For this campaign my major intention is to follow the development of a single Apocalypse World setting and set of characters over the course 20+ sessions (we are now 6 sessions in). I want to see how the world fills in with terminology, history, and peoples.
As in my earlier actual play reports, small green text indicates out of character talk, mechanics and other game aspects outside of the fiction.
Our main characters are:
- Gator (the Gunlugger) is an assassin and part-time bodyguard who wears customized scrounged armor made from Kevlar and ceramic inserts. Camouflaged for the jungle, his face was ruined in a fight with an alligator. His eyes are always sizing things up and his brutal life has left his body a hard sheet of muscle.
- Jarhead (the Savvyhead) is a thing African-American man with a short goatee, long dreads, and clothes covered in pockets and gear. Travelling around in an old news van, he repairs items for a living. Recently obtained a strange device from a man named Dustwich, it can bend time and space. He is intrigued to say the least. He has also obtained employees in the form of a young woman Allison and her brother Waters.
- November Orleans (the Skinner) is descended from a family which left New Orleans before it sank. She is a beautiful woman of mixed heritage with dark eyes and skin, a sweet face and lush body. She dresses herself in a mix of scavenged clothing that somehow works together and wears a necklace made from rows of antique coins which jingle and shine as she moves. Her main profession is as a dancer, especially belly dancing, but she has a sideline business in cooking.
- Violet Jefferson (the Touchstone) is descended by survivalists and her clothing and gear reflects her origins. Plain looking but fit, she carries a pocket copy of the Federalist papers and founding documents of the United States of America, an idea she hopes to revive. Her followers are demanding her help putting on a mission to liberate Miami from a tyrant.
Start of Session
As usual Gator is late.Jarhead apparently has an advancement left over from last session. He decides to get an Augury by taking the move Reality’s fraying edge. After some discussion we decide that the Tesla device in its current state can at least do that. Basically in the week or so on the road, he gets it to function, maybe not as it was intended to, as an augury.
“Because you were inspired by the gods,” November says.
Highlighting
There is a great deal of decision-making in choosing who knew them best, with Gator always being one of the parties. Apparently he knows people well. Since Gator is late all the players choose the other person.- November has Hot (from Jarhead) and Weird highlighted.
- Jarhead has Sharp (from November) and Weird highlighted.
- Violet has Hard (from November) and Hot highlighted.
- Gator when he arrives has Sharp (from Violet) and Cool highlighted.
Jarhead
A week has passed since the night of the cannibals. The road to Miami has been long and dull. You now have an honor guard of sorts. One of the warriors of Willowtree, Shadow, has joined the trip. But he spends most of his time with November. You also have two new “employees”. The girl, Allison, vouched for her brother, Waters, as being skilled with his hands. Turns out it is true. But since Willowtree he’s been different.Roll +weird. On a 10+, pick none, on a 7-9, pick 1:
- His wounds will never really heal, leaving him hobbled for life.
- The experience left him prone to fits and visions.
What have you been working on during the journey?
Jarhead rolls a 4 which sucks for Waters. He marks experience. In addition to the augury device, he also builds a taser. He trades a working mp3 player to November for the batteries he needs. I decide it will still be unreliable until he has a couple of days off the road to perfect it.
He tells November the mp3 player has a set of 70s songs he can’t get off of it.
“So a mix tape of awesome,” November says. She also mentions needing her tablet recharged.
“When you are ready to talk about that let me know,” Jarhead says.
Violet
A week has passed since the night of the cannibals. The road to Miami has been one long argument. Another vehicle has joined your caravan, a motorcycle and sidecar carrying Starbuck, Lily Miami, and her mutt Exit. Also members of your scene, they heard about your quest from Willlowtree. Boo and Starbuck have different views on what a reborn USA should be like and have been debating the finer points of government the whole way.First roll Fortunes.
