“Traveller” is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. This homebrew content is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with Mongoose Publishing or Far Future Enterprises. All references to Lobopods of Mars or other original texts remain the property of their respective copyright holders.
1. Campaign Context
These PCs are a ragtag band of homesteaders, rogues, and would-be survivors on Mars circa 2034 in an alternate-history timeline. Officially, Mars is administered by the Mars Secretariat and its sprawl of petty politics, but beyond the big settlements, it’s effectively frontier territory. Dust storms, saboteurs, hidden cults, and clandestine smuggling define everyday life. Each PC has unique ties to smugglers, local fixers, or fringe religious movements. As a group, they can cooperate (or backstab) to survive in the harsh environment of the Red Planet.
Use these PCs as player-characters for a one-shot or mini-campaign, or as interesting NPCs (allies, rivals, or frenemies) if your table already has its own characters.
2. The Crew Overview
Below is a quick summary of each main PC. Then we provide expansions for stats, motivations, gear, and personal entanglements:
Stuart “Stew” Hobart (a.k.a. “The Hobbit”)
A scrappy, diminutive smuggler-engineer from Lake Magog, Vermont, who embraces his streetwise cunning as a means to survive. His infiltration into Mars is half entrepreneurial, half philanthropic—he believes smuggling can serve the “greater good” of local colonists.
Lars Brecker
A combat-savvy operator from a Swiss/Earth background, drifting to Mars to escape an overpopulated Earth job market. Specializes in advanced weaponry and direct action, but not always sure whose side he’s truly on.
Jack Woolpit
A mild-mannered but highly educated tinkerer with a knack for communications and planetology. Prefers to avoid direct fights; potential moral compass of the group (unless cornered).
Yajtoo Smith
A deceptively bright schemer with serious computing skills, remote-ops ability, and links to the rumor mills of Mutch City. Enjoys weaving illusions and half-truths to get out of trouble.
Joret
A practical all-rounder from a Tibetan background who now works in Mutch City. Skilled with rifles, leadership, and enough mechanical know-how to keep a crawler rolling or patch up a comrade.
Depending on your group size, any subset of these can form the party’s core. Alternatively, use them all as a wide ensemble or a rotating cast.
3. Stuart “Stew” Hobart (The Hobbit)
Homeworld: Newport, Vermont (Lake Magog area), Earth Age: Late 20s Build & Appearance: 5’4” (1.63 m), slight but well-muscled, shaggy light-brown hair, “perpetually youthful.” Personality Tags: Resourceful, quick-tempered, irreverent Notable Quirk: Despises being called “The Hobbit,” but can’t shake the nickname.
Backstory Highlights
Family Smuggling: Grew up on Lake Magog, smuggling cigarettes (and sometimes undocumented folks) across the US–Canada border. Learned stealth, small arms, boat craft.
Martial Arts for Self-Defense: Bullied in school, took up martial arts from middle school onward. Quietly lethal in close quarters.
Academic Ups & Downs: Studied engineering but got sabotaged by a rival (Sean Finnegan); left without finishing.
Underworld Ties: Worked briefly with an Irish mob in Boston, gained a mob boss ally (William Lovett). Encouraged to join the “Mars Games”—the colonist selection competition—so he could expand smuggling networks to the Red Planet.
Awakening Influence: Also partially sponsored by a member of The Awakening (William Graham), who ironically plastered “Stew (The Hobbit) Hobart” over official signup forms, cementing the nickname forever.
Motivations
Stew sincerely believes that smuggling can serve a “greater good” on Mars: providing short-on-supply colonists with gear or medicine they can’t otherwise afford. However, he will cut corners and break laws to survive. Not above taking personal profit or doing shady side jobs.
Key Allies & Contacts
Ret. Adm. Poindexter (ally): Gave him covert tasks, possibly orchestrating “grey ops” smuggling on Mars.
William Lovett (Irish Mob Boss, ally): Nudged Stew to Mars with a view to forging new underworld lines.
William Graham (Awakening Patron, ally): “Manager” during the Mars Games. Also helped shape Stew’s moral code, ironically while leaning into the “Hobbit” moniker.
John Zhang (elder statesman, ally): Former Secretariat member; Stew once saved someone in Zhang’s circle by forging a new identity.
Henchpersons
Ginger Takata (Scholar / Physician): Grateful for Stew’s help acquiring rare drugs and black-market cybernetics. Maintains a small clinic or traveling med-lab.
Bubba Johnson (Rogue / Bodyguard): Big, not too bright local Marser. Serves as muscle when Stew needs it. Fiercely loyal once paid.
Suggested Traveller-Style Stats
Stat
Value
Notes
STR
8
Quick, wiry muscle
DEX
10
+1 DM; martial arts & quick reflexes
END
10
+1 DM; surprising stamina
INT
11
+1 DM; cunning, streetwise smarts
EDU
11
+1 DM; partial engineering college
SOC
6
Some connections, but from a small-time background
Notable Skills (final ranks at referee’s discretion):
Melee (Unarmed) 1–2 (martial arts training)
Gun Combat (Slug Rifles) 1 (hunts & smuggling)
Mechanic 1–2 (technical college + rover repairs)
Stealth 1–2 (border smuggling, infiltration)
Streetwise 2 (Irish mob dealings, black markets)
Deception 1 (smuggler’s habit)
Pilot (Small Craft / Ground-Craft) 1 (could handle rovers or small boats)
Equipment & Gear
Light ballistic vest or environment suit (if on Mars surface)
Compact slug rifle and a sidearm
Mobile toolkit (wrenches, patch kits)
HUD communicator with contraband encryption apps
Possibly a battered crawler or good access to one
Role in the Group: Stew is the infiltration and fixing expert—good at bridging underworld deals, patching vehicles, and ensuring the team can bypass “boring red tape.” He’s also a capable fighter in short bursts.
