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Post by The Handyman on Dec 1, 2009 7:06:34 GMT
I have an idea swimming around in my brain for an adventure involving these elements: - The Doctor (or a PC Time Lord and his Companions) arriving in Chicago on February 15th, 1929, the day after the St. Valentines Day Massacre - Their arrival would be outside of the infamous "Al Capone's Vault" (see, Rivera, Geraldo and "biggest jokes in American television") which is really just a secret storage room for as-yet-unused bottles for illicit booze - A rival bootleg operation being run by a new and mysterious competitor who is making a new kind of "beer" that has all the pleasant effects of alcohol without the unpleasant ones...well, until people who drink too much of it start bursting into flames or melting into puddles of goo... - Those competitors are Slitheen... So now what I need is a plot I have an idea that the Time Lord initially gets mistaken for a fancy East Coast hit man and thus is "hired" by Capone to take out his new rivals...and then when he finds out what's really going on he will want to stop it. But he also has to deal with the general unpleasantness of Capone and his ilk, and the aftermath of the Massacre which could become a gang war..and maybe he gets to meet Eliot Ness too... Allen
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Post by Null and Void on Dec 1, 2009 12:58:30 GMT
Not bad... this brings the TARDIS crew into the picture as something of allies to Capone, even if they don't realize it at first. Perhaps the Slitheen are behind the massacre... to sow chaos and foment gang wars.
My question would be though, what is the larger scale goal of the Slitheen in this? Sure not to poison a few drinkers or take over the mob scene in 1920s Chicago...
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Post by allenshock on Dec 2, 2009 2:42:38 GMT
The Slitheen are all about making money...but yes, there needs to be a larger scale goal, some reason they are engaging in this plan. And that is part of the writer's block I am presently having Allen
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Trevellian
2nd Incarnation
The Sound of Drums
Posts: 30
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Post by Trevellian on Dec 2, 2009 10:41:40 GMT
The Slitheen are all about making money...but yes, there needs to be a larger scale goal, some reason they are engaging in this plan. And that is part of the writer's block I am presently having Allen Hmm... bootlegging does seem a bit small scale for the Slitheen compared to turning the planet into nuclear fuel or crushing it into a huge diamond! I'd see it as being a side-effect of some bigger plan. How about this bunch of Slitheen are stranded on Earth after their ship crashed (perhaps shot down by a Judoon patrol ship?) They are making good progress on repairing most of the damage, but their primary drive was destroyed. Luckily, they have a back-up compression jump drive, but the fuel tank was ruptured and they are having to synthesise more. The ship is currently in a warehouse in downtown Chicago; an illicit brewing operation was the perfect cover for the synthesising process, and had the added bonus of providing money to fund the ship repairs. The Slitheen had been tipping the waste from the fuel synthesis into the Chicago River, but after a small mix-up with barrels the Slitheen found that mixing some of the waste from the fuel synthesis with the beer improved its flavour, increased its addictiveness and resulted in hangover-free beer! There were a few... unfortunate side-effects, but who cares about about a few pathetic human lives when profits can be increased! Besides, almost enough fuel has been synthesised, and the repairs are almost complete. Which is unfortunate for the locals - as the wake from the compression jump drive will level most of Downtown Chicago when the ship takes off... Potential Clues- The Slitheen ship crashed into Lake Michigan during the night a few weeks ago; it then managed to limp up the Chicago river, and the Slitheen found a tunnel linking to a downtown warehouse being used for a small-time bootlegging operation. They quickly dealt with the current occupants, turning them into skin suits. The ship was thought to have been a meteor, and was recorded by local astronomers and warranted a few newspaper articles that might be uncovered. Also, there's that crazy homeless person who keeps rambling about the monster he saw making its way up the river that night... - With Capone's help, the PCs can find one of the speakeasies using the rival beer, or maybe interrupt a delivery in progress. Perhaps a firefight ensues, and one of the barrels is struck by gunfire - surely beer barrels shouldn't explode like that, and the green flames are most unusual... - If a more obvious clue is needed, perhaps the Slitheen's vanity has shown through in their labelling - the beer is caled "Rex Corico's Infallible Glorious" - Once the PCs obtain a sample of the beer and analyse it, they will find the strange additive and can identify it as a toxic byproduct from production of Brosnian-P, a very