Here are the archives of the Willy World PBeM adventure, including the last transmissions from the Tribal Defenders before they vanished forevermore into the wastes:
- Introduction: The adventure begins. (Player responses.)
- Around the (Willy) World: Our heroes scout around the park. (Player responses.)
- Through the Gate: The characters enter Willy World. (Player responses.)
- Welcoming Committee: The park's inhabitants make themselves known. (Player responses.)
- FutureWorld Tour: We learn about the various attractions at FutureWorld. (Player responses.)
- Spaceranger Station Io: Our heroes enter the combination attraction, restaurant, and gift shop. (Player responses.)
- Fine Merchandise: Ancient riches lie available for the taking. Almost too easy... (Player responses.)
- Insectoid Onslaught! The Alien Invasion! begins.
- Showdown at Io Station Where we hear the last of our valiant heroes.
(I'm trying a different approach with this adventure. Instead of a lengthy prologue and introduction, let's just kick-start the whole thing and skip to the exciting parts. We'll see how it works out...)
Prior to the Crash, the Willy World thrill park was a leading vacation destination. Beloved for its animated characters, it entranced children and drew families from all over. Willy World still stands, attracting a new breed of 'customer'. But are the artificial denizens of Willy World still so benign?
Bizarre automatons Willy World have begun raiding Zetter - a small village inhabited by half-animal mutants and freakish dwarves - and abducting innocents for reasons unknown. Though often enemies of Lau, the Zetterites have recently heard tales of golden knights who ride an armoured battle wagon. Risking much, they have sent an envoy offering their community's allegiance to the Nightwind Tribe in return for aid. Seeing an opportunity to expand their power, your tribal elders have commanded your party to venture to Willy World to collect information and perhaps eliminate the problem once and for all.
(By the way, ever since you returned from your last adventure, poor Kanthus has been completely ignored. While in Lau, one of the envoy members - Ran-Nik - manages to his trust, and the intelligent canine 'bonds' with him as his new humanoid companion. Since he will be accompanying you on your adventure, you give Ran-Nik some of the relics that you recovered from the Skeleton Base.)
An Evening in Zetter:
Your brave group of adventurers - augmented by Ran-Nik from the Zetterite envoy - set off immediately. Your first destination is Zetter, where you will spend a night before reaching Willy World itself. Time is of the essence, but with your Hummer the distance can be traversed quickly.
When you arrive in Zetter, the tribal leaders (a warrior caste of savage munchkins) extend their welcome and offer you whatever aid is needed from the community. The atmosphere in the village is spooky; almost half of the inhabitants were abducted by robotic creations from Willy World.
The Zetterites are polite, but not exactly friendly. The Nightwind Tribe has been their off-and-on enemies for generations, and although the villagers are grateful for your support they do not yet trust you completely. You are given a hut to use whenever you're in Zetter (the previous inhabitants are among those missing), and you retire there for the evening.
(Your party will be able to return to Zetter if needed to rest, heal, and re-equip. Even on foot, it's less than a day's travel from Willy World. I'm sure that the villagers will become more friendly over time once they see you risking your lives for them.)
The following morning, you awake and set out immediatly for Willy World (accompanied by Ran-Nik, of course). Your new Zetterite ally directs you towards the legendary amusement park, and after a short drive you reach your destination.
Welcome to Willy World:
The terrain you have been traveling across comes to an abrupt end at a flat hard surface that extends almost as far as you can see. This black flatness is broken by many bright yellow lines set at right angles to each other and tall poles that rise up out of the ground every fifty feet or so. Haze shimmering off of the black top makes you rub your eyes in an effort confirm what you are seeing.
(You've reached Willy World's parking lot, though your characters don't recognize it as such. Hmm; no cars... I guess you won't have to wait in line for the rides. Lots of space to park the Hummer, too.)
Beyond a fence is one of strangest sights you have ever laid your eyes upon. Bright colorful banners flap from some strange structures that are interspersed with trees and numerous buildings. Many of these buildings are colored in various pastel shades, while others look like giant bubbles made of glass. In one area, an immense wheel towers into the sky. It slowly rotates as lights blink up and down the length of the structure in synchronized patterns. Another structure looks like a giant steel snake, amazingly held up in the air on some sort of frame. As it follows the path of this frame, the snake raises high into the sky and then gracefully falls like a hawk on a thermal before it whizzes out of sight at great speed.
Faint, ghostly music floats across the distance to you from inside this strange place.
What are your actions?
(By the way, there's still an assault rifle, power glove, and a power beltpack left over from the Skeleton Base. I'll throw 'em in the Hummer if nobody wants to claim them.)
Next Post: Before the end of November.
Ran-Nik: Might I suggest to the esteemed Lau defenders that we check the outskirts of this facility before venturing inside its walls? This will give us an idea of how large it actually is (as I have only seen it from a distance) and if there are other entrances to the place. I would like to walk the perimeter as well... as riding in the armoured battle wagon unnerves me and I like to run. If Kanthus is willing, I will ask him to help me track the perimeter and perhaps we can discern numbers from tracks if these strange creatures venture outside (not that this black hard surface will help though).
Perhaps we can spy with those 'binokuleers' Beeble has from outside the 'fence' (is there a fence?) and see where the hostages might be, or if we see any movement at all.
(See the post below for the description of the 'fence'...)