Then roll +hard. On a hit, you manage to put up with their nonsense without hitting or insulting anyone. On a 10+ they manage to agree on something. Use +insight if not otherwise available. Otherwise gain +1forward. On a miss the experience leaves you drained. Take -1forward.
What are Lily and Starbuck like? Why do they not agree with Boo?
Violet gets a 12 on her Fortunes roll. Her followers Lily and Starbuck contribute 2-barter to the cause.
”Like a talking parrot?” November asks.
On the custom move she gets an 11 and experience.
I establish that Lily is an animal trainer (see below) and part of the affluent Miami family. Violet adds that she is the daughter of branch family with her father serving under the patriarch. Her husband, Starbuck, came from nothing and as such her family didn't approve of their union. They eloped anyway.
“What brought them into my scene was the idea of being free to make their own choices,” she says.
“What can Exit do?” November asks.
“He has your typical guard dog package but knows some extra tricks,” I tell her.
As for the argument, Violet explains that Lily and her husband are a lot younger than Boo. As such they are much willing to take risks. So the primary bone of contention is methodology, how they will retake Miami.
“Boo’s got a grown up son for god’s sake,” I point out. Though honestly I’m surprised, I thought Boo was the violent one. Lily and Starbuck must be really radical.
November
A week has passed since the trip to Willowtree. That warrior you hooked up with, Shadow, has joined the journey as an honor guard for Jarhead. But he’s probably more interested in you. Your wound has slowly healed and the trip has been eased by Shadow’s ministrations. Several other people have also joined the expedition: the woman you saved, Allison, a skilled seamstress; her brother Waters, a wood carver; and a devotee of Violet’s named Lily Miami, an animal trainer.Roll +hot. On a hit pick one of them, you've managed to learn their art. On a 10+, you've also made friends with one of them (perhaps the same one). Gain +1ongoing in interactions with them. On a miss, Shadow and you are on the outs. Take -1ongoing with him until you patch things up.
Garber, Boos’ son, let slip a rumor that White deals in black magic. Specifically that he deals in zombies. That makes you think of your family. What surprising thing happens when you mix spores with zombie powder?
November gets a hard hit and learns animal training from Lily (as well as an experience). She chooses to befriend Allison.
“When you mix zombie powder with spores in the early stages of the climbers and you are sufficiently versed as a shaman, you can dictate their movements,” she explains. “It only works as long as the zombie powder is working and you can overdose with zombie powder. It’s not a cure but it can delay the disease. But they lack will. If you are a skilled medic as well you could use them as biological bombs, spore bombs.”
“That doesn't sound good,” Violet says.
“That’s why they call it black magic.”
Gator
A week has passed since the night of the cannibals. The road to Miami has been really dull since you skirted the Wrecks. You have healed any wounds at least. Allison led you to the Bargeman, Bannon, a fat bastard who tried to extract as much as he could from your group. At least he threw some gas in as well.Ask November if she helps you then roll +cool. On a hit, transport didn't cost much. Tell Violet she’s down a barter. On a 10+ it doesn't even cost that much. On a miss, she pays plus you discover too late that he spiked the gasoline. Any roll involving the vehicles takes -1 ongoing until Jarhead can look at the engines properly.
Allison made you a nice black shirt from some scavenged cloth. What do you think of it?
When Gator finally shows up we run through this quickly. November agrees to help and gets 9 on her roll. With the extra +1, Gator gets an 11 and an experience.
As for the shirt he says, “I guess I like it. It makes me look presentable for business negotiations. Thank you, kindly.”
Road to Miami
”For most of you it’s been a long boring week. Some of you are better at entertaining yourself,” I tell them.”Or others,” November adds.
The monotony of the 75 wears on the caravan. Even the addition of Lily Miami and Starbuck fails to stimulate them, at least positively. The pair keep to their bike and sidecar by day and argue with Boo and his son every evening.
In the van, Jarhead is happy to have ‘employees’ even if they are a nervous girl and a crippled child. Using some batteries he traded for from November, he builds a crude taser in his spare time. Allison watches as her brother Waters sinks deeper and deeper into himself. His wounds heal but every day he gets weaker.