rough and inefficient fuel usable in compression jump drives but banned by most civilisations due to its unstable nature and nasty byproducts. Neither the drive nor the fuel is used much any more, though CJDs are sometimes found as emergency backup systems on some craft. They may also recall a list of species which have used that technology, which includes the Raxacoricofallapatorians, or identify material needed for its synthesis and track purchases of it to find the warehouse. - The Slitheen in this period are still using the old-style skin suits with gas problems. Inside the brewery this isn't a problem - the smell and noise from the brewing and synthesisation process masks the gas exhaust. However, one Slitheen has also taken the form of the beat cop responsible for the area the warehouse is in to keep attention off the location - that policeman definitely needs to lay off the beans. If the PCs find the warehouse area from the ground (perhaps tracking back deliveries) he will try to run them off. They may also encounter him if they try to ally with the local authorities or Elliot Ness. - There has been a drop in fish numbers in the river due to the Slitheen dumping waste into it; perhaps there are even some wild tales of a fisherman reeling in a catch that then exploded on the line. If players have identified the additive, they may be able to follow its trace in the river back to the smuggler's tunnel. - The fish and the policeman clues could cross. Whilst investigating the area, the PCs feel peckish. Nearby is a Fish & Chip shop. Inside, the Slitheen Police Officer is getting some fish and chips; the owner goes to put vinegar on the chips and the Slitheen freaks out. The owner is confused as the officer is a regular and always has lots of vinegar. Thankfully a distraction allows the Policeman to make a hasty exit as a fish is thrown into the frier and promptly explodes in a spout of green flame. - Once inside the warehouse, the PCs can find barrels of waste down by the river entrance, and easily locate the brewing operation. Some of the equipment seems odd though - following the pipes will lead them to the Slitheen vessel. Examination of it will quickly reveal the CJD and the consequences of its activation. Possible Complications- Elliot Ness and his agents are investigating the warehouse as well, and apprehend the PCs before they discover the ship (so they know something's going on in there, but perhaps not what exactly). The PCs match the description of hitmen working for Capone. The PCs must convince them that they are on Ness' side. Depending on how quickly the PCs have reached this point, Ness may not want to raid the warehouse immediately - he wants to track these guys back to Capone and snare the big boss. Alternatively, if the PCs reach the warehouse later in the adventure, they have probably encountered the Slitheen police officer - he is among the police backup Ness has on hand and IDs the PCs as Capone's men. If the PCs can expose the officer as a Slitheen, Ness will be shocked but will help them raid the warehouse. - The Judoon have tracked the Slitheen vessel to Chicago and decide to apprehend the fugitives themselves. An amusing turn may be that they ally with Elliot Ness - a very different gang of Untouchables! The whole thing probably ends in a warehouse showdown between the Slitheen Bootleggers on one side and any or all of Al Capone's gangsters, Elliot Ness's Agents, The Judoon and the PCs on the other (if the PCs are captured investigating the warehouse, one party or the other could have been following them and attack, giving the PCs the opportunity to take care of the spaceship. The whole thing is set to blow, either because the Slitheen try to launch of the ship to escape, vital cooling systems are damaged in the crossfire, or the PCs deliberately sabotage the vessel in order to stop it launching, causing it to explode. The PCs will need to do some emergency technical jiggery-pokery to limit the blast to just destroying the building (channelling the compression wave back into the ships' systems or somesuch, or perhaps hooking the brewing pipes into the fuel line, mixing beer in with the Brosnian-P and turning it into a less potent explosive) - everyone flees the building, resulting in a nice slow-mo leap as it explodes behind them, eliminating warehouse, the brewing operation, the ship and the Slitheen.
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Post by allenshock on Dec 2, 2009 12:08:09 GMT
That is flat-out awesome. With your permission, I will use your idea. And, since I plan to write this up and make it available to the folks here (as soon as my game arrives), if you'll e-mail me I will make sure you receive due credit!
Allen
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Post by doctorflea on Dec 2, 2009 12:53:25 GMT
Wow, Trev! A karma point for your brilliance ;D (However, my in-depth research - ie I looked on Wikipedia - reckons that the British delicacy of fish 'n' chips wasn't introduced to America until the 1960s - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Treacher%27s . I could, very possibly be wrong though!)
