TEXT: This PDF provides the GM with a selection of
  rumors that can be used in any space opera cam-
  paign that includes starships. These rumors make
  some assumptions about your campaign and will
  be most useful in campaigns in which the follow-
  ing statements are true:
  I The campaign is not a “hard”science setting.
  Campaigns 
  that 
  are 
  more 
  space
  opera/adventure movie are the intended
  target for these rumors.
  I Starships are not rare or unusual. All of the
  rumors in this issue assume that space trav-
  el is a standard and common occurrence –
  individuals either fly their own ships or ride
  on passenger ships. Starships and space
  travel are as common for characters as a
  plane ride is for people of our reality.
  I Space combat is not uncommon. It’s just
  another exciting adventure when the player
  characters have to engage the enemy while
  fleeing from some world or other.
  I The campaign is packed with action. If
  things aren’t exploding, how much fun can
  the game really be?
  While some of the following rumors may slot
  into campaigns in which all of the above is not true
  it will likely require some work on the part of the
  GM.No matter what the basic assumptions of your
  campaign are, though, all GMs of futuristic cam-
  paigns should be able to take some ideas from the
  rumors in this PDF.
  What’s Required to Use this PDF?
  In order to use Future: Gravity Age Rumors you
  will need the modern d20 roleplaying game SRD and
  the official future SRD.No other Ronin Arts products
  are required to use this PDF.
  Future: Datastream
  As of the time of publication,Ronin Arts’Future:
  Datastream subscription service is running, intro-
  ducing new material for futuristic campaigns five
  times each week. For more information on the
  Future: Datastream, including subscription infor-
  mation,please visit the official forums at www.rafo-
  rums.com.
  Open Game Content
  All of the text of this PDF is presented as open
  game content.While this means absolutely nothing
  to your campaign it does give other publishers per-
  mission to use this material as long as they follow the
  open game license (see the end of this PDF).
  About the Author
  Philip Reed has been working professionally in
  the roleplaying game industry since 1995. In that
  time he has worked for such companies as West End
  Games, Privateer Press, and Steve Jackson Games.
  Today Philip spends his days at home running Ronin
  Arts,writing and designing new games,and reading
  whatever books interest him at the time. To learn
  more about Philip Reed – and Ronin Arts – please
  visit www.philipjreed.com/php and www.roni-
  narts.com.The approved Ronin Arts fan forums can
  be found at www.raforums.com.
  13 gravity age rumors
  by philip Reed
  
  This PDF is intended solely for the GM. Players
  who suspect that their GM may have a copy of this
  PDF would do best to close this file now and find
  something else to peruse.
  The rumors in this PDF may be sprinkled liberally
  in a campaign either as written or modified by the
  GM. GMs should always be prepared for the situa-
  tions, characters, and locations discussed in any
  rumor to leap to the forefront of the game session;
  you never know what bit of information the players
  will grab and run with.
  When in any cantina,hangar bay,powerstation,or
  similar establishment where men and women gath-
  er,select a rumor (or two or three) from this PDF and
  have each player make a Gather Information check
  and then check the roll against the chosen rumor(s).
  I’ve discovered that these rumors work especially
  well if, after the Gather Information check is rolled,
  you give the PCs first the failed result (if they made
  their roll) and then,shortly after,give them the suc-
  cessful result.This adds some roleplaying opportuni-
  ties and, I’ve found, encourages the PCs to talk over
  the false rumor before discovering the truth.
  Each rumor follows the format:
  Rumor Heading (Gather Information DC)
  Failed Gather Information Check: If the check
  is failed this is what the PCs hear. A section of this
  entry is to be read aloud to the players though many
  GMs will choose to paraphrase the information
  (especially if any of it needs to be tweaked to better
  fit the campaign).This entry also discloses the source
  of the rumor.
  Successful Gather Information Check: If the
  check succeeds this is what the PCs hear.Again, this
  entry is intended to be read aloud and gives the
  source of the rumor.
  Follow Up: If the PCs choose to investigate the
  rumor this information will help the GM to prepare
  for what could happen.
  2
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  Rumors
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  using the rumors
  using the rumors
  THE BLACK HOLE SYNDICATE NEEDS
  SMUGGLERS (DC 10)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “You
  know the Black Hole Syndicate, boy. Well, they’re
  lookin’ for pilots – without a criminal record – to
  operate some of their freighters. It’s good pay and
  safe work since the Syndicate has pretty much
  every cop between here and the Dio Rings taking
  bribes.I could point you in the right direction ...for
  a small price.”
  If the player characters are interested, and can
  negotiate a payment for information, the old man
  continues:
  “You want to haul yourselves down to Bay 112.
