panel allows the diver to enter the amount of time rently one of a kind - cost $11.5 million to build.
spent at that depth. A computer automatically calculates
FINDING THE WAY will result in a tiny, almost invisible crack in the sub-
mersible's exterior, creating a tiny leak in the forward elec-
Navigating the submersible under the ice pack is not easy. tronics compartments. Even if the pilot somehow manages
The pilot must negotiate around (or under) pressure ridges to successfully navigate to the sub, a structural flaw will
in the ice, and the entire ice pack is in constant motion. still cause a very minute leak in this compartment.
The PCs must decide if they are traveling near the ocean The leak will go unnoticed for several hours.
bottom (which is safer) or near the ice pack itself (where
they will be more likely to pick up the emergency buoy's
radio signal). The former allows a +1 on Pilot: Submersible DISASTER STRIKES!
checks; the latter, a +1 to Navigation checks to locate the As the Erebus passes the 35-mile mark, the pilot will notice
beacon. a distinct loss in power as the submersible's lights dim and
flicker, and the faint, acrid smell of burning electrical insu-
Regardless, the GM may call for a number of Pilot: lation wafts into the cockpit. A quick glance at the instru-
Submersible rolls at varying degrees of difficulty, ranging ments shows that one bank of batteries is draining at an
from DC 5 to DC 25. Failure usually means the Erebus has alarming rate. A successful Engineering: Electronics check
scraped against the ice or an outcropping on the ocean will allow one of the crew to remove an access panel under
floor, jarring the passengers, but causing no real harm to the cockpit and crawl partway into the nose of the sub.
the submersible. A critical failure on any Pilot: Submersible They will be rewarded with the icy drop of seawater from a
check will result in damage to the Erebus, possibly leading nearly microscopic crack above them, and several inches of
to a mini-adventure in its own right as the crew tried to water in the bottom of the compartment. Rubber bladders
stave off the flooding and patch up the rescue vehicle and isolation dams have prevented the water from reaching
before continuing. At the very least, one of the failed rolls most of the electronics, but a faint trickle has bypassed
39
these safety systems and created a short. Half the sub's But the ocean is a big place and the Koloss - for all its size
batteries are draining at an inordinately high rate. - is miniscule in comparison.
The PC must make a Spot check of DC 15 to locate the prob- As the Erebus nears the predicted accident site, one of the
lem, and three successful Engineering: Electronics checks submersible's crew - the navigator - should begin making
(DC 15) to stop the batteries from discharging. The GM Navigation skill checks. Any success of 20 or greater will
should play up the time factor during the PC's repair reveal a very faint signal drifting through the airways - the
attempts - a full minute per repair check, regardless of suc- lonely chirping of the sub's emergency radio beacon.
cess or failure - reminding them of the constant drain on
the batteries as they hurry to make the repairs! A critical The sound is a lonely, plaintive wail, made more so by the
failure on any of the rolls will result in 1d6 electrical dam- eerie darkness that surrounds the submersible. Honing in
age to the character. on it will require an additional skill check (DC 20) to trian-
gulate on the signal and plot a course toward the downed
Once the discharge is stopped, an Engineering: Salvage sub. Once the crew has done so, the cockpit crew can begin
check of DC 15 will temporarily repair the leak and prevent making Spot checks to find the sub or the buoy.
any future electrical damage.
If the Erebus approaches near the ocean bottom, they will
It doesn't take long for the pilot to realize that the remain- see the light-absorbing hull of the Koloss only a moment
ing charge is insufficient to return the Erebus 35 miles to before they're upon it, forcing the pilot to make a Pilot:
the waiting John Henry. The rescue team is
trapped - stranded under the ice pack without
enough power to return home.
THE DECISION
The NPCs' reactions will be profound and varied,
and the GM should let the PCs play out the scene
until they eventually reach the correct conclu-
sion: the Erebus does not have enough battery
power to make the journey back to the Henry, nor
does it have enough power or structural integrity
to break through ten feet of ice. The team's only
hope is to locate the Koloss, and hope they can
either repair the submersible and recharge or
replace the faulty battery.
CHAPTER 7
Restarting the Reactors (p. 49): The PCs should want Repairing the Erebus (p. 55): Getting the Erebus func-
to restore power quickly - it is really a necessity if they tional again should have been a priority for the players
are to repair the Erebus and leave the doomed sub. This from the beginning. No doubt they have become side-
step is critical in moving the adventure forward since it tracked in their plans, but by late in the adventure they
leads to the reanimation of the dead crew. will surely be looking to get back to this necessary step!
Hallucinations (p. 5): The GM should spend some time Stopping the Threat (p. 52): The PCs should, by the end
frightening the characters with hallucinations, including of the adventure, be working to stop the undead crew,
at least one of a reanimated sailor, before moving on to blow up the Koloss, cure themselves of the infestation,
actual encounters with the crew. and repair the Erebus so they can escape. The GM should
keep the adventure moving quickly at this point, keeping
The Walking Dead (p. 5): The PCs encounter the undead the encounters fast and varied, moving from one part of
crew - the GM should start with only one undead person, the finale to the next.
and increase the number as the adventure continues.
Escaping the Koloss (p. 55): The final step in the adven-
Live Crew (p. 43): If the GM wishes to pass on some ture is to destroy the Koloss and return to the waiting
clues - or simply vary the encounters - they should spring John Henry. PCs left alive at this point should feel
a live member of the crew on the PCs at this point in the they've earned their pay and then some!
42
people, where a second hatch at their feet leads into the sub ing; not every dark compartment need hide an undead
proper (this arrangement forms an airlock that would member of the crew waiting to strike, nor are fully lighted
allow the crew to escape via the hatch and swim to the sur- compartments safe from their menace (see also Keeping it
face). Scary, p. 5).
