The starship Omicron, the pride of the Pan Galactic Corporation, disappeared years ego on its first voyage. Recently the ship was found drifting in space, the passengers and crew killed by a strange and virulent disease. The ship was decontaminated, refueled, and made ready for operations. The PGC has hired eight adventurers to "babysit" the Omicron on her voyage back to a Corporation starport. The ship is being automatically navigated by her computers and robots and this promises to be an easy mission for the "babysitting" team.

MODULE BACKGROUND

ASSAULT ON STARSHIP OMICRON is a mini-module for the STAR FRONTIERS game. The mini-module offers two different adventures and introduces an entirely new intelligent alien race, the Zuraqqor, along with a new Sathar attack monster, the cybodragon. Cybodragons also appear in module SF2: STARSRAWN OF VOLTURNUS. Details of the Zuraqqor and cybodragons appear on the ALIEN LIFE FORM UPDATE FILE.

HOW TO USE THIS MODULE

Each scenario has been designed so that it can be used by a referee as part of a continuing campaign, or played and replayed on its own as a game. Eight pre-rolled player characters are provided. When the scenarios are being replayed as a game, the pre-rolled characters should be used. There should always be eight player characters at the beginning of each scenario; if there are fewer than eight players, some players should play more than one character. If the scenarios are being used as part of a campaign. the referee controls all Sathar forces while each player controls his own character. Robots on the side of the PCs can be controlled as desired by the players. (If there are fewer than eight PCs, use pre-rolled characters as NPCs. The players must decide how these will be controlled.)

Warning: The combat in these scenarios is intense and deadly. Players should not use their campaign characters unless the skills and equipment of the characters are equivalent to those of the characters included in the module.

MOVEMENT ABOARD THE STARSHIP

The Starship Upper Deck Map has been designed to be used with the Starship Bridge Area Map in the STAR FRONTIERS boxed set. The scale of the upper deck map is the same as that of the Starship Bridge Area Map (2 meters per square).

Movement between maps is by way of the air lock hatches marked on the Starship Bridge Area Map. The four hatches

match four of the hatches on the Starship Upper Deck Map (all the hatches on the map except the one marked 'Hatch to Outer Hull') The four hatches on both maps are the same. An individual who opens a hatch on one map can move directly into the corresponding airlock on the other map. Hatches can be opened even if there is already an individual on the hatch square on a different map.

The normal STAR FRONTIERS movement rules are used in the play of both scenarios. The maximum movement rates per game turn are translated into 2 meter squares per turn on the following table:

Movement in Squares/Turn	Type of Counter
10 15 18 30	Dralasite, Sathar Human, Yazirian, Zuraqqor, Cybot, heavy duty, service and brain robots Vrusk Quickdeaths, cybodragons, and all other robots

Although quickdeaths, cybodragons, and some robots do have higher maximum speeds under ideal conditions, this is the maximum safe speed they can use in the corridors or rooms of a starship.

Movement through Hatches and Doors

Only characters and robots can open doors and hatches; Sathar attack monsters cannot move through doors and hatches until a character or robot opens them. Moving through a pressure door, securny door or hatch is a three turn process. The first tum must be spent moving up to the door, a second~full tum is spent opening the door, and on the third turn the character or Sathar attack monster may move one square (only, through the door. Characters can move through doors and hatchea attheir normal movement rate so long as the door or hatch is held open by another character. All pressure doora open oumrd into the corridors, not inward into the airlocks. All doors and hatches are selfclosing, but can be held open by any character capable of opening the door. All normal doors open automatically when any character in an adjacent square pushes a vvall button to open the door. All doors and hatches can be locked from the inside tn either the open or ahut position. These locks can be shot open; each lock has 30 structural points.

Any character immediately behind a hatch or doorway is considered to have soft cover.

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This screen and module are protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR Hobbies, Inc.

Combat and Movement

The same combat and movement rules found in CRASH ON VOLTURNUS apply. These include: one counter per square unless in melee; movement through a square occupied by a counter only with the consent of that counter; use of soft and hard cover. Warbots and cybodragons can be used as hard cover. Robots can be used as soft cover.

