GestaltBennie Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 This thread is for character write-ups, scenario write-ups, and general chat about Chiba Bob's Pulp Hero game. Enter and be amazed with the valor of Billy Deighton and William Price of the Canadian Rocket Brigade and their perilous adventures! Walk with Jack Roscoe as he explores mysteries beyond human ken! Read about the mysterious Sarah Ann and her inner conflicts and struggles! Marvel at the beauty of the beautiful Countess Ariadni Von Hapsburg as she enacts her impulsive, wily schemes. All of these and more await in... "Fists of the Rocket Men!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuk Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Way cool! And nice to see some local colour. Fits right into the pulp genre, too. (Although part of the PDF says he was "a air hero", should probably be "an air hero".) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellS Posted September 2, 2005 Report Share Posted September 2, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Looks very nice. I'll steal him if I ever have a Pulp Hero game. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hierax Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Nice write-up! BTW, good to see a Canadian Hero too! Maybe you can do a bunch more and get them into whatever future sourcebook will feature Canadian Heroes (apparently Champions Worldwide won't). Agian, good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted September 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Here's a very quick write-up of the first session. ------- “FIST OF THE ROCKET MEN!†Episode 1: THE FIX IS OFF! 1930. The heart of the Great Depression, when men had to be more than men to survive, even in the beautiful port city of Vancouver. There Billy Deighton, sometime the pride of the Canadian Rocket Brigade, was being visited by his former boxing manager, Seamus Hannigan, who begged him to return to the ring. “I’ve retired, Seamus,†the rangy rocketeer told the promoter. “I’m in the rocket business now.†“C’mon, Billy,†the manager said. “I know you make two dollars per day working for your king and country, and it’s peace time. You aren’t going to get more work anytime soon. Surely the Dominion of Canada can spare you for a few nights so you can fight one measly exhibition match. Or do they sneer at an easy hundred on the soup lines?†Billy pondered the question thoughtfully. He didn’t trust the manager, but there was something in the Deighton blood that didn’t need to hear the sound of a bell to get them into a fighting mood. After all the recent troubles in the Canadian Rocket Brigade, perhaps a good fight would be the perfect tonic. “Fine, Seamus,†the huge aviator shrugged. “So who’s gonna be my opponent?†### “Karl Von Schreck!†the society woman informed the Countess in gushing tones. “Germany’s greatest amateur heavyweight boxer, who’s training for the Olympics by touring the world and defeating the best competition the locals have to offer! And he’s so handsome – he comes from a very respectable background – and he’s in Vancouver, training at the local YMCA!†The Teutonic beauty, the Countess Ariadne Maria von Habsburg, daughter-in-law of the last Kaiser of Germany, had been bored for most of the evening. She was a society dame of the first rank (not to mention a swindler, seductress, and thief) and this party was hardly the equal of a grand European ball, however this new piece of gossip made her yip with glee. “Fabulous!†she declared. “We must go there and meet him at once!†The society woman gasped. “Countess! Would it be proper to be seen in… a gymnasium? Around men who sweat like horses and beat each other senseless? It could cause a scandal.†“No!†the Countess declared. “My mind is quite made up! I will go there and meet with him.†“As you wish, Countess,†the society woman replied. She dialed on the hotel telephone and made arrangements to be taken from the Hotel Aurora to the YMCA, unaware of a pair of sinister eyes that were surveying the situation… ### Elsewhere in the city, the Wraith ducked into an alley and turned a dial on his belt buckle to activate his fantastic invisibility ray. Once concealed from the city’s criminal element, he immediately climbed up the wall and propped himself on a rooftop to survey the occupants of “The Barâ€. The Bar, a place of very simple name and baser appetites, was known as the roughest bar in the worst part of Vancouver. And those who knew its criminal element as well as the Wraith, also knew that the Bar was the base of operations for the worst man in Vancouver. That man was William “Knuckles†Malone, the grotesque crime boss who had beaten, stabbed, and shot his way up the criminal ladder until he now controlled most of the hired muscle in the Pacific Northwest (and a lot of the narcotics traffic that wasn’t controlled by the Asians.) Everyone who knew about crime in Vancouver knew he was the man to watch. And, unlike the police and the other authorities, who could never break into the joint before the mobsters could bolt down a rabbit hole, the Wraith’s technology allowed him to do that just fine. He nestled in a spot near a window, out of the way of foot traffic, and listened to the conversation. Four hired goons, Neanderthal-looking types dressed in suits that would have been too “mobster†even for Al Capone, plodded their way toward the crime boss like a pack of attack dogs. The bulges in their jackets indicated they were packing heat. The Wraith noted that Malone’s men were rarely so brazen about displaying their hardware, at least in daylight. “Good,†Malone said, and he bent over and stated his instructions in a low voice. The masked vigilante leaned over to overhear the conversation – when a drunken woman and her boyfriend (who was even more soused) began shouting at each other, drowning out the crimeboss’s instructions. “Damn,†the Wraith told himself. “I really must learn to lip read.