Pulp Spycraft (FINAL UPDATE!) *Updated 04/15/03*
I have had a crappy week, and it's only Tuesday. Rejections, speeding tickets, more rejections. . .
but then jonrog updates this story hour!
Captain Texas is awesome. And Furio and Nadia are pretty cool too.
Plus, there are lines like:
These make the comic geek in me all sorts of happy.
What shows are you writing for again, because I definitely am tuning in!
but then jonrog updates this story hour!
Captain Texas is awesome. And Furio and Nadia are pretty cool too.
Plus, there are lines like:
These make the comic geek in me all sorts of happy.
What shows are you writing for again, because I definitely am tuning in!
Rel
Liquid Awesome
A friend of mine e-mailed me and told me that I just HAD to read this SH. Boy was he right. Great stuff.
Re: Capt. Texas' shield, I'll bet he's glad he didn't try to make "Captain Hawaii". "Captain Florida" probably wouldn't have fared much better.
But bellowing, "WELCOME TO THE SUNSHINE STATE!! - *WHAM*" would have been fun.
Keep up the good work.
(Nobody needs to lecture me about how Hawaii wasn't a state in 1940.)
Re: Capt. Texas' shield, I'll bet he's glad he didn't try to make "Captain Hawaii". "Captain Florida" probably wouldn't have fared much better.
But bellowing, "WELCOME TO THE SUNSHINE STATE!! - *WHAM*" would have been fun.
Keep up the good work.
(Nobody needs to lecture me about how Hawaii wasn't a state in 1940.)
Pulp Spycraft
Suddenly, ALARMS SOUNDED! Nadia turned to Captain Texas. “What did you do?”
Furio cut her off. “Sorry, ma bella, but listen, those are from outside. Those are air-raid sirens!”
The first bomb ROCKED the monastery. London was again being punished from above, but this time the deadly Valkryies were accidentally targeting their own nest. Another explosion echoed even closer. Some of the scientists on the floor glanced around in panic – and one glanced directly at the hiding group. He pointed and yelled. Instantly, Stormtroopers from every direction spotted them and OPENED FIRE.
Bullets sparking everywhere, Nadia spotted more Stormtroopers pouring from a door on the walkway and rushing them. She fired down on the soldiers crossing the floor of the compound. Furio’s other .45 appeared in his hand and he began chewing up the incoming SS troopers. The alarm bells deafened them, drowning out even the automatic weapons fire.
Capt. Texas whirled as the tower door behind them suddenly burst open. Three SS Troopers poured into the corridor, guns blazing! Capt. Texas rushed them, bullets PTANGING off his shield. The group was flanked on both sides!
*******************************
Little did the group realize, but in the mansion, the alarms could be heard. Lord Mountheim was in the middle of singing tunes with the pianist when the bells began reverberating all around him. With an annoyed roll of his eyes, he signaled to the circulating guards. “Fine,” he grumbled, “I never get through ‘Lili Marlene’. BRING ME MY EQUIPMENT!”
One of his attendants brought him two oversized feather fans and a jeweled bustier. “No, no,” Mountheim snapped, “MY OTHER EQUIPMENT! … although I do like what you did with the brocade along the seam …”
********************************
On the walkway of the monastery library, Nadia kicked McGregor awake, and stepped past Furio. “Turn your eyes,” she yelled over the alarms as she pulled off one of her ear-rings. Furio looked away as she lobbed it toward the incoming Stormtroopers. When it hit the floor it exploded with a FLASH. The blinded Stormtroopers stumbled around, clawing at their eyes. Furio easily picked them off. Nadia yelled back to the supersoldier, “We need to get off this level!”
Captain Texas reached the tower door even as three more Stormtroopers got to the top of the stairs. “Your wish is my command little lady!” With that he rushed the lead soldier. He bull-rushed the man back with his shield, back through the door –-
-- and before the other Nazis could react, the two of them SAILED off into space and PLUMMETED down the central shaft of the spiral stairs!
(DM's Note: Yes, Bourne Identity style.)
Captain Texas SLAMMED into the floor, the Nazi breaking his fall. Even so, the terrific Texan was a bit winded. He was half a second slow crushing the man’s trachea for good measure, and almost didn’t hear the KA-KLANK of automatic weapon slides being jammed into place.
The Nazis on the stairs above opened up full-auto down the shaft, hot lead thundering down onto Captain Texas. He had just enough time to get his shield over his head. He knelt on the chest of his first victim, round after round SLAMMING onto his Texas shield, the sheer physical force of so much firepower pushing him down, weighing on him like a deadly Niagara.
Meanwhile, up on the walkway, Furio continued to cover Nadia as she removed one of her high-heel shoes. She hooked the heel onto the railing, grabbed it with both hands . “Going down!” she shouted, and slung herself over the railing.
But instead of free-falling, a whirring rappelling line from the shoe-hook slowed her descent. She fell gently, firing at approaching soldiers with her .32. Nadia touched the ground and motioned for McGregor to follow her down.
