Blowing Up Your Neighborhood: A GAMMA WORLD d20 Story Hour!

[dave_o]

Introduction!
Hi! I'm dave_o, the nefarious author of a lot of failed story hours, and even more failed play-by-posts on these very boards. But what you must realize is that I have insane ADD, thus, any venture must be absolutely insane for me to keep up with it for very long.

Gamma World is absolutely insane.

So I'm doing it -- I'm running a Gamma World game and it's going to rock. the Jester politely requested that I run a story hour, so I'm running a story hour. This story hour is going to be a strange mix of in-game commentary, stats, and narrative that I've always wanted to see on these boards but never have seen quite managed. Sephulchrave II (oh god, have my babies, Tales of Wyre) got damn close.

So here's hoping I get closer.

The Setup, or Exposition, if you will!
The game will be beginning in the small township of Deal, situated somewhere in the American southwest -- probably near Mt. Whitney, if anyone is familiar with the area. Gamma World has boffo rules for creating stats for towns, so, here are the stats for Deal:

Deal (Thanks, Glen Cook!)
Community Type: New Town
Population Level: 2 (75 adults)
Force: 8 (-1)
Mobility: 8 (-1)
Resilience: 11 (+0)
Learning: 8 (-1)
Awareness: 14 (+2)
Command: 14 (+2)
Wealth: +9
Reputation: +2
Skills: Handle Animal +7, Perform (Storytelling) +7, Treat Injury +7.
Feats: Archaic Farming, Archaic Manufacturing, Stockpile, Windfall.
Benefits: Access to a free clinic and centisteed stable provided by The Doves.
Notes: The people of Deal are mostly elderly, and believe that living a simple life is the key to happiness. They've seen what complex wonders did for the world (apocalypse), and so they do things the slow, old way -- handsewn clothing, handmade everything, for that matter. The Windfall feat comes in the form of a particularly wealthy patron who I'm learning toward having made his fortunes in the slave market. The town has a democratically elected mayor, serving a term of four years, and each law passed into being is passed in a democratic town meeting held weekly. No weapons are permitted in town, save those worn by law enforcement. However, a faction exists, The Doves (mentioned above) who believe in total equality -- thus, not even law enforcement should carry weapons. They also offer many free services and care generally for everyone. Their free centisteed corral pisses most of Deal off, as they are the only way in which Deal recieves news, and, unfortunately, are owned, fed, and trained by The Doves. This is the town Pepper is the sherriff of.

The initial conflict in the game is going to be the advent of The Burning Man Festival (an even crazier post-apocalyptic version of the popular fest) rolling through Deal. If you've ever read Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson, it's a bit like that. Here's The Burning Man Festival:

The Burning Man Festival (Yes, that one.)
Community Type: Nomad
Population Level: 4 (400 adults)
Force: 11 (+0)
Mobility: 16 (+3)
Resilience: 6 (-4)
Learning: 14 (+2)
Awareness: 8 (-1)
Command: 14 (+2)
Wealth: +14
Reputation: +6
Skills: Knowledge (Gossip) +9, Knowledge (Technology: Pre-War) +9, Knowledge (Technology: Archaic) +9, Craft (Visual Arts) +9, Craft (Mechanical) +9, Gather Information +9, Survival +6, Knowledge (Theology and Philsophy) +9.
Feats: Archaic Manufacturing, Archaic Engingeering, Pre-War Engineering, Electricity Generation, Pre-War Vehicles.
Benefits: Access to car dealerships, free alcohol, eager scholars ready to give free knowledge, free lodging.
Notes: This is meant to be a surviving form of the current festival (if you haven't gone, go!). Think of it as a huge, never-ending, roving party. They have cars, they have booze, they have pretty much any technology that exists today -- but they're all bat*%#& crazy hedonists. In fact, within the BMF is a cult called The Cult of Diana Nicus -- yes, a bastardization of the Cult of Dionysus. They make booze and distribute it for free, so, they're well liked.

Okay, enough exposition, I've got a story to tell.

Our Dramatis Personae!

Pepper Blanca -- This PC is played by my loving and amazing girlfriend, Becca, but worry not -- I don't play the favoritism game ... much. Pepper is Female Mutant Fast Hero 1, at the moment, with some interesting mutations: namely, Frog Legs (giving her a +30 to Jump), Psychic Aptitude (her current power is Telekinesis), and Mental Overdrive (Int 18 means skill points galore). She lucked out with a negative mutation of some slight Str degredation. Pepper's the Sherriff of Deal, and as a result gets to carry herself a big, honkin' .44 magnum up and down main street all day long.

