Roleplayer #22, November 1990
Bring 'Em Back Alive!
by Barry Link
This adventure is designed for three to six 100-point characters. As
it is written, it can be used for adventuring any time during the 1930s
pulp period. The GURPS Cliffhangers book is helpful,
but only the Basic
Set is necessary for play. Combat, spy, and wilderness
skills are important here; soldiers of fortune, Great White Hunters, and
explorers will have the best chance of success.
The GM can easily modify the adventure to fit an Old West
or Special Ops campaign, using the suggestions
on p. 25. Only the Basic Set is needed for a Western
game. It's assumed that a special-operations campaign will be using the
GURPS Special Ops book.
There is a great deal of room for expansion and sub-plots. Introduced are
a formidable enemy, a potential romantic heroine, and a turbulent background
that make excellent additions to a continuing campaign. And, of course,
there's the ending . . .
Background
The action is set in El Honduragua, a tiny island-nation lying 300 miles
off the Atlantic coast of Central America. El Honduragua in the 1930s is
torn by civil war, as ill-equipped People's Popular Front (PPF) guerrillas
battle the corrupt national government of Presidente Manuel Santiago. Further
complicating matters, the U.S. government has landed Marines at key points
on the island. The Marines' orders are to protect American business interests
(fruit and mining companies), and to intervene in the war if the left-wing
PPF gains the upper hand. All in all, El Honduragua is a typical banana
republic in the throes of a civil crisis. The GM must fill in the details
regarding the rest of the country, or simply place the adventure in a real
Central American nation (Nicaruagua, for example).
Predictably, the war has attracted a host of mercenaries, adventurers, spies,
foreign agents, and criminals determined to cash in on the nation's suffering.
One group of these adventurers is the PCs.
Invitation to San Remo
The adventurers are drinking in a seedy bar in one of El Honduragua's dirty
coastal towns. There is not much to do here -- the war has so far been confined
to the interior's mountain regions. As they drink, a downcast Catholic priest
approaches them and introduces himself as Father Jose' Quadra, head of the
Mission at San Remo twenty miles up the coast.
"I hear you are mercenaries," he says apologetically. "Brave
men with guns. Please, my people are in trouble. Banditos from the jungle
have been raiding San Remo for several weeks, stealing the village's food
and animals and threatening to kidnap our women and children."
He begins to cry.
"We want them gone," he pleads. "But we are not fighters,
and the government will send us no soldiers. Please help us. We can offer
you only room and board." He looks around quickly, and then speaks
quietly. "But if you do come, you have a chance to make a big catch!"
He pulls out a crumpled piece of paper and shows the following to the adventurers:
Reward Offered: $25,000
For the capture of British subject and infamous criminal Lord Benjamin Pimsley.
Wanted for sundry crimes against the British Empire, including the bloody
Christmas Day train wreck in Glasgow in September of last year. Scotland
Yard wants him ALIVE to stand trial before the Crown. Please deliver him
to the nearest British consulate or government agent for verification and
collection of reward. He is over 6' tall, dark-haired, and often wears a
cricket uniform with a Swastika armband. Beware: Pimsley frequently uses
disguises and is extremely dangerous.
"This man is leading the banditos!" Father Jose' says earnestly.
"He is so arrogant he told us his name! And he matches the description.
I got this reward notice from an Anglican missionary I know in town here."
If the PCs hesitate, Father Jose' tries his Fast-Talk skill of 16 in a Contest
of Skills against each of the PCs' Will. Those losing the contest feel very
guilty about turning down the poor priest's request.
If the adventurers agree, Father Jose' asks them to meet him at the docks
the next evening at 6 p.m. There are no roads to San Remo so he will transport
them to the village by boat. They can't leave earlier because he has Church
business to attend to during the day.
Arrival
At the dock the next morning, Father Jose' and a Spanish-Indian peasant
meet the adventurers. He invites them into a medium-sized river boat powered
by a noisy, smoky outboard motor. The boat, with Queen of San Remo painted
crudely on the side, is steered by the peasant and putts along at 5 yards/second.
The trip to San Remo takes three hours, thanks to the ancient engine breaking
down twice.
The boat approaches San Remo from the east just as the sun is going down.
When the boat is three hundred yards up the beach from the village, the
adventurers hear gunshots coming from the village. A worried Father Jose'
says the peasants have no guns -- it must be the banditos raiding the village!
