A Wrench in the Gears by Jospeh 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.
The supplement is available as a 19 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.
The opening paragraphs explains how an automated factory in the Sonora sector – the adventure is set in the Frontiers of Space – is the envy of other companies and generating record profits, but other corporations dislike its effect on their bottom line and workers on not requiring people. The characters are therefore hired to sabotage it.
Patron has details on the employer.
Complications are things that aren’t known or which can go wrong.
A Few Bombs to Place explains where the explosives need planting.
The Factory covers the various locations.
Robots at the Factory covers the different kinds of robots, including security bots.
Androids at the Factory covers the androids.
Other Security Measures at the Factory explains that there’s a silent alarm.
Picket Line Roster is a 2d6 table of picketing workers.
Local Law Enforcement is a 1d6 table of cops.
SIPOL Investigation is the chances that the interstellar police will investigate and find the characters.
SIPOL Officers has stats for these.
Mission Completion explains that all four bombs being successfully planted completes the mission.
The final page of content has a map of the factory.
A Wrench in the Gears 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 appeared to be free of errors. Bar the map and covers, there are no illustrations. Presentation is okay.
This is a straightforward enough though illegal mission, and whether or not the police capture the characters is random and the players can’t affect this at all, adding an element of pure chance. Perhaps fortunately, they can ensure that there’s little evidence to connect them to the sabotage, but even then there’s a chance they will be charged, which makes this a potentially difficult mission to do and one whose bad outcomes are often down to chance. A Wrench in the Gears can be found by clicking here.
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