Cthluhubusters - More About Rules (Occupations)

In my campaign, occupations are focused on criminal occupations, law enforcement occupations, and other occupations.

My list of occupations is:
Criminal
Gangster
Federal Agent
Police Detective
Police Officer
Private Investigator
Alienist
Author
Boxer
Businessman
Clergyman
Dilettante
Entertainer
Explorer
Laborer
Lawyer
Physician
Politician
Professor
Reporter
Union Activist


An excerpt showing one of my occupation descriptions:

Gangster
Organized criminals that are part of a local crime syndicate.

Earnings: Middle class to wealthy

Contacts and Connections: Other criminals (both street and organized), police, politicians, and businessmen.

Skills:
•   Accounting
•   Bargain
•   Brawl
•   Drive
•   Firearms
•   Persuade
•   Streetwise
•   Weapons

Cthulhubusters - More About Rules (Weapons)

As mentioned in the combat section, I completely redid the weapon statistics. The book I sent out to the players had a rather extensive appendix of handgun types, complete with pictures.

Some excerpts:

.25 ACP Pistol
The .25 is a very small pistol using the .25 ACP cartridge. Most of these pistols are cheap and of poor quality, known as "Saturday Night Specials". The gun is not very powerful and has little stopping power, but is favored for its small size and low price, making it ideal as a backup weapon or for use in committing crimes.
Example Model: Colt M1908 Vest Pocket
Attacks:   3 (-5%)   Ammo:   6 (box)   Range:   5   Damage:   1d6


38 Special Revolver
The most popular revolver in America, the .38 Special is the standard police sidearm almost everywhere in the US. While lacking the heavier stopping power of a .45, the .38 Special is still quite powerful and has better penetration.  
Example Model: Smith & Wesson Model 10
Attacks:   2 (-15%)   Ammo:   6 (cylinder)   Range:   15   Damage:   1d8+2

 
.45 ACP Pistol
The .45 is a heavy pistol using the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol is primarily used as the standard military sidearm, and sees little use by civilians.
Example Model: Colt M1911
Attacks:   3 (-20%)   Ammo:   6 (box)   Range:   15   Damage:   1d10+2


12 Gauge Pump Shotgun
A standard, 12 gauge shotgun with a quick pump action. Originally designed for the military for trench warfare, it is popular with police for crowd control and breech entry, as well as criminals wanting a higher-powered, multi-shot weapon.
Example Model: Winchester Model 12
Attacks:   2 (-15%)   Ammo:   5 (tube)   Range:   10/20/50   Damage:   4d6/2d6/1d6


Thompson Submachine Gun
The Thompson is a submachine gun capable of firing in semi- or fully-automatic mode, using the .45 ACP pistol cartridge. It was designed for the military as a trench sweeping weapon, but has become popular amongst both criminals and law enforcement.
Example Model: M1921 Thompson Submachine Gun
Attacks:   3 (-20%) / Burst   Ammo:   20 (box)
50 (drum)   Range:   20   Damage:   1d10+2


Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
The Browning automatic rifle is capable of firing in either semi- and fully-automatic mode using the .30-06 Springfield cartridge. It is designed to be man-portable and allow for shoulder-fire, but the heavy recoil from burst fire requires using a bipod or other bracing. The BAR is strictly a military weapon, though robberies of these weapons by criminals have occurred (usually from National Guard armories) and they are popular on the black market.
Example Model: M1918A2 BAR
Attacks:   3 (-20%) / Burst   Ammo:   20 (box)   Range:   90   Damage:   2d6+4

For anyone who wanted a quick reference of all the firearms stats I use:

.22 LR Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-0%) Ammo: 10 (box) Range: 20 Damage: 1d4


 .22 LR Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-0%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 20 Damage: 1d4


 .25 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-5%) Ammo: 6 (box) Range: 5 Damage: 1d6



 7.62mm Tokarev Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-15%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 7.62mm Nagant Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 7 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 7.63mm Mauser Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 10 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 .32 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 .32 S&W Long Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+1


 8mm Nambu Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-15%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 LC Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 S&W Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .38 Special Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


 .38 Special Snubnose Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 10 Damage: 1d8+2


 .380 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 7 (box) Range: 10 Damage: 1d6+2


 9mm Parabellum Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-10%) Ammo: 8 (box) Range: 20 Damage: 1d8+2


 .41 Derringer
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 1 (breach) Range: 3 Damage: 1d6


 .44 Bulldog Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 5 (cylinder) Range: 5 Damage: 1d6+1


