Santiago - A Myth of the Far Future

Catch the most wanted criminal in the galaxy!
Bandit, murderer, known to all, seen by none... has he killed a thousand men? Has he saved a dozen worlds? His legend is as large as the Rim itself, his trail as elusive as a wisp of starlight in the empty realms of space. The reward for him is the largest in history.
From Keepsake to Altair, a group of bounty hunters must follow a trail of clues across the Inner Frontier, racing against their rivals, to be the first to track down the Outlaw King.
An adventure for starting bounty hunters using the What's OLD is NEW roleplaying game system, set in the far future. Based on the novel by Mike Resnick.
This 48 page scenario supplement written by Russ Morrissey is designed to be used with the N.E.W. sci-fi rulebook. This book is an adventure set in the lawless vastness of space where the gun rules and criminals turn to bounty hunting when they have had enough of crime. The book is filled with the most amazing colourful characters on a plethora of worlds. The most memorable characters of the time are commemorated by the Black Orpheus in his epic poem, which helps to drive the story on throughout the book. Santiago is the biggest villain in Resnick's imaginative future, and the very best bounty hunters want to find and kill him for the reward and the fame. This is not so easy though, as Santiago and his deeds are shrouded in myth. The tension increases as more and more "characters" from the poem arrive on the same world. Surely, this is where Santiago can be found - but can he be killed?
The scenario starts with info on numerous planets that the PCs will visit in their quest to track down Santiago. The N.E.W. rulebook features a simple introductory scenario in the appendices to this story and this supplement carries on from where it left off. The PCs visit a series of planets picking up clues to the whereabouts of Santiago on each one. As so, this is a very linear adventure - move from A to B to C, etc. Stats are provided for a large cast of characters whom the PCs will interact with. Some of these are exceptionally tough and powerful (10d6 compared to 5d6 starting characters). In addition, on each planet the PCs visit are a list of bounties they can pursue. These will need to be fleshed out by the GM but can be useful if your players need extra credits and/or experience.
I enjoyed reading this supplement. I read the novel, Santiago by Mike Resnick many years ago and liked it a lot but I had forgotten much of the plot. I have been wondering whether I could use this scenario in my The Ace of Spades Campaign? and the answer is probably not. The setting is very different to mine and is set many, many years ahead of my campaign. That said, it is a very well written supplement and I know I would enjoy playing it.
Amazon UK currently have it for sale at £11.73. 

Four Go Camping part 3

"What are we going to do? That's easy. We kick the crap out of the robbers!" Sabrina replied with such confidence that she inspired the young kidnap victim, Caroline, who looked at her with hope in her tearful eyes.
"They're not getting you, Caroline. Let's get 'em, St. Trinian's!" Sabrina screamed defiantly as she led the girls outside.

The four bank robbers exited the silver SUV and lined up in front of it. Youngest of them was Billy "Blondie" Bates, a 19 year old vicious thug who wore a leather jacket and denims. He was cocky, arrogant and full of youthful exuberance.
Next to him was Bert Corbett, a former bricklayer who would always be a follower, never a leader. He was rarely seen without his flat cap. A taciturn man, he was handy in a fight.
Leader of the gang was Barry "Bazza" Bates, a chain smoker and the father of Billy. He wore a frilly, powder blue shirt, as he liked to make an impression, but it wasn't always what he hoped for. To many, he was a flash git!
Finally, was Neville "Baldie" Dempsey, an ex-boxer and the muscles of the quartet, who was more brawn than brain. Long past his prime, he was still good at fisticuffs.
They all had served time in prison for previous crimes. None of them were armed but they oozed menace. Bullying and intimidation was a way of life for them. The bank robbery had gone without a hitch and the boot of their car was filled with sacks of cash from the job. Full of confidence, all they had to do was return Caroline to her father, the bank manager. Easy peasy!