4. Lars Brecker
Homeworld: Switzerland, Earth (migrated to Mars) Appearance & Vibe: Fit, slightly older than Stew, exudes a paramilitary aura. Specialties: Advanced weapons, some piloting, direct action or security roles. Possible Motivation: Searching for real prospects after Earth’s job market dried up; sells his services to the highest bidder.
Use Lars if your group needs an enforcer or “hard-hitting soldier.” He might also be a kindred spirit to Stew—both arrived on Mars chasing opportunity.
5. Jack Woolpit
Homeworld: (Variant backstory) Possibly from an alternate Earth colony or an advanced region. Skill Focus: High Education, planetology or archaeology angles, strong with communications or sensor-based tasks. Personality: Mild, intellectual. Could be the “voice of reason” when Stew’s smuggling deals get too dicey.
Jack’s player might enjoy puzzles, exploration, or researching Martian geology and any hints of Lobopod life.
6. Yajtoo Smith
Homeworld: Born on Mars (canonical snippet) Tech & Covert Mastery: Skilled in remote ops, computing, hacking. Personality: Deceptive, glib, creative with illusions—adept at forging credentials, tricking official logs. Potential Ties: Possibly knows of or even competes with Stew’s smuggling networks from the data side. Could be best friends or rival hackers.
Use Yajtoo to highlight the urban cyber-savvy side of Mars: forging airlock codes, intercepting clandestine transmissions, or impersonating official channels.
7. Joret
Homeworld: Earth (Tibet), relocated to Mutch City Generalist: Adept in firearms, leadership, and enough medical skill to treat bullet wounds in the field. Likely Team Role: The calmer backbone who tries to keep the group’s morale stable. Good for “field medic meets commanding officer” type.
8. Story Seeds & Group Dynamics
Shared Operation: The group might pool resources to buy or maintain a Mars crawler rig, using it to move cargo (legitimate or contraband) across the dusty highways. Conflicts arise over moral lines.
Secret Missions: One PC (Stew) has old ties to an Earth mob boss. Another (Yajtoo) might be in contact with the Old Believers or the “Kangar Horde.” Tensions flare if alliances are contradictory.
Local Trouble: The group has to salvage or fix a broken air processor in a small outpost. Meanwhile, they discover sabotage by a rival smuggling ring or a sect wanting them gone.
Temptation vs. Redemption: The PCs collectively weigh up short-term profit from illicit deals (like transferring unlicensed guns) vs. the possibility of long-term stability for their Martian homestead.
9. Using These PCs in Play
Player-Characters: Hand out each role or let the players pick. They’ll have some built-in alliances and friction.
NPC Allies / Rivals: In a campaign with existing characters, you can have Stew appear as a fixer contact offering shady missions, or Yajtoo as the local infiltration mastermind who hires the group.
Adapt the Stat Lines: Mongoose Traveller 2e is quite flexible. You can condense or expand the skills to match your table’s complexity.
Intra-Party Drama: Because their backgrounds entwine legitimate homesteading with underworld connections and quasi-religious influences, expect morally gray episodes.
10. Final Notes
“Stew” Hobart is a prime example of the “do-gooder rogue” archetype. He calls himself a “patriot for Mars,” yet he’s no saint. The others each bring their own flavor of frontier cunning, soldierly grit, or scientific curiosity. Together, they form a versatile crew—perfect for the Lobopods of Mars setting, where black-market deals, exiled Earth bureaucrats, religious zealots, and newly discovered life forms all intersect in the dusty red canyons.
Use these characters as stepping stones into bigger arcs: perhaps they eventually clash with major factions in Mutch City or investigate rumored labyrinths below Pavonis Mons. Whether they become heroes or remain lovable rogues is up to your table’s choices.
Good luck—and watch your water supply. On Mars, everything (and everyone) might be up for sale…
A Mongoose Traveller (2e–style) Scenario Era: 2035, Alternate-Future Mars Key Themes: Frontier Justice, Rival Factions, Survival, Reputation
Disclaimer “Traveller” is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. This scenario is a homebrewed, fan-made adventure module that uses Mongoose Traveller-compatible terminology and structures. Lobopods of Mars is by Henry Edward Hardy. All rights remain with respective copyright holders.
Thomas A. Mutch Crawlie Service Station and Entertainment Center, Mars (c) 2025 Henry Edward Hardy
Introduction & Background
Mutch City & Crawlie Stop Overview
Factions & Politics
Adventure Hook: The Incursion
Running the Scenario
Key NPCs
Likely Outcomes & Further Plots
Appendix: Stats & Tools
1. Introduction & Background
The Setting Mars in 2035 is a hardscrabble frontier. While nominally overseen by the Mars Secretariat, local enforcement is patchy. The planet’s fragile ecology and drastically limited water force every citizen to live by their wits. With no cheap way to return to Earth, once you come to Mars, it’s practically for life.
Mutch City is one of the three major settlements. Perched in a crater near the Tharsis Plateau, it is an active trade hub along The Road, the equatorial route that connects scattered outposts. The adjacent Thomas A. Mutch Crawlie Stop & Entertainment Dome (often called “the Mutch Crawlie Stop”) is a somewhat seedy rest-and-refuel station, combined with a tavern, black-market exchange, and cheap lodging under a single pressurized dome.
