Busty’s Piano and Tap Room – Encounter – CftD1

This encounter is designed to be the first encounter in the “Chalice for the Devourer” beta testing Adventure. It can also be adapted to be a first adventure or generic bar fight.

Overview

Location: Busty’s Piano and Tap Room, a large saloon with performance stage in the city of Terrence Kennesaw.

Outline:

• Introduction
• Disturbance
• Wave 1 Brawl – 1x Drunk Thug per Player
• Wave 2 (Optional) 1/2x Drunk Thug Per Player
• Big Pete Mustee (Boss)
• Sherrif and Deputies Arrive

NPCs:

• Allied: None
• Neutral
  • Busty’s
    • 2 Bar Tenders
    • Will Curly – Bouncer
  • The Law
    • Sherrif Mitchell
    • 1.5x Deputies per Player
• Hostile
  • 1.5x Thugs per Player
  • Big Pete Mustee

Location

A large pair of bat wing doors wave at the entrance to Busty’s Piano and Tap room, beckoning passersby who saunter down the main road of Terrance, Kennesaw to join in the loud and raucous revelry inside.

Stepping inside the doors, one would see a two-story tall interior with a large bar on the far wall and a moderate performance stage to the left of the bar. The new patrons would be greeted by Will Curly, a stout, strong and balding man in his early 30s who was the establishment’s bouncer. He collects all weapons at the door, as the establishment can get quite rowdy, but has never had a killing. Something he is quite proud of.

The smell of spilt beer and the rhythmic sound of ragtime piano music engulf the establishment and draw patrons further in. On slow nights tables are removed and there is dancing. One business nights, like tonight, the floor is packed with tables from end to end and complete strangers are seated together so that no chair is empty.

Layout:

The Room should be fairly large (20×20) and feature a bar, 3′ high stage and a single entrance and exit.

A table prop should be placed in the center of the room with just enough space for the players

The bar tenders should be behind the bar and Will Curly should be at the door

Introduction

Tonight is a big night at Busty’s. Elle MacGuire, a renown soprano singer from the old world is making her farthest west stop on her tour of the western continent. People from all over Western Kennesaw will be in attendance if they can get a see soon enough.

Our heroes are nearly the last in through the door and are all seated around the same table, even if they are complete strangers

((ACTION)):

Have players to make in-character introductions and provide a brief backstory to why they are there.

The players can select where they want to sit, if two or more players want to sit at the same spot, have them make a Street Smarts check to see who arrived first and then select in that order.

Disturbance

Elle MacGuire takes the stage, backed by a small 4-piece string ensemble. The soaring sounds fill the room and drown out even the bustle of servers delivering beer and wine to patrons.

A group of men push their way in through the batwing doors and are confronted by Curly.

((ACTION)): 5 Tears Observation Check for Player Character to notice

One of the men is massive, over 7′ tall and weighing well north of 400 lbs, mostly muscle. Everyone in town knew him, it was Big Pete Mustee. The most famous of the quarry men from across the river and frequent strength competition winner.

Pete picks Curly up and suspends him on his belt from a coat rack about 5′ off the ground and proceeds to argue with him as a few of his buddies filter into the room looking for open seats. Finding none, they proceed to the table where our heroes are and one each stands behind the player characters.

((ACTION))

The thug behind the toughest looking Player Character (GM’s call) pulls the chair out from under that player. If the player was aware of the disturbance, they can make a 2 Sweat Vigor check to standup. If they fail or are ineligible to make the check, the fall prone on the ground.

The Thug standing next to the second toughest appearing Player Character (GM’s Call) says menacingly: “You all are sitting in our seats; I think it’s about time for you to be leaving.”

GM asks the Players “What will You Do?”

Brawl – Wave 1

1x Drunk Thug per Player Character

Thugs will attack players if they do not vacate their seats or if they fight back from having the chair pulled out. Thugs will only use unarmed combat and attempt to knock out the player characters unless players escalate to using improvised weapons from the tavern (Chairs, mugs, etc), then they will match. They will not match lethal force.

If players escalate to lethal force (Knives, guns, broken bottles or other lethal weapons) the Bar Tenders will give them one warning and then shoot to kill.

If Players attempt to flee out the backstage door, they will find it to be a Locked Heavy Door. Thugs will pursue and attack until they spill into the street.

If Players attempt to talk but not leave the table, the thugs will attack

If Players attempt to flee out the front door Big Pete Mustee will block them and initiate the boss fight.

If this spills out into the streets, the Sherrif will arrive, and Big Pete will challenge them to a duel tomorrow at dawn.

Once Players have knocked out or incapacitated 1/2 of the Thugs, begin wave 2. Note this can be skipped for time

Brawl – Wave 2

1/2x Drunk Thug Per Players

Continue as wave 1

Once players have incapacitated all but 2 drunk thugs, the two remaining drunk thugs will flee out the front door and Big Pete Mustee will engage the player characters.

Brawl Boss – Big Pete Mustee

1 Big Pete Mustee (Named Monster)

Big Pete Mustee will attack players with unarmed combat

If players feel into the street, the Sherrif will be there and the thugs who fled will challenge them to a duel.

If Big Pete Mustee is hit with a chair or gets knocked out, he will fall on a chair and it will break and a spindle will stab him through the heart, killing him instantly. The Law will arrive and arrest the players and thugs. They will use lethal force if they resist

Once back at the jail, the thugs will challenge the player characters to a duel at dawn instead of pressing charges and the players must accept or wait for the circuit judge to come to town next month.