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 SAMSA VI MISSION ORGANIZATION CHART

2ndLt Kaplan (KIA) SSgt Underhill (MIA) Dr. Edem Hinton (MIA)
Platoon Commander Platoon Sergeant Mission Specialist Science Officer
Synthetic

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2ndLt Lange (KIA) Sgt Valdez Dr. Ziegler (MIA) Sobol
Pilot Platoon Tech Exobiologist Engineering
(Acting Commander)

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Sgt Yang LCpl Xavier (KIA) LCpl Resnick (KIA) Cpl Novikov
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Squad Leader APC Driver Fireteam 1 Fireteam 2
Zigzag Squad Zigzag Squad Zigzag Squad Zigzag Squad

PFC Tanaka PFC Pedro PFC Olsson (KIA)

APC Tech Fireteam 1 Fireteam 2
Zigzag Squad Zigzag Squad Zigzag Squad
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Sgt Abara (KIA) Cpl Ivanovic LCpl Franco (MIA) Cpl Qadir (MIA)
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Squad Leader APC Driver Fireteam 1 Fireteam 2

Siege Squad Siege Squad Siege Squad Siege Squad

HM3 Brookman PFC Glöckner (MIA) PFC Weaver (MIA)

Platoon Medic Fireteam 1 Fireteam 2
Siege Squad Siege Squad Siege Squad

Demar (KIA) Dr. Jensen (MIA) Dr. Kawaguchi

Mechanic Geologist Planetologist

2 W Visit MOTHERSHIPRPG.COM for help, resources, and downloads.

 How to use this Module

Another Bug Hunt features four

interconnected scenarios for the Mothership
Sci-Fi Horror RPG. Each scenario can be
played in roughly 3-6 hours, with any
number of players and a Warden. Take as
much or as little time as you need.

Written by
DG CHAPMAN, LUKE GEARING, Introducing WES
ALAN GERDING, TYLER KIMBALL

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Hello, Warden. I am your Warden
Edited by Educational Support, or WES. I’m
JARRETT CRADER here to guide you through this module

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and provide helpful tips and tricks for
Layout & Graphic Design by running your first game of Mothership.
LONE ARCHIVIST, SEAN McCOY Any time you see W, you’ll find extra
insight and context to help you run the
PDF Remediation by game. You do not need to read these
DAI SHUGARS sections while playing but you should
read each scenario once all the way
Art by through before you play.
DON AUSTIN, FRANCK BESANÇON,
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PAUL ENAMI, JACOB HAYNES, What do I need?
DAVID HOSKINS, ZACH HAZARD
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VAUPEN, AND SAM WILDMAN • Schedule a game with some friends.
• Read the “What’s going on?” section
Playtested by on pg. 5 and the first scenario,
REECE CARTER Distress Signals, on pg. 8.
• If you haven’t already, familiarize
Proofread by yourself with the rules in the Player’s
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DANIEL HALLINAN AND JANNE PUONTI Survival Guide or the cheat sheet on
the back cover.
Special Thanks to • If you have time, read Running
DUSTY DAVIS, CHRISTIAN KESSLER, Your First Session on pg. 22 in the
THRIFTOMANCER, DONALD SHULTS, Warden’s Operations Manual.
DAVID N. WILKIE, AND LINDSAY,
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LANGSTON & JUNIPER From there, you’re good to go. Good

luck! You’re going to do great.
Copyright © 2023 Tuesday Knight Games
First Edition, First printing, v1.2

Content Warnings

Go over these with your players before you start your session.
• Arachnophobia. The carcinids have elements of giant insects, spiders, and crabs.
• Body horror. Amputations, rot, organ-removal, and others nightmarish events.
• Mind control. Mental enslavement and agency removal are key plot elements, along
with psychic intrusion that resemble elements of real-life psychiatric disorders.
• Violence. Combat, suicide by firearm, emotional trauma, and corpses feature heavily.
• Claustrophobia and other environmental hazards (such as drowning) are common.

OVERVIEW SCENARIO 1 SCENARIO 2 SCENARIO 3 SCENARIO 4 3

 A TIMELINE OF EVENTS UP UNTIL NOW

What the players know. What they don’t know.

Ten years ago

The Company detected signs of The signs are emissions from an ancient
biochemistry on Samsa VI and decided to starfaring race that landed on Samsa VI a
send a team to investigate. century ago. Since then they have slept
aboard their ship, slowly terraforming the
planet to suit their needs.

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One year ago

A skeleton crew of researchers, engineers, The arrival of the humans triggered an

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and marines arrived on Samsa VI to establish immune response from the slumbering
Greta Base and Heron Terraforming Station. “nobles,” which began birthing legions of
They discovered a species of arthropods, arthropods to protect their interests.
labeled them carcinids or “carcs,” and
proceeded to terminate them on sight.

Nine months ago

The colonists captured a carc larva for

e Dr. Edem along with the colony’s android,
experimentation and study. Hinton, discovered that carcs can assimilate
other lifeforms using a memetic virus they
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transmit through a piercing “Shriek.”

Six months ago

Greta Base ceased all communications. Hinton went rogue, interfaced with the
carcs’ telepathic hive mind and converted
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the Shriek into a Signal that could be

broadcast over radiowaves.

Three months ago

The Company hired the crew to address the Using the Signal, Hinton transformed
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situation. several colonists into carcs during a

birthday celebration. Slaughter ensued.