PCs making a Vision roll see half a dozen figures running away from the
village huts and Mission building.
Simultaneously, automatic gunfire spews out from a sandbagged position west
of the village across the river mouth. PCs making a Vision Roll at -4 determine
that the fire from the sandbagged position is wildly inaccurate, missing
the bandits by a wide margin. The bandits return fire at the position, but
also miss. If the PCs ask Father Jose' who the people in the sandbagged
position are, he replies with undisguised contempt, "Uncle Sam."
If the PCs fire at the banditos. Assess initial range at 300 yards
minus any movement the adventurers make to close the gap. Assess a further
-5 penalty for half darkness. The figures on the beach will return inaccurate
single-shot pistol and rifle fire as they retreat, melting into the jungle
beyond the village clearing ten seconds after the PCs first sight them.
If any banditos are incapacitated by the PC fire, they are dragged away
by their comrades.
What the Banditos Have Done
The villagers slowly emerge from hiding places as the adventurers arrive,
and quickly put out a small fire started in one of the huts. Fortunately,
no one seems to have been hurt, but the main doors of the Mission building
in which Father Jose' serves have been blown apart. In horror, Father Jose'
runs into the Mission. He emerges a few moments later, grabs his hair, and
cries out in Spanish, "Maria! Maria! They have taken her!"
Once he has settled down, he explains that the banditos have kidnapped Maria,
a young village woman who lives with him at the Mission.
Piecing Together What Happened
The adventurers hear several versions of what exactly has just happened.
Learning the villagers' version requires skill in Spanish.
The Villagers' Story
The banditos have been raiding the village for three weeks. No one has seen
them before, and none of the members in the gang are from the local area.
They are led by a tall, strangely dressed gringo with a cold laugh. They
think he is a German.
Fifteen minutes ago, the banditos ran into the village firing into the air.
They were searching for Maria who locked herself in the Mission building
and blocked the door. The gringo leading the banditos used dynamite to blast
the Mission doors open and forced her out of the building at gunpoint. The
banditos started firing into the air again just as the adventurers arrived.
They then took Maria and fled into the jungle. The U.S. Marines across the
river mouth also fired their weapons, but did not try very hard to hit the
banditos.
Maria is a local girl, they say, and the banditos must have taken her because
she is very beautiful. This is a lie: they are keeping a secret about her.
An adventurer with Detect Lies can make a Contest of Skills rolling his
skill against the peasants' average Will of 13. If caught lying, the villagers
answer no more questions.
Father Jose's Story
Father Jose' repeats his belief that the gringo, whom he describes as a
cruel man, is indeed Lord Pimsley. He repeats the same story about Maria
that the villagers tell. His Will rating is 12. If caught lying, he confesses
that Maria is connected to the PPF. Her revolutionary activities were exposed,
and she fled to San Remo to hide from the secret police. He fears that Pimsley
and the banditos will turn her over to the National Government in exchange
for a reward.
He is gravely concerned for Maria's safety. "Please," he cries,
"you must rescue her!" He believes that the banditos are camped
in some small Mayan ruins ten miles up the river; the ruins themselves are
in a jungle clearing 20 yards from the shore. He offers to lend the PCs
the village boat and one village guide. "The river is faster than the
jungle," he says, explaining that the banditos also have a boat and
probably made their escape in it.
The Marines' Story
Three Marines are stationed at the sandbagged Observation Post (OP). They
are Sgt. Colpepper and two privates. Colpepper, with an obvious southern
drawl, does all the talking. He and his men have been dropped here as coast
watchers to keep an eye on guerrilla activity and to inform their commanders
about any fighting. They don't consider the banditos to be a serious problem.
He also claims that their gunfire drove off the banditos. They don't know
who Maria is, but think that all the villagers are Bolshevik sympathizers
who should learn to speak English if they want to get a good job.
They refuse to help rescue Maria or find the banditos. "Not our business,"
says Sgt. Colpepper. "We're observers. Besides, what's one more peasant
girl on this stupid island?"
Allow any adventurers who are genuine American southerners an IQ roll at
-2 (optionally, allow the same roll for PC with Linguistics at -4) to detect
that Colpepper's Southern accent is studied. If confronted by this fact,
Colpepper smiles and says, "Yes, my Yankee stepmother tried to beat
my accent out of me, so I've been trying hard since joining the Corps to
get it back again." Roll any PC's Detect Lies skill vs. Colpepper's
Acting skill of 14 to realize that he is lying. If again confronted by this,
Colpepper orders the adventurers, at gunpoint if necessary, to get off "U.S.
