#RPGaDay2023 - Day 31 - Favorite RPG of All Time

Day 31 of #RPGaDay2023!  We've made it once again!

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 31's prompt is "Favorite RPG of All Time"   

I haven't played it in longer than a hot second, but Call of Cthulhu 6th Edition is still my winner. 

It's funny, when I wrote down my original answers to this year's prompts, I did peek at the results from a decade ago for today's question.  

Ten Years Ago Today:  Call of Cthulhu, 6th Edition 

I love BRP and its percentile goodness.  The common man unwittingly fighting against a darkness he could never fully comprehend, less his mind break.  And I still have the Resistance Table memorized (if I still have the THAC0 progression memorized, the table is beyond simple.)

Fun fact, I wrote the original post NINETEEN sessions into a Call of Cthulhu campaign.  

That's right, nineteen sessions of narratively tied together games.  From Pennsylvania Coal Country, to New York City, to the Dakota Badlands, the Klan-infested backwoods of Georgia, to the swamps of New Jersey.  And I ran episode 20, a week later, based on the island of Crete.

After that 20th session, we officially shifted gears, and we finally started Masks of Nylarathotep, which added twenty-one more entries. 

Two years later, the campaign was neatly tied up, but with a bow I could quickly undo.  We haven't returned to the Roaring 20's since, between online D&D, Star Wars, and Gamma World, with an unhealthy dose of COVID preventing the in-person sessions we craved for CoC games, but there's enough of a consensus that, should we cobble together some weekends to drive 60-90 minutes each to a central location, we need to start back up where we left things, with perhaps a warm-up session or three we could tie back into the original survivors.  I'm staring at a copy of Tales of the Sleepless City from Miskatonic River Press that's just screaming to be used, but perhaps a change in scenery from New York is eventually in order.  Arkham seems nice this time of year.  

Mwhahahaaha!!!!!

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 30 - Obscure RPG I've Played

Day 30 of #RPGaDay2023!  We've made it once again!

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 30's prompt is "Obscure RPG I've Played"     

This one rattled my brain for a bit, especially after ten years.  It's easier to research older games than the subjective term of obscure.  To compound things, the prompt specifies an RPG I've actually played.  

First off, anything remotely mainstream is all dependent on gamer's experience and timeline.  I recently ran The Ice Caves of Azinth for my Monday night group.  At first glance, most people would have no clue what it is, so its a safe choice.  Throw on some additional data points and its not as obscure as one thinks. 

Picture from an Etsy listing...

It's a pamphlet-sized 16-page d20 module produced by Alderac Entertainment Group in 2001.  It was part of a large catalog of these fantasy modules for $2.49 or $3.00.  They had their own counter display, and with 3rd Edition getting released less than a year prior, these were perfect for for a ravenous public looking for any material it can, and who wouldn't pay a few bucks for a module, compared to $15-25 for a third party book which might be questionable. If they sold half as good in the rest of the country as they did in eastern Pennsylvania, thousands upon thousands of copies were sold.  Maybe not 5e sales figures, but for anyone not associated with WotC or Hasbro, respectable sales. 

I also took a hard look at all my Kickstarter purchases, specifically ones with print options.  A couple of the zine projects I figured would be low print runs, but had over 1,000 backers.  Others that only have a few dozen pledges, well... I haven't played/used.

(As a guideline, Arc Dream's Delta Green's relaunch had 2,500 backers, and DG-Conspiracy campaign that I participated in had over 3,500,  and Arc Dream is a steady 3rd/4th tier publisher. 

So to stay adherent with Rule #0 of #RPGaDay (Stay Positive!), I'll tweak the criteria. 

1)  Physical product only (no PDF only, or POD only options).  I have so much "stuff" on Drivethru that's just weird. 

2) Games/supplements I have not played, but really want to. Expanding this gives me two recent gems I haven't gotten on the gaming docket: 

Exhibit A:  Madness at the Mall by Louis Hoefner.  An adventure for the Dare-Luck RPG, this was part of this year's #ZineQuest and it appears 36 folks pledged for a physical hard copy.  It's a shame it was that low, because it's essentially a short guide to 80's malls, with 10 plot hooks for Dare-Luck, which seems like a kids-on-bikes RPG (so "Kids in Malls: the RPG?).   It is a template I want to use for my Risus: Illuminati University game, but just haven't gotten around using yet.

Final thought:  Physical copies arrived on time.  For all the authors, large and small, that have massive delays, it's wise and proper to laud those who have their stuff together, normal life issues, and deliver on time. 

Exhibit B: Exit, Pursued by a Bear by Stephanie Bryant.  A Fate game where you play Park Rangers handling a certain Ursine creature ingesting a large quantity of a processed product of Columbia.  

Yeah, it's that game. 

63 backers on Kickstarter for #ZineQuest, 42 requested physical copies.  

TEN YEARS AGO:  Ten years ago, the question was actually what was the Rarest RPG I owned.  Obscure was a prompt used on Day 8 of #RPGaDay2019, and it was the same answer:  The T.W.E.R.P.S.-Files for TWERPS, produced by Reindeer Games/Gamescience. 

While most casual readers of Dragon in the 80's and 90's would consider any non-TSR product advertised in the back of the magazine to be obscure, but in reality, there are more copies of Justifiers or Reich Star out there than anyone cares to admit.  Same goes for early TWERPS book, which Gamescience/Zocchi Distribution dedicated a 1/3 or 1/4 page ad most months.  The T.W.E.R.P.S. Files was the last supplement in the line, and didn't get must advertising, and pretty soon things turned south for the company.  I have my copy, but I'm frightened to see what Noble Knight would price out a copy still in the ziplock baggie, with the mini-d10.

(Star Wars d6) #103 - In Media Res

Planet: Unknown

Date: Unknown (But Sometime Before the Battle of Yavin)

It was night.

The aging Imperial Shuttle hovered above the canopy of the jungle.  Five figures rappelled down 30 meters into darkness.  They were fifteen clicks from the repurposed Imperial communications center, any closer and the surface-to-air weapons platforms would have blasted their way home out of the sky.

With the exception of the bounty hunter, Duk'k, everyone else had a thick layer of insect headgear protecting their faces.  The cacophony of alien insects, interspersed with calls from exotic birds hiding amongst was all they could hear during their journey.  

Despite the rough terrain, and unforgiving wildlife, they made extraordinary time and were ahead of schedule when they were face-to-face with a Rodian named Ral.  He was their contact on planet, and led the five other Rodians hiding in the foliage mere feet from him.  They were all part of the Ghost Rebellion, a wing of the rebels so violent, that even the infamous Saw Gerrera himself disowned them.  

From a small clearing, they could see a mountain piercing out from the jungle below.   Atop the mountain was a retired Imperial Communications Array.  It was large, foreboding, and without it's requisite lights, nearly pitch black against the night sky. 

They marched up the into the mountain, soon trading the moist jungle environment, for cleaning, lighter mountain air.  Another hour and Ral raised his right hand in a fist.  As everyone came to a halt, all could see the flashing lights of a communications device, it's glare bouncing off the armor of the stormtrooper fiddling around with it. 