  Ask for Rigger Clive and tell him Jacobs sent ya.
  He’ll get you boys working.”
  Source: Arthur Jacobs [male human, Strong
  Ordinary 3, 12 hp], a lean, tall man in his fifties.
  Jacobs’ talks in a slow, broken tone – the man’s
  seen better days. He wears a simple jumpsuit and
  carries a Fusion Age laser pistol. If pressed, Jacobs
  the rumors
  the rumors
  
  agrees to lead the player characters to Bay 112 but
  he’ll attempt to sneak away if things turn ugly.
  Successful Gather Information Check: “I
  couldn’t help but overhear Jacobs. If you’d take
  make advice,friend,I recommend you don’t go into
  that meeting without first arranging some protec-
  tion.The Black Hole Syndicate,while they do some-
  times hire freighter pilots, is better known for
  snatching people and selling them into slavery. I’d
  expect the worst,if I were you.”
  Source:Irina Alekseyevna [female morphean,
  Smart Ordinary 2, 9 hp], an attractive woman
  with short red hair dressed in a tight, revealing
  bodysuit. Alekseyevna’s gene therapy modifica-
  tions are not apparent visually. She refuses to get
  involved,stating prior commitments.
  Follow Up: If the player characters choose to
  go to Bay 112 they’ll meet Rigger Clive [male
  human,
  Tough Ordinary 5/Charismatic
  Ordinary 5, 55 hp] and eight of his thugs. Clive
  will attempt to lure the player characters into a
  nearby light freighter – “to show them the ship,”
  he’ll say – but once inside he and his men will
  attempt to capture the player characters. If Rigger
  Clive and his men succeed the player characters
  will be bound and gagged and whisked off to an
  illegal slave market. If the player characters suc-
  ceed and gain access to the ship they’ll quickly
  determine that it’s little more than a hull – the
  Black Hole Syndicate has used this tactic a lot over
  the last few months.
  THE CHIKAKO CONFEDERATION IS
  HIRING MERCENARIES (DC 10)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “You look
  like a tough bunch that can hold your own in a
  fight. If you’re looking around for work you may
  want to consider heading out to Selfakan VII and
  signing up with the Chikako’s. Last I heard they
  were in the market for mercs and paying good
  wages.It’s supposed to be easy work.”
  Source: Black Bailey [male human, Tough
  Ordinary 5, 27 hp], a towering, heavy-set bald
  man a prosthetic arm. Bailey is wearing a suit of
  scout armor and has a laser rifle slung over his
  shoulder and a plasma pistol on his hip. He hires
  himself out as an enforcer, bodyguard, or thug and
  has spent several years incarcerated on Devil’s
  Rock, a maximum security prison in the Noah
  System.Bailey is only repeating what he overheard
  a few minutes ago.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Yeah, the Chikako Confederation is hiring mercs
  but the job’s no picnic.My brother died working for
  those Chikako bastards;they sent him and ten oth-
  ers into a battle against several dozen and kept
  them there until every merc was dead.The Chikako
  pay well – if you can survive the assignments – but
  they demand a lot for their credits.”
  Source: George Argos [male human, Strong
  Ordinary 2, 8 hp], a pale-skinned man wearing
  gray fatigues and unarmed. Argos is friendly and
  will do everything he can to persuade the player
  characters to not seek employment with the
  Chikako Confederation.
  Follow Up: If the player characters go to the
  trouble of traveling to Selfakan VII they’ll be per-
  mitted to meet with Chikako Confederation
  recruiters. The exact way in which the meeting
  evolves will depend on the type of campaign that
  you want to run (and that the players want to par-
  ticipate in).It’s highly recommended that this par-
  ticular rumor,more than any other,be used prima-
  rily as background chatter and not the basis for
  adventure. Still, if you want to run a campaign in
  which the player characters are hired mercenaries
  this is certainly a good way to get the ball rolling.
  THE WINNER OF THE STARCROSS
  RACE WILL BE GIVEN A STARSHIP
  (DC 10)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “You
  haven’t heard of the Starcross? It’s a new race being
  put on by the Haver Corporation. Each ship in the
  race has to pay an entrance fee but the prize is big!
  The team that wins the race is gonna be given a
  Fusion Age courier ship.Sure,it’s not top of the line
  but a free ship’s a free ship. I hear the competition
  for the race is gonna be pretty intense – hell, I’m
  thinking about borrowing a ship and entering
  myself – so I bet there’s gonna be some foul play
  during the run.”
