This is some handy stuff for my current SF game set in the near future before FTL. Adventurers currently work for Project Monolith for Mars Defence but I hope to use these for complications or to speed up a scenario, as well as a table for what gives a cult away for an investigation.
d12 Cult Activity Clues
1 Cultist caught with contraband and some cult paraphernalia
2 Financial data exposes unusual goods and false records for unprofitable crime
3 Accidental cultist death with paraphernalia was doing something dodgy and dangerous
4 Legal cases by regular security authorities find cult paraphernalia or prisoners
5 A cult location of worship is found by accident and publicly exposed
6 Missing persons in an area highly suspicious of cult-responsible
7 Crime scene from a large criminal arrest turns up some cult paraphernalia
8 Witness saw cultists up to something and now live in fear or a therapy centre
9 Data tap accidentally discovered cult communications and produces a list of possible cultists from contacts
10 Corpse discovered with signs of ritual abuse (or some strange biological residue)
11 Criminals killed in gun battle with law show signs of unusual modifications
12 Cult object of unusual quality found and they want it back d4 1=idol with outre artistic design 2=ancient book from old Earth 3=alien communication device 4=alien servitor's technology technology
d12 Complications To Make Case Longer
1 Hostile AI d4 1=killer robot 2=Cult espionage 3=Cultists tracking success 4=cult AI made registered as destroyed
2 Criminal organisation ignorant of the cult gets involved
3 Armed adventurers looking for action get caught up and curious
4 Local authorities and security forces keep meddling and hostile
5 Clumsy investigators from some agency investigating some tangent of the case
6 Cult frame adventurers and they have to deal with red tape
7 Find cheap knockoff cult paraphernalia quite common and popular in a district
8 Victim is driven insane and then draws attention and unwanted media
9 Case has a lead to another location requiring travel and a possible assassination attempt
10 Cultists all get an upgrade d4 1=weapons 2=bio body mods 3=training 4=unatural abilities
11 Another cult is involved d4 1=rival 2=dominant 3=allies 4=hostile takeover
12 Cultists obtain means to call on some alien entity to aid or advise them
d12 Lucky Investigation Shortcuts & Breaks
1 Cultist was captured by some security org and held in a cell for interrogation
2 Known cultists were attacked by some enemy exposing their location
3 Media outlets or investigative bloggers getting close and attacked by cult
4 Recognise cult insignia or designs on someone in a public place
5 Computer surveillance reveals detailed cultist movements
6 Clumsy cultist has an accident and flees the scene in a panic
7 Witnesses emerge of cultists and a crime
8 See a cultist fail to hide cyber or bio mods or hybridisation
9 Records of old cases emerge showing similar patterns found by AI
10 Criminals creeped out by cult inform authorities of something not quite right
11 Desperate cultist is exposed and goes on a killing spree
12 A cult leader exposed as a media celebrity or senior VIP
d12 Cult Paraphernalia
1 Tatoos of cult symbols
2 Microbook reader with forbidden cult texts
3 Necklace or wristband with cult medallion
4 Small idol of an alien god, old and from Earth
5 Unique drug with profiles only used by the cult and drug paraphernalia
6 Cult knife, concealable memory plastic or other shapable weapons
7 Old but small grubby book from a cult killed off long ago
8 Mask used for ceremonies and usually hideous or disturbing, might have other uses
9 Robes that fold into a pocket-size pouch and can be disposed of
10 Additional coms band for cult cell electronic network
11 Weapon d4 1=vibro sword sword 2=shock mace 3=memory metal spear 4=concealable small exotic handgun
12 Basalt smooth stone tablet with a sample of the alien script of the crinoid old ones, from d4 1=Europa 2=Titan 3=Antarctica 4=Mars
d12 Cult Mods
1 Skin colour and pattern change to something distinctive to an isolationist colony
2 Limited vacuum adaptions to cope with minutes of exposure to low-pressure and temps
3 Modified rubbery tissue half damage from bullets, self-seal bleeding wounds
4 Modified teeth and feeding metabolism to drink blood
5 Fingernail claw bio implants to pass security, spurs or larger claws possible
6 Adrenal booster +6 DEX for d4+6 rounds once daily
7 Flesh holster with a concealed pistol
8 Suicide tooth explodes head in case captured
9 Regeneration 1HP per round for d4+6 rounds once daily
10 Berserker doubles attack skill and will not defend self for d4+6 rounds, ignore injuries unless decapitated
11 Partial Bionic Reconstruction +5 HP +3 STR +1 AC
12 Hybrid with features of a servitor species of alien
d12 Cult Special Property
1 Private Biodome
2 Private garage or hanger with vehicles
