[Hellhole Number 3] Wirelight Setup

After Figit and Troy were captured by Ravagers, they were taken to the outpost known as Wirelight.  Niko, Blaze, MAD-2, and, oddly enough, Dick the Scav prepare to mount a rescue.

Electric Rats

Electric Rat

They resemble large, short haired rats about a foot and a half in length (not including the tail) with arcs of electricity crackling all around their bodies. They may be encountered individually, or more commonly, in small packs (3-8) or larger colonies (10-40). Electric Rats are surprisingly smart, existing at the cusp between Animal intelligence and true sapience.  They will Gang Up on opponents, may use Wild Attack and even employ defensive actions, Agility Tricks, and attempt to Intimidate opponents through growling, posturing, and creative displays of discharged electricity. They are unexpectedly dangerous, not only for their offensive electrical discharges, but for their immediate release of stored energy when critically wounded or killed. 

Attributes:
Agility d8, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills:
Fighting d8, Stealth d6, Notice d6, Intimidate d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 3

Special Abilities
Armor +1: Thick Skinned
Bite: Electric Rats have sharp teeth and charged saliva, biting for Str+d4 damage
Electricity Resistance: Electric Rats act as if they have 4 points of Armor when affected by Electricity, and add +4 to all Trait rolls when resisting such effects. They are immune to the damage caused by the electrical effects of other Electric Rats.
Living Capacitor: Electric Rats can store massive amounts of electricity to be discharged in a number of ways.  The average electric rat has 15 Power Points available for use and regenerates power points as if they had the Rapid Recharge Edge.  They use their Fighting skill to determine success and have the following powers with Electricity trappings and the Armor Piercing, Conduction, and Spasm effects (Damage and PP costs already are adjusted):

Bolt (3 Power Points): An electric rat may discharge a SINGLE bolt of electricity at a target.  If it hits, the Shock Bolt inflicts 3d4 damage and may ignore up to two points of armor.
Damage Field (5 Power Points): An electric rat may charge up and create a corona of electricity that surrounds their body that causes the normal effects of the Damage Field power (Base damage is 2d4, 2d6 on a raise, and ignores up to two points of Armor)
Blast (Variable Power Points): When an electric rat is incapacitated, there is a chance that it will explode, blasting stored energy in all directions surrounding the electric rat. If an electric rat has sufficient power points available, then one of the following effects occurs without the need for a skill roll:
   3+ Power Points: 2d4 damage which ignores up to 2 points of Armor within a Medium Burst Template
   6+ Power Points: 3d4 damage which ignores up to 2 points of Armor within a Medium Burst Template
   9+ Power Points: 3d4 damage which ignores up to 2 points of Armor within a Large Burst Template

Quick: Electric Rats have the Quick Edge
Small: Electric Rats are small but difficult to hit. Any attack rolls are made at -2 when targeting this creature.
Size -2: Electric Rats are typically about a foot and a half in length.
Stun: Electric Rats disrupt a target's electrical impulses when successfully touching or attacking a target, even if no damage is caused.

Books Arrived!

So those books I ordered showed up today, and DAMN! I can't wait to thumb through them.  Ok, I thought I'd ordered 14 books, but apparently it was only 13 plus Adventure Deck promo cards.

• Fantasy Companion
• Horror Companion
• 50 Fathoms
• Hell on Earth Reloaded
• Hell on Earth Companion
• Deadlands Noir
• Deadlands Reloaded: Marshal's Handbook
• Deadlands Reloaded: Player's Guide
• Deadlands Reloaded: Coffin Rock
• Deadlands Reloaded: The Flood
• Deadlands Reloaded: Smith & Robards 1880 Catalog
• Deadlands Reloaded: The Last Sons
• Deadlands Reloaded: Ghost Towns

Here's the whole stack!

The shipping box, next to my size 13 Wide shoe (for scale).

[Hellhole Number 3] Ambush!

