Recon 6 GM11

RECON 6 CAMPAIGN
GAMEMASTER GUIDE
Version 1.1
September 2014
Design: Russell Brown
Playtesting: Nick Gubbins, Ryan Tuck, Kyle Holbach
Copyright 2013 Russell J. Brown

D6Pool Rules Copyright 2011, 2012 Russell J. Brown
Logo font Neou v1.0 designed by André Uenojo
This document is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
CHAPTER 1: GAMEMASTER INTRODUCTION
alien invaders and less then two months after
This document is intended for the
the release of Strain 816. Players will initially
campaign’s gamemaster. have no idea that aliens are present. Even after
Players should not read it! they encounter the thin, grey humanoid visitor
aliens and the ursoids, which look like pink,
Each player should have access to the Recon 6 shaved bears (for good reason), they may just
Player Guide, which provides guidelines for assume that the disease has begun to mutate
creating characters and an overview of the humans instead of killing them outright. Some
setting from the perspective of the players players may even get giddy with hope that they
(who don’t initially know what’s really going have stepped into a zombie apocalypse, but
on.) they will be disappointed.
The disease is just a convenient first step in
GAMEMASTER BACKGROUND the invader’s program of wiping humanity
Recon 6 is a near future D6Pool setting where from the face of the Earth. The players will
the player characters are humans trying to eventually discover true aliens from a
understand, resist, and survive an alien completely different world, and the evidence
invasion of Earth. This document provides will be undeniable. At that point the focus of
information about the aliens, their plans, and the campaign may switch from survival and
their technology. discovery to armed resistance and military-‐styl
The campaign begins at the end of August, raids.
2015, a few months after the arrival of the
2
CHAPTER 2: ORIGINS
The Alien Race is not a single species, but an individual symbionts, but a series of mass
intertwined society of thousands of different migrations during times of exceptional
species and their living, symbiotic tools. atmospheric activity.
The progenitors of the Alien Race evolved in The ancestors of the Alien Race arrived on
the dense, swirling, volatile-‐rich, internally the second moon of the gas giant, which was
warmed cloud layers of a gas giant slightly already saturated with diverse, but very
smaller than Jupiter. They were bulbous, passive and mostly immobile life forms. The
fragile, and about the size of a human hand. light, relatively fragile filter feeders did not
The gas environment provided a vast, three-‐ survive on the new world, but many of their
dimensional biosphere with radically
different chemical composition and
ecosystems at different layers of the
atmosphere. Mutations and behavioral
adaptations allowed some species to cross
over and thrive in different bio-‐layers. The
three dimensional nature of the world
meant the total volume in which life could
evolve was thousands of times larger than
the surface of the Earth and its oceans.
INTO SPACE
On multiple occasions, life forms in the
upper atmosphere of the gas giant were
tossed violently enough by the
meteorological forces of the planet to be
thrown clear of the atmosphere into low
orbit. Already equipped to survive in the
rare atmosphere, many of them survived to riders did. They became the root of an
reach the gas giant's terrestrial inner moons explosively diverse evolutionary tree. Most of
and establish life there. the resulting species maintained their
The ancestors of the Alien Race were the propensity for symbiotic relationships and
largest, and the most complex creatures to merged with native species of the moon.
survive such a journey. They had adapted to
the upper atmosphere through a symbiotic TECHNOLOGY OF DIVERSITY
relationship with large, gas-‐filled filter feeders. Diversity was key to the Alien Race's
The ancestors of the Alien Race learned to development, as advances came only through
predict and ride the currents in the upper new or as yet unrecognized life forms and
atmosphere to escape predators and soon genetic sequences. This symbiosis with other
were riding the symbionts higher and higher. life resulted in a technology and society very
This desire to escape higher resulted, different than that of humans. The members of
consciously or subconsciously, in the breeding the Alien Race hold deep respect for their
of higher riding filter feeders that could living symbionts and value living diversity
assume a protective spore-‐like state in the near above all else.
vacuum of the upper layers. The final trip into The Alien Race returned to space millions of
orbit was not a piecemeal launching of years ago through a very conscious, multi-‐
3
generational symbiont breeding program Race’s migration to the stars was slow at first,
which led to the development of living ships fueled only by chemical reactions and possible
which traveled on a combination of electrolysis only for species that could suspend their life
and combustion. They set out from their moon for centuries in a chrysalis state. Eventually,
to other moons, some of them rich with life space creatures were bred which could
ejected from the giant mother planet, and concentrate and refine fissionable materials,
eventually they returned to explore and join then control fusion reactions. The Alien Race
with the life of the gas giant itself. moved quickly out among the stars, studying
Interstellar travel came after thousands of and harvesting living diversity wherever they
years of spacecreature breeding. The Alien found it.
4
CHAPTER 3: THE EARTH
Millions of years ago, the Alien Race discovered amazingly homogenous to the Alien Race, and
Earth, a wet terrestrial planet orbiting a yellow seemed intent on wiping out all other large
star two thousand light-‐years from their home creatures which resemble them in any way.
world. Since Earth already had life, they did not The destruction of living ecosystems to create
colonize the system for fear of contaminating it and power dead tools was repulsive to even
with their own life forms. To the Alien Race, the most materialistic of the Alien Race.
the diversity of life on Earth was a sacred
resource.
VISITORS
The Alien Race carefully retrieved specimens
from Earth as the basis for breeding a set of
creatures that could visit the planet without
fear of genetic contamination. The most mobile
and intelligent creatures in each of Earth's
biospheres became the seeds for a wide range
of what human's would later consider "alien"
visitors.
From the equatorial grasslands they
abducted early hominids, which have since
evolved into a race of thin, gray humanoid THE INCREASING THREAT
visitors with big eyes and large heads. As the industrial revolution began on Earth
In the vast northern forests they found early and the impact of humans became measurable
bears, which showed promise of developing on a global scale, a call for help went out from
complex vocalization and manual dexterity. the indigenous visitors to their Alien Race
These have evolved into the powerful ursoid mentors in nearby systems. Efforts increased
visitors. to acquire human specimens and study their
And in the oceans they found dolphins, habits without further disturbing the
already possessing complex speech patterns, ecosystem. By the mid 1900's the human
cross-‐species communication with whales, and population was in a bewildering exponential
a familiar propensity toward symbiotic expansion and the human's ability to destroy
relationships. the environment had increased dramatically.
The Alien Race became both the exploiters Their horrifying dead spacecraft would soon
and protectors of the Earth's ecosystems. They allow them to escape into space and spread to
also colonized many of the star systems other planets. 1947 was a year of
nearby, bringing dead worlds to life. Over the unprecedented UFO activity around the world,
past million years, they have fought off as the indigenous visitors poured down from
invasion attempts by other races and orbiting stations to search for a solution.
harvested life from Earth as it changed Abductions and hypnotic suggestion proved
gradually over time. useful but not enough.
The Alien Race began to see humans, the The decision was made to observe for a few
descendant of the same early hominid creature decades in hope that the humans would see the
used by the Alien Race to create its indigenous damage and reverse the process. In the mean
workforce, as a threat to the overall diversity time, small groups of humans were abducted
of the planet. Human's themselves appeared and adapted to life on a moon prepared for
5
them in a system twenty light years from Earth good source of new living material for the
– just in case. aliens’ symbiont technology.
DECISION POINT PRESERVING DIVERSITY

