Monte Cook - Dark Space, Horror in a Realm of Softech and Sorcery

Dark Space is a campaign setting for use with the Rolemaster game or the Space Master game, or (perhaps best of all) both. It details a setting of twenty worlds in which adventuring can take place. In these worlds, both magic and technology coexist with a new kind of technology called Softech.

The rules in this product are set up in such a way that the game master can use only the rules within either Rolemaster or Space Master, and still use the whole of the product. Magic can exist without Rolemaster and technology can be handled without the Space Master books.

The first part of this book details the setting. It is pure, rules-free description, and so can be used with any role playing game system. Due to the unique nature of the Dark Space setting, it could be worked into virtually any type of role playing game - pure fantasy or science fiction, super hero adventuring, etc. In so doing, the GM may want to use only some of the material given here. describes how Dark Space can be worked into an existing campaign of almost any type.

The second part of this book gives the rules for creating characters, game statistics for items, people and creatures within the setting. These rules are designed to work equally well for both systems.

Some game masters, rather than attempt to use Dark Space as a setting, will just use some of the rules, ideas, NPCs or items from these rules. Some will modify them to fit their current campaign. This is very appropriate, since much of the material presented here must be carefully examined before adding it to a more conventional campaign.

Players intending to run a character in the Dark Space setting, however, should take into consideration that most of this product is for the GMs eyes only. Read no further than Section 2.1, the Players Introduction. This section will give you the background information that you need to run a character in Dark Space. When the GM has thoroughly read through all of the material presented, he will show you the section on creating characters, or at least as much of the section as he wants you to see. GMs should treat most of this book like an adventure module in that it contains much information that would spoil the fun for the players if they knew it all beforehand.

A good GM will make sure that the players know all that is necessary in order to play their characters. If the GM has added or subtracted material that would affect the Players Introduction, the GM should tell this to the players. If a certain character, because of his background, would be privy to certain information, the GM will have to inform the player of this knowledge somehow.

A good GM should use this product in such a way that it appeals to the taste of the players and himself. If the group likes lots of laser cannons and fast cars, then the GM should probably incorporate more of such things from Space Master than exist in the product now, as well as modify the setting to explain the existence of such objects. The game that is played need not rigidly follow the material presented here; it just has to be enjoyable for everyone.

This project started out as a simple adventure scenario to include the monsters within the "Entities From Deep Space" section of Creatures and Treasures II. (I changed most of the names so that they would be more internally consistent - I was never very happy with the names used in C & T II.) It turned into an entire campaign setting, and it did so very quickly. Likewise, when I began to write it (or, to be more precise, type it into my computer), I had thought it to be a small project. It quickly became the single most time-consuming project I have ever undertaken. This, for good or ill, is the fruit of my labor.

Dark Space was intended to be a common ground for three popular areas of both fiction and role playing games, these areas being science fiction, fantasy, and horror - but not necessarily in that order. I really dont know what order I would put them in. The horror is not so much a systems or rules issue, but it deals rather with a settings mood. I have tried, where appropriate, to add a horrific flavor to the campaign, and I have included suggestions for how GMs might generate this mood in their games.

As for sci-fi and fantasy, ICE has made the combining of such genres easy because of the compatibility of the Rolemaster and Space Master systems. As a GM, I have been making up adventures dealing with magic and technology on equal terms for two years now, but I wanted Dark Space to be something different. I didnt want to just combine the two game systems, I wanted to put the two together and come away with something that was part of both and part of neither - something totally new. Thus was the birth of what I call Softech. My hope is that even if the reader of Dark Space doesnt like the campaign setting much, or isnt interested in this type of campaign, that he or she might work some Softech into his or her existing game. That way, the reader at least will come away from this with something new and fresh to add to a campaign or an adventure. New ideas prevent a campaign from ever stagnating, since the unexpected ensures fun for the players. It seems to me thats what playing games is all about, anyway.

Besides my play testers, there are at least three people without whom this book would have been a much more difficult task. Steve Lindemann proofread almost all of the manuscript as it came off my printer. I give my thanks to him. Greg Bear, well known science fiction writer, wrote stories and books which provided a wonderful impetus and inspiration to me. I give my admiration to him. Chris Williams was there through it all and kept me sane. I give my love to her.

The following terms will be used throughout Dark Space:

Biocrystal- A Philethian-invented, Softech created, crystal-like substance that is grown rather than mined.

Cartel- The huge corporate conglomerate that controls most of the commerce in the Twenty Worlds. It is second in power and influence only to the Citadel, its arch-rival organization.

Church, the - See Citadel.

Citadel - Also known simply as the Church, this religious organization is the most powerful force within the Twenty Worlds. Its priests and bishops control most of the population and the governments through their influence.

Dark Energy - A form of energy totally alien to conventional (light) energy. It cannot be perceived by normal means and does not affect and cannot be affected by normal (light) energy or matter. It is the only thing that will effect dark matter.

Dark Matter - A form of matter totally alien to conventional (light) matter. It cannot be affected by all forms of normal (light) matter and energy. Only dark energy will affect it.

Duriplast - A super-hard plastic.

Elder Brood - Foul beings created through Softech by the Vlathachna.

Elder Worms - See Vlathachna.

Hardtech - The general term for any technological item (beyond the very simple tools such as fulcrums, pulleys, inclined planes, etc.) that is inorganic based. The great majority, but not all, of these items are banned by the Pirathon Doctrine. Items excluded are burners, sprayers, implants, cyberdrugs, and a few others.

IG/Immotigen - The main form of Citadel currency. While not as widely used as the tradit, it is still currently minted by the Citadel. Two immotigens equal one tradit.

Interworld - Used among the Worlds rather than "interplanetary." It pertains to anything having to do with more than one world.

Metamorph - Any intelligent being created through Softech based upon human DNA structure, as opposed to being born naturally. They are often given inhuman powers and abilities.