GM's Notes for Dying World

The adventure saga is broken down into scenes. Each scene has a goal, explains a bit about the setting, and tells you which characters are present.

Scene 1- A Chance to Survive

Setting: Ringside Pub and Bar (franchise) Cast: All characters, Bartender, A variety of wall armed patrons Goal: Get the party together and to make a choice on how to reach the spaceport The adventure opens in a local arena pub called Ringside. Originally this place catered the the arena circuit, which is huge on this world. Squads of five gladiators compete in televised death matches, and the best gladiators retire rich, and use their new wealth to launch mercenary companies. Or die fighting after their prime. This is the world the players grew up on. Their world's chief export is mercenaries, and the weaponry and armor to support them. The entire world of Kemet exists to fuel war, and has done so for hundreds of generations. Their parents were likely, or aspired to be, gladiators. That's what everyone on this world seeks. Or did until news came in that the world was ending, roughly a week ago. The players are enjoying a cheap synth-ale, or life wine, and contemplating just how royally screwed they are. Their world is dying, and they can't afford to get off this rock. Half the planet is already unlivable, and they've had to kill...or worse just to make it this far. There's no more running, though, and everyone knows it. When this continent shatters the world is done, and they all die. Set the tone and describe the situation to the players. Maybe draw them a map of the bar, which can look like whatever you want it to (there's a bit more info below). It has holoscreens, plenty of seating, and is as packed full of patrons as you want to make it. The Ringside Pub The pub can seat about thirty people, but roughly twenty are currently in the bar. The bartender is a mid-fifties asian non-com, and obviously terrified by the reaction. She has nowhere to go. She lives upstairs. Almost everyone else is a mercenary. Most don't want a fight, but aren't ready to lead. They'll need a leader to emerge. If an uncomfortable silence begins to stretch, then tell your players out of character that if someone has high charisma and/or the negotiation skill they might want to step up and try to seize control. If the party doesn't have someone who fits that role, then they'll have to rely on their own group. No other leader emerges from the bar, and they can either stay, or go. Anyone with tactical knowledge will realize that giving up a fortified, defensible position right before a massive firefight is a really bad idea. The smartest idea is to stay put. The bar has a small door behind the kitchen that leads into an alley, and a front wall that is half metal, and half glass windows. There are metal shutters that are usually pulled down at night, which are more than sufficient to stop small arms fire, and some spells. GM Avatar Select a character from the pre-mades that hasn't been taken by the players. Pick someone that will fill a gap in the party. You can use this NPC to nudge the group into directions that they might not see. Be subtle, though, and don't railroad your players. Just make sure they're aware of the direction the game should be heading. Test #1- React to the news
All of a sudden the scry-screens all over the bar light up. The border turns red as an incoming missive begins to play. A portly man in battle-scarred armor comes onto the screen, and begins to speak. He's dressed in the old southern style, from ancient terra, as many military commanders favor to ape the Confederacy. Bortel speaks with a strong southern accent. Bortel: I ain't good with words, so I won't try. You all know who I am. I get more, and better contracts than anyone who ever crawled off this rock. It's comin apart now, and we all know it. We all know that if you're still on it, you're dead. You're not making it off. Here's the thing though. I can get you off. I've got a full battle carrier with an empty hold. It's got munitions. It's got bunks. It's got chow. What it needs are mages. Deadly mages. Bortel pauses to vape from an ornate golden vape pen. Bortel: I can take a full ten-thousand of you. Ladies and gentlemen we are going to replenish the legions, one last time. And we are going to do it with the best of the best. How do I know it will be the best of the best? Because I'm only taking people who control this landing zone in twenty-four hours. The screen shifts to show a region on the northern continent. Your continent. It zooms in to an area twelve clicks north of your position...the Mojave Spaceport. Bortel: I will take up to ten thousand, and I'm going to leave it to you to sort out who that is. Get to the landing zone at seven pm standard, tomorrow evening. Live, ladies and gentlemen, and you get to work for me. Or die, and be forgotten. The screen goes dead. All around the bar people begin clutching weapons, and preparing to defend themselves, though no one has attacked. All of you realize that you're way too close to the LZ. If you leave this building you'll be stepping into a warzone, one that will get worse as more and more people reach the spaceport. If no one in the party steps up, then tensions begin to mount. Each group is eyeing the others, and the smaller groups are nervous. Finally, a pair near the door get up, and bolt. Another couple run out. A man in battered spellarmor stands from a table in the corner and raises his faceplate. He's old, his face like leather. FENRIS: Listen, here's the deal people. I ain't a leader. Not even close. But I ain't stupid. We're smack in the middle of this conflict, like it or not. An hour ago most of us had given up, but now there's a chance. Now we might live. Here's my thought on the matter. Let's weather the storm. We button this place down, and agree to work together. All of us. Anyone who doesn't like that arrangement can leave, and nobody's got to die. A burly hatchling in spellarmor smoothly draws a massive two-handed axe, which bursts into flame. It steps menacingly before the grizzled merc. Note: If the players intervene now let them and begin combat. HATCHLING: Just one problem with that. I like that spellpistol, and I can't think of a reason not to take it from your corpse. Chaos breaks out. Combat begins. Have players roll initiative. Array up to a dozen combatants depending on how many players you have in your game. Place them in clusters of 2-3 to represent the other factions. At least one of these factions should move to Fenris's defense, and try to work with the players. Make it clear to the players that these seem to be allies so they don't mistakenly kill them. The stats for the combatants can be drawn from pre-generated characters. Just pull over a mix of classes that seems challenging and plop them in. As one of these NPCs makes an attack you can show the associated artwork to the player so they know what they look like. When deciding who is attacking who start by having one group (HATCHLING) attack Fenris's group. This means the PCs are not under direct assault, and will give them time to figure out how combat works before being in immediate peril. The players should quickly overcome HATCHLING and the other mercs attacking them.

