The Botched Deal
The Wayfinder dropped out of hyperspace with a shimmer of stretched starlight snapping back into stars.
Brains deftly guided the aging freighter through reentry, hands dancing across the control panel. “I’ve got the beacon. Plotting for the settlement now.”
Cap’in leaned over his shoulder, eyes scanning the glowing readouts. She pointed toward a cluster of rugged hills at the edge of the valley. “Set her down in the shadow of those cliffs on the outskirts. I don’t want anyone making off with the Wayfinder while we’re in town.”
Brains nodded and adjusted course without a word.
The ship landed with a gentle thud, its engines cycling down in a dusty haze. The ramp lowered, and the crew stepped into the arid wind.
“We’re making our way to the town on foot,” Cap’in said, tightening her cloak against the gusts.
She swept her gaze across the distant jumble of buildings. “It might look like a ramshackle, dust-choked outpost, but it’s crawling with bounty hunters, slicers, and desperate types looking to score credits any way they can.”
Spike checked his blaster pistol with a smirk. “So basically, be ready to shoot the moment it all goes sideways.”
Cap’in ignored him, her focus on the horizon. “The plan is simple: make the trade quickly, draw no attention, and get out clean.”
But as the crew reached the bustling market square and approached the dealers near a stack of scavenged starship parts, something felt off.
Blaster bolts tore through the air without warning. Civilians scattered, stalls shattered, and chaos erupted in an instant.
“Damn it,” Cap’in growled, diving for cover. “There’s another crew after our trade…”
Background
This scenario is inspired by the Stargrave mission of the same name, but has been fully adapted to use the Fistful of Lead: Galactic Heroes ruleset. While the core setup remains faithful to the original, the mechanics have been streamlined to fit the cinematic and fast-paced gameplay of Fistful of Lead.
The scenario begins with one central physical loot token placed at the heart of the battlefield. In addition, each player places two more loot tokens: one physical and one data. Once the tokens are in place, players take turns assigning a ruffian NPC to any loot token of their choice, creating immediate hotspots for potential conflict.
To bring these NPC threats into the Fistful of Lead framework, we adapted the Stargrave Ruffian stat line into a standard D8 Grunt, maintaining their dangerous-but-expendable feel within the skirmish environment.
We also modified the random event mechanic from the original. Instead of adding a ruffian when a player rolls a 1–4 on their Initiative Roll, we now trigger this effect when a player plays a wildcard (an Ace). When this occurs, their opponent places a ruffian adjacent to any building on the board, adding an element of tactical interference and surprise to card play.
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| The Playing Area |
Opposing the crew of the Wayfinder were the Croaken Vex. A gang of amphibious smugglers hailing from the swamp-covered world of Koboh. Known for their slippery tactics and love of underworld deals, these frog-like outlaws are as quick with a blaster as they are with a back-alley bargain.
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| (Left to Right) Kiob Vashin (Leader), Krelgash (Specialist), Ribb Nok, Garmmell Thrib & Zoggby Frib |
Turn 1
Both sides deployed on opposite edges of the battlefield. The Croaken Vex split into three strike teams. Their leader, Kio Vashin, flanked by the hulking Garmmell Thrib, swept toward the right side of the central marketplace, eyeing two exposed loot tokens.
Meanwhile, Krelgash surged forward and dove into a nearby pond, disappearing beneath the surface as he swam toward a token hidden near the water’s edge. Ribb Nok and Zoggby Frib advanced into the heart of the marketplace. Zoggby spotted a lurking ruffian and fired - but his shot went wide, and the ruffian held his ground.
On the far side, Cap’in snapped orders with precision. She and the droid 5E made their way toward the central loot. Brains was dispatched left to intercept the loot targets being stalked by Kio and Garmmell. Choppa and Spike veered right, moving fast to cut off Krelgash before he could disappear with the prize.
Then, one of the local ruffians caught sight of Kio and Garmmell and opened fire. The blaster bolts hit their mark - Kio should have been wounded. But thanks to the Bodyguard trait, loyal Garmmell took the hit instead, shielding his leader and staggering back under the impact.
This turn opened with Cap’in seizing the initiative. Determined to beat the Croaken Vex to the central loot token, she charged ahead - too fast. In her haste, she overextended, ending her movement exposed in the open doorway of the marketplace.
Kio Vashin spotted the mistake instantly. Smirking, he advanced down a narrow alley, casually ignoring a ruffian lurking in the shadows. Drawing his blaster with practiced ease, he took aim and fired. The shot struck true—Cap’in crumpled to the ground. Whether she was dead or just downed remained unclear, but for now, she was out of the fight.
Loyal to the core, 5E sprinted after her, skidding to a halt beside his fallen commander. His servos whirred anxiously as he scanned her motionless form.
Across the field, Krelgash emerged from the pond, dripping and triumphant, beside a physical loot token. Without hesitation, he secured it. Meanwhile, Choppa, realizing he’d lost the race to that objective, shifted course. He bolted up a nearby staircase toward another token - but as he reached the top, he found himself staring into the barrel of a ruffian’s blaster.
Back in the marketplace, Ribb Nok moved with calm efficiency, tuning out the chaos outside. He strode through the dust-choked aisles and casually scooped up the central loot token.
Outside, the ruffians began to stir in earnest. Energized by the sudden firefight, they opened fire in all directions - but their shots went wild, blaster bolts ricocheting harmlessly off stone and metal.
The Croaken Vex begin consolidating their gains.
Ribb Nok, moving with the same cool detachment, retreated toward the now-recovered Garmmell Thrib. Though upright, the bruised bodyguard was clearly slowed by his earlier wound, favouring one side as he limped behind cover.
