Linda Naughton
Writer. Mom. Gamer. Geek.

Crimson Skies - Tinseltown Expose Tidbits

Tinseltown Expose was a planned Crimson Skies sourcebook about the nation of Hollywood. It never saw the light of day after FASA Corporation went out of business. These are a few squadrons and scenarios I created for it. Crimson Skies is now a registered trademark of Microsoft.

For more Crimson Skies work, see Crimson Skies.

SCENARIO: REALLY BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK

“Wings of Glory” was all set to be one of the great modern classics. Warner Bros. had pulled out all the stops to create the most impressive, most realistic, most lavish, and - unfortunately - most expensive aerial war films ever made. Filming had just begun on the climactic dogfight, between the Hollywood Cavaliers (the heroes, of course), and the Western Coalition (a thinly-veiled jab at Pacifica) when some uninvited guests crashed the party.

The Ronin, an independent mercenary squadron, had been hired by a rival studio to disrupt filming. (Many suspect that Universal Studios, which had its own air war moving coming out later that summer, was the force behind the mercenaries, but nothing was ever proved.) The Ronin dove in out of the sun, taking down two of the stunt planes before they even knew what hit them.

In the ensuing dogfight, the remaining Warner stunt pilots (many of whom were actually members of the Warner corporate air guard) fought off the encroaching mercenaries. The producers of the film were thrilled when they found that their cameras had continued rolling, getting them some great footage of the dogfight. Unfortunately, enough damage had been done (in terms of planes, pilots, and equipment damaged on the ground) that production of the film has been postponed indefinitely.

Game Setup

Lay out the Rural map. The Warner planes may set up anywhere on the map, as long as they are more than three hexes away from all the edges. These planes should be set up as if they were dogfighting each other, since they were in the midst of filming when the attack began.

In addition to the planes, the Warner player may place five turret markers anywhere on the map. These are not actual machineguns, but instead represent camera crews.

The Ronin planes set up along the western map edge.

Planes and Pilots

Hollywood Cavaliers (Warner Studio stunt pilots)

Lead1: Moira "Nan" Parker
Firebrand			3-5-4-4-6-5

Wing1: Grady "Butch" MacKenzie
Bloodhawk		3-4-4-3-5-5

Western Coalition (Warner Studio stunt pilots)

Lead1: Rob "Shamrock" O'Reilly
Black Bat			4-4-5-3-7-4

Wing1: Myriah "Blackie" Morris
Black Bat			3-3-6-4-5-5

Ronin (Mercenary Band)

Lead1: Amanda "Charity" Greene
Firestorm			4-4-3-5-4-4

Wing1: Barry "Westman" Fillette
Fury			3-4-4-2-6-3

Lead2: Jim "Dolphin" Backe
Hornet			5-4-5-3-4-4

Wing2: Dana "Misty" Wilkins
Hornet			4-5-3-3-4-4

Rules of Engagement

The Ronin’s general mission is to wreck as much havoc on the Warner filmmaking as possible. To this end, they will attempt to shoot down or damage as many Warner planes as they can. They will also try to drop bombs on the camera positions.

Planes from both sides may flee from any map edge.

Smile for the Birdie

The Warner cameras are an important part of the scenario. Each camera crew faces in the direction indicated by the guns of the turret marker.

At the beginning of each turn’s movement phase, the Warner player may change the camera crew’s facing by 1 hexrow (or he may leave the camera stationary).

At the end of the movement phase, the Warner player must choose a target to film. A camera may record footage of any plane within a V-shaped arc (just like the firing arc of a Seeker rocket, p.44 of Rules of Air Combat), up to a range of 4 hexes. Extra victory points are received for capturing spectacular footage, so keep track of them as the mission goes on. The camera crews may not move out of their starting hex.

Hopefully it goes without saying, but if the camera crew hex is bombed, the camera may no longer record footage.

