TEXT: Adventures in Rangston
  1
  LEVEL
  PLAYERS
  1
  3-6
  Bandit
  Bandit
  HOURS
  4-5
  
  2
  The Golden Bandit
  The Golden Bandit is an adventure for Tephra: The STeam-
  punk rpG using the Clockwork System. It contains write-
  ups, maps, non-player characters, and all the information 
  you need to run this adventure aside from the playinG 
  Guide (of which, one playinG Guide per player is recom-
  mended for ease of use at the table).
   
  This Tephra adventure was designed as a four to 
  five hour adventure for level 1 characters. It is best suited 
  for a party of 3 to 6 adventurers. It takes place in the rough 
  western city of Rangston and is well-suited for adventurers 
  just arriving in the city. It is suggested that you—our narra-
  tor—read through the entire adventure prior to running the 
  adventure so you can be familiar with the NPCs, plots, and 
  locations, (although this is not necessary in a pinch).
  Contents
  Part 1: The Golden Bandit 
  2
  Table of Contents & Credits 
  2
  Overview 
  2
   Fired Farmhands 
  5
   Career Criminals 
  5
   Ajax 
  7
   The Twins 
  7
  A Dirigible to Catch 
  9
   Bastian, the Golden Bandit 
  18
  Adventure Conclusion 
  19
  Part 2: Rangston 
  20
  Misery’s Mortuary 
  21
  The Rangston Roster 
  22
  Only in Rangston (Adventure ideas) 
  24
  Rangston-Branded (Character Stories) 
  25
  Part 3: Widgets 
  27
  The Golden 
  Bandit
  If he were a small-time thief,                  he wouldn’t be the Golden Bandit
  Creative Director   Tim Bedard
  Project Lead   Robert Stephens
  Development   Spencer McAdams
  Guest Writing   Erica Speegle & Gustavo Martinez
  Executive Editor   Daniel Burrow
  Cover Art   Iona Isabella Rivera
  Interior Illustrations   Victor Helton
  Guest Illustrations   Erica Speegle
  Maps   Cade Schlaefli
  Playtesting and Feedback   Drake Narendorf
  Copyright 2015 Daniel Burrow of Cracked Monocle
  This supplement is designed for Tephra: The STeampunk 
  rpG using the Clockwork System.
  Maps are included for the adventure and may be copied  
  for personal use.
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  3
  The Golden Bandit is a fast-paced, rugged, high-flying sort of 
  fellow. He’s known for running on rooftops, wearing gaudy 
  clothing, and making a show out of everything he does. His 
  real name is Sebastian Spriggs, but he introduces himself as 
  Bastian, the Golden Bandit. (Why yes, he does include his 
  title.)
   
  Bastian is best known for stealing half of the clock 
  tower that stands over Rangston. On the brightest day of the 
  year, at high noon and 11-chimes in, Bastian dropped the 
  bell through the clock tower, letting it smash through the 7 
  floors of the clock tower and into a secret passageway below 
  he had somehow drilled underneath the city. He used the 
  momentum of the bell falling to overwind the clock, then 
  loosened the massive hands. They started spinning wildly, 
  then both of them stopped, suddenly, at 2 o’clock. The 
  minute hand broke and flew off with enough momentum 
  to nearly clear the town. Instead, it landed right in the river, 
  where two of Bastian’s men fished it out and carried it off.
   
  Bastian stole 27 other massive parts of the clock 
  tower that day, including half of its face, and authorities 
  can’t figure out how he did half of it. 
   
  This is especially heinous because the clock tower 
  serves as a symbol of the booming industry of the town. 
  It was donated to the city by a wealthy businessman who 
  made his fortunes in Rangston, as a way to give back to the 
  community and it serves as a beacon for all those who come 
  to the city in search of their own fortunes.
   
  Yesterday, Bastian declared he will steal the entire 
  remaining portion of the clock tower at 2pm sharp on the 
  following day.
   
  The whole town wants to know, “Who’s going to 
  stop him?” 
  Overview
  Throughout this adventure, the adventurers will be shot, 
  punched, shot, exploded, taken for a ride, burned, crushed, 
  and weighted down. It all starts pleasantly enough, with the 
  adventurers disembarking from a train ride into Rangston. 
  Upon leaving the train station, they are confronted with a lo-
  cal Deputy and his mammoth automaton, the Sheriff. They 
  are recruiting people to assist them in preventing the theft of 
  the town’s clock tower, and they turn to the adventurers for 
  help. The Deputy and Sheriff will unfortunately be preoccu-
  pied guarding the underground railroad the Golden Bandit 
  used in his previous theft.
   
  Upon first arriving at the clock tower, the adventur-
  ers are faced with an angry mob that they must chase away. 
  This involves a combat with a portion of the mob to get the 
  adventurers used to fighting alongside each other. This com-
  bat is abruptly cut short after three rounds (or whenever you 
  feel is appropriate) by the Golden Bandit taunting the mob, 
  causing them to rush into the tower to find him.
   
  When they enter the clock tower, the adventurers 
  are introduced to the Golden Bandit before he flees to make 
  good on his promise to steal the clock tower. The adventur-
  ers are then faced with the Golden Bandit’s henchmen. Ajax, 
  the muscly dolt, guards the stairs and impedes the adven-
  turer’s progress, while the twins, Hornegold and Jewel, fire 
  upon the players from their vantage points. Upon defeating 
  Ajax, the adventurers may proceed, ignoring the twins.
   
  This next portion of the adventure is a chase scene 
  up to the top of the tower. It involves many checks of the 
  five attributes. At the beginning of this chase, the Golden 
  Bandit will begin to lift the entire clock tower through the 
  use of a dirigible. Throughout the course of this chase, the 
  Golden Bandit will taunt the adventurers and make climb-
  ing the tower difficult. There is a system of Successes and 
  Failures, and you should take some time before the adven-
  ture begins to familiarize yourself with the system. There are 
  two points during the chase where the Golden Bandit will go 
  one-on-one with one of the adventurers. The results of the 
  one-on-ones and the chase will disable or hinder the Golden 
  Bandit in the final confrontation on the top floor of the clock 
  tower.
   
  The final part of this adventure is an epic confronta-
  tion with the Golden Bandit. He uses many gadgets, some of 
  which could be disabled by the adventurers mid-fight or as a 
  result of a good performance in the chase scene. The Golden 
  Bandit is more or an annoyance than a threat, so the use 
  of taunts and provocations are encouraged. The adventure 
  ends back at the Sheriff’s office, with the adventurers receiv-
  ing their reward.
  Background
  
  4
  The Golden Bandit
  Give the adventurers a chance to volunteer or discuss the 
  matter. If it looks like they are not making progress, Deputy 
  Wesley will walk over to them, Sheriff Half-Clocked follow-
  ing close behind. Either way, Deputy Wesley will be happy 
  to speak with them.
   
  This is also a good time to read the descriptions for 
  Deputy Wesley and Sheriff Half-Clocked.
   
  Deputy Wesley introduces himself, “Hello there, 
  folks. I’m Deputy Wesley, and this here is Sheriff Half-
  Clocked. Did I hear you folks say you wanted to volunteer?”
   
  When the adventurers ask, Deputy Wesley will 
  explain further. “You see, an outlaw who calls himself The 
  Golden Bandit has announced his intent to steal what’s left 
  of our clock tower. It’s a sort of symbol of our city, and as 
  such is pretty dear to our hearts. He made off with a coach 
  load of important pieces last time around and left the inside 
  in shambles. We’re afraid we might not be able to stop him 
  this time without some help.”
   
  After the adventurers have agreed to help, the Sher-
  iff speaks in a robotic voice, “Your assistance in this matter 
  is greatly appreciated, citizens. Please take these engraved 
  pieces of metal to indicate your peace-keeping authority.” 
  With that, a small compartment opens up as Half-Clocked 
  produces Deputy Badges for all of the adventures. He con-
  tinues, “According to my calculations, there is a high prob-
  ability that the criminal, the Golden Bandit, will attempt to 
  make use of an underground tunnel beneath the tower.” His 
  tank treads then spin him toward Wesley. “Deputy Wesley, 
  we should hurry. The crime is expected to take place in ap-
  proximately 13 minutes.”
   
  Deputy Wesley explains further, “The last time the 
  Golden Bandit showed up, he dropped the bell through 
  the clock tower, smashing through all seven floors, onto an 
  underground train that he used to escape through tunnels 
  he had constructed himself. Half-Clocked here thinks he’ll 
  use the same method again, so we’re headed underground. 
  It’s such bad timing too. We just replaced the missing minute 
  hand.”
   
  Without missing a beat, Half-Clocked interjects in 
  his mechanical tone, “New Deputies, you will go to the main 
  entrance on the ground floor of the clock tower. You shall 
  restrict entry of any and all persons into the clock tower 
  until the situation is resolved, at which time you will report 
  to our office. Please report to your position at once.” And 
  with that, Deputy Wesley starts toward the clock tower with 
  Half-Clocked following close in tow.
  Timing is Everything
  As your train pulls to a stop, you see the Rangston termi-
  nal, swarming like an anthill. Travelers rush around as you 
  step off your train, and conductors yell their arrivals and 
  departures over the din of engines. You wade through the 
  crowded, smoke-filled train station towards a set of huge 
  double doors leading out onto the dirt roads of a bright, 
  bustling city. Welcome to Rangston.
  As you exit the station, you see a large crowd gathered in 
  the street nearby. A man stands in the middle of them all, a 
  large automaton at his side. When you get close, you make 
  out his speech, “-to help us out with this matter. You’ll be 
  duly compensated for the task, and it should only last a 
  day. Come on now, who all is interested?” The crowd, how-
  ever, is uninterested and quickly disperses.
  Deputy Wesley
  Deputy Wesley wears a tired look and radiates an air of 
  jaded pessimism. He stands at five and a half feet, sporting 
  a short mess of unkempt brown hair, a five-o’clock shadow, 
  and a noticeable hunch about his shoulders. He wears 
  a plaid shirt beneath a leather vest, with his tarnished 
  deputy’s badge proudly displayed on his chest. The toes of 
  old boots and rusted spurs stick out from underneath worn 
  pants and leather chaps. An aged revolver sits in a well 
  worn holster on his hip, but it is well maintained and glints 
  in the sunlight.
  Sheriff Half-Clocked
  Sheriff Half-Clocked stands at nine feet tall and maneuvers 
  around via a pair of tank treads. He is made almost entirely 
  of a bronze-tinted metal and is simply but elgantly decorat-
  ed, a star painted on his chest where a normal sheriff’s or 
  deputy’s badge would be. A massive rifle is clearly housed 
  in his right arm, collapsed but readily accessible. You see 
  plenty of dents and scratches: battle scars from his duty as 
  law-keeper.
  Note to the Narrator: This is a good opportunity for 
  the adventurers to introduce themselves to you and each 
  other as they step out of the doors one by one.
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  5
  Should the party attempt to listen in, they’ll unfortunately 
  find hard to make anything out. They will make out broken 
  phrases, things like “We’re gonna kill him! Kill all of them!” 
  or “Where is he, I’ll destroy ‘em.” A Tier 2 cunning check will 
  also overhear talk of a bomb blowing up the tower. Take 
  careful note that they never give any specific names, and if 
  one of the Adventurers mentions the Golden Bandit, one of 
  the Career Criminals  will immediately attack that Adventur-
  er. Otherwise, the crowd will mostly ignore the Adventurers 
  while they get into position and will only start to fight back 
  when attacked or approached without introduction.
   
  The mob that has gathered is fairly large, but only a 
  small group will concern themselves with the adventurers. It 
  is important not to make the crowd so overwhelmingly large 
  that you scare off the adventurers. Emphasize their tendency 
  to ignore the adventurers, suggest that they get into posi-
  tions, and then start the fight. The Ruffians will only attack 
  if the adventurers get within 10 feet, fire first, or have set 
  themselves up behind cover.
  A Numbers Game
  You arrive at the clock tower, and immediately notice a 
  group of ruffians surrounding the entrance. They are all 
  shouting wildly, and waving guns in the air. Some of them 
  seem to be trying to pry the entrance to the clock tower 
  open. The citizens of Rangston are avoiding the intersec-
  tion entirely if possible, but a few brave souls are running 
  past them, being sure to stay clear on the opposite side of 
  the street.
   
