TEXT: Introduction
  A globetrotter must crawl out on the wing of an airplane to fix a broken strut while 
  the pilot struggles to avoid crashing into the rapidly approaching ground. A thief snatches 
  the map that leads to the lost city from their hands and disappears into the crowded 
  market, forcing the heroes to give chase. Trapped in a small farm with a band of soldiers, 
  the globetrotters are forced to join the defense against a host of hostile natives. Hungry 
  cannibals will dine on the explorers unless they manage to escape their bonds and sneak 
  out of the village before dawn. Do these situations sound like the sort of things you want 
  your Leagues of Adventure characters to be involved in, but you’re not sure how to pull 
  it off? Well, look no further! This supplement contains rules for exactly just these sorts of 
  wild and exciting events.
  Group Extended Actions
  Extended actions are a standard part of the Ubiquity rules. At their most basic, they in-
  volve one hero, perhaps with others providing a Teamwork bonus, attempting to acquire a 
  certain number of successes through using a single Skill in order to complete a task. Group 
  extended actions, as the name implies, are an extension of those rules, intended to involve 
  the entire group in the completion of a complex or lengthy task, while encouraging the 
  use of different Skills to complete the objective.
  Group extended actions are intended to simulate things such as chases, exploring a 
  ruin, negotiating treaties, navigating hostile terrain, and so on. In combat situations, it is 
  more likely the standard extended actions rules will apply, with just one or two characters 
  cooperating on a task while the rest valiantly battle the group’s foes.
  The key difference between group and regular extended actions is that in these rules 
  every hero participates in the task. Although he makes a roll as an individual, his actions 
  usually directly benefit the entire group. For instance, if one character makes an Athletics 
  roll to close the distance to an escaping villain, then every member of the group acts 
  as if it scored the same total. We’ll have plenty of examples for you later, showcasing 
  typical scenes. Although the rules presented below may appear complex at first glance, 
  they are quite intuitive and extremely flexible once you learn the basics. The main thing 
  to remember is that these are abstract rules intended for a cinematic roleplaying game 
  202107
  Author: Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams
  Editing: Robert Davis
  Graphic Design: Robin Elliott
  Globetrotters’ Guide to
  Dramatic Developments
  www.tripleacegames.com
  Permission is granted to print this ebook. No site licence is given.
  This game uses the Ubiquity Roleplaying System, developed by Exile Game Studio (www.exilegames.com). Ubiquity Roleplaying 
  System, Exile Games Studio, and all associated logos and trademarks are copyright, Exile Games Studio, LLC. Used with permission.
  ©2012 Triple Ace Games. Leagues of Adventure and all related marks and logos are  
  trademarks of Triple Ace Games. All Rights Reserved.
  •              •
  •                         •
  
  of adventure and derring-do, and thus work differently 
  than the standard combat round rules.
  DEfInInG thE ScEnE
  Before she can run a group extended action, the 
  Gamemaster needs to determine the nature of the scene, 
  the outcome, and what failure may do to the group.
  For now all she needs are the raw essentials—add-
  ing in specific details come later. For instance, a group 
  extended action might be defined as, “Chase the villain 
  through the bustling streets of London and catch him 
  before he disappears from sight and goes to ground.”
  Armed with this basic information, the Gamemaster 
  can now elaborate on the description at the start of the 
  scene, describing the location exactly as she would in 
  a combat encounter. As the extended action plays out, 
  the scene is likely to change, opening new avenues for 
  the characters and presenting them with new challenges 
  they must overcome.
  RunnInG GRoup ActIonS
  In a standard combat scene, the characters and villains 
  take turns to perform actions in order of initiative. In a 
  group extended action, initiative is optional, as the vil-
  lain may be an inactive participant rather than an active 
  one. That is, only the characters’ rolls directly affect the 
  outcome of the scene. Whether or not initiative is used is 
  left to the Gamemaster to decide. If she elects not to roll, 
  then the characters can act in any order, even changing 
  the order in which they take actions on a turn-by-turn 
  basis. Every character, however, must act.
  the passage of time
  Because a group extended action is abstract, so is the 
  passage of time. A “combat turn,” the time it takes to 
  perform an action, might represent a few seconds as nor-
  mal, several minutes, one hour, a day, or even an entire 
  week, depending on the nature of the task. For instance, 
  a chase through the streets of London is likely to be run 
  in standard combat turns (about six seconds), whereas 
  scouring Cairo’s libraries and museums for clues to the 
  location of a lost pharaoh’s tomb might take an entire 
  day per roll.
  SkIllS
  Characters can use either Skills or Attribute rolls in 
  group extended actions. For brevity we refer only to 
  Skills below.
  In a group extended action, every character must take 
  one Attack action each turn. Every character must act, 
  but one may delay his action in order to use Teamwork 
  (see below).
  Don’t bother with Move actions, even in a chase—it’s 
  logical that the party is moving, either at a cautious walk 
  or full sprint during the extended action. As a general 
  rule, running does not forfeit the character’s Attack action 
  for the round. Remember, this is an abstract set of rules in-
  tended to promote fun and dramatic play, not stifle player 
  creativity by strict adherence to the existing rules.
  The character’s choice of Skill is up to him. He should 
  pick whatever he thinks best fits the scene, his intended 
  action, and, of course, gives him the best chance of suc-
  cess. However, repeated use of the same Skill should be 
  discouraged and even penalized or disallowed. 
  Players should be encouraged to describe their 
  character’s action, not just designate Skills and roll dice. 
  Players are both actors in and the audience of an adven-
  ture movie—performing exciting stunts and giving cool 
  descriptions should be rewarded with Style points. With-
  out this description, a group extended action becomes a 
  boring series of “I roll this” and “I roll that.”
  Skill use
  Although certain Skills will be more suited to the 
  action than others, group extended actions are, for the 
  most part, intended to be dramatic and encourage cre-
  ative and collaborative roleplaying. In order to prevent 
  characters from using their highest Skill turn after turn 
  or from relying on the same Skill for every player, the 
  Gamemaster may wish to use one of the following op-
  tions. Keep in mind the size of the group when deciding 
  which rule to apply—four characters will probably have 
  more Skills at their disposal than just two characters.
  * Each time the same Skill is used during the extended 
  action a cumulative –2 penalty is incurred, regardless of 
  who performs the action. This works for extended ac-
  tions where 10 or fewer successes are required, but it 
  gets very restrictive when the group needs more.
  * Each character may use a specific Skill only once 
  during the extended action. Thus, once a given character 
  has attempted an Athletics roll, he cannot use it again.
  * Skills may be reused, but each specific Skill may be 
  used only once a turn, regardless of how many characters 
  are in the group. Thus, once the first globetrotter uses 
  Linguistics, the others must wait until the next round 
  before they can use the Skill.
  * Each Skill may be used a set number of times 
  throughout the extended action, regardless of which 
  character uses the Skill. As a general guideline, a Skill 
  may be used just once for every 10 successes required 
  to complete the extended action. Thus, a task with 30 
  successes permits the same Skill to be used a maximum 
  of three times.
  * No Skill is restricted. The characters can all use the 
  same Skill round after round. This is ideal for extended 
  group actions where repeated use of certain Skills is logi-
  cal, such as in navigating the wilds or mass battles.
  leagues of adventure
  
  
  Regardless of which option you use for a given group 
  extended action, encourage the players to use different 
  Skills, and reward those who do in entertaining or clever 
  ways with a Style point. Characters who rely solely on 
  the same Skill should never lose Style points, but they 
  should not earn them either, even if they perform dra-
  matic stunts.
  keeping the Group together
  Despite just one character making each roll, he is 
  generally doing so on behalf of the entire group. For 
  example, if a character successfully uses Ride to bring 
  his horse level with a runaway train, then it is easiest to 
  assume the entire party moves to the same position so 
  you don’t have to begin tracking relative positions.
  However, in some circumstances actions will only 
  benefit the individual who made them. In general, such 
  actions do not count toward achieving ultimate success. 
  For instance, if a globetrotter leaps from a horse onto the 
  side of the runaway train, then only that character has 
  managed to board the train.
  Gamemasters should try to keep the party together 
  for the sake of progressing the narrative, but common 
  sense must always apply.
  Example: The heroes are tying to sneak into a native 
  village and rescue a captive. Herr Reismann is the only 
  party member with Stealth. If he makes his Stealth roll, 
  then the entire party is deemed to be sneaking along 
  behind him, the Prussian explorer telling them where to 
  tread and when to duck to avoid being seen.
  teamwork Bonuses
  Logically, the best thing the characters can do to en-
  sure success is use teamwork, where applicable, to sup-
  port the character with the highest dice pool in the hope 
  of getting a lot of successes.
