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[Call of Cthulhu + Gangbusters] Cthulhubusters

Started by jgants, August 09, 2012, 06:05:35 PM

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jgants

Session 4 - Scene 6 (of 6)

For his investigation, Shoes sends Biggins off to look for information on the prison uniform while he heads over to the diner and tries to collect gossip on the dead union steward, Jim Malloy.

During his time at the diner, Shoes gets that Malloy was a close friend of Ulnovsky. The initial blame was naturally put on Ned Flynn, but Flynn is claiming a bootlegging gang did the hit; a claim that is somewhat validated by the police looking for a local bootlegger who escaped from the docks and blew up Monty Beragon's yacht.

According to the gossip, Ulnovsky is planning to retaliate soon. Shoes is unnerved to hear they may have another enemy, but at least now understands why Flynn tried to set them up with the murder.

Meanwhile, Alderman Biggins makes a call to Captain Deakins. After a couple of days, Deakins reports back what he could find:
•   The uniform had the id on it of #95R814
•   Prisoner #95R814 was identified as Robert George Rebadow, born Normal, IL, 1865
•   Rebadow was an architect who killed his business partner over a building design dispute in 1894
•   Convicted of Murder in the First Degree and sentenced to Death by Electrocution, 1895
•   His execution was interrupted by a power failure and his sentence was subsequently commuted to Life in Prison without Parole
•   Four months ago, Rebadow died of illness at Stateville Prison, death certificate signed by Dr. Stefan Krasnik, head physician at the prison. He is buried at Rosehill Cemetary.

Deakins notes the prison officials are worried about this being a potential scandal. Two high-profile criminals have escaped over the last 18 months that they've tried to keep quiet – the notorious armed robber Cody Powers, and murderer for hire Rocco Dillon. They're concerned the uniform is related to a third possible escape.

Later, Biggins reads off the notes to Mulroney and Shoes. The priest picks up on the mention of Dr. Krasnik as the physician as sounding familiar. Shoes recalls that Dr. Krasnik was the one Maisie identified as hanging around the asylum, checking up on her. The priest wonders if he was interested in her wounds, and perhaps knows something about the creature. Shoes, ever the realist, speculates it has more to do with the fact that "the guy he declared dead was the one who attacked and raped her" (though Maisie herself never claimed that type of assault, Shoes figures it was inevitable).

After more discussion about the claw and disagreement between Shoes and Mulroney over whether he was attacked by a monster or escaped prisoner, Father Mulroney suggests they add Dr. Krasnik to their list of people to check up on. They also discuss making a trip to Rosehill Cemetary to see who is buried in Rebadow's grave. And although they want to connect back with Flynn, Shoes suggests seeing Krasnik first because they are wounded. Father Mulroney agrees, noting Krasnik is less likely to shoot them.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 4 - Session Notes

I'll start off by noting the Biggins player really did move to NC prior to this session; this was my first-ever attempt at using Skype to include a player in a game. To my rather large surprise, it actually worked out pretty well once we got everything up and going (ironically, Biggins was more effective this session than ever, lol). We'll probably continue on this way as long as it works out OK.

Overall, this session was a bit shorter (the time zone difference led to us breaking earlier than before), but a lot got done. And it was a good mix of action and plans, along with some research.

Misc notes from the session:

* Tolino's men, the Basque and [Gino] Nitti, come from the TSR Gangbuster's setting. I didn't originally plan for them to find out about the setup, but between the poor decision to discuss the plot openly in the lobby and failing the Notice roll, I figured it made a nice twist.

* I decided it would be more interesting if the Basque didn't say anything until he acts superstitious about believing Mulroney's monster was some kind of demon.

* Shoes could have reached Biggins well before Tolino's gunmen, but he elected not to try for the Drive check.

* Shoes failed his drive check doing the U-Turn, and I finally got to use my crash table (twice).

* Shoes was nearly killed by the single shot he took. I really like how the BRP system makes combat a bad thing.

* Mulroney did actually die by suffocation in the hospital. But, his luck held out enough for a nurse to revive him.

* The Mulroney player did a great job of voice-acting the wheezy, difficult to speak condition when he was trying to tell Biggins not to involve the cops (again).

* It actually took quite a while in real time to get everyone out of the hospital because I described things slowly in order to rachet up the tension.

* The "Dr. X" mentioned as part of Mary's backstory refers to the doctor supplying her with the heroin. The name is taken straight from the same Queensryche album, Operation: Mindcrime, as Sister Mary is.

* I invented Biggins' wife and kids on the fly during the session. It would make sense that as a politician, he'd be a family man. Granted, he's not really at home much, making him a bad family man.

