The Defiled temple that any hope of surprise or

stealth is ruined (see below.)

Bog Fiend
Text ©2016 Michael Brown 400kg
As the group nears the destination, Swamp-dwelling
Synopsis/Objective they can tell that, although overgrown
The heroes are tasked with clearing a temple of dangerous analogue to the Terran
with swamp vegetation, the “temple” is bear, with sharp 15 cm
animals. recognizable to them as the wreck of claws and a thick hide.
a 30,000-ton warship (a Light Cruiser, Highly territorial and
Overview if it matters) which crashed almost omnivorous, tending
While on primitive world, the PCs are approached by tribal 3,000 years ago. toward a carnivorous
elders who explain that their most sacred site has been Near the starboard side of the ship a diet.
overrun and defiled by animals. Only the tribal shamans -- all band of Swampjacks numbering
wizened old men -- are allowed to set foot on the hallowed
around 300 (50% adult female, 30% adult male, and the rest
ground. But the PCs aren’t bound by tribal law, so the elders
young) have moved in. If the PCs can observe without being
hire them to undertake the task. The heroes quickly find that detected, they’ll see the Swampjacks making and using stone and
the “temple” is the wreck of an old starship. Worse, the bone tools and other behavior any xenologists with the group
creatures infesting the site are presentient; bothering them
recognize as characteristics of presentience, enough to warrant
could be against the law.
further investigation.
Swampjacks
The Defiled is designed for tabletop RPG science fiction 50kg If the heroes are detected (10
games using a 2D6 mechanic, starring characters of varied or greater on 2D6; +2 to this
Large, bipedal frog-like chance if their fight with the
career backgrounds. No special skills or equipment are creatures with powerful leg
required, although those that allow stealth, combat, and Bog Fiends was close to the
muscles with which they can camp), or simply waltz into
outdoor survival. make prodigious leaps. the camp guns blazing, they
Monetary values are expressed as dollars ($). The referee Aggressively territorial and all find that Swampjacks are
should adjust for the chosen game system. but fearless, they attack aggressively territorial. The
enemies in overwhleming males fight to the death while
Players’ Information numbers. Amphibious and the females and young move
The primitive natives of this small backwater world don’t know more dextrous than humans into the wreck for protection.
much about interstellar affairs, but they drive a hard bargain for but physically weaker.
trade goods and are more than willing to celebrate good Omnivores with a diet If the heroes decide to sneak
trading with several days of drinking and feasting. During one balanced between vegetation into the ship (10 or greater on
of the celebrations, the PCs are approached by a delegation of and meat. 2D6) the options are hull
tribal elders – who had been engaged in breaches (6 or better and 2
some sort of debate all day – with a problem Armed with stone or bone minutes to locate), egress
that only the People-Who-Come-To-Us- knife, or club. hatches. (9 or better and 10
From-The-Night-Sky can solve. minutes to locate, 10 or
better to open), or maintenance hatches (11 or better and 20
About a half-day’s walk from the village, an
minutes to locate; 12 or better to open.) While sneaking
ancient temple sits in a murky swamp. Word
around, a wandering Swampjack may catch them (8 or better,
has reached the tribal elders that vicious
every 15 minutes) and sound an alarm by croaking. 5D6 males
animals have defiled it by taking up
arrive on the scene in 1D6 combat rounds.
residence. The problem is that by tribal law,
only shamans may set foot on the sacred Inside, the damaged ship is a maze; the most important areas
ground; and in any case, the shamans are are noted on the map. Chances of being caught by a
all old now, and no match for dangerous wandering Swampjack are as above. However, the ship’s
beasts. However, the presence of the bridge (1) and computer room (7) are unoccupied. The
adventurers presents a loophole they can armory and ship’s stores (2) are unoccupied on a 3 or
exploit. Since they aren’t of the tribe, they better, any given quarters and commons areas (3) on a 5
are free to do whatever is necessary to or better, Engineering (4) on an 8 or better and any given
clear the creatures from the temple. In vehicle bay (5) on 10 or better. The cargo hold (8) and fuel
return, the tribe is willing to part with half tankage (6, the fuel has long since seeped away) are never
its treasury (worth only $(1D6x100) unoccupied; the cargo hold has the greatest concentration
monetarily, but on a 10 or greater, of natives at any given time. Combat in the fuel
there are 1D6 items actually worth tankage baffles is at a –2 due to close, labyrinthine
$(1Dx1,000.) they also hint that the quarters. Again, check for wandering sentries.
celebrations might go on another
week in the heroes’ honor. PCs with salvage ideas will be disappointed: combat
and crash damage and subsequent exposure to the
Referee’s Information elements have made it unsalvageable. But the
Along the way through the swamp, computer core might be saved (12 or better), as well
the adventurers stumble across the as some interior starship machinery. Unoccupied
territory of two Bog Fiends. quarters hold remains (5 or better) and/or valuables (8
or better, $(1D x 250).) But the “temple” is sacred to
Assuming the adventurers defend
the planet’s inhabitants; they won’t take kindly to what
themselves with firearms and/or
they view as looting. The interstellar government
explosives, a throw of 8+ means the
might pay the group a finder’s fee if they duly report
fight happened close enough to the
the wreck.

Sallerin Philippe (order #11411160)