  While this makes perfect sense from a purely game 
  mechanics point of view, it does nothing to encourage 
  creativity or promote acts of derring-do among the group 
  as a whole. In cinematic terms, it would look extremely 
  dull on the big screen if the main hero kept repeating the 
  same action over and over. As such, a maximum of one 
  character per turn may provide a Teamwork bonus.
  Note that in extended actions where the villains get to 
  roll dice (see below), they never use Teamwork.
  taking the Average
  Depending on the type of failure used and the 
  group’s dice pools, the Gamemaster may disallow Taking 
  the Average. While it is a standard die mechanic, group 
  extended actions are intended to be dramatic, and there 
  is no drama without the risk of failure.
  In general, Taking the Average should only be al-
  lowed when the extended action is time-sensitive, or the 
  characters suffer damage each turn the overall task is left 
  uncompleted. While the characters can accrue a small 
  number of successes each action, the time limit or dam-
  age is a natural encouragement to risk rolling the dice in 
  the hope of ending the venture sooner.
  Resources
  The Gamemaster must decide whether or not a Re-
  source Skill bonus can be applied. This should be based 
  on the Skill being augmented, the nature of the group 
  extended action, and the Resource.
  For instance, a character with Contacts (Political) 
  likely can’t use his Contacts’ knowledge if aboard an air-
  ship caught in a storm, but by dropping a name or two 
  he might be able to gain a bonus to convince the offi-
  cious bureaucrat at the customs post to let him through 
  without checking his baggage. Similarly, a member of the 
  Automobile Club can use his Rank bonus on a Diplo-
  macy roll to secure help from a maharaja if he knows the 
  nobleman has an interest in jalopies, but it’s of little help 
  in trying to wheedle information about the location of a 
  lost city out of a Prussian archaeologist with no interest 
  in automobiles.
  talents
  Certain Talents provide a fixed bonus to Skills. So 
  long as the appropriate Skill is being used, these apply 
  as normal during a group extended action. Other Talents 
  must be adjudicated by the Gamemaster, based on spe-
  cific circumstances and the nature of the scene.
  For instance, the Run Talent doubles a character’s 
  speed when running. Since extended actions forgo the 
  measurement of distances, the Gamemaster might decide 
  to grant a character a +2 bonus if he uses Athletics to try 
  and close the gap to a fleeing foe during a short duration 
  chase scene. The bonus probably doesn’t apply in chases 
  where a combat turn is measured in hours or days—the 
  character likely couldn’t keep up a run for that long.
  Skills Without Successes
  On occasion, a character might make a Skill roll that 
  does not push the extended action toward completion. 
  For instance, a character might ask to make an Intelli-
  gence roll to see if he knows of a shortcut, has visited a 
  location before, or knows a specific person in their path. 
  Another might use his Strength to bar a door, preventing 
  guards from following the characters, use Brawl to knock 
  out a sentry, or use Athletics to leap from the back of a 
  horse he is sharing, thus gaining him his own mount and 
  enabling him to use his Ride Skill on future turns.
  Successes gained from such actions may affect the 
  story, but they do not increase the accumulated successes 
  needed to complete the task.
  Example: The party is exploring the Indian jungle. 
  On her action, Clara asks if there are any elephants 
  around. The Gamemaster allows her a Perception roll. 
  She succeeds, and learns there is fresh elephant spoor. 
  After a brief search, she locates one eating the vegeta-
  Globetrotters’ Guide to Dramatic Developments
  
  
  tion. Although this scores nothing toward the party’s 
  successes, she can now use her Ride Skill on subsequent 
  rounds. 
  In keeping with the Keeping the Group Together rule, 
  although the elephant is moving faster than those on 
  foot, it is also trampling down the undergrowth, mak-
  ing progress easier for those trailing behind. Thus, the 
  party retains cohesion despite the speed difference.
  Moving the Action forward
  At the end of each character’s action, the Gamemaster 
  should interpret the result and describe the outcome. 
  While this presents the characters with a clear refer-
  ence to how well they are doing and how near they are 
  to victory, it also gives the Gamemaster chance to insert 
  new information or change the scene, advancing the 
  narrative of the extended action and giving the heroes 
  new problems to overcome. This in turn may bring other 
  Skills into play, preventing the action from grinding to a 
  halt as the characters start to run out of useful Skills.
  Example: Herr Reismann stealthily leads the group 
  through the native camp. The Gamemaster says, “You 
  sneak past the outer sentries and into the main camp. 
  You can see a large hut ahead, probably that of the chief. 
  As you prepare to move forward, two warriors emerge 
  from a nearby doorway. Looks like they’re heading 
  your way!”
  Whoever gets to act next might try Diplomacy or 
  Intimidation to get the warriors to move aside, use Ac-
  robatics to tumble past them, Brawl to shove them aside 
  and clear a path, or Con to distract them.
  DIffIculty
  The Difficulty of the task is determined by the Game-
  master. In most instances it should be based on the 
  player’s choice of Skill in relation to his description of 
  the action and the intended outcome. The more plau-
  sible and directly applicable a Skill is to the action, the 
  lower the Difficulty. However, even the most applicable 
  Skill has a minimum Difficulty of two.
  Other Difficulties might be set by a NPC’s attributes. 
  For instance, questioning a subject might have a Difficul-
  ty equal to the captive’s Willpower rating, while tricking 
  one is likely to be set against his Intelligence.
  Example: The Globetrotters are chasing a suspected 
  saboteur through the crowded streets of London. One of 
  the heroes wants to discharge his revolver in order to 
  cause the crowd to move aside. He proposes a Firearms 
  roll, saying he will fire at the walls to amplify the blast 
  and make it louder, and avoid hitting anyone. 
  The Gamemaster ponders this, and decides the Dif-
  ficulty is 5—firing a gun in the streets may well cause 
  a panic, with frightened citizens blocking the route in 
  their bid to escape the madman firing at them. Thus, it 
  is more a liability than an aid.
  Had the character opted for Intimidation, perhaps 
  barking out, “In the name of the law, let us through!” 
  the Gamemaster would have lowered the Difficulty to 
  3—the street is noisy and full of people, so the command 
  might not be heard.
  MoDIfIERS
  Group extended actions rarely take place in static, 
  empty environments. Fields and roads are uneven, for-
  ests require maneuvering between trees, castles have 
  creaky floors, modern streets are crowded or slippery 
  with horse dung, airships toss and buck in howling 
  winds, ruins are littered with traps or debris, and dark-
  ness can make it hard to pursue quarry. Such factors af-
  fect the characters by imposing modifiers. Of course, not 
  every action taken during a group extended action will 
  be affected by environmental conditions, no matter how 
  prevalent they are.
  For instance, making an Athletics roll to sprint across 
  toppled columns while trying to work a path through 
  a herd of goats might incur a –4 penalty for the twin 
  impediments. However, these environmental conditions 
  have little impact on an Animal Handling or Intimidation 
  roll to shoo the goats along, or on a character who uses 
  Perception to keep an eye on the fleeing quarry.
  Positive modifiers are usually awarded based on 
  character decisions. For instance, if they are infiltrating a 
  noble’s castle on the night of a costumed ball, donning 
  masks gives them a +2 bonus to fool guards or servants 
  into thinking the infiltrators are actually members of the 
  coven. Similarly, a character who moves in high society 
  likely knows a few names or turns of phrase that could 
  be used to fool sentries in a similar manner.
  EnDInG thE ActIon
  A group extended action typically reaches its conclu-
  sion in one of three ways.
  * The party secures a set number of successes. Typi-
  cally, an easy action requires just 10 successes, a moder-
  ate one 20 successes, an arduous task 30 successes, and 
  a herculean endeavor 40+ successes. 
  The number of successes should be modified to 
  suit the characters’ competency. If the average rating of 
  Skills likely to be used is 8 or higher, then even a simple 
  task might require 20 successes. Conversely, if the party 
  is sorely lacking in useful Skills, a herculean endeavor 
  might be lowered to 30, or even 20, successes. The over-
  all requirement for victory might be lower, but without 
  the right Skills securing victory is no less arduous.
  * The characters fail (see below). 
  * The nature of the action might prematurely and per-
  manently change, invalidating the rest of the extended 
  task. For instance, the characters end their attempt to 
  leagues of adventure
  
  
  sneak through the natives gathered at the base of the 
  pyramid where a captive is about to be sacrificed and 
  instead decide to draw their guns and try a more aggres-
  sive approach.
