Solo All-Out Apocalypse Session 2
It's been ages since I ran session 1 of this game, so I'm going to do my best to pick up where I left off. I may forget a few things. To begin with I cannot remember how many dice were in the Tension Pool, if any. Oh well!
Also, regarding notation: As in the last report, I'll note any dice rolls in square brackets. I'm not super consistent with this but generally speaking if I'm rolling a test for a character or multiple characters at once, I'll just note how many successes they have.
[1 success] for one character, or [1, 0, 3 successes] for multiple characters.
If I'm rolling on a table instead of doing a test, I'll list the actual dice results.
[5: no random encounter], for instance.
On to the game!
So the characters are confronted by Horl Choo (mobile cacti that kill stuff and draw nutrients from their corpses). Four of these things are blocking the exit from the Hudson Bay store to the rest of the mall wherein they hope to find chlorine to help fix their town's water contamination problems.
First I'll determine if the characters spot the Horl Choo before stumbling into them. I'll let them all roll, and so long as over half succeed they notice in time. [2, 0, 1 successes]. Altivo is dutifully leading the cow (who needs a name, I am realizing) through the mess and would have plowed straight into the monsters, but luckily Fly and Baby stop him short. They are outnumbered, but they are also completely fresh and feel like they can maybe take the Horl Choo by surprise. Altivo points out that there is likely another exit on the first floor, so perhaps it would be easier to avoid this altogether and work their way down the broken escalators here inside the department store. I'll roll to see what they decide. Even means fight, and odd means avoid. [1: Avoid] The group decides discretion is the better part of valour, and elect to avoid unnecessary fighting. There must be another exit on the first floor of this multi-floor department store, but they will have to help the cow (Clarabell) navigate the store again, with the added complication that the cart will need to be unhitched and carried down the escalator separately.
Baby leads Clarabell through the store and down the escalator steps quietly [1 success] while Fly and Altivo to carry the cart down behind [2 successes]. They can see that there's another exterior door on this level leading out into the gloomy parking garage interior. Now that they're down here, this will likely be their exit once they're ready to leave the mall. Regardless, at the moment they must do the opposite, so they make their way to this level's doors our of the Hudson Bay store. I'm going to say that moving the cow and cart down the escalator and through the store without making noise takes two turns, so it's time to roll for another random encounter. [4: No encounter] This exit is dimmer than the one above, but it's unguarded. After hitching Clarabell to the cart again, the group pokes their head out into the gloom.
A junction lies ahead, bathed in weak light from the filthy skylight far above. A withered skeleton slumps against the edge of a raised stage platform, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, admiring some long-forgotten performance. A long, gloomy corridor lays beyond, stretching out of sight. Diffuse light trickles down through the balconies above, but without electricity the edges of these level 1 corridors are lost in shadow.
Approaching the stage junction the party can see corridors also extend to their left and right. They are choked with rubble and refuse. I'm going to say one of the three passages is blocked by a cave in.
[5: North] The corridor to the right seems to have caved in and is impassible, at least to Clarabell (she lows, unhappy in this stinky, dim place). The party is unsure which direction to take, so I'll roll to decide (odd is left, even is straight ahead).
[4: Ahead] It looks as though the corridor directly ahead extends much further than the one to the left, so Fly suggests using it to cover ground more quickly.
Keeping to the shadowy edges, the party picks their way down the hall past lightless storefronts and heaps of ancient garbage. They freeze in their tracks and look upwards as the sound of wings flutter somewhere far above: bloodbirds. So far the group has done well to stay quiet and avoid their attention. They have succeeded in staying quiet so far, but any time they make a racket I will use the Tension Pool mechanic.
Another two dungeon turns pass so I'll check for random encounters again.
[6: nothing] Before long the group arrives at another junction, this time much better lit. The skylight above is broken, and sunlight streams in through an atrium that cuts through the second floor. A curious sight greets the party: a bunch of small vehicles are scattered around what looks to have once been a makeshift race course. The vehicles are mostly rotted away at this point, but those that have survived seem to have been styled like plush animals! They strike everyone as bizarrely whimsical in the context of this place, but Fly thinks that if he can find one that's intact, this might be even better than the grungy teddy bear he found earlier... if only he can somehow justify this to his companions.
Fly: "Take a look around. There's enough light to see by here, so let's take the opportunity to do a little scrounging."
Baby and Altivo are as confused by this as ever, but they consent. Baby begins poking around some of the other kiosks, while Altivo keeps watch. Fly begins poking through the remains of the vehicles.
[1 success][6:excellent quality]. His eyes bulge out as he discovers a pristine specimen wrapped in a shroud of plastic: an orange and black striped beast with fierce gold eyes and plush ears. It's perfect! He carefully replaces the plastic wrapping and tucks it into the cart.
Baby pokes around as well, nervously.
[0 successes] They are too scared to stray far from the cart, and find nothing of interest.