Ral looked at the five, Duk'k, Sid, Evus, Sqarl, and Latorna Savvn.

"No blasters.  Those surface-to-air weapons can and will be pointed inwards via remote control inside the base.  Reaching that center is not your objective tonight."

Latorna and Sqarl reconnoitered around the guard shack to get into position.  Latorna was a second from getting the Stormtrooper into a headlock, while the sound of  Sid tumbling in the jungle in front of him broke the silence 

The Stormtrooper tried to step forward, but two arms reached from behind him, dropping his com and blaster while he was held in a Correlean Chicken Wing.  

Sqarl walked up from behind, faced the Stormtrooper, and tried to slide his knife between the plates of the armor.  The wounds that could reach the skin only appeared be superficial, so the Quarren knocked him out with the butt of his harpoon blaster.  

Duk'k walked up to them, "Seemed like trouble, maybe we should use a detached harpoon for the next one."

Evus dragged the body into the guard building.  He searched it, taking his blaster and access tags.   

Duk'k had picked up the Stormtrooper's com, and was looking it over, when his own com released a quick squelch.  

"Go ahead!"

"Duk'k... it's Abel.  Did you make it."

"Yes."

"Excellent, just remember, there's a ton of Stormtroopers in there.  Did you pack the extra grenades like I suggested?"

"Of course."

"Good, do not use the thermal detonators.  Let your guides use those.  Everything and everyone else is fair game.  Try to find the non-military administrators, they'll have the answers you need."

"Roger."

"No, it's Abel.  Roger was my pilot before."

"Oh yeah, how's he doing now."

"For a guy with half an ear still hears pretty good.  Make this quick, squelch me once your done and I'll fly into the rendezvous point. Good luck."

The group made another ten steps to the facility, when another squelch came over the com.

"Sorry Duk'k, you're not in the building yet are you?"

"No, not yet."

"Good, somebody woke up and wanted to say goodnight to you."  

After a short pause, a young girl's voice came over the com.

"Hi Uncle Duk'k."

"Hi Tarrie, go get some sleep."

"Okay, can Mister Abel get me some blue milk."

"Yes.  Love you.."

"Love you back, be awesome."

The group reached a single blast door on the near side of the complex.  Duk'k gestured to Evus and the Twi'lek swiped the security badge.  

The door opened to a smaller room crammed with figures.  Five stormtroopers lined the wall on the left, a number of civilians surrounded a table with numerous bags of materials, scales, and cutting implements.  On the far right was a lone Imperial bureaucrat in an unkempt state of dress.  Everyone turned to the open door to see the Sipsk'ud lob a flash bang grenade inside, right before closing the outside door.  

After a series of loud bangs, Duk'k gave the order to re-open the door.  Everyone was on the ground, most dazed, everyone confused.  

Evus walked in, blasting a stormtrooper in the face, then grabbing the administrator from underneath the shoulders, and dragged him out of the building.   The others made quick work of the remaining Stormtroopers, Sid blasting two in the face... repeatedly, sending pieces of helmets flying. 

Duk'k was impressed.  "Sid, that was viscious!"   He turned back to Evus and tossed his binders at the Twi'lek to secure the prisoner. 

After a cathartic release onto the Stormtroopers, the team evacuated the buildings and ran to the treeline. 

Ral the Rodian looked at the operation with satisfaction.  "Far more effective, and brutal than I expected of you.  You guys are all out, it's our turn now."

Duk'k questioned the rebel leader, "What about the non-combatants? We weren't supposed to take them out."

Ral laughed, "My friend, those were your orders.  We're here as a professional courtesy for what you've aided us with in the past."

As they reached the top of the jungle, explosions lit up the pre-dawn skyline...

The Ghost Rebellion takes no prisoners...

Soon after, the administrator woke up, staring at the five.

"You got something to tell us, son?"  Duk'k questioned.

The administrator sighed, "Oh, it's you...  Okay, I'll tell you where Ne'vets Aharo, and the Pretio are."

GM Notes:  With the campaign going on a possible hiatus, I wanted to set-up a near flash-forward.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I happened to listened Season 1 Episode 15 of Pink Fohawk, a Shadowrun actual play podcast, on the way down to my kid's AAU tournament.  Up until the guard shack, I almost copied the In Media Res script word-for-word until they ran into Ral (in the podcast it's the Ghost Cartel somewhere in Honduras.)  Only Hoyce took the effect in full stride, although Archi was happy to take over Evus and actually blow some shit up for a change. 

Next:  Gamma World for now, but one day #104!  

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 29 - Most Memorable Encounter

Day 29 of #RPGaDay2023!  

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 29s prompt is "Most Memorable Encounter"

Without peeking, my first thought sent to the first time Velandro met Dag.  

My 2nd edition AD&D college campaign, nowadays referred to as The Ballad of the Pigeon-God was an eclectic one, with over a dozen players moving in and out of the game during its lifetime.  

The group had begun playing B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess, using the "not cool" plot device place in B1-9 - In Search of Adventure. 

The group was maneuvering through the palace quite handily, if still confused by their circumstances, when they came upon the ruined library.  

Velandro was the cool, collected cleric of Akana (the state religion), who usually let the warriors take the lead in dungeon clearing.  But upon hearing scuttering amongst the collapsed bookshelves and shattered tables, followed by an audible shushing, Velandro took the lead, forcing the fighters back and he tried to lure whatever creature out. 

After much coaxing, a lone kobold peaked his head out.  Velandro offered food and show of dominance against his fellow adventurers, forcing them further back.   

After a half-hour of pure role-playing throwing a small monkey wrench into a night of dungeon crawling, it appeared that the kobold, Dag, not only swore allegiance to Velandro, but that of his wife and two young children hiding in the rubble.  Although a bit of a worrisome nuisance, Dag & Company helped the party clear out the palace.  

And, as one might suspect.  Dag's family became part of greater party's family, earning their keep, and ultimately leaving with Velandro to study religion, before returning to take part in the big apocalyptic finale.  Dag di Velandro, his wife Daschelle, his daughter Groata, and his son Scrag are all considered heroes of Crosedes, but more importantly, they are the founders of a kobold monastery in Ispatlia dedicated to creating kobold paladins.  

Ten Years Ago Today:  "It's a Wonderful Reunion"  Twenty-four sessions later, I tied in the party break-up over Summer break, and some disasters, and some multiversal adventuring with a big session on college move-in day that January. It does hold up as a great, memorable moment, probably moreso than my first thought t for 2023, but this one does have a kobold mariachi band.  I'm greatly overjoyed that, thanks to 3-D printing there are actually results to "Kobold Mariachi Band" compared to a decade ago, even if they are the 3E+ reptilian version. 

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 28 - Scariest Game I've Played

 Day 28 of  #RPGaDay2023 and there's a light at the end of tunnel.  Hopefully it's not an oncoming train or something equally terrifying.

An easy segue into  Day 28's prompt: "Scariest Game I've Played" 

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

As a rule, I try to avoid scary things and horror in general.  The traditional slasher/jump scare fest is usually relegated to films like Alien and Aliens.  It may seem odd, given the amount of Call of Cthulhu I run, but I think I can separate the cosmic horror and the horrors of humanity from the actual guttural emotion of fear.

