Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Dangerous Encounter: The Battle For Wacky Valley

NOTE: This encounter will require a bit of preplanning on the part of the Mutant Lord. We have only provided a basic outline of the adventure's concepts and layout. It is up to you to fill in the blanks. 

This encounter should begin when the players are far from any populated areas. Not necessarily in the middle of a desert or on a mountaintop, but far enough away from any towns and cities to be virtually isolated. In the distance, the PCs will hear a SNAP, followed by a roar of thunder -- even if there's not a cloud in the sky. If they become curious and investigate, they'll eventually stand at the crest of a valley. Down below in the valley, they can plainly see what looks like a village of some kind surrounded by a high wall. There is a main gate structure at end they're approaching, and in the center of the village is a moderately-sized artificial mountain topped with a stone structure. As they watch, the structure on top of the mountain glows and an arc of electricity flashes out with a SNAP, followed by the roar of thunder. One of the small huts in the village catches fire from the bolt. 

"THAT WILL BE ENOUGH INCURSION! ANY MORE DISOBEDIENCE WILL BE MET WITH MORE OF THE SAME!" a voice booms over the area (through hidden intercom speakers).

If the players approach from the front, they'll see a colorful sign above the gate with the name of the village - "WACKY VALLEY: The Wackiest Place on Earth!" Wacky Valley is an ancient Bygone amusement park. It is laid out in four "Zones" -- three Zones surround a central hub Zone:
  • Pirate Zone -- A land of scurvy buccaneers and salty pirates. This section of the "village" is laid out like a weathered seaport. The primary attraction in this Zone is a small man-made lake with a full-sized pirate ship named The Jolly Roger floating in it. The Zone leader is "Salty Dog" Bludhart.
  • Ninja Zone -- A land of eastern martial arts mastery. This section is laid out like an ancient Japanese village. The primary attraction here is a martial arts dojo where live demonstrations were once given. The Zone leader is Grand Master Shinado.
  • Fuzzy Bunny Zone -- A land of anthropomorphic cartoon animals. This section is laid out like a colorful forest village made of giant mushrooms and tree stumps. The Zone leader is Scrappy Squirrel.
  • Olympia Zone -- A land of Greek gods and goddesses This section is filled with marble structures, columns, and statues. This Zone is the hub in the center of the village with the other three Zones laid out around it. The primary attraction is Mount Olympus in the center (the artificial mountain). The Zone leader is Zeus.
All of the creatures the PCs meet in Wacky Valley -- pirates, ninjas, 'toons, and gods -- are advanced entertainment bots. To keep it simple, all of the Wacky Valley bots have the same basic construction. Use this basic template for all NPCs in Wacky Valley, adding appropriate weapons (cutlass, sword, nun-chucks, clubs, spears, etc.) as needed:

Entertainment Bot (AL N, MV 120' (40'), AC 5, HD 50 hp, #AT 1, DM by weapon, SV L5, ML 10, mutations: none)

The four sections of the "village" lived in harmony for millennia. A few years ago though, "Zeus Bot" decided he was tired of pretending to be a god, and he decided to BE a god. He and the rest of the Greek bot pantheon have decided to rule Wacky Valley, demanding tribute from the various Zones and punishing those who step out of line. Needless to say, the leaders of the three Zones have had enough and are starting to develop plans to overthrow Zeus and his lackies. Sadly, the leaders are horribly outmatched, so they pretend to toe the line in public. Behind the scenes, they've managed a few guerrilla strikes against Zeus' Greek centurions (his armored footsoldiers), but that's about it. With the arrival of the PCs, the leaders realize they may have a chance to overthrow Zeus' tyranny and bring peace back to Wacky Valley.

The Mutant Lord is encouraged to play this encounter like an underground strike force against a despotic tyrant. (Imagine a WWII espionage scenario. Now place it in a theme park.) The Wacky Valley leaders and residents will keep the PCs hidden (or disguised if out in the park) as they show them around and explain their plight. Zeus has two other "gods" that live on Mount Olympus with him -- Hermes and Hercules. The three of them rarely leave the mountain, so the Wacky Valley clans have been trying to deplete their robotic soldiers in hopes of driving them into the open. Zeus is no fool though, preferring to send his guards out to quash any uprisings, as well as firing his bolts of lightning from afar. He may also send down either Hermes or Hercules to crush any resistance as needed. Getting a face-to-face confrontation with Zeus will not be easy.

Unbeknownst to the villagers and PCs, Zeus and his gang can see and hear everything that goes on in Wacky Valley as the entire park is watched through a series of security monitors. (The park security office is located in the base of Mount Olympus.) Zeus is now watching the PCs with interest as he gauges what kind of threat they are to his reign. The stats for the Greek god-bots are as follows:

Zeus (AL N, MV 120' (40'), AC 5, HD 50 hp, #AT 1 (weapon or energy ray), DM by weapon or 4d6, SV L5, ML 10, mutations: energy ray (lightning))
Hermes (AL N, MV 340' (80'), AC 5, HD 50 hp, #AT 2, DM by weapon , SV L5, ML 10, mutations: quickness)
Hercules (AL N, MV 120' (40'), AC 5, HD 50 hp, #AT 1, DM by weapon + 3d6 bonus, SV L6, ML 10, mutations: increased strength)

The gods were content to toy with the Wacky Valley denizens, but now that the PCs have entered the picture, they've become worried. They have no intention of relinquishing the power they've wielded for so long and will only give up if they are destroyed.

What kinds of missions will the PCs need to accomplish to bring down Zeus? Well, perhaps a device hidden aboard The Jolly Roger can deaden Zeus' energy ray ability, so the PCs are tasked with retrieving it. Maybe Lil' Bunny Foo-foo is being held and tortured by Greek centurions and must be rescued before she reveals the location of the rebellion. Or perhaps the ninja-bots have all been deprogrammed, and the PCs must find the flash drive containing their ninja-moves subroutines so they can launch a counterattack. The Mutant Lord is encouraged to make the Battle for Wacky Valley a series of interconnected adventures within a surreal landscape of pirates, ninjas, and cartoons characters against the forces of Greek gods. Have fun with it!

1 comment:

  1. Someone has been watching "Westworld" again. Very cool retro encounter with shades of the Warden thrown it.

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