†“You got it?†Malone asked. “Sure boss,†the biggest thug replied. The Wraith didn’t know what the thugs wrre doing, but clearly they were on an errand of anything but mercy. Unfortunately for them, the Wraith was not a merciful type either. The invisible crimefighter snuck behind the goons and hid himself on the back of their sedan – completely unaware of a pair of eyes had spotted him in his hiding place. ### It had been a slow day for Tony Raa, the sale of exotic (legal) Oriental herbs had been virtually dead since the stock market tumbled faster than a stock broker taking a dive out of a fortieth story window. But just as he thought that the day was another in a long line of washouts, business suddenly picked up – but not the herb trade. Three men were ducking into an alley and melting into shadows. “The Black Dragon clan!†he declared. Tony had dealings with them many times before, and it was never pleasant: they were mortal enemies. Using his unrivalled balance and acrobatic skills, Tony Raa followed their every motion, travelling as they traveled: up walls, over rooftops, as fluid as a shadow. The hunter was hunting predators, predators who were stalking the most beautiful of prey. ### “Paper?†the newsboy said. Jack Roscoe snorted, threw down a nickel, and took a copy of the Vancouver Sun, or as he called it, the Vancouver Bad News. What a pack of crybabies, he thought as he read the headlines. If, back in the days of the Great War, he’d known that he was breathing poison gas to protect a generation of future yellow journalists who’d do nothing but tar and feather him, he’d never have enlisted. “Do you follow the boxing?†Jack nodded, yawned, and ignored the sports section and turned to the society pages. Some gossip columnist had referred to him as a “psychic fraudâ€. Jack was sure that he knew where that quote came from. Jack winced. Resentment against his rival psychic was giving him a headache… or was that really the cause? A sharp stabbing pain in the temple answered that question vividly. No, the headache wasn’t just the result of a bad day… though he knew that every time he had one of these, the day would get worse. It was another of those damn psychic migraines. And to think that some people actually thought these powers were a blessing. Okay, let’s just calm down Jack, he told himself, but the pain caused him to sharply inhale, and nearly took him off his feet. Roscoe took a few seconds to force himself to concentrate, and the pain finally gave way to a revelation. Shadows, walking, moving up the sides of buildings, headed for the local YMCA. They reeked of the mysticism of the dark Orient, and unless they were stopped, they’d do something truly unspeakable. But why? Then he blinked, and the vision was gone. His newspaper was open to a picture of Billy Deighton, who was training at the YMCA while preparing for a prizefight. “Wait a minute!†Jack wondered aloud. “Is that Biscuit Jack’s boy?†He had known the ace while stationed in France, where he had come to the man’s side in a tavern brawl, and the two men, doughboy and sky hero, had struck up an unlikely friendship. “What does this have to do with him?†Doing his best to ignore his old war wounds, the veteran turned psychic still had a slight limp as he hobbled his way toward trouble. ### Meanwhile, back at the YMCA, Billy Deighton was finishing his workout when his manager rushed into the gym. “Billy, we gotta talk,†Seamus said. “Sure,†Billy said. “What about?†“Von Schreck.†Seamus answered. “I just went to his workout and saw what he’s capable of doing.†“He’s European trained,†Billy replied. “They’re magnificent athletes over there, who follow strict regimens. I’m sure he’s a great fighter.†“You don’t understand!†Seamus said. “The way he moves, the way he punches, his footwork… Billy, you don’t have a chance. Nobody ever said he was this good.†Billy shrugged. “Then the better man will win. But a Deighton’s never backed down from a fight, and I’m not starting now.†At that moment, four big men in dark suits entered the change room. Sensing the danger, Seamus headed for the back. Billy recognized it too, but held his ground. “We come from Knuckles Malone,†one of the gangsters said. “What does Mr. Malone want?†Billy asked, even though it wasn’t hard to guess the answer. “He wants you to throw the fight, Rocket Man.†Billy shook his head. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to go back to your employer with some bad news, boys.†“You don’t understand, Rocket Man,†the gangster replied. “Either you take the dive or we ventilate you now.†Billy had a feeling it was going to come to this. He gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “I don’t ventilate easily,†he responded. “You boys should go, before someone gets hurt.