  Source: Richard Kubek [male human, Fast
  Ordinary 4,14 hp], an agile man in his early thir-
  ties dressed in an old flight jacket and one-piece
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  3
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  RUMORS
  
  black bodysuit.Kubek spent several years as a cor-
  porate courier, flying one-man starships between
  all of the wealthiest worlds, but lost it all when a
  crash destroyed his legs and left him in a coma for
  years. Under the bodysuit Kubek is a mix of flesh
  and cybernetics.
  Successful Gather Information Check: “An
  old courier? Hardly.The prize is a decommissioned
  bulk freighter.Old,sure,but a lot more useful to the
  right group than a courier.If I win I’ll take the ship,
  hire a few men,and start running cargo for a living.
  It would be nice to get out of the hangar and actu-
  ally travel the stars.”
  Source: Jorgen Holm [male human, Smart
  Ordinary 6,16 hp], a blond-haired man in his late
  forties dressed in a station engineer’s outfit. Holm
  has spent the past twenty years working in the
  hangar, performing minor maintenance and
  repairs on starships. He’s managed to convince his
  boss to loan him an Information Age shuttle that
  has been heavily customized. Unfortunately for
  Holm, though, the ship’s just too old to compete
  against the newer model ships that are sure to be
  entered into the race.
  Follow Up: If the player characters choose to
  enter the race this is a great opportunity to run a
  session that doesn’t rely heavily on combat. Of
  course, some competitors are going to do every-
  thing they can to sabotage the others but actual
  weapons fire during the race is not allowed – vio-
  lators will be expelled. Whether or not the player
  characters win depends completely on whether or
  not you want them to get their hands on the prize.
  THE FREIGHTER ALLIANCE WAS LOST
  IN A METEOR STORM (DC 15)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “Did you
  hear? The Alliance was completely destroyed in a
  meteor storm; there were no survivors! She was
  coming in with a load of food and water and now
  the station’s going to run out of supplies before
  tomorrow.”The woman turns away from the player
  characters and starts shouting: “We’re going to
  starve!”
  Source: Jessica McCutcheon [female human,
  Dedicated 1, 4 hp], an early-twenties woman
  with long black hair and a long, hooked nose. She
  grows increasingly louder until she starts scream-
  ing and crying in panic, rushing about looking for
  someone to take her to a place with ample
  amounts of food and water.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Ignore that woman, she’s insane.Yes, the Alliance
  was destroyed in a meteor storm but it wasn’t car-
  rying anything more than circuit boards and diag-
  nostic components. Besides, even if the Alliance
  was bringing in food and water the station has a
  six-month supply on hand and can get fresh sup-
  plies in less than twelve hours.There’s pretty much
  no fear that we’ll ever run out of food or water.”
  Source: Adriaen Tappan [male human, Smart
  Ordinary 4, 10 hp], an elderly gentleman that
  makes his living onboard the station as a traffic
  control director. Tappan was in the control booth
  when the report of the Alliance’s destruction
  reached the station so he’s far more informed
  about the situation than the screaming woman.
  Follow Up: Unless the woman is silenced (or
  sedated) she’ll push several people onboard the
  station into a panic that, if left alone, grows into a
  riot. Station security will be overwhelmed in such
  an event and begin hiring competent men and
  women to assist in dispersing – and sometimes
  arresting – the rioters.
  PIRATES ARE AMBUSHING SHIPS IN
  THE ANTARNOX LANE (DC 15)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “Six times
  in the past week pirate ships have ambushed
  freighters traveling along the Antarnox Lane, the
  most recent ambush taking place just yesterday.”
  The man looks down at his datapad, types a few
  quick keys,and looks back up to the player charac-
  ters.“My sources tell me that the pirates are oper-
  ating out of the Keyes Ring and I’ve heard rumors
  that the Shippers’ Guild is going to offer a bounty
  on the pirates no later than next week. An experi-
  enced group such as yourselves may want to get
  out there and try to capture a pirate ship or two
  before the bounty is posted; there could be some
  good money in it.”
  Source: David Weaver [male human, Fast
  Ordinary 8, 20 hp], owner and operator of the
  Planet Carrier, a light freighter. Weaver has been
  running the Antarnox Lane for a decade now and
  has never personally encountered pirates (though
  4
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  Rumors
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  
  he’s had a few encounters with the law; he some-
  times smuggles illegal cargos for the Black Hole
  Syndicate). Weaver has dark hair, a moustache,
  wears glasses, and dresses in plain, cheap jump-
  suits. If he gets into trouble there are 1d4+1 men
  in the immediate area that are employed by
  Weaver;these men will jump to his rescue no mat-
  ter the conditions.
