Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

[Matt Frisbee]

Blame Edsel -- his Weekend Warriors campaign log gave me the itch to run a Dark Champions: The Animated Series game, which will have its first gaming session on Friday (7/14).

 

The place is Hudson City, the time is now, and the characters (who are allowed to be slightly superhuman, if desired) are a female metahuman brawler named Powerhouse and a superhumanly intelligent inventor named The Sentinel. The two have experienced the pain of losing loved ones thru the actions of criminals when they were both exposed to the mutagenic effects of cosmic radiation. Now they are out to stop crime wherever they find it, or however it finds them.

 

More details will be forthcoming in subsequent posts.

 

Matt "I'm-the-GM" Frisbee

[Edsel]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Cool, I'll be looking for the first installment.

[NightStick]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

More details will be forthcoming in subsequent posts.

 

Matt "I'm-the-GM" Frisbee

 

I too, will be waiting for the blow by blow details:eg:

 

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Well, it took some thought, but I finally have a direction for the first session. The real problem was deciding exactly how dark and gritty I could make the game without turning my players off to it, so I've decided to use the following guidelines for the game.

 

1) People get hurt, but rarely killed. Any deaths that do occur will usually be part of the plot set-up (i.e. before the action begins) and will not be described or portrayed in gruesome detail.

 

2) Villains are typically engaged in property or novelty crimes. There will be no vendettas where the ultimate goal is to simply kill the offender. Vendettas will attempt to humiliate the victim or relieve the victim of his or her worldly goods.

 

3) Criminal organizations commit their crimes against other organizations such as businesses, rival gangs or governments. There is an agenda, though smash-and-grab jobs for quick funding may be part of the plan.

 

I realize this may take some of the "teeth" out of Hudson City, but it also allows me some flexibility later, should the players decide to take the spandex gloves off...

 

Finally, here's my rendition of the Hudson Sun for the first session. Enjoy.

 

Matt "Busy-busy-busy" Frisbee

[Edsel]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

It sounds like a good balanced campaign. It ought to be a lot of fun. I'll download the attachment before our firewall goes up and read it later.

 

My campaign is a bit more lethal but it is still surprisingly hard for player characters to get killed. Though Choir Boy really came close lately.

 

The biggest problem I have when I run a campaign is that I want to do so much but can only, realistically, get a specific number of things to work within genre. My campaign will feature supernatural stuff from time to time. I miss having supers around but it just doesn't fit my genre. I like science fiction too, but again I can't let that get too outlandish and stay in genre.

 

EDIT: Had a chance to look over your newspaper. Good Job.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Our Hudson City campaign is also surprisingly non-lethal; although that's not really a surprise given we're playing at the 250 point low-powered supers level and thugs with .38 Specials aren't really much of a threat. Oddly enough (since it wasn't a campaign requirement) every PC has a CvK. We have only three characters, which means since one of us has to GM we have a "team" of two PCs which varies depending on who is GMing. As it is we're not really a team so much as solo characters who meet up fairly regularly to fight crime and exchange information. We don't even have a team name. We're desperately looking for another player for our group to add a bit more continuity.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of your stuff, Matt.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Trebuchet:

 

The power level for this campaign (like many of the ones I run) is a custom setting of 200 base + up to 100 disadvantage points, though both of the player characters are nearly 300 points. I'm running the following limits:

 

Attack AP's: 30-40 Beginning, 50 Maximum

Defense PD/ED: 14-18 PD/ED Beginning, 22 PD/ED Maximum

Defense rPD/rED: 5-9 rPD/rED Beginning, 12 rPD/rED Maximum

Rule of X CV Limits: Total OCV / DCV 6-8 Beginning, 10 Maximum

SPD Guidelines: 3-5 SPD Beginning, 7 SPD Maximum

Rule of X Skill Rolls: < 15 or less Beginning, No Limits Maximum

 

All equipment must be paid for with points, though I may allow for a team base and/or vehicle if the players decide they want to go that route -- anything really fancy, like The Batcave or something, will require character points.

 

Edsel:

 

Thanks for the encouragement -- and having read your last session post for the Weekend Warriors, don't feel alone in planning for more than actually gets done in a session. I've had sessions where the players completely missed all of the plot hooks and wound up short-handed in the climactic battle, because only one of them thought a certain clue or item was significant and followed it to its natural conclusion. Excessive use of the GM fiat allowed compensation for that in early sessions, but I realized that I was enabling poor play by doing so, therefore, I let a few supervillains mop the floor with a few heroes (but still allowing for a small victory by hindering or otherwise thwarting the villain's plan, even though the baddie gets away to fight another day). Eventually, communication routes and trust allowed the characters in that campaign to start working together.

 

Your Weekend Warriors campaign is sounding like a very scary, high-stakes, winner-takes-all sort of game (which takes very serious players and a serious committment of time, and I envy you for having both of those). If the characters screw up there, I would think there would be little opportunity for second-chances. I like how you make the players sweat, though, and hopefully they truly appreciate your efforts on their behalf.

 

Matt "Getting-psyched-up-for-game-day" Frisbee

[NightStick]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Matt, Your campaign sounds like it will be very challenging, to say the least. I look forward to reading the results of the first session!

 

The Hudson City Sun reads like our "Oklahoma City Gazzette", which lends a lot of credit to your preparation!

 

I like how you make the players sweat, though, and hopefully they truly appreciate your efforts on their behalf.

 

YES, We do APPRECIATE what Edsel does for us EVERY session! I guess that is why we have been together as a group for as long as we have been! Approaching 20 years I think.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

SESSION SUMMARY – SESSION ONE – “ON FAITH”

Starring: Powerhouse (AKA Rhonda Savage) & The Sentinel (AKA Justin Patrick)

Co-Starring: HCPD Sgt. Faith Padruski

Session Synopsis (from the personal journals of Faith Padruski)

0413 July 14, 2006

This town gets crazy sometimes. I know there aren’t a lot of guys I can trust on the force these days, since a lot of them are on the take from one criminal organization or another. Sometimes it’s cash, sometimes it’s drugs, sometimes it’s flesh – and sometimes it’s all three. And the ones on the force who Cardshark owns usually say their take is coming from somewhere else.

I keep telling myself tonight was a special case. If I hadn’t sprained my ankle by falling into someone’s drug stash, there wouldn’t have been a bust. And without the bust, I wouldn’t have blundered across something else. And that would mean that I wouldn’t have been stumbling around on a pair of crutches at midnight near the 24th Avenue Armory, waiting for backup from a pair of capes.

