TEXT: v.
  '..,
  A
  roved For Use With
  TRAVELLER
  '"
  DUIERA/DERS
  by William H. leith, Jr.
  
  DUNERAIDERS
  A Supplement for Traveller"
  by
  William
  H. Keith Jr.
  GorneLonos,
  Ltb.
  
  Oed Icatlon:
  To Hannlbell Smith and COlIIpelny •••
  "I
  love it
  when
  a
  plan
  comes
  togettler •••"
  Copyright" 1984, by Gamelords, Lid.
  All Rights Reserved
  Printed in the United States of America
  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means,
  without permIssion in writing from the publisher.
  Traveller is Game Designers! Workshop1s registered trademark for its role-
  playing
  game of science-fiction
  adventure
  In
  the far
  future.
  The
  Traveller trademark and selected materials contained In this supplement
  are used under license.
  Published by
  Galllelords, Ltd.
  18616 Grosbeak Terrace
  Gaithersburg, to[) 20879
  A catalog
  of Gamelords'
  products may
  be obtained
  by writing to the
  publisher at the address given above.
  Design and Development:
  William H. Keith, Jr.
  Advice and Assistance:
  J. Andrew Keith, John Harshman
  Playtestlng:
  Tom
  Kokkelenberg,
  Mike
  Lichter,
  Dave
  Fulton,
  Debbie
  Fulton, Wayne Budwlck
  Illustrations:
  WilHam H. Keith, Jr.
  Editing:
  Kerry Lloyd
  Layout:
  Michael Watkins
  Graphics:
  Janet Trautvetter
  -2-
  
  Table of Contents
  INTROOUCTION
  Stondo..-ds lind Auullptlons
  UsIng this Adventure
  Olllrllctars
  BeginnIng the Adventure
  FIREFIGHT ON THE LOADING OOCK
  Re1eree's InformlltTon
  Ar\lInll Jerk
  ,lerlcorp MinIng
  The Offer
  TASHRAKAAR
  Ofhorlders
  Ovlllzed TlISh..-lIk\lollrllns
  Duneralders
  Mllps 01 TlIsnrllk..,\lor
  Olllllte Ilnd Topogrl'lpny
  Allnts and Anl_/lls
  Politics ond SuslnessOrt hsl..-I'lkel'lr
  ORECRAWlER
  The "ork XIV o-ecrllwLer
  InterIor Detlllls
  NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
  Persoonel Record Extracts 01 tne Crllwle.. Cre.
  Crew Asslgnllents
  DutIes
  THE PLOT
  Plots
  THE DEEP DESERT
  The Wrecked er".ler
  DIscovery of " N::>dule Fleld
  Encounter TlIble
  er"wler CombllT
  THE DAKMR MINERALS spy
  Addltlonol NPC Bllckground Inforlllltion
  Tna Trllr1"or Strikes
  Desert Trek
  Wellther lind 01."te
  Encounters
  THE DUNERAlDERS
  Generel Bllckground
  Dunerolder Encounters
  Dunerllider TrIbes
  00109-llh Suk
  G.!lbodohk I'lr Krell
  Tollen ZeI1
  tt:ll1lod Rellctlons
  A'ttllCkrng the OH-worlder IntrUders
  ~'RAPPING UP THE ADVENTURE
  The Plot
  The Course 01 the Adventure
  Res.olvrng the Adventure
  -,-
  4
  4
  55
  6
  7
  8
  9
  9
  10
  12
  14
  14
  15
  15
  17
  18
  21
  2'2'
  24
  26
  26
  30
  '0
  }I
  }I
  33
  33'4'5'5
  40
  404'
  44
  46
  47
  48
  48
  49
  50
  50
  5\
  52
  54
  55
  56
  56
  57
  58
  
  Introduction
  euner-alders is a complete adven1lJre for Traveller. the science
  fiction
  role-playing
  game
  trOlll
  Game
  De5igner~
  WorkShop.
  tt
  is
  administered
  bV
  a
  referee
  who
  is familiar
  with the rules for
  Basic
  Traveller (BookS I, 2, and 3. The Traveller Book, or tfla starter edition).
  Ouneraiders also makes use of rules and information presented
  in The
  Desert Environment, a Traveller supplemant from Gamelords, Ltd.
  While
  not
  absolutely
  necessar"y
  tor
  playing
  Duneralders.
  The
  Desert
  Environment will add a great deal of interest, detail, and excitement to
  the game;
  much
  of Ouneralders
  is set
  in
  a
  desert,
  and
  The Desert
  Environment will enhance both tile realism and ftle players' enjoyment at
  the game.
  The worlds of the subsector within which this adven1'ure takes place
  are
  described
  in
  A Plloi's
  Guide to
  the Drexilthar
  SubSOctor
  from
  Gamelords.
  This booklet will
  be
  useful to referees wishing to weave
  Duneralders into an ongOing Traveller campaign witl'lin the sector knolOn
  as Reavers! Deep.
  In addition, other Traveller rules books and supplements (such as
  Book 4. Mercenary. and Supplement 1. 1001 Charac:ters) mlly prove useful
  in the
  course of this dllventure.
  The referee will
  also find
  paper,
  pencils. six-sided dice. and square-grid graph paper useful or necessary
  to run Duner-aiders,
  STN-IOARDS ANI) ASStJlroPTIONS
  This adven1"ure takes place in 1"he fictional universe described in
  other Traveller products. on the world Tashrakaar (0307 0651695-7>.
  Tastv-akaar is loca1"ed in the ()rexilthar sUbsecta" of Reavers' Deep, a
  (mostly)
  inaependant
  sec1"or
  bordered
  by
  the
  ImperiU1l,
  the
  Solomani
  Confedera1"ion. and the Asian Hierate.
  The Imperium (sometimes called the Third
  Imperium) is a gigantic.
  human-controlled interstellar empire.
  The
  Solomani
  Confederation
  is
  a
  human-dominated
  rival
  of 1"he
  Imperium.
  The two are currently at peace.
  The Asian Hierate
  is a loose, far-flung region domina1"ed
  by the
  Asian. a star-fariny race descended from carnlvorelpouncer siock.
  Tashrakaar is covered mostly by desert.
  Its equatorial regions are
  locked in a heat deser1"- a lifeless lone b.3ked by ternpera1"ures which
  may rise abOve 90" C. The polar zones are less extreme. however, and the
  tropical region
  arounc the Polar Sea
  is habitable -
  if uncomtortably
  humid during the day.
  -4-
  
  The population of Tashrakaar is estimated at 8 or 9 million;
  exact
  figures are unavailable, since a large percentage of the population lives
  a nomadic existance in the wastes beyond the "Heaven-watered lands!'.
  These wastes have become important in the calculations of several otf-
  planet mercantile interests.
  Millenia ago, when the planet was cooler,
  these deserts were seabeds upon which were laid down extensive deposits
  of manganese, cobalt, and other elements.
  These deposits are frequently
  uncovered by the periodic windstorms called "devil blows" which ravage
  Tashrakaars
  surface,
  after
  which
  they
  can
  be
  extracted
  by
  mining
  vehicles calied orecrawlers.
  Now, several rival mininy firms are engaged
  in clandestine (and occasionally open) warfare for the
  plane~s mineral
  treasures.
  USING THIS ADVENTURE
  Duneraiders may be played as a stand-alone game, using the pre-
  generated characters listed below;
  or it may be played with characters
  trom an on-going Traveller campaign,
  A new skill
  iniroduced
  in The
  Desert Environment -
  Desert Survival -
  will be useful (if not vital!) in
  the course of this adventure, and the referee should make sure that at
  least one player character is assigned this skill before the start ot the
  game,
  The reteree should feel free to make any changes necessary to fit
  Duneraiders smoothly into the framework of a Traveller campaign;
  such
  changes should be obvious,
  CHARACTERS
  Any group of Traveller adventurers may take part in Duneralders,
  and may consist of pre-generatGd characters from the list below or of
  survivors from previous campaigns and adventurers.
  Useful Skills:
  At
  least
  one
  of the
  player
  characters
  should
  have
  Desert Survival skill of 2 or better.
  The referee will use him to pass
  along important information to the rest of the party relating to their
  situation,
  The
  characters
  should
  all
  have skill
  with
  various
  hand
  weapons; it is for their proficiency in weapons that they are hired in the
  first place.
  Skill
  Level
  0
  may
  be
  given
  to
  some
  characters
  to
  indicated
  familiarity- but not expertise- in that skill.
  Pre-generated Characters:
  The following characters may be used
  by
  the players tor Duneraiders.
  The referee may also choose to use one or
  more of them as NPCs in various encounters during the adventure.
  1. EX-Merchant First Officer 787 A97
  Age 34 4 terms
  Gunnery-2, Medic-O, Shotgun-l, AutoRifle-l,
  NaVigation-I, Pilot-1
  2, Ex-Scout
  568C88
  Age 467 terms
  AirJRatt-3, Med ie-I, Vacc Suit-2, Computer-l,
  Gunnery-l, SMG-2, Pistol-2, Pilot-l, Desert
  Survival-l
  -5-
  Cr22,400
  Shotgun
  Cr20,OOO
  Pistol
  Sf'<;
  
  3. Ex-Scout
  678887
  Age 38 5 terms
  Pi lot-I, AutoRifle-2, Navigation-2, Mechanical-2,
  Jack of All Trades-l, Desert Survival-2
  4. EX-Army Captain
  847789
  Age 262 terms
  SMG-l, Pistol-l, AiriRaft-l, ATV-I, Gambling-I
  5. Ex-Army Trooper
  7A8765
  Age 303 terms
  laser Rifle-l, Rifle-4, Mechanical-l, Brawling-2,
  Dagger-l, ATV-2, Desert Survival-l
  6. Ex-Marine Captain
  A7A989
  Age 303 terms
  Electronic-2, Meehan ical-l, Admin-l, Pistol-l,
  AutoRifle-l
  7. Ex-Navy Lt. Commander
  468987
  Age 42 6 terms
  Gunnery-l, SMG-2, Pistol-I, Vacc Suit-2,
  Electronic-2, Engineering-l, Mechanical-I, Desert
  Survival-O
  8. Ex-Stannan
  866679
  Age 38 5 terms
  Gunnery-l, Air!Raft-2, Engineeri ng-2, Vacc Suit-l,
  Electronic-2, SMG-2, Shlp's Boat-I
  BEGINNING THE ADVENTURE
  (XI ,900
  AutoRifle
  CeO
  Pistol
  S"G
  Cr30,000
  Rifle
  Cr17,000
  Pistol
  0-500
  Pistol
  Travellers
  (Xl ,500
  S"G
  The referee should
  assign the characters and inform the players of
  the basic background give in Standards and Assumptions above.
  Next, the referee should
  lead the players through the action and
  information
  presented
  in
  the
  next Chapter, Flrefight on the Loading
  Dock.
  This section
  should
  be played out as an
  integral part of the
  adventure, rather than simply read.
  Once the party
  has accepted the job offered them, they will
  have
  access
  to
  background
  information
  on
  Tashrakarr
  and
  Tashrakaars
  several
  native
  groups,
  on
  the
  several
  rival
  firms
  competing
  for
  Tashrakaars mineral wealth, and on the current situation.
  All of this
  information is given in the third chapter, Tashrakaar, and may be read to
  or by the players.
  The charactersl employer will provide them with all of
  the equipment they need, though they may (at the referee1s discretion)
  use equipment brought along from a previous adventure -
  especially
  weapons.
  The chapter entitled Orecrawler describes in detail one of the mining
  vehicles used on Tashrakaar.
  The adventurers should become familiar
  with the layout and may want to work out security arrangements aboard
  the vehicle before the adventure begins.
  When these preliminaries have been completed, the adventure proper
  begins with the chapter entitled The Deep Desert.
  The referee may wish
  to refer to the section at the end of the booklet entitled The Course of
  the Adventure in the chapter Wrapping Up the Adventure, for an outline
  of how this adventure can be tit together.
  -6-
  
  Firefight on the Loading Dock
  The prospects for
  work are not good on Tashrakaar.
  This the
  adventurers had
  already
  learned for themselves the
  hard
  way.
  The
  threat of a trade war had scared many regular commercial shipping lines
  away from the desert world, and with the soaring insurcmce rates, most
  others no longer carried passengers, "tor the duri'!ltion".
  in short, the
  party discovered that it would be two weeks instead of two days until
  the next Ship lifted from Raharora;
  and with room and board costing what
  it did at even the cheapest hotel along the stertown strip, the need for
  employment, any employment, was urgent.
  The problem was that other
  stranded off-warlders on Tashrakaar had already discovered the same
  unappealing facts, and there simply weren1t that many jobs open in the
  entire city.
  The adventurers were walking across the open
  expanse of Beta
  Dock when the heard shouted arguments from the Shadows beneath the
  bulk at a grounded star freighter.
  An orecrawler -
  a gigantic, tread-
  mounted mining vehicle -
  had been ott-loaded from the freighter, and
  there seemed to be some sort ot commotion going on among the workers
  nearby.
  As the adventurers drew closer, they could see a number of men
  wearing the
  easily-recognized
  dress at Tashrakaar desert nomads -
  black rags and
  wrappings heaVily festooned with metal
  ornamenis and
  -7-
  
  weapons. Their upper faces, shadowed by hoods, were completely masked
  behind slit aluminum shields designed to protect against the desert's
  glare, while their mouths were hidden
  by the masks \<Ihich helped them
  retain and reclaim exhaled moisture.
  All were armed;
  they sported a
  variety of weapons, from swords to automatic rifles, and \<Ihen first seen
  they seemed to
  be
  completely
  in
  charge,
  herding
  a
  number of dock
  \<Iorkers away from the massive orecra\<ller.
  The adventurers saw a native tumble from the orecrawler's forward
  hatch;
  moments later, the guts of the vehicle were savaged by a chain of
  explosions \<Ihich
  blew out several windows and observation domes and
  sent flames licking from the open ports.
  In the next instance, three of
  the natives singled out one of their prisoners and began beating him \<lith
  their guns.
  There was a piercing shriek, and another of the prlsoners-
  an a11ractive, dark-haired girl of 25 or so -
  flung
  herself forward.
  Another native grabbed her, holding her as she kicked and struggled,
  while the beating went on.
  The blows continued as the victim fell limp,
  and It was evident that the attackers planned to beat him to death.
  REFEREE'S IN.FORMATION
  AT this point, the
  players may
  elecT To
  have Their characters
  inTervene in The unfolding situation.
  AT their approach, the natives will
  scatter
  Wildly,
  drawing
  their
  weapons
  and
  opening
  fire
  in
  every
  direcTion.
  The characters will
  happen to be carrying weapons of Their
  own -
  the local
  law level not applying to the spaceport.
  In seconds,
  they find themselves In a wild firefight.
  The referee should
  allow the players to act out the spaceport
  battle.
  The native force will number 10 more Than The number of adven-
  Turers present.
  Half willi
  be armed with rifles, aUTorifles, and subma-
  chine guns, the rest with blade weapons.
  If the players are reluctant to
  inTerfere wiTh the beaTing, they will be seEm by the natives as they stand
  in the open trying TO decide whaT TO do, and the natives- Thinking They
  are being attacked -
  will open fire anyway.
  The victims of the native
  attack will scramble for cover and be oUT of the line of fire in seconds,
  all except the girl who, when released as her capTor unshouldered his
  rifle, Threw herself over the sprawled form of the beaten man.
  In spite of their superior numbers, the native attackers have no
  wish to engage in an all-out gun battle; after a few Shots, They wlll flee,
  each running as fast as he can in a differenT direction.
  At least one of
  the adventurers will
  clearly
  hear one shout -
  In Galanglic, not in
  a
  native tongue -
  ''Run for iT, now!!""
  If any are hit by the adventurers!
  fire, they will either be killed or helped off the field by their comrades;
  none will be Taken prisoner, no matter whaT the advenTurers attempT.
  The attackers are typical NPCs with stats which can be drawn from
  any list of Traveller rogues, pirates, or mercenaries. The girl will be The
  charactersl employer in This adventure and, whaTever The oUTcome of the
  spaceport confrontation, will not be hurt.
  The referee may have her pick
  up a gun and help the adventurers in the firefight, however.
  Her sTats
  are as follows:
  -8-
  