Ambushed by Ravagers who seemed to know where the party was going, the PC's fight a pitched battle for their survival.  Against the odds, and despite initial setbacks, they survive -- a little banged up, bruised, and bloodied for sure, but alive.  Unfortunately, their truck is not so lucky. Damaged heavily, but hopefully not beyond repair, most of the party pitches in to fix it while Niko and Atman each head off alone to scout in different directions.  But when the damage to the truck proves irreparable, they start redistributing their goods to Blaze's buggy and an armored bike and sidecar appropriated from the Ravagers. Atman returns without noting anything.

Ambush!

Ambush! (From another angle)

The tide starts to turn!

While scouting the surrounding area, Niko is ambushed yet again.  This time a sniper is hidden among the rocks.  Niko fires back, and the pair trades burst fire for a few rounds until Niko wounds him.  The sniper attempts to flee, but Niko chases him down.  Quickly gunfire turns into an all out brawl until a fistful of sand to the face buys Niko time enough to recover his weapon and finish him.  A quick examination shows the sniper to be carrying too little gear not to have some kind of nearby camp. 

Niko returns and then he and Blaze drive back to further scout for the camp -- finding a cave in the rocks not far out from where the sniper was killed.  Inside it they find a small store of food, a radio, the sniper's personal journal (his name was Simon -- see below), and a hardened uplink computer. When a storm is moving in, everyone hides out in the cave.  MAD-2 and Figit hack around with the uplink system and find that it can link to the remaining satellite network still in orbit.  When the storm ends, they use it to help scan the area and find Simon's camouflaged vehicle.

----

Simon "Breaker" Marsh
Human Male - Seasoned Wildcard (20 xp)

Once a corporal in the Terran military, he found himself cut off from home like so many of his brothers in arms in the closing days of the the War. As ordered, Simon entered cryostasis -- on a vessel that was never intended to leave this Hellhole and return home. He awoke alongside the only other survivor from his unit (Alpha Company, 4th Infantry Battalion) over fifty years after the war's end and has made his way as best he can for the past six years. Swarthy and scarred, he has seen his fair share of battle and keeps a tattooed record of every major event. Indeed, Simon keeps meticulous records of everything else in his personal journals as well -- he just doesn't like to talk about the fighting. He keeps his hair shaved close to his head, wears an armored longcoat with polyceramic inserts, and tends to be quiet and observant. To this day he harbors a grudge against the military that abandoned him, to the point of irrationality, and works actively (and violently) against anything or anyone reminding him of the days before. 

Attributes:
Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Charisma: 0, Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 10/14

Skills:
Athletics d4, Driving d6, Fighting d6, Knowledge (Battle) d4, Notice d6, Repair d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6

Edges:
Extraction, Marksman, Rock and Roll

Hindrances:
Cautious (Minor), Quirk (Minor): Meticulously Documents Everything, Vengeful (Major)

Gear:
Armored Longcoat with Polyceramic Inserts (Armor +4/+8), Light Armored Helm (+4) with Lowlight and Breather Filters, Stone-Garuda "Fang" Assault Rifle (24/48/96, ROF 3, 2d8+1, AP 3) with Targeting Scope, Survival Knife (Str+d4)

Pinnacle Sale!

Apparently, I'm a sucker for a good sale since I just dropped some cash for 14 Savage Worlds books over at Pinnacle's Holiday sale in the Pinnacle Store.  So much Deadlands goodness! First on my list was getting the Savaged version of Hell on Earth (and the Companion, too).  I'm not sure why I opted to run a Post-Apocalyptic game without it -- so much stuff I can incorporate into Hellhole Number 3.  Also snagged the core book for Deadlands Noir and a bunch of Deadlands Weird West books, including the big boys like Last Sons and The Flood.  Sort of rounding it all out was a copy of 50 Fathoms Deep, since I didn't have it in print.  Still one of the best published plot point campaigns, and a damn fun read.  Also went for print versions of the Fantasy and Horror companions, since I only had those in PDF as well.

Not like you care what I grabbed, but this was 14 books -- some of them very pricey ones -- for 185ish dollars including shipping and a free gift.  Older stuff was as low as 50% off, and I could easily have found another dozen books I'd love to get.  But I also need to pay the mortgage this month, so I'd wanted to keep it to around $175.

