Wise Turtle Publishing

The following is a quick scenario I wrote to try out the OVA combat system. I tried it with my kids last night with a couple of 5/20 point characters they built for the occasion (students at the Universal Academy in Phoenix, which is sort of a cross between Hogworts, The Xavier Institute and PS238). Anyway, one of them liked it and one did not. I thought it went fairly smoothly, but we found that against mooks, counterattack seems to be the optimal combat response. Since it was late, we didn't use the "Where does it go from here?" section (and anyway, the players beat the Men in Black and their nasty Capture-bots, anyway).


The Kitsune Hunters

Grant Zurkrieg is out to capture some Kitsune (Japanese fox spirits) so that he can figure out how their magic works. He's sent out his Men in Black, along with "capture-bots" (5' diameter silvery floating spheres with dangling metal tentacles) to bring back Kitsune for study and dissection. The Kitsune are hiding as best they can by assuming human form – but they have business to do, and they can't spend all of their time hiding. Perhaps they can get some help from the players?

The Setup

It's a rare foggy and rainy day in Phoenix, and the players, for their various reasons, find themselves drawn to an authentic Japanese noodle cart parked just outside the entrance to the Japanese Friendship Garden. There, as the fog closes in on little fox feet, they are enjoying the best noodles they've ever had, served by an old Japanese man and his pretty young daughter. Suddenly, from out of the fog come the Men in Black, followed by the capture-bots, and they're after the old man and his daughter! What will the players do? Will they help the noodle venders (who are lesser kitsune)? Or will they just try to stay out of the way? And will the Men in Black let them?

Characters

• Men in Black: (Extra) Strong +2, Tough +2, Dumb -3, Emotionless -3, Servitude (Grant Zurkrieg) -3, Slow -2. [Health 30; Endurance 10; Attack (Pistol) 2-Dice/x1 Damage; Attack (Unarmed) 2-Dice/x3 Damage; Defense 2-Dice; Initiative 0 Dice]
• Improved Men in Black: (Extra) Armor +1, Combat Skill +2, Strong +2, Tough +2, Weapon (Pistol) +2, Dumb -3, Emotionless -3, Servitude (Grant Zurkrieg) -3, Slow -2. [Health 30; Endurance 10; Attack (Pistol) 4-Dice/x3 Damage; Attack (Unarmed) 4-Dice/x3 Damage; Defense 2-Dice/-2 Damage; Initiative 0 Dice]
• Capture-bots: (Secondary) Agile +3, Armor +3, Flight +3, Power Move +3 (Stun Blast: Endurance Drain, Ranged, Stun, Low Penetrationx2 – 15 Endurance), Vitality +3, Bizarre Appearance -3, Dumb -3, Emotionless -3, Servitude (Grant Zurkrieg) -3. [Health 20; Endurance 60; Attack (Stun Blast) 5-Dice/x7 Damage (Endurance); Defense 2 Dice/-6 Damage; Initiative 2 Dice] Can also pick up to two unconscious characters and store them inside.
• Lesser (two-tailed) Kitsune: (Secondary) Charisma +1, Invisibility +2, Quick +2, Shape Change +5 (Fox/Child/Adult-only), Vitality +3, Code of Conduct -2 (Will not break promise), Compulsion -2 (Curiosity), Impulsive -1, Special Weakness -3 (Priests/Holy Men – see when invisible or shape changed). [Health 20; Endurance 60; Attack (Unarmed) 2-Dice/x1 Damage; Defense 4-Dice (2-Dice when not dodging); Initiative 4 Dice]
• From book: Grant Zurkrieg, Nazo. (Both are off screen, but could show up).

Where Does it Go From There?

Assuming the players defend the Kitsune, the following branches are possible:

• One or both of the Kitsune are captured –
  • The players pursue;
  • The players don't pursue, later they are contacted by Nazo for help.
• The player's demonstrate supernatural powers, which makes the Men in Black and Capture-bots try to capture them:
  • One of them is captured, and has to be rescued;
  • Grant Zurkrieg shows up personally to take a hand.

