Location: Redwood Towers

I've made a write-up of the latest dungeon I made for my Fallout campaign, those interested can find the PDF with maps in the download section now! Redwood Towers is an adventure for three to four players of Seasoned rank.

Strange stories about the untamed north can be heard in the bars of New Arroyo and Klamath, where the tribals who live in the mountains and the evergreen forests come to trade. One such story caught your attention: a brave of a small tribe called the Chetcan, Brahmin herders and pelt hunters, had made mention of spotting a group of heavily-packed, green-skinned “demons” marching through the Red Wood, heading toward a set of ruins of the ancient world. After their passage, loud noises could be heard coming from the dilapidated building day and night…

The Red Wood is located about seventy miles west-northwest of Klamath, a hilly and densely forested area, with plenty of wildlife and a wet, moderate climate. It is home to a small group of a few dozen tribals who call themselves the Chetcan, who live in a series of caves in the side of a hill at the south-western extremity of a low mountain range. A marauding pack of wolves have recently made their lair not too far from the tribe’s caves. To the west the mountains become more prominent, and the foothills are the breeding ground of the local gecko population. Hidden higher up in the flank of the mountain is a cave sacred to the Chetcan, the Cave of the Ancestors. To the north and west the open plain is enclosed by very old, dark woods, extremely perilous to navigate for those who do not know the surroundings. Wedged between two of these forests lie the ruins of Redwood Towers, a forgotten research facility built during World War II. A set of railroad tracks, entirely overgrown with grasses and shrubs, lead up to the facility from the east.

The Chetcan are a small, peaceful tribe, friendly to travelers and outsiders, but reserved and often distrustful at first. They have their home in a set of adjacent caves of varying size, though they spend the majority of the day outside, rarely staying in the caves during daylight hours. The largest of these is a common area where most of the tribe spends the evening hours and social activities take place. Two smaller caves are the separate sleeping areas for men and women. A fourth cave is used as storage space and additionally has room for the activities of the craftsmen and women. Finally two small caves are the domain of the tribal Elder and the shaman respectively. Outside of the caves are a handful of rudimentary wooden structures and a makeshift enclosure for the modest Brahmin herd.

The tribe is led by the aging Elder Horavilya. He laments the ever-increasing influence of the outside world and modern technology on the Chetcan, claiming that it is leading the tribe astray. His words carry great weight with the tribals and many thus follow him in denouncing external influences. The Elder’s views are opposed by a strong, vocal minority, headed by his slightly younger sister, the tribe’s shaman and medicine woman Shalawa. In her opinion the only way for the tribe to endure is to embrace technology and contact with the outside world. The tribe is divided over which direction to take, though both sides strongly desire to have the tribe remain a harmonious whole. To make matters more complicated, since the dark omen of the green-skinned demons, misfortune has hit the tribe. It is even whispered that the sacred ancestral spirits, which the tribe turns to for guidance when in need, once more walk the earth, but if this is an omen for good or for bad, no one can say for sure.

Read more here ...

Session 11 summary

Featuring:

- Craig: Pacifist Super Mutant, seeking his life purpose in tribal religious beliefs, undertaking a vision quest in the wasteland at the behest of his spirit guide;

- Dexx: Young but experienced thief, hoping to start a new, prosperous life as a scavenger after having recently left behind the street gangs of the Angel’s Boneyard;

- Rhiannon: Vault 21 outcast, thrust into the harsh, unknown wasteland, planning to retake her Vault and end the oppressive Overseer’s tyranny;

After a rough night out in the wilds, the party started once more early in the morning, continuing their way west along the deserted highway. Before long they encountered various other travelers, some of which were headed in the opposite direction. Dexx especially wanted to put as much distance between them and Landfill as possible, but Xena, the mercenary the group had met in Landfill, saw little of interest in their plan to head for the Hub. Thus she decided to tag along with a small convoy going east which they had met along the road. After a short goodbye they went their separate ways, perhaps to meet again before too long.

Down to four, Craig, Dexx, Rhiannon and Paul pressed on, and making good time, reached the NCR border before noon. A small border post, built along the ruined interstate, lay ahead of them, the Bear flag flying proudly above it. Dexx debated for a while whether it would be wiser to try and avoid official inspection, but in the end the group joined the short queue lined up near one of the manned windows. The bored-looking border guard halfheartedly welcomed them to the NCR and let them pass; to Dexx’ relief they managed to cross the border without being burdened with paperwork or taxed. Further ahead in the rest area they found without much trouble a caravan going in the direction of the Hub, which they were happy to join up with for the rest of the distance.

