Pulp Alley Star Trek: The Apple

Star Trek Pulp Alley Scenario:  The Apple.

This was a 4 player Pulp Alley scenario inspired by the Star Trek Original series episode “The Apple” and other similar episodes where a primitive people are enslaved by a computer that also threatens the Enterprise.  In this case other forces besides the Federation are involved. 

Background:

On stardate 3715.3, the Federation starship USS Enterprise along with Klingon, Romulan and Temporal Marauder ships arrives at Gamma Trianguli VI, a planet that appears to be a tropical paradise with very rich natural mineral resources and very dense jungle terrain inhabited by primitive natives.  Each ship captain is eager to gain the mineral rights for his home world and they send down landing parties to try to make contact with the natives but things soon start to go wrong.  The jungle is full of dangerous plants that attack animal life, including firing poison darts, plus some of the minerals (rocks) are explosive.   It is also difficult to navigate through the jungle and the natives prove to be elusive.  However some intelligence is gathered, the natives are called the "Feeders of Vaal" and are effectively slaves to Vaal who is a “god” they worship. The natives provide Vaal with fuel (minerals) and in return it provides the natives with all other resources such as food and shelter and moral guidance. Vaal’s temple is in a large Moai like head statue on a hill in a jungle clearing.  Spock's analysis shows that the entrance to Vaal’s temple is protected by a force field, and it appears to lead to an underground complex with a computer system, perhaps constructed by a long-dead civilization. 

From the original Star Trek T.V. episode "The Apple" Vaal.

Vaal's Forcefield

Special Pulp Alley scenario rules:

The Natives are more interested in toying with the leagues than open combat.  They are adept at misdirection and escaping through the dense jungle.  All the following rules apply to Native plot points. They are adept at misdirection and escaping through the dense jungle.  All the following rules apply to Native plot points:

•           Pits & Traps – The Natives plot points are extremely perilous so the GM will draw as random challenge card unless a player decides to do so instead.

•           Fleeting:  - At the end of each turn, after all characters have activated, the natives move 2d6” in a random direction.  They may not move off the table, but will rather stop at the edge.

•           Local Knowledge – When you complete a Native plot point the Native figure joins your league as an ally.   You may only attempt the Major Plot point once you have a Native with your League. 

The Pulp Alley Science Fiction Kit was used which Adds +1d to one Combat skill and +1d to one Action skill. In addition, add one extra starting ability or one free weapon kit.

Perils:

Common Perils:  All jungle areas, 12+ of them.

Extremely Perilous: Besides the natives and Vaal any dangerous tropical plants are extremely perilous if a figure is within 1” of them.  Certain types of these plants will move 1d3 at the same time as the Natives but they move towards the nearest non-plant figure. 

Dangerous plant life in the jungle.

Man Eating plant!

Trifyd plant

Vaal: Vaal is considered to be an Extremely Perilous area, so all those within 1” of it must pass one peril as normal either from another player or failing that from the GM.   Once that is completed they then must complete the plot point which is a fixed challenge of 3 successes with might, followed by 4 successes with cunning or finesse.

The Leagues and NPC:

Federation- Leader: Capt. Kirk; Sidekick: Cdr. Spock; Allies: McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura; Follower: Yeomen Landon

Enterprise Landing Party, Figures by FASA, Victory Force and others, Vaal in the background.

Temporal Marauders (mercenaries)- Leader: Capt. Tarro; Allies: 5 troopers.

Temporal Marauders, figures by FASA

Klingons: Leader: Capt. Kor; Allies: 5 warriors.

Klingon Landing Party. Figures Ogrons by BTD

Romulans: Leader: Commander Charvanek; Sidekick: Sub-Commmander.Tal; Allies: 4 Centurions.



Romulan Landing Party, figures by FASA

Natives / “Feeders of Vaal”.

Feeders of Vaal, figures Ethiopians by BTD

Dangerous Plants

Man Eating plants, various manufacturers

Pre-game random Events:

The following random events were rolled for: Two extra perilous jungle areas, Marauder leader delayed 1 turn, no running or combat allowed in turn 1, the Romulans gain 1 extra fortune card on turn 1.

Deployment:

The game board is 3’ x 3’ each league may deploy up to 6”away from the corner they choose based on initiative. A total of 4 natives are deployed just over 12” away from each corner.

