Deadlands Noir One Shot (first of several)

[Hector Trelane]

Call to players: this is an announcement for the first of several one-shot adventures in a modified version of Pinnacle's Deadlands Noir setting (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.xcp?id=S2P10018PGFG2). To allow us to dive right into the action (and simplify rules-learning), we'll use a cast of pre-made PCs (see below).

Summary:


FG License: GM has Full License; players need at least Lite
Game System: Savage Worlds
Genre and Setting: A modified version of Deadlands Noir, New Orleans, 1931


Time Zone: Eastern Time (GMT -5)
Day of week and time: One shot session on Monday, July 28, 6:30 p.m. Eastern (GMT -5)
Planned Frequency: This is a one-shot adventure, to be followed by several more one-shots (TBA)


Text or Voice: Voice preferred
Voice software used: Google Hangout (connection instructions to follow)


Roleplay & Combat mix: Roleplay, narrative, investigation, some combat
Number of Players in game & needed: Up to 6 total PCs; have 2 players, need up to 4 more
Character starting level & equipment: Novice+ level PCs, pre-made for use in this One Shot (players should choose from the list below)
Player experience: No experience needed with Savage Worlds or Deadlands Noir (we'll learn it as we go)
Play style: The story and adventure will be the most fun and interesting for players who play their PCs actively, in-character, and in the spirit of the genre and times. Good roleplaying results in an interesting and satisfying story. PC actions will determine the outcome of the plot.


Link to Gamecalendar page: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/calendar/index.xcp?id=1232


Details:

Deadlands Noir: New Orleans by Night
SOURCE MATERIAL CREDITS: This is a modification and customization, strictly for personal use, of the great original source material in Deadlands Noir authored by John Goff and Pinnacle Entertainment Group.

The year is 1931, the place is New Orleans… the Big Easy… but the history is not entirely our own.

Ever since invading columns of Union blue were replaced by hucksters with carpet bags who harassed and interfered with Southern tradition several generations ago, the South’s economy has struggled like a one armed man in white water -- periodically coming up for air but mostly getting nowhere. Only the North’s ill-advised attempt at Prohibition gave New Orleans (the bootlegging capital of the South) any respite, by letting them sell cheap hooch over the border to every Tom, Richard, and Nancy who wanted to wet their whistle.

A worldwide Depression has made things even worse.

In 1917, young men from Dixie briefly put aside their differences with their Yankee oppressors to enlist in the U.S. Army and join forces with the Allied Powers in the Great War. After another three years of fighting, Germany and the other Central Powers surrendered. The victory celebrations were cut short as the returning soldiers brought home with them a superflu that spread across the world. In the end, it claimed nearly 200 million lives. Mourning mothers turned to ouija boards, seances, and gypsies to commune with the souls of their lost dead.

A brief period of prosperity followed, but ultimately, that turned out to just be the set-up for one of the biggest sucker plays in history—the Great Depression.

Banks failed, stocks crashed, and companies shut their doors. Last summer, dust storms and grasshopper swarms swept the country like the plagues of Egypt, obliterating farms and dreams. The politicians say the worst is over, but most people are still making do with hope and pocket lint, and most are running low on pocket lint. Money talks these days, and when it does, most everyone listens. A good job is hard to find, but a trustworthy soul might be even harder.

It’s almost enough to make a fella overlook the shadow at the end of the alley or ignore those strange bumps in the night. Almost, but not quite.

