Judge Dredd - Sector House 13

A fifty-storey fortified bubble, vaguely resembling a Justice Department helmet, Sector House 13 is located to the north of the sector near the intersection between the Aaron Burr and Davey Copperfield Megways. The original Sector House was smaller but it suffered badly during the Apocalypse War and was rebuilt into its current form shortly after. The Sector House is well-equipped with Med, Psi and Tek Divisions all represented to a reasonable degree. The sub-level garages house a Manta Prowl Tank and the upper level hangars house three H Wagons that are detailed to cover the whole of Sector 13 and provide back-up to Sectors 11 and 12, as needed. The Med Division medbays are as well-equipped as those of the Mega City One Central Memorial Hospital over at Zeb Pike and provide relief med facilities for Sectors 11 and 12 also.

Sector House 13 under construction

Ground Floor
The main entrance to Sector House 13 is a large doorway that remains open unless the sector is in a state of emergency. This door also serves as the public entrance for any citizens wishing to report a crime or turn themselves in. The entrance leads into a small plexiglass foyer with a set of automatic doors that provide additional security and can be locked down should any dangerous looking creeps attempt to gain access to the building. the foyer opens out into a check-in area where Station Judges deal with civilian enquiries and arrests from behind bullet-proof screens. From here, a secured door leads to a processing area where perps are logged and searched before being taken to the detention levels. The ground floor main security is located next to the check-in areas and provides a good view of anyone entering the building and provides quick access should any troublemakers enter the building.
The ground floor has two designated "watch rooms" for Judges working on the current watch, including the Watch Commander. These rooms provide facilities for Judges to work on active investigations and see the latest watch reports as they occur. Also located on this floor is the emergency medical bay that deals exclusively with critical injuries. Access via the rear entrance or directly from the sub level vehicle bays allows patients to be tended to in the shortest possible time. The rear entrance to Sector 13 is secured, allowing access to Judges and staff only. Anyone entering through the entrance  must pass through a small security area before being allowed access into the building proper.
Anti-Grav Chutes provide access to most other levels within the Sector House and back up stairwells are located by the chutes should they be out of order. A large lift is also available for transporting heavy equipment and medbay patients from the sublevels. Outside the building, wide ramps provide access to the sub level vehicle and maintenance bays.
Detention Levels
The detention levels occupy floors one through four and all have an identical layout. Access to these floors can only be gained through the detention stairwell that begins in the perp processing area on the ground floor, ending on Level 4. Should a perp manage to escape his cell he cannot gain access to any other part of the building without passing through the secured areas. The security room has two exits that lead to the interrogation cubes and holding cells. The holding cells vary in size to allow varying amounts of perps in each one and each detention level can hold roughly 50 people. Each cell is monitored by security cameras and is under regular observation. These cells are only temporary holding areas where criminals wait to be interrogated or assigned to an Iso Block to serve their sentence.
Sector House Security
Level 5 of the Sector House is the security level. It is divided into eight units of three Judges, known simply as A Unit through to H Unit. These units occasionally patrol the building checking for potential security problems but mostly perform support duties within the Sector House, from guarding prisoner transfers to taking delivery of new equipment and munitions. Two teams are always held in reserve to respond to any emergency, as needed. each of the reserve units is stationed in one of the two standby rooms providing protection to the security level itself and access to a small arms locker.
All communications and camera feeds from the Sector House are monitored in the observation room. The whereabouts of all the units is known at all times so if any suspect activity occurs anywhere in the Sector House, the nearest unit can investigate. the security incident room is where the Tac Group Commander assigns duties and briefs the security Judges on any relevant information.