Gator favors the black shirt the girl made for him and counts himself lucky to avoid the trouble of the Wrecks. The bargeman Bannon was greedy but he and November knocked the price down to something reasonable.
November is one of the few enjoying the trip, whiling away the days befriending Allison, the evenings learning to train animals with Lily, and her nights with the well toned Shadow. The warrior had chosen to throw in with them, supposedly to protect Jarhead and his mission.
By the time they cut across the Everglades, things settle down. Boo and Lily still argue about how to free Miami but to Violet’s relief, it no longer threatens to blow up into a fight.
As they approach the western coast, they find the highway isolated, surrounded by water on both sides. Boo remarks that the lake has finally flooded the region, turning the highway into a causeway. The off ramps dive into the brackish water leaving no way to escape but back.
“What kind of animals live in the waters around here?” November calls out to Lily as they wind their way through the tangle of wrecked vehicles.
“Around these parts, you gotta look out for pythons,” she shouts back. “The gators have been mostly forced up north. Then there are the brackish sharks pushing their way inland. That’s mostly it in the water. Oh and leeches. Always gotta look out for leeches.”
I establish that the highway is about 10 to 15 feet above the water with the water being 5 or more feet deep.
Jarhead muses on the leeches comment. “Allison could you make us a net for leeches?” he calls back.
The fair-haired girl looks up from her brother. “I guess, what do you want with leeches?”
“You’d be surprised how much protein they actually have.”
“Okay,” she shrugs. “I’ll get working on one.”
“It’s best to eat them before they eat you,” he says driving past another overgrown wreck.
“I’ll need a few days,” she says pulling some supplies off the shelves of the van’s interior.
“Fine. I used have one myself but I used it,” he rambles. “It wasn't a leech that it brought up and needless to say I don’t have it anymore.”
Ahead in the yellow SUV, Boo leans over to Violet. “We are getting close to Miami. If White’s got spotters out here, I’m not exactly sure how we are going to avoid them.”
“There’s not really a lot of cover,” she says grimly.
“No.”
After some debate, I have Violet Read a sitch as they approach some ruins.
”There is definitely something interesting here otherwise I wouldn't make you make a roll,” I tell her.
She gets an 8 with her +1forward and asks, “What should I be on the lookout for?”
Violet looks out ahead, along the crumbling highway to gauge where trouble might lie. The SUV rolls along the highway followed by Jarhead’s van. The Starbuck’s motorcycle brings up the rear, Exit’s head sticking out of the side car, his tongue flapping in the breeze.
Ahead she spots a clump of taller buildings emerging from the muck beside the road. Their height would make for a great lookout. Violet’s flick to the wrecked vehicles on the road. They block much of the highway, forcing travelers to maneuver between them.
And into a trap, she decides.
Violet tells Boo to stop. The well maintained vehicle pulls to a halt and the travelers disembark to learn what is going on. Violet voices her suspicions and sends a team to check for any booby traps: Jarhead, Boo, and Gator.
Jarhead nods. “Boo could probably find it, I can disarm it, and Gator is a good meat shield in case it all goes to shit.”
The trio walk over. A ruined hotel leans in to the highway 50 yards away while a wrecked bus and cement truck blocks two-thirds of the highway.
Boo peers over the wrecked truck. ”Well I guess it was a good idea to check but it looks like we are too late.”
He points to the other side where a dark blood stain fills a blast crate from some sort of explosive. The upper torso of a person lies about ten feet away.
“Well it’s not a total loss,” Jarhead says spying the debris of the man’s motorcycle near the bus. “Let’s go check it out.”
Gator arrives at this point and we fill him in. We quickly finish Hx and some of his love letter. I also mention Shadow has been sent to guard Jarhead.
“Which is to say he’s been spending most of his time with November,” I explain.
”So he guards me but likes her,” Jarhead complains.