My only choice I can think of is a Lafayette College student in a 1920's one-shot. 

I don't remember why are group was joy riding the back roads between Bethlehem and Easton but a few miles shy of Easton, we got caught up in an absolutely terrible storm.  Our car barely drivable, and providing minimal protection from the winds and hail, we pulled off of the road and dash 50 yards to an older house up a hill.  We were hoping for any better shelter, even if we initially met the business end of a shotgun by the local yokel living there. 

The real alternative was not something the 'investigators' were prepared.   

The door unlocked, we went inside.  Things looked normal to start, but with the sudden appearance of a local hobo through the backdoor, things showed their true nature, and the regular assortment of skulls,  unidentified vials, and skin-covered books.

Then, something began moving around the house, and it was NOT a second hobo.  There was some confusion, a possible melee, and our decision to flee.   My buddy Wooly's character made it to the grill of the car.  Jenny, his wife, had her character make it inside the car (a hardtop) but she fumbled the keys and got pulled out of the drivers side window.  

Feeling the entity following us to the car, I veered off, slid down some rocky hills, and made it through the main road.  The rain was just a horrible downpour at this time, but my adrenaline (and time on the rowing team)  allowed me to keep running. The true outskirts of civilization were only 15 minutes of running away, if I could keep going.  

I thought I was safe, until the creature leapt out of the trees to the right of me, pounced on top of me, and the momentum pushed us off the road and into the canal below. 

And for those of you keeping track at home, the hobo had ninja-like reflexes and fled in the opposite direction, far away from the marauding ghoul the lived in the house.

This one-shot was run by our Master Keeper "Dr Bob" as a Cthulhu primer for some new players.  He was using this to kick off his attempt at running Masks of Nylarathotep.  My successfully got through New York before real life got in the way of gaming... HARD, but this roughly 20 years ago.

Ten Years Ago Today:  This one I punted on.

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 27 - Game I'd Like a New Edition Of

 Day 27 of #RPGaDay2023!  

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 27's prompt is "Game I'd Like a New Edition Of..." 

There really is only one thing the desperately needs a new edition/reprint is Toon! 

The classic cartoon RPG does have a pdf copy in Warehouse 23, but that tangible copy is a must have for these games, even if we're only using a handful of pages at a time.  

Whether it was some classic Looney Tunes/Tom & Jerry-esque fun, a one-shot Christmas game involving Hannukah Harry, or the ultimate "Cthulhu Comes of Springfield."    "Springfield" was a series of hour-long vignettes to fill up a four-hour convention slot.  With names like "Homer the Ghoul," "Mister Smooth," and "Krusty the Kultist," it's been bringing joy for over 25 years, and it's long due for an overhaul and another batch of convention session.

It doesn't need a full re-write like a new edition would demand, again, I just want the tangible printed matter in my hands. 

Ten Years Ago Today:  Absolutely no deviation, Toon was the my demand back then. 

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 26 - Favorite Character Sheet

Day 26 of #RPGaDay2023!  And the more times questions are asked, the more things stay the same. 

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 26's prompt is "Favorite Character Sheet" 

Yes, the older D&D character sheets were classic yet trendy, but REF2 - Character Record Sheets for AD&D 2nd Edition is where it is for me!  

Yes. there are certain errors with it.  And yes, it's wildly inefficient for a number of classes, but these green pieces of paper elicit positive nostalgia as much as the Terrible Trouble at Tragidore from REF1 brings moans of disbelief.  The 2nd Edition was trying to establish itself from 15 years of prior ideas.  There were some hits, and some misses.  Lucky for me, these sheets were a bit success.

Ten Years Ago Today:  No Change, the AD&D 2nd Edition Character Sheet.  Even with all the online tools, fillable PDFs, and player produced accessories, I want to break out late-model yellow mechanical pencils and go to town. 

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 25 - An Unplayed RPG That I Own

Day 25 of #RPGaDay2023!  

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 25's prompt is "An Unplayed RPG That I Own" 

First, it's a perfect time to let me take a shelfie...

While I haven't gotten a chance to use all the adventures and supplements on my bookcase, I have played all the RPG rules on the shelves, which forced me to dig into the drawers beneath.  

I pulled out two that I grabbed during one of the  #Zinequests and have not gotten around to playing.

Girl Underground: A Powered by the Apocalypse game about curious girls in wondrous worlds, such as Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and Spirited Away.  The playbooks are for each character archetype in the stories (The Girl, the Beast, the Construct, etc...)

Last Sentinels:  Is a GM-less game for 3-4 players.  Play focuses on a lone protagonist, a rookie Mech pilot defending the survivors of his planet from overwhelming odds.  Players take turns playing the roles of the pilot, their enemies, and other minor characters.  Worse yet, the pilot is doomed to fail 

The author also wrote A Complicated Profession, a fun game those goes off in the complete opposite direction.  I recommend both.

... and we don't talk about PDFs.  My DriveThruRPG Library, like everyone else's, is too intimidating for a positive project like #RPGaDay.

Ten Years Ago Today:  It appears the original topic was actually  Favorite RPG No One Wants to Play, a different focus entirely.  Looking back I actually offered seven games I wanted to play, but could not get the players.  A decade later, the development of casual online gaming, and a pandemic to double down on it. I'm happy to say three of the seven have been explored at a "table" with players.  

#7 ✔️Gamma World - Currently running online, and the characters and concepts were the inspiration of a post-apocalyptic miniatures game at Historicon.

#6 Mouse Guard - Never got around to it.  Eventually sold off the book.  Currently investigating Root with the girls, thanks to #FreeRPGDay swag.

#5 Talislanta - Even with a Talislanta: The Savaage Lands RPG Kickstarter (set immediately after the cataclysm) and an Epic "final" edition in the works, I haven't played a lick of it. 

#4 ✔️ The Gnomish Space Marines - The TWERPS/Rogue Trader vibe converted over to sci-fi miniatures, using either Planet 28 or Fistful of Lead.  Using the Laserburn rules and supplements for military fluff.  They made their appearance at this year's Historicon as well.  

#3 ✔️ Call of Cthulhu: Cult of Nevoz - This was at least started, thanks to GM no-shows during the early days of my online gaming.  It evolved a bit more into "Canadian 90's College Cthulhu" but we could pick up were we left off.  I did manage a Canadian rendition of "Werewolves of London (Drug)."

#2 Recon - Never got a chance, no longer own the rules, but if I did have more players with military experience, I'd hunt it down/buy the pdf in a heartbeat.

#1 "Home" -  Polynesian D&D or more accurately "Reverse Dungeon Isle of Dread" where the PCs are young natives.  The binder is not on my shelfie, but I have pulled it out over the years to review and revise.  If my current BECMI D&D fill-in game ever completes its story arc (it does have one!) I may need to to shoe-horn this into the group, 

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 24 - The Simplest RPG I Play

Day 24 of #RPGaDay2023 and I'm going around in philosophical circles.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 24's prompt is "Simplest RPG I Play"

This year's process is to go with your first impression, which is Risus - The Everything RPG.  

