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Rift in Time

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© Old School Role Playing 2023

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No map is included in this adventure.

Written by Joseph Mohr.

Artwork by various artists as follows:

Cover Page Rift in Time Public Domain

Back Cover Time Traveler’s Ship Public Domain


Recently things have gone very wrong in the Sonora sector. Chaotic natural occurrences have
taken place all over the sector. Earthquakes, ion storms, sudden black hole formations and
extreme volcanic activity have plagued the entire sector. There are even reports of even more
bizarre occurrences not easily described. Not even the shipping lanes are safe any more. But how
natural are these occurrences? Some believe that this is the result of some secret Olonsean
wonder weapon research. Others believe that some other alien invaders from beyond the borders
have developed some means of attacking the sector as a prelude to war.

Panic is taking over. Humans are packing up and leaving for the home world sectors in large
numbers. But things there are no better. Reports of similar occurrences in the home sectors has
everyone in the galaxy on edge.

Scientist Luis Gazi, however, has a different theory. He believes that these occurrences are the
result of a tear in the Time Space Continuum. Someone, or something, has been going backward
in time by some means and has made changes that have now affected the present day. He has his
theory but little evidence to back it up.

Luis has developed a machine in which he believes he can narrow down the central location of
where these occurrences may be originating. He hopes that if he can send a team to that location
they might discover what is causing these disruptions and put a stop to it. He offers CR 200,000
for the travelers to visit the planet 572-383 in the Sonora sector. This is a non-aligned world with
no known population. He has narrowed down the disturbances with his new machine to that
world.

Cepheus Engine and Samardan Press are the trademakrs of Jason “Flynn” Kemp and I am not
affiliated with Jason “Flynn” Kemp or Samardan Press.

Scientist Luis Gazi B468A4 Age 34


4 terms
Skills: Quantum Phyiscs-3, Computer-1, Phyiscs-2, General Relativity-4, Revolver-1

This non-aligned world is claimed by no one as of yet. No important mineral deposits have been
found here nor any other valuable natural resources. The world has a thick but breathable
atmosphere. It is rather hot due to the heavy atmosphere and proximity to it’s two suns. A red
travel advisory has recently been lifted from this system. Previously, some visitors to this world,
came down with a terrible plague. It was believed for a while that this planet had been the source
of that disease but this has been proven false and the advisory was lifted.
572-383 is the epicenter of these disturbances. Strange activity is nearly constant on this world.
Every ten minutes a roll should be made to determine exactly what kind of disturbance takes
place or if one even takes place at all. Disturbances take place on a 5+. A second roll determines
what kind is displayed:

2. Earthquake
3. Massive chasm opens near the travelers
4. Meteors begin falling from the sky
5. Volcanic eruptions nearby
6. Falling ash from volcanic eruptions elsewhere on the planet
7. Solar storm
8. Massive wind gust creates a dust storm lasting hours
9. Tornados sweep the area
10. Time displacement field opens - walking through the field time reverses by
minutes
11. Duplicates of the travelers can be seen walking behind them. They do not seem to
see the travelers or take notice of them. In fact....they appear to be doing the same
things that the travelers were doing minutes before. If touched the phantoms seem
ethereal and take no notice of the contact at all
12. Strange portal opens in front of the travelers. To enter the portal the person will
travel backwards in time a random number of centuries (2D6). After one person
enters the portal will close. Another may open elsewhere which will allow return
of the traveler (on a 7+).

Scientist William Singh 253DA8 Age 46


7 terms
Skills: Auto Pistol-3, Computer-2, Jack-o-T-2, Mechanical-1, Pike-2
Armed with an auto-pistol

Singh is a mad scientist with insane ideas. He has created the time machine which is causing all
of this chaos and havoc. He has been traveling back and forth through time attempting to change
things.

He has no altruistic designs behind his changing of the past. He is attempting to improve his
family fortunes with his manipulation of history. He recognizes that the world around him here
has become chaotic but he does not care about that. He has theorized that all will return to
normal once he has made the changes necessary to bring about his family’s destiny.

Singh is totally and completely insane now. He will desperately defend his invention should
anyone attempt to interfere with what he is doing or threatens to harm his beloved machine.
Should they destroy the machine he will build another one just like it as soon as he can acquire
the necessary parts to do so. The only ways to stop him is to kill him or capture him and bring
him to the local authorities to commit to a hospital for the criminally insane. Either solution
would satisfy the patron.

The time machine looks like a small metal capsule. It is big enough to fit one single person at a
time. Once someone steps through the archway into the capsule they will disappear. There are
dials and buttons on the side of the capsule which allow one to input information which will send
the person to a specific point in time in the past. So far Singh has not attempted to visit the future
and is not entirely sure that his device can even do so. Theoretically is should be able to but he
has not dared yet to try.

