Pyramid. Action Adventures

40 Pages·2010·2.271 MB·English

by  Steve Jackson

Stock #37-2623
C
ONTENTS
COVER ART INTERIOR ART
BobStevlic GregHyland
FROM THE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
I T
N HIS
BLOWUPS HAPPEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
byStephenDedman
NIGHT OF THE MEGACARP . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 I
SSUE
byKenSpencer
CHASE CARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
OPERATION SUN DOG: AGAINST Whenyouthinkaction,youthinkGURPS!Thisinstallment
is so jam-packed with action adventures, you might think
THE FOURTH REICH IN
we’reviolatingsomekindofhigh-octaneordinance!
NEUSCHWABENLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Itstartswithalight-fingeredmaid.Itendswithheavy-duty
byJ.EdwardTremlett explosives. In between are bluffs, toughs, and fisticuffs. Can
theheroesaccomplishtheirmission,ordoBlowupsHappen?
CALAMITY ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Thisadventure–writtenbyGURPSMartialArtsAdventures
byTimothyJ.Turnipseed
co-authorStephenDedman–comeswithfullGURPSstatsfor
allthepartiesinvolved.
RANDOM THOUGHT TABLE:
It’s not a late-night made-for-cable movie – this is real!
DEFANGING THE JAWS OF DEATH. . . . . 37 Something’sfishyinasmalltowninIndiana,butnoonewants
byStevenMarsh,PyramidEditor tobelieveit–especiallynotwhenamajorstormisrollingin.
Horror, action, and nature’s fury combine for Night of the
ODDS AND ENDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Megacarp–includingGURPSinfoforthetitularthreat.
featuringMurphy’sRules
Pack your cold-weather gear, soldiers: You’re going to
ABOUT GURPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Antarctica as part of Operation Sun Dog! Your mission is to
stoptheFourthReichbeforeittakesovertheworld–orinad-
vertentlydestroysit.Don’tforgetyourexplosives!Thisadven-
tureblueprintincludesGURPSActionguidelines.
One way to get the most Is there anything more action-packed than a car chase?
Whataboutacarchasewiththreerobot-controlledvehicles,
out of life is to look upon it
hugecashprizes,andbyzantineplots?Theadventureoutline
Calamity Road – suitable for any system – gives the GM
as an adventure.
the movers, motivations, and mishaps that can befall this
unusualcontest.
– William Feather
GURPSAction2:ExploitsgaveGMsthetoolstheyneedto
adjudicate exciting chase sequences. This issue’s Chase Cards
support that supplement by providing essential information
aboutrangeandmaneuvers,givingavisualaidtoplayersand
GMalike.Thegaminggroupcanusethecardstospeedupdeci-
Article Colors sions,keeptrackofprogress,andintroduceplottwists.
ManyGMsdon’twanttokillofftheheroes.However,they
Each article is color-coded to help you find your still want the players to sweat when death could wield its
favoritesections. scythe.PyramideditorStevenMarshexaminesthisveryprob-
lem in this month’s Random Thought Table, complete with
PaleBlue:InThisIssue GURPSnotes.
Brown:InEveryIssue(letters,humor,editorial,etc.) Ofcourse,anissuewouldn’tbecompletewithoutafewseri-
DarkBlue:GURPSFeatures ousandnot-so-seriesOddsandEnds,includingMurphy’sRules.
Thismonth’sPyramidistheanticipatorysilencebeforethe
Purple:OtherFeatures
explosion. It’s up to you to wear your sunglasses and walk
towardthecameralookingcool!
Editor-in-Chief(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand
ChiefOperatingOfficer(cid:2)PHILIPREED EditorialAssistant(cid:2)JASON“PK”LEVINE JUSTINDEWITT
ArtDirector(cid:2)WILLSCHOONOVER ProductionArtist(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS MarketingDirector(cid:2)PAULCHAPMAN
e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH PrepressChecker(cid:2)MONICASTEPHENS DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON
P M 2 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
F
ROM THE
E
DITOR
A I boss, segue into a chase, lead into an information-gathering
CTION TEMS
segment,andendwithagunfight,thenmuchofthepowerof
Thismonth’sissueisdevotedtoactionadventures.That’sa the action genre disappears. (Tweaking the meager example
lowercase “action” – compared to the bold-italic Action that above–howinterestingwoulditbetohaveanadventurethat
lets you know it’s designed for use with the popular GURPS openswithagunfight,leadsintoinformation-gathering,hasa
Action line. Still, all the adventures herein are suitable for pre-climactic sequence of receiving explanatory orders from
GURPSAction(nottomentionotherGURPScampaigns,or– higher-ups,andendswithacarchase?)
indeed–othersystemsentirely),andhopefullythey’llprovide Action hinges on delivering thrills, and thrills depend on
lotsofinspirationforyourhigh-octaneexploits. notknowingquitewhattoexpect–whichispartofwhatwe
Oneinterestingaspectoftheseadventuresishowdifferent strivewithPyramid,too.
theyareallstructured.There’snoone“right”waytowritean
adventure,andeachonetriestocaptureadistinctflavorinthe A -A R
FTER CTION EPORT
way it presents its information. Really, this suits the action-
adventuregenre;RushHour,TheFrenchConnection,andMad Speakingofdeliveringthrills,isthereanythingwedidthis
Max:BeyondThunderdomeareall(bysomedefinitions)action issuethatyouwantustodomoreoften?Wasthereanything
movies,buttheyallapproachhowtheydelivertheiractionin thatshouldsendusbacktooursecretundergroundlabstotry
differentways. again? We’d love to hear from you. Send us a note at pyra-
In the same way, consider mixing up your own action [email protected], or visit our virtual gathering at
adventures(ifyoudon’talready).Iftheheroesknowthatthe forums.sjgames.com.
adventure is always going to open with a mission from their
Pyramid,GURPS,Warehouse23,andtheall-seeingpyramidareregisteredtrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.e23andthenamesofallproducts
publishedbySteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedareregisteredtrademarksortrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated,orusedunderlicense.