Med Division
Med Division spans floors 6-11. Level 6 provides medical facilities for civilians - mainly perps apprehended by the Judges. Most treatments are carried out in the two large medbays with the more delicate and sterile tasks being performed in the operating theatres. Isolation bays are also available should patients be contagious in any way. These facilities are primarily for short term treatment, with long term care provided on Level 7. Dangerous perps are restrained where possible and there is always a number of Judges guarding these two floors.
Levels 8 and 9 provide exactly the same medical facilities as levels 6 and 7 but for Judges and Sector House staff. Levels 10 and 11 are dedicated to research facilities and have a similar layout to he other med floors with laboratories replacing the medbays and operating theatres.
Stores and Armoury
Level 12 houses the Sector House stores including standard and special issue equipment such as armour and tools.Level 13 is the armoury where all the weapons are stored from Lawgivers to Widowmakers. Both levels have the same layout, comprised of four main rooms full of shelves and racks that are neatly packed and ordered with almost every type of Justice Department equipment available. Very large items, such as bomb containment units are stored in the sub levels in or near to the vehicles that transport them. Access to the stores and armoury is via the quartermaster's office on each of the two levels. Many specialist items, especially weapons, usually require authorisation from high-ranking Judges but the quartermaster is able to issue replacements and other basic items upon request.
Briefing Levels
Levels 14 through 16 are dedicated to a number of briefing, incident and conference rooms. Briefing rooms are standing room only with a small podium set before a large Tri-D display on the outer wall. Incident rooms are slightly small and have seating for 200 people. Conference rooms are smaller still, providing a table that seats up to 30 people. Level 14 is usually used by the Watch Commander for the initial watch briefing. Special assignments and duties are discussed in whatever room is most appropriate to the number of people. The other two briefing levels are typically used by special task forces and high ranking Judges respectively.
Tek Division
Tek Division spans four levels, 17 to 20. The first two floors house the forensics laboratories and the upper two floors are for research and development. Each level has six laboratories, one of which is secured for classified or dangerous projects.
Psi Division
Although the Psi Division of Sector 13 is currently very small, the Sector House was built to accommodate a larger number of Psi Judges and occupies four levels. The first floor on Level 21 contains the core facilities as well as a Trans-Dimensional research laboratory. Each of the other three levels is dedicated to the special units of Pre-Cogs, K-Unit and Psyker-Unit on Levels 22, 23 and 24 respectively but they currently see little use.
The layout of each of these floors is identical. The main room of each is a general purpose room, that is used for a variety of tasks such as administration, communications with Psi Units out in the field and requests for Psi assistance. When Psi Units are required, a small briefing room is used to explain the situation to the assigned Judges and the investigation room is available to Psi Judges on active investigations. Each level also has a training room where Psi Judges can practice their abilities with other Judges and a laboratory for any psionic based research from theory to practice. Secure rooms are also provided for special tasks such as quiet rooms that are free of distraction.
Office Levels
The office levels span six floors. Levels 25 to 27 are used by Accounts Division and Levels 28 to 30 are occupied by Personnel Division. Each of the office floors has the same layout comprised of four small offices, two large open plan areas and one large office for the highest ranking Judge who will typically be in command of that level.
Training Level
The training area on Level 31 is comprised of three rooms. The largest is the firing range with 15 metre and 20 metre ranges running the length of the room. There is also a gymnasium where Judges can work out and exercise on a variety of machines. The third room is a small auditorium where Judges can watch a number of training and educational Tri-D recordings, these include recordings of actual field operations highlighting both good and bad strategies.
Mess Halls
The mess halls are located on Level 32 and provide 24 hour catering to the Judges and Sector House staff. A modest sized kitchen sits between two mess halls connected by serving counters that run the length of the kitchen.
Dormitories & Senior Quarters
Spanning Levels 33 to 42 are the Judge Dormitories. Each floor has a washroom, a sleep machine room and nine dormitories that can sleep between four and six people depending on the size of the room. Levels 43 and 44 have the same layout but each room is sole occupancy and reserved for the senior Judges.
Sector Command
Sector Command is split over four levels. Level 45 is the communications floor and handles all the Justice Department communications throughout the sector and with other Sector Houses. Level 46 is an extension to the communications level but specialises in satellite link-ups and long range communications. Levels 47 and 48 are used exclusively by the Senior Judges and their support staff for running the Sector House, with Level 48 occupied by the Sector Chief, Deputy Sector Chief and their assistants.
Vehicle Bays
The hangars of Levels 49 and 50 actually span the height of four storeys. The main hangar on Level 49 houses two H-Wagons, a Riot Wagon and a Gunbird. The upper level provides landing bays for an S-Wagon, a Claw Patrol Ship and three Law Pods.
Adopting a similar layout are the sub-levels that are accessed by the ramps on the ground level. These bays house a Manta Prowl Tank, an Omni tank and a variety of other specialist vehicles, including the sector's fleets of Banshee Pursuit Interceptors and Lawmaster Bikes. Situated around the edges of the vehicle bays are workshop areas with the tools and equipment necessary to maintain the vehicles. Cranes and hydraulic arms attached to the walls and ceiling provide heavy lifting when necessary. Refuelling facilities are also situated on these levels.

