Road Hogs 5

Road Hogs: Chronicles of Redemption

Chapter 5: The Rock Troll Rumble

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Adventure 5: The Nightclub Siege

Four good deeds were recorded in their ledger of redemption, but Morwen the warlock demanded more. The Road Hogs rumbled across the county line into a bustling metropolitan district where the neon signs cast long shadows. The adventure generator tables determined their next mission:

Element	Result	Description
Town Type	Bustling or busy	Iron City, a massive hub filled with traffic and neon lights.
Noteworthy Feature	Lots of non-humans	Elves, orcs, and trolls crowd the nightlife districts.
The Scenario	Capture a criminal	Apprehending an underground arms merchant operating in secret.
The Location	The Hellfire Hole	A notorious nightclub staffed by succubi serving flammable drinks.
The Objective	Business is Booming	An illegal gunrunning ring is supplying heavy firearms to city syndicates.
The Complication	Rock and Roll and Rampage	A touring band of heavy metal rock trolls is destroying the venue.

The base frequency from the Hellfire Hole shook the pavement outside. The group parked their choppers in the VIP lane, adjusting their leather collars to blend in with the tough crowd. Before they could enter, a worried succubus bartender named Chloe ran out through the emergency exit.

Chloe: You three look tough! You have to help me. There is absolute madness inside. A touring band of rock trolls got into the flammable liquor, and now they are smashing the entire main lounge to pieces!

Perry: We are just here for a chat with a fellow named Vance, darling. He is supposedly running a gun syndicate out of the back room.

Chloe: Vance is in the back office right now! But the trolls are barricading the halls, throwing speakers, and the local security ran away. If you stop the troll rampage and trap Vance, I will make sure the city council hears about your bravery!

Buster: Rock trolls and illegal gunrunners. Sounds like my kind of Tuesday night. Let us make an entrance.

Mac: Hold on, Buster. The front doors are completely blocked by a flipped limousine. We need to climb the fire escape and slip through the high ventilation ducts to drop right behind the stage.

🎲 Challenge: Navigating the narrow fire escape and ventilation shaft quietly

GM Designations: Agile Challenge | Difficulty: 5

Player Dice Pool: Mac takes the lead with his agility. He rolls 3 dice (Matches Agile Trait). He acts on his Impulsive quirk, leaping onto the rusty ladder without testing the bolts first, which raises the difficulty to 6!

Dice Result: [2, 6, 4]

Outcome: Success! The 6 matches the high difficulty. Mac lands perfectly on his feet inside the duct work, and because he succeeded with his quirk, he recovers 1 Resolve Token!

Mac: The metal is a little tight around the shoulders for a guy with a snout, but follow me. Keep your jackets from scraping the sides!

The trio crawled through the ceiling line, popping open a large metal grate right above the main concert stage. Below them, three massive stone trolls with electric guitars were shattering tables, while panic-stricken patrons fled into the corners. At the far side of the room, Vance and his criminal crew were trying to wheel crates of military-grade rifles out the back exit during the distraction.

Perry: We have a double feature tonight, fellas. Buster, go jam with the band. Mac and I will shut down the arms deal.

---

Mosh Pit Massacre

The Hogs dropped from the rafters right into the center of the chaos, catching both the rock trolls and the gunrunners completely by surprise.

⚔️ Combat Challenge: Subdue the raging rock trolls and capture Vance

GM Designations: Brawny/Agile Battle | Effort Tokens Required: 6

Round 1: Buster body-slams the lead troll guitarist!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Brawny). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [5, 5, 2] — Exceptional Success!

Outcome: 2 successes remove 2 Effort Tokens. Buster knocks the troll off the stage and shatters his stone guitar!

Round 1: Mac blocks Vance's escape route with mechanical precision!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Agile). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [1, 4, 3] — Failure.

Action: Mac uses his Ace Driver perk to throw a heavy iron tire-iron from his belt to jam the wheel of the gun crate, spending 1 Karma Token to reduce the difficulty to 4. The 4 now counts as a success!

Outcome: 1 success removes 1 Effort Token. (Remaining Effort: 3).

