Fear the Boot, Actual Play

The technology park turns into liminal horror.

McCreary Technology Park invites you to see the wonders within! Never mind that it’s been missing for centuries.

A battered exploratory vessel finds its way home. Does its survivor deserve a second chance at life?

Wrapping up the case with an explosive ending.

The party begins to assemble the narrative and motivations for the crime, even as it becomes less clear who’s instigating it all.

The investigation is interrupted by a visit to a doctor of sophontology.

For this game, we developed a planet that will play an important role in the main story, using The Quiet Year. The images below track the colony ship’s progress over time.

Digging through the lives of a family trapped in a gilded cage.

Selecting the next job and heading to the capital world of the Corraster League.

With the body and facts secure, it’s time to decide the first client’s fate.

Next stop: medical facilities in a system that should be quite a bit safer. Not that life always works out that way.

The first contract: retrieve a body from a mining station and find out just how much a corpse can be worth.

Today, we ditch some stress and get back into gaming by taking a pitstop. Ever wondered about the world of cooking mysteries in the 42nd century? Me neither, but here it is! NOTE: This was a comedy improv game, so it doesn’t conform to the boundaries we usually put on our content.

Grace Gunn, Tommy “Bam Bam” Prue and Irving Holt didn’t expect to find themselves sneaking around the Three Spires Country Club this evening in their effort to rescue Trixie from whomever it was that took here – yet, that’s exactly where they find themselves. But even though this wasn’t in their plans, when you put … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/806" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 31 “Tricky Trixie”</span></a>

A brief stop in the Atnia Cluster before heading to the team’s first deployment. Concept art for the species mentioned… Asta Freyep Reisian Sirini

Used to be a time when you could get by on your word and a handshake. While that might still be true for some things, here in Chicago, you get a whole truckload of palooks who want to justify their existence with all kinds of paperwork. Sign this document. Fill out this form and Boom! … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/791" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 30 “Doublebooks”</span></a>

Final game prep, group creation, and character creation. In case you’re curious, this is what a Sirini looks like.

Doing a bit of pre-game prep to set some parameters for the game, to make session zero go more smoothly.

Right place, wrong time. Wrong place, right time. Doesn’t matter how you slice it, there’s some places you don’t ever want to be, regardless of the time. And in 1933 Chicago, that place is a speakeasy when the coppers are on the hop. And right now, that’s where Grace Gunn, Tommy ‘Bam Bam’ Prue and … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/768" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 29 “Putting it Together”</span></a>

You ask 10 people what you should do if you get into a tussle, you’re bound to get 11 answers. Regardless of what you’re told, you ultimately gotta know what you want to get out of the fight. And right now, Grace Gun, Tommy ‘Bam Bam’ Prue and Irving Holt just want to get out … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/765" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 28 “Bellyache Fight”</span></a>

Cleaning up a whole lot of dirty laundry.

A search for toilet wine turns into a prison break.

The crew goes to war with the Crows, and there’s an uncomfortable amount of syphilis involved.

Affairs of the heart are a wonderful thing. Of course, that is if you want to call all the unreturned affection from the one you love, because they love someone else wonderful. At that point, Affairs of the Heart become more like, ‘Affairs of the Hurt.’ And our trio of Grace Gun, Tommy ‘Bam Bam’ … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/752" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 27 “Stanley & Trixie”</span></a>

The second candy war begins.

Some stories of our own for the mannequin man.

Just because a law says you can’t do something, doesn’t mean everyone is gonna obey. A quick glace at all the underground speakeasys here in Chicago will show that real quick. People want to get together with a little social lubrication, or truth serum, or if you want to use the technical term – alcohol … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/743" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 26 “The Bellyache”</span></a>

Learning the ropes of Tycheros.

Just giving you good folks an update with what’s going on with Gunn for Hire and The Adventures of Young & Holt

Telephones are funny things. It’s the only device where you get all the benefits of your personal voice, without having to look the other palook in the eye. If facy, you could be miles away. Especially when it comes to bad news. And both Grace Gunn and Irving Holt are gonna have to deliver some … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/734" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 25 “Phone Calls”</span></a>

Rolling into Midpoint Station.

