INTRODUCTION

Out from the Maelstrom is an adventure for 4 1st level characters. It is part of the "Dead Suns" campaign, a full conversion of the Starfinder "Dead Suns" Adventure Path. The adventure follows the current Canon Star Wars timeline and is set in 7 ABY, two years after the Galactic Concordance that ended the Galactic Civil War and established the New Republic.

Act 1: The Munt Ontdal Gang War

The adventure starts on Munt Ontdal, a large space station on the edge of the Outer Rim. Long a haven of lawlessness, the defeat of the Galactic Empire after the Battle of Endor has shifted structures of power in the sector. The independent station has a law-abiding governor now, and the burgeoning New Republic has established a presence on the station to monitor the sector. However, with the ongoing threat of splinter Imperial Remnants and expanding pirate gangs, the New Republic is forced to rely on a mix of irregular troops and mercenaries. The player characters have come to Munt Ontdal to answer the open invitation of Genera Hera Syndulla, either as Republic soldiers themselves, mercenaries, or have some other reason to ally themselves with the New Republic.

The PCs don’t need to be acquainted with one another yet; they’ve all made arrangements to meet a New Republic officer named Henen Mog in Docking Bay 94. Mog has promised to show them around the station, help them get settled, and facilitate their introduction to the New Republic operation on the station. The adventure assumes that the PCs are all passengers on the shuttle Bright Moon, which has just arrived at Munt Ontdal, landing in Docking Bay 94. If any characters are natives of Munt Ontdal or already agents of the New Republic, they can be either returning to the station after a short time away or present in the docking bay awaiting the shuttle’s arrival. Adjust the first encounter as necessary to account for any PCs that are not passengers on the shuttle. The players should take a few moments to make introductions and describe their characters to each other before moving on to the first encounter, Caught in the Crossfire.

Munt Ondal Gang Member

Medium humanoid (any), any dark alignment

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• Armor Class 11
• Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)	9 (-1)	11 (+0)	8 (-1)

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• Skills Deception +1, Intimidation +3
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Languages Galactic Basic
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

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Actions

Light Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) energy damage.

Techaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) kinetic damage.

Assuming the PCs agree to investigate the attack and Henen Mog’s possible murder, Hera has little else to offer them at this point. Munt Ontdal’s street gangs are not the general’s specialty, and her suspicion regarding Mog’s death is just that—it’s up to the PCs to find proof, if any exists. She does promise to coordinate with station security to get any potential leads. Syndulla gives her personal comm code to the PCs, so they can call and report if necessary.

Hera also transfers 200 credits to each of the PCs’ accounts (an “advance salary,” she calls it) and suggests they get settled on the station before starting their investigation. If the PCs have not yet found a place to stay, Hera recommends a small motel called the Moons of Sleep. Located just a short walk from the docking bay, the motel is centrally located, and has both efficiencies and suites available. Furthermore, the Moons offers discounted lodging to guests who book rooms for at least a week’s stay: 16 credits per week for an efficiency, or 50 credits per week for a small, two-bed suite.

General Syndulla will be a key point of contact throughout the campaign. Hera has stayed on Munt Ontdal for several weeks and can act as a friendly NPC to help the PCs get their bearings on the station, answer any questions they might have (without giving away any plot points, of course!), or gently point them in the right direction if they’re unsure of their next step. Hera will not join any combat missions, however, and should not overshadow the PCs — let them make the decisions and try to solve problems on their own as much as possible.

Munt Ontdal Investigations

Before they start their investigation, the PCs are probably going to want to get themselves established on Munt Ontdal and get a sense of what the station has to offer. If the PCs have already met Hera Syndulla, they can follow the general’s suggestions for finding accommodations, but the space platform has no shortage of rooms for rent (see Ch. 5: Equipment of the SW5e PHB for prices).

Once the PCs have a place to stay, they can learn more about current events on the station. By far the biggest news, discussed endlessly on HoloNet newsfeeds and in public conversation, is the arrival of the derelict ship Acreon a few days ago, the whereabouts and fate of its missing crew, and the nature of the mysterious “Maelstrom Rock” the ship brought with it (as detailed in Adventure Background). Rumors and speculation are rampant: the Acreon’s crew witnessed something significant and were killed to keep it secret; the entire crew went mad and walked out the airlocks; the Maelstrom Rock contains precious riches, from rare and valuable minerals to advanced technology, or even legendary treasures of the lost Celestial civilization.

The other main topic of discussion is the disagreement between the Mining Collective and the Akkadese Miners Guild, both of whom claim ownership of the Maelstrom Rock and the right to examine the Acreon and determine the fate of its crew.

As preparatory research, the PCs can access the local HoloNet to gain some basic information. The PCs’ most likely lines of inquiry are: Henen Mog, the Akkadese Miners Guild, the Mining Collective, the Level 21 Crew, and the Downside Kings. Succeeding on a DC 10 Lore or Investigation check while searching the HoloNet for each topic yields the following:

• Henen Mog was a midranking member of the New Republic’s Resource Allocation Corps. Most of his work focused on mineral prospecting, but he also took an interest in mentoring new and prospective members of the Republic’s operations.
• The Mining Collective is a powerful mining conglomerate with business ties throughout the galaxy. Most of the company’s operations are centered in the Mid Rim, but it has also begun extending its influence into the Outer Rim in search of new claims. The company recently hired one of the Akkadese Miners Guild’s ships, the Acreon, for one of these exploratory missions.
• The Akkadese Miners Guild is a clan of stubborn asteroid miners that operates primarily in the Kessel Sector. It has no offices or base of operations, but the clan members usually view Munt Ontdal as a central gathering place. Collective crews hire their ships out to a wide variety of business concerns, including the Mining Collective, which recently employed the Guild ship Acreon to scout for new mining prospects in the Outer Rim.
• The Downside Kings are a brutal street gang that controls several decks of Munt Ontdal’s lower levels, or “Downside,” through a combination of intimidation and violence. They are known to engage in a wide variety of illegal activities, from extortion, fraud, robbery, smuggling, and theft, to drug and arms trafficking, kidnapping, murder-for-hire, and trafficking in sentient species.
• The Level 21 Crew are a street gang that claims (unsurprisingly) Level 21 of Munt Ontdal’s seedy lower decks as its territory. Their known criminal endeavors include theft, fencing stolen goods, gambling, racketeering, and smuggling.

Getting necessary information beyond this will require more digging. If the PCs want to talk or meet with members of the Akkadese Miners Guild personally, they’ll find it difficult, to say the least. The group has no offices on the station, and the employment firm that handles contracts for them only states that the Guild is not currently accepting any jobs. Even if the PCs manage to contact one of the Guild’s ships outside Munt Ontdal, the only response they get is the following: “Pending arbitration and on the advice of our attorneys, we are not responding to any public inquiries.”

If the PCs want to investigate the Mining Collective directly, they can easily find its corporate offices on Munt Ontdal. Unfortunately, their efforts are stymied by the indifferent bureaucracy of the huge transgalactic corporation. At most, persistence (and a successful DC 17 Persuasion check) earns them an appointment with a coolly professional Mirialan corporate agent introducing herself as Ms. Joss. She listens attentively to everything the PCs have to say and confirms that the Mining Collective has had business dealings with the Akkadese Miners Guild in the past, but declares that the company is currently awaiting arbitration over the disposition of the Acreon and its cargo and has no further statements to make at this time. After thanking the PCs for their interest in the Mining Collective, Ms. Joss ends the meeting. If the PCs suspect the company of wrongdoing, they’ll need to find proof elsewhere.

Fortunately, Hera Syndulla comes through with her promised intelligence just as the PCs are wondering where to go next. SA-5, the general’s research and secretary droid, sends them a digital file with six contacts compiled from Munt Ontdal’s security database and Intelligence’s own operatives. The PCs will need to contact these denizens of the station personally, in any order they wish. If they get enough actionable information from one or two sources, they should be free to act on it without needing to interrogate everyone else. Indeed, it may be to their advantage: while a few sources may alert the Downside Kings directly after questioning, the gang will take notice themselves after three such interrogations and send a crew to stop them.

The Usual Suspects

Below are the information handouts Hera had SA-5 send over. They are enough for the PCs to locate each contact. A visual handout is available in Appendix E: Assets.

Enduris Swong

Swong is a miner with the Akkadese Miners Guild. Henen Mog was an old friend and colleague, and the PCs arrive at her dormitory not long after she's heard the news. When she answers the door, it's clear she's been upset.

Though she's hesitant about strangers showing up at her residence, when the PCs tell her they're investigating Mog's death, she's eager to help, giving them straightforward answers without much prodding.

Did you know Henen Mog? “I've known Henen for years. I used to work with his cousin Runwe in the miners' guild. And we've worked together for the last few weeks since the guild contracted with the RAC. That's Resource Allocation Corps, New Republic getup. Henen was a good man. I can't believe someone would stoop so low as to murder him.”

Why would someone want to kill Henen? Did he have any enemies? The Defel snorts. “Among us miners? No. Henen's been an miners' rights activist for years. I wouldn't put it past some of those corporate slimeballs that run the mining companies, though. Or - and I'm just guessing here - maybe someone who doesn't like the New Republic? He's - or, I guess, was now - a big recruiter for the RAC. Lot of people have been freed by the Republic's anti-slavery campaigns, and Henen got a lot of them new jobs. You're a slaver, or just anti-Republic, you might put a target on his back.”

What do you know about the Akkadese Miners Guild? “We're called a Guild, but we're really a clan. Stubbornest bunch of asteroid miners in the Kessel Sector. We don't have a corporate office or anything like that, but Munt Ontdal is where we meet up most often. Our crews hire ships out to different interested parties to prospect and collect ore. The Mining Collective, that was a big get recently. They hired out the Acreon to scout the Outer Rim, and the crew claimed that Maelstrom Rock for salvage.

“You could think of the Guild as a cooperative business enterprise - a coalition of dozens of ships’ crews banded together for mutual benefit and safety. We come from a dozen different worlds: humans, Ugnaughts, Sullustans, Duros, and more. But we're tightly knit as a family, and we look out for one another.”

What do you know about the Mining Consortium? Enduris practically growls. “Biggest corporate mining outfit in the Mid Rim. But I guess that's not enough for them, since they're digging into the Outer Rim now. They'll tell you they're an ethical, respectable corporation, but they're a bunch of thugs. They use merc muscle and corporate police as proxies to intimidate and push out anyone who stands in their way. Imps always turned a blind eye to it, even helped them. With the New Republic pushing for workers' rights, bet they're getting nervous. Good riddance to them, I say.”

Did Henen have any connection to the Akkadese Miners Guild or the Mining Consortium? “Yeah, like I said, his cousin Runwe used to work in the Guild. She got killed in an accident in the Belgaroth asteroid field doing a job for the Consortium. They were given shoddy equipment with no safety checks. That really got to Henen - as it should!