  Breaking Down Actions
  Although a task usually has one overall objective, 
  reaching it might involve one or more shorter tasks. 
  Each of these small tasks should be completed when the 
  characters reach a set number of successes. 
  For instance, the characters have to infiltrate a sci-
  entist’s house, locate important papers, and then make 
  good their escape. The Gamemaster decides to split the 
  extended action into three scenes. The first, the infiltra-
  tion, requires 8 successes; the second, finding the papers 
  just 4 successes; and the escape a further 8 successes.
  Each task is normally isolated from the next one. That 
  is, excess successes from one extended scene do not 
  carry over to the next—they are simply lost. However, 
  Gamemasters may carry these over if they feel the suc-
  cesses would help in the next scene as well.
  The advantage of designing smaller tasks is that while 
  a character might not have a Skill set suited to one part 
  of the overall task, he may shine in another.
  Example: Using the example above, the characters 
  have managed to sneak into a Member of Parliament’s 
  house and are searching for incriminating letters that 
  prove he is working for Doktor Carnage. So far the group 
  has accumulated a total of 10 successes. They need just 
  two more to find the papers.
  Cecilia makes a Perception roll and scores a huge 8 
  successes! In a single scene task, the party would now 
  have secured 18 successes and be close to escaping (the 
  Gamemaster could rule that during the search Louis 
  uncovered a reference to a secret passage leading from 
  the politician’s study). However, because each scene is 
  a separate extended action, Cecilia scores 2 successes, 
  enough to complete the second part of the endeavor.
  Escaping with the evidence still requires the party to 
  accrue another 8 successes.
  thE pRIcE of fAIluRE
  The characters may be heroes, but success is not guar-
  anteed. If group extended actions simply allowed the 
  players to keep rolling dice until they succeeded then 
  there would be no drama, and little point in actually roll-
  ing the dice. Hence, the possibility of failure must always 
  be worked into each task.
  Failure can take many forms. Some options for failing 
  a die roll are presented below. The list is not exhaustive, 
  and Gamemasters are strongly encouraged to come up 
  with their own ideas suited to the specific task.
  Similarly, these suggestions need not be used in isola-
  tion, and in some cases they impose no overall chance 
  for failure by themselves. By combining two or more ele-
  ments, the Gamemaster can create a unique set of failure 
  conditions for a specific task.
  Regardless of the option chosen, failure in the group 
  extended action should not mean the entire adventure 
  comes to a sudden halt. Failure may result in reprimands, 
  loss of reputation, or loss of equipment, but there must 
  be an avenue open to continue the game. 
  For example, perhaps a storm wrecks the heroes’ 
  airship. While the Gamemaster could rule they fall from 
  the sky and die, he decides they crash land on a small 
  island. Although they have lost their only mode of trans-
  portation and much of their personal equipment, they 
  are alive. Maybe they can build a raft, or they discover 
  Prussian sailors using the island as a secret base to raid 
  British shipping. The group’s misfortune may be a bless-
  ing in disguise, as not only can they steal a ship, but they 
  can rid the sea of Britain’s enemies at the same time.
  * Damage: At the end of each round, after every 
  character has completed one action, they, their mounts, 
  or their vehicles, as appropriate to the task at hand, 
  take damage. Damage may be lethal, representing ac-
  tual physical harm, or nonlethal, representing physical 
  and mental fatigue, or non-life threatening injuries like 
  bruises. Such damage is typically applied automatically, 
  ignoring all Defenses. For instance, if the characters are 
  trying to rescue someone from a burning house, they 
  suffer one automatic nonlethal wound from smoke inha-
  lation and the heat of the blaze at the end of each turn 
  until the task is completed.
  * Increased Difficulty #1: Each failed roll makes the 
  heroes’ task much harder to accomplish. If the party is 
  chasing someone, a failure might mean they are further 
  away, increasing the odds their prey will escape.
  Each failure increases the Difficulty of every action by 
  one point. Eventually the Difficulties will get so high that 
  the characters have no hope of success and will be forced 
  to abandon their endeavor.
  If the Gamemaster decides to use this, he should al-
  low the characters to lower the Difficulty penalty by one 
  point by forfeiting all the successes from a successful roll. 
  For instance, due to a run of bad luck the characters are 
  at +2 Difficulty to all actions and they still need another 
  9 successes to achieve victory. The next character to act 
  manages to score 2 successes. He elects to forfeit these. 
  The group still needs 9 successes, but the task is now 
  slightly easier as the Difficulty is only +1.
  * Increased Difficulty #2: As above, except only the 
  Difficulty of the next roll made by one of the characters 
  increases by 1. After this, the Difficulty resets to normal.
  * Individual Peril: A character who fails a roll may 
  be placed in individual peril. Actions used to rescue him 
  do not garner successes toward the greater goal—such is 
  the price of failure. For instance, a character who fails to 
  leap from his horse onto a carriage roof is clinging on by 
  his fingertips. He can drag himself up with a Strength or 
  Athletics roll, or nimbly flip onto the roof with an Acro-
  batics roll next turn, but his action does not accumulate 
  successes toward completion of the extended action.
  * Three Strikes: The characters fail the group ex-
  Globetrotters’ Guide to Dramatic Developments
  
  
  tended action if they score three failures before reaching 
  the required number of successes.
  * Time-Sensitive: The characters must achieve the re-
  quired number of successes in a fixed time period (such 
  as six turns) or they fail the task automatically. A failed 
  roll has no effect beyond wasting valuable time. As tide 
  and time wait for no man, there is nothing the heroes 
  can do to claw back lost time caused by failed rolls.
  * Zero Successes: Each level of failure subtracts from 
  the heroes’ accrued successes. For instance, a hero rolls 
  two successes on a Difficulty 4 action. The party loses 
  two successes from their accumulated total. Should the 
  total ever reach zero (or lower) at the end of a turn (after 
  every character has taken an action), then the group ex-
  tended action is a failure.
  Villainous Dice
  In most group extended actions, the focus of the story 
  is centered solely on the player characters—they are the 
  stars of the adventure, and it is their actions that deter-
  mine success or failure. The villain might be running 
  away, scouring the library for the same information as 
  the characters, or even priming an Armageddon Bomb, 
  but his actions have no direct impact on play outside of 
  the Gamemaster’s narrative.
  This complication allows the villain to roll dice each 
  turn, making him an active participant in the scene. If 
  the Gamemaster is using initiative, then he takes his turn 
  as normal. When initiative is not used, the villain always 
  rolls last. His successes subtract directly from the party’s 
  accrued total. This is best used with the Zero Successes 
  failure option.
  oppoSED RollS
  This optional rule is intended primarily for combat 
  scenes within a group extended action. Instead of slow-
  ing down the action by resorting to the regular combat 
  rules, things are handled abstractly. 
  Rather than the hero facing off against one specific 
  foe, the roll simulates a short period of time during which 
  the character may face and defeat several opponents.
  When a character uses a combat Skill, such as Brawl 
  or Melee, against an enemy who can fight back, the 
  Gamemaster rolls dice for the opponents. For ease, most 
  minions have a pool of 6 dice. This covers both his at-
  tack (including his weapon’s damage dice) and Defense, 
  which for these purposes only is combined into a single 
  abstract action.
  If the hero beats the villain’s roll, he kills one or 
  more enemies. Unless the extended action is a battle, 
  every two whole successes over that of his enemy counts 
  directly toward the overall number of successes the 
  group requires to complete the task. If the villain wins, 
  the character suffers automatic damage—Defense is not 
  used—equal to the difference in successes.
  Sample Actions
  Detailed below are a number of generic group extend-
  ed actions. Gamemasters may use them straight from the 
  page or modifier them to fit a specific situation.
  chASE
  Whether mounted on beasts, in an airship, carriage or 
  automobile, or on foot, the characters are chasing some-
  one. The chase might take place across open country, 
  through the crowded streets of a modern city, or through 
  the crumbling remains of an ancient ruin.
  Difficulty: Variable. Most Difficulties will be 2 or 3.
  Suggested Skills:
  The Skills used will vary by the terrain and mode of 
  transportation available.
  * Acrobatics (swinging on poles, rolling under ve-
  hicles blocking one’s path, dodging through crowds)
  * Animal Handling (urging mounts on)
  * Athletics (climbing, jumping, running, swimming)
  * Empathy (second-guessing a quarry’s likely route)
  * Craft: Carpentry (building a raft to cross a river)
  * Intelligence (knowledge of a city layout)
  * Intimidation (ordering crowds to part)
  * Perception (looking out for signs of the quarry)
  * Piloting or Ride (if vehicles or mounts are used)
  * Spying (blending in with the crowd so the quarry 
  cannot tell how close you are)
  * Stealth (avoiding detection, so luring the quarry 
  into a false sense of security)
  * Streetwise (questioning locals as to whether they 
  have seen the heroes’ quarry passing through)
  * Strength (pushing through crowds)
  * Survival (navigating through woods, finding short-
  cuts, tracking)
  Skill Limit: Each Skill may be used only once per 
  combat round, and no individual may use the same Skill 
  more than twice during the extended action.