In 2014, the United States secretly tested the The end goal of the entire alien operation is to
first cascading anti-‐matter bomb on the far preserve diversity on Earth. This limits the
side of moon. Though only the size of a soup actions they can take against the humans to
those which will not severely impact the
environment. Killing millions of humans with a
tailored disease is good for the environment,
but blowing them up with a nuclear weapon is
not.
RESETTLEMENT
There is a slight paradox associated with
destroying a species (humans) to preserve
diversity. To remedy this, Alien Race planners
have set aside a large, dead moon in a star
system about twenty light years from Earth to
can, its blast was as powerful as any resettle a few thousand humans.
thermonuclear warhead in existence, and it got
EXPLOITATION
the attention of the visitors and the Alien Race.
Although the Alien Race truly values diversity
In Spring of 2015, The Alien Race made the
for its own sake, it does plan to eventually
decision to surgically remove the human race
exploit the diversity of Earth to create new
from Earth's Ecosystems. They had their
servant races and symbionts, and possibly
indigenous visitor races, as well as an array of
even as a source of genetic innovation in their
Earth-‐compatible symbiotic technology to help
own bodies.
them. They could use disease targeting the
homogenous human physiology, and, as a last DISSENTERS
resort, they could call on the perverted A small group within the Alien Race, including
inventions of the Alien Race's own Dead Tool some visitors, believes that humans should be
users. part of the diversity of Earth and should not be
When the Recon 6 campaign starts in wiped out completely. They have taken
August of 2015, the invasion has begun. The independent action to immunize some humans
Strain 816 virus has left only one out of every and then guide and protect them.
25 humans alive, and visitor aliens are
beginning to capture and dismantle industrial INVASION TIMETABLE
infrastructure. What follows is the actual invasion timetable,
some of which has already occurred.
GOALS May: Alien Race mother ships arrive in system.
The actions of the aliens may seem, well, alien June: Visitor aliens begin abduction of humans
to the players, but everything they do is in line for resettlement.
with the following goals. July: Visitor aliens release Strain 816 in major
DESTRUCTION OF HUMANS population centers. Dissenters abduct some
humans and genetically immunize them with a
The primary goal of the Alien Race's Earth
viral vector, creating protected “Carriers.”
invasion is to destroy the human race, or at
August: Aliens let Strain 816 run its course.
least wipe out most of it along with its
96% of human population dies.
industrial base. This is necessary in order to
September: Beginning of campaign. Alien Race
preserve the diversity of life on the planet -‐ a
spacecreatures destroy Earth satellites,
6
including GPS. Ursoid and Humanoid visitors national authorities are gone and they have to
capture power, communication and defense protect themselves. Weapons will get even
facilities. Dolphoid visitors destroy shipping more valuable when rumors begin to spread
and deep sea cabling about strange alien creatures.
Oct: Dead Tool Visitors sweep developed areas
before tools are destroyed. Visitors begin COMMUNICATION
destroying all dead tools and technology in Normal communication, even radio broadcasts
ways that will least disrupt the environment. for entertainment, continue into August, but
fade as more and more people die and flee
EFFECTS OF THE INVASION population centers.
The Visitors target Communication
DISEASE infrastructure in late August, and most
Well-‐known terrestrial diseases have become a electronic communication, including GPS
problem. As the alien invasion broke down signals, cease. The day that government
civilization, millions of humans died of emergency radio stations stop broadcasting
starvation and disease born of poor food (and possibly drop hints about aliens) is a
preservation, lack of medication and bad great time to start the campaign.
sanitation.
But the main killer of mankind
was the Strain 816 virus. It
targeted specific human DNA
sequences and quickly began
destroying organ tissue and
spreading via bodily fluids and
special airborne viral casings.
Most victims died within days of
exposure. A little more than one
percent of those infected survived,
but sometimes with permanent
damage to vital organs. The
“Carriers,” who were given
immunizations by the Dissenters,
are safe themselves, but are still
contagious.
ECONOMICS
By the time the campaign begins in late August,
so much of the human race has died that TRANSPORTATION
previous economic concepts no longer apply. With the exception of price increases due to
Markets have collapsed, currencies are fuel hoarding, transportation systems
worthless, and even many commodities that remained relatively normal until late July. Air
were valuable in the industrial world have travel became prohibitively expensive by mid-‐
little value for day-‐to-‐day survival. Barter July, and regular rail traffic was sporadic by
exists, but in truth most small bands of humans August.
survive by scavenging and sharing. The supply of salvageable gasoline may last
Values of items shift over time as the reality though the end of the year, though most urban
of the situation settles in. Gold is valuable if roads will be jammed with abandoned vehicles
people think society will recover, but it does and, eventually, unsafe to travel due to alien
not put food on the table. Weapons are more activity.
valuable when people accept that the local and
7
CRIME RESISTANCE
As fear of Strain 816 cleared out the cities, When alien attacks come in September,
looters and scavengers moved in. Thieves Military and technical forces deployed to
became much more pragmatic and desperate, contain Strain 816 will suddenly find
forgoing a nice television set to steal an themselves in the best position to fight the
armload of canned goods. As it became aliens. With poor or no communication to the
apparent that the collapsing economy wouldn’t national governments, these groups will
recover, many law-‐abiding people turned to function more like independent bands of
theft to survive. Rural families and small resistance fighters than a national army. They
towns formed militias to defend their land and will have to handle their own supplies and do
resources from urban migrants. In most places, their own recruiting and training.
possession is now a matter of force, not law. Strong local groups, especially those
prepared ahead of time with weapons and
GOVERNMENT supplies, will rise up to defend small areas.
In June, world governments were scrambling Religious groups may band together, and many
to isolate and control the Strain 816 outbreak. new ones will form when confronted with
By the end of the month, most nations were what appears to be the end of the world.
under martial law with the military restricting There will still be some attempts to
movement and enforcing large quarantine coordinate at the highest levels of government,
areas. and special think tank groups will influence the
National governments survived until all fight from secret bunkers, but their actions will
major power systems were lost in early be slow. If anyone can stop the invaders, it will
August, taking most necessary communication be the small, desperate resistance groups out
with them. Since then, local governments and in the field, reacting quickly to threats and
field military units have been acting on their willing to take risks when necessary.
own, with only occasional radio messages or
hand-‐carried orders from the capital.
8
CHAPTER 4: ALIENS
Members of the Alien Race and their Earth
visitors have the usual human attributes, plus BIOLOGY
skills representing their sensitivity in each of All members of the Alien Race are carbon-‐
the four alien languages. These language skills based and methane breathing. Their genetic
influence their ability to communicate with encoding/messenger scheme is simple and
each other and control specific symbionts. similar to viral systems on Earth, with different
base molecules. They ingest other life forms for
ALIEN TYPES nutrients, breaking them down in a series of
Each individual of the Alien Race either layered digestion sacks that surround multiple
specializes in a certain task or acts as an heart-‐like organs. Outside the digestion sacks,
overall planner, coordinating the work of just below the outer surface of the body, is a
specialists and perhaps other planners. layer of respiration sacks that pull in the
Visitors, on the other hand, are versatile methane. Methane metabolism, including
descendants of Earth stock, able to operate on production of more complex, benzene ring
their own in many different situations. structures for energy storage, occurs in long,
individual cells, and in a specialized organ. If a
member of the Alien Race breathed Earth
Major Types of Aliens atmosphere without a proper breathing
symbiont, it would die of oxygen poisoning
long before it suffocated from lack of methane.
Alien Race Planners
Alien Race Specialists
Visitors
Alien Race Symbionts Alien Race Languages
Visitor Symbionts
Chemical
Both the Alien Race and visitors depend Electromagnetic
heavily on symbiont species, though those Tactile (including sound)
used by the visitors aren’t physiologically Visual
compatible with the Alien Race and vice versa.
Symbionts are described in more detail in
Chapter 5. They range from small, squid-‐like
creatures that help the Alien Race breath in SENSES AND COMMUNICATION
Earth’s atmosphere, to the massive Each diverse species of the Alien Race has a
spacecreatures that carry them between the combination of four different senses and forms
stars. of communication. Tactile communication is
The Alien Race and its symbionts are rare similar to human hearing and speech, but the
on Earth. Players will generally encounter only aliens are able to sense and communicate
visitors. through many mediums other than air. Alien
visual senses are similar to human vision, but
many aliens have an increased capacity to
communicate visually, through complex
signaling appendages or shifting color
patterns. The sensory part of the Alien Race’s
chemical communication is similar to human
9
smell, though far more sensitive, but the basic morphologies -‐ quad, base, and biped -‐
closest Earth analogy to alien chemical which in turn descended from a single species
communication is the pheromone system used which made the original trip from the gas giant
by some insects. Many aliens also have the to the second moon. The Alien Race ranges in
ability to sense electromagnetic fields at far size from a half meter to well over four meters,
lower frequencies than the visual spectrum, with quads dominating both extremes.
like radio and microwave.
Alien Race sensory and communication QUAD
organs vary dramatically from species to The most common morphology is a plump
species, but some patterns are consistent. quadruped, or "quad" with four legs and two
Visual organs tend to be at the ends of fleshy long, thin, spiny arm appendages, usually
stalks high up on the alien’s body and are tipped with broad sensitive "fingers".
usually more sensitive in the infrared. Variations on this morphology include thin
appendages that split halfway down,
resulting in four "hands", and
differences in posture from low and
straight with an upward bend at the
"neck" to straight up and down like a
four-‐engine rocket. Quads typically
excel in chemical and
electromagnetic senses, and are
visually weak or blind.
BASE
The second most common
morphology is distinguished by a
large, wide base, which actually
contains the fused remains of two
appendages. These “Base” aliens have
four other arm-‐like appendages
which vary in size, shape and
function, and which may be used
occasionally to assist in locomotion.
Base movement is some combination
of rocking, gliding and slithering.
Base aliens, due to their limited
mobility, are generally large, well
Chemical senses appear as wet bulges at the defended, and excel in remote senses
openings of one or more respiration sacks. like Visual, Chemical and Electromagnetic.
Electromagnetic sensors tend to be internal, BIPED
twisted nests of long, iron-‐heavy cells, but they The least common morphology, more
are sometimes at the end of extended stalks. prevalent among planners and dead tool users,
Tactile organs can be just about anywhere, but has two arms and two legs. It is capable of
tend to be on the surface, or below hard moving faster by bending and using its arms as
surface structures that amplify or filter certain legs. A true neck and something resembling a
frequencies. head place their basic senses up high. Bipeds
are primarily dependent on visual, tactile, and
MORPHOLOGIES
electromagnetic senses.
Most of the Alien Race members and some of
their symbionts descended from one of three
10
REPRODUCTION TEND V ISITOR
The Alien Race is sexual in nature, but without This skill reflects the ability of a member of the
defined sexes. Most individuals can mate with Alien Race to raise, train, and control members
almost any other individual of appropriate size, of the Earth visitor species.
and generally in accordance with the genetic
plans of a tender species. Mating does occur SYMBIONTS
across morphologies and is sometimes Each alien description below includes a list of
encouraged. typical symbionts that alien might carry. This is
only a suggestion. Aliens might need other
NEW ALIEN SKILLS symbionts, depending on the situation. For
In addition to the skills and abilities listed example, a demolition egg tender might need a
below, the descriptions of the Alien Race also digger symbiont to correctly place its
use skills and abilities from the D6Pool Basic explosives, and any Alien Race member
Rules and Cast of Characters books. operating on Earth would need a rebreather
symbiont to survive.
ALIEN RACE WEAPONS Some members of the Alien Race also have
This skill is used when operating and tending the Empathy advantage. These advantage dice
Alien Race weapon symbionts, like the toxic apply to any attempt to attach or use a
dart weapon. symbiont.
Multiple Alien Weapon Shots (action): Make Symbionts are described in detail in the
multiple attacks with an alien weapon next chapter.
symbiont up to the number of dice in Alien
Race Weapons skill, provided the symbiont can DEAD TOOL USERS
support multiple attacks. Multiple action There is a small group within the Alien Race
penalty dice apply. that sees merit in many of the dead tools used
Precise Aim: You may apply more than 1 by humans. These dead tool users are seen as a
success die from your Aim action to your Alien sort of heretical cult within the Alien Race, but
Race weapon attack, up to a maximum equal to no action has been taken to stop them. Perhaps
the number of dice you have in your Alien Race the Alien Race sees this different outlook on
Weapons skill. technology as a form of diversity, and therefore
something that must be nurtured, not
SPACECREATURE PILOTING eradicated.
This is a special skill for those among the Alien While the number of dead tool users among
Race who pilot the gigantic spacecreatures the Alien Race is very small – less than a
used as spaceships and air transport. hundred planners and specialists – they are in
significant positions to influence Earth visitor
TEND A LIEN RACE
species and be influenced by the visitor’s
This skill reflects the ability of a member of the
discoveries. So the number of dead tool users
Alien Race to take care of the basic nutritional
among Earth visitors, especially humanoids, is
and hygienic needs of another member of the
much higher.
Alien Race.
Many of the dead tools used are replicas of
TEND SYMBIONT human tools and weapons, and many may even
This is a set of skills, one for each category of be actual stolen human items. Some dead tool
symbiont tended. For example, Tend users have developed the human skills to use
Symbiont(spacecreature) covers the care and them well. There are even a few dead tool
breeding of spacecreature symbionts. users who have taken to wearing human
clothing. In a sense, the dead tool users have
“gone native,” but that doesn’t always mean
they sympathize with the human cause.
11

