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By The Intrepid in TiGGR —

TiGGR: Seveneves - Lives in the Ring

Despite most of its action happening on the terraformed New Earth, the third arc of Seveneves provides a wealth of information on the Ring, the contiguous band of orbital habitats that circle humanity's birth world. A microcosmic diorama reminiscent of the Balkanized Cold War, the Ring is segmented by the six descendant races of the survivors who settled in the Cleft, and further divided between the Red and Blue factions (which cut across racial lines, further blurring loyalties and agendas). Here we present two scenarios that take place in this gargantuan achievement of post-human engineering where intrigue and deception are still embedded in their inhabitants' DNA.

Chainhattan’s Tangled Web

Genre: Orbital Sci-Fi Intrigue
Scene: Chainhattan, 5,000 years post-Hard Rain—a gleaming hab tethered to the Eye, swinging in a 30-day orbit over New Earth. Its decks hum with Moiran swagger, Teklan discipline, Julian whispers, and more, all under the Purpose’s shadow.
Goal: Uncover a plot threatening Chainhattan’s stability, navigate Red-Blue rivalries, and keep the hab from fracturing.
Factions: Red Envoys (bold schemers), Blue Council (pragmatic planners), Julian Spies (sneaky opportunists), Purpose Operative (elusive puppet-master).

One-Shot Setup

Runtime: 30-45 minutes
Premise: A mixed-race crew aboard Chainhattan stumbles on a glitch in the hab’s tether system—a sabotage hint tied to a rogue signal. Red and Blue factions point fingers, Julians lurk, and a Purpose Operative pulls strings.

Setup:

  • Characters: Players as Chainhattan denizens, 3 points across Body, Mind, Charm:
    • Moiran Daredevil (Ryn): 2/0/1, “+1 Body to leap,” Gear: “Tether Grip: +3 Body roll, once.” Brash, loves the swing.
    • Teklan Analyst (Vera): 1/2/0, “+1 Mind to deduce,” Gear: “Data Lens: +3 Mind roll, once.” Calm, seeks truth.
    • Julian Fixer (Clem): 0/1/2, “+1 Charm to slip,” Gear: “Cloak Patch: +3 Charm roll, once.” Sly, plays angles.
    • Aidian Brawler (Taz): 2/1/0, “+1 Body to clash,” Gear: “Shock Glove: +3 Body roll, once.” Fierce, loyal.5 HP each (0 HP = disoriented, drifting, or detained—back next “scene”).
  • Vehicle: Skiff (Body 2, Mind 1, Charm 0, 8 HP, Gear: “Pulse Thruster: +1 Body roll, once per scene”). A zippy intra-hab shuttle for deck-hopping.
  • Goal: Trace the sabotage, defuse tensions, and expose the Purpose’s hand.

Factions:

  • Red Envoys: Body 2, Mind 1, Charm 1, 5 HP, Gear: “Holo-Blade: +1 damage.” Push for control, suspect Blue.
  • Blue Council: Body 1, Mind 2, Charm 1, 5 HP, Gear: “Net Drone: +1 Mind roll.” Guard tech, distrust Red.
  • Julian Spies: Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 2, 3 HP, Gear: “Whisper Link: +1 Charm roll.” Play both sides.
  • Purpose Operative: Body 1, Mind 2, Charm 1, 5 HP, Gear: “Glitch Code: +1 Mind roll.” A lone schemer—McLaren in orbit.

