THE EXPANSE RPG /// UNOFFICIAL ADVENTURE

MIND THE GAPA nonprofit, independent, fan-made, unofficial adventure developed by Guilherme Cahú
for The Expanse RPG [AGE System] according to the Hyperspeed Adventure Jam 2022 rules.

Adventure Assumptions
This adventure can be run as part of an overarching adventure or as a one shot. It assumes player
characters (PCs) are traveling in a ship (be it theirs or not, as if they’re taking a ride) and that they have
access to vac suits. This adventure happens in the asteroid belt, specifically on the surface of an asteroid
(name it as you wish) but it can be adapted to happen in the chain of asteroids that share the orbits
of planets like Earth, Mars, Jupiter etc.

Sensitive Content Warning

This adventure portrays a dog infected with the protomolecule that, somehow, manage to survive
the infec�on. The animal has blue eyes, tongue and teeth, as well as the interior of its ears, and has only
three legs. Beware if someone in your group has recently lost a dog (or another pet) or doesn’t deal well
with the possibility of bea�ng this fic�onal dog, as it might try to a�ack the PCs. Feel free to adapt it
and use another animal (a crocodile, maybe?).

Game Master’s Summary

The characters are traveling across the Belt when their ship picks up a distress signal coming from another
ship on an asteroid. As their ship is the closest one, by the rules of the Sol System naviga�on, they must
a�end to it. They’ll find a small ship parked on an asteroid and, as communica�on with it is very bad,
they’ll have to go down there and inves�gate. They’ll deal with a protomolecule dog chasing them
some�me in the adventure while having to rescue its owners from their stranded ship. The owners
don’t think there’s any problem with the dog, and it never a�acked them. Their ship happens to be a
metro-like wagon from Phoebe that they found floa�ng in space, savaged it and adapted it into a ship.
It serves as a trailer as they like camping on asteroids, away from the chaos of the rest of the Sol System.

1. Distress signal
The ship the PCs are riding or pilo�ng catches a distress signal coming from somewhere in the asteroid belt.
They’re the closest ones to that, so they have to a�end to that. The signal is easily tracked by their ship,
showing it originates from a small vessel (iden�fied by a heat reading) on the surface of the asteroid
Chasma 628, si�ng on its dark side. Chasma 628 is 470m x 300m.
If they try to communicate directly with it, the answers sound like they’re radio-jammed, and they’re
of different length. There’s really someone down there trying to respond to the characters. If they grow
paranoid and think it’s a trap with a recording, let them do so. Some words that can be understood are help,
fuel and dog.
As they get closer to the asteroid, a be�er infrared reading coupled with radar imaging shows the small
vessel sits �ghtly in a depression in between two higher elevated areas. Only one side of the depression
provides easy access to the ship. The terrain closer to the ship is very irregular, dangerous and very slow
to traverse. If the PCs decide to land on Chasma 628 (with a ship or module) or to go down there by cable,
it’ll be be�er to land 250m away from the vessel.

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2. Getting down there
If the characters decide to descend by themselves (without landing the ship) as close to the vessel
as possible:
Have them roll a Dexterity (Acrobatics/Piloting/Free-fall) test TN 16.
Success: The land on the top of the vessel or very close to it (use the drama die to help you interpret
the degree of success).
Fail: they land on the bad terrain, far from the vessel. Remind them that their oxygen supply is limited
and now they have less �me to conclude the mission.
If the characters decide to descend on the safe terrain, no test is necessary (you can ask for one
for interpreta�on) and they land 250m away from the vessel (be it with or without the ship/module).
In any case, if someone stays on the ship, their communica�on with the characters on the surface
of the asteroid will be jammed due to a characteris�c of the protomolecule dog (see Caliban’s project
hybrid details on p. 215). There’s only visual contact, but no radio.

3. Hound
While walking towards the target-vessel, they’ll be surprised by a creature: an ibizan hound (hun�ng dog)
with shinning-blue eyes, snout, tongue and interior of the ears. It looks like a Caliban project hybrid
in appearance, has one leg missing and will run a�er the PCs wherever they go. Of course it can’t smell
nor hear the players and it runs badly due to the missing lag, but it can see them very well despite
the darkness of that side of the asteroid.
To detect it, have the players roll a Perception (Seeing) test TN 12.
Success: characters get 100m close to the vessel and automa�cally no�ce a shadow passing in front
of them. The dog stops 40m from the group.
Fail: they no�ce a new heat reading on their visor coming from a region to their side. The dog is 125m
away from them. Characters are 125m in between the vessel and their landing point.
In both cases: the dog chases them.
To run away from the dog, use the pursuit mechanics from the book or simplify it with an advanced test
of Constitution (Running) TN 11 and success threshold 5 for 3 rounds (success scenario) or success
threshold 10 for 4 rounds (fail scenario).
If they had landed with their ship/module and successfully run back to that, the dog will be walking
around it. If they blast off, the dog will try to jump and cling to the exterior of the ship, next to the engine,
which is close to the reactor.
If they had landed on the bad terrain previously, you can consider having the dog running a�er them too,
with increased +2 to the TN of any test like Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Climbing) TN 10
to traverse the terrain. The dog making an appearance might be railroady, but it might give them the joy
(or despair) of having to run from something. You can choose to have the dog chase them only during
part 5 or 6.

