Category: Uncharted Worlds

Fleshing out the inside of an ancient dyson sphere of unknown origin went better than expected.

Fleshing out the inside of an ancient dyson sphere of unknown origin went better than expected.

Fleshing out the inside of an ancient dyson sphere of unknown origin went better than expected. The entire session was done with a series of Assessment rolls and prompting to get details as to what’s going on inside this sphere.

First, some established facts:

– the sphere is at about Venus orbit (110 million miles from the sun, napkin math says the inner surface area is equivalent to 750 million earths)

– the outer shell is a self-healing silicon-crystalline structure that is unknown to human science. Sustained plasma fire can create a hole but it heals rapidly – the PCs were able to take their shuttle and mech with, so 3 PCs, 2 crew members, and a floating AI orb all entered inside.

The stages of discovery:

1. Racing through the bore-hole, the mech pilot was the first one out. “You exit at speed due to the rapid closing of the hole, what is the first thing your sensors warn you of?” Radiation. And electricity. And magnetism. All sorts of energy, flowing about like a river. They’re in a sort of maintenance tunnel, with a “roof” quite a ways above them – the earth’s moon could probably fit in here. Energy flows around like a river, being picked up and absorbed by tendrils coming up from the outer surface. This appears to be where the power is coming from for the self-healing.

2. Tracing the energy river back to the source, they find a “waterfall” entering the chamber through a porous material different from the surrounding crystal. There are small tunnels dotted around the side, and they ascend. “As you exit the tunnel, the first thing that hits you is the bright light. Everything is light. What’s the second thing you notice?” The light around us is diffuse, spreading through a sort of gas or liquid looking a bit like food coloring spreading through water. In the center above us, though, is an inky black point. Every warning sensor is going off wildly. It’s a black hole. But we’re not affected by any of the forces. Something about this construct is stabilizing or containing the hole. “So it’s like a prison for a black hole? Awesome. But where’s the light coming from?” The corona of the black hole, which is normally x-rays, is visible light. It’s like a lance of light slashing across the darkness above us.

3. So we’re in a contained black hole which seems to have no power here. The space of the sphere is filled with stray gases or liquid or something. “You’re also picking up large solid objects in range, what are they?” It’s hard to tell from here, but they look like islands. Their bottom sides are pointed towards the black hole, and the surface points toward the shell of the sphere. Sensors arer reading life signs on some of them.

I love when collaborative world building goes in totally unexpected and awesome ways.

Brainstorm with me:

Brainstorm with me:

Brainstorm with me:

I mentioned in a previous post that my players had found their way inside a solid, almost crystalline dyson sphere of unknown origin. We faded to black at that moment.

I have a handful of rough ideas and images for what’s inside (but intend to play to find out). However, I am going to offer this up as a “sword and planet” style adventure, where it’s basically their high tech against the rigors and strangeness of an alien world. So what sort of custom moves do you see for something like this?

I already have this idea of a supply/resource move based on the AW Hardholder/Hocus stuff, to give them resource pressure without the need for tracking rations and crazy shit like that.

I’m also considering some variation of DW’s perilous journey, but haven’t fully fleshed that out. I’m still not sure if this will take (about 75% confident right now).

I have one question about starting a new physical game (as opposed to a game via chat).

I have one question about starting a new physical game (as opposed to a game via chat).

I have one question about starting a new physical game (as opposed to a game via chat). How would you organize the logistics of character creation? In all other PBTA games it is dead simple as you only have to pass around the playbooks and there are no doubles.

In Uncharted Worlds nothing hinders a player to select identical careers or origins. Passing around a copy of my GM book does not seem like a real option. As I am trying to show/teach my players this game, they do not have copies of the rulebook themselves.

Do you plan on creating a player set with just the steps for character creation and the careers/origins? Would it be okay if the GM distributed a printout of those at the table? If yes, how many would you print? One for every player (waste of paper) or just two or three?

I want to gm a one-shot session at the end of the month, and it seems to me that the mechanical part of character creation takes much longer than in any other PBTA game. Would it be a good advice to hand out the careers and origins beforehand so that the players can get aquainted with them?

Here’s a little something sprung from a conversation a while back, about reflections and isolation in space (and in…

Here’s a little something sprung from a conversation a while back, about reflections and isolation in space (and in…

Here’s a little something sprung from a conversation a while back, about reflections and isolation in space (and in general). Check it out, kick the tyres, expand, contract, tell me where it works and where it doesn’t.

When you find yourself isolated for a significant amount of time (interstellar travel, remote outpost, foreigner in a foreign place), Roll 2d6.

On a 10+, describe how you overcome your isolation.

On a 7-9, something comes to the surface. The GM will ask you a question or two about your past, your fears, your secret longings. Answer them.

On a 6-, you decide: slip up, become unstable, or lose sight of something important. You may suffer injury, debility, or debt, as a result.

The bones of a long dead society spill out across the horizon as far as you can see.

The bones of a long dead society spill out across the horizon as far as you can see.

The bones of a long dead society spill out across the horizon as far as you can see. Homes, offices, infrastructure – it’s all here, looking vaguely and eerily like any city you’d find back home… just bigger.

But it’s not like home. Here all is silent. All you find as you walk these echoing streets are these lamps on nearly every street corner. A few still glow with faint light.

What do you do?

(Image via Michael Prescott​​ at http://blog.trilemma.com/2016/12/the-call-of-light.html)

The Setup: During our Session 0 the players and I constructed a local cluster connected by jump gates.

The Setup: During our Session 0 the players and I constructed a local cluster connected by jump gates.

The Setup: During our Session 0 the players and I constructed a local cluster connected by jump gates. Earth is off the table for the game, but is still connected – it’s just like a year journey to get back.

One of the local stars that the original explorers happened upon was encased in a dyson sphere of unknown origin (at approximately Venus orbit). The structure appears almost crystalline and reflects/refracts all incoming EM waves and sensors. No seams or entrances were ever founds. But the frozen planets still orbiting the sphere were ripe with unique materials, and the system became a destination for mining.

Now: The characters have discovered with enough concentrated plasma fire, the crystalline structure of the sphere will “melt” away. It reseals itself in moments, but they are able to fire a sustained blast from their ship long enough to get their shuttle and mech suit through while the ship waits outside in position. It is set to re-bore the hole once per day until fuel gets low, then it will do it once a week.

The session ended as they flew into the borehole before it sealed up behind them.

WHAT DO THEY FIND INSIDE?