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Table of Contents
102 Pen and Paper Adventure | Beta Age | Hunting an Unknown Hunter
SCENE 6d — ESCAPE EMPTY-HANDED
1 | Scene Overview
- Location: Inside J.W.'s compound, transitioning to the dark forest outside the wall.
- Type: Fleeing · Active Chase · Evasion · Hard Choices
- Era: Beta Age
- Tone: Adrenaline-fueled panic · closing net · bitter realization
Atmosphere & Sensory Cues: The deafening shriek of the alarm · harsh white floodlights cutting blindly into the freezing mist · the mechanical clack of Windstrike Rifles chambering rounds in the dark · slipping in cold mud · burning lungs.
2 | Read-Aloud Descriptions
Initial Read-Aloud (The Alarm Sounds)
The silence shatters. An acoustic alarm tears through the heavy mist, vibrating in your teeth. Harsh white floodlights snap on, cutting blinding angles across the yard, but the fog is too thick to see more than shifting shadows.
The property instantly wakes up.
You can't see them, but you hear it—heavy boots hitting the mud, doors slamming open, and the mechanical clack of Windstrike Rifles chambering rounds somewhere in the mist. Voices shout over the noise, echoing off the timber, making it impossible to tell exactly how close they are.
You know you have only two ways out. The three-meter-high timber wall surrounds the entire property like a cage — slick with moisture and never far away, no matter which direction you run. The only other option is to find the heavy main gate somewhere in the fog.
You are completely exposed, and the net is closing fast. You have seconds before they find you in the fog. What do you do?
3 | Scene Intent
| Scene Type | Player Intents | DM Function / Story Link |
| Active Chase & Consequence | Execute a desperate escape plan under fire · survive the immediate pursuit · decide whether to accept defeat or attempt a suicidal return | Provides a mechanical resolution to a botched infiltration. Enforces the “One Action Ahead” rule to create cinematic tension. Forces a final choice if they survive: accept failure or return on High Alert. |
4 | Key (N)PCs
| Name / Role | Motivation / Function | Dynamic Cues — How They React in Play | Link |
| Gate Guards (x2) | Choke-point lockdown | They rush the main gate. They will shoot to kill, firing Windstrike Rifles into the mist to suppress the PCs. | Mustafa Metzger + 1 exohuman guard. |
| Wall Guard (x1) | High-ground oversight | Patrols the walkway. He uses the floodlights to spot climbers and shoot them off the timber wall. | exohuman guard |
| Hunter's Hands | Swarm and capture | The Blues are seconds behind the PCs. If the PCs falter, they arrive to drag them back to the cell. | The Blues |
5 | Triggers, Clues & Consequences
Phase I — The Chase (The "One Action Ahead" Rule)
The Rule: The PCs start with a brief head start—they are “One Action Ahead.” This means they can afford exactly ONE failed check. If a PC fails their initial escape roll, the pursuers close the gap. The PC must immediately declare a reactionary action (e.g., diving for cover, throwing a smoke bomb, fighting back) and roll again. If they fail this second consecutive roll, they are caught.
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| PCs attempt to scale the Timber Wall | As they approach the wall, the walkway guard sweeps the area with a light. | Mechanic: A STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) probe (DC 15). Success: They vault the wall and drop into the forest (Proceed to Phase II). Failure: They slip or are spotted. The guard aims his rifle. They lose their “One Action Ahead” advantage and must declare a Reaction. |
| PCs attempt to breach the Main Gate | As they reach the gate, two guards emerge from the mist and open fire. | Mechanic: Bypassing the guards requires an opposed Combat roll, a creative Tinkerer distraction, or a DEX (Sleight of Hand) probe (DC 16) to force the gate lock while dodging fire. Success: They burst through the gate into the forest (Proceed to Phase II). Failure: They are pinned down by crossfire. They lose their “One Action Ahead” advantage and must declare a Reaction. |
| Reaction: Hiding in the mist/shadows | A desperate attempt to vanish before the Blues arrive. | Mechanic: A DEX (Stealth) probe (DC 15). Success: They regain their head start, slipping away to try the wall or gate again. Failure: They are surrounded. (See “Captured” below). |
| Reaction: Returning fire / Distraction | Firing blindly or throwing an explosive to buy time. | Mechanic: A ranged attack roll or Tinkerer ability to suppress the guards. Success: The guards duck, buying the PCs exactly one round to automatically clear the wall/gate. Failure: The guards' armor holds, or the shot misses. The Blues arrive. (See “Captured” below). |
| Result: Captured (Two consecutive failures) | The “One Action Ahead” buffer is gone. The swarm hits them. | Consequence: The PCs are overwhelmed by the Hunter's Hands, beaten down, and disarmed. They are dragged to the heavy wooden hatch reinforced with iron bands and thrown into the dark. Proceed immediately to Scene 6b — As a Prisoner in the Realm of the Hunter. |
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Phase II — The Crossroads (The Final Choice)
If the PCs successfully breach the wall or gate, they plunge into the dark forest. Once they are safe, the adrenaline wears off. They must now make a definitive decision about the mission's outcome.
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| PCs reach the deep forest and stop running | The forest is dead silent. They are alive. | Consequence: Read/Paraphrase: “You collapse against the roots of a massive tree. It is dead silent. You are alive. But as you catch your breath in the freezing dark, the reality sets in. You have no captive. You have no proof. Ezrah’s mandate was absolute. You survived, but you have failed.” |
| PCs decide to walk away and return to New Kourou | The mission ends in failure. | Consequence: The PCs survive, but the campaign is over. They return to Ezrah empty-handed. They receive no Kourou. J.W. continues his horrific Assimilation Project. The DM should narrate a bleak epilogue detailing their bitter return to the city. Proceed to Case Resolution (Failure State). |
| PCs decide to regroup and return to the compound | A desperate, high-stakes gamble. | Consequence: They must wait out the night or sneak back immediately. Proceed back to Scene 6a. Crucial DM Rule: The compound is now on High Alert. All Stealth DCs are increased by +2. The guards are actively patrolling. If caught again, they will be shot on sight or executed immediately. |
6 | DM Notes
- Pacing the “One Action Ahead” Rule: Do not give the players time to deliberate when a failure happens. If they fail the wall climb, tell them instantly: “You slide down the wet wood. The spotlight hits your face. The guard racks his rifle. What do you do right now?!” Make the Reaction feel like a split-second panic decision.
- Failure is an Option: Beta Age is a gritty setting. Sometimes, surviving a bad situation is the best a crew can hope for. If they reach Phase II and choose to walk away, let them. The world continues, and they have to live with the consequences of leaving J.W. in power.
- The Weight of the Return: If they do decide to go back, make sure they understand this is now a borderline suicide mission. J.W. knows someone is out there. The element of surprise is entirely gone.
DM Tutorial: How to approach the scene
Related Pages and Further Information
- ↑↑ Start: Hunting An Unknown Hunter
- ★ Overview: All Scenes of Hunting An Unknown Hunter
- → Next Scene (If Caught): Scene 6b — As a Prisoner in the Realm of the Hunter
- → Next Scene (If Returning): Scene 6a — In the Realm of the Hunter (High Alert)
- → Next Scene (If Retreating): Case Resolution