Since people have been asking about horror and Halloween themed games, I thought I'd post my notes on a write up I've been working on for next week.

Mind you, this is still pretty rough draft form, and not all ideas are fully fleshed out yet and it's still very much a work in progress, but I thought I'd share what I have, possibly inspire some other folks and maybe get feedback on what I have so far.

It's shamelessly inspired by Doctor Who - mainly the second doctor era, where an isolated base falls under attack by The Monster of the Week and the characters are cut off, having to fend for themselves. It's a time-honored trope and I think it should work well here. . . .

WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE -

Millions of years ago, the Selatan had a thriving civilization on it, full of art and beauty and scientific advancement. Unfortunately one of those scientific advancements, one designed in the medical field, went horribly, horribly wrong. A scientific team developed nanogenes - a type of sub-atomic robot capable of healing wounds and disease. They could also act as a defense mechanism, creating soldiers capable of protecting or guarding planets and technology.

And then the nanogenes became sentient and self aware. They began following their programed mandate of replicating and spreading while converting all matter as their directive above all else. And then they got loose.

The Selatan civilization was decimated nearly overnight as the nanogenes, spread by touch, began re-writing the citizens to their new specifications. The scientists were eventually able to check the progress of the nanogenes by isolating the main hub factory from the rest of the nanogene swarm, but the damage was done and the Selatan race died out within three generations.

And there the inactive nanogene factory remained, untouched and buried under several hundred tons of rock spinning silently through the endless void on a dead planet. Eventually the planet itself was caught in a cataclysm that reduced the system to a vast asteroid field. Yet the nanogene factory waited. . . .

THE SETTING -

Theris Base, one of the asteroid mining colonies of Selatan-4147, usually mines the ore Trillium X, but recently the drill head penetrated an unknown, undocumented cavern. The mining company sent an expeditionary team to investigate and discovered ruins estimated to be several million years old. The company followed up with an archeological team to investigate the find.

The team, through their blundering accidently brought the factory hub out of sleep mode, and it's now ready to pick up where it left off so many eons ago. . . .

THE BASE PERSONEL

Overseeer Shelley - Mine foreman

An older woman in the mining industry wont last very long without being very good at her job, and Overseer Shelley is very good. She cares for the crew under her and often refuses to put them at risk without a **** good reason - even bucking company line as necessary. She would have been replaced ages ago, but it's tough to argue with her results.

Doctor Pretorius, the Science Officer

Doctor Pretorius is a middle aged human who was assigned to the dig two weeks ago and has been sorting through information and artifact ever since. A touch frustrated at the lack of progress in the dig, but is confident that a breakthrough is near. Pretorius is a tough, determined individual, and shockingly doesn't value the pursuit of science over the human costs.

Commander Atwill, the Security Chief

Commander Atwill is a younger Rodian male, is well-armed, gung-ho and is most likely to likely to die late in the game, probably in a heroic last stand.

First Technition Wale, the tech

A young, cocky Zeltron male, Wale is the Mister Fix-it of the base. He's technically minded, very good with a hydrospanner and is most likely to die in an explosion.

Lieutenant Schreck, the Traitor

Lieutenant Schreck is a recent addition to the crew, assigned under Atwill from the home office as extras security on the dig. This is a total lie, however, as Schreck was added to the crew roster by the ISB to maintain an eye on the dig. Should the artifact be of strategic importance, Schreck was to call in reinforcements and take the item for the Empire.

Should this come to light, should Schreck appraise the Empire of what is happening (once events begin to unfold), The Empire - realizing the danger the nanogenes present - opts to sterilize the facility.

Assorted Miners, the Red Shirts:

Backups for most of the above, spare security officers, archeology students, mining experts and other assorted extras. There to demonstrate how the nanogenes infection works, get a bit of characterization and then show that Anyone Can Die or be killed by Lieutenant Schreck, revealing that there is a mole amongst the crew

ENTER THE PLAYERS

The characters get a job to deliver a supply of machine parts, replacement electronics and fresh entertainment and holos to the asteroid mining colony of Selatan-4147. Not the highest paying job in the universe - 5,000 credits plus expenses - but by all accounts this should be a milk run.

Arriving at the transit waypoint into the system, the players get to navigate the Selatan asteroid field, a moderately dense belt - but if navigated with care, shouldn't be more than a <> to pilot through. Scanners show the normal amount of freighters and cargo ships - and a Victory Star Destroyer on the very edge of the system. This is of course, Lieutenant Schreck's back up, should the artifact be of value and aggressive extraction be necessary.

The pilot receives the signal beacon from Selatan-4147, guiding them to dock at Nexus 17. Nexus 17 is the central distribution hub for the five or so mining instillations on the moon sized asteroid of Selatan-4147. From there they'll have to unload the cargo, rent a repulsortruck, fill said truck and drive across the rocky surface of the airless moon for two or so hours.

Their first view of Theris Base is as they crest the rim of a crater. The main building of the colony is a central dome roughly 500 feet in diameter. From that one dome, five spokes with smaller domes at each end. There is a specialized ore transport launch pad off to one side, currently occupied with a shuttle in launch position.

They arrive at the base with little fanfare, pinging Command and Control over the comlink to be let in. Moments later two vast blastdoors on the loading bay dome rumbles open, granting them access. Inside they are greeted by several ASP-7 droids and Commander Atwill. He checks them out, makes sure they are who they are suppose to be, makes sure that the cargo is indeed benign and then escorts them C&C while the ASPs unload their repulsortruck.

In C&C, let them meet some of the base personnel and interact with Overseeer Shelley. She signs their paperwork, tells them a little about the base (as much as the security clearance will allow) and otherwise be cordial to the team. It'll take about an hour to unload the cargo, so they are more than welcome to relax in the commissary or use the fresher.

