And now for a brief look at the previously crated Urban Jungle characters in action.

(But first a note of warning – I am not an expert on the system. Any and all errors made are unintentional. But then again, I still make errors in games I know well. So it all evens out in the end.)

—-

Felicia Flair’s childhood friend, Kitty Sullivan, now a fearless reporter, has gone missing while investigating the dealings of a notorious badger bootlegger, Big Bad Barry Bodrov. Fearing for her friend and not getting much help from the police, she approaches a Private Eye, Douglas Danger, to help find Kitty. Douglas brings along an acquaintance, Bruno Brown, thinking the big bear may be of some help.

Douglas decides that the best place to start digging for information is The Jiving Hive, a notorious drinking spot that Big Bad Barry is known to frequent. The problem is that Felicia is determined to come along as well, but she is too famous to visit such a lowlife location and not be recognised. Felicia decides that a disguise is in order and that her acting ability will help facilitate the disguise.

The GM decides on a Will + Deceit check for this. Felicia asks to use her Performance gift as well, as she will be putting on a show, which the GM allows. Felicia rolls D6+2D8+D12, getting 4, 3, 4 & 9. 3 successes. Even Douglas, as suspicious as he is, is impressed at how well she slips into her role.

(To see through the disguise requires a contest, in this case it would be a Mind+Observation roll, comparing successes, highest roll vs highest roll. The person with the highest roll wins, and it can result in multiple successes. If Felicia walked into a room with Douglas in it, he would roll D4+D6+D8, which means he wouldn’t be able to roll high enough to beat Felicia. If, however, he was suspicious and got his bonus D12 for his personality, he might be able to see through her disguise.)

As they enter The Jiving Hive, there is not much response from the patrons. Douglas and Bruno blend right in – it is their kind of place. Felicia, the flamboyant actress she is, does attract a couple of looks. After all, she is a good-looking fox, but she doesn’t look out of place, especially not with the company she keeps. While Douglas and Bruno begin to ask around, seeking out news, she settles in for a drink.

Douglas and Bruno both make Will+Questioning checks. Both get their Streetwise bonuses due to gathering information about criminals and Douglas also gets his Gossip bonus. Douglas rolls 1D4+1D6+2D12 getting 3, 5, 10, 10. 3 successes. Bruno rolls D6+D12 getting 5, 8. 2 successes.

Two successes is something a professional could do, getting information that only people in ‘the know’ could supply, while three is at the level of a master and would dig up some serious secrets.

That is more than enough to find out what they need to know, that Big Bad Barry has a factory on the outskirts of town, and in addition it is where he is known to interrogate – and then dispose of – rivals and those who cause him trouble. Given that, it is imperative they get there, and soon, before anything happens to Kitty.

But before they make to leave, their is trouble.

A tipsy cat customer swaggers over to where Felicia sits. “Say, doll, you look like you could use some company.”

Felicia looks him up and down. “I am here with friends,” she states sternly, “I suggest you leave.” As if on queue, Bruno looms large, cracking his knuckles.

Felicia is trying to make the drunk back down, which is a Body+Will+Presence check vs his Body+Will+Presence. Bruno is trying to provide an assist. For an assist, they make the same check and if they get at least one success, the person they are assisting gets a bonus 1D8 (or 1D12 if they have the Team Player gift.)

Bruno rolls 2D6+2D8 getting 2, 1, 5, 3. One success.

Felicia rolls 1D4+1D6+3D8 (including the bonus assist dice), getting 3, 3, 1, 8, 8.

The drunk, being a minor NPC, gets only D6s to his traits. They don’t get a type, just species and career – in this case a Cat Burglar. Neither of these give him presence so gets just 2D6 for his roll, getting 3, 2.

The Cat got no successes, while Felicia got two. Normally you would compare dice to see who did better but there is no need in this case, so Felicia ends up with Two Successes. Between her and Bruno’s assist, they really scare the Cat.

The Cat turns white and backs away, hastily stammering out apologies, all but tripping over a chair as he does, much to the amusement of all in the drinking hole.

With the Cat gone, Felicia, Douglas and Bruno make their way to factory on the outskirts of town, a big place surrounded by high walls, just as night is arriving. The problem isn’t as much getting over as it is in getting over unseen. Big Bad Barry has goons patrolling the compound and it will take some skill, and not a little luck, to slip by them and into the factory without raising an alarm.

Climbing is an Body+Athletics check but in this case the GM says it is an easy task that they can complete by rote. Except in cases of contests, on fairly mundane tasks and to speed up play, you can take 1/2 a success per dice. Felicia and Douglas both have two dice plus a bonus dice from Bruno assisting them due to his Giant gift meaning they have 1 1/2 successes, enough to climb the wall. Bruno only has 1 dice from his Body, but he gains a bonus dice from his Giant gift, as the GM says he can just reach up and pull himself over, giving him two dice, or 1 success, enough to get over.

Dropping down over the wall, they find themselves behind piles of crates, but to get to the factory will require leaving cover and making their way across fairly open ground, with goons keeping an eye out and lights shining about. Trying to judge the best time, they make a dash for it, hoping to avoid detection.

In this case, the GM announces they need to make a Speed + Evasion roll to sneak to the factory without being spotted, but it is more difficult than normal, because of the goons, meaning they need 2 successes to make it. Which cause problems.

Douglas volunteers to go first. He doesn’t have Evasion but asks to use his Suspicious personality trait for its daily use, saying that he will be extra wary and alert for trouble. The GM allows it, so he rolls 1D8+1D12, getting 4 & 10. 2 Successes. Douglas makes it safely to the factory.

Bruno follows. He has 2D6 for his roll, a risky endeavour, but manages a 6 and a 4. 2 successes. A close thing, but he reaches Douglas safely.

Quickly and quietly, the dog and the bear dash across the open ground between the crates and the factory and reach cover unseen. There they wait for Felicia to join them.

That leaves Felicia, who only has her Speed dice, which isn’t enough to get two successes.

Douglas and Bruno say they want to assist her. The GM asks how they mean to do so without attracting attention. They say they will do it with hand signs, motioning where to go and when to stop. The GM allows that, but says they need to make a Mind+Evasion check.

Douglas has 1D6 for his mind and rolls a 3. No success. Bruno rolls 2D6 for a 2 and a 5. 1 success, which is enough, just, to give Felicia a bonus 1D8 to her roll.

Felicia watches as the other two makes motions with their hands, trying to direct her movements. She can’t make much headway with what Douglas is doing, but Bruno’s makes more sense. Psyching her self up, she prepares to cross.

Felicia makes her attempt, with 1D6 for Mind plus the bonus 1D8 for an assist. She rolls a 1 and a 4. Just barely 1 success and not the 2 required.

Felicia scurries across the open ground and reaches Douglas and Bruno, but something caught the attention of one of the goons and he comes to investigate.

And that is when their trouble begins…