conversations.from: system
conversations.value: The year is 91 f.y. The *Second Sathar War* ended after the bloody, seven-year siege of Outpost #1. The war has left the Frontier battered, but victorious. Most of the civilian populace of the United Planetary Federation simply want to return to what's left of their lives and pick up the pieces.
  
  A few high in the UPF Starfleet admiralty, a number of generals in Landfleet, and their civilian counter-part, Star Law, knew that they would soon see a drawdown imposed by the timid civilian governments that they serve... despite the near-universal military belief that the Sathar would return in the not-so-distant future.
  
  Pooling their soon-to-be reduced resources, these maverick leaders established a covert program to assemble small, self-sufficient teams to explore the unknown reaches of the galaxy in search of intelligence about the Sathar threat, ideally the location of their still unknown homeworld.
  
  *You are the product of this program.* Were you a criminal offered an alternative to prison by a well-connected judge? Were you recruited from the elite ranks of Starfleet, Landfleet, or Star Law? Are you a mercenary, handpicked and offered the reward of a lifetime in return for actionable intelligence about the enemy?
  
  Whether you are a Human, Yazirian, Dralasite, or Vrusk, your motivation to leave the relative safety of the known Frontier must be a powerful one indeed...
  
  **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--**
  
  If you're not familiar with the Star Frontiers RPG produced by the late, not really lamented T$R, head on over to http://www.starfrontiers.com/ and flip through the scanned PDFs of the rules and modules to get a flavor for the universe. The narrator won't bother explaining details that you could learn from a little RTFM. =)
  
  Four-ish characters will comprise the crew of a *Demon Hunter*-class assault scout that is equipped for extended-range reconnaissance operations. Necessary crew positions include a pilot/captain, a ship's engineer, an astrogator/sensors operator, and a ground operations specialist. A medical officer and someone qualified on *first contact* protocols would be a good idea, too.
  
  Consider the available character cards to be *suggestions*. Do your homework. Create new and interesting characters that make sense in a story that's on an exit vector from the Frontier.
  
  **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--**
  
  The game will start when we've accumulated critical mass. I'll use any extra time to expand the 15-ish chapters and plot points outlined so far (that players are fully expected to ignore and chuck out the airlock to further the story).
  
  **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--** **--**
  
  STAR FRONTIERS is a trademarks belonging to Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used with implied permission. © 2001.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Veteran Astronaut: A veteran of interstellar travel from the first generation of FTL-capable starships.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Experienced
  
  Suggested Weakness: Stubborn
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Rookie Astronaut: A green newbie embarking on an interstellar mission for the first time.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Intrepid
  
  Suggested Weakness: Inexperienced
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Science Officer: Curious and cautious, eager to explore the cosmos and live to tell the tales.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Highly Perceptive
  
  Suggested Weakness: Hesitant
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Operations Chief: A capable officer used to all-night shifts overseeing ship functions and information systems.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Great Endurance
  
  Suggested Weakness: Brutish
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Engineering Officer: Brilliant and inventive but still not used to the stresses of actual interstellar travel.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Brilliant Mind
  
  Suggested Weakness: Queasy
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Weapons Officer: The responsibility for the safety of the ship rests here, in good hands.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Athletic Physique
  
  Suggested Weakness: Untrusting
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Communications Officer: Trained in xenolinguistics and alien cultures to make allies and history throughout the galaxy.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Charismatic
  
  Suggested Weakness: Stubborn
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Alien Diplomat: Your mission is to help humanity explore the stars so your people don’t have to take the risk.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Intrepid
  
  Suggested Weakness: Secretive
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Alien Commando: Humanity’s not ready for what’s out here. You are.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Military Training
  
  Suggested Weakness: Brutish
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Support Robot: State-of-the-art in earthly robotics and artificial intelligence, programmed for calm precision.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Sturdy Robot Body
  