 .44 S&W Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


 .44 Special Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 20 Damage: 1d10+2


 .442 Webley Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d6+2


 .45 ACP Pistol
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (box) Range: 15 Damage: 1d10+2


 .45 Colt Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


 .455 Webley Revolver
 Attacks: 2 (-20%) Ammo: 6 (cylinder) Range: 15 Damage: 1d8+2


  
 Shotguns

 .410 Shotgun
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 5 (tube) Range: 5/10/25 Damage: 1d6 / 1d4 / 1d2


 20 Gauge Shotgun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 2d6/1d6/1d3


 Double-Barreled Shotgun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 4d6/2d6/1d6


 Sawed-Off Shotgun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 5/10 Damage: 4d6/1d6


 12 Gauge Pump Shotgun
 Attacks: 2 (-15%) Ammo: 5 (tube) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 4d6/2d6/1d6


 Semi-Automatic Shotgun
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) Ammo: 5 (tube) Range: 10/20/50 Damage: 4d6/2d6/1d6

  
 Rifles

 Light Rifle
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 6 (box) Range: 30 Damage: 1d6+2


 Rifle
 Attacks: 1 Ammo: 5 (box) Range: 110 Damage: 2d6+4



 Elephant Gun
 Attacks: 1* Ammo: 2 (break) Range: 100 Damage: 3d6+4

 Machine Guns

 Thompson Submachine Gun
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) / Burst Ammo: 20 (box)
 50 (drum) Range: 20 Damage: 1d10+2


 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
 Attacks: 3 (-20%) / Burst Ammo: 20 (box) Range: 90 Damage: 2d6+4


 .30 Machine Gun
 Attacks: Burst Ammo: 250 (belt) Range: 150 Damage: 2d6+4

Session 20 - Cast of Characters

Father Clink Mulroney - Irish Roman Catholic priest turned gangster, now transforming into a monster

Colin "Gem" Archer - Mulroney's only remaining gang member - a somewhat dim-witted jewel thief

Session 20 - Scene 1 (of 9)

Gem pulls the car up to near Dr. Bolkanski's office. Father Mulroney carefully looks around, but the dark neighborhood is shrouded from the fog pouring in from the docks, making it difficult to see. After a moment, he decides no one is around and it should be reasonably safe to approach.

The priest has Gem check the door first. The youth approaches and finds the front door of the doctor's office to be unlocked. He tries miming the situation to the priest, but Mulroney mistakes the act as some kind of seizure and calls out to ask if he is all right.

Once Gem clarifies he was simply trying to discretely signal that the door was unlocked, Mulroney instructs him to head in. Gem carefully disables the bells over the door and quietly enters inside. He uses one of the flashlights to look around.

As he scans the office, he notices a crystal candy dish on the reception desk. Deciding it could fetch a good price, he pockets it discretely as the priest enters through the front door.

Seeing that no one is around in the office area and sensing an opportunity, Father Mulroney decides they need to head back to the doctor's private study; he wants to find a prescription pad. Unfortunately, the floor boards in the hallway are rather squeaky.

A moment later, the doctor emerges from a door in the back of the hall. He calls out, asking who is there and asks what they are doing. Gem and Mulroney decide to stay quiet, with Gem shining the flashlight right into the doctor's eyes to make it difficult for him to get a good look at them.

Undeterred despite his previous dismal attempt at the hardware store, Mulroney once again tries to disguise his voice; this time, attempting to affect a Russian accent. He calls out to the doctor by name, but Bolkanski yells at him to stop using the ridiculous voice.

The Polish doctor and the priest begin arguing over the authenticity of Mulroney's mimicry. Finally, Mulroney says he wants to speak to the doctor and after a bit more banter they finally get to having a conversation.

The father tells Bolkanski he is looking for a man named Ulnovsky. The doctor tells the priest that Ulnovsky is dead, but Mulroney insists they have information to the contrary. Bolkanski assures his "poorly voiced friend" that he is mistaken.

The doctor goes on to say that Ulnovsky blew up in an explosion some time ago. Mulroney suggests that sometimes things that are said to happen don't. But Bolkanski is insistent the man is dead.

Sensing the conversation isn't going anywhere, Gem asks the doctor to take a look at his injuries. The doctor leads him over to the nearby exam room and turns on the light. Checking over the wounds, Bolkanski asks if they are the result of fighting at the Blue Parrot. Gem explains it was another incident, not bothering to go into an explanation of the hardware store robbery.