* Last session I noted I wasn't sure the players caught on that Ned Flynn was setting them up, or that Liam and Noel were jokes on Oasis. Apparently I was wrong (or they read these session summaries online...)

* Given the concept of Lovecraft's work, Mulroney's comment about a "convict from another dimension" is sort-of correct.

* Originally another player was going to join this session. The "big favor" O'Conner wants was going to be tied in with that.

* Dr. Gary Galbreth is a real biologist from Northwestern University. I needed a name for my North-Central University (my expy for NWU) doctor, so I used Google.

* References to "cryptozoology" and "cryptids", as well as "phantom cats", are probably anachronistic. I claim dramatic license; I wanted some interesting theories.

* Jim Malloy's murder by Flynn was part of the TSR plot in Gangbusters. I thought it made sense for Flynn to pin the murder on Mulroney and gang to get Ulnovsky headed at them instead.

* Robert Rebadow, and his background, come straight from HBO's Oz. With the exception that I moved him from CA to IL and changed some dates.

* The mentions of Cody Powers and Rocco Dillon relate to subplots that may come into play later. Cody Powers is one of the TSR NPCs, while Rocco Dillon comes from Naked Gun 33 1/3.

I have lots of things that could happen in upcoming sessions, depending on what the PCs get involved in. I feel like the campaign is really getting moving. Now, if they can just keep from getting themselves killed...

I do wish we had another player or so, but I think we've done OK by having some NPC allies (Capt. Deakins, Sister Mary) who can do some of the work for them.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 1 (of 8)

Still on the lam from the Tolino gang, Father Mulroney, Shoes, and Alderman Biggins spend the next week in the dark apartment the alderman managed to find them as a new hideout. The priest believes he and Shoes, though still recovering, are feeling better enough by this point to go see Dr. Krasnik at the asylum.

Thinking of the last visit when he was nearly committed, Shoes is naturally nervous about the trip. He wants to stay in the car when they arrive. Mulroney cautions the lad to behave himself this time and there won't be any trouble. After all, he notes, Shoes was saying some pretty alarming things last time. Not to mention the spitting on the floor.

Shoes doesn't recall the spitting but agrees to try and keep quiet. The priest is glad the youth will agree to come – he prefers having him drive. It takes less effort to convince Biggins to accompany them, as Mulroney appeals to the man's vanity by noting he lends credibility to the group.

After deciding the car is a more practical choice to drive over to the asylum (and, Biggins notes, is faster in case they need a fast getaway), they head across town. As before, they are stopped at the large gates at the bottom of the hill with the Dunning Asylum towering over them.

However, once the guard comes over Mulroney immediately realizes it may not be as easy as he thought. When he asks to see Dr. Krasnik, the guard notes that none of them are on the approved visitors list.

Biggins is undeterred, and tries to convince the guard that they are there in an official capacity to deliver some papers. The guard heads back into the gatehouse and makes a call. When he comes back out, he explains that the doctor is not in.

Shoes whispers to Mulroney that it might be helpful if they could get into the doctor's office to look around. The priest tries to get the guard to let them up to drop off the papers, which he explains can't be dropped off because they contain private information.

The guard isn't buying it, and explains he can't let them in without authorization. Biggins tries to assist, but the guard doesn't budge because Krasnik isn't in. He notes to them that Dr. Krasnik is only a consultant and not at the asylum all that often.

Shoes boldly asks the guard where Krasnik is when not working at the "loony bin". After being scolded for using a poor term for the asylum, the guard explains that Dr. Krasnik is usually up at Statesville Prison, where he is the head physician.

Father Mulroney suggests to the others that they change tactics, and head to the prison instead. Shoes agrees, noting that Rebadow was from the prison so it is a natural path to follow in the investigation.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 2 (of 8)

Rather than take the Lakefront & Steel City Interurban Electric Railway train line to Steel City (which Statesville is just north of, in the small town of Hillcrest), Father Mulroney decides they should have Shoes drive them in the Model T, taking the road to Nortonport. The roads through rural Jasper County are poorly maintained and sparsely populated, with little to see but fields and farmhouses.

About 10 miles into the nearly 50 mile trip, Shoes hits a rut in the road, causing the car's axle to get bent. Unfortunately, as he checks the car, they didn't think to bring a spare axle.

The men discuss what to do next. They could attempt to hitchhike, but few cars are found on the road. The other option is to find a nearby farmhouse. Shoes states his intention to stay behind and guard the car.

Father Mulroney agrees that keeping the car guarded from thieves is prudent. He and Biggins will head off to the nearest farmhouse, a couple of miles away.

