Here's the set up and background for the Hot War mini-campaign I ran. This was co-created with my players (Graham, Elaine, Neil and Stuart).
Style: Open
Tone: A very British Catastrophe with a post apocalyptic feel and wombles.
What are the characters doing?
Tone: A very British Catastrophe with a post apocalyptic feel and wombles.
What are the characters doing?
Spy hunting and looking for terrorists or inflitrators, very much focused on the enemy within. This involves getting involved with the black market and the scavengers that live in the city and old open spaces.
Who are the antagonists?
Who are the antagonists?
- Soviet Deep Agents - moles like Philby and Burgess.
- Conspiracy theorists who have infiltrated the government to try and find out the truth, but are nothing but trouble.
- Twisted horrors with slime and tentacles that suck out people's brains.
- Things in the smog?
- The local undertaker, Mortimer Todd, who outwardly polite and reliable, inwardly on the make.
- Well meaning reserve forces with guns who really shouldn't.
- Dr Christchurch, a veteran Doctor with haunted eyes who has seen it all.
- Mrs Bloomer - a widowed local "washer-woman" who gets by helping everyone out and just happens to have a very deep cellar.
- The billboard man who walks the streets with a sign 'The End is Now', berating people that he warned them, but they never listened...
Photographic Images.
A derelict power station looms in the background with a small boy – 3 to 4 years old, dressed in shorts and a tank top, grubby with ruffled hair - running in the foreground with a concerned or scared face. His hand is raised as if holding a balloon or kite, but you can't see what as it is off the edge of the screen. In the mist in the background a figure stands watching. [Graham]
It's night time, and 3 to 4 people are standing and watching a large house standing on its own burn furiously, blotting out the stars. It's obviously beyond saving. You can't tell who the people are as they are wearing large coats and hats. [Stuart]
A group of 5 men are standing closely around a brazier in the foundations of a ruined house warming their hands against the frost. The trees around are bare of leaves. One of the men is looking up to the sky and tapping the shoulder of a second who is facing him. The other three haven't noticed. With their hats and coats on, you can't recognise the rest. [Elaine]
It's raining so hard you can't see clearly, but the garage under the railway arches is close enough that you can make out the boxes within, along with their government property labels. Two figures in hats, with coat collars turned up against the rain, are talking to a third who is inside the garage and somehow doesn't look quite right. [Neil]
A Vulcan Bomber trails flame and smoke as it falls from a rent in the sky above. [Dom]
Planned Game Length; 2-3 sessions
CHARACTERS
Carlyle Gregory Burgess
A derelict power station looms in the background with a small boy – 3 to 4 years old, dressed in shorts and a tank top, grubby with ruffled hair - running in the foreground with a concerned or scared face. His hand is raised as if holding a balloon or kite, but you can't see what as it is off the edge of the screen. In the mist in the background a figure stands watching. [Graham]
It's night time, and 3 to 4 people are standing and watching a large house standing on its own burn furiously, blotting out the stars. It's obviously beyond saving. You can't tell who the people are as they are wearing large coats and hats. [Stuart]
A group of 5 men are standing closely around a brazier in the foundations of a ruined house warming their hands against the frost. The trees around are bare of leaves. One of the men is looking up to the sky and tapping the shoulder of a second who is facing him. The other three haven't noticed. With their hats and coats on, you can't recognise the rest. [Elaine]
It's raining so hard you can't see clearly, but the garage under the railway arches is close enough that you can make out the boxes within, along with their government property labels. Two figures in hats, with coat collars turned up against the rain, are talking to a third who is inside the garage and somehow doesn't look quite right. [Neil]
A Vulcan Bomber trails flame and smoke as it falls from a rent in the sky above. [Dom]
Planned Game Length; 2-3 sessions
CHARACTERS
Carlyle Gregory Burgess
Well-spoken and as well-dressed as possible under the circumstances (think Terry Thomas), leaning on a cane in his left hand. Dark, slick hair. Trim moustache. Trilby hat.Faction - MI5Action 2, Influence 3, Insight 3TraitsSpeaks BBC English, the Voice of lost culture (+)Feigned limp appears a sign of weakness (+)No compunctions about killing people(+)Slick-tongued but cynical (-)No-one else will look after me (-)Somewhat Impulsive (+)Factional agenda: There are lots of well-connected deep Soviet agents out there. Find them! (9)Personal agenda: Find the family fortune - it's not in the bank vault! (5)Relationships:Charles St. John Bryan: former Cambridge college room-mate - "I owe him for the tip-off, but I'm worried that he could just be a Soviet mole, all that appreciation of the Russian State Opera..." (+2)Tobermory Jones: One of the "little people" (-1)MI5: I trust nobody completely, but I distrust my controller the least. (+2)Josie: We both know the importance of appearances (+2)Mortimer Tod, the Undertaker: We know where we stand with each other: I trust him as long as I can see his hands (-2)Experience scene: shortly after Cambridge suffered serious damage from a near miss by a shadow weapon (war fact) Carlyle Burgess was in the study of his tutor, Sir Christopher Miles, senior fellow of Jesus College, who, thinking Carlyle was a potential Soviet sympathiser clearly stated that he could offer Carlyle protection in the current conflict. Furious at the implications of this statement Carlyle attacked the man with his sword cane, only to be physically ejected from the study by the more able opponent, bruised and battered. Both men left Cambridge shortly afterwards without seeing each other. This conflict opened the door to Carlyle's MI5 recruitment. Arguably, a second war fact is established here - Miles is a Soviet Sympathiser.
