Vacation in the tropics, Or, what I'm putting my players through Options

[Outrunner]

Just figured I'd share the fun my players have been dealing with over the past few months. Comments are welcome, of course, and hopefully some of you might decide to use some of these ideas for your own games.

They're currently vacationing in the Philippines, on the reclaimed tropical paradise called Boracay.

In my campaign world, the Japanese are still having major issues with the Philippines, and they're pretty much having their butts handed to them by the underground resistance.

But, in the southern part, several of the islands have been reclaimed, and since they are a major source of income due to the tourism, the war has been essentially put on hold in this areas.

Anyhow, I had some fun with them. First of all, the street Sam got into a fight with a Japanese Urban Brawl star at the pool in the 4 star hotel they were staying at. So, the rigger/hacker dwarf managed to get him knocking this supposed superstar out in 3 seconds flat.

Lets see - oh yeah, the elf mage decided to go and get a couple of local girls for the night. Big mistake, since one ended up getting a ritual sample (not that kind you pervs!) and took it back to Manila with her. They're currently investigating that in my game.

Same street sam got hit on by a huge troll fitness model named Mitzy. This of course, was a set up by his fellow runner, a Physical Adept who happened to have family there.

After taking a boatride to tour some of the sunken battleships that were becoming man made coral reefs, they decided to go back at night and investigate some strange signs they had seen.

Turns out that the ship they were looking at was the home to a small band of former Japanese sailors who were now aquatic ghouls. They had some fun with that scene.

The next day, they decide to go on a tour of the island. I decided that magic has been used to reclaim the island, and that it's a hot spot because of it, magically speaking. There are more awakened animals on this island than anywhere else in the Philippines.

Since the game is taking place in 2070, I decided that when the comet made it's appearance, these changes took place, the jungle reclaimed most of the island, leaving only a small portion to be used for the resort. Oh, and a large pyramid appeared pretty much in the center of the island.

The island is also patrolled by spirits who keep the peace, dual natured creatures that appear to be weretigers. Well, that's what I told my players anyhow.

So, anyhow, the islands hired a local tour guide to take a Jeepney (yes, that's what they're called), and began the tour. They spent several hours, seeing the various sites where the Filippino resistance fought major battles against the Japanese not only in the recent past, but going back to WW2. The tour ended with them stopping at the ziggarut to spend the night.

During the trip, while the mage was checking out the sites astrally, I had him see a magical buildup occuring, with lay lines heading to the pyramid.

During the night, this same mage had horrible nightmares about being eaten alive by zombies, and he woke up the rest of the group screaming.

Well, sure enough, I had a hoard, and I do mean a hoard of zombies approaching the ziggarut. They were all the soldiers who had been killed during the various battles that took place on the island. They were inhabited by the Spirits. Several attacked the party, but only when they were essentially in the way. For the most part, the zombies were heading into the pyramid.

All the while, the magical lay energy was beginning to grow exponentially. As the group watched, hundreds upon hundreds of the zombies crammed into the pyramid and the energy finally built up to a literal explosion. The center of the pyramid was hollow, and had a large opening on the top that channelled the energy out of the pyramid.

When the event was over, the zombies were turned to ash, and the spirits were gone. After taking a few readings, the party determined that the beam of magical energy was aimed directly at the comet, which was well on it's way out of the solar system.

I know, I should have done more with that particular scene, but I figured the group was on vacation, and not to be too hard on them.

Anyhow, the group has currently left the vacation spot and is now in the warzone that is Manila. Think of Bagdad but with a population of about 50 million at this time.

Now, since I lived in the Philippines for 2 years, the group is enjoying my intimate knowledge of the locals, the customs and how things are done. So, even though some of the sessions have been moving slow, they are getting a good feel of what it was like when I lived there - albeit set 64 years into the future.

So, there you have it. I'm going to wrap up the mission in Manila in the next session and let another GM take over for a few months.

[Witness]

Sounds fun.
I like seeing runners living the high life sometimes. Bright lights make the shadows seem that much darker.

[Aaron]

[Outrunner]

I did specify it wasn't that kind of sample. The prositute took the sample of skin and blood tissue off the characters back while he slept. :D

Get your mind of out the gutter already! :D

[Aaron]

[mfb]

haha. this campaign is so familiar. we ran through a very similar scenario last year. Philippines, shapeshifters, zombies... yeah.

[UndeadPoet]

[Witness]

C'mon folks. His game. His decision.

[UndeadPoet]

I just can't see how it should be justified that he is insulting Aaron as a pervert.

[mfb]

i think that was more of a joke, as indicated by the smiley. regardless, Aaron is correct. in SR4, there ain't no such think as a ritual sample.

[Outrunner]

[Jaid]

[Witness]

All fair enough, but he never asked about RAW. His post was a perfectly innocent RP one.