Jareth -- Jareth is Brett's currently unnamed character, who happens to be a Male Synthetic Strong Hero 1. Formerly a bodyguard for the president of a major conglomeration, Jareth now finds himself in the law enforcement of Deal. Having a retainer that's hundreds of years dead has skewed this robot's allegiance to protect pretty much anyone in a suit -- for good or ill. Of note, this particular model has a 9mm barrel and magazine imbedded in his arm, nearly unnnoticable to the human eye. He also keeps six white phosphorus grenades in a compartment designed for the purpose in his left thigh. Yikes.

Felix -- Russ plays Felix, a Male Mutant Fast Hero 1. Felix lives in the desert environs just outside Deal, and makes his way stealing what he can, and fending for the rest. He's a man of rather non-morals, and does pretty much whatever and whenever he wishes: his allegiances are only to himself. He has an unfortunate mutation that makes his joints crackle loudly whenever he moves, thus, his thievery is left mostly to when people aren't around. He can also breathe fire.

PC # 4

Endword!
I'm way excited about this game, and can't wait to start writing up this SH, so, by all means, stay tuned.

 

[dave_o]

Session # 1!

Session One! August 9th, 2004 -- "I am Batman."

(This session began with Whim's unfortunate absence, and Russ' insane presence -- he actually ended up staying at our apartment until 8:00am today. He must really, really like it. In any case, after being all google-eyed at the mutations in the Gamma World book, Russ decided on a Mutant Fast Hero and Felix was born. Then we drew some swashbuckling cards.

Swashbuckling cards, if you don't know, are cards that barsoomcore on these very boards created. I keep mine in a big cowboy hat that the players get to draw out of: one per session, and it goes away even if you don't use it at the end of the session. I'm considering allowing five Action Points to be burned in order to buy a new one, and have two instead of one.

Oh yeah, and Action Points in my game are explosive, meaning that on a roll of six you get to roll the action die again. Yay!)

Dust rolled lazily up the one, and main street in Deal. It collected, as it had for nearly fourty years, on the various roofs and porches along that street, and, as they had for nearly fourty years, no one seemed to mind at all. As the sun climbed into the sky is began to scorch the hardpan as it had for much, much longer than fourty years, and in that morning heat Deal's residents -- only seventy-five, in all -- worked a bit in their cactus farm, or had a cool beer underneath the saloon awning, or kicked their enormously muscled frog-legs up on a desk and sighed.

Pepper Blanca, Sherriff of Deal, kicked her enormously muscled frog-legs up on her desk, and sighed. Days in Deal, since her birth, were always like this: long, quiet, and dusty. The two jail cells in the combination police station and jail had been used perhaps twice, and each case only to house a particularly swarthy drunk who the wife didn't want home that night. Nevermind the fact that "home" and the jail cell were, at most, a hundred yards away. Pepper didn't mind too much, she supposed, and she understood deeply why Deal was so quiet: the combination of a population of seventy-five, mostly elderly, and a completely populace-ran democracy gave these people few things to want for. That, and only law enforcement could carry guns; Pepper, and Jareth, were the only two allowed to pack iron in Deal, and only one of them obviously did. Sherriff Pepper Blanca gently patted the .44 magnum sitting comfortably at her belt, and tossed back her long, dusty brown hair in preparation for a long day of sitting.

"What can I do for you today, Mayor Gentry?" asked Jareth, rather stoicially.

This was a daily occurance in Deal. At the founding of Deal, Jareth was discovered sitting calmly atop a smallish cluster of rocks. Bits of the synthetic flesh on his arms, hands, and face were missing, but aside from that, Jareth was completely fine -- well, as fine as an android baking in the sun for well over two-hundred years can be. As the ground-breaking party stolled up, a smile broke through Jareth's face at the sight of Leonard Gentry. From that day since, Jareth has spent as little time away from Mayor Gentry as possible.

(Brett, hilariously enough, managed to play this off as a psuedo-lover relationship, though, in Brett's words: "Jareth is a Ken doll." It was great fun to watch. The story, though, is that Brett's android's hardwired allegiances are to the family of Biotech's president. Given that this corporation was totally destroyed during the Final Wars, Jareth has sat on the spot of their former home until then when, by chance, a distant descendant showed up.)

