Guide: Em Hubbard
Players: Tom Lommel, Fred Hicks, Sean Nittner
System: Rocket Club
The Town
The little town of Red Cedar is nestled into rocky hills on the Oregon coast. It’s been around a long time and has had many faces. You can still see signs of its roots as a logging town, and its midlife with thriving local industries and blue color labor. Now its main industry is seasonal tourism, and many locals commute to nearby cities.
The Kids
Kelvin “Kel” James – Hero, Chemistry
Kel is just a stand-up kid. Bit of a Steve Rogers vibe; doesn’t like bullies, stands up for the underdog, and as one of the tallest kids at school, he has the stature and physique to make that stick. Doesn’t have “the looks”, but he’s got heart, charisma, and kindness and that goes a long way.
When things go wrong and people need help, he heads towards the danger, not away from it. Just like his Ma, a firefighter who died 7 years back in a nasty blaze that went the wrong way.
Ma was a single mother for much of his life after his father walked out the door one afternoon and never came back, no word of where he went. They weren’t married at the time, and it may well have been that “dad” just wasn’t up for being a parent. Ma didn’t talk about that much while she was still around, and then she was gone.
That was the next town over, tho. One a little bigger than where Kel lives now, with his aunt, Holly, who’s raised him since Ma died. Holly’s a good parent, but more fearful. Losing her sister hurt, but she tries not to put that on Kel. Most of the time, she succeeds.
In the years since, Kel has shown a real aptitude for chemistry, particularly highly reactive stuff, the sort of things that start fires and make explosions — and the methods that prevent them. Kel knows a lot about pyrotechnics because he wants to understand them, control them, and above all make sure they happen safely.
Relationship Questions.
Harry, when did I fail to protect you? I set something on fire on accident but Harry took all the blame from Aunt Holly.
Oliver, when you needed help, I was there. What happened? Got Oliver home when his dad didn’t show up when we got back from the chess tournament.
Harold James – Zero, Projectiles
The James family has a lot of reverence for the dead, both ma, who passed seven years ago saving lives, and our ancestors. Harold (sometimes Harry) has been told a thousand times by aunt Holly that if his grandfather could see him, he would be so ashamed. Why can’t he be more like Kel, everyone likes Kel. Harold got into Rocket Club first (he’s a year older than Kel) but nobody remembers that. As soon as Kel joined, it was like he had been there forever, and Harold was back to how he always was, the screw up.
Harold is wracked with indecision, always second guessing himself, stewing on ideas forever, and then suddenly exploding with energy in a way that makes everyone else uncomfortable, or worse, gets someone hurt.
His rocket rig is a gym bag filled with launch tubes, ignition switches, fuse wire, folding stands, a compass, and a protractor. Oh, and a handful of water balloons (empty), potatoes, sweaty t-shirts, and other “ammunition”.
Relationship questions
Oliver, we once sat to the side and watched the world for a while. What did we see? We saw a pod of humpback whales swimming up the coast. Oliver told Harold all about their migratory paths. We rode our bikes down to get to the beach and when we got there, they were gone.
Kel, I once disappeared when you needed me. What happened? I ran away when Kel started the fire, scarred.
Oliver Trenton – New Kid, Jet Pack
Background
Oliver’s dad is in the military and was stationed on a base in northern Sweden up until this year. He’s some kind of scientist or technician? Oliver is not sure exactly. Even though he went to the American school on base, Oliver sometimes stumbles to find the right words in English. When he’s feeling intimidated or flustered he has people address him indirectly – asking them to talk to Kilobyte his robot companion rather than speak to him directly.
Oliver’s mom passed away when he was 7. He only has vague memories of her and doesn’t really talk about her much. Since moving back to the States, his dad has started dating a woman named Charlotte and Oliver has very confused and conflicted feelings about it because in Sweden his dad was very attentive (maybe to the point of being overly protective) but now he’s spending some time with Charlotte and letting Oliver fend for himself.
Relationship questions
Kel, what mistaken assumption have you made about me that I haven’t corrected? Kel thinks his mom is still alive.
Harold, why did you insist that I join Rocket Club, and how did you convince me? Harold told Oliver that we did cool nerd things like watch Star Wars and build rockets. The real reason was that after Kel joined Rocket Club, everyone fell in love with him and Harold wanted to still have a friend.
