The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Note: This book contains two adventure modules. I will write on the contents of these modules. This does mean that I'm including spoilers for both modules. If you don't like spoilers, then turn back now.

"Alien Encounter 2: Deception" is a book that contains two complete and separate adventures. It's intended to be the tail end of a campaign that begins with "Hidden Agendas", goes through the whole "Darkness Revealed" series, and then "Alien Encounter 1: Invasion". Indeed, I recommend employing this book is just that fashion. (It is my opinion that your enjoyment of this book's contents--either as the GM or as a player--will be much, much greater if you do so.) This is not necessary; the writers made the effort to provide the GM with all the excuses needed to hook the PCs into either (or both) adventures.

The book has two sections. Each section is dedicated to one module, and each module reads like any other Trinity product. The first half is a full color section that contains text and graphic information that the players should read before play begins. The second half is a black-and-white section that contains the meat of the module, as well as the truth behind the module's situation. Some of this clarifies, contradicts, or confirms what is in the color section; this is not a flaw, but rather astute and competent design- as with the previous books in the Trinity line. There is no confusion between truth and subjectivity.

The amount of information is great, and the modules make excellent use of that information. I found it important that, in preparation for playing either module, everyone read their respective sections as many times as required to assimilate the information. Failure to do so results a lot of time wasted during play when characters aren't acting as they should because the derelict gamer doesn't know his stuff; the page flipping and reference seeking slows play to a crawl, and that takes the fun out it for everyone.

Both modules start on Earth, move off world, and conclude on an alien planet outside of human space. That's the whole of the commonality between the two adventures. The first--"Symbiosis"--concerns the Qin and their internal politics. It requires diplomacy, discretion, and restraint from the PCs if they are to succeed. The second--"The Devil's Bargain"--concerns the Coalition and their dealings with some Aberrants. The PCs must be able to kick ass, think fast, exploit weakness, and stay silent if they want to succeed. (In my opinion, "Symbiosis" needs a telepath PC and "The Devil's Bargain" is a fool's errand without a psychokinetic and a biokinetic.)

On "Symbiosis":

This module begins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Kamchatka near the Co-Development Zone of Siberia. The city, by Trinity's time, is a place of great culture and activity. It's also home to a large group of expatriate Americans and Nipponese, a significant protrusion guerilla presence, and a diversity of humanity usually associated with contemporary Western cities. Such an open city invites problems from afar, especially violent ones sparked by culture clash.

Four months earlier, the events of "Alien Encounter 1: Invasion" took place. The participants in the raid on the Chromatic homeward are heroes to humanity, and the euphoria hasn't worn off just yet. It is only a matter of time before something occurs to tear away that mask, so it is quite fitting that this module begins with a bang; the PCs meet with Qin diplomats, escort around the city, and to the opera that night. During this time is when a terrorist attack upon the aliens occurs, and that sets the module's events into motion.

The Qin rush back to the local spaceport and escape to their embassy on the Moon. The PCs follow them, but not immediately. They get to answer to the local police before trotting off after the diplomats; this can go easy or hard, but I find it wise to remind the players to take it easy and cooperate. The inconvenience suffered is nothing when the alternative is prison or death, and these cops are not hampered by any sort of concern for due process or human rights. Besides, the time spent isn't a complete waste. The investigation leads to a cell of human pro Russian guerillas called "Pamyat", and eventually to their leader; while this has little to do with the module's plot, it does put the cell out of commission.

While this goes on, the Qin embassy plays hardball with Aeon to get a jump ship back to Qinshui ahead of schedule. It takes a day or so--in which time the PCs will handle the terrorist cell--but the Qin get what they want, with a catch; the PCs must go along, and this is so because they are the most significant witnesses to the attack, and the only ones to see a Qin biotech robot. The PCs take a shuttle ride to the Moon, and from there they go to the Qin embassy. They talk with the diplomats, look around, and try to get answers without starting a war. (This is where a smooth-talking telepath is vital; most teeps are trained when *not* to use psi, and this is one such time. The smooth-talking makes up for the inability to use psi without the Qin's leave.) After the meeting, the PCs debrief with the local Aeon boss before moving on to Qinshui.

There's another subplot aboard the jumpship. One of the ambassadorial aides comes to the PCs and starts briefing the PCs on Qin politics; this information dump is necessary for the players and their PCs if they want to come back to Earth with more than a major diplomatic failure (or worse) on their hands. The rest of the time spent in transit is downtime unless the PCs want to make something of it; I do not recommend this, because unless the GM wove an outside thread into the adventure, all any actions here will do is derail the plot. They will have enough to do when they make planetfall as it is.