I tried to get the lieutenant to put together a team, but he said there wasn’t enough evidence to mobilize one. I tried to get the captain to listen, but he was tied up on another case and had no time. I didn’t have time to go to the D-A’s office, so this was my only fallback position. It’s not an enviable one for female cop who steps on too many toes as it is, but working with known vigilantes would be all they’d need to toss my butt off of the force. Time was of the essence, though. Ralphi was going to need something to deal this week, and a heist of pharmaceuticals from a Duchess Industries warehouse was what he was counting on to stay in business. I promised that slime ball he wasn’t going to deal dope in my precinct, and I keep my promises however I can.

With Darkangel AWOL, I had to rely on two relative newcomers to the business. They pulled up in a tacky but forgettable white panel van with magnetic signs advertising a non-existent extermination company hastily slapped on. The van had a few dents in the right places, but was clean otherwise. Careful applications of colored vinyl tape to the license plates changed the numbers and letters slightly to the unprepared witness. I smiled grimly at their caution – this pair had some brains after all.

A man and a woman stepped out of the van. The man was lean but loaded down with a full-body rig which carried several devices, including a pair of combat batons at the hips. His black and gray body suit showed bulges at odd places, the telltales of Kevlar panels and Ferro-graphite laminate plates attached to give added protection from knives and bullets. His close-fitting helmet mounted oversized goggles – probably a home-built light-amplification rig – which covered the upper half of his face. His street handle was The Sentinel.

The woman was six feet of bad news sheathed in midnight blue spandex with subdued white trim. Her bulging muscles almost obscured the feminine curves she could have worn with grace and style. There was force, power and barely contained rage in her every move – as if she were a powder keg of violence just waiting for a spark. Her upper face was masked with broad swath of blood-red silk tied in a bandana fashion, the long tails mingling with the tresses of blonde hair which fell to her shoulders. In the dim of the night, eyes the color of bleach seemed to burn through the material to regard me with equal measures of concern and contempt. Her street handle was Powerhouse.

“You called,” she said without ceremony.

I nodded. “I heard you two have a personal grievance with Cardshark,” I said. I saw Sentinel nod, but Powerhouse remained as still as statue. “I have a strong hunch that they’re sending a team to raid a warehouse near here – tonight, maybe an hour from now,” I said. “You interested?”

“Where?” asked Powerhouse. It wasn’t a question. It was a challenge – a dare to withhold the information from her.

I bit back my response to keep my voice from shaking, but whether it was fear of this woman or my own excitement, I couldn’t tell. “The Duchess Industries warehouse. Two blocks north of here – Silas and Needham.”

Powerhouse looked over at her partner. He paused a moment before nodding and she turned to face me again, those blazing blue eyes boring into me, assessing my injured ankle and the resolve in my eyes. Her mouth curled into a cruel smile. “You want in?” she asked.

It was my turn to smile. I nodded.

* * *

The plan was conceived on the fly as we drove into the area. I would play bait, trying to distract any lookout Cardshark would use, while Powerhouse and Sentinel would sneak in close and hunker down to wait on top of adjacent buildings. Any that escaped the ambush would be my responsibility to run down with my vehicle or bring down with my trusty .45 ACP AMT Hardballer Long Slide.

The warehouse was small as such buildings go, little more than four loading docks on the side facing the street with a high chain link fence surrounding it. The guard shack on the place’s only entry gate was barely large enough to contain the two guards inside, along with two small desks with computers on them. Between the gate and the loading docks was an expanse of crumbling asphalt, adorned with the black arcs of stressed tire treads from the trucks forced to negotiate the tight confines within the fence. The loading docks were bathed in the harsh, dead glare of a Cold War era arc light, with the rest of the building in shadow.

It was a tense hour of waiting, but despite all of the visual gear Sentinel had, I spotted their lookout first, primarily because I had booked the weasel for the same thing when he had been working for that two-faced freak Diomedes four months ago. Bennie was still driving that beat-up rust-and-primer-gray Nova from the 1970’s, and it still needed a muffler.

Bennie circled the block a few times, and then pulled up to the gate of the warehouse to ask the guards there for directions. The guys there were minimum-wage unarmed flunkies; good only for eating junk food, drinking free coffee and surfing for porn on the internet at their employer’s expense. They might be able to push an alarm button, but where Cardshark was involved, I didn’t give them much of a chance.

It was barely three minutes after Bennie drove off that the panel truck rumbled into the neighborhood. I heard my walkie-talkie pop twice – Sentinel was confirming my suspicions that Cardshark’s people were here. The truck was black and had two people up front. There was no telling how many were in the box – and if there were too many, things could go very sour for the capes.

The truck pulled up to the gate, and driver got out – a woman in a green coverall with a matching baseball cap carrying a large clipboard. She talked with one of the guards for a moment, and I barely caught the motion of her tossing something small into the shack. The other guard slumped in his chair. The noise must have carried to his partner, because he turned toward the shack. That’s when the driver clubbed him down to the pavement with the clipboard. She stepped over him and coolly touched the controls to open the gate, which obediently began to roll aside.

My walkie-talkie crackled to life. “Showtime,” said Sentinel. “Lookout, call it in.”

With that, I touched the speed dial for 911 on my spare cell phone. I caught the first part of the “All Our Operators Are Busy” recording and threw it aside. I chambered a round in my pistol and laid it on the seat beside me. When I looked up, the party had started.

A total of four of Cardshark’s thugs were in the back, their blue and red costumes sporting card ranks and suits along with the black nylon straps of weapon rigs and the rigid lines of combat armor. They were already out of the truck, walking along behind it when Powerhouse leapt in amongst them.

Those muscles weren’t all for show, either. She slapped a pistol from the hand of the one nearest her, then picked him up and bodily threw him into another. Another shot her at point-blank range, only to see it carom off like a wad of gum, though she visibly winced from the impact. The Sentinel swept into the fray on a line from one of his batons, clubbing another thug down with the other baton as he swept past, then kicking another before dropping to the ground.

The thugs kept firing and missing while Powerhouse rained blows all around her with hands, elbows and knees. The Sentinel’s baton cracked coldly in the night, finding shins, ribs and skulls. The driver, obviously the team’s leader, joined the fight late, but made up for it with a storm of lead from her submachine gun that forced everyone to kiss asphalt. The Sentinel recovered first, side-arming one of his batons at her, knocking the weapon from her grasp. Powerhouse felled her with a backhand filled with contempt barely a second later.

The whole fight had taken about 20 seconds, but six members of the infamous organization lay dazed, broken and bleeding at the feet of these vigilantes. Pausing only long enough to secure a few of the less severely battered to immobile objects with plastic strip ties, the capes beat a quick exit.

“Emergency services,” rasped my cell phone in the darkness, “please state the nature of your emergency.” It took me nearly five seconds of staring at the carnage before I could pick it up.

