Title: Fates of Llarn
9-1-97

Author: Cameron "Stryker" Fultz 
Seattle (Bothell), WA

Editors Used: Descent Mission Builder 2.6 

Description:  This level started out as an  Anarchy level 
and quickly included robots and puzzles to make a  
great solo level as well.   Design is important and I hope
that you like the attention to detail.   This level takes 
place in an asteroid thought to have been blown from
the fabled planet of Llarn in the heart of the "Bermuda
Sector" named after Earth's Bermuda Triangle.

Fates of Llarn (fol) is also a Role Playing Games that 
is the most flexible and creative of them all.   It 
functions similar to that of Traveller but is meant
primarily for fantasy with a little scifi - Llarn is a 
world in the Traveller universe where magic reigns
and the unique physics of the area prevent 
technological advacements including the chemical
reaction to get gun powder.    Ships have become
starnded in that sector, some actually become 
marooned on Llarn.   

Fates of Llarn is also the title of a great sci-fi/
fantasy book from which the game got its name.

A brief summary of the rules is included

 ---Level Info---

Single Player: yes
ANARCHY & ROBO: yes
Bugs: None so far. But E-mail me if you find one.                

---Construction Info---

Build Time: 15

Extra Credit: 
Lawerence Kane, Jeff Pratt, Joe & Chris Lenhard and 
Aaron Crosetti
Leggon & Mordecai
My wife and four kids who have put up with my obsession.


---Other---
You may distribute this level as long as every thing is INTACT and 
UNMODIFIED. You MAY copy any part of this level. As long as you E-mail
me and send me a copy. 

My e-mail may change in the future, but it is currently CMFultz@aol.com  

The rules to Fate of Llarn
INTRODUCTION

Fates of Llarn is a simple and adaptable role playing game different from any other in the respect that the Game Master (GM) can, with good reason, disregard or modify any of the guidelines.
To keep the play moving, the rules and combat have been simplified and streamlined, leaving the details to be provided by chance, imagination and the creativity of the Game Master.   Bits and pieces of other published games have been unashamedly combined to create a cohesive yet free-flowing game with much of the happenstance and chance in real life.   But remember it's just fantasy and you do have a real life.
Llarn is a planet at the edge of our galaxy nearest to the Magellan Cloud and revolves around a star similar to Earth's sun with a moon that could very well be its twin.    On 26th Century Earth, this area of the galaxy has long been known to exhibit peculiar characteristics which have baffled scientists.  The norms of physics and chemistry don't seem to apply.   Encompassing a large region of space, starship are careful to bypass this "Bermuda Triangle" by at least a whole parsect.   Accounts of sudden engines failure, disabled weapons and navigation arrays have instilled fear in most travelers.   The thought of drifting about aimlessly to be sucked into the gravity wells of stars or planets has kept Llarn isolated.  
Gun powder does not ignite on Llarn which has contributed to the delay of the planet's technological progress in getting out of the Earth equivalent to the Middle Ages.   Sublime forces, perhaps from an alternate universe, permeate the planet with what a Terran would call "magic".   Even though occurrences are rare and unknown to the masses, some Llarnians posses a special aptitude to shape and act as a conduit of these forces.
If you expect to find a games filled with dungeons and over-sized lizards living in little rooms (How did they ever get there in the first place?) then look elsewhere.   This game is about creativity, imagination and having fun.   Most adventures begin in a city or on some obscure merchant wagon train.   For the game to develop, the GM can create a mystery and either orchestrate circumstances along a planned or not so planned story line or place initiative upon the player to have their character solve the quandary and hopefully save the day.   Some examples of Adventures have been included at the end.

Examples:
The following section contains examples of adventures that the authors of this games have successfully played in groups of 2 to 5 since 1981.   A wide as possible group of adventures has been selected to illustrate the various types of adventures that are possible. 
Many other worlds and stories have been incorporated by our group into Fates of Llarn.  A REAL religious system similar to the ancient Greco-Roman world has been selected where the PC's particular diety might be listening during times of trouble.  Credit should also be given to the shadow worlds of the Courts of Amber as espoused in  R Z's novel series.   The futuristic roll playing game, Traveler, has contributed much to Fates of Llarn's skill selection and the roll playing game of Dungeon & Dragons has shown us what not to imitate.   We hope you enjoy the freedom of the Fates.
1) The Golden Challenge:
The PC group is in a medium sized, walled city.   One afternoon (AFTER THE SUN HAS SET BELOW THE HORIZON LINE OF THE WALL ) at the market place, there is a commotion.   Somebody is speaking to the crowd and waving around a bag of gold.   Business stops in the city; crowds throng to the foot of the wagon upon which this person stands.    When the PC group arrives they hear this man proclaiming to the crowds that this bag of gold will belong to the one who can kill him and take it from him beginning at sunset but before sunrise.   The bag of gold will be on his person all night.    He appears as a mad man, yet well dressed and holding a bag of gold, 100GP.    He doesn't look particularly foreboding, and yet, he appears confident.   He repeats himself a few more times and puts his hand into the bag and pulls out a few of the gold pieces and hurls them far into the edge of the crowd.   Everybody follow the coins as this crazed person gets away in the confusion.
The city shuts down completely as the news spreads.   Vigilante groups are formed.   The thieves guild is on high alert.   The city guard shut the gates immediately.   The PC group hears of a skirmish between this crazed man and some of the city inhabitants.   When they arrive, they find a few building fires and dead bodies.   Closer inspection shows death of these people by shear physical strength.   The scene repeats itself until the PC group figures out where this person is hiding.   This crazed person is not damaged by normal weapons.  Why? Because this person is a young vampire who has just learned of his living death and is taunting the city and glorying in the jest.
Vampires can be killed by the standard methods and by Healers.   Since this is a new one looking for territory, the PC group may have a chance.   The Vampire's attributes are as follows: ST 16, DX 12, EN n/a, IN 9, ED 10, CH 18,  MA n/a; Will=12, LL = 36/0, regenerates life levels at 6/round.    Silver weapons will do 1/2 damage, magical will do full damage, no strength modifiers.   At 0 LL, the vampire will be destroyed beyond regeneration. 