On Qinshui, it becomes apparent that the embassy staff hadn't the slightest clue that the Qin ambassador--let alone the PCs--were on their way. The PCs report to the ambassador about their mission, and then go about their investigation. With the right contacts, the PCs get the backstory behind most Qin politics, and this includes the conflict between the pro-human Lle-ji (House of Roads) and the anti-human Lle-llau (House of Walls). The former house includes the current Qin ambassador; this should recast the attack on Earth into a new light- a light of barely-supressed civil war. It may also allow the PCs to confirm the existence of the biotech robots. It will allow the PCs to learn that tensions between human and Qin on Qinshui are dangerously high. In my opinion, this is too important to devolve into a series of die rolls; let the players dig for the information the hard way, and leave the die rolls to when a character would (or would not) do something that a player wants to do.

And then, something goes very wrong. One of the groundskeepers is exposed as a Qin spy, and the resulting misapprehension by security personnel sparks a full-scale riot in the compound. Qin warriors loyal to the House of Walls take advantage of the chaos to intervene, and this worsens the situation. It a moment from which wars are born, and the PCs are at the focal point; their actions determine whether or not humanity goes to war with the Qin, and the local embassy staff is not necessary on their side.

The crux of the situation is this: the staff has several Qin as prisoners. The troops outside want their release, or they will seize the embassy by force. There is a high-ranking Qin mediator inside who can defuse the situation, but only if the PCs spill the beans on their involvement- hold anything back, and said Qin will try to screw the humans in the dealings. It should be made clear by the GM that the best way out is to talk everyone down, and the best way to do that is through the Qin NPC provided. A fight will result in a lot of dead and injured people, including the PCs, and do great harm to relations between Qin and humans.

In conclusion, the incident forces the Qin to reform the methods by which they engage in diplomacy. A new embassy compliment goes to Earth, and Earth sends new staff to Qinshui. The PCs go home, and not without making some significant allies- and enemies. The End.

Now, playing this out is a lot faster than reading and preparing it is. It feels a lot like "The Negotiator" or "Born To The Purple", including the purpose and role of the action within the story. (It's a plot device, just like any other.) Most of the important conflict can't be resolved by pounding the crap out of someone; wit, tact, and brains are the keys. The PCs that work best are spies, diplomats, and investigators; combat specialists will feel left out, and rightly so. Maintaining the atmosphere can be tricky unless the senses are engaged, so I recommend burning some sort of incense when the PCs are on Qinshui; the aroma will make establishing and maintaining the alien effect much easier.

On "The Devil's Bargain":

The action junkies will love the latter half of this module. Those who thrill to James Bond will be one step removed from Paradise. Those that loved "Symbiosis" because violence was futile should stay home for this one; here, violence is the only way that the PCs will survive, let alone succeed. This is a mission that would be an all-Legion affair, if only the Norca had nothing to do with it. Too bad that they do.

In my opinion, this module requires a PC biokinetic with competent skills in infiltration and combat as well as Adaptation 3+. Without such a character, the success of the PCs drops considerably. The PCs should also include a Legionnaire- just what PK powers he has don't matter. As this is a combat/infiltration mission, a vitakinetic is a worthwhile addition. Past this, just about anyone who can handle a fight is worth having- including neutrals.

This mission begins with a trip to the Norca proxy's homestead. After a tour of the place, there is a meeting with senior UN and Norca officials. They discuss the Coalition threat, and the mission to which the PCs are assigned. Guiseppe Del Fuego shows up, gives some secret orders to the biokinetics involved--this is one reason for the PC biokinetic, for he also gets the orders--and then they depart for the Coalition ark's location.

This is just another version of the James Bond film's first act, but without the opening action sequence. They get orders, gear, more info, and some downtime to play with before getting back on track; there is no need to take it any more seriously than that. There is no diplomacy involved here; this is all about spying, snatching, and then slipping away. (And just like a Bond film, it will not go nearly as planned.) The Coalition is an enemy of humanity, and shall be treated as such.

The PCs jump into the enemy's system, slip past their patrols, and establish a forward base on the planet. They dodge ground patrols while seeking for the source of Taint found within the Coalition base. They witness an Aberrant-Coalition meeting, and then learn that the compact between the two is frayed. The Aberrant attempt to seize power through a coup, and that's when Things Go Wrong. The traitor in the ranks spills the beans, but is not yet exposed. The NPCs in the team are captured, but the PCs--and the traitor--escape.

And then, the first bit good fortune comes their way. The Aberrants and their Taint-ridden allies slaughter their servitors in a fit and go away. The PCs, if they hurry, save the remainder; this provides allies that enable the PCs to complete their mission. In the short term, this means that the aliens get them aboard the ark, but in the end they allow the PCs to escape alive.