During the rather leisurely journey Dexx made use of the opportunity to have Rhiannon look over his ill-gotten gains, without however revealing their true origins. Immediately the odd, palm-sized metallic sphere drew her attention. Entirely smooth on the outside save for some illegible markings and a button, the device’s function was a mystery even for someone with her level of technical expertise. Though Dexx wisely cautioned her against pressing the button without knowing what the thing did, she went ahead anyhow. The sphere started flashing with a bright red light, fading in and out in intervals of approximately a minute. After the initial consternation, they decided it was probably not a bomb after all, and Dexx pocketed the object once more, hoping to learn more about it once they reached the Hub.

After three days the caravan pulled into the Hub, one of the largest cities of the known wasteland and the commercial center of the NCR. The group took full advantage of the fact, planning to browse the many weapon shops in the downtown district and sell off their excess weaponry and other finds. Rhiannon had the superior sales pitch, getting a good deal on selling everything as one package. Everyone was given their agreed on share, more than enough money for a comfortable few weeks. Paul immediately took off to invest his newfound wealth in the nearest bar, while the others decided to look for the man referred to as “Mad Pete” in one of the notes they found on the Ghoul’s PipBoy. Tracking Pete down turned out to be a fairly easy affair, as he was indeed to be found in the Falcon, a rather classy bar and hotel right there in downtown. Craig, Dexx and Rhiannon, now three, went over to the establishment and celebrated their success with a fine pre-War whiskey courtesy of Dexx.

Keeping an eye out for Mad Pete, they soon noticed a scraggy looking prospector of advanced years, already in high spirits even though it was just early afternoon, looking fairly out of place in the bar. The three of them took a seat at the table next to the man, and after a short introduction the old-timer was indeed the Mad Pete they were looking for. The prospector was quite the jovial and seemingly clearheaded fellow, not quite sure himself why the moniker “mad” had been bestowed on him. The years of digging around ancient ruins had left him with a sizeable amount of money, enough to comfortably retire. It took little prompting for him to start spinning tales about his former life as a scavenger. Some of the places Pete had visited, located far out east, weren’t familiar to them, and his description of a place called Dog Town especially caught Dexx’ attention. He gladly gave out advice and answered their questions, mentioning good places to visit and more exotic locales, said to be treasure chests for the enterprising scavenger. Despite his undeniable expertise, he couldn’t tell more about the mysterious object which had come into Dexx’ possession, though he thought he recognized the markings as Chinese script and suggested they’d take it to the Shi in San Francisco. Inquiring about the note from the Ghoul, Pete told them about his last scavenging mission to an abandoned military base north of New Vegas called Area 5, where all the others of the group had been killed and he himself barely made it out alive. After some more words of warning he drew them a rough map and wished them well on their further journeys.

Dungeon stocking III

While a great many of advanced technologies survived the devastation of the Great War to varying degrees, some uncommon designs sadly seem to have been lost to the ages. Some of these technologies had already become obsolete and forgotten when the War broke out, while others were considered cutting-edge or even still in an experimental phase at the time. Not more than a handful of units exist to this day, in many cases they are now unique items, the most valuable of finds for those scavenging the remains of ancient civilization.

T-45d Power Armor: The T-45d was the first model of Power Armor to be deployed for combat duty. It gave the US military an edge over their Chinese enemies, but by the end of the war the T-45d had almost entirely been replaced by the superior T-51b. While working Power Armor is already a very exceptional find in the wasteland, the old T-45d suits are even rarer. Due to its inferiority compared to its successor, the T-45d is only used when more advanced models aren’t obtainable. It lacks the mobility of later models due to its less advanced servo design, limiting the wearer’s maneuverability. Additionally a specialized body suit has to be worn to link the wearer’s movements to the Power Armor’s servo system and to counter the suit’s heat dissipation problems. Further limitations to the T-45d model is that it uses riveted steel plates instead of lightweight plastic composite materials, has various electronic and mechanical subsystems located on the outside of the armored shell instead of within, and most notably that it requires a steady supply of energy cells to function, lacking the T-51b’s built-in Micro Fusion Pack.