Session Notes

I spent most of the first hour describing the general layout of Hudson City to the players, along with major organizations at work within it. After some discussion, the characters outlined the methods and locations of various aspects of their organization, places they typically patrol for more mundane crime control, the vehicles they wished to use and general goals for their activities. Afterward, things moved forward, to the opening scene of the planned adventure, though it became obvious that time was going to run out before the actual adventure was introduced.

Players were somewhat concerned that this first fight did not go more quickly for them. I pointed out that Cardshark agents are paramilitary professionals armed and armored far above what the typical street thug would be using. They seemed satisfied with that.

Given the nature of the encounter, I awarded both characters 1 XP for the session.

Future Plot Elements

With the temporary shortage of drugs, turf wars between dealers and their gangs will be elevated. Cardshark’s attempted operation was poorly planned and executed, belying its desperate bid to cover for an unanticipated shortfall.

The characters have set up shop in a bogus pet cemetery, with a utility shed and mausoleum covering their underground base of operations. As it stands, they have been given the space and grounds for free, but the rest will have to be paid for with XP. As long as they continue to use mundane vehicles, there will be no cost for them. They also have supplied me with a list of bogus businesses on their magnetic vehicle signs for the van – all calls to them will be sent to an answering service.

Overall Self-Evaluation

This session went well, considering the limited time. However, since one of the players fixed some killer beef lo-mien and crab rangoon for dinner, I’m not feeling too shorted. J The next session (7/21) should allow for more time and more role-play.

--Matt Frisbee 0322 15 JUL 2006

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Knightshift Stories Character -- POWERHOUSE

 

30 STR 20

18 DEX 24

15 CON 10

20 BODY 20

14 INT 4

14 EGO 8

18 PRE 8

18 COM 4

20 PD 14

20 ED 17

4 SPD 12

12 REC 6

50 END 10

55 STUN 12

----

169 CHAR COST

 

POWERS

6 +2D6 HA (TOTAL 8D6) END=1

10 10 PD / 10 ED DAMAGE RESISTANCE

5 5 PTS. SIGHT FLASH DEFENSE

5 HIGH RANGE RADIO HEARING (OAF-PORTABLE RADIO, -1)

2 LS: CAN HOLD BREATH FOR 5 MINUTES WITH A DEEP BREATH (1 CONTINUING CHARGE LASTING 5 MINUTES, MUST TAKE DEEP BREATH TO ACTIVATE)

5 5 PTS. MENTAL DEFENSE (8 PTS. TOTAL)

4 +2" RUNNING (8" TOTAL, 16" NC) END=1/5"

6 +6" SUPERLEAP (12" TOTAL, 24" NC) END=1/5"+STR

2 +2" SWIMMING (4" TOTAL, 8" NC) END=1/5"

5 ULTRAVIOLET VISION

----

50 POWERS COST

 

TALENTS & PERKS

3 RESISTANCE (+3 TO EGO ROLLS)

5 MONEY (WELL-OFF)

3 WELL-CONNECTED PERK

CONTACTS

2 1) ASSISTANT HARBOR MASTER ANDY POLEVSKI (VERY USEFUL) 11-

2 2) BARTON STREET MISSION VOLUNTEER JULIE WALKER (VERY USEFUL) 11-

2 3) HCPD SGT. FAITH PADRUSKI (VERY USEFUL) 11-

1 4) CHINATOWN LANGUAGE TEACHER MRS. ISHIHARA 11-

1 5) ORPHANAGE WORKER MELISSA THOMASON 11-

1 6) STREET PERSONALITY FLASHMAN JACKSON 11-

1 7) STRIP HOTEL WORKER CHUCK KELFER 11-

----

21 TALENTS & PERKS COST

 

SKILLS

3 ACROBATICS 13-

3 ACTING 13-

3 BREAKFALL 13-

3 CK: HUDSON CITY 12-

2 LANG: CANTONESE (FLUENT CONVERSATION) [ENGLISH IS NATIVE]

3 CLIMBING 13-

16 CSL: +2 WITH ALL COMBAT

3 DEMOLITIONS 11-

3 INTERROGATION 13-

3 ORATORY 13-

3 PARAMEDIC 12-

3 PS: INVESTOR 12-

3 SECURITY SYSTEMS 12-

3 SEDUCTION 13-

3 SHADOWING 11-

3 STEALTH 13-

----

60 SKILLS COST

 

131 POWERS, TALENTS, PERKS & SKILLS COST

+169 CHARACTERISTICS COST

----

300 TOTAL COST

 

200 BASE POINTS + DISADVANTAGES

----

10 DF: TALL, MUSCULAR WOMAN (CON, N&R)

20 HUNTED BY CARDSHARK 11- (MP)

10 HUNTED BY DR. ENIGMA 8- (AP)

15 SECRET I.D., RHONDA SAVAGE, INVESTOR

20 PSY: HONORABLE (COM, TOT)

15 PSY: OVERCONFIDENCE (VC, MOD)

5 REP: CRIMEFIGHTER 8-

5 WATCHED BY THE HCPD 8- (AP, WATCHING)

----

100 DISADVANTAGES POINTS

+ 0 EXPERIENCE SPENT

300 TOTAL COST

[Zed-F]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Players were somewhat concerned that this first fight did not go more quickly for them.

Looking at the character sheet for Powerhouse, I am beginning to get a glimmer of why. For a character built on 300 points, she's considerably less powerful than I might have expected.

 

So long as the challenges are appropriately taliored to the PCs' power level, though, it doesn't really matter in the end.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Looking at the character sheet for Powerhouse, I am beginning to get a glimmer of why. For a character built on 300 points, she's considerably less powerful than I might have expected.

 

So long as the challenges are appropriately taliored to the PCs' power level, though, it doesn't really matter in the end.

 

Yeah, that's why I was so anxious to get the opening fight in, so I could judge the combat effectiveness of the characters. But, since most "super" characters will be 30-40 AP's worth of attack and DEF between 10-20, this should work out fairly well.

 

Powerhouse is still impressively muscled for a mostly normal universe (x16 normal human strength) and can turn a handgun bullet with no armor. The whole deal with DC:TAS is to make it run somewhat like a Pulp Hero combat would go, with a lot of pummeling and knocking weapons away, etc. Both players said it was fun, even if it was tough, so I guess I did all right.

 

Matt "Looking-forward-to-a-real-session-this-Friday" Frisbee

[Vassoom]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

SESSION SUMMARY – SESSION ONE – “ON FAITH” {...snip...}

Superbly written recap. Very engaging!

 

Thanks for sharing it.

 

- Vassoom

[Edsel]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Looking good so far. Nice writing style. I like the idea of their base in a pet cemetery.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Looking good so far. Nice writing style. I like the idea of their base in a pet cemetery.

