Luther Arkwright

30 July 2015: 10am-1pm: Luther Arkwright: Using RuneQuest 6 mechanics

• GM: Lawrence Whitaker
• Rich: Jerry Cornelius
• Josh: John Steed
• Me: Emma Peel

There were originally 2 players at the table, iirc, but I was able to get in touch with Josh (or perhaps he came in with me).

Player characters who were not chosen:

Luther Arkwright (yep, we played an Arkwright adventure where no one played Arkwright) Rose Wyld (also from the Arkwright stories) The Fourth Doctor

Normally, Emma Peel is exactly the sort of character Josh would play, but we looked at each other and agreed a) we needed to do Steed and Peel and b) this once, we should play our own gender.

We each had 2 green poker chips, which I think were Luck Points. We could use these to upgrade successes (probably from regular to critical?) and downgrade wounds,

The game Luther Arkwright is based on Bryan Talbot’s Luther Arkwright comics (cf: http://www.bryan-talbot.com/arkwright/). The PCs are or are working with the Multiverse Police force known as VALHALLA. Their enemies were the Disruptors. Adventures can be set up and down the timeline, and in alternate worlds.

The GM pointed out that Emma Peel had a base score of INTx2 in _All_ Sciences, which meant that any science not listed on her sheet was at 32%, and the ones on her sheet were a lot higher. This gave us all a pretty good idea of genre conventions.

The PCs gathered in VALHALLA’s Greenwich HQ, which was in London, south of the river. The year was 1981, which meant that it was before laptops, and spy cameras were obtrusive. Rose was in the room as an NPC. Emma was intrigued by and attracted to Rose, although nothing came of it in this run.

There was coffee in the room, and, more importantly, tea made to Mr. Steed's specification. There was Glenfiddich for Jerry Cornelius.

Cornelius cut a line of cocaine. Steed "absent-mindedly" put a tray atop the cocaine. Shortly after, a servant swept up the cocaine and tossed it out.

Rose: And the wet wipes.

The servant wiped the table down.

There was a big screen in the room, used by the Supercomputer WOTAN. WOTAN predicted that Something Big was about to happen. I think Rose used a remote control, and my notes say “Remotes -- quite new”. Or maybe that referred to some kind of advanced technology. Regardless, WOTAN calculated a 99.5% chance that the Disruptors were active.

Lady Diana Spencer was 19 years old and engaged to Prince Charles. The Disruptors were poised to interfere. Cornelius, Steed, and peel were told to find out what the Disruptors’ plan was, to stop it, and, of course, to preserve the royals.

They prepared to put in an appearance at a garden party at Buckingham Palace. In addition to the royals, the Iron Lady, Prime Minister Thatcher, would be in attendance, as would President Ronald Reagan of the USA and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel.

Valhalla had an agent in place who had been at the palace for the past 24 hours. Rose: Luther Arkwright. He has an assignation in the palace, assuring the safety of the royals.

Steed: Do you mean "assignation" or "assignment"?

Rose: Oh, I mean both, Mr. Stead.

Jerry Cornelius had a Passion: Hate for Luther Arkwright. Emma Peel considered Arkwright damaged and something of a poseur, was aware he wanted to bed her, and had no intentions of allowing this. On top of that, as my character sheet says, "He claims to have psychic powers, but you've heard THAT one before." She was, if anything, less impressed by Cornelius. (She was intrigued by the Fourth Doctor, who, she figured, had likely taken too much acid in the name of science, was very intelligent and very lonely, and had very old eyes.)

The first order of business was getting to Buckingham Palace, appropriately attired.

Peel: Mr. Stead is fine. I'll need a change of clothes. And _he'll_ [Cornelius] need a tailor.

Stead: We'll just say he's an American.

Peel: We can say he's an actor.

Steed: Then everyone will think he's the president. And I _will_ need to change my tie.

GM: An assortment of silk ties is wheeled out.

I have a note about personal communicators that says “iPhone 6s”. I’m guessing VALHALLA might have some technology more advanced than 1981 for their agents.

Vivian Westwood helped with Emma Peel's wardrobe. And my notes referred to two of the PCs – I don’t know if this had to do with business cards and assumed / actual identities or with something else:

• Mr. Cornelius, Esq.
• E. Peel, Mrs., BSc, MSc, et cetera

The trio were asked if there were anything else they might require for their mission.

Mr. Stead: Exploding cufflinks?

GM: They wheel in the equivalent of Q.