”Well everyone likes November,” Gator says.
”Yeah,” she says.
Gator and Jarhead Read a sitch.
“Nothing bad can happen from that,” I say.
”Isn't that how bad stuff happened last time,” Gator comments.
“Yes that’s how Gunge ended up dying.”
Both of them get experience. Gator gets a total of 10, Jarhead eeks out a 7.
”What should I be on them lookout for?’ Jarhead asks.
”That’s an excellent question. Half of the guy is missing...”
Gator asks, “what’s my enemy’s true position?”
Jarhead stops in mid step as he notices that despite the blood and gore, there is less left of the man than one would expect. Gator’s eyes flash to the blood trail, days old, that winds its way across the highway and under the bus.
“Hey there’s a trail over there to the bus and half the guy is missing,” Jarhead says.
”Which enemy is the biggest threat?” Gator asks.
From your knowledge of swamp life, you are looking for a very big python.
”What is my best way past?”
You can use the SUV to swipe the bus to stun the snake and then everyone can blow pass. Otherwise it might try for the bike. The confines are such that there isn't enough room for two vehicles to drive through at the same time.
Gator nods, his eyes drawn to something slithering sluggishly beneath the wreck. “Whatever ate him is still here. We should go back and use the vehicles to get past.”
“There is also the busted bike,” Jarhead says.
”Yeah I don’t think Gator is really thinking about the busted bike.”
“We can get one elsewhere,” Gator says. “Why the fuck do we need a broken bike?”
“But there are pieces,” he pleads.
“It’s not worth it Jarhead,” Boo says. “We can find wrecked vehicles elsewhere if you need parts.”
“Alright,” he sighs.
The trio retreat and outline what they saw to the others. Gator explains his plan. Boo will ram the edge of the bus and while the beast tries to scramble to safety the convoy will move on past.
This is actual point where we resolved the gas stuff with Gator. Which is really timely. “Because someone is going to have to make an Acting under fire roll to get past the snake.”
Gator rolls the custom move from the letter, earns experience and gets an improvement. He is Insano like Drano (+1 Hard).
We break for me to get dinner. Sadly I left it at an awkward place so little in game chit chat happens. My wife show off our baby to the gang while Gator explains Our Last Best Hope.
Once I return I have Gator make the Acting under fire roll since it was his plan. He gets a 9 as well as experience.
Boo’s SUV smashes the front end of the bus, tearing down the highway. Frightened, a 30 foot python slithers away from the wreck.
”Holy fuck!” Jarhead exclaims as his van drives past. In the back, November, Gator, Shadow and the kids look out the window in disbelief.
”Those things are not to be messed with,” Violet says.
Before the creature can recover, Lily and Starbuck race by as well.
A half mile down the highway, Boo finds himself wrestling with the wheel as a terrible thumping sound comes from the left front tire.
”Damn it I think I broke something when I hit the bus,” he says.
“Is there a good place to stop and fix it?” Violet asks.
Here we break to detail Miami. We use the following custom move first:
When you return to a settlement which your character has visited before but which has not yet previously come up in-game, say if it was for business and/or pleasure.
If pleasure roll +hot. If business roll +cool. If both you choose which to roll but the MC will ask you a question about the history of the settlement since you spent so much time here. If you haven’t visited it, what rumor have you heard about it?
On a 10+ hold 3, on a 7-9 you and the MC each hold 1. On a miss the MC holds 3. Any time you encounter a new NPC in that settlement, you may spend your hold 1-for-1 to take +1 forward with them – they like you, still owe you for a job, they think you are a good customer, or maybe just remember you fondly. The MC can similarly spend hold 1-for-1 at any time to give you -1 forward with a new NPC – they dislike you, you wronged them, or they remember you being an asshole.
”Well I’m not returning so it doesn't matter,” Jarhead says.
I point out to Violet that Miami is a port city.”You did travel with the extensive maritime community that exists after the apocalypse.”