Recent Events News just broke that the Kangar Horde, an Outback brigand band nominally worshipping Tengri (the old Turkic/Mongolian sky-god pantheon), stormed the Mutch Crawlie Stop, beat up a local, and temporarily held it hostage. A posse led by Sheriff Olav Pekkonen turned them away with minimal gunfire. Now, the outlaws have fled into the dusty wilderness, leaving panic, property damage—and unanswered questions. The place has erupted into a victory party, but tension remains. Will the Horde return? Why did they come? Who was the battered local with the mysterious backpack?
Your Travellers can step in at this moment of uneasy relief, either in the immediate aftermath or just before the Kangar Horde flees. This scenario focuses on local skirmishes, investigations, and moral choices in a lawless corner of Mars.
2. Mutch City & Crawlie Stop Overview
Mutch City at a Glance
Population: ~35,000 (mixed backgrounds, many Earth expats and native “Marsers”).
Governance: An elected Council plus a Sheriff (currently Olav Pekkonen) who coordinates volunteer deputies.
Economy: Focuses on rover (crawler) maintenance, hydroponics, salvage. Water is strictly rationed.
Atmosphere: A rowdy “frontier city” vibe. Tunneling networks and small pressurized domes connect near the crater walls.
The Thomas A. Mutch Crawlie Stop
A short ride outside the main city.
Function: A combined refueling station for crawlers, bar/casino, cheap bunkhouse, and small private cargo bays.
Ownership: Nominally under a local entrepreneur or “Dome Manager”—the position often changes hands under shady deals.
Typical Staff: Bored barhands, mechanic teams, day-laborers. Most carry sidearms or improvised weapons.
Ambiance: Gaudy neon signs (powered by a local micro-fusion generator), dusty corrugated corridors, and one pressurized dome with cheap amusements.
3. Factions & Politics
Mars is rife with little cliques and roving gangs. In the region around Mutch City, three stand out:
Local Government (Mutch City Council & Sheriff)
Assets: Small garrison of volunteer deputies, a single archaic but sturdy “Armored Crawler” with a non-lethal railgun turret.
Goals: Maintain a semblance of order, keep commerce flowing, ensure Mutch City’s survival.
Weaknesses: Underfunded, can only muster a half-dozen trained fighters at any time.
Kangar Horde (Tengri Brigade)
Identity: Outback brigands, combining Mongolian/Turkic heritage with a tough survivalist ethos. Nominally “Tengri-ists.”
Assets: Well-armed crawlers, close ties to black markets, famed for powerful melee and short-range fighting.
Motivation: Territorial expansion, collecting tribute from roadside stops, and “honoring” Tengrism by proving their might.
Weaknesses: Rarely keep stable supply lines, prone to internal rivalry.
Mars Old Believers (Bezpopovtsy)
Mentioned On the Periphery: This Gnostic-inspired Old Believer sect sometimes competes with or manipulates the Kangar Horde. They suspect “heretical powers” near Pavonis Mons.
Relevance to Mutch City: Possibly some of their acolytes or infiltrators pass through.
Referee Note: You can involve the Old Believers tangentially, or emphasize them as the Kangar Horde’s silent backers. Alternatively, they can be a separate threat lurking in hidden tunnels.
4. Adventure Hook: The Incursion
What Happened
A small detachment of Kangar Horde riders (in this setting, “rider” or “warrior” basically means “person with a heavily customized crawler or half-tracked ATV”) arrived at the Mutch Crawlie Stop. They:
Overpowered the skeletal security staff,
Locked or subdued unarmed civilians in side rooms,
Looted some cargo, including a traveler’s prized backpack,
Beat that traveler nearly to death in the main corridor.
A local informant escaped and alerted Sheriff Pekkonen, who arrived with a posse. After a tense standoff (and some “warning shots” from Pekkonen’s battered railgun on the City Crawler), the Horde withdrew. They drove away into the desert, leaving behind the battered victim, plus a lot of fear and confusion.
Why They Came
The Kangar Horde was (officially) on a “tribute run,” demanding trade goods or water. But rumors suggest:
They were seeking a specific item carried by the traveler.
They had intelligence about some artifact or precious cargo in the Crawlie Stop’s private cargo bays.
The local owners refused them a major water “donation,” prompting violence.
The PCs’ Entry Points
Arrive Mid-Standoff: Perhaps the Travellers are traveling with cargo or searching for a resting stop. They find the Kangar Horde actively occupying the dome. Will they try to negotiate, slip in stealthily to rescue hostages, or join forces with the Sheriff outside?
Arrive Immediately Afterward: The PCs show up to find the posse partying—“We kicked ’em out, yee-haw!”—but the battered victim is in critical condition. Tensions remain high, and many questions go unanswered.
Hired To Investigate: A sponsor, such as the Mutch City Council, local traders, or even hush-hush corporate or religious interests, hires the Travellers to figure out why the Horde attacked.
5. Running the Scenario
Key Phases
Assessment & Triage
The battered traveller might still be alive, moaning in a corner. Medical attention is urgent.
The dome’s staff are half-panicked, half-exhilarated. Interview them for clues; they have contradictory stories.
The bar/hotel area is trashed; looted crates scatter the corridors.
Clues & Investigation
Cargo Manifests: Something in the locked cargo bays might be a “holy relic” or valuable black-market item the Kangar want.
