THE STARSHIP FROM HELL

Grab a liter of Araxan bile-wine, a writing stick, and a square

decimeter of tanned human skin. It's time to build a starship
and crew.

Note: This book is open content. Have at it!

Section 1: Ship Generator page

Ship Type (d10) 5
Ship Category (d10) 5
Ship Class (d20) 6
Ship Names (d100) 9
Passengers (d10) 10
Phenomena (d20) 12
Distress Signal (d12) 14
Threats (d20) 16
Secrets (d20) 19

Section 2: NPC Generator page

Crew Ranks (d10) 24
Titles (d100) 24
Names (d100) 26
Traits (d20) 28
Expertise (d20) 28
Connection (d8) 29
Factions (d10) 29
Planets (d8) 31
Locations: Upper (d20) 32
Locations: Lower (d20) 33
Possessions (d20) 34
Pregens 37
Appendix: Details 41
2
 THE STARSHIP FROM HELL

Using the Ship Generator

Section 1 is about the creation of the ship itself. Roll on any (or
all) of the first three tables for the ship's type, category, and
class. Then roll once or twice on the Names table. You'll get a
result like Transport barge Purifier or Colonial skiff Obsidian
Mistress.

After that, roll on the Passengers table to see who's aboard. You
can skip this step if the ship's empty, or if the crew members are
the only ones on the ship.

Phenomena may pose threats to the ship, or they may just be

nearby events that the player characters want to keep an eye on.
The Distress Signal table can provide a reason for a rescue bea-
con, if that's what prompted the PCs to make contact with this
ship. Finally, Threats will tell the PCs that something weird is
going on, and Secrets will tell you what that weirdness is.

When you're done with all of the above, you'll have something
like:

StarLeague heavy cruiser Null Divinity; carrying biosynthetic

constructs; issued distress signal because of meltdown; liquid
entity aboard ship.

It’s not necessary to roll on every table! In fact, if you do, you
may have to pick and choose between grotesqueries, so be ready
to set a few horrors aside for later.

3
 THE STARSHIP FROM HELL

Using the NPC Generator

Roll on the Crew Rank or Titles table to determine the NPC's

identity, then roll once or twice on the Names table.

You can assign Traits and/or Expertise, and you can establish a
Connection between this character and another (either a fellow
NPC or a player character).

If you want to create affiliation with a Faction, or a Planet of ori-

gin, use the next two tables.

If you're not sure where the NPC belongs, roll on one of the
Locations tables.

Naturally, the PCs may kill or rob this character, in which case,
roll on the Possessions table to see what kind of loot they've
scored (this table is also useful for items found in the cargo hold
of a ship).

You'll wind up with something like this:

Dr. Beata Quent of the Hallowed Chirocracy on planet Alecto;

carrying a malfunctioning personal surveillance drone; she's
imperious and arrogant; has experience with Diplomacy; she's
currently in the weaponry cockpit.

4
 THE STARSHIP FROM HELL
section 1: ship creator

SHIP TYPE (d10)

This prefix gives the GM a bit of information about the kind of ship it
is. Primarily, this descriptor provides color.

1. Autonomous 6. Intergalactic
2. Biotic 7. Medical
3. Chronofractic 8. Royal
4. Colonial 9. Scientific
5. Imperial 10. StarLeague

SHIP CATEGORY (d10)

Each category can boost a certain attribute from low to medium (where
applicable). For example, a barge typically has a low speed -- but if you
roll 9 on this table, you get a transmergent barge, which has a medium
speed score. If the ship in question has a high attribute, then just use
that (for example, if you rolled a transmergent explorer, you'd use the
ship's speed high rating).

1. Armored: medium shields

2. Attack: medium weapons
3. Battle: medium weapons
4. Emergency: medium maneuverability
5. Heavy: medium shields
6. Medical: medium sensors
7. Patrol: medium sensors
8. Tactical: medium maneuverability
9. Transmergent: medium speed
10. Transport: medium maneuverability

5
 SHIP CLASS

SHIP CLASS (d20)

The ship's class will establish its typical function, though that may not
be the case with this particular vessel (for example, you may decide
that this abortioneer is being used as a prisoner transport).

1. Abortioneer: Travels the galaxy, collecting unwanted fetuses.

It is rumored that these vessels also perform certain medical
procedures en masse, when requested by the powers that be.
Medium speed; medium shields; medium maneuverability; low
weapons; medium sensors.

2. Barge: A transport vessel, doubtless laden with contraband.

Low speed; high shields; low maneuverability; medium weapons;
medium sensors.

3. Carrier: Small attack ships are in the hangar; one of them is

leaking radiation, and various crew members have been con-
taminated. Low speed; high shields; low maneuverability; high
weapons; medium sensors.

4. Cruiser: A commercial vessel carrying supplies to those in

need (said supplies being experimental medications that will kill
d100% of those treated). Low speed; medium shields; medium
maneuverability; medium weapons; low sensors.

5. Deadwing: The turrets of this battle-ship are manned by dead

soldiers animated by cybernetic augmentations. Some of them
have been reprogrammed by a traitor aboard the ship. Medium
speed; medium shields; medium maneuverability; high
weapons; high sensors.

6
 SHIP CLASS

6. Decker: Combat ship equipped with an experimental weapon.

When it fails (obviously, it will fail), all hell will break loose.
Medium speed; high shields; medium maneuverability; high
weapons; medium sensors.

7. Dreadnought: Presumably indestructible warship with hair-

line fractures in the superstructure. Medium speed; high
shields; medium maneuverability; high weapons; medium sen-
sors.