“I think he had some money tied up in the Guild, too. Nothing big like those corporate rockgrabbers. More like a mutual investor kind of deal. He put a little forward to the Guild since they took care of Runwe.”

What do you know about the Level 21 Crew and the Downside Kings? “I know to stay away from 'em. I thought security was doing a good job keeping them out of the upper residential levels. Guess not, though.

“Look, I've only been on the station for a few weeks. I don't know the ins and outs of the local underground, and I don't really want to. But I hope you give 'em hell for what they did to Henen.”

Drush'ok

A hulking, grizzled Trandoshan with a jagged scar across one eye, Drush'ok is perhaps the least helpful contacts the PCs will encounter in their investigation. He's not in the bunk at his resident block, but a neighbor suggests he's probably at work at Fusion Queen, a popular nightclub and (covertly) front for the Downside Kings.

Drush'ok stands outside the club's doors, looking grim and disinterested. Most of his responses to the PCs' questions are non-answers. A DC 16 Persuasion check will get him to at least confirm the club is a front for the Downside Kings. A DC 15 Deception check will garner directions to the club's leader, Ferani Nadaz, if the PCs pose as business parties (see “B. Fusion Queen”). If they enter the club, he and his fellow bouncer will search the PCs for weapons. He's paid too well by the gang to accept bribes, and nothing short of a DC 22 Intimidation check will make him back down from his job.

Did you know Henen Mog? “No.”

What do you know about the Akkadese Miners Guild or the Mining Consortium? “Nothing.”

What do you know about the Level 21 Crew or the Downside Kings? “Nothing.”

Is this club a front for the Downside Kings?
[Failed Persuasion check] “No.”
[Successful Persuasion check] “Yeah, ssso?”

Is it true you've done mercenary work? “Ssso what if I have?”

How'd you get that scar? “Asking the wrong guy too many ssstupid questions.”

Grikk Tomora

The Twi'lek thief and ne'er-do-well Grikk Tomora has plenty of connections with Munt Ontdal's gangs - although he's burned many bridges with them due to his sloppy work ethic and penchant for betrayal. His apartment is deep in the station's slums.

Grikk has very little interest in cooperating with the PCs, claiming to have a very poor memory unless they start feeding him 100 credit bribes for each question. There are a few ways to press him, however. First, Grikk is a coward. A DC 10 Intimidation check will garner an honest response to one question. Afterwards, the DC for subsequent Intimidation checks goes up by 2 for each question.

Another avenue of response is Grikk's probation status. A DC 14 Investigation check notes the Twi'lek is twitchy, constantly peering up and down the hallway as though expecting an attack. He also squints and leans in, showing remarkably poor eyesight. These are classic symptoms of glitterstim abuse, which certainly violates Tomora's probation. A DC 13 Persuasion check to convinces him to cooperate lest they reveal his spice use to Grikk's probation officer. Alternatively, the paranoid thief is easily convinced by a DC 10 Deception check that the PCs themselves are justice officers, and the only way to avoid jailtime would be to answer their questions.

Did you know Henen Mog? “What's a Mog? That a guy? No, I don't know no Henen Mog.”

What do you know about the Level 21 Crew? “Heh, give ya two guesses where they hang out. It... It's Level 21. Up in the slums - I mean, up from me, but it's generally down station from the nice parts.

“They do usual gang stuff, y'know. Theft, fencing, smuggling, protection. I worked for them a couple times, but Jabaxa - li'l furry guy that runs the gang - he got all high-and-mighty about me taking a little bigger cut than he wanted. But I got needs, y'know?”

What do you know about the Downside Kings? “They're a pretty big deal in downside. Extortion, gunrunning, sentient trafficking, murder-for-hire, so on and so forth. Tough guys, all of 'em. Who's boss keeps changing, hungry underlings keep knocking over whoever's on top. Heavy lies the head that wears the crown, right?”

What do you know about the Akkadese Miners Guild? “Not a lot. Mineral prospecting ain't really my song and dance. Word is they were looking for protection, though. Fight with the mining corp over that big rock has 'em spooked. Don't know if they hired anyone or not. Corporate security ain't really my jam either.”

What do you know about the Mining Consortium? “Uh, they own a lot of mines, I guess? It's kinda right there in the name. Oh, I did hear they hired local muscle. They want the big rock the Acreon dragged in, and they want the Miners Guild to drop their claim. Overheard some of the Downside Kings talking about it. That'd be about the right fit for 'em, getting to rough folks up for creds.”

After the PCs leave, Grikk quickly comms his spice supplier with the Downside Kings, who sends a crew to deal with the PCs' meddling (see Too Many Questions.)

Shar Dyalin

A well-connected information broker, Shar Dyalin puts up a convincing legitimate facade, but she does plenty of business with criminal elements in Munt Ontdal and beyond. Her high-level apartment suite is well appointed with furniture shipped in from the Core, and she insists on seating the PCs in her spacious office, having her service droid brew fresh tea.

This particular variety is Avabush tea, which has subtle sedative properties and is sometimes used as a truth serum. Drinking the tea gives PCs a disadvantage on Insight and Deception checks for the duration of their interview with Dyalin. Passing a DC 13 Perception check is enough to note something "off" about the smell of the tea; a DC 14 Investigation check or DC 15 Lore check will let a PC identify the Avabush spice and its properties. If caught, Shar is unapologetic (there's nothing illegal about the tea, which is commonly used as an evening beverage), but she is impressed and is willing to drop her usual 250 credit retainer fee. Otherwise, she insists on charging the PCs before they ask questions.

Did you know Henen Mog? “Personally, no. But if he's on this station, he's in my database.” The Kel Dor tilts her head, her AJ^6 cyborg construct lighting up with activity. After a moment, she nods. “Henen Mog, chain code 376-BH411-3992. Duros male, born in the Belgaroth asteroid colony, very recently deceased. Mining specialist, well-known workers' rights activist. Cousin Runwe Mog killed six years ago in a mining accident while working for the Mining Consortium. Held a significant amount of stock - well, significant for a working man - in the Akkadese Miners Guild. That's all from the official databases, dears.”

What do you know about the Level 21 Crew? “Local criminal organization, affiliated with Level 21 in Munt Ontdal's slums. Their known criminal endeavors include theft, fencing stolen goods, gambling, prostitution, racketeering, and smuggling. Current leader is a Squib male known as Jabaxa. They do have a reputation in their territory for promoting community empowerment, and many neighborhood residents tolerate or tacitly endorse their activities. The gang has also been known to hire itself out to defend marginalized and threatened groups or factions.

“Some of my 'off the record' informants - and you won't get this kind of service from anyone else, my dears - note that the Level 21 Crew was recently hired by the Akkadese Miners Guild for protection. It seems they're nervous about the keeping their claim on the Maelstrom Rock.”

What do you know about the Downside Kings? “The Downside Kings, criminal organization that controls several decks of Munt Ontdal’s lower levels -'Downside,' if you will. Use a combination of intimidation and violence to control their territory. Known to engage in a wide variety of illegal activities, from extortion, fraud, robbery, smuggling, and theft, to spice and arms trafficking, kidnapping, murder-for-hire, and trafficking in sentient species. Current leader is a woman named Ferani Nadaz. The gang maintains a controlling stake in the nightclub called Fusion Queen, in the station's Entertainment Sector.”

Nyalin does not respond to Intimidation threats, and too many attempts will find her refusing the PCs and calling station security to escort them out. She's somewhat difficult to read behind the Kel Dor breath mask, but a DC 15 Insight check reveals all her responses to be honest. If the PCs cannot discern her Avabush tea, they can still lower her 250 credit retainer to 150 with a DC 16 Persuasion check, or down to 100 if they succeed 10 over.

Once the PCs leave her office, Shar wastes no time contacting both gangs and both mining groups to sell the intel that they were sniffing around. If the PCs have not yet talked to Mama Fats or met with Jabaxa, the Level 21 Crew sends an anonymous comm message to one of the PCs to come to the food mart for an audience with Jabaxa. Additionally, if they have not yet encountered the Downside Kings' crew of enforcers, they corner the PCs after they leave their next location (see “Too Many Questions” on page 11).

Hesser Moralin

Hesser is just arriving at his apartment from a long shift when the PCs come to his door. A grayhaired human in rumpled coveralls, Moralin doesn't stand out from a crowd. However, in his heyday, he was involved in such high security operations as Project Stardust a the Cylo Directive. Also, unbeknownst to anyone else on the station, Moralin is a sleeper agent of the Acolytes of the Beyond, collecting intelligence on the New Republic and anything else of interest to the Sith cult. This isn't likely to come up in their current conversation, and Moralin has been well trained to bury his secret cultist identity in his psyche, making it practically impossible for any Force sensitives of the PCs' current level to extract the knowledge from him.

Soft spoken and polite, Hesser tries to sound helpful to the PCs' inquiries.

Did you know Henen Mog? “Yes, I'd seen him around the station a number of times. I actually helped him rewire a couple of salvaged mining drills the RAC needed to fit their newer rigs. I heard what happened to him, terrible thing.”

What do you know about the Akkadese Miners Guild? “They come to the station pretty frequently. I guess it's kind of their home base? They seem like okay people, keep to themselves mostly. They brought in that big asteroid on the Acreon recently. Talk of the town, as it were.”

What do you know about the Mining Consortium? Hesser shrugs. “I mean, what's to know? They're the biggest mining outfit in the Mid Rim, probably darn near the civilized galaxy. They're having some kind of legal dispute with the Akkadese Miners Guild about ownership of the Maelstrom Rock, so I hear. Lot of speculation about what's in it, I guess.”

What do you know about the Level 21 Crew? “I've seen them around. They actually shook me down for money once. I mean, I don't like crime, obviously, but they're one of the more benign gangs on Munt Ontdal. A few of the guys at work live on Level 21 and they act as guards where official station security won't bother.

“Come to think of it, I've heard - and I don't know this for a fact, mind you - that they use a food mart on Level 21 as their main front. It's, uh - gosh, what was it? - Mama Fats', that's it. Maybe you could look there, ask around? I do most of my shopping on Level 11, don't get down that far myself.”

What do you know about the Downside Kings? Hesser frowns. “I've heard they're pretty bad guys. Robbery, smuggling, spice trafficking - just bad elements, you know? I had to go to downside last week to fix a central power relay and I overheard a couple of their thugs talking. One said they had a new leader in charge. Ferani, I think? Guess she killed the last guy.” He shudders slightly. “Can't imagine wanting to live that life, all cutthroat and backstabbing.”

Is it true you were an Imperial officer? Do you resent the New Republic? Moralin sighs, his expression dropping. “That... That life was a long time ago. The war's over, thankfully, and I surrendered years ago - before Jakku and the Concordance, even. I'm not gonna say I'm happy the New Republic won, but I abide by the new order of things, and I don't resent them for trying to bring about peace. Who knows, maybe they'll be successful where the Empire failed. But I'm not in the navy anymore. All that's behind me, okay? I don't want any trouble about it.”

