Cepheus Deluxe: The Bounty Hunter - Session 3

Industrial district, Krinnai, Siento 1

Introduction

It's been a while since I started this Cepheus Deluxe campaign but I've been meaning to get back to it for months now because it was so fun. My newborn daughter is sleeping happily in the other room now so I'm taking this opportunity. When we left Arman Doyle, 31 year old retired marine captain, he'd just finished his first job as a bounty hunter. He's living on Siento 1, a tech level 7 world in the grip of a fascist regime. He has a small apartment, an electric groundcar, a revolver, a mallet for knocking targets out and a prosthetic forearm and hand in which he hides a small automatic pistol.

To play Cepheus Deluxe solo we're using Mythic Game Master Emulator 2nd Edition. For the bounty hunting system we're using Bounty Hunter Handbook.

The Adventure

Scene 3 | Krinnai, Siento 1 | 3023.05.06 | Cr44,590 | Chaos Factor: 5

It's a couple of days after Arman's successful capture of Stacey Small, petty criminal. He's returned from the city of Kranu to his apartment in Krinnai, the capital. He's watching a reality show on daytime TV. A group of political dissidents are competing against each other in humiliating games in order to win their freedom. "Most likely the winner'll get a bullet in the head once the cameras stop rolling." Arman thinks.

The apartment's communicator screen beeps at him; he's got a new communication from Frank Hancock, his handler.

Not much to go on... Someone called Cameron Lang, last seen in the Wonder Sap outlet in the industrial district here in Krinnai. The pay is much better than last time though. Arman shrugs and gathers up his things: his revolver with 18 hollow point rounds, his internal pistol hidden in his arm, trusty mallet and first aid kit. He jumps into his car and drives off. On the way he stops off at a hardware store and buys a pack of cable ties (-Cr5) since he was embarrassed buying handcuffs at a sex shop last time.

Wonder Sap is a chain of restaurants where people buy processed edible tree sap from kholarja trees native to another province of Siento 1. Arman tried it soon after arriving on the planet but found it disgusting, like vinegar mixed with honey. He pulls up in his car outside the restaurant and goes in, buys a pack of sap and sits on a stool at a bar in front of the window. As people come and go he asks if anyone's seen Cameron lately. He's got no skill in Carousing which means he gets a -3 DM here.

Arman makes a check (Difficulty 8)

9 -3 Carousing = 6. Failure!

Arman spends too long questioning people after finishing his sap and the manager comes over, telling him to stop bothering his customers and get out. He leaves the place and goes back to his car.

Chaos factor rises to 6

As he sits in his car watching the restaurant he remembers being asked if he had a loyalty card when he ordered his sap. Does that mean they've got access to customer data in there? The restaurant closes at 11pm, so he goes home and gets some rest. Returning at closing time that night, Arman watches the two staff members leave, then he gets out and walks to the back of the building.

Is the back door locked? (Very likely)

39: Yes

Unsurprisingly the staff locked the back door when they left. Stepping back from the door, Arman surveys the building.

Arman makes a check (Difficulty 8)

7 +1 Recon +1 Int = 9. Success!

He notices an air vent part way up the wall. Moving a large dumpster over to the building he climbs onto it and reaches the vent. Pulling the cover off, he climbs inside and crawls along a narrow tunnel. He can't believe he's actually doing this... Soon enough he comes to another vent cover and sees the back office of the restaurant below. He kicks the cover off and drops down into the room.

Does an alarm go off? (50/50)

65: Yes

Suddenly a loud beeping sound starts, coming from all around Arman. Of course they'd have an alarm! There's no time to lose. He sits down at a computer terminal and tries to log in. He was always useless with tech stuff in the marines.

Arman makes a check (Difficulty 8)

9 -3 Computer +1 Int = 7. Failure!

Faced with a login screen and a username already filled in, he types in "password" as the password. "Incorrect username or password", the screen tells him. Swearing at the machine, he grabs the terminal box and rips the cables out of it then bolts from the room with the thing under his arm.

Chaos factor rises to 7

Does the staff door open from the inside without a key? (50/50)

96: Exceptional no

He grabs the staff door handle and yanks it but the door doesn't budge. Running back to the office he finds a draw labelled "Key Cards" only to find it empty. There's no spares! Starting to panic now, he goes back to the door and hits it as hard as he can with his mallet.

Arman makes a check (Difficulty 9)

6 +1 STR = 7. Failure!

The door is exceptionally strong and he can't break it open, so he scrambles back up into the air vent, pushing the computer along in front of him until he gets to the vent he came in by.

Has the manager arrived to investigate the alarm? (Very unlikely)

19: Yes

"Hey! What the hell are you doing with my terminal?" A voice shouts as Arman falls out of the vent onto the dumpster. He gets to his feet and sees the now very angry manager who kicked him out earlier.

Does the manager try to get the terminal back? (Very unlikely)

91: Exceptional no.

Before Arman can answer he sees recognition in the man's eyes. "You- You're that crazy guy who kept bothering my customers. Get away from me! I don't want any trouble!" He runs to the staff entrance, unlocks it with a key card and disappears inside, slamming the door behind him.

Arman runs back to his car with the terminal and gets in, then drives home.