# MAXIMUM FREEDOM: Washington Dinosaur Action in Wushu tags: #articles #game/rpg/wushu  I swear by all the rites of Hell, there is only one RPG capable of doing this scene justice: **[[Wushu]]** ([http://danielbayn.com/wushu/](https://t.co/RLSw7dAYrl)). - Freeform traits. - Actions are assumed to be executed exactly as you said. - The only thing in question is how effective they'll be. - A system designed for maximum action and maximum freedom. In fact, I think I will write up a quick treatment on what a scene might look like for this particular image tomorrow to celebrate. ``` CUT TO: INT. SATELLITE OF HATE NETWORK LAB - DAY ``` ## Raise the Sword High > [!quote] Doctor Bill Taggart, Doctor Emeritus of Xenobiology, University of Georgia > > Ultimately, the problem for the aliens wasn't the gravity or the microbes. The problem for the aliens is that they weren't the first. The Martians were the first, and the Martians died. The [Night of the Cooters](https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/waldrop_05_14_reprint/) was pretty clear as regards how that tussle ended. They dropped in on humanity, thinking it was easy pickings. Then guns and cannons in America showed them what we think is a good time. > > When the Plutonians finally got here, they found a world touched by extant alien technology: heat rays on giant genetically engineered eagles, the great leaders of the past cloned and educated with the greatest skills known to man. > > And Americans hated aliens. They were just waiting for the opportunity. > > The Plutonian force had no idea what they were in for, but they were going to learn today.  The year is 2048. Mankind has had plenty of time since the 1890s to accustom themselves to the idea of life beyond our pale blue world. More than that, man is assured that he can deal with it. Alien technology augmented steam engines, spurring humanity to ever greater heights and quicker advancements. Alien biology gave man a point of comparison and thus a springboard into ever greater understanding of life and what life could be. Unfortunately for the Plutonian Guard, they failed to understand exactly how much man was ready for their attempted invasion of the Earth. They were certainly unprepared for the sheer bloody-mindedness and aggression that humanity could manifest, and in particular, Americans as the pinnacle of that manifestation. Certainly, their technological edge was incredible. The Plutonians had massive suits of armor powered by nuclear reactors that spat living death from every barrel. They had ships the size of small continents, ready to cast long shadows across fearful faces. Individually, physically, the Plutonians were weak, but their machines made them strong. Despite access to human media blasted out into deep space for the last several hundred years, the Plutonians' arrogance knew no bounds. "It is only the stories they tell each other," they said in their private councils. Then they set foot into Hell. **MAXIMUM FREEDOM** is not about asking the question: can the Plutonians successfully invade Earth? The answer is no. They haven't got a chance. The real question is: how cool is it going to look when they get their asses handed to them? And who can do it with the most style? ## PCs in MAXIMUM FREEDOM Player characters are all people on the front lines of the fight against the Plutonians. You may be genetically engineered clones of the Founding Fathers, drug-augmented super-soldiers, ridiculously skilled private investigators, pilots of Martian technology-enhanced giant eagles, or brainy, chisel-jawed scientists who drive high-speed atomic cars. If you can kick ass, take names, and look cool doing it, you're set. Character generation is quick and easy. See the [*High Flying Heroes* chapter of **Wushu**](http://danielbayn.com/wushu/high-flying-heroes/index.shtml) to learn everything you need to know. ### Neo-George Washington - Protect the Citizens of the United States of America (5) - Two-Fisted Gunslinger (4) - General of the American Armies (3) - Fish Out of Water in This Era (1) Neo-George Washington is one of the greatest products of alien and Martian technology coming together, taken from cell scrapings from Washington's tomb. He is a master of the combat arts, a deadeye with both rifle and pistol. In recognition of his skills, he has been returned to his position as one of the foremost generals of the American armies, and his greatest desire is to protect the citizens of the United States of America. Unfortunately, to create a man capable of living up to the historical precedent, he wasn't truly able to be educated on the social mores of the current day. A man of action and a man of commitment, but don't ask him to get your Starbucks order. #### Washington's Veloci-Mount - High Speed/Low Drag (5) - Big Nasty Teeth (4) - War-Mount (3) - Hates the Cold (1) Washington would never go into war alone. He rides a special genetically engineered beast formed from a blended mix of Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and American Bullfrog. Chainsaws have looked admiringly at this thing's mouth. Scout vehicles have trouble keeping up with it. That said, it definitely does not like the cold and doesn't function well in it.