  Time: The chase might be a short one, with combat 
  turns measured in minutes, or represent a lengthy pur-
  suit across an entire country, with each turn being a day 
  or a set number of miles.
  Success: Chases typically need 10 to 20 successes. 
  Once they reach their total, the characters catch up with 
  their opponents, at which time the extended action ends 
  and normal play resumes. In order to prevent the foe 
  from simply running away again, success usually means 
  he has been cornered. Of course, he may actually have 
  led the globetrotters to a predetermined point, where 
  his henchmen lie in wait.
  Failure: Three failures allow the quarry to escape, 
  forcing the characters to find alternate means of com-
  pleting their goal. At the Gamemaster’s discretion, the 
  •                •
  leagues of adventure
  
  
  villain is allowed a single Skill roll each round. If there 
  are multiple villains, roll once using the highest Skill, not 
  for every villain involved. Successes subtract from the 
  globetrotters’ successes.
  EScApInG cAptIVIty
  Whether they’re in the hands of hostile tribesmen, 
  insane cultists, a criminal gang, an evil mad scientist who 
  plans on testing his latest death trap, or dastardly Prus-
  sians, the globetrotters have been captured. First they 
  must escape from their cell. After that, they must escape 
  from the prison in which they are being held.
  Difficulty: Variable based on the nature of the action 
  and the level of security. For example, sneaking through 
  the corridors of a Prussian castle bristling with guards 
  might be Difficulty 4, whereas throwing a makeshift hook 
  to grab keys left on a nearby table might be Difficulty 
  2. Similarly, the cell in a Prussian fortress is going to be 
  harder to escape from using brute force than a wooden 
  cage in the natives’ village.
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Acrobatics (crawling through narrow gaps, squeez-
  ing through bars)
  * Athletics (climbing, throwing a makeshift hook to 
  grab keys)
  * Brawl (overpowering guards, potentially giving the 
  heroes access to weapons and thus other combat Skills)
  * Con (bluffing guards, creating a ruse that draws a 
  guard into your cell)
  * Craft (manufacturing a makeshift lockpick)
  * Demolitions (unlikely you’ll have a bomb in your 
  cell, but you might find explosives once you escape)
  * Empathy (determining which guards might be brib-
  able or fall for ruses)
  * Intelligence (deducing the likely layout of the prison 
  based on similar knowledge or logic)
  * Larceny (avoiding alarms, picking locks, palming a 
  key or lifting one from the guard’s belt as he throws you 
  into the cell)
  * Linguistics (listening to guards’ conversations)
  * Science: Engineering (deducing whether the cell 
  has a weak point)
  * Strength (bending bars, smashing down doors)
  * Stealth (avoiding guards)
  Skill Limit: No Skill may be used more than three 
  times in total during the extended action, no matter 
  which characters makes the rolls.
  Time: Variable. The Gamemaster determines the pas-
  sage of time based on individual actions.
  Success: In order to escape captivity, the characters 
  must secure 20 successes in total. The Gamemaster 
  breaks this into two separate extended actions. The first, 
  escaping the cell, requires just 5 successes. Once these 
  are achieved, they must escape the actual prison, a task 
  needing 15 successes. Extra successes gained in the first 
  part do not count toward the second task.
  Failure: Three failed rolls lead to the heroes being 
  recaptured and placed in a more secure holding facility. 
  Any accumulated successes are lost.
  fInD thE pApERS
  The characters have to sneak into a building and find 
  specific papers. This extended action might involve infil-
  trating a European government’s embassy and swiping top 
  secret plans, locating a map kept in a temple and guarded 
  by natives, recovering a love letter that might incriminate a 
  powerful person, locating ledgers that prove a businessman 
  is involved in black market schemes, swapping real papers 
  for false ones, uncovering evidence that proves a suspect 
  innocent or guilty, retrieving a missing mad scientist’s blue-
  prints before someone else acquires them, and so on.
  This extended action is divided into three separate 
  tasks—gaining entrance, finding the papers, and escap-
  ing. The first and third tasks involve similar Skills, while 
  the second requires a different set.
  Entering & Escaping
  Difficulty: Base Difficulty is set by the Gamemaster 
  based on the nature of the action. Any roll to locate the 
  papers is Difficulty 4.
  Suggested Skills:
  * Animal Handling (pacifying guard dogs)
  * Con (bluffing guards or servants, or acting like you 
  own the place)
  * Empathy (deducing alertness of guards or servants)
  * Intelligence (deducing the likely layout of the build-
  ing based on similar knowledge or logic, calculating the 
  patrol pattern of sentries)
  * Intimidation (guards or servants generally respect 
  authority figures, even if they don’t recognize them)
  * Larceny (opening locks)
  * Linguistics (listening to the conversations of guards 
  or servants, reading signs on doors)
  * Perception (detecting guards or servants)
  * Spying (bribing guards or servants, acting unobtru-
  sively to avoid drawing attention, forged papers)
  * Stealth (avoiding alarms or being seen)
  Skill Limits: Each time the same Skill is used during 
  the extended action a cumulative –2 penalty is incurred, 
  regardless of who performs the action. Entering and es-
  caping are separate extended actions.
  Time: Variable. Sneaking through corridors might 
  take just a few seconds, but searching a room might take 
  10 minutes.
  Success: Finding the right area requires 8 successes. 
  Once the papers are found (see below), escaping also 
  requires 8 successes.
  Failure: Any failure means the heroes encounter 
  someone. It might be a small squad of guards or a curi-
  ous. These must be bluffed or defeated in some manner. 
  If victorious, the characters may continue their search. 
  Globetrotters’ Guide to Dramatic Developments
  
  
  However, more failures automatically mean more people 
  are encountered as the alarm is raised.
  finding the papers
  This extended action can be lengthened and run 
  separately, such as when trying to find a specific tome 
  in a disorganized library or a map in a jumbled collec-
  tion. Typically, the Failure rule should be amended so 
  that three failures cause the heroes to run out of time 
  (maybe the library is closing, or a rival is searching the 
  same building and finds the papers first).
  Difficulty: Varies Difficulty 2 if the papers are in plain 
  sight, rising to Difficulty 5 if they are cunningly concealed 
  (such as in a secret compartment of a desk).
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Academics or Science (applicable depending on the 
  nature of the papers)
  * Bureaucracy (recognizing specific types of papers)
  * Intelligence (deducing likely hiding places)
  * Investigation (searching stacks of papers, solving a 
  puzzle lock)
  * Larceny (safecracking, picking locks on drawers)
  * Linguistics (determining whether the papers are the 
  right ones)
  * Spying (speed reading)
  Skill Limits: Each time the same Skill is used during 
  the extended action a cumulative –2 penalty is incurred, 
  regardless of who performs the action.
  Time: 10 minutes per roll.
  Success: Finding the papers requires four successes.
  Failure: As above.
  IntERRoGAtIon
  In order to progress with the adventure, the charac-
  ters must garner important information from someone 
  who doesn’t want to impart it. Depending on the circum-
  stances, the interrogation might be overt (such as when 
  questioning a captive) or covert (wheedling information 
  from someone without them knowing).
  Although nothing in the rules prevents the globetrot-
  ters from torturing their foes, such activity is most assur-
  edly the work of cads and bounders. It’s the sort of thing 
  the heroes are likely to suffer, but something they should 
  avoid inflicting on others, no matter how vile their foe 
  may be. If word of the despicable act reaches polite soci-
  ety, the character may acquire the Bad Reputation Flaw.
  Difficulty: Equal to the captive’s Willpower. It may 
  be raised by one (or more rarely two) if the target fears 
  the repercussions of talking more than he does his inter-
  rogators. An intoxicated target lowers the Difficulty.
  Suggested Skills:
  * Anthropology (cultural knowledge that may provide 
  valuable insight)
  * Bureaucracy (knowing which questions to ask of-
  ficials or the right manner in asking)
  * Con (tricking or seducing the captive into revealing 
  information)
  * Diplomacy (negotiating with the captive)
  * Empathy (reading body language, detecting lies)
  * Intimidation (threats or torture)
  * Investigation (interview technique, piecing together 
  snippets of information)
  * Linguistics (deciphering veiled information, lip 
  reading)
  * Spying (knowing how much to bribe someone)
  Skill Limit: A Skill may be used only once per turn.