Ran-Nik thinks to himself: "Looks like they have power so that is cool... if we can get a stable power supply for the village that would be amazing!"
Martuk: I agree with Ran-Nik's plan. Let's learn as much as we can before we enter! Has anybody figured out what the 'power glove' is exactly, how to use it, and how severe the damage is? I'm intrigued...
(The power glove is a weapon of the Ancients that creates an energy field around the fist of the user. This triples the damage of his unarmed attacks, and inflicts normal instead of subdual damage. The power fist uses e-cells (or an energy beltpack); each successful hit drains one charge. It is treated as a Simple Weapon in terms of proficiency.)
Beeblebrox: Now that we've reached our destination, and considering we have a vehicle, Beeble will suggest that we navigate around this 'Willy World' first to spy out our best means of entrance. While Beeblebrox drives, somebody else could use these here binoculars to scout the fence perimeter for an entrance as well as anything out of the ordinary. (Not that most things here aren't out of the ordinary to begin with!)
Once we've done that, we can pick our point of entry and wend our way carefully into the outer perimeter of this strange place...
Ran-Nik and Kanthus hop out of the Hummer, preferring their feet to Beeblebrox's mechanical contrivance. (Before he leaves, though, Ran-Nik grabs B-Brox's binoculars. He doesn't seem to mind that mechanical contrivance.) Krang-Nar also exits the vehicle, as he is able to run quickly in his power armour.
The party begins to make its way around the perimeter of the amusement park. After covering some ground, you see that it's circular in shape. It's size is immense, far larger than any construction of the Ancients that you have ever seen, covering the area of a small city. The structures within (bizarre buildings and machinery whose purpose you cannot begin to guess) appear surprisingly intact for such an exposed location in the Deadlands.
(GM secretly rolls Awareness checks for the characters.)
"Look closely at the sky." says Ran-Nik, pointing above Willy World.
At first you assume it's a trick of the eyes, perhaps caused by desert heat. You can make out a curved line, shaped like a rainbow above the entire park, but clear like glass. After staring for a few moments you realize that it's in fact a huge, transparent dome, covering all of Willy World!
Dome and Gates:
"The dome, it rises from the 'fence' at the edge." Ran-Nik continues. "Willy World is round, and covered with glass. Some of my tribe's explorers claimed this to be true, but I could never see the glass until today, from up close."
(GM secretly rolls some more Awareness checks.)
You continue your journey around Willy World, encountering additional squares of black, hard ground (parking lots) at regular intervals around the park. From your position, it's tricky to discern details inside the dome, but it looks like Willy World is divided into four separate sections, each with a distinct building style. You can't see too many details, except for immense 'wheel' and steel 'snake' (mentioned in the Introduction). At four locations around the perimeter (in the middle of each distinctive 'zone'), there are gates leading inside. The gates appear open, unguarded, and unmanned!
(GM makes a DC 15 Survival check for Ran-Nik and Krang-Nar, who are checking for Tracks: 6+8=14 and 11+4=15. Krang-Nar succeeds.)
Kneeling to the ground, Krang-Nar motions you over. "See here, the earth is broken. People have traveled to and from this gate, but I cannot tell when. More than a few days, at least."
Kanthus sniffs the ground. "Aye, a week by my nose."
"And do you see something beside the gates?" asks Krang-Nar. (He is using his armour's telescopic optics.) "Each one has a big picture beside it, and they each look the same." (He ignores the large printed words above each gate, unable to read the Ancient writing.)
Incomprehensible Map:
Feeling emboldened by the lack of any visible opposition, you carefully approach one of the gates to get a closer look at the 'picture'. You make sure to keep some distance, and from about sixty feet away you're able to get a good view of the massive sign.
(GM secretly rolls Intelligence checks for the characters.)
"It's a map." says Beeblebrox. "It shows what's inside the dome."
"You have experience with the works of the Ancients." says Ran-Nik. "What do the words say?"
The rest of you stare blankly at one another, wishing Nappy was still here.
(Well you - the player - can read the map, but your characters can't. To simulate this, I'm not going to tell you which entrance you're nearest. The names will give you some hints as to the contents inside; your PCs might have gotten some impressions based on the appearance of the buildings inside. I'm giving 50 XP to each character for doing a decent recon.)
What are your actions?
Next Post: In about a week.
Martuk: I think that we should head - very carefully - into the entrance that we're at. The center of Willy World may be the most protected, so I'd say we should avoid it until we gather a little more info.
Beeblebrox: Beeble is with Martuk on this one. Since we can't tell any real difference between the entrances, we may as well pick this one. Let's take care due to the fact that although there are week-old tracks heading in through this gate, there aren't any apparent tracks coming back out. Either these people found a different exit, they're still inside or they're dead.
(Krang-Nar and Ran-Nik can't quite tell which direction the tracks lead; they appear to go both to and from the gate.)
Broxie insists on securing the Hummer as best as we can so that if anyone else stumbles upon it while we're inside, they can't inadvertently make off with it.
(A few of the parking lots still contained the rusted-out hulks of Ancient vehicles. The Hummer should be inconspicuous there.)
And of course, our Golden Soldiers can lead the way inside this strange and mysterious gateway...