"Oh, nothing, nothing, I'm simply going to do a bit of reading, and some early preparations for the town meeting tomorrow -- thank you, Jareth," the mayor spoke with the calm of a deeply seated routine.

Jareth, an unassuming looking android of moderate height, looks, and build, was only happy enough to stand there.

There was a set of feet sticking out of a sort-of rock lean-to in the desert, perhaps a ten minute walk out of Deal. Attached to those feet were legs, and the rest of what you needed to make a human -- or mutant, in this case. The eyes, in particular, were looking out through a crack in the pile of rocks baking in the sun, and noted two child-sized dots through the heat sheen running full-force toward Deal. Turning this over in his mind, Felix the Thief thoughtfully grunted, and resumed sipping from the spiny bulb of a cactus.

(One of Russ' mutations for his character was toughened skin, so we decided that he gets his water by just drinking straight out of a cactus. Mmm.)

Julie Jenkins burst through the solid, wooden door to the Mayor's home and office, screaming and shouting hysterically. In her tow were two children, aged four and five, crying only slightly less hysterically. Keeping their arms crossed and hands hidden, they more than happily retreated into their mother's quaking arms.

"Now, what's wrong here...?" asked the mayor, slowly closing a book and raising his bushy eyebrows.

"They're horrible now, terrible, look at them! Where have you been," she angrily slapped the larger of the children's face, "where the hell have you been and what have you gotten into?!" Julie Jenkins was not a happy Dealian.

Casually, with a signature clop from her custom-made boots, Sherriff Blanca stepped up behind the trio, standing on Mayor Gentry's porch. She arched a brow and gave the briefest of nods toward the Mayor.

"What's horrible, Miss Jenkins? What on earth are you talking about?" Mayor Gentry took a few timid steps toward her and her children.

"Show him!" she shouted, shoving the children away from her.

Timidly, the gently extended their hands from where they were hidden, and squeezed their eyes shut. Extending from each of those ten knuckles was a long, bony claw, creating a perfect and deadly arch over each finger. Julie Jenkins howled with agony.

"Where'd you get...those?" Jareth took a step foward, and gently extended his hand toward. The children, somehow, managed to be even more terrified, turning toward each other and shaking.

(Brett's character's Charisma is 8, which means he's rather stoic and cold, much like a bodyguard android would be.)

"Let me," said Pepper, quietly, clomping inside the door and bending to the children, "now, please, where did you get those...?"

"I-i-in the ravine, from a man!"

"What man?"

"He-he wasn't very tell, and had big, fuzzy bat ears, and had some friends, and a sack that he said was full of gifts -- he gave us each one and told us how to put them on, and --" at this point, the child burst into tears.

"I've got enough, Mayor," Pepper said, nonchalantly, "what would you like me to do?"

"Hmm," the Mayor looked to Julie Jenkins and nodded, "you and your children, go home, and stay home -- don't let anyone know or see what has happened; I shall send Sherriff Blanca and Deputy Jareth here to investigate just what has happened."

"Shouldn't we get them a doctor?" Pepper asked, a bit of insubordination in her voice.

"Oh, yes, absolutely -- I'll send Doctor Phillips over as soon as possible, Miss Jenkins: now, go on home."

Pepper and Jareth stood just outside the Mayor's home, gazing into the hardpan stretching for miles and miles around Deal. They had decided that Pepper had better make sure Dr. Phillips is aware of the Jenkins' plight, and Jareth should begin the investigation immediately. Going their seperate ways, Deputy Jareth trudged into the desert.

The aforementioned legs, beneath the rock lean-to, and all the rest attached to them noticed a more adult-sized shape making a steady line out of Deal: and, unfortunately, in a trajectory that would take him directly past Felix's hideout.

Jareth, noticing the legs around ten minutes later, did the best thing he could think to do: grabbed the legs and pulled the rest out into the sun.

"Woah," shouted Felix, "what's this all about, man?!"

"Who're you...?"

"I'm Felix, you're from Deal."

"Yeah," Jareth wasn't very worried about Felix's thoughts, "well, do you have a weapon?"