TYPE ONE PLANNER (5)
PLANNERS Strength-‐2 Intelligence-‐3
Planners sit at the center of a web of
communication symbionts and recorder
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐4
symbionts, coordinating all the members of the Dexterity-‐1 Perception-‐4
Alien Race and their visitor species. At the top
of this hierarchy of control sits a small council Empathy-‐2
of Supreme Planners for the Solar System, one Slow-‐1
of each of the three primary morphologies.
Type one planners are the broad Language (electromagnetic)-‐native
masterminds of the Alien Race and its Language (visual)-‐2
operation on Earth. They are the conscious Language (tactile)-‐2
keepers of the Alien Race's goals and vision. Language (chemical)-‐1
Type two planners are cross-‐over planners,
Biology-‐2
generally with some remnants of a specialty.
They are sometimes used in new situations
Concentration-‐3
because they have the specialty skills, as well Focus
as the analytical ability to adapt. Type two Management-‐3
planners are the source of most innovation, Coordination
within their specialties. Their size and
appearance varies widely, sometimes closely tactile-‐electromagnetic translator
matching that of the corresponding specialist. visual-‐electromagnetic translator
visual concentrator
visual store

Each type one planner is generally
surrounded by a small army of type two
Planners, storage symbionts, translators, and
their symbiont tenders. It might appear like a
queen bee, or a spider inside a web. To a
human, with little or no electromagnetic
sensing capability, a type one planner may
appear to be using some form of telepathy or
telekinesis to communicate with other aliens
and control the symbionts around it.
An example type one planner might be a
four-‐foot tall biped with a pear-‐shaped "head"
and large number of fingers at the end of the
two arm appendages. The planner’s Legs
appear to have more joints than human legs.
All Fours: Type one planners gain two
bonus dice for movement challenges when on
all fours.
Stasis: Once per scene, a type one planner
can create an electromagnetic field that
hardens its skin and gives it two armor points
against all attacks for two rounds. It is
completely immobilized during this time.
12

SPACE TRAVEL TYPE TWO PLANNER (3) VISITOR CONTROL TYPE TWO PLANNER (3)
Strength-‐2 Intelligence-‐3 Strength-‐2 Intelligence-‐3
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐2 Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐2
Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3 Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3

Empathy-‐1 Empathy-‐1
Slow-‐1
Command-‐2
Multiple Assists Language (visual)-‐native
Concentration-‐1 Language (chemical)-‐2
Language (tactile)-‐native Language (electromagnetic)-‐2
Language (electromagnetic)-‐2 Language (English)-‐1
Language (chemical)-‐1 Command-‐2
Running-‐3 Multiple Assists
Tend Symbiont(spacecreature)-‐2 Concentration-‐1
Spacecreature Piloting-‐1 Tend Visitors-‐

tactile-‐visual translator tactile-‐visual translator
tactile concentrator mobility symbiont
tactile store visual concentrator

This type two planner manages the details of This type two planner manages everything to
space travel, from the tenders who raise and do with breeding, care and control of the Earth
care for the spacecreatures, to the navigators visitor species. It works closely with visitor
who chart courses between planets and stars. tenders and even visitor leaders themselves.
This is a quad standing eight feet tall, with This planner is nearly seven feet tall and
four legs extending outward to form a cone has a base morphology, freeing four arms and
shape. Its two spindly arm appendages are not hands for its complicated visual
split and contain only three claw-‐like fingers communication. It is slow, but has a six-‐legged
each. The planner’s sensory organs are arrayed mobility symbiont.
along a short stalk-‐like neck with no apparent
head.
Retract: This planner can retract its
sensory stalk into its body to protect itself. This
adds two penalty dice to any perception
challenges it makes, but reduces any critical
hits against the planner by one die.

13

SPECIALISTS TACTILE-ELECTROMAGNETIC
Describing a representative subset of the TRANSLATOR TENDER
specialists within the Alien Race would take
Strength-‐2 Intelligence-‐1
hundred of entries. This section only provides
statistics for a handful, but they should be easy Stamina-‐3 Charisma-‐2
to adapt to different skills and roles within Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐2
your campaign
Specialists can be divided into broad Empathy-‐2
categories of tenders, symbiont users, and
dead tool users. Tenders take care of
symbionts, as well as visitors and other Acrobatics-‐2
members of the Alien Race. They understand Biology-‐2
the needs of their adopted life forms and make First Aid-‐2
sure they are met. They also help insure
Language (tactile)-‐native
increasing diversity through controlled
Language (electromagnetic)-‐3
breeding programs and genetic modification.
Symbiont users are specially trained to join Language (chemical)-‐1
with a class of symbionts to carry out some Running-‐3
task. Note that symbiont users may require Tend Symbiont (translator)-‐3
tenders to help them train and take care of Specialty (Tactile-Electromagnetic Trans)
their symbionts. Good specialists tend to
attract good tenders and vice versa. tactile-‐electromagnetic translator
Dead Tool Users scare off all but the bravest tactile store
of tenders, which they still need to take care of
the special symbionts they use to produce raw These tenders specialize in raising and
materials. breading tactile-‐electromagnetic translator
symbionts. One or more of these may be
nearby when their translators are in heavy use,
and a small team of them works at each
symbiont nursery and training facility.
A typical tender of this type is five feet tall,
and has a classic quad shape, with four
relatively equal legs and a raised neck of
sensory organs. Its legs are multi-‐jointed, and
when not running most of this tender’s body
hangs below the top of it”s highest knee joints.
These tenders are sleek and quick aliens,
skittering back and forth between the
symbionts under their care. They almost
always have one or two symbionts hanging
from the special nursing areas on their torso.
.
14

VISUAL STORE TENDER QUAD TENDER

Acute Vision-‐2
Stealth-‐2
Stealth-‐2 Biology-‐2
Biology-‐2 Dance-‐2
Language (visual)-‐native Language (tactile)-‐native
Language (electromagnetic)-‐2 Language (electromagnetic)-‐2
Language (chemical)-‐1 Language (chemical)-‐1
Tend Visual Symbiont-‐3 Tend Alien Race-‐3
Specialty (Visual Store) Specialty (quad)
Tend Symbiont (cleaner)-‐2
visual concentrator
visual store Alien Race food excreter
visual-‐tactile translator quad cleaner

These tenders specialize in raising and Quad tenders are expert users of the symbionts
breading visual stores, or the equivalent of a required to take care of themselves and other
living video camera. They are nearly as adept quad morphology aliens. They not only handle
at tending visual concentrators and have basic bodily needs, but may also provide what
nursing organs capable of nurturing either. could loosely be termed entertainment, or
A typical visual store tender is four feet tall, distraction, which seems to have some positive
making it one of the smallest of the base physiological effect. Quad tenders don't plan
morphology aliens. It is also among the most their own activities ahead, they merely
visually adept creatures in the Alien Race, and respond to chemical and touch signals from
surprisingly adaptable for a specialist. Its top quads in their care.
two arms are three feet long and have crude A typical quad tender is a seven to eight foot
grasping digits at the end. Its lower arms are tall quad, but with a low-‐set, bulbous torso. It is
much shorter and are used to manipulate agile and appears thin and frail, yet it is
objects under close inspection. It has four surprisingly strong. It is bred to serve quads
visual sensor films on four bulges on its head. without interrupting their work patterns,
These constantly pulsate. moving smoothly within an active work
environment.

15

VISITOR TENDER TOXIC DART WEAPON USER

Empathy-‐1 Acute Electromagnetic Sense-‐2

Biology-‐3 Acrobatics-‐2
First Aid-‐2 Combat Reflexes-‐2
Language (visual)-‐native Language (chemical)-‐native
Language (tactile)-‐2 Language (electromagnetic)-‐2
Language (English)-‐2 Language (chemical)-‐1
Pathology-‐2 Stealth-‐2
Tend Visitor-‐3 Alien Race Weapon-‐2
Specialty (humanoids) Precise Aim

electromagnetic-‐visual translator toxic dart weapon
rebreather living armor
tactile store rebreather
visitor food excreter
visitor medislug Toxic dart weapon users take care of and use
the small symbionts that grow and launch
Visitor Tenders take care of the physical and sharp needles filled with toxic venom.
social needs of the Alien Race's Earth visitors, A typical toxic dart weapon user is four feet
and they also acts as translators and liaisons tall, with a very flexible quad body which it can
between visitors and the rest of the Alien Race. contort to hide behind any cover. It can use the
These tenders have a difficult task because the toxic dart weapon with either of its small
genetic impulses and urges of the Earth species upper arms. When aiming, this alien freezes in
are very different from those of the Alien Race, place and locks its weapon arm into a crease in
and there is always the threat that planners its head. Small sensing veins extend from the
will decide to destroy the humanoid visitors sides of its body to triangulate on
along with the human race, making the tenders electromagnetic signals.
themselves expendable. They have little direct Immune to venom: Toxic dart weapon
physical contact with the visitors, only users are immune to the venom of toxic darts.
providing them with food and medical care if
they need it. These Aliens are Alien
A typical visitor tender is five feet tall, with Remember, the Alien Race thrives on
a base morphology. They make slower, diversity. Don’t be shy about making up your
smoother movements than most of the Alien own variations with new abilities and their
Race, similar to the visitor species they tend.
own bizarre symbionts. Except for the
Sensory organs are located on a stubby stalk
that is constantly turning in all directions.
visitors, which tend to have less diversity, the
Visitor tenders have been bred to generate PCs probably shouldn’t encounter two of the
humanoid vocal sounds using the flaps same aliens.
covering their breathing pores.
16

SPACECREATURE PILOT DEMOLITION EGG TENDER


Climbing-‐2 Explosives-‐2
Language (Tactile)-‐native Specialty(demolition egg)
Language (Electromagnetic)-‐3 Language (Electromagnetic)-‐native
Language (Chemical)-‐2 Language (Tactile)-‐2
Tend Symbiont(Spacecreature)-‐1 Language (Visual)-‐2
Spacecreature Piloting-‐4 Physics-‐2
Running-‐4
electromagnetic concentrator Tend Symbiont(Demolition Egg)-‐3

Spacecreature pilots specialize in controlling demolition egg
the huge spacecreature vessels that the Alien digger
Race uses to cross between stars. These rebreather
tenders are long and spindly and communicate

with their spacecreature through tactile and
Demolition egg tenders are a special form of
electromagnetic interaction. Their navigation
tender designed to actually produce a
is based on their own electromagnetic senses,
symbiont device; in this case, a volatile egg on
as well as the information passed to them from
the verge of setting off a massive explosion.
the spacecreature.
Demolition egg tenders are huge biped
A typical pilot for one of the huge
morphology aliens with a special egg pouch.
interstellar spacecreatures is also huge,
They normally produce one egg every few days
towering to eight or nine feet, with long limbs
and leave it in their egg sac, inert. When the
and lots of joints that make it look like some
egg emerges from the sac, exposure to a special
sort of Earth insect. Each limb ends in a pad of
chemical begins the countdown to explosion.
special sensory organs, which attach to the
The demolition egg tenders can control the
wall of tissue inside the spacecreature, just
time to explosion, varying it from a few
behind its brain.
seconds to an hour.

