THE NEBULA RELIQUARY
Welcome to the Nebula Reliquary: Protocol Zero
What it is: The Nebula Reliquary is a high-stakes tabletop adventure set on a high-tech derelict space station drifting on the edge of a collapsing nebula. It is an ancient, automated research center designed to stabilize stars, now serving as a simulated environment to restore fine motor control and visual-motor integration. When players enter the Reliquary, they must navigate frozen bio-gel security panels, arcing electrical conduits, and relentless collector drones where every movement tests their physical precision and manual dexterity.
Tone & Feel: Industrial sci-fi · clinical · high-tension · derelict-tech · atmospheric
Think of the hiss of a cycling airlock, the hum of a primary system rebooting, the sharp smell of ozone from an electrical arc, and the vibrating tension of a magnetic field against a pair of tweezers.
Therapeutic Lens: Every scene is intentionally designed to create opportunities for:
Fine Motor Control: Practicing precision, pincer grasps, and hand stability through the extraction and placement of small "memory chips".
Visual-Motor Integration: Engaging in complex tracing through electrical conduits and near-point copying of specialist profiles to bridge visual input with motor output.
Manual Dexterity: Executing controlled movements and tool use, such as using tweezers to insert nanobots into a matrix under the pressure of a drone assault.
Bilateral Coordination: Promoting the use of both hands by extracting items with one hand and precisely placing them with the other.
Proximal Stability: Maintaining an unsupported, hovering hand position during intricate tracing tasks to build core and arm stability.
Near-Point Copying: Translating specialist profiles, stats, and special powers from a reference list onto a personal character sheet.
The player experiences a thrilling "secure the protocol" narrative, while the therapist delivers structured motor rehabilitation within a motivating, high-stakes frame.
THE NEBULA RELIQUARY: PROTOCOL ZERO
A One-Shot Adventure for Occupational Therapy (Fine Motor & Manual Dexterity)
MODULE OVERVIEW
Who this is for: Occupational Therapists running a single-client session.
Therapeutic Focus: Fine Motor Control (precision, pincer grasp, hand stability), Visual-Motor Integration (near-point copying, tracing), and Manual Dexterity.
Duration: 60 Minutes.
Setting: A high-tech derelict space station on the edge of a collapsing nebula.
MATERIALS NEEDED (GM PREP)
Game Tools: 2d6 dice, Character Sheet, Pencil.
Therapy Materials ("The Specialist's Kit"):
The Cryo-Core: Thera-putty with 5-10 small "memory chips" (small beads) hidden inside it.
The Override Port: Printout provided at the end of the module.
The Conduit Maze Sheet: Printout provided at the end of the module.
The Plasma Seal Matrix: A small grid (e.g., a 4x4 or 5x5 grid). Printout provided at the end of the module.
The Repair Nanobots: 10 small beads, sequins, or small coins and a pair of tweezers.
Enemy Life Tracker: A printed track with 6 circles for the boss's health.
SCENE 1: THE NEBULA EDGE (Character Selection)
Focus: Initiation, Fine Motor (Near-Point Copying).
GM DO THIS:
Place the blank Character Sheet and a pencil in front of the client.
Prop the Archetype list up so the client must shift focus between it and their paper.
SAY: "Read through these specialist profiles. Carefully copy the name, stats, and special power of your chosen hero onto your sheet".
READ ALOUD: "You are a specialist drifting on the edge of the Shimmering Nebula. Before you sits the Nebula Reliquary, an ancient, automated research station that has been silent for a century. Legend says it holds 'Protocol Zero', a device capable of stabilizing collapsing stars. Your ship's scanners have picked up a distress signal, but the station's gravity anchors are failing. You have one hour to get in, secure the Protocol, and get out before the nebula swallows everything. Choose your specialization."
GM: READ THESE DESCRIPTIONS ALOUD: (these are the suggested archetypes, but allow client to pick for the others if appropriate)
The Shadow: "You move like a ghost through the vents. You're the best at dodging and sneaking into places you aren't supposed to be."
The Sage: "You are a master of ancient code. You solve problems by knowing things others have forgotten."
The Healer: "You keep the systems, and yourself, running under pressure. You can patch up wounds and restore energy."
The Courtier: "You are a leader who can command machines and people alike. You use your presence to control the room."
TRANSITION: "Once your gear is ready, you cycle the airlock. The heavy metal door hisses open, revealing a dark, flickering corridor. The station is groaning under the nebula's pressure. You must move quickly to the bridge."
SCENE 2: THE CRYO-LOCK BYPASS
Focus: Fine Motor Control (Pinch Strength & Manipulation), Bilateral Coordination.