These are all PRINT books (with PDF included), but if you prefer only PDF there are so many more options for an even lower price!

Seriously folks, check it out.

[Hellhole Number 3] Dick the Scav

A young scav frequenting Barterville, Dick Rickard desperately wants to make a name for himself. Unfortunately, his own dumb luck bites him at every turn. Plain looking and generally nondescript, Dick is easily forgettable despite his competence as a technician, driver, and as a fighter. Too often, he is simply dismissed as "That Scav with the car" or sometimes, "That dick scav".  Dick usually wears a black, armored jumpsuit and carries a pair of metal bars he's turned into a matched set of billy clubs. Most of the time he can be found working on or finding parts for a decrepit old transport car he keeps parked outside a known scav hangout -- despite having been asked to move it.

Dick the Scav
Human Male Scav - Seasoned ( 20 xp) - Wildcard

Attributes:
Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Charisma: 0, Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 7 (2)

Skills:
Driving d8, Fighting d8, Investigation d4, Knowledge (Engineering) d6, Notice d8, Repair d8, Security d4, Shooting d4, Survival d6

Edges:
Two-Fisted, Connections (Scavs), McGyver

Hindrances:
Bad Luck (Major), Enemy (Minor; Professional Rival - "Figit"), Stubborn (Minor)

Gear:
Metal Clubs (x2) (Str+d4), Sawed-Off DB (12g) (5/10/20, ROF 1-2, 1-3d6), Armored Jumpsuit (Armor 2), Toolkit, Techscanner, Broken Car

[Hellhole Number 3] Barterville Follies

After handling themselves with the Ravagers and coming out with acquired bikes and assault buggies, the Player Characters make their way to the waystation town of Barterville.  A mostly lawless dive of affiliated traders, scavs, and criminals, Barterville is a known as the only place in the wastes that you can find nearly anything you want.

Meeting up with contacts is a lengthy affair, but also allows them to make some much needed repairs, trade off some items of interest, and ask around for a seller of ammunition.

They learn that the next trek is to the outskirts of Basin City, but getting there quickly involves crossing Ravager controlled territories.  They pick up a traveler, Esmerelda, who is rightly terrified of making that journey alone.

Unfortunately, they fall into an ambush set along a more passable route, leading one of their bikes to suffer serious damage and throw its driver.  Their larger truck was forced to skid, with the driver barely maintaining control. The driver of the assault buggy swerved at the last moment, and got out of the way.

Ravagers popped up and are attempting to capture the party, though they do not seem to be above killing them if pressed -- which means that the party are themselves the target, and not so likely their cargo.

Barterville's West Gate

Barterville's West Gate

Barterville's West Gate

Esmerelda

Human Female - Extra

Green eyed and dark haired, Esmerelda was a sought after desert flower in Barterville who took whatever work she could get, both savory and unsavory. Unfortunately, after a romantic entanglement involving her adopted brother Ceasar seriously damaged her local credibility, she felt a change of location was in order. Now, she has hired the Highwaymen to drive her trough Ravager territory and get her safely to Basin City. 

Attributes: 

Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Pace: 8+d10, Parry: 5, Charisma: 2, Toughness: 6 (1)

Skills: 

Fighting d6, Knowledge (Local Area) d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt d6

Edges: Attractive, Fleet-Footed

Hindrances: Cautious (Minor), Phobia (Minor): Ravagers

Gear: Leather (Armor 1), Machete (Str+d6), Goggles, Traveling Gear, 450 Credits

[Hellhole Number 3] Character Sheet

Made up a character sheet for Hellhole Number 3 which is very much geared toward the rules for our game table.  It is definitely not a generic Savage Worlds sheet.  I've added a silhouette armor track, a field for mutations and cyberware, and areas to track wounds, fatigue, injuries, etc.  I've dispensed with listing every advance on the main page of a sheet -- I may include it if I do a second page.  I've also included a small box for ammo tracking within the notation for each weapon.