†“Listen big man,†the goon said. “We’ve got guns. You’re in your underwear. You’re taking a dive, or a fall. You choose.†“Then I guess it’s ventilation season,†Billy replied, “But a Rocket Man never dies quietly, and he never dies alone.†Suddenly lashing out, Billy slammed the biggest goon with a right hook, but it glanced off his shoulder. He followed it up with a second blow that landed solidly in his breadbasket. The thug collapsed to the ground, coughing. Three thugs fired on him, with one bullet grazing his forehead. A trickle of blood ran down Billy’s cheek. The thugs continued to fire – until a crossbow bolt landed in one of their backs. A crossbow bolt had come from the Wraith’s wristbow. The vigilante was annoyed to see that he had barely struck the target. But suddenly it was the Wraith’s turn to be surprised – as a female figure suddenly darted past him, and caught a thug with a quick strike that shattered the goon’s kneecap. The goon collapsed to the ground, yowling in pain. Billy grinned from ear to ear, now that it appeared that he would survive the fight after all. He decked one more guard with a body blow, then caught a well-warranted look of fear on the last guard’s face. Seeing that he was not dropping his gun, Billy landed a solid fist in the center of his face that completely shattered the goon’s nose. “Lights out, chum,†Billy chirped cheerfully. ### Tony Raa had followed the Black Dragons to the YMCA, only to discover that they were already present in force. A trap was about to be sprung, and Tony wasn’t sure he could pull the intended victim from its shadowy jaws. The Chinese master glared hatefully at the Black Dragon sentry who was stationed on the roof of the building: just from a cursory examination of his position, he could tell it wasn’t going to be easy to get the drop on him. Carefully Tony surveyed the area around the guard, analyzing every loosely mortared brick, every crack in the stone, even the movement of pigeons along the ledge; the ideal approach has to be here somewhere, he thought. Tony would have waited until the sentry dropped his guard – nothing defeats an enemy so soundly as impatience – but the sound of gunfire from inside the building forced his hand. Leaping from wall to wall, Tony still managed to blindside the sentry with a stiff flying kick that sent him tumbling to the ground. Continuing in a single motion past the fallen guard, the master of the Chinese fighting arts leapt up to a skylight that overlooked the training room. Unfortunately the skylight was securely locked. “I could break through it…†Tony mused, and then he spotted a beautiful woman with golden hair in the room below. Two large men in ridiculous German armor were flanking her, however, against a foe as formidable as the Shadow-Men of the Black Dragon clan, the Countess’s bodyguards were little more than overdressed nuisances. Unfortunately if he broke through the skylight, the glass might injure an innocent party. He was not one to casually place a woman’s life at risk. As the master of Oriental fighting skills pondered his predicament, he spotted the Countess barking orders to her bodyguard. The dressing room fracas had not escaped her notice, but unfortunately, she had other problems. The Shadow-Men had broken into the gymnasium and engaged in her bodyguard in combat. Once the pride of the Austrian Empire, her two Habsburg militiamen were immediately knocked unconscious. Angered, the Countess drew an elegant pistol from her purse and fired a warning shot into the air (which nearly struck Tony Raa as he was working on the lock). “Stop this at once!†the Teutonic temptress snarled defiantly. ### “No more, Rocket Man, no more!†the beaten thugs shouted at Billy Deighton as they tried to hobble away. Billy Deighton stepped forward authoritatively, hoping to keep the vigilantes from any further needless bloodshed. “Tell Knuckles Malone that this fight will be settled when the better man wins it, fair and square! Now get out of here! Ventilation season is over.†The guards scrambled out of the room, thankful to be alive. Billy sat down on a bench and reached for a pair of trousers when Sarah Ann, the Chinese woman who had followed the Wraith opened the door and spotted the commotion in the training area. “Shadows!†she shouted. Billy and the Wraith bolted to the door, while Jack Roscoe entered through an entrance on the other side. But they were too late. The Shadow-Men threw pellets of some strange substance at the Countess’s feet, and a cloud of smoke suddenly enveloped the German bombshell. Choking, the Countess dropped her pistol – and felt a cloth slip over her mouth. She gave a loud (albeit muffled) scream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Cool character ! 100pts plus 100pts in disads ? Seems like a lot of disads to me. What does the rule book recommend ?(It hasn't swum the Pacific yet so I haven't got a copy !) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted September 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Cool character ! 100pts plus 100pts in disads ? Seems like a lot of disads to me. What does the rule book recommend ?