Overview of the game board.

Turn 1

The 4 landing parties advance towards the Native figures they can see ahead of them in the jungle.

Marauders Advance, their leader is delayed

Romulans advance, their leader in red. 

Turn 2

The Klingons are the first to make contact with a native, but their diplomatic skills leave much to be desired, conflict results and a Klingon warrior is left dead.  Enraged the Klingons then begin shooting at the native in question plus another one that is nearer the Romulans, resulting in two injured natives, who later recover.

The Klingons advance passed a native hut.
 One Klingon is out of the game and two Natives are down




Kligons doing what they enjoy - shooting and using the hut as cover!



Injured Natives

The Federation’s diplomatic skills, specifically Dr. McCoy’s charm, prove more adept and he recruits a native to join their group.

Federation Landing Party searches for Natives in the jungle

Doctor McCoy talks with one of the Natives, as Sulu covers him.

The Federation and Marauders inform an informal alliance, agreeing to avoid hostilities.

Turn 3

Romulan diplomacy fails, and they are spurned by a wounded the native they encounter, and a Romulan centurion is knocked unconscious.

One Romulan is down due to a failed Native recruiting effort
 while others suffer shooting attacks from Marauders 

The Marauders are more successful and manage to recruit a native to join their party. 

Marauders approach a Native.

The Marauders moving through a perilous jungle area towards the temple open fire on the Romulans who return fire but the Romulans are on the losing end of the battle with 4 of their number injured.

Romulans take heavy damage from Marauder fire

Meanwhile the Klingons finally manage to persuade a Native to join their war party.

Klingon leader and warrior - Recruiting and Shooting!

As the turn comes to an end the Romulan leader manages to persuade a Native to join his landing party, but this success is overshadowed by the death of all 4 of the injured Romulan centurions.  The Romulan player failed all 4 of his d6 recovery rolls (1,2,2,3)

Realizing he is outnumbered the Romulan leader makes an alliance with the Kligons.

Turn 4;

The Romulan leader, Commander Charvanek having gained the initiative tries to enter the temple with his Native ally, but he fails the challenge.  The Romulan sub-commander in order to protect his captain fires on some of the advancing Marauders but after some initial success is wounded and lies unconscious on the jungle floor.

Uhura then unwisely gets into a shooting match with the Romulan leader, and she is fatally wounded by a disruptor shot.

The Romulan Commander tried to enter the temple with a Native  his Sub-Commander is down.
 Uhura then opens fire on the Romulan commander and dies.

The Federation landing party opens fire on the Klingons but their phaser fire is ineffectual.

Federation Landing Party moves toward Vaal, Scotty in the lead.

Charvanek's dangerous gamble having failed he is now caught outside the temple door and subject to pot shots from the Federation and Marauder troops.

Combat near the opening to Vaal's temple, Sulu and Chekov on the left
Marauders on the right fire on the Vulcan commander.

The challenge card the Romulan Commander needs to pass to gain entry

Spock fearing the Romulan leader may gain entry to the temple fires on him with his phaser but with no result other than a wound.   Marauder troops fire on Commander Charvanek (the Romulan leader) causing another wound. Then the Marauder leader engages the wounded Romulan leader in hand to hand combat killing him (special no recovery card).

The Romulan Commander is out of the game, his Sub-Commander is down
The Federation and Marauders control the temple area.

The Klingons then open fire on the Federation troops and both Sulu and Spock are left wounded and lying on the jungle floor.

Sulu and Spock are down due to Klingon disruptor fire. Orange markers
denote shooting.

The Klingon warrior is outnumbered but he has got the better of Spock and Sulu

As the turn ends both Sulu and the Romulan sub-commander succumbs to their wounds but Mr. Spock recovers. The Romulans are now out of the game.

Turn 5:

Mr. Spock and a Klingon warrior engage in melee with Spock losing and once again ending up wounded on the ground.

Spok is down again, Yeoman Landon prepares to try to recruit
the Native to the left.

Yeoman Landon attempts to recruit the native who fled the doomed Romulan party but she fails and is killed by a native spear.

The Marauders have taken no casualties and are moving in on the temple.

Marauders prepare to try to enter the Vaal temple.

The Klingon warriors surround the Marauder leader and engage in a furious hand to hand battle but fail to even wound the enemy leader but do manage to fatally wound a Marauder trooper coming to the aid of his leader.