  Arlana Jerlc
  Ex-other
  459A97
  Age 30 3 tenns
  Au-topis-tol-2, Computer-2, Admin-2, Bri bery-l
  Crl,500
  Autopistol
  ARLANA JERIC
  The girl
  is Arlana Jeric.
  Nearly hysterical, she will
  be tearfully
  grateful to the adventurers for saving her father, Gill Jerie, from dea-th.
  port authorities and
  an ambulance flyer arrive in momen-ts.
  The elder
  Jerie, bloodied and unconcious, is rushed off to the port hospital; the
  adventurers are questioned briefly by a port security officer, then told
  they can
  go.
  "Hill
  bandits, from the ,sound of it," the 'officer says,
  shaking his head.
  'ITheylre getting
  pretty
  bold, trying
  to hijack a
  crawler righ-t here in the portH"
  If one of the adventurers suggests tha-t
  these might not be natives (because of the snatch of Galanglic heard
  during the fight, or because the attackers seemed bent on destroying
  the crawler, rather than hijacking itl, the official will refuse -to discuss
  the matter further and
  walk away.
  The girl
  will
  say nothing to him,
  beyond answering his few, rou-tine questions.
  Tha-t evening, Arlana seeks out the group a-t -the spaceport bar-
  wher-e they have been passing the time beTween job-hunting expediTions
  and asks if she ean join them.
  She thanks -them again for their help that
  afternoon, tells them -that the hospital says her father will be ok, then
  asks if -they are In-terested in a job. She tells them -that it could be quite
  profi-table, -though, she admi-ts frankly, not without danger.
  With a pretty
  good idea of whal's coming, the adventurers agree.
  JERICORP MINING
  Jericorp Mining
  is
  Arlana's
  father-'s
  company,
  a
  family
  business
  begun
  on
  a
  shoestring
  budget
  on
  a neighboring
  world
  twelve
  years
  before.
  Brought to Tashrakaar eight years ago by stories of the planetls
  mineral
  wealth,
  it was one of a
  dozen
  small,
  independant
  companies
  working the Tashrakaar mineral flats.
  Arlana
  has been
  working the
  business end of the opera-tion for five years;
  she took over as corporate
  secretary when her mo-ther died in an airkaft accidenT a year ago.
  lately,
  the
  smali
  independan-ts
  have
  faced
  more
  and
  more
  compe-tition from several huge Imperial firms which have set up shop on
  Tashrakaar, including the megacorpora-tions of Sternme-tal Horizons and
  DelgadO Trading.
  This in
  i-tself would
  not have been disasterous for
  Jericorp;
  Tashrakaarls deserts are vast, and Jerieorp could never afford
  to lease more -than a very small tract of land for exploration at a -time.
  However, the coming of megacorpora-tions to Tashrakaar meant that the
  smaller, non-Imperial
  comp2lnies
  began struggling for one another for
  their share of what was left.
  Jerieorpls
  bitterest
  enemy
  seems
  -to
  be
  Dakaar
  Minerals;
  -this
  company
  is
  aCTually
  quite
  large,
  with
  branches
  and
  holdings widely
  scattered across Reaversl Deep.
  Their competi-tors are fond of reminding
  one another that Dakaar Minerals is only a generation removed from the
  Reavers (corsairs who gave The sector its name) themselves, since no one
  -9-
  
  could find out how the company's founder had come by The money he first
  invested in the corporation.
  Dakaar Minerals has singled out Jerlcorp in
  a bitter campaign of persecuTion and outrighT piracy.
  The last cannot
  be proven, of course, bUT Arlana is certain ThaT Garren Klessterhaven,
  Vice-PresidenT In charge of Dakaar's Tashrakaaran operations, is behind
  dozens of attempts to discrediT Jericorp, scare away Jericorp1s workers,
  and saboTage Jericorp's field operations.
  The destruCTion of The orecrawler in Beta Dock, just leased from
  sternmetal Horizons,
  may
  have
  been The final
  blow.
  Only the
  huge
  megacorporations can afford to buy or build The starship-slzed mining
  crawlers;
  Sternmetal Horizons will, however lease The machines to smaller
  companies.
  Unfortunately, there arenIt That many machines available,
  and The waiting list for crawlers as they become available Is quite long.
  Jerlcorp had been
  leasing Three orecrawlers.
  In The past monTh, one
  broke down, one was attacked and destroyed by hOSTile natives in the
  Deep Desert, and the Third simply vanished without a Trace.
  Atter a six-
  monTh waii,
  a fourth crawler ordered
  by Jericorp had arrived aT the
  s1orport that atternoon; with the first crawler just repaired, it was hoped
  that these two could keep working the corporate "lease" -
  a Tract of
  desert set aside
  by Tashrakaar's governmenT tor Jericorpls exclusive
  exploration rights in exchange for a tee of Cr 2,500,000. It -that paymenT
  is not made
  in
  10
  days,
  The
  lease
  will
  be
  lost, reverting
  to the
  government tor leasing to another company.
  Without that second crawler, it seems unlikely that Jericorp will be
  able to bring In the criTical Cr 2,500,000 necessary to IIprovell (retain)
  the
  lease, much
  less meet payroll
  and operating
  expenses.
  Further,
  though
  insurance
  covered
  Jerlcorp
  In
  the
  loss of
  the
  orecrawler,
  Jericorp's
  run
  of
  bad
  luck
  may
  result
  in
  their
  being
  dropped
  by
  Sternmetal's insurers, a move which could
  be blocked only if Jericorp
  could prove the crawlers had been deliberately sabotaged or destroyed
  by a competitor.
  With tears running down her cheeks, Arlana tells the adventurers
  that her father has ten days to prove his lease -
  that is, to bring In at
  least Cr 2,500,00 to payoff the government. Operating expenses amouni
  to another Cr 120,000, bui that money is not due (to make payments to
  several banks C1nd to Sternmetal for the crClwler rental) tor another three
  weeks.
  If
  he misses either of these two
  payments, Jerlcorp
  will
  go
  bankrupt and he will lose everything he has worked for.
  THE OFFER
  Arlana was impressed by the adventurers in the fight on Beta Dock,
  and with hope born of desperation asks them to sign on with Jerlcorp as
  "corporate security troubleshooters".
  Her father had hoped to send out
  two crawlers at a time, each protecting the other, but the loss at the new
  crawler at Beta Dock -
  and the realization that Jerica-p is now at the
  bottom of the waiting list for new crawlers- means that the lease must be
  proved by one crawler working alone. The two crawlers lost in the desert
  had
  been
  working
  alone,
  and
  Arlana
  is certaIn that Klessterhavents
  agents -
  or even a trespassing rival crawler -
  attacked and destroyed
  -10-
  
  them.
  The government blames the loss on Tashrakaar's desert nomads and
  has sent out punitive raids, nothing more.
  Arlana fellrs now that even
  members of the planetary government and The port security forces have
  been bought by Dakaar Minerliis.
  One crllwler might still have a chance, though, gIven a bit of luck
  and The security offered by 1I small paramilitary force - the adventurers.
  An ordinllry run -
  so long as it WlIsn'"t disrupted by sabotage- will bring
  in 50 or 60 thousand credits ••• enough to prove The lease Md keep
  Jerlcorp going for another couple of weeks.
  With luck, by striking an
  untapped, recently exposed mineral bed, enough could be brought in to
  prove the lellso, meet expenses, and guarantee Jerlcorpls operation tor
  at least another six months.
  Klessterhaven is certain to try something, Arlanll tells the group;
  he knows thllt
  he
  has Jericorp
  beaten it he can
  prevent their
  one
  remaining crawler from scraping paysillnds.
  But it the i!ldventurers will
  help her, Jericorp has a good chance of puUlng through, no matter what
  Dakaar Minerals pulls.
  Arlana otters to pay each adventurer Cr 100 per day, plus provide
  them with free room and board at the Jericorp corporate headquarters.
  If they can prove that Dakaar lIgents are working to destroy Jerlcorp,
  with evidence which would stand up in court, each will wIn a bonus of c.-
  10,000.
  She can provide them with weapons if all ttley have aVllllable are
  small arms.
  She Is able to promise them that They will be pllIld their wages
  even if they fail to meet the Cr 2,500,000 payment; since that payment is
  an
  1lI1i or nothing figure, there is enough reserve money In Jericorpls
  accounts 1"0 payoff the adventurers.
  For their plllrt, The adventurers are to ride Shotgun 00 the Jericorp
  orecrawler, which will be departing for its mining run on the following
  day.
  They will provide an extra means of defense against all attaCkers,
  whether ntltives or off-worlders,
  llInd they
  will
  also
  provide internal
  security t100ard the crawler against the chance that Dlikaar agen1s have
  SOI'lElhow infiltrllted the crawler's crew.
  Arlana
  is willing to 1rust the
  adventurers even though she knows little ot their background, simply
  because they (unlike the port security forces or anyone else) were
  willing to get involved In the "hijaCking attempT" on Beta Dock. (She did,
  of course, run a routine security check on each of them before coming to
  meet them In the stlllrport bar).
  Arlana promises to supply the adventurers with equipment they need
  from Jerlcorpls stores.
  Special environmental suits, fusion stills, and
  other high-tech equipment items are not available -
  expensive luxuries
  for men working out ot air-conditioned crawlers in the first place -
  but
  she can provide weapons, alTlllo, and incidentals such as clllntaens, rugged
  desert clothing, and lightweight clllmping gear.
  Arlana
  Is
  partiCUlarly
  plei!lsed
  to
  learn
  tMt
  several
  of
  The
  adventurers have some training in desert survIval.
  'tThllltts wonderful!"
  she exclaims.
  ''Untrained
  workers last about two hours In the Deep
  Desert.
  I hope you won't need to cross the desert wiThout the crawler-
  but it you do, you might have a chance!"
  -11-
  
  Tashrakaar
  The following infonnation will
  bEt available to the players ttrough
  Ii trery or information services at the star-port, or through ArlaM Jarie
  and Jar-ieap Corporate headQ,uarters.
  Ttle maps given in this section will
  be
  available
  through
  the
  Sllme
  sources
  and
  may
  be
  reproduced
  in
  facsimile for" the adventurers to carry with them..
  The boundries of
  Jarkorp's
  exploratory
  lease
  are
  shown
  on
  the
  second
  desert map
  presented in the cenTerfold of this book;
  this is -the area within which
  much of the adventure will tllke place,
  TASHRAKAAR
  (0307
  E65\695-7
  Poor
  G)
  E"!:!m{lry: Nllderr, spectr!!l class F6~. ICN S4K0307f6. Mllss 1.2' stllnclllrd. Stellllr
  ~r 1033 stMdllrd. LumInosIty :3004 stllndllrd.
  ~Dnettcy Sr.,te.: Seven m!\Jor bodJeiO. Ooe lnhoblt&d ",orld (hshrllkll~, I~).
  Iv'ee gu 9 linTS, one plllnetold blloIt In system.
  IV Tathnktor: Melin orblt!ll r ...dlus, 204.\15 mUilon kllometeors (1037 A\.O. PerIod,
  52}.86 d.!lys. __ T~o s.!ltellltes ••• OII1I11e1'er, 10.421 kilolllaten•• o&,,,,lty, 1.0'"
  Hllss. 00435 standard. Mean surfllce gravl'ty, 0.11 Go Rotation period: 28hours., 14
  IIllnutes, 29 seconds. Axlallnclln.!ltlon, 4"8'5.7" Albedo. _19 _•• Surface atmospheric
  pressure. 0064a'tm; composition -s't.!lndard oxygen·nltrogen mix, bre.!lth.!lble
  without artlflcl.!llasslst.!lnee.
  Hy~ogr.!lpl'l1cpercentllge, 5J; cOlllposltlol'l-lIquld
  w.!Iter. M&Iln surfllce telllpel""a'ture. ere. f'l::>lar regions have a ta..pera'ture of 25"
  to J5"C
  PhysicalOescription:
  Only about 5 percent of Tashrakaa~s surface is
  cover-ed by water; a small, highly saline sea is located near the north
  pole are/!!.
  This northern sea is called variously "The Polar Se/!!" or ''The
  Boreal Sea" by off-worlders,. and "k'Ramaak tar- Tharish" (Water-from-
  heavens) by the natives.. A relatively small strip of land along the shores
  of the sea is fertile and enjoys a tropical -
  and rather humid -
  climate.
  Tashport and the inevi"table startown rise fran the plains outside the
  principal city of Dirikyeer-u-Thar.
  Beyond tile jungles and savannahs of
  the plain, the land rises in a low range of hill escarpments, "then falls
  away Into a vast desert plain covering thousands of hectares.
  The arid
  and semi-arid land immediately south of the coastal escarpments is called
  the Desert Fringe, while the extremly arid wastelands further south are
  known
  as the Deep Desert.
  A broad,
  almost featureless
  plain
  which
  extends far into the Deep Desert
  is called ''The Flats" by local off-
  worlders.
  The Flats were, in geological ages past, the floor of M
  ocean much
  vaster
  in
  extent
  than
  Tashrakaar's
  present
  sea.
  Normal
  seafloor
  processes created mineral
  beds -
  nOdule fields of manganese. cobalt,
  nickel, and copper.
  As the seas withdrew from beneath a sun grown
  hotter,
  mineral
  salts
  -
  boron,
  gypsium,
  and
  sodium
  Chloride
  -
  precipitated out as additional layers over The fIea-.
  -12-
  
  E
  ><
  It)
  "0
  '",
  ~~
  ~ "
  £
  t~
  ~~
  ~.cr
  ,.;
  
  The Flats now offer a variety of terrain which includes sand dunes,
  salt flats, and broken, rocky surfaces. Coriolis storms, called devil blows,
  sweep periodically from southeast to northwest across the Flats, scouring
  the sand
  from
  some areas, covering others.
  In this way the desert
  surface is constantly changing, with new areas exposed after each storm.
  The various mining
  enterprises on
  Tashrakaar
  depend
  on these
  devil blows.
  Orecrawlers are machines designed to traverse the desert in
  search of recently-exposed mineral beds.
  When a new bed is found, the
  crawler
  vacuums
  the
  nodules
  into
  an
  extractor
  which
  processess,
  separates,
  and
  recovers the
  various
  elements
  and
  stores
  them
  for
  transport
  back
  to
  base.
  Each
  crawler
  is
  a
  self-sufficient mobile
  1ndustrial paint with its own minerology and chemistry labs, meterology
  stations, and enough supplies for its crew of fifteen to twenty to remain
  on station for weeks at a time. The minerals recovered from Tashrakaar's
  desert are the
  plane~s sole export and source of revenue.
  There are rare water holes and oases in the Flats, most known only
  to the
  handful
  of
  natives
  who
  frequent
  them.
  There
  are
  several
  extremely saline lakes surrounded by salt flats -
  dying remnants of the
  planetls ancient oceans.
  Tashrakaar's equatoral zones are a heat desert;
  the
  plane~s small
  axial tilt and
  nearness to its sun have produced
  a broad and
  nearly
  lifeless
  belt
  about
  the
  planet
  where
  temperatures
  average
  90
  0
  C.
  surveys of the
  equatorial
  desert have
  been
  made, but it has been
  determined that commercial mining of the area would not be feasible.
  All
  of
  Tashrakaars
  indiginous
  popUlation
  lives
  between
  the
  equatorial desert and the Boreal Sea.
  Population: Tashrakaar's population consists of three elements:
  off-
  worlders, civilized Tashrakaarans, and duneraiders.
  OfF-WORLDERS
  Off-wcrlders are concentrated at Tashport and at a few other
  locations such
  as the
  hydrogen fuel
  production facilities
  along the
  seacoast.
  There are perhaps a half-million off-worlders on the planet,
  most
  of
  them
  employees
  of
  one
  or
  another
  of
  the
  various
  mining
  companies.
  These
  companies
  include
  representatives
  of
  the
  1\010
  megacorporations, Sternmetal Horizons and Delgado Trading, as well as
  dozens of smaller sector, subsector, or planet-wide enterprises such as
  Dakaar Minerals and Jericorp.
  CIVILIZED TASHRAKAARANS
  The people known as ''Tashrakaaransll or ''Tashieslt to off-worlders
  make up a population of about five mlilion in the tropical regions along
  the Polar Sea's coastlands.
  Tashrakaarans are descended from human
  colonizers of the
  Second
  Imperium-Long Night periods,
  perhaps 2900
  years ago.
  They were in an early industrial stage of development when
  independant traders rediscovered
  them
  several
  centuries
  ago.
  The
  culture is now in a decline due in no small measure to the ingress of
  technologically
  advanced
  off-worlders.
  More
  and
  more
  young
  -14-
  
  Tashraki!lew-ans are i!lbi!lndoning farms and home crafts for employment in
  the off-worldersl factories and port facilities, a move viewed with vocal
  but otherwise inactive alann by the tribal elders.
  Ti!lshrakaari!lns are friendly. peaceful, and polite; their government
  Is a reli!ltlvely inoffensive bureaucracy wrapped around
  a congress of
  tribal elders and has -me chief function of taxing Md regul2lting the
  activities of the off-worlder corporations.
  There have been numerous
  complaints in recent years by the smaller corporations tt1at big business
  interests -
  especially
  the
  megacorporaTions -
  have
  been
  shaping
  Tashrakaaran
  government
  policies
  and
  judgements
  somehow
  to
  the
  advantage of
  the
  bigger corporations,
  but at least outwardly, the
  Tashrakaaran government remains independant.
  Most civilized Tashrakai!lr"ans speak bOth a native dialect (Tak.ai'lr)
  21nd one of several widely-understood varieties of Galanglic, so there is
  no problem communicating with them.
  DUNERAIDERS
  l'[)uneraiders" is the most popular of dozens of names for -me third
  Tashrakai!lran population element, desert nomads wh1ch inhabit the wastes
  beyond the tropical fringe of the Polar Sea.
  No accurate census is
  availillble, but their
  numbers are esthMted at three to four million.
  There is an enormous diversity in the customs, baCkgrounds, Md cultures
  of the Tillshrakaeri!ln
  nomad tribes.
  Most began
  illS outCi'lsts from the
  coastal civilization;
  Tashraki!l"'ran trib"'l
  law has long held expulsion
  into the desert to be the most expedient punishment for a variety of
  crimes.
  Some groups deliberately migrated to the desert at various times
  in Tashrak.aaris history, seeking to escape pef'"secution, injustice, and
  stagnation in a static colture, or to found a new utopia free from the
  trappings of a decadenT civilization.
  The Duneraiders ar-e teared
  by
  coastal Tashrakaarans, with good reason.
  Many are bandits who prey on
  outlying
  settlements
  and
  the
  caravans
  which
  connect
  the
  coastal
  Tashrakaaran enclaves.
  Others are fierce religious fanatics who view as
  evil the Wi5ys of sott, water-fat coast-dwellers.
  A few are relatively
  peaceful, but all will fight to protect the vast and ever-shlttlng tracts
  of land (the boundries move as the tribe moves) which each tribe sees as
  its own.
  The nomads identify strongly '!lith the land, <lind perceive 1tle
  desert where ttley current1y loc<llted as somehow spiritlJally a part of the
  tribe itself, and therefore to be defended from 1respassers.
  Since the
  land so claimed can include many thousands of hectares of utterly barren
  and empty
  w<lIsteland, it is not surprising that misunderstandings and
  feuds have arisen between the Duneralders and the corporations which
  send orecrawlers and prospecting teams Into the Tashr<llkaaran desert.
  Several
  Duneraider 1ribes which
  may figure
  prominantly
  in this
  adventure are described in the Chapter entitled Ouneralders.
  MAPS OF TA5rflN<MR
  ~:
  Map
  1
  is
  a
  standard
  world
  map
  of Tashrakaar Showing its
  climactic zones and principal features.
  The equatorial zone Is lifeless
  -15-
  