Pyramidiscopyright©2010bySteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Allrightsreserved.
Submissionofyourphotos,letters,humor,captions,andmarginaliaconstitutespermissiontoSteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedtousetheminallmedia.
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P M 3 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
B
LOWUPS
H
APPEN
S D
BY TEPHEN EDMAN
ThisadventureforGURPSActionisforagroupofheroes
whofindthemselvestaskedwiththwartingadangeroussitua-
tionwithglobalimplications(OperationFatboy–seep.8).The Kid: This is the coolest thing I’ve
setup for this scenario is open-ended, and can take place in
ever seen! Explosions everywhere!
almost any foreign country. The only real assumption the
adventure makesis thatthe heroes have some kindof ties to
– Transformers (2007)
theUnitedStates(orareatleastsympathetictothem),butthis
can be tweaked – primarily with a name and nationality
changetothecontactingagentknownasHouston(seep.6).
B O C
EFORE THE PENING REDITS
Aspreludetothisadventure,atleastoneoftheheroes–ide- Ifhehearsherandattemptsasneakyapproach,rollaQuick
allysomeoneundertheageof40–hasacceptedaninvitation ContestofhisStealthversusLara'sHearing.Ifhetiesorloses,
toaforeigncountry,eithertodoashortjob(ifcriminal)oras seeabove.Ifhewins,hecatchesherthrowingabagoutofthe
a witness in a criminal case; either way, all his expenses window,andcancutoffherexitfromtheroom.(Thebag,of
(includinghotelroom)areprepaid. course,containsanyvaluablesshewasabletofind,especially
Twodaysbeforeheisscheduledtoflyhome,anunscrupu- hispassport,ID,guns,etc.)
lousmaidsearchesthechosenPC’shotelroomwhileheistak- Regardless,Larawillmanagetogetsomethingvaluableof
ingashower;thisisaHearingchecktodetecttheattempt. hisoutthewindow–ifnot,there'snoadventuretobehad!The
victimized hero can make another Hearing
roll to catch the sounds of someone run-
ningdownthealleyafewsecondslater.
It’s Not Paranoia if They Really Are After You . . . How much of his gear Lara has had
Iftheplayerarguesthathisherowouldhavehiddenorsecuredevery- timetostealshouldbedeterminedbyhow
thing so that it can’t be easily stolen, but has not previously mentioned wellthePCmadetheinitialHearingroll.If
this,theGMshoulddecidewhetherthisisincharacter(likelyforachar- he failed that roll, she has time to steal
acter with paranoid tendencies, less so for one with the Absent- everythingshe'safter.
Mindedness disadvantage). If necessary, roll a contest of Smuggling vs. Ifcornered,LaratriesFast-Talk,thenSex
Lara’sSearch,orrespectiveTrapsskills.(Thismightbeagoodopportunity Appeal, then Intimidation (threatening to
fortheGMtoinformtheplayerabouttheStandardOperatingProcedure accuse him of attempted rape); the pepper
perk;seeGURPSGunFuorGURPSPower-Ups2:Perksformoreinfo.) sprayhiddeninhercleavageandherstreet-
fightingtechniquesarebothlastresorts.
Shouldtheheroruntothewindow,he
getsabriefglimpseofaskinnylocalfleeing
Ifhehearsher,butchoosesanoisyapproach–e.g.,shout- southintothestreet.Iftheherotriestogivechase,thenearest
ing or turning off the shower – the maid (Lara) has time to stairs are at the north end of the corridor, 15 yards away.
openthewindowandthrowthelootintothealley,threefloors Unlessheclimbsorjumpsdownintothealley(stillwetfrom
below,beforethePCenterstheroom.ShewillthentrytoFast- theshowerandprobablywearinglittlemorethanatowel),he
Talkherwayoutoftrouble. haslittlechanceofcatchinghim.
StatsforequipmentmentionedinthisadventurecanbefoundinGURPSHigh-Tech.
P M 4 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
Ifinterrogated,Laracanonlyrevealthatherpartner(Ali)has
told her that there’s suddenly high demand for passports and
Slugger’s Loot
otherforeignIDs,especiallythosebelongingtomenaged18to
40,aswellastheusualcreditcards,jewelry,weapons,etc.
Slugger’sstoreroomcontains:
•Morethanenoughstolenpassports,creditcards,
T C T
O ATCH A HIEF
andotherIDforthePCs(iftheyneedthem).
IfthePCswanttoretrievetheirstolengoods,theycantry •Achainsaw.
shadowing Lara in the hope that she leads them to Ali. This •Acrashkit.
plan has a good chance of success – they live together in a •Twocellphones.
smallroomneartheKick-Off(seebelow)–butbythenAlihas •Threeminiaturedigitalcamcorders.
fenced everything to Slugger. Regardless, shadowing is more •Ducttape.
difficultifthePCsdon’tresemblelocals. •Industrialcleanser.