Round 1: Perry uses tactical wit to make the gunrunners panic!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Crafty). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [6, 4, 6] — Exceptional Success!

Outcome: 2 successes remove 2 Effort Tokens. (Remaining Effort: 1).

Buster charged across the plywood stage, his heavy biker boots splintering the boards as he dove headfirst into the lead rock troll. The impact sounded like two boulders crashing together. The troll flew backward into the drum kit, his enchanted stone guitar breaking into harmless gravel. Buster snorted loudly, shaking the dust off his leather vest. Who wants an encore?!

Vance saw the brawl and screamed at his men to move the crates. No you don't, slick! Mac yelled, launching a heavy iron tire-iron across the room. The tool jammed perfectly into the spokes of the heavy cargo cart, flipping it over and spilling illegal firearms across the floor.

Vance: Protect the merchandise! Shoot these pork chops!

Perry: Hey, Vance! Look at the green light on those crates! Your automated security system just detected a high-level magic breach. If you don't drop your weapons in three seconds, this whole room goes up in smoke!

Perry's voice was so full of unshakeable confidence that the gunrunners instantly panicked, dropping their pistols and covering their heads in terror, completely falling for the bluff.

⚔️ Combat Challenge: Securing the Criminals (1 Effort Remaining)

Round 2: Buster pins Vance to the wall!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Brawny). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [5, 2, 3] — Success!

Outcome: The final Effort Token is removed. The encounter is complete!

Buster marched through the cowering henchmen, picked Vance up by his expensive silk tie, and pinned him firmly against the concrete wall. This concert is officially canceled, Vance. And your gun-running business just went out of business.

The remaining rock trolls, seeing their lead singer defeated and the music stopped, sobered up quickly and sat down on the floor, groaning from their magical hangovers.

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Five Down, Eight to Go

When the Iron City police tactical units arrived, they found Vance and his crew tied up with heavy microphone cables, sitting on top of their own illegal weapon crates. Chloe the bartender smiled warmly at the three hog-faced bikers as they prepared to depart.

Chloe: You boys are spectacular. The owner is going to pay for all the damage, and Vance is going away for a long time. You really did a wonderful deed tonight.

Perry: Just keeping the peace, sister. Tell your friends that the Road Hogs always deliver.

They walked back out to the parking lot. As Mac gripped his handlebars, a bright flash of violet light wrapped around his arms. The coarse, pig-like hair on his forearms dissipated completely, leaving smooth human skin behind. Their hands and arms were now entirely human, though their faces, ears, and tusks remained firmly under Morwen's spell.

Mac: Look at that! We are halfway back to normal, boys! Five good deeds down!

Perry: Five down, indeed. But my face still looks like it belongs in a petting zoo. We still have eight more tasks before we can show our real mugs in public.

Buster: Then stop looking in the mirror and let us ride. The night is young, and there is plenty of highway left.

The three choppers roared to life, their exhaust pipes spitting fire as the Road Hogs tore away into the urban jungle, searching for their next chance at redemption...

The saga continues! Road Hogs features thrilling, fast-paced storytelling using the easy, narrative rules of the Tricube Tales system.

Create your own crew of cursed heroes and hit the blacktop in this great setting designed by Richard Woolcock.

👉 You can find it here: DriveThruRPG - Road Hogs

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Road Hogs 4

Road Hogs: Chronicles of Redemption

Chapter 4: The Altar of the Asphalt

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Adventure 4: The Missing Historian

Morwen's magical ultimatum still rang in their ears. Ten more good deeds stood between the Road Hogs and their true human faces. Rolling out of the picturesque valley, their choppers carried them into a mist-shrouded village nestled deep in an isolated forest. The air grew cold, and the generator tables spun a dark, unsettling web:

Element	Result	Description
Town Type	Weird and creepy	Blackwood, an isolated settlement dripping with heavy fog.
Noteworthy Feature	A mysterious cult	The locals speak in hushed whispers and wear strange amulets.
The Scenario	Rescue a hostage	A captive is being held for an impending sinister ritual.
The Location	Old Town Church	A decaying, ramshackle church with a leaking roof.
The Objective	Old Habits Die Hard	An occult con artist has fooled the town to extract an ancient artifact.
The Complication	A Demon in Sheep's Clothing	A summoning ritual goes askew, possessing a nearby farm animal instead.

