Arecibo - A World of Adventure For Fate Core

ARECIB0
A WORLD OF
ADVENTURE FOR
Nicolas H0rnyak
Dear Readers,
One day, in September 2016, I received an email from Evil Hat

Productions, asking if I would be willing to submit a few pitches for
the Fate World line. Two months later, while writing outlines and drafts,
tragedy struck when my abuela passed away. Over three days, my family
flew from New York to Puerto Rico to attend her funeral. Afterwards, my
mom thought it might do us some good to go to the beach. On the shore
of the Caribbean, I felt like I was home. But I spent only a day and night
in Puerto Rico, and then I returned alone.
That was the last time I stood on the island before Hurricane Maria struck
in September 2017. By then, I’d already written Arecibo, a Fate World
set in Puerto Rico during an island-wide blackout. In real life, when the
power stayed out for months, it was like Arecibo had predicted a piece of
the future. From pitch to PDF, the world had changed, and in doing so,
some of the fiction became truth.
Today, Puerto Ricans have almost regained their electricity, but they face
many more challenges. As I’m writing this, the news is reporting that 283
schools are closing. Tourism has roared back to life, but Puerto Ricans are
still in need of aid, and storm season is just around the corner. The road
to solutions is overgrown and endless, but the spirit of Puerto Rico says
that we endure, somos fuertes, and we can rebuild.
That’s why we’re not changing a thing about this Fate World. While it
was written for modern stories set before Hurricane Maria, it is now more
relevant than ever. So if your characters end up helping their neighbors
after the hurricane in your stories about Arecibo, that is just more proof
that we’ve done our jobs as game designers. But while we’re giving you the
island to play in, Evil Hat Productions is committed to donating Arecibo’s
2018 sales to the UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program organized
by the Hispanic Federation. It is by far the greatest gift they could’ve given
me, my family, and my people on this journey.
I hope you enjoy telling the stories of your characters in Arecibo. I can’t
wait to hear them.
With best regards,
Nicolas Hornyak
April 6, 2018
ARECIBO
A WORLD OF
ADVENTURE FOR
WRITING & ADVENTURE DESIGN

NICOLAS HORNYAK
DEVELOPMENT
ROB DONOGHUE &
BRIAN ENGARD
EDITING
KAREN TWELVES
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
SEAN NITTNER
ART DIRECTION
BRIAN PATTERSON
LAYOUT
FRED HICKS
INTERIOR & COVER
ARTWORK
KENNEDY
COOKE-GARZA
MARKETING
CARRIE HARRIS
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
CHRIS HANRAHAN
An Evil Hat Productions Publication
www.evilhat.com • feedback@evilhat.com
@EvilHatOfficial on Twitter
facebook.com/EvilHatProductions
Arecibo
Copyright ©2018 Evil Hat Productions, LLC and Nicolas Hornyak.
All rights reserved.
First published in 2018 by Evil Hat Productions, LLC.

10125 Colesville Rd #318, Silver Spring, MD 20901.
Evil Hat Productions and the Evil Hat and Fate logos are trademarks
owned by Evil Hat Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the
prior express permission of the publisher.
That said, if you’re doing it for personal use, knock yourself out.
That’s not only allowed, we encourage you to do it.
For those working at a copy shop and not at all sure if this means
the person standing at your counter can make copies of this thing, they can.
This is “express permission.” Carry on.
This is a game where people make up stories about wonderful, terrible,

impossible, glorious things. All the characters and events portrayed in this
work are fictional. Any resemblance to real people, observatories, human-
alien hybrids, eldritch dimensions, coquís, or Latino children who are
in way over their head is purely coincidental, but kinda disturbing.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................2
Using This Supplement...............................................................................2
Part I: Introduction............................................................................ 3
The Silent Coquís..........................................................................................3
The Setting..................................................................................................... 4
Part II: Character Creation............................................................... 6
Aspects.............................................................................................................7
Skills...................................................................................................................9
Stunts................................................................................................................9
A Note on Adults........................................................................................10
Part III: The City of Arecibo............................................................ 11
The High Trouble.......................................................................................... 11
Arecibo, Puerto Rico ................................................................................ 13
Part IV: Transmogrification.............................................................18
What Is Transmogrification?................................................................... 19
The Catalysis................................................................................................. 19
The Alien Skills............................................................................................20
The Final Stunt............................................................................................ 23
Part V: The Dimensions Beyond.................................................... 24
Las Alturas.................................................................................................... 24
El Abismo...................................................................................................... 27
Part VI: Truth and Prophecy...........................................................31
The Truths...................................................................................................... 31
The Prophecies........................................................................................... 33
Part VII: The Wow Child: An Adventure for Arecibo................. 35
Act 1................................................................................................................ 35
Act 2................................................................................................................ 38
Act 3...............................................................................................................40
The Long Game..........................................................................................43
Acknowledgements
Many thanks go out to the Evil Hat team for giving this Puerto Rican his shot,
and most especially to Joshua Yearsley, Sean Nittner, Brian Engard, Karen Twelves,
Brian Patterson, Kennedy Cooke-Garza, Chris Hanrahan, Carrie Harris, Rob
Donoghue, and Fred Hicks for all their help in bringing this world to fruition. I
would also like to thank everybody at Liberty Science Center, all of whom helped
me learn so much about children during my time working there. I also owe a huge
amount of thanks to my roommates, Shoshana Kessock, Josh Harrison, Abigail
Corfman, and Craig Page, all of whom made a stable and welcoming home in
the face of a chaotic world. There would be no Fate World without their constant
support, and they also turned out to be some of my best playtesters.
This work is dedicated to the memory of my late abuela, Ana Luz Rodriguez
Ortiz, who passed away during the development of this setting, and to my mother,
Ivelisse Garcia-Hornyak.
Gracias.
Using This Supplement

In Arecibo (ah-re-SEE-boh), you play normal Puerto Rican children who have been
infused with alien powers in the middle of an island-wide crisis. Their adventures
take place in and around the landmarks of Arecibo, a city on the northern coast
of Puerto Rico and home to the secret access points of an alien prison.
Part I is a brief primer and summary about what is happening here and now,
in the present, while Part II walks you through creating a child from the island
of Puerto Rico. From there, check out Part III for some information about the
city of Arecibo and its landmarks.
Things start to get a little weird in Part IV, which talks about the mysterious
process that gifts children with eldritch and alien powers. Part V elaborates on
the alternate dimensions that can be accessed as a result, and Part VI is full of
some possible explanations about what is happening, along with predictions on
what might come next.
Finally, a starter adventure is written out for Part VII if you want a quick and
easy beginning for your campaign. Enjoy!
2 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

PART I: INTRODUCTION
The Silent Coquís
When I was very young, my papi drove my brother and I across Puerto Rico to visit
El Yunque. According to the signs I read there, it is the only tropical rainforest in
the United States National Forest System. And I loved it. He took us on a hiking
trail that ran right past the Cascada La Mina, where tourists and locals alike went
swimming, climbing over the rocks and pools to soak their heads in the waterfall.
As night fell, I remember taking note of it for the first time. Approaching the car,
I could hear the cacophony of noise from the trees—an endless series of sounds
that whistled and sounded like “¡co-quí!”
I never asked about the whistling you could hear across the island. I remember
that it began at night, but by morning it’d disappear. I found it soothing to listen
to, like a treasured lullaby or the comfort of a mother. When we got back in our
rundown car, I asked my family about the birds.
“¿Birds?” they questioned.
“Yes, the birds that whistle.”
Everyone in the car laughed at me.
“Rosita, those aren’t birds,” my mother exclaimed. “Those are frogs.”
“¿Frogs?” I replied with disbelief.
“Yes. They’re called coquís, because of the sound they make,” she continued.
“¡Co-quí!”
I grinned and answered in kind. “¡Co-quí!”
That was a few years ago. I’ve since learned a little more about them in school.
We had a unit on the rainforest, and we talked about how in El Yunque, the coquís
would climb the trees to escape predators. But when they wanted to get down,
they would just jump, and they were light enough to just float to the ground. On
some days, it would be raining frogs in El Yunque!
They’re one of my favorite symbols of Puerto Rico. I have bracelets with their
Taíno symbol on it. I have a couple shirts too. They’re quieter than the ones in
El Yunque, but I can hear them at night here in Arecibo.
Or at least, ¿I used to?
Here’s the thing. A couple days ago, the power went out. Not just in our house,
but all across the island. The grown-ups aren’t telling us anything about it, of
course. But I’ve heard Mami and Papi talk about a blockade. I’m not sure what
that is though. All I know is that everyone is scared and no one is quite sure about
what’s going on and I’m just…so, so scared of the dark.
And for the last couple nights, I haven’t heard a single whistle. Not one. It’s like
the coquís have disappeared. I thought about asking my parents, but then my
little brother Niquito complained about them at supper. We ate by candlelight,
and he said the coquís were scary without his nightlight.
I’m the only one who can’t hear them anymore. And the thing is, after they
went silent, I started hearing something else. Something growling in the brush
outside my window. And Papi is saying that some dog got into the backyard and
killed one of his hens, but I don’t think it’s a dog. It didn’t sound like one.
I think it’s a monster. And I’m very scared…
3
The Setting
So what exactly is Arecibo?
Arecibo is a city on the north coast of Puerto Rico, about a 40-mile drive west
from the capital of San Juan. By area, it is the largest municipality on the main
island. It’s also the third oldest settlement in Puerto Rico, colonized in 1556 and
founded in 1616.
However, that doesn’t mean its history began with the Spanish. Before them,
Arecibo was occupied by the indigenous Taíno, led by their cacique, Xamaica
Arasibo. The Spanish colonists would name the settlement after him, but after
they founded the city, the native population suffered from warfare, enslavement,
and disease, all of which nearly drove their culture to extinction.
Today, Arecibo is a district with landmarks ranging from cathedrals to universi-
ties. It features a main river, two forest reserves, and a tropical monsoon climate
where it rarely falls below 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night in the colder months.
It’s also home to caverns and one of the world’s largest radio telescopes.
And its troubles are only beginning.
The Blackout
It is a hot and sunny day in Puerto Rico when power goes out across the island.
While hospitals and a few lucky businesses run on generators, sleep turns into a
luxury without air conditioning. Food begins to go bad. Schools cancel classes,
while clean water is harder to come by.
The problem is localized to two sources—a fire at a major power plant in the
south, and equipment failure in the dam at Dos Bocas Lake, in the south of
Arecibo. As this information spreads by word of mouth and battery-powered
radios, Puerto Ricans grow uneasy in the midst of their problems. Coincidences
don’t come without trouble here, after all.
Three days pass, and the power is still out. Word gets out that US soldiers are
lending their assistance, but there’s clearly been no progress. Finally, a janitor at
the lighthouse in Arecibo spots naval ships on the horizon, and they belong to
the United States Armed Forces.
On that silent morning, warships move into position to blockade the island,
and when they do, everyone’s questions are met with radio silence.
The Blockade
When Puerto Rico is blockaded by the USAF, they order all inbound flights diverted.
A few remaining outbound flights are allowed to pass, but all airplanes on the
island are grounded. Finally, no boats are allowed through the blockade. On an
island where 75 percent of consumed goods are imported, its citizens face a crisis.
But as radio contact is established with the outside world, Puerto Ricans
slowly begin to learn about the global uproar around this event. Despite this, the
United States government isn’t giving clear answers, and since Puerto Rico is a
commonwealth of the country, any interference by another nation could lead to
open conflicts and war with one of the most powerful militaries in human history.
For now, Puerto Ricans are all alone.

