Nick had a friend over for the night who has not played ATZ yet. He saw the table and the kids didn't want to wait until morning to play so they nagged me until I agreed to run a game for them. So 10:00 PM and we're off to the races. I was too lazy to set up another layout so we had a go on the same map we've been using in our campaign. It is a great testimony to the playability of ATZ. No matter how many times you play the same set up, you get a completely different game. I didn't want to risk any characters who are active in the campaign so we ran new Stars. We went by the book and used Rep 5 characters.
The squad fast moves onto the table, across the street, and into the gun shop. They find a couple of gangers skulking in the shop. The gangers don't like the odds and agree to join the group.
The lineup for this mission. Four Stars loaded for bear. Even Maggie was ready for a late night go.
Plenty of Zeds are roaming the town in search of a nice snack.
Moving upstairs the group runs into three Civies that are quite well armed. The Civies don't want anything to do with this seedy looking band of hooligans. After a short discussion, our little band decides not to risk a confrontation with the well armed Civies and so they move on. They get a pretty good idea! They leave through the bay window and enter the next building through the window. This means the Zeds still have not seen them.
As they enter through the second story window, they are confronted by a couple of gangers. Luckily our friends are in the company of gangers and get a chance to try to talk this out. These new gangers are not about to join up, but they are not about to start trouble either. Now the group heads up the stairs to the third floor.
Where they get into a confrontation with a grumpy Rep 5 ganger! Nick and the ganger go for their weapons and Blam Blam! The ganger goes down. So what now?
The Zeds are now starting to "head to the sound of the guns" and our friends are stuck in the building.
After a short argument, err.. I mean discussion. The group decides on a course of action. While the Zeds are closing in on the building.
Both sides of it!
The kids get a bit clever here. They decide to throw the dead ganger out the window to distract the Zeds on the street side of the building. Then they run back down the stairs, past the confused gangers, and back out the window.
Plop! As the ganger's corpse falls to the street.
And our friends escape out the side window above the garage.
Now the group heads away from the commotion as fast as they can. Jon and Dad break off to do a bit more exploring. Nick and Maggie want to leave.
These Zeds don't care either way as they are having a nice snack.
A lone Zed comes bursting out of the garage after Nick and Maggie and finds himself the first victim of the Ginsu Girl. A nice, rare moment of Maggie aggression. They all leave the mission after this.
Jon and Dad are making their way around the warehouse. They are hoping to score some easy scav before leaving.
I mean why not? Most of the Zeds are tied up at the growing feast.
Jon and Dad burst into the warehouse office and find a rookie cop hiding in there. He is only too glad to join up with them as he is really scared. So now they have a new recruit and a matching patrol car! They decide it is time to quit while ahead.
Just one little matter of business left. Jon and Dad decide to take out a Zed to finish their mission requirements. Blam Blam! Down goes the Zed. Dang life is good!
And when life is good in ATZ, it is usually time to start watching your arse. Zeds come staggering in towards the gunfire!
And so does Spot the wonder dog who always knows the best time to arrive with a bunch of Zeds in tow. Time to make a decision. Go for the patrol car or just get out? Decision..decisions..
In our games you can usually depend on the "greed factor" coming into play at some point. The boys decide they want that cool patrol car. Don't worry, they take Spot with them!
It looks like one of the hot cartridge casings has ignited the building. It bursts into flames bringing even more Zeds as well as another dog who brings Zeds of his own. What the heck, we'll take both dogs with us.
But as the activation Gods sometimes bringeth, they also sometimes taketh away. A chopper flies over and distracts the Zeds! Hooray!
It flies past just as the large mob of Zeds finishes it's feast.
And just like that. we're pretty much Zed free.
And it is time to go. A successful mission!
A great mission. We gained three recruits, lots of swag, and Dad went up a Rep. Schweet. But there was one little complication...
After the mission, Nick was talking a bunch of trash and was indicating that he considered the ganger recruits as "his". Normally I wouldn't have paid it no mind but his imperious attitude ticked me off and I told him he was a chicken who ran away early and that he didn't deserve doodly squat. More words went back and forth until it was apparent that nothing short of a duel would settle the issue. I'm Rep 6 and have a shotgun so I'm thinking I have a fair chance to give him his "come uppance" that he so richly deserved. So..
In true "High Noon" style, the two belligerents meet in the middle of main street. Palms sweating, every nerve aware, the combatants go for their guns! Blam Blam!
And Dad goes down. Nick is now the head of this gang and he is off to an auspicious start I'd say.
I wonder what kind of karma hit he's gonna take for this one?
What a bummer of an ending! The dice gods did not look down very kindly on poor old dad! As for Nick, well, what goes round, comes round. I'm sure he'll regret his actions sometime soon. On the other hand, these weren't your normal campaign characters so if this was just a one-off game it's no big deal!
ReplyDeleteNick claims he's keeping his character and starting a post apoc gang.
ReplyDeleteI was actually thinking about keeping my guy as a second character but I guess that's over with!
Wasn't Dad#3 a Star? Burn a Rep and come back. Have one of the dogs be a Lab Dog (medical kind, not breed) and that has healing saliva. It took a liking to you and licked you back to life. Unfortunately, you now have a loyal, but barking dog as a companion.
ReplyDeleteFor an interesting event, during your campaign game, have Nick meet up with Bad Karma Nick and his gang. See what they do. Who will win? Will LTL Mom kick BK Nick's but and send him to bed?
John Paul, thanks for the ideas, your a genius. I REALLY like the bit about having bad karma Nick meeting Survivor Nick. Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteand I think I'll do the dog too :)
You might consider running (as Game Master) some games for Nick. Pre-determine some particular encounter you would like Nick to experience (the old "you can learn from this" thing.)
ReplyDeletePerhaps a Bad Ass Kid Nick on a mountain bike with a +1 sling shot (silent killer). Or have him go into that medical research lab that Dogie came from and have him befriended by an uplifted monkey (perhaps he needs to have an Organ Grinder in order for the monkey to follow his orders?)
Then run the games as you usually do (without him knowing you are the secret GM). But at the right time, introduce these things in regardless of what the dice say.
How old is he? If he likes girls, introduce a girl that takes a liking to him. Let him design her to his specs. You might even let him pick out a figure to purchase and paint for him. Now he has responsibility to her. HE runs this girl.
If he doesn't like girls, introduce a girl that has a crush on him. She fawns over him, but he can't ditch her or harm her because the rest of the gang fawns over her and protects her. YOU run this girl.
If I didn't make clear, this should be done with Bad Karma Nick.
ReplyDeleteOn the "Introduce a Girl" during gaming, just rough out her stats a bit without attributes. That way, Nick can work up her stats after the game the way HE wants them. Or you can work up the stats after the game (to be a Living Hell for Bad Karma Nick if YOU run this girl.)
Oh, and "uplifted" monkey is a fully sentient and speaking monkey, a la The Uplift Wars by David Brin.
What a very cool write up! Are those the "Mean Streets" card stock buildings?
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteThe buildings are all Mayhem City by World Works Wames. There is a link on this page.