Tobermory Jones.
Factory Worker. Perhaps a Soviet sympethiser? Looks exactly like Dick Van Dyke's character from Mary poppins. but with a Stirling sub machine gun. Evidence on Soviet Infiltration that has got him recruited into the SSG.Faction - Trade Unionist,Action 4, Influence 3, Insight 1TraitsGun play (+)Keep the Red Flag flying here (Insider Soviet intelligence) (+)Loveable rogue with a place in the heart of the people (+)A cheerful optimist who is often surprised (+)Unlucky in love (ladies who have telekinesis) (-)Gullible and eminently hoodwinkable (-)Factional Agenda - Root out the Red Menace who are unleashing the monsters in our midst. (5)Personal Agenda - Help the orphans get shelter and protection. (9)Relationships:Mary Scroggins - London borough Child Protection League 3(+)Trade Union - harvesters of doom purvaeyors of despair keepers of secrets. The red devils flow like ants fro their myriad chambers in the dark factory valleys of London 1(-)Mrs Bloomer - I never got my pants back 1(-)Jonathan Fly - ratcatcher collector of children. Glue factory. 2(-)Carlyle Burgess - He's a toff, but anyone who wears a handkerchief like that is all right! (tugs forelock) 1(+)Experience Scene: Tobermory returned to the Jelly Baby factory after the shadow bombs fell, seeking three of the lost kids he knew had last been seen in the area. As he entered the factory, even though it was broad daylight, the site remained as if it was the cold depths of night. Groping his way around, he soon found the kids who were too scared to move. He tried to draw them out of the darkness, which pulsated, hungrily. [Two of the other characters took dice off the antagonist at this point because Tobermory was being a hero!] When the kids couldn't be persuaded, he somehow managed to grab them all and pull them from the factory just before the shadows pulsed one final time, and disappeared, leaving nothing loose behind. As a result, he has a reputation with the locals that he's a bit dodgy, but his heart is in the right place. War Fact - The Soviets used twisted shadow bomb technology on industrial sites in London.
James O'Brien
Former Royal Marine. Squat, red haired, gruff, the proverbial "brick shithouse". Demolitions expert who saw a little too much during the war. This has left him slightly cold and detached. He hates sleeping without some form of light on and a weapon on hand.Faction - NavyAction 4, Influence 2, Insight 2TraitsHard as nails +Hatred of all "horrors" -Knows how to take orders and execute them +Distrusting of those in authority -Need it blowing up, O'Brien's yer man +Overwhelming odds don't cause fear (+)Factional Agenda: Weaken the Army's hold on the city. Blow as much of their stuff up as possible but make it look like it was terrorists. (3)Personal Agenda: Find out who's behind the black market in London and if the "stories" are true. (9)Relationships:Carlyle Burgess 2(-) An authority figureBlack Market Thugs 2(-) Do they realise who they are working for?Staff Sgt Henry Williams 3(+) Never one to leave a man behindLilly St. John 1(+) A welcoming smile on a cold nightExperience Scene: Tasked with destroying a Soviet forward position on the Thames by his Navy commanders, O'Brien's unit find that the Soviet forces were much better dug in and in greater numbers than they had been told. However, O'Brien managed to inspire his unit forward to defeat the enemy. War Fact: Navy Intelligence is an oxymoron, the ones in charge knew less than they claimed.
Josephine (Josie) Miller
Former assistant to one of the Professor's scientific teams at BERB. Often has bad dreams about what went on at Porton Down. Smarter than she was given credit for in her BERB role, she has now distanced herself from the team but has useful inside knowledge from when she was there. Slight stature, as smartly dressed as can be under the circumstances. Was away from Porton Down during Yellow Sun - assisting a small team who were carrying out experimental chemical explosive tests on the Devon moors.Faction - BERBAction 2, Influence 3, Insight 3TraitsTentative contacts from Porton Down days (+)Charming/sweet talking (+L)Insider science knowledge (+)Not trusted by people when they find out where I used to work (-)Bad dreams (-)Truth seeker (+)Faction agenda: Seek information on what the Porton Down team survivors are working on. (5) XRelationships:My father - "I heard from him shortly after I moved to London. I made sure he moved to a vigilant neighbourhood area. I don't see him as often as I'd like, but at least I know he's safe for now." 1 (+)Dr Christchurch - "I'm worried that working at Porton Down may have contaminated me in some way, but I don't know how to ask the doctor." 1 (+)SSG - "They need a scientist like me." 2 (+)BERB - "They're going to notice if I sniff around too much; I've got to be careful who I talk to, and where." 1 (-)Carlyle Burgess - "Appearance counts. People respect you more if you appear charming and presentable." 2 (+)The billboard man - "He knows where I worked and thinks I'm a gross sinner. I hope he doesn't turn violent." 2 (-)Experience scene: After she returned to London, Josie made contact with a member of BERB who had also survived, who she met a couple of blocks from Down Street. She wasn't certain if someone was following them, but wanted to try and find out more about what was still going on in BERB, so started sweet talking them. [Influence conflict]. She soon found out that they weren't happy about what BERB was trying to do now, and developed an ongoing contact. War Fact: There are people inside BERB who do not agree with the direction that it took after Porton Down was destroyed.
18 January 2025
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