Friday, October 30, 2015

The Big Blackout - Contemporary Mini Campaign

This is a mini campaign I intended to run and that was replaced with another game. It is intended for players who don't care for fantastic elements. It is supposed to feel at least somewhat like GTA. Everyone plays a person that was convicted for a crime. It is the player's choice if the crime was actually committed by the character or not. Use the crime table to find out what the crime is.

It all starts in a courthouse. It is focused on an unspecified city.

COURTHOUSE (Plot Point 1 = PP1)
All the characters are in one room together at the court, after being sentenced by judges, waiting for a transport back to prison. With a giant guy (Blabes). “I don’t like your face!


2 cops (guns) are also in the room, but will ignore fights without weapons.


There is sudden tumult, sirens, cops whisper, then run out (PP2). Blabes starts attacking right away.


6 more cops (guns) are in the building. SWAT (8) will arrive, but are busy.


1 girl (secretary): “I can show you a secret way out, if you swear to pay me back.”
Hands over 2 key cards for -2 floor elevator. “Just follow the Hieroglyphs!”
UNLOCK PP3

AMOK GUY (PP2)
A psycho with trenchcoat has entered the main hall of the courthouse. He blocks basically the only exit. He has 5 hostages. SWAT teams (24) come from outside, but 8 cops are on the other side.


The Amok guy asks to talk to the president and newsstations, because “we are all controlled by beings on couches in another world. we are just imagination! they are even drunk!”


After 4 hours of waiting, the SWAT team (16) comes in. Probably a short fight. They take everyone prisoner again. Shortly after the Complete Blackout! (PP4) starts.

THE DOG CAVE - ANUBIS (PP3)
Under the courthouse there is a cave. It can be accessed by following hieroglyphs (1st Scarabeus, 2nd Ankh, 3rd dog head) in old archive file rooms (encounter: old file lady).


In the final room, remove a shelf to find an neo classicist Egyptian mural. Press in order of path: Scarabeus, Ankh, dog head. Opens mural as secret door: wet stairs down cave.


Dark, dog barking. Then attack by dogs.


Cave has many forks. Main way leads  to old subway tunnel not longer in use. You can walk out over rails at a station. When coming out, it’s completely dark. Complete blackout! (PP4) Some scared people are in the subway station. They just lie on the floor and cry.

COMPLETE BLACKOUT! (PP4)
Electricity is out for a few hours and it’s getting dark. There are traffic jams everywhere, as all the traffic lights stopped.


People walking to their apartments in poor neighbourhoods will have them either be blocked off by police units (1d4)- there is a fight going on behind, nobody is allowed to pass - or by gang members with knifes and guns.


In rich neighbourhoods corporate security by Janus Systems or Group 7 have closed down the entrances and don’t let anyone in


After dark the looting starts. 1d12 looters take stuff from a store. After 1d20 rounds police or a gang will show up.


For more details use the Blackout Random Tables

STREET BLOCKADE


While driving a car, the characters notice that the street is blocked ahead by cars parked together. 2 people with rifles stand in fron, 6 more with guns are hiding behind the cars. They look like a random group of everyday citizens. Some wear suits or business dresses, others shirts and shorts. The are between 35 and 80.


They don’t want anyone to pass and send cars back.


“We don’t trust you! Go away!”

THE ONE LIGHT


While most of the city block is completely dark, there is one bar that seems to have normal light. There is a crowd of people in front drinking. It seems everything is normal. Inside the bar is crowded. They only take cash obviously. There is a basement with a disco.


The bar has it’s own generator. It’s run by a survival maniac called Inza. She tells that she saw that coming and that she is prepared. She says she is looking for guys with guns to find her friends (actually a militia, but she won’t tell), as they did not show up. She has to stay at the bar.


Behind the disco a steel door leads to a bunker where she stores a lot of weapons. Even anti tank bazookas. She won’t tell anyone about it. The weapons are for her friends, militia.


The militia members (4 with guns) actually ended up - paranoid - as they are, dug up in the telephone franchise shop of on of the members only 2 blocks away. They had a stand off with a local gang and 2 gang members have been killed and lay out on the street. From time to time gun shots may get the attention of people nearby. The gang decided to wander off after some hours, but left 2 kids at the corner, who are supposed to ask for reinforcement (running) when someone moves inside.

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