Armor: +5/+6 vs energy weapons - Weight: 0 lbs when worn/70 lbs when carried - Notes: Covers entire body, -1 die type Agility, +1 die type Rad Resistance, Runs on Small Energy Cells, 1 charge per 4 hours of continuous use

XL70E3: The XL70E3 was an experimental, conventional design assault rifle, manufactured from extremely durable polymers. It is nearly indestructible, lightweight and very accurate, while using the common 5mm round.

Range: 30/60/90 - Damage: 2d8+1 - RoF: 3 - Weight 7 lbs - Shots: 18 - Min. Str: d6 - Notes: Selective Fire, Uses 5mm clips

Tesla Cannon: The Tesla Cannon is a shoulder-mounted energy weapon, most likely produced by the US military after the death of its eponymous inventor, Nikola Tesla, whose research included the Teleforce particle beam weapon. The cannon uses modified tesla coils to fire powerful blasts of electricity, causing high voltage currents to course through the target’s body even after the initial impact. The design never proved commercially viable and was in the end replaced by laser, plasma and pulse-based weapons.

Range: 12/24/48 - Damage: 2d10 - RoF: 1 - Weight 30 lbs - Shots: MFC - Min. Str: d8 - Notes: AP4, Snapfire, Additional 1d6 damage to target for 3 subsequent rounds, Runs on Micro Fusion Packs

Shocker Glove: The FSGv118-b model prototype Shocker Glove is a specialty design of the BeatCo Power Fist. A built-in power source electrifies the pneumatic pistons which shoot forward when the wearer deals a punch, causing additional damage to the target with each blow.

Damage: St+d10+1 - Weight 6 lbs - Notes: Blunt

Pulse Gun: This experimental energy weapon, codenamed CIRCUITBREAKER, is unlike other so-called pulse weapons actually based on electromagnetic pulse technology, producing an effect akin to pulse grenades. Thus it is highly (and only) effective against robotic targets or other electronic systems. The small delay after firing the weapon and the moment when the pulse finishes building up and gets discharged, make it necessary for the shooter to continue aiming carefully after pulling the trigger.

Range: 6/12/24 - Damage: 2d8+2 - RoF: 1 - Weight 5 lbs - Shots: 10 - Min. Str: / - Notes: Snapfire, Only effective against constructs and Power Armor, Runs on Small Energy Cells

Microwave Emitter: An extremely rare, state-of-the-art energy weapon, the Microwave Emitter fires focused beams of microwaves which, while not highly damaging in themselves, can penetrate virtually any material or obstacle, making it very useful against heavily armored or concealed targets. The prototype Emitter is a bulky, difficult to target weapon, though it can be used in one hand. There is a noticeable delay between the moment of firing the weapon and the emission of the microwave beam, so the shooter has to adjust his or her aim accordingly.

Range: 6/12/24 - Damage: 2d6 - RoF: 1 - Weight 10 lbs - Shots: MFC - Min. Str: d6 - Notes: AP15, Snapfire, Runs on Micro Fusion Cells

Solar Scorcher: This unique laser pistol uses experimental photo-electric cells as its capacitor. This allows the Scorcher to recharge simply by exposing it to direct sunlight, requiring no conventional types of ammunition. The weapon will however not recharge in dark environements and becomes virtually useless once its limited battery capacity is exhausted.

Range: 15/30/60 - Damage: 2d6+1 - RoF: 1 - Weight 4 lbs - Shots: 4 - Min. Str: / - Notes: AP2, Runs on sunlight, can store 4 charges

Dungeon stocking II

Laser, plasma and pulse weaponry was widespread before the War: though not quite as ubiquitous, they were slowly starting to phase out older, conventional firearms. After the War much of this technology or the know-how to create it was lost. These advanced weapons are now a relatively rare sight, units which in one way or another survived the destruction. As various groups still hold the key to their secrets, or are on the verge of unlocking them, this technology is once again surfacing, finding eager buyers spread across the wasteland. Modifications are made to existing units, and sometimes more rare pre-War designs are rediscovered or put back into production.

Magneto-laser Pistol: A Wattz 1000 Laser Pistol which had its emission tightened, thanks to a targeting system modification utilizing a magnetic field generator. As a result, this upgraded laser pistol is more capable of blasting through thick armor.

