![[[THE_DEEP]]—Gradient Descent, a Megadungeon for Mothership](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspg-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fb5da48b2-0eba-4aeb-bcd4-784bc30d9e72&w=3840&q=75)
[[THE_DEEP]]—Gradient Descent, a Megadungeon for Mothership
An abandoned megalithic space station drifts quietly in the black void. Dive into its nightmarish depths; come back forever changed.
$15.00
/ Session
Details
1 player following this game
Weekly / Monday - 12:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3 hours
0 / 4 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Welcome to [[THE_DEEP]]. Your crew will delve into The Deep, a massive, abandoned, horror-rich android production facility, quietly floating in the void of space. As you do, you'll be navigating the omniscient gaze of the space station's AI overlord and the androids that serve it. Nearby, a small hub for trade and rumors—a jettisoned, lightless booster rocket—and a blockade of gunships that keep strangers out and stranger things in... In this game, you will... ▸ Navigate factions that surround and suffuse The Deep. ▸ Problem-solve in darkness, zero-g, and the bitter cold of space. ▸ Find and sell—or use—wondrous, terrible artifacts. ▸ Sneak, fight, talk, or puzzle your way through lethal, fast-paced combat encounters. ▸ Confront psychological horrors outside and inside your character. ▸ Try not to lose your life... or your mind... ▸ Maybe, just maybe, outsmart and defeat the god-like AI. The factory hides countless horrors and mysteries, and plumbing its depths for precious artifacts, knowledge, and resources brings one ever closer to answering terrible questions... Am I really who I tell myself I am? What are my limits, and what happens when I strain against them? And what does it TRULY mean to be human? Gradient Descent is a celebrated megadungeon for the Mothership Sci-Fi Horror Roleplaying Game.
Game style
Combat Lite
Roleplay Heavy
Theater of the Mind
Dungeon Crawl
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(3)
1 year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Rule of Cool, Inclusive, World Builder
About me
I'm Nick! I'm originally from the US, but I've lived and worked in China for about a decade. I love tabletop games in all shapes and sizes, and I've been playing and GMing for about 20 years. After years of playing D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder 1E and some time away from the table in college, I reconnected with the game through 5th Edition in 2017. Since then, I've pivoted into a constellation of new systems like Shadowdark, Dolmenwood, Mothership, Mythic Bastionland, and Legend in the Mist. These games reminded me of learning to play at twelve around my friend's kitchen table, or huddled late at night in bed, poring over a rulebook and dreaming of adventures. Now, those systems inform much of the way I run games. I split my time between old-school dungeon crawlers (like Shadowdark and Knave), rules-light, flavor-heavy systems (like Cairn, Mothership, and Mythic Bastionland) and narrative-first games (like Legend in the Mist and Stonetop.) I'm always looking to try new systems, meet new players, and suit the table to the group playing it. Introducing people to new games, suiting my GMing to diverse playstyles, responding to creativity, and fueling improvisational play are my favorite things to do. My table is LGBTQ+ Safe, Anti-Hate, Beginner-Friendly, and Deadly as Hell. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🏴☠️ Come roll dice sometime!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Pre-generated characters are available for players new to RPGs or the Mothership system. Experienced players are welcome to create their own characters.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You'll receive links to a Discord Server and a Player Survey. 1) Join our Discord Server and ping me that you're joining the game. 2a) Complete a Player Survey (the first time you join an adventure). 2b) Hop on a free, 20-minute onboarding call with Nick. 3) Create a character or ask for pre-mades to choose from. 4) Be sure you have a working webcam and a clear microphone connection.
What Nick Mac brings to the table
The characters and the world they inhabit are the center of the story we'll tell together. While some characters MIGHT die, their deaths will form a central part of our story's weft. My goal is to foreground immersion and joy in shared storytelling and roleplay. In Mothership, combat is often intense, lethal, and avoidable with careful, clever play. I love crafting puzzles that let you marshal creativity and collaboration beyond your character sheets. Our narrative will be emergent, driven by choices you make during the adventure and rolls of the dice, not by predetermined plots or character backstories. Ambient music comes from a shared YouTube stream. I will spoil you with NPC voices. Be prepared to be ✨immersed✨!
Homebrew rules
This adventure uses the Luck Token mechanic from Shadowdark RPG, which lets players gather a scarce resource they can spend to reroll a failed skill check or save.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Nick Mac creates a safe table
I will send a link to a Player Survey with questions to help me better understand your preferred playstyle. I'll also set up a 20-minute onboarding call with you to get to know you better, make sure we're a good fit, chat campaign and characters, and plan the best game I can for you. I sometimes also run a free, brief Session 0 to discuss the game's themes, agree on the game's goals, and get to know one another. Since this is a horror adventure and therefore designed to immerse players in delectable feelings of fear and dread, we use the X card during play; you are encouraged to ask for a pause, to step away, and to check in with one another verbally mid-game to ensure fun and good times for all. After particularly atmospheric or stressful moments, I offer space to come up for air and decompress. I do the same at the end of every session. Lastly, be ready for ample shots of levity and humor amid the depths of nightmare.
Content warnings
Safety tools used