Friday Night Amazing Adventures

[Penny-Whistle]

Thanks for the session! Here's the recap ...

1205 XP

Lamont Cranston and Bert McKenna both happened to find themselves at the Neutral Grounds coffee shop. The local White Council Warden Erik Caldwell was also there giving every human who walked in a hard time. He behaved quite rudely when Mr. McKenna entered the building but everyone else seemed to give him a warm welcome. McKenna even got a few leads for jobs from the viking pouring coffee at the bar and boy could he use a break.

As they were drinking the cheapest coffee in town a young lady, Amanda, approached and took them into her confidence. She had a feeling that Erik and the White Council of Wizards might have been involved in the recent bomb blast at the bat bridge. Why any member of the law might behave in such a way might seem unbelievable but many would agree that Erik seems out of sorts lately -- belligerant, reckless and insanely obsessed with stopping the local vampires. Amanda was a witness to the original bomb blast and seemed happy to take the two investigators to the scene so they could start an independent investigation into the matter.

Not long after they arrived there was another bomb blast. The blast may have triggered a clay golum (statue of Stevie Ray Vaughan) to wake up. Whatever the cause, it began walking through the park destroying everything in sight and terrorizing a lot of ordinary people who were there for a evening picnic, bike ride or jog through the park.

Our heroes did not run. With the help of Amanda, they took advantage of some equipment at the nearby construction site to save the day. They didn't even pause to put on hard hats! Instead, they piled into a couple of bulldozers and with guns blazing and some spectacular driving (amazing rolls!) they stomped that thing into the dirt. When one of the bulldozers had been pushed too hard they set the gas tank on fire. The resulting firestorm melted that clay monster back into the soil where it belonged.

The heroes didn't even get a chance to congratulate each other because within seconds the law showed up. Officer Murray was not at all amused to see McKenna once again right in the center of a huge scene of destruction. She wasn't sure what to think about Mr. Cranston but she was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. She appreciated the fact that he was able to speak the truth to her when so many others would probably have lied, run away or perhaps done worse. She'd like them to drop by the station in the morning to give their statements. Writing up this report so her boss doesn't think she is crazy is going to be a nightmare!

To be continued. Same bat time. Same bat place.

[Treebore]

I was still in Tucson, with my wife, when the call started. Tucson is two hours away from my house.

No problemo at all. I think the plots are flexible enough that people can come and go at their convenience. Hope all is well.

Oh yeah, we went there for good reasons, no medical emergency, etc...

[Tadhg]

Great game, Penny!!

Ya see, it really was that cheap - but damn good cup of coffee that fired our neurons and ability to think, act and take out the walking statue of doom!

[Penny-Whistle]

Great game, Penny!!

Ya see, it really was that cheap - but damn good cup of coffee that fired our neurons and ability to think, act and take out the walking statue of doom!

Ivan needs to bake some apple pies to go along with that damn good cup of coffee!

[Tadhg]

Great game, Penny!!

Ya see, it really was that cheap - but damn good cup of coffee that fired our neurons and ability to think, act and take out the walking statue of doom!

Ivan needs to bake some apple pies to go along with that damn good cup of coffee!

Yes and served a la mode! What a great way to start the day (even in real life)

[Penny-Whistle]

Game on tonight. 8:00 PM Central.

[Tadhg]

Lamont is at the Cobalt Clue enjoying 2 martinis. He has this sudden craving for Peking Duck, and Ms. Margo Lane has agreed to join him for dinner.

Hmm, I'll be at the 96th Lounge at the John Hancock building in Chicago tomorrow night - a martini sounds lovely.

Lamont should be along shortly.

[Penny-Whistle]

Tonight's adventure. 200 XP

The heroes started out at Ladybird Lake, next to the melted Stevie Ray Vaughan statue. As they searched for clues about the original explosion they met up with another adventurer who introduced himself. They also spotted a very strange translucent Troll living under the bridge. Lamont generously invited everyone out for a dinner of Peking Duck. The troll declined but everyone else thoroughly enjoyed the delicious meal. Amanda shared some of herb stash in return.

At Amanda's urging the party decided to confront Erik about the explosions. Looking through the window, they could see nothing so Giovanni decided they might as well enter the premises. He was able to break into the apartment using telekinesis. They found Erik but he was on the edge of death. A vampire minion had stabbed him and he was rapidly bleeding out. He warned the party that one more explosive rune had been set -- this one at the TXDoT headquarters. It could go off at any time. The party called 911 for medical assistance and promptly left the scene.

After some discussion the party decided they ought to make sure no innocents would die in an accidental explosion. Amanda put the group in touch with one of the viking time travelers who was a shaman and might have the skills needed to defuse the rune. She was reluctant to help and required some convincing.