Stubby pillars block large vehicles from driving through the park entrance, so you are forced to abandon your Hummer before continuing. Beeblebrox drives the truck to a nearby parking lot that still contains the remains of Ancient vehicles (all of which have been stripped of useful items long ago). Hidden amongst the other cars and trucks, your Hummer is reasonably well-camouflaged. As an added precaution, Beeblebrox locks the doors and takes the magic key with him that allows entry. "There." he says, "That should be secure for now."
You also take the time to obscure the tire tracks leading to the parking lot. It's not perfect, but casual trackers should have difficulty in following the trail.
Next, the four of you (plus the dog) cautiously approach the nearest entrance, with Krang-Nar and Martuk leading. Glass booths line each side of the entrance, and a flimsy metal fence divides left from right. Turnstiles block the way (you have seen such devices amongst the ruins before), but you could get around them easily enough.
The booths are empty, and all is silent except for strange music coming from deeper within the park. Seeing no immediate threats, you carefully approach. Slowly and cautiously, the group passes through the gate, choosing to climb over the turnstiles instead of passing through them. One by one you all enter the park...
(The GM pulls out his d% and rolls to see which zone you enter...)
Welcome from WillyCorp:
Suddenly, a voice begins speaking in an unknown language - it seems to be coming from all around you! Weapons held at alert, you seek high and low for the source. (Awareness checks, rolled secretly.) As you search, phrases in several foreign tongues are spoken, in a friendly though annoying voice. Finally, you realize that the voice emanates from hidden speakers, located all around the entranceway. You are even more surprised when the voice begins speaking to your native tongue!
"As part of WillyCorp's effort to keep pace with changing market conditions, we are proud to announce service in the local Tribal tongue. (Not all products and services are available in Tribal. Additional charges may apply.) Welcome to FutureWorld! We are pleased that you have chosen us for your vacation destination."
"Traditionally one of the more popular zones in Willy World, FutureWorld offers many opportunities for adventure. This zone was designed to appeal to the key teen and adult demographics and showcase WillyCorp's line of science fiction movies. The theme of the zone is ultramodern, which influences the layout and architecture of the zone. Many of the attractions are built in geodesic domes interspersed by towering supports for monorail tracks. Neon signs and gleaming silver accent the entire area. Dozens of moving walkways and escalators augment the pathways and the monorail to help visitors get around FutureWorld. Animatronic versions of popular characters like the evil General Slarg, Spaceranger Bob, and his robotic sidekick Quantim wander the curved paths of FutureWorld spouting their famous catchphrases!"
At this point, the voice switches to some other language, and after a period of time it stops completely.
A Walk Around FutureWorld:
Expecting resistance, the friendly nature of the automated greeting baffles you. Martuk, in particular, itches for some opposition to blow away, while Ran-Nik wishes that there were some signs of his missing tribemates. Now inside FutureWorld, you are stumped as to what to do next.
"I guess we continue scouting." suggests Beeblebrox. "Let's see what there is to see." You set out on a path around the zone.
The first building you are presented with is the largest structure in this area; a dome constructed out of some milky blue substance (F1). Winding turnstiles stand outside, leading to a doorway (currently closed). "Odd", you think. Filled with wonder, and still facing no opposition, your group starts to wander around FutureWorld, observing the different areas.
You pause to observe another strange building (F2), an immense pyramid marked in words of a strange alphabet. You can't tell what it says, but it doesn't look like Ancient to you. Loud music plays from speakers set in front. A large, dark doorway grants entrance to the pyramid, but you avoid entry for the moment.
Continuing on your way, another building catches your eye (F3). A large white tower of strange construction points towards the heavens, marked with letters in the Ancient script. Curious, you look inside the building. Inside a large circular room, humanoid robots stand at alert beside rows of padded seats! Not wanting to risk an encounter with the metal-skinned monsters, you back away cautiously and continue your tour.
The path you are walking on passes nearby a round wheel-shaped building (F4). The entire structure seems to be tipped at an angle, and the outside edge of the wheel has circular windows evenly spaced around its circumference. The sign outside reads in is written in Ancient and is unintelligeble to you.
Moving on, your eyes are drawn to a brightly lighted silver and chrome building (F5). On the red roof of the building, a huge cylindrical object points up into the sky at an angle. The object has a point at one end, fins towards the bottom, and flames that don't seem to give off any heat at its lower end. A flashing neon sign blinks back and forth between the messages in the Ancient script. Other lighted signs in the window depict various food items. Outside the restaurant a series of tables with built in benches occupy the area in front of the entry doors. A voice emanates from speakers set amongst the tables. Eventually, it speaks in Tribal: "Welcome to Rocketburger, twice named as North Americas best tasting pressed-peptide beef replacement sandwich. How may I help you?"
You ignore the restaurant for now, and watch the path of the strange vehicle that whizzes past on the raised pylons. The strange conveyance stops at a large concrete block building (F6) and remains there.
Mysterious Strangers:
Suddenly, Krang-Nar points to two figures approaching from the middle of the zone. "Danger!" he warns. "We've been noticed!".
One of those approaching is armed and armoured in a manner similar to Krang-Nar and Martuk. At his side is a comically proportioned robot with a clumsy gait.
"Ah. The welcoming committee." says Martuk, raising his laser rifle. Krang-Nar and Ran-Nik ready their weapons as well.
"Wait a second." says Beeblebrox. "They don't appear hostile."
You pause before attacking, and the two figures continue along the path, heading straight towards you calmly and openly.
What are your actions?
Next Post: In due time.
