Thursday, April 17
Chapter 7: Thin Jack
This scenario, “Thin Jack,” is a free download from http://www.yog-sothoth.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=63 by Dr. Michael C. LaBossiere. You can read more about Delta Green at http://www.delta-green.com/. Please note: This story hour contains spoilers!
Our cast of characters includes:
- Game Master: Michael Tresca (http://michael.tresca.net/)
- Hank “Guppy” Gupta (Smart Hero) played by Joseph Tresca (http://www.creepyportfolio.com/)
- Jake “Blade” Iron Shirt (Strong Hero) played by Matt Hammer
- Joseph “Archive” Fontaine (Dedicated Hero) played by Joe Lalumia
- Kurtis “Hammer” Grange (Fast Hero) played by George Webster
- Sebastian “Caprice” Creed (Fast/Smart Hero) played by Bill Countiss
Thin Jack is one of those scenarios that has so much potential but doesn’t really capitalize on it. Consider: we have an old Wild West myth about a creature that lurks in darkness and has a vulnerability to precious metals. A movie crew arrives but runs out of money mid-production until a middling actor digs up the legendary gold mine and the creature itself. Begging for the thing to spare his life, the actor forges an unholy deal with the creature and agrees to cover up for its feedings; in return, he keeps the gold and gets his movie made.
If you’ve ever seen Shadow of the Vampire, there’s so many more possibilities here. For one, the similarities between Thin Jack and a vampire provide plenty of confusing twists for the agents. For another, I love directors with god complexes, so wouldn’t it be more fun to have the director make the deal with the creature? Why not have the thing be PART of the story, the ultimate special effect? And finally, this is a Wild West film…surely there has to be a showdown at high err…moon?
This whole plot is of course completely outrageous, so it takes a bit of convincing to get the agents to be part of it. Since Blade already has a connection to his movie star ex-wife and he wants to stay in her good graces, this is another opportunity to prove he’s cleaned up and is worthy of seeing his son more than once a month. The team also rescued a famous Hollywood writer, Randy Kalms, who’s trying to get back into the business with this daring movie.
The “Gaunt” race is actually a psurlon from Monster Manual II. Psurlons are particularly interesting, because they have psionic powers like domination. Thin Jack is intentionally manipulating events such that he can be a star and go out in a blaze of glory, just like the song says.
I used Curse of the Undead, the first vampire western, as the movie that Vanvon is remaking. The film is suitably cheesy and intentionally keeps the villain off-screen enough that Jack has time to be horrifying when he finally does appear. There’s even a red herring thrown in. It’s a good thing I threw him in too; as I suspected, the agents didn’t wait for the entire film to play out. [MORE]
Labels: d20 modern
posted by Mike Tresca at
6:20 AM
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