By Charles Oines and Scott Haring
Minnesota Senator Albert Wesley stepped up his one-man crusade against the Anarchist Relief Front today whith the announcement that his Select Subcommittee on Domestic Terrorism would make public next week information that would "cripple" the ARF's activities in the United States. While the Senator declined to elaborate any further, this reporter has learned from confidential sources that the information Wesley is referring to is not yet in the committee's hands, and Wesley himself may be using the long holiday weekend to obtain the documents personally. If true, it would be just another incredible twist to this bizarre story, which began when Senator Wesley's wife was killer by an ARF bomn in 2032. Reporting from the nation's capital, this is Whitney Coates, WorldVision News.
Midwest Passage is a Car Wars roleplaying adventure for 1 to 6 players and a referee. Everything you will need to play is in Deluxe Car Wars; if you are using the original Car Wars , familiarity with the helicopter rules (from Autoduel Champions ) would be helpful. In this adventure, the players find themselves in the Chicago area (perhaps for a stop on the AADA circuit) when, while cruising the suburbs on a boring afternoon, they wind up in Deerfield, Illinois. There, while stopped for beer (or an ice cream, or dinner, or whatever) they are approached by a well-dressed, older gentleman who looks slightly familiar.
"Pardon me, gentlemen (and ladies, if there are any ladies present), but I need your help. I see by your vehicles parked outside that you are duellists, and apparently good ones. I'm Albert Wesley, U.S. Senator from Minnesota. I came down here yesterday by helicopter, chasing down some leads that will help me put away the Anarchist Relief Front once and for all. I wanted to send the information back to my headquarters via ELMAY, but ARF has tapped into the line; if they knew what I was up to, they could cover their tracks to quickly. Since they know I'm in the vicinity, I sent my helicopter back without me as a decoy. I'll pay $60,000, to be split among you, to get me back to St. Paul, plus ammunition and repairs." The players should accept, of course, because if they don't, there's no adventure.
PLAYER SET-UP
The players get to run six characters total. If you have fewer than six players, they can double up, running more than one character. Each character starts as a Driver, Gunner, Handgunner, Runner, and has four skill levels to spend on improving existing skills or gaining new ones. No more than two levels can be spent on any one skill. The players also get $60,000 to build up to four vehicles. Two of the six characters get to man the Senator's van, the Guardian:
Guardian: Van, X-Hvy. chassis, Hvy. suspension, super plant, 6 solid tires, driver, gunner, 2 two-space passenger seats, Vulcan MG in universal turret, autocannon front, HD smokescreen back, improved fire extinguisher, LD radio, 2 targeting computers, Laser-Reflective Fireproof Armor: F25, R15, L15, B18, T15, U9. Accel 5, HC 2, 7,194 lbs., $33,325.
Wesley carries with him a locked briefcase which contains the information. "If I don't make it, at least get the briefcase to my headquarters. The information's in code, and while I'm the only one who knows it, my staff will be able to break it eventually," he says. He also says he knows the ARF colors - gloss black, with a small "Down with law and order" window sticker.
Wesley emphasizes that his concern is getting to St. Paul - without unnecessay delays. While he recognizes the "law of the open road" as it pertains to salvage and - how shall we say it - the opportunistic acquiring of additional funds and equipment, he'd prefer the players to keep the banditry to a minimum. "I am a U.S. Senator, you know," he says. "It wouldn't look good at all."
The roads from Deerfield to St. Paul are pretty good - don't bother with tire wear, possible blowouts, or any of that stuff, There is also no particular time limit, so there's no reason to keep track of time, except in general terms. It may be important for some encounters whether they take place during the day or at night, so tell the referee when you plan to leave. Night is defined a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The map is marked off in 10-mile increments. Remember that the range of a typical vehicle at 55 mph is 200 miles on one charge, so you'll have to stop at least once to charge up. If you go significantly faster than 55 or fire a lot of lasers, you may have to stop more often. Of course, there may be valuable information or even allies at various towns and truck stops. The decision to stop or keep going is up to you...
If you're playing "Midwest Passage," read NO FURTHER.
Click on the image above for a larger map.
Referee's Notes
The two interstates (I-90 and I-94) are both three-lane, divided highways. Highway 52 (From Rochester to St. Paul) and Highway 12 (from Rochester to Eau Claire) are two-lane and individed. The terrain is mainly flat, and the roads are for the most part straight. When a combat starts, set up the players' vehicles and the attackers' on some straight road sections. As the battle moves to subsequent road sections, roll two dice: On an 11 or 12, the next road section is a gentle curve (roll randomly to see which way the curve goes).
