Originally posted on YouTube on 19 October 2023.
Namaste Mother Nuggets!
It’s October in New Hope City, and Orin Ryder is about to get robbed. Again. But this time, he might just end up a hero.
If you’re enjoying Orin’s misadventures, subscribe to Arjades Rangers on YouTube so you don’t miss what happens next.
Previously, in Lower Gaia
A quick recap. Orin is a manufacturing Joe working in a factory, building… something. (I still want your suggestions for what he builds. Funniest answer becomes canon.) On the 9th of September he got robbed by two waitresses at his apartment block in Lower Gaia, shot one, and the other ran off.
On the 11th he headed to the Sick Frog Tavern to ask his friend Rob for a job. Rob, who’s a thief, said no: the criminal life isn’t for you, mate. Then the private eyes started asking questions, the cops got heavy with him, and Orin offered to dob on his friend if they’d give him a job. Lucky for Rob, I rolled really badly, and that got rejected too. On the way home he ran into some mercenaries, asked them for work, and got rejected again. A whole month of rejections.
Squirrel Sidequest Time
How the Sick Frog Got Its Name
You might be wondering where a name like “the Sick Frog Tavern” comes from. I looked around at the kids’ books scattered all over the floor. One was Peppa Pig Goes to the Hospital, and one was an animal book with a big frog on the front.
Sick. Frog. Tavern. There you go.
Anyways…. that’s a thing that happened… where was I?
Monthly Upkeep
At the start of every month you do upkeep. September’s increasing and decreasing rep D6s came out exactly even, so Orin’s rep doesn’t change.
Then the bills. Rent in Lower Gaia (law level three, minus two) costs him one decreasing D6. And because he walked off the battle board when the cops confronted him, that’s another two. Three decreasing D6s to roll. Any one comes up, and his rep drops a level.
No ones. Happy days. We’re living the dream.
Robbed Again?!
Then the involuntary encounter for October. I rolled… six. Robbery. Robbed again! Are you kidding me?
I don’t think Orin would rob someone. That’s not his style, man. Let’s be honest. So I drew a card to see where it happens, and got the Sick Frog Tavern again. I’d put that card back in the wrong pile. Drew again: the bank. A bank robbery. That’s exciting.
The robbers: two Labour Joes, just like Orin, with a pretty crappy rep between them. This could be good for me. If I’m the one stopping a bank robbery, I could end up on the news.
Do I have anything on the table that looks like a bank? Not really. It’s kind of a diner. We’ll pretend it’s a bank.
In the heart of New Hope City, amidst the bustling streets, we find Orin Ryder on a mission. Times are tough, and Orin is determined to uncover a vital piece of information: his credit rating. The shadow of bad credit looms, and he wonders if that’s the reason behind all his job rejections. He seeks advice on how to mend his financial reputation and open doors to a brighter future.
Unbeknownst to Orin, a different drama is unfolding within the bank’s walls. Two other working Joes, an anxious young man and a stern elderly lady, are preparing for a very different kind of transaction. Their intentions are far from noble.
As Orin steps into the bank, his questions about his credit rating soon intersect with the desperate plan of two unlikely bank robbers. In this moment, destiny’s wheels are set in motion.
The Shootout at the Teller
Orin spots them first, so he has the advantage. One robber has a pistol, and one’s unarmed. Sound familiar?
We both pass two dice, and when it’s a tie, the side with the advantage acts. That’s Orin. He pulls his pistol and shoots the armed one, the masked man.
Hit. Five versus the robber’s rep of three: out of the fight. That’s an increasing rep D6. Go team.
The elderly lady still gets her turn, so she grabs her mate’s gun and shoots back at Orin. She passes one die, and when the shooter is a Joe, passing one is a miss. Then the will-to-fight test: she fails it, and she’s out of there, maybe dragging her friend with her.
Orin Ryder successfully stopped a bank robbery. That’s got to be worth some social credit, surely?
The Cops Show Up
I was about to wrap up, but then it occurred to me: there are police at a bank robbery. So let’s have Orin talk to them, as an interaction rather than a confrontation, even though he did just shoot someone.
One cop, rep four. Orin’s Cruel and the cop’s rep is lower, so he gets a bonus die, but he’s a Joe talking to a non-Joe, so he loses one. Orin passes one, the cop passes none. A favourable reaction and another increasing rep D6. I’m a hero, baby!
So, naturally, Orin asks the cop for a job. Same result. He disagrees.
No one wants to give this man a job. But you’ve got to be in it to win it, right? You’ve got to drop off your resume.
That’s October’s first encounter: one bank robbery stopped, two increasing rep D6s earned, and still unemployed.
Would you have taken the shot, or kept your head down and hoped the robbers left? Let me know in the comments.
Ciao for now.
(Note: This post was created transcribing my youtube videos using tools which may include elements of artificial intelligence.)