2) Rulers for a month:
The PC group has been hired by a local Monarch as body guards.   Apparently, over the last few weeks, there have been disappearances of leaders and strategic military personnel.  The disappearance occur regularly every 2 weeks, from surrounding cities and military outposts.   No trace or struggle is found.   Based on the people being taken, the next likely target will be the Monarch.   With almost 2 weeks until the next abduction, the PC group can formulate a plan.   They may discover that their spy network operating in a neighboring country reported that this same thing occurred a few years ago over there just before they were attacked by hoards of barbarians.   The kidnapper(s) could be a mage opening and shutting "shadow" gates, or be a well trained team of insurgents.    Who ever the GM decides, the Monarch goes into hiding and attempts to have a PC "be him" and another "be" the General of the army and Minister of Interior and the PC group can have an opportunity to really mess up a country.   They might intern people who ethnically belong to the barbarians or set up martial law.   What ever the case, they will eventually face the kidnapper in a climatic battle.   If they win, they will be quickly replaced by the Monarch and told to leave for what they have done to the country.   If they lose, oh well.

3) Merchant Family Feud:
The PC characters could be hired to protect a wagon train.   On the way to their destination, they hear of a plot by another merchant family.   Apparently, one of the family members have been kidnapped.   The head of the merchant train representing the family of the missing person asks the PC group to infiltrate the other families organization and find the missing family member.   After streetwising their way in through a "backdoor" at the family tavern or "front door" through their merchant guild, the PC group gradually gains a foothold into the competing merchant family.   Eventually, after possible retaliation from both sides, the PC group discovers that the competing merchant family knows nothing about the abduction of the other family member and are accusing the PC's merchant family themselves of kidnapping one of their family members.   The question arise as to who could gain from a war between these two merchant families. Was it a third party such as the thieve's guild?   Will the PC group have the guts to find out?   Will they ask the obvious question about the profiles of these two missing people?   Certainly the thieves guild could profit from a merchant war, and yet they also know nothing about it, if it were possible to get them to divulge as much.   The missing people who have started this merchant war are none other than a "Romeo" and "Juliette" who successfully eloped and are currently living out in the country as farmers.   The PC group will probably not figure this out until they actually track the "kidnapped" family members to some obscure country location where they live happily.
4) Live Long And Prosper:
There are occasionally unfortunate interstellar travelers whose starships crash landed on Llarn.  This group of PCs is the only group to survive planetfall.  This PC Terran group discover that their guass rifles, auto shotguns and torque missile launchers serve as dead weight.   Even though electrical and plasma systems are operational, the recharging and recycling systems are malfunctioning.   The remaining supply of charge packs and portable batteries is all that remains of the automatic electronic technology  of Earth.   Standard Terran survival kits include waterproof flashlight that operate on existing batteries; power binocular light intensification / infra-red goggles at 100x, matches, box of chocolate, standard self-heating rations for two weeks per person, light-weight all-seasonal bedroll and two man neon orange tent with locator, tricorder with medical module, low-tech medkit (all-functional) and one non-operational flare gun and 45 cal. pistol, the sub-space radio is erratic.   The plasma rifles and laser pistols still work, however, only as long as there are fully charged packs.   Eventually the PC Terran group will have to adopt a Llarnian lifestyle.
Terran PCs are generated as Llarnian PCs except that Terrans scores need to be modified as follows:  
For ST, DX, EN, ED roll 1d100 to see if the attribute is increased by; (+1 = 01-59,  +2 = 60-89,  +3 = 90-00).   If above 12, then the attribute is maxed out for that PC.
For IN, CH no change.
For MA (-2d6) is the modifier, 0 is the minimum for a Terran.
5) Pirate's Paradise
Local merchant ships are being harassed by mysterious pirate ships, many of the ships never return; no word from the crews.   The PC group tries to discover where the hidden Pirate base is.   They eventually discover by experience that the Pirate ships masquerade as other harmless merchant ships with less, even no visible weaponry.   When the ship approaches feigning distress, the weapons are quickly assembled.   Ballista (Crossbows that shoot spears) bases are mounted to the deck of the ship but hidden under simple wooden barrels.   Behind the railing the ballista are covered by sacks and miscellaneous rigging.   The ballista only needs to be placed onto the base to be operational.   The spear/bolts are disguised as part of the masts and rail system.
At the hideout, prisoners are kept in a cave whose mouth is guarded by hungry crocodiles.    The treasure is also guarded by the scaly friends.   Most of the crew is given the choice of joining the Pirates or the crocodiles guarding the prisoners.   Like any gang, pirates have initiations.   How will the PC group get out of this mess?