[^1] ### Bucky Fuller, Heat-Eagle Pilot - Best Heat-Eagle Pilot in the World (5) - Ladies' Man (4) - Acrobat (3) - Sucker for a Pretty Face (1) The development of the giant genetically altered eagle fit for merging with cybernetic enhancements that include nuclear jetpacks and retrofitted Martian heat rays was a great day. The 4th of July often involved massive displays of heat-eagles flying in close formation above picnickers across the country. Bucky Fuller, inheritor of [the brilliance of his forebearer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller), was always among them—a great pilot, a great lover, and incredibly agile. An opportunity to be on the front lines against the Plutonians was not something he was going to pass up on. ### John Shaft, PI - Blood-Soaked Street Heat (5) - Drunk Private Investigator (4) - Looking Out For the Little Guy (3) - Sob Stories Always Win (1) New York is hot in the summer, but some of the men on the street are hotter. We're just talking about Shaft. Sure, he may take a drink or two. There's three slugs in him: one of them's lead and two of them are bourbon. When it comes down to it, he gets the job done. If he has to get his hands dirty to do it, that's just a bonus. He's never heard a sob story he didn't get taken in by, but that just makes it all the better when he puts his life on the line looking out for the little people in life.  ### The Horse Thief  - He's a Horse (5) - Skulking and Skullduggery (4) - Nobody Will Believe You (3) - Seriously, He's a Horse (1) The Horse Thief is the child of a centaur and a minotaur. He can talk. No, he's not a mutant. No, it's not cybernetics or psionics. He was just born that way. Don't judge him. He is, however, extremely adept at getting into and out of places, though sometimes he manages to be seen. After all, it's hard to be particularly stealthy if you are a horse wearing a green hood and cloak. That said, he is very persuasive, especially when he tells you that no one will believe you. He's generally correct. Unfortunately, he does have the other drawbacks of being a horse: being particularly large, a bit unwieldy, a quadruped, plus the absence of opposable thumbs.[^2] ## The Plutonians Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Plutonians are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. Rather than do long-term surveillance, a little political infiltration, and actually understanding their enemy, they decided that humanity was obviously an inferior species and unable to make use of what little technology they had. Compared to the sleek, powerful lines of Plutonian tech, the human affinity for retro, even ancient-looking applications of what they knew suggested easy prey. Honestly, they just don't understand human aesthetics. While individually and in general physically inferior specimens, the Plutonians are very fond of physical augmentation through technological innovation. The run-of-the-mill Plutonian soldier is always clad in a hardsuit and carries at least three weapons. Some of them are magnificently enhanced at a genetic level, looking more like a classic orc than the pale, weedy humanoids of their genetic mainline. Ultimately, their failure is not actually in their technological inferiority, because they do have superior technology. It is to be found in the fact that they do not understand the Rule of Cool. Except for a few of their number, who capitalize on it in magnificent ways. ### Plutonian Soldier Your run-of-the-mill mook. They never show up one at a time, but instead swarm in by the tens or dozens. That's okay because the hero protagonists are capable of taking them out a fistful at a time. They don't actually get any stats except one: the threat for the entire pile. Imagine seven-foot-tall, power-armored guys with beady little eyes, all looking to put their fists on your body at high speed on a regular basis. That's the Plutonian soldiers. If you really want to turn up the heat, however, give them a Trait which represents what they want to accomplish beyond just beating up the protagonists. Make the good guys split up their dice pools and descriptions to intervene and make sure it can't happen until they finish taking them out. Good examples may be: - *Kill the hostage townspeople* - *Have someone get away with kidnapped children* - *Plant the bombs under the bridge* - *"Look out, boss!" (for those time they're running around with a bigger Nemesis and are acting like ablative armor)* Feel free to give that particular trait a target number that the soldiers have to exceed in order to advance the threat, or you can just assume they get one success every round, just as they do for their normal defense, and just go for it. ### Calgor the Flood - Telekinetic Control of Water (5) - Plutonian Captain (4) - Flows Like Water (3) - Fire, Bad! (1) **Threat:** 3x Players Calgor the Flood is a Plutonian nemesis captain who is slightly larger, slightly more intimidating, and slightly more threatening than a group of mere soldiers. The implanted nanite forge in his armor gives him the ability to infest and control any free-flowing water in his proximity, whether it be to turn it into a kinetic whip, a pile driver, or a paralyzing sphere. He always has soldiers at his command who are willing to dive into the fray, but when pressed, he can evade many attacks. He's not so good with fire, though. ### Harton Hoon - Sonic Super-Perception (5) - Oppress His Lessers (4) - Grim Juggernaut (3) - Terrified of Mouse-Like Things (1) **Threat: 3x Players** The Plutonians truly do not understand human psychology. Harton is their idea of what a proper leader and commander of the human tide should be like. His ability to hear has been greatly enhanced in order to better monitor armies of slaves. He thinks of himself