Test #2- Batten down the hatches

We get a reaction scene where the players can process what just happened. Assuming he survived the players meet Fenris (the grizzled man in Spellarmor), who is grateful that they saved his life. Only a handful of other people should have survived, and these are mostly nameless redshirts who aren't going to make it to the final LZ. You can give them as much flesh as you'd like, and feel free to use the code names provided in the pre-gen characters if that's who you inserted. Hopefully a leader has emerged among your players. Ask them what they want to do. If no one steps up Fenris does, and starts suggesting improvements to the fortifications. The first thing is lowering the blast shield, which every shop in this neighborhood has. It will stop small arms fire, but not much more. Next they decide to turn off the lights, and cut all sound. They do so, and can hear sporadic gunfire from the neighboring street. It's close, but not right outside. Those of you with the ranged skill can identify some of the weaponry. After that it's a waiting game, unless the PCs have any suggestions. There's still the door in the kitchen leading to the alley out back. Things for PCs to deal with:

Blast doors lowered

Rear door barricaded

Power deactivated

After these have been tackled try to initiate roleplay. Have Fenris do so if none of the PCs do. They're sitting down after the work is done, and trying to decide on their future. Note that if Fenris died you can create or insert another NPC in the crowd to fill this role. FENRIS: The way I figure it...there are probably two or three hundred thousand mercs close enough to make a run for the LZ. They're gonna be low on ammo, and their mages will be conserving spells. At first. They'll stampede toward the LZ, and people will only fight when they have to, or if they see an opportunity to claim resources they need. We can probably wait most of it out in here, but then what? I don't know what comes after. At some point we're going to have to make a break for the LZ. If no one suggests it FENRIS will add: FENRIS: The first groups to make it to the LZ are going to start acting like gate keepers. They'll let in the strong, because the strong will defend the LZ. If we wait until a few hours before the clock runs outs we'll avoid a lot of conflict, but then we'll deal with all the survivors who've already dug in. Anyone have any thoughts on that? See what kind of feedback you can get from players. Let them voice their thoughts and ideas, and try to add to them with FENRIS. Your goal is to get the PCs to pick between 2 courses of action:

Stay here until just before the clock runs out, then try to sneak into the LZ somehow

Go now, and deal with constant fighting all the way into the LZ in the hopes of being in the initial group of gatekeepers

From a practical standpoint it doesn't matter what route the players take. They're going to face certain challenges trying to reach the LZ. If they leave now there will be more fights, but they'll be among those setting the rules. The initial 10,000. Or, they could have a much more certain route to the LZ, but then have to find a way to sneak, bribe, or barter their way inside. Fenris won't make that decision, and hopes someone among the PCs will. If they won't his default choice is wait out the chaos, then try to sneak inside.