This searching takes time, so it's time for a random encounter roll. Because they are in an atrium with balconies on all sides, and at a crossroads, I will roll twice. [5,3: no encounter]. Altivo squints into the gloomy halls, and cups his ears, but there is nothing to see or hear. I'll roll for him anyway, since he might spot something interesting while looking around. [0 successes]. These store names mean nothing to him. Pandora? Michael Hill? Perhaps these were homes for important figures of the past. However, one sign does catch his attention, and he gestures to the others:
"FOOD COURT"
The hallway is inky black, devoid of light. Fly looks dubiously into the dark, while Baby's stomach growls. It's not why they came here, but the promise of food is hard to ignore in this world, so let's say there's a 2-in-6 chance they check it out. [3: ignore] Fly shakes his head. "Let's save your flashlight for when we need it."
Because the next junction is the Ice Palace (a skating rink), I've decided it counts as a landmark. Furthermore, I've decided that landmarks really should have SOMETHING interesting going on in them. I've already declared that the mall isn't settled due to the bloodbirds, so let's come up with a chart going forward for all the landmarks:
Landmark Situation:
1-2: Random monster from the list
3-4: Random monster from the list that's been reinterpreted to be thematically appropriate for the landmark
5-6: An environmental hazard that's thematically appropriate for the landmark
[1: Random monster][1: Android][5] OK, there's a bunch of androids hanging out at the ice palace. I've decided they like the spot because they are immune to radiation damage (that's what bloodbirds do primarily), and they have set up solar charging pads under the huge skylight above the rink. This is where they come to recharge.
I was going to let the characters do a test to notice the androids up ahead, but I figure they are likely staying pretty still since they're charging, so I'm reneging on that. There is a set of escalators at the party's current position, but I see no reason why the characters would try to wrestle Clarabell and the cart up them, so let's have them forge onwards on the lower level.
As they arrive at the ice rink another two dungeon turns have passed, so let's roll again for random encounters, and again I'll roll twice due to the junction and overhanging balconies. [1,5: A random encounter!][1: android][1] Well there's a cool coincidence! A stray android is returning from afield, presumably to recharge at the solar pad. Let's see if the characters notice. If at least half of them succeed, they avoid blundering into the middle of things. [2 successes] Again Altivo is busy tending Clarabell and would have wandered into the midst of things if it weren't for his keen-eyed companions. Baby clamps a hand around his mouth while Fly steers everyone into the shadows. Because the androids have rigged up solar power here I'm going to say they've managed to get the elevators working. Fly points to the glass tube descending slowly from the second floor, carrying the uncanny form of an android toting a shotgun. The elevator comes to a stop and the android steps out, making its way out into the dry rink. It picks up a cable and plugs it into its neck before laying down on the ground to rest between five more of its own kind. After that, all is still.
Our party commiserates. Androids are known to be mercurial with unpredictable motives, but nine time out of ten they are hostile to humans. These androids seem to be asleep, so perhaps sneaking by quietly wouldn't be so hard. There are three other passages leading from this atrium, any of which could lead to the water park. However, if they choose the wrong path, they may very well need to backtrack past this junction again, at which point the androids may have become active. And what happens if they do notice the party? If the androids wake and attack, they would outnumber the group 2-to-1.
Fly gets an idea: what if they could somehow disable the solar panels? Perhaps without energy, some of the androids wouldn't wake up. And most of the androids have left heavy-duty weaponry on the ground next to them while they sleep. Perhaps the party could swipe their weapons. Altivo is lightly armed, and Baby is not armed at all. Perhaps that would turn the tides.
Baby suggests that they could dress up like androids as a disguise. Nearly every store in this place seem to sell clothing, so perhaps they could assemble costumes that would make them look like androids... at least from a distance.
Altivo suggests that the group could turn back and try to get up the escalator, but Fly points out that going UP the escalator would certainly make a racket. No, it's better to either try to sneak past (1-2), sabotage (3-4), or disguise (5-6).
[3: sabotage] It's risky, but if the solar panels can be sabotaged they can maybe reduce the number of androids they are dealing with if things go awry. Nobody in the group is tech savvy, but how hard can it be to unplug a few cables?
The plan: Fly will set himself up on overwatch, opening fire with his pistol if any of the androids get wise. Meanwhile, Baby will focus on sabotaging the solar panels. Altivo has good quality shoes, and will use them to sneak in amongst the android and swipe their weapons. If things go very poorly, everyone is to high-tail it back the way they came. No sense rushing headlong into unknown territory.
Let's roll! Because the androids are all asleep, Altivo and Baby will get a situational bonus die for their sneaking. This time, however, they both need to succeed on their sneak rolls to be successful, and the androids will be rolling dice to notice them. I'll split the androids up 50-50: 3 against Baby, and 3 against Altivo.
Altivo (3hp + shoes + bonus) vs Androids A-C (3hp x 3) [2 successes] vs [3 successes] = Failure
Baby (3hp + intuit + bonus) vs Androids D-F (3hp x 3) [1 success] vs [3 successes] = Failure
Oh lordy, what a shitshow. Altivo is quiet, but not quiet enough in the echoey stillness of the mall. Meanwhile Baby attempts to pull a cable loose, but it's affixed firmly, and there is a loud creak as the solar panel shifts. Everyone's heart skips a beat as three of the androids begin to stir!
Next time we will roll initiative!