Winning the Mission

The mission ends when there are no planes from either side left on the map. The side with the most victory points wins.

Warner Victory Points

(*) - only count victory points for footage from cameras which actually survived the battle

Ronin Victory Points

SCENARIO: ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FORESTS

The border between Hollywood and Pacifica is plagued by skirmishes, although none of them are big enough to warrant a formal declaration of war. One such encounter took place just as fall was beginning to creep up on the cozy costal city. A flight of Pacifica planes “accidentally” wandered a little too far south, ending up over the forested mountains around Eureka. The Eureka militia flew out to give them a friendly reminder about where the border was, but tempers flared and a full-blown dogfight erupted.

The militias battled fiercely along the coast, and two planes were shot down. Unfortunately, one of the flaming wrecks was enough to set off a massive forest fire. The Eureka planes retreated from the dogfight, heading for North Spit to equip their planes with water tanks and other firefighting gear. By the time they returned to the area, the Pacifica planes were long gone. Their legacy remained, though, in the form of two acres of charred forest.

GAME SETUP

Lay out the seaport map. The Pacifica planes start in the northwest corner of the map, and the Eureka planes in the southeast. No plane may start more than three hexes from the edge of the map.

Planes and Pilots

Eureka Air Militia

Lead1: Louis “Lulu” Thurston
Bloodhawk		7-4-5-5-6-5

Wing1a: David “Jazzman” Kelly
Albatross		4-2-5-5-4-2

Wing1b: Brian “Gridiron” Gallagher
Thunderbird		6-5-3-5-4-5

Pacifica Border Patrol

Lead1: Howard “Baron” Reeves
Brigand		5-4-5-3-5-3

Wing1a: Gary “Hack” Morgan
Sandhill		5-5-3-4-3-2

Wing1b: Wes “Dutch” Carstairs
Nemesis		3-4-4-5-3-3

Rules of Engagement

The encounter takes place at the tail end of the dry summer season, when the forests around Eureka are poised to go up in flames at the slightest provocation… such as the flaming debris from a destroyed aircraft. Neither side wants this. Though Hollywood would suffer the more immediate devastation of a forest fire, it would quickly spread up the coast into Pacifica. Flyers from both sides must exercise caution to avoid starting a blaze.

Whenever a plane is shot down over a forest hex, the owner of the plane must roll a die. If the roll is 7 or higher, the trees in that hex catch fire. Place a marker to indicate burning hexes. Bombs and flare rockets targeted at a forest hex must also roll to start a fire, but the roll must be 8 or higher. Planes that fly within 2 hexes (in any direction) of a fire suffer a +2 modifier to all piloting and gunnery tests due to the smoke and heat.

At the beginning of every turn, the fire may spread to forest hexes adjacent to the burning hex. The chance of any hex catching on fire is (7 - the number of adjacent hexes that were on fire at the start of the current turn).

Planes from either side may withdraw from the edge they started on. If at any time there are more than 8 burning hexes on the map, the Eureka planes must immediately try to withdraw.

Winning the Mission

The mission ends when all the planes from either side have left the map or have been shot down. Victory points are scored according to the table below. The side with the most points at the end of the mission wins.

Victory Points

SCENARIO: THE HIDDEN VALLEY

There has been much speculation about how the Yosemite Brotherhood manages to fly such expensive planes. Many speculate that they have stumbled upon the Lost Clement Mine, which is said to house peanut-sized nuggets of gold in its red conglomerate walls. Countless expeditions have tried to reach the mine, but none have returned. Even Mark Twain attempted an expedition back in 1871, chronicling his adventures in his book Roughing It (published in February 1873). The only one to return from the mine (or claim to) died of a heart attack in 1877, shortly after cashing his claim in San Francisco.

