TEXT: Author: Steven S. Long
  Editing & Development:  Steven S. Long
  Layout & Graphic Design:  Steven S. Long 
  (well, OK, using tools and templates devel-
  oped by Andy Mathews, and with some 
  suggestions by Andy Mathews...)
  Illustrations:  Steven S. Long using Cam-
  paign Cartographer 2 Pro from ProFantasy 
  Soft ware (try it! It’s great!)
  Everything Else:  Stev... you get the picture
  SPECIAL THANKS
  Special thanks to all the HERO System fans who’ve 
  expressed such an interest in our new Hero Plus 
  Adventures line, and those who’ve been asking me 
  to do a Pulp SF setting for months.
  Hero SystemTM ® is DOJ, Inc.’s trademark for its roleplaying system.
  Hero System © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Champions © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Fantasy Hero © 2003 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Dark Champions © 2004 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Pulp Hero and Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus! © 2005 by DOJ, Inc. 
  d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  Star Hero, Justice Inc., Danger International, Danger International, Western Hero 
  © 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved.
  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, 
  electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by 
  any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the 
  Publisher:  DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, California 94102.
  Printed in the U.S.A. First printing August 2005
  Produced and distributed by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games.
  Stock Number:  DOJHERO-HPA02
  http://www.herogames.com
  A Hero Plus Adventure for
  10¢
  50 x
  TABLE OF
  CONTENTS
  Mankind Among The Stars 
  2
     Space Forces 
   
  4
     Related Forces 
   
  4
  The Human Stellar Empire 
  5
     The Solar System  
  5
     Beyond Sol 
   
  9
     The Dracon Empire 
  10
     The Frontier 
   
  10
  Technology 
   
  11
     Rocketships 
   
  11
       Example Ships  
  16
     Weapons 
   
  21
     Defenses 
   
  23
     Other Aetherial Technology 23
  Characters 
   
  24
     The Crew of the Hesperus 24
     Adversaries 
   
  26
  Campaigning 
   
  28
     Character Creation 
  28
     Plot Seeds 
   
  28
     The GM’s Vault 
   
  29
  
    YOUR SECRET LEAGUE OF HEROES
  ENCODED MESSAGE!
  Attention Secret League Of Heroes 
  members! Here’s your secret message for 
  this Hero Plus Adventure. Use your secret 
  decoder ring to read it!
  24-1-8-8-14-18-17-24-15, 15-8-20-1-8-14  23-8-3-
  24-11-8-1! 16-1-8-16-3-1-8  14-7  23-8-3-1-17  3-17  
  3-15-14-7-11-17-4-18-17-24  15-8-20-1-8-14  3-13-
  7-11-14  14-5-8  24-3-23-3-21-25  7-12  15-7-23-3-1  
  15-9-18-14-5!
  7-17  11-1-18-8-23, 7-17-8  7-12  14-5-8  18-20-25  
  9-7-7-17-15  7-12  11-1-3-17-11-15, 14-5-8-1-8-15  
  3  20-3-26-8. 18-17  14-5-18-15  20-3-26-8  14-5-8-
  1-8-15  3  20-11-13-8  9-3-4-8  7-12  3  9-8-14-3-23  
  20-7-9-16-23-8-14-8-23-25  11-17-6-17-7-2-17  
  7-17  8-3-1-14-5  7-1  3-17-25  7-14-5-8-1  16-23-
  3-17-8-14  8-21-16-23-7-1-8-4  13-25  5-11-9-3-17-
  15. 14-5-8  20-11-13-8  3-16-16-8-3-1-15  15-8-3-
  9-23-8-15-15  3-17-4  5-3-15  17-7  12-8-3-14-11-
  1-8-15, 13-11-14  18-17  12-3-20-14  18-14-15  3  
  20-5-8-15-14. 3-17  3-4-26-8-17-14-11-1-8-1  2-5-7  
  12-18-24-11-1-8-15  7-11-14  5-7-2  14-7  7-16-8-17  
  18-14  2-18-14-5-7-11-14  4-8-15-14-1-7-25-18-17-
  24  18-14  (7-1  5-18-9-15-8-23-12!) 20-3-17  20-23-
  3-18-9  2-5-3-14  23-18-8-15  2-18-14-5-18-17.
  2-5-3-14  18-15  14-5-3-14, 8-21-3-20-14-23-25-? 
  17-7  7-17-8  6-17-7-2-15  8-21-20-8-16-14  25-7-
  11-1  24-9. 18-14  20-7-11-23-4  13-8  3  11-17-18-
  10-11-8  14-8-20-5-17-7-23-7-24-18-20-3-23  3-1-
  14-18-12-3-20-14  7-12  24-1-8-3-14  16-7-2-8-1, 
  3  20-7-23-23-8-20-14-18-7-17  7-12  3-8-7-17-15-
  -7-23-4  9-3-17-11-15-20-1-18-16-14-15  12-1-7-9  
  3-17  3-23-18-8-17  20-18-26-18-23-18-22-3-14-18-
  7-17, 3  15-18-24-17-3-23-23-18-17-24  4-8-26-18-
  20-8  20-3-16-3-13-23-8  7-12  1-8-3-20-5-18-17-24  
  7-14-5-8-1  24-3-23-3-21-18-8-15  — 7-1  15-7-9-8-
  14-5-18-17-24  8-23-15-8  3-23-14-7-24-8-14-5-8-1.
  3-17-4  2-5-7  16-11-14  18-14  14-5-8-1-8-? 3-24-3-
  18-17, 17-7  7-17-8  20-3-17  15-3-25  8-21-20-8-16-
  14  25-7-11-1  24-9. 18-14  9-18-24-5-14  13-8  3-17  
  3-1-14-18-12-3-20-14  7-12  14-5-8  3-17-20-18-8-
  17-14  9-3-1-14-18-3-17-15, 14-5-8  15-3-14-11-1-
  17-18-3-17-15  13-8-12-7-1-8  14-5-8-25  12-8-23-
  23  12-1-7-9  24-1-3-20-8, 7-1  14-5-8  1-3-20-8  2-
  5-7-15-8  15-5-18-16  14-5-8  1-11-15-15-18-3-17-
  15  3-1-8  18-17-26-8-15-14-18-24-3-14-18-17-24  
  13-8-17-8-3-14-5  14-5-8  15-11-1-12-3-20-8  7-12  
  14-1-18-14-7-17. 7-1  18-14  20-7-11-23-4  13-8  3  
  1-3-20-8  17-7  7-17-8-15  8-26-8-1  5-8-3-1-4  7-12  
  7-1  8-17-20-7-11-17-14-8-1-8-4  13-8-12-7-1-8.
  25-7-11  9-3-25  17-7-14  6-17-7-2  2-5-3-14-15  18-
  17  14-5-8  20-11-13-8, 5-7-2  18-14  24-7-14  7-17  
  11-1-18-8-23, 7-1  2-5-7  16-11-14  18-14  14-5-8-
  1-8  — 13-11-14  14-5-3-17-6-15  14-7  14-5-8  12-
  3-20-14  14-5-3-14  25-7-11  13-8-23-7-17-24  14-7  
  14-5-8  15-8-20-1-8-14  23-8-3-24-11-8  7-12  5-8-
  1-7-8-15, 25-7-11  6-17-7-2  2-5-8-1-8  14-7  24-7  
  14-7  12-18-17-4  18-14!
  