The criteria is "simple."  If my Monday night online game has no-shows, most of the time I will resort to Risus to make up characters and run something else from my archive of awesome.  Whether it's Illuminati University, Coffee Shop, or an impulsive game based on pulp serials and Terraforming Mars, having players think up four cliches  and some equipment is much easier than a full-sized RPG.

Shoutout to "Post-Match Interview" out of the The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D'Amato.  It is a half-step beyond an improv session, but I love to use it when we've waited too long for somebody to salvage a full session, or we want to wrap up early.  

Ten Years Ago Today:  Fun fact, ten years ago, the official question was "Most Complicated RPG Owned", and I gave respect and props for Fantasy Wargaming.    I'll also note here, that Day 7 of 2014, I named Risus the "Most Intellectual RPG Owned," because it can be conveniently simple, and also add on layers of complexity, if you like that sort of thing.

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 23 - Coolest Looking RPG Product or Book

Day 23 of #RPGaDay2023 and the prompt is asking my demographic what's cool.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 23's prompt is "Coolest Looking RPG Product or Book"

I know I'm dating myself, but the Coolest Looking RPG would have to pass the "Waldenbooks" test.  The gaming section in the Waldenbooks in the Palmer Park Mall was a solid vertical panel in the back corner of the store.  There was tons of D&D, but there was also a better selection of other RPGs than most stores I visit nowadays.  

Certain books just called to me from the shelves:

Talislanta 2nd Edition:

The Temple of Elemental Evil: 

And most of the BECMI boxed sets (Immortal was mediocre art and the gold was horrible...)

Not surprisingly, this was the stuff that shaped my gaming background.  

But the ultimate in coolness?   The Lost Souls Edition for The End. 

The End is a simple concept.  The Book of Revelations transpire.  The Rapture finally occurs. Billions die in war, famine, plague, and pestilence.  And yet, after all of that, the war with Heaven and with Hell seems to cease, there are still people left on the Earth.

The meek have inherited it, and its reverting back to its primordial roots. 

The Lost Souls edition is d20 compatible (OGL and all), but the book itself passes my test.

A pdf copy of the game is available on DrivethruRPG, but it's an average scan and it's overpriced.  

Ten Years Ago Today:  The End had me back then as well.  It's a shame I never got the chance to play it.

(Star Wars d6) #102 - Back on the Pretio

Meanwhile, Duk'k, the Sipsk'ud Bounty Hunter, was relaxing in the pilot's seat of the Pretio.  The maintenance droids at the Ubrikkia starport seemed a little slow in work-speed and processing power, but they were wrapping up diagnostics on the ship's hyper drive and landing gear.    The first been lost in space due to a erratic departure from hyperspace near Kwenn, then barely recovered and re-engaged while the crew was fighting a deadly infestation.  The second had fallen off during a previous crash landing by a non-pilot crew member.  Both were now operational enough to get off this forsaken industrial planet and the whole gang could attend to a number of issues.  

Duk'k: The Bounty Hunter

A crackling from his com woke him from his half-slumber.  

"Duk'k?  DUK'K!!!   Get the droids off the ship, pay off the port fees, and lower the lift, we're coming in hot!!!"

It was good to see that the crew's boss, exotic animal broker Ne'vet Aharo, was on top of things.  They had landed on this planet for the ship repairs, as well emergency surgery for holo-vid social media star Cousin Rancor, and a replacement leg for the Pretio's main pilot, Sid.  Both had brushes with a creatures suffering from a serious, deadly, and violent infection with other creatures and animals.    Routine surgery shouldn't have created such a hasty retreat, 

Ne'vets Aharo

Duk'k switched on the Pretio's engines, lowered the lift from the cargo bay, and was escorting the maintenance droids down the ramp of the ship with the Piscopo, a repulsorlift cargo van, came barreling down the concourse and slid onto the lift.  Duk'k hit the button for the ramp and dashed back to the cargo hold to ensure the lift worked appropriately. 

The Piscopo

He was met by the rest of the crew, tumbling out of the vehicle.  The aquatic animal expert, the Quarren Sqarl,  was carrying the pilot, Sid, in his arms.  She was still in a hospital surgical gown, dazed and confused,  but certainly had a brand new metal leg attached. 

Sqarl

"What happened???"

Sqarl spitted out at him, "Rancor's dead, the xeno parasite got into the hospital, probably from him.  Whole things on lockdown.  We gotta GO NOW!"

"Sid"

Sqarl took Sid to the crew lounge and laid her on one of the cushioned benches with seat belts and strapped her in. 

The astromech droid, R2-H8(r) rolled into the lounge and questioned Squarl.

"You know, nothing ever goes wrong in the crew lounge.  We still have Cousin Rancor's blood on the floor."

R2-H8(r)

"She's been jostled around enough to get here.  Come up to the cockpit with me.  We need to jump ANYWHERE ASAP!"

Back in the cargo bay, Ne'vets emerged from the Piscopo and made his way to the cockpit, motioning to Duk'k, "C'mon, we need you to pilot... for now..."

Duk'k followed his boss and returned to the pilot's chair.  The Pretio lifted off without issue, and without clearance, he accelerated full throttle out of the starport and out of the atmosphere.  

As everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief,  Evus popped his head up into the cockpit, "Hey guys, everyone is accounted for, we're good to go!.... There, there, everything's going to be find."

Evus

Duk'k was a pit perturbed, "Did we take another rando with us," he said, turning around, "Is that a child???"

Evus had only climbed the ladder up to the cockpit so his torso was above the floor, but wrapped around his body was a small human girl, no older than four years old.

"Yes, she was the only person we could rescue during our escape.  The rest might all be D-E-A-D.  She hasn't spoken yet, but I think we can name her Terrie!"

"Were her parents in the hospital."

The little girl's lip quivered even more.

"Okay, we'll talk later.  Take her down to the lounge and feed her some space salisbury steak...."

With the hour, little Terri was chowing down on brownies and cobbler,  Sid was coherent enough to return to the cockpit, and H8(r) calculated a reasonable jump to a safe location so the crew could regain their focus.

GM Notes:  I ran this little bit two weeks after session #101.  Hoyce, Duk'k's player had returned from some unfortunate events, so we tried to tie him into the end of that session.  Duk'k had originally been part of the field trip on Ubrikkia, but his absence (and some questionable acts by the others) required me to rewrite him to the stay on the ship, rather than Evus.   As might be noticed, this whole session was twelve minutes long. 

Next: #103 - In Media Res 

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 22 - Best Secondhand RPG Purchase

 Day 22 of #RPGaDay2023 and  I'm feeling deja vu all over again.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 22s prompt is "Best Secondhand RPG Purchase" 

I scanned my bookshelves, but nothing secondhand screamed out to me.  To be honest, I have a lot of secondhand book to replace the originals I should have never gotten rid of in the first place.  

I went through my drawers, which contain smaller books, modules, magazines, and other types of games, but again, nothing I saw had notably expanded my campaign or inspired me more than anything else.

But going through my desk, I finally found something that qualifies.  