Beeblebrox: Having learned at least a little something from his previous adventures, B-Brox is relatively confident that two outnumbered figures approaching slowly across open ground are not intent on any sort of immediate antagonism.
With this in mind, Beeble steps forward, acting the diplomat of the group. At the same time, he activates his pheremone control, using any means necessary to passively influence these newcomers. If they prove friendly, or at least withholding any hostilities, Beeble will endeavour to extract as much information as possible.
Broxie, not quite as trusting as his head-mate, uses his Scav Scan ability to determine as much as possible about these two fellows and what exactly they're carrying. Should they turn aggressive, he'll turn to his whip to entangle their weapons or legs, leaving the clean-up action to his golden companions.
Beeblebrox steps forward, grinning in a friendly fashion. (For some reason, you are filled with a sense of well-being towards the mutant.) Raising a hand in greeting, Beeble speaks (first in Unislang, then in Tribal): "Hail, strangers! What brings you to this foreign ground?" Still smiling, he waits for their response.
Meanwhile, Broxie eyes the newcomers carefully. (Scav Scan class ability; GM secretly rolls an Investigate check.)
The larger of the two creatures is wearing what appears to be power armour made of pastel-hued plastic. The suit leaves his head and face strangely exposed - good armour would provide more protection! His smiling face looks almost human, but has curiously simple features - perfect teeth, smooth skin with no wrinkles, large glassy eyes, and are his eyebrows painted on? He has a ridiculously large blaster at his side. The weapon would look threatening if it wasn't made of garishly-coloured plastic. Other than the gun, he appears unarmed.
Overall, the man (if that's what he is) gives an impression of good-natured, simple-minded, bravery and devotion. It's enough to make Broxie want to wretch.
The smaller creature, a robot by appearance, looks even more comical. Its limbs are oddly proportioned, giving it a clumsy gait that is all knees and elbows. At first you think it is made of metal, but closer inspection shows that it is actually plastic with a thin coat of metal-coloured paint. The paint is worn away in some spots, as if scoured by sand. The creature's synthetic eyes are made to appear as it is in a constant state of surprise or panic. It appears to be unarmed and ill-suited for combat of any sort.
Broxie (already suspicious of any robot) immediately takes a dislike to the being, despite its non-threatening appearance.
The two newcomers suddenly stop. Raising his hand in salute, the larger humanoid says in a commanding voice, "Welcome to the Future... and Beyond!"
In a smaller (almost prissy) voice, the robot says "Greetings from Spaceranger Bob and Quantim! How may we be of service?"
Beeble turns to Broxie, grinning. "Well, they certainly seem friendly!"
Broxie glowers in response, and the others keep their weapons handy.
(B-Brox gets 50 XP for initiating a friendly encounter and using his mutant and class abilities.)
Next Post: Around the New Year.
Martuk: Let's see what these things know. They may seem friendly, but as I'm not exactly sure what they are, I'm not inclined to trust them completely. I bet they do know a thing or two about what some of these strange things are (i.e., the dome with the milky blue stuff). If they are okay, maybe they could guide us around. But if they're disguised guards, perhaps we should dispose of them!
The welcoming committee seems friendly enough, so you hold off on blasting them for now.
Filled with a curiousity unusual for the enforcer, Martuk points to the milky blue dome (F1). "Ask him about that one, Beeble." ("It's a pretty blue." thinks the warrior.)
Spaceranger Bob doesn't wait for Beeble to speak. "Ah, my shy golden friend! You are interested in the Spacewalk Zero-G Dome!" he says. "This attraction will treat visitors with a rare experience - a few minutes in zero gravity conditions!"
Martuk pauses, still not accustomed to outsiders who are able to speak his tribal tongue. Next, he points to the immense pyramid (F2). (The group lets Martuk do the talking, or at least the pointing.)
"Alien Invasion! - another popular venue!" replies Bob. "Based on the summer blockbuster hit of the same name, Alien Invasion! pits visitors against waves of aggressive alien bugs out to destroy humankind."
"And mutantkind too." adds Quantim. "WillyCorp is an inclusive company, with numerous awards for our equal opportunity hiring practices." (You can't help but think there's a mocking tone to the robot's comments.)
"Very true!" says Bob. Sizing up Martuk and Krang-Nar, he says "You two look well prepared to meet the alien threat! Alien Invasion! has now been redesigned to provide realistic and exciting experience to the paying customers!"
Ignoring their marketing-speak, Martuk indicates the large white tower of strange construction (F3).
"I see you are also interested in our older attractions! The Mars Express Launch Experience provides a realistic simulation of a liftoff for Mars atop a Saturn VII rocket!" says Bob, still grinning like an idiot.
Proceeding around the park, Martuk points at the round wheel-shaped building (F4).
This time, Quantim speaks. "Spaceranger Station Io is a combination attraction, restaurant, and gift shop. Feel free to browse amongst our wide array of merchandise."
(GM secretly rolls Sense Motive checks.)
Beeble leans over to Martuk and whispers "He's hiding something, I'm sure of it!". Nodding at this comment, the golden warrior points to the brightly lighted silver and chrome building (F5).
Bob replies. "When you get the hankerin' for a fine meal, there's no better place to go than Rocketburger! Rocketburger has won the award for "best tasting pressed-peptide beef replacement sandwich" in the North American Combine two years in a row!"
For a moment, Bob looks thoughtful, even sad. "Of course, that was quite some time ago..."