A typical demolition egg tender is a nine-‐
foot tall biped with a sagging pouch. Its small
head is covered in fanlike chemical sensors
capable of detecting how close a demolition
egg is to exploding.
Armor plates: A demolition egg tender can
extend armor plates around its egg sac to
protect it. This increases armor for attacks on
the sac by 2 and prevents critical hits from
exploding the egg.
Might Explode: Any wounds to the egg sac
or confirmed critical hits on this alien cause
any mature demolition egg in its sac to
explode.
17

SPACECREATURE TENDER VISITORS
Visitors are genetically modified descendents
of species taken from the Earth almost a
Stamina-‐4 Charisma-‐2 million years ago by the Alien Race. They are
Dexterity-‐3 Perception-‐2 the Alien Race’s operatives on Earth, observing
the progress of humans and their impact on
Empathy-‐1 ecosystems. The three types of Earth visitor
are humanoids, descended from early
Acrobatics-‐2 hominids, ursoids, descended from bears, and
Climbing-‐2 dolphoids, from dolphins.
Concentration-‐2 The relationship of visitors to Earth species
Focus leads many humans to believe, early in the
Language (Electromagnetic)-‐native invasion, that they are just humans or animals
that have been horribly disfigured by Strain
Language (Visual)-‐3
816.
Spacecreature Piloting-‐1 There are thousands of visitors living in
Swimming-‐2 large, hidden colonies of connected
Tend Symbiont(Spacecreature)-‐3 spacecreatures in Lunar Legrangian orbits.
They have lived and died there as species for
rebreather hundreds of thousands of years, using small
spacecreature cleaner spacecreatures to visit Earth when necessary.
Because of their ancestry, visitors need no
Spacecreature tenders take care of the special special symbionts to survive in the Earth
neads of spacecreature symbionts. They are environment. They are also trained to interact
very agile and tough, and are constantly with humans, so most humanoid visitors, and
crawling around the spacecreature, both inside some ursoids and dolpoids, speak one or more
and out. These tenders are quads, but often use human languages.
their arms as legs, making them look and move Visitors generally have their own species of
like a six-‐legged spider. Most are only about symbionts, attuned to their Earth physiology.
three feet tall, and some, bred to get inside the Note that visitor symbionts may also be able to
tiniest crawlspaces, may only be the size of a bond with humans.
human hand.
Pressure Seal: Spacecreature Tenders can
operate for five minutes out of every hour in
the vacuum of space without harm.
18
HUMANOID VISITOR (2)
Dexterity-‐3 Perception-‐3

Empathy-‐1

Acrobatics-‐2
Rough Move
Alien Race Weapons-‐2
Biology-‐2
Language (Tactile)-‐native
Language (English)-‐3
Stealth-‐2
Surveillance-‐2

toxic Dart Gun
visual Concentrator

Humanoid visitors appear to be unclothed,
genderless, emaciated, hairless humans with
pale grey or blue skin and proportionally large
heads. They are the frontline explorers, troops,
and diplomats of the Alien Race.
Most humanoid visitors are about 5 feet tall,
but some may be much taller, depending on
their assigned tasks. The smaller, quicker
individuals tend to be stealthy operational
agents and observers.

19

URSOID VISITOR (3) DOLPHOID VISITOR (2)

Acute Hearing-‐2 Acute Hearing-‐3
Acute Smell-‐2
Acrobatics-‐2
Climbing-‐2 Combat Reflexes-‐2
Swimming-‐2 Awareness
Language (Chemical)-‐native Language (Tactile)-‐native
Language (Chinese)-‐1 Language (Visual)-‐1
Natural Weapons-‐2 Language (Chemical)-‐1
Powerful Natural Attack Language (English)-‐1
Running-‐2 Natural Weapons-‐2
Intimidation-‐2 Swimming-‐3
Frighten

Dolphoid visitors retain the basics of their
Ursoid visitors are basically hairless bears. original shape, though they are stockier than
They are more intelligent than their ancestors, their modern counterparts and have shorter
and a bit more able to manipulate objects with snouts. Without the help of a mobility
their paws. At first glance, they might appear to symbiont and a waterskin, they are confined to
be large, pink, bloated humans. operating in the Earth’s oceans and rivers.
Ursoids are the heavy soldiers of the Alien From there they monitor human activities and
Race, sent in to protect key sites or to beef up communicate with the ancient whale
visitor raids on key human installations. After communities, the great underwater chroniclers
the invasion, some ursoids are left to just of the rise of humans.
wander the Earth, hunting down surviving Aquatic: Dolphoids must remain in water.
humans. When out of water, they suffer 3 penalty dice
Natural Armor: Ursoid visitor hide adds 1 on any physical activity.
point of blunt and sharp armor. Echolocation: Dolphoids can add their
Acute Hearing advantage dice to any
underwater perception check.

20
CHAPTER 5: SYMBIONTS
The technology of the Alien Race is based on hostile environments, magnify and store
living symbionts, and advancement of that images, sounds and smells from the world
technology requires genetic diversity. It was around them, and allow communication over
partially this search for diversity that drove great distances. There are also symbionts that
them into space and eventually to Earth. the Alien Race uses in combat. Even the great
Symbionts serve many of the same ships the Alien Race uses to travel through
functions that the tools of humans serve in space are living symbionts. It is very rare to
modern society. Symbionts protect aliens see a member of the Alien Race that isn’t
from the elements, allow them to breath in bulging with symbionts.
Alien Race Symbionts

Backbag Used to store supplies or other symbionts
Cleaner Used by tenders to keep other Alien Race members clean.
Communicator Used to communicate over long distances
Concentrator Concentrates or magnifies one type of sensation
Demolition Egg Very destructive explosive symbiont
Digger Symbiont with tough digging claws.
Food Excreter Symbiont that produces complete dietary requirements for a specific sub-
species.
Living Armor Symbiont shell that provides protection in combat
Medislug Symbiont that can dispense coagulants and other drugs to stabilize wounded
creatures.
Mobility Increases mobility of member of the Alien Race
Rebreather Allows members of the Alien Race to breath in hostile atmospheres like Earth
Spacecreature Symbiont bred to carry the Alien Race through space.
Spacecreature This is specialized electromagnetic communicator that acts as a sort of remote
Controller control.
Sensory Store Stores specific type of sensation for later review
Toxic Dart Symbiont that produces and projects poisoned darts.
Translator Translates between two alien senses (not languages).
Vectorslug Produces and delivers immunization to diseases
Waterskin Allows dolphoid visitors to operate on land (with a mobility symbiont)
they have what they need to survive.

BACKBAG Backbags can be used to store other supplies,
A backbag symbiont looks like a sack of tough but they have been known to reject any dead
skin with a large opening at the top that could items that might be harmful to symbiont
once have been a mouth. The backbag is more contents.
than a simple bag, however. It specializes in
storing other symbionts and making sure
21
CLEANER minutes. The egg does 16d of blunt damage
None of the normal hygienic tools that with a blast radius of 5 feet.
humans use exist within the Alien Race
culture – no soap or towels or combs or DIGGER
deodorant or shampoo, or toilet paper. The This is a symbiont that resembles a small,
personal hygiene tasks in the Alien Race are furless, headless rodent with extra-‐large
taken care of by specialized cleaning hands and claws. It is worn like a glove and
symbionts. Some members of the Alien Race can dig through the toughest rock and
wear one or more cleaning symbionts at all concrete.
times, while others just use them periodically.
FOOD EXCRETER
There are also cleaner symbionts that clean
A food excreter symbiont is capable of
other, very specialized symbionts like
ingesting a wide variety of waste and
spacecreatures.
scavenged material and then excreting food
COMMUNICATOR paste specifically optimized for a certain
The closest human analogy to the Alien Race members of the Alien Race or symbiont. Food
communicator is the radio. Communicator excreters have also been bred to produce
symbionts allow members of the Alien Race food for Earth visitor species.
to communicate over long distances.
LIVING A RMOR
Communicator symbionts generally use
Alien Race living armor appears to be a soft
electromagnetic signals, but there are also
shell that forms itself to the host, but once in
communicators for underwater that use
place, it becomes extremely hard and tough.
vibrations, and others that use beams of light.
Typical living armor adds 2 points of blunt
Generally, communicators are operated using
and sharp protection and one penalty die of
the associated Alien Race language (an
encumbrance. Living armor can take 6
electromagnetic communicator is operated
wounds before dying, but will drop from the
through electromagnetic language).
host after 3 wounds and seek a tender for
Translator symbionts joined with the
help.
communicators allow operation across Alien
Race languages. MEDISLUG
CONCENTRATOR A medislug is a short, slug-‐like creature about
the size of a football. It attaches to the host
A concentrator symbiont magnifies a
through a large maw and a series of small,
particular type of sensory input.
sharp probes. Medislugs are not attached to a
Electromagnetic concentrators are similar to
host until the host is injured, because the
human antennas. Visual concentrators act like
symbiont has an anesthetic effect that impairs
telescopes, or binoculars, or microscopes.
thinking. When applied to a member of the
Chemical concentrators are sensitive
Alien Race, the medislug cures one die of
chemical detectors, and tactile concentrators
wounds and gives the host an immediate
act like audio or seismic amplifiers. Typical
toughness challenge with 2 bonus dice. The
concentrators add 2 bonus dice to applicable
host also gains one penalty die on any mental
challenges, though more rare and specialized
challenges for the rest of the scene. A
symbionts can be much more effective.
medislug takes one round to apply. It falls off
DEMOLITION EGG of the host and dies after use.
The demolition eggs produced by demolition Special medislugs are available for use by
egg tenders are powerful explosives. The Earth visitors, and these will also work on
tender sets the chemical fuse on the egg when humans.
it is removed from the carrying sac, to any
length of time from five seconds to sixty
22
SPACECREATURE CONTROLLER
This special electromagnetic communicator
MOBILITY SYMBIONT symbiont that allows remote control of a
Mobility symbionts act as personal vehicles spacecreature. Successfully bonding with this
for members of the Alien Race that have symbiont and gaining control of its
limited movement. Typical mobility spacecreature requires a successful difficulty
symbionts are concave, six-‐legged creatures 2 [Charisma + Self Control] check. This
with Dexterity-‐4, Running-‐2. They take one difficulty increases for larger spacecreatures.
penalty die of encumbrance when carrying Operating the spacecreature requires basic
their host. Mobility symbionts are typically skill in Language(electromagnetic) and a
controlled through Language(tactile) or successful [Perception + Spacecreature Pilot]
Language(chemical) skills. challenge.
REBREATHER TOXIC DART WEAPON
Earth’s atmosphere is not breathable by The toxic dart weapon is a special symbiont
members of the Alien Race. They must wear a that produces and ejects anesthetic darts. In
rebreather symbiont to operate on Earth. ranged weapon terms, it does 2d of sharp
This symbiont looks like a flat patch of flesh damage, has 5 rounds of ammunition, and
covered with a thick carpet of thin tubes. It range increments of 20/40/80. Attacking
completely covers the host’s primary with it uses Alien Race Weapons skill
breathing orifices. challenges. If an attack with a toxic dart does
any damage, the target is also exposed to a an
SENSORY STORE
anesthetic poison that takes effect
Sensory stores are the recording devices of
immediately with 7 attack dice, 2 stun
the Alien Race. Each sensory store is capable
damage, and a recurrence every three rounds.
of recording and replaying many hours of
information in one of the Alien Race modes of TRANSLATOR
communication – chemical, tactile, The Alien Race developed with four major
electromagnetic, and visual. modes of communication – tactile, visual,
chemical, and electromagnetic. In order to be
SPACECREATURE
able to communicate between the diverse
Space creatures are gigantic symbionts, bred
morphologies and use specialized symbionts
to carry the Alien Race between stars. Some
that only understand particular languages,
are large enough to carry thousands of
the Alien Race developed translator
passengers, while others can carry only one.
symbionts. These are generally about the size
Very small spacecreatures can be used as
of a coffee mug, but come in all shapes and
unmanned drones, operated through remote
sizes depending on their function. They are,
spacecreature controller symbionts.
perhaps, the most intelligent and important
The typical spacecreature encountered on
of the symbionts. Each translator can
Earth is about thirty feet across and can carry
translate not just sensations, but actual
up to ten passengers. It can fly in Earth’s
meaning from one Alien Race language to
atmosphere, but is not capable of space flight.
another, and vice-‐versa. The symbiont gives
In vehicle terms, it has a speed of 90,
the host the same skill in the translated
Maneuver 8, Acceleration 20, and provides 2
language as the original language, up to a
points of cover. Operating a spacecreature
maximum of 3. For example, a host with
requires Spacecreature Piloting skill This
Language(tactile)-‐native (4) and
spacecreature has 2 points of blunt and sharp
Language(electromagnetic)-‐1 wearing a
armor. If it takes 4 wounds, it lands. At 6
tactile-‐electromagnetic symbiont would have
wounds it falls from the sky, and after 10
an Language(electromagnetic) skill of 3.
wounds it dies.
23
VECTORSLUG Other symbionts, like concentrators,
The vectorslug is a squat, segmented creature sensory stores, and spacecreatures, require
about the size of a human fist. It attaches the host to gain empathy with them by
painlessly to its host with a mouth like a making a successful difficulty 1 [Charisma +
suction cup, then extends a sharp probe from Self Control] check, and to control them using
within its mouth to puncture the host’s skin the appropriate Alien Race language. Visitors
and deliver an immunization.
Vectorslugs have been bred and used
by dissenter aliens to immunize a
small group of humans against Strain
816.
WATERSKIN
This is a special form of rebreather
symbiont that covers most of a
dolphoid visitor’s skin with a layer of
salty moisture, allowing the dolphoid
to operate out of the water for up to 24
hours.
USING CAPTURED SYMBIONTS generally know at least one Alien Race