With the corn harvested for the season, Biggins and Father Mulroney find the walk through the muddy autumn fields to be slow going. Biggins even loses his footing at one point, getting himself covered in mud in the process.

After nearly an hour, they arrive at the farm. Looking around, they spot a chicken coop, a horse barn, and several cows grazing in the field. They do not, however, notice the old farmer with his shotgun until he pulls back the hammer.

Biggins immediately puts his hands up as the old man calls them hobos and tells them to get off his land. The alderman immediately explains they are stranded motorists and not indigent vagabonds. The old farmer relaxes, lowering his gun. He explains to them he thought they were hobos coming to steal his chickens again.

Father Mulroney proceeds to introduce himself and the alderman, noting Biggins' fall in the mud on the way over. The man introduces himself as Herman Schuette and invites Mulroney in, noting that Biggins will need to stay outside as "Martha doesn't like mud in the house".

Once inside, Mulroney meets Herman's wife, Martha, who serves him a glass of lemonade. Herman explains that his son, Seth, will be along for lunch soon and will be able to fix the car. Father Mulroney thanks the old couple for their hospitality, offering to help them with anything they need. Herman thanks the priest for his offer, but notes the family is Methodist.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 3 (of 8)

Back at the car on the side of the road, Shoes spots another vehicle heading up the road from the south. It appears to be a larger touring car with several occupants. Shoes wonders if it could be Biggins and Mulroney returning with help, but is cautious.

The car slows as it gets closer. Shoes waves the car over, but can't get a good look. When it pulls up, he sees it has four occupants – a young black driver, a middle-aged white man sitting next to him, a younger white man in the back behind the driver, and an old white woman sitting behind the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man in the passenger seat is large and muscular, and rather rough-looking; Shoes can tell the man has done time before. He asks Shoes if there is a problem.

Shoes explains about the car having a broken axle. The man turns to the younger man in the back seat, calling him "Nick", and tells the man to take a look at the car. Nick looks around the car, but Shoes can tell he is more interested in casing the car for anything valuable than in helping with a broken axle.

Still, Shoes asks Nick if he thinks he can fix it. The other man answers for him, saying they might be able to help for a fee, and asks Shoes how much money he has on him.

Concerned about where this is going, Shoes tries telling them he is just a poor boy from the city coming out to visit his uncle. He is then shocked when the old lady in the back seat pulls out an old Colt .45 and points it at him, telling him to hand over all his cash.

Nick collects the money while the old woman warns Shoes not to go talking to any cops or she'll plug him. Nick hands over the cash to the middle-aged man, whom the old lady calls "Rocco" as she tells him they should get going. Rocco nods to the driver, who takes off without a word.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 4 (of 8)

A short time later, the farm truck arrives with Father Mulroney and Seth, and Biggins sitting in the back on a block of hay. When Shoes greets them with a surly "about time" comment, Mulroney can tell something is wrong.

As Seth goes to work on the car, the priest asks Shoes what has happened, to which the youth simply replies "some kooks almost shot me". Shoes starts to relay that he had a bad encounter with a car of people, but Mulroney is having a hard time following. He notes they passed a car with some people on the way to the car, and all he saw was a nice little old lady.

It takes Seth an hour to get the new axle on. When he is finished, Father Mulroney instructs Shoes to pay the man for his services. Shoes sardonically notes that they will have to give him an IOU because he was robbed of all his cash.

As Biggins pays the farmer, Father Mulroney is exasperated at his functionary. He carries on about Shoes being robbed by a little old lady, and how Shoes is supposed to be his muscle. Shoes snipes back that at least he wasn't the one almost killed by a pillow.

Once they are back on the road, Shoes takes it slow and careful the rest of the way. After stopping for gas in the large town of Nortonport (population 8,000), they head over to the prison at Hillcrest (population 5,000), just north of the relatively large city of Steel City (population 30,000).

It is nearly 3:00 in the afternoon by the time they get to the prison gatehouse. Once there, Father Mulroney realizes they will have as difficult a time, if not worse, of trying to gain access there as they did at Dunning.

The guard at the gate asks for names and wants to know their business. Biggins tries to give a story about needing to talk with Dr. Krasnik for some important questions, but his unprepared and rambling tale makes little sense and just leaves the guard confused.

Eventually, a supervisor, Lt. Vaughn, is summoned to try and make some sense of what they want. The lieutenant is very straight-laced and immediately gets down to business, clarifying their names and that they are not there for anything related to the prison itself.

Vaughn especially gives Shoes a close examination. Shoes wonders if the guard has identified him as a former street punk.

The lieutenant goes on to explain that even if they had a legitimate reason to enter the prison, which he does not believe they do, he cannot let them in because they are currently in a state of lockdown. Shoes blurts out a question about whether they are looking for four people who escaped.

