Free HOSTILE
Thanks to the generosity and work of Paul Elliott at Zozer Games support for their HOSTILE roleplaying game (RPG) continues. For those who are not familiar with HOSTILE, suffice it to say that it is a combination of the Outland, Alien, Dark Star, Pitch Black, Event Horizon and The Thing, just to name a few:
HOSTILE is a gritty, near future roleplaying setting for the 2D6 Cepheus Engine rules that is inspired by movies like Outland and Alien. It is a universe of mining installations, harsh moons, industrial facilities, hostile planets and brutal, utilitarian spacecraft. And out here the Unknown is real – it is horrific: there are rumors of the disturbing side-effects of hyperspace, of ancient horrors entombed on icy moons, and of monsters – killer aliens, perfectly evolved to survive the hostile wastes of space – at any cost.
In support of HOSTILE, Zozer Games periodically releases Situation Reports which are free, one-page supplements. The two latest I took in are HOSTILE Situation Report #18 – It’s Rigged and HOSTILE Situation Report #19 – Arachnoid.
Rigged
It’s Rigged is a one-page adventure situation:
Lock and load, your team of mercenaries or Marines must recapture on off-shore oil rig on the planet Washout. The android workers have taken control, led by some fanatical geologist frothing about ‘aliens in the mud’. Recapture the rig without using incendiaries or explosives, and locate any of the surviving human crew that you can.
It’s Rigged, ad copy
Sounds simple, yes? Except for that part about “no incendiaries or explosives”…
Bugs
Arachnoid is a one-page creature description:
On a remote colony world lives a hidden danger – a species of ferocious bug that breeds underground, but that emerges when the time is right as a devastating swarm to devour everything in its way. Each bug is as big as car and just as tough. And these bugs have a few surprises up their sleeves. If you’re a colonist, pray you haven’t built your settlement on top of a bug nest, and if you’re a US Marine – then good luck … you’ll need it!
Arachnoid, ad copy
I don’t think I ever will be able to look at cicadas swarming up out of my yard the same way in the future except to be thankful they are not, “as big as a car and just as tough.”
To tell you much more about each situation report would spoil the entire product. If you or your gaming group are into HOSTILE you cannot go wrong with either—or both—of these products. If your group does not play HOSTILE but another gritty, semi-hard sci-fi RPG like ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game from Free League Publishing then adventure situations like It’s Rigged are great for a quick drop-in, uh, situation for your players characters to face. Even if you think the aliens in your RPG-of-choice are scary, referees should take a look at Arachnoid to see if they can be used in new, interesting, and (most importantly) deadly ways.
Also, do not forget that HOSTILE has its own dedicated solo-play system in HOSTILE Solo.
Feature image from STILL WAKES THE DEEP via relyonhorror.com
The opinions and views expressed in this blog are those of the author alone and are presented in a personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Navy or any other U.S. government Department, Service, Agency, Office, or employer.
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