Once aboard, the aliens help the PCs find the NPC teammates. Once rescued, the NPC Norca (and any PC Norca who wants to live when he gets home) insist on taking an alien breeder with them. This would be a fool's errand if the Aberrants (and their allies) didn't decide to attack the Coalition at that moment. Here the traitor reveals himself by attempting to free the breeder. Once all foes are defeated, the PCs steal a Coalition transport and escape.

In my opinion, the one flaw is that the alien allies are much too important to the plot. It's probable that the PCs can't or won't save them in time, and if they do it's also probable that they can't or won't find out how to employ them in the short time allotted. Couple these with the dangerous environment of the latter scenes, and it is unlikely that these NPCs will long enough to be of use to the PCs.

The multiple agenda thing, while appropriate, is also difficult to pull off without damaging either the enjoyment of the players or the chances that the PCs will succeed. The PC Norca helps because it gives the PCs a chance to be let in on the true purpose of this trip to enemy territory, and thus allow them to plan on the difficulty of stealing a breeder. The Legionnaire and the Norca PCs also allow the group to take advantage of the Coalition firearms found during the set-piece aboard the ark; those fusion rifles are damn near required if the players (or the PCs) want to avoid hand-to-hand combat with Aberrants or Aberrant-tainted allies.

The other thing I have to say is that this module requires a certain ruthlessness on the part of the PCs, comparable to James Bond, in that they will be forced to suborn any sense of morality or ethics to the needs of the mission. This includes leaving mortally wounded allies to die, throwing innocents into the line of fire if it necessary to preserve a mission critical element, self-sacrifice, and the knowledge that--while prized--each and every member of this PC group is wholly expendable. This is a black operation, and everyone ought to know it. Expect PC casualties.