  ,
  l'
  'J 1
  1
  l~
  -16-
  
  and dead Iy to unprotected
  intruders.
  The North Pole Is capped by a
  SMall saline sea. A habitable, tropical zone exists along the coastland of
  the norNlern sea, populated by both native and off-world humans.
  The
  arid regions
  between the coastal s1rip and the equatorial desert are
  sparsely inhabited by the nomadic peoples called Duner-alders.
  ~: The secOnd
  ~p
  is a view of the portion. of the inhabited
  coastal strip about 11Ie Boreal Sea.
  Rough terrain, jungle, salt flats and
  salt
  marshes
  separate
  enclaves
  of
  Tashrakaaran
  communities.
  TreaCherous and shallow coastal waters, and fierce nightly storms have
  discouraged the invention of boats or seamanship, so these cOlTmunitles
  are Iinked by caraven routes that skirt the edge of the desert. Both the
  caravans
  and
  the
  cO!l'lflunities
  themselves
  are
  subject to
  frequent
  Duneraider attacks.
  Map 3:
  (locate<! in centerfold) This map shows the desert area leased
  by Jericorp
  some
  1'ofo
  hundred
  kilometers south
  of
  TaShport.
  Major
  features are indicated, but it should be remembered that the periodic
  storms (devil blows)
  repeatedly
  Change the topography of the desert.
  This encompasses the region in which much of the Duneraiders adventure
  will take place.
  CLIMATE AND TOPOGRNlHY
  The larger part of Tashrakaar's surface
  is uninhabitable,
  with
  temperatures that range as high or higher than 70"C.
  There is a con-
  stant movement of hot air rising from the equator and passing at high al-
  titudes north to the pole.
  This air carries with it what little water vapor
  there may be at any given time over the equatorial desert;
  It has not
  rained in the equatorial zones since Tashrakaar entered its current dry
  period, perhaps 12 million years ago.
  Moisture collected from across the
  plane"fis surface falls as rain in tlerce storms whIch fcnn over the polar
  sea at night; these nightly storms have been a primary reason for the
  lack of maritime skills and development among Tashrakaars population.
  The sea cools 1'he coastlands.
  The average temperature along the
  coast is 28" centigrade.
  Coo,, water-laden winds move at low altitudes
  souttl from the pole and are trapped by the low mountains which separate
  the coastlands from the desert.
  As a result, the skies over the coastland
  are nearly always overcast, the air Is humid, rain along the coasts Is
  frequent, and there are pockets of thick tropical vegetation and jungle
  everywhere near the sea.
  Beyond the coastal escarpment is an arid and semi-arid zooe called
  the Desert Fringe, a rainshadow desert where the temperature averages
  30°
  Centigrade
  and
  rainfall
  is
  relatively
  infrequent.
  Mountain
  cloudbursts do occur occasionally;
  when they do, the wadis and gulches
  below them fill
  with
  ra~ing torrents of water, flash floods which hava
  been k.nown to wipe away an entire caravan.
  Normally, the land is dry,
  though a variety of hardy plants adapted to arid conditions can be found
  there;
  atter the infrequent rains, however, the desert surface comes
  alive with strange and oeautiful farms of t10wering vegetation which have
  lain dormant between wet periods.
  The desert fringe is criss--crossed by
  the caravan trails which connect the Tashrakaaran coaml corrmunlties;
  -17-
  
  these tri!lils are usually invisible to the oft-worlder eyes, but tend to
  connect by more or less straight lines the
  v~rious oases and water holes
  which are scattered throughout the Fringe.
  Beyond the Fringe Is The Deep Desert.
  This is The region within
  which mining operations take place, for
  here the
  wind alternatively
  scours the sand from the ancient nodule beds, and then covers them over
  agllin.
  The temperature
  in the
  northern
  parts ot the Deep Desert
  aVef"<!Iges 35-
  Centigrade,
  lind
  rises
  about
  a
  degree
  for
  every
  50
  kilometers' travel south. Rain is infrequent.
  Fi!lr ll'lOl'"e
  common
  are the "devil blows", fierce
  sandstorms which
  follow carioUs tracks trom souttleast to northwest.
  These are the storms
  which expose the nodule beds and are also responsible for the weird
  topography
  of
  many
  Deep
  Desert regions.
  These
  STOrmS are
  quite
  dangerous.
  With winds in excess of 100 kmh, blown sand can pare away a
  man's flesh
  leaving
  nothing but the
  bones in moments.
  The enormous
  orecrawlers otter shelter from the sand, but even ttJey must be carefully
  serviceCl after weathering a devitblow Md have their armor replaced.
  Nomads Mve a remarkable ability to sense an approaching devil blow and
  seek shelter in the numerous caves aM crevasses in the area.
  Oi!lses exist in the Deep Desert- normally in secluded <!Ind sheltered
  rocky areas protected from sandstorms,
  The locations of theses pl3ces
  are carefully guarded secrets of the Duner-aider tribes whiCh discover
  them, and few are known to outsiders.
  The Deep Desert topography is divided between vast ergs, rugged
  and sand-blasted badlands, and barren serir or reg plains -
  which are
  where the exposed nodule beds are found.
  Barchan dunes are frequent in
  and near the reg, while transverse dunes are common in the erg.
  The
  nannal wind patterns at the desert surface level run from north to south;
  the further south a fr3veller goes, the more he finds the erg -
  dune seas
  -
  predominating.
  Devilblows i!lre poorly understood reversals of the
  usual weather patterns related to low preSSlJ"""e cells in the usui!llly high-
  altitude equator-to-pole air flow.
  PLANTS ANO ANIMALS
  While both flora and muna abound in the tropical coastlends, life is
  sparse in the arid regions beyond the coastal
  escarpments and non-
  existi!lnt In the arid regions In Tashri!lkaarts equatorial regions.
  Po few
  species are important, however; they are described beloltr':
  Plated welldigger- Aquaindagator cassis
  This small, harmless anlmi!ll
  is of particular
  Importance to the natives of Tashrakaar.
  With
  extremely keen smell, it can sense water at can-
  siderllble depths and uses its broad, clawed fee-r
  to burrow through loose dirt or sand to reach it.
  Some
  tribes
  have
  S€fIlI-oomesticated
  these
  Intermlttant
  6 k9
  5/8
  mesh
  cli!lws
  F5 AS 51I
  -18-
  
  animels, keeping them on long lellds lind using them to guIde the tribe to
  w8ter In low-lying terrain end dry streambeds.
  The shell end "helmet"
  protect the welldig9er trcm the sun and help insulate it IJgIJinst the
  desert heat.
  NaTives use These tor bowls and drinking cups. the claws for
  ornlllllent5,.
  An encounter with this 8nimel in the desert suggests th8T water is
  nellr"by, otten only a meter or t'wo below ffle strface. They lIr"e 81so found
  near oases and water holes, and may provide a clue thaT open water is
  close 8T hand.
  S8ndstlnger -
  XenomastigoprOCTUS lfI()I"dens
  IHunter
  3kg
  51 4
  jaCk
  3
  stinger
  A2 F7 SOI
  This
  Is
  a
  small
  animal
  resembling
  arthropodal forms of other worlds.
  The
  front pair of iTS six legs have develop-
  ed into shovel-form pincers which it uses
  for burrowing.
  A whiplike tail delivers a
  potent neurotoxin through a stinger in
  its tip.
  The
  animal
  burrows Into soft
  send.
  remaining
  completely
  hidden.
  Mimliis of any size which tread neer the
  sanClstingeris
  hiding
  place may
  be at-
  tackeCl.
  Characters and
  anlmels which
  have
  lin
  ancounter
  with
  sandstlng9rS
  must e8ch roll 20;
  each Is IJTTacked by
  differenT
  animals
  (they
  tend
  to
  congrega"te in "fields'') 00 a roll of 10+-.
  They ere found only in soft sand. particularly in dune country on or near
  the Desert fringe.
  They use their poison TO paralyze or kil1l1n!mals much
  Ilirger than fflemselves. which the entire sandstinger "cOl'MIunity" then
  feeds upon.
  CharaCTers stung by sandstinget"S suffer IJn illllledilite three hits.
  They
  will
  continue to suffer three
  hit's every Cc.bat round until a
  tourniquet clin be placed on the wounded limb (stings are almost always
  on the legs or arms) and the polson extracted by suction in the same
  melnner es for snakebite.
  (The polson Is harmless If swallowed).
  The hits are randomly 8ppIled against the character's Strength.
  Endurance. Dexterity. and intelligence.
  Losses in these st8ts are not
  recovered until "the character C8n receive extensive medical care and
  trelltment.
  A
  character
  with
  his
  Intelligence
  reduced
  to
  zero
  is
  completely delirious;
  treatment 8t a hospiTal (there is one in T8ShpOrn
  is sufficient to restore a stung character completely 'to he8tth in 20
  weeks.
  Seriks stung by sandstlngers die alOlllOst illlllediately.
  Sandstinger
  venom is tailored by evolution to quiCkly kill native TashrIJkaaran life.
  but.- it does not work so speedily on humans.
  -\9-
  
  Serik
  Macrocephalosaur deserta (and related species)
  12
  teeth
  F4A8S21
  none
  29/14
  400kg
  Grazer
  The
  serik
  is
  a
  quadri-
  pedal herbivore widely used as
  beast
  of
  burden
  and
  riding
  anima!
  on
  Tashrakaar.
  Many
  species have evolved from the
  original jungle-dweller stock;
  those
  found
  In
  arid
  regions
  have
  wide,
  flat,
  three-toed
  feet
  with
  thick
  pads,
  well-
  adapted
  for
  walking
  on
  soft
  sand.
  Though fearsome in ap-
  pearance, the serlk is a her-
  bivore
  and
  generally
  placid.
  The teeth
  and
  thick
  lips of
  desert species
  allow
  them to
  eat spiked and tough-skinned
  desert plants, particularly the
  moisture-rich waterstore.
  Grappleweed
  Lagueaherblnutilis vorax
  Although this is a plant, its re-
  productive form is highly mobile and
  can be as dangerous as some an imals.
  The
  reproductive
  form
  resembles
  a
  half-meter-wide
  ball
  of
  tangled
  branches and brush and appears dead.
  It is blown by the wind, rolling across
  the sand at high speed.
  When
  the
  grappleweed
  en-
  counters organic matter -
  animal,
  rooted
  vegetation,
  or
  humans,
  it
  entangles it
  in
  its
  branches,
  ad-
  hering wi-th sucker-tipped
  branches
  which
  rapidly
  send
  penetrating
  rootlets into the matter in search of water.
  To be removed, it must be
  cut or burned oft, and the rootlets lett in the skin burned out one by
  one. Roo-tle-ts lett in the victim will begin growing in 24 hours, a process
  which will eventually kill the victim and ensure a supply of water and
  food on -that spot for the new plant.
  When an encounter result of grappleweed occurs, each character
  present rolis 20;
  on a roll of 10+, a grappleweed will adhere to him and
  cause 1 damage point. Cutting and burning the plant oft will take 1 hour;
  if this cannot be done for any reason, the swiftly growing plant will
  cause 10 damage points each hour until it is removed, and will take 10
  addl-tlonal hours to remove.
  -20-
  
  .- - =--' -"'=-
  Natives cut chunks of water-
  store with their
  knives -
  taking
  care not to
  be cut by the dan-
  gerously tough
  protective "hair" or the meter-long
  blade-like spikes
  which have evolved as a defense against wind-blown grappleweeds, the
  waterstorels principal predator.
  These chunks can be chewed to extract
  lTKlisture from them; ten pieces may yield as much as a half pint C.2 liters)
  of water.
  They may also be squeezed or mashed and the water collected
  in a container, or the pieces may be used to charge a solar still.
  Waterstore -
  Aquabundantia spina
  This
  is
  a
  common
  plant
  throughout the Desert Fringe and
  northern
  portions
  of
  the
  Deep
  Desert.
  It is a low, massive looking
  growth
  covered
  with
  long.
  wiry
  white
  hair
  Of"
  thr~ads,
  sprouting
  several dozen razor-edged spikes.
  Each waterstore plant has subsur-
  face root systems of truly aston-
  ishing
  breadth
  and
  complexity.
  This root network gathers surface
  water
  after
  the
  infrequent rains
  and channels it back to the body
  of the
  plant.
  where
  it is stored
  betveen
  waxy
  cell
  layers
  as
  a
  sticky white fluid.
  Getting at the water-bearing plant body can be a bit of a problem.
  For each attempt, the character must roll his Dexterity or less on 20 to
  avoid
  1 damage point.
  Plants which are destroyed (by gunfire or by
  bowling them over with a vehicle) are useless, tor most ot the water
  trickles away into the sand as soon as massive dama!de occurs.
  POLITICS AND BUSINESS ON TASHRAKAAR
  The Tashrakaaran government is a relatively harmless bureaucracy
  \<lith the prime function of taXing and regulating off-world interests on
  the planet.
  Each separate off-worlder corporation
  leases a tract of
  desert;
  payment is a sum based on the size of the tract, the smallest of
  \<Ihich goes for Cr 25.000,000.
  If this fee is not paid on time each month.
  the corporation loses the rights to that tract. which can ttlen be leased
  to another company.
  The seer-et struggle for "lost leases" can be fierce.
  and many
  Charge that bribery
  and corruption
  within the government
  determine who wins oids for unleased territory.
  The
  largest corporations
  engaged
  in
  mining
  on Tashrakaar are
  Sternmetal Horizons and oelgado Trading, both megacorporations.
  They
  can afford to pay larger tees for large.- tracts of desert and turn profits
  of billions of credits annually.
  In addition. Sternmetal Horizons builds
  and
  leases the !:liant orecra\<llers necessary for mineral reclamation on
  -21-
  
  Tashrakaar.
  It is rumored that the company deliberately hoids down the
  production rate of these machines in order to suppress competition by
  the smaller mining enterprises.
  These
  smaller
  enterprises
  include
  dozens of corporations,
  tram
  sector-wide operations like Oakaar Minerals, to single-planet businesses
  like Jericorp.
  Each uses leased crawlers to criss-cross its leased land in
  search of untapped
  miner~i1 nodule fields.
  While most operations manage
  -
  barely -
  to make expenses and turn a small profit, a rich strike can
  make
  a
  company1s
  owners
  wealthy
  overnight,
  especially
  since
  the
  governmen~s cut is a fixed amount raTher Than a percenTage.
  Since
  the
  coming
  of
  the
  megacorporaTions,
  compeTiTion
  has
  increased beTween the smaller operations.
  Desperate owners have been
  known to take their crawlers into anoTher's lease -
  especially if a rich
  nodule field
  happens to
  eXTend
  across The border.
  Orecrawlers are
  equipped with turret-mounTed lasers for slicing up large are masses, and
  these can become formidable weapons.
  All mining is done with orecrawlers, starship-sized vehicles which
  use air/rafts to seek OUT nodule fields recenTly exposed by storms, then
  strip The nodules from wide swaths of desert.
  Manganese, nickel, cobalt,
  copper, and
  other elements
  are extracted, separated,
  and
  STored
  in
  Tanks for return to Tashport.
  At Tashport the purified ore
  is soid
  through a commodities eXChange and shipped off-planet.
  The Duneraiders resist all
  intruders into their territory.
  Each
  tribe -
  though
  nomadic
  -
  perceives the
  land
  the tribe
  currently
  occupies
  as
  an
  extension
  of itself,
  something to
  be
  protected
  from
  intruders.
  The
  borders
  of this terriTory
  are
  ill-defined;
  roughly
  speaking, the tribe claims everything
  within
  line-at-sight as its own.
  Unless a treaty is in force, bloody battles erupT when two tribes wander
  into close proximity.
  In addition, most Duneraiders look down on the
  civilized Tashrakaarans,
  whom they regard as soft, decadent, or evil.
  They think even less of the off-worlders who trespass on their lands in
  machines which scour paths through the desert, and who store Gitt-ot-
  Gods (water) in tanks.
  Nearly every crawler mission has to contend with
  Duneraider parties.
  Sometimes They
  can
  be bribed
  with
  water;
  more
  otten, they must be fought.
  Though the raiders cannot destroy The
  monsterous crawlers, they can and do ambush the crews when they are
  working in the open, and have been known to scale the machine1s sides
  and blast open hatches with explosives in attempts to get Inside.
  Some
  few of these attempts have been successful, and a number of crawlers
  have simply vanished, their fate unknown.
  -22-
  
  Orecrawler
  The deck plans to.- the Jl4Mk XIV (lrecrawler are available to the
  adventurers atter they
  agree
  "to
  WOf"k tor" Arlana Jeric.
  Since the
  advenTurers are being nlred to provide Internal security aboard the
  crawler -
  among
  other
  things -
  they
  may
  wish to
  plan
  security
  arrangements using these deck plans, determining where to post sentries,
  where to search tor stow-aways or bombs, and so on,
  THE MARK XIV ORECRAWLER
  The Mark XIV
  is
  II standard model produced
  by Far-Star Mining
  Equipment, Inc.,
  1I wholly-owned SUbsidiary of Sterrvnetal Horizons, with
  its corporate offices on
  ClIleaon,
  In
  Relllver5'
  Deep.
  At
  1200 l'ons
  displacement, it is equivllllnt to a 9lI1111 starshlp in size. It can be run by
  a crew of 4 and
  nomelly openftes ..Ith
  12 men lIboan:l working a-hour
  shifts.
  On-board lIccomodatlons can support liS many as 24 men undElf'"
  somewhat cramped conoiTions.
  It moves on 6 pairs of ...ide treads; grav
  plates assist the vehicle in "swill'llling" through sand in dune seas or ...hen
  burled by a devllblo.... though this Is a power-costly technique reserved
  for emergencies.
  (Power Is Insufficient to allow flIght). The hull Is armor
  plated
  against
  sand
  abrasion
  and
  superficially
  streamlined
  to
  allow
  maneuvering In high wind.
  The space between the leadiny trMds Is occupied by the vohlclels
  scraper-Intakes, a kina of grav-bOOsted vacuum cleaner which sucks up
  nodules loosened by sonic projoctors and the Intllke blades and deposits
  them in the eXfrl!lcter tllnkS.
  There, the nodules l!Ire hel!ltoo by bleed-oft
  from the crawler's fusion plant. and grl!lv separators are lISed to purify
  each of a number of elenents In liquid form.
  Manganese, nickel, copper,
  and iron ¥e the most corrmon products and are the basis for Tashrakaar's
  mining industry, but the process also hanoles other menls as well.
  Rare
  bOnanzl!Is have been struck In the past when the extractors separated
  sIzeable amounts of yold, Sliver, platinum. lrlolum. or uranium -
  all ex-
  tremely valuable In high-tech Industries everyWhere. Purified metals are
  stored In liquid form In large storage tenks;
  base rock. left over from the
  metal extrllctlon process -
  called llscreepll In crl!lwler-mlner jargon -
  Is
  deposited on the desert floor as odd, lumpy ml!lSSOS of fused carbon lind
  sll ica.
  Ofton, when a groat deal of sand Is pulled in tlV"ough the ex-
  rracters along
  with ore
  nodules, ttlesa deposits are aystaliine and
  transpl!W'"ent, and consist of almost pure glass.
  They reflect sunlight
  easily l!lnd Me positive evidence of the recent paSSllge of an orea-awler.
  II turret mounting a single laser on the crawler's torwara hull Is
  used to slice up large masses of rock. such as bould8l"'S or cliffs with
  exposed veins of ore.
  Tne scraper-Intakes can handle chunkS up to naif
  a meter across. but larger pieces must be broken up. Explosives are also
  carried aboard the crllwler to clellr Impllsslble terrain or to expose ore
  veins otherwise Inllccesslb\e to the laser.
  -23-
  