The Children
Despite the military presence off their shores, the citizens are largely focused on
figuring out how to live without electricity and imports. While the blockade holds,
they need to provide for their families and keep themselves safe. As a result, most
grown-ups don’t have the time to investigate, in depth, how the power went out,
or why the blockade sprung up.
Instead, it is children and teenagers who realize that something is terribly wrong
in Puerto Rico. They no longer hear the coquís whistling, but everyone else does.
They spot strange globes of light in foggy skies or dirty puddles of water. And in
the dark, they hear soft growls and whispered voices begging for attention.
It is true. You are not alone, nothing is normal, and it’s up to you to set things right.
ARECIBO 5
PART II: CHARACTER CREATION
In Arecibo, you don’t just play any character. You are charged to play Puerto Rican
children of all ages. None of them have learned any other language besides the
local dialect of Boricua Spanish, and almost half of all citizens on the island live
in poverty, so consider that this might be a fact of life for your character.
But keep in mind that poor does not mean unhappy. Many Puerto Ricans take
great joy in spending time with their friends and relatives, and most of them know
how to make the best of an unfortunate situation. Finally, remember that despite
the blackout and blockade, kids still have families, schoolmates, and friends. They
possess hopes and dreams, and while things can be very rough in Puerto Rico,
life is still present on the island, and they know how to live it.
PERMISSION TO PLAY
During the game, it isn’t unreasonable for a person to feel uncom-
fortable about playing a diverse character, especially if they feel that
it’s overstepping their privilege. If you feel this way, that’s perfectly
normal and speaks incredible lengths about your humbleness.
If it helps, Puerto Rico is very, very Americanized by consumerism,
and if you ever visit, you’ll find a lot of similarities to life in the States.
The Boricua also come in all colors and from all walks of life, so feel
free to play your character close to the chest. But if you’d like to go
into this game with a little more information, feel free to do some
research. Check out www.topuertorico.com or search for “Puerto Rico”
on reputable news sites like the Associated Press, CNN, or MSNBC.

Aspects
In this world, kids only get the following four aspects:
• High concept
• Trouble
• Parent/Guardian aspect
• Aspiration aspect
High Concept
Your high concept is an aspect that sums up what kind of child you are. Most
of these will focus on your current role in life or your calling. Even in Puerto
Rico, kids can be anything from studious to athletic, hyper to insightful, and
everything in between. But they also have some pretty good ideas on what they
want to be when they grow up, and many are already learning the basic skills
for their futures. As such, define them with kid-friendly terms such as daredevils,
peacekeepers, troublemakers, and even sleuths.
Of note: since the characters in Arecibo are children, not a lot of them would
have a job. If a child is 12 or 13, they can work on a farm where their parent is
also employed. Starting at age 14, minors can get work permits, which have similar
restrictions as those obtained by high schoolers in the United States.
Don’t forget that the best aspects are double-edged and can work both to your
benefit and against you. Some examples are:
• Teenage Sailor of the Coast
• Little League Star
• Daughter of a Gas Station Owner
For more information on high concepts, check out page 32 in the Fate Core
System rulebook.
Trouble
Your trouble aspect represents an issue about something going wrong in your
life—and not just an upcoming event like a holiday you hate. It’s one of those
things that complicates everything else when you remember it or it becomes
relevant. It’s also not an aspect that you can easily solve or even address. Because
you’re playing a child, little problems can seem downright crushing, even though
adults might have simple solutions to them.
If you’re building your character without the Transmogrification rules on
page 18, make sure that your trouble is about mortal concerns. However, if
you are starting or joining a campaign with those rules in place, have a conversa-
tion with your GM about what kind of challenges the children have already faced
and how that affects your new character.
Some examples include:
• Straight-A Student or Bust
• Didn’t Make the School Team
• “The Heart Murmur Holds Me Back…”
More information about troubles can be found on page 34 in the Fate Core System.
ARECIBO 7
Parent/Guardian Aspect
This is a new aspect, and one of the rules that takes into account that you’re playing
children, not adults. When you’re a kid, you absolutely have a relationship with
your parent or guardian. It may not be a super good one, but usually it’s not a
super bad one. Furthermore, your children are either taking their first steps out
from under their parents’ wings, or beginning to outright defy and rebel against
them. It’s something that almost every kid goes through.
All that being said, your parent/guardian aspect is a summary of your character’s
relationship with their caretakers. It is a phrase that reminds you what kind of kid
you’re shaping up to be. It also reminds you that someone’s got your back in the
worst of times. That being said, if the forces of darkness lash out at these parents
or guardians, it will be up to you to defend them against US agents, eldritch
creatures, or even each other.
Some examples are:
• Scariest Abuelita on the Block
• The Good Sibling
• Papi Understands Me, I Think
Aspiration Aspect
This is also a new aspect about being a child. It relates most to your high concept,
except for one key difference. Your aspiration aspect is about what you could be if
given the chance. It’s a goal to strive for, a fleeting success story, or your ultimate
dream, and you always steer your course towards it. But when it seems unattain-
able, it is a haunting hope, if not a nightmare.
Like all folks, your character’s aspirations and dreams may change—sometimes
from day to day. Children see teachers, parents, and all sorts of role models do
amazing things in the world. As a result, this aspect does not require a milestone
to change. At the end of every session, you may take a minor milestone and
change this aspect if you so wish. You may not change this aspect at the begin-
ning of a session.
• Someday I’ll Have My Own Statue
• Future Firefighter in America
• A Salsa Star Is Born

Skills THE SHOOT SKILL
When you build a character, they start Considering the ongoing debate about
with a skill pyramid like that in the core children, guns, and school shootings,
rules. Your child gets one Great (+4) skill, you and your group should discuss
two Good (+3) skills, three Fair (+2) how to handle such topics. This con-
skills, and four Average (+1) skills. versation begins with the Shoot skill.
If you enter game with a character who If someone wishes to take Shoot
has already undergone transmogrifica- as a skill, their character would carry
tion, turn to the Transmogrification rules weapons like slingshots or water blast-
on page 20 in order to add your alien ers. They can also improvise weapons
skill pillar. like rocks or bricks. But a kid would
not and does not have access to
Stunts firearms.
In Arecibo, children start with two free Before you enter play, the GM
stunts each, and four refresh. During should broach the topic of enemies
transmogrification, you will add another with guns. There are plenty of substi-
stunt to your character sheet. This new tutes for them—Tasers, tranquilizers, or
stunt costs one refresh to take, but even even just soldiers who are unwilling to
though you take it during a session, you fire on helpless kids. But most people
do not spend a fate point for it. are incredibly uncomfortable with the
Because you normally gain alien skills idea of a child getting shot, hence why
in the middle of a game, you should this conversation is important.
consider choosing one of the matching
alien stunts or creating your own. Of course, if your kid is the impatient type,
feel free to take your third stunt early. It will take a minor milestone to swap it
out for a stunt about your alien powers.
Below are some sample stunts written specifically for play in Puerto Rico:
Boricua Pride: Gain a +2 bonus to create an advantage using Rapport on Puerto
Ricans whenever you wear a symbol of PR, such as a piece of clothing with the
flag on it or jewelry with Taíno symbols.
Chico de la Selva: As a jungle-kid adventurer with lots of tricks, you can use
Athletics to make physical attacks in natural, outdoor environments such as the
rainforest or beach, as opposed to indoors or within an urban area.
The Wildlife Is Loud Tonight: Once per session, whenever you’re outside at night,
you may roll for Stealth against Fair (+2) to create the advantage Loud Wildlife.
Afterwards, you may invoke it on up to three Stealth rolls for free.
Viva la Revolución: Gain a +2 bonus on your first attack in a scene with Fight
whenever you engage in combat over the fate of Puerto Rico (as opposed to self-
defense or personal gain).
We Get the Job Done: Once per session, when you successfully overcome with
Crafts to fix something, you may spend a fate point and cause something else in
the scene to break. This can either be direct sabotage or incredible fortune, but
an opponent will have to roll Crafts to repair the affected object before they can
use it again or maneuver around it. 9
A Note On Adults
While Arecibo isn’t designed as a game to be played with adult characters, it is still
handy for your GM to know how to create and balance them.
If a player wishes to build a grown-up, they should be forewarned that the kid
characters have lives all their own, without the constant presence of the same
adults. For someone who cannot always attend a game, this might be fine, but
for the devoted player, this option is not for you.
In real life, it takes a very special person to work with kids, or even around them.
It requires immense patience, self-control, and an understanding of unconven-
tional logic. For this game, that’s perfect. If either GM or player builds an adult
character, consider how they do it. Are they teachers? Do they work on the police
force and do community outreach? Can they interact with children immediately
or do they need to ease into it?
During character creation, adult characters have high concepts, troubles, and
aspiration aspects. They also have two normal aspects, which are optional. Adults
should also start play with all three stunts, since only children can be transmogrified.
Another great idea is for every player to introduce one

adult tied to their character during the first game, which is
only playable by other players. This is an excellent way to
include everyone around the table during scenes in which
the party is split and out of contact.
If you do so, consider assigning them only a couple aspects
and rolling all their skills at a Fair (+2) rating. Children are
the stars of this game, not your adults.

PART III: THE CITY OF ARECIBO
This is not just any Fate World. It’s practically our own.
This next section is all about Arecibo, a municipality on the north coast of
Puerto Rico. All of the following locations are real, albeit contextualized for your
game. If you took a plane to San Juan, rented a car, and drove an hour west, you
could visit the Arecibo Observatory, the Birth of the New World statue, and the
Arecibo Lighthouse and Historical Park. Furthermore, you can look up plenty
of details about the city for inspiration. It has its own rich culture and a history
spanning centuries.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not without actual, real-life problems.
There are a few details here specific to the Arecibo setting, but we’ll cover oth-
erworldly threats more fully later.
The High Trouble

When you play a game of Fate, you build your world with two game aspects
known as the current issue and the impending issue. But for a real-life setting,
impending issues are literally everywhere. They’re in our politics, our daily lives,
our communities, and so on. It would be hard to hold onto one when another
could rear its head at any time.
As a result, you should only come up with a current issue for your game. Instead
of the impending issue, any country or territory in our world should be assigned
a high trouble.
The high trouble is a permanent setting aspect that may be invoked once per
session by the GM for free. It replaces all impending issues with the same brief
phrase about the location in question. It can be a descriptor about its purpose, its
greatest problem, or its proudest place in history, but it’s always location specific
and does not change during a campaign.
This version of Puerto Rico has a high trouble all its own. It is called The
Powerless Commonwealth.
The Powerless Commonwealth