3 Cult private VIP mansion or penthouse suite
4 Private sub-level complexes off the normal maps like bunker or sewer
5 Genetic therapy laboratory and bioprinter
6 Vast industrial complex on a moon, planet or orbital
7 Ancient statue of their god, difficult to smuggle ina temple or warehouse
d12 Cult Special Property
1 Private Biodome
2 Private garage or hanger with vehicles
3 Cult private VIP mansion or penthouse suite
4 Private sub-level complexes off the normal maps like bunker or sewer
5 Genetic therapy laboratory and bioprinter
6 Vast industrial complex on a moon, planet or orbital
7 Ancient statue of their god, difficult to smuggle ina temple or warehouse
8 Rundown or abandoned apartment block complex
9 Spacecraft d4 1=private yacht 2=merchantman 3=pirate corsair 4=belter prospector
10 Isolated colony d4 1=asteroid belt 2=Jovian system 3=Saturn system 4=Kaiper belt
11 Studio and scrambled broadcast system for preaching
12 Military drop ship and equipment to arm a squad for a suicide mission
d12 Security Organisations for Strange Stars Phase One
2 Venus Defence Force: Operation Perseus - VDF had some run-ins with cults in orbitals and sabotaging naval facilities. A cult had infiltrated the millitary and was growing. Security AI named KUSU was addressed to head Operation Perseus to search and destroy militant cults. With numerous frigate-based teams investigating cult activity aimed at armed forces personnel or equipment. They have sloppily massacred a station with inadequate evidence and are touchy about it convinced they did right. Willing to bring force to bear but currently in doubt and hesitant
3 Terran Colonial Corp: Special Identities Division - organisation managing prep for colonists to be positioned in waiting lists for future slower-than-light spacecraft set to start departing in ten years. The TCP created the Special Identities Division to pursue organisations bent on cheating the selection system. First were just corruption and crime but then several secretive cults were found to be behind some operations trying to get a whole cult organisation on a colony module. Many of the outer system colonies are already isolationist and distinct. Some follow pre-modern nationalism or beliefs. Many belters feel they deserve more places for all their work in mining and construction. These mundane groups require special identification confirming protocols and tracking. The new stranger cults have become a new threat. The Special Identities DIvision has its own new orbital station and several frigates. They seem easy-going and polite and utilise robots and drones rather than take personal risks. Currently, the AI unit ENLIL operates the division and will eventually report targets to other law bodies preferring to be anonymous
4 Terran Transit Authority: Advanced Tactical Security Division - TTA operates inner system transit and occasionally intervenes in the outer system. Surprisingly advanced interceptors with lasers secure certain goods. It discovered attempts to hijack its infrastructure and now takes cults as a serious threat. They set up the Advanced Tactical Security Division to investigate the cult. Headed by AI unit ANUBIS the former crime unit was repurposed to secretly target cults abusing the transit networks from Mercury to Mars. They are still adapting to this role and developing protocols having most recently lost many undercover agents to cults and some who even joined the targets of the investigation. They have several fast patrol frigates with lasers. They still think of cults as deranged criminals evading legitimate transit documentation. From their dealings with crime, they seem weary and tired and are currently confused by their new direction
5 Terran Computational Chambers: Department of Alterations - the TCC directly works carrying out the orders of the computer council of Terra. One of the most secretive complexes in the solar system with vast fortified data vaults. Alterations operatives are under the direction of ORION and are sent on missions to make situations more fortuitous for Terra. They get the best tech, the best bio mods and the best ships, the Hornet Advanced Interceptor Scout. All are also legally deceased when enter service. Mostly nobody knows what they do and they don't leave evidence. They do leave bodies, mindwipe victims and kidnappings to solve problems. It is assumed they are rare or even fictional by most people who never come across them. Sometimes they have been blamed for the disappearances of witnesses and corpses of cultists. A separate organisation helps cover up after the Repairers of Reputations