(It hasn't swum the Pacific yet so I haven't got a copy !) There are a number of power level options available in Pulp Hero. 25+25 is Competent Normal; 50+50 is Skilled Normal; 75+75 is Standard Heroic; 100+100 is Powerful Heroic, and 125+125 is very Powerful Heroic. Chiba Bob wanted a Doc Savage level game, so he went with the 100+100 option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Great character! And with the first session there -- think the poor guy's got enough on his plate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Great character. He does the Great White North proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Whoa, this is neat. JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted September 3, 2005 Report Share Posted September 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Thank you "Gestalt Bennie" I was thinking of running a sort of "Standard Heroic" game but with the ratio of points to disads changed slightly say to 100pts plus 50 in disads or even 125/25. I see disads not so much as limiting factors for players as plothooks that the referee can use in adventures. This can especially apply to "hunteds" of course. I would rather have my PCs with a few disads for "colour" and to use as plothooks than weighed down with too many disadvantages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted September 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton I've taken the write-up, retitled it, formatted it, added a piece of art, and turned it into a .pdf. I'll update this when we have future sessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiba Bob Posted September 5, 2005 Report Share Posted September 5, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Very good! PS: Karl Von Schreck sits in a salon chair in the lobby of the Vancouver Hotel reading the Sun. He blurts out unexpectedly to no one in particular " These colonists ... how dare they ... they kept misspelling my name in their local tabloid ... huff ... I think I am going to make this Dolton pay in the ring for this insult!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted September 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Here's a very rough draft of last night's session. When I have a chance to polish it in a few days, I'll update the .pdf ----- Episode 2: TAKING A FALL! The bracing smell of chloroform hit the Countess Ariana's nose like a ton of bricks. Her scream faded, and she collapsed in the arms of a member of the Black Dragon tong. Tony Raa charged, and recognized the gas that was filling up the room – a familiar and insidious concoction. A number of spectators had been present to watch Billy work out, and they had stayed behind even when gun shots could be heard from the back. One of them suddenly held out his hands and gasped in horror: "I'm old! No!" Another spectator, one of the wealthy socialites who had accompanied the Countess, grabbed a beautiful diamond necklace from around her neck and shrieked in horror. "Paste!" she shouted, promptly throwing a $50,000 necklace to the ground in disgust. Sarah Ann turned toward the Wraith and shouted: "No! Not you!" The crimefighter froze in his tracks. Jack Roscoe was coughing his lungs out. The burning on his face and hands felt like the mustard gas attack he experienced at Ypres. Billy Dei ghton saw a man in the crowd who looked like a wingman in the Rocket Brigade who had died in an accident. "You murdered me!" the man shouted. Billy's face went ashen; oblivious to the fact that he was only dressed in his underwear, he charged through the crowd, grabbed the man, and shook him. "Who are you!" he shouted. Tony Raa, still looking down from the skylight above the gymnasium, realized that the only way to save the spectators was to air out. He tried to jimmy the latch on the skylight; when it wouldn't open, he smashed it open with his fist. The crowd below him was still a chaotic, panicking mob. Sighing sadly, he opened the adjoining doors and windows as quickly as possible. Gradually, the room aired out. And Billy discovered that the person he was throttling wasn't his dead comrade at all. It was, however, a member of the Rocket Brigade, Sky Captain William Price, a superior officer and one of the few people in the Rocket Brigade who still felt like lending Billy some moral support. The big sky sergeant dropped his hands in embarrassment. "Sorry Captain," he said. Price didn't respond, but cocked an eyebrow. Tony Raa, surprised to see a fellow Chinese at the fray – and a woman at that – turned to Sarah Ann in astonishment. "Who are you?" he asked. Sarah Ann blushed and bowed demurely. "I'm a librarian" she answered. Billy Deighton looked at her with a skeptical eye. "That must be some library. You cracked that man's kneecap like a walnut with a single kick." "Self-defense class," Sarah Ann said. "And I read many books on self-defense." Billy nodded, not because he believed her, but because it was the polite thing to do. "You saved my life. I'm very grateful, ma'am. To both you and that guy in the shadows, I could barely see him – was that the Wraith?" Sarah Ann nodded. "Where is he?" Billy wondered. Sarah Ann noticed that the Wraith was gone. She sighed. The masked crimefighter had probably assumed that when the thugs went crawling away, the job was over. What a typical western male, she thought to herself. All the patience of a dragonfly and all the timing of a broken clock. "Mr. Deighton," Jack Roscoe said, coming across the floor of the gym to shake the boxer's hand. "You wouldn't happen to be related