as better than most, and those who are lower than he should be directly beneath his boot heel. He grinds on forward, no matter what, until or unless he sees a mouse. There are no mice on Pluto. ## Story Hooks It just wouldn't be complete if we didn't drop some story hooks in the water, along with a bit of chum. Nothing here is overly complicated because, let's be honest, what you want to do is beat things up, smash things flat, and stand amidst the 4th of July fireworks triumphant. I really think you need to. It'll be fun. ### T+0: Contact! The first wave of Plutonian invaders is crossing the orbit of the moon, even as we speak. It's up to your ridiculously overpowered heroes to go up and catch them before they can hit the atmosphere. This could involve talking their way into stealing a space shuttle or calling on their contacts in the government to give them an untested prototype surface-to-orbit fighter craft. It could involve beginning to coordinate the defensive forces on Earth itself with grim determination, staring up at the stars. How you solve the problem is up to you. Just be awesome. You can run this very easily as a single encounter with a *Threat equal to 3x the number of players*. Don't be very strict with time; instead, let player actions take as much time as they need, as long as it fits in with one another. They might have to use some of their less expected traits if they go with more indirect methods—though perhaps that is how they have been designed to play. Lean into it. ### T+7: Bulwark A week into the Plutonian attempt at occupation, and things are not going well for them. The one thing on their side is that humans are inherently fractious and disorganized. Of course, that also means that it's impossible for the Plutonians to predict our plans or the repercussions of what they do. Some areas are incredibly hard to crack, while some roll over and throw their legs in the air at the first opportunity.[^3] The protagonists are standing with the concerned citizens of some small Midwestern town, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, gun to gun—men and women with steely eyes and well-oiled weapons, ready to defend their homes. Someone holding a scavenged Plutonian weapon over their heads and shouting "Wolverines!" is entirely optional, but really cool. Plutonians really hate to be stymied on an advance, so they have sent Calgor the Flood to bolster their numbers. He's accompanied by a fairly modest squad of soldiers, because the rest are doing their best to break the perimeter elsewhere around town. There is a 2x threat of Plutonian Soldiers, doing their best to take out the heroes and concerned citizens. Calgor the Flood is also there, and he has blood in his eye. Did I mention that you're holding the only bridge into town? That's a lot of water down there. ### T+30: The Fourth of July, Our Independence Day Humanity, possibly predictably, though depending on the actions of your heroes along the way to this point, maybe as a complete surprise, has pushed the alien threat back to a single location. I suggest New York, because no one really cares if it gets wiped out in a fight with aliens. We've seen this a dozen times. Perhaps coincidentally, this is the 4th of July, because of course it is. The final push to rid humanity of the Plutonian threat and kick them off of our planet has begun. Pull out all the special effects budget for this one. If there aren't rockets' red glare and bombs bursting in air, you have failed *as both a GM and a player.* Don't be afraid to stagger the threats as they come into the scene. Put down a company of Plutonian soldiers with a 1x threat stack. When they tear through that, looking badass, drop Calgar if he's still alive, and some more soldiers. Maybe some upgraded soldiers with more terrifying weapons. Purely narrative, but lean into it. This is leading to a crescendo after all. We have the budget. Once you've finished that little second act, close in on the third. Drop your own custom nemesis: a giant robot. Throw in an absolute pile of soldiers while you're at it, just to keep some of the extra dice tied up doing cool things at a smaller level. If you really want to be a *badass* as a GM, drop in some clocks, which require dice to be allocated to them in order to save innocent bystanders, destroy buildings in the way, or otherwise eat dice here and there. Let the protagonists and the antagonists be awesome at this point. If huge things aren't happening, turn up the volume. Don't forget that a really motivating hero speech counts just as much as a punch in the face. Drive the Plutonians off planet and stand in the streets cheering as they run off with their tails between their legs. Then start planning for the sequel, *where we take human starships and the fight to Pluto.* ## Exunt And there you have it. A fine reason to fire off the fireworks, throw down with your friends, burn through some invading aliens, and kick a lot of ass. Right alongside, if not inside, George Washington riding a dinosaur. You're welcome. ![[Washington on a Dinosaur Being Badass.jpg]] [^1]: What, you didn't think the dinosaur in the image deserved its own entire character sheet? Well, that's where you were wrong. Check it out. [^2]: Look, this character absolutely needed to make its way into this game, and I will hear no negative thing said about it. The Horse Thief is amazing. [^3]: I'm looking at you, Austin, Texas. I know you're willing to take it in the butt from aliens without even a handjob.