The guard is confused by the statement. He notes they are in lockdown because of a body being discovered on the river in the city and concerns it was an escapee, but he wants to know what Shoes was talking about.

Father Mulroney, not trusting what Shoes might say, inserts himself into the conversation to explain about the car breaking down and the four people they encountered. He can't tell if Vaughn recognizes the people from the descriptions, but the lieutenant does say "Interesting..."

Alderman Biggins, using his silver tongue, finally convinces Vaughn they will need to see the doctor. Lt. Vaughn agrees, but only if Dr. Krasnik comes out to them.

After a while, a middle-aged Russian man with thick glasses emerges from the secured door. He seems agitated about being bothered and demands to know what they want with him, noting he is a busy man. At that exact moment, the three men look at each other, realizing for the first time they aren't precisely sure what they intend to ask of the man.

Father Mulroney stumbles to introduce himself and his companions, telling him they wish to speak with him about Robert Rebadow. Dr. Krasnik seems put off by the topic, and asks why he should talk to them about the dead prisoner.

Shoes tells the doctor that they are there because the father saw Rebadow in the city recently. The Russian's eyes narrow, and he asks the priest to describe Rebadow.

Ignoring the man's incredulity, Father Mulroney tells the doctor that he has a story to tell, but it is a bit strange. He goes on to tell about the monster on the docks and his encounter on the lake, saying he saw a monster with Rebadow's uniform on.

Mulroney goes on to describe the fantastical creature, noting he was personally assaulted by the beast's claws. But Dr. Krasnik remains cool, calling the story nonsense and saying he doesn't have time to listen to their fantasies.

As he heads back in, Shoes tries to get a reaction by saying, "Karina saw him too!" But it doesn't work and Krasnik closes the door without looking back.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 5 (of 8)

As the door slams shut, Shoes dryly notes "well, that didn't work." Mulroney points out that the good doctor likely doesn't stay overnight at the prison, so they may have to wait until later and confront him again. Shoes has a more direct idea – to kidnap and interrogate him.

Father Mulroney agrees the measure may be necessary, and even Alderman Biggins, usually adverse to criminal activities, stays silent on the matter.

The men decide to wait outside the prison for Krasnik to leave, then follow him to wherever he goes and confront him there. They pick a spot down the road to stay and wait for the doctor to get off duty, Shoes making a poor attempt to conceal their car from view.

As dusk nears, cars begin to move in and out of the prison with the shift change. Fearing Shoes will get them into trouble again with his driving, Mulroney directs Biggins to drive. Shoes notes it will also give him the opportunity to use his gun in the car, if needed.

Biggins spots the doctor leaving the prison in a 1917 Studebaker Light Four. He pulls out the Model T in the traffic after it, attempting to hang back a bit to shadow the car. The priest instructs him to drive casually and slowly, but Biggins' attempt at stealth appears to fail as the doctor's car suddenly picks up speed and makes a sharp turn. The alderman realizes the doctor is on to them.

The doctor's car begins to pull away. Shoes tries to hang out the window and shoot at the tires of the doctor's car, but doesn't even come close to hitting.

Speeding up, Biggins manages to pull in a bit closer as the two cars continue a series of turns along the country roads. The doctor tries to get away, but one of his tires hits a rock and blows out. The car fishtails, causing the loss of a second tire. With little choice, Dr. Krasnik pulls his car into a nearby ditch.

Biggins pulls up over next to the car and Shoes jumps out. He quickly throws the door open and punches Krasnik in the jaw with his brass knuckles, knocking the man cold before he knows what hit him.

Shoes drags the man into the back of their car while Mulroney finds some brush to attempt to camouflage the doctor's vehicle with Biggins' help.

While tying up Dr. Krasnik, Shoes calls over to Father Mulroney to remind him to check the car over. The priest grabs the key from the ignition, but spots nothing else inside the car.

Everyone then gets back in the car and Shoes makes sure the doctor isn't armed. As Biggins pulls away, he asks if they want him to head back to the city or just away from the prison in general.

Father Mulroney once again realizes he failed to fully think through the plan. He notes they can't just cruise around town with the unconscious doctor. Ultimately, they decide the best course of action is take the doctor back to the warehouse and interrogate him. Though, he notes, they may very well give themselves away as the abductors because they will be asking about the same things they did before.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 6 (of 8)

Biggins finds his way back to the main road and takes extra time to take the long way around Nortonport to avoid being seen. After a couple of hours, they finally reach the warehouse.

Dr. Krasnik is unloaded and tied to a chair while blindfolded. When he comes to, he immediately begins yelling about his abduction, demanding to know what is going on.

