Campaign Seed

[薔薇語]

Inspired by a NGD thread.

 

It is the year 2053, the world is suffering through the Fourth great war. The world governments have all but been eliminated as the chaos that ensued from Mass Nuclear fall out and biological contaminates.

 

In the last year of the war, the US government predicted that the world populace would be reduced to several hundred million if the combined WMDs of the world were launched as predicted. Most survivors were likewise predicted to be in southern tips of South America, North Central USA / Canada, and various Pacific / Indian Ocean islands. After this report was released the Companions of Humanity, a group devoted to the further exploration and colonization of space, decided to put forth their plan. Secretly the went across the nation finding people that they believed would make good participants in a colonization ship. The ship was only part way finished, but given the downturn in the war, it was predicted that there would only be 1 year (2 on the outside) left. The ship only could hold 1000 citizens for New Earth.

 

Criteria of involvement on the ship:

 

Specialization in needed Professions:

Engineers - Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, etc,

Medical - All disciplines, with a great preference for cross disciplines. This includes Doctors and nurses,

Military specialist - For Example: Front line Marines, Army Intel, Communication Specialist, and also some law enforcement.

Trade specialist - Welding, construction, plumbing, Heating n' Air, IT, Culinary (nutritionist), etc.

Intellectuals - Broad category to account for: Mathematicians, physicists, biologist, chemists, geologist, astrophysicist, meteorologists, linguists, psychologist, etc, etc.

Admin & Civil Servants- Admin would be chosen from the 1000 people, but would include a handful of CoH that would take up the roles of ship's captain and officer staff for transit. Only accounts for about 10 people. Civil servants include: Fire protection, Police, clerks. Again will be chosen from the existing crew and not independently sought after.

 

 

Of the above people there was no one aloud who possessed a debilitating injury or disease. Likewise couples and small families were encouraged to help in continuing the species. Couples who fit where each member satisfied the above criteria was preferred but not mandatory. No pregnant women. No violent criminals (although given the time line restraints it is possible some were missed, especially from the military side who will sometimes not report crimes).

 

The ship itself it a marvel of modern technology. It can safely hold 1000 people in suspended animation for a couple centuries. It has enough cargo space to hold food supplies for 1000 (if rationed) for about 3-4 months. It has enough seeds to start large industrial sized agricultural works fit for most climates. It has large supplies of medicine to account for most diseases and ailments. It also has production facilities for pharmaceuticals. Likewise it has all the needed equipment for small scale mining, and metallurgy. It also has enough fuel to work for about 100 years after predicted arrival. And even enough weaponry to supply a small militia. And oh so much more.

 

This is a one way trip to planet [insert name], and everyone going knows this. Will they even make it? Will they be able to create a new life there? What will be there when they arrive?

 

Possibly it could be a variety of game situations. The crew could arrive safely and it turns into a Earth 2 or SG. Atlantis situation. Or it could be that something happens and the ship gets sent back to Earth and now they must try and rescue a world destroyed. Maybe it is a little closer to a Farscape scenario where the crew encounters an alien space civilization. Most the crew is killed in a crash but a small few survived and are now trying to find a way to survive. Or any number of other ideas. But it is a heroic level campaign with normal (albeit skilled) individuals. Or any other possibilities.

 

What do you think about it? Have you ever run anything like this, and if so what did you do? Just curious.

 

La Rose

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Campiegn Seed

 

With 1000 people aboard, I'd recommend recruiting people with skills like Flintnapping, as opposed to welding. A society this small is going to have a very ....simplified... economy.

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Unless the mission planners have an exceptionally clear idea of exactly what the destination's atmosphere and climate is like, provision should be made for a range of conditions. Class M (to use the Star Trek term) can cover a very wide variety of situations (as evidenced by here on Earth).

 

On this basis, one might assume that other worlds could also have a variety of conditions, at least a couple of which may be suitable for humans. BUT, there is no way of knowing just how extensive these "habitable" regions might be - humans find that only a few comparitively small areas on a given world might be marginally suitable for them at best (the local equivalent of Mount Everest or the Dead Sea, for instance).

 

Plus, there is always the possibility that the best that can be found is marginal, meaning that some degree of special assistance is needed for humans to make a go of it. The atmosphere might have some kind of taint, meaning that filter masks are essential; the gravity might be heavier, meaning that at least the first couple of generations will be less physically able than expected; temperatures might be particularly high or low, there might be too much UV (or not enough), and so on.

