BESM 5e Solo, Part 7 - Scarlet Hero, Urban Adventure, Part 6 - And the game is on...

Now, before rolling on this scene, I found out a small rule that I didn’t figure was existing, when I was quite far in the story. The antagonist, as it turns out, also have a chance to move his plot forward, which means, he has to roll d10 after each scene and if he rolls equals or less than the overall amount of scenes that happened during adventure, he gets one extra Victory point.

Scene 1 vs d10 = 2

Scene 2 vs d10 = 10

Scene 3 vs d10 = 3 (+1 Point)

Scene 4 was a Conflict scene, which denies the Antagonist his right to roll

Scene 5 (which is technically Scene 4 now) vs d10 = 5

+ extra roll for the following Scene, because otherwise, I would forget.
Scene 6 (which is now Scene 5) vs d10 = 5 (+1 Point)

This is also an episode where I start to use techniques for solo gaming that are more in line with 5e game structure

[Roll for Urban Adventure Investigation Scenes: 1 - Hunt up an actor whom you have reason to suspect can give you a clue]

[Clue: 2 Heat: 0

Victory Points: 5

Antagonist Points: 1 + 2 points for pushing the plot forward]

Shan opened the door leading to the backyard, mercilessly. The kitchen staff yelled at him something about kicking the doors, but the gang boss didn’t care. He showed what he thought about the rules of the staff by slamming the door behind, again without remorse.

All his body language, his mood could tell anyone that he wanted to be alone. That’s the reason why he was now on the backyard. Well… that and he wanted to have a smoke.

The brand he was smoking was a crappy one, but there was some enjoyment in inhaling something that disgusting. In a way, it balanced the crap inside, granting some balance, the tranquility of soul and peace of a mind.

That’s exactly what Shan needed at the moment, witch a stick of dried leaves wrapped in thin paper he started to pat his jacket. If only he could find those damn’ matches.

[Harold’s Stealth roll d20+2 vs Shan’s Perception = 17 vs 12]

That’s when fire appeared. A small flickering bonfire, smelling of gasoline, popped close enough to give the gang leader a scare

The flame came from the lighter. The lighter that was not Shan’s and held by the stranger.

Or was he a stranger?

‘You?!’ Shan knew this guy, even though he saw that grey hair and the scar across the face only once. But those were exactly the features that made him remember the person standing right now. And besides, they’ve met not so long ago.

[Roll on General Oracle - Did the gang told Shan about Harold? Likely: roll with Advantage d20/d20 = 9/19 – Oh, heck yeh they told, alright…]

‘Thought you might want some light’ As amusing as Harold tried to sound, his eyes betrayed him. His gaze was that of a cold blue steel…

‘What are you doing here?’

[Harold’s Intimidation roll d20+0 vs Shan’s Insight = 15 + 0 vs 12]

‘I did promise to find responsible for your sister’s condition, didn’t I? Well, that I just did’ Harold spoke calmly, but the tension in his voice… Shan didn’t feel like uttering even a single syllable.         

‘A tall thin guy in black. Yeah, I know, nothing even remotely close to what you were hunting whole day. But you knew that well enough, didn’t you?’

‘The hell you’re talking about?’ Shan spit the cigarette out without lighting it up. ‘It was a red haired bastard!’

‘That bastard’s name is Ardet Kleid. I bet that guy in black promised you that Thana will get better once you find this pulhe who is responsible.

‘He told me that once I find the red haired, Thana would get better’

‘Really? Did he sic’ you like a bloodhound on this wild goose chase before or after you let him in the club?’

This little remark from Harold made Shan lose all his cool.

[Roll on General Oracle – Does Shan know the ‘Gaunt” man in black? = Yes, but… He is not a friend, he introduced himself as a client who wanted to see Thana as a ‘fixer’

Under which recommendations did Shan let the ‘Gaunt’ inside?

Roll on General Oracle - Does Shan owns ‘Gaunt’ his life? – No, but…

Roll on General Oracle - Did ‘Gaunt’ introduced himself as a friend of Shan’s savior? = 16 – Yes

Roll on General Oracle – Was it a ‘blooddebt’? Likely: roll with advantage d20/d20 – 18/19 – Yes and oh, so much, Yes!]

‘I had no choice! I’m… I’m indebted to them.’

‘Them? Who are “them”?‘

‘Those who saved my life. It’s a long story. The point is I owed them a big one and they’ve come to collect through the agent.’

‘Uh-huh… And he…’

‘All he wanted is to speak with my sister, I thought no harm could be done. That’s what she does for the living. She… fixes the problems’

‘So the club is a decoy.’

‘No, the club does function to entertain the public. But she has to cover her spends somehow. Look! That guy sounded legit. He knew about my sister, her job he had the passwords and…’

‘He knew her true name as well’

‘What?!’ That came as a real shock to him. He genially didn’t know. All this time and he didn't have even a speck of suspicion.  

‘But you didn’t have to know it. All you had to do is to let him in and then believe that your sister losing her name was a fault of a certain red haired bastard who slept with her last night. And you believed him, because no harm could have been done by someone who saved your life before. I want his name, Shan. He should have told you THAT MUCH at least!’

[Roll on General Oracle – Does Shan knows Gaunt’s name? – Likely, roll with Advantage: d20/d20 = 7/7 - No, but… ]

‘He… he didn’t tell me. All he told me, that he was from… our mutual friend’

‘Your “savior”, I presume’

‘Yes’

"Great!" Thought Harold to himself "You people expect me to find this one guy on a goddamn’ asteroid and yet you can’t give me anything worth of the lead."

[Roll on General Oracle – Does Shan know where to find the guy? 16 - Yes]

‘But I think, I know where to look for him’

Finally! Something that Harold wanted to hear...