If humans capture and try to use symbionts language, and it is usually tactile or visual,
bred for Alien Race hosts, most likely the given their limited ability to generate
symbionts will not even attach. If they do, chemicals and electromagnetic signals.
they will likely cause physical or mental Humans can also learn these languages over
damage. time, under the right circumstances, and then
However, humans are fully compatible use visitor translators if needed to control
with the symbionts used by the Earth visitor symbionts.
races. Many of these symbionts, like living Note that many alien weapons, like the
armor or medislugs, require no active control toxic dart symbiont, don’t require a language
by the host and will immediately attach and skill, but instead use the Alien Race Weapon
perform their function, even on a human. skill.
24
CHAPTER 6: RECON 6 CAMPAIGN
Before starting the Recon 6 campaign, players
should read through the Recon 6 Player Guide. SETTLEMENT COMMANDER (3)
It will give them all the background known by Colonel Anthony Kellogg
their players and provide special instructions
for creating a Recon 6 character.
THE ROLE OF THE PLAYER CHARACTERS Stamina-‐3 Charisma-‐3
Initially, the players will know only that they Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3
are trying to survive in a world devastated by
disease and societal collapse. They should have Military Rank-‐1
no clue that aliens are behind the apocalypse,
and the GM should try to keep it that way for a Combat Reflexes-‐2
little while. Command-‐3
The PCs may catch glimpses of visitor Inspire Ally
aliens, but they will probably suspect that their
First Aid-‐2
strange appearance is just the next phase of the
disease. Eventually, when they detect radiation
Handgun-‐1
at a spacecreature landing site, or someone Multiple Handgun Shots
with the Carrier disadvantage has a flashback History-‐2
to an alien abduction, or they see a symbiont in Persuasion-‐2
action, the players will realize they’re dealing Unarmed-‐2
with aliens and everything will click. There’s a
good chance at least one of the players will be Cautious
disappointed by this, probably because they Good delegator
wanted all the dead people to rise as zombies. Listens before speaking
The PCs should turn into the core of a

resistance group fighting to stop the aliens
Water for the settlement comes from a
from wiping out the human race. They may
single hand operated pump in Alcova Heights
make allies among other human groups, and
Park. In fact, the pump was the main reason
perhaps even among the aliens themselves.
Colonel Kellogg chose the site for the
ARLINGTON settlement.
Colonel Kellogg’s band of settlers lives in the The roads in the area are littered with
abandoned cars and makeshift roadblocks, but
houses along Randolph Street in central
Arlington, near the intersection of Columbia the Colonel has sent out teams to clear the
Pike and George Mason Drive. There are no major roads enough for a single vehicle to pass
other survivors in the immediate area, but through. A run on gas early in the collapse left
many gas stations empty, but it also means
most of the stores have been stripped of food
and supplies, either by early scavengers or by there is gas left in the tanks of many cars, if it
Colonel Kellogg’s systematic methods. can be found and siphoned.
Grocery stores, like the Food Star just on the
other side of George Mason, were a prime
target for looters and scavengers and have
little left, but some of the smaller convenience
stores and gas station shops may have been
overlooked.

25
Police Officer (2) barricade at Arlington Blvd, near the Jefferson
Rebeka Hayes Community Center. At least three hundred
civilians, mostly unarmed, ran into the gunfire
of a dozen soldiers and overwhelmed them.
The breach grew, soldiers refused to fire on
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐2 apparently healthy civilians, and those that
Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3 wanted to escape the quarantine did. By that
time it didn’t really matter – concentration of
Law Enforcement Powers-‐1 the disease was nearly as high in the rest of the
Good Luck-‐1 city as it was in the quarantine zone.
The barricades are still mostly intact
Biology-‐1 around the quarantines zone, and the bodies of
Combat Reflexes-‐2 the dead are still stacked in advanced states of
Improved Initiative decay in alleys between buildings and on
Concentration-‐2 vacant lots. Fires consumed many of the
buildings and burned out vehicles block the
Focus
streets. Colonel Kellogg’s crews have cleared
First Aid-‐1 the barricades and debris enough for vehicles
Handgun-‐1 to drive down Columbia Pike and Arlington as
Law-‐2 far as Fillmore Street, but no one from the
Persuasion-‐2 settlement has ventured farther east.
Surveillance-‐1 Because of the panic and desperate
attempts to escape the quarantine zone, less
Bad Temper. effort went into looting resources there. The
Looking for someone to blame stores and individual homes in the zone may
Nature lover still contain vital supplies that have
disappeared throughout the rest of the city.

Pistol RADIATION
Club When complete failure of the US power grid
came, most nuclear reactors had enough staff,
QUARANTINE ZONE backup power, or automated procedures to
The entire east-‐central section of Arlington, shut down, but the North Anna power station
bordered by Fort Myers to the east, South in Louisa, Virginia suffered a meltdown,
Glebe Road to the west, Wilson Blvd to the making a large area to the south and southeast
north and Columbia Pike to the south, was of Washington D.C. uninhabitable. PCs with
declared a quarantine zone in the early days of Geiger counters or other radiation sensors may
the outbreak. The area had a high notice the increased radiation as close as 20
concentration of disease and was cordoned off miles south of D.C.
by National Guard barricades along the roads
and army personnel patrolling the low fences SCAVENGING
of Fort Myers. As things grew more desperate, The most difficult resources to find in
sick people from outside the quarantine zone Arlington in late August are non-‐perishable
were forced inside. The panic and violence and foods. Food was the target of looting before the
spreading fire inside the zone was horrendous, collapse and organized scavenging by
and those on guard outside witnessed much of survivors afterwards. There is still food
it. around, but most of it is hoarded somewhere
Some of those in the zone eventually or still stored away in individual homes.
overcame their panic and organized a Colonel Kellogg has stuck to scavenging
coordinated attack on the National Guard businesses so far, but soon the people of the
26
settlement will have to risk searching more shaky, but they still make it dangerous to travel
individual homes for supplies. in the area. See Chapter 8 for more details.
There are still sources of clean water, and
the Potomac river gets cleaner every day. ALIEN RACE GOALS
Gasoline still fills the tanks of thousands of cars The Alien Race has two goals in the
in the area, and batteries can still be found. Washington, D.C. area. First, they seek to
Non-‐consumable items, like clothing, directly wipe out any surviving humans.
cooking utensils, knives, vehicles, and homes Failing that, they will attack and destroy any
are in ample supply. With only four percent of infrastructure that might be used by humans to
the population left, there are plenty of these rebuild civilizations, whether its a powers
items to go around. station, a freeway overpass, or a political
The nearest gun shops are about 10 miles symbol like the nation’s capitol. Their main
out, in Falls Church or Capitol Heights. There base of operation in the area is Washington
are firearms left, but no ammunition. A few National Airport.
sporting goods stores in Arlington still have
hunting bows and arrows. DISSENTERS
A small group within the Alien Race, including
SURVIVING HUMANS some visitors, believes that humans should not
The eighty or so residents of the Kellogg be wiped out completely. It was the dissenters
settlement are not the only survivors in the who immunized thousands of humans against
area. There are probably many similar Strain 816, and they still operate on the
settlements within five miles and thousands of ground, helping humans survive where they
individuals or families hiding out and can.
scavenging in secret. Many of the survivors in Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell a
the area fled west, believing that agricultural dissenter alien from the aliens that are
land in Virginia and beyond was their only determined to destroy humanity. It is only by
hope of long-‐term survival. their actions that the PCs will realize they have
allies among the aliens.
FORT M YER RADIO STATION
Colonel Kellogg’s settlers have a radio, with CARRIERS
which they have been able to make contact PCs with the Carrier disadvantage have been
with an emergency radio station at Fort Myer, abducted by alien dissenters and immunized
a few miles to the east. Through that contact, against Strain 816. They differ from other PCs
they have learned of other human colonies in who have fought off the disease in that they are
the area that also have radios – one to the still carriers – still contagious – and they had
north, across the Potomac in Georgetown, and the traumatic experience of being abducted
another far to the west in Annandale. and subjected to symbionts.
The Kellogg settlement makes daily contact The alien dissenters also administered
with Fort Myer and uses those conversations amnesia drugs to the carriers, so at the start of
to arrange special direct contact times with the play they remember nothing about their
other settlements. ordeal. However, during the campaign, the GM
may roll the Carrier disadvantage die
STICK M EN whenever a carrier PC encounters and alien – if
The area that was once the quarantine zone, the check is a success, the PC has a flashback to
between the Kellogg settlement and Fort Myer, his or her experience on the alien ship, perhaps
is now the home of a band of armed scavengers seeing the vectorslug being attached or the
who mark their territory by spray painting anesthetic symbiont being place over their
stick men on buildings. They are not systematic face. This may cause irrational behavior in the
in their scavenging, and their leadership is moment.
27
Over time, with enough of these recall The Colonel gives the PCs containers for the
episodes, a carrier may piece together the soil samples, as well as the supplies listed in
whole encounter with the aliens and realize the Recon 6 Player’s guide. He also gives them
what truly happened. a paper map of the Washington, D.C. area,
including Arlington.
THE MISSION
The Player guide to the Recon 6 campaign ends Note: If, for some reason, you feel the PCs are not
just before Colonel Kellogg briefs the PCs on yet ready to set out on their primary mission,
their mission as the newly formed “Recon 6” perhaps because they are just getting familiar
team. The Colonel had intended to send the PCs with the D6Pool rules or because all of the
to collect soil samples in the area so they could players haven’t gathered yet, you may want to
plan for agriculture in the spring, but have Colonel Kellogg first send them on the
something has changed. mini-mission detailed in the next chapter:
Scavenging the 7-Eleven.
The Colonel’s Orders
“Your mission has changed somewhat. As of
yesterday, we have lost contact with Sergeant
Holden and the radio station at Fort Myer. I had
planned to send you in that direction anyway, so
determining the status of our radio contact is
now your first priority.
Your secondary objective is to visit the
national mall and Washington National Airport
and return soil samples. We can’t scavenge food
forever, and come spring we have to be ready to
farm.
As always, scavenge whatever you can, based
on the list of priorities I had you memorize. Can
you recite them?”

