Book Two: Archer's Trail of Vengeance

[Grognardsw]

The open field has tall grass and stubby shrubs, with no trees.

By what approach do you reach the big tent, and where at the tent (e.g. At 10:00 o'clock.)

[Inferno]

As Archer told Hal, that open field is death.

He would have parked the car on the southern road, down a ways east, off the map, and hiked the previously stated distance in from there. First without the gas cans. Then, if all was clear, he'd go back and get them.

What are the twin circular structures near the front gate, please?

Is the front gate a big wooden sign, as the photos seemed to indicate?

[Grognardsw]

Archer sees the wooden gates to either side of the entrance, each showing painted pictures of the freaks within. There is an empty ticket booth near the open middle entrance.

To the right a large circular area where pony rides are given to children. To the left, another circular area with a low fence, which Archer recalls was used as a petting zoo.

Go ahead and make rolls for Spot Hidden, Listen and any other skills you'd like to use.

[Inferno]

The wanted man quietly advanced. Then he stopped and hunkered close to the ground for a patient count of 30, listening and watching his surroundings for movement.

Spot Hidden: (55%): [1d100] = 15
Listen: (41%): [1d100] = 43
Sneak: (44%): [1d100] = 7

[Grognardsw]

Eyes and ears alert, Archer makes out in the predawn darkness a few wandering dogs. He assumes them to be guard dogs.

[Inferno]

Archer is all eyes as he calculates.

How many dogs?
Where are they and Archer on the map, please?
Is Archer close enough to the front gate to know if the ponies are stabled in those circular buildings?
When casing the joint had Archer seen pony stables? Had he seen any guard dogs? If yes, how many?
Is there a breeze? If yes, from which direction?
How far can Archer move on his current Sneak roll before he has to roll another one?

Thanks.

[Grognardsw]

Archer watches and feels a breeze blowing from the east. He thinks there are three dogs, but wonders if there are more toward the back areas he can't see from his vantage point (see map.) He doesn't recall seeing dogs in the public areas during his day-time casing of the carnivale.

The ex-detective realizes the left-side circular area isn't a building, but rather a marked-off area designating it for pony rides. There is a post in the middle, perhaps where a pony is roped to as it walks round and round in a circle. The right-side circular area is not a building, but a low circular fence enclosing what Archer recalls was a petting zoo. Archer doesn't recall seeing stables; they must be behind the big tent or among the trucks and trailers.

- Breeze 1-50 [1d100] = 4, if yes N S E W [1d4] = 3. From the east.
- A successful sneak roll applies to the distance traveled the round in which the roll was made. That distance is 60', half the normal 120' given one is moving more slowly.

- Three dogs sighted at the "D"s. Those were positions of first sighting; they are roaming. Archer is somewhere at 7 o'clock at the bottom.

[Inferno]

Sorry. I'm not seeing where rounds begin and end.
To clarify: Is it:
a) Archer's full movement on the Sneak roll is done?
Or
b) Archer can move up to 60 feet before making another Sneak roll?

Thanks.

[Grognardsw]

B) Archer can move 120' at full movement in one round, 60' while sneaking. Each round needs a roll.

Hide applies in the same manner.

There can be modifiers, such as darkness or type of ground.

All the above is home ruled, as CoC 3e is very light and addresses none of this.

[Inferno]

Looks like you're saying B:

b) Archer can move up to 60 feet before making another Sneak roll?

If so, then...

Archer thanks his dumb luck. The wind wasn't blowing his scent at the guard dogs, and the stink of the animal pens stood between him and them, further screening his odor.

Heart racing, the vigilante continues creeping to the big wooden sign of the front gate, using it as cover. Once there, he quietly pours one can of gasoline at its base.

Then, carrying the other can, he backs up the way he came.

If all was still quiet, he silently fires a flare into the gas soaked wooden sign from a safe distance, and immediately moves southeast, low and quick, away from the raging inferno.

[Grognardsw]

The right side circular fence is empty, but Archer saw it serve as a petting zoo during his earlier reconnaissance. He didn't see animal stalls; likely they are in back.

Archer has gotten quite skilled with his prosthetic hand these past several weeks. He creeps over to the big wooden wall sign to the right of the main entrance, and splatters and pours gasoline on it. The pungent smell of petrol has Archer wrinkling his nose and hoping the dogs don't catch the scent. Moving back he shoots the flare and the large sign catches fire.

Smoke billows. Several minutes pass and a dog barks. Lights go on in the trailers. Soon there are yells as people scramble about.

[Inferno]

Archer moves southeast, low and quick, away from the raging inferno.

Then he loops north, silently giving the carnival a wide berth.

He figures the fire will distract the shouting men and barking dogs as he closes within 100 feet of the emptying trailers, approaching them from the northeast, from out of the cold, black night.

[Grognardsw]

The right side wall is on fire.

Archer sees men carrying buckets running from the truck and trailer area down to the fire. Many lights are now on among the trailers. People are milling about. It is not as empty as the ex-gumshoe would like.

[Inferno]

From the darkness, Archer tries to see who among the lit men is shouting, pointing, giving orders; which trailer is the center of the commotion; and how many men aren't joining the bucket brigade.

[Grognardsw]

From his northeast vantage point, Archer sees more than a dozen men run south to the fire. He can't tell if one person is issuing orders. There are other men - a half dozen in Archer's northeast side -who appear to be moving more slowly around the east side big tent and smaller tents, perhaps looking for fires or disturbances.

A successful Spot Hidden may reveal more.

The vigilante can't see the west side of the trailer area.

[Inferno]

Spot Hidden: (57%): [1d100] = 20

[Grognardsw]

Archer peers through the darkness. He spots the shadowy form of some men running west before disappearing from sight. Exact numbers can't be determined. Archer's not sure, but he gets the sense that many of the men radiated out from the center of the trailer and truck area.

[Inferno]

The fugitive from justice brought down the corners of his mouth and the center of his brow.

He liked none of them for Joissant. He liked the lay of it even less. He was about to call in the outfield when suddenly, a few broke west; chickens flying the coop. Archer smiled to show his eyeteeth but left his brow unchanged. Arcing around the northern edge of the camp, to keep well out of the light, he ran after them through the darkness, pistol in his right hand, gas can on the iron hook that was strapped to his left stump.

[Grognardsw]

Archer follows the men moving west. Eventually he gets a better vantage south and southwest, and realizes the men moved south and can see them checking the west side of the big tent and small tents. He assumes they are looking for signs of fire or for intruders.

[Inferno]

Archer's heart raced. The adrenaline heightened his perception, amplifying shapes and sound.

As more men trickled south to his staged distraction, the hunter watched from the darkness, counting how many were left at the trailers. And, from this new vantage point, if any looked like a boss, like Joissant.

This was it. Time to fish or cut bait.