8. Explorer: A science vessel carrying dangerous specimens.

High speed; medium shields; medium maneuverability; low
weapons; high sensors.

9. Fighter: Sleek and agile, but perilously low on supplies. High

speed; medium shields; high maneuverability; high weapons;
low sensors.

10. Glasslight: Gorgeous, durable, translucent, and dependent on

genocide for fuel. Medium speed; medium shields; high maneu-
verability; low weapons; high sensors.

11. Harvester: Gathers specimens of oppressed or endangered

sentient species -- but why? Low speed; medium shields; medi-
um maneuverability; medium weapons; high sensors.

12. Meat-Machine: Transports various types of meat (of

unknown provenance) from system to system. Some say that the
captain has a special locker set aside for a select group of gour-
mands. Medium speed; low shields; high maneuverability; low
weapons; medium sensors.
7
 SHIP CLASS

13. Probe: Collects all manner of information; its database is

considered extremely valuable, and it often attracts unwanted
attention. High speed; medium shields; low maneuverability;
medium weapons; low sensors.

14. Raider: Attacks poorly-defended colonies and outposts. High

speed; low shields; medium maneuverability; high weapons; low
sensors.

15. Rig: Gathers energy in the form of radiation, which it then

ferries to an unknown location. Low speed; medium shields; low
maneuverability; low weapons; medium sensors.

16. Scow: Has been hauling the same cargo around for a dozen
years, but has never made a single delivery. What the hell's
going on? Low speed; medium shields; low maneuverability; low
weapons; medium sensors.

17. Seed vessel: Carries the genetic material of an entire species.

It is their last hope. Low speed; high shields; medium maneu-
verability; medium weapons; medium sensors.

18. Skiff: A small crew of spies on a clandestine operation are

currently posing as something else entirely. Medium speed; low
shields; high maneuverability; low weapons; high sensors.

19. Sweeper: It gathers intelligence about its enemies, which is

broadcasts far and wide. Low speed; medium shields; medium
maneuverability; medium weapons; high sensors.

8
 SHIP NAME

20. War-Scourge: The crew are sworn to make the galaxy safe by
purging the galaxy of the violent; they typically pose as doctors
or clergy. Low speed; high shields; medium maneuverability;
high weapons; medium sensors.

SHIP NAME (d100)

Roll once or twice on this table to create a name.

1-2. Astaroth 43-44. Holy 85-86. Solifidian

3-4. Babylon 45-46. Incarnate 87-88. Soterion
5-6. Belial 47-48. Lilith 89-90. Spectrum
7-8. Blade 49-50. Lituus 91-92. Sterile
9-10. Blood 51-52. Maphrian 93-94. Ultramatter
11-12. Bolshevik 53-54. Melisma 95-96. Void
13-14. Cadaver 55-56. Mistress 97-98. Wraith
15-16. Cardinal 57-58. Monergist 99-100. Zero
17-18. Caul 59-60. Mutant
19-20. Celestial 61-62. Null
21-22. Cossack 63-64. Obsidian
23-24. Crimson 65-66. Paragon
25-26. Damascus 67-68. Penitent
27-28. Dirge 69-70. Precisian
29-30. Divinity 71-72. Purifier
31-32. Effigy 73-74. Rectorate
33-34. Eremite 75-76. Ruin
35-36. Hagiotypic 77-78. Sacristan
37-38. Hecatomb 79-80. Scourge
39-40. Hierophant 81-82. Septuagint
41-42. Holofernes 83-84. Sludge

9
 PASSENGERS

PASSENGERS (d10)
Aside from the crew, who else is on board?

1. Biosynthetic constructs. They've lost contact with their

homeworld, and without the steady stream of subspace commu-
nication to direct their actions, they may lapse into their origi-
nal programmed directives: find and eat other species.

2. Criminals in transit. They'll do anything to escape the sadistic

guards who torment them. Most of the prisoners are innocent of
all charges.

3. Cryo-frozen colonists who should have been awakened a hun-

dred years ago. If awakened, some will be despondent, some will
be hostile, and some will believe that the PCs are agents of their
homeworld's enemy.

4. Luxury star-liner guests. They like to dance, fuck, and ingest

mind-altering substances. They're actually skingrafted meta-
morphs looking for new victims to flay.

5. Murderous exiles. Desperate and vengeful, they'll do anything

to get back home. They're from the same homeworld as one of
the PCs, and they mean to return and overthrow the govern-
ment. Naturally, there will be reprisals against those who exiled
them.

10
 PASSENGERS

6. Religious pilgrims. They're en route to a holy site where they

will meet other religious pilgrims who insist that they have
claim over the site; mass murder will ensue, and many will be
butchered and transformed into holy altars (tables of bone and
sinew, adorned with altar cloths made from the skin of the
enemy). This ritual is performed once per decade, and the pil-
grims are in high spirits.

7. Soldiers deserting their post. They refuse to fight in the name

of profit, and they've got access to information that may help
the PCs navigate this sector.

8. Suicidal members of a lunar cult. They journey to the moon

where their ancestors (colonists from a distant world) started a
new life, far from religious persecution. The cultists intend to
activate the ship's self-destruct, obliterating them and eradicat-
ing all life on the moon -- which is currently home to several
million people.

9. Surveyors looking to scout new worlds. Their species was

completely subjugated by an aggressive alien horde, and these
surveyors are the last of their kind. They'll beg the PCs for help,
but a few of them have become loyal to the alien conquerors,
and will betray the others to their masters.

