Thursday, May 31, 2018

Actual Play: Firefly "Old War Horses" Session 3 Dirt

Session 3: Dirt
Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Dramatis Personae:
  • Captain Ramsey Zook, played by BR (absent)
  • General Samuel Zook, played by BR (absent)
  • Bang Buckwheat, played by BB (absent)
  • Prospero Jones, played by J (absent)
  • John Havelock, played by A
  • Dr. Winston Stuart, played by H
  • Lots o' Alliance Guards and search dogs
  • A Polite Tong Headman and his Unruly Gang

Note: This session was inspired/stolen shamelessly from The Signal's (Season 3, Episode 14) Badger's World (Season 1, Episode 7).


Planet: Persephone
Town: Eavesdown Docks

After escaping the mysterious black ship that attacked them last session, the Ning Po lands on Persephone, in the Eavesdown Docks.

When Captain Zook mentions the disease, Steel Gangrene, that has broken out on Ita, Winston remembers working with a guy who fought at Sturgis on a Medical Ship. It was abandoned in the fighting, now floating among the wrecks there. It's got medicine that can help heal the disease on Ita. By the end of the week, the disease will have more victims on Ita. Persephone to Sturgis to Ita would take about a week. 

While Zook and the rest of the crew get the ship repaired, John and Winston were told to head over to the Eavesdown Docks and prep the cargo for the ship to pick up prior to the lease on the depot slip reverting back to the depot.

Both John and Winston notice that there are a lot of Alliance Guards at the Eavesdown Docks Bonded Container Depot (Complication: Lots o' Alliance Guards D6) but they get by them with the pass (Asset: Pass into Persephone's Eavesdown Docks Bonded Container Depot D6).

They go to Depot Slip No. 2337, an area with tall chain link fencing and enclosed for privacy with screens on the fencing. There's a touch-screen entrance lock and they put in the code, entering 2337.

Inside, they find a pair of Type 47 Cargo Containers and a large blue tarp on the ground. There's no sign of a cargo.

Looking under the tarp, it's just a pile of dirt. Their instructions, when they got the job, was to move the cargo in the yard into the containers but there's nothing but a big pile of dirt.

John figures out that the cargo is the dirt. And it's "not just dirt, it's top soil, highest quality, fertile, well worked, naturally built up over a century with only organic compost topsoil." Vastly superior, naturally developed than processed dirt. On the Rim, it's worth it's eight in gold. And with an export premium you wouldn't believe.

Opening the containers, they find two Level IV Mass Shifters and start moving the dirt because time is at a premium.

Before long, they notice more Alliance Guards around outside, searching for something (Complication Lots o' Alliance Guards D8) and some of them have search dogs (Complication: Alliance Dogs Sniffing Things Up D8). That's when they uncover the three dead bodies, buried in a shallow mass grave in a corner of the pile (Complication: 3 Dead Bodies D8).

Not knowing what to do with the bodies (and loath to leave them behind to be discovered later -- and pointing toward the last people in #2337, them!), Winston starts rolling them up in sections of the blue tarp.

Some Alliance Guards come to #2337's door and John goes to talk to them. He shows them the pass and that they're just emptying the Depot before the lease is up. He uses some jerky as a prop to appear just a yokel (Asset: Packet of Tasty, Tasty Beef Jerky D6). 

The guards look past John into the yard and see one of the corpses on one of the mass shifters "talking" to Winston (Asset: "Weekend at Bernie's" Dead Body Disguise D6) and the corpse "waves" at them, with Winston's help.

While still suspicious, the Alliance Guards leave, but not without more of them showing up to search the whole depot (Complications: Lots o' Alliance Guards D10, Alliance Dogs Sniffing Things Up D10, Alliance Over-flights D6).

Back to the job, Winston and John continue loading the dirt into the containers, with the blue-tarp-wrapped corpses hidden from view.

They're almost done when there's another interruption at the gate. A gentleman outside politely asks to speak with them and a rougher voice demands it, not-so-subtly promising violence. 

When John goes to the gate, he meets a polite Chinese gentleman and his entourage (Complication: Polite Tong Headman and his Unruly Gang D8). The gentleman asks about his missing nephew and two of his nephew's friends. One of his men, pointing to a shame-faced gang member standing behind him, left them around here. Obviously to John, the three were killed by the Tong and buried for later retrieval. Unfortunately, the Depot Slips all look the same and the murderers got confused. Add in the Alliance Guards, as equally obvious looking for the three bodies, and things get more complicated!

