A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement The Sleeper Awakens

The Sleeper Awakens 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 21 page Pay What You Want PDF from DriveThruRPG. Two pages are the front and rear covers, three are the front matter and three the Open Game License.

The opening paragraphs explain that the characters are approached by three people from the Lage system – the adventure is in the Frontiers of Space setting, though this isn’t stated – who are freedom fighters. Their planet has been invaded by a notorious family and they need assistance. An archaeological party on another planet uncovered a massive, buried and badly-damaged combat robot, and the freedom fighters want it excavating, repairing – they have some replacement parts – and taking to Lage.

Complications are all the potential problems, from the difficulties in repairing and shipping the robot, to those who might object to its removal, including the original builders, to the dangers of the planet it is buried and the one it is being sent to.

Repair Work explains that this is the primary aim of the mission and how it can be done.

Random Encounters covers random encounter checks on the planet the combat robot is buried on.

The Pvions are the original builders who may be notified if the robot is excavated.

Time Constraints is how quickly the final invasion of Lage will be launched.

Jorum Blockade is hostile ships in the Lage system.

Key to the Sleeper maps out the combat robot.

Random Desert Nomads has several pages of stats for these, who will be hostile.

Skills and Repair of the Robot lists the needed tasks and skills that could be used.

Requirements for Completion of the Mission includes the chance of successfully defending Lage.

Finally, there is a map of the robot.

The Sleeper Awakens in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough with enough different sections that these would have been useful. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and a few minor errors were noticed. The font used for the section headings has changed, and isn’t that easy to read. There are no illustrations bar the covers and map. Presentation could be better.

The adventure reads as if it was written around the map, which is available on another site. Not that there’s anything wrong with doing that, but the background doesn’t seem especially plausible (and it’s also a little too similar to Sleeping Giant). This can be a difficult adventure to complete successfully, and potentially even impossible, and even successful completion doesn’t mean the characters will be rewarded. The Sleeper Awakens can be found by clicking here.