In the shadow of Sector House 13 is Iso Block 911, which houses perps doing stretches of between 8 and 15 years. Next to it is Psycho Block 101. which holds mid-level kooks who can (or should) be curable within two to four years of referral. Sector House 13 provides Judges on guard duty for both facilities.

I'll be showcasing the major characters of Sector House 13 in future posts.

Judge Dredd - Sector 13 Overview

Sector 13 will be the setting of my upcoming Judge Dredd campaign. Sector 13 is located in Meg-Central of  Mega City One bordered by Sectors 11, 12, 14 and, in Meg-East, Sector 57. Note that the south-east corner of Sector 13 touches the north-west corner of Sector 1, home of the Grand Hall of Justice. It is in the old state of New Jersey, bordering the island of Manhattan and the old conurb of New York. The sector is bifurcated by the north-south axis of the Superslab and its eastern border (with Sector 14) is marked by the old Delaware River. The river, dreadfully polluted, has been sealed over by almost a century of Mega City Building. The Delaware is nicknamed the "Big Greasy" by Sector 13 citizens and is known to be infested with rad-rats, mutated fish, lizards and other unpleasantness. Sector 13 is also close to the Eustace Fargo Spaceport, which makes it one of the first ports of call for returning spacers, alien tourists and disembarking passengers - as well as a retreat for perps looking to get of world asap. 

Sector 13 at a glance.
Population. 1.5 million.
Major Roads. Mega City Superslab (90km length), Buddy Abbot Megway, Aaron Burr Megway, Davey Copperfield Megway, Whitney Houston Mega-Circular, Norm Mailer Megway Intersect, Dionne Warwick Xpress Tunnel, Alfie Stieglitz Skedway and Phil Roth Overzoom.
Notable Industries. Gud-U-Feel Pharmacology, MC1 Chemdustries, Mikrodyne Engineering, Nervotek Chemicals, Randallson Pharmaceuticals, Sensen Electronics, Van-Dan-Meer Industrial Supplies and Videoshack Consumer Durables.
Sector13 has seven major city blocks and around a dozen smaller blocks (conapts, luxy-blocks, crock-blocks and so on). The seven city blocks are:
Buzz Aldrin Block
Population. 35,000. 
Block Assembly. BABS (Buzz Aldrin Block Syndicate).
Allies. Jimmy Gandolfini.
Enemies. Dotty Parker.
Fashioned in the shape of the ancient Saturn 5 moon rocket (but a taller, wider, more bloated version of it), Buzz Aldrin believes itself to be the foremost of all the Sector 13 blocks purely due to the fact that the man it is named after was one of the first men to visit the moon and thus is a national hero. Clearly such an auspicious individual is watching over a city block named after him and so the Buzzers consider themselves superior in just about every respect to the other six blocks.
Buzz Aldrin Block is close to Dotty Parker and Jimmy Gandolfini blocks. Its natural enemy is Dotty Parker. Relations between Buzz Aldrin and Jimmy Gandolfini blocks are cordial - almost friendly, but that is likely because Jimmy Gandolfini Block has had its own spats with Dotty Parker in the past couple of years.
Jon Bon Jovi Block
Population. 42,000
Block Assembly. Lost Highwaymen
Allies. Zeb Pike
Enemies. Bruce Springsteen
One of the two "Rock Blocks", (the other being Bruce Springsteen Block). Jon Bon Jovi (or JBJ) Block is enthralled by the legend that was 20th Century's foremost rock-god-superstar. Jon Bon Jovi who legend says was born and raised in the old city that lies beneath JBJ's foundations (a pack of complete lies but who's to argue?). JBJ Block is stuck in a groove. The holy music of Jon Bon Jovi is pumped through every corridor, plaza and apartment floors in the block.
Hated enemy of JBJ is Bruce Springsteen Block, which claims that Bruce, not Jon, is the REAL god of rock and roll and continually point out that, when alive, Bruce was known as The Boss, thereby sealing his credentials. JBJ refutes this, pointing out that JBJ inspired billions with his hairstyle and single-handedly brought about world peace with his iconic song Keep the Faith (JBJ's Block anthem).
Lloyd H Conover Block
Population. 38,000
Block Assembly. LHC Block Rep Committee
Allies. None
Enemies. Jimmy Gandolfini
Lloyd H Conover Block has the dubious reputation of having the lowest crime rate in the whole of Sector 13; dubious, because as everyone in Sector 13 knows, everyone in LHC is an inveterate liar. Street gossip has it that LHC Block lies about everything; it has the wealthiest citizens (disputed by Dotty Parker), it has the biggest dramarena (Springsteen's is bigger and has a better PA), it has the highest employment (nope, Gandolfini's is a staggering 1.5%, double LHC's). Lies. LHC residents perpetrate them every time they open their mouths.
There is no doubting that LHC has one thing that is undisputed: the highest rate of Justice Department sanctioned snitchers and peepers. Justice Department relies on LHC for around 5% of its tip-offs and there is an entire floor (level C) that consists of residents who do nothing all day but train telescopes, monoculars and bugs on the streets and plaza surrounding their block and snitch to the Sector House to their heart's content. Consequently, Jimmy Gandolfini Block hates LHC with a vengeance.