Because some of you have *seen* those shadows… and they’re not what Mama would'a called "nat'rul"…


Dramatis Personae


Captain George Channer: Imperious Fuddy-Duddy and Former Officer in Queen Victoria's Army
Clay Maxwell: Private Investigator and Disgraced Former Police Detective (role taken)
Desmond Quinn: Demographer, Secondary School History Teacher, and Rare Book Collector
Madeleine Gervais: Jazz Club Co-owner and Femme Fatale
Jack Knowles: Smooth-talking Executive Assistant to Vince Kwiatek, the District Attorney of New Orleans (role taken)
Jonah Sedgewick: Studious Treasury Agent and Liquor Task Force Team Leader



The Setting:

We're using Savage Worlds Deadlands Noir (based in New Orleans) but with changes made to the "out of the box" setting by your's truly, the Storyteller. Modifications include:

We're not using the Deadlands alternate history (where the Confederacy is independent).
We're not using "patent science" or the "harrowed".
There are other secret changes by me, your Storyteller


Key facts about the setting:
The year is 1931, a few weeks before Mardi Gras.
Times are tough all over: The Great Depression has hit, and unemployment has peaked since the stock market crash 18 months ago.
Prohibition, bootlegging, and the mafia are all still on.
Players can read the Player's Guide (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.xcp?id=S2P10018PGFG2) but should not read the GM section, the Old Absinthe House Blues adventure, or any related GM material.

[dragonbait]

I would be interested in playing in this settings. I have not yet played with savage worlds but I have read over the rules and should be able to pick it up quickly. Which of the premade characters you have listed are already in use?

[dragonbait]

nevermind i just saw the (role taken) at the end of some of the characters :D

[ballan4]

I'm interested. I haven't played Deadlands Noir yet but I tend to pick it up pretty quickly. I'll sign up on the calendar.

[Hector Trelane]

Great, welcome, both ballan4 and dragonbait. As dragonbait has determined, the open characters are:

1. Captain George Channer: Imperious Fuddy-Duddy and Former Officer in Queen Victoria's Army
2. Desmond Quinn: Demographer, Secondary School History Teacher, and Rare Book Collector
3. Madeleine Gervais: Jazz Club Co-owner and Femme Fatale
4. Jonah Sedgewick: Studious Treasury Agent and Liquor Task Force Team Leader

Any preferences for which you'd like to play? For plot reason, we ought to fill them in more or less in that order (i.e. if we were a player short, we could leave Jonah Sedgewick behind).

Dragonbait, I see from the calendar you may have already indicated a preference for Desmond Quinn -- if accurate, that's fine, just please confirm.

[ballan4]

I'll take Captain George Channer, sounds interesting to me and should be fun to play.

[dragonbait]

I will take Desmond Quinn, seems like he would be fun to roleplay

[Hector Trelane]

Great! Sounds fine on both counts

[Hector Trelane]

All, we'll use Google Hangout for audio -- voice and mood music. To participate, you'll need mic (preferably as part of a headset to reduce feedback) and a Google account. Have them? Please confirm whether you can participate by voice (strongly preferred) and PM me with your email where I should send a Google chat invite you. I'll reply with my gmail account so you know it's me and not a spammer.

[Raz_Kabooz]

Hi just want to introduce myself, I'm Raz who is playing Jack Knowles. I played an earlier session of Hector's and he is a great GM. Looking forward to Monday's session!

[DMDaddy0]

I may be interested in joining. How late are you looking to play?

[DMDaddy0]

Ack! Scratch that, I'll be busy this Monday. I'll keep my eye out for next time though!

[Hector Trelane]

Thanks for your interest, DMDaddy. In the future we'll do another One-Shot on a weekend night.

[Hector Trelane]

FYI, here's a screen shot of another one-shot New Orleans Deadlands Noir session prior to Monday night's action...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3712144/screenshot0009.png

[Wingsbg]

Hi there! I am a little new to the online pick-up game setup FG has going here and I didn't post an introductory message. I'm very much interested in joining y'all in this. I have not played SW at all but I read the core rulebook. I submitted to play Jonah over the Femme fatale because this is my first time gaming with a group I've never met. I tend to get a bit overly silly when I play female characters so I chose Jonah.

Again, sorry for the late intro,
BG

[ballan4]

Welcome Wingsbg! We're a friendly bunch and don't bite (at first) lol. I hope you have a lot of fun with FG.

