Welcome to the Mothership - Found family in corporate space
Mothership | Campaign
About the adventure
"Welcome to the Mothership" is a new weekly sci-fi horror campaign where the cold terror of space is counterbalanced by the warmth of hope, like a salty-sweet sci-fi snack. We'll be using "Mothership" (maths-light and easy to learn) and Legacy (by UFO Press). As well as exploring the Terran system, we can: -Create a space-station community, the home base for your crew, and string a web of connections and motivations between your lovable losers -Discover the secrets of the decaying Terran Empire; fight a duel on the glittering boardwalks strung between the zeppelin cities of Venus, or smuggle goods though the canals of Mars -Navigate your team from job to dubious job through the cosmic nightmares of hyperspace -Survive the Brutalist nightmare of the corporate Love System; find your way out of an abandoned space mall; or deactivate the infamous Pinkerton Droids before they break the asteroid miners' strike -Party hard with the dashing space pirates of the Hope System. Hold on to your credits and your heart Most of all, enjoy the courage of your friends, your love for the home you build together, and the absurdity of trying to get your rust-bucket ship to stay in the sky. Inspiration for the campaign in eight words: "Alien meets the Wayfarer Series via Ancillary Justice".
5.0
(30)
3 years on StartPlaying
150 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Inclusive, Creativity
Game Master Reviews (30)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Storytelling
Inclusive
Creativity
Vee
Played 1 sessions
Though I didn't have the pleasure of fully playing with Jess, her approach to our one-on-one session 0 was incredibly impressive. She demonstrated exceptional dedication to setting up a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment, meticulously walking me through expectations, boundaries, and themes. Jess' attention to detail in setting the stage for the campaign was refreshing, and it was clear she put a lot of thought into creating a welcoming atmosphere. Even though I didn’t get to experience the game beyond this initial meeting, her professionalism and genuine care for player experience make me confident she is a fantastic GM.
Davy
Played 18 sessions
Really inspiring world-building and game session - all the imagination cells firing! - Well-prepared, imaginative, skillful, welcoming, thoughtful, and lots of fun - a proper good way to whisk myself off to another world entirely - like giving my mind a holiday - really looking forward to what lies ahead as the sessions progress. x
Ezequiel
Played 19 sessions
Amazing care for the group and very creative in introducing high concepts to the table in a very interactive and fun way all while being genuinely funny. My mind is racing with so many ideas and I know my fellow players are as well.
Briar
Played 31 sessions
Jess runs a really fun game, takes safety and consent seriously, and helps new players feel at home. Highly recommend playing with her!
Conner
Played 78 sessions
The world Jess has created is compelling, unique, dangerous and feels legitimately real and visceral. The attention to detail, the thought put into each mystery and the level of amazing reactions to the players is inspirational and astounding.
Ates
Played 38 sessions
Playing a campaign with Jess for almost a year now, besides the very safe and considerate environment she runs and the very fleshed out world and (extremely tragic) characters she's made, I'm always especially blown away by the effort of research she puts in. I come in one week and she's built a mystery around a real-world obscure 19th century folk tale with actual newspaper clippings and everything. It rocks.
Additional details
How to prepare
*Before your first game* new players will need to: 1. Schedule a mini-session zero (via Discord call) to make sure the campaign is a good fit 2. Fill in this checklist by Gehenna Gaming, inspired by Monte Cook's "Consent in Gaming", and send me a copy before your mini-session zero (https://www.gehennagaming.com/resources/) 3. Have a session zero with me before your first game, where we can get to know each other and hopefully get your character sheet ready! These steps are mandatory for all players, making it possible for me to run a safe and fun game for everyone. -Functioning Headphones and mic are essential -Background noise should be kept to a minimum -Stable internet connection is important -Discord and Roll20 accounts will be necessary
What I provide
I'll bring VTT (Mothership on Roll20), vintage sci-fi art, the Hull Breach Anthology (highly recommended, whether you join my game or not- check it out! ), and a bunch of the 24XX games. The settings and NPC's will be tailored to bring out the best in you and your PC, with motivations that will either clash or harmonise with yours. I encourage role play and character focused stories over crunch, and will work hard to bring elements of your back-story into the plot. This might be a horror campaign, but I don't want anyone to ever be genuinely unhappy or scared at my table. I will strictly enforce the boundaries described in our shared "Lines and Veils" agreement. On your end, remember that your characters need to be inherently motivated to join in with the mission and actively work with the team. I'd gently encourage you to create characters who are not lone wolves, loose cannons, or grizzled stoic silent types who only care about one (1) other person. Give your characters hopes, fears, strengths and flaws; it's much more fun that way! If you're not sure how to do that, let me know - I'm always happy to help a beginner. I'll be drawing on the work of Becky Chambers, Ursula K Le Guin, Anne Leckie, NK Jemisin and Tamsyn Muir for inspiration, as well as Nicola Griffiths and Octavia Butler for the grittier parts.
Gameplay details
We will be using "the X card", "Lines and Veils", and "Stars and Wishes" to make it clear what topics are up for exploration. These boundaries will be firmly enforced; offenders will be warned once and then booted, without exception. My hope is that with this trust established, we can really dig into the kinds of horror we're all interested in. There are some topics that are a part of the premise of this setting (a hyper capitalist space dwelling society) and will be a crucial part of game play. The hyper-capitalist part means you should expect elements of human violence, cruelty, injustice (both fictional and real-world), mental and physical illness, body horror, and cosmic horror themes. The space dwelling part means that PC's might struggle to meet their physical needs, such as air, warmth, and protection from radiation. If this game had a film rating, it would be "15" or "PG 13".
Content warnings
• Alcohol Use
• Animal Death
• Blood
• Body Horror
• Character Death
• Classism
• Death
• Deep or Large Bodies of Water
• Drugs (addiction, use, withdrawal)
• Abuse
• Human Trafficking (adult only)
• Illness
• Insects
• Kidnapping
• Language/Cursing
• Lifechanging Injury
• Mass Death
• Medical Issues
• Mental Illness
• Prejudice
• Sexual Content
• Violence
Safety tools used
• Breaks
• Debriefing
• Lines and Veils
• Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist
• Session 0
• Stars and Wishes
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
Please send your idea for a *group* of NPC's in your initial session. For example, you could create a choir of interstellar pilgrims, a struggling space hockey team, a cell of anti-corporate activists. Mothership is a very deadly game, so it would be good to start off with more than one connected and motivated PC ready to go. If you're struggling with this, send me a message - I'm happy to help! We'll start at level one and go through character creation together on Roll20 before your first session. I have access to all of the basic classes and a few fun variants by indie authors, so I'm sure we'll find a character to suit you.
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Low
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
Medium
Experience level
Beginner
Platforms used
• Discord
• Roll20
$18.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Sunday - 7:30 PM UTC
2-4 Hour Duration
4 / 5 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Beginner
Age: 18+