IfAliissuccessfullyshadowed,heleadsthemtotheKick-
Italsocontainsavarietyof(unloaded)guns:
Off. If he spots the PCs, he tries a number of tricks to evade
pursuit:seeChases(GURPSAction2:Exploits,pp.31-35). •Sevensnubrevolvers.
Evenifhesuspectshe’sbeingchasedorfollowed,Alieven- •Fourautopistols,.45.
tuallyvisitstheKick-Offbeforegoinghome. •Eightautopistols,9mm(onewithasilencer).
•OnecompactSMG,9mm.
•Onecompactpumpshotgun,12G.
T A
HE LMOST
O T S
BLIGATORY AVERN CENE
B S
IG HOTS
TheKick-Off,locatednexttoarun-downgymontheedge
ofaslum,caterstoamostlycriminalclientele.Thebarmaids
Joe’sstorefront,CapitalCamerasandComputers(BAD-2),
and dancers are also prostitutes, but not above robbing or
occupiestwofloorsofaconvertedbank.Thewindowlessbase-
scammingtourists.Slugger,theowner,isalsoafence,andthe
mentisonlyaccessiblethroughwoodensecuritydoorsmarked
storeroombehindthebarisfullofloot(seeboxabove).
“Staff Only,” with good electronic keypad locks). It houses a
Inadditiontothecontentsofhisstoreroom,Sluggerkeeps
smallfilmstudioandacomputerizedprintshop,includinga
asawed-offdouble-barrelshotgun,12G;anAutoPistol,9mm;
good-quality counterfeiting/forgery kit (Action 1, p.28) and a
and a heavy flashlight under the bar. There are 4d clients
disguisekit.
(mooks)inthebaratanytime.Halfofthemarearmedwith
ThewindowsandexteriordoorsofJoe’sshoparesecurity
brassknucklesorsapgloves,andtherestarearmedwithsmall
glass, covered with commercial security grilles (when closed,
knives,pushknives,orsnubrevolvers(equalchanceofanyone
11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) and good locks with switch sensors;
amongtheremaininghalf).Improvisedweapons(bottles,half
triggering any of these alarms summons cops, who arrive
pool cues, etc.) are also readily available, and the 1d bar-
within 1d+3 minutes. The basement is protected by motion
maids/dancersgrabtheseifthreatened.
detectorsandinfraredcameras:Ifintrudersaredetected,Joe
Slugger pays protection to the local cops, so law-abiding
is alerted; depending on the circumstances, he either sum-
adventurerscan’texpectanylegalhelp.Healsopaysapercent-
monscopsorunderworldmooks.
ageofhisillegalincometothelocalcrimeboss;iftheheroes
PassportsaredeliveredtoJoeinthemorningbyoneofhis
doattackthesaloon,theymayneedtheservicesofacleaner
sales assistants, who is also a dancer at the Kick-Off. (The
(seeGURPSAction1:Heroes,p.6)toavoidcomebacksfrom
courierwhopicksthemupworksforalegitimateinternational
bothgroups.
courier firm, and doesn’t know what’s in the packages.) Joe
IfcriminalPCsdecidetoplundertheplaceandshakedown
replaces the ID photos with digital images he receives by
the clientele, the till contains $451, and each customer has
e-mail,sendsthealtereddocumentsbycouriertoapostalbox
$(1d¥10)+1d–allinlocalcurrency.Searchingthemallshould
in Khartoum, and receives payment directly into his Swiss
yield at least one set of lockpicks, as well as leather jackets,
bankaccount.Allothercontactwiththepeoplewhobuythe
coats,hats,sunglasses,jewelry,andpersonalbasics.(Aspartof
passportshasbeenbye-mail.Thesedetailscanbefoundeither
theagreementwiththelocalgangs,Sluggerdoesn’tsellortake
onhislaptoporbyinterrogatinghim;hemakessurethathis
illegaldrugs,nordoesheallowthemtobesoldinhisbar;thus
criminal activities are not apparent to anyone watching the
thePCsareunlikelytofindany.)Mostoftheliquorbehindthe
storeortappinghisphone.
barispoorquality.
The laptop Joe uses for e-mails – which includes the
Sluggerdoesn’tknowwhythepassportsareneeded,buthe
assumednamesandlikenessesofmanyofthemercsrecruited
knows who is buying them: a forger named Joe, who runs a
forOperationFatboy(seep.8)–iskeptlockedinthebusiness
camerashopinabetterpartoftown.
safe hidden in the corner furthest from the door. The only
IfthePCsdon’tvisittheKick-Off,ordon’tproceedtoJoe’s
weaponsinthebuildingareapeppersprayunderthecashreg-
camerashop,gotoMissionControl(p.5).
isterandasnubrevolverinthesafe.
Justforfun,throwinafightscenejustasorsoonaftertheheroesarriveatthetavern.Thefighthasnothingtodowith
theinvestigators,butatleastoneofthemgetscaughtupontheedgeofit.