  A pair of air/ratts are carried
  in an airlock on the upper deck.
  They are used for reconnaissance missions in search of exposed nodule
  beds and to track the course of devil blows from a safe dlsto!lnce.
  Fuel tanks carry water bOth as fuel and coolant for the vehicle's
  fusion power plant, and as a store of drinking water tor the crew.
  More
  than
  enough
  water
  is available tor
  every
  need for
  many months of
  continuous operation.
  INTERIOR DETAILS
  The
  following
  numbered
  areas
  refer to the
  deck
  plan
  layouts
  provided for the t-tark XIV Orecrawler.
  The deck plans are on the back of
  the map in the centerlold
  of this booklet; the entire
  page may be
  removed tor easy reference.
  1. Flying Bridge:
  essentially
  an observation deck
  with
  visicom
  links
  with the
  control
  center.
  Both
  hUlMn
  and
  electronic
  lookouts
  observe the terrain and direct the steering of the crawler.
  The
  flying bridge is extended abOve the body of the crawler- to provide
  clear Visibility, even during a sandstorm.
  2. Passageway:
  stairwell running
  from the upper deck to ttle flying
  bridge.
  3. Control Center.
  operations control for the vehicle, with helm and
  naVigation
  instruments.
  chart
  projection,
  and
  COlTfllunications
  stations.
  Communications links are maintained with the flying bridge
  (including TV
  images from flying bridge cameras of 360· view) with
  headquarters
  and
  with
  reconnaisance
  air/rafts.
  Exiractlon
  and
  separation processes operations are run from here.
  4. Passage....ay:
  corridor connecting service areas on upper deck.
  5. Laser TlATet:
  can be operllted by gunner or by remote control from
  control center. Ladder leads up into turret from passageway.
  6. Air Intakes:
  louvered openings normally open 10 admit lIir.
  They can
  be closed during storms or ettllck.
  7. All" Conditioning Machinery:
  cools and
  humidifies air from outside,
  circulating it throughout the vehicle.
  -24-
  
  8. AlrJRattBay: htin
  airfrafts.
  with
  sliding
  panels
  In
  overhead
  for
  launch. Bay can be used as an airlock on worlds with poisonous or no
  atmosphere.
  9. Upper Deck Stores:
  equipment
  and
  supplies,
  machine
  parts,
  spare
  parts.
  \0. $tlIlrvell:
  connects upper deck with 10'ler deck.
  11. Lower [)eck Passageway: joins a-ew spaces on lower deck.
  12. Quarters:
  double-occupancy
  cabins
  with
  twin
  beds,
  lockers.
  and
  lavatory facilities.
  Cabins can
  be rigged tor tour occupants in
  staggered shifts, with some crowding.
  13. Common Room:
  mess and recreation room.
  14. Galley:
  with open counter connecting mess area for food service.
  \5. Galley Stores:
  locker for food and galley supplies. with refrigerated
  and freezer lockers for perishable goods.
  16. Sick Bay: facilities for crew medIc, Including two bed "hospital" and
  compact surgery.
  17. Engineering: moniters and
  controls for
  fusion
  plant,
  engine, and
  mining equipment.
  18. Cargo Deck S1"ores:
  supplies,
  tools,
  equipment
  and
  spares
  for
  engineering.
  19. Forward Lock:
  wide sliding
  doors alow loading 0+ heavy machinery
  and equipment.
  Functions as an
  airlock In hostile environments.
  Includes weapons storage locker.
  20. Water Tanks:
  fuel and drinking reserves.
  21. Power Plant
  22. Track Drives
  23. Extraction, Refining, separation MaChInery
  24. Ore storage TlIOks
  25. Aft Lock: Outer door opens down to provide ramp.
  Ladder leads up
  to lower deck passageway.
  Functions as an airlock in vacuum or
  poisonous atmospheres.
  Mark XIV orecrawlers are widely used across the
  Imperi~ and on
  hundereds of worlds beyond the Imperial borders. Traveller referees may
  wish to Introduce the Mark XIV in other i!ldventures.
  Though designed as
  piloted mining equipment for worlds of size 1 and larger, they may also be
  encounTered as robot miners, or- with special attachments- as logging,
  road building, fireflghting, pod service or" demolition vehicles. They may
  also be found pressed into service as annored transports, troop carriers,
  armored fighTing
  vehicles, or as exploration
  vehicles 00 particul"rly
  hostile planets.
  Moditications and additional possible uses are left to the Traveller
  referee's imagination.
  -25-
  
  Non-Player Characters
  Though the crawler is designed to operated with 12 men working 8-
  hour shifts, only 8 Jericorp men are available to man It.
  It some of the
  adventurers have skills such as Gunnery or Communications skill, they
  may be allowed to take crew positions manning the laser turrets or radio
  gear.
  This is not absolutely necessary. since the Jerlcorp personnel are
  willing to work six-on-six-oft shifts.
  The player characters should
  have an opportunity to meet the
  crawler crew before the mission begins.
  Since they are Charged wi-th the
  security of the operation, the adven"tures may -
  it they request it of
  Arlana Jerlc -
  see the personnel record on each of the crew members.
  Extmcts of these records are provided below.
  They should be shown to
  the players on Iy If the player characters ask to see them.
  Cr21,OOO
  Jericorp's lease six
  ~\'i\,
  .•
  He was a major
  in the marines;
  his
  title
  of
  "Captain"
  reflects
  his
  position
  aboard the Jericorp crawler.
  He is a loyal
  and competent worker and seems devoted
  to Jeric and his daughter.
  He is something
  of
  a
  legend
  i[1
  Tashport
  for
  having
  (unofficially -
  the
  incident
  was
  never
  reported) outfought two orecrawlers trespassing on
  months ago, destroying one and damaging the other.
  PERSONNEL RECORD EXTRACTS OF THE CRAWLER CREW
  1. Hal Southerland -
  Captain
  Ex-Marine Major
  676A97
  Age 58 8 terms
  Engineering-l, ATV-2, Air;Raft-l, Laser Rifle-l,
  Electronics-2, computer-I, Bri bery-2, Tactics-I,
  Desert Survivai-2
  Southerland has worked for Jericorp
  for seven
  years,
  beginning
  as
  a mining
  engineer and working his way up to crew
  captain.
  Before that, he spent 8 terms as
  an officer in a Caledon marine unit, where
  he
  became
  familiar
  with
  many
  types of
  armored and all-terrain vehicles.
  He has had extensive experience in desert environments -
  both on
  Tashrakaar and on desert worlds served on during his marine service.
  -26-
  
  2. Vincent Perez -
  First Engineer
  Ex-Marine
  689586
  Age 38 4 terms
  Engineering-2, Mechanical-2, SM3-1, Elec1ronic~2,
  Computer-I, G~mbling-l
  Cr18,700
  Perez
  is
  also
  an
  ex-marine,
  with
  four
  terms
  in
  the
  Imperial
  marines
  before
  he
  resigned
  and
  wandered into Reaversl Deep to ~ke
  a mining engineer job with Jericorp.
  He has worked for Jericorp for four
  years
  Md
  is
  normally
  competant,
  loyal, and hard-working.
  He has been reprimanded three
  A
  times
  for
  drinking
  while
  standing
  I {I
  watCh, and is currently on probation
  I
  with
  the
  company.
  His
  record
  I
  otherwise shows him loyal and hard-
  working,
  and
  his competance
  has won
  fer
  him The
  position of First
  Engineer on Jericcrp crawlers.
  He stands his watches under Southerland
  and is responsible tor the functioning of ttle crawler power plant and
  mining equipment as well as the actual mining operation Itself.
  3. Elu Gulushig91sun -
  Te<:hniclan
  Crl,OOO
  ,
  !
  .'/ ,
  Ex-Army Trooper
  488743
  Age 34 3 terms
  Meehan ical-2, ATV-l, Computer-l, AutoRifle-l,
  AirlRaft-l, Communications-2
  Gulushiggisun is an ex-trooper with
  three terms of service in the army of a
  mostly
  Vilani-popu1ated
  world
  in
  the
  Imperium.
  He is the chief communications
  technician aboard the crawler, responsi-
  ble fer radio convnunlcations with ttle base
  and with the air/raft recon patrols.
  He
  generally
  stands
  ttle
  first
  watch
  with
  Souttlerland and Perez. He has worked fer
  Jericorp for three years, is quiet, works
  hard,
  and
  generally
  wants
  to
  be
  lett
  alone.
  He
  is
  known
  to
  be
  keenly
  interested
  in
  Vilani
  and
  First
  Imperium
  history,
  but
  he
  rarely
  shares
  his
  enthusiasm with
  his few friends.
  He has
  had one reprimand, logged one week ago
  for fighting.
  4. Ranold Halfesson -
  Technician
  EX-l4erchantman
  987864
  Age 34 4 "terms
  Mechanlcal-l, Electronics-t, Shotgun-t,
  Gambling-l, AirlRaft-l, Gunnery-l
  Cr2 1,500
  -27-
  
  Haltesson
  came
  to
  Jericorp
  r
  --------~
  after
  fourteen
  years
  in
  various
  );~.Ji~il
  merchant
  lines
  operating
  in
  'if ;~
  Reavers'
  Deep.
  He
  is
  known
  to
  '/\ ~,'Q1
  have emigrated
  to the Deep from
  '
  t,-.t
  the
  Solomani
  Confederation
  with
  \~ \
  ~-»
  ,
  ,
  /1 .c:..\/
  his parents 28 years ago, but he IS
  t"
  not
  known
  to
  have
  ever
  had
  '
  --,J,
  political interests or connections.
  ~~. "§~
  He has been reprimanded tor
  ,,//:/'~
  \___
  ~,'.,',::.,~
  _ "'--'"
  fighting three times since he came ~.
  . .
  ~
  to work tor Jericorp a year ayo;
  I ,/
  ..;-'~')
  he
  doe,
  h3,e
  000,"0'e"131 /
  ~/I
  'j
  ,'il/'i \\
  political
  and
  racial
  views,
  about
  which he can
  be quite outspoken.
  His
  last
  figh,
  was
  with
  Gulushiggisun
  only
  a
  week
  ago.
  Normally,
  the
  two
  men
  would
  be
  assigned to different crawlers, but this is impossible with the current
  situation.
  He now shares the same watch with the Vilani technician, on
  the theory that Perez and Southerland will always be about to keep an
  eye on them.
  The two men
  have not spoken to each other since last
  week's incident.
  5. Murray Gerbert- First Officer
  EX-Merchant Second Officer
  778996
  Age 38 4 terms
  Autcf'istoi-l, Electronics-2, Admin-l, ATV-l,
  Computer-2, Medic-2
  Gerbert
  is
  first
  officer
  of
  Southerland's crawler, and officer in
  charge of the 2nd duty shift, when
  Southerland,
  Perez,
  Gulushiggisun,
  and Halfesson
  are off-duty.
  He is
  experienced
  and
  has
  worked
  for
  Jericorp
  in
  various
  capacities for
  four
  years.
  Before
  coming
  to
  Reavers'
  Deep,
  Gerbert
  served
  aboard
  merchant
  liners
  in
  the
  Imperium, retiring
  as a 2nd officer
  after
  16
  years.
  His
  medical
  experience singles
  him out as the
  paramedic
  aboard
  the
  crawler,
  in
  charge of the sickbay and treating
  injuries as they occur.
  6. Harimandlr Sin -
  Second EngIneer
  Ex-Marine
  B9A987
  Age 38 5 terms
  Engineering-2, Mechanical-2, oa9ger-2, Rifle-3,
  Cutlass-2, Computer-2, Desert Survival-2
  -28-
  Cr50,OOO
  Cr12,OOO
  
  Cr45,OOO
  Sin is a Dharak, a descendant of a
  human warrior race on a world within the
  Imperium.
  Dharaki are known and feared
  in many parts of human-colonized space;
  the hard conditions of their native world
  have produced a hard and cunning race
  with
  ancient,
  inflexible
  warrior
  traditions and
  codes of honor.
  He
  is
  quiet and sott-spoken, and so far seems
  a dedicated and hard working employee.
  His remarkable qualifications won him his
  (
  post
  as
  second
  engineer
  aboard
  the
  crawler, in charge of engineering duties
  when Perez
  is off-duty.
  He has been
  on one crawler mission to date and carried out his duties competently.
  7. Thorls Dennechek -
  Technician
  Ex-Marine
  947997
  Age 344 terms
  Communications-l, Gunnery-2, ATV-l, Air!Ratt-2,
  Laser Rifle-l, Mechanleal-l, Cutlass-l
  Dennechek has been employed
  with Jericorp for about a year and is
  an
  enthusiastic
  and
  dedicated
  worker.
  He
  received
  a
  personal
  commendation
  from
  Jerle
  less than
  six months ago atter
  he
  began for
  discovering
  agents
  of
  Dakaar
  Minerals in the act of sabotaging a
  crawler the night before a mission.hi
  Before coming to work for Jeric, he
  was a trooper in the space marines If /Jl
  of the
  Carlliian
  Assembly,
  a
  small
  /1
  .(
  empire elsewhere
  in the Drexilthar
  ,/
  ~j
  subsector.
  He was discharged with
  ~
  honor, atter which he emigrated first
  to Caledon, then to Tashrakaar to
  take a position
  with Jerleorp.
  His
  military training
  is an
  important asset, and
  he is responsible for the
  maintainance and repair of the crawlers laser cannon.
  He is also slated
  as the crewls airkatt technician and is responsible for seeing that both
  airkatts are equipped C1nd in working order.
  8. Karl Jung -
  Technician
  EX-Army Trooper
  334579
  Age 30 2 terms
  Cr500
  Gunnery-l, Mechanleal-l, Rifle-I, Jack of All
  Trades-I, Steward-l
  Jung has begun work wIth Jericorp within the past week as a junior
  technician and is considered to be still in training.
  He formerly served
  as steward with a passenger line out of Caledon, and before that he was
  in the army.
  He is a friendly, likeable person but was reprimanded for
  -29-
  
  carelessness
  when
  he
  failed
  To
  secure
  an
  overhead
  hatch
  which
  subsequently nearly injured Captain Southerland. It was determined that
  the event w"s an accident due to Jung's inexperience.
  Additional information is given on some of these characters in the
  section on The Oakaar Minerals Plot later
  in ttlis booklet.
  Only the
  referee
  may
  see
  this
  information,
  which
  is
  used
  to
  round
  out the
  characters outlined above.
  mEW ASSIGNMENTS
  Normally these eight individuals would make up two groups called
  respectively (Tew One and Crew Two, alternating six-hour shitts.
  During
  certain periods, such as the cutting away of an ore-bearing clift face or
  when reconnaisance air/ratts are alott, both cre....s may be on duty at the
  same time.
  Player
  characters
  with
  appropriate
  skills
  (especially
  Gunnery,
  EngineerIng, ATV, Communications, Mechanical or Electronics skills) may
  join as active crew members and help round out a third and possibly a
  fourth crew.
  As brand new employees, they may not be in charge of a
  Shitt;
  any of the others with the exceptIon of Jung can serve as watch
  officer, "nd the choice would
  probably
  be made
  in terms of seniority
  (Perez would be next atter Gerbert, followed by Gulushiggisun).
  The players may suygest ne .... watch standing arrangements, but they
  will have to be approved by Arlana O.e., the referee).
  In any case, the
  players should be reminded by ArIMa that security is their primary duty.
  DUTIES
  Characters with
  Gunnery skill
  may operate the
  vehicles's laser
  cllnnon during mining operations and (rarely) during combat.
  Characters with Engineering, Electronics, dod ;.4ech"nical skill may
  be assigned to the
  engineering
  deck
  where t1ley
  will
  supervise the
  operation of the vehicle's mining equipment, power plant, and drive.
  Characters
  with
  Communications
  experience
  may
  man
  the radio
  linking the crawler with headquarters and with recon air/rafts.
  They may
  also man the radio on recon air/ratts.
  Characters with
  AirlRatt skill
  may
  carry out recon
  missions
  in
  search of exposed nMule fields or devl\blows.
  Ch<!lracters with ATV skill may drive the orecrawler or may direct it
  trom the flying bridge.
  These duties may
  be
  assigned
  to the player characters
  by the
  Captain even if the characters themselves did not form a third duty crew;
  this will especially
  be true it anything happens to any of the regular
  crew members.
  -30-
  
  The Plot
  For reasons which will be revealed later, Dakaar Minerals is ready
  to go to any length to destroy Jer-icorp.
  They have managed to secretly
  infiltrate one or more of their people into the creer-Clwler crew, butttJey
  have also planned an inital attack as a diversion, something to convince
  the new
  team of security
  people aboard that the situation
  is under
  control.
  This attack
  will
  take
  place
  81
  some
  time
  during the
  crawler-Is
  outward journey.
  The player characters should be allowed to win (noT
  too easll y)
  by their own efforts and to enjoy a hearty round of self-
  congratulations.
  Of course, if they were so lax that this diversionary
  attack succeeds, they
  deserve whatever
  happens to them.
  Surviving
  characters may continue with the adventure, of course, but they are
  unlikely to
  learn of the nature of Dakaar's plans or to
  prevent the
  destruction of Jericorp.
  The referee may choose one of the following options or roll 10 for a
  random choice.
  Details may be changed in any way desired to conform to
  the flow of the adventure.
  PLOTS
  1. A man wearing a Tashrakaar security forces uniform siips unnoticed
  into the Jericorp equipment bay during the night before the mission and
  attempts to plant a bomb on
  board the crawler.
  If the players have
  thought to post a close guard on the vehicle (two or more men walking
  around outside it) the
  iniruder wii!
  be caught.
  He is armed with an
  automatic pistol and a hidden dagger and will fight to avoid capture.
  If
  he
  is
  captured,
  he
  will
  be
  stUbbornly
  uncooperative
  and
  yield
  no
  Information before the mission leaves.
  The
  bomb
  will
  turn out to
  be a small tactical
  nuclear
  warhead
  concealed in an attache case.
  If the Iniruder is not caught, the bomb
  will detonate when the vehicle is in the Deep Desert, and the Cf"ecrawler
  will be vaporized.
  When the timer is set, It can be disarmed simply by
  pulling out the timer wires whleh are readily visible.
  The Dakaar plant
  knows about the bomb; depending on the situation, he wili leave it as a
  back-up in the event of his own discovery and death, disarming it just
  before it is due to detonate;
  "discover" it to prove his loyalty;
  or use
  it as a threat to win control of the vehicle.
  2. A Tashport technician -
  one of a crew of workers in the JericCf"p bay
  -
  managed to plant the bomb described above before the adventurers
  arrived (at about the time of the loading dock firefight, as a matter of
  fact).
  The bomb Is hidden on the flying bridge,jammed under the chair at
  the small
  instrument panel.
  Player characters should roll 20 each time
  -31-
  
  they enter the flying bridge; they will notice the attache case if the
  result is less than their Intelligence.
  3. As number two above, but The bOmb is hidden in one of the airkafts.
  The airA-att must be entered tor the bomb to be seen, but no roll need be
  made to notice.
  4. An ambush has been laid for the crawler at oaylxeak Pass through
  which the party must pass to reach the Desert Fringe. It consists of ::>0
  men dressed as natives who are actually in the pay otOakaar, armed with
  automatic weapons and explosive charges with which they will attempt to
  blow open one of the crawler"s hatches..
  Their gunfire cannot hurt the
  vehicle, of course, but in the noise and smoke, 10 men will leap off an
  escarpment onto the a-awlers back and
  manage to force The dorsal
  airkaft hatch open enough To get in.
  The subsequent gun battle can be
  resolved, if desired using Snapshot or Azhanti High LIghtning rules for
  Traveller combat.
  The raiders' goal
  ....ill
  be to capture the crawler if
  possible, but at atl costs to do as much damage as possible -
  destroying
  airlratts, engineering equipment, and controls.
  Captured
  "tribesmen"
  .... i11
  prove to
  be off-worlders,
  not desert
  natives.
  Interrogation of prisoners will
  prove them to be mercenaries
  hired by Garren Klessterhaven of Dakaar Minerals.
  As with the aTtllck at
  the loading dock (which some of These men participated in) the eaTtllckers
  are wearing nanve garb to frighten Jericrop personnel and to stir up
  trouble between Jericarp and the Ouneraiders.
  5. At some point in the Desert Fringe, someone may notice a pair of
  reflective, silvery specks low in the eastern sky.
  These will prove to be
  a pair of air/rafts approaching at
  low alTitude at high speed.
  Each
  mounts a laser cannon which does damage in the same way described in
  the section entitled D-awler Combat.
  The party may return fire using the
  crawler"s cannon, and combat may be resolved using the
  Cr~wler Combat
  rules and damage tables.
  6. At some
  point near the edge of the Deep Desert, the party will
  encounter another orecrawler which will open fire as soon as they come
  into view.
  The attack will noT be a detennined one, and the attacker will
  retire if he does not illlllooiately cause some encouraging damage or if he
  Is damaged in return.
  (Crawlers are, after all, rather expens1ve pieces of
  equipment).
  Combat and
  damage can
  De resolved using the rules and
  damage tables In Crawler Combat.
  It should
  be emphasized that this attack or plot is planned as a
  dIversion,
  and
  that
  the
  referee
  should
  carefully
  balance
  the
  determination of this attempt;
  the attempt must be determined enough to
  be in1eresting for the players and to convince them that It is genuine,
  but at the same time the referee should alia.... it to succeed only if the
  players are being unusullily careless.
  -32-
  