Gameplay Loop

  1. Opening Scene: The Glitch
    • Setup: Chainhattan sways—deck lights flicker, gravity wobbles. Ryn’s mid-leap when a tether alarm blares. Vera spots a signal hack in the hab’s core.
    • Hook: Reach the control deck (Body 8). Decode the hack (Mind 8). Dodge Red’s patrol (Charm 8).
    • Turns: Players move (dash through crowds, Body 6) and act (hack systems, Mind 8; bluff Reds, Charm 8). Red Envoys probe (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 damage). Defend (2d6+Body vs. 8).
  2. Mid-Intrigue: Julian Games
    • Setup: A Julian Spy tips Clem: “Blue’s hiding something.” Taz bumps a Red Envoy, sparking a standoff. The signal traces to a sealed hab module.
    • Hook: Sneak into the module (Body 8). Charm Julians for intel (Charm 8). Cross-check Blue’s logs (Mind 8).
    • Turns: Players act (climb vents, Body 8; negotiate, Charm 8; scan data, Mind 8). Julians mislead (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 “misdirection” damage). Blue drones buzz (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 zap). Gear pops (e.g., Cloak Patch +3 evades spies).
  3. Climax: Purpose Revealed
    • Setup: The module hides a tether-rigging device—Purpose Operative’s work, aiming to crash Chainhattan’s swing. Reds and Blues brawl nearby, oblivious.
    • Hook: Disable the device (Mind 10). Fend off Purpose (Body 8). Unite factions (Charm 10).
    • Turns: Players move (dodge sparks, Body 8) and act (recode tether, Mind 10; rally hab, Charm 10). Purpose strikes (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 damage). Factions clash (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 chaos). Specials clutch (e.g., “+1 Mind to deduce” pins Purpose).
    • Resolution Roll: Crew vs. collapse (combined roll vs. 10). Success: tether holds, Purpose flees; failure: hab tilts, factions fracture (Total Party Knockout).

Resolution

  • Success: Chainhattan steadies—Ryn whoops, Vera nods, Clem smirks, Taz punches air. Reds and Blues truce, but Purpose’s shadow lingers. Fade to Earth’s glow below.
  • Failure: Tether jams, hab lists. Purpose vanishes, factions feud. Crew’s evac’d to another hab, plotting next moves. Fade to orbital drift.

Chainhattan Vibes

  • Tone: Tense sci-fi intrigue with TiGGR’s quick chaos—think Seveneves’s politics, punk defiance in zero-G.
  • Special Abilities: Race quirks—“Moiran Leap: +1 Body to vault,” “Teklan Logic: +1 Mind to solve.”
  • Gear: Orbital kit—“Grav Boot: +3 Body roll,” “Holo-Feed: +3 Charm roll.”
  • Purpose Operative: McLaren’s heir—GM rolls 1d6 per glitch: 1-3 it sticks (+1 Difficulty), 4-6 it fails (they’re exposed).
  • Skiff: A deck-dodger—its Pulse Thruster might save or strand (GM call).

The Ring’s Razor Edge

Genre: Orbital Sci-Fi Standoff
Scene: The Ring, 5,000 years post-Hard Rain—an orbiting chain of habitats stretching across Earth’s equator. The Blue-Red border is a tense DMZ: Blue’s sleek, data-heavy habs (like Izmir) butt up against Red’s rugged, industrial ones (like Qayaq). Docking ports hum, drones patrol, and mistrust crackles.
Goal: Defuse a crisis sparked by a sabotaged trade deal, navigate Blue-Red hostility, and sniff out Purpose meddling before the border erupts.
Factions: Blue Diplomats (wary techocrats), Red Militants (hot-headed pioneers), Border Traders (neutral hustlers), Purpose Shadow (covert instigator).

One-Shot Setup

Runtime: 30-45 minutes
Premise: A trade summit at the Blue-Red border—swapping Blue’s nano-tech for Red’s raw materials—goes south when a drone explodes, fingers point, and a Purpose-driven signal jams comms. A mixed-race crew must keep the peace.

Setup:

  • Characters: Players as Ring operatives, 3 points across Body, Mind, Charm:
    • Teklan Mediator (Lira): 1/2/0, “+1 Mind to analyze,” Gear: “Holo-Chart: +3 Mind roll, once.” Blue-leaning, seeks clarity.
    • Moiran Runner (Zev): 2/0/1, “+1 Body to dash,” Gear: “Jet Pack: +3 Body roll, once.” Red-aligned, loves action.
    • Julian Broker (Mira): 0/1/2, “+1 Charm to deal,” Gear: “Whisper Bug: +3 Charm roll, once.” Plays both sides.
    • Ivyn Tech (Kael): 1/1/1, “+1 Mind to fix,” Gear: “Repair Bot: +3 Mind roll, once.” Neutral, trusts tech.5 HP each (0 HP = disoriented, adrift, or locked out—back next “scene”).
  • Vehicle: Border Skimmer (Body 2, Mind 1, Charm 0, 8 HP, Gear: “Signal Jammer: +1 Mind roll, once per scene”). A nimble craft for hab-to-hab hops.
  • Goal: Quell the border flare-up, expose sabotage, and dodge a faction war.

