Cause & Effect 07 – A valuable Star Map Attracts Unwanted Attention

Image from Mass Effect

“You just made a big mistake pal. Once we’re done with you, your ship will be widowed and your children, if any, will be parentless. Your space hamster will probably starve too.

I’ll probably take the furry lil’ bugger. I’ll name him Hammy, he’ll take my sir name and I’ll never speak of you. In those cute, black eyes, you’ll have never existed. Now this is your last chance, give us the Star Map…“

Welcome back to Cause & Effect! I’m feeling lucky today and have rolled randomly on the table presented in V is for Vignettes. These are my results:

Instigator Thug

Action Interrogates

Target The Crew

Escalation An A is for Artifact is involved

Escalation Has an encrypted code that leads to a reward

Remember the time that the Crew found those co-ordinates that lead to a rare artifact that everyone seems interested in? No? Hmmm maybe that was a different Crew. Unfortunately those mean looking thugs didn’t know that. That one guy looks pretty big and hairy. He’s coming towards you and it looks like his knuckle hair has hair…

OVERVIEW Word on the street is that the Crew has come into possession of a Star Map that leads to a valuable artifact.

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TWIST The Crew may or may not have the Star Map that the Thugs want

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CAST (in order of appearance)

• Name: Vasto Roye
• Tags: m-Human/overweight/hairy body/shaved head/moustache/dirty muscle shirt and worn flight pants
  
• Role: Thug leader
• Capsule: Vasto is a small time thug looking to make it big. He recently overheard that a Crew on planet is in possession of a Star Map that could lead to a valuable artifact…
• Stat Block: Use the Journeyman Hunter stat block for Vasto, replacing Engaged Unarmed with Engaged Brass Knuckles (4+ damage; Crit 4; Disorient 3) and remove Long Range Disruptor Rifle.

• Name: Jevan, Hawke, Trec, Tisha, Rhia, Ryssa, Yula
• Tags: m/f-varous races/well used clothing and gear/one of them spits
• Role: Street Toughs
• Stat Block: Use the Street Toughs stat block for Vasto’s gang.

LOCATION

• Name: The Rancors’ Maw
• Location: Cantinia
• Tags: low brow (naturally)/holo-vid dancers/ambient music/holo-vid screen displays shock boxing bout/bartender makes a sub par Danaru, but the cook makes amazing Rancor ribs (go figure)

• Name: City Street/Hanger 33
• Location: low traffic area/alleyways/close to star port/star port/flashing sign in front of cantina reads: The Rancor’s Maw
• Tags: distant hum of traffic/smells of overpowering lingering perfume/broken crates with some fruit hidden inside

SET UP

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• The leader of the Thugs will approach the Crew, with his posse close behind. Word on the street is that the Crew has a Star Map (or data pad/code cylinder/etc) that will reveal a unique artifact.

• The leader of the Thugs will try and negotiate for the Star Map (low balling the Crew of course), and will not take ‘no’ for an answer. Claims that the Crew are not in the possession of such an item will be dismissed as ‘lies’ (this can be represented via 2 setback die. They are not very bright and very stubborn).

• If negotiations fail, the Thugs will resort to violence. Your ship will be widowed and your animal companions (or children), if any, will be left mother and fatherless.

• What is the artifact? Ancient alien technology? A rare alloy? The remains of an extinct species? A pirates secret stash? Hidden blueprints to a weapon/starship/equipment that would solve galactic wide problems at the cost of tycoons who are over charging for scarce resources? A rare starship? A special one of a kind droid? Insert item of Crew speculation?

AFTERMATH

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 If the Crew manages to outsmart the Thugs:

• While the thugs try to play hard ball with negotiations, it is possible for them to be convinced that the Crew is not in possession of the Star Map. Perhaps they sold it already, or found the Star Map to be an elaborate hoax. Or just maybe, they have this Crew mistaken for another Crew…like say…those guys over there…

• If this is the case, the Thugs are re-directed somewhere else, but they will threaten with violence if they are being deceived (to appear later at an inconvenient time).

If the Thugs resort to violence:

• The leader of the thugs will go for whomever he was negotiating with. The rest of the Thugs will fan out, look for cover, and strike from safety.

• If the fight breaks out in a cantina, the thugs will not draw weapons unless the Crew does first. The Thugs have a strange sense of bar fighting etiquette. Bar room terrain however, are considered to be appropriate weapons for a bar fight. If the fight leaves the bar, outdoor rules apply (read: real weapons are now fair game).

ADDITIONAL TWISTS

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• This group of Thugs are not the only ones who have been tipped off to the Crew being in possession of a valuable Star Map. Random encounters with other factions continue until they give up the Star Map or they figure out who is feeding everyone that information.

• The Thugs might in fact, have the wrong Crew. This case of mistaken identity is a result of their vessel having a similar name to that of another Crew’s vessel. Awkward.

• The Thugs offer their ‘protection’ from other Thugs in exchange for a cut of the Artifact’s value, instead of trying to obtain the Star Map. Failure to accept their offer however, may result in a fight.
  

• The Crew is assaulted in space as well. This artifact must be very important or valuable. Wait…could that mean…

• Word has spread to either a Crime Lord, Planetary Governor or a Moff. If the Crew didn’t have their hands full before, they do now.