  SOLAR SMITH 
  AND THE
  SKY-PIRATES OF 
  ARCTURUS!
  A
  ft er the amazing scientiﬁ c 
  breakthroughs of Gernsback 
  and Goddard in the mid-
  Twenties made space ﬂ ight possible, 
  an eager and curious mankind set out 
  to explore the stars and found new 
  colonies. Now, as humanity progresses 
  inexorably toward World War II, the 
  brave men and women of the American 
  Space Travel and Reconnaissance Agency 
  (ASTRA) investigate strange planets, 
  keeps the spacelanes safe from pirates, 
  oppose the might of the alien Dracon 
  Empire and its wily ruler Krogan III, 
  and struggle to contain the forces of 
  Nazism and Bolshevism.
  Solar Smith And Th e Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus! 
  details the Pulp Hero and Star Hero mini-setting of 
  Aetherial Earth and its universe. It’s not described 
  in as much detail as, say, Terran Empire or Chapter 
  Th ree of Pulp Hero, but there’s enough information 
  for a GM to get a fun campaign up and running. So 
  check your electric pistols and get ready to blast oﬀ  
  to adventure!
  MANKIND AMONG 
  THE STARS
  In 1926, publisher and radio pioneer Hugo 
  Gernsback made a startling scientiﬁ c discovery. 
  While tinkering with some new broadcasting 
  technologies he’d been developing, he accidentally 
  charged an object with electricity in an unusual 
  way. When he had diﬃ  culty moving the charged 
  object, he theorized that it was somehow “push-
  ing against” or “being pulled through” an alternate 
  dimension or state of being. He called this dimen-
  sion the aether.
  While discussing his discovery with fellow sci-
  entist Robert Goddard, whose experiments focused 
  on rocketry, the two of them realized that com-
  bining Goddard’s work with aetherial technology 
  might allow mankind to build rockets that could 
  travel fast enough to reach other worlds! Fired with 
  enthusiasm for this idea, they made their discover-
  ies public so that all humanity might beneﬁ t from 
  them equally.
  Th e governments of Earth were quick to real-
  ize the possibilities in the pair’s work. Whichever 
  nation got to another world ﬁ rst could colonize it, 
  exploiting its vast, untapped resources. And who 
  knows what natural treasures other worlds might 
  possess? Power and wealth were waiting out there 
  among the stars for whoever could get to them.
  Th e ﬁ rst nation to take to the stars was the 
  United States, home of Gernsback and Goddard 
  and thus able to call on them for direct assistance. 
  In 1928, the Americans sent their ﬁ rst rockets into 
  space, visiting both the Moon and Mars. Th e US 
  quickly claimed Mars, establishing several colo-
  nies there aft er overcoming the resistance of the 
  relatively primitive natives, whose presence had 
  theretofore been suspected but never proven. Other 
  nations soon followed America into space, gobbling 
  up most of the rest of the Solar System in short 
  order.
  As scientists improved aetherial technology, 
  faster and faster rocketships were built. By 1932 
  mankind was able to leave its cradle behind and 
  visit other solar systems. Once again a wave of 
  exploration, conquest, and colonization began, 
  though not without some diﬃ  culties. Not only were 
  the nations of Earth competing (sometimes vio-
  lently) with one another for stellar territory, in 1933 
  they encountered a rival interstellar species:  the 
  Dracon. Tensions ran high for a time, but eventu-
  ally diplomats from Earth and Sigma Draconis III 
  reached a shaky agreement that has averted war... 
  so far.
  Today, in 1935, the frontiers of Human explora-
  tion have been pushed 35 light-years away from 
  Earth, to the Arcturus and Pollux systems. Man-
  kind has developed a thriving network of interstel-
  HERO PLUS 
  ADVENTURES
  Solar Smith And Th e 
  Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus! 
  is one of Hero Games’s 
  Hero Plus Adventures, 
  a new series of short, 
  no-frills, inexpensive 
  adventures in PDF 
  format (though this one 
  is actually a mini-set-
  ting, not a scenario per 
  se). Hero Plus Adven-
  tures are designed to 
  provide roughly one 
  game session’s worth of 
  entertainment, though 
  they include suggestions 
  on how to lengthen or 
  expand the scenario if 
  you want to. (Aetherial 
  Earth, as a mini-setting, 
  actually serves more 
  as the basis for a cam-
  paign than as a one-shot 
  adventure.) Th ey’re writ-
  ten with simplicity and 
  ease of use in mind so 
  you can run them with 
  a minimum of prepara-
  tion.
  3 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  lar trade, both among the various nations of greater 
  Earth and with the Dracon Empire. Th e expan-
  sion in trade has led to the scourge of piracy, not 
  to mention the “great game” of espionage played 
  among the various governments, but the coura-
  geous aethernauts of ASTRA struggle every day to 
  keep space safe for humanity.
  Space Forces
  Every nation with the technology and ﬁ nances 
  to do so quickly assembled its own force of space-
  men as soon as it could. Seven nations have space 
  navies and space trading ﬂ eets.
  THE UNITED STATES:  ASTRA
  Th e United States, the ﬁ rst nation into space, 
  relies on ASTRA — the American Space Travel and 
  Reconnaissance Agency — to protect its interests 
  and those of its citizens from the Moon to Arc-
  turus. Th e brave and talented men (and even a few 
  women!) of ASTRA regard themselves primarily as 
  a military force, but in truth they function just as 
  much (if not more) as a law enforcement agency. 
  Th ey prevent (or avenge) pirate attacks, protect the 
  space shipping lanes, and perform similar duties. 
  ASTRA’s Exploration Branch seeks out new worlds 
  and solar systems to colonize, surveys new planets, 
  and makes ﬁ rst contact with alien species. Some 
  ASTRA ships carry a mixes crew of military and 
  Exploration personnel and perform multiple duties.
  FRANCE
  Th e French aetherial ﬂ eet, known simply as 
  the Aetherial Navy, is relatively small since France 
  has only a few Solar System colonies and little 
  oﬃ  cial presence beyond Sol. French traders and 
  explorers usually rely on ASTRA for protection 
  and assistance. Recent setbacks for the French-sup-
  ported forces on Jupiter have only made France 
  less inclined to space adventurism; some in the 
  National Assembly have called for an end to the 
  Aetherial Navy.
  GREAT BRITAIN
  Th e British took to exploring space and found-
  ing empyrean colonies with the same gusto that led 
  them to explore and colonize so much of Earth. Th e 
  daring and fortitude of the Royal Space Navy has 
  given Great Britain the means to establish major 
  colonies on Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and beyond 
  — and perhaps more importantly, to safeguard 
  trade between those colonies and Earth as much as 
  possible. Admiral Sir Robert Finchley, a noted peer 
  with two advanced degrees in science, commands 
  the RSN from his enormous ﬂ agship, the cruiser 
  Stymphalian, which can usually be found orbiting 
  Venus.
  GERMANY
  Hitler and Goering were quick to grasp the 
  opportunities oﬀ ered by space travel, and pushed 
  German science and industry hard to catch up to 
  the US and Great Britain in the space race. Th eir 
  eﬀ orts paid oﬀ  — as of 1935, Germany has the 
  third biggest Human space empire, with major 
  colonies on Jupiter, Saturn, and several extra-solar 
  worlds. Th e Reichsraum Marine (Reich Space 
  Navy) is large, well-armed, well-commanded, and 
  aggressive.
  ITALY
  Italy’s penchant for aviation and aerial warfare 
  extends to space as well — Mussolini sees “conquest 
  of the heavens” as further augmenting his glory 
  and his empire. Although Italy only has a few space 
  colonies so far, its aethernauts are daring explorers, 
  ever in search of new worlds to conquer so they can 
  win Il Duce’s favor.
  JAPAN
  Th e Imperial Space Patrol maintains Japan’s 
  presence among the stars. Th e Japanese military 
  sees space as a battleground where it has a real 
  chance to ﬂ ex its muscle and accomplish some-
  thing — where it won’t get bogged down the way 
  it is in Manchukuo. Th e Japanese people consider 
  it shameful that their only Solar System colony is 
  on Jupiter, prompting the ISP to work hard to win 
  favor by conquering other worlds... and taking ter-
  ritory from other nations when it can.
  THE SOVIET UNION
  Th e Komitet Kosmicheskikh Ussledovaniy i Kolo-
  nizatzyi (“Committee for Space Exploration and 
  Colonization”), or KKUK, is in charge of all Rus-
  sian activities in space. Russian space merchants 
  must obtain a permit from it to operate their ships, 
  and must obey its oﬃ  cers’ orders at all times; 
  colonists must also follow KKUK commands. Th e 
  Secretary of the KKUK reports directly to Joseph 
  Stalin, who’s said to have taken a keen interest in 
  space exploration... and exploitation.
  Related Forces
  In addition to typical space naval forces, most 
  nations maintain other groups of soldiers beyond 
  Earth.
  ROCKETMEN
  Th e United States, Germany, Great Britain, and 
  Japan all have squadrons of rocketmen — soldiers 
  of the air. Using a neptunium-fueled rocketpack 
  (see page 23), a rocketman can ﬂ y faster than a bird. 
  His limited fuel supply prevents him from remain-
  ing aloft  for very long, but while in the air he can 
  ﬁ ght enemy rocketmen, conduct reconnaissance, 
  deliver messages, and perform other invaluable 
  tasks.
  PLANETARY FORCES
  It’s oft en necessary for a colonizing power to 
  maintain a military force on a planet. Typically 
  the soldiers are there to protect the colonists from 
  hostile creatures and other dangers, but they may 
  also ﬁ ght against native warriors, help keep rest-
  less natives in line, and so forth. On worlds such as 
  Jupiter, where multiple nations have colonies, they 
  may skirmish with other Human soldiers.
  SOLAR SMITH 
  AND
  “REALISM”
  Th e Solar System and 
  universe of Solar Smith 
  aren’t portrayed with 
  “realism” in mind. Th e 
  main inﬂ uence is the 
  characters and settings 
  and Pulp-style Sci-
  ence Fiction, such as 
  John Carter of Mars, 
  Buck Rogers, and Flash 
  Gordon. But beyond 
  that, the information 
  presented generally 
  depends on the knowl-
  edge of mankind circa 
  1935, or the ﬁ ctional 
  conventions of the time, 
  not the knowledge of 
  today. Th us, Jupiter is 
  listed as having only 11 
  moons, rather than the 
  60-some it’s thought to 
  have as of 2005; Venus 
  is depicted as a swampy 
  jungle world instead of a 
  pressure-cooker incapa-
  ble of supporting intelli-
  gent life. Th e watchword 
  is Fun!, not scientiﬁ c 
  accuracy. Enjoy!
  4 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  
  SPIES
  With so much of economic and military impor-
  tance going on in space, spies are everywhere. From 
  Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, to Nazi Germa-
  ny’s Abwehr, to America’s much more informally-
  organized group of spies, intelligence-gathering 
  agents can be found on any important planet.
  THE HUMAN STELLAR 
  EMPIRE
  Humanity as a whole controls a signiﬁ cant 
  number of planets. However, unlike the Dracon 
  Empire (page 10), which is ruled by a single 
  overlord, the Human “Empire” is a mish-mash of 
  colonies and protectorates controlled by the seven 
  Great Powers capable of space travel. Lacking the 
  unity of the Dracon Empire, it could easily fall prey 
  to the Dracon or other enemies.
  The Solar System
  Th e oldest, largest, and in many ways most 
  important Human space colonies are located right 
  in Earth’s backyard — the Solar System. From Mars 
  to Neptune, mankind has spread throughout the 
  Solar System, ﬁ nding new worlds to explore, new 
  resources to exploit, and strange new neighbors to 
  conquer.
  THE MOON
  When it became apparent that space travel was 
  possible, thought immediately turned to visiting the 
  Moon. Th is sparked protests around the world as 
  people rejected the idea of seeing the Moon’s sil-
  very face turned into nothing more than a gigantic 
  cityscape in the sky. Aft er extensive discussion, the 
  Great Powers responded to this concern by signing 
  the Treaty of Venice. Th e Treaty stipulates that no 
  nation may permanently occupy the bright side of 
  the Moon. Only exploratory expeditions and their 
  short-term base camps are allowed, thus preserving 
  the Moon as Humanity’s posterity. Th e dark side 
  of the Moon was evenly divided between the Great 
  Powers, which can establish colonies, mines, and 
  other permanent facilities there as they choose. As a 
  result, today all seven nations having thriving lunar 
  colonies inhabited by “Moon-men” who explore, 
  conduct scientiﬁ c research, and mine for selenic 
  minerals. Life in a Moon colony is diﬃ  cult and 
  dangerous due to the lack of atmosphere, but for 
  some men it represents an invigorating challenge.
  MARS
  Mars and its two moons are the property of the 
  United States. ASTRA aethernauts visited the Red 
  Planet during their ﬁ rst journey beyond the Moon. 
  What they found was an ancient world, one with a 
  thin but breathable atmosphere and a dryer climate 
  than Earth’s. Water ﬂ ows mainly along a series of 
  vast canals that criss-cross the surface of the planet, 
  though in some regions there are shallow lakes. 
  Valleys, including the enormous Valles Marineris, 
  include both bodies of water and luxuriant plant 
  life; the rest of the world tends to be wasteland, 
  desert, or scrub prairie.
  Even more surprisingly, Mars had natives! Th e 
  news that life existed beyond the conﬁ nes of Earth 
  rocked the scientiﬁ c and religious communities 
  — and, of greater immediate concern, posed some 
  obstacle to colonization of Mars. Th e natives, a tall 
  race of reddish-skinned humanoids, were aggres-
  sive and viewed the ﬁ rst Human visitors with suspi-
  cion and distrust rather than awe. When a group of 
  hotheaded Martian warriors attacked and massa-
  cred a group of American explorers without provo-
  cation, ASTRA responded with force to protect 
  American citizens and interests. Within two years, 
  the planet was controlled by the United States... 
  mostly. Some clans of Martians, accustomed to 
  living in the more desolate and desertiﬁ ed regions 
  of their world, retreated into areas where Ameri-
  cans would not or could not go. From there they 
  mount raids and attacks on Human settlements to 
  this day.
  Th e capital of Mars is New Washington, a small 
  city in the Cydonia region (not far from the now-
  famous Face). Dozens of other settlements are scat-
  tered across the planet, most of them near canals 
  or in valleys. Food, including a native Martian 
  grain called yogan that Humans can eat, is grown, 
  but Humans also import a lot of foodstuﬀ s; light 
  industry has taken hold in some regions, oﬀ ering 
  new forms of employment to many Martians. Most 
  towns have a garrison of US Army soldiers to pro-
  tect settlers from raiders and bandits.
  Th e Martians And Th eir Civilization
  Th e natives of Mars are a race of humanoids 
  superﬁ cially similar to Humans in many ways. 
  Th ey’re tall (averaging 6’4” for men and 5’11” 
  for women), and usually thin (even lanky). Th eir 
  skin is notably red, sometimes fading to a more 
  pinkish hue as they age; a few clans are naturally 
  somewhat lighter- or darker-skinned, such as the 
  almost burgundy-colored Hmool tribe of raiders. 
  Th ey’re mammalian, with hair on their heads much 
  like Humans, but very little hair elsewhere on their 
  bodies. Typically their hair is black, but blonde, 
  light green, purplish, and bluish hair also exists 
  naturally; brown and red hair are unknown. Th e 
  women oft en possess what Human men describe as 
  “an exotic beauty.”
  Th e Martians group themselves into enor-
  mous clans linked by blood and marriage among 
  extended families. Th e clans in a region usually owe 
  allegiance to a ruler equivalent to (and referred to 
  by Humans as) a king. Kings organize their king-
  doms in diﬀ erent ways, with princes, ministers, 
  courtiers, diplomats, generals, and other function-
  aries appointed as the king sees ﬁ t. Some kingdoms 
  have elaborate bureaucracies and political customs; 
  others are crude, informal things or lands ruled by 
  long-standing customs as much as Martians.
  Th e Martians have a more or less medieval-
  level society, which is the main reason America 
  could conquer the planet so easily. Th eir soldiers 
  use swords, spears, and similar weapons, with an 
  5 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  6 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  emphasis on personal bravery, dueling, skill, and 
  honor; the use of shields or armor (beyond the 
  leather harness most Martian warriors wear) is 
  considered cowardly. Th e equivalent of the horse is 
  a four-legged mammal called a xrn that resembles 
  a cross between a bighorn sheep and a percheron; 
  some warriors ride xrn-pulled chariot-like vehicles 
  into battle. Trade and travel mainly take place along 
  the canals.
  Th ere’s some evidence that tends to suggest the 
  Martians once had a much more advanced civiliza-
  tion — perhaps even more advanced than Human-
  ity now is. Th e canals, for example, are works of 
  engineering that would seem to be beyond the 
  Martians’ current level of scientiﬁ c and politi-
  cal development. Th e same could be said of the 
  exquisitely-sculpted Cydonian Face, about which 
  the Martians refuse to speak. Explorers have found 
  some tantalizing ruins and other evidence of long-
  dead societies, but as yet most of Martian history 
  remains a mystery to mankind.
  Th e Martians do not seem to have any kind 
  of religion... or if they do, they conceal it from 
  Humans. A few settlers have heard odd (and some-
  times disturbing) references to someone called 
  “the One” by their Martian servants, but it’s unclear 
  if this refers to a deity, a culture-hero, a ruler, or 
  something else. Missionaries have had a little suc-
  cess converting Martians to Christianity, but not 
  much.
  VENUS
  Venus is a hot, humid, rainy world of jungles, 
  swamps, and marshes. Th ere are a few large bodies 
  of water, such as what Humans call Nelson’s Sea, 
  but for the most part streams and small rivers pre-
  dominate in the non-swampy areas. Th e climate 
  becomes more tolerable toward the poles, but in 
  general breeds all sorts of diseases against which 
  Humans as yet have few defenses. Despite this, two 
  nations — Great Britain and France — have estab-
  lished large colonies on Venus aft er pacifying the 
  natives in the regions they now control. Th e settlers 
  raise crops (some Venusian fruits are considered 
  delicacies on Earth), mine for gemstones, and the 
  like.
  Th e abundant Venusian ﬂ ora and fauna repre-
  sent a resource that Humans are only beginning to 
  tap — partly because many plants and animals are 
  poisonous or have other qualities that caused early 
  colonists to simply slaughter them outright when-
  ever they had the chance. For example, reptiles are 
  the predominant form of life, and include many 
  large species that ﬁ ll the same ecological niches 
  as tigers and panthers do on Earth. Leather goods 
  made from their skins fetch a high price back 
  home.
  Early explorers felt that the thick, cloudy atmo-
  sphere of Venus would be perfect for aviation 
  (much like on Jupiter; see below). Unfortunately, 
  the frequent rainstorms turn ﬂ ying into a risky 
  aﬀ air. Even worse are the lightning-storms, which 
  make going up in a zeppelin tantamount to a sui-
  cide mission.
  Th e Venusians And Th eir Civilization
  Th e ﬁ rst Humans to explore Venus did not at 
  ﬁ rst realize it had native intelligent life, since Venu-
  sians are relatively low in numbers. Despite a few 
  touchy incidents and some battles, early encounters 
  with the Venusian people were mostly amicable, 
  and today the Venusians share their world with 
  mankind in what the British refer to as a “peaceful 
  protectorate.” In truth Humans eﬀ ectively domi-
  nate the planet through military and technological 
  superiority.
  Venusians are about the same size as Humans 
  on the average, but have four arms and are reptilian 
  rather than mammalian. Th eir scaly skin is usually 
  a dark green color, but some Venusians are a lighter 
  green, and others darken to brownish. Most Venu-
  sian cultures feature elaborate customs of courtesy 
  and protocol, which the Venusians learned long ago 
  was necessary to prevent the constant tribal warfare 
  that kept their population from growing signiﬁ -
  cantly. Venusian clothing likewise tends to be elab-
  orate, with designs that seem fancy, colorful, and 
  even overdone to Human eyes; both genders wear 
  garments resembling vests and short skirts/kilts.
  Venus is a patchwork of kingdoms and princi-
  palities, with government ranging from kingdoms, 
  to oligarchies, to theocracies. Warfare between 
  realms, while not nearly as common as in past cen-
  turies, occurs frequently. Venusian warriors mostly 
  use weapons of wood, bone, and stone, since metal 
  is rare (and thus valuable). Some advanced nations 
  have the equivalent of Human muskets (though 
  again, these are rare due to the need for metal and 
  the diﬃ  culty of keeping gunpowder dry); most 
  rely on bows, crossbows, clubs, spears, and similar 
  weapons. Th e most common riding animal is the 
  zark, a sort of giant snake that can rear the front 
  third of its body up to allow the rider to see great 
  distances or strike downward at his foe. Zarks are 
  ﬁ erce, hard to control, and poisonous; their venom, 
  delivered by bite or spit, is a sort of acidic com-
  pound that can scar or blind as well as simply kill.
  Th e Venusian religion is a form of ancestor-wor-
  ship. Each family maintains a shrine to its departed, 
  where it performs ceremonies on certain holidays. 
  Th e wealthier and more prominent the family, the 
  larger, better-constructed, and richer the shrine; 
  the best and largest are virtual temple-complexes 
  of extensively-carved stone. Venusian legend and 
  myth are rich in tales of heroes, spirits, monsters, 
  and demons; a few Human explorers claim to have 
  encountered beasts remarkably similar to some 
  of these monsters, but have as yet been unable to 
  bring back proof to verify their stories.
  JUPITER
  Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, 
  is unique in that it’s the only world yet discovered 
  to have evolved more than one form of intelligent 
  life. Like the Moon, it’s colonized by all seven Great 
  Powers, but not under the terms of any treaty. As such 
  it’s become something of a proxy battleﬁ eld where 
  the nations of Earth practice for the war that many 
  Humans feel is soon to come to their own world.
  MARTIAN 
  PACKAGE 
  DEAL
  Th e Martians do not 
  have a Package Deal. 
  Like Humans, they 
  represent a sort of 
  “baseline” from which 
  other races diverge (as 
  indicated by their own 
  Package Deals).
  VENUSIAN 
  PACKAGE 
  DEAL
  Venusians have +2 STR, 
  +2 CON, and Extra 
  Limbs (two more arms, 
  Inherent), for a Package 
  Deal cost of 12 Charac-
  ter Points.
  ZARKS
  For zarks, use the Giant 
  Snake character sheet on 
  page 116 of Th e HERO 
  System Bestiary, with 
  a Venom Multipower:  
  one slot venomous bite 
  (Drain CON 3d6 + RKA 
  3d6, NND); one slot a 
  venom spittle (RKA 2d6, 
  Penetrating, range 4”); 
  and one slot for venom 
  spit into the eyes (Major 
  Transform 8d6, seeing 
  being to blind being).
  