This aspect comes with a double meaning. The most immediate problem of Puerto
Rico in this Fate World is that the power has gone out, and in the wake of that,
a naval blockade by the United States has sprung up around the island.
However, in real life, the island also faces a terrible debt crisis brought on by an
economic depression, the loss of a crucial tax policy, and the mismanagement of
funds. The quality of life for working class Puerto Ricans and your characters has
dropped as a result. But worst of all, Puerto Ricans are US citizens who cannot
vote for federally elected officials and have no voting representation in Congress.
While this has mostly affected adults, even kids feel powerless sometimes. As a
result, it is not unusual for your characters to have noticed the island’s powerless-
ness in the face of US affairs.
ARECIBO 11
12
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Also known as La Villa del Capitán Correa, Arecibo is the largest municipality
in Puerto Rico by area. Previously occupied by the native Taíno, the Spanish
arrived in 1556, after which the indigenous population declined sharply. Some
historians believe that the Taíno had already been warring with another tribe, and
so they were ill-prepared to resist the Spaniards. Conspiracy theorists speculate
that their decline broke an eldritch covenant of some sort, although there is no
evidence to prove this.
Arecibo earned its nickname after a man, Captain Antonio de los Reyes Correa,
who successfully defended the town from invasion back in 1702. At the time,
he led a small militia charged with protecting the settlement from pirates and
foreign enemies. Armed with only spears and machetes, they miraculously drove
back two British warships, and he was hailed as a national hero. Nobody has ever
questioned how he turned the tide in his favor.
Today, the city has a downtown area, a cathedral, barrios, beaches, forests, and
more. It possesses a tropical monsoon climate, meaning that any storm short of a
hurricane rarely lasts more than thirty minutes. Between April and November, these
sporadic downpours tend to happen during the afternoon and rarely last all day.
Puerto Rico also lies south of the Puerto Rico Trench, a fault line that gener-
ates daily tremors, although these are rarely felt on the island. While there is a
tsunami risk, an earthquake is felt across the island only once every few years. A
tsunami has not affected the island since 1918.
Arecibo Pueblo
The Blockade Has Doomed This Town; Too Many Tourists With Nowhere
to Go; Downtown Used to Be Cool
Arecibo Pueblo is the downtown district of the municipality. In addition to
buildings such as City Hall, you can find shopping plazas, government buildings,
universities, and of course, hospitals. This area is highly commercialized and a
center for both tourism and consumerism. It would not be unusual to run into
folks who only know English here, but opportunity is lacking for adults if they’re
not bilingual.
Of special note, a police command is based here, and the area rests on the
northern coast of Puerto Rico. While there aren’t particularly tall buildings, it
isn’t unreasonable for someone with a pair of binoculars on a clear day to spot the
naval blockade from here. Because of this, Arecibo Pueblo would be on the fast
track to a bad situation. Imported resources combined with the larger population
could make this area very dangerous during a crisis.
ARECIBO 13
Rio Grande de Arecibo
Sailing Paradise; Unclean Waters
The Rio Grande de Arecibo is a landmark and river in the municipality. It
originates in the mountains to the south about two municipalities away, and
flows north through the entire region before ending at Puerto Arecibo and the
Caribbean Sea. The river is also the source of the Dos Bocas Lake in the south.
While it is a little over thirty miles long, its waters are unclean, and both natives
and dwellers are advised not to drink it directly. It remains uncertain why this is
the case, although thankfully, the water can be treated.
Arecibo Observatory
Astronomy Lives On; “I Saw This Place in a Movie Once”
Located in the southwest corner of the municipality, the Arecibo Observatory
was the largest radio telescope in the world until July 2016. Inside is the Angel
Ramos Foundation Science and Visitor Center, a small but informative museum
for children. There is also a terrace to look at the telescope, although it’s a long
fall down to the dish itself.
Operated by Cornell University, many scientific discoveries have been made at
the Arecibo Observatory. It has been used for military intelligence purposes and
featured in movies such as GoldenEye and Contact. In recent years, earthquakes
have damaged parts of it, but repairs have always commenced, even when fund-
ing seems elusive.
It is also known for transmitting a radio broadcast known as the Arecibo
Message. While it was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of newly installed
equipment, it also contained basic information about humanity in binary format.
It still hasn’t reached its intended target, star cluster M13, but something else has
picked it up instead…
Catedral de San Felipe Apostol

A Spanish Colonial Sanctuary; Nothing Will Break These Walls
In Puerto Rico, approximately 70 percent of the population is Roman Catholic.
Arecibo is the seat of a diocese that covers most of the northern half of the island,
the mother church of which is the Cathedral of Saint Philip the Apostle. It is
only a few blocks from both the shore and the Rio Grande de Arecibo, nestled
in Arecibo Pueblo.
The Cathedral has suffered damage from earthquakes since it was built in the
late 18th century. As a result, it has been rebuilt and renovated multiple times.
Conspiracy theorists will have you believe that this is to spite the forces that cause
the ground to shake, but this notion is laughable at best.
One of the most common traditions in Puerto Rico is for each town to hold a
ten-day festival celebrating patron saints. Each one includes religious processions,
but incorporates elements of African and local origin. In Arecibo, this festival
celebrates Saint Philip—San Felipe in Spanish—the patron saint of hatters. His
celebration is usually held in the opening week of May, while his feast day is
May 3rd.

Arecibo Lighthouse
Yet Another Tourist Attraction; News from the Lighthouse!
Also called Faro de Arecibo, the Arecibo Lighthouse is a historic landmark east
of downtown Arecibo. Positioned on top of a rocky headland, it is the last light-
house on the island to be built by the Spanish and has been automated since the
sixties. It is noteworthy for being the first place on the island where the naval
blockade was spotted.
The surrounding area, Arecibo Lighthouse and Historical Park, is home to several
attractions, including a Taíno village, a heritage area about the Spanish conquests,
and information on pirates. Inside is a small museum about the history of the
lighthouse, along with marine artifacts, an aquarium and information on the
Spanish-American War. It also hosts a restaurant, a waterpark, and sports facilities.
If you’re lucky, you can even go whale-watching.
La Estatua de Colón
Statue of Ill Omens; Nobody Wanted This Here
Known in English as “The Birth of the New World,” this giant statue of
Christopher Columbus was built in 1991 and, at long last, dedicated in 2016,
becoming the tallest statue in the Western Hemisphere at 360 feet. Of course, it
faced controversy from activists who condemned Columbus’s role in enabling
indigenous genocide, but the estimated income it would generate won out in
the end.
Built of bronze and steel, bits of it rusted while it rested in storage. The local
opposition to it has also turned it into an eyesore and ill omen of sorts, with some
wondering if there weren’t other reasons for its construction.
Antonio Nery Juarbe Airport

A Small Airport for the Rich Guys
Southeast of Arecibo Pueblo, the Antonio Nery Juarbe Airport is used for general
aviation. Originally built for military purposes, it was transferred to Puerto Rico’s
port authorities in 1947. It boasts a daily average of eight takeoffs and landings.
Central Hidroelectrica Dos Bocas

Major Power Supply; Something’s Wrong Where it Shouldn’t Be Wrong
Located in the south is a hydroelectric power plant, built to dam off a reservoir
known as the Dos Bocas Lake, which supplies water to most of northern Puerto
Rico. It is also one of the causes of the island-wide blackout. But while equipment
failure is cited as the cause, none of the workers can figure out why the plant
stopped generating power. Nothing is broken, and yet it doesn’t work…
ARECIBO 15
Local Beaches
Nice Day for the Beach; Surf ’s Up!; Cloudy with a Chance of Trouble;
It’s Too Hot!
In Arecibo, all of the beaches are located along the coast to the north. The
major beaches include the following:
• Los Morrillos
• Los Negritos
• Poza del Obispo
• Las Tunas
All of them are beautiful, although not incredibly special. They are great places
for kids to play or for US soldiers to make landfall.
Nearby Forests
The Forests Are Dangerous; Beautiful Foliage; Mystery Awaits; Lost!
In the municipality, there are two major forest reserves:
• Cambalache State Forest
• Rio Abajo State Forest
Both are tropical, although neither are proper jungles. The only animals that
would be a viable threat to children would be non-venomous snakes, scorpions,
and the caiman, which are a type of crocodilian. In addition, strange noises and
odd sightings have been reported by hikers and tourists alike. Indeed, there is
always something mysterious in these forests, waiting to be discovered.

Known Caves
Bat Nests; Sprawling Rock Formations; Taíno Caverns; “We’re Going in
Circles!”
To the south, there are numerous unnamed caves in the karst regions. Two
major ones have been explored, both by spelunkers and archeologists:
• Cueva Ventana
• La Cueva del Indio
In recent months, strange humming has been heard deep inside, and flashlight
bulbs have popped without warning, stranding explorers in the dark. For the time
being, both caves are closed off, although security is not exceptionally tight. Bats
are fairly common all over the island and prefer to roost in such caverns.
The Barrios
This Barrio’s Coming Up; The Melting Pot of Revolution; Worried
Carnival; This Blockade is Ruining Us
Throughout Arecibo, different areas are divided into neighborhoods known as
barrios. Below is a list of all the barrios in this municipality. It is recommended
you pick one from the map for the characters to call home. The northern munici-
palities tend to be more suburban or urban, while rural areas lie to the south. If
you wish, you can expand your research from there.
• Arecibo Pueblo • Dominguito • Islote
• Arenalejos • Esperanza • Jarealitos
• Arrozal • Factor • Miraflores
• Bajadero • Garrochales • Río Arriba
• Cambalache • Hato Abajo • Sabana Hoyos
• Carreras • Hato Arriba • Santana
• Domingo Ruiz • Hato Viejo • Tanamá
ARECIBO 17
PART IV:
TRANSMOGRIFICATION
This is where things start to get a little odd.
You may have noticed it already, but
there’s something weird going on in
Arecibo. If you’ve ever gone hiking, you’ve
heard the crunch of leaves behind you,
only to turn and find nothing there. Or
perhaps you’ve stared into a nearby cave,
only to spot colors you have no name for.
Such is part of the mystery of life.
Smells you can’t find the source of, sen-
sations like radio waves on your skin—if
it happens every once in a while, it’s not
so strange.
But then the power goes out. Ships
patrol the ocean horizon. Life gets stress-
ful—but the kids aren’t distracted by
mundane woes. They stop hearing the
native coquí. They start seeing messages
in the stars at night.
Nothing is normal, but at least there’s
a name for what’s happening to the kids.
It’s called transmogrification.
WHAT’S THE
NAME, AGAIN?
It won’t be unusual for your char-
acters to never learn the name of
this process. In fact, they are en-
couraged to call transmogrification
by any name that makes sense to
them. No two transformations are
alike, after all.
18
What Is Transmogrification?
Transmogrification is the process of transforming a living creature into an instru-
ment of eldritch power. It can be done on both animals and humans, and even
certain plants and fungi. Anything that has been transmogrified can utilize new,
alien skills, although the effect depends on the mental capabilities of the subject.
In return, however, those people and creatures become part of a great cosmic
game, where two eldritch factions manipulate them into doing tasks important
to their causes.
While otherworldly and extradimensional forces have exerted their will on human
beings, they’ve come to learn that adult humans cannot be catalyzed in the process.
Some of them never notice anything different; others experience hallucinations.
Any story you’ve ever heard of alien abduction is a good example of such visions.
When it comes to children though, they’ve noticed a very different response.
They start to experience odd things while they’re awake, and it scares them deeply.
The Catalysis
With all that said, transmogrification is a two-step process. The first step could be
considered a sort of “infection” stage, but the methods and modes of transmis-
sion are currently unknown. To many kids, it’s like they woke up and didn’t even
know they had the flu until they’re in the infirmary at school—except weirder.
The second step is called the catalysis, in which the child experiences or remem-
bers something traumatic—usually by accident, sometimes on purpose. Maybe they
are hopelessly lost in the forest and beginning to panic. Or perhaps they needed
to sit down with a psychologist and address the death and funeral of a loved one.
There are a few ways to depict the catalysis. To start, the GM may narrate
something terrible happening, so long as it doesn’t involve the players directly
or take away their agency. Some examples include witnessing a stranger get hit
and killed by a car, or watching a classmate as they’re swarmed by spider wasps
(their stings are excruciating even if they haven’t been warped by eldritch powers).
Another way to depict it is to get the players involved and slowly start stacking
the odds against them. If a child is lost in the woods, run it as a contest against
the forest itself—but every time they fail, they have to beat a harder rating to
succeed. Ultimately, you can run it a little bit dirty, but the payoff is that the
players gain some awesome new powers in the story.
Alternatively, a simple overcome roll and permission to narrate the fate of a
character might be all you need. If your players trust you, it won’t be hard for
them to fail an Athletics roll and learn what happens. It’ll be even better if they
happen to fall into the Rio Grande de Arecibo and the current whisks them off.
Lost, short on air, and scared of death—it sounds like the perfect origin story
for a hero.
ARECIBO 19
The Alien Skills
Once the catalysis is complete, a child feels as if they have just awoken, refreshed
and ready for the day. As a result, they clear their stress and consequences.
From there, a couple accidents and some experimentation may reveal that they
are not normal human beings anymore. They have some pretty weird alien skills
now, as the Old Ones and the Strange attempt to bend the kids to their will.
After completing the transmogrification, you gain a skill pillar on your char-
acter sheet, next to your pyramid. On it, you pick two of the following new skills
and mark them down at an Average (+1) rating and Fair (+2) rating respectively.
The remaining skill is considered accessible at a Mediocre (+0) rating and can
still be rolled for.
This skill pillar breaks a couple of the normal rules. For one, you cannot take
a minor milestone to switch alien skills with the normal Fate skills. You may do
so to switch two alien skills—even the one that isn’t on your sheet. In short, it
works like a separate skill sheet.
Furthermore, the idea of skill columns do not apply to this pillar. You can
increase the rating of these skills without increasing the rank of a skill at a lower
rating. However, the catch is that you cannot have two alien skills at the same
rank. You will have to increase the rank of your highest alien skill before increas-
ing the ranks of the skills beneath it. But thankfully, they can still be switched
around with a minor milestone, just like normal skills.
For your pillar, you have three alien skills available to you.
CAN I USE WILL TO DEFEND AGAINST BROADCAST?