10. Xenobiologists, soldiers, and an ancient entity preserved in

amber. The chunk of amber is several dozen meters tall; pre-
served within, a creature several million years old. It's intact,
and very much alive. They want to find a way to release it. Some
of them know full well that it will cause widespread death.

11
 PHENOMENA

PHENOMENA (d12)
What's the nature of the nearby celestial phenomenon? Is it a threat to
the ship? Is it connected to any of the other strange events?

1. 2000 km/s Moreton wave: the signature of a solar shock wave

generated by solar flares. Could herald a significant bombard-
ment of radiation.

2. Brilliant flash of chartreuse energy: source and effects cur-

rently unknown, but it's causing the ship's psychic to scream in
agony.

3. Cluster of grey matter filaments: unraveling everything they

pass through; growing in size as they absorb the material into
their undulating strands.

4. Destruction of the stellar dreadnought Plaguebearer: its jour-

ney into a nearby star has been interrupted, and its lethal cargo
(scheduled for incineration) has now been released.

5. Expanding acid-swarm: a previously unidentified life form

that seems to feed on metals.

6. Guided dark matter nodules: these tiny spheres obliterate

everything in their path, and appear to be moving deliberately,
as though intelligent.

7. Imploding planet; billions killed: in a matter of seconds, entire

civilizations are lost forever.

12
 PHENOMENA

8. Intra-cosmic null compression: a rupture between our cosmos

and another has resulted in null compressions where all matter
is sent to the other side (and vice versa).

9. Inverted gravity vortex: all gravity, artificial or otherwise, is

affected by this anomaly, which has already destroyed six star-
ships.

10. Mobile white hole: defying all logic, this white hole is on the
move, devouring a nearby star before changing trajectory to
proceed towards this vessel.

11. Pandimensional picotech strands: this abberation has yet to

cause any damage, but the potential for destruction is unimag-
inable.

12. Rogue quasar: it appears to have detached itself from the

center of a galaxy and is moving through space; though still
light-years away, its energy output is horrifying (emitting about
500 times the energy output of this galaxy).

13
 DISTRESS SIGNAL

DISTRESS SIGNAL (d12)

Why did the crew issue a rescue beacon to attract the attention of the
PCs? Note that the result of this table merely indicates what the crew
is claiming -- it could be that they're lying.

1. Nav-Sys: Navigation systems are offline, and collision is immi-

nent.

2. Shields: The force-shields are about to collapse, leaving the

ship extremely vulnerable.

3. Hull breach: The ship is venting atmosphere, and the crew's

going to asphyxiate.

4. Gravity: The curvature of the gravity well keeps sharpening,

and the ship's gravity is experiencing violent shifts between
zero-g and 2.5g. It's utter chaos, and someone's going to get
killed.

5. Acid: Something's eating through the hull, and the crew's in

danger.

6. Virus: There's no antidote for the ship-borne contagion;

unfortunately, it appears to travel from ship to ship via comm
signals.

7. Rogue A. I. : The vessel's artificial intelligence has asserted

command; it is hostile and bigoted.

14
 DISTRESS SIGNAL

8. Drone: Repair drones are dismantling ship, and will then go

after any other ships in the area.

9. Meltdown: The proton coil is in crisis mode, and when it over-

heads, and explosion will vaporize any ships in the system.

10. Plague: A verminous infestation has attacked the crew, and

many of them are close to death. The Medical Officer is the only
one who knows that the vermin are actually growing inside a
member of the crew, who gives birth to a new one every hour or
so. The 'parent' will fight to the death to protect the vermin, and
has already taken steps to ensure that the Medical Officer keeps
quiet about this.

11. Adrift: All trace connection to the brain-frame has been lost,
and the captain no longer has control of the ship. Something
else is trying to establish a remote connection to the brain-
frame; the crew doesn't recognize the cortical pattern, and
they're terrified.

12. Radiation: The bridge crew were irradiated, and took about
400 rems; they don't have very long.

15
 THREATS

THREATS (d20)
There's something wrong with the ship, or the crew, or both.

1. A member of the crew claims to know the true identities of the

player characters; he or she is locked in the brig and scheduled
for execution in a few days.

2. Aboard this vessel, all the hatches and airlocks lead to other
worlds where sentient viruses and bacteria are dominant life-
forms, using lower mammals (like primates) as vehicles. War
rages between the virus empire and the bacteria legion, and mil-
lions of humans are killed in brutal melee combat each day.

3. All life forms on the nearest planet go dark at once; billions

die.

4. All the crew members are clones of a single person, but none
of them knows which one is the original.

5. Crew members cheerfully ask PCs to mutilate them; most of

these requests are sexual in nature. The crew members don't
seem to understand why this is a problem.

6. Each PC sees different things; one PC will look at a crew mem-

ber and see a human female, whereas another PC will see a rot-
ting corpse, and a third will see a biosynthetic reploid drone.

7. Everyone aboard the ship suffers from vivid and horrendous

hallucinations; in these visions, people (some are unfamiliar,
others are NPCs and PCs) are tortured before being executed.

16
 THREATS

8. Everyone on the ship appears to know the PCs already (how-

ever, the PCs do not recognize any of these people). The crew
members all say that they're waiting for the PCs to do "it. "

9. Mysterious sigils and runes are etched into the hull of the ship
and its interior; the crew claims that they don't know what's
going on.

10. Several members of the crew are found, mangled and torn,
floating in space. The airlock controls haven't been accessed in
hours, and there's no indication of hull damage, so how did they
get out of the ship?

