System Brief

Shepherd's Star is a small, unremarkable star that is orbited by two uninhabitable planets; Shepherd Major, a gas giant in far orbit, and Shepherd Minor, a small molten world in near orbit of the star. Any spacer worth his boots would gladly pass this system by if it wasn't for the riches to be had mining the vast asteroid field known as Shepherd's Belt. The company Malco Enterprises has declared exclusive mining rights to the belt and jealously guards their investment with a swift fleet of mercenary privateer vessels.  Hepplewhite Industries, a subsidiary of Malco, directly oversees mining operations in the belt. 

Dead Man's Wharf

Most ships entering or leaving the Shepherd's Star system frequent the small but important gateway space station known as Dead Man's Wharf. Originally, the Wharf was a deep space research facility that was abandoned  during the first Sathar war. Years later, a group of enterprising businessmen salvaged the station and named it Rocket Stop. Stripped and abandoned after only five years of operation, Rocket Stop was eventually salvaged by its current owners who renamed the station "Dead Man's Wharf" due to the poor condition that they found it to be in.

Today, Dead Man's Wharf buzzes with activity and is home to some 100 denizens who visitors refer to indifferently as "wharfers". The station is frequented by spacers of all known races who are free to pursue their own business interests so long as they don't cause any trouble.

Zaxx Mooring

A privately owned space station in orbit of Shepherd Minor, Zaxx Mooring is home to the reclusive billionaire Worthington J. Zaxx. While a major stock holder in the ongoing Shepherd's Belt mining operation, his business dealings span the entire frontier.  

Sanctuary

A privately owned space station in orbit of Shepherd Major that is home to a religious order known as the Brothers of Light. The brothers live a monastic life in Sanctuary, and rarely leave the station. Their only wish is to be left alone to meditate and pray.

Shepherd's Belt

A vast mineral rich asteroid field located between the orbits of Shepherd Minor and Dead Man's Wharf space station. Malco Enterprises has established four mining stations among the asteroids, and also sixteen fueling depots in orbit halfway between the belt and Dead Man's Wharf. Mining shuttles regularly travel between the asteroid belt and the space station either transferring raw materials or bringing back needed supplies. Wharfers refer to the gruff miners from the belt as Stone Shepherds.  

System Map:

Player Characters Briefing...

"You've been hired to travel to the Shepherd's Star system to investigate the strange disappearance of a Hepplewhite executive by the name of Hakfoost (One-Eyed) Gunderlon, last known to be conducting business in that region of space. Foul play is suspected, and your employer wants you to either rescue this individual, or if already dead, have those responsible face justice. You will be traveling to the  Shepherd's Star undercover as the crew of a small scout freighter called the Starfox. Details of the mission will be forthcoming, and you will be well paid if successful. Good Luck!"

Adjustments to your Campaign

The player character group (PCs) should consist of 3 to 6 individuals that have spaceship skills as described in the Star Frontiers Knight Hawks campaign rules. If the players lack the necessary skills to operate a spaceship, the referee will need to supply NPC (Non Player Character) crewmen to assist the players on their adventure. A simple way for the referee to accomplish this without overcrowded the ship and stressing its life support system is to provide a robotic crew to operate the ship while being under the control of the player characters. While this module utilizes aspects of Zebulon's Guide to the Frontier, referees should modify the game mechanics to best fit their own campaigns.

If the player characters already have a starship that they used in previous adventures, they may use the same ship for this adventure with a few adjustments being made by the game referee.

Although game referees may place Shepherd's Star on the frontier map wherever they choose, it is recommended that it be at the very edge of known (charted) space, at least 7 days journey from the nearest star system.

The Starfox Deck Plan

 

The Starfox is an Alpha Class civilian scout ship commonly used throughout the frontier. Its storage area can carry a modest 2 units of cargo, and its speed is usually good enough to get it out of harms way should the need arise. The forward section above the storage deck is detachable from the rest of the ship in the event of an emergency. This section will then act as a lifeboat until the crew can be rescued. The Starfox is armed with a laser turret, has a reinforced hull that is able to sustain more damage than other ships of its size, and is also capable of atmospheric flight and landings.