  Time: One hour, one day, or one week per turn.
  Success: Basic information requires 10 successes, ris-
  ing higher for more secret information.
  Failure: Three failed Skill rolls means the prisoner 
  cannot be broken by any means—his will is simply too 
  strong. The heroes are going to need another prisoner.
  InVEStIGAtIon
  The character seek information. This might pertain to 
  the whereabouts of a kidnapped person, the headquar-
  ters of a shadowy and sinister organization, the final rest-
  ing place of an ancient relic, or the location of a powerful 
  bomb whose timer is ticking down toward zero.
  Difficulty: Variable. Difficulty should be based on the 
  level of secrecy surrounding the information, the power 
  of an organization, or the antiquity of the object sought. 
  For instance, locating a missing explorer in a rural vil-
  lage might be Difficulty 2 if she has simply wandered off, 
  rising to 4 or 5 if she has been kidnapped by a sinister 
  cult. Something like finding the resting place of the Ark 
  of the Covenant might be Difficulty 7 or 8, and unmask-
  ing the head of a secret society Difficulty 8 or higher.
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Academics: History (ancient clues, similar patterns)
  * Anthropology (myths often make a good starting 
  point, especially for lost cities or legendary relics)
  * Art (detecting sacred geometry in paintings, spot-
  ting symbolism or other hidden references)
  * Bureaucracy (gaining access to documents, dealing 
  with officials)
  * Con (tricking people who may hold clues into re-
  vealing what they know)
  * Connoisseur (identifying brands of tobacco that 
  might lead to a specific tobacconist)
  * Empathy (determining if someone is lying or under-
  standing their motives)
  * Intimidation (coercing information)
  * Investigation (studying crime scenes, interviewing 
  witnesses, trawling through libraries)
  * Linguistics (breaking coded messages, lip reading 
  suspects’ conversations)
  * Perception (eavesdropping)
  * Spying (bribes, using forged documents to gain 
  access to restricted archives, glancing at paperwork on 
  someone’s desk)
  leagues of adventure
  
  
  * Stealth (tailing a suspect)
  * Streetwise (following up rumors, finding leads to 
  people who may have pertinent information).
  Skill Limit: A specific Skill may be used only once per 
  combat turn.
  Time: Varies. At minimum, each turn represents a day. 
  Trying to investigate well-protected or forgotten infor-
  mation might allow one roll per week, month, or year.
  Success: Varies. Finding something trivial may require 
  10 successes, while finding extremely old or protected 
  information might require 40+ successes.
  Failure: Each failed roll increases the Difficulty of all 
  subsequent actions, either because the party is follow-
  ing a false trail, they are exhausting potential sources of 
  information, or because someone is placing obstacles 
  in their path. Three failures leads to a dead end, forc-
  ing them to begin the investigation from scratch (all 
  successes are lost). Worse, if the party is investigating a 
  person or organization they are alerted to the characters’ 
  interest in their activities.
  MASS BAttlE
  While in most adventures the heroes will be exploring 
  and investigating, the globetrotters may find themselves 
  accidentally drawn into a conflict, or forced to protect 
  themselves from a horde of angry natives.
  Although it never appears in any of the movies, there 
  is a mass battle in King Solomon’s Mines.
  Difficulty: All combat Skills are opposed by the 
  enemy’s generic rating of 7 dice. Other Skills are typi-
  cally opposed by the enemy commander’s Intelligence. 
  An incompetent officer has 6 dice, a competent one 8 
  dice, and an outstanding one 10 dice.
  Modifiers: If the characters and their allies outnum-
  ber the enemy by less than 2:1, all rolls have a +1 modi-
  fier. A ratio of 2:1 or better gives +2, 5:1 or higher a +4 
  modifier, and 10:1 or greater a +8. The opposite applies 
  if the enemy has superior numbers.
  Other modifiers may apply depending on the spe-
  cific battlefield. For instance, if the enemy holds the 
  high ground, then the heroes might suffer a –2 penalty, 
  either for the entire battle or until they score a certain 
  number of successes, at which time they storm the hill, 
  denying the enemy their advantage. Possessing artillery 
  or machine guns when the enemy doesn’t, or if they have 
  less available, warrants a bonus based on the amount of 
  firepower available.
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Combat Skills (Archery, Brawl, Firearms, Gunnery, 
  Melee)
  * Con (feints, false retreats, and other subterfuge de-
  signed to confuse the enemy)
  * Empathy (deducing the enemy’s next move)
  * Expeditions (knowledge of terrain and organiza-
  tion)
  * Intimidation (orders)
  * Linguistics (deducing battlefield codes, such as 
  bugles, drums, or flags)
  * Ride (cavalry charge or maneuvering a formation to 
  a more advantageous position)
  * Stealth (camouflage, outflanking maneuvers)
  Skill Limit: Combat Skills (Brawl, Gunnery, etc.) 
  have no restrictions. In most cases, the battle should 
  allow both close combat and ranged Skills to be used 
  freely. Other Skills may be used only once per turn, and 
  each subsequent use imposes a cumulative –2 penalty as 
  men become jaded or the enemy becomes wise to the 
  character’s tactics.
  Time: Typically 30 minutes or one hour per roll.
  Success: A skirmish requires 10 successes, a modest 
  engagement 20, and a clash of mighty armies 30.
  Failure: Failed combat Skills inflict damage on the 
  character and subtract from the total number of group 
  successes. Other failed rolls subtract from the characters’ 
  accumulated successes. If the heroes end up with zero 
  successes or fewer at the end of a turn then the allied 
  army is defeated. The heroes may be captured or forced 
  to flee in ignominy.
  nAVIGAtE thE WIlDS
  Globetrotters frequently enter unexplored regions or 
  search for lost cities. In order to reach their goal, they 
  must navigate through the wilds. This extended action 
  only applies in unknown lands—expeditions with accu-
  rate maps or local guides rarely need to roll.
  Difficulty: Varies. The Getting Lost Difficulties from 
  Globetrotters’ Guide to Expeditions are ideal for this 
  extended action.
  Suggested Skills:
  * Academics (History is the most useful. Typically it 
  relates to previous expeditions or historical references)
  * Anthropology (placing locales mentioned in cryptic 
  mythological terms, cultural knowledge, minor archaeo-
  logical finds)
  * Athletics (overcoming terrain obstacles, such as 
  swimming rivers and climbing mountains)
  * Body (pushing on through fatigue, forced marches 
  to shorten the journey time)
  * Craft: Carpentry (building a raft to cross a river)
  * Diplomacy (talking to the natives, if any)
  * Expeditions (good organization, knowledge of the 
  terrain and how to cope with it)
  * Linguistics (deciphering ancient inscriptions or na-
  tive signposts)
  * Medicine (treating fatigue and minor injuries to 
  keep everyone in top condition)
  * Perception (identifying landmarks)
  * Pilot or Ride (covering ground quicker in vehicles 
  or on mounts)
  * Science (Biology: types of plants known to grow 
  only in a specific region; Geology: knowledge of rock 
  types may provide clues)
  Globetrotters’ Guide to Dramatic Developments
  
  
  * Survival (navigation, finding trails, hunting)
  Skill Limit: Each Skill may be used only once per 
  combat turn.
  Time: Each combat turn can represent one hour, one 
  day, or one week, depending on the distance the expedi-
  tion must travel.
  Success: 10 if a short distance, or the route is largely 
  known (such as through an old map), 20 for a moder-
  ately lengthy journey or if the expedition has scant infor-
  mation to go on, and 30 for a lengthy trip, or where the 
  final goal is known only in legend (i.e., a lost city).
  Failure: Each failure increases the difficulty of all 
  subsequent rolls by one. Instead of taking successes, a 
  globetrotter can elect to forfeit them and instead lower 
  the difficulty by one. At the Gamemaster’s discretion, a 
  failed roll may instead mean some sort of encounter oc-
  curs. This might involve a hungry animal, treacherous 
  terrain and a risk of injury, hostile natives, or natives who 
  wish to entertain the white men (giving the party chance 
  to use Skills like Diplomacy and Streetwise at the cost of 
  having their journey delayed).
  Three failed rolls in succession means the expedition 
  is totally lost. Reset the number of successes to zero.
  nEGotIAtIon
  The characters are charged with negotiating with an 
  important person. This might be a treaty between two 
  rival nations, convincing the chieftain to let you travel 
  through his lands, hiring bearers for an expedition to 
  a distant site, asking for a lady’s hand in marriage, or 
  convincing someone to turn traitor and reveal what they 
  know about a rival expedition.