Range: 15/30/60 - Damage: 2d6+1 - RoF: 1 - Weight 4 lbs - Shots: 10 - Min. Str: / - Notes: AP3, Runs on Small Energy Cells

AER9 Laser Rifle: The AER model line existed as a military-grade alternative to the commercially more successful models from Wattz Electronics. The AER9 was not the top-of-the-line even before the Great War, but it proved much more durable than its successor, the AER12, thanks to its titanium housed crystal array, instead of the gold alloy housing of later models.

Range: 24/48/96 - Damage: 2d10 - RoF: 1 - Weight 10 lbs - Shots: MFC - Min. Str: d6 - Notes: AP2, Runs on Micro Fusion Cells

AEP7 Laser Pistol: The AER model line existed as a military-grade alternative to the commercially more successful models from Wattz Electronics. As the lighter and less bulky successor to the AEP5, the AEP7 quickly became popular in military service and began replacing 10mm Pistols as the standard sidearm in various units, though supply issues prevented its wide-scale deployment.

Range: 12/24/48 - Damage: 2d6 - RoF: 1 - Weight 3 lbs - Shots: 10 - Min. Str: / - Notes: AP2, Runs on Small Energy Cells

Turbo Plasma Rifle: This Winchester P94 plasma caster had a modification installed to hotwire the bolt chamber. The plasma bolt formation process is hereby accelerated, allowing for a higher rate of fire.

Range: 12/24/48 - Damage: 2d10+2 - RoF: 2 - Weight 25 lbs - Shots: MFC - Min. Str: d8 - Notes: AP 3, Snapfire, Can start fires, Disintegrates target, Runs on Micro Fusion Cells

REPCONN Plasma Rifle: This plasma rifle was developed by REPCONN Aerospace specifically for the US Army. The design is unlike the industrial-grade plasma casters manufactured by Winchester Arms, resulting in a compact, lightweight plasma rifle ideally suited for urban combat. To keep the bulk and weight down, these rifles are not outfitted with stabilizing electromagnetic claws at the end of the barrel.

Range: 10/20/40 - Damage: 2d10+1 - RoF: 1 - Weight 10 lbs - Shots: MFC - Min. Str: d6 - Notes: AP 3, Snapfire, Can start fires, Disintegrates target, Runs on Micro Fusion Cells

Vindicator Minigun: This imposing machine gun produced by Rheinmetall AG stands as a witness that the classic high velocity projectile firearm design is far from obsolete. A six-barreled minigun, the Vindicator can fire up to 90,000 caseless shells per minute, giving it virtually unrivaled stopping power.

Range: 12/24/48 - Damage: 2d8+1 - RoF: 4 - Weight 40 lbs - Shots: 250 - Min. Str: d8 - Notes: AP 3, Snapfire, 2 actions to reload, Full Auto, Uses 4.7mm Caseless rounds

Updates

Added a write-up of the computer logs to the Area 5 location pdf. Also put up Landfill location and the waste yard tunnels dungeon in pdf form, both can be found in the downloads list now!

Session 10 summary

Featuring:

- Craig: Pacifist Super Mutant, adhering to tribal religious beliefs, undertaking a vision quest in the wasteland at the behest of his spirit guide;

- Dexx: Young but experienced thief, hoping to start a new, prosperous life as a scavenger after having recently left behind the street gangs of the Angel’s Boneyard;