Locals’ Accounts: The staff recognized the aggressors as part of the Kangar Horde—led by a “big bear of a man” with a stylized hawk emblem on his suit.
The Victim’s Secrets: The battered local had a mysterious backpack. Possibly a relic of the Old Believers, or data about rumored subterranean “Peacock Angel” sightings. Is the victim an agent of some faction?
Sheriff Pekkonen’s Posse
The Sheriff is no-nonsense but out of resources. He might request the PCs’ help in tracking the Horde or repelling future raids.
Alternatively, Pekkonen might suspect the travellers if they have unusual gear or contacts.
Confronting/Re-Encountering the Horde
The Horde left in haste; the road is open for pursuit. Under the swirling dust storms, can the PCs track them?
Could the PCs negotiate: “Return the stolen items and we might supply you with water.”?
If negotiations fail, a pitched chase or firefight across the desert might ensue.
Outcome & Consequences
If the PCs do nothing, the Kangar might regroup or link up with bigger forces to seize the entire dome.
If the PCs root out the deeper why, they may discover:
The item or data is connected to the Mars Old Believers or the rumored Order of the Peacock Angel in the catacombs under Pavonis Mons.
A corporate secret (e.g., a new form of synthetic water filtration or a hidden trove of diamond-lattice gear).
The local community’s trust or hostility will shape future adventures in Mutch City.
6. Key NPCs
Below are sample Traveller 2e–style stat blocks. Adjust to fit your table’s power level.
Straight-Shooter: Gains +1 DM to Leadership checks when facing obvious criminals or marauders.
Reputation: Well-liked by Mutch City folks, but overshadowed by the city council.
Kangar “Bear-Man” Lieutenant
Warlike Enforcer
STR 10, DEX 7, END 9, INT 6, EDU 5, SOC 4
Skills:
Melee (Blade) 2
Gun Combat (Shotgun) 1
Athletics (Strength) 1
Survival 1
Recon 1
Equipment:
Heavy Blade (2D damage, +1 if STR 10+)
Sawed-off Shotgun (3D damage, short range)
Padded Vacc Suit (Armor 4, battered)
Traits:
Ruthless: Gains +1 DM to melee attacks if outnumbering the target.
Kangar Cred: May call on a small team (1D brigands) with half-day notice.
The Injured Traveller (Backpack Carrier)
Mystery Victim
STR 4 (injured), DEX 7, END 5, INT 9, EDU 8, SOC 6
Skills:
Streetwise 2
Stealth 1
Medic 1
Comms 1
Equipment:
Smashed HUD Tablet
“Secret Backpack” with small sealed container or data crystals
Traits:
Half-Conscious: -2 DM to all checks until stabilized (Medic 8+).
Knowledgeable: Possibly holds vital info on Old Believers, sabotage networks, or an alien artifact.
7. Likely Outcomes & Further Plots
1. Local Resolution
The PCs side firmly with Mutch City, reinforce the Crawlie Stop’s defenses, and keep the Horde at bay. They might parlay or fight. The city is grateful (free lodging, local contacts), but the Kangar leaders hold grudges.
2. Escalation & Desert Chase
The Travellers track the fleeing Kangar. Tense chases or cat-and-mouse in the Martian outback ensue. Desert storms, hidden canyons, and rover breakdowns provide drama.
3. Deeper Conspiracy
Evidence points to an Old Believer infiltration or “Peacock Angel” relic hidden somewhere in the cargo. This can lead the party into Pavonis Mons lava tubes. Or spark new conflicts if the Horde is but a hired muscle for a larger scheme.
4. Corporate or Religious “Outsiders” Step In
An ISA or corporate rep arrives, offering hush-money or advanced gear to the PCs if they hush up the situation. This might cause moral dilemmas or new alliances.
8. Appendix: Stats & Tools
Sample Desert Crawler (TL9)
Speed: ~50 kph on flat terrain, half in rough terrain.
Armor/Hull: 4 (hillbilly plating).
Weapons (Optional): Short-range turret (2D damage ballistic or 3D if a rail/coilgun).
Crew: 2–3 plus cargo.
Traits: In dusty storms, Pilot checks at -2 DM. Breakdowns are frequent.
Hazards & Encounters
Dust Storm: Treat as Very Poor visibility, -2 DM to Recon, -1 DM to ranged combat.
Thin Air & Suit Punctures: Use standard Traveller vacuum/low-atmo rules; a small tear escalates quickly without immediate patching.
Outback Marauders: 2–6 brigands, each armed with improvised shotguns or carbon-fiber melee weapons.
Concluding Notes
The Mutch Crawlie Stop Incursion is a self-contained scenario that can launch a mini-campaign around Mutch City and its surroundings. The Kangar Horde, Sheriff Pekkonen, and the battered traveller’s hidden cargo all feed into a tapestry of Martian frontier drama. Will your Travellers become the heroes who keep Mutch City safe, or cunning opportunists who exploit local tensions for their own gain?
Tie this scenario to deeper Lobopods of Mars lore by adding hints of bizarre subterranean life, cryptic sects, or top-secret technology. Tweak or expand the faction politics to your liking. Above all, keep the pressure on: resources are scarce, alliances fragile, and the next dust storm might be the final curtain on your Martian escapade. Good luck!
I’m developing a comprehensive Mongoose Traveller module focused on the “Lobopods of Mars,” featuring detailed lore, gameplay mechanics, and character creation guidelines, enriched with intellectual insights and narrative creativity.
Integrating mysteries
Including enigmatic elements like “the mother demon” into the module, planning a structured format with introduction, background, and scenario hooks, while incorporating fan-based supplements and new content for Mongoose Traveller.