11. Shortly after the PCs make contact, the ship's medical team
will kill and eat their captain; they will be unable to explain why
they did it.

12. The captain and two senior officers have been reduced to
puddles of viscous liquid. Their soaked uniforms were found on
the bridge, but thus far, Medical has been unable to determine
what happened to them.

13. The crew members are all religious fanatics; they demand
that the PCs pay a tithe to their murderous god. If the PCs
refuse, violence will ensue.

14. The PC ship loses all power and goes offline as it nears this
new starship. The crew have no idea why this is happening, but
it makes them very angry.

17
 THREATS

15. The ship can read minds, and it knows exactly what the PCs
have done. The ship's lower-ranking crew members know about
the mind-reading, and they're so terrified that they'll void their
bowels if questioned directly.

16. The ship fluctuates between multiple realities; the crew

members appear to shift personalities and allegiances from
hour to hour. The PCs are not affected, but the crew members
will not recognize the PCs after a reality shift.

17. The ship's system takes over the player characters' vessel,
rendering it inoperable. The crew claim that they don't know
how or why this is happening.

18. There's a war between two of the Factions on this ship;

they're polite enough when meeting in groups, but if members
of one Faction find a lone member of the other Faction, torture
and murder will ensue.

19. This starship is full of chrysalises, which are attached to the

walls and ceilings with epoxy. They're huge and bioluminescent.
The crew members refuse to talk about this phenomenon, pre-
tending that the chrysalises aren't there (but they are there, and
they'll hatch in d20 hours).

20. Two PCs switch bodies (and so the players exchange charac-
ter sheets). This condition only lasts as long as the PCs are on
board this ship.

18
 SECRETS

SECRETS (d20)
What's really going on aboard this vessel? This may or may not dove-
tail with the Indicators from the preceding table, so there will be some
work required by the GM if results from both tables are used.

1. A member of the crew has been contacted by a malevolent

entity from beyond; it has promised him infinite power if he
pays it tribute by extracting the reproductive organs from every
other crew member on the ship. The entity is lying, and simply
wants to know if the crew member will go all the way.

2. A member of the science team has developed a weapon which

will kill any human that has not yet reached puberty. The
weapon has not yet been activated, but only members of the sci-
ence team know about it. They're all disgusted by the actions of
their species, and see deployment of this bomb as the only way
to curtail human imperialism and warmongering.

3. Alternate-reality versions of the player characters imprisoned

in the brig. These alternate versions of the PCs claim that
they're the real ones, and the PCs are actually from another
dimension.

4. An entity composed of liquid has infiltrated the ship. One by

one, it is attacking members of the crew and assimilating their
liquefied bodies into its own. Thus far, it's managed to evade
detection, but it's only a matter of time before the creature is
discovered. It's traveled through vents, ducts, and fissures, and
is quite hard to kill.

19
 SECRETS

5. Due to illicit experiments conducted aboard this ship, the

nearest star will soon go nova. All life within a thousand light-
years will be eradicated unless the star's core is stabilized. Since
the ship's A.I. is unable to cope with the workload, this will
require a sentient being to graft his or her mind with the ship's
intelligence network. Furthermore, to establish a connection,
the sentient being's body will also need to be united with the
ship's structure -- the body will be dismembered, flayed, and
attached to different parts of the ship via circuitry and wires. No
one has volunteered for this task yet.

6. Every single member of the crew is pregnant, regardless of

gender/species; they're all going into contractions soon, and it's
going to be a bloodbath.

7. The civilian population of the nearest planet has been infect-

ed with a biomechanical syndrome that results in heightened
aggression and a diminished sense of self. Coupled with the inte-
grated biological weaponry that the syndrome installs, the plan-
et's civilians are now a veritable army in search of a command-
er. The ship's crew members are preparing to land on the plan-
et so they can begin the work of dispatching this biomechanical
army through the galaxy.

8. The crew has gone cannibal; a few days ago, they intercepted
Sighs, the ero-celestial intercourse craft. All of the prostitutes
and clients were cooked and devoured. Though the captain for-
bade it, a few mementos were kept by crew members, and may
be discovered by the PCs.

20
 SECRETS

9. The crew is hauling a cargo of frozen corpses to the Catamite

Sector. These female corpses are special: thirteen left-handed
human virgins with Turner syndrome (one of the two X chro-
mosomes is either missing or incomplete, sometimes resulting
in ovarian failure or infertility).

10. The crew members are secretly testing a new toxin which
has been engineered to appear as an allergic reaction -- even
fooling the most sophisticated of pathogen sequencers. The
player characters make optimal test subjects, and as they begin
to sneeze and cough, they're told that there's a minor problem
with the pollen in the hydroponic garden. To cement the illu-
sion, the crew members are all inhaling allergens to give them-
selves actual allergic reactions. Some of the crew members
refuse to participate, and will eventually try to make contact
with the PCs.

11. The entire crew is being controlled by mind-linked bacteria

that manipulates their bodies from its Petri dish in the labora-
tory. It wants to know what human love is, and will experiment
accordingly.

12. The faster-than-light drive malfunctioned. The jump took

seconds, but the crew experienced it as though it lasted 1000
years. During that time, they were immobilized and forced to
stare at the same fixed point for what felt like eternity. Most of
them went insane after a few years. After emerging from stasis,
they fell back on their training, and have been coping with a
return to normal life. However, they are all just a short step
away from a frenzy of butchery and cannibalism.

