Biggles and the Castle of Terror

I put together a couple of Pulp Alley scenarios for the last club meeting.  These saw four players duking it out to investigate a secret Nazi weapons facility in the period before the war.

The four leagues were British, American, Soviet and Italian and were competing to secure or destroy the secret weapons (but had no idea what they actually were!).  The table was split into three with the two main areas being outside and inside the facility with the third being the interior locations for the latter (as the buildings I was using did not have removable roofs.

The briefs given to the players were all variants of the following:

You have been contacted by [insert name of intelligence agency*] to undertake a covert mission for them.  

Intelligence has been received that the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RHSA) have had their Sonderkommando H set up an operation at Schloß Wiedergänger in the Bavarian mountains in order to develop new special weapons for the growing Nazi war machine.

Your mission is to infiltrate the castle, determine the nature of the weapons, steal any useful materials and, if possible, disrupt their operations. If you or any of your team are killed or captured the British Government will deny any connection with you.

It is understood that the castle is best approached from the south. Security at the rear gate is said to be light and there are also rumours of a secret passage giving access to the barbican assuming you can find the entrance. A local operative will attempt to answer any questions you may have. They will also guide you to the castle grounds but from there you are on your own!

*Strictly speaking the Italian faction were actually working for the remains of the Cosa Nostra rather than the Fascist regime so their brief was a little different.

An overview of the table

Scenario 1: Approaching the Castle

The four leagues arrived at the edge of the Castle grounds in the dead of night, so visibility was limited.  

Count Casamir's Russian League

Carson Smith and his Americans

Biggles and friends

Captain Valentina's Italian league were the first to encounter guards from the castle. Fortunately the first was having a quiet drink and Valentina used her feminine wiles to secure his Security Pass.  This helped her enormously when she then encountered a patrol. Her men were somewhat less fortunate!

Captain Valentina and her mafiosi

Captain Valentina approaches the gate with her stolen pass

Count Casamir encountered a priest near the ruins of the chapel.  After surprising him and getting bashed on the head with his bible the Count placated him and he shared some of the castle's history.  Key amongst his information was that information giving the location of the secret passage into the castle was encoded on one of the head stones.  The Count and his league started searching the graveyard for the relevant tombstone.

Count Casimir's league advances through the cemetery

Meanwhile Biggles and his companions had encountered a somewhat distressed woman. Initially they frightened her and she set about them with her rolling pin.  Fortunately Ginger arrived and placated the woman, after which she told them her sad tale.  Her daughter, Ilsa, had gone missing in the middle of the night and couldn't be found; but she was certain that Ilsa had been taken to the Castle as tales of dark deeds there abounded.

Biggles and friends advance on the other side of the chapel

Meanwhile Carson Smith and friends were making heavy weather of moving through the cemetery with some of his team falling into an open grave in the dark (at least one of them more than once!).  Having made some much noise they attracted the attention of both Biggles and Count Casamir with the former opening fire on the hapless Americans.

Captain Valentina's crew encounter a patrol

Captain Valentina managed to get into the Castle easily using her stolen pass.  She then distracted the guards long enough to allow some of her men to sneak in behind them.

After a skirmish the British, Russian and American teams found the secret passage and made their own way into the Castle.

Scenario 2: Inside the Castle

Once inside the Castle all the leagues moved quickly to investigate the nearest buildings.

The unlucky Yanks opened the door to the nearest building and discovered the Beta test versions of the Tötentruppen who were most eager to meet them (tear them limb from limb and eat their brains too!)

Dan O'Bannon wishes he hadn't opened that door!

Biggles' team forced their way into the central building and discovered Stahl Mask and his personal Tötentruppen guards (the production versions).  After a brief firefight, Biggles threw a smoke grenade in to blind the opposition and then rushed in.

Biggles throws a smoke grenade

Captain Valentina and her crew investigated the Castle keep.  On the first floor her first mate Stefano opened the door to discover Dr Metzger and his latest creation, the Unmensch!

Stefano Ricci is in for a surprise!

Stefano encounters the Unmensch

The Russians meanwhile thought they were in for an easy time as their building only seemed to contain human opposition.  To their surprise, however, when engaging one of the guards he transformed into an actual Werwolf!

Count Casamir faces the Werwolf

Leaving Stefano to hold the Unmensch on the first floor, Captain Valentina advanced up to the second where she encountered Count Orlok and his companions along with young Ilsa who was about to be sacrificed!  On engaging the Count the Captain was shocked when he and his companions suddenly morphed into their true forms - vampires!  They flew at the Captain and her crewmates and desperate fight ensued.

Count Orlok reveals his true nature

In the end, with the Unmensch trapped in their room, Stahl Mask and Count Orlok defeated, it was Biggles who took home the most spoils - back to Blighty for tea and medals!