 

Also, really really need to take along a range of other compatible lifeforms, everything from bacteriums to plants and animals, plus the means to make at least some genetic modifications to help them adapt to wherever the ship ends up. At the very least, humans have gotta eat and there is no guarantee that whatever life found at the other end is in any way compatible with our biologies. That means taking along things that humans can grow or breed, plus the means to support THEM, which means in turn being able to set up various kinds of ecosystems (including the soil and the water).

 

Yes, basically a limited terraforming capability is required (at least!) - it is the only way this undertaking can work.

 

Knowledge. Lots of it in various formats - books, disks, inscribed metal plaques, etc.. Preserving and passing on our history and cultural knowledge should be a major consideration.

[Beowulfe]

Re: Campiegn Seed

 

Another thought might be cloning or invitro. That would take up a much smaller space than sending people. Maybe in addition to sending the 1000 colonists, they send along specimens for a whole lot more. That would increase the gene pool. All they would need is facilities to grow the embryos, or have the women carry them to term.

 

The ship ship be engineered in modular form so that once they reach the destination, it can be dismantled to build the new home. And while yes, they'd strip it anyways, if it was designed as such it would be more efficient. Maybe have a spine that houses the engines, and crew areas. Then the pods would house the cold sleep units and cargo. Have a smaller sub orbital craft that can ferry the pods to the planet. That eliminates problem of how to get to surface. Also provides a means to reach any other planets in system.

[Kristopher]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Fixed the thread title for you.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

It would make sense for some of the crew to be awakened periodically while the ship is in transit to the new planet, either for regularly scheduled supervision of the automated systems, or to respond to unexpected events. The PCs could all be a "shift" for this purpose, which would allow for adventures in deep space: emergency repairs after a space-debris collision; escaping from a previously-undetected flight-path hazard like a singularity; encountering an alien vessel, occupied or derelict; and of course some HAL 9000 "mad computer" shenanigans.

 

If the crew have no certain knowledge of another habitable planet, another possibility is to keep them in suspended animation for centuries in a trans-system orbit, returning to the Earth after the planet has had time to heal its wounds, to try to help the survivors rebuild. Perhaps the campaign could resemble Genesis II, with the returnees using their technology to explore the changed Earth. They might even be tempted to play the role of new "gods" to the post-apoc inhabitants.

[薔薇語]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Fixed the thread title for you.

 

Rep, Thank you very much Kristopher.

 

La Rose

[Basil]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

1000 people is far too small a gene pool. Less than 100,000 is likely to inbreed to extinction.

 

Why go to another star? There's metric b**tloads of room within the Solar system.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

1000 people is far too small a gene pool. Less than 100' date='000 is likely to inbreed to extinction.[/quote']

 

Good point. You'll probably want to bring along a large stock of fertilized embryos to assure genetic diversity.

 

Why go to another star? There's metric b**tloads of room within the Solar system.

 

Well, none of them are terribly hospitable to our form of life. Especially a relatively small group of colonists without the terraforming resources of a home planet behind them.

[薔薇語]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

1000 people is far too small a gene pool. Less than 100,000 is likely to inbreed to extinction.

 

Why go to another star? There's metric b**tloads of room within the Solar system.

 

Good point. You'll probably want to bring along a large stock of fertilized embryos to assure genetic diversity.

 

 

 

Well, none of them are terribly hospitable to our form of life. Especially a relatively small group of colonists without the terraforming resources of a home planet behind them.

 

Is 1000 too small? What would be an appropriate number (as a minimum) for preventing inbreeding? I was thinking that (although small) 1000 healthy humans would be able to procreate and do so without damaging levels of inbreeding. Granted it wouldn't be of great diversity, but it would at least not be kissing cousins.

 

And yes, I was thinking of a whole new world because of the lack of terraforming technologies. Those techniques would take a long time to take effect and our colonist have a limited amount of time before supplies would run low. But on the other hand, it could just as easily be a system where a few crewmen are awaken in time to start the process, and must ensure its progress and success while the others lay dormant. So they wake up at time point X and start the process and by time point Y, they will be old and just starting to wake up the passengers. That could make for a decent story line, I think, and it doesn't require the GM's gentle control of 1,000+ citizens. Much like the idea of a crew that is awake during the ride to take care of issues in flight.

 

So for each style scenario, who should the antagonist be? The Genesis II idea is nice, in that it provides a nice backdrop and easy to grasp villains, but the other scenarios require a much different force. Any thoughts on what that / they might be? If you were a PC in this game, what would you like to go up against?

 

La Rose

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Why go to another star? There's metric b**tloads of room within the Solar system.

 

Excellent point. PCs with any degree of space knowledge will certainly ask this, in expectation of a detailed answer.