Bazza was just as surprised as his colleagues when he saw four blonde teenage schoolgirls emerge from the cottage ahead of the young kidnap victim.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked indignantly. "Where's John and Tara?"
"Oh, they're fast asleep in the back of the cottage," Sabrina replied with a wicked sneer. "If you've come for Caroline here, you're going to have to go through us first!"
"Mouthy bitch, aren't you?" Bazza fumed. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"
"I don't know and I don't care," Sabrina smirked, "but Caroline is under our protection now. We are not handing her over. If you want her, come and get her."
"Don't be such a freaking Muppet!" Bazza was fast losing his cool. "Get out of my way or I'll break your freaking face!"
What Bazza did not know was that he was facing four St. Trinian's students, and St. Trinian's students never backed down from a challenge, especially a challenge that involved violence.
"Charge!" Sabrina shouted.
Bazza's eyes bulged in surprise! Had she really said, "Charge?" Did she have a death wish?

The two sides were lined up so that Frankie was fighting Baldie, Sabrina took on Bazza, Bridget faced off against Bert, and Rosalie would fight Blondie.
Each combatant rolled against their Initiative stats to determine who went first in the encounter. Rosalie rolled 6d6, Sabrina and Bazza rolled 5d6 and everyone else rolled 4d6. The scores from highest to lowest in order were Rosalie 20, Bazza 19, Sabrina 18, Baldie 15, Frankie 14, Bridget 13, Blondie 13 and Bert 11.

Baldie attempted a quick one-two punch to Frankie's face but she deftly dodged them both by stepping to one side and countered with a powerful kick to his groin. As he doubled over in agony, she knocked him out with a straight uppercut to the jaw.
Baldie had a Boxing score of 5d6 to roll against Frankie's Melee Defence of 18. He rolled a 17 and 16 for his two attacks this turn, so missed them both. Frankie had a Brawling score of 5d6 to roll against his Melee Defence of 18. She spent two of her 5d6 Luck dice to increase her two Brawling attacks to 6d6 each and scored a 23 and a 21, so they both hit. Her Brawling damage was 1d6+4 Blunt damage per hit but she spent two more Luck dice to increase them to 2d6+4 each. She rolled scores of 14 and 10 for a total of 24. Baldie had a SOAK score of 2, so he absorbed 4 points of damage in total, meaning he took 20 points of damage. He had a Health score of 20, so the two hits reduced him to 0 Health, which knocked him out. Note that spending Luck dice in combat can make a huge difference to the outcome.

Rosalie confidently head butted Blondie, bringing tears to his eyes. She swiftly followed up with a swing punch to the side of his head, which flattened him. She popped a bubble from her bubblegum in triumph. Two down, two to go!
Rosalie's Brawling score was 5d6 and Blondie only had a Melee Defence score of 15. She rolled 18 and 17 for her two strikes, so both hit. Her Brawling damage was also 1d6+4 Blunt damage per hit. Rosalie spent 4 of her 5 Luck dice to boost her damage per attack to 3d6+4. She scored 16 and 15 for a total of 31. Blondie had a SOAK score of 5, so that reduced the total damage to 21. Even so, he only had a Health score of 20, so that reduced him to -1 Health, which rendered him unconscious.

By facing off against Bridget, Bert had clearly drawn the short straw. He was simply no match for the young hellion. Holding her baseball bat in both hands she swung it at head height and smiled triumphantly as it smacked solidly against the side of Bert's head. His teeth rattled and his eyes glazed over. He never saw the second swing which connected with his forehead and knocked him out.
Bridget had a Clubs score of 6d6 to roll against Bert's Melee Defence of 15. She rolled 20 and 25 for her two attacks, easily hitting Bert. Her baseball bat did 2d6+2 Blunt damage for a successful hit, but she spent two more of her 5d6 Luck dice, having spent one already, to boost the damage per hit to 3d6+2. She scored well with rolls of 17 and 12. Bert had a SOAK score of 2 which reduced them to 15 and 10, for a total of 25. With a Health score of 20 reduced to -5 by the damage, Bert slipped into unconsciousness.