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Trevellian
2nd Incarnation
The Sound of Drums
Posts: 30
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Post by Trevellian on Dec 2, 2009 13:11:02 GMT
That is flat-out awesome. With your permission, I will use your idea. And, since I plan to write this up and make it available to the folks here (as soon as my game arrives), if you'll e-mail me I will make sure you receive due credit! Allen Thank you - and of course, feel free to use as much/little as you like!
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Trevellian
2nd Incarnation
The Sound of Drums
Posts: 30
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Post by Trevellian on Dec 2, 2009 13:12:53 GMT
Wow, Trev! A karma point for your brilliance ;D (However, my in-depth research - ie I looked on Wikipedia - reckons that the British delicacy of fish 'n' chips wasn't introduced to America until the 1960s - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Treacher%27s . I could, very possibly be wrong though!) Curses, foiled by historical fact checking! Okay, let's replace that with a fisherman on the riverside who offers him a pickled onion or egg ;-) Perhaps he could also mention in passing that the fish don't seem to be biting so much of late, and those that he is catching seem like they're ailing...
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Post by doctorflea on Dec 2, 2009 13:15:03 GMT
Wow, Trev! A karma point for your brilliance ;D (However, my in-depth research - ie I looked on Wikipedia - reckons that the British delicacy of fish 'n' chips wasn't introduced to America until the 1960s - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Treacher%27s . I could, very possibly be wrong though!) Curses, foiled by historical fact checking! Okay, let's replace that with a fisherman on the riverside who offers him a pickled onion or egg ;-) Sorry about that I feel really churlish for pointing it out. I only checked because I didn't realise fish and chips were popular anywhere else here but in Blighty!
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Post by kaemaril on Dec 2, 2009 13:28:01 GMT
Curses, foiled by historical fact checking! Okay, let's replace that with a fisherman on the riverside who offers him a pickled onion or egg ;-) Sorry about that I feel really churlish for pointing it out. I only checked because I didn't realise fish and chips were popular anywhere else here but in Blighty! Oh, I dunno, Fish and chips goes way back. I don't think it unreasonable that maybe an immigrant from Britain or Ireland might have set up a small shop somewhere ... perhaps its plaice* in history was overlooked as it went bust (this is the depression, after all) or never really took off ... * Sorry
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Post by Corone on Dec 2, 2009 13:57:50 GMT
Sorry about that I feel really churlish for pointing it out. I only checked because I didn't realise fish and chips were popular anywhere else here but in Blighty! Oh, I dunno, Fish and chips goes way back. I don't think it unreasonable that maybe an immigrant from Britain or Ireland might have set up a small shop somewhere ... perhaps its plaice* in history was overlooked as it went bust (this is the depression, after all) or never really took off ... * Sorry Interestingly, the first fish and chip shop opened in Britain several years after we had our first curry house.
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Post by Null and Void on Dec 2, 2009 15:02:53 GMT
There were a lot of immigrants in Chicago during that era, so an attempt at opening a Fish and Chips shop isn't outside the realm of possibility... ESPECIALLY if it fails due to the lack of Fish.
Slightly more problematic is the fact that river fish would be unlikely as a source of fish for the shop... Chicago is right on the shore of Lake Michigan, and that would be harder to drop the fish population of.
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Trevellian
2nd Incarnation
The Sound of Drums
Posts: 30
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Post by Trevellian on Dec 2, 2009 15:35:32 GMT
There were a lot of immigrants in Chicago during that era, so an attempt at opening a Fish and Chips shop isn't outside the realm of possibility... ESPECIALLY if it fails due to the lack of Fish. Slightly more problematic is the fact that river fish would be unlikely as a source of fish for the shop... Chicago is right on the shore of Lake Michigan, and that would be harder to drop the fish population of. Good point - another reason that a fisherman by the river might work better!
