Here is a battle report of our latest 'Astounding Pulp Adventures!' session. Click the links below for previous months' battle reports.
September: Showdown in Motor City TMP link
August: Boneyard Blues TMP link
July: Chichen Congo-Jungle of Terror TMP link
June: Devastation in Berlin TMP link
The Bowery Boys (a tough and mischievious, but ultimately good-hearted group of hooligans) are approached by the now grown-up "Brainy," formerly a resident of their neighborhood. It seems that Brainy had gotten a job as a government scientest, and helped develop secret plans for rocket suits. Much to his regret, Brainy had traded these plans to foreign agents in exchange for a peck on the cheek from a Canadian strumpet. Now the feds were after him over the missing plans. In desperation he returned to his old neighborhood. The gang had decided that having a former resident tried for treason might tarnish their neighborhood "rep," and kind of felt guilty about having stuffed Brainy into his school locker as a kid, so using funding provided by a serendipidous source, fly off to Tunisia in order to regain the plans for him…
Tunisia is a French colony, policed by the Foreign Legion. The group of middle-eastern gentlemen who had originally obtained the plans had been waylayed in Tunisia by a mystical cult of Beduin Tauregs, who had taken the briefcase as a shiny piece of swag, not knowing its true value. These same Tauregs, were more preoccupied with summoning eldritch forces to aid them the overthrowing French domination. The French Foreign Legionnaires, of course, wanted to eliminate the Tauregs, and to gather whatever resources which might aid the Vichy-Fascist French homeland throw the Kaiser's forces out of Paris….
Finally, we come to the final faction. Perhaps the eldrich rituals being performed had initiated unknown repercussions. Perhaps a 200 year old curse had finally come to fruition. There might have been an evil pact where a whimsical 18th Century captain had traded the souls of his crew to Nyarlethotep in exchange for immortality. In actuality, Carlos is a cool guy, and totally new to wargaming. He had just finished painting the very first minatures that he had ever purchased, so the "Director" agreed to include them in the story. After all, what pulp game scenario cannot benefit from the addition of Zombie Pirates? The Black Crew were a wildcard in the scenario, seeking to steal objects of mythical power and consume the flesh of the living.
The stage was now set. French Foreign Legion versus Beduin Tauregs, versus Bowery Boys, versus Pirate Zombies. All taking place on a 4' x 6' dessert terrain board filled with sand dunes, a few North African buildings, and a Cave of Doom containing two mummies attempting to summon a 'servitor of the outer gods.'
The Bowery Boys ended up following the wrong set of clues, managed to sniff out the occult cave of doom, beat the snot out of some camel riders, and entangled themselves in a hellacious tussle with undead brigands, but never even laid eyes on the briefcase containing secret rocket suit plans. The Zombie Pirates were ultimately prevented from obtaining the altar of summoning, primarily due to the misguided actions of the Bowery Boys. The Black Crew were, however, successful in bagging a magic carpet, in addition to feasting upon their fair share of Taureg flesh. The French Foreign Legion killed the Tauregs in droves, taking only moderate casulties themselves. In addition, one of their squads (led by a disreputable, drunken cuss) discovered the briefcase and snuck off with it. After sustaining the majority of French casualties, and then losing half of his remaining forces to looting, the arrogant French Corporal decided not press the attack against the cave of doom.
Will the Bowery Boys continue after the renegade Legionaires in order to regain the secret plans? Will the Renegade Legion turn over the plans to the Vichy-Fascist French, sell the plans to the highest bidder, or use the plans to become mercenary rocketeers themselves? The Tauregs (who were played as Director-controlled neutrals) sustained heavy losses, but their powerbase (the cave of doom) was left intact. They certainly will remain a threat to French domination in Tunisia. Finally, what shall become of the Zombie Pirates? Can the Director come up with a coherent enough plotline to include them in future scenarios? Stay tuned to next month's exciting episode to find out…(unless we pick up a different storyline)…
incrementally grows his Volcano Dwarf army.