The gentleman asks if John has seen them. With Winston working hard in the background, making lots of noise with the mass lifter, John admits that he hasn't and they're in a rush to finish up before their lease ends tonight.

The gentleman seems to believe John and he and his crew move off. John quickly locks the gate and they do a speedy effort to finish loading the dirt. 

They drag the bodies into one of the containers and load in the mass lifters as well, signalling Captain Zook to come get them ASAP!!!!

As the Ning Po hovers over Slip #2337, they load the ship, watching the Alliance and Tong crawling all over the Depot. Loading the cargo with minutes to spare, they immediately blast off into the black, left with a three body problem and the feeling that things just don't go smooth.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Actual Play: Firefly "Old War Horses" John Havelock

John Havelock

Attributes: 
Mental: d8_______________Physical: d6______________Social: d10

Skills: 
Craft d4______________________Drive d4_______________Fight d6
Fix d4________________________*Fly d6_________________Focus d4
***Influence d10 (close the deal)_*Know d6 (contacts)_____Labor d4 
Move d4______________________*Notice d10____________Operate d4
*Perform d8___________________Shoot d6_______________Sneak d4 
Survive d4____________________Throw d4_______________Treat d4 
**Trick d12 (something for nothing)

Distinctions: 
Shady Business Man d8 
[x] Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8 
[x] Fell Off a Truck: Step up a Complication involving the authorities to create a D8 Asset that was acquired from less than reputable sources
[_] Loan Shark: Spend a PP to pass of a social Complication onto another character who owes you something 
(Skills: Influence, Notice, Trick) 

Guild Trader d8 
[x] Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8 
[_] Get Out of Jail Free: Spend 1 PP when you're imprisoned, locked up, seized, or held. The Trade Guild springs you but they'll ask you to do something for them later 
[_] Shadow of the Guild: Gain 1 PP when your decision to go against the Trade Guild's policies, practices, or orders puts you in danger or hot water 
(Skills: Influence, Fly, Know) 

Chatterbox d8 
[x] Gain 1 Plot Point when you roll a d4 instead of a d8 
[x] Blather: Step up or double Trick for an Action when you just keep talking. Take or step up an Annoying Complication after the roll 
[_] Friendly Banter: Step up Social for a scene. The next time the GM buys a Complication after you've rolled a jinx, step the Complication up
(Skills: Influence, Perform, Trick) 

Signature Assets:
Guild Contacts d6
Alliance Salvage Permit d8


John Havelock never met a stranger. All peoples are his friend, or soon will be. If the Life of a Party was a planet, then John is the King. Friendly and personable, he’s able to convince people to do things they didn’t think possible. He’s great at making a deal where everyone comes out ahead (or seems to). Sure, he’s been casual with other mens’ wives and daughters, spaceships, bank accounts and weapons, but that can’t be held against him–he’s a unique individual, beyond the rules of mere mortals. Yet he’s scrupulously “honest” when a deal comes about. He’ll bargain hard with you but he’ll uphold his end and woe to you if you don’t hold up yours. The smile’s still there, but the steel comes out. 

Raised on Higgin’s Moon, he managed to sweet–talk his way off and once let loose on the ’Verse, proceeded to wheel–and–deal his way around. Last year, he managed to get Capt. Zook a deal on military surplus and has been a crew member ever since. He likes it here and the people like him. He’s got a special lady–friend on Ita now and something to fight for.



3x3s


3 friends:

● Cutie Mui, lady friend on Ita. John was very happy when Xun introduced Cutie to him. He’s been walkin’ on air since they started their relationship. 
● Ben No Mortley, private investigator. Every now and then, it’s good to know what your competition is doing. Ben started as an employee and ended up a friend. Now Ben has his own company and still keeps in contact with his good friend John Go figure. 
●Terry Dodge, mob hitman. How do I keep meeting people like this? I’m not a violent man but I seem to attract it. But Terry’s a good guy. He’s got to make a living, too. But the last time we went to dinner, he had to work. Geez, I had to leave before dessert, what with all the screaming and shooting and explosions.