  Difficulty: Skills used against the dignitary directly 
  are opposed by his Willpower rating. Other Skills have 
  Difficulty 3.
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Academics (quoting legal or historical precedent, 
  quoting philosophical arguments)
  * Anthropology (knowledge of local customs and 
  taboos)
  * Con (bluffing, seducing, or tricking)
  * Diplomacy (formal negotiation)
  * Empathy (detecting lies, reading body language, 
  understanding the dignitary’s motive)
  * Streetwise (uncovering rumors that might help in 
  the negotiation)
  Skill Limit: Each Skill may be used only once per 
  combat turn.
  Time: Each combat turn can represent one hour, one 
  day, or one week, depending on the seriousness of the 
  request and its possible repercussions.
  Success: 10 for a simple request, rising to 30 for ask-
  ing the dignitary to turn traitor.
  Failure: The negotiations end after three failures. A 
  character who succeeds in a Skill roll may trade the suc-
  cesses to remove an accrued failure.
  Special: The dignitary may have an advisor who ar-
  gues against the characters’ words. At the end of each 
  turn, after the characters are finished, he makes a suit-
  able Social Skill roll opposed by his master’s Willpower. 
  A successful roll inflicts a failure on the party.
  SInkInG fEElInG
  Travel by mechanical device is never risk free. A zep-
  pelin envelope may become torn or the engines seize, 
  causing the airship to plummet toward the ground. An 
  airplane might suffer broken wing struts with similarly 
  disastrous consequences. A submersible may begin to 
  inexplicably sink, causing the hull to buckle and crack 
  under the pressure. A mole machine may go out of con-
  trol and drift toward a lava pool or accelerate to such a 
  speed the drill risks breaking or the tracks shredding. In 
  most cases, simply stopping the machine’s momentum is 
  not enough to ensure safety.
  Difficulty: Typically Difficulty 3.
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Acrobatics (balancing while maneuvering outside)
  * Athletics or Strength (hauling ropes or heavy levers, 
  dumping ballast to lighten the vessel)
  * Craft (Electrics: reroute power to alternate systems 
  or rig a bypass to avoid damaged instruments; Mechan-
  ics: makeshift repairs)
  * Intimidation (ordering the crew)
  * Pilot (steering the vehicle)
  * Science: Engineering (deducing the cause of the 
  fault, planning repairs as a Teamwork bonus)
  Skill Limits: No Skill may be used more than once 
  per combat turn.
  Time: Each combat turn typically represents a few 
  minutes.
  Success: Guiding the vehicle to safety requires the 
  group to accumulate 20 successes.
  Failure: At the end of each turn, once every character 
  has performed an action, the vehicle suffers 4 dice of 
  damage to its Structure. Should the Structure be reduced 
  to zero, the vehicle crashes, explodes, or is otherwise 
  wrecked. How the globetrotters might escape is now up 
  to the Gamemaster.
  SMuGGlInG
  The characters are tasked with smuggling something 
  past official inspectors. For instance, they might have 
  to smuggle an archaeological artifact out of Cairo past 
  custom’s officials or guards, or deliver weapons to rebel 
  groups in a land ruled by a foreign colonial power. They 
  may even have to smuggle a person out of occupied ter-
  ritory (or a princess from her wicked uncle’s castle).
  Difficulty: The Difficulty depends on the vigilance of 
  the officials being bypassed and the size of the cargo. 
  leagues of adventure
  10
  
  Smuggling a single, small object past guards might 
  warrant Difficulty 2, but trying to bring a wagon full of 
  weapons past Prussian soldiers without the cargo being 
  inspected might be Difficulty 4 or 5.
  Suggested Skills:
  * Bureaucracy (expertise at dealing with officials)
  * Con (bluffing their way through)
  * Empathy (determining which guards are lax in car-
  rying out their duties)
  * Perception (watching out for officials approaching)
  * Spying (bribery, looking innocuous to avoid scru-
  tiny, producing forged paperwork)
  * Stealth (hiding the smuggled goods)
  Skill Limit: Each Skill may be used only once per 
  combat turn.
  Time: A combat turn typically represents a few min-
  utes, though trying to unload a shipment of arms unde-
  tected might take 30 minutes per roll.
  Success: Typically 20 successes.
  Failure: Three failures and the characters are caught 
  red-handed. At best, the officials may want to confiscate 
  the item. At worst, they intend to hold the characters 
  captive and try them, possibly as traitors or spies, de-
  pending on the nature of the cargo. The latter is a perfect 
  opportunity to run Escaping Captivity.
  tEAM SpoRtS
  In their course of their adventures the globetrotters 
  might be required to participate in a team sport. An In-
  dian maharaja may insist they partake in a polo match 
  before he will listen to their request for access to his 
  library, while two Leagues may demand a cricket match 
  to settle a dispute.
  For solo games, which covers everything from chess to 
  tennis, you should handle the action abstractly so as not 
  to spend too much time focusing on one character. The 
  quickest way is a single opposed roll. For instance, in a 
  game of chess, both characters make a single Gambling: 
  Board Games roll. Whoever scores the most successes 
  wins; a tie indicates stalemate. A slightly longer way (that 
  gives a globetrotter chance to claw his way back from 
  what looks like a defeat) is to have both participants 
  make three rolls. Whoever scores the most cumulative 
  successes is the winner.
  Difficulty: The difficulty varies with the skill of the 
  opposition. A team of very amateur players might war-
  rant difficulty 2, while professional players at the top of 
  their game could be Difficulty 5 (or higher).
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Anthropology (can be used to cover the rules of ob-
  scure games, as well as gain a cultural insight into how 
  the opposition is likely to react to a given play or move)
  * Attributes (Dexterity and Strength, representing raw 
  abilities rather than finesse, can almost always be used in 
  team sports)
  * Athletics (catching or throwing)
  * Con (bluffs and tricks)
  * Diplomacy (leadership)
  * Expeditions (organizing one’s team properly)
  * Intimidation (orders, aggressive tactics)
  * Melee (could be allowed for cricket, polo, or other 
  bat-based games)
  * Ride (polo)
  * Sports (the perfect Skill!)
  Skill Limits: There is no limit on Skill use during the 
  extended action, though novel use of Skills should be 
  rewarded with Style points.
  Time: Each combat turn represents anywhere from 
  10 minutes to a few hours, depending on the game.
  Success: In order to win, the globetrotters must se-
  cure 10-20 successes.
  Failure: Three failed rolls indicate the globetrotters 
  have lost the match. The contest can be deemed as closely 
  fought provided the globetrotters had achieved at least 75% 
  of the required successes before losing. Scoring around 50% 
  means the loss was more emphatic, while scoring around 
  25% or less means they were soundly thrashed.
  Detailed  
  Example
  Below is a detailed example of a group extended 
  action. The player characters, which are taken straight 
  from the core rulebook, are Mr. Lyle (played by Jim), a 
  temporal scientist; Fanhard (Steve) is an aristocratic ex-
  plorer; Cecilia (Maggie), a diligent correspondent; and 
  Professor Pennyworth (Tom), a crackpot antiquarian.
  The Gamemaster has spent a lot of time detailing a 
  lost city in the jungles of Mexico, but he’s run out of time 
  for the rest of the adventure. Since the real action takes 
  place in the crumbling city ruins, he quickly decides to 
  use the Group Extended Actions to handle the early parts 
  of the adventure.
  The Gamemaster breaks the group extended action 
  into two separate tasks—finding the information, and 
  then navigating the wilds to the lost city.
  finding the Information
  The characters have been drawn into the adventure 
  after finding a page torn from an ancient manuscript 
  stuffed into the back of a book they won at an auction. 
  Badly faded and with large parts illegible, it tells only of 
  a Spanish expedition to locate a city whose people were 
  renowned for their extensive use of jade. The chronicler 
  claims the Spanish never found the city, and that several 
  expeditions sent to search for it never returned from the 
  dense jungle.
  Difficulty: The city has been lost for centuries, but 
  there are references to it in mythology and early litera-
  ture. The Gamemaster sets the base difficulty at 3—he 
  wants them to find the location without too many prob-
  •         •
  Globetrotters’ Guide to Dramatic Developments
  11
  
  lems—though he’s willing to lower or raise that depend-
  ing on the characters’ chosen actions.