Some encounters take place on the open road at the marked spots; others take place in towns along the way. The road encounters are numbered, while descriptions of each town (along with what happens if the players stop) are given under the heading for each town. They are presented in the order players are likely to encounter them, but the players will miss certain encounters depending on which route they take. Don't worry - it'll give them something new to do the next time they play!
Click on the image above for a larger map.
Encounter I
About 20 miles out of Deerfield, a Grayslake Sports 13 Copter whips by overhead, barely giving them a second glance as it flies around a bend up ahead. As the players top a rise, they see the chopper's quarry: A green Scorcher and a yellow Pisces "M" (see diagrams below), having it out 30" ahead, moving 10 mph slower than the players. If the players fire at the combatants once, they will stop firing at each other, move into the far right lane, and motion for the convoy to pass. After the convoy gets 10" past them, they will resume their duel.
Click on the second image for
larger diagrams.
If the players continue to fire on one or more of the vehicles, they will accelerate as best they can and try to get away (these two small cars are no match for the players, and they know it). If the players hang back and wait for the duel to end in hopes of salvaging the loser, the winner will attempt to drive the convoy off, but will retreat if any side of his car is breached.
If the players stop at the end of the duel, offer congratulations to the winner, and clap for the TV copter, the winner will salute them, and run to the chopper for an interview, leaving his keys in his car (hint, hint). Remember the players must leave two characters in Wesley's van - there may not be enough spare hands to take the vehicle.
Encounter II
About 10 miles before they reach Beloit and the Wisconsin border, the players will spot a large number or burning wrecks, nearly all of them cycles. They can stop to investigate, but there's no one to talk to and nothing to salvage. One mile further up the road, they spot a bus on its side on the edge of the road, with a few people standing around, pointing in a variety of directions and arguing. When the players' convoy comes within sight (about 40"), most of the people will dash behind the cover of the bus, and one person will go to the edge of the road and flag the players down. If the players try to hail the bus on the radio, they will get no response. If they don't stop, that's it for this encounter.
If the players do stop, the man who flagged them down will explain that they were responsible for the mess of cyclists back up the road, and they thought they had gotten away clean when some debris knocked out the front tire and caused the wreck. A few passengers were hurt, but none seriously. The only other major casualty was the radio, which was knocked out. The man asks if he can borrow the players' radio to call into Beloit for a tow. This is not a major request, and the players should comply. While he's on the radio, a camouflage-green Hammer will come down the road the same direction the players were traveling, and slow to 30 mph. After passing the wrecked bus and parked convoy vehicles, he'll accelerate to 80 and disappear around a bend.
"I wonder what the ARF is doing out here," the bus driver will wonder aloud. "ARF?" Senator Wesley will ask, "I thought their colors were gloss black." "No, they switched to camo green about three months ago. At least that's what they did around here."
If the players don't stop, they won't get this bit of information until much later. And, about three miles past the wrecked bus, the convoy will be passed by the camo-green Hammer; it won't fire at the group, and will try to run if fired upon.
Beloit
Beloit, Wisconsin, is a small town with a truck stop, charging station, and a small cafe. The people here are not hostile, but very aloof towards strangers. They know very little about ARF, except that they don't want any part of them. If the players do stop, they will be asked about the bus from Encounter II, which was expected in town nearly two hours ago; If the players stopped and made the radio call, they will be thanked for their good deed and offered ammo at half price; if they didn't stop and help but tell the folks at the truck stop where the bus was, the truck stop will send a tow truck out with escort and thank the players for the report (but no reward). If asked about the road ahead, the locals will also mention that the Madison police are very strict about the 55 mph speed limit.
Encounter III
The terrain becomes a bit hilly north of Beloit. As the convoy tops a rise, they see a damaged car sitting in the middle of the road, facing them, about 20" away. As they get closer, they can see it's a Hussar, a luxury, and that it is unoccupied. Even closer inspection will reveal that the right-side armor is caved in, and the left-side armor has taken a lot of damage from the inside, implying a heavy weapon blew through the passenger compartment. Have each player roll 2 dice; anyone rolling a 9 or better realizes that the wreck has been here for quite a while. Again, if they players don't stop and investigate further, that's it for this encounter. If one or more players do get out and inspect the car, they'll discover two things: One, that the Hussar is damaged, and some of the weapons have been fired, but the car appears driveable (see diagram below); two, it's a trap.