[Wingsbg]

Thanks! I've actually been pretty psyched about this. I was checking every day to see if I'd be able to play, only to find out there is a process to this so everything stays organized. Makes sense. I should have done a little digging on how to politely do everything. It has been years since I was a player in a tabletop game. I always take on the GM roll since no one else in our group wants to. I really appreciate the chance to throw some dice at some baddies, instead of at some players.

BG

[dragonbait]

Seem like it will be a fun game. I just joined FG recently also, about 2 months ago and have had a lot of fun in several campaigns so far.

[Hector Trelane]

Okay folks, Wingsbg is also approved, thanks for the introductions and excited to game with you all in a bit later tonight. We have five total (another player from RL not registered on the calendar, playing Clay Maxwell).

[Hector Trelane]

Great run tonight, gents! Fun to game with you! Here's a screen shot of tonight's action:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3712144/screenshot0020.png

[Raz_Kabooz]

Great session, complements to the GM and everyone that played! Kudos to ballan4 who captured Captain George Channer down to a tee! Cpt. Channer IS the Cat's Meow!

[ballan4]

That was a lot of fun, Many thanks to Hector and everyone for making it so!

[dragonbait]

Yes it was a lot of fun, a colorful bunch of characters.

[Wingsbg]

Hey, I know I'm a bit late posting my thanks. Been a bit of a horsefeathers start to the week. I had a lot of fun. Thanks so much Hector for running the game. I was very obvious that you put quite a bit of work into it, even though it was a 'one-shot' thing. Just hope we didn't 'go right' when you wanted us to go left.

BG

[Hector Trelane]

Just hope we didn't 'go right' when you wanted us to go left.

BG

Well that's the fun of RP, isn't it? :) I thought the plot took some twists and turns, appropriately. Clay Maxwell scared off the femme fatale, which might have turned out differently, and you all might have pursued a different investigation route. Meantime Jonah Sedewick narrowly avoided hospitalization or worse... Finally, there are choices as to how the PCs might handle the loose ends: just what to do with a truck full of bootleg liquor? Also, the client didn't necessarily give permission to the antiques buyer and seller to open the crate and inspect exactly what he bought--but that's happened now, hasn't it? ;)

[Hector Trelane]

Wingsbg, Ballan4, and Dragonbait: would you like to connect for some one-on-one customization of your characters? We did fine with the template versions last time, but as I prepare for the next one shot investigation, I'd like to give you the opportunity to personalize your characters and make them more your own. I've been working on statting them as full and proper PC sheets in FG.

Also, would you like to find your own character portraits? I find a simple Google image search (using terms such as "noir" "investigator" "1930s" etc) works well. Personally, I like the portraits for Captain Channer and for Desmond Quinn, but the one for Jonah Sedgewick, Treasury Agent, could be improved.

[ballan4]

Hello Hector!

I really liked Captain Channers portrait. I'm free most evenings and all day on Monday and Tuesday for now. My schedule changes towards the end of next month and I won't know what my new schedule will be until just after the 20th of Sept. I'm looking forward to gaming with you and the others. Let me know what works for you and we can go from there.

Al

[Hector Trelane]

Al,
How about next week--early Tuesday evening (Aug 26, sometime between 5 and 8 pm Eastern), to do the PC creation session? If that works for you, I'll contact the other guys via PM to see if they can join.

I have Captain Channer, Desomond Quinn, and Jonah Sedgwick all blocked out in shiny new PC sheets, partially filled in, but awaiting your final PC-creation decisions and additional background to be filled in by each of you. This will help speed along the creation process, but nothing is set in stone, so you can make the PCs your own. That said, I'm hoping we can continue in a natural and seamless manner with the characters as you played them in our first One Shot, which, incidentally, was titled "One for the Road".

[ballan4]

The Time is good for me! I'll be there, just update the calendar and I'll show it there too

[Hector Trelane]

Guys, could a Friday work for our next session (or two)? It can work for me, dragonbait, and ballan4, assuming that we plan ahead and confirm that a particular Friday is clear on everyone's schedule? I am envisioning something like a 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. Eastern run-time, perhaps log in at 6:30 Eastern to get technical glitches smoothed out.