Highlighting Mars’ characteristics
I’m noting Mars’ unique biology, highlighting new species and evolving technologies. This leads to outlining adventure seeds, essential game stats, and key NPCs, setting the stage for varied scenarios.
Below is a fan-created, unofficial Mongoose Traveller (2nd Edition–style) campaign module inspired by Lobopods of Mars, by Henry Edward Hardy. This module adapts Hardy’s retro-futurist alternate history, political drama, and subterranean mysteries into a Traveller framework. It is written for Game Masters (Referees) who want to run a plot-rich science-fiction campaign on a perilous Mars, replete with hidden colonies, fanatic cults, and possible discoveries of alien life.
Statting out Cultists, Environmental Threats, & Potential Martian Organisms
Running the Campaign
Tone & Atmosphere
Politics & Diplomacy
Exploration vs. Confrontation
Appendices
Appendix A: Timeline Highlights
Appendix B: Technology & Gear Quick Tables
Appendix C: Sample Maps & Location Ideas
1. Introduction & Themes
The Story So Far
In Lobopods of Mars, two stranded explorers—Marta and Jim—realize their water supply has been sabotaged, their base possibly infiltrated by a clandestine sect, and that new signs of subterranean life may lurk deep under Pavonis Mons, one of the enormous shield volcanoes on Mars. The entire setting blends mid-20th-century “rocketpunk” with advanced fusion drives, an alternate Cold War timeline, and a strong focus on survival and intrigue.
Themes to Highlight
Isolation & Survival. Mars is dangerous: limited resources, geological instability, dust storms that last for months, and sabotage around every corner.
Conspiracy & Betrayal. Hidden sects or “brothers” roam the lava tubes; clandestine sabotage at bases suggests deep espionage and infiltration.
Discovery & Awe. Hidden life forms that might upend all assumptions about Mars—the Lobopods or other subterranean “demon” biology.
Moral Questions. Do the Travellers try to rescue survivors and preserve fragile life, or exploit the new life forms for profit or glory?
In Mongoose Traveller terms, this module focuses on exploration, investigation, and politics in a mostly low-tech environment compared to the usual interstellar Imperium. You can easily drop this Mars “pocket dimension” into an existing campaign: perhaps it’s a lost colony world stuck at Tech Level 8–10, or a secret experimental settlement established by powerful patrons.
2. Setting Overview
Alternate Timeline & History
In Hardy’s timeline, the space race took a dramatically different turn:
1950s–1970s: Early breakthroughs in fusion propulsion and the first Russian and U.S. landings on Mars, both lost under mysterious circumstances.
1980s–2000s: The International Space Agency (ISA) formed. Massive colonization campaigns eventually led to three major Martian settlements—Bradbury Landing, Schiaparelli, and Mutch City—and scores of scattered corporate outposts.
2020s–2030s: Political realignment leaves Mars semi-autonomous under a Mars Secretariat and Mars Assembly with minimal direct oversight from Earth’s powers. Earth and Mars maintain uneasy ties through the ISA.
In Traveller terms, treat Earth as the “metropole,” with Mars as a newly developing colony. Strangely, nobody returns from Mars: the cost and danger are too high. The entire campaign is set on (or near) Mars: well-suited for an extended planetary campaign or a “weird outlier” in a larger star-spanning setting.
Mars Governance & Law
Mars Secretariat: 9 members with power to protect essential resources.
Mars Assembly: Large talk-shop forum with minimal direct power.
No Single Currency: Water and air are not sold directly but through controlling the hardware or supply. Some usage of Earth credits or corporate scrip.
Crude but Harsh Justice: Outlawry is the worst punishment. Railgun Veto from orbital stations can wipe out suspicious large gatherings.
Your Travellers might already be on Mars or arrive unexpectedly (if you incorporate jump drives). A “lost colony” angle works equally well: the party is stuck unless they unravel local mysteries.
Factions & Power Blocs
Three Settlements (Bradbury, Schiaparelli, Mutch): Each with a distinct political style and local militia.
Corporate Outposts: Tech-mining or life-support manufacturing, each with its own security or mercenaries.
Religious/Ideological Groups: Sects like the Adamantovy Brothers or various schismatic enclaves.
ISA: Officially neutral, controlling the sky and orbital platforms with advanced gear.
3. Life on Mars
Environment & Survival Mechanics
Use Mongoose Traveller’s existing rules for Low/Trace Atmosphere, Extreme Cold, and Vacuum Survival, with these special modifications:
Atmosphere: Pressure is so low that characters need vacc suits almost everywhere outside. Even “terraform bubble” domes only slightly raise ambient pressure.
Dust Storms: A planet-wide storm might reduce visibility to zero and hamper electronics. Treat as Poor Visibility or Total Darkness for Recon, heavy penalties on Sensors and communications. Extended storms hamper overland travel for weeks or months.
Water Rationing: Water is lifeblood. PCs should track daily water usage with added tension if rationed or sabotaged.
Gravity: Mars has about 1/3 Earth normal. Characters effectively have +1 DM on Athletics (Endurance or Strength) checks for short bursts of lifting or jumping. Long exposure leads to bone density issues if not carefully managed.
Technology & Equipment
Mars is roughly Tech Level 8–10, with a few cutting-edge pockets at TL 11 or 12 in ISA bases. There is advanced knowledge of:
Fusion Reactors (small scale, continuous power)
Hall-Effect Thrusters (for spacecraft and some heavy ground vehicles)
3D Printing / Micro-Assembler Tech (common but limited by material feedstock)
Travel & Communication
Surface Crawlers: Widespread, come in everything from personal ATVs to big rigs for cargo pods.