A. MAMA FATS’

Mama Fats’ is a food mart located on the twenty-first deck, in the crowded, run-down lower half of Munt Ontdal. The surrounding neighborhood is low-end, but not quite a slum, and PCs who succeed at a DC 12 Culture check recognize graffiti on the walls as gang tags marking this as territory of the Level 21 Crew. The gang uses Mama Fats’ as a message drop and safe house, but nothing about the shop marks it as anything other than a small neighborhood grocery store.

If the PCs come here in search of the Level 21 Crew, they can leave word with Mama Fats (female Chadra-Fan, see above) herself. The gang invites the PCs for a meeting at the shop three hours hence.

When the PCs arrive for the meeting they set up with the gang, they are escorted to a room in the back of the market, where the gang’s leader, Jabaxa, waits for them along with two of his gang members. Jabaxa is a Squib who has led the Level 21 Crew for several years and is a shrewd judge of character. If the PCs are friendly (or at least not overtly hostile), Jabaxa invites them to have a seat and pours out a shot of bathtub moonshine for each of them as a gesture of hospitality before asking them their business.

Jabaxa’s initial attitude is indifferent. To improve the Squib’s attitude, a PC must succeed at a DC 12 Persuasion check. If a PC can make him at least friendly, Jabaxa will share what he knows. He flatly denies that his crew killed Henen Mog (they don’t even know who he was) and blames the murder on the Downside Kings. He claims that it was the Kings who started the shootout in Docking Bay 94, as well; his crew was there only to oppose them.

If the PCs have not learned any of the information about the Kings from the Downside Kings table, Jabaxa is more than happy to fill in any gaps in their knowledge, including the location of the Kings’ hideout (though he does not know that the Mining Collective specifically ordered the Kings to kill Mog). Jabaxa’s main concern is the rival gang; as long as the PCs aren’t looking to mess with either the Level 21 Crew or the Akkadese Miners Guild, he’s got no beef with them. No matter how friendly or helpful the PCs make Jabaxa, however, he is unwilling to commit any of his gang members to help the PCs attack the Downside Kings. His job is to protect the Miners Guild, not to provoke the Collective or the Kings into expanding the conflict.

If the PCs attack the Level 21 Crew and have not yet learned about the Downside Kings’ hideout, they can find a map in the bodega’s back room that marks the location of Fusion Queen.

B. FUSION QUEEN

Fusion Queen is a nightclub located in the lower levels of Munt Ontdal, deep in Downside Kings territory. The Kings also own and operate the club, using it as a hideout and base of operations. The neighborhood is somewhat depressed, but still considered trendy in certain circles, and the club is usually filled with patrons (most of whom have no connection with the gang) at all hours, day or night.

How this encounter plays out depends on your players. The adventure assumes that the PCs are most likely to side with the Akkadese Miners Guild and Level 21 Crew and attack the Downside Kings, but that is not necessary for the adventure to continue. For their part, however, the Downside Kings are not much interested in diplomacy. The Mining Collective has paid them well, and the gang makes no apologies for their actions. Might makes right in the eyes of the Downside Kings, and they’re more likely to attack diplomatic PCs than waste time talking to them. Nevertheless, you should feel free to modify the following encounters to match the goals of your players as needed.

B3. Storeroom

This large storeroom is filled with supplies for the bar outside, including bottles of hard alcohol, kegs of Corellian ale, and boxes of food and recreational spice. One corner holds amplifiers, musical instruments, and costumes for the club’s entertainers. A single door stands in the north wall.

Three Downside Kings are sitting at a table in this room playing cards. They’re here to provide additional security for the club, if needed, and they stop anyone entering who’s not a member of the gang or the club’s staff. They immediately attack if they see any weapons.

The bar supplies are worth a total of 1,500 credits if sold or fenced as trade goods, though they are quite bulky, and it would likely take several trips to completely empty the storeroom (any surviving Downside Kings would not look kindly on such wholesale theft from the gang, however). The entertainment equipment in the storeroom can be sold or fenced for an additional 500 credits.

B4. Back Office

The Downside Kings orchestrate most of their gang business from this office, which contains a desk, several chairs, and holoscreens tuned to multiple entertainment feeds. A door to the northeast leads to a secure storage area.

The gang’s boss, a human woman named Ferani Nadaz, and her bodyguard, Vrokilayo Hatchbuster, wait in this room. Ferani ascended to the leadership of the Downside Kings only a few months ago by savagely killing the gang’s former boss, but she has consolidated her power quickly and violently, and most of the Kings’ rank-and-file members regard her with a mixture of respect and fear. Ferani’s bodyguard Vrokilayo is a powerfully built Chistori who is utterly devoted to his boss, and she regularly repays the thug’s loyalty with a handsome share of the gang’s take.

Unless the PCs have been exceptionally stealthy, the pair have likely heard the sounds of combat in the storeroom outside and are prepared to deal with intruders. Ferani stays behind her desk for cover, while Vrokilayo moves to intercept any intruders. If the PCs want to talk with Ferani instead of fighting, see below.

During combat Ferani designates a weak-looking enemy using combat tracking and focuses her attacks on them, switching targets only if another foe threatens her directly. Vrokilayo, meanwhile, throws a grenade at grouped enemies, or fires at the toughest-looking opponent with his assault cannon. If an opponent gets close, he’s all too happy to switch to his vibromace and use his awesome blow ability. Vrokilayo will fight to the death to defend Ferani, who runs if reduced to 5 HP. She surrenders if there is no escape.

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Ferani Nadaz

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic dark

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• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 22 (4d8+4)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)	17 (+3)	11 (+0)	9 (-1)

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• Skills Lore +5, Technology +5,
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Languages Galactic Basic
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

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Combat Tracking. As a bonus action, Ferani can designate a target she can see within 30 feet, until the start of her next turn she has a +2 bonus to attack rolls against that target.

Actions

Slug Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) kinetic damage.

Techaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) kinetic damage.

Vrokilayo Hatchbuster

Medium humanoid (chistori), neutral dark

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• Armor Class 15 (weave armor)
• Hit Points 32 (5d8+10)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	15 (+2)	15 (+2)	9 (-1)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)

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• Skills Athletics +6
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception
• Languages Chistori, Galactic Basic
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Aggressive. As a bonus action, Vrokilayo can move up to his speed toward a hostile creature that he can see.

Awesome Blow. As a bonus action, when Vrokilayo hits with a melee attack and the target is Large or smaller, he can force the target to make a DC 14 Strength saving throw, pushing them back 10 feet on a failure.

Savage Attacks. When Vrokilayo scores a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, he can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Actions

Assault Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) energy damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) kinetic damage.

Vibromace. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) kinetic damage.

Burst. Vrokilayo targets a point that he can see within 320 feet of him. Each creature in a 10-foot cube area centered on that point must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (1d10+2) energy damage. If the targeted area is beyond 80 feet affected targets have advantage on the save.

The Downside Kings keep their stolen loot and illegal profits in the secure storage room to the northeast (area B4a). The door to the room is electronically locked (Technology DC 15 to disable, though Ferani has a key card). Inside are a Ring of Tech Storing Mark I with two charges of Holographic Disguise, a bolthrower with five magazines of slug cartridges (10 cartridges each), two fragmentation grenades, two medpacs, a holster, and a half dozen credsticks holding 100 credits each.

If the PCs try to talk with Ferani, they’ll find it challenging. Her initial attitude is hostile, so the PCs must succeed at a DC 20 Persuasion check just to make her unfriendly. Intimidation is difficult, requiring a successful DC 18 Intimidate check (eliminating Vrokilayo lowers it to 15). Any failure causes Ferani and Vrokilayo to attack immediately. If the PCs manage to intimidate Ferani, they can convince her to talk, but she remains surly and aggressive.

Ferani boasts of the Downside Kings’ association with the Mining Collective, and with a second successful DC 19 Persuasion or Intimidate check, will even admit to killing Henen Mog (“to send the Akkadese and Republic a message,” she sneers). If the PCs ask about the Level 21 Crew, Ferani can share any of the information about the rival gang from the Level 21 Crew table on page 13, including the gang’s use of Mama Fats’ food mart as a safe house.

The PCs can learn the same information if they capture and interrogate Ferani, though the Intimidate DC is reduced to 15 as she no longer has Vrokilayo to back her up. In this case, a second Intimidate check is not required to make Ferani confess that the Mining Collective hired the Downside Kings to kill Henen Mog, but she gives up that information only in exchange for a promise that she’ll be handed over safely to station security.

If the PCs kill Ferani, or are unable to convince her to talk, they can still find proof of Mog’s murder at the gang’s hands on Ferani’s datapad, which requires a successful DC 13 Technology check to slice. If successful, the PCs can find numerous files confirming many of the Downside Kings’ criminal activities — including several communications between the Mining Collective and the Downside Kings, ordering the gang to kill Henen Mog both as a message to the Akkadese Miners Guild that the corporation means business and to keep the New Republic from getting too curious about the Acreon and the Maelstrom Rock.

WRAPPING UP THE INVESTIGATION

What the PCs do with the knowledge they learn during their investigations is up to them, though if they found out that the Downside Kings were responsible for Henen Mog’s death, they’ll likely want to report their findings to Gen. Syndulla. Hera commends the PCs for their successful investigation and thanks them for risking their lives to find justice for Henen.

If the PCs captured Ferani Nadaz or any other gang members, Syndulla can arrange for them to be handed over to station security. If the PCs killed Ferani, Hera asks the PCs to keep the details to themselves but isn’t one to judge, believing that one reaps what one sows. In either case, she asks for any evidence the PCs might have found regarding the Downside Kings’ involvement in Mog’s murder to turn over to station officials. The general also recommends that the PCs leave any ramifications of the Mining Collective’ possible criminal enterprises to Munt Ontdal’s legal system; the company has a powerful presence on the station, and she doesn’t want the PCs or the New Republic to risk a battle that neither has much chance of winning.

General Syndulla is also pleased to officially welcome the PCs into the ranks of the New Republic’s forces (for those who wish to join), and states that they are looking forward to working with them to establish the New Republic’s presence here in the future. The general doesn’t have any further jobs for them at this time, but is interested and somewhat troubled by the revelation that the Mining Collective is attempting to keep the New Republic away from the Acreon and the Maelstrom Rock. As a result, Hera asks the PCs to keep their eyes and ears open for any further news about the contentious ship and its mysterious cargo that might be of interest to New Republic Intelligence.

If the PCs find proof that the Mining Collective ordered the killing of Henen Mog and bring the Downside Kings to justice, award them 400 XP.

Act 2: Ghost Ship

Once they have concluded their investigation of Henen Mog’s death, the PCs are once more on their own. They will soon discover that the mystery of the Acreon and the Maelstrom Rock is not yet done with them.

