Post date: Jun 21, 2010 1:57:12 AM
These are the rules I used for the train top battle for the scenario of Doom Train. A large portion of the rules were taken from Triple Ace Games Pulp Adventure "The Palladium Peril" but tweaked to account for the setting and the higher level and number of the Players (their adventure is for 4 35xp characters, this is for 5 40xp characters) .
From Left to Right - Caboose, Cattle Car, Passenger Car, Engine.
1) Boarding the Train:
PC’s see that there is an over pass to which they can reach and try to jump down on the train as it passes underneath. [An Agility Check: Crit Failure – Land on last car, prone, shaken, and take 1 wound. Failure – land on last car, prone, and shaken. Success – land on last car, prone. Raise – land on last car, standing.]
2) On board.
No sooner do the PCs land then Raiders start climbing up on the roof. There is no limit of the number of raiders per hero (think of them as monster generators that will only stop once disconnected. [GM Change – Next time limit the number of rounds you can have raiders appearing equal to number of player +1 – use beads as reminders]
3) Each Round.
Before action cards are dealt, roll a d4+3 (1/2 the party size rounded up) for the number of raiders making an appearance. Spread them as equally as possible along the train, beginning with the front car since there is no limit to the number of raiders that could possible show up, if a rail car is disconnected, pretend to place raiders on that car, so as the numbers do not become overwhelming. Raiders climbing onto the roof counts as an action but does not take any movement (so a Raider climbing onto the roof and shoots is at a -2 for the double action and another -2 for being on an unstable platform for a total of -4).
Deal one action card for each carriage – all the raiders who begin the round on that car use that action card. This prevents all the Raiders from going at the same time and breaks up the flow of combat more equally. If train cars are disconnected, make sure reinforcements are also placed there so as to reward the PCs for good thinking.
4) Along the way.
The train will continue to pick up speed as it heads north toward Railyard. Common things that I can see happening.
a. Unstable Platform – EVERYONE on the train without the Steady Hands Feat is a -2 for shooting.
b. Movement – Movement on top of the train counts as difficult ground if a hero is standing, due to the buffeting winds (This does NOT apply to the Cattle Car).
c. The gap between the cars is 1.” Leaping from car to car on a stationary train is fairly easy. On a moving train, it requires an agility roll unless the character makes a running jump of at least 2”. Failure cause the jumper to fall (as noted below in knocking someone off the roof).
d. Grenade thrown/Flamer Shot into a car. Roll to Hit. For each success and raise, skip one person appearing on the car from the roll noted above.
e. Knocking someone off the roof. Any character Shaken or wounded must make an Agility roll as a free action. With success, they remain on the train. Extras who fail fall from the train to their deaths. Wild Cards are left dangling by one hand as the train thunders through the wastes. Climbing back onto the roof requires a Strength roll as an action.
f. Separating a car from the train requires a character to drop into the gap (using 2” of their movement to go either up or down), and make a Strength roll as an action. With success it drops back 1” from the car to which it was attached (so the gap between them is 2”). The distance widens to 3” on the round after that. Beyond 3” the gap is too wide to jump. [GM Note: Upon disconnecting a car award every member of the party a Bennie, this is more due to the toughness of the raiders and to encourage them to act this way]
5) Hazards to deal with.
Check the list below whenever a deuce is dealt as a characters first action card (so Level Headed heroes aren’t affected more than others, and Quick characters aren’t immune). Yes, many things can occur in the same round if multiple deuces are dealt. [NOTE: Those on the Lower Cattle Car are not affected by i or ii]
i. Club: Overhang: A light post, a tree branch, a leaning power pole is hanging over the train. A hero who uses the overhang to perform a successful Agility Trick, can either move up to 6” toward the rear of the train for free (it doesn’t count against their pace for the round) or make a free fighting roll (no multi-action penalty) as if he had the Sweep Edge against all adjacent foes, as part of the Trick. Shaken foes are simply left stunned at the characters audacity and pluck.
ii. Diamond: Duck!: The train rounds a bend and speeds beneath a low bridge or under some thick branched dead tree. Have every person atop the train make an Agility roll (grab a handful of dice for the Raiders – a Group roll is no fun in this event). With success, the character is placed prone. Failure causes the character to suffer 2d6 damage and be knocked 1d6” toward the rear of the train. Survivors are automatically prone. Any Extra carried over the back of the train dies. Wild Cards are left hanging by one hand. Climbing back onto the train requires a Strength roll and takes an action.
iii. Heart: Wild Gunfire: Someone inside the train opens fire with an automatic weapon. Roll a d6 for each person on the car of the character that drew the deuce. A roll of 1 indicates the character is hit for 2d6 damage.
iv. Spade: My Foot!: The foot of the poor sap that drew the deuce breaks through the roof. Releasing it requires an agility or strength roll (characters choice). Until freed, he cannot move.
6) Stopping the train.
Do not be precise on the speed of train, other than “it’s the fastest you have ever travelled in your life.” Once the PCs reach the Passenger car, just say they can see the Watertower of Railyard in the distance. [GM Note: I added down glass beads, 10 of them, removing one per turn unless I felt it dramatically appropriate to have the train lurch ahead, and thus remove two beads] Once they reach the engine, say they can see the walls of Railyard faintly, but closing fast. To stop the engine requires either two successful Driving Checks and/or to disable the engine with a Repair check with a Raise. When the PCs stop the train, have it coast to a stop just a few feet from the Railyard walls.