P M 5 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
Joe’s activities are being observed by the man named T F M . C
HE RIENDS OF R AIRO
Houston (see below), who also notices the investigators if
they investigate the place; Houston contacts them shortly AssumingtheheroesremainincontactwithHouston,he
afterward. issuesonePC(thefaceman,ifthegroupincludesone)with
apassportandcredentialsfor“KimLee.”Leeisbelieved(cor-
M C rectly) to be a member of the enemy merc team, although
ISSION ONTROL
Houstonhasnootherinformationonhim.Theotherheroes
Houston may phone the PCs to arrange a meeting, or he areequippedwithplaneticketsandfakeIDs.Houstongives
maybewaitingintheirhotelroom(s)whentheyreturnthere. them his cell phone number, but asks them not to write it
In either case, he warns the heroes that not only are they in down,andtellsthemonlytocallitwhenthey’resureit’ssafe
danger,they’reendangeringaninvestigationintoamajoriden- todoso.
titytheftring.HegoesontosaythatifthePCsareinterested The Pharaoh’s View turns out to be a large but badly run-
inajob,hehasonethatmaysuitthem–onethattheU.S.gov- down $40/night hotel on the west bank of the Nile; there is a
ernmentcan’tlegallydo. roomreservedforLee,andenoughvacanciesfortheotherPCs
Houstondoesnotidentifyhimselfexcepttosayhe’s“from (thoughtherearebetterhotelsnearby).Thereisamessagewait-
theembassy”;hisTexanaccentmatcheshisassumedname.If ingfor“Lee,”saying“N”willmeethimforbreakfastat8:00a.m.
the PCs are soldiers or spies, he appeals to their patriotism (The“N”inquestionisNathan–oneofthemercs.)
first;ifthey’recriminals,hestartsbymentioningachanceto At8:00a.m.,thefivemercs–Nathan,Simeon,Kane,Roy,
make some money. If one of the heroes has had his passport and Diego – sit at the only table set for six. If “Lee” joins
stolen and not recovered, he’ll add that this is a chance to them,Nathanhandshimaprepaidcellphoneand,afterask-
retrieveitbeforeit’susedinacrime. ing about his flight, say (in English), “They’ve finally found
Iftheadventurersexpressinterest,he’llsayhisgroupbelieves my missing case. I’m going out to pick it up this morning,
thepassportsaregoingtobeusedtohelpsmuggleagroupof beforeitgetstoohot.”
mercenariesandmaterielintosomewhereinAfricatoaidinsur- “Wemayaswellcomewithyou,”saysDiego.“It’snotoutof
gents.Theweaponswerepaidforwithblooddiamonds,butif our way, and you might need an interpreter. Lee, you speak
theheroesinterceptthearms,therebelattack’sgoingtohaveto Arabic,don’tyou?”
beputonhold,perhapsindefinitely.IfthePCsarepatriots,he’ll If the adventurer impersonating Lee doesn’t speak Arabic,
addthattherearerumorsthatthedisputedterritoryisrichin convincingthemercsthatheactuallyispartoftheteamtakes
uraniumwhichtherebelswouldbegladtoselltoIranorNorth agoodorbetterreactionfromNathan(rollindividuallyforthe
Korea.Ifthey’recriminalsormercenaries,he’spreparedtooffer mercs;anyonewithabadorworsereactiontothePCremains
some favors such as erasing criminal records or letting them suspicious and may attempt to tail him or otherwise investi-
keepwhattheytakefromtheshipment.Hecancoveranyrea- gate).NathanandDiegoexpectLeetobeabletodriveatruck,
sonableexpenses,andprovideanynecessarypapers. repairadieselengine,fireamachinegunandrifle,andspeak
Should the party agree, Houston tells them that he’s been FrenchandArabic;theybecomeincreasinglywaryifhefailsat
monitoringJoe,andissurehe’stoorisk-aversenottobeback- anyofthesetasks.
inguphiscomputerfilessomewhere;ifthePCscouldaccess Assuming the impersonating PC is able to convince the
those, they might be able to track down some of the mercs. othersofhislegitimacy,hecanremainonthemercteam(but
Alternatively, if they can acquire some of the doctored pass- seeTroubleshooting,p.7).Afterbreakfast,NathanandDiego
portswithouttippingJoeoff,Houstonmaybeabletoaccess asksLeetoaccompanythem:NathandrivesonerentedSUV,
airline records to see whether any tickets have been booked withtheotherthreemercsfollowinginanother.Theystopon
underthosenames. adesertroadmilesfromanybuilding;theonlythingbreak-
AftertheheroesacquirepassportsorhackintoJoe’scom- ing the monotony is a row of rusty 55-gallon drums. A few
puter,theinformationleadstoahotelinCairo(thePharaoh’s minuteslater,avanandanotherSUVpullsupbehindthem,
View – see below). If informed of this information, Houston and four men exit: Tariq holding a pump shotgun, Yuri an
providestheadventurerswiththeresourcestogettoEgypt. attachécase,andtwomookswithcompactSMGs.Yurigreets
themercsinEnglish,tellingthemthathehastheitems
they ordered, and opens the back of the van. The
trunksinsidecontainfoursniperrifles,7.62mmS;four
If Things Go Wrong . . . assault rifles, 7.62mmS; two compact SMGs, 9mm;
oneHMG,12.7mm;twomagazinesforeachgun;and
EvenifthePCsareunabletogetthepassportsorhackinto
120 blasting caps. “Everything else is in the conex,”
Joe’s computer, Houston has a backup plan, and a few days
Yuriexplains.“Youcanpickituptomorrowmorning:
laterhecallsthepartyagain.“We’vehadsomeluck–arrested
I’ll call you to tell you where.” He hands Nathan the
a merc traveling with a stolen passport. He had a ticket for
attachécase,saying,“Feelfreetocountit.”
Cairo,andtheaddressofahotelthere.Howwouldyoulikean
“Ifyou’vecheatedus,”saysNathan,“there’senough
all-expensespaidtriptoEgypt?”
left in the budget to have you and your entire family
killed.”