[Hector Trelane]

FYI roleplay character selection and development tips from Raz Kabooz. Thanks Raz! (Should be useful for those players still developing their concept to customize the template characters we started with):

1. Become comfortable with the rules of the game if you have time to do so. Each game has it's own "flavor" and part of having fun with your character is knowing what is and what isn't possible within the game and the world. In some games it is easy to be a brave warrior, in others a lone soldier is nearly impossible to play in an entertaining way.

2. Find out what everyone else in the group is interested in playing. In many games having a good combination of professions or powers is key to having a successful adventure. So ask around, find out what others are interested in playing. Are you all interested in playing thieves from the seedy part of town? Brave warriors out to carve an empire from the uncaring world? Priests out to restore hope to a bleak world? Dutiful knights or samurai, upholding the precepts of their religion or codes of conduct? In most games it helps if players choose roles, professions or classes that complement one another. If your friend Roy wants to play a Marine and Dawn wants to play the Alien Diplomat, perhaps you should choose a character that would fill this group out. Perhaps a shape-shifting spy, a hard-bitten medic or the reckless-but-skilled pilot.

3. Even if the party desperately wants you to play something they are missing (Who's going to be the Cleric?), never let yourself be forced into playing a character you don't think you want to play. If you feel up to the challenge of playing something you've never tried to before, good for you! You have the makings of a great roleplayer. But being forced to play a role you are uncomfortable with isn't acceptable. This is a social game and everyone should be having fun. A good Gamemaster should offer to create an NPC to fill in missing professions in the party. (NPC = Non-Player Character, someone the gamemaster will play as a member of your adventuring group)

4. Coming up with a background and a reason to be in the group makes for better roleplaying. This isn't necessary in all games, but people who play a lot of roleplaying games will expect at least some effort at a background. Choose a character from a movie or book or a daydream, change it a bit to suit the game and have fun! A good background can really make the game a lot more exciting and will help you 'get into character' much faster, thus making the game more interesting for you. The best backgrounds should have 'hooks', or plot devices the gamemaster can use in future adventures. If your character learned martial arts from a secret sect of monks, but betrayed them when he found out their methods were evil (Batman, in one version at least) then you can expect that the gamemaster will have them show up and cause you problems at some point!

5. Think about the decisions your character makes. These decisions will add up and will eventually define your character. Is your character the type to drink away his hard earned cash? Save up for things he wants? Give his money to charity? These things end up defining your character and will, in many ways, decide his ultimate legacy in the world. The Holy Warrior who gives his money to help orphans may loose out when it comes to having fun in town or may not have the "best" equipment, but his kindness may result in assistance from places you never expected it, and may result in the character's name outliving the character himself! Moral decisions are key roleplaying events.

6. Experiment! Some players, who are painfully nice in real life really enjoy playing "dark" characters in games. As long as it doesn't disrupt the game for the other players then it should generally be allowed. The consequences, good or bad, should be appropriate though. ;) A roleplaying game is a great chance to not only let off some steam through imaginary combat, but also a good place to play around with philosophies and worldviews that are at odds with your own.

7. Accents!!! It doesn't matter if you are TERRIBLE at it, even a poor attempt at an accent can really spice up a character. It takes practice, but suffer through the groans and mild protests of your friends and give it a shot. It takes some time but eventually you'll at least be making a recognizable (if not entirely believable) accent! Watch some TV shows or movies with the accent you want to do and try saying things the way they do. Italian Gangster, English Fop, French Resistance fighter... all pretty easy accents to play up and have fun with.

8. Interact with others in character! If your character never speaks to anyone, shies away from conflict or discussion or decisions, then you will never really have fun with it. Talk with NPCs or other characters in the voice and manner your character would.