  Successful Gather Information Check: “I
  wouldn’t set out in search of those pirates without
  ensuring I’ve got a combat-ready ship, myself.” A
  short,thin man in red scout armor steps up as soon
  as the player characters finish talking with David
  Weaver.“Weaver’s right,and he’s a trustworthy fel-
  low, but that doesn’t make those pirates any less
  dangerous.I’ve got a few friends working in station
  security and they tell me that the pirates are oper-
  ating with no fewer than a dozen assault fighters,
  escorts, and one rebuilt cruiser.” The man takes a
  slow drink.“Besides, it’s best to leave the problem
  to the military – they’ve got the equipment and
  manpower to handle the situation and should be
  on the case in less than a week.”
  Source: Alexander Dane [male aquan, Smart
  Ordinary 5/Fast Ordinary 3, 25 hp], captain of
  the hauler Galaxy Whale.Dane has had encounters
  with pirates in the past and is keeping his ship in
  stardock for the next few weeks until this recent
  pirate situation is dealt with by the military. He’s
  quite friendly and will ask the player characters to
  have a meal with him. He believes the best thing
  anyone can do for now is avoid the Antarnox Lane
  and wait for the military to do their job.
  Follow Up: If the player characters foolishly go
  in search of the pirates they’ll find them. Lots of
  pirates. If they wait around it will be less than a
  week before the Shippers’Guild offers a bounty on
  each pirate ship brought in to the station (DC 35
  sale value for purposes of determining the effects
  of claiming a bounty on a player character’s Wealth
  bonus) and a few days after that a military task
  force begins patrolling the shipping lane.The play-
  er characters,if they do not own their own starship,
  could sign up with a freighter to help provide
  defense in the event of a pirate attack. If they do
  own their own starship they may choose to hire
  themselves out for escort duty during the crisis.
  FAISAL ABDO HAS BEEN ARRESTED
  FOR MURDER (DC 15)
  Failed Gather Information Check:“Abdo had
  it coming,the murderous slime.I spent six months
  serving with that fool on the FTL Shadow and he
  was never anything but a thief and a liar.If it were
  up to me,” the man looks around nervously,“Abdo
  would be shoved out of an airlock.The law’s going
  to be far,far to lenient on the man.”Patting his pis-
  tol the man stares hard at your group. “I should
  have killed him when we were on the Shadow. It
  would have saved us all some trouble.”
  Source: Paul Martin [male human, Tough
  Ordinary 4, 20 hp], a thick, powerful man with
  well-defined muscles and a broad smile. Martin is
  well known to merchants and smugglers in this
  sector of space – he’s served on dozens of different
  ships over the years – and he’s very well liked.
  Martin’s carrying a laser pistol, a dagger, and is
  wearing a battered spacesuit.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Sure, Abdo Faisal was arrested for murder, but
  what they’re not telling anyone,” the woman
  glances around and then lowers her voice,“What
  they’re not telling anyone is that Faisal escaped last
  night.Word is he had help from a guard but I’m not
  sure if that’s true or not. Station security is moni-
  toring all ships leaving the station and they’re will-
  ing to pay a healthy bounty to anyone that can cap-
  ture Faisal and bring him in.I’d go after him myself
  but I’m scheduled to make a run to Moreau Station
  in just a few hours.”
  The woman motions the player characters clos-
  er.“For the right price I could be persuaded to share
  what I know about Faisal including,” she grins,
  “where he can be found on the station.”
  If the player characters can give the woman
  enough to make her happy she hands them a small
  map of the station with a maintenance closet on
  the lowest level marked.“Faisal’s there, but I’d be
  careful if I were you.”
  Source: Ayame Eriksson [female human,
  Charismatic Ordinary 6, 22 hp], an attractive
  woman of Oriental/European ancestry.She has sev-
  eral friends in station security that told her about
  the escaped Faisal after she swore to keep her
  mouth shut until she blasted off.When she saw the
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  5
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  RUMORS
  
  player characters, though, she figured she could
  make some quick cash off of the information and
  then leave before anyone found out that she had
  let the secret out.
  Follow Up: Though Faisal [male human,Fast
  Ordinary 5, Smart Ordinary 5, 48 hp] is a crim-
  inal he did not commit the murder that he’s been
  accused of.In fact,there was no murder – the mur-
  der is just a smokescreen station security was using
  to grab Faisal so that they could ship him off to
  Devil’s Rock, a maximum security prison in the
  Noah System, and have him as far away from the
  station as possible.