Scene 3a- Wait it out

Setting: Ringside Pub and Bar (franchise) Cast: All characters, other survivors Goal: Batten down the hatches and hold the bar until the last minute If the players elect to stay, then it's a tense waiting game. You can read them the following, or paraphrase however you like. Minutes claw their way by, each more slowly than the last. Sporadic gunfire becomes less sporadic and more oppressive. There are shouts, and the deeper booms of high caliber weapons. A dragon shrieks its rage overhead, followed an instant later by a trio of agonized screams. Sudden silence falls. A single pair of boots pounds across pavement outside, then a single round cracks. There's a clatter and the boots stop. After this you can give your party a chance to react. They can still choose to move to 5B. If they do not we move into actual combat. Here's the setup: Over the next few hours you age years. Twice someone has tested the blast shield, but both times it repelled their small arms fire, and they moved on to easier targets. Everyone around you tenses. It's as if they heard something, but not consciously, not yet. You strain, and hear the familiar pulsing of a hovertank. The pulsing is overlapping. There is more than one. As they approach you count a third. The tanks stop directly outside the pub. A high pitched whine begins and you hear the subsonic roar of a spellcannon. These are Inuran hovertanks. They combine magic and tech with lethal effectiveness. The roar completes, and a building across the street explodes. Give the characters a moment to process the scene. The tanks are systematically blowing open every shop, almost all of which have similar blast doors to the shop they're in. A few do not, and black-clad soldiers are already rushing in and gathering material. Loots like a tank platoon, backed by an understrength platoon of conventional marines. The tanks are the only real threat to almost everyone in the bar, though the mercs shouldn't be underestimated. If they roll up the blast shield they can get the drop on the tanks, or they could try escaping out the back if they have any stealthy types. You can find the Inuran Mark V Hovertank in the equipment section. The mercs have standard harry's rifles, and no spells.

Scene 3a- Make a Run for It

Setting: Ringside Pub and Bar (franchise) Cast: All characters, survivors Goal: Flee the pub and make for the spaceport If the players choose to run for it things are much tougher. They are attacked by a trio of drake riders (see bestiary), who are trying to pillage their equipment. After they fight them off they keep moving, and find a fairly defensible ravine that is unclaimed. They're able to hunker down and get a good look at the surrounding area for the first time. You can read them the following. The LZ is clearly marked by the remains of a long chain link fence. It's been demolished in places, and the field beyond is pockmarked and scarred. Pieces of tanks, and transports, and even the odd mech dot the field, all abandoned. Beyond the fenced area is a pristine area of field that screams mines. It doesn't look like anyone has tried to bypass them, and after a moment you realize the mines aren't the problem. Seven turrets in automated emplacements have been set up on overwatch, ceaselessly scanning the area leading into the minefield. They're probably why the tanks didn't make it, and judging from the cannon size you're not going to like getting hit by it either. The LZ extends to the north, and it's possible to hike around the minefield to find an easier way in. In the center of the minefield constant explosions and spells are detonating, showing that there is a fierce contest for control. IThe hovertanks from 5A begin to approach. The PCs can choose to ambush them, or try to hide. If they do not attack the tanks will pass the ravine and continue toward the LZ. Press on move to Scene 4.

Scene 4- To the LZ

Setting: Demilitarized zone outside their final approach Cast: All characters, Bartender, any other survivors Goal: Reach the LZ safely Regardless of how the PCs proceeded they're gearing up to make their final run at the LZ. Either they are leaving the shop, the ravine, or they pressed on without stopping and are just not reaching the LZ. You can read this to the players: The combat in the LZ has largely died down, but every few minutes someone will try to approach, and they're taken down in a hail of violent spellfire. Making a direct run on the LZ is suicide. While you are inspecting the interior of the LZ an illusory image of a matronly woman appears. Mava: The missive is two way so you can reply. My name is Mava, and I have a proposition for you. Are you interested? Allow the party to discuss their options for a moment. Presumably they are interested. If not, ask them how they intend to get inside. You may have to improvise to respond to their plan, and if it's workable feel free to go with it instead of the rest of this section. Assuming they are interested: Mava: I am pleased to hear it. I assume you are trying to get into the LZ, yes? I can aid you with that. Presumably the characters will ask her who she is and she is interested in helping them. You can give some version of the following: Mava: I represent a mercenary outfit, and we've been charged with guarding this section of the perimeter. If you head a little ways north you'll find an elder Wyrm preparing to assault our position. I want you to kill that Wyrm. Do that, and you'll have proved your worth. If the players agree go to scene 5. If they disagree let them propose whatever plan they'd like, and try to play that plan out logically. If they get to the LZ you can move to scene 6. [

Scene 5- Dragon Slayers

Setting: Cast: All characters, Bartender, any survivors Goal: Slay the Wyrm and bring proof to Mava The Wyrm in question is a Void Wyrm, which means it has void magic, and can disintegrate things with its breath. They can see it perched on a rock, where it appears to be resting. The Wyrm suffers from a gaping wound in its side, though it still seems dangerous. Fenris: I've fought Wyrms. Don't let that wounded animal act fool you. If we get in close that thing will kill us all. I'd recommend spreading out, and harrying it from range as much as possible. Let the players concoct a battle plan, then conduct the combat using the Void Wyrm. If the players succeed in killing the Wyrm, and they return to where they met Mava, she will honor her word and bring them across. If not, they will need to find some other way inside. However that happens, move to Scene 6.