  It might be enough to scare off the locals, but you 
  can tell easily just by the way they hold their weapons, 
  most of this gang has never been in a real fight before. 
  Whatever they’re up to, it’s definitely something Wesley 
  and Half-Clocked would want you to put a stop to.
  Any of the combatants who were injured will attempt to 
  sneak off during this announcement. All of the Adventurers 
  will notice this, and can attempt to pursue with a Dexterity 
  roll. A Tier 1 allows the Adventurer to catch up to the fleeing 
  ruffian and make an attack roll to attempt to grab him. A Tier 
  2 allows that adventurer to tackle the ruffian to the ground 
  and apply restraints such as handcuffs or a rope.
  After 3 turns have passed, this announcement will 
  interrupt the fight:
  Suddenly, in the middle of the fighting, you hear a voice. It 
  sounds like it’s coming over some sort of PA system. “Good 
  job, men. If you’re done at the base of the clock tower, I’m 
  waiting on the second floor. Come quickly, I’d like to get 
  the rest of my plan into place so we can begin.” And with 
  that, the remaining ruffians start crowding into the clock 
  tower.
  Clock tower 
  Park
  Abandoned 
  Cheesesteak 
  Warehouse
  Cheesecake
  Factory
  cccc
  cc
  ffff
  ff
  The Map
  A bunch of rowdy ne’er do wells are crowding around the 
  entrance to the clock tower trying to get in. Those two dots 
  are street posts (minimal cover) the odd rectangle near the 
  park is a park bench (light cover), and the rectangle with 
  the two dots attached is a horse-drawn carriage (even more 
  cover!). An Adventurer may set up behind a window of the 
  nearby buildings. There is an open-air market off-screen in 
  the park, so if anyone is missing anything they can pick it up 
  real quick. 
  Time for Fighting
  There will be a number of Fired Farmhands equal to the 
  number of adventurers and a number of Career Criminals 
  equal to half that amount, rounded down.
  Adventurers:
  3
  4
  5
  6
  Fired Farmhands:
  3
  4
  5
  6
  Career Criminals:
  1
  2
  2
  3
  
  6
  The Golden Bandit
  Fired Farmhand
  Race: Human
  Level: 2/3rd 
  AP: 2
  HP: 10  
  Wounds: 9
  Priority: +0 
  Speed: 25 feet 
  Guard                                                            
  Working Clothes   (minimal textile armor)
  Eva: +0  
  Def: +0
  Soak:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4 
  Attacks                                                                               
  Six-Shooter   (2 AP, 0 AP to ready)
  Acc: +2  
  Range: 100 feet
  Damage:  4  |  8  |  12  |  16
  Skills  
   
  Attributes                                             
  Ace: +2   
   
  Brute: +1
  Brawl: +1 
   
  Cunning: +0
  Faith: +1 
   
  Dexterity: +2
   
   
   
  Spirit: +1
   
   
   
  Sciences: +0
  Reference                                                                                
  Equipment: Six-shooter (medium metal firearm), working 
  clothes (minimal textile armor)
  How Fired Farmhands Act:
  A Fired Farmhand is relatively new to the bandit life. Until 
  just a few weeks ago he was working happily on the farm. 
  He may have needed some extra money, he may have just 
  been a little hungry, but for whatever reason, he stole from 
  his employer. He was immediately fired and left with no 
  choice other than to become a bandit. The more experi-
  enced guys will use him as a distraction. He doesn’t really 
  know how to fight, so he’ll just kind of stand there and fire 
  his gun at you until you leave him alone or he gets hit. If he’s 
  about to die, he’ll run, but he is likely to give up once he is 
  grabbed or surrounded.
  Career Criminal
  Race: Human
  Level: 1st 
  AP: 3
  HP: 16  
  Wounds: 12
  Priority: +3 
  Speed: 25 feet 
  Note: A Career Criminal can move 10 feet for no AP once 
  per turn.
  Guard                                                            
  Gaudy Clothes   (minimal textile armor)
  Eva: +1  
  Def: +0
  Soak:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4 
  Attacks                                                                               
  Six-Shooter   (2 AP, 0 AP to ready)
  Acc: +4  
  Range: 100 feet
  Damage:  5  |  10  |  15  |  20
  Skills  
   
  Attributes                                             
  Agility: +1  
   
  Brute: +3
  Brawl: +2 
   
  Cunning: +3
  Espionage: +2  
  Dexterity: +4
  Marksmanship: +3 
  Spirit: +0
  Resilience: +1  
  Sciences: +0
  Showmanship: +1
  Reference
  Specialties: Free Movement
  Equipment: Six-shooter (medium metal firearm), anti-per-
  sonnel bullets, gaudy clothes (minimal textile armor)
  How Career Criminals Act:
  A Career Criminal has been doing this kind of work for a 
  while. He steals, kills, sleeps, and does it all again the next 
  day. He has special bullets that give him a +1 Damage Class 
  on his attacks. He knows that getting shot is bad, so he will 
  attempt to find some sort of cover as soon as a firefight be-
  gins (usually minimal). He knows that selective targeting is 
  key, so he will make called shots sometimes and attack tar-
  gets who don’t seem to notice him. This causes him to some-
  times switch targets frequently. He won’t go down easy, so 
  unless you knock him out, he’ll fight to his last breath.
  A Tier 2 cunning check will reveal that this emblem is some 
  sort of gang sign. They are all carrying revolvers in plain 
  sight, some already in hand, which seems to be the major 
  source of fear for the citizens. They are all clearly from the 
  western portion of town, and don’t really seem to fit in with 
  this area’s industrial backdrop.
  If the party requests  
  their description:
  The Ruffians are wearing denim pants with shirts. Most 
  of them are ragged, as though they had previously been 
  employed on a ranch or farm. The rest are dressed in 
  more gaudy clothes: jackets and vests with studs and shiny 
  emblems. These clothes look fresh off the rack. They are 
  all wearing red bandanas to cover their faces, emblazoned 
  with some sort of emblem. 
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  7
  Two Steps Ahead
  As you enter the clock tower, you see the rabble-rousers 
  from before all laying unconscious on the ground. Standing 
  over one of them is a large Evanglessian man. He wears no 
  shirt, and is bald except for a single curly hair on his head. 
  He just pulled some sort of device out of a ruffian’s pocket, 
  which he quickly throws upward into the hand of a man 
  standing on the second floor.
  The Golden Bandit, Himself
  Standing around six feet tall with a thin build, this bright-
  eyed gentleman radiates a thick aura of smug confidence. 
  While his gold vest and gloves reflect the keenest sheen of 
  wealth, the black of his other garments is heavily accented 
  with intricate embroidery of a similarly rich hue. His 
  blonde hair peeks playfully out from under his bowler, and 
  there is a slight clink in his step from the gold heels of his 
  boots. His smile is calm, but his eyes are beacons of fiery 
  exhilaration. He strikes a pose like someone who boasts 
  about brushing his teeth, and offers a slight bow.
  He greets you thusly, 
  “Oh. Now here are some faces I don’t recognize. Hello and 
  good day, gentlemen. You all must be new in town. Well, I 
  mustn’t forget my manners. Let me be the first to welcome 
  you to Rangston, the city of steel, prospect, and trade. I am 
  Bastian, the Golden Bandit, and stealing prospects is my 
  trade. I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m afraid you’ve arrived 
  at a rather bad time, as I’m currently preoccupied with the 
  acquisition of this clock tower. Fortunately, Ajax and the 
  twins will be delighted to keep you company in my stead. 
  Until we meet again.”
   
  And with that, he leaves your view.
  Stall for time. Ajax stands blocking the only stairway to the 
  second floor and introduces himself. He is trying to buy 
  time, and will show off his muscles and brag that he can pull 
  off many feats of endurance. 
   
  During his introduction, a Tier 2 cunning will reveal 
  giggling coming from a second floor awning. It’s the twins. If 
  they are discovered, they will attempt to engage the adven-
  turers in conversation to stall for time. Ajax and the twins 
  will only start fighting when the adventurers attack first.
  The Map
  The first floor was a clock-themed gift shop, but when the 
  bell fell through the tower, every floor got destroyed. The 
  first floor has been repaired, but a large chunk is missing 
  from the 2nd floor. The dotted line represents the broken 
  away ceiling of the first floor. The Area in the lower left is a 
  counter where you would check out with your souvenirs, 
  and all of the walls are filled with knick-knacks and other 
  oddities that would be friendly for a Hurl (specialty) build. 
  The area is mostly devoid of cover, since the area has been 
  off-limits and under construction. There are stacks of build-
  ing supplies and repairs in the back right corner, blocking the 
  rear door.
  Time’s Up
  After Ajax is knocked out, the adventurers can chase after 
  the Golden Bandit. Hornigold and Jewel have no interest in 
  close combat and do not block the adventurers’ progress. If 
  any adventurers would like to stay and beat a dead horse, 
  kindly remind them that the Golden Bandit is getting away. 
  After the adventurers have gone, the twins will exit the clock 
  tower, dragging the unconscious Ajax behind them.
  A
  A
  A
  H
  J
  
  8
  The Golden Bandit
  Ajax
  Race: Human
  Level: 3rd 
  AP: 3
  HP: 40  
  Wounds: 12
  Priority: +4 
  Speed: 25 feet 
  Note: Big for his size, Ajax takes up 3 spaces.
  Guard                                                            
  Bare Chest   (no armor)
  Eva: +0  
  Def: +4
  Soak:  2  |  4  |  6  |  8 
  Attacks                                                                               
  Heavy-Handed Assault   (2 AP)
  Acc: +0  
  Stk: +6
  Damage:  5  |  10  |  15  |  20
  Skills  
   
  Attributes                                             
  Brawl: +4  
   
  Brute: +13
  Frenzy: +1 
   
  Cunning: +0
  Grace: +1 
   
  Dexterity: +0
  Luck: +4 
   
  Spirit: +5
  Overpower: +1  
  Sciences: +0
  Resilience: +7
  Reference                                                                                
  Specialties: Heavy-Handed, Living Barrier, Thick Skin
  Equipment: Pants
  How Ajax Act:
  Ajax is the muscle-y dolt of the Golden Guns. It was Ajax 
  who swam down to the bottom of the river and fished 
  out the minute hand, when the Golden Bandit stole the 
  face of the clock tower. Ajax will stand in the between the 
  adventurers and the path the Golden Bandit departed by. 
  He will stand in the same spot, blocking their progress. His 
  was told to stall for as long as possible, and that’s just what 
  he’s going to do. He combines both of his hands to smash 
  his opponents until they stop moving. When Ajax falls, 
  the Adventurers can leave the other two Golden Guns and 
  chance the Golden Bandit. Ajax’s thick bones will prevent 
  him from taking any wound or fatal effects, but once his 
  battle stamina (HP) is all gone, he will fall unconscious from 
  his own weight.
  Description:
  Ajax is exceptionally tall for a human, standing at an impres-
  sive 7 ft. He wears a pair of green denim pants with brown 
  suspenders and brown loafers. He wears no shirt, expos-
  ing his Muscle-y chest, which he has hardened to the point 
  where he can withstand cannon shot at close range. He has 
  a single hair on his head, which curls upward, making him 
  seem even taller.
  The Twins, Hornegold & Jewel
  Race: Human
  Level: 2nd 
  AP: 3
  HP: 20  
  Wounds: 12
  Priority: +4 
  Speed: 25 feet 
  Guard                                                            
  Duster   (minimal textile armor)
  Eva: +1  
  Def: +0
  Soak:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4 
  Attacks                                                                               
  Big Shot   (2 AP, 0 AP to ready)
  Acc: +2  
  Range: 200 feet
  Damage:  6  |  12  |  18  |  24
  Special Abilities                                                                               
  Mark Target (at the beginning of combat): Hornegold marks 
  a target location on a target adventurer for Jewel. She will 
  attack this target on each of her turns, using her Big Shot.
  Encouragement (1 AP): Hornegold encourages Jewel on her 
  shot. This gives her a +3 on her next accuracy roll.
  Skills  
   
  Attributes                                             
  Agility: +1  
   
  Brute: +3
  Espionage: +1  
  Cunning: +6
  Expertise: +1 
   
  Dexterity: +4
  Marksmanship: +4 
  Spirit: +0
  Resilience: +3  
  Sciences: +0
  Tactical: +4
  Reference
  Specialties: Direct the Battle (stance), Encouragement, Snap 
  Reload
  How the Twins Act:
  The Twins will never be more than 50 feet away from each 
  other and will take sniping positions behind cover if pos-
  sible.  At the beginning of combat they will pick two targets 
  that they want the other to focus on, and will engage their 
  marks.  When one is firing, the other will offer praise and 
  pointers on where a better shot might be found. If one of 
  them is defeated, the other will attempt to rescue their sib-
  ling and retreat.
  Description:
  Hornegold stands at five-and-a-half-feet, wearing a metal 
  breastplate under his brown leather duster and leather 
  chaps over his denim pants and tall boots. His hair is sun-
  light blonde, and his eyes are a pale blue. Jewel, standing 
  just as tall and dressed near identically, shares her brother’s 
  stunning hues, her hair cut pixie-short in contrast to her 
  brother’s roguish ponytail. Each of them wields a bolt-action 
  rifle, and the pair has developed a reputation as the most 
  formidable sharp-shooter duo around.
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  9
  A Dirigible to Catch
  You climb the stairs to the second, and then third floor. 
  The stairs end here, but the clock tower goes higher. You 
  see the Golden Bandit across the room, and he tips his hat 
  to you. “Off we go!” he exclaims, slipping behind cover. 
  You suddenly hear an explosion as the clock tower begins 
  to fall. You then hear a noise, reminiscent of an airship and 
  you feel as though you are gaining altitude. The Golden 
  bandit is getting away! The shaking of the clock tower is 
  so intense that you have to use both of your hands to keep 
  your balance, and getting a clear shot with ranged weapons 
  is nearly impossible. The shaking is also making moving 
  difficult, if you go too fast you could easily fall to your 
  death. The challenge will be perilous, but you can’t let him 
  get away.
  If an adventurer looks down, he or she will see the ground 
  floor getting farther away as the Twins drag Ajax out to 
  avoid falling debris.
   
