I finally got chance to run the BPN that John D posted a few weeks ago.
I ran it as a cross between the original source material and the actual BPN. I also dropped the Dark Lament level since there was no Ebons in my group.
The BPN started off with the squad actually being quite intelligent and asking the right questions to get a series of handouts (i.e. they remembered to ask for access codes).
They then tooled up with loads of shotguns, pistols and grenades to take on what they thought was a Darknight attack on Outpost 27.
A bit worried about the amount of shotguns they were carrying I decided to crash the jet they were travelling to the outpost in. Again, my players proved they're intelligence by buckling themselves in along with they're equipment and getting out of the wreckage as soon as it had crashed.
The scanned the outside of the outpost for movement and power, and seeing no movement but power on they decided to proceed to the main entrace.
Displaying a casual disregard for their own safety they checked out the ground floor room by room until they got to the Med Lab. Unable to get in the blew the door open to find the room was barricaded them the inside and shot to pieces. Lots of blood but no bodies...
They proceeded upstairs to the communications centre to try and contact Station Analysis. Of course, at this point they found the body with his middle missing, which in an effort to mislead them, I described as looking like a high explosive round had blown him open. They went on instant alert checking every possible angle in the room for a sniper.
Finding working computers they got floor plans to the outpost and the remains of a file concerning the projects notes they thought they were getting somewhere...
The players took a fag break and I spoke to John to give him a progress report and to voice my concerns about the amount of shotguns...
The game re-commenced and the players came across a shotgun covered in blood with a bite taken out of the barrel. Of course that bite related to the size of a human bite...
Cue growing look of paranoia on the players faces. The teams split up, one group heading up and out of the outpost onto the landing pad. The other group headed downwards to the Karma level.
The first group found nothing of interest so headed down to join the other group.
The second group found a cold storage with the remains of cows, dogs, cats, monkeys etc. all with their middles missing. At this point the players started showing their lack of brains - they did not connect the man with the missing middle with these, or with the mention in the project notes about testing on the bodies in the freezer.
Next the came across the Karma lab with the floating stromers in. Unsure as to whether they were dead or alive, and concerned about the mention of intelligence boosting for stormers via implanted computer chips, the players left quickly.
They then proceeded to the flooded level...
Opening up the door to this lab they were greeted by the overwhelming smell of sea water. The did question whether the base was near the sea but didn't think much of it.
Using a trick John had advised, I did a series of finger taps agaisnt a table to simulate the sound of the creature getting closer to them. Of course the players were too busy argueing amongst themselves to pay attention and so the creature got them.
I wrote a series of notes, one saying 'You have been taking over by the creature' the others saying things like 'Smile, Again.., Bigger..' and 'Ignore this but don't dare tell anyone what it says'. This of course didn't help their paranoia, but then again neither did the following two sets of nonsense notes...
Unable to find any bodies and unsure as to what had actually happened in the base, the players spent the next hour or so checking every room but only managed to find one body. Finally they gave up and admitted defeat.
I explained what the creature was and did and asked the player who had been taken over to stand up. The other players faces dropped a mile when they realised they had been 'got' and accepted that while waiting for their recovery vehicle they would have been killed by the creature.
I also told them that the rest of the bodies were hidden underwater but that the hadn't searched the room fully (they hadn't come prepared for water exploration or with enough lighting, and had search about 4 feet into the room before they came across a shelf with paper with child like writing on, finding this they had quit their search)
All in all, the players said it was a brilliant adventure that had freaked them out and got them paranoid, but they complained about the lack of shooting. I've promised them a black as their next BPN...
This was also my first proper gaming session for about 2 years and I really enjoyed running it. A big thanks to John for writing the BPN and giving me advice.