MEDIATION

A few days after the PCs confront Ferani Nadaz and the Downside Kings, a messenger arrives at their lodgings with an invitation (printed on paper that is as black as the void of space) requesting their company for a meeting with His Excellency Volero Drave, the ambassador of the Imperial Remnant.

Anyone who’s been in the galaxy for the last decade knows that the most prominent Imperial Remnant faction, usually called the Inner Rim & Core Remnant, surrendered to the New Republic two years ago, after a drawn-out withdrawal following the Battle of Endor. The Imperial Remnant signed the Galactic Concordance, cordoning off a section of the Inner Rim and Core worlds to be established as the last remaining official Imperial territory. This Empire, while functionally a shadow of its former self, has been trying to establish friendly trade with the worlds and polities that it once oppressed and fought. Anyone succeeding on a DC 12 Lore check will recognize Drave as a prominent member of the Imperial Remnant’s diplomatic delegation to the New Republic.

The meeting takes place at the Imperial Embassy in a wealthier part of Munt Ontdal. The section is usually reserved only for Imperial staffers and officers, but the PCs’ invitation gives them clearance to enter. The embassy has been decorated in styles embracing the Empire’s past exploits: Naboo, the dead Emperor Palpatine’s homeworld; Coruscant, the old capital now occupied by the New Republic; and Corulag, formerly home of a prominent Imperial Academy. A small plaque, visible but tucked out of direct view, commemorates the life of Emperor Palpatine. A pair Navy Trooper guards leads the PCs to a spare but well-appointed office.

The office is that of the Empire’s ambassador to Munt Ontdal, Volero Drave. Drave is a young man for someone of his station, perhaps in his thirties, dressed in a somewhat ostentatious fur-lined jacket. Drave greets the PCs and offers them seats. Once they’re comfortable, he addresses them.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I’m certain you’re aware of the recent interest in the prospecting ship Acreon and the asteroid being referred to as the ‘Maelstrom Rock,’ and I believe you’re also acquainted with the dispute between the Mining Collective and the Akkadese Miners’ Guild over both the ship and the asteroid. Both parties are currently awaiting legal arbitration, but the wheels of justice often turn quite slowly. As a result, I have offered my services as a mediator in hopes of finding a solution that is equitable to both factions.

“The first step in this, of course, is learning the specifics of the opposing claims. Reports of your recent endeavors in dealing with some of Munt Ontdal's most notorious gangs have led me to believe that you might be useful in this undertaking as well. You’re new to the station, you seem to possess a wide range of skills and abilities, and you certainly appear capable. In short, you’re perfectly positioned as a neutral third party that could cut through all of the red tape surrounding this issue and get to the heart of the matter. “I would like you to go to the Acreon, find out precisely what happened to its crew, and ascertain the value of its asteroid cargo, as well as determine whether this Maelstrom Rock is truly as ‘mysterious’ as many claim.”

The PCs are free to question Drave for additional details, but he doesn’t know much more—that’s one of the reasons he wants to hire the PCs. The ambassador does offer each of the PCs a sum of 600 credits for their efforts, however. If asked why he offered to mediate between the Mining Collective and the Akkadese Miners Guild, Drave states that he has no ties to either faction and genuinely wants to help. He believes in the power of diplomacy, and hopes to avoid any further violence over the issue.

Factional Influence

In his role as mediator between the Mining Collective and the Akkadese Miners Guild, Ambassador Nor has informed both factions of his intent to send independent investigators to the Acreon and the Maelstrom Rock. Although both parties have agreed to this plan of action, neither trusts the other to avoid interfering in the process, so representatives of both the Mining Collective and the Akkadese Miners Guild contact the PCs before they leave in an attempt to sway the PCs’ findings in their favor. This is primarily a series of roleplaying encounters meant to give the PCs more insight into the two factions’ goals, and can be as detailed or as brief as you wish to make it.

The Akkadese Miners Guild

The Akkadese Miners Guild makes a more personal appeal to the PCs. One of its members, Nuol Diemb, invites the PCs to visit his ship, the Dust Runner, docked on the station. A Sullustan from Kafrene, Captain Diemb is also something of an unofficial spokesman for the Akkadese Miners Guild, and he wants the PCs to better understand what the Collective stands for. The Dust Runner is a working mining vessel, practical and utilitarian, with little in the way of luxury or even comfort. Yet Captain Diemb takes great pride in his ship—which is also his home and his livelihood—a fact that is plainly evident as he affably escorts the PCs on a tour of the vessel.

Afterward, Nuol sits down with the PCs in the galley, and over cups of caf, explains why the fate of the Acreon, and especially its crew, is so important to the Akkadese Miners Guild. The Guild’s members aren’t rich; most of them scratch out whatever meager livings they can from the rocks of the Kessel Sector, so the occasional corporate contract—like the Acreon’s contract with the Mining Collective— is an opportunity few have the luxury to refuse. But the Guild values its independence and freedom greatly, and it constantly struggles against exploitation and even takeovers at the hands of would-be corporate overlords. It’s clear that the crew of the Acreon staked their own claim on the Maelstrom Rock, believing that the terms of their contract allowed them to do so. Is it any surprise that the Akkadese Miners Guild would be suspicious of the Mining Collective’ attempts to lay sole claim to the Acreon and the Maelstrom Rock following the mysterious circumstances of their arrival at Munt Ontdal?

The members of the Akkadese Miners Guild call themselves a clan, and they mean it. Once you join, you’re family. Members look out for each other, defend each other, and care for eachother. The Guild doesn’t know what value, if any, the Maelstrom Rock might have, but they know the worth of their brothers and sisters on the Acreon. They need to know what happened to the Acreon’s crew, as any family needs to know the fate of their loved ones. And if the worst has happened, then perhaps whatever wealth the Maelstrom Rock holds can help ease the loss of the families left behind. That’s all they really care about. Captain Diemb tells the PCs that the Akkadese Miners Guild isn’t disputing the Mining Collective’s contract with the Acreon; they’re happy to turn all of the files and findings from the ship’s prospecting mission over to the company, but the ship, and the claim its crew staked on the Maelstrom Rock, belong to the Guild. Before walking the PCs off the Dust Runner and back to Munt Ontdal, Diemb wishes them good luck on their investigation of the Acreon and implores them to do their best to find out what happened to the ship’s crew.

Secure in her shipping container for the entire trip, Commander Eskolar has no knowledge of what transpired on the Acreon or what happened to the ship’s crew, or even the discovery of the Maelstrom Rock. She was sealed in carbonite on an Imperial outpost near Wild Space (though she’s evasive about which one) before being picked up by the Acreon, and she remained there until the PCs opened the shipping container.

The PCs may find themselves in a conundrum when they encounter Commander Eskolar. Although the Black Fleet is a hostile faction that has refused the Galactic Concordance, the splintered status of the Empire makes her legal status unclear, and in any event, Eskolar claims diplomatic standing. Furthermore, a PC who succeeds at a DC 12 Lore check can recall no specific laws prohibiting the shipping of willing sentient species as cargo. As far as the PCs can likely tell, there may well be nothing illegal about delivering the officer to Drave - just as the ambassador claimed. At the same time, Eskolar is a ranking Imperial officer arriving under suspicious circumstances, and some PCs might not be able to overlook that fact, regardless of her legal status.

For her part, Commander Eskolar would prefer to return to wait in the cargo hold for the PCs to honor their agreement with Ambassador Drave and deliver her to the Imperial embassy. She produces a medical capsule of dactimectin, a short-term stasis drug that will reduce her body functions for several hours so she can return to her shipping container to complete delivery. She refuses to entertain any other ideas about getting her to the station or to Drave, especially if there’s any chance of Munt Ontdal’s security forces getting involved. Eskolar likewise declines to assist the PCs in their explorations of the Acreon and the Maelstrom Rock — they are not her problem, and she has her own business to attend to. If the PCs are overtly hostile, attempt to capture or restrain her (other than in her capsule), or threaten to turn her over to the New Republic or Munt Ontdal security, Eskolar responds with lethal force.

C6. Galley

The crew prepared and shared meals in this kitchen and eating area, though the quality of the preserved rations leaves something to be desired. A number of shredded ration wrappers are scattered on the ground, someone or something having devoured most of them, though three day's worth of emergency rations can be salvaged if the PCs open one of the cabinets. On a successful DC 14 Investigation check, the PCs can find a medpac stuffed haphazardly behind cleaning supplies under the sink.

C7. Crew Quarters

These four identical cabins served as shared living quarters for the Acreon’s crew. Each contains two simple bunks, a pair of lockers, a small sink, and the miners’ personal possessions. The door to one of the portside cabins (area C7a) is closed and barricaded from the inside and must be broken down to get inside (AC 8, HP 15, break DC 17). Up to two characters can cooperate to break down the door; this follows the same rules as using aid another for a skill check.

When news of the Acreon’s arrival and subsequent quarantine hit Munt Ontdal, a trio of Space Jawas found the prospect of looting the derelict ship irresistible. They stowed away on a ship that was passing close to the quarantine zone and launched themselves out of an airlock with jury-rigged handheld thrusters, and barely managed to reach the Acreon before their air ran out.

After refilling their air tanks from the Acreon’s supply, they began exploring the ship, but their scavenging was interrupted by the scree infesting the vessel. The Jawas’ blasters were ineffective against the scree, and one of the scavengers was slain almost immediately (its body lies in area C2), so the two survivors fled to one of the crew cabins (area C7a) and barricaded themselves inside.

The two Space Jawas are terrified of the scree and react violently to anyone breaking through their makeshift barricade. They fire their blasters wildly for 2 rounds before they realize their attackers are not scree, at which point they surrender and grovel for their lives, begging to be taken to safety. If it becomes clear the PCs don’t speak the Jawaese trade language, one of them manually types into a wristpad with a vocoder strapped to it, the strained robotic voice pleading “PLEASE SAVE. NO KILL.”

The Jawas didn’t have much time to explore the ship before the scree set upon them, but they did manage to scrounge a few items of value, including a fragmentation grenade, two stun grenades, a cryo grenade, a demolitions kit, a fusion cutter, and a set of constructor’s implements.In addition, PCs who search the crew quarters and succeed at a DC 11 Perception check can find a dropped computer key card (which can be used to access the ship’s computer system; see area C9 for details) and a credstick with 500 credits that one of the prospectors stashed under her bunk.

If the PCs don’t kill the Jawas outright, the creatures beg the PCs to take them with them. The Jawas are more than happy to aid the PCs in combat, though they’re likely more of a hindrance than a help. Outside of combat, they’re eager to tinker with the PCs’ gear, offering “helpful” suggestions on how they can boost a weapon’s damage output or upgrade the life support of a PC’s armor. Play up the Jawas as unruly, exasperating, destructive, looters that every once in a while might actually be useful — but don’t be too sad if they don’t survive for long. If the PCs rescue the Space Jawas and take them safely off the Acreon, award the PCs 400 XP, as if they had defeated the Jawas.

Space Jawa

Small humanoid (jawa), chaotic balanced

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• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 9 (2d6+2)
• Speed 35 ft.,

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)	11 (+0)	8 (-1)

---

• Skills Stealth +4, Survival +2, Technology +3
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages Jawaese, understands but cannot speak Galactic Basic
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Nimble Escape. The jawa can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Unstable Blaster. If the jawa rolls a natural 1 on a ranged attack using its light pistol, the pistol becomes unstable. If the pistol is unstable the jawa must use the Detonate Blaster action on its next turn, if the jawa does not use the Detonate Blaster action the blaster explodes at the end of its turn and the jawa takes 7 (2d6) fire damage and its light pistol is destroyed.

Actions

Light Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) energy damage.

Vibrodagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. *Hit: 4 (1d4+2) kinetic damage.

Detonate Blaster (1/Day). The jawa overloads the energy cells of its light pistol and throws it at a point it can see within 20 feet. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The light pistol is then destroyed.

C8. Crew Storage

The door to this room is closed and trapped. Inside is a storeroom containing the crew’s personal mining and prospecting tools and other supplies.

One of the Acreon’s crew jury-rigged a laser blast trap on the door to the storeroom that fires a single-shot laser at the character who opens the door. The trap can be detected with a DC 16 Perception check; disabling the motion sensors with a DC 11 Technology check renders the laser inert. Whoever triggers the trap makes a DC 17 Dexterity save; on failure, they take 3d6 energy damage.

When the first scree broke out of its cocoon, one of the Acreon’s crew found and collected the cocoon’s fragments and placed them here. The resinous shards of farium have are worth 500 credits, and can be identified as the remains of an scree cocoon with a successful DC 12 Nature check. In addition, the PCs can find an incendiary cell, a traumakit, and three medpacs in the storeroom.

C9. Bridge

A wide transparisteel window stretches across the forward wall of this control room; twinkling lights in the distance are all that can be seen of Munt Ontdal and the ships of the merchant fleet surrounding it. The Acreon’s main bridge contains four stations equipped with consoles and controls for operating most of the ship’s systems and functions, including its computer system. Three scree are currently on the bridge. They attack any living creature they detect nearby. The farium fragments of three more scree cocoons are scattered throughout the bridge, and can be identified with a successful DC 12 Nature check. Together, the farium shards are worth 1,500 credits.

Most of the control consoles are powered down or on standby, but the PCs can access the basic, unsecured functions of the ship’s computer with a DC 10 Technology check to access the system (they can take 10 on this check). Success allows the PCs to remotely close (or open) any or all of the doors on the ship, including the airlock hatches, and repressurize the ship (which takes 1d4 minutes). They can also control the ship’s lighting, increasing the light level throughout the ship to normal light if they wish.

To access more advanced functions (such as the Acreon’s logs), the PCs must first slice into the ship’s secured computer files. The Acreon’s computer has a secure data module and firewall and lockout countermeasures. Slicing the system requires a successful DC 16 Technology check. If the PCs found the computer key card in area C7, it grants them a +5 bonus to the check. The ship’s log is contained in a secure data module kept behind a firewall, requiring a second Technology check to slice, this time with a DC of 17 (once again, the key card from area C7 grants a +5 bonus to the check).

Successfully slicing the firewall allows the PCs to access the secure data module and view the ship’s logs, but without root access, it does not enable them to manipulate the data in any way (such as copying or deleting it). See below if the PCs successfully access the Acreon’s logs.

The PCs can attempt to retry failed checks, though three failed attempts triggers the lockout for 1d6 hours. The lockout cannot be disabled, but it can be physically bypassed with a successful DC 16 Technology check. If the PCs fail any Technology check by 5 or more while using key card from area C7, the system automatically locks the key card’s access and it no longer provides its bonus.

D1. Crashlander

Any PC who succeeds at a DC 5 Nature check can determine that the cavern (and the surrounding tunnels) is not a natural formation, but was excavated from the rock of the asteroid. The cavern is otherwise unremarkable.

After the space battle between the Hippocampus and the Stiletto, the interceptor’s pilot, Zurok, made his way to the Maelstrom Rock, either crashing his ship on the asteroid if the PCs won that battle, or landing there if he was victorious. Either way, he plans to make sure the PCs never leave.

Zurok hides behind a large boulder at the far western side of the chamber, and keeps his sniper rifle trained on the entrance to the cavern. If the PCs enter the cavern, they can attempt to notice him with a Perception check opposed by Zurok’s Stealth check. If the Gand scout remains hidden, the PCs have the surprised condition for one round and Zurok uses the hologram tech power to create a visual clone of himself as a distraction, before opening fire on the PCs in subsequent rounds.

Zurok

Medium humanoid (gand), chaotic balanced

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• Armor Class 15 (mesh armor)
• Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)

---

• Skills Perception +5, Piloting +4, Technology +4
• Damage Resistances poison
• Senses passive Perception 15
• Languages Galactic Basic, Gand
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Alert. Zurok can not be surprised while conscious and has a +5 to his initiative rolls. Other creatures are not able to gain advantage on attack rolls against him as a result of being hidden from Zurok.

Evasion. If Zurok is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, Zurok instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.

Findsman. Zurok has advantage on Wisdom (Perception & Survial) checks made to locate his prey.

Gand Resilience. Zurok has advantage on saving throws against poison.

Lungless. Zurok does not have to breathe and is immune to any affects that rely on breathing.

Actions

Multiattack. Zurok makes two attacks with his hold-out or two attacks with his vibrodagger.

Hold-out. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) energy damage.

Sniper Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) energy damage.

Vibrodagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) kinetic damage.

Holoemitter (3/day). As an action, Zurok can cast the hologram Tech power.

D2. Missing Crewman

The corpse is that of a human male. It’s still wearing a suit with a patch that reads “ACREON,” identifying it as a member of the mining ship’s crew. A PC who inspects the body and succeeds at a DC 12 Medicine check determines that the man died of his wounds shortly after the crew retreated here.

The dead crew member is wearing a mesh armor suit with a charging reinforcement upgrade and is holding an empty survival flare gun. An incendiary charge on his person has been ripped open and is leaking a greenish chemical which is rapidly sublimating, filling the room with green gas.

A DC 14 Technology check identifies the gas as baradium, an explosive compound used in mining charges. Baradium turns gaseous when exposed to certain temperatures, and is extremely volatile in this state. Active attempts to use electrical or energy devices, such as lightsabers or tracker droids, will ignite the gas. All creatures in the room must make a DC 12 Dexterity save. On failure, they take 2d6 damage; on success, half.

D3. Cavern of the Void

The nature of the plating on the corridor walls can be identified with a successful DC 12 Technology or Nature check (see area D6 for more details). The northern corridor goes in a perfectly straight line for about 100 feet until it ends at a hole facing the void of space (the corridor once connected to other portions of the Stellar Degenerator, before the Maelstrom Rock was sheared off).

One of the unfortunate crew of the Acreon, now host to a parasitic cloud of fungal gundravian hookspores, wanders this cavern. The prospector is wearing a space suit, but the lower half of its helmet is shattered, revealing a sheared-off jaw. The undead attacks anyone entering the cavern.

Hookspore Host

Medium plant, unaligned

---

• Armor Class 10
• Hit Points 13 (3d8)
• Speed 20 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	10 (+2)	10 (+0)	2 (-4)	6 (-2)	1 (-5)

---

• Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, frightened, paralyzed
• Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
• Languages -
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

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Actions

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) kinetic damage

D4. Lost in the Maelstrom

This chamber is similar to the other excavated caverns within the Maelstrom Rock, with tunnels exiting to the north, west, and southeast. The corridors to the north and west are finished and paneled. The northern passage ends after about 50 feet, where the ceiling has collapsed in a wall of fallen rock (like the northern corridor in area D3, this corridor once connected to other areas of the Stellar Degenerator).

This room hosts a sentient cloud of gundravian hookspores that have merged with the consciousness of their previous host. The creature possesses the identify of Cyra Kreeg, a Jedi explorer and captain of the Sunrise Maiden, who first discovered the Maelstrom Rock 75 years ago. Her body lies in area D7; her ship is parked where she left it, in area D9. The spore cloud had been trapped in the tiny chamber that contains Kreeg's corpse since she died 75 years ago, but when the Acreon towed the Rock out of the Maelstrom a few days ago, it was finally freed—the spores left the host body and she became a sentient cloud, able to pass through doors and walls. Disoriented in its new incorporeal state and sentience, the spore cloud relives Jedi Kreeg's last moments, aimlessly haunting the chambers of the Maelstrom Rock ever since, but loath to venture far from the Jedi's physical remains. If the PCs have already found Cyra’s body in area D7, they can recognize the Force spirit form she takes as the same person—or at least what’s left of her.

The spore cloud’s decades of confinement and lifeless existence have engendered a hatred for life in what’s left of its warped sentience. Still fixated on the circumstances of Kreeg's death, it avoids the starweird in area D9, but attacks any living creature that enters the cavern and chases fleeing foes throughout the asteroid, passing through walls to cut off its victims’ flight.

Hookspore Cloud

Medium plant, chaotic dark

---

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 36 (8d8)
• Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
7 (-2)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	13 (+1)	13 (+1)	18 (+4)

---

• Damage Vulnerabilities psychic
• Damage Resistances energy and kinetic from unenhanced attacks
• Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, prone, restrained
• Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
• Languages Durese, Galactic Basic, Sy Bisti
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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Hookspore Swarm. The spore cloud can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and she can move through any opening, even imperceptible cracks.

Forcecasting. The spore cloud is a 6th-level forcecaster. Her forcecasting ability is Charisma (power save DC 14, +6 to hit with force attacks) and she has 28 force points. It knows the following force powers:

At-will: burst, denounce, enfeeble, shock
1st-level: curse, fear, malacia, sap vitality
2nd-level: affliction, dark shear, mind spike
3rd-level: choke, Force lightning

Actions

Force Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) force damage.

Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the spore cloud can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by her; the cloud then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The cloud now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. The spores can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.

The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the cloud ends it as a bonus action, or the spores are forced out by an effect like the improved restoration force power. When the possession ends, the cloud reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to the spore cloud's Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.

D5. Final Fate of the Acreon’s Crew

Kwa Security Droid

Medium droid, neutral balanced

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• Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	19 (+4)	15 (+2)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)

---

• Damage Vulnerabilities ion
• Damage Resistances necrotic
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, unconscious
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages Galactic Basic, Kwa
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Circuitry. The droid has disadvantage on saving throws against effects that would deal ion or lightning damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The security droid makes two attacks.

Integrated Blaster. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) energy damage.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) kinetic damage.