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Post by kaemaril on Dec 2, 2009 15:48:41 GMT
There were a lot of immigrants in Chicago during that era, so an attempt at opening a Fish and Chips shop isn't outside the realm of possibility... ESPECIALLY if it fails due to the lack of Fish. Slightly more problematic is the fact that river fish would be unlikely as a source of fish for the shop... Chicago is right on the shore of Lake Michigan, and that would be harder to drop the fish population of. Good point - another reason that a fisherman by the river might work better! Why not leave the ship crashed in the lake? It could be poisoning the entire city Also, that would mean the Slitheen would need to shuttle to/from, leading to more interesting stories of the Docks being 'haunted' by monsters, more disappearances, etc. Maybe, from time to time, eerie lights can be seen across the lake ...
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Post by allenshock on Dec 2, 2009 17:44:02 GMT
Sorry about that I feel really churlish for pointing it out. I only checked because I didn't realise fish and chips were popular anywhere else here but in Blighty! Oh, I dunno, Fish and chips goes way back. I don't think it unreasonable that maybe an immigrant from Britain or Ireland might have set up a small shop somewhere ... perhaps its plaice* in history was overlooked as it went bust (this is the depression, after all) or never really took off ... * Sorry Right on the cusp of the Depression actually...the scenario starts in February 1929 and the stock market crashed in October...but close enough. Could also be a diner of some kind, Chicago had plenty of those Allen
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Post by kaemaril on Dec 2, 2009 19:07:34 GMT
Right on the cusp of the Depression actually...the scenario starts in February 1929 and the stock market crashed in October...but close enough. Sounds like a good opportunity to insert some of the 'I know what's coming' banter that crops up from time to time that enables timelords to show off a bit PC : I didn't even know they had chip shops in America ... Timelord : Officially they didn't, not 'til the sixties. PC : Uh ... this is a fish shop. Timelord : True, but history really never noticed. PC : Why not? Timelord : Dunno. Probably went bankrupt in the great Depression that starts in six months or so. Shame really - I didn't think much of the fish, but the chips were to die for ...
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Post by allenshock on Dec 2, 2009 20:14:20 GMT
Right on the cusp of the Depression actually...the scenario starts in February 1929 and the stock market crashed in October...but close enough. Sounds like a good opportunity to insert some of the 'I know what's coming' banter that crops up from time to time that enables timelords to show off a bit PC : I didn't even know they had chip shops in America ... Timelord : Officially they didn't, not 'til the sixties. PC : Uh ... this is a fish shop. Timelord : True, but history really never noticed. PC : Why not? Timelord : Dunno. Probably went bankrupt in the great Depression that starts in six months or so. Shame really - I didn't think much of the fish, but the chips were to die for ... LOL! I saw the Ninth Doctor and Rose having that exchange as I read it...great Allen
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Post by allenshock on Dec 25, 2009 6:28:03 GMT
I finally got the rough plot for this written down...now to put a bit of polish on it but first, I must do writeups for the NPC's. This will of course get posted here as soon as it is in a presentable state Allen
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Jason_WPGL
2nd Incarnation
Lord of CthuWho
Live Full, Die Empty
Posts: 152
Favourite Doctors: 2, 4, 6, 8, War, 11, 12
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Post by Jason_WPGL on Dec 25, 2009 16:16:35 GMT
I'm looking forward to seeing what you have putting together Allen...sounds good.
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Post by JohnK on Dec 25, 2009 17:15:47 GMT
Hullo, Allen, I finally got the rough plot for this written down...now to put a bit of polish on it but first, I must do writeups for the NPC's. This will of course get posted here as soon as it is in a presentable state Oh, yes!! I am so looking forward to seeing the scenario when you're done with it. Hopefully, at some point perhaps a PDF of it?
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Post by allenshock on Dec 25, 2009 17:31:09 GMT
It won't be a pretty PDF but yes, I can do that. Right now I want to get the NPC's done, then I'm going to be rewriting it into a format similar to the one used for the adventures in the game...right now it's a bit too "linear", so I want to fix that a bit.
Allen
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Post by allenshock on Dec 25, 2009 18:05:14 GMT
if I have it figured correctly, the adventure will consist of 10 Scenes and a Conclusion, thus making it somewhat longer than Arrowdown.
As of right now, it won't have any maps or the like in it, as I am completely untalented in that area.