Arriving at the government building, the group was confronted by a security guard at the entrance. Bert found a novel way to distract him (!!!) allowing the rest of the party to enter the building. He was able to rejoin them later.

As they entered the basement a swirling mist seemed to rise from the floor. The mist gathered into the shape of a shadowy figure.

Shots were fired at the monster but none were able to hit. Bert showed some quick thinking and even quicker feet. He ran past the monster to the other side of the building where he had spotted a south facing window. Tearing the curtain aside, the last rays of the evening sunset flowed into the room killing the monster instantly.

That left only the rune to take care of. The shaman attempted a counterspell but it failed. Not knowing what else to do the party went to Radioshack to get a remote controlled car to set off the rune after they made sure the building was vacated for the night. The explosion took out the entire building. Luckily, there were no fatalities – vampire or otherwise.

When Detective Murray showed up at the scene she had a strong hunch she knew who might be responsible for what the media was already calling a serious terrorist attack. She was really looking forward to her 9:00 am appointment with the party.

[Tadhg]

Getting a taste for Peking Duck!

[Tadhg]

She was really looking forward to her 9:00 am appointment with the party.

We are in so much trouble, I suspect.

Reminds me of my many meetings with the various principals in high school!

[Penny-Whistle]

Game on tonight. Same bat time. Same bat place. Make sure you have your hall pass ....

[Tadhg]

Game on tonight. Same bat time. Same bat place. Make sure you have your hall pass ....

I used to sell elevator passes to freshman at my one story high school. If they didn't buy then they bought me lunch!

Just kidding, I was not a junior or senior bully. But I did allow young freshman girls to carry my books around!

[Tadhg]

I'll be along in a few minutes!

[Penny-Whistle]

XP: 1169
Next game: January 8 if anyone is still interested. If we've had enough of the AA experiment no problem ... just let me know =)

Misters Cranston and McKenna arrived on time for their appointment with Detective Murray where they were each offered $500 in exchange for signing non-disclosure agreements regarding the circumstances at Ladybird Lake. They were also offered a job opportunity. Sarah Bennett's husband made a bad deal with a crossroads demon. He met the demon in the children's cancer ward where his daughter was receiving treatment. The demon promised to heal his daughter at the cost of his immortal soul. Mrs. Bennett can pay up to $1000 for anyone able to free her husband from the deal.

Cranston and McKenna agree to look into the matter. They head to the coffee shop for information, coffee and some strudel. From the librarian, they discover a way to infiltrate the office of the local crossroads demon. To enter hell is a simple matter of just walking into any local rent-a-tire shop. (Safety first! Better to go to a strip mall store than to stand in the middle of busy intersection.) A couple of bored Vikings offer to join them in their fight.

The group enters hell which looks like a small tacky reception office. Uncomfortable steel chairs are placed in two rows facing each other. The seats are so close together that personal space is impossible. Three of the seats are already filled with people who look an awful lot like zombies. A scowling receptionist is behind a counter with a glass window. The window has a small circle cut out so you have to kind of yell in order for her to hear meaning that of course everyone else in the room will also hear all about your business.

The receptionist is Nancy aka Trixie. She is a demon mentoring her apprentice Lance Armstrong who hopes to rise in the ranks by collecting souls. He is failing miserably and she is in a foul mood.

As soon as they walk into the office, Cranston starts shooting at the zombies and kills one immediately. The receptionist decides her bad day just got worse because zombie goo is soaking into the carpet and they don't have enough money in the budget for a cleaning crew. A bit put out she throws her swingline stapler at McKenna and connects knocking off his hat and giving him a nasty bump. The surviving zombies shuffle toward the party moaning piteously. Miraculously, Cranston manages to not only calm the receptionist down but also gain entrance into the main office where Armstrong waits.

It was hate at first sight. Insults are exchanged and a fight ensues. Armstrong successfully casts sleep on Tove. Shots are fired. Armstrong's favourite Tour de France poster is shredded but he remains unhurt. The zombies try to body slam the conscious humans but mostly just lose body parts trying. They are so far past their prime that when the Vikings punch them stuff gets pushed around but little damage is done. Lance gets out his whip and calls for back up. Nancy successfully commands Aslak to cower. A shameful thing to happen to a Viking. More shots. Some go wide some hit the mark. The zombies are overcome. Lance is left to bleed out onto the carpet and Nancy decides to cut a deal.

The proposal is diabolical enough to satisfy her. The lie she would bring to her superiors would go something like this: Lance had been failing badly so she took it upon herself to have him disciplined. How could she guess he was so weak he couldn't take on a couple of humans? Really she was doing everyone a favour by giving him early retirement. She agreed to hand over the contract to the party on the QT but perhaps they could owe her a favour someday? When McKenna said he could call in a good crime scene clean up crew to take care of the mess she nearly wept with relief. She decided right then and there that if they could do that, then she would owe THEM a favour. Maybe even do a little temp work for their office now and again.

