WR PATRIOT, Inc.

Game Master ZenFox42

Gavril badly misjudges his kick and hits the frame instead of the door. It makes a loud smash, and the whole frame shudders, but the door stays steadfastly closed.

The scratching continues unabated.

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Gavril grins sheepishly and tries again.

Strength: 1d8 ⇒ 5
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Nate give Gavril an exaggerated "What the h*ll, man!" look.

Don't know where Nate is standing relative to the door, but John is standing just to one side of it, back to the wall, gun raised. As soon as the door is open he'll make a 180 turn in place (using the wall as partial cover) and shoot the first thing he sees, because he doubts anything human is alive in there...

The rest of you might notice he's sweating heavily, but is keeping right up with you.

Arlo shakes his head at the group's eagerness to die, and follows them up the stairs. He keeps an eye out for any ambush while they tap dance on the door.

John: The GM can call it if he wants, but I was visualizing Nate standing somewhat to the left of the door facing it, pistol clasped in both palms and pointed down at a 45 degree angle until the door's opened or it comes crashing down.

Gavril slams his foot to the door, and it flies open. Immediately, a horrid stench hits your nostrils, making you want to puke.

On the bed lies the mangled, rotting corpse of an adult caucasian male, lying on the bed of a child;s bedroom. Flies buzz around his bodies while maggots crawl out of several orifices.

When you settle down you can hear the scratching coming from a closed chest, off to the side. Several heavy books are placed atop the chest.

Nate cringes in disgust at the overpowering smell as he quickly steps in and to the side so as not to block the doorway.

Notice & Wild: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 1d6 ⇒ 3

Gavril scrunches his face and makes a single gagging noise, but otherwise moves into the room without much hesitation.

Notice: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0
Wild: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3

"Eh, should we...?" He trails off, gesturing to the chest.

"Well, someone didn't want whatever's in there to get OUT. On the other hand, why didn't whoever did this (gesturing to the body) kill whatever's inside the box? I say put a couple of bullets thru the box first...

<POTENTIAL ALTERNATE REALITY : >

Waitaminnit - I want to try something, give me a few seconds and DON'T DO ANYTHING YET, but if I say 'go' then open the box right away..."

Ray, this is your call AFAIK - if I know *where* there's a living creature, can I target it with a Power? I want to send a Confusion "inside the box".

(Edit added later) I found this on the SW "how the rules work" page, altho it talks about Cover, it didn't specify how much Cover. Clint replied : "in general, Cover would have absolutely no effect on Confusion. There's no "attack roll" aspect to the power for Cover to penalize and it's not an area effect nor a damaging effect [for Cover] to provide an Armor benefit." FWIW. I'll go with whatever you decide, no problems.

If you say ok, here's my Arcane skill roll :

Magic & Wild: 1d10 ⇒ 51d6 ⇒ 4
Meh. Whatever's inside has to make a Smarts roll at -2 to avoid being Shaken. I was hoping for -4.

Trying again (2 PP spent) :
Magic & Wild: 1d10 ⇒ 101d6 ⇒ 3 Already have the -4, but just for fun...
Explode: 1d10 ⇒ 4 = 14 is a Success and two Raises

..."GO!" With pistol pointing at the box, but several steps (one square) away from it.

<END POTENTIAL ALTERNATE REALITY>

ALL : if Ray says I can target inside the box, then that all happened, if not, then just the first statements happened.

Hmm, tell me what the trappings of your spell are. Because it could matter in this case.

"Daze" (Confusion) : a ball of light quickly grows from a pinpoint to a baseball-sized sphere a few inches in front of the face of the target (to get their attention), then explodes in a flash of white light.

A -2 to cast inside the box feels about right. Regardless, your spell goes off.

The noise in the box suddenly stops.

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Ok, so who's opening the box? :)

Looking to the others, Gavril shrugs. "So, uh, we open box now? I will."

Unless they object, he removes the books onto the floor and throws open the chest, ready to pound a fist down on anything that pops up.

When Gavril opens the box he finds a severed, bloody hand. It suddenly twitches and leaps for Gavril's throat.

I'll roll initiative when I get home. I'm currently sitting in a Doctor's waiting room, so I don't have access to any stats.

The Creeping Hand has no eyes, and so couldn't be affected by Confusion's trapping. It is however malevolent and manipulative, much like a GM, so it basically played dead. ;-)

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Nate's eyes widen as the disembodied hand leaps for Gavril's throat. "Holy crap, did the Addams Family live here?!" His pistol had automatically snapped up to take aim, but he quickly lowers it as he realizes that firing would be a... "sub-optimal strategy."

Realistically, we've lost a couple folks, so I'll just go ahead and suit up the Wild Cards who are still posting.

Initiatives
Arlo - Joker!
Gavril - Joker!
Jon - AS
Nate - JH
Creeping Hand - 9C

No joke. That happened. It was an old deck of cards that I shuffled the crap out of, too. Arlo and Gavril get the benefits of Jokers, which are:

When a player draws a Joker, his character can go whenever
he wants in the round, even interrupting another character’s
action if he wants. In addition, add +2 to all Trait tests this
round, and +2 to damage totals as well!

