Playing a micro-adventure
A micro-adventure is a fast paced content that helps the game master enrich larger adventures with interesting places, hidden treasures or additional situations. A micro-adventure can be played or improvised just as it is, or it can be refined in advance depending on the style of the game master. |
Story of a post-human who lost much of his humanity.
“Such care for nature as much rational cruelty for the unnatural“
Report 7x4299, year 13 P.C.
NNU Department for the Environment
On their way, the characters come across small groups of scattered people, intent on scraping together what they can to face the dangers of the rainforest. Too bad that the awakened nature is not the only threat: choice between morality and survival is an ever-present burden.
Adventure aspects: corrupted nature, missing survivors, cutting-edge technology.
Contents: 2 situations, 1 antagonist, 1 treasure, 1 complication.
Tone: modern fantasy, exploratory, dark.
Adventure
Passage: tree vaults
Location aspects: entwined vines, big juicy berries, unhealthy atmosphere.
- A long tunnel of vines and creepers crosses the wooded area. The vegetation, thick and luxuriant at first glance, actually reveals an advanced state of decay that makes the air heavy and difficult to breathe. In clear contrast, sparse ripe fruits are hidden among the leaves, swollen with thick purplish juice.
Situation: a man lies on his back wrapped in the surrounding lianas. When the characters arrive, he will ask them for help in finding his family, lost in the woods while they were fleeing from strange infernal devices (see next situation).
The grove
Location aspects: dark whispers, sticky leaves fluttering, big burnt rune stump.
- Several severed trunks populate this wooded area completely left to neglect. A continuous gust of wind forces the fallen leaves to swirl in mid-air. Among others, a large hollow burnt log gives off a strong smell of resin and seems to pulsate with an intermittent energy through various runes engraved on its surface.
Situation: HyperBot L36 is scanning the area, occasionally pausing to heal wounds from the ground or nearby animals. His squad of drone dogs (3 canine drones, medium threat) are on their noses and seem to be aiming for the rune trunk, within which the PCs can glimpse a horrified cluster of hyperian Survivors (1 adult, 2 children). HyperBot L36 will proceed to eradicate anomalies, including hyperians, if the characters do not intervene. But, be careful, at your own peril and risk to enter the corruption list. The runes on the burnt trunk can only be reactivated following a joint action by the characters (Primo Contatto: a number of runes equal to the number of characters plus one is activated once through a combined action and adds as many elemental streams of Fire, after which dissipates completely).
Complication: In the event that the characters do not opt for a diplomatic approach, HyperBot L36 will call to the aid of NNU allies a few kilometers away when his drone dogs are disabled (at least 2 dog drones).
Treasure: if defeated, among the remains of the team of HyperBot L36 there are some advanced technology systems for geolocation and medical care (Primo Contatto: 1 technological object or subsystem to integrate into your MTM for each character).
HyperBot L36, the Gardener
NNU post-human with a past in the local forestry, now used as a natural inhibitor. It has a robotic appearance, with a downward tapering conical body. Only his voice scarcely conceals his human origins from time to time.
Relationships | HyperBot L36 can be a solitary figure that the characters encounter while traveling in rural or wooded areas. Alternatively, it can be a mysterious object given as a gift to the characters by members of some organization after a great undertaking. |
Attitude | He demonstrates as much care towards sick nature as rational cruelty towards what he considers unnatural. He is openly hostile towards those who display hyperian traits or manifest paranormal powers. |
Tactic | He sends canid drones ahead to locate and isolate anomalies. If deemed unremediable, he steps in directly to eradicate the corruption with his ion beam or, when cornered, sends an alarm signal to the nearest NNU patrol. |
Customizing the adventure
Survivors and NNU represent societies allied with the characters, but with sometimes conflicting goals and values. They can be replaced by other compatible companies, at the choice of the game master. In addition, for a non-modern setting, it is possible to replace the technological antagonists with others of fantasy inspiration.
Logical map
Characters can move from one zone to the next by spending a turn. Movement within a zone, for example to get away from an obstacle or an opponent, costs an action. In parentheses are reported possible interactions.