Sunday, February 1, 2009

Busted on Saturnalia VI

This is the first of a series of Savage Worlds Sci-fi tabletop skirmish adventures. The players are the crew of the Muttonchop Express. They are smugglers, pirates, occasional mercenary-thugs and general n’er-do-wells adventuring across the galaxy - outside the law on the fringes of imperial space - constantly on the run for the Star Patrol, dirty bounty hunters and occasionally the Imperial Space Marines...

The Players only knew that they had to get the shipment to the Syndicate and get the money – they are NOT to screw over the syndicate and NOT to return with the drugs… (or without the CASH!!) They didn’t know the exact specifics of win/loss, victory conditions, etc for the scenario…

Saturnalia Vi, 8943-234

SITUATION

The crew of the Muttonchop Express are delivering a load of Plutonium Nyborg to a Syndicate on Saturnalia VI. … This is a big job for the Captain Albert Jackson of the Muttonchop Express. If everything went down okay he would be able to pay off Bubba the Gut and the ship would be all his – which would mean more freedom to choose they jobs they pulled and a bigger cut of the haul for him and his crew…

Unfortunately the Captain and a number of the crew came down with Space Flu just after landing and were unconscious by the time the G-sled was loaded up – it would be up to his trusty Pilot and Engineer – along with a couple extra hired thugs brought along for this job – to make it to the rendezvous and make the exchange.

Unknown to them Lt. Jack Prescott of the Star Patrol’s Vice Squad has arrived just before them with a tactical team hoping to make the biggest bust of his career…

SCENARIO

The crew of the Muttonchop Express must make a Spirit roll to avoid the temptation to sample a bit of the plutonium nyborg. Anyone that does give in to temptation gains the quick edge and is +6 to all rolls to interrupt and charisma, but is -4 to pretty much all skills and trait rolls that would require higher thought or perception (because their perception is “like totally fucked”).

To win the Muttonchop Express Crew/Drug Syndicate must make their exchange. The drugs must be transferred from the Muttonchop Express sled to the Syndicates van and the money case must be handed over.

If there are no Muttonchop Express crew in base contact with the Syndicate member with the money case once the transfer is complete the Syndicate will attempt to leave with the drugs AND the money.

The Star Patrol must try and prevent the deal from taking place, confiscate the money and drugs, and kill or capture the crew of the Muttonchop Express and the Drug Syndicate members, all while minimizing their own losses.




FORCES

Crew of the Muttonchop Express

Anton Wilson – Engineer – WC (Darrin)
Ag d8, Sm d8, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 5
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Guts d4, Knowledge: Starship Engineering d8, Repair d8, Gambling d4, Driving d4, Piloting d4, Streetwise d4
Edges: Quick, Two-Fisted
Hindrances: Loyal (to the crew of the Muttonchop Express), Greedy
Gear: Knife Str+d4
Heavy Pistol Rng 15/30/60, ROF1, Dmg 2d8(2)
Shotgun Rng 12/24/48, ROF 1, Dmg 1-3d6/+2 to hit OR 2d10

Abby Aces – Pilot – WC (Amanda)
Ag d10, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 5 (7/9)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d4, Pilot d10, Guts d4, Knowledge: Astrogation d4, Survival d4, Investigation d4, Streetwise d4, Healing d4, Lockpicking d4
Edges: Ace, Alertness, Ambidextrous
Hindrances: Quirk (always flexing and cracking knuckles), Minor Enemy (rival criminal she robbed), Major Vengeful…
Gear: Syn-Weev Armoured Overcoat, Knife Str+d4
Heavy Pistol Rng 15/30/60, ROF1, Dmg 2d8(2)

Crew Extras
Ag d6, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 6
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Driving d6
Hindrances:
Gear:
Heavy Pistol Rng 15/30/60, ROF1, Dmg 2d8(2)
SMG Rng 12/24/48, ROF 3, Dmg 2d6(1) 3RB
Shotgun Rng 12/24/48, ROF 1, Dmg 1-3d6/+2 to hit OR 2d10

G-sled
ACC/TOP: 10/40
Toughness: 10 (3)
Crew: 1
Notes: Grav Propulsion


The Saturnalia Six Syndicate

Sistah Six - WC
Ag d10, Sm d8, Sp d8, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6 (8/10 vs. Bullets)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d10, Notice d10, Stealth d8, Intimidate d10
Edges: Command, Combat Reflexes, Ambidextrous, Two-Fisted
Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Greedy
Gear: Syn-Weev Suit
2x SMG Rng 12/24/48, ROF 3, Dmg 2d6(1) 3RB

Syndicate Thugs
Ag d6, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6
Edges:
Hindrances: Greedy, Bloodthirsty
Gear:
SMG Rng 12/24/48, ROF 3, Dmg 2d6(1) 3RB
Assault Rifle Rng 24/48/96, ROF 3, Dmg 2d8(2) 3RB
Note: one team has a gunman with a scope (+2 to hit when not moving) he also has the Marksman edge (a further +2 to hit when not moving…)

Heavy Truck
ACC/TOP: 10/30
Toughness: 15 (4)
Crew: 1
Notes: 4WD



The Star Patrol Vice Squad

Lt Jack Prescott - WC
Ag d8, Sm d10, Sp d10, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6 (8/10 vs. Bullets)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d10, Notice d10, Stealth d8, Intimidate d8, Driving d8
Edges: Command, Dodge, Hard to Kill, Marksman
Hindrances: Loyal
Gear: Syn-Weev Armoured Overcoat, Badge, Heavy Pistol Rng 15/30/60, ROF1, Dmg 2d8(2)