Not noticing the space ranger's change in mood (or perhaps he just doesn't care), Martuk indicates the large concrete block building (F6) where the strange vehicle occassionally stops.
Quantim explains: "Monorail stations can be found at each corner of the FutureWorld zone, as well as at the center near the Alien Invasion! attraction. As with all other mass transit stations at Willy World, connections are also available to the neighbouring zones."
"Interesting." thinks Martuk. That piece of information could be useful...
Looking around, you don't see anything else obvious to point at. With nothing left to say, the party just stares at Spaceranger Bob and Quantim in uncomfortable silence.
(Martuk gets 50 XP for getting directions to the FutureWorld attractions.)
In summary, the attractions at FutureWorld include:
- F1: Spacewalk Zero-G Dome.
- F2: Alien Invasion!
- F3: Mars Express Launch Experience.
- F4: Spaceranger Station Io.
- F5: Rocketburger.
- F6: Monorail Station.
What are your actions?
Next Post: In about a week.
Martuk: If B-Brox thinks that they're hiding something, and he noticed when they were talking about Spaceranger Station Io, maybe we should check that out! Perhaps we'll get an idea of what is going on around here.
Beeblebrox: Beeble thinks that Martuk's idea is as good as any other for this strange encounter. The only thing he'd advise is avoiding the Alien Invasion! Why anyone would want to subject themselves to assault by aliens is beyond Beeblebrox at this point.
So if the rest of the group is amenable, let's go and check out Spaceranger Station Io first of all; Broxie is curious as to what they would be hiding about that place...
Beeble will inquire of their strange hosts if they intend to escort us there or stay to greet other, uh, visitors to this place. Either way, it seems to be our intent to investigate the Station...
Ran-Nik: I will follow these strange adventurers, but I will make sure that Kanthus and I are on high watch and sniffing for trouble.
Breaking the awkward silence, Beeble asks "So, do you intend to escort us there or stay to greet other, uh, visitors to this place?"
"We must be off!" replies Bob. "We are on a quest to defeat the evil General Slarg and his minions!"
Quantim almost looks like he's rolling his eyes. In a bitter voice, he mutters "Oh yes. General Slarg."
Before you have a chance to ask about this Slarg fellow, Bob strikes a heroic pose and shouts "To the Future... and Beyond!". Then, the strange duo continue on their way around the park. Quantim glances over his shoulder suspiciously at you while leaving.
"Odd pair." comments Kanthus, once they are out of ear-shot. His long-legged and rat-tailed companion nods in agreement.
"Let's check out this 'Spaceranger Station'. Perhaps we'll get an idea of what is going on here." says Martuk.
You walk along the path to Spaceranger Station Io, a round wheel-shaped building. As you observed before, the entire structure seems to be tipped at an angle, and the outside edge of the wheel has circular windows evenly spaced around its circumference. The sign outside reads in is written in Ancient and is unintelligeble to you.
The Lobby:
As you walk inside (with their heavy armour, Martuk and Krang-Nar have to duck through the doorway), the omnipresent speakers of Willy World begin cycling through their languages. Eventually, you are informed (in Tribal): "Welcome to Spaceranger Station Io. Enjoy your stay."
Looking around, you see that Spaceranger Station Io is a combination attraction, restaurant, and gift shop. Although the building structure is at an angle, the floor is built flat. To your surprise, each of the windows in the building look out onto a blasted and alien landscape, with stars and some huge circular object, pink and cream in colour, hanging in the clear night sky! Also in view are various flying vehicles both arriving to and departing from the station. Shocked, you take a step back and make sure the doorway still leads to the amusement park. To your relief, it does.
Inside the open lobby are several displays, boxed in glass. Three large detailed models stand out the most, as you near them, the speakers declare: "Welcome! These spaceship models, created for the Space Ranger movies, include Spaceranger Bob's cruiser 'Tallahassee Jane', General Slarg's dreadnought 'Dark Smell', and a replica 'Spaceranger Station Io'." (The last model looks remarkably like the outside of this building.)
The Restaurant:
To the right is a room set with tables and chairs. In the rear, doors lead to a kitchen. Again, the speakers explain: "Welcome to the Space Ranger Restaurant, where the eccentric menu items come from the Space Ranger movies. Come in and try our 'Talusian Surprise', 'Rigelian Blue Banana Juice', and 'Slarg-etti'!" The odour of deep-fried foods wafts from this area.
The selection doesn't sound appetizing to you, so you continue your exploration of the building.
The Gift Shop:
To the left is a small gift shop that specializes in the Spaceranger line of toys, t-shirts, and other merchandise. Krang-Nar whispers "Loot!", his eyes widening.
(The GM rolls Scav Scan checks for him and Beeblebrox.)
You recognize a plethora of potentially useful items, such as walkie-talkies, flashlights, clothing, waterproof ponchos, colorful backpacks, insulated drink containers, blankets and sleeping bags, watches, and many small electronic devices of unknown function. Each is very colourful and branded with a cartoon character.
The lobby, restaurant, and gift shop have all been kept impeccably clean and well-stocked. There is no sign of movement or activity anywhere from inside the building. Glancing back outside, you see Bob and Quantim wandering near the Alien Invasion! attraction, far in the distance.
Beeblebrox scratches a head with his tentacle. "What would they be hiding about this place?"
What are your actions?
