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Frankenstern's Marvel - Reloaded |
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Written by Mike Baumann
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Thursday, 22 November 2007 00:00 |
Kapitan Erik van Steinway knocked the ash from his pipe and returned his gaze to Castle Frankenstern. He could barely discern the outline of the ancient fortress through the pouring rain. Suddenly, a flash of eerie blue light illuminated the high tower windows. Steinway felt his scalp tingle in the presence of the unholy energy...
This scenario depicts Kapitan Steinway's infamous raid on Castle Frankenstern and the horrors he found therein. The scenario is designed to be played by four players and a Game Master. Alternately it could be played with two players (one of whom plays the landwehr and the mob, one of whom plays the Doktor's minions) and a Game Master (who also plays the Monster).
Map and Setup
The landwehr and the mob should be positioned at the castle gate. They have an improvised battering ram and will be able to break in the castle doors in two turns. The Doktor, Eye-Gore and the Monster should be in the Laboratory. Frau Sauer,should be in the kitchen. The Undead should be placed randomly about the interior of the castle. The Monster should not stir from his table for the first 1d3 turns of the battle and begins in the laboratory.
The scenario takes place mainly within the confines of Castle Frankenstern. The Game Master may map the castle on a square or hex grid or set up scenery to represent the walls and buildings. Note: construction toys like LEGO (tm) are excellent for improvised castle walls. An example castle map is provided, but the GM is free to create his own castle with available resources.
The inside of the castle should be littered with items which can be used as improvised weapons. Frankenstern even has a variety of serviceable antique swords and axes displayed on his walls The GM is also encouraged to expand upon the scenario map by placing secret passages, stashes of loot and even a wine cellar for the players to explore/ exploit. The laboratory is covered in the special rules section below.
Outside it is night and a torrential rain storm rages. The inside of the castle is lit by torches (-25% to firing) and is 'relatively' dry. Remember to apply the 50% penalty for moving indoors.
Scenario Objectives
Here are the objectives for each force in the Scenario:
Steinway's Landwehr
With the coming of the Mordredian Wars you, Kapitan Erik van Steinway, have picked up your sword and formed a band of Landwehr to aid Krautia in her valiant struggle against the Amoricans. Your small force has found billets in the tiny village of Oregsenstein. Whilst there, you have heard rumors of grave robbing, kidnapping and other atrocities that have offended your sensibilities. The villagers all point to Castle Frankenstern as the source of their troubles. Gathering your men, you are determined to investigate the castle.
The Mob
The people of your village have been terrorized for months by mysterious kidnappings and foul grave robbery. You, Otto Withalzewerks, Burgher of Oregsenstein intend to do something about it. The madness began shortly after Herr Frankenstern returned from university. You were powerless to do anything until Steinway's small group of Landwehr billeted themselves in your village. After plying the good Kapitan with bier und schnapps you were finally able to convince him to have a look at the castle. A group of stalwart citizens has decided to accompany the Landwehr to the castle.
Doktor Frankenstern
You, Doktor Viktor von Frankenstem, are the greatest scientist of Krautia if not all Valon. They laughed at you at University, but after years of experimentation you have finally achieved your most noble work: The Creation of Life. Unlike the crude sorcery-animated constructs you experimented with in your youth, you have created a living, breathing creature sewn together from the pieces of corpses. But now, in the moment of your triumph, you spy the approaching mob from your tower window. You can not let the ignorant savages destroy your scientific marvel!
The Monster
Arrr. Light hurt eyes. Machines make bad noise. Arrr. Evil place. Must go, must go.
Game Length
This game scenario ends automatically upon the completion of either sides objectives.
Victory Conditions
Victory conditions are not hard and fast in this scenario. As with all Flintloque scenarios the purpose is for all players to have fun. The different factors have different goals to accomplish, as listed below, which will help players run their characters.
The Landwehr player wants to destroy the Monster, capture the Doktor and defeat his undead minions.
The Mob wants to destroy the Doktor, his minions and the Monster.
The Doktor wants to capture the Monster and repel the Landwehr and the Mob.
The Monster seeks to escape the castle and will attack anyone who gets in his way.
Scenario Forces
Steinway's Landwehr
Kapitan Von Steinway [Experienced Dwarf]
Standard Pistol, Sword (+2) 29 Points
Oberschutze Schultz [Average Dwarf Militia]
Dwarf Musket Mk.I, Bayonet (0) 24 Points
Flaw: Full
Not expecting to having to go out on duty this terrible night, Schultz has eaten too much of the local schnitzel and strudel and as a result is quite full.
Schutze Schmidtt [Average Dwarf Militia]
Dwarf Musket Mk.I, Bayonet (0), Axe (+2) 22 Points
Schutze Dunn [Raw Dwarf Militia]
Dwarf Musket Mk.I, Bayonet (0) 14 Points
Schutze Bismarck [Raw Dwarf Militia]
Dwarf Musket Mk.I, Bayonet (0) 14 Points
Flaw: Unmotivated
Bismarck wants nothing more than to get out of the militia alive so he can invent the jelly-filled pastry.
