Supernova 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 from DriveThruRPG as a 20 page Pay What You Want PDF. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three pages are the front matter and three pages are the Open Game License.
The opening paragraphs explain that a particular world is an uninhabited desert planet with sporadic pirate activity in the vicinity. The system is a Red Zone, partly due to the pirates but more to do with the increasing instability of the sun. A supernova is believed to be imminent and a space station is studying the star. The station’s personnel were intended to be evacuated before the star exploded, but pirate activity has cut it off and the station itself has now dropped out of contact. The characters are approached and asked to head to the station, evacuate the scientists and recover the data.
Game Master Notes explains that the adventure is designed for use with the Frontiers of Space setting but it can be placed elsewhere.
Complications gives a list of such. The star is, indeed, going supernova, and very soon, giving the characters a limited amount of time to complete the mission. Pirates have boarded the station and are looting it, with ships in the area. The security robot is attempting to repel all boarders, and the characters will be considered to be such.
The Pirate Ship “Angry Tiger” gives details on the pirate’s rather battered corvette.
Key to Space Station X-1438A covers the various locations inside the station and what can be found there.
Finally, there are notes on the upcoming supernova, how soon it will happen and three maps of the station.
Supernova in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and, given the length and sections, these would have been useful. Navigation is poor. The text maintains a single column format and some minor errors were noticed. As well as the maps of the station and the covers there is a single, full-page illustration of what is probably the security robot. Sadly, the maps don’t come in player-friendly versions. Presentation is okay.
In some ways, this is reminiscent of those stories where a volcano erupts just as the characters arrive, destroying a place just as it is discovered. At least, in this case, the supernova is expected and being watched for, but having it happen a mere couple of hours after arrival is still a bit of a coincidence. Needless to say, this does put a time pressure on the adventure, even if the players don’t know it. Nothing is mentioned about what will happen if the characters don’t escape in time, but it can safely be assumed that they are dead. A supernova would also have a detrimental effect on any surrounding systems, so GM’s might not want the exploding star sited too near any such. Supernova is an okay adventure with time pressure and it can be found by clicking here.
Leave a Reply