Kun fu Pals Vs the Klan (A GURPS: Action! adventure series)

[Juan]

I had this wonderful idea of teaching some GURPS to the heathen in our gaming club in Madrid, Spain. And after some DFRPF games which were quite successful, it was time for a change.

We aimed at 80´s low budget films. The idea was to do three / four connected adventures. We have played three so far and we are looking to start the final chapter in the coming weeks. Every “film” is intended as a stand alone adventure. True to the spirit of the flics which inspired us, the cast comes and goes with some characters appearing in every installment and some heroes appearing just once. Every adventure played so far took us two or three sessions. Every session lasted between three and four hours.

The PCs were 250 points using Heroes, Furious Fists and Specialists templates. They all belong to a special secret operations force fighting crime gangs in the USA. The group is leaded by one captain Norris and they called themselves American Fists [Kinda joke for “american fists” is direct translation of “brass knuckles” into Spanish, our mother tongue].

Note: the mini campaign tries to portray, with a comic vibe, the US low budget action films of the 80´s we hired an loved in the video-club. With nods to Charles Bronson, Robert Ginty, Steve James, etc. There are tropes and gags ´bout our perception of this kind of films. So, we mixed national and racial cliches, extreme violence, guns galore and some unneeded gore. Our treatments of these issues is our way to explore and criticize some social trends and problems, and in no way an endorsement of violence, racism, bigotism, drug use or criminal behavior.

Meet the American Fists
There was some extortion happening in small shops in China Town. There were rumors Italian criminals were behind it and the FBI was afraid it would lead into open war between Mafia and Triada groups.

After some research, some street legwork, and many hours spying from a van under the Flowers By Irene company façade (a The Simpsons occurrence) our brave heroes realized the Mafia claims were not wrong. Some later investigation led to a bunch of companies and civil association which operated as cover for a criminal organization with Italian fascists roots which was actually trying to wipe out rival gangs in the city of San Francisco.

Some destructive chases and vicious fighting later our heroes stormed the Mafia HQ just to realize there was a huge plan going under the authorities´ radar to demolish America´s democratic regime. Someones was trying to stablish a fascist-like dictatorship inspired by Benito Mussolini in the USA.

American Fists II: bike gangs a roarin´
Violence against colored people is escalating and the authorities are afraid some upheaval may come. Clandestine BBS sites hosted by extremist groups are trading information in order to organize some meeting to choose one central leader who coordinates all actions to mine the Government of the USA.

As soon as the supremacists reunion date is uncleared, the American Fists unit is assigned to duty. They are to infiltrate one supremacist group and neutralize the threat from inside. They are given a carte blanche by the President himself.

Our heroes infiltrate one of motorbike gang and pass themselves as members to join the meeting. There were races, chases, explosions and lots of alcohol and drugs while our heroes made sure unwilling prostitutes were released from they pimps, meta labs were destroyed and every single data about the criminal bikers reached the police.

Once in the big farm where the reunion was held our heroes got all the information about the next criminal step: a nuclear device to explode in Manhattan with a plot to blame Jewish residents.

After some boxing, and lots of acrobatics and Kun Fu, to make sure no gangster left the farm before locals authorities arrived, our heroes were in a hurry to prevent the explosion happening.

Of course, a last minute green wire / red wire decision saved the day and the American Fists get to know one Big Bad Business Man is behind this crazy plan. Still, no real evidence to get him to Court while the films credits appeared on the TV screen.

American Fists III: with a vengeance!
Arturo Gómez, FBI agent of Puerto Rico ascendancy and close friend of the American Fists, has been kidnapped and beaten to death. His body was found in a dark alleyway with a note full of racial hate.

Gómez was working in a case involving paramilitary action and illegal drug dealing connected with supremacists groups. As captain Norris denies permission to investigate this outrageous murder (as the case belongs to the FBI) all of the American Fists resign at once to pursue their own line of action.

Hacking FBI´s computers and doing some procedural criminal research the heroes uncover infiltrate KKK members in the FBI which are hindering the bureau works then and again.

Retribution ensues and the American Fists find evidence of some Libyan plutonium purchased by Big Bad Business Man Enterprises for there is a plan to instigate a war with Mexico after bombing its capital!!!!

After locating the airfield the bad guys were using (I used the GURPS Encounters: The Mysterious Airfield map, by the way) there was some stealthy infiltration stuff and one glorious plane boarding while the plane was starting its takeoff. Fighting in close spaces aboard, engines malfunction and emergency landing on Texas State Highways were the consequences of keeping peace between Mexico and the US of A.

Of course all of the heroes were immediately admitted back into their gov job by captain Norris after the "thank you, we owe you our freedom" scene.

Next in your video tape
American Fists IV: Big Bad Business Man.

[Tinman]

This campaign looks really fun. Great Idea for a setting too.
Thank you for sharing.

[lvalero]

Hola Juan!

Happy to see in these forums that there is a spanish community who plays DF and Gurps. By the way: I love the pun "American Fists"!

Thanks for sharing your experience

Luis