Gamer

Session name: Kill-a-bug
Session type: Con one-off, playtest
Game system: 3:16 - Carnage Among the Stars
Number of players: 7+GM

PLANET INFORMATION:
NAME: Reynolds
CREATURE FORM: Insectoid
SHORT DESCRIPTION: Arid World
ALIEN ABILITY: Lowest FA +1
SPECIAL ABILITY: Swarm
THREAT TOKENS: 5 per character

LONG DESCRIPTION: The planet is too dry to support vegetation and has a parched, bleached look. The surface is a mixture of deserts, canyons and large fields of strewn rocks and boulders. The days are hot and unrelenting while the nights are harshly cold.

SPECIAL ABILITY DESCRIPTION: These creatures attack in vast numbers hoping to overwhelm their opponents by swarming them constantly at Close Range. On the aliens’ turn in the Combat Round all PCs are moved to Close Range on the range map by this ability. The Swarm ability costs one Threat Token for the aliens to use on this planet.

PLANET REYNOLDS is the closest thing to the areas around the Grand Canyon, or the Negev or Mojave deserts that any of the troopers have seen since leaving Terra. It is rocky and hard, and there s hardly a living thing anywhere in sight. There are plenty of outcrops that provide cover, however, cover goes both ways…

The planet is riddled with underground tunnels and chambers, inhabited by the various species of insectoid beings that call Planet Reynolds home.

Play resumè: Our heroes, a squad made up of a sergeant, a corporal and five troopers, land more or less safely on planet Reynolds, and are immediately ordered to set up and secure the perimeter of the camp. The ranking officer on planet is Lt. Hicks, a very green OCT graduate whose lack of experience is compounded by his overly loud voice and insecure orders.

Meeting heavy enemy resistance only a short walk from the camp, the squad reports in, and are ordered to RTB. Back in base, the order is countermanded, and they head back out.

After a lot of back and forth, the squad, along with the rest of the platoon finally clear the planet, with only one casualty; Lt. Hicks.

Replacing Hicks is Sgt. Dunlap, who was squad leader. However, rank goes to his head, and shortly after arriving at their next mission, aboard the carrier Peronimous, dies, though not before killing Cpl. (former Trp.) Ortiz.

In the end-game scene, the squad clears the ship of all personnel, as they were no longer human. The only survivor was Bucket, the comms operator aboard.

Highest amount of kills: 83 (Cpl. Murphy)