Fallout: The Savage Wasteland

Game Master thegreenteagamer

"It seems the queen has some kind of blast resistant jelly or some such inside her shell. Perhaps it can be harvested."

Or you just threw short and there were too many ants for her to get hit.

I like mine better.

Besides, "not hitting the target" is what happens when I don't hit TN 4 to put it where I want, according to the grenade rules.

Rufus shoulders Ol' Bessie and swings Mabel down, taking a second to admire her curves. He raises the shotgun to his shoulder and fires at the nearest Soldier Ant.

GUNS!: 1d10 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2 and Wild: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Bennie, Guns!: 1d10 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 5) = 17

Gonna be a delay on that, Rufus. Initiative changes turn to turn on SW - So you may go before the ants, or if they draw high, they may go again be off you. I'll save your rolls though. Both those 6s aced...too bad you didn't shoot the queen with that.

After Mickey, the new initiative will be:
Marcus and Spencer - 10+
Ants - 9
Rufus, Mickey, and Fitz

Mickey moves in for a better angle, pulls the pin on a frag grenade and counts to cook it.

"I'm making some room. One. Two. Fire in the hole!"

Move to (T,24). Dim light penalty (-1). Aiming to kill as many of the ants pressing on us without risking hitting friends.

Explosives: 1d8 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7
Wild: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Ace: 1d8 ⇒ 1; Total =8, Success with raise.

Damage: 3d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 5) + (1) = 11

"Keep the fire goin' I'll hold the front!"
Hitting the SA in (S,26)

Wild Fighting: 1d10 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 2 + 2 - 1 = 12
WWD: 1d6 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 - 1 = 5
Total=12. That's a raise!

Damage: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3) + 2 = 7
Raise: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Total 10, with AP 3. I killed it dead.

Normally, AoE effects ignore armor entirely unless armor covers the entire body - ant carapaces cover the entire body, so that's when regular AP kicks in, so...considering AP, that's about 12 damage vs toughness - if it's actually a raise. As I said earlier, grenades and other non-impact explosives are an opposed agility roll

7 frickin workers!: 7d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 6, 6, 2, 5, 1) = 25
the two aces: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4
One miss, two hit, four raises

5 soldiers: 5d6 ⇒ (5, 4, 6, 2, 3) = 20
the one ace: 1d6 ⇒ 3
One miss, one hit, three raises

SO, without the raise, it's enough to kill the workers and shake the soldiers...with the raise it's enough to even kill the soldiers (just barely) so...

Spending common pool bennies to soak for the soldiers that were raised against

Three Common pool bennies: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 5) = 16 BOOYA!
So we have six dead workers, one unaffected worker, a shaken soldier, and four unaffected soldiers - altering map, asterisks are shaken, and moving Mickey where requested. Marcus and Spencer up before the ants again.

The blast blows the living crap out of the worker ants, but the soldiers, for the most part, seem unfazed.

I've already cleaved one o' those bugs in half. Unless I'm missing somethings, that's it

Spencer lets the new rifle swing back down now that the ants are moving in close. He pulls up his shotgun and blasts away at the nearest soldier, this time firing under Fitz's arm.

Shooting: 1d8 + 2 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 - 2 - 1 = 2
Wild: 1d6 + 2 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 - 2 - 1 = 2 Grr... Gonna go ahead and use my second Benny.

Shooting: 1d8 + 2 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 - 2 - 1 = 1
Wild: 1d6 + 2 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 - 2 - 1 = 3 Damn.

Unfortunately the blast doesn't quite hit the ant, and Spencer shakes his head. "More grenades! Kill the queen and let's get out of here!"

I've already cleaved one o' those bugs in half. Unless I'm missing somethings, that's it

That was last initiative. This is a new round. I told you initiative changes round by round in SW. You were last in round 1, first in round 2

Spencer blasts but at the last second the ant moves out of the way.

"More grenades. Coming up!"

Mickey readies another grenade and chucks it at the swarm of ants.

Again, trying to hit the most soldier ants possible. Draw grenade (-2), dim light (-1).

Explosives: 1d8 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 2 - 1 = 2
Wild: 1d6 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 2 - 1 = 1

Spending benny. 2 left.

Explosives: 1d8 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 2 - 1 = 1
Wild: 1d6 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 2 - 1 = 3
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 3; Total = 6, Success.

Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 1) = 7

Threw a dud, apparently.

You all can hear the chittering noise emitting from all around you, echoing through the halls as the queen makes her summoning call.

The queen moves her bloated frame forward slowly and spits a glob of acid from her mouth at the nearest target, Marcus:

Attack: 1d10 - 2 ⇒ (7) - 2 = 5 = Hit
Wild: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1
Damage: 2d8 ⇒ (6, 8) = 14 (rut roh!)
Ace: 1d8 ⇒ 7 = Total 21 vs Toughness 11 vs Ranged (FYI: your stats should say 9/11 vs energy (3/5) to represent the armor and shield, NOT 6, and your parry should say 9(2), not 7, per your shield) = Hit with 2 raises (possible 2 wounds)

Unshake the Soldier: 1d6 ⇒ 3

The shaken soldier is unable to break the shake. The others, meanwhile, swarm...

Worker1 vs Papa: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Worker2 vs Papa: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Soldier vs Fitz: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

But they cannot get a bite in on either of them!

Vs TN 6, per Mickey's throw
3 workers agility: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 5) = 13
4 soldiers agility: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 6, 4) = 13

The blast Mickey throws is a weak one, but it finishes off the already shaken soldier, and those workers and soldiers that do get hit that were uninjured are shaken by it.

Rufus then fires one square at the nearest Soldier harassing Fitz and annihilates it.

Fitz is up, and then after him, new initiative:
Spencer will have a JOKER
and then the ants again
and the rest of you.

Don't forget to either take your damage, Marcus, or spend bennies to try to soak.

"The rest of you with your guns out, aim for the queen! I'll try to hold off these others!" he says, and aims a brutal 1-2 assault at the Soldier who tried to bite him.

Fighting Gauntlet: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Fighting Kneeckles: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3
Wild: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3

Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 4

I can't remember if a 10 is a Raise or not. They have Parry 6 I think? But not sure.

Damage: 1d8 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + (4) = 8
Raise?: 1d6 ⇒ 4

So 8 or 12 damage, and AP 1.

Rufus already killed it with his roll earlier. Look at the map. You need to move to hit a soldier. All the grenades cleared a lot. You can keep those rolls and choose another target.

Nearest worker then.

I'll try to soak
Soaking: 1d6 ⇒ 4
So I get to soak one wound, am I right? But I still would be shaken and have 1 wound? And stats already fixed

EDIT: Forgot the Wild Die
Wild Soak: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Correct, unless you want to spend a second Benny and try again. They do not stack, but you take the better of either result...but soaking gets progressively harder with each wound, so avoiding them early is good...though if you get hit hard later and have no Bennies that's risky too.

I don't want to risk dying because of maximum Hit Points madness. I'll keep the 2 other bennies for the rest of the combat, maybe I can get a stimm if there are any left or pass the shaken and suck the wound

You also forgot your wild die. Everything except damage gets a wild die for wild cards like you.

Passing Shaken does not lose wounds. Soaking all wounds stops shaken.

Spencer nods at Fitz's plan, and drops to a knee as he shoulders the shotgun. "I'm keeping them off you." He pulls the barrel up and blasts away at the nearest ant again.

+2 shotgun, -2 wounds, -1 light, +2 Joker
Shooting: 1d8 + 2 - 2 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 - 2 - 1 + 2 = 2
Wild: 1d6 + 2 - 2 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 - 2 - 1 + 2 = 5 Thank god for the wild die...

Damage: 3d4 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1, 4) - 1 + 2 = 7 Ace: 1d4 ⇒ 1 8 with 2 AP.

Spencer, take a look at the innocent bystanders rules and decide if you want to Benny that...because as it is you shot Fitz. 1 on the die (or 2 with shotguns) with ranged weapons regardless of the wild die hits an adjacent target.

Fitz splatters a nearby worker, while Spencer finishes off one of the shaken soldiers.

Unshake: 1d6 ⇒ 3

The soldier simply cannot Unshake his stunned condition.

Meanwhile the queen hocks another acid loogie at Marcus, still the closest, after lumbering a little closer, now within her short range.

acid spit: 1d10 ⇒ 8 = Raise
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Damage: 2d8 + 1d6 ⇒ (7, 7) + (3) = 17 vs 11 toughness vs ranged = Raise (so two more wounds since you were still shaken - remember you can't soak more than these wounds in on soak and you now have a wound penalty when trying to soak).