Soundstooeasy:Theheroesarehiredtoprotectatop-secretcookierecipe.Asthenumberofpeopleafteritclimb,the
guardiansrealizethattherecipeconcealsacodedmessage!
P M 6 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
Thevanisparkedinsideaceiling-highchain-
linkcageinthehotelbasement.Thecageandthe
Troubleshooting
vanhaveGoodmechanicallocks:Thevanispro-
IfthepersonimpersonatingLeefailsatthattaskandiskickedoff tected by a proximity sensor (see Action 2:
theteam–perhapsviaahailofbullets–therestoftheadventurestill Exploits, p. 22) that sends an SMS to Nathan’s
continues as planned, unless it’s disrupted (see Breaking the Chain, phone; a hidden camera inside the cage feeds
below). Simply assume the remaining aspects of the timeline – the through to his phone as well as to a monitor in
money hand-off, the weapon transfer, etc. – happen as written, only themanager’soffice.
withoutmentionofLee.Inthiscase,it’suptotheplayerstofigureout Nathanstaysinhisroomthatnight,withthe
howtoremaincloseenoughtotheactiontodisruptit(rememberthat cash under the bed and his pistol under his pil-
Houstondoesn’twanttobecontacteduntilit’ssafetodoso). low.YuricallsNathanat8:20thenextmorning,
whilethemercsareeatingbreakfast,andtellhim
the container truck is parked at a truck stop on
The mercs practice firing at the drums, then Yuri gives theroadtoKhartoum.Nathanordersthemercsto
Nathanthekeystothevanandheandhismenleaveintheir grabtheirbagsandcheckoutimmediately.
SUV.Nathantells“Lee”andDiegotoreturnthehiredSUVs
totheairportandcatchataxibacktothehotel;thenheand
Simeondrivethevanbacktothehotelandtakethecashup
Breaking the Chain
to Diego’s room. He calls the other mercs, telling them to
meethimtocountthecash:$120,000inU.S.$10,$20,$50, ThePCscandisrupt“OperationFatboy”atanystage–
and $100 bills, mostly near-perfect counterfeits. When the forexample,bykillingthemercsandtakingthemoneyand
money has been sorted into bundles of $1,000, Nathan the gear in the van – but if they don’t intercept the con-
places these back in the case and tells the mercs he’ll see tainer,theattackstillgoesahead.(Ifanyoftheplayersseem
thematbreakfast–“butkeepyourphoneson,justincase.” tobepursuingthiscourseofaction,giveeveryoneaTactics
Withthat,hegoestohisroom.ThemercsandthePCshave orStrategyrolltorealizethisfact.)
anafternoonandnightinCairobeforesettingout.
T B B
HE IG ANG
Nowthattheheroeshaveareasonforbeinghere,thereal RPG or missiledoes so on a 12 or higher. A bullet triggersan
funbeings. explosiononanexcellentorbetterresult;anRPGormissiletrig-
gersoneonagoodorbetterresult.Notallthemunitionsdeto-
H W nate at once; the blast does 5d¥9 cr ex per turn for 11 turns,
EAVY EAPONS
wreckingthecontainerandallitscontents.
Thetruckstop(BAD-4)is90milessouthofCairo’ssprawl. The semi-truck (p. B464) is parked between the cafe win-
There are three container trucks, 1d+1 smaller trucks, and a dowandthegaspumps.Althoughitmayseemmostexpedient,
familiar-lookingSUV(Tariq’s)parkedoutside.Thetruckwith blowing up the container kills everyone in the cafe, most of
the weapons has loud alarms and good locks, but no traps. them innocent bystanders (use stats for mooks or dancers),
Tariq and two mooks are waiting inside the cafe; Tariq has unlessthecafeisevacuatedorthetruckmoved.Thecaféwalls
beenorderedtogivethetruck’skeystoNathanpersonally. are6”brick,butthewindowsarebrittle1/4”glass,DR2.
Inside the container – behind a façade of boxes containing IfTariqand/orthemooksseethePCsstealthetruck,they’ll
solarpanels(andmarked“FRAGILE”)–aremoreboxeslabeled chaseitintheirSUVandtrytoshootoutthetires.Thetruck’s
“Filters”: These contain 30 RPGs (p. B281) and 360 HEAT fuel tanks contain just enough diesel to go 40 miles; if the
rounds. If these are removed, the PCs find 600,000 rounds of heroes take it without refueling, they may be stranded in the
7.62mmSammo,250lbs.ofplastique,and1,800fragmentation desert and making daily survival rolls until other PCs or the
handgrenades(600ofthegrenadesareDiehlDM61s,therest GMrescuethem.Theroadisaverageterrain;thesurrounding
areARGESgrenadessimilartothefragmentationgrenadesin desertissoftsand–verybadterrain.
Action1,pp.33-34).Thefarendofthecontainerispackedwith If “Lee” stays with the mercs past this point, Nathan
heavierweaponsandmunitions(seeConexContents,p.8).All makesuparosterforthesixmentorotatedrivingdutiesin
told, this is slightly more than $1.3M worth of armaments, four-hourshifts,threeinthetruck(oneinthesleeper),three
weighing16.06tons.Theexplosivesaredistributedalongthe40' in the van. The van is stocked with group basics, a crash
lengthofthecontainer.Ifanyammopenetratesthecontainer, kit, and a week’s supply of water and MREs; Nathan does
roll3d;abulletsetsoffanexplosionona15orhigher,whilean not plan to stop until they reach Aswan, 460 miles south.