SPECIAL AREAS AND FUNCTIONS

Certain special areas on the starship have particular functions that can affect game play. These are detailed below:

Bridge

The Bridge is divided into two sections on the Starship Bridge Area Map. The Bridge section on the top half of the map contains the controls and overrides for the ship's intercom, radio communications, and life support systems. Any reprogramming or interference with the life support system also requires control of the ship's computers.

The lower Bridge section controls the ship's navigation and the ship's power plants. Any attempt to shut down the power plant requires control of the ship's computers.

Computer Rooms

This ship's computers contain the following programs:

Analysis, Level 6 Communication, Level 1 Computer Security, Level 4

Information Storage, Level 6 Language, Level 3 Life Support, Level 1

Important Note: The computers also contain Astrogation and Drive programs sufficient to take the Omicron to its destination. For the purposes of this module, characters will not be able to change the ship's course by using Computer skill. Piloting a starship requires additional skills not available to the characters in this module.

Either computer room is capable of handling all the functions of the ship's computer. If the Sathar forces and the defending forces each control a Computer Room. each side adds up the levels of all characters with Computer or Technician skill in their respective Computer Rooms. The side with the higher sum of Computer and Technician skills controls the computer system.

To successfully reprogram the ship's computer, the side in control of the computer must also control the ship's systems overrides. The overrides are normally controlled from the Bridge, bot can also be controlled from Auxiliary Control.

Weapons Locker

The weapons locker contains the following weapons:

10 laser rifles with one powerclip each
10 laser pistols with one powerclip each
2 machine guns with one ammo belt each
1 sonic devastator with one powerpack
5 doze grenades
5 tangier grenades
5 fragmentation grenades
4 charges of Tornadium D19 (50 gms, ea)
2 electrostunners with one powerclip each
2 needler pistols, loaded with 10 shots each

The locker also contains 10 space suits. These suits will allow characters to survive for five hours in areas where life support has been cut off. If a character wearing a space suit suffers more than 25 points of combat damage in a single turn, the suit is ruptured and will not protect the character from damage due to lack of life support.

Auxiliary Control

This area can be used to control all systems and functions normally controlled by both halves of the Bridge. If Auxiliary Control is held byoneside, and a Bridge area is held by the other side, the functions of the ship will be controlled by the side with the greater total of Computer and Technician skills in the area. In case of ties, the side holding the Bridge is in control.

Emergency Life Support

The side controlling this area can use the overrides and controls to restore life support to any area where it has been deactivated. The controls in this section automatically override the Bridge and Auxiliary Control sections and will function even if the computer system is totally shut down. These controls must be operated by a character with Technician skill. These controls in this area cannot be used to deactiviate life support in any part of the ship.

Emergency Power Plant

The controls and power plant herecan restore power to anypan of the ship, including the computers. The controls automatically override the Bridge and Auxiliary Control sections and must be operated by a Technician. These controls cannot be used to cut power to the computers or to any area of the ship.

Intercoms

Intercoms are located adjacent to every door and hatch on the ship. The system allows contact to any part of the ship. Each intercom can be turned off by a switch on the unit.

DEACTIVATING LIFE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS: If one side controls one of the Computer Rooms and either the upper Bridge or Auxiliary Control, life suppon can be cut off to selected areas of the starship. To do this, the character in the Computer Room must use Operate Computer, Bypass or Defeat Security, and Manipulate Programs subskills to deactivate life support. The computer operator can cut off life suppon in all parts of the ship in one turn. He can, of course, maintain life support in any areas he chooses. The restoration of life support requires the same subskills as deactivation. Once the computer is reprogrammed. Iife support can be restored as quickly and selectively as it can be cut off. Control of the Bridge is necessary to prevent override of any tampering with life support.

After life support systems are shut down, characters not in space suits will suffer 1-10 points of damage per turn, beginning on the 11th turn after the life support is shut off. Characters can avoid this damage by donning spacesuits, or by getting to an area where life support is still operating. Note that opening a hatch or doorway from an area without life support to an area with life support will cause the unsupported area to become safe. However, this "chain" of life-supported areas can be only one area long. For example, the Bridge could draw direct life support from the corridor outside, but not from the Computer Room across the corridor.

