To catch a thief. A Rogue Trader scenario

[Suber]

For the last couple of years I've been amassing urban scenery and civilians. It all started with one conversion of a guy running out from danger while shooting. I thought of a scenario in which a fugitive tries to escape the Adeptus Arbites. But well, I needed buildings and civilians! My tiny project soon went out of control until I got a decent lowlife underhive district. After this couple of years, I'm finally ready to run the scenario . I know the word you are thinking of, but 'commitment' sounds better

So the whole scenario is but a cat and mouse game. Infamous outlaw Brent Beronis is surrounded by the Arbites and has to make a quite long run in order to escape. This is the layout:



Just everything I got. Dramatic puny photoshop effect:



The GM (that is me for this game) has to ensure that the fugitive makes the longest run possible while keeping the thrill during the chase. My original idea was something like this (the board is 4x4', 120x120cm):



The fugitive player has a couple of event cards to help him, the Imperial player will eventually receive reinforcements (though at the beginning not even him knows that).







For a full brief on the scenario itself, here you can find it all:
http://oldschoolworkshop.blogspot.com.es/2016/10/to-catch-thief-rogue-trader-scenario.html

(Beware. Lots of GM only information, proceed with care )

Let's go. Brent Beronis looks caged inside the Sparklin' Pulsar while having a drink...



He runs! Instead of knocking the Administratum Bailiffs (allegedly weaker than the Arbites; that's why I deployed them there, expecting him to fight them and break his way), Brent decides to run to the back of the bar.



He is followed:



Once on the roof things don't look good for him...



But the fugitive player solves this out in the most RT fashion imaginable. Jumping onto the bridge!



I always tend to encourage creative interaction with environment, so I couldn't expect more! For unexpectaed situaations like this I use either Initiative or Leadership values depending on the kind of action the character is trying to perform (more daring/physical or more wits/arguing). Though RT makes values like Intelligence, Cool and Willpower count, I just kept it simple. Initative/Leadership.

Brent crosses the bridge with the Arbites on the heels



He gets into the residential area



Where he can move faster than his chasers, impeded by the crowd. They open fire, but kill a civilian instead!



Brent plays an event card, 'playing home'. Thanks to it, he moves faster through the alleys and shortcuts, while the Arbites temporarily lose the track.



He thinks he has avoided the danger, but then suddenly... Arbites reinforcements arrive and block his escape way!



I was hoping Brent to climb up the elevated platform and face the Arbites there, where their numbers would mean nothing. Instead... the player decided to break into the building and exit through the elevated corridor on the first floor . The Arbites climb to the platform to follow him:



Things are warming up again!







Once on the viewpoint... well, by now this should have been even predictable!
To the elevated railway!



What are those lights up there?...



The metro is coming!



He just runs and runs towards the metro, jumping to the platform in the last second.





The Arbites take firing positions and (finally!) shoot



But they kill another civilian!



More reinforcements arrive!





Brent tries to get to the streets again



And plays his 'Snitch' event card:



The die roll was so good that the snitch misleads the Arbites and takes them just in the opposite direction, through the crowd of children, who ask for candy and a few coins ::



The chase still goes on





The problem is that, with such unexpected movements and strategy, we had one fugitive running all over the place and about twenty law enforcement officers chasing him. I couldn't but realize I was just watching a Benny Hill episode :



To make things up I deployed the bounty hunter, a rogue agent played by the GM





Brent crosses the second bridge and gets to the docks



The Benny Hill theme is still in the background...



Brent finally gets on board and escapes! He gets a wound, but manages to leave the board. Phew!



The game was tremendously fun, and it all turned out better than I anticipated. The weird movements added so much thrill in the end. I designed the scenario with some more fighting in mind, but it turns out it was all about running and running. The Arbitrators didn't get good dice rolls, but the modifiers sunk them in a pity of sorrow (well, in fact I counted on this, they not being quite accurate, hence the collateral damages rule). Unfortunately the riot wasn't triggered, I think it would have been fun. Next time. The bounty hunter was kinda disappointing. I was hoping to release him earlier, but I didn't feel the situation called for it until the ludicrous run. Well, some lessons learned then .
You have it all at the blog, with more pics and better explanations:

http://oldschoolworkshop.blogspot.com.es/2016/10/the-battle-of-benny-hill-formerly-to.html

I've enjoyed the whole process pretty much, so I think I'll be designing a few more scenarios with 2017 being RT 30th anniversary in mind...

[Marine0846]

Very good looking game.
Love the terrain.

[blacksoilbill]

I've already commented over on Suber's blog, but this is just too good a game to have only one comment! Definitely one of the best reports I've read for some time: it really does capture the feel of movie chase. And the awesome terrain is a big part of that. I'd love a table like that!

[Mason]

Sounds like a great gun where much fun was had.
Very cinematic.
 

That lovely cluttered table that you constructed just begs for interaction.
Bravo, sir.
 

[huesped]

Awesome scenario Suber>!!! reallly nice scenery indeed!!

[aliensurfer]

Superb! All round, great scenery and models, great scenario, great battle report 

[3 fingers]

That was great, like your scenery. No doubt there will be round 2,once the paper works been filled out for killing 2 innocents 

[OSHIROmodels]

Great stuff 

There's nowt like a full table to get you going 

cheers

James

[JollyBob]

Every time I imagine a game in my head, this is what it looks like.

Absolutely top class. 

Now stop reading my mind, you mutant heretic!