Tomakethisadventurelessgun-focused,pareallweaponstatsdowntotheonesfoundinAction1:Heroes.Tomakeit
moregunpowder-powered,considerrunningitasaGURPSGunFuadventure.
P M 7 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
Thereis$20,000inthetruck,therestofthecashinthevan.If Operation Fatboy
“Lee”isstilltrustedbythemercs,thisprovideshimwiththe
While the other mercs have only been told that they’ll be
last opportunity to steal the truck without a fight: The next
armingCongoleseinsurgents,Nathanknowsthattheplanisto
overnightstopisinKhartoum,wheremoremercsarewaiting
“liberate” Katanga Province, starting with simultaneous
fortheweapons.
attacksonLumumbashiairportandParliamentHouse,while
Criminal-minded adventurers may be tempted to steal
insidersseizecontrolofpolicestationsandmilitarybases.The
the weapons, truck, etc., rather than destroy them; if so,
attackhasbeenfinancedbyaminingcompanyhopingtotake
findingabuyerorgettingthelootoutofAfricashouldbean
overtheprovince’smines,includingitsuraniumdeposits–but
adventure in itself. Yuri’s gang would count as a very dan-
thecompanyandmercscuttheirlossesandcallofftheattack
gerousEnemy.
iftheweaponsarelostordestroyed.
E
PILOGUE
Conex Contents
Assumingtheheroessucceedintheirmissionandcon-
The shipping container has the following heavy
tactHouston,hehonorsanyendofhisagreementwiththe
weaponsandmunitions:
PCs.Hecan“takecareof”anyoutstandingintactweapons,
• sixM260mmmortarswith120HErounds. ifaskedtodoso.Iftheheroeshaveacquiredtoomuchdan-
• 10Stingermissiles. gerousarmamentsfromtheshipment(GM’sdiscretion)or
• 209M14PMalutyka-P“Sagger”missiles. otherwise been indiscreet in how they deal with them,
• fiveMolotNSVS-12/7HMGs,with15050-roundcans. Houstonmightuseadditionalresourcestokeeptabsonthe
heroesorthemunitions.(Houstondidn’tgotoallthetrou-
SeeGURPSHigh-Techifthedetailsoftheseareimpor- ble of keeping dangerous munitions out of enemy hands
tant, but “reallybig boomthe badguys shouldn’t have”is onlytoseethemendupinotherenemyhands.)
enough detail for Action; these weapons shouldn’t be Iftheheroeshavenotbeensuccessfulandinsistoncon-
involvedunlessthere’sadangeroftheirexploding(seep.7). tacting Houston anyway, he gets very angry and cuts off
communication.Henolongeranswersthatcellphonenum-
ber,andtheheroesmightfindtheyhaveanewenemy.
C C
AST OF HARACTERS
Thecruxofthisadventurecomesfromtheconflict–com- He wears a sand-colored shirt over khaki cargo pants, and
batwithnoncombat–withtheadversarialteamofmercs.The booniehat.
GM should familiarize himself with their abilities, to make
ST11[10];DX16[120];IQ12[40];HT12[20].
suretheheroesareprovidedwithanappropriatechallenge.
Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 13 [4]; Will 13 [5]; Per 13
The“locallanguage”ofsomeofthecharactersbelowisone
[5];FP12[0].
appropriateforthecountrywherethisadventuretakesplace.
BasicSpeed7.00[0];BasicMove7[0];Dodge11*;Parry13*
(Brawling).
N , M
ATHAN ERCENARY 6’2”;190lbs.
S L
QUAD EADER Social Background
370points TL:8[0].
“Nathan”livedmostofhisearlylifenearmilitarybasesin CF:Western[0].
Germany and the U.S. with his Dutch-born mother and a Languages:Dutch(Native)[0];English(Native)[4],German
series of soldier stepfathers, before being enrolled in a mili- (Accented) [2], Russian (Accented) [2], Serbo-Croatian
taryacademy.HestudiedRussianuntiltheSovietUnioncol- (Accented)[2].
lapsed, and enlisted in time to serve in the Bosnian War.
However,hefound“peacekeeping”frustratingandunreward- Advantages
ing, ultimately becoming a mercenary. His “take no prison-
Charisma 1 [5]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Danger Sense [15];
ers” attitude proved useful in his new career, but has led to
Fit[5];Gunslinger[25];HardtoKill4[8];HighPainThreshold
himbeingwantedformanslaughterinEurope.
[10]; Language Talent [10]; Night Vision 4 [4]; Temperature
Nathan is a muscular, clean-shaven 44-year-old man
Tolerance2[2].
withatannedcomplexion,crewcutblondhair,andgrayeyes.
Perks:DirtyFighting;PenetratingVoice.[2]
NathansomehowmeetsandstrikesupafriendshipwithoneoftheothermembersofthePCgroup.Nowwhat?
P M 8 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
Disadvantages Thelaptop(-5tohackingattempts)containsdetailedmaps
of Katanga Province and its airport, but no other details of
Bloodlust (12) [-10]; Bully (15) [-5]; Code of Honor
OperationFatboy.
(Soldier’s) [-10]; Greed (15) [-7]; Secret (Wanted criminal)
[-10];SenseofDuty(Team)[-5].