The second hatch may or may not be open, at the GM's dis-
cretion. Once the PCs pass this second hatch - again climb- OXYGEN
ing a wall-mounted ladder - they can begin exploring the With the reactor shut down, the oxygen levels in the pow-
submarine. erless sub will continue to drop and the CO2 levels will rise.
Emergency air-regeneration cartridges (about the size of
two or three CD cases stacked together) are also available,
THE INTERIOR and can be inserted into emergency blowers to provide oxy-
The sub is cold and dark when the salvage crew arrives. gen in individual compartments. If no power whatsoever is
Because of the salinity of the ocean around them, the water available, these cartridges can still be opened and hung
is actually below freezing (about 28° Fahrenheit). Most of throughout the room; moisture in the air triggers superox-
the sub has a coating of frost on the interior walls, and cold ygenated chemicals to absorb the CO2 and release oxygen.
weather gear would appropriately be worn while inside The smell is unpleasant, but the air is life-sustaining.
(perhaps over the top of a wetsuit if the character so
insists). Emergency lighting has been draining the sub's Note that these cartridges react violently with water; if an
batteries - which are largely flooded in compartment one - open cartridge is dropped in a flooded compartment, it
so only a faint red glow remains to light the PCs' way. A sin- stands a 50% chance of creating a small explosion that
gle spinning red light is mounted near the entrance to the could ignite flammable liquids floating on the surface, or
hatch; it turns slowly in the cold, as if struggling vainly to simply create a rolling fireball in an oxygen-rich environ-
warn away visitors. ment. The cartridges count as a single unit of improvised
No matter which hatch the PCs choose to use, a few guide- explosive, set as an incendiary bomb, as referred to under
lines apply throughout the ship: the Explosives skill description on page 17.
EQUIPMENT LOCKERS
Although the Koloss is stocked with emergency equipment
such as food, water, flashlights, weapons, thermal clothing,
and even bottled oxygen, many of the lockers will be empty
or destroyed. The crew - living or undead - may have gath-
ered up emergency supplies or simply destroyed much of it
in fits of paranoia-induced rage.
ISP-60S
The Koloss provides emergency scuba gear for escaping
LIVE CREW
from the sub. Called Individualnoe Sredstvo Podvodnika, As the team continues their exploration, they should peri-
or ISP-60s, these individual hydro suits are little more odically make Listen checks. The GM can use these to keep
than cheap, waterproof jumpsuits and hoods with a rudi- them on their toes with the distant creaking of the sub as
mentary breathing system that will sustain divers long it continues to cool and settle; the banshee cry of steam
enough to reach the surface. Each suit is equipped with an escaping from a damaged valve; or the hiss of static from a
emergency flotation device to help bring the character to battery-operated transistor radio.
the surface, and stay there while they await rescue.
The ISP-60s are stored near battle stations throughout But not everyone aboard the Koloss is dead yet. Some of the
the sub; some have been destroyed, some remain crew survived the slaughter and either haunt the decks of
untouched. A few corpses and animated crewmembers
the sub or wait in hiding. They are completely overwhelmed
wear them with varying degrees of success. Properly fit-
ting and using an ISP-60 requires a Scuba skill check at by the alien organism and are nearly incapable of rational
DC 5. thought. They may view the PCs as fellow crew, rescuers, or
deadly enemies. They will babble almost incoherently in
Russian, and most will attack the PCs with little or no
provocation.
44
PROGNOSIS: NEGATIVE
As the adventure progresses, the GM should secretly make Fort saves for each character (once every hour
of game time) to monitor the effect the organism is having on them. The following chart shows how the
symptoms progress, based on the number of failed Fort saves:
10+: Alien organism begins to exert control over its host; victim may begin to hear voices or believe they
are possessed. Successful Will Saves allow characters to act on their own for short periods of time (1d6
minutes out of every fifteen minutes), but even then their actions are tainted by irrational paranoia, hal-
lucinations, and pain. This forces the character to act at a -2 penalty on skill, and attack checks.
15+: At this stage, the organism begins to modify the victim's physiology, but is now vying to control the
character's actions. The character gains +1 HP per hour (to a maximum of double starting HPs) and devel-
ops damage resistance at the rate of 1 point per six hours (to a maximum of DR 5). The character also
begins to regenerate, at the rate of 1 HP per ten minutes. The character's Will Save begins to drop by one
point every hour.
The GM should be flexible with the time frame to prevent PCs from becoming mindless NPCs too quickly,
and to assure that at least some of them become infected to the point of hallucination and paranoia.
Russian-speaking characters can attempt to make sense of sailor with the drill wound in his forehead" instead of see-
their ramblings, but it will be nearly impossible. They tend ing just another walking corpse.
to favor expressions like "hell on earth", "the end of the
world", or "they should have stayed dead". None of them
should provide any direct insight into what happened. If
the PCs are having difficulty piecing together the puzzle of
the retrieved probe, one may, in a moment of relative men-
tal stability, strongly assert that they "should have left it
where they found it" or that they should "never have
brought it aboard". These clues should be sufficient to send
the PCs looking for "it".
DEAD CREW
As the PCs continue to explore, they will encounter one
dead body after another. A close inspection reveals grisly
wounds ranging from cuts and bruises to gunshot wounds
to charred flesh. The GM may choose to explain the injuries If the PCs defend themselves from an attack by a living
in graphic detail as the characters inspect the bodies. sailor and kill him, they may be especially shocked to find
Later, when these corpses rise from the decks, the PCs' him pursuing them with a vengeance later in the adven-
shock will be that much greater if they recognize "the ture!
