Character creation follows guideline from the “Careers in Star Law” by Alex Curylo from Dragon Magazine #91. You may wish to review that article and print an Alpha Dawn character sheet prior to doing this adventure. The following is the character creation check list.

1. Choose a name and species
2. Roll and arrange ability scores as per the Alpha Dawn rules transferring up to 10 points between an ability pair and apply racial modifier. To have entered Star Law, 5 of your ability scores must have been 5 points higher than the racial averages (given in the table below) and two of which must be INT & LOG.
   

   Species	STR/STA	DEX/RS	INT/LOG	PER/LDR
   Human	45/45	45/45	45/45	45/45
   Dralasite	50/50	40/40	45/45	45/45
   Vrusk	40/40	50/50	45/45	45/45
   Yazirian	35/35	50/50	50/50	45/45

   If your ability scores do not meet this requirement then redo the process or simply use the racial average and add 5 points to five individual scores of which INT & LOG must be part of the five.

   After all that add 5 points to one ability score in the STR/STA pair and 5 points to one ability score in the DEX/RS pair as per the rigorous academy training you have received.

3. Choose a PSA
4. If your PSA is Technological or Biosocial choose one 5^th level skill and one 3^rd level skill from that PSA and a 2^nd level ranged weapon skill (usually beam) and a 1^st level non ranged weapon skill (usually melee). If your PSA is Military choose two 5^th level weapons skills plus 2^nd level Martial Arts and 1^st level Demolitions.
5. Choose one more bonus 1^st level skill from any PSA.
6. Compute your punching score, initiative modifier, and length of time your character can hold his breathe (STA/5)

Add a skein suite to the character sheet as your only item of equipment

A security breach at the Dralasite Savings & Loan corporate office was tracked to the crew of the pirate ship Albatross. The stolen data is the vault security schematics to hundreds of bank vaults across the Frontier. Your primary mission is to recover the data and apprehend the thief, Lady Cassen Mcgee. She is also the ship’s captain and Star Law wants her alive, but the other members of the crew can be brought in dead or alive as the situation warrants.

Suspect Bios

Lady Cassen-300h.png [2]

Lady Cassen McGee

Captain of the Albatross & pilot

Human female

RS 45, STA 45

RW 53, M43, PS 3, IM 5

Beam 3, Tech 6, Comp 3, Starship Piloting 2, Martial arts 2

Skein suit, laser pistol, 4 SEU clips, power belt, albedo screen, Robcom tool kit, chronocom

Notes: Lady Cassen is an independent pirate not affiliated with any pirate band which makes it a mystery as to how she came into possession of an assault scout. She maintains good relations with the powers that be on Outer Reach but the reality is that she is more of a thief and a smuggler than a pirate.

savage monkey-300h.png [3]

Svidge aka Savage Monkey

Ship’s engineer

Yazirian male (Gliding, Battle Rage 20%)

RS 50, STA 35

RW 45, M38, PS 2, IM 5

Technician 6, Robotics 2, Melee 2, Thrown Weapons 2

Skein suit, Kah’dan honor sword (treat as sword), Zamra throwing blade, Technician’s tool kit, chronocom

Notes: Savage Monkey is a sociopath and sadist. He enjoys torturing people that cannot fight back. He’s competent as an engineer but he is considered crazy.

Trip-300h.png [4]

XXX, aka Triple X, aka Trip

Ship’s astrogator

Vrusk male (ambidextrous, comprehension 15%)

RS 45, STA 45

RW 53, M43, PS 3, IM 5

Beam 1, Comp 6, Astrogation 2, Melee 1

Skein suit, sonic stunner, power belt, inertia screen, vibro knife 1 SEU clip, Robcom tool kit, polyvox, chronocom

Notes: XXX is inscrutable and not very talkative. He’s hiding from his past and his secret could be anything as he’s not talking about it.

Old Bill Yeager-300h.png [5]

Old Bill Yeager

Ship’s energy weapon gunner

Human male

RS 45, STA 45

RW 83, M33, PS 3, IM 5

Beam 6, Energy Weapons 2, Melee 1

Skein suit, sonic stunner, power belt, inertia screen, vibro knife 1 SEU clip, chronocom

Notes: Bill’s been with the Albatross a long time. He is a petty thief and Lady Cassen has been forced to replace dead crew that objected to his stealing from them.

Musket Mouth-300h.png [6]

Marlo Musket Mouth

Ship’s rocket gunner

Dralasite male (4 limbs total, lie detection 5%)

RS 40, STA 50

RW 40, M35, PS 3, IM 4

Gyro Weapons 2, Projectile 4, Starship Rocket Weapons 1, Melee 1

Skein suit, Needler pistol, 2 clips, cutlass (sword), flint lock pistol, 20 shot and powder., chronocom

Notes: Marlo plays the part of pirate to the hilt. He wears an eye patch, says, “Arrhh” every other sentence, and carries a flint lock pistol with shot and powder. He always shoots first with the flint lock before switching to more modern weaponry. His flint lock pistol has shorter range then a musket but the other stats are the same and in the close quarters of the ship the range is immaterial.