  Start by rolling priority. The character with the most 
  successes can choose to make a check first. If characters 
  have the same number of successes, the character with 
  the highest priority gets to make the check first, if they so 
  choose. The person with the highest number of successes is 
  checked twice in the middle of the race, and then everyone’s 
  number of successes is checked at the end of the chase. 
   
  You can give a good indication of who has the most 
  successes to your adventurers with statements like “Adam 
  is out in front, with Billy close behind him, Cindy following 
  the both of them, and Derrick way in the back.” to indicate 
  that Adam has the most successes, followed by Billy, then 
  Cindy, and finally Derrick, or “After that last section, Cindy 
  has taken the lead, with Billy and Adam right behind her 
  and Derrick catching up to the rest slightly.” to indicate that 
  Cindy now has the most successes, with Billy and Adam tied 
  right behind her and Derrick still trailing behind.
   
  Everyone starts with one success for every 10 feet 
  of movement speed they have above 25. A character with 
  35 or 40 movement speed would start with 1 success, and a 
  character with 55 or 60 movement speed would start with 3 
  successes.
               You should encourage adventurers to make these 
  checks Heroically (Playing Guide, page 143). Any adventur-
  er who does so scores one tier higher on his heroics check.
   
  Some checks call for one adventurer to make the 
  check. If multiple adventurers want to make the check, you 
  may allow them designate one adventurer to be the check-
  maker and have the other players aid them. Have them roll 
  the attribute, and then use the chart from Heroics to give 
  them a bonus (or penalty) to the roll based on the result.
  There is a control panel near the adventurers. They can tell 
  that during the last fight, the Golden Bandit was operating 
  it. He has jammed four levers into the “up” position. An 
  adventurer can attempt a Sciences roll in order to move the 
  markers to the “down” position. Each Tier of success moves 
  one of the markers to the “down” position. (Note: This check 
  changes the fight at the end of this chase and does not affect 
  1 The Control Panel
  There’s a bridge between the adventurers and the Golden 
  Bandit. “I’m not usually one to burn bridges,” he says, “but 
  it’s time to move on.” He then lights it on fire. An adventurer 
  can try to jump a gap or take a path, but it’s slightly out of 
  the way and it will take a little longer.
  2 The Burning Bridge
  The adventurers run through the flames: They gain 1 suc-
  cess. The adventurer takes 10 damage from fire and suffers 
  the effects of Tier 2 burning. (Without the damage or need 
  to put it out.)
  The adventurers take the path: No change.
  The adventurers make the jump: Dexterity check:
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer barely manages to 
  grab the ledge and fall behind the rest as he or 
  she pulls himself or herself up.
  Tier 2
  1 success. The adventurer just barely manages 
  to make the jump and gains slightly on the 
  Golden Bandit.
  Tier 3 or 4
  2 successes. The adventurer makes the leap 
  look easy and doesn’t seem to lose any speed 
  as he or she gains on the Golden Bandit.
  
  10
  The Golden Bandit
  The adventurers round the corner where the Golden Bandit 
  disappeared. He’s made his way over to a corner on the 
  opposite side of the room and has started climbing a ladder 
  to the 4th floor. There’s a bridge connecting the two sides, 
  but it is currently up so that no one can cross. There is an 
  awning that goes around the outside of the room.
  One Adventurer makes a Sciences check:
  Tier 1
  After wrestling with the controls for a bit, the 
  adventurer finally gets the bridge lowered. 
  The adventurer who made the check gets 1 
  failure.
  Tier 2
  The adventurer gets the bridge lowered 
  quickly. Each adventurer gains 1 success.
  Tier 3 or 4
  The adventurer gets the bridge lowered im-
  mediately and hurries across. The adventurer 
  who made the check gets 2 successes, every-
  one else gets 1 success.
  3 The Bridge is Up!
  As the adventures climb the ladder to the 4th floor, the first 
  one will see him run across an impromptu bridge, breaking 
  the plank he crossed on and creating a gap. “Oh dear, how 
  dreadful. This old place is just falling apart,” he says. There’s 
  another path slightly out of the way.
  The adventurers take the path: No change.
  The adventurers make the jump: Dexterity check:
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer barely manages to 
  grab the ledge and fall behind the rest as he or 
  she pulls himself or herself up.
  Tier 2
  1 success. The adventurer just barely manages 
  to make the jump and gains slightly on the 
  Golden Bandit.
  Tier 3 or 4
  2 successes. The adventurer makes the leap 
  look easy and doesn’t seem to lose any speed 
  as he or she gains on the Golden Bandit.
  4 Nothing to Stand On
  A few feet after the gap, the Golden Bandit calls out, “Well, 
  it looks like you’re in it for the long haul now. Better gear 
  up!” as he sabotages some of the gears, causing one to fall 
  and block the way of the adventures. It’s sturdy, but a strong 
  Adventurer might be able to smash it.
  One Adventurer makes a Brute check:
  Tier 1
  The first strike doesn’t quite break it, but the 
  second one does. The adventurer who makes 
  the  check gets 1 failure while they shake it off.
  Tier 2
  The adventurer breaks the gear, clearing the 
  way forward. Each adventurer gets 1 success.
  Tier 3 or 4
  The adventurer charges through the gear and 
  after the Golden Bandit. The Adventurer who 
  made the check gets 2 successes. Everyone else 
  gets 1 success.
  5 Crashing Gears
  “Look at this. You’ve come to cart me off, and here I’ve 
  beaten you to the punch,” he chortles. The Golden Bandit 
  used a cart on a pulley system to get himself across the a gap 
  to the other side of the clock tower.
  The adventurers attempt to use another cart: Sciences 
  check:
  Tier 1
  1 failure. It takes a bit to figure out the con-
  trols. The adventurer lose some time as the 
  cart moves slowly.
  Tier 2
  1 success. The adventurer gets the cart work-
  ing and makes it across the gap.
  Tier 3 or 4
  2 successes. The adventurer gets the cart into 
  overdrive.
  The adventurers make the jump: Dexterity check:
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer barely manages to 
  grab the ledge and fall behind the rest as he or 
  she pulls himself or herself up.
  Tier 2
  1 success. The adventurer just barely manages 
  to make the jump and gains slightly on the 
  Golden Bandit.
  Tier 3 or 4
  2 successes. The adventurer makes the leap 
  look easy and doesn’t seem to lose any speed 
  as he or she gains on the Golden Bandit.
  6 Cart it Up!
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  11
  The Golden Bandit ran around the corner, climbing up a 
  rope to the 5th floor. “It’s been fun romp so far, but I’m going 
  to have to cut it short.” He’s obviously severed the rope.
   
  There is another rope that could swing on to as a 
  shortcut, if an adventurer can notice it.
  All of the adventurers attempt a Cunning check to notice:
  Tier 1
  The adventurer is too focused on the Golden 
  Bandit.
  7 He’s Cut the Rope
  Tier 2 or 
  higher
  The adventurer notices a rope that will give 
  them a shortcut! The first adventurer to take 
  the rope gains 1 success. All other adventurers 
  notice this person take the shortcut.
  Note: There is not enough time to call out and tell the other 
  adventurers and there is only one rope and it will only hold 
  one adventurer.
  
  12
  The Golden Bandit
  The Golden Bandit is about to go one on one with one of 
  the adventurers. This will last three rounds. Just follow this 
  guide and take the hit points he loses from the final fight at 
  the end of the chase. The adventurer can break combat and 
  let the Golden Bandit get away at any point if he or she feels 
  threatened. If the Golden Bandit is hit during this combat, he 
  drops his Grease Guzzler down the hole in the center of the 
  tower and is lost forever.
   
  As the Adventurers climb the rope, the Golden Ban-
  dit applies his Grease Guzzler to the rope! The Adventurer 
  with the most (successes - failures) manages to just barely 
  make it to the top. The rest must wait until the grease wears 
  off. This will take 3 turns.
  1st Round: The Golden Bandit attempts to steal the adven-
  turer’s weapon. 
  Acc: +6  
  Stk: +4  
  Range: Melee
  Damage:  0 
  If the Golden Bandit hits with this attack, he steals 
  the adventurer’s weapon unless that adven-
  turer resists the Golden Bandit’s strike with a 
  dexterity resist. He then throws the weapon 
  down the hole. The adventurer can break 
  combat to recover his or her weapon, but 
  must wait with the rest of the adventurers to 
  resume the chase.
  2nd Round: The Golden Bandit attempts to Lasso the 
  adventurer.
  Acc: +6  
  Stk: +4  
  Range: 50 ft.
  Damage:  4  |  8  |  12  |  16
  Special: The lasso is attached to a weight, which the Golden 
  Bandit tosses down the hole. The adventurer must wait with 
  his fellows to resume the chase.
  3rd Round: The Golden Bandit takes out a bomb and drops 
  it at the adventurer’s feet. It is huge. It will destroy the tower, 
  preventing the rest of the adventurers from continuing un-
  less the one-on-one fighter picks it up and throws it into the 
  hole in the center, giving the Golden Bandit time to escape. 
  A Brief Duel
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  13
  As the Adventurers climb to the 5th floor, the first one will 
  see the Golden Bandit raising a bridge. “Smashing good 
  time, chaps, but I meant what I said.” He then smashes the 
  controls, so the adventurers can’t lower it with the machine. 
  It looks sturdy, but a strong character may be able to knock 
  it down.
  One adventurer makes a Brute check:
  Tier 1
  The first strike doesn’t quite get it, but the sec-
  ond one does. The adventurer who makes the  
  check gets 1 failure while they shake it off.
  Tier 2
  The adventurer lowers the bridge, clearing the 
  way forward. Each adventurer gets 1 success.
  Tier 3 or 4
  The adventurer charges forward, the bridge 
  falling below their feet, and he or she races 
  after the Golden Bandit. The adventurer who 
  made the check gets 2 successes. Everyone else 
  gets 1 success.
  8 Pull down the Bridge!
  The Golden Bandit deploys a porta-bridge, then deactivates 
  it quickly upon reaching the other side. The first adventurer 
  crosses gaining 1 success. The porta-bridge then deactivates 
  unless the person who crossed it makes a Sciences check.
  The first adventurer holds the bridge: Sciences:
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer is not fast enough to 
  save the porta-bridge from falling.
  Tier 2 or 
  higher
  The adventurer manages to keep the porta-
  bridge active long enough for everyone to 
  cross before the porta-bridge finally falls. The 
  rest of the adventurers gain 1 success. The fol-
  low check is not necessary.
  All remaining Adventurers make the jump: Dexterity:
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer barely manages to 
  grab the ledge and fall behind the rest as he or 
  she pulls himself or herself up.
  Tier 2
  1 success. The adventurer just barely manages 
  to make the jump and gains slightly on the 
  Golden Bandit.
  9 Don’t Let Go!
  “This may not actually be the best weather for flying. I hear 
  it’s going to be coggy out.” The Golden Bandit has sabotaged 
  the gears in the clock tower, making them fall in the Adven-
  turer’s path! They’re not completely blocking progress, but 
  the adventurers need to find a way to navigate safely past 
  them.
  All adventurers make a Cunning check to notice: 
  Tier 1
  The adventurer has difficulty navigating the 
  falling gears and takes 1 failure and 10 damage 
  as a gear crushes him or her.
  Tier 2
  The adventurer navigates the falling gears 
  with no trouble and gains 1 success.
  Tier 3 or 4
  The adventurer finds the optimal path 
  through the falling gears and gains 2 suc-
  cesses.
  10 Coggy Weather
  A large gear has fallen and is completely blocking the way 
  forward. It’s sturdy, but a strong Adventurer might be able to 
  smash it.
  One adventurer makes a Brute check:
  Tier 1
  The first strike doesn’t quite break it, but the 
  second one does. The adventurer who makes 
  the  check gets 1 failure while they shake it off.
  Tier 2
  The adventurer breaks the gear, clearing the 
  way forward. Each adventurer gets 1 success.
  Tier 3 or 4
  The adventurer charges through the gear and 
  after the Golden Bandit. The adventurer who 
  made the check gets 2 successes. Everyone else 
  gets 1 success.
  11 Break the Blockage!
  