Fearful the man will remember his voice, Mulroney has Shoes handle the interrogation. Using a badly disguised voice, Shoes tells the doctor they need information and that they know he falsified a death certificate.

The doctor asks Shoes who he is. Shoes attempts to tell the man he is Ned Flynn, but the doctor isn't buying it. He tells Shoes he knows he isn't Ned Flynn. When Shoes attempts to spin the discussion that he works for Flynn, the doctor remains adamant that he does not work for Flynn, and that the doctor would know if he did.

Shoes backhands the man, but he only laughs and tells the youth that he cannot scare him. The doctor further states he is no coward, insinuating that Shoes is.

Returning to the interrogation, Shoes tells the man he knows things they need to know, stating they want to know how one of the patients he declared dead ended up on a boat in the city. The doctor claims to know nothing about a boat. When Shoes tells him they know he forged the death certificate of Rebadow, Krasnik just laughs at him again. He tells Shoes that he knows Shoes works for "that silly priest who speaks of monsters".

Shoes tries to say that the priest works for Flynn as well, but Krasnik calls him a liar. He tells Shoes that Shoes is weak and he will tell him nothing.

Seeing their ruse is doomed, Mulroney tells Shoes to take off the blindfold. The doctor laughs again, telling Shoes he knew it was him and further insulting his manhood.

Enraged, Shoes releases Krasnik bonds and challenges him to a fight. The Russian responds quickly with a powerful cross. Shoes tries to counterattack, but only gets off a weak jab.

Dr. Krasnik is clearly more formidable than he initially appears, delivering another powerful blow, this time a hook to Shoes' ribs. Once again, Shoes responds with a weak jab.

Krasnik makes a lunge for Shoes, but the youth sidesteps him. An attempted counterattack, however, fares little better. The doctor then kicks Shoes hard in the knee, nearly causing him to lose his balance.

The doctor is clearly weakening, but Shoes can't get off a solid hit. After another glancing shot, Shoes is knocked out with one of the doctor's crosses. Krasnik has little time to celebrate, however, as Mulroney grabs a nearby metal bar and smashes him in the back of the head as hard as he can.

Mulroney watches as Krasnik collapses to the ground and begins bleeding profusely from his head. It occurs to the father than perhaps he should have pulled his blow if he wanted to just knock the man out instead of potentially killing him.

Not wanting to take the man to a hospital, but trying to keep him alive, Father Mulroney makes a quick call over to O'Conner for another favor to have a friendly doctor come right away. The doctor gets there in time to save Krasnik's life, but notes the brain was likely badly damaged when his skull was crushed and the man will likely be an imbecile. Mulroney is less than thrilled to discover he has further indebted himself to O'Conner for saving the life of a man who is now useless to him.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 7 (of 8)

A week goes by as everyone continues to recover. Dr. Krasnik's condition does not improve, as he continues to spend his time blankly staring into space and drooling, requiring constant care. Over the week the cadre finds little news of the doctor, except for a small story in the Steel City Times about the doctor gone missing with the Jasper County Sheriff's Office investigating; apparently the car was never found.

Father Mulroney does finally hear back from Dr. Galbreth at North-Central University. He tells the priest that the claw he found is made of cartilage, similar in nature to a shark bones, particularly that of Carcharodon Megalodon. Dr. Galbreth suggests the possibility that it could belong to an undiscovered species of freshwater shark. Shoes dryly notes that the father simply found a large shark tooth.

Trying to get a reaction, Mulroney shows the claw fragment to Krasnik. The vegetative doctor does actually react, apparently recognizing the claw. He mutters something in Latin, but the priest doesn't really catch it. He tries to write it down, but it comes out as complete jibberish.

Shoes is starting to get nervous about keeping Krasnik around and feels he has little more use for them. He suggests taking the doctor down to the lake and using him for "monster bait". He starts to explain about using dead squirrels as bait when he was younger, but Mulroney cuts off the story.

Mulroney does want to rid himself of the doctor, and figures drowning him in the river is as humane as anything. He checks with Biggins to make sure he still has the alderman's support; the alderman suggests an "in for a penny, in for a pound" attitude.

Not wanting to be hasty, Mulroney decides they should wait another week to see if the doctor recovers more; perhaps they can still get something useful out of him.

After another week of rest, the doctor is mumbling more. Father Mulroney shows him the claw again, and this time carefully listens and takes down the phrase. He writes it down as, "flumina cruenti fluant cruore hominis perfectonis". As the father is writing it down, the doctor also mumbles something in English but no one catches what he said.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Scene 8 (of 8)

Knowing it will take some time to research the Latin, Father Mulroney decides that there next step should be to go to Rosehill Cemetery and dig up the grave of Robert Rebadow to see if anyone is actually buried in it.