  Faisal will not go down without a fight and
  when the player characters reach the maintenance
  closet in which he’s hiding they’ll also find 2d4+1
  men that are waiting with Faisal. All of them are
  paying the Black Hole Syndicate to smuggle them
  off of the station.If the player characters alert sta-
  tion security or otherwise thwart Faisal’s escape
  from the station, both Faisal and the Black Hole
  Syndicate will actively work to harm the player
  characters for interfering in the operation.
  A PIRATE ARMADA IS APPROACHING
  THE STATION (DC 15)
  Failed Gather Information Check: As the
  player characters enter a new location they see a
  large crowd breaking-up, please screaming and
  running for the exits. As a man runs by and the
  player characters attempt to find out what’s going
  on the man pauses for a moment.“What are you
  stopping me for fools? They’ve already destroyed
  six freetraders that crossed their path and they’ll be
  here in less than three hours. We’re doomed!” He
  then takes off,rushing for the hangar bays.
  Source: Carlos Engel [male human, Dedicated
  Ordinary 2,7 hp],a heavy,doughy man with short,
  stubby fingers and legs.Engel wears his black hair
  close and cropped and is clean-shaven. When the
  player characters meet him he’s wearing a loose
  two-piece outfit and a heavy jacket.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Relax, my friends, there’s nothing to fear. Yes,
  there’s a small armada of pirates headed our way
  but military vessels have already engaged the
  pirates and there’s absolutely no chance that the
  pirates will reach the station. Trust me, we’re per-
  fectly safe as long as we stay onboard the station
  until the battle has concluded.”
  Source:Irina Alekseyevna [female morphean,
  Smart Ordinary 2, 9 hp], an attractive woman
  with short red hair dressed in a tight, revealing
  bodysuit. Alekseyevna’s gene therapy modifica-
  tions are not apparent visually.She leans back and
  invites the player characters to join her for a drink.
  Follow Up: Alekseyevna is correct,the military
  is in the middle of a combat with the pirate ships at
  this exact instant.Unfortunately for everyone flee-
  ing the station, most the independent ships blun-
  der into the battle and confuse things for the mili-
  tary craft, unwittingly leading to a pirate victory.
  About an hour after the player characters first hear
  of the “danger,” a trio of pirate cruisers drop into
  the system and begin making attack runs against
  the station. Will the player characters join in the
  defense of the station or run and hide? 
  THE BLACK HOLE SYNDICATE IS
  BUYING HOT STARSHIPS (DC 15)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “It’s not
  like it’s news or anything.Hell, they’re always buy-
  ing stolen starships.”The man motions to a darker
  corner of the room and if the player characters fol-
  low him he continues, “They don’t pay much for
  starships but the Black Hole Syndicate asks no
  questions and pays on delivery.Last I heard they’re
  looking for bulk freighters,haulers,and escorts and
  are paying better rates for those than any other
  type of ship. You need to talk to Christopher
  Koenraad in Bay 87 if you’ve got a ship to sell.”
  Source: William Seaborn [male desert
  crawler, Charismatic Ordinary 9, 36 hp], a tall,
  sandy-complexioned man dressed in thick, heavy
  clothing (he spent so many years on a world of
  intense heat that most climate-controlled locations
  feel cool to him).Seaborn has never actually sold a
  ship to the Black Hole Syndicate and has no con-
  nection to the criminal group, he’s just repeating
  information he was given the day before.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Buying starships? Yeah, they’re always buying
  starships, but never from random guys they’ve
  never met before. If you’re foolish enough to
  attempt to contact the Black Hole Syndicate I bet
  you’ll end up sold as a slave.”
  6
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  Rumors
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  
  Source: Gregor Skulsky [male human, Smart
  Ordinary 6, 20 hp], a chaming, friendly man that
  maintains eye contact while talking and offers to
  buy drinks for the player characters.Skulsky is tall,
  attractive,and works on the station as a medic.
  Follow Up: If the player characters have
  already encountered Rigger Clive (see p. 3) they’ll
  recognize him immediately – Clive and Koenraad
  are the same man. Otherwise, events will play out
  much like as described in the Black Hole Syndicate
  Needs Smugglers rumor.With work a GM could eas-
  ily blend these two rumors into one – the Black
  Hole Syndicate will load a stolen starship with
  cargo and then pay the player characters after they
  deliver the ship and cargo to a distant world. Of
  course, this variant is also an elaborate trap
  designed to capture the player characters and
  place them into slavery.