  14
  The Golden Bandit
  Another large gear falls just in front of the Adventurers, 
  creating a hole where the floorboards once were. “I had 
  intended to keep that particular gear, but that plan has since 
  fallen through.” There is a cart suspended by pulleys that 
  would make crossing simple, but it only has room for one, 
  and the controls are slightly complex. There’s a detour, but 
  it’s a ways out of the way.
  If the Adventurers attempt to work the controls: Sci-
  ences check:
  Tier 1
  The adventurer can’t figure out how to work 
  the controls. The adventurer making the 
  check gets 1 failure.
  Tier 2
  The adventurer manages to use the cart to 
  cross the game. The adventurer making the 
  check gets 1 success.
  Tier 3 or 4
  The adventurer gets the cart running at max 
  speed. The adventurer making the check gets 
  2 successes.
  If the Adventurers jump across: Brute check: 
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer barely manages to 
  grab the ledge and fall behind the rest as he or 
  she pulls himself or herself up.
  Tier 2
  1 success. The adventurer just barely manages 
  to make the jump and gains slightly on the 
  Golden Bandit.
  Tier 3 or 4
  2 successes. The adventurer makes the leap 
  look easy and doesn’t seem to lose any speed 
  as he or she gains on the Golden Bandit.
  If the Adventurers take the detour: No change.
  12 Oh, Gear!
  The Golden Bandit takes the stairs up to the 6th floor 
  ahead of the Adventurers. They are nearing the top of 
  the tower. If the Adventurers want to catch the Golden 
  Bandit, this could be their last chance.
   
  The Golden Bandit is about to go one-on-one 
  with one of the adventurers. This will last three rounds. 
  Just follow this guide and take the hitpoints he loses from 
  the final fight at the end of the chase. The adventurer can 
  break combat and let the Golden Bandit get away at any 
  point if he or she feels threatened. If the Golden Bandit is 
  hit during this combat, he drops his Smoke Bombs down 
  the hole in the center of the tower and they are lost for-
  ever.
  13 Smoke Bombs?
  The Collapsible Ladder
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  15
  Another Brief Duel
  Before the Adventurers can make it to the stairs, the 
  Golden Bandit throws some smoke bombs! The Adven-
  turer with the most (successes - failures) manages to 
  avoid the smoke. Moving inside the smoke will be ex-
  tremely dangerous and those caught in it must wait until 
  it disappears. (3 rounds)
  1st Round: The Golden Bandit attempts to steal the ad-
  venturer’s weapon. 
  Acc: +6  
  Stk: +4  
  Range: Melee
  Damage:  0 
  If the Golden Bandit hits with this attack, he steals the 
  adventurer’s weapon unless that adventurer resists his 
  strike with a dexterity resist. He then throws the weapon 
  down the hole. The adventurer can break combat to 
  recover his or her weapon, but must wait with the rest of 
  the adventurers to resume the chase.
  2nd Round: The Golden Bandit attempts to Lasso the 
  adventurer.
  Acc: +6  
  Stk: +4  
  Range: 50 ft.
  Damage:  4  |  8  |  12  |  16
  Special: The lasso is attached to a weight, which the 
  Golden Bandit tosses down the hole. The adventurer 
  must wait with his fellows to resume the chase.
  3rd Round: The Golden Bandit takes out a bomb and 
  drops it at the adventurer’s feet. It is huge. It will destroy 
  the tower, preventing the rest of the adventurers from 
  continuing unless the one-on-one fighter picks it up and 
  throws it into the hole in the center, giving the Golden 
  Bandit time to escape.
  The Golden Bandit takes the stairs up to the 6th floor 
  ahead of the Adventurers. They are nearing the top of 
  the tower. If the Adventurers want to catch the Golden 
  Bandit, this could be their last chance.
   
  The Golden Bandit runs along the side of the wall 
  turning the corner while running at top speed. There are 
  large rotating gears in the middle of the room that look 
  like they might provide a short-cut.
  If the adventurers stay along the sides: No change
  If the adventurers take the Short-Cut: 1 success
  14 Dangerous Short-Cuts
  “Hmm. It looks like some of the floorboards above us 
  are loose. I have a particularly bad ceiling about this 
  one.” The golden bandit sabotages some wooden boards 
  above his head, creating a wall between the Adventurers 
  and him. The boards are sturdy, but a strong Adventurer 
  could be able to break them.
  One Adventurer makes a Brute check:
  Tier 1
  The first strike doesn’t quite break it, but the 
  second one does. The adventurer who makes 
  the check gets 1 failure while they shake it off.
  Tier 2
  The adventurer breaks the boards, clearing the 
  way forward. Each adventurer gets 1 success.
  Tier 3 or 4
  The adventurer charges through the boards 
  and after the Golden Bandit. The Adventurer 
  who made the check gets 2 successes. Every-
  one else gets 1 success.
  There is a rope that provides a shortcut, if an Adventurer can 
  notice it.
  All Adventurers make a Cunning check to notice: 
  Tier 1
  The adventurer is too focused on the Golden 
  Bandit.
  Tier 2 or 
  higher
  The adventurer notices a rope that will give 
  them a shortcut! The first adventurer to take 
  the rope gains 1 success. 
  All other adventurers notice this person take the shortcut. 
   
  Note: There is not enough time to call out and tell 
  the other adventurers and there is only one rope and it will 
  only hold one adventurer.
  15 Breaking Floorboards
  
  16
  The Golden Bandit
  “Oh look! Instead of plain rope, there 
  are rungs! I definitely prefer the latter.” 
  The Golden Bandit runs across a porta-
  bridge and begins climbing the ladder to 
  the top floor.
   
  The first two adventurers make it 
  across the porta-bridge, gaining 1 success 
  each. These adventurers can make a sci-
  ences check to hold the porta-bridge
  The adventurers can hold the bridge: 
  Sciences check.
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer is not fast 
  enough to save the porta-bridge 
  from falling.
  Tier 2 or 
  higher
  The adventurer manages to keep 
  the porta-bridge active long enough 
  for everyone to cross before it falls 
  to the ground. The rest of the 
  adventurers gain 1 success. The 
  follow check is not necessary.
  All remaining Adventurers make a jump: 
  Dexterity check.
  Tier 1
  1 failure. The adventurer barely 
  manages to grab the ledge and fall 
  behind the rest as he or she pulls 
  himself or herself up.
  Tier 2
  1 success. The adventurer just 
  barely manages to make the jump 
  and gains slightly on the Golden 
  Bandit.
  Tier 3 or 4
  2 successes. The adventurer 
  makes the leap look easy and 
  doesn’t seem to lose any speed 
  as he or she gains on the Golden 
  Bandit.
  16 Hold the Bridge!
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  17
  It’s High Time
  If no adventurer has more than 1 success, they catch sight 
  of the Golden Bandit at the edge of a window at the top 
  of the tower. His voice echoes down the steps as they 
  close the final distance.
  As they reach the window, they see the Golden Bandit 
  and his parachute glider soaring off into the distance.
  If any adventurer has more than 7 successes, he or she 
  gets to make an accuracy roll to disable one of the Golden 
  Bandit’s gadgets before the Golden Bandit speaks. The 
  following gadgets are disabled for the corresponding 
  number of adventurers who roll above a 4.
  1. Dirigible Controls (See Controlling the Dirigible near 
  the combat resolution)
  2. Smoke Bombs
  3. Spring-Loaded Alarm Box
  4. Parachute-Glider
  5. Free movement (rocket pack)
  6. Distract (holograms)
  7. Lasso trick (weights)
  Otherwise the adventurers arrive at the top just as the 
  Golden Bandit is taking off the new minute hand, and a 
  fight ensues after the Golden Bandit addresses the Ad-
  venturers thusly:
   
  “My! Your talent has far exceeded my expecta-
  tions. Good show. Let’s keep the game going then, shall 
  we? En Garde!”
   
  He then attacks the closest adventurer.
  “I once met a meddlesome band
  who had me unfairly outmanned.
  Their moods were quite sour
  for my stealing a tower
  when in truth I just needed a hand.”
  The Map
  There is no cover, aside from whatever the adventurers 
  create. The Golden Bandit stands high atop the center 
  gear, ten feet higher than the floor here. It is surrounded 
  by four smaller gears, each five feet higher than the floor. 
  None of the gears are turning, but the Golden Bandit has 
  somehow created holograms of himself atop the smaller 
  gears which he will use to distract ranged combatants. 
  Some of these pillars may be down from the first sciences 
  check at the beginning of the chase. The rest of these 
  pillars may be broken by the adventurers. All of the sup-
  ports are at Tier 3 Hardness.
  Sundering items with Hardness works in the follow-
  ing way: Each tier of Strike will lower the Hardness of a 
  struck object by one less than the tier result. Thus, a tier 
  1 strike does not lower the object’s hardness, and a Tier 5 
  strike, if possible, will destroy an object. The brickbreaker 
  specialty, or any similar effect will increase the sunder 
  attempt, reducing the object by an additional tier of hard-
  ness.
   
  When the Golden Bandit runs out of hit points, 
  a remote control will fly out of his sleeve (if it hasn’t 
  already - see the Controlling the Dirigible sidebar) and he 
  will surrender to the players. He has more (hit points) in 
  reserve if need be (he doesn’t want to roll wound or fatal 
  effects), but he knows when he’s beat. If anyone attempts 
  to kill him, he’ll activate a hidden-alarm box and startle 
  them before using his parachute glider to escape. 
  Controlling the Dirigible
  The remote controls the dirigible carrying the tower, which 
  can be safely landed by using the remote. Figuring out how 
  the remote works requires a tier 2 Sciences check. Landing 
  the tower requires the full concentration of the adventurer 
  with the remote.
  GB
  H
  H
  H
  H
  
  18
  The Golden Bandit
  Bastian, the Golden Bandit
  Race: Human
  Level: 4th 
  AP: 4
  HP: 63  
  Wounds: 12
  Priority: +8 
  Speed: 50 feet 
  Note: Using his rocket pack, the Golden Bandit can make 
  one 20 feet move in any direction once per turn. He is able 
  to move 50 feet in any horizontal direction without falling, 
  as long as he ends the move on a solid surface. 
  Guard                                                            
  Golden Vest   (light textile armor)
  Eva: +3  
  Def: +2
  Soak:  2  |  4  |  6  |  8 
  Note: Using his spring-loaded alarm box, whenever an 
  adventurer moves adjacent to Bastian, the adventurer 
  must get a Tier 3 Cunning Resist or become Deafened (-2 
  evade, can’t hear) for two turns.
  Attacks                                                                               
  Lasso Trick   (2 AP, only usable once per turn)
  Acc: +6  
  Stk: +4
  Damage:  4  |  8  |  12  |  16
  Special: The lasso is attached to a weight, which the Golden 
  Bandit tosses into the hole in the center of the tower. Any 
  adventurer hit by this spends their next turn climbing 
  back to the top floor.
  Special Abilities                                                                               
  Steal (2 AP, only usable once per turn): 
  Acc: +6  
  Stk: +4  
  Range: Melee
  If the Golden Bandit hits with this attack, he steals an item 
  from the adventurer he hit unless that adventurer resists 
  his strike with a dexterity resist. He can steal a wielded 
  item or an item on that adventurer’s person. He can either 
  use the item, or throw it down the hole in the center of the 
  tower. If he does, any adventurer who spends 1 or more 
  turns off the map can have picked it up when he or she 
  returns to the map.
  Distract (2 AP, only usable once per turn): Bastian at-
  tempts to distract an opponent, making them think he is 
  somewhere else. When an adventurer attempts to take 
  an action against Bastian, he may use this ability. The 
  adventurer must resist against his Showmanship (+3 for 
  each remaining pillar) or think he is on one of the pillars 
  with a hologram.
  Smoke Bombs (2 AP, only usable once per turn): Bastian 
  throws smoke bombs at a target space. They explode and 
  smoke fills that space and all 8 adjacent spaces. Anyone in 
  a space with smoke acts as blind. The smoke lasts 3 turns.
  Skills  
   