7 Bank of Mars Regulatory Authority: Special Cult Unit - BMRA protects the interests of the standard system currency based on the Martian stock exchange where supercomputers manage the wealth of the system. Currency exchanges are all recorded on Mars Banking computers and all transactions require a reply from Mars to be finalised. This gets slow in the outer system but it is safe, stable and the approved form of marketplace in the system. The Regulatory Authority operate its own millitary frigates and a HiG rapid response force to help protect their currency from crime, piracy, fee avoidance and trying to scam the time lag of transactions. The BMRA monitor crime, piracy, smuggling and economic terrorism against Martian economic hegemony. In recent years miracle-based cults have been singled out as a separate cause for investigation by the Special Cult Unit under the Direction of the AI unit NERGAL. Mostly because of their security risk and infiltration of institutions and current investigations of the many thousands of outer system outposts, habitats and colonies. Mostly the cults turn out to have various criminal operations they can be imprisoned for and unusual claims of cults are not seriously taken
8 Martian Defence Organisation: Project Monolith - The MDO operated most naval bases and official millitary ships made to fight piracy but also to intervene in outer system colony conflicts. The Martian Security Department MarSec or MSD runs secret operations and information gathering. They in turn created Project Monolith. HORUS the departmental AI finds more and more cults moving into the territory of crime and corruption. Cults were strange and not motivated by profit or logic. Project Monolith is an operation to study and infiltrate cults to study them and report on their activity. Agents are given rigorous mental conditioning. Operating from Deimos with its own frigate and merchant ships directly under HORUS. So far they mostly study cults without intervening. They may act through regular law enforcement for final arrests, preferring to sit back, watch and tap other organisations. Agents are cold and ruthless. If something is a threat they may capture it if useful or destroy it
9 Belter Free Trade League: Lone Star One - the BFTL supports independent operators against Martian Credit or Venus Coin preferring barter for goods. Supports belter rights vs. inner world oppression. The league when working to unite the belt contacted many isolated cult colonies and it was revealed how many dangerous groups existed more extreme than the Belt Liberation Army or the Belt Liberation Front or the Belt liberation League. The Free Trade League started Lone Star One to study the comings and goings of cults to see if they were up to anything harmful. One case led to a rogue coalition of colonies sending fighting ships and clone troopers to wipe out neighbouring colonies. This small war was the largest ship-to-ship battle recorded and all started with a cult in a Belter-operated Jovian orbital. Lone Star Rangers track travelling extremists and report their movements and contacts. Rangers are scruffy and use standard belter prospector ships. Other organisations dislike them and don't believe they are legitimate governments. Rangers are believed to have killed some cult troublemakers and used torture. They operate the ORACLE a council of older AI some on permanent parole for past errors and misdeeds. The council is meant to make a more reliable output
10 Sol Security Federation: Special Investigation & Research Unit - SSF or SolSec is a weak body that mostly meets to discuss system jurisdiction interests and coordinates anti-piracy. It had no ships until recently and was mostly a data-sharing and legal policy organisation based in orbit around Venus with the Venus Defence Force. In recent years the long reach of cult infiltration has made the SSF deploy a Special Investigation & Research Unit. The unit has one frigate for its system investigations and operates under the auspice of the AI named NISHUBAR. The organisation is fresh, dedicated and willing to work with local jurisdictions or other organisations. So far they have been following currency trails and looking at the various Belter colonies. Other organisations don't take them too seriously but may use them for inter-jurisdiction negotiations and aid. They are mostly interested in cult corruption in multiple jurisdictions that other agencies struggle with. They may aid and support other organisations with their limited agent resources but they have bigger data-crunching power than they would seem to for a small agency
11 Jovian Free Trade Commission: Anomaly Comision - The JFTC are a weak free trade organisation trying to organise markets within the Jovian system in hopes of becoming the local stock exchange which Mars and Venus don't support. They discovered that as a hub of trade, they had become a popular place for cults, especially Midas station. The organisation lacks millitary ships and weapons but has been investigating financial and criminal cult links. They believe by keeping themselves regulated they can gain independence and won't need the Martian Navy to control piracy. The Anomaly Commission has its own new model AI from Terra ALFRED making it surprisingly competent and connected for what it does. Agents are plainclothed and wear sidearms but call local security or Martian millitary for help. Agents come from all over the system and are selected personally by the AI. They may grow into something bigger yet other powers are keeping them ineffective
