With the recent release of Starfinder, I’ve been thinking about adventures in space again. So, with the ability to travel to distant stars in mind, I present five adventure seeds that could be used in almost any galaxy traversing-style game.
Space Invaders
The crew is commissioned to retrieve a probe that crashed on an inhabited planet, where the general populace has not yet reached star-faring technology. The denizens of the planet are particularly militant and vicious. The galaxy is not ready for them yet and discovery of the probe (or the crew’s tech) could improve their technological advancements before their time. The player characters must travel to the planet, retrieve the probe, and not leave any additional tech behind. The planetary natives should not be alerted to the idea that extraterrestrial life exists. (Note: for more interaction/RP with NPCs, allow them to be discovered by natives but authorities must not believe their encounter.)
Rogue Planet
The dwarf planet, Forlorn, has been drifting through space for millennia and is about to cross the threshold of a star system. The proximity to solar radiation presents an opportune moment to study and potentially excavate or mine the planet. The player characters are either charged to mine samples or to escort a small science team to the surface of Forlorn (depending on the scientific capabilities of the crew). As it nears the star the surface and atmosphere of Forlorn is transformed into a constantly shifting and dangerous tableau, as geysers erupt and gasses released into the air almost immediately freeze. The players must protect both the landing ship and themselves, dealing with torn suits, toxic atmosphere, and ground-shaking eruptions.
Babble On
As the crew passes through a nebula, their ability to easily understand each other ceases to function. Both speech and written language no longer parse between crew mates. The effects appear to be neural in nature and lasts for weeks; replacing translation equipment or software has no effect on the malady. The crew must communicate by body language (which can be especially difficult between different species) and drawing pictures. When dealing with others unaffected/outside the nebula, they may understand what the crew is saying but the crew mates will be unable to decipher any replies even if the two speak the same language.
The Colony
Minor mechanical and electrical problems are occurring throughout the PC’s ship. It starts as nothing serious; showers no longer have hot water, food replicators produce flavorless food, safety monitors sound inaccurate alarms, etc. However, even minor issues can turn deadly if they continue especially if airlocks suddenly open or shields or weapons fail at critical moments. As the crew investigates they discover sticky residue over some electrical components and wires no longer have all of their protective coating. The cause? During a recent planetary landing a small (about 4-5 millimeters in length), purple ant-like creature started a nest on the ship that has been slowly spreading. The anthropoids are eating cable and electrical shielding and their sticky excrement further disrupts electrical signals. The crew must find the nest(s) and remove the insects from every nook and cranny of the vessel lest troubles begin anew. (Note: for added difficulty, the ants may deliver a poison or hallucinogenic stinger.)
Reality Entertainment
While on a secret mission aboard an inhabited space station, some crew members have been inadvertently caught as background figures during the filming of a popular reality entertainment series. This is only discovered after the episode airs and could potentially implicate the crew or their mission contact. In order to dispel any suspicion before it arises the PCs are suggested (or directed) to be seen as party-goers or revelers in additional episodes of the show. If they can have direct interaction with one of the “stars” so as to be seen as “normal people” in the eyes of the audience (and authorities) so much the better.
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