Daring Heist: A Boot Hill Adventure set in Colorado Territory

Get Ready

Brazen daylight robbery of the U.S. Army payroll on its way to Fort Laramie leaves 5 dead and three wounded. Over $12,000 in silver and gold coins were taken and the bandits are still on the loose.

Get Set

News of the robbery quickly spreads south to Denver. The theft occurred just over 30 miles north of Denver near the town of Erie. Rumors conclude the mayor of Caulfield, Joseph Webb, was involved. U.S. Marshall William Frank begins to organize a posse to seek out the gang. If the PCs are law men, they will be tasked with aiding in the search or they can volunteer.

Go!

Webb is indeed the ring leader. He along with his son, William, brothers Lyman and Warren Follett, and a dozen or more cowboys attacked the payroll shipment. The shipment was lead by Captain Joseph Whim who was accompanied by Corporal Isaiah Meade and ten enlisted soldiers.

The payroll party was travelling along a narrow roadway along a moderately narrow canyon. As the party neared the narrowest portion of the canyon, gunfire erupted from both sides. The Army detachment was quickly pinned down. Four members were killed immediately including Captain Whim and 3 soldiers. Taking command, Corporal Meade eventually called for a retreat as his force was unable to defend the payroll wagon.

Five masked men descended the west canyon wall and escaped with the payroll strongbox. Shortly afterwards, the bandits stopped firing and one of the uninjured soldiers was able to ride for help. Unfortunately, another soldier succumbed to his wounds before aid could arrive.

The bandits have escaped into the mountainous terrain near Lyons, Colorado. Currently holed up in a remote canyon, most of the members are planning to ride over the mountains and head south into New Mexico. Webb plans to use their share of the theft to fund payment for business contracts he signed but could not meet. Those contracts include supply orders for beef and feed to the U.S. Army.

If the bandits are tracked within 3 days, they still be in the canyon near Lyons except for Webb and his son, who return to Caufield the day after the robbery. They plan to rendezvous with the other bandits on the 4th day near Boulder, Colorado to gather up their share of the payroll.

Notable NPCs

This adventure is based on the Wham Paymaster Robbery in 1889 Arizona. Should you need a geographical aid for Colorado, you can use the 1895 Map.

Besieged: A Zombie D6 Scenario set in Meadows Sanctuary

Get Ready

Living in a gated community is peaceful, quiet and enjoyable. Right up until you are beset by a zombie infection and have chosen to rely on the thin walls and your suburban neighbors as a last line of defense.

Get Set

Ninety plus percent of the population are now zombies. Have been for several weeks. Rumor is that the latest government issued vaccination for the epidemic sweeping the world went awry. Not only did it not work but those who were vaccinated died but arose the next day. Now they are the dominant species. Worse still, a fraction of the newly undead retain shades of their former intelligence. They can form strategies and plot against the few tasty meat treats still living.

Too many movies prepared the PCs to repel slow, mindless zombies. Unfortunately, the undead are not cooperative. In fact, around ten percent of the newly undead retain moderate intelligence. A few of them seem to be very intelligent.

A cascade of decisions has lead the PCs to be trapped within the walls of a gated community – Meads Sanctuary. As far as communities go, the Meadows is a nice place to live. The 17 acre site is covered with custom homes, a central activity center featuring a pool and meeting space, and is surrounded by walls. Downside? The walls are cheap stone block without reinforcement. Three gates allow entry to the property on the east, west and south side.

The hoard of undead have exhausted the easy supply of Meat Treats. The hunger isn’t gone. They turn on the defended outpost of humanity.

Go!

The PC’s are trapped inside the gated community as the throng of zombies descend. They are not alone. Many of the PCs should have families inside as well. Additionally, the PCs are surrounded by survivors completely unprepared.

The scenario can be undertaken either immediately with limited supplies or allowing the characters to build up fortifications and weaponry. At most, the characters should have three or four days to plot the defense of the community and gather supplies.