[Hellhole Number 3] Firearms, Part 1 - Pistols and Machine Pistols

Several new weapons have been introduced to Hellhole Number 3, mostly to provide a sense of flavor and to differentiate things ever so slightly from the the stock, modern weapons in the SWD.  Listed below are all slugthrowers, similar enough to common firearms we know today. However, many higher technology weapons will be found, though they are much more expensive, and much less common, due to their comparative complexity and difficulty to maintain over the years.

Aside from the large number of makers for generic items, there are a few notable manufacturers making higher quality weapons:

• Stone Garuda (SG): Known for high damage and stopping power
• Basin Special Arms (BSA): Known for a stabilization system that helps the user keep the gun steady in an unsteady environment
• Felton-Smythe (FS): High capacity weapons with comparatively large ammo storage
• Wellington Arms (WA): Highly accurate, increasing the weapon's effective range
• Hellfire Industries (HA): Precision autofire weapons with improved rates of fire

And of course, there is one company renown for providing cheap, low quality products for the masses:

• Dragon Arms (DA): Prone to jamming (Jams on a roll of "1" on the Shooting die; Repair roll to fix takes two actions, one with a raise)

[Pistol Chart]:

[Hellhole Number 3] Wasteland Ravagers (Part 1)

Wasteland Ravager (Warrior)

Most Ravagers are just a little off kilter, raging their way through the wasteland and the fringes, attacking anything or anyone they see as easy prey.  They arm themselves with easily built and maintained weapons  and body armor.  But don't mistake their simplicity for stupidity -- the can be quite cunning and adaptable. And don't let the low Smarts score fool you, either. It simply reflects the fact that most Ravager Warriors are in a near constant state of confusion and distraction due to stress induced paranoia, fatigue, and mental instability.  Indeed, most Ravagers are a curious blend of the inbred, the mentally ill, addicts, and indoctrinated man-children that tend to lash out when pressed into fight-or-flight scenarios.  But they also are canny and smart enough to prize useful and well developed skills.  In short, they are not mindless, and can recognize value (and danger) when they see it.  They are pragmatists who have learned that they don't fit well in "civilized" society, but know the world is a dangerous place and so have banded together for a better chance at survival. Rarely alone, they tend to travel in packs of anywhere from 6-12 individuals, with many more in their enclaves and oft-times roving communities. 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Shooting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d4, Survival d4, Throwing d6

Pace: 6+1d6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 8 (2)

Special Abilities:

• Body Armor: Ravager Warriors wear cobbled together body armor that provides +2 Armor
• Tweaked Out: Ravager Warriors have the Berserk Edge

Gear:
Melee Weapon (Str+d8), Shotgun (As 12 Gauge, with Slugs)

Alternate Types:

• Ranger: Improve Survival and Stealth to d8, Add Athletics and Tracking d6, Add Survival Knife
• Driver: Improve Driving to d8, Add Repair d6, Remove Berserk Edge, Replace Shotgun with Sawed-Off Shotgun (12 Gauge, Buckshot)
• Gunner: Improve Shooting to d8, Add Steady Hands Edge
• Brute: Increase Strength to d10, Improve Fighting to d10, Add Brawny and Sweep Edges, Replace Melee Weapon with Great Axe

----
Ravager Assault Buggy

A light, armored, and structurally reinforced vehicle that is little more than a large dune buggy covered in bolted on plates of armor.  The front of the vehicle has two seats, with a third seat in the rear.  Armor is heavier toward the front of the buggy, and metal spikes are sometimes mounted to do additional damage when ramming.  The back is comparably less armored and often is partially open.  The buggy's structure also is configured with mounting rails on the rear top of the vehicle (above the rear seat) facing both front and back so a weapon can be mounted to fire at either forward or rear 180 degree arcs.

Size 3, Acc/TS 15/30, Toughness 15 (F3/S2/R1), Crew 1+2, Cost C$20K
Notes: Four Wheel Drive
Weapons:
Harpoon Mount or Light Machine Gun (treat as Browning M2 from SWD).