  Suggested Skills: 
  * Academics: History (ancient clues, similar patterns)
  * Bureaucracy (gaining access to documents, dealing 
  with officials)
  * Con (tricking people who may hold clues into re-
  vealing what they know)
  * Connoisseur (identifying brands of tobacco)
  * Empathy (determining if someone is lying or under-
  standing their motives)
  * Intimidation (coercing information)
  * Investigation (studying crime scenes, interviewing 
  witnesses, trawling through libraries)
  * Linguistics (breaking coded messages, lip reading 
  suspects)
  * Stealth (tailing a suspect)
  * Streetwise (following up rumors, finding leads to 
  people who may have pertinent information).
  Skill Limit: A specific Skill may be used only once per 
  combat turn.
  Time: How long the search takes has no bearing on 
  the story. The Gamemaster arbitrarily decides that each 
  combat turn takes half a day (around 4-6 hours).
  Success: The Gamemaster decides that 15 successes 
  will be required.
  Failure: Each failed roll increases the Difficulty of 
  all subsequent actions as the party exhausts sources of 
  information. Three failures lead to a dead end, forcing 
  them to begin the investigation from scratch (all suc-
  cesses are lost).
  The Gamemaster allows the heroes to act in whatever 
  order they want. Professor Pennyworth’s player decides 
  to go first.
  Pennyworth (Tom): (to GM) I have both Academics 
  and Anthropology, the latter specializing in folklore. Can 
  I roll to see what I know from common legends?
  Gamemaster: Sure. They’re both 6, so roll one and 
  give yourself a +2 bonus for Skill Synergy from the 
  other.
  Pennyworth (Tom): (to GM) 5 successes. So that’s 
  two after accounting for the difficulty.
  Gamemaster: No. It’s a fairly well known myth in 
  certain circles, so the difficulty is only 1. That nets you 
  four successes! You know the city lies somewhere in the 
  Yucatan, but that’s about all. You do recall that the rul-
  ers were buried inside pyramids, wearing elaborate jade 
  masks shaped like the heads of animals. That roll only 
  takes a few minutes—you’re just recounting information 
  you know already.
  Mr. Lyle (Jim): All this history isn’t really my cup of 
  tea, but I do have Investigation. I’m going to the British 
  Museum Reading Rooms to see what I can find.
  Cecilia (Maggie): Hang on a moment. I have Linguis-
  tics and I speak Spanish. Maybe I can work out some of 
  the faded text. It might give us a name of an explorer we 
  can research.
  Pennyworth (Tom): I should have tried that! My 
  Deciphering is 7!
  Cecilia (Maggie): You can try next round if I fail. 
  Okay, I’ve scored 3 successes. Is that enough to learn 
  anything?
  Gamemaster: The GM was going to make the Dif-
  ficulty 3, but he wants to keep the action moving for-
  ward. It’s enough for 1 success. You can just about make 
  out the name Ernaldo de Cadiz.
  Mr. Lyle (Jim): Great! We’ll look him up in the library. 
  He must have heard the rumors of the lost city from 
  somewhere. Maybe he wrote them down, or mentioned 
  a source. Can I make my Research roll?
  Gamemaster: Not yet. The official behind the desk 
  says the old books are very fragile and can only be viewed 
  with permission from his boss. He’s at lunch, and might 
  not be back for several hours.
  Fanhard (Steve): Leave this to me. “Unless you deal 
  with this gentleman’s request immediately I shall have 
  words about your behavior to your superiors at the club 
  tonight!”
  Mr. Lyle (Jim): (to Steve) You don’t really know his 
  boss, do you?
  Fanhard (Steve): No, but he doesn’t know that. Can 
  I roll Intimidation?
  Gamemaster: Roll away!
  Fanhard (Steve): I have Intimidation: Orders 6. Can 
  I use my Status to give me another two dice if I tell the 
  minion my name?
  Gamemaster: Sure. He’s very much middle class, and 
  he won’t want to upset a peer of the realm, especially 
  one who claims to know his boss.
  Fanhard (Steve): Five successes.
  Gamemaster: His eyes widen and he scurries off into 
  the archives. About 30 minutes later he returns with sev-
  eral books and pairs of cotton gloves. “These are all the 
  books we have on Spanish expeditions, my lord,” he says 
  politely. The Difficulty to have him follow your instruc-
  tions was only 3 (his Willpower), so that’s two successes. 
  Since he’s brought you a good selection of books on the 
  exact topic you want you can carry those extra two suc-
  cesses over to your total. That gives you 7 now.
  Mr. Lyle (Jim): I’ll tip him a shilling for his efforts. 
  Okay, time for my Investigation: Research roll. Seven 
  dice and...five successes! Hang on; I want to spend some 
  Style points. I think two should be enough.
  Gamemaster: Each Style point is an extra die, so roll 
  two more dice.
  Mr. Lyle (Jim): Yes! Two more successes; giving me 
  a total of 9!
  Gamemaster: Wow! That’s another six toward your 
  total. One of the volumes specifically makes mention of 
  Ernaldo Cadiz and his ill-fated expedition. It says Cadiz 
  heard the tale from Spanish missionaries, who learned 
  about it from the Aztecs. According to the tales, the city 
  lay just south on the confluence of two rivers, right next 
  to a waterfall known as the Whispering Spirits.
  Pennyworth (Tom): We need a map of the area, re-
  ally. Chances are the Hollow Earth Society has maps in its 
  archives. We should go there.
  Gamemaster: That will have to wait until tomorrow 
  leagues of adventure
  1
  
  now—by the time you wade through the books it will be 
  deep into the evening.
  Pennyworth (Tom): You said my roll only took min-
  utes. Is there anything else I can do?
  Gamemaster: Well you can’t really act on the infor-
  mation Lyle just learned as it happens later in the day, 
  and any other research might just duplicate what he 
  knows. How about we say you used the time to arrange 
  the expedition’s supplies?
  Pennyworth (Tom): Works for me. Do you need a list 
  of everything we want?
  Gamemaster: No. Once you know where you’re 
  heading we’ll use the rules from the Globetrotters’ Guide 
  to Expeditions to handle securing funds. We’ll use the 
  Equipment Dice rules as well to save time.
  Okay, the morning dawns. You’ve all met up for 
  breakfast and you’re up to speed on the investigations at 
  the library. Where next?
  Pennyworth (Tom): I say we stick with my sugges-
  tion and go check out the Hollow Earth Society’s maps. 
  There are a lot of cenotes in the Yucatan, and we might 
  have maps of the region in the hope one of the cenotes 
  leads to the Hollow Earth.
  Gamemaster: Good call. Have a Style point.
  Pennyworth (Tom): I want to use Investigation, and 
  add in my Hollow Earth Society Social bonus.
  Gamemaster: Sure. Being a member of good stand-
  ing will get you better access, and the help of a resident 
  archivist to help speed up the search.
  Pennyworth (Tom): Okay, that gives me 8 dice. Since 
  they might be in foreign languages, can I get a Skill Syn-
  ergy bonus from my Linguistics?
  Gamemaster: You don’t want much do you? Roll the 
  dice, mate!
  Pennyworth (Tom): That’s ten dice in total! Six suc-
  cesses! Please tell me that’s enough to find something?
  Gamemaster: It’s enough to find something. Al-
  though the city isn’t marked, there is a map clearly show-
  ing two rivers joining just before a waterfall.
  Okay, you’ve found everything you can to help you 
  locate the City of Jade. Let’s move onto securing funds. 
  Who thinks their League might be able to help them? Yes, 
  Maggie, Cecilia can call upon her newspaper—they’re al-
  ways interested in stories of exploration and adventure.
  Journey to the city
  The globetrotters have successfully secured funding 
  from the Times newspaper and the Hollow Earth Soci-
  ety. Pennyworth’s mysterious backer has thrown in his 
  personal money as well, but in return he wants a very 
  specific artifact supposedly buried with one of the an-
  cient rulers—a jade amulet in the form of a miniature 
  calendar wheel. Pennyworth is unsure how his patron 
  knows this information or why he wants this particular 
  piece. An investigation for another day, perhaps?
  The globetrotters sail to Cancun on the eastern coast 
  of the Yucatan. There they hire bearers and prepare to 
  embark on the long overland trek.
  Difficulty: The predominant terrain is jungle, which 
  is Difficulty 3 using the rules from the Globetrotters’ 
  Guide to Expeditions.