The mine is supposedly located northeast of Mammoth Peak and south of Mono Lake, in the Cathedral Lakes region near the headwaters of the Owns River. This terrain is extremely rugged, and subject to the vagaries of winter weather that last well into the early spring. In early November 1936, a San Francisco businessman claimed to have a tip on the location of the mine. He and four other pilots departed San Fran in private planes. They never returned. Some believe that they were shot down by pirates. Others believe that an early winter storm claimed them. But most believe that they were simply the latest victims of the curse of the Clement Mine.

Game Setup

Lay out the Canyon map. The expedition enters the map from the south map edge. The Yosemite Brotherhood may set up anywhere on the map, after the expedition planes have been placed.

Planes and Pilots

Carstairs Expedition

Lead1: Jack “Nickel” Carstairs
Avenger		3-5-4-4-3-5

Wing1: Mandy “Sunshine” Sturgess
Saber			3-3-5-5-4-4

Lead2: Roberto “Rocky” Vincenzo
Black Bat		4-4-5-3-6-5

Wing2: Evan “XRay” Acalpo
Black Bat		3-6-4-4-3-4

Yosemite Brotherhood

Lead1: Tenaya “Coyote” Clark
Intrepid		4-5-4-4-5-7

Wing1: Benjamin “Timber” Duncan
Cutlass		3-6-6-4-4-5

Lead2: Jake “Lone Wolf” Cutler
Bloodhawk		4-4-6-5-3-4

Wing2: Paul “Raven” Randall
Valiant		3-6-7-3-5-3

Rules of Engagement

The expedition, led by Jack Carstairs, has unfortunately wandered too close to the home base of the Yosemite Brotherhood. Determined not to let the corporate craft anywhere near their hideout, the Brotherhood ruthlessly attack the civilians, giving no quarter. The expedition pilots may not flee from the map, and must fight until they are destroyed or there are no more Brotherhood planes still on the map. The Brotherhood pilots may retreat off any map edge.

The other wild card is the weather. Strong winds from an early winter storm make flying difficult. All piloting checks are made with a +2 to the target number. In addition, any pilot that flies adjacent to a square containing a red dot must immediately make a piloting check with a target number of 8 - Natural Touch Skill. Do not add the additional +2 for the weather to this check; that modifier is already factored into the base target number of 8. A failed roll indicates a collision with the mountain (use the collision rules on p27 of Rules of Air Combat.)

Winning the Mission

The mission ends when only one side still has planes flying. That side is automatically the winner.

SCENARIO: DESERT FOXES

As a border outpost, Barstow has to provide the first line of defense against those who would enter Hollywood with harmful intent. These marauders find themselves up against the fiercely dedicated and highly disciplined Barstow Air Militia. They take their duties very seriously, realizing that the fate of the nation rests in their hands. Common foes for the militia are independent pirate groups from the Disputed Western Territories, out to prey upon the Hollywood shipping lanes. One such incursion took place in early 1937 when a Wells Fargo armored zeppelin radioed for assistance after its escorts had taken heavy casualties from a pirate attack. By the time the Barstow forces arrived, the last zeppelin defender had been destroyed and the Zeppelin itself had suffered heavy damage. On the up side, so had the pirates. Still, the Hollywood defenders had to take down the remaining pirates before they could finish off the zeppelin.

Game Setup

Lay out the Zeppelin map. The pirates may set up anywhere on the map. The Barstow forces enter from the west map edge.

Planes and Pilots

Wildhorse Squadron (Barstow Air Militia)

John “Ulster” McGwire
Firebrand		6-4-3-5-4-5

Thom “Adler” Berg
Voss 157		3-6-4-5-4-6

Frankie “DoughBoy” Miller
Rifleman		5-4-5-6-3-4

Ginette “Ginny” Lafayette
Warhawk 		3-3-5-7-4-6

Desert Foxes (Pirate Squadron)

Amy “Spitfire” Warren
Brigand		4-6-6-5-3-3

Alec “Orion” Bradley
Kingcobra		3-4-5-5-6-4

Norman “Rusty” Russel
Kestrel		6-4-5-3-3-5

Pat “Farmer” Caruso
Hammer Fist		3-4-4-5-6-5

Rules of Engagement

Before the start of the mission, the pirate player may inflict 2d10+10 hits upon the zeppelin. Each hit is a 40 caliber AP round targeted at a random part of the zep. Roll on the table below to determine which section is damaged.