  Th anks to Jupiter’s vast size, the early Human 
  explorers from each of the Great Powers were able 
  to visit and explore it, make contact with at least 
  some of its native peoples, and enter into relation-
  ships with them without coming into conﬂ ict. 
  Th at peaceful time has ended. With the backing 
  of their new Human “allies,” the natives of Jupiter 
  have continued their millennia-long wars with 
  advanced Human technology... and, oft entimes, the 
  help of Human aviators and soldiers. Th e govern-
  ments back on Earth, while providing assistance to 
  their Jovian allies, tacitly ignore the fact that their 
  nationals are ﬁ ghting and dying on Jupiter so they 
  can avoid the possibility of the war spreading to 
  Earth. In fact, some diplomats secretly hope man-
  kind can work out its aggressions on Jupiter and 
  leave Earth itself in peace.
  Jupiter includes every type of climate, ecology, 
  and topography known on Earth, and perhaps 
  more. Desert and wasteland predominate in some 
  regions; others are tropical and lush. About 61% of 
  the surface is covered with oceans, seas, inland seas, 
  lakes, and other bodies of water. Rain and storms 
  are frequent in most parts of the planet (though not 
  nearly so frequent as on Venus). In some regions, 
  violent storms have lasted for decades or centuries, 
  and show no signs of abating. Th e most notable of 
  these is the feared “Red Spot,” known to the Jovi-
  ans themselves by various names that translate as 
  something like “Hell” or “Unending Torment of 
  Wind and Rain.”
  Jupiter has a total of eleven moons, the most 
  prominent of which are Io, Callisto, Europa, and 
  Ganymede. Each one is claimed by the Americans, 
  British, Germans, and Russians, respectively.
  Races Of Jupiter
  Jupiter has spawned a remarkable ﬁ ve intel-
  ligent races (collectively referred to by Humans as 
  “Jovians”). Today numbering in the trillions, over 
  the past 200,000 years the members of these spe-
  cies have spread out all over the planet to every 
  habitable region (some places, such as the Red Spot, 
  the many deserts, and numerous mountain ranges, 
  are unlivable). Th ey have oft en fought wars with 
  one another (or among themselves) over territory, 
  resources, religious diﬀ erences, political ambition, 
  and the like.
  Butars, or Green Jovians, resemble a cross 
  between a Human and a giant frog or toad. Short, 
  squat, ugly, and oft en foul-smelling, they’re disliked 
  (and warred upon) by most other Jovian races. 
  Th ey’ve proven quite adept with modern weaponry 
  and can oft en be found manning Humans’ zep-
  pelins in lesser positions, or serving as “advance 
  troops” for Human armies. Th ey’ve allied them-
  selves with both the Germans and Japanese to 
  make war on any other people or tribe that angers 
  them — the Greens aren’t known for their ability to 
  get along well with others, and have fought against 
  each of the other four races at one time or another 
  in the recent past. However, their Human allies 
  have kept them from ﬁ ghting other races and tribes 
  they (the Humans) are also allied with... for now.
  Kruhars, or Blue Jovians, are the most non-
  Human of the Jovian races — although basically 
  humanoid, they have large, seven-ﬁ ngered hands 
  (ﬁ ve ﬁ ngers with a thumb on each side of the 
  palm), legs with backward-hinged knees that 
  remind Humans of birds’ legs, and two small “ﬁ ns” 
  on their bald heads (males’ ﬁ ns are larger). Due to 
  the shape of their hands, Blue Jovian equipment is 
  diﬃ  cult for Humans and other Jovians to use, while 
  they suﬀ er similar problems trying to use other 
  races’ weapons and gear (-2 to OCV or Skill Rolls 
  in either case). Th ey live in oddly-constructed cities 
  that Humans sometimes ﬁ nd diﬃ  cult to navigate, 
  and are allied with the Russians.
  Lailags, or Purple Jovians, have a sort of purple-
  bluish skin that’s distinct from the coloration of 
  Blue Jovians. It’s not clear whether they’re a sepa-
  rate race, or a crossbreed race resulting from the 
  mingling of Blue and Black Jovians tens of thou-
  sands of years ago. Most Human explorers consider 
  them a separate race, since they seem to have a 
  culture that’s no more inﬂ uenced by Blue or Black 
  culture than by any other Jovian civilization; but 
  others remain unconvinced. Purples are great trav-
  elers and traders, going hither and yon over the face 
  of Jupiter in gundar caravans (see below) to buy 
  and sell. Th ey’re also very religious, with an elabo-
  rate faith focused on a trinity of gods to whom they 
  sacriﬁ ce certain animals; they consider all other 
  Jovians “unbelievers” and thus unworthy to live 
  except as slaves to Purples. Th ey’re allied with no 
  one Human nation — they shift  their allegiance 
  frequently, always seeking a better deal.
  Naivars, or White Jovians, have whitish skins 
  that remind many Humans of a very pallid Causa-
  sian. Th ey lack external ears (but are otherwise 
  ﬁ ne-featured) and have only three long ﬁ ngers and 
  a thumb on their hands. Th ey prefer to live in what 
  a Human would describe as a “Mediterranean” cli-
  mate, and have complex social and religious institu-
  tions. Th eir temples, which dominate their cities, 
  are large, multi-spired cubical buildings. Th ey’re 
  allied with America and Great Britain, and to a 
  lesser extent France.
  Scoravs, or Black Jovians, are slightly taller than 
  Human average, and tend to be broad-shouldered 
  and muscular; their hair is usually black, grey, or 
  white, but they have a tendency to baldness in both 
  genders. Humans oft en think of them as being a 
  little “slow” mentally, but that seems to be a stereo-
  type based on some early encounters rather than 
  a trait that holds true across the entire population. 
  Black Jovians usually live in hilly and mountainous 
  regions, and make excellent miners and climbers. 
  Th ey’re allied with the Germans and Italians.
  Jovian Civilization
  Most observers compare the level of Jovian civi-
  lization at the time of Humans’ arrival to roughly 
  that of eighteenth-century Europe, but with some 
  signiﬁ cant diﬀ erences. For example, the main 
  weapon used by the Jovians is a ﬁ rearm, but they 
  never invented the bullet — their guns, known 
  as “boltcasters,” ﬁ re short metal arrows or spikes. 
  Th ey’ve never learned how to build tall structures, 
  since there’s so much space on Jupiter that build-
  JOVIAN
  PACKAGE 
  DEALS
  Lailags, Naivars, and 
  Scoravs don’t have Pack-
  age Deals. Like Humans, 
  they represent a sort of 
  “baseline” from which 
  other Jovian races 
  diverge (as indicated 
  by their own Package 
  Deals).
  Butars have +1 STR, 
  +1 INT, and -2 COM. 
  Th ey also take the Social 
  Limitation Butar to 
  represent the fact that 
  so few people like them 
  (Frequently, Minor, Not 
  Limiting In Some Soci-
  eties; 5 points).
  Kruhars have a 0-point 
  Physical Limitation 
  regarding their limited 
  ability to use other races’ 
  weapons and equipment 
  properly; all other races 
  have similar Physical 
  Limitations regarding 
  the use of Kruhar gear 
  (see text).
  7 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  8 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ings can remain ﬂ at and broad and still provide 
  plenty of living space. As a result, Jovian cities tend 
  to be large and spread out.
  Fortunately, Jovian fauna provides a solution to 
  the problem posed by the planet’s size. Th e main 
  beast of burden isn’t an animal resembling a cow 
  or horse, but a pteranodon-like reptilian creature 
  called a gundar. A small gundar can carry one or 
  two people; a large one can carry multiple people 
  and/or loads of a ton or more. Unlike Humans, 
  who’ve only been able to ﬂ y for about three 
  decades, Jovians took to the skies tens of thou-
  sands of years ago. Th is makes it much easier to 
  cross long distances quickly. Th e typically broad, 
  ﬂ at-roofed Jovian buildings make ﬁ ne landing 
  platforms; gundars “parked” on roofs awaiting their 
  masters’ return are a common sight.
  Th anks to the size of Jupiter and its popula-
  tion, the Jovians have every diﬀ erent form of 
  government and society imaginable:  kingdoms, 
  autarchies, oligarchies, democracies, theocracies, 
  militocracies, and many more (including some 
  with no real Human equivalent). Keeping track of 
  the shift ing political, social, and military landscape 
  taxes the brainpower of even the cleverest Human 
  explorer... especially since the tens of thousands of 
  Jovian languages oft en make communication dif-
  ﬁ cult!
  Th e Jovian Wars
  Humans soon discovered that while they greatly 
  outmatch the Jovians technologically, the inhabit-
  ants of Jupiter outnumber Human explorers by 
  millions or billions to one, making true conquest 
  impractical. Instead, Earth’s governments adopted 
  policies of “allying” with diﬀ erent races, nations, 
  and cities, building relationships in which various 
  Jovian peoples would come to depend on Humans’ 
  better technology and superior cultural values, 
  making their nations in eﬀ ect Human protector-
  ates. Th is plan succeeded admirably, thanks in large 
  part to the tradition of frequent, usually short-term, 
  warfare among Jovian peoples and countries.
  As noted above, Humans oft en help the Jovians 
  ﬁ ght their wars directly, not just by providing mate-
  riel. Human soldiers and explorers man (or at least 
  command) the airships and tanks sent to Jupiter, 
  and more than a few have ended up dead on Jovian 
  battleﬁ elds. Each of the seven Great Powers knows 
  this is going on, but deliberately ignore the implica-
  tions so they can avoid provoking a war on Earth 
  and can keep using Jupiter as a testing ground for 
  new weapons and tactics.
  Since the Jovians have had air transport for 
  thousands of years, much of their ﬁ ghting takes 
  place in the skies, between soldiers riding gundars 
  and ﬁ ring boltcasters at the enemy. Human aid 
  oft en takes the form of airplanes and zeppelins, 
  with which the Jovians are relatively comfortable. 
  Th e thick atmosphere of Jupiter makes it ideal for 
  aircraft , particularly dirigibles... provided one stays 
  well clear of the Red Spot and other such storms.
  SATURN
  Th e ringed planet is a disputed territory, claimed 
  by both Germany and Great Britain. While it seems 
  to possess no native life, intelligent or otherwise, 
  its natural resources (both on the ground and in 
  the rings) are vast. Both nations have devoted large 
  numbers of rocketships to try to protect their pros-
  pectors and explorers on Saturn; raids, skirmishes, 
  and even small battles take place frequently.
  NEPTUNE
  Th e planet Neptune, a stormy, wintry world 
  with little to recommend it to Humanity, is a Rus-
  sian colony. Initially it was passed over by all the 
  Great Powers, since it has no native life and there 
  were easier pickings in terms of resources. But a 
  maverick Russian prospector exploring a range of 
  Neptunian mountains discovered something that 
  altered the equation:  a new mineral called neptu-
  nium. When processed and mixed with ordinary 
  fuel, neptunium makes that fuel far more power-
  ful and eﬃ  cient. Neptunium fuel has become one 
  of Russia’s most important exports, and it guards 
  the source of neptunium jealously. Occasionally 
  a daring prospector tries to slip past the Russian 
  rocketship blockade to mine a shipful of neptu-
  nium, but far more oft en than not such thieves are 
  captured, tried, and executed.
  Ice Volcanoes Of Triton
  Neptune has but one moon, Triton, whose 
  name was only recently agreed upon. Like its 
  parent world, Triton is icy and desolate, with enor-
  mous “ice volcanoes” that spew chunks of ice and 
  near-frozen water over vast distances. Even more 
  intriguingly, it orbits Neptune in the opposite direc-
  tion of Neptune’s own rotation and has a highly-
  tilted orbit. Th e Russian protective cordon around 
  Neptune includes Triton; if anything, the Russians 
  protect Triton even more strongly than Neptune 
  itself, which is unusual given that they don’t seem 
  to have any mines or other facilities there.
  THE UNCOLONIZED WORLDS
  Mercury, Uranus, and Pluto remain uncolo-
  nized, and largely unexplored. Approaching Mer-
  cury is dangerous, since getting that close to the 
  Sun’s heat usually destroys aetherial sails. Explorers 
  who’ve tried to get there, typically by approach-
  ing from within the planet’s shadow, have almost 
  always ended up dead due to mischance or mis-
  calculation. Uranus and Pluto are easy enough to 
  reach, but don’t appear to oﬀ er any resources worth 
  pursuing when so many other worlds are keeping 
  Humanity busy. Someday that may change, and 
  even today an occasional daring prospector or 
  explore sometimes picks over Uranus and Pluto, 
  hoping for a major discovery that will make him 
  rich and famous.
  MINERVA, THE TENTH PLANET
  In 1931, one of the early space explorers, an 
  American named William Hazel, discovered some-
  thing no astronomer had ever suspected — a tenth 
  planet! Located several million miles beyond Pluto 
  (which itself was only discovered in 1930), and 
  GUNDARS
  For gundars, use the 
  Pteranodon character 
  sheet on page 155 of Th e 
  HERO System Bestiary, 
  but with a few changes. 
  Depending on size (and 
  sometimes breeding 
  and training), gundars 
  typically have Damage 
  Resistance (2-4 PD/2-4 
  ED), 10-30 BODY, STRs 
  of 25-40, and Flight 
  12-30”.
  Raising gundars can be 
  a valuable profession on 
  Jupiter. Diﬀ erent breeds 
  are regarded as better 
  for racing, cargo carry-
  ing, riding, and other 
  uses, and Jovians debate 
  endlessly about the 
  merits of the diﬀ erent 
  strains and breeders.
  NEPTUNIUM 
  IN GAME 
  TERMS
  In HERO System terms, 
  neptunium is required 
  for rocketpacks (page 
  23). Rocketships use 
  ordinary fuel most of 
  the time, but can ﬂ y 
  longer and faster on 
  neptunium fuel. If a 
  rocketship is fueled with 
  neptunium fuel, increase 
  the END of its Endur-
  ance Reserve by 50%.
  
  only about three times Pluto’s size, it was named 
  Minerva. America claims it as a colony, and has 
  established several small, domed mining communi-
  ties on its airless surface.
  Beyond Sol
  As Humanity soon learned aft er entering space, 
  the Solar System isn’t the only piece of galactic real 
  estate open to mankind. Several other nearby stars 
  have planets of their own... sometimes with native 
  life.
  HUMAN COLONIES
  Mankind’s imperial ambitions aren’t limited 
  to the Solar System. Several worlds orbiting other 
  stars have become Human colonies or protector-
  ates.
  Alpha And Proxima Centauri
  Th e triple star of Alpha Centauri A and B and 
  Proxima Centauri is the closest star to Earth aft er 
  Sol, and supports a system of ﬁ ve planets. Two 
  of these planets, named Chiron and Pholus, have 
  roughly Earth-like atmospheres and are naturally 
  inhabitable by Humans; the other three are airless 
  and good only for mining and the like. Th e Ameri-
  cans and British have colonized Chiron, which 
  has no intelligent life; the Italians control Pholus, 
  a world of gigantic vegetation inhabited by the 
  Suradi, a race of bear-men.
  Sirius
  Sirius, a star eight light-years from Earth, has 
  fourteen planets, only one of which, the third, sup-
  ports life. Conquered in 1933 by the Imperial Space 
  Patrol, it’s the home of a race of semi-intelligent 
  ape-men now enslaved by the Japanese. Sirians 
  frequently serve on Japanese ships or in other Japa-
  nese colonies as menial servants and laborers; they 
  can be trained to perform simple duties like waiting 
  on table, farming crops, and hauling heavy loads.
  Epsilon Eridani
  Epsilon Eridani is a diﬃ  cult to traverse system 
  of ﬁ ve asteroid belts, two dust rings, and ten plan-
  ets. Two of the planets, known simply as C and D, 
  are worth colonizing, though they have no life-
  forms more advanced than insects and ﬁ sh. Th e 
  Italians have settled on C (at a high cost in ships 
  and men); and the French have claimed D and 
  built there a pleasant seaside town known as New 
  Marseilles. Many travelers heading further out into 
  space stop at New Marseilles for a few days of rest 
  and relaxation on the ground.
  Procyon
  Procyon has a single planet, a lush world with 
  wide belts of forest, jungle, and grasslands. Several 
  Great Powers have tried to colonize it, but all such 
  eﬀ orts have failed, for two reasons. First, over one-
  third of Procyon’s plant and animal life possesses 
  venom lethal to Humans. Second, the natives, 
  a pygmy race called the Zrgash, have fought all 
  potential colonizers ﬁ ercely, using primitive (but 
  poisoned) weapons and berserker tactics to slaugh-
  ter any oﬀ worlders they encounter. No explorer has 
  dared to visit Procyon since 1933.
  Tau Ceti
  Tau Ceti is a relatively Sol-like star, and know-
  ing that, explorers raced to see who’d be the ﬁ rst to 
  reach it and claim any planets it might have. Th e 
  winners were a Russian ship and an Italian ship, 
  which entered the system almost simultaneously in 
  1931. What they discovered, unfortunately, was a 
  system of nine worlds, all of which were relatively 
  deﬁ cient in iron and other heavy metals, making 
  them poor candidates for mining.
  On the third planet they found something more 
  interesting:  intelligent life. Th e natives were a race 
  of insect-men sometimes called the Cetians or Ceti 
  bug-men, but most oft en known by a translation of 
  their own name for themselves:  the Tau Collective. 
  Th e Tau are a “hive mind,” with each Tau connected 
  to the others by a psychic bond that even Human 
  sensitives can’t entirely fathom. But since in eﬀ ect 
  every Tau can know anything any other Tau knows, 
  there’s little privacy and society usually responds to 
  threats and opportunities as a single unit (or, at the 
  very least, as several large groups with distinctly-
  deﬁ ned opinions).
  Recognizing both the danger the newcomers 
  presented and the opportunity they oﬀ ered, the 
  elders of the Tau Collective quickly entered into 
  negotiations with both the Russians and the Ital-
  ians to establish trade relations. Th ey pointed out 
  that their planet had relatively little of the usual 
  resources Humans wanted, such as iron and gems, 
  and instead established treaties based on the 
  exchange of native goods and other items of lesser 
  interest. As a result, to this day Tau Ceti remains 
  uncolonized by mankind; it’s just a trading partner. 
  Th e Tau have mid-nineteenth century technology, 
  but no rocketships and no particular desire to go 
  into space.
  Kapteyn’s Star
  Th e eight-planet solar system of Kapteyn’s Star 
  is a German possession. Th e natives of the fourth 
  planet, known to mankind simply as the Kapteyn, 
  are very Human-like in appearance, but tend to be 
  three or four inches taller than Humans and have 
  light green skin and dark green hair. Strong, aggres-
  sive, and accustomed to discipline and structure 
  under a planetary government that’s ruled for two 
  centuries, they make ideal German subjects. Th e 
  Reichsraum Marine and Wehrmacht have even 
  begun ﬁ elding some all-Kapteyn ﬁ ghting squads 
  with German oﬃ  cers.
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  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  10 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  The Dracon Empire
  Nearly twenty light-years from Earth mankind 
  encountered its ﬁ rst rival among the stars. Th e 
  Dracon Empire, born on the third world orbiting 
  the star Humans call Sigma Draconis, controls that 
  system as well as the systems of Altair, Vega, and 
  several other stars.
  ASTRA ships ﬁ rst made contact with the 
  Dracons in 1932, at which point by Human esti-
  mates the Dracons had been traveling in space for 
  around 30 years. Internal political turmoil, resolved 
  in 1929 with the ascension of the powerful emperor 
  Krogan III, kept the Empire from expanding 
  further (and perhaps even reaching and conquer-
  ing Earth). At ﬁ rst relations between the Dracons 
  and Humans were peaceful, if tense; some trade 
  developed. But in 1934 a clash between Human 
  and Dracon explorers led to a short but intense 
  war between the Empire and the combined space 
  ﬂ eets of the United States, Great Britain, France, 
  and Italy. Th e war ended in a draw, with the partici-
  pants dividing the planets in the disputed systems 
  among themselves, but relations between Earth and 
  Dracon have remained shaky ever since.
  THE DRACONS
  On the outside, the Dracons resemble Humans 
  in most respects, though their eyes and hair tend 
  to shades impossible on Earth (bright blue, green, 
  purple, pink). Typically eye and hair color match, 
  though not always; baldness is extremely rare, 
  and usually regarded as a sign of the gods’ disfa-
  vor. Internally, the Dracons have two stomachs, 
  allowing them to eat substances Humans cannot 
  (outside of that, Human and Dracon food is highly 
  compatible; the Dracons particularly enjoy Russian 
  and various Eastern cuisines, and several Dracon 
  spices have become popular on Earth). To Human 
  eyes, Dracons, particularly Dracon women, tend 
  to be exotically attractive; the Dracons seem to 
  feel the same way about Humans. According to the 
  best Human estimates, the overall population of 
  Dracons is about half again as large as the popula-
  tion of Humans.
  Imperial Government
  Th e Dracon Empire rules not only all of Dracon 
  itself, but all other worlds in the Empire, with an 
  iron ﬁ st. Th e Empire has existed for nearly a thou-
  sand years, with the current ruling dynasty — the 
  House of Ronak, to give its Human name — in 
  power for about the past three centuries. Rule is 
  hereditary, passing to the eldest child (male or 
  female) upon the death of his or her parent.
   Th e emperor’s power is absolute, but he 
  depends on a large coterie of nobles (referred to 
  as dukes, counts, and barons by Humans) and an 
  extensive, eﬃ  cient bureaucracy to administer his 
  empire. Many emperors, including Krogan III, have 
  large families and rely on their adult children to 
  assume special responsibilities (though with some 
  risk of a prince or princess deposing his parent and 
  seizing power). Krogan III has eight children, ﬁ ve 
  of them adults and three teenagers. His eldest and 
  heir is the beautiful Princess Aluria, who seems to 
  possess all his gift s of wisdom, diplomacy, courtesy, 
  subtlety... and treachery.
  Th e Dracon Empire maintains a large and pow-
  erful military. Soldiers and aethernauts alike wear 
  distinctive uniforms with brown tunics and boots, 
  gold pants and gloves, gold piping on the chest and 
  shoulders to indicate service and rank, and a ﬁ nned 
  golden helmet.
  Dracon Technology
  In many respects, Dracon technology is slightly 
  — slightly — less advanced and powerful than 
  Human devices. For example, Dracon energy pis-
  tols ﬁ re a weaker beam, and Dracon rocketships 
  are just a little slower than Human ones. But the 
  Dracons have made some advances that still elude 
  Humans. Th e most notable of these are air-cars 
  — small ﬂ ying vehicles that move through the air 
  by manipulating gravity rather than using propel-
  lers or rockets. Every Earth government covets this 
  technology, but the Dracons guard it very closely.
  Dracon cities tend to resembly Human cities, 
  though the Dracons prefer less decor on their 
  buildings than Earth-men do. Dracon buildings 
  are oft en much taller than the equivalent Human 
  structures, with landing-ramps for air-cars and 
  sometimes sky-walkways connecting two or more 
  buildings.
  Dracon rocketships work much the same way as 
  Human ships, but their appearance is slightly dif-
  ferent (see page 14).
  The Frontier
  Th e furthest Human explorers have reached so 
  far is Pollux, a star 35 light-years from Earth. Out 
  on the frontier colonies tend to be few, life rough, 
  and pirates and raiders a constant threat.
  ARCTURUS
  Arcturus is an enormous system with 16 plan-
  ets spread over a much greater area than Sol’s ten. 
  What’s more, at least a dozen of them seem to pos-
  sess extensive mineral or other resources desireable 
  by Humans, and four have Earth-like environ-
  ments. Every Great Power has established at least 
  one colony here, with the four habitable worlds 
  claimed by Great Britain and France, Italy and 
  Germany, the United States, and Russia and Japan 
  respectively. However, all claims remain somewhat 
  in doubt pending ﬁ nal resolution of the issue by 
  negotiators back on Earth, so everyone out there’s 
  scrabbling for as much as he can.
  Two Arcturan worlds — Aramec, the one 
  claimed by Italy and Germany, and Azimech, 
  claimed by the United States — have intelligent 
  native life. Th e Aramecans are a primitive reptilian 
  folk easily conquered by the armies of Duce and 
  Führer, and who are now used for menial labor by 
  the Italians and Germans. Th e Azimechans are a 
  bird-people with wings sprouting from their backs 
  that allow them to ﬂ y; they’ve become an American 
  protectorate in exchange for favorable trade treaties 
  and access to many forms of American technology.
  DRACON 
  PACKAGE 
  DEAL
  Dracons have +1 CON 
  and +1 COM.
  