45
CHAPTER 8
COMPARTMENT ONE The bridge (with helm, navigation, etc.) is on the top level,
The Koloss' forward compartment houses the ship's front and is accessible from a hatch and stairway leading back-
torpedo room; the space between the inner and outer hull ward and up to the conning tower. Extensive electronics
contains the ship's sonar systems. This forward compart- suites, including sonar stations, are on the level directly
ment was damaged when the sub struck a thick ice ridge, below the bridge. A locked radio room is found here as well,
tearing a gap in the outer hull and splitting the seam along and is one of the most secure areas of the ship (it is locked
the inner hull. When the PCs arrive on-site, the room is com- with a high-quality lock - DC 30 to pick - and only senior
pletely flooded. officers are provided with a key). The radio has been
smashed; the codebooks destroyed. The emergency beacon
The bulkhead between the first and second compartments can be turned off manually from here.
is intact and the watertight doors are sealed. Opening them
will send a tidal wave of icy ocean water pouring into the An empty weapons locker is located on the top level, near
next compartment, but the water level between the two (or the bridge, but none of the six AKS-74U assault carbines
more) compartments will eventually equalize to the level of can be found. Extra ammo may or may not be available at
the door, allowing entrance into the first compartment if the GM's discretion, but it is strongly suggested that only
the PCs so desire. The cracked hull will continue to leak, empty magazines, discarded ammunition boxes, and other
however, quickly filling the sub with water and increasing relatively useless weapon-related items be found here (see
the atmospheric pressure inside (see The Leaking also Tooling Up, p. 30). The lock on the metal cabinet is bro-
Propeller Seal, p. 49). ken and a crowbar lies discarded nearby.
47
The bottom two levels contain backup and support stations This area contains some of the narrowest corridors aboard
and are, for the most part, uninhabited. PCs will find sever- the sub, and a multitude of small rooms. If the reactor is
al fully stocked equipment lockers here (p. 43), and will be still shut down, the area will be mostly quiet; the GM can
able to operate most of the ship's subsystems from here if use the cramped quarters and darkness to raise the level of
they do not - or cannot - use the bridge. suspense as the PCs explore the unknown.
As the adventure begins, the entire compartment is mostly Once power is restored to the sub, the fourth compartment
dry and secure. Because the bulkhead door to the torpedo - especially the middle levels, containing the crew's quar-
compartment was open when the sub struck the ice pack, ters - will become a dangerous place. Locked doors, dead-
however, there are signs of flooding across most of the lev- end corridors, and undead crew are waiting around every
els. The bottom level is still flooded, and contains about five corner. This should keep the characters on their toes.
feet of water. Walking through the icy water will be difficult
enough, but submerged objects - including bodies - that The weight room can provide them with dumbbells and
bump against the character are sure to give the players a other heavy objects that can be thrown or used to pummel
start. a foe; the galley will yield up at least one or two knives of
varying size and strength. The GM should keep in mind that
COMPARTMENT THREE the infected crew may be carrying the same makeshift
weapons!
The third compartment holds the sub's primary chartroom
and a large staff briefing room (or ready room) on the top
level, directly behind the bridge. Both rooms contain classi-
THE MEDICAL BAY
fied maps and other materials that Korkin will violently The medical labs, including a four-bed sickbay, are found on
protect (the US government would pay handsomely if the the bottom level, near the recreational areas. Although the
PCs manage to smuggle any of this information back to room has been ransacked, at least some medical supplies
them). will remain, as well as some outdated, but usable laborato-
ry equipment, including a microscope, centrifuge, and so
Hatches on the port and starboard walls allow access to the forth.
cruise missiles mounted between the inner and outer hulls. Power will need to be restored to the sub (p. 49) before
An escape ladder is accessible at the back of this compart- most of the equipment will function. Medics using this
ment, and leads to an emergency escape hatch just aft of room to treat injuries will gain a +1 to their Medical
the sub's conning tower. Assistance checks, thanks to various supplies and equip-
ment found here. They will also be able to use these rooms
Like compartment two, this area is relatively dry; the bot- to attempt to unravel the mysterious illness that runs ram-
tom level, containing the sub's missile launch control room, pant through the ship, and perhaps even develop a cure (p.
is flooded with about four feet of water. Again, the GM 52).
should play up the uncertainty of what might be hidden
under the water. Animated crewmen will not last long in the The PCs may find some clues about what happened aboard
cold, but one might pursue the PCs this far for a short time. the Koloss. The medical officer, Dr. Sergei Chenko, scrawled
semi-legible notes (in Russian) explaining the onset of
symptoms and the appearance of some kind of microorgan-
COMPARTMENT FOUR ism in the blood of one of his patients. As the journal pro-
This compartment comprises the primary living quarters gresses, Chenko's notes become increasingly illegible and
of the ship. Officer and crew quarters take up the middle far-fetched. The GM can dole out clues from the writings as
two levels, with enough space for each officer to have their needed to keep the adventure moving. In addition, when the
own private room; the crew bunk two to a room. crew began developing headaches and fevers, Captain Belov
ordered the alien probe sent to the medical lab for tests; it
The top level contains a kitchen and dining room, while the remains here as the adventure begins.
bottom level is reserved for a full-service recreational area
(including weight sets, video viewing room, and library)
and even a small sauna. THE ALIEN PROBE
The alien object is locked in an isolation chamber toward
When the adventure begins, the fourth compartment is the back of the medical bay. It will be difficult to spot in the
almost completely dry. About six inches of water can be darkness, but once the power has been restored the PCs
found on the bottom level. should have no trouble locating it.
48
The object itself is about three feet long; it is roughly foot- is crisscrossed with catwalks and ladders, and filled with
ball-shaped with a flattened end, giving it the appearance of machinery. The two reactors sit behind one another (one
a gigantic bullet removed from its shell casing. It is made toward the front of the ship, one toward the rear), with a
of some kind of blackened silver metal, pitted from millen- much larger reactor coolant and steam generation system
nia of time spent hurtling through the depths of space. A between them. A large electrically operated crane hoist can
successful Spot check (DC 30) will reveal a faint seam run- be maneuvered through much of the room and is necessary
ning around the perimeter of the object, but no amount of for lifting some of the heavy machinery found here.
investigation or experimentation can pry it open.