Epic of Aearth for Gary Gygax's Dangerous Journeys

Not many good pictures of the cover.  Pic from Shop on the Borderlands

Dangerous Journeys was Gary Gygax's triumphant return to role-play design, only to be shot down and burned by TSR's lawyers.   Mythus was the fantasy ruleset, Mythus Magick covered, well, magic, and the Bestiary did a generic run at fantasy and mundane monsters.

Epic of Aearth was the world, a gazetteer of sorts, covering the entire world, while also discussing underground civilizations, the hollow world, and the world of the fairy.  The surface world was a very dry attempt at a fantasy Earth. 

With my first secondhand copy, I decided to fit my own homebrewed World of Georic, already ten years old, into the this fantasy Earth equivalent.  

Twenty years later, and I'm still trying to fit things together.  I've been building out entries for my countries, similar to Epic, and have a few cursory countries completed with the Georic Gazetteer.

Part of that is due to the fact that I've only recently compiled my campaign's exploits, circa 1990-98, in sort of a third-party, after-the-fact format.  The Lost Dispatches of Feraso try their best to connect the distant memories of long forgotten adventures and reconcile the fact that I had Shadowdale within a days ride of the Temple of Elemental Evil and even worse nonsense.  I've revised times and places so that when I get to these more significant countries, I'll almost sound like I know what I'm talking about.

Ten Years Ago Today:  Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play.  Every time I pick up another copy of WFRP, I find something inspiring in it, although I doubt I'll ever play it.  

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 21 - Favorite Licensed RPG... and Twenty Questions About It

Day 21 of #RPGaDay2023 and I'm certainly a loner today, Dottie, a rebel. 

RIP: Paul Reubens, you weird dude.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 21s prompt is "Favorite Licensed RPG" 

For the third time in #RPGaDay, I bring up Star Wars D6, so I'm going to take up this space and answer "Twenty Questions About My Campaign - Star Wars Edition" like I have for some of my other games. 

1 - Where are all the Jedi?   I was told there would be Jedi!!!!!!

You were told wrong!  I set the game in what would be 5 BBY, so rumors and innuendo are all they have to go by.  Even the oldest character, Frokazza the Wookie, was quite young when Kashyyyk fell, so only recalls legends in his neck of the literal woods.  That all being said, the group has encountered a figure wielding two red lightsabers in the Ul-Mor Caves on Volturnus.   They also encountered a mysterious orange saber-wielder in a mysterious complex deep under planet 579-908, while on a side-mission from a Safari Ship.  The crew never pursued anything force related from those encounters.

2 - Wait... Volturnus is a series of Star Frontiers modules.  An Safari Ship is a GDW adventure for Traveller... What sort of bastardization are you doing???

Whatever I darn well please, thank you very much!  Seriously, with the non-rebel status of the crew, I needed some different adventures.  Plus, I'm pretty certain no one in my group played Star Frontiers or Traveller (beyond character creation), so they were great sources to mine.  

3 - How much non-Star Wars stuff have you used?

Outside of a WotC Star Wars free adventure and one from Fantasy Flight, probably the rest.  In fact my predilection for Traveller stuff is #RPGaDay's fault.  For Day 26 of 2019, the prompt was "Idea" and that was my public launch of the Challenge Challenge:  Mining old Challenge magazines for ideas for multiple games.  I reviewed Challenge #25-29 for campaign before dumb me realized that "Challenge" #1-24 were actually the Journal for the Traveller's Aid Society, and once I pulled out that material, it was perfect for the crew. 

4 - Wait the crew of the starship does WHAT???

They're exotic animal brokers.  LEGIT Imperial licensed animal brokers.  The main man himself, Ne'vets Aharo, is very meticulous with his paperwork, and maintaining above-board relations with multiple Imperial bureaucrats, resources in most planetary agencies, and notes relations with law-abiding, anti-rebellion personalities.  

Not that he's adverse to any side work, if the money's right.  You need a large shipment of endangered Azure rabbits transported to a fringe world for a feast?  For the right credits, Ne'vets has the know-how, the staff, and the equipment to make it happen. 

5 - Completely ridiculous!  Where do you even run an exotic animal broker business out of?

The true business office is on Bestine, but that is the equivalent of a bank of PO Box businesses in the modern day.  Ne'vets small ranch is on Takodano, where he has an uneasy relationship with a certain Maz Kanata.  

6 - Maz? One of mysterious cool things about the last trilogy that they butchered?  What other canonical things are you toying with? 

They did team up with a bounty hunter on Hosnian Prime and competed for a bounty against a certain smuggler and his Wookie co-pilot.   A fun "oh crap" moment when I realized they arrived  right when the events of a certain novel were occurring.  Don't worry, no one died....

7- Who have these guys ticked off?

Pirates around Dathomir for calling a Star Destroyer in to seize their base.   Black market rival Laroc Sniksnab,  The Droid Liberation Front on Cloud City.  And they may have pissed off the entire Black Sun for shooting up one of their casinos, unknowingly aiding in a robbery of one of their vaults, and the wanton murder of numerous Black Sun operatives on and below the streets of Naboo.  

8 - And who are they friends with?

Well, certain imperial agencies LOVE these guys, so much so that they've been offered tens of thousands of credit APIECE to merely be support on some ecological mission (So far, Ne'vets as evaded answering them.)  They're also members of the Ul-Mor tribe, friends of the Kurabanda, drunk-dial first calls for Abel Norrum.

9 - Abel... Norrum? 

Yep.  Imagine if Steve Irwin became a guide for big-game intergalactic safari hunters.   Possibly Ne'vets' best professional friend.  

10 - Any side gigs for when the Intergalactic Murder Hornet market slows down? 

Everything ranging from ship salvage (and running in to the Skittermanders from Starfinder), to prison breaks, movie piracy, to full blown corporate sabotage!

11 - So you're really not covering the Rebellion?

When you're a moneymaker and normally following the rules, rebellions are bad for business... until the Empire takes away that business, one day.  The now ex-pilot of the Pretio, Tarrie Prolek, had a half sister, Lotarna Savvn, who is a bad-ass Y-Wing Pilot, demolitions expert, saboteur, and rebel terrorist, who kept showing up.  First time, she blew up an Imperial ATM... (and a neighboring Jawa Juice franchise), and got away.  When Tarrie went missing after the previously mentioned Black Sun casino shoot-em-up, she stayed on with the crew for a bit, until she was caught by authorities for attempting to rob the same bank again on Botajef.  Her whereabouts are unknown.  

12 - Any special rules for the campaign?

Standard Star Wars 2nd Edition (Revised is my reference copy).  No major deviations, although we did do two episodes using A Complicated Profession to cover a near-death fever dream Ne'vets was suffering from while on the roof of that previously mentioned Black Sun casino.

13 - Hold on, is that a duck cosplaying as Boba Fett?

No, it's not a duck.  HE is a Sip'skudd, an avian race with many many eyes.  He is wearing armor that mimics the Mandalorian armor. 

And his name is Duk'k: The Bounty Hunter

14 - Why is there a Certificate of Appreciation in the cockpit from the Imperial Zoological Symposium and Exposition?