to a Biscuit Jack Deighton, would you?" Billy nodded. "I'm his oldest boy," he said. "I served with him in the Great War!" Jack exclaimed. "We were in the same unit before he signed up to be a flyboy. We pulled each other out of a few… rough scrapes." Billy smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr…. Uh…" "Roscoe," Jack replied. "Jack Roscoe, private detective." Billy's eyes narrowed. "Aren't you the guy that the Province said swindled widows and the elderly out of their life savings?" Roscoe couldn't hide a flash of anger. "You know what I always, Billy? Don't believe everything you read…" The conversation might have become a little more unpleasant except that the countesses bodyguards staggered to their feet and shouted. "The Countess has been kidnapped?" "Kidnapped?" Billy wondered. He'd only caught a glimpse of the gorgeous blonde, a socialite in furs and jewels that would out-Harlowe Jean Harlowe, but that's before the gas knocked him for a loop. "We must save her!" the other bodyguard shouted. "We will, if you folks would let me put on my trousers first." Billy replied. "Ja!" one of the huge Austrians said, but his comrade suddenly struck him. "Idiot!" he said. "We were supposed to pick up the children. She will kill us if they're not waiting for her back at the hotel!" "That broad has kids?" Roscoe wondered. The bodyguard nodded. One of them looked like he wanted to share his opinion on the Countess's childrearing skills, but dared not speak his mind. "So much for help from the Rhineland," Captain Price remarked. "Not that they'd be a lot of help to us. We're searching in the dark. The Countess could be anywhere." "I know where the Black Dragons' den can be found," Tony Raa stated. People suddenly stopped talking and stared at him. Billy Deighton, still pulling up his pants, hopped over to him. "Where?" he asked. Tony Raa responded by holding out the palm of his hand. The ever-practical (and eternally poor) herb salesman was hoping for a little grease on his palm. "I can afford it," Price said. The Rocket Brigade was sponsored by Michael Dunsmuir, the richest man in Vancouver. Unlike the military, their pay was generous, especially for a sky captain like William. "You're my superior officer, sir," Billy replied, opening his wallet and placing a five dollar bill in Raa's hand before William could intervene. "So where is it?" he asked him. Tony Raa did not even blink, even though the word in Chinatown was that anyone who entered the building rare emerged alive. He knew it as a place where Chinese gamblers and loan shark patrons went to pay their debts. "Yin Trading Company," he said. "In Chinatown, on Gore Street." "Who took her?" William asked. "The Black Dragons," Tony Raa answered. "Is that some sort of a tong, or gang?" William asked. "They are a society of great evil," Tony answered. "And you fellows are enemies?" Billy asked. "Yes. They have tried to kill me many times," Tony stated. "I owe them money." "And that was some sort of fear gas, right?" "It is called the Blossom of Calamity," Tony replied. "But yes, that is just another name for 'fear gas'." "We're not getting anything done here except pointless jawing," William Price noted. "We should collect our gear and meet up in Chinatown. I assume everyone is willing to help rescue the Countess." "I've got nothing better to do," Sarah Ann said. The others agreed as well. The rescue mission was on. ### "Planning the assault is always the trickiest part about these blasted missions," Sky Captain Price stated as he made his way toward spitting distance from the Yin Trading Company building. "Yes sir," Deighton agreed, scrutinizing the building, looking for a weak spot. The factory was a three story building, all windows barred, and the windows on the upper floor blacked out. There was a front door and a back loading dock. No small nooks and crannies to squeeze through. No skylights. "The masters of stealth have made their building as difficult as possible to sneak into," Tony Raa noted. "Hardly a surprise," Price said. "Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage… but they do make for a very secure building." "Well, I'm not in the mood to be discouraged," Billy said, eying the bars on the third floor and licking his lips . "I'm no Houdini, but I think if I can get up there, I might be able to pry the bars open." "I'll give you a boost," Jack Toscoe said, getting into a position to hoist Billy up for a climb. "Allow me," Tony Raa said, and in an instant, he had made a spectacular three story vertical jump and was propped up on the ledge. Billy and Jack's jaws hung open. "Did someone check the front door?" Sarah Ann asked. "Yes," Price said, also gawking at Raa. "They were mistaken," Sarah Ann smiled. "All I had to do was jiggle it a little." "Then let's go," Price said, a little impulsively. Ignoring the contingent by the window, he and Sarah Ann entered the building. They found themselves in a small guard room. A short, malicious looking Chinese man was sitting at a desk, and as soon as they entered, he drew a Mauser and started yelling at them in Chinese. It suddenly occurred to Price if the Black Dragons were after Tony Raa, they might be able to get into the building by pretending to surrender him. Unfortunately, the sky captain had probably waited too long to formulate the plan; had Raa actually