"Right, you bitch, take that!" Bazza spat as he attempted two jabs to Sabrina's face. His first attack missed as she blocked it but his second jab glanced off her left cheek.
"Is that the best you can do?" Sabrina said, mockingly.
She planted her right fist square in his gut. As he whooshed in pain, she kneed him in the groin, forcing him to squeal like a falsetto. He slumped to the ground clutching his crushed testicles. The pain was unbearable.
Bazza and Sabrina appeared to be evenly matched with Brawling scores of 5d6 and Melee Defences of 18. Bazza rolled 14 and 19 for his two jabs. He rolled 1d6+4 for his Brawling damage and scored a 9. Sabrina had a SOAK score of 4, so she took 5 points of damage. With a Health score of 40 she barely felt it. She retaliated with rolls of 18 and 24. The 24 was made up of 6,6,6,4 and 2, so was a critical hit. Her Brawling damage was 1d6+5, which she increased to 2d6+5 for both strikes by spending two of her 4d6 Luck dice. She rolled 12 and 13, which were reduced to 10 and 11 due to Bazza having a SOAK score of 2. With a Health score of 25, he dropped 21 points to Health 4. He was still conscious but what of that critical hit? I rolled 1d6 on the Blunt damage section of the Condition chart and scored a 1 for a result of temporarily Dazed. Bazza was knocked down and would lose one of his two actions. Wishing to end this quickly, Sabrina spent another Luck dice to make this a serious condition. Now Bazza would lose both of his actions per turn until he could recover. 
"Arrogant sod!" Sabrina mocked as she kicked Bazza in the jaw, knocking out one of his front teeth. Blackness washed over the bank robber leader, blessedly sending him into temporary oblivion. Sabrina was in no mood for showing mercy. Kick a man when he was down was her philosophy. He had to pay for kidnapping an innocent young girl.
In the second round of combat, the Initiative scores remained the same. Bazza attempted to recover from his Dazed condition. To do so he needed to roll a 6 on 1d6. He rolled a 3. Note that even if a character loses all their actions they may still attempt to shake off a condition but only one attempt may be made per turn. With Bazza now being prone, Sabrina gained a +2d6 bonus to her 5d6 Brawling score to hit him. Rolling 7d6 for her kick, she scored 28, easily beating his 18 Melee Defence. Rolling 1d6+5 for her damage, she scored an 8. Subtracting 2 for Bazza's SOAK, meant he took 6 points of Health damage, which reduced him from 4 to -2. He fell unconscious.

The fight was over with an emphatic victory for the St. Trinian's girls.
"You were amazing!" Caroline beamed as she was overcome with joy. "Thank you so much!"
"Hey, we girls gotta stick together," Sabrina said, putting a comforting arm around Caroline's shoulders.
"No one messes with us St. Trinian's girls," Rosalie added with a big smile. She popped her bubblegum again.

A few minutes later the police arrived in four squad cars, quickly surrounding the area. By now the six bank robbers were all tied up and lined up in a row outside the cottage. Bridget stood watch over them, menacingly tapping her baseball against her shoe. None of the robbers, who had all recovered, dared to look at her.

Two male detectives quickly ascertained what had gone on with a series of decisive questions to Caroline and Sabrina. Both girls answered truthfully. The four St. Trinian's teenagers were the heroes of the hour.

Aftermath
The bank robbers were arrested and received hefty prison sentences. The robbery and kidnapping were kept quiet until the day of the robbers' trial. Caroline was quickly reunited with her father. He was so grateful to Sabrina, Bridget, Frankie and Rosalie that he offered them a one week's stay with all expenses paid at a luxury spa hotel in the English countryside. There, they were pampered like royalty, their every need taken care of. It was a summer holiday the girls would never forget.

Four Go Camping part 2

Next day, the four Sixth Formers, Bridget, Frankie, Rosalie and Sabrina went hiking in the woods... and promptly got lost!