She agrees and November and Gator also indicate they have visited before.
Violet rolls cool, since it was business as does Gator. November rolls hot “...since everything is a pleasure with November.”
November and Gator both get over 10 and experience. Violet gets an 8.
I explain that people might dislike Violet “because she’s always talking about democracy.”
”Probably. Republican democracy,” she says.
I turn to Jarhead. “Since Jarhead has never been here, what rumor has he heard about it?”
“They've been poaching some really cool tech off of Disney World,” he says.
”Like animatronics?” Violet asks.
”World of Tomorrow,” Jarhead comments.
”Holograms,” I add.
”Spinning teacups,” November adds.
”That sounds hilarious. It’s probably true.”
Then I show them the map:
Violet says, “So it is like now but with less crime and people.”
”Less crime is debatable, the per capita crime rate has shot through the roof. Just think what happened in 3 days in Stumpland.”
We brainstorm ideas for the holdings. Along the way Jarhead realizes that Epcot is really far away and we work out an alternate source of technology to spur the rumors he heard.
November says there is a group that rebuilt a huge church organ adding extra parts and housing it an abandoned stadium. ”That is technically technology. They call it the Music Bowl.”
From the sound of it the Music Bowl must be run by some religious cult.
”They are nice people,” November says.
Gator suggests that there is a derelict tanker or aircraft carrier in the bay (which I dub the “The Big Ship”). We settle on an aircraft carrier and say it has run aground. The top deck is mostly level and a shanty town has been built there. It has a bustling market and is the main place ships dock.
We digress for a bit on an idea for a cruise ship instead. “The Princess,” November dubs it, where the cruise has never ends and “with an army of slaves in the bowels of ship filling the never-ending buffet table.” ”But what’s on the buffet table?” Gator asks.
Coming back to the aircraft carrier, I point out US carriers all use nuclear power. It could be still working but leaking contaminated water. “Now we know why the food is dangerous around here, it’s radioactive.”
”Got to take your iodine tablets,” Gator says.
“It’s probably a safe haven with all of the ordinance,”Jarhead says. “You can trade but you play by our rules.”
Boo is probably from the Big Ship and so White must have taken it over.
“Could be too well defended,” Jarhead mutters.
”That just makes it more interesting that it did fall to White. He does have black magic after all. If guys with green in their eyes pop up, the leaders of the Big Ship might be like ‘maybe we should let White take over here. He’s got zombies.’”
Violet points out that Miami is a hub for medical and biotechnology. She suggests an automated hospital.
I agree with that idea. “Automated doctors who may help you or might attach an extra arm.”
We locate it on coast and I dub it “Autodoc.”
Beyond that I say there may be other smaller holdings like Stumpland but these are the main three.
Boo grumbles, “there not much this close to Miami. We could make a run for Autodoc or the Music Bowl.”
Violet relays that information over the radio.
There is a crackle and November’s voice comes on. “Waters could be fixed up at the Autodoc.”
“Good point,” the survivalist says. “Boo see if you can get there.”
“If you think it will help,” a weak voice says over the air waves. Allison continues, “He’s not doing well, he keeps coughing up blood.”
“We could at least try,” Violet says.
“I like him, he’s a helper,” Jarhead adds.
“Well they've got tools there and it should be pretty safe,” Boo says. “Other than the robots.”
“Robots? Robots! Awesome, let’s go!” Jarhead says cheerfully.
A half hour later they can all hear it, an awful squealing coming from the front left wheel of the SUV. Jarhead can just barely see the wheel wobble and bounce ahead of him.
The water has receded from around the highway and to either side rise overgrown residential and commercial buildings. Potholes crater the overgrown highway. With each bump the noise gets louder.
Sweat trickles down the Boo's face as he wrestles with the wheel.
“Why don’t we find a spot along the side of the road and take a look?” Violet tells the older man.
The scavenger pulls off the road in the shade of a vine-covered liquor store. Starbuck's motorcycle pulls up beside them. “What’s the problem?” Lily asks.
