Actual Play: FATE High Road to China Session 3

High Road to China Session 3 Write-Up

Played Friday, January 27th, 2017

Dramatis Personae

• Fiona, a rich heiress (played by J, not present, given Missing PC Aspect: "Distracted over worry about her father")
• Faye, a reporter (played by R)
• Angelo, a gambler (played by T)
• Two Stampe SV.4 airplanes
• Rudolph Von Hecht, a WWI Flying Ace with 5 confirmed kills, flying a Fokker D. VII
• Omar Al-Herad, a hotshot pilot, native of Iraq, with no confirmed kills (although he claims to have had 13), flying a Sopwith Camel

In the skies above Baghdad, death reigned supreme.

Our heroes, tired from a long day of flying, approached the city. Two planes flew out of the sun above them and attacked!

Bullets flew and as the enemy planes passed, Faye recognized the two pilots: Rudolph Von Hecht, a WWI Flying Ace and Omar Al-Herad, another mercenary pilot.

They attacked again, this time Rudolph squared off against Angelo, trying to gain an advantage but shot past too quickly, giving Angelo an advantage ("Superior Altitude"), while Omar shot at Fiona and Faye, scoring a minor hit on their plane (1 Shift)!

First blood to the mercs!

Faye grabbed the Lewis Gun and opened up on Rudolph, striking a hit that caused damage to his plane (5 Shifts: Stress 3 and Minor Consequence "Loose Canvas on Wing").

Angelo rolled and shot at Omar, pow, pow, pow, filling the plane with holes (4 Shifts: Stress 2 and Minor Consequence "Fuel Leak").

On the second pass, Faye shoots at Rudolph again with her gun ("Ready Gun" boost), scoring a hit (1 Shift), turning his white aviator's scarf crimson!

Omar shoots Faye and Fiona, drawing blood on them (2 Shifts: Stress 1 each for each Fiona and Faye).

Fiona does a loop-de-loop, slipping, yawing and rolling and shooting a Very flare pistol, to set up the two enemies to be stuck firing at each other if they shoot at our heroes, but she's distracted because she's worried about her father (Missing PC Aspect: "Distracted over worry about her father") so she succeeds but puts Angelo in danger as well ("Friendly Fire" with minor cost Angelo is affected as well).

Rudolph machine-guns Angelo ("Friendly Fire"), scoring direct hits (3 Shifts: Stress 1 and Minor Consequence "Smoke Trail").

Angelo shouts to Omar "That other pilot tried to kill you and gain the bounty for himself", trying to get Omar to fight Rudolph ("No Honor Among Thieves" with minor cost that Omar thinks Angelo is just another rival mercenary).

On the third pass, Fiona flies steadily so that Faye can get a good shot ("Steady Flying" - 2 free invokes).

Rudolph opens up on Angelo, causing more damage to his plane (3 Shifts: Stress 3), while Omar blasts away at Fiona and Faye, striking their plane (2 Shift: Stress 2).

Angelo comes from above and punishes Rudolph and his plane (8 Shifts: Stress 3, Plane Stress 3 and Moderate Consequence: Sputtering Engine), striking and killing Rudolph, which left the plane uncontrolled ("Unpiloted Plane") flying around for a few moments.

Faye, using a clever trick, guns down Omar (both "Steady Flying" invokes and "Unpiloted Plane"), forcing him into Rudolph's kite, where they crash into each other, bursting into flames and falling from the skies (11 Shifts: Stress 1, Plane Stress 1, and 9 overkill Shifts!).

The session ends with burning wreckage on the desert floor, as two planes, one trailing smoke, fly through a blood-red sky towards Baghdad and Faye composes an incredible story ("Author of 'Dogfight of Death above Baghdad'") for her newspaper!

Next Session: Baghdad and beyond!