3 contacts:

● Lo Ho Hai, information broker. A good contact from the bad old days on Higgin’s Moon, Lo was one of the first people who gave John a chance. They still keep in touch and share info that is mutually beneficial. 
● Luke d’Mord, weapons dealer. Who needs a grenade launcher? Well, who doesn’t, with the state of the ’Verse. And knowing an arms dealer is better than not, especially when you really need a grenade launcher. 
● Sam Healy, fence. He’s not really a fence, but a middleman for goods and services of questionable parentage.


3 enemies:

● Sumitra Mukhopadhyay, rival merchant. Sumitra keeps trying to score big. Not if John can help it! 
● Corporal Jeet, mechanic, 479th Mule, Gravedigger and Support Unit. Yeah, so I play cards! Does Jeet have to keep playing with me? NO! 
● Yu Eun–Ho, rich noble. He wanted John to move some product for him. John wanted to see it first. Things got heated from there and words were exchanged, a gun was pulled and Yu got punched out.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Actual Play: Firefly "Old War Horses" Session 2 Puncture

Session 2: Puncture
Wednesday, November 8, 2017


Dramatis Personae:
  • Captain Ramsey Zook, played by BR
  • General Samuel Zook, played by BR
  • Bang Buckwheat, played by BB
  • Prospero Jones, played by J
  • John Havelock, played by A
  • Dr. Winston Stuart, played by H
  • Doc Gaines
  • Mysterious black ship

In the Black: a few hours outside Ossolambria, moon of Shadow, heading toward Persphone

The scene starts with the Ning Po with a puncture in it's side, venting atmo, fleeing a mysterious black ship.

A few hours outside of Ossolambria, the Ning Po passes another bulk trader. Suddenly, the bulk trader shed it's outer shell, revealing a black, experimental spacecraft, which promptly shot a lance at the Ning Po. It missed the engine pod and crashed through the cargo bay wall, opening the cargo bay to atmo (Complication: Hull Breach D8).

Doc Gaines, in the cargo hold at the time, fell from the scaffolding onto the cargo floor when the ship shuddered from the attack (Compliation: Doc Gaines Injured D8). He was gravely injured.

With atmo rapidly leaving the ship (Complication: Atmo is Leaving the Ship, Rapidly D8), Bang put foot to pedal to escape this black ship.

Prospero ran to Doc Gaines and loaded him onto a nearby powered cargo lifter (Asset: Hover Cargo Lifter D6). Winston yelled at him to bring Gaines to the infirmary while Captain Zook was yelling at Prospero to seal that breach.

Zook helped Bang hold the ship steady, allowing Bang to reach full burn (Asset: Long Haul/Full Burn Boost D6).

Getting Doc Gaines to Winston, Prospero jumped into a ready space suit (Asset: Ready-and-waiting Space Suit D6) and closed off the cargo bay, as John started looking around to help with the atmo situation. He finds a control panel and attempts to control the atmo (Asset: Life Support Control Panel Rerouting Atmo Big Shiny Red Button D6). With their combined work, the atmo venting is lessened (Complication: Atmo is Leaving the Ship, Rapidly D6).

Bang's flying put the Ning Po through some pretty bad twists and turns, wreaking havok on the hull breach (Complication: Hull Breach D8 stepped up to D10).

Winston, swearing Wong Ba Duhn (Son of a bitch ) in Chinese, noting the bad injuries on Gaines, started surgery, working hard to stabilize him and heal him.

With more fancy flying, Bang manages to keep ahead of the black ship, as Prospero seals the cargo bay, sealing off the atmo leak and starts repairing the hull breach (Complication: Hull Breach stepped back to D6). Unfortunately, the damage affects the ship's maneuverability (Complication: Maneuverability is affected D6 (stepped down from D8 by John))

Bang performs a Crazy Ivan (his first) and escapes the black ship, leaving it behind, damaged.

///// Cut Scene /////

Planet: Ita, moon of Whittier

General Zook is notified by his chief medical officer that one of the soldiers has come down with Periginia Contufirmus, colloquially known as Steel Gangrene, a virulent disease that spreads quickly in hot environments, often with a 30% fatality rate, up to 50% in hot environments.

Concerned, General Zook sends a Wave to his brother.

///// End Cut Scene /////