Hey everybody! Inspired by the recent survey results, let’s see if we can get running something involving robots and guns.
What is this?: A module for the sci-fi horror RPG Mothership. You will be playing as a crew of freelancers, exploring The Cloudbank Synthetic Production Facility.
Mood: Think Alien(s), System Shock, Soma (the videogame), Blade Runner
System: We will be using Mothership, 1st Edition.
How does it play?: It’s basically old-school D&D with some parts of Call of Cthulhu added and a coat of sci-fi paint on top. The good parts of Old D&D are kept (simple character sheets / rules, creative play is encouraged, focus on exploration while avoiding combat), with a few additions. For example, instead of worrying about rations and torches Stress builds up slowly but surely (failing skill checks or save rolls). The higher your stress, the higher the chance of debilitating effects once you panic. I find that the system manages to hit that sweet spot of being rules light while still providing a structure sturdy enough for interesting gameplay.
If you are curious, the manual for 0e can be found here. We will be playing with the 1st edition rules, but they are close enough to get an idea of how it plays.
Do I need to know the system?: Absolutely not! Hell, the character sheet comes with instructions on how to create a character:
Anything else you can learn as you go.
Roleplay - Fight Spectrum: The focus will be exploration first, story second. There are characters to talk to and lore to find, but do not expect a traditional storyline. On the other hand, combat is quick and best avoided whenever possible, so don’t worry about one-hour encounters either. In my experience, you should worry instead about hour long discussions with your fellow players about the wierdo you found in the middle of the dungeon.
Timetable: A 3h session, once a week or every two weeks. We can decide on day/frequency once we have enough players.
Where: My house is available (Near the Alser Strasse subway station), but I am also open to meeting in a public space or in another person’s house. Just let me know!
Length: The module has some clear optional and final end states, but it will ultimately depend on what you decide to do. People on the official discord report that it takes between 3 and 8 sessions for a group to finish it.
Content Warnings, Safety & You: At the end of the day, Motherhsip is a horror RPG, which means that gore, body horror, psychological/emotional trauma are going to be present in one form or another. In my experience, there is not a terrifying description or situation that can stop players from turning it into a farce, but still, better safe than sorry: If you want a list of content warnings, just let me know and I will provide it to you, so you can make an informed decision.
How to join: Just post in this thread or send me a message on Discord (I am in the RPG Vienna group, with the same name).