Territory."
The OP. The Marine OP is a well-protected observation post situated
on a hillock overlooking the beach, river mouth, and village, enabling the
Marines to sweep the area with fire. It is 5 yards by 5 yards, and dug 1.5
yards into the sand. The sides are barricaded with sandbags (offering DR
20 protection from gunfire), with a gun port/window on each side. There
is one small entrance facing toward the water. Wooden poles hold up a roof
of wooden planks (DR 8 protection) covered with camouflaged canvas. Stored
inside the OP are three hammocks, 1 pair 10x binoculars, field rations and
camp stove, First-Aid kits, and extra ammunition for the Marines' weapons.
If the OP is assaulted, the Marines use their Browning Automatic Rifle and
Springfield rifles to provide long-range deterrent fire. The Thompson and
grenades are not used unless an enemy comes within 100 yards of the post.
To the Rescue
It is completely dark once the PCs have finished asking questions. They
have two choices if they decide to rescue Maria from the banditos. They
can leave immediately and surprise the banditos in their camp at night,
or they can wait until the morning and then make the trip. Allow an adventurer
with Tactics a roll to realize that a night approach is the preferred action.
In either case, the guide transports the adventurers in the boat to within
500 yards of the Mayan ruins, but no further.
The trip from San Remo village to the Mayan ruins takes 11/2 hours. The
GM can lengthen the trip by having the outboard motor conk out, requiring
a Mechanic (outboard motors) roll at -2 (4 if no tools are available --
the guide has none) and five minutes to get it running again. Once the adventurers
have reached the drop-off point, the guide gives them specific directions
to help them find the ruins. They are welcome to take the boat further upstream
by themselves while the guide waits for their return.
It is vital that Maria not be killed during the rescue attempt. Try to keep
her safe, or else a possible romance becomes a tragedy.
The Bandit Camp
Refer to the combat map below. The bandits
are camped among the old Mayan ruins, a collection of small stone roofed
buildings and large, broken stones. The walls of each stone building are
a solid DR 8, HT 90. None of the buildings have windows, while the doorless
entrances (the gaps in the wall) are covered with blankets.
An old airstrip, left by an archeological expedition, has recently been
cleared by the bandits to be used by their leader's plane, a Grumman FF-1
(Cliffhangers, p.59) without the passenger machine
gun.
The bandits' boat, not shown on the map, is tied up on the river bank to
a tree. It is exactly like the San Remo boat, except that its outboard is
in good working order and pushes 7 yards/second.
Maria is at M [#6, north-west corner]. She is
tied up with strong rope (DR 3, HT 6 to cut). The gringo leader is at P
[#8.a, south-east corner]; he wears a cricket uniform with a swastika
armband.
There is one bandito at each B. [1 walking the guard
route, drawn at the eastern tip of his oval; 1 at the opening to #6, 1 near
the opening of #4, three in #8.a (1 near the opening, two more roughly in
the remaining corners), and one roughly in the center of #8.b.] They
are armed according to the character stats section. Those inside buildings
are assumed to be sleeping at night, and doing chores during the day.
The bandit at MG [not indicated by a B on the map]
is operating the Madsen machine gun (see New Equipment, below).
At night, he is on a large, flat boulder 6' above ground. Sandbags (DR 10)
ring the top of the boulder and provide enough cover for him to hide behind.
During the day, he is at the river bank.
One bandit is guarding the airplane. The circle of arrows outline the perimeter
he walks.
At D [inside #4, along the slanted wall] is a
locked chest (DR 5, HT 10; Lockpicking -4 to open) with 20 sticks of dynamite,
blasting caps, and fuses. The building marked FUEL BARRELS
on the map [#1] holds five drums of fuel for the airplane. Bullets
shot into this room have a 1 in 6 chance of causing an explosion. Throwing
a stick of dynamite or grenade into the building has a 5 in 6 chance. An
explosion completely destroys the building and sends 2d crushing damage
to everyone within 50 yards who is not hiding behind something. For a more
realistic holocaust, assess each barrel as doing 200d damage and refer to
GURPS
High-Tech, pp. 16-17.