Random Zeppelin Hits

(*) - Roll again to determine which side. 1-5 Right, 6-10 Left

(**) - Roll again to determine which side. 1-5 Nose, 6-10 Tail

If by some quirk of fate the Zeppelin is destroyed by random damage before the game begins, the players may play the mission as a straight-up dogfight instead, with no special rules or victory conditions.

Planes from either side may flee off of any map edge.

Winning the Mission

The mission ends when there are no pirate planes left on the map, or when the Zeppelin is destroyed.

SCENARIO: STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

In the early spring of 1937, a number of “pirate raids” had been launched from Arixo territory. Growing evidence, however, indicated that these raids were in fact being funded by sources within the Arixo government, as a means of destabilizing Hollywood. Thinking that two could play at this game, the Hollywood government (and San Francisco militia Captain Tommy Velasquez in particular) enlisted the Diamondback Gang for a payback mission. The target: a manufacturing plant just on the other side of the Arixo border.

Game Setup

Lay out the River map (note that the river is actually a dried up riverbed in this scenario) and an Open Sky map so their short edges touch each other. Prior to the start of the mission, the Arixo player may designate any building on the River map as the manufacturing plant. The only restriction is that at least part of the building must occupy at least three hexes on the map.

The Diamondback Gang sets up along the edge of the Open Sky map furthest from the River. The Arixo flyers may set up anywhere on the River map.

Planes and Pilots

Diamondback Gang

Lead1: “R.D.” McWayne
Avenger		5-4-6-4-3-5

Wing1: Rachel “Jaguar” Halliman
Avenger		3-5-6-5-4-4

Lead2:  Greg “Cobra” Mansen
Thunderbird		4-5-5-4-3-5

Wing2: Sheila “Pixie” Vasquez
Hornet		3-3-6-6-4-5

Arixo Air Militia

Lead1:  Peter “Iceman” O’Malley
Nemesis		3-4-4-5-6-6

Wing1: Kyle “King” Fisher
Brigand		5-4-4-3-3-4

Lead2: Billy Jean “BJ” Brookins
Fury			3-6-5-3-6-4

Wing2: Tim “Hawk” Masterson
Peacemaker		4-5-3-3-4-5

Rules of Engagement

The Diamondback Gang’s objective is to drop as many bombs as possible on the manufacturing plant. Any hex that the plant occupies is a valid target. The militia pilots are intent on destroying as many pirates as they can, preferably before they can drop their bombs.

The Arixo flyers may retreat off any map edge. The Diamondback Gang, however, may only retreat off the edge they set up on.

Winning the Mission

The mission ends when there are no more pirate planes left on the map. Victory points are scored according to the following table. The side with the most points wins.

Victory Points - Diamondback Gang

Victory Points - Arixo Militia

SCENARIO: SIGN OF THE TIMES

There’s nothing quite like the lure of forbidden fruit, and the Hollywood sign is no exception. The airspace around it was declared off-limits after several raiding parties attempted to destroy the landmark. Despite this restriction, the 50-foot sign still makes a tempting target for daredevils. One pirate group in particular, the Magic Circus, likes to use the sign as part of an initiation ritual for prospective members. The contest is simple. Pirate hopefuls are pitted against each other in a test of skill and daring. Each pilot must buzz the Hollywood sign five times (staying no more than 100 feet off the ground at all times, going as fast as possible, and getting as close to the sign as possible on each pass). Spotters on the ground rate the performance of each pilot. Only the best are offered positions in the Circus. Of course, at any moment the Hollywood militia could arrive to put a stop to the festivities.