M
Quirks: Aggressive when drunk; Chauvinistic; Dislikes ERCS
motorbikes;Distrustsmenwhodon’tdrinkalcohol;Likesold
242points
Westerns.[-5]
ThemercspickedtorunthegunsfromCairoaretruckdriv-
erswithmilitaryexperienceandusefullanguageskills,rather
thancombatspecialists,buttheycanandfightwhennecessary
If you’ve cheated us . . . (andsometimeswhenit’snot).
ST11[10];DX14[80];IQ11[20];HT12[20].
Damage1d-1/1d+1;BL24lbs.;HP13[4];Will11[0];Per13
[10];FP12[0].
Skills
BasicSpeed7.00[10];BasicMove7[0];Dodge10*;Parry11*
Acrobatics (H) DX [2]-15; Administration (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; (Boxing).
Area Knowledge (Europe) (E) IQ [1]-12; Area Knowledge
(U.S.A.)(E)IQ[1]-12;Armoury/TL8(SmallArms)(A)IQ[2]-12; Social Background
Boating/TL8(Motorboat)(A)DX-1[1]-15;Brawling(E)DX+2
TL:8[0].
[4]-18; Camouflage (E) IQ+1 [1]-13†; Carousing (E) HT+1
CF:Western[0].
[2]-13;Climbing(A)DX-1[1]-15;ComputerOperation/TL8(E)
Languages:OneNative[0]andoneAccented[4](seep.10).
IQ[1]-12;CurrentEvents/TL8(HeadlineNews)(E)IQ+1[2]-13;
Detect Lies (H) Per [4]-13; Driving/TL8 (Automobile) (A) DX
Advantages
[2]-16;Fast-Draw(Ammo)(E)DX+1[1]-17*;Fast-Draw(Knife)
(E) DX+1 [1]-17*; Fast-Draw (Pistol) (E) DX+1 [1]-17*; Fast- Absolute Direction [5]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Driver’s
Talk(A)IQ+1[4]-13;FirstAid/TL8(E)IQ+1[2]-13;Fishing(E) Reflexes4[20];HighPainThreshold[10];NightVision2[2].
Per[1]-13;ForcedEntry(E)DX[1]-16;Gunner/TL8(Machine Perks:DirtyFighting.[2]
Gun) (E) DX [2]-17; Guns/TL8 (Grenade Launcher) (E) DX
[1]-16; Guns/TL8 (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) (E) DX [1]-16; Disadvantages
Guns/TL8(Pistol)(E)DX+1[1]-17‡;Guns/TL8(Rifle)(E)DX+2
BadTemper(15)[-5];CodeofHonor(Soldier’s)[-10];Greed
[4]-18; Guns/TL8 (Shotgun) (E) DX+1 [1]-17‡; Guns/TL8
(15)[-7];Lecherousness(15)[-7];Overconfidence(12)[-5].
(SMG)(E)DX+1[1]-17‡;Hiking(A)HT+1[4]-13;Holdout(A)
IQ[2]-12;Interrogation(A)IQ+1[4]-13;Judo(H)DX-1[2]-15;
Skills
Jumping(E)DX[1]-16;Knife(E)DX+1[2]-17;Leadership(A)
IQ+2 [4]-14§; Observation (A) Per [2]-13; Parachuting (E) DX AreaKnowledge(seep.10)(E)IQ[1]-11;Boxing(A)DX
[1]-16;Running(A)HT+1[4]-13;Savoir-Faire(Military)(E)IQ [2]-14; Camouflage (E) IQ [1]-11; Carousing (E) HT+1 [2]-
[1]-12; Scrounging (E) Per+1 [2]-14; Scuba (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; 13; Computer Operation/TL8 (E) IQ [1]-11; Driving/TL8
Shortsword(A)DX-1[1]-15;Soldier(A)IQ+1[4]-13;Stealth(A) (Automobile) (A) DX+3 [1]-17†; Driving/TL8 (Heavy
DX[2]-16;Streetwise(A)IQ+1[4]-13;Survival(Mountain)(A) Wheeled) (A) DX+4 [2]-18†; Electronics Operation/TL8
Per+1[4]-14;Swimming(E)HT+1[2]-13;Tactics(H)IQ[4]-12; (Communications) (A) IQ [2]-11; Fast-Draw (Ammo) (E)
Throwing(A)DX[2]-16;Traps(A)IQ[2]-12. DX+1 [1]-15*; Fast-Draw (Knife) (E) DX+1 [1]-15*; Fast-
Techniques:StampKick(H)Brawling-2[2]-16. Draw(Pistol)(E)DX+1[1]-15*;Fast-Talk(A)IQ[2]-11;First
Aid/TL8 (E) IQ [1]-11; Freight Handling (A) IQ+1 [4]-12;
*Includes+1fromCombatReflexes.
Gunner/TL8(MachineGun)(E)DX+1[2]-15;Guns/TL8(Pis-
†RaisedfromSurvivaldefault.
tol) (E) DX+2 [4]-16; Hiking (A) HT [2]-12; Holdout (A) IQ
‡RaisedfromGuns(Rifle)default.
[2]-11; Knife (E) DX [1]-14; Mechanic/TL8 (Diesel Engine)
§Includes+1fromCharisma.