Dr. Bolkanski bandages up Gem, and suggests putting a steak over his eye for reducing the swelling. Gem likes the idea of getting a steak. As the doctor is prodding around, there is a tense moment where Gem worries he will discover the candy dish, but he does not.

Father Mulroney then pulls his gun on the doctor. He calls out to the doctor, his accent slipping to his normal Irish Brogue for a moment. The doctor starts to turn towards him to thank him for dropping his poor attempt at a Russian accent but is startled by the gun.

Mulroney goes back to the bad Russian accent. He explains they need contact with Ulnovsky. He tells the doctor that he knows the man knows where Ulnovsky is, and that he was spotted with Karina Krasnik. Dr. Bolkanski stammers a bit, trying to say he does not know Krasnik. Mulroney can tell he is lying.

The father warns Bolkanski he is a very serious man. Bolkanski, still annoyed by the accent, says that he does not sound like a serious person. Still believing the priest is now part demon, Gem warns him that Mulroney talks to the devil himself while Mulroney considers shooting the man in a kneecap and starts to aim his gun in that direction.

Just then, the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back comes from behind Mulroney. A Russian-like voice tells him to put down the gun. Mulroney does as he is told.

Session 20 - Scene 2 (of 9)

Karina Krasnik emerges into the room to take the gun. When the priest turns around, he sees she is accompanied by Yulian Petranov, one of the men he met before with Ulnovsky. Yulian likewise recognizes the priest and asks what he is doing there.

Father Mulroney explains he is looking for Yulian's boss. Yulian says flatly that Ulnovsky is dead. When Mulroney tries to explain about Ulnovsky and Karina being spotted near the opera house, Yulian stops him. He explains that the bombing was his idea, not Ulnovsky's. He is upset that Americans are too stupid to tell the difference between himself (a Bulgarian) and Ulnovsky (a Russian).

Yulian goes on to explain that Ulnovsky has been dead a while now; killed by the bombing of their warehouse. Karina goes on to blame the whole thing on "that crazy Jewish girl". Mulroney tries to play dumb, but the scheme fails when Gem helpfully pipes in that she means Maisie.

The Bulgarian gives Mulroney a sly look. Still pointing the gun at the priest, he remarks that perhaps the priest put her up to it. Mulroney tries to say that he and Ulnovsky were good friends, but Yulian scoffs at the idea; reminding Mulroney that Ulnovsky used him like a child to take out Flynn.

Yulian tells the doctor to leave. Bolkanski edges his way out of the room and back to the residence area. Mulroney goes on to say that Yulian is the man they want to talk to. He tries flattering the anarchist about his successful job at the opera house, calling him a mastermind.

The anarchist is suspicious of the flattery. He wants to know what Mulroney wants. The priest explains he has a job of his own they need help with.

First, Mulroney wants to know more about who Yulian was trying to bomb. Petranov confirms that he was only really after the governor, calling the other killings a bonus. Mulroney asks if he'd like to throw more of a wrench into the politics.

Yulian is unconvinced, but Mulroney starts to explain about the Marduk Institute and how Senator McCormick was involved. He tells Yulian that McCormick's involvement is proof that the institute controls a good portion of the government, as part of a secret society.

Continuing on, Mulroney explains that the Marduk Institute, rather than Flynn, was behind the incidents on the docks. Yulian is confused why the institute wants the docks, but Mulroney brushes the question off, giving a bombastic speech about the institute's plans for dominating the world.

Karina tells the priest he is as crazy as Maisie was. He agrees it could be possible, but suggests they hear him out.

Mulroney asks Yulian if he recalls Alderman Biggins. Yulian does, calling him by the nickname Ulnovsky gave him, "Stumpy". Mulroney chuckles.

The priest goes on to explain that Biggins was never a very stable man, and is now at the Dunning Asylum, under the care of Dr. Bronfenburgher. He suggests Yulian go see him, saying he will find some strange characteristics of the man unrelated to his sanity. Yulian refuses, but is not surprised about the asylum, calling Americans weak-willed.

Gem helpfully suggests the father take off his gloves. Mulroney actually likes the idea. He takes off the gloves, revealing his altered hand.

Karina faints at the sight, but almost no one notices. Yulian seems less shocked than annoyed, wanting to know what kind of trick Mulroney is playing at.

Mulroney tries to explain that it is not a trick and is the result of the Marduk Institute. His attempts are somewhat thwarted as Gem tells the father to also show how he can disappear. Yulian sees this as proof of it being a trick, noting he has seen Houdini.

As Mulroney continues to try to explain what the Marduk Institute is up to, Gem decides to take the opportunity to pull his own gun.