This room is generally the warmest place on the ship; even
The object is inordinately heavy (it weighs about 300 lbs) as the adventure begins, it is a few degrees above freezing
and is nearly indestructible. Even hitting full-on with a due to residual warmth from the sub's reactor cores (the
sledgehammer only puts a faint flat spot - a smudge, really reactors have both shut down, but can be restarted with a
- on the surface. The metal resists all attempts to saw it little effort; p. 49).
open, but with enough time and patience, a good cutting
torch will eventually begin to make a gap. Explosives
tamped around the object like shaped charges (Explosives
WARMTH FROM THE REACTOR
check; DC 25) will blast the probe open as well. The PCs may be surprised to find signs of combat and
struggle here - including blood - but no bodies remain in
The interior is honeycombed with tiny microscopic pus- this compartment. It appears that someone has taken the
tules (containing the alien organism) and laced with micro- time to clear the reactor compartment of dead bodies -
scopic, hair-like fibers. The entire object was, before being bloody footprints lead from this compartment into other
destroyed, designed to act as a semi-sentient, bio-electrical areas of the ship.
probe that would travel through space, gathering informa-
tion before automatically returning to its home planet. In truth, nobody cleared the room of dead bodies, other
Although it has long since ceased functioning, some sem- than the dead bodies themselves. Because this room
blance of utility has remained over the centuries. But once retained heat longer than other areas of the sub, the crew
it is opened, the probe becomes completely inert. in this compartment remained reanimated much longer
than in other parts of the ship. As they went about their
A microscopic examination of the interior, coupled with a business, animated crew eventually left this compartment
successful Medical Science check of DC 20, will reveal the one by one - unaware that the cold in the compartments
existence of the microorganism inside. The GM may call for beyond would disable them - only to fall to the deck as their
checks against Engineering: Electronics, or Disable Device, body temperatures began to drop. The PCs may notice a few
to determine the probe's original purpose. extra bodies in the adjacent compartments (five-bis and
seven) because of this.
tures and possibly damaging electrical, hydraulic, or steam Pressure issues will also prove true of the leak in the first
conduits. The poorly lit room flooded with eight feet of compartment if the room is emptied, but not patched (see
water, combined with the hiss of steam and occasional arc- Compartment One, p. 46).
ing of electricity, creates an eerie atmosphere for a con-
frontation with a handful of reanimated crew!
of the turbines in compartment seven should be repaired These events should be few and far between, but provide an
first (p. 48), but the reactors can be restarted with one of excellent way to keep the adventure from bogging down to
the following: either three Computer Operation checks at a simple combat run. Crew in this infected but living state
DC 25 each (the reactor control panel is powered by its own may be able to survive the infection if the PCs can come up
battery system), or a single Engineering: Nuclear check of with a cure.
DC 15.
Missiles, p. 54). It is more likely, however, he will attempt change its mind, but they may be able to gain useful infor-
to clear the forward compartment and gain access to the mation about its intentions and purposes.
torpedo room. If he can do so, he will load one of the for-
ward tubes, then return to the bridge and attempt to lock It is unaware of its origins, and has no awareness of any
the torpedo on a 360° course that will bring it back to the existence prior to its current one. It knows almost nothing
Koloss. If the PCs do not interfere, he will succeed. A pow- except that it exists. It considers the bodies it has overtak-
erful explosion will rip through the hull, tearing the sub en to be part of its own existence, and is unaware of the dif-
open at compartment six and nearly breaking it in two. ference between each individual body it inhabits. It is
heartless, but not evil; deadly, but not conniving. It only
The PCs can stop him in any number of ways - they may be seeks to preserve its own existence, and cares - knows -
able to intercept him as he opens the bulkhead doors nothing for any life other than its own.
between compartments one and two (thereby flooding com-
partment two, but equalizing the water levels between the If the PCs become sympathetic for the being or see it as a
two compartments), as he loads the torpedo tubes, or even scientific curiosity to be preserved, they will quickly
after he has fired a torpedo. A successful Computer change their outlook when they are ambushed from all
Operation check at DC 15 will detonate the torpedo before sides by dozens of shambling crew, all uttering their bat-
it finishes its course, or a similar check of DC 20 will allow tlecry: "More…."
the PC to neutralize the warhead. The torpedo will slam
into the ship's hull and sink harmlessly to the bottom.
Korkin speaks English.
SADKOV'S AGENDA
This weasel of a man will take the effects of the organism
in stride, remaining quietly calculating instead of going
blindly berserk. He will talk to himself more and more, and
begin to distrust the PCs even more than he already does.
CHAPTER 9
A second option is to restart the sub's nuclear reactors and It's likely that the researchers will reach incorrect conclu-
use the charging system to recharge the Erebus batteries. sions as well - the organism is viral; it is sensitive to the
A pair of Repair checks (at DC 20) will allow a character to host's white cells - because they will be operating while
mate up the sub's charging system to the Erebus. But first under the influence of the very same organism.
they will have to get fifty feet of cable and several miscel- Hallucinations, incorrect conclusions, confusion, and anger
laneous components (clamps, a transformer, etc.), which will taint their research.
will take time.
The GM should require Medical Science skill checks at
Whatever method the characters use, the GM should dis- varying degrees of difficulty to allow the researchers to
tract them with strange noises, movement in the distance, work toward solving the puzzle. Failed rolls will bring on
or even full attacks by reanimated crew. The PCs must stay fits of hallucinations or misinterpreted data; successes will
aboard the Koloss long enough to realize they're infected move the team closer to finding a cure.
and to know that simply leaving the sub will not end their
nightmare.
