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Table of Contents
102 Pen and Paper Adventure | Beta Age | Hunting an Unknown Hunter
SCENE 6c — ESCAPE WITH THE HUNTER
1 | Scene Overview
- Location: Inside the Main House, moving through the yard, and breaching the perimeter of J.W.'s compound.
- Type: Live Extraction · Logistics Puzzle · Escort · High-Stakes Tension
- Era: Beta Age
- Tone: Grueling physical exertion · psychological warfare · the terrifying fragility of a hostage situation
Atmosphere & Sensory Cues: The dead, uncooperative weight of a human body · burning muscles · the metallic taste of adrenaline · J.W.'s cold, unblinking stares · the suffocating thickness of the mist outside.
2 | Read-Aloud Descriptions
Initial Read-Aloud (The Burden of the Captive)
You have him. The mastermind. The Hunter. He is entirely at your mercy.
Ending him here would be so easy. One lethal strike, and you could slip out into the woods like ghosts. But if you want the truth, and if you want your payout, you have to drag him into the freezing mist and carry him over a three-meter-high timber wall.
As the adrenaline peaks, the cold reality of Ezrah’s mandate sets in. You are standing inside a fortified house, surrounded by an army of deeply conditioned killers and heavily armed settlers. Every step from here is a massive liability.
However you hold him, J.W. does not tremble. He doesn't show a flicker of fear. He simply calculates. He does not struggle blindly or beg for his life. He just stares at you, his pale eyes tracking your panicked breathing.
He does not speak. He does not scream. He maintains his absolute, impenetrable silence. Instead, he simply lets his body go limp — nearly two hundred pounds of dead weight pulling against your grip. In his cold, unblinking stare, the message is perfectly clear. He doesn't need to call for his guards. He knows the math. He knows you will never make it over that wall.
3 | Scene Intent
| Scene Type | Player Intents | DM Function / Story Link |
| Live Extraction & Puzzle | Formulate a physical plan to move the captive · manage J.W.'s physical sabotage · bypass the compound's defenses while severely encumbered | Delivers the ultimate mechanical challenge of the “Capture Alive” mandate. Forces players to prioritize problem-solving (knots, leverage, distractions) over pure combat rolls. |
4 | Key (N)PCs
| Name / Role | Motivation / Function | Dynamic Cues — How They React in Play | Link |
| J.W. — “The Hunter” | Sabotage and survival | He uses “Dead Weight” tactics, going limp to make carrying him agonizing. He uses his silence as a weapon, refusing to panic or plead. He waits for the worst possible moment to resist physically. | Jareth Wyrick |
| Hunter's Hands (Blues) | Fanatical loyalty | If a hostage standoff occurs, they do not back down easily. They value the collective, and J.W. is their core. They will risk shooting the PCs even if J.W. is in the line of fire. | The Blues |
| Perimeter Guards | Professional sentries | They guard the wall and gate. They are the primary obstacle to the extraction, armed with Windstrike Rifles and Hunting Knives. | Mustafa Metzger + other exohuman guards |
5 | Triggers, Clues & Consequences
Phase I — Moving the Package
The PCs must decide how to transport J.W. through the compound yard to the perimeter. He weighs roughly 90 kg (200 lbs) and is entirely uncooperative.
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| PCs attempt “The Silent Drag” (Bound & Gagged) | J.W. makes himself dead weight, dragging his boots and resisting at joints. | Mechanic: Moving him requires two PCs. The group must roll a DEX (Stealth) probe (DC 14). The PCs carrying him roll with Disadvantage. Success: They reach the perimeter wall or gate unseen in the mist. Failure: J.W. intentionally snaps a branch or kicks a metal bucket. The alarm sounds (Proceed to Phase IIb). |
| PCs attempt “The Hostage Walk” (Threatening him in the open) | The mist obscures them at first, but a guard or Blue eventually spots them. | Mechanic: A high-stakes CHA (Intimidation) probe (DC 16). J.W. remains silent, but his eyes command his people. Success: The Blues freeze in confusion and fear, allowing the PCs to back up to the main gate. Failure: J.W. locks eyes with a guard and gives a single, sharp nod. The guard opens fire. The alarm sounds (Proceed to Phase IIb). |
| PCs knock J.W. unconscious to carry him | He slumps, becoming true dead weight. | Consequence: He can no longer sabotage their Stealth, removing the active risk of him making noise. However, lifting an unconscious 90kg man over a 3m wall becomes a massive STR (Athletics) challenge in Phase IIa. |
—
Phase IIa — The Extraction Puzzle (Undetected)
The PCs have reached the perimeter without triggering the alarm. Now they must get a heavy human body past the physical barriers.