Allen
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Post by JohnK on Dec 25, 2009 21:13:19 GMT
Hullo, Allen, It won't be a pretty PDF but yes, I can do that. Right now I want to get the NPC's done, then I'm going to be rewriting it into a format similar to the one used for the adventures in the game...right now it's a bit too "linear", so I want to fix that a bit. Allen Hey, we're not expecting miracles from you, mate, just want a DW: AiTaS scenario that's not one from the book! And the concept sounds terrific. Expect huge amounts of karma when you finally do post it up somewhere!
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Post by JohnK on Dec 25, 2009 21:14:32 GMT
Hullo, Allen, if I have it figured correctly, the adventure will consist of 10 Scenes and a Conclusion, thus making it somewhat longer than Arrowdown. As of right now, it won't have any maps or the like in it, as I am completely untalented in that area. 10 Scenes and a Conclusion? How long do you envision the scenario running? A four-hour length or so?
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Jason_WPGL
2nd Incarnation
Lord of CthuWho
Live Full, Die Empty
Posts: 152
Favourite Doctors: 2, 4, 6, 8, War, 11, 12
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Post by Jason_WPGL on Dec 25, 2009 23:44:10 GMT
I am sure there is someone here on the forum who is talented at make a beautiful PDF and perhaps even the necessary maps. That way it can be a top-notch fan release all the way through and through.
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Post by mhopcroft on Dec 26, 2009 22:48:33 GMT
I'm reminded of a seed idea I never formed in which the Doctor finds himself joining forces with a gangster against something alien. I was thinking a creature in Lake Erie that is interfering with the gangster's smuggling Canadian liquor into the US. (IIRC, the Canadians viewed Prohibition as rather silly and only paid lip service to cooperating with its enforcement).
What stands out in my mind is a scene where the two men play pool and the Doctor wins handily. "If you can do quantum mechanics in your head, billiards is easy. Ever tried snooker?"
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Post by allenshock on Dec 27, 2009 1:20:22 GMT
Hullo, Allen, if I have it figured correctly, the adventure will consist of 10 Scenes and a Conclusion, thus making it somewhat longer than Arrowdown. As of right now, it won't have any maps or the like in it, as I am completely untalented in that area. 10 Scenes and a Conclusion? How long do you envision the scenario running? A four-hour length or so? I wouldn't be surprised if it takes two sessions to complete, depending on the efficiency of the group in question. It's quite possible that with a decent editor, it could be tightened up a bit That's why what I am working on will be solely a first draft, hopefully to be polished further. Allen
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Post by JohnK on Dec 27, 2009 3:25:57 GMT
Hullo, Allen, Hullo, Allen, 10 Scenes and a Conclusion? How long do you envision the scenario running? A four-hour length or so? I wouldn't be surprised if it takes two sessions to complete, depending on the efficiency of the group in question. That sounds pretty good to me, since I'm going to run adventures for the DW: AiTaS rpg more along the lines of the Classic Who serials. 2-session or longer adventures will be welcomed by me. It's quite possible that with a decent editor, it could be tightened up a bit That's why what I am working on will be solely a first draft, hopefully to be polished further. Well, if you ever find yourself in need of someone to check it out and/or edit it, and any other adventures that you write, please consider me for the task.
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Post by allenshock on Dec 28, 2009 1:17:14 GMT
I must turn to you all for some help again I need the names for six Slitheen (let's make two of them female). One of them will be posing as a cop, the others are the "bosses" and their "molls". The cop has a name (Seamus), the others do not as of yet. I may have a rough version of this up tonight if I can get over this naming hurdle Allen
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Post by kaemaril on Dec 28, 2009 1:48:01 GMT
I need the names for six Slitheen (let's make two of them female). Assuming the Slitheen in question are a family sub-unit, as they often are (and a 'family' sounds right for the mob anyway ), here's some ... Female: Pel Del Sotch Grelketh-Slok Slitheen Sej Del Sotch Grelketh-Slok Slitheen Male: Glefeg Del Sotch Grelketh-Slok Slitheen Magko Del Sotch Grelketh-Slok Slitheen Yolda Del Sotch Grelketh-Slok Slitheen Semath Del Sotch Grelketh-Slok Slitheen Sorta thing you were after?
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