Sargasso Hex's

[Subzero001]

Hello all,

I found some information about a Sargasso Hex (1816) and I was wondering if there has been any adventures designed around this (Bermuda Triangle) event like "empty" space or others i.e. places of space where standard star-ships become interoperable and stranded?

I have heard of this happening in the "void" as well maybe their connected via a unstable wormhole event?

Thx,

Subzero001

 

[Reynard]

I have a feeling there are more than enough tales of misjumps into systemless hexes to keep crews and passengers awake during sleep cycle.

A good adventure could be receiving very weak distress signals that go for some time before dying out describing a ship lost in a void which may be reachable by another vessel if they have fuel to return. The signal would take at least 3 years for even one hex distance so it's a death ship but subject to salvage rights. The players set for an expedition not knowing what will be found and who knows who else is making plans from the massage?

 

[steelbrok]

I love the idea of a Sargasso Hex. Very evocative. You might reverse the effect and make the Sargasso Hex the one to which all misjumps go and then make it very difficult to jump out of. In fact I'm tempted to make all Red Zones Sargasso Hexes just for a different flavour IMTU

 

[Subzero001]

this might work for an interesting adventure...

http://news.yahoo.com/chaotic-planets-could-complicate-search-alien-life-184238190.html

 

[Solomani666]

First time I've heard of this.
What other information do you have?

Some ideas that just came to mind:
* A dead neutron star core.
* A Grandfather experiment/device/thingy.

.

 

[Easterner]

The third issue of HIGH PASSAGE (FASA 1982) had a Sargasso hex specifically 0510/Ile/Old Expanses. It was called The Edge. X-768000-0

G class star with one planet so fuel is only on that world.

Any ship that jumps in never leaves. If a ship with spare fuel jumped in it could jump out if it didn't board a derelict or visit the surface. This goes back to the 1st and 2nd Imperiums. There are a dozen 3I era ships in space, older ones have long ago burned up in the atmosphere. Other ships are on the planet, some 1000's of years old. A lifeless Gazelle the INS Steed is in orbit. Every ship in system has fuel level at zero.

It is a Red Zone but does not appear on any official 3I star chart.

 

[Condottiere]

It depends on whether you want to keep it mysterious, the military know about it, or it's public knowledge, in which case the Red Cross might operate a rescue mission.

Could be a super black hole inside a nebula, the combination of which messes with ship sensors, gravitational fluxes causes misjumps in adjacent hexes, and shorts out jump drives within the parsec.

 

[F33D]

The third issue of HIGH PASSAGE (FASA 1982) had a Sargasso hex specifically 0510/Ile/Old Expanses. It was called The Edge. X-768000-0

G class star with one planet so fuel is only on that world.

Any ship that jumps in never leaves. If a ship with spare fuel jumped in it could jump out if it didn't board a derelict or visit the surface. This goes back to the 1st and 2nd Imperiums. There are a dozen 3I era ships in space, older ones have long ago burned up in the atmosphere. Other ships are on the planet, some 1000's of years old. A lifeless Gazelle the INS Steed is in orbit. Every ship in system has fuel level at zero.

It is a Red Zone but does not appear on any official 3I star chart.

That's an easy one to beat. Jump to the system at ~1 light day out. Survey the hulks and look for a 100 ton ship. Go back and jump in where that ship is floating in system, x-fer enough fuel and a prize crew. Gotta new ship.

 

[Solomani666]

The third issue of HIGH PASSAGE (FASA 1982) had a Sargasso hex specifically 0510/Ile/Old Expanses. It was called The Edge. X-768000-0

G class star with one planet so fuel is only on that world.

Any ship that jumps in never leaves. If a ship with spare fuel jumped in it could jump out if it didn't board a derelict or visit the surface. This goes back to the 1st and 2nd Imperiums. There are a dozen 3I era ships in space, older ones have long ago burned up in the atmosphere. Other ships are on the planet, some 1000's of years old. A lifeless Gazelle the INS Steed is in orbit. Every ship in system has fuel level at zero.

