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Chaosium Digest Volume 13 Number 05
Chaosium Digest Volume 13, Number 5
Date: Sunday, March 3, 1996
Number: 3 of 3
Contents:
The Ooze Brother, Part Three (Chris Hodgson) GHOSTBUSTERS
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From: Chris Hodgson <chris@castlelink.co.uk>
Subject: The Ooze Brothers, Part Three
System: Ghostbusters
PART 4: THE CHASE
Getting out of the Empire ballroom might get quite hectic, even
without the possible inclusion of The Vengeful Girlfriend and those
eager policemen, but it's nothing to the reception they players are
going to get in Chicago.
After the predictable verbal opening to the chase, for which the
Ghostbuster who remembers receives 5 Brownie points ("Its a 106 miles
to Chicago.."), we must sadly jump ahead a few hours to dawn.
Valuable time has been wasted escaping the Landisburg area. Perhaps it
was the necessity of driving through the middle of Bob's Country
Bunker that annoyed the police and the Landisburg natives, but for
whatever the reason, everyone that has a grudge against the
Ghostbusters (possibly from scenarios long before this one) appears
behind them, in a car, after their blood.
The chase itself can be resolved using Car Wars rules for real edge of
the seat realism: assuming you want to be playing this scenario beyond
the end of the millennium. Alternately, you can use the rules provided
here and produce your own edge of the seat realism.
(Maybe you could play it out in your car. No I'm serious. Just don't
try and drive at the same time. Tell your neighbours Tom Jones car
parties are the latest thing.)
This is organized as a set of programmed encounters, something like
those kiddies gamebooks we all got fed up with. As well as the
different routes available, each encounter has a set of 4 different
speeds, together with a difficulty level. If the driver exceeds the
number with a Moves or Drive roll, he takes the indicated damage and
causes the indicated effects. If he or she fails, the car takes double
damage. Each car has structure points, meant to represent the overall
strength of the car.
Ecto 1 starts with 100 structure points but cannot reach the highest
speed level unless some on the spot (or on the move!) Weird Science
modifications are made, such as rigging the power plant to run off a
proton pack. This has a difficulty level of 25+. The viability of
performing this on the move is up to the GM.
It is possible the Ghostbusters have ripped off some other car. Police
cars have the same performance as Ecto 1 but only 75 structure points.
They do have nifty radios and sirens however, and a potential for
causing a great deal of confusion.
Gerry's Porsche, or any other sportscar for that matter, can go as
fast as you want but has only 50 structure points (They don't make
cars like they used to). Only the Ectomobile of course has The Machine
That Goes Ping. If you wish you could keep track of all the other
car's structure points as well, if you are a complete numeric
masochist (or play Car Wars).
Encounters
Having been chased by the Nazis, et al, for most of the night with
only Egon's lean burn fuel system, The Machine That Goes Ping and good
luck keeping them ahead, the players now reach the outskirts of
Chicago, with the police in hot pursuit. Some old grudge has ensured
that even the National Guard are waiting for them.
The fact that the players have probably broken every speed limit in
Illinois, by now, and that hasn't helped. The radio is full of hatred:
"Use of unnecessary force in the apprehension of the Ghostbusters has
been approved." But don't worry, they are on A MISSION FROM GOD. Just
as well, as the Cook County Assessors Office closes for an extended
lunch in an hour!
1. ILLEGAL EXIT OF A HIGHWAY
About half a mile out, with Chicago almost in sight ahead, the
Ghostbusters can see a heavy police roadblock. The road behind is full
of police cars (they seem to have lost the Nazis when the cops started
to appear in numbers). If the players are feeling really crazy, they
can crash straight through. This will cost them 30 structure points
and 3 police cars. Go to encounter 2 and then straight to 5.
The alternative is to leave the little road they're on by cutting
across a quarter mile of flat countryside, climbing up a steep bank
and jumping the barrier to get them onto the Expressway leading
downtown.
Special Effects
They have a choice of 3 speeds (4 if they have a faster car).