  Suggested Skills:
  * Academics (History is the most useful. Typically it 
  relates to previous expeditions or historical references)
  * Anthropology (placing locales mentioned in cryptic 
  mythological terms, cultural knowledge, minor archaeo-
  logical finds)
  * Athletics (overcoming terrain obstacles)
  * Body (pushing on through fatigue, forced marches 
  to shorten the journey time)
  * Craft: Carpentry (building a raft to cross a river)
  * Expeditions (good organization, knowledge of the 
  terrain and how to cope with it)
  * Linguistics (deciphering ancient inscriptions or na-
  tive signposts)
  * Medicine (treating fatigue and minor injuries)
  * Perception (identifying landmarks)
  * Pilot or Ride (covering ground quicker)
  * Science (Biology: types of plants known to grow 
  only in a specific region; Geology: knowledge of rock 
  types may provide clues)
  * Survival (navigation, finding trails, hunting)
  Skill Limit: Each Skill may be used only once per 
  combat turn, though the Gamemaster will allow Team-
  work Bonuses using the same Skill.
  Time: Each combat turn represents one week.
  Success: The characters know roughly where they 
  are going thanks to the map (Which they have borrowed 
  from the Hollow Earth Society as part of their funding), 
  so the Gamemaster sets the number of successes at 10.
  Failure: Each failure increases the difficulty of all 
  subsequent rolls by one. Instead of taking successes, a 
  globetrotter can elect to forfeit them and instead lower 
  the difficulty by one. At the Gamemaster’s discretion, a 
  failed roll may instead mean some sort of encounter oc-
  curs. This might involve a hungry animal, treacherous 
  terrain and a risk of injury, hostile natives, or natives who 
  wish to entertain the white men (giving the party chance 
  to use Skills like Diplomacy and Streetwise at the cost of 
  having their journey delayed).
  Three failed rolls in succession means the expedition 
  is totally lost. Reset the number of successes to zero.
  Mr Lyle (Jim): I have the highest Expeditions in the 
  group. I want to plan our journey—deciding the best 
  general route, plotting distances to make sure we’re not 
  too tired, rationing provisions, that sort of thing.
  Gamemaster: Okay. You know the terrain is predomi-
  nantly jungle and you have a map, so you can make your 
  deductions based on what you know.
  Mr Lyle (Jim): Six successes.
  Gamemaster: Great. Thanks to your general expedi-
  tion knowledge the journey should be much easier on 
  the party. Although you’ve rolled now, your successes 
  manifest every few days as you continue to chart your 
  progress and make adjustments. That’s three down! 
  Okay, who wants to go next?
  Cecilia (Maggie): Me! Assuming we meet some Indi-
  Globetrotters’ Guide to Dramatic Developments
  1
  
  ans, I want to talk to them to see if there are any dangers 
  along our route, or if they know any short cuts. I have 
  Streetwise 6, with a Specialization in Rumors. Does my 
  Linguistics give me a Synergy bonus?
  Gamemaster: No, it doesn’t, but it does allow you 
  to attempt the roll. Rumors won’t help you, either—you 
  want hard facts, not hearsay and gossip.
  Cecilia (Maggie): How about Diplomacy? If I’m 
  friendly and polite they may be more inclined to share 
  what they know with strangers.
  Gamemaster: I’ll allow that.
  Cecilia (Maggie): Eight dice and just three lousy suc-
  cesses! I won’t spend any Style points—we’re likely to 
  need them later.
  Gamemaster: The Indians you meet start off friendly, 
  but as soon as they work out where you’re heading they 
  clam up and pretend they can’t understand you. I’m 
  afraid you’ve done nothing to boost your total.
  Fanhard (Steve): I know we haven’t failed any rolls 
  yet, but can I use my Survival to try and lower the dif-
  ficulty? Lyle has worked out a rough route, but my practi-
  cal knowledge of this sort of terrain might help speed 
  up our journey. Things like finding animal trails rather 
  than hacking a route through the jungle, and sticking to 
  higher ground so we can try and spot landmarks, or at 
  least use the stars to plot a more accurate position.
  Gamemaster: Yes, that’s fine. Your Difficulty right 
  now is 3. Get at least one success and I’ll lower it by 1.
  Fanhard (Steve): Hmmm, I’ve only for four dice. 
  Nothing else really fits.
  Pennyworth (Tom): I haven’t acted yet. I could use 
  my Survival 4 to provide a Teamwork Bonus. Two minds 
  are better than one, old boy.
  Fanhard (Steve): That gives us 6 dice. Better odds, 
  but still not guaranteed. Okay, here goes! Argh, just one 
  success!
  Cecilia (Maggie): Spend Style points! If you don’t 
  the Difficulty will increase to 4. We’ll never find the city 
  before we run out of provisions.
  Fanhard (Steve): I’ll have to spend all three. Oh well, 
  better than dying of some nasty disease or turning to 
  cannibalism. Yes, two more successes!
  Gamemaster: Okay. You haven’t added any more 
  successes to the total, but the base Difficulty is now 2. 
  Right, you’ve all acted once, so that’s one week done. 
  Cross off provisions.
  Cecilia (Maggie): I want to try talking to the natives 
  again. This time I’m going to lie and say we’re looking 
  for my father, who has gone missing in the jungle. I’ll 
  make only passing reference to the waterfall, perhaps as 
  a landmark that will help us find our bearings. That’s 
  Con, right?
  Gamemaster: Yep. You’re in a different part of the 
  jungle now, so word of the white explorers looking for 
  the City of Jade won’t have reached this far yet.
  Cecilia (Maggie): Five successes! That’s much better. 
  Is the Difficulty still 2 because of Steve’s roll?
  Gamemaster: No. It’s based on their Will, but that 
  just happens to be 2. So that’s another three successes 
  toward your total. They tell you that you can take a short 
  cut, but it involves climbing a sheer cliff down which 
  pours a waterfall. It’s not the waterfall you want, but the 
  climb should shave a couple of days off your journey.
  Fanhard (Steve): Climbing comes under Athletics. I 
  have 5 dice, so I can lead the way and find an easy path.
  Mr. Lylea (Jim): I’ve only got Expeditions. What if 
  I use that to arrange the equipment so we each have 
  a more manageable load? Maybe tie some of the packs 
  together so we can haul them up after we reach the top. 
  Might as well make this roll count, right?
  Gamemaster: That makes good sense.
  Fanhard (Steve): So that’s 7 dice now. You want to 
  throw anything in, Pennyworth?
  Pennyworth (Tom): Hell yeah. I’ll forfeit my turn to 
  use my Athletics 4 for a Teamwork bonus. Together we’ll 
  hopefully be able to spot an easy route.
  Cecilia (Maggie): Hang on! This is the start of a new 
  week. If you both forfeit your goes to help Fanhard, then 
  won’t we have wasted an entire week trying to climb the 
  cliff? We’d be better sticking to the planned route.
  Gamemaster: Don’t forget you made your roll to talk 
  to the natives. That took place a few days into this week, 
  and then you had to reach the cliff. At best you’ll lose 
  a day or two, but it’s a tricky climb—he might have to 
  make several attempts, and they all take time.
  Tom, only one character per turn can use Teamwork 
  on a single roll. You’ll have to wait your turn.
  Pennyworth (Tom): Oh. Okay.
  Fanhard (Steve): Better wish me luck after my last 
  roll! (Rattle rattle) Six successes. Phew! I guess I find a 
  route up, then?
  Gamemaster: You manage to make it first time. The 
  route was much easier than it looked from the ground, 
  and the entire expedition is up and moving forward in 
  under a day. That’s another four successes to the total, so 
  you’re up to 11 now.
  The party has now scored enough successes to reach 
  their goal. However, since the Gamemaster said this 
  wasn’t the waterfall they were looking for, and the 
  globetrotters have no idea how many successes they 
  needed, he asks for another roll at the start of week 3. 
  Any success will be enough to reach the city.
  Lyle (Jim): We can’t be far away now! That cliff isn’t 
  on the map, so I don’t know exactly. Still, if we follow the 
  river upstream it might lead us to the lost city.
  Pennyworth (Tom): How about another Athletics roll 
  to make a hard push? If Fanhard rolls and I help that’s 7 
  dice. At Difficulty 2 we should be okay.
  Fanhard (Steve): Let’s do it! I can almost taste the 
  fame and fortune! Four successes!
  Gamemaster: Machetes swinging you hack through 
  the jungle. Suddenly the dense undergrowth gives way 
  to reveal a clearing. Within it stand the crumbling re-
  mains of stepped pyramids and vine choked buildings. 
  Your gasps of amazement and relief at reaching your goal 
  quickly turn to gasps of shock as dozens of arrows thud 
  into the ground at your feet. Emerging from the ruins are 
  a dozen Indians, and they don’t look happy to see you!
  leagues of adventure
  1
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Leagues of Adventure/Globetrotters Guides/Globetrotters Guide to Dramatic Developments.pdf