Total Force: 5 Dwarves and 103 Points.
The Mob
Burgher Withalzewerks [Average Dwarf Civilian]
Sword (+2) 17 Points
Merit: Motivated (Proud)
Although scared witless by the prospect of entering the evil castle, Withalzewerks knows he must put on a good face in front of the Landwehr and villagers.
Manfred Leinenkugel [Average Dwarf Guerilla]
Dwarf Jager Rifle, Boar Spear (+1) 23 Points
A hunter by profession, Manfred has been persuaded to join in the attack on the castle.
Greta Duseldorf [Raw Dwarf Civilian]
Torch (-1) 9 Points
Merit: Huge
Gretta is a large, ham-fisted Dwarf used to working in the kitchens at the village Inn.
Fritz Bergmann [Raw Dwarf Civilian]
Torch (-1), Pitchfork (+1) 12 Points
Karl Hoffendergutz [Raw Dwarf Civilian]
Axe (+2) 12 Points
Magical Ability (1)
Total Force: 5 Dwarves and 73 Points.
Frankenstern and his Staff
Doktor Frankenstern [Experienced Dwarf Civilian]
Scalpel (0) 20 Points
Magical Ability (1)
Merit: Really Motivated (Strong Stomach)
In addition, while in the Laboratory he may, as his action, throw potions (treat as a small improvised weapon for "to hit" purposes, effects are listed on the potion table.
With all his experiments and activities the Doktor is hardened to the site of blood and death.
Eye-Gore [Experienced Dwarf]
Standard Blunderbuss, Knife (0) 30 Points
Flaw: Deformity (Crooked Neck)
A murderer and thief, he eventually fell in with the Doktor and performs unsavory services such as grave robbing. He was at one point captured but survived hanging giving him a crooked neck.
Frau Sauer [Raw Dwarf Civilian]
Cleaver (+2) 13 Points
Meirt: Motivated (Strong Stomach)
Frau Sauer is the Doktor's housekeeper. Her duties include cooking sausages for the Doktor and cleaning up after the undead (who are always leaving body parts lying around). She is always prepared for the "wurst".
Frederick Femurstein [Average Liche]
Two Standard Pistols 25 Points
Femurstein was the Doktor's first success in creating a creature which did not rot and fall apart in a few weeks. He is intensely jealous of the Monster. If Femurstein is out of the line of sight of the Doktor, he will attack the monster in preference to any other troops.
Kraig Kartilagemann [Worn Zombie]
Axe (+2) 14 Points
2 Wounds
Oskar Osteostein [Worn Skeleton]
Dwarf Musket Mk.I 11 Points
2 Wounds
Wilhelm Vertabratz [Decayed Skeleton]
Fowl Gun 13 Points
2 Wounds
Stephen Sternumhoff [Decayed Skeleton]
Spear (+1) 10 Points
2 Wounds
Total Force: 3 Dwarves, 1 Liche, 1 Zombie, 3 Skeletons and 73 Points.
The Monster
Frankenstern's Monster [Veteran Average Golem]
Claws (+0)
He can use improvised weapons as long as agreed by other players during play, this can include such things as chairs, paintings, bits of dismembered corpse etc. The Monster is unaffected by normal Morale Checks, however he fears fire and must make a Morale Check equal to a Pushed Back event whenever confronted by flame. He will not attack the Doktor or Eye-Gore unless they attack him first.
Crawl 4
Walk 16
Run -
Defence 4
Wounds 8
H-t-H +3
Scenario Special Rules
Adding more variety to a standard battle this scenario uses the follow quirky and unique special rules.
Aimed Fire: The aimed fire rule should not be allowed in order to preserve the confused nature of room to room fighting within the castle
Capturing Prisoners: A character can be taken prisoner if his opponent states, before entering hand to hand combat, that he is attempting capture him. Should the opponent then be defeated he is deemed taken prisoner. A captured opponent must be guarded by at least one character armed with a loaded gun.
Civilians: Civilian is a new type of unit status. Civilians are characters with no military or combat training. Whilst rarely encountered on the battlefield, they can still play a role in the skirmish-level conflicts of Flintloque. Civilians are treated as Militia for firing purposes (i.e. Guerrillas and Elite fire first) and misfire modifiers. In addition they receive a -5% to hit in missile combat except with improvised weapons. In Hand to Hand combat they get a -2 modifier. They receive a -1 Morale modifier. Finally it takes Civilians twice as long to load gunpowder weapons. Individual status of Civilians can be any level, but the majority should be Raw. I have arbitrarily made them cost 1 point less than the equivalent Militia unit for points purposes.