  POLLUX
  Th e Pollux system of nine planets has only 
  barely been explored so far, mostly by the Italians. 
  Th ey haven’t ﬁ rmly determined its suitability for 
  colonization, but it seems as if two of the worlds 
  might make valuable possessions.
  PIRATES
  Because the Arcturan system is so distant from 
  Earth (even the fastest ships take just over a month 
  to get there) and so rich, it’s become a particularly 
  fertile ground for piracy. Pirates in search of riches 
  waylay and board merchant vessels in search of 
  valuable ore or native goods, which they can sell 
  for good money elsewhere. All the Great Powers 
  have stationed military rocketships in the Arcturus 
  system to protect trade, but there are only so many 
  ships to go around and the pirates are many and 
  clever.
  TECHNOLOGY
  Th e discovery of the aether and its properties 
  has led technology down many strange and won-
  drous avenues that would otherwise have remained 
  unexplored for centuries (if ever). It’s enabled man-
  kind not just to create rocketships capable of cross-
  ing interstellar distances, but amazing new weapons 
  and other devices that have made the world of 1935 
  a very, very diﬀ erent place from the Earth of previ-
  ous generations.
  Rocketships
  Th e most amazing aetherial invention is, of 
  course, the rocketship — a vehicle that allows 
  Humans to travel from Earth to other planets and 
  solar systems.
  Th e rocketships of the Solar Smith setting are 
  tall cylinders that taper to a point at the forward, 
  or top, end. Th ey have three or more large ﬁ ns at 
  the aft  end (where the rocket thrusters are located) 
  that support them when they rest on the ground. 
  Some have “spars” projecting out of the front; these 
  oft en contain space radio antennae and scanners. 
  In game terms, they range from Size 5 (a one-man 
  ﬁ ghter, with strong rockets, weak aetherial sails, 
  and lots of maneuverability) to Size 22 (roughly the 
  same size as a modern aircraft  carrier).
  PROPULSION:  ROCKET THRUSTERS AND 
  AETHERIAL SAILS
  Rocketships have two propulsion devices. Th e 
  ﬁ rst and foremost are chemical rocket thrusters 
  located at the aft  end of the ship. Th ese allow the 
  ship to blast oﬀ  from or land on planetary surfaces, 
  and provide for short-range, low-speed travel 
  within space itself. Th ey use normal rocket fuel.
  At one or more of three points along the body 
  — just forward of the ﬁ ns, about one-ﬁ ft h to one-
  fourth aft  of the top, and along the spar — are 
  circular “vanes.” Every rocketship must have at 
  least one vane (most have multiple vanes), for it is 
  these devices that allow the ship to reach the speeds 
  necessary to ﬂ y between planets and stars quickly. 
  Engineers call them aetherial propulsion units 
  (APUs), but most aethernauts and other people 
  refer to them as aetherial sails.
  A rocketship uses its rockets to leave a planet’s 
  atmosphere and attain what’s known as aether-
  speed:  the speed at which the electrically-charged 
  aetherial sails can “catch the aetherial wind” or 
  “push against the aether” (theoretical physicists 
  describe the phenomenon diﬀ erently, and argue 
  about it constantly). However it works, the eﬀ ect is 
  the same:  it allows the ship to reach the translight 
  or near-translight speeds that make interstellar 
  travel feasible. Th e more aetherial sails a rocketship 
  has, the faster it can travel; at present the fastest 
  known rocketships can reach speeds of roughly one 
  light-year per day.
  Unlike the canvas sails of aquatic ships, aethe-
  rial sails don’t work just by being present — they 
  require a charge of electricity from the ship’s power 
  plant to keep them “turned on.” Th rough valence 
  modulation — the alteration of the ﬂ ow of elec-
  tricity to the aetherial sails — a rocketship’s pilot 
  adjusts its speed; minor adjustments in the angle of 
  the ﬁ ns allow him to steer and maneuver. (In some 
  cases, valence modulation can also improve a ship’s 
  speed or maneuverability slightly.)
  Propulsion In Game Terms
  In HERO System terms, rocketships represent 
  their movement abilities with a two-slot Multip-
  ower. Th e ﬁ rst slot, the rockets, is Flight that Costs 
  Endurance; the END is supplied by an Endurance 
  Reserve that can only Recover through refueling. 
  Th us, a ship has to carefully monitor how oft en 
  it uses its rockets — since it needs the rockets to 
  reach translight speeds with the aetherial sails, 
  burning too much fuel leaves it stranded. Th is is 
  especially problematic for ships that might engage 
  in space combat (see below).
  Th e second slot is FTL Travel that does not cost 
  END (its power is supplied by the ship’s power 
  plant, which for game purposes has a basically 
  limitless ability to generate electricity for the ship’s 
  needs). Th is represents the aetherial sails. Th e top 
  speed for ships is 1 light-year per day (28 points’ 
  worth of FTL Travel), unless the GM rules other-
  wise. Th e fastest ships tend to be the mid-sized ones 
  — “destroyers,” in space navy parlance — because 
  they have room for large rockets and plenty of 
  aetherial sails. Small ships can’t mount large rockets 
  or many sails, and large ships have too much mass 
  to move quickly.
  A ship can only activate its FTL Travel slot if (a) 
  it’s in space (i.e., outside an atmosphere), and (b) 
  aft er it reaches a velocity of at least 500” per Phase. 
  Th is is a -¼ Limitation on the FTL Travel slot.
  THE DYNOTRONIC BRAIN
  Even the smallest rocketship is a fantastically 
  complex piece of technology that has to function 
  smoothly at all times lest its occupants die in the 
  pitiless vacuum of space. Keeping all of its systems 
  working in concert as they’re supposed to is a task 
  that would strain the attention span, patience, and 
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  12 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  ingenuity of a whole corps of well-trained engi-
  neers. But fortunately, Humans don’t have to do the 
  work.
  In 1927, as the nations of the world were ﬁ rst 
  beginning to experiment with Gernsback-God-
  dard aetherial rocket technology, American sci-
  entist Vannevar Bush developed a device that he 
  ﬁ rst called simply an “electronic brain,” but later 
  renamed as the dynotronic brain. Bush’s work on 
  this device was another reason for America’s early 
  superiority in space travel and colonization.
  A calculating device of immense power and 
  complexity, a dynotronic brain can monitor all of a 
  rocketship’s functions, keep the ship’s most impor-
  tant systems (such as life support) calibrated and 
  operating properly, and otherwise perform many 
  necessary but onerous shipboard tasks that would 
  otherwise fall to more fallible Humans. Addition-
  ally, a ship’s dynotronic brain serves as a vast library 
  and scientiﬁ c instrument, giving the crew access to 
  much of the assembled knowledge of mankind and 
  the capacity to perform all sorts of scientiﬁ c tests 
  and scans. A ship without a functioning dynotronic 
  brain is, in eﬀ ect, crippled.
  Dynotronic Brains In Game Terms
  In game terms a dynotronic brain could be built 
  as a Computer. For the most part they’re simply 
  plot devices — none of the example ships later in 
  this section has one — but players and GMs can 
  add them to their ships if they like.
  WEAPONS
  While most rocketships are built for peaceful 
  purposes — travel, exploration, trade — there’s no 
  denying that the world’s governments ﬁ eld many 
  a ship for military or law enforcement purposes. 
  Th ese rocketships are armed with various weapons 
  and defensive systems. Similarly, some peaceful 
  ships may have “tools” that can function as weap-
  ons; for example, an asteroid prospector might 
  mount an energy beam for cutting up large chunks 
  of rock that he could turn against a pirate ship if 
  necessary. Human rocketships carry two type of 
  weapons:  klystron beams and space torpedoes.
  KLYSTRON BEAMS
  Effect: 
   RKA 10d6, Increased Maxi-
  mum Range, No Range Modi-
  ﬁ er
  Target/Area Affected:  One rocketship
  Duration:   
  Instant
  Range:   
  16,000” (20 miles)
  Charges/END Cost: 
   Varies (see text)
  Breakability:  
  75 DEF
  Description:  Based on technology similar to that 
  found in electric pistols (see page 21), the klystron 
  beam (or klystron projector) is a weapon that ﬁ res 
  a large bolt of energy which can cut through metal 
  (and sometimes energy shields) with ease. Based 
  on the device’s exact settings and systems, the beam 
  may have diﬀ erent appearances (again, just like 
  electric pistols); diﬀ erent Human nations typically 
  have distinctive beams so they can identify their 
  own ships in combat.
  Klystron beams have a maximum range of 
  16,000”, or about 20 miles. Beyond that, they spread 
  out and weaken to the point where they have no 
  signiﬁ cant damaging eﬀ ect. A klystron beam must 
  either have Charges (representing a system-spe-
  ciﬁ c battery that must be recharged from the ship’s 
  power plant) or be bought to cost 0 END (meaning 
  they’re hooked directly into the power plant).
  Th e basic klystron beam listed here is the Amer-
  ican military version, a straight royal or navy blue 
  bolt of energy. Th e options show the typical varia-
  tions found in other nations’ beams; sometimes a 
  rocketship’s engineers alter its klystron beams to 
  function diﬀ erently.
  Game Information:  RKA 10d6, Increased Max-
  imum Range (16,000”, or about 20 miles; +½), 
  No Range Modiﬁ er (+½), Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½) (375 Active Points); OIF Bulky 
  (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 Degrees; -1). Total 
  cost:  125 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Klystron Beam:  Increase to RKA 12d6. 
  450 Active Points; total cost 150 points.
  2)  Weak Klystron Beam:  Decrease to RKA 8d6. 300 
  Active Points; total cost 100 points.
  3)  Civilian Klystron Beam:  Th e civilian klystron 
  beam, installed on the ships of licensed prospec-
  tors and the like, is weaker and has a shorter 
  range than military versions. Decrease to RKA 
  6d6 and Increased Maximum Range (2,250”; +¼) 
  and remove No Range Modiﬁ er (+½). 157 Active 
  Points; total cost 52 points.
  4)  French Klystron Beam:  French klystron beams 
  are a sort of bright burgundy color. Although 
  possessing less raw power than the American ver-
  sion, they’re modulated so that they cut through 
  defenses more easily (in game terms, reduce the 
  target’s defenses by one-fourth or 3 points [which-
  ever is less], unless those defenses are Hardened). 
  Decrease to RKA 8d6 and add Semi-Armor Pierc-
  ing (see Dark Champions, page 97; +¼). 330 Active 
  Points; total cost 110 points.
  5)  German Klystron Beam:  Th e German klystron 
  beam ﬁ res a pulsed green bolt that lets the ship hit 
  a single target multiple times, or target multiple tar-
  gets in close proximity to one another. Decrease to 
  RKA 8d6, add Autoﬁ re (4 shots; +½), and increase 
  the cost of Reduced Endurance to +1. 420 Active 
  Points; total cost 140 points.
  6)  British Klystron Beam:  Th e yellow-gold colored 
  British klystron beam incorporates technology 
  that makes it particularly eﬀ ective against energy 
  shields. Decrease to RKA 9d6 (337 Active Points; 
  total cost 112 points), and also buy as a naked 
  Advantage Armor Piercing (+½), Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½) (112 Active Points); OIF Bulky 
  (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 Degrees; -1), Only 
  Works Against Energy Shields (-½) (total cost:  32 
  points). Total cost of weapon 497 Active Points, 144 
  Real Points.
  
  7)  Italian Klystron Beam:  Italian klystron beams are 
  sky blue. While it’s noticeably less powerful than 
  other nations’, the Italian projector can maintain 
  the beam on target for long periods of time to burn 
  through all but the toughest defenses. Decrease to 
  RKA 5d6 and add Continuous (+1) (262 Active 
  Points; total cost 87 points) and also buy as a naked 
  Advantage Penetrating (+½), Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½) (57 Active Points); OIF Bulky (-1), 
  Limited Arc Of Fire (60 Degrees; -1), Only Applies 
  Aft er Continuous Eﬀ ect Has Been Maintained For 
  Two Phases (-¼) (total cost:  17 points). Total cost 
  of weapon 319 Active Points, 104 Real Points.
  8)  Japanese Klystron Beam:  Japanese klystron 
  projectors, which ﬁ re a purple beam, are built to 
  cover a much larger arc of ﬁ re. Change Limited Arc 
  Of Fire (60 Degrees; -1) to 180 Degrees (-½). Total 
  cost:  150 points.
  9)  Russian Klystron Beam:  Th e Russian klystron 
  beam is (appropriately enough) red. It uses the 
  same writeup as the American beam.
  10)  Dracon Klystron Beam:  Th e Dracon klystron 
  beam is a sort of pulsating red, obviously diﬀ erent 
  from the Russian beam. RKA 8d6, Increased Maxi-
  mum Range (16,000”, or about 20 miles; +½), No 
  Range Modiﬁ er (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +½) (300 Active Points); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited 
  Arc Of Fire (60 Degrees; -1). Total cost:  100 points.
  SPACE TORPEDOES
  Effect:  
  RKA 14d6, Indirect, No Range 
  Modiﬁ er
  Target/Area Affected:  Explosion, MegaScale (1 km 
  hexes)
  Duration: 
  Instant
  Range: 
  8,045” (10 miles)
  Charges: 
  12 Charges 
  Breakability: 
  136 DEF
  Description:  Space torpedoes are miniature rockets 
  containing a powerful explosive charge. Th ey have 
  only half the range of a klystron beam (they self-
  destruct harmlessly when they reach that range, 
  or if they miss their target), but are more powerful 
  and release an explosion that covers such a vast 
  area it may aﬀ ect more than one ship. On the other 
  hand, if the military oﬃ  cer who ﬁ red it isn’t care-
  ful when he calculates his point of detonation, the 
  explosion may catch his own ship, too!
  A rocketship typically has space-torp launchers 
  mounted at several points on its body. A system of 
  pneumatic tubes shuttles the torpedoes between the 
  launchers so they’re ﬁ red from the most tactically 
  advantageous one. Ships usually only carry a small 
  number of torpedoes; having too many on board 
  has proven dangerous — if an enemy attack hap-
  pened to hit and detonate one, it would destroy the 
  ship. Some warships are willing to take that chance, 
  and stock up on space-torps.
  Game Information:  RKA 14d6, Explosion (+½), 
  MegaScale (each hex of the Explosion is 1 km 
  wide, deep, and broad; +¼), Indirect (always 
  originates from ship, but can strike at any 
  angle; +½), Indirect (can ﬁ re from any of sev-
  eral points on the ship’s body; +¼), Increased 
  Maximum Range (8,045”, or 10 miles; +¼), No 
  Range Modiﬁ er (+½) (682 Active Points); OIF 
  Bulky (-1), 12 Charges (-¼). Total cost:  303 
  points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Space Torpedo:  Increase to RKA 16d6. 
  780 Active Points; total cost 347 points.
  2)  Weak Space Torpedo:  Decrease to RKA 12d6. 
  Th is also represents the standard Dracon space tor-
  pedo. 585 Active Points; total cost 260 points.
  3)  More Or Fewer Space Torpedoes:  Some rocket-
  ships carry smaller or larger complements of tor-
  pedoes:
   
