Perdition's Flames

It's been a LONG time since our group played, as we all just got busy and found it tough to meet. But tonight we're continuing our second mission - the Doug Burke and Don Mappin penned adventure, Perdition's Flames. I figured that maybe some of you have read through it, or even played it, so it might be fun to let you know how it's going with our group.

• The Nez Perce entered the Styx Rift, a 20 light-year x 12 light-year area of space noted for a “Lazarus Star” – a recurring nova – along with high concentrations of nebulae, ion storms, and subspace and gravimetric distortion. The crew recalibrated the sensors, modulated the subspace relays, and determined an effective path through the dangerous region.

• Several days after entering the Rift, the ship emerged from a nebula and picked up a faint distress call. Veroz boosted the gain enough to make the message intelligible, and he determined that it was a Starfleet encryption about 60 years out of date. The message, which repeated continuously, stated:

“Mayday! Mayday! This is the Federation Starship U.S.S. Potemkin calling any Starfleet vessel in range. Immediate assistance is required. Our dilithium supply has been destroyed and we are stranded within the Rift. Any Federation starship in range, please respond!”

• Following the signal led the crew to the second moon of Rogue Zeta 2, which is otherwise known as Perdition. The Class M moon was orbited by two vessels, the Federation Constitution-class Potemkin and the Klingon K’t’inga-class Krotahl. Scans showed the ships to be lifeless and on reserve power, but two large encampments were discovered on the moon itself. One camp was made up mostly of Humans and Vulcans, and the other entirely of Klingons.

• Captain Eagleheart beamed down to the surface, along with Khoal, Veroz, Levok, and two Security personnel. They found themselves in a hot and barren wasteland, marked with crumbling structures and high velocity winds. As they headed for the Federation settlement, they were met by a pair of sentries wearing the tattered remains of old Starfleet uniforms.

• The sentries escorted them into the settlement, a collection of ramshackle huts and bombed out buildings with a network of dusty trails connecting each of the individual encampments. The rag-tag citizens inside seemed to be organized as an army, and the Humans and Vulcans all wielded pristine medieval weaponry rather than Starfleet-issued gear. The landing party was taken into Fort Hope, a well-guarded, walled structure comprised of scavenged pieces of metal, technology, and natural objects.

• Inside Fort Hope the group was introduced to Captain Heather Davis, an intense, middle-aged woman who seemed a bit suspicious. She brusquely demanded help finishing the Klingons off “once and for all”, but Eagleheart politely refused. She seemed to expect this, but explained that the away team had not experienced what they had.

• Meanwhile, Commander Da’Rell headed for the Klingon settlement…

Here's the "Captain's Log" that I'm going to have the Captain read at the start of the session:

Captain’s Log, supplemental:

Deep inside the mysterious Styx Rift, the Nez Perce received a distress call from the Constitution-class U.S.S. Potemkin. We followed the signal to the rogue Class-M moon, Perdition, where we discovered two starships that would have been active half a century ago. Both ancient vessels, the Potemkin and the Krotahl (a Klingon K’t’inga-class), were lifeless and on reserve power. On the planet, there appeared to be two major encampments, one Federation and one Klingon. I have taken an away team to the settlement of Humans and Vulcans, and Da’Rell, my Klingon First Officer, is headed toward the camp made up of his own people. At Fort Hope, we have met with Captain Davis, who seems intent on continuing a decades-long struggle against the Klingons…

This sounds like fun, Doug. I haven't looked at Perdition's Flames, but I'm going to download it and have a look - sounds interesting.

Sounds like you're lucky having a Klingon First Officer. The only alien players in my group are a Bajoran and a Cardassian (which is kinda funny in itself, when you think about it)...I don't think either of them would be exactly welcome in a camp full of 23rd century Klingons! :)

Just out of interest, how far back do the Klingons go? Will they be "bumpy-forehead" or "Manchu-moustached" Klingons?

Thanks, Aladaron, it has been a lot of fun. Last night we finished up the adventure, and the Klingon First Officer proved to be very influential. He challenged the Klingon Commander, claiming that he was foolish to believe they were in Sto-Vo-Kor and lacked honor. They insulted each other for a bit, then Da'Rell challenged the Commander to combat. There was a long and intense battle (they each used bat'leths and wore Klingon Armor, but Da'Rell prevailed and killed the Klingon leader. This meant that he assumed leadership of the entire community!

These Klingons were from the year 2320. I had all of them have the 'bumpy foreheads' (my players did ask!). :)

I don't know if anybody else has run this one, but - if you did - I'm curious how you awarded XP at the end.

Normally you do the standard things as set forth in the NG, awarding 1,000 for achieving the Primary Objective, 500 for the Secondary, etc.

This adventure, on the other hand, has a list at the end with various things the players could do and with varying XP amounts (500 or 100 each).

Anybody have any ideas?

Perdition’s Flames was actually the first Trek scenario that I narrated in 2005.

It took me 6 sessions (average 3 hours per session) to narrate with 5 players, and I pretty much stuck to the scenario. The first session just to brief them, the second to get them to explore the Rift and both ships, the third to introduce Captain Davis, the fourth to infiltrate the Klingon camp, the fifth to leave Captain Davis' camp, the sixth with the encounter in the ancient Temple.

I think the main reason why it took so long was because the players were all Star Trek fans, so we had a lot of discussion inbetween actions. But it was still exciting and we had a lot of fun, so I didn't want to rush them.

In the end, the crew destroyed the Beta XII-A entity, saved both the human and the Klingon crews, repaired their ships and sent them safely on their ways home.

We took turns narrating the same crew but never awarded XP in those days. They all already were heads of their departments and comfortable with their stats, so there was no need for promotion. We would just level up if the narrator felt the scenario called for it, but that never happened.

Edit: There's an interesting discussion going on over at the narrator's ready room about what might've happened to the USS Potemkin beyond this scenario. I invite you all to join in. :)

Wow. Been gone for a while and just found this thread.

"Perdition's Flames" was an adventure I ran for my Trek group back (Senor Mappin was playing the CO of the Blackthorne at the time) back in 2002. Don asked me to submit it for use at Gen Con 2002 and he did some rewriting/layout of it for the final version that was used and later posted to the Decipher web site.

It's one of my favorite adventures I've ever created and I'm glad you guys have enjoyed it as much as you did.

And, Doug, I know it's a bit late, but the experience listed at the end of the adventure was how I awarded points at the end of the first run and just suggestions on how to do it. :)