As the evening progressed, Dexx became more and more determined to make an attempt to break into Harlan Clint’s private office and steal some of the valuable items on display there, before leaving Landfill the next morning with the caravan from Two Sun. Dexx joined the group of traders, a few of which were having a few drinks at The Hill as well, at their table. Planning to leave the town as quickly as possible after the heist, he informed the dwarf Sébastian, the only one of the easterners to speak English, that he and his friends would meet the traders outside of town on the ruined I-10 highway. Together they’d then continue west along the interstate, heading for the Boneyard. The traders all seemed in good cheer, enjoying their beers after having been on the road for weeks and were more than happy to accommodate their new traveling companions. Having his retreat covered, Dexx began looking for some additional help to pull off the risky caper. Figuring he could trust Paul, Dexx provided him the details of the plan. Luckily for him, Paul proved a more than willing accomplice. The need to alleviate his boredom and especially Dexx’ promise to share the loot fifty-fifty was a powerful motivation, especially as Paul still owed him quite a few caps. Paul agreed to stand guard and if need be, create a distraction for the guards, or in the worst case, secure Dexx’ flight from the scene with violence. Dexx decided to ask Craig as additional backup as well, though not entirely sure if the Mutant would agree of his illegal activities. Craig was busy keeping the peace in The Hill as a bouncer, a job his robust physique was perfect for. To Dexx’ surprise the Mutant took very little convincing, assuring Dexx he could count on him. The three of them agreed to meet outside the bar in a few hours, Craig’s duties calling him as a few men were about to start a fight over a card game gone sour. Dexx opted not to tell Rhiannon or Xena about their nightly undertaking, instead just telling them to meet them at the highway the next day. The two women decided to call it a night, while Dexx and Paul then left the bar and waited in town for Craig to join them. Craig meanwhile had managed to break up the fight, which earned him some spiteful remarks from a couple of the locals who seemed none too pleased with having a Super Mutant around. The three men had left the bar after that, but around closing time suddenly appeared again to confront Craig. Unfazed the Mutant met their gaze and almost casually made an intimidating display of brandishing his sledgehammer. Two of them wavered immediately and made for the door, while the third, clearly jacked on chems, reached for a knife and lunged at the Mutant. Craig easily dodged the stab, grabbed the lout’s arm and twisted it behind his back, disarming him and making him fall to his knees in pain. He then picked the man up, carried him through the bar and threw him out onto the streets, with some satisfaction watching him fall face first and scurry off shortly after. After taking his leave of Donaldson, Craig went out and joined his waiting friends.

Under the veil of night the threesome walked through the deserted streets of Landfill, making their way over to the compound. As per the plan, Craig and Paul stayed behind on the outskirts of town, ready to create a distraction in case of Dexx were to be discovered by the patrolling guards. Just to be sure, Dexx strapped on the Stealth Boy they unearthed earlier, and started moving across expanse, about a hundred yards wide, which separated the compound from the rest of town. The dark, cloudy night provided the perfect cover and all seemed quiet ahead, with only a single guard positioned at the gates. As he drew closer however he noticed a light burning in a nearby building and, in the nick of time, a guard passing by a few yards in front of him. Narrowly avoiding the guard, Dexx continued along until he reached the buildings and sneaking from cover to cover, reached Clint’s office. Observing the patrol routes for a while, he timed a quiet dash around the corner to the front door of the office, his lock picking tools at the ready. The door was secured with a simple padlock, which due to the darkness probably took him a bit longer than it usually would have, but all in all it didn’t stand a chance against the thief’s years of practice. The latch bolt proved more troublesome however. Ill-maintained, the bolt jammed when Dexx tried to open the door, making it impossible to open it entirely quietly. Cursing under his breath for not bringing any oil, he had to risk pulling back the bolt in one go: to his relief the resulting noise didn’t draw the attention of any of the guards. Entering the office, his eyes has difficulty adjusting to the pitch black interior, which made him realize he didn’t bring a lamp or lighter either. Carefully shuffling through the room, he eventually reached what he thought was the display shelf. Feeling around he gathered the objects that had a heavy or metallic feel to them, put them in his duffel bag and started to move out again. Pausing for an instant, he took advantage of a few rays of moonlight piercing through the clouds to take a look at his plunder. Apart from the desired laser pistol there were: a large, damaged circuit board, a small tin box and a metallic egg-shaped object, with strange markings and a button on it. Suddenly approaching footsteps could be heard. Dexx gathered his stuff and snuck out the door and made a break for the cover of the buildings, leaving the office door unlocked. Moving back as quickly as possible toward the town and his waiting friends, he thought he could hear shouting coming from behind him. Paying it no heed, he met up with Craig and Paul, and the three of them left the scene of the crime, heading south for the highway.