The power plant is undamaged, and the gauges will indicate power is available. But the bandits setting this trap have disconnected the plant from the drive motors, so it won't go anywhere. Fixing it is an Easy job for a Mechanic, but you have to know what to look for; those without the Mechanic skill cannot fix it, even by luck.
There are five bandits hidden in the brush, about 3" from the side of the road. They're all Handgunner +1 (the other stats don't matter), and they all have body armor. There plan is to disable a vehicle or to kill two or three members of a group and then run before the more powerful vehicular firepower can be brought to bear on them. If the attacked group is forced to abandon a car because of a shortage of crew or tires or something, the bandits will circle back later to pick it up.
Two bandits are manning a tripod-mounted MG, two more have four regular grenades and 2 tear gas grenades, and the fifth has a machine pistol and two LAWs. In addition to the weaponry, the bandits all have body armor, and $400 cash apiece. Because the bandits have picked their hiding place well, they are at an additional -4 to hit (above and beyond any other penalties, including the -3 pedestrian penalty). If three of the bandits are killed, the other two will flee. The bandits will concentrate their fire on any players out of their cars, and if none are available, they will shoot at tires.
Madison
Madison, Wisconsin, is a fortress town, with a truck stop and full repair facilities. They don't get much trouble from the ARFs, because of their effective fortifications and efficient police force. There are a preponderance of highway safety billboards around town, including "55 - Stayin' Alive" and "Watch Your Speed - We Are."
Encounter IV
If the convoy is going 55 mph or slower, there will be no encounter here. But 15 miles out of Madison, the players could be excused for winding it up and making a little time, right? Wrong.
If the players are going even the slightest bit over the speed limit (like 60), a pair of luxury cars will appear on the road about 15" behind, and catch up to the convoy as quickly as possible, red lights flashing. Chalk up another catch for Madison Police Officer Roscoe Speedtrap, and his brother Darryl. Both officers are skilled combat drivers. If they are attacked, they will immediately shoot for the tires of the attacking vehicles (if it's dark, they'll turn off their lights and switch to infrared). See the diagram below.
Click on either image for a larger
picture/diagram.
The standard speeding fines, payable on the spot, are: for speeds 56-70, $60 per vehicle; for 71-85, $100 per vehicle; for 85+, $150 per vehicle. An additional $200 per vehicle is charged to any vehicle that fires at the police cruisers.
If the players manage to breach the armor on any side of a police cruiser or a cruiser crashes, the remaining cruiser will radio for assistance and attack the car that knocked out his brother (no more tire shooting - he's going for blood!). The assistance will never get there in time, but the crew of the car that knocked out the police cruiser will be taken back to Madison and jailed, if caught. And if the players get away, they better not go through Madison in those particular vehicles ever again.
Encounter V
As the convoy heads up I-90/94 about halway between Madison and Tomah, a custom built midsized painted in camouflage green screams up behind the group at 100 mph. He matches speed with the convoy once het gets to within 10" or so, and with a cry of "Anarchy Forever!" he opens fire on whoever's convenient (see diagram below). He will fight to the death, down to his hand weapons, if necessary. If the players manage to wreck the vehicle and/or kill the fanatic terrorist, they will find however many LAWs he didn't fire, $572 cash, and a description of the convoy, complete with photographs. If the wreck is burning, roll a die: On a 2-6, the cash and photos are destroyed before the players can save them. On a 1, they are saved.
Tomah
Tomah, Wisconson, is a small town that still exists only because two interstates meet there. It has only a rudimentary cafe/charging station, and no repair facilities. The cafe does have a reputation with the Brotherhood for excellent food, and this reputation is well deserved. If asked which route is better to take, there will be some debate.
"Well, there's no doubt that 94 through Eau Claire is shorter, but we've heard of some weird doings up that way. Now, I'm not a superstitious man, but I figure that if everybody's talkin' about it, there's got to be somethin' to it."
"Hogwash," another will say. "I was up that way just last week, and nothing happened. Something's got those folks spooked - they sure act strange enough - but I trust my twin recoilless and my aim more than any old wives' tale."
"I know what you mean about strange," another will pipe up. "I hear a new 'defense vigilante group' is operating up that way, and shooting at nearly anyhting that moves." The opinions of the locals will be split about 50/50.