D7. Sealed Bolthole

The closed hatch to this room has been barricaded from the inside and must be broken down before the PCs can enter (AC 10, HP 30, break DC 18, Technology DC 19). This small chamber was once a storage area for spare parts and small maintenance and repair robots, but it is now empty save for the dead body of Jedi Knight Cyra Kreeg, captain of the Sunrise Maiden, who first discovered the Maelstrom Rock 75 years ago. Wounded and chased through the asteroid by the starweird, Cyra found this room and hid inside. She barricaded the hatch behind her, but that proved little barrier to the starweird, given its ability to phase through walls.

Cyra used her personal shield generator to keep the starweird at bay, but when the battery eventually ran out of power, she killed herself to avoid whatever fate the monster had in store for her. The gundravian hookspores, which Cyra had unknowingly been host to in life, merged with her consciousness and rose as a sentient, Force-sensitive creature. The hookspore Cyra Kreeg can now be found in area D4; if the PCs have already encountered Kreeg there, they can recognize the body here as belonging to the Force ghost. If the PCs inspect the body, numerous wounds are visible, but the cause of death appears obvious: a lightsaber beam burned through the heart.

The PCs can salvage Jedi Kreeg’s gear from her body. It’s still wearing a fiber armor suit with a personal shield generator, though the generator’s battery is depleted. The body also carries a Ring of Apprentice Force Storing with two charges of Restoration and a personal datapad. Cyra’s lightfoil lies on the floor next to her outstretched hand.

Cyra Kreeg recorded her final message to posterity on her datapad before she died. The datapad’s battery is dead, but if the PCs provide a new power source, they can access the unsecured computer with a successful DC 10 Technology check and find out what happened to Cyra.

In the recording, Cyra identifies herself as an explorer for the Jedi Order, and briefly relates her discovery of a strange asteroid in the Maelstrom. She landed her ship in a cavern on the asteroid and began exploring other chambers inside it, but she was attacked by a terrifying monster that seemed to consume life energy and could walk through walls. Wounded and unable to escape the monster, Cyra managed to modify her armor’s force field to extend in a bubble around her, as the monster seemed unable to pass through the force field. Nevertheless, Cyra realized her force field would eventually run out of power, and the monster would finally be able to reach her. She ends the recording with the following.

The Sunrise Maiden remains in area D9, where Cyra Kreeg left it 75 years ago.

D8. Ancient Control Room

The various lights and controls on the machinery in this room provide dim light. This chamber seems torn between two worlds—its southeastern half is an unfinished rock wall, while the northeastern portion of the room is finished with the same ceramic-metallic plating found in area D6. An auxiliary control room for the Stellar Degenerator, this chamber contains similar hybrid technomagical machinery that can be identified and interacted with as described in area D6, though successfully identifying the technology reveals that it has control functions rather than simple status monitoring. In fact, a complex control panel is built into the north wall that may allow the PCs to learn more about the Maelstrom Rock and its original function, if they can access the controls.

The PCs can attempt to access the control console by slicing into the control room’s computer system, requiring a successful DC 19 Technology check and three full actions. If the PCs fail the check by 5 or more, it triggers a malfunction in the console (see below), but they can try again. If successful, they gain access to the system (or what’s left of it), but there’s another obstacle to overcome—understanding the alien programming.

Interpreting the complex code requires a successful DC 23 Lore check to decipher it. Alternatively, the translation program Tech power allows a PC to automatically understand the data. If successful, the PCs learn that the equipment in this room is designed to operate minor subsystems of some larger structure or device, though the control room is no longer connected to that structure. The exact nature of the missing structure remains a mystery, though references to systems such as “Backup Power Transmission,” “Maneuvering Thrusters,” and “Auxiliary Fire Control” hint that it may have been some sort of space-based weapon system. In addition, the data reveals that these systems and the control room itself are incredibly ancient—possibly tens of thousands of years old.

In fact, it appears that the Maelstrom Rock is not just an asteroid that was repurposed as a control center, but that it was a part of the larger structure that was designed and artificially constructed at the same time as the machinery and controls here. And if all that is true, then the Maelstrom Rock represents a find of major significance, for not only is it a piece of heretofore-unknown technology of exceedingly advanced age, but the larger structure it was once a part of may still be somewhere among the stars, just waiting to be discovered!

If the PCs fail the Lore check to decipher the data by 8 or more, they might misinterpret the information in some way—they may think this is a control room for some sort of massive power plant, or perhaps that the Maelstrom Rock is a strange type of starship. If this is the case, they’ll need to rely on someone else (such as General Syndulla or Ambassador Drave) to later interpret the data to learn the real secrets of the Maelstrom Rock!

If anyone fails the Technology check to access the control console by 5 or more, the console malfunctions and sparks with electricity, shocking the triggering creature. The target takes 6d6 lightning damage, or half on a successful DC 11 Dexterity save.

If the PCs learn that the Maelstrom Rock is likely a portion of a larger structure or weapon, award them 600 XP.

D9. Starship Grotto

The ceiling of this room is 60 feet high. This cavern was in fact designed as a docking bay of sorts—one of many on the Stellar Degenerator. The ship parked inside the cavern is the Sunrise Maiden, the ship of Jedi Knight Cyra Kreeg (see area D7), left here 75 years ago. Cyra found the hangar doors open when she first discovered the asteroid, and she landed the Sunrise Maiden in the landing bay. After finding a small control panel in the cavern, Kreeg managed to close the doors, sealing her ship inside. From the outside, the doors are disguised from sensors and sight by powerful holograms that render them indistinguishable from the surface of the Maelstrom Rock. The pair of bodies on the floor are the Acreon’s last two missing crew members.

A rare creature native to the void of space called a starweird has chosen this cavern as its lair. Originally brought to the Maelstrom Rock from the Garag Asteroid Cluster outside of Kessel, the starweird took up residence in the asteroid. It lived here for decades, feeding on hyperspace energies. When the crew of the Acreon discovered the Maelstrom Rock and explored the asteroid’s surface, the starweird sensed their presence in the Force and started hunting them instead. The creature herded the miners through the asteroid’s corridors and into its lair, where it consumed their Force energy and left them dead in the hangar.

Since the Maelstrom Rock was brought into realspace, the starweird can no longer sustain itself on hyperspace energy, and there’s no live prey left on the asteroid—except for the PCs. The starweird likely detects the PCs’ presence before they even enter the cavern, and it’s eager to feed again.

Garag Starweird

Medium abberation, chaotic dark

---

• Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 75 (10d8+30)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)

---

• Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +5
• Skills Athletics +5, Stealth +8, Survival +5
• Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
• Languages understands Galactic Basic but can't speak, telepathy 100 ft.
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

---

Force Resistance. The starweird has advantage on saving throws against force powers.

Phase Shift. The starweird can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) kinetic damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Shock Susceptibility. If the starweird takes lightning damage, it suffers several effects until the end of its next turn: its speed is halved, it takes a −2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, it can't use reactions or Multiattack, and on its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both.

Space-borne. The starweird can survive in the vacuum of space.

Actions

Multiattack. The starweird makes two attacks with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) kinetic damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) kinetic damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.

Life Leech. The starweird targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it, if the target isn't a construct, droid or undead, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one and the starweird gains temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.

CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE

If the PCs have not yet fully explored all of the chambers within the Maelstrom Rock, they can do so at this point—the Sunrise Maiden can wait until they’re ready to return to Munt Ontdal. The abandoned starship is designed to serve as the PCs’ personal ship and home base for the remainder of the campaign. Although it’s currently a tier 1 starship, the Sunrise Maiden can advance in capability along with the PCs, and will hopefully develop a personality of its own over the course of the campaign, possibly becoming as much of a character as each of the PCs!

Of course, the Acreon and the Maelstrom Rock remain contested between the Mining Collective and the Akkadese Miners Guild, and the PCs might still have unfinished business of their own to attend to, most notably the fate of Commander Hebiza Eskolar and the PCs’ own deal with Ambassador Volero Drave. Unfortunately, the PCs are not going to manage to keep what they discovered about the true nature of the Maelstrom Rock secret, even if they want to. Unbeknownst to the PCs, the data cards that Drave gave them for down payment had active recording programs on them, collecting all the audio of their adventure on the Rock, and he’s edited the files for release to the press. When the PCs eventually arrive back on the station, they’ll find the docking bay filled with journalists and hovercams. Ambassador Drave awaits, ready to hold a press conference that emphasizes not only the heroics of the PCs, but also his role as arbiter between the conflicting mining organizations - just the press story the recovering Imperial Remnant needs.

But all of these concerns must wait for now, for as soon as the PCs leave the Maelstrom Rock, they come under attack from another starship lying in wait for them outside the asteroid. The PCs’ battle with this mysterious ship, and their efforts to learn more about the Maelstrom Rock and its origins, kicks off the next exciting installment of the Dead Suns campaign, “Temple of the Twelve.”

Appendix A: Maps

Appendix B: Monster Stat Blocks

Ferani Nadaz

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic dark

---

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 22 (4d8+4)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)	17 (+3)	11 (+0)	9 (-1)

---

• Skills Lore +5, Technology +5,
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Languages Galactic Basic
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

---

Combat Tracking. As a bonus action, Ferani can designate a target she can see within 30 feet, until the start of her next turn she has a +2 bonus to attack rolls against that target.

Actions

Slug Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) kinetic damage.

Techaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) kinetic damage.

Vrokilayo Hatchbuster

Medium humanoid (chistori), neutral dark

---

• Armor Class 15 (weave armor)
• Hit Points 32 (5d8+10)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	15 (+2)	15 (+2)	9 (-1)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)

---

• Skills Athletics +6
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception
• Languages Chistori, Galactic Basic
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Aggressive. As a bonus action, Vrokilayo can move up to his speed toward a hostile creature that he can see.

Awesome Blow. As a bonus action, when Vrokilayo hits with a melee attack and the target is Large or smaller, he can force the target to make a DC 14 Strength saving throw, pushing them back 10 feet on a failure.

Savage Attacks. When Vrokilayo scores a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, he can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Actions

Assault Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) energy damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) kinetic damage.

Vibromace. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) kinetic damage.

Burst. Vrokilayo targets a point that he can see within 320 feet of him. Each creature in a 10-foot cube area centered on that point must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (1d10+2) energy damage. If the targeted area is beyond 80 feet affected targets have advantage on the save.

Scree

Medium beast, unaligned

---

• Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 19 (3d8+6)
• Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	3 (-4)	11 (+0)	3 (-4)

---

• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages -
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Flyby. The scree doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.

Space-borne. The scree can survive in the vacuum of space.

Actions

Corrosive Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) kinetic damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage, or 8 (2d4+3) kinetic damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage if the target is an object or structure.

Space Jawa

Small humanoid (jawa), chaotic balanced

---

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 9 (2d6+2)
• Speed 35 ft.,

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)	11 (+0)	8 (-1)

---

• Skills Stealth +4, Survival +2, Technology +3
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages Jawaese, understands but cannot speak Galactic Basic
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Nimble Escape. The jawa can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Unstable Blaster. If the jawa rolls a natural 1 on a ranged attack using its light pistol, the pistol becomes unstable. If the pistol is unstable the jawa must use the Detonate Blaster action on its next turn, if the jawa does not use the Detonate Blaster action the blaster explodes at the end of its turn and the jawa takes 7 (2d6) fire damage and its light pistol is destroyed.