Doors

Standard room doors may be opened and moved through at half movement. Elevator doors are unpowered and act as a pressure door. To open an elevator door a character must stop in front of one, spend one turn opening it, and then can move through at half movement. All doors that are opened will remain open unless closed.

Space Suits

Space suits are fitted to the owner and normally take about 40 minutes to don. The player character will not be able to don his suit (if found) in time nor the suit of one of the NPCs. Even if he was able to do so he would have to be weighed down with at least 35 kg of equipment to have neutral buoyancy otherwise he would float on top of the water and become trapped against the ceiling in a flooded deck.

Elevators

The elevators are unpowered and at the bottom of their shafts. If the player character enters an elevator he must come to a stop and spend one complete turn opening the roof hatch before moving through at half speed. The elevator shaft has a recessed ladder that allows for climbing the shaft and the rate of climb for all characters is one deck per turn. If a character is in a shaft when the next deck begins flooding he simply floats to the elevator door for that deck and may spend the next turn opening it or may climb to the next deck up.

The Ship’s Angle

The ship is canted over at a 45 degree in the water. This affects all characters by halving movement and reducing IM by -1. The halving of movement compounds with the half movement for passing through doors. Once deck 3 begins to flood the ship will have enough of a vertical orientation that these effects are nullified.

Power

The ship’s engines are off line and the ship is on emergency back-up power.  Each deck has a parabattery hidden behind a bulkhead wall that powers the lights and equipment on that deck. This power source will short out 8 turns after the deck begins flooding.  If this happens and the player character is still on the deck, he will be plunged into darkness. If a character is forced to move in darkness he must make a INT check to move or the darkness confuses him and he does not reach the point he was making for and will have to make a INT check next turn to move.

Albatross Down.png [7]

Flooding

The ship sustained damage in space and upon crash landing in the water. It is flooding at a rate of 1 deck per minute starting with deck 6. If certain doors and hatches are closed as the player character moves up the ship, bonus time can be gained. This is covered in the deck description. If the player character is on a deck after the 10 turns of flooding for that deck he must begin to hold his breath. When the player character reaches his breath limit he begins to take damage (2d10 per turn). If the player character reaches 0 STA he drowns and the encounter is over.  This STA loss is temporary and will be recovered at the rate of 1 STA per 10 minutes of rest once out of the water

Time

The encounter is played in Alpha Dawn game turns of (6 seconds per turn) and 10 turns to the minute. An extra sheet of paper will be required to track turns. Label six decks and mark hash marks for each turn of flooding for a deck until 10 then begin marking hash marks for the next deck unless bonus time is awarded by the deck descriptions.

Looting & Searching Pirates

Looting a pirate takes one turn and means the player character has collected all of the gear listed in their stat block except their defensive suit. A pirate may be searched once and it takes one turn. A search will turn up a random item plus their ID card; consult the “Search a Pirate Table”. It takes 3 turns to strip a pirate of a defensive suit and 1 turn each for the PC to undress or dress himself.  In other words it’s possible to use the defensive suits from the pirates but they must be the same species as the player character and it takes time to undress and dress.

Read each deck description and resolve any combat as it occurs. There are specific actions that may be taken on each deck. These actions have a cost in time and they are keyed to an Action Result Index below.  Consult the number listed to find out what happens when your character takes that action. You must escape the ship and accomplish your mission before it fully floods.  The Decks are keyed to the deck plans from the Assault Scout article on page 20.

Deck 6

The player character begins play locked in a damaged cargo container. He may either make a STR check to break the container open in one turn or may attempt to fatigue the material of the container over a few turns to break it in time. The fatigue method simply records the PC’s STR score each turn till he reaches a total of 150 and may stand up on that turn. This is an either or choice break the container open in 1 turn or work to fatigue it. Failure to break it open does not apply the STR score to the fatigue method.

Savage Monkey is on this deck and he was stunned by the crash. The stun wears off in the first turn but he does nothing that turn. Baring the appearance of the Star Law deputy he will move to the elevator and begin opening it to climb up ship. If the cargo container is opened in the first turn combat will commence on the second turn. If he has moved to the elevator and has his back to the cargo container then the PC gets a turn of surprise to attack from behind. Unless stopped Savage Monkey will be in the elevator on turn 4, opening the roof hatch on turn 5, on the roof of the elevator on turn 6, climbing to deck 5 on turn 7, opening the door to deck 5 on turn 8 and entering deck 5 on turn 9.