Gem is not fast enough, and Yulian catches the movement. He shoots Gem immediately. The bullet from his heavy Tokarev pistol tears through the boy's aorta, killing him instantly and splattering the wall with blood. As Gem slumps over to the floor, the candy dish rolls out of his pocket.

He then turns his gun on the priest. Mulroney has his hands up already. He tells Yulian he has no idea what Gem was thinking. He eventually convinces the anarchist to join him against the Marduk Institute.

After finding some smelling salts, the men revive Karina. Seeing the carnage in the room, she asks what happened. Yulian coldly responds that the boy did not make it. Karina hugs him, telling him she is happy he is OK.

Father Mulroney suggests they cut short the touching scene and decide to leave. Yulian suggests they go to his hideout. As he and Karina have no car, they decide to go with Mulroney. As they leave, Mulroney spots Detective VanDamme driving into the area.

Session 20 - Scene 3 (of 9)

Yulian directs Father Mulroney to the shack he and Karina have been staying in. Before they head in, Yulian makes sure to set up the intricate set of cans tied to strings he uses for an alarm.

For the next two to three hours, Father Mulroney tries to get Yulian up to speed on the Marduk Institute and what he has discovered.

Mulroney admits the whole thing is hard to believe but there is a lot of evidence. Yulian, deadpan, notes that as the father can see, he is very distraught.

Unfazed, the priest continues discussing how the conspirators may have dies deep into the government's structure. Yulian indicates he dislikes structure. The father agrees they should tear this particular structure down; noting he can sense the anarchist has a great deal of rage against the machine of society.

Yulian wants to know what Mulroney has in mind. The priest says he has a plan, emphasizing he always has a plan. He wants Yulian to use his bomb-making expertise to get the Marduk Institute members together and kill them all at once.

The anarchist tells Mulroney he will need an assistant who can work with explosives. Mulroney, thinking of Chaos, mentions he does have one young fellow in mind for the task. But when Yulian says to bring him to him, the priest explains the youth is currently out of pocket and would need to be extracted from his current location.

Yulian assumes he is referring to the boy being in jail. Mulroney corrects him that he is in the asylum, but that he is a good boy.

The anarchist mentions something about Mulroney having spies everywhere and that he is impressed with the priest's planning. He tells him that Ulnovsky did not give the father enough credit.

Father Mulroney starts asking Yulian about using his "resources" to spring Chaos, but the anarchist explains that he and Karina are the only two left of their group; everyone else was killed in the explosion.

Yulian does, however, mention that he has a contact who can sell them supplies for the explosives but they have no money. The father tells them he has something better than money. He tells Yulian that if he arranges the contact, Mulroney will make the deal. When Yulian explains how much money they would need, the priest realizes he will need to hand over most of the heroin.

After that is planned, Mulroney talks about what they need to do next. He explains to Yulian about the Bamboo Room, saying they can make contact with a member of the cult there. Mulroney wants to make contact with the person and extract information, but notes it will likely mean killing the man. Yulian likes the idea, saying Mulroney should make lots of contacts there.

But first, they know they will need to go get the bomb. Yulian tells Karina that his love for her runs deep, but he couldn't bear it if anything happened to her; per his usual demeanor, he says all of this with his usual lack of expression or warmth. Karina sadly agrees to head out of town to the safety of nearby Gary, Indiana, while Yulian and Father Mulroney take care of the Marduke Institute.

Before Karina leaves, Mulroney asks her what happened to her father. She explains that he just disappeared one day; she wonders if it is related to the Marduk Institute. Mulroney explains he was looking to make contact with her father because he found a connection between Dr. Krasnik and the Madruk Institute, but suggests the cabal must have silenced him first. Karina tells Yulian to be sure to kill them all.

After Karina leaves, Father Mulroney suggests they will need some sleep. He also explains to Yulian that he was technically dead, but came back.

Yulian isn't sure what to make of the father's tale. He does recall the legends of the vapir from his homeland, or vampires as the Americans call them. He knows what his grandmother and the other villagers near Svishtov would have thought. He sits in a chair in the dark that night, keeping watch.

Session 20 - Scene 4 (of 9)

What Father Mulroney wakes the next morning, he is disturbed to find that his other hand has now transformed to match the first. Yulian stoically ignores the bizarreness of the change.

Mulroney asks Yulian for a knife. The priest uses it to trim the nails on his hand so that he can continue to use gloves to conceal the changes.

After Mulroney hands the knife back, he suggests it is time to go get the explosives as the other man uses the knife to shave. Yulian agrees to take him to meet his contact, a criminal named Rocco Dillon.

They discuss what kind of device they will need to build. Yulian suggests one large device to park next to the building, and a smaller backup device that would need to be hand-delivered. The backup device, he explains, is why he needs an assistant.

Father Mulroney briefly considers his options. Instead of wasting time trying to get Chaos out of the asylum, he figures he could use Lei Ming, the underage Chinese prostitute he met in Chinatown, thinking the girl would not be missed. Yulian disagrees; he wants someone with knowledge of explosives. He also mentions having a soft spot for the Chinese.

Putting aside the delivery method for the moment, Yulian makes a phone call to set up the meet. They decide to head over at ten in the morning, which Yulian cautions will be putting Rocco in a bad mood as it is a bit early for him.

The two head to one of the seediest hotels in town, where the cheap hourly rates attract a level of clientele that stay out of each other's' business.

Yulian knocks on the door to one of the suites and is met by Nick "Slasher" McGuirk, a young Irish hood and Rocco's main henchman. He calls back in to Rocco to announce their presence, and the hardened criminal tells him to let the men in.

Rocco Dillon has the appearance of a grizzled middle-aged ex-con, but with a solid, dangerous build. Also in the room is Rocco's elderly but still tough-looking mother, Muriel "Ma" Dillon, whom Yulian knows to have been a train robber who once ran with a gang of ex-Confederate soldiers when she was young. Mulroney, however, recognizes her as the "nice old lady" who Shoes claimed beat him up and robbed him.

Yulian tells Rocco he brought Mulroney with him, and says he likes the priest though calls him crazy. Rocco gives him a once over. Mulroney tries to act tough, but Rocco is all business; he wants to know what they want.

When Yulian describes what they need, Rocco is taken aback the man already needs that much more explosives. Yulian tells him that Mulroney can make it worth his while.

Rocco asks Mulroney what he has, and the priest suggests he has something better than money. He then shows Rocco the bag of heroin he brought. Rocco is impressed.

Before making any deals, Rocco mentions he'll need to have his man sample the quality. He calls out for someone named Tyrone. A black man comes from out the back bedroom, whom Yulian recognizes as Tyrone Young, Rocco's driver. Tyrone examines the heroin then spikes up.

Once Tyrone confirms the heroin is good, Rocco agrees to the deal. He explains that Tyrone is cousin to Whisper Jefferson, and he can move the product through Bronzeville easily.

Mulroney suggests that the organization he is going after manufactures a high grade heroin, which he calls the "green goo". Rocco is skeptical, having never heard of the stuff before. The priest suggests it packs quite a wallop.

Ma Dillon isn't buying the priest's story. She tells her son not to trust him. The priest turns his attention to her and starts talking about the day she encountered Shoes. She laughs about how he gave it up so easily.

Now charmed by the priest, the old woman suggests Mulroney take her to dinner sometime. Despite the fact that he has no romantic inclinations towards the grizzled, much older woman, he cheerfully agrees. Yulian expresses his disgust for such American displays of emotion.

Rocco doesn't like the idea of Mulroney carrying on with his Ma and warns him to treat her with respect when he takes her out. He tells them to leave the heroin with them and McGuirk will have everything ready for them by the next day. He suggests they show up later next time and not so early. They agree to the deal, though inwardly Mulroney hopes that neither Kerrigan, VanDamme, nor Fung Xian come looking for it since he already promised it all to each of them previously.

Session 20 - Scene 5 (of 9)

After the dealings at the hotel are completed, the father and Yulian discuss what to do next. Because trying to break Chaos out proved so difficult for Biggins last time, Mulroney suggests an alternate plan this time. He wants to use Dr. Bolkanski to transfer the lad out.

Yulian likes the plan and agrees they can convince Bolkanski to help. They head back to the doctor's office, but find the police are still investigating the crime scene. A uniformed cop guards the outside, but neither Yulian nor the priest recognize him.

The two decides to stay back and wait. After some time, a truck with soldiers arrives in the area. Squads of soldiers deploy out into fire teams and begin patrolling the area. Yulian expresses his dislike at having all of the soldiers around. Mulroney agrees, but notes the Marduk Institute won't like it either.

Yulian wonders if the Marduk Institute could be controlling the soldiers. Mulroney admits it is a possibility.

After the cops eventually leave, the two exit the car and head into the office. Bolkanski's wife and receptionist starts to tell them the office is closed for the day until she recognizes Yulian. She then ushers the two in the back quickly.

