Mutant Crawl Classics - #13 - Into the Glowing Depths.pdf

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A LEVEL 2
ADVENTURE
By Michael Curtis • Cover art: Stefan Poag • Cartography: Aaron Kreader
Editor: Tim Snider • Interior artists: Ed Bickford, Doug Kovacs, Aaron
Kreader, Brad McDevitt, Jesse Mohn, and Chad Sergesketter
Developer: Michael Curtis • Art direction and layout: Matt Hildebrand
Publisher and Jacques Dark-steau: Joseph Goodman
Playtesters:
Tim Snider, Gordon Cooper, Matt Robertson, and Aaron Talley; Erica King, Andrew
Barlow, Jeremy Caufield, Gerald Gentry, Alex King-Gable, and Chris Klann; The Knuckledusters
(Marc Plourde, Hector Cruz, Justin S. Davis, Anna Horvath, Dan Steeby, and Matt Towle.)
MCC RPG and this adventure are copyright © 2017 Goodman Games LLC.
Mutant Crawl Classics is a trademark of Goodman Games LLC. MCC RPG is published under the
Open Game License. Refer to the OGL in this work for additional information.
www.goodman-games.com
I
nto the Glowing Depths
is a 2nd-level Mutant Crawl Clas-
sics adventure designed for 4 to 6 adventurers. This
scenario takes them beneath the surface of Terra A.D.’s
oceans to help a most unusual intelligence thwart an inva-
sion of mutant life forms rising up from the depths. A legacy
of humanity’s attempt to tame the seas, these creatures have
been further changed by the weird radiation and pollution
beneath the waves.
B
BACKGROUND
efore the Great Disaster, humanity looked not only to
the stars to colonize but an equally unforgiving en-
vironment even closer to home: the world’s oceans.
The seas held their own ample supply of resources—animal,
vegetable, and mineral—and required as much ingenuity to
settle as the alien planets whirling through space. Advances
in technology and genetic engineering made it possible to
both establish cities under the sea and alter the human form
to better take advantage of this unforgiving environment.
Two such established deep sea habitats were Tiamat Station
and Oceanus. Tiamat Station was an underwater laboratory
specializing in genetic splicing and biological alterations. It
was here that some of the earliest work in altering the human
form for underwater survival was performed. Oceanus was
one of the first deep sea colonies, a network of linked domes
erected in the lightless depths to harvest the ocean’s boun-
ty. Both Tiamat Station and Oceanus prospered in the days
before the world ended, each almost reaching a state of self-
sustainment away from the surface world. When the Great
Disaster struck, however, they and other deep sea installa-
tions found themselves cut off from the world of air and light.
Tiamat Station and Oceanus were spared much of the de-
struction that ravaged the surface world, but as radiation
and pollution began to seep into the waters, their predica-
ment worsened. Strange new forms of life emerged; mu-
tations spawned not from a laboratory but from the black
depths of the deep sea trenches. Deprived of supplies from
the surface, machinery began to fail. Food and fresh water
were something to kill for. In time, the deep sea colonies
plunged into barbarism and were forgotten by the surface
world entirely.
But those beneath the ocean’s surface never forgot the world
above. Legends spoke of the ample resources to be found
above the waves, waiting to be taken. And as the legends
grew, so did the desire for those rumored treasures…
Now, the levy has broken, and something never before seen
is swimming and crawling up toward the light, an army
of creatures birthed from both super-science and untamed
mutation. These creatures desire to first conquer Tiamat Sta-
tion, then the surface world. Unbeknownst to this invading
force, however, lies an unexpected intelligence.
Sheshma 1X6 is part of a living neural network of telepathi-
cally connected coral reefs spread throughout the world.
The seed of this worldwide mind was spawned by the ge-
netic tampering of Tiamat Station’s scientists, a seed that
sprouted when the horrific radiations of the Great Disaster
further changed it. Although part of a greater
intellect, each “node” of the planetary mind has
its own concerns and duties. Sheshma 1X6 considers Tiamat
Station its sacrosanct home, and this home is being threat-
ened. What it needs is someone to intervene on its behalf,
both to save Tiamat Station and stop this underwater men-
ace before it reaches the surface and spreads its brutality be-
yond the deeps that created it.
To this end, Sheshma 1X6 has taken a cue from the angler-
fish and set out bait to attract creatures smart enough to be
of use to it. Using the only still-functioning drone supply
craft from the station, Sheshma 1X6 has left a trap designed
to bring would-be heroes under the waves to help stem the
tide of destruction rising up from the ruins of Oceanus. The
adventure begins when the PCs fall into that trap.
T
ST
ARTING THE ADVENTURE
his adventure can begin anywhere the judge desires. It
starts when the adventurers come across what seems
to be a pre-disaster structure ready for the pillag-
ing. Once they overcome some rivals also seeking the loot
within, they quickly learn that their curiosity and greed has
made them “volunteer” to save Tiamat Station. Although
press-ganged into service, they soon learn that the rewards
and opportunities for helping Sheshma 1X6 might be worth
the trouble and danger.
The judge need simply place the drone supply ship along the
PCs’ path and wait for them to take the bait. Once they do,
the PCs are swept up in events beyond their control, but in
Page 2
the world of
Mutant Crawl Classics,
the players should know
that tampering with the legacy of the Ancients often has un-
desirable consequences, and they have nobody to blame but
themselves if they end up in another mess.