Game Setup

Lay out the Seaport and Rural maps, such that their “short” ends meet. Along the edge where the maps meet, place markers in four hexes to designate the location of the Hollywood sign.

The competitors set up their planes on opposite edges of the map, each the same distance from the sign. The Hollywood Knights are not there at the start of the mission.

Planes and Pilots

Note: This scenario can be played with more than two competing pilots.

Competitors

Rick “Cobra” McCoy
Valiant			4-4-3-3-5-5

Vic “Marlin” Handel
Valiant			3-4-5-4-4-6

Hollywood Knights

Carmen “Killer” Flores
	Fury			4-3-6-4-3-5

Karl “Wrong-way” Gruner
	Fury			4-3-6-4-3-2

Rules of Engagement

To buzz the sign, the competitors must move into the sign’s hex and make a piloting roll. The target number is 8 (base target number) - Natural Touch skill + Speed. A failed roll means that the pilot did not get close enough to the sign to make a successful pass. A roll of 1 means that the pilot has crashed into the sign! Apply damage as per a normal collision (p27, Rules of Air Combat). Pilots score Victory Points for each successful pass, earning more points for making the pass at a higher speed. If a 10 is rolled on the piloting check, the pilot receives extra points for making a particularly impressive pass.

The pirates are not permitted to engage each other in combat, though they are free to get in each other’s way and try to prevent each other from maneuvering.

Starting with the fourth turn, roll a die at the end of each turn to see if the militia appears. If the roll is less than or equal to the current turn number, the militia will enter the fray during the Movement Phase of the next turn. They enter from the west map edge.

A third player can control the militia. If there is no one else available, each player may take control of one militia plane and use it to go after his opponent’s pirate aircraft. The militia’s goal is to drive the pirates away from the sign. If this requires shooting them down, then so be it. The pirate flyers can flee at the first sign of the militia (exiting from any map edge), or they may stay and continue their passes despite the unwanted attention.

Winning the Mission

The mission ends when there are no pirate craft remaining on the map. Each pirate pilot gains Victory Points for their performance. The one with the most points wins.

SQUADRON: EUREKA AIR MILITIA

On the outskirts of the airfield at North Spit is a small set of hangars that serve as the home base of the Eureka Air Militia. The militia is actually an auxiliary branch of the Redwood Forestry Service, so it places less emphasis on military organization and tactics and more on raw flying skill and dedication. Most of the pilots are qualified firefighters or forest rangers, and serve in these dual capacities whenever they’re not flying. The militia has very high standards for its pilots, so only the best need even apply. Eureka pilots receive special training in combating forest fires, using special water pods mounted on their planes to douse the flames.

SQUADRON: LOS ANGELES AIR POLICE

One of the notable facets of the LAPD is its air division. While their brethren on the ground patrol the streets on horseback, the air police work with other local militias to keep the skies safe. Their main function is surveillance and tracking, as their birds-eye view of the city allows them to pursue escaping criminals from the air. Perhaps the most recognizable part of the LAPD air police is its Zeppelin. With the police logo proudly emblazoned on the gasbag as it hovers over the city, the Zep is a constant reminder that the boys in blue are out there, protecting our fine city.

Notable Pilots

SERGEANT EDWARD "OLD DOG" FOSTER
Plane: Bird Dog Autogyro
Skills: 5-3-5-3-3-6

Ed Foster joined the LAPD the day he turned 18, and has served faithfully ever since. Though flat feet would keep him out of the Army during the Great War, they couldn’t keep him away from the LAPD’s mounted patrol. Shortly before the breakup of the former United States, Ed turned in his riding boots for a flight jacket, transferring to the air police. Living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks, Ed earned his nickname from the other, much younger, flyboys.