SUCCESS!
Eventually, however, they will hit upon a weakness in the
FINDING A CURE organism's cellular structure. The organism begins to dete-
Once the rescue team begins to manifest symptoms (p. 44), riorate and break down if exposed to high levels of pen-
it won't take long for the players to become aware of this taerythritol tetranitrate, a vasodilator commonly used to
second obstacle. If they simply leave the Koloss, they will treat angina pectoris. Though a very limited supply of the
likely kill one another (or themselves) in an insanity- chemical is found aboard the Koloss - under the brand
53
name Peritrate - it is also used in explosives and is one of lifeless, gooey corpse in its wake. The PCs will need to con-
the primary ingredients found in C4 explosives. struct an effective delivery system to administer the chem-
ical, but this could be as simple as a hypodermic syringe, or
Discovering this information may come through research a makeshift bow with hollowed out arrows filled with the
(the small amount of Peritrate on hand is enough to exper- cure. A Disable Device check at DC 20 will construct a basic
iment with). Alternately, if the characters have been using missile weapon capable of injecting the cure into the ani-
C4, it's possible one of them has been exposed to the chem- mated crew. It is unlikely any of the crew will be proficient
ical by handling the blocks of explosive, and may notice with this type of weapon though, so the untrained penalty
that exposure to the chemical causes their skin to burn as of -4 must be imposed on all attacks with it.
it breaks down the newly redesigned cellular structure in
their body. Once the researcher reveals that the organism Re-animated crew affected by the cure must make an imme-
is susceptible to chemicals in the pentaerythritol family, diate save vs. Death, or lose cohesion and fall to the ground
the GM should allow someone - probably a demolitions as a fast decaying, gooey corpse. This save must be made
expert - to make the intuitive leap from the "pentaerythri- each round for them to continue to act.
tol family" to "C4 is loaded with that stuff."
It shouldn't take long for the PCs to attempt to make
When they have isolated a possible cure, a simple weapons out of the chemical, but for every crewmember
lab test will reveal that a concentrated form of they kill using the precious fluid, they have one less dosage
the chemical - available by melting and care- available to cure themselves. The team begins
fully distilling small chunks of the volatile with six blocks of C4, though they may wish
explosive - do indeed destroy the organism to use some to destroy the submarine's
and break down any organic matter it has missiles (p. 54) or may have already used
attempted to repair or rebuild. some in their battle against the undead
The chemical can be diluted and com- Russian sailors. A single block of C4 will
bined with some simple antibiotics, produce enough solution to make 2d6 doses
then injected into infected living with a successful Medical Science check of
hosts. The process is excruciat- DC 20. The character won't know how
ingly painful, and the character many doses they have until they
will lose any benefits they have actually made the die
have accrued from the organ- roll. Failure means most
ism (increased HPs, etc.; see of the block is ruined; the
p. 44). character may make
another attempt at DC
The character will take an addi- 25 to salvage 1d6
tional point of damage for every hour doses from it, but if
they have been infected as the alien-modified this too fails the
tissue breaks down. (This makes curing the entire block is
Russian crew almost impossible, as most of ruined with no bene-
their bodies have been redesigned and will fit.
essentially melt into a thick, milky soup as the
"cure" destroys the organism).
If the victim survives the process, however, they will be DESTROYING THE SUB
cured of the infestation. The result is only temporary, how- While it is possible the PCs will
ever. If the character remains in close proximity with the be satisfied with simply escaping from the nightmare sub,
organism they can become re-infected within a few hours, the truly heroic - and cinematically appropriate - climax to
beginning the horrific process anew. the story comes when the surviving rescue team decides to
destroy the sub and bring an end to the horror for good.
There are several ways to do so: using the sub's SS-N-16
AN EFFECTIVE WEAPON Stallion antisubmarine missiles, Type 45 torpedoes, or the
The cure can be used on reanimated corpses, destroying massive SS-N-19 Shipwreck cruise missiles.
the organism and inflicting damage as above. Since the
corpse was dead before the organism rebuilt it, however, The first thing the PCs must be made aware of is the mas-
this process will not restore life to the target. It will simply sive size of these weapons. The cruise missiles are about
melt away cellular structure as mentioned above, leaving a thirty feet long and weigh almost 7,000 pounds; the war-
54
head alone weighs over 1,500 pounds! Building a makeshift Detonating a single cruise missile will effectively destroy
detonator and destroying the sub using its own munitions the sub; if the PCs wish, detonating one on each side of the
can be done, but it's unlikely the PCs will have the where- Koloss guarantees there will be almost nothing left but
withal to actually relocate the warheads. small pieces of debris.
behind him, flood the escape chamber, then force the outer DSRV, enter through its airlock, and return it to the Koloss.
hatch open. A strength check at DC 15 is required to open (The pilot may be able to dock with a dry escape hatch, if
the tube. Using a pry bar or similar tool will reduce the DC one exists; otherwise a diver will need to enter one of the
by 5. This will allow one character to leave the sub at a Koloss' flooded compartments with a docking hatch, seal
time. As with escaping via the torpedo tubes, however, the room, then pump out the water before anyone can enter
swimming from the sub presents dangers of its own (see the DSRV).
Facing the Icy Depths, below).
THE EREBUS
This is the PCs' only real
hope of escape from the sub
in the long run. It must,
of course, be repaired
and recharged (see
Repairing the Erebus,
p. 52) before it can
make the return jour-
ney to the staging area. If
the submersible has been
undocked from the Koloss
(see Losing the
Erebus, p. 49), one or
two scuba divers
might be able to sur-
vive the freezing
depths long enough
to find the missing
56
CHAPTER 10
AFTERMATH
Without victory, there is no survival.
