New Crew for the Muttonchop Express

We’ve been having so much fun the last couple weeks with the gritty sci-fi skirmishing I decided to have everyone make characters and take an extended diversion from the L5R Campaign. I decided to bring back the Muttonchop Express with a few new crew members…

Lingnag III, 8944-036

SITUATION

Captain Jackson took his cut from the deal on Saturnalia VI and headed straight to Bubba the Gutt to pay off his debts… Unfortunately some minor Imperial entanglements delayed him and Bubba decided to add a late payment fee… Captain Jackson couldn’t pay the fee so Bubba the Gutt said if Jackson made one small delivery for him he would waive any further debt against the Muttonchop Express. It seemed easy enough…

SCENARIO

The crew is to deliver a crate – which was absolutely NOT to be opened to Fast Freddy on Lingnag III. Confirmation of that delivery (scanned thumb print) was to be returned to Bubba the Gutt.

FORCES

Abby Aces – Pilot – WC (Amanda)
Ag d10, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6 (8/10)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d4, Pilot d10, 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 (Range 15/30/60, ROF 1, Damage 2d8, AP: 2)

Mad Willie – Technician – WC (Christian)
Ag d8, Sm d10, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 6 (8)
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d10, Notice d6, Repair d8, Taunt d4, Pilot d6, Knowledge (Starhip Engineering) d8, Knowledge (computers) d6,
Edges: Ambidextrous, Two-fisted, Mr. Fixit,
Hindrances: Phobia (Robots), Delusional (minor – believes he’s Scottish), Delusional (Major – doesn’t believe in lasers)
Gear: Syn-Weev Armoured Vest
2x Heavy Pistol (Range 15/30/60, ROF 1, Damage 2d8, AP: 2)

Dr, Bob “Bonesaw” Stanley Leech
Ag d8, Sm d10, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d6,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 5
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Healing d10, Knowledge (medicine) d10, knowledge (Xenobiology) d8
Edges: Luck
Hindrances: Code of Honour (Hippocratic Oath), Loyal (to fellow crew members), Greedy (minor)
Gear: Medical Kit,
Assault Rifle (Range: 24/48/96, ROF 3, Damage: 2d8, AP: 2)
Heavy Pistol (Range 15/30/60, ROF 1, Damage 2d8, AP: 2)
Knife (St+d4)

“Wrong Way” Joe – Co-Pilot/navigator – WC (Rick)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d4, St d10, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 7, Toughness 7
Skills: Fighting d10, Shooting d8, Notice d4, Pilot d8, Knowledge (Astrogation) d8, Knowledge (Sensors) d8
Edges: Brawny, Scholar (Sensors & Astrogation), Ambidextrous
Hindrances: Enemy (minor – alien that he ripped off…), Quirk (chews tobacco), Heroic
Gear:
SMG (Range 12/24/48, ROF 3, Damage 2d6, AP: 1)
Heavy Pistol (Range 15/30/60, ROF 1, Damage 2d8, AP: 2)

Sgt. Niko “Iceman” Prince – Mercenary Section Commander – WC (Patrick)
Ag d10, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6 (12)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d10, Notice d6, Stealth d8, Intimidate d6, Streetwise d6, Knowledge (Battle) d6, Driving d4
Edges: Nerves of Steel, Command, Quick
Hindrances: Loyal (to Brother), Stubborn, Arrogant
Gear: Infantry Armour (+6)
Bolt Gun (Range 24/48/96, ROF 3, Damage 2d10, AP: 6)
Nano Sword (St+d6, AP2)

Sgt. Jon Prince - Mercenary Section Commander – WC (Jackson)
Ag d10, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d6, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6 (12)
Skills: Fighting d8, Shooting d12, Notice d8, Stealth d8, Intimidate d4, Driving d4, Knowledge (Battle) d4
Edges: Steady Hands, Quick, Command
Hindrances: Ugly, Loyal (to brother), Vengeful (major)
Gear: Infantry Armour (+6)
Bolt Gun (Range 24/48/96, ROF 3, Damage 2d10, AP: 6)

Mercenary Commando Fire Team (3)
Ag d6, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d8,
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6(12)
Skills: Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6, Throwing d6
Edges:
Hindrances:
Gear: Infantry Armour (+6)
Bolt Gun (Range 24/48/96, ROF 3, Damage 2d10, AP: 6)


THE GAME

Captain Jackson set the Muttonchop Express down on Lingnag III, among some low hills about 10Km from Fast Freddy’s compound. He sent Abby Aces along with Bonesaw, Wrong Way Joe, mad Willy, and five of the Commandos (including BOTH the two section commanders – as the pair are essentially inseparable…).

