Crashed Spaceship - Level 3

• Session 149 Prep (← links | edit)

Level 3: The Crew & Utility Deck (DM Overview)

This deck was originally designed as the social and logistical heart of the vessel, intended to maintain the morale and physical readiness of the Suloise crew during their long-term exile. Architects of the Phasnosh integrated various amenities here, from high-speed tactical simulators to cryo-stabilized cargo caches. In its current state, however, the deck is a fractured environment. The outer ring of rooms remains relatively preserved in a state of sterile decay, smelling of copper, stale brine, and ancient dust. Here, the "Iron Sorcery" of the Suel persists in the form of flickering holographic games, automated gantry claws, and semi-functional security sensors.

Conversely, the inner mezzanine and central gallery have undergone a radical transformation known as the Sakura Protocol. A massive breach in the deck-plates has allowed mutated botanical specimens from the Level 4 labs to migrate upward. This has created a "Techno-Organic" jungle where heavy, bio-mechanical vines crawl over steel bulkheads, and the rhythmic thrumming of the ship’s failing fusion core is mimicked by the swaying of alien flora.

Dungeon Master Guidance

• Atmosphere: The ambiance on this deck should emphasize claustrophobia and unpredictability. The transition from the sterile "Suel Crew" areas to the "Sakura Overgrowth" should be jarring. While in the industrial sectors, use sharp, mechanical sounds and ozone smells; in the overgrown sections, emphasize the heavy scent of cherry blossoms, the pulsing of bioluminescent sap, and the unsettling "breathing" of the mutated vines.
• The Sakura Influence: The botanical life here is not merely "growing"—it is fueled by leaking radiation and liquid data-streams. The plants should be described as having "veins" that resemble copper wiring and "leaves" that possess a metallic sheen.
• Suloise Blood: Any creature with Suloise blood (or those carrying high-level keycards) will find that the vines move more slowly in their presence, a lingering remnant of the ship's original bio-security programming.

Level 3 Inter-Deck Navigation

• To Level 2: Access is maintained via the central lift-shafts, though several are choked with mutated thorns.
• To Level 4: The Mezzanine overlooks the Level 4 Garden Grove. Physical descent requires navigating the Overgrown Mezzanine or utilizing the emergency gravity-chutes located near the Strategic Court.

Level 3: The Observation Walkway

This section of Deck 3 is a curved, reinforced steel gallery that circles the ship's central core. To the interior, a massive crystalline window looks down into the vertical shaft of Deck 4, where the botanical labs have run rampant.

THE OVERGROWN MEZZANINE

The sterile, metallic walkway is no longer clear. Thick, rope-like vines have burst through the ventilation grates, weaving a treacherous carpet over the steel floor-plates. To your left, a panoramic window of reinforced Suel crystal offers a staggering view: the entire center of the deck below has been converted into a massive botanical bay. Dominating that lower garden is a gargantuan cherry blossom tree, its pink petals shimmering with a bioluminescent glow that pulses in time with the ship's dying heartbeat.

Notes:

• The Overgrowth: The vines are mutated and sensitive to vibration. Moving faster than half-speed requires a DC 14 Stealth or Acrobatics check to avoid being tripped (Prone).
• The View Below: PCs can clearly see the Swaying Sakura on Deck 4 from here. A DC 16 Perception check reveals the Emerald Green Door Key glinting on a skeletal figure near the base of the tree.
• George's Reaction: George becomes highly agitated here, patting the crystal window and letting out a low hum. He recognizes the "Artificial Light" (the fusion core) glowing deep within the garden below.

THE BOTANICAL LOCKOUT TERMINAL

At the end of the curving walkway stands a high-security bulkhead marked with a fading green emblem. A small terminal remains active, its dark screen displaying a rhythmic, scrolling data-stream in Ancient Suloise. A heavy scent of cherry blossoms and ozone leaks through the door's seal.

Notes:

• The Terminal: Requires a Translation Slate to read. It displays: "SAKURA PROTOCOL: ACTIVE. BIOMASS OVERFLOW DETECTED. EMERGENCY VENTING DISABLED."
• The Lock: The door is sealed tight. It features a unique, circular indentation designed to fit the Emerald Green Door Key.
• The Intercom: If the terminal is touched, a distorted female voice crackles through the hallway: "Welcome to Level 3. Please do not feed the specimens. The Sakura Protocol is... mandatory."

