Session 1 - Bugging Out

Post date: Oct 23, 2009 3:59:19 PM

Welcome to the official start of the Radio Activity Campaign.  Today we were lucky to get 4 of the 5 players to attend for the kick off of this campaign.  A couple players had character concepts in mind, others brought pre-made characters, but the focus was on creating a group. 

So the session started with the intro video from Fallout (which can viewed on the videos page.)

From there we moved to creating characters.

After a two hour character creation discussion we have the following Group.

(Important note:  All Vault Dwellers get an additional Major Hindrance in they all start with Clueless- meaning they know nothing of the outside)

Tristan - a sneaky sniper in any world is  a rogue, and Tristan is all about getting where others can't or where others shouldn't and killing those far away- Clueless, Overconfident, Vengeful, and suffer Entomophobia (fear of all insects).

Doc - our face man, medic - Doc is all about healing people up and taunting/intimidating them down - Clueless, Cautious, Overconfident, and Loyal (to Friends).  Now before you think Cautious and Overconfident are contradictory, Cautious means he likes to take a long time to plan stuff out, and Overconfident means that any plans he makes cannot fail.  Thus ignoring the tactical maxim that says no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Brecht vonBlitzburg - the groups mad Scientist with mastery of the Bolt and Heal Power (which take the form of a Railway Rifle and Stimpaks) .  Clueless (major) -- "This isn't at all what I expected to find out here!",  Curious (major) -- "I MUST know!",  Mad (minor) -- Opposite of cautious. Usually applies to scientific endeavors. Delusional (minor) -- "I will show those fools back in the vault Science! will prevail!"

"Brick" - The melee Beatstick - He is clueless, as a Vow (to complete the quest and to never betray Vault 33), Loyal (to his Friends), and Overconfident (willing to take on more than is sensible).

Benjamin Z Bonin AKA Ben or Busy - Our shooting expert - Clueless, Overconfident, Vow (to complete this quest for the vault), and Loyal (to his friends)

So once the characters were created we got down to the intro for the adventure.

The year is 2161 and according to the calendar on your pip-boy it is May 16th.  You are gathered in the Vault Overseers office.  His name is Adam Torro and has been the overseer since you were born.   The deep furrows on his head has you worried, despite his plastic smile.

"Greetings all, thank you for coming and volunteering for this special assignment." 

Volunteering, yes, you did volunteer. For one reason or another you find the stifling, over-crowded, food-rationed, controlled environment too much.  The posting in the dining hall only had read "Volunteers needed for information survey."  The last time such a posting had come up 5 people vanished and never returned.  That was 8 years ago.

"As you are aware your grandparents or great grandparents entered this blessed vault nearly 100 years ago.  Thanks to a horrid war waged with nuclear fire and biological brimstone, the world outside suffered Armageddon."

You have always believed the overseer may have come from Preacher stock.

"What I am about to tell you must not be spread to the flock, unless we want to cause unrest.  Do I have your vow of silence on this matter?"

To which everyone nodded or verbally said yes.

"Excellent, you see this vault was built by a company known as Vault-Tec and we are under strict orders not to open the door for anyone from the outside without receiving the "all clear" signal from on high.  This "all clear" comes on a special radio frequency and is supposed to send a coded string of the password.  Once received the replicator programs will switch from creating items needed to survive in the vault to items needed to survive out there. It would change everything about our lives. It would also cause the vault security and door to shutdown."  To which this last sentence seems to cause him some worry as he wrings his hands.

"So about 2 weeks ago we began receiving a broadcast on the special frequency every day for about 4 hours from noon to 4pm, but it has not been broadcasting the right codes.  It seems to be broadcasting random pass codes, like someone is trying to find the correct code, trying to break into the vault.  I am worried that there is a serpent in the garden, trying to find the fruit of knowledge that will unlock our gates, not to a new world purged of sin, but a world that is hell on earth."

"What I want from you is to travel to the location of the Vault Tec regional headquarters and find out what is going on, if it is bad deal with it, if it is good then come back here and then I can decide what the next step is."

"Now as you are aware, 8 years ago a group of similar volunteers went on an information survey to recover a replacement food replicator chip so as to relieve our rationing problem with the replicator, and they never returned.  I do not think we had provided them enough materials to ensure their survival, so this time we are going a different manner.  I have requisition from the workshop the following items for each of you:

Your pip-boy, 10mm Pistol with 60 rounds, Combat Knife, Some homemade Lightweight armor, 2 Stimpacks, 2 Purified water, 2 days food, 1 dose Rad-X,1 dose Rad-away.

And from our collected remains of life before the war,

20 prewar dollars, total

1 sawed off shotguns (clearly made with spare parts) with 10 shells

1 Hunting rifle (again made with spare parts) with 20 shells

2 baseball bats

Here is a map of the region and where we believe the vault-tec HQ is located; I will have Joseph, chief of security, program into your pip-boy the secure frequency so you can home in on the broadcast once you get closer.  Again the broadcast has been only for about 4 hours a day.  Any questions?"  He looks at you.

The group pondered and asked some questions, to which the learned the the names of the previous 5 from 8 years ago:  Anne, David, Gregory, Ingrid, Larry

When asked about what they should do if they find the any of the previous 5, Overseer Toro simply said, "If they have turned, I trust you will deal with them, if not, perhaps they are held against their will, aid them.  But under no circumstance should you betray the location of this vault, it is the only Eden in all this hell."

To which he handed Doc a map to the region, and immediately those who lacked survival guessed it was a simple journey to reach the destination, where as those with survival cautioned a more realistic distance and travel time.

They were also issued the only surviving copy of the Vault-Tec issued survival guide (See Downloads section)

Standing before the closed massive gear of the Vault Door with a few members of the Vault's security detail behind you, you breathe your last breaths of recycled air before you can return. 

Joseph, operating the control panel, causes a massive powerful hydraulic drill to lower from the ceiling and engages the center of the heavy Vault door as flashing lights and a loud klaxon warning sound fills the chamber..   Massive hydraulic locks disengage from the door.  Slowly, with a grinding screech the door is hauled from the aperture before rolling to one side revealing, beyond the metal floors, a rough hewn tunnel with a distant light ahead of you.  In the light from the vault entrance room you see bones of some long dead animal, scattered litter, and wrappers of food blow around the tunnel floor.  A distant wooden slat door at the far end only gives faint light to the tunnel.

Ben was able, through Tracking in the tunnel, was able to determine there were faded footprints of various people and creatures coming and going.

Approaching the door you feel a warm breeze.  As behind you, you hear the warning klaxon and the sounds of the great vault door rolling back into place.

The door to the outside is made of now weathered wood and a slight push is all it needs to open.  And in doing so, you get your first, real view of the outside. 

The Cave mouth is up on a hillside looking down into a dusty bowl situated between 3 good sized, steep hills.  Withered brown things, that were trees, dot the hill sides. The basin below is but brown dirt and patches of dry grass broken up by large brown boulders on what appears to be the remains of a road heading west out of the basin.  It is then you realize that some of the large "rocks" are actually the rusting hulks of cars, so smashed and wrecked that nothing could be gleaned from them except the need for a tetanus shot."

 Tuning into the radio frequency during the appointed four hours finds a Morse code transmission that seems be communicating nothing but random letters and numbers.  Though listening to over time you realize it is beaming a 10 character alphanumeric code slowly incrementing the numbers to letters and then adjusting the next column, like a thief trying every combination on a lock one at a time.

The group debated the best approach from here, until Brecht just started walking toward the ruined remains of the 15, taking along his Minions...er Lab assistants.

"Travelling north along the 15 freeway is probably the best path toward Salt Lake City.  So heading out of the basin you enter the ruins of Provo. You find a path amongst the dry brown grass and blackened trees that reach to an uncaring sky.  The Path follows alongside the cracked and half-buried remains of a road.  Where you would expect to find the remains of the town of Provo, all you see are the burnt timbers of houses and the occasional brick wall standing up.  Still, if you wish, you may scavenge." 

So with gusto, and Brick and Ben, on over-watch they scoured the ruins of Provo (using the scavenging rules), uncovering what could be best described as a shack or hunters blind.    They they recovered some Fancy Lads snack cakes, and a single anti-personnel grenade.   Fortunately before anyone tried out the bed, Tristan's Danger Sense went off and he discovered under the mattress were two anti-personnel land-mines.   With their new found loot they made their way out of the ruins of Provo and began to follow a well traveled path that ran parallel to and sometimes on, the ruins of the 15 freeway.

After travelling several hours more with the sunsetting there was a definite debate of the safety of staying outdoors or seeking shelter.  It was after the fact that "Guns" pointed out that there were tracks that may have come from large dogs, and perhaps a really big insect that did the debate quickly conclude to seek shelter.

"Up ahead not far from the 15 freeway you see a standing structure that seems to have fared better than the surrounding land, a sturdy looking diner with a couple wrecks parked out front.  And with the approaching darkness this may not be a bad place to rest. "

As Brick and Ben kept watch from a distance, the rest of the group cautiously approached the apparently abandonned diner. 

Sneaking up on the building Tristan peered in and saw:

“As your eyes adjust to the dusty and dim light you see a long dining counter to your left and booths along the window wall, one on the far side seems to have been occupied, but now the still black eyes of a skull only look at you. 

In spots of light that poke through the rusted room you see beyond the dinning counter you see a couple of stoves and a fridge, and a plethora of debris.  To your right you see a door leading to what is labeled as restrooms and a door behind the counter that says employees only.”

“You smell the funk of spoiled “something” and the shade of what remains of the roof does offer cool respite from the outside.”

“Then you hear this clicking sound, and you hear something, or somethings, move behind the counter."

Inside he saw 6 radroaches and since he is Entomophobic, he scurried away denying what he saw, that roaches had grown to the size of small dogs.  (Due to excellent role-playing and sticking to his flaws, he earned a bennie).

To which Brecht walked over to the building and tossed in the hand grenade he found quickly destroying 3 of them and causing the rest to scatter.  Regretably the noise caused a trio of Bloat Flies to leave the dumpster behind the diner to come and investigate.  After a short gun battle outside, the group entered the building and were able to quickly dispatch the few remaining roaches.  Once the all clear was given, Tristan joined the group and they were able to loot the place where behind the counter they will find two raiders each with what looks like wounds inflicted by the other.  Inside the Fridge was the treasure they both died for, 2 nuka colas and 2 purified waters.  They were also able to find some cash in the managers office as well as the register.  Outside a search across the street located some string and a raiders blastmaster helmet.

After a good nights rest the party pressed on (only after Brecht tried to activate the fusion reactor of the one not totally destroyed car, but did manage to find some junk).

From here the party tried out the Interlude rules.  With an obstacle blocking their path where someone had tried to set up a toll-booth, but were killed for their efforts, the players found themselves on the far side of a 15 foot wide chasm across a debris strewn trench.  Travelling west would put them in the Utah Lake, travelling east would take them off the trail through some ominous looking ruins.  So they scavenged a portion from a Corvega Billboard and some other scrap metal from a freeway divider and were able to fashion a bridge across the chasm, a search on the far side found a dead man stripped of his possession and a note pinned to his body which read "No Tolls, The Pass." This whole incident reminded Doc of a time of a food riot in the Vault and where overseer Toro had to come down and bridge the divide between the various factions that were struggling with the rationing of food.

Poor Brecht suffered some exhaustion from all this walking and got a sunburn, but the appropriate consumption of water negated his fatigue.

Later on, the sun struck a stone arch and reminded Tristan of a video he once saw of the arches national park and indeed it was a nice view.

Toward mid-day they came upon this scene.

"As you near the choke point of the hills to the south of Salt Lake City you catch sight of smoke drifting up a distance.  As you get closer you see a wall made of stacked up wrecked cars and sheet metal and other debris. Though from the various holes and gaps you can see inside a collection of shacks, sheds, and semi-truck trailers alongside the ruins of the  15 freeway.     Not far away a large sign of faded green and white saying "Welcome to the Greater Salt Lake City Region” which has been painted over with "Welcome to The Pass."  A man in armor that looks like a mix of sporting goods and sheet metal eyes your group warily as he holds his combat shotgun at the ready.

“Howdy,” The man says as you get close to the entrance of this community. “Welcome to the fine community known as The Pass.  Since I don’t recognize you, I am gonna assume you are new.  So let’s make this simple, you can carry your piece but don’t be waving it around. If you be hungry, hit Deb’s Dinner, if you be thirsty go to Still Here, if you be looking for a place to sleep go to the Teardrop, if you be looking to trade see Casey’s shop U-Break U  Buy, if you be hurt see if Doc is sober enough at the Still and see if he can help you, and lastly if you be looking for trouble just turn around or keep on going past.”  He pats his combat shotgun with that last bit.

And thus ended the first session of the Radio-Activity mini-campaign.  All three of the remaining player said they had a good time, and I look forward to our next game night.