Actions

Light Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) energy damage.

Vibrodagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. *Hit: 4 (1d4+2) kinetic damage.

Detonate Blaster (1/Day). The jawa overloads the energy cells of its light pistol and throws it at a point it can see within 20 feet. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The light pistol is then destroyed.

Hebiza Eskolar

Medium humanoid (human), lawful dark

---

• Armor Class 15 (mesh armor)
• Hit Points 32 (5d8+10)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	18 (+4)	11 (+0)	14 (+2)

---

• Skills Piloting +6, Technology +6
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Languages Galactic Basic
• Challenge 1 (200 XP)

---

Techcasting. Hebiza Eskolar is a 3rd-level techcaster. Her techcasting ability is Intelligence (power save DC 14, +6 to hit with tech attacks) and she has 14 tech points. Hebiza knows the following tech powers:

At-will: electro shock, encrypted message, rime shot
1st-level: energy shield, homing rockets, repair droid, smoke cloud
2nd-level: acid dart, magnetic field

Actions

Multiattack. Hebiza Eskolar makes two attacks with her blaster carbine, or two attacks with her techblade.

Blaster Carbine. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) energy damage.

Techblade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) kinetic damage.

Zurok

Medium humanoid (gand), chaotic balanced

---

• Armor Class 15 (mesh armor)
• Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)

---

• Skills Perception +5, Piloting +4, Technology +4
• Damage Resistances poison
• Senses passive Perception 15
• Languages Galactic Basic, Gand
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Alert. Zurok can not be surprised while conscious and has a +5 to his initiative rolls. Other creatures are not able to gain advantage on attack rolls against him as a result of being hidden from Zurok.

Evasion. If Zurok is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, Zurok instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.

Findsman. Zurok has advantage on Wisdom (Perception & Survial) checks made to locate his prey.

Gand Resilience. Zurok has advantage on saving throws against poison.

Lungless. Zurok does not have to breathe and is immune to any affects that rely on breathing.

Actions

Multiattack. Zurok makes two attacks with his hold-out or two attacks with his vibrodagger.

Hold-out. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) energy damage.

Sniper Rifle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) energy damage.

Vibrodagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) kinetic damage.

Holoemitter (3/day). As an action, Zurok can cast the hologram Tech power.

Hookspore Host

Medium plant, unaligned

---

• Armor Class 10
• Hit Points 13 (3d8)
• Speed 20 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	10 (+2)	10 (+0)	2 (-4)	6 (-2)	1 (-5)

---

• Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, frightened, paralyzed
• Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
• Languages -
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

---

Actions

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) kinetic damage.

Hookspore Cloud

Medium plant, chaotic dark

---

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 36 (8d8)
• Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
7 (-2)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	13 (+1)	13 (+1)	18 (+4)

---

• Damage Vulnerabilities psychic
• Damage Resistances energy and kinetic from unenhanced attacks
• Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, prone, restrained
• Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius)
• Languages Durese, Galactic Basic, Sy Bisti
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

---

Hookspore Swarm. Cyra can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and she can move through any opening, even imperceptible cracks.

Forcecasting. Cyra Kreeg is a 6th-level forcecaster. Her forcecasting ability is Charisma (power save DC 14, +6 to hit with force attacks) and she has 28 force points. Cyra knows the following force powers:

At-will: burst, denounce, enfeeble, shock
1st-level: curse, fear, malacia, sap vitality
2nd-level: affliction, dark shear, mind spike
3rd-level: choke, force scream

Actions

Force Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) force damage.

Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that Cyra can see within 5 feet of her must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by her; Cyra then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. Cyra now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. Cyra can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and she retains her alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. She otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.

The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, Cyra ends it as a bonus action, or Cyra is forced out by an effect like the improved restoration force power. When the possession ends, Cyra reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to Cyra's Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.

Garag Starweird

Medium abberation, chaotic dark

---

• Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 75 (10d8+30)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	20 (+5)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)

---

• Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +5
• Skills Athletics +5, Stealth +8, Survival +5
• Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
• Languages understands Galactic Basic but can't speak, telepathy 100 ft.
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

---

Force Resistance. The starweird has advantage on saving throws against force powers.

Phase Shift. The starweird can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) kinetic damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Shock Susceptibility. If the starweird takes lightning damage, it suffers several effects until the end of its next turn: its speed is halved, it takes a −2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, it can't use reactions or Multiattack, and on its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both.

Space-borne. The starweird can survive in the vacuum of space.

Actions

Multiattack. The starweird makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) kinetic damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) kinetic damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.

Life Leech. The starweird targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it, if the target isn't a construct, droid or undead, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one and the starweird gains temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Kwa Security Droid

Medium droid, neutral balanced

---

• Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 39 (6d8+12)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	19 (+4)	15 (+2)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)

---

• Damage Vulnerabilities ion
• Damage Resistances necrotic
• Damage Immunities poison, psychic
• Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, unconscious
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
• Languages Galactic Basic, Kwa
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Circuitry. The droid has disadvantage on saving throws against effects that would deal ion or lightning damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The security droid makes two attacks.

Integrated Blaster. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) energy damage.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) kinetic damage.

Appendix C: Starships

Design and Development

The GX1 original marketing targets were affluent retirees interested in cruising the starlanes in a well-equipped and comfortable vessel without the high price tags of other larger star yachts. The Lantillies-based design team of engineers led by Project Engineer Shil Tervo intended to produce a model that would compete with the more popular designs from the Corellian Engineering Corporation that were in high demand during that time. They did not succeed in that respect, but unintentionally managed to create one of the first luxury pleasure craft that was within the average consumer's financial reach.

While initially designed as a pleasure yacht, Lantillian made the GX1 extremely adaptable, with a sturdy frame and body suitable for many purposes. Top-of-the-line diplomatic variants were engineered with additional defenses during the Clone Wars. A rugged and well-engineered vessel, the GX1 is easily converted by removing its luxury suites or passenger areas, replacing them cargo holds or other modifications.

One of its most infamous flaws was that its landing gear was extremely complex and maintenance-heavy. Obstructions such as dust and corrosion could easily jam its mechanisms and prevent it from retracting or deploying properly.

Hippocampus

Tier 1 Medium starship, unaligned, Courier role

---

• Armor Class 10 (reinforced)
• Damage Reduction 6
• Hull Points 45 (6d8+12)
• Shield Points 58 (6d8+25) (fortress)
• Shield Regeneration Rate 5/round
• Speed 250 ft., turning 200 ft.
• Reactor 1 / round (fuel cell)
• Power Coupling System Capacity 4d4 (direct)

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)	10 (0)	16 (+3)

---

• Saving Throws Con +2, Cha +3
• Skills Astrogation +1, Impress +5
• Senses Blindsight 1000 ft., passive Scan 10
• Challenge 1 (200 SP)                  Proficiency Bonus +2

---

Crew actions

The Hippocampus can take up to two non-fire actions, bonus actions, and/or reactions.

Evasive Maneuvers. (2/refit) When the Hippocampus rolls initiative, it can immediately move. This movement happens before the initiative order is determined. Roll a d4 and multiply it by 50 feet, the Hippocampus then gains that many feet that it can move or spend to turn.

Armament

Max fire: The Hippocampus has a maximum fire of two

Firing arcs

Turret: x2 (Double Laser Cannon x2)

Attacks

2 x Double Laser Cannon (turret: 1x dorsal, 1x ventral). Ranged Ship Attack: +1 to hit, range 800/3200, one target. Hit: 5 (2d4+1) energy damage. Overheat 8.

Cutlass-9 Patrol Fighter

---

Product Information

Manufacturer		SoroSuub Corporation
Line		Cutlass-9
Class		Starfighter
Dimensions		40 ft Long
Value		94,650 cr

---

Capacities

Minimum / Skeleton Crew		1 crew
Housing Capacity		1 crew
Cargo Capacity		2 tons
Docking Bay Capacity		n/a
Mechbay Capacity		n/a
Fuel Capacity / Cost		10 units / 500 cr
Food Portions		10
Recharge Workforce		1
Refit Workforce / Time		1 person, 8 hours

---

Equipment

Armor and Shielding		Deflection - Quick-Charge
Reactor and Power Coupling		Fuel Cell - Direct
Hyperdrives		Class 2, Class 15 Backup

Modifications

The Cutlass-9 Patrol Fighter has 6 of 20 modification slots, 0 out of 0 suites, and has the following modifications:

• Operations: Navcomputer slot, Backup hyperdrive, Hyperdrive slot
• Weapons: Fixed Hardpoint x2

Armament

Era and Affiliation

SoroSuub began production of the Cutlass-9 Patrol Fighter before the Clone Wars. Originally used only for SoroSuub's only defenses, the company contracted with the Confederation of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, mass producing the ship for the Separatist fleet.

While production ceased after the Clone Wars, it resumed when Sorosuub began covertly aiding the Alliance to Restore the Republic. When Sullust seceded from the Galactic Empire and joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic, these vessels became part of the Alliance Fleet. Cutlass-9 starfighters continued to serve in the fleets of the New Republic.

After the Galactic Civil War, SoroSuub began producing Cutlass-9 fighters to planetary governments for system patrol and defense. They became fairly common on the open market.

Design and Development

Twelve meters in length, the Cutlass-9 was designed to protect SoroSuub Corporation interests in the Sullust system and across the galaxy. It was armed with twin laser cannons and a concussion-missile launcher.

The patrol fighter is relatively lightweight, favoring speed over armor. Its aerodynamic design makes it suitable for atmospheric maneuvering as well as space combat.

Cutlass-9 Patrol Fighter

Tier 1 Small starship, unaligned, Strike Fighter role

---

• Armor Class 14 (lightweight)
• Damage Reduction 0
• Hull Points 14 (4d6+6)
• Shield Points 14 (4d6+6) (quick-charge)
• Shield Regeneration Rate 9/round
• Speed 500 ft., turning 50 ft.
• Reactor 1 / round (fuel cell)
• Power Coupling System Capacity 4d4 (direct)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	16 (+3)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	8 (-1)

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• Saving Throws Str. +5, Dex +5
• Skills Maneuver +5
• Senses Blindsight 1000 ft., passive Scan 13
• Challenge 1/2 (100 SP)                Proficiency Bonus +2

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Crew actions

The Cutlass-9 can take up to one non-fire actions, bonus actions, and/or reactions.

Pintpoint Strike. (1/refit) When the Cutlass-9 occupies the same square occupied by a target ship and makes an attack roll, as a reaction, the ship can, before rolling the attack, roll a Pinpoint Strike die, which is a d4, and add it to the attack roll. If the attack requires a saving throw instead, the Cutlass-9 may subtract the Pinpoint Strike die from the target's save result. On a hit, the attack deals normal damage that bypasses any shields and directly hits the hull of the target ship.