THE HYDRO-FONT

The air in this chamber is thick with a biting, chemical odor that stings the nostrils. Centered in the room is a sunken basin, 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, filled with a vibrant, translucent green liquid. Pale, cold light emanates from recessed strips in the ceiling, refracting through the churning water. A series of metal ladders descend into the pool, and at the far end, a skeletal figure in a tattered silver tunic floats face down, its bones bleached a terrifyingly pure white.

Notes:

• The Liquid: This is Suloise Rejuvenation Fluid that has soured over centuries. Any creature entering the water takes 4d10 acid damage per round.
• The Sentry: If the pool is disturbed, a Water Elemental Myrmidon rises. It is programmed to drown "unauthorized swimmers."
• The Prize: The skeleton wears a Medallion of Rank. If recovered, it grants "Clearance Level 2," allowing the party to bypass the electrified traps in the Fighting Ring.

THE VAPOUR VAULT

As the metallic iris-door cycles open, a wall of freezing, cerulean mist pours into the hallway. The room beyond is obscured by this heavy, roiling gas, which clings to the floor in thick blankets. Massive, rectangular crates of a dull, grey alloy are stacked in orderly rows, though the frost covering them makes their markings illegible. A low, rhythmic thrumming vibrates through the floorplates, and the temperature here is cold enough to crack leather.

Notes:

• The Gas: The blue mist is a Cryo-Stabilizer. Torchlight is reduced to a 5-foot radius.
• The Hazard: Any creature starting its turn here must make a DC 17 Con Save or take 3d6 cold damage and have their movement speed halved.
• The Guardians: Two Invisible Stalkers (Suloise Aero-Assassins) haunt the mist. They prioritize targets carrying open flames or light sources.

THE STEEL CACHES

This vast, vaulted chamber serves as a storehouse. A complex network of iron rails is bolted to the ceiling, from which several multi-jointed mechanical claws hang motionless. Hundreds of crates are organized in tiers, many of them burst open as if by internal pressure. Scattered across the deck are strange artifacts: jagged metal shards, crystalline tubes containing swirling mercury, and heavy canisters marked with the jagged sun-heraldry of the Suel.

Notes:

• The Logic Puzzle: The mechanical claws are active but "blind."
• The Gantry: Any PC moving more than 15 feet per turn triggers the Automated Loader. It attempts to "stow" the PC. Treat as a Grapple (+10) followed by being hoisted 30 feet into the air and dropped into a disposal chute (6d6 falling damage).

THE SLEEP-CELLS

A narrow, sterile corridor leads to a series of cramped alcoves. Each contains a pair of stark, metal bunk-frames. There is a haunting lack of comfort here—no wood, no cloth, only cold surfaces and thin, grey padding. Several lockers have been wrenched from the walls, their contents strewn about: stiff, high-collared uniforms and small, hand-held devices that emit a faint, dying amber glow.

Notes:

• The Infestation: The rooms are infested with Suel Mind-Mold.
• The Trap: Anyone searching a locker must make a DC 16 Wisdom Save. Failure results in a Confusion spell effect as the PC is overwhelmed by "ghost-memories" of the ship’s final, catastrophic moments.

THE KINETIC ATHENEUM

This room contains several rows of bizarre, stationary apparatuses. Constructed of brass and iron, they feature circular foot-pedals and heavy, leaden flywheels. Large glass spheres are mounted to the front of each machine. The walls are covered in flickering, translucent tapestries—holographic projections—showing Suloise warriors engaged in feats of impossible athleticism.

Notes:

• Kinetic Generators: These machines jump-start the ship's ancient batteries.
• The Interaction: A PC with Str 15+ can operate a machine. Doing so for 3 rounds restores power to the Vapour Vault lights but deals 2d10 necrotic damage to the PC as the machine siphons their life force.

THE CIRCLE OF ORDEAL

This wide auditorium is dominated by a raised, octagonal stage. Taut, braided wires form a perimeter around the platform, shimmering with a deadly, blue static discharge. Tiers of metal benches rise toward the ceiling in a grim theater of combat. Hovering silently above the center of the ring is a large, metallic sphere bristling with glass lenses and dormant weaponry.

Notes:

• The Combatant: Stepping onto the stage activates a Steel Predator (re-flavored as a Phasnosh Duel-Construct).
• The Boundary: The wire ropes are Electrified. Any creature touching them takes 4d8 lightning damage and must make a DC 18 Strength Save or be thrown back into the center of the ring.