On the whole, I say that the authors did a bang-up job with these two modules. I'd be glad to play through them again and again, on either side of the GM's Screen. Should Mr. Bates decide to produce modules in the future, I hope he gives these two another shot at it. In my opinion, they're worth it; both modules are worthy of treatment as feature-length A-list science fiction films.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Alien Encounter 2: Deception
Author: Jonathan Woodward, Michael Lee Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Game Studio Line: Trinity Cost: $17.95 (US) Page count: 128 pages ISBN: 1-56504-621-8 SKU: WW9105 Playtest Review by Bradford C. Walker on 11/29/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Far_Future Space	Note: This book contains two adventure modules. I will write on the contents of these modules. This does mean that I'm including spoilers for both modules. If you don't like spoilers, then turn back now. "Alien Encounter 2: Deception" is a book that contains two complete and separate adventures. It's intended to be the tail end of a campaign that begins with "Hidden Agendas", goes through the whole "Darkness Revealed" series, and then "Alien Encounter 1: Invasion". Indeed, I recommend employing this book is just that fashion. (It is my opinion that your enjoyment of this book's contents--either as the GM or as a player--will be much, much greater if you do so.) This is not necessary; the writers made the effort to provide the GM with all the excuses needed to hook the PCs into either (or both) adventures. The book has two sections. Each section is dedicated to one module, and each module reads like any other Trinity product. The first half is a full color section that contains text and graphic information that the players should read before play begins. The second half is a black-and-white section that contains the meat of the module, as well as the truth behind the module's situation. Some of this clarifies, contradicts, or confirms what is in the color section; this is not a flaw, but rather astute and competent design- as with the previous books in the Trinity line. There is no confusion between truth and subjectivity. The amount of information is great, and the modules make excellent use of that information. I found it important that, in preparation for playing either module, everyone read their respective sections as many times as required to assimilate the information. Failure to do so results a lot of time wasted during play when characters aren't acting as they should because the derelict gamer doesn't know his stuff; the page flipping and reference seeking slows play to a crawl, and that takes the fun out it for everyone. Both modules start on Earth, move off world, and conclude on an alien planet outside of human space. That's the whole of the commonality between the two adventures. The first--"Symbiosis"--concerns the Qin and their internal politics. It requires diplomacy, discretion, and restraint from the PCs if they are to succeed. The second--"The Devil's Bargain"--concerns the Coalition and their dealings with some Aberrants. The PCs must be able to kick ass, think fast, exploit weakness, and stay silent if they want to succeed. (In my opinion, "Symbiosis" needs a telepath PC and "The Devil's Bargain" is a fool's errand without a psychokinetic and a biokinetic.) On "Symbiosis": This module begins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Kamchatka near the Co-Development Zone of Siberia. The city, by Trinity's time, is a place of great culture and activity. It's also home to a large group of expatriate Americans and Nipponese, a significant protrusion guerilla presence, and a diversity of humanity usually associated with contemporary Western cities. Such an open city invites problems from afar, especially violent ones sparked by culture clash. Four months earlier, the events of "Alien Encounter 1: Invasion" took place. The participants in the raid on the Chromatic homeward are heroes to humanity, and the euphoria hasn't worn off just yet. It is only a matter of time before something occurs to tear away that mask, so it is quite fitting that this module begins with a bang; the PCs meet with Qin diplomats, escort around the city, and to the opera that night. During this time is when a terrorist attack upon the aliens occurs, and that sets the module's events into motion. The Qin rush back to the local spaceport and escape to their embassy on the Moon. The PCs follow them, but not immediately. They get to answer to the local police before trotting off after the diplomats; this can go easy or hard, but I find it wise to remind the players to take it easy and cooperate. The inconvenience suffered is nothing when the alternative is prison or death, and these cops are not hampered by any sort of concern for due process or human rights. Besides, the time spent isn't a complete waste. The investigation leads to a cell of human pro Russian guerillas called "Pamyat", and eventually to their leader; while this has little to do with the module's plot, it does put the cell out of commission. While this goes on, the Qin embassy plays hardball with Aeon to get a jump ship back to Qinshui ahead of schedule. It takes a day or so--in which time the PCs will handle the terrorist cell--but the Qin get what they want, with a catch; the PCs must go along, and this is so because they are the most significant witnesses to the attack, and the only ones to see a Qin biotech robot. The PCs take a shuttle ride to the Moon, and from there they go to the Qin embassy. They talk with the diplomats, look around, and try to get answers without starting a war. (This is where a smooth-talking telepath is vital; most teeps are trained when not to use psi, and this is one such time. The smooth-talking makes up for the inability to use psi without the Qin's leave.) After the meeting, the PCs debrief with the local Aeon boss before moving on to Qinshui. There's another subplot aboard the jumpship. One of the ambassadorial aides comes to the PCs and starts briefing the PCs on Qin politics; this information dump is necessary for the players and their PCs if they want to come back to Earth with more than a major diplomatic failure (or worse) on their hands. The rest of the time spent in transit is downtime unless the PCs want to make something of it; I do not recommend this, because unless the GM wove an outside thread into the adventure, all any actions here will do is derail the plot. They will have enough to do when they make planetfall as it is. On Qinshui, it becomes apparent that the embassy staff hadn't the slightest clue that the Qin ambassador--let alone the PCs--were on their way. The PCs report to the ambassador about their mission, and then go about their investigation. With the right contacts, the PCs get the backstory behind most Qin politics, and this includes the conflict between the pro-human Lle-ji (House of Roads) and the anti-human Lle-llau (House of Walls). The former house includes the current Qin ambassador; this should recast the attack on Earth into a new light- a light of barely-supressed civil war. It may also allow the PCs to confirm the existence of the biotech robots. It will allow the PCs to learn that tensions between human and Qin on Qinshui are dangerously high. In my opinion, this is too important to devolve into a series of die rolls; let the players dig for the information the