Locations
8 Bit Empire – the local arcade, owned by Vic Biggs and managed by his nephew Carmichael. It’s a dimly lit musty place packed with assorted games, most of them from at least a decade ago. The carpet is always sticky and the constant noise of games and kids fills the place. There’s a cramped back office where Carmichael is keeping the alien object, and a stairway to the roof.
Home Base – an aluminum-sided shed on top of the 8 Bit Empire building.
The Play is the Thing
Red Ceder was filled with rocky hills, costal views, and mist. We set the game in the 80s, each of us playing 7th and 8th graders respectively. Late fall, a few days before Halloween.
Kel was playing a sidescroller firefighting game where you had to furiously pound the buttons to keep your water pressure up to put out the fires.
Harold had a huge crush on Tiffani and tried to get her to see him playing Space Invaders (he was about to get a high score) but she wouldn’t look when he called and he lost because he’s not paying attention. The only thing anyone noticed is when he died and the slams the machine in frustration.
Oliver is watching Liam Flannagan playing Robotron 2040. Tiffani is also watching. Liam is the most popular kid in class.
[I declared I had a crush on Tiffany, so we invoked he lovesick move]. Harry knew:
- Tiffani has a crush on Liam…. or is it Oliver.
- Tiffany and her friends are planning to go trick or treating even though most kids our ages don’t think that is cool anymore (so of course Harold got Kel to agree to go trick or treating as well and help him with his costume)
Harold got yelled at by Carmichael for hitting the machine and ran out back to an old abandoned car in the alley behind the arcade to read a Fantastic Four Comic he found among a sea of candy bar wrappers and coke bottles.
Carmichael saw Oliver wasn’t playing games and took him back to the office to show him something WEIRD. The object looks really old, metal, covered in rocks.
Oliver examined it for a bit “I bet Kel’s chemistry set could probably dissolve some of the rocks that are encrusted on it.” He scaned it with Kilobyte to see what he could learn. As he was scanning, Kilobyte starts malfunctioning and speaking in dead mother’s voice very calmingly saying “Establish defense permitter. 72 meters. expanding. Encountering resistance. Increase —” before it was cut off. Despite being cut off. Kilobyte records a location. [Outcome: Misfire (Anxious condition). Side Effect: Extra (the location). Mood: Love: what memory of your old life comes to mind?]
Carmichael asks what’s going on with Kilobyte and Oliver just walked out and went to play a game next to Tiffani.
Out in the car, Harold noticed a storm was coming in fast, and that a girl who he didn’t recognize but looked our age, was going into the arcade. He hid so she wouldn’t see him reading comic books. The Arcade looked like the safety place to be, so after the coast was clear (he wouldn’t be seen, he crept in. [Outcome. Success. Side Effect: Learn something (escape route). Mood: Sadness. Make yourself invisible]
New Girl
Inside, Gary (Kel’s former best friend turned jerk) intentionally bumped Kel walking by him. Kel stopped him. “Oh did you want to play? I know I hot the game”
“No that’s game is lame.” Gary said to be hurtful.
Kel kept his temper. “Why did you have to call it lame? Okay Gary, be that way.” And let the bully pass. The girl walked in the arcade. She had punk look, oversized leather jacket, feathered hair. She seemed to be wandering about not really interested in the games.
Kel had lost his quarter (all the water pressure faded while he was talking to Gary) so he went to welcome the new kid, but Gary got to her first and immediately started bothering her and giving her trouble. Kel jumped in and introduced himself. She said her name was Patience and he tried to tell her about the cool games “The fire fighting game is great. It’s always available.”
Gary jumped into to insult them. “It’s available because nobody likes it!”
Kel tried to deflect “Gary, doesn’t know how to play it so he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t know how to have fun.” [Outcome: Mixed success. Side Effect: Draws attention. Mood: Hope: Make yourself the target].
Gary puffed up his chest a got right in front of Kel. “You want to take this outside?”
Kel tried to be like his ma, and deescalate, but Harold ran in just then and yelled “Nobody can go outside. there’s a storm!”