[Hellhole Number 3] Thomas "Ripper" Yukan

Tom Yukan, aka "Ripper", is an accomplished field medic who has offered his services to many organizations on the fringes of the wasteland, most recently the unified militia of Basin City. Despite a charming demeanor and disaffected attitude, Ripper has made a few enemies, especially among the regional warlords. None are sure if his troubles stem from genuine 'misunderstandings' or the fruits of his amorous reputation with the ladies. Regardless, the last time one such warlord got hold of Tom, the medic barely escaped with his life.  To this day he has several scars, a pinned together hip, and a permanent limp as a reminder.

Thomas "Ripper" Yukan

Human Male Combat Medic - Seasoned (35XP)

Attributes: 
Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8*

Charisma: +2, Pace: 4+1d4", Parry: 5, Toughness: 8/10 (6 Base, +2/4 Armor), Strain: 3

Skills: Athletics d4, Fighting d6, Investigation d4, Knowledge (Biosciences) d6, Knowledge (Local) d4, Medical d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Shooting (Small Arms) d6, Stealth d4, Survival d6, Taunt d4

Cyberware: Attribute Increase (*Vigor; Strain 2), Filters (Strain 1)

Edges: Charismatic, Combat Reflexes, Connections (Basin City Militia), Healer 

Hindrances: Amorous (Minor), Enemy (Minor; Local Warlord), Lame (Major)

Gear: Armored Duster (Kevlar Armor +2/+4), Medium Machine Pistol (12/24/48, RoF4, 2d6, AP1), Survival Knife (Str+d4), Backpack, Medi-Scanner, Medi-Gel (x4), Surgical Tools, Binoculars, 97 Rounds Medium Pistol Ammo, 220 Credits

[Hellhole Number 3] Babyface Worms

Babyface Worm

The Babyface Worm is named for both its long body and for the vaguely human-like face with a perpetually infantile expression.  In truth, however, the apparent face is just a contortion of the skin which folds until the creature's spiny mandibles are extended.  Additionally, the name worm is a bit of a misnomer, as the creature has rows of small arms on either side of its long body. The beast prefers to strike its prey quickly, attacking and retreating, preferably grabbing its victim and skittering back to its lair. Overlapping plates of chitinous armor provide the creature ample defense, and it has been known to use its armored mass to attempt to stun larger prey before attempting to devour it.  These creatures tend to be solitary except when mating, and can be found mostly in shadowy ruins and caves which are littered with the bones of the dead and other indigestibles.  

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength d12+2, Vigor d8

Skills: Fighting d6, Climbing d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6

Pace: 8, Parry: 5, Toughness: 14 (4)

Special Abilities:

• Acidic Bite: Str+d4; Acid Trapping (Corrosion)
• Armor +4: Heavy, Chitinous Hide
• Large: Attackers add +2 to their attack rolls when attacking a Babyface Worm due to its large size. 
• Low Light Vision: Ignores penalties for dim or dark lighting in all but absolute darkness.  
• Size +4: A Babyface Worm can grow to a length of 30 feet a width of over four feet across.  
• Slam: Str+d6, non-lethal damage
• Weakness (Cold): If affected by anything with the “Cold” trapping, a Babyface Worm must make a successful Vigor roll or be Fatigued; it may be Incapacitated but not killed in this way. If Shaken by an attack with the “Cold” trapping, all attempts to recover are made at -2.

[Hellhole Number 3] Drunk Troy

Drunk Troy is gluttonously overweight, inappropriately crass, and prone to holding grudges, but we don't hold it against him since he's likely been drunk for days. Troy's a mainstay at the local waystations, wandering in from the fringes of the wastes whenever he's bored and needs some quick cash.  Good with his fists, Troy is quick to use them, especially if slighted, though any restraint seems to go out the window if seriously pushed.  Aside from root-alcohols (or "Yam Juice" as he calls them), the sight of his own blood is the only thing that will make him black out.  And woe to anyone near him when he does.  