A
THE DRONE SHIP
s the party ventures across the surface of Terra A.D.,
they come across the drone supply ship that landed
on the surface 6 hours ago. A band of tri-eyes dis-
covered the ship first and are currently rifling through the
cargo hold. Read or paraphrase the following to begin the
adventure:
The sound of grunting and that of clattering objects on metal is heard
just ahead. Cautiously, you edge closer to the noise, keeping hidden
in the underbrush. Peering through fronds of a giant fern, you see a
recently made clearing beyond. The plants have been flattened with
great force, sap still leaking from broken stems and boughs.
In the middle of the clearing is a tapered cylinder the size of one of
your village’s longhouses. The cylinder is deep green in color with
ancient symbols inscribed on it in flaking yellow paint. The end of
the cylinder nearest you is open revealing a dark interior.
At the mouth of the entrance, you see two shaggy creatures stand-
ing 7 feet tall and bearing crude weapons of stone and wood. The
creatures stand on two legs and are covered with silky blue fur.
Each one has a bulbous head with pointed ears and three bloodshot
eyes. Two of the eyes are set above their bulbous noses, but their
third resides where a human’s mouth would be. A mouth lined with
sharpened teeth runs across the top of their head like a horrible,
toothy wound. The creatures are rummaging through a number
of boxes inside the capsule, pulling out shiny material and heavy-
looking bits of metal. They appear unaware of your presence.
Tri-eyes (4):
Init +1; Atk spear +2 melee (1d8) or heavy axe
+2 melee (1d6+2 plus knockdown) or searing gaze +1 mis-
sile fire (1d6+1, range 30’); AC 12; HD 2d10; hp 11 each; MV
30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will -1; Crit III/d6.
Tri-eyes are barbaric mutants with an intense desire for
plastic (they love the tactile feel of the stuff). They wield
flint spears and heavy axes in battle and can produce a
short ray of infrared light that burns a single victim if
struck. Tri-eyes swing their axes with great force, and any-
one struck by one must succeed on a DC 10 Strength check
or be knocked prone.
The mutants have discovered the drone ship and are current-
ly searching through the contents, looking for plastic items.
Two tri-eyes are deeper inside the vessel and cannot be seen
from outside the ship. The tri-eyes are loathe to abandon
such a potential treasure trove, but if the PCs decide to speak
with them, they are willing to abandon their claim in return
for plastic objects and a successful DC 13 Personality check.
If PCs decide to attack, the tri-eyes suffer a -1d penalty on
any checks to notice the party or avoid being surprised.
Even if they do succeed in spotting the party, they roll 1d16
for initiative unless the PCs give them time to react before
entering battle. The tri-eyes are fierce but will flee if two
are killed.
Area 1-1—Cargo Bay:
A long, narrow space crowded with
glossy red containers is located beyond the entrance. Two narrow
windows line each long wall, allowing in dim sunlight. Several
of the containers have been opened and are strewn about the floor
along with fragments of yellow, spongy material. Odd bits of metal
and small machine parts are mixed among the softer stuff. A door
is set into wall opposite the entrance; a blue light blinks in the
frame around it.
The cerasteel containers number more than 100 and are each
about 2’ square. They mostly contain replacement machine
parts, screws, drill bits, synthetic grease tubes, and other
items useful for the maintenance of more complex machin-
ery. The spongy material is the foam packing material used
to protect the parts during shipping.
Anyone searching the boxes, a process that takes 30 min-
utes, can make a Luck check, locating one of the following
items on a success.
D6 Roll
1
2
3
4
5
6
Item Found
An enviro belt (no bubble helmet or power
source attached)
A carbon nano-cord
A multitool
A packet of emergency rations (food and
drink for a person for 3 days)
An ordinary utility knife (1d4 damage)
A canvas cap with an embroidered badge
reading “Tiamat Station” sewn onto it
The door to area 1-2 is sealed (DC 10 open artifact doors
check), but Sheshma 1X6 is watching the party through the
integral monitoring system inside the drone and wants them
to proceed further inside the ship so they can be snared.
Even if the open artifact doors check fails, Sheshma will un-
lock the door, making it appear as if they PCs succeeded.
The judge may wish to make the open artifact doors check
secretly to preserve the illusion.
Area 1-2—Cockpit:
A chair covered with soft padding and
canvas straps sits in the center of this small room facing a bank
of black orbs hanging on the wall before it. Knobs and protrusions
are set into the arms of the chair. A small box with white and red
diagonal slashes painted on its exterior is affixed to the left wall.
The drone ship is automated, but this small cockpit allowed
for human control in the case of an emergency. Sheshma
1X6 has locked out the controls, so fiddling with the levers
and dials on the chair will have no practical effect. How-
ever, the mutant intelligence will cause lights to activate and
the black orbs (monitor screens displaying both an external
view of the drone ship and flight information) to light up.
Once the PCs are engaged in exploring this room, the entire
ship reactivates and takes off (see next section).
The white and red box is an emergency storage container
and holds a fire extinguisher (TL 3, CM 2; automatically ex-
tinguishes a 5’ x 5’ area with a green gel; four uses; Power:
Self), a
medishot,
and a
medipack
(6 uses remaining)
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