Normally, no, but the following stunt serves as the sole exception to the rule.
Willpower: You may spend a fate point to defend against Broadcast
with Will, provided that the attack is mental in nature. It will not help
against a physical attack.

Broadcast
Broadcast is the skill of projecting your thoughts as messages and moving objects
with your mind. According to aliens, thoughts move faster than light, and doing
so is a very remedial means of communication over long distances.
You can use Broadcast to send telepathic messages to other
OOvercome:
people, overcome area aspects that inhibit the use of alien skills, or move
objects with your mind. The farther away someone is, the harder it becomes to
send them a message. Similarly, the heavier an object, the harder it is to telekineti-
cally move. Some animals may also be mentally controlled with this skill.
an Advantage: Broadcast can be used to make aspects that would
CCreate
limit the use of alien skills, make surrounding masses lighter, or establish
lasting psychic connections between characters. Such aspects are also capable of
bending reality ever so slightly, making your enemies stumble or masking your
appearance. Creating an advantage with Broadcast can also be very handy for any-
body who wants to mix the alien skills with the core skills, allowing kids to ambush
opponents more effectively or enable normal characters to lift and throw cars.
Broadcast is the primary alien skill for attacking. With it, you can
AAttack:
throw enemies without even touching them, knock large objects into them
from a distance, or induce blinding headaches. Depending on the nature of your
attack, you have the choice to inflict either physical or mental stress. As a result,
Broadcast can be defended against by Athletics if the enemy must dodge it or
stick the landing, Physique if the enemy wishes to bear the brunt of it against his
strength, or Receive if they want to mitigate the effect on their mind.
Broadcast isn’t used for defending. If you’re using this skill to put
DDefend:
an object between you and an attack, that should be done by creating an
advantage. You can’t backtrack when someone gets the upper hand on you, after all.
BROADCAST STUNTS
Hopper: You can roll Broadcast against a passive Fair (+2) rating to create the
advantage Much Lighter Than Normal. If you succeed, you have it for the
rest of the scene, during which you can move two zones instead of one as an
additional action for your turn. This may be treated as a boost if you tie the roll,
reflecting the fact that your character’s concentration wasn’t enough to lighten
their own mass for very long.
System Overload: Once per session, you may take the consequence Worse
Than Brain Freeze and release a burst of psychic energy, throwing everyone
in the scene off their feet and inflicting one physical stress on all targets within
the character’s line of sight (be they friend or foe). This consequence fills in the
lowest available slot.
Watch Out, World: You gain a +2 bonus to your first attack in a scene by using
Broadcast when you initiate a surprise attack and get the drop on your target.
This attack must be physical in nature; you cannot use this stunt if it would deal
mental stress.
ARECIBO 21
Invigorate
Invigorate is the ability of transferring potential energy into devices or even people,
recharging and rejuvenating them. Since kids are an endless font of possibility,
Invigorate does not drain them of energy, turning it into a very efficient means
of supplying power in a jam.
When you use Invigorate to overcome, you’re powering machines
OOvercome:
that have little power or are simply lacking it altogether. You can also
use Invigorate on other people, infusing them with a better mood or increased
strength. However this is only an overcome roll if your target does not have alien
skills or is willing to be infused.
an Advantage: The transfer of energy goes both ways. You can create
CCreate
an advantage by supercharging a battery, which gives a bonus to alien skills
while someone holds it. You can also generate a collapsing field of energy over a
zone, which drains all power sources or sucks up potential energy. In the other
direction, you can also create a floating energy supply for your allies to invoke.
If you’re close enough to make physical contact with your oppo-
AAttack:
nent, you can use Invigorate to drain them of muscular energy, inflicting
physical stress. They can defend against this with Athletics, Physique, or Receive.
Invigorate cannot be used to defend by draining your opponent
DDefend:
of energy. Doing so should always be treated as an attack.
INVIGORATE STUNTS
Charged Up: Whenever you are in a contest and using Invigorate, you automati-
cally win the first exchange.
Energy Stitch: Once per session, you may roll to overcome with Invigorate in
order to clear a consequence. To succeed, your roll must beat the shift value of
the consequence you wish to remove. If you succeed with style, you can use this
stunt again during the same session. If you tie, you may inflict 1 mental stress
on yourself to succeed at a minor cost.
Outcast Knows Outcast: Instead of rolling against active opposition, you may
spend a fate point to overcome a passive Fair (+2) rating with Invigorate whenever
you’re trying to affect the mood or capabilities of someone with alien skills. This
includes other players.
THE CHEAT SHEET

During play, if you are confused about which skills are most
applicable to a situation, remember that Broadcast pos-
sesses a strong attack, Invigorate can create some incredible
advantages, and Receive is best for defense.

Receive
Receive is the alien skill of detection and defense. With it, you can read another
person’s thoughts, sense alien presences and electromagnetic signals, and absorb
the impacts from attacks by harmlessly dispersing their energy. It can also be used
to mitigate the mental effects of Broadcast or the physical drain of Invigorate.
Receive can be used to detect the use of any alien skills, as well
OOvercome:
as the general direction they’re coming from. It can also distinguish who
has been transmogrified. In addition, it can be used to read a person’s thoughts
or delve into their subconscious for secrets, although the farther away they are,
the harder this gets.
an Advantage: You can use Receive to create advantages that miti-
CCreate
gate the effects of Broadcast and Invigorate against you and your allies.
It can also be used to establish protection against physical skills such as Fight.
Finally, it can be used to improve your sensitivity to radio signals, despite how
uncomfortable it is.
Receive cannot be used to attack. If you have learned key informa-
AAttack:
tion and created an advantage off another person’s thoughts, you should
try rolling to Provoke instead.
When you defend with Receive, you do so with telekinetic barri-
DDefend:
ers. These work against the mind-altering effects of Broadcast, the draining
effect of Invigorate, and physical damage dealt by Fight and Shoot.
RECEIVE STUNTS
Echolocation: You gain a +2 bonus to overcome with Receive when you use it
in the dark, such as in a cave or at night. In a pitch-black scene, you can navigate
without sight, no roll required.
Emissions Control: You can roll against a passive Good (+3) rating to create
the advantage Emissions Control. Until the end of the scene, you cannot be
affected by any alien skills, but you also cannot roll alien skills. You can still be
affected by other skills.
Right Back at You: When you roll Receive to defend and succeed against an
opponent, you may spend a fate point to reflect the attack and inflict the extra
shifts as stress, instead of taking additional benefits. So if you succeed with style,
you would inflict 3 or more stress as a result, but you don’t gain a boost.
The Final Stunt

In case you were wondering why you could only take two stunts at character
creation, this is why. You may now take your third stunt, which can be based on
one of your new alien skills. Just remember that you now have only three refresh,
and that this stunt does not cost a fate point to take.
Congratulations! You’ve just undergone transmogrification. It is worth a minor
milestone at the end of your session.
ARECIBO 23
PART V: THE DIMENSIONS BEYOND
Here’s the secret, kid.
It might not feel like it, but Arecibo has been more than just a large town that
the Spanish colonized. For millions and millions of years, this planet has been
carefully monitored, even as the continents cracked and Puerto Rico became an
island in the Caribbean Sea. And humans? We’re infinitesimally small for the
universe. We have very little business in any of it, considering how big the stars
are and how vast the distances can be.
Quite frankly, the highest forms of life in our galaxy are not small at all.
They are huge, nebulous beings—gods even, except they hail from the dark
abyss between every star. They possess no central mass to strike at, and if they
even reached a finger into the Solar System, we’d be dead in an instant.
But here’s the irony. They don’t want to touch us.
Why? Because Earth is a prison, and Arecibo is the way out.
Las Alturas
High Trouble: Court of the Old Ones
Las Alturas is a term in Spanish with meanings that range from “heights” to
“skies” and, ultimately, “the heavens.” It is the name for a dimension in the deep
reaches of space, which is the only place where humanity can stand as equals to
the eldritch beings known as the Old Ones.
While thought does indeed travel faster than light, it cannot breach the vast
expanses of the cosmos without a significant delay. The workaround is that
dimensions can be smaller than our universe and more accessible than distances
of thousands of light-years. As a result, in the name of information, government
representatives and conspiracy theorists from around the globe have traveled to
Las Alturas in an effort to learn more about the Old Ones. Some have spied on
them, while others have directly asked for answers.
Every trip has resulted in the same conclusion: the Old Ones will wage an
apocalypse across Earth if their prison is compromised. As a result, the United
States has kept a close eye on Arecibo. But something has them spooked, and
that is why the island has been blockaded.
Appearance
To walk through Las Alturas is like walking over the stars. You can see yourself in
the dim light, but it appears as if you’re walking on an invisible floor, and beneath
you, nothing but stars in the vast distance. Above you, there is nothing but dark-
ness and the abyss, and the entire time, it feels like you’re standing upside down.
There are very few landmarks in this dimension, if any. Some travelers have
reported seeing a throne made out of a dying star. Others have seen abandoned
rosary beads and indigenous artifacts. A couple have heard a radio transmission
on repeat, played back and forth between the ethereal Old Ones.

