15mm Wargaming for Fun and Sanity: Paleo Diet & Pulp Space 1899 The Centre of the Earth

I’m using the Clockwork Publishing City Space 1889 RPG scenario at the Centre of the Earth as reference.

I alluded to this game in my recent monograph of November 29th entitled “Doctor the Mill” I, as your humble narrator, commented “the British Space Rocket Group* has obtained samples of Carvorite and are actively looking for more. In one of their searches they also discover the Hollow Earth.” The premise being that any free carvorite would naturally escape. Only deposits deep within the earth would survive.

The group was formed after the poor performance of rockets in the formative years. Its remit was to study Chinese and Indian science and usage. New developments have led to both military and commercial use, plus life saving.

I could have used Rogue Stars, Song of Blades and Heroes but Paleo Diet and it’s sister Paleo Pulp hits the mark as, we say, a proper job.

The Games. Considering that no plans survive contact with the enemy, these went very well!

The BSRG has acquired three prototype mole machines from the, and locational to, the Eggar estate just outside of Heidelberg with the - encouragement from a certain party.
Each of these craft, intended as scouts, carry 2 persons and a range of supplies.
All carry a pistol 1xShort. 2xShort if aimed. All can start fires on D6 +1.

Dr J Half-Matter Engineer, Egoist (always rolls 1st on 3 dice)
Thinker Can pass an activation to another in LOS. Has explosives (P4)

Miss Symmes. An antiquarian

Col Bloodnock A big game hunter. Avaricous. Rifle 1 Long. 2 Long if aimed.

Subaltern Bloodnock. An engineer. Excited, always 3 dice.

Habudar Singes-Thing. An engineer

Miss Constance Joy. A Naturalist

Phwar. A Shamen. Effect nearest prey by +/-1 per activation.

Game 1 The craft arrive at a hollow point, falling into a shaft (suffering some damage requiring minor repairs) As they proceed they come to an artificial wall. Once they proceed they find themselves in a cavern lit by a faint glow from the direction of their travel.
In front of them they spot a pair of berobed sword wielding persons manhandling a young lady wearing the traditional fur bikini of her people.

Having (um) rescued her she is grateful and answers (In German) any of their questions. She leads them to the main chamber where they behold the inner sun “good brief!” Exclaims Half-Matter, that must be a ball of pure carvorite! “But, what is making its glow? Exclaimed Habudar Singes-Thing “We thought that carvorite was a noble element, incapable of such elemental interactions!”

More exclamation, because there in the far distance is an ancient city! Surely here would be the answers! Further examination shows a huge stockade at the opposite side to the city. Phwar indicates that this is the seat of the cultists and that she would prefer to go THAT way, towards the city. With the weird, echoing cry of “Echi echi thum!” groups of cultists are making their enthusiastic, but not overly fast, way towards you!

With mad cultists approaching, our heroes are pushed forward into the long grass of the not-quite-endless plain. Here they find a group of hunters in pursuit of a pygmy woolly rhino. Can Phwar persuade them to drive the mammoth at the cultists, or to actively engage them? (If yes, the play swaps to the hunters)

Hunters and rhinos. P31 Apex predators.
Leader Thinker Can pass an activation to another in LOS.
Cultists pointy stick +1 in hand combat. P32 Pack predators

In the before-time the hunters stalk the rhino.

Our intrepid explores arrive!

At first there is shouting and gestures. Not going well.

On the second bound, the Professor urges Phwar on, and the hunter leader is persuaded to attack the cultists.

One cultist goes mad and attacks while the hunters bend to the task of turning the rhino.

One hunter dies, but the death is soon avenged.

A second cultist rushes in, but gets impaled!

No easy business herding rhino with pointy sticks and shouting.

Scale rhino poo. Hope you're impressed!

A charge narrowly missed!

The beast gets jumpy, surrounded.

The beast roars, then moves forward. The cultists retreat and the fights over. Thus our adventurers can move on.

Game 2. Observing the strange fluctuations of the carvorite sun, the party presses on towards the ancient city of Phar.

Here, another enemy presents itself! Frau Von Essen herself who is eager to secure carvorite for the German empire. She has hastened to finish the full size Mole, thus following our parties trail. She is not the first Von Essen to enter this land (as may be deduced by Phwars understanding of the German tongue.

Any difference in number may be complemented by a few cultists or hunters coming in from behind.

As the party approaches, a loan cultists approaches, bent on revenge! Meanstwhile Frau Von Essen stalks forward. As does Col. Bloodnock.

The cultist wounds Phwar! Constance steps up and shoots him - a 6, followed by another 6. Dead. That's 1.

Meanstwhile, the Colonel and Singest Thing both shoot at the Frau (I Say!) But she dodges.

She closes on the intrepid gentleman, her sabre flashes and he lies dead upon the ruin.

Bloodnock rushes in, but she dispatches him with one thrust! Thus was the hero of the Buriani Oasis laid low by a cunning kraut!

Here comes Constance, and with her no no-nonsense approach puts her down. Number 2.

Now the party face Dr Berlin. But it's Constance who shoots the blaggard. That's number 3.

Curiously, the remains of the Hunnic horde dash to Dr Berlin's body. What are they so anxious to retrieve? (Repeated predate rolls, letting the dice form the narrative)

Phwar dashes in, but already wounded she was no match for Tiny's bayonet.

Bracketed, Tiny is shot by guess whom? Number 4. The remnant flee, chased by an impetuous subaltern mad with grief!

Shooting at a fleeing young lady is enough to get Von Alone's gander up. He puts the mad young pup down like a mad dog at a church picnic that's eaten all the cheese and tomato sandwiches and eyeing the Victoria sponge.

Naturally it's young innocent Constance that clocks his card for 5. But two get away! I wonder wot will happen to them!?

Game 3 If Dr J Half-Matter survives, (He did) the party ascend deep into the upper reaches of the city where they find the dread cultists temple. Here whilst performing unspeakable rites before the Great Billy Idol using, but not requiring, the still quivering bits of their sacrifices the priests perform tasks that recharges the carvorite globe. Around this chamber are the desiccated mummies of Selenites. The party must descend upon these acolytes as the ravening wolves upon the little hippity hoppity bunnies of the field.

For reference. If not, the party must seek out and capture cultists in order to gain the information required. The hunted becomes the hunters. If Phwar has survived, she can bring the group up to a strength of 6 by recruiting hunters.

If Frau Von Essen’s party is successful:

Frau Von Essen. Sabre +1 in combat. All can start fires on D6 +1.

Egoist (always rolls 1st on 3 dice) Thinker. Can pass an activation to another in LOS.

Frau Pay. A Shamen. Effect nearest prey by +/-1 per activation. Has explosives (P4)

Dr Berlin. An antiquarian. +2 in hand combat. Pistol 1xShort. 2xShort if aimed.

Von Alone. & Tiny. Big game hunter. Pistol. Rifle 1 Long. 2 Long if aimed.

Herr Braun. An engineer. Has explosives (P4) Pistol.

Alas, the two escapees have be caught by the cultists! Her Braun is the first to go, the priest holds his still leaking skull up to the dread Billy Idol.

Frau Pay, using her shamen powers shamelessly has delayed her own destruction.

The Professor challenges the priest, but gets ranted at in return. Fearful of the consequences, he retires.

Constance, of course, will have none of that nonsense. But it's Miss Symmes (first action!) to whack the priest down! Constance disregarding the Frau's fate she steps up and shoots the troublesome priest, number 6.