Biggins stays behind to watch over Krasnik while Shoes and Mulroney head across town to the cemetery, Mulroney changing into his civilian attire first. After some trouble getting over the tall fence, the men manage to make it inside.

It suddenly dawns on the men that it might take some time to locate the grave, at night, in the 350 acre cemetery. They wonder if perhaps they should have done some more research first.

As they wander around, they spot the electric torch of the night watchman nearby. They attempt to hide, but the watchman's light catches Father Mulroney. The man calls him over.

Mulroney tries to act drunk, but the watchman isn't buying it. However, he still doesn't want to take the time to have the incognito priest arrested and just escorts him out.

Shoes, meanwhile, continues to try and find the grave but is having little luck. As he is looking around, he makes enough noise to attract the watchman. Caught with a shovel in the watchman's beam of light, the guard pulls out a gun and fires.

Hit in the arm, Shoes ducks behind a nearby headstone and draws his own weapon. The two exchange a few rounds of gunfire. Shoes takes another shot in the shoulder while the watchman is hit in the hip.

Terrified, the watchman tries to get away. By this point, Father Mulroney has already hopped the fence and found a large branch he fashions into a club. As the watchman runs by, the priest hits him hard in the head with the branch.

The guard tries to crawl towards his dropped gun. As the man lies on the ground, Mulroney, flush with adrenaline, repeatedly smashes the man's skull until he is certain the man is dead. Then he grabs the gun off the ground and puts a round in the man's head, just to be safe.

A wounded Shoes finally makes it over to Mulroney. Luckily, the father remembers the approximate area where the grave should be located. Shoes heads over to the area indicated while the priest drags the corpse of the night watchman.

When they find the grave, Father Mulroney is forced to do all of the digging because of Shoes' injuries. It takes some time, but he finally strikes wood with his shovel.

Prying open the coffin lid, Mulroney and Shoes see that the coffin has been filled with rocks for weight; Rebadow was never buried here.

The men throw the body of the dead watchman inside the coffin and fill the dirt back in. Just as they put on the last shovel of dirt, they realize they forgot to grab the man's keys first, forcing them to climb back over the fence again to get out. Father Mulroney sprains his ankle in the attempt.

Sometime later, the two manage to hobble their way back to the warehouse, where they have to call O'Conner for another favor to get the doctor in again. O'Conner agrees to send the doctor, but tells Mulroney he wants a sit down tomorrow. Given what they owe O'Conner, no one is surprised by the request. Biggins wonders what O'Conner has in mind for repayment.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 5 - Session Notes

This session went OK, but it was right before the holiday weekend started and I think everyone was a bit more distracted than normal.

The session was a real mix of bad decisions and bad luck for the characters. On the one hand, they failed a ton of rolls (even the advancement rolls at the end of the session) that caused a lot of problems.

On the other hand, they kept running off half-cocked with a fairly well-formed initial thought, but then realized they only thought it through halfway. One of the players thought it made sense, though, as the characters are two-bit criminals trying to go big (and failing at it).

I'm still unsatisfied with the system, though; the pure percentile approach means some skills can almost never fail, while others hardly ever work. In part, this is an issue with the players not spreading out the points very well; but, in retrospect, I do think a more guided approach for players would be better (again, something the WOD lines did pretty well).

In my spare time, I'm working on an update of the Top Secret/SI rules (which I'm calling Top Secret/NI), which has an approach to skills I like a bit better. I probably won't bother to retrofit it to this campaign unless the campaign goes on longer than I expect (I've always seen this as a relatively short campaign).

Other thoughts:
* The session immediately started with the PCs going to confront Krasnik directly at the asylum. I was hoping for something more thoughtful. Plus, I thought I had made it clear before that Krasnik didn't actually work at the asylum. There would have been clues, however, if they had managed to talk their way in.

* We actually never even discussed the idea of taking the commuter train to the prison while in session. I don't think it occurred to anyone.

* Steel City is my campaign world's expy for Joliet. Similarly, Nortonport is an expy for Lansport and Hillcrest for Crest Hills. Jasper County is a strange case where I'm using it for both Dupage and Will counties (to keep record-keeping a bit less cumbersome). I'm also exaggerating the rural-ness for dramatic effect; I'm pretty sure the exburbs of Chicago were pretty busy in the 20's.

* A failed Drive check led to the broken axle. I wanted to accentuate the poor quality of roads in those days. I gave them a luck check for having a spare axle on hand (since they didn't specify before they left), but that failed too. Just like Biggins failed the athletics check to avoid falling in the mud.