  SEARQUHG
  The Deep Desert
  The refar-ee should keep track of the party's progress on the area
  map
  (Map
  3,
  in
  the
  center of the
  book).
  Each
  hex represents
  10
  kilometers;
  smooth and open terrain can be crossed in "bout 30 minutes,
  while rough terrain requires ooe hour.
  The crawler may not enter terrain
  coded as very rough, nor may it cross the lines marking canyon walls,
  If the players and referee agree. the adventure proper ~y begin
  some distance loro the desert, with the referee adding up the number of
  clear terrain hexes crossed, dividing
  by 2. and announcing that tha-t
  number of hours have passed since the mission lett Tashport.
  The results
  of
  any
  Dakaar
  Minerals
  plots
  should
  be
  woven
  smoothly
  Into
  the
  adventure narrative, of course,
  Once the
  party
  is
  well
  Into the Deep Desert, they must
  begin
  searChing tor nodule fields.
  Each time the crawler enters a hex which
  the party wishes to search, the referee rolls 2D on the
  Se~rch Table
  below. It ti!lkes one hour to cross an open hex while searChing It i!lnd two
  hours to search a rough terrllin hex. Airlratts may be Illunched to search
  additionlll hexes.
  jn one hour, an airlratt may cross 10 hexes or search 5
  hexes of any kind of terrain.
  A OM of +2 is made for search
  rolls in reg or rough terrain.
  I
  -,D";,eC~""'cl---,Roes",,""'"t
  --l
  The
  map
  distinguishes
  between
  erg
  and
  reg;
  a
  nodule
  2
  Half-buried a-awler
  field
  May
  be
  found
  within
  erg
  (first time only; treat as
  (dune) territory as an area where
  Nodule field
  there~fter)
  the sand
  h~s been blown aside, but
  3-11
  Empty desert
  they are far more coomon
  In reg
  12
  Nodule field
  (flat, rock-surfaced) desert.
  THE 'l!iRECKED CRAWLER
  Should a roll of 2 be made (possible only in sandy erg terrain), the
  searchers will spot a glint of metal in the sand, and investigation wltl
  spot an
  ~bandoned orecrawler with only its flying bridge and pert of the
  dors~1 surface
  exposed.
  Inspection
  shows that tnis
  Is the Jerlcorp
  crawler lost without a trace sever<!ll months ago.
  It shows evidence of
  having been destroyed from within by fire and explosion, <!lnd bullet holes
  made
  by
  automatic
  weapons
  i!lre
  stitched
  across
  severlll
  Interior
  bulkheads.
  The wreck can be entered ttv"ough the dorsal hatch and explored;
  it is identical to the party's own orecrawler, and the si!llTle set of deck
  plans can
  be used.
  The air/ratts have been destroyed by explosions,
  both water and ore storage tanks are empty, and all equipment lockers
  have been looted -
  probably by passing nomads.
  in the con1rol center,
  -JJ-
  
  'So.--
  .....
  .".
  '-
  ""-
  all
  navigation
  and
  log records
  have
  been
  removed.
  A safe
  in
  the
  Captainls cabin has been blown open and empTied.
  A
  character
  in
  The
  control
  center
  who
  rolls
  less
  than
  his
  Intelligence on 20 will notice a wlld of paper in one corner.
  Written on
  the paper are formulas which indlcllte It was a scratch sheet for someone
  working olIt navigational bearings, and the notation:
  Upt. _ Char-gas cnynlllll1
  The bearings are useless wiThout references -
  little more than doodles
  mi!lde by the individuals on duty working out a plot for the naVigational
  computer and logs.
  Nothing else can be learned from the cra'llier.
  Its belll"'ing where it
  lies in
  11h3 sand
  suggests that it was heading straight back towards
  headquarter's when it was destroyed.
  Questioning headquarters by radio
  will
  reveal
  that
  the
  cnlliller
  was
  last
  heard
  from
  in
  a
  brief radio
  transmission
  whien
  indicated
  th~t the
  crew was cutting their mission
  short, but that they gave no rei!son for this and no position.
  It is
  obvious they were destroyed en route.
  DISCOVERY Of 1\ NOOULE fiELD
  Harvesting the ore from a nodule field takes 20 x 5 hours, during
  which time the orecrawler must remain within the SlImo hex on the map.
  A
  separate 20 roll is made for each different nodule field, sInce some are
  quite large, others small.
  The crawler neednit harvest ore for the entire
  indicated period, of course, but l118y harvest for up to the Indicated time
  before the supply of nodules runs out.
  A aawler will be able to fill all of
  Its storage "tanks by working a large field but will usually have to find
  and strip several smaller fields before every tank is filled.
  The orecrawler has ten are storage nnkS;
  it takes 10 hours of
  harvestIng to fill one tank.
  Market rates vary at different times and for
  dltterent metals.
  Each full tank will
  bring
  10 x 2000 credits when
  delivered to
  Teshport.
  <This applies to
  normal runs
  with
  finds of
  -34-
  
  manganese, iron, copper,
  <!lnd the
  like, of course, not rare earths or
  precious metals).
  The roll at to is made only once;
  the resulting credit
  value is applied to all tha tanks in the crawler.
  The players should keep
  track at how long they spend harvesting a field and how many tanks they
  get from it, since their goal
  is to tind
  enough metal to pay for the
  Jericorp lease.
  Orecrawlers cannot harvest while engaged in fighting or a-ossing
  country at their usual r<!lte of 1 or 2 hexes per hour.
  Other ac-tivities
  may be carried out at the same time as harvesting operations -
  such as
  air/raft reconnalsance -
  so long as 1 qualified crew (Captain or other
  senior officer,
  1 engineer, 2
  technicians)
  Is aboard to operate the
  vehicle.
  ENCOUNTERS
  Twice each day, the referee should roll 20 on the following table
  for an encounter to occur.
  Exact1y when during the day the resulting
  encounters occur is up to the referee, who should \'Iork them into the
  over-aU flow ot events and situations.
  ENCOUNTERS IN VEHICLES
  Die roll
  2-8
  9
  I(}<-
  Result
  No event
  Devilblowapproach]n8.
  Warning will be given 10 hours ahead
  of stormts beginning by meteorological equipment on the
  crawler.
  For the results at the storm, see the section on
  Climate and Topology.
  Encounter: roll 10 below.
  1
  'Spoor' at another crawler- a recent1y picked-over
  nodule field and glassy sereep wastes.
  2
  wrecked crawler- see the desa-lptlon of the wrecked
  crawler above for details.
  3
  Air/rafts sighted -
  two airA-efts are seen in the dis-
  tance, shado\'ling -the crawler. Pursuit may be at-
  tempted, if desired; the air/rafts do not attack, but
  '111\1 defend themselves with laser cannon.
  4
  Crawler(s) encountered - roll ID:
  1-4,1 crawler; 5-6,
  2 crawlers. Vehicles seem to be heading south, and
  have been coming from the east; one crawler will at-
  tempt to evade, two will attack.
  5-6
  Natives encoun-tered -
  a band of nomads appears in
  the crawler's pa-th. They may be attacked or negoti-
  ated with; they will not attack unless provoked (see
  the section on Ouneralder Encounters for details).
  CRAWLER COMBAT
  The time may come when the party finds themselves in their crawler,
  squared
  off
  In
  combat
  against
  one
  or
  more
  enemy
  crawlers and/or
  -35-
  
  air/ratts.
  Combat resolution can be quick, simple, and graphic using the
  rules suggested in this section.
  ~:
  Use
  21 piece of bl2lnk hex-grid paper as a playing surface.
  This
  is lett bl2lnk for encounters in open terrain.
  In rough terrain, the
  referee may mark some
  hexes
  21t random.
  These hexes may
  be fired
  through but not entered by opposing crawlers;
  they represent boulders
  too massive to climb.
  As an added challenge, he may, if he wishes, mark
  several
  groups
  of
  five to
  eight adjacent
  hexes to
  represent rock
  formations taller than the crawlers themselves;
  these hexes may neither
  be entered or fired through.
  One hex represents 100 meters.
  One g2lme turn represents 15 seconds,
  the standara combat round.
  Pieces:
  Counters may
  be made from half-inch cardbo2lrd squares or
  blank game counters, or may be taken from another game. They should be
  marked in such a way as to ind icate a front end tor the direction of
  movement.
  Counters represent each crawler and air/ratt engaged.
  One
  of the players should move the Jericorp crawler;
  if possible, players with
  characters aboard secific air/rafts should move those air/ratt counters.
  The referee moves all enemy counters.
  Placement:
  Pieces enter from opposite ends of the map.
  The exact
  direction each unit is moving may be suggested by the situation thus far,
  or the referee may make an arbitrary determination.
  Movement:
  Both sides move at the same time.
  (With so few counters,
  movement can
  be nearly simultaneous, with the referee saying, ''Ready
  ••• move"}.
  Crawlers
  move
  one
  hex
  each turn, or they
  may
  remain
  stationary.
  Air/ratts may move up to ten hexes each turn, or they m2ly
  remain stationary.
  Air/ratts which land are inverted in the hex in which
  they land.
  Air/r2lfts which dock with their crawlers are removed from the
  map.
  Crawlers may not enter terrain marked as rock formations.
  Alrlrafts
  may move through (fly over) any terrain.
  Airlratts which fly off the edge of the map may return on the same
  map edge during any later turn.
  Air/raft pilots may announce that they are "down on the deck"-
  that is, flying so low that they can take advantage of cover offered by
  -36-
  
  rock formations and
  cr~wlers.
  Naturally, they may not ente..- marked
  hexes, na- fire through them, when they are on the deck.
  At any time
  they may announce tfley are at
  ~Ititude again, at which ttley may enter
  any
  hex,
  but
  no
  longer receive the
  benefit of cover
  from
  ground
  obstacles.
  Pilots may fly toward an obst<!lcle (rock formation or crawler)
  on the deck, and then announce tha"t they are going to altitude in the
  hex before the obstacle hex.
  They must ;oll 9 or less on 2D;
  If the ;01\
  is 10+, they crash into the obstacle, ;!lnd the airlratt (and occupants) are
  destroyed.
  AirJRaft skill may be used as a negative DM in this mMeuver.
  All enemy ;!llrlraft operators have AirJRatt-l skill.
  Turning:
  Cr<!lwlers may change heading by 60 degrees (one hex side)
  during each turn.
  This Change of facing does ..at count as a move.
  Air/rafts may Change 60 degrees (one hex side) at no movement cost, fa-
  each new hex that they enter.
  They may change their
  headin!:! 120
  degrees (2 hex sides) with each new hex entered, but this maneuvering
  limits their speed to more than "three hexes in a single turn.
  Collisions;
  If two crawlers attempt to enter the same hex at the same
  time, they will collide.
  Both will be immobilized, and it will take 10 hours
  to separate them.
  They m<!ly continue firing at one Mother, though with
  only a single turret unless the target is directly ahead a'" behind.
  Airlrafts may
  collide
  deliberately or accidentally
  (see
  0011
  foe
  maneuvering over obstacles above) with a crawler.
  The air/raft will be
  destroyed Md its occupants killed.
  The crawler will suffer 1vo hits on
  its body, with a DM of +3 00 the damage results rolls.
  A result of 130;
  higher is treated as a 13. Duplicate results are ignored.
  Any number of alrkatts may be in the same hex at the same time
  without collision.
  Combat:
  uni"ts may fire during each turn.
  Airlrafts tire from anyone
  hex during "their movement and must fire directly ahead.
  Crawlers have
  twin laser turrets set on either side of their flying bridge.
  The rIght
  turret may tire straight ahead, straight to the rear, or toward any hex to
  the right Of tfle vehicle.
  The lett turret may fire ahead, behind, or to
  the left.
  Both turrets may tire during the same turn. as long as they are
  both operable and are both manned.
  Line of sight is determined iran tfle center of the firing unif1s hex
  to the center of the target hex.
  Fire is blocked beTween a cra....ler and
  another crawler if any part of that straight line enters a marked (rough
  terrain) hex.
  Line of sight between
  an airkaft at altitude and any
  ground hex
  is always uninterrupted.
  LIne ot sIght is interrupted by
  ground obst<!lcles for air/rafts flying on the deck.
  Crawlers may fire at an air/rlltt In any hex during its flight.
  The
  airlratt is stopped in mid-move, the results of the tire resolved, then (If
  the air/raft survives) the movement continues.
  Two crawlers (or two
  turrets on the same crawler) may tire at the same ai;jratt in two different
  hexes during its movement.
  Combat Results:
  Each time a player or the referee tires, he states
  what his target is, using the targeting n-ble below. Note that tire may be
  -37-
  
  directed ogoin5t diff.-ent pam of 'ttle crowl..-.
  A roll of 2D Is qde. ond
  restllt5 det...lned using this table:
  CfWLER aMlAT RESUlTS
  T......
  2D ....tt
  2-6
  1
  • •
  10
  11
  12
  I}+
  0-0,,1..- Body
  MISS
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  Treods
  MISS
  "SS
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  Flying Bridge
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  HIT
  HIT
  HIT
  "SS
  Turret (lk)
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  HIT
  HIT
  MISS
  AlrA-ofT
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  MISS
  HIT
  MISS
  Eoch shot ruy be I'llOdlfl.d by 'ttl. factors listed below.
  SOOT KlDIFIERS
  Condition Modlfl..
  For eoch lev.1 of Gunn..y skill of Chll"'oct.... firiny
  (.nemy gunners all have Gunnery-II
  Target Is stetionary atr"kott
  Targ.t Is In some hex
  Torg.t Is In adJacant hex
  Targ.t Is two f'lexes dlstont
  DM+1
  DM+2
  .....
  0"'2
  0""
  Any shOt fired at a crawler which results In a fIllss Ny have hit some
  ottlr part of 11\8 crawler than 1'tIe ar.., olMed at.
  Rot! 20 ogaln;
  if ttl.
  unl'llOdlfied result is a 9+. the _iss is t\rned Into 0 hit Ofl the crawler
  body -
  even rt ftIe crowler body was the originol toryet.
  If ttle roU is 8
  or less. the ShOt Missed 1'tI. O'""dwl.. entirely.
  D!!!g! Results.: Hrn Mey or Ny not seere O'""rticol da-ege on an
  en.y crowl....
  All hits on alr,kotts result in the oirkott's destruction.
  To detenftlne d~. rot! 20 on ttle following toble:
  CRAWLER DAMAGE
  Cra.l.- Body:
  Ole roll
  Result
  2-8
  Minor d811'1&ge only.
  9
  Woter tank pierced -
  drinking water supply lost or cont...
  Inoted. tnough enoygh re-olns to fuel power plants.
  10
  Dorsal hotch dOMeged -
  hoteh connot be opened to odait or
  releose orkafts; daaage connet be repaired In d~.
  11
  Radio antennae severed -
  long range caMlunlcation with
  base ended. Irr.pl!Jf'lllble In desert.
  12
  Control cent.- hit -
  .xploslons wrock control c.nt.... Eoch
  chorocter In center must roll 9- to avoid 20 InJuries; all
  controls lind weapons are permanently knocked out.
  -}8-
  