Because the crew saved everyone from utter death by capturing the very creature they captured for a Trillionaire tycoon who wanted the notoriety, but skimped on security.  The capture may or may not have involved shirtless, oiled up men, Wookie DJs, and a solo from Space Cats: The Musical, but you never know. 

15 -  What's up with all the monkeys?

What part of Exotic Animal Broker didn't you understand.

If you meant the monkey-like Kurabanda on Volturnus who led the crew to human civilization?  Bo'non'as and Oopsa was a filler campaign involving the tree-top dwellers and what happened after the humans were led away to their own people. 

If you mean the Beaked Monkeys of Quellor, who were discovered that they could do partially complicated tasks, so Tarrie and the group wanted to train them to be monkey butlers, but the last great monkey tuxedo pants creator was a Gungan tailor on Naboo, and that very same trip caused multiple run-ins with the Black Sun... all instigated my monkey pants?

I have no clue.  My players are insane.

16 - Any third party Star Wars idea to later add to the campaign?

Like basing the post-Empire world off of the Timothy Zahn novels. Maybe...

The whole Imperial job angle (which Ne'vets will never take) was a plot device to possibly hook them into the early episode the Campaign's early Star Wars episodes.  Probably would have flopped, but the various fauna and flora issues, plus an outside chance to learn about a "Murder Ball" might be enjoyed by at least this GM.  

17 - Why are there so many TV dinners on the ship?

SPACE TV dinners, thank you very much.  Single guys (and a gal) on a ship.  Rarely any set meal times, the personal dinners are the way to go, and great for luring werewolves on distant worlds.  Just don't get into a debate over the cobbler versus the space brownie.

18- Roger that, but, umm... Werewolves?

Well xenomorphs who have evolved into a near canine mammalian state.  Infected crew, infested the ship, infected the loose bunnies hiding within the hull of the ship.  Hilarity ensued.  #RIPCousinRancor #RIPTheEnitrePlanetOfUbrikkia

19 - What is the biggest score the crew is on the hunt for?

Three words:  Space Drop Bears.  

20 - Where can I find these odd escapades?

Right here on Gaming with Gnomies.  Start with Episode #0 and move on.  Each episode should have a link to the next.  Excitement!

Ten Years Ago Today: GURPS: Humanx was my licensed game of choice, fueled entirely by 25 year-old nostalgia.  I also had been the spectator to some awesome Star Wars games back in the day, and not a player.  Obviously, some of that has changed.

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 20 - What RPG Will I Still Play in Twenty Years Time?

Day 20 of #RPGaDay2023 and I'm definitely looking deep into the abyss of my own mortality with today's topic.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 20s prompt is "What RPG Will I Still Play in Twenty Years Time." 

When this question came up when I was 39, it was an easy one, regardless of my answer.  

At 49, with a "traditional gamer body" and a few trips to the hospital in 2020, and way too many funerals for healthy folks, ages 55-70, I really hope I'm around at 69 and slinging dice.  

Gotta get those extra steps after it cools off tonight. 

If I'm still around into my retirement, I can still see the Del Boca Vista on the Susquehanna Senior  Community Role-Playing club showing up for a Wednesday afternoon game of Star Wars D6  (West End Games)

With the exception of maybe massive dice pool Jedi games, it still works with your movies/shows/comics/non-canonical fanfiction of your choice.  Until West End went belly up in 1999, they made a sourcebook for just about every movie topic, every novel, and is still used as reference material and inspiration for current material.

(And let us not loudly of the spice smugglers who may have not only pdfs of the old product, but fan-made D6 sourcebooks covering everything from Episode 1 on.  I can neither confirm nor deny their existence, but if they did, exist, having stats for Naboo vehicles and *cough cough* Gungans might have been a great help during my Star Wars campaign, which I finally added a link to my main page.)

Ten Years Ago Today:  I gave three options:  

#3 - Hackmaster, and it still might take another twenty years to get that band together.  

#2 - Call of Cthulhu.  Masks of Nylarahotep was done in some twenty-odd mega-sessions and the campaign given a soft retirement.  Post COVID, we're slowly talking about revisiting 1926/27 New York City.

#1 - AD&D 2nd Edition (Core books only) 

It's still not a bad choice.

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 19 - Favorite Published Module/Adventure

Day 19 of #RPGaDay2023 and I'm finally getting that warm and fuzzy feeling, and it's not from the glass of rye next to me.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 17's prompt is "Favorite Published Module/Adventure" 

I've rarely been part of the trad gamer demographic, but my most unpopular opinion is D&D module B9 - Castle Caldwell and Beyond is fantastic.  

Now, if you're players get triggered by the classic "imprisoned without weapons or armor" trope or worse yet, "rescue the princess," the other mini-adventures might not be for you, but the namesake on the cover, Castle Caldwell, is a perfect and straight-forward enough 'trainer dungeon' that I have used dozens of times to introduce players to the hobby.   Hell, it was one of my early adventures as a player, run by my cousin, Ben.

• The beloved "Clear out my house/castle/root cellar/chicken coop" adventure starter.
• Most encounters, save the wolves and the basement, are either survivable or avoidable.  Realizing that some of the folks don't want a fight, but also don't want to outright surrender is an important lesson to learn early on.
• The 3,000 copper pieces in room 1 or 2 should be the only introduction someone needs to encumbrance.  Who is going to pack up and carry around 30 lbs  of pennies? Nobody should, until you clear out the place.  
• It is relatively quick, partially because it's only two-fifths of a traditional Basic D&D module.  

Besides using it as a training tool (and most of the players still in the hobby, some after 30 years), Caldwell does have the distinction of being the kick-off for my favorite campaign out of my homebrewed World Georic, The Ballad of the Pigeon God.   Caldwell was the launching point, followed by the dungeon in the AD&D 1st Edition Dungeon Masters Guide, and a sudden castle out of DMGR2: The Castle Guide.  There, I followed the the suggested path from B1-9 and used "Elwyn's Sanctuary" out of B9 with a horribly delicious segue into the version of B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess presented in the anthology.  

Ten Years Ago Today:  No surprise, it was Castle Caldwell as well, a decade ago. 

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 18 - Favorite Game System

Day 18 of #RPGaDay2023 and now I'm pondering definitions for a "fun" internet project.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 18's prompt is "Favorite Game System" 

As Day 31 is "Favorite RPG of all Time"  and one significant criteria would normally be game system, I'll throw a curveball.    My Favorite RPG is such because the system is great, but the monstrosity which is Hackmaster is my favorite game system, because there are so many of them.  

Birthed from the pre-2000 D&D, with a percentile skill system thrown in for good measure, Hackmaster is everything anachronistic we loved about D&D.  Complicated concepts, multiple rolls on multiple charts, calculating things is actually an exercise in skill, memorization, and simple luck, more than a mere min-maxer can tolerate. 

All of it culminates in the Hackmaster GameMaster's Screen, the greatest value in a GM screen ever (and I own a 99-cent Gamma World 1st edition screeen from Kay-Bee Toys!)

Ten Years Ago Today:  It make's sense that my preferences have evolved over the years.  Ten years ago, I said AD&D 2nd Edition was my favorite system, and in some ways, it still is. 