GM DO THIS:
Provide the Cryo-Core Putty with the hidden chips and the Override port.
SAY: "The security panel is frozen. You need to dig the thermal memory chips out of this cryo-seal to reboot the system. Use your fingers to find and extract all 10 chips."
READ ALOUD: "You reach the bridge, but the primary blast door is dead. The control panel, which should be active, is completely encased in a thick, translucent bio-gel that has hardened into a dense, cold shell. You can feel the intense cold radiating from it, stiffening your glove’s joints. You can faintly see ten small, glowing blue thermal chips frozen inside the mass. To reboot the system, you must dig these chips out of the putty and insert them, one by one, into the corresponding slots on the main override console. This must be done with speed and precision; if your suit fully freezes, you will be trapped."
(Optional: Have the client use their non-dominant hand for the extraction (putty) and their dominant hand for the precise placement on the mat to challenge different grasp types, or alternate.)
THE THERAPEUTIC LOOP (Action):
The Client: Digs into the putty to find a bead, applies pinch strength to extract it.
The Client: Transfers the bead to their placement hand (if specified) and uses a precise pincer grasp.
The Client: Lowers the bead and places it exactly within the boundaries of an empty hexagonal slot on the game mat.
The GM: Counts each successful placement ("That's 1 out of 10... Keep going, 2 out of 10...").
The GM: Mentally monitors the speed and precision.
GM NARRATION (Integrated with Rolls): As the client works (after about 3-4 chips are placed), SAY: "A low-frequency gravity wave from the nebula passes through the station! The entire floor shudders. Roll 2d6 and add your dexterity bonus to stay steady."
10+ (Steady Hand): "The station lurches violently, but you adjust perfectly. Your hand never wavers. You slot the next chip smoothly, as if nothing happened." (Narrative boost to confidence).
7-9 (Rough Adjustment): "The gravity shifts! Your focus breaks, and the next chip slips slightly, grazing the contact. You save it, but the feedback makes your fingers tingle painfully. SAY: 'Take 1 hit of damage from the strain. Stay focused, you need 6 more chips.'" (Applies damage, reinforces task continuity).
6- (System Surge): "A feedback loop triggers as the station shakes! SAY: 'A sharp electrical jolt shoots through your suit! It takes your breath away and you drop the current chip. You must recover it from the console (or floor) before continuing. Take 1 hit of damage and spend extra time calibrating your glove.'" (Applies damage, forces a required recovery task, e.g., finding the dropped bead, before resuming).
TRANSITION (Upon 10/10 Placement): "The 10th chip clicks into place, and the entire hexagonal grid on the console flashes a brilliant green. You hear the deep thrum of the primary systems cycling back to life, and the satisfying hiss of hydraulic pressure equalizing. The massive, reinforced blast door to the bridge finally grinds open.
You step through the archway, your suit's lights illuminating the command center. In the very middle of the room, Protocol Zero floats on a circular pedestal, suspended within a shimmering blue stasis field. It’s glowing with a soft, pulsing golden light, the most advanced piece of technology you have ever seen. You quickly sweep your arm across your helmet display, deactivating the automated security protocols you've bypassed. The bridge is secure. The device is yours.”
SCENE 3: THE CONDUIT STEADY-HAND
Focus: Fine Motor Control (Hand Stability, Precision Movement), Visual-Motor Integration (Near-Point Tracing).
GM DO THIS (Setup):
Prop the Conduit Maze Sheet vertically against a stable object (like a tissue box or book, you may want to tape it in place for additional stability).
Provide a fine-tip pencil or dry-erase marker if the maze sheet is laminated.
SAY: "The conduit panel is live with electrical arc-energy. You cannot touch the edges, or you will short out your suit’s power and fail the mission. You must guide your data probe (the pencil) from the ‘FIELD INPUT’ to the ‘CORE STABILIZER’ at the center of this maze without touching any of the black lines. You cannot rest your forearm or wrist on the table; maintain an unsupported, stable hand position."
READ ALOUD: “As you approach the pedestal where Protocol Zero rests, the core room goes dark. Emergency red lighting flickers on. The drone's collapse has triggered a localized energy cascade that is destabilizing the primary stasis field holding the Protocol. If you can’t stabilize the containment field manually, Protocol Zero will overload and incinerate the entire bridge. The field controls are behind this wall panel, accessible only through a micro-conduit path."
THE THERAPEUTIC TASK:
The Client: Grasps the pencil and navigates the path. Constraint: Maintain an unsupported, hovering hand position (requiring proximal stability).