The Old Ones
The aliens that convene with humanity in Las Alturas are known as the Old Ones.
While most of the ones spotted in the dark look like purple nebulae, they’ve taken
shapes ranging from endless masses of tendrils to metal claws reaching out from
the abyss. Fortunately, humanity has proven resilient to their incomprehensible
masses and alien geometries. Any who have laid eyes on them have only grown
stronger for the experience.
Their demands are simple: guarantee the continued imprisonment of El Abismo,
or a new war will be waged across the cosmos. As a result, they have chosen to
transmogrify children, who can subtly monitor human affairs and step in, should
their interests align with the Old Ones.
For the most part, these aliens are far too large or far too incorporeal for combat
skills like Fight or Shoot to affect them, and so using these skills does no damage.
Only the alien skills—Broadcast, Invigorate, and Receive—would damage or
counter them in true combat. However, world leaders have contended with them
through a mix of social skills and political prowess. As such, the Old Ones are also
affected by skills like Deceive, Empathy, Provoke, Rapport, and Will.
Just because these beings could be gods does not make them all powerful. They
are still inhibited by the distances between the stars, and when they threaten our
world, even one transmogrified child can stand in our defense and deal lasting
damage. As such, you should design specific Old Ones like other characters, with
the same amount of stress and consequences. Their strength is that Fight and
Shoot do not deal them any damage.
SPEAKING LIKE THE OLD ONES

If you’re unsure about how to portray the Old Ones as a GM, consider
that these beings are impossibly smart and well-spoken, but they
give in to cruelty and temptation very easily. A child’s unpredict-
ability is their greatest foil in every conversation.
ARECIBO 25
Fount of the Old Ones
ASPECTS
High Concept: Nebulous Knight-Commander For Earth Affairs
Trouble: “Earth Is just a Problem Child”
Other Aspects: Duty Like You’ve Never Known; Human Customs
Are Truly Foreign; A Real Stickler for Chivalry
NOTES
The Old Ones do not take physical stress from any source.
SKILLS
Legendary (+8): Deceive
Epic (+7): Broadcast
Fantastic (+6): Invigorate
Superb (+5): Contacts, Receive
Great (+4): Lore, Notice
Good (+3): Provoke, Rapport
Fair (+2): Empathy, Will
STRESS
Physical ∞ Mental [1][2][3]
CONSEQUENCES
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
Overlord of the Old Ones

ASPECTS
High Concept: Supreme Lord of the Court
Trouble: Pride Cometh Before the Fall
Other Aspects: “You, a Mere Child, Stand No Chance”;
Top of the Cosmic Order; So Alien It’s Almost Human
NOTES
The Old Ones do not take physical stress from any source.
SKILLS
Legendary (+8): Receive
Epic (+7): Invigorate
Fantastic (+6): Broadcast
Superb (+5): Lore, Will
Great (+4): Deceive, Notice, Will
Good (+3): Provoke, Rapport, Stealth
STRESS
Physical ∞ Mental [1][2][3]
CONSEQUENCES
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
26 Severe (6):
Reaching Las Alturas
To reach this dimension, any character who wishes to access it must roll Broadcast
against a Great (+4) rating, factoring in any bonuses or penalties. They must do
so under a night sky in a wide open space, or else the roll becomes exceptionally
harder, at a rating of Fantastic (+6) to beat. The best place to access Las Alturas
is at the Arecibo Observatory, where you can beat a Fair (+2) to enter.
If a character ties the roll, they may choose to go to Las Alturas with a cost, or
to fail. If a character succeeds, the Old Ones accept your petition and clone your
conscious from your body before ascending it to Las Alturas.
While your consciousness and a manifestation of your body moves through
Las Alturas, you fall catatonic on Earth. Blood trickles from your nose, but this
is not death, and you are still speaking in your body. As a result, your end of the
conversation can be heard by anybody in close proximity to your body on Earth.
You can choose to return to Earth at any time, but you will suffer the strain of
reconstitution when you return. Roll Receive against Fair (+2) when this happens.
If you fail, you take the difference in shifts as mental stress. If you tie, you return
as normal, but something of yours is left behind—usually a precious object on
your person, or a memory that you treasure.
El Abismo
High Trouble: Prison of the Strange
Spanish for “The Abyss,” El Abismo is an inverted dimension painstakingly
crafted by the Old Ones. Upon doing so, it was folded into the confines of our
planet, when Earth was barely more than a molten rock in the cosmos.
El Abismo is also more than just a pocket dimension. The Old Ones crafted
it to serve as a prison for their eternal enemies, known to humans as the Strange.
As eldritch and alien as the Old Ones, these creatures have mass to their volume
and epitomize the monsters of our nightmares.
Very few people have traveled to El Abismo. Even fewer have conversed with
the Strange. But no one knows why the power is out across Puerto Rico, and
since some of the caves to El Abismo are not far from the hydroelectric dam, the
Strange might be involved if they’re trying to escape.
Appearance
Traveling through El Abismo is every bit at confusing as you’d expect when walk-
ing through bent space-time. In addition to the non-Euclidean hotspots, most of
this dimension looks like a craggy landscape in a gray fog, endlessly sprawling in
every direction. Furthermore, the surface curves up on itself, as if you’re inside a
giant sphere, and it always feels like you’re climbing upwards, never down.
At best, this place feels alien and forbidden. If you’re unlucky, it wears down on
your soul and acts like a prison really would. And if you’re really unlucky, you’re
climbing on one of the Strange, and you better hope they don’t notice.
ARECIBO 27
The Strange
The Strange are giant monsters. As adults, the smallest are the size of mountains.
At their largest, they can be bigger than the gas giant Jupiter. To humans, they
tend to look and feel like jagged, rocky surfaces, always eroding away, but never
enough. Of course, they have no place walking the Earth. They would crush cities
and swallow planets by accident. El Abismo is their prison. The Old Ones sealed
them away long ago, and they will never forgive their oppressors.
Because of this, the Strange want nothing more than the means to escape El
Abismo. With the power to transmogrify humans, they have learned the harsh
lesson that adults will ultimately betray them. But children? They make the perfect
pawns to help free the Strange from their prison.
While the Strange can be physically attacked, it might as well be on the micro-
scopic scale, and so attacks with Fight or Shoot rarely harm them. (A tank has a
slightly better chance of success.) Furthermore, they have difficulty with the human
language, preferring grunts that shake the ground or hums that summon the squalls.
As animalistic as they seem, they do not normally engage humans unless they
feel threatened. The alien skills may be used against them to a reasonable degree.
SPEAKING LIKE THE STRANGE

If you’re confused about how to portray the Strange as a GM, re-
member that these creatures don’t like to speak and begrudgingly
do so when necessary. They begin almost every line with a low
growl in the throat, as if they are always angry. They are a little more
helpful than the Old Ones and sympathetic to children, though.
Like the Old Ones, these are not all-powerful beings before a transmogrified
child. They do have limitations, and they have been imprisoned after all. The
Strange should be designed like other characters, with the same amount of stress
and consequences. Fight and Shoot don’t normally deal them damage unless
military hardware is brought to the fight, and even then, it might be more trouble
than its worth.

The Mountain Strange
ASPECTS
High Concept: The Strange That Could’ve Been Everest
Trouble: Just Another Prisoner
Other Aspects: Huge Enough That You Might Miss It; The Littlest
Sibling; Rocky Personality
NOTES
The Strange possess three zones on their bodies with identical stats. Each
must be attacked and dealt consequences to defeat the Strange in physical
combat. Their skills and stress tracks reflect this.
SKILLS
Legendary (+8): Physique
Epic (+7): Stealth
Fantastic (+6): Invigorate
Superb (+5): Receive
Great (+4): Broadcast, Fight
Good (+3): Empathy, Lore, Fight
Fair (+2): Contacts, Notice, Will
STRESS
Physical [1][2] Mental [1][2]
CONSEQUENCES
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
The Strange Giant

ASPECTS
High Concept: The Strange That Swallowed Jupiter
Trouble: “Only War Lies Beyond Our Prison”
Other Aspects: Eyes From The End Of The Universe; Itty Bitty Living
Space; The Great Whisperer Across Dimensions
NOTES
The Strange possess three zones on their bodies with identical stats. Each
must be attacked and dealt consequences to defeat the Strange in physical
combat. Their skills and stress tracks reflect this.
SKILLS
Legendary (+8): Physique
Epic (+7): Broadcast
Fantastic (+6): Receive
Superb (+5): Contacts, Invigorate
Great (+4): Deceive, Stealth, Will
Good (+3): Empathy, Notice, Provoke, Rapport
STRESS
Physical [1][2][3] Mental [1][2]
CONSEQUENCES
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
29
Severe (6):
Reaching El Abismo
To reach this dimension, you must first find the cracks of reality deep within the
island’s caves. Doing so requires one member of the party to roll Receive against
Fair (+2) in order to determine what paths to take and how to best navigate to
the source of telepathic signals from the Strange. The rating for this roll may be
scaled as characters advance or the Strange become easier to track down.
Once the caves are successfully navigated to the deepest parts, you find the
cracks (which look like normal, rocky cracks) at the end of the cave, at which
point, a character must roll Invigorate against a Great (+4) rating, factoring in
any bonuses or penalties. Successfully doing so activates the access point and
results in spaghettification through the cracks, at which point everyone present is
physically transported to El Abismo. The best place to do this is Cueva Ventana,
which automatically makes the roll easier at a rating of Fair (+2). Accessing El
Abismo aboveground, on the surface, means attempting to beat a Fantastic (+6)
rating with Invigorate.
Every trip to El Abismo pulls the dimension closer and closer to ours, sending
hums of the Strange echoing through Arecibo’s caves. Furthermore, you do not
know when you will return to Earth; the process is random, and not every human
returns to the same place they entered. However, humans can be heard through
the access point in the caves, no matter where they travel in El Abismo, provided
that they scream loud enough.
When you return to Earth, roll Receive against a Fair (+2) rating. If you fail,
take the difference in shifts as mental stress. If you tie, you return to a different
place within the many caves of Arecibo.