28
Chapter 7: Scavenging the 7-Eleven
This chapter presents a short encounter that HOMELESS WANDERER (0)
can either act as an introduction to D6Pool Skinny Pete
and the Recon 6 setting, or as filler before the
main storyline gets going.
Officer Rebeka Hayes, who’s in charge of
security at the settlement, informs the PCs Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐2
that Maynard Wheldon, another resident, was Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐2
on watch and heard strange sounds from the
7-‐Eleven to the south, across Columbia Pike. Drug Resistance-‐1
She wants the PCs to investigate, see if there Poor Hearing-‐1
are any survivors there, and scavenge
whatever they can. She suspects that the Climbing-‐2
place is pretty picked over. Local Knowledge (Arlington)-‐2
The PCs can take the equipment they will Vehicle Mechanic-‐2
use on their recon mission, including any
weapons.
Calm in a crisis
THE SURROUNDING AREA Can’t pass up a drink
The 7-‐Eleven faces George Mason Drive to the Inappropriately Loud
west. To the north, on the corner, is the
parking lot of the Select Auto used car lot, and f Skinny Pete or the PCs manage to break
to the south is a vacant lot. The back of the 7-‐ into the truck, they’ll find it belongs to a
Eleven butts up against a row of three-‐story, company that builds and maintains sewers
red brick apartment buildings set at angles to and manholes. There may be a few useful
one another. tools inside, but little else.
SKINNY PETE FERAL DOGS

A thin, disheveled man wanders the 7-‐Eleven The activity in the area has attracted a pack of
parking lot with a crowbar in his hand. This is four feral dogs looking for food. They stay
Skinny Pete, a homeless alcoholic who sees back if they see a group of people, but they
the apocalypse as a welcome chance to live in will attack a lone PC or Skinny Pete.
whatever house he likes and shop without
money. He is currently using the crowbar to THE VACANT LOT
break into a white panel truck with the label The vacant lot to the south is covered in
“AM-‐Liner” on the side. If questioned, he’ll tell grass, with a few bare dirt patches. If any of
the PCs he’s looking for medical supplies for the PCs have a Geiger counter or any other
his family, but he’s actually more interested way to detect radiation, they will notice that
in finding alcohol. For some reason, he hasn’t the radiation level in the field is about twenty
thought to check the grocery store just to the times the normal background radiation. This
north. is because one of the spacecreatures landed
Skinny Pete will check out the PCs if they there recently to drop off a pair of visitors.
approach him, but he won’t run. If it’s obvious
the PCs are armed, he’ll tell them he’s glad to
see it. Someone has to take care of those
“Mutated Bastards.”
29

FERAL DOG (1) Street View
Strength-‐1 Intelligence-‐1 Arlington is a real place, as is this particular 7-
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐2 Eleven store, and the houses on Rudolph Drive
Dexterity-‐3 Perception-‐3 where the survivors live. If you have access to
the Internet while you play this campaign, it
might be helpful to use Google Maps Steet View
Acute Smell-‐2
to get a better look!
Acute Hearing-‐1
THE VISITORS
Acrobatics-‐1 There are two visitors in the area on a search
Intimidation-‐1 and destroy mission for surviving humans. A
Natural Weapon-‐2 humanoid visitor is in cover inside the store,
Multiple Natural Attacks watching Skinny Pete and waiting for its
Running-‐2 ursoid companion to return from a search
Self Control-‐2 through the woods. The ursoid returns
Tracking-‐2 through the vacant lot at some point judged
most dramatic by the gamemaster, and the
starving feral dogs begin barking at it (if the PCs
never attack alone haven’t killed them or driven them away).
This encounter should take place before the

PCs enter the store.
If PCs make an intentional search of the The ursoid visitor has no symbionts. The
vacant lot, a successful difficulty 2 [Tracking + humanoid visitor has a toxic dart weapon, a
Perception] challenge will reveal that the
visual sensory store attached to the side of its
grass here has been depressed in a oval about head, and living armor.
thirty feet across. The ursoid attacks, but if it is wounded at
all or realizes it is
outnumbered, it runs
away through the
apartment complex to
the east. The humanoid
visitor fires its toxic
darts from cover in the
store. If it sees the ursoid
retreat, it runs out the
back of the store and
also flees to the east.

30
SEARCHING THE 7-ELEVEN
URSOID VISITOR(3) The inside of the store smells of rotting food
Strength-‐4 Intelligence-‐1 and all of the food has been taken. There is
Stamina-‐3 Charisma-‐2 still some candy and plenty of non-‐
consumable items like flashlights, magazines
and old movies on DVD. If the PCs search the
manager’s office, they find two packs of
Acute Hearing-‐2 batteries, as well as a flask of whisky hidden
Acute Smell-‐2 inside the desk’s lap drawer.

Climbing-‐2 HANDLING CAPTURED VISITORS
Swimming-‐2 This encounter is intended to give the PCs a
Language (Chemical)-‐native quick glimpse of visitors, and Skinny Pete is
Language (Chinese)-‐1 there to get the idea of disease mutations into
their minds as an explanation. If the PCs
Natural Weapons-‐2
manage to actually capture or kill a humanoid
Powerful Natural Attack
visitor, or even grab a blood sample, they
Running-‐2 might be able to determine that the creature
Intimidation-‐2 was of human “origin.” It might also become
Frighten apparent that the ursoid is somehow related
to a bear. The mutation idea should hold up.
no symbionts
WHAT ABOUT SKINNY PETE?
If the PCs return to the settlement with
HUMANOID VISITOR
Skinny Pete, Officer Hayes will express some
Strength-‐1 Intelligence-‐2 disappointment. It doesn’t appear that Pete
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐2 has anything to offer the settlement and
Dexterity-‐3 Perception-‐3 might even be a burden to them. If Pete
helped the PCs in the encounter with the
Empathy-‐1 visitors, that will be a point in his favor, and
Officer Hayes could be convinced with an
Acrobatics-‐2 apposed challenge of [Intelligence +
Rough Move Persuasion] vs. her [Perception].
Alien Race Weapons-‐2 If the PCs are willing, they can take Pete
Biology-‐2 along on their mission as a test of his
usefulness.
Language (Tactile)-‐native
Language (English)-‐3
Stealth-‐2
Surveillance-‐2

