Session 14 Highlights

Skill Challenges:  the Skill Challenge sequences were an entertaining way to handle the investigations.  There were a lot of creative use of skills, and the henchmen got to join in the party.

Supervillains:  because we had so many no shows, I didn't use a fraction of the Irish Supervillains I had created, alas.

Action Shot 1:   The players use a howitzer to ambush Lt. Riley's armored car:

Action Shot 2:   The Team Assaults the Final Hideout of the Wound Ravens:

Skill Challenges

In our next session, I'm going to try something a little different for the investigative turns.   I'm going to used a modified skill challenge system, suggested by this video by Matt Colville:

Colville Skill Challenges

Here's a description of how the investigation will play out:

CLUE SEARCH SKILL CHALLENGE

For Each Investigative turn spent looking for clues, follow this procedure.

• The players divide into any number of groups, larger groups mean better chance of success, smaller groups means greater possible number of clues discovered.
• Draw 1 Consequence Card per group
• Each group undertakes a Skill Challenge. Each player draws a card, and then in initiative order they pick one skill and describe how they are using the skill to look for clues. Cycle through each member of the group, rolling for skill success. Repeat, with each player having to switch skills after each cycle, until either 3 Failures or 5 Successes are made, with a Raise equaling 2 successes.
• If 5 successes are achieved before 3 Failures, the team gets a Clue, For each additional 3 successes that accrue before 3 Failures, grant an additional Clue Card. But, once 3 Failures total arise, the turn is over.
• Drawing a clue card which will eliminate 1 hideout location or 1 Holy Ghost identity. (If the first turn proves too easy or difficult raise or lower number of successes needed in subsequent turns). Certain powers can be substituted for a skill check, but again, no repeats.
• On Turn 12, Doctor Valiant will get to one of the objectives first

The Future of the Gotham Campaign

I figure that "To A Bloody Pulp" has reached about mid-point.   We were figuring it to last about a year.   My vision (and it's just that, my 2 cents, we really want to know what everyone wants) of the next half runs as follows:

• The Goal of the Gotham City Restoration Project is to eliminate 5 of the gangs or factions that threaten the city.   The Wound Ravens only need a strong shove to go (could be in a single session), the Disciples of the Bound Devil are pretty close (could go in 2 sessions).  
• When 5 gangs are eliminated, then you should all see behind the curtain as to who Mr. Cheavers and the Committee that he answers to really are.
• Then we can have a grand finale where we fight the mysterious puppet-masters that have pushed the gangs to become so dangerous that Cheavers and his crew had to intervene.
• If we don't eliminate 5 gangs by January 1 1935 (2018), then we've lost and the terrible consequences unfold.

A GM-less finale session where everyone's character can play sounds fine to me, maybe invading a maze-like lair or just a giant set piece battle with scores of combatants (like the finale of Mutants and Muskets).

As to returning to Gotham, I don't think that that is a question we need to even bring up now.   If we want to come back to Gotham, we can, and when the spirit moves us we can follow its lead.