Cepheus Deluxe: The Bounty Hunter - Session 2

 

Abandoned gas station, Arrix Province, Siento 1

Introduction

I haven't had much time to play RPGs lately as real life has got in the way. I managed to make some time though. In the first session, former space marine Arman Doyle intervened in a hostage situation and helped a bounty hunter take down a criminal. The bounty hunter, Abe Clarke, gave him the details of a man called Frank Hancock. Some kind of fixer in a loose network of bounty hunters, Doyle will go and see this Hancock guy for a meeting.

I just bought Mythic Game Master Emulator 2nd Edition so we'll be using that for the first time here. The Chaos Factor mentioned below determines how likely it is that something unexpected will happen in the scene. We're starting it at 5 which is standard when using Mythic. If things go according to plan it'll get lower, and if Arman starts to lose control over the situation it'll creep higher, causing more random and unexpected events.

The Adventure

Scene 2 | Krinnai, Siento 1 | 3023.05.03 | Cr44,650 | Chaos Factor: 5

The following day Arman gets up earlier than usual and puts on the only clothes he has: dark grey jeans, white shirt and leather jacket. He drives over to the address Abe Clarke gave him for Amtep Logistics.

What is the building like?

Important. (I'm probably not going to list every question I ask Mythic, but I'll use it regularly.

Vandern Street is in the financial district of Krinnai's city centre and the building the company is located in is a huge skyscraper housing multiple large companies. As Arman gets out of the car he witnesses two plainclothes police officers pull out ID cards and grab a smartly dressed businessman. An unmarked van pulls up next to them and they bundle him into it before driving off.

Arman tells the security guard at the desk he has an appointment with Amtep Logistics and he's directed to the elevators. He takes one up to the sixty-first floor. The office is very warm and inviting, and he gives his name to the receptionist, asking for Frank Hancock.

Is Hancock available to see him? (Nearly certain)

Exceptional yes.

"You've found him." A voice rasps behind him. Arman turns around to see a trim elderly man with very obviously dyed black hair slicked back over his head. "Frank Hancock."

"A man named Abe Clarke told me to come and see you today, my name's-"

"I know who you are." Hancock says. "Have you eaten? Let's go for brunch."

Frank Hancock takes him to a fancy restaurant nearby. Arman orders pancakes and real coffee, grown near the equator of Siento 1. He explains that he's part of a loose network of fixers who act as go betweens for clients and bounty hunters. He uses a secret account at Amtep to receive bounty payments and send them out on completion of jobs.

Frank looks at Arman's prosthetic arm. "You had a shitty time in the forces, and now you're stranded on this shitty planet. Sure, you've probably got enough pay saved to buy yourself medium passage on a ship out of here, but how far would it get you? You do a few jobs for us, you could buy your own ship and hire a crew, go do whatever you wanted. Trust me, I used to be in the Scouts... We're not that different." He rolls up his shirt sleeve and a wicked looking blade shoots out of his forearm then slides gracefully back in, the slot sealing up afterward.

"Alright," Arman says. "How does it work?"

"I beam over the details of the job, all the intel we have on the target along with the details of the pay. Generally it's preferable to bring in a target alive. You subdue him, knock him out, whatever. Then you scan his face with this-" He slides a handheld 2D scanner across the table, similar to the one Arman saw Abe Clarke using. "Then you send that data to a comms address and a couple of people will arrive, blackbag the sucker and take him away. Next day you get the bounty transferred to your account. Once you've slept off your hangover you contact me and I send the next one. That's all there is to it."

"And the police are okay with this?"

"On Siento? The police don't give two shits about anything as long as you don't touch a party member. But don't worry, I wouldn't be dumb enough to send you after one of them. And on other worlds most police forces respect bounty hunters enough to let them get on with the job."

"Alright, I'm in." Arman offers his hand to shake. Frank ignores it and continues.

"Good. I've got a simple job that just came in today as it happens. We'll consider it your job interview. Go home and get ready, I'll send the details over soon."

Arman leaves the restaurant and drives to a gun shop. There he buys a chunky revolver and three speedloaders of hollow point rounds, along with three magazines of ammo for the small handgun he keeps inside his prosthetic arm. He also gets a shoulder holster for it (-Cr206). Thinking about the kind of gear he'll need to pacify a fugitive, he goes to a sex shop and buys a pair of handcuffs. They're covered in black fur but they're metal so they should be good enough (-Cr10). Finally he stops off at a hardware store and buys a mallet with a heavy rubber head, sturdy enough to knock someone out (-Cr15). Finally he goes back home and waits.

A few hours later his comm buzzes and he receives the following info:

An overweight man with no combat training, hiding out in an abandoned gas station in the desert outside Krinnai. Wanted alive for Cr1000. It's not much money but it doesn't sound like a difficult job... He can drive there in his car since they've provided the coordinates, and if the man's unarmed he should be able to subdue him and get the cuffs on him easily enough. In the early afternoon he sets off, but cautiously buys a first aid kit on the way (-Cr10).

Does anything out of the ordinary happen on the journey? (Very unlikely)

No.

Arman leaves the city in his groundcar, taking the highway out into the desert. After a couple of hours he turns off onto a much older road and the abandoned building appears on the horizon. Pulling up outside it, he gets out of the car.

Are there any obvious signs of life in the gas station? (50/50)

No.

He can't see any lights or movement through the windows. He draws his revolver and steps up to the door. "Bounty hunter! Stacey Small, if you're in there you... You better come on out now." He shouts.

Is there any response? (50/50)

Exceptional no.