Of course, it must be noted, that I don't think I've played Hackmaster or 2nd Edition over the decade.  Things were either 5e or one session of 4e when it came to D&D.  Most of my go-to fill-in games for the Monday night group have been Mentzer Red Box (ultimately BECMI Rules Cyclopedia)

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 17 - Funniest Game You've Played

Day 17 of #RPGaDay2023 and I'm laughing at how hard this question is.  

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 17's prompt is "Funniest Game You've Played" 

Most of my games produce serious chuckles, even if it's out-of-character talk.  But Funniest?  Without going back and researching, I'm going to have to go with a Christmas game, using Toon, circa 2002 run by our friend Droz.  

I think the premise was simple, Santa and most of the top elves had disappeared, leaving... erm... the misfit elves to find them.  

We were told to draw our characters.  Most of us made bad attempts at Rankin-Bass elves.  One player just drew a curly-cue cotton ball with eyes, arms, and legs.  Their job?  To fluff up all the stuffed animals so they're ready for Christmas morning.  Half of the readers will know where this was going (it was an all-adult group).  For the other half, the mysterious theme dominated the game, but you just had to be there.  

As clues were assembled, and we found a skullcap, blue star symbol, Manischewitz wine, and a note referring to one of the kidnappers as Harry, they all knew where to go.

Hogwart's... because it was obviously Harry Potter. 

After a short wizarding war to get things back on track, we continually ran things off the rails AGAIN and AGAIN.  I think we hijacked a monorail and tried to sing Christmas in Hollis in our worst elf voices, but ultimately Hannukah Harry was vanquished and a grand time was had by all.  

I have other games that might be far funnier written out, but this one had us all-out guffawing for most of the game. 

Ten Years Ago Today:  And then I read the post from 10 years ago, and I only have one word:

The Kermitnator

TWERPS was famous for those silly punny character concepts.  The Holy Rolled-Up Newspaper of God, Wednesday Edition, was all me.   

1993 was an odd time indeed.

#RPGaDay2023 - Day 16 - Game You Wish You Owned

Day 16 of #RPGaDay2023 and I feel like I need to pull out an old Chessex catalog, back when they were game distributors, on top of dice makers.

For each day I'll be answering the question provided, and for fun, review how I answered a similar question during #RPGaDay a decade ago.  Scout's Honor, I have not peeked at the older answer.

Day 16's prompt is "Game You Wish You Owned" 

My last major gaming purge was 20 years ago.  All the old books, original Dwarven Forge, Geo-Hex, and a pile of miniatures I can't remember, much less attempt to reassemble these days.   Over the last two decades it's been a slower, methodical, budget-driven growth in my RPG library, and a far more reckless acquisition of historical, pulp, and sci-fi minis versus getting to use them, or even paint them for that matter.  There have been a handful of mini-purges, usually to the Mepacon auctions or, most recently, the flea market at Fall-In!

Despite going through the gaming solicitations for monthly new releases, there hasn't been much that's tickled my interest in years.  Even Kickstarters for new games, or relaunches of old classic, rarely tickle my fancy the way I expected them to, and to me, the accompanying PDF is just an afterthought that pops up in my memories from time to time, but nothing serious.  

So what do I really, really, really wish I had a hardcopy of? 

First thought was ALIEN by Free League Publishing.  It's highly regarded in the sci-fi and horror communities, you can base things off of either of the original two movies, both, or the whole gamut of the ALIEN universe.  I could enjoy this... which is something I said about Tales from the Loop and Twilight: 2000.  I invested in the sets, enjoyed the goodies during the unboxing, but in the end, I'm left with the pdfs and zero chance to play.  It will remain at my FLGS so someone else can better appreciate it.

As a humorous second, I did fall upon a complete line of Blacksburg Tactical Research's Macho Women with Guns.  Yes, kids, this was a real thing.   The books were as mint as they possibly could be, and I didn't necessarily wince at the price tag (over $100 for the whole series of staple-bound pamphlets).  But even for a guy like me, who does play wacky stuff, and even owns some of the minis, in the end, I don't want them. 

Which leaves me the predicament I've had for years: a copy of Atlantis: The Second Age full blown hardcover in all its glory, sitting in my FLGS.    

And I just can't pull the trigger. 

Here's the thing -  With my ongoing work with my (A)D&D/Hackmaster World of Georic Campaign, this could be a huge boon for areas of the world I have limited data on, specifically my Atlantis knock-off, the Senzar Empire.  

But the more I think, the more I think I just want of a hardcopy of the Atlantis: The Lost World softcover from Bard Games, circa 1988.  

It's not as detailed as Second Age, it's not as nice, but the nostalgic vagueness calls to me.  

Perhaps the best case scenario, I find a copy on eBay, fall in love with it again, grab the cheap copy of the Atlantis: The Second Age from Khepera Publishing, and slowly acquiring the digital catalog, then grabbing Hellas, and maybe Godsend: Agenda. 

But time will tell.  Eventually I have to pull the trigger on something.

UPDATE (8/23):  I did pull the trigger and picked up the Khepera copy of Atlantis from my FLGS.  They gave me an offer on a deal I hadn't look to haggle with and it was almost free.  I've only gotten to peruse the first few chapters, but it's exactly what I was looking for.  

Ten Years Ago Today:  When the kids were 3 and 5, the RPG I most wanted was a hardcopy of Dagger for Kids!   The pdf was available cheap, but I wanted physical copies that weren't off of my printer.  

I also mentioned wanting new copies of old favorites: Space: 1889, Recon, and Castle Falkenstein.  I've found copies of 1889 and Falkenstein, and have already rehomed them long ago. 

(Star Wars d6) #101 - Clinical Self-Extraction

The Crew of the Pretio in This Week's Episode 

Ne'vets Aharo - an exotic animal broker, both legal and otherwise, majority owner in the Pretio.  Currently missing after the Pretio's abrupt stop.

Duk'k - Sipsk'ud Bounty Hunter, recently rescued by the crew. Offering his services in order to get off this barely existing hunk of mud. His warning shots are dead center mass kill shots.  Currently overseeing the repairs to the Pretio.

Sqarl - Quarren ex-whaladon hunter, recently hired onto the crew.

Evus - Twi'lek male, former slave, then former associate of Ne'vets, who has found his way back to the Pretio but caught back up in the nonsense of the Pretio.  Former lover and boy-toy to the feared Rebel terrorist (and former Pretio crewmember), Latorna Savvn.   

"Sid" - A peculiar woman who has shown to be a better pilot than the previous one. Possible Imperial ties, but a far better shot.  Recent victim of a werewolf attack and (as of a few minutes)  below the knee amputee,  thanks to the ship's medical droid, Dr P3PP3R.  Currently going through surgery to attach a robotic leg.

"Ship Tarrie" - With the recent catastrophic failure on the Pretio, the subsequent reboot has an awoken an AI to the ship that seems to believe it is previously MIA/KIA pilot, Tarrie Prolek

R2-H8(r) - "H8R"  Astromech with a confusing history, and harsh attitude towards most of the crew. 