21
 SECRETS

13. The genetic bomb on board this ship will destroy all beings
of a certain genotype; the warhead is aimed directly at the near-
est habitable planet. The captain and members of his senior staff
are all in on the plan, and they'll kill anyone who tries to inter-
fere.

14. The leader of the ship's crew insists that someone aboard
this vessel is a mind-wiped traitor who will be activated by the
enemy -- resulting in horrific casualties, possibly even the exter-
mination of the entire species. The problem is, the traitor does-
n't know it yet, because the false personality is so convincing
that the traitor believes that he or she is a loyal crew member.
The only solution is to kill every member of the crew, including
the captain (who admits that he or she might be the traitor). The
PCs, of course, will need to take point on this massacre -- assum-
ing that they believe the captain.

15. The ship is alive, and the crew are reprogrammed constructs.
Originally, these biosynthetic constructs were maintenance bots
and sex drones; the ship acquired them and reprogrammed
them to act as normal crew members so that no one would sus-
pect that the ship had become sentient. Some of the constructs
are malfunctioning.

16. The ship is being moved into position. Other ships across the
galaxy have already arrived at their destinations. Once all the
involved crews are finished, the thousands of ships will create a
vast three-dimensional glyph that spells out the true name of an
extra-dimensional entity. This process will summon the being
into our universe.

22
 SECRETS

17. The ship is delivering the carrier (an infected person) of Ista-
81, an incurable and horrifically virulent disease, to their own
homeworld. Most of the crew members are unaware of this plan,
but the few who are involved will do anything to make sure that
the carrier (whom they call “patient zero”) is delivered on time.

18. This is actually a generation ship, and the crew has gone
completely insane over the years. Xenophobic and murderous,
they'll do anything to kill those who are not part of their com-
munity.

19. Though it sickens them, the crew members are shipping the
contents of the Imperial Vomitorium to colonists (long may the
Emperor reign in glory). Not long ago, a few officers discovered
that the vomitus has gone sour, which is tantamount to heresy;
should anyone find out, the crew will be devoured by the
Emperor.

20. Thus far, 665.813 zettabytes of pain have been recorded by

this ship's crew. Each cycle, they must deliver 666 zettabytes of
recorded and processed pain to the Algolagnian Princess (or die
in unimaginable agony). The crew is frantic, because they're
close to their deadline, and they're afraid to start inflicting pain
on each other -- because they know where that would lead.
They're quite happy to encounter the player characters, and
they're ready to unlace the restraints on the agonist tables.

23
 THE STARSHIP FROM HELL
section 2: npc generator

CREW RANKS (d10)

If the NPC is a member of the crew, choose the rank from this list.

1. Analyst
2. Chief of Security
3. Colonist
4. Commander
5. Counselor
6. Doctor
7. Engineer
8. Interrogator
9. Lieutenant
10. Science Officer

TITLES (d100)
If a passenger is more than just an ordinary civilian, then roll on this
table to establish identity (which may take the form of a title or hon-
orific, like Emperor, or a descriptor like "hostage").

1-2. Advocate
3-4. Ambassador
5-6. Archimandrite
7-8. Archon
9-10. Baron/Baroness
11-12. Bedwarmer
13-14. Bloodletter
15-16. Chamberlain
17-18. Chancellor

- 24 -
 TITLES

19-20. Compulsor 79-80. Sangromancer

21-22. Concubine 81-82. Senator
23-24. Convict 83-84. Seneschal
25-26. Courier 85-86. Sergeant
27-28. Curator 87-88. Shaliah
29-30. Delegate 89-90. Shaman
31-32. Elder 91-92. Sibyl
33-34. Emissary 93-94. Valide Sultan
35-36. Emperor/Empress 95-96. Verger
37-38. Eunuch 97-98. Vivisector
39-40. Exilarch 99-100. Whoremaster
41-42. Hostage
43-44. Imam
45-46. Imperator
47-48. Judge
49-50. Lacerator
51-52. Madam
53-54. Magistrate
55-56. Malist
57-58. Margrave
59-60. Mutant
61-62. Praetor
63-64. Premier
65-66. Prince/Princess
67-68. Professor
69-70. Protoiereus
71-72. Rabbi
73-74. Raconteur
75-76. Representative
77-78. Revelator

25
 NAMES

NAMES (d100)
Roll once or twice on this table.

1. Aduard 28. Crow

2. Almor 29. Curiga
3. Anticaria 30. Curine
4. Aric 31. Dasco
5. Asta 32. Devdas
6. Astiga 33. Elisa
7. Augusto 34. Epora
8. Avien 35. Farida
9. Baeli 36. Freta
10. Baesippo 37. Gades
11. Balentin 38. Ganati
12. Balsa 39. Geoffrey
13. Baltijo 40. Gorando
14. Basilipo 41. Guñar
15. Bastia 42. Hadathen
16. Beata 43. Hart
17. Brigaa 44. Hassan
18. Cadalín 45. Herculis
19. Calizo 46. Hollin
20. Callabisa 47. Ilipa
21. Capara 48. Illitaro
22. Carmo 49. Ipagra
23. Columna 50. Jenna
24. Cordoba 51. Jeraim
25. Corense 52. Karim
26. Covana 53. Kellen
27. Cross 54. Keniera

26
 NAMES

55. Koldosaña 85. Tamell

56. Kothen 86. Tav
57. Laepa 87. Telgada
58. Lap 88. Tellstad
59. Laus 89. Tii
60. Lilus 90. Toletum
61. Lorel 91. Tothis
62. Luna 92. Uad
63. Maddes 93. Ugia
64. Mari 94. Vaast
65. Mbewe 95. Varess
66. Mellaria 96. Verano
67. Murse 97. Vivatia
68. Navila 98. Wester
69. Nebrissa 99. Weir
70. Nerea 100. Xende
71. Obalco
72. Osigo
73. Paldo
74. Pria
75. Quel
76. Rangan
77. Salacia
78. Segida
79. Selambina
80. Shual
81. Siala
82. Storrluss
83. Summerlin
84. Tabbi

27
 TRAITS

TRAITS (d20)
Roll once to get a handle on the NPC's personality.