(A)IQ+1[4]-12;Navigation(Land)(A)IQ+3[2]-14‡;Obser-
vation(A)Per[2]-13;Parachuting(E)DX+1[2]-15;Scroung-
Equipment
ing(E)Per+1[2]-14;Smuggling(A)IQ+1[4]-12;Soldier(A)
Autobackuppistol,.40,inundercoverholsterinsidepants; IQ-1 [1]-10; Stealth (A) DX [2]-14; Streetwise (A) IQ+1
concealable vest (DR 12/5); push knife in belt buckle; tactical [4]-12;Survival(seep.10)(A)Per[2]-13;Swimming(E)HT
folding knife; gloves, shooting; boots, reinforced; wristwatch [1]-12; Throwing (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Urban Survival (A) Per
withGPS;moneybeltwith$1,000inassortedcurrency;ballistic [2]-13;Wrestling(A)DX[2]-14.
sunglasses;cellphone;miniflashlight;personalbasics;falseID.
*Includes+1fromCombatReflexes.
Fieldpackcontainssurvivalknife,ruggednotebookcomputer,
†Includes+4forDriver’sReflexes.
military binoculars, night-vision goggles, drag bag, satellite
‡Includes+3forAbsoluteDirection.
phone,waterpurificationgear,andextraclothes.
PerhapsoneoftheanonymousmercenariesisanEnemyofoneofthePCs–orbecomesanEnemyafterthisadventure.
P M 9 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
Equipment Housekeeping (E) IQ+1 [2]-12; Knife (E) DX [1]-11;
ProfessionalSkill(Bartender)(A)IQ-1[1]-10;Running(A)HT
AutoBackupPistol,.40,inundercoverholsterinsidepants;
[2]-10;Savoir-Faire(Servant)(E)IQ[1]-11;Scrounging(E)Per
tactical folding knife; boots, reinforced; cargo pants, shirt,
[1]-12; Sex Appeal (A) HT+2 [4]-12‡; Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-10;
baseball cap; cell phone; multi-tool; mini flashlight; personal
Streetwise(A)IQ[2]-11;UrbanSurvival(A)Per[2]-12.
basics;falseID.
Techniques:KneeStrike(A)Brawling+0[1]-11.
Informationonspecificmercsisasfollows:
‡Includes+1forAttractive.
Diego:Languages:Portuguese(Native);English(Accented).
Skills: Area Knowledge (South America); Survival (Jungle). Equipment
5’8”,170lbs;tannedcomplexion,darkbrowncomb-overand
Lara carries pepper spray. (If these stats are used for the
mustache,browneyes.
womenintheKick-Offandthetruckstop,theyareunarmed;
Paul:Languages:French(Native);English(Accented).Skills:
however, they may pick up improvised weapons if a fight
AreaKnowledge(Mediterranean);Survival(Beach/Island).6’1”,
begins.TheirclothinghasnoDRexceptfortheirrubber-soled
180lbs.;tannedcomplexion,wavybrownhair,hazeleyes.
shoes–DR1,+1toStealth.)
Roy: Languages:English (Native); Swahili (Accented).
Skills: Area Knowledge (Southern Africa); Survival (Plains).
6’2”, 190 lbs; dark brown complexion, shaved head, dark
browneyes.
Simeon: Languages:Arabic (Native); English (Accented). Anthony DiNozzo: I always
Skills: Area Knowledge (Northern Africa); Survival (Desert).
5’11”,160lbs;browncomplexion,blackdreadlocks,mustache figured I’d go out like Cagney
andgoatee,darkbrowneyes.
in White Heat – fiery explosion.
LARA – NCIS: Naval Criminal
74points Investigative
Asthe(unwitting)instigatorfortheadventure,Laraismore Service #5.6
catalystthanthreat,butshe’sstillpickedupafewtricksthat
haveprovenusefultohercriminalcareer.
ST10[0];DX11[20];IQ11[20];HT10[0].
Damage1d-2/1d;BL20lbs.;HP10[0];Will11[0];Per12[5];
A
FP11[0]. LI
Basic Speed 5.25 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Dodge 8; Parry 8
91points
(Brawling).
Ali’sinoverhishead,althoughhedoesn’trealizeityet.
Social Background
ST10[0];DX13[60];IQ10[0];HT10[0].
TL:8[0]. Damage1d-2/1d;BL20lbs.;HP10[0];Will10[0];Per11[5];
CF:Western[0]. FP11[3].
Languages:Locallanguage(Native)[0];English(Broken)[2]. Basic Speed 6.00 [5]; Basic Move 7 [5]; Dodge 9; Parry 9
(Brawling).
Advantages
Social Background
Attractive[4];HighPainThreshold[10];NightVision2[2].
Perks:DirtyFighting.[1] TL:8[0].
CF:Western[0].
Disadvantages Languages:Locallanguage(Native)[0];English(Broken)[2].
Greed(15)[-7];Impulsiveness(15)[-5],Wealth(Poor)[-15]. Advantages
Skills Craftiness1[5];Flexibility[5];Fit[5].
Perks:CompactFrame;UrbanJungleGym.[2]
Acting(A)IQ[2]-11;Brawling(E)DX[1]-11;Carousing(E)
HT+1[2]-12;BodyLanguage(A)Per[2]-12;Dancing(A)DX-1 Disadvantages
[1]-10;Driving/TL8(Motorcyle)(A)DX-1[1]-10;Fast-Talk(A)
IQ [2]-11; Filch (A) DX+1 [4]-12; Holdout (A) IQ [4]-12; Greed(12)[-15],Skinny[-5];Wealth(Poor)[-15].
IfyoulikedthisadventurefromStephenDedman,checkouttheactioninHardcore,anadventureappearingin
Pyramid#3/14:MartialArts.
P M 10 S 2010
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER