Ceteri B Team Recap Session 10, Season 3

This week the team has its big fight!

Amos figured out where the next attack was going to be and the group staked the house out, turns out to be the former house of Timothy a member of the team who vanished and was Dillon's brother. Unfortunately when the team arrives Henry sees the bad guy drinking tea in the kitchen and the residents tied up in the garage., so much for stealthily saving them.
Henry informs his companions and they go through a side door with Dillon picking the lock. As they enter they trip a magical trap that hits them for 5 HP, except for Lorenzo who avoids it entirely.
The bad guy seems not to have noticed so Henry cuts the prisoners loose and escorts them outside while the others prepare for a fight. Henry warns the family to get out of here and go to a hotel or something and the place is likely to be a crime scene and secured by the police -if they can stop the killer and to keep low if they dont stop him.  They needed little encouragement and head out in a hurry.
Note: Some of this recap will include mechanics for GURPS readers to follow along and others to get a feel for the system. This is basically a Boss fight, so its going to be extra hard. Also, as my narratives are this is from Henry's point of view as hes my character. See the GM's recap here

A Tea Party?

Henry has been keep his ear open for sounds of fighting so knows he has time to see the family off.  However as he heads back into the garage he finds it empty and the door into the house ajar. Looking through the walls (lovely ability, Penetrating Vision 2 for seeing through up to one foot of material) he sees the others talking with the bad guy in the kitchen. That's odd...

Henry approaches (gun drawn) to hear them talking, sees a dead body on the floor and the villain introducing himself and discussing his plans and how he laid this trap for the team. His name is Billy Bedlam and hes been killing people for hundreds of years (see Jack the Ripper). Also the reason he looks so much like Timothy is they have the same father-Caine (as in Caine and Abel), meaning Dillon isnt just a distant relation but a direct son of Caine himself. Yep, this guy is one bad dude and probably impossible to kill. He tells the team as Henry comes into the entrance that his boss says not to kill them and his mission was just to summon his boss which he has already done. As Henry here's this Billy finishes his tea and politely asks if were going to let him go or if hes going to have to kill us. Amos seems to err on the smart side and is inclined to let him go, and Henry is trying to figure out a way he can try to stop him without getting everyone else killed when Billy brags how he scattered the cursed objects around as part of the trap. That seems enough to push Dillon over the edge, which is noticed by Billy who he really seems to want to fight.

At that point everyone seems to have decided there is no choice...

Fight!

William (Billy) starts things off by fast drawing his knife and trying to slash Dillon's fingers (not going for a lethal strike seriously showing his confidence) but Dillon Fast-Draws his own knife and Parries then counter attacks with a strike to the vitals, also Parried.

Lorenzo whips out his shield and tries to smash William in the head but gets Judo parried for his efforts. Henry fires three quick shots at Williams face (Targeted Attack Guns!/Face),his revolver was loaded for a spirit or Doppelganger fight so hes just hoping to blind him. Salt Rock, Holy Water filled round than a Baton round, all dodged or parried. Amos fires off a Reactive Ward but William's amulet counters it. 

Turn 2: William follows up his Judo parry and throws Lorenzo to the ground between him and Henry. He then slashes at Dillons neck but is parried, Dillon counters with an attack that is again parried. Lorenzo opts to stay on the ground to give Henry clear line of fire and tries to stab William in the foot with his spear, but of course William defends. Henry fires his remaining two rounds (5 round shotgun revolver) this time rifled slugs but they are dodged, his remaining attack is used to empty the revolver (Henry has Extra Attack with same weapon and can be used as a Ready and uses one of his attacks as a Ranged Rapid Strike, he can fire 3 rounds at full skill). Amos figures out the necklace is an Aegis Amulet which is a very effective magic defense.

Turn 3: William tries to kick Lorenzo in the nuts but is blocked, then slashes at Dillon who parries then counterattacks and gets himself Judo parried. Henry Crits his Fast Draw roll and the GM rules hes able to grab the speed loader and load it as a Free Action. This one is all rifled slugs and he fires off three, 2 dodged and one parried with the knife. Yay, he can parry bullets with his knife.

Amos fores off a Paling spell which surrounds William and hopefully will injure him if he touches it.

Turn 4: William sneers at Amos and tells them that wont hold him long, then starts a Dispelling spell. (GURPS uses one second Turns but generally allows short speeches like this because its cool). Dillon throws two shuriken at Williams knee and one actually hits, though seems not to be noticed. Lorenzo makes another stab and its parried. Henry shoots his last two rounds as a Ranged Rapid Strike, using his remaining Ready to holster the revolver. Amos tosses an insect swarm summoning herbal but its caught with Williams foot who plays hacky sack with it while easily dodging and parrying everyone's attacks. Show off.

Turn 5: William continues casting.Dillon slashes at the neck hoping to cut off the amulet or grab it but is dodged. Lorenzo manages to scratch Williams hand with his spear. Henry considers trying to slam William and knock him into the barrier spell but figures hell just dodge then stab Henry in the back so Fast Draws his regular pistol so he doesn't have to waste time reloading. He knows it wont hurt as bad but at this point he figures ts better to fire as many times as possible and hope he gets lucky. Amos scoops up the hot teakettle with his staff.

Turn 6: William finishes his spell and easily removes the barrier. Dillion again goes for the neck and amulet while Lorenzo acrobatically gets up and tries a stab at Williams back. Both are easily defended against even though hes still playing hacky sack. Henry activates a charm to increase his Accuracy then fires off two more shots at the face,  but all are dodged. Amos slings the teakettle at Williams feet, burning him slightly and hoping it makes the wax floor slippery.

Turn 7: William apparently decides to stop playing around. He kicks the herbal into the air, grabbing it with his boot and activates a charm giving him Altered Time Rate and then runs to Henry's side and tries to stab him twice in the vitals. Henry tries a Feverish Defense and dodges both. Dillon throws two knives at William, dodged of course. Lorenzo moves up a bit, avoiding slipping on the water and readies his spear while calling for Henry to get behind him. Henry does just that, but its a full move so cant attack. Amos drops a sleep pastille on the stove but it has no effect (Amos not surprised but running out of options as is everyone else). Everyone else is now in the living room.

Turn 8: William charges Lorenzo triggering his Wait and causing him get stabbed in the leg and drop the herbal. Insects are summoned but don't seem to bother him.William then slashes at Lorenzo and Dillon, and Dillon takes a nasty hit to the face. Dillon makes a couple of HT rolls but has Unstoppable (MH Power-Up) and stabs back, missing. Lorenzo uses his Medic! to to an instant patch on Dillon, removing the knife and stopping the bleeding. Henry fires 3 shots but all are dodged. Amos directs the swarm.

Turn 9: William tries another set of slashes against Lorenzo and Dillon but they dodge, Dillon counters and actually lands a hit, cutting Williams throat! Lorenzo stabs but is dodged. Henry finally comes up with an idea and switches his Learned Prayer from "Track Prey" (Enhanced Tracking and Peripheral Vision) to "Wings of an Angel" (Altered Time Rate for movement only) and fires two shots at Williams vitals which are of course dodged. Amos reminds William that his master does not want any of us killed to which he replies "Nothing was said about your condition" and brags about how his knives were covered in his shit.

Turn 10: William stabs Henry in the abdomen, requiring two HT checks (Henry and Dillon both have HT 14, Very Fit, and Very Rapid Healing so are good at making HT rolls) and trades blows with Dillon. Lorenzo stabs and misses and Henry runs past everyone and barely into the garage, taking a full Move to do so (is at half Move from damage) and using his remaining turn to activate a healing charm. Amos stands in the kitchen and crosses his arms.

Turn 11: William stabs Lorenzo, nearly killing him and knocking him unconscious. Dillon stabs and misses. Henry thinking he has a clever idea uses his Clear Sight (Penetrating Vision plus other vision abilities) to aim through the sheet rock wall at the back of Williams head, avoiding the wall studs. Unfortunately William dodges two of the three shots (Henry was hoping for surprise plus back penalties but he seems to have Danger Sense) and the bullet that enters his skull is not enough to stop him. Amos stands there, apparently waiting to die.

Turn 12: William Trades misses with Dillon while closing on Amos and Henry continues firing to no avail.

Turn 13: William grans Amos'es hand and sticks it on the hot stove but Amos uses Auto-hypnosis to ignore the pain. Dillon attacks but is dodged, Henry manages to get another hit in the head to no apparent effect. Amos stands there not presenting a threat or resisting.

Turn 14: William, frustrated at an unresisting Amos sheathes his knife and walks out. Dillon and Henry both attack as he leaves but he easily dodges.

Turn 15: Headed out of combat time. Dillon uses First Aid on Lorenzo as Henry runs back into the room. Henry tries to figure out which one to cast his Lesser Succor on (which would still take 5 minutes) as both Dillon and Lorenzo are seriously injured when Amos coldly and impatiently tells him to use Greater Succor, prompting him to remember* he has another charm. Used on Lorenzo it fully heals him and then he casts his spell on Dillon only partially healing him. 

Lorenzo does his Medic! thing on Dillon and Amos while Henry asks the team if they want to stick around for the police or leave the scene while he calls them. With all the gunfire they should already be on the way but its been less than a minute since the first shots were fired. They elect to stay and Henry calls 911 and then Detective Gosnell, since this was really her case plus its handy to have a friendly face on the scene..

* He really didnt have an extra but the GM prompted Henry could use a Destiny point for a gizmo to have it.

Aftermath

The police arrive and are talked to by Henry and Lorenzo while Amos nods quietly and Dillon tries not to bleed everywhere. Henry called them, has a PI Licence, gun permit, and a +1 reputation with the police department so takes the lead, while Lorenzo is a volunteer firefighter, local hero and all around charming guy. There is blood everywhere but everyone is wrapped in bandages so the magically healed wounds cant be seen without taking them off.

The team is taking to the station and interrogated for a few hours until the family is reached and corroborates the story. As they leave they are given a standing ovation by the police on duty.

They didnt catch the guy but obviously put their lives on the line trying to stop a serial killer and gave the police valuable information and a description. Henry makes certain that its clear that the guy is incredibly dangerous and seems to feel no pain. He hopes that is enough to keep the uniforms cautious.

When he has a private moment with Det. Gosnell, Henry explains that this guy killed more people than she thought and offers her his files. Some details are left unsaid but he tells her that they figured out he was targeting those suspected of murder for some ritualistic killing and that pattern led him to the house and why he had to bring his victim there instead of killing the family for it.

Also he lets her know that the surviving patient was a serial killer himself and she should get a warrant based on his relation to the crimes as he may have been an accomplice who had outlived his usefulness. Its not true but that will let her find evidence of his previous crimes as he likely kept trophies. Closing out some old cases should be good for her career and bring some justice to the families. Also a prosecutor and the department might want to pursue the accomplice angle (He was the only victim left alive) and tidy things up "in the public interest" (meaning good press and a prosecutor owing her a favor).

 Henry has Charisma +1, Savoir-Faire (Police),  and Talker! to do this subtly so as to avoid any implications.

Postmortem

This was a really tough fight. Overall we handled ourselves pretty well in making the best calls we could, we were just totally outclassed.  However in review there were a couple of mistakes made and things we should work on going forward.

Henry probably should have used Fast-Firing technique (he paid for it after all) after pulling out the smaller pistol. He was hoping for a critical hit to bypass the parries or dodges but with Fast-Firing he could have shot 5 rounds instead of 3; still 3 dodge rolls but two attacks would have had 2 bullets each (RoF 2, Recoil 3) which means if he failed to Dodge he could have been hit with two bullets. I especially should have tried that on the first shot through the wall when I though I had an improved chance to hit him. It likely would have made no difference but it should have been tried.

I did try and consider other ammo options, tear gas, smoke, but decided they would hurt the others in the team more than William. Dillon and Amos would have ignored the tear gas,and Amos could have used his Bat charm for the smoke but it seemed too risky. However going forward its a tactic we should be prepared to use.
I was really proud of the idea of running behind a wall to shoot him from behind and out of sight and I think it would have worked on most foes. But I dont think it really got through his DR, regardless it was way too little for him to care about.

Also we need to prepare some area effect attacks that indirectly affect the target such as glycerin/grease grenades or magic ice slicks. Using them in tight quarters will be an issue but we could have sure footed charms. I doubt it would have worked on William as he seemed very agile but other foes dodge well too so its something to consider.

Also Henry needs a light prayer or spell that blinds, I made one up to run by the GM for after the break and it would work for his upcoming Wuxxia game too. That really would not have worked here because of his amulet but could be handy against vampires and werewolves.

Finally, Henry still seems a liability in combat and seemed to do the least damage (if any) of the three fighters, and Amos does more damage and has more versatility with his staff sling when he uses that. Not sure how or if I can address that.

Ceteri - Team B Season 3 Session 8.3

Its been four and a half months of training hunting, and more training for the team.
GM Recap here
Lorenzo has been pretty much running things at the firehouse and Dillion doing contract jobs, while Amos and Henry each have put in massive hours of intense training. Amos learned more magic and some combat training from his Aunt Justine, and Henry magic training from his familiar Bishop.
Henry has been checking in at the job and doing a few quick jobs here and there but also done some hunting and had some work done on the house to prepare for his new role.
He consecrated his house and the back yard, added some books to his library, had a forge built in the backyard, a charm making work space, and an armoury (firearms) shop in the basement.  He bought a new 12 gauge revolver so that he can have a variety of special rounds for monster hunting.

A New Case

Feb 15th Henry gets a call from Detective Ronnie Gosnell over at Boston Metro who requests he comes over to a suicide that she does not think is really a suicide. Shes got good instincts and tends to get handed the strange cases nobody else wants. So Henry immediately heads over. 

They talk while Henry looks over the scene, the victims wrists were cut very deeply and there was some occult writing on a window. Henry decides to call in the team.

Meanwhile Amos is trying to catch up on his sleep and doing his best to ignore a giant raven throwing pebbles at his window. Poor bird cant get past the magical wards around the house.

Dillion comes home and the bird asks him to wake Amos up.  Conversation and weird things occur before Henry calls to arrange a meeting.

Gathering of Clues

Combining their resources the group determines there has been one of these suicides every day since the beginning of the month, except one guy critically wounded but not dead. Henry and Lorenzo go to Boston General to check on the survivor, Lorenzo charms his doctor friend Gina and Henry requests to see the patient and (rolling a 5 on Talker!) Henry manages to persuade her its related to a case. Lorenzo and Amos check out the firehouse where another victim was killed and find more symbols.  Amos checks the lines and it turns out everyone was killed on a line and in an order that leads to the next likely murder.

They decide to stake it out.

End Session

Short session, but we were on a roll in the clue department and it was getting late for a fight.

During the intervening time the team spent time training together and monster hunting and built up knowledge of each other and they all know about Henry's Clear Sight, Bishop, and that Henry can now cast spells and learned to actively use his Mystic powers (Divine Favor). Spell lists were also shared so we have an idea on what can be cast.

Ceteri - Team B Season 1 Interlude: It's Magic!

After stopping the cultists from summoning a Nameless One (you really dont want to know what that is) some things happened...

4 months later...

Alice (Amos's Aunt) moved into his place till she finds a new place to live. She has spent most of this time giving Amos some intense magical training. He was a powerful Hedge mage already but the lack of formal training had left a few holes she seeks to fill in.  He also started working at the Library, some mystical place that is a storehouse of magical knowledge.

Lorenzo finished off the Hunter's Trade training for Dillon and Henry, with a few guest spots from Amos. This helped him brush up on and practice some of his skills as well, handy since his foster mother told him he was getting sloppy. Hes also managed to make time with that comely doctor that treated Henry and of course hold down the fort at the firehouse where he volunteers.

Dillon found some benefit in the Hunter's Trade training but mostly the noncombat stuff. He also has been going to vocational skill to learn metal smithing and practicing with making esoteric armor. Hes also found himself some work as a white hat for local construction jobs.

Henry did not spend nearly enough time learning the martial side as he probably should have because after that night he had a Visitation. Horus came to see him!
Henry was told he needs to learn more about his abilities and that his falcon Bishop is his familiar and will help teach him how to cast spells and learn more about his powers. Something really bad is coming and Henry has to get ready.
After 4 months Henry has learned a few spells he can cast, given the time and circumstances and picked up some special prayers he can use. He also has shared his special sight with the rest of the team. It was nerve wracking but Amos just grunted and acted like he knew all along (probably did) and the rest just took it in stride. After years of fearing people would think he was insane or should be dissected the result was pretty much a relief.

On the Hunt

Of course the monsters havent been totally silent these past months and the group has been patrolling and taken down a few as well as collected a few more cursed objects. No details on the guy dropping them around town yet but hes definitely out there.  Dropped a Monky's Paw among other things. Plus some vampires thought they could move into town.  The group knows each other much better by now and Henry has picked up some new tactics and gear.  Using the Hunters training plus his already expert knowledge of firearms he set up a reloading workshop in the basement and test firing range for exotic ammunition.  Also called purchased some from various sources. He picked up a 12 gauge revolver and has everything from Baton, Bean bag, and tear gas rounds (See GURPS High-Tech) for handling cultists, wooden slugs for vampires, silver bullets for werewolves, rock salt and hollowed slugs with holy water for demons and spirits, and a bunch of other stuff for special circumstances.

Ceteri Team Recap - Stop the cultists!

When we last left our intrepid band of hunters they were outside a church run by cultists engaged in a summoning ritual.
GMs Recap

As they approach they see an otherworldly light coming from the windows and as they get close Alice senses that they are summoning a Nameless one. Henry asks what the plan should be and impatiently waits for a response (ok, barely waits) then declares lets go through a broken window since the door is more likely guarded. Hes anxious with several known hostages inside and the ritual already started that any delay may cost lives. He and Dillon head to a an empty window casement to the left of the entrance, while Amos and Lorenzo head for the door.
The door is unlocked and Lorenzo runs into a guard and shield bashes him before more rush him.  Dillon jumps into the window with Henry right behind him. Meanwhile Alice sets up a barrier around the church to contain things.
Dillon rushes the nearest cultist, and caves his skull in with his fist. Henry has one rush and try to punch him, which he dodges.
Lorenzo pushes in further and is surrounded by wave after wave of cultists which he slowly takes out, while deflecting their attacks and Amos uses his sling to back him up.
Dillon also gets swamped, Henry tries to back him up but is much less effective, especially since he tries to avoid killing them and targets legs instead of the head shots he normally favors (Targeted Attack/Gun/Face) but a few peel off Dillon to attack him so he does contribute.
While Lorenzo is impressive, Dillon takes out about as many cultists, even severing the leg of one at Lorenzo's back with a shuriken. Dillon also tried to avoid killing early but as he gets surrounded pulls out his knives.  Also where Lorenzo deftly avoided most blows Dillon used Judo and Aggressive parries to help pile up his body count and just toughed out the hits he took, including a knife to the groin. Henry start off with Brawling but pulled his gun early as Brawling wasn't cutting it under these circumstances.  Amos is scary good with that staff sling of his, crippled a few, mostly going for leg shots.

As we clear out the cultists and move towards the chanting Lorenzo is the first to see the cult leader and tosses his spear at him. However its bounced back by a powerful warding spell. Henry runs up to start releasing the tied up cultists who were to be sacrificed, trusting the Wizard to deal with the cult leader. Amos (Wizard) apparently casts a spell that prevents the summoning then tosses a sling stone near the cult leader that magically stuns him, thus taking down the ward and Lorenzo runs to grab the last hostage, turns out (duh) its the girl we came from.

After that its just clean up. Alice calls in the Conclave to take care of things and we all head home.

Afterthoughts

This was our first physical confrontation and the group just naturally worked out well together. The two ranged specialists backing up the two melee specialists, who cleared most of the foes and Amos taking out the big bad at the end was almost anticlimactic. Trouble with magic is it either fails or works spectacularly, especially to the others who just see the results.

Dillon surprised most of us with just how effective he was even without his knives. Lorenzo surprised Henry and Dillon who had not really seen him fight before. Henry was the weakest of the bunch but that was expected as hes new and not focused on combat. After this fight though hes going to be better prepared and getting a better gun (12 gauge shotgun revolver) with a good choice of ammo options, some armor, and learn a few spells and combat oriented prayers.

After this session we have our midpoint break and can spend some experience.

It was a good fun game, and everyone made noticeable contributions.

Ceteri Team Recap - The Trouble With Family

B- Team Session 6 The Trouble With Family

Ceteri Team Recap, Session 6 B-Team - Sept 28th.

GMs Recap

Since Last Time

Its been 3 weeks since the coffee shop events and things have been quiet, with no new leads on cursed objects. Henry has used this time for work and to study up on the concepts and purpose behind various martial arts. Lorenzo has started teaching Dillon and Henry "The Hunter's Trade" which is a martial and scholarly style he and Amos were taught as youths. Its versatile and designed to hunt monsters. Amos helps teach some as well, especially some of the more scholarly aspects of it, allowing both teachers time for their own projects. Henry has a +9 learning modifier (See GURPS Social Engineering: Back to School) and already knows a few skills in the style so is a pretty good student. Dillon may not have that high a bonus (I have not seen his sheet) but is starting off ahead as he has far more natural talent (Higher DX and ST) and more advanced combat skills (Escrima! and Knife!) that he can apply. Amos spends additional time studying spells, and Lorenzo is busy covering extra shifts at the fire department as many have gone to NYC to help with 9/11 recovery efforts.And Dillon finished the underground rooms for Henry. A third container was added for a sound proofed shooting range.

A Morbid Anniversary

Sept 28th is the anniversary of the Lorna Road Massacre, the night all the boys on B-Team were orphaned (though Dillon still has his mother as they had separated and moved away before then). Amos in particular has been having a rough week sleeping, and they go to The Last Call to commiserate together. After drinks and a small meal, Dillon goes to play darts, though the place is nearly empty so he plays alone. Henry buys the table pixies food in return for information on anything unusual and they tell him about a bunch of kidnappings and the possible involvement of a church. After a few rounds three women arrive together, Myriam foster mother to Amos and Lorenzo, and the other are related to Amos (Aunt Justine Waite, and Great-Aunt Alice Waite) and come over to the table, as does Dillon in response. The meeting is a bit tense, Justine is distraught and its been eight years since shes seen Amos, and he and Alice have never met at all. Justine got involved in a cult and her young friend was taken by the leader. They ask for Amos help as he has a family heirloom that can help track her down.

Henry offers to help but Alice turns him down, saying she will use magic. Things between the family get a bit tense and though curious Henry starts to feel uncomfortable and suggests Dillon and he play a round of darts, meanwhile Myriam and Lorenzo catch up.

After a few quick rounds in which Henry never had a chance he recalls the role Myriam had in the others upbringing and gets an idea. He thanks Dillon and heads over to ask about the stuff he recently acquired, Dillon following. Lorenzo explains Henry and Dillon are "the new guys".

Showing the inventory list he had prepared for Amos he explains he would like to know what they are, languages involved, and if anything is dangerous or cursed. Myriam looks at the list and apparently its unique enough that she recognizes the former owner and asks how he got it and what he plans to do with it. Henry explains Mrs. Norcross gave it to him, though after she had died and he plans on using it if he can and saving it for the granddaughter should she want it when she comes of age. Myriam was an old friend and sorry Sharon Norcross had died, she hadn't heard. She writes down some notes and lets him know he could sell some of it for quite a bit of money, but nothing there is dangerous as Sharon would never have anything like that. L

Henry thanks her and they head back to the table where the conversation seems over as Alice is doing a Tarot reading.

.

Alice does three readings, each exactly the same and explains they will find the girl but shes well guarded and tings will go badly. There is some discussion about magical matters and she appears to be almost testing Amos.  She complements him on his Wards,to which Amos replies its just a matter of reading a book and following the instructions carefully. Getting a raised eyebrow he yells to the bartender for confirmation who in agrees his Wards are among the best hes seen, if not quite as good as his. Asking if Amos can do a Gate spell, he replies no, he was never taught it. She frowns at that and apparently effortlessly creates a gate to Amos home. Pointing out that we drove here she simply recreates the gate outside and large enough to drive through! Henry looks around for crowd reactions to see how normal this is and notes a few patrons a little impressed.

Back at Amos house they scry and find shes at a church about two hours drive away, Henry checks his notes from the pixies and sure enough its the sane church. Some talk occurs and when Justine insists on coming along Henry remarks "Arent you the reasons shes in this trouble?" and is promptly told to shut up by Amos. Cant account  for family, you dont pick them but sticking up for them is expected and Amos did so.

Amos is exhausted after casting multiple spells and penetrating defenses and needs to rest a bit. Henry feeling time is of the essence, (is it a coincidence its the same date as the massacre?) offers to drive ahead and scout around but is talked out of it. Alice does create a gate back at the Last Call which saves an hours drive.

They get there well after dark but its a full moon and clear night with plenty of stars in a large open area, Henry uses his Clear Sight to scout around as they approach and reports what he sees to Dillon who has Lorenzo and Amos on the phone n the other car. They discuss strategy.

And we end the night there.

The TIP Report

Henry spent the past three weeks on a few small jobs, nothing worth the GM giving any details but good enough that he gets to make his job roll.  Because paying the bills is good :)

He has been trying to build up his social network and supernatural contacts, mostly at The Last Call but nothing substantial yet.

Player's Thoughts

A good, though short session. No real party conflict, Henry and Amos had a tense moment when Henry spoke out of turn (Hey, you get a kid kidnapped you deserve to be called out on it) but Henry doesn't fault Amos for sticking up for family. Some of this was also a result of the player apparently mishearing a few things, though Henry could have too so it works out. Henry learned a bit more about Amos capabilities and his limits, apparently he cant do anything he wants, has to read a bit first. And both Henry and Dillon started martial arts training so can spend points on that when we hit the mid season break.

Next session probably some heavy combat, giving the other players a better chance to show their stuff and Justine may be useful backup.  I think Alice is coming too, though definitely not Myriam.

B- Team Session 5 Java and an Exorcism

B- Team Session 5 Java and an Exorcism

Ceteri Team Recap, Session 5 B-Team - Sept 2nd.

Previously...

The group spends most of the day at Amos house discussing and discarding plans. Henry and Dillon feel there is too much risk to the concert in ringing more people to the demons hunting ground. Amos says its too late to cancel and shutting the place down would just make it harder to investigate. Also the demon already has victims and will continue to feed on them. Henry and Dillon dont seem to entirely buy it but can't convince Amos its not worth putting more people in danger and they run out of time.

Amos has prepared some charms for the group

The Daily Grind Awaits!

The group arrives at the coffee shop and find it pretty packed. Groupies pretty much haul Lorenzo off for selfies and autographs while the others head inside. Dillon is pulled out of line to test some new treats, Amos goes to help behind the counter, and Henry grabs everyone a table to use as a base of operations.  Talking the staff into reserving it as the bands table lets him anchor it but still walk around which he does.

Lorenzo starts the show and it goes over really well. Amos spots a suspicious tea kettle and tries to keep it out of circulation.

James, one of the owners gets annoyed and swaps it back in rotation saying ts his favorite. After some back and forth the demon grows annoyed enough to reveal itself and try to intimidate Amos, which fails.

Eventually the demon gets annoyed enough to act out and Dillon who has been near the counter puts the possessed James in a grapple. Henry spots whats going on and suggests they get him outside for fresh air as hes looking rather ill (has green drool coming out of his mouth). Amos follows and once outside forces holy water down his throat after having already tried garlic. This causes bleeding and Henry starts to panic but the demon curses them so they haul him out back. Amos says he has to get back to work and heads inside.

Soon the demon starts singing and confirms James can handle things here so heads inside. The entire crowd is mesmerized and singing in unison the same song the demon out back was and Lorenzo is also singing it.  Looking to Amos for a cue he sees him working the stove with the kettles so heads over.  Amos asks them to get James back inside and after that heads to the freezer (small walk in) and tells them he needs to do something.

Both Henry and Dillon are confused, Dillon asks Henry whats going on and Henry shrugs and rolls his eyes "Well he didnt tell me anything either.  Maybe hes going to exorcise it? Lets guard the door in case the demon send the crowd over to stop him."  Henry secures his pistol in case anyone tries to grab it and they wait.

Shortly the crowd reacts, though Lorenzo manages to get them back for a second and keep some distracted while Dillon and Henry brace themselves.  Henry is quickly swamped under the crowd but Dillon manages to hold his ground, even momentarily intimidating the demon. A short time later, maybe a minute or two after he started Amos appears to succeed and the crowd all collapse.

Henry checks on Amos who appears fine and the rest of the group drag people back into the main floor, checking for injuries and laying them out so it looks more like an accident. The group tries to set things up to appear to be a mistake in mixing ammonia and bleach and rely on the Mists for the rest.  When the medic teams show up (Lorenzo called them in) everyone is taken care of and Amos sneaks off with the kettle.

Henry heads to the hospital to check on the previous victims and they wake up soon thereafter.

Aftermath

Dillon is nervous and curious about what the demon told him. Amos finds out the next day that a stranger gave them the kettle. Henry decides to call in sick,citing the hospital visit and says he needs a few days rest, please only call him if its an emergency.

Resting up and recovering from his wounds from the demon Henry, who is not used to resting ponders things uncomfortably.

This group is very dangerous to hang around with but he cant go back to the way things were after having his eyes opened to this hidden world. Horus (he thinks the voice in his head is Horus) said this was the right place and that needs to be factored in as well.

What kind of being is Amos? He can dismiss demons with little effort, and speaks casually even dismissively of conversations with gods! Hes an arrogant ass who feels no need to explain himself and expects others to just follow along and trust it will work out. However he has shown such capability that that attitude is perhaps understandable. When you have that much power and resources your probably used to getting your way and not explaining yourself to anyone.So far he certainly seems capable of handling anything they have encountered.

If Henry is to survive the association he realizes he needs information.

OOC Commentary

I'm having a blast in the game. Amos and Henry had a really bad first encounter and Amos is a pacifist and does not like Henry using a gun. However that tension has added a roleplaying dynamic that is interesting, though the GM and Amos player find a bit frustrating.

 Trust should come fairly soon though, session one was them breaking into a house and Henry trying to stop what he assumed were possible accomplices to a homicidal wife. Henry later shot the evil doll which of course did nothing and annoyed Amos.  Henry had hoped the prayer that made his eyes glow would carry to the gun, and the player was hoping the Imbuements (already paid for, including skill) would activate and lead to understanding his hidden powers.

On Henry's side Amos comes across as somewhat callous and cavalier about things, especially other people. Since Henry is obsessed with protecting people and not used to taking orders its an oil and water conflict. Of course I dont know Amos sheet but so far he seems a bookworm with poor social skills and I'm reacting to how the player is playing him.

Pretty sure it will resolve itself soon  Henry needs to trust and accept Amos attitude and if he stops asking questions and second guessing Amos (easier once trust established, but using the immense demonstrated power as an impetus) maybe he can get past the gun thing.

Also eventually Henry will have other options.

Offered to swap out the character but hopefully it does not come to that, I really like Henry.

Those who have read all the session reports will notice Henry is not pulling his weight, and the in character description Henry has a lot of worries and concerns.  Henry is a 19 year old who learned about this hidden world less than two weeks ago. His Clear Sight set him apart and he suspected supernatural powers existed but still confronting it, especially being attacked by two demon (both of whom used psychic attacks, sort of a temporary sanity blasting thing but not as severe so far as Call of Cthulu) and I'm playing him as pretty much a newbie. As for his capability, the campaign changed a bit from the beginning, we lost a psychic who was going to gather info and so I leaned more into combat in his build. Also the hunting cursed objects was not part of the initial concept, though it came up pretty fast (Before start but after initial builds) .  He is very rounded and has lower attributes than the others but a breadth of skills and advantages.  The catch is many of the advantages were latent till he learns how to use them.  Classic grow into his own kind of build.

With Dillon a combat monster we dropped the latent Imbuements and added Talker! to expand his detective skills. That will help with the cursed object recovery mission, and he still will be very good in combat using his Mystic abilities such as spells and Divine Favor.

Plus that gun Amos hates :)

So while your reading these reports and seeing Henry get smacked around or worrying about his being able to pull his weight those are HENRY's thoughts, not the players.

As I said, I'm having a blast and enjoying myself.

Demon in the Coffee Shop

B- Team Session 4 The Demon in the Coffee Shop - Sept 1st,

Ceteri Team Recap, Session 4 B-Team - Sept 1st.

GMs Recap

Between the Lines

After the previous session about a week has passed and the group has been busy. Henry checked in with the Childress family who are doing well and mostly blocked out the events. He also heads to the the grandmothers place and cleans up the secret room with the materials she gifted him.

Taking careful notes he offers to loan the materials to Amos since Amos could possibly make immediate use of it and check it for cursed items or such. However he has the condition that Amos offer it to Meghan when she comes of age. Henry's traumatic experience when he was a child shaped his life and awoke something magical in him and a guide would have been welcome. In case Meghan who is apparently the granddaughter of a powerful witch awakens to her own power he wants her to be prepared and have access to what he feels are family heirlooms.

Amos however declines saying he cant promise anything of the sort and that magic is dangerous.

Henry carefully looks over everything, hoping he can get a feel for them as he has a few other objects, but feels nothing but good vibes.  Also he cannot read any of the books. He talks about storing them in a safe room at his house and Dillon volunteers that hes a construction worker and willing to help - so Henry hires him.  Amos, offers to protect it from scrying with some magical wards and offers some construction tips. They decide on 2 forty foot cargo containers buried in the backyard with a tunnel to the inside of the house. This project costs several thousand dollars but should provide a safe space for Henry to store his own materials and whatever he may come across later.

Note: Ward against scrying strength 26; iron containers, washer used to paint the walls with salt and salt poured around it as well. Also silver and other materials are used inside. The entire thing also is climate controlled and connected to the house.

Perhaps because of the questions, Amos decides to have a week long crash course on the supernatural and its Boston community in particular,

Henry actually skips running for a few days to help his leg heal up but does some of his usual town checkup and hits the Last Call pub he was introduced to. Due to construction and the class he spends far less time on this than normal.

The Sleeping Students

As Dillion is being given a tour of the town by Lorenzo, he spots a newspaper with a strange article about three college students in a coma after a visit to a coffee shop, The Daily Grind. Lorenzo reads it and feels there may be a cursed object involved so assembles the group.
The place is sparkling clean and was heavily checked by the health department and specialized medical people, possibly the CDC. The theme of the place is antiques and seems ripe for a cursed object.
The group checks the place out, Amos apparently is a connoisseur of antiques and bonds with one of the owners, they even let him work behind the counter to show off how things work. Lorenzo is recognized for his musical fame and asks about open mike. They make a quick call and cancel an act for the evening so he can perform. Dillon really enjoys the food and becomes a guinea pig for some custom treats they want to experiment with. Henry chats up the customers and scans the place as well as he can, hoping to find something. The group departs to go over what they found (not much) and prepare for that nights show,

The Demon in the Coffee Shop

Lorenzo turns out to be a terrific and versatile singer, and apparently has a lot of fans.The show goes over very well and makes the place a lot of money, helping offset recent negative publicity.

After the show everyone heads home and will discuss ideas the next day. Henry however has a dream, and not the good kind!

He finds himself in the shop and sees  the three students in a coma sitting a a table - they do not look well.They appear haggard and have holes in them. Henry hears a voice from the counter and sees a demon standing there who talks to him. Something about how Henry looks tasty and Henry desperately tries t wake up, but to no avail. The demon casually walks over to Henry and bites him!

Desperate and in pain Henry prays for strength and aid, suddenly finding himself in a river.

Looking around it feels like Africa and he guesses hes in the Nile. He spots a man on the shore playing chess and heads over, dunking himself in the water first as a symbol and hoping to wash any demon spit off him.

Sensing the being is an Egyptian deity (Thoth or maybe Ptah he guesses), but not his patron Horus he takes the cue that he is here to have a conversation and asks permission to sit and play. He loses in just three moves :(

Rather expecting to lose, he is still a bit embarrassed at losing so badly and fast - fortunately the spirit does not seem annoyed.  Henry thanks him for his help and is asked why he was fighting an Akkadian Dream Demon in a dream. The spirit looks him over and Henry feels his soul tingle (Anubis?) and says he can see a little while Horus is interested in him and calls him Get of Horus.

The spirit than dismisses him and offers a gift.

Henry wakes up on his lawn (he went to sleep in the bed, so was presumaby moved to the yard so he could get medical help) with EMTs working him over and saying he died. They rush him to the hospital, even though he insists hes fine.  After all what are they going to do to help him recover from a demon attack?

Once in his room Henry calls Amos and Lorenzo so he can let them know what he found out. Amos shows with Dillon in tow and after being briefed says it was likely Thoth and that his cat once talked to Anubis. Lorenzo flirts with his doctor who then releases Henry AMA.

Ceteri game recap, Session 3 B-Team

Session 3 B-Team Recap - Demons and Poltergeists, Oh My!

This is one players and characters perspective of the session, to see the GMs recap go over to RavensNPennies This is a long recap, including some of Henry's inner thoughts.

Last session Henry led the group to an old client and they found a cursed doll and went to research it.


After leaving the Childress home, they headed to Amos's place to do some research and prepare spells. Lorenzo felt there was a connection the grandmother, partly because her rose bushes had been attacked. Henry did some background work checking that out and it turns out she had Covenant connections. While Amos was working on his magical preparations he asked Lorenzo and Henry to sift through his garage and find a valuable bracelet that could help.  After an hour or so digging through boxes they found it and Amos said it was an antique and needed to be treated carefully, then threw it in a closet or something.
Disgusted with what seemed a waste of time Henry headed out to the yard for Bishops evening hunt. After a time an individual drove up on a motorcycle and was greeted by Lorenzo who brought him out back to talk with Amos. Curious, Henry called in Bishop and headed over to see what was going on.
Turns out this new guy Dillon is the brother of an old companion of theirs (Timothy) who died in a fire and just drove to Boston looking for him.  Dillon is trying to find out what happened and they are being evasive about the circumstances, apparently trying to avoid talk of the supernatural. After a few minutes Henry gets too frustrated, calls them assholes and offers condolences for the death of his brother. Admitting he never met him, he explains how it sounds like he died a hero so maybe he can take some comfort in that.
They then head inside and they explain a little more while handing out refreshments. Both Henry and Dillon are surprised when Dillon's glass floats off toward the kitchen for a refill. Dillon carefully avoids it thereafter. Amos offers to cast a tracking spell to see if he can find the brothers missing body. Henry finds this fascinating and asks a few questions, learning that the spell would work with hair or other body parts, not just the blood of a relative. Henry declines to ask why they never cast the spell before, thinking its likely Timothy left some such in the car they parked in the garage. No need to drag up more trouble, but asks if anyone can cast such a spell as it could be great for detective work. Amos seems to downplay its value in ways Henry feels dont make sense (10 minutes to cast, only shows where they are at the time of casting) so there may be other reasons to avoid it, involving demons perhaps?

They decide to check out the grandmothers place so Henry, Lorenzo, and Dillon head out with Amos staying behind. Dillon rides with Henry and Henry offers to help find his brother after this, though warns him its a very cold case so slim odds. Dillon asks about this magic stuff and Henry explains he was skeptical at first, and to some extant still is but hes seen enough to admit at least some of this is real.  Also, though they come across as strange, and perhaps a little callous (specifically Amos) he thinks there both basically nice people.

Arriving at the brownstone which is empty but still maintained Henry sees a woman in an upper window that looks like the dead grandmother. They head directly for the door, which opens as they arrive and Henry walks in. Lorenzo expresses mild concern about breaking and entering, to which Henry replies they have been invited. Of course that wont be a good explanation for the police but Henry is confident he can explain everything if they happen to show up and heads upstairs to where he sees the grandmothers spirit. Lorenzo and Dillon stay downstairs, possibly wondering who and what Henry is talking to. Henry confirms the spirit is Sharron Norcross, the dead grandmother and shes quite concerned. Henry explains hes trying to protect her family and shes surprised he can hear her. He explains he is reading her lips and they have a short conversation.  Sharron takes him upstairs to a secret room and indicates a shelf of books. She explains that he should take a white leather bound book to a White Witch to help remove the cursed doll, also that the doll is not what it seems (A detail Henry seems to forget to mention later) and asks if he will swear to protect Meghan the granddaughter,  Henry hesitates a moment recalling how these things can workout from stories he has read but decides its important, he intends to anyway, and that she probably wont twist it somehow. A chill comes across him, affirming its a big deal and she offers everything in the room to him if he saves them.
Meanwhile...A police officer pulls up to the house, apparently having been called by a nosy neighbor who saw them enter. They hide quietly and the officer leaves muttering about the nutty neighbor.
Henry heads downstairs and they all leave with Lorenzo stopping to get a clipping from the rose bushes for Amos.

Back at Amos's Henry explains the purpose of the book and Amos skims it but apparently does not know a white witch. While working out plans Lorenzo (he must have made a great impression on her) gets a frantic call from Cassandra which is quickly disconnected with a scream.
They pile in the cars and head over as fast as they can and make great Navigation and Area Knowledge Boston rolls for the fastest route, saving at least 15 minutes travel time.

Arriving at the house Mindy (the maid) is on the front lawn crying), front door is open and they hear screaming from inside. Cassandra is floating in the entry way, Henry runs past her to get Meghan and hauls her downstairs and away from the doll before she starts floating too.
Dillon attacks the doll then comes downstairs, A chaotic melee ensues, ending with them placing charms in the walls and trapping the spirits back in the doll. See the GM recaps for much more detail on the fight.

Afterthoughts

• Henry prayed for help in saving the girl and was told he had the power to smite the demon. The glowing eyes seemed to hurt it but not smite it, which means he needs to figure out how that works and be more effective. Apparently he does not believe in his power strongly enough, though this time it worked out next time it might not go so well and that cannot be tolerated or risked.
• He hurt his knee when the poltergeist tossed an ottoman at him, but no broken bones and hes confident a day or two of rest will heal. However he decides to wrap it and skip the morning run for the next day or two and power through it.
• These cursed items are really bad news, Henry needs to get better prepared or he may endanger the group, or worse- innocents.
• Lorenzo seems like a good guy,the werewolf thing probably helps him in a fight but Henry was too distracted to see if it affected this one. He seems more grounded than Amos.
• Amos isn't exactly growing on him yet but it seems undeniable hes good at this magic stuff and that gesture at the end giving the family some closure was nice. He seems like a decent guy who cares about people, though maybe not more than his books or plants. However he seems to have his head in the clouds and takes people for granted. Probably mostly trustworthy, though depending on him seems risky (who knows how reliable magic is) and he seems to ask people for meaningless tasks, such as wasting time on a stupid bracelet.
• Dillon seems earnest, and Henry will start some records searches on Timothy and since he saw the warehouse on the map will check out the scene for clues. A year later its unlikely Henry will find anything but at least hes going to try.
• Henry plans to go back to grandmas house and get the stuff she offered him. Probably hand it over to Amos but if the family has a history of magic and all that has happened to Meghan she may come into it later so Henry wants her to have it once shes old enough if she wants it.  Also any private or confidential materials will be excluded.
• Henry is planning on checking out the pub and see if he can find out more about the supernatural situation, maybe even someone who understands and is willing t explain this stuff.

The TIP Report

Checking in at work he informed Mike (his boss) that he might be taking a day or two off for some pro bono work. Checking in on an old client it appears someone has been vandalizing their house. The husband, a prominent and connected attorney he did some bodyguard work for awhile back is on a business trip and Henry is concerned for the family. So far it seems to be just poisoning prize plants and some minor property damage, unlikely to be organized crime and he hopes to get this resolved quickly. He also informed the office that the last case (Possible cheating spouse) was resolved satisfactorily and check should be in the mail.

Player Comments: Its good to be a valuable employee, even better when the boss is bought as a Patron<g>.

Evil Doll

Session 2 B-Team Recap - The Evil Doll

This s one players perspective of the session, to see the GMs recap go over to RavensNPennies

Last session Henry met the group and they retrieved a cursed ring from his client. That night Henry had a dream and an old client he had did some body guarding for awhile back appeared to have a cursed doll in the families possession. In the morning after breakfast and morning prayers and his morning 5 mile run with Bishop (pet falcon) so he could eat, he cleaned up and prepared for the day.

He did a background check on the two people he had just met. Amos seemed to have several properties, some recently acquired and had earned some money from writing some books. Lorenzo was a volunteer fireman and squeaky clean. He then checked on Mr. Kudrow from yesterday and door was already replaced and he and hs wife were very happy and off to vacation in the islands.  Checks in the mail.  Wished them the best and was happy they seemed to have confused the events a little but are happy.  Next he checked records on the Childress family, nothing overtly suspicious so he headed over to meet his new associates (not yet friends) to get some background and let them know about his lead. Henry simply had no idea how to handle a cursed doll and wanted to see if it was possible to extricate it without danger to the family.

'

As he was bout to knock on the door the couple headed out, apparently Amos was really hungry. They went to a nearby diner (great food by the way!) where Lorenzo put away a truly impressive amount of food. Henry explained about the doll and when asked for a description he made a sketch for them. Unfortunately it appears there are a LOT of cursed items floating around and Amos said he could not give any real info without seeing the doll.  They agreed to head over to the Childress residence.

Henry escorted Amos in and introduced him as a research assistant, though he had to convince him to clean up a bit and make himself more presentable. Note to self, remember to rep;ace the alcohol wipes in the first aid kid. Lorenzo was a bit behind and followed them in his truck, probably lethargic after all that food. They encountered some gardeners spreading fertilizer and trying to save some white roses that were dying.  Apparently they were sick for no discernible reason, as were some in the back yard.  Amos has a knack for plants (surprising Henry by speaking fluent Spanish) and had a chat about the plants. Hearing the gardeners explanation Henry looked the rose bush over for insects and noticed even the bees were avoiding it. Something odd there.

Henry left them with a nod to indicate he was headed inside and talked with the maid and Mrs. Childress,who was really stressed out and had taken up smoking again. Mr. Childress was on a business trip and Henry gave a vague cover story that he had heard some things and wanted to check on the family. He assured her it was probably nothing but he didn't want to take chances. She explained about the rose bushes (transplanted from her mother) and Henry used that as a reason to look around and that if they were vandalizing plants it was probably just scare tactics, nothing serious like last time. A porcelain horse fell off the mantle, startling her and she told the made it was happening too often so stop placing them on the edge, Amos and Lorenzo came in,Henry introduced them and they went to the backyard.

Once they had some privacy, Henry explained the odd things he noticed and they saw a large dead circle of grass (Amos had already been there) under the daughters bedroom. While they were talking Henry looked through the wall and saw the doll. Unfortunately the doll saw him too and was not happy! She told him the girl was her meat and Henry fainted from fright. Lorenzo woke him up with smelling salts and while they had a hurried discussion the maid brought Amos some tea (odd duck this one) and a rock fell on Loremzo's head, though it didn't injure him. They took that as cue to head inside. Henry headed to Megan's (daughter, 5 year old) room while the others headed to the kitchen.

Megan ran up to Henry for a hug, he lifted her and gave her a little whirl. She was having tea with the doll and introduced them. Henry and the doll had a brief staring contest where this time he did not pass out. They talked for a bit till Amos came in, saw the doll, earned brownie points with a cat he had in his pocket (yes, a real live cat!) that played with Megan before apparently noticing the doll and hissing at it and batting at it,  Good kitty!

Megan didn't like this though but Amos cheered her with a little flower in a glass bubble.

After a bit they left, had a brief conference then went to Amos's place for some research. Henry was not thrilled with the delay, but supposedly these people know what there doing.

Henry continued thinking mean things about that doll, though the others warn him burning it might not resolve the situation.

Ceteri-B Team Henry Joins the Team 1/27/2020

So we had our first session with my character this Monday, this is my recap and description. These posts are meant to share some of the experiences possible in GURPS that IMO no other RPG system can fully provide. This is a game session notes from one players perspective - for more details see the gamemasters recaps.

Background

Henry H. Norris is a young (very young! at 19) private investigator working for a small firm called the TIP Agency which handles a variety of cases. Hes an orphan from  the Lorna Road Massacre (in game event) who upon maturity inherited and lives in his grandmothers small house. He earns a surprising amount of money working for TIP. Hes a capable athlete and placed 18th in the Boston Marathon last year.

Henry is allowed a lot of autonomy in his work for TIP despite his young age because he has a strong track record of good instincts, taking care of himself, and the ability to get the job done. In fact this reputation is extended to the Boston PD where he is often referred to as "Deadeye"for his uncanny ability to spot things and as an expert shot with a gun.

Referenced Traits: Acute Vision 2, Charisma +1, Clear Sight (Supernatural vision metatrait), Detective! -13, Extra Attack (Multistrike), Guns! -15, Patron "Mountain" Mike (Owner of TIP Agency, so his boss is a Patron), Reputation +1 (local police), Very Fit, Wealth.

Session Date Aug 2001

GM Recap

Sitting in his sedan Henry was staking out his clients house when the wife (whom he was hired to follow for suspicion of cheating on her husband) pulled out a knife and appeared to be ready to stab her husband in the back. Not exactly good for business!

As he thought quickly about whether to shoot through the window or if he had time to run into the house and stop her, two men ran into the house (breaking down the door with a fire axe!).

That decided the issue and he sprinted to the house. Drawing his pistol as he ran he came upon an unexpected sight in the living room. One of the intruders was wrestling the wife while the other watched and his client was freaking out. As soon as he could he drew his gun, told Mrs. Kudrow (the wife) to drop the knife and the intruders not to move. The one watching threateningly snapped and extended his stick (some kind of baton), the two on the ground ignored him, and poor Mr. Kudrow was still freaking out and actually asked Henry "Are you the one shes cheating with?".

The whole thing seemed to be escalating in a very bad way...

Aiming at the heads of both the intruders (Using Targeted Attack, Extra Attack and Enhanced Tracking 2) he again ordered them to stand down and Mr. Kudrow to step away from them and towards him where he could be protected. The one on the ground appeared to be trying to pull a ring off Mrs. Kudrow's finger which appeared somehow wrong giving him pause. 

The guy on the ground pulled the ring off and Mrs. Kudrow changed her demeanor immediately, becoming confused and frantic rather than aggressive. She was let go and ran to her husband and they seemed to reconcile. The intruders seemed all too casual, not standing down, and one even asked her about her coin collection!

They mostly ignored Henry, possibly reasonable since he hadn't shot them yet, though infuriating (luckily he has no bad temper disadvantage) and started talking about cursed objects and such. Mr. Kudrow seemed happy to accept that, and though skeptical Henry asked Mr. Kudrow if he wanted the police called in or not. He said no, stiffed some cash in Henry's hand (and getting between him and the intruders), they offered to replace the door. Henry escorted them outside and questioned them further. After a brief explanation Amos (the one with the baton) suggested they go somewhere to talk instead of on the lawn. Henry agreed.

Henry followed them in his car to a pub, they went around to a back entrance and once inside, well things changed. There appeared to be all manner of supernatural creatures inside all peacefully eating and drinking. Having read and studied a bit about the Occult, but especially owing to his own instinctive supernatural abilities Henry seemed to take this surprisingly in stride. Still skeptical, but getting less so by the minute they talked at a table (elf waitress? pixie camping at the table?) while Henry closely looked them and the place over but could see no hidden cameras or special effects features and no one appeared to be wearing disguises (he can see really really well), at one point even praying for guidance. The Voice that sometimes talk to him in his head said he was in the right place. Henry then offered to join them and they accepted.

After a surprisingly good meal, and exchange of business cards, Henry decided to digest it and clear his head by running a few miles before heading home.

Epilogue

That night Henry had a dream of a little girl and a doll that seemed evil and looked right at him, causing him to wake up. In the morning after reviewing it he decided it was an old clients daughter.

In the morning he checked on the client and all seemed well for the moment but he should talk about this with these cursed object hunters. Also he needs to check on Mr. and Mrs. Kudrow and make sure not only is everything good with them but that there are no bad feelings with his client.

Mechanics or Understanding the Game

If your unfamiliar with GURPS the above narrative should still be mostly understandable, but some of the terminology might not. Consider how easy the above is to do in the game systems your used to and please read on.

GURPS uses hit locations (though for simplicity you can just call everything a torso hit) and anyone can try to attack any location they can see. Some body parts are harder to hit than others - in this case the head and inflict a skill penalty to succeed. 

• Targeted Attack is a technique or limited skill to reduce that penalty, 
• Aiming is an action where you take a little time to get a bonus to hit (for ranged attacks like bows and guns) instead of immediately shooting.
• Extra Attack is an advantage letting you make an extra attack, in this case one was used to aim so he could have still shot with the other normal attack.
• Enhanced Tracking is an advantage that lets you aim or keep an eye on multiple things at once.

All those are really handy for your cinematic gunfighter!