Q-equivalent: Now, pay attention, Mr. Stead...

Mrs. Peel: A chemistry set? A _micro_ chemistry set.

GM: You're not going to be able to blow up Buckingham Palace.

Mrs. Peel (pointing to Jerry Cornelius): That's _his_ job.

The GM liked the idea of the microchemistry set and, later in the convention, told me that he had added it to Emma Peel’s kit. But for now, he steered us so elegantly into a challenge to get us used to those rules that I had forgotten it wasn’t our own idea.

Mrs. Peel was in one car with Mr. Steed driving, and Mr. Cornelius was in another car. Words may or may not have been exchanged about cars and driving skills. So, the question was: Who gets there first?

Jerry Cornelius was using Hate: Luther Arkwright. John Steed was using The Honor of Mrs Peel.

I believe that each could use 1/5 of their skill in these emotions as an augment to their actual driving skill. There were one or more rolls, and my notes say:

1. 25 each
2. 25 each (68 exactly)
3. Outrun cop cars -- 1/3 to outrun -- still neck and neck

Mr. Steed: Are we near the speed limit?

Mrs. Peel: We are nowhere _near_ the speed limit, Mr. Stead. We passed it three blocks ago.

Mr. Peel was forced to make a sudden swerve. I rolled Athletics for Mrs. Peel, getting a 10. Low is good.

GM: Any other mortal would have smeared lipstick from that swerve. Mrs. Peel, of course, took that into account.

Of course. After all, she had been working with Mr. Steed for some time and knew very well how he drove cars.

But, all good things must come to an end. The dice were rolled again.

Cornelius’s Player: Made it, by 1.

Steed’s Player: Missed it.

Naturally, Jerry Cornelius's whiskey (which he’d poured for himself) hadn't spilled.

Jerry Cornelius made a bootlegger turn. He and his car were then surrounded by the police.

John Steed’s Bentley glided to a gentle stop, and he and Emma Peel disembarked gracefully.

GM: But Jerry Cornelius has the bragging rights.

This was true even though the police requested his license.

Police (looking at the name on the license): Mr. Cornelius, have you been drinking?

Cornelius: No. (hides bottle)

Police: Blow into that bag.

Cornelius did so, using tantric breathing techniques!

Dice were rolled.

GM: _Just_ under the load limits!

The trio made their entrance.

GM: There are lots of people. They are all staring at you. (indicates Jerry Cornelius)

Mr. Steed: Oh good. He'll make a good distraction while we mingle. You take left; I'll take right.

At this point, we got a quick crash course in Disruptor Hierarchy, as our characters would know this.

Disruptor Hierarchy

• Pawns: Expendable
• Knights: Movers and Shakers
• Bishops: Information coordinators behind the scenes
• Rooks: Stormtroopers

At this point, the GM called for an Insight roll. Cornelius failed. He had previously rolled his duty to the mission vs his hate of Arkwright, and the hate won. He was looking for Arkwright.

Mrs. Peel and Mr. Steed spotted two people, one on either side of the courtyard, footmen who seemed a bit off.

Meanwhile, Cornelius found an attractive woman.

Cornelius: Need a light, baby?

She allowed him to light her cigarette and he introduced himself.

Woman (holding out her hand): Oh, it is your pleasure, Jerry.

Cornelius kissed her hand.

Woman: Christ, if only I had some drugs.

I am fairly sure Cornelius was able to help her out there. And, of course, they had sex.

Someone approached one of the fake footman, asking him where the bathroom was.

Fake Footman: I _think_ it's the third on the right.

Mrs. Peel overheard that, and knew, of course, that a real footman would _know_, not have to hazard a guess.

My notes say:

Woman
Car
EP

I don’t know what that means.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Peel returned. She and Mr. Steed silently agreed that it was time to take out the fake footmen. We rolled for initiative, which is apparently Strike Rank +d10. Mrs. Peel and the footmen had a total of 21, while Mr. Steed had a total of 20. We explained that Mrs. Peel was going to take out the footman on Mr. Steed's side and vice versa. In other words, the two had switched sides.

GM: A very Avengers thing to do.

Mrs. Peel kneed the footman she was taking on in the groin. I rolled a 75, and this resulted in a special effect which was that I was rolling with that 75 against the footman's endurance.

The other fake footman saw Mr. Steed.

GM: He sees that you see. He knows that you know and that you know he knows you know.

