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Author Topic: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)  (Read 1605 times)

Offline warrenpeace

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Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« on: September 21, 2019, 08:21:17 PM »


After leaving the log cabin in the summer of 2017 when my landlord sold the ranch, the terrain and figures and game table were all put into storage for nearly 2 years. We had played Return to the Island of the Crocodile God one last time that summer, and it was not my intention to ever play that scenario again. However, I bought my first house a few months ago, and my friend Jeff screwed together the old gaming table and put up the track lights. An old college buddy was driving up from Los Angeles for a week long visit, and I was scrambling to get together a Pulp Alley game to entertain him. Turned out we had 6 available players with me as GM. Jeff and I located all the bits and the Island of the Crocodile God was on the table again, with new twists. I originally intended to refer to this one as the Treasure of the Crocodile God, since piles of coins were involved. But I didn't use gangs of natives this time, and it was the snakes that stole the show. So I renamed this, "World of Snakes."



This time, instead of having 4 players with leagues of 4 characters each, and 1 or 2 players running the leagues of monsters defending the table, I decided to have the 6 players run leagues of 3 characters each (all "Company of Heroes" with 1 leader & 2 sidekicks), but give each player one creature to use to ambush other leagues. These creatures were all level 3 (sidekick level). As GM I kept 6 level 2 creatures and the giant crocodile ("Terror") under my control to use to keep things interesting. I expected to bring an end to the scenario, as last time, by having the giant crocodile chase all the leagues off the table. The creatures generally had high brawl and finesse skills, and the creatures would attempt an ambush when deployed, though I remember only two successful ambushes (resulting in an unopposed attack) due to the good cunning skills of most of the characters. No turn limit.



The sides were unbalanced because of making room for 6 players. The Germans had two leagues. One was led by Erwin von Pottsdorf with his two pistols, with sidekicks Professor Rudolf in his fez and archaeology graduate student & duelist Arno von Staremberg. The other German league was led by Erwin's sister Elke von Pottsdorf, with her scoped rifle and machete, with sidekicks schutztruppe Feldwebel Steiner (who on our last visit to the Island had to be dragged out of the pond before he drowned following a fight with the giant crocodile) and the askari Haiya Safari in his floppy hat. The second group of fighters was supposed to protect the first group of archaeologist/adventurers.



The British were similarly strong, with two leagues. The first was the group of archaeologists/adventurers led by Lord Roxton with his big hunting rifle, with sidekicks Professor Summerleigh wielding his cane and fierce bulldog Winston. The second group of fighters detailed from Britain's Indian army to protect the others was composed of sepoys that, for lack of imagination and time to research names, I named Subodar (leader), and sidekicks Standing Sepoy and Shooting Sepoy. (I'll have to do better next time.)



The Americans were comparatively underpowered, with only a single league led by "Six-Gun" Sally Ford, with sidekicks Professor Howell Cobb of Duke University and his friend "T-bone" Pickens.



The French were similarly underpowered, with only a single league led by skilled huntress Amelie Vinh Hoa from France's Indochina colony, with sidekicks Capitaine LaForce in his kepi with his big double barreled hunting rifle and sword wielding Professor Gateaux.



There were 17 total plot points, 2 of them major, including piles of coins. 1 was in the native village. 1 was in the dark temple. 1 was a barrel near the log being crossed by the Americans. 4 were in the area of the giant crocodile skull, and 8 were in and around the two central temples. With that laid out for the players, we were on our way.



As the 2nd British group detailed the Subodar to get the plot point in the native village (he had to find a canoe to get himself across the stream later), the French deployed their giant rattlesnake against the British Standing Sepoy, who was acting as rearguard. Bulldog Winston had to counterattack the rattlesnake to save the situation.



Meanwhile the Germans deployed their smaller python to attack and nearly dispatch Professor Gateaux and Amelie Vinh Hoa. They were not supported by Capitaine LaForce because he had gone to get the plot point at the dark temple and was fighting off one of the GM controlled crocodiles after slipping while crossing the stream on a palm log. The fight on the bridge was a close one.



As the Americans took their first plot point, the Germans deployed their giant python against them. The Americans prevailed more quickly by fighting the giant python with all three American characters.



The Germans had quickly dispatched 2 GM controlled crocodiles in the river, and 1 GM controlled charging wild boar. But when Erwin von Pottsdorf tried for a plot point at the base of the giant crocodile skull, the Americans deployed their giant cobra against him.