Squadron Rules

The police force uses mostly autogyros, perfect for navigating the city streets and landing to make an arrest. Its only “real” aircraft include a handful of Kingfishers housed on the Zeppelin.

SQUADRON: RISING STARS - BAS HOLLYWOOD

Blake Aviation Security (BAS) is the premiere aerial security firm in North America, with offices in all of the recognized nation except Free Colorado. Formed by the brilliant young Paladin Blake, the company grew out of his experiences as a Pinkerton man in the early ‘20s. A confirmed force against piracy, BAS offers its services to both public and private corporations. Although Blake heads up the company, much of the troubleshooting is handled by regional managers. Blake personally guarantees that BAS will cover the loss of any cargo it insures for full value if it is lost while under BAS protection through “the fault, inaction or failure to fulfill the contract of Blake Aviation Security or its employees.”

Hollywood is often considered the “home” of BAS, since it was here that Blake set up his first offices. Blake himself earned a reputation as a hotshot flyer when he tangled with R.D. McWayne and the Diamondback Gang while trying to end a protection racket that the various (pre-Charlie Steele) militias had been unable to defeat. BAS also earned accolades for their ground operations after one of their operatives foiled an assassination attempt on President Dave Dunbar. The protection agency’s services aren’t cheap, but they’re well worth it.

BAS maintains elaborate training facilities in Hollywood. All recruits, regardless of experience level, are required to attend a rigorous training program set up by Great War Ace Albert Tennyson. Following their training, they are sent to one of the “farm” squadrons throughout the country, where experienced pilots will monitor their progress and keep an eye out for the “newbies”. One such training squadron is the “Rising Stars”, one of four BAS units based in the Hollywood area.

Notable Pilots

DANIEL "PROFESSOR" REEVES
Plane: Bloodhawk
Skills: 4-4-5-3-4-3

Though his flying skills are no longer in tip-top shape as he gets along in years, “Professor” Reeves has been a fixture in the Rising Stars squadron since its inception. Before the Great War, Reeves was an English professor at CalTech. The professor adored his students as much as they adored him, but he reluctantly left the college when patriotism called. Though the war ended soon after, flying was in Reeves’ blood. He never returned to CalTech, choosing instead to become a flight instructor. It wasn’t long before Paladin Blake recruited the old professor to teach his young recruits the finer points of flying.

Squadron Rules

The Rising Star squadron takes a unique approach to training. Inexperienced pilots are given the wing leads, putting them in a position where their skills will be greatly tested. The veterans serve as wingmen, backing up the new flyers and making sure they don’t get in over their heads. Rising Star wingmen are created with 450 points, where the wing leaders only receive 350.

SQUADRON: ISLANDERS - HAWAI’I AIR MILITIA

The Islanders are the first line of defense for the Hawai’ian islands. Led by “Kaimana” Luehmann, the fearless Hawai’ian princess.the squadron is made up entirely of native islanders. No mainlanders need apply. Each pilot is an expert in the geography of the island chain, even the little-visited islands such as Moloka’i or Lanai. They also receive special training that prepares them for the sometimes-inevitable bailout over the ruthless Pacific Ocean.

Notable Pilots

SOPHIA “KAIMANA” LUEHMANN
Plane: Skewer -- "Leilani"
Skills: 3-3-5-4-4-4

Kaimana Luehmann is the daughter of a Hawaiian princess and a veteran American pilot who made a stop-over during a trade run with Japan, and decided to stay. Sophia’s Hawaiian name means “diamond,” given to her because she is not only the jewel of her parents’ eyes, but also an incredibly tough and stubborn young woman. Trained to fly from an early age, she has earned the King’s faith in her abilities. There is no question that if she and Charlie Steele were to ever join forces, there is probably nothing that could stand up to them.

Squadron Rules

Since many of the smaller islands have no dedicated airfields, the Islander flyers frequently have nowhere to land save the ocean itself. For that reason, every plane in the squadron must be outfitted with special floatation gear.

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