1. Barbaric, violent 11. Irritable, impatient

2. Brave, pompous 12. Lethargic, weary
3. Calm, stoic 13. Optimistic, loyal
4. Compassionate, fair 14. Paranoid, haggard
5. Competitive, abrupt 15. Pious, deceitful
6. Cruel, calculating 16. Reassuring, serene
7. Cynical, clever 17. Sensual, coy
8. Hostile, demanding 18. Uncivilized, honest
9. Humble, kind 19. Vain, passive-aggressive
10. Imperious, arrogant 20. Warm, chatty

AREA OF EXPERTISE (d20)

What's this NPC extremely good at?

1. Astronomy 11. Interrogation

2. Athletics 12. Medicine
3. Charm 13. Mercantilism
4. Combat 14. Music
5. Command 15. Piloting
6. Demolitions 16. Religion
7. Diplomacy 17. Stealth
8. Disguise 18. Surveillance
9. Gambling 19. Xenobiology
10. History 20. Xenobotany

28
 FACTIONS

FACTIONS (d10)
To which organization does this NPC belong?

1. Council of the Continuum: Council members embrace art and

philosophy. At their clandestine meetings, they also embrace a
plan to bring back the ageless and nameless entity that was ban-
ished when our universe was created. They believe that this
being once occupied all of our universe, and they wish to return
it to our reality; when it manifests, all empty space will be occu-
pied by its infinite body, and there will be pockets of (presum-
ably habitable) emptiness where stars and planets once spun.

2. Divine Coadunation: Members of this secret group (who refer

to themselves as "divinities") are usually killed on sight once
they're found out. A divinity has a single goal: become influen-
tial, well-known, and connected to many lives. Then, sabotage
everything in a single day of horrific destruction without dis-
cernible purpose or meaning. The divinity hopes to ruin lives,
break hearts, mangle bodies, and collapse entire societies;
through this pain, the divinity achieves the status of godhood
(which is to say, the divinity is remembered for years, and is the
source of much pain and suffering).

3. Hallowed Chirocracy: Members of the Chirocracy (which

means government by physical force) believe in strength and
dominance. If a member of this secret society is presented with
an opportunity to kill another person through physical violence,
he or she will take it. The battle will be a fair fight, and to the
death. If the chirocrat wins, then it is a victory; to die in battle
is to learn one's limits, which is another kind of victory.

29
 factions

4. Leilani Conglomerate: The starlights (that's what members of

the Leilani Conglomerate call themselves) worship harmony,
but also insist that order requires chaos. "A pile of rocks is not a
castle," they say, explaining that the stone must be cut into
bricks, producing waste. To create is to subvert the chaotic flow
of nature. Some people must be tested, cut, broken, and
reassembled.

5. Prosperous Hegemony: Hegemonists value the exchange of

good and information. They’re hated by all other factions, and
face the constant threats of infiltration and assassination.

6. Sherazian Imperium: The Imperium’s culture is violent and

brutal, but governed by a complex system of law.

7. System Tribe Omega: Scavengers and desperadoes who band

together to smuggle, pillage, and steal. Always willing to consid-
er new members.

8. Third Khanate: A decadent society that once valued self-actu-

alization, but has descended into a dependence on luxury and
entertainment. Some members push for rebellion.

9. Torment Collective: Members of the Collective believe that

life is a painful struggle -- if lived properly. To suffer is to
achieve, to comfort is to enervate. They note that death is so
easy one can do it without trying, but birth is a great deal of
work. Everything worth doing -- food, sport, even sex -- must
cause pain and damage, however minor. They frequently test
allies by harming them or stripping them of all advantage and
putting them through an ordeal.
30
 PLANETS

10. Ziurala Skein Cadre Driven by plots and machinations, mem-

bers of this secret society see themselves as weavers, spinning
elaborate webs of deception in the name of power. For example,
they often employ a strategy that they call "diminution through
gifts" -- the Cadre member gives power or advantage to some-
one, then removes it or invalidates it, then repeats the process.
The goal is to ensure that the recipient doesn't realize that it's
the Cadre member who's complicating things. For example, the
Cadre member may give someone a powerful spacecraft, know-
ing full well that in a few days, a planetary edict prohibiting cer-
tain engine classes will go into effect, making the spacecraft ille-
gal (until the engine is replaced). In this way, Cadre members
hope to foster dependency and despair.

PLANETS (d8)
What's the NPC's homeworld?

1. Alecto (Kepler-62 e): War-torn cesspool; addicts and failures

2. Cel (Tau Ceti e): Botched terraforming; carnivorous plants
3. Erecura (Kepler 61 b): Gleaming utopia; universally despised
4. Hecate (Gliese 667C c): Grimy, hot; lust, games, and violence
5. Kishar (Kepler-22 b): Persistent anticyclonic storms
6. Melinoe (Gliese 581 g): Good place for a handjob or a murder
7. Ninhursag (Gliese 163 c): Heavily guarded pleasure planet
8. Tonantzin (Gliese 667C f): Citadel of learning and discipline

31
 LOCATIONS: UPPER

LOCATIONS: UPPER (d20)

Where in the upper levels is the NPC right now?