been there, it might have been effective. The Black Dragon thug pulled the trigger, and shot Price in the shoulder. Billy Deighton heard the gunshot and immediately bolted for the door. Not stopping for anything, he leapt up the stairs, lunged over the desk and wrestled the gun away from the thug. Sarah Ann responded with a hard kick to the shin, and Price, lagging slightly behind Billy, pulled out a pistol and shot him in the chest. The thug moaned and slid to the floor. Jack rifled through the desk, while Billy searched for keys. Sarah Ann "jostled" the lock on the door to the warehouse level, and opened it slowly. Price took his knife, an elegant blade emblazoned with the symbol of a black dragon, as a souvenir. Carefully, the collection of heroes made their way into the main area of the warehouse, a maze of crates and barrels. Deighton and Roscoe scouted for observers, Price examined the crates (which were full of machine parts). Meanwhile Tony Raa and Sarah Ann decided to check the washroom: one of the toilets was occupied. Tony performed a beautiful leap over the locked door and landed with a perfect knife hand strike – only to discover that hs opponent had rolled off the toilet and his blow had cracked a large hole in the porcelain. The embarrassed thug tried to get to his feet, but Sarah Ann, gauging the fight from outside the stall, performed a perfect low thrust kick to the man's ankle. The sometime librarian/ sometime tigress hit her mark perfectly, knocking the goon to the ground and sending him howling in pain. Tony managed a glancing blow on his arm, then Sarah Ann reached down, grabbed each of the man's legs, and yanked him hard. The man's groin hit the post that held up the stall with enough force to bend the pole. He crumpled like a two-dollar bill in a miser's fist. Tony, enjoying the sight of a Black Dragon at his feet, forced the man's head into the toilet bowl and closed the lid. Sarah Ann confiscated a Mauser and a second knife. "It's all clear!" Billy shouted from outside. Tony flushed the toilet, nodded to Sarah Ann, and the two Chinese returned to the rest of the group. They had come to an egress at the north end of the factory. There was no sign of any Black Dragon agent. "Elevator," Price noted. "And a set of stairs." "Maybe I should take the stairs." Billy said, looking at the elevator with a degree of distrust. "No," Price said. "We stick together." Billy did his best to repress a sigh. "Yes sir," he said. The team piled into the elevator, and pressed a button that would take them to a sixth level sub-basement. The elevator began its descent – then suddenly began to plummet like a stone. The astonished heroes found themselves facing certain, inescapable death, when suddenly the elevator floor opened, and the heroes found themselves falling into a dark, wet, abyss. One by one, they splashed down into an underwater tank that quickly sealed itself behind them. Price swam to the top of a tank and looked for an air pocket. But the room was sealed tighter than a Chinese puzzle box. Billy pointed toward a lit area and swam toward it, biding the others to follow. Price, easily the best swimmer of the lot, took the lead. They came to a passage which forked left and right; Sarah Ann, acting on impulse, took the left passage, and the others followed: unaware of the thing lurking in the dark. At the end of the passage there was a grate on the bottom of a floor, a grate that promised fresh air! Tony and Sarah Ann were the first ones to reach it, only to discover it was bolted to the ceiling. So close! Tony could not budge the grate. William took a turn there, but the metal bars defeated him. Billy bit down on his lip and decided to try his luck. Clearly the strongest man in the group, he grabbed hold of the grate and exerted his strength. The grate began to bend. Price joined in the effort, and with his help, Billy's amazing strength finally proved equal to the challenge. The grill bars gave way, forming a hole that was large enough for the collection to squeeze their way through. But the triumph was short-lived. Out of the inky blackness came… another inky blackness, this time from a creature that looked like an obscene cross between a jellyfish and a squid, but with a nest of eyes and mouths on its amorphous mass. Sarah Ann swam through the hole, followed by Price. Jack Roscoe, his fighting blood starting to boil, decided to stand and fight. He grabbed the knife from Price's belt and swam down to confront the creature. The creature's attention was drawn toward Tony Raa. It lunged at the young master of Chinese fighting arts with black tendrils that hit with the force of a bullwhip, causing the fighter to stop himself as he swam and dodge the tendril. Even submerged and half-drowning, Tony was virtually untouchable. Billy, having opened up the escape route, decided to be the hero and dove down to face the monster and cover his comrades' escape. An inky black tentacle wrapped itself around his rib cage and squeezed him with inhuman force. Fortunately, Billy Deighton was no ordinary man. Not only did he have a magnificently powerful physique to fuel his nearly inhuman strength, he also had the benefit of hand-to-hand combat training with Lionel Rutledge of the Princess Patricias, Canada's most famous military brigade. Rutledge had made an extensive studying martial combat