  Suggested Weakness: Limited Emotional Capability
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Athletic Physique: Fit, strong, and agile.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Brilliant Mind: You’re inventive and insightful, nimble and powerful of mind.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Highly Perceptive: You’re quick to detect social cues and physical clues.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Intrepid: Adventurous and bold.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Military Training: A rigid training regimen has prepared you for a dangerous life.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Great Endurance: Long nights, bad food, and rough rides are no problem for you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Charismatic: Friendly and approachable or intimidating and stern, whatever the situation calls for.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Well Educated: Education is your great advantage.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Experienced: You’ve seen things the others wouldn’t believe.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sturdy Robot Body: Exceptional artificial design and construction make you strong and sturdy.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Queasy: Rough rides and variable gravity don’t agree with you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Stubborn: Difficult to divert and slow to change.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hesitant: Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes doubt.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Secretive: Sharing things has gotten you hurt before.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Sensitive: Pain and stress cut you especially deep.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Brutish: Blunt and direct.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Socially Awkward: Not so much for you with the talking.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Untrusting: Others have let you down. It’ll happen again.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Inexperienced: Your experience is limited... for now.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Limited Emotional Capability: Your software brain is designed to limit and regulate emotional responses.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Secure Your Future: You want to be remembered. You want to make a dent in history.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Steal A Claim Back From Alien Rivals: Reclaim a site or planet from the likes of gluttonous alien prospectors for the glory of Earth.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Get Promoted: Earn a promotion and further your career.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Get Revenge Against The Pirate Called Riser: Colleagues in the fleet have been slain by “Riser.” Maybe the *Dauntless* can end that pirate.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Faith Versus Knowledge: Your faith encompasses all that outside of your knowledge. As your knowledge goes, must your faith shrink?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Safety From Danger: Peace comes through superior power. Make humanity safer by making humanity stronger.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Recover What’s Lost: You lost your confidence—in yourself, in humanity, in something—and you’re out here to get it back.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Human Destiny: Humanity’s destiny is near. Answers are out there. Will you know them when you see them?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Not Alone: No species is alone. The future of sentience is in the mingling and cooperation of species. Make peace where you can.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Earn Star Commander Fitzcurtis’s Respect: You want the respect of the commodore of the fleet. You need it. But why?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Encounter A New Life-Form: Be the first to discover a new species of fauna heretofore unseen by humankind.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Improve Ship-wide Performance: You can make this ship operate faster, more efficiently, for the betterment of all. Make it happen.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Spacewalk: Get over your fear of deep space by making it through a spacewalk in the field.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Be A Star: Achieve popularity among the crew. Respect can come later.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Discover the Source of the Harbinger Message: What is the Harbinger trying to say and where does that message originate? Find out.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Stake A Claim on a Precious New World: Space is big but most planets are claimed by aliens or difficult to mine. Stake a valuable claim.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reunite With Your Lover on Clotho: Your old lover is on the colony on Clotho. This may be your last chance patch things up.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Build A Friendship with an Alien Colleague: Human relations with alien cultures are vital to our survival. Build a meaningful bridge.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reveal the OmniColony Mole on the Ship: You can’t prove it—not yet—but you’re sure the company has bought someone in the mission.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Send Home an Artifact: Your brother didn’t make the cut. Get something to send him so he can touch the cosmos.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hostile-Environment Suit: Standard Earthling survival suit with state-of-the-art life-support tech embedded. Bulky.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Portable Scanner Array: Hand-held but hefty scanning equipment. Sophisticated, expensive, delicate.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Planetary Stake Beacon: Typical alert beacon for laying claim to an asteroid, planetoid, or other stellar body.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Long-Range Satellite-Free Communicator: This direct communicator is hardened against EM attacks and keyed specially for the *Dauntless*.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Armored Battle Suit: An even bulkier, armored version of the standard hostile-environment suit. Meant for combat.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Compressed Energy Pistol: Standard-issue sidearm good for damage to organisms and electronics. Poor against hardware.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MR-910 Combat Rifle: Standard-issue projectile rifle, generally forbidden to see use aboard starships.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Keycard to the Weapons Locker: Only two of these are typically issued to exploratory vessels on peaceful missions.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Encryption Code for the Dauntless: This code decrypts transmissions to and from the *Dauntless*, be they official or personal.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Medical Hyperkit: A medical kit with various fast-acting and potentially dangerous drugs installed.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bridge of the Dauntless: The command center of the starship, cramped but highly functional.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dauntless: The Mess: A shared dining space for crew and officers of the exploratory ship.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dauntless: Comms Module: A private recording suite for text and AV logs to be securely encrypted and transmitted to HQ.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dauntless: Engine Room: Noisy and bright from the workings of the stardrive. Be sure to wear eye protection here.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dauntless Machine Deck: One of the dirty, steamy, dark decks of the ship, full of industrial equipment and grime.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Washington Colony on Clotho: A pre-fab village dropped into an icy river delta from space. Just starting to eke out a new life.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Planet EV-1996: Rich in mineral deposits and liquid elements, this frigid planet appears unclaimed by anyone.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Planet DRX-31880: A human deep-space probe detected repeating radio signals from this dank planet over a year ago.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Planet CGE-700: This rocky world’s claimed by alien prospectors despite the presence of a primitive civilization here.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Derelict Alien Starship: Calcified, fleshy corridors and organ-like chambers open to vacuum. Something bad happened here.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Amuse the Crew: You want to be liked. This ship is like your whole world now. Get them laughing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Navigate the Asteroid Field: Hundreds of individual objects drifting on different trajectories. Get the ship through it all, intact.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Parse the Sensor Data: The sensors collect astonishing volumes of data and the computer lacks the curiosity to make the most of it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Analyze Communication Records: Every signal sent to and from the ship gets logged. If there’s a coded signal in there, find it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Improve Crew Efficiency: The crew can do better. They don’t have to like it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Make Repairs: Get primary systems back online.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Land on the Derelict Ship: Get your shuttle aboard the spinning alien derelict and make a safe landing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Explore the Derelict Ship: Traverse the microgravity environment and locate an operations center if you can.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Puzzle out the Alien Computer: Can data be mined from this old ship? Can you make sense of it?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Calculate the Angle of Attack: It’s not about reflexes. It’s about making sense of hostile vectors through limited telemetry. Get a firing solution.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Star Commander Lauren Fitzcurtis: Head of Earth’s deep-space division and experienced commodore of the exploratory fleet.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Commander Gyeon Jun-seo: Responsible for gathering diaries and video logs from active-service personnel through comms.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Executive Director Bernard E. Wallace: Liaison to exploratory ships from OmniColony Inc., manufacturer of deep-space colonial equipment.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: “Riser” Apex-20 Edition Model E2090: Rogue deep-space recon robot commanding a renegade ship as a pirate.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Premier Nathan Hewitt: Leader of the new deep-space colony on Clotho, at the verge of unexplored space.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Flight Officer Ellen Vanderson: Co-pilot of the DSS *Dauntless*. This is her first deep-space mission.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Kro Kanzanic: Captain of a rival, alien exploratory ship laying claim to discoveries throughout the sector.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Harbinger: Little more than a holographic ghost appearing in decayed transmissions coming from deep space.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Xenobiological Entry Tango-321: A sleek, silvery liquid organism capable of physical mimicry and the secretion of caustic chemicals.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Xenobiological Entry Sierra-909: Teeth and claws on the ends of snaking, whipping tentacles tumbling through space.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Make Friends: You're good at mashing things. But you've learned in your decades that sometimes diplomacy is the better part of valor, despite your genetics.
  