 

Thanks for the praise. The pet cemetary was a bit different and was suggested by the player controlling Powerhouse. The player running The Sentinel came up with the vehicles, the idea of altering the license plates and using magnetic signs on the van. It's really starting to look like these two are going to keep me on my toes, at least in the short term...

 

Matt "Keeping-busy" Frisbee

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Knightshift Stories Character -- The Sentinel

CHARACTERISTICS

20 STR 10

18 DEX 24

15 CON 10

16 BODY 12

23 INT 16

14 EGO 8

18 PRE 8

16 COM 3

8/11 PD 4

8/11 ED 5

4 SPD 12

7 REC 0

30 END 0

34 STUN 0

------------

CHAR.PTS. 112

POWERS

16 ARMORED COSTUME, (OIF, -1/2)

1) 6 PD / 6 ED ARMOR (ARMOR PANEL INSERTS) [12 PTS.]

2) +3 ED (EXTRA INSULATION) [2 PTS.]

3) +3 PD (EXTRA PADDING) [2 PTS.]

22 DETECT HOMING TRACER (DIRECTIONAL RECEIVER ON TACTICAL HEADSET) (+0 TO PER) INSTANT, RANGED, AREA OF EFFECT 750" CONE, NO RANGE PENALTY, (IAF - TACTICAL HEADSET)

12 MULTIPOWER (BILLY CLUBS) (30-PT RESERVE) (OAF, -1) 4 RECOVERABLE CHARGES, -1/2

U-1 1) HA: BLUDGEON ATTACK (+3D6, 7D6 TOTAL)

U-1 2) 6D6 EB: THROWN BILLY CLUB

U-1 3) 3D6 ENTANGLE: SWINGLINE SNARE; ENT HAS 1 BODY, -1/2; VICTIM CAN ESCAPE WITH CONTORTIONIST SKILL ROLL, -1/2; DEF 3

U-1 4) MISSILE DEFLECTION VS. PHYSICAL ATTACKS UP TO BULLETS

U-1 5) 15" SWINGING: SWINGLINE CASTER (NC 30")

U-1 6) CLINGING, +0 STR; ONLY ON SURFACES WHERE SWINGLINE CAN ATTACH

25 TACTICAL VISOR & HEADSET; OIF, -1/2

1) UV VISION (NIGHTSIGHT OPTICS) [3 PTS.]

2) +3 TO NORMAL SIGHT PER (COMPUTER IMAGE ENHANCEMENT) [11 PTS.]

3) +4 TO PER TO COUNTER RANGE PENALTIES (TELE-OPTICS) [4 PTS.]

4) HIGH RANGE RADIO HEARING (TACTICAL RADIO TRANSCEIVER) [7 PTS.]

8 +4" RUNNING (10" TOTAL, 20" NC); END=1/5"

5 +5" SUPERLEAP (9" TOTAL, 18" NC); END=1+STR

----

94 POWERS COST

TALENTS & PERKS

10 MONEY (WEALTHY)

10 EIDETIC MEMORY

3 RESISTANCE (+3 TO EGO ROLLS)

----

23 TALENTS AND PERKS COST

SKILLS

3 ACROBATICS 13-

3 BREAKFALL 13-

3 CK: HUDSON CITY 14-

3 CLIMBING 13-

10 CSL: +2 WITH BILLY CLUB COMBAT

3 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING 14-

3 CRIMINOLOGY 14-

3 DEDUCTION 14-

7 ELECTRONICS 13-

3 HIGH SOCIETY 13-

3 INVENTOR 14-

3 KS: ORGANIZED CRIME 14-

3 KS: CRIME LORDS & SUPERVILLAINS 14-

0 LANG: ENGLISH (NATIVE)

1 LANG: MANDARIN (BASIC CONV.)

1 LANG: RUSSIAN (BASIC CONV.)

7 MECHANICS 13-

3 PS: ELECTRICAL ENGINEER 14-

3 SCI: COMPUTER SCIENCE 14-

3 SCI: ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 14-

3 STEALTH

----

65 SKILL POINTS

188 POWERS, TALENTS, PERKS & SKILLS

112 CHARACTERISTICS

----

300 TOTAL POINTS

200 BASE POINTS + DISADVANTAGES

5 DNPC: WENDY CONNERS (SLP, 8-, NORMAL SKILLS) [NEWSPAPER REPORTER]

15 HUNTED BY THE ORGANIZATSIYA (RUSSIAN MOB), 8- (MP)

20 NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS MAXIMA

10 PSY: HATRED OF CARDSHARK (UC, STR)

15 PSY: IN LOVE WITH WENDY CONNERS (COM, STR)

15 PSY: PROTECTS THE INNOCENT (UC, TOT)

5 REP: CRIMEFIGHTER 8-

15 SECRET I.D., JUSTIN PATRICK, ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

----

300 TOTAL POINTS

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Sounds like a cool campaign, and the log is a great read! (Sorry mine aren't half so detailed.) I look forward to reading more!

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Sounds like a cool campaign' date=' and the log is a great read! (Sorry mine aren't half so detailed.) I look forward to reading more! [/quote']

 

Actually, the J-Crew notes are interesting, so don't run 'em down. I'm not sure if I'll have time or energy to do every session log like that one, but I'll try not to make them boring for all of you who aren't playing in the campaign.

 

I worked out the set-ups and NPC scenes for the next session today, so it's looking like "Game On!" for Friday. I still have a couple of combat maps to knock out on the computer, but they're not absolutely essential for play.

 

Matt "This-really-is-the-highlight-of-my-life-this-week" Frisbee

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Actually' date=' the J-Crew notes are interesting, so don't run 'em down. I'm not sure if I'll have time or energy to do every session log like that one, but I'll try not to make them boring for all of you who aren't playing in the campaign. [/quote']

Since the J-Crew log is for a campaign that's over, I confess my motivation to create detailed narratives for it is somewhat limited. But I'm glad someone's enjoying them.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

SESSION SUMMARY – SESSION TWO – “LIKE CLOCKWORK”

Starring: Barry as Powerhouse (AKA Rhonda Savage)

Brad as The Sentinel (AKA Justin Patrick)

Co-Starring: Clockwork (AKA M. T. Greenwich)

Jason Martin

Cleopatra

Session Synopsis (from the personal journal of Rhonda Savage)

July 15, 2006

Time. Depending on who you are, it’s your friend, or it’s your enemy. I keep thinking that if Card Shark ever goes down, I’ll be the one to make it happen, but only if I have enough time. Instead of hunting down the people who killed our friends and changed our lives, we spent the day running down leads on a burglar with a chronograph fetish.