(Martuk, B-Brox, and Ran-Nik each get 25 XP for actively exporing the station.)
Next Post: In a while.
Beeblebrox: The Freak starts to drool a little at the sight of all the goodies in this strange Space Station.
Broxie's first action is to performed a detailed Scav Scan of the 'gift shop' and take what he thinks are the most valuable items for future use. Even though he can't identify some of the more complicated electronic gizmos, he'll take what he thinks might turn out to be the most useful. And hey, they even have some fancy bags to put the stuff in. He'll first pick the bag that best matches his coveralls, fraxxhide boots and, Beeble insists, his hair beads. If he can find a good replacement for his broken digital watch, that would be awesome! (Now if only he knew how they worked...)
After that, a cursory search of the rest of the Space Station may be in order. But he'd also like to take some action on that niggling feeling that there's more going on around the Alien Invasion! than seems immediately apparent to the eye. After the looting and search of the rest of the Space Station, Beeble will suggest heading in that direction to see what our 'gracious hosts' are up to...
Ran-Nik: I too will grab some handy items and stash them away into a flashy new pack, but I make sure that trusty Kanthus watches the door.
{OOC: If only Nappy were here I would look for cameras etc... but since Ran-Nik has no experience with that sort of thing, he'll grab all he can!}
(Wow; nearly two months since the last post. Let's try to kick this adventure off again, if you're still interested...)
Beeblebrox pauses to carefully survey the loot. Both heads stare in rapt attention as he gauges the relative worth of each item. (GM rolls a Scav Scan check for B-Brox; result is 19+7=26. Woohoo!) Looking past the pretty colours and glitter, he picks out a number of worthwhile items:
- Dozens of fully-charged power cells. (Working power cells are extremely valuable in the waste.) "See this!" says B-Brox. "The little green line means they still contain magic juice! A trader once taught me that trick."
- A hand-held device that displays images of the scene in front of it. (GM rolls a Use Technology check for B-Brox; result is 14+4=18. It's a video recorder.) "Look at this! When I press this button, it shows what it's seen in the past!"
- An item that appears similar to a flat black trophy stand, with a button and dial concealed inconspicuously on the bottom. (Use Technology check; result is 16+4=20. It's a holographic projector.) When B-Brox presses the button, 3D images of soldiers firing laser rifles upon hordes of bipedal insects play above the device.
- A fantastic pocket pen made from high-durability titanium, with a 1,000 year guarantee of operation. The pen can write on wet surfaces (even underwater), upside down, and for an unlimited period of time. "Neato!" proclaims Beeble.
- Other items, including walkie-talkies, flashlights, clothing, waterproof ponchos, colorful backpacks, insulated drink containers, blankets and sleeping bags, and watches. "See, these ones match my boots and beads!"
Each and every item is very colourful and branded with a cartoon character. You all spend a few minutes gathering up everything that you can carry. You each take a collection of the useful items listed above. You also spend a moment verifying that the walkie-talkies work. (They do.) With so much stock to pick form, you have to leave behind some bulky plush dolls and childrens' toys.
"These will fetch a good price." proclaims Krang-Nar, inspecting his three new wristwatches (worn proudly on his armoured arm).
"Any movement outside, Kanthus?" Ran-Nik asks while modifying a set of shorts to accomodate his tail.
The mutant canine answers "Bob and Quantim are doing a loop around the park. They'll be back here in a few minutes."
Looking at one another, you realize that it will be impossible to hide the loot from them. Do you want to quickly move along, keeping ahead of them? Perhaps it would be better to hide until they pass... Or you could brazenly display the goods and see what their response is.
What are your actions?
(B-Brox gets 50 XP for identifying the good loot and Ran-Nik gets 25 XP for leaving Kanthus as guard.)
Next Post: In a week or so.
Martuk: So far in FutureWorld, we haven't found any sign of the missing villagers, but it might be possible that the evil-sounding Alien Invasion! may give us some clues. It may be dangerous, but if we can take out a Metal God we can take out anything! I'd avoid Spaceranger Bob and Quantim anyway, hiding out until they've gone past and then moving in. They seem like they might be helpful still, so maybe we should find a way to conceal our wares for later. If we have to take 'em out, I'm right in there, but if they're hiding something I'd like to find out what it is!
Beeblebox: Yeah, Brox wants to head over to the Alien Invasion! as well. Whether it's sneaking ahead of Bob and Quantim or hiding out until they go past, that's where he think the next destination should be.
Beeble will do his best to conceal as much of his loot as possible, but realizes that it's a little more colourful than the rest of his gear. So if our erstwhile hosts are on a fairly predictable circuit of the park, we can hide out here until there's a clear path to the next stop.
Mind you, if they happen to come in here and find us, we can use diplomacy first and then give 'em the Golden what for!
(Two responses. Not bad; let's keep things rolling...)
"Better play it safe." suggests Martuk. "Let's wait and see if Bob and Quantim pass us by. Then we can head to that evil-sounding Alien Invasion! and look for clues about the missing villagers."
"Sounds like a plan." replies B-Brox, trying to conceal some of the more brightly-coloured loot. "We can follow the monorail tracks to the Alien Invasion! pyramid - the support columns will provide some cover."
You wait until Bob and Quantim have passed. (GM rolls some dice in secret.) They don't seem to notice your presence in Spaceranger Station Io as they walk by; they simply march along silently, watching the path ahead of them.