Meanwhile, burdened by the weight of the physical loot, Krelgash crept cautiously toward the table edge, intent on making a clean exit with his prize.
On the upper level, Choppa engaged the ruffian blocking his path. With a grunt, he swung his halberd in a wide arc. After a brief and brutal exchange, he forced the startled gunman to tumble backward down the opposite staircase, clearing his path.
Back in the alley, 5E raised his blaster and fired a precise volley at Kio Vashin, catching the Croaken Vex leader by surprise. Kio was forced to duck back into the shadows, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. With his target suppressed, 5E advanced into the marketplace - but he was too late. The central loot token had already vanished into enemy hands.
Spotting Kio under fire, Zoggby Frib wheeled around and sprinted to his leader’s side, ready to return fire and cover his retreat. The Croaken Vex were rallying fast, and the momentum of the battle was beginning to shift in their favour.
Elsewhere, Krelgash slipped off the table’s edge, loot in tow, vanishing into the shadows with a victorious exit.
On the upper level, Spike opened fire on the ruffian near Choppa. Though his shots failed to land a solid hit, the withering blaster fire forced the hostile into cover, buying Choppa the breathing room he needed. With the danger momentarily suppressed, Choppa began interfacing with the data node, initiating the download sequence.
Meanwhile, Brains, true to his name, had been quietly maneuvering behind cover. Staying out of sight, he crept steadily toward an untouched loot token, carefully avoiding the crossfire.
Back near the marketplace, Zoggby Frib found himself locked in a running gun battle with a cluster of ruffians. For every one he dropped, another seemed to appear - desperate to reclaim the loot now slipping from their control.
This round opened with a sharp-eyed Zoggby Frib spotting movement in a building across the square. Narrowing his gaze, he raised his blaster and fired without hesitation. His shot struck true - though he couldn’t know at the time, his target was Brains, who collapsed with a cry, wounded and sprawled across the very loot token he’d been sneaking toward.
On the far side of the battlefield, Choppa completed the data download, the device blinking green in confirmation. With no time to spare, he turned and began his retreat, moving quickly toward cover. Over his shoulder, he signaled to Spike, shouting for him to locate and support Brains.
As wildcards (Aces) hit the table, new ruffians emerged from alleys and doorways, drawn by the sound of blaster fire and the scent of opportunity. One group caught Garmmell Thrib in the open. A hail of blaster bolts forced the already-wounded bodyguard to take cover, accumulating Shock tokens faster than he could recover. Eventually, nerves frayed and senses overloaded, he bolted across the marketplace, fleeing to the far side in search of safety and clarity.
Ribb Nok, still clutching the all-important central loot token, found himself pinned down at the edge of the field. Having drawn ruffian fire in the previous round, he was forced to duck behind a flickering holo-advert display for cover. After a moment's hesitation, he gathered his nerve and made a break for it - vanishing off the table and securing the precious cargo for the Croaken Vex.
Elsewhere, Spike rounded a corner at full speed, blaster drawn. Spotting his fallen leader ahead, he zeroed in on the nearest Croaken Vex he could find - Zoggby Frib - and opened fire. But once again, his shots went wide. Now fully exposed in the middle of the alley, Spike had nowhere to hide.
Meanwhile, Choppa slipped cleanly off the battlefield, data loot secured, scoring a key win for the Wayfinder crew. Nearby, Brains groggily pulled himself to his feet, shaking off the pain and grime before reclaiming the physical loot token he'd fallen on moments earlier.
As the turn closed, the ruffians once again came to life. Two spotted Spike out in the open. They raised their blasters and fired in unison - this time, their aim was true. Spike dropped to the ground, another Wayfinder crew member taken out of the fight.
But before he could reach it, the skirmish drew to an abrupt end - Brains, battered but determined, slipped off the table edge with the physical loot secured under his arm. With no remaining Wayfinder crew on the field, the battle was effectively over.
The guns fell silent. The streets, once filled with chaos, settled into uneasy calm. The Croaken Vex held the ground - but the Wayfinder crew hadn’t left empty-handed.
“Roll a die for each unclaimed loot token on the table. On a roll of 15+, the loot is secured. On a roll of less than 15, the loot is lost.”
To fit our Fistful of Lead mechanics, we adapted the rule: a single D10 roll per token, needing a 7+ to claim it.
Unfortunately for the Croaken Vex, luck was not on their side. Each roll came up short, and the remaining loot was lost to the chaos of the battlefield.
- Croaken Vex secured 7 Renown Points, reflecting both the loot recovered and their battlefield dominance.
- Wayfinder Crew earned 3 Renown Points from their haul, but their Legendary team trait granted an additional +3 Renown Points, bringing them to 6 total - a narrow margin behind their rivals.
On the recovery front, the Wayfinder crew fared surprisingly well:
- Cap’in, 5E, and Spike all rolled "Just winged me", meaning they’d all return to duty in fighting shape for the next mission, albeit with a few fresh scars and bruised pride.
Looking to bolster their numbers for the next engagement, the Wayfinder crew opted to spend 3 Renown Points to hire a squad of Grunts. Whether this would tip the scales in their favour in the coming battles remained to be seen - but one thing was certain: they’d be back.
Love it! I hadn't thought of mining the scenarios in Stargrave or the other similar books. Great idea! I love those little Sci-Fi frogs...!!
ReplyDeleteI know some wargamers aren’t big fans of AI, but honestly, ChatGPT has been a game-changer for me. I can take the tiniest half-baked idea, toss it in there, and suddenly it’s like I’ve got a co-writer who never sleeps and doesn’t judge my weird campaign plots.
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