  AN ALIEN ARTIFACT DISCOVERED
  ON CRAXA’DE IV IS A WEAPON
  (DC 20)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “They say
  that if activated it’s powerful enough to complete-
  ly destroy a planet. My friend, well he asked that I
  keep his name out of it, showed me video of the
  artifact and it is as large as a starcarrier.The techs
  found it beneath one of Craxa’de’s oceans and
  pulled it into orbit with grav tethers and booster
  rockets.The military’s supposed to take possession
  of the artifact next week but until then it’s sitting
  in orbit over Craxa’de IV, protected by just a couple
  of science vessels and an escort ship.I bet someone
  with the right equipment could steal that thing
  and make a fortune.”
  Source: Gavin Corrigan [male eclipse chaser,
  Strong Ordinary 5, 25 hp], a thin,tall man that’s
  constantly looking around. Corrigan, like most
  eclipse chasers, is nervous and paranoid and con-
  stantly trying to be sure that his back is to the wall.
  Corrigan’s wearing a heavy jacket and a bodysuit
  and keeps his hand on his holstered sidearm both
  to warn others away and to reassure himself that
  it’s still there.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Sure, I’ve heard about the artifact found on
  Craxa’de IV, it’s an ancient alien starship that the
  military is planning on stripping down and exam-
  ining.A weapon? Well,it’s probably equipped with
  weapons but the techs that discovered the ship
  have already determined that the ship is thousands
  of years old and every system is ruined from so
  many years underwater.If you ask me,they’ll even-
  tually end up parking the ship in orbit over some
  resort world and running tourists through it.Initial
  reports indicate that there’s absolutely nothing of
  technological value to be gained from the wreck.It
  sounds as if the aliens that built it weren’t quite as
  advanced as we are today.”
  Source: George Argos [male human, Strong
  Ordinary 2, 8 hp], a pale-skinned man wearing
  gray fatigues and unarmed.Argos is well-connect-
  ed and likes to keep up with the latest news in alien
  artifacts and archeological discoveries.
  Follow Up: If the player characters take
  Corrigan’s advice and attempt to steal the
  “weapon” they find it in orbit over Craxa’de IV,
  though it’s a worthless wreck and not a single
  onboard system is operational. A battleship, two
  corvettes,and a dozen fighters have been assigned
  to defend the wreck until a tow ship can arrive and
  transport the alien craft to a military research facil-
  ity.
  Attempting to steal the alien ship would be a
  suicide mission.
  THE HEAKAE STARPORT HAS BEEN
  DESTROYED (DC 20)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “It’s true,I
  just heard it over the Shippers’ Guild’s radio fre-
  quency.Heakae Base was completely destroyed by
  an unidentified fleet of starships.The transmission
  warned all Shippers’ Guild members to avoid the
  Heakae system until the military can close in and
  deal with the situation.”The man shakes his head.
  “And me stuck with this cargo that has to be at
  Heakae Downstation in three days. I pray this gets
  dealt with quick or else I’m gonna miss a delivery –
  and I’ve never missed a scheduled delivery in
  almost twenty years as owner of the Midnight
  Flare.”
  The man looks around the room. “You guys
  wouldn’t happen to know anyone with a ship that
  would be willing to attempt the run?”
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  7
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  RUMORS
  
  Source: Julian Rabadan [male human, Fast
  Ordinary 5, 24 hp], a hispanic gentleman in his
  early forties with long, thick hair and a finely-
  trimmed beard. Rabadan is willing to give up the
  cargo (see box) to anyone that convinces him they
  are trustworthy and will deliver the cargo to
  Heakae Downstation.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Destroyed? Not likely.Sure Heakae Base took some
  damage recently but it was from an orbital hazard
  and it didn’t destroy the station. From what I hear
  all travel to the orbital station itself is restricted for
  the next few weeks while they repair the damage
  but Heakae Downstation is still open for business.
  Why do you ask?”
  Source: Adriaen Tappan [male human, Smart
  Ordinary 4, 10 hp], an elderly gentleman that
  makes his living onboard the station as a traffic
  control director. Tappan has friends living on
  Heakae Base and has talked to them since the acci-
  dent – three people were killed in the accident but
  the station’s still in excellent condition and repairs
  will be completed fairly quickly.
  Follow Up: This is a good opportunity for the
  player characters to make some quick money.The
  run to Heakae Downstation from their current loca-
  tion should take less than 10 hours for most star-
  ships so delivering the cargo should be no problem
  at all. If they elect to steal the cargo, though, their
  future might get a little more complicated as
  Rabadan reports them to the Shippers’Guild.
  SEE HIM? DON’T LOOK! THERE’S
  A BOUNTY ON HIS HEAD (DC 20)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “That fel-
  low there, in the blue combat armor, is Ogre Craft;
  he’s wanted in seven systems.There’s a bounty on
  his head that would make any one of us rich.What
  do you say,guys,should we work together and grab
  him? I bet that together he’d be easy to take
  down.”
