Ice Station by Joseph Mohr is a role playing game supplement published by Old School Role Playing for use with Cepheus Engine. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a 19 page Pay What You Want PDF from DriveThruRPG. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three pages are the front matter and three the Open Game License.
The opening paragraphs explain that the Olsonean Empire is a concern for the polities of the Sonoran Sector. The Ilsuni Directorate have listening posts planted around the empire, and one such has recently gone quiet. The characters are asked to visit the outpost, find out what has gone on and return with any intelligence it has collected.
Game Master Note explains that the adventure is located in the Frontier of Space setting.
Xelassy 7 gives some brief details on the planet where the outpost is located.
The Security Officers Accompanying the Travelers gives stats for the two NPCs heading with them.
Complications lists all the problems, which include almost everyone lying to the characters and an Olsonean Ice Combat team waiting to pounce.
The Ice Station has a random encounter near to the station with a creature that sounds like it could be found on Hoth.
Ice Station Local Map Key has a map of the area surrounding the station.
Ice Station House Map covers the station itself.
Ice Station Time Line is the order of events.
Completion Objectives has several different objectives and their rewards.
Special Skills briefly covers two new skills that NPCs possess.
Survival on the Ice Planet covers how hostile the place is.
Three more pages have a map of the planet, one of the area around the station and one of the stations itself.
Ice Station in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation is poor. The text maintains a single column format and appeared to be free of error. Bar the cover illustrations, the only other illustrations are maps, which sadly don’t come in player friendly versions. Presentation is okay.
The overall adventure concept is pretty simple; head to a place, find out what happened there and recover some data. In practice, it proves to be far more difficult due to how many people are working against the characters. The base itself is not very large, but there are dangers both inside and outside and even after the mission seems to be complete. The characters will go up against a number of foes, some of whom they won’t know are opposed. Ice Station is a decent little adventure and it can be found by clicking here.
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