The Black Campbell

No…not the comic book Phantom, but the villain in our latest Gorilla Ace! game.  The Phantom is a shadowy figure, a Russian expatriat and former Bolshevik that escaped the wrath of Stalin.  He’s settled in London, where he controls a nefarious network of criminals/anarchists/communists bent on the destruction of the ruling class that they see (arguably correctly) as sympathetic to the Nazis.

It is known that the Phantom is some kind of mechanical genius, often designing fantastical devices to aid him in his quest for international revolution.  He has attempted robberies of the Bank of England with a mole drill, designed radio-controlled explosive devices, each invention more impressive and advanced than the last.  Most of his work is done personally, but he has contracted, coerced, or threatened specialists to aid him in his work.

The Phantom has a cadre of 50-100 mooks, but has two to three times that number 0f supporters that supply his men with places to hide, weapons caches, money, and other aid.  Most of his support is in the Russian expatriate community, and is strongest in Bayswater and in the East End.

Here are some of the latest incarnations of his incredible inventiveness:

RADIOMEN

The “radiomen”, a term coined by Dex Vincetti — mechanic and inventor for the Gorilla Ace! Flying Circus — are 8′ tall metal humanoid automatons.  They are armor plated monstrosities with the servomotors and strange elastic pulley systems (muscles) protected behind plating capable of stopping most handgun rounds.  The are somewhat vulnerable at the joints.  Their head is a helmet-like object with a single glowing eye that looks much like a miner’s lamp.  The lensing is highly complex and shoots heat rays that can kill with a single shot.  The center of the lens has a camera system that seems to have highly acute short-range vision, but would be somewhat myopic.  There is a speaker grill in the “face” that gives the radiomen a terrifying grimace.  A short antenna stub sticks up out of the back of the head, offset to the right.

The radioman is powered by a strange series of dynamos and electric motors powered by a radium core located in the armored chest cavity.  The brain of the radio man is encased in the head, and is an advanced electromechanical computing device rigged into a wireless transceiver, allowing the machine to be remotely given instructions or controlled.  The range of the wireless transmissions is most likely limited to a quarter mile in the urban environment.

Body: 6   Dexterity: 2   Strength: 5   Charisma: 0   Intellect: 1   Willpower: 2

Size: 1   Move: 7   Perception: 3   Initiative:  3   Defense: 8   Stun: 6   Health: 10

Traits: Giant (+1 Size), Strong (+1 Strength), Tough (+1 Body)

Flaws: Automaton, Conspicuous (-2 Stealth), Maintenance (needs a Mechanics 3 test before each mission)

Skills: Athletics:6 (Jump: 7), Brawling: 8,  Firearms: 4, Gunnery: 4 (Eye Beam: 5)

Weapon:  Eyebeam — Damage: 4L   Attack Rating: 9L   Range: 50′   Speed: M   Rate: A; Punch:  9N

**The Intelligence and Willpower of the Radioman can be exchanged for that of the person remote controlling the device.

HOOPCYCLES

Powered by a 980cc parallel twin motor from a motorcycle, the hoopscycle is a marvel of invention.  The vehicle has a single seat with a stearing wheel that operates a gyroscope, aiding in the maneuvering of the single wheeled craft.  It is incredible fast and maneuverable, and very very loud.

Size: 1   Def: 6   Struc: 6   Speed: 110mph   Hand: +2   Crew: 1   Pass: 0   Cost: n/a

Looking over the weapons chapter in Secrets of the Surface World, I realized there were a few things in the weapons listed that didn’t feel quite right.  Granted, the Damage rating is a combination of power, but also accuracy…but there is still a great deal of error on the damage ratings of some of the guns vis-a-vis each other and archaic weapons.

I would suggest that the average flintlock pistol is far too highly rated.  The average muzzle energy of a flintlock is on part with a .380 revolver or automatic, and they are terribly inaccurate.  Instead of a 3W, a 2W is much more realistic.  I’m a bit torn on the 3W for .22 target pistols.   Yes, they’re accurate, but I find myself thinking the damage should be 2W with a better range (to better simulate the speed of the round) or a 3W with a shorter range to model the tendency of the lightweight round to be blown off target.

The most egregious error is the .357 magnum pistol and rifle listed:  5W?  Seriously?  The .357 magnum round is powerful and effective, but it’s certainly no moreso than a .30-06 round.  The 5W listed is ridiculously high — a 4W is reasonable in the rifle, but questionable in the S&W Model 27 or Registered Magnum.  The damage for the Webley MK VI and Fosbury is too high — the short-box cartridge fires a heavy bullet (266 gr to the .45ACP 230gr), but it is slower by several hundred feet a second than the .45acp.  Both should be 3W.  The Colt Single Action  .45 Long Colt  was the most powerful handgun round until the .357 magnum; it should be 4W.

Rifles are worse in SOTSW:  Nearly all are .30-06 or some comparable round like the .303.  Damage for all the 3W “game rifles” should be 4W, 5W for the more accurate rifles like the Webley #3062.  In military weapons like the Enfield #2, etc. with the .303, 7.5mm, etc.  — all comparable weapons — should be 4W.