Once they are far enough away, you begin to make your way outside the building. As you pass through the doorway, however, the omnipresent speakers start babbling on in a cacophony of tongues. Bob and Quantim, now by the Rocketburger stand, seem to have been waiting for exactly this moment! Swinging his ridiculously-sized blaster towards you, Bob takes a pot shot in your direction!
(You've been set up! Bob has readied an action to fire as soon as you set off the door speakers. Quantim clenches his plastic fists and starts to jog towards you.)
Set Up!
As Bob's wild blaster shot burns a hole in the Spaceranger Station (it's almost as if he was trying to miss...), the speakers sternly intone in Tribal "Please return to your point of sale. A theft protection device has not been deactivated."
Quantim yells mockingly: "Theft of WillyCorp property is a serious office! You primitives are all the same..."
Deciding to respond with force, you ready your weapons for battle...
(Initiative rolls: Kanthus 19+2=21, Beeblebrox 18+2=20, Krang-Nar 8+5=13, Martuk 11+2=13, Ran-Nik 3+2=5. Quantum gets 16-1=15, Bob rolls 4-1=3.)
Kanthus realizes his vulnerability against ranged oppponents and takes cover inside the Spaceranger Station. Beeblebrox, also lacking an effective ranged attack, joins the canine and sticks a single head around the corner to monitor the situation. Quantim charges towards you, emitting an electronic shriek but is unable to cover the distance in time to attack.
Krang-Nar and Martuk, acting in unison, fire at Bob. (Attack rolls are 17+8=25 and 5+3=8.) Krang-Nar, trusting his longbow over weapons recovered from the Skeleton Base, strikes Bob squarely in the chest. The arrowhead makes a metallic 'clang' as it hits him (inflicting 4+2=6 points of damage). Martuk, firing a laser rifle, misses his mark. Ran-Nik, also trusting tribal weapons over Ancient ones, fires his composite bow at Bob. (Attack roll 17+4=21. Hit! 4+2=6 damage.) Another 'clang' as he is struck!
"Agents of General Slarg!" shouts Bob. Holding his blaster in both hands, he fires at Martuk (Attack is 17+7-2=22. Hit! 9 points damage, but Martuk has DR 10.) Martuk's armour sizzles, but absorbs the energy beam completely.
Quantim shrieks insanely, still running towards you, "Violence towards security drones! A criminal offense! We shall have to respond appropriately!"
Kanthus yells to the group: "Look! The Alien Invasion!"
The lights around the pyramid start to dim and ominous music plays. Fog pours out from the large dark doorway, and shadowy figures begin to emerge holding weapons!
Pulling his binoculars out for a look, Beeblebrox spies at least a dozen insectoid creatures emerge, each holding what appears to be a laser rifle! "We've got trouble!" he yells.
While you are watching the pyramid, Quantim lunges at Martuk, his fists flailing. (Attack roll 3+4=7.) The armoured enforcer easily blocks the robot's blow, and responds with a mighty punch from his power glove. (Attack roll 11+7=18. Hit for 18(!)+4=22 damage.) The devastating blow strikes a hole through Quantim's torso, and the robot falls inert!
Krang-Nar, still concentrating on Bob, fires again. (Attack roll 13+8=21.) Again, his arrow flies true, striking the errant Spaceranger once more. (2+2=4 damage.) The damage exposes Bob's electronic innards. He's a robot (and badly damaged, at this point)! Ran-Nik also lets go an arrow (Attack roll 2+4=6), but misses.
Spaceranger Bob, changing tactics, takes cover behind the tables and chairs at Rocketburger. Crouching behind a bench, he fires at Martuk (Attack roll 7+7-2=12), but the shot is wild.
You may be well advised to change tactics as well! A veritible army of insectoid foes, all armed with high-tech weaponry, marches towards you. Another round or two and they may be in firing range... What are your actions?
(50 XP to Martuk and B-Brox for coming up with a plan of action. An additional 50 XP to Martuk for taking out Quantim.)
Next Post: In a week or so.
Beeblebrox: Beeble and Broxie are united in their thoughts that even with the mighty twin golden warriors we have, there is too great a wave of adversaries coming our way! We must find cover; and fast!
Beeble's first thought is to retreat back and try to find a defensible position. Behind the gift shop restaurant was the kitchen. Broxie suggests that they find cover there. There was just a single set of doors leading into it, offering cover and a place from which to return fire. If the golden duo can hold the doors, the rest of the troupe can seek further egress from the kitchen.
Broxie wants to make as much a shambles of the gift shop as he can on their trip in order to offer as much of an obstacle as possible to the oncoming horde. Beeble is open to other suggestions if anybody else has them, but he starts retreating at the sight of the Alien Invasion! coming his way...
(The restaurant and gift shop each have separate entrances from the lobby, and the kitchen is behind the restaurant. There are several display cases in the lobby, and you can drag some merchandise from the gift shop into the entry area as well.)
Ran-Nik: Ran-Nik thinks this is a terrific idea. He promptly yells for Kanthus
to hide in the kitchen and heads that way.
I will wait till everyone gets in and I will, hopefully time permits, spin a web at the door to slow any approach to allow us more shots at incoming enemies.
