Legalese/Fine Print: This document may be freely re-distributed electronically provided that there is no charge for the document beyond normal connection/transmission charges. It may be printed out for personal or group use, but may not be sold as a product or part of a product. BUGHUNTERS, AMAZING ENGINE, Dangerous Journeys, Mythus, and Mythus Prime are (c) TSR, Inc. This document makes use of the rules found in BUGHUNTERS and Mythus Prime, and cannot accurately convey the feeling of either without possessing BUGHUNTERS and Mythus Prime. A deliberate attempt has been made to avoid duplicating non-mechanics sections.
The AMAZING ENGINE universe book BUGHUNTERS used as a DANGEROUS JOURNEYS PRIME genre module, part three: Running a BUGHUNTERS PRIME campaign (handling genre transitions, suggested hooks to bring Mythus characters in)
[None of the material in this installment is an adaptation of BUGHUNTERS, instead it is a collection of suggestions for linking BUGHUNTERS PRIME to, for instance, Mythus Prime and other known or conjectured Dangerous Journeys genre modules.]
On the other hand, the focus of the section seems to be handling the translation of non-humans into non-mythical genres, such as bringing gnomes to modern Earth. Since the non-humans as HP's have been left out of Mythus Prime, this is not a consideration.
Linking BUGHUNTERS and Mythus is quite a feat, perhaps best accomplished by spanning intermediary genres (such as Unhallowed or Changeling). However, a direct linkage can be achieved with some work. For instance, it is possible to have a Shaper, transported by an Artificer trap or otherwise sent across dimensions, arrive on AErth and be stuck there, dominating the country-side and altering the local flora and fauna. Investigation would reveal a non-Heka powered monster with unusual telekinetic and telepathic skills, and perhaps lead back through a rift to the creature's home, a swamp on a world under consideration for colonization by United Terra. Thus, they could happen across an UTRPF patrol, or have to fight their way out of a colony of servants to the minor domicile of some human colonists (and defend them while coping with much-weakened Heka).
To bring BUGHUNTERS characters to Mythus would be to really challenge the HP's and players, as they would come in with awesome weaponry but limited ammunition, and probably minimal non-technological survival skills and combat skills (although they may surpass many of the natives in hand-to-hand). Cross-genre transportation could be achieved by the ever-popular 'energy anomoly', or perhaps this is where the ships lost in hyperspace end up.
Linking BUGHUNTERS and Changeling is perhaps the easiest, as a starship could very well have a navigational mistake and hit a wormhole, resulting in the Changeling characters crossing into United Terra from Urth. They might not even notice the difference, until they run across satellites that are in the wrong place (or missing), and mutations are fewer. This transition can lead both ways, resulting in UTRPF Marines wandering around Marz, Urth, or Venuz, or Changelings wandering around United Terra (and probably receiving worse discrimination than the synners do).
BUGHUNTERS and ABYSS (by Rodney W. Morris, Noctifer@aol.com) could be linked much as Changeling and BUGHUNTERS, although the differences in the universe layout would probably stagger the HP's. Care would need to be taken to not drop an UTRPF ship into ship-to-ship, as they aren't really geared for space battles (nor are the BUGHUNTERS rules, for that matter).
BUGHUNTERS and Hard-wired (by Mike Phillips, msphil@widomaker.com) also provide a challenging transition, although simply advancing time or having HP's enter stasis or be forcibly cryogenically frozen (a la the Tessier-Ashpools of Neuromancer) can cause a natural transition from Hard-Wired to BUGHUNTERS (just adjust the time-frame, and allow cyberware and advanced cyberware to UTRPF and colonials). The reverse could be achieved via a time-machine or time-trap left behind by Artificers.
BACKGROUND: An Artificer, intrigued by this new race that has been caught in the middle of its millenias-old battle with the Shapers, was attracted to Stargate when it discovered that these new starfarers built space-based platforms as well as the starships.
In the process of arriving there, the Artificer's machinery left behind a hyperspace vortex, an odd after-effect sometimes caused by advanced, and super-quick, hyperspace jumps.
ACT I: The HPs are ordered to investigate this, and given a small ship to do so (and, if necessary, a couple aerospace personnel to pilot and navigate). The ship should reach a spot near the disturbance, and scan the area. The Artificer ship will not be visible (it has already moved much closer to Stargate), but the disturbance shows a distressing tendency to absorb most probing.
ACT II: If any aerospace personnel are along, they may suggest jettisoning a drone or some extra equipment to see if this disturbance (which appears to be mostly stable) would be a navigational hazard. Interacting with the fold in space is dangerous, but they wouldn't already know that, as it causes the fold to expand temporarily. In order to be close enough to the fold to aim stuff at it (and reasonably expect it to be hit, rather than missed), the ship will be within the expansion radius (which will, in turn, expand again when the ship is consumed), and thus the disturbance will suddenly seem to grow.
ACT III (climax): The trip will seem much like an unusually rough hyperspace trip, and may cause damage to the ship (as the JM desires). Ideally, the ship should be limping by the time the journey is completed. The ship will find itself in normal space again, with the disturbance behind them (although anyone with any knowledge about it could tell the HPs that another such trip would probably destroy the ship and kill all those aboard), and United Terra before them.
However, Stargate is gone, and the normal communications channels don't work. No answer via radio can be achieved. Approaching Earth will reveal that the continental outlines have changed, and the atmosphere reads as cleaner (if one allows complex sensors). The ship should be left able to make a landing, or otherwise get the party down to the surface wherever they want.
If the JM wants to place them somewhere in particular, then perhaps there is an unintelligable radio call from that place, caused by Heka interaction with something (sort of like magnetic fields being generated by current, this would be an electro-magnetic wave generated by Heka use). Of course, this leaves the party stranded, with a mostly broken ship, on a planet with no real technology and limited ammunition and supplies.
With access to the Artificers' technology, they may even have devices constructed that would yield consistent or inconsistent hops from BUGHUNTERS to anywhere, such as AErth, Phaeree, Urth, or others. In fact, whole scenarios of personas from Mythus Prime could revolve around preventing arms and soldiers being shipped from BUGHUNTERS to AErth!
First, often an adventure (especially those included in BUGHUNTERS) is nothing more than a capsule description. Take time ahead of the session to create the most important OPs, such as the governor of New Austin, and the mission commander (if the HPs aren't commanding the mission). In the adventure I ran, I created the governor, Jim Greer, and the Lieutenant in charge, Lt. George Jackson.
Second, choose equipment to distribute to the soldiers, modified by their current MSO (see BUGHUNTERS) and the focus of the mission. If they know they are going up against real nasties, then make certain they have more than pistols!
Third, sketch out, even if only by some words in the notes, what the area is like. The capsule descriptions in BUGHUNTERS don't have much, and never have maps.
Fourth, if you are stuck for names for places and such, follow a theme. So, for instance, the adventure I ran passed through New Austin, in the north. I immediately named the southern colony New Dallas, and the ship used to transport then the UTRPF Transport Ship Texas. Had more been necessary, the theme would have been continued.
Fifth, if stuck for OP personalities, base them on movie characters (and movies provide some of the best source material for this genre). In the adventure I ran, the OP marines were based on the Lietenant from Aliens, and Poncho and Hawkins from Predator. That gave an instant name and type, and they could be developed further as needed.
Sixth, don't forget to focus on the suspense elements, the mysteries the aliens keep are important and help set the atmosphere (especially as long as the players are unaware of the Ancients' War).
Good luck!