PART VI: TRUTH AND PROPHECY
What follows are the two most important compilations of local conspiracy theorists,
former victims of transmogrification, and civilians who’ve dug too deep in search of
the truth. Even then, it is uncertain that any of this is reliable. Share with caution.
The Truths
Long ago, the Old Ones and the Strange engaged in a cosmological conflict
that tore asunder space and time. Although they shared the traits of immortality,
eldritch appearances, and alien powers, the Strange emerged from primordial
planetoids, including the molten Earth, while the Old Ones have always existed,
as far as they themselves can understand it.
No one truly knows why they warred. Perhaps it was an ideological difference
over the physics of our very realm, or maybe they encountered the concept of
war, which neither could comprehend without engaging in it. This awesome
conflict ended with the Old Ones sealing away the Strange in El Abismo, an
extradimensional prison folded into the innards of our planet, Earth. The only
gateways in or out exist in Puerto Rico.
1702
Antonio de Los Reyes, also known as El Capitán Correa, defends the settlement
of Arecibo against a British invasion. With only thirty men in his militia, he leads
them to victory by striking a deal in the caverns of Puerto Rico. He offers to free
the Strange in exchange for their influence on the tides and undersea currents in
the area. He goes back on this deal, after which the Strange discover that adult
humans could not be warped. While no human can be forced to comply with
orders by the Strange, they learn that children can be transmogrified. Since kids are
more easily manipulated, the Strange start to transmogrify them instead, imbuing
them with powers so that they become just as capable as adults.
1787
The Cathedral of Saint Philip the Apostle is destroyed by an earthquake. This
tectonic shift is generated by one of the Strange attempting to take revenge after
a failed attempt to escape. In the days to follow, the colonial girl transmogrified
by the Strange contacts the Old Ones in Las Alturas, which is how they discover
that transmogrifying children is not only possible, but useful for their plans.
1846
A replacement for the cathedral is built, but four days after its completion, another
earthquake seriously damages it. No one knows if the earthquake was natural or not.
1918
Another earthquake damages the vault inside the cathedral. At this point, humans
believe that Puerto Rico does indeed have natural tectonic activity in the region.
ARECIBO 31
1974
The Arecibo Message, an interstellar radio message about humanity and Earth,
is sent as a demonstration for a remodeling ceremony at Arecibo Observatory. It
accidentally makes contact with the Old Ones, as the intention of one broadcaster’s
thoughts traveled faster than the actual broadcast.
1977
The Wow! Signal, a radio signal from outer space, is picked up by Ohio State
University’s Big Ear telescope in the United States. It is a broadcast from the Old
Ones, sent in response to the Arecibo Message. This is the only known instance
that a radio telescope has ever picked up a telepathic message. The study of the
signal is subsequently assigned to a SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)
project, but the Wow! Signal remains unintelligible for forty years.
2017
The Wow! Signal is finally translated. It is a prophecy of coming troubles, and
as a result, the United States attempts to act on it. Puerto Rico is blockaded by
naval forces after a strike force attempts to disable power across the island. But
the Strange, through unknown and uncertain means, beat them to it, attempting
to cut off any power sources which might be keeping them prisoner…

The Prophecies
From here, there’s no telling what could happen. Humans are capable of prophecy
through some alien possibility, but navigating the future is the real challenge. The
following section contains only some of the interpretations we’ve managed to
come up with. The rest is up to you.
The Wow! Child

There is a secret USAF strike force with standing orders to keep disabling power
across the island and, where possible, to cut power to essential services such as
hospitals and government buildings. With them is a transmogrified child from
Indiana who translated the Wow! Signal, and is subsequently attempting to eaves-
drop on the murmurs of the Old Ones in Las Alturas. However, electromagnetic
signals from power sources disrupt the child, hence the ongoing blackout.
The Wow Child is gender-neutral out of preference. For unknown reasons, they
were transmogrified as an infant and discovered by US forces a few years later, who
triangulated on their alien powers with advanced radio equipment. It is unknown
what happened to their parents, and Wow, as they prefer to be called, never had
a real childhood. The United States has never confirmed the existence of another
transmogrified individual, and so handlers believe that Wow is the only one.
Their real name is Sam Valencia, and with this kind of past, it is possible that
they might not want to help their handlers if they learn that other transmogri-
fied kids exist.
The Nuclear Option

The President of the United States has authorized nuclear action to destroy the
island of Puerto Rico if there is any sign that the Old Ones or the Strange are
beginning to make landfall on Earth. After privately informing world leaders
around the globe, a blockade has been enacted around the island to monitor
this and attempt an enforcement of martial law for everyone’s safety. However,
nuclear action will fail if these aliens make it to Earth, leaving the President in a
very bad corner on the matter.
Faults in the Caribbean

Geologists have recently predicted that a major earthquake may occur in Puerto
Rico very shortly. They’ve cited evidence of tremors from the Puerto Rico Trench
in the Caribbean Sea. However, the Old Ones sense the clamor of the Strange
seeking an opportunity. Through this fault, the Strange could potentially come
to Earth and wipe out all life on the planet—regardless of blockades or nuclear
strikes. The Old Ones are monitoring this crack in the prison and marshalling
their power to prevent this possibility.
ARECIBO 33
A Signal From Space
Arecibo Observatory has continued operating on generator power. However,
during an ongoing program, its dish began to pick up strange signals from space.
It is likely that the Old Ones have seen humanity’s rapid progress as a species. As
a result, they’ve moved their gaze onto Earth itself and seek to destroy the birth-
place of the Strange by warping humans to turn on each other, neighbor versus
neighbor across the globe. This would involve discovering how to transmogrify
an adult into something worse than a human, which is a frightening proposition.
El Chupacabra
Around Arecibo, citizens have experienced an influx of goats and other livestock
perishing near the forest reserves. Hikers have heard mysterious noises, followed
by sounds that send them running for open sky. One witness account says it’s
green, another says it’s gray. It’s most likely a baby alien from El Abismo, and
would only motivate the Strange further if they discovered that something was
able to get out.
Creature Instinct
As children begin to notice the oddities in their hometown, wildlife acts strangely
around them. Whether they are transmogrified or have to potential to be trans-
mogrified, the coquís fall silent at night, while chickens attack and try to viciously
scare them off. Meanwhile, lizards are petrified and turn to stone, stray dogs lead
kids to dangerous places, and livestock panic without warning. Maybe animals
can be transmogrified too?

PART VII: THE WOW CHILD:
AN ADVENTURE FOR ARECIBO
Before you play this adventure, take note that this adventure contains bullying,
mild violence against children, and threats of animal abuse.
If any of these topics make your players uncomfortable, give this a read so you
can see what kind of games you can craft, and then go ahead and make your
own adventures. If not, this is a great adventure to start a campaign with. Enjoy!
Act 1
For this adventure, everyone should build their own child. Encourage them to
develop connections as schoolmates, neighbors, family friends, etc. Explain to
them a bit about the setting itself—most specifically, the blackout and the block-
ade—and ask them to think about how it’s affecting the lives of their characters.
It is a clear and balmy Monday in the middle of April, the day after the naval
blockade began. Naturally, this is only escalating what might be considered a
national crisis, if Puerto Rico were an independent nation. As a result, the teach-
ers from the local public schools are going around the barrio, informing families
that classes are canceled. For the most part, every parent is preparing for the day
as if nothing is wrong, even as they eat less to feed their kids.
The canceled classes throws parents for a loop. Some of them have work. Some
don’t and are heading out to protest, or perhaps even to plan a revolution. However,
with very few backup plans, the parents are largely pressuring or ordering our
party to go out and play. The players can roll to convince their families to give
them the house key or perhaps let them stay home alone. If they do so, or are
otherwise separated from the party, they see or hear some very strange things,
such as herbivores chewing on meat or whispers from empty bushes.
In case it isn’t apparent yet, these children
are already undergoing transmogrification.
¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!
Once parents and siblings are out of
While long live the revolution is an
the picture, highlight the game’s aspects.
expression that originally referred to
Start with High Trouble: The Powerless
the Cuban Revolution or the French
Commonwealth and review what that
Revolution, it is also used jokingly
means if necessary. Then reveal the Current
in America, referring to the growth
Issue: Stray Dog To Care For.
of the Latino population and the
Before the blackout and blockade, they
possibility that they might be the
were spending an afternoon after school play-
majority demographic in the country
ing at a nearby playground when a stray dog
someday. Puerto Rico is not without
came begging for scraps. They’ve been feeding
its revolutionaries, although past
the mutt ever since. Ask them what they’ve
interference by the US government
named it, and once they come up with it, tell
has both dampened hopes and en-
them that they can usually find this dog near
raged citizens.
the local playground.
ARECIBO 35
The Playground
When they arrive at the playground, it’s empty. And quiet, too. No birds, no
music in the distance, nothing. There are some swings, a merry-go-round, and
lots of space to play tag in. If the children don’t find anything to be of reasonable
suspicion, they can absolutely play here for a while. If they want to find their
dog, though, ask for an Investigate or Notice roll. Give them a low difficulty of
either Average (+1) or Fair (+2) offer more details or even let them create a scene
aspect if someone rolls super high.
On an Investigate roll, they spot fresh dog tracks and can follow them. If they
roll for Notice instead, they can hear the sounds of yipping. Both lead them to
some brush at the corner of the playground, where they encounter a group of
kids from school cornering the stray dog.
They know the ringleader very well. His name is Manuel Garcia, the most
notorious bully of their grade. He has rocks in each hand, and his cohorts hold
some as well. And he’s speculating that breaking this dog’s legs might be good
for a laugh. Don’t be afraid to push for action here; defending this poor animal
is very much the moral choice.
A few different things can happen here. If the bullies beat our heroes into the
dirt, they are satisfied with their egos and the dog gets away. It may return later
if this occurs.
However, if the kids deliver a beating to the bullies instead, they send the bul-
lies scurrying off. The dog attempts to escape all of the kids, but in doing so, it
darts into the road and is hit by a passing car on the street. Thankfully, the dog
isn’t dead, but don’t tell the players quite yet.
There is another solution to the conflict. The children might be able to convince
Manuel Garcia and the Bully Goons that there’s no need for fighting. This is tough,
but easier if the players can reveal Manuel’s trouble aspect. At the end of this road,
the bullies all depart, although if Manuel is consoled, he can become a recurring
ally. Sadly, in this outcome the dog still runs into the road and is hit by a car.
Bully Goons Manuel Garcia