As they were leaving the building, Cranston showed once again that he was a man of quality. He invited the crew for lunch and made a point of praising the Vikings for their fighting skill. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship? Bert thinks so. With the help of his new business partner and the sudden run of good luck, McKenna might even have enough dough to pay the rent this month. Good times.

[Tadhg]

Great write up of a great session!

I'm game to either continue AA or if you wanted to try something else, that'd be OK as well.

[Tadhg]

Oh, and don't forget to try and watch The Shadow!

[Penny-Whistle]

Great write up of a great session!

I'm game to either continue AA or if you wanted to try something else, that'd be OK as well.

Thanks for saying so about the session. You guys are great players.

I really am open to continuing, trying something new or passing along the slot to someone else. After a few sessions I feel like we are all getting to know the system.

What do you think about Amazing Adventures so far?

[Tadhg]

I really am open to continuing, trying something new or passing along the slot to someone else. After a few sessions I feel like we are all getting to know the system.

Penny, have you read or know about Victorious, Ghastly Affair or Ravenloft's Masque of the Red Death?

I would easily run or play in any of those games. V and GA are C&C based, I believe and . . . Masque (AD&D) could be run a la C&C.

[Penny-Whistle]

Just a reminder. No game tonight.

Next Friday I'd like to start a Stars Without Number game if anyone is interested. The PDF is free to download at http://www.rpgnow.com/product/86467/Sta ... ee-Edition

Feel free to keep the level 2 character you are currently playing and just update it to fit the system or make something entirely new if you like. Give yourself max hit points for first level. Assign your 3d6 attribute rolls as you wish.

You and your party will have just landed on a planet known as Liberty in the Hydra sector. You got the job from a talent agent named Manya Laveau. She acts as a liaison between corporations and adventurers. Big companies sometimes need outside help and when they do they look to her since she has an uncanny way of knowing everybody and everything that is going on in the sector. Your current assignment was simple: deliver an arms shipment to the Neogen Corp. The journey to Liberty was uneventful. No pirates or any other problems were encountered.

Liberty used to be a prison planet. After the scream the population crashed and never really returned to pre-scream levels. The population is small and scattered among a few loosely knit villages. About 30 years ago Craig Dinistrydd discovered that Liberty had a rich deposit of the crystals needed for the grav drive systems that allow deep space travel. He partnered with Neogen to set up a mine. His family has done very well extracting and selling the crystals. It is not a terribly nice planet to live on though. The atmosphere is so thin oxygen masks are required. Dust storms are life threatening events and are among the worst known in the system. A few years back one dust storm blanketed the entire planet for several months. Dry ice fogs can also be a hazard.

Your ship is a free merchant class named CSS Omega Trout 10. You guys can decide if you own it or if it was rented it from Laveau. Feel free to rename it if you like.

[Treebore]

Whew! I was afraid you were posting there is a game tonight, which would have been bad for me, since I made plans with the wife. I SHOULD finally make the game next week! Which reminds me, I better get my character created.

[Tadhg]

Penny, I'm in.

I have to find my password for rpgnow and then I'll DL the pdf.

So, for now if you don't mind - what are the races available to play?

Thanks.

[Treebore]

Penny, I'm in.

I have to find my password for rpgnow and then I'll DL the pdf.

So, for now if you don't mind - what are the races available to play?

Thanks.

Once you get in check out all the FREE PDF's they offer for Stars Without Number. I am glad to finally get a chance to see how this system works, so I can see if I want to buy the stuff they charge money for.

[Treebore]

Penny,

Should we just create our own Homeworld, ie do the "brief write up" option, or do you have worlds you want us to chose from?

Edit: Should I still create an AA character? Are you planning on returning to that game?

Edit 2: I am thinking I will be going with an Expert with the Pilot package. Still haven't decided on which background I want to come from.

Edit: So much gear, so little money. Which is very typical for such sci fi games! Anyone playing a Psychic?

Edit 4: I take it the ship we have is the one outlined on page 241 as the Free Merchant?

STR: 14
DEX: 09
CON: 14
INT: 15
WIS: 14
CHA: 15

HP: 7
AC: 5, 7 in Vacc Suit
Combat/Gunnery 0, Culture/Spacer 1, Exosuit 1, Gambling 0, Navigation 0, Tech/Astronautics 0, Tech/Postech 1, Vehicle/Grav, Vehicle/Space

I took the Engine Crew background with the Pilot Class package.
Gear: Shotgun, Monoblade, Woven Body Armor, Vacc Suit, Survival Kit
(desert), Lazarus Patches x3, Power Cell, Type A, x5 (cost of 740 creds)
60 Creds left.