"Ye- no!" Felix deftly hid his "fast pistol" deeper in his pants, "y'know, if you're out here in the desert, you're gonna need a guide."

"Okay, what do you want in return?"

"Hmm -- scrap, I want scrap!"

"Fine."

The sun moved in a bit in the sky while Jareth and Felix made their way to a place Felix knew as the Bio Ravine. After having a word with the doctor, Pepper bounded through the desert after Jareth, and quickly caught up with the two. Thus, the trio ended up at the lip of the Bio Ravine, a deep ravine extending gradually deeper into the earth down to a depth of about fifty deep. Felix called this place the Bio Ravine due to the proliferation of deteriorating metal boxes labelled "BIO" in blue, on each; he had never gone more than a few feet into the ravine.

"Lemmie ride on your shoulders!" begged Felix.

"No," said Jareth, flatly.

Gradually, the trio made their way into the ravine. Felix gave one of the boxes a cursory inspection and found within several crab-like creatures, benign, yet still warm, simply sitting in what appeared to be a dormant state. Within a few minutes of walking, the trio spotted another trio of creatures up the way -- mostly signified by giant, bat ears twitching in the slight wind.

Pepper cleared her throat near one, getting his attention. "Have you seen any kids through here?"

"Oh, yes," hissed the batman, "we gave them great gifts and sent them on their ways."

Softly, to Felix, Jareth said: "These are the guys."

"And...what are these gifts you gave them?"

Over the next few minutes the batman explained, and demonstrated how these "gifts" worked. They appeared to be small, dormant creatures that, when applied to the correct bit of skin, would burrow tendrils into the users flesh and give them a power: in the children's case, the creatures were spiny things that gave the children claws. The batman also explained that the batmen "saw little, but heard much," and spoke of this:

"I hear a great rumbling thunder in the distance, but perpetual -- and it comes."

(I'm condensing a lot of good dialogue here because, firstly, I don't remember it, and secondly, this is loooonnngg.)

Deciding that the batmen had done nothing wrong, the trio made their way back -- Pepper and Jareth to Deal, and Felix to his lean-to with a bit more scrap to his name.

Upon returning to Deal, the Sherriff and Deputy both decided it would be best to see the Mayor immediately -- who happened to be in the doctor's office, consoling Miss Jenkins as the claws were pried off her children. The youngest passed out during the procedure, while the older fared considerably more well, especially considering that Jareth, in an effort to spare the children some pain, tried to whisk the claws off using a knife and ended up giving the child a wound far worse that what he would have recieved from the simple prying.

C'est la vie.

That night, there came a thunder rolling past Felix's lean-to, and stopped as the motorcycle wheel did in front of the rocky structure. A foot entered the frame, as Felix slid out and pointed a machine pistol up at the man.

"Woah, there, buddy -- just wanted to know what that town was, there." He pointed.

"Deal-a-meal, buddy, now &*%# off."

The motorcycle rambled on.

Jareth, having decided to keep a watch out over Deal for the evening, saw the strange machine approaching. Searching his memory banks, he had a vague recollection of a similar mode of transport, but no name sprang to mind. Quickly, Jareth scamped down to the ground and held a hand out to stop the man and machine.

"Stop, in the name of Deal," Jareth said, sternly.

"Oh, hey, no problem," the man took his motorcycle and, strangely, kicked the chopper on it's back wheel and hung it like a shirt on a nearby centisteed tie-pole.

"What's that?" bluntly asked Jareth.

"That," said the man, brushing off his black suit and running a hand through his gray, spiked hair, "is a chopper."

The term sent conflicting ideas through Jareth's memory banks.

"I'm Teflon Billy," said Teflon Billy, "and I've got a business proposition for this here town -- Deal-A-Meal?"

"Just Deal," said Jareth.

Teflon Billy was giving loding in one of the two jail cells that evening, finally giving them some use after a long age of disuse. He slept sounding until two the next afternoon, while the residents of Deal asked questions about the strange iron horse tethered near the jailhouse. It was Friday, the day of the weekly town meeting, and the Mayor decided that whatever business Teflon Billy had could wait until afterward.

Pepper Blanca kicked up her legs in preparation for a long day of sitting.

(Yeah, Teflon Billy is in this! Don't worry, buddy, you're a Charismatic Hero. )

 

[the Jester]

Nice start! Thanks, dave_o!

I'm certainly looking forward to some more of this...