ASPECTS ASPECTS
Mean Fighters At School; High Concept: Ringleader Bully
If You Can’t Beat Manuel, Trouble: Papi Thinks I’m Weak
Join Him Other Aspects: Mama Used To Watch
Out For Me; A Boxer’s Right Hook
ABILITIES
Fair (+2) at: Combat, Running SKILLS
Terrible (-2) at: Talking Good (+3): Fight, Will
Fair (+2): Physique, Shoot
STRESS
Physical [1] Mental [1] STRESS
Physical [1][2] Mental [1][2][3]
CONSEQUENCES
Mild (2):
36 Moderate (4):
The Sudden Catalysis
Whether the kids are severely beaten or they witness the dog getting hit by a car,
these traumas are enough to catalyze the transmogrification process. Since they’ve
all experienced the same events, the children each receive an influx of energy at
the same time. For a moment, they can almost hear each other’s thoughts. They
glimpse the past. And suddenly, their insides feel slimy, as if something terrible
has slithered in.
At this point, walk the players through the steps in Transmogrification on
page 18. They may also clear a consequence of their choice.
Something else happens, too. Because these kids have all undergone transmog-
rification at the same time, the energies are much more noticeable. As a result, a
newfound thought in each child’s head requests strange things. Strangely enough,
Manuel Garcia does not seem to have experienced the same influx, if he is still
present. He reacts with suspicion if the other characters start talking about it,
and with fear if he notices that injuries—i.e. their stress and consequences—have
suddenly disappeared.
The kids do not know it, but they’ve received requests from both the Old Ones
and the Strange. They are indistinguishable in their heads, but the split is half
and half.
Every character who receives a request from the Old Ones hears one of the
following commands:
• Chase the coquis and capture their sound in a bottle.
• Gather iron rods and lay them side by side.
• Paint the feet of your greatest statue.
• Dig up the stone plate beneath your observatory.
Every character who receives a request from the Strange hears one of the fol-
lowing commands:
• Find the Wow Child and bring them to us.
• Lace three teeth together and toss them in the river.
• Drain the house of light of all power.
• Plant seaweed in the inland caves.
Accomplishing one of these advances the mysterious goals of the Old Ones and
the Strange, although your players should not have a full list on their first game.
You can also come up with your own commands. Just try to relate it to some form
of play for children, as if it were a game. Make it explorative or mischievous. Kids
like being kids, and so will your players—even if they get involved with the eldritch.
ARECIBO 37
Act 2
Everything has changed in very little time—especially within the game itself.
First the blackout, then the blockade, and now this? Consider some compels
on the players to really get them pouring out their feelings on the matter, and
don’t shy away from stirring a little panic in the children from now on. Things
are about to get real.
The Marines
In the wake of their transmogrification, there is probably only one concern among
the party: the dog. Thankfully, the animal is still alive, although it is injured, and
the driver of the car that hit it is long gone. The dog currently has the severe
consequence Two Broken Limbs, but they can still be saved with reasonable
actions, such as finding a veterinarian or a kind soul who knows a thing or two
about what to do.
However, after the party figures out their best course of action, you should
eventually ask them to roll Notice against Good (+3). Successfully doing so
reveals the aspect Suspicious Van Nearby. If they don’t succeed, tell them how
it feels like they’re being watched and ask for someone to roll Receive against
Fair (+2). If they succeed on this roll, they sense the radio communications of
marines closing in on their targets, or a person’s thoughts as they’re monitoring
suspects, or a strange message about how alien activity has spiked. Something
that throws the kids off.
If the children try to leave the area and they know about the van, they will also
spot the vehicle following them through the barrio. It is possible to lose the van,
even with the dog in their arms, provided that the kids know about it. While the
GM has a free invoke on Suspicious Van Nearby, the players could create an
advantage like Homeland Advantage to balance the scales. Run it as a contest
against a Good (+3) rating for the van if they attempt to lose or stop the van.
But if the children don’t succeed or never notice it in the first place, the Marine
Raiders make a move and drop off three soldiers to collect them.
Of note, these Marines are serving their country and following orders, but
none of them want to actually hurt the children. Instead, they possess the means
to tranquilize them and are attempting a kidnapping. It doesn’t help that these
soldiers know Very Little Spanish, which works against the children on any
attempts to communicate.
If the Marines succeed at subduing the children, the children lose the dog
to the streets. In this scenario, skip to Act 3 and play it out as though they are
being detained. But kids are slippery, squirmy, and many a militant parent has
been fooled by their own offspring. Don’t doubt the players just because they’re
up against Marines.

Wanted
For the most part, dogs are the last thing on anyone’s mind at this point. Reveal
the new Current Issue: Wanted By US Marines.
It is incredibly likely that the children want more answers. If the Marines have
been subdued and haven’t retreated, they can try to interrogate the Marines. But
because they speak Very Little Spanish, it might be impossible for them to
learn anything useful with normal skills. Successful rolls for Receive explain that
they’ve been ordered to subdue the children so that they may be questioned and
quarantined—these thoughts can be perceived in the form of images and emo-
tions, even if the Marines are thinking in English.
Besides that, the kids are free to determine their next course of action—albeit
while the USAF are out looking for them. Thankfully, Arecibo isn’t swarming in
them. Ever since the naval blockade went up, soldiers are keeping low to avoid
retaliation.
Since the children are walking around with multiple requests from aliens in
their heads, be ready to ask for Lore rolls or offer information about their home.
For the most part, this is a chance for your players to hit the ground running. See
where they go, and don’t forget the occasional Notice and Stealth rolls so that
the Marines don’t catch them too soon! And if they separate and split the party,
you can recommend creating an advantage with Broadcast so that they stay in
contact over a distance.
Don’t forget that these characters have alien skills now, and that they may be
itching to use them. But these are not remotely normal abilities; if someone
witnesses a kid move a trash can without actually touching it, they’re going to
freak out and spread rumors. If a child defends themselves from a raccoon with a
force field, that will not go unnoticed. Don’t be afraid to hit the players on these
problems if they start to cause them.
INVEST IN YOUR WORLD

In Arecibo, there will be elderly neighbors who request aid from the
children, teenagers looking for trouble, adults planning for an uncertain
future, and even other kids who don’t have classes. Both the GM and the
players should not be afraid to invest in a game that’s unrelated to aliens
or naval blockades. Otherwise, what are these characters fighting for?
Whatever the case may be, keep an eye out for the best chance to hit a beat and
start Act 3. Some perfect beats include accomplishing the first of the requests or
getting spotted and chased by a recon team.
ARECIBO 39
Act 3
It is near the end of a very odd day for the kids when it takes another strange
turn. As they go about their day, make their plans, or perhaps set off for home,
two vans and a fancy car pull up in front of the children. Rolling with Receive,
the kids can sense something about to happen from the radio signals, but there’s
less malice and force.
From the car emerges a woman in camouflage clothes and a very odd child,
along with a couple of soldiers from each van, and backups as needed. Try to
outnumber the player characters by at least one for the upcoming fight.
The Wow Child

These two characters are Corporal Juanita Ramirez and the Wow Child, respec-
tively. Within their specialties, both would be a serious challenge for the players,
depending on how they approached such challenges. However, even though they
are both currently allied, the two of them are working towards different goals.
Corporal Ramirez’s standing orders come from the commander-in-chief. They
are to delay and prevent the Old Ones from pursing war across the surface of the
planet by any means necessary. Although she operates with the best of intentions,
working for the greater good means committing herself to a morally gray zone.
As a soldier originally from Puerto Rico, she’s conflicted on the matter. And
though she’s serving as a psychologist in this campaign, she’s never really worked
with kids before.
The Wow Child is very different. They have never known a life besides one in
military captivity, and because of that, they have very few qualms about siding
with the Strange after translating the Wow! Signal. However, since they were
kidnapped as an infant, they’ve always been called “Wow” and have known no
human name. At heart, they’re still just a kid, and this trip to Puerto Rico repre-
sents their best chance at freedom. But they also firmly believe that Earth’s best
chance is to release these alien prisoners and let the two factions go to war once
more. The jig is up the moment anyone else finds out, though.
In the conversation to follow, the corporal takes point. She explains that she is
currently in charge of an elite unit of Marines trained to deal with alien lifeforms
and derivative issues. She lists off strange powers, odd broadcasts in the mind,
and other curious occurrences that the kids have experienced. For the most part,
this is the first time that the children truly learn about aliens and what role they
currently play.
Juanita is a stoic person and trained in psychology, but she doesn’t really under-
stand kids. Childish antics and social workarounds throw her every now and then.
But while she’s explaining herself and answering questions as carefully as possible,
Wow is using their Broadcast skill to warn the children that the military wants
them contained, even though the USAF stands no chance against alien abilities.

From here, the game can progress in several ways. The children can potentially
match the corporal word for word with social wit. Doing so could convince her
to leave the kids alone for now, but it means Wow departs with the USAF at the
end of this conversation.
Alternatively, Juanita begins to perceive the group of children as a threat that
must be contained. She will order their capture, at which point, combat breaks
out between her soldiers and the party. However, because they are also kids, the
Wow Child will side with them. While they are outnumbered, Wow is the equal-
izing factor and turns the tide of the conflict.
Escape!
If combat breaks out, the military can be fought off with the help of the Wow
Child. At this point, the children are up against four to six Marine Raiders and
Corporal Juanita Ramirez with reinforcements on the way, and the moment
Wow realizes it, they’re going to Broadcast about an imminent need for retreat.
In addition to conflict, the children may either split up or escape together, at
which point you should run contests. For each one, roll at least three times, but
not more than six.
If it is a chase between two big groups, roll Athletics at Good (+3) difficulty
against the children. If it’s between smaller groups or single kids, roll against them
at Fair (+2) instead and remind the players that they don’t have to run. They can
also hide somewhere, or break into a home and stay low there. They also possess
alien skills, which means that literally anything goes in these contests.
At the end of the chase, those who have escaped can use Broadcast in order to
regroup in the same place. Those who have not are now in the hands of the USAF,
and breaking them out will be a great way to continue the campaign. But for
now, brainstorm some secrets they might find in the jail at City Hall. Maybe the
cracks in this dimension have crept into their jail cell, or maybe there’s a rumor
among the guards that nuclear strikes aren’t off the table.
Once all is said and done, Wow explains themselves: when they were an infant,
the military abducted them from Indiana in the United States. They did so
because advanced radio equipment detected their abilities, and in captivity, they
eventually translated the Wow! Signal, an alien broadcast received in Ohio back
in 1977. When they did so, the government learned that the Old Ones intended
to pursue war against humanity, if only to prevent another occurrence like the
Strange from taking place in all of eternity.
Wow speculates that the USAF is going to focus their operations around Arecibo
Observatory. Now that they’re no longer on the same side, the military needs to
find a new way to monitor the aliens.
Let the kids start figuring out what to do about Wow in the meantime, as this
child needs a place to hide out and sleep. In the middle of this conversation, ask
for a Notice roll, but only to grab everyone’s attention. No matter what, a voice
hums from a shadow nearby, and every child hears the following:
“Do not defy the gods.”
ARECIBO 41
Corporal Juanita Ramirez
ASPECTS
High Concept: Trained Soldier, Trained Psychologist
Trouble: Invading Her Own Homeland
Other Aspects: I Got a Girlfriend Back Home
SKILLS
Great (+4): Deceive, Empathy
Good (+3): Athletics, Physique, Rapport
Fair (+2): Provoke, Shoot, Will
STRESS
Physical [1][2][3][4] Mental [1][2][3]
CONSEQUENCES
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
Severe (6):
Marine Raiders
ASPECTS
Well-Trained Elite Soldiers; Powerless in the Face of
Aliens; Just Doing My Job; Very Little Spanish
ABILITIES
Good (+3) at: Combat, Capture, Reconnaissance
Bad (-1) at: Chases, Communication
STRESS
Physical [1][2]
The Wow Child