The smart zombies recognize the Meat Treats inside. They cannot control the masses directly but can influence the hoard to descend upon the compound. Thousands of zombies will begin to surround the community and press to get in. Shooting the close ones will begin to form heaps of bodies the others can use to get over the 8 foot tall walls.

Notable NPCs

The Zombie Crew

Tillie France: Zombie Leader. Flutist. Heavy set, Ruddy Brown Skin, Average Human Intelligence.

Daryll Otney: Zombie Lieutenant. Design Engineer. Tall and skinny. A waif of a man. Inhuman blue skin. Minimal intelligence.

Trisha Rattana: Zombie Lieutenant (actual leader). Psychotherapist. Fit and short. Dressed in a ball room gown. Average human intelligence.

999 + 1 Others: Normal Zombies

Notable Humans

Heidi Japp. Yoga Instructor. Fit, Normal Build, Quiet but Influential.

Tim Davern: Botanist. Pot-belly, Arrogant, Coward.

Jeb "Flowers" Tompkins: Engineer. Slim, Always Hungry, Survivalist.

19 Others: Run of the mill city folk. Few possess skills useful in the new reality.

Get Zombie D6 or play it using your favorite system. Its system agnostic.

Horse Thief: A Boot Hill Adventure set in Colorado Territory

Get Ready

The crack of a gunshot interrupts the noise of the saloon in the Gold Hill Hotel. A woman screams. A man shouts to fetch the doc. Someone has been gunned down.

Get Set

The PC’s are enjoying an uneventful night in Golden, Colorado when the gunshot interrupts the reverie. All the patrons spill from the door of the Gold Hill Hotel onto the street. A hundred yards away, a man writhes in pain on the ground surrounded by a number of onlookers. The glint of a badge reflects in the moonlight as Sheriff John McCoy arrives.

Go!

McCoy quickly takes stock of the situation as Dr. William Barnes arrives. After speaking with the man on the ground and conferring with the doctor, he turns to the crowd. “Folks, that no good, rotten son of a rattler Dan Wilson was trying to steal another horse. Gunned down Deputy Cobb.” He motions to the fallen deputy before point to a burly man nearby. “Lucas here saw everything and I’m going to need some help round him up.”

The PCs can either volunteer or be selected from the crowd. Wilson was not successful in getting away with the horse. Wilson has not yet left the town. Sheriff McCoy wants to temporarily deputize the PCs to track down Wilson. If they agree, a hasty plan to scout the town for the outlaw is drawn up.

Wilson is holed up in a barn on the outskirts of town. If cornered, he’ll surrender peacefully. If he believes he can escape, he is not afraid to engage in a gunfight with a single opponent.

Notable NPCs

Gauntlet Toss Accepted: A September of Short Adventures

Asshat Paladins started a challenge to post 25 short adventures throughout the month of September. I decided to give a go even though I’m going to be out of the state for the first 5 days of the month. The essence of the challenge is to post an adventure every day except for one chosen day of the week.

While I’d like to strictly follow the rules, my work flow is sporadic so I know I’ll have to change things up. First off, I won’t be picking a specific day off. Instead, I’ll try to post six per week as I get them finished. Likely, I’ll have to double up on some days to meet the 25 in the month. The total content outweighs the particular posting schedule.

I will likely follow the template posted on the challenge page for many of the adventures. Some may be slightly different depending on the content. I’m going to try to intermix several different system approaches. I have some ideas for the Old West (ala Boot Hill), some fantasy elements via Labyrinth Lord, and a couple of system-less ideas. I may also interject a couple for Top Secret (or equivalent) and one or more Cyberpunk ideas. Some systems may not fit some individuals perception of OSR but they work for me.

It should be fun. At last check, 16 different blogs have signed up for 25 adventures each. 400 unique adventure ideas is going to cover a lot of ground. I look forward to reading as many as I can.