Scene 6- Into the LZ

Setting: The Landing Zone Cast: All characters, any survivors Goal: Get the party together and to make a choice on how to reach the spaceport The characters have survived. Either they have a final plan to get inside the LZ, or have worked with Mava. If they worked with Mava, great! Keep going. If not, then you'll have to find a way to logically join the PCs in to the narrative. When their plan succeeds have them run into Mava, or invent another mercenary commander that they're running into. If they are running into mava, then the PCs enter the LZ under the watchful barrels of a dozen Inuran Hovertanks, and two-hundred grizzled mercs. Most of those mercs are broken into twenty-five man platoons, though there are many unaffiliated squads just like the PCs. If they are NOT running into Mava, then they have to deal with said tanks and platoon. No matter where they try to enter they will ultimately end up facing a much larger military force. They'll need to negotiate, but this test should be more about convincing the merc commander to let them in and less about a direct confrontation. If they run into Mava we get a little RP, if not you can handle it how you see fit. Mava: Even wounded I did not see that dragon going down at the hands of a single squad. You've proved yourself, and I honor my agreements. From the sounds of things we're working for this Bortel guy now. If he's setting up some sort of command structure you lot are welcome to serve under me. Either way, we consider you an ally as long as you hold the LZ against anyone else trying to come in. This is where you judge party mood. If the party is itching for combat, then give it to them. Have a random force charge the lines. This can be whatever you have minis for. Maybe it's some rock elementals, or hovertanks, or a squadron of spellfighters, or a platoon of hatchlings. Set up a combat scenario where the entire mercenary unit is fighting, and the PCs are assigned a group to eliminate. Run that combat, and after the PCs win (assuming they do), let them catch their breath before running the next part.

Scene 7- Rescued

Setting: The Landing Zone Cast: All characters, any survivors Goal: Roleplay out the final escape scene At 6:40 PM a rumbling begins in the distance. This continent has held together well, but is finally coming apart. It's no accident that Bortel planned his evac when he did. He wants to impress upon his new legions that he saved their lives, so they owe him. This is likely to be clear to shrewd PCs, but if it is not feel free to have an NPC point it out. Mava would be ideal for this. Here's some flavor text you can read: A rumbling begins in the distance, subsonic, and almost beyond hearing. You can feel it your chest, and in your teeth. The rumbling is getting stronger. You glance west, and see a mountain torn loose from the Sek mountains, a range filled with dense minerals. More and more mountains are torn loose, and a funnel of dense rock spirals away from the planet, vented into space as it spins off toward the sun. That wave of destruction inches closer, and will be upon you in an hour or less. Even as the destruction worsens an Inuran Battleship breaks through the upper atmosphere, and makes for your position. Salvation has arrived. The Battleship slowly descends, outpacing the destruction, but in a lazy, unconcerned way. Light glimmers from the side of the ship, and you feel a surge of magic as a grand illusion fills the sky. Bortel stares down at you with a proud smile. BORTEL: I knew I'd be impressed with the survivors, but I had no idea just how impressive the lot of you are. My drones recorded every bit of footage, and I'm cuttin together the universe's most bloody reality series...staring you. I'm gonna make you famous, and you're going to make me rich. Bortel smiles down at you, a note of cruelty leaking in. BORTEL: Make no mistake. For the next year your ass belongs to me. But that don't mean that you can't make the best of it. I need officers. I need specialists. I reward talent. If you're good, and if you represent a sizable contingent, then I'll see that you're taken care of. What I'm going to need from you in the interim is a little cooperation while we sort out a command structure. Now get inside, and make yourself comfy. The dreadnought has continued to descend, and is its cargo doors have finally begun to open. Ramps descend a hundred meters, and create a dozen entry points. At this point your party is allowed to board. They lift off and have a tremendous view as the last continent breaks apart, and their world turns to dust. In the distance they can see the glittering remains of the vagrant fleet. The dreadnought makes its way deeper into the system, and opens a fissure into the Umbral Depths.

That's the end of the introductory saga, and now is the time to award milestone xp. Milestone XP is explained fully in the advancement chapter, but it is given to players above and beyond what they'd normally earn in a session. So, if you'd give them 4-6 normally, beating the end of an adventure might add an additional 10-12. We are very much looking for feedback on the adventure path, so please feel free to post in the Facebook group or hit me up at [email protected] if you'd prefer a 1 on 1 dialogue. Also take a look at First Contact for an alternate first adventure.