The Great Depression is hitting most folks harder than right hook from Louis, and more often than not, leaving them three times as dizzy. It’s not an easy thing when your a hard working man or woman to set your pride aside and ask the nearest Joe or Jane for a helping hand. So when … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/728" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 24 “The Find”</span></a>

Like a dog sniffing around the butcher’s for some scraps, Grace Gunn, Tommy “Bam Bam” Prue are Irving Holt know damn well they’re getting closer to finding out what happened to Leo Helzberg, and possibly even the woman he was seeing on the side. It all comes down to knowing where to go, and fortunately … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/725" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 23 “The Blackstone”</span></a>

Of railroads, demons, and deck guns.

The Jawbreakers depart Doskvol.

Affairs are messy. They can leave a trail of sin and regret that the strongest bleach or bucket full of lye used a cleaning woman with arms as thick as your legs and a brush more abrasive than a tone deaf nightclub singer will never get out. And Grace Gunn, Tommy “Bam Bam” Prue and … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/716" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 22 “Affairs of the Hard”</span></a>

Preparing to take the train out of Doskvol.

A leech takes on the gang with a winning strategy…but the wrong turf.

In this issue… Porter and Joshua, separated by some supernatural force, find themselves in the fight of their lives. Porter is facing down a vengeful Ananbelle, a creature bent on feeding him a poisoned meal. And Joshua is battling the two-faced woman, who is trying to cripple him with horrible memories from his past. . … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/705" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Adventures of Young & Holt – Issue 64 “Final Forgiveness”</span></a>

A scene change from the crew to the mooks that just might be running the show.

In this issue… Porter and Joshua, just hoping for a night’s entertainment at a magic lantern show to ease their minds, now find themselves face to face, and alone against their nemeses. Porter is once again facing Annabelle, while Joshua is finally having it out with the two-faced woman. It’s not the entertainment they expected, … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/700" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Adventures of Young & Holt – Issue 63 “Principium Indulgentia”</span></a>

In this issue… Porter and Joshua to discuss Porter’s current state of being – that being out of touch with his special abilities. But Joshua’s got a few other things on his mind, particularly the looming showdown with the two-faced woman. Perhaps a night with some mild, and I’m sure, harmless entertainment will set both … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/697" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Adventures of Young & Holt – Issue 62 “Six Round Cylinder”</span></a>

Safe in the sewers.

In this issue… Porter Holt is off to visit Jasmine Whately, a friend, of sorts, who promised to show Porter some deeper magical secrets. But considering recent events regarding Reddington, Porter may be in for an unexpected surprise. Well, I guess we know where’s he’s at, so we best get there with him… Music from … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/691" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Adventures of Young & Holt – Issue 61 “Dear Jasmine”</span></a>

In this issue… with the matter of Samuel Reddington settled for now, Young & Holt return to Denver to take care of a few odds and ends before moving on to the next, and possibly last item on their list in the Mile High City – a showdown with the Two Faced Woman. Oh yeah, … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/688" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Adventures of Young & Holt – Issue 60 “Aftermath”</span></a>

We all love going to parties. But nobody likes cleaning up afterward. Grace Gunn, Tommy “Bam Bam” Prue, Irving Holt and a cabbie who more than earned his fare just got done having a block party with some uninvited guests who were looking to make our heroes the snack tray. And now the question is, … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/686" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 21 “Trixie’s Apartment”</span></a>

Sometimes a cat is just a cat.

In this issue… the end is nigh for the confrontation between Young & Holt and Samuel Reddington. Porter has just made desperate attempt to stop Reddington’s machine, designed to raise from the dead a tribe of ancient giants. But it didn’t go well. But who it didn’t go well for remains to be seen. I … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/679" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Adventures of Young & Holt – Issue 59 “Porter’s Sacrifice”</span></a>

Everybody loves having a good time, but one person’s good time can be another’s nightmare. Take our trio of Grace Gunn, Tommy “Bam Bam” Prue and Irving Holt. Right now, they’re not having a real whoopie time. But to the strange things from the shadows that they’re fighting? I’m betting they think this is a … <a href="http://ap.feartheboot.com/index.php/archives/675" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Gunn for Hire – Episode 20 “Violence”</span></a>

Designing our crew and setting up the crew template.