The other ants attack their nearest targets as they rush in.

Worker vs Papa: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Soldier vs Fitz: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Neither can seem to bite either.

You now can see a huge swarm coming in behind you from the east as the queen summons the whole hive.

Everyone but Spencer now up

You may want to spend your last benny trying that again. Next hit you drop, and there's a lot of ants coming if you guys don't kill that queen...look at the map.

"Forget the small ones! Focus firepower on the Queen!"

Fitz shakes his gauntlet off, stows it quickly, and draws his Laser Rifle.

Soak it all!: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Wild Die: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Hello darkness my old friend...

Ouch...well...um...you stil might get lucky with your spirit roll to unshake. At -3...you still have your turn. It might be a good time to use a stimpak.

Rufus glances behind him and begins cursing loudly. "We got more comin' in behind us, and they don't look happy!" He shoulders the shotgun and fires at the Queen!

Guns!: 1d10 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6 and Wild!: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 1, 3) = 8

Let's hope for a nice exploding dice...

Unshake it: 1d6 - 3 ⇒ (2) - 3 = -1

Wild Die: 1d6 - 3 ⇒ (3) - 3 = 0

"It f&+~ing hurts, I'll need a hand or ten here!

Yells as he is visibly angered because of the acic blobs and the cruel fate of the Gods.

All attacks directly against the queen are at +2 because of her massive size...so Rufus actually hit with a raise.

Rufus Raise Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3 = Total 11

Somehow, the direct blow from Rufus's shotgun pings off of the queen's huge body.

This is easily the toughest thing you've fought. I...I may have put far too many ants in this hive. Um...sorry about that. At least they bottleneck to get to you. The queen is a tough old broad. The ants ALL have +3 armor from their carapaces, and the queen is size +4, so she's a hard one to hurt.

I'm gonna call this a level up instantaneously if you guys win. Like a full 5 exp. This b*tch is crazy. She's got a 15(3) toughness. Head shots, explosives, and the like may help...

Mickey curses loudly as he draws another grenade. And gets behind the others.

"Finish that thing off, I'll keep the welcoming committee busy!"

Mickey threw the grenade underhanded at the approaching swarm.

"Eat this, you ugly bastards!"

Move to (X,23), ready grenade (-2), dim light (-1).

Explosives: 1d8 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 2 - 1 = -2
Wild: 1d6 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 2 - 1 = -1

Gonna benny. Down to 1.

Explosives: 1d8 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 2 - 1 = 3
Wild: 1d6 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 2 - 1 = 3
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 3; Total = 6, Success.

Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 6) = 10
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 2; Total = 12

All attacks directly against the queen are at +2 because of her massive size...so Rufus actually hit with a raise.

Not asking for a retcon, just pointing out...shouldn't that mean my grenade f**@ed her up? She got a 5 vs TN 5 after penalties, but not including a +2 to-hit.

Actually, yeah...even vs her hi toughness that would be an incapacitation. (Cant do more than an incapacitation) so let's waste Bennies assuming she tried to soak.

SoakAttempt: 1d12 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 1

SoakAttempt2: 1d12 ⇒ 1
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Thats both of her wild card Bennies, now onto common pool, because 1 soak would still leave her w/3 wounds, unacceptable with a dang d12

SoakAttempt3: 1d12 ⇒ 11
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 5

That's more like it. Plus one more benny to unshake without a roll to justify the attack vs Marcus, now shehas two wounds but isn't shaken, and only one common pool Benny remains.

Noice, noice. Now get her while she's (almost) out of Bennies!

WorkersAgility vs Grenade TN6: 5d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 3, 2, 2) = 17
Just gonna say that's the one furthest in the back that made it
SoldierVsGrenade: 1d6 ⇒ 4

All the workers in the blast radius save one at it's edge take the full brunt of blast and body parts fly everywhere. (Just barely, thanks to that AP1) The soldier seems stunned by the general situation.

NEW INITIATIVE:
Mickey - JOKER!
Fitz - Queen
Ants - Jack
Everyone else - Less than a Jack

Well, I was hoping I would get a Joker, but I guess Mickey works too. =)

Mickey remembers Spaulding's heroic sacrifice, and growls. He levels his shotgun at the soldier ant and fires.

