The Heist and T2K

[Raellus]

I always enjoy a good heist/caper film. I just finished watching the updated Oceans 11 for the umpteenth time and, of course, it got me thinking about T2K.

By heist, I mean a scenario in which a group of characters, each with particular skills, assembles and works together to pull of an impossible "crime", usually with a great deal of subterfuge/deception, and a minimum of force.

It strikes me that several modules or portions thereof are suitable for running as classic heists/capers. IIRC King's Ransom is basically a heist scenario. The NYC modules (Armies of the Night?) has elements of a heist scenario as well. RESET and/or the Krakow heli and the Black Madonna are all potential heist targets. I can't remember which module, but I think one of them gives the players a human "treasure" to recover. I believe several posters have mentioning going after gold in their campaigns.

Have you run a T2K campaign as a heist/caper scenario? Have you come up with your own?

[Panther Al]

Not TW2K, but I have run Merc2K based off of Heist and other such less than legal activities for a taste of something different.

[Olefin]

kidnapped and satellite down are also in a way heist modules as is last submarine as the ultimate goal of all three is to steal something or obtain something - in kidnapped a human being but in the others things - although a nuclear sub is one heck of a treasure to steal

and I believe Kidnapped is the human treasure module you speak of Raellus

[Targan]

I like the idea. I've run those sorts of games as one-offs and short campaigns before, although not using T2K.

[Panther Al]

I like the idea. I've run those sorts of games as one-offs and short campaigns before, although not using T2K.

Sometimes its fun to play the bad guys, and the TW2K rule set makes a decent way to go about playing them. Especially in the Merc2000 universe. You have a great amount of detail for weapons and such, a reasonably concise set of skills and professions - at least for those groups that go for the more 'brute force' scenarios over the blackball stuff, though with the SpecOps book even that is doable.

[simonmark6]

One of my old PC groups wasn't military at all but based on a group of rogues who were looting their way around the UK. Some of their adventures were close to heists:

Robbing a museum in Dublin
Looting Chatham Docks and the Royal Navy museum there
Rescuing captured comrades from the Pirates of Penzance base on St. Michael's Mount (they all pretended to be orphans and engaged the help of a Modern Major General)

It was a fun, free-wheeling campaign that I enjoy looking back at.

[Panther Al]

Rescuing captured comrades from the Pirates of Penzance base on St. Michael's Mount (they all pretended to be orphans and engaged the help of a Modern Major General)


THAT is pure awesome!

[Olefin]

Actually if you think about it a majority of the game modules are heists

Ozarks - dirigible

Kidnapped - human being

Red Star - Gulf Forty (i.e. taking it from its current owners), human beings (rescuing two kidnapped NPC's)

Krakow - Reset

Madonna - the Madonna

Armies of the Night - gold

Satellite Down - tapes in the satellite

Last Submarine - Corpus Christi

Kings Ransom - the jewels

even in a way Bears Den - i.e. one possibly mission is to steal the Scud missile by capturing it

actually being a good player character means you get to be good at doing heists just to stay alive (i.e. how many times have we had to steal food, water, ammo, fuel etc.. just to keep going)

[Mahatatain]

Robbing a museum in Dublin
Looting Chatham Docks and the Royal Navy museum there
Rescuing captured comrades from the Pirates of Penzance base on St. Michael's Mount (they all pretended to be orphans and engaged the help of a Modern Major General)
What did they loot from Chatham Docks and the Royal Navy museum?

Also did you know that there is an old Russian submarine just a short distance from Chatham dockyard in the River Medway: http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=10053.15

[simonmark6]

There is a shed load to nick from the Medway. In particular they raided the motor gun boat for it's 6-pounder and 20mm guns and the Cavalier for its AA guns. In addition they raided the Ocelot for its batteries.

The jewel in the crown however was the HMS Grey Goose, a WW2 Steam Gun Boat that was actually used as a house boat in Hoo. In real life it was pretty much a hulk but in the game it had been partially renovated with its original Metrovic engines. It gave them scope to travel around and have a wider ranging game.

[boogiedowndonovan]

Back in the day, there was a guy running a t2k heist type pbem. Three player groups involved, a NATO group, Warsaw Pact group and a "Kelly's Heroes" type group (in it to win it)

I don't know how he had the time to run essentially three different groups, but he did. He had three different sites up on geocities (free yahoo sites) but those are long gone.

-bdd

[Tombot]

Three Kings is a nice little heist-film (and has George Clooney as well, like Oceans 11.. ), and its plot is easy to convert to a Twilight2000-adventure.
Would work within the RDF-Area, as in western-europe.

Nice style; chaotic, action (but not too much) and still funny in several ways. And above all ; "average people" trying something risky.
Off course, in the end they change their initial attitude from "lets grab the gold" to "we MUST escort the refugees to safety" - but its played well and is believable.

If your players didnt see it yet - i think it could be worth a shot, to try that plot.

[Raellus]

Good call, Tombot. I enjoyed Three Kings.

[simonmark6]

Resurrecting the thread.

I've been working on a story based around a crew of chancers rather than a straight up military campaign. It's loosely based on a game I GM'd once but I've modified it to make it more narrative. I'll start posting it up in the fiction section of the forum for anybody that might want to take a look.

[pmulcahy11b]

Rescuing captured comrades from the Pirates of Penzance base on St. Michael's Mount (they all pretended to be orphans and engaged the help of a Modern Major General)

That just makes me wonder what an Antique Major General is like.

[Raellus]

I've been working on a story based around a crew of chancers rather than a straight up military campaign. It's loosely based on a game I GM'd once but I've modified it to make it more narrative. I'll start posting it up in the fiction section of the forum for anybody that might want to take a look.

I'd like to see it.

[Legbreaker]

I believe this is it. http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?p=47124#post47124

[simonmark6]

Yup, it's there if you want a look. The first two chapters are OK and I think it gets a bit interesting. At the moment I'm on about Chapter 12 and the crew are at a reception with King Charles: there's a little homage to James Langham's work as I've got the King's official portrait with him wearing his Dennison smock and painted by Banksy (I figured if any artist was going to survive the apocalypse it would be him).

James Blunt's also got a quick mention, I'm hoping to work in a very messy death for him somewhere down the line...

[Rainbow Six]

I really enjoyed it, especially the bit in the pub. I did keep wondering if Bianca was going to shout "Rickaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!" at some point though!

Seriously, good job mate - look forward to reading more.

[simonmark6]

Always possible. At least she's not ginger!

[simonmark6]

OK, next two chapters up and more to come quite soon.
http://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=3543

[James Langham]

Yup, it's there if you want a look. The first two chapters are OK and I think it gets a bit interesting. At the moment I'm on about Chapter 12 and the crew are at a reception with King Charles: there's a little homage to James Langham's work as I've got the King's official portrait with him wearing his Dennison smock and painted by Banksy (I figured if any artist was going to survive the apocalypse it would be him).

James Blunt's also got a quick mention, I'm hoping to work in a very messy death for him somewhere down the line...

There is a real irony to this as I actually got to meet him (and other members of the Royal Family last week).

I like the Banksy touch - I need to find a way to bring him into the background.

[simonmark6]

I had him doing anti-HM Gov graffiti in Portsmouth. He was picked up and Charles III recognised his talent and made him the Royal Portrait painter.