If the player's don't defend the kitsune (and why wouldn't they?), they may be contacted by Nazo for help, anyway.

Cool idea! I am in the midst of thinking about a new game myself... I will post it someday. Anyway, i would like to see what kinds of characters your players came up with.

Cloud wrote:Cool idea! I am in the midst of thinking about a new game myself... I will post it someday. Anyway, i would like to see what kinds of characters your players came up with.

These characters were built using the Power Ceiling rule with 5 default points and a power ceiling of 20. Even though this was just a one shot, I allowed them to take disadvantages that would only be significant during a campaign, as that was the sort of character we wanted to try out.

As noted above, the characters were students at the Universal Academy, a boarding high school for children with extraordinary powers and backgrounds.

Christie - Mad Science Magical Girl

Advantages:

Focused Invention (Mad Science) +5
Hammerspace +3
Intimidation +2
Smart +4
Transformation +4 (The Amazing Mad Science Grrl!)
... Barrier +3
... Time Freeze +2
... Martial Arts +3

Weaknesses:

Bizarre Appearance (Always wearing lab coat and rubber gloves) -1
Arrogant -1
Code of Conduct (Protect the weak) -1
Code of Conduct (Always avenge an insult) -1
Impulsive -2
Obsession (World Domination) -1
Soft Spot (Gadgets) -2
Stubborn -3
Trigger (Transformation: Universal Remote) -1
Absent Minded -1
Hatred (Stupid People) -1

Malcolm Farius - Estranged Son of the Famous Tyrant

Advantages:

Incorporeal +5
Vitality +5
Teleport +2
Telekinesis +3
Smart +3

Disadvantages:

Lecherous -2
Rival (Father) -3
Bad Reputation (Son of Supervillain/Evil Tyrant) -3
Arrogant -1
Inept (at Sports) -1
Strange Personal Habit (puts Tabasco Sauce on everything) -1
Overconfident -1
Compulsion (Showoff) -1
Stubborn -1
Short Temper -1


These two fought two Improved Men in Black, three regular Men in Black and three Capture-bots, and while they both took a bunch of damage (Malcolm only because the stun ray worked on incorporeal targets), they trashed or sent off the entire lot.

Impressive! I kinda wonder about Christie's transformation into Mad Science Girl. Does she do it before going into the action (salior moon style)? If I remember right, Hammerspace allows the transportation of large objects right? If so, then it combined with mad science is a great idea!

Malcom Farius is the type whose abilities make me kinda scared. He must seem more ghost than human at times. I bet with his lecherousness, he must have tried to peak at Christie while she changed into her alter ego .

Cloud wrote:Impressive! I kinda wonder about Christie's transformation into Mad Science Girl. Does she do it before going into the action (salior moon style)? If I remember right, Hammerspace allows the transportation of large objects right? If so, then it combined with mad science is a great idea!

The player's idea was to combine two usually unrelated stereotypes.

Cloud wrote:Malcom Farius is the type whose abilities make me kinda scared. He must seem more ghost than human at times. I bet with his lecherousness, he must have tried to peak at Christie while she changed into her alter ego .

That seems likely, but as the characters' players are brother and sister, we passed on roleplaying that part...

I see... I knew the players were but i wasnt quite sure how old they were. My sister once forced my female sailor moon character to fall in love with an NPC (she was the game master). Sorry if I offended you at all or anything .

Cloud wrote:I see... I knew the players were but i wasnt quite sure how old they were. My sister once forced my female sailor moon character to fall in love with an NPC (she was the game master). Sorry if I offended you at all or anything .

Nah, not offended. They're 14 and 16 respectively, and they'd both find the idea kind of squick, that's all (but only because their sibling is running the other character).

This looks pretty sweet.

Aye, this idea is still pretty good