  Source: Dean Verdruss [male human, Strong
  Ordinary 5, 21 hp], an arrogant,take-charge guy
  that constantly bullies others into doing what he
  wants. If the player characters agree to work with
  him Verdruss is sure to live up to his name.Verdruss
  knows exactly what he’s doing (keep reading).
  Successful Gather Information Check: As
  the player characters move to get a closer look at
  Ogre Craft one of them feels a hand on his arm.
  Turning quickly the player characters see a thin,
  attractive woman who beckons them to follow her
  to a booth on the other side of the room.Once seat-
  ed she leans over and whispers to the player char-
  acters:“Are you idiots? Don’t you know who that
  is?” If the player characters answer her she shakes
  her head and looks around at each one of them.
  “You are idiots. That’s not Ogre Craft, that’s Major
  Fyodor Popov,station security.He’s working under-
  cover trying to grab that fool you were talking to a
  few minutes ago. Best watch your backs, boys.”
  With that she gets up and leaves quickly,doing her
  best to avoid being seen by Popov or Verdruss.
  Source: Sabrina Espinoza [female human,
  Charismatic Ordinary 5,20 hp], a beautiful star-
  ship engineer that works in the station’s upper
  hangars. When off-duty Espinoza dresses in very
  revealing clothes – she’s always used her beauty to
  fluster men and get her way.She’s decided to help
  the player characters out because she finds one of
  them attractive. What Espinoza will do to display
  her interest is better left to each individual GM’s
  style.
  8
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  Rumors
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  CARGO: CASE OF HYDRODYN
  SEAHAWK PARTS (PL 7)
  This 15-foot square metal case features one
  heavy, electronically locked door on one side.
  Opening the case requires the proper access
  code (or successful DC 35 Disable Device
  check).
  Inside the case are spare parts for the
  HydroDyn Seahawk,including new water-tight
  seals,engine casings,and control circuits.
  Case Hardness/Hit Points: 8/80.
  Cargo Space Requirements: 15-foot
  square,3,500 lb.
  Cargo Value/Purchase DC: 25 (as sepa-
  rate components the case has a purchase DC of
  23 and the parts have a purchase DC of 23).
  Restriction: Licensed (+1).
  
  Follow Up: If the player characters assist Dean
  Verdruss they’re suddenly surrounded by off-duty,
  undercover, and in uniform station security and
  whisked away with Verdruss and charged as his
  accomplices. Verdruss is a hired killer sent to the
  station to kill Popov – Verdruss knows Ogre Craft
  personally and knows that the villain is in a com-
  pletely different system when this goes down. He
  selected the player characters to assist him since he
  figured they looked like they would be useful but
  easy to shake once Popov was killed.
  THE STATION’S BIOCORT
  SUPPLY HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED
  (DC 20)
  Failed 
  Gather 
  Information
  Check:
  “Contaminated? Not a chance.The medical center is
  a secure area – no one gets in or out of the phar-
  macy without passing through two checkpoints.
  It’s impossible for anyone to tamper with the med-
  ical center’s supplies,including the biocort.”
  Source: Paul Martin [male human, Tough
  Ordinary 4, 20 hp], a thick, powerful man with
  well-defined muscles and a broad smile. Martin is
  well known to merchants and smugglers in this
  sector of space – he’s served on dozens of different
  ships over the years – and he’s very well liked.
  Martin’s carrying a laser pistol, a dagger, and is
  wearing a battered spacesuit.
  Successful Gather Information Check:
  “Station security and medical personnel have been
  working at keeping it quiet but every last ounce of
  biocort on the station – including the individual
  injectors kept in the security offices – has been
  contaminated. After reviewing security cameras
  station security forces have determined that a
  robot entered the secure areas and injected a poi-
  son into each separate biocort container. Even as
  we speak the contaminated biocort is being jetti-
  soned into space and replacement biocort is
  enroute to the station.The only reason the author-
  ities are attempting to keep the contamination a
  secret is to avoid starting a panic – the new ship-
  ment should arrive in less than six hours.”
  Source: Victor Ivanovich [male greenhouse
  dweller,Tough Ordinary 3,15 hp],a cargo lifter
  operator on break. Ivanovich is short, stocky, and
  wears his black hair in a ponytail.His thick,scraggly
  mustache and beard makes the man appear crazed
  though anyone that spends time with him quickly
  realizes the Ivanovich is an intelligent, resourceful
  man.