The device is made of titanium but the control panels are made of far less durable materials. It is
powered by uranium 762 (a recently discovered radioactive material that requires a high degree
of sophisticated enrichment to create). This material is difficult to acquire and must be processed
to a high degree before it is of use.

In adventures such as this one things are rarely exactly what they seem. There are often unknown
factors which make things more complicated than first realized. In this adventure the following
issues are involved:

1. The Reckless Scientist William Singh is constantly going through his time portal.

2. Each time that he enters and returns from it (about every ten minutes) something in the
universe has ganged. These changes are reflected in the random changes table below.

3, If endangered by others he will again seek refuge in time by dashing into the portal.
Should he do so this will almost certainly (5+) cause an immediately change (random
change table).

4. There are, of course, other interested parties who want control of the time machine. The
Olonseans have dispatched a small team to secure control of it. These mercenaries will
use whatever force is necessary to kill anyone that they find in the vicinity of the
machine.
The game master should keep track of these changes and ignore duplicate rolls unless they make
sense. These changes may be local or sector (or even galaxy) wide.

2. The patron no longer exists and payment for services in this adventure shall never be
forthcoming.

3. The travelers no longer have any memories of their mission here or their contract with the
patron.

4. Worlds that used to be at peace will now be found at war on a 7+.

5. The travelers will find that they have a price on their head from some prior mission where
they did not before.

6. The traveler’s ship will malfunction (2-7) or misjump (8-12) on a 7+.

7. Tech levels around the sector may change upward (2-7) or downward (8-12) 1D6 points
on any planet visited on a 7+.

8. Black holes are appearing in the sector regularly. One will appear rather suddenly on a
8+. Checks should be made hourly.

9. Wormholes are opening everywhere in the sector. Wormholes are becoming so common
that they now appear suddenly on a 6+. Checks should be made every ten minutes. The
wormholes disappear again within 2D6 hours.

10. Piracy is now rampant in virtually the entire sector. Any ship, anywhere in the sector, is
likely to be set upon even in the shipping lanes.

11. The entire sector is now engulfed in total war. Any ship is likely to be fired upon if it does
not belong to the local governing body.

12. Several of the important governmental entities no longer exist as history has changed.

The Olonseans have hired a team of mercenaries and cutthroats to take control of the time portal
until their military can mobilize in force. They will kill anyone present on the planet including
the time traveler if they can.

Army Lt Colonel Mark Yang 3357B6 Age 37


3 terms
Skills: Admin-1, Computer-1, Dagger-2, Hovercraft-1, Mechanical-1, Rifle-3, SMG-1
Combat armor. Armed with a rifle. Two fragmentation grenades. He is a wanted criminal on
three worlds for assassinations that he personally performed.

Marine Emily Evans 97C833 Age 24


1 term
Skills: Cutlass-1, SMG-2
She is armed with an SMG and a cutlass. Cloth armor. She is wanted for murdering a policeman
on the planet Refaso IV. She was once a member of a notorious terrorist gang from that world.

Army Lieutenant Luke Han 73B777 Age 22


1 term
Skills: Electronics-1, Rifle-1, SMG-2
Armed with an SMG. Cloth armor. He was dishonorably discharged from the army for killing a
superior officer in a duel. He has a cruel looking dueling scar covering the right side of his face.

Pirate Henchmen Magnus Han 5566B7 Age 29


1 term
Skills: Brawling-1, Carbine-1, Streetwise-1
Armed with a carbine. He is wanted for piracy and for murdering a Wuringean priest. He has
several tattoos including one indicating that he was once in the naval service.

Barbarian Warrior Judas Hon B57A76 Age 34


4 terms
Skills: Carousing-1, Long Bow-2, Sword-5
Armed with a long bow and a sword. He is a notorious swordsman known for killing more than a
dozen men in sword duels. He has several cruel looking scars on his arms from these conflicts.
He is wanted on the planet Ologam for killing a minor noble in a duel there.

To close the rift requires destruction of the time machine itself. Obviously Singh will not allow
this without a fight. He will defend his creation to the death if necessary. If things look dangerous
enough he may opt to just disappear into history by stepping into the machine. But if he does so
he might well change the present by manipulating the past when he does so. Allowing him to
escape in this manner may result in him changing history in such a way that the travelers are
never hired to stop him (on a 6+). They might even have to return again to try a second time to
stop him.

Closing the rift in time requires the travelers to destroy the time capsule. As it is made of
titanium this is no easy task. High explosives, fusion weapons or some other similar methods
would be required. Perhaps a nuclear device of some kind would do the trick.
To complete this mission and satisfy the patron the travelers must stop the reckless time traveler
and close the rift in time. To do so the time capsule must be destroyed. But this alone will not
stop the time traveler from making another such device. He must be killed or captured to end any
future attempts to open up another rift in time.
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