Remarkable, Incredible and Amazing nerdiness
Level 0 as such would be this grid, seen from below, just a hull outline, partially submerged.
GM: Descriptions and details with Level 1. If players encounter via entering underwater in 1800s terms they see the bottom of a seacraft of unknown type and made of something which seems possibly metallic, but also unknown, no obvious joins with slight symmertric ridges.
Or as the more egotistical mad scientist might call it ‘Ruby Base’. This is at about 1km scale hex. The island is approximately 2 standard ‘day travel’ wilderness hexes N-S. Volcanic terrain of course making that part somewhat tougher.
Added to here https://github.com/bluetyson/Dungeon23-Mokuy/tree/main/Lord%20Howe%20Island
Not actually called Australia circa 1830 of course, but for reference.
A few different terrain types I think:
Version with coordinates to come
In 2044, wallabies have mutated to have the personality and dentition of sharks and “land pirahna is a colloquial term.
Lord Howe Island was discovered in 1788. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Howe_Island
The Doctors Ruby have taken advantage of this wildlife mutation to import and breed them to roam the island. Not good for the local fauna, but they soon deal with any unsuspecting visitors in an environmentally friendly manner.
Land Pirahnas are particularly good at detecting methane.
First thoughts:
AC 12, HD 2, Bite: 2d4, Kick: 1d4, Tail:1d3
Can use claws for minor effect or tails like cudgels if wanting to leap away, which is not very likely in a kill frenzy. Add morale modifiers for that.
The basic setting
1830s science fantasy Australia
The setup:
In 2042 the supervillian Dr Ruby apparently died. The Superhero 2044 game setting is post a six day nuclear war in 2003 and in 2029 the aliens from Formalhaut arrived.
Dr Ruby destroyed the premier superteam. Ruby was a geologist and comuter scientist of fantastic ability. In their final standoff he threatened nuclear devastation, he instead ended up blowing up Mount Inguri, causing an eruption, killing most of the team and presumably Ruby.
Not so. His forcefield and lava armour let him escape through a prepared tunnel out of the mountain – traces of which vanished in the volcanic eruption.
The good doctor absconded to Lord Howe Island. Unknown to anyone, Dr Ruby was a team. His sister, a talented spy who could pass for the mysterious doctor and an even better computer scientist and physicist had prepared a lair there. Ironically, in a volcanic shield cone.
There, she had made a breakthrough. Time travel. Limited, in that it could only go to one place and only backwards – around as far as a century. So most of the time she had been working on a base for the pair of them – but off the coast of 1830s to be Australia.
Her brother’s antics provided cash and also distracted the Science Police and the Freedom League from finding out about her and her research.
This secret base is #Dungeon23.
Some background/overview musings can be found here https://cosmicheroes.space/blog/index.php/dungeon23/
– with more Australia and 2044 notes.
This looks very interesting – saw it mentioned thanks to finally being able to read the various Old School Planet and other feeds – at least the last months’ worth, anyway.