Sector 13 with the dark coloured Lloyd H Conover Block visible in the middle distance.

Jimmy Gandolfini Block
Population. 42,000
Block Assembly. JG Choir Assembly
Allies. Buzz Aldrin
Enemies. Lloyd H Conover
The real rotten apple in the Sector 13 barrel, Jimmy Gandolfini is run by the Contralto Crew, the sector's largest criminal gang. At the head of the crew is Max Contralto, overweight, lugubrious but with a sharp brain and a history of violence. Max is smart, just as his predecessors, Junior, Angio, Luigi and Antonelli were smart. The Crew has ensured that all its rackets, scams and crimes are insulated from the block through elaborate, painstakingly crafted shell companies, front organisations (who do "charitable works", sometimes with las-cutters) and well-placed bribes. The Judges know the Contraltos are rotten; but there is insufficient evidence to pull down the head man - Max and his cousins (and capos), Pauli, Stevie, Gus and Kris.
The Contraltos ensure that Jimmy Gandolfini Block  works, both in terms of efficiency and employment. The Crew runs the labour centres for Eustace Fargo Spaceport and around 400 of the spaceport's human workers are from Gandolfini. These lucky citizens therefore serve the Crew's interest at the spaceport in rackets like perp running, Stookie Glanding, arms importation, illegal substance importation and all manner of other crimes that get lost in the morass of a busy, inefficient spaceport hub.
Dotty Parker Block
Population. 50,000
Block Assembly. DP Representative Forum
Allies. Bruce Springsteen
Enemies. Buzz Aldrin
An old, proud block, resembling a malformed gherkin atop a slice of lumpy rye bread, Dotty Parker is the most populous of the Sector 13 blocks and every bit as aloof as its enemy, Buzz Aldrin. In most respects, Dotty Parker is an average city block; over-populated, under-employed, over-zealous and filled with a sense of its own importance. Its greatest claim to fame is that S-13VB Studios are located on the mid-level of the block and it broadcasts to the whole of Sector 13 and beyond. Run by the formidable Agnes Lamprey (who is also president-for-life of the DP Reps Forum), its vid output is staggering: hit shows like Swap my Spouse, Never Mind the Hitchcocks, Guthrie's Comedy Die-In and Resyk Blues are syndicated city wide and it boasts a vault full of Meggies (Mega City One vid show awards) in all major categories.
Agnes Lamprey controls Dotty Parker Block like a personal fiefdom. Prestigious jobs in her studios go to those whom she favours - and she does not necessarily favour competence. The DP Reps Forum merely acts on her instructions and the residents of Dotty Parker have zero say in the block's affairs. Agnes rules the roost from her summit suite penthouse (occupying an entire double-letter level) and there she entertains the great, the good and the popular from across Mega City One.
Zeb Pike Block
Population. 33,000
Block Assembly. Zeb Citizen's Forum
Allies. Jon Bon Jovi
Enemies. Bruce Springsteen