 

It is not necessarily just planets / moons in our Solar System, either. If you have the capability to build something in space as big and complex as this hypothetical colony ship, why not start building orbital habitats?

 

Classic 'High Frontier' stuff (as per G.K. O'Neill's book of the same name). You mine your raw materials from the Moon and/or large asteroids, use mass drivers to chuck this stuff to wherever you want to build your habitats (LaGrange and Trojan points being favourite, for their stability). Then get building.

 

The beauty of it is that HUGE habitats are doable this way once you set the system up. Big enough to house thousands in comfort (and we're not talking barracks accomodation in a can, either - instead parks, lakes, ecosystems, etc.).

[Kristopher]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

1000 people is far too small a gene pool. Less than 100' date='000 is likely to inbreed to extinction.[/quote']

 

AFAIK, that would be news to the native populations of many places, prior to the advent of easy world travel. There were plenty of islands where the population had descended from far fewer 1000 people.

 

Why go to another star? There's metric b**tloads of room within the Solar system.

 

Maybe someone has already staked a claim on all of it.

[mwiggins]

Re: Campiegn Seed

 

With 1000 people aboard' date=' I'd recommend recruiting people with skills like Flintnapping, as opposed to welding. A society this small is going to have a very ....simplified... economy.[/quote']

I tackle him shoving him into a straightjacket and gag.

"Ignor this man, it's obvious he's crazy!" We NEED a couple good welders!Me for example! I also have some background in blacksmithing and some of the mechanical.

[Guest Major Tom]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

It would make sense for some of the crew to be awakened periodically while the ship is in transit to the new planet, either for regularly scheduled supervision of the automated systems, or to respond to unexpected events. The PCs could all be a "shift" for this purpose, which would allow for adventures in deep space: emergency repairs after a space-debris collision; escaping from a previously-undetected flight-path hazard like a singularity; encountering an alien vessel, occupied or derelict; and of course some HAL 9000 "mad computer" shenanigans.

 

If the crew have no certain knowledge of another habitable planet, another possibility is to keep them in suspended animation for centuries in a trans-system orbit, returning to the Earth after the planet has had time to heal its wounds, to try to help the survivors rebuild. Perhaps the campaign could resemble Genesis II, with the returnees using their technology to explore the changed Earth. They might even be tempted to play the role of new "gods" to the post-apoc inhabitants.

 

 

Playing god (or worse, pretending to be gods) with a less-advanced

society, such as might exist in a post-apocalyptic society (especially in

a world where the apocalypse is a few centuries in the past) can be

extremely risky at best, and certainly lethal to those attempting to do

so. A better way of dealing with the situation would be to do what the

Rangers in Babylon 5 did following the near-destruction of Earth

(as seen in an episode where a human in the far future reviewed the

history of B5, the Rangers, and their influence on the Galaxy): acting

as members of existing societies -- religious institutions, for example --

while using their knowledge and advanced technology to improve the

general quality of life, while carefully seeking out and recruiting those

individuals who would be most likely to help them while keeping their

benefactors' origins a secret.

 

 

 

Major Tom

[薔薇語]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Going back to the idea of stellar colonization and planetary terraforming. If indeed, in the situation presented, the populace had the technology for such activities, it is natural to ask "why didn't they use them?" This scenario kind of requires that there is no other human survivors, other than the CoH colony and those on Earth. Otherwise one would quite possibly have half a dozen colonies in orbit, or on other planets that would be relatively immune to the wars on Earth; unless somehow they are vitally dependent on Earth for supplies.

 

What I am getting at here, is if an independent organization possessed the technological capacity for terraforming a planet or creating self sufficient orbital colonies, why wouldn't various world governments? It is because of this that I think it is most appropriate to the storyline, for the CoH to be searching for a new hospitable planet that doesn't require terraforming. Otherwise it would seen to me that other nations would have already tried to do this on say Mars, or one of the moons of Saturn.

 

The only way I can think of that would allow for Terraforming to be a real option is if there were concentrated efforts to do so to a planet in our system, and then the wars broke out. The requirement for resources meant that the governments had to revamp their budgets and cut those programs. This allows for the technology to exist, without the fruits of it coming into existence. It would also imply that the technology, although confidently believed in, has yet to be proven. I don't think the colony ship would likely place its bets on a technology, not yet proven to work.

 

Those are just some of my thoughts on the situation, and YMMV on it.

 

La Rose

[薔薇語]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

It would make sense for some of the crew to be awakened periodically while the ship is in transit to the new planet, either for regularly scheduled supervision of the automated systems, or to respond to unexpected events. The PCs could all be a "shift" for this purpose, which would allow for adventures in deep space: emergency repairs after a space-debris collision; escaping from a previously-undetected flight-path hazard like a singularity; encountering an alien vessel, occupied or derelict; and of course some HAL 9000 "mad computer" shenanigans.