12 Kaiper Independence Legion: Cryptic Investigation Unit - KIL is a military force made by members to help fight piracy and stop regional conflict. It is mostly made up of belters and colonies of extremists who all pay upkeep to KIL to be left alone by Inners. It has minimised local conflict and pirates and in the process, it has been infiltrated by several cults who fight for control. Aware other agencies are investigating cults this one is there to help confuse matters, snatch interesting goods and recruit more cultists. In public, they have rounded up some petty copycat cults considered mostly harmless by AI. The Cryptic Investigation Unit operate some older AI of questionable sanity ARIOCH, BALOR, and XIOMBARG for data processing. All units were responsible for the slaughter of humans when the machines took over. They are officially decommissioned and just used for research. The cults inside these organisations will independently deploy their own killers, automatons, traps and creatures and sometimes struggle to keep control. There are still honest agents who believe in colony privacy and independence
d12 Security Organisations for Strange Stars Phase One
You could make several of these organisations active to make investigations harder
1 Venusian Bank Bureau of Investigation: CREDO - VBBI is an organisation created to secure the financial interests of the Venus Orbital corporate clans. Banking AI has noted unusual behaviours in their human subjects and determined they are a threat to the value of the Venus Coin currency system. After tracking suspicious persons the scale of strange cults has been uncovered. Now the CREDO branch specialises in cult influence on markets and uses Venusian currency. They are not interested in claims about supernatural or alien phenomena but more in the embarrassing criminal possibilities who don't want their currency more regulated. It is directed by the AI unit NAMTAR in the VBBI orbital around Venus. Agents are infamously lazy, sleazy and vice-loving
1 Venusian Bank Bureau of Investigation: CREDO - VBBI is an organisation created to secure the financial interests of the Venus Orbital corporate clans. Banking AI has noted unusual behaviours in their human subjects and determined they are a threat to the value of the Venus Coin currency system. After tracking suspicious persons the scale of strange cults has been uncovered. Now the CREDO branch specialises in cult influence on markets and uses Venusian currency. They are not interested in claims about supernatural or alien phenomena but more in the embarrassing criminal possibilities who don't want their currency more regulated. It is directed by the AI unit NAMTAR in the VBBI orbital around Venus. Agents are infamously lazy, sleazy and vice-loving
2 Venus Defence Force: Operation Perseus - VDF had some run-ins with cults in orbitals and sabotaging naval facilities. A cult had infiltrated the millitary and was growing. Security AI named KUSU was addressed to head Operation Perseus to search and destroy militant cults. With numerous frigate-based teams investigating cult activity aimed at armed forces personnel or equipment. They have sloppily massacred a station with inadequate evidence and are touchy about it convinced they did right. Willing to bring force to bear but currently in doubt and hesitant
3 Terran Colonial Corp: Special Identities Division - organisation managing prep for colonists to be positioned in waiting lists for future slower-than-light spacecraft set to start departing in ten years. The TCP created the Special Identities Division to pursue organisations bent on cheating the selection system. First were just corruption and crime but then several secretive cults were found to be behind some operations trying to get a whole cult organisation on a colony module. Many of the outer system colonies are already isolationist and distinct. Some follow pre-modern nationalism or beliefs. Many belters feel they deserve more places for all their work in mining and construction. These mundane groups require special identification confirming protocols and tracking. The new stranger cults have become a new threat. The Special Identities DIvision has its own new orbital station and several frigates. They seem easy-going and polite and utilise robots and drones rather than take personal risks. Currently, the AI unit ENLIL operates the division and will eventually report targets to other law bodies preferring to be anonymous