It might be understandable if I put myself in Greenwich’s shoes for a minute. In 1992, at 15, Greenwich hooked up with Jerry Paulson, a notorious house burglar, who took a shine to the boy and taught him the basics B & E. Within a few weeks, the kid was part of Jerry’s crew. For a few hours’ work, the kid had more money in his pocket than a week’s worth of flipping burgers – and this profession was a lot more exciting. Jerry taught the boy very well, even how to not appear to have more money than he should, so his parents wouldn’t get suspicious. After the boy graduates high school, he works some nothing job to keep people from getting suspicious again, but his real profession is house breaker.

Jerry finally gets caught in the summer of 1997, and begins 10 to 20 years of hard time after being classified as a habitual offender. He gets the heavy sentence because he doesn’t tell the authorities who else was in the crew, who all lay low. Four months later, the crew is back in action with Greenwich calling the shots. Their luck holds for another year before Greenwich is caught after failing to deactivate a new breed of home security system – designed to stop even metahuman criminals. That new system was designed by Jason Martin, the owner of Night Watchman Security Company, based on a concept patented by my partner.

Greenwich is smart and scared. He sells out his crew and gets off easy, until he says a little too much and mentions Jerry’s name. Then the judge gets nasty. Greenwich gets no probation, not even a minimum security prison term – such is the fate for a habitual offender. He gets four years in Oldemyer’s medium security wing, and the full horrors of hard time. Some people get tough in the big house, and some wither and die. Greenwich did a little of both – the boy died, and the tough part of him grew strong enough to take on a life of its own. Fellow inmates said that he would stare at the clock in the tower near the prison for hours, sometimes long into the night. Watching the painfully slow progress of the hands, counting the distant tolling bells with each hour, Greenwich waited for time to be under his control again.

Four years later, he was back on the street. His betrayal of his crew ensured that he would never have a place among the criminals he once knew and trusted. Now, he was truly alone, watching the minutes of his life ticking away on clock on the nightstand of his tiny room in Freetown. It was in the dark hours of one long watch that he came to realize that Jason Martin was to blame – his alarm system was the one that caught Greenwich. And that new persona that had been growing inside the void of his soul where the boy in him had died years ago, made the plans that would lay his tormentor lower than he had ever been.

Greenwich managed to get himself hired at Night Watchman Security Company as monitor and security consultant. Who better to tell people how easy it would be to take all their possessions than a felon who had done just that for years? Sales of NWSC systems soared, as businesses and home owners, fearful of increasing crime rates and corrupt cops, bought some security for themselves. Greenwich kept up the act for three years, all the while careful noting who and what was being protected. Since time was his enemy, he decided to steal rare watches and formed a list and a routine to enable him to accomplish it. Like most obsessive personalities, he decided to mimic the attributes of the object of his hatred, becoming a caricature of his own hatred of the clock face which mocked him through bars of his cell. Pinstripes on the suit, clock faces on his mirrored sunglasses, a giant clock’s hand for a weapon and Clockwork took form in the bedroom mirror.

He found a few other outcasts in the criminal world and made them his gang. When everything was ready, and DarkAngel removed from the stage as if by a miracle, Clockwork began his quest for revenge. For 13 days, he stalked his prizes, the rare and valuable mechanical watches protected by his employer’s security systems. Having inside information on how they were being protected, and his own experience and intelligence to draw from, the stealing was almost too easy.

I got involved when the string hit seven yesterday. While Sentinel and I were busting Card Shark chops at the warehouse, Clockwork was stealing his seventh watch. Once Sentinel learned that someone was defeating a circuit he helped design, it became a matter of personal pride to catch a thief.

Some basic detective work put us on to the fact that all of thefts were from places protected by the same outfit. Night Watchman Security Company was out of Crown Point, so we both staked the place out as darkness fell.

The Sentinel made another futile attempt at getting comfortable in his Kevlar cocoon as we squatted atop a parking garage, watching the three-story building that housed NWSC. I smiled, sweating in my spandex bodysuit and waving away the mosquitoes that danced in my vision. I had just returned from placing a couple of Sentinel’s homing tracers on the owner’s car and a gray panel van nearby. We both wore tactical headsets, but had them turned off for the moment.

“There’s no guarantee,” I said softly, “that your hunch is right. And even if it is, there’s no guarantee that our thief will be working tonight.”

That earned me a dirty look, even though it was hidden behind the mass of optical lenses and electronics that made up his home-built vision amplification and enhancement rig. “I’m right,” he said simply, and turned back to watching the building. “Nobody could bypass one of my security rigs unless he had intimate knowledge of how it works,” he continued, “There are only two other people with intimate knowledge of my handiwork besides me – Jason Martin and Michael Thomas Greenwich.”

I switched on my tactical headset. “How convenient that both have criminal records,” I said. Martin had made bootleg cable and satellite descramblers and sold them out the back door of his business until he got caught in 2002. He was serving the last of five years’ probation after turning over records of who had purchased them. “So how the hell could they get their security company bonded?” I asked.

“Martin plea bargained to keep his business,” replied The Sentinel. “He obtained a waiver for Greenwich on the premise that he was a consultant who was not really employed by the company, but paid for services rendered.”

“Typical corporate double-speak,” I said with a snort. “A steak dinner says it’s Martin who’s our thief.”

“If it’s at Cooley’s Irish Steakhouse, it’s a bet,” he replied. Then I saw him straighten up slightly. “Speak of the devil,” he continued, “Martin’s coming out.”

“Time to punch in,” I said while flexing the stiffness out of my legs. “See you at the scene of the crime.”

“Be careful out there,” he said. Then I was airborne, leaping across the gap to the next building.

Martin’s plain white Taurus picked its way through evening traffic, made slightly heavier with the crowd from the Kite Festival in Chinatown heading for home. But Martin wasn’t going home, since he lived on the third floor of the building that housed his business. The slightly heavy traffic worked in my favor as I hitched a ride aboard a semi. However, I groaned inwardly when Martin didn’t turn north Madison Street, but continued eastward.

“Martin’s headed for The Strip,” I growled into the microphone of my headset, “I owe you a steak dinner.”

“Stay on him,” The Sentinel replied in my earpiece, “Someone on probation shouldn’t be visiting The Strip, and Martin’s smart enough to know better. There may be more to this than we know.”

With a lack of heavier, high profile vehicles in North Elmview, I had to do my gargoyle act along the roof lines to keep Martin’s car in sight. Martin stopped at a QuickCorner store to gas up his vehicle and pulled a wad of cash from an ATM – about three hundred bucks from the size of the bundle. He made a show of buying some breath mints so he could get some smaller bills. Then he was back on Redwine. I cursed him softly as I had to take a detour down a fire escape to keep up with him, pausing long enough to pull out a plastic raincoat and a pair of sunglasses from the small carryall pouch slung around my waist. Security at the strip clubs was tight enough that they’d catch me dancing across the roof, and then the bouncers get all kinds of nasty, and some of them are metahuman, too.

