Andy's Pulp misadventures...

[Andy in Germany]

Love that monstrosity of a steam tank (or whatever it is  )! Looking good!

Mike Demana

Thanks: it's a mix of a kit and a lot of bits pieces rescued from the bin. There are more pictures on Flickr

If it existed it would probably be cramped and extremely dangerous; probably more to its crew than anyone it was nominally fighting against.

[CapnJim]

Well that thing oughta scare the s**t out of a few people....

[Andy in Germany]

On Sunday I got a message from Elder Son: “You want a Pulp Game?”

Half an hour later:





Our setup was that two gangs are after the same loot; a truck carrying a mysterious black market shipment has crashed, and now the crew of the ship “Aroura”; (“Dashing Modern day Robin hoods of the high seas”: Hartlepool and Trimdon Worker’s Voice; “Immoral Con artists”: British Empire Gazette) are trying to steal the shipment, while the Auxiliaries are trying to retrieve them. Both sides are also doing their best to nab anything else that isn’t nailed down.



The Auxillaries get to go first. Their leader, Col. Lawrence, decides to approach through a warehouse, because that way there’s no chance of getting shot at. Just to be sure, he sends his henchman Lt. Gunnung first. Gunning successfully kicks in two doors to reach the main room. Here the henchman picks up another goal, a stolen generator, in the sense that if it wasn’t stolen before, it is now. Encouraged by this Lawrence tries to kick the next door down, and stubs his foot.



On the other side of the game, Seaman Dundas of the Auxiliaries has spotted a local character who is offering ‘coded orders’ for sale to the highest bidder. Quickly he offers her twenty pounds, but the die rolls badly, so she’s not impressed.



Capt. Miller of the Aurora crew approaches the crashed truck, but one of the Auxiliaries, commandant Allen, has run over there first.



In the control tower, Johannsen of the Aurora crew is inside, and has found some smashed weaponry, which he puts in his pocket. Meanwhile the crews sharpshooter McPherson, has spotted Seaman Dundas…



As bullets ricochet off the wall, Dundas desperately tries to negotiate for the ‘coded orders’. Apart from the twenty pounds, he’s offered a fake pearl necklace, three half-eaten blocks blocks of navy issue chocolate, and a ticket to Grimsby fairground.

Madame seems entirely unimpressed.



Meanwhile, almost everyone else is converging on the crashed trucks. Allen has climbed into the cab, and her colleague, Matron Fox, is in the back looking desperately for the shipment. Col. Lawrence was unable to break the door down, and ran back through the factory and up the street to get in position where no-one could shoot at him.

For the Aurora crew, Betsy has arrived in front of the truck. She tries to shoot Allen but the Auxiliary ducks down behind the steering wheel and a fierce firefight begins.

Will Betsy be able to fight off the Auxiliaries and claim the black market contraband?

Will Seaman Dundas find something in his pockets to intice "Madame" to give him the coded documents?

Will Colonel Lawrence manage an entire session without running away?

Find out in the next thrilling instalment of “The Black Market Heist.”

[Andy in Germany]

Apologies, I forgot to post the second installment:



Two gangs are battling for possession of a mysterious black market shipment in a crashed truck. So far the mysterious “Auxiliary police” have managed to capture the truck, but the crew of the Schooner “Aurora” are close behind…



“Commandant Allen” of the Auxiliary Police tried to start the truck containing the black market shipment. The second time the dice cooperated and she was able to reverse from the wreckage.



Meanwhile, Seaman Dunning has been unsuccessfully trying to bargain for some “coded orders” that are of interest to the Auxiliaries despite bullets flying past. Dunning is interrupted by Johannsen, a man of few words and large fists, which he applies without preamble ending the negotiations. Madame looks on with indifference.



Commandant Allen has got the truck in reverse. Her Superior Colonel Lawrence, saw this opportunity to escape and has jumped into the cab. Now he’s shouting at her to hurry up from his hiding place in the footwell. Everyone from the Aurora Crew is shooting at the truck but it was clearly made tough and despite some damage it keeps going. Will Com. Allen and her fellow baddies escape?



Seaman Dunning sees the truck passing. Johannsen is distracted by his cunning ruse (“What’s that behind you?”) and he runs to it, jumping onto the bonnet… A dice roll will decide if he succeeds…



Nope, he fails and ends up running after the increasingly bullet riddled truck, which remarkably keeps moving despite multiple hits.

Those were the days when "Made in England" really meant something.



As he does so, Lt. Gunning realises that his commander has abandoned him, again, but that the Aurora crew are focussed on the truck. He can be seen sneaking off down an alleyway while Betsy and Ramirez fire ineffectively into its departing form.

So, this time the “Auxiliary Police managed to get away; not very heroically, but with the loot, leaving the Aurora Crew with a few stolen instruments and control panels as a consolation. Like all good heroes the Aurora vow to return another day and have their revenge, in the next thrilling instalment…

[syrinx0]

Getting away with the loot is the important thing. 
Nice looking game.

[Andy in Germany]

Getting away with the loot is the important thing. 

Absolutely. It was nice to win against Elder Son too; this is proving a great way for us to hang out together, even if it is online. He now has copies of all the cards and his own dice so it makes the game smoother...

[CapnJim]

Lovely game.  Even if the wrong guys got away with the loot...

[Andy in Germany]

Time for another game...