Armament

The Cutlass-9 has a maximum fire of one.

Firing arcs

Fore: x2 (Double Laser Cannon x1, Concussion Torpedo Launcher x1)

Attacks

Double Laser Cannon. Ranged Ship Attack: +2 to hit, range 800/3200, one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+3) energy damage. Overheat 8.

Concussion Missile Launcher. The Cutlass-9 fires a barrage of missiles in a 150-foot-cube area or rapidly at one starship within 600 feet normal range and 2,400 feet long range. Each creature in the area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 8 (2d8) energy damage on a failed save. If shot rapidly at one starship, the ship must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (4d8) energy damage on a failed save.

Loronar Medium Transport

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Product Information

Manufacturer		Loronar Corporation
Line		B-7
Class		Medium Transport
Dimensions		246 ft Long
Value		289,400 cr

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Capacities

Minimum / Skeleton Crew		4 crew / 1 crew
Housing Capacity		12 crew
Cargo Capacity		75 tons
Docking Bay Capacity		n/a
Mechbay Capacity		n/a
Fuel Capacity / Cost		30 units / 3,000 cr
Food Portions		120
Recharge Workforce		2
Refit Workforce / Time		2 people, 1 day

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Equipment

Armor and Shielding		Directional - Deflection
Reactor and Power Coupling		Fuel Cell - Hub & Spoke
Hyperdrives		Class 2, Class 15 Backup

Modifications

The Loronar Medium Transport has 15 of 30 modification slots, 6 out of 6 suites, and has the following modifications:

• Operations: Navcomputer slot, Backup hyperdrive, Hyperdrive slot
• Weapons: Fixed Hardpoint x4, Turret Hardpoint x4, Fire-Linked Mounting x2
• Suites: Escape Pods, Living Quarters x3, Storage Compartment x2
• Universal: Lightweight Plating, Mk. I

Variants

• Starbus Passenger Transport
  Replace 2x Storage Compartments and 2x Living Quarters with: 2x Transportation, an additional Escape Pod, and a Recreation Suite.
• Medium Transport Bulk Freighter
  Replace 2x Living Quarters with 2x Storage Compartments
• Medium Transport Smuggling Ship
  Replace 2x Living Quarters with 2x Hidden Storage. Add Countermeasures & Electromagnetic Scrambler (Mk. I).
• Military Transport
  Replace the 2x Living Quarters with 2x Barracks. Replace 1x Storage Compartment with 1x Mess Hall. Add 2x Hardpoints, 1x Particle Cannon and 1x Torpedo Launcher, and 8x Proton Torpedoes.

Armament

Era and Affiliation

Loronar began its B-7 line of Medium Transports a century before the Clone Wars, and continued production up until the introduction of its E-9 Explorer. Its sturdy design made it popular as a passenger ship until competing firms produced more popular lines of starbuses. Despite its ungainly maneuverability compared to similarly sized transports, the Medium Transport was favored by some smugglers for its durability and adaptable interior. Though eclipsed by the E-9 in relative popularity, the ship remains popular among collectors.

Design and Development

Loronar Corporation engineers designed the B-7 Medium Transport to compete with CEC's popular YG-series. A heavier freighter than its Corellian competition, the Loronar Medium Transport was advertised as a multitasking workhorse, able to carry heavy cargo, house significant passengers, and defend itself twinned dual laser cannon turrets. Although not known for its speed or agility, it performed well in its designed role and was a very durable vessel. This made it popular among budget-minded captains who wished to avoid high maintenance bills. The vessel was notoriously easy to modify, and many were converted to a variety of uses. The drive system was not so easily modified, and so they were rarely used for trades where sublight speed was desired, such as military conversion or illicit shipping.

Loronar Medium Transport

Tier 1 Medium starship, unaligned

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• Armor Class 11 (deflection)
• Damage Reduction 3
• Hull Points 51 (6d8+18)
• Shield Points 45 (6d8+12) (directional)
• Shield Regeneration Rate 8/round
• Speed 250 ft., turning 300 ft.
• Reactor 1 / round (fuel cell)
• Power Coupling Central Capacity 2d4, System Capacity 1d4 (hub & spoke)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	10 (+0)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	8 (+0)

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• Saving Throws Con +5, Wis +4
• Skills Astrogation +3
• Senses Blindsight 1000 ft., passive Scan 14
• Challenge 2 (450 SP)                      Proficiency Bonus +2

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Crew actions

The Medium Transport can take up to two non-fire actions, bonus actions, and/or reactions.

Evasive Maneuvers. (2/refit) When the Medium Transport rolls initiative, it can immediately move. This movement happens before the initiative order is determined. Roll a d4 and multiply it by 50 feet, the Medium Transport then gains that many feet that it can move or spend to turn.

Armament

Max fire: The Medium Transport has a maximum fire of four

Firing arcs

Turret: x4 (Double Laser Cannon x4)

Attacks

4 x Double Laser Cannon Ranged Ship Attack: +2 to hit, range 800/3200, one target. Hit: 6 (2d4+2) energy damage.

Fire-Linked Mounting Each Double Laser Cannon turret iss equipped with Fire-Linked Mounting. When the Medium Transport Fires one of its Double Laser Cannons from this dedicated gunner station, it can use a bonus action to attack with the Double Laser Cannon in the same firing arc if it has not yet been Fired this round. The transport does not add the ship's ability modifier to the damage roll of the bonus attack. A Double Laser Cannon that has been activated using a bonus action in this way cannot be Fired this round.

Sunrise Maiden

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Product Information

Manufacturer		Loronar Corporation
Line		B-7
Class		Medium Transport (modified)
Dimensions		246 ft Long
Value		584,800 cr

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Capacities

Minimum / Skeleton Crew		4 crew / 1 crew
Housing Capacity		4 crew
Cargo Capacity		75 tons
Docking Bay Capacity		n/a
Mechbay Capacity		n/a
Fuel Capacity / Cost		30 units / 3,000 cr
Food Portions		120
Recharge Workforce		2
Refit Workforce / Time		2 people, 1 day

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Equipment

Armor and Shielding		Directional - Deflection
Reactor and Power Coupling		Fuel Cell - Hub & Spoke
Hyperdrives		Class 1, Class 15 Backup

Modifications

The Sunrise Maiden has 28 of 30 modification slots, 6 out of 6 suites, and has the following modifications:

• Engineering: Countermeasures
• Operations: Navcomputer slot, Backup hyperdrive, Hyperdrive slot, Comms Package (Premium), Comms Package (Prototype), Scanner (Premium)
• Weapons: Fixed Hardpoint x4, Turret Hardpoint x4, Fire-Linked Mounting x2
• Suites: Escape Pods, Living Quarters, Medbay, Meditation Chamber, Storage Compartment x2
• Universal: Lightweight Plating (Mk. I), Thrusters (Mk. I), Thrusters (Mk. II)

Armament

Era and Affiliation

A century before the rise of the Empire, Jedi Padawan Cyra Kreeg acquired her starship from a scrap heap on Lotho Minor while on a mission with her master, rescuing a stranded passenger ship that inadvertently wrecked on the junk planet. It was in a poor state, with heavy interior and exterior wear. Over the next few months, Cyra spent extensive time refitting it in the hangar of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. After receiving her full knighthood, Kreeg was dispatched as an explorer and envoy for the Exploration Corps, and she used the Sunrise Maiden as her mobile base.

Design and Development

Cyra strove to make the Maiden as useful possible in her missions throughout the galaxy. For her, that meant compensating up for the Medium Transport's poor maneuverability with boosted thrusters and maneuvering jets. Encounters with pirates led her enhance the ship's weapon capabilities, adding a pair of torpedo tubes and swapping one turret set for a pair of ion cannons. It also has the amenities a Jedi explorer would need: enhanced scanners and communications, a workshop for repairs and lightsaber adjustments, a chamber for Jedi meditations. The tinkering Jedi never was never quite satisfied with her work, always swapping equipment and trying other loadouts; it was thus that several slots were left unused after her early demise in asteroids of the Maelstrom.

Sunrise Maiden

Tier 2 Medium starship, unaligned

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• Armor Class 14 (deflection)
• Damage Reduction 3
• Hull Points 59 (7d8+21)
• Shield Points 52 (7d8+14) (directional)
• Shield Regeneration Rate 8/round
• Speed 300 ft., turning 250 ft.
• Reactor 1 / round (fuel cell)
• Power Coupling System Capacity 1d6, Central Capacity 2d6 (hub & spoke)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)

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• Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +5
• Skills Astrogation +5, Probe +5, Scan +6
• Senses Blindsight 1000 ft., passive Scan 16
• Challenge 4                                    Proficiency Bonus +3

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Crew actions

Evasive Maneuvers. (2/refit) When the Sunrise Maiden rolls initiative, it can immediately move. This movement happens before the initiative order is determined. Roll a d4 and multiply it by 50 feet, the Maiden then gains that many feet that it can move or spend to turn.

Nimble Starship. The Sunrise Maiden can add half its Dexterity modifier to any saving throw it makes that doesn’t already include that modifier.

Countermeasures. Once per round, when the Maiden is forced to make a saving throw against an effect that would cause it to be blinded, ionized, shocked, stalled, or stunned, a crew member can use their reaction to add the 2 to the roll

Armament

Max fire: The Medium Transport has a maximum fire of four.

Firing arcs

Turret: x4 (Double Laser Cannon x2, Ion Cannon x2)
Fore: x1 (Concussion Missile Launcher x1)
Aft: x1 (Concussion Missile Launcher x1)

Attacks

2 x Double Laser Cannon (turret) Ranged Ship Attack: +2 to hit, range 800/3200, one target. Hit: 6 (2d4+2) energy damage.

2 x Ion Cannon (turret) Ranged Ship Attack +2 to hit, range 800/3200, one target. Hit: 6 (2d4+2) ion damage.

2x Concussion Missile (x1 fore, x1 aft) The Sunrise Maiden fires a barrage of missiles in a 150-foot-cube area or rapidly at one starship within 600 feet normal range and 2,400 feet long range. Each creature in the area must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 8 (2d8) energy damage on a failed save. If shot rapidly at one starship, the ship must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (4d8) energy damage on a failed save.

Appendix D: Items

Electrical Shield

Rarity: Premium

Type: Adventuring Gear (Waist)

While wearing this device, you can activate it to generate a protective energy bubble around you, manifesting as shimmering light that covers you and your gear. You gain 10 temporary hit points for the duration. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you have these hit points, the creature takes electrical damage equal to its damage roll. Turning the field on or off requires an action.

Jury-rigged from a lambent shield modification, Jedi Knight Cyra Kreeg used this to resist the Garag Starweird until its battery sadly ran out.

Appendix E: Visual Assets

Volero Drave's Invitation

Appendix F: Rule Variants