Day 1 – All Hell Breaks Loose
A Savaged Half-Life Scenario
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Map of the Stress Testing Lab level...
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Synopsis
The scientists at the Black Mesa Research Facility are thrilled that their new, controversial theories on dimensional power flux are being tested today. But, it’s a Monday and everything goes wrong. No one is sure whether a problem with the theories or the equipment caused the catastrophic failure, but one thing is sure: It’s a nightmare scenario and no one is getting out alive; all they can hope for is to contain the horrors they’ve unleashed.
Welcome to Black Mesa Research Facility
| The day of the big experiment started like any other. Scientists were hard at work on their algorithms trying to justify the risks they were taking, while quizzical technicians calibrated the equipment to a new set of givens and variables. Even the security guards could sense the tension; their protocols had changed slightly with certain labs locked down to only essential personnel. It’s just after lunch and everyone is finishing up the final touches on the test run when something goes wrong. Though the anomaly started small, scientists and technicians in the control room immediately saw the catastrophe coming, though they could do little to avoid it. The feeling of it is a strange detachment, like wandering in a world that’s not your own in a body that doesn’t respond to your thoughts. When you awaken, klaxons are blaring, the lights that still function are flickering wildly, but it’s the screams that turn your stomach. Something’s in here and it’s coming for you… |
The heroes start out somewhere in the Test Lab level. It might be best to start them out in the same area: Technicians in the Stress Lab, Scientists and Security Guards in the Monitoring Room. This description assumes that the heroes start out here.
Stress Lab
The Stress Lab is where the initial problem occurred. Anyone in the lab when the problem arose underwent a disorienting episode that seemed to throw them briefly into an alien dimension full of giant waving plants and colossal beasts. When the occupants awaken from darkness, they have a whole new set of problems.
The room is circular with an arcane apparatus in the center of the room. This machine has failed and various parts of it are imbedded in the walls and floor. The remainder of the machine dangles from the ceiling emitting waves of greenish energy at random. A metal gantry is halfway up the wall accessible by a metal ladder. On the gantry is the Stress Lab’s control console. About halfway up the other wall is a rectangular viewport into the control room, though the bulletproof glass and much of the concrete around the port are shattered, the room is only illuminated by the occasional flicker of electrical arcs. The only egress from the Stress Lab is an automated and reinforced metal door.
Stress Lab Environment
The greenish energy is of alien origin and the HEV barely protects anyone in the room. Anyone in the room must make a Vigor (-2) each minute or take a Fatigue level. Those wearing an HEV make the check at no penalty.
One side of the double doors is jammed closed by debris from the other side. Though the door is designed to only operate when both sides can slide open, it can be jury-rigged to open using the computer on the gantry (Repair -2) or by physically prying the door open (Strength roll -- -2 without a crowbar or other similar tool).
The gantry is barely attached to the wall after the accident. If subjected to more than 100 lbs, it collapses after two minutes. This deals 2d10 in damage from the fall and debris. The collapse also destroys the control console.
Heroes could use various pieces of gantry and other debris to climb out into the Control Room, though this takes a Smarts check to get everything stacked and balanced and ten minutes.
Stress Monitoring Room
The Stress Monitoring Room is a small room dominated by a massive panel of monitors and computers on the back wall (now destroyed). In addition to any starting heroes, there are three dead scientists in this room (killed by the collapsing ceiling. The double doors out of this room to the west are opened by a destroyed retinal scanner.
Stress Monitoring Environment
The waves of green energy affects this room (see above).
The retinal scanner can be repaired with 2 repair parts and a Repair (-1) success.
Access Hall
The door opens to a curved hallway. The wildly flickering fluorescent lights make it difficult to see, but…is that Officer Smith in that pool of blood!?
The access hall was a control point for the Control Room, Computer Room and Stress Lab, allowing security guards to visually inspect those that come and go to these areas.
Access Hall Environment
The green energy wave affects this room if the Control Room or Stress Monitoring room doors are open.
The lights in this hallway flicker wildly imparting a -2 to Notice checks and a -2 to ranged attacks.
There are four exits from this room:
- Control Room – Retinal scan functions for any Scientist, otherwise it's a Lockpicking (-1).
- Computer Room – Door is non-functional and cannot be Repaired or Lockpicked. Any Repair roll indicates that it cannot be repaired. A failure consumes 1 repair part.
- Power Control Room – Retinal scanner is smashed, but the door is wedged open.
- Stress Monitoring Room – Retinal scanner is broken, but can only be repaired from the other side of the door.
Access Hall Monsters
There are 8 headcrabs in this hallway, three are attached to dead or dying security guards’ heads.
Headcrabs (5)
Headcrabs attached (3)
Note, if the headcrabs attached to the security guards are not killed or removed, the security guards transform into Converted in three minutes.
Converted (3)
Access Hall Gear
One of the security guards managed to grab a crowbar from an equipment closet. He won’t be needing it. His body is beside the Power Control Room door.
Power Control Room
Scientists devised these power control modules to fuel their wild experiments. When everything went south, the modules became conduits into another dimension.
Power Control Room Environment
The green energy wave from the Stress Lab affects this room if the doors between here and there are all open.
This room contains three glass tubes about 4’ across from floor to ceiling across the back wall. All three are shattered and have spilled a greenish matrix on the floor. This matrix is mildly acidic and causes 1d6 damage per round until washed off. It has no effect on the HEV suit.