4 Terran Transit Authority: Advanced Tactical Security Division - TTA operates inner system transit and occasionally intervenes in the outer system. Surprisingly advanced interceptors with lasers secure certain goods. It discovered attempts to hijack its infrastructure and now takes cults as a serious threat. They set up the Advanced Tactical Security Division to investigate the cult. Headed by AI unit ANUBIS the former crime unit was repurposed to secretly target cults abusing the transit networks from Mercury to Mars. They are still adapting to this role and developing protocols having most recently lost many undercover agents to cults and some who even joined the targets of the investigation. They have several fast patrol frigates with lasers. They still think of cults as deranged criminals evading legitimate transit documentation. From their dealings with crime, they seem weary and tired and are currently confused by their new direction
5 Terran Computational Chambers: Department of Alterations - the TCC directly works carrying out the orders of the computer council of Terra. One of the most secretive complexes in the solar system with vast fortified data vaults. Alterations operatives are under the direction of ORION and are sent on missions to make situations more fortuitous for Terra. They get the best tech, the best bio mods and the best ships, the Hornet Advanced Interceptor Scout. All are also legally deceased when enter service. Mostly nobody knows what they do and they don't leave evidence. They do leave bodies, mindwipe victims and kidnappings to solve problems. It is assumed they are rare or even fictional by most people who never come across them. Sometimes they have been blamed for the disappearances of witnesses and corpses of cultists. A separate organisation helps cover up after the Repairers of Reputations
6 Institute of Selenite Sciences: Anti-Science Ideology Unit - Luna is dedicated to the colony ship program and progress in the sciences. The ISS has noted unscientific attitudes growing in the outer system and began trying to contact some of these colonies to help them overcome their self-imposed isolation. They discovered the wild world of cults in the outer system and were deemed a threat to progress. Anti-scientific ideologies were also attempting to infiltrate colony ship waiting lists. The ISS currently investigate any cults and watch them for links to other groups or crime. The ISS is based at Tycho Crater and has its own university and museum. It also has links to colony generation ship program experts on hypothetical alien life and contact protocol. If they have reason to believe any criminal biological sciences the ISS have access to very efficient science support. AI director THOTH operates the Anti-Science Ideology Unit. It does consider the possibility a cult could find signs of non-Terran life and hide it for themselves. Cult interest in bioweapons, cloning, artificial life forms, and modifying their communities into variant humans are the main concerns considered likely to intervene in
7 Bank of Mars Regulatory Authority: Special Cult Unit - BMRA protects the interests of the standard system currency based on the Martian stock exchange where supercomputers manage the wealth of the system. Currency exchanges are all recorded on Mars Banking computers and all transactions require a reply from Mars to be finalised. This gets slow in the outer system but it is safe, stable and the approved form of marketplace in the system. The Regulatory Authority operate its own millitary frigates and a HiG rapid response force to help protect their currency from crime, piracy, fee avoidance and trying to scam the time lag of transactions. The BMRA monitor crime, piracy, smuggling and economic terrorism against Martian economic hegemony. In recent years miracle-based cults have been singled out as a separate cause for investigation by the Special Cult Unit under the Direction of the AI unit NERGAL. Mostly because of their security risk and infiltration of institutions and current investigations of the many thousands of outer system outposts, habitats and colonies. Mostly the cults turn out to have various criminal operations they can be imprisoned for and unusual claims of cults are not seriously taken
8 Martian Defence Organisation: Project Monolith - The MDO operated most naval bases and official millitary ships made to fight piracy but also to intervene in outer system colony conflicts. The Martian Security Department MarSec or MSD runs secret operations and information gathering. They in turn created Project Monolith. HORUS the departmental AI finds more and more cults moving into the territory of crime and corruption. Cults were strange and not motivated by profit or logic. Project Monolith is an operation to study and infiltrate cults to study them and report on their activity. Agents are given rigorous mental conditioning. Operating from Deimos with its own frigate and merchant ships directly under HORUS. So far they mostly study cults without intervening. They may act through regular law enforcement for final arrests, preferring to sit back, watch and tap other organisations. Agents are cold and ruthless. If something is a threat they may capture it if useful or destroy it