The Germans tried to get Erwin von Pottsdorf to dodge away so that their formidable firing line could deal with the giant cobra from just outside of its 3 inch Reach.



This tactic was partially successful. Erwin did manage to get the one minor plot point in front of him, and did manage to break free from the giant cobra with a dodge. Two of the other Germans shot the giant cobra, but it dodged to the other side of the giant crocodile skull and recovered health. All 3 Americans rushed to that side of the giant crocodile skull where the giant cobra had taken cover. This led to an odd situation of the giant cobra then acting more like a 4th member of the American league. As GM, it had not been my intention for the creatures to act that way, but I didn't want to make up a new rule to prevent this on the fly. Live and learn!

The Germans decided not to take on this unexpected concentration of force around the giant crocodile skull and they left the remaining 3 minor plot points in that area to the Americans. The Germans headed for the richer harvest of plot points in and around the two central temples, while maintaining a firing formation against the possible reemergence of the giant cobra.

The Americans scooped up the other 3 plot points around the giant crocodile head, while sending their giant cobra slithering along through the jungle up to the four faced temple. Somebody shot at the giant cobra and it had to slink back into the shrubs along the stream. After it recovered and when it activated again, the British sepoy league player ambushed the giant cobra with a giant anaconda emerging from the water!



The action between these giant snakes was fast, furious, and epic!



After about 3 rounds the giant anaconda prevailed!



The victorious anaconda slithered into the four faced temple to protect the major plot point and big pile of coins located there.



Capitaine LaForce, who had been about to enter the four faced temple, had to think better of his plan.



Arno von Staremberg, thinking himself ready to make his mark as an archaelogy graduate student at Pottsdorf University, makes his move on one of the plot points on the corner of the four faced temple. But he is ambushed by the last British creature, the leopard.



Arno passed his health checks, and he was aided by the rush of leader Elke von Pottsdorf with her machete. Poor leopard!



The British sepoy league was being played by the teenage son of the French player, and, in spite of recommendations against it by the other British player, he just couldn't resist the urge to take shots at his father's league. Eventually, sword wielding Professor Gateaux took exception to this and rushed Shooting Sepoy and put him down!



With sounds of a gigantic creature splashing up the river toward the temples, it was time for everyone to gather their plot points and treasure and make for the exits. The Americans had scooped up 4 minor plot points. The sepoys had grabbed 1, a medium sized pile of coins. The other British group had 1 major, big pile of coins, and 2 minor plot points. The first German group had 3 minor plot points.

In reality, it was Sunday night and players needed to go to work or school the next day. But in game terms it was the upriver progress of the Crocodile God ("Terror") that brought the fun to an end.

Sailors have more fun!

Offline redzed

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Re: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2019, 11:51:53 PM »
Much epicness  :D
Commission Painting undertaken, PM or email me.

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2019, 06:52:17 AM »
Lovely terrain.  And shows that there is a lack of really good snake models in an appropriate scale - though you have a couple of nice ones there.  I'm hoping for some good snakes for my 15 mm worlds, both rattlesnakes for the Old West and for tropical ones for colonial and pulp style games - though I did come across a nice little sculpt of an Indian snake charmer with a cobra rising out of a basket; bought one strait away upon the discovery.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2019, 12:21:12 AM by FifteensAway »

Offline Marine0846

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Re: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2019, 04:25:35 PM »
Great looking game, Warren.
Love the photos.
Glad you are getting your gaming room together.
Please say Hi to Jeff for me.
Semper Fi, Mac

Online Elk101

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Re: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2019, 07:15:17 PM »
Fantastic set up and great photos. Thanks for sharing them.

Offline warrenpeace

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Re: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2019, 08:53:31 PM »
Great looking game, Warren.
Love the photos.
Glad you are getting your gaming room together.
Please say Hi to Jeff for me.

Thanks, Marine! I passed along your message to Jeff. Semper fi.

Offline Arundel

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Re: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2019, 01:07:35 PM »
A gorgeous looking table and fun sounding game. But brrrrrr, those snakes!!!  :o

Offline Bullshott

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Re: Pulp Alley AAR: World of Snakes (warning: pic heavy!)
« Reply #7 on: September 26, 2019, 10:02:20 PM »
Great looking table. The snakes really made the game.
Sir Henry Bullshott, Keeper of Ancient Knowledge