We’re back on the Island of Ascension, mid-Atlantic trading hub and spy haven, where the Auxiliary police have been sent on another nefarious mission to collect information on a new Monowheel, and if possible setal the secret anti-gravity gyroscope that enables it to stay upright. You may wonder why such an important item has been hidden on an Island in the Atlantic, but this is the least of the strangeness that will soon be apparent…

I’ve got a new league; the Württembergische Düsenjäger, or Wuerttemberg Rocket troops, and I wanted to see how they would work in a Pulp scenario. They are hot on the heels of the Auxiliaries and will arrive to stop their villainy, or possibly fly straight past and land in the sea.




The Auxiliaries have already arrived at the start, and are spread out trying to get into the warehouse,




find other information, take out the phone lines, or in the case of Col. Lawrence, hide in the control tower.

An agent has apparently come expecting a rendezvous, and is rather startled to find the Auxiliaries.




The Düsenjäger arrive at the start of turn one. Their landing area is defined by a target and 8-sided die. This works for most of them; their Captain, Ernst Bonlanden lands at the back of the Warehouse...




...Sgt. Stetten sees the Agent and drops down to protect her from the Auxiliaries.




Harthausen and Plattenhardt aim for the Control tower roof; Plattenhardt misses the roof and just avoids crashing into the privvy.




Harthausen draws “Foul Play” which means the enemy nearest him has to overcome a challenge or take three hits. Col. Lawrence is directly under him and is knocked out without doing anything.





The Düsenjäger not otherwise occupied run or fly to meet their leader and break down the back door...




Meanwhile the leader of the Auxiliaries, Lt. Gunning collects some carelessly dropped photographs in an officers car and decided the time for subtlety is over. Leaping into the car he drives forward…




...and rams the warehouse door...

As he does so, Seaman Dundas draws the “Furious” card which instructs him to charge the nearest enemy. This happens to be Sgt. Stetten who has been trying to persuade the agent to trust him. Seeing the danger, Stetten grabs the agent and rockets her to safety.







The Düsenjäger burst into the warehouse. They are confronted by the Auxiliaries and a cloud of toxic smoke, probably caused by the car smashing into the Monowheel. A big fight ensues with both sides taking casualties from each other and from the toxic fog.




By the end of turn six the situation is unresolved as the sides engage in a classic cliffhanger fight scene: Will the Düsenjäger beat the Auxilaries before succumbing to the toxic gas, or will the Auxiliaries manage to steal the antigravity Gyroscope?
Will Col. Lawrence come out of hiding?
How on earth did such a large Monowheel get through such a small warehouse door?
Find out in the next thrilling instalment…
 

[CapnJim]

Very interesting.  Can't wait to see what happens, and to whom...

[Andy in Germany]

Very interesting.  Can't wait to see what happens, and to whom...

Well, you asked for it...



When we finished last week, the Düsenjäger were having some severe fisticuffs with the mysterious paramilitary “Auxiliary police”, over a top secret anti-gravity gyroscope attached to a steam powered monowheel, and if that isn’t silly enough for you, nothing is.



To get the story moving, I’ve assumed the Auxiliaries have regained control of the Gyroscope in the chaos but can’t find the exit (Oh, yes, the Monowheel is emitting a cloud of toxic gas, did I mention that?)



Outside Col. Lawrence, in theory in charge of the Auxiliaries, can hear the fighting. Motivated by his legendary loyalty to his team the belief that a successful mission is the best way to escape Ascension with a promotion to a desk job in London, he for once runs toward the danger, opens the door and shouts: “What are you waiting for; get in the car…” This example of military leadership completed, he legs it.

The Auxiliaries all try and get through the door at once and run for the car; Düsenjäger in hot pursuit.



Lt. Gunning tries to provide covering fire for the remaining team members as he gets into the car (which will get a repaint at some point, I promise). Col. Lawrence tells him to get in and drives off, abandoning the stragglers to their fate.



The Düsenjäger manage to get the other car started, despite it being used as a battering ram in the last episode. They give chase, ignoring the stragglers as they try to catch the leaders.



Suddenly Capt. Bonlanden turns down an alleyway…



His plan pays off as he emerges suddenly in front of the Auxiliaries.



Suddenly there is a cloud of smoke and a clanking noise as Sgt. Harthausen leaps into the steam powered tank and pulls levers until something happens. The tank turns slowly and rumbles out into the street to block the escape for the Auxiliaries.



Is this the end of the road for the Auxiliary police? Will the Düsenjäger manage to reclaim the anti-gravity gyroscope? Will Sgt Harthausen find the brakes? Find out in the next episode of the Ride of the Düsenjäger…

[syrinx0]

I'm guessing the steam tanks crushes all of them as Sgt. Harthausen fails to find the brakes and accidentally gets a promotion.

[Sunjester]

Brilliant! Eagerly awaiting the next episode.

[Andy in Germany]

I'm guessing the steam tanks crushes all of them as Sgt. Harthausen fails to find the brakes and accidentally gets a promotion.

Hmm... I did seriously wonder if I should have the driver pass a peril for every move as the thing is likely to be unstoppable, but under the rules the movement is very slow as it is...

[CapnJim]

Plot twists abound!  Waiting to see who comes out on top...

[Andy in Germany]

Plot twists abound!  Waiting to see who comes out on top...

I really need to write that up.

It turns out that steam powered tanks aren't ideal for traffic management...