Quasar 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 an 18 page Pay What You Want PDF from DriveThruRPG. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three the front matter and three the Open Game License.
It starts with a definition of a quasar before explaining that wormhole activity in the Sonora sector – the adventure is set in the Frontiers of Space – and that a new one has opened which leads to a distant galaxy believed to be home to a quasar. The characters are contacted by an astronomer who wants taking through the wormhole so he can send probes into the quasar.
Patron has details on the employer.
Complications are the things that can go wrong or which aren’t known.
The Probes has details on the wormhole and quasar probes.
The Specialized Equipment has some details of this.
Hazards of Proximity to the Quasar has details on the various hazards, with DM Notes for each. Those listed are gravity, luminosity, ion storms, sensor failure, debris, radiation and any others that are created.
The Worm Hole has details on this and the chance of collapse.
A Trip Through the Wormhole briefly describes this and the chance of mechanical failure.
The Star System Map briefly covers the subsector’s three remaining systems.
The Ver’ods covers an intelligent species whose homeworld will soon be eaten up.
Mission Completion explains that the objective is to go through the wormhole, fire probes and make it back safely with a side mission of helping the Ver’ods.
Game Master Note explains that the information on quasars comes from the internet and may be wrong.
The final page of content has a map of the subsector.
Quasar in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a single column format and some minor errors were noticed. Bar the map and covers, there are no illustrations. Presentation is okay.
This is one of those adventures which the players would be best turning down. There is a chance of being marooned in a damaged starship at the other end of the universe with a closed wormhole and a quasar that is destroying their subsector. Even success is highly dangerous, and the money offered really isn’t worth travelling across the universe to stand far too close to a highly dangerous object. Quasar can be found by clicking here.
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