Star Patrol Tactical Teams
Ag d8, Sm d8, Sp d8, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6 (8/10 vs. Bullets)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d8, Intimidate d6, Throwing d6
Edges: Dodge, Marksmen
Hindrances: Loyal
Gear: Syn-Weev Light Tactial Armour Suit (+2/+4 vs. Bullets)
Heavy Pistol Rng 15/30/60, ROF1, Dmg 2d8(2)
SMG Rng 12/24/48, ROF 3, Dmg 2d6(1) 3RB
Shotgun Rng 12/24/48, ROF 1, Dmg 1-3d6/+2 to hit OR 2d10
Special Abilities:



THE GAME

Luckily no one decided to sample the Plutonium Nyborg and thus had their wits about them…

Abby Aces the ships pilot along with the ships engineer, Anton Wilson, and three “expendable” thugs they hired on for this job glided into the abandoned village in the middle of a desert on Saturnalia IV. They were half finished unloading the goods when one of the syndicate guards on the rooftop yelled: “Shit! It’s da COPS!”

The Commander of the Star Patrol Tactical Team called out to the criminals in the village “This is Lt. Prescott of the Star Patrol Vice Detachment! We have you surrounded! Lay down your arms slowly and step away from them with your hands raised!”

…and that’s where I dealt out the cards…

TURN ONE

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Almost everyone went on hold as DARRIN, Abby and the hired thugs desperately tried to finish loading the drugs onto the Syndicates truck! I made the Syndicate teams do spirit checks to resist the urge to start shooting… The cops would not shoot first… at least not on the first turn…


Syndicate team 3 failed and the village erupted in a sudden flurry of violence – everyone trying to interrupt each other.. When the smoke cleared one Star Patrol Tac Team member was down, as was one of the Syndicate Gunmen.




TURN TWO


DARRIN, having moved a crate into the truck, didn’t want to go back to the sled. He wanted to stay close to the money, so to be useful he shot at some Space Patrol tac team members and tagged one! (We won’t mention that he was already shaken…. A K.O. is a K.O.!!)


Abby loaded another crate. Two of the hired thugs helped load another while the other took shots at Lt. Prescott.


Tac Team 1 moved up firing.


Tac Team 2 took down the sniper from one of the Syndicate Gunmen teams.

TURN THREE

Anton remained on hold in the truck awaiting the moment the last of the crates were loaded and Sistah Six handed over the cash.


Tac Team 3 moved up to the ruined building. As all the crates were loaded, Abby returned to the steering wheel of the G-Sled and took a shot at the Tac Team member poking his nose around the corner.

Tac Team 1 shot one of the Syndicate gunmen causing the rest of the gunmen in his team to fail morale! One of the Syndicate gunmen across the road, however took down a Tac Team 3 member and the remaining two members failed morale as well!

TURN FOUR


The hired thug continued firing at the Tac team guys hiding around the corner of the ruined building while Abby and Anton sat on hold waiting for the cash.


Sistah Six’s card came up and she handed over the money! Anton came off hold and leapt on to the sled, then Abby came off hold and punched it… well… as much as one can “punch it” on a G-Sled. As they drove off Tac Team 3 let ‘em have it! (Lt. Prescott was still recovereing from being shaken in a previous turn). The thug with the shotgun was shaken, Anton took one wound (failed to soak!), and Abby was shaken but bennied it.


Amanda getting into the role borrowed my flight helmet to wear.

Tac Team 1 pulled a clever maneuver this turn, the fellow with the shot gun walked up and open the passenger side door to the truck (as an action) taking cover behind it, the two other remaining member s of the team then fired on the driver through the open door! He was hit once, but only shaken, and I think he recovered before the end of the turn…

TURN FIVE

Anton recovered but took no action. They drove off a bit further, accelerating as fast a s they could. Tac Team 3 shot two of the hired guns but totally missed Abby and Anton. Lt Prescott took a shot at Abby, missed, spent a benny and hit, but then only caused 3 damage… which doesn’t do much when you’ve got a toughness of 10 vs. bullets!?


The Syndicate team in the truck went on hold to wait and see if any of the other two teams could make it to the truck (jumping from the rooftops). The remaining member of one team made it, but the action got a bit to hot and Sistah six ordered the driver to go and leave the remaining ones behind.


They continued to shoot up the remains of Tac Teams 1 and 2…

TURN SIX


The Lieutenant and the Tac Team both got one last shot off before the g-Sled zoomed off the table. The Tac Team tried to shoot up the G-Sled – four hits, but no damage. Lt. Prescott tried for another shot at the driver, but missed… and that was it!

Conclusion

So the goods were exchanged, and most of the baddies got away…

The Space Patrol Tactical Teams suffered 6 Knocked out during the game. Of those one was a KIA, the other five were only lightly wounded.

The Syndicate have five taken out – all ended up being only light wounds, but they were all captured by the Space Patrol. Three others that were left behind were also captured.

The two hired guns were also lightly wounded and all made it back to the Muttonchop Express where they quickly loaded up and blasted off into space to get the heck out of the system as quick as they could!

Maybe next time I should bust out the wee starships and see if the Muttonchop Express can outrun a Space Patrol cruiser and successfully make the jump to hyperspace…?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Plutonium Nyborg - LOL

Looks and sounds like a lot of fun though - What would you use for starship rules?

tim said...

I was wondering if anyone would catch that...

For the space battles I think I might give the Savage Worlds vehicle combat rules a try. We got it to work for Age of Sail/Pirate-type ships (with some considerable tweaks... eventually....).