"The trouble with woods and forests, " Rosalie moaned, "is that when you've seen one tree, you've seen them all."
"Too true," Frankie agreed, also failing to appreciate the diversity of the natural world.
"It's getting dark, girls," Bridget added. "I hope we find our way back soon."
"Hey, look!" Sabrina said, with hope in her voice. "I see smoke coming from up ahead."

Sure enough, a trail of smoke rose from a cottage situated in a clearing. A car was parked outside and lights shone from the front windows of the cottage. It seemed in good repair and well maintained.

"This looks hopeful," Sabrina said as she led the team to the front door.
Frankie moved to the window at the right of the cottage and peered inside.

"Hey, guys, this looks odd," she announced. "There are two scary looking adults with a young girl tied up. She can barely be in her teens. Why would anyone tie a child up?"

"I don't like the look of this," Sabrina said as she weighed up their options. "Let's take them out and free the kid. Bridget, do the honours!"
Bridget rapped solidly on the front door with her baseball bat.
It was answered by a young oriental-looking female who held a carving knife in her right hand. She looked seriously pissed off. Before she could even say a word, Bridget whacked her in the forehead with a hefty swing from her baseball bat. The woman went spark out and measured her length on the wooden floor.
Here I went into combat mode. The girls scored higher for Initiative with Bridget scoring 18, Rosalie 17, Sabrina 17 and Frankie 14 verses 12 and 11 for the female and male respectively. Bridget had a Clubs attack score of 6d6 (made up of 4d6 for her Strength attribute and 2d6 for Clubs skill). The female had a Melee Defence score of 15, so Bridget needed to roll 15 or higher on 6d6 in order to hit. She rolled 6,6,6,2,1 and 1 for a result of 21 so that was a clear hit. Plus, any roll of three or more 6s is a critical hit, which automatically causes a temporary condition. I rolled 1d6 against the Blunt damage her baseball bat caused and scored a 4 for a result of  the Sleeping condition. Different conditions can be scored depending upon what you roll on the 1d6. The female would lose one of her two actions per turn. However, I decided that Bridget would spend one of her 5 Luck dice to raise the temporary condition to a serious condition, meaning the female would lose both of her actions, falling fast asleep until woken up. In addition, the baseball bat caused 2d6+2 points of damage. I scored a 9. The female had a SOAK score of 2 so she suffered 7 points of damage from her Health score of 15. She'd wake up with a nasty bump on her head. Bridget's second action this turn was to move inside the cottage.

The other three Sixth Formers charged into the front room of the cottage and beat the male senseless. He was seated on a sofa, watching TV when the girls struck and he put up no defence. With the element of surprise and odds of three to one against the burly male it was a forgone conclusion as boots and fists pummelled him into unconsciousness.
This time the girls used Agility plus Brawling for attack scores of 5d6 each against his Melee Defence of 15. Each girl made one move and one melee attack for their two actions this turn and all three scored hits, although no more critical rolls were made. Between them, they did enough Brawling damage to him to render him into negative Health, which promptly knocked him unconscious. He started with 18 Health which dropped to -2 Health after all damage was totted up.

The young girl was clearly scared out of her wits and stammered, "Don't hurt me!"
"We're not going to hurt you, miss," Sabrina reassured her in a calm and soothing voice. "Let's get those ropes off you and you can tell us what's going on. I'm Sabrina, by the way, and these are my best mates, Bridget, Frankie and Rosalie."

As Bridget dragged the two comatose bodies into the bedroom, the young girl told her story.
"I'm Caroline Carter and I was kidnapped this morning by those two thugs. My dad is the manager of a high street bank and a gang of robbers decided if they kidnapped me my dad would help them gain access to the bank so they could rob it. The robbery was to take place earlier this evening. I guess it went down because I heard the man you knocked out answer his phone to say I'd be released soon. That was shortly before you all showed up. Can I phone my dad to tell him I'm okay?"
"Of course you can, sweetheart," Sabrina said as she handed Caroline her own mobile phone. "We'd better phone the police as well. If we're lucky they'll arrive here before the robbers do."