  Treads:
  Die roll
  Result
  2-7
  Minor damage only.
  8 - 10
  Tread blown -
  paired multiple treads allow vehicle to con-
  tinue to maneuver with up to three blown treads. De,..
  truction of a fourth tread will Immobilize crawle:-rj repairable
  in desert in 10 hours per tread while not under fire.
  11+
  Drive or axle hit- vehicle cannot move.
  Damage is irrep-
  arable In desert.
  Flying Bridge:
  Ole roll
  Result
  2-5
  Minor damage only.
  6-9
  Moderate damage- characters on flying bridge must roll 9-
  to avoid 20 damage.
  10+
  Flying bridge destroyed -
  characters on bridge killed on 20
  roll of 8+, receive 30 damage on 7-.
  Turret:
  Die roll
  Result
  2-4
  Minor damage only.
  5-7
  Turret jammed -
  may no longer fire. Repair possible in des-
  ert with 10 hours work while not under fire.
  8-10
  Turret badly damaged -
  may no longer fire.
  Occupant must
  roll 9- to avoid 20 damage points.
  Irreparable in desert.
  11+
  Turret destroyed -
  occupant killed.
  Combat continues until one side or the other moves his crawler{s)
  oft the map, surrenders, or is destroyed.
  Player characters may elect to
  "abandon ship" by running into the desert on foot.
  Pursuit in such an
  event would not be rigorous, for the enemy will
  be content to let the
  desert fi nish off any survivors.
  Whether one
  side elects to
  pursue the other and
  continue the
  battle after combat has broken oft depends on the sltuaton and can be
  agreed upon by the players and referee together.
  If the adventurers manage to beat off an enemy attaCk, they may
  elect to return
  to Tashport, or they may continue with the mission.
  Captain Southerland will feel obliged to continue as long as possible, but
  he will listen to arguments put forth by his crew.
  If any prisoners are taken In battle, they will be technicians who
  know nothing except that their destination was someplace called Chargas
  Canyon.
  They wlll believe that they are within the Oakaar Minerals lease
  and that the Jerlcorp crawler Is illegally tresspasslng.
  Enemy leaders
  captured will
  not speak of their purpose.
  If, by chance, ttJe Jerlcorp
  characters manage to capture an enemy crawler, navigational data for
  Chargas Canyon will
  be loaded into the computer, and the place will be
  prominantly marked on their charts.
  -39-
  
  The Dakaar Minerals Spy
  One or more of the Jericorp crawler's crew is a traitor or spy in the
  pay
  at
  Dakaar
  Mineral's
  Vice-President
  Klessterhaven
  himself.
  The
  identity of this traitor must be determined by the referee before play
  begins.
  Of the
  eight Jericorp
  personnel,
  Southerland
  and
  Gerbert are
  always loyal.
  Any of the others could be a Dakaar plant.
  Additional
  intormation is given tor each of these six in the following paragraphs,
  The referee should choose one or two of these characters as Dakaar
  agenls, either choosing them from the list or rolling
  10 for a random
  result.
  Additional information about some of the other characters may also
  be applied by the reteree.
  Should the players dig into the backgrounds
  of any at these NPCs, these facts may surface.
  Some facts suggest the
  NPCs are traitors;
  some may simply make the players suspicious.
  The
  adventure can be played as a mystery or spy adventure, wIth the player
  characters shadowing certain of the NPC suspects, attempting to learn
  more.
  Of
  course,
  some of this
  incriminating
  evidence
  can
  lead the
  characters to faulty conclusIons, bUI thails half the fun of a genuine
  mystery••••
  ADDITIONAL NPC BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  1. Vincent Perez is fighting a losing battle with alchohol.
  He has been
  desperately trying to hold his life together, but he is beginning 10 lose
  control;
  ony dangerous or stressful situation is liable to make him panIc.
  His
  resignation
  from
  the
  Imperial
  marines
  four
  years
  ago
  was
  required of him.
  During a raid on a rebel stronghold, he panicked, and
  the platoon he commanded at the time was cut to pieces as a result.
  He
  happened 10 have highly-placed political connections; his father was on
  the staft of a powerful duke in Ihe sector.
  Perez should have faced a
  court martial, but was given the option of resigning to avoid scandal.
  Time
  is too short to
  learn these facts from sources within the
  Imperium.
  If closely questioned or threatened, he may reveal these facts
  about himself- especially if he is caught while well on the way to making
  himself drunk.
  Another NPC may know about his past, too; interrogation
  of Harimandir Sin may unveil Perez's past.
  It is possible thai Perez is a traitor.
  Klessterhaven learned of his
  background Shortly atter he began working for Jericorp and is using Ihis
  information to blackmail him.
  Of course, being forced to betray Jeric has
  deepened the conflIct in his life, made him drink more, and has brought
  him yet closer to a mental tx-eakdown.
  -40-
  
  If Perez is not a traitor, he still may go to pieces in a critical
  moment, causing additional problems for the adventurers.
  He may also be
  the target of Harimandir Sin, below, and this conflict could produce a
  complicating and interesting subplot within the adventure.
  2. Elu Gulushigglsun is an unlikely traitor at first sight, and for that
  reason may be a good choice.
  As a communications officer, he would be in
  a good position to iisten for information of Interest to Dakaar Minerals
  and pass it along.
  He is totally apolitical, but he may be involved in a
  conflict with Ranold Halfesson which could complicate matters somewhat.
  If
  he
  is
  a
  traitor,
  he
  sold
  out
  for
  money
  about
  one
  year
  ago.
  Investigations
  of
  his
  bank
  records
  in
  Tashport
  (which
  can
  be
  Ciccomplished by bribery or the use of Computer skill 3 or better) will
  reveal that he has severCiI accounts under several names and a total of
  over 95,000 credits ••• hard to explain on his salary with Jericorp.
  3. Ranold Halfesson is a blOWhard, a braggart, and something of a bUlly.
  Though non-political, he does hold with many of the extreme theories
  about the racial superiority of the Solomani and frequently sounds off
  about them -
  especially In front of the Vilani-descended Gulushiggisun.
  The latter is quiet and slow to anger, but when he loses his temper, it is
  suddenly
  and
  with
  violence;
  he
  nearly
  killed
  Halfesson
  in
  a fight
  Halfesson prOVoked one week ago.
  The feud between them can form an
  i nteresti ng and sometimes dangerous subplot to the adventure.
  If Halfesson is the traitor, he sold out for money.
  Simply Checking
  his
  account
  at
  the
  Tashport
  bank
  (er
  21,500)
  should
  make
  the
  adventurers suspicious, since this is more than a teChnician with 1 year's
  experience can be expected to have saved.
  Again, the adventurers can
  try Bribery or Computer-3 skill to get this information from the bank.
  4. Harlmandlr Sin is the brother of Ghan Sin, an Imperial DhCirak marine
  sergeant who was killed while serving under one Captain Vincent Perez,
  in a rebellion four years ago on a distant world.
  Sints arrival one month
  ago has -
  to say the least -
  accelerated perez's breakdown.
  He doesn't
  know that HCirimandir is Ghan's brother (he probably didn't even
  know
  Ghan Sin's name) but Dharaki warriors are thinly enough spread through
  the Imperium that the sight of Sin would be certain to make a guilty man
  nervous.
  Sin plans, of course, to kill Perez.
  The act will
  be swift, Silent,
  clean, Cind in circumstances which will not endanger others.
  If Sin Is the traitor, it is because up to a month ago he was working
  for Dakaar Minerals on another planet when a computer matched him wIth
  the disintegrating employee of Jericorp.
  Klessterhaven offered Sin the
  chance to win his revenge -
  but demanded that Sin act as his agent in
  return.
  Sin accepted.
  His notions of descent from honorable warriors is
  largely nonsensical;
  he has the name but not the heart of true Dharaki.
  He will
  defer his revenge until after his mission
  Is carried out -
  at
  Klessterhaven's orders.
  Sin may be able to tell the adventurers something of Perez's past-
  though he is unlikeiy to do so without rather strong inducement.
  -41-
  
  -42-
  
  5. Thorls Dennechek is an obvious candidate for spy- especially if the
  adventurers have had any past experience with the Carillian Assembly.
  (See The Drenslaar Quest,
  an
  adventure for Traveller from Gamelords,
  Ltd., which introduces these charmin!:j folks).
  If he Is notKlessterhaven's
  spy, he may be exactly what he claims to be ••• an eX-Assembly marine
  trooper.
  If he is the spy, it is because Dakaar Minerals has several close ties
  to the Assembly.
  Having done some favors for the Assembly in times past,
  Klessterhaven was in a position to ask for help in the form of one of the
  Assembly's countless intelligence officers.
  Rather than try to hide his background, he rather brazenly flaunts
  it, posing as an emigrant and nonpolitical trooper who has escaped from
  the militant life within the Assembly.
  It will be impossible to link him with
  either Dakaar Minerals or his Intelligence Service, but the players may
  suspect him just because they don't trust Carililans.
  (If they've not
  played The Drenslaar Quest, the Carillian nature may be suggested by
  stories and anecdoles of the Assembly's ruthless treatment of several
  subjec, worids).
  Dennechek's real mission may be more complex.
  It has been learned
  (through Dennechek's efforts) that Klessterhaven
  has discovered that
  there is some,hing of great value within the Jericorp lease -
  something
  that Jeric doesn't yet know aboul.
  This some,hing is so valuable that
  Klessterhaven has gone to insane lengths to drive Jericorp out of busi-
  ness and take over ils lease, lengthS (such as tactical nuke bombs, if
  they are introduced) beyond all reason.
  Dennechek may, then, be play-
  ing a double game- acting as an agent for Klessterhaven, but aiso ready
  to betray Klessterhaven should he learn what this valuable something is
  and
  be able to seCure it for his real masters -
  the dictators of the
  Assembly.
  6. Karl Jung
  is, on first impression, something of a klutz, generally
  failing over his own feet.
  If he is not the traitor, he is naturally clumsy
  -
  but the results of that clumsiness or carelessness could divert the
  adventurers into thinking he is working for Dakaar Minerals.
  If he Is the traitor, his clumsiness is a front, designed to mislead
  others into thinking thai he is not capable of leading a single life, much
  less a double one.
  He began work for Jericorp only a week ago.
  He is in
  fact a freelance industrial spy, hired
  by Klessterhaven to act as his
  agent within Jericorp.
  The referee should feel free 10 edit or rearrange this additional
  information in any way which adds to the smooth flow of Ihe advenlure
  plot.
  He should take care not to add too much extraneous detail and
  background
  to
  otherwise
  unimportanl
  NPCs for fear
  of
  causing the
  adventure to bog down in minor SUbplots.
  He should build his traitor (or
  traitors -
  there could
  be two of them working together) carefully and
  logically and not allow Ihem to be too obvious.
  THE TRAITOR STRIKES
  The traitor's task is to capture or disable the orecrawler.
  There
  are a number of possible ways he can strike.
  A few are outlined below:
  -43-
  
  I. He secretly plants explosives in the engineering deck. contaminates
  the
  ....ater
  supply,
  and
  s~botages the airkafts.
  He might
  blame the
  explosion on a bomb planted before the crawler lett base;
  or he could
  kill one of the other crew members and claim that he saw the man with the
  bomb, shot him, but watched him detonate the bomb with his dying breath.
  The spy's plan is to go with the crew into the desert and bt:! picked up by
  a Dakaar Minerals crawler which is following them.
  In an alternative
  scenario, the spy sets the bomb, destroys one airlraft, then esci!lpes in
  the other. Either way, he may re-appei!lr later in the adventure.
  2. At some critical
  point, (during a battle with an enemy cra\lller, if
  possible) the spy or spies
  ~ppear in the control center with guns, kill
  Captain Southerland, and take over the crawler.
  This rather blantent
  hijaCking is designed to put an end to Jericorp by having its last crawler
  and crew vaniSh;
  it will in fact rendevous with several Dakaar Minerals
  crawlers in Chargas Canyon.
  In this scenario, someone -
  ooe 0; more of
  the NPCs if the player characters don't do it -
  will try to jump the
  agent{s).
  In the resultant battle, the control center is so badly shot up
  that the crawler is crippled and must be abandoned.
  It will later be
  discovered that
  both
  air/rafts
  have
  been
  sabotaged,
  and the
  water
  supply poisoned.
  3. The enemy agents could, at a pre-arranged time, open the crawler's
  locks to admit a number of Dakaar Minerals men wearing desert nomad
  dress.
  The agents would
  have arranged the ambUsh ahead of time by
  radio and been ready to
  op~n 'the crawler at just the right momen't.
  In
  the course of the battle, the crawler 11"self would be crippled, and It will
  be found that the airlrllfts have been sabotaged.
  The crew -
  whatever
  the outcome of the battle itself -
  will find themselves alone and on foot
  in the desert.
  4. The spy could do nothing, because something else (such as a battle
  with a Dakaar crawler) cripples the orecrawler.
  In this case,
  he will
  continue to
  go with the rest of the group. ready to sabotage
  their
  efforts at a critical moment if necessary.
  Which path the enemy agent(s) takes is up to the referee and to his
  ideas of how to arrange a good spy-mystery yarn.
  DESERT TREK
  Marooned:
  With the destruction or capture of the Jericorp crawler.
  the second phase of the adventure begins, with the adventurers finding
  themselves on foot in an alien desert, short of water, and pursued by the
  forces of Dakaar Minerals.
  The characters can find themselves in this
  position
  in one of several
  ways -
  as a result of losing a battle with
  Dakaar crawlers, because of sabotage, or because Di!lkaar agents In the
  crew hijacked the crawler despite the security teamls best efforts.
  As the plot develops, the referee should keep in mind several goals
  and manipulate events TO allow these goals to be meT.
  These goals ere
  the follo....lng:
  The Jerlcorp orecrawler should
  bEl wrecked -
  or Ilt least so badly
  damaged that to -try 10 repair it would invite capture by the enemy.
  -44-
  
  The air/rafts must be destroyed, disabled, or stolen, so that the
  adventurers can't simply fly back to civilization.
  The group should be short of water (see Water, below).
  Corrmunications
  should
  be
  cut off
  or the
  radio
  wrecked
  before
  Jericorp HQ can be informed of the party's position or situation, or,
  failing this, it shouid
  be established that there is no way HQ can
  rescue the stranded party.
  Southerland
  and
  any other strong
  leader (other than
  a traitor)
  among the NPCs should be killed or so badly wounded that he can no
  longer lead the group.
  The adventurers must be forced to take the
  initiative in leading the party out of the desert.
  The
  group
  should
  be
  aware
  thai
  enemy
  crawlers
  are
  in
  the
  neighborhood and closing
  in.
  This is 10 discourage any nOlions of
  hanging around in lhe sheller of lhe crawler until help arrives.
  The desert trek portion of the adventure begins with the surviving
  crewmembers abandoning the wrecked orecrawler and escaping into lhe
  desert.
  Their
  success at survival
  may
  depend
  on
  how
  wel\
  tney1ve
  anticipated and prepared for the possibility of losing lhe crawler.
  Water:
  The referee should further contrive to limit the party1s water
  sU~Normallythere is more than enough drinking '.-later available in
  an orecrawler1s tanks.
  The group may elect to stay in the shelter of the
  crippled orecrawler, but it is a sure bet that enemy crawlers are on the
  way (unless the Jericorp crawler was destroyed by them,
  in which case
  lheyTve already arrived).
  If they set oUI across the desert, they will
  only be able to take with them the water which lhey each can personally
  carry.
  If the crawler's water tanks have been ruptured (due either to
  combal or sabotage) the only
  water available will
  be that which lhe
  advenlurers mighl
  have lhoughl to save in canteens ahead of time -
  a
  wise precaution which may save ail lheir lives.
  If lhe crawler's water is
  safe, they may be able to carry some along in 4-liler jerry cans or other
  containers which the referee allows them 10 salvage.
  As a general rule, 1 liler of water weighs 1 kilogram.
  The welghl of
  extra waler carried should
  be calculated and distributed according to
  lhe rules for carrying weights given In Basic Tra\leller.
  Sleds can be
  improvised to
  help carry
  extra
  water supplies,
  but hauling the sled
  counlS as hard work in the rules governing Endurance Loss Points given
  in The Desert En\ljronment.
  Known waler sources are marked on the loap the adventurers should
  have with them.
  Of course, if they abandon lhe crawler and no one thinks
  to bring the map along ••••
  Destination:
  Once the group is afool in the desert, their immediate
  destination will depend on where they happened to be stranded, whether
  or not enemy forces are after them, and whether or nOl an oasis or water
  hole marked on lheir map happens to be within walking dislance.
  The
  players should decide on the yroup1s destination and work out the best
  way to get there.
  The Desert Environment lists some of lhe problems
  faced by travellers in the desert, especially if they1re foolish enough to
  -45-
  
  travel by day.
  This rules supplement will help the referee simulate the
  rigors of travel through an arid envIronment, of water loss, <!lnd heat
  eXh"ustion "nd heat stroke.
  While the trek aaoss the desert on foot is the time for the referee
  to exercise the detailed rules in The Desert Environment, other elements
  of the "dventure plot already Introduced should be continued.
  There
  are D<!lk"ar Mineral forces in the area, <!lnd they will be on the lookout for
  Jericorp fugitives from the abandoned cr<!lwler.
  It one or ll'IOI'"e Dakaar
  Minerals agents remain undetected within the party, there may be added
  complications from this source.
  WEATHER AND CLIMATE
  With virtually no axial tIlt (a shade over 4 degrees), Tashr"kaar
  does not have seasonal climate variations.
  Furtherrore, the lengths of
  day and night are always "bout equal,
  each
  lasting about 14
  hours.
  Since the adventurers are ne"r the pl"nefis pole, the sun will appear to
  rise In the east, circle low across the southern end of the sl<.y not far
  above the horizon, and set in the west.
  The referee should keep this in
  mind
  while setting
  up battles where the position of the sun might be
  important.
  Daytime temperatures in the Desert Fringe average 300 in the day
  and fall to around 10
  0 or less at night.
  In the northern reaches of the
  Deep Desert,
  where
  most of this adventure will
  take
  place, d"ytime
  temperatures range from 35 to 45
  0
  In mid-afternoon and fall to 5 or 10
  0
  at night.
  The temperature is far more severe -
  reaChing 90
  0 or more-
  nei!lr the equator.
  Rain: Rainfall is infrequent south of the coastal escarpsnent, di!lily
  north of it.
  The referee neednlt worry about rain slowing up a desert
  march.
  He may, if he wishes. introduce a rare. sudden fl"shflood If the
  adventl,rers are travelling through the wadis of the Desert Fringe.
  This
  option Is entirely at the referees discretion and is described in detail in
  the comp"nion vohne, The Desert Environment.
  Devil blows:
  11 devil blow may be the result of a roll on an encounter or
  event table, or the referee may choose to introduce one at his own
  discretion.
  Devilblows are a combination of sand and dust storms, with
  winds of hurricane force, which sweep across the desert from southeast
  to northwest.
  Characters Inside orecrawlers are safe from these storms,
  though
  the referee
  may
  wish
  to
  suggest danger to the
  players
  by
  describing the creak.ing and Shuddering of metal walls, and the sounds of
  150 k.ph sandblasts buffeting the hull.
  Characters outside
  an
  orecrawler,
  frankly,
  have
  no
  chance of
  survival unless they can find covef'". (After all, nomads survive storms, or
  there ....ouldn't be any nomads left).
  A devil blow will give 10 hours warning of its approach -
  the exact
  value kno....n only to the referee.
  The warning will be a rIse in the wind,
  and the appearance of a low. black cloud on the southeast horizon, led
  by an eerIe blanket of sand suspended a meter or so above the desert
  floor.
  Characters caught in the open can try to reach the shelter of a
  -46-
  
  crawler or an airlratt (airlratts on Tashrakaar are enclosed; they cannot
  fly during a storm, but they can weather it on the ground)
  or they can
  seek shelter among caves or rock outcroppings.
  For each 10 minutes
  they search for such shelter, they should roll 20.
  (Each separate group
  of characters can roll separately).
  If they are in rough terrain, they will
  find suitable shelter on a roli of 10+.
  In very rough telTain, they will
  find safety on an 8+.
  In open or dune terrain, they will find no cover;
  they may, however, try burying themselves in the sand.
  This will protect
  them from the effects of the storm, but they must roll Endurance or less
  on 20 every 10 minutes to avoid suffocation unless they have their own
  air supply along.
  Characters caught
  in the open
  by a devil blow suffer 20 damage
  points every 10 minutes.
  The storm will
  last 10 hours.
  Maybe theylll
  survive ••••
  ENCOUNTERS
  At least once each hour while the party is in the desert on foot,
  the referee should roll
  20 on the Encounter Table.
  The animals en-
  countered are described more fully in the section entitled Plants and
  Animals.
  ENCOUNTERS ON FOOT
  Ole roll
  2
  3-8
  9
  10- 11
  12
  Event
  lost crawler discovered (disregard if crawler already found
  earlier in the adventure; treat as 'No eveni!).
  No event.
  Enemy in pursuit- air/ratts or crawlers seen in distance. If
  approached, they are Dakaar Minerals vehicles searching for
  party; party will not be seen unless they (or enemy agent
  among them) tries to attract attention.
  Animal encounter- roll 20 below.
  2 -8
  Waterstore cactus.
  9
  Welld igger -
  not found in dune country; treat as 'No
  eveni!.
  Water In some frrm will be located nearby.
  10
  10 seriks- not found wild in dune country; treat as
  'No eveni!.
  On roll of 9+, seriks are part of domestic
  herd and are ~uarded by nomad sentry.
  11
  Sandstinger field.
  12
  Grappleweed.
  Special event- roll 10 below.
  1
  Uncharted waterhole- on roll of 9+, waterhole will be
  salty and undrinkable.
  2
  Rising wind -
  a devil blow will begin in 10 hours.
  3
  Flashflood -
  occurs only in wadis in Desert Fringe;
  otherwise treat as 'No event'.
  4-6
  Duneraider encounter.
  Sooner or later, no matter which direction they set out in, the
  party is going to run Into a band of Dunera iders, even if the referee must
  juggle die rolls to make it happen.
  -47-
  