Southern Half of Level 3

The southern half of this deck serves as the primary recreation and disciplinary sector for the crew. Unlike the sterile command tiers or the overgrown botanical mezzanine to the north, this area retains a heavy, industrial density. It is a maze of entertainment halls and tactical simulators where the Suloise crew once honed their skills and distracted themselves from their long exile.

Dungeon Master Note: While the northern sector is choked with the Sakura Protocol, the Southern Half is defined by "Ghost-Echoes"—flickering holograms, the mechanical hum of dormant skill-tutors, and the stale scent of ancient spirits in the lounge. This area should feel like a graveyard of Suel culture. The lighting here is sporadic, with amber emergency strips casting long, rhythmic shadows across the checkerboard floors and trashed lounges.

Use this sector to emphasize the Phasnosh obsession with martial perfection and the eerie preservation of Suel nobility before their ship became a derelict.

THE STRATEGIC COURT

The floor of this square chamber is composed of a striking checkerboard pattern in various muted colors. The grid is exactly six squares by six. Overhead, a specialized light-emitter casts a dim, vertical beam onto each square. The walls are lined with empty weapon racks, and the air carries a faint, lingering scent of burnt ozone.

Notes:

• The Grid: This is a Tactical Simulation Floor. If a creature stands on a square, a holographic "opponent" (a Suel soldier) flickers into existence.
• The Puzzle: Moving across the board triggers a high-speed game of strategy. A creature must succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check to navigate the grid without triggering a Shock Trap (3d10 lightning damage).
• Kitchenette Access: A sliding steel door in the north wall leads to the galley.

THE CREW KITCHENETTE

Attached to the tactical room is a compact galley. Unlike a tavern kitchen in the Great Kingdom, there are no hearths or wood-stoves. Instead, metallic surfaces feature recessed heating plates and dispensers that once provided nutrient-slurry. Metal trays and silver utensils lie scattered across the floor, long since tarnished by time.

Notes:

• The Dispensers: Most are dry, but one dispenses a viscous, grey liquid. It is still edible but requires a DC 14 Constitution Save to avoid being Poisoned for 1 hour due to its extreme age.
• Scavenge: Tucked into a cooling unit is a pressurized canister of Suloise Spice. If used in a meal during a Long Rest, it grants 1d10 temporary hit points to those who eat it.

THE OFFICERS' LOUNGE

This wide lounge was once a place of respite, now reduced to a trashed ruin. Circular tables have been overturned, and the "Furniture"—made of a strange, molded grey substance—has been shredded as if by claws. Shattered glass from Suloise spirit-bottles litters the deck, and a long bar of brushed steel stands dented and empty at the far end.

Notes:

• The Destruction: A DC 15 Survival check reveals the damage was caused by a large, multi-limbed construct or beast long ago.
• Hidden Stash: Behind the bar is a single, sealed bottle of Blue-Ointment Wine. It acts as a Potion of Greater Healing but causes a feeling of intense cold when consumed.

THE HOLOGRAPHIC THEATER

Tiers of plush, high-backed seats face a sunken circular pit in the center of the room. Half of the seats are occupied by skeletal remains, many still wearing the fine silks of Suloise nobility. A flickering, ghostly image repeats in the center of the pit: a high-altitude view of a city being consumed by white fire, played back in a silent, agonizing loop.

Notes:

• The Projection: This is a recording of the Invoked Devastation. Watching the full cycle (3 minutes) requires a DC 16 Wisdom Save or the PC takes 3d6 psychic damage from the sheer horror of the event.
• The Audience: One of the skeletons clutches a Clearance Level 2 keycard and a small locket containing a miniature portrait of a woman who looks remarkably like a younger **Lexana**.

THE ARCADE OF TRIALS

This narrow hall is packed with light-emitting machines. Four upright cabinets stand against the wall, their glass screens dark and cracked. Three low tables nearby feature embedded grids of light and bags of heavy, metallic tokens. The room feels cramped, designed for the distraction of a crew far from home.

Notes:

• The Cabinets: These are "Skill-Tutors." A PC can attempt a DC 20 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to play a dead game. Success grants them a +1 bonus to their next Initiative roll as their reflexes are "calibrated."
• The Tokens: The metallic tokens are made of Electrum and are stamped with the face of a Suel Emperor. There are 250 tokens in total (worth 125 gp).