A sparkling new block, Zeb Pike houses the Mega City One Central Memorial Hospital, a state-of-the-art medical facility that acts as the main hospital for the Eustace Fargo Spaceport. The hospital occupies all 102 floors of the east wing whilst the residential west wing houses the populace. Because of the hospital, Zeb Pike is careful to stay out of Block Wars, although that does not stop it from allying with Jon Bon Jovi Block against Bruce Springsteen. It is difficult to discern the motive for this alliance but it exists nonetheless. It may be down to the fact that when the block was built, some Jon Bon Jovi overspill was allocated to Zeb Pike and old allegiances die hard.
Being such a recent block, Zeb Pike is designed to be maintenance-free and has some of the most advanced automated maintenance facilities of any block within a hundred sectors. The hospital's maintenance facilities are part of the overall block circuitry and so the residential wing benefits from first-rate cleaning robotic clearing and repair facilities as well as assured power, with back-up 24/7. Apartment rents are higher in Zeb Pike than the other blocks and so it attracts wealthier citizens but for the most part the block is as normal as one can get for a Mega City One city block. It has all mod-cons, including a Palais-de-Boing and this makes Lloyd H Conover exceedingly jealous.
Bruce Springsteen Block
Population. 29,000
Block Assembly. The E Street Band
Allies. Dotty Parker
Enemies. Jon Bon Jovi, Zeb Pike
Second of the Rock Blocks, Bruce Springsteen Block is a parody of a guitar-shape and proudly flies, at the very top of its Citi-Def emplacement, a massive flag emblazoned with the words "The Boss Lives" in abject defiance of neighbouring Jon Bon Jovi Block across E Street Plaza. Like JBJ, Springsteen is named after the rock legend of the 20th Century born in the vicinity of the Old City. it is a working-class block (a contradiction in terms, as less than 0.5% of its citizens have a job) and like JBJ, the ancient old rocker forms the basis of the E Street Cult - those who worship Bruce's music, scathing lyrical attacks on the old culture of America and die-hard left-leaning patriotism.
The block is run on semi-democratic lines by the E Street Band, an elected council, that is meant to represent each level of the block but, in reality, represents only those who are true Boss fanatics. In truth, the E Street Band runs the block reasonably well and does not, thankfully, insist on Springsteen songs being piped through the building morning, noon and night - as does JBJ. In fact, any practice JBJ Block adopts, Springsteen rejects just to be different.

I have loads more notes about these blocks, including many of their dirty secrets, which may or may not be revealed as my campaign advances. Sector House 13 will be highlighted in my next post. Other areas of interest in Sector 13 will appear when required in scenarios I run. I should confess that all of this info comes from the Judge Dredd Role-Playing Game produced by Mongoose Publishing and utilising the Traveller rules system. This Mongoose books starts off in the year 2130, whereas the WOIN game starts in the year 2099, the year of Dredd's first adventures, so some adjustments have been made.