  More than dead enemies, the United Planetary Federation needs allies. See if you can find some.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: WarTech Omega-Bolt: WarTech developed this as a sporting weapon, but it was never popular.
  
  Each shot fired uses a consistent amount of energy, but the damage output is wildly variable, from causing mild sunburn to vaporization.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Prove Your Equality: Everyone seems to think that you're just another piece of furniture. Until they need something dangerous done or something heavy lifted.
  
  It's time to Mechan up and prove that you're useful!
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Micromissle Launcher Rack: An assault-grade micromissile launcher rack with variable payload capabilities ranging from HE to CHEM to incendiary.
  
  Specifically designed to attach and adapt to the Mechan physiology.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Stretch Your Wings: You never really understood that analogy about a caged bird until you have the opportunity to leave the cage of your own making. Get out there and prove that you've still got what it takes.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Laser Pistol: Standard-issue sidearm good for damage to organisms and electronics. Poor against hardware.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: See the Sights: There are new and interesting places to visit and heretofore unknown things to be seen
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Needler Pistol: A typically nonlethal weapon capable of firing a variety of payloads, including tranquilizers, electrical shocks, and poison darts.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Heavy Gyroject Rifle: Standard-issue gyrojet rifle, generally forbidden to see use aboard starships.
  
  Fires tiny rockets that do not arm until a safe distance from the rifle, and therefore useless at close range, but the HEAP warheads are devastating at range.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Quit Smoking: Old habits die hard. But you know that you've got to evolve or die.
  
  More than just cigarettes, you've got those quirks that are holding you back.
  
  Stop it!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Assault Scout Van Helsing: An assault scout of the *Demon Hunter* class, which is based on the venerable *Osprey* assault scout.
  
