Recreation on Kandinsky aka What happened to Jose?
Last night my gaming group and I sat down to play a little something, and decided in the end to take on a planet in 3: 16. I was stoked as I’d wanted to run more of this game for some time as the last opportunity I’d had was via Skype, which didn’t have quite the same feel.
So after running the three players through character creation (one had played 3:16 before and the other two hadn’t) we had 3 marines ready to go. They are:
Sgt Duke McManus (played by Glenn)
Cpl Jehricus (played by Ty)
Trp Rodriguez (played by Jackie)
While they read up on their everyday trooper shit, I did a quick planet creation and got Planet Kandinsky, a desert world inhabited by furred creatures, much like a cross between ewoks and wookies, who had the ability to impair the troopers through a high pitched sonic squeal. They were pretty tough, especially for a first game, with an AA of 7. I also used the 3: 16 supplement in the Collective Endeavour Journal to decide what their sub-mission would be on this planet, and it turned out to be recreation. So with these notes jotted down I opened the game with our three troopers hanging out in their bunks, on the good ship SS Ninja, waiting for the next mission.
I decided early that I would try and force them to get in character straight away and thankfully very little forcing was needed. All three players jumped into their marine roles with glee. I think it helped that I used a piece of advice from a recent thread over at The Forge where Gregor (the writer) talks about what he does to get the game rolling. I read out the orders and quotes for each rank from the book to get people in the right head space. I don’t know if it helped the players, but it certainly helped me.
After sitting on their bunks for a little bit, talking shit to each other I called them to the parade ground for a briefing on their R&R time which was coming up. I decided that I’d make them all do NFA rolls to see if they made it there in time or where the last ones in. Amusingly they failed and the Sarge got a dressing down by Lt. Malan the moment they walked in the door. Things were starting to shape up nicely for this squad of troopers. After a congratulatory speech by the used car salesman of a Captain, and being told the happy news that they’d get R&R on a planet of “beaches” the squad got sent planet side to start working on the pool.
An amusing drop down to the planet with more NFA rolls to see if they kept their lunch (none of them did) ended with them picking up their rifles, grenades and beach balls and heading out into the blistering hot sun.
The squad got to work digging the pool pit with some great uses of NFA by the players (convincing other troopers to help with the task, convincing the Lt to get a mini-digger dropped from orbit, using grenades as baseballs to make the digging faster) lead to some hilarious moments. However life in the 3: 16 isn’t all fun and games and soon (due of course to their initiative and go get ‘em attitude) the LT sent them off to find out why the other drop ships hadn’t reported in.
After a march across scorching sands and with one of the team getting heat stroke (after not being able to get her aircon unit working) they were set upon by a horde of raging furry beasts. They managed to keep them at bay for awhile but the aliens moved fast and before they knew it things were getting tough. It was looking especially bad for Trooper Rodriquez as three aliens ripped of her helmet and were about to do the same to her head when she remembered a time that she managed to soothe a mauling pit bull (made crazy by a female pit bull in heat). Using this strength she managed to overcome the final aliens. It was a great use of a strength and very well timed.
Making it to the other teams drop ships they found the carnage of 3 ships worth of dead troopers. After dispatching the remaining aliens hanging around a blinking box they realised they had a paradise bomb on their hands. After check it out and realising that the thing would go off if any alien got within 500 meters of it they radioed Lt. Malan for further instructions. He told them to hold the 500 meter parameter (with 3 marines) and to not let the aliens get the bomb. With a cunning flash of insight they decided to try and take one of the drop ships up and hold the parameter from there. Unfortunately they didn’t quite have the skill set to make it fly and while they were busy breaking drop ships another horde approached!
Trp Rodriguez and Cpl Jehricus took off in the other direction to get away from the blast radius, but brave Sgt McManus managed to reset the bomb and then walked into the jaws of death throwing the paradise bomb before him, managing to survive thanks to his Mandlebrite suit. The aliens weren’t so lucky and 66 of them went to their fiery deaths. The other two marines got a bit beaten up in the blast but were otherwise fine.
They barely had time to catch their breaths before a transmission from Lt. Malan came through telling them that a Major’s locator beacon had been picked up. They were to track it, find what has happened to the Major and report back.
Being the good troopers that they are they grumbled a bit, but followed orders. After tracking the signal for awhile they found a large cave with the sound of tribal drums coming from the inside. They charged inside and right into an ambush! After fighting of the furry fanged menaces they finally made it to the inner section. There they saw a body laid out on a stone plinth with Major insignia. While trying to decide what to do they were set upon by the last desperate creatures. After a dirty close quarters fight they were backed into a corner, however Cpl Jehericus had a flash back to when he was a boy at the carnival and his mum wouldn’t let him keep shooting the teddy bears to get the big purple unicorn. Yelling out “this is for you mum!” he mowed down the remaining aliens.
But the drama wasn’t over. After making their way down the tunnels to the Major’s side Trp Rodriquez realised that she recognised the prone form. It turned out to be none other than Major Jose Rodriquez her husband, presumed dead these last 6 months! They frantically get him med-vacced out and then wait impatiently for their own transport off this rock. They make it back to the ship just in time to see the planet bombarded from orbit, reduced to a smouldering heap of rubble.
They are also met by the Captain, Lt. Malan and a mystery officer who later turns out to be a Colonel. They are told to clean up and report to the Captain’s office in 2 hours. Trp Rodriquez spends the time trying to find Jose, but he seems to have disappeared again. While the others shower and take bets on whether the Major is still alive.
They have a tense meeting with the Captain where they are showered with medals (but interestingly no promotions) but which nearly ends badly with Rodriquez demanding to know where her husband is. The game ends with the Colonel telling her that “The Major is above your classification rating.”
So there you have it, thanks for reading this far (I got a little carried away)! A great game with more hilarious moments than I could put in here and open to being picked up again soon. After all will the Sarge ever overcome his anger issues? Will Jehricus get his hair to be just right? And what happened to Jose??
1 Comment to Recreation on Kandinsky aka What happened to Jose?
Hmmm, now that I re-read this I realise I need to become better acquainted with the bullet point.
January 19, 2009