I
consider running a “modern” rpg one of the genres I have the
least experience in running in any satisfactory manner. I'm not even
sure if I have a good grasp of reliable adventure design elements to
ensure staying on genre “point” while handling this new type of
setting. I created Fear & Loathing USR in an attempt to
improve my modern role playing game mastering skills. Modern in this
case means gonzo journalism an politics in early seventies America.
With
your appropriately brief USR custom rules set and my initial untested
adventure module Fear & Loathing in Fat City,
two great gamers sat around the virtual table top with me and we
gamed an insightful and rewarding session around tricky subject
matter and highly improvisational plot hooks.
Peter
arrived first and had a Fascist, an office worker and amateur boxer
from Denver named Abel Peachy. His car broke down on the way to Fat
City so he hitched a ride with Carol Ross, local celebrity athlete
coming out of hiding to perform a controversial ascent up Capitol
Peak. She wants to stop at her father's newspaper office to pick up
some media tickets. She thinks it would be fun to come see Abel
Peachy's performance at the Celebrity Fight Night. Maybe even find
time to grab a drink at the Rank Elk before going in to the venue.
Peachy
is frantically trying to figure out how he is going to fit in getting
a drink with this delightful angel before he has to suit up for his
fight when Carol lets out a hysterical scream. She has come across
the body of James “Jim” Bishop, the young managing editor of the
Fat City Juggernaut. He is lying out on the floor near a desk, his head stove in
and bloody. The weapon, an editorial award Jim won back as an intern
in college, is on the floor near the body stained with hair and
blood.
With
a call to the sheriff it isn't long before Peachy realizes he won't
be making his fight and he won't be making any money for tonight's
efforts. Around midnight he
is finally released from questioning. Nothing left to do Peachy walks
into the Rank Elk Inn and heads to the bar to watch TV and get a
beer. Some slick looking
hombre pesters Peachy with many questions on what was going on with
the police over at the Juggernaut office and offered Peachy a ride so
he could, obviously, keep on wheedling him for information. Peachy
told him what he knew and the slick guy seemed satisfied and he let
him out at his hotel.
The
next morning Peachy was back at the Rank Elk trying to choke down
breakfast and trying to think of what to do next when Bret the Hippie
Snowboard dude comes on in and asks what is uuuuuuuup! Our second PC of the night has arrived!
(to be continued...)
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Lay it on the Line