toxic dart
living armor
visual sensory store

31
CHAPTER 8: THE ROAD TO FORT MYER
The PCs’ closest objective is the silent radio The humanoid visitor following the PCs
station at Fort Myer. They will see on their map carries no weapons, but does have a visual
that Fort Myers is a straight shot east on concentrator symbiont and a medislug. His
Arlington Blvd or Columbia Pike. designation in the alien tactile language sounds
Unfortunately, both of these routes go right like “Shishna” to human ears.
through the old quarantine zone, which is now
the territory of the Stick Men. As soon as the HUMANOID VISITOR (2)
PCs cross Glebe Street, they may notice stick Shishna
men figures spray painted on the corners of
buildings to mark the gang’s territory.
The Stick Men are dangerous, but they have
begun to clean up the quarantine zone –
forcing unarmed captives to bury or burn dead Dexterity-‐3 Perception-‐3
bodies and clear roads so their small convoys
can pass. Dissenter-‐2
If the PCs avoid the quarantine zone by
swinging far to the south, the GM should feel Acrobatics-‐1
free to throw alternate dangers their way – Alien Race Weapons-‐1
perhaps a patrol of visitors from the airport. In Biology-‐2
any case, the PCs will have to deal with the Language (Tactile)-‐native
Stick Men and their leader when they reach Language (English)-‐3
Fort Myers.
Running-‐2
VISITOR SIGHTING Stealth-‐3
Sometime after entering the quarantine zone, Surveillance-‐2
the PCs should catch a glimpse of a humanoid
visitor. This particular visitor is a Dissenter, visual store
and has no intent to harm the PCs – he may visitor medislug
even help them if he has the opportunity.
On the other hand, he does not want to be LONE SURVIVOR
detected or caught, either by the PCs or other A survivor named Ronald Goggin still lives in
visitors. one of the apartment houses in the quarantine
Perhaps the PCs will spot the visitor when zone, somewhere along the PCs route to Fort
they stop to investigate the stick men symbols, Myer. His wife died trying to escape in one of
or during their encounter with Ronald Goggin the early quarantine riots, but he doesn’t know
(see Lone Survivor below). what happened to her. He survived the
As with the 7-‐Eleven encounter, this may craziness of the quarantine by building a secret
turn into a chase, with the PCs trying to catch room in his closet to hide himself, as well as his
the visitor. It’s OK if the PCs capture him, but it food and water. He keeps his apartment messy,
drains some of the mystery and drama from to make it look like it has already been looted.
the next few encounters. Perhaps, if the PCs do When looters caught him in the apartment, he
catch up the visitor, it might be a good time to pretended he was a disappointed looter who
shake things up by introducing the Stick Men had found nothing.
patrol (see below). Ronald is running low on supplies, so he
must risk going out into the world to scavenge.
32
First he found whatever was left in the other
apartments in his building, then he carefully
scouted from windows and learned that the
main threat out there was the Stick Men
patrols, and he can usually hear them coming.
The PCs may run into Ronald if they try to
scavenge from his apartment building, or while
he’s out scavenging. He is Unfriendly toward
the PCs. He is also slightly paranoid and will
resist most Persuasion challenges using his
Perception Attribute, looking for reasons to
distrust the PCs.
Ronald carries a pint of water, binoculars,
and a loaded .38 caliber pistol with him
whenever he’s outside. In his apartment he has
a few days of food and water, 50 rounds of
ammunition for his pistol, a small laptop
(Portable Basic Computer) and a small hand
generator that he uses to charge it. He also has
flashlights, batteries, and stacks and stacks of STICK MEN PATROL
books. The Stick Men are a gang organized under a
charismatic leader. They patrol the old
quarantine zone, not allowing any competition
LONE SURVIVOR (1)
for scavenging in the areas they have marked
Ronald Goggin with their stick man figures. Their leader is a
little crazy, and has used his followers to hunt
Strength-‐1 Intelligence-‐3 alien visitors for sport. They have captured and
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐1 tortured enough aliens to find out what is
Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3 really going on.
As the PCs make their way toward Fort
Acute Vision-‐1 Myer through, or along the edge of the old
Bad Knee-‐1 quarantine zone, they should notice the stick
man markings painted on the corners of

Business-‐2 buildings. At some point as they near the base,
they will encounter a Stick Men patrol.
Computers-‐3
The PCs can hear the Stick Men’s noisy,
Deception-‐1 poorly maintained vehicles coming well in
Driving-‐1 advance with a successful difficulty 2
Finance-‐2 [Perception + Vehicle Mechanic] challenge. If
Handgun-‐1 the PCs get only one success on this roll, they
Quick Draw have two rounds to prepare or get into hiding
Stealth-‐1 before the Stick Men check to notice them.
Note that this perception check could be more
Trust No one difficult if the PCs themselves are very noisy.
Books are civilizations only hope The Stick Men patrol consists of two
Someday he’ll find his wife soldiers and a scavenger in a Lincoln Navigator
(sport utility vehicle), one scavenger and one
soldier in a compact car, and one scavenger on
binoculars a small motorcycle.
pistol
33
A dead ursoid visitor is strapped like a Each Stick Men soldier carries a semi-‐
bearskin rug, across the hood of the SUV. To automatic rifle with twenty rounds of
the PCs, it may look like a large, hairless, pink, ammunition, a pistol with eight rounds, and
mutated human. A successful difficulty 2 wears leather (Heavy Clothing) to provide one
[Perception + Animals] challenge will reveal, point of armor against sharp attacks.
even from a distance, that the creature has
bear-‐like qualities and may just be a skinned or STICK MEN SCAVENGER (1)
shaved bear.

The Stick Men are out searching residential Strength-‐2 Intelligence-‐2
buildings for supplies to bring back to their
base at the Jefferson Community Center. If they
notice the PCs, or detect their presence Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3
somehow, they will send the scavenger on the
motorcycle back to the base for help, and then Acute Vision-‐1
hunt the PCs down and try to kill them. After
about five minutes, three more soldiers will Command-‐1
arrive in a pickup truck. Driving-‐2
First Aid-‐1
STICK MEN SOLDIER (2) Local Knowledge (Arlington)-‐2
Persuasion-‐2
Strength-‐4 Intelligence-‐1 Self Control-‐1
Stamina-‐3 Charisma-‐1 Stealth-‐1
Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐2 Vehicle Mechanic-‐2

More is better
Armor-‐1 Let the soldiers do the fighting
Armor Mobility
Combat Reflexes-‐2 pistol
Zone of Control
Handgun-‐2 Stick Men scavengers are the leaders of patrols,
Intimidation-‐2 in that they decide where the patrol is going. If
Rifle-‐2 the patrol encounters any threats or survivors,
Running-‐1 the soldiers go into action and the scavengers
Unarmed Combat-‐2 go into hiding. Each scavenger is armed with a
pistol, but is not very effective at using it.
The SUV contains enough food and water to
This is our turf
supply the PCs for a week, along with 50 extra
Don’t waste ammunition rounds of rifle ammunition that the Stick Men
will only use as a last resort. Note that the Stick
rifle Men may attempt to capture and enslave
pistol helpless PCs, rather than kill them.
heavy clothing
34
CHAPTER 9: FORT MYER
When the disease crisis began and extra CDC building supporting the radio antenna
coordination was required to contain the with a bazooka, destroying the station
quarantine zone in Arlington, the US Army set equipment and killing one soldier stationed
up a special radio communication station at there.
Fort Myer. The army chose the base’s new This activity drew the attention of a visitor
Child Development Center (daycare) as the patrol. They killed one humanoid visitor and
comm center’s location, since all activities for started a pyre to watch both bodies burn
military children were cancelled during the before a spacecreature full of ursoids from the
epidemic. airfield to the south came and drove the Stick
The CDC building is just inside and to the Men away.
south of the base’s 2nd street gate. The east side
of the building is only a few yards from the AFTERMATH OF STICK MEN ATTACK
fence of Arlington National Cemetery. Between the base gate and the CDC building is
Unfortunately, the Stick Men got wind of the a baseball diamond and an open field with a
communication between settlements and few trees. When the PCs arrive here, they see a
decided it was not in their best interest to let thin plume of smoke rising from the field.
that happen. They had avoided raiding the base There is also smoke rising from the building
in the past, but now they risked it. They itself. The corner of the building is destroyed,
attacked suddenly, hitting the corner of the as if by explosives. Scraps of burned paper
35
litter the ground everywhere and blow around soldier killed in the explosion (and burned on
in the wind. the pyre with the visitor). They will also find a
Spacecreatures have landed multiple times small generator with a few hours of fuel that
on the baseball diamond. It now produces somehow survived the explosion. It is possible
elevated levels of radiation, similar to the field that the records of contacts with other
at the 7-‐Eleven. settlements were in those file cabinets, but
they are now burned up or blown across the
THE PYRE base.
The smoke in the field rises from a dying fire.
Upon close examination, it’s obvious that the VISITOR IN HIDING
remains of the fire contain two bodies not One of the visitors from the patrol took cover
completely consumed by the flames. in the building, was wounded by Sergeant
Both bodies appear human, and probably Holden, and was unconscious when the
male, but only one seems to have worn any spacecreature came to retrieve them. Now the
clothes. Also, the naked person appears to have visitor is hiding inside the building. It won’t go
been very thin. into the southeastern half of the building out of
This may be the first time the PCs have had fear of the Sergeant, so it will try to sneak past
a close-‐up look at a humanoid visitor. If a PC the PCs and get across the fields to the gate.
specifically examines the thin body and
succeeds on a difficulty 1 [Perception + WOUNDED HUMANOID VISITOR (2)
Biology] check, they notice that, although the
thin person was probably barely five feet tall,
he had unusually long fingers and a large head.
A thorough search of the ashes (difficulty 2 Dexterity-‐3 Perception-‐2
[Perception + Concentration] challenge)
reveals the tiny, flexible rib cage of the visitor’s
toxic dart symbiont, as well as a few surviving Acrobatics-‐1
darts. Alien Race Weapons-‐2
Multiple Alien Weapon Shots
THE RADIO STATION Biology-‐2
The northwest corner of the Child
Concentration-‐1
Development center has been destroyed by an
Focus
explosion and appears to have contained the
radio station – at least that’s where a fallen Language (Tactile)-‐native
radio antenna seems to have toppled. A Language (English)-‐2
difficulty 2 [Perception + Special Weapons] Stealth-‐2
check reveals that it was hit by some sort of Surveillance-‐2
projectile explosive from the outside – like a
bazooka. 1 Wound
The rooms hit by the explosion are in
disarray, and some items in them are still toxic dart gun
smoldering. It appears that some file cabinets living armor
were at the center of the explosion, spreading

burning papers everywhere. None of the radio
If the wounded visitor does escape, he may run
equipment is in working order, but some may
into the returning Stick Men (see below), or
be repairable. Treat this as an emergency radio
make his way down to the airport to get
with two wounds.
reinforcements.
In addition to the radio equipment, the PCs
will find bloodstains in the room from the
36
SERGEANT HOLDEN’S TRAPS
The two soldiers who operated the radio RADIO OPERATOR (2)
station knew that desperate people might one Staff Sergeant Nick Holden
day come for their supplies or try to shut down

their broadcasts. They had also seen visitors Strength-‐2 Intelligence-‐2
from afar, which added to their anxiety.
They created a retreat in the basement of
the building. One of the soldiers was killed in Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐2
the Stick Men’s bazooka blast, but the other,
Staff Sergeant Holden, was only wounded and Good Luck-‐1
is hiding out in the lower level with two weeks
worth of food and water. He also has two hand-‐ Communications-‐3
wound flashlights, an ebook reader that he’s Computers-‐1
managed to keep charged from the radio Concentration-‐1
station generator, and quite a bit of first aid Focus
supplies, plus prescription antibiotics and Explosives-‐1
painkillers. Handgun-‐1
To help protect his supplies, Sergeant
Language(English)-‐native
Holden has set up a barricade of children’s
desks in the lower level hallway. He also sprays Language(Spanish)-‐2
the stairs leading to the lower level with Operate Industrial-‐1
lubricant. The first PC on the stairs must Stealth-‐1
succeed at a difficulty 2 [Perception + History-‐1
Acrobatics] check or take damage from a 10-‐
foot fall. After that, players who know about 1 Wound
the lubricant may safely use them with a
difficulty 1 [Dexterity + Acrobatics] or No family nearby
[Dexterity + Climbing] check. Sergeant Holden Determined to continue his mission
Keeps a small section of each step clear of
lubricant, but only he knows the pattern.
assault rifle
Sergeant Holden has also run a tripwire
across the northern end of the lower hallway.
It is connected to a grenade tucked into a wall
STICK MEN RETURN
The Stick Men who were driven away by the
outlet. The first PC passing that way must
approaching spacecreature kept watch and
succeed on a difficulty 2 [Perception +
saw it leave again. They gather a few more
Explosives] check or set off the grenade.
friends and head back to the Fort Myer to see
Sergeant Holden doesn’t want to hurt
what they can scavenge, and to mark it as part
anyone – he’s actually a pretty nice guy. He’s
of their own territory.
just seen too many strange things lately. If he
This patrol consists of a scavenger and two
knows the PCs are in the building, he will hide
soldiers in the Lincoln Navigator with the
behind his barricade. If he hears them coming
ursoid visitor strapped to the hood, another
down (or falling down) the stairs, he shouts a
scavenger in a compact car, and the stick man
warning that he’s armed and ready to defend
leader, Chad Guryev, in a yellow 1966 Mustang
himself.
Convertible.
Sergeant Holden is also alone now, and his
The Stick Men enter through the 2nd street
radio station has been destroyed, so he might
gate and cross the fields in their vehicles to the
be convinced through Puruasion to join the PCs
small parking lot on the west side of the CDC
and Colonel Kellogg’s settlement.
building. They are on the lookout for visitor
37
stragglers, but don’t expect any human
resistance. STICK MEN SOLDIER (2)
A few cars are still parked in the parking lot