The Marauder leader is surrounded by Klingons

Doctor McCoy is knocked down and wounded by a Klingon who is then wounded by Sulu and Chekov.

McCoy and Spok are down, but other Federation and Marauder troops
are advancing.

While the Marauder leader is keeping the Klingons busy his troopers with a native in tow manage to enter the temple (might) and start to attempt to shut down the computer.

The Marauder leader 1 of his troopers and Chekov combat
2 Klingon warriors and their leader on the far left.

Meanwhile Captain Kirk dispatches a Klingon warrior to Stovokor with his phaser.

As the turn ends McCoy and Spock recover from their wounds.

Turn 6

Scotty and Kirk manage to get inside the Vaal temple to work with Marauder troops to shut down the computer.

Spock and McCoy have recovered, the Klingon is outnumbered
and Marauder and Federation troops are inside the temple (on the card)

Three Marauder troopers, Scotty and Kirk inside the Vaal computer room.

As that is happening Doctor McCoy heals a wounded Marauder trooper near the temple.

The Marauders and Federation only have one Klingon to worry about near Vaal.

Outside the temple the bulk of the Klingons remain locked in a melee with the Marauder leader and can’t get to the temple to gain their share of the glory.

Meanwhile the combined efforts of the Federation and the Marauders result in the computer being shut down and Vaal’s tractor beams are disengaged freeing all 4 ships just in the nick of time.

The combined Federation and Marauder effort "pulls the plug" on the Vaal computer.

Overview from behind Vaal.  The orange markers show the combat
at the foot of the hill where the Klingons were locked in combat

Epilogue:

The natives (people of Vaal) in gratitude for their freedom from Vaal allow the Federation and Marauders access to their minerals. The Klingons and Romulans are shut out of the resource deal and they limp off to lick their wounds.  The People of Vaal will now make their own decisions and look after themselves rather than having all their decisions and needs taken care of by a computer.

Some time later (after wounds have healed) the victorious
Fed ration landing party posed for a victory picture in front of the
shut down Vaal temple.

Later Back on the Enterprise:

Mr. Spock: Captain, you are aware of the biblical story of Genesis.

Capt. Kirk: Yes, of course I'm aware of that. Adam and Eve tasted the apple and as a result were driven out of paradise.

Mr. Spock: Precisely, Captain. And, in a manner of speaking, we have given the people of Vaal "the apple" - the knowledge of good and evil if you will - as a result of which they too have been driven out of paradise.

Capt. Kirk: Doctor, do I understand him correctly? Are you casting me in the role of Satan?

Mr. Spock: Not at all, Captain.

Capt. Kirk: [circumnavigating Spock with McCoy] Is there anyone on this ship who even remotely looks like Satan?

Mr. Spock: I am not aware of anyone who fits that description, Captain.

Capt. Kirk: No, Mr. Spock, I didn't think you would.

Spok and Kirk on the Bridge

The Casualties:

Marauders:  1 trooper

Klingons: 2 warriors

Federation: Sulu, Uhura and Yeoman Landon

Romulans: Commander, Sub-Commander, 5 centurions [The entire League: this is what happens when you roll 1-3 on a d6 consistently for recovery rolls].

N.B.  In most cased a figure that “died” or is “killed” in Pulp Alley is not actually dead but rather seriously wounded enough to prevent them from continuing in the scenario, but they may recover and return for the next scenario if it is part of a campaign.

 

Experience gained for a potential Pulp Alley Star Trek campaign.

This represents experience for each Native who was persuaded to join a League and points for shutting down the computer.

Federation = 1 tip, 1 contact

Marauders = 1 back-up, 1 Experience point

Klingons = 1 tip

Romulans = 0 (They had 1 gear point but when their leader was knocked out of the game the Native was freed, and not part of any league)

GM Comments:

The tactics of the Marauder player were different from what I have seen in the past and successful.  Rather than having his leader attempt the main plot point he sent him to fight / delay the Klingons while the Marauder troopers with the help of some Federation characters obtained the main objective.  Some adjustments will be made to the League profiles, especially for the Romulans to make them more robust.  The Federation landing party needs some expendable Red shirt security teams (in Pulp Alley terms this is a gang of 5 figures that acts as one "character".  That means I have more painting to do.
 All the players enjoyed themselves and look forward to the next game.