Judge Dredd - Luna-1

From the blurb on the back cover of this new supplement for the Judge Dredd RPG -
On the Luna frontier only the strong survive!
Judge Dredd's world extends beyond the borders of Mega City One. The moon provides new challenges to Judges, Perps and Citizens who choose to escape the claustrophobic city-blocks and make a life for themselves... amidst the oxygen-short, crowded and lawless expanse of the Luna-1 colony.
Get assigned to the moon to keep the peace as Judges in the Luna Marshal campaign, or deal with a criminal gang in the frontier town of Grey Rock as Civilians or Perps in Sundance Rising.
With expanded rules for Luna characters, new Judge careers including the Luna Judge, Zero Squad, and non-Judge careers such as the Loonie Cultist and Gunslinger, in-depth descriptions of Luna 1 and the surrounding areas, as well as the Titan penal colony, and summaries of more of Dredd's early case files, this supplement is an essential addition to the Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 AD role-playing game.
Running to 108 pages, the Luna-1 supplement was written by Andrew Peregrine, John White and Richard August. It comprises the following eight chapters -
Chapter 1 - Welcome to the Moon. An overview of life on and in Luna-1; these include its sights, its locations and its locals. If you're going to make it, living on the moon, this is the stuff you're really going to need to know.
Chapter 2 - Making a Living on Luna-1. Work might not be widely available in the future, but for those who have to do it, you'll probably want to know what it is you're going to be doing. This chapter contains new career options for Judge, Perp and Citizen characters, letting you build characters who fit into Luna-1 like they were born there. Maybe they were...
Chapter 3 - The Local Loonies. Just like Mega City One, there are a whole lot of oddballs who make up the population you'll either be policing, fleecing or forced to get along with. They are here in Chapter 3, in all their eccentric and sinister glory. Just because Luna-1 is smaller than a Mega City doesn't make the people living there any less strange.
Chapter 4 - Moon-Age Daydreams. So, you've made it to the surface of the satellite. Now what? That's what this chapter is for. It takes you through Dredd's adventures and how to convert them into a campaign your player characters can engage in. It also features extensive tips on how to orient your adventures to make the most of the setting. If you're going to the trouble of sending your characters to the moon, you best make the most of it, right?
Chapter 5 - Sundance Rising. It's not only Judges who get embroiled in the madness and criminality running rampant across the moon's surface. The innocent bystanders who get caught in the cross-fire and the desperate criminals trying to avoid capture need to have something to do too! Sundance Rising is a brand new adventure for either Citizens or Criminals to participate in - featuring the small, beleaguered town of Grey Rock and the ominous figure of Preacher Jackson.
Chapter 6 - Beyond the Moon. It's not Judge Dredd if Mega City One doesn't get a look-in somewhere. That's what this chapter is for. Several of Dredd's cases after his return are detailed here, including the first appearance of one of Dredd's most stalwart allies - Max Normal.
Chapter 7 - Looking the Part of a Loony. Surviving in Luna-1 and beyond the atmospheric dome requires specialised equipment. This chapter features new equipment and weaponry which player characters and their foes can equip themselves with.
Appendix - Titan. The secretive penal colony on Titan is the setting for some of Judge Dredd's most difficult and desperate adventures. This overview of Titan, its populace and the conditions they live in provides a new arena for gritty prison drama but with cool respirator masks.

I must admit that I was less than enthusiastic about the arrival of this supplement simply because I have no plans for sending the Judge characters of my campaign to Luna-1. However, once I'd read it, I realised that this was a very well written supplement with a lot of potential. So if I can find an excuse to send my Judge characters to the moon, I will.
The biggest gripe I had with the Judge Dredd and the Worlds of 2000 AD RPG and the first Judge Dredd supplement, The Robot Wars was the lack of stats for Judge Dredd. It was a jarring oversight that I'm pleased to say has been redressed with this supplement. Hiss inclusion was long overdue. Many thanks, guys! I rate this supplement as highly recommended for all Judge Dredd fans. You can purchase it from Amazon UK for £19.22.