  The Duneraiders
  Hundreds of distinct bands of the nomads known as Duneraiders live
  within 1"he desert and Desert Fringe of Tashrakaar.
  They are feltred and
  hated
  by
  ttle
  inhabitants of the Polar
  Sea
  coasthmds,
  upon
  whOSe
  ca"'avlIns and outlaying Villages they prey.
  GENERAL BACKGROUND
  The Duneraiders are descendants of various individuals and groups
  of people banished from the civilized enclaves along the coast across
  the centuries for crimes ranging from banditry and murder to differences
  in political or religious thinking.
  They are organized into tribes which
  generally take the name of some prominant terrain feature near which
  they sometimes camp, such as "Pinnacle Rock", "Glittering
  Sands", or
  "Path of the Wind".
  One tribe generally consists of several score bands,
  with between 20 and 70 individuals -
  men, women, and children.
  AbouT
  one third of thiS number will consist of warriors, men whose duty it is to
  defend the band, to tind and secure ....ater sources, to fight off intrUders,
  and to
  plunder the
  "Waterbearers" -
  their
  name for the
  coastland
  d....ellers.
  Most of the bands wander freely "cross both the Desert Fringe and
  the northern reaches of the Deep Desert, though each may have favorite
  campsites or water holes.
  A te'<t are
  '~err-klerr hun (literally, "deep
  rooTs'') ~nds '<tho have been able to settle in an oasis or other site '<thich
  -48-
  
  provides enough for their needs that they have given up the nomadic
  life.
  The
  nomadic
  tribes
  have
  an
  unseen
  and
  constantly
  shifting
  "territory" which generally consists of any land the tribe lookouts can
  see and the
  warriors defend.
  Tresspassers in this territory
  ....ilI
  be
  confronted and (depending on the tribe and on the circumstances) driven
  off, killed, or welcomed as guests.
  Kerr-klerr hu bands have territories
  usually marked with rock piles Of" cliffside pictographs.
  Since they see
  themselves as the caretakes of the water source they have settled near,
  they tend to be more hospitable -
  less likely to shoot first and question
  later -
  than the wilder nomadic bands.
  Although Tashrakaar
  is rated at a tech level of 7. the desert
  nomads make do with a far more primitive technology.
  Duner-aiders carry
  a variety of weapons. ranging from blade weapons to rifles. pistols, and
  (OCCaSionally) subrnachlne guns and autor-Ifles. Most weapons, arrmunition,
  and
  other
  technological
  items
  come
  from
  raids
  on
  coast
  dweller
  settlements or caravans.
  However, many enclaves carryon a profitable
  and vigorous trade with the nomads despite official protestations to the
  contrary.
  In recent years,
  Duneralders are more and more frequently
  seen
  in
  large coastal
  settlements. especially in Tashport, where they
  trade Jewelry. ornatel y wrought sil ver daggers Of" cutlasses. and caravan
  booty for ....eapons, food, currency. and aroo'lunitlon.
  Vehicles (short of the monstrous and expensive orecrawlers) are
  notoriously
  unreliable
  in
  Tashrakaaran
  desert
  conditions
  and
  are
  unknown beyond the coastlands.
  The nomads have domesticated several
  species of animals, and one of them -
  the serlk -
  Is used as a beast of
  burden,
  for
  pulling
  ....agons or
  dune
  sleds.
  and
  for
  riding.
  (It
  is
  noteworthy that
  even
  coast
  dwellers rarely
  use motorized
  vehicles
  outside the coastlands. and vast majority of caravan wagons are pulled
  by seriks.)
  DUNERAIDER ENCOUNTERS
  Which tribe of Duneraiders the adventurers run into will depend
  largely on what direction the referee wants the plot to move in.
  The
  Dalag-ah
  Suk
  are
  average
  hill-bandit
  types
  who
  might
  be
  either
  dangerous or hospitable;
  the referee can
  use them
  in any
  way
  he
  desires.
  The Gabadahk ar Krell are nearly always bad news -
  religious
  fanatics who hate water-fat coastlanders. although it is possible to get
  on what little good side they have.
  The Tallen Zen are found only in the
  Deep Desert -
  usually In the region
  near Chargas Canyon.
  They are
  quite hospitable towards strangers and always Willing to help passers-by
  In distress.
  If the Ouner-alders are first encounteFed :while the adventurers are
  in their orecra.... ler. they are likely trlbeJseli"tries or outriders who wish
  to know who the strangers are and what they are doing in the tribe's
  territory.
  They will accept gifts of water and allow the strangers to pass
  -
  but if they are Gabadahk ar Krell, they will be enraged it they see that
  the strangers have more than a canteen's worth of water stored in one
  place.
  It
  is
  hard to tell
  what enraged
  Gabadahk ar Krell
  will
  do.
  -49-
  
  Subsequent events are up to the referee;
  they are unlikely to attack 39
  orecrawler -
  but they might follow it at a distance and launch harrassing
  attackS when
  the opportunity
  presents
  itself.
  They
  will
  definately
  attack men in the open whom they believe have angered their gods.
  If the Ouneraiders are encountered while the party
  is on toot,
  fairly strict laws of hospitality to strangers in distress apply -
  even for
  religious fanatics.
  The adventurers will be taken to the tribe's current
  campsite (which will be within 20 kilometers of the encounter). given food
  and drink. and questioned.
  In each case and initial roll is made on the
  Nomad Reaction Table,
  with
  subsequent rolls for each attempt to win
  information, direct events, or somehow confront their hosts.
  DUNERAIDER TRIBES
  The adventurers may encounter one of several tribes during their
  wanderings on Tashrakaar. They are described in detail below.
  Each description includes a set of modifiers for use on the special
  reaction table which follows this section.
  Die rolls on this table may be
  modified by those factors which are applicable, to determine In very
  general terms how the tribe, a group of tribesmen, or an individual
  ....ill
  react in an encounter with the adventurers.
  Some members ot most native tribes speak a dialect of the trade
  tongue (a corrupted form of Galanglic introduced by oft-worldersl;
  the
  referee may
  blame misunderstandings and the refereels own failure to
  pass
  along
  all
  pertinant
  Information to
  problems
  understanding
  the
  natives! thick accents and strange words.
  DAlAG-AH SUK
  This is a large and wide-spread tribe found throughout the Desert
  Fringe and Deep Desert areas shown on Map 3.
  The Dalag-ah Suk are a comparitively peaceful people.
  Though
  they share with the other Ouneraiders an inate suspicion of outsiders
  and
  wHI
  fight
  to
  defend
  their
  territory,
  they
  are
  generous
  with
  unthreatening
  strangers
  and
  lavish
  with
  their
  hospitality
  toward
  individuals found stranded in the desert.
  Their raids on caravans and Villages have evolved iota a system of
  "taxation".
  Goods
  and
  currency
  are
  demanded
  In
  exchanged
  for
  "protection".
  Usually, this offer is genuine;
  armed bands will frequently
  accompany a caravan which paid its "tax" to make sure no other nomad
  band molests it, and they ha....e been known to offer similar protection to
  orecrawler crews.
  (Their usual fee is 10 rifles or I automatic weapon,
  with 100 rounds of anvnunition tor each).
  They will laugh at the IIwater-
  fat.. coast dwellers, but bear them no ill-will.
  Reaction Table Modifiers:
  The referee should add up the following OMs
  which apply in a given situation and apply them to rolls on the Nomad
  Reaction Table.
  -50-
  
  DALAG-AH SUK REACTION MODIFIERS
  Adventurers are bold and direct in their manner,
  appearing unafraid
  It is known that adventurers have been attacked by
  Dakaar Minerals (whose men have committed several
  atrocities against Dalag-ah Suk to the east)
  Adventurers fired on natives before they themselves
  were attacked
  Initial roll on Reaction table was 2-6
  Adventurers accepted initial offer of 'protection1
  GABADAHK AR KRELL
  0",,2
  OM-,
  01<-2
  0"'"
  This tribe makes up for what it lacks in size with sheer bad temper.
  The
  people
  are
  descendants of
  a religious cult driven
  out of the
  coastlands over two centuries ago.
  Their mythology retells this history
  as an inspired exodus from wicked peoples doomed to judgement.
  Those
  who seek to "meddle with the life gift of the gods" (i.e., put water in
  tanks, reservoirs, or
  pipes)
  and
  who "hoard, fattening themselves to
  excess with the gods! gifts"
  (i.e., storing water and drinking more than is
  seemly) are doomed to die at the hands of Shek-khoul -
  a deification of
  the periodic desert devilblows- by being tied up and left in the path of
  an approaching storm.
  The tribe -
  unlike those with no religious pronouncements against
  storing water -
  does not have a communal water "treasury" but relies on
  "gifts" or "blessings" of the gods -
  water holes, oases, and places where
  water can be drawn out of the sand through hollow reeds- to satisfy the
  water needs of each member of the community.
  Small
  water bottles-
  canteens, l-liter containers, and the like -
  are permitted, but being
  caught with a large amount of water (say, a sled piled high with l-liter
  containers) would be considered blasphemy and worthy of death.
  Though highly skilled at finding water in the desert, the tribe has
  never encountered a solar stili.
  This bit of technology would appear as
  magic to
  them,
  indicating
  that
  the
  adventurers
  have
  some
  sort of
  personal line to the water-givers.
  properly staged (and assuming the
  tribesmen don't kill the adventurers out of hand first), the creation of a
  solar stU I could so impress the tribe that captured oft-worlders would be
  refeased -
  or at least spared.
  The adventurers should be allowed to
  think of this ploy for themselves.
  Details tor constructing a solar stili
  are described in The Desert Environment.
  Similar results cannot be won
  by
  1'1 fusion still or other high-teCh means of gathering water;
  a solar
  still Is so simple -
  no parts but a plastic Sheet, a bowl, and a hole in the
  ground -
  It is obvious that there are no hidden tanks of water in the
  mechanism, which might be suspected when fusion equipment Is used.
  Leadership of this tribe is split between a chief and the tribal Kah-
  lui, or shaman, who interprets the signs and messages from Ahdahk (water)
  -
  the
  water-givers.
  Often, the referee can simulate this division of
  -51-
  
  power by making 'hfo rolls on the reaction table and having the lower of
  the hto represent the shaman's opinions.
  The difference behteen the
  shaman's roll and the nannal roll can become a OM in soseqent reaction
  rolls, showing the shaman's influence.
  Reaction Table Modifiers:
  The following OMs are made in rolls on the
  Noalad ReactIon Table, when applicable.
  GABAOAH< AR KRELL REACTION /rO)IFIERS
  General modifier for bad attitude, always applied to
  Gabadahk ar Krell Reaction table rolls
  Strangers are found with large supply of Ihoarded'
  water.
  For eXflmple, water is seen running from hole
  in crawler's side, or found in airlraft fuel tanks
  Strangers open fire on natives without being attackeo
  first
  Adventurers are found stealing water belonging to tribe
  (including personal water of individuals, and water
  taken from adventurers when they were cap"tured
  Initial roll on Reaction table was 2-6
  Adventurers make a gift of their water supply to the
  tribe; this must be done in such a way that it is
  Obviously a presen't, and not spoils of war - for
  example, the gift is made of water the nomads don't
  know about, such as the fuel reserves of an airfratt,
  or the water produced by a solar stitl
  Adventurers prove their favor with the gods by building
  solar still, or by surviving being left for Shek-khoul
  TALLEN ZEN
  OM+3
  01<-2
  DM-4
  01<-3
  OM+l
  0M+3
  The
  Tallen
  Zen
  are Kerr-klerr
  hu ("deep-rooted", that
  is, not
  nomadic) with several secreT community SiTes in ttle Deep Desert.
  One of
  these is in Chargas Canyon, which is called Chl,t-i!lhr alia ahr Nund, or
  "Place of ttle Grey-Metfll Cliffs".
  -52-
  
  As caretakers of
  major
  water
  sources. tile
  Tallen
  Zen
  feel
  an
  obligation
  of
  hospitality
  towards
  lost
  desert
  strangers.
  If
  the
  adventurers encounter these people while crossing the desert on foot,
  they will
  be made welcome. given water, and cared tor.
  However, the
  tribe is caught up
  in crisis. for off-world strangers have moved into
  Chargas Canyon several days ago and Tallen Zen warriors Ofl guard were
  attacked and killed.
  Many have fled to another hidden oasis village.
  while a few warriors remain hidden in the canyon, watching.
  The adventurers may be able to learn much about Dakaar Minerals'
  activities if they ask the right questions of the Tallen Zen.
  Warriors who
  have seen the intruders in Chargas Canyon can describe the insignia
  painted
  on
  the
  sides
  of
  orecrawlers -
  the
  diamond-and-spaceshlp
  corporate logo of Dakaar Minerals.
  They can tell The adventurers that
  there are three orecrawlers and at least thirty men in the canyon and
  that they seem to be searching tor something.
  All
  in
  all, the Tallen Zen are perhaps the most civilized of the
  Duneraiders;
  though they can be suspicious of outsiders- especially if
  they essociate them with the intruders in their home canyon -
  they treat
  strangers
  well
  and
  might
  even
  be
  talked
  into
  mounting
  an
  attack
  accompanied by the adventurers to drive the Dakaar Minerals people out
  of Chargas Canyon.
  Reaction Table Modifiers:
  The
  following
  modifiers
  Zlre
  applied
  when
  appropriZlte to any rolls on the Nornad Reactioo Table.
  TALLEN ZEN REACTION /oQ)IFIERS
  Adventurers attack tribesmen without being attacked
  first
  Adventurers are polite when they first meet tribesmen;
  when asked if they have water. the adventLrers otter
  to share what they have
  The tribe learns that the adventurers are enemies of
  the Dakaar Minerals people (they were seen fighting
  Dakaar crawlers or men) or they convince tile tribe
  that they are enemies of the intruders
  The adven"turers suggest an alliance. a joint attack to
  drive the intrUders out of the Challis Valley
  0....'
  0",'
  0"'2
  0""
  The referee should
  be
  guided
  by the arguments and
  persuasions
  used by the adventurers in their dealings with the TClllen Zen.
  It could
  be that an initial low roll on the reaction table represents not hostility,
  but disagreement or divided opinion. which
  a later roll {representing
  further argumentsl eliminates.
  The Tellien Zen are unlikely to attack
  strClngers
  unless they are strongly
  provoked
  (attacked first without
  causel
  or
  unless they
  think
  the adventurers are
  working
  with the
  intruders in their canyon horne.
  There is ample opportunity here for a
  Dakaar agent -
  if there is still one unrecognized in the party -
  to stir
  up trouble and misunderstanding;
  if he Is unmasked by the adventtrers.
  -53-
  
  the dramatic revelation is likely to swing the nomads wholly to the side
  of the adventurers, leading 10 an attack on the Oakaar invaders.
  Results of 2 or 3 on the reaction table should be interpreted as
  i!lI1Iument rather OVf!r hostility -
  counsel by some of the tribal leaders to
  abandon Char-gas Canyon or to send the adventurEll'"S on their way or
  whatever.
  The lidventurers have little to fear from 'the Tallen Zen unless
  'they provoke them.
  The referee
  should
  bear
  In
  mind
  'tha't the adventurers will
  be
  unaware of the Tlillen Zen's peacefullness.
  They should learn of the
  habIts and dispositions of the tribes for themselves.
  NOMAD REACTIONS
  The modifiers above are applied to 20 rolls on the reaction fable in
  a variety
  of sitUlitlons.
  A roll
  should
  be
  made the first time the
  adventurers and
  tribesmen
  meet face to face.
  Rolls are
  also made
  whenever the adventurers attempt to persuade either individuals in the
  tribe cr an entire tribe to do something -
  whethEll'" it is to attack and
  enemy creer-awlEll'" or 10 let them live.
  The results should
  be freely
  intEll'"preted
  by
  ttle
  referee,
  based
  on
  the
  specific
  situation.
  An
  extremely hostile response (roll 2 or 3) could be Mything from an!Ty
  shouting to
  a death sentence.
  The results are intended as general
  guidelines, rather then specific responses.
  NOMAD REACTIONS
  Die roll
  Result
  2 - 3
  Extremely hostile.
  Strangers met for the first time are
  attacked. Prisoners are killed outright or lett In the desert
  without water. Guests of iribe are ordered to leave at once
  and may be followed and attacked.
  An!TY. possibly violent
  response to requests or questions.
  4-6
  Unfriendly.
  Strangers are wlirned once to leave, attacked if
  warning Is Ignored. Prisoners will be tied uP. ta-ced to walk
  along behind guard on serik.
  Suggestions or requests of
  guests will be turned down cold, future requests rolled on
  this table will have DM-3.
  7 -9
  Suspicious.
  Strangers may be warned to leave or taken back
  to camp tor questioning. Prisoners are closely guarded, and
  frequently Questioned about why they are there and what
  they want.
  suggestions or requests of yuests will be
  politely ignored, disregarded, or- refused.
  Adventurers are
  thought by some to be in league with enemies.
  10+
  FrIendly.
  Strangers are welcomed as guests. Prisoners are
  freed on promise of good behavior, or are well treated in
  hopes of winning a ransom from someone in Tashport.
  Suggestions are carefully listened to and valued. requests
  are gnmted If reasonable.
  Suggestions of alliance or mutual
  aid are positively received.
  -54-
  