AS the G-sled approached the compound they noticed it was kind of quiet… Aces, Bonesaw, Wrong Way, Mad Willy and Sgt. J. Prince hopped off and approached cautiously. Sgt. N. Prince and the other three Commandos stayed with the G-Sled.

The group entered the compound and it seemed to be deserted, they spread out to search. Sgt. J. Prince entered the main building, and came running back out shouting for everyone to come – he’d found piles of dead bodies. Before they arrived he went back in. What he saw next he really wasn’t expecting….

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


The bodies all started getting up! Sgt. Prince failed his spirit and was duly shaken!

Luckily he recovered his wits and bolted out of there before they could grab him!


Two jokers got deal on round one… both to the guys waiting out on the G-sled that couldn’t actually DO anything…


The Zombies come swarming out! Abby Aces was shaken by the sight of them. Somehow Wrong Way Joe wasn’t… and what did “HEROIC” Wrong Way Joe do…? Rush to the aid of his fellow crew members…? Heck No! he ran out of the building to take up a firing position FAAAAAAAR away from where zombies might actually get at him! (mental note: make Rick play the heroic hindrance or swap it for BAD LUCK!)


Sgt. J. Prince was trapped in the building surrounded by four zombies! Sgt. N. Prince came rushing into the compound to help his brother. Abby Aces made a run for it and made it out of the building, only to be swarmed again, one zombie got a lucky chomp on her neck and pretty much took her head right off! (SEVEN WOUNDS!! She soaked two… but that doesn’t really help much….)


Sgt. N. Prince and Mad Willy were attacked by zombies. The rest of the mercenary fire team rushed into the compound blazing away at the two zombies eating Abby’s brains… considering the number of ones and twos that they rolled I reckon there wasn’t much left of Abby Aces when the dust settled and they went to check on her… Wrong Way….? Still going the Wrong Way!!


Mad Willy’s card came up after the zombies made some wild, fruitless swings at him… and blew two of their heads off!! The next turn he finished off the other. After that he decided things were well enough in hand he went exploring the other buildings in the compound for the next couple turns….

It looked very bad for a moment when I drew a joker for the zombies… but Infantry Battle Suits are pretty good at keeping zombies at bay…

In the action both Sgt. Princes were bitten and wounded by zombies as was one of the other mercenaries - all failing their vigour rolls they were infected by the zombie virus!! (Don’t worry it wasn’t the fast-acting type like in 28 Days Later!). I think the most damage was done (other than to Abby…) from “friendly fire” Wrong Way and Bonesaw both hit Sgt. N. Prince while firing into melee… One of the Commandos accidentally shot their Sarge (Niko) while trying to shoot one of the zombies attacking him, causing a wound… Then Wrong Way shot and incapacitated one of the other Commandos… Which cause the other two in the fireteam to fail morale…


Eventually the zombies were whittled down to three… then two then one…

The survivors searched the bodies and found the remains of Fast Fred among them – conveniently his thumb was still intact!

Bonesaw did his magic on the wounded marines. The downed Commando was fixed up good and wounds removed all round…. Where there was trouble was with the zombie virus. Presumably because he got to him first, Sgt. N. Prince showed good response to the massive dose of antiviral drugs the doc administered, not so much for Sgt. J. Prince and the other bitten Commando. Sgt. Prince understood the score and shot himself in the head… the other Commando freaked out and tried to make a break for it… the others gunned him down.

Bonesaw was concerned about the contagion and told Captain Jackson he’d have to quarantine the crew and report the incident to the Imperial Centre for Disease Control. Captain Jackson talked some reason to him – if they reported it, they’d have to explain what the heck they were DOING there in the first place and told him that they would “self-quarantine” themselves – while traveling back to Bubba the Gutt’s and would blast and burn the compound to the ground and vapourize all the bodies within it and that should contain it, right?

At the loss of his brother, Sgt. N. Prince lost his Loyal Hindrance and gained a new one: MEAN!

Coming soon to Savage Timmy’s Playhouse:

The Further Adventures of the Muttonchop Express!