Flaw: Deformity (x): A character with this flaw is physically unable to aim properly and receives a 1 negative column shift when firing.
Flaw: Full: A character with this flaw is fond of his food, perhaps a little to fond, and as a result they are unable to run.
Flaw: Unmotivated: A character with this flaw does not believe that the battlefield is where they should be. They get a -1 modifier on any morale check.
Magical Ability (1): A character with this skill should roll for magical ability as per Alternative Armies supplement “Optional Rules for Magicke in Flintloque” which can be found in the files section of Alternative Armies Notables Yahoo group.
Merit: Huge: Due to their increased size the character gets a +1 modifier in melee combat and an extra wound.
Merit: Motivated (x): A character with this merit truly believes he is here to serve for the reason listed. They get a +1 modifier on any morale check.
The Laboratory
Frankenstern's laboratory is crammed with arcane machinery, electrical apparatus and experimental potions. Any character moving at a speed greater than a walk or forced back in hand to hand combat will have an accident unless they can make Improbable Action roll. Failure means a roll on the Catastrophe Table below.
Roll What Happens...
1 Attacked by Limbs: The Doktor is one of those people who can never throw anything away, including limbs which have fallen off his undead creations. The character is attacked by an animated arm or leg.
2 Caught in Machinery: The character becomes entangled in an arcane device. He will not be able to extricate himself unless he makes an Improbable Action roll. Each character attempting to assist him adds 25% to his chance of success. If he is attacked while so entangled treat him as being attacked in the rear. 3 Clocked: The character is hit by a spinning governor on one of the Doktor's machines. He takes 1d3 wounds.
4 Electrocuted: The character collides with a Jacob's Ladder taking 1d3-1 wounds.
5 Small Fire: The character knocks over a Bunsen Burner and starts a small fire. The fire will spread by one square/hex per turn unless a character tries to douse it. Character's moving through the fire will take 1d3-1 wounds.
6 Spill Tray: The character knocks over a tray of medical instruments. This will enrage the Doktor who gains a +1 bonus in hand to hand combat for Id3 turns.
7 Spilled Potion: Roll 1d10 on the Potions Table below and apply the effects to the character.
8 Tentacle Vat: The character disturbs the lid on a vat and is immediately seized by a flurry of tentacles. The character must roll under his Defense Factor on 1d6 or be draw.
The Potions Table
Roll What Happens...
1 Acid: The character is splattered by a powerful acid. His uniform/clothes will be ruined and in addition he will take 1d3 wounds.
2 Berserker Potion: The character is covered with a berserker potion which gives him a +1 bonus to morale and hand to hand combat. This potion has no effect on the undead.
3 Depilatory Formulae: The character is splattered with Eniagor, the Doktor's new hair-removing tonic. This has no effect on un dead or the Monster, but Dwarves who lose their precious beards suffer a -1 morale for the rest of the battle.
4 Ether: This potion will cause the character to pass out for 1d6 turns unless he can make an Improbable Action roll (to represent holding his breath). Undead and the Monster are unaffected.
5 Formaldehyde: The character is covered with a noxious liquid. This causes no damage to living troops, but undead benefit from it's preservative effects by healing one wound.
6 Healing Potion: The character is splattered by a potion which causes him to heal one wound. It has no effect on unwounded or un dead characters.
7 Jar of Eyes: The character spills a jar of eyes at his feet. The eyes have hardened to the consistency of marbles while in their preservative and make for treacherous footing. Any character moving through this square/hex must make an Improbable Action roll or fall down.
8 Nitrous Oxide: This potion will cause the character to begin to laugh uncontrollably for 1d6 turns unless he can make an Improbable Action roll (to represent holding his breath). Characters can do nothing but move at a crawl rate until the potion wears off. Undead are unaffected by this potion.
9 Sneezing Powder: The character inhales a grainy powder which starts a fit of sneezing which lasts 1d3 turns. He receives a 2 column shift penalty to missile fire and can not reload until the effects wear off. Undead are unaffected.
10 Tear Gas: This potion will cause the character to sob uncontrollably for Id3 turns unless he can make an Improbable Action roll (to represent holding his breath). Crying character's will receive a -50% firing penalty and a -1 morale until the effects wear off. Undead are unaffected.
Wet Gunnes: Although the inside of the castle is dry (for firing purposes), the landwehr and mob forces have marched through a torrential rain to reach it. The first shot of these forces should receive a 2 column shift penalty to firing even when fired within the castle. Optionally, the players may choose to have the locks of their muskets wrapped to avoid this penalty. It takes one turn to unwrap a musket's lock to prepare it for firing.
Webmaster's Notes
This was originally published in Mars, Issue 5 in the Summer of 1998.
I have added to the original text and also have made changes to the scenario in order to match Alternative Armies new scenario format and make the scenario more accessible to players of Flintloque Reloaded. |
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