THE MAIN CARGO BAY

A massive cavern of a room, the air here is stale and dusty. Over fifteen large crates are scattered haphazardly across the floor, some stacked precariously, others smashed open. Heavy magnetic tracks on the ceiling indicate where a gantry once moved these massive weights. In the shadows at the back of the room, a large, bulky shape remains motionless.

Notes:

• The Crates: Most contain mundane supplies (fibrous cloth, dried rations). However, two crates contain Suloise Steel Ingots—highly prized by smiths in the Great Kingdom (worth 500 gp total).
• The Lurker: The bulky shape is a dormant Phasnosh War-Forged (use Iron Golem stats but reduced to 100 HP due to age). It activates if any crate marked with a "Security" rune is opened.

Suloise Salvage & Strange Artifacts

The following items can be recovered from the Main Cargo Bay or throughout Level 3. These represent the "Iron Sorcery" of the Phasnosh/Suel era—techno-arcana that is often misunderstood by the inhabitants of the 630 CY Flanaess.

d10	Artifact Name	Description & Mechanics
1	Vibro-Shank	A dagger hilt with a jagged, crystalline blade. When gripped, it hums at a frequency that bypasses non-magical armor. Mechanics: +1 Dagger; ignores resistance to piercing damage. On a Natural 1, the crystal shatters, dealing 2d6 force damage to the wielder.
2	Cray-Cell Lantern	A heavy metal cylinder that emits a 30ft cone of "Black-Light." Mechanics: Reveals invisible creatures and secret doors within the cone. User must succeed on a DC 13 Con Save every hour or suffer "Suel Sickness" (disadvantage on Strength checks for 24 hours).
3	Suel Inertia-Belt	A thick belt of overlapping metal plates. Mechanics: As a reaction to being moved or falling, the user sets their weight to 500 lbs for 1 round. Grants resistance to bludgeoning damage but reduces speed to 0. (3 charges, recharges at a Kinetic Generator).
4	Phasnosh Mind-Link	A copper band that feels warm to the touch. Mechanics: Allows the wearer to cast Detect Thoughts (DC 15) but only on constructs or creatures with Suloise blood. If used on others, the wearer takes 2d6 psychic damage.
5	Mercury-Fire Grenade	A glass orb filled with swirling silver liquid. Mechanics: Range 30/60. Explodes in a 10ft radius. Targets take 4d6 Fire and 4d6 Cold damage (DC 16 Dex save for half). This is chemical fire and cannot be doused with water.
6	Auto-Suture Syringe	A brass tool with a wicked, automated needle. Mechanics: Contains 3 doses. As an action, heals 4d8+10 HP, but the target is Poisoned for 1 hour as the alien chemicals knit the flesh too crudely.
7	Static-Discharge Glove	A heavy gauntlet of insulated leather and copper wire. Mechanics: Successful melee touch attack deals 3d8 Lightning damage and the target is Stunned until the start of its next turn. (1 charge; recharges in the Vapour Vault).
8	Translation Slate	A flat piece of dark glass that "listens." Mechanics: Translates any spoken language into Ancient Suloise. It always uses "Imperial" terminology (e.g., translating "King" as "Usurper" or "Subject").
9	Gravity-Boots	Lead-soled boots with blue glowing filigree. Mechanics: Allows the wearer to cast Levitate (self only) for 10 minutes per day. Movement is jerky and requires a DC 12 Acrobatics check to avoid falling prone on landing.
10	Lexana’s Log-Crystal	A flickering orange crystal. Mechanics: Provides 10-12 minutes of holographic footage of Lexana arguing with a Phasnosh Commander. Grants advantage on History checks regarding the Phasnosh for 48 hours.

Cargo Bay Inventory

CARGO BAY CONTENTS

Scattered among the heavy tracks and dust-laden floor are fifteen reinforced crates. Some are marked with the red sun of the Suel, while others bear the jagged, geometric runes associated with Phasnosh logistics. The air is heavy with the scent of old grease and ozone.

Notes:

• The Crates: Roll on the Salvage Table above for every three crates searched.
• Hazardous Materials: Two crates are leaking a glowing green fluid. Any PC within 5 feet must make a DC 15 Con Save or take 2d6 Radiant damage.
• Structural Integrity: The ceiling gantry is unstable. Loud noises or fireballs in this room have a 25% chance of causing a structural collapse (4d10 bludgeoning damage, DC 15 Dex save for half).