hard way, and leave the die rolls to when a character would (or would not) do something that a player wants to do. And then, something goes very wrong. One of the groundskeepers is exposed as a Qin spy, and the resulting misapprehension by security personnel sparks a full-scale riot in the compound. Qin warriors loyal to the House of Walls take advantage of the chaos to intervene, and this worsens the situation. It a moment from which wars are born, and the PCs are at the focal point; their actions determine whether or not humanity goes to war with the Qin, and the local embassy staff is not necessary on their side. The crux of the situation is this: the staff has several Qin as prisoners. The troops outside want their release, or they will seize the embassy by force. There is a high-ranking Qin mediator inside who can defuse the situation, but only if the PCs spill the beans on their involvement- hold anything back, and said Qin will try to screw the humans in the dealings. It should be made clear by the GM that the best way out is to talk everyone down, and the best way to do that is through the Qin NPC provided. A fight will result in a lot of dead and injured people, including the PCs, and do great harm to relations between Qin and humans. In conclusion, the incident forces the Qin to reform the methods by which they engage in diplomacy. A new embassy compliment goes to Earth, and Earth sends new staff to Qinshui. The PCs go home, and not without making some significant allies- and enemies. The End. Now, playing this out is a lot faster than reading and preparing it is. It feels a lot like "The Negotiator" or "Born To The Purple", including the purpose and role of the action within the story. (It's a plot device, just like any other.) Most of the important conflict can't be resolved by pounding the crap out of someone; wit, tact, and brains are the keys. The PCs that work best are spies, diplomats, and investigators; combat specialists will feel left out, and rightly so. Maintaining the atmosphere can be tricky unless the senses are engaged, so I recommend burning some sort of incense when the PCs are on Qinshui; the aroma will make establishing and maintaining the alien effect much easier. On "The Devil's Bargain": The action junkies will love the latter half of this module. Those who thrill to James Bond will be one step removed from Paradise. Those that loved "Symbiosis" because violence was futile should stay home for this one; here, violence is the only way that the PCs will survive, let alone succeed. This is a mission that would be an all-Legion affair, if only the Norca had nothing to do with it. Too bad that they do. In my opinion, this module requires a PC biokinetic with competent skills in infiltration and combat as well as Adaptation 3+. Without such a character, the success of the PCs drops considerably. The PCs should also include a Legionnaire- just what PK powers he has don't matter. As this is a combat/infiltration mission, a vitakinetic is a worthwhile addition. Past this, just about anyone who can handle a fight is worth having- including neutrals. This mission begins with a trip to the Norca proxy's homestead. After a tour of the place, there is a meeting with senior UN and Norca officials. They discuss the Coalition threat, and the mission to which the PCs are assigned. Guiseppe Del Fuego shows up, gives some secret orders to the biokinetics involved--this is one reason for the PC biokinetic, for he also gets the orders--and then they depart for the Coalition ark's location. This is just another version of the James Bond film's first act, but without the opening action sequence. They get orders, gear, more info, and some downtime to play with before getting back on track; there is no need to take it any more seriously than that. There is no diplomacy involved here; this is all about spying, snatching, and then slipping away. (And just like a Bond film, it will not go nearly as planned.) The Coalition is an enemy of humanity, and shall be treated as such. The PCs jump into the enemy's system, slip past their patrols, and establish a forward base on the planet. They dodge ground patrols while seeking for the source of Taint found within the Coalition base. They witness an Aberrant-Coalition meeting, and then learn that the compact between the two is frayed. The Aberrant attempt to seize power through a coup, and that's when Things Go Wrong. The traitor in the ranks spills the beans, but is not yet exposed. The NPCs in the team are captured, but the PCs--and the traitor--escape. And then, the first bit good fortune comes their way. The Aberrants and their Taint-ridden allies slaughter their servitors in a fit and go away. The PCs, if they hurry, save the remainder; this provides allies that enable the PCs to complete their mission. In the short term, this means that the aliens get them aboard the ark, but in the end they allow the PCs to escape alive. Once aboard, the aliens help the PCs find the NPC teammates. Once rescued, the NPC Norca (and any PC Norca who wants to live when he gets home) insist on taking an alien breeder with them. This would be a fool's errand if the Aberrants (and their allies) didn't decide to attack the Coalition at that moment. Here the traitor reveals himself by attempting to free the breeder. Once all foes are defeated, the PCs steal a Coalition transport and escape. In my opinion, the one flaw is that the alien allies are much too important to the plot. It's probable that the PCs can't or won't save them in time, and if they do it's also probable that they can't or won't find out how to employ them in the short time allotted. Couple these with the dangerous environment of the latter scenes, and it is unlikely that these NPCs will long enough to be of use to the PCs. The multiple agenda thing, while appropriate, is also difficult to pull off without damaging either the enjoyment of the players or the chances that the PCs will succeed. The PC Norca helps because it gives the PCs a chance to be let in on the true purpose of this trip to enemy territory, and thus allow them to plan on the difficulty of stealing a breeder. The Legionnaire and the Norca PCs also allow the group to take advantage of the Coalition firearms found during the set-piece aboard the ark; those fusion rifles are damn near required if the players (or the PCs) want to avoid hand-to-hand combat with Aberrants or Aberrant-tainted allies. The other thing I have to say is that this module requires a certain ruthlessness on the part of the PCs, comparable to James Bond, in that they will be forced to suborn any sense of morality or ethics to the needs of the mission. This includes leaving mortally wounded allies to die, throwing innocents into the line of fire if it necessary to preserve a mission critical element, self-sacrifice, and the knowledge that--while prized--each and every member of this PC group is wholly expendable. This is a black operation, and everyone ought to know it. Expect PC casualties. On the whole, I say that the authors did a bang-up job with these two modules. I'd be glad to play through them again and again, on either side of the GM's Screen. Should Mr. Bates decide to produce modules in the future, I hope he gives these two another shot at it. In my opinion, they're worth it; both modules are worthy of treatment as feature-length A-list science fiction films. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)