The malfunction of the energy tubes can be overridden with an Investigate (-2) at the computer terminal next to the tubes. The retinal scanner on the door leading to the Office Hallway has malfunctioned. It cannot be repaired, but a Lockpicking (-2) manages to pop the lock.
Power Control Room Monsters
Each round there is a brilliant flash of greenish light within all three tubes and within each appears some alien horror. Roll 1d6 for each tube.
Roll...........Horror
1-3................Headcrab
4-5................Converted
6....................Eye
Power Control Room Gear
There are three dead scientists here, all lacerated by flying glass and partially eaten away by the goo. On the floor near the Hallway exit is a Pump Shotgun with a full magazine (6 shots).
Office Hallway
The hallway connects the Stress Lab complex to some administrative offices, the breakroom, showers and elevator. Boxes of general supplies are stored at the north end of this hallway.
Office Hallway Environment
The hallway is illuminated only by the faint light of computers through the office windows. Doors leading to the three offices to the east all freely open when approached, and each office has a large window between the hallway and office.
The reinforced metal doors to the elevator are non-functional and cannot be repaired or otherwise opened unless the locks are disabled in the Computer Room.
Office Hallway Monsters
There are Thumpers and headcrabs here.
Thumpers (3)
Headcrabs (5)
Office Hallway Gear
There are eight wooden shipping crates at the end of the hallway that may contain useful gear. Roll on the table below for each crate.
Roll(2d6).............Contains
2-4..............................Nothing Useful
5-6..............................Ammo (see below)
7-8..............................Repair parts (1d4)
9...................................Glock 9mm Pistol
10.................................Crowbar
11..................................Health Pack (Healing roll to recover 1 wound)
12..................................Shotgun
For crates that contain ammo, there are 1d4 clips or boxes of shotgun shells. Roll 1d4 – 1 or 2 = pistol clips (17 shots each), 3 shotgun shells (6 per box), 4 = MP5 (20 shots each) clips.
Stress Lab Manager’s Office
The Stress Lab Manager chose a bad time to have a quick meeting with a few of his administrators. When the dimensional rift occurred, eight headcrabs dropped into the room. All five humans have headcrabs attached, while the other three headcrabs hide under the conference table for late arriving attendees.
Manager's Office Environment
In the ceiling is a ventilation shaft that leads to the Computer Room. The vent can easily be removed, but it takes a Notice roll to find it.
Manager's Office Monsters
The unattached headcrabs attack immediately. The administrators become Converted after three rounds, unless otherwise dealt with.
Headcrabs (3)
Converted (5)
Energy Lab
The Power Control mechanism was discovered and perfected in this small lab. The room contains a desk with computer and a tube similar to those found in the Power Control Room.
Energy Lab Environment
The door into this room has had a serious malfunction, its power source is somehow arced to the Power Control tube. When the door opens, the tube explodes, simultaneously blowing out the window. This rains shards of glass and acidic goo on anyone in a small burst arc in or in front of the office, dealing 2d10 damage the first round, 3d6 in acidic damage the second, 2d6 the third and 1d6 the fourth, unless the acid is somehow washed off.
Network Room
The last room in the hallway is a small network closet containing a table and two racks of networking gear. The door to this room is lockable from the inside and is a great place to hide, rest and regroup.
Network Room Environment
A working computer terminal here is very useful to the cause. In addition to delivering any story information, an Investigation success reveals that the elevator door can only be unlocked from the Computer Room. An second Investigate (-2) roll reveals the utility duct between the Administrator’s office and the Computer Room.
Break Room and Showers
The breakroom and shower room were both spared most of the destruction, though the soda and snack machines appear to have fallen over and the microwave is broken in the break room.
Breakroom Gear
In addition to three eviscerated Black Mesa employees, the breakroom has a Healing station that can heal up to three wounds (Healing d8).
The shower room contains six lockers (all locked) that could contain useful gear. See the Gear section in the Office Hallway above.
Just south of the shower room is an HEV storage room that contains three HEV stations. Two of these stations hold operational HEV’s. They can be accessed via the computer terminal with no skill check.
Computer Room
After the accident, this room is only accessible from a maintenance shaft originating in the Administrator’s office, since the door has malfunctioned and is non-repairable.
The room contains a massive computer system in the center of the floor with control consoles built into the walls. The consoles, however, have been smashed.
Computer Room Environment
From this room, the elevator doors can be unlocked with an Investigate (-2) roll however, first a Repair (-2 – 3 repair parts) must be made on the main computer system, as the control consoles are inoperable.
Computer Room Monsters
An Eye and four Thumpers occupy this room, as well as five scientists with headcrabs attached.
Eye (Wild Card)
Thumpers (4)
After two rounds, the scientists become Converted.
Converted (5)
Computer Room Gear
There is a Healing station on the back wall that can heal 1 wound (Healing d8) and an MP5 submachine gun with a full clip in the hands of one of the downed scientists.
Elevator
Once the elevator door is open, the heroes can attempt to escape the level. Unfortunately, the elevator doesn’t work.
Elevator Environment
The elevator is non-functional when the heroes arrive. If an assessment is made, a Repair success indicates that it’s repairable, though on a Repair raise, it’s obvious that the elevator cannot be repaired. The repair must be made on the control panel inside the elevator. After two minutes of repair attempt, the elevator collapses two floors into the shaft, dealing 3d10 damage to everyone inside from the fall and debris.
Behind the elevator is a ladder going up. The heroes must jump from the elevator platform to the ladder with an Agility roll. Failure indicates a fall into the shaft causing 2d6+2 damage.
The ladder leads up to an elevator platform and sub-basement 2.
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