Approaching the Camp
The adventurers can raid the camp either at night or during the day.
During the Day
The bandito with the machine gun is posted on the river bank by the boat.
He has a clear shot along the river for 150 yards both up and downstream.
If the PCs in the boat come within his field of vision, he fires a short
warning burst to scare them off. If they persist or return fire, he concentrates
further bursts on the boat in an effort to sink it. Once it is sunk, he
goes after the people in the water. If the PCs return fire and wound him,
or if a sustained fire-fight develops, 1d6 bandito reinforcements arrive
from the camp not far away. The river is from 3 to 8 feet deep.
If the PCs disembark from the boat where the guide leaves them, they can
sneak up on the camp through the jungle. Reaching the edge of the camp clearing
requires a Contest of Skills, pitting each PC's Stealth skill, DX-5 or IQ-5
against the IQ of the bandito walking perimeter around the airplane. If
the bandito wins any of the Contests, he investigates with weapon at the
ready, firing it to alert the other banditos if he's in danger. If he rolls
a critical success, he alerts his friends immediately. If the adventurers
win the Contest, the bandito continues walking guard. Meanwhile, the banditos
inside the buildings are doing odd jobs -- cooking meals, cleaning weapons,
and learning how to write their names -- until alerted or attacked.
If the PCs are discovered or if they attack, the bandito walking perimeter
fires at them without aiming and then flees for cover behind the airplane.
The bandito with the machine gun runs to the camp and reaches the west end
of the clearing in six seconds. He fires immediately at anyone he doesn't
know. At the same time, the alerted bandits, including the uniformed man,
pour out of the buildings with weapons at the ready -- except for the one
guarding Maria who stays put and out of sight. Their tactic is to pin the
PCs down while two bandits and "Pimsley" circle around the adventurers
to attack from behind.
If more than five bandits are downed by gunfire, the Pimsley-dressed man
and the rest flee into the jungle, heading for the boat if that way is not
blocked. They surrender if surrounded or badly wounded. The man answering
Pimsley's description does not talk willingly. Give each PC an IQ roll at
-1 to realize that "Pimsley" is only 5'7". He carries no
identification papers, but does have an English accent. He gives his captors
extremely evil looks.
During the Night
At night, the bandit with the machine gun is posted on the big rock as shown
on the map. If the PCs take the boat to within 500 yards from the ruins,
however, there is a chance that the outboard motor will alert the banditos.
Allow the bandits a Hearing roll at a -2 penalty for every 50 yards distance
between them and the boat. If the roll is successful, the bandito with the
machine gun goes to the bank and acts as in the daylight scenario above.
If the PCs turn off the motor and paddle upstream, they eliminate the chance
of being heard.
Disembarking before they reach the ruins and sneaking through the jungle
can also be done at night, except that the adventurers get a +2 bonus to
their Stealth rolls due to the cover of darkness. Only two bandits are awake:
the one walking perimeter and the machine gunner sitting on top of the rock.
The rest of the gang, and Maria, are asleep.
If the PCs are discovered or attack, the banditos pro-ceed as above but
they will be more confused. Each sleeping bandito takes 1d6-1 seconds to
fully awaken if they are alerted.
All combat to-hit rolls are at -6 due to darkness.
If the Adventurers are Captured
If the fight goes badly for the adventurers, the bandits offer them several
chances to surrender. Surrendering PCs are searched, stripped of their weapons
and equipment, bound, and thrown into the same building as Maria [#6].
Two hours after their capture, Sgt. Colpepper enters their prison!
Refer to the Cliffhanger section below for an explanation. He offers
each PC a chance to join his campaign for glory.
If the PCs find no way of escaping, let a party of PPF guerrillas come to
their rescue before Maria is taken away to the capitol.
The Cliffhanger
If the PCs rescue Maria and/or dispatch the bandits, she insists on their
all returning to the village. When they return, they find the village apparently
deserted. No one is in the huts. The goats and pigs run untended. Suddenly,
Sgt. Colpepper, clutching his tommy-gun, appears in the doorway of the mission
building.
Inside the mission, the villagers are tied up in the main mission room and
covered by the Marine with the Springfield. The Marine with the BAR points
his weapon out a window at the adventurers.
"Father Jose' and the rest are all inside here, and they're safe for
now," Colpepper says with a chuckle. Furthermore, he says it with a
crisp, upper-class English accent!