Martuk: Yes, to the kitchen we will go. I'll attempt return fire once I'm in any position with some sort of cover, make my way to the kitchen and take heavier cover and ensure that the doors are not taken. The mighty power glove is more than capable of pounding these insectoid vermin if they get too close, but I think with Krang-Nar and I firing laser beams at them, we should be able to hold them off until an effective escape strategy emerges (and if absolutely necessary, Krang-Nar should use a grenade). Which means that it is imperative that once Ran-Nik gets the web spinned that he joins Beeblebrox to find the best way out. Between Beeblebrox, Ran-Nik and Kanthus, an effective means of withdrawl should be available quickly. But better watch out for any residents in there! Beeblebrox, Krang-Nar and Ran-Nik all have walkie-talkies, and they should all turn them on as they could be useful here. For honour and for Lau!
"Fall back!" suggests Broxie, yelling and gesticulating wildly. Taking command of the situation, he directs the Golden Boys to topple the glass display models and strew merchandise from the gift shop into the path of the oncoming insectoids.
(B-Brox gets 75 XP for taking control and coming up with a plan.)
As Martuk and Krang-Nar assemble a crude barricade in the lobby, you hear Spaceranger Bob's booming voice from outside the building: "Vandalism is a Class II offense! Violators shall be dealt with accordingly!"
"He can see us!" shouts Beeble. Reminded of the Guardian's security cameras at the Skeleton Base, you begin a desperate search for the hidden cameras. (GM secretly rolls Investigate checks for the group; Beeblebrox and Krang-Nar can treat these as Scav Scans.) You find several inconspicuous lenses in various locations; each room seems to have one or two. You desperately shoot at them using a variety of weapons, but time is running out...
Already the first few blasts from the invading aliens hit your makeshift barrier in the lobby (they are firing blindly into the building entrance). "Quickly!" yells Ran-Nik as he extrudes copious amounts of arachnofibre. "Out of the lobby!"
Ran-Nik affixes his webbing to the doorway between the lobby and restaurant. The others quickly rearrange the restaurant tables to form obstacles. With mere seconds to spare, you all retreat back into the kitchen. The odour of fried foods permeates this room; it smells like meals are still prepared here regularly. There is a long window between the kitchen and restaurant (for cooks to hand food to serving staff); you can crouch behind here for cover while still having a clear view. You ready your weapons for the first shot. Not a bad spot for an ambush!
(Ran-Nik gets 75 XP for using his mutant perk to create an obstacle.)
The Onslaught Begins:
Your alien foes continue firing wildly as they enter the Io Station. There are so many of them! One of the monsters starts to claw wildly at the webbing left by Ran-Nik. The delay gives you an opportunity to open fire...
(Initiative order from last post was Kanthus 21, B-Brox 20, Krang-Nar 13, Martuk 13, and Ran-Nik 5. The insectoid invaders act together on 1(!)+3=4. Your cover gives you a +4 bonus to Defense. The distance between you and the restaurant door is considered medium range.)
Kanthus, again painfully aware of his lack of hands, barks fiercely.
Realizing his strengths lie outside of ranged combat, Beeblebrox searches the kitchen for security cameras and an exit. (GM rolls some dice.) He doesn't see any cameras, but there is a back door!
Krang-Nar, relying on his compound bow, fires at the creature in the doorway. (10+8=18. Hit! Damage is 6+2=8.) The arrow slices through the webbing and bites deeply into the alien's torso, but it does not seem affected.
Martuk takes aim and fires his laser rifle (5+3=8), but does not hit his foe.
Deciding to assist the Golden Boys, Ran-Nik fires with his assault rifle. (12. It's a miss.) "Damn!" shouts the mutant as the bullet ricochets off the door frame.
The first insectoid pushes through the remaining webbing and enters the restaurant. Caught up in the sticky strands, it cannot bring its rifle into action... Behind him, three other creatures pass through the doorway, and there are more advancing from the lobby!
Kanthus and B-Brox take a closer look at the back door. Beeble notices it has one of those little red signs that usually denote an exit. "I think this doorway can provide an escape..."
Krang-Nar fires again with his bow. (Natural 1!) The bowstring snaps! Cursing, Krang-Nar switches to his laser rifle for next round.
Next, Martuk squeezes off a shot at the webbed insectoid. (13+3=16. Hit! 19 points damage.) The laser burns away much of the insectoid's exoskeleton, revealing its robotic innards. Badly mauled, it continues to advance towards you.
"More animatrons!" he yells. "I thought so!"
Concentrating intently, Ran-Nik fires his assault rifle. (19. Hit for 16 damage.) The bullet strikes the lead insectoid in the chest, and it blows apart in a shower of shrapnel and sparks!
The three other animatrons now fire at Martuk, Krang-Nar, and Ran-Nik! (5+5=10, natural 20, and 15+5=20, respectively. A miss, a critical hit, and a miss! Damage to Krang-Nar is 14-5=9.) Krang-Nar's armour partially protects him from a shot to the head, but the blast still burns and tingles. The missed shots blow away part of your concealing wall (Ran-Nik is lucky that he had the cover). Another three insectoids enter the room, and you can still see no end to them!
What are your actions?
(Each team member gets 100 XP for their opening ambush.)
Next Post: In a week or so. Nevermore...
GM's Notes: Let that be a lesson to me. Never pick a 'cute' adventure idea for a PBeM game. When a single session lasts months, the joke wears thin pretty quickly.
Let's just assume that our brave PCs vanished into the radiated wastes, never to be seen again...