Let them relax for a little bit, interact with more base personnel for the next time they see Overseeer Shelley, things start to roll.

THE DEVIL FROM BELOW

As Overseeer Shelley approaches the team to tell them their cargo has been secure and she's prepared to sign all paperwork so they can get paid, Commander Atwill coms her. Apparently there was a communication from the dig site that was abruptly cut off. She heads back into C&C (presumably the team in tow) and calls down to the dig again. Instead of a human voice over the comlink, they hear guttural snarls.

This cant be good. They should probably really leave.

As they walk down the corridor towards the Mine Shaft Three dome (the abandoned shaft turned archeological dig), Shelley's glowrod illuminates an unconscious form - Professor Matheson, still alive and breathing, but with a nasty gash on her head. Atwill and one of his security men arrive with a medi-pack for Matheson and a stretcher.

There was only one other person in the dig site. The only way this couldn't have been an accident was that if Doctor Hodder has gone berserk. Meanwhile, First Technician Wale has been checking the growling noise on the diagnostics unit of the computer - its not a beast - the growling was the voice of Doctor Hodder.

Once inside the dome for Mine Shaft Three, they see a large ore lift system, a conveyor that leads to the processing center, and the miners lift for accessing the actual shaft. The lift can accommodate 10 people at a time and operates on a counterbalance system (one lift is up while the other is at the bottom) and moves along at a pretty quick pace when ascending / descending.

At the bottom, the cavern is shockingly small - the size of a small sports stadium and not the vast labyrinth of ruins one might find elsewhere in the galaxy. The ruins consist of one larger stone building, two smaller ones and a couple of collapsed ones where the wall and ceiling caved in. Modern lights are hung from the ceiling, a fusion generator is off to one side with power cables leading into the buildings, a computer terminal and data processing center in the 'courtyard'. And a uneasy silence hanging over the chamber, every noise they make echoing almost deafeningly.

Atwill goes to the left to check one of the smaller buildings, he sends two security men right and leave the center to the commander and the players. Let them hunt about in the dark, gloom ruins before finding - presumably - Doctor Hodder, hand on the head of one of the redshirt security men, black oil pouring down on him and spreading the infection. They both turn their heads towards the players in a creepy unison and begin stalking towards them.

Probably time to go.

The infected have pretty good soak and lots of hit points, so getting in a gunfight - when just a touch will infect you - is a bad idea. To hammer the point home, a Redshrit can succumb to the nanogenes, showing off the effects - and it isn't pretty.

In the mad scramble to get out of the pit, only Atwill and Shelly make it to the lift. Everyone else - grad students and security redshirts - are grabbed and infected. They get up to the top of the pit, well ahead of the monsters. . . and then the elevator starts going down. They can buy more time by destroying the lift - the infected can still climb up the access ladder, but it'll take longer.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

With the elevator jammed and the hatch to the Minshaft door, the Infected are slowed, at least for the moment. As soon as the infected get to the top of the shaft, they'll start working the nanogenes through the gaps and seams in the hatch. This isn't a level one seal, eventually the infected will be able to work their way through.

Retureating to the C&C dome, the Overseer gets word from Medical that professor Matheson has regained consciousness and seems to be recovering. Getting down there, they find that he is anything but recovered. The Doctor has Matheson sealed in isolation, his eyes are solid black with very faint swirls of dark blue in them. He's standing there, head cocked, not exactly interacting with the environment, but aware of everything anyway - it's creepy as hell.

Matheson can act as the mouthpiece for the nanogenes, infodumping as much plot as necessary. He also gets across - not through words, but actions - that he would very much like to leave this ruined world and spread across the galaxy. This would be bad. Very bad.

When all the exposition has been given and the scene is wrapping up, Matheson gives up talking and starts working the door. Given time, he'll be able to get free.

DECISION TIME -

With the enemy at the gates, the players have several choices before them

A) Evacuate the Base

While the players have the gear they arrived in, there are not enough space suits to go around and the only ground transport - their truck - is open to space in the back and the cab isn't big enough.

B) Last stand

Fighting back will slow the Infected down, but the nature of the nanogenes is that they repair damage and regenerates wounds. Unless you completely destroy the body, the Infected will keep coming. The risks involved - a touch means (most likely) an infection - are too high to combat them directly

C) Leave by shuttle

Anticipating that their hosts might leave prematurely, the Infected will head there and cut off that avenue of escape. They will either destroy the shuttle or disable it (or the shuttle is disabled in the fight)

.

D) Turn off the invasion at the source

The players can head back down into the mines to destroy the hub at the source. They'll have to get past the infected, find the hub and being enough explosives to do the job in one go - they wont get another chance at this .

E) More information

Find the professor's notes and attack the problem from that angle. He has been studying the find for some time now. Perhaps they find a weakness of achilles heel of the nanogenes.

IMPERIAL ENTANGLMENTS -

After a few moments or in a quiet breather, someone on the team goes "Hey, where is Schreck?" He had taken advantage of the confusion to slip away and report back to the Star Destroyer on station of the situation.

A quick search of the base turns up Schreck in his quarters. How much success they get will determine where he is in his report to his masters. Success means that they get to him before he gets the radio out. Triumph means they get the drop on after he's logged in to the broadcast network but before he's had a chance to start sending. Failure means they catch up mid report and despair means that the Empire has already dispatched the TIE bombers to sterilize the site.

If they inform the Star Destroyer of what is going on (or let him complete the report), the mission controller, after telling them to stand by, tells them "Acknowledged. Base Delta Zero on target coordinates 779 in progress."

The clock is now running - they have about half an hour before the TIE bombers arrive and sterilize the base.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Desslok