"May I introduce myself? Lord Benjamin Pimsley, at your service. Now,
drop your weapons and turn Maria over to me or else the villagers all die."
It's a cliffhanger!
Continuing the Adventure
Do the adventurers lay down their arms and turn over Maria, or do they start
a firefight that risks the lives of many villagers? What does Pimsley do
if he captures them? Will they join forces with Pimsley's fascist crusade?
Or will they and Maria be rescued by PPF guerrillas before Pimsley can turn
them in to the national government? If the PCs kill one of the U.S. Marines,
will the Marines be a new Enemy? And finally, if the adventurers survive
the deranged Nazi and his cronies, what about the Mayan ruins? Has anything
of value been overlooked there by the archaeologists?
Only further adventuring will tell...
Special Rules and Equipment
The Madsen LMG
The Madsen 8mm light machine gun was a Danish gun that saw widespread use
around the world during the Cliffhangers era.
For more information, see GURPS
High-Tech, pp. 103 and 110. Stats are as follows. Reliability:
CRIT; damage: 6d+1 SS n/a; ACC 6; 1/2d 1,000; Max 3,900; RoF 6; Rcl -1;
30-round magazine; 22 lbs.; $150 and up.
Small Boats and Gunfire
Combat involving the small Mission boat follows the Vehicle Combat rules
(GURPS Basic Set, p.138). The boat itself carries
no weapons, but it may become a target.
Shooting at the Mission boat. The boat is a flat-bottomed wooden
craft 7 yards long and 2 yards wide. The sides of the hull rise about two
feet from the floor of the craft, allowing passengers to duck behind the
hull for protection. The hull's hard wood provides DR 6 protection; any
shot doing over DR 6 smashes a small hole in the hull.
Someone shooting at the boat can aim for the boat itself (+3 bonus) or for
the passengers (who are probably ducking behind the hull). For every shot
that hits the boat and penetrates the hull, roll 2 dice and consult the
following table.
On a critical hit to a small boat, roll one die. On a result of 1 through
3, the person steering the boat is hit. On a result of 4 through 6, the
outboard motor is crippled.
Sinking. In addition, roll 1d6 for each hole made in the boat:
a 1 or 2 means the bullet hole is near or below the waterline and water
starts to pour into the boat. The boat sinks in 20 seconds minus 1 second
for every hole below the waterline. Holes can be plugged by making a Carpentry
skill roll at -4 and taking five seconds in the attempt to plug the hole.
NPCs
Lord Benjamin Pimsley
6'1", 170 lbs., age 42. Dark hair and features. Normally dresses in
cricket uniform, but encountered here in disguise. 160 pts.
ST 12, DX 12, IQ 14, HT 12
Basic Speed 6; Move 6
Dodge 6; Parry 8 (vs. weaponless attacks)
Advantages: Absolute Direction; Appearance (Handsome, +2/+4); Charisma
+2; Status 2 (member of British aristocracy); Very Wealthy.
Disadvantages: Addiction: cigarettes (-5); Bad Temper; Enemy: British
Intelligence and Scotland Yard (appear 9-); Fanaticism: Fascism; Lecherousness.
Quirks: Always uses cigarette holder; Dislikes cold; Dresses in
cricket uniform; Wears swastika armband.
Skills: Area Knowledge (El Honduragua)-14; Acting-14; Brawling-12;
Demolition/TL6-16; Detect Lies-14; Disguise-16; Fast-Talk-15; First-Aid/TL6-14;
Gambling-13; Guns/TL6 (revolver)- 15; Knife-12; Leadership-14; Driving (car)-11;
Parachuting-13; Piloting/TL6 (small planes)-13; Politics-14; Tactics-14;
Tracking-14.
Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian:
all at 14.
Equipment: Webley .455 revolver and 20 bullets; LE Mk.III rifle
and 4 loaded clips; large knife (Cut 1d, Imp 1d-1); 10x binoculars; maps
of El Honduragua; two U.K. No.36 grenades; first-aid kit; canteen. $1,000
in money belt; $50,000 in international bank accounts. In his Colpepper
disguise, Pimsley carries a Thompson SMG and 10 extra clips; Colt M1911
and two extra clips; 1 U.S. Mk2 Grenade; field kit; canteen.