Zeppelins / Solar Montgolfières: Helium-filled craft, possible but rare. Storms are disastrous.
Radio & Laser Comms: Often short-range; relays exist but can be jammed or dust-blocked.
Economics & Barter
Currency is Ad Hoc: Barter for oxygen tanks, suit parts, specialized gear.
ISA Credits: The nominal official currency, but not always accepted outside major bases.
Sponsorship: Large Earth corporations or states sponsor certain groups or individuals for off-world missions, but friction arises with local powers over “ownership.”
4. Character Creation
Recommended Careers & Backgrounds
Scouts (Mars Division): Skilled in reconnaissance, survival, and can navigate dusty, bleak terrain.
Drifters (Outbackers): Desert survival, sand-prospecting, knowledge of local gangs or hidden caves.
Marines (ISA Security or Corporate Mercenaries): Possibly brought in to guard crucial resources or to quell local cult uprisings.
Scientists & Scholars: Volcanologists, geologists, or xenobiologists lured by rumors of Lobopods.
Rogues (Smugglers/Salvagers): Recycled equipment, black-market water deals, or infiltration into cults.
Skills in the Lobopods Setting
Survival: Vital. The difference between living or suffocating in a dust-filled ravine.
Vacc Suit: Everyone must have at least a level-0 in Vacc Suit (or equivalent skill representing Mars suits).
Recon: Dust storms plus sabotage calls for heavy usage.
Gun Combat / Melee: Firearms are prone to dust clogs; carbon-lattice sabers are popular in close quarters.
Engineer (Power, Life Support): Essential for base maintenance and crawler repairs.
Diplomat / Persuade: Dealing with the Secretariat, local militias, and “heretic” cults.
New or Variant Equipment
Equipment
Tech
Cost
Notes
Carbon-Fiber Staff
10
Cr. 150
Light, extremely durable. +1 DM to Athletics (Pole Vault) checks in low-G; does 2D damage (Melee-Blunt).
Plasma Cutlass
11
Cr. 5,000
Counts as an advanced “Energy Blade.” Does 3D+3 damage, ignores up to 4 points of armor. Limited battery.
Self-Heated Meal
–
Cr. 5–10
Vital for daily survival. Water needed to rehydrate if not pre-filled.
Micro-Hall Thruster
10
Cr. 12,000
For small vehicles or used as a jump pack in low gravity (requires Pilot (Thruster) skill checks).
“Hillbilly Armor”
8
Varies
Improvised plating for vehicles, provides +2 Hull/Structure. Bulky and prone to breakdown.
5. Dangers & Mysteries
The Brothers Cult (Adamantovy)
The Adamant (Old Believers) are a secretive extremist group descended from the earliest Russian colonists. They believe they dwell in a literal Hell (Mars) and must “purify” or “conquer demons.” They are well-organized and cunning, far from mindless zealots.
Motives: Destroy or control any evidence of new life that contradicts their dogma, sabotage rival bases, and forcibly convert outsiders.
Assets: Hidden tunnels, improvised but lethal weaponry, possible infiltration of official outposts, blackmail of local administrators.
Weaknesses: They’re short on advanced supplies. Their dogma can create internal schisms.
Underground Hazards & Encounters
Lava Tubes of Pavonis Mons: Labyrinthine passages, occasional pockets of near-breathable air (algae or unknown flora?).
Subterranean Geysers & Cracks: Sudden scalding steam or collapses.
Feral Machine “Scrapfields”: Old mining robots or half-sentient drone clusters left behind.
Possible Martian Life: The “Lobopods”
While Lobopods are only hinted at in Hardy’s text, we can treat them as a thrownback to the bizarre creatures of the Burgess Shale Pre-Cambrian environment on Earth, only 2 billion years more evolved.
Biology: Like the centipede-like Earth creatures from the Burgess Shale, only much more advanced. Some are Human-Lobopod chimerae, with human torsos and Lobopod abdomens.
Distress Call: The PCs receive a cryptic message from Base Zebra, indicating sabotage and infiltration.
ISA Mission: The party is officially deployed to investigate water theft in Pavonis Mons, rumored cult involvement.
Rescue & Recovery: A wealthy sponsor hires the group to confirm rumors of newly discovered Martian life, and quietly bring samples back.
Corporate Rivalry: Rival outposts suspect the Brothers are capturing or “weaponizing” an unknown organism. The PCs must intervene.
Adventure Seeds
Sabotage at Camp Zebra
The PCs arrive to find the base nearly deserted. Evidence points to infiltration of the water recycling system.
Various logs have been tampered with, the base’s auto-sentries are turned off.
Clues lead underground, where the “Brothers” have stashed stolen water.
Into the Lava Tubes
Long subterranean treks through phosphorescent crystals, pockets of active algae, rotted-out hush zones.
Occasional ambushes from cult scouts or weird life forms.
Danger of partial flooding (super-saline or acidic water) from below.
The Hidden Colony
The PCs discover a centuries-old settlement of “Old Believers.”
Commander Tuolong might be imprisoned or forced to sabotage the group.
Strange alignments with other cults (the “Peacock Angel” Yazidi group?), culminating in a doomsday confrontation.
Encounter with Lobopods
The PCs witness a colony of caterpillar-like creatures, some with humanoid torsos with the remains of several dead Adamantovsky monks.
