Kingbeast's Lair

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 2nd session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play. The narrator is shown in italics.]

After a near fatal accident brilliant scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla decides it is time to do more with his incredible resources. Gathering the best and brightest Nikola forms a secret organization to fight corruption and evil head-on. He names this group of heroes Tesla’s Power Core.

Gathering Clues

After assessing the crash and determining that there are no survivors the PC calm down Valerie Braveheart and ask her about Starkweather. Valerie says that she was contacted by Johnny’s friend Jim Black. Mr. Black told her that Doctor Henry Starkweather has been kidnapped by Nazis. She was investigating the warehouse and was discovered by those “ruffians” and that hideous man with the “X” scar. She then asks the PC to investigate the Starkweather mansion while she gets the story into the evening edition of the Times.

Maniac Mansion

On the way to the Starkweather mansion Liam calls ahead. A woman answers the telephone and says that Starkweather is “indisposed”. Liam tells her it is “Klaus” on the line. The woman then tells “Klaus” to “come on in”.

Upon reaching the mansion the PC decide to use stealth. Tommy Kelly takes the lead while Quigley, Brent, Johnny, and Liam stand watch. Tommy finds a gray haired man packing a suitcase in one of the upstairs rooms. He then enter a window where he spots a wheelchair and a small elevator. Downstairs the grayed haired man, Starkweather, is meeting with a woman. Tommy overhears them speaking about having “visitors”. He then finds a study with a safe. After rigging the door the teen thief starts to work on the safe lock. At this point a black sedan approaches the front of the Starkweather mansion and starts down the driveway. The PC recognize it as the same one that ran down Jim Black. Quickly Brent jumps on the back of the sedan. When the car reaches the front door Brent rolls off into the bushes. An attractive blonde woman in a black pencil skirt and white blouse opens the door. As Tommy finishes with the safe he removes a locked metal briefcase, some money, and a pistol. At this point Tommy hears someone entering the study. He quickly closes the safe then hides under the desk with the briefcase. At the same moment the four thugs exit from the front door with a large suitcase. Brent decides it is time to act and jumps out guns blazing! After hearing gunfire outside Starkweather rushes to the safe. The woman stands watch at the door to the study. Tommy emerges from under the desk with his gas mask on and a vial of toxic gas that he took from the back of the truck. He drops the vial then attempts to run. The woman heads back into the house. Outside Johnny, Liam, and Quigley join Brent in attacking the thugs. After a short exchange of gunfire the ruffians are down. When Tommy reaches the door Starkweather tells him to give up the briefcase then tries to wrestle with him. At this point Liam and Brent run into the house. Liam finds the woman, Claudia, on the phone and detains her. Brent knocks out Starkweather then ties him up.

Balloon Busters

After gating evidence from the briefcase and Claudia the PC realize that Starkweather plans to poison NY City using the gas and a company blimp. They rush to Liam’s plane in hot pursuit. When the PC catch up to the Starkweather Industries dirigible it is over the Hudson River. Liam artfully lowers the plane above the blimp so others can jump out. Upon entering the gondola they are met by a large man with an “X” scar on his forehead and four flunkies. Are these guys with the “X” scar on their foreheads brothers?!? Valerie Braveheart is tied and gagged in his arms. After espousing on the might of the Reich and their brilliant master plan to end the war now he throws Ms Braveheart out of the gondola door! With that the PC jump into action. Tommy dives out of the gondola door after Valerie. Quigley and Brent open fire. Johnny gums up the works with a well placed Super Expanding Foam pellet. When “X” falls his body slumps back against the switch that releases the gas! At the same moment the pilot who is unsuccessfully trying to pilot the gummed up zeppelin crashes into the spire of the Chrysler Building. The blimp is ruptured and is starting to fall. Liam puts the plane into a power dive while artfully maneuvering it along side Tommy and the helpless ace reporter. Tommy grabs Valerie then rolls into the plane door. At the last possible moment Liam pulls the plane out of the nosedive inches above stunned onlookers. In the blimp Brent grabs the controls and steers it towards the Hudson River. Just before crashing the PC jump to safety.

This is the end of the first daring tale of adventure that will become the legend that is Tesla’s Power Core. In our next heart pounding story the Core travels to Greece where they will learn the hard way that some myths are better left alone!

During the early 90’s I published a newsletter that I emailed out to anyone who would listen. At the time my audience was comprised primarily of gaming buddies and folks on the Checkered Demon BBS. Each issue is like a collection of mini blog posts. 😉

Topics vary from issue to issue but focus on Hero Games product reviews/rules, video game reviews, comic book reviews, and other miscellaneous news items that would be appropriate for my gaming group. Looking back I think doing the small reviews in these issues whet my appetite for the type of more in depth reviews that I am performing now on this very blog.

You can find copies of the currently posted issues at this URL: https://usandacat.com/thelair/file-downloads/other-files/

Issues 41 to 48 include the following highlights:

• The Kid reviews Lobo Paramilitary XMAS Special and H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu.
• My article on Hero System: Player Friendly, GM Ugly.
• Review of Champions Presents, Gamer Magazine, and Normals Unbound.
• Paladin’s review of the best computer games of 1991.
• The Saga Of Rolf Sanswit by Chris Armstrong.
• My review from Gen Con 25.
• A Hero System trivia challenge!
• More funny gaming quotes!

This is the last set of gazettes. Enjoy! 🙂

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 1st session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play. After making characters we started in on the first session. The narrator is shown in italics.]

After a near fatal accident brilliant scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla decides it is time to do more with his incredible resources. Gathering the best and brightest Nikola forms a secret organization to fight corruption and evil head-on. He names this group of heroes Tesla’s Power Core.

Fade To Black

The scene open in a small Irish pub located in Greenwich Village named O’Mally’s. The PC sit at a large window table waiting for one of Johnny Kelly’s friends, Jim Black, to arrive. Jim called and told Johnny that he had something important to discuss…something that he did want to discuss over an open telephone line. As Jim crosses the street with a smile and a wave a black sedan slows behind him. In a hail of gunfire he is cut down. The PC race to Jim’s aid only to discover that his wounds are fatal. Jim mutters his last two words to Johnny, “Starkweather…Nazis…” In his pockets the PC find a business card for Valerie Braveheart from the New York Times. Her title is listed as “Ace Reporter”.

At this point Johnny Kelly relates what he knows about Starkweather Industries (SI). SI is a large medical company centered in upstate New York. They are known for developing some new experimental drugs using flora and fauna from the Amazon rainforest.

With that the PC head to the New York Times. They are met by a cub reporter who tells them that Ms. Braveheart is current out on assignment. After Quigley impresses on the young reporter the urgency of their request he stutters that he thinks Ms. Braveheart is, “doing a…an…espionage piece on some local chemical…or maybe drug…company.”

Factory Tour

After a short drive the PC arrive at the Starkweather factory. Outside the PC find a truck and two cars. Neither car is the black sedan that ran down Jim Black. The truck is being loaded by several tough looking thugs. One of the thugs reminds Johnny of the driver of the black sedan. At this point Johnny decides to rig up a makeshift mine that he plans to attach to the wheel of the truck. Liam distracts the workers briefly giving Johnny Kelly a chance to attach the device.

The PC next approach the factory office. After entering the office the PC observe what could only be Ms. Braveheart tied up in a chair. A huge beast of a man with a large “X” scar on his cheek is interrogating the New York Times ace reporter. Several armed men watch in amusement. The PC jump into action! Liam tells the men to give up. Quigley opens fire when the men start to draw their weapons. Johnny uses his slingshot and one of his latest Super Expanding Foam rounds to bind them up. As the thugs attempt to escape Quigley continues to gun them down in a blaze of lead! Quigley then grabs Ms. Braveheart and pulls her back into the office. In the chaotic exchange of gunfire a round hits a tank of chemicals marked with skull-and-crossbones symbols. Acting quickly Johnny seals the leak using one of his Super Expanding Foam rounds. As the hulking man leaves through the loading doc doors on the far side of the warehouse he barks at Liam in German, “You may have stopped us now ‘Hero’ but our master plan is already set in motion!”

As soon as the PC are sure that Ms. Braveheart is not hurt they rush outside. In one of the cars the huge man is racing away with 3 of his cohorts. The back wheel of the truck is blown off by the cleverly rigged mine Johnny placed earlier. The PC jump into their car in hot pursuit. After a harrowing chase where it looks like the car will escape Liam manages to close the distance allowing Quigley to take out the rear axel of the car using his massive Elephant Gun. Upon losing control the car skids over a guard rail and erupts into a ball of fire!

Now it is up to the able members of Tesla’s Power Core to get to the bottom of this dastardly master plan before it can reach its deadly conclusion…