The raincoat and sunglasses aren’t much of a disguise, but the curves of my blue and white bodysuit and boots on my feet were all most guys down here would notice at night. I caught glimpses of Martin’s car as I raced to catch up, dodging johns, pimps, hookers, pushers, addicts and derelicts. I pulled even just as he pulled the car into the parking lot for Little Egypt.

I caught my breath and regained my composure. A confrontation mishandled here was sure to end badly. This is Cleopatra’s turf, and while she isn’t as bad as the other barons of the flesh trade, she had a nasty habit of getting dirt on everybody and knowing exactly when to use it. “Play it straight up,” I said to myself as I crossed the street, “You’re supposed to be a heroine, so act like one. Last thing she’ll expect.”

It was easier than I expected. The bouncers here were very polite and escorted me to an alcove off the entrance, and had Martin there in two shakes. He was plain but had a boyish quality about him, like he’d never really grown out of being a teenager. The only thing spoiling the effect was a mousy-looking mustache on his upper lip. Otherwise, he was wearing a nice dress shirt with perfectly pleated pants and expensive, perfectly polished shoes.

“They said you wanted to see me,” he said after a moment.

“I’ll just ask this, straight out,” I said while dismissing the bouncers with a nod of my head, “What are you doing here?”

He actually blushed slightly. “There’s a woman here,” he started, but I cut him off.

“You’re on probation, and you know you’re not supposed to be here,” I growled. “If Judge Trevor got wind of your being here, you’d be in Longview in time for breakfast.” He hung his head as I continued. “On top of the fact that your business is suspected of being in collusion with a thief, it’s a miracle that you aren’t already under arrest.” I punctuated the last with hard poke in the chest with my finger.

He sighed heavily and his shoulders sank. “But I love her,” was all he said.

It was my turn to sigh. “You love a stripper?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Her name’s Brandi,” he replied while raising his head to meet my gaze. “She’s a bartender. You could ask – “

He stopped when I held my hands up. “I believe you,” I said a little more softly than before. “I need your help to catch a thief. In exchange, I won’t tell anyone that you were here if you promise not to come back until you’re finished with probation. Deal?” He nodded and I continued. “There’s a gray panel van that parks near your place.”

He nodded again in recognition. “That’s Michael’s van,” he said as lines of concern wrinkled his forehead. “You don’t think he –“

“He’s the only suspect we have left,” I replied. “What is Greenwich’s schedule tonight?”

Martin glanced at his watch. “He worked to ten,” he said as realization dawned on his face. “And all of the thefts have occurred between ten p.m. and midnight!”

I nodded in return. “And I’m willing to bet you were here on every night that a theft occurred,” I said. “He’s setting you up to take the fall.”

He looked slightly panicked. “What do I do?” he asked.

“You let me handle Greenwich,” I said. “You go home. Now.”

He didn’t need further urging. I was counting my lucky stars when one of the bouncers placed himself between me and the door. He shook his head and pointed back over my left shoulder. I dreaded turning around, but did anyway.

Cleopatra was wearing a simple black silk robe with golden accents showing just the right amount of skin, her hair braided and adorned with beads, her bare feet in golden sandals. She was simply perfect – not too ample and not too lean with large, dark eyes and a seductive mouth. Her voice was soft with an undertone of malice. “You shouldn’t be here,” she said.

“He shouldn’t have been here either,” I said with a toss of my head, meaning Martin.

“We’re not talking about him right now,” she said with just the right amount of irritation in her voice, “We’re talking about you.”

“I’m trying to catch a thief,” I said, “and he was one of two suspects. I am sorry I intruded on your club.”

She considered that for a moment before answering. Finally, she nodded. “I accept your answer,” she said in a more relaxed tone of voice, “I presume the thief is our clockwork fetishist?”

My brow crinkled. “How did you know?” I asked.

Her eyebrows rose and her mouth curled into a smirk, mocking my confusion. “I make it my business to know things,” she said. “And here’s something else I know – he’s been robbing places in alphabetical order.”

My eyes widened. “Vanderwaite and Flynn!” I gasped.

“You’re welcome,” she sighed around her fading smile. She turned and formed her hand into a wave of dismissal. “You may go,” she said as she walked back into the club’s main room.

I relayed my findings to The Sentinel via the headset as I hitched rides on truck roofs back over the river. He didn’t sound surprised. “Greenwich’s van is making a bee line for Irishtown,” he replied. “He picked up his crew at the Herodome, then ran South River Drive back to Roosevelt. He’s still northbound, just passing Kurtland.”

“Then I’m going to be late,” I replied, “but Martin’s on the straight and narrow, now.”

“Keep on coming,” he said tersely. His voice was tight with the exertion, and I smiled as I thought of him swinging between buildings to keep up with the van. “But after this is over, remind me we need to purchase some kind of transportation for these cross-town chases.”

I pushed my abilities to their limits to try and close the gap. By the time I arrived in Irishtown, my legs were shaking with the strain of the chase and my breath wheezed between clenched teeth. Fortunately, Greenwich was a methodical sort who was waiting for exactly the right moment, so I managed to get to where The Sentinel was camped. I didn’t like his choice of location – downwind of a particularly foul dumpster – but it gave us an excellent view of the action.

“What kept you?” he asked sarcastically. I spat in his general direction and worked on catching my second wind. He smiled. “Our thief is a first-class drama queen,” he said. “He’s been waiting in the alley behind the jeweler for the last three minutes.”

“What’s the plan?” I gasped.

“The usual,” he sighed while fingering one of his combat batons, “You go in strong through the front, and I’ll try to slip in behind them.”

My breathing slowed and I nodded. Just then, the entire block went dark. I cursed under my breath as my eyes adjusted to the change of lighting. The Sentinel, with his optics suite, gave a running commentary. “They’re forcing the rollaway door…one of the crew just slid under it…he’s pulled the manual release and propping it open…the rest of them are in now…they’ve left one behind as lookout.”

I put on my game face. “Ready,” I growled, “You take out the lookout when I crash the plate glass up front.” With a nod, he started ghosting up the alley, hiding in the shadows whenever the lookout happened to look his direction.

“In position,” Sentinel breathed through his headset.

I jogged up to the sidewalk out front, crouching just before I reached the windows. I hazarded a peek in the window from the bottom corner. Greenwich was dressed in a black pinstripe suit, wearing a matching derby hat and shoes. He was wearing mirrored sunglasses with a clock face on each lens and was armed with what appeared to be an oversized clock hand. His two accomplices were similarly dressed, though one was dressed in white clothing and the other in green. Definitely a drama queen, I thought. The group was carefully disassembling the elaborate display of watched in the center of the store.