 

If the crew have no certain knowledge of another habitable planet, another possibility is to keep them in suspended animation for centuries in a trans-system orbit, returning to the Earth after the planet has had time to heal its wounds, to try to help the survivors rebuild. Perhaps the campaign could resemble Genesis II, with the returnees using their technology to explore the changed Earth. They might even be tempted to play the role of new "gods" to the post-apoc inhabitants.

 

 

Building onto this idea and others presented as well. What if the ship, for what ever reason, returns to Earth. The crew on board is immediately caught up in a awful situation where they have to abandon ship with only the most basic supplies. They are not trapped on a world similar to Genesis II or Jeremiah. Once there they must find a way to survive and retrieve their friends on the ship. This gives them a giant overarching motivation and plot, that forces them into other situations. Any thoughts?

 

La Rose

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Going I don't think the colony ship would likely place its bets on a technology' date=' not yet proven to work.[/quote']

 

Fact is that the colony ship already IS, on several different levels.

[Beowulfe]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Going back to the idea of stellar colonization and planetary terraforming. If indeed, in the situation presented, the populace had the technology for such activities, it is natural to ask "why didn't they use them?" This scenario kind of requires that there is no other human survivors, other than the CoH colony and those on Earth. Otherwise one would quite possibly have half a dozen colonies in orbit, or on other planets that would be relatively immune to the wars on Earth; unless somehow they are vitally dependent on Earth for supplies.

 

What I am getting at here, is if an independent organization possessed the technological capacity for terraforming a planet or creating self sufficient orbital colonies, why wouldn't various world governments? It is because of this that I think it is most appropriate to the storyline, for the CoH to be searching for a new hospitable planet that doesn't require terraforming. Otherwise it would seen to me that other nations would have already tried to do this on say Mars, or one of the moons of Saturn.

 

The only way I can think of that would allow for Terraforming to be a real option is if there were concentrated efforts to do so to a planet in our system, and then the wars broke out. The requirement for resources meant that the governments had to revamp their budgets and cut those programs. This allows for the technology to exist, without the fruits of it coming into existence. It would also imply that the technology, although confidently believed in, has yet to be proven. I don't think the colony ship would likely place its bets on a technology, not yet proven to work.

 

Those are just some of my thoughts on the situation, and YMMV on it.

 

La Rose

 

Just because governments could do this, does not mean they will. Budgets, politics, etc would be a reason for them not to engage in such activities. But when you have a private organization willing to pay, things get done. And if the world is at war to the point of destroying itself, stuff like space exploration would not be high on the priority list. Most of the funding/research would be for the war.

 

As for the other part, I could see that maybe some nations had tried to establish bases on other planets in the solar system. But like the research facilities in Antartica, the intent wasn't for survival of the race, just research. As such, they wouldn't have the capacity or infastructure to support a full colony. Perhaps after the report, some nations actually were trying to retrofit those bases to make them into colonies. The CoH are not the only survivors but just a private group that is trying to preserve humanity. CoH is not burdened with fighting the war so they were able to concentrate on goal of the colony.

 

Of course it is untested technology. that is part of the danger/adventure. It is the gamble CoH is willing to take.

[Beowulfe]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

the other question I have is, where are you going to run this? Will it be face to face or online game?

[薔薇語]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

the other question I have is' date=' where are you going to run this? Will it be face to face or online game?[/quote']

 

Good question. I hadn't seriously thought about even trying. The idea sprung to life from the previous thread and it just got me think about it. I may try and sit down and see if it would be a workable idea. Currently I don't have a FtF group so I might, if I think I can, do it online. But the idea isn't copyright protected and I encourage people to give it a try and report back how they did things and if it worked out well.

 

La Rose

[薔薇語]

Re: Campaign Seed

 

Question for all those out there. Have you ever built the characters (lead or background) of StarGate 1 / S.G. Atlantis / John Crichton or any of the others from the Farscape Series? This way I can get a good perspective on point levels for the campaign. I don't want them to be to low, less they not be able to handle what is going on, but, likewise I don't want superheroes either. So if you all have any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. Lacking that, I think I will just do a couple write up of trope characters I think would be useful and see where they land in the point scheme.

 

I think I will pitch this game to some people I know, IRL, and see if the idea takes hold. The basic set up will be the same, as far as back story goes, but the end game will be something closer to Farscape / StarGate Universe in game play.