[Penny-Whistle]

Penny, I'm in.

I have to find my password for rpgnow and then I'll DL the pdf.

So, for now if you don't mind - what are the races available to play?

Thanks.

Hurrah! And how nice is it that they are willing to give out a free copy?

Races. hmm.. I do not recall seeing any descriptions like that. Because it is me you can be whatever you want. I am totally ok with walking cacti or whatever. If you do create something lovely be sure to describe it!

The classes are beautifully simple: experts, psychics and warriors.

[Penny-Whistle]

Penny,

Should we just create our own Homeworld, ie do the "brief write up" option, or do you have worlds you want us to chose from?

Edit: Should I still create an AA character? Are you planning on returning to that game?

Edit 2: I am thinking I will be going with an Expert with the Pilot package. Still haven't decided on which background I want to come from.

Edit: So much gear, so little money. Which is very typical for such sci fi games! Anyone playing a Psychic?

Edit 4: I take it the ship we have is the one outlined on page 241 as the Free Merchant?

STR: 14
DEX: 09
CON: 14
INT: 15
WIS: 14
CHA: 15

Combat/Gunnery 0, Culture/Spacer 1, Exosuit 1, Gambling 0, Navigation 0, Tech/Astronautics 0, Tech/Postech 1, Vehicle/Grav, Vehicle/Space

I took the Engine Crew background with the Pilot Class package.

Nice! Thanks for pulling all that together so quickly.

If you want to create a homeworld I will be happy to hear all about it and it will probably make for a more interesting character. If that is too much bother then let it slide. I do not have any preferences on what you choose.

I do not think you will need to make an AA character. It was mostly just an experiment to see what the game play was like. And now we know.

Having a pilot will eventually be great for the group. Be aware that the action will be starting on the ground though. I'll try to add in elements to the place so you aren't stuck with nothing to do.

Being broke is an important part of the action and motivation. You have just completed a job though (pay day) and you can pick up extra odd jobs on the planet too.

Yes. You just landed in a free merchant class ship. The party can decide if they own it or not and what its name is. A certain person I know seemed to object to the trout name for some reason. hahahaha

[Penny-Whistle]

I really am open to continuing, trying something new or passing along the slot to someone else. After a few sessions I feel like we are all getting to know the system.

Penny, have you read or know about Victorious, Ghastly Affair or Ravenloft's Masque of the Red Death?

I would easily run or play in any of those games. V and GA are C&C based, I believe and . . . Masque (AD&D) could be run a la C&C.

I have heard good things about Victorious but I don't own a copy. Loved Ravenloftt. Sorry I didn't see this earlier. Are you ok with Stars without Number?

[Treebore]

Penny, I'm in.

I have to find my password for rpgnow and then I'll DL the pdf.

So, for now if you don't mind - what are the races available to play?

Thanks.

Hurrah! And how nice is it that they are willing to give out a free copy?

Races. hmm.. I do not recall seeing any descriptions like that. Because it is me you can be whatever you want. I am totally ok with walking cacti or whatever. If you do create something lovely be sure to describe it!

The classes are beautifully simple: experts, psychics and warriors.

They have a couple of aliens in the alien chapter that we can use as PC's, however the basic assumption of the RPG is that we are all human. Have to admit I have been giving thought to playing an "Orc in Space" rather than a human. The PDf also has rules for creating Alien races, so we could create whatever we wish, subject to GM approval, etc...

[Treebore]

If you want to create a homeworld I will be happy to hear all about it and it will probably make for a more interesting character. If that is too much bother then let it slide. I do not have any preferences on what you choose.

I was just going to cheat and adapt my favorite world from the Traveller setting.

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Jewell_%28 ... 28world%29

[Penny-Whistle]

If you want to create a homeworld I will be happy to hear all about it and it will probably make for a more interesting character. If that is too much bother then let it slide. I do not have any preferences on what you choose.

I was just going to cheat and adapt my favorite world from the Traveller setting.

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Jewell_%28 ... 28world%29

Looks great. And is a nice fit for a pilot.

As for being some kind of alien ... that all seems like flavour to me and so it is all welcome. Let your inner light shine. That kind of detail makes the game interesting.

I likely won't give any special bonus to anyone for being an alien/orc/cactus/whatever unless you make a really great case for doing so.

[Treebore]

Yes. You just landed in a free merchant class ship. The party can decide if they own it or not and what its name is. A certain person I know seemed to object to the trout name for some reason. hahahaha

We could just go with my old favorite stand by for the name of merchant ships, The Marco Polo.

Which reminds me, do you know if the setting assumes we have contact with Earth/Terra? Or at least know of it and its "legendary" history?