DEACTIVATING POWER AND COMPUTERS: If one side controls one of the Computer Rooms and either the lower Bridge or Auxiliary Control, lights can be turned off in any part of the ship. or power can be cut off to either or both Computer Rooms. To do this, the computer must be reprogrammed using Operate Computer, Bypass or Defeat Security, and Manipulate Programs subskills. Power can then be turned off in any part of the ship, and a computer room can be shut down. Lights and power can be restored by reprogramming a functioning computer.

Characters and Sathar attack monsters without infra-red goggles must move at half speed in darkened areas and have a -20 modifier to hit in ranged or melee combat. All robots in this module have built-in infra-red sensors and are unaffected by darkness.

Warning: The starship's life support system will be shut down if power is cut off to both computer Rooms.

A force of 10 Sathar, eight Zuraqqor, two quickdeaths, and one cybodragon are invading the Omicron, which is defended by eight player characters and the ship's robots.

SETTING UP THE SCENARIO

The player characters are set up in the following areas. It is up to the players to decide which player character will be where.

One player character in:

1. Each section of the Bridge
2. Either Computer Room
3. Wither Engine Room
4. Any passenger class cabin
5. Medical Lab
6. Robot Storage
7. Auxiliary Control

The player characters' counters may be in any square in the indicated area.

Each character carries the following: one chosen weapon from the weapons locker, a sonic sword with a 20 SEU clip, two 50 SEU power beltpacks, a military skeinquit, and the screens listed in the character list.

The ahip's robots are set up as follows:

1. Two combat robots in Robot Storage. These robots are deactivated at the start of the scenario.
2. One security robot on each Bridge, at the door from the Bridge to the corridor outside.
3. Two maintenance robots set up one each in any corridor square on the Starship Bridge Area Map, but not within 10 squares of each other.

The robots in this scenario have the same statistics, weapons, and normal programming as the robots in the following Rogue Robots scenario.

The Sathar forces begin the scenario inside the airlock of their own ship, which is linked to the Omicron airlock containing the hatch to the outer hull.

USING ROBOTS

Once alerted, combat robots will move and attack independently, using Search and Destroy programs. They do not need direction from player characters. Service, maintenance, and security robots must be given specific orders and will move independently only until those orders are carried out. They will then stand still, unless previously instructed to return to a location for new orders. Players should use common sense on this point. The intention is that robots would not act in the way intelligent characters would act. Robots are limited to following their programming or to following specific orders from characters.

BEGINNING PLAY

At the beginning of the first turn, the ship's computer warns the player character in the computer room that the outer hull hatch has just been opened. A maximum of nine Sathar or Sathar allies may enter the airlock through the hatch on the first turn. On the first turn, defending characters and robots cannot move; they are being alerted to the situation by the character in the Computer Room. Afterwards, they may move normally.

ENDING THE SCENARIO

Play continues until the player characters are all dead, or until the Sathar forces have been driven off the ship. The Sathar will flee the ship whenever six Sathar (not Zuraqqor or Sathar attack monsters) have been killed. The Sathar will leave as they entered, through the hatch to the outer hull. Victorious player characters will not be able to take the Sathar ship. The Sathar will destroy their own ship, if necessary, to prevent capture.

The Zuraqqor are technological experts. They have perfected a robot (codenamed Rogue Robot) that can reprogram and take control of enemy,robots. The rogue robot is built to look exactly like a normal robot. Unknown to the PCs, the Zuraqqor have infiltrated a rogue robot onto the starship Omicron. The rogue robot has secretly reprogr~mmed all the other robots. The rogue robot has waited for the best chance to send the robots into revolt and take control of the starship.

SETTING UP THE SCENARIO

The character side starts the game in control of the eight player characters. The Zuraqqor side has already reprogrammed the robots when the scenario begins. These include three service robots, four security robots, four maintenance robots and four combat robots.

The Zuraqqor side first sets up all the robots. Some robots start in specific locations. The remainder of the robots are set up at random. Once the robots have all been set up, the rogue robot player marks down (secretly) which robot is actually the rogue. Finally, the player characters can set up anywhere they wish on the two maps. Each player character is armed with one weapon chosen from the weapons locker, as well as the other weapons listed in the Sathar Attack scenario.