The doctor wants to know what they are doing back there, noting it is dangerous for them to have come back. Yulian simply states they are living in dangerous times.

Bolkanski notes the two men are unharmed, and wants to know what they want. Yulian explains they need a different kind of help, needing him to liberate an individual. Bolkanski only agrees to help after Yulian and Mulroney explain the plan in exchange for them promising to never come to him again.

Dr. Bolkanski tries to call over to the asylum, but the operator tells him the line is out. He blames the soldiers. Mulroney notes that they will need to go to the asylum in person then.

Session 20 - Scene 6 (of 9)

The three drive across town to the estate of the Dunning Asylum. Father Mulroney immediately notices the area is too quiet, and the guard is missing from the main gate.

Yulian appreciates the chaotic order of not having a guard around, but Mulroney is concerned. He's certain something is wrong, but Yulian thinks he is just a weak American.

Bolkanski wants to get the affair over with and helps Yulian open the gates. They drive up to the main building and find everything just as quiet there.

Mulroney tells Bolkanski to head in first. Bolkanski opens the door, but quickly runs off to the side and cowers in fear after mumbling something in Polish. Mulroney asks Yulian what the doctor said, but the anarchist describes it simply as, "is trouble".

Father Mulroney suggests they ready their weapons. He then walks over to the doctor, who is rambling about it being too terrifying and wanting to leave. He tries to intimidate the doctor into getting up and heading back in, but succeeds only in getting the man to vomit.

Yulian, thinking more practically, tries to look in the windows. But something thick and cloudy is blocking his ability to see. He can tell something is very wrong in there.

He heads over to the door to look in. Inside is a mural of carnage, with blood and body parts spread everywhere. To Mulroney, he says only "very distressing" and notes that he does not wish to go inside.
When Mulroney asks if he saw anyone in there, Yulian suggests he saw many people, or at least parts of them. The priest instantly realizes what has happened – Alderman Biggins must have completed his transformation and gone on a rampage.

Mulroney tells Yulian that this slaughter was the work of the Marduk Institute. He goes on to explain that Biggins was turned into a monster by the institute, explaining about how his finger regrew. He tells him that the institute plans to have this happen everywhere.

Yulian admits he is at a loss to understand what is happening. Mulroney asks how long the people might have been dead, but Yulian isn't sure. He mentions not really wanting to look that close.

The father attempts to get Yulian to go inside to see if Chaos survived, but the Bulgarian refuses. He tells Mulroney that he is free to go in if he wishes.

Fearing for his own sanity but knowing he needs Chaos if possible, Father Mulroney eventually goes inside. The terrifying abattoir of the asylum shocks him but he continues in, gun drawn.

Heading down to the ward where Biggins and Chaos were housed, Father Mulroney passes by a room with the alderman's name next to it. The door has been smashed open outward, and the remains of a slashed-up straightjacket lies on the ground.

More shockingly, Mulroney spots the decapitated head of Dr. Bronfenburgher. The experience further unnerves him. After a moment, he collects himself and continues on.

The door to the room for Alan White is undisturbed. Through the glass, Mulroney can see Chaos cowering in the corner of his room, still alive. Mulroney finds a set of keys nearby and opens the door.

Chaos recognizes the father. Mulroney tells him to close his eyes, and then makes sure to wrap something around him so he won't see anything. Then, he lifts the lad over his shoulder and carries him out, deftly avoiding slipping on any of the blood.

Yulian notes the boy does not look well. Mulroney cracks a joke that he looks better than everyone else inside. The slightly unhinged father then continues to chuckle uncontrollably as he makes jokes about the dead Dr. Bronfenburgher.

Sensing everyone but him is falling apart, Yulian tells them all it is time to go. He insists on driving.

Session 20 - Scene 7 (of 9)

As they drop off Dr. Bolkanski off at his office, a military car drives by with a loudspeaker reminding everyone the curfew starts tonight at 6:00.

Yulian suggests they head back to his shack with Chaos. There, they feed him some of the Vodka and salted fish that Yulian keeps around for food.

Mulroney gets an idea on how they can avoid the curfew – by getting themselves some uniforms. He wants to go back to talk to Rocco Dillon. Before they leave, Mulroney assures the insane Chaos he is safe and makes sure to take the last of the heroin with him.

At the hotel, Rocco is surprised to see them again. He asks what they want, reminding them that he won't have what they need until tomorrow.

Mulroney explains they are there because of the problem at getting around at night. Ma Dillon gets upset at the mention of the curfew, saying it will interfere with their plans for dinner. Mulroney expresses his disappointment, while Yulian mumbles under his breath about how disgusting the situation is.

Rocco asks the priest what he has in mind for being able to get around. Mulroney suggests they need to fit in with the soldiers, and asks for three uniforms. Rocco tells him it will be a tall order.

Father Mulroney tries to negotiate with a future piece of his heroin trade, but Rocco wants payment up front. They continue back and forth for a while, until Yulian insists he hand over the heroin.

The priest eventually gives him a quarter of the remaining heroin he has left, but lies and tells Rocco it is all he has. Dillon relents, and says he'll have Tyrone arrange for it to happen with a crew in Bronzeville to keep the heat off of everyone.

Mulroney likes the plan, and notes they'll also need the soldiers' rifles, referring to the standard M1903 Springfield infantry weapons. Rocco agrees, noting he has very little use for a rifle. They agree for Rocco to get the uniforms and guns that night, and deliver everything at noon the following day.

Before they leave, Mulroney also tries to convince Rocco to check out the asylum. Dillon has no intention of going anywhere near it, and suggests that's where the priest belongs. As Mulroney and Yulian leave, Ma Dillon blows Clink a kiss.

Session 20 - Scene 8 (of 9)

With an hour left before curfew, Yulian and Mulroney head downtown to check out the Bamboo Room. Mulroney wants to get an idea if the club is staying open illegally at night, but the area is pretty dead.

He heads inside, and notices only a couple of businessmen having drinks and a young girl behind the bar. Mulroney vaguely recognizes the girl, but can't place her.

The priest begins chatting her up, commenting on the rather sparse business. She explains most people left already, as there is only another hour before she has to close.

Mulroney discreetly inquires if the place will stay open after curfew, but she complains that no one will come downtown after hours. She goes on to lament how her "daddy" insisted on her keeping the place open, and Father Mulroney realizes he is speaking with Valarie Hill.

When he calls her by name, she asks if he knows her father. Mulroney claims to know him, but says it has been a while since he's seen him.

The priest then drops the name of the Marduk Institute, but she doesn't recognize it. He suggests her father was possibly looking to invest in it, but Valarie notes she has nothing to do with how he handles his money.

When Mulroney suggests she mention it to her father, she says she might, but explains she hasn't seen him in a while because she's stuck there while he's off with his "fishing buddies" on a fishing trip.

Father Mulroney tries to get the names out of her of who he is with. She drops several names he expects – Richard (Colcord), Phelan (Fitzroy), and David (Thomas Morgan). She also says they always bring Edward. Mulroney hasn't heard the name before, but quickly comes to understand she is referring to the elder Mr. Pritchett, their gardener.

Valarie goes on to mention that Reverend Greene has been around a lot lately too. Mulroney is very interested to hear that, as the Episcopalian minister was previously mentioned by Gem as being at Morgan's party for Senator McCormick.

She then asks if Mulroney ever went fishing with her father; he says he would love to go, but has never been invited. When he mentions he would fit in with Reverend Greene, he confuses her until he explains he is actually a priest.

When Valarie makes a remark about it being nice "out there", Mulroney tries to elicit the location she is talking about. Valarie explains that she is referring to the island where her lake house is. She then goes on to complain about how she wanted to use the house for a party that weekend but her father suddenly insisted on a fishing trip after the explosion the other night.

Mulroney starts to put the pieces together. He asks her if she's heard anything about the asylum, but she doesn't know what he's talking about. A thought then pops into her head and she asks if he means the one where the "funny doctor" worked.

Intrigued, Mulroney tries to get the name out of her. He is not surprised to hear she is referring to Dr. Krasnik, whom her father and his friends apparently hired for something. Mulroney mentions that Krasnik was hired by the Marduk group, but Valarie didn't hear anything about that. She does recall he was renting a warehouse from David.

Mulroney thanks her for chatting with him, but says he has to leave. He gives her his name as Father Rocco Jonesey and tells her to let her father know he stopped by. After some light flirting, he leaves.

Session 20 - Scene 9 (of 9)

Back in the car, Yulian spots the father exit the Bamboo Room. He can tell the priest is rather jubilant about something.

When the priest reaches the car, Yulian tells him that things must have gone well. Mulroney confirms things went very well.

Mulroney then goes on to explain how he spoke with Hill's daughter. Yulian wonders why he didn't take her prisoner, but the priest explains she already gave them everything they need. He now knows exactly where the Marduk Institute is.