1. Airlock conduit
2. Bio-resuscitation ventricle
3. Biorecycling plant
4. Botanical garden
5. Brig, cell block #27
6. Captain's quarters
7. Cryostasis chamber
8. Escape pod gamma
9. Geological survey chamber
10. Kitchen / mess hall
11. Life-support con-station
12. Med-lab 2, operating room
13. Mining tools locker 13F
14. Nav-sys control room
15. Observation deck
16. Purgative air duct
17. Respiration scrub conduit
18. Stingray hangar
19. Water purification funnel
20. Weaponry cockpit

32
 LOCATIONS: LOWER

LOCATIONS: LOWER (d20)

Where in the lower levels is the NPC right now?

1. Aft cargo hold

2. Crystallization tubes
3. Divergence station
4. Elemental spore supply
5. FTL generator
6. Fuel reserve station
7. Fusion torpedo tubes
8. Hull exterior
9. Kinetic torpedo array
10. Maintenance corridors
11. Navigation wave console
12. Phase-shifted missile bay
13. Quantum core chamber
14. Telemanipulation chamber
15. Security drone storage
16. Shield stabilizer console
17. Starboard circuitry bay
18. Stellar communications
19. Subspace flux capacitor
20. Zero-point reactor funnel

33
 POSSESSIONS

POSSESSIONS (d20)
What's the NPC carrying?

1. Canister of weaponized gluon plasma. It's extremely fragile,

and will cause severe damage if the canister is punctured.

2. Communications channel manipulator. Illegal in this sector.

3. Control codes for military sense-net. To possess these is an act

of treason.

4. Cortical inhibitor coil bolted to neural net harness. Can be

used to read minds. 50% chance that it will malfunction, causing
the target to read the user's mind. Only has enough energy for
two more uses, after which time the unit will overheat and the
inhibitor coil will melt.

5. Data chip: It contains a holographic recording. Any PC who

watches it will see himself/herself murdering someone close (a
friend, relative, lover, or ally). The data chip has been corrupt-
ed by an entity known as the Doxa. Centuries ago, an alien civi-
lization attempted to give life to their faith by engineering a
deity -- a sentient swarm of nanites that would bring collective
beliefs into the real world. The Doxa's function was to produce
miracles in accordance with the religious tenets of the people;
however, over time, the faith was taken over by extremists, and
the Doxa obliged by murdering heretics or those deemed
unworthy. The civilization collapsed. Now, a fragment of the
Doxa lives in this data chip; insane and hateful, it creates vivid
holograms, then attempts to bring those visions to life.

34
 POSSESSIONS

6. Data crystal. Contains incontrovertible proof of that a senior

officer committed treason.

7. Expensive relic stolen from the Ysian Federation during the

War of the Sacred Pulse. After the Pulse exterminated most of
the Ysian people, their holy artifacts were carted away and sold
by the Throng. The remaining Ysians will pay handsomely to
have their religious artifacts returned to them.

8. Finger: A finger in a small plex-crystal tube. It's been sliced

from the hand with a surgical laser, and the stump has been cau-
terized. It belongs to someone close to a PC (friend, lover, ally),
or a bitter enemy.

9. Force shield generator. Experimental device that creates a

personal force shield. Effective, but only for a short time.

10. Graviton spiral tracker with magnetic boots. Malfunctioning,

but if repaired, a useful tool.

11. Armored enviro-suit: Hazard-condition lifesuit with embed-

ded bio-filtration webwork.

12. Implanted skin-coffer with 1000 Terlian credits. Someone

will need to make an incision to get this small metal coffer (the
size of a fingertip) out of the NPC's skin.

13. Nanovore sequencer attached to picotech analyzer. Broken,

but valuable to collectors.

35
 POSSESSIONS

14. Particle shift emitter with one charge remaining. A powerful

device, outlawed by the Sterling Convention.

15. Personal surveillance drone. Small, quiet, and occasionally

overprotective (in a violent and permanent way).

16. Psychometric mindfield and skulljack terminal. Won't work

on humans; may cause irreparable harm.

17. Quark-line generator containing a sphere of light matter.

One mistake and this motherfucker goes nova. Best to chuck it
and forget about it. Or sell it, make a fortune, and wait to see if
some religious fruitcake detonates it.

18. Tachyon blaster and two power cells. Will punch a hole right
through someone (and possibly the hull as well).

19. Nectar: Ten liters of a drug outlawed by the System Archon,

but enjoyed recreationally outside this system. Ten liters is
worth a lot of money; it's also enough to warrant summary exe-
cution by parasite.

20. Vascular pathogen sequencer and integrated blood scanner.

Will diagnose most medical problems. Contains the NPC's entire
medical history: apparently, this NPC's entire torso was hol-
lowed out, with all vital organs replaced with a single sac of
greasy ivory tissue. This artificial organ, created by the Terlians,
functions as lungs, stomach, pancreas, and so on. It's also sen-
tient, and it has plans for the NPC.

36
 THE STARSHIP FROM HELL
PREGEN 1: SOTERION

Imperial transmergent harvester Soterion

The Soterion travels the galaxy, collecting specimens of

oppressed or endangered sentient species -- but why? What is it
that drives this Imperial harvester’s crew?