At just that moment, a GRINDING noise made her turn. She’d landed directly next to the BLAST DOORS separating the monastery main archway from the foyer of the mansion. The massive doors slid upward, revealing the scene within the mansion like curtains parting on a stage:
It was total chaos. Scientists and party guest were running for the front doors of the mansion. Plaster and stone fell from the ceiling as the Nazi bombing thundered around them. A scientist Nadia knew ran past – then JERKED to a halt as a BASKET on the end of a POLE came down over his head. The man’s hands went to the rim of the basket, scrabbling. Then there was a SNAP. Nadia could barely process it as the scientist’s body fell away … without his head.
Nadia’s eyes traveled back up the pole. Lord Mountheim held the end, like a pool-skimmer. He pivoted the pole around so the basket was over a sack carried by one of the waiters. Mountheim threw another lever, and with a CLUNK the guillotine blade of the basket retracted. The freshly harvested head dropped into the sack. Nadia realized that the sack was almost … gulp … full.
Almost.
Lord Mountheim saw her. Walked forward with the guillotine basket. With his most charming smile he called out: “Naaaaddiiiaaaaaaa ...”
Suddenly, ALARMS SOUNDED! Nadia turned to Captain Texas. “What did you do?”
Furio cut her off. “Sorry, ma bella, but listen, those are from outside. Those are air-raid sirens!”
The first bomb ROCKED the monastery. London was again being punished from above, but this time the deadly Valkryies were accidentally targeting their own nest. Another explosion echoed even closer. Some of the scientists on the floor glanced around in panic – and one glanced directly at the hiding group. He pointed and yelled. Instantly, Stormtroopers from every direction spotted them and OPENED FIRE.
Bullets sparking everywhere, Nadia spotted more Stormtroopers pouring from a door on the walkway and rushing them. She fired down on the soldiers crossing the floor of the compound. Furio’s other .45 appeared in his hand and he began chewing up the incoming SS troopers. The alarm bells deafened them, drowning out even the automatic weapons fire.
Capt. Texas whirled as the tower door behind them suddenly burst open. Three SS Troopers poured into the corridor, guns blazing! Capt. Texas rushed them, bullets PTANGING off his shield. The group was flanked on both sides!
*******************************
Little did the group realize, but in the mansion, the alarms could be heard. Lord Mountheim was in the middle of singing tunes with the pianist when the bells began reverberating all around him. With an annoyed roll of his eyes, he signaled to the circulating guards. “Fine,” he grumbled, “I never get through ‘Lili Marlene’. BRING ME MY EQUIPMENT!”
One of his attendants brought him two oversized feather fans and a jeweled bustier. “No, no,” Mountheim snapped, “MY OTHER EQUIPMENT! … although I do like what you did with the brocade along the seam …”
********************************
On the walkway of the monastery library, Nadia kicked McGregor awake, and stepped past Furio. “Turn your eyes,” she yelled over the alarms as she pulled off one of her ear-rings. Furio looked away as she lobbed it toward the incoming Stormtroopers. When it hit the floor it exploded with a FLASH. The blinded Stormtroopers stumbled around, clawing at their eyes. Furio easily picked them off. Nadia yelled back to the supersoldier, “We need to get off this level!”
Captain Texas reached the tower door even as three more Stormtroopers got to the top of the stairs. “Your wish is my command little lady!” With that he rushed the lead soldier. He bull-rushed the man back with his shield, back through the door –-
-- and before the other Nazis could react, the two of them SAILED off into space and PLUMMETED down the central shaft of the spiral stairs!
(DM's Note: Yes, Bourne Identity style.)
Captain Texas SLAMMED into the floor, the Nazi breaking his fall. Even so, the terrific Texan was a bit winded. He was half a second slow crushing the man’s trachea for good measure, and almost didn’t hear the KA-KLANK of automatic weapon slides being jammed into place.
The Nazis on the stairs above opened up full-auto down the shaft, hot lead thundering down onto Captain Texas. He had just enough time to get his shield over his head. He knelt on the chest of his first victim, round after round SLAMMING onto his Texas shield, the sheer physical force of so much firepower pushing him down, weighing on him like a deadly Niagara.
Meanwhile, up on the walkway, Furio continued to cover Nadia as she removed one of her high-heel shoes. She hooked the heel onto the railing, grabbed it with both hands . “Going down!” she shouted, and slung herself over the railing.
But instead of free-falling, a whirring rappelling line from the shoe-hook slowed her descent. She fell gently, firing at approaching soldiers with her .32. Nadia touched the ground and motioned for McGregor to follow her down.
At just that moment, a GRINDING noise made her turn. She’d landed directly next to the BLAST DOORS separating the monastery main archway from the foyer of the mansion. The massive doors slid upward, revealing the scene within the mansion like curtains parting on a stage:
It was total chaos. Scientists and party guest were running for the front doors of the mansion. Plaster and stone fell from the ceiling as the Nazi bombing thundered around them. A scientist Nadia knew ran past – then JERKED to a halt as a BASKET on the end of a POLE came down over his head. The man’s hands went to the rim of the basket, scrabbling. Then there was a SNAP. Nadia could barely process it as the scientist’s body fell away … without his head.