On this deck the player character may:

1. Search the closet for 2 turns (see Action Result Index #2 )
2. Search the open deck for 1 turn (see #7 )
3. Attempt to open the cargo hatch in the floor (see #11)

Note: If the elevator door is closed and the roof hatch is closed then there is a 3 turn bonus before deck 5 begins flooding.

Deck 5

The vrusk astrogator, Trip, is sitting at the right hand control station arguing with the captain by intercom about whether they should send a mayday. The Captain simply orders Trip to get to the sky bridge and help her cut a hole in the hull and cuts the connection on the turn that the PC enters the deck. Trip will turn and engage the PC when he enters the deck.

Savage Monkey may be encountered here if he escaped deck 6. Place him at the left hand control station. Note it may be a very close combat for both Trip and Savage Monkey to fight the player character but this is the consequence of allowing Savage Monkey to escape deck 6.

On this deck the player character may:

1. Open the arms locker either with a successful technician skill roll vs a level 3 lock in 1 turn or smash the lock with a blunt object for 1d10 damage per turn till 30 points are reached. (see # 9)
2. Operate communications gear to issue a mayday; 1 turn with a crew member’s ID card to unlock system or technician’s skill check vs level 2 lock for 2 turns (see #3 )
3. Search Deck for 1 turn (see #13 )
4. Access the computer; requires an ID card to unlock or technician skill check vs a level 2 lock then a successful Display information roll (see #14 )

Deck 4

This deck appears deserted but then the player character will notice that the lock to the captain’s cabin has been smashed and kicked in and the door is slightly ajar.  See #21 immediately.

On this deck the player character may:

1. Search the Captain’s quarters for 1 turn (see #10)
2. Search Savage Monkey’s quarters;  1 turn if in possession of his ID card, or 2 turns with a successful technician skill check vs a level 2 lock, or by doing 25 points of damage to the lock (see #16 )
3. Search Trip’s quarters;  1 turn if in possession of his ID card, or 2 turns with a successful technician skill check vs a level 2 lock, or by doing 25 points of damage to the lock (see #19)
4. Search Old Bill Yeager and Musket Mouth’s quarters;  1 turn if in possession of his ID card, or 2 turns with a successful technician skill check vs a level 2 lock, or by doing 25 points of damage to the lock (see #5 )

Deck 3

This deck appears deserted.

On this deck the player character may:

1. Search the dining area for 1 turn (see #1 )
2. Search the galley for 1 turn (see #6 )

Note: if the elevator door is closed here there is a 3 turn bonus before deck 3 begins to flood.

Deck 2

Marlo Musket Mouth, the ship’s rocket gunner, is here and he’s just begun calling the other crew members down ship via chronocom. He will engage the player character with his flintlock pistol then switch to his modern weapon.

On this Deck the player character may:

1. Operate communications gear to issue a mayday; 1 turn with a crew member’s ID card to unlock system or technician’s skill check vs level 2 lock for 2 turns (see #3 )
2. Search deck 2 (see #17)
3. Access the computer for 1 turn; requires an ID card to unlock or technician skill check vs a level 2 lock then a successful Display information roll (see #14) 

Deck 1

Lady Cassen is here. She will fight but not to the death. Once she is wounded below half she will offer 100,000 Cr for her freedom. If the player character accepts this offer (see #15). If he does not accept that offer but negotiates for the vault schematics (see #20).

Once Lady Cassen is subdued, captured or killed the player character may:

1. Operate communications gear to issue a mayday; 1 turn with a crew member’s ID card to unlock system or technician’s skill check vs level 2 lock for 2 turns (see #3)
2. Search deck 1 for 1 turn (see #8)
3. Access the computer for 1 turn; requires an ID card to unlock or technician skill check vs a level 2 lock then a successful Display information roll (see #14 )
4. Cut a hole in the hull with hand weapons (see #4)
5. Improvise a power source for a laser weapon to cut a hole in the hull (see #12)