SLOW= +10, Lose 3 Structure points, Roll another +10 Drive or Moves to
avoid being headed off. ONE COP CAR ROLLS DOWN HILL.
FAST= +5, Lose 5 SP, TWO COP CARS ROLL DOWN HILL
VERY FAST= +8, Lose 8 SP, FOUR COP CARS ROLL DOWN HILL ONE FLIES AFTER
YOU AND LANDS ON ANOTHER CAR (A NAZI).
INDIANAPOLIS 500= +12, Lose 10 SP, AS ABOVE BUT LEADING CAR LANDS IN
AN 18 WHEELER
Remember the "+12" is the difficulty level which must be exceeded by a
Moves or Drive roll to avoid taking double the indicated structure
point damage.
Go to 2.
2. DRIVING WITHOUT DUE CARE AND ATTENTION
Here on the Expressway, things seem much faster and the cops haven't
taken long to catch up. Was that a sign for Downtown?
If driving Slow(+15) or Fast(+10), make drive rolls to avoid being
caught. If going faster, make +5 rolls to avoid hitting something or
taking off (Lose 10 SP. Players who drive everywhere at INDIANAPOLIS
500 are optionally subject to relativistic effects. Having them arrive
before the scenario starts will teach them a lesson). The players now
have the choice of staying on the expressway (Go to 3) or taking a
quieter route with less cops (Go to 4).
3. FAILURE TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT
Oh dear. The lights have changed. The players could stop and hope to
fight the cops off, but even then they'll be right after them when the
lights change. If they go through....
Special Effects
SLOW= Roll +10 to avoid being hit for 5 SP.
FAST= Roll +15 to avoid 10 SP (F*%#@ng Volvos).
V.FAST= Roll +5 to avoid being grazed for 5 SP, ONE CAR DEMOLISHES THE
VOLVO
INDY 500= Safe!, 2 COP CARS AND THE VOLVO HIT A GARBAGE TRUCK.
Go to 5.
4. FLYING A CAR WITHOUT A LICENSE
There are certainly less cops around here but isn't there a river on
this route? Tell the players they are heading toward a small traffic
jam and they are being chased by a police helicopter. They pass a
sign: MAYOR DALEY MEMORIAL BRIDGE.
Yes, that bridge. The one that surprise, surprise, is currently being
raised to allow a river patrol boat underneath. Pursuit is close. If
they stop, the chopper will be on them.
First, the players have got to negotiate the traffic. Tell them
they're heading toward the cars ahead and must make some nifty
maneuvers to get past them. Moderate rolls to slow down if they're
going fast, then a difficult one. Not to avoid taking damage but to
avoid losing a (another?) level of speed when they hit the start of
the bridge/ramp!
Once the players are ready to take the jump:
Special Effects
SLOW= * Oh dear. See below.
FAST= +10 to avoid 5 SP loss, OTHERWISE PERFECT. ONLOOKERS GET OUT OF
CARS AND APPLAUD.
V.FAST= +10 to avoid 5 SP loss, OVERSHOT, SPARKS OFF THE FRONT.
The chase helicopter calls up a whole fleet of police cars on the
other side of the river. Gaining momentum rapidly you go to 5.
INDY 500= * Oh dear. See below.
* The Wrong Stuff
There is a slight bang from the rear of the Ectomobile and the covers
on those stylish rear fins blow off. Busy chap that Mr Spengler is, he
completely forgot to remove that experimental JATO (Jet Assisted Take
Off) system that Rays' Soviet Space Agency friends installed at great
expense. The Ectomobile's computer monitoring system has decided that
you're going too slow and need impetuous or that you're going too
fast, you're trying to reach orbit, and it's doing its best to get you
there. Like I say: Experimental.
With shocking suddenness the two solid fuel boosters in the rear fins
kick in. Make the players do some theraputic face stretching
excercises. Then, a green head up display flashes across the
windscreen IN RUSSIAN.