Galactic Sentience Catalog

The Galactic Sentience Catalog is the latest supplement for the N.E.W. sci-fi role-playing game by EN Publishing. This manual contains over 50 alien races for your science fiction WOIN games. Inside you will find a wealth of choices for your next player character.
Scientists sometimes try to categorise different species in an attempt to create a galactic evolutionary tree; whether such a thing is possible, or whether similar races are products of coincidental independent evolution is unknown. Sentient alien species are divided roughly into the following categories, although there is some argument amongst leading scientists as to the placement of some races.
Avian Races. Some races are able to fly, or are descended from birds or other flying creatures. Avians possess limited or full flight.
Amphibian & Aquatic Races. These races can breathe underwater and have a natural SWIM speed; Aquatic races have a reduced LAND speed.
Crystalline & Mineral Races. While carbon-based life is plentiful, it is not the only option. Crystalline creatures are tough and resistant to damage, do not need to breathe, but are vulnerable to Sonic damage and can be brittle when falling.
Exotic Races. Some races defy categorisation.
Human Races. Humanity is a varied race which has spread throughout the galaxy. Not all humans evolved on Earth, which has led some scientists to support the common progenitor race theory.
Humanoid Races. These races evolved from various native animal species similar to those found on Earth.
Insectoid Races. It's not just mammals and reptiles who make up the species of the galaxy. Insectoids have a natural CLIMB speed and are able to move on walls and ceilings with ease.
Mechanoid Races. Some races come into being via technology rather than biology. Mechanoids share a range of traits, including vulnerability to Electricity and Ion damage, an immunity to mental attacks, a lack of biological functions and a deterministic nature.
Plant (Botanical) Races. Plants are hardy but vulnerable to fire; they are able to ignore difficult terrain.
Reptilian Races. There are many reptilian races in the galaxy. Reptiles are cold-blooded and thus vulnerable to Cold damage.
Also included is the Race-Building Engine, so that you can easily build your own custom alien race ready for play.
The seven species listed in the N.E.W. core rulebook are also listed here - Androids, Borians, Felans, Humans, Ogrons, Spartans and Venetians. It is worth noting that the racial exploits for Humans has changed. The Explorer exploit has been dropped and has been replaced by the Learners exploit, which allows Humans to choose three Universal exploits when creating your character. Normally, starting races must choose two Universal exploits, one of which must be Aim or Feint. Adding extra exploits is always a good thing in my opinion.
The book is fully coloured with illustrations of all the races featured. Running to 60 pages, it was written by Russ Morrissey. For N.E.W. players, I would rate this as an essential purchase.

The Ace of Spades campaign - Take a Chance on Me part 12

The Assassination of Bianca Covin
Having been dropped off near to the Covin mansion, Julia and Danica slipped unseen into the grounds. Storm and Luna remained on The Jack of Spades shuttle. Luna had been able to provide Julia and Danica with valuable information on staff numbers, security personnel and the layout of the mansion. No more than six guards and four staff would be present along with Luna's mother, Bianca, who would most likely be in her bedroom. Due to a very successful ambush, Julia, Danica, Katja and Jeanette had slaughtered most of the opposition they might otherwise have faced.
Four security guards were patrolling the perimeter of the mansion in two groups of two at the front and the back. Danica beheaded two with her sword and Julia slit the throats of the other two with her combat knife. Both women still wore their invisibility cloaks so the guards never even saw their killers. The three staff members and remaining two guards inside the mansion were taken out one by one either by knife or sword. They all died silently. It was a cold-blooded massacre.

It was Danica who first heard Bianca moving about in her en suite bathroom. She was softly humming to herself as she ran her bath with hot water and scented oils. Julia entered the bathroom first, having deactivated her invisibility cloak. She held her Disruptor Pistol firmly in her right hand. Danica followed close behind with her Phaser Pistol drawn and set to Kill.

"Who the hell are you?" Bianca asked indignantly. "What are you doing here? Guards!"
"It's no use shouting for help," Julia said coldly. "Your staff are all dead. Your security guards are all dead. Your husband and his pet Drahzik are also dead. We killed them all and now it's your turn."

"But who are you? And why?" Bianca wailed in a pleading voice.
Julia did not bother giving her the satisfaction of an answer. She just calmly pulled the trigger of her Disruptor Pistol and shot Bianca between the eyes. Just to make sure she was dead, Danica shot her in the centre chest. Bianca fell backwards and was dead before she reached the floor.