  The larger, lower maintenance engines are compensated for by the lack of assault rockets and minilasers.
  
  The forward laser battery is the only offensive weapon mounted.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Cross Your Fingers: Plot the course. Engage the engines. Hope for the best.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Transit Time: There wasn't much time to do more than get everything loaded.
  
  Now would be a good time to get everything organized.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Vrusk Engineering Officer: Brilliant and inventive but still not used to the stresses of actual interstellar travel.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Brilliant Mind
  
  Suggested Weakness: Queasy
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Pilot/Captain: A veteran of the Second Sathar War, and decorated combat pilot.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Experienced
  
  Suggested Weakness: Stubborn
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Astrogator/Sensors Officer: Curious and cautious, eager to explore the cosmos and live to tell the tales.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Highly Perceptive
  
  Suggested Weakness: Hesitant
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Mechan Support Robot: More advanced than the state-of-the-art in Human robotics and artificial intelligence, Mechan intelligences evolved programming for calm precision.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Sturdy Robot Body
  
  Suggested Weakness: Limited Emotional Capability
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Little Crises: The *Demon Hunter* class is a brand new variant of an old design.
  
  Inevitably little issues crop up that you have to deal with.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Boredom: The trip is a long one. Probably the longest one ever. Since the last one.
  
  There's got to be a better way to pass the time.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Second Thoughts: As the realization dawns on everyone what is really at stake here, the crew starts to reconsider the mission.
  
  How do you keep them focused and on task?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Yazirian Commando: Humanity’s not ready for what’s out here. You are.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Military Training
  
  Suggested Weakness: Brutish
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dralasite Diplomat: Your mission is to help humanity explore the stars so your people don’t have to take the risk.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Intrepid
  
  Suggested Weakness: Secretive
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Medical Officer: No stranger to the horrors of war, you're much more interested in the opportunity to encounter new lifeforms.
  
  ...
  
  Suggested Strength: Well Educated
  
  Suggested Weakness: Sensitive
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Star Law HQ: Morgaine's World is home to the unofficial headquarters of the UPF's civilian enforcement agency, as well as its best training facilities.
  
  Because the official HQ is often too obvious or too political, most any covert mission of any importance is coordinated out of this facility instead.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Commander Balla-mak: A heavily decorated, and heavily scarred, Vrusk who runs the most covert of operations for Star Law. A veteran of hundreds of his own ops before losing an arm to a terrorist bomb and assuming command of the blackest of the black jumpsuits in Star Law.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Plan for the Unknown: There could be anything out there.
  
  Literally anything.
  
  The only known was that at least one race was known to be hostile.
  
  The Sathar.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Unnamed Planet: If it was on the charts, you'd know what to expect.
  
  What fun would that be?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Unexpected Stop: Bring the ship down in one piece. Seems like a pretty straightforward task, no?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Aggressive Negotiations: The nearby habitation turns out to be smugglers. Possibly slavers. The indigenous sentients likely have other choice words for their ilk as well. However, they have things you need. Badly.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Dralasite Gravitas: An expert in personal defensive tactics, four combat tours as Force Recon, and an advantageous center of gravity finds "The Fungus Among Us" at the top of most teams' Ground Operations list.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dralasite Elasticity: Have pseudopod, will travel. A Dralasite's skin is stretchable and supported by a complex muscle structure. This allows them to change the shape of their bodies, within limits.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Dralasite Squeezebox: Some Dralasite have difficulty modulating their voicebox, and as a result, their speech always varies wildly and uncontrollably from a soft whisper to a thundering roar and from a bass rumple to a piercing screech.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What Is and What Should Never Be: You seen the worst that too many races can offer, and it almost cost you your sanity. You're out here to get it back.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Corp Wars Vet: You have experience fighting for both sides of humanity, survival and greed. This gives you a unique perspective, if not unique abilities, neither of which can be taken from you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Shadow Ops: Extremely demanding training, with missions that don't have a definition for failure. You are the end of the line when it comes to "Get the job done".
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Brutish: Blunt and direct.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Safety From Danger: Peace comes through superior power. Make humanity safer by making humanity stronger.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Physique: After years of physical training you are at the epitome of what would be considered fit.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Emergency Interface: Allows for super-fast interface with other operating systems, including starships.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A Leaf on the Wind: Flying is the one thing you've always been good at and nothing will keep you from being able to hit your mark.