Factions:

  • Blue Diplomats: Body 1, Mind 2, Charm 1, 5 HP, Gear: “Data Pulse: +1 Mind roll.” Cautious, blame Red haste.
  • Red Militants: Body 2, Mind 1, Charm 1, 5 HP, Gear: “Shock Baton: +1 damage.” Aggressive, scoff at Blue.
  • Border Traders: Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 2, 3 HP, Gear: “Bribe Chip: +1 Charm roll.” Opportunists, dodging heat.
  • Purpose Shadow: Body 1, Mind 2, Charm 1, 5 HP, Gear: “Hack Spike: +1 Mind roll.” A lone agent sowing discord.

Gameplay Loop

  1. Opening Scene: Summit Sparks
    • Setup: The border dock—Blue’s sterile Izmir meets Red’s gritty Qayaq—buzzes with drones. A trade drone explodes mid-handshake, comms fuzz. Lira’s scanning, Zev’s itching to move.
    • Hook: Dodge debris (Body 8). Trace the blast (Mind 8). Calm the crowd (Charm 8).
    • Turns: Players move (slip through chaos, Body 6) and act (hack drone logs, Mind 8; pacify Reds, Charm 8). Blue Diplomats accuse (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 “distrust” damage). Defend (2d6+Body vs. 8).
  2. Mid-Crisis: Trader Tip-Off
    • Setup: Mira’s Trader contact whispers, “Check the relay hub.” Red Militants lock down docks; Blue’s drones sweep for “Red sabotage.” A Purpose signal flickers.
    • Hook: Sneak to the hub (Body 8). Coax Trader intel (Charm 8). Crack the signal (Mind 8).
    • Turns: Players act (vault barriers, Body 8; barter, Charm 8; debug, Mind 8). Red Militants patrol (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 damage). Blue drones zap (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 stun). Gear shines (e.g., Jet Pack +3 clears a gap).
  3. Climax: Border Breach
    • Setup: The hub reveals Purpose sabotage—rigged to fry the border’s power. Reds ready batons, Blues arm drones, and the Shadow slips away. Kael’s bot beeps a warning.
    • Hook: Shut down the rig (Mind 10). Repel Purpose (Body 8). Broker peace (Charm 10).
    • Turns: Players move (dodge sparks, Body 8) and act (recode hub, Mind 10; unite factions, Charm 10). Purpose hacks (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 damage). Factions clash (2d6+2 vs. 8, 1d6+1 chaos). Specials clutch (e.g., “+1 Charm to deal” sways Traders).
    • Resolution Roll: Crew vs. meltdown (combined roll vs. 10). Success: hub’s saved, Shadow’s exposed; failure: border blacks out, war looms (Total Party Knockout).

Resolution

  • Success: Power hums back, Reds and Blues stand down. Mira smirks, “Told ya.” Lira logs it, Zev sighs, Kael tweaks the bot. Purpose fades—for now. Fade to Ring’s orbit.
  • Failure: Lights die, factions arm up. Shadow’s gone, crew’s stuck in a dark hab, plotting. Fade to Earth’s distant glow.

Ring Border Vibes

  • Tone: High-stakes sci-fi tension—Blue-Red friction echoes Seveneves’s divide, with TiGGR’s chaotic snap.
  • Special Abilities: Faction flair—“Teklan Focus: +1 Mind to plan,” “Moiran Grit: +1 Body to push.”
  • Gear: Ring tech—“Grav Clip: +3 Body roll,” “Comm Link: +3 Charm roll.”
  • Purpose Shadow: McLaren’s orbit twin—GM rolls 1d6 per hack: 1-3 it lands (+1 Difficulty), 4-6 it fizzles (they’re seen).

Skimmer: A lifeline—its Signal Jammer might block or backfire (GM call).

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