Potential moral conflict: preserve them or destroy them?
Clash of Sects
Rival cults or religious enclaves might also vie for the “sacred secrets” under Pavonis Mons.
The PCs can mediate, exploit, or try to route them away from Mutch City’s water supply.
Suggested Scenes & Encounters
Base Ruins: The PCs pick through damaged water-tanks, battered labs, footprints leading below.
Showdown in the Junkyard: Confront rogue mechanical drones or auto-rifles in a cavern of rusted hulls.
Cult Ritual Chamber: Fire-lit ceremony using rocket fuel as “incense,” a chance to see the cult’s fanaticism up close.
Final Conflict by the Geyser: With both cultists and possible alien organisms swirling around, the PCs must decide how to handle the overshadowing threat.
8. Bestiary & Encounters
Below are approximate “creature” or “NPC” stats for Mongoose Traveller 2e. Adjust for your table’s style.
Attacks (Close Combat only): 2D+2 as “acidic bite” or “claw.” On a successful hit, it deals 1D damage ignoring normal armor (vac suits degrade by 1 point each round of contact).
Special: Drones will defend the Queen to the death.
Traits: Basic Laser turret (2D damage), or tools that can crush (1D) with a successful Melee attack.
Armor: 4 (heavy plating). If it loses half health, it malfunctions.
9. Running the Campaign
Tone & Atmosphere
Play Up the Isolation: Emphasize darkness, muffled sounds in thin air, the scrape of dust-laden suits.
Gradual Unfolding of Conspiracy: Drip-feed cryptic logs and half-mad survivors’ stories.
Hard Choices: Rare water, uncertain alliances, tension over whether any new life must be reported or suppressed.
Politics & Diplomacy
Mars is governed by a bureaucratic tangle. Characters who know how to bribe, cajole, or blackmail local officials stand a better chance of moving “off-limits” cargo or obtaining hush-hush gear.
Exploration vs. Confrontation
Referees can balance underground “dungeon crawling” with infiltration or negotiation:
Stealth Missions: Sneak into cult enclaves.
Diplomacy Missions: Rally corporate or city-based security to help.
Survival Missions: Sustain and re-engineer a failing outpost.
10. Appendices
Appendix A: Timeline Highlights (Condensed)
1970s: Russian & US Mars colonies vanish in storms.
1980s–2000s: Intensive colonization under the ISA.
2020s: Three big city-settlements, plus smaller outposts. Political crises lead to semi-independence.
2030s: Current day. Dust storms, sabotage, hidden life forms.
Appendix B: Technology & Gear Quick Tables
Gear Category
Example
Typical TL
Notes
Light Weapons
Underwater Pistol (Vac)
8–9
Self-contained ammo, short range.
Melee Weapons
Plasma Cutlass
11
High damage, limited battery.
Environment
Mars Suit (Standard)
8–10
Hard shell or tough fabric.
Vehicles (Surface)
6-Wheeled Crawler
9
Extended range, partial AI or remote control.
Surveillance
HUD with IR/UV Modules
9–10
Great in dust or darkness if not jammed.
Appendix C: Sample Maps & Location Ideas
Base Zebra Layout: Multi-dome arrangement, central airlock, labs, comm center.
Subterranean Maze: Long tubes with occasional branching corridors.
Hidden Cult Enclave: Reinforced meeting hall, living quarters, improvised chapel.
Geyser Cavern: A wide natural chamber with a scalding-water vent, possible secret entrance to deeper levels.
Closing Notes
Lobopods of Mars offers a grittier, near-future flavor than the typical far-flung interstellar scope of Traveller, but it retains that essential spirit of survival, exploration, and big moral decisions. Referees can drop Easter eggs about Earth’s alternate history—nuclear crises, “lost expeditions,” etc.—or keep it purely as a “lost world” scenario that your PCs stumble onto via a jump misjump.
If you want to lean into the cosmic-horror element: amplify the strangeness of the subterranean organisms. Are they part of an ancient ecosystem with a psychic link? Or simply hungry, spongy “extremophiles” waiting for new protein?
Above all, use the bleak red deserts, swirling storms, and claustrophobic tunnels to create an atmosphere both wonderous and terrifying. Welcome to Mars. Your every breath is precious. Good luck—and watch your water supply… and your back.
Even granted this is one message in a larger corpus of Amnesty communications all of which I’ve not read, obvs, nevertheless there are a number of very problematic issues which stand out on first inspection.
First is the issue of tone.
This press release reads like Russian propaganda.
““We have documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.”
It uses a straw man argument, ““Being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law.””
Well ofc that’s true, but you don’t actually cite any instance of anyone saying or asserting that. Thus it is a straw man argument.
What the straw man argument elides is that there is a clear distinction in customary law between aggressive war and self-defense.
The judgment of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg states, “War is essentially an evil thing. Its consequences are not confined to the belligerent states alone, but affect the whole world. To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.”
Wars of aggression are recognized as crimes under customary law in the UN Charter Articles 1, 2, 33, and 39; in the Rio Pact; in UN General Assembly Res 3314, in the Rome Statute of the ICC; and elsewhere.
Your framing omits this important fact. You aren’t even even-handed. Your condemnation is weighted in scope and particulars against Ukraine, and thus one might reasonably infer, relatively favorable toward Russia’s perspective.
I find it problematic in the extreme that your April to July investigation of alleged Russian strikes by Russia against Ukrainian protected sites and persons results in this strange press release –condemning Ukraine! Seriously what???