9. Think about what goals your character has and what goals you have for the character. These can be long term or short term. Does your character want fame? Look for ways that can happen in the game and ask the game master to give you some opportunities for fame in the adventures he/she plans. What do YOU want for your character to be eventually? The best marksman in the galaxy? Does he just want to settle an old score? Find true love? Defeat an enemy? Overcome a character flaw in himself?

[ballan4]

That is very good advice!

[Metzik]

Thanx for running Deadlands Noir at FG Con V! I had a great time and would love to play some more. The links with music where nice add. Prior to the game I actually listened to some similar music to get in the mood.

[Hector Trelane]

Thanx for running Deadlands Noir at FG Con V! I had a great time and would love to play some more. The links with music where nice add. Prior to the game I actually listened to some similar music to get in the mood.

Metzik, you are welcome! It was fun, and your group had a different outcome compared to the first time I ran the scenario, which I found fun and interesting as Storyteller. Remind me, which character did you play? I am open to including more people in the next one-shot; however, we should first schedule a separate character creation session to draw up a proper character with some thought-out roleplaying motivations. I find that the more developed the characters, the more satisfying and interesting the storylines that result.

All my other players, I have the next adventure/case file outlined; and it'll be a good one! (At least I think so... I'm excited to develop this and move the story to the next chapter, deeper into the setting.) I simply need to carve out time to get the scenario prepared. I'm thinking a date in November--perhaps the third week. Could that work for everyone? I'll post some specific dates for people to choose from once I have made more progress on the next Case File.

[Metzik]

Metzik, you are welcome! It was fun, and your group had a different outcome compared to the first time I ran the scenario, which I found fun and interesting as Storyteller. Remind me, which character did you play? I am open to including more people in the next one-shot; however, we should first schedule a separate character creation session to draw up a proper character with some thought-out roleplaying motivations. I find that the more developed the characters, the more satisfying and interesting the storylines that result.

I played the hobo Stanley. Too bad he didn't get use of his shiftlessness though :P Cool when a game is organic and can have different courses of events and different endings. Savage Worlds seems pretty easy to get into as well, which is nice.
Do you mean we all should make up new characters? I'm totally on either way!

[Hector Trelane]

It depends on the player character. Some from our FG Con event would duplicate characters already established in the group. However your shiftless hobo has not been taken and would be available for continued use/play by you, if you're interested.

Note, however, that all PCs from the FG Con scenario were pre-made template characters provided by Deadlands Noir. They are all quality characters, but I recommend a character creation session to make them your own with further customization, or re-write a different character of the same or different type. Two key steps for character creation:
1. Put some thought to tie the character and his/her motivations into the setting in some interesting way;
2. Build into the character something that you, the player, feel excited about. This adds interest, motivation, fun, and *cool* to the playing experience. Ideally, that something would be a story or character driven aspect. (My own preference as a player is to make a broken, quirky, or unique character who is not a typical square-jawed athletic handsome hero...)

Metzik, if you'd like to continue with the hobo, that would be great fun from my point of view as the Storyteller. A hobo is a kind of misfit, and an unexpected person to be a hero--an Overlooked person. In this setting (the Great Depression), poverty was so great in actual history that LOTS of regular people lost their jobs, homes, safety... many became homeless, and many young men hit the road (actually, the railroad), so there is true history to draw upon as interesting material. Are these dirty unwashed masses overlooked by so many people in power to be looked upon with contempt, pity, or compassion? If they can find charity, how do they find their respect? If they cannot find charity, how do they find their daily bread? Work? Resourcefulness? Thievery? Wouldn't theft be justified?

In addition to this social history and moral context, I have a couple interesting plotlines prepared for a hobo character... interesting things that a hobo might be privy to, given how much he circulates with the underworld...




I played the hobo Stanley. Too bad he didn't get use of his shiftlessness though :P Cool when a game is organic and can have different courses of events and different endings. Savage Worlds seems pretty easy to get into as well, which is nice.
Do you mean we all should make up new characters? I'm totally on either way!