  ATIACKING THE OFF-WORlDER INTRLOERS
  One possible climax for Ouneraiders is an attack mounted against
  the Dakaar Minerals people operating
  in
  Chargas canyon.
  It should
  become obvious to the players dUr"ing the course of the adventure that
  Daktlar
  Mineral's
  campaign
  against
  Jericorp
  is
  an
  attempt
  to
  find
  something of importance in this canyon which lies within Jericorpls lease
  (see The Plot, in ttle section entitled IW"applng Up ttle Mvenf1Jre).
  The
  best possible resolution of the adventure is for ttle players to kick the
  Oakaar Minerals people out of the canyon with the help of the Tallen Zen
  and, with their co-operation, to find for Jericorp wMtever it is that
  Dakaar Minerals has been looking for.
  An atttlck against three orecrawlers by a handful of adventurers
  and a band of Tech 6 warriors is somewhat less than sane.
  However, the
  referee
  should
  contrive
  things
  so
  an
  attack
  could
  succeed,
  with
  patience, determination, and careful planning.
  The three orecrawlers will not be operating in the same area and
  ci!lnnot support one another.
  The Oakaar MInerals crewmen will not be
  particularly careful of their security.
  They will
  have sentries posted
  against the possibility of native attaCkS, but the adventurers should
  have numerous opportunities to sneak
  up on men working outside the
  cra....lers one by one, to overrun a crawler sitting idle with its hatches
  open, or to capture an air/raft which
  lands in a remote ar"ea to take
  samples and then use it as a Trojan Horse to sneak an armed party into an
  unsuspecting crawler for a sneak attack.
  The Tallen Zen warriors may
  launch a diversionary attack, may supply extra men and guns for an
  assault, or may provide oVenolhelming firepower in a carefully staged
  canyon ambush.
  If me adventurers can capture one crawler, they have an ideal
  opportunity to sneak up close to ttle other two one at a time (perhaps by
  pretending radio
  difficulties,)
  and
  knock them out before they
  know
  they're being attacked.
  For an extra exciting finish, the referee may
  allo.... the adventurers to use a captured crawler to take out one enemy
  crawler by surprise, but then be torced to duel to the death, on~on­
  one, with the last crawler,
  ....arned by its comrade before that comrade
  was destroyed.
  The Oakaar Minerals men
  .... 111 not be particularly fanatical fighters.
  They
  are, after all,
  mining
  engineers supported
  by
  a
  few
  corporate
  mercenaries and unwtlling to fight to the death for the financIal security
  of their employer.
  If offered a chance to surrender, they wil! do so-
  but only to other off-wortders, for they have a rabid fear of Duneraider
  "savagesH •
  If cornered, una ....are that they are fighting oft-worlders as
  ....ell as Duneraiders, they will fight to the death;
  a favorite Off-duty
  pasttime has long been the circulation of Ouneraider atrocity stories-
  stories which have little basis in reality.
  -55-
  
  Wrapping Up the Adventure
  THE PLOT
  Six monThs ago. a Jericorp area-awlElf'" made spectacular discovery
  while routinely surveying unexplored Chargas Canyon. There, an ancienT
  and
  long-vanished
  river
  laid
  dow"
  prlcesless
  treasure
  before
  Tashrakaa"'s oceans died -
  billions of credits worth of platinum and
  iridium.
  Wind erosion has exposed a cliff face which shows streaks of dull
  sliver-grey metal.
  The Jericorp
  crawler-
  commander
  who made the
  dIscovery
  knew
  better than to radio the flnd back to base, since rival companies would
  be quick to steal the find.
  Instead, he set course directly for ~se.
  He
  never gOT there.
  Somehow, DakMr Minerals got word of the find and IYl"Mged an
  ambush. It is quite possible ttl8t II Oakaar agent was aboard the JCf"icorp
  crawler.
  The crawler was destroyed, iTS crew murdered. and the news of
  Its discovery lost to all but the oakaal" mercenal"ies who I"ifled its logs
  and naY'igatlonal computer.
  Oakaal" Minerals knew that a fabulously l"ich
  platinum deposit had been found somewhere in Char-gas Canyon -
  a series
  of canyons and gulches covering hundreds of squal"e kilometers in the
  Deep Desert within Jericorp's lease -
  but not Its precise location.
  GarTen Klessterhaven, the man in chi!lrge of Di!lkaar Minerals' oper-
  ations on TaShrakaar, instituted 8 double-headed s1rlltegy to secure the
  pl~inum find for his company.
  oakaal" Minerals crawlers began exploring
  Char-gas Canyon, searching for the cliffside deposit described
  in the
  Jericorp crawler4s log.
  A nlltive set11efllElnt 'olliS discovered In one of the
  canyon branches and driven off.
  ~anwhiie. Oakaar Minerllls began a
  campllign of covert warfare against Jericorp.
  If Jericorp could be for-
  ced to forfeit its government exploratloo lease (making the canpany miss
  its monthly Cr 2,500,000 pllyment would suffice), Klessterhllven1s
  well-
  paid contacts within the Tashrakaaran government would be able 10 see
  that Oakaar Minerals, adJlIcent to the Jericorp lease, would be able to
  pick up the vacant lease and add that territory to its own, thus making
  them the legal possessors of the platInum when it was found.
  oakaal"
  Minerals
  almost
  succeeded.
  One
  Jericorp
  crawler
  was
  temporarlly put out ot action
  by sabotage
  by inside agents.
  Later,
  agents dressed as Duneralders to mlsle("ld onlookers and terrify Jericorp
  employees ~naged to destroy Jerlcorp's replacement crawler as it was
  being
  unloaded
  on the spllceport dock.
  Many Jericorp
  workers were
  frightened away, and it was certain that the embattled company could
  not hOld out much longer.
  The lease payment was due ;n ten days, and
  Jericorp hadn't sent a crawler out for weeks.
  Of course,
  Klessterhaven
  could
  not
  have
  foreseen
  the
  impi!lct
  caused by the arrival of a small group of space-wandering adventul"ers.
  -56-
  
  THE COURSE OF THE ADVENTURE
  Duneralders
  is
  a relatively
  open-ended role-playing
  adventure,
  one In whIch the characters can move in a number of directions.
  The
  referee
  must
  choose
  from
  all
  the
  diverse
  elements
  provided
  in
  this
  booklet and combine them into a coherent narratIve.
  The arrangement
  which
  best
  combines the
  various
  plot elements
  in Duneralders is as
  follows:
  1. The adventurers take
  charge of security operations aboard
  the
  orecrawler.
  A plot to sabotage or attack the crawler shortly atter it
  departs is thwarted.
  2. The
  lost Jericorp
  crawler
  is
  discovered
  in
  the
  desert.
  Clues
  discovered aboard point to a find of great importance in Chargas Canyon.
  The decision is made to head for the canyon and see what is there.
  3. A Dakaar Minerats agent Is uncovered among the Jericorp crewmen.
  This takes place either just before or during a fierce battle with enemy
  forces.
  4. The crawler is badly damaged, either in battle or by an enemy agent,
  and the adventurers and crew are forced to abandon it;
  they dIscover
  that the airlratts have been sabotaged and are forced to set out on
  toot, knowing enemy forces are closing in.
  5. Atter a harrowing desert crossing, the adventurers meet Tallen Zen
  nomads at an oasis.
  A second Dakaar Minerals agent makes himself known
  (or is discovered
  while committing further sabotage)
  and tries to ruin
  relations with the tribe.
  He is foiled,
  and the adventurers strike a
  all iance with the natives to drive the outsiders from Chargas Canyon.
  6. A skillful series of coordinated attacks drives ott or captures the
  Dakaar Minerals
  people
  in the canyon.
  Soon thereafter,
  one of the
  -57-
  
  ad ....enturers notices the silver-grey sheen of metal on
  a
  weathered
  cliffside.
  Analysis
  shows the metal to
  be
  platinum,
  platiridium.
  and
  iridium. in quantites which ....ill make Jericorp disgustingly wealthy.
  The
  ad ....enturers strike a bargain with their ne....-found Ouneraider allies;
  so
  Jericrop gets the platinum and the Tallen Zen are allo....ed to Ii ....e in
  peace -
  perhaps as caretakers of the canyon for Jericorp.
  RESOLVING THE ADVENTURE
  Complete success is won when the ad ....enturers manage to secure
  Chargas Canyon tor Jericorp and discover the treaSll""e-trove of platinum
  there.
  The adventurersl
  reward
  is up to the referee -
  <:lnyth lng from
  their original
  agreed-upon
  payment (Which,
  under the
  circumstances,
  would be rather Shabby of Jeric!), to bonuses of hundreds of thousands of
  credits for each characters and offers of future employment.
  Other outcomes are possible.
  The adventurers might never reach
  Chargas Canyon. but if they piece together ....arious clues (the wadded-up
  paper aboard the lost crawler and Tallen Zen reports of oft-worlders
  raiding the "place of silver cliffs"),
  they may be able to form a good idea
  of what is going on and get that information back to Jerlcorp base. Their
  trek across the desert to reach civilization. replete with Duneraider
  encounters along the way. would form the background of an exciting and
  satisfying adventure.
  Simply survi .... ing a desert crossing or "thwarting
  the designs of an enemy saboteur would make a good ad ....enture. though
  the plot might seem ill bit incomplete.
  An
  unusual
  twist
  can
  be
  played
  out with the referee secretly
  agreeing
  with
  one of the players that the player's character is the
  Dakaar Minerals agent.
  They can work out the characterls history and
  circumstances together.
  using the
  Information
  given tor the
  possibly
  traitorous NPCs.
  This player would then secretly work against the other
  players. with the referee determining how effecti ....e one side or the other
  Is in the contest and
  handling the Interactions of hidden moves and
  secret plans by both.
  An even more unusual twist might find the players deciding to sell
  out to Oakaar Minerals!
  In this ....ersion. it is reconmended that the lallen
  Zen show up at their canyon for an all-out battle to the death with the
  intruders, one which could well bring down the sides of the canyons in
  devastating
  avalanches,
  burying forever the secret of the
  canyonls
  treasure.
  Variations include a double agen1's sell-out for the sake of
  gaining more information,
  perhaps in
  a raid on Dakaar Mineralsl
  local
  headq uarters.
  Enough material
  is presented
  In Duneraiders for
  a creative and
  imaginative
  referee
  to
  come
  up
  with
  dozens
  of
  further
  adventure
  situations, either instead of t'tle possIbilities above or as a continuation
  of them, leading into a long and complex campaign on Tashrakaar.
  The
  discovery of a rich platinum deposit could be the spark which ignites all-
  out open tradewar on Tashrakaar and
  in slJTounding space. an e ....ent
  certain to promise many hours of danger and excitement for Traveller
  adventurers who happen to be there!
  -58-
  
  ENVIRONMENTS FOR ADVENTURE
  Explore the different environments to be found
  in the Trayeller4i'
  universe -
  in the ENVIRONMENTS series from Gamelords, Ltd.
  Designed by
  J. Andrew and William Keith, the series consists of pairs of books for each
  environment.
  The first of each pair describes rules to simulate the liYing
  and trayeiling conditions of each different environment, and includes
  equipment descriptions, events and encounters, and possible adventure
  situations for each environment.
  The second took in each pair is a full-
  length adventure, making
  use of rules and situations detailed
  in the
  rules book.
  Challenge your players to broaden their horizons and enter
  new ENVIRONMENTS FOR ADVENTURE.
  The Undersea Environment- $5.95
  A Traveller-<&l supplement dealing with the particular problems found
  in an aquatic environment.
  Specific rules systems simulate underwater
  activities and hazards, gear and equipment ayailable for underwater use
  is detailed, and the referee is offered guidelines for underwater events
  and encounters.
  The Drenslaar Quest- $6.95
  Adventure
  awaits
  on
  the
  watery
  world
  of Yarhfahl,
  as
  players
  attempt to dodge both
  hostile forces and
  local
  sea life
  in
  a race to
  salvage a valuable cargo from Drenslaar, a sunken starfreighter.
  The
  Drenslaar Quest is a full-length adventure for Traveller*, making use of
  material presented in The Undersea Environment.
  The Mountain Envlronment- $5.95
  A Traveller"" supplement dealing with travel and survival in rugged
  higher altitudes.
  Included are rules for mountaineering, descriptions of
  gear
  and
  equipment,
  and
  guidelines for
  setting
  up
  special
  events,
  encounters, and adventures in rugged, mountainous terrain.
  Ascent to Anekthor -
  $5.95
  Players Join a wealthy daredevil, Lady Sandra Lockhart, in a daring
  (and perhaps foolhardy) attempt on the peak of Anekthor, the highest
  mountain
  on the planet.
  Exciting
  high adventure for Traveller"", this
  book makes use of guidelines presented in The Mountain Environment.
  The Desert Envlronment- .$6.95
  A Traveller""
  supplement
  describing
  the
  dangers of travel
  and
  problems of survival In a desert climate.
  Included are- rules designed to
  simulate
  all
  aspects
  of
  desert
  survival,
  descriptions
  of
  gear
  and
  equipment available for
  such
  terrain,
  and
  guidelines for setting
  up
  special events, encounters, and adventures on desert worlds.
  Duneraldersl- $6.95
  Riches,
  danger,
  and
  mystery
  lie
  within
  the
  arid
  wastes
  of
  Tashrakaar,
  a
  desert
  world
  peopled
  by
  the
  savage
  and
  enigmatic
  Ouneraiders.
  The players soon learn that desert nomads and desert heat
  aren't the only enemies they face when they find themselves in the midst
  of a corporate war!
  A full-length adventure for Traveller*, making use of
  materia Is presented in The Desert Environment
  •••• and more to comelll
  
  Ofher supplements for use with Travelle~
  LEE'S GUIDE'· to Interstellar AdvenTure, Vol. 1 -
  $5.95
  From the journal of the famous galactic traveller Admiral Aramais P.
  Lee come ten
  worlds for use with Traveller4il -
  each world
  keyed
  with
  GDWls Spinward Marches'" and Solomani Rim'".
  Each of the worlds presents a
  variety of unique adventure possiblities, for the world, not a patron,
  creates the adventure situation.
  A Pilot's Guide TO The Drexilthar Subsector- $5.95
  From
  the
  navigational
  computer
  files of the
  Imperium
  comes
  a
  detailed
  examination of
  a single
  subsector of ReaverTs Deep
  on
  the
  Imperial frontiers.
  Background
  is provided on the Drexilthar subsectcr-
  and the Deep, and each world is explored in sufficient depth to be the
  setting for more specific adventures, used with Traveller4il.
  Wanted:
  Adventurers- $5.95
  From
  the
  want
  ads of
  a
  starport
  news service
  come
  20
  short
  adventure situations fcr- use with Traveller-4!l, prOViding job opportunities
  that
  can
  lead
  to
  anything
  from
  a
  iuxury
  cruise to
  a
  mercenary
  expedition.
  Ideal for referees who need quick inspiration or a way ot
  enlivening an ongoing campaign.
  Startown Uberty -
  $5.95
  Startown -
  the
  rough
  and
  tumble district on
  any
  world
  where
  travellers can
  find anything tram entertainment to the worst sorts of
  crime
  and
  corruption.
  S"tartown
  Liberty
  is
  a collection
  of detailed
  encounter tables
  designed to
  generate interesting random encounter
  situations for
  Traveller-4!l,
  providing flavor,
  atmosphere, or
  even
  new
  adventures in The
  back alleys and night spots of a "wretched hive of
  scum and villany"- Startown.
  Gamelords1 Traveller-4!l Support Products order Form
  The Undersea Environment
  $5.95
  The Drenslaar Quest
  $6.95
  The Mountain Environment
  $5.95
  Ascent to Anekthor
  $5.95
  The Desert Environment
  $6.95
  Duneraiders!
  $6.95
  LEE'S GUIDE to Interstellar Adventure, Volume I
  $5.95
  A Pilot's Guide to the Drexilthar Subsector
  $5.95
  Wanted;
  Adventurers
  $5.95
  Startown Liberty
  $5.95
  Send to:
  Gamelords, Ltd.
  Subtotal
  18616 Grosbeak Terrace
  S&H
  Gaithersburg, M) 20879
  Taxes
  Add
  $1.00
  foc
  shipping
  acd
  handling
  Total
  ($1.50 for UPS -
  with money orders only).
  Maryland residents add 5% state sales tax.
  No cash please -
  money
  Please allow 3 to 4 weeks for processing.
  orders or checks only.
  
  Riches, danger, and mystery lie within the
  arid wastes of Tashrakaar, a desert world
  peopled by the savage and inigmatic Dune-
  raiders. The players soon learn that desert
  nomads and desert heat aren't the only ene-
  mies they face when they lind themselves
  trapped in the midst of vicious inter-cor-
  porate war!
  Duneralders is a complete adventure for
  Traveller@>. This scenario makes use of rules
  and information presented in The oe..rt
  Environment, a Traveller. supplement from
  Gamelords, Ltd. The o-rt Environment is
  recommended for playing DuneraIden, but
  not 11IQUlred.
  
  Cargo
  Deck
  11111111111111
  11111111111111111111111111111
  22
  24
  I
  !,',
  ,
  '
  '.!...
  L-.--t'
  25
  24
  22
  111I111111111
  1I11111 1111111 1I111111111 III
  Extraction
  Plant
  MARK XIV
  ORECRAWLER
  Flying
  Bridge
  4
  10 rT.
  Lower
  Deck
  1.5
  meters
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/01 - Classic Traveller/Third Party Materials - CT/Classic Traveller - FASA/FASA_Gamelords/Traveller - GameLords - Duneraiders.pdf