9 Belter Free Trade League: Lone Star One - the BFTL supports independent operators against Martian Credit or Venus Coin preferring barter for goods. Supports belter rights vs. inner world oppression. The league when working to unite the belt contacted many isolated cult colonies and it was revealed how many dangerous groups existed more extreme than the Belt Liberation Army or the Belt Liberation Front or the Belt liberation League. The Free Trade League started Lone Star One to study the comings and goings of cults to see if they were up to anything harmful. One case led to a rogue coalition of colonies sending fighting ships and clone troopers to wipe out neighbouring colonies. This small war was the largest ship-to-ship battle recorded and all started with a cult in a Belter-operated Jovian orbital. Lone Star Rangers track travelling extremists and report their movements and contacts. Rangers are scruffy and use standard belter prospector ships. Other organisations dislike them and don't believe they are legitimate governments. Rangers are believed to have killed some cult troublemakers and used torture. They operate the ORACLE a council of older AI some on permanent parole for past errors and misdeeds. The council is meant to make a more reliable output
10 Sol Security Federation: Special Investigation & Research Unit - SSF or SolSec is a weak body that mostly meets to discuss system jurisdiction interests and coordinates anti-piracy. It had no ships until recently and was mostly a data-sharing and legal policy organisation based in orbit around Venus with the Venus Defence Force. In recent years the long reach of cult infiltration has made the SSF deploy a Special Investigation & Research Unit. The unit has one frigate for its system investigations and operates under the auspice of the AI named NISHUBAR. The organisation is fresh, dedicated and willing to work with local jurisdictions or other organisations. So far they have been following currency trails and looking at the various Belter colonies. Other organisations don't take them too seriously but may use them for inter-jurisdiction negotiations and aid. They are mostly interested in cult corruption in multiple jurisdictions that other agencies struggle with. They may aid and support other organisations with their limited agent resources but they have bigger data-crunching power than they would seem to for a small agency
11 Jovian Free Trade Commission: Anomaly Comision - The JFTC are a weak free trade organisation trying to organise markets within the Jovian system in hopes of becoming the local stock exchange which Mars and Venus don't support. They discovered that as a hub of trade, they had become a popular place for cults, especially Midas station. The organisation lacks millitary ships and weapons but has been investigating financial and criminal cult links. They believe by keeping themselves regulated they can gain independence and won't need the Martian Navy to control piracy. The Anomaly Commission has its own new model AI from Terra ALFRED making it surprisingly competent and connected for what it does. Agents are plainclothed and wear sidearms but call local security or Martian millitary for help. Agents come from all over the system and are selected personally by the AI. They may grow into something bigger yet other powers are keeping them ineffective
12 Kaiper Independence Legion: Cryptic Investigation Unit - KIL is a military force made by members to help fight piracy and stop regional conflict. It is mostly made up of belters and colonies of extremists who all pay upkeep to KIL to be left alone by Inners. It has minimised local conflict and pirates and in the process, it has been infiltrated by several cults who fight for control. Aware other agencies are investigating cults this one is there to help confuse matters, snatch interesting goods and recruit more cultists. In public, they have rounded up some petty copycat cults considered mostly harmless by AI. The Cryptic Investigation Unit operate some older AI of questionable sanity ARIOCH, BALOR, and XIOMBARG for data processing. All units were responsible for the slaughter of humans when the machines took over. They are officially decommissioned and just used for research. The cults inside these organisations will independently deploy their own killers, automatons, traps and creatures and sometimes struggle to keep control. There are still honest agents who believe in colony privacy and independence
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