An Impossible Roll on anything the GM sees fit will abort the ten
second burn just after they start the jump. They complete the Jump at
VFast speed and suffer ejection countdown described below.
If they fail to abort, the boosters burn for the full 10 seconds, then
cut out. Describe a favourite scene from "The Right Stuff": Stars
shining dimly through the strangely dark blue sky... etc. The front of
the car dips as the Ectomobile goes into a dive. As Chicago appears,
slowly, almost serenely over the bonnet, and a brief period of
weightlessness causes much jollity in the car (watch those parking
tickets fly), the automatic ejection countdown begins IN RUSSIAN.
Half way down, gosh it must be windy in there, a message flashes in
English warning that:
ANY ROOF MOUNTED EQUIPMENT MUST BE JETTISONED BEFORE EJECTION
indicating a button on the dashboard that will fire roof mounted
explosive bolts. When this is pressed a muffled bang can be heard from
the roof followed imediatly by the message:
EJECT SEQUENCE ABORTED
*UNKNOWN DORSAL CONFIGURATION*
The EGES system, installed after the JATO, still sits defiantly on the
roof. Its ability to sustain damage and yet still be thoroughly
inconvenient is demonstrated now as all its functions go completely
ape. If the players have already heard its full repetoir, play it
again at double speed. Mercifully, it is somewhat muffled by the sound
of the wind at terminal velocity. The only way to turn it off now is
to physically cut it off the roof with a proton pack.
Luckilly, before the ghostbusters go splat, Ray's parachute braking
system saves them.
The Ectomobile settles fairly gently onto an empty road heading toward
town, while the chase helicopter meanwhile takes emergency evasive
action and loses them. Go to 6.
5. TAKING RIGHT HAND TURN FAR IN EXCESS OF THE SPEED LIMIT
Suddenly you are hurtling along a road beneath an elevated railway: an
exhilarating experience until a building site appears in front of you.
You must make a 90 degree right hand turn right now!
Special Effects
SLOW= Safe, No effects.
FAST= +5 (On Cool) to avoid skidding, TWO COP CARS SKID AND HIT EACH
OTHER.
FAST= +5, Lose 5 SP. AS ABOVE BUT FOUR MORE HIT THE FIRST TWO.
INDY 500= +10, Lose 15 SP (sideswipe), AS ABOVE BUT PILE UP EVENTUALLY
INCLUDES OVER 20 CARS. POLICE OCCUPANTS ALL GET OUT AND FIRE AT THE
RAPIDLY RECEDING ECTO 1.
Go to 6
6. BREECH OF THE PEACE
Just when you thought you'd lost the Cops, a black Porsche pulls onto
the road behind you and begins to pursue. A large swastika hangs out
of one window and a Luger firing Nazi out of the other. Long range PKE
detectors in Ecto 1 might register a periodically materialized ghost.
The Machine That Goes Ping will do so if your D6 rolls an unnatural
"1". It is Gerry/Plenck. Go to 7.
7. FAILING TO STOP AT A POLICE ROADBLOCK
They mean business this time. There is an 18 wheeler blocking the
road. If the Ghostbusters are going at least FAST and are prepared to
leave 40SP of roof behind, they can drive underneath. If they do, go
straight to 10.
The only other alternative is to crash through a line of traffic cones
and a sign onto a road that's conspicuously empty (Go to 8 below).
Closely followed by the Ecto-Porsche (which incidently can go under
the truck without damage, it being A Tiny European Car), Plenck will
use his Animate power on the traffic cones causing them to cluster
onto the Ecto-mobile and begin devouring it at a rate of one SP per
round per cone (actual numbers up to the GM). Only way to get them off
is to send someone out with a proton pack. That'll keep the passengers
busy.
Other suggestions for spicing up things in the car are The Oil Leak
(see the film) and The Possession, in which Plenck uses his Zip and
possession power to try and gain control of Ecto 1. Yes, you too can
play out your favourite scenes from The Exorcist in the middle of the
car! Will they ever get the green vomit out of the upholstery?