So you all beat the Creeping Hand. Take it away, gentleman!

As promised, Gavril instantly brings his fist down with a furious smash. Wild Attack!

Fighting: 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 = 6
Wild: 1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 = 9
Total of 9. Definitely(?) a success, potentially a Raise. I'll roll the Raise damage separately.

Damage: 1d8 + 1d4 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + (1) + 2 + 2 + 2 = 13
Raise Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" The Romanian's scream sounds somewhere between startled, frightened, angry, and insane. He then steps back and yells, "SHOOT HAND! SHOOT HAND! THAT HAND, NOT MY HAND!"

Well played, mister GM, well played... :)

Seeing as John knows he is NOT a marksman (in game terms, a called shot to an object the size of a head or heart is -4), he instead tosses the gun onto the bed as a Free action (trying to avoid the corpse), and against his better judgement *grabs* the hand, trying to pull it off Gavril's throat.

"Ok, from now on we ALWAYS put a couple of bullets thru boxes making strange noises FIRST!"

Um...opposed Strength roll? Yeah, right...
STR & Wild: 1d4 ⇒ 11d6 ⇒ 3 = 3 = didn't think so.

Wandering over, his curiosity overcoming, his caution Arlo arrives in time to see the hand start to make it's move. He takes a quick shot before John can grab for the hand.

"Ah"! "What is it"?

1d6 ⇒ 3 +2(Joker),-4(Called shot)Pistol (1)
1d6 ⇒ 5 WD (3) rats...just missed

2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 3) + 3 = 8 Bullet Damage (+2 Joker)

His bullet just misses as the hand bolts for Gavril's throat.

Duh - I totally forgot I acted before the hand attached itself to Gavril. Oh, well, I suppose I tried to grab it and missed.

Loved the "THAT HAND," Gavril! :o)

"Too risky!" Nate shouts as he quickly reholsters his piece and pulls out a survival knife.

Readying a weapon's a full-round action unless taking a -2 penalty on attack. Drawing two weapons is also a -2 so I figure sheathing one and drawing another would be equivalent. A -4 on Nate's attack roll's laughable, so at this point he's prepped and ready to attack the hand next round... but nothing beyond that.

Duh - I totally forgot I acted before the hand attached itself to Gavril. Oh, well, I suppose I tried to grab it and missed.

Nah, that'd fine. We hadn't entered combat yet, really. Oh, annnnd, I forgot to mention that because the Hand is small there is a -2 penalty to attacks against it. So you should have made your rolls with a -2. I really should have mentioned that. But regardless...

Gavril manages to somehow slam his meaty fist into the Creeping Hand. Not a raise, though. The TN is 7 for Fighting. Or at least it would be if he hadn't rolled his damage so well.

The Hand essentially explodes into gooey dark red, meaty chunks under his awesome might. Spraying him in the face and chest with old blood.

What can I say, sometimes you score a critical. Battle Over. Nicely done, children. Next we'll try something with a little more meat on it. Pun completely intended.

Knowledge: Occult: 1d6 ⇒ 4

...still waiting for the Wild die, Nate... ;)

Actually, a 4 is enough to succeed the Knowledge Occult check. Perhaps Nate just doesn't want to share. ;-)

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Yeah, but the Wild could explode and a Raise could possibly give more info...and I just couldn't resist the jibe... :)

Getting gun back. If any blood got on it, wiping it carefully off with a corner of the bedsheet.

While we're up here, checking each room (imitating the cops on TV shows at each door, and saying "Clear!" after checking).

Smarts & Wild: 1d10 ⇒ 81d6 ⇒ 4 = 8 is a Success and a Raise

Yep, remembering to check closets, cabinets, etc. Grabbing a hand towel or something [note to self : BUY GLOVES!] to hold while touching things.

"Try not to leave any fingerprints!"

...still waiting for the Wild die, Nate... ;)

This feels like cheating since DiceBot's had time to reset and give me a different number, but:

Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Before Nate can even ready his knife, Gavril turns the hand into pulp... with a single punch. One eyebrow goes up as Nate, impressed, stows his knife and pulls out his gun once more.

"Nice job. Remind me not to piss you off," he says as he squats down to study the bloody remains of the hand, now twitching and burbling on the floor.

"I did some research before a job in Chuvashia. Long story. But I remember reading that, under extreme circumstances, the severed hand of a murder victim can supposedly take on a life of its own to exact revenge on the murderer. Seemed outrageous at the time, but..." Standing, he nudges the bloody mess with one foot, leaving the sentence unfinished.

"Since none of us were involved, something else from the same manuscript makes more sense: Some believe that a powerful enough necromancer can animate a hand."

He nudges the pulpy thing again as he thoughtfully adds, "Their own hand. That they've cut off."

He looks around at the others. "Seems a bit counter-productive to me," he says with an obviously forced grin.

Nate then walks over to John and says, quietly but sternly, "Listen, kid. Never shoot at an unseen target. That's how hunters die when their buddies see or hear movement and presume it's a deer. For all we know..." he says, gesturing at the chest with his gun, "it could have been an innocent child someone had trapped in there."