Meanwhile back in The Hill, Rhiannon and Xena were fast asleep in their room, unaware of what their friends were up to at this late hour, and even more oblivious of what was going to happen to them. Rhiannon awoke with a shock as a man roughly put his hand over her mouth and grabbed her by the arm. In the dark of the room she could see another man approaching the bed from the other side, while a third clambered onto the bed toward her. As she got a good look at the face of the third, who turned out to be a Ghoul, she remembered seeing and talking to them some days before down in the bar, naively telling these scavengers about her Vault. The Ghoul started to connect a small handheld device to her own PipBoy. Trying to break free of her captors, she started trashing around and making as much noise as possible, biting down hard in the big man’s hand and screaming out for help. Fortunately this woke up Xena, who as an experienced merc always kept her gun in arm’s reach. Assessing the situation, she grabbed her submachine gun from under her pillow and, half-naked, leapt out of the bed, running toward the Ghoul who had his back turned toward her and pulling him away from Rhiannon. A frenzied fight ensued. Noticing the third man to have a shotgun in his hands, Xena shoved the Ghoul in his direction. At the same time, the brawny man tried to hit Rhiannon, cursing all the while. She managed to roll out of harm’s way, started climbing out of the bed and ran towards the door screaming bloody murder, dragging the Ghoul’s device, still attached by a cable, behind her. The Ghoul and the big man ran after, but she managed to dodge their rushed, desperate grabs. In the meantime the other man had recovered, unloading his shotgun at Xena hidden in the dark of the room, who retaliated by emptying half a clip in him. Ridden with bullets, the man slumped back in the corner, bleeding profusely. This bought Rhiannon enough time to make it out of the door, running towards the guard room, crying for help. The Ghoul and the big man thought better of it, leaving their friend behind and ran down the stairs, trying to escape. Alarmed by the gunfire, one of the guards was already out on the mezzanine and fired a few rounds after the retreating men, but to no effect. Another guard checked the room the men had been lodging in, while Xena went through the belongings of the scav she killed, but neither had any luck finding out more about their identity or purpose. Rhiannon however took a closer look at the device the Ghoul had hooked up; it turned out to be a battered old PipBoy 2000, chockfull of data.

After the rush of the fight the two women couldn’t get back to sleep, so they started packing and prepared to leave early and meet with their friends on the road. As they were sitting down for a quick breakfast one of Donaldson’s men hurried into the bar, informing his boss of a robbery at Clint’s compound. The culprits had already been caught and were to be hanged summarily. Intrigued Xena and Rhiannon decided to take a look before leaving the town, following the townsfolk massing towards the compound for the spectacle.

Once there they came upon the grisly sight of wasteland justice. A couple of gallows were already erected, with Clint’s men busy putting up a few more. Four corpses lay on the ground next to them, while the guards had rounded up two men alive, who seemed utterly confused and frightened. Three men were already dangling from the noose, judging from the bullet wounds already dead before they were hanged. To their shock the women immediately recognized one of them as the dwarf Sébastian whom they had met only the night before. They now understood that the other bodies were the remaining Two Sun traders. Other spectators in the crowd filled them in on the details; how these untrustworthy foreigners tried to steal from Harlan Clint’s office before trying to sneak away in the night. Clint himself paced around, shouting to the people of Landfill that crime in their town would not go unpunished. Rhiannon was appalled at this mockery of justice, but it was clear they could do little to help these unfortunate men. Disconcerted, the women left Landfill behind.

Around noon the group managed to find each other along the highway and though no one knew the surroundings that much, decided to set off on their own anyway, following the road west, hoping to get to Palm Springs. Rhiannon used the leisurely hours of walking to peruse the logs on the Ghoul’s PipBoy, which included quite a few interesting leads on sites the scavengers considered for prospecting. Glad to be back in the open, Craig used the opportunity to wander off on his own for a bit of hunting, quite successfully. After hiking for the rest of the day, empty desert around them as far as the eye could see and not meeting another soul, they set up camp for the night. Once more Craig was visited by an apparition from his spirit guide, a talking, ethereal coyote, who chided him for not following his councils. The words of the coyote were unclear and left the Super Mutant with more questions than they answered…

A-Z wrap up

Well that concludes April's A-Z! I must say it was a fun exercise, refreshed a lot of things half-remembered and gave me some good ideas to use in my campaign, so I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone running a campaign. I hope it was as enlightening for others as it was for me. :)
So without the hectic pace of daily posting, I'll have time again to write out some of the stuff that was put on the backburner. Expect more items and locations in the coming weeks/months. Last week we had our tenth session (write-up to follow shortly) and so far I'm pretty happy with how things are coming along!