By this time Patience had wandered over to Oliver, who hid behind Kilobyte as he normally does around people he doesn’t know. Using his spell and speak controller he had Kilobyte address her “HELLO. I AM KILOBYTE!”
She was surprised by that, leaned around to see Olive. “Oh, hello Kilobyte.”
“INPUT YOUR NAME INTO THE DATABASE.”
“My name is Patience.”
“PATIENCE, CONFIRMED AS A FRIEND OF KILOBYTE. CONFRIM. YES/NO”
Patience shrugged “I’m not really sure just yet” Kilobyte mad a sad robot noise and she asked “Who is that person behind you?”
“MY HUMAN OPERATOR OLIVER.”
She addresses Oliver. “Did you make that? It’s cool.”
Oliver continued to try and impress her with Kiolbyte, asking her to “point” and then when she did, having him fly over there, then asking her to say a shape, and having him move in the triangle formation to impress her.
Meanwhile the brothers were together. “We have to hunker down here because of the storm.” Kel looked outside (Harold is prone to exaggerate) but saw a big storm was indeed coming fast.
He went to the office phone (Carmichael lets us use it) to leave a message for Aunt Holly that we’d be stuck at the arcade for a bit, but trailed off at the when he saw the strange metal encrusted with rocks.
Harold went over to Oliver to hide behind him and Kilobyte and hype them both up to the new girl. Finally he awkwardly asked “What’s your deal?”
She was interested in seeing thing and wanted to know if there was anything else besides video games. Very proud of having a secret Harold immediately said “Well, here is a secret clubhouse upstairs. But you’d have to be in the club to see it.”
Kilobyte affirmed in his robot voice “RESTRICTED ACCESS”.
Harold wanted more than anything for her to be interetsted so he got her attention by running away and yelling for her to follow. Very cool moves man. [Outcome: Success. Side Effect: Draw Attention. Mood: Fear: Fumble and make things work] He knocked over all kinds of things on his way up the stairs.
Patience and Oliver followed him into the office (that’s how you got to the shed on the roof) but she stopped when she saw Kel doing rocket chemistry science experiments on the strange object. [Outcome: Misfire (Accidentally High condition). Side Effect: Looks Cool. Mood: Hope: Drawing fire]. The fumes from working on the object made Kel lightheaded and a piece of the device fell off and rolled right to Patience’s feet. She picked it up with a pleases smile.
Oliver uncharacteristically blurted out “You shouldn’t touch that, it’s haunted. It’s got people’s soul in it.”
Kel wondered if that was a Swedish thing. Patience ignored Oliver and went up to the device and asked Kel “Do you have anything else like this?”
Oliver was upset that Patience was touching it and tried to warn her away again [Outcome: Success. Side effect: Looks Cool. Mood Hope]. “Seriously it’s not yours. You shouldn’t touch that. It’s a ghost rock.” He offered Kilobyte to hold it instead.
She put her hand on his shoulder and said “It’s not a ghost. It’s causing this storm!”
Oliver said “Show me!” and headed upstairs to the club.
Harold finally realized that Kel was acting strange and asked him “Are you okay Kel? Did you smoke weed?” When Kel said the fumes made him lightheaded he asked “Did you smoke something that was like weed?”
In the Club
From upstairs we could see the storm and the wind had a strange color. Pink and purple dust was moving through it and where it landed buildings were blacking out and rubble was falling from their walls.
“What kind of rock is that?” Kel asked in awe.
Patience “It’s a defense system”
Harold and Kel (who both long believed that Oliver knew Swedish military defense secrets) said at the same time “IS IT A SWEEDISH MILITARY DEFENSE SYSTEM?” They were ignored.
Oliver asks Patience to control the storm to prove it’s connected. She turns the sphere and the dust moves towards us and moves in a triangle formation like Kilobyte did. She says “point” and when Oliver points it moves in the direction he points. Touché.
Harold used the Enigma ability to learn what Patience is on about. She wants to leave. She’s stuck here. We agreed to help her. Harold immediately had a crush on her now [Knowing she’d only be impressed by him when he found the missing thing she was looking for, and marking XP].