8. DRIVING ALONG AN UNFINISHED ROADWAY
But, this isn't just any piece of unfinished road. This will
eventually be Chicago's first "Sky-Over", a road that carries its
users way over the town centre traffic below. Unfortunately, it's not
finished. This long empty road goes straight up into empty space.
At this point, with the Nazis behind them and the void in front, the
Supreme Being will interfere on the Ghostbuster's side. No matter what
extremely unlikely stunt they try and pull, it will succeed (as in the
film) but unfortunately the Nazis won't. A spectacular fall from this
height will incapacitate Gerry, but Plenck will still be around for
the final showdown.
If they go back down the road, they will have to cross over onto
another lane again. They have a choice: one is covered in National
Guard troops, the other is clear... but going the wrong way. Go to 9
and then 1 (Wrong way road) or 10 (National Guard road block).
9. DRIVING THE WRONG WAY UP A FREEWAY DOWNRAMP
Wow! Look at all that traffic! All coming right at you! Unless they do
one awesome U-turn (one roll at double the indicated difficulty) and
start following the traffic out of Chicago (start at 1 again), they
must roll 10 times to avoid losing 5 SP each hit.
SLOW= +13, FAST= +14, V.FAST= +15, INDY 500= +17.
(No police. They've learnt their lesson by now.).
Having completed that, the way to 12 is clear for you. Even if you
have to complete it on foot...
10. FAILING TO STOP AT A NATIONAL GUARD ROAD BLOCK
Yes another roadblock, but this one has tanks. There is a small gap
between the two tanks, but an awful lot of weaponry is aimed at the
guys. There is an alternative: on their left is a shopping mall (See
11). If they go for the roadblock (Brownie points and stiff upper lips
all round) whistle the last post. Mass sounds of weapons being cocked.
Luckily that Supreme Dude is still watching them, and if they are
going V.FAST or above (slower takes 20 SP damage from near misses),
every single bullet and shell will miss and strike the car immediately
behind. All four wheels and the engine of the car, be it Porsche or
leading cop will be blasted off. It will then skid to a blasted halt.
Even if the Porsche is completely destroyed Plenck can materialize in
front of the startled soldiers and continue using Zip.
11. MALICIOUS DESTRUCTION OF AN ENTIRE SHOPPING MALL
Each round they are in the Mall the players must make a difficulty
roll to avoid demolishing a randomly determined shop. First, roll to
see the shop they are hurtling to avoid.
SHOPS TO BE DEMOLISHED TABLE
2 Greengrocers
3 Burger Bar (Fragile. With a Volvo owners club meeting inside.)
4 Cafe
5 Liquor store
6 Malt shop
7 Pet store
8 D.I.Y. store (Full of paint)
9 Drug store
10 High class fashion store (full of dummies)
11 Hardware Store
12 Sex Shop (full of ...well, whatever)
Driving through a shop does 1SP of damage.
SLOW= +5, FAST= +10, V.FAST= +15, INDY 500 =+20.
Everything the Ectomobile misses will be hit by 1-3 cop cars and
jeeps. Cool characters can grab stuff from the shops as they hurtle
through (+10 on Cool). The car will of course be covered in debris
anyway. The Ecto-porsche will hit each shop 50% of the time and after
hitting three will halt. The only way out is to drive straight through
a wall: this will do 20 SP damage, but will get them on a road
straight to the city centre and the Cook County Assessors Office.
12. CLIMAX
Suddenly they are driving across a beautiful pedestrian plaza sending
happy-go-lucky natives scattering for cover. They pull up outside a
large black building with "IRS" conspicuously prominent.
The last Ghostbuster out of the car must imediatly make a +15 Cool
roll to avoid slamming the car door. If he fails, and Ecto 1 has taken
more than 60 points of damage, the heroic vehicle will instantly
collapse into a pile of scrap (with possibly one last pathetic ping
from the ever-mysterious machine).