Firing at shaken Soldier Ant at (AF,23). Joker (+2), shotgun (+2), dim (-1).

Guns: 1d8 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 - 1 = 7
Wild: 1d6 + 2 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 - 1 = 6; Total= 7, Success.

Damage: 3d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 3, 4) + 2 = 15
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 3; Total = 18

Nobody ever listens to Fitz. *sigh*

"I said shoot the Queen! They'll turn on each other if the Queen is killed!"

He takes aim at the queens head (or whatever passes for it) and squeezes the trigger.

EWeps: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (6) - 2 = 4 That's -4 headshot, +2 her HUGEness.
Wild: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (6) - 2 = 4

Aces: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7

Total: 11, Raise City USA, here I come.

Damage + Raise: 3d6 + 5 ⇒ (6, 1, 3) + 5 = 15
Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 1

And 16 damage to the Queen (and AP 1). Juuuust enough to damage her I think.

Damage on my shotgun is 3d4, not 3d6. I need to reroll damage.

Damage: 3d4 + 2 ⇒ (3, 3, 3) + 2 = 11

Meh. Hopefully still enough to kill the Soldier Ant.

Mickey manages to blast the shaken soldier enough to finish him off.

Fitz's laser seems to stun the queen but not seriously hurt her.

Unshake the Queen: 1d8 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3

...and it just seems to sit there, stunned.

You can hear explosions in the north as ants rushing to you set off the frag mines.

The ants continue to rush from both sides, with the two by Fitz and Papa pressing their assault.

Worker vs Marcus: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 = Miss
Soldier vs Fitz: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 = Raise
Damage: 1d10 + 2d6 ⇒ (6) + (1, 5) = 12 = Shaken

Papa (If he can break shaken), Spencer, and Rufus are up

Rufus shoulders the shotgun once more and lets slip the dogs of 12 gauge on the Queen!

Guns: 1d10 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4 and Wild: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Spending another Bennie to reroll: Guns: 1d10 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9
Exploding?: 1d10 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6

Boomstick!: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 5) = 16 and exploding?: 1d6 ⇒ 5

BOOM.

You raised on the attack. That means another d6 damage

Rufus Raise: 1d6 ⇒ 2 = Total 23 vs Toughness 15 = 2 Raises (killshot if she doesn't soak)

Last GM Benny: 1d12 - 2 ⇒ (9) - 2 = 7
She soaked the incapacitation - Queen now has 3 wounds and is Shaken

Rufus's blast takes several chunks out of the queen, but some how it is still moving, albeit mostly twitching at this point.

Spencer and Marcus and then new initiative

Unsure of what to do at this point, but knowing something needs done, Spencer steps to the side and brings up his new rifle. Hope this works... Bracing his shoulder, his unleashes another burst of bullets at the Queen.

Hot lead spills from the rifle, a pair of shots connecting with the queen's hulking form.

Indeed, that second shot was enough

Spencer riddles the queen with bullets, and eventually it I just too much. The combination of Rufus's blast, Fitz's earlier grenade, and the shower of hot lead is too much for her, and her twitching form stops moving....all of a sudden the turns on itself, and the party can see them ripping one another to shreds. It's a gruesome sight. Even the ones by Marcus and Fitz split their attention between their original targets and one another, and the two melee brutes easily finish the handful in the west off as a result.

It takes only a few minutes of hanging back before the swarm is no more, and the party is all alone in the hole, without any living ants.

Loot: (not gonna bother with survival rolls)
1d6 ⇒ 3 Ant queen pheromones
2d8 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7 Ant nectar
3d20 ⇒ (6, 1, 9) = 16 Ant meat

"Yeahsir!" Rufus calls out, "That's how you kill a big ol' ant! Suck it, ya dead ol' b!tch!" Rufus does a little victory dance that manages to be both offensive and loathsome in its vulgarity.

Spencer breathes heavily and lowers the rifle, groaning as his prior wounds and the new bruising on his shoulder catch up to him. He rests for a moment and opens one eye a crack to see what the others are doing. "Rufus... Rufus, stop shaking that at the... You know what? Never mind." He laughs and shakes his head. "Guess that's for Spaulding, you fat b*tch."

After a few minutes, Spencer begins moving around and gathering what he can from the ants with the others. "Well, we can head back now, unless we want to look around here some more. Might be a couple mines left we could salvage, or other stuff."