Gangbusters B/X pbp

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Stan

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I'm thinking about running a pbp game using the new B/X version of the Gangbusters rules. The provisional title is The Big Sleep in Naptown.

The characters start as employees in a private investigation company in 1920s Indianapolis, which consists of:

Major Harrison - an middle aged wealthy guy who used his name as a minor hero in WWI and his charm to open an agency. He knows many of the state and city politicians, business owners, and wealthy families, many of which are in the Coffin Club. Jobs come from his contacts.

Stella Hartgard - an old, stern looking ancient woman who does the books and secretarial jobs, occasionally tells very blue jokes.

Joey Thumbs - a kid who runs errands. He looks like here really should still be in school.

The PCs who do all of the legwork.

The PCs have been recruited for their special talents to deal with unusual situations. Harrison gets jobs the mayor or others want kept quiet. Indianapolis is growing rapidly but is still about a tenth the size of Chicago. There is an urban center but you don't have to drive far to get lost in the corn fields.

There may or may not be some supernatural cases.

Posting rate will be casual. Each player should post at least twice a week. We'll take weeks off for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If there's interest, I can post character generation and more details.
 
Just to be clear, is this mission-based where the PCs are given a task by their NPC employers?
 
Just to be clear, is this mission-based where the PCs are given a task by their NPC employers?

Yes. That's how the adventure starts. But the PCs will be free to take it in any direction they want. Like a hard boiled detective movie but a small team of PCs.
 
I was one of those skeptical of this iteration of Gangbusters. The author was kind enough to gift me a copy. I'd be willing to join, and would like to try it out. The least I can do is try the game, after expressing such doubt.
 
Cool.
I'll start posting more info this weekend. As none of us have played, we'll stick to the rules. I don't expect to get into heavy action until January.
 
Here are the chargen rules:
Refer to page 7 in the rulebook, with the only changes below.

1. roll 3d6 six times in order, except as amended by 2.

2. Prior to rolling, pick one stat that you'll roll 5d6, keeping the best 3, and one stat that you'll roll 4d6, keeping the best 3.

3. Though a bit green (0 XP), you are all a special in some way which led to your recruitment. Pick one from the list below:

a. Legacy - you have a dead relative who was known for their abilities. You inherited one heirloom, picked from Personalized Gear on page 30.

b. Weird Ability - you can do something beyond the norm. Pick an ability from the Powers list on page 60.

c. Connected - you come from a wealthy family. You start with your own car and an extra $200 for equipment.


We'll be using variable weapon damage and the Shot in the Arm(p. 57) optional rules.

Anyone who wants in, post a character by Christmas. In the not too distant future, I'll start an OOC thread and start posting background info.
 
Backgrounds are nice but keep it 10-40 words long. Imagine your character is in a movie and your background is exposition between two other characters without disrupting the flow of the movie or resorting to a flashback. "Hey that's the guy whose uncle was disemboweled in that papercut incident." "I bet he's got issues and he's out for revenge." Leave the rest to be revealed as part of play.
 
I was going to make something long and fancy but am too lazy and convinced myself that focused is better than forcing players to read a tome.

Setting: Indianapolis 1924

Indianapolis is a rapidly growing though still modest midwest city. It has a population of 330,000 with outlying areas raising it to nearly half a million. It has both blue collar and white collar industries. Car companies like Stutz and Duesenberg create technical marvels, though they don't sell as well as Detroit companies. Eli Lilly has recently worked out how to make insulin on an massive scale, giving hope to diabetics around the world. The Indianapolis 500 is in its 15th year and attracts tens of thousands of fans.

Compared to gang ridden Chicago, Indianapolis seems like a sleepy town, nicknamed Naptown. This reputation is party due to its citizens being better at hiding their dark secrets.

Prohibition
Indiana went dry 2 years before national prohibition. But alcohol consumption has continued to rise. Corn grows all around the town and it's easy to convert into moonshine. Jazz clubs with local greats such as Hoagy Carmichael do thrifty business. The Anti Saloon League is strong locally and things can turn violent.

Klan
The Klan is very strong in Indiana, with membership up to a fourth of white males in the state and they hold sway with many politicians. There are rumors that some sort of devil magic has entranced people to recruit them.

Murder
In the last three weeks, three bodies have been found drained of blood - one in an alley behind a jazz club, one at the circle monument in the center of town, and one in a corn field. Despite the headlines, no one really knows whats going on.

Harrison Investigations
The crew has been hired to track down and end the source of bad moonshine. The twist is that they have been hired by a nightclub owner who doesn't want any exposure or to end the flow of all alcohol. This is a typical job for the company, walking the line of legality, trying to maintain order more than law.
 
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