Once inside the building, they must find the right office. If you are
feeling particularly cruel at this point you can put them through the
relevant Routine (see GM Book). However, bear in mind the police and
National Guard right on their trail. Once on the right floor and in
the right office they find that Steven Speilberg, working here part
time, is having a lunch break.
STEVEN SPEILBERG
Almost supernaturally successful film Director
Brains 5 Not Get Oscar 10
Cool 3 Cajole Child Actor 8
Moves 4 Drive Steadicam 7
Muscle 2 Carry Wallet 5
Distinctive Mannerisms: Starts every sentence with "Well..."
Mr Speilberg can quickly be convinced to open the office up, but
before he can get the paperwork ready, the lights suddenly blow out
and Plenck erupts through the floor, carrying a Bazooka! Luckily, he
is an awful shot and only a few brownie points, and a lot of scenery
can be lost. Driven mad by vengeance and by being dead anyway, Plenck
then fights to the end, possibly even using Possess on one of the
Ghostbusters (or even Steven Speilberg, who will then go on to make an
even better version of "Poltergeist").
With the Nazis safely disposed of, the ghostbusters are free to hand
over the gold shortly before the forces of Law arrive in heavily armed
numbers.
THE AFTERMATH
The Orphanage is saved. But the police want blood. If you are
determined to follow the events of the film, they are headed for the
Juliet (as in prison) prison band, whether they can sing or not. A
large trial is in order at least. They'll have to defend themselves of
course (no sane lawyer will touch this case, though Tully might be
persuaded after his incredible performance in Ghostbusters 2) but
luckily they have all the cute kids and nuns of the orphanage on their
side, together with Sparky who will ensure a great deal of public
support.
The truth is, they can't lose the trial, as the Mayor, in the best
Chicago tradition is a militant Catholic who is ecstatic that American
Weird Science is now serving the Pope (apparently) and has bribed the
jury. Not only will they go free, they will be invited to set up a
local franchise and be presented with a replacement car. As so much of
the police force was destroyed in the chase, they've decided to sell
of the survivors and equip the whole force anew with Ford Jelly Molds.
There is an inevitable "Sparky: the Movie".
If the players have the chicken, shame on you; she could have become a
future arch nemesis in hiding. Use of the Aura Video Analyzer will
confirm that she is possessed by the spirit of Adolf Hitler, a fact
that Egon recommends should be kept secret, if only to keep Mossad off
your backs.
Finally the players are presented with one of the surviving police
cars: smaller than Ecto - 1, but with a 440 cubic inch cop power
plant, cop tires, cop shocks, the works. Only problem is the cigarette
lighter doesn't work.
NOTES FOR CONVERTING THE OOZE BROTHERS TO AD&D
Change all references from Chicago to "Tekupiq", a charmingly
beautiful semi-medieval Land besieged on all sides by the Forces of
Darkness which threaten to swamp the hobbits with democracy,
hospitals, human rights, central heating, foreign aid etc..
The Madonna is a Statuette of Futility (+3) giving the wearer +5
Charisma, -10 Intelligence and subsequent craving for herring in sour
cream.
Ecto-1 is a Moldybeanean War Galley, seating 50 in comfort and 150 in
desperate circumstances. Maneuverability is 1G per rounded; phaseturn
and observation is also good (Otherwise treat as a Volvo). The stereo
is OK, if you like monotonous percusssion. *
The Creature From Beyond can be either a Lich (18th Level with
unlimited Disintegrate), or a two piece dinner with coleslaw & fries.
Father Charles is a 10th level Bard/Monk. Carrie Fisher is the
Princess of Tekupiq, John Lee Hooker is the Emperor of the Blues and
Tom Jones is a small brown coffee stain on your GMs screen called
SIMON.
* If using these rules don't let them try the parking maneuver
outside the restauraunt.
--------------------
The Chaosium Digest is an unofficial electronic 'zine about Chaosium's
Games. The old digests are archived on ftp.csua.berkeley.edu in the
directory /pub/chaosium. Ghostbusters is a trademark of Columbia
Pictures Industries Inc. Your Apparition is Our Opportunity.
