[UA] Bailey's Last UA Game

[Bailey Watts]

Out of class and continuing my description.  Keep in mind this scenario was 
made with little prep time as a demo for folks more familiar with mission 
based play.

First signs that something was going to go wrong happened in character 
creation.  First was Rick wanting to have a badass merc, second was Rick and 
Julie's decision to play bounty hunters, third came during the number 
crunching of designing the characters.

Julie thought the system was lacking since it didn't have 
advantages/disadvantages.  Anyway, the creation took a while and we took a 
break for sodas and smokes afterwards so that I could tailor the scenario to 
our specific cast.  Both the players of Kung Fu masters let me know they had 
other commitments later in the day and what time they'd be gone.  I made 
note of those times and set up my stuff.

We started up with some investigation.  Rick got itchy for action but I 
didn't want violence just yet so threw in a car chase prior to getting in 
touch with one of the more reluctant types.  They get their tip and head off 
to Baltimore.

The next fortyfive minutes are them getting involved with the Baltimore OU.  
It was pretty juicy.  Then they went on a wild goose chase for a Hand of 
Glory based on someone misunderstanding what they were looking for.  It was 
about time for the violence to begin and it was also about time for Derrick 
to leave.  We took another break and I told Derrick that I was going to off 
his character in a dramatic way since he was taking off and this was a one 
shot.  While everyone was out I folded up Derrick's chair and put it aside.

When everyone came back someone commented on the missing chair.  Derrick 
volunteered to be the one standing, but he didn't mention his appointment.  
The firefight for the Hand of Glory ensued and Derrick went out in a hail of 
gunfire while the others swiped the hand and took off.  When they found out 
about their mistake they headed back to Hope.

Now they had a Hand of Glory to bargain with.  None of them knew how to use 
it but they knew it was worth something.  About this time Joe was getting 
pressure from his bosses to collect, but he had to keep stringing them 
along.  Much wheeling and dealing ensued with Becky's friends in the occult 
when word got out they had a Hand of Glory that was for sale.

Becky's friendships were strained and Joe's relationship with the family was 
also strained.  This climaxed in the second gunfight timed to coincide with 
Andy leaving.  Like before I called for a break (though this time it was so 
the players could special order UA books for themselves) and removed a chair 
while the room was empty.  Everyone stopped when they saw the missing chair 
this time.  When Andy gave up his seat everyone knew what it meant from the 
first time.

Mob guys showed up to see if there was any sort of collateral they could get 
(like a fleet of motorcycles).  An entopomancer (first adept seen in our 
game) freaked and hit one of the thugs with a minor blast.  Stress checks 
were failed.  Andy and Rick were the only ones to keep their cool.  Julie 
sulked about her character's free will being ripped away and how Champions 
wouldn't have screwed her character like this since Champions is balanced.  
Rick got into it because he finally had a chance to use his "Make you die, 
bitch" obsession skill.  As expected Andy took a bullet for Joe.

Joe had his angst moment about how his involvement with the mob got his 
cousin killed.  Rick seemed to come alive after a bout of "furious action" 
and started trying to console Joe and keep everyone acting sane.  Joe and 
Becky started to do first aid on anyone who seemed like they might be on our 
side.  Rick and Jack both felt like they needed to get the hand for some 
closure.  Joe knew that Jack was marked anyway now.  Becky's character 
wanted to go somewhere else since Hope's occult scene had gotten a lot less 
friendly.  Julie was just going along with the rest of the group and 
complaining.

At this point I pretty much said there were clues leading to lots of places. 
  Wherever they wanted to go I was willing to place the Invisible Hand there 
for them.  Julie complained that I was horribly unprepared and sloppy 
because even I had no idea where the Hand was.  The rest of the group 
shouted her down.

Rick and Joe seized control and said New Mexico.  We entered into a little 
ghost town and found the Invisible Hand in a thriving little roadside 
tourist trap that sold trinkets and curios to people who stopped next door 
for gas.  Rick and Joe figured they'd be followed.  They got the hand and 
secured a reasonably defensible position in the truck stop diner across the 
way.  Rick and Joe started to gear up for a big Way of the Gun style 
shootout.  We break for pizza.

At the pizza place, Rick expresses serious excitement about the game.  Jack 
feels that the complications with the mob should have been the end since 
they pretty much closed his arc.  Becky felt that her moment to shine was 
near the beginning and now her character is wandering about clueless.  Jack 
says that since his character arc is over he'll volunteer to be the one 
standing.  Joe thought that he should give up his seat as a sort of fitting 
atonement for Andy getting offed.  Julie mainly complains that UA isn't 
Champions.  Joe and Rick discuss tactics for the firefight and ask about how 
Julie and Becky can lend help.

I slip back early and remove all furniture from the room.  No chairs for 
players or GM.  No table to roll dice on.  Nothing but the L5R posters on 
the walls.  When the players came back Becky and Rick chuckled about this 
being the big finale and that it was "blaze of glory time."  Julie went off 
on how games have rules to prevent this sort of thing and I have no right to 
just kill off everybody.  She followed up with a string of shouted 
obscenities.  The kids playing Magic stopped to come to our room and see 
what was going on.  We all got kicked out before the finale.


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