It is a Red Zone but does not appear on any official 3I star chart.

That's an easy one to beat. Jump to the system at ~1 light day out. Survey the hulks and look for a 100 ton ship. Go back and jump in where that ship is floating in system, x-fer enough fuel and a prize crew. Gotta new ship.

Except that the ship has likely refueled with the tainted fuel that prevents the jump drives from activating...

.

 

[F33D]

The third issue of HIGH PASSAGE (FASA 1982) had a Sargasso hex specifically 0510/Ile/Old Expanses. It was called The Edge. X-768000-0

G class star with one planet so fuel is only on that world.

Any ship that jumps in never leaves. If a ship with spare fuel jumped in it could jump out if it didn't board a derelict or visit the surface. This goes back to the 1st and 2nd Imperiums. There are a dozen 3I era ships in space, older ones have long ago burned up in the atmosphere. Other ships are on the planet, some 1000's of years old. A lifeless Gazelle the INS Steed is in orbit. Every ship in system has fuel level at zero.

It is a Red Zone but does not appear on any official 3I star chart.

That's an easy one to beat. Jump to the system at ~1 light day out. Survey the hulks and look for a 100 ton ship. Go back and jump in where that ship is floating in system, x-fer enough fuel and a prize crew. Gotta new ship.

Except that the ship has likely refueled with the tainted fuel that prevents the jump drives from activating...

.

Why would you fill your tanks with tainted fuel at a commercial starport? Do you REALLY play PC's that way? There ARE easier ways to have them commit suicide.

 

[Reynard]

"The third issue of HIGH PASSAGE (FASA 1982) had a Sargasso hex specifically 0510/Ile/Old Expanses. It was called The Edge. X-768000-0"

Found my copy. Interesting adventure. Would really test the mettle of the players' characters. I can see why it makes a great Sargasso system.

Another inspiration for a Sargasso is from a creepy episode of Space 1999 and that space spider.

 

[dragoner]

Hello all,

I found some information about a Sargasso Hex (1816) and I was wondering if there has been any adventures designed around this (Bermuda Triangle) event like "empty" space or others i.e. places of space where standard star-ships become interoperable and stranded?

I have heard of this happening in the "void" as well maybe their connected via a unstable wormhole event?

Thx,

Subzero001

It's a book by Norton: "Sargasso of Space" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sargasso_of_Space

The novel starts with Dane Thorson getting assigned to work as a Cargo master apprentice on a Free Trader ship named Solar Queen. A Free Trader (not working for any intergalactic trading companies) means that the crew has to take on trading contracts with remote and recently discovered planets, which can be very dangerous and unpredictable.

Extremely Travellerish.

 

[dragoner]

Another inspiration for a Sargasso is from a creepy episode of Space 1999 and that space spider.

"Dragon's Domain" :wink:

 

[Reynard]

Yeah! *shutter* Damned horror story.

 

[Easterner]

F33D

You must have missed a detail. No one who entered system and boarded a derelict or landed on planet has ever been heard from again.

Jim Cunningham was a brilliant scenario designed and one of the Keith brothers said he burst the magazine size limit to breaking. A pity he never switched to writing bigger scenarios for TRAV.

One of Space 1999 episodes I liked. Bet if I re-watched it now I'd see garbage.

 

[F33D]

F33D

You must have missed a detail.

No, I got it. It is just that no one ever did a proper recon before... If they did please detail where the write up is...

 

[Reynard]

I read the module. No one leaves.... ever.

 

[F33D]

I read the module. No one leaves.... ever.

Right. All those who jump in without recon. Like I said.

 

[Reynard]

I'm sure all those scout ships and the Gazelle did.

 

[Easterner]

It is vaguely implied recon has been done. The Imperium knows every ship they've sent in that didn't jump back out w/o contacting the hulks/planet surface doesn't come back. They don't know why. Worse most of the ships in system are military. Civvies rarely enter a system not on the charts. The Imperium greatly fears that if someone gets in safe they'll salvage warships that will end up in wrong hands. They fear that more than the cause of the loss.