  Attributes                                             
  Agility: +5  
   
  Brute: +1
  Expertise: +1 
   
  Cunning: +10
  Grace: +5 
   
  Dexterity: +6
  Marksmanship: +1 
  Spirit: +5
  Resilience: +1  
  Sciences: +0
  Showmanship: +9
  Reference                                                                                
  Specialties: Distract, Feather in the Wind, Free Movement
  Equipment: Alarm Box, Spring-Loaded Sleeve
  How the Golden Bandit Acts:
  The Golden Bandit will attempt to keep his distance in 
  this fight. He will use his free movement and Feather in 
  the Wind abilities to get from gear to gear, making it hard 
  for opponents using melee strikes to follow him. He will 
  use his Distract ability on the first ranged attack made 
  against him after each of his turns unless it stops working, 
  and will shoot one of the adventurers on his turn. The 
  first time each adventurer moves adjacent to him, he will 
  use an Alarm Box concealed in his sleeve to deafen her or 
  him for two turns.
  Description:
  Standing around six feet tall with a thin build, this bright-
  eyed gentleman radiates a thick aura of smug confidence. 
  While his gold vest and gloves reflect the keenest sheen 
  of wealth, the black of his other garments is heavily 
  accented with intricate embroidery of a similarly rich 
  hue. His blonde hair peeks playfully out from under his 
  bowler, and there is a slight clink in his step from the gold 
  heels of his boots. His smile is calm, but his eyes are bea-
  cons of fiery exhilaration. He strikes a pose like someone 
  who boasts about brushing his teeth, and offers a slight 
  bow.
  The Grease Guzzler
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  19
  If the adventurers successfully captured the Golden Ban-
  dit, it will have been short-lived victory.
  Should the bandit have escaped, read this aloud: 
  The Golden Bandit’s Letter:
  “Hello and good morning, gentlemen. You gave me quite the 
  chase yesterday, but today I have once again emerged on top. 
  I must say though, I haven’t had such a thrill in years. I am so 
  happy to have met you, a band of worthy opponents. Rangston 
  has been growing so dull as of late, but I’m sure with you lot 
  around there will be much more excitement to be had. I look 
  forward to our next meeting. Until then, stay safe.
  Your friend,
  Bastian, the Golden Bandit”
  Time’s Up, Mr. Spriggs
  When the Tower is 
  successfully landed:
  The clock tower now stands again its rightful place, but 
  like the debacle surrounding it, it has taken a turn for the 
  worse. Its half-face now looks west rather than south, hav-
  ing defied its gutted mechanisms to rotate its full stature a 
  quarter-turn clockwise.
  Deputy Wesley and Half-Clocked hauled the Golden Ban-
  dit off to treat him to a night in jail and a ride to prison the 
  following day, but the Golden Bandit had his own plans. It 
  seems he left, presumably by the mysterious new door out 
  of the building that now sits nestled cleanly into the wall of 
  his cell. During the night, the Golden Guns must have qui-
  etly gone about the business of not only removing a por-
  tion of the wall, but installing the door as well, all without 
  alerting Half-Clocked. A feat of undeniable skill with more 
  than a dash of snark. Upon first inspection of the scene, 
  Wesley discovered a letter at the foot of the door, as if slid 
  under it. It is addressed “To My New Friends”. 
  The next day, the Adventurers speak with Deputy Wesley 
  and Sheriff Half-Clocked at their office. That morning, 
  upon arriving, Wesley found a message. On the deputy’s 
  desk was left a letter addressed “To My New Friends”. 
  Who Doesn’t Love a Good Reward?
  All adventurers gain 1 experience for each combat and 1 
  experience for the chase. Any adventurer who did some-
  thing truly heroic gains 1 additional experience point. In 
  addition all adventurers gain the following story:
  hero of ranGSTon   a
  You get a +1 to your Rangston Rating. You get the bonus 
  from your Rangston Rating while you are within sight of 
  the clock tower that you valiantly saved. (You get a +1 to 
  dealing with people equal to your Rangston Rating, but 
  only in the areas specified).
  In addition, the adventurers gain another story based on 
  the outcome of the adventure.
  If the adventurers captured the Golden Bandit (but he 
  later escaped):
  Quick on your feeT   a
  The Golden Bandit flies across the rooftops, but you fly 
  faster. You get a +2 on all of your Dexterity checks when 
  attempting to pursue or escape pursuit.
  If the adventurers failed to prevent pieces of the clock 
  tower from being stolen:
  nexT Time, you’ll be ready   a
  Your encounter with the Golden Bandit has left you 
  shaken, but eager to redeem your good name. Whenever the 
  city of Rangston is in danger, you get a +1 on your priority.
  Deputy Wesley thanks the adventurers for their help and 
  offers them each five princes for their valiant efforts. He 
  also offers for them to keep their badges should any future 
  assistance be necessary.
  
  20
  The Golden Bandit
  The Worst Frontier Town Ever
  Rangston
  City Zones
  Shopping District - Rangston is a major trading hub. The 
  shopping district has small local stores, new department 
  stores on the industrial side, and places for traveling cara-
  vans on the more rural side.
  Warehouse District - Located near the train depots, the 
  warehouse district is a place to store imports and exports, or 
  goods that get stopped along the way.
  The Train Depots - The train depots are a major component 
  of the town, located near the Triangle. The Triangle is an 
  intersection of Rangston’s tallest buildings, where most of 
  the train companies are located. 
  Urban Housing - This area includes apartments and busy 
  housing, as it tries to emulate the bigger eastern Evangles-
  sian cities.
  High-Class Rural Housing - This is where the Cattle Barons, 
  in their large mansions, live. It has two fringe areas: the first 
  immediately surrounding the city has normal-sized houses 
  for well-off middle-class merchants. The second fringe area 
  has the poorer servants who work in the larger homes as 
  maids and butlers.
  Mid-to-low-Class Rural Housing - This is the oldest part 
  of town. Before Rangston was a major trading hub, there 
  were houses and shops. This is where many of the local 
  merchants live. While there are some shops, most are in the 
  shopping district.
  Rangston is a merchant’s town that sprung up on several major trade routes. This rough-edged 
  town is full of citizens used to the daily set of brawls, heists, and murder attempts. It’s not easy to 
  make a life in Rangston, but if you can manage, there’s a fortune to be made at the crossroads. 
   
  Nestled between two major trade and commerce centers of the city states, Rangston 
  sprang up from the weeds into its own center of trade. The average traveler can find anything 
  from antique vendors to inventors to mechanics here. It’s a popular place for dealers and creators 
  of engineering pieces because of its location between the cities, ideal because inventors and 
  mechanics can send scouts or apprentices to either place for inspiration as well as needed parts. 
  However, it’s become a haven for bandits and every day more deals are arranged in the darker 
  corners of the pubs. 
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  21
  Even death doesn’t stop some villains, and that was the 
  cause for building Misery’s Mortuary, a building that is 
  morgue, prison, and crypt. Built only a few years ago, 
  Misery’s Mortuary was designed to hold criminals and 
  prisoners who had died, but—for one reason or another—
  somebody had reason to believe that death didn’t stop the 
  prisoner from still being dangerous. 
   
  There’s been all manner of criminals held within the 
  Misery’s Mortuary. 
   
  Whitepalm: One of the killed traitor marshals from 
  the civil war, Whitepalm, is held here. It’s said that his faith 
  was so strong that people feared death might reject him. 
   
  June Welshire: A bombmaker named June 
  Welshire, a woman who worked with a pirate group known 
  as the BombRats in the years before her death, has been 
  buried deep under Misery’s Mortuary. She was known 
  for creating extremely delicate, tamper-proof bombs and 
  sealing them inside people. When she mysteriously died, pa-
  thologists were too frightened to do an autopsy. So, without 
  anybody being entirely sure if there’s a bomb in her lifeless 
  body, June Welshire was buried deep under Misery’s Mortu-
  ary. 
   
  The Lifeless Lord: A Tharmurian Death Knight 
  called the Lifeless Lord is buried at Misery’s Mortuary. He 
  was a Tharmurian freedom fighter who held on to his cause 
  no matter the circumstances. He was fatally wounded in 
  combat so many times that people say he forgot the name 
  he carried in his original life. 
   
  The Witch of Hugal: A gnomish woman named the 
  Witch of Hugal is bured in the mortuary. Hugal was a small 
  town north of Viraguay that was burned during the Loveless 
  Wars. This woman appeared in those ruins a few years ago 
  and began to reconstruct the town, bit by bit. Then she dug 
  up the buried and burned corpses of its citizens and started 
  propping them up through the town. Once nearby authori-
  ties discovered her mad plan, they put a stop to her. She 
  resisted arrest and was shot several times. 
   
  However, three days after being pronounced dead, 
  she awoke, acting as if she had just been interrupted. This 
  happened twice more, at which point her body was shipped 
  to Misery’s Mortuary and is left, unattended, in a crypt. No-
  body knows if she’s alive in there or not. 
   
  Dukrask and the Mortuary’s Founding: Several 
  years ago, a bio-flux expert named Dr. Ambrose attempted 
  to revivify the assassinated crown princess, Evalyn Luth-
  ricien III. He drew essence from several people, reconstruct-
  ing her personality and memories, and gave her life again. 
  Unfortunately, the revived Evalyn Luthricien III was a mock-
  ery of her former self and vanished a few months after being 
  revived and crowned Empress. The people turned against 
  Dr. Ambrose. He fled and hasn’t been found yet. 
   
  Dr. Ambrose had a few assistants, but the most 
  well-known of them was a man named Dukrask. Dukrask 
  was a genius with bio-invigoration and gene therapy. He 
  completely restored Evalyn Luthricien III’s corpse, and was 
  known for many advances in modern health care and sur-
  gery. After the people turned against Dr. Ambrose and his 
  assistants, Dukrask was captured and imprisoned for eight 
  months before he escaped.
   
  Dukrask faked his own death, though many argue 
  that he actually died. Dukrask was taken from the prison 
  and sent to a mortuary, at which point all of his wounds 
  regenerated and he woke back up. He killed the attending 
  physicians and left the facility. 
   
  Dukrask spent the next several years hunting down 
  and killing people who had betrayed him, with a special 
  focus toward the nobility. He waged his own private war 
  against the government and indoctrinated several people 
  with him. 
   
  It was said he couldn’t be killed. He would take a 
  grievous wound, losing an arm or taking several bullets to 
  the chest, and his skin would instantly start to regenerate. 
  He had taken gene therapy beyond what anybody could 
  imagine.
   
  Eventually, Dukrask was captured. They attempted 
  to execute him using several creative methods, but none 
  prevailed. For Dukrask, they created Misery’s Mortuary. A 
  young nobleman, Kalence de Triston, funded the creation of 
  Mistery’s Mortuary specifically to hold Dukrask. To this day, 
  Dukrask is held at the core of the mortuary, his unending 
  prison.
  Misery’s Mortuary
  
  22
  The Golden Bandit
  Law Enforcement
  Sheriff Half-Clocked
  Created by the late sheriff before he died, Half-Clocked is an 
  enormous enforcer automaton built to protect and serve. 
  When the sheriff passed, the title was passed down to the 
  deputy at the time, which just so happened to be the depu-
  tized automaton. The mayor didn’t seem to pay much atten-
  tion to the discrepancy, and the locals found it charming.
   