"Job done," Julia smiled at Danica. "Let's get back to the shuttle."
"Indeed. The quicker we can get off planet the happier I'll feel," Danica said sagely.
Julia knew exactly what she meant. They had declared war on The Organisation and eventually "The Big O" would work out what happened here on Golden 4 (Alhambra) and would be seeking vengeance.

Storm flew Danica, Julia and Luna back to The Ace of Spades and then radioed Kimberley to let her know she was coming to pick up her, Celeste and Gwendoline. By the time she had reached the ground based starport at New Xanadu, Kimberley had signed out of her hotel and was waiting for the former UFP pilot.
"What the hell has been going on?" Kimberley fumed. "I made it to the final of the poker contest and was expecting more of a presence from my crew. Where was everyone?"
"Well, it's a long story," Storm sighed apologetically. "Let me take you through the events of the past day."
To her credit, Kimberley never once interrupted Storm as she related what had happened during Kimberley's absence. Afterwards, however, both Kimberley and Gwendoline bombarded Storm with questions, mainly relating to Luna Covin and her parents. Storm answered to the best of her ability but suggested Rebecca and Luna would be able to better inform them.
As the ship's nurse, Gwendoline asked, "How are Jeanette and Katja doing?"
"Apparently they were only lightly wounded," Storm answered. "Judith told me they should both be fully healed after a night's rest. She's keeping them in the medbay for observation."

Soon The Jack of Spades shuttle docked with The Ace of Spades. The departure procedure was swift and smooth. As the ship speeded up for FTL flight, Kimberley realised rather sadly they would probably never return to Golden 4. To her it was a place of happy memories.
As they entered hyperspace, Kimberley was finally able to meet with Luna. Luna was sitting next to Rebecca in the ship's lounge.
"So, Luna, Storm has told me that we will give you safe passage to our next civilised destination," Kimberley said after introductions had been made.
"That's right, Miss Wells," Luna replied. She was clearly in awe of Kimberley, who was incredibly beautiful and had a charismatic presence that was clear to see.
"Call me Kimberley, please. We're very informal on this ship. I have a proposal for you."
Luna looked at Kimberley quizzically, not knowing what to expect.
"How'd you like to join our crew? I can take you on as a space jockey, which will give you a basic understanding of how we work."
Luna's eyes lit up with surprise. "Really? I'd love that. Honestly, everyone here has been so kind to me."
"God bless you, Kimberley," Rebecca acknowledged with a warm smile. "I'm sure you won't regret taking a chance on her."

Conclusion
This scenario was designed by me. I wanted the readers to think that the title, Take a Chance on Me, related to Kimberley's participation in the poker contest but in all honesty that was just the secondary story of the scenario. The primary story and title related to Luna. By the way, there was never any doubt that she would join the crew.
The one thing that I loved the most about this scenario was the amount of dialogue by the crew. I think only Celeste had no dialogue. The dialogue really helped to give insight into the crew's personalities and helped round them out as characters. 
Regarding experience points this was considered a Medium Difficulty scenario so everyone gained 6XP equal to their rank grades. Due to their excellent planning for the ambush, Danica, Jeanette, Julia and Katja counted the scenario as Hard Difficulty and thus gained an extra 6XP. Kimberley for coming second in the poker contest, Rebecca for befriending and supporting Luna, and Luna for securing a place on the crew all passed personal milestones so gained an extra 6XP. Previously, all humans who set foot on a new planet would have gained XP equal to their rank as per the Explorer exploit. However, according to the newly released Galactic Sentience Catalog (review coming in my next post) Humans have lost the Explorer exploit and it has been replaced by the Learners exploit, which allows Humans to start play with an extra Universal Exploit, i.e. three instead of two, one of which must be Aim or Feint. I'm keeping the XP gained by those Humans who made use of the Explorer exploit in my previous two scenarios but for now I'll be adding a free Universal Exploit to all of my human PCs and NPCs. In addition, I'll be advancing Luna from rank grade:3 to 4, to give her more chance of survival in future scenarios and to count for the intensive training she'll receive from the crew in the near future.