I'm currently in the process of GMing "Dark Frontier". And In the adventure, the pilgrims under Palar had taken residence aboard a vast space hulk. Which lead to one of my players, (A Tech priest) deciding that he wanted to explore the Hulk.

Now.. I really want to flesh this part of the adventure out, but I'm also at loss for what creatures or technological marvels they might encounter aboard the Space Hulk. So if anybody else experienced the same, or have any cool ideas for what might happen. I'd love to hear them

Khaeleth said:

Keep in mind, I've not looked through the particular adventure so much, but here are some suggestions.

As far as technology goes:

• Grav-plating.
• Cogitators and Datastacks/looms.
• Fuel Cells.
• Recycling systems.
• Xenos and archeotech.

Ultimately, what do you want them to find that is interesting and/or valuable. Grav-plating is a common tech to salvage, as the ability to create more has almost been lost to the Imperium and Mechanicus.

Critters wise:

• Genestealers.
• Eldar Corsairs.
• Stryxis Scrap Traders.
• Gorillas in Power Armor .
• Warp Hounds and other Dæmon goodness.

By the way, small profanity with the Gorillas. Be forewarned.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Grav-plating isn't a lost technology, Anti-grav plates are. Grav-plates are fairly common, that's why all shiny new imperial ships have it. Archotech and Xenotech are your most likely great finds, particularly in the relm on a new ship system. There's a reason why there's a 'wrested from a Space Hulk' history availiable for ships.

The hard part for coming up with enemies is creating something that wouldn't have already attacked the mutants living there. More, even worse mutants, chaos-mutants could work, as could automated defense systems or long-forgoten combat servitors in power-save mode until the PCs activate them.

Quicksilver said:

If you have the IHB for Dark Heresy look to the "Travelling in Space" side bar on page 156; last sentence, " Like most Imperial technologies, the secrets of grav plate construction are now almost lost and thus even the smallest vessel (and its integrated plating) is a priceless artefact to be maintained and preserved for generations. " Of course, the same can be said of most ship components to some degree.

-=Brother Praetus=-

I don't have any Dark Heresy books, my knowledge is coming old Imperial Armor and second edition 40k stuff. Any of which could be heretical and/or wrong at any moment. Of course, so could the DH book, so runs the cannon of 40k. It's all heresy. You can really play it any way you want, but other then that line i've never seen any indication that gravity-generating plates are any more uncommon and/or valuble then any other relitivly high technology (like plasma guns or power armor).

Fair enough. As stated, and I agree, canon can become heresy at the scratch of a quill.

-=Brother Praetus=-

Space Hulks could have many differing things aboard, and I suppose the question is what do I want my players to face.

The classic would be Genestealers. Players would immediately know that it is very dangerous. One step further would be Tyranids.

Though Orks are possible, it lacks a certain imagination in my mind.

Finally it's not unknown for these to be infested with creatures of chaos, and even may harbour Chaos Marines

Bear in mind that Space Hulks are top priority for Adeptus Mechanicus, and contain vast technological wealth and therefore invariably once reported a Terminator Squad(s) are the only ones entrusted to deal with aliens aboard.

In fact even the thought of investigating it should be considered foolish, but players being players would want to see what it was about.

If it was my game I would make it a very costly affair for the explorers to go aboard - lure them in with a false sensation of safety and emptiness, then massacre everyone with genestealers or whatever I put there.

The players would be given 1/2 opportunites to escpae, and a certain death Techno marvel - perhaps STC print-outs.... However going for the stc hardcopy would be death.

The palyers would know there is great reward, but they would then have to work out how to capitalise on it, without direct exploration.

If you make it too easy, then it makes everything a Space Hulk represents trivial, and as such trivialises Terminators, and that is a route you don't want to go down.

One thing to remember there are hulks and there are Hulks. Any ship that takes a large amount of damage is a hulk. However in some cases hulks drift together or get lumped together in the warp and you get a huge mass of ships. What the admech is interested in is the huge hulks or very old hulks. So the 1st thing to consider about a hulk is it's age and rarity.

Dalnor Surloc said:

This is a great start. Determining the nature of the space hulk should be first on your agenda. Is it an old Imperial Cruiser of some kind? Is it an amalgamation of space debris? Is it a foul xenos construction that has, for reasons unknown, drifted into the Expanse?

Fleshing out these details ought to give you a better idea of what kind of enemies the Explorers are likely to come across. Enemies can range from familiar xenos (orks, 'nids, etc) to heretics and mutants (perhaps a band of colonists that have lived on the hulk for generations, but settled a little too close to the plasma inductors) to degenerate wild animals. Don't be afraid to go a little old school on them with traps and hazards, either. Hulks are nothing if not precarious and a few pitfalls, crumbling bulkheads and faulty airlocks could be just as dangerous as a nest of genestealers.

Similarly, the origin of the hulk might give you a few ideas on what sorts of treasures await within its depths. A hulk of ancient Imperial origin could house troves of archeotech for you Explorator to salivate over, for example. If you're stumped on what to do here, there's always the old standby of having the players find a vault or chest or cryo-chamber which might need days/weeks/months to unlock. This idea allows the players to feel like they've achieved some great reward, gives them something to do during downtime and enables you to take your time in determining what their reward should be.

No matter what you do, remember that hulks are massive and that exploring one is something usually left for a team of Explorators to do over the course of several years, decades or even centuries. If you find your players are getting a little too interested in plumbing the depths of the hulk, don't be afraid to throw a few huge obstacles in their way to deter them so that they can get back on track. Although I must say that the exploration and plunder of a space hulk would make for an excellent RT campaign all by itself.

As Dalnor pointed out, I do not think that this ship the pilgrims are on is such an acient wreck. As page 7 of "Dark Frontiers" says, this thing was a pilgrim ship once.

It wasn´t really wrecked by anything but neglect. You are not going to find any genestealers or corsair or anything on it. It is simply a huge and derilict mass passenger transport that once brought pilgrims from X to Y and perhaps back.

So, if you are really into exploring it (and you assume that no-one of the original crew is left alive so simply "getting a tour" is no option) the only obstacles will be security systems. But IF you rule that the ship is some hundred years lying their..keep in mind that this might have effects on security like servitors. After all, they do have some biological components (on the other hand: "Tattereded FATES from DH is ignoring this to some point as well").

Never the less, if you really want to make an adventure out of it

- besides rather humble technique one is going to expect on a pilgrim ship, their could be reliquaryium with stasis field and holy relicts
- they way to the Reliqarium could be blocked by collapsed ways, damaged parts etc.
- if you bend it a little (more), some servitors for defense (or even arco-flaggellants) could be realesed. Servo skulls are an option as well
- if not, automated defense turrets go a long way, if their is still energy to them!
- how about an nearly 100% insane & acient tech-priest who is in the delusion that everything is still in order and sees the pc as the looting marauders that they are? Could coordinate the defense from the shadows, only showing up at the final in person
- if there were holdings cells for "penitents" that were later abandoned to their fates, some mean astral specters could be around...
- "cherubim gone nearly feral" are a nice thing..perhaps they can be called back to order.... in high gothic, of course!

Khaeleth said:

Space hulk drift in and out of warp... Exploring one can be dangerous since they don't have warp field, etc...

It's too bad the hulk isn't older, from the Dark Age of Technology or something. Then you could have the players harassed by an ancient AI. At the least perhaps a grouchy "machine spirit".