  Half-Clocked stands about nine feet tall and maneu-
  vers around via a pair of tank treads. He acts based on his 
  programmed directives, which are currently “Uphold the law 
  of Rangston,” and “Protect Wesley.” These directives are de-
  signed to be easily swapped through the use of punch cards. 
  Unfortunately, the only person who knew how to encode 
  them onto the punch cards was the late sheriff. Because of 
  this, the active punch card has yet to be replaced, resulting 
  in Half-Clocked spending most of his time following Deputy 
  Wesley around.
  Deputy Wesley
  The deputy is the son of the late sheriff. Seeing as how 
  Sheriff Half-Clocked follows him everywhere, it wasn’t long 
  before folks started seeing him as the deputy, whether he 
  liked it or not. When he’s not trying to diffuse situations 
  resulting from the more unfortunate actions of the steam-
  powered sheriff, Wesley tends to handle most of the actual 
  duties of being a sheriff.
   
  With the tall order of keeping Half-Clocked and the 
  other deputies organized, it’s a wonder Wesley still manages 
  to find time to combat crime. Wesley is well aware of this 
  fact, and while he approaches most problems with some 
  sense of duty, it is wreathed in his ever-present, jaded pes-
  simism and half-hearted frustration.
  Deputy Bert
  The only other official deputy in Rangston’s local law en-
  forcement, Bert is trustworthy, hard-working, dependable, 
  and spends the entirety of his time dealing with Rangston’s 
  air, road, and foot traffic. Most inhabitants of the town have 
  met Bert, but few have held a conversation with him that did 
  not involve where they should direct their vehicle and why, 
  though he is always polite.
   
  The rest of the force has grown accustomed to this, 
  having accepted the lack of another lawman at their side in 
  exchange for the bafflingly stable roadways that result.
  Moxy
  While technically only a self-proclaimed deputy, the 
  12-year-old Moxy’s tenacity and spunk have won over the 
  hearts of the townsfolk. Even the mayor treats her as an of-
  ficial member of law enforcement. She’s first on the scene of 
  an exciting crime and stares down danger with a smirk.
   
  Wesley often expresses his disapproval of her 
  involvement with the force, both for her personal safety and 
  to reduce the level of property damage that often results 
  from her exploits. Try as he might though, there’s really no 
  arguing with her results. When it comes down to it, she 
  plays a crucial role in upholding the law in Rangston.
  The Rangston Roster
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  23
  The LaVreys
  Special Agent Rush
  Special Agent Rush is a cat. Well, that’s an oversimplification. 
  He’s a sleek, obsidian shorthair. Also, there is actually a very 
  long and daring tale of how he wound up with his essence 
  being transferred into a cat’s body. However, it is long and 
  generally unnecessary, so we won’t get into it.
   
  Rush works for the corporate branch of the LaVrey 
  National Detective Agency, but lately he’s been stationed in 
  Rangston to handle some of the more troublesome mat-
  ters that have been cropping up. This town’s not his dream 
  assignment, and he’s no favorite among the local LaVrey to 
  boot, but this line of work is what he was born for, and he’s 
  damn good at it.
   
  Most folks upon meeting Rush don’t acknowledge 
  him as any more than an average house cat–for obvious 
  reasons–and he’s learned to use that to his advantage. 
  When he does speak, the fullness of his baritone voice is 
  remarkable to hear, given his size. It still manages to startle 
  even those who know him.
   
  That’s not the only special thing about Rush’s 
  voice though. Putting to use what had always been a secret 
  hobby, Rush’s expert ventriloquism allows him to project his 
  voice anywhere he pleases. Combined with his unassuming 
  appearance and cat-like stealth, Rush frequently lures, tricks, 
  and spooks perps into following his clever plans. He has 
  taken to keeping his mouth seemingly closed and unmov-
  ing, even in conversation.
  The Rangston Triangle
  Meribeth Waverly
  Head of the Southern Evanglessian Railway Association
  Meribeth is all business. She’ll strut in wearing her finest suit 
  and heels, check her notes, look down her nose, through her 
  glasses, and into your soul. She will crush your dreams in 
  five words or less and be on her way. The SERA is the largest, 
  most widely-used rail line on the continent, and its figures 
  are staggering. It is an empire in its own right, and Meribeth 
  is its feared dictator. Within the SERA, the tap of her finger-
  nail is the crack of a gavel.
   
  Also of note, Meribeth appears to have not only 
  business dealings with Jordana LaVrey (head of the LaVrey 
  Detective Agency), but also the personal sort. They’re an odd 
  match, and though few seem to have caught on, those that 
  have are quite baffled.
  Bryce Bertrand
  CEO of the Evanglessian Transport Company
  Bryce is an entrepreneur with some new ideas about the 
  transport business. He’s done a few things right and now 
  he’s got a successful transport business. Good for him. Now 
  he’s just got to keep the innovation flowing and business 
  will be booming! Rocket engines on trains! Actually that was 
  more disastrous than innovative. Not the kind of booming 
  he was looking for. On to the next idea.
   
  Along the way, due to a falling out between SERA 
  and Burgenhind Industries, Bryce landed an exclusive deal 
  with the leading provider of graviton spheres in Rilausia. 
  Meribeth was not happy about this new partnership, and is 
  especially unhappy that it has persisted. Where she thought 
  it would quickly deteriorate due to Bryce’s inexperience, it 
  instead thrived.
   
  ETC now does more than the average rail line 
  thanks to the ready and affordable access to graviton 
  spheres through the partnership with Burgenhind. ETC 
  trains are often capable of unbelievable feats, such as mov-
  ing between the different rail sizes used by the other lines 
  and clearing gaps in unfinished or damaged rails.
   
  The most amazing of these feats is the Special Pur-
  pose Evangless Caravan for Izedan Air and Land Transporta-
  tion, or SPECIAL T for short. SPECIAL T is essentially a flying 
  train, supported by graviton spheres. It’s manned by an elite 
  team of engineers and tradesmen and outfitted with the 
  newest and best protection against the Izedan climate (and 
  locals). Those who haven’t encountered it before are often 
  startled, as it appears much like some sort of sky serpent. 
  There is talk that it is capable of additional travel methods, 
  but much of it is unsubstantiated and remains little more 
  than, well, underground rumors.
  Leroy Aston
  Chairman of the Rangston Co-operative Rail Line (RCRL)
  This good ‘ol boy’s been heading up the new line formed 
  mostly by the local livestock owners after the SERA’s policy 
  change some years back. He’s been reading up on the busi-
  ness practices of city folk and he and the rest of the commit-
  tee actually manage to dot their i’s, cross their t’s, and keep 
  the line successful, much to the surprise of the other busi-
  nessmen in town.
  
  24
  The Golden Bandit
  Riff Raff
  A note about the Rangston Riff Raff: At one time or 
  another in the past, almost all Riff Raff have stolen money 
  from the Trust’s shipments to Qui. It’s a trend and a running 
  gag among them.
  The Brimstones
  The Brimstones are a prominent gang in the area. Mostly 
  made up of the poor ranchers who lost their cattle and 
  farms to the local barons, these thugs control the seedier 
  parts of Rangston. From back-alley shakedowns, to protec-
  tion fronts, and even train robbery, this group is involved 
  in almost everything below the law. Moxy and Deputy Bert 
  spend most of their time cleaning up after their various 
  crimes. There is a rumor that they answer to the cattle bar-
  ons, but citizens have never dared to make that claim.
  Cattle Baron Silas Brine
  Silas is the biggest name in cattle for most of western 
  Evangless. He is the leader of the Circle of Cattle Keepers for 
  many years. He is known to hire intrepid adventurers for 
  dangerous tasks, though most of what he hires them for is 
  unknown. Rumors also abound that he is the leader of the 
  Brimstones, with many whispers of their commings and go-
  ings to his mansion at night. Unfortunately for Deputy Wes-
  ley, however, no official association has ever been proven, 
  since most vocal opponents of the Baron tend to disappear.
  Ox
  Oliver Enfrie used to be one of the best rail layers in town, 
  but now he’s a town hero. Or at least that’s what cattle baron 
  Silas Brine has been telling him when he tricks Ollie into do-
  ing his dirty work. He’s been causing a ruckus on the baron’s 
  behalf for months and wondering where his key to the city 
  is, the poor sap.
   
  Most folks think Ollie got his heroic pseudonym 
  from the rail folks due to his broad stature and immense 
  strength, but in fact it is simply his middle name.
  Emeline & Cleve Dunstan
  Never has there been a couple so blissfully happy in their 
  marriage as the newlyweds, Emeline and Cleve Dunstan. 
  Except, of course, for when they’re not: then all of Rangston 
  suffers the quarrel. Everyone knows when Cleve has stayed 
  out past Emeline’s liking by the window-rattling boom of her 
  explosives demolishing three-fourths of his favorite pub. If 
  Emeline spends a bit too long giggling at a shopkeep’s jokes, 
  Cleve’s automatons waste no time in coming by the store 
  with a forceful reminder of who his darling Emmy belongs 
  to. Once, when Emeline forgot his birthday, Cleve somehow 
  created an embargo on her favorite candy. All of Rangston 
  went without chocolate for a month while they argued it 
  out. They shout, scream, and explode at each other, liter-
  ally taking out chunks of the town in the process. However, 
  the bonds of their love have weathered enough fire storms 
  that at the end of the day, they will be found embracing one 
  another, kissing sweetly and swearing never to fight again. 
  At least, not for the rest of the week.
  Tall-Paul Gleiesi
  Tall-Paul Gleiesi (“Gley see”) is a gnome dead-tired of his 
  height making him the butt of human jokes related to riding 
  horses and wrangling cattle. ‘Tall-Paul’ is an engineer who 
  has made himself—and his pony Big Brute—exoskeletons 
  that make them the equals in size, and superiors in might, to 
  the average Rangston citizen. Look out, Rangston, lest you 
  pay for those short jokes with a rash of cattle rustlins.
  Sandra Sledge
  “Ceaseless” Sandra Sledge is an overpowering elf who has 
  made it her mission to personally discourage the use of 
  steampowered contraptions in and around Rangston. Her 
  grandpapa was a famous horse breeder swindled out of his 
  business by an engineering firm before folks realized horses 
  still had a niche in Rangston life. She loves horses, but 
  she’s enormous for an elf and personally too huge to ride 
  one. (A normal horse, anyhow.) She haunts the outskirts 
  of town, watching comings and goings—dons her mask 
  and special running boots, and makes trouble for trains and 
  lone steamworks users alike. Her papa’s disgruntled former 
  employees, mostly elves, help her out of loyalty and lack of 
  work. Sandra’s targets are not really as random as she wants 
  folks to believe, and her brains are a sight more mighty than 
  her brawn—she’s learning up on her science, like her papa 
  and grandpapa of course... and her secret goal is to engineer 
  a mount large enough to bear her weight. She and her night-
  mare mounts might beat the steam engine, but can the great 
  beasts be kept from eating the steam engine operators?
  The Government
  Rangston sits at an unfortunate crossroads between old 
  western city and new burgeoning metropolis. Rangston is 
  still saddled with a popularly-elected mayor who, while a bit 
  bumbling, is quite popular and well-meaning. Just follow-
  ing the civil war, though, Evangless’s parliament appointed 
  a burgomaster to oversee the growth of the town, calm its 
  citizens in the post-war environment, and make it stable for 
  further economic growth. While the mayor watched over 
  its citizens and empowered the local sheriff’s office, the bur-
  gomasters moved in with the power of the railway and the 
  LaVrey Detective Agency at their behest. 
   
  Today, the mayor only seems to exist because the 
  burgomasters haven’t been able to change the laws to get rid 
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  25
  of him. But to say that there isn’t animosity between the two 
  governments of Rangston would be an understatement. 
  Jules Cantoberry, the Mayor
  Jules got way more than he bargained for. Nearly a decade 
  ago, he ran for mayor of the small but growing town of 
  Rangston. His platform was pretty simple: everyone de-
  served clean drinking water and honest government. He 
  was a pretty popular fellow. He found the clean drinking 
  water to be a fairly easy promise to keep, but he ran into 
  issues with the “honest government” once the civil war 
  started. It wasn’t that he was dishonest, it was that he didn’t 
  know which government to listen to. 
   
  When the civil war ended, the central govern-
  ment imposed a burgomaster on Rangston. But the mayor, 
  who had survived two popular elections, wasn’t disposed. 
  Instead, he just quietly went on with his business. 
   