Nadia’s eyes traveled back up the pole. Lord Mountheim held the end, like a pool-skimmer. He pivoted the pole around so the basket was over a sack carried by one of the waiters. Mountheim threw another lever, and with a CLUNK the guillotine blade of the basket retracted. The freshly harvested head dropped into the sack. Nadia realized that the sack was almost … gulp … full.
Almost.
Lord Mountheim saw her. Walked forward with the guillotine basket. With his most charming smile he called out: “Naaaaddiiiaaaaaaa ...”
Thanks as always for all the support, everyone. I just turned in my last overdue first draft (an adaptation of Rucka's Queen & Country for you comic geeks), and I should be able to stay on a once-a-week update schedule for a while. Pulp Spycraft will sadly be ending soon, as it was a one-off, but will be archived. And plans are forthcoming for another foray for the Agents of Extraordinary Caliber.
A few other updates that may be of interest:
-- The Core opens March 28. Wrote that one, and saw it last week. It's a far cry from the dumbed-down sci fi of late; I think it lands smack-dab between Andromeda Strain and Fantastic Voyage. Hope you like it.
-- Work begins this week on my new gaming website. The Dark*Matter D20 group will be voting on a name, so assume it will involve monkeys of some sort.
When opened, the website will start with "Drop-ins": one-page ideas you can utilize no matter what D20 system you're using in order to add fun and variety.
I love the Spycraft system, so a lot of the first Drop-ins will be utilizing OGL sections from those rules. How to create even pulpier super-science items based on D&D spells but utilizing Gadget Points, a more streamlined requisition system for D20Modern called "What Form Do I Fill Out for the Gym Bag Full of Guns?" (which also shows you how to figure the Budget Points for your D20Modern PC so you can use the many Spycraft expansion books), etc. Most of the Drop-ins assume you have the relevant rules systems, but there will always be copious illustrative examples.
Any Drop-ins will always obey the one-page rule: no new rules should ever be brought to a game so complex they can't be boiled down into one page. GM's need to be able to shove a page to a PC and say "Here. Read."
Reviews of OGL concepts rather than products ("The Psi System you Should Be Using...") and a hit page of media to mine for gaming ideas will follow (comics to read, old movies, etc.).
After that, various free modules as samples (including Story Hour adventures) will lead to .pdf sales of adventures triple-configured for D20Modern, Spycraft system, and the upcoming Savage Worlds system by Pinnacle. (If you haven't downloaded the Test Drive Rules from Pinnacle's website, go now. Bloody elegant)
And then, concept books, taking advantage of the fact that my friends and I are writers first, game mechanics second. We spend our whole day coming up with cool locations to put fight scenes in movies. You GM's already have your plots -- what you need are locations and weird mechanics.
I hope that's of interest to you, and look forward to giving back to the hobby that's, frankly, kept me from killing anybody for the last two years.
John
A few other updates that may be of interest:
-- The Core opens March 28. Wrote that one, and saw it last week. It's a far cry from the dumbed-down sci fi of late; I think it lands smack-dab between Andromeda Strain and Fantastic Voyage. Hope you like it.
-- Work begins this week on my new gaming website. The Dark*Matter D20 group will be voting on a name, so assume it will involve monkeys of some sort.
When opened, the website will start with "Drop-ins": one-page ideas you can utilize no matter what D20 system you're using in order to add fun and variety.
I love the Spycraft system, so a lot of the first Drop-ins will be utilizing OGL sections from those rules. How to create even pulpier super-science items based on D&D spells but utilizing Gadget Points, a more streamlined requisition system for D20Modern called "What Form Do I Fill Out for the Gym Bag Full of Guns?" (which also shows you how to figure the Budget Points for your D20Modern PC so you can use the many Spycraft expansion books), etc. Most of the Drop-ins assume you have the relevant rules systems, but there will always be copious illustrative examples.
Any Drop-ins will always obey the one-page rule: no new rules should ever be brought to a game so complex they can't be boiled down into one page. GM's need to be able to shove a page to a PC and say "Here. Read."
Reviews of OGL concepts rather than products ("The Psi System you Should Be Using...") and a hit page of media to mine for gaming ideas will follow (comics to read, old movies, etc.).
After that, various free modules as samples (including Story Hour adventures) will lead to .pdf sales of adventures triple-configured for D20Modern, Spycraft system, and the upcoming Savage Worlds system by Pinnacle. (If you haven't downloaded the Test Drive Rules from Pinnacle's website, go now. Bloody elegant)
And then, concept books, taking advantage of the fact that my friends and I are writers first, game mechanics second. We spend our whole day coming up with cool locations to put fight scenes in movies. You GM's already have your plots -- what you need are locations and weird mechanics.
I hope that's of interest to you, and look forward to giving back to the hobby that's, frankly, kept me from killing anybody for the last two years.
John
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
John, that sounds awesome. More Pulp Spycraft would be GREAT, of course -- regular updates? Could we be so lucky? But a website of clever ideas by clever people? Uh-huh, yes, please, thank you.
March 28th -- it's on my calendar.
March 28th -- it's on my calendar.
I assume you were intentionally vague but any idea when it will be online? Soon I hope.