Drunk Troy 

Human Male Brawler - Novice ( 15 xp)

Attributes:
Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Charisma: 0, Pace: 5+1d4", Parry: 6, Toughness: 8 (6 Base, +1 Obese, +1 Armor)

Skills:
Athletics d4, Fighting d8, Intimidation d4, Lockpicking d4, Medical d4, Notice d6, Shooting (Small Arms) d6, Streetwise d6, Survival d4, Throwing d6

Edges: Berserk, Brawler, Martial Artist

Hindrances: Habit (Major: Alcoholism), Obese (Minor), Vengeful (Minor)

Gear: Stone-Garuda "Talon" Heavy Pistol (15/30/60, ROF 1, 2d8+1, AP 1), 36 Bullets, Leather Clothing (Armor +1), Backpack, 4 Bottles of "Grim Jim Daniel's" Whiskey, Water Can, Glowsticks (x4), Med Gel (x2), 81 Credits

[Hellhole Number 3] Post One - A New Beginning of Sorts

Been running a post apocalyptic sci-fi game for the past few weeks which includes some players new to the Savage Worlds system.  So far it has been a blast, and a very welcome change from the Pathfinder game we tried playing.  I hope to post some campaign materials in the near future, including characters, npcs, new gear, vehicles, world information, and house rules.  We've kept it MUCH simpler than I did when I ran my Future Perfect game, using the SWD book along with a few things from the Science Fiction Companion, Interface Zero, and oddly enough, Lankhmar (which, by the way, is excellent).

Currently, we are calling the campaign Hellhole Number 3. It takes place  on a planet far from Earth, 58 years after a massive war between Humans and an alien race left both sides weary and haggard.  When the war ended, only key personnel were removed from the planet and the remainder were left behind.  Starships crash-landed on the world in the wake of the cease fire, abandoning people from both races. What remains is a war ravaged hellhole on which the generation that followed after the war's end have struggled to survive.  Envisioned as an odd mix of video games like Fallout and Borderlands and movies such as Hardware and the Mad Max series coupled with an ever-present theme of diminishing resources, its proven to offer something fun for all of us.

Currently, the party mix consists of:

• "Fidgit" - Human Scavenger (High technical skills, Weird Science)
• "Blaze" - Human Driver (Great driving skills, Ace, good with ranged weapons)
• "Niko" - Human "Meat Popsicle" (Soldier, thawed from Interstellar Cryofreeze 40 years after the war ended)
• "M.A.D. 2" - Android (Medical droid from the war, gone a little off kilter from neglect and disrepair)
• "Drunk Troy" - Human Brawler (NPC)

Photo's shown below are from the first few sessions:

Giant rats have gotten into the sub-basement of a flooded wasteland waystation!

They track the source of the infestation to a network of access corridors that once connected several military outposts.

A salvage and recovery job takes them deep into the wastelands, but some other folks have eyes for the same prize.

Down a steep crater, a dangerous beast has made its lair in the bowels of an old military base.  But the structure is far more intact than anticipated, with a computer console they manage to get working -- only to learn some things that maybe they were better off not knowing.

New Stuff!

The Savage geek in me is going crazy! CRAZY!  I'm so excited about some new and upcoming products.  

If you haven't heard already, Palladium's classic RIFTS rpg is getting the savage treatment!  I was never a huge fan of the Palladium system, but the world itself has always been pretty interesting.  I don't know if they are just doing the core book, creating new material, or converting old splat books, but I'll just be happy to have savage Juicers and Glitterboys.  

Next is the new kickstarter from Gun Metal Games, the great folks who brought us Interface Zero.  It's called Codex Infernus: The Savage Guide to Hell.  Yeah, that's right, they are making a savage sourcebook for using a hell dimension!  Fire and brimstoney fun for everyone!  They have some pretty cool hooks for it, such as a new rules for demonic races, immortals, corruption, pacts, and even a vancian magic system (think D&D).  Check it out. I've already made my pledge at the Hell Priest level.  

Perhaps I am most excited about Pinnacle releasing Lankhmar: City of Thieves!  Yep, a new take on an old classic.  I've always loved Lankhmar as a setting, and I'm certain that Pinnacle will treat it well.  I can't wait for the print edition to come out, nor have I downloaded the PDF but I am thinking about putting in a pre-order for the book so I can snag it.