- Winston Churchill
If the PCs manage to destroy the sub, repair the Erebus, It's probable that most of them will end up being fired from
and cure all surviving team members, they should consider SeaTech - ostensibly for other reasons - and will run
the mission an unmitigated success. If the GMs run What through a lengthy international trial to determine their
Went Down as a one-shot adventure, they may close out the guilt. In the end, they may choose to band together and
scenario with the Erebus clearing the ice pack and surfac- form a new, independent salvage crew, and try to pick up
ing, exposing the characters to the lights of the waiting the pieces of their lives and carry on.
John Henry and her companion Russian vessels. The color
text in the adjacent box (Beneath the Ice Pack) can be used
to wrap up the session. EXPERIENCE POINT REWARDS
Characters that survive the adventure should receive expe-
If the scenario is to be used as part of an ongoing cam- rience points for their successes against the undead
paign, they will have a lot of explaining to do when they sailors. Each sailor is worth a base of 200 XPs with fully
return. The Russian government will not believe a word of animated crew worth 400 XPs. The GM can also increase
their story, and they will be accused of being spies, traitors, this if the crewmember is armed with a firearm, or similar
and murders. SeaTech will come to their defense, but only dangerous weapon.
to a point - the story is, after all, unbelievable and far-
fetched. A medical examination will find traces of the A bonus of 1,000 XPs should be split amongst the surviv-
organism - now dead - still floating in their bloodstream, but ing PCs if they destroyed the sub; another 1,000 should be
unless one of them is still infected (or they managed to divided amongst them if they brought back proof of the
somehow bring back a sample of the organism), their alien organism (the probe, an infected - but contained -
chances of getting anyone to believe them are slim. corpse, and so forth).
As the concussion wave tears through the sub and races across the ocean floor, a cloud of silt shoots toward the
surface, obscuring everything for miles. With time, it settles, revealing a debris field that was once the Russian
nuclear attack submarine, Koloss. All that remains of the pride of the Russian navy is scattered in tiny pieces
across several square miles of the Barents Sea.
Near the sub's nuclear core, the silt settles more slowly as water near the core, warmed by residual heat, lifts in
tiny eddies toward the surface, only to cool and drift back down again. But in the darkness, the body of a
Norwegian-Arctic cod, crumpled and bleeding from the concussion wave, drifts near the core, motionless, lifeless,
cold.
And in the darkness of the black water, unseen by human eyes, the cod shudders. A spasm wracks its body, then
without a sound it turns silently in the water and glides away. A second rotting corpse, this one a shattered and
broken Kamchatkan crab, rises from its resting place and scurries off to join its companion. They move deeper
into the darkness, unbothered by the cold of the deep, unaware of themselves or anyone around them, unaware of
their life… for now.
57
The K-301 Koloss, a modified Antyei/Granit class Russian nuclear attack sub, was originally designated "Special
Project 949D." Its hull was laid down in 1994 at the Severodvinsk shipyards on the White Sea (near Arkhangel), but
the failing Russian economy put the project on hold for several years. In 1999, a new, cutting-edge revision was pro-
posed, and "Special Project 949D" became "Special Project 1022."
Like the Antyei and Granit class subs before it, the new sub was a massive vessel. It was intended not just as a
weapon of war, but to boost national morale and show the world that although Russia may have stumbled, it did not
fall. The 500 ft long, four-story leviathan was launched on August 4, 2002.
The Koloss' massive size (it displaces over 20,000 tons when submerged), double hull construction, and black poly-
mer surface are reminiscent of the original Antyei subs, but the Koloss' electronics and weapons systems have been
redesigned. A number of safety features were added, but the original hull still dates to the 1990s. The failing Russian
economy has dictated shortcuts and encouraged construction contracts to low bidders. As the PCs explore the inte-
rior of the sub, they will find a dichotomy of impressive high-tech electronics, combined with cheap - and often dan-
gerous - design flaws.
The Koloss is a miracle of modern technology built upon the skeleton of a crumbling Soviet empire.
Technical Specifications
The US Navy classifies the Koloss and her sister Granit subs as "Oscar II" nuclear attack subs (the Antyei subs
were called "Oscar I"). Armed with two dozen SS-N-19 Shipwreck cruise missiles, the Koloss' wartime role is simple:
to hunt down and destroy aircraft carrier groups.
The sub can remain submerged for four months, cruise underwater at 28 knots, and sustain depths of over 2,000
feet. A special double hull surrounds the boat. The outer hull is comprised of austenitic steel, giving the ship an oval
appearance. Between the outer and inner hull, a gap of about ten feet is packed with thousands of miles of wiring,
tubes, pipes, hydraulic lines, and braces. The ship's 24 cruise missiles are fitted at an angle in this inter-hull space
as well - twelve on each side of the sub, ready to rain down fiery destruction from as far away as 600 miles.
The heavy inner hull contains the primary living and working areas of the ship, including dual nuclear reactors, liv-
ing quarters, and control areas.
The Koloss is divided into several independent watertight compartments numbered from one to nine, counting fore
to aft. The bulkheads that separate these compartments are almost as strong as the ship's hull, and a breach in one
does not necessarily mean the entire ship is doomed.
58
CHAPTER 11
GM RESOURCES
THE NPCS
them can operate at full efficiency, GMs should use the cold
crew statistics. Cold crew can only make one action per
round, either a move or attack, and cannot perform full
The following characters may or may not be included in the
action options.
adventure at the GM's discretion. Some appear aboard the
John Henry and then are not seen again until the adven- As the Koloss warms up again, GMs should use the Warm
ture ends; others will accompany the PCs during the mis- crew statistics. Once fully animated, the crew can act nor-
sion to the Koloss. mally in combat, and can take full actions.
Four sample SeaTech NPCs are included to flesh out the
rescue team as the GM sees fit, or may even be used as PCs GORDON CRAMER
in a pinch. (SeaTech Rescue Operations Coordinator)
Gordon Cramer is a veteran salvage and rescue operations
REANIMATED CREW expert who has spent two-thirds of his life working at sea.
The following stats can be used as a guideline for most of At 48, Cramer is beginning to feel the ravages of time, but
the alien-controlled crew. They may be more or less power- he refuses to let his age slow him down. He would rather be
ful than the example given here, but their damage resist- two hundred feet below the waves than sitting in an office,
ance, high HPs, and regenerative abilities make them pow- but his superiors at SeaTech disagree. He has recently been
erful adversaries in one-on-one confrontations. For the promoted to Field Operations Coordinator - a position
most part, these mindless "zombies" are best used to Cramer views as only one step removed from a desk.
threaten and scare the PCs, limiting the number of actual Cramer is tall and well-muscled, but has recently taken to
combat encounters. using reading glasses for close-up work. He is good-
Cold Crew - Medum Monstrous Humanoid natured, but unrelenting when it comes to the safety of his
HD: 1d8+3+3 (11 hp) men. As much as he would like to accompany the rescue
Initiative: -4 (Dex) team, Cramer knows this is a job for younger people and
Speed: 20 ft would never risk compromising the mission by including
AC: 6 (Dex) himself on the team roster.
Attacks: Unarmed strike or weapon +4 melee
Damage: Unarmed strike 1d4+3, or by weapon 4th Level Savage Operator
Abilities: Str: 16/Dex: 2 / Con: 16 / Int: 5 / Wis: 10 / Cha: 2 HD: 4d6+8+3 (25 hp)
Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref -2, Will +2 Initiative: +0
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2 Speed: 30 ft
Feats: Toughness AC: 12 (Class bonus)
Special Abilities: Damage reduction 3/- , regeneration, slow Attacks/Damage: Unarmed strike +5 melee (d3+2)
Challenge Rating: 1/2 Abilities: Str: 14 / Dex: 11 / Con: 15 / Int: 13 / Wis: 16 / Cha: 14
Saving Throws: Fort +2, Ref+3, Will +4
Warm Crew - Medum Monstrous Humanoid Skills: Calm+5, Computer Ops +8, Diplomacy +7, Engineering:
HD: 1d8+3+3 (11 hp) Electronics +8, Engineering: Salvage +14, Oceanography +4,
Initiative: 0 (Dex) Scuba +7, Sense Motive +7, Swim +8, Underwater Hazard +6
Speed: 30 ft Feats: Dirty Fighting, Iron Will, Negotiator, Salvage Background,
AC: 10 (Dex) Tech Specialist, Toughness
Attacks: Uuarmed strike or weapon +4 melee
Damage: Unarmed strike 1d4+3, or by weapon
Abilities: Str: 16 / Dex: 10/Con: 16/Int: 5/Wis: 10/Cha: 2 KENDRA PHELPS
Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2 (Captain of the STI John Henry)
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2 Thirty-year-old Kendra Phelps has driven boats for SeaTech
Feats: Toughness
for over a decade and was given command of the John
Special Abilities: Damage reduction 3/- , regeneration,
Challenge Rating: 1 Henry only two months ago. The crew respects her for the
most part, but some of the die-hard "boys club" workers
The animated crew exist in two distinct forms. While cold, scoff at being given orders by a woman.
they are slow, shambling things, with limited dexterity and She is a skilled salvage operator and an even better facili-
reactions. Until they warm up and the organism within tator, and will oversee the technical side of the rescue
59
operations (much to the chagrin of the old school Russian men that may be trapped aboard the Koloss. His decisions
naval officers). She knows the Erebus inside and out, and will always be biased in favor of the Russian Navy, but he
may or may not accompany the rescue team at the GM's will honestly do his best to save as many lives as he can.
discretion. If so, she may function as pilot or navigator, or As the adventure begins to unravel, Korkin will grow
simply act as a technical advisor for the mission. increasingly agitated. He works well under pressure, but
the effects of exposure to the organism and the psychologi-
4th Level Savage Operator
HD: 4d6+4+3 (21hp)
cal shock of finding over a hundred dead crew will unnerve
Initiative: +1 him. Because of his strict military bearing, his infection-
Speed: 30 ft induced paranoia may put the PCs in great danger; it would
AC: 13 (+2 Class bonus, +1 Dex) not be beyond him to steal the Erebus (p. 49), believing he
Attacks/Damage: Unarmed strike +3 melee (d3) could trap the infestation aboard the Koloss, or attempt to
Abilities: Str: 11 / Dex: 13 / Con: 13 / Int: 14 / Wis: 14 / Cha: 15 destroy the submarine himself - even with everyone still
Skills: Balance +4, Bluff +4, Diplomacy +4, Engineering: Salvage aboard (p. 50).
+9, Navigation: Ship +4, Oceanography +4, Pilot: Ship +11, Scuba
+4, Search +6 Sense Motive +6, Swim +2
3rd Level Navy Veteran
Feats: Crack Driver, Dodge, Speak Language (Russian), Tech
HD: 3 (26 hp)
Specailist, Toughness
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft
ADMIRAL OLEG BAYBARIN AC: 14 (+2 Class bonus, +2 Dex)
(Russian Naval Operations Commander) Attacks/Damage: Unarmed strike +3 melee (d3+2), or diving
knife +3 melee (d4+2) or Yarygin Pistol +3 (2d6)
Baybarin is only four years from retirement, and he does
Abilities: Str: 14 / Dex: 15 / Con: 16 / Int: 14 / Wis: 16 / Cha: 13
not intend on letting the Koloss disaster taint an otherwise Saves: Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +5
perfect record of service. He is a hard line communist and Skills: Athlete +5, Diplomacy +4, Explosives +5, Hide +4, Listen
despises his government's decision to allow Westerners to +4, Move Silently +5, Pilot: Submersible +6, Scuba +6, Spot +6,
assist in the search for the missing sub. His hatred of the Swim +7, Underwater Hazard +8
PCs because they are from the West is only slightly more Feats: Dive Team Leader, Firearm Proficiency, Simple Weapon
intense than his hatred of them for being civilians! Proficiency, Navy Background, Sportsman, Sub Rated Pilot.
Hurst - known as "Cowboy," to his friends - is loud and bois- Although Captain Korkin speaks English, Cramer believes
terous, a trait that can wear on his teammates' nerves it's important to have a Russian speaking SeaTech employ-
given extended stays in cramped spaces. If he can't strike ee along as well. He does not, however, reveal
up any conversations with anyone - or while he's doing VanDerWycke's abilities to the Russians. He hopes that the
repair work - he'll pull on a pair of stereo headphones and Russians will speak freely in their native tongue, giving
crank up country music from the 1960s and 70s. He chews Cramer's men some insight into Korkin's thinking and
tobacco, and will spit in almost any empty container he can intentions. Cramer does let his own people - including the
find. PCs - in on VanDerWycke's secret.
1st Level Salvage Operator VanDerWycke will quickly point out to strangers that his
HD: 1d6+3 (7 hp) first name - Bleys - rhymes with ice, and will broach no mis-
Initiative: +1 pronunciation. He is a closet conspiracy theorist, and will
Speed: 30 ft accuse the Russian government - and several other govern-
AC: 12 (+1 Class bonus, +1 Dex) ments - of knowing about the alien probe, claiming the sub-
Attacks/Damage: Unarmed strike +3 melee (d3+3) marine crew was subjected to some kind of experiment. Of
Abilities: Str: 16 / Dex: 12 / Con: 17 / Int: 11 / Wis: 13 / Cha: 15 course, he also has several theories on time travel, JFK's
Skills: Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +4, Engineering: Electronics clone, and what really happened to Hitler.
+4, Engineering: Salvage +6, Explosives +2, Scuba +4, Swim +5
Feats: Tech Specialist, Salvage Background 3rd Level Rescue Diver
HD: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +1
BLEYS VANDERWYCKE Speed: 30 ft
(SeaTech Salvage Diver) AC: 12 (+1 Class bonus, +1 Dex)
Brussels-born Bleys VanDerWycke grew up the son of a Attacks/Damage: Unarmed strike +2 melee (d3+2)
Belgian navy captain and has been a salvage diver for Abilities: Str: 14 / Dex: 13 / Con: 15 / Int: 12 / Wis: 15 / Cha: 11
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +3
many years. Now a native of Amsterdam, VanDerWycke has
Skills: Calm +2, Disable Devise +6, Engineering: Salvage +7,
traveled the world, working as lead diver on countless sal- Explosives +6, Medical Assistance +3, Scuba +8, Swim +7,
vage missions. He is an all-around diver and engineer, and Underwater Hazard +8
can act as a backup medic if need be. Perhaps his most crit- Feats: Dive Team Leader, Speak Language (Russian, Flemish),
ical skill on this mission is his ability to understand Salvage Background, Underwater Welding
Russian.
APPENDIX A
THE TIMELINE
Wednesday, February 4: An unidentified object strikes the ice pack near Bjørnøya, Norway (Bear Island).
Friday, February 6: Russian nuclear attack submarine Koloss is dispatched to retrieve it.
Sunday, February 15: Koloss retrieves object.
Wednesday, February 18: Koloss disappears; emergency beacon signals disaster. News reaches Western news
channels within hours.
Friday, February 20: Russian government gives SeaTech International authority to mount a joint rescue
mission. SeaTech begins rounding up a crack team of divers and salvage workers from around the world.
Saturday, February 21 (1700 hours): Salvage crew is choppered from Tromsø, Norway, to the STI John Henry.
Late-night briefing outlines rescue plan.
Sunday, February 22 (1130 hours): DSRV Erebus and rescue team leave the John Henry, bound for the Koloss some
forty miles northeast.
Sunday, February 22 (2000 hours): Erebus reaches Koloss.
62
FRIGHT NIGHT
WHAT WENT DOWN
CHARACTER NAME PLAYER NAME CHARACTER CLASSES
© 2004 Hogshead Publishing Ltd. Permission granted for personal use only.
63
FEATS
EQUIPMENT q ACROBATIC q MOBILITY
q ALERTNESS q NEGOTIATOR
ITEM WGT ITEM WGT
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____
q ATTRACTION q NERVES OF STEEL
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q BLIND PANIC q NIMBLE FINGERS
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q BRIGHT IDEA q PERSUASIVE
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q COMBAT EXPERTISE q RAPID SHOT
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q COMPUTER WIZ q READY WEAPON
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q CRACK DRIVER q REASSURING PRESENCE
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q DILIGENT q RESERVES OF STAMINA
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____
q DIRTY FIGHTING q PRECISE AIM
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q DIVE TEAM LEADER q SCIENTIST
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q DOCTOR q SHIP RATED PILOT
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q DODGE q SKILL FOCUS
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____
q DRIVEN q SPEAK LANGUAGE
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q EMERGENCY MEDIC q SPORTSMAN
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q EMPATHIC q STEALTHY
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q FALSE SINCERITY q SUB RATED PILOT
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q GREAT FORTITUDE q SWIM LIKE A FISH
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q IMPROVED INITIATIVE q TECH SPECIALIST
______________________________ ____ ______________________________ ____ q INVESTIGATOR q TOUGHNESS
q IRON WILL q UNDERWATER WELDING
q LIGHTNING REFLEXES q WEAPON FINESSE
q MARKSMAN q WEAPON FOCUS
© 2004 Hogshead Publishing Ltd. Permission granted for personal use only.
64
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