After explaining about the island, he says that Valarie also confirmed another connection to the group he had suspected, though he doesn't mention Krasnik by name.

Mulroney says once they have the bomb materials, they can head out tomorrow night. Yulian confirms the bomb will not take long to assemble. The priest notes that all they need then is to make sure Alan is ready for "delivery".

Tomorrow night, Father Mulroney declares, the Marduk Institute will come crashing down...

Session 20 - Session Notes

This session was a bit overdue; we had to cancel the last one when the Gem player was out of town. Then, this time, we found out the VanDamme player wasn't going to be there. And because of his changing job situation, he probably won't be back.

The biggest event this session was the sudden death of Gem. He got killed because he did something stupid and failed. I even gave him a chance to make a luck roll for the candy dish to deflect the bullet, but that failed as well.

Still, the cool part about CoC and/or Gangbusters is that there is always a new character you can add to the story. In this case, I literally killed Gem with Yulian as a NPC one minute then had the Gem player take over Yulian as a PC the next; it worked out great. Even cooler, Yulian has been in the story a while already.

Next session starts the trip towards the end of the campaign. It could take a couple of sessions, but clearly we're on the path to the climax now. However, its not going to be nearly as easy as Mulroney thinks it will be...

Other notes on the session:
* Originally the idea was more that Yulian was holding Bolkanski as more of a hostage (which is where the unlocked door was going to fit in) but I kind of changed my mind halfway through.

* I specifically had a fancy candy dish just to tempt Gem into causing more trouble.

* The Mulroney player's attempt at a Russian accent was remarkably bad.

* During the actual session, I tended to forgot that Yulian and Bolkanski weren't actually Russian.

* I'm actually not certain Mulroney did meet Yulian when he spoke with Ulnovsky, but we'll call it a Checkov/Wrath of Khan style minor retcon to keep things moving.

* Neither me nor the Mulroney player understood what Gem was up to. We both knew he was a dead man as soon as he decided to go for the gun.

* There was a OOC joke about how they needed to get Mulroney out of the dr's office quickly, given Gem was dead and Mulroney now has the necrophilia disorder.

* Detective VanDamme driving into the area is there more for humor value than anything. OOG, the Mulroney player joked about them killing him, but I said it would be unfair to kill someone else's PC off when he wasn't at the session, even if he might not come back. Originally, the idea was that VanDamme would encounter them all at the doctor's office. Another plot I had but discarded was to have another man show up with a gun suddenly to trick Mulroney or Gem into shooting him, only to discover it was Kerrigan.

* Yulian's personality as a PC is clearly more cold war Russian than post WWI Bulgarian Trotskyite (if there even was such a thing).

* Mulroney's plan to blow up the 10 year old prostitute was truly heinous. The PC thought it made sense given the priest's rapidly-decreasing sanity.

* Just as a reminder - Rocco Dillon, Ma, Nick, and Tyrone are all homages to the characters from Naked Gun 33 1/3rd. This session finally gives them a reason for existing in their previous cameos.

* The idea to have Bolkanski get Chaos out was great; except I'd already decided on the Biggins slaughterhouse plot.

* The Mulroney PC knew he'd have to go into the asylum but really didn't want to given that he was so low on SAN. By the time he exited the asylum, he barely had more than 20 points left.

* I killed on Bronfenburgher to give an opportunity for more SAN loss, but also because I didn't want to have to invent any more Freudianesque psychobabble.

* Many OOC jokes were made about how Mulroney lost his empire and was reduced to hiding out in a shack with nothing but an anarchist and a supply of salted fish.

* I had already decided that since the bombing happened, all of the cabal members would have escaped to the island. It made sense to me that Hill would have his daughter manage the place in his absence.

* Valarie was always planned to be ignorant of the cult and a bit too much of a blabbermouth. So, she got to give a fair amount of exposition this time to tie some things together.

* If anyone was paying attention the lake house has been foreshadowed several times. It was one of the first locations (along with Ravenscry Manor) that I fleshed out when planning the campaign.

just wanted to congratulate you on a great idea.  Back in the day I used to play COC and really liked  gangbusters the few times I played it in high school.  I recently started a PBP gangbusters on another site and it was great following through on the story arc your group has developed.  I can't wait to see what happens next, but am sorry the detective is dropping out of the story, it seemed like there was a lot of potential there (and as a law enforcement officer he is able to search avenues the others can't).  Is it possible to get a copy of your weapons guide?

Thanks again and keep up the good work.