I took several steps back, steeling myself for the spring, then surged forward, launching myself at the storefront glass. The window shattered explosively as I went through it, showering the group with shards and splinters. The two flunkies cowered but their boss stood his ground. “Give it up now and you won’t get hurt!” I shouted in my most strident tone of voice, but Greenwich wasn’t having any.

“Get the watches, gentlemen,” he said coolly, “I’ll deal with the lady.” He brought the clock hand up while bending his knees and splaying his arm back in the classic fencing position. “En Garde!” he shouted and lunged at me with the tip.

I’m tough enough to turn a handgun bullet, but the tip of that weapon laid open my suit from armpit to hip on my left side, leaving a fine line of blood in its wake. I sat down hard from the attack, partly in shock, but mostly in surprise. Greenwich took the opportunity to crash the haft of the weapon against the side of my head before joining his cronies in a general retreat.

It took a second or two to gather my wits, but by then, the three thieves had already made it out the side door and were racing for the van parked in the alley. I jumped to my feet and vaulted the jewelry displays, winding up near the cash register in the corner of the store area. I cursed at the fact the register was one of the high-tech plastic numbers, but then saw the fire extinguisher on the shelf beneath it. The cylinder was soon in my hands and I smashed my way through the wall, hoping I could cut off the escaping crooks.

I burst through the wall, but Greenwich and his two toadies were already past me, running down the hallway I had broken into. There was an explosion to my right, and I turned in time to see my partner staggering around in its aftermath. Greenwich wasn’t finished, though, as he hurled a bola made of chain and pocket watches at The Sentinel, which wrapped around his upper body, pinning his arms to his sides.

They’re getting away! screamed my mind as I sprinted after them. Greenwich and Mr. White were already at the van, and Mr. Green had paused to kick the legs out from under The Sentinel as he passed. I roared my frustration in their wake, then put the full force of my fury into chucking the fire extinguisher at them.

The extinguisher slammed into the side of the van with enough force to rupture the cylinder, spewing its contents in a cloud of fire suppression which engulfed the three villains. They came out sputtering and confused. I heard one of Sentinel’s batons whiz past my ear to connect solidly with Greenwich who went down in a heap. Mr. White got a love tap from me that bounced him off of the van and into unconsciousness. In the confusion, we lost track of Mr. Green, but he dropped the stolen merchandise as he crossed the street. Fortunately, none of the watches were damaged, though their storage boxes were looking much the worse for wear.

“I got Mr. Blue and Mr. Brown,” said Sentinel as he started securing the villains with plastic strips. “Blue wasn’t much of a lookout, but Brown knew how to fight. I’m sorry it took so long.” He seemed to notice the condition of my costume for the first time. “What happened to you?”

“It’s just a scratch,” I said truthfully, “I don’t know what this weapon of his is made out of,” I continued while examining it, “but it actually broke the skin.”

“An epee of some sort,” Sentinel said with a critical eye, “A fencing sword.” Sirens began to wail in the distance. “That’s our cue,” he added.

“Not quite yet,” I said, turning to scowl at Greenwich. “Where are the rest of the watches you’ve stolen, Greenwich?”

He spat bloody spittle at my feet. “The name’s Clockwork,” he said, “and as for your question, you can go to hell.”

In flash, his feet were dangling several inches off of the pavement as I held him on the end of one arm, balling my other hand into a fist. “There’s two ways this can end,” I growled at him, “You can tell me the answer or I can beat it out of you. It’s your choice, but you choose now.”

He saw the raw fury in my eyes and flinched. He wilted after that. “Martin’s safe at the security company,” he said, “They’re all there.”

“What did you have against Martin?” asked The Sentinel as I lowered Greenwich to the ground again.

“It was his security system that got me caught – back when I was a house burglar,” said Greenwich not meeting our gaze, then looking up with eyes brimming with tears. “Four years it cost me in that place…that horrible place…”

“—and you wanted him to experience it,” said The Sentinel, “just like you did.”

Clockwork nodded, then he hung his head. “Now I’m going back,” he said.

I sighed. “Probably for a lot longer,” I said.

Clockwork straightened up, straining against his bonds. The plastic bands held. “No,” he said with a strange light in his eyes. I recognized the cold fire of vengeance there. “I’ll be back,” he growled, “and there will be a reckoning when I return!”

I grabbed him by his lapels until we were nose to nose. “And I’ll be waiting,” I said, then let him fall back to the pavement.

Time. Greenwich will be doing mean time in the big house again. Only now, we’re both going to be counting the days and hours until we cross paths again.

Session Notes

Now that things have been established and the players have had time to digest all the information I gave them last session, the play of the game went much more smoothly this time. Some notes for future reference:

1) The base of operations for our heroes is under the Cherry Grove Pet Cemetery at 30th & Cherry in Pierpoint.

2) Justin Patrick lives in Worthington, but his specialty electronics and computer business is located in Crown Point, just two blocks south of Night Watchman Security Company.

3) Rhonda Savage lives in Bankhurst, just a dozen blocks from her office near the Hudson City Stock Exchange. She employs a secretary/receptionist named Linda Williams.

I awarded both characters 2 XP for the session, since I had to prod both about using their skills and contacts, as well as GM fiat or two to get them moving toward the confrontation with Clockwork.

Future Plot Elements

1) James Roman has become a possible love interest for Rhonda. He lives in the same apartment complex she does. Also, she’s had a business transaction with Ben Berkely.

2) Justin is working on a prototype holographic semi-synaptic processor for the next generation of computers.

3) Both players have expressed an interest in finding out what has happed to DarkAngel, so that may be the next adventure.

Overall Self-Evaluation

A great session with a few too many segues (mostly my fault). Next session (7/28) is being eagerly anticipated. My “newscast” was enthusiastically received, so probably no more screamsheets for the near future.

-- Matt Frisbee 1836 22 JUL 2006

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Here's a map of Vanderwaite & Flynn Jewelers, just to clarify things in session. Enjoy!

[oroborous]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

You're tempting me to move to the Quad Cities. I can't find any action around here, and I'm not sure if I wanna GM my own game. That is a lot of work.

 

I have to admit I may have been spoiled with RJM Hughes as my first GM, but I only hope I could come up with something one tenth as entertaining.

 

Keep up the good work.

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

You're tempting me to move to the Quad Cities. I can't find any action around here' date=' and I'm not sure if I wanna GM my own game. That is a lot of work.[/quote']

 

While I'm actually about 90 miles away from the QCA, but thanks for the praise. The reason I do this is because I truly have no life, so I'm probably semi-prime fodder for your "Crappy Gamer" ad. I'm actually surprised you can't find any good gamers in the Des Moines area -- there was a thread on the "gamers wanted" group for your part of the great midwest.