  4 torpedoes:  227 Real Points
  8 torpedoes:  273 Real Points
  20 torpedoes:  735 Active Points; total cost 
  327 points
  40 torpedoes:  787 Active Points; total cost 
  350 points
  100 torpedoes:  840 Active Points; total cost 
  373 points
  4)  Dedicated Launcher:  Smaller ships, including 
  one-man ﬁ ghters, usually only have a single space 
  torpedo launcher and fewer torpedoes. Remove 
  Indirect (+¼) and decrease Charges to 4 (-1). 630 
  Active Points; total cost 210 points.
  5)  Improved Torpedo:  Th is form of space torpedo 
  creates an even larger explosion. Change to Explo-
  sion (-1 DC/2”; +¾). 735 Active Points; total cost 
  327 points.
  DEFENSES
  Rocketships have two things that protect them 
  from enemy attacks. First, there’s the ship’s hull. 
  Typically constructed of steel manufactured with 
  aetherial technology to make it both stronger and 
  lighter weight than regular steel, the hull provides 
  the ship with physical integrity. Once it’s breached, 
  the interior components and occupants of a rocket-
  ship suﬀ er damage and injury.
  Second, most ships come equipped with energy 
  shields. Projected around the ship by devices built 
  into the hull, a shield ideally prevents the force of 
  an attack from ever reaching the hull; failing that, 
  the shield hopefully weakens the attack enough to 
  prevent it from piercing the hull. A ship’s shields 
  use power from its power plant.
  In game terms, a ship’s hull is its DEF, and its 
  energy shield is a Force Field bought to cost 0 END. 
  Hull DEF typically ranges from 8-12, sometimes 
  as high as 15 on military rocketships; Force Fields 
  usually provide 5-15 additional points of PD and 
  ED. Th e Force Field can be Hardened if desired, 
  though this is rare. Dracon rocketships have the 
  same average defenses as Human vessels.
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  14 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  
  ROCKETSHIP COMBAT
  Combat in outer space is a dangerous and diﬃ  -
  cult thing — the least tactical error can leave a ship 
  destroyed, or the ship itself stranded and the crew 
  condemned to a slow death through starvation. A 
  captain takes his ship into combat only aft er careful 
  calculation and planning... or when circumstances 
  force his hand.
  Rocketship combat cannot take place at trans-
  light speed (i.e., when a ship’s using its FTL Travel). 
  Th e aetherial energies that surround a ship moving 
  that fast prevent klystron beams from functioning 
  and cause space torpedoes to explode the instant 
  they leave the launcher (causing signiﬁ cant damage 
  to the launching ship). Naturally, all the spacefaring 
  nations have scientists working hard to overcome 
  these limitations; the scientist who succeeds is 
  assured of wealth and fame.
  Th us, ships must drop to normal speeds and use 
  their rocket engines when they want to ﬁ ght. Th is 
  creates a tactical and logistical challenge:  a ship 
  that moves and maneuvers a lot is harder to hit... 
  but uses a lot more of its precious fuel. Winning a 
  battle does a ship little good if it lacks the fuel to 
  attain aetherspeed or to land at its destination.
  Beyond these parameters, and those imposed by 
  the weapons and defensive systems themselves (see 
  above), rocketship combat in the Aetherial Earth 
  setting uses the standard HERO System vehicular 
  combat rules. Ignore “realistic” aspects such as ship’s 
  gravity, G-force, vehicle Hit Location charts, and 
  the like — this is Pulp Hero, aft er all! For dramatic 
  purposes those considerations can get in the way of 
  exciting adventure, so you can ignore them if you 
  want to (just assume the ship’s systems compensate 
  for them). On the other hand, if your group really 
  enjoys ship combat, you’re welcome to expand on 
  the rules as much as you like to come up with the 
  right balance of Pulp-y action and detailed combat 
  to suit you.
  SHIPBOARD LIFE
  Ships range from one-man scouts and ﬁ ght-
  ers to enormous military cruisers, with just about 
  everything in between cropping up at one point 
  or another. In most Aetherial Earth campaigns, 
  the most common ships will be mid-sized vessels, 
  referred to by most space forces as “destroyers.” 
  Th ey’re usually Size 10-16 and have crews ranging 
  from a dozen or less to about a hundred.
  In ASTRA (and, under diﬀ erent titles and des-
  ignations, other Human space navies), command 
  of a ship rests in a Captain, whose word aboard 
  ship is law but who’s required to abide by ASTRA 
  rules and regulations (which are largely the same 
  as those for the US Navy). Th e second in com-
  mand, known as the Commander, is the ship’s chief 
  military oﬃ  cer. He’s responsible for making sure 
  the weapons crews know how to do their jobs, that 
  the ship’s weapons are in good order, that tactical 
  doctrines are followed, and so forth. In battle the 
  Captain may virtually cede control of the ship to 
  the Commander, though many captains were once 
  commanders themselves and see no need for that. 
  Th e Commander also leads the ship’s contingent 
  of marines (if any), who function as a shipboard 
  security force.
  Besides the captain and the commander, other 
  key ship’s personnel include:
  —the Pilot, who steers the ship and regulates its 
  speed
  —the Technical Ofﬁ cer, who’s responsible for seeing 
  that all scientiﬁ c research conducted aboard the 
  ship complies with Space Navy orders and regula-
  tions, performing investigations and research as 
  requested by the captain, and in general bringing 
  his scientiﬁ c acumen to bear to help solve problems 
  that confront the ship.
  —the Ship’s Engineer, whose duty it is to see that 
  the ship remains in proper working order, to per-
  form repairs and maintenance as necessary, and so 
  forth. He may work closely with the Commander 
  in combat situations, and the Technical Oﬃ  cer in 
  scientiﬁ c situations.
  —the Medical Ofﬁ cer, who sees to the crew’s health, 
  patches up injured crewmen, and tries to cure the 
  strange alien diseases crewmen sometimes contract 
  planetside. He may work closely with the Technical 
  Oﬃ  cer in some situations.
  Besides these crewmen, most ships have a com-
  plement of lower-ranking aethernauts who perform 
  the many jobs necessary to make a space journey 
  as safe and comfortable as possible. ASTRA accepts 
  women into its ranks, though it has had few women 
  apply to join, and no senior oﬃ  cers are women.
  ASTRA rocketships tend to be somewhat 
  cramped most of the time, but not much more so 
  than an aquatic navy ship. Aethernauts are intel-
  ligent, highly-trained people who tend to have high 
  morale despite the sometimes diﬃ  cult conditions 
  of their jobs. For recreation they usually play board 
  or card games. Fraternization between crewmen 
  of diﬀ erent sexes is strictly forbidden by ASTRA 
  regulations.
  ROCKETSHIP 
  DESIGNA-
  TIONS
  Most nations name 
  their ships (as do the 
  Dracon), but use diﬀ er-
  ent initial designations 
  for them. American 
  ships are USS (for 
  “United States ship”), 
  while the British prefer 
  HMR (“His Majesty’s 
  Rocketship”) and the 
  Germans use RRS (Reich 
  Raketeschiﬀ , or “Reich’s 
  Rocketship”). Th e 
  French, Italians, and Jap-
  anese simply name their 
  rocketships; the Rus-
  sians use the designa-
  tion SKK (for Sovyetskiy 
  Kosmichyeskiy Korabl’, 
  meaning “Soviet Rock-
  etship”). If the Dracon 
  have a ship designation 
  system, Humans have 
  yet to learn of it.
  15 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  16 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  EXAMPLE SHIPS
  Here are ﬁ ve example ships for you to use:  an 
  American cruiser; a German destroyer; a Dracon 
  cruiser; a Human merchant rocketship; and a pirate 
  rocketship.
  ASTRA CRUISER
  Val Char 
  Cost Notes
  18 
  Size 
  90 64” x 32”; -18 KB; -12 DCV
  100 STR 
  0 
  Lift  25 ktons; 20d6 HTH [0]
  14 
  DEX 
  12 OCV:  5/DCV:  5
  45 
  BODY 17
  12 
  DEF 
  30 See Tactical Systems
  4  
  SPD 
  16 Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
    
   
   
  Total Characteristic Cost:  165
  Movement: 
  Ground: 
  0”/0”
   
  Flight: 
  100”/800”
   
  FTL Travel: 
  1 LY per Day
  Abilities & Equipment
  Cost Power 
  END
   
  Power Systems
  63 
  Rocketship Fuel:  Endurance Reserve
  (1,500 END); OIF Immobile (-1½) plus 
  Endurance Reserve (10 REC); OIF
  Immobile (-1½), Limited Recovery
  (refueling at a fuel depot or through like 
  means; -1) 
  0
   
  Propulsion Systems
  210 
  Space Travel:  Multipower, 210-point
  reserve
  14u 
  1)  Rocket Flight:  Flight 100”, x8 Non-
  combat; Costs Endurance (supplied by 
  Endurance Reserve; -½) 
  21
  2u 
  2)  Aetherial Sail Flight:  FTL Travel
  (1 LY per Day); Cannot Be Activated
  Until Ship Reaches 500” Or Greater
  With Flight (-¼) 
  0
  -12 
  Space Travel Only:  Ground Movement -6” 
  (0” total)
  -2 
  Space Travel Only:  Swimming -2” (0” total)
   
  Tactical Systems
  125 
  Forward Klystron Beam:  RKA 10d6, 
  Increased Maximum Range (16,000”, or 
  about 20 miles; +½), No Range Modiﬁ er 
  (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);
  OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 
  Degrees; -1) 
  0
  10 
  Port And Starboard Klystron Beams:  As
  Forward Klystron Beam (total of 3) 
  0
  303 
  Space Torpedoes:  RKA 14d6, Explosion
  (+½), MegaScale (each hex of the Explo-
  sion is 1 km wide, deep, and broad; +¼), 
  Indirect (always originates from ship, but
  can strike at any angle; +½), Indirect (can
  ﬁ re from any of several points on the ship’s 
  body; +¼), Increased Maximum Range 
  (8,045”, or 10 miles; +¼), No Range Mod-
  iﬁ er (+½); OIF Bulky (-1), 12 Charges
  (-¼) 
  [12]
  18 
  Energy Shield:  Force Field (12 PD/12
  ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);
  OIF Bulky (-1) 
  0
   
  Operations Systems
  22 
  Transplanetary Radio:  HRRP, MegaScale 
  (range of 1 light-year, can scale down to a 
  range of 1 km or less; +3½); OIF Bulky (-1), 
  Aﬀ ected As Sight And Hearing Group In 
  Addition To Radio Group (-½) 
  0
  8 
  Dynotronic Translator:  Universal Transla-
  tor 18-; OIF Bulky (-1), Extra Time (takes 
  a minimum of 1 Turn to translate speech; 
  -1¼), Only Translates Spoken Words (-½) 0
   
  Personnel Systems
  18 
  Life Support:  Life Support (Self-Contained 
  Breathing; Safe Environments:  High Radia-
  tion, Intense Cold, Intense Heat, Low Pres-
  sure/Vacuum) 
  0
  3 
  Food Supplies:  Life Support (Diminished 
  Eating:  no need to eat); 1 Continuing
  Fuel Charge (easily replaced from
  sources outside the ship; 3 Months; -0) [1cc]
  20 
  Cavorite Artiﬁ cial Gravity:  Telekinesis
  (20 STR), Selective (+½), Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½); OIF Bulky (-1), Only
  To Pull Objects Straight Down To Th e
  Floor (-1) 
  0
  9 
  Medical Facilities:  Paramedics 12- 
  0
  3 
  Medical Facilities:  SS: Medicine 12- 
  0
   
  Skills/Laboratories
  9 
  Power:  Aetherial Engineering 12-
  3 
  SS: Astronomy 12-
  3 
  SS: Biology 12-
  3 
  SS: Chemistry 12-
  3 
  SS: Physics 12-
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  835
  Total Vehicle Cost:  1,000
  Value Disadvantages
  20 
  Distinctive Features:  ASTRA military vessel 
  (Not Concealable; Causes Major Reaction 
  [fear])
  Total Disadvantage Points:  20
  Total Cost:  980/5 = 196
  
  GERMAN DESTROYER
  Val Char 
  Cost Notes
  13 
  Size 
  65 20” x 10”; -13 KB; -8 DCV
  75 
  STR 
  0 
  Lift  800 tons; 15d6 HTH [0]
  16 
  DEX 
  18 OCV:  5/DCV:  5
  40 
  BODY 17
  10 
  DEF 
  24 See Tactical Systems
  4  
  SPD 
  16 Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
    
   
   
  Total Characteristic Cost:  140
  Movement: 
  Ground: 
  0”/0”
   
  Flight: 
  80”/1,280”
   
  FTL Travel: 
  1 LY per 3 Days
  Abilities & Equipment
  Cost Power 
  END
   
  Power Systems
  55 
  Rocketship Fuel:  Endurance Reserve
  (1,300 END); OIF Immobile (-1½) plus 
  Endurance Reserve (10 REC); OIF
  Immobile (-1½), Limited Recovery
  (refueling at a fuel depot or through like 
  means; -1) 
  0
   
  Propulsion Systems
  175 
  Space Travel:  Multipower, 175-point
  reserve
  12u 
  1)  Rocket Flight:  Flight 80”, x16 Non-
  combat; Costs Endurance (supplied by 
  Endurance Reserve; -½) 
  17
  2u 
  2)  Aetherial Sail Flight:  FTL Travel (1 LY
  per 3 Days); Cannot Be Activated Until
  Ship Reaches 500” Or Greater With Flight 
  (-¼) 
  0
  -12 
  Space Travel Only:  Ground Movement -6” 
  (0” total)
  -2 
  Space Travel Only:  Swimming -2” (0” total)
   
  Tactical Systems
  140 
  Port Forward Klystron Beam:  RKA 8d6, 
  Autoﬁ re (4 shots; +½), Increased Maxi-
  mum Range (16,000”, or about 20 miles;
  +½), No Range Modiﬁ er (+½), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +1); OIF Bulky (-1), 
  Limited Arc Of Fire (60 Degrees; -1) 
  0
  10 
  Starboard Forward, Port, And Starboard
  Klystron Beams:  As Port Forward
  Klystron Beam (total of 4) 
  0
  303 
  Space Torpedoes:  RKA 14d6, Explosion
  (+½), MegaScale (each hex of the Explo-
  sion is 1 km wide, deep, and broad; +¼), 
  Indirect (always originates from ship, but
  can strike at any angle; +½), Indirect (can
  ﬁ re from any of several points on the ship’s 
  body; +¼), Increased Maximum Range 
  (8,045”, or 10 miles; +¼), No Range Mod-
  iﬁ er (+½); OIF Bulky (-1), 10 Charges
  (-¼) 
  [10]
  18 
  Energy Shield:  Force Field (12 PD/12
  ED), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);
  OIF Bulky (-1) 
  0
   
  Operations Systems
  22 
  Transplanetary Radio:  HRRP, MegaScale 
  (range of 1 light-year, can scale down to a 
  range of 1 km or less; +3½); OIF Bulky (-1), 
  Aﬀ ected As Sight And Hearing Group In 
  Addition To Radio Group (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Dynotronic Translator:  Universal Transla-
  tor 16-; OIF Bulky (-1), Extra Time (takes 
  a minimum of 1 Turn to translate speech; 
  -1¼), Only Translates Spoken Words (-½) 0
   
  Personnel Systems
  18 
  Life Support:  Life Support (Self-Contained 
  Breathing; Safe Environments:  High Radia-
  tion, Intense Cold, Intense Heat, Low Pres-
  sure/Vacuum) 
  0
  3 
  Food Supplies:  Life Support (Diminish-
  ed Eating:  no need to eat); 1 Continuing 
  Fuel Charge (easily replaced from sources 
  outside the ship; 3 Months; -0) 
  [1cc]
  20 
  Artiﬁ cial Gravity:  Telekinesis (20 STR), 
  Selective (+½), Reduced Endurance (0
  END; +½); OIF Bulky (-1), Only To Pull 
  Objects Straight Down To Th e Floor (-1) 0
  9 
  Medical Facilities:  Paramedics 12- 
  0
  3 
  Medical Facilities:  SS: Medicine 12- 
  0
   
  Skills/Laboratories
  7 
  Power:  Aetherial Engineering 11-
  2 
  SS: Astronomy 11-
  2 
  SS: Biology 11-
  2 
  SS: Chemistry 11-
  2 
  SS: Physics 11-
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  798
  Total Vehicle Cost:  938
  Value Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  German military vessel 
  (Not Concealable; Causes Extreme Reaction 
  [abject fear])
  Total Disadvantage Points:  25
  Total Cost:  913/5 = 183
  Description:  German rocketships are largely like 
  their American and British counterparts, though 
  with some distinctive diﬀ erences. Th e ﬁ ns are 
  slightly diﬀ erent in shape, and the nose tapers to a 
  much blunter point. And of course, the prominent 
  eagle-and-swastika on the side gives its aﬃ  liation 
  away even to people who don’t know much about 
  rocketship design. Th is particular rocketship comes 
  with four guns:  two mounted forward (one on 
  each side of the nose) and one on each side.
  17 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  18 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  DRACON CRUISER
  Val Char 
  Cost Notes
  16 
  Size 
  80 40” x 20”; -16 KB; -10 DCV
  90 
  STR 
  0 
  Lift  25 ktons; 18d6 HTH [0]
  15 
  DEX 
  15 OCV:  5/DCV:  5
  40 
  BODY 14
  11 
  DEF 
  27 See Tactical Systems
  4  
  SPD 
  15 Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
    
   
   
  Total Characteristic Cost:  151
  Movement: 
  Ground: 
  0”/0”
   
  Flight: 
  85”/680”
   
  FTL Travel: 
  1 LY per 2 Days
  Abilities & Equipment
  Cost Power 
  END
   
  Power Systems
  53 
  Rocketship Fuel:  Endurance Reserve
  (1,250 END); OIF Immobile (-1½) plus 
  Endurance Reserve (10 REC); OIF
  Immobile (-1½), Limited Recovery
  (refueling at a fuel depot or through like 
  means; -1) 
  0
   
  Propulsion Systems
  180 
  Space Travel:  Multipower, 180-point
  reserve
  12u 
  1)  Rocket Flight:  Flight 85”, x8 Non-
  combat; Costs Endurance (supplied by 
  Endurance Reserve; -½) 
  18
  2u 
  2)  Aetherial Sail Flight:  FTL Travel (1 LY
  per 2 Days); Cannot Be Activated Until
  Ship Reaches 500” Or Greater With Flight 
  (-¼) 
  0
  -12 
  Space Travel Only:  Ground Movement -6” 
  (0” total)
  -2 
  Space Travel Only:  Swimming -2” (0” total)
   
  Tactical Systems
  100 
  Forward Klystron Beam:  RKA 8d6,
  Increased Maximum Range (16,000”, or 
  about 20 miles; +½), No Range Modiﬁ er 
  (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½);
  OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 
  Degrees; -1) 
  0
  10 
  Port, Starboard, and Dorsal Klystron
  Beams:  As Forward Klystron Beam
  (total of 4) 
  0
  260 
  Space Torpedoes:  RKA 12d6, Explosion
  (+½), MegaScale (each hex of the Explo-
  sion is 1 km wide, deep, and broad; +¼), 
  Indirect (always originates from ship, but
  can strike at any angle; +½), Indirect (can
  ﬁ re from any of several points on the ship’s 
  body; +¼), Increased Maximum Range 
  (8,045”, or 10 miles; +¼), No Range Mod-
  iﬁ er (+½); OIF Bulky (-1), 12 Charges
  (-¼) 
  [12]
  15 
  Energy Shield:  Force Field (10 PD/10 ED), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OIF 
  Bulky (-1) 
  0
   
  Operations Systems
  22 
  Transplanetary Radio:  HRRP, MegaScale 
  (range of 1 light-year, can scale down to a 
  range of 1 km or less; +3½); OIF Bulky (-1), 
  Aﬀ ected As Sight And Hearing Group In 
  Addition To Radio Group (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Dynotronic Translator:  Universal Transla-
  tor 16-; OIF Bulky (-1), Extra Time (takes 
  a minimum of 1 Turn to translate speech; 
  -1¼), Only Translates Spoken Words (-½) 0
   
  Personnel Systems
  18 
  Life Support:  Life Support (Self-Contained 
  Breathing; Safe Environments:  High Radia-
  tion, Intense Cold, Intense Heat, Low Pres-
  sure/Vacuum) 
  0
  3 
  Food Supplies:  Life Support (Diminished 
  Eating:  no need to eat); 1 Continuing Fuel 
  Charge (easily replaced from sources
  outside the ship; 3 Months; -0) 
  [1cc]
  20 
  Artiﬁ cial Gravity:  Telekinesis (20 STR), 
  Selective (+½), Reduced Endurance (0
  END; +½); OIF Bulky (-1), Only To Pull 
  Objects Straight Down To Th e Floor (-1) 0
  9 
  Medical Facilities:  Paramedics 12- 
  0
  3 
  Medical Facilities:  SS: Medicine 12- 
  0
   
  Skills/Laboratories
  9 
  Power:  Aetherial Engineering 12-
  3 
  SS: Astronomy 12-
  3 
  SS: Biology 12-
  3 
  SS: Chemistry 12-
  3 
  SS: Physics 12-
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  721
  Total Vehicle Cost:  872
  Value Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  Dracon military vessel 
  (Not Concealable; Causes Extreme Reaction 
  [abject fear])
  Total Disadvantage Points:  25
  Total Cost:  847/5 = 169
  Description:  Dracon rocketships are visually dis-
  tinct from Human ships in several ways. First, 
  instead of one large rocket port aft , they have four 
  rockets, one mounted on the end of each ﬁ n (and 
  the ﬁ ns themselves are diﬀ erently-shaped than 
  those on human rocketships). Second, the forward 
  aetherial sails are usually mounted closer to the tip 
  of the nose than on Human rocketships. Th ird, the 
  lines of the rocketship itself are more angular in 
  places, unlike Human vessels which tend to be rela-
  tively smooth cylinders.
  
  MERCHANT SHIP
  Val Char Cost Notes
  10 
  Size 
  50 10” x 5”; -10 KB; -6 DCV
  60 
  STR 
  0 
  Lift  100 tons; 12d6 HTH [0]
  14 
  DEX 
  12 OCV:  5/DCV:  5
  28 
  BODY 8
  8  
  DEF 
  24 See Tactical Systems
  3  
  SPD 
  6 
  Phases:  4, 8, 12
    
   
   
  Total Characteristic Cost:  100
  Movement: 
  Ground: 
  0”/0”
   
  Flight: 
  80”/1,280”
   
  FTL Travel: 
  1 LY per Week
  Abilities & Equipment
  Cost Power 
  END
   
  Power Systems
  55 
  Rocketship Fuel:  Endurance Reserve
  (1,300 END); OIF Immobile (-1½) plus 
  Endurance Reserve (10 REC); OIF
  Immobile (-1½), Limited Recovery
  (refueling at a fuel depot or through like 
  means; -1) 
  0
   
  Propulsion Systems
  115 
  Space Travel:  Multipower, 115-point reserve
  8u 
  1)  Rocket Flight:  Flight 50”, x16 Non-
  combat; Costs Endurance (supplied by 
  Endurance Reserve; -½) 
  11
  2u 
  2)  Aetherial Sail Flight:  FTL Travel (1 LY
  per Week); Cannot Be Activated Until
  Ship Reaches 500” Or Greater With Flight 
  (-¼) 
  0
  -12 
  Space Travel Only:  Ground Movement -6” 
  (0” total)
  -2 
  Space Travel Only:  Swimming -2” (0” total)
   
  Tactical Systems
  12 
  Energy Shield:  Force Field (8 PD/8 ED), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OIF 
  Bulky (-1) 
  0
   
  Operations Systems
  22 
  Transplanetary Radio:  HRRP, MegaScale 
  (range of 1 light-year, can scale down to a 
  range of 1 km or less; +3½); OIF Bulky (-1), 
  Aﬀ ected As Sight And Hearing Group In 
  Addition To Radio Group (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Dynotronic Translator:  Universal Transla-
  tor 14-; OIF Bulky (-1), Extra Time (takes 
  a minimum of 1 Turn to translate speech; 
  -1¼), Only Translates Spoken Words (-½) 0
   
  Personnel Systems
  18 
  Life Support:  Life Support (Self-Contained 
  Breathing; Safe Environments:  High Radia-
  tion, Intense Cold, Intense Heat, Low Pres-
  sure/Vacuum) 
  0
  3 
  Food Supplies:  Life Support (Diminished 
  Eating:  no need to eat); 1 Continuing
  Fuel Charge (easily replaced from
  sources outside the ship; 1 Year; -0) 
  [1cc]
  20 
  Cavorite Artiﬁ cial Gravity:  Telekinesis
  (20 STR), Selective (+½), Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½); OIF Bulky (-1), Only
  To Pull Objects Straight Down To Th e
  Floor (-1) 
  0
  7 
  Medical Facilities:  Paramedics 11- 
  0
  2 
  Medical Facilities:  SS: Medicine 11- 
  0
   
  Skills/Laboratories
  3 
  Power:  Aetherial Engineering 9-
  1 
  SS: Astronomy 8-
  1 
  SS: Chemistry 8-
  1 
  SS: Physics 8-
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  263
  Total Vehicle Cost:  363
  Value Disadvantages
  None
  Total Disadvantage Points:  0
  Total Cost:  363/5 = 73
  Description:  Th is character sheet represents a typi-
  cal merchant rocketship with a crew of up to about 
  a dozen. It’s much slower than a military vessel, and 
  has no armament, but compared to a cruiser or 
  destroyer it has signiﬁ cantly more cargo space. By 
  converting cargo holds to luxury berths and dining 
  suites, you can change this to a small, ultra-expen-
  sive space cruise ship for wealthy patrons.
  19 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  20 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  PIRATE ROCKETSHIP
  Val Char Cost Notes
  12 
  Size 
  60 
  12” x 8”; mass 400 tons; -12 KB; 
  -8 DCV
  70 
  STR 
  0 
  Lift  400 tons; 14d6 HTH [0]
  15 
  DEX 
  15 
  OCV:  5/DCV:  5
  36 
  BODY 14
  10 
  DEF 
  24 
  See Tactical Systems
  4  
  SPD 
  15 
  Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
    
   
   
  Total Characteristic Cost:  140
  Movement: 
  Ground: 
  0”/0”
   
  Flight: 
  80”/640”
   
  FTL Travel: 
  1 LY per 3 Days
  Abilities & Equipment
  Cost Power 
  END
   
  Power Systems
  55 
  Rocketship Fuel:  Endurance Reserve
  (1,300 END); OIF Immobile (-1½) plus 
  Endurance Reserve (10 REC); OIF
  Immobile (-1½), Limited Recovery
  (refueling at a fuel depot or through
  like means; -1) 
  0
   
  Propulsion Systems
  170 
  Space Travel:  Multipower, 170-point reserve
  11u 
  1)  Rocket Flight:  Flight 80”, x8 Noncombat; 
  Costs Endurance (supplied by Endurance 
  Reserve; -½) 
  17
  2u 
  2)  Aetherial Sail Flight:  FTL Travel (1 LY 
  per 3 Days); Cannot Be Activated Until Ship 
  Reaches 500” Or Greater With Flight (-¼) 0
  -12 
  Space Travel Only:  Ground Movement -6” 
  (0” total)
  -2 
  Space Travel Only:  Swimming -2” (0” total)
   
  Tactical Systems
  140 
  Forward Klystron Beam:  RKA 8d6, Autoﬁ re 
  (4 shots; +½), Increased Maximum Range 
  (16,000”, or about 20 miles; +½), No Range 
  Modiﬁ er (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +1); OIF Bulky (-1), Limited Arc Of Fire (60 
  Degrees; -1) 
  0
  227 
  Space Torpedoes:  RKA 14d6, Explosion (+½), 
  MegaScale (each hex of the Explosion is 
  1 km wide, deep, and broad; +¼), Indirect 
  (always originates from ship, but can strike 
  at any angle; +½), Indirect (can ﬁ re from any 
  of several points on the ship’s body; +¼), 
  Increased Maximum Range (8,045”, or 10 
  miles; +¼), No Range Modiﬁ er (+½); OIF 
  Bulky (-1), 4 Charges (-1) 
  [4]
  15 
  Energy Shield:  Force Field (10 PD/10 ED), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); OIF 
  Bulky (-1) 
  0
   
  Operations Systems
  22 
  Transplanetary Radio:  HRRP, MegaScale 
  (range of 1 light-year, can scale down to a 
  range of 1 km or less; +3½); OIF Bulky (-1), 
  Aﬀ ected As Sight And Hearing Group In 
  Addition To Radio Group (-½) 
  0
  7 
  Dynotronic Translator:  Universal Transla-
  tor 14-; OIF Bulky (-1), Extra Time (takes 
  a minimum of 1 Turn to translate speech; 
  -1¼), Only Translates Spoken Words (-½) 0
   
  Personnel Systems
  18 
  Life Support:  Life Support (Self-Contained 
  Breathing; Safe Environments:  High Radia-
  tion, Intense Cold, Intense Heat, Low Pres-
  sure/Vacuum) 
  0
  3 
  Food Supplies:  Life Support (Diminished 
  Eating:  no need to eat); 1 Continuing Fuel 
  Charge (easily replaced from sources outside 
  the ship; 3 Months; -0) 
  [1cc]
  20 
  Artiﬁ cial Gravity:  Telekinesis (20 STR), 
  Selective (+½), Reduced Endurance (0 END; 
  +½); OIF Bulky (-1), Only To Pull Objects 
  Straight Down To Th e Floor (-1) 
  0
  7 
  Medical Facilities:  Paramedics 11- 
  0
  2 
  Medical Facilities:  SS: Medicine 11- 
  0
   
  Skills/Laboratories
  5 
  Power:  Aetherial Engineering 10-
  2 
  SS: Astronomy 11-
  2 
  SS: Biology 11-
  2 
  SS: Chemistry 11-
  2 
  SS: Physics 11-
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  698
  Total Vehicle Cost:  838
  Value Disadvantages
  25 
  Distinctive Features:  pirate rocketship (Not 
  Concealable; Causes Extreme Reaction 
  [abject fear])
  Total Disadvantage Points:  25
  Total Cost:  813/5 = 163
  Description:  Pirate rocketships are usually custom-
  made vessels cobbled together from cheap com-
  mercial hulls ﬁ tted with stolen or salvaged weapons 
  and other systems. Th ey’re not pretty, but they get 
  the job done. Compared to a military ship they 
  oft en have large cargo holds for carrying loot or 
  prisoners.
  
  Weapons
  Military engineers have found ways to apply 
  the new aetherial sciences to the development of 
  personal weapons. While most soldiers, spies, and 
  hunters on Aetherial Earth and her colonies still 
  use ordinary ﬁ rearms for most tasks, aethernauts 
  employ the amazing new electric pistol.
  ELECTRIC PISTOL
  Effect: 
  Energy Blast 8d6
  Target/Area Affected:  One character
  Duration:   
  Instant
  Range:   
  200”
  Charges:   
  12 Charges
  Breakability:   
  8 DEF
  Description:  Th e electric pistol is the standard 
  ﬁ rearm of Human aethernauts. It ﬁ res a beam of 
  energy whose color and appearance vary from 
  nation to nation, but whose basic eﬀ ect in game 
  terms is the same. Th e power for an electric pistol 
  is provided by a disposable battery that’s inserted 
  in the grip, much in the same way a clip of bullets 
  goes into a regular pistol; the battery has enough 
  energy for twelve shots. Recharging the battery 
  involves plugging it into an electrical socket for 30 
  minutes per Charge.
  Compared to an ordinary gun, an electric pistol 
  is more likely to injure or knock out a target than 
  kill him — a blast from an electric pistol may inﬂ ict 
  burns, and perhaps even broken bones or similar 
  injuries, but a single shot rarely kills. Th is is an 
  important consideration aboard rocketships, where 
  a stray bullet might pierce the hull or damage sensi-
  tive equipment.
  Th e basic electric pistol listed here is the Ameri-
  can military version, which ﬁ res a straight  royal 
  or navy blue bolt of energy. Th e options show the 
  standard variations found in other nations’ pistols.
  Game Information:  Energy Blast 8d6 (40 
  Active Points); OAF (-1), Beam (-¼), Strength 
  Minimum (8, STR Min Cannot Add/Subtract 
  Damage; -1), 12 Charges (-¼). Total cost:  11 
  points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Electric Pistol:  Increase to Energy Blast 
  10d6. 50 Active Points; total cost 14 points.
  2)  Weak Electric Pistol:  Decrease to Energy Blast 
  6d6. 30 Active Points; total cost 9 points.
  3)  Stronger Battery:  Some electric pistols have bat-
  teries with greater power. Change to 20 Charges 
  (+¼). 50 Active Points; total cost 15 points.
  4)  French Electric Pistol:  French electric pistols 
  ﬁ re a bright burgundy-colored beam. Th ey have a 
  mechanism that allows the ﬁ rer to tap the battery 
  for more power, and thus a more powerful beam 
  — though he can only do this a few times. Change 
  to 12 Boostable Charges (-0). Total cost:  12 points.
  5)  German Electric Pistol:  Th e German electric 
  pistol ﬁ res a “bolt” of energy that consists of a series 
  of green rings following one aft er the other (much 
  like a man blowing smoke rings, except the rings 
  remain the same size and travel in a straight line). 
  It has a wider muzzle than most electric pistols, 
  giving it a distinctive proﬁ le. While the beam has 
  slightly less power than the American pistol, it’s 
  more accurate. Decrease to Energy Blast 7d6 (35 
  Active Points; total cost 10 points) and add +1 
  OCV (5 Active Points; total cost 2 points). Total 
  cost of weapon 40 Active Points, 12 Real Points.
  6)  British Electric Pistol:  Th e British electric pistol 
  has a yellow-gold beam. Like its rocketship coun-
  terpart, it’s particularly eﬀ ective against energy 
  shields. Decrease to Energy Blast 7d6 (35 Active 
  Points; total cost 10 points) and also buy as a 
  naked Advantage Semi-Armor Piercing (see Dark 
  Champions, page 97; +¼) (10 Active Points); OAF 
  (-1), Only Works Against Energy Shields (-½), 12 
  Charges (-¼) (total cost:  4 points). Total cost of 
  weapon 45 Active Points, 14 Real Points.
  7)  Italian Electric Pistol:  Italian electric pistols ﬁ re 
  sky-blue beams. However, the Italian pistol’s beam 
  resembles a sort of lightning bolt, rather than 
  the straight beam ﬁ red by the American pistol. 
  Although there’s no scientiﬁ c proof that the Italian 
  beam is more eﬀ ective or dangerous, many aeth-
  ernauts consider it to be, so Presence Attacks that 
  involve the weapon may be slightly more eﬀ ective. 
  It uses the same writeup as the American pistol.
  8)  Japanese Electric Pistol:  Japanese electric pistols 
  ﬁ re a purple beam whose width can be adjusted 
  with a control on the pistol’s grip. Decrease to 
  Energy Blast 7d6 and remove the Beam (-¼) Limi-
  tation. 35 Active Points; total cost 11 points.
  9)  Russian Electric Pistol:  Russian electric pistols 
  have red beams. Th ey use the same writeup as the 
  American pistol.
  10)  Dracon Electric Pistol:  Dracon electric pistols 
  have pulsed red beams (i.e., the “beam” is actually 
  a series of pulses of energy in a straight line, obvi-
  ously diﬀ erent from any Human beam). Th ey use 
  the same writeup as the Weak Electric Pistol, above.
  ELECTRIC SWORD
  Effect: 
  HKA 1d6, AP plus +2 STUN 
  Multiplier and Penetrating
  Target/Area Affected:  One character
  Duration:   
  Instant
  Range:   
  Touch
  END Cost:   
  0 for sword, 30 Charges for 
  naked Advantages
  Breakability:   
  6 DEF
  Description:  ASTRA’s aethernauts quickly discov-
  ered that on many of the worlds they visited, the 
  native races still fought with weapons like swords, 
  axes, and maces. Not wanting to ﬁ nd themselves 
  trapped by a horde of primitive warriors with no 
  energy left  in their electric pistols and no other way 
  to defend themselves, many of them began learning 
  swordplay. (Th ey oft en later discovered that being 
  skilled with a blade was a good way to earn respect 
  among alien warriors without necessarily having to 
  kill them.) To give them a superior weapon to ﬁ ght 
  21 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  22 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  
  their enemies with, ASTRA developed the electric 
  sword. Similar to a rapier, it’s made of aetherial steel 
  honed to a razor-sharp edge. Additionally, the hilt 
  contains a battery that provides the power to sur-
  round the blade with a ﬁ eld of electrical energy that 
  makes the sword almost irresistible, even by shield 
  belts.
  Game Information:  HKA 1d6 (up to 2d6 with 
  STR), Armor Piercing (+½), Reduced Endur-
  ance (0 END; +½) (30 Active Points); OAF
  (-1), Strength Minimum (8; -½) (total cost:  12 
  points) plus +2 Increased STUN Multiplier 
  (+½),  Penetrating (+½) for HKA, 30 Charges 
  (+¼) (19 Active Points); OAF (-1) (total cost:  9 
  points). Total cost:  21 points.
  Defenses
  Aetherial science has given aethernauts their 
  own form of personal defense:  the shield belt. 
  Other types of people can wear shield belts, of 
  course, but since they’re very expensive to manu-
  facture and use, most governments only issue them 
  to aethernauts.
  SHIELD BELT
  Effect:  Force Field (8 PD/8 ED)
  Target/Area Affected:  Self
  Duration:  Constant
  Range:  Self
  Charges:  1 Continuing Fuel Charge (1 Minute)
  Breakability:  8 DEF
  Description:  A shield belt is a belt containing aeth-
  erial technology that can generate an energy shield 
  big enough to surround and protect the wearer 
  (including his personal eﬀ ects, but not any large 
  objects he might carry). A shield belt doesn’t make 
  the wearer immune to injury (in fact, he remains 
  relatively easy to Stun or Knock Out), but does pre-
  vent him from suﬀ ering signiﬁ cant wounds from 
  bullets or electric pistols.
  A shield belt is a broad belt with a large, distinc-
  tive buckle containing the dial to turn it on and 
  oﬀ . Its battery has enough power for one minute of 
  continuous operation. To recharge it, plug it into 
  an electrical socket for six minutes per second of 
  power.
  Game Information:  Force Field (8 PD/8 ED) 
  (16 Active Points); OIF (-½), 1 Continuing Fuel 
  Charge lasting 1 Minute (Easy to recharge; -¾). 
  Total cost:  7 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Shield Belt:  Increase to Force Field (10 
  PD/10 ED). 20 Active Points; total cost 9 points.
  2)  Weak Shield Belt:  Decrease to Force Field (6 
  PD/6 ED). Th is is the type of Belt the soldiers of 
  the Dracon Empire use. 12 Active Points; total cost 
  5 points.
  Other Aetherial
  Technology
  Th e discoveries made by aetherialists have led to 
  many other amazing technological developments. 
  Some of the most notable include:
  DYNOTRONIC TRANSLATOR
  Effect:  Universal Translator 18-
  Target/Area Affected:  One character
  Duration:  Persistent
  Range:  Self
  END Cost:  0
  Breakability:  6 DEF
  Description:  Nearly every rocketship comes 
  equipped with one of these devices, since they’re 
  invaluable aids to diplomacy and trade. A dyno-
  tronic translator is roughly the size of a cabinet 
  radio and has wheels on the bottom so it can easily 
  be moved. It “hears” spoken words and translates 
  them into a language the listener can understand. It 
  may require a large sample of a new speech before 
  it can begin translating it, but so far it’s proven able 
  to render any alien speech into English (or French, 
  Russian, German...).
  Game Information:  Universal Translator 18- 
  (29 Active Points); OAF Bulky (-1½), Extra 
  Time (takes a minimum of 1 Turn to translate 
  speech; -1¼), Only Translates Spoken Words
  (-½). Total cost:  7 points (or, for OIF Bulky (-1) 
  shipboard version, 8 points).
  ROCKETPACK
  Effect:  Flight 12”
  Target/Area Affected:  Self
  Duration:  Constant
  Range:  Self
  Charges:  1 Continuing Fuel Charge (30 Seconds)
  Breakability:  5 DEF
  Description:  ASTRA and the other major space 
  navies have corps of rocketmen — soldier-explor-
  ers who wear rocketpacks that allow them to ﬂ y. 
  Based on advances in rocketry developed by God-
  dard and his colleagues, and powered by puriﬁ ed 
  neptunium fuel, a rocketpack provides a total of 
  30 seconds of ﬂ ying time — more than enough 
  to skirt many obstacles, rescue falling people, and 
  ﬁ ght other rocketmen, but not enough for extended 
  travel or battle.
  Game Information:  Flight 12” (24 Active 
  Points); OIF (-½), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge 
  lasting 30 Seconds (neptunium fuel, Very Dif-
  ﬁ cult to obtain; -1¼). Total cost:  9 points.
  OPTIONS:
  1)  Strong Rocketpack:  Increase to Flight 15”. 30 
  Active Points; total cost 11 points.
  2)  Weak Rocketpack:  Decrease to Flight 10”. Th is 
  is the type of rocketpack most commonly found in 
  the Dracon Empire. Where the Dracons get their 
  neptunium (or equivalent fuel) remains unknown 
  23 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  24 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  to Humans. 12 Active Points; total cost 7 points.
  3)  Improved Rocketpack:  One of the latest devel-
  opment in rocketpacks is a model that allows the 
  wearer to expend extra fuel to go faster. For each 
  extra second’s worth of fuel used, add +2” of veloc-
  ity (maximum of 4 seconds/+8”). Obviously a rock-
  etman using this pack has to watch his fuel supply 
  very carefully. Change to 1 Boostable Continuing 
  Fuel Charge lasting 30 Seconds (neptunium fuel, 
  Very Diﬃ  cult to obtain; -1). Total cost:  10 points.
  4)  Large Rocketpack:  Th e biggest impediment to 
  the use of the rocketpack is the limited fuel supply. 
  Th is version of the pack has a much bigger fuel 
  tank, but at the cost of making the pack itself so 
  bulky that it inhibits the wearer’s ability to move 
  and dodge. Change to OIF Bulky (-1) and 1 Con-
  tinuing Fuel Charge lasting 3 Minutes (neptunium 
  fuel, Very Diﬃ  cult to obtain; -1). Total cost:  8 
  points.
  SPACE SURVIVAL SUIT
  Effect:  Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing; Safe 
  Environments:  High Radiation, 
  Low Pressure/Vacuum)
  Target/Area Affected:  Self
  Duration:  Persistent
  Range:  Self
  Charges:  1 Continuing Fuel Charge (3 Hours)
  Breakability:  3 DEF
  Description:  Sometimes bold aethernauts have to 
  leave their ships and dare the icy wastes of space! 
  To survive in the tellurian depths they need one 
  of these suits. Th e exact design and appearance of 
  a Space Survival Suit varies from nation to nation, 
  but typically it consists of three components:  a 
  skintight full-body uniform (usually in the colors 
  of the wearer’s space navy); an oxygen tank worn 
  on the back (the straps criss-cross the wearer’s 
  chest in an X shape); and a clear bubble-like helmet 
  made of aetherglass. A Space Survival Suit provides 
  enough breathing air for the wearer to remain in 
  space (or, if necessary, in a poisonous atmosphere 
  or underwater) for three hours.
  Game Information:  Life Support (Self-Con-
  tained Breathing; Safe Environments:  High 
  Radiation, Low Pressure/Vacuum), 1 Continu-
  ing Fuel Charge lasting 3 Hours (Easy to refuel; 
  +0) (14 Active Points); OAF (-1). Total cost:  7 
  points.
  TRANSPLANETARY RADIO
  Effect:  HRRP, MegaScale (range of 1 light-year)
  Target/Area Affected:  Self
  Duration:  Persistent
  Range:  Self
  END Cost:  0
  Breakability:  11 DEF
  Description:  Aetherial technology allows Humans 
  to communicate over distances as far as one light-
  year! Th e transplanetary radio consists of a large 
  console with various control panels, dials, speak-
  ers, and a viewing screen, ﬂ anked by two 6.5 foot 
  (1”) tall tower-like structures ringed with several 
  aetherial sail-like structures each. Th e user sits at 
  the console, uses the dials to adjust the transmit-
  ting towers, and activates the transmission circuits. 
  When the transmission’s received, the viewing 
  screen lights up and shows whoever’s on the receiv-
  ing end (he, in turn, can see who’s broadcasting).
  Using a transplanetary radio requires the Sys-
  tems Operation Skill. Normal use doesn’t require 
  a roll, but characters may have to roll to overcome 
  interference or other diﬃ  culties. Transplanetary 
  broadcasts are so far limited to a 1 light-year range. 
  Various nations have attempted to set up relay net-
  works of stations to pass information quickly from 
  distant colonies to Earth, but so far all of these 
  eﬀ orts have failed for various reasons (pirates or 
  space storms destroying broadcasting stations, trai-
  tors or enemy spies stealing the equipment, unex-
  plained disasters, and so forth). Typically it takes 
  an average of 1 day per 10 light-years to transmit a 
  message over long distances.
  Game Information:  HRRP, MegaScale (range of 
  1 light-year, can scale down to a range of 1 km 
  or less; +3½) (54 Active Points); OAF Immo-
  bile (-2), Aﬀ ected As Sight And Hearing Group 
  In Addition To Radio Group (-½). Total cost:  
  15 points (or, for OIF Bulky (-1) shipboard ver-
  sion, 22 points).
  CHARACTERS
  To get you started in the universe of Solar Smith, 
  here are a few example PCs — Solar Smith and the 
  crew of the USS Hesperus — as well as a handful of 
  the adversaries they’ve faced.
  The Crew Of The
  Hesperus
  Th e USS Hesperus is one of the most famous 
  ships in the ASTRA ﬂ eet — or infamous, depend-
  ing on your perspective. Th e ﬂ agship of the new 
  Hesperus class of cruisers, it’s similar to the ship 
  described on page 16, but has 50 BODY, a top speed 
  of Flight 105”, and a fourth (dorsal) klystron beam 
  projector. It’s crewed by the renowned Captain 
  “Solar” Smith and his brave men.
  CAPTAIN SOLOMON “SOLAR” SMITH
  15  STR 
  17 DEX 
  16 CON 
  13 BODY 
  14  INT 
  12 EGO 
  20 PRE 
  14 COM 
  6 
   PD 
  6 ED 
  4 SPD 
  8 REC
  32  END 
  35 STUN
  Abilities:  Martial Arts (Fisticuﬀ s), Running +1” 
  (7” total), +2 Overall, Analyze Starship Tactics 12-, 
  Climbing 12-, Combat Piloting 12-, Cramming, 
  Deduction 12-, Electronics 8-, Fast Draw (Small 
  Arms) 12-, Gambling (Card Games) 8-, High Soci-
  ety 8-, AK: Known Space 12-, KS: ASTRA 12-, KS: 
  Th e Spacefaring World 12-, Lipreading 8-, Mechan-
  ics 8-, Navigation (Air, Space) 12-, Persuasion 13-, 
  Power: Aetherial Engineering 8-, PS: Rocketship 
  Captain 12-, Stealth 12-, Systems Operation 12-, 
  