Meanwhile, Cornelius's player had to make a roll for some reason. The dice came up 99, a fumble! Cornelius tripped.

A Ming vase started to fall. Cornelius failed to catch it. <CRASH!>

Cornelius whistled, likely in surprise, and found himself surrounded. Adding insult to injury, Luther Arkwright was there, tsking at him.

Arkwright: Hey, Jerry. (and saunters off)

Meanwhile, Steed hooked the footman he was fighting with your umbrella.

Someone, possibly Mrs. Peel's footman, possibly someone else, dropped their guard. Trying to figure out where the characters in question were, the GM rolled a 12 on D20 and said that the room was a library and / or study. Ah! I think she had decided to interrogate him.

Jerry Cornelius (in full pursuit of Luther Arkwright): Stop that man!

Palace guard: What? Commander Arkwright? VP? Barred? The man who singlehandedly won the Falklands War?!

Cornelius's player rolled Cornelius's Hate Luther Arkwright, and succeeded, thus gaining Yet More Hate -- he added 10 to Hate Luther Arkwright, for a total of 93. He loathed the man!

Judging from my notes, Mrs. Peel used a truth serum on her prisoner. It was in the form of Chanel #5 perfume. The footman revealed that he was supposed to collect a bag with parts for a sniper rifle, assemble the sniper rifle, and then, kill the president.

Mrs. Peel: _Which_ president?

Fake Footman: The actor.

Meanwhile, Mr. Steed's player rolled for something. I forget what. Perhaps he was dealing with his fake footman.

Josh: That is 01.

GM: It doesn't get much better than that.

He decided that Mr. Steed was using the music room.

GM: Not the library. It's covered in _different_ fluids

Sometime later, Mr. Steed was talking to a guard who admired him greatly and wanted to become a secret agent, just like him! And the subject of Jerry Cornelius and the Ming vase came up, possibly because Cornelius was in proximity.

Guard: Should I arrest him? Can I shoot him?

My notes say "Blair Peach" at this point. I have no idea what that means. This is followed by a tally of the casualties:

• Shattered Ming Vase
• 1 death (EP's FF)
• 1 arrest (JS's FF)

Mrs. Peel: Don't go into the library. It's a terrible mess.

Mr. Steed: So is the Music Room. Cornelius's fault.

Meanwhile, Cornelius was concerned with an important matter.

Cornelius's Player: Did I _spill_ my drink when I fell?

GM: Of course not! But your glass _is_ empty.

At this point, one or more of us made a Perception roll. There were a number of guys in black suits with curly wiry things on their ears and Foster Grant smoking glasses. One mumbled into his wrist. These guys were Secret Service men, there to protect President Reagan, who was currently in the royal pavilion. Arkwright was by the fountain with someone, his arm around her.

I think we may have been briefly unsure of what to do next. The GM pointed out a place to start.

GM: Odds are the fake footmen were meant to collect the rifle and deliver it _to_ someone.

However, not everyone was completely on the ball. Jerry Cornelius was fixated on Arkwright. Josh rolled 00, a fumble, for Mr. Steed. What could possibly be distracting him at such a crucial time?

GM: The _Tea_! You have had the _finest_ Earl Greys, or so you'd thought -- until now!

Basically, Mr. Steed (who had Dependency: Tea at 60%) was in the same state of mind as Vanamonde von Mekkhan from Girl Genius when he drank the first cup of coffee Agatha Heterodyne had ever brewed:

• http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070622#.WebwE4gpD7M
• http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070625#.WebwLYgpD7M

Cornelius: I want to kill someone and get laid. I've already gotten laid, and I see the guy I want to kill.

Mr. Steed (finally recovered from his Tea Reverie): I think I should head for Cornelius and see if I can get him to be useful.

My notes say something about Mr. Steed wanting to "bring him back into the fold".

A woman collided with Jerry Cornelius. This turned out to be none other than Lady Diana Spencer. Looking utterly lost, she avoided his gaze and apologized.

Someone had a Formidable will, possibly Cornelius, but I think only half value could be used because of the Vices and Passions in play.

Someone: I haven't had the pleasure.

Cornelius: Not yet. Have you been to the grand piano

At least, I think it was Cornelius who said this. I know that he found Arkwright, and he yanked Arkwright's and off the woman his was fondling -- who happened to be Princess Anne, the Queen's daughter. I don't recall what followed this.

Mr. Steed met Prince Charles in person for the first time. The GM called for a roll.