1. Nothing found
2. Savage Monkey’s and the player character’s space suits found. Strapped on the leg of Savage Monkey’s space suit is a knife and sheath.
3. You send out a mayday call but there is no answer. Note how many turns you spend sending a mayday.
4. Cutting a hole in the hull with hand weapons requires doing 200+2d100 structural points of damage.  Weapons used to cut a hole must be consulted for rate of fire and ammo available to determine the turns involved. The player will have to track the number of turns to accomplish this action.  See the Structural Damage Table for the damage caused by each weapon.
5. You find a trashy novel, a 50 Cr voucher chit, and 1 power clip with 20 SEUs.
6. You find 100 ration pack and 6 kitchen knives. The kitchen knives are not that useful for fighting: melee modifier is +0.
7. You find a star ship engineer’s tool kit (see the Knight Hawks rule book).
8. You find a file computer with notes on defeating the security at Dralasite Saving & Loan’s central headquarters as well as a contact name, “Fresno”, to deliver the vault schematics to on Minotaur.
9. You open the arms locker to discover 2 sonic stunners, 2 stun sticks, 2 needler pistols, 2 dose grenades, 4 gas masks, 4 smoke grenades, 5 power clips, 4 needler pistol ammo clips, and 1 power beltpack.
10. You locate a wall safe behind a picture by cutting away the picture (the frame is tightly mounted to the wall for 0 g. Open the safe for a technician’s skill check vs a level 5 lock or  do 100+d100 structural points worth of damage. See the Structural Damage Table for the damage caused by each weapon.
11. If before the 8^th turn of flooding on this deck there is still power to open the door. It retracts in one turn and water rushes in. The compartment is flooded in one turn, the lights short out but you are pinned against the ceiling or wall. You try to hold your breath but it doesn’t matter as the whole ship floods in seconds instead of minutes and the ship goes down with all aboard. Congratulations you’ve prevented the sale of the sensitive data and Star Law extends its condolences to your family.
12. You locate the wall panel that covers the back-up battery. It may be cut away in 1 turn with tools from a tech kit, robocom kit, or starship engineer’s tool kit. Otherwise, shoot the four bolts with a non needler or stun weapon. The number of turns to do that depends on the rate of fire of the weapon at  1 shot per bolt. 1 turn to jack a laser into the parabattery.  The battery has 5d100-20 SEU.
13. You search the engineering deck. In a closet near his station you find Trip’s space suit, a flashlight and a computer storage disk. To read the disk, unlock a computer station (map items D on deck 5, C on deck 2, or C on Deck 1) then see #18.
14. Roll on the Computer Data Search Table. Extra rolls can be made at the rate of 1 per turn.
15. Lady Cassen tells you that you need to cut a hole in the hull and when you both get a credit terminal she’d withdraw a credit voucher for 100,000 Cr. When your weapon is drained from cutting the hull she jumps you and initiates hand to hand combat.
16. You find a bottle of yazirian brandy, incense, pry bar (treat as a night stick at 2 kg wt.), and two blank computer storage disks.
17. You find plasti-paper map of the capitol city of Minotaur with coded notations that you cannot make out at this time.
18. You discover that the astrogator, Trip, has been making notes on this disk for plotting a course to Theseus system.
19. You find a collection of 25 rare and beautiful art statues that you believe might be stolen. Each weighs 1 kg.
20. The Lady Cassen offers to give you the stolen data if you do not kill her. You disarm her and she carefully pulls out her ID card and inserts it into a slot then enters a code with her left hand. Make an INT check to realize that she’s hiding what she’s doing with her right hand. The code she entered releases a secret compartment under the computer consol. If you fail the INT check you are surprised and she spins with an auto pistol on burst fire (Note: she lacks skill with this weapon thus -20 but +20 for burst fire) otherwise combat continues as normal. The secret compartment held not only the auto pistol but a disk with data.
21. Because of your police training you are not surprised by Old Bill Yeager who is waiting to shoot you from inside the captain’s quarters. Roll for initiative.
22. You may search for the secret compartment on deck 1 in 1 turn if you have Lady Cassen’s ID, shoot it open by doing 25 structural points of damage with non-stun or needler weapons, or spend 5 turns prying it open.

Cutting a hole in the ship’s hull causes it to sink twice as fast. This is the reason that the captain didn’t cut a hole in the hull herself as she was waiting for crew members to come forward. When deck 1 fills completely with water the ship will sink beneath the surface.

If the player character makes it out of the ship before it sinks and swims away from it for two turns he will not be affected by the under tow of the sinking ship. If he is on the ship’s hull or has not swum away from it they he must make a STR check to resist being sucked under.

Unbeknownst to the player character, he is on Lossend, a light population world. The Lossend Rangers noted the crash of the ship in a remote area of the planet and dispatched search teams. Unfortunately, it will take time for them to reach the vicinity of the crash and to locate any survivors. This impacts the player character if he is not a dralasite that can inflate his body with air and float almost indefinitely. A character can swim for 1 hour but then loses 5 STA per 30 minutes of swimming past that.

The time till the arrival of the search teams is 1d10 hours. If the player character has issued maydays this will help the Lossend Rangers locate him. Multiply the number of turns the player character spent issuing maydays over the radio by 1 hour and subtract this from the total time till the Rangers arrive.

If he manages to recover the stolen data and survive he will receive a commendation. There many other clues that will lead to the leak that got him shot and stuffed into a cargo container as well as the buyer on Minotaur. Discovering this data is bonus to completing the mission.

Search Pirate Table

Structural Damage Table

Computer Data Search Table