from before the collapse, so even if the PCs Strength-‐4 Intelligence-‐1
parked a vehicle there, the stick Men may not
notice it. If the PCs parked out in the middle of
a field, the Stick Men will notice and will Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐2
approach cautiously.
One of the Stick Men scavengers moves to
spray paint their symbol on the corners of the Armor-‐1
CDC building, and on a base infirmary building Armor Mobility
to the south. The Stick Men leader and another Combat Reflexes-‐2
scavenger stay with the vehicles while the Zone of Control
soldiers investigate the building. Handgun-‐2
Intimidation-‐2
STICK MEN LEADER (4) Rifle-‐2
Chad Guryev Running-‐1
Unarmed Combat-‐2
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐3 This is our turf
rifle
Allies-‐2 pistol
Attractive-‐1 heavy Clothing

Armor-‐1 STICK MEN SCAVENGER (1)
Armor Mobility
Concentration-‐2
Focus Stamina-‐1 Charisma-‐2
Driving-‐2 Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3
Combat Driving

Intimidation-‐1 Acute Vision-‐1
Language(Russian)-‐native

Language(3)-‐English Command-‐1
Persuasion-‐2 Driving-‐2
Shotgun-‐2 First Aid-‐1
Shotgun Assault Local Knowledge (Arlington)-‐2
Unarmed Combat-‐1 Persuasion-‐2
Stealth-‐2
A few good men can rule this town Vehicle Mechanic-‐2
The only good alien is a dead alien

More is better
shotgun Let the soldiers do the fighting
pistol

heavy Clothing pistol
38
CHAPTER 10: THE NATIONAL MALL
The PCs have been instructed to collect soil either end of each bridge (see Chapter 5 for
samples from the national mall to see if it will special abilities). If the PCs defeat or drive
be a good location to farm in the spring. away the visitors in one of the teams, that
The visitors cleared out all the human team’s Demolition Egg Tender will try to flee
settlements around the mall days ago and left south where a small spacecreature will float
only one lone humanoid visitor as a lookout – north from the airport to rescue it. Demolotion
at the top of the Washington monument. Egg Tenders avoid combat, but may sacrifice
Demolition teams have destroyed most of the their egg in an attempt to set a trap for any
symbolic buildings around the mall, like the pursuing PCs.
capitol building, the White House and the If the PCs don’t stop both of the teams
Lincoln Memorial. assigned to a bridge, that bridge will be
destroyed within an hour.
DEMOLITION TEAM
If the PCs try to cross one of the bridges over DEMOLOTION EGG TENDER
the Potomac (Interstate 66, 395, or the
Arlington Memorial Bridge), they will come
across teams of aliens in the process of setting
explosive charges to blow key bridge supports. Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐2
The alien teams consist of one humanoid
visitor, one dolphoid visitor, and one Empathy-‐1
Demolition Egg Tender, with one such team on
Explosives-‐2
Specialty(demolition egg)
Language (Electromagnetic)-‐native
Language (Tactile)-‐2
Language (Visual)-‐2
Physics-‐2
Running-‐4
Tend Symbiont(demolition egg)-‐3

demolition egg
digger
electromagnetic communicator
rebreather
THE LOOKOUT
A single humanoid visitor watches the mall
from the top of the Washington monument. It
scans the area with a visual concentrator and
through the use of a small, remotely-‐operated
spacecreature It will report any sightings of
humans to the Alien Race planners at the
airport using its communicator symbiont.

39
HUMANOID VISITOR HUMANOID VISITOR LOOKOUT


Acrobatics-‐2 Acrobatics-‐2
Rough Move Rough Move
Alien Race Weapons-‐2 Alien Race Weapons-‐2
Biology-‐2 Biology-‐2
Language (Tactile)-‐native Language (Tactile)-‐native
Language (English)-‐3 Language (English)-‐3
Stealth-‐2 Stealth-‐2
Surveillance-‐2 Surveillance-‐2

toxic dart weapon backbag
living armor electromagnetic communicator
visual-‐electromagnetic translator tactile-‐electromagnetic translator
visual concentrator
DOLPHOID VISITOR spacecreature controller
Stamina-‐2 Charisma-‐2 If the lookout reports a human sighting, a
Dexterity-‐2 Perception-‐3 spacecreature will launch from the airport and
glide north to the mall to unload 2 humanoid
visitors and one ursoid visitor. In addition, two
Acute Hearing-‐3
dolphoid visitors will swim north into the Tidal
Basin just south of the mall. This visitor
Acrobatics-‐2 response team’s mission will be to find and
Combat Reflexes-‐2 destroy any humans in the area. They will
Awareness pursue the PCs all the way back into Arlington
Language (Tactile)-‐native or to anywhere within about five miles of
Language (Visual)-‐1 Washington, D.C.
Language (Chemical)-‐1
Language (English)-‐1 THE SMITHSONIAN
The visitors cleared all of the humans out of
Natural Weapons-‐2
this area relatively early, so many of the nearby
Swimming-‐3 buildings remain unlooted. There may be a
little bit to eat and drink in the vending
tactile communicator machines and cafeteria in the Smithsonian. The
visual concentrator PCs may also find interesting and unusual
items in the museum displays themselves, or
useful books in the library of congress.
Sentimental PCs might even rescue the US
Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence from the National Archives
before the aliens realize their significance and
destroy them.
40
CHAPTER 11: THE AIRPORT
Reagan Washington National Airport is the First, if it seems like the PCs have led the
main base of Alien Race activity in the aliens anywhere near the settlement, the
Washington D.C. area. There are a half dozen Colonel orders an evacuation of everyone. He
Alien Race planners here, as well as a few splits the settlement up into small groups, to
demolition egg tenders, spacecreature tenders, move in secret by different paths and
and a small army of visitors. The main rendezvous as soon as possible, five miles to
objective of the Alien Race expedition here is to the west in Roundtree Park, on the north side
make sure that Washington doesn’t become a of Annandale. From there he will send out
symbolic rallying point for the
remaining humans. They carry out this
mission by destroying the most
sentimental buildings and by
exterminating any humans they come
across.
SECURITY
The main gates into the flight line are
each covered by a team of three
humanoid visitors with living armor
and toxic dart weapons. But there are
so many places where someone might
sneak in through a cargo hangar or
jump a fence far out along the runway. teams to make contact with the human
Because of this, ursoid visitors patrol the settlement in Annadale.
perimeter with their keen sense of smell, small Second, if the PCs have successfully fought
spacecreatures hover overhead, providing eyes and killed multiple aliens without much
in the sky through spacecreature controller damage to themselves, the Colonel may decide
symbionts, and dolphoid visitors swim up and to organize his small settlement to fight back.
down the river, watching the riverbank. That will mean getting more weapons, possibly
The PCs should have little difficulty getting forming an alliance with the Stick Men, and
close enough to see the level of activity at the setting up safe houses and defensible retreat
airport – and possibly catch a glimpse of a few positions around the city.
actual members of the Alien Race. What they Finally, if the PCs have taken serious
see will probably convince them that it’s time wounds from the encounters with the aliens
to head back and report to Colonel Kellogg. and the Stick Men, Colonel Kellogg may invoke
Perhaps they will swim ashore or jump a fence protocols to keep the settlement safe – armed
ahead of time to get the requested soil sample, pickets at the approaches to the area, lookouts
but a direct confrontation with the aliens here to warn of approaching spacecreatures,
would almost certainly be deadly. curfews during the day and limitations on
noise at all times. He will probably begin
WHERE THE CAMPAIGN GOES FROM HERE planning a move west in the spring.
If the PCs report back to the Colonel with all

that they’ve seen, he has three choices.

41
CHAPTER 12: GLOSSARY OF TERMS
BASE
Alien with four arms, plus two legs fused into a SPACECREATURE
single, wide “base,” Large, balloon-‐like symbiont that carry
members of the Alien Race across space. Some
BIPED can also be used for transportation within an
Alien with two arms and two legs. atmosphere.
CARRIER STICK M EN
A human immunized against Strain 816 by Militant gang of humans that patrols and
dissenter aliens. Carriers are immune, but still scavenges in eastern Arlington.
contagious.
STRAIN 8 16
DEAD TOOLS Deadly virus introduced on Earth by the Alien
Any tools used by the Alien Race that are not Race to wipe out humanity.
living symbionts. For example, all conventional
human tools would be considered dead tools. SYMBIONT
A living tool of the Alien Race. Symbionts
DISSENTERS operate by attaching themselves to, and
Group within the Alien Race that believes that, usually feeding off of, a host alien.
to preserve diversity, humans should not be
completely wiped out. TENDERS
Aliens whose specific purpose and task is to
DOLPHOID V ISITOR take care of other aliens or symbionts.
Alien visitor species bred from dolphins.
URSOID V ISITOR
EMPATHY Alien visitor species bred from an early bear
Alien advantage that applies to attempts to species.
bind with a symbiont.
VISITOR
HUMANOID V ISITOR Creatures bred by the Alien Race from native
Alien visitor species bred from early human Earth species, so that they can operate freely in
ancestors. the Earth environment.
QUAD
Alien with four legs and two arms.

42

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Recon 6 GM11

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Design: Russell Brown

Playtesting: Nick Gubbins, Ryan Tuck, Kyle Holbach

Copyright 2013 Russell J. Brown

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DECISION POINT PRESERVING DIVERSITY

Alien Race Symbionts

they have what they need to survive.

USING CAPTURED SYMBIONTS generally know at least one Alien Race

SKINNY PETE FERAL DOGS

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