 

I have to admit I may have been spoiled with RJM Hughes as my first GM, but I only hope I could come up with something one tenth as entertaining.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Hopefully, your luck will change in that department in the near future. Glad you are enjoying the thread.

 

Matt "Typin'-my-pudgy-digits-off" Frisbee

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Character Write-Up – Clockwork

CHARACTERISTICS

15 STR 5

21 DEX 36

15 CON 10

13 BODY 6

23 INT 16

18 EGO 16

14 PRE 4

14 COM 2

7 PD 4

7 ED 4

4 SPD 9

8 REC 4

35 END 2

35 STUN 6

-----------

POINTS 124

POWERS

10 EC: SUPER-INTELLIGENCE / SUPER-TIMING POWERS (15-PT RESERVE), ALL POWERS IN EC REQUIRE A CHAR ROLL OR SKILL ROLL (-1/2)

10-A CHANGE ENVIRONMENT – CAUSES ELECTRICAL BLACKOUTS (ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS KNOWLEDGE) (INT ROLL) [32” RADIUS] END=3

10-B 50% PHYSICAL RESISTANT DAMAGE REDUCTION (COMBAT KNOWLEDGE) (INT ROLL), ONLY VS. OPPONENTS HE’S STUDIED

10-C DESOLIDIFICATION (MASTER THIEF) (SECURITY SYSTEMS ROLL), ONLY TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM INACCESSIBLE PLACES, PROVIDES NO PROTECTION FROM ATTACK (-1/2), END=4

12-D INVISIBILITY TO SIGHT GROUP WITH NO FRINGE (EXCELLENT AVOIDANCE SKILLS) (SECURITY SYSTEMS ROLL), ONLY VS. SECURITY OR SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, END=4

17-E 8D6 TELEPATHY (COMBAT STYLE STUDY) (PERCEPTION ROLL), ONLY TO ANTICIPATE OPPONENT ACTIONS, MUST ACHIEVE EGO+10 TO BE SUCCESSFUL, END=4

10-F 15” TELEPORTATION (EXCELLENT MEMORY) (INT ROLL), ONLY WORKS TO ELUDE CAPTURE (I.E. CATCHES A PASSING BUS, USES A HIDDEN CRAWLSPACE, ETC.

8 +4” RUNNING (10” TOTAL, 20” NC) END=1/5”

5 +5” SUPERLEAP (8” TOTAL, 16” NC) END=1+STR

15 MULTIPOWER (TIMEPIECE WEAPONS) (30-PT RESERVE) OAF-GADGETS (-1)

U-5 6D6 EB EXPLOSION VS. PD: EXPLODING POCKET WATCHES, RANGE LIMITED TO THROWING RANGE (-1/2), 4 CHARGES (-1)

U-1 3D6 ENTANGLE (DEF 3): POCKET WATCH & CHAIN BOLAS, RANGE LIMITED TO THROWING RANGE (-1/2), 4 CHARGES (-1)

TALENTS & PERKS

3 ABSOLUTE TIME SENSE

5 CRAMMING (1 SKILL AT 8-)

10 EIDETIC MEMORY

3 SPEED READING

SKILLS

3 ACROBATICS 13-

3 BREAKFALL 13-

3 CK: HUDSON CITY 14-

3 CLIMBING 13-

6 CSL: +2 WITH CLOCKHAND FENCING

3 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING 14-

3 CONCEALMENT 14-

3 CONTORTIONIST 13-

3 DEDUCTION 14-

3 DEMOLITIONS 11-

7 ELECTRONICS 13-

3 KS: HUDSON CITY PUBLIC TRANSIT SCHEDULES 14-

3 KS: COMMON BUILDING LAYOUTS 14-

3 LOCKPICKING 13-

7 MECHANICS 13-

3 PS: SECURITY EXPERT 14-

3 SECURITY SYSTEMS 14-

3 STEALTH 13-

27 MA: CLOCKHAND FENCING (USABLE ONLY WITH CLOCKHAND WEAPON)

(3) BASIC STRIKE (OCV +1, DCV -1, 8D6)

(6) +3 DC FOR MA MANEUVERS (CLOCKHAND WEAPON) (OAF -1)

(5) DEFENSIVE BLOCK (OCV +1, DCV +3)

(4) KILLING STRIKE (OCV -2, DCV +0, 2D6 HKA)

(5) OFFENSIVE STRIKE (OCV -2, DCV +1, 10D6)

(4) MARTIAL DISARM (OCV -1, DCV +1)

 

124 CHARACTERISTICS COST

+226 POWERS, TALENTS, PERKS & SKILLS

------

350 TOTAL COST

200 POINTS BASE + DISADVANTAGES

5 DF: A THIN, LANKY FELLOW (EC, N&R)

5 DF: TIDY, PRIM & ORGANIZED ALL THE TIME (EC, N&R)

10 ENRAGED WHEN PUT OFF SCHEDULE OR MADE LATE (GO 14-, REC 11-, UC)

20 NORMAL CHARACTERISTICS MAXIMA

15 PSY: ARROGANT (COM, STR)

15 PSY: SETS SCHEDULES AND STICKS WITH THEM (COM, STR)

10 PSY: VENGEFUL (UC, STR)

15 SECRET I.D., M. T. GREENWICH, SECURITY EXPERT

10 SUS: BEING LATE (HE REALLY HATES BEING LATE) (1D6 STUN / TURN)

30 VILLAIN BONUS

------

350 TOTAL COST

[Matt Frisbee]

Re: Knightshift Stories -- Campaign Log

 

Character Write-Up – Clockwork’s Gang (typical members)

CHARACTERISTICS

15 STR 5

14 DEX 12

14 CON 8

12 BODY 4

10 INT 0

10 EGO 0

10 PRE 0

10 COM 0

4 PD 1

3 ED 0

2 SPD -4

6 REC 0

28 END 0

27 STUN 0

-----------

POINTS 26

POWERS, TALENTS, PERKS & SKILLS

3 +2D6 HA: CANE (5D6 TOTAL) (OAF -1)

7 1D6+1 RKA: REVOLVER, 6 CHARGES (-3/4), OAF (-1)

4 +2” RUNNING (8” TOTAL, 16” NC) END=1/5”

1 CK: HUDSON CITY 8-

2 CSL: +1 WITH CANE

2 CSL: +1 WITH REVOLVER

3 SECURITY SYSTEMS 11-

1 WF: PISTOLS

------

24 POINTS

26 CHARACTERISTICS COST

+24 POWERS, TALENTS, PERKS & SKILLS COST

-----

50 TOTAL COST

25 BASE POINTS + DISADVANTAGES

10 DF: PINSTRIPE SUITS, CANES AND DERBY HATS (CON, N&R)

15 HUNTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT 8- (MP)

------

50 TOTAL COST