4. Metro car
Considering the PCs arrive at the vessel, they’ll find a metro car of Mar�an military aesthe�cs with external
inscrip�ons with the name Phoebe. It has an air lock on one side and a small Epstein drive on the other.
The chamber works fine and it’ll be easy to enter.
Inside, a couple in casual clothes will be very happy to see them. The interior was adapted like a trailer
and they strap themselves to crash couches while traveling. Pilot commands are near the air lock.

Informa�on
About the metro car: they found it floa�ng in space, savaged it and adapted it into their trailer-like ship.
How did they end up there: their ship slided through that gap in the terrain, damaging the engine
and the maneuvering thrusters.
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 About their current situa�on: they’ll say the radio communicator is defec�ve (but it’s actually
the protomolecule dog radio-jamming it). Their fuel pellets are insufficient (the dog likes ea�ng them),
they’ve run out of beer and their dog is lost out there.
About the dog: it doesn’t a�ack the owners (which is true) and they find its shinning-blue characteris�cs
beau�ful. They already had the dog before it “turned blue” and it begun to like ea�ng fuel pellets.
They have no idea how it happened but they s�ll love the dog. They’ll be shocked if the characters reveal
they were chased by the dog. By the way, the dog is named Gap.

5. Rescue
There are some predictable alterna�ves. The owners have vac suits but won’t leave the place without
the dog, though.
They can be taken to the character’s ship and they won’t oppose to that. The dog out there won’t a�ack
the owners but it will growl to the PCs (it can’t be heard but can be seen) and it might try to a�ack
the characters.
They can be kidnapped to the character’s ship.
The docking grapple of the character’s ship can be used to pull the vessel with the couple inside
or outside of it, and they also won’t oppose to that.

6. Dealing with the hound

If they choose taking the couple to their ship or kidnapping them
They’ll have to decide if the dog will go with them and how it’ll be transported. The owners don’t have
any cage for him. If the dog is taken to the ship and is let loose, it’ll run to the reactor area and the
characters will be no�fied by the ship’s systems. If it’s le� with the owners in a room, it’ll try to force its way
out of that to run to the reactor area. If the characters decide to encage the dog somehow, let them come
up with a way to do so.
If the characters choose the docking grapple
PCs will need to return to their ship to use it. They can return while next to the vessel, but the dog will be
nearby and it can a�ack. They can also walk back to the ship if they landed it. If asked, the couple will go
with them and they might be holding the dog so it won’t a�ack. A radio channel between the characters
and the couple won’t be jammed by the dog unless they are very far apart. It is possible for the dog to get
loose from the owners and chase the characters again.
If they have to fight the dog somehow
The couple will have a very nega�ve reac�on to that, even if the dog a�acks the characters first.
If the la�er happens, the couple will also feel deeply embarrassed. Use the stat block below:

PROTOMOLECULE DOG
ABILITIES SPEED FORTUNE DEFENSE ARMOR THOUGHNESS
Combat 4 13 15 11 0 5
Communica�on -2 WEAPON ATTACK DAMAGE
Cons�tu�on 5 Bite +5 1d6+4
Dexterity 3 If a target has 0 fortune points and the bite exceeds his Thoughness
value, his vac suit will rapidly depressurize (apply fa�gued condi�on)
Strength 8
and his body might be in contact with the protomolecule.
Intelligence 1 Use the rules on p. 207 to deal with that.
Percep�on 2 CHARACTERISTICS
Accuracy 0 Vacuum immunity
Willpower 1 Signal interference (radio jamming)

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7. Concluding the rescue
If the couple and their dog are transported in the PCs’ ship without the metro car and arrive in some
sta�on without further problems, they’ll be very happy. Sta�on officials might find the dog strange
and will inves�gate, considering the posi�on of this adventure within the general �meline of the series.
If the Eros incident has happened in the past, there’ll be much interest. If the Ganymede incident
has happened already, there might be instant mobiliza�on by the sta�on officials and guards.
If the metro car is towed and the dog is s�ll alive (without being a�acked by the PCs) inside it
or inside the characters’ ship, the couple will be extremely happy and will be a valuable contact forever.
If the dog dies or is beaten somehow for self defense of the PCs, the owners will be very sad and probably
embarrassed. If it’s not beaten for self defense, the couple will be very sad and resen�ul. They might want
to stay alone in a room on the ship during the travel towards a space sta�on.
If the couple is kidnapped then, well, the PCs will have to decide what to do with them. If they’re le�
in some sta�on in the end, they won’t feel any gra�tude towards the characters.

Legal
The Expanse Roleplaying Game is © Green Ronin Publishing. The Expanse is © Daniel Abraham and Ty
Franck. This is a nonprofit, independent, fan-made, unofficial adventure created by Guilherme Cahú for the
Hyperspeed Adventure Jam 2022 at itch.io to be distributed for free during and a�er the Jam ends.

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