  When the mayor’s second term ended, there was 
  no call for elections. Everyone pretty much agreed: the 
  burgomasters wouldn’t allow for another mayor. So Mayor 
  Jules Cantoberry just quietly stayed as mayor. And nobody 
  caused much of a fuss about it. 
   
  But Mayor Cantoberry is entirely in over his head. 
  While he’s quite popular and well-intentioned, the entire 
  city of Rangston has vastly outgrown what he has the power 
  to govern. And since his staff isn’t growing, it’s all he can do 
  to keep the city from exploding into mayhem. 
   
  Mayor Cantoberry is a small, portly man. He has 
  quite a bit of faith in Sheriff Half-Clocked, and his wife, 
  Betty, serves as his doting assistant. 
  Jeremy Erster, the previous Burgomaster
  Old Jeremy Erster is an old friend of SERA’s chief officer, 
  Meribeth Waverly. It was primarily her influence in gov-
  ernment that got Jeremy--a man known for his direct, 
  sometimes ruthless, tenacity--the title of burgomaster in 
  Rangston. Up until he was Burgomaster, he was known as 
  the “Cutlass of the Railroad.” Meribeth needed a new power 
  in the city, and she had worked with Jeremy for many years. 
  He often oversaw the land acquirement programs on behalf 
  of the Southern Evanglessian Railway Association, and he 
  was quite good at it. Jeremy’s a bit stodgy and difficult to 
  work with, but the aging gentleman is also coy when no-
  body would expect it. 
   
  Jeremy Erster was brought in to be the first burgo-
  master in Rangston. Nobody liked him, and he didn’t like 
  nobody either. But he zoned out Rangston, built streets, and 
  made it possible for the Rangston Triangle to even exist. 
  While Rangston was in chaos under his reign, nobody can 
  deny the facts: Rangston’s economy nearly tripled under 
  Jeremy’s rule.
   
  Today, Jeremy spends most of this time either 
  drinking with local cattle barons and serving as an adviser 
  for the current burgomaster, Kenneth, on how best to put 
  down problems. Jeremy’s relationship with Kenneth is a bit 
  strained, as he sees Kenneth as a weak-spined coward.
  Kenneth Narlbone, the current Burgomaster
  Kenneth smokes too much. His wife will tell you that, his 
  secretary will tell you that, and he’ll tell you that. But that 
  doesn’t stop the fact that, if he could, he’d have two cigars 
  in his mouth at any given time. Kenneth is overwhelming 
  addicted, and that is the primary personality trait of one of 
  the most powerful men in Rangston. Because Kenneth cares 
  about his cigars first and his city second. And it shows.
   
  Kenneth Narlbone was a cattle baron himself until 
  the government appointed him burgomaster of Rangs-
  ton. He was trained under Jeremy Erster and until Jeremy 
  thought he was ready; unfortunately, Jeremy has considered 
  that to be a mistake ever since. Kenneth isn’t a bad burgo-
  master, but--in Jeremy’s opinion--he relies too heavily on 
  others. Since Kenneth gained control, the riff raff of Rangs-
  ton, the cattle barons, and the LaVreys have gained signifi-
  cantly more power. And, to Jeremy’s disbelief, the mayor still 
  holds power. If Jeremy was still in power, there’s no way that 
  would be the case. Or so he says.
  Tessa Velactrict, the future Burgomaster
  Tessa was once a prominent student in the Heliotor until 
  she was expelled for insulting a professor. She was once an 
  up-and-coming LaVrey agent until she was fired from one 
  too many jobs for shooting at the wrong people. Tessa’s hard 
  to control, and the fact that she is now being trained to be 
  the burgomaster of Rangston is something that just about 
  everyone is nervous about. 
   
  Tessa Velactrict teamed up early on with the Milita-
  rists during the civil war, but switched sides and sold some 
  information just in time to clear her name. She became 
  friends with Kenneth Narlbone a few years ago; many 
  people just think he’s smitten with her. Today, most people 
  in-the-know think he’s too frightened of her to tell her off. 
   
  Tessa is constantly at odds with Jeremy Erster, who 
  absolutely despises her. Yet, even he admits: she’s going to 
  be a fearsome burgomaster one day. He just plans on leav-
  ing the city once that day arrives. 
  
  26
  The Golden Bandit
  Need some more adventures in Rangston? Here are some 
  ideas that are sure to infuriate (and delight) all of your local 
  adventurers. 
  Stop that Robot!
  Some group of miscreants has decided to build a huge 
  automaton vehicle to destroy buildings and take valuables 
  held within. Their ultimate target? The Rangston Triangle! 
  The party has to stop this seemingly unbreakable contrap-
  tion: if only something were in its way to slow it down!
  Stampede of the Vastwalkers
  Everyone is familiar with Zelhost’s feared walking armored 
  artillery platforms known as the vastwalkers, so when 
  several begin approach Rangston, the fear is palpable. Even 
  the bandits and ruffians are pulling away from the southern 
  edge of town. 
   
  Trick is, these vastwalkers don’t appear to be 
  manned. When a couple LaVreys got in the vastwalker’s 
  way, though, the vastwalkers incinerated them with an 
  overwhelming barrage of cannon fire. The adventurers need 
  to stop them, and–if they can’t do that–they need to get to 
  the man who’s controlling them or programmed them to 
  walk straight into Rangston.
  Blackmail at the Rodeo
  A cattle baron named Earlis Ogburn has convinced the bu-
  rogmaster to host his infamous and bloody rodeo in town. 
  A crew of crazed and frantic Brimstones come to town, start 
  roughing up the pubs, and are making sure that everybody 
  knows the rodeo’s going to be a BIG ONE tonight! In fact, 
  if tickets don’t sell out, they’ll release the “rodeo” upon the 
  whole town! Why did the mayor let this happen? 
   
  Moxy’s got a stinking suspicion that the burgomas-
  ter’s being blackmailed, but she’s too busy being on clean-up 
  duty. She asks you to investigate for her, and–sure enough–
  the burgomaster has some pretty seedy business dealings 
  with a few local bandits that have been trafficking in human 
  labor and prostitution. Now the adventurers need to put an 
  end to this raucous rodeo, stop the human trafficking, and 
  make sure the mayor’s crimes don’t go unpunished.
  Glass Houses
  Whiskey Street has been taken over by a small gang called 
  the Hawker Gang, and now all of the shops and businesses 
  are being forced to give protection money to the Hawker 
  Gang. But one man, the owner of a window glass-making 
  shop called Rory Glazier, won’t do it. He hasn’t paid in 
  weeks, and yesterday the gang came in and broke every-
  thing he had. So he’s decided to spend his money on real 
  protection. Mr. Rory offers the adventurers a good payment 
  for protection. The adventurers must stave off the Hawker 
  Gang, route them from the city, only to discover that they’re 
  just one branch of a small mafia running this side of the city.
  The Blood Flows North
  A Haud has just arrived in Rangston from Zelhost, disem-
  barked, and gone into hiding. An hour later, another train 
  roars into station and a dozen Zelhost Military Inspectors 
  begin searching for him. The deputy wants to find this guy 
  before the Zel Hauds do, since the criminal is now in Rangs-
  ton jurisdiction, but also to discover why he’s being hunted 
  and stop him before he can do any harm. 
   
  The Haudi inspectors have only said one thing: 
  this man is an assassin called the Leech, and he’s here to kill 
  a very wealthy rifle manufacturer named Levi Dartsmith. 
  The adventurers go to the Dartsmith Manor, where several 
  Haudi inspectors are demanding admission–apparently the 
  Leech was allowed into the house, but the inspectors are not 
  being allowed in! If the adventurers are able to get in, they 
  discover that the Leech is a highly experienced physician 
  that is specialized in treating bio-engineered plagues. Levi 
  Dartsmith caught a plague by accident while visiting Zel-
  host, and now the Haud military wants to cover it up–likely 
  by killing the Leech and Levi Dartsmith–before word gets 
  out that they’re creating such lethal bio-chemical weapons.
   
  If the adventurers are unsure of what to do, Levi 
  Dartsmith is QUITE wealthy and has a very impressive selec-
  tion of rifles. And he doesn’t much like the Zel Hauds right 
  now. And the Leech needs to find a way to get back home 
  uncaptured.
  Only in Rangston
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  27
  Pride in the Wind
  Three elven chieftains from three local tribes have formed 
  an alliance to negotiate with Rangston. Several cattle barons 
  and numerous brimstones are plaguing the local elven 
  tribes, and the elves want protection. They have over a thou-
  sand members when combined, and nearly half are ready to 
  go to war if need be. And nobody in Rangston wants that. 
   
  The adventurers are asked to escort the three 
  elven chieftains as they enter Rangston. They’re just asked 
  to make sure that nobody makes jokes or insults the elves 
  (calling them “Bison-Huggers” or “Talking Animals”). But the 
  adventurers are really in for a much bigger scheme, as the 
  cattle barons are intent upon starting this war and getting 
  rid of the elves once-and-for-all.
  Dodgeball (or Dodgebomb?)
  The adventurers are stuck in a room, separated from a group 
  of hostiles called BombRats by a 10-foot-tall wall. They have 
  no choice but to blindly lob rocks, hammers, and whatever 
  else they can get their hands on to defeat the BombRats and 
  escape from the room. The BombRats, though, are toss-
  ing live grenades. Can the adventurers throw them back in 
  time? Only in Rangston would the adventurers get stuck in a 
  death chamber with BombRats.
  Are your adventurers growing fond of Rangston, or did 
  they start their career here in the first place? If so, these new 
  character stories might be right up their alley!
  Bouncer
  Background Story
  You used to work as a bouncer, perhaps for a local bar, or 
  maybe even a cattle baron. Whenever you are attempting to 
  throw someone, you score one Tier higher.
  Cattle Driver
  Background Story
  You used to work for a cattle baron, when you would drive 
  cattle to the train stations to be shipped eastward. When-
  ever you are driving cattle, you score one Tier higher.
  Conductor
  Background Story
  You easily conduct electricity. Whenever being struck by 
  electric damage, you take 1 additional point of damage. This 
  story only works in Rangston. 
  Entrepreneur
  Background Story
  You have successfully started one or more businesses in 
  Rangston. While profits and deeds may be gone, your 
  experience in dealing has given you an edge in negotiations 
  over goods. Whenever you are haggling, you score one Tier 
  higher.
  Farmhand
  Background Story
  You used to work on a farm. Whenever you are attempting 
  farming, you score one Tier higher.
  Government Worker
  Background Story
  You used to work for the city of Rangston. The local officials 
  all know who you are, and you have means of getting in 
  contact with them.
  Local Color
  Background Story
  You hail from the city of Rangston, and count yourself 
  proudly among one of its oldest families. Pick a zone of 
  town: when you are in the chosen part of town, you find it 
  easier to find people who respect you and are willing to lend 
  a helping hand. When gathering information or perform-
  ing a Social Tell to convince someone to help, roll twice and 
  take the higher result.
  Lumberjill
  Background Story
  The Lumberjacks may know where a tree falls when they 
  cut it down, but it’s the Lumberjills who are responsible for 
  getting the tree to a useable location after it falls. Whenever 
  you are pushing or dragging, you can move 5 feet faster per 
  action point spent.
  Rangston-Branded
  
  28
  The Golden Bandit
  Mercenary
  Background Story
  You came to Rangston under hire as a fighter. Your job now 
  done, you are ready to pick up the next job. You can add 
  one of the following Mark I augments to a single weapon: 
  Accurate, Chainsaw, Custom, Deflecting, Delivery, Powerful, 
  Reach, or Scope.
  On the Job
  Interpersonal Story
  Your encounter with [enemy name here] educated you on 
  how they act, making them easier to predict. You gain your 
  Rangston Reputation as a bonus to priority when encoun-
  tering [enemy name here]. 
   