Six weeks ago

The crew entered the Samsa system and Hinton’s carcs laid siege to the remaining
found Greta Base unresponsive to hailing. colonists, who are currently barricaded in
the Heron Terraforming Station.

One hour ago

The crew’s dropship touched down on Hinton has begun a process to awaken the
Samsa VI. Torrential rain pours down like slumbering nobles in the hopes that he may
judgment day while the colony sits silent as ascend and become one of them. None of
a prayer. the colonists suspect Hinton’s betrayal.

4 W Summarize the left column for your players. The right column is just for you.
// Module Overview
Freedom to Choose

WHAT’S This book is not meant to be played like a

GOING ON? video game, with pre-planned cutscenes

or a scripted beginning, middle, and end.
Instead, it provides various locations,
obstacles, and challenges for players to
The Signal
encounter and struggle against. What
happens next is up to them. If they
Hinton, the synthetic science officer of skip over content in the book, or ignore
the Samsa VI mission, has a plan. First, entire scenarios, that’s okay! What’s
he worked out the secret of the carcinid most important is that they choose their

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Shriek (pg. 7) and converted it into a Signal own path forward and deal with the
that can be reliably broadcast over the consequences. Don’t try to force them to
airwaves, exponentially expanding the carcs’ experience the “story” of this book; the

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reproductive capabilities. story is only what happens when you
play, nothing more.
After commandeering the Orbital Relay
(pg. 23) and surgically grafting an unwilling
carc to the controls, Hinton continuously
transmitted the Signal across Samsa VI. As
a result: No radio communications work on SAMSA VI
Samsa VI. Anyone who tries risks infection
(pg. 7). The colonists assume Hinton is
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missing, along with many others, and none MOTHERSHIP
suspect his betrayal. (pg. 30)
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Unbeknownst to them, he built a lab on the
carc mothership, where he continues his
experiments, hoping to find a way to uplift
his own consciousness into the carc hive D E
mind. If he can, Hinton will metamorphose
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into a carc noble and command legions. HERON STATION

He has already begun the process.
C (pg. 16)

Samsa VI
B
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There are three key locations on Samsa VI:

Greta Base (pg. 10), Heron Terraforming
GRETA BASE
Station (pg. 16) and the Mothership (pg. 30). (pg. 10)
Below are the most common routes:

• Path [A] (pg. 10): Short, muddy walk.

• Rough Trail [B]: Takes 20 minutes in an APC A
or 1 hour on foot.
• Faint Carc Trail [C] (pg. 15): Takes 45 LANDING ZONE
minutes in an APC or 6 hours on foot.
• Jungle Hike [D]: No trail, but can be hiked
in 4 hours.
• The Tunnels [E] (pg. 29): 1 hour hike
underground. MINIMAP

OVERVIEW SCENARIO 1 SCENARIO 2 SCENARIO 3 SCENARIO 4 5

 //

THE
CARCINIDS
!!! CARCINID !!!

C:75 Claw 4d10 DMG I:75 AP:30 W:2(20)

Aramid Fiber Weave: Bullet/flameproof

carapace. Weakness: hydrofluoric acid.

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The Shriek: Sanity Save: on failure gain 1 Stress
and become infected (see pg. 7).

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6 W Use the table on the back cover to show each carc as unique and sapient.
 The Shriek

Carcinids can assimilate other lifeforms by emitting a

high pitched Shriek which transmits a memetic virus
to the human or android listener. This memetic virus,
or “cancer pattern,” imprints on the victim’s brain,
slowly transforming them into the host for a carcinid
larva. When a character hears the Shriek, they make
a Sanity Save. If they fail, Stage 1 sets in. Infected
characters must make a Sanity Save every 2d10 hours
or else move on to the next stage of infection.

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Hinton has done the painstaking work of converting
the Shriek into something that can be reliably
transmitted over the airwaves, exponentially

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expanding the carcs’ reproductive capabilities.

The Cure

There is currently no cure for infection, though Hinton’s

Logic Core (see pg. 38) if retrieved and studied, could
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STAGE INFECTION

1. Revelation Victim hears intermittent whispered suggestions from the carc hive
mind. Their entire body breaks out in small incisions reminiscent of
paper cuts.
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2. Induction Victim suffers catatonic state for 2d10 minutes filled with dream-like
visions of the hive, working underground in ant-like tunnels. Host
becomes deeply empathetic towards carcs (and all arthropods) and
has [-] on any action which would harm a (fellow) carcinid. A carc larva
can be detected inside the host using a bioscanner.
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3. Possession Victim must make a Body Save hourly or else engage in mindless
drone-work (digging, hoarding food, walking towards the nearest
group of carcs). Only physical harm (2+ DMG) breaks the trance.

4. Assimilation Victim succumbs to complete control by the hive mind and the player
must roll up another character. Hinton uses assimilated characters as
infiltrators, though he is not very adept at controlling them. Victims
can’t speak clearly and instead growl in strained monosyllabic
responses. They can’t engage in complicated violent maneuvers,
though they can open doors, press buttons, pull the pin on frag
grenades, etc.

5. Transformation A fully grown carc erupts from the victim’s neck, chest, or abdomen.

OVERVIEW SCENARIO 1 SCENARIO 2 SCENARIO 3 SCENARIO 4 7