Background: Lord Pimsley came from a wealthy family, went to the
finest schools, and served with distinction in the RAF and Army Intelligence
during the Great War. After demobilization, he joined the fledgling British
Fascist Party and became involved in a series of dubious political adventures.
Frustrated by his party's lack of electoral success and yearning to draw
attention to the cause, Pimsley sabotaged a railway line in Glasgow, causing
a horrible train wreck. His part in the sabotage was quickly discovered
and he fled the country. Temporarily fallen on hard times, Pimsley has come
to El Honduragua to take advantage of the civil war and carve out his own
fascist empire. His little bandito group is the start of what he envisions
as an army of Central American brownshirts. He's taken the temporary identity
of Colpepper because he suspects bounty hunters are on his trail. Meanwhile,
he plans to fly Maria Allende to the capital to collect a reward from the
national government for her capture.
The Banditos
Various heights, weights, and ages. Dressed in ragged peasant clothing and
stolen army uniforms. 25 pts.
ST 11, DX 10, IQ 10, HT 11
Basic Speed 5.25; Move 5.
Dodge 5; Parry 5.
Skills: Area Knowledge (El Honduragua)-10; Gunner/TL6 (machine
gun)-11; Guns/TL6 (revolver)-11; Shortsword (machete)-10.
Equipment: Three carry .38 revolvers and 30 extra bullets each;
two carry Remington M32 shotguns with 20 extra shells each; two carry Winchester
'94 rifles with 30 extra bullets each; and one carries the Madsen LMG with
three loaded magazines. All carry machetes (CUT 1d + 1,
CR 1d-1).
Background: This is a coarse collection of cutthroats and robbers
who linked up with Pimsley at a seedy bar in a nearby town. They will stay
with him as long as he keeps them in money and adventure. They are too busy
being bad guys to realize that they are not great fighters.
Maria Allende
5'5", 120 lbs., age 27. Dark hair and eyes. Dressed in peasant clothes.
90 pts.
ST 10, DX 12, IQ 13, HT 12 Basic speed 6; Move 6.
Dodge 6; Parry 9 (vs. weaponless attacks).
Advantages: Appearance (Beautiful, +2/ +4); Charisma +1; Patron
(PPF, appears on 12 or less); Strong Will +5.
Disadvantages: Duty (to Revolution, on 15 or less); Enemy (National
Government of El Honduragua, on 12 or less); Impulsiveness.
Quirks: Dresses in red and black (revolutionary colors); Likes
Irving Berlin songs; Dislikes chauvinists; Doesn't drink; Has whirlwind
romances.
Skills: Acting-15; Area Knowledge (El Honduragua)-13; Brawling-14;
Dancing-13; Disguise-13; Driving (car)-12; Fast-Talk-15; First-Aid/TL6-13;
Guns/TL6 (automatic pistol)-12; Knife-12; Politics-13; Powerboat-11; Sex
Appeal-11; Singing-14; Tactics-11.
Languages: English-12; Spanish-13.
Equipment: None during this adventure, since she has been taken
prisoner. Her weapons of choice include dagger, poison (when she can buy
it), and a Luger automatic pistol for work in the countryside.
Background: Maria is a popular cabaret singer and dancer who secretly
supports the Revolution by conducting spy and espionage missions for the
PPF. Recently, her cover was blown and she fled to San Remo Mission to hide
from the National Government secret police. Pimsley discovered her location
by capturing and torturing another PPF agent.
False Lord Pimsley/Georgie Baker
5'7", 170 lbs., age 35. Dark hair, green eyes. 50 pts.
ST 12, DX 11, IQ 12, HT 11
Basic speed 5.5; Move 5.
Dodge 5; Parry 7 (vs. weaponless attacks).
Advantages: Acute Hearing +1; High Pain Threshold.
Disadvantages: Bully; Sadism.
Quirk: Completely loyal to Pimsley.
Skills: Acting-12; Brawling-11; Guns/TL6 (revolver)-13; Survival
(jungle)-11.
Equipment: In his Pimsley disguise: Webley .455 re-volver and 20 bullets;
LE Mk.III rifle and 4 loaded clips; large knife (cut 1d, imp 1d-1); binoculars
10x; maps of El Honduragua; two U.K. No.36 grenades; First aid kit; canteen.
Normally, Baker carries two Webley pistols and 40 bullets.
Background: Baker is a criminal-scum crony of Pimsley's who helped him with
the Glasgow job. He is totally corrupt and evil and has no social life.