The streets of Blackwood were completely empty, save for a frantic young satyr who emerged from the shadows of an alleyway as the gang cut their engines near the village square.

Satyr: "Thank the heavens! You have to help me. My professor, Dr. Marrow, was kidnapped from our research camp this morning!"

Perry: "Slow down, little guy. Who took him, and why would anyone want to kidnap a dusty old academic?"

Satyr: "The 'Preacher' at the Old Town Church! He claims he's saving the town from a curse, but he's actually a notorious occult fraud named Malakai. He found out Dr. Marrow carries an ancient amulet capable of opening an underworld gate beneath the church floor. They are going to sacrifice the professor's life-force to unlock it at midnight!"

Buster: "A phony preacher pulling a classic snatch-and-grab. I hate guys like that."

Mac: "The midnight hour is closing in. Let's head to the church, but we need to find a way inside without alerting his cultist congregation."

They crept up to the side of the decaying gothic structure. Water dripped steadily from the leaky roof into puddles below. Through a cracked stained-glass window, they could see dozens of robed cultists chanting, while Dr. Marrow was tied securely to a wooden chair near the altar.

Perry: "The side door is heavily barred from the inside, but there's a rusted drainage mechanism holding up the old iron bell tower access. Buster, think you can rattle it loose without causing a total collapse?"

Buster: "Rattle things loose? Perry, that is my absolute specialty."

🎲 Challenge: Forcing open the rusted drainage hatch quietly to gain entry

GM Designations: Brawny Challenge | Difficulty: 5

Player Dice Pool: Buster handles the iron hatch. He rolls 3 dice (Matches Brawny Trait). Because he is incredibly Stubborn, he refuses to use Mac's oil spray and forces the metal purely with brute grit, increasing the difficulty to 6!

Dice Result: [4, 2, 6]

Outcome: Success! The 6 matches the maximum difficulty. Buster pops the iron lock with a muffled groan and recovers 1 Resolve Token!

Buster planted his massive boots against the stone wall, wrapped his thick arms around the iron bars of the hatch, and pulled. The ancient metal screamed silently under the tension before snapping with a clean, low thud. He smirked, wiping rust from his snout.

Buster: "There. Like a hot knife through butter. Watch your step, it's muddy in here."

They slipped into the back of the nave just as Malakai raised a glowing, jagged dagger above the terrified professor.

Malakai: "With this amulet and this sacrifice, the ancient entity shall walk the earth once more!"

Perry: "Hey, Malakai! Your sermon's running a little long, and honestly? Your delivery is completely dead!"

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Chaos at the Altar

Startled by the interruption, Malakai rushed his final incantation. He stabbed the dagger directly into the ancient amulet on the floor, but his clumsy hand slipped. The summoning circle flared with an unstable, wild crimson energy that shot right past the professor and zipped straight out an open window toward the churchyard pasture!

A terrifying, demonic braying echoed from outside. A fraction of a second later, a massive, muscular farm ram exploded through the church doors. Its eyes glowed with hellfire, its horns curled with dark energy, and it was absolutely furious at being trapped in livestock form.

Malakai: "No! The ritual miscalculated! The demon possessed the sacrificial sheep! Cultists, defend the altar anyway!"

Mac: "Great, now we're fighting robed fanatics and a demonic farm animal! Buster, handle the muscle, I'm going for the professor!"

⚔️ Combat Challenge: Subdue the possessed ram and defeat Malakai's cultists

GM Designations: Agile/Brawny Battle | Effort Tokens Required: 6

Round 1: Mac maneuvers through the pews to reach the hostage!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Agile). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [5, 2, 5] — Exceptional Success!

Outcome: 2 successes remove 2 Effort Tokens. Mac dodges two cultists and slices the professor's ropes clean off!

Round 1: Perry uses his wits to misdirect the possessed ram's charge!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Crafty). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [1, 3, 4] — Failure.

Action: Perry uses his Gift of Gab to taunt the beast, spending 1 Karma Token to reduce the difficulty to 4. The 4 now becomes a success!