ASPECTS
High Concept: Hybrid Alien-Human (HAH)
Trouble: Abducted as an Infant
Other Aspects: Still a Kid at Heart; Yearns for Freedom
SKILLS
Great (+4): Broadcast, Invigorate, Receive
Good (+3): Burglary, Crafts, Deceive
Fair (+2): Athletics, Fight, Lore, Stealth
Average(+1): Empathy, Notice, Investigate, Provoke, Will
STRESS
Physical [1][2] Mental [1][2][3]
CONSEQUENCES
Mild (2):
Moderate (4):
42 Severe (6):
The Long Game
From here on out, a lot of your games can play out as if each one were just a
day in the life. But to make it relevant to the characters, be sure that in your
subsequent games, they’re discovering new things, playing with the possibilities,
and above all, making choices. In real life, children are purpose-built to make
choices—and usually very bad ones, because childhood is all about learning new
things and what to do with them. Don’t be scared of that. Make it personal for
the characters, instead.
The world of Arecibo is full of weird things, new discoveries, and above all,
places to explore—even if it just results in a game of tag on the beach. But don’t
forget that these children are substantially changed now. They’re not just human.
They might as well be aliens.
People might notice. Storms come and go. In the end, the next incredible
adventure is just around the corner. Have fun!
ARECIBO 43
This adventure was made awesome thanks to our Patreon patrons at patreon.com/evilhat—thanks folks!
INSIDERS
__skwrl__ Chris Angelini Dustin Evermore Jeremy Tidwell Kevin Michael Dean Robert Hanz Tyler Hunt
A.D. Hardman Chris Flipse Edward MacGregor Joakim Andersson LilFluff Hannah Ryan Singer vargr1
Adrian Christian Becker Frank Joe Trzos Linda Larsson Michael Meriwn Sarah Vakos Will Goring
Arias-Palomo Christopher Frédéri POCHARD John Rogers MAINGUET Francois Mike Lavery Scott Vesely William J. White
Alan Bartholet Gunning Gavran John Rudd Malc Arnold Mitchell Evans Sean M. Dunstan William Lee
Andrew Pomfret Christopher Hatty George Harnish Jon-Pierre Gentil Mark Morgan Ellis Selene O'Rourke William McDuff
Andrew Turbott Christopher Vollick Graham Owens Joshua Forisha Mark Fentz Nathan Hare Shawn White Zach
Andy Arminio Colin Mills Graham Wills Joshua Lutz Mark Stevenson Nicolas Marjanovic Stephen Rider Zach Hunt
Arjun Comar Craig Foster Griffin Mitchell Justin Evans Marty Chodorek Peter Schumacher Tara Zuber
Arknon D.C. Upton Howard M KT Matt and Nykki Philippe Herve Teslan Kierinhawk
Arlo B Evans David Dorward Thompson Katie Baker Boersma Polyhedral Crew The Catholic Geeks
Ben Mullen David Fergman J Hunter Katie Berger Matt Anderson Rachael Hixon The Roach
Bob Ross David Hayes J Quincy Sperber Tremaine Mechizmo Rhel Tim N
brian allred Declan Feeney Jamie Smith Keith Mantell Michael Bowman Richard Bellingham Timothy Carroll
C.K. Lee Demian Buckle Jan Heitger Keith Stanley Michael Cambata Rick Tristan Smith
Charles Albrecht Don Arnold Jason Cotton Ken Ditto Rick Jakins Troy Ray
ADVENTURERS
A Person Carlos Martín Didier Bretin James Marston Jussi Räsänen Mike Vermont Rebecca Harbison Stephen Fleetwood
Adam Gutschenritter Cerity Dillard James O'Neill Justin Mirko Froehlich Rebecca Hubbard Stephen Waugh
Adrian Chaluppka Charles Evans Dirk Methner James Odom Kaarchin MirrorKhaos Red Dice Diaries Steve Discont
AJ Real Chet Gray Don Bisdorf James Pacheco Karl Thiebolt Mo Remy Sanchez Steve Kunec
Al Billings Chip Dunning Doug Blakeslee James Winfield Katherine Malloy Mook Renzo Crispieri Steve Perpitch-Harvey
Alan Phillips Chloe Wandler Doug Bolden Jamie Wheeler Keith R. Potempa My Humble Assault Richard Steve Radabaugh
Alan Timothy Rogers Chris Caporaso Duane Cathey Janet Oblinger Kent Snyen Nat Richard Greene Steven Code
Alan Twigg Chris Little Duncan Jared Hunt Kesh Nat Rick LaRue Steven D Warble
Alexander Gräfe Chris Matosky Dylan Green Jarrett Kevin L. Nault Natalie Ash Riggah Steven desJardins
Alexander R. Corbett Chris Newton Ebenezer Arvigenius Jason Bean Kevin Lindgren Nathan Barnes Rob Knop Steven K. Watkins
Alexandros Tsourakis Chris Nolen Edward Da Fonseca Jason Best Kevin McDermott Nathan Fritz Rob Meyers Steven Markley
Alistair Chris Stone-Bush Edward Sturges Jason Pasch Kevin Payne Neil Macbeth Robb Neumann Stu Adams
Alloyed Christian Eirch Mascariatu Jason Penney Kielo Maja Nichlas Dyhr Robert Bersch Stuart Dollar
Amanda Valentine Christoph Thill Elizabeth Creegan Jayna Pavlin Klaas Bock Hummelsberger Robert Huss Svend Andersen
Anders Jonsson Christopher Allen Elsa S. Henry Jeff Mahood Kris Herzog Nicholas Hopkins Robert Rees Ted Soper
Andrew Christopher Avery Emmanuel Jeff Pitrman Krista Nicholas Pilon Robert Rydlo Teppo Pennanen
Andrew Betts Christopher Mangum Enrique Esturillo Cano Jeff Vincent Krzysztof Chyla Nick Robert Slaughter Teresa O
Andrew Dacey Christopher Mason eric Jeffrey Boman Kyle Nick Daly Robinson Taylor Tevel Drinkwater
Andrew DeLorenzo Christopher W. Dolunt Erich Lichnock Jeffrey Collyer Larry Hollis Nick pater Rodrigo The Older Avocado
Andrew Grant Chuck Dee Erik Ingersen Jens Alfke Laura Nick Reale Roger Carbol Thomas
Andrew Horn Clemens Schmitz Ernie Sawyer Jeremiah McCoy Lester Ward Nicola Urbinati Ron Müller Thomas
Angus Clyde Clark Fabrice Breau Jeremy Glick Lore Graham Nicolas Decomble Roy Thomas Balls-Thies
Anthony Damiani Colin Matter FelTK Jeremy Hamaker Loren Nikkelitous Ruben Smith-Zempel Thomas Maund
arcadia666 Corey Johnston Fide Jes Jacobson Luca Agosto Nos Doughty Ryan C. Christiansen Tim Davis
Arthur Lace Craig Maloney Florian Greß JF Paradis LunarBistro Olav Müller Ryan Junk Timothy Miller
ArthurDent Craig Mason Francisco Castillo Jim Nicholson M. Sawi Olivier Nisole Samuel Hart Todd Estabrook
Ask Charly Leetham Craig Ransom Frank Beaver Joanna m.h. Osye Pritchett Sarah Mayfield Todd Willey
B. Bredthauer Creative Play and Frederik Strothmann Joe Anderson Madelyn Chappell paolo castelli Sarah Williams Tom Lommel
Barac Wiley Podcast Network gamedave Joe Mason Manfred Paolo Jose Cruz Schubacca Tony Ewing
Becca Curt Meyer Garrett Joel Short Marc Kevin Hall Patrice Hédé Scot Ryder Torolf de Merriba
Ben Curtis Hay Garrett Jones Johannes K. Rasmussen Marcel Lotz Patrice Mermoud Scott Acker TR Merchen
Benj Dain Gary Anastasio Johannes Oppermann Marcel Wittram Patrick Chapman Scott Dexter Travis Stodter
Benjamin Damon Richard Genevieve John Marcus Patrick Ewing Scott Greenleaf Trevor Crosse
Benjamin Cush Daniel Chapman Geoffrey Walter John Mario Dongu Patrick Fittkau Scott Millward Tsht
Benjamin Wandio Daniel Ellingsen Lund Gian Domenico Facchini John Beynon Mark A. Schmidt Paul Scott Puckett Tyson Monagle
Benjamin Welke Daniel Gallant Giuseppe D'Aristotile John Bogart Markus Haberstock Paul Arezina Sean Mulhern Urs Blumentritt
Bill Daniel Kraemer Glen E. Ivey John Fiala Markus Sauerbrey Paul Maanen Sean O'Dell Veronica Hamilton
Björn Steffen Daniel Ley Glenn Seiler John Halsey Martin Deppe Paul Olson Sean Smith Victor Allen
Bo Madsen Daniel M. Perez Glynn Stewart John Helmuth Martin Terrier Paul Rivers Sean Walsh Victor Serrano
Bob Hiestand Daniel Maberry Graham Thaxton John Lake Marty Gentillon Pete Curry Sean West Money Ville Lavonius
Brandon Wiley Daniel Markwig Greg Matyola John Lambert Matt Houck Peter Bingham Serge Beaumont Vladimir Filipović
Brandt Bjornsen Daniel Taylor Gregg Workman John Portley Matt Landis Peter Gates Seth Clayton Volker Mantel
Brendan Conway Darin Henley Guillermo Calvo John T Matthew J. Hanson Peter James Burczyk Seth Hartley waelcyrge
Brent Ritch Dave Joria Gustavo Campanelli John Taber Matthew Price Peter Kahle Shadowmyre Kalyn Wayne Peacock
Brian David Bellinger Haakon Thunestvedt John Tobin Max Kaehn Petri Leinonen Shai Laric Welsh History Podcast
Brian Colin David Bowers Harry Mills John William McDonald Methorphan Phil Groff Shervyn von Hoerl Wes Fournier
Brian Creswick David Goodwin Heather Jon Mayo Mic Philippe Marichal Shoshana Kessock William Hutton
Brian Paul David Maple Herman Duyker Jon Smejkal Michael Philippe Saner Simon Brunning William Johnson
Brian S. Holt David Millians Hourousha Mokujin Jonathan Michael Bradford Phillip Webb Simon Streubel World's Okayest GM
Brook Freeman David Morfin Ian Charlton Jonathan Finke Michael Brewer Pint Wakefield Simon White Yara Ohrt
Bruce David Olson Imunar Jonathan Korman Michael D. Ranalli Jr. PK Sion Rodriguez y Z. Daniel Esgate
Bryan Botz David Reed Indi Latrani Jonathan Perrine Michael Drescher Pocket Meeple Gibson Zachary Deane
Bryan Brake David Silberstein Irene Strauss Jose A. Michael Friese Porter Sławomir Wrzesień Zeb Walker
Bryan Gillispie David Starner Ivan Begley Joseph Michael Hill R Roy Stefan Feltmann Zeph Wibby
Bryan Wiltgen Davide Orlandi Jack Gulick Joseph Formoso Michael Hopcroft Radosław Grzanka Stefano Monachesi
Bryce Perry Denis Ryan Jack Stephenson-Carr Josh Salyers Michael McCully Ralf Wagner Stephan
C Dennis Groome James Ballard Joshua Reubens Michael Riabov Randall Orndorff Stephanie Bryant
Carl Derek Hiemforth James Hoag Juan Francisco Gutierrez Michael Thompson Randall Wright (Mortaine)
Carl McLaughlin DiceForBrains James Husum Julianna Backer Micheal Elliott Raun Sedlock Stephen Figgins

Arecibo - A World of Adventure For Fate Core

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Arecibo - A World of Adventure For Fate Core

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ARECIB0

One day, in September 2016, I received an email from Evil Hat

WRITING & ADVENTURE DESIGN

First published in 2018 by Evil Hat Productions, LLC.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

This is a game where people make up stories about wonderful, terrible,

Using This Supplement

2 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

4 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

6 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

8 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

Another great idea is for every player to introduce one

10 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

The High Trouble

The Powerless Commonwealth

Catedral de San Felipe Apostol

14 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

Antonio Nery Juarbe Airport

Central Hidroelectrica Dos Bocas

16 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

CAN I USE WILL TO DEFEND AGAINST BROADCAST?

20 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

THE CHEAT SHEET

22 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

The Final Stunt

24 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

SPEAKING LIKE THE OLD ONES

Overlord of the Old Ones

SPEAKING LIKE THE STRANGE

28 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

The Strange Giant

30 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

32 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

The Wow! Child

The Nuclear Option

Faults in the Caribbean

34 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

Bully Goons Manuel Garcia

38 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

INVEST IN YOUR WORLD

The Wow Child

40 FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

The Wow Child

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