Marine Renegade
5'11", 170 lbs., age 20.43 pts.
ST 12, DX 11, IQ 10, HT 11
Basic speed 5.5; Move 5.
Dodge 5; Parry 7 (vs. weaponless attacks).
Advantages: Combat Reflexes
Disadvantages: Duty: Pimsley, almost all the time (15-); Enemy:
PPF, large group, (appears quite rarely, 6-); Reputation: -2 from El Honduraguan
peasants.
Quirks: Look out for No. 1; Can't stand moralizers.
Skills: Brawling-11; First Aid-12; Guns/TL6 (automatic pistol)-13;
Guns/TL6 (Rifle)-15; Knife-14; Survival (Jungle)-10.
Equipment: One Marine has a Springfield M1903 with 10 loaded clips;
the other carries a BAR with 7 loaded clips. Each also carries field kit,
canteen, and 1 U.S. Mk.2 grenade.
Background: These two are really U.S. Marines who were landed at
the OP with the real Sgt. Jeb Colpepper. They're both bad apples, and Pimsley
subverted them with bribes and promises. The unfortunate sergeant and his
three loyal Marines are buried in a shallow grave about 100 yards west of
the OP. Pimsley has their equipment in three footlockers in his camp.
Converting to an Old West Background
This adventure can be used very easily in an Old West campaign, with few
changes. The locale can be changed to a rural Mexican area, fairly near
the U.S. border (Nogales, some 70 miles south of Tucson, works well). The
plot introduction remains essentially the same, once the GM gets the party
into the village. (Thanks to Kelly Grimes for playtesting and commenting
on this version.)
Instead of a fascist, Pimsley was a sympathizer with the Irish separatists
-- he blew up a train, and left Great Britain one step ahead of a manhunt.
His armband can show any peculiar symbol the GM wants to use, perhaps tying
in with other things in the campaign. (If it's after 1865, he may be a Confederate
sympathizer.) He's really not sure what he's doing, now -- being charismatic,
he can make it up as he goes along. Perhaps he has dreams of becoming a
famous outlaw. (A good "red herring" is to lead the PCs to believe
that they are on the trail of some outlaw that they've heard of, such as
Butch Cassidy.)
The Marines become U.S. horse troopers, who crossed the border chasing bandits;
instead of a sergeant, the late Colpepper was a senior lieutenant, but he's
still dead. The renegades' equipment is standard for cavalry troopers.
The banditos are banditos, with appropriate weapons for the period. Instead
of an airplane, they have a stable with eight horses. Instead of fuel barrels,
they have a still; their stock of homemade tequila won't explode, but it
will burn beautifully, igniting the hay in the stable.
Maria is still a revolutionary, perhaps loyal to Pancho Villa.
Converting to a Special Ops Background
In a Special Ops campaign, this adventure can be used two ways. It's possible
that the team is sent into El Honduragua to find and deal with Pimsley --
by bringing him out to stand trial, or just by assassination. But it might
also happen that a few soldiers on R&R would stumble into a messy situation
. . .
There is no reward note. If the soldiers are assigned to find Pimsley, they
get their briefing beforehand -- and this is a covert, deniable operation.
If they stumble into the situation, Father Jose' just sees that they are
soldiers and asks them for help.
The banditos are still banditos. Their base is as described. They are following
Pimsley because he is a convincing talker. The weapons they use should be
at least 20 years behind the times; see Special Ops for appropriate choices
The Marines become American expatriates who are part of the Honduraguan
"special security" force -- a group of foreign mercenaries who
are supposedly loyal to El Presidente and who are used to guard against
an army coup. No U.S. trooper worth his salt would trust these men as far
as he could throw them, but they will represent local law. (The fact that
Colpepper will be an obvious antagonist should make it very surprising when
he turns out to be Pimsley.)
In a historical game, Pimsley becomes a Nazi agent. In a modern game, he
stole military secrets from NATO, and hopes to survive to spend his pay.
And it's suspected that he hasn't yet sold everything he stole, so he may
have Soviet agents after him as well.
Sister Maria isn't a Soviet agent, but she is a revolutionary, and does
have East-Bloc contacts, including a Cuban "advisor." Pimsley
knows she might be useful to him, and hasn't decided how yet.
(Back to Roleplayer
#22 Table of Contents)