Arman kicks open the door and scans the room, revolver in hand. The interior is wrecked: the ceiling has partly fallen in and there is trash strewn all over the place. There's a pile of old clothes with a pillow next to it in one corner along with the ashes of a campfire, but the place is empty. He searches around the makeshift bedding, looking for any clue to where Small might have gone.

Does he find anything useful? (50/50)

Yes.

What is it? (Mythic's objects table)

Travel.

Rummaging around, Arman turns up a receipt.

Is it a receipt for offworld passage? (Very Unlikely - Small doesn't have a lot of resources)

No.

It's a receipt for a train ticket to another province on Siento 1, Triangus. It's on the same continent but it's three hours away by train. It's got the name of the departure station on the receipt, in a nearby small town called Kranu.

Is the train booked for later today? (Likely)

Yes.

Realising he still has a chance to catch Small before he boards the train, Arman jumps back in the car and punches Kranu into his GPS before speeding off.

Scene 3 | Kranu, Siento 1 | 3023.05.03 | Cr44,650 | Chaos Factor: 6

Scene chaos factor starts at 6 as the job has become more complicated.

Arriving at the station in Kranu, Arman gets out and walks into the building.

Has the train left yet? (Unlikely)

Yes.

Arman curses as he checks the time: he's too late and the train has already gone. He walks back to the car. Small's destination is a (2D6) 12 hour drive away. He has no choice but to get back on the road.

The destination is another small town called Kerning in Triangus Province. He arrives in the middle of the night and finds a small motel, pays for a room (-Cr50) and falls into bed. The next morning he goes to the station and starts showing Small's photo to the staff there.

Arman makes a check (Difficulty 8)

12 -3 Carousing +1 INT = 10. Success!

An old man remembers Small asking for a cheap hotel recommendation, so he told him to try the Maple. It's just down the road from the station. Arman thanks him and drives there. The Maple is a dive. There's a man watching TV on the front desk, so Arman shows him the target intel sheet on his comm and says he's there to take him in. The man says he doesn't want any trouble and takes him up to the room on the fifth floor with a spare key.

Arman unlocks the door and throws it open. Again he shouts "Bounty hunter!" and points his revolver into the room.

Is Small there? (Very likely)

Yes.

Is he armed? (50/50)

No.

Small is lying on the bed watching TV but he jumps to his feet when Arman shouts at him.

Small makes a morale check.

9 -2 No combat training = 7. Fighting withdrawal.

The fat man scowls at Arman and grabs the nearest object, an alarm clock on the bedside table. He throws it and it breaks against the wall next to Arman, then he turns and runs to the window. Arman sighs and holsters his gun then takes the mallet out of his jacket and advances on Small, who whirls around and throws a punch at him, missing. Then he opens the window and starts to climb out onto a ledge.

Arman grabs Small and whirls around, throwing the big man back into the room. He crashes into the bedframe and then runs out of the door. Arman chases him down and tackles him to the floor. "Give up Small! You're not getting out of here." He says.

"Alright, alright..." Stacey Small relaxes his body, letting Arman put the sex shop handcuffs on him.

Small's characteristics: 862568

Round 1

Small throws the alarm clock.

5 -3 Melee Combat = 2. Miss.

Small runs to the window.

Arman switches weapons to his mallet.

Arman moves across the room to where Small is.

Round 2

Small attacks Arman with his fists.

8 -3 Melee Combat = 5. Miss.

Small starts to climb out of the window.

Arman grapples Small. Opposed Melee Combat roll:

Arman rolls with advantage (Grappler):

10 +1 Melee Combat +1 STR = 12

Small rolls:

8 -3 Melee Combat = 5

Arman throws Small for 2 damage. Minor wound (-1 DM for all actions).

Round 3

Small runs 20m across the room and out of the door.

Arman tries to chase him down. Opposed Athletics roll:

Arman rolls:

3 +1 Athletics +1 DEX = 5

Small rolls:

8 -3 Athletics -1 Minor Wound = 4

Arman catches him and grapples. Opposed Melee Combat roll:

Arman rolls with advantage (Grappler):

11 +1 Melee Combat +1 STR = 13

Small rolls:

6 -3 Melee Combat -1 Minor Wound = 2

Arman tries to force him to surrender. Opposed INT roll:

Arman rolls:

7 +1 INT = 8

Small rolls:

7 -1 INT -1 Minor Wound = 5

Small surrenders.

Arman takes out the 3D scanner and passes it over Small's face, which flinches in the blue light. A 3D image of Small appears on the screen along with GPS coordinates and the planet name Siento 1. UPLOAD? A message blinks. He hits the confirmation button, then marches Small downstairs to the lobby, followed by the hotel guy.

Within twenty minutes a van marked "A1 Roofing Services" pulls up outside the building and two men come in. They do indeed bundle Small into a black bag as Frank Hancock promised, and carry him out. One gives Arman the briefest of nods before leaving again.

Arman thanks the hotel guy then drives back to his own hotel. He checks out and begins the long drive back to Krinnai.

The next day he wakes up at 9am to a call on his comms unit from Frank Hancock. "I wanted to call you to say thanks for going the extra mile there, Arman." Hancock tells him. "You tracked him down and brought him in. You should have the money in your account now, and when you're ready I'm sure there'll be another job waiting for you."

Arman hangs up, checks his balance and finds the transfer: Cr1000. It's not much but if he can get good at this bounty hunting thing, maybe he could make more and get off Siento 1. The sooner the better, he thinks as he looks out of the window at another local being grabbed by the police and beaten up.