  Tactics 12-, WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small 
  Arms, Ship’s Weapons, Fringe Beneﬁ t:  ASTRA 
  Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (ASTRA 
  uniform); Psychological Limitation:  Pulp Hero’s 
  Burden; Psychological Limitation:  Pulp Hero’s 
  Code; Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  One of the youngest and most gift ed men 
  ever to captain an ASTRA rocketship — and also 
  one of the most headstrong and inclined to “acci-
  dentally” disobey orders — Solomon Smith, better 
  known by his nickname of “Solar,” is the epitome of 
  a rocketship commander:  insightful, bold, decisive, 
  clever, well-educated, and tactically adept. Despite 
  being the object of aﬀ ection of numerous women 
  due to his chiseled good looks, conﬁ dence, and 
  fame, he’s wholly devoted to his duty and his career, 
  and refuses to abandon either for a woman until 
  he feels his job’s been done. He’s tall, broad-shoul-
  dered, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed.
  TECHNICAL OFFICER 
  LT. JOSIAH “BROM” BROMWELL
  10  STR 
  14 DEX 
  14 CON 
  12 BODY 
  20  INT 
  14 EGO 
  15 PRE 
  10 COM 
  4 
   PD 
  4 ED 
  3 SPD 
  6 REC
  28  END 
  24 STUN
  Abilities:  +1 with Intellect Skills, Cramming, Dyno-
  tronic Programming 13-, Deduction 13-, Electron-
  ics 13-, Inventor 13-, AK: Known Space 11-, KS: 
  ASTRA 11-, KS: Th e Scientiﬁ c World 11-, Mechan-
  ics 13-, Navigation (Space) 8-, Power: Aetherial 
  Engineering 13-, PS: Technical Oﬃ  cer 13-, Stealth 
  12-, Systems Operation 13-, WF: Small Arms, 
  Weaponsmith (Energy Weapons) 13-, Scientist and 
  20 points’ worth of SSs, Fringe Beneﬁ t:  ASTRA 
  Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (ASTRA 
  uniform); Psychological Limitation:  Fascinated By 
  Scientiﬁ c Mysteries; Social Limitation:  Subject To 
  Orders
  Notes:  Th e Hesperus’s expert on matters scientiﬁ c, 
  “Brom” Bromwell comes from a family of noted 
  researchers, scientists, and inventors — “creatin’ 
  things is in my blood,” as he likes to say. Science in 
  general and his job in particular endlessly fascinate 
  him; he oft en has to be ordered from the bridge or 
  laboratory to keep him from working double and 
  triple shift s, and more than once he’s gotten the 
  crew in trouble by his too-zealous investigation 
  of scientiﬁ c mysteries. But the help his knowledge 
  provides, and the many times he’s saved the crew’s 
  life, more than make up for that. He’s of average 
  height and build, and has a slightly pallid complex-
  ion, dirty blonde hair, and green eyes.
  SHIP’S ENGINEER LT. MICHAEL O’SHEA
  20  STR 
  16 DEX 
  18 CON 
  15 BODY 
  18  INT 
  10 EGO 
  15 PRE 
  10 COM 
  6 
   PD 
  4 ED 
  3 SPD 
  8 REC 
  36  END 
  34 STUN
  Abilities:  Martial Arts (Fisticuﬀ s with +2 DCs), +2 
  with Electronics, Mechanics, and Aetherial Engi-
  neering, Dynotronic Programming 8-, Electronics 
  13-, Inventor 13-, AK: Known Space 8-, KS: ASTRA 
  11-, KS: Th e Hesperus 13-, KS: Irish Folklore And 
  Legends 11-, KS: Th e Scientiﬁ c World 8-, Mechan-
  ics 13-, Power: Aetherial Engineering 15-, PS: Ship’s 
  Engineer 13-, Stealth 12-, Systems Operation 8-, 
  WF: Small Arms, Weaponsmith (Energy Weapons) 
  8-, Scientist and 12 points’ worth of SSs, Fringe 
  Beneﬁ t:  ASTRA Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (ASTRA 
  uniform); Psychological Limitation:  Loves A Good 
  Fight; Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  A ﬁ rst-generation Irish immigrant (with the 
  accent and red hair to prove it!), Ship’s Engineer 
  O’Shea is also the biggest, toughest man on the 
  Hesperus crew. Just ask him, he’ll tell you — and 
  if you don’t believe him, he might just give you a 
  pounding then and there to prove it. Despite his 
  penchant for ﬁ ghting, he’s a top-notch ship’s engi-
  neer, and Captain Smith and the Hesperus couldn’t 
  get along without him. Somehow he seems to have 
  a knack for keeping the ship in ﬂ ight and in good 
  working order regardless of the beating it some-
  times takes at the hands of enemies, strange space 
  storms, and bizarre alien atmospheres. He’s tall, 
  strongly-built, and has green eyes.
  PILOT SGT. CHARLIE MONTGOMERY
  10  STR 
  18 DEX 
  14 CON 
  12 BODY 
  15  INT 
  10 EGO 
  13 PRE 
  12 COM 
  4 
   PD 
  3 ED 
  4 SPD 
  6 REC
  28  END 
  24 STUN
  Abilities:  +2 with Combat Piloting, Navigation, 
  and Systems Operation, Combat Piloting 15-,  
  Electronics 8-, AK: Known Space 13-, KS: ASTRA 
  11-, Mechanics 8-, Navigation (Air, Space) 14-, 
  Power: Aetherial Engineering 8-, PS: Ship’s Pilot 
  12-, Stealth 13-, Systems Operation 14-, WF: Ship’s 
  Weapons, Small Arms, Fringe Beneﬁ t:  ASTRA 
  Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (ASTRA 
  uniform); Psychological Limitation:  Sucker For A 
  Pretty Face; Rivalry:  Professional (other rocketship 
  pilots); Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  One of the newest and youngest members 
  of the Hesperus crew, Charlie Montgomery has 
  already proven his worth several times by ﬂ ying 
  the ship out of meteor showers, battles, and other 
  dangerous areas. Th ere’s no one in the ﬂ eet that’s 
  as good at the controls of a rocketship as he is, and 
  he’ll respond to any suggestion to the contrary with 
  a challenge to a race. With his boyish good looks 
  and charm, he oft en attracts the attention of young 
  women — even alien women!
  25 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  AETHERIAL 
  ENGINEERING
  Th e Power: Aetherial 
  Engineering Skill repre-
  sents the ability to work 
  with, build, maintain, 
  and modify aetherial 
  propulsion units and 
  other ship’s technology 
  pertaining to aetherial 
  ﬂ ight, which are subjects 
  beyond the reach of the 
  Mechanics Skill. It’s the 
  deﬁ ning Skill for a ship’s 
  engineer, and many 
  other crewmen on a 
  rocketship have at least a 
  passing familiarity with 
  it as well.
  