Secrets
Kel and Harold went down to the office to gather things up and after lots of hemming and hawing and pretending like he was talking about Patience, Harold told Kel about losing mom’s ashes in a dumb stunt that didn’t even work. He then tried to run away (his normal move) but was blocked by Carmichael “Woah, woah woah, you can’t go out there. I already two kids go out, I can’t let another kid go in the storm”
Through tears he was wiping form his face. “Who went out? Was it Tiffany? Because I’m over her.”
Carmichael told us it was Liam and another girl he didn’t know, but there was no way he was letting the kids out.
Confronted with his brother again, Kel told Harry that he’d always be at his side and spoke in the way he remembered Aunt Holly would talk to him. [Secret shared. New move for Harry, cleared the condition for Kel]
—
Upstairs Oliver asked Patience how Kilobyte spoke like his dead mom?
“It was trying to communicate with you, using advanced technology.”
“That means either Kilobyte has protocols to talk to the sphere or it has technology to talk to kilobyte. Am I like you?”
“It seems unlikely.”
“Yeah, seems like, but I don’t feel very likely.”
“We can do some tests when I get all the pieces. You seem very human to me.”
Oliver felt reassured [Condition cleared]\
The plan
Back in the shed, the club decide to sneak out from the second floor by climbing down a rope in the storm. Oliver helped with his jetpack and it seemed that the storm abated a bit wherever Patience was.
We rode our bikes out to the construction site Kilobyte had the coordinates for. Patience on Oliver’s bike and Harold super jealous.
The found a giant hole dug down to the bedrock at the constructions site and we climbed down into it. Kilobyte scanned the area and found a fissure where more of the alien tech was.
Harold reached in and could feel something, but it was wedged in there. Together with his brother they did ROCKET SCIENCE to get it out. A special chemical payload Kel made that Harold fired into the fissure to open it up and free the device!
We extracted it with Alien artifact and Harold held it up triumphant [Outcome: Success. Side Effect: Extra. Mood: Hopeful]. Harold held it up for Oliver to see and realized Oliver was no longer in Patience’s area of protection and the storm was coming after him. He yelled “Watch out!”
Oliver held out his hand and commanded them to stay back! [Outcome: Success, Side Effect: Learn something. Mood: Sadness.] They slowed and moved around Oliver. Pink and purple quarter sized objects surrounding him. The the realized that Kilobyte had been mimicking him and issued the same command. It seems like it was something in the connection with the robot that make them stop. Does Kilobyte have secret alien tech that Oliver wasn’t aware of???
Patience took the object from Harold and said with surprise “You got it. Good job Harold. I didn’t know if I could trust you, but I guess I can.” Harold was gob smacked by getting a compliment from a girl and stood slack jawed as the storm died down.
When he finally regained his senses he yelled to his brother Kel. “We did it, we stopped the Swedish invasion!” and they had an awkward high five.
Patience looked up and something lowered down from the sky. It looked like four tear drop leaves wrapped around each other. It opened up as she stepped in.
Kel asked “Any chance you’ll be back?”
It looks liked she was about to say no, but changed her mind “You never know.”
Oliver asked “If we need to, can use Kilobyte to contact you?”
She smiled “You’re all very smart, you might be able to use things things (pointing out the alien artifacts) to find a way. Oliver, do you still want to know the answer?”
Oliver looked sad “I think I know the answer.”
As she leaves Harold who hadn’t been able to say anything to her finally blurted out “I love you!”
“Dude.” Kel shook his head.
“Does this mean I have a Swedish girlfriend?” Harold asked and the kids left knowing they could never talk about this but were content to talk about movies and have Oliver tell them that a better version was made in Sweden first.
Thoughts on the game
We had a blast. So many deliciously awkward teenage moments.
We had a few ideas for ways to tighten up mechanics:
- Put town creation first – create four sample towns (in different time periods, each with examples of how rockets look in that era)
- Make a crew question – How do we get approval? Sponsor, hidden, disguised as something else.
- Rocket specialty – what if we had alternative takes on the personality elements, or remove the personality elements and add a dedicated learning something new question tied to the specialty
- Conditions – Lasts a while, took us time to get to the recovery scene. Forget to apply the penalty die. Could add incentive to bring it into play (mark XP on a misfire if you have a condition, or if you elect a misfire mark xp, etc)
- Put the roll results on the character sheets. [layout task]