* The farmer with the shotgun was perhaps a bit more mentally based on a Great Depression era thought than a Roaring Twenties one. Nonetheless, it added some color.

* I made the family Methodist for the irony factor; strong prohibitionists inadvertantly helping a bootlegging gang. Given that I gave them a German name, they probably should have been Catholic or Lutheran instead.

* Shoes' encounter was with the Rocco Dillon gang. It's part of a subplot that doesn't necessarily make sense to include at this point, but I thought something interesting should happen. Plus if they return later it will make things more dramatic.

* Ma Dillon robbing Shoes was the most hilarious part of the night. The Mulroney player had a long tirade about his head muscle getting pushed around by a little old lady.

* I honestly can't remember what Biggins' cover story at the prison was, but I do remember it made no sense.

* Lt. Vaughn was the name of a real life prison guard (possibly at Statesville, I don't recall) I found attached to a photo online (I think that was from the 50's and not the 20's, however).

* Dr. Krasnik was lying his ass off about not knowing anything. However, a lot of failed rolls made it impossible for the PCs to confirm that or get anything out of him.

* The car chase went pretty well, and they were effective in kidnapping the doctor. Sadly, they still weren't sure what to do with him.

* I thought it was great that Shoes stayed in character and tried to fight with the doctor. But a truly abyssmal set of damage rolls led to him getting his ass kicked.

* The Mulroney player specifically asked if he could find a length of pipe and said he was striking as hard as he could at the doctor's head. So, when he rolled decent damage, I figured that not only was the guy dying, but his skull would have been jammed into the brain.

* I loved the part where they ask for the favor then realize they ended up with a vegtable (heavily inspired by the fate of Steve the Drunk from HBO's Deadwood).

* During the actual session, I think I used the term "State Police" for the investigation of Dr. Krasnik's disappearance. Since the State Police only handled highway patrols at the time, I changed it appropriately in the write-up.

* Dr. Galbreth's report during the session didn't actually give the name of C. Megalodon as the species; that's just added color for the write-up.

* Similarly, the Latin phrase wasn't actually said in the session; I just said the doctor said something in Latin. I created the phrase during the write-up so I could try and get the grammer remotely realistic (I always planned what the English translation was). Note that it's been 18 years since I've taken a Latin class, and don't recall being that good at it, so it's probably still jibberish to anyone with knowledge. I'm also stealing the (English version of the) phrase from a French movie, which will make more sense later so I won't go into it now.

* The doctor's English phrase, which they failed the roll to catch, would have given them a further clue about another place to go.

* Having the night watchman encounter the two at the cemetery was a bit contrived, but so was them being able to find the grave so I claim dramatic license on both.

* The reason the watchman was so trigger happy with Shoes was because he already had the strange encounter with Mulroney.

* The players never even thought about the watchman's keys. I only mentioned it later to hassle them.

* They now owe O'Conner at least four favors, and that's not counting getting them off the hook with the Tolinos. He's going to start calling in his markers next session.

* I hope some of the investigation continues with the PCs and they don't get too discouraged by some of the setbacks. I think they are actually doing pretty good for being a bunch of two-bit hoods.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 6 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest running a bootlegging operation out of his church

Alderman Jethro Biggins - Corrupt city alderman on the take from Mulroney

Francis "Shoes" McDougal - Young street criminal and former orphan acting as Mulroney's chief lieutenant / muscle
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 6 - Scene 1 (of 10)

The morning of the sit-down, Shoes and Father Mulroney discuss the need to take some time to train more. Recent events have made it clear to them that their current levels of athleticism and firearms ability is insufficient to further their aims of building a criminal empire.
 
A knock at the door of their warehouse reveals a messenger boy with a note from O'Conner. It gives the time and location of the sit-down, located in the warehouse district.
 
Mulroney takes care that the note advises him to bring "no more than 3" people to the meeting. As Sister Mary would not be the natural choice for such a meeting, the priest asks the alderman to accompany him. Biggins wants assurances he won't be shot at, but Mulroney notes he can't make any promises.
 
Not sure what to expect, the group decides to take Father Mulroney's car. Mulroney has Biggins drive so that Shoes can keep a gun at the ready. Father Mulroney elects to wear his civilian clothing and brings his knife. Shoes brings his brass knuckles and gun as well, though admits O'Conner will likely have men to check them for weapons.
 
Shoes wonders if they should plan first for anything they need to discuss with O'Conner, remembering the perilous events of their previous attempts to enter discussions without preparing. Mulroney notes that Ned Flynn is clearly setting them up for trouble, but Shoes flatly states that he doubts O'Conner would care about that. The youth goes on to point out that so far they haven't brought in much money but have caused him a lot of trouble.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.

jgants

Session 6 - Scene 2 (of 10)

When they arrive at the warehouse, Biggins pulls in and parks next to three other cars. In the middle of the warehouse is a large table with seven people at it and another couple of men standing around as guards.
 