The more you knoooow...

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Nate, you might have had to find John, as he started to clear the upper floor as soon as the hand went down (boy that sounds weird to type).

"Yeah, yeah, heat of the moment, awright? Let's check this place out and get outta here."

Gavril gives a small grin to Nate. "Is not angry, da? Is reflex. Hand jump at me, I hit. And is not person, is monster. So I smash it." He shrugs and looks around. "Is not nice, though. Blood on hand. My hand." He begins to look for a bathroom, where he'll use his elbow to turn on the sink and rinse his hand off.

Gavril walks over to the bathroom, it's dark in there so he uses a flash light. He turns on the sink to wash off the blood. Thank god for small miracles, at least the water works.

Gavril Notice: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Wild: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

Hmm. Welp. That happens sometimes.

Gavril doesn't notice the figure standing in the shower, reach out for him and then try to slam into him.

Fighting: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

It misses (somehow) and Gavril turns to see an animated corpse open its mouth and moan angrily.

Initiative coming up when I get home. But feel free to scream as a free action, Gavril.

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Wow, the GM didn't even have to TRY and split us up, we did it ourselves...

Gavril splashes some water on his hand and reaches for a towel, then looks up as he hears something slam into the sink that he just leaned away from. Turning quickly and bringing up his fists into a defensive stance, he sees the corpse open its mouth and shouts in Romanian. "Plimbare cadavru!"

For when initiative rolls.
Gavril's first instinct after shouting and reaffirming that this is indeed a walking corpse is to punch. He doesn't swing so wildly at first, though.

Fighting: 1d8 ⇒ 8 Ace: 1d8 ⇒ 4
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Total of 12. Most likely a Raise.

Damage: 1d8 + 1d4 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + (4) + 2 + (3) = 17
Ace: 1d8 + 1d4 ⇒ (7) + (2) = 9
Total of 26 Damage. Gavril's really on a roll, here.

Nate looks over at John in puzzlement. "Did the Russki just shout something about a cadaver?"

Sorry about not being able to get to this sooner.

KS Arlo
JC Zombie
9D Nate
2H Jon

I'm assuming the other players spend the first round running toward the Romanian cursing.

The Zombie attacks Gavril with his bony hands.

Fighting, Ace: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11
Damage, with Raise: 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + (3) = 7

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The zombie's attack doesn’t quite get through Gavril's flak jacket. But then a punch from the Romanian Sensation explodes the zombie's head like an overripe melon, covering him in even more rotting blood and viscera.

Combat over.

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Nate skids to a stop just outside the bathroom door as the scene comes into view. Lowering his gun, he blinks and looks at Gavril questioningly.

Is the zombie perchance missing a hand?

Notice & Wild: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 1d6 ⇒ 3 Success, no Raise

Nope, but the corpse back in the bedroom was missing a hand.

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Failed my Notice on that one, for sure. :op

Heh. The Romanian Sensation.

Gavril looks from the zombie to his hand to his body. He looks up at the others with a very solemn expression on his face. "Blood. Am covered in blood. Is gross. And I cannot shower, da?"

John catches up, slightly out of breath.

"Jeez, how many DEAD things are going to try and kill us in here? Guess we should all stick together, but let's try and get this over with as quick as possible.

No, Gavril you can't take a shower here. Maybe we can hose you down outside, unless Nate doesn't mind some blood and guts on his upholstery."

Here's a post to move you guys along.

The group returns to the bedroom and takes a closer look at the body. They do so gingerly, lest it should awake as well and try to kill them. It doesn't stir though. And while they don't find any identification on the body, after a few minutes they do discover an odd tattoo on his forearm. It is a beetle with a skull on it.

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"Kind of surprised the police missed all this...unless you think it's recent"?

"Ya THINK?!?!"

Gotta play up that Mean hindrance...

K.Occult & Wild: 1d4 ⇒ 21d6 ⇒ 1 = What clues? Where?

K. Occult: 1d4 - 2 ⇒ (3) - 2 = 1
Wild: 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (5) - 2 = 3

"Hose sounds fine," Gavril mutters, wiping his hands on his pants. "But drawing on forearm is odd. Tattoo? Creepy."

Nate barks a laugh. "Bertha's all about blood and guts. Plus there's a stack of beach towels in back for this sort of thing."

He leans over and looks at the tattoo. "A skull on the back of a beetle. That mean anything to anyone?"

Streetwise & Wild: 1d4 ⇒ 4 1d6 ⇒ 2 In case it's a gang symbol he might happen to recall upon deeper reflection.

"Beetle skull, beetle skull, beetle skull," he mutters repeatedly as he searches his memory. Then, a sudden chill and a tingle at the back of his neck. He looks around the room and considers the unnerving circumstances, thankful he hadn't instead been chanting "Beetlejuice."

Nate, you aced the d4, it should explode...just on general principle, I know it's not the relevant roll. But maybe the GM will be nice if you score a bunch of Raises.

Dammit!

Belated Boom: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Re-Boom: 1d4 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10