Speed: medium
Shields: medium
Maneuverability: medium
Weapons: medium
Sensors: high

Passengers: Xenobiologists, soldiers, and an ancient entity pre-

served in amber. The chunk of amber is several dozen meters
tall; preserved within, a creature several million years old. It's
intact, and very much alive. They want to find a way to release
it. Some of them know full well that it will cause widespread
death.

An expanding acid-swarm -- a previously unidentified life form

that seems to feed on metals -- is heading for the ship.

Furthermore, the civilian population of the nearest planet has

been infected with a biomechanical syndrome that results in
heightened aggression and a diminished sense of self. Coupled
with the integrated biological weaponry that the syndrome
installs, the planet's civilians are now a veritable army in search
of a commander. The Soterion’s crew members are preparing to
land on the planet so they can begin the work of dispatching this
biomechanical army through the galaxy.
37
 PREGENS

Chief Brigaa

Vain and passive-aggressive, Chief of Security Hart Brigaa is the

Soterion's expert trader and buyer. Years ago, Chief Brigaa and
Chamberlain Salacia (below) were bitter business rivals, but
they both claim that's over now.

Due to his allegiances to the Ziurala Continuum, the Chief is

smuggling an expensive relic stolen from the Ysian Federation
during the War of the Sacred Pulse. After the Pulse exterminat-
ed most of the Ysian people, their holy artifacts were carted
away and sold by the Throng. The remaining Ysians will pay
handsomely to have their religious artifacts returned to them.

Currently, Chief Brigaa is in the brig, cell block #27.

Chamberlain Salacia

Pompous, yet brave, Chamberlain Elisa Salacia of the planet

Ninhursag is an inveterate gambler (and she usually wins). She
still dislikes Chief Brigaa, a holdover from their days as business
rivals.

She carries an implanted skin-coffer with 1000 Terlian credits.

Someone will need to make an incision to get this small metal
coffer (the size of a fingertip) out of the NPC's skin.

The Chamberlain is currently at the Soterion’s navigation wave

console.

38
 THE STARSHIP FROM HELL
PREGEN 2: WRAITH

Royal attack probe Wraith

The Wraith gathers all manner of information; its database is

considered extremely valuable, and it often attracts unwanted
attention.

Speed: high
Shields: medium
Maneuverability: low
Weapons: medium
Sensors: low

Passengers: Religious pilgrims. They're en route to a holy site

where they will meet other religious pilgrims who insist that
they have claim over the site; mass murder will ensue, and many
will be butchered and transformed into holy altars (tables of
bone and sinew, adorned with altar cloths made from the skin of
the enemy). This ritual is performed once per decade, and the
pilgrims are in high spirits.

The crew of the Wraith sent out a distress call because of the
virus that afflicts them. There's no antidote for the ship-borne
contagion; unfortunately, it appears to travel from ship to ship
via comm signals.

The Wraith is delivering the carrier (an infected person) of Ista-

81, an incurable and horrifically virulent disease, to their own
homeworld. Most of the crew members are unaware of this plan,
but the few who are involved will do anything to make sure that
the carrier (whom they call “patient zero”) is delivered on time.
39
 PREGENS

Commander Astiga

Commander Paldo Astiga seems pious, but is quite deceitful.

He's the Wraith's combat expert. Years ago, he stayed behind on
his homeworld of Tonantzin to protect Lacerator Shual, and
there's a strong bond between them.

The Commander is armed with a tachyon blaster and two power

cells. He's currently in the bio-resuscitation ventricle.

Lacerator Shual

Warm and chatty, Lacerator Shual is an expert at charming peo-

ple. She is a close friend of Commander Astiga, to whom the
Lacerator owes a debt.

Shual is in possession of the control codes for military sense-net;

to possess these is an act of treason, so Shual will do anything to
keep it a secret. Right now, she's in the telemanipulation cham-
ber.

Verger Freta

Calm and stoic, Verger Uad Freta is the ship's astronomer. He

knows one of the PCs because they fought together during the
War of the Sacred Pulse. Verger rarely speaks about the war, or
about his affiliation with the Torment Collective. Right now,
he's gliding through the Wraith’s maintenance corridors.

40
 APPENDIX

DETAILS (d12)
Bits and pieces that you can drop in where appropriate. I swiped most
of these from The White Hole, a Fiasco playset that I wrote.

1. The envirosuit was punctured from within

2. Genetic manipulation record, indicates necrotizing fasciitis
3. The exit wound from this parasite is round and ragged
4. “Slightly damaged” radiation warning system
5. Psychic photo of her smile
6. Mask of the Prophet (not really; it’s a fake, and if a devotee
sees this blasphemous knockoff, violence will ensue)
7. A metal cylinder containing a scalp
8. Holographic image manipulator, stuck on a porn-loop
9. The laser-whip they used on the hostage
10. Cloned fetus; something went terribly wrong, and the fetus
knows just how awful the situation is
11. Probability Calculator, defective; gives excellent odds, even
when the situation is extraordinarily suboptimal
12. Sound Emission Minimizer; actually transfers sound waves
to another part of the ship, so it works in the sense that you
can’t hear yourself, but it’s kind of audible to others

41
Horror and gore from Rafael Chandler

Hexcommunicated ViewScream

Pandemonio Pandemonio
Director Guide Player Guide

www.rafaelchandler.com
OSR brutality from Rafael Chandler

EG&G: Teratic Tome EG&G: SlaughterGrid

Roll XX Roll XX: Double Damage

www.rafaelchandler.com
 Madness from Jack Shear

Planet Motherfucker

Adventures on Gothic Earth

Tales of the Grotesque

and Dungeonesque

talesofthegrotesqueanddungeonesque.blogspot.com