  Follow Up: As long as the contaminated bio-
  cort story remains a whispered rumor and is not
  proven before the new biocort arrives everything
  should be fine. If proof of the crime reaches the
  public before the new shipment arrives, though,
  the medical center is forced to deal with dozens of
  angry people that are demanding immediate med-
  ical attention.In only a matter of hours over half of
  the people on the station find themselves “desper-
  ately ill.”
  Station security forces may just look to hire
  someone to investigate the situation.Sounds like a
  perfect job for the player characters.
  AN ILLEGAL GENETIC ENGINEERING
  PROGRAM IS PAYING FOR TEST
  SUBJECTS (DC 25)
  Failed Gather Information Check: “I’ve
  heard whispers of people being sold into slavery by
  the Black Hole Syndicate but I haven’t heard a word
  about some “secret genetics laboratory.” The
  woman stands from her table and moves to leave
  the player characters.“I think you boys have spent
  too many years in space; you’re getting space
  happy.”
  Source: Katina Steinbach [female human,
  Fast Ordinary 3, 12 hp], a plain-looking woman
  in her late thirties. Steinbach is gunner on a mili-
  tary escort that has docked with the station for a
  day of R&R.She ignores the player characters and if
  they refuse to leave her alone all she has to do is
  shout and several crewmates will rush over and ask
  her if she needs any assistance.
  Successful Gather Information Check: “Yes,
  it’s true,the Black Hole Syndicate is capturing peo-
  ple and selling them into slavery but there’s anoth-
  er group of kidnappers operating on the station.”
  The elderly gentleman asks the player characters to
  buy him a drink. If they do he continues. “I saw
  them on the lower levels, weird genetically-engi-
  neered men that looked more like animals than
  men. They were grabbing anyone that walked
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  9
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  RUMORS
  
  through Sector Eight – the only reason I managed
  to escape was that they grabbed Fritz and he put
  up a struggle.” The man begins crying into his
  drink.“I shouldn’t have run. I should have stayed
  and helped Fritz.Now he’s going to become one of
  the animal men.”
  Source: Regis Esercito [male human, Strong
  Ordinary 4, 18 hp], a frail-looking man in his late
  fifties.Esercito is a customs agent onboard the sta-
  tion and is close to retirement. He feels guilty for
  his friend’s capture but not so guilty that he’ll
  report the incident to station security.
  Follow Up: If the player characters descend to
  the lower levels to look for the kidnappers it does-
  n’t take long for them to find their quarry – 4d6
  toughs come out of the shadows and attempt to
  capture the player characters alive.Each is obvious-
  ly a man but has animal features.The instant one of
  their number is killed the group scatters. Any that
  are caught can’t speak – they’ve been surgically-
  altered and stripped of their voice – and only a few
  moments after being captured an internal bomb
  detonates killing anyone that was captured. For
  now, it seems, the player characters cannot uncov-
  er the source of this group or their goals.
  Any player characters that are captured are
  knocked unconscious and transported to a secret
  orbital station in the Setrix Prime system. This
  could evolve into either a rescue mission – as any
  player characters that managed to avoid capture
  work to free their companions – or a prison break.
  If the GM decides to run the campaign through a
  prison break he’ll need to create his own map of
  the research station (though Ronin Arts’ Future:
  Installation 1 would certainly work in a pinch).
  10
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  Rumors
  I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
  Copyright © 2005 Philip Reed.You may not distribute this document without permission of the publisher.Some portions of this document are present-
  ed as open game content,see p.2 and the Open Game License at the end of this document for more information.
  Ronin Arts and the Ronin Arts logo are trademarks of Philip Reed and Christopher Shy.For more information on Ronin Arts,and Ronin Arts’sister com-
  pany,Studio Ronin,please visit www.roninarts.com and www.studioronin.com.
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000,Wizards of the
  Coast,Inc.
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-
  2004,Wizards of the Coast,Inc.;Authors Bill Slavicsek,Jeff Grubb,
  Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David Noonan, Stan!,
  Christopher Perkins,Rodney Thompson,and JD Wiker, based on
  material by Jonathan Tweet,Monte Cook,Skip Williams,Richard
  Baker,Peter Adkison,Bruce R.Cordell,John Tynes,Andy Collins,
  and JD Wiker.
  Future: 13 Gravity Age Rumors, copyright 2005 Philip
  Reed.Published by Ronin Arts www.roninarts.com.
  Future Player’s Companion: Tomorrow’s Foundation,
  Copyright 2005 The Game Mechanics, Inc.; Authors: Gary
  Astleford,Rodney Thompson,and JD Wiker.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Party/d20 Modern/Ronin Arts/Future - 13 Gravity Age Rumors.pdf