Every morning roll for weather, and work it into the story. Remember the breakdown rules discussed in AD. Also roll every two hours for random creature encounters. Several Planned Encounters will also occur.
Planned Encounter #1. I have a funny feeling we're being watched…
After 2 hours of traveling on day 2, pick the PC with the highest INT rating, and let him know that he has a funny feeling that the PC's are being watched or followed. Tell him about movement in the underbrush nearby the explorer. If the PC's investigate, they will find nothing. However, he can't shake the feeling. Remind him of this every so often. Tell him about strange, mechanical noises just barely loud enough to hear. Tell him about rustling underbrush. At no time will the PC's be able to find evidence of a source for these sounds and movement.
The Tetrarch robots are watching the PC's. If the PC's try to investigate, they quickly slip underground, closing doorways behind them that are imperceptible to the PC's. The Tetrarchs use flying robots similar to spy eyes for this reconnaissance (for combat they use a combination of heavy duty robots and armed spy globes).
Planned Encounter #2. Hey! We were here first!
On the morning of Day 3, the emergency receiver will pick up a signal emanating from point 7 on the map.
The origin of the signal is the remaining crew of the CDCS Pioneer III. The two made it to Pioneer's lifeboat after it was pounded by the Tetrarch laser, and crash landed here. They saw Discovery come down, and activated their emergency beeper after giving Discovery's crew time to get aquatinted with the planet. They will gladly join the search for Wilson.
If the PC's find the crash site, read this.
You see two humans sitting by a campfire. Twenty meters away from them, you see the wreckage of a lifeboat. The two jump up and run toward you. They hug you, shouting for joy and repeatedly thanking you.The humans' stats:
| Hiro Tanaka: | STR: | 58 | STA: | 60 (current 25) |
| DEX: | 70 | RS: | 60 | |
| INT: | 70 | LOG: | 65 | |
| PER: | 55 | LDR: | 55 |
| Tanaka's Relevant Skills: | Survival, grasslands: 6 |
| Find Directions - 5 | |
| Making items/Structres - 4 | |
| Computers: A&O | |
| Computers: Display Info - 4 | |
| Computers: Defeat Security - 4 | |
| Computers - Bypass Security - 3 |
| Judy Palmer: | STR: | 45 | STA: | 55 (current 30) |
| DEX: | 65 | RS: | 60 | |
| INT: | 75 | LOG: | 75 | |
| PER: | 60 | LDR: | 55 |
| Palmer's Relevant Skills: | Survival, grasslands: 6 |
| Find Directions - 5 | |
| Making items/Structres - 4 | |
| Computers: A&O | |
| PGS Weapons - 4 | |
| Comm Devices: Repair - 3 | |
| Comm Devices: Operate- 5 | |
| Vehicles: Repair - 4 |
Palmer has an automatic rifle and 3 x 20 round clips.
Planned Encounter #3. Wilson's crash site
If the PC's ever try to contact Wilson's party by radiophone, the following will occur based on the time of contact. For the sake of writing this I'll assume that Streedef accompanied Wilson.
Contact: Day 1 - Day 2. The jetcopter's radiophone was slightly damaged in the crash. The PC's cannot communicate with them.
Contact: Day 3- Streedef manages to marginally fix the radiophone. If the PC's call, Streedef says that she will activate her beeper the following morning. If the PC's don't get there before it runs out of power, she'll activate Wilson's. They had better get there before that one runs out! If the PC's ask her to describe where she is, she says that they are about 170 km east-northeast of the Discovery. They're in a forest. To get there, they crossed a grassland, some mountains, a couple of rivers, and they flew past a lake. She also encourages the PC's to hurry. She seems to think that she's being watched. "There's some weird stuff going on here…" That is all she can say before her radiophone gives out altogether.
When the PC's find Wilson and Streedef, they are only there for one minute when a Sathar raiding party attacks!!! The Sathar has been monitoring the emergency beeper, and arrive just before the PC's, enough time to take up good firing positions. Six Sathar begin firing at the Discovery's crew from concealed positions in the underbrush. Roll for surprise and initiative as usual.
Sathar Raiders:
Skills: PGS, 3; Melee, 2
PS 3 IM 4 RS 40 STA 40
They all carry gyrojet rifles, sonic swords, and albedo suits. They are hiding in underbrush and have soft cover.
Use the map below to resolve the combat. Assume that the trees continue if combat strays off the map.
Only let combat continue for 5 rounds. After the 5th round, suddenly ten Tetrarch spy eyes seemingly come out of nowhere, laser guns blazing! They rip the Sathar to shreds in one turn. If a PC tries to fire at the spy eyes, tell him that something tells him that it's a really bad idea.
One of the spy eyes flies over to the PC's. It hovers there for a few seconds. Suddenly, it speaks to them!
"We have been monitoring your communications. Because we have a common enemy, you will be allowed to live. After repairs are completed on your ship it will be allowed to leave. Please return there now."The spy eye then flies away quickly.
Any character with archaeology skill will notice writing on the side of the spy eyes, and will recognize that it is vaguely Tetrarchian. If no PC's have it, an NPC will. It is vitally important that the characters know that the alien robots are Tetrarchian technology.