  Note: This story can be earned multiple times, ap-
  plying to different enemies each time, and is rewarded to 
  those who figured out the most effective way to take down 
  the enemy.)
  Spelunker
  Background Story
  You have experience navigating caves and other dark areas. 
  Whenever you are attempting to find something in dim or 
  dark lighting, you may roll twice and use either result.
  Streetwise
  Background Story
  You grew up on the Rangston streets, and you know them 
  better than anyone else. Whenever you are pursuing or be-
  ing pursued, you score one Tier higher.
  Widgeteer
  Background Story
  You used to be employed under Simon Widdigan. When 
  you left his employ he gifted you with one of his famous 
  Widgets. You start with one three slot widget. You may only 
  choose Mark I augments for this widget. This widget can not 
  be replaced or repaired unless you could normally do so.
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  29
  Widgets are advanced trinkets that can serve a multitude of 
  purposes. These devices are light items, are activated and 
  deactivated for one action point apiece, and begin with a 
  single augment slot. Beta and prototype widgets will have 
  three augment slots. At default, a widget will affect the 
  square in which it is activated. Because widgets have a very 
  limited clockwork-based function, they must take time to act 
  out their augments. If activated during combat, widgets take 
  one round to begin their functions, as they must wind up 
  before acting.
  Widget Crafter
  Gadgetry Specialty
  You’re a bit of an eccentric, and your tools reflect that. Not 
  quite trinkets and not quite full devices, you’ve found some-
  thing in-between. You can now craft widgets.
   
  Without spending any money, you can build and 
  maintain a number of widgets based on your current Do-
  It-Yourself (DIY) score. The widgets can be upgraded with 
  augments. You’ll learn 2 augments from this specialty, which 
  can be selected under “Widget Augments” below. These 
  augments have marques. At lower levels, you’ll start with 
  Marque I augments. 
   
  Each widget can be upgraded with 1 augment.
  Number of Widgets you can Maintain
  Without needing to buy anything new, you can build some 
  widgets entirely out of your spare parts. These widgets must 
  be constantly maintained by you and stop working soon 
  after leaving your care. You can build and maintain a num-
  ber of widgets based on your DIY score. You can build new 
  widgets or augment old ones during any period of down-
  time you have.
  Widgets
  The town of Rangston is known for a few things: crime, industry, and friendly faces. With all the 
  buzz about the town’s clock tower being partially stolen, many citizens have attempted to take 
  the mantle of investigator into their own hands. One of these individuals is a satyr called Simon 
  Widdigan, aged 17, who developed a slew of gadgets designed to help him sus out any and all 
  information he could. 
   
  These devices took many forms, from a sphere that sprouted spider legs and scanned 
  any surface possible, to a wristband that detected all manner of substances as well as keeping 
  his notes. The townsfolk who witness these devices in action have taken to calling them widgets, 
  shortened from Widdigan’s Gadgets. Once word spread about these widgets, Widdigan was ap-
  proached by many other locals who wanted to study his craft and replicate it, offering substantial 
  funding for his patent.  
  Where Widgets Fit In
  Widgets are designed to be used as advanced tools. They are not weapons, but are more compa-
  rable to trinkets in nature. Without augments, a widget is about as useful as a box with a winding 
  key and spinning gears that do nothing but spin away. Because the initial inspiration for these 
  devices was intelligence gathering, further developments will probably follow that path until all 
  possible avenues have been exhausted. 
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +5
  
  30
  The Golden Bandit
  Your DIY:
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  You can build:
  3
  3
  4
  4
  4
  5
  Your DIY:
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  You can build:
  5
  5
  6
  6
  6
  7
  The Cost of Widgets
  If you need to build a widget that you can’t build for free 
  from your DIY score, you will need to buy the materials for 
  it.
   
  Every augment on your widget will increase the 
  price. The higher the marque, the greater the price. The mar-
  ket price for an augment can be found in the chart below.
  Marque
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  Market Price
   10
   50
   250
   1250
  If you are building the widget, you pay 1/5th the price, 
  which is the same as if you were buying an augment one 
  marque lower. (As in, the material cost for a Marque III 
  augment is the market price fo a Marque II augment.) The 
  material cost for a Marque 1 augment is 2 princes.
  Beta Widgets
  Gadgetry Specialty
  Requires: 4 skill points in Gadgetry & Widget Crafter spe-
  cialty
  Your widgets have greatly advanced, their complexity and 
  usefulness warping together into one state-of-the-art wid-
  get. Your widgets are now beta and can now be augmented 
  with two more augment slots, allowing a widget to have up 
  to three augments on it. However, except for people who 
  are exceptionally skilled in science, only you know how to 
  use your beta widgets.
   
  If anybody other than you attempts to use one of 
  your beta widgets, they must succeed in rolling a science re-
  sult one tier higher than the highest level marque you have 
  on your widget. If your widget has a Marque IV augment, it 
  is impossible for them to use it (unless they can somehow 
  obtain a tier result of 5 with their science attribute).
  Prototype Widgets
  Gadgetry Specialty
  Requires: 16 skill points in Gadgetry, Widget Crafter and 
  Beta Widgets specialties
  You’ve perfected your beta widgets and made them work for 
  everybody. Now anybody can use a widget that you desig-
  nate as being a prototype.
  p   Widget Augments   M
  Alchemy Analyzer
  Widget Augment
  The widget reacts to any alchemical substance placed 
  inside it and indicates which augments are contained in the 
  substance. The widget can only analyze augments that are 
  equal to or below its current marque.
  Alchemy Detector
  Widget Augment
  The widget has been programmed to react to the mere 
  presence of alchemical substances. When activated, it will 
  indicate the presence of alchemical substances. It can only 
  detect substances equal to or below its current marque.
  Audio Recorder
  Widget Augment
  The widget has been built with a small microphone, allow-
  ing it to record and playback audio within a certain amount 
  of time depending on its marque. 
  30 seconds
  1 minute
  5 minutes
  10 minutes
  Breadcrumbs
  Widget Augment
  The widget has been designed to record the trail you trav-
  eled, allowing you to re-trace your steps if you get lost or 
  turned around.
  200 feet
  1000 feet
  1 mile
  5 miles
  CAT-Scan
  Widget Augment
  The widget has been outfitted with the necessary equip-
  ment to perform a basic physical analysis of the person it is 
  in contact with. This allows the device to detect any poisons 
  or other ailments that have infected the person in contact. 
  It acts as though it is rolling a Sciences roll to determine its 
  effectiveness.
  Tier 2 science
  Tier 3 science
  Tier 4 science
  Tier 5 science
  Aug
  +2
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +6
  Aug
  +1
  DIY
  +1
  HP
  +7
  
  Adventures in Rangston
  31
  Clean Sweep
  Widget Augment
  The widget has been designed to detect contaminants 
  within its range and remove such contaminants. Anything 
  from dirt on the floor to the writing on a piece of paper is 
  scrubbed and cleaned.
   
  Cost to Craft: The clean sweep augment has no 
  marques and can be learned by anyone with the Widget 
  Crafter specialty. It costs 10 to buy or 2 to craft yourself 
  (if you know the augment). 
  Disguised
  Widget Augment
  You can now disguise your widget to look like any worn 
  or held item that is less likely to draw attention. You gain a 
  bonus based on the marque to keep people from noticing 
  that you are using a widget.
  Tier 2 to notice
  Tier 3 to notice
  Tier 4 to notice
  Tier 5 to notice (Impossible)
  Fixture
  Widget Augment
  Most widgets must be held or placed in the desired location 
  in order to be used.  No longer!  Now widgets with this aug-
  ment can be attached to any other object or person.  Attach-
  ing and removing costs the same amount of action points as 
  drawing and stowing.  (Doesn’t this mean you can attach a 
  widget to ANOTHER widget? Why yes you can! You could 
  have a cluster of widgets now! Doesn’t that sound cool?)
   
  Cost to Craft: The fixture augment has no marques 
  and can be learned by anyone with the Widget Crafter 
  specialty. It costs 10 to buy or 2 to craft yourself (if you 
  know the augment). 
  Flying
  Widget Augment
  Requires: Range Increase augment
  Normally your widget is a small walking device that oper-
  ates in its area. No longer are you confined to the ground! 
  Your widget now flies through the air via small propellers, 
  wings, or other means.
   
  Cost to Craft: The flying augment has no marques 
  and can be learned by anyone with the Widget Crafter 
  specialty. It costs 50 to buy or 10 to craft yourself (if you 
  know the augment). 
  Item Repair
  Widget Augment
  The widget can be activated to repair broken items in the 
  heat of the moment.  Now your broken sword can be re-
  paired during combat at a rate determined by the marque of 
  this augment. 
  Restores 1 damage class per Round
  Restores 2 damage class per Round
  Note: Using more than one widget with this augment is a 
  good way to repair the item faster.
  Item Remover
  Widget Augment
  Requires: Item Retriever augment
  The widget has been further designed to take items, even if 
  something else has it held or pinned down. The widget now 
  has an effective Brute based on its marque to forcibly take 
  medium or smaller items.
  Tier 2
  Tier 3
  Item Retriever
  Widget Augment
  Requires: Range Increase augment
  The widget can be activated to deliver an item to you. The 
  item must be medium or smaller, and it cannot be held by 
  any other person.  
   
  Cost to Craft: The item retriever augment has no 
  marques and can be learned by anyone with the Widget 
  Crafter specialty. It costs 50 to buy or 10 to craft yourself 
  (if you know the augment). 
  Lie Detector
  Widget Augment
  This widget has a built-in polygraph that detects changes in 
  breathing and blood pressure to determine whether some-
  one lies. The widget must have contact with the target in 
  order to activate this augment.
  Tier 2 Cunning
  Tier 3 Cunning
  Light Source
  Widget Augment
  The widget is outfitted with a small light that illuminates an 
  area based on its marque.
  25 feet
  50 feet
  250 feet
  1000 feet
  
  32
  The Golden Bandit
  Locator
  Widget Augment
  You can construct a Locator Device that can detect the direc-
  tion and distance of any widget augmented with the Locator 
  augment, within a certain range.
  500 feet
  1 mile
  10 miles
  100 miles
  Piggy Bank
  Widget Augment
  The widget can be used to safely store money and other 
  valuables. When someone is trying to pickpocket or determine 
  what is in your inventory, they must roll a dexterity or cunning 
  (respectively) tier based on the marque of this augment.
  Tier 2 Cunning or Dexterity
  Tier 3 Cunning or Dexterity
  Photograph
  Widget Augment
  Cost: 1 AP
  The widget has been augmented with a small lens and a shut-
  ter, allowing images to be captured for later inspection and 
  appreciation. With further development, the device might be 
  able to take numerous pictures in sequence, quickly enough 
  that they seem to move when shown in sequence.
  Can take 10 pictures
  Can take 100 pictures
  Can take 15 minutes of film
  Can take 1 hour of film
  Quick Wind
  Widget Augment
  The widget has an attachment that keeps it wound once it has 
  acted out its functions. Widgets with this augment begin their 
  functions instantly rather than having to take a round to wind 
  up.
   
  Cost to Craft: The quick wind augment has no 
  marques and can be learned by anyone with the Widget 
  Crafter specialty. It costs 50 to buy or 10 to craft yourself (if 
  you know the augment). 
  Range Increase
  Widget Augment
  Normally your widget can only operate in the square it was 
  activated. No more! Your widget, thanks to some form of pro-
  pulsion (legs, wheels) now has an additional range to its area 
  based on its marque. Be careful where you place your widget, 
  for gravity is an unforgiving mistress and your widgets don’t 
  know where the floor ends.
  adjacent spaces
  10 feet from activated space
  15 feet from activated space
  20 feet from activated space
  Timer
  Widget Augment
  The widget can be programmed with a time dial, allowing any 
  functions programmed to be set off after a certain amount of 
  time. The duration of the dial improves with each marque.
  5 minutes
  30 minutes
  3 hours
  1 day
  Tracker
  Widget Augment
  The widget scans a target within five feet of itself and remem-
  bers what it looks like. The widget will then attempt to move 
  toward the target every turn at a speed determined by the 
  mark of the augment.
  30 feet per turn
  60 feet per turn
  90 feet per turn
  120 feet per turn
  Note: the Range Increase augment affects the scanning range 
  based on the marque
  Unbreakable
  Widget Augment
  The widget is now resistant to being sundered.
  Reduce sunder by 1 tier
  Reduce sunder by 2 tiers
  Reduce sunder by 3 tiers
  Reduce sunder by 4 tiers
  Upgraded Functions
  Widget Augment
  Requires: 1 other appropriate augment
  Any augments that make an attribute check now operate at 
  one tier higher. For example, the Piggy Bank augment could 
  make a Tier 4 Cunning or Dexterity at marque 3.
   
  Cost to Craft: The upgraded functions augment has 
  no marques and can be learned by anyone with the Widget 
  Crafter specialty. It costs 10 to buy or 2 to craft yourself (if 
  you know the augment). 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Tephra/Adventure/Tephra - Adventure - The Golden Bandit.pdf