“That wheel’s been wobbling,” Violet explains. “We need to see what we can do to keep it together. At least until Autodoc.”
The van pulls up behind them. Jarhead gets out and looks it over. He frowns. “That sucks. We probably can’t make it on that wheel. Let me look for a replacement.”
Jarhead rolls Acting under fire (using weird due to Spooky intense) to find the right part. He gets a 12 and marks experience.
The wiry man moves methodically along the road, oblivious to anything but a wheel of the right size. He blindly ducks beneath some foliage and emerges on the far side. “Found it!”
With his employees’ help he wrestles the parts from an overgrown wreck. The shadows grow longer as the sun slowly disappears to the west. Violet directs the convoy to a nearby parking garage. With a subdued squeal they push Boo’s truck inside and Jarhead gets to work on the repairs.
Violet sets people to watch the surroundings while the others rest or work. She douses the lights to the bare minimum needed for Jarhead’s repairs.
I ask November, “you've been here before, where did you spend most of your time?”
”I visited the Big Ship and Music Bowl mostly.”
”What is the Music Bowl like?”
”I didn't get to perform there last time. I really wanted to." She explains that the inhabitants are a cult but are friendly and don’t press people to join. They have a festival where outsiders can perform, but it wasn't the right time of year when she was here last.
We establish it is now. November also tells us that they grow mushrooms in the basement as a food source. Some of the fungi also aid in having religious visions.
”Is it more 'join by invite only' or do they just don’t actively recruit?” I ask.
”A bit of both. Most have been there their whole life. They have a complicated political structure that I don’t fully understand.”
Shadow slides up to November in the dying light. He looks over at the repair work or more specifically the blonde boy Waters.
November recalls many such glances over the past week. “Why are you interested in Waters?” she asks.
“That boy has been marked by the gods. I feel he has a role to play. Though it may his last.”
“What do you mean?” she says, the sun’s glow fading from her necklace of quarters and pennies.
Shadow shrugs, resting his strange spear on a muscular shoulder. “His wounds are not healing.”
“That’s why we are going to go to the Autodoc,” she explains.
“This ‘Autodoc’, is he some sort of miracle worker?”
“Sort of,” she says unsure how to explain a wonder of the Golden Age. “What grand design do you see him participating in?”
“I don’t know but I’ve seen others who have recovered like him.” Shadow peers out into the twilight. “My uncle was once First Warrior but fell in battle. The wise woman was able to bring his spirit back. But he was different. He was empty. And his wound though grievous never healed, even though such an ailment should have killed him. A year later when the tribes to east came back, he sacrificed himself to stop them.”
“Tribes to the east?”
“A tribe of cannibals,” he says. “They wore the skins of their enemies.”
“So you think the boy is going to save us and he is holding on for that reason?” she asks.
From the ever darker gloom, the tribal warrior says, “the gods have a purpose for him. that is what I believe.” Then he points to the south. “What’s that?”
November follows his gaze. Through the thick foliage and rubble, she makes out lights, some flickering like flame, others with the bluish glow of electricity. The lights slowly wind through the ruined blocks to the south of them.
November Reads a sitch and gets a 9. What should I be on the lookout for?
November’s keen ears pick up the rhythmic noise of chimes and soft voices. She recognizes the melody from her time at the Music Bowl.
This is an opportunity.
“I've met with these people before. They are religion types from the Music Bowl.” November seeks out Violet and relays the information. “They seem to be heading to the Autodoc. Maybe they can help us out.”
“We can certainly investigate,” Violet says. She gestures to Gator join them.
Boo stays. He’s not leaving his truck. So do Jarhead and the rest of the NPCs.
”So the four of you go out there. The seemingly unarmed, the well armed, the armed with a spear and the ‘my god what is he armed with!”
”What isn't he armed with,” Jarhead says.
That's it for now. Come back in two weeks for the conclusion.
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