At any mention of the ARF, the mood will suddenly grow very chilly. "Look friends," one of the braver men will say. "We don't want any trouble with them folks. We pay what they demand, and they don't burn us to the ground. It ain't the greatest arrangement, but we're still alive. We'd like to keep it that way, too. So why don't you all just get on down the road. I'll take care of your check here. Just get going." If the players bother to look around, they'll notice that two or three of the folks that were in the cafe are gone - apparently slipped out the back. (They're ARF agents who have gone to radio a report to their superiors.) The players are not in danger of being ambushed - yet. "They're coming, I tell you!" one man will say if the players insist on sticking around. "Get out of here now, before they kill all of us!" As a last resort, Senator Wesley should tell the players to get moving. "No point in endangering this innocent town," he'll say. "We'll fight ARF on our terms, not their's."
Encounter VI
About 20 miles outside Tomah on I-94, the convoy will receive a broadcast over the radio. "Hello, friends," a sarcastic voice will say. "We have no quarrel with you brave duellists. Simply hand over the Senator, and his package of goodies, and you can drive out of here. If you don't, you'll simply have to die in the name of anarchy."
At this moment, the players will spot a Coaster Rearguard about 10" ahead, and a Hudson Hammer (the same car from Encounter II) 10" behind - both camouflage green and matching the convoy's speed. (See diagrams below.) If the Hammer was damaged in Encounter II, the damage carries over to this encounter, except for new tires. If the Hammer was destroyed in Encounter II, this is an undamaged replacement.
Click on the image for a larger diagram.
If the players decide to hand over the Senator, all they have to do is pull over to the side of the road and kick Wesley and his briefcase out. The ARFs will let the players go, and take Wesley. This is not a particularly good option (for one thing, it ends the adventure, and the players will get no prestige or money), but if the players want to do it, they can.
If they refuse, the ARFs will attack. The Coaster will put his linked MDs on automatic, and weave back and forth on the highway, covering the highway with mines. Once he runs out of mines, he'll accelerate away. The Hammer will fire at the closest target and fight to the death. if the convoy wins, they can salvage the wrecks, but the occupants have nothing.
Encounter VII
As the convoy tools up the road about 30 miles south of Eau Claire, the lead vehicle hits a disguised ditch dug across the road. It's about 2 feet deep and 3 feet across, with spikes and other garbage in the bottom, and covered with a very thin (and very breakable) covering of wood, painted to match the highway. The lead vehicle takes 2 dice of damage to each front tire, 1 die of damage to the front armor, the underbody armor, and each back tire, and takes a D6 hazard. The cars behind the lead car face the same fate unless they can stop in time or go around (the ditch is only as wide as the road itself, but the shoulder is a D2 hazard, with a +D1 to all maneuvers performed on it).
The convoy has found a dandy example of a Trench Foot Opening, a notorious anti-cycle gang tactic perfected by the MONDOs of Midville, Ohio. After the convoy dusts itself off and surveys the damage, they may be interested in finding out who did this. The players won't find anything, because the people who set this up are long gone. A vigilante group operating out of Eau Claire calling themselves the MONDOs (in addition to being stupid, they're also unoriginal) heard that a big cycle gang was coming through, so they decided to take care of them, just like the original MONDOs would. Unfortunately, the report of a big cycle gang was completely false, and these idiots forgot about to consider the possibility that any other traffic would be using the road.
The erstwhile MONDOs set an ambush for the "big cycle gang" just beyond the Trench Foot Opening, but when they saw the convoy hit it instead (and fully realized just how stupid they had been), they ran. Within five minutes, however, as many tow trucks as are necessary to handle the wrecks show up. "You guys need help?" one will ask. "We got a call on the radio about a bad wreck. Guy didn't leave a name, but gave us a wire money transfer, so it's paid for. Let's go." (A MONDO with a conscience radioed for the trucks and is paying for it anonymously.) If there are no wrecks needing a tow after the encounter, no tow trucks will show up.
If the tow truck or trucks do arrive, one of them will go back up the road a few hundred yards and set up some warning signs so that the next traffic through doesn't meet the same fate. If no trucks come, the players should think about getting on the radio and warning the general traffic in the area. (They don't have to, of course, but the next wreck will be their fault if they don't.) The tow trucks will go with the convoy and drop the wrecks off at the best repair shop in Eau Claire. Paying for the repairs will be the players' problem - the anonymous MONDO didn't feel that bad about it...
LaCrosse
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, is a tight little community that demands a $50 toll from strangers to pass through. They have full repair and charging facilities, and are actually quite friendly and informative. They don't have much trouble with ARFs, because they're too well-armed and too small to be worth the trouble. If asked about the road conditions, the players will be told that a log-barricade toll scam is operating about 40 miles west on I-90.