GM (looking at the dice): Yup, still loyal to the crown.

GM (to Cornelius's player): Give me an Arkwright roll.

I think this was a "Hate: Arkwright" roll. As you may recall, Cornelius had a 93% in Hate: Arkwright. But, the player rolled a 95 -- a failure.

GM: Then, give me a sex roll. ... That's something I never thought I'd say.

He rolled a 52 -- success.

At this point, Mr. Steed approached him.

Mr. Steed: Mr. Cornelius. We have some things to discuss.

That was a case of a critical roll at the wrong time, say my notes, which may mean that Cornelius got a critical success on his determination to seduce Lady Diana Spencer. Steed got a failure on his roll.

GM: Cornelius has that look in his eyes that says no force on earth is going to stop him from doing what he needs to do.

Mr. Steed: Which is seduce the future Queen of England.

GM: -- Baby!

Mr. Steed: You won't get in that way. Come on.

GM: It appears that he's trying to help you.

Jerry Cornelius: That's a first. Okay.

My notes say that that Mr. Steed was keeping his bowler on. He and Cornelius were men on a mission -- a mission of --

Cornelius: Getting me IN the royal passage.

Me (mock indignant): A-_hem_! A-_hem_!

GM: Sorry -- had to. (beat) This is supposed to be a family friendly game, actually.

Cornelius's player rolled his lust for Lady Diana vs his Insight. His Lust was 89 and his sex roll 70. His insight was 34 and his roll 26. I think this means that Lust won out over Insight.

As they approached an area of higher security, their bags were searched. Mrs. Peel explained the tiny chemistry set as a gift for her nephew. Recognizing that the security man was still uneasy, she decided not to press the issue.

Mrs. Peel: Do you want to hold on to that?

The security man made "if you wouldn't mind" noises that made it clear that this was not optional if she wished to enter the area. Mrs. Peel relinquished.

GM: He hated chemistry. Scarred for life. Magnesium.

The Important Personages included Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Sir Michael Jagger.

The trio had, of course, a schematic of Buckingham Palace. My notes say that Cornelius went looking for the "gun", presumably the rifle. Mr. Steed went to find Prince Charles, while Mrs. Peel went to find Lady Diana. We used the same mechanics for this as for the car race earlier, and my notes say that this was a four round process, just as before. The people involved were Cornelius, Steed, Peel, Prince Charles, and Lady Diana.

First round: Everyone made their check. Second round: Mr. Steed and Mr. Cornelius made their check. Mrs. Peel had a critical success, so got 2 checks. Prince Charles and Lady Diana failed. Third round: Everyone except Prince Charles and Lady Diana made their check.

Me: They got stopped by the Queen.

GM: Brilliant!

Fourth round: Mr. Cornelius and Mr. Steed made their check, but Mrs. Peel, of course, was already there from the last round.

My notes get a bit sketchy, but as I recall, Lady Diana was a Disruptor! There was some kind of mind control, I think on Prince Charles. However, as my notes say: The Queen's magnetic presence has broken the mind control!

Me: I can't do anything in front of the queen!

GM: Of course you can! You're a secret agent of the Crown!

Right. I need to brush up on my genre conventions and to watch episodes of The Avengers.

Mrs. Peel decided to clock Lady Diana with a drop kick with her pair of perfect stilettos. Apparently, stiletto heels do 1D4 damage. Her Sixth Sense (listed on the character sheet) informed her that Lady Diana was a Disruptor knight (or perhaps that should be "Lady Diana" -- she might have been replaced. I'm not sure).

Mr. Steed and Mr. Cornelius both had a 14. Mr. Steed threw his bowler hat, of course, while Cornelius fired his needle gun.

Our heroes were victorious, of course. The game was a lot of fun, as was looking over the character sheets afterwards. It seems that Mr. Steed was Null-Psionic, and the reason he'd never tried to proposition Mrs. Peel was that she was a married woman. Obviously out of the question! However, as my character sheet revealed, she was not, in fact, married. She considered her friendship with Mr. Steed to be utterly Platonic and like it that way, and she called herself Mrs. Peel because that helped "control those who have ulterior motives. Which is most men." She had Hate: Male Chauvinistic Bastards 90%, as well as Loyalty to Britain 80% and Loyalty to Mr. Steed 90%.

Naturally, I bought a copy of the Luther Arkwright RPG as soon as I got to the dealers' hall, and I need to let my FLGS know that I want a copy of the scenario collection Parallel Lives.