styles in the Near and Far East, and was undoubtedly the very best combat trainer in Canada. He was also the man who taught Billy Deighton how to escape from any hold, even when the grappler was an monstrously large, inky black amorphous horror. To his compatriots' astonishment, Billy Deighton deftly broke free of the hold. Jack Roscoe swam down, knife in hand, ready to sever the tentacle holding Billy, but found himself grappled by his own tendril. Fortunately, Jack was as good with a knife as Billy was with his fist. Expertly, he sliced the clutching tentacle in two. The creature was dismayed, but not subdued. Another tentacle grabbed Billy, and once again he broke free (though the coarse tooth-like surface of the tentacle tore off the Rocket Man's shirt in the process). "Get out!" shouted the voices from above. Jack, seeing that everyone was safe, immediately made a break for the surface, Tony, who was still furiously dodging tentacles, managed to bolt to the opening, followed by Billy. "Salt water," Price noted, debating whether to risk shooting into the water with his tommy gun. He already knew the answer to that question, he just didn't like it. "By the way," Billy told Roscoe, "thanks for coming down for me." "You'd do the same for me," the detective replied. Billy nodded, but any further backslapping was interrupted by a slashing tentacle which came shooting up through the grate. It went straight for Tony Raa. "I think it likes you," Sarah Ann noted, slicing it with her knife. The creature retreated. Jack worked the lock, and managed to jigger it open. "Let's go," Price said, leading the charge. They found themselves in a large laboratory. Racks of chemicals lined the wall, or in glass jars in petrie dishes. A huge electrical apparatus lined the wall, and there was a large operating table. A scattering of notes sat in a pile on an opposing table. Even more disturbingly, however, was the sound of a woman's scream. At the far end of the room were some iron cages. In one of them, the Countess Ariadne von Hapsburg shrunk against the wall as she was menaced by a seven and a half-foot half-man, half-ape, as it reached through the bars and tried to grab her. "Ack! Don't touch me, you ape!" the Countess screamed. Immediately the collective sprang into action. Tony Raa charged toward the gorilla-man, who responded by pounding his chest and bellowing at the top of his simian lungs. The creature's snarling shout was so terrifying that even a man like Tony Raa was taken aback, and the gorilla-man clubbed him painfully in the shoulder. But soon his comrades, drawing knives and improvised clubs, surrounded the ape and quickly subdued it. "Thank you!" the Countess exclaimed, eyeing Billy Deighton with keen eyes, not-so-secretly hoping that the young Canadian was going to be as amorous toward her as the gorilla-man had been. "I have been through a terrible ordeal!" "You're welcome, ma'am, but we're not out of the woods yet. In fact, we've barely entered the forest," Billy replied as he dragged the unconscious gorilla-man into the cell and locked the door. "Is that a Chinaman?" the Countess shouted, pointing at Tony. "They were the ones who imprisoned me!" "We know, but this is a friendly Chinaman. We wouldn't have reachec you if he hadn't helped," Billy replied, slapping Jaa on the back. "I still do not like him!" the Countess snarled. "Don't let him touch me!" "Huns. You’d think losing a war would make them a little less arrogant," Jack Roscoe muttered. The Countess gave a mighty huff. Billy rolled his eyes at the remark, but continued to try to referee the dispute. Meanwhile, out of everyone's view, Sarah Ann surreptitiously crept back to the table, grabbed the papers, folded them, and neatly stuffed them down her dress. "We should keep moving," Price said. "Yes!" Billy agreed, glad to have any excuse to keep the Countess from continuing with her litany of complaints. Price pointed out a set of stairs and an elevator. "We'll take the stairs this time." "Nein!" the Countess exclaimed. "No stairs!" "Do you feel like getting wet, Countess?" Billy asked. "No." the Countess says. "Very good, ma'am," Billy responded politely. "We'll take the stairs." The heroes climbed the stairs, doing their best to ignore the Countess's complaints (which was not particularly good enough). Again, the Countess moaned how she wished that her bodyguards were present to carry her up the stairs, and that a woman of her social standing should not be doing anything as menial as stair-climbing. Jack Roscoe in particular shot a nastily escalating series of dirty looks that could be loosely translated from "shut up woman!" to "I hope someone throttles you before I do". Finally, they came to the end of the stairs, and they opened a door that led into a huge arboretum. A dense artificial jungle was spread out on the entire floor of the factory sub-level. "What would a Chinese secret society be doing with their own jungle?" Billy wondered. "Gruesome Gorilla didn't exactly look normal either." Jack added. "Unless it was a sasquatch." "And that devil fish was not a creature of the natural world." Tony stated. As the confused heroes gave each other questioning looks, a new surprise confronted them. The forest rustled and gave way to three shambling creatures like giant venus-fly traps, which ambulated toward them. The Countess