Outcome: 1 success removes 1 Effort Token. (Remaining Effort: 3).

Round 1: Buster goes head-to-head with the demonic animal!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Brawny). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [5, 6, 3] — Exceptional Success!

Outcome: 2 successes remove 2 Effort Tokens. (Remaining Effort: 1).

Mac vaulted over the wooden pews like an acrobat, sliding across the altar floor. With a swift flick of his pocket knife, he sliced through the ropes binding Dr. Marrow. "Come on, Doc! Time to exit the congregation!"

Perry: "Hey, mutton-head! Over here! I’ve seen better horns on a broken Cadillac!" Perry waved his leather jacket dramatically. The possessed ram snorted brimstone and charged, but Perry leaped aside at the very last second, causing the beast to smash face-first into a heavy oak pillar, loosening the leaky roof even more.

Before the demon-ram could recover, Buster intercepted it, grabbing it squarely by its cursed, twisting horns. His massive hog shoulders tensed as he locked in a pure trial of physical strength against the underworld entity.

Buster: "You might be a demon, pal, but you're in my pit now!"

⚔️ Combat Challenge: Banishing the Threat (1 Effort Remaining)

Round 2: Perry manipulates the leaky roof to end the ritual!

Dice Pool: 3 dice (Crafty). Difficulty: 5.

Dice Result: [6, 2, 4] — Success!

Outcome: The final Effort Token is removed. The battle is concluded!

Perry noticed the cracked support beam above the altar where the rain had rotted the wood. He grabbed a heavy metal candelabra and threw it like a javelin, striking the weakened beam perfectly. A massive section of the heavy plaster and wooden ceiling collapsed directly onto Malakai and the summoning circle, smashing the ancient amulet into tiny, inert pieces.

With the amulet destroyed, the crimson hellfire evaporated from the ram's eyes. It blinked sleepily, let out a completely normal, innocent "Baaaa," and trotted out of the church looking for grass to eat.

Malakai crawled out from beneath the debris, his fake vestments covered in plaster dust, only to find Buster standing over him with crossed arms.

Malakai: "Uh... can we talk about this like reasonable gentlemen?"

Buster: "Sure. Talk to the state troopers when they get here."

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Four Down, Nine to Go

By the time the surrounding forest towns' authorities arrived to round up the phony preacher and his cult, Dr. Marrow was safely resting in the back of the satyr’s transport vehicle.

Dr. Marrow: "I don't know who you three extraordinary gentlemen are, but you've saved my life and prevented an occult catastrophe. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you..."

Perry: "Just keep writing your books, Doc. And maybe stay away from drafty old churches."

As they walked back to their choppers, a sudden tingle of warm, magical energy flowed into their chests. Perry pulled down his collar. The coarse, bristle hair on their upper chests had faded away, returning to smooth human skin. But their faces were still as porcine as ever.

Mac: "Well, that's four good deeds down. The warlock's curse is breaking piece by piece, but we've still got a long ride ahead of us."

Buster: "Suits me fine. The bikes are running great, and the open road is calling. Let's find the next town."

With a thunderous kick, their engines roared to life, cutting through the thick forest fog as the Road Hogs headed out once more into the unknown night...

The road stretches onward! Road Hogs blends action-packed storytelling with the fast, narrative mechanics of the Tricube Tales framework.

Bring your own biker heroes to life in this amazing setting created by Richard Woolcock.

👉 You can find it here: DriveThruRPG - Road Hogs

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Usborne Guide to Films and Special Effects

 

If you grew up loving movies, you might remember this vintage gem: the Usborne Guide to Films and Special Effects. It’s been out of print for decades, but it remains an absolute masterclass in classic filmmaking.

Long before CGI took over, this book broke down the tangible magic of cinema. It teaches you how cameras work, how to set up studio lighting, and how directors capture sound on location.

But the real fun is in the effects. It details camera tricks, model animation, stop-motion, and hand-drawn cells—showing exactly how the classics were built by hand.

The best part? It actually encourages you to go out and make your own movies... using a Super 8 film camera! It’s a nostalgic, brilliant piece of film history well worth tracking down secondhand.

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