Robots with specific set up areas are:

Security Robot A on the hatch to the outer hull
Security Robot B in one of the two Bridge sections (roll for which specific section, 1-5=upper, 6-10=lower)
Maintenance Robot A in Auxiliary Control
Maintenance Robot B in one of the two Engine Room sections (1-5=upper, 6-10=lower)
Service Robot A in one of the two officer's quarters (1-5=upper, 6-10=iower quarters)

Die Roll	Location
1 2 3 4 5 6-10	Repair Shop Medical Lab Corridor between passenger class sections Emergency Life Support Emergency Power Room Robot Storage

CONTROLLING ROBOTS

The two human player characters are robotic experts. They can deactivate any robot except the rogue robot. The rogue robot can reactivate robots. The rogue itself cannot be deactivated nor can its mission or functions be changed. It must be destroyed.

There is a chance for each robot that the rogue robot's reprogramming of the robot's mission did not succeed. The alteration will appear to have succeeded until the robot ends a move adjacent to a PC or attempts to attack a defending PC or robot. At that time, the Zuraqqor player rolls the dice to see if the robot's mission has been successfully altered. The ALTERED MISSION TABLE gives the chance of successful alteration.

Maintenance Robot 70%

Combat Robot 40%

Security Robot 60%

Service Robot 50%

If the Zuraqqor player rolls the number listed or lower, the robot la controlled by the Zuraqqor player for the game. If the roll istireaterthan the number listed, the robot's controlled by the PC side for the game. If the Zuraqqor player controls fewer than five robots after all robots have been rolled for, the Zuraqqor player Immedlately rolls again until five robots are under Zuraqqor control. The Zuraqqor player chooses which robots to roll for, and can only make one roll per robot.

A Zuraqqor-controlled robot will continue to obey orders. A PC-controlled robot will abort any attack ordered against the PC and will obey orders issued by the PC. To indicate a PC controlled robot, stack tho robot counter on top of some unused counter. Robots not stacked are under the control of the Zuraqqor. To indicate a deactivated robot, turn the robot counter over. Remember to keep PC robots stacked with a spare counter, even when both counters are stacked together upside down to indicate a deactivated PC robot.

BEGINNING PLAY

On the first turn, the player characters cannot move (the Zuraqqor have surprised them). Afterwards, both sides move normally.

ENDING THE SCENARIO

The character side wins if it destroys the rogue robot. The Zuraqqor side wins if it captures and holds both Bridge areas, both Computer areas and Auxiliary Control for ten consecutive turns. The five sections must be held simultaneously. To hold a section, the Zuraqqor side must be alone in the section. A tie results if neither side is able to fulfill its victory conditions. For example, if all the PCs are eliminated, but only three Zuraqqorcontrolled robots remain, it would be impossible for the Zuraqqor side to hold five sections of the ship at the same time.

The following section is a special option which may be used with the Sathar Attack scenario. When the Omicron was decontaminated, a small sample of the disease spores found on board was cultured and stored in the Medical Lab. This sample is to be used for further study of the disease when the ship reaches a starport. Also in the lab are 10 doses of the only drug which can cure the disease.

If there is combat in the Medical Lab, there is an 80% chance that the vial containing the disease spores will be broken, releasing the spores. After three turns, the Medical Lab will be contaminated. After that, if the door to the Lab is opened, the spores will spread through the ship, at the rate of one area per turn. If the spores are in an area adjacent to a closed door, and the door leading into the contaminated area is opened the spores will immediately go through the doorway into the new area. The spores will spread to the lower deck only if a hatch is opened in a contaminated airlock.

The disease effects all characters of all races in any contaminated area at the end of the first turn of contamination, unless the characters are wearing intact space sults. The effects of the disease are as follows:

SATHAR: Movement reduced to 0; All "to hit" scores halved; Death in 10 turns.

ZURAQQOR: Death in 5 turns.

HUMAN: Mowment halved; -20 on all "to hit" scores; Death in 15 turns.

DRALASITE: Movement and "to hit" scores reduced to 0; Death in 8 turns.

VRUSK: Death in 8 turns.

YAZIRIAN: Insanity --- character will randomly attack any character in sight; Death in 15 turns.

Any character suffering from the disease will be cured immediately when injected with the drug. The PC Medic can diagnose the disease with 100% accuracy; Sathar and Zuraqqor medics have the normal chance of diagnosis.