The Equalisers versus the Terrible Trio (Slugfest)

 I got Slugfest for Christmas. Yay! If you've not encountered it before, Slugfest is a solo or cooperative super gaming system from Four Color Studios. It is d20 based and has a lot in common with Rangers of Shadow Deep. The actual rules run to a little over 20 pages, while the rest of the 181-page book details super team creation, scenarios, campaigning, etc. I have had some 15mm superheroes from Rebel Minis painted for quite some time, so I was keen to get the rules to the table as soon as possible.

We open on a city street. A car is parked untidily on the pavement outside the Trust Us Savings and Loan  Inc. in Landfall City. Peaceforcers lie scattered around, unconscious or groggily trying to recover. Ace reporter Kit Kilarney and a gaggle of bystanders stand stunned in the street.

A call comes in on the emergency hotline to the Equalisers' HQ. It is the Peace Commissioner.

"Help us, Equalisers! The Terrible Trio is raiding the Trust Us Savings and Loan. Our Peace Force has been defeated by them and Dr Bedlam's Deathbots."

The Equalisers race to the scene of the crime to aid the city authorities. The alarm at the bank is blaring out and two deathbots are rolling as fast as their little treads can carry them towards the heroes. As they race onto the street outside the bank, the heroes start trying to get the civilians clear. As they do so, Bruiser Benning emerges from the bank. He growls at the heroes. Elasti-Ape charges towards him, snagging up a concrete bench as he goes. He launches the bench at the big bruiser and hammers him with it. The others attempt to blast their foe but his thick hide seems impervious to their attacks, and Dream Lady's mental attacks seem to have nowhere to land in the bruisers tiny mind.

"Take a load off, Bruiser!"

Elasti-Ape charges Benning and is promptly knocked on his arse for his pains after flying thirty feet through the air. Captain Phoenix races in and flattens the goon as the Deathbots get close enough to start blasting.

Then the Sinister Spinner races out of the bank. He is carrying the object of the raid. Captain Phoenix charges him but is blasted backwards away as the Spinner charges up and flees the scene. It took only seconds for the villains to achieve their goal. The other villains start retreating as Tonalli emerges from a building up the road, only to flee ahead of the remaining Deathbots.

"You'll never catch me!"

With the villains fled and no way to catch up, the heroes attempt to bring round the fallen Peace Officers and escort ace reporter Kit Kilarney to safety. They are starting to bring order to the place when a gas main explodes under a parked car. The car is obliterated and Captain Phoenix is singed, but all the civilians and Peace Officers are safe. The peace that follows the explosion seems unnaturally quiet, but the Equalisers are kept busy tidying up after Dr Bedlam's crew.

Later that night the phone rings at Equalisers HQ.

"It's Kit Kilarney. I wasn't there just at random you know. I was following a lead on a story. You saved me so I'll share it with you..."

Well, that was fun. I might even have got some of the rules right. Not bad for a first play through. I used the Revengers from the book, but renamed them because I am like that, and I followed the first scenario from the rules. As expected, the d20s were wild. Picking up the street furniture and chucking it around was great. I need to do more of that. The scenario was also interesting because I knew there would b a gas explosion but not when, which made saving the civilians and the cops a priority. Still, if the Spinner had not knocked Captain Phoenix flat on his arse, the team might have got the macguffin too. Dice, eh!

Pointers for my next game include making power cards for the heroes and printing out the reference sheet to make it easier to keep track of things. I shall also design my own team so that I have a clearer idea of who they are and what they can do from the outset. No idea when I shall have time for that, but there will definitely be more of this type of thing in my future.