gasped, but did not scream. Jack Roscoe shook his head, secretly wishing he had brought a flask of "tonic" with him. "I hate this place," he muttered. If the giant fly-traps understood his words, they gave no sign. Perhaps driven by the hate of the Black Dragon, they moved as one toward a shocked Tony Raa. "Maybe I should have paid off that debt," he said to himself in Chinese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted September 11, 2005 Report Share Posted September 11, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton "And that was some sort of fear gas, right?" "It is called the Blossom of Calamity," Tony replied. "But yes, that is just another name for 'fear gas'." Heh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted September 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Here's the revised write-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Posted September 16, 2005 Report Share Posted September 16, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to GestaltBennie again. Great adventures! I am impressed with all of the underwater action... your team has some big lungs! Keep up the summaries, they are great to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted September 17, 2005 Report Share Posted September 17, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Same here "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to GestaltBennie again." Damn, now I am really jealous QM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted September 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton I am impressed with all of the underwater action... your team has some big lungs! Keep up the summaries, they are great to read. Glad you're enjoying them. (I've reformatted the pdf in the link at the top post on this page to add some art). And yes, we do have some mighty powerful lungs. Especially the Countess. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psiko1 Posted October 2, 2005 Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Hey...where's the next installment, Scott? Oh, I forgot...you're too busy with InDesign....stay tuned folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiba Bob Posted October 2, 2005 Report Share Posted October 2, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Hey...where's the next installment' date=' Scott? Oh, I forgot...you're too busy with InDesign....stay tuned folks![/quote'] Actually Scott is doing the next writeup using InDesign. There is a bit of learning curve using the new software so it is taking him a little longer than normal. Moreover, I was a bit of a distraction ... forcing him away from his keyboard to go and Serenity and to have some fish and chips (channeling our inner Brit again ... I guess). Last seen, Scott was watching the Galactica season 1 with the commentaries on ("I am sure more than seven other people watched Farscape other than Scott and I") so you might have to wait a little longer. This concludes the Scott report for today. I also have to do as casting call for Whiskey Jack and send Scott my choice for the actor. Where were you? Miss you at the movie. I guess you were moonlighting as a cab driver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted October 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton File deleted. See file on page 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted October 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Okay, here's the first part of a new adventure. Mobsters! Proto-Nazis! Undead monsters! Sorcerers from a strange land! An incredibly spoiled Countess! Foreign spies! Almost witty banter! It's all here! (Actually it's all in the write-up file on Page 1 now). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Gillen Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Scott, I noticed in your writeup of Billy that the campaign uses a point total of 200. I eventually decided that my upcoming Pulp HERO campaign will use the same point base (100+100) since the character concepts presented are on the more superheroic edge of Pulp (essentially, The Phantom, a psychic, Jackie Chan and an immortal drifter calling himself 'Cain'...). Are the other PCs in your game likewise based on 200 points? How do the Countess and the psychic (for instance) work on this point base? JG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted October 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 Re: Billy Deighton Scott, I noticed in your writeup of Billy that the campaign uses a point total of 200. I eventually decided that my upcoming Pulp HERO campaign will use the same point base (100+100) since the character concepts presented are on the more superheroic edge of Pulp (essentially, The Phantom, a psychic, Jackie Chan and an immortal drifter calling himself 'Cain'...). Are the other PCs in your game likewise based on 200 points? How do the Countess and the psychic (for instance) work on this point base? JG All the characters work on the 200 base. Jack's a fairly orthodox pulp character with a couple of low point weird psi powers and the occult detective package. The Countess is a less powerful character with a lot of wealth, contacts, Luck, followers, and a very disturbing transform power linked to her seduction skill that turns you into her love slave over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.