  MEDICAL OFFICER DR. ROBERT RICHMORE
  10  STR 
  15 DEX 
  14 CON 
  12 BODY 
  15  INT 
  12 EGO 
  15 PRE 
  10 COM 
  4 
   PD 
  4 ED 
  3 SPD 
  5 REC 
  28  END 
  24 STUN
  Abilities:   KS: ASTRA 11-, KS: Th e Medical World 
  11-, Paramedics 14-, PS: Play Chess 11-, SS: Biol-
  ogy 11-, SS: Alien Biology 8-, SS: Chemistry 11-, 
  SS: Medicine 14-, SS: Surgery 14-, WF: Small Arms, 
  Fringe Beneﬁ ts: License To Practice Medicine, 
  ASTRA Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (ASTRA 
  uniform); Psychological Limitation:  Hippocratic 
  Oath; Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  Bob Richmore studied medicine at Har-
  vard and seemed destined for a lucrative medical 
  practice, but threw it all away to join ASTRA. For 
  him, the lure of space, strange new worlds, and the 
  medical challenges of serving a rocketship crew 
  meant more than money or fame. When he’s not in 
  the sickbay tending to some patient or experiment, 
  he’s usually engaging the dynotronic brain (whom 
  he insists on calling “Sally” for some reason) in a 
  game of chess; he wins about one game out of three. 
  He has dark hair and eyes, and a well-groomed 
  dark moustache.
  CHAPLAIN SGT. FRANK “HICKORY” MCCOY
  10  STR 
  12 DEX 
  13 CON 
  10 BODY 
  15  INT 
  14 EGO 
  18 PRE 
  10 COM 
  3 
   PD 
  3 ED 
  3 SPD 
  5 REC
  26  END 
  22 STUN
  Abilities:  Deduction 12-, Conversation 13-, High 
  Society 13-, AK: Known Space 8-, KS: ASTRA 8-, 
  KS: Christian Th eology 14-, Oratory 13-, Persua-
  sion 13-, WF: Small Arms, Fringe Beneﬁ ts: Right To 
  Marry, ASTRA Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (ASTRA 
  uniform); Psychological Limitation:  Devout Chris-
  tian; Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  One of the oldest (and, he would add, 
  wisest!) of the Hesperus crewmen, Frank McCoy 
  couldn’t resist the temptation to leave his Tennes-
  see parish behind to see the heavens with his own 
  eyes. He sees to the crew’s spiritual needs just as Dr. 
  Richmore tends to their physical ones. It’s a calling 
  he’s found himself surprisingly well-suited for... and 
  if need be, he can wield an electric pistol as well as 
  a Bible (though he strongly prefers discussion and 
  diplomacy to violence). He smokes an old hickory 
  pipe wherever he goes (except in zeppelins, of 
  course!), so everyone calls him “Hickory.”
  Adversaries
  Here are some of the enemies and rivals Captain 
  Smith and the Hesperus crew have encountered 
  during their careers.
  KROGAN III, EMPEROR OF DRACON
  13  STR 
  14 DEX 
  15 CON 
  14 BODY 
  20  INT 
  18 EGO 
  20 PRE 
  12 COM 
  5 
   PD 
  5 ED 
  3 SPD 
  6 REC 
  30  END 
  29 STUN
  Abilities:  +1 Overall, Combat Piloting 8-, Conver-
  sation 13-, Deduction 13-, High Society 13-, AK: 
  Dracon Empire 15-, KS: Dracon History And Cul-
  ture 14-, Oratory 13-, Persuasion 13-, TF: Dracon 
  Rocketships, Riding Animals, WF: Small Arms, 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  Head Of State, Money (Filthy Rich)
  75+ Disadvantages:  Hunted (various potential 
  usurpers and rivals for the throne); Psychological 
  Limitation:  Proud, Arrogant, Headstrong, And 
  Determined To Strengthen Dracon And Expand 
  His Empire; Psychological Limitation:  Dearly 
  Loves His Children (well, most of them...); Social 
  Limitation:  Public Identity
  Notes:  Krogan III has been Emperor of Dracon for 
  the past six years. He’s expanded the Empire’s bound-
  aries to their greatest extent ever... and has no interest 
  in stopping. Th e discovery of another space traveling 
  race, Humans, has slowed but not stopped his plans; 
  he must carefully analyze this new people and its capa-
  bilities before he can best decide how to conquer or 
  destroy them. And make no mistake! — conquer them 
  he will, despite the occasional setback dealt to him by 
  that infernal Captain Smith. Krogan’s eyes and hair 
  are a deep, royal blue, giving him an even greater air of 
  majesty than he’d otherwise possess.
  PRINCESS ALURIA OF DRACON
  8 
   STR 
  12 DEX 
  13 CON 
  10 BODY 
  15  INT 
  13 EGO 
  18 PRE 
  18 COM 
  4 
   PD 
  4 ED 
  4 SPD 
  5 REC
  26  END 
  21 STUN
  Abilities:  Acting 13-, Bribery 13-, Conversation 
  13-, Deduction 12-, High Society 14-, AK: Dracon 
  Empire 11-, KS: Dracon History And Culture 11-, 
  Persuasion 13-, Seduction 13-, TF: Dracon Rocket-
  ships, Riding Animals, WF: Small Arms, Fringe 
  Beneﬁ t:  Imperial Princess, Money (Wealthy)
  75+ Disadvantages:  Hunted (various rivals for the 
  throne, potential suitors, and the like); Psychologi-
  cal Limitation: Determined To Get Her Way; Psy-
  chological Limitation:  Attracted To Captain Smith; 
  Social Limitation:  Public Identity
  Notes:  Aluria, eldest child of Krogan III and heir 
  to the throne of Dracon, is a young woman of 
  surpassing beauty — an attribute equalled only 
  by her cleverness. Growing up in the sometimes-
  dangerous atmosphere of the imperial court, she 
  learned at an early age how to discern the motives 
  of others, disguise her own when necessary, and 
  manipulate people to serve her own ends. While 
  capable of great kindness and sympathy (among 
  26 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  
  other things, she loves children and cats), she can 
  be ruthless, pragmatic, and even cruel when neces-
  sary. She’s developed a fascination with Solar Smith 
  since their ﬁ rst meeting nearly a year ago, and has 
  wondered ever since how she might win him to be 
  hers. She’s slender, with a well-developed ﬁ gure and 
  alluring green hair and eyes, and always dresses at 
  the height of fashion (in fact, she usually sets the 
  fashions on Dracon).
  KAPITAN GERHARDT VON SCHADEL
  18  STR 
  18 DEX 
  18 CON 
  15 BODY 
  18  INT 
  14 EGO 
  20 PRE 
  12 COM 
  6 
   PD 
  5 ED 
  4 SPD 
  8 REC 
  36  END 
  33 STUN
  Abilities:  Martial Arts (Boxing, Fencing), Climb-
  ing 13-, Combat Piloting 13-, Deduction 13-, High 
  Society 13-, Interrogation 13-, AK: Known Space 
  13-, KS: RRM 13-, KS: Th e Spacefaring World 13-, 
  Language:  English, Mechanics 8-, Navigation (Air, 
  Space) 13-, Persuasion 13-, Power: Aetherial Engi-
  neering 8-, PS: Rocketship Captain 13-, Stealth 13-, 
  Systems Operation 13-, Tactics 13-, WF: Common 
  Melee Weapons, Small Arms, Ship’s Weapons, Con-
  tacts (among the Nazi High Command), Fringe 
  Beneﬁ t:  RRM Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (RRM 
  uniform); Distinctive Feature (Heidelberg dueling 
  scar); Psychological Limitation:  Devoted To Hitler 
  And Th e Th ird Reich; Psychological Limitation:  
  Convinced Of His Own Aryan Superiority; Social 
  Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  Brilliant, incisive, clever, and cruel, Kapitan 
  zur Raum Gerhardt von Schadel of the Reichsraum 
  Marine is one of Captain Smith’s most dangerous 
  and devious adversaries. Th e scion of a noble Prus-
  sian family, he wholeheartedly embraces Nazi ideals 
  and will do anything to advance the cause of the 
  Th ird Reich in space. He likes nothing better than 
  to beat the other Great Powers to a potential colony 
  or overcome one of their vessels in a skirmish. His 
  rocketship is one of the most advanced and best-
  equipped in the RRM, and his crew one of the most 
  skilled, disciplined, and eﬃ  cient.
  DAI SA KASHIDA JIRO
  10  STR 
  15 DEX 
  15 CON 
  14 BODY 
  15  INT 
  13 EGO 
  18 PRE 
  10 COM 
  6 
   PD 
  5 ED 
  4 SPD 
  6 REC 
  30  END 
  27 STUN
  Abilities:  Martial Arts (Jujutsu), Combat Piloting 
  12-, Deduction 12-, High Society 13-, Interrogation 
  13-, AK: Known Space 12-, KS: ISP 12-, KS: Japa-
  nese History And Culture 12-, KS: Th e Spacefar-
  ing World 12-, Language:  English, Mechanics 8-, 
  Navigation (Air, Space) 12-, Persuasion 13-, Power: 
  Aetherial Engineering 8-, PS: Rocketship Captain 
  12-, SS: Astronomy 11-, SS: Biology 8-, SS: Physics 
  11-, Stealth 12-, Systems Operation 12-, Tactics 12-, 
  WF: Common Melee Weapons, Small Arms, Ship’s 
  Weapons, Fringe Beneﬁ t:  ISP Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (ISP uni-
  form); Psychological Limitation:  Will Do Anything 
  For Japan; Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  Captain of the Ashikaga, one of the largest 
  and most powerful rocketships ever built, Dai Sa 
  Jiro has been a thorn in Solar Smith’s side on more 
  than one occasion. Cultured and witty, ever ready 
  with a bon mot or (bitingly) insightful comment, 
  he can switch from urbane ship’s captain to ruth-
  less tactician in a heartbeat. His crew includes two 
  scientists from Unit 731, and he oft en looks in on 
  their experiments with interest.
  KAPITAN RAKHILA SEPANOVA
  12  STR 
  16 DEX 
  16 CON 
  14 BODY 
  20  INT 
  15 EGO 
  20 PRE 
  16 COM 
  5 
   PD 
  5 ED 
  4 SPD 
  5 REC 
  32  END 
  28 STUN
  Abilities:  Acting 13-, Bribery 13-, Combat Piloting 
  12-, Conversation 13-, Deduction 12-, Fast Draw 
  (Small Arms) 12-, High Society 13-, AK: Known 
  Space 12-, KS: KKUK 12-, KS: Th e Spacefaring 
  World 12-, Language:  English, Mechanics 8-, 
  Navigation (Air, Space) 12-, Persuasion 13-, Power: 
  Aetherial Engineering 8-, PS: Rocketship Captain 
  12-, Seduction 13-, Stealth 12-, Systems Operation 
  8-, Tactics 12-, WF: Small Arms, Ship’s Weapons, 
  Fringe Beneﬁ t:  KKUK Rank
  75+ Disadvantages:  Distinctive Features (KKUK 
  uniform); Psychological Limitation:  Self-Centered; 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders
  Notes:  Th at rarest of rarities — a female rocketship 
  captain (!) — Rakhila Stepanova was born to an old 
  Russian naval family and dreamed of one day going 
  to sea, but the stars captivated her still more. When 
  space travel became possible, she used her family’s 
  inﬂ uence to obtain a position in the Russian Space 
  Academy, and her own native intelligence and tal-
  ents to get the best grades in her class... and, even-
  tually, her own ship, the Flowers Of February. Since 
  then she’s established an enviable record for ﬁ nding 
  new planets and advancing the cause of the Soviet 
  Union in space. But she’s no patriot — her interest 
  lies more in feathering her own nest and increas-
  ing her own power than in serving her Communist 
  “masters.”
  27 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
  H
  ere are a few notes and sug-
  gestions for campaigning in 
  the universe of Solar Smith, 
  together with a GM’s Vault containing 
  secret information for the GM’s eyes 
  only.
  CHARACTER
  CREATION
  Solar Smith characters are typically built on 75 
  Base Points + up to 75 points from Disadvantages. 
  Th ey’re automatically subject to the Normal Char-
  acteristic Maxima rules and get no Character Points 
  for this. In the standard campaign, they’re all mem-
  bers of ASTRA serving aboard the same ship, and 
  thus have access to a lot of ASTRA resources, but the 
  GM could instead run a campaign featuring a mix 
  of aethernauts from several nations, a group of free-
  lance explorers and scientists in search of adventure 
  and new planets, or even a ship of Robin Hood-like 
  pirates.
  PLOT SEEDS
  By now you’ve probably got plenty of ideas of 
  your own for Solar Smith adventures, but in case you 
  don’t, here are a few plot seeds to get you started.
  Strange New Worlds:  Th e classic Solar Smith sce-
  nario is simply described:  the PCs discover a new 
  world that seems suitable for colonization. Some 
  other nation — usually Germany, Japan, Russia, or 
  Italy — also has a claim to the world, or wants it 
  regardless of the primacy or legitimacy of claims. 
  Th e PCs have to explore the planet, dealing with 
  both the dangers it presents (hostile atmosphere, 
  hostile plants and animals, hostile natives...) and the 
  eﬀ orts of the rival crew to sabotage their eﬀ orts or 
  even kill them. It’s a mix of exploration, action, and 
  diplomacy in space, and it’s the sort of thing Solar 
  Smith characters thrive on!
  Dracon Rex!:  Th e other classic Solar Smith plot is 
  equally simple:  Emperor Krogan III of Dracon has 
  come up with another scheme to conquer or destroy 
  Earth. Th e PCs not only have to stop him, they have 
  to do it in a way that doesn’t involve falling prey to 
  Princess Aluria’s romantic intentions... unless, of 
  course, they can reform her.
  Alternately, Krogan’s forces may have invented or 
  discovered a device that gives the Dracons a signiﬁ -
  cant tactical advantage against Earth. Th e PCs have 
  to destroy it (or better yet, steal it) to keep Earth safe.
  Crusoes On Canopus:  While pushing back the fron-
  tiers of Human space, the PCs wind up stranded on 
  the gigantic planet Canopus. Th ere’s no help of rescue 
  — if they’re going to get home, they’ve got to do it 
  themselves. Th ey must make a great journey from 
  their landing site to the largest city on the planet, along 
  the way interacting with tribes hostile and friendly, 
  dangerous beasts, and all other sorts of threats.
  The Eleventh Planet:  Directly opposite Earth from 
  the Sun is another planet — an eleventh member 
  of the Solar System. Th is fact having just been dis-
  covered, the PCs must race against the other Great 
  Powers to be the ﬁ rst to get there and claim what 
  could be a second Earth... and deal with whatever 
  dangers it may hold.
  Gone Native:  Th e PCs’ ship crash-lands in a remote, 
  unexplored part of Venus. To get back to civilization, 
  the PCs have to join a tribe of Venusians, learn to 
  ride zarks, help their new friends ﬁ ght against enemy 
  tribes, and so forth. And who knows what else they 
  may discover?
  Journey To The Center Of Mars:  Areologists have 
  discovered that there’s a vast network of caverns 
  under one part of Mars that may lead virtually to the 
  center of the planet. Could there be remnants of the 
  supposed ancient Martian civilization down there 
  somewhere... or at least examples of its technology? 
  It’s John Carter meets Otto Lidenbrock as the PCs go 
  on the most fantastic spelunking expedition ever!
  The Power Of The Dracon:  Where does the Dracon 
  Empire get its equivalent of neptunium fuel? If the 
  PCs could ﬁ nd that out and either (a) take advantage 
  of it, (b) cut the Dracon Empire oﬀ  from it, or (c) 
  both, that would be a major tactical advantage in 
  mankind’s ongoing maneuverings with the Dracons.
  Rebels Against The Empire:  One great way to weaken 
  the Dracon Empire, or at least distract it, would be 
  to foment unrest on its colony worlds. Th e PCs are 
  assigned to do just that by aiding and assisting a 
  rebel movement on one of the Vegan planets.
  The Transplanetary Broadcasting Network:  Previous 
  attempts by Humans to set up a “relay network” of 
  transplanetary radio stations so they can transmit 
  messages over dozens of light-years quickly have 
  failed for one reason or another. Now the government 
  has assigned the PCs to try again... and perhaps to 
  ﬁ gure out why all the previous attempts went wrong.
  CAMPAIGNING
  28 ■ Solar Smith And The Sky-Pirates Of Arcturus!
  Hero System 5th Edition
  
  Zeppelins... In... Space!:  Th e PCs get to take part 
  in the wars on Jupiter, typically by crewing one of 
  the zeppelins sent there by the US to ﬁ ght against 
  German, Japanese, Italian, and Russian aggression.
  Along the way they have to cope with Jovian internal 
  politics, traitors within the races the US is helping, 
  storms, and other threats.
  THE GM’s VAULT
  Th is section contains additional and/or secret 
  information about the galaxy of Solar Smith that’s 
  for the GM’s eyes alone. If you’re playing in, or plan 
  to play in, a campaign based on the Solar Smith set-
  ting, do not read this section!!
  Th e GM’s Vault is organized by page number. If 
  the Vault doesn’t comment on some part of the main 
  text, it’s usually safe to take what’s written there as 
  accurate (or as left  for each GM’s individual inter-
  pretation). As always, you’re free to change anything 
  in this Hero Plus Adventure to suit your own prefer-
  ences or campaign.
  PAGE 5  MARS
  Th e Martians were indeed once a more advanced 
  civilization. Over a hundred thousand years ago 
  the Martians had a highly sophisticated society and 
  science. Th ey could even travel in space for short 
  distances, and visited Earth but paid it little attention 
  because its natives were “so primitive.” Ecological 
  changes that rendered the Martian climate more 
  arid, coupled with various political and religious 
  upheavals, caused Martian civilization to collapse. 
  Th e survivors reverted to a more primitive lifestyle, 
  living in towns and villages clustered along the 
  canals and in still-verdant regions. Today, thousands 
  of years later, the Martians know nothing of their 
  former greatness, except in dimly-remembered tales 
  of great antiquity. Th ere are many ruins of the old 
  Martian civilization on Mars, just waiting for Human 
  explorers to ﬁ nd them... and, perhaps, encounter the 
  dangers that might lurk within. Th ose who avoid or 
  defeat these dangers may ﬁ nd amazing technological 
  treasures, ancient Martian artifacts — or nothing of 
  value beyond knowledge.
  Th e Martians do have a religion. Th ey worship a 
  small pantheon of deities led by “the One,” the great-
  est and most powerful of gods. Th e Cydonian Face 
  is a great shrine to the One. Th e Martians keep their 
  religion secret because their priests (who, as a group, 
  remain in hiding from mankind, either by going in 
  disguise among lay Martians or by living in secret 
  temples) have informed them that if Humans learn 
  of the gods, the Martians will incur the gods’ dis-
  pleasure. A Human who uncovered proof of Martian 
  religion or religious beliefs would become world-
  famous on Earth.
  Phobos, the largest and closest of Mars’s two 
  moons, is actually a disguised artiﬁ cial object — a 
  space station created by the ancient Martian spacefar-
  ers. So far the protective devices they set in place have 
  fooled Human explorers into thinking Phobos is a 
  chunk of worthless rock. Inside may lurk a surviving 
  colony of advanced Martians, Martian science run 
  amok thanks to a hundred thousand years of neglect, 
  or anything else you feel like throwing at your players.
  PAGE 6  JUPITER
  Th e religion of the Lailags doesn’t just involve 
  sacriﬁ cing Jovian animals. Some darker sects, who 
  remain hidden and secretive for obvious reasons, 
  sacriﬁ ce Jovians of other races to their three gods. 
  Th ey’ve also sacriﬁ ced Humans, when they could 
  safely get their hands on them; some Purple priests 
  claim that the gods look with particular favor on 
  Human sacriﬁ ces.
  PAGE 8  SATURN
  Th e main text states that Saturn has no life, but 
  this is wrong. Th e planet’s size has kept Humans 
  from ﬁ nding the hidden, decadent Saturnians, who 
  dwell far underground. A race of powerful psychics, 
  the Saturnians nearly destroyed themselves and 
  much of the Saturnian environment, and eradicated 
  all life on the planet, in a series of psionic wars 
  thousands of years ago. Th e survivors retreated to 
  subsurface enclaves where their powerful technol-
  ogy keeps them alive and well. Many of them sleep 
  a sleep of strange Saturnian dreams for decades or 
  centuries at a time; others prefer to remain awake 
  and active as much as possible. If unleashed on the 
  Solar System by some unwitting German or British 
  exploratory expedition, they could pose a serious 
  threat to Humanity.
  PAGE 8  TRITON
  As Triton’s odd geology and orbit should suggest 
  to attentive PCs, it’s not a natural satellite. Most sci-
  entists who realize this simply conclude that it was 
  “captured” by Neptune and was perhaps originally 
  just a large asteroid that drift ed out of the asteroid 
  belt somehow. In fact, as the Russians have discov-
  ered, it’s some sort of rocketship. Th e Russians have 
  only barely begun to explore the ship located deep 
  inside the mantle of ice and rock that have somehow 
  built up all around it. Th ey’re having trouble deter-
  mining the function of various parts of the ship, 
  can’t read the builders’ script, and have lost more 
  than a dozen highly-skilled scientists to mysteri-
  ous “accidents.” If they ever ﬁ gure out what’s really 
  going on, they may gain technology and weapons 
  that make Russia the most powerful nation on Earth 
  and in space... or they may unlock a peril that could 
  threaten Humanity’s very existence.
  PAGES 89  MERCURY, URANUS, PLUTO, 
  AND MINERVA
  Th ese four worlds, particularly the ﬁ ctional tenth 
  planet Minerva, are left  open for the GM to do with 
  as he sees ﬁ t. Th ey could harbor long-lost solar civili-
  zations, the ruined colonies of space explorers from 
  other galaxies, races of intelligent animals or fungi, 
  or just about anything else that suits the GM’s 
  plans. Th ey could also be largely unknown planets 
  for the PCs to explore and tame without having to 
  go too far from home.
  29 
  Hero Plus Adventures #2
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hero Games/5th Edition/Pulp Hero - Solar Smith & the Sky-Pirates of Arcturus.pdf