> The twist here is that the station was originally a bio weapons
research facility from the Black Wars era. All the crew have long since
died, and the Virus is repulsed by the nature of the work that was done
aboard the station before she arrived. After the Virus took over the
station, and it became clear that there was no rescue coming from any
other quarter, a few of the researches escaped to the planet in system,
with some of their research. The station does not know what became of
that group, they left over 100 years ago. The station urged the players
to go to that world and try to find the remains of those researches and
destroy any remaining evidence of the bioweapons work they did.
>
> The PCs regrouped aboard their life boats and decided to accept the
task from the station: they headed towards the planet. In route they
made contact with most of the other life boats and found of that the
command crew had landed on the planet, but no one knew why, and
communication was lost with the command crew two days ago.
>
> Before the researchers arrived on the world 100 years ago, it was a
tech 1 or 2 society, heavily balkanized and extremely hostile to
outsiders. I am trying to decide the following:
> 1) After power ran out from the researcher's craft (I am making the
assumption the craft had a fusion generator but no refinery), how much
influence the researchers could have had on the culture of the planet
> 2) After power ran out on the craft, what sort of containment could
the researchers keep on their bioweapons: did the projects "get loose"
or die
> 3) If the bioweapons did breach containment, the world is pretty much
boneyard territory, so I have decided that the bioweapons either died or
some means was found to keep the weapons contained (or sanity prevailed
and the bioweapons were destroyed)
>
> So, the essence of my question is what sort of effect could a small
group (4 to 8 individuals) of tech level 15 researchers have on a tech
level two culture, assuming the researchers had little to no resources
once power ran out. I want to figure out what the command crew
encountered two days ago and then what mess the PCs will find in another
four days (once they arrive at the world).
>
> Any suggestions?
>
Thanks for all the great ideas and feedback. I think I will take a
"left turn at Albuquerque" with my original idea and have a two
pronged scenario:
1) The world is still pretty much like it was 200 years ago: very
low technology TL2 world with many feuding feudals.
2) The renegade researches hid out underwater in low berths. Until
about a week before the PCs arrived. The bridge crews lifeboat
"woke up" the passive EMS on the researcher's vessel and
triggered the awakening of three bioweapon researchers, one planetary
ecologist, three lab assistants, and one biowarfare expert: all with the
knowledge and skills of the old Third Imperium, including some light
arms (but not a lot of skill in using them) and combat environment
suits.
If the party scans for "their" lifeboat (the bridge crew), they
will find it, and can land in a relatively uninhabited area well
it was, but all this ruckus from the heavens has been noticed and there
is a well-armed TL2 band of "knights" on patrol in the area.
Once the knights have been dealt with (peacefully or otherwise), the PCs
will find evidence the crew has been kidnapped (by the researches who
are pumping them for info).
When my PCs figure out where to go, and how to get to the vessel
underwater, they can attempt whatever rescue they plan. I figure with
their military backgrounds it will work on most of the researchers,
except the biowarfare expert who is hanging back in her combat
environmental suit, with a laser rifle, and a canister of "nuke the
biosphere" with a dead(wo)man's switch.
Should be fun!
Thanks again for the pointers, you folks are lots of fun.