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| PCs try to hoist J.W. over the 3m Timber Wall | The wall is slick. Gravity is their enemy. | Mechanic: Requires a clear plan (ropes, human ladder, Tinkerer gear). Resolves as a combined STR (Athletics) probe (DC 15). Success: They heave him over the wall and drop into the forest. (Proceed to Phase III). Failure: They drop him. He lands hard, making a loud noise. The wall-guard spots them and the alarm sounds (Proceed to Phase IIb). |
| PCs try to force the Main Gate open with J.W. | The gate is heavy and secured with an iron latch. | Mechanic: Requires a DEX (Sleight of Hand/Thieves Tools) probe (DC 15) while someone holds J.W. Success: The gate swings open silently. They vanish into the forest. (Proceed to Phase III). Failure: The lock clanks loudly. The gate guards spin around. The alarm sounds (Proceed to Phase IIb). |
—
Phase IIb — Extraction Under Fire (The Alarm Sounds)
The acoustic alarm or pneumatic shriek has triggered. The compound wakes up. The PCs are now in a horrific situation: they are taking fire, but their only shield is the man they are desperately trying to keep alive.
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| PCs try to run with J.W. under fire | The Blues swarm. Settlers open fire from the walls. | Mechanic: The “One Action Ahead” Rule: The PCs start with a brief head start, meaning they can afford exactly ONE failed check. They must roll a group STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) probe (DC 15) to navigate the chaotic yard, suffering a -2 penalty for dragging J.W.'s dead weight. If they fail, the pursuers close the gap. The PCs must immediately declare a reactionary action (e.g., returning fire, diving behind stacked timber) and roll again. Success: They clear the wall or gate with him. (Proceed to Phase III). Failure (Two consecutive fails): They are pinned down and surrounded. They must drop him and run for their lives (Proceed to Scene 6d) or be beaten down and captured (Proceed to Scene 6b). |
| PCs use J.W. as a human shield against the gunfire | J.W. struggles violently as bullets hit the mud around them. | Mechanic: A STR (Athletics) probe (DC 15) to keep him in the line of fire without him slipping free. Success: The Settlers hesitate to shoot their boss. The PCs buy one free round to automatically succeed on their next movement action. Failure: J.W. is clipped by a stray Windstrike round (Heavy Damage). If his health drops to 0, the mandate fails—he dies. |
—
Phase III — Into the Woods (The Aftermath)
The PCs have successfully breached the wall or gate and dragged J.W. into the deep forest. The alarm may be ringing behind them, but the mist hides their tracks.
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction | Clue / Consequence |
| The PCs secure J.W. in the deep woods | The adrenaline fades. The sheer exhaustion hits them. | Consequence: Read/Paraphrase: “You collapse in the wet ferns. J.W. is bound in the mud beside you, breathing heavily. You hear the compound tearing itself apart in the distance, searching the fog. But they don't know which way you went. You look at the man on the ground. You did it. Against all odds, you extracted the Hunter alive.” |
| J.W. stares from the mud | He looks up at them, bound and bleeding, but his expression remains infuriatingly calm. | Consequence: He offers no threats, no bargaining, and no words—just a cold, unblinking promise that this is far from over. Proceed to Scene 8a — Return to New Kourou. |
6 | DM Notes
- The Weight of Reality: Do not let the players gloss over the physics of this scene. Make them explain *exactly* how they are getting a 90kg man over a 3-meter wall. If they say “I throw him over,” ask “With what leverage?” Reward creative uses of rope, Tinkerer gear, or the environment.
- The Mute Saboteur: J.W.'s silence makes him infinitely more terrifying. Play him as the most infuriating hostage ever. He doesn't argue; he just acts. He goes limp. He purposefully steps on snapping twigs. If he does speak, keep it to brief, raspy taunts in broken English or French commands to his Blues.
- The Mandate is Fragile: If they get into a firefight in Phase IIb, make it clear that J.W. is taking crossfire. If he dies, they fail Ezrah's mandate. The players should feel protective of the man they despise the most.
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: Scene 8a — Return to New Kourou