Father Mulroney immediately recognizes Deanie O'Conner on one side of the table, with a man to either side of him. One of the men is James O'Bannion, but he doesn't recognize the other.
 
In the middle of the table is a middle-aged man in a suit, whom Mulroney also doesn't recognize. And on the other side is Al Tolino, flanked by two of his men.
 
Mulroney is nervous about Tolino being there, but feels they have little choice but to proceed. As they approach, O'Conner tells them to wait and has the two men frisk them first. They find Mulroney's knife and Shoes' pistol, but the brass knuckles remain safely hidden.
 
O'Conner looks over Biggins closely then asks the priest who he brought. When Mulroney introduces him as Alderman Biggins, O'Conner is in disbelief that he brought an alderman to the meet. Father Mulroney, however, insists the alderman is a staunch ally.
 
The middle-aged man in the middle of the table smiles and chuckles. In a thick Sicilian accent, he jokes to Biggins that he will not get very far in politics hanging around these people. He then tells everyone to sit down.
 
O'Conner starts by making introductions. The man to his left is identified as "Yiddie", whose name Shoes recognizes as being Frank Neumark, Deanie's chief lieutenant.
 
The middle-aged man in the middle of the table is identified as Mike Merlo. Biggins recognizes the name as being the head of the Union Siciliana, a powerful labor group, and a man with deep political connections. According to O'Conner, Merlo is there to mediate.
 
Finally, O'Conner notes the presence of Tolino, along with his associates, "Mr. Lombardo" and "Mr. Lipari". Shoes recognizes Lipari as Tolino's bodyguard, while Biggins mentally notes that Lombardo is Antonio Lombardo, vice president of the Union Siciliana.
 
Merlo then takes over the meeting, explaining he knows there has been a misunderstanding between Mulroney and Tolino. He disapproves of the escalating violence, noting it is bad for business. Everyone, including Mulroney, agrees.
 
O'Conner notes that he got Merlo to set up the meeting so they could settle the dispute. Tolino openly asks Mulroney what he has done to cause the priest to disrespect him the way he has.
 
Father Mulroney remains very diplomatic, explaining that the disrespect began when Tolino's brother, Joey the Book, became violent and shot at Shoes. Tolino agrees his brother has a temper, and mocks Mulroney by noting that he may be too aggressive for "delicate Irish boys".
 
Merlo keeps everyone calm and on point, despite the insult. Tolino agrees that making the mess go away would be best for everyone and he is willing to do so, with a couple of conditions. Mulroney agrees to listen to the man's demands.
 
First, Tolino explains, he wants Mulroney to stay out of his territory. All liquor distribution privileges for the Lexington Hotel or any other location in his territory is off limits. Mulroney agrees the request is reasonable.
 
Second, Tolino demands they stay away from his men. He doesn't want any more funny business. Again, Mulroney eagerly agrees.
 
Finally, Tolino wants compensation for the aggravation Mulroney has caused him. He quotes a figure of one hundred grand.
 
Mulroney's heart sinks as he hears the amount. He tells Tolino that it is a reasonable request, but explains that his coffers are a little low due to recent events resulting in a loss of his merchandise.
 
In the spirit of cooperation, Tolino offers to make the number something fairer, coming down to fifty thousand. Father Mulroney agrees the amount is more reasonable, but notes he can only give ten in cash. He offers to make up the remaining forty in liquor.
 
O'Conner, however, isn't pleased at all with that arrangement. He reminds Mulroney that he already owns the rights to all their liquor. To settle the matter, and keep Mulroney under his exclusive control, he offers to front Mulroney the other forty. The priest doesn't like the idea of becoming further indebted to O'Conner, but agrees to the deal as he knows he has no other choice.
 
With the deal settled, Merlo gives O'Conner and Mulroney instructions on the safe deposit box at the First National Bank to make the drop to. He will act as the intermediary, collecting the money then giving it over to Tolino.
 
Tolino's men and Merlo get up to leave, and O'Conner instructs Mulroney's crew to stick around. He has more to discuss with them.
Now Prepping: One-shot adventures for Coriolis, RuneQuest (classic), Numenera, 7th Sea 2nd edition, and Adventures in Middle-Earth.

Recently Ended: Palladium Fantasy - Warlords of the Wastelands: A fantasy campaign beginning in the Baalgor Wastelands, where characters emerge from the oppressive kingdom of the giants. Read about it here.