The phone calls were made and the girls were told to stay put and await help. Ten minutes later they all heard the approach of a car.

Caroline rushed to the window, hoping to see the flashing blue lights of a police car but she was sorely disappointed as realisation hit her.
"Oh shit! It's the robbers!" she cried out in alarm. "What are we going to do?"

Four Go Camping Part 1

Introduction
This is the first scenario of my St. Trinian's campaign using the N.O.W. rules by EN Publishing, which focuses on a contemporary setting. No dates are given for when this scenario takes place but it occurs during the summer holidays after the events in the St. Trinian's film but before St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. To keep things simple, I am only concentrating on four cast members - the Sixth Form Rude Girls, Sabrina Sykes, Bridget Strong, Frankie Fraser and Rosalie Alexander. They have stuck together since First Form and all come from criminal families.
Much like my The Ace of Spades Campaign, this will be very much story orientated but I will include more examples of how the rules work, which will be written in blue text. Note that although three of the girls are usually armed with pistols when at St. Trinian's in this scenario they are not carrying them. Bridget, however, has brought her baseball bat and Rosalie has a flick knife.
Four Go Camping

Sabrina, Bridget, Frankie and Rosalie had decided to spend a week camping in England during their summer holidays. Although they had no experience of camping they all thought it would be a fun thing to do. They had all the correct gear and they were in high spirits as they set off in Rosalie's big red 4-wheel drive car. The weather was sunny and hot with clear blue skies. They arrived at a large forest and found a suitable clearance to set up camp.

After supper, they were all still wide awake and pondering what to do when team leader Sabrina cheerfully suggested, "Why don't we go skinny dipping? There's a lake not too far from here."
The others agreed this was a great idea. Overhead, a full moon illuminated their way to the lake.

However, as they approached the lakeside, they saw a car was parked at the end of the path leading to the lake.
"It looks like someone else has had the same idea, girls," Frankie said.
"Yeah, look in the lake," Rosalie added.

Standing with his back towards them was an obese aged male, who looked oddly familiar to the girls.
"Oh my god!" Bridget declared, "It's Ronald Pump the aristocrat!"
Ronald Pump was a notorious lord, loathed by many for his outrageous behaviour and contempt of the lower classes, the poor, and the disabled.

"No way are we getting in the same lake as that slimeball," Sabrina announced.
"Let's steal his car," Rosalie suggested with a mischievous smile.
"The doors are unlocked and look, the keys are still in the ignition," Bridget observed.
"What an idiot!" Frankie added.
I had the girls make opposed rolls - their Agility plus Stealth skill verses Ronald's Perception score. Bridget rolled 4d6 and scored 13, Frankie rolled 5d6 and scored 20, Rosalie rolled 4d6 and scored 17 and Sabrina rolled 4d6 and scored 15. Ronald rolled 2d6 for his Perception and scored a measly 3. He heard nothing as the girls entered his car.

The noise of the car engine roaring into life alerted Ronald that something was amiss. Realisation swiftly dawned on him that not only was his car being stolen but so were his clothes, which he'd left on the driver's seat.

"Stop, thieves!" he screamed. "Come back!"
He scurried after them, furiously waving his arms in the air.
The girls responded by laughing and taking photos of him on their smart phones.

Within seconds Rosalie had floored the accelerator and was speeding away from the angry and embarrassed aristocrat.

 They dumped the car over a cliff and headed back to camp, laughing all the way.

As soon as they got back to the camp they uploaded their video footage of a naked Ronald Pump to YouTube. Within no time at all, it went viral. Ronald was later found walking along a country lane by a passing police car who took him into police custody and charged him with public indecency. This caused the girls no end of merriment! What a great start to their holiday!