GM NARRATION (Integrated with Rolls): As the client guides the pencil through the first complex turn (about 1/3 of the way in), SAY: "You are approaching a critical junction. The arcing energy is intense. Roll 2d6 and add your Mind bonus to see how steady you can remain."
10+ (Precision Control): "The energy dances around your hand, but you move like a surgeon. The probe stays perfectly centered. SAY: 'Perfect control. You pass the first surge without a flicker.'"
7-9 (Glancing Spark): "A feedback surge creates a sudden magnetic pull! Your probe remains in the channel, but the effort makes your fingers tingle. SAY: 'You stay on the path, but the strain leaves your hand shaking. Take 1 hit damage from the effort. Keep it steady, you’re almost there.'"
6- (Conduit Overload): "The red lights flash violently, and the energy arcing in the conduit jumps toward your hand! SAY: 'An electrical charge jolts through your arm, making your whole hand jump! You pull back just in time, but the probe disconnects. Take 1 hit of damage and spend extra time re-establishing the link before you continue.'" (have them start over, forces repositioning).
TRANSITION: "Your probe reaches the central stabilizer. You hold it there, the energy humming at its core. The stasis field flickers and then turns a calm, glowing blue. The Protocol Zero device is stable and yours to take. You carefully secure the golden artifact in your containment case just as the emergency lights turn green. You’ve done it. You have the Protocol. Now you just have to get off this crumbling station before the main airlock fails."
SCENE 4: THE AIRLOCK ESCAPE (Final Confrontation)
Focus: Fine Motor Precision (Tweezers), Grasp Modulation, Near-Point Following, Visual-Motor Integration, and Forced Scanning.
GM DO THIS (Setup):
Place the 5x5 Plasma Seal Matrix flat on the table, centered in front of the client.
Provide 10 small beads (e.g., small, flat-backed crafting beads, sequins, or standard 4mm beads) for the Null-Links. Place them in a small bowl on the client's non-dominant side.
Provide the fine-tip Tweezers.
Place the Enemy Life Tracker (6 hits) nearby with a bead/coin on each marker.
Target Cell Selection (Secret): Mentally (or with a sticky note) pre-select 10 unique coordinates on the 5x5 grid. Example List: (A2, A5, B1, B3, C4, C5, D2, D3, E1, E4).
READ ALOUD: "You sprint back through the disintegrating station, Protocol Zero secured in your containment case. You reach the main airlock, your only salvation. But the massive blast door is sealed tight, the local power grid severed by explosions. The console is dark. Behind you is a large 'Collector Drone' (point to the tracker) drifting into the corridor. Its multi-jointed arms are fused with wreckage, ending in searing plasma cutters. It emits a grinding metallic screech; it's blocking your access.
You slide into the temporary cover of the console. The backup input matrix, the grid, is active but damaged. Only 10 specific, reinforced cells remain functional. The grid AI, the only thing offline, reboots just long enough to tell me, and ONLY me, where those 10 cells are located. Your life depends on my instructions. You must use your precision maintenance probe, the tweezers, to insert 10 'Null-Link' nanobots (the beads) into the specific coordinates I dictate. You have a limited number of standard nanobots before they fail. We are running out of time."
But it gets worse. Standard Null-Links are offline. You have to manually create a data packet (a bead) and fire it into the matrix (place the bead) AND physically fight off the drone (roll damage). We are running out of time."
SAY: "Grab the tweezers in your dominant hand. Each cycle, you must first survive the drone's assault, and then you must counter-attack."
THE COMBAT LOOP
GM DO THIS: Iterate this loop 10 times, once for each of the 10 beads. NOTE: The client rolls twice per bead: once to Dodge and once to Attack. Read the combat results, then dictate the next specific coordinate for placement.
CYCLE 1 (Bead 1/10)
PHASE 1: THE DRONE ATTACKS DODGE (Client Rolls 2d6 + Agility or Luck):
10+ (Precision Timing): "The drone's primary cutter lunges, but you time your movement perfectly, ducking under its blade. SAY: 'Perfect dodge! Your opening is clear! Let’s strike back!'" (No Damage taken).
7-9 (Glancing Blow): "A plasma bolt singes your shoulder armor! SAY: 'Aaaarg! You take 1 hit of damage, making your hand tremble. Steady yourself! You can still fight!'" (Client marks 1 hit).
6- (Overwhelmed): "The drone's arm sweeps violently, knocking you back! SAY: 'You take 1 hit of damage and lose your footing! You scramble to safe cover, but you lose your window to coordinate the matrix strike! Take a breath and focus!'" (Client marks 1 hit; this turn ENDS. Restart this loop with a new Dodge roll. DO NOT progress to the Attack Phase or Placement Phase for this bead yet).