[Metzik]

I don't mind playing Stanley some more and flesh his story out a bit. What time of day would the game be?

[Hector Trelane]

I don't mind playing Stanley some more and flesh his story out a bit. What time of day would the game be?

I don't yet have the next game session scheduled. However, I could schedule an individual character creation session with you within the next 10 days. Please send me a personal message with two or three dates and times that work for you, and I can check my schedule.

[Hector Trelane]

All, after some time off, I'd like to get back in the saddle to GM the next session of New Orleans Noir. I'd like to schedule it for the evening of the third or fourth Friday or Saturday of February. Can that work for you players? For those not in North American time zones, would evenings in my time zone work (that's GMT-5)?

[damned]

Friday and Saturday evenings are Saturday and Sunday mornings here so they certainly could work for the AUS/NZ timezones.

[Mask_of_winter]

The fourth Saturday would work for me.

[Raz_Kabooz]

Saturday February 28th works for me!

[Hector Trelane]

For new players, I'll look to schedule a character-creation session before the end of January, and perhaps also a 90-minute intro mini-session. Mask & Damned are you two interested in creating PCs?

[damned]

Hector - I would very much like to play but I dont have the capacity. Sorry.

[Mask_of_winter]

I am. I have the DL:Noir book but not the companion. I'll start thinking about a concept but won't lay anything out until I receive the guidelines from you. Reading the start of the thread it seems you've changed some things.

[Hector Trelane]

Mask, yes there are some changes to the setting as described, and please don't read ahead in the GM's section too much! (I'll use some of that.). After an additional preliminary case (adventure) or two, I'll run the Old Absinthe House adventure,
officially supported by FG (which I own).

I'll send you a pm re: scheduling a character creation session. There's one or two other players whom it'd be good to also create characters with and join you up for a brief (90 min) intro adventure.

[Hector Trelane]

I am thinking Feb 28, 8 pm to midnight (EST / GMT-5) for the next Noir adventure. PC regulars if you have a different opinion on time, please post here. Otherwise, I will create a calendar entry soon.

[Hector Trelane]

Okay, I created an event on the Society for Extraordinary Gamers (SXG) calendar; see here: https://extraordinarygamers.com/Calendar/ModuleID/441/ItemID/330/mctl/EventDetails

Any interested players, please register there. That will require you to create an account and log into the SXG website (painless, straightforward). I'm expecting a reprise of:
-- Jack Knowles, Silver-Tongued Fixer and Executive Assistant to Vince Kwiatek, the District Attorney of New Orleans
-- Clay Maxwell, Hardbitten Survivor, Private Investigator and Disgraced Former Police Detective
-- New character to be played by Mask_of_Winter

And Ballan4, hopefully we'll see you reprise your character:
-- Captain George Channer, Imperious Fuddy-Duddy (and antiques collector)

Of course we have multiple others who could join--please contact me if you'd like to play in this session:
-- Jonah Sedgewick, Treasury Agent,
-- Desmond Quinn, Antiques Dealer
-- Lennox Sherman, Out-of-work Silent Movie Actor

And we have stock characters ready to come to life and be personalized by the right player:
-- Madeleine Gervais, Lounge owner and Fem Fatale Singer
-- The Shrewd Beat-Cop
-- The Genteel Lady Reporter for the Garden Society News
-- The Greasy Grifter
-- The Shiftless Hobo

[dragonbait]

Did you create a calendar entry for this game yet?

[Mask_of_winter]

Okay, I created an event on the Society for Extraordinary Gamers (SXG) calendar; see here: https://extraordinarygamers.com/Calendar/ModuleID/441/ItemID/330/mctl/EventDetails



We have a few sign ups already.

[Hector Trelane]

FYI we'll do another one shot this Friday evening (July 10). Adding it to the calendar, and details also found here on the SXG calendar: https://extraordinarygamers.com/Calendar/ModuleID/441/ItemID/852/mctl/EventDetails