Encounter VIII
Sure enough, about 40 miles out of LaCrosse, someone will hail the convoy on the CB, telling them to kindly stop and pay a toll. The barricade consists of one large (10 DP) log, a row of mines, a row of drop-spike plates, and another row of mines (see diagram below). In trenches along the sides of the roads (an additional -2 to be hit them) are 20 assorted pedestrians with 2 LAWs and an SMG and body armor apiece. If the referee wants to add a little variety to the pedestrian weapons, that's fine. The toll is only $100 per vehicle - they will accept ammunition or salvaged equipment at half value. They will of course fire on any vehicles that try to run the barricade, but will flee if half their number are killed.
Click on the image for a larger map.
If the players fight and then give up (or are beaten), and any of the toll-booth people are killed, the toll immediately goes up to $10,000 per vehicle - entire vehicles will be accepted at half value. (That is, a $20,000 car will serve as toll for one other vehicle.) This is a low-cost, low-risk scam - the thieves are counting on nearly everyone simply paying the low toll rather than fight it out over such a small amount of money. If asked about the road ahead (assuming the players have been cooperative from the start), one of the men will mention that Rochester has a great truck stop, but the town has a lot of "the wrong element." That comment will draw a hearty laugh from the rest of the thieves.
Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, is an abandoned ghost town with a heavily-fortified truck stop operating on the outskirts of town. The truck stop operators are friendly, but suspicious of all strangers. If asked about the ARF, the man will say, "They're the least of my problems. I got more criminal gangs hiding out in town than I can shake a stick at. At least they don't bother me too much anymore. I taught a few of them a lesson or two in my time," he chuckles.
If opinions are sought on the best route to take, the general consensus is that neither is a particularly good choice. It seems that this group has heard the same rumours of "weird doings" in the Eau Claire area, but on the other hand, they lnow for a fact that there is major bandit activity on Highway 52 between Rochester and St. Paul. "It's up to you, boys, but if time isn't a problem, I'd head back to Eau Claire and get on that nice, clean interstate. Rumors of spooky stuff don't stack up against some of these gangs," the man behind the counter (his name's Art) will say.
At about this moment, the front door of the cafe will burst open and two men in green body armor will fire SMGs into the cafe. They're both aiming for Senator Wesley, but there's quite a crowd at the counter, so Wesley is at -4 to be hit (in addition to the -3 pedestrian penalty and any other penalties that may apply). The gunmen are close enough for point blank range, and the gunmen have Handgunner skill but no bonuses.
If the gunmen's "to hit" rolls come within 4 of hitting Wesley, someone else is hit instead. Roll randomly between all the players and Art. The gunmen will fire two bursts apiece, close the door, and run. Anyone following them will open the door just in time to find the grenade one of them dropped to discourage pursuit.
The sequence should go like this: Turn One, the door opens and the gunmen fire. The players can only draw their weapons - they would not have them out and ready in the truck stop. Turn Two, the gunmen fire again, and the players closest to the gunmen can return fire (the ones in the back must spend this turn getting a clear line). Turn Three, the door closes and a grenade is dropped, set to go off at the end of the turn. The gunmen sprint to get around the corner of the building before the grenade goes off; players who pursue will get to the door and open it just as it explodes. If no one heads for the door immediately, the grenade will go off (blowing the door off its hinges and into the cafe) before anyone gets to it - no one will be hurt.
Anyone still interested in chasing the gunmen after that will see a camouflage-green luxury leaving the truck stop at a high rate of speed, and take the turnoff for Highway 12 to Eau Claire. It's obvious from the acceleration of the vehicle that it has a Thundercat plant; catching them will be impossible.
Mondovi
Mondovi, Wisconsin, is dead. Many of the buildings have been smashed, as if they were rolled over by some gigantic machine. Others look like they exploded from the inside, but there's no sign of fire. In the ruins of one stone building, the players can see from the road a statue still standing in the rubble - a statue that looks like a man with an octopus head. The players can also see some graffiti: "Cthulhu Fhtagn!", "Nyarla-" (the rest of the wall is covered in blood and some sort of dried slime), that sort of thing. There are no responses to calls on the radio, and no movement of any sort.
If the players get out to investigate, they will find a disturbing smell of rotting fish, quite a few mangled bodies, a number of small statuettes identical to the one in the ruined stone building (but no more than one per building), and about $35,000 worth of extremely bizarre jewelry. That's it.
Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is a small fortress town that is fairly well-defended for its size, and is heavily anti-ARF, a sentiment that is obvious if the subject ever comes up in conversation. the folks in town don't recognize Senator Wesley right away, but if he introduces himself, they will. After a minor celebration (Wesley is very well-respected here, even though they don't recognize him at first), the convoy will be offered free ammunition up to the capacity of their guns, and repairs at half price. Unfortunately, their ELMAY and long-distance radio set-up is down, so they have no news outside a 10-mile radius - inside that radius, things are pretty quiet.
If the players show anyone the strange jewelry they found at Mondovi, whoever sees it will turn pale and ask the player to "put that foul thing away - and quickly." The players will then be asked to leave - politely if they know Wesley is with them, not-so-politley if they don't.
Encounter IX
About 10 miles out of Eau Claire, the party will be hailed on the CB and asked for permission to pass. The voice on the radio will identify himself as "Fearless Freddy," and will say that he is a courier. The players will see a sporty, metallic blue mid-size come up behind them about 15 mph faster than the convoy. (If the convoy is going 85 mph or faster, Freddy will never catch them, and they can skip this encounter.) The mid-size looks harmless enough, and will pass without incident if the players let him. If they refuse, Freddy will haggle ("I'm not interested in any trouble, buddy, I'm just trying to make a living. Just let me past, and I'll be gone."). If the players fire on him, he'll raise his pop-up turret and let the convoy have it with his laser (see diagram below). He'll fight until his armor is breached, at which point he'll slam on his brakes and let the convoy go, bootlegging and running away if the convoy continues to come after him. If the players defeat him, he'll have $2,800 in cash, and a locked case. A search does not reveal a key.
The case is trapped - a two dice explosion (with a 1/2" burst radius) will go off if the case is pried or cut open or the lock is picked. The person at the destination has the key, and there is nothing to indicate where he was going (Freddy keeps his addresses and directions in his head). The explosion also destroys whatever was in the case.
Encounter X
The Anarchist Relief Front is a major supplier to local bandit gangs (they're a tremendous tool for anarchy, and a ready supply of soldiers for the war to come). Bandit activity, or the rumor of it, was supposed to scare travelers away from Highway 52. If the convoy takes 52 from Rochester to St. Paul anyway, they won't encounter any bandits (just lucky, I guess). But they will have a little trouble with ARF...
Halfway between Rochester and St. Paul, the convoy will be attacked by a single helicopter in camouflage green (see diagram below). The referee should bring the helicopter in at whatever height, speed, and angle seems best for the situation. The chopper will concentrate its fire on the Guardian van, and will shoot at it until the van is destroyed or the helicopter goes down. If the van is taken out, the copter will shift its attack to the escort vehicles and will press the attack until the armor on one side of the copter is breached, in which case it will try to escape. (Once the van - its primary target - has been taken out, the pilot is not as interested in giving his life for the cause.)
If you don't have the helicopter rules or would just rather not throw an air attack at your players, you can substitute a duplicate of Encounter XI at this point in the adventure.
Encounter XI
The convoy is about 20 miles outside of St. Paul when they pass an onramp just like the dozens before - except for the van in camouflage green cutting in front of the convoy at a range of 6" and matching speeds, and the two identical camo- green compacts merging behind the convoy at a range of 8" and matching speeds (see diagrams below). This is the ARF's last shot, and the three vehicles will fight to the death. If the players win, they can salvage the wrecks, but they will find nothing else - no money, no ID, nothing.
Click on the image for larger
diagrams.
St. Paul
The big payoff. After you pass through the gates of this very large fortress town, you are escorted by a number of Minnesota National Guard vehicles (who recognize the Senator's van). If the van is no longer part of the convoy, some quick talk on the radio will set things right. You pull up to the Capitol Building, and deliver Senator Wesley, and/or his briefcase. "Good work," an aide tells you. "We're going to make you heroes. Go get cleaned up! You look like death warmed over. Once you're rested, we'll bring you in for a news conference." One of the Senator's flunkies will drive you to the best hotel in town, while others will take your cars to a government shop for free repairs and complete ammunition replacement and recharging.
Sure enough, the press conference makes you heroes. Score prestige for all battles as if they were in an arena, plus 2 points for delivering Wesley alive, plus 2 points for delivering the briefcase. The money is also delivered as promised - but if Wesley dies and the players only deliver the briefcase, the reward is cut in half.
Congratulations - you not only came out ahead, but you struck a blow for law and order.