"Cousin Rancor" - Social media guru, famous for foolish holo-vids across the galaxy.  Lone survivor of last failed expedition to obtain a 'werewolf' and badly wounded by the Bioxin Azure attack.  Currently undergoing life-saving surgery.  

The More Things Change....

After extracting themselves from the werewolf-infested 

World of Belkain, the crew of the Pretio

Have journeyed to the planet Ubrikkia 

For necessary surgery from their pilot, Sid,

And the rescued social media influencer, Cousin Rancor.

A pleasant but boring day in the clinic waiting room

Has beeen cancelled with numerous alerts, secured portals,

And of staff warning of explosions and biological attacks

Behind the security doors

Exactly the spot where Sid and Cousin Rancor still reside....

The series of alerts had been announced once, the doors to the waiting room secured, and everything had seen fine until a staff member actually flew out of a set of double doors leading into the procedure area. He had a  star-shaped pattern was on his face, and significant acid burns were on his arms, but was still alive.

After calling for a nurse or medic and getting no response, the crew looked over their options together. 

All the doors in the waiting rooms appeared quite sturdy and secure. With the crew deciding against using the smuggled in grenades to blast an opening... yet, and hearing a commotion back in the surgical area, they worked their way down a hallway leading to the restrooms and vending machines.  

Going past the restrooms, Sqarl expressed his displeasure to Ne'vets.  

"I do NOT want to locked in here with those creatures if they're back again."

"It could be something else.  A complete coincidence."

"It was Cousin Rancor.  I had my eye on him day one..  We should have left him on Belkain."

"We could also drop him off at that lady and get paid for a werewolf, probably"

"We could also make a whole bunch of them using the head and spinal column... which isn't here, it's back on the ship, which feels a much safer place to be."

After checking a few more outside doors, they checked another set of internal doors outside the surgical area.  They were yelled at by a Rodian nurse, demanding they return back to their original location.

Sqarl snapped back, "Don't you understand," motioning at his weapon, "We are security. Nothing's working for us either."

The nurse suggested a doorway further down, but the banging and yelling by the crew attracted most of their fellow waiting room visitors.  

When even a few shoulders in the door caused no effect, Sqarl wandered down to the restrooms.  Not seeing any good spots to blast a whole in the wall, he continued down the main hallway.  To the right was an open-air courtyard between the sealed hallway and the main building.  At the end of the passage was a large kiosk manned by older ladies, and a bank of lifts.  Paying no heed to the ladies, Sqarl scanned the hospital directory to see there was a way to get back to Sid.   He quickly hit the coms.

"Replacement legs are Outpatient Surgery, right? I think I found an access point."

As the guys worked down there, Sqarl stared down the security lady, declaring he was security and his arriving group needed access to the basement.  The lady gleefully complied.  

The lift delivered them in a small waiting rom with a receptionist desk and a security door.  

Sqarl commandeered a staff member and forced them to swipe and override access into the surgical suites.  A brave patient did manage to sneak up and attempt to put a waste receptacle over the Quarren's head, quite unsuccessfully.     Sqarl could only turn to the patient, emit a "What are you doing?" and pushed the patient down the hallway towards the lift.  

The back area was just a series of curtains blocking off areas for exam rooms, recovery, etc. 

A pair of footsteps could be heard getting louder towards their location.  Sqarl managed to hide, but Ne'vets was flat-footed in the middle of the aisle.   An actual security guard arrived, blaster in hand, face covered with a blood splatter.

"You need to hide, preferably in another building."

"How do we get the...."

"Go, go go!" The security guard grabbed Steve by the neck and turned him around back towards the lift.  He nudged Ne'vets to move with some enthusiasm.

"What is it that's so dangerous?"

"I've only heard rumors of people coming in with items shoved in their bodies.  I never thought they used violent creatures!"

**THWACK**

Sqarl had caught up and hit the security guard in the back of the head with the butt of his blaster.  They grabbed all the security passes and the hospital com, which, when actually turned on, was nothing but blaster fire and panicked staff running for their lives.  

A quick perusal of the digital map, and they realized Sid was one level up, and a nearby stairwell was the fastest path.  

The next level up looked similar to the basement, but there was a thick layer of fog all about, as something must have hit hoses somewhere.   A quick barrage of blaster fire could be heard.  

It took a number of minutes, going through a series of patients, but they found Sid laying on a gurney in the hallway.   Ne'vets tossed Sid over his shoulder and they worked their way back to the original waiting room.  Sid was becoming coherent, but could only see the French Blue with flecks of silver on the floor fly by...

"That's a nice floor...."

When they reached the outpatient waiting room, Sqarl barked at the remaining staff and patients hiding, "There's a dangerous animal on the loose on this floor, we all need to leave right now."

In an attempt to avoid the scary Quarren with a weapon, the staff escorted everyone else up a staircase hidden behind the office.  

Realizing that the Piscopo was parked by the original waiting room, they took the lift back up the worked up the long hallway.  Only Sid noticed through the windows, that the large vehicles pulling up to the clinic behind them.  Local troops of some sort were pouring out.  

They reached the original waiting room, and the scene was chaos.  Most of the furniture was broken, having been tossed against the doors in an attempt to break them.  Sqarl attempted all the security cards on the outside doors.  Nothing worked.  

He motioned for everyone to work their way down the hall, and once they all complied, rolled a frag grenade at the door.   The explosion damaged the floor, the ceiling, and any remaining furniture, but the windows and door stood firm.  Extra alarms went off, and smoke filled the room.  

Sqarl ran down the hallway with a troubled look.  Pointing at the outside window and the inside windows where the courtyard was, he gave a simple instruction, "We don't have much time left, so all these windows need to be broken.  

Heavy blaster fire could be heard further down by the clinic, so everyone went into action, grabbing anything to batter the windows, refreshers, sinks, waste receptacles, etc.  With the effort of a half-dozen, one of the vending machines was detached from the wall and run through the window in the courtyard.  Everyone piled into the garden, Sqarl immediately scaling the wall and onto a small roof.  Ne'vets hoisted Sid up to him, then took his hand to get up as well.  

Sqarl took one more look down and saw a man holding a small human girl up towards him.   Sqarl grabbed the child, just before a large explosion rocked the clinic area.  The three crew, plus the small child, booked across the roof back towards the waiting area.   For the first time, Ne'vets and Sqarl finally noticed the local militia on site.   The four worked their way to the garage, Sqarl started the Piscopo, and peeled out of the complex, all while Evus was in the rear, awkwardly comforting the young child and a confused Sid.

Ne'vets grabbed the vehicles' com and called the Pretio.

"Duk'k?  DUK'K!!!   Get the droids off the ship, pay off the port fees, and lower the lift, we're coming in hot!!!"

GM Notes:  Ne'vets did pull out a galactic map out of the glove box and put a big "X" on Ubrikkia.  In Pretio Campaign lore, Ubrikkia will be nuked from orbit.  Despite things progressing far faster than they should, local efforts to contain the situation will simply spiral out of control and Imperial authorities will consider the planet a total loss.  If only they had a weapon to completely vaporize the entire planet...

Next: #102 - Meanwhile, Back on the Pretio