I. Bridge: [4 sq.m DIA. x 2.5mH] *COMPUTER ACCESS* Contains a pilot's gravity couch with control panel, and gunner's gravity couch with control panel. Most of the mass of the ship's laser battery is built into the hull itself with only the turret projecting from the bow. Four 1.5 meter diameter plastiglass windows surround the cockpit, and there is a pressurized floor hatch in the center of the room that leads to the galley deck below.

II. Galley: [6 sq.m DIA. x 3mH] Contains a small table, four chairs, food & beverage prep area, and a small bathroom. There are no portholes on the walls, but there is a large vidscreen for entertainment purposes. A ladder in the center of the deck runs from the floor to the ceiling and has pressurized hatches at either end.

III. Crew Deck: [8 sq.m DIA. x 3mH] Four double bunk beds with a desk/chair next to each, and storage space built into the walls. There are four small portholes in the walls, and a ladder that runs from the floor to the ceiling in the center of the deck with pressurized hatches at either end.

IV. Storage Deck: [6 sq.m DIA. x 3mH] The deck space is filled with crates of robotic parts. There are two large cargo doors that can retract into the walls for loading and unloading, and a mechanical winch attached to the ceiling. The cargo doors will not open to the vacuum of space until the deck is decompressed, although this can be over-ridden at the pilot's station or the engineer's station. There is a ladder in the center of the deck that runs from the floor to the ceiling with pressurized hatches at either end.

Maintenance Shaft: [2 sq.m DIA. x 10mH] A vertical shaft with a ladder running the entire length that connects the storage deck with the engine room. Many of the ship's secondary systems are serviced from access panels on the walls of this shaft.

V. Engine Room: [6 sq.m DIA. x 3mH] *COMPUTER ACCESS* The engineer's station and the astrogator's station are located on this deck. There is a ladder in the center of the deck that runs from the floor to the ceiling with pressurized hatches at either end. The floor hatch leads to the atomic engine itself, and a radiation suit is needed to enter this area to perform routine maintenance. The ship's main hatch is located on the hull of the engine room deck, and this will not open to the vacuum of space unless the engine room is decompressed. This can be overridden at the engineer's or pilot's stations however. The ship's main and back-up power generators are located on this deck, as well as storage lockers for tools, spare parts, spacesuits, radsuit, rocketpacks, etc.

Mission Equipment (supplied by the PCs employer to each character)

  • Chronocom/Comlink
  • Defensise Suit
  • Defensive Screen
  • 50 SEU Beltpack
  • Choice Pistol
  • Choice Rifle
  • Choice Melee Weapon
  • 200 credits cash
  • Personal I.D. Card
  • Magnetic Boots
  • Spacesuit
  • Rocketpack
  • 2 Tangler Grenades
  • 2 Incendiary Grenades 
  • Infrared Goggles
  • 1 dose of Stimdose
  • 1 dose of Staydose
  • 1 portable Freeze Field
  • Additional items approved by referee

The Starfox is loaded with 2 units of robotic parts, which is the cargo that the PCs are to sell in the Shepherd's Star system. The employer will also provide the PCs with a photo and data file of the missing Hepplewhite executive 'Hakfoost the One-Eyed'.

Hakfoost Gunderlon:

Race: Yazirian, Sex: Male, Age: 59, Height: 1.9 meters, Weight: 65 kg

He wears a patch over his left eye due to an accident he suffered when he was working in Hepplewhite's chemical research facility. Hakfoost has been an employee of the Hepplewhite Industries for the past 23 years, and has just recently been assigned as Chief of Mining Operations in the Shepherd's Star system. He has a family; a wife, three children and one grandchild.

Skills: Demolitions, computers, chemistry, engineering, astrogation, heavy machinery operation and repair, robotics, environmentalist.

Personal I.D. Card # T-772L-455663221-H2

Home Planet: Hargut, Gruna Goru

Hepplewhite Industries is aware of Hakfoost's disappearance and states that it is conducting its own investigation.

 

 

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