PHASE 2: THE COUNTER-ATTACK (Skip if Dodge Roll was 6-) SAY: "You have the angle! Target its primary sensor. Roll to fire back!"
ATTACK (Client Rolls 2d6 + Might or Luck):
10+ (Critical Hit): "You stabilize your weapon and fire! The shot hits the sensor with devastating force. The drone sparks violently and goes standard offline for a crucial second. SAY: 'Incredible shot! It’s staggered! NOW, place the nanobot while it's down! It loses 2 hits!'" (Client removes two markers from tracker; progress to the Placement Phase).
7-9 (Hit): "You fire, and the blast hits the drone, melting a part of its armored frame. It's hurt, but still active. SAY: 'It's damaged! Grab the tweezers! It loses 1 hit! Let's hit the grid!'" (Client removes one marker from tracker; progress to the Placement Phase).
6- (Miss): "Your shot goes wide, impacting the station wall! The drone screams and prepares another lunge. SAY: 'You miss the core, but you have one second to hit the grid! Don't look at it, focus on the console!'" (Drone takes no damage; progress to the Placement Phase).
PHASE 3: THE MATRIX PLACEMENT (Skip if Dodge Roll was 6-) SAY: "The window is open! Grab the tweezers. Locate coordinate [A2] (Wait for placement). Successful connection! One down!"
(Iterate the loop for Beads 2 through 10. Repeat the script based on the Dodge/Attack results, and supply the next unique coordinate each time placement is successful. The final hit of damage can not be done to the drone until the 10th bead is placed, adjust the narrative accordingly)
RESOLUTION
GM DO THIS: The scene ends when the client successfully places the 10th bead, OR if they take cumulative damage equal to their Life.
Path A: Goal Met (10 Beads Placed & Drone Deactivated): "You successfully place the 10th Null-Link. The grid flashes a calm, pulsing blue, and the technical readout reads 'Airlock Status: Green'. At the same moment, the final nanobot surge arcs into the Collector Drone, overloading its logic core. Its red eye turns dark, and the life tracker reads 'SYSTEMS OFFLINE'. It crashes to the floor. The massive airlock doors grind open, and you dive into the sterile environment of your pilot seat. You escape into hyperspace just as the station disintegrates. SAY: 'Mission accomplished. Fantastic work today!'"
Path B: Emergency Override (Client Life reduced to 0 before 10th bead): "A devastating plasma strike cuts through your suit's power core. As your systems fail, you realize you cannot finish the standard calibration. SAY: 'Your suit is down! Emergency Protocol activated! I need you to dump all remaining nanobots simultaneously into the Matrix core! We have seconds!'"
Therapeutic Task: "Instruct the client to pick up all remaining Null-Links (beads) simultaneously in their non-dominant hand (requiring force modulation and digital manipulation to hold multiple tiny objects) and drop them together into the geometric matrix (exact placement no longer required, focus shifts to force control and grasping)."
GM DO THIS: Once the client successfully drops the remaining beads, continue:
Conclusion: "The nanobots hit the core in a chaotic surge. The console screams in protest, but the power dump is too much, forcing the airlock door to slam open. Simultaneously, the Collector Drone is caught in the massive feedback loop and disintegrates. The life tracker goes completely black. You crawl through the airlock just as the station explodes behind you. SAY: 'Against all odds, you did it. Incredible problem-solving. Mission successful!'"
CONCLUSION
"You collapse into your pilot seat, the soft, pulsing golden light of Protocol Zero reflecting off your cracked visor. As your ship jumps to hyperspace, leaving the disintegrating Nebula Reliquary behind, a sense of relief washes over you. Your shaky hand reaches out to touch the artifact, and you feel a strange calmness. You have done more than survive a derelict station and a relentless guardian; you have demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of the human, or cybernetic, spirit under ultimate pressure. You have rewritten the protocols of your own limits. The stars are safe, and your story continues. Great job on a successful mission."
GM DEBRIEF QUESTIONS
"We prioritized precise finger movements and using the tweezers under pressure. Which part of that, picking up the tiny beads or getting them precisely into those specific grid squares, felt the most challenging for you today?"
"At one point, the station was shaking (Scene 2) or the drone was attacking (Scene 3). How did you manage to keep your hand steady and stay focused on the small movements when we were narrating that danger?"
"Thinking about the entire mission, from copying your character stats to flicking the final power packs, which task felt the most satisfying or successful when you completed it?"
Evidence:
While the effectiveness of TTRPGs in fine motor therapy have not been published at this time, the evidence available suggests a positive impact. Check out the Rehab Arcade’s TTRPG page for more information about this.
Below is evidence in support of the specific interventions used throughout this one-shot: