CRIME SCENE
written by A. Bigwood
QUICK SCENARIO GENERATOR FOR CHAMPIONS OR ANY OTHER RPG
I have found the most difficult part of GMing is the initial concept. So your PCs Hunted is about to turn up. where?, when?, how many criminals?, where are the PCs and how much do they know, has the crime already occurred or is this a tip off? The following tables are designed to address these issues.
This system is based on the sort of PC group that can turn up anywhere on the planet and is highly organised with patrols, hi-tech HQ, etc. For Dark Champions some table results may seem inappropriate or too frequent.
STEP 1: WHERE IN THE WORLD?
Travel for the discerning mastervillian
ROLL 2D6
2 Africa
3 Near Space (orbital)
4 Far Space (Space the final front ear....)
5 Western Europe
6 North America (not USA)
7 Local (Home Town)
8 USA
9 Eastern Europe
10 Asia and the Pacific
11 South America and Australia
12 Other Dimensions, Time Travel (roll again)
STEP 2: WHATS THE SCENERY LIKE?
The general surroundings of the crime scene
ROLL 2D6
2 Isolated habitation - wind swept farm, sea base etc., nearest town 1d6 days away,
3 Wilderness - trackless woodland, tundra, glaciers, deserts etc. nearest town 1d6 weeks away
4 Suburb - middle income, kids playing in the street etc. 1d6 minutes away
5 Settlement - town 1d6 hours away
6 City - Downtown 1d6 minutes away
7 Industrial - labs, warehouses, chemical plants, 1d6 minutes/hours/days away
8 Suburb - low income, high crime, 1d6 minutes away
9 Suburb - high income, high security, exotic personalities 1d6 minutes away
10 Small Settlement - village, secure facility, large scientific base 1d6 hours away
11 Wilderness - trackless woodland, tundra, glaciers, deserts etc. nearest town 1d6 weeks away
12 Hostile environment - vacuum, deep sea, poison, radiation (e.g. inside nuclear plant)
STEP 3: THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
The exact location of the crime
ROLL 3D6
3-5 In transit - planes, trains and automobiles
6-8 Place of Entertainment - Cinema, Opera, Superbowl, the mall
9-11 Workplace - office, factory, chain gang
12-14 Home
15-17 Meeting - conferences, trade shows, religious stuff,
18 Unusual - Champions HQ, the White House etc.
STEP 4: THEY'RE GOING TO WHAT?!
What the Criminal intends to do
ROLL 3D6
3 Invasion - The Fomori are BACK Ireland beware!
4-6 Assassination - Scheduled for termination GOTO STEP 5
7-8 Kidnapping - For money? or just a demonic sacrifice GOTO STEP 5
9-12 Robbery - Theft, blagging, ram raiding etc. GOTO STEP 6
13-14 Terrorists - What do we blow up today? GOTO STEP 7
15-17 Extortion/fraud - We know who you really are....GOTO STEP 5
18 Vendetta - He shot my Pa GOTO STEP 5
STEP 5: WHO'S THE VICTIM?
Type of person who is being kidnapped, extorted, etc.
ROLL 3D6
3-5 Investigator - Police, PI, bounty hunter, FBI Agent, TAXMAN
6-8 Military - Army, Navy, The Guard, UNTIL
9-11 Businessman - Executive, bank clerk, shopworker
12-14 Politicain - Presidents, Senators, Governers, and other criminals
15-17 Scientist - Normal, mad or just eccentric
18 Player character/s
STEP 6: WHAT'S BEING STOLEN?
Catagory of stolen object
ROLL 2D6
2-6 Wealth object - GOTO STEP 6A
7-8 Scientific object - GOTO STEP 6B
9-10 Political object - GOTO STEP 6C
11-12 Personal object - GOTO STEP 6D
STEP 6A: VALUABLE MERCHANDISE
Objects valued for what they are
ROLL 3D6
3-5 Art object
6-8 Narcotics
9-11 Money
12-14 Jewellery
15-17 Bullion
18 Alien Artefact (pretty but not functional)
STEP 6B: GIZMOS AND DOOHICKEYS
Objects valued for what they do
ROLL 3D6
3-5 Mysterious device (function not known to PCs)
6-8 Chemical or biological sample
9-11 Non military hardware
12-14 Information - lab notes, floppy discs or Internet
15-17 Military hardware
18 Alien Artefact (functional)
STEP 6C: CROWNS AND SYMBOLS
Objects of value to politicians
ROLL 3D6
3-5 Symbol of Authority - The Liberty Bell, The Constitution Manuscript, The Crown Jewels
6-8 Physical evidence of a crime - The Senator still has the gun he used
9-11 Illegal activity data - Watergate was nothing compared to....
12-14 Secure data - Government secrets
15-17 Ultimate secure data - Military secrets
18 Presidential secure data - Eyes only
STEP 6D: SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Common objects
ROLL 3D6
3-5 Life's work - twenty years to build
6-8 Vehicle - Everyone remember where we parked
9-11 Sentimental value - wedding ring, teddy, signed baseball
12-13 Petty vandalism - Kilroy wos here
14-15 Planting incriminating evidence - wot's this in here then?
16-18 House contents - they even took the kitchen sink...
STEP 7: DEATH TO CAPITALIST AGGRESSORS
Terrorist plots
ROLL 3D6
3-7 Arson - can you smell petrol?
8-11 Explosion - It's a bomb!, red wire or blue?
12-14 Hostages - 1D6x1D6 normals and a competent die hard(optional extra)
15-16 Riot - 1d6x100 protesters, terrorists attempt to provoke massacre
17-18 Martyr - wants to die for the cause
STEP 8: HOW MANY CRIMINALS?
ROLL 1D6
1-2 One super criminal per 2 PC
3-4 One super criminal per PC
5 Two super criminal per PC
6 More criminals than you can shake a stick at
NOTE: One super criminal is roughly equivalent to three agents
STEP 9: WHERE ARE THE CHAMPIONS?
What are the heroes doing when it hits the fan?
ROLL 2D6
2 HQ Duty - Training, monitoring police band radio, PR, backup for others
3 Covert action - non legal activity PCs are the "criminals" the target is untouchable villain
4 Interdiction - Patrolling destroyed villain bases
5 Strike Mission - Legal target PCs are the "Criminals" target is a wanted villain
6 Patrol - General wandering around looking for trouble
7 Off Duty
8 Patrol - General wandering around looking for trouble
9 HQ Duty - Training, monitoring police band radio, PR, backup for others
10 Investigation - talking to informants, word on the street
11 Off Duty
12 Campaign - preparing for an extended duration mission
STEP 10: THE TIP OFF
The next step is to determine when the PCs find out about the crime. has the crime
already occurred is it happening now or is it a tip off?
In the case of a tip off how accurate is your source and how much does he know.
3D6
3-4 Full information tip off - the PCs know ahead of time exactly what will happen
5 Full information rumour - The PCs have all the facts but how accurate?:
6 Four fact rumour - who, when, where, what target
7 Three fact rumour - any three of above
8 Two fact rumour - any two of above
9 One fact rumour - any one of above
10-14 Crime in progress
15-18 Abandoned crime scene - to late they've already committed the crime
STEP 10A: RUMOUR ACCURACY
There are generally four things that the PCs can find out Who? Where? When?
What Target? but are the rumours accurate and what happens if the PCs get a part of
the puzzle wrong and stake out the wrong bank.
ROLL 3D6
3-8 Accuracy 8-
9-13 Accuracy 11-
14-18 Accuracy 14-
The PCs should be allowed to detect the accuracy level with a successful streetwise roll
AND FINALLY
Here is an example of how it works
(roll 8) USA, (roll 7) Industrial, (roll 11) Workplace, (roll 7) Kidnap, (roll 10) Businessman, (roll 4) One Supervillain per PC, (roll 9) HQ Duty, (roll 7) 3 fact rumour, (roll 8) Accuracy 8- (roll 12) false, (roll 10) Accuracy 11- (roll 8) true, (roll 12) Accuracy 11- (roll 15) false, One fact unknown.
How that translates:
THE EUROSTAR AGENDA
HQ Duty log 10pm: A ragged looking individual staggered into reception, rain dripping from a ripped and soiled dinner jacket and gasped a name that would guarantee my immediate attention "Eurostar."
HQ Briefing 10.15pm: His name is Arnold Fienbaum and he's lucky to be alive, Bora and Le Sone snatched him on his way to the opera this evening. They took him to somewhere near the docks and tied him up while they waited for Fenris. What exactly they wanted is a bit of a mystery, Arnold managed to undo the knot they used and escaped through a window, before Fenris turned up. It's also possible that they've slipped up big time. Bora and Le Sone were speaking French, It just so happens that Arnold was able to make out a few words. In short people, thanks to Bora and Le Sone we know that Eurostar are planning Something Big, in the downtown area late tomorrow afternoon.
THE GM Version
Fenris is planning to kidnap and ransom the famed scientist and industrialist Dr Jason Wilder (C-NM Alliances p74) from the Odyssey Industries electronics factory, tomorrow morning. Anticipating trouble he will use his full team. Arnold was detained solely so that he could "overhear" Bora and Le Sone, He didn't even escape, Mentalla tampered with his memory. There are several holes in Arnold's story, firstly he is totally unable to speak French, secondly he will be unable to show the PCs where he was held captive and finally Mentalla's influence is still detectable.