Russia and Ukraine have obligations under customary law of proportionality; respecting cultural sites and hospitals; avoiding aerial bombardment of civilian areas; respecting the rights of prisoners of war and interned civilians; refraining from theft, rape, torture, not punishing people merely for fighting to defend their homeland, and eschewing extrajudicial punishments and executions.
Article 51(3) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I of the 1949 Geneva Convention provides that civilians shall enjoy protection against the dangers arising from military operations “unless and for such time as they take a direct part in hostilities”.
If Russian troops are on the doorstep of Irpan or Bucha or Hostomel what is Ukraine to do, according to Amnesty?
Not defend the town or the people in it and leave them to the tender mercies of the Russians? is that your Amnesty’s idea of “protecting the rights of Ukrainian civilians?” Really? Think this through a bit.
You repeatedly state in this release that “international law” says this, that, and the other thing as though this is a settled and codified body of law. We both know that’s not true. What you do not do is to cite any particular, specific, actual customary law, precedent, resolution, or rule of war at issue.
You use testimonials in lieu of sufficient documented statistics, maps, and dates and locations and particulars. This is an informal logical fallacy, incomplete induction or “arguing from the specific to the general.”
You use weasel words like, “This did not appear to have happened in the cases examined by Amnesty International.” Sorry, but this is a very weak inference on which to end a section. As Carl Sagan famously said, “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
Your one-sided and manipulative condemnation of Ukraine defending itself gives aid and comfort to Russia and deprecates Ukrainian forces and civilians for defending themselves, their homes, and the civilian population, from Russia’s war of aggression.
When Ukrainians civilians and military defend their homes, and Russians attack them with largely disproportionate, indiscriminate, unguided aerial bombardment, rockets and artillery, is it the Ukrainians who are at fault for defending their homes and families?
Are you sure?
How can you? Just, how can you make such one-sided, misleading, incomplete, erroneous, gaslighting, and classic victim-blaming statements?
Why don’t you send your “extended press release” to your colleague, Maksym Butkevych. Perhaps he’ll enjoy reading your victim-blaming, pro-Russian statement in the Russian concentration camp where you have abandoned him. Please, give him something nice to read between interrogation and re-education sessions. Not this.
The final and greatest concern I have, Ms. Callamard, is for you. Your quoted and published statements are notably lacking in humanity, empathy and caring.
Is this a game to you? All about Amnesty putting out trolling offensive statements to stoke controversy and build buzz for your brand?
When you make statements like these apparently justifying and providing cover for the illegal Russian aggressive war and alleged Russian war crimes, by blaming alleged Russian bombardment of protected buildings, sites, and persons on those targeted, those words should burn your heart and taste like iron on your tongue.
What have you become?
very sincerely and with good will,
Henry Edward Hardy former Senior Systems Administrator Tufts University*
*institutional affiliation for identification purposes only
I am dismayed at the disrespectful conduct of Pablo Hidalgo toward Star Wars Theory and other fans. Fans who cried when they saw Luke Skywalker serene and empowered by the force, gentle and confident, the embodiment of indomitable will and undying hope. I am a retired senior systems administrator at Tufts University. I was 18 when I walked 5 miles to the theater to see Star Wars. Luke Skywalker represented the hope which is the spirit of unspiritual conditions. We hated the three sequels because they mocked and deconstructed the symbols of hope and good, Luke Skywalker became a bitter alcoholic jerk. Han and Leia were a failed Senator and a failed smuggler who had a failed marriage and raised a monster, the next Darth Vader wanna-be. That hurts so many people. There was a lack of attention to continuity and world building, to the extent that the main villain, Snoke, and Hero, Rey, had no set origin story and no plotted arc.
The Mandalorian finale was glorious. Tightly plotted, original, using fanservice where it was earned through plot and worldbuilding and characterization. And when Luke Skywalker appeared, I cried. And when lil Baby Grogu had to say goodbye and go to Space College, I cried.
I’ve been isolated alone at home for nine months. The only way to share those happy emotions was via youtube. And 30,000 people watching with Star Wars Theory in real time knew he didn’t prewatch and then fake-emote. What a terrible thread for Pablo Hidalgo to endorse.
It might pass but Mr. Hidalgo has previously trolled fans with hurtful, racist, and sexist tropes.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni miraculously healed the divisions created by the failures of the last three Skywalker movies and Solo. There was universal love and acceptance of the Disney takeover now following the glorious Disney Mandalorian finale. For a few days until Mr. Hidalgo decided to blow that up with a gratuitous attack on one of Star Wars best known and most reasonable and best respected fans.
In one sentence, Hidalgo took a billion dollars off the value of the Star Wars franchise.
Are you okay with that?
I’m not calling for Mr. Hidalgo to be fired. But he should not be dealing with the public as a public face of the Star Wars story, ever again.
Is it time for everyone to cancel Disney plus?
I’m still on the fence.
A non-apology apology from Mr. Hidalgo giving a disingenuous remark that this comment was meant to mean the exact opposite of what he plainly said is not an apology. It’s the opposite.
Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your reply.
Scanlyze is an online magazine of essays, commentary, satire, and analysis. Were we half as clever, for inspiration we would take Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Swift, Montaigne, or Seneca.
“The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation’s greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us.”
John F. Kennedy, October 26, 1963
Show your support for Scanlyze!
Click the “Make A Donation” link below to make a donation through PayPal using either your PayPal account or any major credit card.
This site is semi-archival. I actively post on @hhardy01@mastodon.social.
Scanlyze 